Here’s this weeks comic books.  Lots of Heroic Age related comics.  Is it an improvement from Dark Reign?  Find out below.

Monthly Comics

American Vampire #4 – American Vampire is a very odd series for me.  I want to really like it, but there’s something holding me back from lavishing praise.  It’s gotten better over the last few issues, but something just seems missing.  It’s filled with potential, and sadly a potential that’s just barely missed with each issue.  The setting is great and is the strongest part of the series.  It’s just tries to be a lot of things, and doesn’t quite do any of them as well as you’d expect from the series creative team.

Story: 7.5 Art: 7.75 Overall: 7.5

Avengers #2 – The team finds it’s final member as they’re attacked by Wonder Man.  It’s a fantastic issue that sets up a lot of future plot lines.  Also, the interaction of everyone is great with fantastic dialogue.  It also ends with a very unexpected ending.  Avengers Assemble!

Story: 8.75 Art: 8.25 Overall: 8.5

Fantastic Four #580 – Under Jonathan Hickman’s guidance this series has recently lived up to it’s name and been fantastic.  Well all of that went out the window with this issue which sees Johnny Storm, Franklin Richards and Leech take on Arcade with the help of Impossible Man.  It’s just really bad.  And what was up with the Image logo?

Story: 5.5 Art: 5.5 Overall: 5.5

Frankencastle #18 – It’s pretty clear the Frank Castle and Punisher we know and love will be coming back at some point (we’ve seen him in teasers for Shadowland).  This issue is clearly filler and comes off like that.  A lot of action and little dialogue the issue is predictable and forgettable.  We get a rematch with Daken next issue, but really it’s all just a placeholder for an eventual return to the series we’ve enjoyed in the past.

Story: 6 Art: 6.5 Overall: 6

Green Hornet #5 – The series by Kevin Smith is just amazing with solid art by Jonathan Lau.  I’ve never been a big fan of the Green Hornet character, but Smith has turned me into one.  This series is highly recommended.

Story: 8.75 Art: 8.75 Overall: 8.75

Green Lantern Corps. #49 – Revolt of the Alpha-Lanterns is turning into a very cool post Blackest Night storyline.  We learn what’s going on and who’s behind it all.  The potential for a classic tale is all here.  Good story, solid characters and great villain.

Story: 8.75 Art: 8.75 Overall: 8.75

Incorruptible #7 – Mark Waid’s look at a criminal looking to reform is fantastic and this issue shows it’s brilliance as it sheds a light on it’s sister title, Irredeemable.  We learn more about Max Damage, specifically how his power works and what his weakness is.

Story: 8.75 Art: 8 Overall: 8.5

Iron Man: Legacy #3 – Stark does what he has to do escape and get home.  The issue has some plot holes like what happens to the other captive and what’s up with that ending?  A decent third issue, though not quite as good as the first two.

Story: 7.75 Art: 8 Overall: 7.75

Joe the Barbarian #6 – It’s clear to me that this will be a series that’s judged as a package as opposed to individual issues.  Grant Morrison can write, the man is absolutely talented.  At time though he tends to drift and his writing and plotting begins to be rather dense and indecipherable.  It’s taken 6 issues but Morrison comes dangerously close with this issue.  Read in one sitting I’m sure the issue would make more sense, but with a month between issues the series suffers.

Story: 7.5 Art: 8.25 Overall: 7.75

Secret Warriors #17 – Is the Secret Warrior’s missions more important than national sovereignty?  Dugan and Sitwell are dragged before the U.N. Security Council to answer for their actions in an amazing issues.  Easily the best comic of the week.

Story: 9.5 Art: 8.5 Overall: 9.5

Thunderbolts #145 – The team goes out on their first mission to take care some of the aftermath of the fall of Asgard.  If this issue is any indication, the series will live up to the excellence that’s preceded it.

Story: 8.75 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.75

Wolverine: Weapon X #14 – Time travel stories tend to be pretty convoluted but this one is actually pretty straight forward.  Get a better glimpse of a future controlled by Roxxon and what goes into creating a Deathlok/Peacelok.  It’s an excellent issue and very cool arc.

Story: 9 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.75

X-Factor #206 – It’s the final chapter for the team of X-Factor and their involvement in Second Coming.  The issue is pretty decent up until the giant death machine but the ending pays off.  It’s nice to see the entire band back together.

Story: 7.75 Art: 8.25 Overall: 8

X-Men: Legacy #237 – The battle continues to rage in the present and future in this fantastic “X” event.  It’s lived up to the hype and with only a few more issues to go, I hope it continues the excellence.

Story: 8.75 Art: 8.75 Overall: 8.75

Graphic Novels

Arkham Asylum: Madness – Sam Kieth crushes this one.  A day in a life of a staffer at Arkham Asylum, everything about this graphic novel is absolutely amazing.  The plotting just adds to the tension throughout, leaving you in a cathartic ending.  The storyline is not what I expected, in a good way, and this is a classic psychological thriller.  The art is fantastic, everything about it puts it in the graphic novel of the year contention.  This is a must read and purchase.  If there’s a graphic novel that deserves to be turned into a movie this one is it.

Story: 10 Art: 10 Overall: 10