Captain America and Black Widow #640 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

I realized, at the end of this issue, that I never really clicked with this series, when it became the Kashmir Vennema show, because it never felt like a Marvel story.  Maybe if Valiant or someone had produced this series, I would've thoroughly enjoyed the tale of a multidimensional arms-dealing corporation staffed entirely by multidimensional counterparts of the same woman that used multidimensional counterparts of our heroes to protect it.  But, as a Marvel story and particularly a Captain America story, it just never really rung true.

Despite that, Bunn and Francavilla do their best here to give the concept some oomph.  The result is a trippy ride through an unfamiliar territory.  Bunn makes it clear that Cap is clearly outside his element here.  His insistence that the rebellious Kashmir Vennema and the sinister Black Widow not kill the inner circle of Vennema Multidimensional seemed ridiculously quaint and, as he himself notes, he was pretty clearly played by the rebellious Kashmir, who in the end, simply wanted to set up her own shop.

By the end of the issue, I have to say that I had a vague headache and didn't really care all that much.  The Vennema story has consumed this series and it's a shame that an editor never managed to alter its direction when it became clear that it was a trope forced onto the series for lack of any better ideas.  Moreover, after all the ink spilled on this saga, it is likely to be self-contained, never to be mentioned again elsewhere in the Marvel Universe.  The fact that this title ends while Cap is stuck in yet another dimension in his main title just seems to be a weird coincidence that makes my head hurt all the more.

Captain America and Black Widow #639 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

I'm pretty much just running out the clock on this title, but I will admit that Bunn finally makes this arc almost interesting here.

First, we learn what happened to the junk world where Cap and the two Widows have found themselves over the last two issues.  This world's "Hydra and the Defiance League" went to war, using weapons supplied (presumably) by Vennema Multiversal to defeat this world's superheroes.  (Vennema Mutlinational then apparently harvested the battlefield for their bodies, explaining how they're able to make all its clones.)  This world's Lizard used his Lizard formula to transform the population into lizards, so they'd be able to live in the harsh post-apocalyptic conditions.  However, Lizard acknowledges that it was a futile attempt to prolong the inevitable, since the world is dying.

This backstory fuels the next phase of the arc, since Cap promises to help save this world if Lizard lends evil Widow his lab so that she can fix their time-traveling device, which she does.  I'm still a little confused by what happened exactly, though, once the device is repaired.  Evil Widow reveals that she couldn't completely fix the device, so the group will have to jump randomly from world to world (hello, "Quantum Leap") until they find the correct one.  As she informs Cap and good Widow of that fact, we see a number of scenes of the three of them in a variety of alternate realities, making it appear like they had started jumping.  However, they either wind up returning to Lizard's world without finding the correct world or they never start making the jumps in the first place, since we see the device struck from evil Widow's hand by the same assassination squad that we saw appear before she started her narration.  Bunn really should've made it clearer what happened here, since I finished the issue not entirely sure where they were.

But, despite this confusion, I'm intrigued by the issue, thanks to the end.  Here, we learn that it was another Kashmir Vennema, leading her own group of Avengers, who hired evil Widow to take out Vennema-Prime (as I like to think of her).  We learn that she did so because Vennema-Prime killed her husband and child, significantly upping the stakes for next issue.

As I've said, I'm not a fan of what Bunn has done with this series or the overuse of Vennema, but I can't deny that next issue promises a pretty damn good fight to conclude this series.

Captain America and Black Widow #638 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

This issue significantly benefits from a focus primarily on action, forcing the Kashmir nuttiness into the background.  However, that nuttiness appears to be ultimately inescapable as this arc just keeps going on and on and on.  I've been sticking with it just so I can end getting this series with the conclusion of this arc, but I'm giving it one more issue before I just bail completely.

Captain America and Black Widow #637 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

OK,  I've had a few weeks to get used to the idea of multiple versions of Kashmir Venemma acting as weapon dealers here in our dimension's Earth (and, apparently, on other Earths as well).  I still can't say that I'm thrilled with it, but I'll at least concede that it's an original idea.  I don't remember Immortus or Kang everyone using their time-traveling abilities to serve as weapons dealers.  However, the problem is that, even if I find the idea original, I still can't say that I care.  We may be dealing with multiple versions of Kashmir, but I still find it hard to view them as separate people, as Bunn clearly wants us to do given the sympathetic approach that he takes to the Kashmir working the controls at Vennema HQ.  As such, I can't help but think, "OMG, Kashmir Vennema AGAIN?"  Also, it doesn't help that both Black Widow and Captain America feel flat to me.  In fact, the only personality that either character showed was when Cap essentially threatened to anally assault two agents with their shivs.  (Yup.  Not kidding.  I'm just going to leave that one there.)  This series just continues to be hot and cold for me.  I really enjoyed the Iron Man version, but the Black Widow, Hawkeye, and Namor versions have all been, to varying degrees, disappointments.  I believe this series is getting canned in Marvel NOW! and I can't say that I'm too disappointed.

New Comics!: The Captain America Edition #2 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Captain America #17:  For the last few months (actually, probably years at this point), Brubaker has been portraying an America made increasingly more violent by fringe elements promoting their agendas.  He's done it skillfully, like Bucky's encounter with the fake Cap from "Captain America" #602-#605, and less skillfully, like the Madbomb issues a few issues ago.  In the former case, he uses the extremism of the antagonist to show how Captain America stands against using violence to express political opinions.  Mark Gruenwald used similar themes on his run on "Captain America," and Brubaker adroitly updated them for an even more divided age.  In the latter case, however, he used such extremism as a convenient way to put Cap in a difficult position, rather than really as a way to explore more philosophical themes, if you will.  Here, it devolves into a lecture when the whole issues goes "after-school special" pretty quickly.  It's hard to believe that Cap would be unable to conceptualize that people might be angry but that HYDRA is the one causing them to express that anger through violence.  In other words, I might be against animal testing, but I'm not going to shoot anyone over it.  I think Cap gets that, no matter how disillusioned he's become.  As such, it's hard to believe his scene with Sam here; in fact, it's getting almost impossible to believe his disillusionment writ large.  Although it was interesting in the beginning, I think that it's time for Brubaker to end this practice of having ordinary people attack Cap because of psychological manipulation and focus more on Cap trying to stop bad guys from doing bad things.  Also, I'm particularly hoping that these stories do not involve Diamondback, if the Diamondback that we're going to get is merely there as a romantic rival to Sharon.  Brubaker generally writes strong female characters, but I really wish we could see Rachel and Sharon just, I don't know, work together and not immediately become the "Real Housewives of S.H.I.E.L.D."  This issue was a really rare miss for Brubaker. 

Captain America and Black Widow #636:  I mentioned in my review of the most recent issue of "Captain America" that I'm over the "extremists fuel Cap's disillusionment with America" plot.  Similarly, I mentioned in my review of the most recent issues of the "Secret Avengers" that I'm over the whole Shadow Council business.  At risk of being repetitive, I am really, really over Kashmir Venema.

I'm not entirely sure why authors lately have found themselves so enamored with these sorts of long-brewing plots.  Although I understand, theoretically, the allure of such a plot in narrative terms, I can't think of any comic book that really successfully pulled off one without ultimately annoying the reader.  I'm thinking about two 1990s storylines in particular, namely the Clone Saga in the various Spider-Man titles or the Gatherers in the "Avengers."  Both storylines spanned years and suffered from constantly changing creative direction, leaving you with the distinct sense that the creative teams didn't know where they were going with the story from the start and kept writing themselves into corners.  (In case you haven't read it yet, the "Life of Reilly" blog in my blog roll goes to great lengths to show how true that was in terms of the Clone Saga.)

In this issue, we learn that Kashmir Vennema isn't just a weapons dealer working for a shadowy organization that has yet to be revealed.  Instead, she's a weapons dealer working for a shadowy organization that has yet to be revealed who appears to work ACROSS DIMENSIONS.  Does that feel like a Captain America plot to you?  Yeah, me neither.

Kashmir is the type of character who would work better at playing a Baron Zemo role, appearing every once in a while to frustrate Cap, but not really posing such a threat that she needed to be eliminated once and for all.  Instead, she suddenly becomes some sort of weapons-dealing Kang.  I don't think that Bunn really does anything here that leaves you thinking that his plan all along was to reveal the cross-dimensional aspect of Kashmir.  Instead, it feels like he's having problems jumping from one arc to another, so he's using a common antagonist for as long as he can until he can't develop any more stories involving her.

It's time to put this Kashmir business behind us.  I'm starting to feel like this series would be better if it rotated writers for each arc, letting it feel more like the team-up book that it's supposed to be rather than an odd companion series to the main title.

Winter Soldier #10:  NOT SITWELL!  Damn it.  I mean, as I said last issue, I was pretty sure that Sitwell was going to die here, but it doesn't make me any less upset.  I'm upset for him (obviously), but I'm also upset for Natasha, because, as Bucky says here, she's going to hate herself when she returns to herself.  But, I'm most worried about the idea that Natasha won't remember her relationship with James.  For most authors, it would be an idle threat, but, with Brubaker, you never know.

Beyond the emotions related to Sitwell's death, Brubaker does great stuff here in terms of the appearance of Cap, Hawkeye, and Wolverine.  Bucky's conversation with Steve about feeling helpless at the loss of Natasha (similar to what Steve felt when he lost Bucky) was poignant, and I'm thrilled to see members of the New Avengers discover that Bucky isn't dead.  (OK, sure, Logan kind of ruined the moment a little, but, whatever.)  Brubaker has keyed up the emotions behind her abduction so well that I feel like the next few issues are going to be explosive as Bucky (and the reader) hunts for Natasha and seeks revenge on Leo.  If I'm excited to see Leo get his ass handed to him, I can only imagine how Bucky feels.  As Clint said, let's go get our girl back.

