A solid, but more or less average issue. Nico Leon's art is nice, holding the issue up a bit higher than the plot (which is pretty standard fare) does. And, hey, a cover that has absolutely no contextual tie to the book inside! That's always neat!

Another great issue...this has been my favourite of the Young Animal line, and this issue perfectly wraps up the first year of story; the major plotlines are wrapped here, Shade's goodby with Lepuck is sufficiently moving, and we are ready to move with Shade to many more outlandish, mind-tripping adventures. I'm hoping that DC is patient with their Young Animal line, because they have a special title here as written and drawn by Castellucci and Zarcone. more

This issue rounds out the whole Maria Hill mystery, in an issue that is above average largely for its art. Michael Gaydos does his usual outstanding job drawing Jessica in gritty, modern-day style, while Javier Pulido's clean lines draw us to the past with an early meeting between Hill and Nick Fury. The contrast works great in dividing the story's past/present. I have found this arc inconsistent and occasionally frustrating, but it ends on a higher note, with the ending revealing an explosive hint of what is coming. more

This is a dark, intriguing second issue; we are still left very much into the dark surrounding what is exactly going on here, but this issue is creepily captivating. I wasn't sure what to think after the first issue, but this installment roped me in. I love the Del Ray art, and am fascinated by the world Bellaire has begun to build.

Yuen thinks outside the box which is why this title is one of the better ones in Rebirth's lineup. It's interesting to see him tackle Chinese caricatures that are steeped in stereotypes.

Bendis fails badly in the lacklustre #12 issue that has been, until now, a deeply fascinating title. The story that gained momentum over the first near-dozen issues crumbles at the end, with a rip-off quick ending that wraps up the necessary plot lines in a cheap and unsatisfying "Mephisto did it all!" Ending. The breaking of the 4th wall by Mephisto was beyond belief dumb. An interesting series that shits the bed at the end. more

Lately Bendis has made me feel uncomfortable with the stories he has been telling in regards to Spider-Man. Miles seemed to admit in the Generations series that Peter is the true Spider-Man and he should remember that. In Spider-Men II there are hints that Peter is going to take the Spider-Man title away from him. While probably not the intention it felt like a white man controlling the young minority Miles and keeping him in his place. Now he has Miles drawing on inspiration of Jackie Chan to fight an Asian mob. That just seems a bit off to me and lowered my score of this issue. That said the action in this issue was great and by far the art showing it was the saving grace. The enemies introduced in the arc do seem interesting and could be promising if they return. That is important for Miles getting a rogues gallery of his own instead of sharing one with others. The strange twist did nothing for me personally, and just felt like at this point Bendis is just throwing things at the wall and hoping they stick. There is also the strange marketing behind this issue. All the marketing materials seem to speak about the many things going on with the people in Miles life. Him being "torn apart at the seams". The cover even reflects that. None of that comes into play in this issue. The issue is only about his fight in Japan. Is there a disconnect in what is happening with Spider-Man right now? That strangeness aside, the short arc was a fun small adventure. Next issue is supposed to be the Legacy numbering that introduces a new Sinister Six. I am hoping that things get back on track. more

The premise behind this issue made me smile. The idea that a returning Red Dagger and Ms Marvel were helping a runaway train going twenty-five miles per hour is amusing to me. There was also some other humor that worked for me. Tying in the city to Kamala's story the city gets excited when a new hero arrives. She begins to believe that she is being forgotten. It is that Toy Story like theme of fearing you are being replaced by someone new. It sets up an interesting premise and expands on a character we only knew briefly with Red Dagger. There is also a fun old school cliffhanger to the issue. This does not look to be a major story arc that will touch on strong subjects so could be forgettable, but could be a fun small arc. The art was enjoyable and meshed well with previous art in the series. Overall a enjoyable but safe issue. more

