THE WEEK (JAN 23-29, 2013)

FEATURED REVIEW
Young Avengers #1
(Gillen, McKelvie)

Ever since Marvel announced that Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie were taking the reigns on a new volume of Young Avengers, I've basically been hoarding any and all info concerning the new series because the Young Avengers is my favorite superhero team ever. I own all the original 12 issues, I've read every crossover and tie-in there's been, and I waited and waited for Avengers: The Children's Crusade to finish up. Now, Gillen and McKelvie are taking Young Avengers in an exciting new direction that -- if it's anything like Phonogram -- is going to be AMAZING.

REVIEWS

Avengers #3
(Hickman, Epting)

Captain America continues his mission to gather his Avengers recruits for an assault on Mars against Ex Nihilo to free their fellow heroes. Jonathan Hickman's concept-saturated Avengers stories already have a lot of readers scratching their heads...in a good way!

Before Watchmen: Minutemen #6 of 6
(Cooke, et al.)

I stopped reviewing all the other Before Watchmen mini-series because, to be honest, none of them had a lot of staying power. While the first few issues of each series were mostly enjoyable (except for Comedian, which has been a train wreck the whole time), they've slipped and fell into 'filler issue' territory. Darwyn Cooke's Minutemen is the exception to the rule, as Cooke's fantastic art style and nuanced writing have made this series immaculate. 

FF #3
(Fraction, Allred)

I love this series. You should love it as well. Matt Fraction and Mike Allred take readers on a journey to discover why a mysterious messenger has brought a message of the Fantastic Four's demise!

Green Lantern #16
(Johns, Mahnke)

Even though none of the "Rise of the Third Army" tie-in issues have featured a whole lot of the eponymous Third Army, Green Lantern has been the most enjoyable series through this GL-crossover, as Geoff Johns' Simon Baz has proved to be one of the most interesting new superheroes in a long time. 

Justice League #16
(Johns, Reis, Prado)

"Throne of Atlantis" continues this week. It's pretty much obvious that Ocean Master is manipulating everything, right? Then again, Johns has a way of making readers believe what he'd like us to see up until the twist.

Uncanny Avengers #3
(Remender, Cassaday)

Finally, finally, we get Uncanny Avengers #3 nearly two months late. It's unfortunate that such a great series -- which is still considered the flagship 'Marvel NOW!' title, I'm assuming -- continues to have such a broken release schedule. To be honest, I nearly forgot it was coming out this week, and I had to go back and reread the first two issues to make sure I knew what was going on. Other than the weird releases, Uncanny Avengers #3 looks like it's going to be a turning point in this first arc.

Extra! Extra!

Green Lantern Corps #16
(Tomasi, Pasarin)

Red Hood and The Outlaws #16
(Lobdell, TBA)

Supergirl #16
(Johnson, Asrar)

Uncanny X-Force #1
(Humphries, Garney)

Wonder Woman #16
(Azzarello, Chiang)

EXTRA! EXTRA! (DEC 5-11, 2012)

All-New X-Men #3
(Bendis, Immonen)

After two issues spent building up the return of the original five X-Men, Brian Michael Bendis takes a detour with All-New X-Men #3 to focus on Cyclops and his posse on the run from the law. Scott wants to set up a new 'Xavier' School in the remnants of Weapon X, which at first sounds terrible, but the more you think about it, the more rational the idea becomes -- Cyclops is using a symbol for hate and violence towards mutants as the location for a new revolution. My biggest problem with All-New X-Men #3 is that BMB does not know how to write Emma Frost -- usually, the man can write dialogue for women, but Emma is not a normal woman and that requires a certain voice to shine through, which it does not here. I've enjoyed ANXM as a whole so far, though this issue left me wanting and somewhat worried for the state of Uncanny X-Men when Bendis relaunches it in March.