New Comics!: The Captain America Edition #1 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Captain America and Namor #635.1:  This issue is odd.  Given that this title started as essentially one prolonged .1 issue, detailing the war-time stories of Captain America and Bucky, the whole concept of a .1 issue for it seems bizarre.  But, beyond that, this story covers ground that we've recent covered elsewhere in similar books.  The Thule Society was a major part of "Fear Itself" and the whole "secret society working to a mysterious end" business has been the subject of "Secret Avengers" for the better part of its existence.  Therefore, even though the Covenant isn't the same thing as the Shadow Council from "Secret Avengers," this issue feels like the red-headed step-child produced from a marriage of that title with "Fear Itself."  If you couldn't tell, I don't mean that as a compliment.  Bunn tries to give us a meditation on Cap and Namor's early relationship, but it gets lost in the noise related to whatever scheme exactly Namor prevents the Thule Society from putting into effect here.  Unfortunately, since it's a .1 issue, it's clear that we haven't heard the last of the Covenant.  Maybe it's time to cancel this title...

Hawkeye #2:  As anyone reading this blog for a while knows, I'm a huge "Young Avengers" fan.  As such, I could hardly keep from squealing when I saw Kate Bishop hanging in Clint Barton's kitchen.  (I was also thrilled to see Lucky, who seems like he's getting a hang of important canine responsibilities like lounging around the place.)  Fraction immediately develops an engaging dynamic between Clint and Kate.  It definitely has some mild sexual tension (accentuated by Kate's leading comment on Clint's remark that he's not interested in dating her), but it's mostly fueled by a lot of mutual respect and an easy sense of humor about their different backgrounds.  In other words, I think that she'll prove to be an excellent foil for Hawkeye.

As in the first issue, Fraction also excels in using small moments to show characterization.  I loved Clint talking to his spilled coffee like it's a real person, because it displays the goofiness about Clint that he tried to hide underneath his cool exterior (or, at least, his concept of a cool exterior).  Similarly, his flustered attempt at explaining to Kate that he always screws up his romantic relationships shows a vulnerability that we don't often see from Clint.  In fact, unfortunately, most authors show Clint's driving motivation as insecurity.  Those stories never feel right to me, because an ordinary guy who manages to hold his own among a team of super-powered heroes isn't a guy who wastes a lot of time feeling insecure.  The best stories about Clint are the ones that instead focus on his vulnerability, where he's occasionally hijacked by his emotions, be it saving a dog from gangsters or buying a building for his neighbors.  Fraction really gets that and it's why he's showing us the most engaging Clint that I've seen in ages.

I'm intrigued by where Fraction is going with the revelation that this series may have a thread that runs through it.  He seems to be showing Hawkeye building some sort of international enemy list.  Given the details that we see on the last page, it seems like Clint has been collecting information on a lot of criminal activity for some time.  However, Fraction leaves it unclear how Clint got that intelligence.  In this issue alone, he occasionally glides over some important details, like how Clint connected the hobo signs that signified that something bad was going to happen imminently with the opening of the new hotel that hosted as a gathering of the criminal underworld.  If we're going to have these "Winter Soldier with a laugh track" kind of stories (and I support that approach entirely), we're going to need to know how exactly Hawk is getting his information, if the "Winter Soldier" part is going to be just as strong as the "laugh track" part.  Fraction seems to want us to believe that Hawk just put two plus two together all by himself, but I didn't see anything that would've led him to connect the hobo signs to the hotel opening.  He might've been lucky this time, but he's not going to be lucky every time.  (Plus, doesn't it seem crazy that the crime circus would try to rob from powerful criminals?  I thought that they were going to rob from a collection of rich people, an occurrence seems to happen weekly in places like Gotham.  But, why would you rob the Kingpin?  Fraction probably should've clarified that, and whether this event tied into his overarching plan.)  In these early days, the charm and wit are certainly more important as Fraction establishes a tempo for the series, but it can only last so long.

Now, the art.  Aja is amazing here.  We again get a goofy and handsome Clint, conveyed in spectacular detail made all the more amazing by Aja's sparse lines.  Hollingsworth gets a lot of credit for that, particularly since he's somehow managed to make the yellow of Hawkeye's hair distinctive to him alone.  But, both Aja and Hollingsworth also puts time and effort into different elements, like showing the different positions of Kate's mouth over the course of several panels as she talks to Clint.  It was a totally unnecessary sequences, but one that made you realize that you were reading something special.  Aja also has an amazing sense of kinetics:  I don't think that I've ever seen a better action sequence than the three panels where Hawkeye grabs Kate, she turns in his grip to fire off an arrow, and then they leap through the window.  Amazing stuff.

All in all, another strong issue that's a joy to read, just because it's the Hawkeye that I've always wanted to see but rarely got.  I'm in for the long haul.

Secret Avengers #30:  I'll admit that the art saved this issue for me.  In the moments where I just couldn't read anymore about the Crown of This or the Crown of That or where I wondered just how many negotiations books Taskmaster had bought in "Business" sections at airport bookstores, I was at least able to think, "Ooo, pretty."  Writing-wise, though, it's a pretty unremarkable issue.  We learn that the crowns merge together into some sort of mega-crown, but Remender doesn't tell us why the merged crown would be more powerful than the individual crows; in fact, I'm not sure that we entirely know what the crowns themselves actually do or why each one is different from the other ones.  Also, somewhat predictably, Max Fury is unable to use the mega-crown since, presumably, he doesn't have a soul, so it falls to Taskmaster to serve as the near-god.  But, again, despite Max and Taskmaster talking about the Abyss coming to Earth, we still don't really know what it is or why the crowns gain one access to it.  Honestly?  After 30 issues, I can't say I care anymore about this plot line that I did when it was first introduced, even if the names and faces on both sides of the fight have changed.

Winter Soldier #9:  Holy crap.  I was on the edge of my seat for most of this issue.  During Natasha's fight with Sitwell, I was really worried that he would wind up dead!  So, then, I was relieved when James saved him by "freeing" Natasha.  But, now, I'm worried all over again, since it appears that Natasha is on a rampage on the S.H.I.E.L.D. helicarrier!  (The cover of the next issue showing Bucky standing over a sheet-draped corpse doesn't help.)  This fear shows how well Brubaker has done in constructing Sitwell's character piece-by-piece, building off the conversation that he had with Bucky in the diner last issue.  He could be just focusing on Bucky and Natasha, but he's taken the time to make Sitwell into a character in his own right, and it's a better book for it.

Looking at the issue as a whole, Brubaker does a great job of building this tension by not just hurling us into the action, but starting by showing us Bucky impatiently waiting for the next clue that would send them to Leo and Natasha.  You get the sense throughout the issue that Bucky and Sitwell are just barely able to keep pace with Leo, a definite problem since it's also clear that Leo is merely playing with them.  When he actually gets serious, it's going to be plenty ugly, something that it seems like we're going to see next issue.  Finally, in terms of the art, Lark and Breitweiser deliver another beautiful book.  Bucky is intense and sexy as always, and the scene of him taking off his mask and reminding Natasha of who he is beautifully drawn.  They also manage to hold that emotion when they show a "freed" Natasha resting her head on James' shoulder.  You can actually see the relief on his face; I don't know how they did it, but, man, I just hope they never leave this title ever.

New(-ish) Comics!: The Captain America Edition #2 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Captain America and Iron Man #633:  Awesome.

This issue doesn't have that complicated of a plot.  Kashmir Vennema, the sketchy scientist from the last arc (you know, the bizarre one with the dinosaur symbiotes), has resurfaced at a weapons expo in Madripoor to get her hands on something called the Harvester Protocol on behalf of her mysterious employer.  Tony has used his connections with the criminals and warmongers at the expo to get Cap into the auction.  Just as the item goes to bid, Batroc the Leaper and his Brigade arrive to extract the item.  Kashmir reveals that she hired them and activates the Protocol, taking out Cap's shield and Tony's armor.  Shenanigans ensue.

The thing is, the plot doesn't need to be that complicated when the issue itself is this awesome.  Bunn delivers exactly the type of espionage story that I expected from this title, a significant improvement over bizarre plot from the last arc.  Bunn holds off delivering the action by instead opening with some playful banter between Steve and Tony.  Although it could've felt forced, it felt organic to me, with Bunn doing a great job  matching their personalities and reminding us how different they are.  (I loved Tony talking about how he was a hero at the expo, and Steve asking him why he didn't, you know, tell anyone that he was regularly attending a "semi-legal gathering of warmongers, criminals and terrorists.")  In fact, Bunn makes the dialogue sound so real that I heard the voices of Chris Evans and Robert Downey, Jr. in my head while reading the issue.  By waiting to let loose the action, Bunn makes it burst with energy when it does happen.  I liked how Batroc and his gang take Cap and Iron Man by surprise even before Kashmir disables their technology with the Harvester Protocol.  Nothing like a sharp kick across the jaw to let you know that you've underestimated your opponent.

I still have some issues with Bunn trying to make Kashmir more interesting than she seems to be.  I can't say that I was all that impressed with her as a nefarious villain in the last arc, particularly since she doesn't seem to be anything more than a middle man.  (I'm worried that she might become this title's version of the Shadow Council in "Secret Avengers.")  I also don't understand why she would reveal herself so clearly as the bad guy by grabbing the Protocol during the melee, given that Batroc and his Brigade seemed to have matters under control and probably could've snagged it on their own.  But, this issue was sufficiently fun that I'm willing to overlook these points (for now) and give Bunn a chance to change my mind about Kashmir.

