X-Men Legacy #12

Writer: Simon Spurrier
Breakdowns: Paul Davidson
Finishes: Jay Leisten
Colorist: Cris Peter
Letterer: Cory Petit
Price: $2.99
Release Date: June 19th, 2013

"Invasive Exotic Part Three"

It is no secret that this has been one of my favorite titles over the past year. Simon Spurrier is making me love characters that have no reason to spark much interest in me. This issue continues to show me why I love this book so much.

We left off with David about to take a pill to basically put him in a comatose state so that he can't use his powers which is offered to him by the Institute of Bio-Social Studies (I.B.S.S.)which we found out last issue was run by Red Skull. Spurrier led us to believe that David wanted to go through with this no matter what to stop the future that he saw and chance having to kill the girl that he has fallen in love with, Ruth (Blindfold).

It ends up, David had no plan of taking the pill and he actually planned for the rescue that Ruth was putting together for him. His overall mission was to take down  the I.B.S.S. by allowing himself to be televised taking the pill (while not actually taking it) and using Santi Sardina to be there to take credit for everything that happened. If you don't remember, Santi's super power is to take credit for everything. After the team accidentally killed the crippled figure head of the I.B.S.S., Santi's presence confuses watchers so much that no one cares and hates mutants less overall.

The battle that ensues between the X-Men (David included) and Red Skull is great. We get a little more of David's internal struggle and he pays back the debt to his inner power that he had fallen into in previous issues. It all ties together neatly in the end, giving hope to Ruth and David's relationship and showing that he is regaining power of himself.

Twelve issues in and I am still impressed. Spurrier so easily throws me off of the scent of his story and yet keeps me so interested that it is impossible to put down. I crave this book monthly and honestly wish it came out twice a month. I know that is asking for a lot and I would hate to see the quality drop due to that; so for now, I will enjoy this book as I get it and I hope to see it never end.

Uncanny Avengers #9

Writer: Rick Remender
Aritst: Daniel Acuna
Letterer: Chris Eliopoulos
Price: $3.99
Release Date: June 19th, 2013

Okay, so someone stop me if I am wrong. The Apocalypse Twins are not with Kang anymore and are trying to rebel against him? To do this they are trying to wipe the planet of all life other than mutants and are making sorts of unorthodox choices while building their army. I think I finally have that part under control. If not, I am completely lost on that side of things. I am excited to finally see the four horsemen, even if I am uncertain if the choices that were made were the right ones.

As for the hero side of things, I am not surprised that there is so much resistance between the mutants and non-mutants. There has not been enough of a chance for anyone to gain real trust with one another and Wolverine is making it insanely hard for the Avengers to trust him. The reason there is it is now common knowledge what Wolverine did to Warren and Kid Apocalypse during his stint with X-Force. The schism within this team should build some interesting moments in the near future. I do like that Thor sided with Wolverine while the only mutants that stayed on the Avenger side were Scarlet Witch (no surprise there) and Alex.

Now that my confusion is starting to subside and that there are relationships forming within the team I am starting to get back into this title. I have said before that I will stick around for a while just because I like Remender and it is proving worthwhile so far. I am still concerned that there are a lot of little stories going on and I am not sure how they are all going to connect. With Red Skull out there, the tease for Onslaught and the Apocalypse Twins there is plenty of badness on its way. I just hope that I don't get lost on the journey.

Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #24

Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Art: Dave Marquez
Colors: Justin Ponsor
Lettering: Cory Petit
Price: $3.99
Release Date: June 19th, 2013

"Spider-Man No More: Cloak and Dagger vs Bombshell"

Have I mentioned how much I love this title? Considering this book is Bendis' baby there is no surprise that he puts a lot of love and care into all of the characters he brings in. This issue is no exception. At the end of issue #23 we were introduced to Cloak and Dagger in the Ultimate Universe. The beauty of the Ultimate Universe is that you are never certain as to if the characters got their powers the same way or even if they are good or bad guys. Bendis really leaves no question here.

The book focuses heavily on the creation of Cloak and Dagger and very lightly on Miles. I do not have a problem with that considering how intrigued I was that they were being brought into the story. Bendis takes us back to the moment that Ty Johnson (Cloak) and Tandy Bowen (Dagger) meet a year previous. We get to see the accident that put them under the care of Roxxon and ultimately how they got their powers. It is dark, terrible and makes me hate Roxxon even more than I did before.

