Keeping up with the Xeans

Star Wars #2

Thankfully, this isn't a comic book retelling of any of the movies, but a stand alone story set between Episode 4 and Episode 5. Leia, Han Solo and Luke Skywalker are attempting to shut down an Empire weapons factory, but their task is made more difficult with the arrival of Darth Vader himself.

What we get is great artwork and writing, and some awesome fight scenes between Luke and Vader, even though Luke hasn't trained with or even met Yoda yet. We also get the fantastic visual of Vader stopping an AT-AT stepping on him simply by using The Force.

I love this comic, and there's going to be Darth Vader and Princess Leia comics in the works. If they're anything like this, then we're in for a treat. 5/5

Nameless #1

Grant Morrison is writing for Image Comics now, apparently, and he's doing a damn good job of it with this book. Nameless is an expert on the occult, and uses lucid dreaming to do jobs for people, such as theft, as we see in this book. He's recruited by a shadowy organisation to stop an asteroid that's on a collision course with Earth, and the asteroid has a symbol that Nameless has seen before.

This book is really awesome. It's gritty, it's odd, it's well drawn, and it's clear that Morrison had fun writing it. Image Comics has been consistently putting out great stuff, and this is no different. 4/5

The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl #2

Squirrel Girl steals an Iron Man armour so she can fly to the moon to try and stop Galactus. That sounds crazy, but it's really one of the best ways for Squirrel Girl to get herself into trouble again.

This book's a surprise, in that I personally didn't expect it to be as good as it is. This book doesn't take itself seriously, and that makes it all the better. It knows that it's over the top, and it takes that ball and runs like hell with it!

And as an added bonus, one of the emails at the back of the book was written by by local comic book store owner, Holly. That fills me with nerdy glee. 5/5

Operation S.I.N. #2

"He's a 1950's con man!"

Operation S.I.N. is awesome, simply because it's set in the 1950's and has a film noir feel to it. And it features a man wearing a jet pack fighting a bear. That in itself is worth reading the book for.

So it turns out that we're finding out a bit more about our cast of characters and the fact that there's American tech hidden under Russia. This is big news for Howard Stark (father of Tony Stark), simply because he loves technology. We also see Agent Carter show us all that he she can throw a punch better than most men. And that's awesome. 5/5

The Black Vortex #1

This is a crossover between the X-Men and the Guardians of the Galaxy, which has so much potential straight off the bat. This book's about the titular Black Vortex, a device that allows people to reach their full potential. Obviously a lot of people want it, and most of them aren't very nice people.

This follows on from Legendary Star-Lord #8, where we see Kitty Pryde join Star-Lord in his space adventures and his mission to stop his father being 100% a dick. He wants the Black Vortex so he can take over the universe, basically. And that would be bad for business.

This issue was a bit lumbering, with a few confusing panel layouts, but the story itself is solid. As with most issue one's, this was an issue that established who and what everything is. Like Spider-Verse, this story is told over various issues in different comic runs, which is something that bugs me, as I tend to lose track as which issues are the main story and which ones are tie-ins. This has promise, however, and I'm going to pick up part 2 to see what happens. 4/5

Deadpool's Art of War #4

This series is basically a Marvel retelling of the classic book The Art of War, instead placing Deadpool into a prominent role- he wants to re-write the book because he wants money, but he needs a modern twist on it. As such, he decides to get Loki to attack Earth using the book as a guide. Loki, however, decides he doesn't need Deadpool's help and it becomes a giant free-for-all.

This series wasn't great. It wasn't terrible, but it was definitely in the "for fans only" camp. If you're a Deadpool fan or an enthusiast of The Art of War, you'll find something to enjoy out of this. If not, then this will just look like a mess. 3/5

Legendary Star-Lord #8

The latest chapter in Star-Lord's adventures sees our titular hero joined by Kitty Pryde, in an orphanage that Star-Lord funds with his ill gotten gains. This issue's all about Kitty Pryde realising that Star-Lord isn't a bad person, but does bad things for good reasons. We also find out that Thane, son of Thanos, is making a deal with Star-Lord's father- going by the alias "Mr Knife"-  to gain the power to defeat Thanos forever.

