It's the rise of the Olympia and Wonder Woman seems to have met her match in Genocide, a killing machine built by Dr. Morrow. This is just the beginning of the story arc that is supposed to change the world of Wonder Woman. While Wonder Woman gets her butt handed to her by Genocide, Agent Tresser is held by Director Steel for questioning. Tresser makes a break for it, realizing something just isn't right with the situation and now we assume he's horribly tarnished his standing in the Department of Metahuman Affairs. Oh, and there are Greek gods on a spaceship. Make of that what you will, or can.

This volume of Wonder Woman has had a hard time finding its footing, even though it had so much to work with. Wonder Woman had just killed a guy -- that's huge! The beginning was a mess, issues were pushed back, writers and artists would change monthly, the plots seemed to flip flop, and it was hard to say if it was really going to get off the ground.

Then Jodi Picoult came as a blessing in disguise and helped get Wonder Woman's act together. When Jodi left, she gave Gail Simone a fairly solid foundation to build upon, but the story lines are starting to look like a scary game of Jenga . How much longer will it stand? With only 26 issues hitting the stands so far, it feels like the road to success has been a long and bumpy one with many a pit stop for both Wonder Woman and her creative team. They've had a lot of ups and downs, but a big "up" was bringing Etta Candy back -- woo, woo! Don't get me wrong, I love Wonder Woman. She's part of the genetic make up of all women; we're born with her as our hero. But lately DC hasn't been doing her many favors. She's been the Jan Brady of the Big Three. This whole Olympian arc doesn't really seem to be necessary. It's only one issue so far, but it feels like it's going to be dense, like running into a brick wall. Since it's the arc that's supposed to change Wonder Woman, I hope it's going to be good, and I hope DC isn't trying to kill her off or send her away on sabbatical. I don't think I could handle that -- first Batman, then Wonder Woman? That would be a shame, DC. On a good note, the art has never disappointed me and Aaron Lopresti's depiction of Wonder Woman is beautiful, yet she's still tough enough to rip your arm off and beat you with it.

In the end, this whole changing the life of Wonder Woman thing is a big risk for something that's barely two years out. But I say don't give up -- we lived through Amazons Attack!, we can get through this. All of us Wonder Woman fans will just have to wait and see to what extent this life altering will go. Hopefully, it will be in a good direction with sturdy plot structure and witty dialogue.

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When the first round of Umbrella Academy debuted I didn’t really have an interest in picking up the title. It wasn’t until a friend of mine forced it upon me that I realized I was a fool for not jumping on board in the beginning. This time around, I was ready for more and I made sure I was at the comic shop on Wednesday to pick up this new installment. I wasn’t sure what Gerard Way had in store, but I knew that if he kept with the style of storytelling he did the first time around and Gabriel Ba’s art was the same, it would be just as great. Thankfully, they did exactly that.

Ba opens with a two page title splash of an Abe Lincoln monument attacking the Umbrella Academy. While the monument-gone-crazy bit may seem familiar to readers of the first series, this battle is capped off with a great solution performed by Number Three. The whole sequence grabbed my eyes and took me back to why I liked this book in a matter of seconds. Although, soon after the opening action stops, I felt like I was getting ready to read a whole issue of VH1’s “Where Are They Now?” starring the Umbrella Academy with the way Way goes about bringing you up to speed on the characters. Even with that vibe, the book soon breaks off into its own voice as you catch a glimpse of each characters unique life. I feel most other comic characters would’ve been too boring to use this approach. Way has done a great job in giving each character an interesting life.

The issue closes with the hyper-violent Number Five being attacked by the grudge bearing Temps Aeternalis. Ba did a fantastic job designing the Temps Aeternalis -- simple, yet effective. The carnage that ensues is brilliant and the cliffhanger ending is an automatic purchase for issue #2.

If you haven’t read this title before, go out and get the first arc and then get started on Dallas.

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The Skinny: Post-apocalyptic future. Many people have died in an event called, unimaginatively and ungrammatically, “The Die Off." Civilization has collapsed. Now everyone roves around in tribal gangs: The White Angels, The Black Dogs, et cetera. They look like British punks. Memo: Doomsday would like its extras back, please contact. The Black Dogs are the book’s protagonists. They find a White Angel guy and save him, then there’s some random romantic tension between the leader of the tribe, his wife, a younger Black Dog girl, and a younger boy. That’s about it.

The Fat: This is Thundercats with more blood, more death, more sex, but an absolutely equivalent quality of plot and dialogue. Now, I’m not sure how long it’s been since you’ve re-watched a T-Cats episode or two, but go on YouTube or NetFlix a disc and take a gander.

Back? Okay, so…Dog Eaters is like reliving the '80s and the empty pointless dialogue of '90s Image books. This series has gotten a lot of pre-release buzz, and it certainly looked promising in the previews put out -- potentially cliché, but promising. There was even a #0 preview released online for free. Dabel Brothers were excited about the property. But wow, this book is pure and complete pastiche. A wonderful cross-media analogy is Neil Marshall’s Doomsday, which, like Dog Eaters offered a trite and overly-tread post-apocalypse populated by run-of-the-mill punk-flavored villains, because, when all of culture collapses, brit pop glam and eyeliner and kick-ass tats will be the bar to which everything descends. Never mind that glam and eyeliner and tats are constructs of civilization.

Malcolm Wong’s story is paper-thin and uninteresting. The Black Dogs suffer an ambush, have a shoot-out, collect a survivor, and then the story veers into forced melodrama. It’s all very abrupt dramatics, very little substance, and then the issue ends on perhaps the most arbitrary and unsatisfying final panel I’ve ever encountered. I definitely will not be back for issue #2.

Guillermo A. Angel’s art is dynamic, and often finds itself in the issue’s action sequences, though it suffers a stiffness and out-of-place energy when the scenes shift to talking heads. Colorists Ruben de Vela and Michael Bartolo are the best things about the issue: some nicely nuanced color work from those two, even if they often produced pages overly used digital highlights.

Final Word: A pretty, pretty but vapid book, worn out and dog-eared ideas (pun intended). And its prettiness is nothing unfound in a myriad other pretty books. I have to recommend everyone skip this one.

This is better reading, cuz it’s mine: The Gillian’s Heart Blog

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“The Victims”

Plot: It's Solar Man vs. the Image all-stars, plus Rex Dexter, plus a horde of familiar faces including Captain Freedom, Phantom Lady, Thor and Uncle Sam. But will any of it be enough against the murderous powerhouse?

Comments: Larsen brings his A-game to the art chores this month, clearly enjoying the chance to showcase the other major players in the Image stable. The lines are numerous and precise, the details are textural and in full service of light and shadow, and the black costumes on Shadowhawk, Invincible, Spawn and others dramatic the fullest degree.

This is a serious and intense issue, with a building feeling of danger, but Larsen finds time to check in on his ongoing threads: his daughter Angel makes a surprising discovery in the Danger Zone, and both Rex and Shadowhawk raid Solar Man's lab in search of vulnerabilities.

These attempts at first seem to be hopeless, and brutal shocks are delivered as Solar bats the Dragon aside, tosses Witchblade into the crowd, and bashes in Invincible's face. Then Larsen pulls a maneuver I swear Roy Thomas made famous some decades ago, but it's such a nostalgic and fitting homage I can't gainsay it. After all, Savage Dragon has always been at heart a chance for Larsen the fanboy to look back lovingly at those wondrous Silver Age '60s books when Marvel was really taking off. Just as Thomas back in the '60s was looking back with fondness to the simple but bold Golden Age of the '40s in his search to combine the best of the past with the stars of the present.

In other words, Savage Dragon characters are a pastiche, a chance to do familiar tropes over but ask some different questions (sometimes the very inevitable one the model character always has to gloss over to keep going) and come up with some different outcomes. This tale is "What if Superman Were Evil?" combined with "What if the Oldest Heroes Had Never Died?" It's Larsen at his most clever and inventive.

