I don’t know how it happened, but Marvel has managed to put their four main X-Men books in one week: X-Men: Legacy, X-Factor, X-Force, and Uncanny X-Men. This last week, we, the readers, were given these three books and, as you would assume, each have their own style and feeling and each make me feel completely different about the X-Men. With writers Peter David (X-Factor), Mike Carey (Legacy), Christopher Yost and Craig Kyle (X-Force) and Matt Fraction (Uncanny) each book I read leaves me feeling excited, okay, blood-thirsty and strange–respectively.

I read all four of these books and have been for the last eight years or so (or however long they have been out–X-Factor, X-Force) and I’ve seen some changes, both good and bad and I think I’m going to make it my goal to comment on these four books every month from here on with a post like this–assuming they’ll keep coming out on the same week.  This month we were handed Uncanny X-Men #507, X-Force #13, X-Factor #41, and X-Men: Legacy #222…

Continue on after the break (spoilers).

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I was pretty excited about IDW’s G.I. Joe reboot back in October.  Comic’s biggest gun enthusiast was writing the core title. The man who single-handedly created the Joe mythos was writing the updated origin of the team. And COBRA was getting their own book.

Now that the reboot has kicked off, my enthusiasm has tapered off a little. In his first three issues, Chuck Dixon has been telling a slow-burning story that seems somewhat at odds with the type of G.I. Joe stories I remember. Larry Hama’s first issue was pretty great. This week, G.I Joe: Cobra hit the stands. Did it disappoint?

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Super Human Resources #1 cover

Ah, the indie comics always get me… They always do. Super Human Resources #1 came out this past week, and it was strangely funny, but before I divulge any more information than that, on with the TPKC:

Theory: I saw this 3 months ago or so in my Previews book and thought what the heck. The description of this book was something like, “A parody on modern comic books” and a few famous writers–who I have suddenly forgot–said some things like, “This is the funniest comic book I have ever read,” and I just wanted to try it out for the hell of it. When I signed up for it though, I thought it was going to be something like a normal guy goes to work for a super human agency and he ends up being apart of some team as “the normal guy” who is in the wrong place at the wrong time. Of course, I was dead wrong. The comic book creates a very sarcastic look at the modern super hero marketing and human side of things and how you or me would work in such a world where super heroes are on the move and we, the normal people, have to deal with them and the typical cubicle world. But let me continue after the break with the Punch, Kick, and Conclusion.

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Hulk #10 starts off an entirely new story arch chronicling the adventures of everyone’s favorite jade giant. An Elder of the Universe has come to Earth to offer the Hulk a chance to recover his long lost love Jarella (what the dead wouldn’t give to be really laid to rest right?). However, in return for Jarella Hulk must fight in a competition alongside a team of his choosing. Two teams enter and one team leaves – a slight modification of Tina Turner’s classic Thunderdome rules. Is this book worth picking up? Well read on, what are you waiting for?

————Spoilers Ahead————

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What has come before: Black Bolt and his Inhumans now lead the Kree. Vulcan has taken over the Shi’ar Empire. Now hilarity can ensue.

Cory’s review of the Secret Invasion: War Of Kings one-shot does a pretty good job of setting up why this is a great comic. Go read that one and come back.

Back? Good.

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You meet someone. Something about their eyes, their presence, the way they move, it shocks you. Gravity is in full force. You seem to take a back seat to a performance, saying the most clever things and dancing effortlessly.

The two of you repeat this process again, only this time the spark is stronger, more real. Every time you open your eyes, your throat dries up just because they are there, doing or saying or simply looking. Even the silent moments are heavy with the sound of your hearts beating.

This is Damon Lindelof sticking it to you. Also a pretty awful pun.

And then they leave for three years. Some reason, I guess. Uh, school. Sure, let’s call it school.

Now and again during that three year period you think back on that time. You even look them up online one chilly August. The memories come rushing back, but memories are pale next to the moment.

You hear they’re back in town, so you call. They’ll be where you first met. Charged with excitement tinged with tremors of trepidation, you go back to that special spot, and there they are.

Washed out, lacking direction, all too willing to rehash old times at the expense of anything new, and sticking you with the bill.

If this feels familiar, it’s probably because you just read Ultimate Hulk vs Wolverine 3. (more…)

Watchmen Movie Poster

As the fates would have it, I was fortunate enough to get some advance screening passes to see Watchmen from my LCS (thanks, Tardy’s, I love you guys!). So, myself, Mike Rapin and some friends went off to view the movie with all the hype surrounding it. Personally, I went in with some pretty low expectations. Yeah, I was really excited for it. How could you not anticipate seeing one of the greatest graphic novels of all time come to life? Yet, I was skeptical that it would really work, like most fans. Despite my low expectations, I really wanted to love it. I really wanted it to be amazing. Oddly enough, when I left the theater, I wanted really badly to hate it. There was so much wrong with it. Yet, my overall reaction was that it was a great film. That said, this is going to be a full review, so I’ll break down the good, the bad and tell you why despite my love, this movie is going to have a lot of trouble finding an audience.

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In December 2008, Marvel released a new series written by Fred Van Lente and illustrated by Dennis Calero entitled X-Men Noir. Now I haven’t read Marvel in quite some time, but this concept provoked me to pick up the first issue. Needless to say I wasn’t dissappointed. The art by Calero was sharp. He captured the black and white tones of the 1940′s film noir in full color, only highlighting pieces of the panel to stand alone. You can practically see it come to life. Van Lente’s story was a little hard to follow at first, moving quickly from scene to scene, but the artwork made it enjoyable for the second read. Together they create a wonderfully “dynamic-duo.”

*Spoilers after the break*

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As far as I’m concerned, IDW has been doing a fantastic job with the Doctor Who license. The reprints are recolored and repackaged nicely. The previous two miniseries had an old-school, Classic Who feel to them. This recent one-shot extends the winning streak.

Writers Leah Moore and John Reppion tell a story that feels like it could have been an unfilmed episode from Season Three. They nail the banter between The Doctor And Martha (you can almost hear David Tennant and Freema Agyeman reciting the lines in your head). They also tell a pretty effective ghost story. Sure, the ending is a bit formulaic, but Doctor Who is a formulaic show, so longtime fans would find it rather comforting.

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