Gabe Foster Comic Reviews

No matter how many times I approach these themes, the abstract nature of cosmic deities just doesn't resonate with my personal tastes. While I’m giving this a 4 out of 10, I want to be clear that much of that score stems from my personal preferences; however, the disjointed story structure certainly didn’t do the book any favors.

Issue #1 last month wasn't my favorite what so ever, but at least that issue set up quite a bit of scenarios with some sort of action. Be it that it was super scattered and out of order, but it had aspects of a comic book. I feel like this issue capitalized on zero of those scenarios that were set up. Wanda "training" Storm in the opening pages was the closest thing to entertainment this book had to offer.

This issue also introduces new concepts like zombie X-Men who've shown up out of nowhere and a response from Storm in regard to the murder at the sanctuary that seems already forgotten about a page later when she’s flying through the sky with her spaceman mom look-alike. I'm hoping the war they're building toward comes quickly and is action-packed. But for now, this book needs something—anything—to pack some meat on the bones of this story. Until then, this book is an easy skip. It may read better as a TPB when it's all collected, but time will tell.

That being said, while moving in the right direction, Storm Earth's Mightiest Mutant #4 is still not anything to write home about for such an important character. It took 3 rough issues to get to a singular decent one that had shining lights of potential. But it's practically happening almost at the end of the first story they are trying to tell.

I believe it had pieces and concepts that could make for a longer and more fleshed-out story. It just fell into a portion of my brain that really loved the visuals, but the rest was not for me. That is my conclusion after completing all four parts of this story, even as an Iron Fist fan. Some cool cameos show up at least, especially if you like Miles Morales, Luke Cage, and Daredevil.

Even though this issue was a very quick read, it had Peach's trademark beautifully drawn art. There are only very few comics where you're guaranteed to get your money's worth, and Ultimate X-Men is one of them. Some people may say it's too slim on words and relies more on the visual aspect, but as I stated in this review earlier, that's what comics are for.; The VISUAL aspects. Peach's manga aesthetic on this book makes it stand out from any other Western comic on the shelf, being produced by the Big Two. I truly think this book would thrive and meet its full potential as a manga-sized reprint of the entire story.

As I stated earlier, the brutality of this story has really ramped up over the past two months. If this story is ever adapted into a show or movie, it will be one for the ages. I am genuinely upset to know that this book will not be around in a few months after Ultimate End Game concludes. However, the ride has certainly been a fun one, and we will be riding this train to the very end.

The pieces do seem to be coming together kind of fast and if you read the other X-Titles, this seems to happen a bit suddenly. But we'll have to see how it plays out in the next issues of the mainline X-Men and Uncanny. Just feels a bit disconnected from the others as of right now. If you've read Exceptional X-Men like I have, this is ABSOLUTELY a sequel to that series. Seeing Kitty and Emma's kids being in leading roles is nice to see since they were some of the new characters I really liked.

Huge points for Captain America. I love seeing him appear in X-Men media every so often.

X-Men United is a toss up for me. While the writing and story is phenomenal there's still that disconnect from other X titles that makes this feel like it's on an island by itself. Seeing beast and Magneto bicker with Magneto passively saying that it would make things better if beast was killed? Something about that feels very disconnected from the current mainline X-Men run I've been reading and reviewing on here.

Constantine/Strange and Batman/Deadpool alone are worth it on their own to purchase this. Everything else is just added to the fun! This book is worth your $7.99 for sure, and if it's not sold out at your shops yet, pick up this fun piece of comic history!

However, you should give it a shot. It is a good jumping-on point, and the creators explain enough so that you do not necessarily need to read all of Age of Revelation. It would definitely help to understand the scope of how horrible the world became, as that context makes you understand exactly where this version of Cyclops is coming from with his actions.

Reading this the first time I wasn't too into it to be completely honest. But after taking my time reading it a second and third time to write up this review, I actually don't dislike this issue at all. I gave it some flack for needing to research some elements of the story, but that really isn't that big of a problem. There's a lot of moving parts right now in this ongoing story so I'm intrigued to see how this all plays out.

