Wolverine and the X-Men #21

Writer: Jason Aaron
Penciler: Nick Bradshaw
Inkers: Walden Wong, Scott Hanna. Norman Lee and Danny Miki
Colorist: Laura Martin
Letterer: Chris Eliopoulos
Publisher: Marvel Comics (Dan Buckley)
Price: $3.99
Release Date: November 21st, 2012

"The Greatest Freakshow on Earth"

The issue starts out with every kids' dream, a school with no teachers. Of course Quentin Quire doesn't trust that the teachers are actually gone but when he learns that it is true, he leaves the school with some of the other students. At the same time, Max (of the Hellfire Club) is following Idie in the woods using his preacher robot to continue to brainwash her. We quickly learn that Max is a Frankenstein which is why he is so good at science in general.

It seems that the teachers of the school are kidnapped and brainwashed to work at a nearby circus that is run by Frankenstein's monster who was introduced a couple issues ago. The X-Men are being forced to perform without any knowledge of who they really are. My favorite of the group is Wolverine as a clown. 

Anyhow, it seems the monster is there to hunt down the last member of the Frankenstein family to get his revenge. Max doesn't exactly know what is going on but he does find his way to the circus, as do the students of the Jean Grey school. The issue closes with quite the cliffhanger of the Monster standing over Max and the teachers of the school being told to fight their students. Issue #22 promises to have some great moments.

Jason Aaron's work in this book never fails me. No matter if it is standing alone, a part of a larger event or anything else, it constantly keeps me engaged and attached to the characters. Books like this are why I gravitate more toward X-Men books than Avenger books.

Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #17

Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Artist: Pepe Larraz
Colorist: Justin Ponsor
Letterer: Cory Petit
Publisher: Marvel Comics (Dan Buckley)
Price: $3.99
Release Date: November 21st, 2012

This comic really makes me want to read the rest of the Ultimate Universe. I am so lost as to what is going on with the "United We Stand" story arc other than the U.S. is going to crap and Hydra is taking advantage of it...or caused it? I don't know, but the Ultimates want to stop it. Even without complete knowledge of the arc I am still able to enjoy what Bendis is doing with Spidey.

Even though Miles is a part of the Ultimates, he is still having problems getting the support from everyone in the team. Notably, he is having issues getting the go order from Spider-Woman due to...well being a clone of Peter and probably not wanting another kid to get killed.

The fight against Hydra is amazing. I love the way that Bendis portrays Miles' fighting style as almost accidentally awesome. He doesn't have complete control over everything yet but still is successful on the field. Regardless of his talent, he is still very green and it shows in the end with him stuck alone in a field due to his own mistakes.

Every issue I love this book more and more. I am so glad that I gave it a chance even though Peter was no longer Spider-Man. I think that is also why I am staying so positive when it comes to Superior Spider-Man. I know that a Spidey book can be great, even without Peter in the lead. I am just happy that we are finally out of the "United We Stand" arc and are moving onto a Venom arc...gotta love Spidey.

Minimum Carnage Omega #1

Writers: Christ Yost & Cullen Bunn
Art: Lan Medina
Inkers: Kesel, Wong, Mendoza & Bit
Epilogue Art: Shalvey & Pham
Colors: Cotocolor
Letters: Joe Caramagna
Publisher: Marvel Comics (Dan Buckley)
Price: $3.99
Release Date: November 21st, 2012

"Minimum Carnage Omega"

This is what it has all been leading up to, Carnage back in the real world. I LOVE the way that Yost and Bunn decided to bring him back into the real world. People are literally bleeding Carnage out of their eyes and mouth. He is so violent, he kills on return to the Macroverse, you have to love it.

Of course Carnage isn't allowed to return to the Macroverse alone, so Flash and Kaine follow behind equipped with a weapon to help destroy Carnage. Their re-entry isn't as epic as Carnage's...it actually causes them problems because they do not return in the same size in which they left. As mini versions of themselves, you know that they are going to struggle fighting one of the cruelest men ever alive.

The fight is well done and shows the changes inside of Flash and Kaine. They are no longer enemies of one another but they have a slightly different idea of what justice is. Kaine will always be more violent than Flash which makes me wonder what it would be like to see Kaine in the Symbiote. I doubt that will happen but it would be a really cool story.

I don't want to spoil the ending for those of you that want to read it but it was definitely the best part of the arc. Also, if you read Scarlet Spider or Venom I think this issue is key to some major changes going on in those two character's lives. Yost and Bunn did a really nice job with this book and I am excited to see where their individual titles go in the near future.

Hawkeye #4

Writer: Matt Fraction
Artist: Javier Pulido
Colorist: Matt Hollingsworth
Letterer: Chris Eliopoulos
Publisher: Marvel Comics (Dan Buckley)
Price: $2.99
Release Date: November 21st, 2012

"The Tape Part 1 of 2"

Fraction is writing such a solid book here that it is hard to wait for the monthly release. Now, he is deciding to make multi-parters? That is so unfair. Anyhow, "The Tape" is focusing on a tape showing Clint assassinating a wanted criminal that breaks all sorts of protocol and could get many people, namely S.H.I.E.L.D. into trouble. He is sent off to Madripoor to win the tape from an auction but of course it doesn't go well.

I have to mention that I am loving the amount that Wilson Fisk is showing up. I am assuming that it is foreshadowing a great arc in the near future between he and Clint. I am also loving the play between the two Hawkeye characters. Kate Bishop is so unwilling to take no for an answer and will do anything to help Clint out. Their relationship is strange though and I am not certain what is going on with them. I am also confused if this Clint is a different one than the one in the current Avengers run due to the fact there has been no mention of Jessica.

Other than that one grief, this comic is still amazing. I am excited to see what part 2 has in store for me. I am still really digging the art of this book as well, I think its clean cut almost vintage looking style fits really well with the story telling. I have said this before and I will continue to say it; if you are not reading this book, you need to start. 

Deadpool #2

Writer: Brian Posehn & Gerry Duggan
Artist: Tony Moore
Colorist: Val Staples
Letterer: Joe Sabino
Publisher: Marvel Comics (Dan Buckley)
Price: $2.99
Release Date: November 21st, 2012

"We Fought a Zoo"

HA! Oh man, Deadpool is definitely put on this planet to make me laugh. I like the fact that I go into this comic not expecting gold and just laugh myself from cover to cover. This issue starts out with Wade on a beach with Invisible Woman, Emma Frost and She-Hulk, all of which are fighting over him. It closes with him getting a big kiss from She-Hulk...which ends up being the Ghost of Ben Franklin giving him mouth to mouth.

