It’s a thick stack of books this week and a lot of quality.  What should you grab and what should you skip?  Find out below!

Monthly Comics

Age of X Universe #2 – The first issue of this event spin off I thought was a bit weak, but this second issue bounces back with a hell of a statement about following orders.  The second story featuring Doc Strange and Dazzler is also good, even keeping me on my toes.

Story: 8.25 Art: 7.75 Overall: 8

American Vampire #14 – The platoon moves on to find the Japanese Vampire infested camp, but what does one look like?  Skinner also continues to play his game.  This is a great mix of a “war” comic and a “vampire” comic, one I highly recommend picking up.  There’s a great feel to the issue, it’s atmosphere and pacing are both done really well.  letPlease someone make this into a television series.

Story: 8.75 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.75

The Avengers #12.1 – The Avengers have to rescue Spider Woman who plays the damsel in distress.  A villain from the past returns and there’s a lot of foreshadowing.  Overall it’s a decent issue and will have greater implications than the actual quality of the issue.

Story: 7.75 Art: 7.75 Overall: 7.75

Brightest Day #24 – It’s the end of this maxi-series and as a whole it just feels like a convoluted way to get even more characters back into the DC universe.  Swamp Thing isn’t the only person to make their debut.  The art, story, it all was definitely not as solid as the launch of the series.  A bit of a let down.

Story: 7.25 Art: 7.5 Overall: 7.25

Captain America #617 – Bucky is playing gladiator in a Russian prison, while his friends scramble in an attempt to get him out alive.  This direction is pretty entertaining as we keep getting Steve Rogers’ return to the uniform foreshadowed.

Story: 8.25 Art: 8.25 Overall: 8.25

Deadpool #36 – Deadpool is back on Earth and has realized his friends dislike him.  He comes to other realizations as well.  The series seems to be missing something lately, swinging to far into the slapstick.  It does best when it’s well balanced between that, solid story and good action.  Hopefully it gets back on track soon.

Story: 7 Art: 7.25 Overall: 7

FF #2 – Doom’s got some brain damage.  The FF must help him.  Why they’d help a dangerous man, because Reed’s daughter says so.  It’s not the strongest of plots and certainly Doom hasn’t acted lately like he’s missing something (see Namor’s comic as an example), but I guess we’ll see where the series goes.

Story: 7.75 Art: 8.25 Overall: 7.75

The Flash #11 – It’s all a lead up to Flashpoint and we get a better idea as to the cause of the world changing event.  The series is interesting and not quite as solid as previous arcs, but the build up has been entertaining.

Story: 7.5 Art: 8.25 Overall: 7.5

Green Lantern: Emerald Warriors #9 – John, Kyle, Guy and Hal must decide how best to complete their mission and there’s some dissension in the ranks.  The War of the Green Lanterns continues and it’s still pretty entertaining.

Story: 7.75 Art: 8.25 Overall: 7.75

Incorruptible #17 – At some point you need to start rebuilding the city, but has Max accepted his role in that?  The villain must decide what role he’ll really play in the new paradigm of his city and the world.

Story: 7.75 Art: 7.75 Overall: 7.75

The Mighty Thor #1 – Just in time for the movie, a new Thor comic book.  The World Tree is hurt and Sif and Thor must head out to protect it.  Back on Earth the debate rages on what it means in Gods walk among men.  It’s an interesting first issue that picks up where the last series left off.

Story: 8.25 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.25

Namor: The First Mutant #9 – The latest arc has Namor struggling with the rule of his kingdom as a break off faction of Atlantis challenges his authority.  The story is decent, but doesn’t blow me way.  I’ll give this arc a try, but if it doesn’t improve, I think it’ll be my last one for the series.

Story: 7.5 Art: 7 Overall: 7.25

New Mutants #24 – And with a blink the Age of X is over, but the ramifications will continue.  The story was pretty cool, but not quite as epic as some other events.  If anything I was a bit disappointed at the somewhat predictable cause.  The big thing though will be how this carries out throughout the year as the reverberations from it trickle out.

Story: 8.25 Art: 8 Overall: 8.25

The New York Five #4 – And thus ends Brian Wood’s second volume of his look at four college students comes to an end.  The series is fantastic as I’d expect of his writing.  Underneath it all, it’s also a love letter to New York City, one that after reading, you can’t help you were a part of it.

Story: 9 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.75

Osborn #5 – I think this series shows off why I like Norman Osborn so much.  He’s a villain many moves ahead of us, thinking of the big picture.  It’s kind of hard to not like someone so Machiavellian in their actions.  Here’s hoping we get more of this.

Story: 8.75 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.75

Planet of the Apes #1 – For fans of the movies, humans and apes now live in an uneasy world together and after an assassination that truce might end.  The first issue is decent enough, hopefully the series kicks up, but as far as setting the tone and up a story, this issues does that quite well.

Story: 7.75 Art: 7.75 Overall: 7.75

Power Man and Iron Fist #4 – All kinds of craziness is going in what feels like a cheesy “B” movie in comic form.  But it’s a fun read.  The dynamic between the new Power Man and Iron Fist is entertaining.  As a whole a decent, but flawed read.

Story: 7 Art: 7 Overall: 7

Secret Avengers #12 – We learn more about John Steele’s past and are hinted at what the Shadow Council is about.  I think we’ve got some new big baddies, hopefully they live up to their reputation and how they’ve been set up.

Story: 8 Art: 8.25 Overall: 8

Secret Avengers #12.1 – Steve Rogers takes on Wikileaks and actually makes a pretty solid case in his argument.

Story: 8.75 Art: 8.5 Overall: 8.75

Uncanny X-Men #536 – I wasn’t a big fan of the first Breakworld storyline, so this follow up isn’t quite doing it for me either.  I’m just waiting for the fireworks to really hit later this year.

Story: 7.5 Art: 8 Overall: 7.75

The Walking Dead #84 – It’s always after the darkest moments we see a glimmer of hope.  Everyone is at their darkest in this issue, with things looking completely over, but then there’s the hope.  After 84 issues, is that what writer Robert Kirkman has been trying to instill in us?  That no matter how bad it all seems, there’s always hope?

Story: 9 Art: 8.75 Overall: 9

Venom #2 – Venom takes on Kraven on a mission to destroy some vibranium.  The second issue continues the set up in what still seems like it’ll be a promising series.

Story: 7.75 Art: 7.75 Overall: 7.75

X-Men #10 – The X-Men continue to battle Dark Beast.  There’s a lot I liked and a lot I didn’t.  It was a fun arc, but not a memorable one that’ll keep me talking for a while.  But still, a few good issues.

Story: 7.75 Art: 8.25 Overall: 7.75

X-23 – Daken and X-23 chat and deal with someone trying to start up a new Weapon X program.  The issue with this mini-crossover isn’t the lack of fireworks, but too many double crosses and zig zags.  It does get old after a bit.

Story: 7.25 Art: 7.75 Overall: 7.25