GRADE: 7/10

Before Watchmen: Minutemen #5 of 6
(Cooke)

Before Watchmen: Minutemen continues to be not only the best title in the BW series, but also one of DC's best books currently being published--Darwyn Cooke's masterful blend of pop art and classic 1960s storytelling just makes sense for a group of heroes pretty much defined by those two elements. Minutemen #5 chronicles the quick descent of the team from a much-lauded crime fighting organization into a pale ghost of the glory they once had; things like Dollar Bill killing himself by mistake, and Mothman's alcoholism. In a last ditch effort to prove themselves to an ever-skeptical public, Cooke introduces Bluecoat and Scout, two comic book heroes in the flesh ready to help the Minutemen dismantle an actual atomic bomb. This vignette about Bluecoat and Scout is simply fantastic and a testament to Cooke's love for this series; instead of focusing on one, probably flimsy storyline (like, say, Comedian or Doctor Manhattan), he's treating this series as a textbook for the rise and fall of America's first superhero team.

GRADE: 9.5/10

Iron Man #3
(Gillen, Land)

Now I like it, now I don't, now I like it...that's how things have been going with me and Kieron Gillen's 'Marvel NOW!' volume of Iron Man--the first issue promised a fun, interesting variety of foes in Tony Stark's search for the Extremis bootlegs, while the second issue used that plot device to bring Gillen's weird neo-Arthurian dream to fruition before falling completely flat midway through. Iron Man #3, however, turns the tides once again in favor of Gillen and Greg Land as Tony goes after another Extremis owner in Colombia using his stealth suit of armor to infiltrate and retrieve the sample without being detected, albeit at the cost of more firepower. Gillen takes his time to explain why Tony is now using a variety of suits instead of the liquid metal armor capable of creating any weapon on any one of the separate models, and it's a fairly simple answer: something specialized works better than something adapting. The final pages are emotion-heavy, though Tony's dilemma may cause some readers to groan over the general trope of seeing the good being an evil deed.

GRADE: 7/10

Stormwatch #15
(Milligan, Conrad)

Harry Tanner betrayed Stormwatch and kidnapped one of it's best agents, all in an effort to gain more power and overthrow the Shadow Council that rules over Stormwatch and all of it's actions. Now, Tanner's returned (disguised as a Shadow Council member) to do just that and he's brainwashed the rest of the team into believing Midnighter is a mole plotting to destroy Stormwatch from the inside out. Peter Milligan's run on Stormwatch has been full of complex mythos, yet he can still write a damn good hissy fit between Apollo and his perceived heartbreaker, Midnighter. It feels like the climax of this arc is coming, as things couldn't get much worse for Midnighter, Stormwatch itself is on the brink of destruction, and Harry Tanner holds all the cards--this is a high-octane series that you really should be reading if you're not.

GRADE: 8/10

THE WEEK (DEC 5-11, 2012)

FEATURED REVIEW

Avengers #1
(Hickman, Opena)


REVIEWS
Action Comics #15
(Morrison, Morales)

Animal Man #15 & Swamp Thing #15
(Lemire, Snyder, Pugh, Paquette)

Before Watchmen: Minutemen #5 of 6
(Cooke)

Earth 2 #7
(Robinson, Scott)

Hawkeye #5
(Fraction, Aja)

Thunderbolts #1
(Way, Dillon)

Extra! Extra!
All-New X-Men #3
(Bendis, Immonen)

Amazing Spider-Man #699
(Slott, Ramos)

Iron Man #3
(Gillen, Land)

Stormwatch #15
(Milligan, Conrad)

EXTRA! EXTRA! (OCT 17-23, 2012)

Before Watchmen: Minutemen #4 of 6
(w/p) Cooke

Minutemen #4 continues Darwyn Cooke's absolutely phenomenal take on the group that fought crime before the Watchmen formed by way of two stories - one focused on Comedian's time on a Japanese island during World War II, the other about the death of Silhouette. While Brian Azzarello tries in vain in Comedian to make Eddie Blake a relatable character, Cooke manages to do so with ease by placing the Comedian in one of his first morally ambiguous situations that changes the way he views war and the world. Silhouette's part of the issue is really more about Nite Owl Hollis Mason's relationship with Silhouette and how her death affects him and the rest of the Minutemen. This is truly the best title of Before Watchmen, and honestly, one of the best titles of 2012 - while I'm still generally skeptical of the entire prequel notion (see every other BW series besides Ozymandias and Silk Spectre), Minutemen directed by Darwyn Cooke has the potential to be an ongoing series...if only.