Which doesn't mean we don't get our usual quotient of gore (from a bloodied but unbound Dragon) or cheesecake (from the habitually half-clad Witchblade and the ever lovely Phantom Lady). While we're not exactly seeing teamwork in action (everyone pursues their own agendas, and it's amusing to see the Image stars skulk away from the reporters' glaring lights after the battle), Larsen captures the free-for-all flare that still defines Image.

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“The Final Battle” (part 1)

At last Sabrina – and readers! – learn the truth about the original Four Blades’ movement from the lips of Queen Seles herself. As a result of the Queen’s confession, Shinji must make a decision about the new Blades’ future, Sabrina must deal with her aunts, and a search for new allies begins. Meanwhile, the evil Vosblanc sets his own plans for taking over the Magic Realm into motion. And a character not seen since issue #59 makes an appearance. All this and a major plot twist!

As the final battle for the Magic Realm draws near -- and the end of the manga-style Sabrina experiment nears its end -- Tania Del Rio keeps adding jaw-dropping revelations. Her plotting is incredible. Little things that happened 39 issues ago are suddenly taking on new meaning and relevance. While it’s not necessary to have followed the story since the beginning to enjoy these later issues that background knowledge does give readers some hint of what might be coming up. For instance, Hemlock’s reveal last issue, combined with the Queen’s this issue and a tidbit dropped back in issue fifty-nine all suggest a possible outcome for one character. But again, it’s not necessary to know these things to enjoy this issue. Even this far into the overall storyline, the first part of “The Final Battle” still works as a jumping on point. Del Rio clearly establishes the major conflict and the characters’ relationships. Newbies could pick this up and not be totally lost.

Two of the highlights this issue are Sabrina dealing with her aunts and with her friend/former boyfriend Shinji. While the context sets them up as important turning points in this issue’s plot, they’re also turning points in the overall arc. The Sabrina of issue #58 couldn’t have confronted the confused and disbelieving Hilda with “Forget what the Magic Council says is the right thing’! You know, deep inside, that what I’m saying is true!” and make her believe it. Likewise, she wouldn’t have been able to comfort Shinji with, “I know how it feels to lose someone you care about. I still miss Harvey…even now. I’m sorry Shinji.” Del Rio has taken Sabrina on a journey of maturation from teen-ager to young woman that rings true despite its fantasy setting.

But this issue isn’t all drama. Del Rio provides some light moments as well. Zelda and especially Salem’s reaction to news that war is coming to the Magic Realm makes me chuckle every time I read it. As they leap high into the air like cheerleaders as their team’s made a touchdown, Salem exclaims “Yeah! It’s been so long since we’ve been in a good, old-fashioned, down-home magical battle!” Then there’s Narayan, the merman Sabrina gave legs to. When confronted by trouble in the Wasteland his response is, “I may not have had my legs for very long, but I think I know the best thing to do in a situation like this…Runnnn!”

Artist Lindsay Cibos seems to be channeling Sailor Moon creator Naoko Takeuchi in her rendition of Shinji. There are several panels in which the young wizard looks strikingly like Sailor Moon’s lover Darien -- or Prince Endymion if you prefer the Japanese original. It’s something in his expression and the way Cibos tilts his head and flares out his jacket in a way that suggests a cape that brings to mind the dashing Darien. In another bit of Sailor Moon déjà vu, in the issue’s early pages, Sabrina wears her hair meatball style -- just like Sailor Moon.

One of my favorite scenes is the four panel montage showing the four friends heading across the desert. Each character gets their own panel, their poses indicating their mind set: Sabrina, fearful, but not afraid; Shinji, angrily determined; Narayan, wondering; and Llandra, determined, but blocking out the sight of the barren land around her -- as a witch with an affinity of plants would do. You can almost hear the battle theme swelling behind them.

Cibos’s art isn’t entirely perfect. The scene showing the four running from an angry witch is poorly rendered. The proportions are off. The legs are too long and the characters look too flat. If Cibos was going for a comic “super-deformed” look, she missed.

As always Jason Jensen’s colors are beautiful. Without being washed-out, the flashback scenes seem to have a lighter color to them than the present day ones. It’s a helpful visual clue for readers that allows them to keep track of where they are in time.

Sabrina #98 is an issue that Sabrina fans and shojo manga fans in general shouldn’t miss.

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By all appearances, Suzan Fitzroy leads a charmed life. The adopted daughter of roving ambassador James Fitzroy, she assists her father in smoothing ruffled diplomatic feathers and pouring oil on troubled international waters. But appearances can be deceiving. Suzan has a secret past that could lose her father his position if it were revealed.

Blackmailed by the mysterious “Orion” into stealing a file from the Turkish Embassy in Brussels, Suzan finds herself caught up in the high stakes game of international spying--where one mistake could cost her her life, or the life of her loved ones.

Jean Van Hamme, creator of Largo Winch, has created a character as equally compelling in Suzan Fitzroy. She’s intelligent, resourceful, brave, loyal, and not without a sense of humor. Like her sister in adventure Modesty Blaise, she’s just as capable when stripped down to her unmentionables as she is when fully clothed.

The plot of Here’s to Suzie is cleverly complicated--playing off of real-world events and history. These elements give the story an immediacy and authenticity that adds to the drama and reality of Suzan’s world. You feel as if the events in the novel are possible, if not probable. However, unlike the real world, all the loose ends are tied up at the end of the book’s eighty-eight pages.

Van Hamme tells a story with a beginning, middle, and end. The important plot points are explained and understandable. Readers know who did what and why.

A good portion of the book is devoted to flashbacks, establishing just who Suzan is and what her relationships are with the different characters. Van Hamme skillfully weaves these flashbacks into the storyline so that they also foreshadow future events or elaborate on past ones. They’re not just there for filler.

Illustrator Philippe Aymond ensures that readers know a flashback is occurring by giving the first and last panel of each memory sequence rounded corners. The coloring in these panels also features a different scheme that sets them off from the main storyline. Both visual clues are subtle but helpful.

The complicated story is told in a straightforward, head-on manner. Aymond avoids bird’s-eye and worm’s-eye angles. For the most part, he sticks with a level view--keeping it from being visually static by moving in and out of the action. He stays with the grid format, and though each page on average runs seven to eight panels, there’s no sense of crowding. Each panel is heavily detailed and creates a strong sense of place. It’s the rare panel that doesn’t have some background in it.

The varied body types of the characters add to the story’s verisimilitude. The Turkish ambassador is different in appearance from the American CIA agent who looks different from the Russian thief. The women are attractive, but have figures that fall into the realm of possibility. No balloon-bosomed, wasp-waisted fantasy creatures here.

Aymond also does an excellent job of aging his characters. Suzan appears as a young girl, a teen, and a woman. Obviously her hairstyles and wardrobes change over the years, but you can still tell it’s the same person. James Fitzroy also adds grey and pounds over the years. These are small things, but again they establish the reality of the story’s world.

As Here’s to Suzie is a thriller, there is on-panel violence and bloodshed. However, Van Hamme prefers Suzan to outwit her opponents, and Aymond is restrained in his depictions of any violence that does occur.

Lady S is the perfect package for readers searching for an intelligent, stylish, contemporary thriller. I highly recommend searching it out.

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(This volume collects Batman Annual #26 by Peter Milligan and David Lopez, the Robin Annual #7 story by Keith Champagne and Jason Pearson, Batman #670-71 by Grant Morrison and Tony Daniel, Robin #168-69 by Peter Milligan and Freddie E. Williams II, Nightwing #138-39 by Fabian Nicieza and Don Kramer, and Detective Comics #838-39 by Paul Dini and Ryan Benjamin.)

Crossover storylines can be a mixed bag at the best of times, and The Resurrection of Ra’s al Ghul is no exception. The story sees a whole host of creators collaborate on an extended storyline based around the return of one of Batman's most well-known foes.

