I'm a sucker for these sorts of issues that we've together a whole lot of Marvel continuity. I'm a nerd, I admit. This is interesting to me, and despite the tightening focus of this series, this issue still feels like a celebration of the Marvel Universe.

Nothing too major, just a superhero story with a pretty good origin for this issue's poster character. Just a little and a lot of everything going on to keep track of.

It's a nicely-done chapter that doesn't do much to restore my flagging interest.

There's no flaw I could point to in the storytelling; the art and the words are quite well done. The plot is complicated and wide-reaching, but not confusing or any more mysterious than it should be.

If I have one strategic complaint, it's that the heroes tend to be passive. They're swept along by that big complicated plot, and on the rare occasion when they do take action, it tends to be by executing the most predictable superhero tropes.

Which is not *bad* and can produce a good story in talented creative hands -- which this series is in. But can a story with such flat characters ever break through into greatness?