On the Miles side of things he informs Gwen that he is no longer Spider-Man and she is not happy with that choice. She makes herself very clear before she and Miles part ways. The issue ends with him holding his mask begging to not have to be Spider-Man anymore.

Seriously, this book can do no wrong. If you are reading anything in the Ultimate Universe, this had better be it.

The Superior Spider-Man #12

Writer: Dan Slott
Script: Christos Gage
Penciler: Giuseppe Camuncoli
Inkers: John Dell & Terry Pallot
Color Art: Antonio Fabela
Letterer: Chris Eliopoulos
Price: $3.99
Release Date: June 19th, 2013

"No Escape Part Two: Lockdown"

A bunch a villains trapped on The Raft with Spider-Man, J. Jonah Jameson and a group of other people is a recipe for a fun couple of issues. Dan Slott is not letting me down. This issue picks up with Smythe breaking free from his death penalty chamber while freeing Scorpion, Vulture and Boomerang after giving them extra powers. Spidey has his hands full.

I think beyond the explosions and punches, there is a lot going on here. Otto is really starting to get his Spider-Man business down pat and even uses his knowledge of being a villain to his benefit. He knows how easily people can be baited (because he had been baited so many times in the future), he knows how quickly arrogance goes to the brain and he knows that Smythe will easily fall for these things.

I am a little concerned that Otto had a spider-bot record Jameson giving him permission to kill Smythe. I am not sure if he wants that there for when he kills the man or if he wants it to hold it against Jameson in the future. On top of that, I am concerned that Otto is letting his anger get to him a bit and that he will too readily ignore innocence to get revenge on his enemies. Lastly, I am intrigued that The Lizard is now free and will more than likely be an ally to Spider-Man before being a foe.

This run of Spider-Man has been so much fun to read because Otto is unpredictable as the web-head. He breaks protocol, he thinks way too far ahead and he has badness inside of him. I really want to see how this plays out because I think it will be a turning point in Otto's life as Spider-Man. Bravo again Slott and Gage, way to keep me reading.

Cable and X-Force #10

Writer: Dennis Hopeless
Artist: Salvador Larroca
Color Artist: Frank D"Armata
Letterer: Joe Sabino
Price: $3.99
Release Date: June 19th, 2013

I am glad to see that we are continuing to get more about what Hope is up to while her father is out there trying to stop visions. I was worried that we would only get one issue with her and then not see her for a while again. I am interested to see where her investigation takes her because it has already got her into some trouble as of this issue.

Cable's team is currently taking some down time to try to get Cable back into one piece (as much as he can be in one piece) and to make a game plan for what to do next. Cable is currently battling with about five visions and is unsure how to handle them. Domino, who is taking almost a second in command, voice of reason role, convinces him to use his teams and break the missions between them all. Sadly, before the group can part ways the Uncanny Avengers pop in and give them some grief.

The fight with the Uncanny Avengers is fun and shows that Cable's team isn't quite as powerful and put together as it should be as of now. Considering the team consists (for the most part) of b-list mutants that rarely have any sort of leading role, this is not surprising. The powerhouse of the team is able to save the group but at the cost of being captured himself.

This book is still very back and forth for me. This issue wasn't bad at all but it still left me wanting a little more. I think the bouncing back and forth between writers is hurting it a little. Oh well, let's see what next month brings.

Age of Ultron #10

Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Artists: Alex Maleev, Bryan Hith & Paul Neary, Butch Guice, Brandon Peterson, Carlos Pacheco & Roger Bonet w/ Tom Palmer, David Marquez, Joe Quesada
Color Artists: Paul Mounts & Richard Isanove
Letterer: Cory Petit
Price: $3.99
Release Date: June 19th, 2013

Finally we get the conclusion to an event that has been a bit short of enjoyable through the duration. Regardless of that, there are some things that are well done in this final issue. This review requires me to use spoilers so if you want to stay away from them until you read it, please stop reading now.

The first thing I liked about this book is that we finally see how Ultron actually came back and started his attack on the Earth. Granted, we are seeing an edited version that Pym and the rest of the Avengers were a bit prepared for but at least we see the before Age of Ultron moment. The handling of Ultron was not surprising considering in earlier issues we already saw a conversation between Pym and Wolverine discussing what they were going to do, so it felt a bit stretched out and not needed to be explained a second time.

