It was going to be difficult to follow the events of Uncanny X-Force #18, but writer Rick Remender continues to impress as the series enters the X-Men: Regenesis era. The X-Force team has been put through the wringer and the status quo for a number of characters has dramatically shifted. Issue #19 provides a coda for what’s come before and sets the cast on the next stage of their journey. It’s a good example of how the latest X-Men rebranding effort should be applied to a later issue of an ongoing series.

Spoilers for Uncanny X-Force #19 will follow.

Read more of this article »

One of the highest profile books on the shelf this week is Marvel’s Avengers: X-Sanction #1 (it did have seven different covers after all). Originally teased as the return of the X-Men’s Cable back at Comic Con International in San Diego, Jeph Loeb and Ed McGuinness’ X-Sanction has now been connected to next Summer’s Marvel blockbuster Avengers vs. X-Men. As a first issue, it was very straightforward even starring a character with a complicated history like Cable.

Spoilers for Avengers: X-Sanction #1 will follow.

Read more of this article »

Wednesday saw the release of Jeph Loeb and Ed McGuinness’s Avengers: X-Sanction #1 (look for our review of the issue here). The book features the return of the X-Men’s Cable that was teased at this year’s San Diego Comic Con and is the first appearance of the character after his noble death during X-Men: Second Coming. As a fan of Cable, I have very mixed feelings about his resurrection, but with the recent announcement of next Summer’s blockbuster Avengers vs. X-Men series this series’ importance has seemingly increased. As a high profile book, Marvel has seen fit to ship seven different covers for the first issue ranging in price from its $3.99 cover price to over $200 from Midtown Comics’ online store.

More variants are planned for each issue of the series and we’ll have updates here they ship.

Read more of this article »

Now that we’re a few issues into each of DC Comics’ New 52 titles, KevinMLD and I thought it was a good time to focus on some of the books we’re both following beyond Jim Lee and Geoff Johns’ Justice League. I read the first issues of a number of books in the spirit of trying something new (as I’m not an avid DC reader) and Kevin went out and read most of them (he’s a DC die-hard). In the end there are only a few titles that we both decided to continue to follow. Today we’re talking about Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo’s Batman. It’s hard not to like Batman, but with four ongoing titles featuring Bruce Wayne each month there’s certainly a range of quality. This book is tops among them for both of us and brings some great new threats to the table.

In what we’re calling “No 52” Week, as DC is taking a break from their relaunched ongoing titles for November’s fifth Wednesday, spoilers for Batman will follow.

Read more of this article »

This week’s X-Men: Legacy #259 rounds out November’s X-Men: Regenesis books. Since we’ll be waiting on Uncanny X-Force and X-Factor to catch up to this latest launch point for Marvel’s Mutants in December and January respectively, it was nice to have one more Regenesis book ship this month after the flurry of titles that were released a few weeks ago.

This will probably read a bit like a eulogy as X-Men: Legacy #259 is the penultimate issue of Mike Carey’s seven year run on the title but I’ll try to stay focused. Spoilers will follow.

Read more of this article »