EXTRA! EXTRA! (OCT 3-9, 2012)

AvX: VS. #6 of 6
(W) Kieron Gillen
(P) Jim Cheung
(I) Jim Cheung, Mark Roslan, and Mark Morales

As an experiment, AvX: VS was a learning experience more than anything - it showed what creators could do under a different set of rules, some more freeing, others more strict. AvX: VS #6 showcases the best of what the series has to offer, with the main event between Scarlet Witch and Hope Summers not only taking the prize for most interesting duel in the entire run, but also giving readers more than just a fight, which is what we wanted all along. The latter half is filled with awesome one-page bouts that we didn't get to see throughout the Avengers vs. X-Men event, but in a humorous light (like showdowns between Jeeves and Toad, the science-y characters in the Marvel U, Red Hulk and Domino, Iceman and Iron Fist, and lastly, Squirrel Girl and Pixie, whose magic dice may have caused more damage than they anticipated). This was a strong finish for a tumultuous series.

GRADE: 8/10

Before Watchmen: Rorschach #2 of 4

(W) Brian Azzarello

(P/I) Lee Bermejo

While I very much enjoyed Rorschach #1, this second issue has really mutated into something I now don't want to read - somewhere along the line, Brian Azzarello decided it would be good sport to make Rorschach as much like Batman as possible, except here, Rorschach talks in two-to-three word sentences exclusively. I seem to remember that good ol' Inky Face didn't like prostitutes that much - going so far as to kill them - yet here, he's readily defending a woman of the night against her pimp, albeit to get to a bigger catch, but it's hypocritical nonetheless.  Azzarello is now batting zero for two with Rorschach and Comedian, the two least enjoyable books of the entire Before Watchmen line. Seriously, just stick to the other four (and upcoming Moloch) series because these two are simply unnecessary and silly.

GRADE: 4/10

Stormwatch #13
(W) Peter Milligan
(P/I) Will Conrad and Cliff Richards

I love me some Stormwatch - it's a series that, so far, has been set literally and figuratively at the fringe of DC's 'New 52' universe. Stormwatch #13 starts a new arc for the title, as Peter Milligan gives us more and more connections between the Stormwatch organization and the group of heroes banded together in Medieval times over in Demon Knights. There has already been a lot of foreshadowing that the Demon's Knights eventually become that era's Stormwatch, but here, Milligan finally brings Etrigan the Demon into current day continuity! Demon Knights has been one of my favorite titles from DC's 'New 52', and Stormwatch has been getting better and better ever since Milligan took over and stared planting the seeds of this awesome crossover.

GRADE: 7.5/10

Uncanny X-Force #32

(W) Rick Remender

(P/I) Phil Noto

Uncanny X-Force is so good, it makes me excited and worried for Rick Remender's upcoming 'Marvel NOW!' titles - I know Uncanny Avengers will be good, but I'm concerned Captain America will suffer because Remender seems to only be able to focus on one title at a time, as evidenced by his lackluster arc on Secret Avengers. Uncanny X-Force #32 is another brilliant chapter in possibly the best series Marvel currently publishes each month. "Final Execution" heats up as Deadpool and Evan (clone of Apocalypse) are confronted by the Evil Brotherhood of Mutants as Deadpool tries to break Evan out of their stronghold. Wolverine and Psylocke offer back-up, but times are looking grim for X-Force, as the premonition of Evan's ascension to the Apocalypse throne seems to be getting closer and closer.

