HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK
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AZRAEL DEATHS DARK KNIGHT #1 (OF 3), $2.99, 32 Pages, DC Comics
Written by Fabian Nicieza; Art by Frazer Irving; Cover by Guillem March

With just about anyone with any kind of claim to the Batman mantle coming forward now, so it stands to reason that Azrael would make an appearance. It seems pretty clear that he will not be taking up the cowl again this time around, but it is good to see that he is getting some deserved attention. Tough to say how much it will tie into Battle For The Cowl directly, but it will certainly be running along side it. Fabian Nicieza is writing this one, so automatically it shows some promise. It should be interesting to note that this character is probably not going to be the Azrael we are all familiar with – Nicieza has said that John Paul Valley is not going to be the man in the armor. It should be interesting to see how Nicieza develops that – reworking this concept can only add color to Gotham City when it is all said and done.

DEADPOOL GAMES OF DEATH, $3.99, Marvel Comics
Written by Mike Benson, Art by Sean Crystal

You will find little complaint about Deadpool getting a few extra promotional books thanks to his part in the upcoming Wolverine movie. This one shot has some potential – Deadpool finds himself the contestant on a controversial reality show in which the winner is the last one still alive. Sure, he has been hired to find a millionaire’s son, but Deadpool’s moral ambiguity might skew his priorities in this story. Gotta hand it to Benson – this is a great concept for a Deadpool story. Of course, Mike Benson has been the man behind Moon Knight since issue #14. His run has met with mixed reviews, but he has certainly developed a following on that book. Can’t wait to see what he will do with Wade.

GI JOE COBRA #1, $3.99, 32 Pages, IDW
Written by Christos Gage and Mike Costa, Art by Antonio Fuso

Well, the movie is fast approaching, so it is best to get prepared for a slew of G.I. Joe material. This one has an interesting twist on the concept. The book focuses on an undercover agent calling himself “Chuckles” that has been sent to infiltrate the COBRA organization. The idea certainly has a lot of promise, and Christos Gage is writing it, so you can expect quality. Definitely worth giving a shot.

SPIDER-MAN NOIR #4 (OF 4), $3.99, Marvel Comics
Written by David Hine and Fabrice Sapolsky, Art by Carmine Di Giandomenico

This mini turned out to be something of a surprise. Marvel frequently releases a few gimmick books like this one, but this time around all of the “Noir” books turned out to be pretty good, and in fact spurred a Wolverine: Noir book which will start out in mid-April. This one is getting wrapped up this month, but if you can’t manage to track down back issues, it is sure to see a trade release soon. It is worth tracking down if you are so inclined… this has been a very enjoyable series.

SUPERGIRL #39, $2.99, 32 Pages, DC Comics
Written by Sterling Gates; Art by Jamal Igle and Keith Champagne; Cover by Joshua Middleton

This book has taken a step forward, but it may not be quite enough. Gates really deserves a lot of credit for shifting the focus on Supergirl from eye-candy to something a little more substantial, but the New Krypton tie-in that launched his run on this book might have done more harm than good. At present, the title is solely focused on the so-called mystery of Superwoman. Trouble is, this was the moment that this book was supposed to focus on Supergirl herself, instead of jumping on a gimmick that doesn’t have a lot of legs. The “reveal” is coming very slowly, and the rest of the story just doesn’t deliver as much as it should.

Perhaps this book will continue to improve once it is out from under the shadow of New Krypton. Gates has made considerable strides, and should be commended for that, but now is the time to start making the reader care about Supergirl herself, instead of trying to convince them that they need to care about Superwoman.

ULTIMATE X-MEN #100, $3.99, Marvel Comics
Written by Aron E. Coleite, Art by Mark Brooks, Karl Story, and Edgar DelGado

Slowly we are reaching the end of the Ultimate Universe as we know it. Coliete was the final writer to take up this troubled book, and to his credit he has done a fairly good job with it. Of course, this latest arc hasn’t been quite so-well received… thus far readers don’t seem very receptive to the Ultimatum event, and the tie-in stories across the board are suffering as a result. This finale might be long-overdue, hopefully Coliete can pull it together and make a solid ending out of it. It would be great to see the title end in a way that validates a little of the promise it had when it began.

UNCANNY X-MEN #507, $2.99, Marvel Comics
Written by Matt Fraction, Art by Terry Dodson, Rachel Dodson, and Justin Ponsor

The entire X-Men franchise has been on a nice upswing over the past couple years. Brubaker’s Rise and Fall of the Shi’ar Empire was a fairly decent start (and did lead to what has been an outstanding War of Kings event going on now), but Fraction’s start on this title really brought Uncanny X-Men back to excellence. Really, it has gotten to the point where any book with his name on it is worth checking out – you can’t say that about too many other writers in comics today. This is the most enjoyable the X-Men have been in quite some time.

SPOTLIGHT PICK OF THE WEEK

AMAZING SPIDER-GIRL #30, $3.99, Marvel Comics
Written by Ton DeFalco, Art by Ron Frenz, Sal Buscema, and Bruno Hang

Once again, we have the final issue of Spider-Girl. This time around, there seems to be little push to “save” this book. The fact that Spider-Girl is moving over to become a regular part of Amazing Spider-Man Family seems to be mostly responsible for the lack of fan outrage. Still, it is sad to see this ongoing book disappear – Spider-Girl has had its ups and downs over the years, but it always remained remarkably consistent. It was never wrapped up in overhyped event nonsense, and at several points in its long history, it was actually the best Spider-Man book on the market, certainly the closest to what made Spider-Man such a great concept. It will be missed, though not too much since the character will still be around.

DARK HORSE

KULL #5 (OF 6) $2.99 Now: $2.69
STAR WARS KNIGHTS O/T OLD REPUBLIC #39 DUELING AMBITIONS $2.99 Now: $2.69

DC COMICS

AZRAEL DEATHS DARK KNIGHT #1 (OF 3) $2.99 Now: $2.59
BLACK LIGHTNING YEAR ONE #6 (OF 6) $2.99 Now: $2.59
MYSTERIUS THE UNFATHOMABLE #3 (OF 6) $2.99 Now: $2.59
OUTSIDERS #16 $2.99 Now: $2.69
SUPERGIRL #39 $2.99 Now: $2.59
TINY TITANS #14 $2.50 Now: $2.19
WORLD OF WARCRAFT #17 $2.99 Now: $2.59

IDW

ANGEL #19 $3.99 Now: $3.59
GI JOE COBRA #1 $3.99 Now: $3.49

IMAGE COMICS

INVINCIBLE #60 $3.99 Now: $3.49

MARVEL COMICS

AMAZING SPIDER-GIRL #30 $3.99 Now: $3.49
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #588 $3.99 Now: $3.49
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN EXTRA #3 $3.99 Now: $3.49
DARK AVENGERS #3 $3.99 Now: $3.49
DEADPOOL GAMES OF DEATH $3.99 Now: $3.49
ETERNALS #9 $2.99 Now: $2.59
MIGHTY AVENGERS TP VOL 03 SECRET INVASION BOOK 01 $14.99 Now: $11.99
MOON KNIGHT #28 $2.99 Now: $2.69
PUNISHER WAR JOURNAL TP VOL 04 $16.99 Now: $12.99
SPIDER-MAN NOIR #4 (OF 4) $3.99 Now: $3.49
SQUADRON SUPREME TP PRE WAR YEARS $16.99 Now: $13.99
SQUADRON SUPREME TP VOL 01 POWER TO THE PEOPLE $16.99 Now: $13.99
ULTIMATE X-MEN #100 $3.99 Now: $3.49
ULTIMATUM #3 (OF 5) $3.99 Now: $3.49
UNCANNY X-MEN #507 $2.99 Now: $2.69
UNCANNY X-MEN #507 GOLDEN VAR $39.99
WOLVERINE #71 $2.99 Now: $2.69
WOLVERINE ORIGINS #34 $2.99 Now: $2.69
X-FACTOR #41 $2.99 Now: $2.69
X-FORCE #13 $2.99 Now: $2.69
X-MEN FIRST CLASS TP WONDER YEARS $19.99 Now: $15.99
X-MEN LEGACY #222 $2.99 Now: $2.69
YOUNG X-MEN #12 $2.99 Now: $2.59

DC ANNOUNCES ‘CO-FEATURES’

Mark me down as someone who really likes this idea. More content in a comic book is always a good thing, and this idea is a great way to give exposure to some underselling characters, and tell a good story about a character in a team book that doesn’t necessarily get the solo treatment otherwise. So far, DC has announced that we will get Metal-Men back-ups in the new Doom Patrol series, Blue Beetle in the current Booster Gold book, and Ravager will be backing-up the current Teen Titans book.

Yes, it would seem that this is a way of softening the blow of what appears to be an inevitable increase to $3.99 for DC and Marvel books (something you have seen predicted here for some time), but if they are going to increase the price, increasing the content to match seems a good way to do it. Hopefully this is a long term thing, and we don’t see them try to go back to 32 page books a couple months down the line.

The opinions in this article are the writer’s alone, and no not necessarily reflect the views of X-World Comics or comiXtreme.com.

DARK HORSE COMICS
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Page M33 – Rapture #1 (of 6), $2.99, 40 Pages
Written by Michael Avon Oeming and Taki Soma, Color by Val Staples

Oeming’s demonstrated a real talent on his creative efforts, especially on his non-franchise works which are always worth checking out. This one looks interesting – so often, writers like to try and be original by telling their own story about what it would be like in a world where Super-heroes appeared… the stories have their variations, but the concept has been done to death. This title takes the opposite tack – what it would be like for all the super-powered heroes and villains to vanish, leaving the world in shambled behind them. As the title suggests, this story is thematically tied to the biblical rapture, painting the heroes and villains as warriors in the promised battle between heaven and hell. It looks like there is a lot going on here… this is definitely going to be worth your time.

And hey – full color, $2.99… and 40 pages? A real bargain considering the way comic prices have been going up and content going down these days.

Page 34 – Aliens #1 (of 4), $3.50, 32 Pages
Written by John Arcudi, Art by Zach Howard and Mark Irwin

Dark Horse is really ramping up for the 30th Anniversary of the Alien film – their effort on Free Comic Book Day will be an Aliens/Predator special, followed by this issue which will relaunch the Aliens comic franchise. (Predator will follow closely thereafter). Aliens was a popular comic in its heyday, so it will be nice to see it return. Comics focusing on a villain or an antagonist are always difficult, but so long as Arcudi sticks with what works, this title should be a success.

DC COMICS
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Page 64 – Final Crisis Aftermath: Dance #1 (of 6), $2.99, 32 Pages
Written by Joe Casey, Art by ChrisCross

There are three Final Crisis Aftermath books hitting this month, all focusing on either unknown or low profile characters. This one seems a little different – this team first appeared in Final Crisis, and are supposed to be Fifth World versions of the Forever People. The team seems to be more concerned with image than heroism, and this story will show what becomes of them after Final Crisis, when no one seems to have noticed the “contribution” they made. Could be good – art should be solid… of the three, this one seems to have the most potential.

Page 80 – The Last Days of Animal Man #1, $2.99, 32 Pages
Written by Gerry Conway, Art by Chris Batista & Dave Meikis

Animal Man has been at the center of some interesting stories over the last few years. This one looks like it is in the mold of Marvel’s “The End” books. Gerry Conway is handling the writing chores which gives this title some promise – personally, I always find these “End” stories to be much more interesting when they are written by old-school guys who actually had a hand in creating legendary characters. Could well be interesting.

Page 81 – Power Girl #1, $2.99, 32 Pages
Written by Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray, Art by Amanda Connor

Finally! This one was announced how long ago? We got a taste of this team’s work on the recent Terra mini series, and that ended up being pretty good. This title might have had a little more oomph if it had come sooner – interest in Power Girl really peaked around Infinite Crisis, but better late than never. Power Girl, despite the controversy around how she is portrayed at times, is a very interesting character with a lot to offer storywise. Pick this one up.

Page 100 – Astro City Dark Age Book 3 #1 (of 4), $3.99, 32 Pages
Written by Kurt Busiek, Art by Brent Anderson

Time to dust off those old Astro City issues and get caught up, the third chapter of the ongoing story is finally getting started this month. Really, the only weakness in this title is how infrequently it comes out. We got a one-shot back in February of 2008 – prior to that, the last issue of Dark Age (Book 2) came out in November of 2007. (issues of Book 2 came out about once every 3 months)

Astro City is a fantastic comic, but it is incredibly difficult to follow on a monthly schedule. If you don’t mind delays and are patient with that sort of thing, you should definitely pick this issue up. Otherwise – watch for the trade. It will be a good read, it all depends on your personal patience.

Page 105 – Starcraft #1, $2.99, 32 Pages
Written by Keith Giffen & Simon Furman, Art by Federico Dallocchio

Well, the World of Warcraft comic did ok for a while, so why not try Starcraft? Actually, Starcraft might make for a better ongoing comic, truth be told. Giffen should add a hint of humor to the book which will make it more appealing than it otherwise would have. Usually video-game comics are something to avoid, but there are some things with potential on this one. Worth trying out.

Page 108 – The Unwritten #1, $1, 40 Pages
Written by Mike Carey, Art by Peter Gross

Man, when it comes to value, this one is even better than the Rapture comic, and that is saying a lot. A 40 Page, regular issue for $1? That is how you give something to the reader and make them want to try your comic.

The Harry Potter theme seems to be strong here – with a series about the adventures of a “boy wizard” being at the forefront. Of course, that is just a prop, the comic really is more of a blend of Fables and Thursday Next – an exploration of the concept of fiction and reality coming together.

Oh, and this team was responsible for Lucifer – another reason to give this book a shot. In fact, if Carey has long-term plans for this title, it would be a good idea to jump onboard now. If it is anything like Lucifer, it will be a fantastic series that is nearly impossible to jump on board in the middle.

IMAGE COMICS
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Page 136 – Olympus #1, $2.99, 24 Pages
Written by Nathan Edmondson, Art by Christian Ward

Here is a bit of genre blending I haven’t seen before – Mythology, and crime drama. In a way, it kind of makes sense. What would existence be like today for Castor and Pollux, who were granted a kind of immortality by Zeus? Of course, the old gods still exist in the modern world, and old faces don’t want to abide by the current order. Series shows some promise, even after seeing a couple preview pages.

