X-O Manowar Vol. 4: Homecoming

Aric has returned to earth after liberating the rest of the human slaves from Loam in the Planet Death storyline.  They have landed right in the middle of Eastern Europe where Dacia used to exist. Tensions are building throughout this book as this event is the inciting incident that sets up the new team book Unity.  The biggest reveal in this book is that Gilad the Eternal Warrior was there with Aric in the very beginning when the Visigoths were facing off against the Romans & there little exchange in the museum is very cool.  It just goes to show how compact & shared the Valiant Universe is.  Up to this point in the Valiant Universe X-O Manwar has now faced off with both Ninjak & the Eternal Warrior.  While the other books have also crossed over a little Archer & Armstrong crossing over with the Eternal Warrior & soon Bloodshot; meanwhile Harbinger has only crossed over with Bloodshot but will soon be connected to everything else through Unity.

DC Universe: Rebirth Deluxe Ed.

All hail Geoff Johns he is without a doubt the greatest writer DC Comics has at their disposal.  It is a shame that he doesn't have time to write more comics I hope that with all of the executive power DC has been throwing his way he is able to bring the DC Universe out of the dark ages that was the New 52.  This is an amazing one-shot that has been given the deluxe hardcover treatment.  It brings back the love & hope that has been missing since the inception of the New 52 it also seeds some of the things to come during the Rebirth initiative.  Like many of the DC Comics events over the last thirty years a speedster is at the center of the story.  This event is the sequel to Flashpoint like Infinite Crisis is the sequel to Crisis on Infinite Earths.  Wally West is the main character of the event trying to find a way to come back out of the speed force & warn everyone about what has happened.  Wally doesn't know who is responsible for what has happened but that whoever it is exist outside of time & is more powerful than any villain the heroes have ever faced.  There are lots of hints that Dr. Manhattan of the Minutemen in Watchmen is behind this theft of ten years.  Time will tell who the villain really is from this event.  But one thing is for certain that the Post-Crisis Pre-New 52 DC Universe is back.

Harbinger Vol. 4: Perfect Day

The fourth volume of Harbinger follows what happens to the group after the Harbinger Wars event. The Harbinger kids have been captured by Toyo Harada along with the Generation Zero kids from Project Rising Spirit.  Monica Jim plays a pretty central role in this volume as one of the P.R.S. kids her unique power is amazing & hopefully will set up some cool stuff in the future.  From the beginning of this book we think that Peter & the gang are all out in L.A. relaxing & laying low after the events that took place in Las Vegas but everything is not what it seems.  Everybody is a prisoner of the Harbinger Foundation & put in a dream like state.  There are some great character moments in this book between Charlene, Kris, Torkelson & Faith.  Kris however steals the show because she is the first to kind of figure out that something is wrong.  Animalia aka Monica has her little creations break her out of the dream.  There is a nice coyote road runner adventure that she goes on which was a great laugh in the way it was executed.  In this book Toyo Harada comes close to death through his own pride & arrogance.  I am looking forward to where this goes next but one thing is for sure the Harbinger kids are ready for some payback.

Archer & Armstrong Vol. 4: Sect Civil War

Finally a return to the Valiant Universe with another grand tale of Archer & Armstrong.  In this volume for half the book Archer & Armstrong are separated & going on separate paths until something from Armstrong's past is needed to right the wrongs of the present.  Again this volume shows how well Valiant Comics is at blending historical facts with their complex universe.  We get some history in this volume as to how the sects came about & how they are connected to Project Rising Spirit.  The Vine is also apparently apart of these sects as well imagine what they could do if they ever became truly unified.  Archer has his own motives in this book which is nice to finally see him step up for what he wants.  Mary-Maria's story has taken a dark turn in this story as she has taken over one of the sects.  Interestingly the Sect Civil War has nothing to do with Archer & Armstrong but is orchestrated by other outside forces.  Overall a nice read to jump back into the Valiant Universe.

