I know this likely won't happen anytime soon, but Marvel really needs to get Bendis and Romita off of this series. Avengers is supposed to be Marvel's big flagship title, but this team is doing way more harm than good. It is not accessible to new readers, it barely features any of the Avengers, has no immediate visual appeal and a story that falls mostly flat and is slightly confusing.

I dont say this often, but I honesty have very little good to say about this issue. I actually intended to be a little more positive when I started writing this review, but I realized that I didnt have much positive to say. Im not one of the many detractors of Mark Millar and I genuinely enjoy many of his comic books, but I just didnt like this issue. For whatever reason, I didnt hate it, but I really did not like it either. I would strongly recommend to anyone, even Ultimates fans, that they wait for the trade to read these issues as they are not worth the $3.99 asking price. Now I obviously havent read this entire story arc and can only judge of the two issues that have been released but unless Millar has some amazing twists in store in later issues, I dont see volume three ever being worth a full purchase.

More than almost any book being published today, I want Avengers to succeed, but it continues to disappoint on nearly every level. I love the ideas that Bendis is throwing out there, but he cant seem to make any of them work and he is not showing any real signs of improvement. This is only the first issue of the story and it could obviously improve, but the first seven issues fill me with little hope of that happening. Maybe Ill go get myself an Infinity Gauntlet of my own and wish a new Avengers book into existence.

As it stands, I am, more than anything, glad that Fear Itself is coming to a close next month. In my opinion, it has overstayed its welcome and spread to far too many books when it really has been nothing more than a glorified Avengers mini-series.

Like Siege before it, Fear Itself left very little positive impact on me or the Marvel Universe, but Siege had the advantage of being only four issues long whereas Fear Itself seemed to drag forever with far too many pointless tie-ins. Though its been getting there for a while, I think Fear Itself needs to be the nail in the coffin of Marvel Event comics for a while. Theyve grown so tired and uninteresting and Ive found myself only reading them so that I know why some changes occur in the Marvel Universe. Fear Itself was a largely uninspired, boring mess that will hopefully teach people to vote with their wallets come next summer when Marvel inevitably tries again with their next big story. If you really feel the need to read Fear Itself, do yourself a favor and wait for the trade and dont bother with the tie-ins. A year from now, it probably wont matter anyway.

Ive been giving this complaint to a lot of comics lately, but Shadowland really had some potential in its general concept, but its execution is severely lacking. I dont think that Ive read a comic book in a long time that has been so completely predictable in nearly every way in my fifteen years of reading comics. The plot of this series is quickly making its way into un-salvageable territory and that is not a good thing. Maybe, just maybe, Andy Diggle could throw some surprises into the latter half of the series, but that isnt looking likely. My recommendation would be to wait for the trade paperback even if you really love these characters, if not to skip it entirely.

In terms of telling and showing a story, Avengers #8 is a definite step up from last issue. Unfortunately, it doesnt really tell a good Avengers story. This story is just a bit too all over the place and moving a bit too slow to really be a success. With a better artist, a tighter story, and maybe a different title on the cover this could have been an entirely different review. Heres hoping that things pick up with the next issue as the Avengers themselves get involved. Heres hoping that Ill finally be able to give the grade I want to come next month.

I desperately want a worthy successor to Batman Beyond the show. I had hoped that this series was going to be that, but the issue seems to have all but cemented the miniseries as a disappointment. I suppose its still possible that Beechen could turn the plot around and make it something at least salvageable, but this issue is making me think that he wont be able to. There is still hope with the announcement of a new Batman Beyond ongoing, but I can only hope that it will not only not be in continuity with this miniseries, but that there will be a new creative team altogether. Wait for the trade on this one, folks.

In the end, FF #7 is, without a doubt, the weakest of Jonathan Hickman's work since he joined the Fantastic Four. I suppose every writer has his off weeks and I'm prepared to write this off as a fluke iven how stellar his past couple of years worth of stories have been.

I want to like Legion of Super-Heroes a lot. Levitz clearly knows these characters, but he needs to inject a real plot into the story to make it truly entertaining. As it is, I enjoy the book, but it is usually quite low on my list of books to read and I dont know how much longer it will hold my interest at this rate. If a threat could be established and kept around for more than two issues, Legion could really shine and bring in a wide audience.

