BEFORE WATCHMEN: DR. MANHATTAN #1

Writer: J. Michael Straczynski
Artist: Adam Hughes
Publisher: DC Comics
Reviewer: Optimous Douche

Big, blue, cock from start to finish. DR. MANHATTAN is just panel upon panel of iridescent Smurf lighthouse that climaxes with a Hiroshima level money shot that leaves the Crimson Corsair impregnated and Silk Spectre miffed.

That’s how the F-BEFORE WATCHMEN contingent would like this review to read, but it couldn’t be farther from the truth. What DR. MANHATTAN actually delivers is the cleverest most mind-bending prequel to date. A prequel that hurls the linear nature of its sister titles out the window harder than the COMEDIAN was twenty five years ago, and truly captures the solitude of omnipotence.

DR. MANHATTAN isn’t trying to tell a prequel, it’s really an explanation of what happens when God gets bored. When each second is a literal infinity and mortality is a forgotten concept, how does one fill each moment when moments no longer matter? To illustrate this point of DR. MANHATTAN’S indifference to time, JMS brilliantly opens the book with the concept of Schrodinger’s Cat.

For those that don’t know the infamous cat that was alive and yet dead, trying to explain it usually takes up the first three weeks of philosophy 101 in college. Let me give it a shot though: Basically, shit doesn’t happen until we see it. Before that, anything is possible. Schrodinger used a cat that could be dead or alive in a box to illustrate this point (Fun fact: Schrodinger actually means animal necrophilia in German). Until you open the box and actually see the cat, it lives in both states – alive and dead. Your perception Kimosabe, IS reality.

Mere mortals can only know what happens after the box is opened. We can’t ride the time stream like Waverider and open the box multiple times. Even if we could, each time we go back we are changing the experiment. DR. MANHATTAN can not only go back and open the box multiple times; he can step outside our limited three dimensions to see through the box, peering into the infinity of possibilities all at once.

Basically DR. MANHATTAN’S prequel is every possible prequel that could be. This book dances back and forth through time, not constrained by having to start the story with the plethora of childhood psychological damage that seems to have shaped all of the other WATCHMEN. In fact, the scariest WATCHMEN alive truly came from the most normal of upbringings. No bad “uncles” like in SILK SPECTRE and RORSCHACH. No, slaps across the face like NITE OWL and OZYMANDIAS. DR. MANHATTAN’S truly comic origin of molecular disassembly gave JMS freedom with this book to extinguish the often heard BEFORE WATCHMEN complaint of, “this tells me nothing new.”

Yes, JMS does travel to the past to teach us the lesson of Schrodinger’s Cat as we watch DR. MANHATTAN open a his 9th birthday present, each time changing the present like a roulette wheel until we reach the reality where he receives a clock that looks eerily similar to his Martian mode of transportation years later. But what if he received a baseball glove, a puppy, a kite? Was it the clock inside his Schrodinger’s Birthday present that spurred his love for universal dynamics and celestial mechanics? If he received the puppy would he have become a vet and never stepped into the chamber that spread his atoms across the cosmos? These are the things that DR. MANHATTAN pontificates between nanoseconds. These questions also serve as the ultimate driver for the plot in the next three issues. DR. MANHATTAN knows he can view the past at will, easily seeing the infinite inside the box, but the ultimate challenge becomes whether he can change it?

I won’t tell you the answer, because frankly I don’t know. While the issue does end on that fateful day when he was trapped inside the reactor, the final panel this time though has him grabbing his coat and leaving the reactor unscathed.

So did DR. MANHATTAN successfully change the past or are we peering at a possibility? I’m inclined to believe the latter, simply because of my limited perception of the universe. If DR. MANHATTAN was never created it would negate this current story and the entire WATCHMEN series. My usual piss poor prognosticating is leading me to believe this will ultimately be a story of destiny and its inescapable pull, but ironically only time will tell.