Based on that description, you might expect an epic, memorable story with far-reaching implications for the Batman mythos--or perhaps an in-depth psychological exploration of the relationship between Batman and his enemy. Unfortunately, the result of the collaboration is an inconsistent, sprawling, and disjointed mess--and one that doesn't stand as an enjoyable story whether read as individual chapters or when taken as a whole.

The book actually starts fairly promisingly, with a scene-setting prologue that sketches the life story of Ra’s al Ghul against the backdrop of a slightly bizarre secondary plot set in the Australian outback (a setting that doesn't really suit the character of Batman very well). This prologue sets up the basic premise for the crossover effectively enough, but it isn't long before the story begins to get convoluted and confusing--losing focus as it descends into a multi-faceted narrative that never takes the time to explore any single character relationship or plot strand in any real depth.

A major part of the problem is that, when they were originally published, each chapter of the storyline took place in a different title from that of the chapter that preceded it. This altering of chapters necessitates a constant shift in focus between Batman, Nightwing, and Robin--thus, even though their individual arcs do converge in places, there's no natural rhythm to the pacing of the story. For 22 pages we get a story from Batman's point of view. Then, for 22 pages, we get a Robin story. Then, 22 pages of Nightwing. Then, back to Batman again. It feels forced, and makes it difficult to ever get a strong grasp on the story before the perspective shifts again.

What's more, these transitions regularly feel disjointed, with the style of both the writing and the artwork changing so frequently that it jolts you out of the story. None of the artists is particularly bad (although some are better than others), but each has a distinctive style that doesn't appear to have been modified in the interests of a cohesive visual approach to the story. Everyone just seems to be doing their own thing, and hoping for the best.

Unfortunately, the demands of the crossover format--which include starting each chapter at a certain point in a story that has been plotted by a group of writers, and moving given parts of the plot along in order to synch up with the previous and subsequent chapters--mean that there's precious little time and space to really explore any of these characters. None of them is fleshed out in any great detail--not even the stars of the respective books.

Characterisation of Batman seems to extend to him fighting a lot and shouting "Ra's!" at regular intervals. Ra’s al Ghul himself is little more than a creepy mystical zombie whose level of antagonism with Batman varies depending on how each writer wants the plot to proceed in a given chapter. Finally, Nightwing and Robin are drawn into a clichéd and predictable story based around Robin being tempted to the dark side by the possibility of resurrecting his dead parents. Only Damien feels as though he is given the treatment he deserves--and that's because he's a two-dimensional brat whose character doesn't really warrant any close inspection.

Yes, there's some excitement in the form of a lot of fights with armies of ninjas, but the action scenes end up having a negligible effect on the story as a whole. What's more, the potentially franchise-altering plot twists that do occur are explained away briskly and unsatisfyingly (such as the Batcave intruders who become conveniently brain-damaged by the end of their encounter with Robin and Nightwing). The book's artists don't manage to rescue the scenes from becoming repetitive and uninteresting, either, meaning that readers who see the story through to the end will probably never want to see a ninja again for as long as they live.

In the end, there's a sense that each writer has been forced into a story that he doesn't particularly have any great drive to tell and wasn't given much space to do it. That criticism is in danger of sounding like the old gag about a couple complaining about their meal at a restaurant ("The food was terrible!"--"Yes, and such small portions, too!"). However, I can't help but feel that had each creative team been given a little more creative freedom to tell their own story around the event rather than contributing a couple of chapters to a single larger storyline, the results might have been more satisfying.

Happily, it seems that DC have learned from their mistakes, as the latest Batman event ("R.I.P.") has been co-ordinated with greater freedom between titles in mind.

In the end, the only real achievements of The Resurrection of Ra’s al Ghul are to move a couple of supporting characters into a slightly better position for use in later Batman stories, and to reset the status quo of the character of Ra’s al Ghul (to an extent, anyway).

As a crossover “event” story, The Resurrection of Ra’s al Ghul really doesn't justify its length of nine issues of story. In fact, it could have happily been told as a single, self-contained story arc in less than half that space. By the time readers have made their way through to the rushed, cheesy, and anticlimactic ending, they might well be forgiven for wishing that Ra's had stayed dead and gone.

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Like many older comic readers (and we seem to be quickly determining the course of the market as the main demographic), I prefer not to buy single issues of comics. Were it my only hobby, perhaps things would be different, but it’s not.

I'm a former single-issue buyer and collector, but I now prefer to read the compilations and graphic novels for the story value instead of the collector's market value over the course of a few decades. Occasionally, this approach can be maddening because the trade paperback reader has to wait for months on end to digest story arcs that single-issue comic readers are up in arms about. In the case of Joe Matt’s work, it’s both a gift and a curse to hold my breath until his Peepshow collections are released in larger volumes.

His newest collection, Spent, is every bit the masterpiece that his two previous collections were (Poor Bastard and Fair Weather). Matt paints himself as a character who is top-heavy with flaws: compulsive masturbation, social avoidance, an obsessive need to collect comic strips and classic radio shows, and a niggling desire to squirrel enough money away that he never has to work another day in his life by living off of his "nest egg." I actually learned that Matt defected to Canada (illegally from 1988-2002) because the American/Canadian exchange rate was more beneficial for his dream of being independently wealthy.

What makes Matt’s work so endearing is his ability to expose all of these reprehensible (and oftentimes identifiable) character flaws in a comedic light. Panel after panel delves into the disgust of fellow cartoonist friends (Chester Brown’s disdain being at the top of the heap), Joe’s own neurotic "hamster wheel" of self-loathing, scheming, and his love/hate relationship with pornography--which he painstakingly edits onto EP-formatted videotapes after removing any scene with a man’s face.

The reader feels repulsed by this character, yet identifies with him (at times) and even feels a twinge of sympathy at the cheapskate corner he’s painted himself into. I almost wonder how he lives on such a near-impoverished budget now that he resides in LA.

In Spent, Matt grapples with several problems:

• Applying critical hindsight he to his previous work,
• Agonizing over whether he can continue to invest so much time into his pornographic dubbing while trying to find and maintain a meaningful long-term relationship, and
• Defending himself from the verbal slings and arrows of his relentless and longstanding friends in diners where he refrains from buying food (because it would cut into his budget).

There is so much to love about Matt's work that I’d rather not ruin all the laughs, the neuroses, and the internal soapboxes crammed into this 120 page gem. At $20 (in a beautiful hardbound edition, no less), buying this book was a no-brainer for me.

This volume rounds out Matt's other two comedic black-and-white masterpieces perfectly--and one can see that the artwork he bashes in previous strips has undergone a marked and laudable improvement.

Well done, Joe. Now I have to wait patiently for the next compilation.

Tom Waters lives and writes in Lancaster, NY. He is the other of seven books (mostly rants, some poetry), a weekly columnist for Night Life magazine, a pod cast radio host and a celebrity interviewer and bar reviewer for the Buffalo News. For more information, click over to: www.tomfoolery4.wordpress.com.

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Plot: Awesome Deodato cover of a bear trying to eat Jenn. He's Ursa Major, which means the Winter Guard are back, facing Jenn's hastily assembled humanitarian aid team: the Lady Liberators.

Comments: Lots of things confuse me about this issue, but that's because I read too many comics. If I was just picking this up casually, I'd assume that four of Marvel's strongest femmes have a big issue with the Russian super-team of rule following soldiers and leave it at that. It's clear as daylight that Jenn, Valkyrie, Invisible Woman and Thundra want to deliver aid to earthquake victims, and for political reasons they are being prevented from their humanitarian goal.

It's clever the way David works in a subtle reference to the ongoing (if mutated and strange) Cold War, by having the fictional land of Marinmer call on big bear Russia for help, while Jenn's team seem like American agents (but aren't).

But I can't just leave it at that. I want to know who's playing Valkyrie these days (the same one from the aborted Larsen/Busiek Defenders?), and I've completely lost track of who should be Red Guardian at this point (I know the female one married a radioactive mutant, but that's about it). And didn't Darkstar die ignobly in Morrison's New X-Men, shot in the head before using her mysterious darkforce powers?