Captain America and Iron Man #634:  Before we get started, I have to praise the cover.  Awesome.  Andrasofszky can do the covers for this title for as long as he wants in my book.

The plot doesn't get all that more complicated here.  I mean, it didn't take that much imagination to connect the dots that Kashmir was working for A.I.M.  But, Bunn again makes this issue so damn fun that the plot isn't really all that important.  Batroc is as camp of a villain as ever, and Bunn actually hands Cap some decent one-liners, allowing him to hold up his end of the repartee.  But, Bunn also makes Batroc a more difficult threat that he usually is, given that he and his Brigade prove to be a challenge for Steve and Tony.  A lot of authors fall just on the camp side when portraying Batroc, but, by make him both camp and serious, Bunn justifies his inclusion here.  But, it's Cap's banter with Tony that takes the cake, with Bunn perfectly playing Steve as the straight man to Tony's funny man.  Normally, I get annoyed when authors focus exclusively on Steve as a square bore, but Bunn has shown in the main title that he's capable of writing Cap with emotional depth.  As such, I don't mind it here.  In fact, it gives us some really great moments between Steve and Tony, like when Tony tells him to stop trying to be hip because it's "creepy."  I don't know if that sort of oversimplification of their relationship would work in the main title, but it works perfectly for this one.

The best part of the issue, for me, actually has to do with Tony, not Steve.  His cobbled-together armor is brilliant.  First, it reminds us that Tony is, well, brilliant.  The guy can create a kick-ass suit of armor from spare parts found at a weapons convention.  (He even reminds us that he built his first suit of armor in a cave.)  Second, it's effing funny.  I mean, I love the helmet.  I kept thinking it was a smiley face (instead of a target) every time I saw it, and it just made me smile each and every time.  It really helped add to the sense of fun that Bullen crafted for this arc.  But, perhaps most importantly, it also shakes up the usual Iron Man schtick.  Normally, Tony's armor fails just long enough for him to have to improvise during a key moment in a fight.  Here, he loses the armor entirely and has to create an entirely new one from spare parts.  It definitely injects a sense of unknown into the story.  You just never knew what random device Tony was going to use to fend off Bartoc and his Brigade.  I mean, I don't think that anyone really doubts that Cap and Tony are going to be able to lock down the Harvester and destroy A.I.M.'s access to the stolen technology (including Tony's armor).  But, Bunn at least makes it a little less clear how they're going to get there.

Captain America and Iron Man #635:  OK, the highlight of this issue for me was Cap making the crack about A.I.M. being "diehard do-it-yourselfers."  I had exactly the same though about A.I.M. getting into the business of stealing equipment, so I'm glad Cap shared my confusion.  (Usually I complain when authors try to pass off characters questioning motives as justification for the villains having unclear motives, but I'll give Bunn a pass here.)  I also spent most of the issue wondering why Tony was so confident that he was going to save the day in five minutes, so I was pleasantly surprised (and probably the only one who was) when his armor suddenly rebooted and he kicked M.O.D.O.K.'s ass.  (Though, I will miss Tony's juryrigged armor, particularly his crazy helmet.  Maybe he can work that into a new design.)  In the end, Bartoc gets pretty handily dismissed by Cap, sliding down Cap's list of villains despite making a great attempt at breaking into the top ten.  Oh, well.  It was a good attempt, Bartoc.  Better luck next season.

I do have two plot gripes.  First, I'm not entirely sure what Bunn wants us to think about the organization for which Kashmir actually worked.  (I told you that she was a middle man.)  I don't recognize the triangle that she wore on her costume this issue, which appears again on the tower where the two women talk about her (and again on one of the women's wrists).  Given that it involves all women, I would guess Superia is involved, but I'm not sure.  Moreover, I'm not really sure why they had all these destroyed military matériel piled around the tower.  Are they some elaborate demolition grounds?  Second, I was pretty surprised that Bunn allowed this organization to retain access to Tony's armor.  Tony doesn't really let that stuff hang out there.  (I'm old enough to remember "Armor Wars" and "Armor Wars II.")  Tony knows that Kashmir activated the Harvester Protocol twice (in issue #633 and this issue).  He's got to know that his armor's information went somewhere.  After all, Kashmir is wearing one of his gauntlets.  But, he seems pretty nonchalant about it here, focusing just on eliminating the virus from Madripoor's electronic network.  I would be expecting him to track down where the information went, and it's odd to me that Bunn didn't make it clearer that he would be doing that.

Despite these two points, I still thoroughly, thoroughly enjoyed this arc.  It was much better than the dinosaur symbiotes and really re-energized the whole premise of this title for me.  I'm not a huge Namor fan, so I can't say that I'm that excited about the next arc.  But, at least I can re-read this one in the meantime.

New Comics!: The Captain America Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Captain America #13:  I'm glad that Brubaker makes it clear here that D-Man is under some sort of mind control, just like Gyrich.  As I mentioned in my review of last issue, he's seemed a little "off" in his last few appearances, and Brubaker plays off that here.  He reveals that D-Man appears to be suffering from some sort of degenerative mental condition, and Gyrich (or, more accurately, Gyrich's HYDRA handlers) is keeping him in that situation in order to keep him pliable.  (He seems to have been initially cured of the disorder by Gyrich, though I'm guessing that was done to gain his confidence before Gyrich revealed that he could reverse the cure at will.)  With one issue left in this arc, it's pretty clear that Cap is going to be rocked next issue by the revelation that D-Man is Scourge, and I'm hoping the next arc results in him taking the fight to HYDRA.  It would be nice to wrap up this HYDRA business so we can move onto new enemies.  But, for now, this arc at least works to bridge that gap from the Madbomb business to the full-on HYDRA battle.

Captain America and Hawkeye #632:  I...have no idea what happened in this issue.  Although I praised Bunn last issue for managing to keep the story of how the dinosaurs because symbiotes easy to follow, I have a hard time telling you what happened in this one.  Honestly, I think that I've enjoyed this arc more than most reviewers, but this one just totally lost me.  Part of the problem is Vitti, who I loved on "Dungeons and Dragons," but who uses such odd angles in this issue that it's hard to follow the action, a particular problem given the fact that it's an action-oriented issue.  Basically, Stegron returns with some sort of magical scepter, Cap uses it to do something to the symbiote queen, Hawkeye shoots some arrows, and we never discover who employed Kash.  Disappointing, to say the least.  It was particularly difficult to follow which symbiotes were based on humans, who were saved, and which ones were the dinosaurs, who were destroyed.  At any rate, I think I've already over-thought this issue.  Time for Iron Man!

Winter Soldier #6:  Damn, this issue is tense.  Brubaker effectively uses the secondary narrative -- of Leo's time after he was unexpectedly awoken -- to show how unstable Leo is, making you aware of the threat that he's going to pose to whomever he turns his attention.  By the time he appears at Fred Davis' apartment, you know how it's going to end badly, both for Davis and Bucky, his real target.  I thought the brilliance of that moment is that Brubaker has clearly been planning it for months, given that he re-introduced us to Davis in "Captain America and Bucky" #625-#628.  He made us care about him, showing him as a guy wrestling with his past as Bucky and coming to terms with the hero that he was.  By doing so, Brubaker makes his death here all the more profound.  It could've just been the death of a character that some long-time readers might've vaguely remembered, but, instead, Brubaker, ever the planner, sets up a story in another title months earlier to make sure that we feel the emotions that he wants us to feel here.  He's just that good.  By giving Davis' death that sort of impact, Brubaker lets us know that this next arc is going to be a big one.

The whole point of this title is Bucky making amends for the actions he committed as the Winter Soldier.  It's usually him righting a wrong based on his knowledge as the Winter Soldier, such as he did in the first arc, where he kept the other sleeper agents from instigating a world war.  But, here, it's someone else righting a wrong that Bucky as the Winter Soldier committed against him, with Leo seeking revenge for Bucky leaving him stranded in stasis.  We've seen this sort of story previously -- such as the Professor Chin saga from "Captain America" #43-#48 -- but it somehow didn't dawn on me that this title could very well oscillate between the two types of stories, Bucky saving the day with his knowledge from his Winter Soldier days or Bucky paying from crimes that he committed as the Winter Soldier.  In so doing, Brubaker continues the espionage theme that I hoped this title would have and continues telling stories that make me eagerly awaiting this title every month.

New Comics!: The "Captain America" Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Captain America #12:  OMG, viva Gruenwald!  When we last left D-Man, as far as I'm aware, he was part of Wonder Man's "Revengers" team in the "Avengers"/"New Avengers" Annuals cross-over event.  Before that, we saw him in "New Avengers" #7, where he auditioned to be the Cage-Jones' nanny.  In both appearances, he was hurt that Captain America no longer spent time with him (in addition to seeming a few sandwiches short of a picnic).  Although his appearances in these issues were in all likelihood meant to be jokes by the authors, they actually contributed to me feeling like D-Man was a logical choice for the new Scourge.  First, it's part of the Gruenwaldmania! that Brubaker has embraced over the last few issues.  But, most importantly, it's probably going to have a pretty profound impact on Cap that a former friend, who's pretty clearly been in need of a little help lately, has been turned to the Dark Side (if you will), so much so that he was willing to beat Diamondback into a coma.  Given the death of Nomad and the loss of Bucky, in addition to the constant barrage of psychological warfare from Codename Bravo and Queen HYDRA recently, I wonder if Brubaker isn't setting up this reveal to be the one that totally pushes Steve over the brink.  (The arc is called "Shock to the System," after all.)  You can see throughout this issue how on edge Cap is.  He delights in the prospect of beating some information from HYDRA agents, lets them know that he and Dum Dum Duggan are coming when they invade their base, and smashes his fist through the Helicarrier's monitors when he realizes that HYDRA has turned Gyrich into its tool.  Losing D-Man, no matter how much of a joke that he's become, to HYDRA is probably going to have some impact on Cap.  I can't wait to see what it is.