Uncanny Avengers Omnibus

Spinning out of the Avengers vs. X-Men event that saw the phoenix force split into five parts only to be reunited in Cyclops by the end of the story.  The event also saw the death of Professor X & the return of previously dormant mutants coming to light around the world.  The majority of this series takes place in the mainstream Marvel Universe but feels like it stays out of the main events.  A new Avengers team has formed calling itself the Unity Squad.  A team of Havok brother of Cyclops, first Avenger Captain America, Thor Odinson, Wolverine the best there is, Rogue former villain & X-Men leader, Scarlet Witch destroyer of Avengers & X-Men, Wonder Man former Avenger now a pacifist, Sunfire hero of Japan & finally a second founding Avenger in the Wasp.  I really like some of the characterization in this book but I think the use of Red Skull as a main villain for this Avengers Unity Squad is kind of blah especially after what he does at the end of the first issue I wish this book had tide into the Original Sin event because the several of the issues seemed to fit so beautifully into that concept.  Most of this book is one long story arc involving three main villains the first being the Red Skull due to the events the have transpired in the opening issues of this title.  The second is villain is actually two individuals together as one the Apocalypse Twins who are themselves fighting against the Red Skull & the third villain of the story.  The third villain is really the big bad of the whole book & that is Kang the Conqueror.  This book does require prior knowledge of two previous events & one major series.  The first event that is the most important to this series is Avengers vs. X-Men & the White Event from the Warren Ellis New Universe story.  This series is a sequel to Rick Remender's Uncanny X-Force in which a Wolverine lead black ops unit kills a child Apocalypse & brings about the Dark Angel Saga which is required to fully enjoy this series.  I really liked the character relationships that have been created in this series as a whole though Wolverine's friendship of Rogue & caring for her reminds me of how he believed in her all the way back in X-Men: From the Ashes.  Rogues sister like relationship with Scarlet Witch.  The budding romances between Havok & Wasp or Wonder Man & Scarlet Witch.  I also liked part of the concept that came out of the annual in which Ghost Rider goes up against the Avengers & holds his own I would love to see an event were all of the Ghost Riders are turned against the Marvel Universe.  This series ends with Avengers & X-Men: Axis.  There was a lot to like about this series but for every like there was definitely something to dislike.

Batman: Hush

Batman: Hush is one of the quintessential batman stories of the Post-Crisis DC Universe.  Not only does this story introduce one of the best new villains to be added to the Batman rogues gallery but it also mines the Batman mythos to core when it comes to the characters in this story.  The story touches on past story arcs from Batman: Year One, Batman: A Death in the Family & Batman: The Killing Joke.  This story also pushes the story forward on the Batman, Catwoman relationship & moves forward with that.  This book not only has a whose who of Batman's rogue gallery but also a complete guest star list of the Bat-Family's supporting cast; even Superman & Lois Lane are in this story.  Jeph Loeb has crafted a terrific story that has stood the test of time & the big reveal at the end & who the real master mind is just great.  Also this title paves the way for future Batman events such as Batman: Under the Hood.  The story is enhanced by superstar artist Jim Lee who is still one of the best artist in the business draws the whole story.

The Call of the Wild

Jack London is a legend among authors for his unique style & subject matter.  The Call of the Wild, centers around the life of a dog Buck.  Now since this book is rather short it can be read in one day & is very condensed to give just the most important of details.  Jack London excels at this simplifying the story to give the reader just the facts.  Another thing he excels at is placing man against nature or in this case dog against nature.  In some ways this is a tragic tale while in others it can be rather freeing that choice is left up to the reader.

Saga Vol. 6

One big happy family, is what Brian K. Vaughan has crafted in Saga volume six.  I absolutely love this series there is nothing bad I can say about this book I am a little upset that we didn't get to touch base with all of our characters in this volume but it is still amazing.  If you are a fan of The Will then this may be your least favorite collection to date but overall it is still great.  The time jump is great it really is nice to see Hazel interact on her own Brian K. Vaughan has given her a great voice now that she is older  It looks like Marko & Alana's family is going to get a little bigger after this volume with the big reveal at the end.  I hope there isn't another time jump for awhile because I am need to readjust to how everybody is older in this volume.