I was a little sad to see Ultron go down so quickly. If anything could have been stretched during this event, it could have been that fight. I know a lot of people reading this event was waiting for Ultron and it was a bit sad to see him taken care of in ten pages. I guess the point was that he had to be dealt with quickly, but this story could have been told much more quickly.

The thing that was to shock the whole Marvel Universe was also not surprising. It had been mentioned throughout the last few issues that Wolverine and Sue Storm's bouncing around within the timeline could cause a fracture between universes. So, when the final jump happened I wasn't surprised to see a crack in the timelines. I have to admit, I was happy to get a little tease of Miles Morales standing in front of Galactus but I find it hard to want to read another Age of Ultron book (Hunger) plainly based on my love for Miles.

I also can't forget to mention Angela. They have been teasing that she would be introduced during this event and she was, but it wasn't anything amazing. Shocker, she slipped in through the fractured timelines and is not happy to have been brought in. I just hope that she isn't ridiculous and is actually a good added member to The Guardians of the Galaxy and not a one trick pony.

Overall, this ending wasn't terrible but I feel like a broken record saying that. The whole event was sub-par and predictable. It felt dragged on and just sort of there. If you want to read it, see if you can find a sucker like me who already purchased it. If you can't find someone who did that is willing to lend it to you, wait for the trade, then wait for the trade to drop in price a little. I am sad to say that overall this event was mediocre. I had high hopes. Hopefully Infinity will be better...but I am pretty certain I will take a break from events during that and wait for a trade.

Weekly pulls for 06/19/13

Another week in comics and another choice made. This week I decided to leave A + X on the shelf at my comic shop. As you all know, I have been debating dropping that book now for months but kept clinging to the concept because one, there were some redeeming factors and two, I thought it was a limited title. I learned fairly recently that the book was going to continue on and the stories just kept feeling more and more pointless. As my comic shop owner said, 'There is always a book after an event that gets fans, that one got you." So with very little remorse, A + X has been dropped from my pull list.

Other than that, we finally get the last actual issue of Age of Ultron this week. It was sold in a dust cover, hiding the cover. I am not sure what the marketing purpose of that was. There was nothing surprising on the cover and if people were going to buy book ten, they already made that choice. There was no need for any bells and whistles. It was just a waste of plastic.

So, with my dropping of one book I still had a respectable six comics come into my possession this week:

Age of Ultron #10
Cable and X-Force #10
The Superior Spider-Man #12
Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #24
Uncanny Avengers #9
X-Men Legacy#12

As you can see, it is the normal spattering of mutants and Spider-men. I am trying to figure out some other titles that I can part with so that I can start reading some new stuff and not feel it in my bank account. Hopefully I can make some hard choices in the near future. Oh well, reviews will follow soon. Until then, happy reading comic fans.

Wolverine and the X-Men #31

Writer: Jason Aaron
Pencils: Nick Bradshaw
Inks: Walden Wong
Colorist: Laura Martin
Letterer: Joe Caramagna
Price: $3.99
Release Date: June 12th, 2013

"The Hellfire Saga Part One"

I really don't know about this title anymore. I get the fact that the majority of the characters are supposed to be kids but it feels too playful and bright. The fact that this is supposed to be the Hellfire Club and there are jokes about a mutant named Snot, there are late to class jokes, villains teaching weird classes and just plain school antics leaves me a little less pleased than I thought I would be. I get it that this is the first issue to a five part series, but I wanted more to pull me in.

Now, I am starting to like Quentin Quire more and the fact that the book revolves around him a bit is good but it just wasn't enough for me. Every moment in the school just felt haphazard and pointless. I get that Aaron is trying to show us a darker mutant school to hold against what Wolverine is doing at his place, but this just feels like a joke. The moments in each classroom is drawn out feeling like it wants a forced laugh, the whole place is chaotic and I find a lack of focus in the whole issue.

I said before that I am giving Wolverine and the X-Men until the end of this arc to get its act together or it is going to join my other recent drops and if this first issue is any indication, I should already start preparing space in my dropped box. It is sad, when Aaron started this book I loved it, now it is just lost on me. Also, what the hell is he doing with the Hellfire Club? It feels like a pointless joke and it had such potential...sigh.

