snikts: Dark Wolverine #86 & Wolverine: Origins #48

... where we're kinda sick of all the posturing, ADD-addled, obsessive-compulsive behavior being exhibited by Logan and his extended family. i mean, fine, you all hate each other, just kill the guy next to you and be done with it!!! geez.



y'all have claws. y'all don't know what to do with them.


man, this thing is so gay its not happy anymore.


oh, look, who's upset because Crystal Bowersox didn't win this season's American Idol:


and he has more spit than the winner!!!


and when he asks his father why the most talented people don't win:



now back to Logan; it took you this long to do this???


oh, wait, that was just what Logan wanted to do! what he actually does is imprison Romulus in the Darkforce Dimension inside Cloak. ooooooo-kay. but it took you this long to do that too??

by the way, if its dark in there, how come there's light?


oh, look we got a cutter!!



huh. look, Tyrone's the voice of reason. by the way, dude? you're responsible for the X-Men being trapped in Utopia. if you didn't leave, THEY. STILL. WOULD. HAVE. A. GODDAMNED. TELEPORTER. selfish prick.

things i liked this week

Thunderbolts #144
Jeff Parker/Kev Walker/Frank Martin/Albert Deschesne (cover: Marko Djurdjevic)

by now, everyone who follows the Marvel U and the T-Bolts in particular are probably in an ICU, for the nerd-neurysm that Jeff Parker gave them last Wednesday. in fact, i am typing this with my mind, because i have lost control of my motor skills.

Secret Avengers #1 (Marvel)
Ed Brubaker/Mike Deodato/Rain Beredo/Dave Lanphear (cover: Marko Djurdjevic)
Avengers fans who also follow the T-Bolts and didn't get to read T-Bolts #144 probably landed first in the hospital because of this.

Wolverine: Weapon X #13 (Marvel)
Jason Aaron/Ron Garney/Jason Keith/Cory Petit (cover: Garney/Morry Hollowell)

the action heats up as Logan and Bucky Cap track down the inventor of the original Deathlok designer. curiosity arises as what's the beef between Logan and Buck (Natasha maybe?). anyhoo, they're unable to prevent Deathlok from reconfiguring himself and they're back on their heels. nice twist: the death of the future amazing Spider-Man.

Scalped #38 (DC/Vertigo)
Jason Aaron/R.M. Guera/Guilia Brusco/Steve Wands (cover: Jock)

Wade the Indian, a veteran soldier, whose lineage include nameless patriots who died for their country, is the luckiest man alive in terms of being able to escape certain death in the jungles of Vietnam. he's even considered unworthy to be killed by the Saigon residents in the final day of the war. now he's back in the US, and there seems to be a connection with him and the late Gina Bad Horse. hmm, Dashielle's dad then?

Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne #2 (DC)
Grant Morrison/Frazer Irving/Jared Fletcher (cover: Andy Kubert/Irving)

i confess it took me a couple of reads, but i get it. Bruce reappears in puritanical New England (i presume) and right away puts logic and common sense over the close-minded and religious beliefs of the times. hot on his heels are Superman, Booster Gold, Rip Hunter and the rest of his friends who are impressed by the fact that he survived Final Crisis, but are also there in fact to stop him because, well, that's where things get complicated as Darkseid designed it to use Bruce as a doomsday Trojan horse. but this is Bruce we're talking about here - am sure he also solved that part too.

Thor #610 (Marvel)
Kieron Gillen/Doug Braithwaite/Andy Troy/Paul Mounts/Joe Sabino (cover: Mico Suayan/Laura Martin)

an epilogue of sorts to Siege, but with a final clash with that annoying Ragnarok a.k.a. Clor. i was surprised Tony or Reed ("short-sighted men") didn't show up here to help Thor take him down once and for all, which would also prove that either of them regret ever building that junk in the first place. it was heartbreaking to see Bill (Not Beta) alive in Valhalla, all but touchable by Kelda. and with Loki's disappearance, the wool has been pulled once again over the Asgardians' eyes. i'm glad Thor didn't accept the offer to be king again, because he's gonna be a goddarned regular Avenger from hereon. not sure though where this title goes from here (apart from the rebuilding of Asgard in one form or another). Straczynski successfully brought Thor back, and Gillen ends the chapter with the Asgardians tied in much tighter with the 616 universe.