This story hasbeen all over the place. That may be a misleading sentence to start with as New Avengers #13 is definitely not a badcomic, it just felt odd reading the story. Ive been a fan of the second volumeof the New Avengers since it began,but this particular story never quite grabbed me and I wasnt quite sure whyuntil this issue.This particular story arc dealtwith a double storyline of the New Avengers fighting a rogue, leftover group ofNorman Osborns HAMMER in the present while an alternate story dealt with NickFury assembling the first team of Avengers that no one knew existed andfighting the Red Skull in the 1950s. This is far from a new story-tellingtechnique and, when used right, can be used to very good effect. For anexample, see a recent Secret Avengersstory in which the flashbacks were interwoven in way that was actuallyincorporated into the story. In this issue however, the flashbacks are justkind of there to give the reader exposition for no particular reason; there isnte

Judging by this first issue, if you came to Superior looking for the next Kick-Ass, youll likely be disappointed. This style of Mark Millars writing is getting a little tired by this point and the plot itself holds very few surprises. Theres still plenty of room for Superior to develop into a more interesting series but, for now, the best part of this story is the artwork. For diehard Leinil Yu fans, this might be enough to draw you to the book, but I cant really recommend this to anyone that is looking for a new series. It just doesnt have enough substance or new ideas to justify a purchase. Im going to hazard a guess that this will ultimately be a book best checked out once its collected into a trade paperback.

What Wolverine: The Best There Is really needs is some consistency. I found the first issue almost painfully bland and boring and the second wasnt much better, but this issue shows some potential...err...potential. If Huston can manage to devote a little more time to Wolverine without losing focus of his cast of interesting villains, then this series has a chance to survive and be entertaining. Without that and some more consistent art though, I dont know how much longer Ill be willing to devote time and money to this series.

At this point, Im not sure if there is anything Bendis can do to change his writing style back to something I particularly enjoy anymore. Doing something about his dialogue would certainly help but he also needs to stop being so decompressed and have more happen in every issue. At this point, theres so little happening each issue that it is hard to justify buying New Avengers as individual issues. As great as Immonens art is, it doesnt justify $3.99 an issue. Just wait for the trade paperback and save yourself for money; youre not missing too much by waiting.

There is very little in Thunderstrike that you have never seen before. Combining this with my old indifference for the character and I was amazed at just how much I did enjoy this issue. Im honestly not exactly sure what appealed to me in it though. It might just be that I really enjoyed a modern Marvel Comic written in the old Might Marvel Manner, but if you were ever a fan of Thunderstrike, then you should absolutely check it out. If you were on the fence, however, then youll probably not miss much if you pass up. More of a Thunderslap than a Thunderstrike.

Now this is a fun comic book, even if it's not perfect.Ever since I was little and used to read all of my older brothers comics, Ihave loved the cosmic side of Marvel Comics. There was so much variety and somany characters that there just had to be someone in there for everyone tolove. Because of this, I grew up a fan on series such as Infinity Gauntlet, Warlockand the Infinity Watch, and more. Unfortunately, Marvel went through anextended period where it produced little cosmic material, but they looked toremedy this with their Annihilation miniseriesfrom 2006. Ever since Annihilation,there has been some sort of Cosmic Marvel book on the stands, usually helmed byDan Abnett and Andy Lanning. As much as Ive enjoyed these series, none of themquite captured the same magic the cosmic stories of old that I loved. Luckilyfor me, Annihilators seems to beremedying that. Annihilators #2 kicks off where the lastissue left off, with the mega-powerful team of the Annihilato

Despite all the problems with this issue, it is still mostly solid and Hickman has more than earned my trust with his work on Marvel's First Family so I have faith that this issue will lead somewhere both interesting and exciting down the road. Even if you don't feel the same way, it is still an excellent "historical" work for the Marvel Universe as a whole and I still recommend that anyone that has enjoyed FF so far not stop now.

Geoff Johns keeps up with his high-quality work this month. Flash remains at the top of my reading pile month in and month out. That being said, if you miss this issue for whatever reason, you wont be missing much. I would begrudgingly have to say that this is probably the worst issue so far of the new Flash series, but that still is not much of an insult. Even when its just filler without its main character, Johns still manages to make a fun read. I hope things pick up some when the next issue drops in two weeks, but I still enjoyed myself this issue.