Nonetheless, Crimson Commando showing up and ruining the X-Men's day and Beast discovering who the Chairman is were all well executed and, like I said previously, provides a form of excitement for what's to come in the near future.

All in all, I love it when everyone in a team book has something to do. This issue feels fresh and serves as a strong restart point for the title. Jed has put together a well-structured book that kept me turning pages, and I’m excited to see where the story goes next.

With the X-Men seemingly expecting this trap I'm curious to see how they make it out of here. The Danger Room team can be a deadly one if they survive the X-Men's retaliation and could be a scary team in the future for sure.

This X-Team has endured so much over the years, and this issue perfectly demonstrates how that experience has shaped them. Their guards are always up, and their willingness to be ruthless is justified—they don’t want to be picked off one by one. It’s a stark and compelling contrast to the less dangerous, less vicious Uncanny Team down south, which I also love. All in all, this is a huge win of an issue!

A great set up for what could be a phenomenal end to this mini story! So many plot lines I want to see play out and so many stories that can grow from this. A textbook X-Men story and issue.

As I stated in a previous review, this is just good ol' classic X-Men entertainment. You get the bang for your buck that makes you feel like the X-Men are truly back.

But as I stated in the creative team section, it’s not a book that steals the show for the week; it’s simply a good read that you can pick up if you'd like. Even though I thoroughly enjoyed it, it’s nothing to go out of your way to get. If you aren't a fan of what's going on with Cyclops right now but enjoyed his character progression before the Revelation stuff, then this is the book to get that modern pre-Age of Revelation Cyclops fix that you're looking for.

Cyclops' single title is a great addition to anyone's pull list right now, hands down. On par with the last issue and keeps the ever-growing tension and momentum going.

This issue is on par with the fun action packed ride of last month for sure. Definitely give this book a shot if you haven't yet.

This issue is on par with the fun action packed ride of last month for sure. Definitely give this book a shot if you haven't yet.

Tearjerker as the next in line for a potential future villain was set up nicely and made his presence and all these issues matter. He has seen first-hand what Cyclops can do and could be a great foil to him in the future. This is another Marvel title that has been relegated to a mini series that deserves a full length run. The vibe from the end of this issue shows that there’s more left to be told. When this is collected in a trade paperback, it's a very easy book to recommend to someone. Especially someone that loves themselves some Cyclops.

If you're going to be picking up ANY DC K.O Tie-In, from what I've personally read, this may be the best thing to add to your pull list. There's a sense of nostalgia mixed with a large dash of danger and excitement. With these heroes being on borrowed time and due to die anyways, truly anything can happen in this story.

While I enjoyed the previous two issues more, this one is not horrible at all. This is absolutely a key issue of this story arc that will be fleshed out more soon enough. How will a hopeless Superman pan out? If Mr. Terrific has lost his "Fair Play" mindset, how will that affect the whole team? Or better yet, how will the team losing their most important possession affect their fight in Hell against Neron? A lot of fun questions are laid out after reading this book, which I am a fan of. It is something to bite on and come back for over the coming months.

I'm incredibly excited to see the fallout of the Owlwoman swerve. Presuming she’s been siding with Neron in secret this entire time, the implications for the League are massive.

This book wasn't on my pull list to begin with, but ended up being a story I looked forward to reading and reviewing. Very minor complaints about this issue and this arc as a whole.

Very well written issue with all the content it contained and read as smooth as butter to set the stage for what's to come.

Justice League Unlimited continues to be a prime example of why DC has been a comic juggernaut recently The stories don't feel rushed and are given time to play out. Interested to see the Batman/Lex Luthor conflict unfold over the next few issues.

With Raymond being trapped in an endless loop inside its mind, it going to make for some great storytelling going forward if they keep this momentum going. While my rating is a 7, its only because this is just setting up the story for us. And while this was a good first issue, if they keep the ball rolling, I know the upcoming installments will provide us with tons of more content above a 7 rating for sure.

All of this internal struggle is wrapped up in a neat little story that doubles as a detailed breakdown of Firestorm's origin. Framed as Ronnie trying to go deeper into his memory. Showing where he came from, how he met Professor Stein to this limbo that he's stuck in now. Very well done work here by Jeff Lemire and Rafael de Latorre. This creative partnership gels phenomenal storytelling with fantastic, creative visuals.