Teen Titans: Earth One Vol. 2

Now this feels like the Teen Titans.  Jeff Lemire has crafted a great volume to what I thought was the weakest of the Earth One series.  No longer Teen Titans: Earth One definitely deserves its place at the table.  I like how the rest of the team was assembled together in this volume.  Impulse, Wonder Girl & Kole who start out as enemies of the Teen Titans fill out the rest of the team.  Slade Wilson demonstrates a heroic turn in this story-arc.  Raven & Starfire return in the end uniting all of the Teen Titans members together for the first time.  Finally Cyborg comes into his own & is revealed in a really cool way.  There is a very minor cliff hanger of a potential threat on the way but for now the teens just get to bask in victory & being teenagers.  I know that other than sequel planned to the current titles within the Earth One stable there are plans for an Aquaman & a Flash title.  For those I am equally excited but I also think there are a great many of DC Comics current heroes who could work well within the Earth One format.  For instance I would like see a Green Arrow, a Green Lantern, as far as the single heroes go but in terms of other team books go a Justice League, a Justice Society, a Freedom Fighters or a Green Lantern Corps.  I am sure there are other heroes that people would love to see join the Earth One series.

Teen Titans: Earth One Vol. 1

This is the first team book to come out of the Earth One series so far.  Jeff Lemire has done an excellent job crafting an origin story for the Teen Titans however this doesn't feel like the Teen Titans to me because Robin is missing it feels more like Runaways by Brian K. Vaughan.  However that is part of the enjoyment in this story it seems fresh.  One of the old members the original days of the Teen Titans back when Marve Wolfman was writing the book is back in this re-imagining, Terra.  Having Terra back throws in a nice dynamic to the team I don't really understand who Joseph also known as Jericho is so I found him to be kind of confusing but still interesting.  I really liked the idea of having Cyborg in this story especially since in mainstream continuity of comics & movies Cyborg is a Justice League member.  He is the only character to make the jump from the minors to the big leagues,  I like that Jeff Lemire reversed the gender role from Elias Stone to Elinore Stone for Victor's scientist parent who is not only a top S.T.A.R. Labs scientist in the story but the big bad in the end.  My favorite character of this whole new series is Raven I love how they of made her a Navajo girl who has visions also her character design is very cool.  Overall the artwork is top notch Terry Dodson is an amazing artist but I did have some problems with some of art.  First off his panels don't seem to flow as nicely as Jeff Lemire's story but it is still beautiful to look at.  Next I found that some of his character designs just seem off for the character.  Victor Stone for example just seems a little scrawnier than I was expecting him to be & it bothered me throughout the story.  Deathstroke was another one I liked the overall character design for Slade Wilson but when he got into costume as Deathstroke that he just kinda looked goofy.  Finally the reveal of who has brought them all together, Starfire.  However there are still several questions left unanswered first & foremost who did this to them.

Wonder Woman: Earth One Vol. 1

Wonder Woman is an amazing character for all of comics & this addition to DC Comics Earth One line is a breathe of fresh air in many respects.  Now Wonder Woman has had countless origins since she was created her New 52 origin being the most memorable to date.  With a Wonder Woman movie just on the horizon which has an awesome trailer released over the summer.  This volume again explores Wonder Woman's origin but its not just the retelling of the origin that is amazing its everything else in the book.  The inclusion of the tale of Hercules & the Amazons, the re-imagining of Steve Trevor as an African American Pilot on a recon mission even the artistic style that is used to portray Diana is echoes the origin as a warrior woman instead of busty female form that people associate with women in comics.  All of this adds to the tale that master storyteller Grant Morrison has crafted.  Grant Morrison is known for delving into a characters rich history & mining it for everything it is worth.  Wonder Woman is no different & she has a very rich history in this instance I think that Morrison has not only researched her past but the life of her creator.  There is a lot of symbolism in this book many of which can be taken in a negative light when taken out of the context of the story especially when viewing Wonder Woman in chains.  If you are at all interested in Wonder Woman pick up this book, after reading this I am interested in what inspired her creation in the first place.

Batman: Earth One Vol. 2

Geoff Johns has topped even himself with this volume.  The second volume of Batman: Earth One introduces a slew of Batman's rogues in new ways.  The big bad of this volume is the Riddler while Killer Croc, Two-Face & Catwoman appear in the story as well.  The Riddler in this story is just as crazy & deranged as Dennis Hopper in Speed.  There are also two Dents in this book like there were two Luthors in Superman: Earth One.  A Jessica Dent & Harvey Dent which are twins throughout the story.  Both are injured in a prison riot which one will ultimately become Two-Face remains to be seen.  I think that Johns will follow J.M.S.'s take on Luthor & turn Jessica Dent into Two-Face.  Killer Croc in also in the story but not as a villain just a misunderstood man with a skin condition.  While Catwoman is just a woman whose balcony Batman crashed onto while chasing a criminal only to be revealed at the end of the story as Selina Kyle.  I love this take on Batman however its hard tell if any of Batman's rogues will survive their initial meeting with the Dark Knight.