Maybe, because this one, named Sasha, seems to have some sort of gravity/black hole powers, that she's very afraid to use. You know, like that guy on Heroes two or three weeks ago. Oh, well, I'll promise myself a trip to Wikipedia and move along: unlike on X-Factor, which seems caught in a rut, David has succeeded in building Jenn back up to the point where she knows why she's a bounty hunter, but also not at all rusty on her legal skills.

This impromptu iteration of the original Liberators (IIRC, a sham team gathered by a mind-controlling Enchantress to get the male Avengers off her back, and also a humorous nod to the 1960s women's liberation movement by Roy Thomas, whose legacy is felt in several comics I read this week) is a symbol of her mental health: she's trying to operate outside the system in order to provide real practical help where it's needed.

David has a lot of fun throwing Thundra at the Winter Guard, as even though she too was initially little more than a manifestation of anxiety about feminists back in the day, you just aren't going to find another long-running character to say lines like: "I am not an American and I do not take men's orders. I take men's lives!" She's a hoot, and she's starred in quite a number of stories that have taken her quite seriously. Also, she still has her already perfect original costume. GG Studio continues to provide colorful, cel-shaded, but not distorted anime-style, art.

The plot complication here isn't really just a Macguffin, something like it happened all too recently in China, and it's a powerful point for superheroes to bring up. David has kept this title fresh since taking over, and proves it this issue by already forgetting the Skrulls were ever a problem.

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"A Very Strange Day"

So far, issues of Marvel Adventures Super-Heroes have been focusing on Avengers and movie stars Spider-Man, Iron Man and the Hulk. This issue Tobin breaks the formula to team-up Spidey and Dr. Strange.

Tobin crafts a story that knits Dr. Strange's origin as well as an overall plot that suits his milieu. The fabric of reality has been literally eaten away. It's up to Strange and Spidey to mend the garment of the cosmos.

Tobin's inclusion of Spidey may surprise some readers, but his answer to what Spidey can do to support the cosmic seam of things makes sense in context. Spider-Man for the longest time has been considered a street hero and out of his league when it comes to cosmic threats that the Avengers face every day, but Tobin and others have proven the character's versatility. Spider-Man works fine when chasing down the Vulture or hitching a ride with Stephen Strange on the cosmic road to fix ruin.

Jacopo Camagni makes his American debut in Marvel Adventures Super-Heroes and the visuals are memorable. His free-wheeling Spider-Man easily joins the best representations of the character. The little folds of his abdomen as he bends forward to swing on a web and the finger action as he makes a grab for the Vulture characterize Spidey's signature arachnid acrobatics. His wobbly stance indicates his dimensional transference sickness. Camagni portrays Stephen as less enigmatic. He's more like a friendly stage magician in the artist's hand, and as a result he's more appealing.

I rather enjoyed the team-up of Hulk, Iron Man and Spidey, but the departure isn't devastating and won't have you wishing for somebody else to fill the panels. This new team-up is a fun little romp with Dr. Strange and Spidey in fine fettle.

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"Doomed Election"

The United Nations has forced the Latverian government to hold free elections. Dr. Doom has lost those elections, and the new President of Latveria has invited the Fantastic Four to celebrate.

Tobin creates a dual characterization for Dr. Doom. At first he seems like the Lee/Kirby and Byrne Doom who does everything for the people of Latveria, but this is a ruse of a Doom more in tune with the movie version of the character, who is an outright rat.

The pleasure of the story is watching what could have been a tedious six to twelve part of adventure condense due to the intellect and experience of the FF. They suss out Dr. Doom quite quickly, and the battle commences on time.

David Hahn makes artwork that's cute and friendly, yet it's still an exciting medium for super-hero action. In Marvel Adventures Fantastic Four, the quartet combine forces with Doom to deal with a bursting dam. The scenes are as riveting and dramatic as those that might have been set in a book targeted specifically for the higher ages, but they're better drawn and benefit from a unique look.

There's nothing special about this issue of Marvel Adventures Fantastic Four, but given that the title is uniformly good reading, being average is actually an asset.

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Editor's Note: X Men Noir #1 arrives in stores Thursday, December 4.

Wow!

Fred Van Lente just hit the triple whammy. Incredible Hercules is the most consistently entertaining book Marvel publishes at the moment. Marvel Zombies 3 has eclipsed the previous two series and breathed new life into the concept. And now, X Men Noir takes the X-Men and re-imagines them as late 40s/early 50s criminals in a brilliantly illustrated and fully realized Noir world.

This is the way you do re-imaginings, people. Take notice.

Van Lente has found a way to reinterpret the classic X-Men in ways that, even though they have no mutant superpowers, they are all recognizable and equate logically to Lee and Kirby's originals. In this world, though, their genetic inheritance is not what one might expect. Professor X, in the Noirverse, has posited that the next step in behavioral evolution is the development of the sociopath, and he set up a reform school to train youngsters in the fine art of criminal behavior.

On the flip-side, the cops are run by the Chief and his Brotherhood. Needless to say, they have their own code of conduct when it comes to keeping crime under control in their city, and it's rough. Our entryway into their storyline is the indoctrination of the Chief's son Peter into the Brotherhood. And Peter, still a young and idealistic cop, isn't sure he wants anything to do with them.

The central storyline, however, involves a character I had to Google to recognize. He doesn't come from the world of the X-Men, and is the only character who actually wears a costume and has a history and characterization almost exactly like his regular Marvel Universe incarnation. His name is Tommy Halloway and he goes by the code-name, Angel. One of Timely Comics' first characters, appearing alongside Captain America, Namor, and the original Human Torch, he was a detective raised by a prison warden father. Because of his dad's job, Tommy essentially grew up in the prison and learned many lessons and skills from the prisoners.

That sounds dirty, but really it's not.

Van Lente seems to have kept all of this for the Noirverse version of Halloway, and the detective inserts himself into our story by trying to find out who killed Jean Grey. All clues point to the X Men (no hyphen, for some reason), but we also have Professor X, from prison, suggesting that Anna Marie Rankin is involved. That's Rogue to the regular MU readers.

Dennis Calero's art is beautiful. His use of shadow evokes the realism of Jae Lee's work, and the digital reworking of photographic source materials for backgrounds is on par with Alex Maleev. I've never seen his work before, but the quality is so high that I am stunned. I want to track down everything he's done.

With this series, both creators are crafting a comic that the best in the business would be jealous of. If you're an X-Men fan, there are plenty of Easter Eggs to entertain yourself with, but they aren't necessary for the enjoyment of the story. All you need to enjoy the story, is the story itself. This is easily the best-looking book on the shelves this week, and may be the best-looking book on the shelves for weeks to come. Buy this. You won't be sorry.

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Editor's Note: X-Infernus #1 arrives in stores Thursday, December 4.

Steven M. Bari:
Kyle Garret:

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Steven M. Bari

Plot: Darkchilde was once Illyana Nikolievna Rasputin, the little sister of X-Man Colossus. As a member of the X-Men's junior team, the New Mutants, she was called Magik. But she's dead now. And that little girl Colossus once knew as his "little snowflake" has been remade by the demon Belasco into the soulless, cloven-hoof master of the Limbo.

Darkchilde wants her soul back. In order to get it back, she'll need to find the Soulsword and Blood Stone Amulet. With both out of her possession, DarkChilde must face Belasco's daughter, Witchfire, and the sweetest of the X-Men, Pixie.

Comments: It's a Claremontian Cavalcade of Supernatural Superpowers! Oy, that was long "Plot" section. But to really grasp why the hell any of this is happening in a sci-fi adventure book, its good to be in the know.

To Cebulski's credit, however, readers without any connection to or knowledge of the original Inferno storyline and New Mutants series will find this a very fluid and comprehensible issue.