Venom #36

Writer: Cullen Bunn
Artist: Pepe Larraz
Color Art: Lee Loughridge
Letters: Joe Caramagna
Price: $2.99
Release Date: June 12th, 2013

"Simple"

Finally I am enjoying this title again. I think what was killing me was I had incredibly high expectations for what Toxin was going to do and I was let down. I feel like what is happening now is what we really needed. We are getting a chance to see Flash start to live his life and find his place in Philadelphia.

It was fun to see Flash figure out his day to day and how to not be overly tired while at work. He is finding a happy medium between being a superhero and a teacher. It seems that he still has the symbiote somewhat under control (other than one dodgeball incident) and his life is actually starting to fall into place. That is what is good, seeing Flash as a person more so than just Venom. I think that is what I really enjoyed about Remender's run that I wasn't feeling with Bunn at the helm. Regardless, that is starting to feel remedied.

Even though Flash is starting to get his stuff together, it seems Philadelphia is not. There is a lot of drugs and even a little surprise at the end of the book. The common thug enemy of Ogre is well placed and it is good to not see a super-villain. I think this is going to help further develop Flash as well.

Lastly, I have to say that Larraz and Loughridge's art and color blend incredibly well with this story. I think the cartoonish yet dark form helps draw me into the book. I am really, really happy that I decided to stick with this title and hope that it continues to get better. Flash has the potential to be an incredibly interesting hero.

Uncanny X-Force #6

Writer: Sam Humphries
Artists: Adrian Alphona and Dexter Soy
Color Artists: Chris Sotomayor and Davider Curiel
Letterer: Cory Petit
Price: $3.99
Release Date: June 12th, 2013

This issue was put together incredibly well. There are three basic things going on. One, Wolverine and Psylocke are having a conversation via the astral plane. Two, Psylocke and Spiral are battling it out. Three, Cluster is trying to convince Psylocke to help her help Fantomex.

The key to enjoying this issue is realizing that Wolverine and Psylocke's conversation is actually taking place AFTER the fight with her and Spiral. Wolverine is taking his time to basically call Psylocke a failure and that her team needs to disband and return to the school. The only redeeming factor is the fact that she has captured Spiral (which...well read the book). I really enjoyed seeing Psylocke stand her ground and push away Wolverine. I think this book needs to run a bit without him in it and with minimal contact with the Jean Grey School.

As for Cluster, she did not ask permission very well of her old friend but ultimately is going to receive the help she needs. Next issue we are promised some Fantomex action who, I hope, will ultimately become a member of this team.

With a little bit of a rocky start, Humphries has finally caught my attention. He has huge shoes to fill following Remender's run on this title but there is potential. I intend to stick around a lot longer to see if he can accomplish it.

Guardians of the Galaxy #3

Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Pencilers: Steve McNiven & Sara Pichelli
Inkers: John Dell, Steve McNiven & Sara Pichelli
Colors: Justin Ponsor
Letterer: Cory Petit
Price: $3.99
Release Date: June 12th, 2013

This book has just been a lot of fun. It is rare I actually like space-centric titles but the characters here just scream personality. We do quickly learn that the Badoon broke J-Son's order and that they were not attacking Earth under his orders and we quickly find out what they decided to do with the Guardians. There is a bit of political stuff going on between the different races of the galaxy and it is growing obvious that J-Son is not earning any real friends there. I see this leading to some great fights in the near future.

As for our heroes, they are being held captives for disobeying J-Son's order to stay away from Earth. The funny thing is, they forgot about Groot. Good ole Groot easily handles his friends' captors (after they brought the Guardians weapons to the same room they were being held in) and frees them. I actually wasn't aware that Groot could only say three words (I am Groot!) but it was well handled by Bendis with a little bit of slapstick tied to his entrance.

I originally was concerned about Tony Stark's presence on this team but he is actually working out to be an enjoyable addition. The fact that he is without armor for a portion of this makes me wonder how long he will be without and if it will give us a chance to see if he can be useful without it.

I have to say, if you like fights, smart-ass characters and space, this book does it well. With the spattering of politics and a rebellious prince (er Starlord?), there are bound to be plenty of places the story can take us. Three issues in and I am full of expectations. Way to go Bendis, don't screw this one up like you did Age of Ultron.