This leads into one of the weirdest side-kicks that no one but the protagonist can see. Not only is Wade fighting off undead presidents, he has a ghost side kick who is also a founding father. Anyhow, with Wade now revived, he is set to go after Teddy Roosevelt who happens to be hunting animals at the zoo. Of course, there are tons of one-liners and president beatings to follow. Ghost Ben Franklin explains to Wade that electricity will stop the undead presidents.

The fight concludes but it is decided that Wade may need some help with these creatures and we are left with him on the doorstep of Doctor Strange. No matter how silly this book is, it is fun. Looking back through the pages to write this review made me smile multiple times. I think there is some comic gold in here but you have to come into it not taking it seriously. If you can do that, you should read this title.

Avengers #34

Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Artists: Brandon Peterson, Mike Mayhew, Terry Dodson & Rachel Dodson
Colors: Jason Keith with Laura Martin & Paul Mounts
Letters: Cory Petit
Publisher: Marvel Comics (Dan Buckley)
Price: $4.99
Release Date: November 21st, 2012

"End Times, The Finale"

Wait, we're still in the Microverse? Sheesh...The main focus of this issue is the battle in the Microverse with Gouzar. The Avengers are struggling to win while in the normalverse, S.H.I.E.L.D. and the remaining Avengers try to decide how to get into the Microverse to help their friends. They decide that finding Pym Particles to shrink themselves down will be the best bet. Wonderman quickly appears with said particles and joins the fray inside the Microverse.

Reading that last paragraph makes me look insane. Lots of made up words in there it seems. Regardless, with a bit of a whimper of storytelling, the Avengers somehow leave the Microverse bringing Janet back to the real world. There is a bit of a battle quickly after this return in which the Avengers way out numbered their foe and drop him easily. 

The arc ends the way that it has played out from the beginning, a bit weak. A party is thrown to welcome Janet back and it ends with Cap and Tony talking about what to do next with the Avengers. With a bit of cheese, Tony closes the issue with a "We go bigger" comment and Bendis' run with The Avengers ends. 

I am not saying it was a terrible issue, it wasn't. There is a lot to love in here: Good art, pretty decent writing, a giant fight with great spreads, but it hasn't really connected me to the Avengers to a point that I want to keep following them. I find the collection of the world's most powerful heroes a little hard to enjoy reading. I think the reason I like X-Men so much is that the heroes aren't polished like they are here. Who knows...maybe in a few months I will return to The Avengers, but for now, I am taking my leave with Bendis.

Amazing Spider-Man #698

Writer: Dan Slott
Artist: Richard Elson
Colorist: Antonio Fabela
Letterer: Chris Eliopoulos
Publisher: Marvel Comics (Dan Buckley)
Price: $3.99
Release Date: November 21st, 2012

"Dying Wish Prelude: Day in the Life"

First, if you have any love for Spidey I want to remind everyone that this is supposedly Peter Parker's last arc. Dan Slott has been building toward this moment for ages and man, it starts out with a bang. It seems that I am getting ahead of myself and I should really preface this entry a little differently. If you love Spidey, if you love comics, heck, if you want a good read at all PICK UP THIS ISSUE (if you can find a copy).

Richard Elson brings life to the page that is on par with my favorite Humberto Ramos, and I think he was a great choice for this first issue. We get to see Spidey living his day to day life and being quite happy with it. Things are really looking up for him. He still has MJ in his life, he is working at Horizon, Aunt May is bouncing back after her injury, life is good. 

It is a known fact that when life is good for Peter Parker, something bad is going to happen. Doctor Octopus is going into his last few moments of life at The Raft and Peter is called to be there because he is asking for him, by real name. This is a big deal and even if you look at the cover you see Octavius saying "Peter Parker" so you saw it coming. What you don't see coming is.....well....frick. I really don't want to spoil it. I think it is important for people to read this issue. I will not, however, be able to contain myself by next issue when talking about the major twist that falls on the last couple pages of this book. 

There is a lot to love here and a lot to be angry about depending on what type of comic reader you are. I trust Dan Slott and what he has done with Spidey for his run so I trust these final issues of Amazing Spider-Man to be good reading. Remember, a twist isn't always a bad thing. There was once a blonde who Peter loved whose neck snapped, Peter Parker used to have six arms...things happen in comics, people get mad. Just remember that we are all in it for the ride, that is what makes good story telling.

Weekly Pulls for 11/21/2012

First, I want to wish a belated happy Thanksgiving to all of my readers out there. I know you all aren't American, but you all deserve my thanks for reading my blog. Second, I forgot to mention last week that episode seven of The Panel Scanners is up for your listening enjoyment which can be found here. Third, Marvel NOW is in full swing and I once again got way too many comics for one week.

I think one of the largest buzzes on the internet this week that is comic related is that of Amazing Spider-Man #698. There is definitely a reason for that and you will see in my review of it. In other craziness, Minimum Carnage has come to a close and was also a bit interesting.

I do believe that I have come to one major conclusion though this week. I have to cut back a few titles and I have painstakingly been combing the weekly pulls to figure out what is going. I think I am going to drop all of the Avengers titles other than Uncanny Avengers when they reach their new #1s. It is nothing against the writers or the books themselves, but they are the things I am least interested in. I have always been more of an X-Men guy.

With that said, here are my pulls for this week:

Amazing Spider-Man #698
Avengers #34
Deadpool #2
Hawkeye #4
Minimum Carnage Omega #1
Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #17
Wolverine and the X-Men #21

That is, once again, seven books this week and it looks like I have nine coming next week. Too much I must say...Regardless, they all have merit and I will miss reading the stack I shall be dropping in the next couple of months. Avengers (the flagship) is officially dropped. Anyhow, reviews are to follow! Happy reading my friends.

Amazing Spider-Man #697

Writers: Dan Slott & Christos Gage
Pencis: Camuncoli
Inks: Green and Dell
Colors: Fabela
Letterer: Eliopoulos
Publisher: Marvel Comics (Dan Buckley)
Price: $3.99
Release Date: November 14th, 2012

"Danger Zone Part Three: War of the Goblins"

Slott and Gage really know how to tell a story. I know I am a giant Spider-Man fan to begin with but this last arc has been great. You get Hobgolbins, you get Peter Parker with webshooters running around with his boss Max Modell trying to find Osborn's secret Green Goblin cache of goodies. While all of this is happening, the Kingpin has spider-scramblers set up around town to mess with Spidey's Spider-Senses making them super sensitive. THAT is a lot of stuff going on.