Page 150 – Dead@17: Ultimate Edition TP, $24.99, 408 Pages
By Josh Howard

Hey now, neat to see this one over at Image. I imagine this means a new Dead@17 will be coming at some point from Image. Not that Viper wasn’t a good place for it (Viper remains the home of awesome comics), but Image is certainly a bigger venue for the title. If you still haven’t sampled Dead@17, you should check this omnibus out. It’s decent reading.

Page 156 – Invincible #62, $2.99, 32 Pages
Written by Robert Kirkman, Art by Ryan Ottley & FCO Plascencia

It funny how Image is still promoting Kirkman’s books with an “On Time in 2009! Guarantee” even though they broke that guarantee 3 weeks into the year.

Still no apology or even acknowledgement about that. It’s kind of sad, really.

Page 165 – Evil and Malice Save the World, $14.99, 128 Pages
By Jimmie Robinson

This is definitely the antithesis of Robinson’s more famous work, Bomb Queen. This trade collects the story of a pair of 13 year old twin daughters of a villain who rebel against their father(as any teenage girl would) by becoming superheroes. Knowing his sense of humor, I can see him making an all-ages title work. Definitely one to take a look at.

MARVEL COMICS
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Page M12 – Lockjaw and the Pet Avengers #1 (of 4), $2.99, 32 Pages
Written by Chris Eliopoulos, Art by Ig Guara

Sweet – the Marvel Universe did need more Niels! Well, the title on this is a little misleading, Lockjaw isn’t entirely a “pet,” and outside Redwing, the remaining aren’t really pets of Avengers. But then, that is looking at this too seriously. This series is all in good fun, after all. Chris Eliopoulos has exactly the right sense of humor for this book, it looks like it is going to be a humorous read, right in the middle of the summer event season. Just in time!

Page M17 – The Trojan War #1 (of 5), $3.99, 32 Pages
Written by Roy Thomas, Art by Miguel Angel Sepulveda

Unlike other Classic Literature adaptations “Marvel Illustrated” has done, this one looks like it is only partly based on Homers’ Iliad and Odessey, but is instead drawing upon them and “other ancient sources” to tell the story from a different perspective. Thomas pretty well started his career with the sword and sorcery stuff, so this is right up his alley. Sepulveda previously did the art chores on the Marvel Illustrated adaptation of The Illiad – if you liked the look he brought to the table there, you should be pleased with this one.

Page M21 – Ultimatum: Spider-Man Requiem Book #1 (of 2), $3.99, 40 Pages
Written by Brian Michael Bendis, Art by Stuart Immonen and Mark Bagley

Who hasn’t said something to the effect of “Hopefully Ultimatum is good, but even if it isn’t, as long as they don’t screw with Ultimate Spider-man, it will be ok?” Everyone who has ever talked about Ultimatum has said something to that effect. Even when the poor reviews for the event rolled in, still, Ultimate Spider-man was the light at the end of the tunnel. After the book’s cancellation was announced, everyone naturally assumed that they would just be relaunching it with a new #1.

Now this… a book told from J. Jonah Jameson’s perspective, “memorializing” the “death” of Spider-Man. Are they actually going to kill him off? Even if it is just for some gimmick to put the female-clone in there, it is maddening to think that they would actually level the one consistently good thing in the Ultimate Universe.

I just can’t get my mind around it…

Page M32 – Dark Reign: Young Avengers #1 (of 5), $3.99, 32 Pages
Written by Paul Cornell, Art by Mark Brooks

Still missing Young Avengers? Well, this title won’t entirely fill that need. On the cover is a new Young Avengers team taking up the whole “underground teenage hero” gimmick. Of course, it wouldn’t be interesting unless this new team crossed paths with the old – so it looks like you long-lamenting Young Avengers fans will have something to look forward to after all. Could be good.

Page M45 – Captain America #50, $3.99, 48 Pages
Written by Ed Brubaker, Art by Luke Ross

The big issue 50 – no, Steve Rogers doesn’t look to be coming back. Sure, Marvel could surprise us but knowing their track history, that info will be leaked to the press before the issue comes out, if that were the case. Instead we are getting one of the tried-and-true anniversary issue formats where Bucky Barnes contemplates his most and least favorite birthdays over the years, wrapped up in an action issue.

Page M50 – Howling Commandos #1, $3.99, 40 Pages
Written by Jesse Alexander, Art by John Paul Leon

At first, this seemed like just another effort at a war comic. Tucci’s Sgt. Rock is doing very well over at DC, and this was just Marvel’s effort to parrot that. Looks like there might be a little more to it though – in the solicit, Marvel says that this story “sets the stage” for the upcoming Captain America: White series from Loeb and Sale. I can’t recall set-up stories for any of their previous colors efforts, it will be curious to see where they are going with this. If you are getting White, you might want to give his issue a shot.

Page M54 – Planet Skaar Prologue, $3.99, 40 Pages
Written by Greg Pak, Art by Dan Panosian

You know, maybe not bad. Planet Hulk seemed like a silly idea when it first started up, but Greg Pak made that something to remember. His son, Skaar, being exiled to Earth might just make for an interesting event series. Curious that the mini about his “sister” is ongoing at the same time. Wonder what big Hulk plans Marvel has in the works.

Page M68 – Nova #25, $2.99, 32 Pages
Written by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning, Art by Andrea DiVito

Congratulations to Nova this month! As ongoing books go, Nova was always something of an underdog. To this point, the longest a Nova title lasted was the original Man Called Nova, which went on for 25 issues in the late 70s. With this issue Nova ties that mark, and since we haven’t really heard a cancellation announcement, it looks like it will pass that original mark. Who says the underdogs don’t have their day? Looks like we aren’t getting any sort of anniversary special here but we really don’t need one. In conjunction with the War of Kings event, this issue finally finds Richard Rider attempting to wrest control of the Nova Force from Worldmind. Should be a very exciting issue.

INDEPENDENT COMICS
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Page 232 – Buck Rogers #0, $.25, 16 Pages, Dynamite Entertainment
Written by Scott Beatty, Art by Carlos Rafael

The look is weird, but if there was ever a concept that had a lot of miles left in it, it is Buck Rogers. The original show quickly took a turn for the worse when they tried to make it into a Star Trek clone, many of you probably recall. Dynamite promises a “modern edge,” which could go either way. This is one to tentatively be excited about, at least until we get some preview pages and see what it is going to look like. Can’t beat a quarter though.

Craig’s Top Five of the Month

#5 – The Last Days of Animal Man #1, $2.99, 32 Pages, DC Comics Strong character that has been in too many underrated stories not to take a chance on.

#4 – The Unwritten #1, $1, 40 Pages, DC Comics/Vertigo A new Mike Carey series could be the next long-term hit. Always have to check out his books early.

#3 – Nova #25, $2.99, 32 Pages, Marvel Comics A big milestone for nova, and a huge issue.

#2 – Power Girl #1, $2.99, 32 Pages, DC Comics Almost waited too long for this!

#1 – Rapture #1 (of 6), $2.99, 40 Pages, Dark Horse Oeming is always good for an outstanding story.

The opinions in this article are the writer’s alone, and no not necessarily reflect the views of X-World Comics or comiXtreme.com.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK
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BRAVE AND THE BOLD #22, $2.99, 32 Pages, DC Comics
Written by David Hine; Art and Cover by Doug Braithwaite and Bill Reinhold

The last issue of Brave and the Bold might have been a let-down for some. The cover pretty much promised a Green Lantern/Green Arrow team-up, but delivered nothing of the sort. Of course, they were both in the issue – but the real team-up was with the Phantom Stranger. A little irritating, but once you get past that bit of false advertising (Lantern/Arrow team-ups are almost always enjoyable) you get a fairly decent story. This title is so much stronger than it was when it first started, and is really benefiting from the more focused stories and consistent writing. A much improved title.

NOBLE CAUSES #39, $3.50, Image Comics
Written by Jay Faerber, Art by Yildiray Cinar

In a way, this is almost fitting. Some people will remember back in August (about a month and a half after issue #35 was released), Jay Faerber announced that Noble Causes’ ongoing run would come to an end with November’s issue #40. Of course it really isn’t a surprise that here we are in February the following year, and we are just now seeing issue #39.

Noble Causes has always been a fantastic title. A brilliant read with a truly novel concept. Trouble is, the thing never came out. Chronic lateness plagued this book as often does with Image titles, making it nearly impossible for it to maintain an audience beyond the most devoted comic followers. It is difficult to recommend a title to someone when you don’t even know when the next issue will come out yourself.

It really is a shame to see this book go. Its very nature lent itself very well to the monthly ongoing format, but it was not to be. Hopefully Faerber continues to release Noble Causes in the mini format – that proved very successful when he first started the title, and would most probably lead to more timely releases, and generally work out better for the book.

It is frustrating – it is easy to imagine how well books like this would do if they were released on a regular monthly schedule. In any case – Noble Causes has continued to be a fantastic read – hopefully we see some minis in the near future.

ROBIN #183, $2.99, 32 Pages, DC Comics
Written by Fabian Nicieza; Art and Cover by Freddie E. Williams II

Another final issue for a bat-book, of course the reasons behind this are well known at this point. Over its history Robin has been a very strong title, and it will no doubt continue to be if it should return. It seems that either Tim Drake is going to become Batman (though, he is clearly not the favorite), or he stay Robin, and perhaps get a new ongoing. In many ways this event mirrors what Marvel is doing with Ultimatum, but it seems to be going much better. Readers are aware of DC’s plans (at least in a general sense), know what to expect, and have a reasonable expectation about where DC is planning to take things. That tiny insight into the future is going to make this transition a lot more successful in the long-run, I believe.

ULTIMATE FANTASTIC FOUR #60, $3.99, Marvel Comics
Written by Joe Pokaski, Art by Tyler Kirkham and Ryan Winn

Well, the last issue wasn’t half bad – so perhaps there is hope for this finale issue. A lot of people seem a little mystified about where Marvel is planning to take the Ultimate Universe once Ultimatum wraps up – and it isn’t a stretch to suggest that the event itself has been a bit of a dud. Strangely, through it all, this book seems to have benefited from the crossover, and its connection to that event has ended up producing some passable stories. Expect this issue to be a fairly decent conclusion to the series.

ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN HC VOL 10, $39.99, 272 Pages, Marvel Comics
Written by Brian Michael Bendis, Art by Stuart Immonen

This hardcover collects issues #112-121 of Ultimate Spider-Man, which includes a pair of fairly decent stories. The first is the “Death of a Goblin” arc, which is notable for being Stuart Immonen’s first arc on the title, having recently taken over for Mark Bagley. The second story – “Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends,” however, was something really special. This was the best Ultimate Spider-Man story in years, and really went a long way towards lifting the book out of its duldrums and returning it to excellence. Not that it was ever bad, but until this story came along, it was coasting along at “passable.” This is a decent hardcover buy if you are a fan of the title – particularly if you haven’t read either of these issues.

No idea what Marvel is going to do with the Ultimate Universe once this even wraps up. Seems like we are getting close to finding out.

SPOTLIGHT PICK OF THE WEEK

X-MEN KINGBREAKER #3 (OF 4), $3.99, Marvel Comics
Written by Christopher Yost, Art by Dustin Weaver, Jaime Mendoza, and Nathan Fairbairn

The way this series is shaping up, it seems that Marvel may have made a smart move injecting a little of the X-universe into their cosmic setting. Thus far, this series has been very good – and no one expected anything more. The characters used in this event shine a little brighter on their own – and it looks as if we will once again get a new crop of little-thought of characters who make a name for themselves via a Marvel Cosmic event. Havok is just so much more interesting when he isn’t a part of a typical X-team, isn’t he? This is the best story to have happened to him since Mutant X. At least, so far. This series really has been a proving ground for this half og the War of Kings equation – so far, so good!

DC COMICS

BLACK LIGHTNING YEAR ONE #4 (OF 6)$2.99 Now $2.59
BRAVE AND THE BOLD #22$2.99 [/b]Now $2.69[/b]
MYSTERIUS THE UNFATHOMABLE #2 (OF 6)$2.99 Now $2.69
ROBIN #183$2.99 Now $2.69
STORMWATCH PHD #19$2.99 Now $2.59
SUPERMAN BATMAN #55$2.99 Now $2.69
TANGENT SUPERMANS REIGN #12 (OF 12)$2.99 Now $2.59
TINY TITANS #13$2.59
TRINITY #38$2.99 Now $2.69
VIGILANTE #3$2.99 Now $2.69

DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT

BATTLESTAR GALACTICA CYLON WAR #2 (OF 4)$3.99 Now $3.49
DEATH DEFYING DEVIL #3$3.50 Now $2.99

IGN

GI JOE ORIGINS #1$3.99 Now $3.49

IMAGE COMICS

NOBLE CAUSES #39$3.50 Now $2.99

MARVEL COMICS

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #587$2.99 Now $2.84
CAPTAIN BRITAIN AND MI 13 TP VOL 01 SECRET INVASION$15.99 Now $13.99
GHOST RIDER #32$2.99 Now $2.59
MARVEL ADVENTURES AVENGERS #33$2.99 Now $2.59
MOON KNIGHT #27$2.99 Now $2.59
MOON KNIGHT PREM HC VOL 04 DEATH OF MARC SPECTOR$24.99 Now $18.99
NYX NO WAY HOME #6 (OF 6)$3.99 Now $3.49
PUNISHER WAR JOURNAL PREM HC VOL 05 SECRET INVASION$19.99 Now $15.99
SECRET INVASION TP FRONT LINE$14.99 Now $11.99
SECRET INVASION TP INCREDIBLE HERCULES$14.99 Now $11.99
SECRET INVASION TP THUNDERBOLTS$19.99 Now $15.99
SQUADRON SUPREME 2 #8$2.99 Now $2.59
ULTIMATE FANTASTIC FOUR #60$3.99 Now $3.59
ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN HC VOL 10$39.99 Now $32.99
ULTIMATE WOLVERINE VS HULK NEW PTG #2$2.99 Now $2.69
UNCANNY X-MEN #506$2.99 Now $2.69
X-FACTOR #40$2.99 Now $2.69
X-MEN KINGBREAKER #3 (OF 4)$3.99 Now $3.49
X-MEN LEGACY #221$2.99 Now $2.69

The opinions in this article are the writer’s alone, and no not necessarily reflect the views of X-World Comics or comiXtreme.com.