Avenging Spider-Man #22

Writer: Christopher Yost
Artist: David Lopez
Colorist: Rachelle Rosenberg
Letterer: Joe Caramagna
Price: $3.99
Release Date: June 12th, 2013

"Pro-Death"

It is hard to believe that I have stuck with this book since issue #1 and this, issue #22, is the final issue of the run. That isn't saying that the book is going away, it is not. It is being replaced with Superior Team-Up starting next month. Same book, same team (I think), new title. It is to go along with Superior Spider-Month that is the month of July that kicks off the aforementioned title, The Superior Foes of Spider-Man and Superior Carnage (mini-series). It seems that Octo-Spider will be around for a while longer.

Anyhow, this issue focused on Spider-Man and The Punisher. I was actually interested to see how Frank Castle felt about the changes in Spider-Man's way of handling things which was actually addressed very quickly and well during this issue. It was no surprise that Frank wasn't upset with the fact that Spidey had become a little more harsh with his enemies, but he has also started to grow concerned that he may have to take care of his old "friend" in the near future for crossing the line of good and evil.

The Punisher was around to hunt someone dressed as Mysterio. If you don't remember, Mysterio is trapped in the Ultimate dimension with Miles Morales (see Spider-Men) so there is no surprise that someone new is under the cowl. Otto is not incredibly happy to see someone besmirching the name of his old comrade, even if he isn't in the best of moods toward him.

There is also a brief interaction with Hobgoblin that reminded the readers that Hobgoblin had been selling the identities of idle villains to the highest bidder (this may have some relation to the appearance of Green Goblin in Superior Spider-Man).

Anyhow, Mysterio makes number five to the Sinister Six collection that Otto is doing (I count Spidey as one since...you know...he is Otto). I am still intrigued as to why he is collecting them other than to perhaps just keep them under lock and key. I suppose we will find out in the new ongoing.

Overall, this wasn't a terrible read. I have found this series to be fun and a great companion to the flagship title and am happy to see it is going to continue, even if under a new name.

Weekly pulls for 06/12/13

Today feels like endless blog day but I have the day off, already did a ton of running around AND hit the gym so I figured, why not catch up here? Plus, I actually have free time...that's right, free time! Something that I have started to forget what it was. Why not take those fleeting moments and discuss comics!

Well, as I said in my last weekly pulls blog entry, I am getting a tad annoyed with Marvel and their desire for events. I feel that events are losing power when it feels like there is ALWAYS A FREGGIN EVENT GOING ON! Since I started reading comics again a little over a year ago I have thus far experiences a six (seven if you count aftermath books) month event (Avengers vs. X-Men), took a couple month break only to be attacked by a four month event (Age of Ultron). Okay..so two isn't too bad, but in July we get four more AvX books (What if?) which seems okay but after we instantly dive into Infinity.

The sad thing is there is always a hook. AvX got me back into comics so I can thank that. AoU had the promise of Ultron (still waiting for his actual appearance by the way) and no Infinity has Thanos. I have stated that I will not get Infinity, but let's be honest, I am a fool.

All of that aside, events make it hard to enjoy individual comics. There was a time you could go a year or two and just read a single book and be fine. Now everything has to bleed together and there is little to no excitement when get get a crossover! I remember being immensely pumped to see Captain America in an X-Men book, but that is monthly these days. I think that it is time that Marvel takes a step back to let their titles grow a little independent. Events can be fun, they just need to be separated a tad more.

Alright, enough ranting I suppose. This week's pull was a fairly standard haul of five books:

Avenging Spider-Man #22
Guardians of the Galaxy #3
Uncanny X-Force#6
Venom #36
Wolverine and the X-Men #31

Reviews will follow very soon. Until then, happy reading and PLEASE feel free to comment about your feelings about events. I'd love to hear someone on Marvel's side that these things are a good idea. 

The Superior Spider-Man #11

Writer: Dan Slott
Script: Christos Gage
Penciler: Giuseppe Camuncoli
Inker: John Dell
Color Art: Edgar Delgado
Letterer: Chris Eliopoulos
Price: $3.99
Release Date: June 05th, 2013

"No Escape Part One: A Lock For Every Key"

I have been a backer of this story since the very beginning. I have been running into a lot of people recently asking me what is the point of this story and why Slott thought it was necessary to kill off Peter Parker. The thing is, I am not Dan Slott, I do not know what he is thinking but I definitely have a strong idea of what the purpose of this book is.