Detective Comics #865 (DC)
David Hine/Jeremy Haun/David Baron/Todd Klein

so ... you think Jeremiah Arkham was the weakest link eh? the only thing about potentially one of the most damaging Bat villains in years isn't his own man, because he's merely a Joker co-creation.

Mystery Society (IDW)
Steve Niles/Fiona Staples/Robbie Robbins

Nick Mystery is like a modern day Indiana Jones figure but dealing more with conspiracy theories, government secrets and the fantastical. along with his wife, he forms the Mystery Society, but in the present day, he's being hauled off to prison for a variety of charges. this is basically an origin story, but it evokes some Hellboy and some Jonathan Hickman-S.H.I.E.L.D. (you know its good when its being referenced after only one issue).

Amazing Spider-Man #632 (Marvel)
Zeb Wells/Chris Bachalo/Emma Rios/Tim Townsend/Jaime Mendoza/Victor Olazaba/Antonio Fabela/Joe Caramagna (variant cover: Jay Anacleto/Brian Haberlin/Bob McLeod)

easily one of the best storylines of the year, Shed is another prime example why Spider-Man ABND (After Brand New Day) is one of the best Marvel titles again. and if they're making Spider-Man IV, its the Lizard's time to shed, ... i mean, shine!

X-Force #27 (Marvel)
Craig Kyle/Christopher Yost/Mike Choi/Sonia Oback/Cory Petit (cover: Adi Granov, variant cover: David Finch/Matt Banning/Peter Steigerwald)

its a very bad time to be a mutant. Nimrod-class sentinels from the future have trapped the X-Men in San Francisco and have inflicted heavy damages. the 10 pages dedicated to the battle - with no dialogue or sound effects - evoke memories of Superman vs. Doomsday. Cyclops' only card is to send X-Force to that future and somehow shut down the Sentinels with Doug's power (uh, couldn't Magneto or Box do this? oh right, the latter is outside the dome). expect more casualties before this thing is over. and oh yeah, i expect to see that talk between Ororo and Cyke about X-Force.

X-Men: Blind Science (Marvel)
Simon Spurrier/Paul Davidson/Francis Portela/Chris Sotomayor/Rob Steen (cover: Gerald Parel)

goddamn, i like Dr. Nemesis! i want him to be more vocal and more sarcastic and more smart-assy when he's talking to Cyke and the inner council around Utopia (God knows, Hank lost his sense of humor during one of his evolution phases and Bobby isn't that funny). wait, there may not be an Utopia after Bastion is done with them.

obviously, they're NOT Thundercats.

Doomwar #4 (Marvel)
Jonathan Maberry/Scot Eaton/Andy Lanning/Robert Campanella/Jean-Francois Beaulieu/Cory Petit (cover: John Romita Jr./Klaus Janson/Dean White)
this title has taken a backseat to Siege and Second Coming but it really should have been finished even before Soldier Field got blown to bits. and just when you think all is lost, and everything is gloom and (pun intended) doom, this guy shows up:


Green Lantern #54 (DC)
Geoff Johns/Doug Mahnke/Christian Alamy/Tom Nguyen/Keith Champagne/Randy Mayor/Gabe Eltaeb/Nick J. Napolitano (cover: Shane Davis/Sandra Hope/Barbara Ciardo, variant cover: Alex Garner)

what do i like about this issue? hmmm. Atrocitus in the New York subway. Sinestro kind of being the grumpy uncle to Hal and Carol. the continuing mystery of who's collecting entities that used to reside in each ring color (?). and then the appearance of this guy:

Green Lantern Corps #48 (DC)
Tony Bedard/Ardian Syaf/Vicente Cifuentes/Randy Mayor/Gabe Eltaeb/Carrie Strachan/Steve Wands (cover: Rodolfo Migliari, variant cover: Pat Gleason/Mark Irwin/Mayor)

Ganthet continues his attention-hogging drama queen antics by renouncing his Guardianship and becoming a Green Lantern. what's next, he's gonna have his own reality TV show? anyway, some Alpha Lanterns are secretly massing and recruiting for something. what i want to know is: what's Guy been put up to by Ganthet that he claims will result in having his friendship with Hal to be over.

The Thanos Imperative: Ignition one shot (Marvel)
Dan Abnett/Andy Lanning/Brad Walker/Andrew Hennessy/Wil Quintana/Joe Caramagna (cover: Aleksi Briclot)

and just in case somebody dozed off on the cosmic ongoings out there, this is a reminder that Thanos has come back! but he may not be the biggest threat at all - his name starts with the letter M and rhymes with "Barvell". oh ftaghn, oh ftaghn, oh ftaghn!! (wait, fark sounds better)

Power Girl #12 (DC)
Justin Gray/Jimmy Palmiotti/Amanda Conner/Paul Mounts/John J. Hill
need i say more? let's celebrate the last hurrah with the departure of Amanda Conner and the rest of the crew. any chance of having the Dodsons take over this title?

look out, Teen Titans, you're next!

countdown for Jaime Reyes' funeral, in three, two ...

-----
Justice League: Generation Lost #2

snaps: X-Men - Blind Science

... where the X-Men Science Team goes off on an adventure on their own (but not of their own volition) due to a ticking bomb on an oil rig they're investigating. Dr. Nemesis steals every frikkin' scene, but in the end it was Dr. Kavita Rao who saves the day (Cecilia Reyes is probably gouging her own eyes right now). Hank McCoy who?

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!


Dr. McCoy, I presume? (okay, i thought it was Forge)


this confirms it: Chinese restaurants use CAT MEAT!!! spread the word!!!


there should be an X-Club limited series, with lots of crotch-punching!


okay, one more Star Trek reference and you've exceeded your quota, Nemesis!


who needs Professor Xavier, when we have James Bradley?

thunderous

drive-by readings

Thunderbolts #144 (Marvel) "The Boss" Jeff Parker Kev Walker Frank Martin Albert Deschesne Marko Djurdjevic (cover)

the Heroic Age/Avengers relaunch books have been outdoing themselves in the past week. Secret Avengers #1 trumped Avengers #1, and now Thunderbolts #144, with Luke Cage leading the new team, just one-upped Secret Avengers.

Cage has been put in charge personally by Steve Rogers, of rehab/redemption of the wayward superpowered denizens of the Marvel U, and that's a tall order even if Cage has been on the wrong side of the law numerous times (technically, does that include his time with the resistance Avengers during the SHRA?). i'm pleased that ex-Thunderbolts that did display the propensity to reform (Songbird, Fixer, Mach V) are still in the mix, and i hope it stays that way. if not, you can just scrap this program.

just like the Avengers lineups, the new T-Bolts are intriguing. the choices weren't 100% Cage's choices, but then it would be great to see them all work out. especially this guy:


and this guy:


the need for a team tech still falls on the Ghost who sort of straddled the fence in Siege and now has been given another chance. the inclusion of Crossbones is a much convoluted one, as the selection committee wanted to have someone to be the polar opposite of Cage so the others would stay away from. huh? so why is he even there then? betrayal seems to be in the air down the road, especially when the Red Skull comes back (you know he always comes back).

i'm surprised no one has used the (mind-bending) Man-Thing before for teleportation purposes - Osborn didn't see the need except to chop him up for one reason or another. i guess he regenerated himself somehow (did that happen during Frankencastle?). i wonder what happens if he refuses to cooperate. "Man-Thing tired today. go use a chopper."

though am not sold of adding Moonstone (again!) with the group, especially with her new duds that confuses her with Dagger or Emma Frost, i guess they need some kind of energy wielder with some psych background. i hope they all have spinal bomb implants, because when they all decide to go rogue (even more than Sarah Palin), Cage will be in big trouble.

