One last time

So, to wrap up last week,

Avengers/Invaders #2 was weird. Not in a bad way, but it's really weird that things like Bennett buying the Daily Bugle in Amazing Spider-Man are continuity now in other books. It's jarring to see "The DB in other books." And there's other odd bits of continuity thrown in at random that pull you out of the story a little, which is not that good a story to begin with. I like time travel (you'll see when I get to Cable), but here...it's like The Twelve but lacks any meaning or relevance. If the Invaders traveled to the future in the past, why don't they remember it in the present? Bucky got ALL his memories back in Captain America #13 or 14, so why doesn't HE remember at least? And if there is a mystical (or other) reason for not remembering, then why bother telling a 12 issue story about all of this to begin with? Will it affect the Avengers in the long run? (Doubtful since it is not strictly a Marvel book, but a co-venture with Dynamite, and things like that are rarely relevant). And, why is Alex Ross even involved in this? Hopefully these questions will all be answered by the end, but I doubt it.

Cable #4 is weird for different reasons. I am enjoying the story so far. I like Cable though, and tube guns, and time travel, and a baby in an armored Baby Bjornn being carried by a time-traveling Cable with a tube gun. So this is written specifically for me. Plus it has Cannonball and hints at his long ago dropped continuity of being an immortal, which is nice. Then there's the art: Ariel Olivetti does some things well, and I do like his style, but his interiors are barren. There's a scene where Bishop is holding a guy over a deep fryer. So he's in a kitchen. The deep fryer does not look like a deep fryer (only the dialogue gives it away) and there is NOTHING ELSE in this kitchen. Of a restaurant. Nothing on the counters, no flour or spoons or baskets for the deep fryer. Nothing. Still, I liked it and get a kick out of the crazy time travel stuff. But the art is just a hinderance at this point. They need a Butch Guice on this, someone bleak and shadowy.

Criminal is the best non-superhero book ever. Just read it. This issue, despite one or two rough lines from Ed Brubaker (trying a little too hard), is great. Just great. Go read it. Seriously.

Invincible Iron Man #2 is not as good as issue 1 (despite MODOG, the Mental Organism Designed Only for GENOCIDE), but still holds your attention. Good, super-slick art, good writing, and a good cliffhanger.

Wolverine: Dangerous Games is another Wolverine One-Shot (because he's an under-used and under-appreciated character). This time, he fights fox hunters, I guess. Fox hunters have an odd stigma for me since The Invisibles, so I always expect the worst when I see them. But this is fine. Then, there's another short with Wolverine in Japan, also fine, I guess. Just a bland book, though, with the writing and art barely managing average.

Now, let's talk Young X-Men #3: this book is just a bizarre mess. I feel bad for Marc Guggenheim because I think he has some ideas. But he's saddled with the rejects from New X-Men and he just fumbles around trying to do anything. Then there's the art: Yanick Paquette's style is more open and cartoony here than it was on, say, Codename: Knockout (under-rated) or even Ultimate X-Men. Mostly it looks rushed. There better be a killer twist coming (and not the one in this month's issue, which barely counts) because this is barely hanging on.

Oh, and Amazing Spider-Man 561 was good. Still just solid superhero-y stuff. More people should read it.

Tomorrow: Lots of bad books to review! Woohoo!