DARK HORSE COMICS
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Page 30 – Aliens #1 (of 4), $3.50, Dark Horse
Written by John Arcudi, Art by Zach Howard and Mark Irwin

Potentially a decent story – licensed properties can be hit an miss, but Dark Horse looks like they are putting some effort into this one. John Arcudi could be the man to tell an interesting Aliens story – he definitely has a handle on the subtle horror genre from his work on B.P.R.D. This is a little more overt, but I can see the style translating well. This four issue mini is set to be the first of three new properties – the other two most probably being a Predator and Aliens vs. Predator. Issue #1 is due out in May, but there will be an Aliens vs. Predator issue put forth on Free Comic Book Day. Should be a good month for fans of the property.

Page 52 – Neil Gaiman Presents: The Twilight of Gods and Other Tales, $12.95, 288 Pages
Written by Richard Garnett, Art by Henry Keen

This is a collection of short stories – but one that might be of interest to comic readers. It is the first of a series of books collecting “long-unavailable” works that have supposedly been personally selected by Neil Gaiman. The genre has a lot of outstanding short stories to offer, so it stands to reason that these volumes will be outstanding reads. The first title will collect twenty-eight stories, and will tend towards a mythology subject matter. Could be worth checking out.

DC COMICS
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Page 67 – Batman: Battle for the Cowl – Man-Bat #1, $2.99, 32 Pages
Written by Joe Harris, Art by Jim Calafiore

This one looks like a one-shot – probably about right for an event and character like this. The gist of this issue finds Doctor Phosphorus seeking out Kirk Langstrom to help him power himself up. Seems little chance that this is going to have much of an impact on the main Battle for the Cowl story itself, but it should be a fairly decent side-show.

Page 75 – Supergirl #40, $2.99, 32 Pages
Written by Sterling Gates, Art by Jamal Igle & Jon Sibal

This issue promises the big reveal of Superwoman’s identity – just about the right time… this isn’t something they should stretch out for much longer. We are really only just into Gates’ new run, and most of it has been tied up in New Krypton, so it is very difficult to say just how much Supergirl has improved with the new team (if at all). Gates, Igle, and Sibal have done a decent job so far – it is no longer difficult to read this title which is a huge improvement. Whether or not the book has become something that must be read remains to be seen, and is something we likely won’t know until we get a little more distance from the whole New Krypton story. So far, so good though.

Page 77 – The Flash: Rebirth #1 (of 5) 40 Pages
Written by Geoff Johns, Art by Ethan Van Sciver

This event has been on the radar for some time – DC is very excited for it, DC fans are excited about it, and those who read and enjoyed Green Lantern: Rebirth have some fairly high expectations for this story.

You really can’t deny that this team did an outstanding job on Green Lantern: Rebirth, despite misgivings about returning Hal Jordan to life. Even though the entire Green Lantern family has been fantastic ever since that series, the story wasn’t great because of Hal Jordan – in fact, he really didn’t even need to be here. Johns has done a fantastic job fleshing out the Green Lantern Universe, and that has in-turn produced some amazing stories.

While there was a case to be made for returning Hal Jordan to life, Barry Allen is a tougher problem. Hal Jordan wasn’t totally dead – hosting The Spectre kind of made it easier to bring him back. Barry Allen was gone though – his death was an iconic moment in the history of the DCU, and DC has gone through great lengths to make it clear that Barry was gone for good. And unlike Green Lantern, there really can only be one Flash. Kyle, John, and Guy are every bit as legitimate Green Lanterns as Hal, but there is only one “Flash” at a time. Jay Garrick might still carry the name, but he isn’t the Flash, the Fastest Man on Earth.

The thing is – DC doesn’t need Barry – they have a perfectly good Flash in the name of Wally West – a former sidekick that took the mantle in the wake of Barry’s death, and was really the first mainstream sidekick to take over the mantle of his old partner and successfully make it his own. Wally West is the Flash – and Barry has become this old icon that is very much the past. A lot of the recent success of Wally West is due to Johns’ writing – he wrote the final great Flash run, stories so good that the franchise seems to have been floundering every since Johns moved on.

Is bringing Barry Allen back the right thing to do? Certainly not. It diminishes his sacrifice in Crisis on Infinite Earths, diminishes a great character in Wally West, and generally seems like a sensational ploy. But will this event be good? Unquestionably. Johns is on fire at DC, is a masterful Flash writer, and despite the fact that it would probably be better for the DCU if Barry Allen stayed dead, this series is going to be a can’t-miss read.

It will be curious to see whether or not Johns utilizes Marv Wolfman’s CoIE loophole to bring Barry back…

Page 82 – Justice Society of America #26, $2.99, 32 Pages
Written by Geoff Johns, Art by Dale Eaglesham and Nathan Massengill.

Well, it looks like DC is quietly marking Geoff Johns’ departure from this book with a trio of covers that will match-up to complete an Alex Ross painting of the entire Justice Society – fairly fitting. The issue itself will be a one-shot entitled “Black Adam Ruined My Birthday,” featuring Stargirl’s big day. Johns has been writing Justice Society for a decade, and during that entire long run it has been one of the most consistently great titles in the entire DC line-up. It is going to be really weird having someone else write this book – whoever Johns’ successor is has enormous shoes to fill.

Page 107 – Prototype #1 (of 6), $3.99, 32 Pages
Written by Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti, Art by Darick Robertson

Normally, these comics based on “upcoming hit” video games are just something to ignore. They are almost always a clear marketing ploy, and something best ignored. The creative team on this title does change that a little bit – Palmiotti, Gray, and Robertson should make a great team for this kind of story – part crime drama, part “super-powered killer.” No idea if the title is going to be good or not, but the team is good enough to at the very least warrant a chance.

Page 113 – The Literals #1 (of 3), $2.99, 32 Pages
Written by Bill Willingham and Matthew Sturges, Art by Mark Buckingham and Andrew Pepoy

This issue will be part three of the 9 part “The Great Fables Crossover” that will begin in Fables #83, and continue in Jack of Fables #33 before moving on to this issue. The Literals, of course, are the group of beings which we have seen in Jack of Fables that embody literary notions like “Revise” and the “Pathetic Fallacy.” The idea of Literals has been popping up in both titles for some time – Willingham in particular is very good at slowly building story concepts, and Kevin Thorn (who turned out to be an incredibly powerful Literal) first popped up around 30 issues ago in Fables. The crisis in this crossover will come about when Jack reveals the existence of the Literals to the rest of the Fables – who will likely decide that they are going to attempt to eliminate the beings that probably created them. Both Fables and Jack of Fables are consistently outstanding books – this crossover has the makings of something really special. Definitely worth checking out.

Page 119 – Seaguy: The Slaves of Mickey Eye #1 (of 3), $3.99, 40 Pages
Written by Grant Morrison, Art by Cameron Stewart

Well, the first Seaguy series was something of a head scratcher (in the sense that the first two issues were great, and the final one left you wondering “Huh?”), and Morrison looks to be starting a brand new one here. Makes sense – he just got through with his runs on All Star Superman and Final Crisis, so maybe he is looking for something a little smaller scale. If you missed the first Seaguy, I strongly recommend checking it out before trying this title out. If you read the last Seaguy – well, you know already whether this is something you will enjoy or not. It is certainly unique.

IMAGE COMICS
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Page 140 – Viking #1, $2.99, 24 Pages
Written by Ivan Brandon, Art by Nic Klein

Genre blending has become more common these days, though I can honestly say this is a new one. Viking looks to be a mix of a normal Viking take, and a gritty crime thriller. No idea how this blend is going to work out, though there really is only one way to tell. Points for originality at the very least.

Page 157 – The Astounding Wolf-Man #15, $2.99, 32 Pages
Written by Robert Kirkman, Art by Jason Howard

Well, so much for On Time in 2009.

It really isn’t too much a surprise. Since October of last year, we have heard from Kirkman and Image that every one of his titles would be on time in 2009. He managed to keep that promise for two whole weeks.

That’s right, kids, this time it’s for real. Every single one of my titles – Walking Dead, Invincible, Astounding Wolf-man, and Brit – will now be guaranteed to ship by their solicited date. This isn’t an empty promise…

After starting as promised with The Walking Dead #57 (shipping on January 7th) and Invincible #58 (shipping on January 14th), Kirkman and company already dropped the ball with The Astounding Wolf-Man #12, which shipped a week late on January 28th. Of course, the ship date was quietly changed on imagecomics.com, and there has been no mention of it at all in comic press circles. Brit #12 – the final issue, was solicited for release on January 28th has still not been released, and thus far it doesn’t appear in Diamond’s shipping list for this week.

Well – the question remains. Robert Kirkman said that this was not an empty promise. Image Comics declared it a guarantee that these titles would ship on time all year long. The question is – what will Kirkman and Image do now that the promise has already been broken? My guess is, sweep it under the rug and hope no one notices.

We can probably dispense with tracking the issues now, all things considered…

MARVEL COMICS
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Page M5 – Captain America Comics #1 70th Anniversary Special, $3.99, 48 Pages
Written by James Robinson, Art by Marcos Martin

Trivia note – Timely Comics was founded in 1939, and their first publication in October of that year was Marvel Comics #1. (After a significant run as Atlas Comics) Timely would come to be known as Marvel Comics some 22 years later.

So as it is, 2009 represents Marvel Comics’ 70th Anniversary, and this month they are putting out a few issues to commemorate that. This one might upset a few Captain America purists, telling the story of a young Steve Rogers and his heroics before being given the Super Soldier serum. Not sure what the angle is on that, but it could be good. Will have to wait and see. Of course, also included in this issue is a reprint of an old Joe Simon/ Jack Kirby Golden Age Captain America story – fair warning.

Page M6 – Sub-Mariner Comics #1 70th Anniversary Special, $3.99, 48 Pages
Written by Roy Thomas, Art by Mitch Breitweiser

This is the second of Marvel’s 70th Anniversary issues to be released this month, and the only one that focuses completely on one of the characters that actually appeared in that first issue of Marvel Comics – Namor (Captain America didn’t come around until a couple years later). This issue features a pair of new Namor stories, plus a reprint of his first appearance in Marvel Comics #1. A sore point if you are one who isn’t a fan of reprint issues, but there is a bit of new content in this issue, so that should make up for some of it.

Page M8 – Marvel 70th Anniversary Celebration, $9.99, 104 Pages
Written by John Rhett Thomas

This book will basically be an epic “Saga-style” retelling of Marvel’s entire history, with highlights of memorable moments throughout their 70 years, a few “remastered” reprints, and a couple articles about the restoration process. Might be fun for the comic history buff – avid comic fans should know most of what is presented in this issue, but in something like this, presentation is everything. Most devoted Marvel fans will probably want to pick this title up.

Page M15 – Ultimate Spider-Man #133, $3.99, 40 Pages
Written by Brian Michael Bendis, Art by Stuart Immonen

Wow – certainly didn’t see this coming… this issue is tagged as the final issue of Ultimate Spider-Man. Considering this was one of Marvel’s most acclaimed titles, and one of its consistent best-sellers, it is a real shock that they would end it. Of course, you can expect that it will relaunch very soon after Ultimatum ends (if not before), but until it is announced you can’t be sure of that. Strange Marvel would mess with what works – this title sold well enough without a “New #1″ gimmick, and it was the one thing in the Ultimate Universe that was doing just fine as it was. Cancelling this book, even for a relaunch, seems like throwing the baby out with the bathwater. It will be curious to see what Marvel does next here.

Page M21 – Amazing Spider-Man Family #5, $4.99, 64 Pages
Written by Tom DeFalco, Abby Denson, Marc Summerak, and Tony Lee, Art by Ron Frenz, Colleen Coover, Todd Nauck, and Mark Robinson

As promised, this month begins Spider-Girl’s permanent stint on Amazing Spider-Man Family, with a story about a “Gwen Reilly.” Not as good as a continuation of her ongoing, but at the very least she is still around in some form. Hopefully this lasts a good long time – it would be a shame to lose this character each month.

Page M34 – Skrull Kill Krew #1 (of 5), $3.99, 32 Pages
Written by Adam Felber, Art by Paulo Siquera

Avengers: The Initiative brought the Skrull Kill Krew back into vogue – it was only a matter of time before we got a mini series of some kind. The solicit is a little mysterious about the setting of this story, and whether or not the current roster will be featured, but it stands to reason that Ryder will be the focus of the story, and the original 1995 story was invoked, so there might be a continuation of that story at some point. This is an untested writer (another of those TV writers trying to transition into comics), but the concept is a sound and timely one. Could be a fun series.

Page M35 – Spider-Woman #1, $3.99, 32 Pages
Written by Brian Michael Bendis, Art by Alex Maleev

Back together from their legendary Daredevil run, Bendis and Maleev are set to tackle this new Spider-Woman series. Not sure how that style will work with this character, but the two have done great work together in the past, so the title is at the very least worth trying out. This series, as expected, will focus on Jessica Drew’s return, and how she will cope with the live her replacement made for her.

Page M51 – Marvel Assistant-Sized Spectacular #1 (of 2), $3.99, 40 Pages
By Various

Tough to know what to make of this one. It could well be a great concept – a group of “also-rans” in their own anthology. Trouble is, none of them are the classic D-Listers that would guarantee this book a cult following. Eliopoulis’s mini-Marvels have a large enough following, and they don’t fit the mold, Luke Cage is hardly an also-ran… heck, even Elsa Bloodstone doesn’t fit the mold. The original version of the character might, but after what they did to her in Nextwave, and considering the “trendy” status that book had, she also doesn’t really quite fit.

This book could be a lot of fun. It would be a lot more exciting if you had a Great Lakes Somethingorother, Slingers, Spider-Girl, original New Warriors book, but this will have to do.

Page M54 – Exiles #1, $3.99, 40 Pages
Written by Jeff Parker, Art by Salvador Espin

Exiles fans are probably breathing a huge sigh of relief right now. Claremont’s run on this book wasn’t exactly well received, and with this relaunch Marvel is fixing that problem by assigning Jeff Parker to take over the writing chores, and bringing Blink back to the book where she belongs. It’s safe to say that it is finally a good time to come back and give Exiles a chance again.

