More info on what’s reviewed after the jump!
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Joss Whedon, director of "CHUD 2099"

As you’ve no doubt already read on Twitter, Facebook, various RSS feeds, and half the Internet at large, Joss Whedon is in final talks to direct Marvel’s upcoming “Avengers” movie, slated for release May 4 2012.

Whedon is, of course, well known for his various Whedonverse series’, as well as his runs on Astonishing X-Men and Runaways. Rumors abound of his potentially reworking the Avengers script to some extent, as well.

Geeks are rending their shirts like pre-pubescent Beatles fans. I, for one, am one part excited, one part hedging my bets completely.

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It’s 1990-ish. I’m 15ish. I’m sitting in my friend Colin’s room, reading some issue of Uncanny X-Men while I wait for Colin to get the crap beaten out of him by his younger brother. I’m flipping through this and I’m noting that the colors are getting better, the art is getting worse, and the plot involves a bunch of people yelling at each other from cover to cover.

MOM! HE STARTED IT!

None of this matters, of course, because, in 1990-ish, I’ve just discovered local alt-punk shows, my body is a roiling six foot cosmos of life altering chemical reactions,  and I’m going to live forever.

Chris Claremont clearly felt the same level of exhilaration when writing X-Men the first time, because he’s trying to recapture his long faded creative prime with X-Men Forever. I gave it three issues to see what it was going to do, which was the same thing as waiting three hours after feeding food to someone else’s baby: I wound up giggling at silly crap.

(mild spoilers, but seriously, who cares)
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I am a sucker. This should be a surprise to almost nobody, as I am still writing comic book reviews; this is a thankless and sobering profession that I really actually enjoy.

I am also a sucker for Tales of Lost Love. Not the sort of tales that one finds in the library of the eternal Spinster Aunt. No, sully me not with dreck involving crushed chests and heaving bosoms; I demand more. I want to see humans who go through trials both ordinary and extra; who share their love and pain; who fight and argue and make up; who buy groceries and lose children.

Then I want to be shocked, dismayed, and bitter for the latter part of a year because they have lost their life’s foundation which can never again return.

Well, I guess we can thank J. Michael Straczynski and Joe Quesada for 2008′s Elephant In The Room, Spider-Man: One More Day.
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The Runaways have always been near and dear to me. Their story was the first Marvel series I ever read and led to my initial fandom. I remember being hesitant at first, skeptical of my friend’s plot synopsis of, “The children of super-villains runaway and get into all kinds of mischief! And there’s a dinosaur!”

But eventually, she got to me and I ordered the first volume off of Barnes and Noble’s website. It took exactly two days to get to my house and it came in an box that was taped and wrapped together in a way that I thought I’d have to use the jaws of life to get it out. I took it down into my basement and dug right in, eager to see what all the fuss was about.

I was immediately hooked after just the first issue and spent all night reading the rest of the volume. Twice. And then, when I’d finished devouring each page, I got right back on the Internet and ordered the rest of the Brian K. Vaughn books. I picked up Civil War: Runaways/Young Avengers in Washington D.C. I traveled from comic book shop to comic book shop, trying to find all the issues of Dead End Kids. I watched each character grow and fell in love with them all. Molly’s comic relief, Gertrude’s strict, but loving leadership, Xavin’s…Xavinness.

But sadly, it had to end however. Brian K. Vaughn is writing the movie now. Joss Whedon was so busy during his run, issues would come six months late at some points. I was sad at first, but then I saw that once again, it’d been picked up, by a man named Terry Moore.

[Will Nick like Terry's run or be pessimistic like he always is!?]

**Spoilers after the break!**

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52 #25 Cover

Last week in 52: The new JLA, consisting of a new Firestorm, Super-Chief, Bulleteer, Firehawk and Ambush Bug, contact Green Arrow and ask him to join their team, but with little luck.  When the team has to go up against an arsenal of villains from different time periods, they discover that evil Skeets is behind the time rift and fail to stop him.  Afterwards, the newfound team disbands.

J’onn J’onzz poses a government official in order to infiltrate Washington’s power structure and steer its players into abolishing Checkmate, all in honor of those superheroes who died in battle, most notably Ted Kord/Blue Beetle.  However, upon abolishing Checkmate, it gets recertified as a U.N. Agency.

At the Great Wall of China, the Black Marvel Family speak with The Great Ten about maintaining peace in the world, but with the Chinese super-team baffled by Black Adam’s change of heart, a growing conflict begins to develop

Amanda Waller asks Atom Smasher to recruit a group of allies in order to soil the Black Marvel Family’s name.

**Spoilers after the break**

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Two grown men playing 52 card pickup

I’m a big Marvel fan, though you wouldn’t know it by my previous DC based reviews.

Moon Knight #24 came out last week, guest starring the Thunderbolts; I’ve been a T-Bolts follower since their inception, and I really like their current line-up and story line, so I figured “Let’s give Moon Knight a shot!”

Gentle reader, I warn and beg you! Please learn from these, my mistakes.

Please proceed to read on after the break.

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52 Week 24 Cover

Last week in 52: Intergang takes William Magnus to Oolong Island where all of the missing mad scientists are being confined. Here, he runs into T.O. Morrow who explains to him that that they were sent to the island to help Intergang succeed in their world plans and create the Apokolips.

Meanwhile, Renee Montoya and Charlie find Isis’s younger brother Amon at Intergang’s secret HQs in Yemen. They, along with Isis and Black Adam, destroy the HQ and save Amon. Having been severely tortured and permanently crippled, Black Adam gives him a bit of his power transforming Amon into Osiris, healing his wounds in the process and giving him superpowers. With Isis reunited with her brother, the three decide to bring peace to the world one step at a time.

**Spoilers after the break**

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52 Week 23 Cover

Last week in 52: Lex thinks that Supernova’s true identity is Superman; he makes clear that he wants to become a superhero to rival him.  However, after given a blood test he realizes that he is incompatible for the metagene therapy.

Meanwhile, Jon Standing Bear visits Metropolis to attend his father’s funeral.  Afterwards, his grandfather tells Jon of his obligation to follow family tradition and become the new Super-Chief.

On the fifth day of Week 22, Lex Luthor celebrates the grand opening of his Business School. Steel makes an appearance at the opening ceremony, intending to speak with Luthor about his niece and his own newfound powers, but another man who took part in the metagene therapy beats him to it.  After the man is taken away, Steel sympathizes with him.

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52 Week 22

Last week in 52:

Eliza Harmon/Trajectory is re-recruited to the team, Infinity Inc. But with Lex Luthor able to control both his heroes and enemies, Trajectory meets her untimely end after being killed by Blockbuster III.

Meanwhile, Ralph Dibny and the Helm of Fate travel to The Netherplains in search of the Micltan Gate: the gate to the Underworld.

In Australia, a young mechanic named Johnny Warrawa rebuilds Red Tornado.
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