X-Force
Volume: 6, Issue: 16
“Into the Deep”

Writer: Benjamin Percy @benjamin.percy
Artist: Joshua Cassara @joshuadcassara
Colors: Guru-eFX
Letters: Joe Caramagna @joecaramagna
Cover: Joshua Cassara & Dean White @deanwhitecolor ; Salvador Larroca @salvadorlarroca & Guru-eFX

Journeying to the depths of the ocean surrounding Krakoa, X-Force searches for a downed sea vessel to eradicate the infection causing its zombified crew from attacking their shores. Unprepared for the horrors they would face, all hope is nearly lost if not for the timely arrival of Namor! Dispatching the mutants home, Namor clears the parasitic infection and warns X-Force to never threaten the safety of his kingdom again or face dire consequences.

I just love Namor. He’s always been such a badass. I miss his time among the X books. The artwork inside this book was amazing. Every page was a work of art.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5)
Reviewed by: @meanadam of The Comic Book Club of Instagram
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X-Force
Volume: 6, Issue: 15
“Trench Warfare”

Writer: Benjamin Percy @benjamin.percy
Artist: Joshua Cassara @joshuadcassara
Colors: Guru-eFX
Letters: Joe Caramagna @joecaramagna
Cover: Joshua Cassara & Dean White @deanwhitecolor

Following attacks upon Krakoa by the Russian government, mutants of Krakoa with ties to Russia are arrested and interrogated under orders of Beast. Colossus is cleared of any wrongdoing, however leaving his relationship with Hank fractured. Beast slips further into his self righteousness and executes Omega Red to have him later resurrected as a double agent against the Vampire nation. Later as members of X-Force try to resume their normal lives, Domino and Black Tom are attacked by a washed up submarine crew infected with the vegetation of Terra Verde!

This is some of Joshua Cassara’s best work on this series. Benjamin Percy is doing a great job at making me dislike Beast more than I already did. I seem to remember him losing it on Scott for allowing him to be temporarily tortured by Norman Osborn for the sake of a mission. Scott never arranged it himself. Nor did he ever execute a prisoner.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5)
Reviewed by: @meanadam of The Comic Book Club of Instagram
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Cable
Volume: 4, Issue: 7
“Gritty Days in the City of Brotherly Love”

Publisher: Marvel @marvel
Writer: Gerry Duggan @digduggan
Artist: Phil Noto @philnoto
Letters: Joe Sabino @joesabinoletterer
Cover: Phil Noto

With the X of Swords tournament concluded, Cable returns to his quest to locate missing mutant children kidnapped by the cult, the Order of X. Not letting anything prevent him from their rescue, Cable cuts through the Order members, determined for no harm to befall the children. Breaching the mind of the Order leader, Cable is shocked to see Stryfe, his evil clone, to be behind the mutant kidnappings. Withholding this information from his family, Cable turns to the one person he knows would never turn him down, Domino!

I’ll admit to enjoying Kid Cable a bit more than I thought I would, but I’m still eagerly awaiting Cable Prime’s return. Hopefully my prediction about him being the SWORD security director is legit. Like him or not, this version of Cable has shown that he has the potential to be a great warrior, but just lacks that life experience.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5)
Reviewed by: @meanadam of The Comic Book Club of Instagram
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S.W.O.R.D.
Vol. 2, Issue: 2
“In the Dark”

Publisher: Marvel @marvel
Writer: Al Ewing @al_ewing
Artist: Valerio Schiti @valerio_schiti
Colors: Marte Gracia @martegraciacolor
Letters Ariana Maher
Cover: Valerio Schiti & Marte Gracia

Knull has taken the Earth. With all communication between the Peak and Krakoa cut off, Commander Brand organizes a rescue mission. Random, Frenzy, Cortez and Paibok arrive and find themselves in the midst of a war zone. A power boost from Cortez gives Sunfire the upper hand in eradicating the attacking symbiotic dragons. However, their celebration of victory is cut short as symbiotic Cable emerges through a Krakoan gateway. Meanwhile, acting under secret orders from Brand, Mentallo arrives to secure the safety of the Five.

I just know that I’m going to love this series. The artwork is perfect and the ensemble of characters is outstanding. Keep rolling out the D listers for me, please! I loved when Random started appearing as a background character years ago, and now that he actually gets lines I’m geeked out. All I need now is some Maggot or Spat & Grovel! But I would absolutely lose my mind if the secretive security director is revealed as Cable prime!

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5)
Reviewed by: @meanadam of The Comic Book Club of Instagram
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Marauders
Volume: 1, Issue: 17
“The Winds of Change”

Publisher: Marvel @marvel
Writer: Gerry Duggan @digduggan
Artist: Matteo Lolli @matteo.lolli
Colors: Edgar Delgado @delgaduck
Letters: Cory Petit
Cover Artist: Salvador Larroca @salvadorlarroca & Guru-eFX

The businesses of the Hellfire Trading Company face a shakeup, with the White now taking over their black market sales. Emma prepares a state dinner at her recently erected compound, courtesy of Magneto, extending an invitation to the Verendi leadership. Meanwhile, with Apocalypse gone, Callisto faces a reluctant Storm in the Crucible and is reborn whole.