I'm really interested in how Ronnie will take control back and what the relationship will be between him and Stein when they meet up again.

Stein in this book is in such a grey area. One minute he tells you openly about the horrible lies he's been a part of. Then being a helping hand the next. My expectations have been completely diverted, but in a good way. I genuinely have zero clue what's going to happen next in this series. I've said it before, and I'll say it again, if you aren't reading The Fury of Firestorm, the TPB is going to be something that sells a large number of copies (I hope).

This was a great start to what could be an all-time story with these two characters. Magik and Colossus have always been a duo that I've wanted to delve into more. While reading stories with them individually or on other teams, I've never dug deeper into their history. I'm a fan of a homecoming story, so this was right up my alley. Also, tying in real-world mythological beings like Lady Midday was a cool touch that I'm a big fan of! What can I say? I'm a sucker for mythological creatures.

Really excited for issue #3 of this, its been a fun past two issues and the train looks to not be slowing down just yet. While I liked Issue #1 more than this one, this Issue was still very solid!

But that’s such a small thing to mention. This issue was well done and showed Colossus and Magik’s relationship with their mother, one that included lots of love. Seeing Illyana train to fight with her mother, as a result of wanting to have her protect herself, was beautiful to see. Colossus seems to be more dangerous and seems to know that he can’t hold back if he’s to get through this.

Ashley Allen has been hitting a homerun every month with this run and leaves me wanting more every time I read a new issue. She writes heartache, like was shown in the opening pages of this issue, just as well as she can frame fight scenes. A gem of a story that looks to have it's big conclusion next month!

With Connor Hughes no longer being the artist on this book, I think that Andrei Bressan is a perfect option to fill this spot, as his style has a similar feel. I do not feel like the art has a jarring change like many other series put out by other companies when they switch artists.

The world inside Void Rivals itself continues to grow as well with some new characters like Garad and Gamut being given some character this month. I have no idea if Robert Kirkman has anything planned for these characters long-term, but his track record shows that he may. No one is introduced for no reason in his stories, even if it's for something as simple as world building. And as Agorria and Zertonia are feeling like larger, more fleshed out worlds, the scope of this upcoming war feels equally as large.

Time will tell, but Void Rivals #28 gets a big thumbs up for me. Also, big shout-out to the character spotlight they included in this issue. I love little gimmicks like these and with the world of Void Rivals growing, its nice to see some short explanations being written out for certain characters like Solila.

I loved how this ended personally. War's don't usually have a clean end, so seeing as this is the beginning of the good guys beginning to fight back, I'm very excited to see what's in the works for this title.

This issue sets up a mountain of questions and events that will eventually play out over the coming months. I think following all four stories at once is a cool way to follow what is going on with each warring faction. Kudos to Benjamin Percy and Phillip Kennedy Johnson for crafting a cohesive, easy-to-follow story that follows multiple people. That is not an easy task at all and, as I stated earlier, the art team on this story did a great job at bringing the scope of this new war to life.

This story has been an example of great art direction mixed with an interesting story that tells you just enough to get through the issue. All without over-explaining things to you. You actually want to come back next month as a reader to see how much further into the dungeon these characters have gone and what treasures they find in Doom's Dungeon. I'll say it again, this is a book that has made itself hard to ignore and is a great read for anyone. Even if you've read very little about Doom in the past like me, it's still worth dropping your hard earned money on.

In my personal opinion, Wonder Man has set itself up for success with Issue #1!

At the end of the day, this is a very solid book with a lot of creativity and an intriguing story direction that’s paired with phenomenal world-building. This is what Wonder Man is all about!

I'm very intrigued to see where all these open ends lead to and I would recommend Wonder Man as a pick up for sure. If it gets printed as a Trade Paperback I'd recommend that as well. A great change of pace from the usual punchy punchy serious superhero comics I read.

While being on the cusp of that 9/10 rating, I know that may be saved for the finale of this story, which appears to be happening in the very near future.