Page M56 – Timestorm: 2009-2099 #1 (of 4), $3.99, 40 Pages
Written by Brian Reed, Art by Eric Battle

This could be extremely exciting news to fans of Marvels 2099 characters, or their worst day ever. This series promises to be something of a crossover (at least, that is how it appears), in which modern 616 characters meet up with newly re-imagined 2099 counterparts. So long as the original 2099 versions heavily influence the new versions, everything should be ok. Could well be a great book.

Page M63 – Deadpool: Suicide Kings #1 (of 5), $3.99, 32 Pages
Written by Mike Benson, Art by Carlo Barbieri

Ah, it is a good time to be a Deadpool fan. With his high-profile part in the upcoming Wolverine movie, Deadpool is getting a good deal of page time, including this mini series. It has been a long time since the last Deadpool mini (since before his original ongoing!), but he always made a good subject for a short, standalone story. Hopefully this series is decent.

INDEPENDENT COMICS
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Page 213 – Ignition City #1, $3.99, 32 Pages, Avatar
Written by Warren Ellis, Art by Gianluca Pagliarani

Gotta say that this title looks like a lot of fun. Sci-fi has been so homogenized in recent years, it is nice to see some of the old classic forms making a comeback. No idea about the specifics on the plot, but the setting will be a gritty, old-west style outer space with dirty, smokey spaceships and outlaw adventurers with laser pistols on their hips. Almost steampunk, without the steam. Some real promise with this series.

Page 227 – Irredeemable #1, $3.99, 32 Pages, Boom! Studios
Written by Mark Waid, Art by Peter Krause

Boom! seems to be ending up on the radar an awful lot these days, don’t they? Waid takes a look at a superhero who is pushed down the road of evil. Sure, we have seen that kind of story before, but it is true that it is pretty rare that we see the evolution from good to evil, and that is what Waid is going to explore here. It should be a pretty interesting journey.

Craig’s Top Five of the Month

#5 – Justice Society of America #26, $2.99, 32 Pages, DC Comics -Johns says goodbye.

#4 – Exiles #1, $3.99, 40 Pages, Marvel Comics – Exiles hopefully gets back on track. Long overdue.

#3 – Amazing Spider-Man Family #5, $4.99, 64 Pages, Marvel Comics – Spider-Girl finds a new hope.

#2 – The Literals #1 (of 3), $2.99, 32 Pages, DC Comics. – A Fables crossover… should be a lot of fun.

#1 – The Flash: Rebirth #1 (of 5) 40 Pages, DC Comics – Definitely not on board for bringing Barry Allen back, but you know this series is going to be outstanding.

The opinions in this article are the writer’s alone, and no not necessarily reflect the views of X-World Comics or comiXtreme.com.

Welcome back to The $40 Pull List! As it was last month, I once again welcome my new co-writer, and recent comiXtreme.com News Editor, Brandon Schatz.

I got my words ready and rarin’ to go! Prepare to feel the dull slap of my italicized anger! If you act now, I will also throw in some bits of emboldened joy.

Overall, this was a pretty solid month. I isn’t often that every single is on time – as solicited, and for the most parts I found it pretty enjoyable. The only real sour spots for me were Wonder Woman and the art on Jonah Hex. To be fair, Teen Titans was something of a let-down as well. Enough of the intro – on to the list!

JANUARY’S ISSUES

Hellboy: The Wild Hunt #2, $2.99, Dark Horse. Due Out 01/07/09 ON TIME

Another good issue, but darned if the scene shift doesn’t make a lick of sense. The attack at the end of the last issue was out of the blue, we start this one with him laying in the water run-through… and then suddenly he is up with a flower and bird is talking to him? There is some good stuff here, though I can only hope it starts to come together as the story progresses.

Man, I totally need to keep notes and stuff. Up until a quick little refresher two seconds ago, I had totally forgotten what had happened in this book. But now I remember that Hellboy is a dude who totally likes punching stuff, and would like everyone to come and get some. Also, there’s some stuff that references what Hellboy did before, and some blood, and a chick who is covered in blood, and a dude with a pigs head…

You know, I get the distinct feeling that I should be reading all those swanky Hellboy trades I have sitting on my shelf before we get to the next issue.

Jonah Hex #39, $2.99, DC Comics. Due Out 01/07/09 ON TIME

Fairly good story – horrible art! Seriously! I’ll never understand why DC seems to think that smeared mud gives this book a “gritty, artistic” look. It is almost always impossible to see what is going on!

In this issue: Jonah has a gun fight, and is rewarded with consensual sex! That’s a change of pace. And I gotta’ say, I could definitely tell what was going on the whole time. An improvement from the last time Rafa Garres drew the book. What bothered me more was the computerized lettering. I think this book would’ve benifited a whole heck-of-a-lot with a good hand letterer.

Well, to be fair, the bad guys did complain that the girl was dead – implying that they might like to have raped her.

As to the lettering – you might be right, though the art was so bad to me, I didn’t even really notice the letters. Suffice to say that the visual aspects of this title could stand for some serious improvement.

Sgt. Rock: The Lost Battalion #3 (of 6), $2.99, DC Comics. Due Out 01/07/09 ON TIME

OK, sweet – Haunted Tank! A nice little cameo, though I think Tucci spent a little too much time explaining it. I think the site of the tank with the Confederate flag on the back, and some character dialogue would have been enough to establish it for those that know what it is. As it was, it kind of served as a jarring break in the action. Outside that, as usual, it was a pretty solid story. Tucci’s homework has certainly paid off.

So, if I’m reading this right, the boys saw the Haunted Tank and then a few of them died. Once again, this is a highly competent book – the art is lush and the script is good comics – but it’s boring me to death. Its like war, plus boredom, and maybe half a ghost.

Bah – this book is an experience. I don’t know why you don’t seem to be appreciating it – but at least you can at least see how well done it is. So I can’t be too upset with you.

It all comes down to the thick, syrupy blood running through my veins my friend. As a Canadian, I was taught that our boys were awesome, and you dudes sat out until you done got blowed up a bit.

Eh – royal propaganda there my friend. Canada would have been on the sidelines too, if the cord had been cut a little sooner. It hadn’t even been a decade since the UK passed the Statute of Westminster, and Canada was still basically tied to the United Kingdom at the hip until 1982. So of course Canada went to war right away – being a part of the Commonwealth, they were directly at war from the start. I somehow doubt Canada would have been so eager to participate if they weren’t still virtually a part of the United Kingdom. Far easier to go to war when your own people are fighting…

Back on topic, however, it isn’t like this story hasn’t included other nationalities. Easy Company is American, but it certainly isn’t presented like Americans were the only ones fighting the war.

Invincible Iron Man #9, $2.99, Marvel Comics. Due Out 01/07/09 ON TIME

So we have Tony trying to melt his brain, Osborne pretending he is Kal-L punching reality, and Maria Hill maybe starting to become a likable character. Overall it was OK, thought I found the issue to be a tiny bit slow.

Man, I love this book. Tony Stark is not a guy I want to like, but Fraction’s totally made me like the guy. And not only that, he’s made me… care… about Maria Hill. Let’s say that again. He’s made me care about Maria Hill.

Also in this book, big science and a quote from Caddyshack. At the end of this arc, I want Tony to win and announce to Pepper that everybody’s going to get laid.

I think Maria Hill is the best part about this story so far. Other writers have gone out of their way to make her so unlikable (I am sure there is a feminist argument in there about tough women somewhere), but Fraction has retained all of the negative aspects of her personality, while making her relatable. A huge improvement.

X-Men/Spider-Man #3, $3.99, Marvel Comics. Due Out 01/14/09 ON TIME

Honestly, I was a tad let down by this issue. It seems like the more time passes, the more each issue is a carbon copy of the previous. Yeah – there was Ben Reilly, which is cool, and the art is still nice, but the story lacks oomph. After this issue, I was glad to realize there is only one left.

Man, that was a good representation of a bad period of comics. Seriously, think about how monumentally hard it was for Christos Gage to take a story involving Mr. Sinister, Carnage, and the Ben Rielly Spider-Man – and turn it into something decent. I mean, I have a love for the Ben Rielly Spider-Man, but I know that’s a misguided love. All of these characters are terrible ideas. Kudos to Gage for makin’ it happen.

It isn’t a misguided love – there was great potential for Ben Reilly. If they didn’t drag out the clone saga far longer than needed, he might have had a chance. Trouble with this arc is the heavy clone involvement. Just invoked the worst aspects of the Clone Saga really. Probably what hurt this issue on the whole.

I get that the whole “clone” thing was a big mess, but still – Gage could’ve easilly ignored this entire part of the Spider-Man milieu, and focused on a different part in that “era”. But instead? He went balls out and came out with something that didn’t suck at all. Seriously, who else in comics could pull something like that off?

Eh – truthfully, I don’t think he pulled it off. Not this issue. When someone does something misguided and succeeds, you call it genius. When they fail – they are just plain stupid for trying it. It’s rare to say it about Gage, but in this case it is definitely the latter.

Green Lantern Corps #32, $2.99, DC Comics. Due Out 01/14/09 ON TIME

A little better this month. I liked the infusion of a little Violet in that conflict – and the backlash from the 3rd Law was predictable and made for an interesting twist to the story. As usual, the Guardians are the Corps worst enemy.

Seriously? Seriously. The Green Lanterns are totally boned. You know how many rookies are now going to be thrust head long into the shenanigans involved with The Blackest Night?? Can anyone say cannon fodder?

And seriously guys. I called it last month, but I’m reiterating this week. By the end of Blackest Night, Guy’s going to bite it. There’s a Green Lantern Corps annual on the docket for this year, and it’s going to be written by Guy Gardner writer Beau Smith. Remember all the play Superboy got during Infinite Crisis? Finally getting all his stuff together, and getting the girl? This sound anything like what’s going on in GLC? Anyone?

I don’t doubt you about Guy, but I do dread it. I don’t understand what is up with DC these days and their kill/rebirth kick. Death is a serious thing – and it seems like they look for an excuse to kill characters, while at the same time they can’t seem to resist major stories bringing characters back. I hope for the sake of this title that you are wrong about Guy – that’s the last thing it needs.

Supergirl #37, $2.99, DC Comics. Due Out 01/21/09 ON TIME

Interesting – I was really looking forward to this issue since it would really be the new team’s first real story on their own (outside the New Krypton story), but it is still married to what happened there, so it is a little difficult to get a real feel for it. Overall I think there are some positive story elements, but in general I think the characters are a little shallow and the identity of Superwoman a little too obvious (at least, so far). Not bad – but I think it could be better.

I have to say, I really have no clue as to who Superwoman is. This might be my complete lack of knowledge involving Kryptonian lore, but yeah. I dunno. I’m very intrigued as to where this story is heading – though at this point, I’m not sure I want five issues devoted to Superwoman. Whomever it may be.

Well, if they are going to stretch out her reveal that long, I am sure there will be something to it. What happened at the end of this issue makes me think there will be a lot more to this than simply “my cool mysterious mentor.”

Wonder Woman #28, $2.99, DC Comics. Due Out 01/28/09 ON TIME

This title is maddening to me. As usual – there is a lot of good in this issue, but the focus is all over the place. Instead of building the issue to a dramatic and exciting conclusion, Simone shifts the focus all over the place and once again the end is unsatisfying. I understand wanting to make a story a constant build, but come on – one thing at a time! We have two other major plotlines forming when the focus should be completely on Genocide. It’s too much.

Simone is attempting to pull a Johns, but it takes such a deft hand, that sometimes… it just doesn’t work. On the whole, I actually liked this issue. The jumps weren’t always smooth, and the thing with Cheetah is… well, from out of nowhere (curse you, Faces of Evil crossover!)… but there are entertaining monkeys, which makes this decent plus.

That’s just it – Simone shouldn’t be pulling a Johns, she should be pulling a Simone. Birds of Prey wasn’t great because she tried to follow another creator.

Cheetah was just dumb. She was the focus of the Faces of Evil issue, and she was in what – 4 panels? Meanwhile there was this awesome evil presence in the form of Genocide – more Genocide, and her face on the cover, would have made perfect sense considering the theme. Cheetah’s inclusion made no sense.

That is the most frustrating thing to me about Simone’s run on Wonder Woman so far – she constantly ignores what is great in favor of something else. The White Apes are awesome, but we get them sparingly. Wonder Woman’s new “relationship” is great, but Simone has spent no time developing it at all. It seems like every time they see each other, it advances – but you see no reason at all for the emotions. There is no spark there, because there hasn’t been any development. It is like – “Well, last time they saw each other, they kind of liked each other. Next time they will like each other a lot, and then the next time they will REALLY like each other…” Gail Simone is talented enough to write a relationship more believable than a fourth grade girl could, but she just doesn’t even seem to be trying.

So, instead of great interaction and development with Wonder Woman’s supporting cast, they are left on their own while Wonder Woman goes off on random quests that do little more than distract from what is good about this book. It’s the Superman formula – only done horribly wrong.

Oh yeah. The relationship. You know where she’s writing a romance way better? Over in Secret Six between Catman and Deadshot. Hot.

Heck, at this point, I almost want to just drop this book and trade up for Secret Six, to be honest. Perhaps next month.

Nova #21, $2.99, Marvel Comics. Due Out 01/28/09 ON TIME

Nice – nice! This story is being told exactly like these stories should be. You know Richard is right – something is amiss. But his concerns seem totally unfounded, there is a case to be made for his sanity, and all he needs to do is just accept that Worldmind really does have the best of intentions in mind, and submit. Nicely executed all around. Peaking ahead at solicits for the War of Kings, it seems Richard won’t be powerless for long, but it won’t be the Nova Force at his disposal. Seems we will have to wait a while longer before the troubles with Worldmind are fully resolved. Good stuff.

This is going to be boring, if I just end up agreeing with you…

This entirely was an awesome issue. Stuff, is going down, and the end, once again, is really jilting. I mean seriously? Nova without Richard Rider as Nova Prime? HOLY CRAP. That said… I have absolutely no idea where DnA are going with this – which is totally awesome.

I think about where this book is going long-term, and I feel like it is a chess game. You can see all the pieces on the board, and you even have some idea where they are going to go. But somewhere one piece is going to come smashing in for a sudden checkmate, and I don’t see where it is going to come from at all. These guys know how to write comics. Shame you can’t say that about more writers these days.