Green Lantern is certainly not as good as it was during, or even before, Blackest Night, but it is finally beginning to catch up some. If you werent a GL fan before, this probably wont be the issue to win you over, but if you were, then this issue will be a good bit of fun. Id like to see the overall plot of the kidnapping of the entities start to get explored some more in the near future, but so long as the character writing stays strong, Ill be back every month to see what shenanigans the various Corps get up to.

In the end, Emerald Warriors #1 is a solid book. As of right now, it cant hold a candle to Tomasis run on Green Lantern Corps, but this is an unreasonable expectation of any book, especially when the series is only one issue in. Im certainly interested enough to return for more next month, but I really hope the story ramps up and makes this a series worthy of its creative legacy. However, if youre hesitant about it, I wouldnt blame anyone for waiting for the first trade paperback.

What really pulls this book along is the mystery surrounding everything and the surprisingly well-developed characters. I may not have seen anything too new here, but that didnt really bother me. Morning Glories managed to get its hooks into me early on and it now has me intrigued. Ill definitely be back for issue number two, but I really want to see Nick Spencer add some new twists to the plot that can make it stand out a little more. I am a little worried that if this doesnt happen, I will start to lose interest, but I hoping this is not the case and want to see great things from Morning Glory Academy and its students.

New Avengers #5 is not the greatest comic book ever. It stumbles in places just as so many others do, but it is very entertaining. Bendis is trying to work narrative wonder, just tell a gun story and it shows. He writes most of his characters in a surprisingly realistic way while making the absurd goings-on perfectly understandable as well. This issue could have easily convoluted the story to the point of no return, but still remains very accessible. You dont need any knowledge about Dr. Strange or Voodoo to enjoy this issue, but youll have that much more fun if you do.

From this one issue, Im not sure if this arc of Secret Avengers will be as good as the first, but it certainly has the potential. Brubaker needs to add some more meat to the book and focus more on the team itself. If he can do this, then readers will continue to be able to enjoy the crazy-imaginative ideas of Ed Brubaker and the awesomely stylized art of Mike Deodato. However, if this doesnt happen, the series might head into an unfortunate downslide and be usurped by Avengers Academy as the best of the Heroic Age Avengers books. I dont want to see this happen so hears hoping for some more content and characters in issue #7.

This is sadly DnAs weakest work since becoming the architects of the cosmic Marvel Universe, which is too bad since I was so hyped for this book. There is still room to improve and if Abnett and Lanning can bring Thanos into the story more, it could be a hugely awesome series. The general plot is there and the characters are there, I just want to see the actual issues grow into the framework and deliver the story and crazy action I want to see.

There are definitely some areas of Wolverine Goes to Hell that need improvement, but I have faith in Jason Aaron and his storytelling skills that he will improve greatly upon them. It make lack some originality, but Wolverine makes up for it in fun. It isnt the most accessible Wolverine story ever and the art in the main story isnt the most appealing, but I think anyone can appreciate this new series and want to give this Wolverine series a chance.

Invincible Iron Man is a great book that Im forced to call merely good. It has so much potential but little things that should be easily fixable keep popping up and bringing the series down. This was the best issue in half a years and Im hoping thats a good sign for the series as a whole. This series deserves to be great and it is so close so I want to see Fraction and Larocca to go that extra mile and get it there. I still recommend that everyone read this series, but I certainly would not blame anyone for waiting for the trade paperbacks.

Though some of Mark Millars Ultimate Avengers is doing this for some, for me, if you want a nice throwback to pre-Ultiamtum Ultimate comics, then this is the series to go to. Its not the most revolutionary or deep story ever written, but it isnt trying to be; its just good old fashion fun with some characters that could really use the face time. Some people might not enjoy this as much as books like Ultimate Comics New Ultimates, but, in my opinion, this is the best of the Ultimate crop for the time being.

