Contrary to what it may sound like, I'm not asking for all doom and gloom in my superhero comics. I would be ecstatic to see a Hank Pym who finds happiness – but I have to be able to understand and believe the changes he goes through to reach that place. Obviously, this is hardly the end for Hank Pym – this story is a prologue for AVENGERS A.I., a comic he'll be starring in – and I'm sure Sam Humphries will explore this radical change in more depth. I just don't think Waid was able to sell this particular reinvention – Pym is one of the most complex and human characters of the Marvel Universe, and his eureka moment felt far too packaged. This lack of true growth aside, AGE OF ULTRON #10AI is a great comic book, a wonderful journey through a characters past and a look into their future, even if I find that future hard to believe.

With a lot of NEXTWAVE style humour from Doombot, exciting action and a believable and surprising characterization of Hank Pym, the first issue of AVENGERS A.I. is a delight. It's all too rare these days to see the first issue of a team book in which the team manages to come together and save the day all in twenty pages, but Humprhies pulls it off with room for character moments and still teasing at future stories to leave us wanting more. After the success of HAWKEYE, Marvel seems much more confident in releasing books with unique sensibilities starring B-list characters, and we should take advantage of the situation. Hank Pym is one of Marvel's most complex and human superheroes, and featuring him in a book about the continuing dominance of technology is a stroke of genius. You may scoff at the idea of another AVENGERS title, but this one is something special.

The issue ends with a number of shocking revelations, most importantly Cable coming face to face with his father, mutant revolutionary icon Scott Summers. I think a lot of Cable's tense withholding comes from his issues with Cyclops, so it will be very interesting to see how this reveal plays out. In the end, CABLE AND X-FORCE is somehow a very low-key book about intergalactic heists, mutant arrest and others on the run – but that's not a bad thing. Hopeless injects so much levity and great character moments into an action-packed plot that you may find yourself feeling surprised at the tone the book reaches. But it's still a great comic, and if you find more pathos in an action-heist book than expected, that's not a bad thing.

CABLE AND X-FORCE is a great series. It's a big fun heist comic that manages to explore deep and complicated ideas, all while treating it's abnormal and idiosyncratic characters with respect. One of Marvel's more unique and off kilter titles, it's a must for fans of the lesser known characters of the X-franchise, but will be just as savoured by anyone looking for an exciting and personal superhero story.

With an explosive conclusion, complete with obligatory hilarity from Nemesis and Forge, CABLE AND X-FORCE #8 comes to a quick finish, while setting up the confrontation with the Uncanny Avengers that we were teased with at the beginning of the first issue. Though not as memorable as other entries in the series, this is still a great series, and a must read for the pivotal character change with Colossus alone. If this series can find a stronger balance between action-packed plot progression and the deep and fascinating characterizations Hopeless effortlessly presents us, it could well become one of the strongest X-titles on the stands.

Overall, even the ingenious use of Purple Girl and Mastermind can't push the issue past merely efficient. It's a shame we had to have a filler issue so early in the series run, especially one that didn't really move any of the characters forward, but it's still mildly entertaining, and worth reading if the Messiah Complex didn't fill you with enough Hope for the next few years.

However, the story and characterizations really do make up for the sub-par art. CABLE AND X-FORCE #10 answers a lot of questions, but also brings up a lot of new ones. It brings back the off-kilter sense of humour I enjoyed so much in the first arc, and Hopeless continues with what may be the best handling of Domino in years. Fun, action-packed, with appearances from beloved and underutilized X-characters, a fascinating exploration of the Uncanny Avengers concept and outlaw mutant hijinks, what's not to love?

You may not have thought you needed another DAREDEVIL series, but with Marvel continually throwing artists of such incredible calibre at the character, you'd be hard pressed to deny more. This series is especially welcome, with the more light hearted superheroic fare of Waid and Samnee's title and the dark final chapter of Bendis, Mack, Janson and Sienkiewicz' END OF DAYS, it's great to see a series that brings the character to it's roots. I eagerly await not only Weeks' next chapter, but the other talented artists to come aboard. A Daredevil anthology series is a great idea on Marvel's part, and if the stories keep at this level of quality, I'll be there to read every one.