Avengers: The Initiative #21, $2.99, Marvel Comics. Due Out 01/28/09 ON TIME

So many good things about this book. Finding a useful spot for Clor, still using Prodigy in some fashion, Counter Force (come on, Slapstick!)… even Ramos’s art seems to work on this issue. This issue also put to rest fears that it might be cancelled now that Secret Invasion is over with, but they are directly addressing that plot point, and the characters are working to hold things together despite the fraud behind their reason for being. Good stuff.

I actually liked this a little bit better than the past few issues. While I love me some Dan Slott and how he likes to cram in as much as he can into a single issues, sometimes his sub plots can get a little unruly. They always pay off nicely, but the book always feels a little claustrophobic with different ideas being left to hang in the breeze, untouched. Gage seems to have a more streamlined way of relating all this info when he’s working purely from his own plots. It definitely feels like a slightly different book, but still totally awesome.

That is the other feeling I got from this issue – mop-up. You are right in what you say about Slott, and an unfortunate side-effect of that is that a lot of plotlines get forgotten. Gage seems to be tidying a few things up before this title evolves into whatever it is going to become in the next few months. Nice of him to do that as well – he could have ignored them all, and wouldn’t have heard too much complaining. A nice bit of fan service.

Teen Titans #67, $2.99, DC Comics. Due Out 01/28/09 ON TIME

Ok – not a half bad Teen Titans issue. But honestly – with all that is going on, who cares? The team is in shambles, rock bottom if you will, and we take a whole issue off to bring back Kid Eternity and Brother Blood? This whole issue seemed like something that should have been broken up and strung along in the background for several issues. What did Vic have to say about potential members? What’s going on with Traci 13 and Misfit? Instead we have a whole new plotline with Red Devil’s missing powers (should have come along later), and while Kid Eternity does plug a whole in the line-up, bringing a character back like that wasn’t exactly the best way to go when the team’s whole foundation is a wreck.

Is this mess all editorially mandated as a part of that Faces of Evil ridiculousness? Or did this issue just get that tag because McKeever was already planning this? I really can’t say.

Unfortunately, this book has been incredibly scatter shot since McKeever took over scripting duties with #50 – and it’s literally gutting me. The guy is capable of amazing, incredible work, but for whatever reason, on this book, I’m just not feeling it, in the least. Just like you said, stuff that happens in this issue seems to happen “just because”. I give credit in so far as this book has been one of the only books (outside of the Faces of Evil one shots) to actually follow through with the villian focus, and not just go ahead with part whatever of the bigger story… but it all really fell flat. Oh and the art? Actually a lot better than last issue. Too bad Dagnino is just on for the one issue.

Art was decent, no complaints there. And you are right – of all the Faces of Evil issues, this is the only one that actually kept up the theme. Wonder Woman was a ridiculous example, there was nothing different about that whatsoever. In an odd way, however – this almost excuses this issue to me, and makes me thing that McKeever‘s choices here were editor mandated. He was given a theme and he went with it, despite overall long term planning. On that end, at least he made an effort. Perhaps Faces of Evil is more to blame this month than anything else?

Maybe. But man oh man, is this book on thin ice with me right now. And soon, we’ll be heading into the eye of a crossover. Not sure if this book will weather the storm with the budget.

I am not as pessimistic as you are at this point, but I do have a feeling you might be right there.

Proof #16, $3.50, Image. Due Out 01/28/09 ON TIME

Well, it starts with a tiny monkey on the cover. I like Pygmy Marmosets, so maybe it won’t be so bad…

As to the issue itself, all I can say so far is weird. As with most indie books like this one, I do get the feeling that it is going to take a few issues to really get into the flow. I’ve got a decent sense of Proof himself, and generally understand the idea of “The Lodge” (Basic, stock secret investigative organization – nothing new there). Not totally turned off, but can’t say I am in love with the book yet. Gonna need some time on this one.

Proof is a rockin’ book – and each arc seems to bring some great revelations to the greater plot, which is always fun. You don’t know it yet, but the end of this issue? Sent chills up and down my spine. Nothing good can come from those two characters meeting. Next issue looks like another done-in-one fleshing out one of the side characters so… no prior knowledge required! Yay!

So I guess I will have to take your word on it about this issue’s awesomeness. I suppose for now that is doable…

For now. I have full confidence that Grecian and Rossmo will make you believe in Proof.

…

Get it? Because when you’re looking for Proof you’re… going to… uh…

Actually, that doesn’t work at all. Frig.

THE CHOPPING BLOCK

Well, with X-Men/Spider-Man on hiatus for February, we really don’t need to cut anything. With all of next month’s titles carrying over, we still have $4.13 left for next month’s new book.

Overall, it was a pretty solid month. If I had to pick a title this month to cut, it would be Wonder Woman. That book seems to be surviving on promise alone, and I honestly believe it is so acclaimed only because people are afraid to say that Gail Simone can’t write a good Wonder Woman. Everyone expected her to be amazing – myself included, but she just isn’t getting the job done. However, I am willing to give the book another month or two.

Craig. Guy. Teen Titans is making me sad. It’s eating my soul from the inside. There is inky festering inside my soul, Craig. I need this to stop.

I will admit that this issue was something of a letdown. But it is hardly enough to make me want to axe it all together. If we needed the free spot, I think I would agree to it (if I couldn’t talk you into Wonder Woman, which is a much better choice I think), but to me, one poor issue isn’t reason enough to totally axe it…

Curse you Reade! Looks like next month, we might have ourselves a knock-down, drag-out bru-ha-ha over Wonder Woman and Teen Titans.

Or we just shake hands and cut them both – I have a strange feeling we are going to need the space. In any case, I will own you!!

Sir, my body is not for sale. But I appreciate the compliment.

TITLES FOR FEBRUARY

Hellboy: The Wild Hunt #3, $2.99, Dark Horse. Due Out 02/04/09
Jonah Hex #40, $2.99, DC Comics. Due Out 02/04/09
Invincible Iron Man #10, $2.99, Marvel Comics. Due Out 02/04/09
Green Lantern Corps #33, $2.99, DC Comics. Due Out 02/11/09
Supergirl #38, $2.99, DC Comics. Due Out 02/18/09
Wonder Woman #29, $2.99, DC Comics. Due Out 02/25/09
Nova #22, $2.99, Marvel Comics. Due Out 02/25/09
Avengers: The Initiative #22, $2.99, Marvel Comics. Due Out 02/25/09
Teen Titans #68, $2.99, DC Comics. Due Out 02/25/09
Proof #17, $3.50, Image. Due Out 02/25/09
Sgt. Rock: The Lost Battalion #4 (of 6), $2.99, DC Comics. Due Out 02/25/09
X-Men/Spider-Man #4, $3.99, Marvel Comics. Due Out 03/04/09

NEW TITLES

If I had to pick one book to add to the list this month, it would be the first issue of Joe Kelly’s new neo-noir title, Bang! Tango #1 from Vertigo. It does fill a niche on the list that we haven’t seen since Sam Noir, and the preview pages look fairly interesting. Your thoughts, Brandon? Or do you have a different suggestion?

Man, I was entirely up for this book the moment I saw it. Capitol idea, old chap. Pip pip, wot wot, say no more.

Bang! Tango #1, $2.99, DC Comics[/b]. Due Out 02/04/09

THE MATH

Budget= $40.00 + $.12 (Bank) = $40.12

$40.12 (Budget) – $36.39 (February Issues) – $2.82 (tax) = $.91 banked for March

That’s it for this month kids – see you in March!

THE ARCHIVES
2007 – 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – 6 – 7 – 8 – 9 – 10 – 11 – 12
2008 – 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – 6 – 7 – 8 – 9 – 10 – 11 – 12
2009 – 1

The opinions in this article are the writer’s alone, and do not necessarily reflect the views of X-World Comics or comiXtreme.com.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK
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DARK AVENGERS #1, $3.99, Marvel Comics
Written by Brian Michael Bendis, Art by Mike Deodato

With Dark Reign comes a brand new Avengers title – the line-up seems fairly obvious from the cover, but the “Iron Patriot” mystery looks to be the hook they are using to get people interested in the book. Is this title worth picking up? Perhaps. Definitely if you are enjoying the various Avengers books, and like the Dark Reign direction. Bendis and Deodato should be a fairly good match, and this title, at least at the beginning, will follow the Dark Reign story very closely. Still – Venom as an Avenger? Is nothing sacred?

MYSTERIUS THE UNFATHOMABLE #1 (OF 6), $2.99, 32 Pages, DC Comics
Written by Jeff Parker; Art and cover by Tom Fowler

Jeff Parker’s established himself a pretty solid reputation over at Marvel – so much so that seeing his name attached to a project is enough to give it a look. This series is described as “offbeat” – which suits Parker’s style fairly well. It follows a stage magician and his new assistant Delphi (seems the assistant will be the main focus of the story). Fowler’s art seems a good match for Parker’s story style – this series has the makings of a fun little title.

SPIDER-MAN NOIR #2 (OF 4), $3.99, 32 Pages, Marvel Comics
Written by David Hine and Fabrice Sapolsky, Art by Carmine Di Giandomenico

Marvel puts books like this every now and again – strange variations of their top-tier characters in one period or another. Many readers just ignore them, rarely are they outstanding and they are always heavy on the gimmick. Strangely enough, this time around Marvel seems to have stumbled on something fairly decent. Both Spider-Man Noir and X-Men Noir have ended up being surprisingly good. So much so that it is worth looking around for last month’s #1 if you missed it and giving this title a try.

STORMWATCH PHD #18, $2.99, 32 Pages, DC Comics
Written by Ian Edginton and Christos Gage; Art by Leandro Fernández and Francisco Paronzini and Phil Noto

This series has had its ups and downs over its short history – it started off very strong, but soon began to flounder. Since the whole World End thing started up, though, things have definitely took a turn for the better on this book. Wildstorm certainly appeals to a select group, but if you are one of those who once read this title and dropped it in favor of WildCATs or something like that, it may be a good time to give the title another shot.

TINY TITANS #12, $2.50, 32 Pages, DC Comics
Written by Art Baltazar and Franco; Art and cover by Art Baltazar

A fun take on the Faces of Evil concept, this issue is a “Faces of Mischief” issue (I suppose “evil” isn’t appropriate for a kids book), highlighting the faculty of their school, specifically Slade, Trigon, and Doctor Light. A nice little twist on the concept – not a bad idea.

X-FACTOR #39, $2.99, 32 Pages, Marvel Comics
Written by Peter David, Art by Valentine DeLandro, Jonathan Sibal, and Jeremy Cox

For those following this book (and mutant fans in general), this issue will feature the birth of Siren and Madrox’s child. No doubt the baby will be at the center of the title’s plot line – at least in the near future. Not sure what the art situation on this issue is – Valentine DeLandro is still solicited as the artist, but he was last month as well, and we ended up getting a fill-in team. So was DeLandro’s return a short-term one, or was last issue just a case of him needing to get up to speed? Won’t really know until the book comes out, I suppose.

X-MEN KINGBREAKER #2 (OF 4), $3.99, Marvel Comics
Written by Christopher Yost, Art by Dustin Weaver

This title should lead directly into the upcoming War of Kings, and so far it seems to be off to a pretty good start. It is nice to see Havok getting some good face-time again, and the expanding Marvel Cosmic Universe continues to be interesting. War of Kings seemed like an iffy concept in the wake of two successful Annihilation events, but as we get closer to that series beginning things look a little more promising. This series has started off strong, especially if you are a fan of some of the characters involved – if you are planning on checking out War of Kings and are unfamiliar with Vulcan, you should be checking it out.

SPOTLIGHT PICK OF THE WEEK

GUARDIANS OF GALAXY #9, $2.99, 32 Pages, Marvel Comics
Written by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning, Art by Bong Dazo, Rick Magyar, and Wil Quintana

Looks like this issue is going to be yet-another par-for-the-course issue. Of course, that means you really should be picking it up, this title is easily one of the most consistently fun titles in the Marvel line-up. The art shift is a bit of a concern – last month we saw Brad Walker taking on the pencil duties (he will be on next month as well), this month sees Bong Dazo taking on the art chores. Actually, he might not be too bad – he has some experience on Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic – that style will work very well here. Still, Paul Pelletier is gone it appears, and it doesn’t look like a new regular artist has been announced yet.

So the art is in flux, but the story remains awesome, so there is little to worry about. Beyond that – it is worth noting that though Editors seem to be the cause of many titles dwindling into mediocrity, there are a couple out there that are notable for their quality work. It may seem strange to recommend a book based on the Editor, but Bill Rosemann has a strange way of having his name attached to quality books. Kind of speaks volumes…

DARK HORSE

CONAN THE CIMMERIAN #7 $2.99 Now: $2.69
STAR WARS KNIGHTS OF OLD REPUBLIC #37 PROPHET MOTIVE PART 2 $2.99 Now: $2.69

DC COMICS

BLACK LIGHTNING YEAR ONE #2 (OF 6) $2.99 Now: $2.69
MYSTERIUS THE UNFATHOMABLE #1 (OF 6) $2.99 Now: $2.69
STORMWATCH PHD #18 $2.99 Now: $2.69
TINY TITANS #12 $2.50 Now: $2.19
TRINITY #34 $2.99 Now: $2.69
WORLD OF WARCRAFT #15 $2.99 Now: $2.59

DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT

NEW BATTLESTAR GALACTICA GHOSTS #4 (OF 4) $4.99 Now: $4.39

MARVEL COMICS

ASTONISHING X-MEN #28 $2.99 Now: $2.69
DARK AVENGERS #1 BLANK COVER ED $4.99
DARK AVENGERS #1 $3.99 Now: $3.49
DARK AVENGERS #1 DJURDJEVIC VAR $19.99
GUARDIANS OF GALAXY #9 $2.99 Now: $2.59
NEW EXILES #17 $2.99 Now: $2.69
SECRET INVASION TP HOME INVASION $14.99 Now: $11.99
SPIDER-MAN NOIR #2 (OF 4) $3.99 Now: $3.49
WEAPON X FIRST CLASS #3 (OF 3) $3.99 Now: $3.49
WOLVERINE ORIGINS #32 $2.99 Now: $2.69
X-FACTOR #39 $2.99 Now: $2.69
X-MEN KINGBREAKER #2 (OF 4) $3.99 Now: $3.49

The opinions in this article are the writer’s alone, and no not necessarily reflect the views of X-World Comics or comiXtreme.com.