Yet there is a problem with X-Infernus and how it will fit into the continuity of the X-franchise. The issue opens dramatically with Cyclops and Colossus in mid-argument over saving Illyana. "All that we can?!" mocks Peter Rasputin. "We've done nothing, Scott. I've done nothing. It's been months and Illyana is still trapped in Limbo." So technically the "Quest for Magik" story arc from two years ago in New X-Men #37-41, only happened less than a year ago. And since Colossus makes a biting reference to Cyclops leaving his brother in space in "The Rise and Fall of the Shi'ar Empire," –Argh! Never mention time in comics! A reader expends more effort trying to figure what happened previously than paying attention what is happening now. Even though I'm not a continuity junkie, I was perturbed by the needless awareness of the book's place in time.

On a positive note, Camuncoli's art is worth forking over the three bucks. His style is energetic, his figures stylized and emotive, and his design amazing. The first thing you'll realize when you open this issue is his treatment of Emma Frost, who is literally just background in the first scene. Rather than sporting that ridiculous white bondage gear, she's in a white-stripped dress shirt, cut skirt with a large belt, and the obligatory long gloves and thigh-high boots. She appears sexy and smart without looking either too smutty or matronly. Camuncoli carries this careful design to all the characters, giving them a sense of individuality amongst a host of ensembles.

Although I enjoyed reading this inaugural issue, X-Infernus # 1 may deter the interest of those who don't have a connection to the old Chris Claremont stories. But if you are looking for some respite from mutant vs. mutant and mutant vs. human story arcs, check this out.

Final Word: If Hell is for Children, then Limbo is for X-Men.

Shameless Plug: Stevenmbari.Wordpress.com

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Kyle Garret

They had me at "Witchfire."

While X-Infernus might have a similar name and a few similarities in story to the flashy X-Men crossover of yore, it's definitely a different beast. Aside from the fact that multiple titles aren't connecting for one, large story, X-Infernus doesn't link together years' old storylines in an effort to produce some sort of mega event. No, X-Infernus is ultimately about one thing and one thing only: the return of Illyana Rasputin.

A brief backstory on the young Rasputin: she was kidnapped by a demon named Belasco, who raised her in the hell dimension known as Limbo. She was later rescued and became the New Mutant known as Majik. There's a whole tangent where she's a little girl and then she dies and then she comes back, quite the emotional rollercoaster for her older brother, a fella who goes by the name of Colossus.

Back in the present, and to Limbo, Illyana and her demon army are fighting to find her Soul Sword and Blood Stones, the artifacts that will get her back her soul and, in theory, return her to her former self. The sword is in the hands of the X-Men in training known as Pixie, while the stones are currently controlled by Belasco's daughter, a woman named Witchfire.

Add a bit of a hissy fit by Colossus, Nightcrawler getting stabbed (and producing the Soul Sword), a meeting of the top demons in the Marvel U. (including Mephisto, so hopefully none of the X-Men are married), and you've got the first issue in a nutshell.

The artwork is nice; Camuncoli seems to make great strides with every book he does and it's great to see him getting such a high profile gig. Cebulski's writing is pretty standard. You have to wonder how Emma Frost would sit idly by, listening to Colossus vent his frustration about looking for his sister, and not say a single word. Colossus also comes across as amazingly simple, but that seems to be a common problem for the character over the years; he really hasn't been so basic in thirty years.

But the nerd in me was able to look past the writing flaws because of the inclusion of Witchfire. I am, perhaps, one of the eight people who read the Hudnall/Calimee run of Alpha Flight back in the 90's, which is where Witchfire made her debut. Her background was never fully explored, at least not in any story I ever saw, so this revelation that she's Belasco’s daughter is a pretty big one. It will be interesting to see how that's explained going forward, as she was, at least in theory, a hero during her Alpha Flight days.

If the goal of any first issue is to get the reader to return for issue #2, then X-Infernus met that goal, for me, at least. Granted, I'm sure the creative team would rather I kept reading for Illyana's story, but I think they'll take a win no matter how they get it.

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Editor's Note: Marvel Zombies 3 #3 arrives in stores Thursday, December 4.

Summary: After infiltrating S.H.I.E.L.D., the zombie-verse Morbius sets to induce the heroes of Earth 616 with the virus. Meanwhile, Machine Man learns how they have traveled to his realm and now with the blood sample, races against the clock to make it back home.

Comments: I was afraid that without Robert Kirkman that this popular Marvel off shoot was doomed. While he's more known for his nostalgic inducing title Invincible, his hit series The Walking Dead makes him the most logical candidate for this book. Just three issues into the series, Fred Van Lente's taking us into the zombie-verse to witness the stronghold of the zombie Kingpin. Then back to our familiar reality to watch the horror unfold.

Last issue ended with the zombie Morbius posing as the real deal, worming his way into the S.H.I.E.L.D. organization. This is all well and good for the plot to move along, but in the past two years we've had vampires, Skrulls and now zombies sneaking their way into this elite government establishment. Maybe a few psychic mutants working the doors there wouldn't be a mistake, eh guys?

Machine Man, reprising his comedic relief role from nextwave, is in mid battle with a horde of super powered villain zombies. This whole clash of machine versus zombie is my Christmas come early. If violence is your bag, the sheer brutality of classic Marvel villains being slaughtered will bring a warm feeling in your heart and a blood stained smile on your face. Machine Man cutting Stilt-Man in half with a chainsaw was nice, but after the Grizzly bit his head, freeing himself by growing spikes to maim the Grizzly is a poster quality image. After a brief melee with the villains, Machine Man finds the zombie Dr. Strange. In this discovery, The Kingpin reveals that through Dr. Strange, he has found a way to Earth 616. This encounter made me laugh, because even though it's an alternate reality, Dr. Strange will always be used for a deus ex machina. Whenever something is in need of a complete change or an explanation of the unexplainable: Enter Dr. Strange.

One question bugs me about this meeting of the Kingpin and Machine Man. Wilson Fisk explains, "The Gospel (zombie virus) loves to spread to superhumans, you see." Is the Kingpin considered super human? He's certainly a zombie, but I wasn't under the impression that he was in any form either post- or meta-human. Of course, Dr. Strange was sitting no more than six feet away, so I'm sure that will somehow explain it. Maybe it can also shed some light on how Ghost Rider can be a zombie, but I think I should let this subject die out.

Rounding out the issue, zombie Morbius attacks and turns Former Director Maria Hill, claiming a powerful figure for the zombie side. Meanwhile in the zombie-verse, Machine Man makes quick work of Ghost Rider, steals his cycle, and heads back to Jocasta, who is waiting at the extraction point. The Kingpin sends a group of speeders, made up of Quicksilver, 3-D Man and the Whizzer. After Whizzer gets caught under the moving front tire of the Ghost Rider's bike, it wrecks in a violent and brutal fashion, which is in essence the theme for this series. After Director Little Sky appears and tells Jocasta that they must leave Machine Man behind, we find him on the last page dismembered and frightened, calling out for Jocasta.

Final Word: I'll be the first to admit that I thought Marvel Zombies 2 was dull at times and lacked a great plot. So far so good with this current undertaking, but let's remember we've only got one more issue left. With the zombies only now invading Earth 616, what kind of grand finale can we expect?

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Editor's Note: Moon Knight: Silent Knight arrives in stores Thursday, December 4.

Dan Hill:
Kevin Powers:

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Dan Hill

Plot: It's Christmas in New York City. But the criminal element knows no rest. Neither does Moon Knight.

Review: First, a disclaimer: I'm a HUGE Moon Knight fan, from the days of Moench/Sienkiewicz to the current run by Mike Benson. When he's written well, he's much more than the Batman rip-off many proclaim him to be.

Right from this issue's get go, it's obvious that Peter Milligan has a good handle on how the characters should be portrayed. The presence of Khonshu goading Marc along the way, a cynical Marlene and Marc Spector himself are all written really well in this tale.

In most Christmas stories we can find a common theme: hope. You know the drill: it's the time of year when anyone can hope for the best, miracles do happen, etc., etc. But whilst it's just as important in this story, it's not the Capra-esque kind.

