snaps: Doomwar #1

... where we see a much sensible powerplay unfold as compared to invading a mythical kingdom over Oklahoma. Doomwar plays second banana to Siege, but Dr. Doom takes a backseat to no one, even as he's been cast out of Norman Osborn's Cabal. Doom's messing with the Asgardians was part of Loki's machinations, as much as Siege is. failing that (and he had these things in play much much earlier), Doom concentrates on taking the vibranium from Wakanda, which despite a highly tech-savvy country is one of the most unstable as all Black Panther stories (go ahead, check 'em) have T'Challa dealing with coup d'etats and invasions in one form or another. oh, and right now, he's gone to ask the X-Men for help to rescue his bride and take his homeland back.

what do you mean, "mutant peoples"??


oh, oh! you wanna play it that way, Mister High and Mighty Cause He Got Hissown Island?


rumor has it that Latveria used to be a Confederate state ...


why does it look like they're headed for the beach? and it looks like Logan's gonna scoooooooore!


oooohhhh Shuri! your father, Tom Cruise, won't like that!

snaps: Black Panther #12

... where Wakandan nationalists and Dr. Doom reveal their hand(s). and they are dirty! and the real villain of Civil War is in the mix. why is this guy not dead yet? we can blame two guys - Tony Stark for not doing his job as Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., and Wolverine, for only being useful in killing non-powered individuals. back to Wakanda, T'Challa (as usual) risks every single thing (including Ororo) to bait his enemies. current Black Panther Shuri wants to take credit too for the smart play. ahh, girls.

no way!! really?? oh, that's right, you're not devious like Tony Stark. or T'Challa.


dude - you can get two of those in Miami Beach.


but ... but current events ARE on Twitter and Facebook!


no joke ... they see a Mandroid and they start laughing. no respect.


Porcupine? they send the Porcupine??

who makes Reed Richards shrink???

cliffhanger of the week #16

#9 - Hunting High and Low

i'm sure i've read the Huntress' origin before but this one peels off more layers. we learn more about Helena Bertinelli's origin as a victim, a balancing act, an apt student of violence, and now, a nemesis of the Sicilian police.

Huntress: Year One #1 (DC)
Ivory Madison/Cliff Richards/Art Thibert/Jason Wright/Sal Cipriano

#8 - Charles Is Not In Charge

what do you mean, Mike Carey? Mr. Sinister has been manipulating the Charles Francis Xavier since he was a kid? the bald eagle and mentor of mutants everywhere? are you shitting me? that makes Essex the actual founder of the X-Men! sacrilege! sacrebleu! (yes, Gambit is in this issue, mon ami.)

X-Men #211 (Marvel)
Mike Carey/Scot Eaton/Brandon Peterson/John Dell/Andrew Hennessy/Dave Meikis/Frank D'Armata/John Rauch/Cory Petit

#7 - Waiting For a Star

this is my new favorite series. getting their first mission off the books was easy. the next, investigating a temporal anomaly that seems to put Captain America in their proximity (comic characters never die), is a little more complicated.

Guardians of the Galaxy #1 (Marvel)
Dan Abnett/Andy Lanning/Paul Pelletier/Rick Magyar/Nathan Fairbairn/Joe Caramagna

#6 - Pulp Fiction

why do we bother when these characters have healing factors? they beat each other to a pulp and an inch, but that inch is enough to make 'em keep on tickin'. i guess we just love to watch a good lickin'. and depicting a good lickin' is what makes Jason Aaron rock so hard! but of course, there's a cliffhanger, although it does seem anticlimactic.

Wolverine #65 (Marvel)
Jason Aaron/Ron Garney/Jason Keith/Cory Petit

#5 - Mercy Mercy Me

embarking on a rescue mission to rescue fellow Lanterns, Kyle, John, Guy et al, run into a planet that's been transformed into one Black Mercy greenhouse, courtesy of that nice fellow Mongul. check it out quick, 'cause the title of this book's about to be changed to Green Lantern Corpses.

Green Lantern Corps #24 (DC)
Peter Tomasi/Patrick Gleason/Drew Geraci/Prentiss Rollins/Guy Major/Steve Wands

#4 - I Was Only Dreaming

a fantasy issue (what isn't?) where Sonja deals with her demons (e.g., all the jerks she gutted in her entire comic book career) and it turns out she's been taking a lot of shrooms and crack. wait a sec ... isn't that ol' Death himself?

Red Sonja #33 (Dynamite)
Luke Lieberman/Homs/Vinicius Andrade/Simon Bowland

#3 - Gone Daddy Gone

should we spill the beans? that Rick Grimes is dead? oh shit.

The Walking Dead #49 (Image)
Robert Kirkman/Charlie Adlard/Cliff Rathburn/Rus Wooton

#2 - Armored War

as if being punk'd by Doom wasn't enough, Tony has to contend with a bigger asshole - his pops! and with Mephisto watching with popcorn. good thing the ol' Stark brain finds a way out of hell, and just in time to go mailed fist against legendary sword with Doom. yes, the ugly one got Excalibur.

Iron Man: Legacy of Doom #2 (Marvel)
David Michelinie/Ron Lim/Bob Layton/Chris Sotomayor/Artmonkeys

#1 - My Super Ex-Girlfriend

guess who's revealed to be a Skrull. wait, make that guess who's a Skrull and posed as the Invisible Woman.

Secret Invasion: Fantastic Four #1 (Marvel)
Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa/Barry Kitson/Mick Gray/Scott Hanna/Paul Neary/Chris Sotomayor/Joe Caramagna