This makes for an interesting future dynamic- will Star-Lord team up with his father to help defeat Thanos? It's no secret within the story that Star-Lord and his father don't get on, so there's going to be some kind of friction between the two. This makes me want to see what happens in later issues, but I'm loving this book anyway, so I always want to see what's going to happen next. 4/5

Superior Iron Man #4

Tony Stark is a dick. And he's fantastic for it! Ever since the events of AXIS, Tony Stark has been on one mission- make himself rich, famous and loved. Granted, he's already all of these things, but he wants to take it to the next level. So he launches a version of the Extremis virus into the water supply of San Francisco and charges people to access it. Why do people want it? To make themselves look fabulous, of course!

The post-AXIS Iron Man is awesome, simply because of how much of a dick he is. The character was starting to get stale, so this injects some much needed life into the Iron Man character. And if it leads up to another Civil War-style story where he's a genius antagonist, then in my mind that's all the better! Go read this series, you won't be upset that you did! 5/5

Captain America and the Mighty Avengers #4

This book shows us how Captain America is dealing with life after the events of AXIS, where he was temporarily turned into a dick. Not literally, you understand, but he wasn't a very nice person for a while. This issue is showing how he's dealing with the knowledge that he's been a bad egg, and vows that he needs to carry on regardless. He's Captain America, dammit, and he can't let something like this put him down!

It's good to have a book showing the fallout of AXIS from the point of view of one of the heroes that was turned bad. It's a good reminder that it's isn't just a case of them being able to go back to how they were, and it's good to show that.

Having said that, there wasn't a whole lot of plot advancement, so there was a little bit of treading water here, but there was more character development than you could shake a stick at. There was as much good as there was bad with this book, 3/5

Lumberjanes #10

I love this series. I've stated before that it's very similar to The Goonies in terms of themes and that is most definitely not a bad thing. The tagline certainly seems to be "Friendship to the Max!" and is the central theme of the book.

This issue shows the Lumberjanes camp having a free day and, true to form, sees some of the girls get into trouble. Trouble involving dinosaurs. Because in comics you're allowed to break the rules. I don't want to talk about this comic too much as it's leading into the next story arc, but if you get a chance to pick up Lumberjanes then you should do it, it's one of the better comics out right now. 5/5

Star Wars #1

The Star Wars comic thankfully isn't a retelling of any of the previous movies, but rather it tells a story set between Episode 4 and Episode 5. If you don't know the story of Star Wars then I suggest you go watch the movies as they're classic films, and I can't do any justice telling the story of them.

The story of the comic, however, is that the Empire are attempting to rebuild their weapons cache after their not-so-secret weapon, The Death Star, was destroyed by Luke Skywalker. However, Luke and co are one step ahead of them and are attempting to sabotage their weapons factory, before they come face to face with an old foe...

Because this is Star Wars I automatically love it. It's just as well that the artwork and writing are on the money, otherwise this would have been one major nerdy disappointment. It feels like you could be reading the script to a lost movie, so that's a sign that the writing team has done their research. It also has previews of the upcoming Darth Vader and Princess Leia comics, so this is, in my opinion, fantastic value for money. 5/5

All New Ghost Rider #10

It's no secret that I love this series, even though recently it's turning a bit odd, with the lead character Robbie Reyes fighting the spirit of Eli Morrow, a deceased Satanist mobster who gives Robbie the powers of a Ghost Rider. If you're wondering what the powers of a Ghost Rider entails, it's basically having a head that's made of fire.

What makes the whole situation a bit strange now is that Eli is gaining control of Robbie's body, despite never having shown any previous ability to do so. Granted, the Ghost Rider spirit can control Robbie's actions, but Robbie always had to give consent, and now Eli's taking control as and when he pleases. It's probably just a way of showing us that Eli's strength's growing, and Robbie's having trouble dealing with it.