DR. MANHATTAN is another narrative heavy piece, but just like the choice to internalize OZYMANDIAS, I think the fewer dialog bubbles the better when focusing on beautiful minds. Besides DR. MANHATTAN’S dialog bubbles have never set the world on fire, he’s a much cooler character in concept than in interaction. His quite malaise towards existence when he does speak is sort of new age douchey…soothing but also patronizing. I say let him stay in his head – it’s a quietly scary place especially when finger crafted by JMS.

This is probably one of the first BEFORE WATCHMEN titles where I would say the writing outshines the art. Don’t get me wrong, Hughes does a more than serviceable job, especially when he is charged with the crafting the visages of JFK and LBJ. However, Bermejo and Conner have simply hit this series out of the park visually because of their distinct styles. I’ll give Hughes credit though for giving us the most accurate representation of the source material. It’s so spot-on one would think Dave Gibbons is in the driver’s seat.

I’m biased towards BEFORE WATCHMEN, I love series that deconstruct history and reset expectations based on our world being a very different place than it actually is. While DR. MANHATTAN won’t break through the barrier of BEFORE WATCHMEN hate, I will say emphatically that this is the first prequel that could appeal to people who never read the source material. What JMS has crafted is quite simply great Sci-Fi piece of infinite possibilities merely packed inside a BEFORE WATCHMEN box.

Optimous has successfully blackmailed fellow @$$Hole BottleImp into being his artist on Average Joe. Look for Imp's forced labor on Optimous brain child in mid-2012 from COM.X. Friend Optimous on FaceBook to get Average Joe updates and because ceiling cat says it's the right thing to do.

DAREDEVIL #17

Writers: Mark Waid
Art: Michael Allred
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Reviewer: Masked Man

It’s the second Daredevil issue this month, because apparently Marvel needs to keep its quota up or something. Mad man Michael Allred (oh did you see what I did there!) has stopped by to draw the issue, so how do you pass that up? For those of you who missed my dorkiness, Allred is famous in comicbook-dom for creating Madman, a mind bending bug nutz crazy book, but what else would you expect from the title Madman? I’ve always found his work to be very interesting, because on the one hand, he’s a great comic book artist. His panels are always clean, bold, and fun. On the other hand, he has a touch of outsider art to him. His anatomy and perspective always have a little skew to them. So his work really is unlike anybody else’s. His work on Daredevil has all those attributes, and fits nicely with the tone of the book set for by the other artists. Seeing his Daredevil in action is almost like seeing Wally Wood’s Daredevil. Not as perfect as Wally’s work, but just as dynamic and clean. I don’t think you can ever go wrong with Allred penciling a book.

What about Mark Waid’s script, you ask. Well as I’ve said before, I sometimes feel Mark is stretching himself too much on this book. Though he always manages to deliver, and sometimes he nails out a gem like issue #7. The tension he built in #7 was amazing! Well I’m happy to report he nearly repeats himself with this issue. And just like that one, this is a fill-in issue as well! It’s hard to believe most fill-in issues are junk- after you’ve read one like this. Waid’s story is a flash back tale, to another time when Matt (Daredevil) Murdock his law partner ‘Foggy’ Nelson were feuding. The success of this story is the final reveal at the end of the book. One that I didn’t think was going to be too important, until the reveal. Heck even re-reading this issue it was hard not to get misty about it. It’s a perfect example of how a writer with a good understanding of his characters, can get his readers to understand them as well, and then make an emotion pay off because of it. For fun, he tosses in a battle with Stilt-Man- yes, Stilt-Man! Here’s another thing about Waid, while Stilt-Man is one of the worst super-villain ideas of all time, he doesn’t treat him like a joke (like a crap load of other writers would do). Nor does he try to ‘upgrade’ him into some kind of new super serious bad@$$ (like another crap load of writer would do). Nope, he just lets Stilt-Man be Stilt-Man, warts and all. So yes, Stilt-Man is an idiots, but he’s also a super-villain who could kill you quite easily given the chance. So while I didn’t walk away with a brand new respect for Stilt-Man, I also didn’t walk away thinking he was a total dork, fit for only comic relief.