DARK AVENGERS is thrilling, cataclysmal and surprising commentary on modern superhero comics. Admittedly, it's a hard sell – an alternate universe, starring little-known characters battling popular heroes in a bleak, dystopian setting. But Parker and Edwards turn this into an amazing story, one that any Marvel fan shouldn't miss – if you care about the nature of superheroes, about what stories they work in and why we care about them, you will love this comic. Intelligent, complicated, ethical and unlike anything else out there.

DARK AVENGERS is a wonderfully weird comic, but it seems appropirate that one of the last issues is such a serious and moving story. Parker and Edwards have had a lot of fun with these lesser known characters and this strange world, and it hurts all the more knowing that they saw them as real people, too. DARK AVENGERS may not have been long for this world, but I'll certainly never forget a comic that made me care about a clone of Thor created by Mark Millar for a nearly decade old summer event.

As the Dark Avengers return to their home, Parker treats us to a wonderful epilogue that reminds us just how far these characters have come in a small amount of issues. Though their future is unclear (well, except Ai Apec's) I think it was smart to end on a note of hope, to remind us that even the weirdest characters of the Marvel Universe occasionally get a series just like this one, a series that seemingly has no rules, that plays off on the fringe of continuity, and is able to tell much different stories as a result. DARK AVENGERS was a weird book filled with characters I never cared for, but it was also one of my favourite Marvel on-goings, and I genuinely looked forward to reading and reviewing it every month. It will be missed!

THANOS RISING tells a story a lot of fans may not want to hear, but if you're intrigued by what events could have created something like Thanos, you'll be transfixed.

Jason Aaron made the right choice with this mini-series; he had the chance to present long-time and new readers with an iconic and complicated villain from his earliest days, and the desire to strip away the character must have been immense. But by keeping things very evocative, by telling a story as disaffected and focused as the title characters' biological experiments, he gave us a story that only makes Thanos more of an unforgettable and chilling character. THANOS RISING is incredibly unique – it doesn't tell the story you were expecting at all, but that's what makes it such a worthwhile chapter in the Mad Titan's life. You many not understand Thanos any more after reading this series, but you'll be even more scared of him.

I think it's easy and lazy to denounce this series for shining light on a mystery some think better unexplored, but this series is proof that with the right artists involved, any story can be worth telling. I may not have thought I wanted to see Thanos' days of post-adolescence, but Aaron gives us a fascinating creature of longing, and we can see how that insatiable desire to feed an unquenchable emptiness turned him into the malevolent ruler we know so well. THANOS RISING is prequel storytelling that moves us.

THANOS RISING is an incredible series, beautifully executed by the entire creative team. THANOS RISING bleeds Marvel cosmic, completely unashamed of that particular corner of the MU's uniqueness, the Starlin tradition of all powerful Gods in an endless struggle with self. THANOS RISING #4 is heart breaking, tragic, and infuriating – because Aaron makes it hard for us to accept seeing Thanos become what he must become, and I think that might be the key to a good prequel story.

The only negative I can find in THANOS RISING is that most audiences may only discover it in the collected edition – because RISING is a meal meant to be digested slowly. Aaron told his story over one man's lifetime, each issue opening with the Mad Titan in a new phase of his life. In reading month to month, you felt this passage of time – you spent those four weeks ruminating on the last issue, reactions and opinions gestating, growing along with the release of the newest chapter. There's no doubt that RISING will read well in a trade paperback – I'm sure that's how it was intended to be read – but it was a rare example of a modern comic book that felt serialized, that felt like it was to be consumed in parts. THANOS RISING is sure to alienate older fans and potentially turn off more casual ones, but for anyone willing to look past what the characters in the book are telling you to be true, RISING is a delightfully rewarding experience.