Captain America and Hawkeye #631:  For the fact that this story is about Cap and Hawkeye fighting a breed of creatures that formed when dead saurians merged with Dire Wraiths, Bunn does a remarkably good job of making it easy to follow.  Last issue, I thought that the symbiotes were something independent from the dinosaurs.  But, now, we discover that the symbiotes happened when Stegron attempted to revive the dead saurians, because they had been infected by the genetic code of the Dire Wraiths, the race that originally killed them.  Suddenly, BOOM, dino-wraith-iotes!  With this mystery resolved, Bunn turns to the other mystery, namely who employs Kash and what it wants with the symbiote.  I'm guessing that we'll get an answer to that question next issue.  In the meantime, I'm just going to enjoy the fact that a story about Cap and Hawkeye fighting a group of dino-wraith-iotes is as good as one would hope it would be!

New Comics: The Captain America Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

I didn't think I was terribly behind the times, but two issues each of "Captain America" and "Captain America and Hawkeye" seems to prove me wrong.

Captain America #10:  Brubaker wraps up his "Powerless" arc nicely here.  As a result of making a deal with Machinesmith, Sharon learns that Bravo, while he was holding Steve captive, injected him with a nanotech virus designed by Machinesmith to shut down Cap's powers whenever his adrenaline began to pump.  (I don't quite remember when exactly Bravo had Cap captive.  Was it the first arc of this series?)  Machinesmith designed the virus to mimic the appearance of red-blood cells when scanned, anticipating the tests that Tony Stark would run.  I thought Brubaker played up this plot twist rather well, using it to showcase the characters.  We see Tony acting like Tony, appreciating Machinesmith's genius despite its evil purposes.  It's a nice contrast to Cap, who would just be horrified by someone doing something evil.  We also see Sharon at her best, getting the information about Steve by releasing Machinesmith.  But, she neutralizes him as a threat, introducing her own virus into his system that eats his memory banks.  I thought the most interesting characterization moment came at the end, though, when Steve rails against the media for telling lies and then berates Sharon for making a deal with Machinesmith.  Although Steve's power fluctuations might not have come from him doubting himself, as Bravo and Machinesmith led him to believe, it's pretty clear that they did succeed in getting him to doubt himself and the world around him, from the state of the American media to his faith in Sharon herself.  Brubaker actually managed to save the Bravo character a bit for me, because it's clearer now where Brubaker's going with him, getting him to serve as the device that shakes up Cap.  It reminds me of the circumstances that led Cap to adopt the "Nomad" and later "Captain" personas.  Brubaker is a student of Cap's history (and seems particularly fixated on the Gruenwald era lately), so I wonder where he's going with it.  I don't think Cap will give up being Cap, but Brubaker could be building to something similar here.  We shall see, I guess.  At any rate, for a somewhat ho-hum arc, it was a pretty solid ending.

Captain America #11:  OMG, Diamondback and Scourge!  I've previously mentioned how happy I was with the return of the Serpent Society, but I'm all the more thrilled with the return of Diamondback and Sourge, since it seems that Brubaker plans on totally reviving Gruenwald's legendary run on "Captain America" from the mid-80s to mid-90s.  Crossbones can't be far behind!  I liked how Brubaker hinted that Diamondback could be the leak, but made it clear that Steve didn't seem to be remotely concerned that she was.  (It was very Dumbledore/Snape.)  I'm also intirgued that HYDRA seems to be behind the new Scourge (and equally pleased that Brubaker didn't use it as an opportunity to foist Bravo and Queen HYDRA on us yet again).  I haven't been super-thrilled with the last few issues, mostly because of the focus on Bravo and Queen HYDRA, but Brubaker seems to right the ship here by changing the focus to a more street-level threat (and a less direct involvement of HYDRA) while maintaining his excellent use of Cap's deep bench of supporting characters.  As a result, I'm very excited about this arc.

Captain America and Hawkeye #629:  OK, I really hope that, one day, I won't have to mention the following complaint EVERY TIME Hawkeye appears with Captain America outside the "Avengers."  But, today is not that day.  I don't understand why we have to have the now standard "Cap and Hawkeye fight about their different styles" scene EVERY TIME that they appear together.  They've worked together for years; they get it.  They can still jokingly refer to it, like Cap does here when he tells Hawkeye how it's always good to get constructive feedback.  But, they don't have to belabor the point.  Bunn (like other authors) disagrees, feeling the need to hammer it home by having Cap scold Hawekeye for treating everything like a video game and Hawkeye telling Cap that he needs to stop treating him like a sidekick.  In almost all of Hawkeye's appearances with Cap over the last few months, they're constantly at each other's throats in this way, at least at the start of the story.  At this point, I really think we can skip that part.  I'd like to see their interactions be more like what we eventually see here, with Cap expressing outrage over Hawkeye noting how fine the Director of Operations for the Damocles Research Facility is, given that he's dating Spider-Woman, and Hawkeye later teasing Cap when said Director hits on him.  It's those moments that show us the charming maverick that Hawkeye is and the boy scout that Cap is.  We don't need to be hit over the head with how different they are all the time.  All that said, the rest of the issue gets pretty interesting.  I mean, Cap and Hawkeye fighting dinosaurs?  Awesome.  Bunn doesn't just make it about the dinosaurs, though, giving us a shadowy organization that didn't report the fact that the dinosaurs were attacking its research facility (or that people were becoming the dinosaurs).  I'm excited to see where Bunn goes with the story, but I hope we can keep the banter between Cap and Hawkeye light and not so adversarial.  Fingers crossed.

Captain American and Hawkeye #630:  Cap gets turned into a lot of things, doesn't he?  I mean, he's been a woman (almost), a wolf, a corpse. I love thinking about the fact that, at some point, someone clearly pitched this story as "Captain America...and Hawkeye...and DINOSAURS!"  The good thing is that the actual story is as good as that fantastic premise sounds.  I'm glad that Bunn clarified the fact that the dinosaurs are imbued with symbiotes.  It makes a lot more sense than it did last issue when it appeared that people were becoming dinosaurs who were becoming symbiotes.  But, I still have some questions left, since Stegron seems only responsible for the reanimated dinosaur humanoids, not the apparent symbiote plague.  Kash seems to know more about the symbiotes, since she refers to a "hybrid" (presumably of the dinosaurs and symbiotes), though I got the sense that she was more studying the combination than responsible for it.  We also don't know why the symbiotes are taking over the dinosaurs and the humans or why they feel the need to attack the Damocles Resarch Facility.  But, Bunn manages to raise these questions as a result of advancing the plot, making them interesting (and not annyoing).  Moreover, he ups the intrigue, since we learn that "Kash" not only knew all about the symbiotes (and didn't tell Cap and Hawk) but also works for some sort of mysterious employer that isn't Archstone, the purported force behind the research facility.  (Given the way the Cap books are going lately, I assume HYDRA is involved.  I mean, Hawkeye even mentions the mythological creature after which HYDRA is named in this issue.)  This series is starting to have a lot more of an "Avenging Spider-Man" feel, a little light on continuity a little heavy on action.  If they keep giving us issues like this one and continue finding fun folks to fill in the "and ..." blank, then I think Marvel will actually justify why we're getting two Cap titles a month.

New Comics! (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Captain America and Bucky #628:  OK, so, I don't think anyone's shocked by the fact that Cap, Jim, and Fred manage to foil Adam III's plans.  But, it wasn't really like the real focus of this arc was Adam III in the first place.  The real focus was Fred, and Brubaker and Asmus do a good job of taking the time to focus on him here, despite the need to wrap up the main event.  I thought the scene of Fred as a young man in the bar realizing that he could never own the Bucky legacy was poignant, as was his narration at the end of the issue, talking about his fears about reaching the end of his life without knowing if he's any real impact.  At the end of the day, superhero-ing is a young man's game, so it was interesting to get this perspective into what happens after the spandex doesn't fit.  In fact, this issue had a bit of a "Watchmen" feel to it, exactly for that reason.  Unfortunately, the parts not dealing with Fred were slow.  It was weird to basically want the Cap parts of the book to pass quickly, but I found Adam III's constant monologuing to be so tiresome (as, apparently, did Cap) that I can't say I paid that much attention to those parts.  But, we at least do right by Fred (though, just like Cap defeating Adam III, I don't think anyone really thought that we wouldn't).  I'm most excited by the upcoming shift to Hawkeye, mainly because I've been disappointed by the way that several authors (notably, Van Meter in "Avengers:  Solo" and Remender in "Secret Avengers") have depicted their relationship lately.  I'm hopefully Bunn will correct this problem.  We shall see, I guess.

New Comics! (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

OK, actually, I'm only review one new comic, so the plural in the title is misleading.  I was going to review "Secret Avengers" #23 in this post along with "Captain America and Bucky" #627.  However, I got a few pages into the former before I realized that it happened after the end of the current "Venom" arc, so I stopped reading so I could finish the "Venom" arc first.  (Of course, the "Venom" arc doesn't finish for another week, at least.  WTF, Marvel?  You have an intro page, but don't bother to mention that we should wait to read "Venom" #13.4 and, probably, #14 first.  It's not my problem you decided to publish five "Venom" issues in one month.)