Batman: Earth One Vol. 1

This is the most grounded Batman story I have ever read, Geoff Johns has created one of the greatest early stories of Batman's career.  This book retells the origin of Batman the death of Bruce Wayne's parents who each from the two most influential families of Gotham.  The big bad of this story is the Oswald Cobblepot the mayor of Gotham City.  As it turns out Cobblepot was trying to orchestrate the death of the Waynes so he could become mayor but instead a common mugger beat him to it.  Other characters who appear in this story are Jim Gordon, Barbara Gordon, Alfred & Harvey Bullock.   The characterization for all of these characters is simply amazing & spot on.  This is also the most intense version of Alfred to grace the page a war veteran who seems to have trained Bruce Wayne to some extent, he looks like Sam Elliot I know that Jeremy Irons was in Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice which is awesome on its own but it would be just awesome to see Sam Elliot appear as Alfred after reading this book.  So far this is better than Superman: Earth One & I am looking forward to reading the rest of Earth One titles.

Superman: Earth One Vol. 3

The third volume of Superman: Earth One brings everything full circle & still hints at things to come.  This is the template that Zack Snyder should have used for Man of Steel.  I believe he did use some of it but he didn't use enough of it.  The big bad for this volume is Zod each volume has upped the villain threat but has seemed to downsize the collateral damage.  I really like the Luthor dynamic as a science couple.  There are lots of strong female characters in these Superman: Earth One stories so far.  The introduction of Lisa the neighbor of Clark's & how she finds out his secret is done really well.  So far there hasn't been a bad Earth One title yet.

Superman: Earth One Vol. 2

The second volume of Superman for DC's Earth One series of graphic novels is simply an amazing leap forward in the early days of Superman.  I like how J. Michael Straczynski has changed some of the characters but they are all instantly recognizable.  The main villain in this book is the Parasite an awesome  & in some cases underused Superman villain.  I am really looking forward to more of the Earth One series of books in the future.  It is a shame that J. Michael Stracynski will be leaving the comic book medium his writing & characterization has been one of a kind.  He has lent his voice to so many characters over the years and defined so many different comic book runs, he will be truly missed.

The First X-Men

This is the true story of mutants coming together & fighting against their oppression for as nice as it is to see some of these mutants come together this story is just missing something.  This is really a Wolverine & Sabertooth story more than anything else I really liked the how Victor Creed was handled in this mini-series because it gave him a reason for everything that comes after it grounded him.  I liked how Logan came up with this idea before he even met Xavier he just didn't know how to implement it.  This mini did establish that the mutant problem had champions before Professor X & Magneto but it was not really well thought out.  What I didn't like about this mini-series is that other than the two main characters or already established characters in the X-Men mythos the rest of the cast is not very well established.  Most of the characters on Logan & Creeds team are just just as two dimensional as they were at the start of the story.  Is this essential to understanding the X-Men no if you like Wolverine & Sabertooth pick this up.

Fantastic Four Vol. 4: The End is Fourever

James Robinson has done what he is best at in this final volume of the Fantastic Four.  He has mined the Fantastic Four mythos to get at the themes that made this title great to begin with.  All four volumes in this series have been great & tell a cohesive story.  It sucks that this is the final series of the Fantastic Four that Marvel has published.  This series ends just before the start of Jonathan Hickman's Marvel Comics swan song Secret Wars.  Currently Marvel isn't publishing any Fantastic Four comics, why is up for speculation but when the title does return it will be with a bang & a celebration.

Fantastic Four Vol. 3: Back in Blue

In this third volume of the Fantastic Four answers start to come to light as to who is behind all of this trouble. First and foremost the substitute Fantastic Four from Matt Fraction's run break Ben Grimm out of jail. Spider-Man and Wyatt Wingfoot snap Johnny out of the terrible funk that he is in and get him back into uniform.  But most importantly is the fact that Reed has finally come face to face with this illustrious villain who dates back even before the Fantastic Four became the Fantastic Four.