Jeff Parker has hit his stride with the Thunderbolts at the tail end of Dark Reign/Siege, and now he's cranked it up another notch. not only does he give a nod to Busiek/Bagley's Thunderbolts #1 with his last page reveal, his choice of characters are definitely at the least odd and at the most dangerous. the point is to put the readers on edge on every single issue and i'm looking forward to that.

fist, meet face

truer words were never spoken.



-----
Deathlok #7

BATMAN

... PRETTY MUCH HATES BEING SHOT.

annoy me, Internet media

"Mark Hamill Won't Voice The Joker Again After 'Batman: Arkham Asylum 2'"

"Robert Downey Jr. Will Not Reprise Tony Stark after Avengers 3"

"Sarah Jessica Parker May Sign Up for Sex and the City 5"

"Ah-Nuld May Go Back to Gym to Prepare for Predator 2020"

"Stallone Mulling Picking Up Pen From Floor to Write 3rd Expendables Film"

"Christian Bale Could Retire After 'Batman V: The Joker Lives!'"

"Alan Moore Might Write The Watchmen Sequel, Depending On a Number of Factors, Not The Least of Which are Full Creative Control, Big Budget Movie, Merchandising Percentage Profits, and 20 Million Dollars Upfront"



Fuck and You.

house of secrets

drive-by readings

Secret Avengers #1 (Marvel) "Secret Histories, Part One" Ed Brubaker Mike Deodato Rain Beredo Dave Lanphear Marko Djurdjevic (cover)

for a title or a team with the word 'Secret' attached to it, i don't see them being a secret for far too long. i know its Steve Rogers' version of a black ops team (and NOT having Wolverine in it, because, well, he's already part of one, and he's out in the open in the main Avengers team as their designated dirty-works guy), and the characters more or less operate in the fringes of the Marvel U as its their natural habitat, but i wager their missions would eventually come out in the open with explosive consequences. i mean, what if they found out things that puts them in conflict with other hero teams in the 616? will Steve go against Luke? against Thor? against Reed? he's walking a thin line here, top cop and all that.

but that's for the future. for now, let's enjoy what the fine gentlemen storytellers Brubaker and Deodato give us, and for sure the ride's gonna be a thrilling one. first off, who's on the team? i'm not surprised by the additions of Moon Knight ("Crescent Wrench" - hah!) or Nova (you need a space cadet - and i also want to see if Steve's comment - "what kind of operation do you think am running here?" in reference to covering for every scenario - blows up in his face eventually). i'm not put off by having Valkyrie in - if anything, it gives them some demi-god power sets (remember who took Ares down in that X-Men/Dark Avengers scrap?) and of course, eye candy. no, i'm surprised at the addition of Eric O'Grady - apparently no one bothered to take away the Ant-Man costume from him, not even Hank "I'm Scientist Supreme And You're Not" Pym - who's not been made to answer for his crimes. all you need to be absolved is join the T-Bolts, and accept any offer of Avengership from the first Captain America. so we can say he's no longer irredeemable. does Cassie know about this? oh, wait, it's a ... secret.