Our story ends with Gorr in the present day, enjoying his centuries long career and torturing Volstagg of Asgard. Gorr does not seem to see he has become the exact sort of figure he was against for so long. All-powerful, deciding the fates of others…and as his young son emerges from the shadows, you really start to wonder just what Gorr has turned himself into. Ending on a bleak and shocking image of Gorr's hypocritical intolerance, THOR: GOD OF THUNDER is an epic, exciting take on power and religious belief in the Marvel Universe. Even if some readers may find Gorr's story too familiar, or the lack of Thor in his own title disconcerting, this issue is still wonderfully executed and intriguing.

After the once and future Thor gear up and ready for battle, we learn a shocking truth of a minor character from the last few months. This issue may have featured comedic elements that didn't work for me, but this is still a series that may as well be considered required comics reading. THOR: GOD OF THUNDER features gorgeous and expansive art, while also telling an interesting story about generation gaps and religious values. Its at its peak when it plays it straight, but there's plenty of joy to be had in this more lighthearted entry. Even if this issue didn't hit me as much as the others, I'm still with this series for the long haul, and you should be, too.

By the time all three Thor's are united in their mission to stop Gorr, many a reader will find themselves pumping a fist or banging a head in salute. This comic is a blast of masculine adrenaline, the comic book version of listening to Amon Amarth or not shaving. When it gives itself over to telling its epic adventure, or exploring the fascinating themes about faith and parentage that Aaron has set up, it's an unforgettable book. Too often, however, the series leans on humour, which upsets the tone more than compliments it. And as fascinating and ultimately rewarding the three timeline device is, it creates an unsatisfying pacing problem. All this being said, THOR: GOD OF THUNDER is still a blast to read, and without a doubt, it will live on as one of the character's most memorable adventures.

THOR: GOD OF THUNDER has been a fantastic series from the begging, albeit one that occasionally struggled to achieve a balance between madcap, frat boy humour and the deeper story of a man's ever evolving life and his relation to faith. This issue manages to do just that, becoming one of the most enjoyable reads of the week. THOR: GOD OF THUNDER is sort of what we always imagined Thor comics would be like, but they never quite were. Bombastic, epic and moving, this is the Thor we haven't seen since Kirby or Simonson's seminal days on the title. A must read.

THOR: GOD OF THUNDER #10 is exciting and fascinating – Aaron is telling an almost MAD magazine version of Thor, a god of thunder that travels across the cosmos with a bitter old man and a bloodthirsty young warrior, engaging in battle with otherworldly threats in an epic quest to stop ultimate evil. But against all odds, Aaron and Ribic make it work, precisely because of the sincerity in turning Thor into what we've always wanted him to be. An endlessly repeated myth, a story of good over evil, a parable about good men losing touch with themselves. THOR: GOD OF THUNDER truly is one of the greatest of the Marvel NOW! titles, and will easily end up being one of the character's definitive tales.

"This 'Utopia' is an embarrassment to the country. This is AMERICA." so decrees General Ross before ordering an army to reclaim what the country believes is rightfully theirs. ULTIMATE COMICS X-MEN may be one of the most political X-men stories of all time, using the 'real-world' style of the Ultimate Universe to make an even more chilling and real threat to a small and unusual minority. But it's to Wood's great credit that the book isn't dry, or even preachy " it's just as complicated as situations like this actually are. But reading UCXM will cement how best to sort through these things in real life, and where exactly you stand on such matters. It's also filled with the romantic drama and exciting action we've come to expect from the superhero genre, all told by masters of the form. It may seem that the Ultimate Universe is on it's last legs, but with stories of this calibre, there's no reason we shouldn't be reading.

ULTIMATE COMICS X-MEN continues to build on itself more and more, adding more and more shocking revelations while not losing the character focus that has made the series so special. If rumours of Wood leaving the book prove to be true, I'll be confident to say that he'll be leaving with what may be the best ULTIMATE X-MEN run of all, having truly fulfilled the promise of seeing what it would be like for mutants in our nasty and painful world.