GRADE: 9.5/10

Uncanny X-Men #19
(W) Kieron Gillen
(P/I) Dale Eaglesham

Uncanny X-Men #19 is "The Passion of Scott Summers", a look at what the leader of the X-Men was going through - internally - as he amassed the cosmic power and became the Dark Phoenix, ravaging the world before being defeated by the Scarlet Witch and Hope Summers. I typically don't like stories being told exclusively in formulaic first person perspective, but Kieron Gillen does an apt job convincing me that Scott Summers (of all people) is actually thinking these thoughts. It's incredibly hard to convey the idea of omnipotence (obviously), but Gillen somehow finds a way to come close by showing that even with all his power, Scott is still just a person, mostly unable to control or understand how that power actually works. It's sad knowing that Gillen is moving off UXM (due, mostly, to it's cancellation), but he's moving on to the newly announced Young Avengers, which gives me high hopes for the series.

GRADE: 8/10

THE WEEK (OCT 3-9, 2012)

Reviews
Action Comics #13
(Morrison, Foreman)
The Phantom Stranger makes a guest appearance this month, as well as Krypto: The Super Dog! I'm not sure there's a big fan base itching for Krypto to be included in the 'New 52', but Grant Morrison does, so why not.


Avengers vs. X-Men #12 of 12
(Aaron, Kubert)
It's the final chapter of Marvel's half-year-long event that's going to completely change the landscape of the Marvel universe. Okay, probably not, as Charles Xavier is already dead, we've had enough time to process it, and now we just want to see a cool battle between Dark Phoenix Cyclops, The Scarlett Witch, and Hope. Plus, we already know that Cyclops survives from October-December solicits, so what's the big change going to be? Well at this point, change for change's sake may not be so ridiculous.


Green Lantern #13
(Johns, Mahnke)
"Rise of the Third Army" is here, at last! Geoff Johns & Co. have been teasing this crossover event for some months now, and while the first Third Army solider was seen last at the end of Green Lantern Annual #1, it's time for the army to grow. Plus, new Green Lantern Baz makes his first appearance in his costume, and fights the Justice League.

Hawkeye #3
(Fraction, Aja)
Seriously, if you're not reading this series already, do yourself a favor and pick up the first two issues along with this third. Matt Fraction and David Aja have a clear and distinct vision for Clint Barton, and the first two issues are absolutely some of the best comic book work I've read in a long time (on par with Brian K. Vaughan's Saga). This is about Clint being himself, not an Avenger and not in the public eye. It's engrossing, relatable, grounded, emotional, and just plain great.

Uncanny X-Force #32
(Remender, Noto)
I finally started reading Uncanny X-Force and now I don't want to stop. Unfortunately, Rick Remender is stepping off the title he's taken two years to craft into one of the finest series currently available soon to focus on Uncanny Avengers and Captain America, both of which I'll be covering here on "The Endless Reel." The good news is, there's still a few issues of UXF left with Remender at the wheel, so I'll be covering these as well.

Leagues Beyond

It's the debut post of 'Leagues Beyond', the column that focuses on Justice League-related titles each week. This first week's offerings include two Earth 2-based titles, the eponymous series and World's Finest. I'll be talking about the formation of the Justice Society as they stand up against Grundy and the military-backed Atom, as well as Power Girl and Huntress' attempt to get back to Earth 2 via the boom tube that brought them to Earth 1!

Earth 2 #5

(Robinson, Scott)

World's Finest #5

(Levitz, Perez)

Shadowy Happenings
It's my first column of 'Shadowy Happenings' which covers all the 'Dark'-related titles DC releases. This week, both Animal Man and Swamp Thing delve into "Rotworld", each in their respective kingdoms to fight against the Rot and stave off a worldwide decay. In The Phantom Stranger, Dan Didio will introduce us to Raven, a character fans have been clamoring for since the 'New 52' relaunch, and the recent subject of Scott Lobdell's plans for an upcoming Teen Titans spinoff focused on a new team led by Raven herself.

