The Fantastic Four are back, and the Marvel Universe is suddenly a better and brighter place.

Captain America #695 is a comic that's not afraid to be about something " and that's a good thing. It's been rumored that the creators might only be around for a half-dozen issues before a new creative team takes over with issue #700, but hopefully that's just unfounded hearsay. This first issue of Cap's brand-new era is nothing short of masterful, and the idea of this creative team being on for the long haul is a joyous thought indeed. Mark Waid and Chris Samnee are the dream team for Captain America, and what they provide us in Cap's first post-Legacy issue is a vision to behold.

Maybe it's too early to say, but this might just end up being one of the very best comics Marvel's put out in some time.

If ever you've delighted in the adventures of Spider-Man before, know that Peter Parker is once again in very good hands.

Exiles isa comic book that could only take place in the Marvel Universe, yet it's so far out on the edges that readers needn't worry about its regular story getting interrupted or sidetracked by whatever the next crossover event turns out to be. The Avengers and the X-Men can take care of that " while the Exiles will likely be three universes away, fighting for even higher stakes.

The question is no longer whether or not the Falcon will take flight once again " but rather to what untold heights he may soar.

With New Mutants: Dead Souls, Matthew Rosenberg and Adam Gorham are taking these characters into a realm just as creepy and dark as next year's film looks to be. And if we're very, very lucky, this first miniseries might be just the start of something lasting and new.

As it is, the only real misstep is the cover. The single color on all-white background is an interesting visual, but perhaps it's too subtle and minimalist for its own good; I fear that this cover might not catch the eye of any readers skeptical of Marvel's current deluge of new books, and that it fails to convey the utterly brilliant wonders found within.

More to the point, this is a Spidey comic set to come out once a month, and " with any luck " one that will stay clear of any Spider-crossovers or other events. In other words, it's the debut of not just a second Spider-Man comic, but specifically a low-commitment one. It's the kind of comic that any Spider-fan, old or new, would do well to pick up.

As is ever the case, of course, the future remains to be written. But this first all-new outing of The Avengers represents a massive step forward " and that's exactly what we want to see.

With what Charles Soule and Ron Garney have put to the page, Daredevil remains in capable hands. Good thing, too. Because where the events of this issue leave off? He's gonna need all the help he can get.

The couple of X-launches we've looked at in past weeks haven't been the most successful, which is disappointing. Iceman #1, on the other hand? This feels exactly like the kind of X-Men comic we've been missing out on.

The Immortal Hulk is terror, unease, and psychological dread, and it's not afraid to gaze into the abyss.

Inhumans: Once and Future Kings is just a five-issue miniseries, but the skill deployed by the creative team makes this first issue feel far more like the setup to an intricate, full-length novel. I strongly suspect that by story's end we'll still be itching for more.

West Coast Avengers is a weird, wild, rollicking ride that combines the nuttiness of Nextwave with the indelible character moments of Young Avengers. If spinoff books have to exist, they could do a heck of a lot worse than this!

This one issue won't answer all your questions " but it does show clearly, proudly, defiantly, that its heart is in the right place. And sometimes that's all you need to come back for more.

With its emphasis on fan-favorite characters, this may be a comic more for existing fans, rather than making new X-heads out of those who've never been. But that's okay! It's an exciting, well-told story, competently done, and with no assumptions that you've long been reading their entire line. Quite frankly, it's the kind of comic we could use more of.

Exciting superhero action, relatable teenage drama, and a sense of delight in this mad, mad world. This is exactly what we need more of from Marvel " and if there's any justice to be had, it's a book that will hopefully be around for a long time.

This is a comic staking out its (literal) territory very deliberately, and one that offers a subgenre of superheroics that hasn't been fully explored in some time.

If you're ultimately just not into the idea of a one-man killing machine, this won't necessarily change your mind. But given the awesome talent on display here, you might be surprised to find yourself checking out the next issue anyway...

Readers who require more fisticuffs than reflection may not find The Sentry to their tastes " but let's be honest, there are more than enough superhero books for the likes of them. For the rest of us who like a little more depth in our action stories than the medium usually offers us? Comics like these are the rare gems that make it all worthwhile.

Spirits of Vengeance is a moody comic, set in the dark and supernatural corners of Marvel that haven't been seen for some time. That kind of tale isn't going to be to everyone's tastes, but if you find yourself itching for something different " especially in this spookiest of months " you might be surprised at just how enjoyable it really is.

If you've heard about the trials that Jen Walters has gone through over the past year, you might be forgiven for expecting She-Hulk to be a grim, humorless comic about a character grappling with bitterness and depression. And the character is that " but under Tamaki's pen, she's also so much more, and so are the situations and supporting cast she interacts with. Jen's got a hard road ahead of her, to be sure " but even here, in the depths of her struggles, you can see glimmers of hope for the future.