Fantastic Four Vol. 2: Original Sin

The Fantastic Four has disbanded can they ever come back together now the some of their deepest secrets have come to light.  The biggest of which is the fact that Johnny Storm interfered with one of Reed's experiments to reverse Ben Grimm's condition.  Then the Thing goes down an even darker path where it looks like he is the murderer of Alicia Masters father.  Once in prison he is put fact to face with an old rival.  Meanwhile the Richards family is split in two the children with the original Human Torch while Reed & Sue are in New Eden right outside Chicago.  Reed goes off alone to take on the Wizard's new Frightful Four.  The real question at the end of this who is the mastermind of this tragedy & how can the Fantastic Four come back from this one.

Fantastic Four Vol. 1:The Fall of the Fantastic Four

This is start of the last Fantastic Four series to be published by Marvel Comics to date I am a firm believer that this series will be resurrected in time for a new generation to enjoy.  James Robinson after being over at DC Comics has jumped ship & come over to Marvel to guide the Fantastic Four on their final set of adventures.  This first volume is a little tedious at times by overall it is an excellent start.  Marvels first family is settling back into the lives at the Baxter Building after the craziness that they called a vacation in Matt Fraction's previous run.  But like any family cracks are starting to form as old habits start to emerge such as Reed not being able to see the forest through the trees while doing research, Ben trying to rekindle a past relationship, Johnny trying to leave is mark the world & all the while Valeria has run away from home to spend time with Uncle Victor Von Doom.  Something happens in which part of the Baxter Building is destroyed & hundreds of people are injured, not to mention that Johnny Storm has lost his powers.  The Fantastic Four is put on trial basically for negligence throughout their super-heroing career.  Part of the verdict brought down in this volume is that the students are removed from the Baxter Building & the Future Foundation shut down, the students are sent to Camp Hammond & put under the charge of Jim Hammond the original Human Torch.

Superman: Earth One Vol. 1

This is the first Earth One title I have read by DC Comics this is a nice updated re-imagining of the man of steel.  If you are a fan of the new DC Cinematic Universe take on Superman with the Man of Steel & Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice movies this is a title for you.  I really liked this take on Superman I wouldn't mind seeing DC Comics broaden this line & this version of the universe.  In this book Clark Kent is trying to find his place in the world much like in Man of Steel.  It is only when the earth is threatened by an outside presence does he dawn the cape to combat the alien invaders.  However this story has heart where much of New 52 Superman work has lacked in that department.  Shane Davis's art gives this story a more grounded feel to Superman.

Fantastic Four Omnibus

This collection combines both of Matt Fraction's runs on Fantastic Four & Future Foundation.  This is a disjointed run compared to the previous one by Jonathan Hickman.  I for one loved Matt Fraction's run on Invincible Iron Man but this was a let down until I got to the dozen or so issues where the two teams were taking on Doctor Doom.  I was really gung-ho for this series when it was first announced that Matt Fraction would be taking over the two titles; Fantastic Four is by far the stronger title.  For some reason Future Foundation just didn't have that hook that made me want to read those issues.  The Fantastic Four title sees the Richards family along with Johnny Storm & Ben Grim traveling across time 7 space while their powers deteriorate.  While the Future Foundation series sees Scott Lang, Medusa,  Jennifer Walters & Darla Deering become the new Fantastic Four for what is supposed to be four minutes of time.  However in true Marvel fashion something goes wrong & they essentially are the Fantastic Four on earth for about one years time.  I found the connection between the to books to be a little jarring partly due to the art.  I am not saying that the art is bad mind both artist are fantastic (pun intened) but they don't complement each other well.  I am really looking forward to James Robinson's run which follows this one.  I like many of the concepts that where used in this run such as the time travel & I would really like to see a new Fantastic Four series take on Marvel's first family as they travel across time & space post Secret Wars.

Eternal Warrior Vol. 2: Eternal Emperor

This second volume of the Eternal Warrior fast forwards to the year 4001 A.D.  We get to view the Eternal Warrior with a village trying to live a simpler life all of the sudden danger comes in the form of a robot carrying a nuclear bomb.  This forces Gilad to travel on a quest with his grand daughter to the city to find the origin of these robotic abominations.  The journey leads him to the local king who needs his help.  The end of the story is really touching in a way that Gilad was able to save his tribe & his grand daughter but at what cost?

Manifest Destiny Vol. 3: Chiroptera & Carniformaves

This is the most emotional entry yet into the Manifest Destiny series so far.  Our heroes have encountered another arch & with it the first intelligent species that is currently inhabiting the wild untamed land of the Louisiana Purchase.  The Fezron are an awesome addition to the series Chris Dingess has opened up the forest & given readers a creature that can be just as cute as the Ewok & just as deadly.  The Fezron are not the only creatures that lurk nearby the arch the other creature that our explorers encounter is the Vameter which is some type of vampire.  The ending of this story is bittersweet because our heroes carry out their mission no matter what or who gets hurt, the mission comes first.  I can't say I agree with their decision but it does make for a nice contrast & it reminds me of stories like Sheltered.

Archie Vol. 1

Mark Waid has done it, not only did he update Archie & the gang but he was also able to inject all of the Americana wonder that has made Archie a for close to 75 years.  This first volume is pretty much all set up & establishing the characters & opening up of this mid-american town.  This book has two main events the first is the break up of the perfect couple in Archie & Betty.  Which happens in such a way that realistic to how teenagers act today.  Everything has been modernized & updated to fit into the 21st century.  The second is the Lodge family decides to move to Riverdale.  One of the things I like about this series is it gives some of the characters more of backstory than they previously had; Jughead for example this collection goes into what his real name is & where he came from.  Mark Waid is working with some of the best artist for this relaunch.  There are three main artist in this collection the first of which is superstar Fiona Staples of Saga fame, the second is Annie Wu & the the third is Veronica Fish.  The changing art does not feel jarring like in other books.  All of the characters are perfectly portrayed.  I can't wait to see where this goes.

Forever Evil

Forever Evil is a great event book from DC Comics it takes place on a grand & small scale.  Grand in terms of global domination but small in terms of regaining control from the Crime Syndicate.  One of the major differences in this event verses other events of the past characters are not just subdued but they are eliminated.  I have to say as far as villains go some of the Crime Syndicate are very lackluster characters.  The real breakouts in this story are Lex Luther, Captain Cold & Sinestro.  The majority of the Justice League is restored to world at the end of this story but & the big reveal of who destroyed Earth 3.

A Song of Ice & Fire: A Dance With Dragons

Finally I have completed all of the published books in this series & I am eagerly awaiting the following two editions. The Winds of Winter & A Dream of Spring.  I have fallen in love with this series for all of the intrigue, misdirection & Machiavellian schemes that drive the characters in this epic series.  I some trouble finishing this particular book knowing that there wasn't sixth book to pick up next.  As a fan I am upset that it takes Martin so long to write one of these books & we have two to wait for, but as an artist I respect that this is Martin's baby & it will be done in due time.  I have complete respect for George R.R. Martin & he rushed this it would suffer in quality compared to the previous editions.  I pray that Martin finds the time to finish this series & get over any writers block because this is an extraordinary body of work & when it is finished I am sure it will be one of my all time favorite series.  This fifth book sets up so many characters & leaves so many cliff hangers that have fans screaming for more.  Meereen is set for war & the siege of the city has begun.  Lord Varys has returned to Kings Landing.  There is an upcoming battle in snow in the north between The Warden of the North & King Stannis's Army.  The Iron Born are moving toward Meereen.  One dragon is in Westeros while Daenerys's is in the Great Grass Sea facing down a Dothraki hoard.  John Snow has fallen in some strange way the Lanisters have been put through the ringer just as much as the Starks.  While other characters fates remain unknown for now.  I must wait for this next book like A Dream of Spring the wait is the long winter.

Trinity War

I have to give DC Comics credit where credit is due this is a nice mini event the fact that they played this up as being some big crossover only to have this be the prelude to something much bigger was brilliant.  I like how Marvel sets everything up for its readers while DC plays it closer to the chest the result is always similar when it comes to events from the big two; you either hate them or you love them.  As for Trinity War this was a decent event I enjoyed it more I think because I was not familiar with the Crime Syndicate but what I did love about this series was the misdirection and in this area DC excels over Marvel.  I would love to read more Marvel stories with this level of misdirection.  Secret Invasion had a certain amount but not on the same level; bring on Forever Evil.

Justice League Dark Vol. 3: The Death of Magic

This third volume of Justice League Dark takes the team to another dimension.  Several characters have left in this volume Amethyst & Andrew Bennett.  I really like this group of characters however I would like to see more of the Shadowpact characters make an appearance in this title.  Deadman & Constantine are still my all time favorites of the group but Frankenstein is coming pretty close to knocking Constantine out of the top two spot.  In this other dimension something is reversed for each of our heroes, Xanadu is old, Deadman is alive, Black Orchid becomes a creature & Constantine can't tell a lie.  Timothy Hunter's destiny is revealed, the final part of this collection reveals a secret about Madame Xanadu.  Next up is Trinity War & then Forever Evil.

Thief of Thieves Vol. 5: Take Me

The fifth volume of Thief of Thieves sees Conrad try to retire a second time & reignite his relationship with his ex-wife.  Except this time Audrey finale gets through to him that there is know way to win her back.  On the plus side Conrad is closer to his son now that the events of the previous two volume are over.  Celia is the main focus of this volume, she thinks she can just take over the Redmond persona but she is in way over her head.  We see the return of Liz Cohen in this volume & Redmond saves the day by the end.  So much for retirement but not all is as perfect as it seems.

Justice League Dark Vol. 2: The Books of Magic

The second volume of Justice League Dark shows Constantine putting the band back together to take down a new threat to the world in Faust & his followers.  This team is also on the search for the books of magic & are on a mission to stop someone from Constantine's past.  This is the volume where Jeff Lemire takes over writing duties on these characters & it just shines through.  I really liked this title especially since I am unfamiliar with the majority of the cast in this.  I know who the main players are by name but I don't know what they are capable of.  Its refreshing compared to say Batman but lets be honest if you are reading this & don't know who Batman is there is a problem, bring on the next volume.

Justice League Dark Vol. 1: In the Dark

I can't say that I was totally enthralled when I picked up this volume.  I read Shadowpact back during the Infinite Crisis event which Enchantress was a key member in.  This book had a rocky start to begin with for one there is only a vague description of who these characters are.  Madame Xanadue is still a mystery to me.   I didn't know that Dove was in this & that she has a relationship with Deadman that was kind of a nice mix of a shared universe.  This book seemed to find its legs about half-way through most of that is due to the tension dynamic between John Constantine & Boston Brand.  I'll pick up volume two to see what happens next.

Justice League of America Vol. 1: World's Most Wanted

Geoff Johns has given DC Comics fans another Justice League title & it does not disappoint this series is a great companion piece to the main Justice League book.  A separate team set up by the American government to potentially take down the real Justice League.  However the premise is just the tip of the iceberg in this collection as more clues are laid as to how the puppet masters are behind a series of events.  This collection leads into Trinity War followed by Forever Evil.

Justice League Vol. 4: The Grid

This volume of Justice League revolves around the idea of bringing new members onto the team after the Throne of Atlantis story-arc.  Firestorm, The Atom & Element Woman are the new members of the league & on their first official day they have to take on Despero.  Meanwhile the Bat Cave is robbed & Superman & Wonder Woman step around American politics to rescue hostages.  However this whole story leads to a larger story in Trinity War.  One thing I don't like about this collection is the way the Trinity War story line is broken up & collected with part one & part six in this book.  That means if this was the only Justice League family book I was reading I would know how the story kicked off & what the conclusion was but I wouldn't have the meat of the overall story.  DC Comics really needs to get their butt in gear when it comes to collecting older & current story arcs.

Avengers the Initiative Vol. 6: Siege

The last volume of the Avengers the Initiative is all about Justice & his team of Avengers taking down Camp H.A.M.M.E.R. while everybody else is at Asgard.  Even though the camp is understaffed it still has enough men to give Justice's team trouble but their real help will come from within the camp Speedball has returned.  This book also sets the stage for Avengers Academy.  If we are looking at Brian Michael Bendis's Avengers run as a whole the halfway point would be at Secret Invasion.  However that isn't a great stopping point if you are looking for a stopping or jumping on point then the Heroic Age right after Siege is for you.

Dark Avengers Vol. 3: Siege

The third & final volume  of Dark Avengers is out the lead up to Siege & the aftermath of the team due to the event.  Two characters are unraveling in this book the first being Norman Osborn the second being the Sentry.  This book also sheds light on the true origin of the Sentry and who exactly Bob Reynolds is.  I am still not a fan of the character bu I have a new respect for Marvel comics adding that darker origin to the character & trying to pass him off as a hero.  This book also shows how Norman  Osborn removes Doctor Doom as threat to his plans.  Osborn fabricates his own crisis to use as an excuse to invade Asgard.  In the end Osborn in prison along with the majority of his Avengers.  The only character to get away in the battle without being captured was Daken.