Wow, I have tosay I was really impressed with this issue. Honestly, Ive been enjoying themain story of Marvels current summer event book Fear Itself, but have been less impressed with some of the tie-inbooks and that extended to Avengersfirst tie-in issue last month. Luckily, the events of Fear itself #3 allow for some really great months in #14 that markswhat I would call the best issue of this volume of Avengers yet. Most, if not all, of what makesthis issue great is Brian Michael Bendis writing. As far as comic book writersgo, Bendis can be extremely hit-or-miss, especially as of late as noted in myreview of New Avengers #13 last week.Luckily, this issue knocks it out of the park and that is largely due to thepathos that Bendis manages to write into the story. Most of this issue is madeof the talking heads (a strong suit of Bendis) of various Avengers discussingtheir thoughts on the events of FearItself after the fact. In last months issue, I didnt

Im getting more and more impressed with Avengers Academy as it goes on. I dont think its quite as good as Secret or New Avengers, but it is certainly working its way up. There is definitely a lot of teen angst going around, but that is to be expected and it is handled quite well. Im curious to see where this crossover goes from here because it obviously wont end like the end of the issue would have you believe and I trust Gage to make it fun. If you want a little more teenage drama and maybe some murderous tendencies in your Avengers, then look no further.

If youre looking for a lot happening for your four dollars, then you may have come to the wrong place. Only two really important things even happen in this issue, but I guarantee you wont mind. Youll be way too engaged taking in the scenery and seeing how every character talks to one another. Part of me wants to deduct more points than I am for the lack of meat, as it were, this month, but I just cant. This is honestly one of the few books on the shelves today that could work just as well as both a normal book without illustrations as well as an art book, but works even better when combined. Does it reinvent the story telling wheel? Is it good from beginning to end? Oh yes.

I have to say, I was very surprised by how much I enjoyed Nancy in Hell. It is very much an 80s throwback and there is a whole lot of the same stuff that horror movies from that time frequently used and yet, Torres and Ryp were able to add their own twists to this formula that really work. Its not the deepest book out there, and it isnt meant to be, though I guarantee you it is deeper than you were likely expecting. Its not perfect by any means, but if youre looking for something to satisfy that blood-loving, horror fan in you, then definitely pick this up.

New Avengers has definitely improved since its relaunch after Siege. It is no longer the stagnant series it had become and even though it still has mostly the same cast, everything just feels more consistent and refined than before and this makes it a much better series. It still has some kinks to work out, but I think Bendis is really managing to hit his stride with New Avengers once again.

It may not have the crazy action of the past four issues, but Secret Avengers still certainly doesnt disappoint. This month is a little bit more predictable than the other were, but things promise to pick up again next month, so I dont mind the changes seen here. If youve been enjoying Secret Avengers so far, I dont see any reason why this month should be any different.

This story is shaping up to be a delightful throwback to some of the crazier and more fun stories of the 60s (even referencing one such story). It has a few hiccups here and there but none that are impossible to overlook. Its too early to tell whether or not to say if this story is better than the last, but if it ends being anywhere near as good as that one, then I will be happy. So far, Dan Slott is doing an excellent job of making Amazing Spider-Man his book and I look forward to the next issue.

Overon art duties, I was glad to see that Patrick Gleason performs just asadmirably here as he did in Green LanternCorps and not as sloppily as his work over on Brightest Day. Gotham seems like a truly dark, but living, place throughoutthe whole issue and every panel seems to have some real weight to it. Batmanlooks powerful, commanding, and nimble all at once and Damian really looks likea ten-year-old, while also looking like he could hand me my backside withlittle effort. He is truly at his best when trying to convey emotions though; easilymy favorite scene was when Gordon storms out of the house after investigatingan entire dead family. Its clear that, even after all these years, Gordon isstill just as affected by the horrible things he sees in his profession as theday he started and it makes the scene very powerful. Unfortunately, Gleasoncan, at times, draw some very same-y people. When there are a lot of peoplestanding around not in costume, it can be a little difficult decipherin

Allin all, this final issue of FantasticFour was quite good, but did not feel at all final, but I dont think itwas supposed to. This may be the last issue, but it is far from the end of thestory that Jonathan Hickman is telling and I look forward to seeing where heplans go with FF #1 next month.

Irredeemable continues to be one of the first books that I read on every week it comes out, regularly beating out many Marvel and DC Comics books. If you havent read it, I strongly suggest you go digging for some back issues and catch up. Few books out there offer such excellent characterization and genuine shocks on a regular basis. Each issue serves only to make me more excited for the next, something that seems to happen far too rarely.