Black Widow? Valkyrie? sold!!!

so where does the team's first mission take them? i'm pumped because it involves ... the Serpent Crown! old-schoolers like me remember this piece in Avengers lore as the cause of that whole mind-control-Squadron-Supreme punchup back in Avengers vol. 1 #141-148. now it may not be exactly the Serpent Crown, or rather it may be another version of the Serpent Crown. and it also involves Mars (why else is Nova in this book?), and it also involves this guy:



HOLY SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT.

ok, we know Nick Fury's been having Hydra trouble, and he claims S.H.I.E.L.D. was being subverted by Hydra all along. also, he's been revealed to be a critical piece of Hydra or Zodiac as well. this probably confirms it, but it causes much more confusion. its all in Bendis' and Hickman's heads, i guess. wait, can we assume that's Jake Fury/Scorpio?

we have another stellar issue from Mike Deodato, and really, the only thing that annoys me is his love for behind-the-back-downward-angle camera POVs with the characters all posing as action figures (puffed chest, wide stance, arms tense). i mean, come on!


having an idea of what Ed Brubaker is capable of (what? there really is a third Summers brother??), i won't be surprised if he shakes Avengers history to the core by the end of his run.

heroic snaps!

this week, we get sneak peeks on various books (characters) that would litter the Heroic Age, and we give them grades based on these shorts. all subjective, of course. that would be the indication of personal interest, of course.

"Admissions"
Christos N. Gage/Mike McKone/Jeromy Cox/Joe Caramagna

the first Avenger-in-training makes his appearance and he has the power of the Jurassic Park trilogy! Reptil, experimented on by H.A.M.M.E.R. (man, i hate paying taxes!!), is broken out by Avengers not asked to be on Avengers or Secret Avengers or New Avengers. hey, does this mean Hank and Tigra are gonna be an item? y'know, on account of Tigra having a baby Hank? what -? that was a Skrull?! when did that happen?? (B+)

25 mph? you're slower than molasses, kid.

"Heroes for the Ages"
Jeff Parker/Gabriel Hardman/Giancarlo Caracuzzo/Elizabeth Breitweiser/Ed Dukeshire

ok, i already said i just grabbed on the bumper of the bandwagon. geez. i just wonder what's wrong with this world that there's always something bad happening somewhere. even sunny Hawaii. (B)

i keep referring to him as Jimmy Choo.

"Coppélia"
Kelly Sue DeConnick/Jamie McKelvie/Matt Wilson/Nate Piekos

i don't think i need this to convince to follow the Black Widow's adventures, especially if drawn by Daniel Acuña. Natasha takes a break from Avenging (avenging who, really?) and goes back to the spy biz from time to time. and just in case nobody bothered to check Wikipedia, the title of the ballet directly correlates to the tiny dancer/weapon she breaks out here. (B-)

you hit like a girl! uh ... wait ...

"Big Trouble in Little Chinatown"
Jim McCann/David Lopez/Alvaro Lopez/Nathan Fairbairn/Cory Petit

my thanks to Jim McCann for opting for the freelance gig to at least continue scripting Hawkeye and Mockingbird. pretty much in Dark Reign, Clint Barton was all bluster and no muster. maybe this time he'll be doing something useful. and who is Bobbi talking to, you think? my bet is her old boss, Nick Fury. (A-)

how about porn? or two people, one cup?

"Top Dog"
Jeff Parker/Kevin Walker/Frank Martin/Albert Deschesne

now that's a sneak peek! Parker lays some more groundwork which makes sense (ex-T-Bolts Fixer and Mach 5 redoing security, Osborn being frog-marched among inmates) and positions Cage (albeit in a telegraphed move) to draw the line and yet make his pitch. for reform. there's a new sheriff in town. (A)

"Thumb On The Pulse"
Kurt Busiek/Marko Djurdjevic/Jelena Djurdjevic/Dave Lanphear

is this Busiek's first Marvel work in years? can't remember. but its a familiar refreshing method, this time a take on Hitler-moustache-rocking, all-around-blowhard JJJ who for some reason is still mayor of NYC (Mitchell Hundred and Bloomy would laugh), and how he reacts to the Heroic Age. though it ends differently than you expected, well no, not really. (A)

a message in three panels - a fine collaboration between Busiek and Marko the Awesomeness