DARK HORSE COMICS
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Page 40 – The Amazon #1, $3.50, 32 Pages
Written by Steven T. Seagle, Art by Tim Sale and Matt Hollingsworth

Reprints of old titles don’t often sell great, and aren’t usually something to recommend. Something like this, however, is a different matter entirely. The Amazon was originally published in 1989 by the now defunct Comico company, and was created by Steven T. Seagle (American Virgin, It’s a Bird) and Tim Sale. This is being called a “remastered” edition, with new scans from the original art, and new coloring from Matt Hollingsworth – considering the general quality of books in the late 80s (especially indie books), this was a smart move on the part of Dark Horse. If you are a particular fan of either of these creators, and haven’t read The Amazon, this is a great chance to see some of their early efforts.

Page 56 – The Goon #32, $3.99, 48 Pages
By Eric Powell, Colors by Dave Stewart

It might seem strange that it would take ten years to release a mere 32 issues, but this series has seen two major hiatuses. The first occurred early on, and lasted until Powell took the title to Dark Horse in 2003 (unhappy with Avatar), and the second occurred after issue #18, and lasted until July of 2007. It has been fairly regular since then.

Despite the decidedly unprolific nature of this book, it is one of Dark Horse’s best books, and one of those that you just have to try at least once. A tenth anniversary issue seems to be a very good place to start. As with most anniversary books, this one is chock full of extras – featuring some sketches from some guest artists (including Mike Mignola), in addition to the full-size story. Goon fans are going to pick this up either way, but it is a title of note, and those of you who haven’t sampled this one yet should consider giving it a shot this month. It didn’t win an Eisner for no reason, after all…

DC COMICS
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Page 25 – Blackest Night #0, FREE, 32 Pages (Free Comic Book Day, May ’09)
Written by Geoff Johns, Art by Ivan Reis and Ethan Van Sciver

I don’t often mention the Free Comic Book Day solicitations here, but this one is definitely worth mentioning. It is still five months out, but it is a brilliant move on the part of DC to release something like this on Free Comic Book Day. Marvel has been ahead of the curve the last couple days in their FCBD outings, making DC’s route reprints look a little more than silly. Finally DC has decided to take advantage of the outstanding marketing opportunity Free Comic Book Day presents, and will be putting out this issue to promote the upcoming Blackest Night event. Of course, there won’t be any real new material here – Marvel still has the edge on them there, but it will be an outstanding recap of the Sinestro Corps War and beyond, complete with some informative tidbits about each of the power colors and their role in the upcoming conflict. A “Saga”-style issue is far better than a reprint, and DC should be applauded for taking this step in the right direction.

Page 75 – Batman: The Battle For the Cowl #1, $3.99, 40 Pages
Written by Tony Daniel, Art by Tony Daniel and Sandu Florea

The near-future of Batman begins here, as the much touted “Battle for the Cowl” gets started in March. Perhaps this is looking too much into a simple cover, but it looks like DC is telegraphing that it will indeed be Dick Grayson, if anyone, who takes over for Batman. The list of possible “candidates” seems to grow and grow, but unless they want a fan revolt, it seems pretty clear that fans will only accept a former Robin as Batman, and that leaves 3. On this cover, Jason Todd is nowhere to be seen, Tim Drake is hiding in a corner looking like a tiny little kid, and Dick Grayson is standing tall, proud, and defiant – front and center. Sure, it could be a bait and switch, but way to kill the mystery early on, eh?

Not that Dick isn’t a good choice mind you. Most people don’t believe that Bruce Wayne is gone for good – especially with Warner’s interest in Batman’s marketability. Still, many have wondered what it would be like for one of Bruce’s heir-apparent to take up the mantle, and if anything this event is enormous fan service. And in a sense it is a great move. Assuming Bruce Wayne will eventually be back, it is a chance for readers to have their cake and eat it too. Should be fun.

Page 77 – Gotham Gazette: Batman Dead? #1, $2.99, 32 Pages
Written by Fabian Nicieza, Art by Various

As you might imagine, DC is going to throw a ton of this “Battle for the Cowl” stuff at us over the next couple months. Outside the completists who will pick up everything, most readers will have to pick and choose what is really worth it, and what is fluff. This one seems to be a good candidate for “something good.” Nicieza is an outstanding writer, and I doubt he would phone this one in. This issue is going to take a look at Gotham and some key people in Bruce Wayne’s life in the wake of his disappearance, and how they have been affected by his loss. It seems that there are “Various” artists assigned to this issue, which makes me think that we are going to get a series of shorts. That’s a good way to handle this subject matter. This should be a decent issue.

Page 79 – Oracle #1, $2.99, 32 Pages
Written by Kevin VanHook, Art by Don Kramer and Jay Leisten

There was talk of an Oracle series when Birds of Prey was first cancelled – it would seem that this is it. Instead of an ongoing, this one is a three issue mini – it is unlikely that we will see a new ongoing to replace any of the Bat-titles until the Battle for the Cowl wraps up. Hints of the plot of this mini were seen recently in Teen Titans, as Wendy’s father is revealed to be The Calculator, a recent antagonist of Barbara’s. This series will find him on the hunt for the remnants of the Anti-Life Equation, which he believes will help save his daughter’s life. It isn’t Gail Simone or Tony Bedard, but this should at the very least provide a fix until a new ongoing gets going.

Page 83 – Action Comics #875, $2.99, 32 Pages
Written by Greg Rucka, Art by Eddy Barrows and Ruy José

Hrm – both Batman and Superman missing. Add Wonder Woman to that mix, and you have a 52-type situation. Final Crisis hasn’t been anywhere near as good as Infinite Crisis is, but the aftermath has the potential to be far better than 52 ended up being. With Superman gone, Action Comics and Superman have shifted focus to a few allies – Superman featuring Mon-El and the Guardian, and this title, the new Nightwing and Flamebird. Of the two, this one likely has the most potential. The Guardian is a great character, but these two have attracted considerable interest from fans. New Krypton has been one heck of a story- it isn’t a stretch to suggest that this has been the best the Superman family titles have been in a long time. At least in terms of long-term consistency.

Page 84 – Superman: World of New Krypton #1, $2.99, 32 Pages
Written by Andrew Kreisberg, Art by Pete Woods

Unlike Batman, Superman will still be around, after a fashion. This 12 part series finds Superman in New Krypton. No idea if Superman will be missing from his regular titles for an entire year or not, but this will be one more series for Superman fans to pick up this year. Not sure how Kreisberg will handle a full blown Superman story – Robinson and Rucka’s credentials on the character are unquestioned at this point, but Kreisburg really only has a few television credits, Batman Confidential and Green Arrow/Black Canary to his name. This is certainly a huge step-up from that. Time will tell on this series.

Page 93 – Solomon Grundy #1, $2.99, 32 Pages
By Scott Kolins

Of course, he has worked with some outstanding writers of late, but Scott Kolins is generally more well known for his art than his story skills. Both will be on display in this seven issue series about the Monday-born Solomon Grundy. Each of the seven issues are supposed to represent a day of the week, and will loosely follow the old nursery rhyme. I suppose that means this issue will feature his “birth.” The character hasn’t really hotten this kind of treatment in a very long time – most of his appearances have just been that of the typical brutish antagonist and nothing more than a generic villain. It will be nice to finally see some of his real back story come into play.

Page 94 – Strange Adventures #1, $3.99, 40 Pages
Written by Jim Starlin, Art by Manuel Garcia and Al Milgrom

Any time Jim Starlin pens a far-flung cosmic superhero adventure, it is work checking out. There are few writers that handle that kind of story as well as he does. This series will be an 8 issue mini, and will feature Adam Strange (of course), Comet, Bizarro, and several other interesting characters. Recent similar minis have been hit or miss, but Starlin deserves a chance here. Handled properly, this could be a fun diversion from the upcoming summer events.

IMAGE COMICS
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Page 154 – Invincible #60, $3.99, 40 Pages
Written by Robert Kirkman, Art by Ryan Ottley and FCO Plascencia

OK, this one is a giant issue – a 60th issue crossover spectacular, I suppose, featuring a bunch of Image mainstays inclusing PITT, Dragon, Shadowhawk, Witchblade, and even Ultra (it will be nice to see her once again – the Lunas really need to do a sequel). Should be a lot of fun – still a solid book, and a mega fight like this should be exciting.

The first issue of 2009 is set to come out in just under a week – The Walking Dead #57. Let the vigil begin in earnest!

Solicited Robert Kirkman Issues for 2009
The Walking Dead #57, January 7th
Invincible #58, January 14th
The Astounding Wolf-Man #12, January 21st
Brit #12, January 28th
The Walking Dead #58, February 11th
Invincible #59, February 18th
The Astounding Wolf-Man #13, February 25th
The Walking Dead #59, March 11th
Invincible #60, March 18th
The Astounding Wolf-Man #14, March 25th

Page 180 – Black Vault #1, $2.99, 32 Pages
Written by B. Clay Moore, Art by Nelson Blake II

Space has become so boring these days – at least in terms of pop culture. The romance has left, and so has the horror. Just one big reason a title like this makes me smile – a space story that doesn’t have to do with an alien invasion of Earth necessarily – just a story of helpless astronauts in the void of space, with so little to work with, having to deal with a threat – any threat. It’s a kind of sci-fi you don’t see too much of anymore. If course, given the somewhat realistic description, it might not really be actual sci-fi (being in space alone doesn’t make something sci-fi, just space fiction), but that is really beside the point. It looks like an interesting series, and a full color, full-size book from Image at $2.99 is an even bigger reason to check it out.

MARVEL COMICS
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Page M26 – Dark Reign: Fantastic Four #1, $2.99, 32 Pages
Written by Jonathan Hickman, Art by Sean Chen

One of many “Dark Reign” minis, this one a five parter that finds the Baxter Building under assault by Norman Osborne’s HAMMER Agents. Yeah – I kind of fear that card being played a little too often. Naturally the point is to see how bad things could be if a villain gained control like this, but for the sake of believability, you would think they would have to have him show at least a little restraint. Of course, there is probably more to this story than the solicit would make it seem. Outside Osborne, it appears that this series will have a lot of Fantastic Four mainstays – could turn out to be a solid run-of-the-mill first family story.

Page M27 – New Avengers: The Reunion #1, $3.99, 32 Pages
Written by Jim McCann, Art by David Lopez

It wouldn’t be too much of a surprise if we didn’t start seeing many of these type of titles in the near future – this four issue mini focuses on the return of Mockingbird, one of the many who were captured and replaced by Skrulls over the course of the last couple events. Hawkeye (well, Ronin) is supposed to serve a fairly major role in this mini as well, so that should be some added appeal for those of you who are fans of that character. The Marvel universe is a little messy after Secret Invasion, but that does sometimes lend itself to some good stories. This could be one of them.

Page M28 – Deadpool #8, $2.99, 32 Pages
Written by Daniel Way, Art by Paco Medina

This issue starts a four issue crossover with Thunderbolts, in which Wade decides he is going to take out Norman Osborne all on his own. You know, this could be interesting. There was a time that many thought Deadpool would be a good addition to the Thunderbolts team (back when he was without his own ongoing), and this crossover should provide some interesting interaction. While Way is doing a passable job on this title, this very crossover introduces a very interesting possibility – an Andy Diggle penned Deadpool. He is writing the Thunderbolts portions of this event – I wonder how he will handle Wade? Definitely an intriguing idea…

Page M38 – Avengers: The Initiative Featuring Reptil #1, $3.99, 48 Pages
Written by Christos N. Gage, Art by Steve Uy

Well then, this is a little odd, but Gage deserves the benefit of the doubt here. This title is outstanding, and there is little reason to believe that it won’t continue to be that way. Seems like this might be a one-shot, but we will see. Anything that gets Prodigy a little more face time has to be good, doesn’t it? No idea who this Reptil is supposed to be – or if he will even be around after this issue, but with this title you can never really tell. This title is too good to die, so hopefully they aren’t trying anything too wacky here…

Page M39 – Amazing Spider-Girl #30, $3.99, 40 Pages
Written by Tom DeFalco, Art by Ron Frenz

Final issue! No, really this time! It actually looks like it is going to end this time. Rumor has it that Spider-Girl will instead become a regular feature in the new Amazing Spider-Man Family title – really not a terrible marketing move, Spider-Girl has a built in very loyal fanbase that will help that title succeed – so she really isn’t going anywhere. Sure, it is sad to see her own ongoing finally come to an end, but it has gotten to the point where it would be tough to get rid of MC2 all together – anytime a character lasts ten years in publication, it is safe to assume that she won’t be slipping into obscurity anytime soon. Of course, the cancellation of the longest running Marvel book (if you count Spider-Girl and Amazing Spider-Girl as one title, as they should be) featuring a female lead makes this issue a little more important, but that isn’t something that gets talked about too often.

Spider-Girl has definitely had her ups and downs over the years, but one thing is indisputable – DeFalco and Frenz really managed to capture an old-school Spider-Man feel with this book that was missing for a very long time, and made this book at several points during its run the best “Spider-Man”-type title on the shelves. Ultimate Spider-Man really got Peter Parker back to his roots, but in a more modern way – somehow DeFalco did a better job of capturing the old-feel that Spider-Man used to have, and I really appreciated that. Even at its worst this title was fun and something I looked forward to reading, and that is something very few titles can say – especially over this long period of time. Spider-Girl was just launching soon after I got back into comics again, and seeing it finally die is sad on a lot of levels. Hopefully she has a nice long run in Amazing Spider-Man Family, because Marvel just wouldn’t be the same without Mayday Parker in print somewhere.

Page M52 – Marvel Apes: Speedball Special, $3.99, 48 Pages
Written by Karl Kesel, Art by Ramon Bachs

Well, Marvel did promise that Speedball would be returning to the Marvel Universe, but in simian form – looks like that promise has been kept. This one-shot follows up on the Marvel Apes series, and explores what happens with this alternate Speedball now that he has crossed over to the regular Marvel Universe. It really is nearly impossible to find a reason to be excited about this – sure, having some kind of Speedball is nice, but Marvel Apes really didn’t have much lasting appeal, and bringing a beloved character back as a monkey isn’t going to make Speedball fans all that happy, especially with Penance still running around. It will be tough to really sell this story – hopefully Kesel is up to the task.