So you got Mark Waid doing his thing and you got Michael Allred doing his thing, plus Laura Allred laying down the colors (and Stephen Wacker and Ellie Pyle being smart enough to let them do it), and they did it all great! This issue scores a 4 out of 4.

THE WALKING DEAD #101

Writer: Robert Kirkman
Art: Charlie Adlard
Publisher: Image Comics
Reviewer: Henry Higgins is My Homeboy

Fallout (And Heads Up, I’m Going To Spoil Last Issue In The Third Paragraph. You Have Been Warned).

So….THE WALKING DEAD….look. It’s hard not to just say this is one of the best comics of the past decade. And last month, it was very, very, very hard to not to lose control of myself and just write about how awesome this series is and has been. Hitting 100 issues is a real accomplishment in this industry, and to see a comic not starring a big name superhero do it just warms the cockles of my heart. Some of the my fellow @$$holes took it upon themselves to cover the joyous occasion, so I hung back to digest it all and cover the fallout. This issue pushes forward the intriguing Negan storyline, while also playing with the survivors in fun ways. It’s exactly what a 101st issue should be.

Writing: (4/5) As monumentally wonderful THE WALKING DEAD has been in its entire run, I’ll be the first to admit that the book has been somewhat lacking since the death of the Governor. Kirkman created an antagonist that made the army of undead seem like a second thought. Next to his cruelty and creativity, the hordes of zombies didn’t seem all that bad. Since his death at the conclusion of the prison arc (which may be the series finest moment), Rick and the other survivors haven’t found a human foe that rivaled him. Sure, the cannibals and the coup were interesting, but they were more of passing annoyances. Negan makes one proper appearance in the comic, and the fallout can still be felt in the next issue. The dread present in just knowing that Negan is out there, brandishing his bat and a manic smile… it gives the book a shot in the arm. His followers may crumble before the walls of the camp, but Negan is just around the corner. The look of sheer panic on Gregory’s face once he hears that Negan confronted Rick is beautifully telling.Part of what makes THE WALKING DEAD so engaging is just how unpredictable it can be. Outside of Rick and, to an extant Carl, no one is safe. No one becomes permanently static or safe, and this allows for a rotating cast of characters. This issue sees a possible departure of Maggie and Sophia, and it’s beautifully bittersweet. The new community is exactly what Maggie and Glenn were hoping for, but her arrival with Sophia is hindered greatly by Glenn’s untimely death. It’s a nice way to possibly send off the two characters; With a heavy heart, but a hopeful touch to it. Taking the place of the missing characters seems to be Jesus, which, at least to me, is just fine. Seriously, Jesus is pretty awesome.

Carl is my favorite character in the series to be honest, and it’s nice to see some emotion from him that isn’t just rage. The boy’s descent into darkness has only really been slowed by his dedication to his father and connection with Sophia. It’s a story beat I can’t wait to see Kirkman explore, to see Carl have to continue on without his confidant and friend.

The only thing that really hinders the issue is the occasional slow beat. It’s an incredibly uneven issue pacing wise. It quickly jumps from Maggie railing on Rick to a little beat of comedy, to a tense moment looking into the community, to heartfelt, to panicky, to relief. All of the moments are well done (save perhaps the little comic moment of the guards, which felt extremely out of place), but not explored as well as they could be. It removes a good deal of the tension, which is sort of the best thing about the comic.