Instead Milligan chooses to present "hope" as a dangerous thing. Something to be wary of. Something that can let you, and those around you, get hurt. (Something Marc Spector is an expert at, which Khonshu relishes pointing out.)

Most of this notion is portrayed through Marlene, Spector's on and off girlfriend of several years. We see her in her apartment preparing Christmas dinner, waiting for Marc to arrive. Milligan shows us her hopes and dreams of a regular life with Marc. This is juxtaposed nicely with Marc in his Moon Knight guise trying to apprehend a pair of criminals, Khonshu at his side. Here too Milligan has the mocking voice of the vengeance god spot on. The story is capped with both Khonshu AND Marlene telling Marc, reminding him even, that he can never have (or hope for) a normal life.

Laurence Campbell's art fits the tone of the story and characters nicely. A standout moment comes in a dream sequence late in the book. In one grotesque panel we see the beast that Marlene knows resides within Marc Spector.

Ultimately though the story is nothing new over what's being done over in the main book. This is understandable given the constraints of a Christmas special. But the story does show some promise. As noted before, Milligan's take on the characters is spot on, and I'd be really interested to see what he could do with the ongoing title.

Maybe after Benson's gig is up. How about it, Marvel?

Final Word: A solid Christmas special but one that hardly breaks new ground. Recommended for Moon Knight fans.

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Kevin Powers:

It's that time of year when people act a little nicer while at the same time you might get punched at the local department store. It's that time of year when you watch the same twenty movies you watch over and over every December. That time of year when in addition to a massive "Holiday Special," Marvel usually releases a Holiday annual starring their edgier characters. Typically, it is the Punisher who gets the Holiday bloodbath, but this year Marvel is putting Moon Knight in the midst of Holiday "cheer" as well. Being that Moon Knight is my favorite character, I love his solo title and Christmas is a great time of year, I've been waiting for this issue for a while.

Personally, Peter Milligan's work has always been a mixed bag for me. I really love some of his work such as his early work on Batman, X-Force/X-Statix, Shade: The Changing Man, Human Target and The Programme. However, I have not been the biggest fan of his modern work on Batman, X-Men, and while I liked the concept behind Infinity Inc. I think the book fell short of the mark. I do think Milligan is a great writer with a broad range, but his work has always been a mixed bag for me. With this in mind, and the fact that Moon Knight is my favorite character, I've gone into this issue wearing many different hats, looking very closely into Milligan's take on Moon Knight.

I thought the opening of this issue was particularly strong and really set up a great tone and direction for this issue. The way that Milligan handles the two thugs is brilliant, and I really think there is some powerful imagery, as well as excellent organized crime undertones throughout the first few pages leading to Moon Knight's first appearance. I also really like the way Milligan tells the story. On one hand, there is a "third person" point of view during the scenes with Khonshu and Moon Knight. This works very well to convey what's going on inside Moon Knight's head as he tends to the thugs while dealing with his personal demon. On the other hand, I thought one of the strongest elements of the issue was the way in which Milligan uses Marlene as a narrator.

Telling and narrating a Moon Knight story using Marlene's voice is rather unique and offers a different perspective on how she really feels about her longtime love, Marc Spector. Moon Knight fans and readers know the history of the relationship between Marc and Marlene, and it's always been clear that the two love each other but will never have a normal life. Milligan did an excellent job with Marlene as she explains her one Christmas wish and how she wants it to happen more than anything. It's a heart-wrenching tale, and it really adds an extra dimension to Marlene. In the main series, readers are accustomed to seeing her as very edgy, rough - an angry woman who loves a hero that is publically ridiculed as a madman.

While concepts and certain elements of this issue were strong, it also had a few drawbacks that ultimately affect the overall quality of the story. One of the elements of this issue that did not strike the right chord with me was the dialogue and some of the narration. While Milligan’s goal was to convey the relationship shared between Marc and Marlene, much of the dialogue and even some of the narration felt forced and expositional in an effort to make sure the nature of the relationship was explained. I think he accomplished his goal, but it was a little rough around the edges on the page.

I also had a problem with the dialogue between Moon Knight and Khonshu. There were some brilliant moments, like when Moon Knight went to punch Khonshu and ended up hitting the wall, but I think that the dialogue, like certain elements of the story jumped around a little too much. My biggest problem was the lack of smooth transitions between plot points. On one hand, Khonshu is antagonizing Moon Knight about the life he'll never have, while at the same time yelling at him to catch an escaping thug.

While there were rather smooth transitions between the scenes featuring Moon Knight and the scenes featuring Marlene and it was nice when they finally came together, individually they really felt choppy and all over the place. The dream sequences were a bit of a mess, and while the parallel between the two characters was well done, I think it was overly expositional and forced. I'm not sure if Milligan was attempting to fit as much as he could into this issue or if he himself was trying to understand the relationship between Moon Knight and Marlene. It's a bizarre thing to think about, but Milligan nails the nature of the relationship at the end of this issue, and it definitely brings the quality of the book back to the same level as the introduction.

I'll be honest; I am not the biggest fan of the art style that seems to be taking over many of the MAX books and in the books starring the edgier characters. However, two artists that have really stood out are Goran Parlov and Jefte Palo. With that being said, I think that this issue's artist, Laurence Campbell, is going to be the next "Marvel Knights" superstar. I really enjoyed his work in this issue, and I think it fit perfectly in line with the current styling of the darker Marvel books. I really enjoyed his take on Moon Knight. There were some fantastic panels and images of the character that really fit the theme and tone of the story. Campbell also did a great job capturing the action, even while Milligan's script seemed to jump around a little bit too much. My only critique comes during the dream sequences. I liked the change in color during the "happy" dream but Campbell's depiction of Marc Spector during this sequence wasn't spectacular, while I didn't mind Marlene as more of a brunette for a change. Not to mention the bizarre sequence that takes place afterwards. I am, however, nitpicking as overall, I really enjoyed the artwork, and I hope to see more of Campbell's take on the Marvel Knights.

Overall, this issue is a bit of a mixed bag for me. I'm giving this book 3 bullets for the artwork, concept and portrayal of Moon Knight and Marlene's relationship. It's the execution and dialogue that I believe falls short of the mark. This issue is worth checking out if you like the artwork and are in the mood for a decent Holiday concept, but this issue does not live up to the same quality that exists in the regular monthly title or last year's annual.

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Editor's Note: Punisher MAX: X-Mas Special #1 arrives in stores Thursday, December 4.

Don't let the killer elves on the cover fool you about the contents of this mafiaso packed X-Mas Special. I hadn't read a Punisher comic for a while, but I had seen this cover and I knew I wanted to pick it up. Luckily, I was offered an advance look.

Jason Aaron's take on the Punisher is brutal and twisted, taking the criminal acts to the next level. The Castellano and Maranzano's family feud crashes through a hospital on Christmas, but, even with the censor shattering scenes, I don't think the story, as a whole, was that original. It's almost like I'm watching a sitcom filled with violence as Frank Castle speeds through the city to save a baby's life. Thankfully, Aaron's action scenes are well paced and deliver that punch you look for in a Punisher comic. If he hadn't pulled that off effectively then I'm afraid my bullet rating would have been lower.

I have mixed feelings about Roland Boschi's art. I can't say that I don't like it, but I can say that I don't like his version of the Punisher. I'm just not buying that the square headed scraggily faced character is Frank Castle. Also, Boschi's flat backgrounds and lack of detail seem to lose my eye more than it should. Boschi's shootouts and gore are solid though and kept me happy long enough to finish the title.

Overall, the action of this book was the only thing keeping me going. As an old Punisher fan, I appreciate the violence and can see where Aaron was coming from when writing this X-Mas Special. If you've got the extra dough this holiday Wednesday then treat yourself to this bloody tale, or pick it up to introduce a friend to Frank Castle.

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Editor's Note: Wolverine: Manifest Destiny #2 arrives in stores Thursday, December 4.

