The last time we had an “X-Men” relaunch like this I wrote about how Jeff Lemire’s first volume of “Extraordinary” felt like the welcome kind of nostalgia.  That remained somewhat true for the rest of his short tenure on that title before the whole “Inhumans vs. X-Men” business kinda drove it into the ground.  Now […]

Launching what is effectively the latest iteration of “X-Force” — violent mutants employing violently morally dubious solutions to violent mutant problems — as a prelude to a crossover doesn’t strike me as the best way to go about things.  So I was honestly surprised by how much I enjoyed the issues collected here as Old […]

After years of toiling in near-obscurity turning out quality series like “The Paybacks” writer Donny Cates and artist Geoff Shaw finally hit it big earlier this year with their miniseries “God Country.”  Now having read it, it’s easy to see why this miniseries caught on the way it did.  It’s a textbook example of how […]

Before I sat down to write this I was preparing to dance around the reveal of the main threat for this second (and sadly, final) arc of “Mercury Heat.”  Never mind the fact that it’s spoiled on the back of the volume.  Then I went and re-read my review of the first volume and saw […]

I’m convinced that writer Nick Spencer conceived this volume as a final test to weed out the readers who aren’t completely on board with his “Hydra Cap” storyline.  How else to explain the “Civil War II:  The Oath” one-shot where Cap demonstrates an almost demonic glee as he gloats to a comatose Tony Stark about […]

The Turtles and Usagi have had a long fruitful relationship dating back to the late 80’s when Kevin Eastman asked Stan Sakai if he wanted an Usagi action figure as part of the Turtles’ toy line.  Since then Usagi and the Turtles have met up a few times in comics and Usagi even guest-starred on […]

Even as Nick Spencer gleefully trolls fans over in “Steve Rogers” he manages to tap into the current social zeitgeist in “Sam Wilson” to both entertaining and depressing effect.  Vol. 4 is where most of the fun stuff happens as Sam and Steve team up to take on U.L.T.I.M.A.T.U.M., Sam and Joaquim go to see […]

This volume kicks off with a flashback two-parter featuring some wonderfully brutal art from Rafa Garres about a viking who drank dragon blood to become the Asgardian equivalent of a Hulk.  All thanks to Loki, of course.  The story hits its familiar notes from the song of Thor/Loki sibling rivalry while the present-day sequences tie […]

The Art of Metal Gear Solid V hasn’t even hit stores yet, but Dark Horse is apparently convinced that it’s going to do good business for them.  How good?  So good that they’ve announced that The Art of Metal Gear Solid I-IV will be arriving next May.  If you read that and thought that they’d […]

The holiday spirit is strong with Image this year.  They’ll be publishing three very different comics that spotlight the holiday season and its many attractions and horrors come December.  Of the three, I’m looking forward to The Wicked + The Divine Christmas Annual the most as it pairs co-creator/writer Kieron Gillen with an impressive array […]