A solid week of comics as the Siege ends giving way to next week’s Heroic Age, also Second Coming continues, along with the War of the Supermen.

Monthly Comics

Astonishing X-Men: Xenogenesis #1 – The “Astonishing” line of comics are supposed to be easy entry points for casual readers, but still set in continuity in the 616 universe.  In that sense they need to focus on good story telling and characterization, leaving out the long often convoluted history.  Much like last week’s addition, this one succeeds in all of that.  The limited series picks up as a series on “mutant” births hit Africa and the X-Men head out to investigate.  Much of the issue is spent debate African politics, as the characters’ personalities are established for new readers.  This is much improved from Warren Ellis’ last run on this title and the art by Kaare Andrews is interesting and definitely something different to look at (in a positive way).

Story: 8.75 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.75

Avengers: The Initiative #35 – And thus ended this series (though not necessarily the story).  Siege wraps up and the Initiative with it.  The last issue plays out more like the ending of Animal House where they tell you what the folks are up to at the moment.  The issue is full of those and is just a set up for what comes next.

Story: 7.75 Art: 8.25 Overall: 8

Black Widow #2 – The first issue came out of no where to a very solid start and the second picks up and keeps up the quality.  Someone is gunning for the Black Widow, but who is it and why?  Some serious allegations are being thrown around and there’s some high profile folks out to get her.  It’s very reminiscent of the recent Spider-Woman series.  Very solid and entertaining.

Story: 8.5 Art: 8 Overall: 8.5

Dark Avengers #16 – A very fitting end to the Dark Avengers series as we see what becomes of the various members and Osborn.  There’s a lot set up for the future too.  The end rant by Osborn is fantastic and done very well.

Story: 8.25 Art: 8.25 Overall: 8.25

DMZ #53 – Matty Roth mus deal with his role in the DMZ.  He is the eyes and ears of what has occurred, but does he want to be the one to tell the story?  One of the best series on the market.

Story: 8.75 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.75

Fables #95 – We continue the break from the Mr. Dark storyline and continue the focus on Rose Red.  We’re spun a tale of the history between Rose Red and Snow White about when they were kids.  It’s a cute tale.

Story: 8 Art: 8 Overall: 8

First Wave #2 – What an utter change from the first issue.  In close to a month and a half since the first issue’s debut, it’d seem I’ve forgotten what I read before, because I walked away utterly baffled as to what I read.  Multiple story lines are threaded together and not for the better.  The art was just as solid as the first issue, but the story telling to me was incoherent.

Story: 6.75 Art: 8.25 Overall: 7

The Flash #2 – With this new series, you can definitely count me amongst the new Flash fans it should be bringing in.  The story is fantastic, involving a murder yet to happen and Barry Allen is the prime suspect.  With Rogues of the present and future, it’s just a great series so far with fantastic art.  If you’ve never read a Flash comic before, you should check this out, you won’t be dissapointed.

Story: 8.75 Art: 8.75 Overall: 8.75

The New Avengers Finale – The New Avengers still have some cleaning up to do as they figure out where they stand in this new world order.  The final pages full of spreads from the past 60 something issues with a voice over from Luke Cage is a perfect ending.  Top notch stuff.

Story: 8.75 Art: 8 Overall: 8.75

New Mutants #13 – Things are brewing and this is definitely the calm before the storm in Second Coming.  Hope and Cable have returned but at what cost and how will the rest of the people on Utopia deal with it?  Pent up anger and pressure explode as Pierce makes his move for Bastion.

Story: 8 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.25

Siege #4 – The gathered heroes must band together to stop an out of control Sentry.  It’s a decent ending to the rather short event and I’ll admit I got chills at the end of it.  It’s definitely good, though not great.  And sadly the more interesting parts of the issue were ruined by other comic tie-ins.

Story: 8 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.25

Siege: Embedded #4 – Ben Urich puts a cap on the events of Dark Reign and Siege and spin the positive direction the Marvel universe is going in with the Heroic Age.

Story: 7.75 Art: 7.5 Overall: 7.75

Siege: Epilogue – The Sentry Fallen Sun – It’s the funeral for the Sentry as heroes gather to say good bye but at the same time a window is left open (could this lead into Marvelman!?).  It’s a bit cheesy and a lot of it is retcon, but at the same time it’s a needed ending to both the Sentry and Siege.

Story: 7.75 Art: 7.75 Overall: 7.75

Superman: Ware of the Supermen#2 – New Krypton is destroyed and Zod and his army is marching towards Earth with only Superman and Kara to stop them.  The second issue is entertaining, if not predictable.  This is a weekly series and we’re at the half way point, I’m still interested in seeing where it goes.  This isn’t quite enough to get me to pick up a Superman comic, but it’s an fun story on it’s own.

Story: 7.75 Art: 8.25 Overall: 8

the Unwritten #13 – Tommy is hiding out and waiting for the possible return of his father as the newest book is about to be released.  But is it written by his father?  Will his father show up to denounce the book?  And what about the people who are trying to kill them both?  This issue is much more straightforward and not deep in literary references, but it’s still very solid.

Story: 8 Art: 8 Overall: 8

ZVR Aventure #4 – The threes stories continue to be solid.  The first involving a soldier and his son ends, the humorous “Iron Man‘esque” one may or may not have ended and the final story involving voodoo and zombies, well I’m not sure if that was the end.  No matter, it’s a great comic book for fans of either zombies or robots.

Story: 8.5 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.5