Animal Man #13 - "Rotworld: The Red Kingdom"
(Lemire, Pugh)

Swamp Thing #13 - "Rotworld: The Green Kingdom"
(Snyder, Paquette)

The Phantom Stranger #1
(Didio, Anderson)

Extra! Extra!
4-SENTENCE REVIEWS are no more, as they are being replaced by 'Extra! Extra!', the section of titles that don't get standard reviews and also don't fall into an specific category of new columns. This isn't to say that these issues are any less good (or bad, in some cases) than the titles featured under the standard REVIEW header, it just means that I found a way to more eloquently talk about them in four sentences better than I could in four paragraphs. It's lika a haiku - sometimes creativity comes out of restrictions.

AvX: VS. #6 of 6
(Gillen, Immonen)

Before Watchmen: Rorschach #2 of 4
(Azzarello, Higgins)

The First X-Men #3 of 5
(Adams, Gage)

Stormwatch #13
(Milligan, Conrad)

Uncanny X-Men #19

(Gillen, Garney)

4-SENTENCE REVIEWS (AUG 29 - SEP 4)

Apologies, Readers! Unfortunately, I didn't plan very well and neglected to write up a bunch of reviews before traveling to Des Moines for the weekend for a wedding. It was a family wedding, and this side of my family is straight from Serbia, so a lot of drinking took place. Needless to say, I was in no state to write anything cogent for a full four days.

So again, I apologize for not bringing the full reviews I promises, or most of the 4-Sentence Reviews expansion I planned for this weekend.

Aquaman #12
(Johns, Reis)

"The Others" winds down this month as Arthur leads his team against Black Manta, who now possesses the Scepter whose power sank Atlantis. Aquaman #12 finds Arthur simultaneously arguing with his fellow teammates - who have followed him into the depths against his explicit wishes - while also hunting Black Manta and taking out a huge contingent of soliders. It's a massive, issue-long undertaking that's beautifully illustrated by Ivan Reis, who proves his month that he knows this character and the world Johns has written so well. The emotional climax kicks Arthur into fifth gear, as Manta's murderous hand takes down someone else close to the King of Atlantis.

GRADE: A

AvX: VS #5 of 6

(Fraction, Aaron, Yu, Raney)

While I haven't really been impressed with AvX so far, this fifth issue has certainly changed my mind - at least to the lengths that I'm now actively looking forward to the final issue, as well as the upcoming A+X series under the "Marvel NOW!" imprint that will feature Avengers and X-Men team-ups in the same style as AvX. For the first round, Matt Fraction and Francis Lenil Yu bring us "Hawkeye vs. Angel", a bout that wasn't expected, but proves to show that each character has their weaknesses - Warren Worthington's being his relative mental youth and lack of experience, and Clint Barton's lethal nature that hinders him from being the true hero he desperately wants to be (at least, according to Fraction's Hawkeye.) Round 2 features Avenger Black Panther vs. X-Man Storm, the superhero power-couple that has lasted through thick and thin (or at least all of Marvel's major events of the past eight years), until the greatest threat to the universe tore them asunder, down to their loyalty to each other over the dedication to their respective teams.

GRADE: B+

Before Watchmen: Minutemen #3 of 6
(Cooke)

As Darwyn Cooke continues his high-caliber vision of Minutemen, he delves into the darker side of the team, to places he's merely hinted at in the prior two issues - we see the fallout of Eddie Blake's sexual assault on Silk Spectre, his self-righteous monologue detailing the team's unethical behavior (bookending it with "Bunch of fags. Go fu**k yourself," in reference to Captain Metropolis and Hooded Justice's illicit relationship), and his violent solo career before being brought in by the US government. Also, Silhouette goes after a ring of child molesters, gets shot, and relies on Nite Owl's civilian persona, Hollis Mason, for help getting home. Cooke has spent a great deal of time, seemingly, mapping out this series, and the deliberate dark-then-darker structure is building toward something greater that's not necessarily something we've seen before. All in all, Cooke again bring the best Before Watchmen offering - in terms of story and art - being the only one worth really getting into if you haven't started buying all the series' already.