Page M58 – War of Kings #1, $3.99, 32 Pages
Written by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning, Art by Paul Pelletier

The latest cosmic Marvel event begins in earnest this month, with the first of 6 issues. War of Kings might end up being an example of going to the well too many times – on the surface it doesn’t have the same appeal as either Annihilation event, but DnA hasn’t had a dud yet, so this series more than deserves a chance. The different character mix should liven things up a big, and the inclusion of Darkhawk and the Shi’ar will attract a few more fans. Marvel’s cosmic universe has remained consistently excellent since Abnett & Lanning turned things around – it seems a safe bet that this will be a good read as well.

Page M66 – Deadpool: Games of Death. $3.99, 48 Pages
Written by Mike Benson, Art by Sean Crystal

Wow – an actual Deadpool one-shot? In addition to the ongoing? They are releasing a bunch of Deadpool stuff this month, including a hardcover and several scattershot appearances. Of course, the reason for this almost certainly has to do with Deadpool’s role in the upcoming Wolverine movie. This has got to be an exciting time for Deadpool fans (and myself as well, being the biggest Deadpool fanboy I know) – it wasn’t that long ago that the idea of a Deadpool movie was little more than a dream, and a major role in a Wolverine film is close enough for most. Fantastic to see Wade getting this kind of exposure – these are good times indeed for Wade Wilson fans. Hopefully it keeps coming throughout the summer.

INDEPENDENT COMICS
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Page 239 – Incredibles #1, $2.99, 24 Pages, BOOM! Studios
Written by Mark Waid, Art by Marcio Takara

OK – this kind of thing would normally scare me. But Mark Waid writing it – and it is completely new story – and only $2.99 to boot? Sure, it is only 24 pages, but of anything to nitpick about, that is relatively minor. If ever there was a Disney property that demanded a comic book, it is The Incredibles. It is only a shame that it took this long to get there. Heck, this even has an “incentive cover” by Mike Mignola. Generally multiple covers are a bad thing, but that just seems cool. Seems like all the elements are in place for a really fun comic. Pray that Boom! Pulls this one off!

Page 241 – Farscape: Strange Detractors #1, $3.99, 24 Pages, BOOM! Studios
Written by Rockne S. O’Bannon, and Keith R.A. DeCandido, Art by Will Sliney

Boy – Boom! is really on the ball with this Farscape series. The first issue just came out, and in March’s solicits the hardcover for the first 4 issue mini is listed, as well as this issue, the first of the second mini. On the whole, I have to say that the first issue of the current series was very good. The characters sounded as they should in my head, the dynamic was spot on – and the art wasn’t terrible. Not a bad start at all. The only downer is the price point – $4 for only 24 pages. However, with a smaller publisher, sometimes that is a necessary evil. Better a good 24 pages for a little more than a horrible 32 for a little less. It’s worth the cost, especially if you are a Farscape fan.

Craig’s Top Five of the Month

#5 – Deadpool #8, $2.99, 32 Pages, Marvel – Lot’s of interesting possibilities in this crossover – a great time for Deadpool fans.

#4 – Incredibles #1, $2.99, 24 Pages, BOOM! Studios – This comic should have come out years ago.

#3 – Batman: The Battle For the Cowl #1, $3.99, 40 Pages, DC Comics – DC’s been building this one for a long while. Curious to see how it turns out.

#2 – War of Kings #1, $3.99, 32 Pages, Marvel – Another cosmic event from Abnett and Lanning – should be excellent.

#1 – Amazing Spider-Girl #30, $3.99, 40 Pages, Marvel – Might seem strange to put this at 31, but the honest-to-goodness end of Spider-Girl is very much worth commemorating.

The opinions in this article are the writer’s alone, and no not necessarily reflect the views of X-World Comics or comiXtreme.com.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK
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Batman #681, $3.99, 40 Pages, DC Comics
Written by Grant Morrison; Art by Tony Daniel and Sandu Florea; Cover by Alex Ross; Variant cover by Tony Daniel

This is it – the final issue of Batman: R.I.P. in which we are supposed to see the “devastating secret” that leads Bruce Wayne to hang up the cape. Yeah – it does look like this secret is going to be something that makes long-time Batman fans a little angry, but it will lead to a new status quo in the Batman family of books. One More Day was received by the fans with anger, but the result ended up being fairly positive. The same might well be the case here.

In any case – this long anticipated issue will set into motion a major shift in the Bat-Universe that Batman readers will be interested in, and is positioned to be a valuable issue for collectors to pick up. Definitely one to add to your list if you fall into either of those categories.

Birds Of Prey #124, $2.99, 32 Pages, DC Comics
Written by Tony Bedard; Art by Michael O’Hare and John Floyd; Cover by Stephane Roux

Speaking of Batman-family, this arc is something that shouldn’t be missed. The idea that Barbara would finally physically confront the Joker after all this time was an iffy-idea at best – she had developed so well without having him as a nemesis that bringing him back into the picture could be anti-climactic. It was anything but. Simone did such a good job developing Oracle as a character that when Bedard finally took her full circle, it was anything but a let down. This issue brings that confrontation to what will no doubt be a satisfying conclusion.

As you may know, this title is set to come to an end as of issue #127. A real shame – despite what is going on in Batman R.I.P. this book has been high quality and independent for years now. Everyone expected a sharp drop in quality after Simone departed, but Bedard has done a tremendous job keeping this title engaging and high-quality. Definitely not looking forward to this book’s finale, if only because it would be better if this title did not come to an end.

JSA Kingdom Come Special The Kingdom #1, $3.99, 48 Pages, DC Comics
Written by Geoff Johns; Art by Fernando Pasarin; Cover by Alex Ross; Variant Cover by Dale Eaglesham and Nathan Massengill

Another Kingdom Come one-shot special, this one focusing on Gog finally “healing” Citizen Steel. As we have seen recently with Doctor Mid-Nite, however, his miracles don’t always seem to be for the greater good. Also this issue we get a little more insight about Starman and his role in the current time.

This JSA story has been interesting, though it is really drawn out. It is kind of tough to see how the elements we are seeing in these one shots couldn’t be included in the story itself – but that is the way it goes with things like this. Should make for a good trade or hardcover collection, even if the story seems to be progressing a little slowly for a serial comic.

Looking forward to see what the new status-quo of this title will be once this arc ends. Seems like we have the makings of a new base of operations and supporting cast here. It’s interesting to see this coalesce.

Superman #682, $2.99, 32 Pages, DC Comics
Written by James Robinson; Art by Renato Guedes and Wilson Magalháes; Cover by Alex Ross; Variant Cover by Stephane Roux

Supergirl #35 has come and gone, and it looks like it really wasn’t critical to the overall story after all. Some might view this as a negative, but it really isn’t – the New Krypton story clearly has implications for her, and it does make sense to show that to the readers. Meanwhile, in the Superman issues, the story is progressing much how you would expect, with tensions between the Kryptonians and the humans starting to come to a head in this issue. Thus far this mini-event has been very well done – wouldn’t mind seeing more of these small-scale events as opposed to the mega-event blow-outs we have been burdened with over the past several years.

Teen Titans #65, $2.99, 32 pages, DC Comics
Written by Sean McKeever; Art and Cover by Eddy Barrows and Ruy Jose

There have been several character threads going through Teen Titans these past few months – one of them looks like it will be resolved this issue when Wonder Girl’s rival challenges her for her spot. Of course, if you have been reading, you remember that her powers are quickly diminishing which will make the challenge all the more difficult.

Teen Titans has been outstanding in recent issues, and there really isn’t any reason to believe that this is going to change soon. Looking forward to seeing where McKeever takes this one.

Thor Man Of War, $3.99, Marvel Comics
Written by Matt Fraction, Art by Clay Mann, Patrick Zircher, Victor Olazaba, and June Chung

Another Thor story from Matt Fraction – it looks like Zircher is involved in this one as well, but with Clay Mann getting the first art credit, it would seem his involvement isn’t as heavy as it was in Ages of Thunder and Reign of Blood. This story is going to feature a “final” conflict between Odin and Thor, and promises to be quite action packed. If you have enjoyed Fraction’s previous Thor efforts (or just like his work in general), this will be a good buy this week.

Ultimate X-Men #98, $2.99, 32 Pages, Marvel Comics
Written by Aron Coleite, Art by Mark Brooks, Jaime Mendoza, and Edgar Delgado

Since Coleite has taken over, this title has improved somewhat, though it is still a ways from the lofty heights dominated by Ultimate Spider-Man. The Banshee arc was decent – action packed and chaotic, but there are still too many characters with too many ongoing plots. Perhaps this will thin out a bit as Ultimatum wraps up, but cutting down the sheer number of main players in this book will take this title the rest of the way up the quality hill. However, with Ultimatum here, it is likely that this book will be reshaped in that event’s wake. This issue is the first of the Ultimatum tie-ins. Coleite is doing a decent job with the book – now we will have to wait and see if things get better or worse once the changes this even mandates take hold.

SPOTLIGHT PICK OF THE WEEK

Nova #19, $2.99, 32 Pages, Marvel Comics
Written by Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning, Art by Wellington Alves, Scott Hana, and Guru

And suddenly, there is a Nova Corps. The natural inclination is to look for the twist, but suddenly establishing a New Nova Corps the minute Worldmind had a defensible base of operations is very much in character. Between this and Guardians of the Galaxy, DnA did an amazing job tying these stories into the Secret Invasion event without damaging the integrity of their ongoing storylines. If we are going to be bombarded by a never-ending string of events, it would be great if every writer could handle event tie-in this well.

Nova has continued to be a solid read since it was relaunched, and has remained firmly at the top of Marvel’s publishing catalogue in terms of quality. If you still aren’t reading it, you really should at least give it a try.

DARK HORSE

Buffy The Vampire Slayer #19 $2.99 Now: $2.59
Star Wars Legacy #30 $2.99 Now: $2.69

DC COMICS

Batman #681 $3.99 Now: $3.49
Batman #681 (Incentive Tony Daniel Variant Cover) $34.99
Batman Gotham After Midnight #7 (of 12) $2.99 Now: $2.59
Birds Of Prey #124 $2.99 Now: $2.69
DMZ #36 $2.99 Now: $2.69
Ferryman #3 (of 5) $3.50 Now: $2.99
JSA Kingdom Come Special The Kingdom #1 $3.99 Now: $3.49
JSA Kingdom Come Special the Kingdom #1 (Incentive Dale Eaglesham Variant Cover) $8.99
Legion Of Super Heroes #48 $2.99 Now: $2.59
Reign In Hell #5 (of 8) $3.50 Now: $2.99
Superman #682 $2.99 Now: $2.69
Superman Batman Vs Vampires Werewolves #4 (of 6) $2.99 Now: $2.69
Teen Titans #65 $2.99 Now: $2.69
Trinity #26 $2.99 Now: $2.69
War That Time Forgot #7 (of 12) $2.99 Now: $2.59
Wildcats #5 $2.99 Now: $2.59
Wonder Woman #26 $2.99 Now: $2.69

MARVEL COMICS

Avengers The Initiative TP Vol 2 Killed In Action $19.99 Now: $15.99
Captain America #44 $2.99 Now: $2.69
Captain America #44 (Variant Sal Buscema Cover) $6.99
Captain America Premiere HC Vol 3 Death Of Captain America $19.99 Now: $15.99
Daredevil #113 $2.99 Now: $2.69
Ghost Rider Danny Ketch #2 (of 5) $3.99 Now: $3.49
Hulk #8 $2.99 Now: $2.69
Incredible Hercules #123 $2.99 Now: $2.69
Ms Marvel #33 $2.99 Now: $2.69
Nova #19 $2.99 Now: $2.69
Runaways #4 $2.99 Now: $2.59
Secret Invasion X-Men #4 (of 4) $2.99 Now: $2.59
She-Hulk #35 $2.99 Now: $2.69
Thor Man Of War $3.99 Now: $3.49
True Believers #5 (of 5) $2.99 Now: $2.59
Ultimate Spider-Man #128 $2.99 Now: $2.69
Ultimate X-Men #98 $2.99 Now: $2.69
Wolverine First Class #9 $2.99 Now: $2.59
Wolverine Origins #30 $2.99 Now: $2.69
X-Force #9 $2.99 Now: $2.69
X-Men First Class TP Band Of Brothers $14.99 Now: $11.99
X-Men Legacy HC Vol 2 Sins Of The Father $24.99 Now: $19.99
X-Men Legacy TP Vol 1 Divided He Stands $15.99 Now: $12.99

The opinions in this article are the writer’s alone, and do not necessarily reflect the views of X-World Comics or comiXtreme.com.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK
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DEADPOOL #4, $2.99, 32 Pages, Marvel Comics
Written by Daniel Way, Art by Paco Medina

The first arc of this new Deadpool ongoing wrapped up – and so far, so good! Honestly, it has been a pleasant surprise. Perhaps it was the utterly low expectations most readers had for Way going into this, but the first story was funny and action packed, exactly what you would want from a by-the-numbers Deadpool story. Is it perfect? No, not really, but it is more than good enough. It may only be the fourth issue, but it is safe to say that this series has far exceeded expectations. If you were a nervous Deadpool fan still on the fence, it would be a good idea to finally give this one a shot.

JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA: KINGDOM COME SPECIAL – MAGOG #1, $3.99, 48 Pages, DC Comics
Written by Peter J. Tomasi; Art by Fernando Pasarin

The “Kingdom Come” story in Justice Society has been a mixed bag. It is quality – but it is really drawn out. Perhaps that is part of the reason for this special one shot – though more likely it is more an attempt to give the sequel to Kingdom Come a little more deserved attention. In any case, despite how padded the story is, it is still entertaining, and a good read. This issue, of course, focuses on the new Magog- the resurrected David Reid. We will most likely see exactly how he had changed with his new life and new abilities.

SUPERGIRL #35, $2.99, 32 Pages, DC Comics
Written by Sterling Gates; Art by Jamal Igle and Keith Champagne

Sterling Gates is off to a pretty good start. Last issue was the start of his new run, and DC has made a point of announcing that this is a new beginning for the Girl of Steel. She hasn’t exactly been handled very well since she was introduced this last time – serving more as eye-candy and a typical teenage brat than a noble young hero worthy of Superman’s shield. The best part about Gates’ approach thus-far has been how he used the critiques of the readers to represent how the “public” views Supergirl, and what she must overcome to redeem herself. It is a novel approach, and should play out well over the next few issues.