I am genuinely going to miss this arc when it concludes. I know it is bound to be followed by something just as great, which is why I’ll always preach that you should go out of your way to pick up this series. This is especially true now, as it looks like we are getting Nightwing’s version of the Court of Owls' mental torture very soon. If you have read Batman: The Court of Owls, you know exactly what I’m talking about.

As expected, I am excited to see where this goes and how this is wrapping up in the final issue of this story arc next month, with the returning Dexter Soy doing interiors for one last time.

This issue demonstrates the positive effect Nightwing has on the community of Blüdhaven. He's an inspiring beacon of hope for the city and for everyone that lives there, whether they're small children or full grown adults. Dan Watters presents all of Nightwing's positives so well that it's making his series a must-read every single time. Looking forward to what he has next for us going into 2026.

As stated previously this isn't a high speed action issue. But it doesn't need to be. Every issue so far has had that feeling so after the major city changing catastrophe that happened in issues 134 and 135, this was a great contrast. Showing the reader that this isn't the same Blüdhaven we know and are accustomed to. World building the city in a way Gotham City has desperately needed over the years. This is evident with the big bad of the story, going from gangs and corrupted government officials to witches that are literally haunting the new highway in the city. Causing issues for Nightwing that he may not be fully prepared for.

I'm always happy for a Batman appearance in Nightwing! This time it felt like it was done in way to explain Nightwings mental situation even further. With someone on the outside looking in, trying to help him. This part of Nightwing is darker than what we got before, this feels almost more real than anything we've read since Dan Watters took over and I love it.

The world around Nightwing is illustrated in a way that perfectly fits Dan Watters' theme that he's going for. Its truly a dark and depressing place to be living in right now. So many questions are still left open that are yet to be explored in this phenomenal series.

I thoroughly believe that this current Nightwing run is a book that has the potential to win awards and nominations. And it will be something we look back on in the future as a pivotal point in this character's life.

I'm hooked on the team of Nightwing and the Coroner, forgetting that we still have to learn what's going on with the woman from the bridge. This book has me very excited for the future, and seeing Nightwing go through such a dark time is going to feel great when he finally overcomes this whole situation.

Lastly, the middle ground of mystical villains and grounded crime lord bosses is blended well in this issue. Its why comics media is so great. It combines 2 very different types of villains for Nightwing and bringing them together in a way that's actually pretty realistic. Super excited to see how this all unfolds.

The Darkness has easily set up a fun story that’s very promising to provide entertainment for as long as it lasts. 2026 is going to be a great year for The Darkness and Top Cow as a whole: action, gore, sex, Mafia drama, demonic beings, and seductive angels. What DOESN’T this story have?!

I also want to take some time to shout-out the Darklings. They’re my absolute favorite side characters in comics today, the amount of enthusiasm they have to kill Angelus' soldiers was so fun to see.

Darkness captures that cool factor of the 90's while implementing excellent modern storytelling techniques with it. It's the epitome of what a comic book is all about. Jackie Estacado continues to reign with an iron fist in his story and maintains the title of coolest comic character 30 years later.

The writing on this continues to be absolutely superb with Jackie being given so many layers to his character. His demons inside of him literally targeting him and communicating with him was a lot of fun. His conscience trying to talk some reason into him to no avail was a great way to outwardly show the tough situation Jackie is in.

DC and Pornsak Pichetshote have another win on their hands here within the Absolute Universe. So let's see if this ball can keep on rolling going forward. Definitely go out of your way to pick this up...if you can at least. This seems to already be flying off the shelves.

Absolute Green Arrow is just a genuinely great read through every month. And if you're not dying to figure out who Green Arrow actually is, then you must not have a pulse.

DC has been keeping these Milestone characters to the side for one reason or another while sporadically sprinkling them into titles. But I'm so glad they're deciding to hopefully take them seriously and do something with them going forward. This is the best way to do that and implement them in a way that canonically could make sense too. I want to see more books with people like Hardware getting another shot with a singles book. Or why continue showing us the vigilant ejustice being dealt out by the Blood Syndicate that ess already started in "Milestone Returns"? The options are limitless and I hope they capitalize on this.