Either way, this is still a great book, keeping with the overall theme of "How far would you go to protect the ones you love?" It's hard not to like a character that just wants to look after his disabled younger brother, and it feels like everyone and everything is trying to stop him. If you like your comics simple and gritty, this is for you. 4/5

Mortal Kombat X #1

Until the game gets released we won't know if this is a direct copy and paste of the game's plot, or if it's telling the story of the build up to the game. Either way, this is a thing that happened. A lot of companies have realised that comic books are pretty popular these days, and they're obviously using them to build hype for their products, and this comic's no different.

That doesn't make it a bad book, though. The artwork is great, even though the writing falls a bit flat at times. To be honest, I'm not entirely sure how to explain the story as I don't really know what's going on, which is to the comic's detriment. In keeping with Mortal Kombat tradition, there's a few scenes of extreme gore, but it's not there for the sake of it, it's actually part of the story. I think.

This is a book that definitely wears the "for fans only" label. And that just about sums up the whole thing. 3/5

All New Captain America #3

The Falcon is now Captain America, after Steve Rogers was drained of the super soldier serum that kept him young and athletic, and this is the story of how the new torch bearer for 'Murica is coping. And to be honest, he certainly seems to be holding his own.

While not as battle hardened as Steve Rogers, The Falcon is definitely as courageous and resourceful. When faced with Sin, the daughter of Red Skull, he shows that he's not intimidated or affected by her mind games, and does what red blooded American would do- punches that Nazi square in the face! America!

This book isn't a classic, but it's by no means dreadful. It certainly looks good, but is very reliant on dialogue. While it's necessary due to the nature of the tale, it feels like there were extra speech bubbles added just for the sake of it. When you're saying to yourself "When will the talking stop?" you know you've done something wrong. But as I said, the artwork is great and makes up for it. Just don't expect this to be talked about in ten years time. 3/5

Spider-Woman #2

The Spider-Verse even is in full swing, and it's involving every version of Spider-Man ever. It also affects Spider-Women as well, as this series demonstrates. The story of Spider-Verse basically involves a group of dimension hoppers who like to kill the Spider-Man of each dimension they visit, so the Spider-Men and women decide that enough's enough and they're going to fight back.

So Spider-Woman finds herself in the home dimension of the spider killers trying to find out as much information about them as she can, and finds out that this dimension's version of herself is in cahoots with the killers. This leads her to take the place of...herself...and go deep undercover.

The only complaint I have with this book is that it seemed like the story darted around a lot instead of following a linear narrative. Other than that, the artwork was great, and in a comic book that's pretty important. And the twist at the end? Priceless! 4/5

Copperhead #5

I can't believe this series is onto issue five already! There is literally nothing I can complain about with this- the art is perfect, the writing is perfect, the characters are so well defined it's stupid! If you don't know Copperhead it's basically a western in space. That's all you need to know.

I can't praise this comic enough, you have to go read it, especially if you're a fan of both spaghetti westerns and sci-fi films. This is my pick of the week, without a shadow of a doubt. 5/5

Operation S.I.N. #1

It's the 1950's! The second world war is over, and Howard Stark is building an empire, and Peggy Carter's coming along for the ride! Peggy Carter's a former spy, by the way, so she can kick ass and take names just as good as any man out there. It's established very quickly that you don't want to get on the wrong side of her.

This comic is great, it's got the feel of a 1950's film noir, but benefits from modern printing/colouring techniques. It's incredibly well written, which makes the pacing superb and creates an engaging set of characters and story. Add in aliens and you've got something that makes me want to read more! 5/5

Legendary Star-Lord #7

I've been a big fan of this comic run, but this issue felt a little flat to me. We learn that Star-Lord's father is an a-hole, and that Kitty Pryde will go to extraordinary lengths to try and help out Star-Lord wherever she can. Oh, and there's a mysterious figure watching their every move.

