Goblin's Books:

X-Men Legacy #210

And we finally get a direction! I was unaware of just what the point behind this book was since it was semi-relaunched as X-Men Legacy. How long could a battle between Xavier and Exodus go on, anyway? Until this issue, it would seem. Xavier trumps Exodus an sets out on his own with only a small part of his memory in tact. He tells himself that Charles Xavier is dead and he is a new person. Okay, all well and good, but can Xavier sustain a book without his X-Men costars? Or is that what Rogue is doing in the first epilogue?

And speaking of epilogues, the second has me intrigued. I was always a fan of the Hellfire Club and I'm glad to see Sebastion Shaw returning. The final panel has me intrigued, but it's really just more set-up. I do have faith that Carey knows where he's going with this and that's the only thing keeping me going right now. This book may be climbing the ranks very soon, but as it stands now it's a whole lot of set-up and no pay off. Keep on eye on this book in the future, though.

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The Immortal Iron Fist #14

The final chapter to "The 7 Capital Cities of Heaven" brings to a close one of the best storylines in Marvel's canon of the last few years. Like Brubaker's Captain America, I've preached this title for some time now. Its complex story weaves in and out of different timelines and genres yet still maintains a strong focus. This final issue brings together the forces of K'un-L'un, Earth and Hydra into one explosive (literal and figurative) battle. Subplots that have been brewing since the first issue come to a head as Davos makes a harsh decision. We learn just what set Wendel Rand off so many years ago and what transpired between he and Orson Rand. There's a new mystery set up by issue's end and a fantastic new status quo with the seven capital cities of Heaven.

Go out and buy the first hardcover edition of Immortal Iron Fist and when the second volume (or 14 issue omnibus) comes out, get that too. Brubaker, Fraction and Aja will be leaving the title soon so use this as an opportunity to get in on the series before it changes. Not that it will necessarily suck, but these two or so years worth of stories are not to be missed.

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Jono's Books:

El Escarabajo Azul # 26 (Blue Beetle #26)

An interesting concept (a mostly all Spanish language issue) becomes a hit and miss move. A hit with taking the bold step in trying to portray an authentic Spanish language experience in a medium not known for such spectacles; usually comic books add an asterisk that says "translated from the [insert language]." With that being said, the full script in English is available in the back so no one is really left out. It is, however, a miss in execution; non-Spanish readers will be annoyed as they have to flip back and forth between pages to follow the story. The plot itself is pretty uninteresting, as Jaime brings his new girlfriend to an all Spanish-speaking family event. A fight ensues, Jaime saves the day, and the book ends happily. It's an average story with a unique twist. As a Spanish speaker myself, I found some of the Spanish a little less than authentic (Sergio Argones is credited as helping out in the authenticity of the language), but overall, Jai Nitz did a decent job with dialogue.

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New Avengers #40

This issue should be the official prequel to Secret Invasion, as it gives us motive, a face to the invasion, and the requisite Gremlin rule. Gremlin, you say? Yes, you know, the complicated, suspend-your-belief rules and/or restrictions that govern the plots of creature movies such as Gremlins. Don't feed them after midnight (is that PST, or EST?), don't let them near water (does it have to be in liquid form?), etc. This issue gives us the rule that unless Skrull infiltrators shift into their Skrull form, they will go undetected. I'm actually OK with that rule, unless it starts to become a crutch that Bendis relies on for key moments in the series. I like the religious back story behind the whole invasion, and the reveal at the end should come to no surprise to anyone, especially because of the way this character had been behaving (see Mighty Avengers). Overall, it was a great entry in the Secret Invasion story, and a definite must buy.

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Avengers: The Initiative #12

While it has a few poignant scenes, I can't help but feel that this issue was rushed to a finish. It's supposed to be the end of the first "season" with the surviving members of the initial class of the Initiative graduating and being assigned to their posts, but it lacks any sense of real development. The issue ends abruptly and we are left to believe that these ill-prepared kids are now full fledged members of the Fifty State Initiative. Perhaps if we view this as a political commentary it can resonate more powerfully with us; sending unprepared young women and men into war, having a government that is constantly proven to be inadequate, and reconciling emotions with the reality of the constant state of vigilance that we have found ourselves in. But in the comic book world, it took the New Mutants and Generation X over 70 issues to graduate. I just wish there was more time to get to know these kids before they were thrust into the anonymous collective of the Fifty State Initiative. Who know? They could theoretically return someday. Only time will tell.

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Sgt. Sausagepant's Books

Green Lantern #30

The Secret Origin of Hal Jordan continues, as the DC Universe retcons itself to their newest reality over-writing. It's only small differences this time, but it's still interesting to see Hal's life before the ring. Readers will notice they are also retconning in the 'rookies don't get an emblem on their suit' thing they introduced recently into Green Lantern Corps. We get a little foreshadowing into The Blackest Night as well, (which I am assuming will lead to a retcon of The Black Hand's Origin)

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New Avengers #40 (Secret Invasion Tie-In) (second take)

In a change of pace, this book is entirely Skrull. (as opposed to mostly Skrull) It tells the backstory to the current invasion from the Skrull perspective. We learn about the current Queen, the schism between religion and science, and how they managed to avoid detection. We also get a giant reveal as to one of the hidden Skrull agents. Without spoiling it too heavily, we also get a third option for those heroes revealed in the Skrull shuttle in Secret Invasion #1.

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Marvel Comics Presents #8

If you haven't been keeping up with the Marvel Comics Presents series, every month they give a selection of stories from several ongoing arcs, as well as a smattering of independant on-shot stories. These can be serious or funny, cartoony or realistic. It gives Marvel a chance to present other sides to characters who aren't necessarily in the limelight now. I believe these issues also probably bring to light stories meant for full release in their respective comics, but that got cut for some reason or another. This month is heavy on the 'arc' stories, so it may get confusing for those not already reading the book, but we do get a Machine Man/ Aaron Stack starter and a on-shot with Cyclops and Wolverine.

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kid_ampersand's Books

DC Universe #0

There are some delightful teasers somewhere between all the promotional ads, but I still feel cheated that I paid money for an advertisement. Sure, it was only 50 cents this time, but all the upcoming Final Crisis tie-ins have got me less worried about the fate of the DC Universe and more anxious about the fate of my bank account. Nevertheless, it's short, so go ahead, read it in the store.

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Action Comics #864

This month's Action Comics acts as both an epilogue to the series' latest storyline (the one featuring Gary Frank's ultra-hot Legion) and an introduction to Final Crisis tie-in Legion of Three Worlds. The connection of both storylines to each other and to the events of Countdown is done so well, it's frankly very surprising to believe how simple it was to tie them all together. And we get the pleasure of seeing Karate Kid and Una dead again, which they continue to deserve after wasting so much of my life reading Countdown.

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Green Lantern #30 (second take)

Yes, it's an origin story. But sometimes, a story you already know gets told in a new light, and this story, the beginnings of Hal Jordan as Green Lantern, is in the midst of a successful retelling. And it's always welcome to see old friends reimagined in the scope of current events, particularly Misters Abin Sur and Hector Hammond. Sure, most storylines of this sort are unwelcome in the middle of what's supposed to be the beginning of some sort of crisis or something, but it really is a captivating, if familiar, read.

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