Captain America and Bucky #627:  OMG, SO MUCH exposition.  This issue basically involves nothing more than Adam III talking...and talking...and talking...and talking.  He even employs the trademarked super-villain "Let me reveal my master plan to you!" move.  I'm pretty sure you could skip this issue, pick up issue #628, and not notice any difference.  Sure, he knocks out Captain America and assumes his identity, but, um, does anyone believe that plan is going to last past next issue?

New Comics!: The Captain America Edition #2 of 2 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Captain America #7:  Huh.  When Cap reverted to his pre-Super-Soldier Serum self at the end of "Captain America" #6, I thought it was because of the Madbomb making his nightmares come true; I didn't realize that it just happened to be a coincidence.  (I'm pleased, actually, because a bomb that makes nightmares come true isn't really the sort of thing we see in "Captain America."  A bomb that makes people go crazy and riot is much more his speed.)  That said, I'm intrigued by where Brubaker is going with this story.  I've always praised Brubaker for never dropping plot lines (like most authors do, when they inevitably write themselves in a corner), and this issue is a great example of that.  Rather than just shelving Bravo's accusation at the end of issue #5 that Cap stood by idly as corporate interests took over the U.S. government, Brubaker puts it front and center here, raising the possibility that Steve has taken the accusation to heart and the resulting crisis of confidence is shutting down his Super-Soldier abilities.  (Does anyone remember the last time that happened?  Was it during Gruenwald's run?  Cap refers to it here, but we don't get an editor's note saying what issue it was.)  Moreover, Brubaker uses this instability to great effect by matching it with the Serpent Society's new crime wave.  Steve could probably dispatch three members of the Serpent Society with little trouble under normal circumstances, but raising the possibility that he's going to revert to a 98-pound weakling at any moment certainly adds a sense of drama.  I can't say I'm overly intrigued by the Bravo sub-plot, but it doesn't detract from the good parts of the rest of the issue.  I'm quite happy to say that Brubaker has found solid ground here, after the uneven first arc of this title. 

Captain America and Bucky #626:  Well, I thought Bill Naslund having a long-lost grandson seemed fishy!  I'm really digging this arc.  Crazy robots, old heroes, questionable motivations:  it's a classic Captain America tale.  I'm assuming Bucky is one of the robots, but Asmus and Francavilla do a great job selling that moment where Cap looks at him and suddenly wonders who exactly he is.  You can feel that moment of doubt, that moment where Steve wonders if he's really looking at Bucky, leap off the page, and it really adds to the emotion of the issue.  Asmus is also doing a great job developing Fred Davis' character.  The unexpected appears of Naslund's "grandson" led Davis to doubt his relationship with Naslund, given that Naslund never really talked about a family or wanting to start one.  Asmus uses these doubts to make the reader question Naslund's grandson's appearance in the first place, and then to add drama to the issue when Davis goes digging for information and finds his life threatened as a result.  It's some subtle craftmanship, and the arc is all the better for it, since we get to avoid the excessive exposition these sorts of scenarios would normally throw at us.  I can't wait for the Cap battle royale next issue! 

Winter Soldier #1:  OK, first, no one writes a couple like Brubaker writes Bucky and Natasha.  Seriously.  He's done as best as he can with Cap and Sharon, given that Cap isn't given to being a romantic protagonist.  But, with Bucky and Natasha, Brubaker is free to make with the sexy, and he does.  The two of them just burn up the page.  But, they just don't become Cold War stereotypes, all action and romance.  Brubaker makes sure to show us a real relationship, underlining the concern and feelings the two of them have for each other.  Again, he does what he can with Cap and Sharon, but most of the emotion in that relationship is on Sharon's side.  Here, with Bucky and Natasha, we get a much more balanced couple, the Dick and Barbara of the Marvel Universe.  We see Natasha tell Bucky how scared she was when she saw him in his stasis tube back in the day, and he confesses to us through his narration how amazed by her he is.

Beyond just showing us a great romance, Brubaker also gives us a gripping story.  The sleeper agent murdering his whole family?  Yikes.  Brubaker reminds us that we're playing for keeps in this series, right off the bat.  He's writing this series like the best spy novels of the Cold War era, and it's an absolute treat.  A lot of authors can't pull of the tone of these sorts of espionage stories, relying too much on clichés.  Brubaker has a real knack for it, though, as does Guice, whose dark and indistinct pencils convey exactly the right tone for the story.  The idea that Lucia von Bardas has her hands on Soviet sleeper agents is exactly the type of plot I was expecting from Brubaker when "Gulag" ended back in "Captain America" (before the "Fear Itself" insanity).  Needless to say, I'm super excited for this series.

New Comics!: The Captain America Edition #1 of 2 (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Captain America #5:  This arc hasn't necessarily been the greatest, with Brubaker suffering the same problem as many of the .1 authors, being forced to introduce the character to new readers but keep it interesting for old readers.  But, I feel like he really delivers in the end here.  First, the issue itself is exciting, with Queen Hydra calling Sharon Carter's bluff, shooting Jimmy Jupiter and possibly stranding Cap and Bravo in the dream world.  We haven't seen a good Cap/Sharon story in a while, but her emotional appeal to Jimmy to save Cap reminded me how many stories Brubaker has left to tell when it comes to the two of them.  Cap "died" the first time they were just getting off the ground as a couple, and the second time has been sidetracked with "Fear Itself" and the new title.  This issue gives me hope that Brubaker is going to get to tell some classic Cap stories, something he hinted at doing by including Nick, Sam, and Sharon in this first arc.  Second, Brubaker does really raise some great questions here.  Cap does remember a time when politics was simpler (or, at least, appeared so), and Bravo accusing him of standing by idly while corporate interests stole our government seems to have really hit home.  I think it's a little unfair, given that I'm old enough to remember when Cap renounced the title and became the Captain almost exactly for these reasons.  But, since then, Cap has become America's top cop and has been forced to make all sorts of compromises that I'm sure make him a little less sure of his "boy scout" reputation.  For these two reasons, I thought this issue was a real return to form for Brubaker.  Add to it McNiven stunning pencils, and it makes me really excited to see where Brubaker and company go from here.

Captain America #6:  "Baron Zemo, currently leaning chaotic neutral, at best."  For this quote, I officially award, one month into the year, this issue Comic of the Year!  OMG, fucking hilarious.  I forgot how good of a writer Brubaker is when he's not under the thumb of editors, and taking the time to give us that description of Baron Zemo is taking a page right from Peter David's playbook, which I whole heartedly endorse.  I'm surprised how often authors forget that the little things can make me forgive pretty much any sin.  However, this issue, thankfully, doesn't have any sins that need forgiven.  Brubaker gives us the sort of tale I was hoping to see after reading the last year.  It started to remind me of Gruenwald's run on "Captain America" in the 300s, to my mind, one of the best runs ever, and the appearance of a new Serpent Society at the end seemed to make that even more of an apt comparison.  I loved the Serpent Society back in the day, and I'm excited to see what Brubaker does with them.  I'm also intrigued by the reformation of HYDRA.  I was wondering if Brubaker was going to bring in Viper (the current Madame Hydra) for some sort of battle royale with Queen Hydra.  Although we don't see that happen here, Brubaker seems to be setting the stage for it, and I wonder if we're going to see the ripples of that tension in Bendis' Avengers stories, where HYDRA forms a key part of Norman Osborn's reformed H.A.M.M.E.R.  But, perhaps best of all, we get a Cap/Hawkeye story that makes me forget what Remender did to them in "Secret Avengers" #21.1.  This story is how you tell a Cap/Hawkeye story.  Remender took their rivalry way too far in that issue.  In this one, it's what helps Cap shake off the cobwebs, a role he's often played for Hawkeye.  It's an awesome issue and I can't wait to read the next one.  Thankfully, because of my backlog, I don't have long to wait!

Captain America and Bucky #625:  I wasn't really sure where this series was going to go with the revelation that Bucky had survived "Fear Itself," given that I pretty much always assumed it was just a vehicle for keeping his memory alive until they resurrected him.  I hadn't thought about exploring the histories of the various other Captain Americas and Buckies, but I'm really glad Brubaker and Asmus did!  I loved this issue.  I've always been intrigued by the other Captain Americas and Buckys, but I've never really seen a focused treatment of them, despite being a long-time reader of "Captain America."  As such, I was excited when I realized Asmus was going with this issue, bringing back the Spirit of 76's Bucky (as an older man) and introducing his grandson.  I'm not entirely sold on the grandson being on the side of angels, since his appearance (though well explained) felt a little overly convenient.  Asmus does a good job of dropping that hint and raising other questions.  But, he really excels when it comes to presenting a lot of exposition in a way that seems natural.  I've complained that most of the .1 writers (and Brubaker himself in "Captain America") have stumbled in trying to do the same thing, but Asmus really manages to deliver.  Also, Francavilla is the perfect artist for this series.  His work on "Detective Comics" was amazing, and Marvel was lucky to snag him.  This issue goes a long way to justifying why we're getting two Captain America titles a month, and I'm excited to see where this story goes.

New Comics!: The Avengers Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Avengers:  Solo #2:  Van Meter yet again does a good job of telling a complicated story with a lot of moving parts without losing the narrative thread.  I'm impressed by the fact that I was pretty much able to follow the story without having to re-read "Avengers:  Solo" #1, given how many characters appear here.  However, even with the reveal that Marcia is Alicia is Trace, I still have the question I have from the first issue:  why were Trace and Tuli fighting at the start of that issue?  It made no sense when we thought that Trace was "helping" Marcia, as we did last issue, and makes even less sense now that we now that Trace IS Marcia.  My only guess is that Marcia was using the Trace persona to scare off Tuli so that he didn't get hurt (which, of course, didn't go so well).  At any rate, I'm hoping we get some clarity next issue.  Otherwise, the only other eyebrow-raising moment for me is something that Hawkeye himself notes, the fact that Emi is pretty combat-ready for a doctor.  She says something about getting a call that her husband was killed in action the same day she took her boards, but I don't see how they have anything to do with one another.  Her husband was presumably in the military and, because he was killed in action, she...decided to learn how to fight and get herself involve in some sort of weird hospital study.  She directly connects her involvement in the study to those events, saying "Vanished myself out of a great residency because of all this..."  I'm assuming we'll learn more, but everything involving Emi -- from the ability to handle herself in a fight to the her involvement in the study to her lack of concern for her friends -- made little sense to me.  But, we'll see.  Rule #1:  More Hawkeye, less [blank]. 