GRADE: A

The Flash Annual #1

(Manapul, Buccaletto, To, Kolins, Neves, Takara, Craig)

With an all-star cast of artists contributing, Francis Manapul and Brian Buccaletto bring the first "Rogues War" of the 'New 52' for Flash! In The Flash #12, Captain Cold's sister, Glider, took over the Rogues from Cold and left him for dead while she hijacked a train and had the Mirror Master transport it into the mirror world. Flash Annual #1 not only fleshes out the current bad blood between the Rogues and Flash, but also features the origins of the Rogues' superpowers, as well as the introduction to the next major arc for The Flash that will start in October after "Zero Month". Per usual, Manapul and Buccaletto bring some of the highest quality work to the 'New 52' thus far, making sure that another "Flash vs. Rogues" story wasn't just a rehash of nearly every other confrontation in their pre-relaunch history. Captain Cold teams up with Flash, and the end results lead into something a bit more hairy for Flash and the rest of his enemies.

GRADE: A

Superman Annual #1
(Lobdell, Nicieza, Alixe, Rudy, Raney, Torque, Suayan)

It seems that everything Scott Lobdell touches in the 'New 52' just seems to go down the crapper. After bungling Teen Titans and Superboy from the start, he's now sinking his inner-monologue-y hands all over Superman, a series that was just getting better under Dan Jurgens' watch. Superman Annual #1 brings about the return of Helspont, for no other reason than to show Supes that the Daemonite warlord can kick his ass, and to highlight some of the members of next year's upcoming Justice League of America. While the Helspont/Superman portion of the issue is less than impressive due to Lobdell's insistence on using unrealistic inner monologue to convey any and every idea he writes, the parts focusing on Martian Manhunter, Grifter, Starfire, and Hawkman prove as good a starting place as any for the new team of more hardened heroes working for A.R.G.U.S. under Steve Trevor. Mostly, this issue fails at it's first goal of being a successful Superman story, but achieves it's second goal of setting up future events with a little style.

GRADE: C

4-SENTENCE REVIEWS (JULY 11-17)

AvX: VS #4 of 6
(Remender, Andrews, Peterson)

Last month's lackluster issue of AvX:VS really made me want to stop picking up this series - Marvel's penchant for pitting oddly-matched characters against one another has led to a lot of ridiculous panels that don't have a lot of substance behind them, even for this skimpy series. AvX: VS #4 tries to right this path by giving readers one obscure match-up, between Daredevil and Psylocke, and one 'big league' bout; Thor vs. Emma Frost. Daredevil and Psylocke's fight makes for a lot of cool ninja action and dour, speechless panels that are actually somewhat indicative of how these two people fight, while the Emma Frost/Thor match, on the other hand, feels like a demigod slapping fit that's not even drawn very well. The worst part of the issue is the panel that's angled behind Emma as she delivers a high kick to Thor and giving the entire audience a very clear shot of her lady section.

GRADE: C+

Before Watchmen: Minutemen #2 of 6

(Cooke)

Darwyn Cooke's fantastic Minutemen series has been leading the pack of Before Watchmen titles, combining amazing retro art with a phenomenal story that simultaneously gives readers some clean-cut history of these characters as well as intimate plot details that flesh out a group of heroes that was barely covered in the original 12-issue run of Watchmen. Disagreement over the team's focus becomes the focal point of Minutemen #2, with half the team dedicated to their cause, while the other half just wants to bask in the limelight. Silhouette, Nite Owl, and Mothamn track down a serial child molester, while Captain Metropolis and Hood Justice's sadistic homosexual relationship is highlighted, all while Comedian gets in an argument with Dollar Bill over the morality of making one's way in the world, no matter what the costs. While the decision to intercut a homosexual relationship (with dark, dark overtones) with half the team's search for a sick, twisted child molester might have been a bit half-baked, Cooke's masterful development of Minutemen keeps it at the top of the pile, making me want to come back each month for more.