ULTIMATE COMICS X-MEN, like Brian Wood's Marvel NOW! X-men series, is a perfect superhero comic. It would be almost impossible to reach the end of this issue and not demand that the next one arrives in your hands as soon as possible. With a creative team in wonderful artistic synergy, a story line filled with mysteries slowly coming apart, the tension and excitement of ULTIMATE COMICS X-MEN #27 is immense. If you enjoyed X-MEN #1, do yourself a favour and catch up on this series.

UNCANNY X-FORCE has been a little all over the place from the beginning. While every issue delights in its unusual tone and Humphries fantastic ear for dialogue and stylistic sensibility, the depth behind all of this surface cool is sometimes lacking. However, an issue like this one where everything comes together so seamlessly is to be treasured. The rest of the team may be absent, but Betsy Braddock is a character that more than deserves a spotlight issue. Her complex love story may be off-putting or shallow for more cynical readers, but I think Humphries handles it with a real sensitivity and maturity. UNCANNY X-FORCE #7 is a must read for X-men fans.

ALL-NEW X-MEN and X-MEN are very good comics, but they also read exactly as I'd expect X-men comics in any point across time to read. There's nothing inherently wrong with that, but what I love about UNCANNY X-FORCE and X-MEN LEGACY is the audacious nowness of both titles, the feeling that these are the X-men of 2013 – the hurting and lost X-men, with values that are changing and ideas that characters feel too afraid to explore. The X-men aren't really about Jean Grey or the Phoniex or Rogue smashing things or sentinels or viruses, they're about the startling and terrifying rate of progression the world currently sees itself in, and how we can possibly react to it. Despite the fact that it doesn't even feature a team of X-men, UNCANNY X-FORCE #8 feels more like an X-title than any other book I read this week.

UNCANNY X-FORCE #10 is stumbling, but it has moments that speak to the series and creators strengths. Perez puts a lot of himself into the entire issue, but still comes just short of saving a plot that feels tossed off. At it's best, UNCANNY X-FORCE has felt like the book for the weird kids – it's a dayglo neo-noir pop dream with mutant superheroes fighting ninjas in Los Angeles. But this issue leans a little heavily on the tropes of the franchise, and has a mainstream sheen as a result. When Humphries gets the chance to focus on the characters, to indulge in a bit of weirdness, things pick up. The thing that holds UNCANNY X-FORCE back is itself – the story seems to be getting in the way of what Humphries wants to do, and what we want to read about. A mis-step in an otherwise fascinating series.

VENOM could have felt overcooked, but it doesn't – there are a lot of things happening in this issue, and impatient readers may wonder where Bunn is going with the seemingly disparate ideas he continues to throw at us every issue. However, none of this is accidental – I think Bunn wants us to have a feeling of uneasiness and tension, and wants us to sort through the clues ourself. It can't be coincidence that Venom finds himself in a love triangle between a Goddess and a monster hunter, or that all of his villians are either horrific experiments or forgotten '90s relics, or that the subject of bullying comes up in almost every interaction…can it? Bunn is clearly taking us somewhere, and if you really are sick of endless events or World Changing Moments, consider VENOM #37 – and maybe we'll end up with a return to long-form serialized superhero stories, with mature emotional resonance and undeniably exciting action.

WOLVERINE is destined to be a divisive character " after all, if you're reading Marvel comics, you can't escape him. But Cornell and Davis refuse to accept the idea that there's nothing left to tell with the character, and they understand that he's beloved for a reason. Logan is a complex, multifaceted person with conflicted feelings and emotions, and he's one of the few superhero characters that has seen real, lasting progression. By focusing on this, the new NOW! series already has something very interesting going for it " a title that doesn't look back or forward, but instead focuses on where the character is now, in the present, and why we should care about that.

WOLVERINE is an incredibly bizarre and captivating mystery " a bullet that stays in Logan's arm is a head-scratching Chekhov's gun, and the on-going mystery of the controlling voice is thrilling. But it's not just that Cornell is dipping Logan into genre's he's rarely been in, it's what he's revealing about the character. In a great mission statement in the letters column, Cornell spells out quite literally what he's doing, and he's succeeding. These are sides of this character we've never seen before, and every word from his lips is revealing to his long and sordid history. You may think a character with two on-goings and multiple team books would be running out of stories to tell, but WOLVERINE will prove you wrong.