"A Date with The Doctor"
Rick Remender/Chris Samnee/Matthew Wilson/Dave Lanphear

while we won't be seeing a regular Doctor Strange, er ... Sorcerer Supreme book anytime soon, and maybe its better that way. is there a market for magic books? sure there is. but in this economy, this should work like Hellboy - a series here and there, but still building continuity. Dr. Voodoo can also make regular appearances all over the place, especially if writers handle him well like Remender. by the way, what did Steve Rogers ask Stephen Strange? and how come he didn't ask Dr. Voodoo? (B+)

uh, what did i miss? where's Monica?

"Diplomatic Incident"
Paul Cornell/Leonard Kirk/Paul Mounts/Dave Lanphear

this just reminded me why i miss the Cornell/Kirk duo on a Captain Britain/MI:13 book. oh wait, there could still be one in the future, right? and on that note, who else hasn't been offered Avengers membership? me, apparently! (B+)

that means Brian's not gonna sleep because it'll be 9 GMT to 5 PST job!

"N.Y. State of Mind"
Dan Slott/Ty Templeton/Jorge Maese/Dave Lanphear

and of course, Spider-Man, despite being a member of the Avengers and practically just a goddamned real frikkin' hero many times over, still gets shit from New Yorkers. ease up once in a while, fellas!! (B-)

-----
Enter the Heroic Age, Age of Heroes #1

hey Tony, you didn't build this armor, didja?

Daredevil Armor 2.0!



ok, not really. but wrist blades? silvery/black costume? redesigned DD chest logo? how do we know its not bulletproof, magical and shoots electric bolts out of his horns eh?

Sheathes of silver, nerves of steel
Shadowland!

Partly metal, partly real
Shadowland!

things i liked this week

Avengers #1 (Marvel)
Brian Michael Bendis/John Romita Jr./Klaus Janson/Dean White/Cory Petit
Avengers - reformed! Kang - in da house! Wonder Man - on the verge of becoming a douchebag (again)! Hulk - on the loose! Next Avengers - now part of the 616! me - hoppin'!

Batman: Streets of Gotham #12 (DC)
Paul Dini/Dustin Nguyen/Derek Fridolfs/John Kalisz/Steve Wands

i like this book for its consistent quality output, not to mention the longtime partnership between artist and inker. "The Carpenter's Tale" is an interesting one - an SFX expert hired for the 'Death of Batman' movie may be way out of her depth (yes, "her") - but am intrigued more about Damian's wheeling and dealing on the side. not unlike his dad (example, bribing Mirror Master, JLA #12).

Atlas #1 (Marvel)
Jeff Parker/Gabriel Hardman/Elizabeth Breitweiser/Ed Dukeshire (cover: Terry/Rachel Dodson)
wasn't sufficiently intrigued before (liked: crossover with T-Bolts, X-Men), but now with framed 3-D Man on the run, and possibly joining them, all bets are off.


X-Factor #205 (Marvel)
Peter David/Val De Landro/Pat Davidson/Jeromy Cox/Cory Petit (cover: David Yardin/Nathan Fairbairn)

a Second Coming tie-in, David neatly segues Bastion's plans into whatever he's had in mind for Madrox's team, but it doesn't look like X-Factor Investigations can be separate any longer. i mean, if they're all dead by the end of this thing. and hmmm, an uneasy alliance with Baron Mordo may be in the works.

X-Men Legacy #236 (Marvel)
Mike Carey/Greg Land/Jay Leisten/Justin Ponsor/Cory Petit (cover: Adi Granov, variant covers: David Finch/Matt Banning/Peter Steigerwald/Mike Choi)

sorry to be playing like a broken record, but Second Coming maintains its breakneck pacing (Siege? what Siege?) and am thoroughly enjoying the heck out of it. our merry band of mutants are now trapped inside a sphere covering the San Fran area, and uber-Nimrods have arrived to finish the job. we also see the first team-up with the Avengers 4.0, and its fun, despite some awkward jokey dialogue between gods, mutants and mortals. now i wonder when Hope is going to pull her weight.

