Fables #81 is the end of ‘The Dark Ages’, which isn’t so much an arc as it is a large prologue of things to come. As such, the main plot has to do with that. The most memorable part of the issue, however, is the last appearance of one of the heroes of the previous arc, Boy Blue. His departure is touching and sad, and his interactions with Rose Red are poignant in their honesty. Bill Willingham‘s writing is subdued, even reverent, and the art team of Buckingham, Pepoy, and Loughridge do their level best.

After reading through this issue, take some time with the final page and listen to the crack of the bat. Fables only use wooden bats.

This review will be quick, because it is late, and I haven’t started it yet. Well, I guess I have now.

Reviewing this book is kind of a pain, because you’ve already read it, and you already liked it. I wanted to wait until I got my hands on Thunderbolts #128 to see if there were any super-secret important tie-ins, but Marvel, in their brilliance, have left both titles as excellent stand-alones.

Also, if you haven’t read Thunderbolts #128, you are much poorer for it.

However! Brian Michael Bendis and Mike Deodato came at us last week with Dark Avengers #1 and it was amazing. Norman Osborn assembled his own team of Avengers in such a way that brought clarity to *how* the choices were being made, but left the *why* a tantalizing mystery. We get better insights into characters such as Ares and Ms. Marvel, while extending a questioning tendril towards such luminaries as the Sentry, Spider-Man and Ms. Marvel.

You heard me.

Deodato brought back his magnificent work with the Thunderbolts, including his ‘Tommy Lee Jones’ depiction of Osborn, which Bendis writes for with alternating touches of depth and humor, especially his ‘monster’ work with Venom.

Norman, I wouldn’t want to stick my hand in there, either.

Dark Avengers #1 is deliciously pulpy, action packed, and frankly ties into about four other series that you probably follow. If you’re reading any Marvel comics, you’ve already picked this up and agree with me that it’s fantastic. Thanks, yes-men!

Rapid reviews are here! Ready…. GO!

Foolkiller: White Angels #3

I’ve heard that this series is not selling terribly well, and this is a shame. I think that Foolkiller is another one of those awesome, bloody revenge books that Marvel’s MAX imprint does so well. And when you think of bloody revenge, you think of the Punisher. Well, guess who showed up this month? That’s right, good old Frank Castle. When the 2 of them team up to take down a bunch of lowlife white supremacists, you know this is a great series. Really, you should pick this up along with the previous 2 issues. I mean, with the series being only 5 issues, what do you have to lose? Great art and terrific writing.

More reviews after the break!

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As I slowly dip into more recent comics to pad out my endless list of must-buy classics, a few big names constantly crop up. Mark Millar is one of those names. In an attempt to both get into his stuff and try to somewhat get a handle on Marvel’s continuity so I could read Secret Invasion, I read Civil War, which I went on record as having liked it but not been wowed. Then I read the Superman Elseworlds tale Red Son, which is savagely brilliant. My interests finally piqued, I started picking up back issues of the titles he’s put out this year, which is no small task since the man apparently isn’t bothering to sleep or eat given the number of issues he’s written. Now that I’m finally caught up, let me try to explain why Mark Millar deserves every drop of praise he’s getting.

**spoilers and more after the break**

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Hello again! I am back for another installment of my RAPID REVIEWS!!! This week is a large batch of 6 Marvel comics. Another installment of The Dark Tower leads things off, followed by those crazy New Exiles, then we see what the kids are up to in Secret Invasion. Finishing things off, 2 comics in the Ultimate universe that are setting up Ultimatum and a one-shot featuring everyone’s favorite mutant, Wolverine. So sit back, relax, hit that little “more” button and enjoy 6 reviews, served up nice and small, just for you!

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Trying out a new feature that I am hoping to write every Monday called Rapid Reviews. I intend to review the remaining comics from the previous release week that I read. These will most likely be the smaller comics, the ones that we didn’t find required a full review or just ones that we didn’t get a chance to write a full review for. So check out the reviews below and leave a comment to let me know if you like/dislike this form of reviewing.

Black Panther #39

Black Panther #39 began their Secret Invasion tie-in this month. Really bad-ass story which reminded me of an epic battle movie, like Lord of the Rings. The writing is excellent by guest writer Jason Aaron who will be doing the entire Secret Invasion arc. I was slightly disappointed in Jefte Palo’s art. It seemed very old school to me and just isn’t the kind of art I like. Bottom line: great story and I look forward to the continuation of the Secret Invasion arc, despite the lackluster art.

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