WOLVERINE is a great comic book. It's honestly doing the unthinkable – finding something new to say about Logan, without feeling like a gimmicky plead for attention. On an even simpler level, it's fun! It's one of the most exciting Marvel books out there, and I actually think it hits a wonderful balance between a well-known and very talented and intelligent creators voice with that of a corporate owned superhero's. Some fans may wish the book felt more like Cornell, while others may wish it felt more like Wolverine, but it's the balance between the two that makes the thing so special for me.

Ending with a gripping epilogue set at least a century in the future, the mysteries keep piling on in the NOW! volume of the most popular X-man. WOLVERINE, to me, is everything that line-wide relaunches like The New 52 or Marvel NOW! promise – something completely new and different, a take on a decades old character we actually haven't seen countless times before. It's rare the companies find the courage to not just return to the well, but ‘Hunting Season' really was a thrillingly original Wolverine story, that still stay true to the characters' mythos. Davis may not be returning to the next arc, but with Cornell telling one of the freshest stories currently being published by the Big Two, I await it with breathless anticipation.

WOLVERINE #5 is a bit of a let down after four issues that had me more excited for the characters' solo series than I'd been in years. Cornell continues to experiment in characterization and technique, and he has to be given credit for bringing a stubbornly stagnant character into a new direction. Unfortunately, the artwork just doesn't gel with the story in the way Davis' did, with mediocre staging and poor acting. I'm confident that WOLVERINE will continue to be one of the strongest of the characters many series, but this issue was rather middling.

WOLVERINE #6 is an adequate and serviceable issue, and it has some bright and memorable moments. It just never comes together as a whole, the writer and art team on two very different wavelengths, a very unique and interesting sensibility muddied by stiff and unsuitable pencils. WOLVERINE #6 wraps up the previous storyline and sets up the next one, but in a way that feels efficient more than it does memorable or exciting. With Davis back on the next issue, I'm optimistic that WOLVERINE will return to the high standard set by the previous issues.

“I'm the HERO in this here story.” Dog informs Wolverine. Dog may be coming from a place of resentment and revenge, but he's still a sympathetic character – why should Wolverine go from murdering creature of the woods to card-carrying Avenger when no one gives Dog a chance to prove himself? WOLVERINE AND THE X-MEN #26 is a fascinating conflict of family, destiny and a desire for adventure. It seems to say our only hope for survival is being honest with ourselves and becoming self-actualized, less we fill our hearts with rage and blood-thirst. And our hands with time-diamonds. Because, hey, this is still a Jason Aaron comic, and it's still gotta be fun.

However, I think there's enough X-books out there for all sorts of moods to come and play, and if you're looking for a wild adventure story with plenty of out-there moments and fantastic art work, this book will always be there for you. But I can't help but hope it strives to achieve a little more, and finds a way to balance the fun action with more interesting characterizations, like Aaron's intriguing work on Dog Logan.

WOLVERINE AND THE X-MEN #27AU does everything I want a tie-in comic to do. It gives us a nice breather from the exciting and climactic events of the ‘big summer book', allowing us to get a glimpse inside the central characters' heads and see what's really going on. It's an essential and unforgettable chapter in the story of Invisible Woman, and with wonderful art (across multiple generations of comics, no less) it has the high level of craft I expected from the talent involved. Here's to more Matt Kindt at the House of Ideas!

WOLVERINE AND THE X-MEN still can't stick the landing or balance it's many different elements as much as I want it to, but this issue was certainly a step in the right direction. It has the series' trademark lowbrow humour while still letting the characters breathe and grow, but the unsatisfying ending leaves a bad taste in your mouth. That being said, it's still a very fun and entertaining book, and Ramon Perez continues to draw the heck out of it. You can think of it as going through an awkward phase " after a burst of creativity, a muddled period of AvX tie-ins, it now has to meander around and find itself again " and if you have the patience, the wait may be worth it.