Art: (5/5) Adlard is a wonderful choice for this series (as has been noted many times previously), and this issue could be used as a perfect example of why. The opening page alone displays a fantastic series of panels. A great sense of motion and passing time as Negan leaves in his truck. A corpse, partially hidden by a good sense of framing but revealing just enough gore to unsettle the reader. Ricks face, contorted beautifully while Maggie processes what’s just happened. He has an amazing ability to convey true emotion with these characters. As Maggie beats Rick, you get an honest sense of emotion from her. She sobs uncontrollably as she hits him, and it flows incredibly well. Likewise, one panel later in the comic is one of the most telling single panels I’ve ever seen. Rick tries to apologize to Maggie for what’s happened to Glen, and he just looks so tired. Rick has always had to be the strong one among his compatriots, but following what’s happened, Rick has the appearance of a broken man, finally struggling under the weight of all the dead friends. It just conveys so, so, so much about Rick.

Beyond the acting of the characters, the framing and look of the book is simply marvelous. Between Adlard's wonderful wide shots and Rathburn’s ability to make greys stand out against grey, the book looks amazing. Carl speaking to Sophia is great, bringing the reader close when it’s necessary but knowing exactly how to pull back. The wideshots throughout the issue do the same, consistently giving the book a solid sense of scope.

Best Moment: Jesus joining the cast permanently excites me endlessly.

Worst Moment: Eduardo spearing the zombie. It’s a little moment of levity that just feels completely out of place.

Overall: (4/5) One of the best comics of the past decade follows an exhilarating 100th issue with an incredibly solid issue.

GRIMM FAIRY TALES #76

Writer: Mark L. Miller
Artist: Ilias Kyriazis
Publisher: Zenescope Entertainment
Reviewer: Lyzard

And it continues. The DVD for MIRROR, MIRROR was released this month. The TV series GRIMM returned last week and ONCE UPON A TIME’s season 2 is a mere month away. Fairy tales continue their dominance of nearly every entertainment market, having become the new “vampires.”

But this is why GRIMM FAIRY TALE #76 is so refreshing. The book features no major fairy tale figure. In fact, it isn’t until halfway through the issue that anything magical occurs at all.

To catch up readers, Dr. Sela Mathers has been imprisoned in a high security facility after destroying a major city. Her actions are understandable. Sela had just found out that the evil goddess Venus was raising Sela’s daughter. The only thing worse than a woman scorned is a pissed off mother.

Deena Durbin, a recent law school graduate and Sela’s court appointed case worker, thinks that she has found enough discrepancies in the case in order to file an appeal. But to do so, Deena needs Sela to cooperate. Sela, though, has no desire to be set free and believes that she is not worth saving. However, it isn’t Sela who needs saving when an explosion bursts through the prison, throwing the facility into chaos.

As I mentioned before, this book is not your typical fairy tale. Even though the original stories of Grimm and such were dark, they did not feature characters such as Sela. She understands that her powers, when combined with her emotions, are dangerous. Already pushed to the edge once, Sela has no desire to put others at risk again. The reluctant hero is common in superhero lore of late, but not in the fairy tale genre. However, there is a nice nod to the idea of Sela as a hero of this sort when a little boy screams “soopa hero” after Sela clears the way for a group of civilians to escape.

Speaking of dialogue, the issue really hits its stride in the second half. The beginning is too expositional in regards to the conversation between Deena and Sela. In the latter voiceover, as Sela makes her way through the chaos, her backstory is given. Though the information is pure exposition as well, it is handled with more panache. The monologue is broken up between panels, creating a poetic pacing. This is the real voice of Sela, revealing a character more complex than that of the typical anti-hero.

The artwork is consistent with the writing as it doesn’t pop until halfway through. There is nothing wrong with Kyriazis’ drawings in the beginning. The panels are well-drawn, with a wonderful sense of depth, and featuring various angles. It is all well done, just not interesting. But once you get to that first full page action shot, the pages become full of brutality, stylization, and shifts between highly detailed work to the appropriate use of minimalism. Kyriazis’ art is at its strongest when the panels are varied and the reader is exposed to a range of his approaches.