If the main Justice League book didnt seem to grab your attention in the way you wanted, I highly recommend that you check Justice League International out. Dan Jurgens and Aaron Lopresti have created a superhero book that is great and, most importantly, fun. I will admit, it isnt as new-reader friendly as I might like, but you get enough of a gist of who each character is that following the story should be no problem. Check this one out.

Secret Avengers has quickly become one of the better mainstream superhero books being published today. I was hesitant to see Ed Brubaker on a team book since he mainly excels with smaller casts, but he has won me over. Ironically, I want to see him increase his focus on the individual characters and give them all fair screen time, but he handles them all well and writes one damn fun book. There is no reason not to pick this series up, so if you havent Im telling you to go get it now.

I am really amazed at just how much fun I had with Avenging Spider-Man. Its by no means a perfect book and some will find too little real substance to the series, but to me it was the perfect cross of the team-ups of yesteryear with the storytelling of modern comics. Perhaps the biggest problem here is the $3.99 price tag, though. This is a quick read that is definitely more flash than substance, even if it is entertaining flash and, because of that, I feel that unless my description sounds like the perfect kind of book for you, it might be better to wait for the trade on this one or else you may not feel like youre getting your moneys worth. To be fair though, Marvel is including a free digital download of the issue when you buy the physical copy so that may alleviate price issues for some. That being said, I think any fan of Spider-Man should check this issue out at some point.

This is by no means a perfect book and I can honestly see why some people would enjoy Return of Bruce Wayne more. However, if you are looking for some straight superheroics, then this is the series to look to. There may not be a whole lot plot-wise going on, but it is certainly never boring and has some truly engaging characters in it. There are definitely some sections that need to be improved and if that were to happen this could be a really stand out book every month. If you want a little more Booster Gold and crazy scenarios, then look no further than Time Masters Vanishing Point.

So far, I am very satisfied with Big Time. These are more the kind of stories that I have been waiting to see since Brand New Day. Spider-Man/ Peter Parker finally seems like hes moving somewhere in life again like he did back before Civil War ground him to a halt and kept him in place for over 100 issues. My only hope is that Dan Slott can keep the pace up and keep Spider-Man swinging forward like he is now.

Few People areable to write a long-term story the way that Jonathan Hickman does and FF is proof of that. I was extremelyhesitant when this series was announced as a follow up to the ending Fantastic Four as I was worried that toomuch of the story of that book would simply be swept under the rug. As it turnsout, my worries were completely unfounded and FF just continues the story that Hickman started in Fantastic Four.In fact,Hickman is currently using FF to wrapup some loose ends from his very first story arc in Fantastic Four called Solve Everything in which a council ofalternate Reed Richards(es?) abandon their lives and families to band togetherand shape perfect universes. In the current story, young Valeria Richards accidentally allows four of these Reeds to invade the Marvel Universe and theyare desperate to get back to their plans, so much so that they are willing tostart the much-touted War of the Four Cities that has been brewing in thebackground of Hickmans run. Knowing that

Without a doubt, Jonathan Hickman has made the Fantastic Four comics books the most relevant and highest quality that they have been in a very long time even if, ironically, they are no longer called the Fantastic Four. FF #5 carries this recent tradition by really kicking off the long-awaited War of the Four Cities storyline. As the cover might hint, this issue brings back some very important characters that only make this story more interesting than it originally seemed.Id try to avoid spoilers for the end of this issue if the cover didnt go ahead and spoil it for you: at the end of the FF #5, Black Bolt (along with the rest of the familiar Inhumans) returns to Earth, looking less-than-happy and ready to start a whole new battle. No explanation is given yet for how Black Bolt has returned from his death during his battle with Vulcan in the pages of War of Kings a couple years back, but no doubt Hickman has some explanation yet to come. Though this may be the most

I am very glad to see FF get back to fine form with issue #8. It's not perfect and I do feel the issue could have been a little longer, but at twice-a-month, I suppose I can't really complain about that. This is storytelling in the Mighty Marvel Fashion through and through. I'm glad to be able to say this again: any comic reader that is a fan of superhero comics needs to be reading this series as it is the shining example of the genre right now.

No matter how you feel about who is operating as the Flash or how simple and/or confusing you find the story, you should be reading this series. The Flash is probably in the top five books DC Comics puts out each month and always finds its place at the top of my read list. Nobody that enjoys superhero comic books should be missing this series. Even if you dont care for the story, everyone should be able to at least appreciate the sheer, illustrative genius of Francis Manapul. Go out now and get this issue and all four of the previous ones.