I love how in this issue Peter is trying so hard to pretend he is not Spidey to Max while I believe the man has known for a while that he is truly Spidey. Peter even references when Doc Ock yanked his mask off while in High School which he was able to play off as if he wasn't Spidey (I read that issue #12 only two months ago!). I also love the fact that all of Spidey's training with Shang-Chi comes into play which leads to a beautiful panel of him looking badass on a Goblin Glider (See Twitter for panel).

Without ruining the outcome of this issue or dropping the little cliffhanger from the end I have to say that this is a MUST READ if you are interested in what will happen to Peter in issue #700. Dan Slott and Christos Gage have my complete attention for the next four issues (there is a .1 in there) and I am beyond excited for what is to come. Do not miss these last couple issues...seriously.

Venom #27

Writer: Cullen Bunn
Art: Declan Shalvey
Colors: Lee Loughridge
Letterer: Joe Caramagna
Publisher: Marvel Comics (Dan Buckley)
Price: $2.99
Release Date: November 14th, 2012

"Minimum Carnage Part 5: Family Bondage"

Wow are things getting out of hand for Flash and Kaine. This series started out as a whimper for me but is now a roar. At the end of the last issue we learned that the symbiotes were going to be used to make an army, which they have done. There are tons of angry alien suits running around trying to cause havoc and the only people that can stop it are Kaine and the now worn out Flash.

In his weakened state Flash isn't certain he can do much but does everything he can but realizes the only way he can win is if he gives in to the suit for the first time. By channeling his past he is able to control his symbiote and battle off his enemies. He is powerful again and is able to be successful with minimal help from Kaine. Of course, Carnage isn't able to be defeated simply by Flash gaining control of Venom and is able to escape. 

I think that the reason that this series is called "Minimum Carnage" will be completely obvious by the time you finish reading this issue and by the time we all tackle Minimum Carnage Omega next week. I am excited to see how this ends and to see the aftermath.

New Avengers #33

Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Artist: Michael Avon Oeming
Colors: Rain Beredo
Letterer: Joe Caramagna
Publisher: Marvel Comics (Dan Buckley)
Price: $3.99
Release Date: November 14th, 2012

"End Times Part 3"

I am standing by my original meh feeling about this arc. The fact that I don't care too heavily for the mystic world of Doctor Strange isn't helping much but at least this issue had some moments that made me smile. 

At the end of the last issue we saw S.H.I.E.L.D. pointing guns at the Avengers while people were being possessed. After a shot to the head, Maria Hill notices that the Avengers are in fact possessed...or at least one of them at a time, and is willing to help them. But she had already contacted the main Avengers team to come and help..which gave more powerful people to be possessed. That was the part I was meh about.

The fun part about this issue was the fight in the courtyard between Avengers. It is nearly impossible to track which person is possessed because he can bounce around so they all just beat the crap out of one another. This leads to news coverage that Luke Cage sees after running away with his wife and he decides to return to the battle (money on he is what saves everyone in the next issue). 

The issue ends with Doctor Strange calling the demon out for a duel to the death. It seems the next issue will be dealing with that. In all reality, this issue isn't terrible. I think the comics I was reading around it were just so good that it was lost on me a little bit. Give it a shot yourself and let me know what you think, but as of now,  I am close to dropping this title (even though I know there is a new creative team starting soon).

Gambit #5

Writer: James Asmus
Pencils: Diogenes Neves
Inker: Allen Martinez
Colors: Rachelle Rosenberg
Letterer: Cory Petit
Publisher: Marvel Comics (Dan Buckley)
Price: $2.99
Release Date: November 15th, 2012

"Under-Dressed and Under Duress"

Man do I love the title of this issue. Word play makes me happy. Anyhow, we last left Remy sitting in a limo with guns pointed at his face. Things didn't look too good for him and it seems that things aren't. He is now stuck working for the man he stole from, Cich, and has no real escape.

There are moments in this issue when you can see how much Remy has changed since the old days. He doesn't want any bystanders to get hurt, he is trying to protect everyone and he just wants to get back home. Regardless of these changes, he is still such an incredible thief and fighter that he can be successful at everything. I also want to say how much I am loving how Asmus is using Remy's powers in this book. It isn't all about charging things for explosions. There is a moment in this issue where he charges a keypad to see the punch code because organics don't charge and fingerprints are bacteria. It was amazing...

By the end of this issue Remy is not in any better of a place, actually at one point he is falling from an airplane about to die...not great for him. He is also heading to his next forced mission from Cich to MI13...headed up by Director Wisdom...you know...Pete Wisdom who can absorb heat to fight...which will be hard for our hand to hand combat Remy to take on. 

This first arc has been nothing short of shockingly good. I am impressed with Asmus and find myself waiting anxiously for the next issue. It is about time Gambit got a good series.

Wolverine and the X-Men #20

Writer: Jason Aaron
Art: Steve Sanders
Colorist: Frank D'Armata
Letterer: Joe Caramagna
Publisher: Marvel Comics (Dan Buckley)
Price: $3.99
Release Date: November 14th, 2012

"The Search for Something New"

There is no major surprise that this comic is also starting to deal with new mutants appearing around the world and with the X-Men trying to help them by offering them a place at the Jean Grey School. In this issue we meet...well I guess you can call her Shark Girl? Angel is now running around for the school to help recruit because he feels he is the best to do it being their first graduate. We also learn a little about his own new power which seems to be slowly killing him...funny how all of the "original" X-Men have something going wrong eh?

Anyhow, Shark Girl isn't a huge fan at the idea of going to a school and the appearance of Mystique and Silver Samurai doesn't exactly help. I am trying to figure out whose side Mystique is on...is she with Scott or is she working with Sinister or even just by herself to collect mutants? It is sure to come up in the near future.

I don't want to get too into the details of the fight or who gets Shark Girl in the end but the fight is incredibly enjoyable to see and there are plenty of jokes mixed in. Angel is getting pretty impressive.... Anyhow, this is a standard Wolverine and the X-Men book. If you like Aaron's writing, this is worth the read. To me this comic, along with All-New X-Men, is getting me excited to see what new mutants are coming and if the world is going to crumble with them.