Captain America #4:  OK, first, I have to say, I love McNiven's work.  The page of Cap and Sharon on the moon in spacesuits looking at Earth?  Amazing.  Writers have always complained that it's almost impossible to give Cap depth, because he's such a goody two-shoes.  He doesn't ever really face a moral conflict, because he always just does the right thing.  He's boring, in other words.  As such, he's also really lacked much in the way of interesting romantic relationships, because he never has any sort of sexual tension with the girl.  He always just...does the right thing.  The relationship inevitably ends because duty gets in the way.  Again, dull.  Brubaker has made a go of it with Sharon (and generally does the best job of any writer I've ever read of giving us Steve as a real person and not just a legendary hero).  But, on some level, I've always felt like it was forced, like they're just trying to make it work because they're trying to avoid turning Cap into a eunuch.  (The closest I've ever come to feeling them as an item is when he was dead and she was mourning his loss.  The fact that he had to be dead for me to buy their relationship shows you how weird it is.)  However, seeing McNiven's work here, I'm wondeirng if it's just been because no one has drawn Steve sexy enough.  He's downright beautiful here, as is Sharon, and you really get the sense of two people in love in the prime of their life.  McNiven just infuses the scene with something that I can't exactly describe, perfectly playing up the dream world, giving us an idealized version of the two.  (Steve looks like he's about 22 years old here.)  In so doing, he conveys more emotion and meaning than I think anyone else, writer or artist, has ever managed to do in terms of showing Cap's love life.  You somehow see how much looser a carefree Steve would be and realize how much the weight of his responsibilities affects his ability to interact with people, lovers included.  McNiven gives us all that in just three or four panels.  Yeah, he rocks.

Turning to the main plot of the issue, Brubaker (who, I can't believe I'm saying it, but has been the weaker link of the two) finally reveals his hand.  I was never clear exactly why Bravo wanted revenge on Cap, since, as Steve himself says, it wasn't like Cap left him in the dream world on purpose.  But, it makes total sense that the guy snapped when he was re-introduced to the real world and realized just how far it was from the Utopia he had created in the dream world.  Brubaker and McNiven do a great job of making both stories exciting, giving us the tension of Cap's slow realization that he's in the dream world and the excitement of his crew trying to hunt down Jimmy Jupiter.  I'm not exactly sure who this Queen Hydra is, but it's clear we're not supposed to know, given that she herself alludes to the mystery of who she really is.  At the end of the day, Brubaker really saves the concept here, and I'm excited to see what happens in the next issue.  (Also, I realized that I was still pretty much reading this title in a state of protest, annoyed that I wasn't getting Bucky, no matter how much I like Steve.  The fact that I know Bucky is alive and coming to me in comic form in February clearly made me much more excited about this title.)

Captain America and Bucky #624:  Brubaker gives us a one-off issue here, giving us a looking into Bucky's time as the Winter Solider.  The issue serves as a prelude of sorts to "Winter Soldier," with Bucky visiting his Alzheimer's-ridden sister to let her know that he's still alive after the events of "Fear Itself."  I actually wish we were getting a longer arc dealing with Bucky's time as the Winter Soldier, but my guess is that Brubaker is going to cover that topic in detail in "Winter Soldier."  (On a side note, I hope Brubaker is really proud of what he's done with Bucky.  Resurrecting him just could have gone so spectacularly bad.  Instead, he created, to my mind, one of the best characters in comics today, and he essentially did it from scratch.)  I loved the scenes with Bucky and Natasha.  Brubaker and Andreyko show us Bucky's charm at its best, and Samnee does a great job making the obvious attraction between them apparent to the reader. (Unlike Steve and Sharon, something about Bucky and Natasha has never felt forced.)  It's a really great issue and I can't wait for "Winter Soldier."

New Avengers #18:  Huh.  OK, I didn't hate this issue.  In fact, I found it pretty intriguing.  It answers the main question I had from "New Avengers" #17, showing how the Hand and HYDRA threw in their lot with H.A.M.M.E.R.  We also see Osborn assemble his new team of Dark Avengers.  (I only recognized Ai Apaec, from "Spider-Man:  Deadly Hands of Kung Fu," and Barney Barton, from "Hawkeye:  Blindspot."  I intellectually know who Skaar is, though I had no idea he was living in the Savage Land.  I'm not entirely sure who Dark Ms. Marvel and Dark Scarlet Witch are.  I'm assuming Dark Wolverine is Gorgon.)  I'm willing to give Bendis some time to develop this story, but I'm not entirely sure what the point of a new Dark Avengers would be.  The whole point of the previous Dark Avengers is that people thought they were the Avengers.  Given the events of "Siege," it's going to be pretty clear that any Avengers team led by Norman Osborn isn't going to be the Avengers.  So, why reform them?  I'm sure we'll get an answer, so I'm more intrigued than annoyed.  Bendis definitely seems to be setting up an enormous story here and, despite my disappointment with "Avengers" #19, I'm still excited about it.

Secret Avengers #19:  Ellis has been hit or miss on this title for me, but this issue is a hit.  Once again, Ellis gives us a somewhat "out there" story, with the team going after a drug kingpin who grinds up the bones of "ancient beings" whose bodies contained multiple souls and uses the powder to create super-soldiers.  But, the way Ellis tells the story, as a more or less straight-forward espionage tale, is what I expected to see from "Secret Avengers," but, for reasons I still don't entirely understand, haven't seen all that often.  One of my main complaints about this title is that the rotating door of writers has meant that very little focus has been paid to building a team, showing us the conflicts and relationships that make a title like the "Avengers" work so well (when it works well).  Ellis actually does that here; I loved Natasha's snarky comment about the wisdom of trusting a guy who thinks he was resurrected by an Egyptian god and of Steve telling Natasha to can it when she was questioning his decision to attack.  All in all, it was a pretty enjoyable read.

New Comics! (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Avengers:  Solo #1:  Yay, Hawkeye!  OK, this issue is pretty fun.  It has a lot of ins-and-outs that take some time to follow, but, unlike Tony Daniel's ability to confuse me thoroughly in "Batman" with similar feints-and-dodges, Van Meter laid out a story that even I managed to follow without having to re-read the issue three times.  I only have two questions.  First, Mel was at least in touch with Tuli and says that Trace was a friend helping her.  So, if a friend of my friend is my friend, wouldn't Tuli also be working with Trace, if he were working with Mel?  If so, why were Trace and Tuli fighting at the start of the issue?  Second, Hawkeye tells Chance that he was just looking at his file that morning.  Is it because he sort of looks like Trace?  Otherwise, I can't figure out why Hawkeye would be randomly flipping through Chance's file.  But, for a complicated story, it's pretty good that I only have those questions.  As such, I'd say it's a pretty fine start to this new mini-series (particularly ending with Paste-Pot Pete, of all people!).  Although Hawkeye says the detective business isn't really his deal, Van Meter seems to have stumbled on something that might be the perfect métier for Hawkeye.  Rather than the espionage series we've gotten over the last few years, I'd totally buy a series where Hawkeye is a cranky private investigator with a hot-but-off-limits (possibly lesbian) Girl Friday.  Maybe he could join X-Factor!

Captain America and Bucky #623:  This title, at this point, has essentially become the Bucky Barnes show.  I've seen enough hints on the Internet that Bucky isn't, in fact, dead (fingers crossed, I haven't gotten "Fear Itself" #7.1 yet) to know that the hope that this series was merely a way to keep Bucky in everyone's minds before they resurrected him will hopefully be rewarded.  It seems all the more likely since we will pretty much dispense of the "Captain America and..." part in the next arc, given its focus on Bucky's Winter Soldier years.  As the final issue focusing on Bucky's experience during the Second World War, therefore, Brubaker pulls out all the stops.  He somehow manages to tell a story about concentration camps that, somehow, doesn't become overly burdened by the subject.  We see Bucky grow here, given his reflections on how he reverted to old behaviors due to his rage over the sights he saw in the camp.  I'm sure I'm inevitably going to be annoyed by the way they resurrect Bucky, so I've got to enjoy these issues while I can.

New Mutants #32:  ...and "Fear Itself" finally, finally ends.  This issue was fine, though I more or less rushed through it, since the sooner I can forget about "Fear Itself," the better.  I was glad to see that DnA had Bobby providing guidance to Nate on how to focus his power, given that, for the last 31 issues, all we've seen Bobby do is pine over Amara.  The art on this title, to my mind, has become its most significant weakness.  I really wish we would get one stable artist who stopped drawing Sunspot like the Beast and Nate like Lou Ferrigno.  But, this title has also, I feel, really started suffering from all the various cross-over event forced on it.  By my count, it's had to handle "Necrosha," "Siege," "Second Coming," "Age of X," and "Fear Itself," just in its short 32-issue life.  At this stage, we've gotten a third as many issues as the group's original run, an iconic series that inspired such devoted fans that we still clamor to read about them almost (gulp) 30 years later.  It's time for the Marvel editors to stop with these forced events and let the great authors they've assigned to this title work their magic, to tell the stories that we'll remember 30 more years from now.