"Part Two: Black Dragon Death Squad to the Edge of Panic"

Jason Aaron is using this mini-series to put together a tribute to Hong Kong Kung Fu Action Films in much the same way his work on Ghost Rider has been inspired by Grindhouse Movies. So if you like that sort of thing, this should be right up your alley. I love those sorts of things, so, well, yeah, you know the drill.

Aaron has yet to write anything that I've read and been disappointed with. Sure, the latest couple of issues of Ghost Rider are a dip in quality, but they're still good books. I cannot stress enough to you, dear reader, how much you should be reading anything with Aaron's name on it. At the very least, you're going to get a comic with loads of action, roadhouse humor, and a large set of brass balls.

Those are figurative balls. You don't get real brass balls.

This issue moves rather quickly into what would normally be the third act of a story of this kind, with our hero getting his ass kicked so hard that the odds of survival, much less returning to fight and actually win another day, are seemingly ridiculous. We also get a flashback to the first meeting between Logan and his old girlfriend, Lin, who is now old and goes by the name Black Dragon.

Yeah, that's her Death Squad in the title up there.

She is now the Queen of the Triads, the Empress of the Chinatown Underworld. And she's got a grudge against Wolverine. Go figure.

Most of the issue is Wolverine being gloriously beaten by the Death Squad. There are four of them: Rock of the Buddha, who hits like Ben Grimm if Ben knew Kung Fu; Fist of Fire, who can burn you with his touch; Storm Sword, who's sword can cause storms, as if you couldn't guess; and my favorite, Soulstriker. He can punch you in your soul.

Oh yeah, I said it. He can punch you IN YOUR SOUL.

That's the sort of awesomeness you get from a Jason Aaron comic, children.

We are also introduced to the mysterious Master Po. There'll be more on him with the next issue.

Artistically, Stephen Segovia is very reminiscent of Leinil Yu at times. Almost to the point of distraction. However his layouts are much better, and the way he uses the panels on the page to carry the action and provide dramatic emphasis make me like his work much more than Yu's. I also enjoyed his work on DC's Countdown to Mystery, even if I didn't actually read the Eclipso story he illustrated. I was buying that for Gerber.

There's a lot of energy on the page that works well to emphasize the violent damage that Wolverine is taking, but at the same time, I wish there was more of a sense of setting. There's not much in the way of backgrounds or establishing shots, and the final page reveal just doesn't create the dramatic effect you can tell he was going for.

Ultimately, the book ends up being good, but it could have been great. This is the sort of story that is made for magnificent issue-length fights and gloriously over-the-top melodrama, all done up in an amazing visual style. We get some of this, but not enough. I'd be happier if there had been an extra issue stuck in here to really build up the epic presentation that the story calls for.

As it is, it's good. But it could have been great. And it can probably still get to the point where it's a very good story. We'll have to wait and see, of course, but all the ingredients are there.

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Editor's Note: Immortal Iron Fist #20 arrives in stores Thursday, December 4.

"The Mortal Iron Fist: Conclusion"

I am so on the fence about this series that it's not funny.

I want to like it more than I do. But I do like it more than I thought I would. When Brubaker and Fraction left, I was ready to leave too. With the economy the way it is, I really need to trim down my pull list, and this was the perfect opportunity to do just that.

The only problem was that Swierczynski's first issue was pretty good. And Travel Foreman's art was bizarre and exciting. Fraction had handed over the book with a cast of characters that I loved, and the first storyline has been all about how every Iron Fist dies at the age of 33. Guess how old Danny Rand just turned?

The villain has been suitably creepy with his flip top head and unbeatable kung fu style. The relationship between Danny and Misty has been intriguing, if somewhat in the background. The thing that kind of puts me off about the whole story, though, is the framing device.

Set ten years from now in the mystical city of K'un-Lun, Misty Knight is telling this story to a ten year old child who we thought was Danny's son. Instead, we find out his true identity this issue. But the thing is, the framing device sets up the idea that Danny has been missing, possibly dead, for a long, long time. This issue indicates that it is the next storyline that signals his disappearance.

So what does that mean about the character and the future of the series?

Once again, I was considering dropping the book after this issue, especially since the conclusion isn't really all that satisfying and Foreman's art has ceased to entertain me. On the other hand, Foreman's work can be gorgeous and inventive as hell, especially when capturing the otherworldliness of K'un-Lun. And that's exactly the sort of settings the book is getting ready to explore in more depth.

Next issue is a tale of the Iron Fist of 3099 and then we go in search of the missing Eighth City - The Capital City of Hell, with all of the other Immortal Weapons along for the adventure. So, what's a poor boy to do? I mean, really poor.

I guess I cut back on cola and keep on buying Immortal Iron Fist, that's what.

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Editor's Note: Marvels: Eye of the Camera #1 arrives in stores Thursday, December 4.

Following up a well-loved series like Marvels with a sequel is a risky move. At best, it'll be looked upon favourably as a sold continuation of the original book that honours its predecessor, and perhaps expands upon its themes and characters. At worst, however, it'll be derided as a cash-in that doesn't live up to the original, and could even taint it by virtue of its very existence. Luckily, the first issue of Marvels: Eye of the Camera leans more heavily towards the former camp than the latter - but it still doesn't quite manage to make a convincing case for the necessity of a Marvels sequel.

I'm not as dedicated a fan of the original Marvels series as some readers seem to be, so I don't see a sequel as sacrilegious by definition. In fact, my impression of this first issue of Eye of the Camera is that its creators have played it a little too safe - that they haven't strayed too far away from the formula of the original series for fear of retrospectively contaminating it with an inferior story. I was hoping for a continuation of the story of photographer Phil Sheldon that brought the character into a more modern age of superheroes - but instead, we get a companion story that runs alongside the timeline of the original series, adding a little more detail to Phil's story, but not a huge amount of extra depth.

That wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing if the book brought something new to the table in terms of ideas or characterisation. However, bar a final-page reveal that is surprising, but feels a little forced (especially given that it wasn't mentioned in the original series, as far as I can remember) and a fairly interesting subplot involving Phil taking up a possible new role for a newspaper with inferior standards of journalistic integrity, there isn't really much to this issue that you couldn't also find in the original Marvels. Even the more thoughtful moments (such as Sheldon's musings on the role of the superhero, or the nature of mutants) feel like ideas that have been "lifted" from the original, rather than coming of as fresh insights into the Marvel Universe.

That said, all of the elements that made the first series an enjoyable read are present and correct. There's a solid characterisation of the lead, an awe-inspiring view of superheroes from the perspective of the man on the street, and some smart references to Marvel Universe history that evoke a certain nostalgia for the Silver Age achievements of Lee, Kirby, and their contemporaries. The trouble is, the original Marvels already gave us all of that, and I'm left wondering whether this second series is going to stand as anything more than a retread of the ideas that were already executed so well in that original series.

Whilst the original series' writer Kurt Busiek has returned to helm this sequel, his artistic collaborator Alex Ross is absent. Ross' art played a big part in setting the tone of the original mini, and his style is fairly unique and difficult to imitate. As such, I was interested to see who would be chosen to replace him. Jay Anacleto is a name that I'm not familiar with, but his visuals do a great job of maintaining the highly realistic, painted look of Alex Ross' art in the original series. In fact, I think I like his style even more than that of Ross: his linework is thicker, and his figures better-defined, giving the book a look that's a little closer to traditional comicbook art. His figures are also less static and more dynamic than Ross' tend to be, even though they've obviously also been photo-referenced to an extent. Anacleto conveys the grounded, down-to-earth nature of Phil's life effectively, but also does well with the bigger moments - such as the splashpage of the FF in their original outfits, or the moment when Phil returns to the scene of their rocket launch, which is given a quiet grandeur by the artist. On the strength of this issue, I'm confident that the book is in good hands as far as the art is concerned.