The purpose seems to be what it means to be a hero and if someone that was originally a villain is ever able to truly overcome what it was that made them a villain and become a complete hero. I feel that this issue does an incredible job analyzing that idea by pairing Otto against Smythe. The references back to the killing of Massacre and the fact that Otto wants to be at Smythe's execution shows that he still has the thing inside of him that made him a villain. It is true that he is doing more good than bad at this point, but there is still something inside of him that makes him Doctor Octopus.

I think on top of the inevitable direction in this book of people figuring out that Peter isn't Peter and that Spidey is someone else is just a thin outer layer of the true story that is lying beneath it all. Each book has been an interesting look into Otto trying to find himself in his new role while at the same time being fun and showing the life of Peter Parker through the eyes of another man. I am excited to see the conclusion to the Smythe battle that is coming in the next issue and I am excited to see how Otto will continue to deal with his life as Peter Parker.

Slott's work here is something that has to be looked at as a whole. Read his final run with Peter, read these first 11 issues and try to say that there isn't something good here. If you feel that way, I'd love to hear why.

Cable and X-Force #9

Writer: Frank Tieri
Artist: Salvador Larroca
Color Artist: Frank D'Armata
Letterer: Joe Sabino
Price: $3.99
Release Date: June 05th, 2013

I have mentioned multiple times that I have been waiting for a Hope issue and I finally got what I was looking for. We finally have a completely Hope centered book and she is en route to finding her father. She ingeniously steals powers so that she can accomplish her goals and even stays one step ahead of the Avengers, Uncanny or otherwise.

I am excited at the concept of Hope connecting with her father's team. I sadly missed a large portion of X-Men comics when Hope became a prevalent character but what I have seen I have really enjoyed. I actually have the whole run of Generation Hope in hopes that it will give me a little more of what I am looking for with her as the main protagonist.

If Tieri (who took the reigns from Hopeless) can continue to put out books that feel like this issue I think I will be sticking around for more Cable and X-Force. The covert team idea is always fun and if it is done right, it can contain some of the best stories that are out there. I am putting my faith in Hopeless that this book will head in the right direction and that it will contain a story that I will remember for years to come.

All-New X-Men #12

Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Penciler: Stuart Immonen
Inker: Wade Von Grawbadger
Colorist: Rain Beredo
Letterer: Cory Petit
Price: $3.99
Release Date: June 05th, 2013

"All-New X-Men vs Uncanny Avengers"

There is a lot to like about this issue. We are now a little over a half a year into this title and it has been giving us a fun read every month. I am loving what Bendis is doing with the characters here. I originally thought it would be hard to care about the original X-Men but they are so dynamic that it is fun to watch them grow.

This issue dealt with an interesting concept, brotherhood. Havok finally meets his brother from the past as he and his Uncanny Avengers question Wolverine and his team about Mystique's doings around the world because she had been framing them. The interactions between Alex and Scott were great to see and a strong reminder of how much potential Scott had and how much Alex really does love him.

I am really getting a feeling that the plot for this story is going to take off now that we are heading into the second half of the year. Bendis has set up an incredible foundation for his readers and I am excited to see it go forward. There is a lot to like here and we just keep getting more.

Age of Ultron #9

Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Artists: Brandon Peterson/Carlos Pacheco
Inker: Roger Bonet
Colorists: Paul Mounts/Jose Villarrubia
Letterer: Cory Petit
Price: $3.99
Release Date: June 05th, 2013

If this wasn't an event I had already put money into AND it wasn't going into the final issue (well two with the epilogue), I would have tapped out finally. The story just doesn't feel like it is worthwhile. We just spent the previous two issues dealing with a future that will never happen because Wolverine went back and fixed the "issue" that he created in the first place. So with this issue, we are sort of back to where we started with VERY minor differences that are supposed to save the world? I really am not sure.

I am also finding a bit of grief with something called Age of Ultron and that the only Ultron we have seen so far is a old version that appears within the final pages of this book. I am not saying that the ending is going to be terrible, I just feel like it should have come a long time ago and that there was so much bloody filler that it has made it hard to enjoy the overall tale. Considering Bendis is one of my favorite writers right now, I am really saddened that this has been so weak. I am sure Marvel told him to stretch it but this is just feeling ridiculous.