Of course, this is the fifth part of the New Krypton storyline. It is tough to say how it will read if you haven’t been following the other titles (which you should be – it has been an outstanding story thus-far), but there will be plenty to tie in with the themes Gates has established with the last issue. After all, when faced with a world of people who look down on you and your choices, wouldn’t it be natural to align yourself with your own kind, even if their goals don’t necessarily match those of your adopted home? Lots of potential here – can’t wait to see how it turns out.

THUNDERBOLTS #126, $2.99, 32 Pages, Marvel Comics
Written by Andy Diggle, Art by Roberto De La Torre

Thunderbolts seems to have fallen off the radar over the past year or so. Gage has done a passable job, but this book definitely hasn’t wowed under him, like most of his projects have. Perhaps it was because it was only supposed to be short term, and the Secret Invasion story made it a little impossible to really develop a new direction for this book. Enter Andy Diggle – who will beginning his run on this issue. Still the same team we have seen for a while, but there is a promised “upheaval” in the works, so no doubt the team will be looking a little different in short order. Diggle hasn’t really been known for his superhero work of late, but he should do a decent job on this book. It will be interesting to see where he will be taking us here.

UNCANNY X-MEN #504, $2.99, 32 Pages, Marvel Comics
Written by Matt Fraction, Art by Terry Dodson, Rachel Dodson, and Justin Ponsor

A new art team here (which should satisfy the people who weren’t entirely happy with Greg Land’s take on this team). Fraction is still writing, but without Brubaker this time around. This isn’t a terrible thing – we saw a similar shift on Iron Fist, and that worked out just fine. The X-Men family titles are mostly strong right now – the move to San Francisco ended up being a particularly good call. The stories thus-far have been solid (what few we have had), and things actually seem quite bright for this franchise at the moment.

This issue begins a new arc, so if you are one of the few that didn’t jump onboard this title at issue #500, you have another chance here.

YOUNG X-MEN #8, $2.99, 32 Pages, Marvel Comics
Written by Marc Guggenheim, Art by Yanick Paquette, Serge LaPointe, and Stephane Peru

The first arc out of the way, and the fake Cyclops revealed, Guggenheim seems to be taking a moment to establish the characters before really moving on with an overarching story. This issue will be taking a look at Ink, revealing his origin and fleshing out how he will relate to the rest of the team.

Overall, this has been a decent read. It isn’t as god as New X-Men or New Mutants has been, but it is certainly a far cry better than the lows New X-Men reached before it ended. Paquette is back on the art this issue which is kind of a shame – Ben Oliver’s efforts last issue were outstanding and a huge step up. Still, the art isn’t terrible, but it is the only major drag on an overall decent book.

‘Promise’ sums this title up best right now. It is enjoyable, and as long as it continues to improve, it should be a solid addition to anyone’s stack.

SPOTLIGHT PICK OF THE WEEK

IRON MAN DIRECTOR OF SHIELD #35, $2.99, 32 Pages, Marvel Comics
Written by Christos Gage, Art by Sean Chen, Sandu Florea, and Jay David Ramos

This is the final issue of Iron Man: Director of Shield. Of course, if you have been following this book, you know that it has been focused on War Machine, and this issue will lead into the brand new War Machine ongoing that is set to start this month, which will be put together by Grek Pak and Leonard Manco (really looking forward to Pak’s take on this title). Marvel did a lot of work building up Tony Stark prior to the release of the Iron Man movie, and you can’t deny the excellent results that came of that. With the media buzz about who will be playing Rhodes in the upcoming movie, it is reasonable to expect that he (and perhaps War Machine) will play a much bigger role. That being the case, following War Machine in the comics might be a good idea. It is always good to get on at the ground floor, after all.

Since this issue is supposed to transition directly into the new War Machine book, if you were considering checking that out, it might be a good idea to start with this issue.

DARK HORSE

CONAN THE CIMMERIAN #5 $2.99 Now: $2.69
STAR WARS KNIGHTS OF OLD REPUBLIC #35 $2.99 Now: $2.69

DC COMICS

BATGIRL #5 (OF 6) $2.99 Now: $2.69
BATMAN AND THE OUTSIDERS #13 $2.99 Now: $2.59
BRAVE AND THE BOLD #19 $2.99 Now: $2.69
FLASH #246 $2.99 Now: $2.69
JSA: KINGDOM COME SPECIAL – MAGOG #1 (VARIANT) $8.99
JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA: KINGDOM COME SPECIAL – MAGOG #1 $3.99 Now: $3.49
RANN THANAGAR HOLY WAR #7 (OF 8) $3.50 Now: $2.99
ROBIN #180 $2.99 Now: $2.69
STORMWATCH PHD #16 $2.99 Now: $2.59
SUPERGIRL #35 $2.99 Now: $2.69
SUPERGIRL #35 VARIANT $8.99
SUPERMAN SUPERGIRL MAELSTROM #2 (OF 5) $2.99 Now: $2.69
TANGENT SUPERMANS REIGN #9 (OF 12) $2.99 Now: $2.69
TINY TITANS #10 $2.25 Now: $1.99
TRINITY #25 $2.99 Now: $2.69
X-FILES #1 (OF 6) $3.50 Now: $2.99

DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT

NEW BATTLESTAR GALACTICA GHOSTS #2 (OF 4) $4.99 Now: $4.39
RED SONJA #39 $2.99 Now: $2.69

MARVEL COMICS

AGE OF SENTRY #3 (OF 6) $2.99 Now: $2.59
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #578 $2.99 Now: $2.69
AVENGERS INVADERS #6 (OF 12) $2.99 Now: $2.69
DEADPOOL #4 $2.99 Now: $2.69
ENDERS GAME BATTLE SCHOOL #2 (OF 5) $3.99 Now: $3.49
FANTASTIC FOUR #561 $2.99 Now: $2.69
GHOST RIDER #29 $2.99 Now: $2.69
IRON MAN DIRECTOR OF SHIELD #35 $2.99 Now: $2.59
MARVEL ILLUSTRATED THREE MUSKETEERS #6 (OF 6) $3.99 Now: $3.49
SQUADRON SUPREME #5 $2.99 Now: $2.69
THUNDERBOLTS #126 $2.99 Now: $2.69
ULTIMATE FANTASTIC FOUR #58 $2.99 Now: $2.69
UNCANNY X-MEN #504 $2.99 Now: $2.79
X-FACTOR #37 $2.99 Now: $2.69
X-MEN LEGACY #218 $2.99 Now: $2.69
YOUNG X-MEN #8 $2.99 Now: $2.69

BLUE BEETLE CANCELLED

Another quality book ends thanks to low sales. Blue Beetle is set to end as of issue #36, and though the character will continue on in Teen Titans, his solo career is on the shelf indefinitely. This is a real shame. Of all the strange moves DC made in the wake of Infinite Crisis, Jaime Reyes really shined thanks to the great work done on this book. It is kind of a shock that this happened – especially considering Jaime has made his animated debut as a main character in the Brave and the Bold cartoon – it seemed natural that this title would be even stronger thanks to the crossover appeal.

What is to blame for the low sales? Really tough to say. Great books with low sales isn’t a new story, so while it might be easy to blame the mega-event syndrome we are still trapped in, along with the weekly comic craze that has hit both of the big two, truth is that this problem has been around far longer than the situation we are in now has been.

Clearly, it takes more than a well produced comic to sell issues – and sometimes, that isn’t even required for a book to reach the top of the sales charts. If quality and critical acclaim aren’t enough to keep a book around, what is left?

The opinions in this article are the writer’s alone, and do not necessarily reflect the views of X-World Comics or comiXtreme.com.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK
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ETERNALS ANNUAL #1, $3.99, Marvel Comics
Written by Fred Van Lente, Art by Pascal Alixe

Well, the Eternals ongoing has only just begun, and we already have an annual! Of course, this one is being penned by Fred Van Lente (most recently working on Marvel Zombies 3), instead of the Knauf brothers who launched the ongoing. It also seems detached from the ongoing story in the regular series, so it probably isn’t the best issue to pick up if you are looking to see if the ongoing is something you might like.

The Eternals has been doing fairly decently – some fans seem to be really enjoying it, but on the whole the title has fallen pretty well under the radar since it first started coming out a few months ago. Perhaps it was overshadowed by Secret Invasion? It isn’t horrible (knowing how critical some readers can be, if it was, you know you would have heard about it), so it might just be a safe book to check out if you are an Eternals fan. It might not be the same as Gaiman’s or the classic Eternals, but it is a worthy successor.

GREEN LANTERN CORPS #30, $2.99, 32 Pages. DC Comics
Written by Peter J. Tomasi; Art by Pat Gleason and Drew Geraci; Cover by Pat Gleason

Gotta say that the groundwork to this “Power Spectrum” concept is being handled quite well. When the first hints of the idea were dropped, it seemed like we would suddenly have all these different colored Lantern Corps just fighting out of the blue. Thankfully, the groundwork is being laid in a much more deliberate manner, and each color is being carefully developed. This is the second issue of the Sins of the Star Sapphire arc, and it looks like we are going to see some interesting developments between this new group of Violet Lanterns and the Sinestro Corps.

Bar none, the Green Lantern Family of titles has been the best thing going on at DC for a long while. It doesn’t look like this will be changing anytime soon.

JSA KINGDOM COME SPECIAL SUPERMAN #1, $3.99, 48 Pages, DC Comics
Written by Alex Ross; Art and Cover by Alex Ross; Variant Cover by Dale Eaglesham and Nathan Massengill

The Kingdom Come “sequel” arc – One World Under Gog – has been moving forward in Justice Society of America over the last several months – overall, it hasn’t been too bad at all. This issue is a spin-off of that, with both the story and the art by Kingdom Come creator Alex Ross. It doesn’t seem like it is a direct tie-in to the story going on in Justice Society now – more of an extra really. Still a good issue to get if you were a Kingdom Come fan, and have been enjoying this current arc.

NIGHTWING #150, $3.99, 48 Pages, DC Comics
Written by Peter J. Tomasi; Art by Don Kramer and Jay Leisten; Cover by Philip Tan; Variant Cover by Ethan Van Sciver

Well, the news from DC is that this title, along with Robin and Birds of Prey, will be ending after their February issues. It is a strange decision – clearly this move will lead to a retool of the Batman family comics in the wake of RIP, but the announcement is still leaving fans disappointed. These three titles (with the exception of a few questionable arcs) have been the bedrock of quality, remaining strong even when Batman and Detective Comics weren’t that interesting.

Is this the right thing to do? Tough to say. Ending nearly a decade (or more) of continuous issues is a bit hard to swallow, especially if we ever get a “return to the original numbering” gimmick somewhere down the line. Will each of these be relaunched with new #1s? Or will we see brand new titles come out of this story? Impossible to say, really. It is a shame these titles are coming to an end, but it is really impossible to get too upset about it until further details of DC’s plans come to light. Definitely something to watch.

SPIDER-MAN LOVES MARY JANE SEASON 2 #4 (OF 5), $2.99, 32 Pages, Marvel Comics
Written by Terry Moore, Art by Craig Rousseau and Guillem Mari

Man, it is tough to believe that this one is already about over. It seemed like we waited so long for Moore’s run on this book to begin, and it is almost over before we knew it. A real shame. Hopefully sales on this mini will be high enough to warrant another go – this really is a unique addition to the Spider-universe, and it would be a shame to see this idea wither away. It seemed like once upon a time many wondered if any writer other than Sean McKeever could pull this concept off – well, Marvel found the one other writer that could do it justice.

If you, after all this time, still haven’t given this title a try, best to do it before it is too late. This mini will make a great trade purchase as well – keep an eye out for that soon.

SPOTLIGHT PICK OF THE WEEK

ACTION COMICS #871, $2.99 (Var Ed. $7.99), 32 Pages DC Comics
Written by Geoff Johns ; Art by Pete Woods; Cover by Alex Ross; Variant Cover by Stephane Roux

“They are ruining Superman! I can’t stand this, I am dropping all of the Superman titles!”

I have heard and read this from some readers (almost all younger) about the New Krypton event. Meanwhile, older readers seem to smile, sit back, and enjoy. Johns is obviously inserting some of his favorite aspects of the Silver Age into this modern Superman, so those with a longer view of Superman’s history know that this isn’t just some crackpot new idea he has come up with – it is very much inspired by some of the great aspects of what Superman and his supporting cast used to be.

New Krypton has been different from what we have been used to of late, but it is good. Pretty darned good. It isn’t totally clear what state the Superman Family of titles will be in when this is all said and done, but the journey is very much worth it. Of course, this is Part 4 – you might have missed Part 3, the Adventure Comics Featuring The Guardian special – worth picking up if it didn’t catch your eye before.

DC COMICS

ACTION COMICS #871 (VAR ED) $7.99
BATMAN CACOPHONY #1 (OF 3) $3.99 Now: $3.49
BATMAN CONFIDENTIAL #23 $2.99 Now: $2.59
DETECTIVE COMICS #850 $3.99 Now: $3.49
GEN 13 #24 $2.99 Now: $2.69
GREEN ARROW BLACK CANARY #14 $2.99 Now: $2.59
GREEN LANTERN CORPS #30 $2.99 Now: $2.69
JLA AVENGERS TP $19.99 Now: $16.99
JSA KINGDOM COME SPECIAL SUPERMAN #1 $3.99 Now: $3.49
NIGHTWING #150 $3.99 Now: $3.49
SUPERMAN BATMAN VS VAMPIRES WEREWOLVES #3 (OF 6) $2.99 Now: $2.69
TITANS #7 $2.99 Now: $2.69
TRINITY #24 $2.99 Now: $2.69

MARVEL COMICS

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #577 $3.99 Now: $2.99
BIG HERO 6 #3 (OF 5) $3.99 Now: $3.49
CAPTAIN BRITAIN AND MI 13 #7 $2.99 Now: $2.69
DARK TOWER TREACHERY #3 (OF 6) $3.99 Now: $3.49
ETERNALS ANNUAL #1 $3.99 Now: $3.49
MARVEL SPOTLIGHT PUNISHER MOVIE $2.99 Now: $2.79
NEW EXILES #14 $2.99 Now: $2.69
SPIDER-MAN LOVES MARY JANE SEASON 2 #4 (OF 5) $2.99 Now: $2.69
STAND CAPTAIN TRIPS #3 (OF 5) $3.99 Now: $3.49

The opinions in this article are the writer’s alone, and do not necessarily reflect the views of X-World Comics or comiXtreme.com.