X-Men Legacy #1

Writer: Simon Spurrier
Penciler: Tan Eng Huat
Inker: Craig Yeung
Colorist: Jose Villarrubia
Letterer: Cory Petit
Publisher: Marvel Comics (Dan Buckley)
Price: $2.99
Release Date: November 14th, 2012

"Prodigal"

Before I even jump into the comic's story I have to make a comment about the art. I was a little shaky out the gate but have come to find that the watercolor-esque style of the book was insanely fitting for such an unbalanced character. I feel that the art wasn't super focused also showed how unfocused the new lead character for this book, Legion aka David Haller aka Charles Xavier's son, truly is. 

Going into this I had no idea what had happened to David considering I stopped reading comics for such a long time and the last I knew he was dealing with his powers. It seems that his dad dropped him off somewhere in Himalayan India where he is with others that have problems. For those of you who don't remember David's power set...well that is because it is kind of crazy. He has multiple personalities poured into his head, each of which has their own superpowers which makes him crazy powerful and crazy insane. I think that this combination could make for one crazy series.

On that, because David is insane the comic is written that way. If I read it correctly, I think that the incredibly watercolor moments take place in his mind where he is holding back all of his other personalities and powers while the other part is the real world. He loses his stability a bit toward the end of the issue due to his connection with his father and seeing him get killed and he wipes the floor with everyone around him. The issue ends with him standing in a crater waiting for the X-Men to come from him while in his brain everything seems to be in shambles.

If I followed everything correctly after my second read through, which I think I did, this comic has potential to be AMAZING. It is always fun to read a comic where the lead is unstable...I can't wait to see what Spurrier does with issue 2 later this month.

All-New X-Men #1

Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Pencils: Stuart Immonen
Inker: Wade Von Grawbadger
Colorist: Marte Gracia
Letterer: Cory Petit
Publisher: Marvel Comics (Dan Buckley)
Price: $3.99
Release Date: November 14th, 2012

I have been excited for this title ever since it was announced but I wasn't certain how they were going to do it. Matter of fact, I am still not 100% certain what the title is going to contain but so far it is worth the wait. For the first time in a long time we are getting some focus on Hank McCoy and his mutations. He has grown worried that he is going to die and he wants to try to fix things before he passes away (if he will...this is Marvel after all). Not only are we seeing Beast struggle with his mutation but we are getting the transition of new mutants just discovering their mutations. It is also painfully clear that there are two recruiting groups for these new mutants which is very reminiscent of the old days with Magneto going around trying to form his team opposite of the X-Men.

The second group collecting mutants (other than our normal X-Men of course) are the outlaws from AvX: Magneto, Emma Frost and of course Cyclops. They have a different idea as to what the need for mutants are now and how to go about it. The other X-Men are not happy with what their old friend Scott is doing but are not surprised at the other two considering their pasts. They feel that there is something they need to do to stop them and get Scott back on the right path.

Beast seems to think that going into the past and grabbing the original team of X-Men (Beast, Angel, Jean Grey, Ice Man and Cyclops) and bringing them to the future to slap some sense into current Scott Summers will do the trick. Bendis also threw in the fact that Charles Xavier, if he knew about this plan, would wipe the minds of the team so that they would never remember what happened if he knew about the plan. I think Bendis threw that in so that there was no question about the timeline getting messed up because Xavier can just reset their minds.

I am really liking this direction for the X-Men. If you have ever been a fan of the mutant books and have recently started to fall off, I think this may be a good place to give it one more go. I can't recommend this book more. It is a very strong start to what I hope is a very good and long run of X-Men. This even recharged my desire for Uncanny X-Men in February...that is saying a lot.

Weekly Pulls for 11/14/2012

Greetings my readers! It is that time of the week again for me to just muse over all things comics and discuss my pulls for the week. First I want to mention some general housekeeping. It seems that I have recently found myself a comment troll who is just being smarmy and annoying so I was forced to put comment moderation back onto my blog. This is really going to have little effect to those of you who write good comments and for anyone who has written comments know I am very fast to respond if it is something that needs responding to. I will be just as diligent at moderating comments, I am just not in the mood to have to constantly delete stupidity from my blog.

Now that the annoying part is taken care of because I truly do like being honest with my readers, it is time for the stuff that you guys actually care about, comics! Marvel NOW is in full swing and we are getting new titles every week now. Just this week we got All-New X-Men, X-Men Legacy, Thor God of Thunder, and Fantastic Four. That is four new titles in ONE WEEK! Pretty crazy right? I think the crazy part is that they were (for the most part) all good comics. I was a bit apprehensive about this whole Marvel NOW thing when it was announced and was trying to keep my excitement calm (which I failed at) but I feel that my excitement is now warranted. I do want to mention again that I am only going to review on my blog the comics that I obtain physical copies of (stuff that I write down on my pull list) but I am reading EVERYTHING Marvel NOW related. If you have any questions about titles that I am not discussing on the blog, feel free to leave a comment or ask me on Twitter about the issue and I will tell you if it is any good.

I suppose that leads to what is actually on my pull list. I will be cutting a few things from it soon. I am debating dropping the Avengers titles once they go to #1's as physical comics which would save me $20+ a month. Comics are an expensive venture, especially when you are grabbing at least seven books a week. Here are this week's seven:

All-New X-Men #1
X-Men Legacy #1
Wolverine and the X-Men #20
Gambit #5
The New Avengers #33 (End Times Part 3)
Venom #27 (Minimum Carnage Part 5)
Amazing Spider-Man #697

As I said, seven books a week! I am really enjoying the stuff that I am reading for the most part but I guess I will get into that more in the reviews. Until then, happy reading my friends and don't be strangers! I really do love talking to my readers and am excited to discuss more Marvel NOW!

Scarlet Spider #11

Writer: Chris Yost
Pencils: Reilly Brown and Khoi Pham
Inks: Tom Palmer
Colors: Edgar Delgado
Letters: Joe Caramagna
Publisher: Marvel Comics (Dan Buckley)
Price: $2.99
Release Date: November 07, 2012

"Minimum Carnage Part 4: Kill Carnage"

FINALLY a decent Carnage fight in this series. I was waiting for it and there looks like there are more to come. I love how gritty and violent Kaine and Flash are being forced to be during this. I have to admit, the first couple issues had me worried but this issue is really relieving that feeling. There is obviously a lot going on and it is so good to see two of my favorite heroes stuck in the middle of it.