GRADE: A

New Avengers #28
(Bendis, Deodato, Beredo)

While New Avengers has technically been crossing over with Marvel's "Avengers vs. X-Men" series since April, the last three issues have been set centuries in the past, recounting a time when the Phoenix took an Iron Fist as it's host. Since all that wrapped up last month, Brian Michael Bendis brings New Avengers into the present and focuses on the incarceration of Luke Cage, Spider-Woman, and Hawkeye, characters who have all had a major impact on their respective teams. The three Avengers are being held on Utopia when Hawkeye uses his dinner plate to break out, free Luke and Jessica, then mount a daring escape that sees them take down three of the Phoenix Five before they hijack a nearby speedboat. The revelation that their escape was simply a virtual reality simulation created by Danger is chilling and shows just how far Cyclops and the other Phoenix's are willing to go to break the spirits of Earth's Mightiest Heroes.

GRADE: B+

Spider-Men #3 of 5

(Bendis, Pichelli)

If last month's issue of Spider-Men was a whole lotta hardcore fan service, Spider-Men #3 is all about catering to the grander audience with the inclusion of Spider-Man's rogues gallery all appearing at once. Mysterio's abilities seem to have grown, and now his 'hallucinations' actually pack a punch, much to the chagrin of Peter Parker and Miles Morales. While much of the issue is dedicated to this brawl, the real meat of the issue comes when the battle ends and Peter strikes out on his own, hoping to find some vestige of personal familiarity in this oddly similar world. Of course, Peter finally makes his way to Ultimate Peter Parker's house in Queens to find his Aunt May, a scene that couldn't be more touching if Brian Michael Bendis wanted it to be.

GRADE: A

(COMIC) AvX: VS #3 of 6

STORY: Jeph Loeb and Christopher Yost
ART: Ed McGuinness, Dexter Vines, Terry Dodson, and Rachel Dodson

In the first totally enjoyable issue of AvX: VS, Colossus takes on the Thing while Black Widow and Magik take the fight to the demons in Limbo. While I previously lamented about how both Coloss-onaut and Thing have already been featured in VS, their fight was actually quite enjoyable. Similarly, Black Widow and Magik are generally evenly matched.

One cardinal sin of a comic book is not delivering on what it promises, and last issue's fight between Spider-Man and Colossus was totally boring because they didn't fight so much as Spider-Man quipped and quipped while Colossus destroyed a city while Spidey dodged until he ran away. This time, though, Colossus begins his fight with Red Hulk who knocks the new Juggernaut across the Blue Zone of the Moon to let the Thing take care of him. But unlike Red Hulk or Thing, Colossus' mind has been warped by Cytorak and the energy of the Juggernaut, making him unstoppable, not only in stature, but also in mind and spirit. While Thing tries to throw ol' Piotr off his game with verbal insults, Colossus just keeps going without distraction. Even though I've seen Colossus get into this mode before, he tends to go to the extreme and rage out - it's jarring to see him so focused.

It's interesting how little the major players from The Avengers have been used in Avengers vs. X-Men so far. Outside of Captain America and Iron Man, Earth's Mightiest have been represented by the likes of Red Hulk, Thing, Protector, Ms. Marvel, and Luke Cage. While all great characters in their own right (except Red Hulk - that shit still makes no sense to me), it's hard for new fans to relate to a team with the name they recognize with faces they don't. Fortunately, Black Widow is front and center in the second match of the issue against Colossus' sister, Illyana Rasputin, a.k.a. Magik. Illyana's mutant power allows her to teleport through a demon dimension known as Limbo, which is a great defensive power, but really puts her on the same offensive level (or under, arguably) as Natalia Romanova. Also, setting their fight in Limbo was a great decision, as it gives readers a new location to sink their eyes into. And it's about time the X-Men started winning matches! For real!