My main concern about this book is that it isn't really offering anything new. Since the release of the original Marvels, there have been numerous attempts to ape its success, and as such the "street-level view of the Marvel Universe" gimmick doesn't seem quite as fresh as it once did. I also can't help but feel that the creators or editors of the book have been so respectful to the original series that they don't want to try anything new for fear of undermining the first mini. As a result, we're left with a book that isn't bad, and features some very pleasing artwork, but can't help but feel like a dilution of the original series, as it doesn't really bring anything new to the table. That said, Marvels fans will probably be pleased with the book as another opportunity to enter the world of Phil Sheldon, and appreciate just how amazing the larger-than-life characters of the Marvel Universe are when viewed from his perspective.

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Editor's Note: New Avengers #47 arrives in stores Thursday, December 4.

This marks the final chapter of the Great Experiment that has been New Avengers before the lights go out and the next Great Experiment, Dark Reign begins. The path from Disassembled to House of M to Civil War to Secret Invasion hasn't always been a clear one, and, unfortunately, there have been more creative misfires than direct hits, particulary in this, the parent title (or as some may later muse, The One That Binds Them, though this places Bendis in the role of Sauron which is kind of a stretch as it would make Joe Quesada Morgoth which would, I guess, cast Jack Kirby as Eru Ilúvatar. You're on your own in determining Stan Lee's identity in this increasingly silly metaphor).

From the still unresolved mass breakout from The Raft, through the Savage Land conspiracy, the wobbly introduction of The Sentry into mainstream continuity, hordes of ninjas and more conspiracies, we arrive, finally, at this small tale of Luke Cage attempting a reconciliation with his estranged father. A stark, downbeat denouement. With ninjas.

Bendis' favoured use of a recursive and self-referential narrative structure and stuttering "real" dialogue provide elements of verisimilitude when they work and mass confusion when they don't. Here we have a mixed bag. Without having read everything he's written, it's my understanding that the basic story, Luke's search for his father, has been previously explored. Unlike the principal flaw with many Event tie-in books, where exactly the same stories or scenes are repeated almost to the point of self-parody, I'll work under the assumption that we're reading something (mostly) new. Viewed in this context, the familiar if somewhat strange dialogue and ill-fitting, hyperactive leaps in time and place seem more like novice mistakes in structure and pacing than an attempt to place the story in a wider setting. The dialogue might be less of an issue were every single character not forced to speak in exactly the same, tortured way almost all of the time. The initial exchange between Luke and Jessica is particularly stilted in that it seems as though two acquaintances are trying to pose as intimate; real people simply don't speak this way.

While I have no issue with the framing sequence focussing on the baby (drawn by Billy Tan, with the lion's share of the work undertaken by Michael Gaydos), the structure of the flashback is hard to decipher. Written as a story told to the baby, we begin with Luke's second encounter with Jessica, jump to his hiring her to locate his father, then to what appears to be a later New Avengers mission where Luke is interrupted with a text message from Jess. Except that they would have been married by that point. It might be a reference to an older Alias or Daredevil story, but lacking footnotes we're back to speculation. Perhaps Bendis presumes that anyone reading what he's just written will naturally have read everything else he's had published... which would make that Sauron metaphor rather too apt, so far as blinkered, maniacal, self-aggrandizement goes.

The central story, Jess finding Luke's dad and the sad conclusion to the quest is rather nice, though. Gaydos' dark, economic style perfectly serves the "ground level" aspect of superheroics, evoking Miller and Janson (and Quesada), and is, therefore, still better suited to realistic settings and characters. Billy Tan's work is typically pretty with his Cage looking like a chiseled god and Jessica lovely as ever. This is all nicely blended with Justin Ponsor's dependable pallette. Ugly baby, though. Oh well, give her time; in my experience, inter-racial marriages tend to produce transcendentally beautiful children (particularly if there's some Guyanese in there, which is a racial melting pot to begin with; where's Luke's family from, again?).

The last couple of pages bounce us back to Manhattan in the throes of invasion, where baby Jones-Cage has been nabbed by Not Jarvis, leaving Lucas in anguish amid a backdrop of devastation. Since Marvel is saying nutt-tink! about "Dark Reign", I'm guessing that a portion of it will be spent in retrieving the baby, as well as uncovering the whereabouts and status of the primary replacees (Hank Pym, Jarvis, etc.). And, of course, it will be Dark. Like there hasn't been enough of that for the past, oh, twenty years... In the end a slightly uneven tale but lovely to look at thanks mostly to Gaydos, if you're deciding how to spend your budget, this week.

(Hey, you know what? When I was doing some digging on what work Michael Gaydos has done for Marvel, I naturally searched their website. It was a smack in the face all 'round that his name wasn't included in the book credits on their catalogue page, but there it is. Anyway, the search returns a bunch of hits, the top one being a link to Gaydos' creator page. I clicked and... got a flash-pop-up-redirect-hellspawn moment where, ultimately, I'm left at the subscription page for their digital comics service. It didn't even have the dubious manners to open itself in another tab. Nope, it just hijacked the whole search function and now I don't know what Marvel has to say about Gaydos, whom they don't bother to mention in the promotional credits for New Avengers #47. Nice, huh?)

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Editor's Note: X-Men: Manifest Destiny #4 arrives in stores Thursday, December 4.

"Kill or Cure, Part 4." (Featuring Iceman & Mystique)
Writer: Mike Carey
Artists: Michael Ryan (p), Victor Olazaba (i), Chris Sotomayor (colors)

Here we are folks, round 10 of the Iceman versus Mystique fight. It actually is a decent fight, and Iceman shows off some of his new control in various ways that don't feel like an obvious showcase. At one point he gets a crack in his ice, and it reminded me of the Onslaught-era when Bobby was stuck in ice form due to a hole through his chest until he figured out how to heal himself, with the assistance of Emma Frost. By the time the fight is over, Mystique manages to find out the X-Men have moved to San Francisco, which will most likely cause them massive problems in the future.

Creatively, this is the same team from earlier parts of the same story, so I stand by my previous statements that the art is quite enjoyable. I didn't notice any rushed scenes, and my favorite panels are those with Bobby in Iceman form, specifically due to the contrast of the colors between the fire and Bobby's ice.


"Mercury"
Writer: C. B. Cebulski
Artists: Andre Coelho, Rain Beredo (colors)

This story deals with a mutant named Mercury, who I am not familiar with. I'm not sure if this is her first appearance, but it still showcases all her powers. She is reminded of her parents, who must have abandoned her after learning she was a mutant when she turned to metal. She does not have long to mope, because some attackers come looking for trouble and she makes short work of them.

This story presented the weakest art out of all the stories, but it was still completely acceptable. Mercury can change shape like Reed Richards, so anatomy goes out the window as she takes on unusual forms and warps herself to the advantage in a fight. This story had the least panel detail drawn, which may have made it feel inferior to the other stories.


"Work it Out." (Featuring Nightcrawler)
Writer: James Asmus
Artists: Takeshi Miyazawa, Christina Strain (colors)

This story is quite similar to last issue's story about Colossus. Here we find Nightcrawler fighting his way through various scenarios in the Danger Room. He knows he is distracted, but continues to push himself. He finally figures out which form the Danger Room needs to make for him, and he gives her a hug.

The art here was composed very well. The enemies were all instantly recognizable, and I have to mention an awesome style I have yet to see which was a very high-tech looking honey-comb grid interlaced with the environment and opponents, giving it a digital look.


Comments: This issue kept the same formula as the last one. First is an Iceman versus Mystique story, then an emotional story about acceptance, and finally another story about someone trying to find a way to say goodbye to Kitty Pryde. It's not necessarily a bad formula, but it was something I noticed passively as I finished the issue; it wasn't something I was looking for.

I have minor complaints with the issue, but nothing to prevent anyone from purchasing it. I'm not quite clear why Mercury was attacked; it seemed to have something to do with a newspaper cover featuring Skrulls and X-Men. But if it's unclear to me, it's probably unclear to a lot of other readers as well.

Final Word: If you're trying to find stories about the X-Men ensuring the survival of all mutants, look elsewhere. If you have enjoyed the style of the stories so far, pick it up.

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