GRADE: 9.5/10

Blue Beetle #13
(w) Tony Bedard
(p) Ig Guara
(i) JP Mayer

Blue Beetle #13 picks up after the events of Justice League International Annual #1 wherein Brother Eye forced O.M.A.C. to transport Jaime Reyes to home planet of the aliens behind the scarab technology, Reachworld. Similarly, it's best to have read Blue Beetle #0 as well, seeing as the central antagonist is none other than the mysteriously resurrected corpse of Sky Witness, the man who wore the Khaji-Da armor before Jaime. And instead of finding an all-out brawl between Jaime and the Reach as expected, I found something even better - a Reach solider who desires autonomy after achieving self-thought for only a moment while fighting Blue Lanterns on Odym. Not only does this plot promote inter-title cohesion in creating a more complete DCnU, but it shows that the universe is not a static place that doesn't change - even alien cults like the Reach have mutiny within their ranks, and change doesn't always have to happen only for the good guys.

GRADE: 8/10

Catwoman #13
(w) Ann Nocenti
(p) Rafa Sandoval
(i) Jordi Tarragona

While this issue might be fashioned as a "Death of the Family Prelude", it's really not that at all, which means that I basically read an issue of Catwoman for no other reason that to read an issue of Catwoman, and in the 'New 52', that's kind of lame. Don't get me wrong; I'm sure there's an avid fan base for a Selina Kyle who over-sexualizes everything, looks like her skin fuses with her leather jumpsuit, and who can't seem to grow as a character. Unfortunately, I am not part of that fan base, nor have I ever really thought that Catwoman was a strong enough character to warrant so much focus. Anyhow, Catwoman fights (another) rich kid from Gotham who thinks the city belongs to them - it's not inventive, there's no 'twist' anywhere, and the connection to Scott Snyder's Joker-centric event is virtually non-existent (you wouldn't see it if you weren't looking).

GRADE: 5/10

Nightwing #13
(w) Tom DeFalco
(p) Andres Guinaldo
(i) Mark Irwin and Raul Fernandez

Nightwing doesn't cross over with "Death of the Family" for a few more months, so for the time being, Tom DeFalco is taking over with art by Andres Guinaldo to tell a tale about Nightwing and Lady Shiva - one of the most lethal assassins in the entire world. Nightwing #13 makes as much of a reference to the Joker as Catwoman #13 does, yet Dick Grayson's title get's no "Prelude" kind of treatment - who knows what goes on in the minds of DC editors. Dick is forced to track down Shiva on his own since the rest of the Bat Family is otherwise occupied, and it doesn't seem to go so well. By the end, Dick realizes he's been played in a game of bait-and-switch, surely leading to a more vengeful tone for Nightwing in coming issues.

GRADE: 7.8/10

Red Hood and The Outlaws #13
(w) Scott Lobdell
(p/i) Timothy Green II

The Outlaws wrap up their cosmic adventure as Starfire and her sister, Blackfire, take on the invading Blight and drive them away from Tamaran. In all honesty, Red Hood and Arsenal don't do a whole lot this month besides get in the way of Kori and Kom's fight with the Blight leader. Red Hood and The Outlaws #13 is mostly about tying up all the loose ends from this arc - Kori and her sister make amends for past sins, Jason Todd manages to keep his date alive despite getting caught in an alien war, and Roy Harper lives to narrate another day. It's the final page that holds omens for the coming months, ones that connect to RHatO #0 released last month.

GRADE: 7/10

Supergirl #13
(w) Mike Johnson
(p/i) Sami Basri

This might be the most disappointing issue of Supergirl to date - there's a lot of talking, some one-sided fighting, and a coincidental conclusion that isn't very satisfying at all. This is the first issue without Michael Green co-writing with Mike Johnson, and it shows; the fight between Supergirl and Tycho (the multi-billionaire from the first issue, only now with shape-shifting superpowers) really feels quite meaningless, as Tycho hasn't been seen or heard from since the debut issue, and because he doesn't seem to have any purpose in taking Supergirl, especially since he can speak Kryptonian now (somehow) and can communicate with her. The whole "story" feels like a big letdown, the only upside to which is a revelation about Kara's space-pod at the bottom of the sea. Beyond that, this issue really isn't worth reading - best wait for "H'el on Earth" to start next month.