GRADE

B

(THE WEEK) JUNE 13-18, 2012

COMIC COVERAGE


AvX: VS #3 of 6
(Yost, Loeb, McGuinness, Dodson)

Featuring Black Widow vs. Magik and Colossus vs. Thing! Why Marvel decided to give us a fight between two characters already featured in the VS series is anyone's guess, but the fight should still be interesting!


Batman #10
(Snyder, Capullo)

The "Night of the Owls" may be over, but Bruce's fight with the Court of Owls continues this month as Batman discovers the true face of the Court!

Before Watchmen: Silk Spectre #1 of 4
(Cooke, Conner)

Continuing our weekly coverage of Before Watchmen with the Silk Spectre!


Batman and Robin #10
(Tomasi, Gleason)

It's a meeting of the Robins! Someone has called together all those who have taken the mantle as Batman's sidekick, and even Red Hood may show up!

Green Lantern #10
(Johns, Mahnke)

The history of the Indigo Tribe is finally revealed in the penultimate issue of "Secret of the Indigo Tribe!" Hal and Sinestro must take on the entire Tribe by themselves.

Resurrection Man #10
(Abnett, Lanning, Saiz)

Even though Resurrection Man is coming to an end in September, I'll be bringing you coverage through issue zero! Mitch Shelley keeps getting closer to discovering the mystery of his past, but where is the Transhuman?

Superboy #10
(Lobdell, Coello)

Scott Lobdell continues to intertwine Superboy with Teen Titans, making sure that neither get the character development they both so desperately need.


DC NATION COVERAGE


Young Justice
Season 2, Episode 8
"TBA"

I'm still not sure if there will even be a 'DC Nation' airing this week, but if there is, I'll be covering it!

(COMIC) LAST WEEK'S 4-SENTENCE REVIEWS!

Hey there, everybody. This past weekend, I took a road trip to Washington D.C. with a friend of mine and didn't prepare for my absence at all. Honestly, I should have written these reviews earlier in the week and scheduled them throughout the weekend. But them's the breaks. To make up for that, I've written some '3-Sentence Reviews' for some of the issues that I missed while hanging out in the nation's capital.


Saga #3
STORY: Brian K. Vaughan
ART: Fiona Staples

Saga continues as Marko and Alana face the Horrors of the night, and it turns out, they're not so scary after all! With her husband unconscious, Alana must deal with the ghosts who are stuck on the planet Cleave and simply want to interact with the living. Forced to team up with a ghost named Izabel, Alana must get Marko to snow before he dies. Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples continue to show the rest of the comic book industry exactly what good writing is.

GRADE: A

AvX: VS #2 (of 6)

STORY: Steve McNiven and Kieron Gillen

ART: Steve McNiven, John Dell, and Salvador Larroca

After a fist issue that couldn't really make up it's mind about whether there would be actual "winners" to these extended fights, AvX: VS #2 simply gets lazy. Captain America vs. Gambit is a ridiculous bout - that no on actually wanted - that goes in Cap's favor for the sake of narrative instead of their supposed power sets. Colossus vs. Spider-Man was totally, completely unnecessary...and then Spidey runs away making Colossus the default winner. I'm sure I'll continue checking out AvX: VS simply for the art, but beyond that, this mini-series has showed that there's little value to it's $3.99 price point.

GRADE: D

Red Hood and The Outlaws #9
STORY: Scott Lobdell
ART: Kenneth Rocafort

Probably one of the best "Night of the Owls" crossover issues, Red Hood and The Outlaws #9 introduces Mr. Freeze back into the 'New 52', as well as gives readers one of the most compelling Talons yet. The gang splits up with Starfire and Roy attempting to stop Mr. Freeze from controlling all of Chinatown, while Jason runs off after the Talon who was after Freeze in the first place. Scott Lobdell usually falls on his face, but in RHatO, his writing has been golden; the discussion between Jason and the Talon is touching, moving, and actually makes the reader empathize with the undead assassin. Mr. Freeze will be featured in this month's Batman Annual #1.

GRADE: B+