Secret Avengers #18:  OK, I had decided that, if I didn't like this issue, I was axing this title.  But, Ellis delivers an issue I actually not only liked, but enjoyed.  I don't know why his handling of multiversally derived transmatter felt more grounded (and worked better) than his previous two topics (nuclear weapons delivered by Doom platforms and zombie robots engaged in body snatching).  It's probably got more to do with Aja's amazing Escheresque pencils selling the story than anything Ellis does in particular.  But, to be fair, Ellis injects some more vim and vigor into this issue than he did in issue #16, when the Secret Avengers chasing a doomsday device felt more like the Beast reciting his doctoral dissertation to us.  Ellis also actually gives us some great moments of characterization here, like Steve telling Shang Chi he's acting like an Avengers when he locates the flight deck and telling Sharon Carter he loves her after she kicks some serious ass.  I also like how Ellis has Steve lament the fact that this team doesn't act like one, despite doing so being the Avengers' strength.  The lack of teamwork (or at least focus on the cohesion of the team) has been one of my complaints about this series, and I hope Ellis acknowledging it means he's planning to do something to fix it.  I'm still left wondering when we're going to see Steve become Cap in this title, since it's the only one where he doesn't appear as such.  (I also have no idea how the cover fits with the issue.  Is that supposed to be Shang Chi?)  At any rate, I hope this issue represents a departure for the title, with an increased focus on teamwork.  If so, I might stick around longer than planned.

Teen Titans #2:  Lobdell delivers a pretty solid issue here.  He hints at all sort of past realities and future plots.  Superboy is tasked to take down Wonder Girl?  I think we can all see where that assignment is going to lead.  It sounds like Kid Flash is no longer a rapid-aged superhero from the future, but just a regular kid, a fairly welcome change, if I'm going to be honest.  (But, it does raise all sorts of other issues, like whether or not he's related to Barry.)  Speaking of Kid Flash, I wonder who this "Danny" guy was and where he went.  Lobdell continues to do a nice job developing N.O.W.H.E.R.E. as a bad-ass organization, and Tim gives Cassie a pretty compelling speech about the need to fight to make sure they don't get weaker while N.O.W.H.E.R.E. gets stronger.  (I thought it was a nice touch to have Bart observe how many cells his holding facility had, underling Tim's point that the more meta-teens in the slammer, the fewer meta-teens in the fight.)  I'm anxious to see Superboy get into the mix, mainly because I'm hoping, as I've said before, that this series and "Superboy" depict past events.  I'm already over Conner being a personality-less drone.  You can tell that it's going to be the Titans that set him free, and I'm ready to get that ball rolling. (Did I mention the awesomeness of Tim in the Green Lantern shirt?)

New Comics!: The Avengers Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

"Avengers:  The Children's Crusade" is the bright spot this month for Avengers-related titles.  As I mentioned in the "Fear Itself" post, I HATED "Avengers" #17.  I'm excited by the groundwork "New Avengers" #16.1 lays here, but the issue itself is pretty ordinary.  I liked the "Captain America and Bucky" story, but I'm pretty sure I'll be hard pressed to remember what happened in "Captain America" and "Secret Avengers" when I pick up those books next month, after fairly unmemorable stories this month.  With all the terribleness related to "Fear Itself," it was a bummer to feel so meh about so many Marvel books unrelated to "Fear Itself" as well.  I was hoping for more than just one bright spot.

Avengers:  The Children's Crusade #7:  I loved most of this issue.  Heinberg does an amazing job, particularly for someone who doesn't have decades of experience writing these characters, giving us perfect characterizations of such iconic characters as Captain America, Dr. Doom, and the Scarlet Witch.  The plot remains intricate, but I still generally remember what happened in the previous issue, even with the two-month gap between issues.  Heinberg does a good job keeping the Young Avengers in the mix even as this mini-series starts to focus more on the more big-name characters.  (Eli's impetuous decision to interrupt the spell was a pretty accurate portrayal of his character.)  Heinberg also keeps up the tension.  Since it's been made clear in "X-Factor" #225 that the results of this mini-series will, actually, affect the Marvel Universe when it's over, the fact that Wanda may -- or may not -- bring back all mutants really keeps you on the edge of your seat.  When you add Dr. Doom and his questionable motivations to the mix, it is really unclear how this series is going to end.  However, at this point, the end is the problem.  It's time.  This series at this point has spanned 16 months.  We have at least four to go.  I don't know why, but it's annoying me, to have the story extended over so many months.  Although, as I mentioned, I applaud Heinberg for maintaining the tension over the course of these eight issues (including the special) and 16 months, I think it's time to get some closure.

Captain America #3:  OK, to be honest, I'm still not really sure what's happening in this arc.  I mean, I think I sort of get it.  Bravo uses Jimmy Jupiter to transport Steve into the imaginary world where Bravo was trapped since the war.  To do so, he uses some crazy enormous Cap android created by the Red Skull as bait.  I get all that, I guess.  But, I'm still not really sure what Bravo's motivations are.  He seems to still be a good guy (I mean, people who kill Nazis are always good guys in comic books, right?), but he wants Steve dead.  Or, maybe he doesn't?  I'm still not sure.  I'm not even sure if he's angry, despite the fact that I'm pretty sure he wants revenge.  At any rate, McNiven's art is really what makes this book, which isn't normally something I'd say about a Brubaker-scribed book, but there you go.

Captain America and Bucky #622:  Although they're a little hokey, I'm still enjoying these stories.  I like how Bucky is narrating this series, because it's mostly giving me hope that this series is meant as a stop-gap measure to keep Bucky in our minds until they resurrect him.  (Hey, a guy can dream.)  At any rate, it's a pretty good self-contained story about Bucky dealing with his insecurities about being surrounded by the super-men of the Invaders.  I will say, though, at some point we're probably going to have to get past just "war stories."  I don't mean that the stories shouldn't be set during the war, but I think we're probably going to need some sort of epic Invaders arc or something to inject some energy into this book.

New Avengers #16.1:  OK, so, first, let's do the bad.  First, the art is this book SUCKS.  Awful.  I mean, it's truly awful.  I know it's sacrilege to say that because it's Neal Adams, but I really felt like he drew this book in five minutes while playing the violin and ironing the drapes at the same time.  Second, I don't buy, for a minute, that Norman Osborn would've been able to staff the Raft entirely with people who are loyal to him.  As I've said before and I will (unfortunately) likely say again, simply because one of your characters (this time, Wolverine) acknowledges that the plot device is ridiculous doesn't mean it's OK for the plot device to be ridiculous in the first place.  Are we supposed to believe Steve Rogers would let that happen?  Moreover, if it were true, then why would he wait until the Avengers were there to try to escape?  Couldn't his flunkies just have left open the door and ignored a boat docked at the Raft?  I mean, if he had such total control over the facility's staff, then why wouldn't you do it that way?  Why risk a battle with the Avengers? Third, who the hell is the squid lady on the last page?  OK, now, let's do the good.  I'm totally down with a year-long Norman Osborn arc.  Although I didn't read "New Avengers" during the post-"Civil War" era, so their beef with Osborn is something I only know from reading Wikipedia, I have followed all the aspects of his war with Spider-Man since, like, forever.  I think having them take on Norman will actually go a long way to setting this series apart from the main title, and provide a villain who's suitable for street-level superheroes.  (Hawkeye seems doomed to just stand around the streets watching the Avengers fight in the main title, but I've more or less resigned myself to Bendis' unforgivable mis-handling of him.)  I hope, however, that Bendis is preparing to pare down the roster at some point.  With the addition of Daredevil, the New Avengers have a ten-person roster, which is actually enough for two separate Avengers teams.  I love all the characters on the roster and I enjoy their interactions, but I think we might be able to enjoy them all the more if everyone weren't fighting for screen time, if you will.  We shall see.  At any rate, this issue is exciting more for what it promises than anything Bendis does here, but I'll take what I can get, particularly post-"Fear Itself."

Secret Avengers #17:  Meh.  This issue is OK.  It's an interesting enough story, and the ending is a surprise but one that comes from clues left by Ellis as the issue progressed.  Ellis is a quirky writer, preferring grim stories with a lot of procedural elements.  Everyone spent a lot of time yelling, "War Machine engaged," or "Valkyrie en route."  It's like last issue, when the Beast essentially narrated the issue with his scientific mumbo-jumbo.  Essentially, I've found both issue #16 and this issue...slow.  I know people really like Ellis, but so far I'm pretty bored by his version of the Secret Avengers.  But, he tells a story that makes sense, more or less, so I can't complain too much, I guess.  Although Ellis is probably better suited to the stated goal of this title (black-ops missions), I'm not entirely sure if I enjoy them.  Let's see how we go post-"Fear Itself" and we'll see if I keep getting this title.

New Comics! (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Captain America #2:  Brubaker and McNiven deliver a great issue here.  Although the story is a little "Inception"-esque at points, I thought Brubaker was ingenious in using the dream dimension as a vehicle for creating a villain who was Cap's contemporary during the war but who also hasn't aged.  Bravo could really turn into a great new Cap villain, given that he's got all the hallmarks of an arch-nemesis (personal grudge, romantic competition, competing abilities).  It also helps that McNiven's amazingly crisp artwork helped really sell the sense that the dream world was just as real as the real world.  I'm not sure if the huge Captain America that attacks our Captain America is Bravo, but I'm excited to see!  Brubaker seems to have quickly moved past the occasionally awkward character-introduction moments we saw in the first issue and is now going full throttle into this new chapter.  Despite how I feel about the unceremonious dumping of Bucky, I'm glad to see Brubaker get to stretch his creative muscles and focus on stories about Steve.  It's been a while, and I'm hoping it'll have been worth the wait.  So far, so good. 