I seem to be unlucky enough to have picked vampires and fairy tales as my obsessions, well before pop culture overdosed on them. Even I felt that I couldn’t handle one more reiteration of a fairy tale. However, despite the series it belongs to, Sela’s story does not have to be viewed as such. Hers is a tale of fantasy and need not be relegated to the realm of Snow White and Cinderella.

Lyzard is actually Lyz Reblin, a senior screenwriting major with an English minor at Chapman University. Along with writing for AICN, she has been published twice on the subject of vampire films.

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #691

Writer: Dan Slott
Art: Giuse Camuncoll & Mario Del Pennino
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Reviewer: Henry Higgins is My Homeboy

As AMAZING SPIDER-MAN reaches closer and closer to its fiftieth anniversary, I’m quite pleased that Slott will be writing the title. He’s been consistently enjoyable for his entire run of the series, with just a few missteps here and there. Unfortunately, AMSM #691 is one such trip up.

The conclusion of the Lizard storyline feels rushed and anticlimactic, sapping the story of the earlier intensity. The problems from last issue are solved too neatly(The scientists at Horizon have been turned into the Lizards! No, hold on. It’s okay, they just seem to enjoy lying around. But Carlie’s cornered! No, wait, it’s fine. She’s fine), and the central conflict is resolved without much fuss.

Even the art by Camuncoli and Pennino feels lacking. The claustrophobic and tight look of the past three issues is replaced instead with open environments and broader character beats. It’s disappointing, as the story had been firing on all cylinders until this point.

Rather, the issue feels more like an extended preview for upcoming events. Peters tour of his captured foes, the new development for the Lizard, and especially the promise of a much missed villain (the reveal at the end of the issue made me uncontrollably giddy). The issue just doesn’t flow properly, which gives the storyline a disappointing climax.

REVOLUTION AISLE 9

Writer: Brady Sullivan
Artist: Andrea Schiavone
Publisher: Back Row Comics
Reviewer: Optimous Douche

REVOLUTION AISLE 9 is as indie as one can get. Yes, the art is simplistic, sans the over production we find with a league of creators sitting in a bullpen waiting for work. Yes, the production is Spartan allowing for fast turnaround to keep churning out issues on a regular schedule and thus keep user interest rather than taking years to print just one book. And yes, it presents a story that you will never find in comics beleaguered by continuity or having to serve a corporate overlord. REVOLUTION AISLE 9 is pure imagination slathered in social commentary and a very cool Sci-Fi twist.

‘Welcome to Kent” is the series REVOLUTION AISLE 9 lives in, a webcomic that lives on the fringes of the “Twilight Zone” in concept. While my tolerance for webcomics is pretty low (not enough meat on the bone) I might have to change my mind after reading Back Row’s first foray into print.

One part historical fiction, one part societal indictment, all parts entertaining, AISLE 9 explores what would happen if a soldier in the American Revolution was one day whisked through time and landed smack dab in the middle of a mega Walmart (cleverly called Wow Mart to avoid a swarm of corporate lawyers).

Yes, it’s a concept that’s been done before, but let’s be frank with another: Encino Man blows donkeys and most other out-of-time ventures get too wrapped up in the Rom or Com of their Rom-Com nature.

AISLE 9 is essentially an indictment of modern America. And I agree 100% with the creators that Wal-Mart is America’s Waterloo. If we fall, it will be because of the pampering and mass consumerization embodied by Wal-Mart.

Sullivan gives us a wonderful intro by having our Greatest American Hero writing his lady love from the front lines of the American War for Independence. He writes of liberty, ideals and how the ultimate sacrifice would be gladly paid for the promise of freedom. We watch as this man fights in the wilderness, forages for survival and ultimately falls down a well while trying to escape a pack of damn dirty Redcoats.