GRADE: 5/10

Wonder Woman #13
(w) Brian Azzarello
(p) Tony Akins
(i) Dan Green

While the past two months of Wonder Woman have brought a lot of shock and awe - first with the tease of the New Gods in WW #12, then with a classic tale re-envisioned in WW #0 - this month's issue focuses on bringing some new conflicts into the lives of Diana and her companions. The goddess Hera has been made mortal, so she's hanging with the posse now, the gods on Olympus have to figure out who is going to usurp them all, and Diana's next step is finding another of Zeus' children to aid in the quest to restore Olympus to it's former glory. Brian Azzarello has such a distinct trajectory for Wonder Woman that this issue doesn't feel like filler, even though that's what it mostly consists of. Obviously, we're all waiting for the New Gods to show up because it's the New Gods and that's just freaking amazing - however long it takes Azzarello to get there will be agonizing, but it will be fun nonetheless.

GRADE: 8/10

THE WEEK (OCT 17-23, 2012)

Featured Review
Marvel NOW! Point One
(various creative teams)
I know, I know: Uncanny Avengers came out last week. But seriously, folks, this where 'Marvel NOW!' really kicks off. This one-shot will feature a number of short stories pertaining to the upcoming year of new titles and relaunches under the 'Marvel NOW!' banner, from Nova and Guardians of the Galaxy to Young Avengers and FF. I'm a bit of a Young Avengers fanboy, so this is all about Kid Loki and Miss America Chavez for me. And just look at that cover! It's going to be an awesome issue with awesome stories.



Reviews
Before Watchmen: Minutemen #4 of 6
(w/p) Darwyn Cooke
If you've been reading Before Watchmen in any capacity, you're probably aware than Minutemen is the best series in the bunch. Darwyn Cooke just knows how to write and draw for that era, and his experience in superhero work shines through in every issue. 

Blue Beetle #13
(w) Tond Bedard
(p) Ig Guara
Now that we know Blue Beetle is coming to an end at issue 16, Jaime's expulsion to Reachworld carries a lot more weight. Find out some of the Reach's biggest secrets!

DC Universe Presents #13
(w) Marc Andreyko
(p) Robson Rocha
It's the start of a new arc for DC Universe Presents after two months of one-shot issues, and it's a super cool one - "Black Lightning and Blue Devil"! It's TWO new characters introduced!

Green Lantern: New Guardians #13
(w) Tony Bedard
(p) Aaron Kuder
Kyle Rayner and his Rainbow Brigade will join in on all the "Rise of the Third Army" fun going ons. Oh, and Carol Ferris becomes Star Sapphire again...again. Does this mean no more Fatality? That would be a shame.

Justice League #13
(w) Geoff Johns
(p) Tony S. Daniel
Cheetah makes her 'New 52' debut! Apparently, she's set to become a huge threat to the DCnU, making her a top-tier villain. Cheetah? Really? It just seems strange. Plus, the "Shazam" back-up is still going on! Who knew?

Wonder Woman #13
(w) Brian Azzarello
(p) Tony Akins
Wonder Woman is one of the best 'New 52' series, and it had the best "Zero Month" issue. Why have I not been reviewing this for the past ten months? What have I been doing? Well, I'm making up for it now.

Extra! Extra!
Captain Marvel #5
(DeConnick, Soy)

Catwoman #13
(Nocenti, Sandoval, Tarrogona)

Nightwing #13
(Higgins, Barrows, Jose)

Red Hood and The Outlaws #13
(Lobdell, Green II)

Supergirl #13
(Johnson, Basri)

Sword of Sorcery #1
(Marx, Bedard, Lopresti, Saiz)

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

UPCOMING REVIEWS (AUG 29 - SEP 4)

Aquaman #12
(Johns, Reis)
- It's the end of the line for "The Others" as Geoff Johns finishes up his stellar first year with the King of Atlantis. The traitor in the team is revealed, and Black Manta's endgame comes to light!

Before Watchmen: Minutemen #3 of 6

(Cooke, Cooke)

- Per usual, there's not a whole lot of preview for this entry of Before Watchmen. Seeing as a lot of information was revealed last issue, one could surmise that this time through, we'll get to see some of the ramifications of those reveals.