In this issue we finally get to meet the guy who is trying to control Carnage and the man whole feels he can kill God. We also learn a bit more about the Microverse, important things...you know...like if it gets destroyed so does the world that surrounds it (our universe). It seems that Kaine and Flash's job is a lot more important than they originally thought.

The final page of this issue shows how serious and out of control this series is going to end up. I am expecting a lot of fighting, a lot of violence and at least one major decision happening in the next issue of Venom. I would be lying if I said I wasn't pretty excited to see how this thing ties together in the next couple of weeks.

New Avengers #32

Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Pencils: Carlos Pachelco
Inks: Roger Martinez with Cam Smith and Scott Hanna
Color: Rain Beredo
Letters: Joe Caramagna
Publisher: Marvel Comics (Dan Buckley)
Price: $3.99
Release Date: November 07, 2012

"End Times: Part 2"

We left the New Avengers off with someone possessed and Doctor Strange nervous about what was going on. It seems he had an incredibly good reason for being concerned. Daniel Drumm (aka Brother Voodoo) is trying to get revenge for his brother's death and is doing it by killing anyone linked to the spiritual world. Of course this will directly influence Doctor Strange and causes the New Avengers to be caught in the middle.

There just seems to be a lot of cases of being at the wrong place at the wrong time for our heroes during this issue and it obviously stinks. Doctor Strange is trying to get away from everyone and take care of things himself. By the end of the issue it seems that he is in over his head.

I am not certain how to feel about this "End Times" arc. I am not liking it as much as The Avengers version of it but am definitely interested. I am still trying to figure out why after Luke Cage supposedly left the New Avengers he is still hanging out in the mansion with his wife and kid.

Oh well, this arc is coming to a close and we will see a new start for this team soon and maybe even new members for the team. They are teasing that someone is going to die...I wonder who? That alone is enough to keep me reading.

Deadpool #1

Writers: Gerry Duggan and Brian Posehn
Art: Tony Moore
Colors: Val Staples
Letters: Joe Sabino
Publisher: Marvel Comics (Dan Buckley)
Price: $2.99
Release Date: November 07, 2012

"In Wade We Trust"

Oh boy...comedians writing Deadpool. I should have known that insanity would soon follow, and it did. Some crazy guy decided that America's government was going down the pooper so he decides to bring the great leaders of America back from the dead. That's right, there are basically ghostly zombie versions of George Washington, Harry Truman, Ab Lincoln and the rest of those guys that we respect as a country that are NOT happy with the way things are going and have decided to start things over...by destroying what is already here.

S.H.I.E.L.D. has decided that if they or any of their superheroes do the deed of destroying these great men they will be shunned and never trusted again. So they decide to find someone that is not connected to them and doesn't really care about anything other than money to do the job for them; enter Deadpool.

There are so many puns, so many great jokes and a good amount of action in this book that it is impossible not to like. I argued with myself about buying this title because I have never invested in a Deadpool book and am already reading so much but I do not regret my decision. I laughed out loud multiple times. If you want a book that is meant to be funny and actually is, buy this. So far, this has been my favorite Marvel NOW! title, which is sad to say. Uncanny Avengers better pick up the pace!

Avenging Spider-Man #14

Writer: Cullen Bunn
Art: Gabriele Dell'otto
Colorist: Dommo Aymara
Letterer: Joe Caramagna
Publisher: Marvel Comics (Dan Buckley)
Price: $3.99
Release Date: November 07, 2012

This team up book is so much fun to read. I like that it doesn't really connect to anything else too frequently and I can read it for fun. This month's issue was full of amazingly beautiful art put together by Gabriele Dell'otto, so applause there. If you follow me on twitter I took a picture of a great spread of Spidey fighting raptors...yup, the dinosaurs.

This issue is the first part of Spidey in the Savage Land. He is teaming up with Devil Dinosaur and Moon-Boy to help them protect their land that is being taken over by genetically enhanced dinosaurs. Obviously someone who is up to no good is doing this and they have to figure out together how to stop him. OR they can just charge in and beat whoever it is up. It seems the latter will happen but we wont get to see the results until the next issue.

If you enjoy fun little side stories, this is definitely the title for you. I have read all 14 issues and am rarely disappointed. There was a brief moment in there (two issues in a row) that weren't super great but over all two out of 14 comics is not too shabby. Enjoy watching Spidey kick in some Dino-face!

AvX: Consequences #5

Script: Kieron Gillen
Art: Gabriel Hernandez Walta
Colors: Jim Charalampidis
Letters: Clayton Cowles
Publisher: Marvel Comics (Dan Buckley)
Price: $3.99
Release Date: November 07, 2012


Shhhhhhh. Do you hear that? That is the door closing on an event that Marvel milked to its fullest extent. That said, this issue was by far the best out of the group even if the art was a little odd for my taste.

Now,  I am not saying that his issue wasn't predictable, because it was. I am just saying that it is a decent place to close a door and open a new one to the X-Men titles of the future. It was announced recently that Uncanny X-Men will be starting again in February with Scott Summer, Magneto, Magik and Emma Frost as the team. I am interested to see where it goes especially since it will pair with All-New X-Men that is starting this month.

Obviously, this issue and series is just setting up the world of Marvel NOW! and I am glad that AvX is finally over. Not only was it a lot to read and purchase, but I was getting tired of updating my reading order which is now complete. Regardless of all of that, if you have invested the time and money that I have into this event, you should pick up this final issue. It shows where a lot of the key players ended up and will show you where the new X-books are going to be headed. Let's just hope that the direction they are headed are as exciting as they seem to be.

Avengers Academy #39

Writer: Christos Gage
Penciler: Tom Grummett
Inker: Cory Hamscher
Colorist: Chris Sotomayor
LettererL Joe Caramagna
Publisher: Marvel Comics (Dan Buckley)
Price: $2.99
Release Date: November 07, 2012

"Commencement"

This is truly the final issue of Avengers Academy and I liked it. I said a couple months ago that I wasn't attached to any of these characters and could care less about this title but that has changed. I am starting to really like a few of them and am glad to know that I will follow them to Avengers Arena whatever that is going to end up being or however long that lasts.

Anyhow, this is the next step for our young people. They have found out that they were originally kept at Avengers Academy to be watched because they may be dangerous but they learn that they are truly the Avengers of the future. They are going to start being able to go out on missions with veteran heroes and learn more about what their futures hold. 

This issue dealt with, more than anything, relationships. There were levels of closure between different members of the team as well as new relationships beginning. The one thing that has to be mentioned is that Veil, who is powered down, is no longer with the team and is back at a normal high school after all of this. She is a minor and so can't be a part of the Avengers because it is too dangerous. There is a nice moment showing that she is able to take care of herself now. 