I don't want to rant too much on events here, I am going to leave it to my next weekly pull blog but this is getting ridiculous. PLEASE let the last issue be good...otherwise my faith will be truly damaged.

Weekly pulls for 06/05/13

Yikes, this is literally a week late. I am already anticipating TODAY's comics and now I need to talk about last week's. It has been a bit of a crazy week and since I do this for fun, it did not take priority. I ALMOST went on hiatus until the end of the the school year (a lot of grading and whatnot) but I decided that I will try my best to get these things up even if ridiculously late.

Anyhow, last week's books were very Uncanny Avengers heavy considering there wasn't an Uncanny Avengers book released. I am happy to see a little overlap going on but I don't like it too heavily. It makes it hard to really figure out the timeframe of the books in relation to one another.

Other than that, there was a single AoU book released which...well I'll get to that in my review portion. I think there is going to be another rant about events coming in the near future. Marvel is not coming through for me which is insanely sad.

Alright, there were only four books pulled this time:

Age of Ultron #9
All-New X-Men #12
Cable and X-Force #9
The Superior Spider-Man #11

So not an overly heavy pull-list but a fun one! I will get to reviews as soon as possible...

X-Men #1

Writer: Brian Wood
Penciler: Olivier Coipel
Inkers: Mark Morales & Olivier Coipel
Colorist: Laura Martin
Letterer: Joe Caramagna
Price: $3.99
Release Date: May 29th, 2013

"Primer Part 1 of 3"

I won't lie, I wasn't excited for this title at all. First, I am not what you would call a fan of Jubilee as a character. I guess I just never connected to teenage girl angst and Jubilee has always felt full of it. Seeing her on the cover was my first step back. Then the fact that it was being touted as an "all-girl" book seemed to be the main focus instead of a strong story. Alas, seeing Brian Wood's name on the cover and the solid artwork made me take a second glance, then a third, and finally I paid for it.

That said, this was not a perfect first issue. There are a lot of questions for people who do not know the characters. If you are new to X-Men, you will not already know Jubilee is a vampire or that Rogue has to borrow powers so that she can fly and have super strength. You don't understand the connections between the characters or even that Jubilee doesn't have a baby. Regardless of that or if you know that information, there is a lot to enjoy.

The characters act as if they know each other very well (which they do). They fight like a well oiled machine and do well with minimal verbal communication. The scene with the ladies getting Jubilee from the train was magnificent.

I am glad I gave this book a shot. I hope that things start to level out a little and more explanation is added in coming issues but overall it was a good start to the series for people who already know and love X-Men. If this is your first rodeo...maybe check out All-New X-Men in the early issues.

Wolverine and the X-Men #30

Writer: Jason Aaron
Artists: Pasqual Ferry with Pepe Larraz & Salva Espin
Colorist: James Campbell
Letterer: Clayton Cowles
Price: $3.99
Release Date: May 29th, 2013

"The Hellfire Saga Prelude"

Finally we are approaching the Hellfire Academy stuff and I am excited to see what is coming. From the last few pages you are able to see who exactly is a staff member, who has been betraying the school and which students turn over to the dark side (sort of). I actually have a few theories about two of the people that went over but I don't want to spoil them yet. All I know is that everything can't possibly be as it seems.

Now, one of my main questions is what exactly is the purpose of Hellfire Academy? Is it meant to spawn super-villains and if so how are they using mutants when the Hellfire Club sells Sentinels to the general public? Also, how quickly are we going to see these two schools go head to head? There is a lot of power floating around and there are bounds to be some incredibly epic battles in the coming issues.

Recently Aaron has not been doing much to make me want to stay with this title but this arc is and has been piquing my interest for a while. I really hope that the ball isn't dropped and I am not let down. I am feeling myself pull a way from a lot of titles I once loved and this is no exception. I generally give books a few issues after they lose their pull and I have given this one more than most. This arc is Aaron's last chance to keep me as a reader...so far, I think it is a possibility.