WOLVERINE AND THE X-MEN #29 is a fantastic and fun comic, a new high for a series that shifts rapidly in quality from moment to moment. Plenty of new and exciting plots for future issues are hinted at and presented, including a JGS student going rogue in an epilogue twist, and the characterization of Logan and Aaron's new and strange students is deeper than it's ever been. The tacky opening scene drags things down, but not by much. WATXM #29 is optimistic, exciting and fun, while still being moving and emotionally rewarding on a somewhat deeper level – everything the series has always wanted to be.

This chapter of WOLVERINE AND THE X-MEN cleared up a lot of dangling story threads, while finally getting a chance to set up the story of the new Hellfire Club, a story I think Aaron's been burning to get to for some time. That being said, it's difficult to recommend and issue when the best thing you can say about it is that it's ‘necessary'. The creative team makes a pretty engaging read out of an issue that's little more than sweeping out the attic, but that's what makes it ultimately skippable. I'm sure THE HELLFIRE SAGA will make an engaging read, but this is little more than an assemblage of parts.

WOLVERINE AND THE X-MEN #31 is the worst Marvel comic I've read in some time, the sort of low quality that causes a reader to give up on a book entirely. Taking away Bradshaw's great artwork, there's nothing worth praising. I don't doubt Aaron's abilities as a writer, and I do hope he can get the series back to what made it so refreshing in the first place – it was a different kind of X-men book, sure, and that's always bound to turn many zealous fans away, but the anything-goes energy and zany childish humour was a welcome respite to a book that had been moody and pensive for so long. WATXM originally felt fun and whimsical, it reminded us that we used to all dream to be a mutant at the Xavier Institute, that it was possible to long to be an X-man again. But if it gives itself away entirely to it's unique sensibility, we walk away feeling exhausted and empty.

At this point, I just can't recommend X-MEN LEGACY enough; it's a complex, challenging story of mutant destiny, peppered with real-world ideas presented in a shocking and occasionally hilarious way. It's a battle cry against stagnation, and it promises and fulfills the idea that the superhero genre can tell any story worth telling, even mature ones. If you aren't afraid of it, X-MEN LEGACY will absorb you.

“All will become clear.” a voice in David's head whispers, and that's certainly something to constantly remind yourself in X-MEN LEGACY – new clues, characters and concepts are continually added, but it feels as if our story is just beginning. Spurrier has been deconstructing and challenging our established ideas of the X-mythos, all while telling a very personal and political story; a young man's mission for self-dependence, and a sprawling, satirical journey of contemporary America. X-MEN LEGACY is that special book that we've all been waiting for; it's that identity that our generation has been asking for; it's our DOOM PATROL, our secret hidden treasure published among a mass of mainstream adventure stories, a complicated, original, funny and touching comic, unlike anything you've ever read. Spurrier, Huat, Yeung and Villarrubia…”the world SALUTES you.”

X-MEN LEGACY is, without a doubt, my favourite of the Marvel NOW! titles. Only this title could pull off a story that alludes WATCHMEN, attacks its own genre and fans, questions superhero morality and tells a stark and complicated story about hurt people trying to love each other. David's story is only getting bigger and bigger with each issue, and Spurrier seems incapable of running out of steam any time soon. If you haven't hopped on board yet, now is the time.

X-MEN LEGACY continues to mix together fresh and imaginative ideas, a dark and twisted sense of humour and the X-franchise's weirdest and most complicated love story. LEGACY follows every staple and convention of the Marvel mutant mythos – from daddy issues to bigotry to melodramatic relationships – but turns it and shakes it to turn it into something wholly unique and unpredictable. X-MEN LEGACY is the weirdest and wildest superhero book on the stands, without being superficial or acting as if it's better than the genre or source material – it respects its audience and respects its world. It's told sincerely from a very relateable and human point of view, and that's what makes it more than just another nod to Grant Morrison. This is comics for grown-ups in a very real way.

