I don’t know if I’d call this a “review,” necessarily, more just my thoughts on an album, directly after I heard it, two times. That actually says something telling to me though. I love Spotify, and find it incredibly simple to click around and listen to a smattering of Everything. It’s all so easy it seems I have no attention span for music anymore, but when I listened to this album, I took it all in, listened to its ten tracks without stopping, and when I was done, I turned off Spotify and took my headphones off. A few hours later, I put my headphones back on and listened to Fiona Apple’s latest album The Idler Wheel… again, in full, to the end.

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Vince McMahon returns to deliver his “State of the WWE” address tonight in Sacramento at the Powerbalance Pavilion. A confrontation between WWE Champion C.M. Punk, Paul Heyman and the Chairman may be exactly what the show needs.

Tonight’s edition of Raw follows in the wake of a record 15-year-low rating for WWE last Monday, causing the company to rush into panic mode and bring back their most bankable performer. It’s not Steve Austin, The Rock, Bruno Sammartino, Hillbilly Jim, The Brooklyn Brawler or the ghost of “Macho Man” Randy Savage returning this evening. It’s Vince McMahon. Will the chairman’s presence inspire changes? His infrequent appearances have usually signaled a fairly prodigious event, but we can only hope that his appearance tonight results in a revolution greater than who fills in the general manager spot.

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Weekly comic books are a big part of my life and below is a list of what I’ll be picking up this Wednesday along with cover artwork and previews courtesy of Comixology’s Pull List app.

My list has been cut back down from ten last Wednesday to six new books on my list this week. Dropping Marvel’s Age of Apocalypse after issue #6 a few weeks back freed up some cash to try things like the latest new series from Image, Non Humans.

• Amazing Spider-Man #695 – Glad to see the Alpha storyline wrap up last issue as the run up to #700 starts. The rumored return of the Hobgoblin is actually kind of thrilling.
• Avengers vs. X-Men #12 – It all ends here! And I think I’m ready for it. I’ve enjoyed the series well enough and it’s time to see how things wrap up.
• AvX: Vs. #6 – This series was mostly a disappointment for me, but Hope Summers and the Scarlet Witch (who are featured on the cover) are the characters I’ve really wanted to see more of in AvX.
• Non Humans #1 – Image Comics has been knocking it out of the park lately and a series billed as Blade Runner meets Toy Story sounds too good to pass up.
• Uncanny X-Force #32 – Rick Remender has his work cut out for it trying to outdo his Dark Angel Saga (and really the first 18 issues of this series). I’m generally enjoying the Final Execution arc currently running in this book, but it’s a bit all over the place and the inconsistent art teams have only added to that. I think this is another Phil Noto issue and that should help tremendously.
• Uncanny X-Men #19 – Kieron Gillen’s Uncanny has been great and he’s taken various events and the renumbering in stride. This is another issue that’s very tied to the events of AvX, and #18 (which was heavily tied to AvX #11) was brilliant.

Check back every week to see what’s on My Latest Pull List and please share your thoughts on these titles and everything you’re reading this week in the comments.

Weekly comic books are a big part of my life and below is a list of what I’ll be picking up this Wednesday along with cover artwork and previews courtesy of Comixology’s Pull List app.

This week seems overwhelming with ten eleven* new titles including another entry in DC Comics’ Zero Month and a new Image Comics’ mini-series from Grant Morrison. (* See note below.)

• AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #674 – After falling epically far behind on this series I jumped back in with the 50th anniversary issue #672. I’ve clearly missed a lot, but I won’t be missing this Alpha character once he’s out of the picture. It’s clearly how writer Dan Slott wants me to feel.
• AQUAMAN #0 – In the midst of a very successful New 52 relaunch, Aquaman is a character that could really benefit from a Zero Month flashback story. I’m wavering on my commitment to this series and this is really a make or break issue.
• ASTONISHING X-MEN #54 – Now that this is shipping regularly, I simply can’t keep up. Big announcements of new creative teams that stay on the title for one arc have also proven counter-motivational, though I hear Marjorie Liu is doing great things here.
• CAPTAIN MARVEL #4 – I want this title to be great but even though I enjoyed the first issue something’s not clicking for me yet. I don’t know if it’s the name change from Ms. Marvel or the timing of the series starting just four months ahead of the line-wide Marvel Now relaunch, but I’m not fully invested yet.
• HAPPY #1 – I’m excited to read a new series from the always intriguing Grant Morrison, but also genuinely nervous about what I’ll find in the pages of a book from him that doesn’t have X-Men or Batman on the cover.
• SECRET AVENGERS #31 – This series is starting to hit its stride again after getting tripped up by AvX but I’m afraid it may be too late to recapture its the mystique this Shadow Council story had at the outset.
• WOLVERINE #313 – I can’t believe I’m giving Jeph Loeb and Simone Bianchi’s return of Sabretooth story a shot. Their death of Sabretooth story was painful and the first three issues here have brought back all the badness. I guess I still have hope it could read as nicely as it looks.
• WOLVERINE AND THE X-MEN #17 – The epic silliness of this series is set to continue with a Mike Allred story focusing on Doop.
• X-MEN #36 – I’ve skipped about as many issues of this series as Astonishing X-Men. On one hand I like that this book hasn’t tied directly into Avengers versus X-Men, but seeing Storm severing ties with from Cyclops just seems so meaningless with everything happening in Marvel’s summer blockbuster series.
• X-MEN LEGACY #274 – I’m still missing Mike Carey terribly, but Christos Gage’s stories that are wrapping up this series have been decent. I’m very curious to see where things go with Rogue and Magneto as she prepares to step into Marvel Now’s marquee Uncanny Avengers title. Mark Brooks’ cover art for the last few issues has also been fantastic.

Check back every week to see what’s on My Latest Pull List and please share your thoughts on these titles and everything you’re reading this week in the comments.

Weekly comic books are a big part of my life and below is a list of what I’ll be picking up this Wednesday along with cover artwork and previews courtesy of Comixology’s Pull List app.

Only five this week and I’m caught up on nearly all of them.

• AVENGERS #30 – Aside from the Walt Simonson art, I really haven’t enjoyed the AvX tie-in issues for this book. What bothers me most is the lack of coordination with other books that are part of the event. It’s a shame as the stories could have added some real depth if they felt like they had an impact outside of this title.
• JUSTICE LEAGUE #0 – I’m not sure how I’m feeling about DC Comics’ “Zero Month” but I’ve been following this series. Last week’s Batman #0 took an interesting approach to the flashback gimmick by telling an early story of Bruce Wayne’s costumed career that will have a direct connection to issue #13 when the New 52 returns to the present. Unfortunately, Justice League #0‘a Shazam story isn’t a sure thing for me. Gary Frank artwork should help with that as well as the Shazam back up features that have been running in the book recently. 
• NEW MUTANTS #49 – I’m several issues behind in my reading for this series, but the cover has me intrigued. Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning’s move from the Marvel Cosmos to this book could pay huge dividends as they tell the latest tale of the Technarchy.
• SPIDER-MEN #5 – I’m liking this meeting of Spider-Men, but a lot hangs on how it wraps up. One of the best aspects of this story is the way Brian Bendis has taken this monumental collision of the Marvel Universe and the Ultimate Universe and kept it very personal.
• X-FACTOR #244 – The Breaking Points arc running in X-Factor right now is great and Peter David is really putting the team through the wringer. Last issue’s Polaris story is going to be tough to beat for me, but every issue has delivered on the “five days that will change X-Factor forever” promise.

Check back every week to see what’s on My Latest Pull List and please share your thoughts on these titles and everything you’re reading this week in the comments.