There was something about this issue that I couldn't gel with, and I can't put my finger on it. The artwork was great, the writing was decent, and we saw some good character development. There was an awkward moment where the fourth wall was broken in an extremely cheesy way, but that alone wasn't enough to make the entire issue feel bad.

The best thing about this issue was the surprise reveal at the end of a foe that Star-Lord will no doubt love to get his hands on- Thane, son of Thanos. That cliffhanger saves the issue from mediocrity, sets up the next story arc nicely. 3/5

Angela: Asgard's Assassin #2

Angela is an Asgardian who was taken by Angels when she was a child and raised as one of their own, and in the process, made into one mean killer. So when she found out that she was from Asgard she done the only thing that any sensible person would do- steal Odin's newborn daughter and run away across the universe.

This book is great, it really is. It's great to see a female character that can stand up to the most powerful beings in the Marvel universe and isn't sexualised. The way she's drawn is fantastic, she looks like she'd wipe the floor with you and not apologise for leaving streaks with your blood. The story can get a bit wordy, but that's largely down to the character being new, and there's still a lot of exposition to get through, and I'm okay with that, I want to learn more about the character's past.

This book's a must read, especially if you like Thor and women that can kick seven shades of shit out of Asgardian warriors. 5/5

Storm #7

There's something very, very important you need to know- you do not piss off Storm. You don't frame her for attacking a plane containing a US senator, you don't sedate her and you don't attempt to block her powers, otherwise you're going to get your butt handed to you. While that makes for compelling reading, it's hard to feel sorry for the people trying to make her look bad, simply because they quite clearly don't know who they're dealing with.

Storm's solo run is one of the best new series I've read in the last six months, and that's largely due to the fantastic writing staff behind it. The artwork is, as always, spot on this issue, and there's enough of Storm's back story used to make us, the reader, realise that she's always been a character that doesn't take any crap, it's just that she's never really had the chance to show that side of her.

This series had a bit of a low point with the last issue, but it's definitely back to it's best form. This issue is a must-read, even if you're a fan of Storm or not. 5/5

Avengers: No More Bullying #1

No More Bullying is a collection of three short stories, all talking about- surprise, surprise- bullies and being bullied. I was bullied relentlessly as a child, so reading this book was great, as it gave fantastic advice that I wish I had when I younger.

The first story features The Avengers, and basically has Hawkeye airing his grievances about being the weakest member of the team and how he feels like he's victimised because of it. It all ends on a good note, though, as the team reconcile and show Hawkeye that he's really appreciated.

Second story features the Guardians of the Galaxy, and how they find a child that's bullied because of their choice of friends. The Guardians then explain to the child that (quote) "a buncha jerks ain't worth the time it takes to impress 'em" (end quote). The child then ignores the bullies and they all live happily ever after.

Finally, Spider-Man helps a child who gets bullied because he excels at science and isn't into sports. Spidey then explains to the child about his own experiences getting bullied, and how he took revenge and ended up being the bully himself. This encourages the child to be the best person he can be.

It's not fair for me to rate this comic anything other than 5/5 simply because it's providing a valuable service. The art may be a bit odd in places- I commented to myself during the Guardians story that Drax was looking a little derpy today- but it's all about the message. I can't fault that because I'm not a terrible human being.

The Weapon x Program #5

This series is a follow on from the Death of Wolverine arc from a few months ago, following people that were experimented on by the same people that "created" Wolverine. The result is a rag tag group that just so happen to compliment each other. This issue sees the leader of the group (Sharp, who later renames himself Shogun) come to terms with who his is and what he can do, while the rest of his team are captured by the very people that created them. It leads to Shogun breaking them out of the facility in which they're stored, and to try to find a way to stop themselves being relentlessly pursued.

This series has always had good artwork and writing, and this issue's a slight downward slide. It seemed slightly too wordy, and some of the characters were too inconsistent from what they'd been in previous issues. One character, Neuro, was always very calm and calculated, yet he's taken by surprise when he gets betrayed after betraying the team himself. Surely he would know that the scientists that created them weren't on the level, so why is he shocked? It doesn't make sense.