But instead of death, our hero ends up in Aisle 9 of Wow-Mart. Right out of the gate Sullivan illustrates all that’s wrong with modern America with the first few passersby. A petulant child screams for more candy as his Mother berates him and bemoans his existence. A rather large woman laments that there are only XL sizes wondering if Wow-Mart is only catered to model sizes. Another woman an aisle over shares with the entire store her yeast issues from thongs. A man in a little rascal fat-person scooter yells at our hero for lying in the aisle asking how lazy can he be for just lying around. Finally a Mother tells her child that they can’t get a dessert with their happy meal because they need to save room for dinner at Burger Queen. Brand replacement aside, this is fucking insightful stuff. It takes the kind of people watching little of us do anymore in our perpetual WiFi heads down in device world.

The rest of the book is more amusing than insightful as our hero ends up taking over the store and cleverly uses the wide variety and massive amounts of shit in a Wal-Mart to thwart the local police that want to get him out.

We’ve lost something as a country, the desire to persevere and fight for what’s right…or fight for anything. Don’t get me wrong, I love my pampered lifestyle, but I sometimes wonder if life would be more fulfilling if I personally bought less and did more. What would it be like to stand behind a collective cause for the betterment of humanity, not just the fattening of my bank account? What would it be like to truly serve a needed purpose rather than struggle to eke out an existence based solely on money?

Yes, AISLE 9 made me think. Truly ponder who we are as a society and my place in it. When a comic can entertain to this level and still leave me thinking afterwards, cut corners on art or lack of coloring become trivial matters. Quite simply, with a little more detail given to the art, AISLE 9 is everything a comic should be.

GREEN LANTERN #12

Writer: Geoff Johns
Artists: Renato Guedes & Jim Calafiore
Publisher: DC Comics
Reviewer: The Dean

I have quite the conflicting relationship going with GREEN LANTERN right now. I’m thrilled that they decided to continue Johns’ run through the relaunch, but the lack of commitment to a total overhaul of the DC universe often leaves me with a lingering disappointment after finishing each issue. While GREEN LANTERN might frustrate me as a part of a greater whole, the series on its own has been as much fun as anything else out there. Johns hasn’t quite delivered the rejuvenating feel he did with GREEN LANTERN: REBIRTH, or reached the epic levels of a story like “The Sinestro Corps War,” but there’s an intuitive understanding of these characters that Johns turns into magic on a monthly basis, making his GL stuff hard to resist.

This issue continues the adventures of Sinestro and Hal as they take on an army of undead worthy of the October issue date. Meanwhile, the Black Hands obsesses over a confusing message written throughout The Book of the Black until it reveals to him a rather surprising omen, as the Guardians continue to discuss their plans for a third army. I was a tad disappointed to see the title veer back into Black Lantern territory again since BLACKEST NIGHT still seems so fresh, but Johns’ mastery of cinematic storytelling keeps things fast paced and exciting, giving me little reason to doubt him (yes, I’ve read JUSTICE LEAGUE, but that’s the exception to an otherwise impressive line of work). He’s not really my favorite writer out there, but you can do a lot worse on a superhero title than Geoff Johns. While he may not be the cerebral plotter that guys like Morrison or Hickman are, his stories have a sort of classic made new vibe to them that capture a lot of the grandiose spirit that drew me to comics in the first place.

Renato Guedes’ and Jim Calafiore’s stellar work, which feature neon green constructs crashing against a gray and ghostly backdrop through most of it, make this action packed, plot-twisting issue pretty easy on the eyes, too. I don’t know that I’ve ever really been moved to feel too strongly about their work one way or another, but the issue is consistently good, and I’m never disappointed to see one’s art in place of the other. Guedes work in particular impressed me, though, with a few panels showing a darkened, more mainstream Seth Fisher look that I really enjoyed, but both show a great talent for creating impressive scenes that complement the blockbuster feel of a Johns story perfectly.

