This title, the second in Marvel’s new line of original graphic novels, has a low bar to clear in terms of quality after Warren Ellis and Mike McKone whiffed it in “Avengers:  Endless Wartime.”  So it’s nice to report that writers Mark Waid and James Robinson have given us an enjoyable, self-contained Spider-story that distinguishes […]

It sounds weird to say this, but the fact that the first volume of “Saga” struck me as only being “good” was probably the best thing about it in hindsight.  With the unanimous praise it received and impressive sales it racked up, I was expecting the world from its initial collected edition and didn’t quite […]

This title went on a hiatus a year ago in order to allow writer Scott Snyder and artist Rafael Albuquerque time to take care of some outstanding prior commitments (see:  Snyder on “Superman Unchained” and “The Wake”) and to pursue other opportunities (see:  Albuquerque on “Animal Man”).  I thought it was a good idea because […]

This second volume of the Bendis-written title that focuses on the time-traveling original X-Men team doesn’t have a cohesive plot so much as a series of interconnected character moments.  Fortunately for us, most of them are actually really good.  Seeing Kitty help Jean come to grips with her newfound telepathy is handled well and in […]

…A thoroughly entertaining film that surpasses its predecessor and is only slightly less impressive than “Iron Man 3” as far as Marvel movie sequels go.  One of the main reasons for this is that in comparison to “Iron Man 2” and “Thor:  The Dark World, “The Winter Soldier” actually tells a story instead of assembling […]

We got one half of Bendis’ take on the X-Men, with the time-traveling original team, in the first volume of “All-New X-Men” a couple months back.  Now we’re getting the half that focuses on Cyclops’ outlaw group in this latest relaunch of “Uncanny X-Men.”  If nothing else, the writer owes a real debt to Kieron […]

I had high expectations for Cornell’s take on the title character and they weren’t quite met in the first volume.  The results, however, were serviceable enough and the story ended on a fairly dramatic moment for Wolverine as it was revealed that his struggle against the intelligent viral consciousness had cost him his mutant healing […]

For the last few weeks at work I’ve been taunting… Er, “actively hypothesizing” with my co-workers about how the season finale to “The Walking Dead” would play out.  My scenario involved Rick’s crew meeting up with the other refugees from the prison at Terminus and having what passes for a nice reunion scene in this […]

It’s clear from the start that Matt Fraction and Howard Chaykin’s story of sex, murder and live TV really wants to be the “L.A. Confidential” of the Golden Age of television.  Taking place in 1951, it strips back the veneer of wholesomeness and civility that most of the entertainment from the time was built on […]

(Despite what the numbers on the side of these volumes say, you won’t find the beginning of this run here.  The first three issues by Allred and Fraction were collected in “Fantastic Four vol. 1:  New Arrivals, New Departures” which I reviewed a while back.) I know I always put the writer’s name first when […]