A solid week of books this week, including a few that we couldn’t get last week due to selling out and a few debuts.

Monthly Comics

Astonishing X-Men Xenogenesis #2 – While I’m enjoying this series immensely, at times it seems off.  Mostly it’s in the characterization of Emma Frost who’s normally cold and closed but here comes off as a petulant child and witch (but with a “b”).  I love the art, which is very unique.  It’s nice to get a series that while still set in the 616 is a great entry point and stands on it’s own.

Story: 9 Art: 9 Overall: 9

Avengers Academy #1 – I’m not going to ruin the ending, but it’s not what I was expecting.  Various Avengers gather young children with amazing powers to train them.  A familiar plotline, but with a twist.  This has potential to be the new series of the year and very well might overshadow the other Avengers titles in quality.

Story: 9 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.75

Captain America #606 – Baron Zemo is the new baddie who’s gunning for Bucky Barnes as Bucky must still deal with his history and recent happenings.  Generally I think this series is great but in one panel Falcon’s costume is blue which is lazy coloring and isn’t Fixer working support with the Thunderbolts?

Story: 8.5 Art: 8.25 Overall: 8.25

Chew #11 – Chew is one of the most fun and original series out there about a F.D.A. agent who can see the history of things by eating them.  This issue starts a plot involving importing of endangered species for a dinner, a plot reminiscent of the movie the Freshman.  This should be on your pull list and is a must read each month.

Story: 9 Art: 9 Overall: 9

Daytripper #7 – The series continues it’s haunting and moving take on life, this time looking at friendship and everything it can cost you.  This series is the epitome of what comic books can achieve and shows of the excellence they can reach.  If you want to show friends that comics are more than super heroes in spandex, this is the place to start.

Story: 9.5 Art: 8.75 Overall: 9.5

Hawkeye & Mockingbird #1 – The miniseries was great and this ongoing series seems like it’ll be just as good.  Hawkeye and Mockingbird are out taking on terrorists and dealing with their own complicated personal lives.  There’s a nice mix of action, drama and mystery.  Well worth the purchase and judging by it selling out at a lot of places a lot of you already have.

Story: 9 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.75

The Invincible Iron Man #27 – There’s multiple story lines going on here, but all of them involve Tony Stark rebuilding his life as a businessman, as a hero and his own personal dealings.  They all work very well and a nice change of pace of having an evil corporation being his nemesis.

Story: 9 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.75

Nemesis #2 – I’m torn on this issue.  It’s clearly an over the top male driven, ego fueled, he-man, testosterone pumped, adolescent fantasy.  At the same time it sure is entertaining.  Like a lot of Millar’s stories this one will be judged in the overall story and the statement it’s trying to make.  I just want to see more of the DC landmarks I go by every day violated by Millar and McNiven.

Story: 8 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.25

Secret Six #22 – Just when you think a series can’t top itself this one does it so often.  Blake is out for revenge to get back his child and crosses lines you never thought he would.  Usually the voice of reason, is there ever returning to normal for him?  This is one of the best comics of the week.

Story: 9.5 Art: 8.75 Overall: 9.5

Seven Psychopaths #1 – Take the Dirty Dozen or Inglorious Basterds and add in crazy people and you have this comic series set in World War II.  A team is being put together to kill Hitler, and this series has all the makings of being pure awesome.  Sean Phillips’s art is quality as usual.  You should definitely check it out.

Story: 8.75 Art: 8.75 Overall: 8.75

S.H.I.E.L.D. #2 – Jonathan Hickman’s interesting journey into a society whose mission is to protect humanity.  I’m not quite sure I get everything that’s going on, but it’s entertaining enough to keep me coming back.

Story: 8.5 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.5

Uncanny X-Men #525 – Second Coming continues as a big epic action movie in comic form.  The mutants in the present must deal with the ongoing waves of Nimrod Sentinels from the future as heroes attempt to drop Bastion’s energy dome.  The team in the future must figure out their goal as the surroundings look a bit familiar.

Story: 8.75 Art: 8.25 Overall: 8.5

The Unwritten #14 – This series is one that just consistently tests my intelligence with it’s literary references.  It works on the simplest of levels, but for those that know the literary greats, it has to be working on a whole other level I don’t even get.  There’s a good reason it’s been nominated for three Eisner Awards.

Story: 9 Art: 8.5 Overall: 9

X-Men Second Coming Hellbound #2 – While this isn’t the weakest point in Second Coming, it doesn’t hold quite the same quality as the main event.  There’s a lot of characters which makes it chaotic and some of the dialogue, like Gambit’s, seems off (he switches back and forth from his normal dialogue).  In the end this miniseries will have to be judged as a whole and not as three distinct issues.

Story: 7.75 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8

Young Allies #1 – Five young heroes come together to take on the sons and daughters of super villains.  The series has some potential and was entertaining enough.  The key will be how well it balances the heroes social lives with their super hero alter egos.

Story: 7.75 Art: 7.75 Overall: 7.75