There is a lot of warmth at the end of this issue but I have one glaring question: What is Finesse up to? I have a bad feeling she is going to be a major cause of Avengers Arena but I am not certain. Maybe someone can help me out here. 

Anyhow, if you have enjoyed Avengers Academy, read this book. This is the last one, so enjoy it.

Avengers Vs. X-Men Reading Order

This is the final CHRONOLOGICAL reading order for Avengers vs X-Men in my opinion. I have spent a lot of time compiling this and appreciate everyone's support. I recently re-read the whole event and this seems to flow incredibly well. If you feel something is off, feel free to let me know but once again, this is in chronological order, as in the order that events happen. I know there are issues out of numerical order, that doesn't matter. Marvel sort of threw us all over the place while putting this event together. If you read it like this, I completely stand behind the idea that you will enjoy it a lot more. Happy reading my friends and feel free to click the links on issues to see how I felt about specific moments.

Preliminary Reading

000 Marvel Point One #1
001 Avengers X-Sanction #1
002 Avengers X-Sanction #2
003 Avengers X-Sanction #3
004 Avengers X-Sanction #4
005 Avengers #24.1

Rounds 0-2: The Appearance of the Phoenix

006 Avengers vs. X-Men #0
007 Avengers vs. X-Men #1
008 Wolverine and the X-Men #9
009 New Avengers #24
010 Avengers vs. X-Men #2
011 Avengers #25
012 AvX: Versus #1 (Iron Man vs. Magneto; The Thing vs. Namor)
013 Uncanny X-Men #11

Round 3: The Separation of Powers and Prisoners of War

014 Avengers vs. X-Men #3
015 Avengers Academy # 29
016 Avengers Academy #30
017 Avengers Academy #31
018 Wolverine and the X-Men #10
019 X-Men Legacy #266
020 X-Men Legacy #267

Interlude I: Fighting the Phoenix in Deep Space

021 Secret Avengers #26
022 Secret Avengers #27
023 Secret Avengers #28
024 Avengers #26
025 Avengers #27

Round 4: The Search for Hope

026 Avengers vs. X-Men #4
027 AvX: Versus #5 (Hawkeye vs Angel; Black Panther vs Storm)
028 AvX: Versus #2 (Captain America vs. Gambit; Spider-Man vs. Colossus)
029 Uncanny X-Men #12
030 Wolverine and the X-Men #11

Round 5: The Phoenix is Now Five

031 Avengers vs. X-Men #5
032 Uncanny X-Men #13
033 AvX: Versus #3 (The Thing Vs. Colossus; Black Widow vs. Magik)
034 X-Men Legacy #268
035 Avengers Academy #32
036 Avengers Academy #33 
037Uncanny X-Men #14

Round 6: Pax Utopia

038 Avengers vs. X-Men #6
039 New Avengers #25
040 New Avengers #26 (The Phoenix Prophecy)
041 Avengers #28
042 Uncanny X-Men #15 
043 Uncanny X-Men #16
044 Uncanny X-Men #17  
                   

Round 7: No More Avengers

045 Avengers vs. X-Men #7
046 AvX: Versus #4 (Daredevil Vs. Psylocke; Thor Vs. Emma Frost)
047 New Avengers #28
048 New Avengers #29 
049 Avengers #29
050 Wolverine and the X-Men #12 
051 Wolverine and the X-Men #13

Round 8: The Fall of Wakanda

052 Avengers vs. X-Men #8
053 New Avengers #27 (The Phoenix Prophecy)
054 X-Men Legacy #269
055 X-Men Legacy #270
056 Wolverine and the X-Men #14 

Round 9: The Fall of the Phoenix

057 Avengers vs X-Men #9

Round 10: The Beginning of the End

058 Avengers vs X-Men #10 
059 Wolverine and the X-Men #15
060 Wolverine and the X-Men #16          

Round 11: The Inevitable Dark Phoenix 

061 Avengers vs X-Men #11                   
062 Uncanny X-Men #18

Round 12: Endgame               

063 Avengers vs X-Men #12 
064 Uncanny X-Men #19
065 Avengers vs X-Men Versus #6: Hope vs Scarlet Witch (and others)
066 New Avengers #30 
067 Avengers #30
068 Wolverine and the X-Men #18

Epilogue 

069 Uncanny X-Men #20
070 AvX: Consequences #1  
071 AvX: Consequences #2
072 AvX: Consequences #3
073 AvX: Consequences #4
074 AvX: Consequences #5 
075 AvX: A-Babies vs X-Babies #1

Avengers #33

Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Pencils: Terry Dodson
Inks: Rachel Dodson
Colors: Jason Keith
Letters: Cory Petit
Publisher: Marvel Comics (Dan Buckley)
Price: $3.99
Release Date: November 07, 2012

"End Times: Part 2"

So by now, if you are reading this title and care, you should know that Janet Van Dyne was the mysterious woman trapped within the Microverse. I had to spill the beans simply because she is a focal point in this "End Times" arc and it may get a little difficult to say a lot without dropping her name.

So, if you remember, Hank Pym, Iron Man, Captain America and Thor entered the Microverse to go after a distress signal that they received and found Janet there. Of course Janet was trying to get home but it seems she made enemies in the process. Specifically, she seems to have pissed off a guy named Lord Gouzar who is in control of wherever they are in the Microverse. He is definitely not happy she is running around and does a pretty decent job beating the heroes into the ground.

One of the most interesting parts, to me, was that the Pym Particles don't work quite right in the Microverse. I hope they visit this a bit more in the next (and final) issue of this arc. To quickly sum up this book, Janet is fun to have around, Iron Man is a badass and Thor...well his hammer can do a lot of damage. I guess I should mention the Lord Gouzar seems to have a bit of umph to him as well.

In all reality, I enjoyed this issue A LOT more than the previous entry. I am looking forward to seeing how The Avengers are going to get out of the Microverse and how exactly it is going to transition into the Marvel NOW! issue #1 that is coming. It is hard to believe that I was not into any Avengers titles and now I am reading most of them. Oh well, I am never mad about finding more good comics to read.