One of the things that I love that Mark Waid does is relationships between characters. If you read All New All Different Avengers with Spider-Man (Miles), Nova (Sam), and Ms Marvel (Kamala) along with their solo series there was a building of friendship there. This came into play when they formed the Champions after disagreeing with the veteran heroes in the team. Bringing them together he is able to play with those divides and close friendships again. The two teams are forced to work together in order to stop a rogue meteor from crashing into the Earth. Kamala puts aside her anger at Sam taking charge of both teams for the greater good until after the danger has passed. Something that grows her position as leader of the Champions, seeing that the need meant not getting into a fight right then. Amadeus and Hercules are about displaying strength and power. Something I loved about them in their series. It is Waid's attention to characters that I love in his team book writing. The art I liked in this book more than the art within Steve Rogers: Captain America. It fit far better for me. The reintroduction of the Counter-Earth and the High Evolutionary seemed more exciting than the inclusion in the Uncanny Avengers series that was short lived before the current Unity Squad. I had not intended on picking up the issue and after I did I was pleasantly surprised. There is a classic Avengers feel to this story that I hope plays out well. more

I have never been a huge fan of Daken. He seemed a product very much of his time, with the look, name, and powers. Much like Cable and Deadpool were also representative of their time. Also like them as their debut moves further into the past their dated feels start to become endearing. Daken is starting to get that same feeling for me. His inclusion here worked for me, especially the way he is used to lure in Laura very violently. Gabby's look and need for a code name is great and I am on board. The strange thing is for a milestone issue there is very little fanfare here. It is a great story but nothing grand. That is not a problem, just interesting to note. This also represents itself as a Legacy issue but does not really reintroduce anything to new readers. It is not enough to distract from the issue however. The art works well and I think Cabal is trying to do some fun things with perspective and framing at times. Character designs are very enjoyable. This is especially so with Daken, who as I said had a look I was not into originally. I will admit that I am a little behind in my reading of Wolverine. Since she is not being represented well in other areas of the Marvel universe I decided to pick up this issue to see if I should keep going with her in my pull list. I think this issue makes me say yes. more

Sorry to say it, but it's terrible. Nothing interesting, faaaar too many inconsistencies (the facility where they made Laura was destroyed long ago), and if you ever loved Daken, get ready to get really angry, because they've turned him into a weak ass character just to show off Laura's "better" skills. Those writers have absolutely no idea of his character, his skills, his past or even his appearence, and they keep butchering him whenever they're using him. Absolutely hated it. more

While it wasn't on my radar for this week, I have to say that I am happy I picked it up. This issue got me interested in these characters, and I am excited to see how Fighting American and Speed Boy's 1950's All American, Nuclear Family ideals, and values rub up against the more liberal morals of the modern day. Will they adapt and change with the times or stick to what they know? While Dodson's cover drew me into this book, I was also quite satisfied with the art in this book as well. I heard other reviewers say it emulates the artwork done during the original Joe Simon and Jack Kirby run so kudos to Duke Mighten and company. Overall, this was a fun read that I will definitely be coming back to. more

Fun issue with Riri subbing in as Queen of Latvaria. This is silly, of course, but an enjoyable read. Caseli kills it on art once again.

The thing that I loved about the trio who started the Champions before they started the team was the building friendship. Seeing them in the pages of the Avengers and solo books learn about each other and become close was a lot of fun. He gave the titles a New Mutants feel that helped the characters feel their age since the rest of the time they are saving the world. In a case like Nova and Ms Marvel it started as a dislike and built up to close friends. This issue brings in more of that dynamic. Cyclops, the time displaced younger Scott Summers, has struggled with not wanting to become the man he is destined to be. In the pages of All New X-Men he thought about leaving the X-Men because it meant following that path. He also is a man inside his own head. He is a tactical thinker and tries to make smart decisions. That is something that creates a lot of stress because you are always second guessing your actions. He also is aware and frightful of his powers capabilities. That doubt and fear is finally laid out for his new team of heroes in a creative and great way. After taking a large dose of energy from Psychoman, Scott loses control of his emotions. This makes him act like the drunk kid who is not used to drinking. He acts uninhibited, he confesses his feelings, he just lets loose. All while the team tries to stop Psychoman's attempted robberies. While Ms Marvel and Cyclops already had a bit of a heart to heart during the Inhuman's Versus X-Men mini series, I think this one solidifies their friendship in a more intimate way. While there was respect for one another before their is now an understanding. Mark Waid does an awful lot in a single issue and I was impressed. I am not always a Humberto Ramos fan, but he is good at drawing teens to look like teens. This was one of his stronger issues for me. His Psychoman was a winner. There is a lot of character a movement in each panel. A lot of energy from the art team. A welcome back after the Secret Empire detour. more