Captain Marvel #3
(DeConnick, Soy)
- Carol Danvers is a woman after my own heart. With only two issues under her belt, the new Captain Marvel is dominating Marvel's lineup, not only in story quality, but also in sales. This month, Carol's gone back in time to take on the Banshee Squadron!

The Flash Annual #1

(Manapul, Buccaletto)

- The Rogues are assembled, they've double-crossed a pissed-off Captain Cold, and Flash arrived just in time to get in on the mayhem. It's time for an all-out war.

Green Lantern Annual #1
(Johns, Van Sciver)
- Geoff Johns and Ethan Van Sciver join forces once again to bring the prelude to "Rise of the Third Army", the Green Lantern event coming in October and November that will change the landscape for Hal Jordan, Sinestro, John Stewart, Guy Gardner, and the rest.

Justice League #12

(Johns, Lee)

- Everyone's been talking about it, and it's finally here! The relationship between Superman and Wonder Woman that will set the status quo for the foreseeable future begins with a single kiss. "The Villain's Journey" wraps up this week, too. As if anyone cared at this point.

Justice League International Annual #1
(Johns, Didio, Fabok)
- Read this one after Justice League #12 as the final mission of the JLI begins! Truths will be revealed, new characters will make appearances, and more than likely, we'll get some set-up for next year's upcoming Justice League of America written by Geoff Johns.

4-Sentence Reviews, Part 1

- AvX: VS #5 of 6

- Detective Comics Annual #1

- Gambit #2

- Superman Annual #1

4-Sentence Reviews, Part 2
- National Comics: Looker
- Phantom Lady #1
- Wolverine and The X-Men #15
- X-Treme X-Men #2

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

UPCOMING REVIEWS (JULY 11-17)

Here are this week's upcoming reviews for "The Endless Reel" for the week of July 11th. All reviews are subject to change due to unforeseen circumstances, so if you don't see one of these reviews this week, it will probably show up under the 4-SENTENCE REVIEW header.

Batman #11
(Snyder, Capullo)

It's Batman vs. Owlman! Bruce Wayne vs. Thomas Wayne Jr! Scott Snyder's excellent Court of Owls mega-arc begins it's ending as Bruce must face his long-lost brother! Snyder's work on Batman has been a highlight of DC's 'New 52' and shows no signs of slowing down.

Batman and Robin #11
(Tomasi, Gleason)

Damian Wayne continues his quest to defeat all the Robins! After last month's psychological duel against Tim Drake, Damian goes after RED HOOD! Also, Terminus sends his Batfreaks out into Gotham City!

Before Watchmen: Minutemen #2 of 6
(Darwyn Cooke)

Darwyn Cooke continues his phenomenal Minutemen series! Peer into the past of the Watchmen to see who came before. Cooke's retro-style artwork is the biggest pull of this series, but if the writing stays consistent, it looks to be the best series in the Before Watchmen pantheon.

Demon Knights #11
(Cornell, Neves)

Paul Cornell continues his look at Camelot through the ages! The true natures of the team's members are revealed - and they're MONSTERS! I've been reading Demon Knights since the beginning, and I think it's high time to include it on "The Endless Reel"!

Resurrection Man #11
(Abnett, Lanning)

Fortunately, Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning already have a new gig over at BOOM! Studios with their new series, The Hypernaturals. With Resurrection Man winding toward it's final issue next month (not counting the prequel issue zero), the secrets of Mitch Shelley's life start coming to a front! Finding the Transhuman is the only way to figure out "Who Is Mitch Shelley?"

Spider-Men #3 of 5
(Bendis, Pichelli)

After a bumbling first issue followed by a totally solid second, Spider-Men is shaping up to be one of the best limited series of 2012. Mysterio's playing a BIG, BIG part in this story, so if you're a Spider-Man fan, this title is for you!

Superboy #11
(Lobdell, Silva)

It's finally time to start letting Kon-El stand on his own two feet! After a long-running crossover with Teen Titans, Scott Lobdell finally decides Superboy can actually be a good book without the help of a team of teens!