The ending leads into a follow on with issue seven(?) and issue one of Wolverines, which brings the question of why follow up with an issue we need to wait two months for and an issue that's out now? I question the reasoning behind this decision, but maybe it'll all become clear in the following months.

Overall, this is a decent book, but it's only worth picking up if you've been reading the rest of the series. 3/5

Ant-Man #1

There's an Ant-Man movie coming out, and this is to build interest in the character, but I'm not complaining! I've never been a huge fan of Ant-Man, so for the very reason given above, I'm very glad of this book- I want to know more about the character before I go see the movie, and this is the perfect jumping on point, as it's an issue one.

The story's well written, the art's well drawn, this is a very good book. It also features the post-AXIS Tony Stark where he's a dick, which isn't a bad thing, as I love the post-AXIS Tony Stark where he's a dick. I recommend you go buy this comic, as it's probably my pick of the bunch this week so far. 5/5

Wolverines #1

I have no idea what to make of this book. It seems to be the logical conclusion of the fallout issues from The Death of Wolverine, but it's a mess. The writing feels off, the artwork's a bit wonky in places, and it just looks like it's been rushed out. Considering Wolverine's death was a while ago in 2014 and was a massively hyped event, I'd like to think that Marvel would have had the entire story arc and fallout figured out by now and that they knew exactly where they wanted to go with it and how to get there.

I highly doubt I'll pick up the next issue of this, it just didn't do it for me. I can see where Marvel are trying to go with the series, where all the separate threads come together, but it hasn't been pulled off very well. 2/5

Hawkeye vs Deadpool #4

The title's slightly misleading here, as it isn't about Hawkeye and Deadpool getting into a scrap, but instead it's about the two title characters (and Kate Bishop, also Hawkeye) getting an assignment that requires them to work together. Except Hawkeye (Clint Barton, not Kate Bishop) gets brainwashed and turned against Deadpool.

It's a fun little thing, and not to be taken too seriously. It's basically classic Deadpool with added Hawkeye(s) to act as the straight (wo)man. Assuming this is the end of the run, which the conclusion certainly made it appear to be, it was a fun little series that wasn't too afraid to poke fun at itself, though it's not going to be remembered with the likes of Civil War anytime soon. 4/5

Lobo #4

Forget everything you thought you knew about Lobo, the bastich who shoots first and asks questions later, this is a new Lobo! This Lobo strictly follows the code of honour that a Lobo has to follow- and in case you're confused, "Lobo" is a rank as well as a name. This issue sees Lobo squaring up to Superman, who objects to Lobo being on Earth, despite Lobo trying to stop someone destroying the planet.

I have very mixed feeling about the new Lobo- on the one hand, the character needed some new life injected into it, as Lobo was getting slightly stale, but at the same time, the new Lobo is sorely lacking in personality. Unlike the old Lobo, he hasn't got a cool look or gimmick to work on- it's very cookie cutter. However, the supporting cast make up for this as they're larger than life in and of themselves. In fact, I'd love to see Lobo's backing team get a series of their own. Make it so, DC! 3/5

The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl #1

She has the proportionate strength and speed of a squirrel and can talk to squirrels. And she has a tail! Doreen Green is Squirrel Girl, and while it sounds bizarre, the end result is amazingly awesome! Squirrel Girl goes toe to toe with Kraven the Hunter, and manages to outsmart and outfight him, which not many superheroes can lay claim to!

This book is fantastic, I can't stress that enough. The artwork is original and, as such, brilliant, the writing is superb, and the book's just fun overall and filled with brilliant touches, like the flavour text at the bottom of the page that adds to the story, but isn't essential to the plot- it's a little detail that just makes me happy, it shows thought and effort. If you only read one comic this week, make sure it's Squirrel Girl. And that's something I never thought I'd say! 5/5