Zatanna #1 (DC)
Paul Dini/Stephane Roux/Karl Story/Pat Brosseau/John Kalisz (variant cover: Brian Bolland)

and y'all thought Z was sexy naughty! now. must. buy. statue. what about this debut issue? ummm, she owns crowds. and she pwns demons. yeah, that's it.

Rescue (one shot) (Marvel)
Kelly Sue DeConnick/Andrea Mutti/Jose Villarubia/Clayton Cowles (cover: Travel Foreman/June Chung)
well, this should be called "Are Those Your Gloves or Are You Just Happy to See Me" ...ok, moving right along - at least someone remembered who Happy Hogan was, and i for one, am glad to see him make a reappearance here (although it is really about Pepper). whether Tony cut off his life support or not, i want him, or better yet Pepper herself, to beat the snot out of Spymaster for causing the events that led to Happy's coma. and now let us sing, "God bless you please, Missus Frac-shi-on, we like this book than you will know, woh woh woh ..."


Deadpool #23 (Marvel)
Daniel Way/Carlo Barberi/Juan Vlasco/Marte Gracia/Joe Sabino (cover: Jason Pearson)

Deadpool's quest to become a good guy brings him to Vegas, where he finds his old pal Weasel working as a glorified security guard. now that sounds like a good gig, right? but am just not sure about Grizzly - shouldn't he be in jail after serving with Osborn's Thunderbolts?

War of the Supermen #3 (DC)
James Robinson/Sterling Gates/Cafu/Bit/Blond/John J. Hill (cover: Eddy Barrows/JP Mayer/Rod Reis, variant cover: Aaron Lopresti/Matt Ryan/Brad Anderson)

to rescue the dying Kryptonians, Flamebird restarts the sun as yellow - and cough, cough, conveniently only saves Superman and Supergirl. General Zod wants payback - and the Earth is doomed. man, at this rate, nobody would insure anyone anymore - everything's force majeure.

Invincible Iron Man #26 (Marvel)
Matt Fraction/Salvador Larroca/Frank D'Armata/Joe Caramagna (cover: Carlos Pacheco)
i only have one question: was the fat programmer that Spymaster bought out at the beginning really Robert Kirkman?


Superman/Batman #72 (DC)
Paul Levitz/Jerry Ordway/Steve Wands/Pete Pantazis (cover: Fabrizio Fiorentino)

ex-publisher Levitz returns to full time writing, and here he puts Lois Lane in mortal danger from a Superman-worshipping cult. only Bats is around to help, but will he be there in time? Ordway's art seems enhanced, and maybe its because he's inking himself, and the Pantazis coloring.

G.I. Joe #18 (IDW)
Chuck Dixon/SL Gallant/Gary Erskine/Andrew Crossley/Chris Mowry (covers: Kelsey Shannon/Robert Atkins)

a paintball training exercise goes belly up as a Joe team finds itself against two Cobra soldiers, instantly morphing into live fire action. only Covergirl's (yes, Covergirl!) instincts save the day. man, you guys better step up.

Ultimate Avengers 2 #2 (Marvel)
Mark Millar/Leinil Francis Yu/Gerry Alanguilan/Laura Martin/Cory Petit

so there's another Hulk, someone who came before this Ultimate Hulk we know? apparently, he's a badass gangster using the Third World as his toilet. exactly the kind of guy Samuel Jackson, i mean, Nick Fury needs for his black ops team, because they need to take down ... the Ghost Rider? do tell.

Atomic Robo & the Revenge of the Vampire Dimension #3 (Red 5)
Brian Clevinger/Scott Wegener/Ronda Pattison/Jeff Powell
let's just say this put the icing on the cake: