CATWOMAN #82
Writer: Will Pfeifer,   Artist: David Lopez & Alvaro Lopez
Review By: Larry "Bocepheus" Evans
Publisher: DC Comics, Shipped On: 082708
MSRP: $2.99 (15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)

DC'S SYNOPSIS:
The not-so-long kiss goodnight! Catwoman's trying to stay one step ahead of Batman, the police and the supervillains of Gotham City, but in this final issue she's going to have to doublecross one of them. Will they be able to live with it? And will she still be standing when the smoke has cleared?

BO'S REVIEW:
The last issue of Catwoman comes with a very cool Adam Hughes cover that shows her surrounded by money as she looks at us with a melancholy tone. You can almost imagine a dialogue balloon that says, ‘Why didn’t you buy my book?’ This final issue is about Batman and Catwoman chasing each other thru the streets of Gotham and the East End. The two have been chasing each other since their first encounter and Pfeiffer has Selina keep the chase going with narration that lets us know we have been here before but he tosses in little asides that keep the issue from becoming dull and repetitive. Even though this is a tale involving two people we have here an internal story that shows us just who Selina Kyle really is and her sudden realization of that person. I would hope that DC finds Lopez another assignment within the Batman family of titles because he seems to have an affinity for the character.

AIR #1
Writer: G. Willow Wilson,   Artist: M.K. Perker
Review By: Larry "Bocepheus" Evans
Publisher: DC/Vertigo Comics, Shipped On: 082008
MSRP: $2.99 (15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release/40% OFF it's 1st DAY of release only at Alternate Reality!)

DC'S SYNOPSIS:
Ladies and gentlemen, there's been a change in our flight plan. You may have heard of a group called the Etesian Front - vigilantes dedicated to taking the skies back from terrorism. Sounds like a noble cause, right? But there's more to them than meets the eye. They're after someone I know. Someone who is either an average frequent flier - or a terrorist. And he's got a secret. Something that will change the way we fly - and the way we see technology - forever. To find him, we've altered course. We're en route to a country that doesn't exist on any maps. Only one person knows how to get us there: me. My name is Blythe, and I'll be your stewardess today. So buckle your seatbelts - this will be the flight of your life.

BO'S REVIEW:
If there is one thing that defines Vertigo it’s their willingness to assign books to unknown creators and then watch them either catch on or fall suddenly to the ground. This exercise in futility is from novelist W. Willow Wilson (yes, that’s her real name) and M. K. Perker, who is making his comic debut. The book is provocative, highly interesting, topical, confusing and perfectly drawn but it won’t sell a lick. The main characters of the title are Blythe, a stewardess who meets a suspicious passenger that she ends up jumping out of a plane with, that suspicious passenger who could/may be anybody and an organization that seems to have an agenda no one else has. We start mid jump then move ahead to the present before retracing the steps that got Blythe there. The time jump does keep you on your toes along with the rest of the story Wilson is telling here but at times she is too smart for her own good. The reveal at the end isn’t necessary because if we have gotten that far then it’s obvious that we enjoyed what we just read so it comes off as something that the editor should have saved for another arc. Air is completely different from any book on the Vertigo roster but it seems to be too good for the room it is in. I would say that this title will fall to the ground fairly quickly but I will stick around to watch the plane go down.

FINAL CRISIS: LEGION OF THREE WORLDS #1 (of 3)
Writer: Geoff Johns,   Artist: George Pérez & Scott Koblish
Review By: Larry "Bocepheus" Evans
Publisher: DC Comics, Shipped On: 082008
MSRP: $3.99 (15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)

DC'S SYNOPSIS:
From the moment Kal-El landed on earth until the end of time, the Time Trapper has sought to erase Superman's impact on the universe. But the Legion of Super-Heroes have always been there to stop him. This time, though, even the Legion won't be enough. The Time Trapper has found the ultimate weapon to carry out his plan - a twisted mirror image of the boy of steel from a parallel Earth long dead: Superboy-Prime! Who will answer the Legion's call for help? Find out here as the Crisis of the 31st century begins!

BO'S REVIEW:
As a rule there have always been problems with the Legion of Super Heroes when it comes down to fan acceptance. The concept and the characters have connected with a certain part of fandom but that segment of fandom hasn’t always connected with the rest of the world. It could be the fact that the membership of the team is so vast that some feel they can’t relate to so many characters. It could also have to do with the feeling that aside from Superboy/man and Supergirl the rest of the DCU isn’t even connected with the team. That hasn’t stopped writers or artists from trying to breach that cavern and here Geoff Johns and George Perez take their shot in a Final Crisis tie-in. The bulk of this oversized issue deals with the now freed Superboy-Prime (the lawsuit over who owns the rights to Superboy hasn’t been settled but DC seems to think that they will prevail by using his name here) and his as usual overblown sense of entitlement. He finds himself in the future of one incarnation of the Legion (last seen in Action) outside the Superman Museum and lets just say he doesn’t like what he discovers while inside. Johns finds the narcissistic nature of the character fun to write and here he pulls out all the stops. We also see that the Legion isn’t exactly being welcomed back into society as Prime makes his way thru a path of rage. The scope of this limited series allows Perez to do what he does best-draw as many characters as he can without overwhelming our senses. There have to be at least 200 different characters here and you can imagine him smiling at himself as he is drawing them. The ultimate goal of this limited series is to attract new fans to the Legion and tell a great story. I think the team has done the latter but the jury will be out on the former.

SPIRIT #20
Writer: Sergio Aragones/Mark Evanier,   Artist: Paul Smith
Review By: Larry "Bocepheus" Evans
Publisher: DC Comics, Shipped On: 082008
MSRP: $2.99 (15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)

DC'S SYNOPSIS:
The Spirit swims with the dolphins - but murder follows him even among these peaceful creatures!

BO'S REVIEW:
Another enjoyable issue of the Spirit and this time it takes place at an aquarium. It seems that Ellen Dolan has sent a message to Denny Colt that he has to get there right away and take on one of his toughest assignments ever-help her watch a bunch of kids. Naturally the kids are running roughshod over the place and the Spirit finds himself overmatched. Actually the whole issue could have been him dealing with the kids and that would have been a great read but since this is the Spirit someone gets killed and he has to try and figure out what is going on. Of course there is a hot woman involved but we sort of expect that in this book and divide our attention from her lush figure and the fast flying jokes that we sometimes have to read again to get them all. Everyone in the issue gets a chance to have some fun and there is some peril involved before we get to the hilarious ending. This take on the book isn’t as stylish as the Darywn Cooke issues but there is more fun here. I would doubt that the Frank Miller film will have half of the chuckle quotient that this title has.

SUPERMAN/BATMAN #51
Writer: Michael Green & Mike Johnson,   Artist: Rafael Albuequerque
Review By: Larry "Bocepheus" Evans
Publisher: DC Comics, Shipped On: 082008
MSRP: $2.99 (15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)

DC'S SYNOPSIS:
The Man of Steel and the Dark Knight are shocked to discover little versions of themselves fighting a threat in Metropolis. But where did these tiny heroes come from? As Superman and Batman search for answers, things get worse with the arrival of the Li'l League!

BO'S REVIEW:
A fun beginning to a two part adventure that has miniature versions of Superman and Batman end up in the regular DCU. The story by Green and Johnson starts out as a regular issue would with our heroes solving crises but wondering if something is wrong because everything seems so big. The reveal is used for the right hero and from that point on it’s off to the races with silliness and action. There is a reason why these smaller versions are sucked into the normal DCU and the person behind it is who we would suspect. We are left with other versions of mini folks who should make next issue fun and as entertaining as this issue is. The artwork by Albuquerque adds to the enjoyment due to its infinite smoothness. This book has been pretty inconsistent since the departure of Jeph Loeb and Ed McGuiness but the writing team of Green and Johnson (both who write Heroes for NBC with Loeb) seem to have gotten a handle on the title.

X-FACTOR: LAYLA MILLER
Writer: Peter David,   Artist: Valentine DeLandro
Review By: Larry "Bocepheus" Evans
Publisher: Marvel Comics, Shipped On: 082008
MSRP: $3.99 (15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)

MARVEL'S SYNOPSIS:
Trapped in a future she never made, Layla Miller finds herself smack in the middle of the Summers rebellion that was responsible for the eventual liberation of mutants from the camps. The only question is, will she survive it?
BO'S REVIEW:
Layla Miller knows stuff and the last time we saw her she was stuck in a very crappy future with an ‘M’ tattooed on her face. She is still stuck in that same future in this one shot but the events of this issue suggest that her location will soon return to the regular X-Factor book and the future she finds herself in may not be the same once she does. David’s portrayal of the character is amazing here because when she was introduced she was often the subject of annoyance in a few comic forums due to her talent for ‘knowing stuff’ but in this issue her ability to see what is going to happen just makes her look confident instead of insufferable. We see her just wandering thru the city like a shark waiting for all the pieces to move into place. Those ‘pieces’ include someone major in X-Men canon and his daughter. Once everyone is where they need to be then the issue jumps into action and we see the beginning of change. The art work is quirky but not in a distracting way and serves to get the story across.

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #567
Writer: Marc Guggenheim,   Artist: Phil Jimenez
Review By: Larry "Bocepheus" Evans
Publisher: Marvel Comics, Shipped On: 081308
MSRP: $2.99 (15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)

MARVEL'S SYNOPSIS:
With Spider-Man in her grasp, the Brand New is close to the greatest victory of all - the unmasking and death of Spider-Man. Can DAREDEVIL rescue him in time? Ummm...doesn't look that way, does it? Also, Vin Gonzales's life is on the line - can his roommate Peter Parker beat the odds? Marc Guggenheim and Phil Jimenez bring you the pulse-pounding conclusion to the introduction of the New (but really, look at the cover, Spidey-Fan - can't ya figure out who she is?!)

BO'S REVIEW:
The three part Kraven’s First Hunt arc ends here and creates more questions as it does. We do not see her call herself Kraven at any point in this issue but that’s something that Guggenheim and Jimenez made clear when they announced this arc. The conclusion of the arc takes place mostly underground and has Spider-Man in Daredevil’s costume as Daredevil is being kept captive by the blonde with some surprising abilities. There are some fans who want to see the happy go lucky Daredevil back and this is where that happens due to the fact that Peter is wearing the red costume. That brings with it some fun moments that are surrounded by some cool fight sequences by Jimenez. Guggenheim also shows us that the relationship between Spider-Man and Officer Gonzalez isn’t going to be improving any time soon. We see here that the introduction of the new hunter is part of a larger story in the epilogue but that story will have to wait for a while since the next arc is the return of Venom and John Romita Jr. to the pages of Spider-Man.

ASTONISHING X-MEN #26
Writer: Warren Ellis,   Artist: Simone Bianchi
Review By: Larry "Bocepheus" Evans
Publisher: Marvel Comics, Shipped On: 081308
MSRP: $2.99 (15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)

MARVEL'S SYNOPSIS:
"GHOST BOX," PART 2 The superstar team of Warren Ellis and Simone Bianchi take the X-Men to the "Second Stage"! "Messiah Complex" pulled the X-Men team together, "Divided We Stand" tore them apart. Now the X-Men are back to business -- with a new look, a new base of operations, and a mystery to solve that will take them into previously uncharted territory and test them to their core. It all starts on a spaceship hovering 300 hundred feet above the twisted wreckage of Chaparanga Beach. Its sole inhabitant: the mysterious Subject X. Five minutes -- just five minutes is all he needs, all he's asking for. Can the X-Men afford to give it to him?

BO'S REVIEW:
The second issue from the new Astonishing team is as exciting as the first. Naturally the art by Bianchi is exceedingly gorgeous but the story by Ellis matches him step by step. The tight script reflects the new world view by Cyclops by deed and conversation. There are sections in which Cyclops tells Storm point blank that this is a new reality for the team and it will be interesting to see whether she comes to accept his point of view or depart the team because she can’t deal with it. We also see more of the mysterious Ghost box here and the man trying to complete one, Subject X. It seems that the box is a means to an end but as of yet Ellis is keeping just what that is close to his vest. His script gives Bianchi a chance to impress us at every point in it and so far their run is extremely impressive. If this book can stay on schedule (the duo did have a fair amount of lead time) then it could be the best X-book on the racks.

FANTASTIC FOUR #559
Writer: Mark Millar,   Artist: Bryan Hitch
Review By: Larry "Bocepheus" Evans
Publisher: Marvel Comics, Shipped On: 081308
MSRP: $2.99 (15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)

MARVEL'S SYNOPSIS:
You should have remembered the old adage, Johnny: love the woman, love her family. And when the woman is the super-villain called Psionics, that raises the stakes to a whole other level. Now it's the morning after, and Lightwave, Natalie X, Alex U-16, Doc Banner and the Burning Man expect you to live up to your responsibilities. It's the Human Torch's worst break-up ever-or will it be a shotgun wedding? Plus: where in the world is Doctor Doom?

BO'S REVIEW:
Millar and Hitch continue their run on Fantastic Four with an issue that contains excitement, humor, quiet moments and an amazing reveal at the end of the issue that makes you wonder how Johnny and Doctor Doom are going to get out of the predicament they find themselves in. The entire issue revolves around an appearance by Johnny’s band on the Letterman show but that is filled with complications due to the appearance of Psionics and her father, Lightwave. The two are part of the New Defenders and here we learn that they do have something in mind that needs a great deal of power. Millar balances their story with cute moments involving Ben and his new girlfriend, Sue and Reed’s ex and Reed trying to figure out what has happened to Doom. It’s a great balancing act that allows Hitch the space to run the gamut here. He gets to show cityscapes, a two page spread that looks like he took a week to draw and action sequences that flow very well on the printed page.

AVENGERS/INVADERS #4 (of 12)
Writer: Alex Ross/Jim Krueger,   Artist: Steve Sadowski
Review By: Larry "Bocepheus" Evans
Publisher: Marvel Comics, Shipped On: 080608
MSRP: $2.99 (15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)

MARVEL'S SYNOPSIS:
Act One of this 12-part event concludes with a four-way battle royale among both teams of Avengers, the Invaders and the agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. - all above the landmarks of Washington D.C. Plus, Doctor Strange discovers the secret of the time-lost Invaders, all while trying to keep all of history from rewriting itself...and the Avengers out of reality.

BO'S REVIEW:
With this issue the limited series takes a short break but the events within make that break worth waiting for. Last issue we saw the beginning of the freeing of the Invaders on board the SHIELD Helicarrier, the Invaders’ version of Namor going one on one with the present day Namor, Toro being studied and a whole lot more. Here we see the results of Bucky’s mission and continue the misunderstanding between the Invaders and the Stark led Avengers team. We also see the entrance of the new Cap and learn what has brought the Invaders to the present day. By the end of the issue all three teams are fighting and that’s a cool part of the issue but Krueger ends the issue with a scene that may have a long time effect on one of the Captain Americas. Considering that this book has two teams of Avengers, the Invaders, a whole mess of SHIELD agents and a hidden villain you would think that the book would be hard to follow but Krueger and Ross have constructed a story that makes it easy to read and understand. #5 doesn’t ship until October so this will have to do for a while.

CABLE #6
Writer: Duane Swierczynski  Artist: Ariel Olivetti & Michel Lacombe
Review By: Larry "Bocepheus" Evans
Publisher: Marvel Comics, Shipped On: 080608
MSRP: $3.99 (15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)

MARVEL'S SYNOPSIS:
"HOMEFRONT"
Special double-sized issue featuring the Uncanny X-Men! Meanwhile, back in the present . . . In the aftermath of the "Messiah Complex" war, Cyclops took a leap of faith and allowed his son Cable to disappear into the time stream with the first new mutant birth since "M" day -- and the future of the dwindling mutant population -- tucked under his arm. Weeks later, he still waits for a sign, however small, that he made the right decision. With evidence pointing to the fact that Bishop has jumped into the timestream and is hot on Cable's trail, the X-Men's unquestioned leader is about to make one final power move to protect the fate of mutantkind - one that he might come to regret.

BO'S REVIEW:
This issue has one impressive cover, doesn’t it? Well, the story inside it isn’t bad either. When we last left Cable he had found a way to escape Bishop in the time stream and that new location is where this issue begins and ends. Those sections are drawn by regular artist Olivetti but the main portion of the story is from newcomer Lacombe. Lacombe’s smooth but compelling art shows what is going on in the present world of Scott Summers and the X-Men. We see here that Scott is worried about his son and the fact that Cable has the newborn mutant baby in his care. The Scott sections of the story are a bit dialogue heavy but also contain a few pages of Scott and Emma Frost in bed together as he tries not to worry about his son. The story never becomes too sentimental and does reflect some of the elements seen in the regular X-Men titles to good effect.

ETERNALS #3 
Writer: Daniel & Charlie Knauf  Artist: Daniel Acuna
Review By: Larry "Bocepheus" Evans
Publisher: Marvel Comics, Shipped On: 080608
MSRP: $2.99 (15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)

MARVEL'S SYNOPSIS:
The clock is ticking. The end is near. The Eternals race to awaken their bretheren defeat the coming Horde! But who will awaken... the Forgotten One? Plus, the enormous outcast Space-God known as the Dreaming Celestial stands towering over San Francisco's Golden Gate Park since he rose from his prison beneath the Diablo Mountains...but just how was such a powerful being imprisoned? Find out herein!

BO'S REVIEW:
The father and son team of Daniel and Charlie Knauf keep the attempt to resurrect the Jack Kirby creation The Eternals going with the third issue of the series. We are still in a transitional stage with the title since all of the Eternals haven’t regained their memories as of yet. The story does allow Acuna to contribute a masterful two page spread showing Celestials in mid fight and contract the action with quiet, but effective conversation pieces that suggest a major event in future issues. The Knauf’s know that this isn’t an action title and appeals to older readers who may have picked up some of the Kirby tales back in the day or became aware of the Eternals when Neil Gaiman revived interest in the concept. That realization allows them a certain amount of freedom that could hamstring other writers who would be torn between honoring what Kirby did and realizing that if Jack had created something like this now there would be no audience for the book. This is never going to be a top ten book but it will be well regarded and that should keep it on the racks for a while.

FATHOM #1
Writer: JT Krul,  Artist: Ale Garza & Sal Regla
Review By: Larry "Bocepheus" Evans
Publisher: Aspen Comics, Shipped On: 080608
MSRP: $2.99 (15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)

ASPEN'S SYNOPSIS:
The seas are rising once again as issue #1 of Michael Turner's Fathom debuts! The long-docile race of the Blue no longer want solitude in their underwater habitat after the human's latest attack - they now want revenge! After thwarting the invasion of the Blue cities by Admiral Maylander's Navy, Aspen Matthews and Chance Calloway have found some much needed seclusion together in a beach house south of the border. But, their romantic getaway will be short-lived as the return of the murderous Killian, now at full-strength, is ready to strike once more against the humans - along with his reunited daughter, Kiani! Plus, the hatred from below the surface is also shared by one other race - the ancient and most powerful underwater beings known as the Black! However, the US Navy has plans of their own for the Blue, as well as a new leader with special ties to both Aspen and Chance! Available with covers from Ale Garza, J. Scott Campbell, and Micahel Turner!

BO'S REVIEW:
The perpetually delayed debut of the new Fathom series has finally shipped and the first issue is pretty entertaining. This is the first Aspen book to ship after the death of Aspen founder Michael Turner and the first page is a tribute to his passing. In this issue we are reintroduced to Fathom and as the pages unfold everyone else within her universe including the villain Killian and his daughter. We are also introduced to a few new characters as events unfold that will bring Fathom back into a world that she would rather leave behind. Ninja Boy’s Garza does some great work here (which could be one reason for the delays) and flashy art is what we expect from the Aspen line of comics. Krul also contributes a solid story that works with the art. Aspen has been promising regular shipping of their titles for a while so it will be interesting to see if #2 ships next month or not.

HULK #5
Writer: Jeph Loeb,  Artist: Ed McGuiness
Review By: Larry "Bocepheus" Evans
Publisher: Marvel Comics, Shipped On: 080608
MSRP: $2.99 (15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)

MARVEL'S SYNOPSIS:
Superstars JEPH LOEB & ED MCGUINNESS continue their historic epic! With the entire West Coast in peril, who can stop the battle of the Century when Two, count 'em TWO Hulks, get to brawling? How about everyone's favorite Thunder God -- THE MIGHTY THOR!? He was out of town during WORLD WAR HULK -- THIS is the match-up you've been DEMANDING! But can even a God stop the Red Hulk? Find out now!!!

BO'S REVIEW:
There are times when you just want a well told story that contains mystery and intrigue. There are times when you just want to see two people beating the living crap out of one another. Then there are times when you get both and the mix is just right. This issue is one of those times. We get a major knock down drag out between the Red Hulk and Thor. We see Tony Stark trying to figure out just who the Red Hulk is. We get the Green Hulk and A-Bomb (Rick Jones as the new Abomination) hanging out under and above the water. And we get a ‘oh man’ moment at the end of the issue that suggests a fight so big next issue that the pages may not be able to contain them. I had so much fun reading this issue that I read it three times in one day.

INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #4
Writer: Matt Fraction  Artist: Salvador Larocca
Review By: Larry "Bocepheus" Evans
Publisher: Marvel Comics, Shipped On: 080608
MSRP: $2.99 (15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)

MARVEL'S SYNOPSIS:
Iron Man and Zeke Stane have been dancing around one another like pieces on a chessboard, and it's been all Tony Stark can do to hold on. After one of his closest allies is critically injured, Tony aims to put an end to the games with some serious upgrades. But while Iron Man readies himself, Zeke makes his most audacious assault yet, in an attack so stunning you have to see it to believe it. THE FIVE NIGHTMARES continues, and it only gets worse from here for THE INVINCIBLE IRON MAN.

BO'S REVIEW:
Marvel announced in San Diego that Iron Man, Director of SHIELD is going to be renamed War Machine and tell of the adventures of Jim Rhodes so in a few short months this is going to be the only Iron Man title in town. Fraction and Larocca get in stealth mode here with this issue since there is no action occurring at any point in time during this issue. That allows Fraction to just tell a story that mixes the movie version of Tony Stark with the comic book version of Tony Stark. Ezekiel Stane is still out there but he has only a few pages of this story while the rest deals with the recovering Pepper Potts (probably the best part of the issue), Tony’s life as SHIELD director and his friendship with another of the Marvel universe’s geniuses. Fraction has done a fine job mixing the two worlds of film and comic and Larocca is delivering some of his best work within the pages of this title.

NYX: NO WAY HOME #1 (of 6)
Writer: Marjorie Liu,  Artist: Kalman Andrasofszky
Review By: Larry "Bocepheus" Evans
Publisher: Marvel Comics, Shipped On: 080608
MSRP: $2.99 (15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)

MARVEL'S SYNOPSIS:
There's no place like home-just ask young mutant KIDEN NIXON. She's survived the hard streets of Manhattan, and she's built a home-and a family-for herself, with her friends TATIANA, BOBBY SOUL and his LI'L BRO. But with fewer than 200 mutants left on the planet, Kiden's become a target-and when somebody strikes at one of her friends, Kiden's going to find out just how much farther she can fall! Don't miss the breathtaking return of this beloved series, by NEW YORK TIMES best-selling writer MARJORIE LIU (the DIRK & STEELE SERIES) with stunning art by KALMAN ANDRASOFSZKY! Plus-a special behind-the-scenes gallery!

BO'S REVIEW:
Novelist Marjorie Liu has been given the NYX characters to play with in an attempt to make the Joe Quesada team a regular part of the Marvel universe. For those that forgot NYX are street level mutants. They aren’t part of a team except for their own and basically hang together for survival. The main character is Kiden and when the book begins we see that she is being held by someone we haven’t seen as of yet by the end of the issue. Liu takes us back 48 hours to show how the band of orphans are doing and does a fine job telling us who the kids are for new readers and catching old readers up on how they got there. Being a novelist by trade she does know how to tell a story and her story is admirably aided by the hyper stylings of Andrasofszky. His style is very realistic but has this other worldly quality that really catches your eye. There is no action here per se but the story doesn’t need it. The concept of the team isn’t one that will have mutant fans looking for fights and panels of destruction; it’s a real world type book that shows how kids with powers would live if they were down the street from us.

PUNISHER WAR JOURNAL #22
Writer: Matt Fraction & Rick Remender,  Artist: Howard Chaykin
Review By: Larry "Bocepheus" Evans
Publisher: Marvel Comics, Shipped On: 080608
MSRP: $2.99 (15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)

MARVEL'S SYNOPSIS:
In the aftermath of last month's issue, there's nothing left for the survivors to do but pick up the pieces. Frank might have outsmarted Jigsaw for the time being, but at what price? And what comes next? Jigsaw's not going to give up that easy. Frank and Bridge finally have the face-to-face showdown you've been waiting for. And Clarke refuses to sit on the sidelines while S.H.I.E.L.D. has their way with his partner. All points converge on the Brooklyn Bridge in this explosive penultimate chapter of JIGSAW.

BO'S REVIEW:
This issue could have been called ‘The Art of Conversation’ since the bulk of it is nothing but. As we saw last issue Frank has been captured by GW Bridge but Jigsaw is still out there. Fraction and Remender give us an extended chat between Frank and Bridge and a talk between Diane and Clarke as an assault is planned. Chaykin can give us an exceptional action sequence when given a chance but here he just lets his art tell the story since he and we know that next issue will be a non stop fight. The next to last issue in many a story arc is a need to keep the plates spinning until the next issue but here we see that after this is over Frank Castle has more problems to deal with. That future story comes in a line at the midpoint of the issue and comes off as another move in Marvel’s plan to increase the number of female antagonists in the universe. If there is a quibble with this issue it’s that GW Bridge isn’t as chunky as Chaykin draws him here.

ULTIMATE ORIGINS #3 (of 5)
Writer: Brian Bendis ,   Artist: Butch Guice
Review By: Larry "Bocepheus" Evans
Publisher: Marvel Comics, Shipped On: 080608
MSRP: $2.99 (15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)

MARVEL'S SYNOPSIS:
Wolverine...Nick Fury...Captain America...Magneto & Professor X...how are they all connected? Witness the first meeting between Charles Xavier, leader of the X-Men, and Eric Lehnsherr, the mutant who will come to be known as Magneto! From the muddy battle fields of World War II to the steaming shadows of the Savage Land, Brian Michael Bendis (SECRET INVASION) and Butch Guice (CAPTAIN AMERICA) continue the shocking story that finally reveals the buried truths of the Ultimate Universe!

BO'S REVIEW:
Bendis and Guice this time around introduce us to Erik Lehnsherr, the man who will be known as Magneto. The modern day segment that opens the issue shows the FF and Carol Danvers staring open jawed at the obelisk that has been buried in the bowels of Project Pegasus for decades. They can’t figure out what it is or why it has decided to make itself seen but from the events of this issue they don’t have a lot of time to do so. The creators then lead us back to the past and show what has been going on with Mutant X (Wolverine) and that reveal shows us what has been happening since he was captured so many years ago. Everything that follows is a history lesson and a well told one at that. We see the meeting of Erik and Charles Xavier, a trip to the Savage Land and yes, that obelisk again. The point behind this limited series was to show how everything in the Ultimate Universe is connected and we have learned that Wolverine was the first mutant, the origin of Captain America, the beginning of the friendship between Magneto and Xavier and been introduced to the Ultimate Watcher (that’s what the obelisk is). Next issue we will get the origin of the Hulk and find out what that has to do with the Weapon X program as well.

VENOM: DARK ORIGIN #1 (of 5)
Writer: Zeb Wells,   Artist: Angel Medina
Review By: Larry "Bocepheus" Evans
Publisher: Marvel Comics, Shipped On: 080608
MSRP: $2.99 (15% OFF during it's 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)

MARVEL'S SYNOPSIS:
On the unlikely day when an embittered, washed-up journalist met a spurned symbiotic organism from an alien planet, one of Spider-Man's greatest enemies was born - a force of evil and vengeance like no other in the Marvel Universe - VENOM! But is it as simple as that? Discover the true, twisted roots that gave rise to a lifetime of malevolence for Eddie Brock...AND the symbiote! Writer Zeb Wells (AMAZING SPIDER-MAN) and artist Angel Medina (SENSATIONAL SPIDER-MAN) shed a little light on one of Marvel's darkest monsters!

BO'S REVIEW:
I have never cared for the art of Angel Medina. I find his work to be too over exaggerated and that makes everything he works on distracting. He does, however, have a following so there will be interest in his work on this limited series. The subject at hand is Eddie Brock, who Spider-Man fans all know will become Venom. This first issue shows him as a young boy who has a talent for many things and not all of them good. Wells’ story is great here and shows that Eddie wasn’t quite right all his life. He has family issues, acceptance issues and truth issues. But his story is sabotaged by the Medina artwork. It looks too much like bad animation and I have no idea what he is trying to get across with Brock’s face. Instead of showing a hint of insanity he makes Eddie Brock look like a carnival balloon who had eyebrows added as an afterthought. I do like the story so I will pick up the remaining issues and hold my nose as I read them.