Weekly pulls for 11/07/2012

Well it has finally begun, we are starting to see Marvel NOW! pour onto the shelves and it is time to see if people should jump off of Marvel or jump on. I have to admit that I am still on the fence about Marvel NOW! The things that I have read (A+X, Deadpool and Uncanny Avengers) have not been terrible and I have hopes for them but it isn't anything too new or in my face. I guess it really depends on what you wanted from the new direction, I am not sure what I wanted or still want.

On the topic of Marvel NOW!, I want to say that I am buying a lot of the comics and the rest I am going to either borrow from friends or have digitally. On my blog, I intend to only review the paper comics that I purchase myself unless a specific digital comic really stands out for me to stop from being overwhelmed writing my weekly posts. I am currently averaging between 6-7 comics a week and if I added everything, well, I wouldn't get any of my real job done. I do currently have Marvel NOW!: Point 1 and Iron Man #1 waiting to be read and it will help me make bigger decisions on Marvel NOW! but if they aren't too impressive don't expect to hear anything else about them here.

On another note, I am being much more active on my twitter account these days (@philthec) and have come to another revelation. I am no longer writing Amazing Spider-Man classic blogs. I will update cool things that happen through my twitter account with random comments and pictures. I feel bad cutting back on these things that I thought were originally cool, but as I said earlier, my other job is getting much more demanding and it is getting harder for me to find time to write these blogs. I love writing them and have no desire to quit, I just need to cut back.

Now that I have all of that out of the way, I suppose I should address the thing that is the title of this blog entry. My pulls for this week were seven strong once again:

Avengers #33 (End Times part 2)
Avengers Academy#39 (Series Finale!)
AvX: Consequences #5 (THE FINAL ISSUE OF AVX!!!!)
Avenging Spider-Man #14 (Spidey in the Savage Land)
Deadpool #1 (Marvel NOW!)
New Avengers #32 (End Times part 2)
Scarlet Spider #11 (Minimum Carnage part 4)

As you can see, two final issues and a new comic grace this week's list. I have to admit, I really enjoyed my pulls for this week but I'll get to that in my reviews. Until then, happy reading everyone and please continue to leave comments. I love hearing back from the people that read my blog. I have been seeing more twitter followers and new people commenting on my post every week. It makes me smile and reminds me why I do this and how much other people love comics as well.

X-Men Legacy #275

Writer: Christos Gage
Penciler: David Baldeon
Inker: Jordi Tarragona
Colorist: Rachelle Rosenberg
Letterer: Cory Petit
Publisher: Marvel Comics (Dan Buckley)
Price: $2.99
Release Date: October 31st, 2012

The cover of this issue boasts that it is the final issue but I think that is a bit of a misdirection considering the new #1 comes out in November. Oh well, I enjoy legacy for the most part and I really hope that when it starts following Legion it will be as good.

As for this issue, it felt to me as if it were the final moment of growth for Rogue. She goes on a mission with Mimic and shows him how it is possible to control powers like theirs. She absorbs many people and still keeps her mind together. She quickly balances the new abilities and becomes a powerhouse with control that you wouldn't expect of the Rogue we met many years ago. She is actually an inspiration for Mimic to become a better hero.

There is a lot of talk about getting to the point that you are happy and in control. Rogue claims that she hasn't gotten there because she doesn't think there is a "there". It is fitting that she is a teacher at Wolverine's school. I actually like her final little speech: "You're always learning about yourself. Always getting better. Working not to make new mistakes or slip back into old ones. It's called life."

I think that last bit sums up a lot of things for Rogue, for mutants and for all of us. It does feel like a good place to take the focus off of Rogue and move it on to another mutant who doesn't have their stuff together quite as well. I applaud Christos Gage's "ending" to this title. It is time for a new beginning, it is time for Legion. 

Wolverine and the X-Men #19

Writer: Jason Aaron
Penciler: Nick Bradshaw
Inker: Walden Wong
Colorist: Laura Martin
Letterer: Chris Eliopoulos
Publisher: Marvel Comics (Dan Buckley)
Price: $3.99
Release Date: October 31st, 2012

"More Pencils, More Books, More Teachers' Dirty Looks"

There is a lot going on at the Jean Grey School for Higher Learning these days. They need a new professor, they are getting A LOT more students and they are trying to save the life of one of their recently shot in the head students. I truly feel bad for Kitty Pride who, with all of her energy, is trying to keep the school functioning for her kids.

Many jokes are dispersed in this issue of who could be the new possible professor at the school. The cameos are out of the world! You have Blade, Hellstrom, Sasquatch and Puck, Longshot, Dr. Nemesis, Gorilla-Man, Ghost Rider, Deadpool, Firestar, Deadpool, Spider-Man and more. Don't get too excited though, none of those guys got the job. Someone not super surprising did but you'll have to read to see that.

On the serious end it seems a dark circus is on their way into town and of course it will be up to the members of the X-Men to take care of them. Not only that, but the Hellfire Club is up to some dark stuff. They sent Wolverine on a wild goose chase only to find something truly disturbing.

I have said this before, but if you are wanting to read an X-book, this one seems to be the current winner. There is a lot of good going on in it and even if you aren't a huge Wolverine fan, you will be surprised on how much the other characters get focused on instead of him. Marvel NOW! is still up in the air for me but this is definitely a title that has a long standing place on my pull list.

Ultimate Comics Spider-Man 16.1

Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Art: David Marquez
Colors: Justin Ponsor
Lettering: Cory Petit
Publisher: Marvel Comics (Dan Buckley)
Price: $2.99
Release Date: October 31st, 2012

As far as .1 issues go, this one was pretty good. It focuses on Betty Brant who is trying to uncover the identity of the new Spider-Man. She is running on the assumption that he has something to do with The Prowler due to the video taken of his death where he told Spidey that he was just like him. It seems Betty is not a terrible reporter.

Using her reporting skills (that has to be a super-power) she is able to get into The Prowler's old apartment and finds the spider that bit Miles. With this she is able to contact someone who worked at OzCorp and learned exactly what the purpose of the spider was. She was so close to figuring it out but ends up fingering Miles' father instead of him.

Finally, we are reminded that in the universe J. Jonah Jameson is the opposite. He isn't out to get Spider-Man, he thinks he is a hero. He doesn't want to ruin anyone's life and he refuses to run Betty's story. Granted her end result was wrong but it would have gotten the world one step closer to finding out the true identity of the new Spider-Man.

Oh...did I mention Venom shows up? Yeah...that happened. It seems there is a lot going on in the upcoming issues of Ultimate Comics Spider-Man and I am excited!