I love nitpicking certain aspects of resurrection. Like Calisto being resurrected but still missing an eye. Or Cyclops still unable to properly control his optic blasts even though the issue was a result of brain damage. I’m not complaining though, as I’m absolutely in love with the direction of every X book and so thankful to have them box on top of the Marvel universe! I’m very intrigued by Emma eluding to the connection between Shinobi and Harry Leland. Marauders has been one of my favorite books since it’s launch, with great stories and beautiful artwork.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5)
Reviewed by: @meanadam of The Comic Book Club of Instagram
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Hellions
Volume 1, Issue: 8
“The Grinning Neonate”

Publisher: Marvel @marvel
Writer: Zeb Wells @mzebwells
Artist: Stephen Segovia @stephensegovia
Colors: David Curiel @davcuriel
Letters: Ariana Maher
Cover: Stephen Segovia & Romulo Fajardo Jr. @evergreenfajardo

In an effort to reclaim Nanny’s ship to retrieve a new containment suit for Orphan-Maker, the Hellions find themselves involved in conflict with Cameron Hodge and the Right. Unable to hijack his mind, Empath reveals Hodge as a robot. Denying this claim, Hodge orders the Smileys to open fire upon him, knowing their AI would prevent them from causing harm towards the true Cameron Hodge. Riddled with bullets and the truth, Hodge is terminated as the Smileys thank Havok for freeing them from Hodge’s control. Under orders from Krakoa, Revanche downloads a virus into the Smileys main server, eradicating the evolving artificial intelligence. As Havok struggles with their actions, Nanny embraces a secret discovery, a baby Smiley, now an orphan in need of a nanny.

I’m pretty shocked at the act of genocide just enacted here. Especially under order from Magneto, a Holocaust survivor. This reminds me of Xavier ignoring Danger becoming self aware. This is probably one of my favorite X titles as the moment. Zeb Wells’ writing is intelligent and filled with great humor and the artistic team nails it. I want more Scalphunter. He’s been my favorite character, and since he’s spent the majority of his existence being written as a villain, he’s essentially a blank slate for a writer to run with.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5)
Reviewed by: @meanadam of The Comic Book Club of Instagram
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X-Factor
Volume: 4, Issue: 6
“Suite No. 6: Scio Me Nihil Scire; Second Movement”

Publisher: Marvel @marvel
Writer: Leah Williams @handaxe
Artist: David Baldeón @davidbaldeoncomic
Colors: Israel Silva @israelsilvaart
Letters: Joe Caramagna @joecaramagna
Cover: Ivan Shavrin @ivan_shavrin_art

Claiming her death to have been an accident, X-Factor have a hard time believing that after finding themselves investigating the death of Siryn once more, just a few days following her resurrection. In order to better serve his team and expand his education in the field, Prodigy creates a body farm to better study cadavers and mutant decay. Resurrected once more, Theresa lashes out at the interrogations of X-Factor claiming her deaths to have all been accidental. Aware of her deceit, Lorna confronts Siryn outside their residence only to fall victim to Siryn’s vocal trance powers and moving forward will now be sabotaging X-Factor’s investigations into Theresa’s deaths.

I may have to do some rereading of Peter David’s X-Factor Investigations, but I thought Siryn’s vocal trance abilities only had an effect on humans. I’m glad Lorna brought up Siryn becoming an actual Siren the last time we saw her. I suspect her behavior is due to still being under its influence. I really like this book and I think David Baldeón’s art is great. I hope sooner than later we start adding some more X-Factor alumni.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5)
Reviewed by: @meanadam of The Comic Book Club of Instagram
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Wolverine
Volume: 7, Issue: 8
“War Stories/The Past Ain’t Dead”

Publisher: Marvel @marvel
Writer: Benjamin Percy @benjamin.percy
Artist: Adam Kubert @adamkubert (prologue); Victor Bogdanovic
Colors: Antonio Fabela @antoniofabela (prologue); Matthew Wilson
Letters: Cory Petit
Cover: Adam Kubert & Frank Martin @frankmartinbox

The War Stories prologue see’s more insight as well as an evolving danger looming from the US government in the form of the X-Desk.
In the prime story, a team of highly trained mercenaries raid a government facility leaving no survivors in their efforts to claim items from Wolverine’s past involvement on Team X. Blood recovered from the scene is revealed as belonging to a mutant and leads X-Force to assume Wolverine’s former teammate, Maverick, to have led the assault. Discovering the existence of the Legacy House, an auction related to heroes and villains, Wolverine dons his Patch identity to infiltrate its doors.

I’ve always liked Maverick so I’m excited for this arc. Hopefully the end result is bringing him to Krakoa, as he’d be a great inclusion into X-Force.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3/5)
Reviewed by: @meanadam of The Comic Book Club of Instagram
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Excalibur
Volume: 4, Issue: 16
“They Keep Killing Braddocks”

Publisher: Marvel @marvel
Writer: Tini Howard @tinihoward
Artist: Marcus To @marcusanthonyto
Colors: Erick Arciniega @erick.arciniega
Letters: Ariana Maher
Cover: Mahmud Asrar @mahmudasrar & Matthew Wilson

The tournament between Arakko has concluded. The team of Excalibur struggle to deal with the loss of Betsy Braddock and contact X-Factor in hopes of her resurrection by the Five. Unsatisfied with their results, Excalibur heads to Otherworld to investigate the mystery surrounding Betsy's supposed demise. Aided by Meggan, Rictor is able to cast a spell from Apocalypse’s grimoire and summons forth the Captain Britain Corps and enlists their aid.
Elsewhere, restored by an unknown matter, Betsy Braddock suddenly awakens before Warren. But the question is, is she the true Betsy? As prior, Jamie Braddock called upon a favor of Mr. Sinister to deliver him a clone body.

Jamie never specified that he wanted Betsy from Sinister, we’re just left to assume it was. I’m curious if it’s that simple of if he has something more grand at play here. Going forward I hope to see more of Maggie Braddock, she cracks me up. I love the artistic design of Captain Avalon. I would totally read a solo title.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3/5)
Reviewed by: @meanadam of The Comic Book Club of Instagram
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Reis and Johns have reached goat status for writer/artist team-ups