One way or the other, sales will surely tell. After all, every issue of "Weapons of Mutant Destruction" sold out blazingly fast " so, really, it was a given that they'd go ahead and try to capitalize on that success. Will the concept, in the end, prove to have legs? On the face of it, you wouldn't think so. But in the hands of talented creators, maybe even a Hulkverine can find a home"

One way or the other, sales will surely tell. After all, every issue of "Weapons of Mutant Destruction" sold out blazingly fast " so, really, it was a given that they'd go ahead and try to capitalize on that success. Will the concept, in the end, prove to have legs? On the face of it, you wouldn't think so. But in the hands of talented creators, maybe even a Hulkverine can find a home"

New titles always find a warmer reception when they stake a bold claim to their own unique identity, with a clear and stated purpose " and Jean Grey's is nothing less than changing the world. You can't really argue with that.

In today's world of comics that often get cancelled too arbitrarily or too fast, there's cause to hope that books like Ben Reilly might just find the fanbase it deserves" and maybe even a stay of execution as well.

Upon waking up chained in an unknown cell, Black Bolt quickly navigates the bizarre prison in which he finds himself. His solo explorations make for an oddly quiet first chapter, until he witnesses the torture and seeming death of a fellow inmate" at which point he encounters a standard supervillain, and gets into a standard superhero fight scene. By issue's end, we still have far more questions than answers (even with a highly effective twist ending).

And for those Marvel readers who are always looking for something a little off the beaten path? Well now. You can't get much further than this!

If this really is a precursor to Marvel Legacy, it's not the most inspiring indicator of what's to come.

The irony is that "safe and unassuming" is probably the one thing the troubled David Haller would most want out of life. But in the world of drama (whether on television, or in the comic pages), stories thrive at the crossroads of passion and terror. And if they don't have that " then what are we here for?

This is by no means a bad comic, and the interstitial single-page glimpses do the needed job of getting us excited for some of the titles coming up. But to get back the many readers Marvel have lost over the past decade, they really needed to hit this one out of the park. And while it's a decently acceptable comic " especially for those who are already invested " it's perhaps a little too all-over-the-map to be the massive shot in the arm which Marvel needed.

The start of an all-new adventure together. One of the things that make superhero comics so enjoyable is when they occasionally defy expectation, and go places you might not have foreseen. What would a married Rogue-and-Gambit comic look like? Well, maybe you'd expect them to start with a more mutant-centric story, or a road trip visiting their respective homes of Mississippi and New Orleans. What readers probably didn't expect was to have this kick off with an intergalactic snatch-and-grab. And yet that's exactly what we get!

There are maybe a few ways in which the comic plays things a little too safe, at times " but for a first issue of a new series, after the character has been MIA for a while? That's not a bad thing; the comic can take its time and shake things up later, after re-establishing the status quo.

That's perhaps the saddest thing of all. This may, in the end, turn out to be a great Avengers story! But the way it's been positioned is deeply at odds with the stability the industry, right now, needs.

Early in the issue Cable stands at the entrance of an Old West saloon, proclaiming to the patrons that there's "no need for introductions." Regrettably, it's hard not to feel the creators took that sentiment to heart.

With a cautiously measured approach, Marvel could have brought Wolverine back to his former heights, and let readers gradually remember why they liked the cantankerous mutant in the first place. Instead, they're immediately launched into a regiment of excess. All Wolverine books, all the time.

All in all, an impressively compelling and sadly off-putting final product. That's a shame, but the lead story effectively does the job of giving readers the original Venom again, and in a far more interesting way than you'd expect.

It's too bad, because Quicksilver is a fascinating character who really deserves his due, and with a small but devoted fanbase who would love to see him featured in more stories. But this first issue really does feel like he's running to stand still.

In the final analysis, while this debut does a number of things right, it also comes across as an X-Men comic firmly aimed at people who are already reading X-Men comics.

We may just have to keep on waiting for the X-office to get it right.

Regrettably, that's a lesson which Infinity Countdown didn't heed. Which is too bad! Avengers: Infinity War is certain to draw in massive ticket sales when it hits in less than two months. Sadly, Infinity Countdown just isn't interested in courting that same kind of mass-audience appeal.

Not the place to start. Black Panther may be a great comic, if the acclaimed reviews from its first year are anything to go by. Although this was a perfect opportunity to grab new readers, this issue is a terrible introduction to either the character (who isn't really in it) or the book. If you're wanting to check out this title, in fact, you're probably better off picking up the first volume of the collected edition and starting there " because if you get your first taste with this issue, it's unlikely you'll be back for more.

With any luck, Marvel can figure these things out, and course correct. It may be hard to see that potential now (and especially with this particular event), but we want them to succeed. We still have hope for the future.