Avenging Spider-Man Annual #1

Writer: Rob Williams
Pencils: Brad Walker
Inker: John Livesay
Colors: Chris Sotomayor
Letterer: Joe Caramagna
Publisher: Marvel Comics (Dan Buckley)
Price: $4.99
Release Date: October 31st, 2012

Oh how quickly the day-to-day lives of superheroes go to crap. This issue of Avenging Spider-Man focused on that concept. The Thing is babysitting his niece and nephew while Spider-Man is just trying to get across town without wasting his always expensive web-fluid. While this is happening, two brothers dig up an alien artifact in Central Park that has the ability to make everyone around them fight and be angry with one another.

These two guys (mostly one of them) tries to sell this artifact to a big time criminal called the Top Dog while it is still turned on causing The Thing and Spider-Man, who ran into one another, to fight each other. The Thing seems to be a tad upset that Spidey still owed him $30 from a poker game a little while ago.

Of course it can't end that way and stuff happens that makes everything turn out okay (notably something that makes the Thing give Spidey a BIIIIIIIIIIIIIIG kiss) and the heroes part ways. The issue was pretty silly actually. There was no huge issue, just two superheroes interacting with a few jokes within. It was pretty standard for an annual, especially one for a comic that already have very small pull on the overall storyline of Spider-Man.

AvX: Consequences #4

Script: Kieron Gillen
Pencils: Mark Brooks
Inks: Mark Brooks & Andrew Hennessy
Colors: Jim Charalampidis
Letters: Clayton Cowles
Publisher: Marvel Comics (Dan Buckley)
Price: $3.99
Release Date: October 31st, 2012

These final issues of AvX are dwindling down and I have to admit that this post-event issue was pretty decent. Granted, I am not saying it is the best comic I have ever read or that this couldn't have been easily combined with last week's issue; but I am saying that it was worth the read ESPECIALLY if you intend to continue reading mutant books heading into Marvel NOW!

You see Ms. Brand talking to Magneto, showing that the outlaws have an inside person at the Avengers. There is an interaction between Hope and Namor that shows that he wasn't super happy with what happened to him when he was a member of the Phoenix Five. Colossus...well I am worried about him. I normally love him but it seems the Phoenix Five and Magik really broke him. He wants nothing to do with anyone and just seems more angry than ever.

The big part is what is happening with Magneto and Magik. I mentioned in my review of the last issue that Cyclops was communicating with someone with something dumped on the floor of his cell. With a re-read of issue #3 and one of my friends pointing it out, the substance was metal shavings and it become obvious the people (not person) he was talking to were Magneto and Magik. It looks as if there may be some new super-villains appearing in the Marvel Universe...well not new...but...you know.

As I said, this issue was the best of the bunch so far and I am actually looking forward to the final issue, #5, this week. It is good to see the event come to a close.

A+X #1

Captain America + Cable
Writer: Dan Slott
Penciler: Ron Garney
Inker: Danny Miki, Cam Smith and Mark Morales
Colorist: Wil Quintana
Letterer: Clayton Cowles

The Incredible Hulk + Wolverine
Writer: Heph Loeb
Penciler: Dale Keown
Inker: danny Miki
Colorist: Frank D'Armata
Letterer: Albert Deschesne
Publisher: Marvel Comics (Dan Buckley)
Price: $3.99
Release Date: October 31st, 2012

This comic has much of the same vibe as AvX: Versus which comes as no surprise. It contains short stories that are team ups of Avengers and X-Men. The thing that kind of surprised me is that they are in strange time frames.

To start with, the "Captain America + Cable" story takes place in 1943 where Cap is trying to stop Trask who is building Sentinels for the Nazis. Sort of a strange premise but it allows Cable to burst through the time line to stop him. There are the normal cliches between the two lead characters, namely Cap saying that Cable told him that they won the war simply because he spoke English. Yeah...haven't heard that before Slott. But all in all I enjoy watching Cable blow stuff up and he did speak a little German before he went into his portal dragging the displaced Trask along. Not a terrible story but not super great.

The "The Incredible Hulk + Wolverine" story wasn't too impressive to me either. Hulk and Wolverine start by arguing over a piece of cake. Yeah...cake. Suddenly future versions of themselves appear and fight them stating that they have to kill someone else. The present day Wolvie and Hulk fight them off only to end with a cliffhanger...with Red Hulk. I don't know, it felt a bit ridiculous.

At this point I am not super impressed with this title but have high hopes still. We shall see.

Weekly pulls for 10/31/12

So it seems that Saturday morning is the time for posts these days. I am not sure what happened in my personal life but man have I gotten busy. Matter of fact, I will be lucky if I can actually get all of my posts up today at all and for that I apologize. I also took some time this week to re-read the whole Avengers vs X-Men event...including tie-ins. I guess it took about a week and a half but still, that is a lot of reading. I want to tell everyone that my reading order seems to stand strong. There was only one issue I was a little iffy about but it really seems to fit best where I put it.

In other news, it seems that Marvel NOW! is jumping off with a few issues and so far I am still very meh about the titles. I am hoping after I get a little further into them they will get better. Also, I saw an announcement yesterday for ANOTHER "Uncanny" title...which everyone is guessing is ANOTHER rehash of Uncanny X-Men written by Brian Michael Bendis. I have to say I am not surprised but my excitement for that title is waning. I am not even sure if I have enough space on my pull list for it when it hits in February and that is of course if it is even Uncanny X-Men and isn't something insane like Uncanny New Mutants....

Other things to note, I am back to reading my complete run of Amazing Spider-Man but just finished issue 98 last night so don't expect a review until later in the week after I have read issue 100. I need to space those babies out so I don't have too many posts every week, I can't keep up!

I suppose I should get to the main purpose of this post, the pull list of the week:

A+X #1 (This is the meh Marvel NOW! title)
AvX: Consequences #4 (Getting better)
Avenging Spider-Man Annual #1 (The Thing!)
Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #16.1 (Here come the .1 issues)
Wolverine and the X-Men#19 (Marvel NOW! title...still good)
X-Men Legacy #275 (Final issue...until next month...where there is a new #1...oye)

Not a bad pull list but as I have said before, I am glad October is over. There were so many one-shots, endings to mini-series, beginnings of mini-series, .1s, annuals and anything else you could imagine to take my normal pull list to nearly double status. I am hoping that November will be better to me with titles ending, AvX being over which will allow me to start dropping some titles if I feel fit and will also allow me to wet my feet in some new things. My reviews of these comics will follow but until then my friends, happy reading.