New Avengers Vol. 7

This is the final volume of the first New Avengers series by Brian Michael Bendis.  This book continues the adventures of the Luke Cage's Avengers during Dark Reign & into the Siege event.  A lot happens during this final volume the Hood is going through a power crisis, Luke Cage comes within an inch of death, Steve Rogers returns to the team he helped put together back in volume one.  I really love Mockingbird in this book she shines through so well in this, I am really glad to hear that Marvel has a Mockingbird book coming out this year.  Siege is the event that brings down Norman Osborn from his seat of power.  This volume does overlap with Dark Avengers which shows the attack on Avengers Tower.  Wolverine is of the board until the very end due to events that took place in Avengers / X-Men: Utopia.  Next up is a new era for Marvel Comics the Heroic Age.

Mighty Avengers Vol. 3: Dark Reign

This final volume of this iteration of the Mighty Avengers takes place following the events of Secret Invasion & goes all the way to Siege.  This is a new team of Avengers since Tony Stark is on the run & Norman Osborn is now in charge of the America's sanctioned Avengers team under the guise of Iron Patriot.  Hank Pym is here to clear his good name after the Skrulls dragged it & his reputation through the mud.  Other members of this team include Hercules, Amadeus Cho, Jarvis, Vision, Stature, U.S. Agent & Quicksilver these are the main members of the team there are a few guest members throughout the series.  Scarlet Witch appears to return but be weary not everything is as it appears.  Overall I didn't think this series was all that bad it is not as integral to the overall story as New Avengers or Dark Avengers but there is a wackiness that really pays off in this series.  If you are a fan of any of the characters that make up this team of Avengers then this series is for you.  Hercules disappears near the end of this story due to the mini-event Assault on Mount Olympus.

A Song of Ice & Fire: A Feast for Crows

This installment of A Song of Ice & Fire series is a little different than the previous books but it is still just as interesting.  Events in the series seem to have slowed down a little bit since the events of the previous book but that is probably due to the fact only half of the point of view characters are in this book.  Almost all of the characters in this book are new point of view characters some get less page time than others one of these such characters is Arianne Martell, she only has a couple of chapters but characters like Brienne Tarth who has close to ten chapters.  Events & plot threads become clearer as the story progresses but one of the things I have noticed that intrigues me the most about this series are the events that have come before such as the Age of Heroes, Robert's Rebellion, The War of the Nine Penny Kings or the events that are set to take place after this epic has come to an end.  Just like Tolkien before him Martin has created a story & a world that he can not hope to wrap up in 3 more books.  If you hate Cersei Lannister this book is for you she gets whats coming to her & self destructs along the way.  The main problem with this book & the format that Martin has chosen for this installment & A Dance with Dragons is that it leaves the reader with shocking cliff hangers that will not be resolved until The Winds of Winter.

Avengers the Initiative Vol. 5: Dreams & Nightmares

This volume of Avengers the Initiative starts tying up loose ends with characters & sets up characters for the next event Siege.  Justice & the New Warriors otherwise known as Avengers Resistance are striking back at the Initiative from the outside,  Meanwhile the current administration of Camp H.A.M.M.E.R. run by The Hood & Taskmaster is starting to crumble from the inside.  The real focus of this particular book is Penance A.K.A. Speedball & by the end of this volume he remembers everything also it is finally revealed who Trauma really is.

Dark Avengers Vol. 2: Molecule Man

This second volume of Dark Avengers can be read without reading Avengers / X-Men: Utopia but from a chronological stand point this should be read after.  Some more light is shed on who the Sentry is & what he can do.   The Molecule Man is found in this issue living in a small town in Colorado.  One of the great things about Marvel Comics is that they have some major power house villains who could really destroy the known universe with their powers but because of the way they are used they have become incredibly flawed & complex characters.  Molecule Man is one of those characters this is really only the second story I have ever read that has a focus on him the last major Marvel Comic I read with a focus on him was Secret Wars.  Siege is next but I don't see the major amount of build up like I did for Secret Invasion.