Captain America and Bucky #621:  Well, I guess if I can't have an adult Bucky, the kid version isn't bad.  I thoroughly enjoyed the wise-cracking Bucky we got in this issue.  He manages to balance out Steve's "goody two-shoe"-ness, giving the partnership an edge and, in fact, even convincing Steve to act uncharacteristically brash.  (Flirting!  Actual flirting!)  As a result, it's a fun issue, even as the authors begin to address larger issues, like Bucky beginning to realize the consequences of killing.  It's an interesting place to start, given that we know Bucky will do all the killing in his burgeoning partnership with Cap, one of the darker aspects of their relationship that is rarely noted.  It'll be interesting to see where Brubaker goes with this story, particularly given the excellent work he did in focusing on Bucky's brutal past as a killer when he was writing about Bucky's transition to becoming Cap.  At any rate, the combo of humor and seriousness made for excellent reading and I'm becoming increasingly more excited about this series. 

Dungeons & Dragons #10:  OK, I admit to being confused about what, exactly, is happening here.  Last I remember, Fell's Five went to Al'Bihel and discovered that Thrumbolg -- the cyclops from issue #5 who was trying to invade our dimension by using world keys to open a dimensional gate -- stole the Guide of Gates.  Cool, I get that.  As such, Fell's Five go to Thrumbolg's stronghold to steal back the Guide.  Right, makes sense.  I even get that they cleverly pull a bait-and-switch ploy by trying to convince Thrombolg's Seneschal that they're merely the planned distraction and, in exchange for information on the main attack, they get to be sent home and to see the Guide.  Cool.  But, the problem is that the "guy" the Seneschal consults in deciding whether to accept the deal is NOT Thrombolg.  Thrombolg is a "crazy one-eyed giant," to use Adric's description.  The "guy" the Seneschal approaches not only has two eyes but is definitely more than a crazy giant.  So, does Thrombolg work for him?  Does anyone know of the "guy's" existence?  Confusing.  Rogers still has an issue left in this arc to reveal the truth (and to sort out the revelation that Trasgar from the original Feywild adventure survived).  He's pretty good at pulling these sorts of rabbits from his hat, so we shall see.

Superboy #11:  Um, yeah.  Although I enjoyed last issue, this issue is, I'm sad to say, a return to form.  It's all a series of deus ex machinas, from the Phantom Stranger revealing he gave Conner a figurine imbued with his powers, to Simon magically having a death-ray visor, to Phantom Stranger "helping" Psion Lad return the souls of Smallville's population to their bodies.  Moreover, the plot is even further muddied since Lemire is forced to abandon the "Simon as future bad guy" sub-plot as a result of the impending reboot.  Looking over these issues, I think my greatest problem with Lemire is that he just can't write dialogue that doesn't sound wooden to me.  The conversation between the four teens at the end feels totally forced; you don't get any sense that they have any affection for each other, despite the fact that we're supposed to believe that Lori, Psion, and Simon make Smallville home for Conner.  Finally, the less said about Gallo, the better.  In the end, this series is the one I'm most excited to see rebooted.

New Comics! (HERE BE SPOILERS)

I finally made it through the comic pile from vacation!  Woot!

Captain America #1:  OK, so, I'm trying not to let my fury over Marvel's decision to kill Bucky-Cap get in the way of my enjoyment of Steve Rogers taking up the shield again.  This issue is pretty solid.  Brubaker wisely decides to start the series with a story involving a strong supporting cast (Sharon Carter and Nick Fury), a mystery villain from Cap's Second World War days, and good ol' reliable Baron Zemo.  It serves as a good way of introducing new readers to Cap (the whole point of this renumbered series) but also gives existing fans some familiar faces to be excited about seeing.  The problem is that, for existing fans, Brubaker's treatment of the familiar faces is somewhat...clunky.  For example, Cap's conversation with Sharon -- about how he thought she was Peggy, about how they had thankfully gotten past that, about how Peggy inspired Sharon to become who she was -- was almost difficult to read.  I get that Marvel is essentially treating this series as a way for fans of the movie to get into the comic, so I guess we're going to have to suffer through that for a while.  Similarly, although I can't say it was surprising, it was pretty cold how Bucky wasn't mentioned AT ALL.  I haven't read "Captain America and Bucky" #620 yet, but, at some point, it would be nice to see Steve mention the fact that Bucky is dead, which, so far, he hasn't.  Hopefully, the editors won't make Brubaker spoon-feed us plots for too long.  Meanwhile, we've got the pretty art of Steve McNiven to distract us.

Captain America and Bucky #620:  Similar to "Captain America" #1, Brubaker spends most of this issue giving us an introduction to Bucky Barnes, going over the sad story of his troubled youth, first as a kid with a hot temper, then as an orphan living on a military base.  However, Brubaker has a freer hand here than he does in "Captain America," enabling him to avoid the awkward situations imposed on him by the editorial mandate in that title to introduce a well established character to a brand-new audience.  Bucky isn't as well established as Steve, so Brubaker gets to take some liberties.  Despite having read Bucky's origin numerous times, I found that Brubaker's take on it was somewhat different than we've previously seen, giving us a more emotionally realistic depiction of what it must've been like to have been a 14-year-old orphan living on a military base.  Brubaker doesn't have much time for anything else here, but the story, to be honest, isn't really what matters about this issue.  What matters is the hope that, by making the decision to keep Bucky "alive," at least in his past incarnation, we may actually see Bucky eventually return in his present incarnation.  It's a long shot, but I think it's going to be hard for Marvel to keep this title going, month after month, and not face some sort of inevitable pressure to have one of its main characters -- who was killed in a totally gratuitous way -- return from the dead.  At least, I hope it will be.  Fingers crossed.  Otherwise, I really wonder how long we're going to have two Captain America titles.

Venom #5:  I have complicated feelings about this issue.  On one hand, it's very well done.  Remender does some really excellent character work on Flash, fleshing out how his motivation for success comes from a need to please his father, who never told him he was proud of him.  It sounds a little cheesy, but Remender does a really great job making sure it's not.  Flash, to me, has always been one dimensional:  he started as Peter's bully, then almost overnight became Peter's friend, and we never really got all that much more.  Remender is really bringing a character who's existed for 50 years or so to new places, and I applaud that.  The conversations between Flash and Peter were great, particularly where Flash snaps at Peter and then quickly admits he sounds like his father.  You can feel Flash fighting with all his might NOT to be his father here.  All that said, the problem is that this series is just getting really, really dark.  I mean, of course, on some level, a "Venom" series is going to be dark.  I mean, Flash is playing host to a murderous alien symbiote after all.  But, one of the intriguing parts of Flash taking on the symbiote is that Flash himself isn't all that dark.  I mean, yes, he has his demons, but he's also kind of goofy and loveable.  Remender needs to remember that in the midst of all the killing and darkness, or this series is going to get really difficult to read.

X-Men:  Schism #1:  OK, I'm game.  Aaron actually goes a different way with this story than I thought he was going to go.  Rather than starting where "X-Men:  Prelude to Schism" left us -- with an impending attack from a unseen enemy -- he takes us back a few steps, weaving a pretty nuanced story focused more on global politics than on mutant powers.  It reminds me of the 1990s when Senator Kelly was the straw man for political extremism (or, at least, common fear).  Quentin Quire is a somewhat unfortunate blast from the past, but he actually sort of works here, representing the reality that, despite Cyclops' best efforts, he doesn't actually speak for all mutants.  Moreover, Quire's appearance is made tolerable because, despite his thoughts to the contrary, he's not actually in charge.  Aaron gives us an interesting twist here, too.  Rather than having an established villain manipulating events behind the scenes, we've got a 10-year-old kid named Kade Kilgore, who first appears in the issue by killing his arms-manufacturer father and ends it with becoming the Black King of the Hellfire Club.  (I was going to ask where Sebastian Shaw was, because I temporarily forgot Emma made sure he permanently forgot.)  Aaron is biding his time here, since he doesn't really show any sort of discord among the cast, other than a brief conversation between Ororo and Scott.  I've wondered a few times how Aaron is going to make Logan and Scott's worldviews look different, since they actually seem fairly similar lately, though maybe it's actually going to be more of a dichotomy between Ororo's vision and their vision, which would make more sense.  We shall see.

X-Men:  Schism #2:  I initially wasn't sure I liked this issue, but, in retrospect, I think it was actually really well done.  We begin to see the first signs of the split between Cyclops and Wolverine, and it doesn't go down the way you think it would.  I enjoyed that Wolverine was actually suggesting the X-Men take what, depending on your point of view, was the more "right" path, in advocating that they turn over Quentin Quire to Steve Rogers.  It shows that Aaron isn't playing the differences within the mutant community as black-and-white (Wolverine:  irrational, Cyclops:  rational).  Cyclops seems to be undermining the good he's done in bringing the X-Men more in line with the superhero community by harboring Quire, but it makes sense, given his fears, as a leader, that the situation could deteriorate significantly and threaten all mutants everywhere.  I'm still not entirely sure what to make of the kiddie Hellfire Club.  Aaron I'm sure will elaborate on who Kilgore's other friends are, but, at the very least, I do like the re-imagining of the Hellfire Club becoming a pro-humanity organization that found itself corrupted by the mutant reign.  I'm not sure what the intergalactic connection was, but I'm sure we'll get an answer soon.  All in all, I keep wanting more, which is a good sign (and a different feeling from say, I don't know, "Fear Itself").