I definitely would not say that this one issue is worth all the massive, overly drawn out stories of the past few years. There is probably some way this issue could have been written without all of it, but this is easily the closest thing I could hope for to justify it all. For those that want action, it has it, and for those that want some story and character, it has that also. Its a lot of fun to read and it is more fun than Ive had with these books in years. If you were staying away from these books since the Hulk series restarted over two years ago, now might just be a good time to come back.

I rarely have high expectations for books crossing over with some larger story, but with Incredible Hulks, I dared to hope and I was rewarded. I only wish more stories like this could be equally as well handled. What could have been complete throw-away issues have been handled with real love and care and it is apparent throughout the book. This is a must-read for any fan of the Hulk or any of his current supporting cast.

If youre anything like me, something about the Hulk books kept you away from them for years. It used to be that I had little to no interest in ever checking out one the various Hulk comics over the years. If that is the case then IGNORE ALL OF THESE URGES! This is not only one of my personal favorite comics on the stand right now, it really is one of the all around best. It has a little bit of something for everyone; its got action for those who want it (and some damn good action at that) but it also has some truly deep moments of substance. I recommend that everyone that is at all interested in superhero comics, and maybe some of those who dont, check it out even if only once.

Some may complain that Waid is moving Irredeemables story along too slowly, but I dont think this is the case. Even slow issues like this like this still feel just as fun as the ones with giant battles and it moves the overall story along quite nicely. Its clear that Waid has a specific place he wants to take the plot and this issue moves the reader in that direction very nicely.

Morning Glories is truly the little comic that could. It built up a huge following in no time at all and Im pleased to say that it is all well-deserved. If youre looking for a completely original comic book that has a story youve never seen before, then look elsewhere. But if you want an extremely well-written mystery story with some very real characters then do not hesitate to pick up Morning Glories.

Avengers Academy is easily one of the most consistent comic books on stands today. There really is little for me to complain about from month to month. Gage makes Academy so entertaining even with each issue telling its own story for the most part. Honestly, if you like superheroes at all and especially if you love tips of the hat to Avengers history, there is no reason that you should not be reading this series. It is that good. Do yourselves a favor and start reading this now if you arent already.

Phew, this review got a little longer than my average review. I guess I just had a lot to say. Suffice it to say, Im really enjoying Hickmans work on Fantastic Four and, though Im still somewhat skeptical about Three as a whole, this was easily one of his best issues yet. Nearly every character felt spot-on in how they were written and all of my story problems amounted to little more than nitpicks and that speaks to the quality of the issue. Fantastic Four #584 may have just made it into my top ten issues of the series ever and I would recommend it to anyone, whether you like superheroes or not. These characters felt like real people with real personalities and, though you might not understand who some of the ancillary characters are, even new readers will get an instant feel for who the FF are. If youve been hesitant to give Hickman a try on this book, then I encourage you to at the very least, flip through #584 and see if it changes your mind.

Hulk is the big-book that could. I fully admit to all but hating this series when it first began a few years ago focusing on the extremely Mary Sue character of Red Hulk, but Jeff Parker (and a slew of talented artists) have completely changed my opinion and turned this into one of my must-read books whenever it comes out, even when in the midst of the murky waters of the event crossover. I urge everyone to check this series out right now.

I'm not sure what else to say about this series and story that I haven't already. If you have enver liked the character of the Red Hulk, then I urge you to check out this series before writing him off forever; it really proves that any character can be a good character in the right hands. That being said, this particular issue has so little of him that it might not be the best issue to sway a reader on the character, but it is still worth checking out in its own right to see how event books can, and should, be done.

Normally,new number ones of a series or reboots stumble a little bit. Maybe thecharacters seem just a little out of character or a new character doesnt workout as well as the writers thought. Whatever problems normally plague issueslike this one are not present in the slightest in FF. Though I never lost interest, Im more excited about thisfamily than I have been in quite some time. If you havent read Fantastic Four recently or ever, thenthis is absolutely the place to start. I can almost guarantee that youll loveit. If you really want a bad side too it, Id say there are waaayyy too manycovers to this comic.