Relaunch or continuity questions be damned, GREEN LANTERN has been a consistently good read for the past year, and among the best DC’s been putting out. It’s has never been my favorite book of the week, but it’s typically the least likely to disappoint, and with Johns’ ability to weave these things into classics and massive events at the drop of a hat, this issue’s kickoff to its “The Revenge of the Black Hand” arc might be a good point for you to jump on.

AvsX #10

Writers: Everyone
Scripter: Ed Brubaker
Art: Adam Kubert
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Reviewer: Masked Man,br>
As we get even closer to the climactic battle with the Phoenix Force, let’s run down what happened in this issue, shall we? Page one, Cyclops tries to kill Hope. I’m not really sure why, considering that was never his plan, but maybe it’s the Phoenix Force corrupting him. Then again, Cyclops has been making questionable decisions all series, so why should this issue be different. Iron Fist quickly engages Cyclops so she can escape. I’ll pause here a moment and question the layout decision of these three pages. Page one, has a very cool near splash page of Cyclops floating above Iron Fist and Hope, showing us how powerful he is and how fad they are. Page two and three, have a near double splash of Cyclops floating above Iron Fist and Hope, showing us how powerful he is and how f’d they are. Was it really that important to show Cyclops floating above Iron Fist and Hope, showing us how powerful he is and how f’d they are that it took three pages? Did they really think the readers won’t be able understand that from just one full splash? And they didn’t think it would better if Adam had more than just a few postage stamp size panels to draw the Iron Fist / Cyclops fight in? Really? Moving along- Ironman jumps into the fight, pretty cool. Not sure why it needed an AR (Marvel Augmented Reality) it seemed pretty self explanatory to me. Maybe I’ll meet someone who actually uses it, and they can tell me how cool it is one day.

Meanwhile in Russia, Prof. X confesses that he screwed up. Something he hinted at four issues back, so it’s good to see him doing something about it now. Back in Utopia, where everything isn’t, Emma Frost is laying down her Phoenix Force corrupted will. I like that we can actually tell she is being corrupted. Unlike Cyclops, who hasn’t changed his tune since issue #1: The Phoenix Force is here to save mutant kind. How or why he believes that has yet too explained though. Magneto is starting to think he’s made a mistake too (something I’m sure any reader could have told him back in issue #6).

Back in K’un Lun, Cyclops is whooping up on Avengers while looking for Hope. Hope has fled to Lei Kung for help and the two attack Cyclops with a dragon. True to the ancient myth, it does pretty well against the Phoenix Force. I’ll pause here to mention the page layouts again; Pretty damn nice! Now we finally see the Phoenix Force starting to corrupt Cyclops, as he wanted to kill the dragon for hurting him (not that big of a stretch since they were fighting, but still). Hope then saves the dragon by somehow absorbing its special powers and blasting Cyclops with it- And then runs away. I have no idea why she runs away, she just does. Cyclops, of course, chases after her. The Scarlet Witch, in an attempt to help Hope, finally fails to defeat Cyclops (I guess they finally decided they didn’t need their ‘get out of plot jail free’ card anymore). Hope then steps up to the plate again and really lets Cyclops have it. I’m guessing Hope is now becoming what was pretty obvious to everyone, but Cyclops, at the beginning- Hope is Earth’s one hope against the Phoenix Force. Oh, and another great job by Adam Kubert here too. Cyclops then decides he needs a power boost and goes after Emma, since defeating her will give him all of the Phoenix Force. To be continued…

So that’s issue 10, not much improvement for those who wanted it, and reasonable comic book thrills for those who didn’t want improvement. Remember when Stan Lee had the X-men fight the Avengers in X-MEN #9, that was cool.

Editing, compiling, imaging, coding, logos & cat-wrangling by Ambush Bug
Proofs, co-edits & common sense provided by Sleazy G
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AICN COMICS REVIEWS: DAREDEVIL! BEFORE WATCHMEN: DR. MANHATTAN! THE WALKING DEAD! GRIMM FAIRY TALES! & MORE!