(COMIC) 4-SENTENCE REVIEWS #4!

Resurrection Man #10
(Abnett, Lanning, Saiz)

I've been a extremely avid fan of Resurrection Man since last September, mostly based on the fact that Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning were less concerned with creating some amazingly big story arc and more focused on just writing interesting stories. I was pretty upset when DC announced that the series would end after it's 'Issue Zero' this coming September, but after reading Resurrection Man #10, I'm wondering if maybe it wasn't all that bad of a call. This month, Mitch Shelley and Kim Rebecki are still on the hunt to uncover Mitch's mysterious past, but instead of advancing the story at all, Abnett and Lanning bring back the 'avenging angels' that came after Mitch way back in issue four or five, a move that shows that maybe these writers really don't have a solid future in plan for the man who can't die. It's far more likely that Mitch Shelley's story will have a super-satisfying conclusion come next month, but we'll just have to wait and see.

GRADE: B

Before Watchmen: Minutemen #1 of 6

(Darwyn Cooke)

Minutemen is supposed to be a look back at the original superhero team that set the (arguably) 'golden standard' for what the Watchmen eventually aspire to attain: the original idea of truth, justice, and the American way. And while we know the Minutemen had their own set of problems, they also operated in a simpler time when origin stories didn't involve intergalactic sentries or mystical interventions, but instead came from ordinary people looking to make their world a little bit better. In this first of six issues, Darwyn Cooke spends a lot of time going over the origins of each member of the Minutemen, and while this could come off as cheesy and overbearing, Cooke masterfully makes each introduction feel like you're meeting these characters for the first time. It's a phenomenal first issue and even better beginning to the Before Watchmen event.

GRADE: A

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

In the first title dedicated to a member of the Watchmen (the first in the Before Watchmen series focused on the Minutemen, which features the Comedian, but none of the other Watchmen proper), and it's pretty damn good. Laurie Juspeczyk has grown up in the shadow of her mother, both in terms of training and studying to carry on the Silk Spectre name, as well as her infamous streak of compromising work after her days as a superhero ended. Laurie's tale starts as a romantic story with chisel-jawed Greg, a boy who knows about her mother's racy past and doesn't care - all he wants is to be with Laurie, and the two of them decide to run away from home and hitchhike to wherever. Darwyn Cooke has set up a very mid-60s story, complete with adolescent angst, social hierarchy, and a pinch of hippies to keep us interested for the next issue.

GRADE: B

Summer Blockbuster: Before Watchmen

Summer means different things to everyone. For kids and teenagers, it's a time of relaxation and pure bliss because there's no school. For college students, it's a time to work and maybe take more classes. For hippies it means festival season is in full swing, for water parks it means business, and for the comic book industry, it means big crossover events, and this summer DC Comics has the coolest one.

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Issue #1 covers for all seven mini-series and back-up.

As reported by many news outlets, the biggest - and most controversial - of these  is Before Watchmen, a look into the world of the Watchmen before the events of the original series by Alan Moore over 20 years ago. With some of the industry's biggest names in writing and artwork signed on, DC is going all-out and releasing seven mini-series complete with an ongoing back-up story and a bookend epilogue at the end of the summer.

Watchmen co-creator and author Alan Moore has publicly stated his distaste with the new series, likening DC's actions to writing a "Bible II" without consulting God. Moore's stance reflects his feelings toward the live-action feature film version of Watchmen released in 2009 to critical and popular praise. Many of the writers and artists attached to the project have come to their own defense stating their intent to enrich the world of the Watchmen, not to sully it as Moore believes.

Each of the main characters from the original Watchmen has their own title - Rorschach, Nite Owl, Comedian, Silk Spectre, Ozymandias, and Dr. Manhattan - as well as Before Watchmen: Minutemen which will focus on the first superhero team, the Minutemen, who operated decades before the Watchmen. The seven mini-series will be released intermittently, one issue per week, throughout the summer months until they finish up with Before Watchmen: Epilogue. At the end of each issue, a two-page back-up story featuring the Crimson Corsair will run the entirety of the event and finish up in the pages of Epilogue.

Stay tuned to "The Endless Reel" for weekly coverage of Before Watchmen as it unfolds this summer.