Venom #35

Writer: Cullen Bunn
Artist: Declan Shalvey
Colors: Lee Loughridge
Letters: Joe Caramagna
Price: $2.99
Release Date: May 29th, 2013

"Night of the Symbiote Slayers"

I am not certain what direction this title is headed. I am not saying it is bad, I am just a little lost. There was a massive build up to the fact that Toxin was coming to Philadelphia to go after Venom but when it finally does happen, they quickly find a common enemy and work together (like the old school Spider-Man books where Spidey worked with Venom to defeat a common foe). There was promise for a big fight after the team up but somehow Flash talked Eddie down. There is still the promise the when Flash inevitably loses control of the Venom suit that Eddie will be back, but we will have to wait for that.

So now we have Flash in a new city, weird symbiote slayers around and Toxin "keeping an eye on him." I am just not feeling a major pull in any direction with this or any overall story that I should be absorbing. If Bunn doesn't start giving me a reason to pick my jaw off of the ground soon, this title will join Gambit and Deadpool in my dropped box...

Uncanny X-Force #5

Writer: Sam Humphries
Artists: Adrian Alphona & Dexter Soy
Colorists: Christina Strain & David Curel
Letterer: Cory Petit
Price: $3.99
Release Date: May 29th, 2013

"Shine a Light"

I am finally starting to feel the potential that is in this book. I am also starting to think that Humphries is getting his pacing down and a better handle on his characters. I had been a little put off on the portrayal of Psylocke. I wasn't certain if he was trying to paint her as broken after the events of Remender's run with Uncanny X-Force or if he didn't quite get her. With this issue, I think she was meant to feel broken.

The majority of the issue takes place in Bishop's mind which was an incredibly fun ride. This is one of the first times we really get to see how broken up he is about the events with Hope and the rest of the X-Men and how he tried to make amends for it in the future. We also get an idea as to why he is acting the way that he is.

On top of this, we start to see more interaction between Puck and Spiral which I think could be a fun dynamic with the team. The fact that there is starting to feel like there could be a team feels big to me. Everything is starting to connect and is starting to feel less rushed. If Humphries can keep up the feel of this issue (and last mostly), then I think this book will stay on my pull list for quite a while.

Oh, and I forgot to mention that I am excited that we should get more Fantomex next issue...

Avenging Spider-Man #21

Writer: Christopher Yost
Artist: Marco Checchetto
Colorist: Rachelle Rosenberg
Letterer: Joe Caramagna
Price: $3.99
Release Date: May 29th, 2013

"The Chameleon Sanction Part 2 of 2"

This issue picked up right in the middle of the action of the last issue. The S.H.I.E.L.D. helicarrier was being attacked and Spider-Man was trying his best to get out with Chameleon without letting anyone see what he was actually up to. There are some really fun moments and snips between Spidey, Hawkeye, Black Widow and the Hulk and the issue left me with a big smile on my face. The only issue now is that I have even more questions than before.

Why exactly is Spider-Man (I am tired of calling him Otto or Octo-Spider or whatever) collecting his old Sinister Six team? There has to be something big planned...I am also wondering if this is going to tie into the main Superior Spider-Man book that doesn't seem to be letting up any steam itself. All I can say is that even if this isn't directly tied into the main story, it is a fun read and a good way to get an extra dose of Spider-Man not acting like himself.

I can't remember if I mentioned that there is going to be a Spider-Man Villain book coming out soon too. I am wondering if this is leading into that and even if it isn't, I am gaining faith that Spider-Man villains can have their own book and it could be exciting. Regardless, I applaud Yost and his team for putting out such a solid book as of late and I look forward to what is coming.

Weekly pulls for 05/29/13

This week was  knee-jerk surprise for me. I was standing in my local comic shop with my normal pulls in my hands when I saw Brian Wood and Olivier Coipel's X-Men #1. I had my limit for the month already so I decided to finally drop Gambit. I was losing my allegiance to the title and really had been finding it lacking as of late. Maybe the Cajun charm had run its course or maybe the story had just grown stale, but it felt time to try something new. I will get into that book with my reviews.

Other than that it was a fairly standard day in the comic shop. I had five books in my hand, a new title included and was ready to head home:

Avenging Spider-Man #21
Uncanny X-Force #5
Venom #35
Wolverine and the X-Men #30
X-Men #1

Not a ridiculously long list and no Age of Ultron made me pretty happy. I will try my best to get reviews up quickly but there are no promises. I can't seem time to do anything these days...