Secret Avengers #1

It's no secret that I'm a huge fan of Nick Spencer. In fact, you could say I'm addicted to him like crack, but only the biggest of morons use crack, so let's say I'm addicted to him like I am redheads. While his creator-owned books are some of the best books I've ever read, his mainstream work has never been his strongest. So when it was announced he was writing this book (his second time on the book), and he was bringing my two favorite Avengers in Black Widow and Hawkeye with him, I was excited, with a bit of trepidation.

Any fear went out the door almost immediately. Spencer takes all of the mystery and intrigue he puts in his own books and attaches it to Marvel's long-standing heroes as well as their up and coming new characters. Some people could look at this book as just a way for Marvel to integrate their movie universe into their comic universe. All of the characters are big players from the Avengers movie, including Agent Coulson, who first premiered in the movieverse. But this title is far from a throw-away tie-in book. It's a spy book first and foremost, with SHIELD taking the spotlight. It's a genre that has really disappeared from the comic racks the past few years, especially at the Big Two comic companies. If you're a fan of the genre, then don't miss this book. Everything from the gadgets, to the exotic locales, to the deception is present here. But the strong suit is the dialog Spencer brings to the group. The humor is reminiscent of Bendis, while the technical jargon reminds you of Hickman, blended together as only Spencer can.

Luke Ross' art is not as realistic here as it was during his time on Captain America. I can only assume it's because of the humor, and to make sure the characters don't look 100% like their movie counterparts. We need to know this is the comic world, not the movie world, and his pencils keep us firmly reminded of that. The coloring by Matthew Wilson plays an integral role in telling the story as well since it sets the mood. Mood is one of the most important things in a spy thriller. Shadows are always present, but if it's too dark, you can't tell what's going on. Wilson does a great job of allowing the reader to clearly tell what's happening while still portraying the dark and seedy environments flawlessly.

There are a ton of Avengers titles out there on the stands today. This one sets itself apart from the rest by bringing something different to the table. What it brings is the suspense, thrills, and humor that no other Avengers title has. If you want a little more from your Avengers than just the huge interplanetary battles, then look no further.

Uncanny X-Men #1

Hmmm, I feel like I have already reviewed an Uncanny X-Men #1. Oh, that's right! It's because I have. In today's market, books get renumbered almost on a monthly basis. It's frustrating to keep track of which number goes with which volume, but it's a sad necessity if certain titles want to survive. Long gone are the days of creators staying on books for years (with a few exceptions like Bendis, Brubaker, and Johns), as well as readers sticking with a title forever due to prices constantly rising. So companies relaunch to get higher exposure, and hoping to get readers to try something different. While not ideal, Marvel's current NOW! initiative has taken the idea and done it quite well. Shifting creators on almost their entire line of books was a bold move, and renumbering, in this case, was needed. So while this might be the second Uncanny X-Men #1 we've had in just the past couple years, I feel this one will not be renumbered anytime soon. And that is thanks to Brian Michael Bendis.

Bendis has come over to the X-Universe and completely made it the top franchise at Marvel, something it's taken a back-seat to the Avengers to for the entire time he wrote Marvel's mightiest heroes. All-New X-Men is the best book on the stands right now. It has the feel of newness that Stan Lee wrote back in the 60's combined with the present day of today's ever evolving world. If you are not reading that, mutant fan or not, you need to. You won't be disappointed.
But Uncanny has a different feel from All-New. While All-New has a feeling of hope for mutants, Uncanny has a feel of desperation. Cyclops is doing all he can to recreate the mutant race with his version of the Xavier school, recruiting new mutants as they arise after the fallout of the battle with the Phoenix Force. Cyclops' task isn't an easy one though, because now he and his group are wanted fugitives. He still believes in the next generation of mutants, but as an army, not students. He wants to teach, but must teach them survival, because now thanks to him, the world hates and fears mutants possibly more than they ever have.

This is a great sister book to All-New. Together, we get to see both sides of the coin. We get the Xavier/Magneto dynamic in Wolverine/Cyclops. Both men feel they are on the right side, and both men will fight to prove their point. This series is all about Cyclops' transformation into the Mutant Messiah, a title previously thought to belong to Hope Summers. After all the build-up of making it seem like Hope would save the mutant race, it ends up being Cyclops who will do that. And by any means necessary.

In this first issue, Bendis does a great job of blending a tale that alternates back and forth between dramatic dialog, and frenzied action, something he has always excelled at (unless you're a comic message board commenter, then you hate him). The scenes between Maria Hill and the mystery character are more important than the climatic battle scenes Cyclops' X-Men engage in. The last page twist sets up this series in the most intriguing of ways.
Chris Bachalo has been a favorite of mine for almost 20 years, dating all the way back to his Generation X days (hellllooooo 90's). But as great as he is, I'm not sure if he's the perfect choice for this book. I feel the book would be better off with an artist who does more "clean" lines. This team of X-Men is akin to a para-militaristic force, and I feel the characters need a more regimented look. Bachalo's hectic style sometimes makes the action scenes confusing, making it hard to tell exactly what's happening in certain panels. It's not anything that overly brings down the book, I just feel his strengths are better off suited for books with a bit more humor. Like his time on Wolverine & the X-Men. Cyclops is the farthest from being a hilarious chap. It'll be interesting to see what Frazer Irving's take on the book is with the next arc.

In any case, this is a fantastic read. Worthy of relaunching the original X-title into the next phase of Marvel's history. Whether you're a long time reader, or are jumping on board with the new #1's, it's a great time to be a fan of Marvel's mutant franchise.

Invincible #100

It all led to this! And what was it this led to? A whole bunch of talking. This had to be the most boring anniversary issue I've ever read. All the build-up from the previous months was disappointingly wrapped-up not with action, which is what you'd expect from this book, but with page after page of word balloons. This was so underwhelming, that I really don't have much to say. The characters said enough. In fact, I think they're still talking...

Aside from the wordiness of the issue, the fact that most of the overall plots were wrapped up so neatly, and in most cases so stupidly in their unbelievability, you'd think Robert Kirkman was busy with a tv show or something. The whole issue just seemed rushed. One thing this book did do right though, was to set up the next chapter in Invincible's life. We can see what is in store for Mark Grayson in his professional life as well as his personal life. I just wish there was more of a climatic battle that we were ultimately cheated out of. After 100 issues, the audience deserved that at least. I guess there wasn't enough room behind all the word balloons.

Ryan Ottley did his usual excellence on art, but there just wasn't a lot to draw except for a ton of characters standing around talking. I mean, seriously, it was panel after panel, page after page of Invincible talking. Talking to Dinosaurus, talking to Cecil, talking to Eve. At the end, he should've turned to the reader and said "I'm sorry."

I am looking forward to seeing where this book goes. I still feel it's an exceptional series, always being one of the best superhero titles each month. I just now worry that Kirkman is paying too much attention to The Walking Dead to give Invincible the time it deserves. Invincible was first and it is better. But has it passed it's prime? Hopefully not.