X-MEN LEGACY ends with an unexpected and wonderful twist, and even if this particular issue felt more like a build-up to that moment than anything else, it still has plenty of wonderful character moments and fascinating complex ideas to keep you entertained. X-MEN LEGACY simply works in every conceivable way, creating it's own unique mythology and direction while still being firmly set in the confines of the Marvel Universe. With so many people patiently waiting for the death of superhero comics, you only have to read a title like LEGACY to see that there's countless ideas left worth exploring. Buy X-MEN LEGACY.

Though a step down from it's regular level of extremely special proficiency, X-MEN LEGACY is still a comic book worth reading, a fun satire on formulaic superhero adventure and the public's willingness to eat it up, as well as a moving love story involving Legion and Blindfold. Bringing together many of the stories seemingly disparate plot elements while continuing a wonderful sense of momentum, as well as featuring an exciting and unusual fight scene complete with beloved B-list mutants. A smart, laugh-out loud call against stagnation and sheep-herding politics in an X-men comic book – the irony is not lost on Spurrier.

X-MEN LEGACY #13 may be one of the best issues yet of Marvel's greatest ongoing title – it's as smart and weird and sly as it's always been, but there's a certain level of accessibility and charm in the thirteenth issue that almost ensures a bigger audience on the horizon, and sees the creative team hitting a level of confidence that has me in desperate impatience for future issues. Best of all, Spurrier and Huat have given me something of such high quality that I'll never get tired of saying READ THIS COMIC – I promise, you will be glad you did.

As expected, Legion's plan is more complicated than Wisdom imagined, and while the conclusion doesn't answer any of the questions of a society's responsibility to morality or of Legion's admirable but naive world view, it opens up plenty of new ones, which is one of the simplest things about the title that makes it head and shoulders above much other Marvel fare – every issue feels like a middle, just as a serialized story should. X-MEN LEGACY is doing everything right, exploiting the genre to it's fullest but also questioning it at every turn, bringing in big real-world ideas without the corny naivete of most political superhero stories. LEGACY is brilliant and beautiful proof of what the genre can do.

I can see how tempting it would be for the ultra-progressive and self-aware fan base that is the X-men community to react negatively to this issue's twist, but just because you recognize a trope doesn't mean you're reading one. You would have to glimpse over Spurrier and Huat's story quite briefly to not see how conscious and intelligent the pair are. “An endless BEAT.” as David says in the issue; by definition, genre will follow certain devices and tropes, and superheroes are no exception. A lot of what makes LEGACY so refreshing is the bizarre paradox it has between being a ‘smart' Marvel comic with an indie vibe, but also a title that's almost more classically Marvel than anything else on the stands today. X-MEN LEGACY continues to be the best thing to come out of Marvel in years.

Unfortunately, the title stumbles towards its conclusion, and longtime readers may not get the pay-off we were hoping. Again, I put none of the blame on the likes of Pak or Araujo, or even Marvel " if the ending feels rushed, it's because it probably was. With Dazzler and crew having defeated the evil Xaviers, they are mysteriously transported to the dimension of AoA, so that they can get involved with the story of that dimension's Nightcrawler in the X-TERMINATION event appearing in multiple lower-tier X-titles. Even with the slightly lackluster finale, I'll always remember Pak's far too short run on X-TREME X-MEN. It was original, inventive, intelligent and passionate about breaking down stereotypes. I have a strong belief that this series will live on beyond its short time on the monthly market " the world of tumblr is due to make the Hercules/Wolverine romance the stuff of legend, and Pak's amazing characterization of Dazzler and Kidcrawler will remind future scribes th

In the end, X-TREME X-MEN #13 is a very bad end to an incredible and unique comic series. The demise of a central character feels like little more than a desperate attempt at creating some kind of emotion. I can't really put much fault to the creative team " this event is clearly an editorial mandate, a desperate hope to create interest in series' Marvel was cancelling anyway. If you're incredibly invested in the AoA universe, it may be worth checking out, but otherwise, you'd be best to stay away. However, you'd be well off to track down the first twelve issues of Pak's X-TREME " incredibly original, entertaining and moving comics.