AMAZING X-MEN #1: Battle of the Atom just about did me in on the X-Men. It took away all the charm for me and I had pretty much turned my back on the mutants and wished them well. But as you know im a sucker for first issues and really how could I not read a comic by Jason Aaron and Ed McGuinness? So with a certain amount of trepidation I read Amazing X-Men #1 and you know what? I’m back dudes! Back into the world of the the X-Men. This comic was great! No time traveling messes to try and figure out or any of that bullshit that Bendis has muddled things up with. Nothing but a solid story that singlehandly reinvigorates the X-Men universe after a mind numbing cross-over. Aaron seems like he is almost writing the very first X-Men story here – everything feels new and fresh and the characters are taken down to their core essence which at this moment in time is a stroke of brilliance. This allows new readers and old readers alike to enjoy this story as it should be. My Comic of the Week! WRITING: EXCELLENT / ART: EXCELLENT
CATACLYSM: THE ULTIMATES LAST STAND #1: Say goodbye to the Ultimate Universe. Good old Galactus is in town and hungry as hell. This issue is a bulldozer of a comic and doesn’t let up for nothing. Right from the get go it is an onslaught of destruction and death and the tone is one of finality and dread. I love it. This comic is playing for keeps and Brian Michael Bendis and Mark Bagley are delivering the goods (Bendis just needs to stick with writing Ultimate comics and give up the X-Men). If you have ever read any of the Ultimate line of comics you want to get in on this event. This is the end and its fucking heavy. WRITING: GREAT / ART: GOOD
SWAMP THING #25: What a fun issue this was. The fight between Swamp Thing and The Seeder fills the entire issue and Charles Soule comes up with some fantastic ideas here that both of the contenders to the green throne utilize. By far one of the best issues of this series to date. I love the direction that Soule is taking this book and the characterization that he is instilling in Swampy – this isn’t your fathers Swamp Thing and that’s a good thing. It’s about time this character broke free of the Alan Moore bonds that he’s been shackled to for decades. Soule may be accomplishing the impossible here. Don’t miss it. WRITING: EXCELLENT / ART: EXCELLENT
SUPERMAN UNCHAINED #4: I read this yesterday and I have already forgotten the majority of issue. Only a few stand out moments I’m able to recall. This is not a good sign. This series for me so far as been pretty mediocre and forgettable which is too bad because all in all I like Jim Lee and of course Scott Snyder is capable of so much more. This comic to me just reeks of all glitz and no substance. An excuse for Lee to draw poses. This is just not a good match – working with a writer like Snyder who excels in the quiet moments, you can just see the weariness in Lee’s work here. It is uninspired and half-ass. Along with the art problems Snyder’s story suffers from the tired practice of “keeping things hidden for too long from the reader” – just get to the point already and stop with all the hints and mysteries. To me this method (something that Geoff Johns pioneered) is a sure fire way to get readers to drop the title in favor of something else. Stop dragging things out. Give us the goods. With that said the story isn’t all that bad and I like the ideas behind it, but yeah, give us more Snyder, stop with the foreplay and it deserves better then what Lee is delivering. WRITING: GOOD / ART: GOOD AT TIMES, FAIR AT TIMES
ALEX + ADA #1: This comic reminded me a lot of Steven Spielberg’s movie A.I (you know that one with that cute kid from the Sixth Sense who now is weird looking that he is all grown up). Alex + Ada takes place in a not so far off future where appliances can be turned off and on just by thinking about it thanks to a brain implant from a company called Prime Wave. This makes for some cool scenes here that writer/artist Jonathan Luna portrays in a straightforward, almost clinical setting. It is a very sterile looking comic – and I mean that in a nicest way possible. The art is a perfect fit for the subdued nature of the story being told. The main character of Alex is expertly layed out for us in 24 pages and by the end of the comic, when he opens the present from his grandma, (who is one of the best characters in the comic) we have come to know just what kind of person he is and assimilated his life story without even seeing it. This is a great start to a great book . Highly recommended. WRITING: EXCELLENT / ART: GREAT
Nothing But Comics 
Amazing X-Men really did live up to it’s title.
Wonderful comic. Brought back the charm of the X-Men for me
Yeah that opening page is just beautiful. I kinda wanna go home and read that again instead of finishing off my stack for the weak. Also me and Alex were saying this but Ed McGuiness Bamf’s: cutest thing ever and if they made a plush toy of them how many would you buy?
The “Bamf” battles in this issue were spectacular, I could really feel myself being placed there right in the middle of the action. Excellent stuff from McGuiness.
I agree with you on Swamp Thing — it was an excellent issue, and was a close second for my Comic of the Week . . .
Same here – right after Amazing X-Men.
Cataclysm was awesome. It’s all grim with all the destruction in just the first issue but this is great stuff.It looks like to me this is the end of the Ultimate Universe and it’s fitting to have the writer and artist that started it all to also end it.
In total agreement – Bendis and Bagley know this universe the best and are the right dudes for the job.
Some good mini reviews there Ghosty. Agree completely with your assessment about Superman Unchained. Hard to believe it’s the same bloke that writes Batman, isn’t it?
Didn’t mind Lee’s Justice League like some seem too, but his Superman solo stuff just never works for me.
Glad to see you and Patrick giving glowing recommendations to Amazing X-Men. Order my books a couple of months in advance so it can always be a bit of a crap shoot but took a chance on this as it looked like a fun book and glad to see I won’t be disappointed when I get my monthly parcel in a couple of weeks. I think that’ll manage to make it’s way to the top of the reading pile this time ’round.
If you like it as much as we do I want to see pic’s of your pitties dressed like Bamf’s.
I think my dogs’ll eat my copy if that’s the fate they can look forward too.
Ghostmann, I’m with you in regards to Jim Lee’s art. The action looks great but there were times when Lois and that traitor terrorist guy were in the wood that was plain bad. You can tell pretty easily which pages he spent zero time on. The story has been good but didn’t progress much in this issue. Both of these things bum me out because I really want to stay on this series and have it be great 😦
yep, like I said I really do like both Lee and Snyder a great deal – they just seem like a bad match on this series
Loved Alex and Ada. Cool word, interesting characters, intriguing story. Excellent from me as well and recommended.
Swamp Thing was amazing. Easily my comic of the week and one the best single issues of anything I’ve read in a while.
Glad I decided to drop Superman Unchained
Glad that I decided not to bother with Superman Unchained . . .
Holy motherfucker. I am back on an X-Men book. For as long as it lasts. it’s a mini, right? Amazing X-Men is superb. I JUST finished it. I still have a stack of unread comics to enjoy. Sacrifices that parents make. Am I right?
Ed’s art pleasantly surprised me. Usually too bulky. He seems to have evolved.
Lil’ Bamfs are the cutest thing I’ve seen since Bizarro gave Lex a flower. 🙂
If only we could get an intercompany crossover with the little Bamfs and Bizarro.
Bamfs and Bizzaro? Fuck that. Bamfs and Krypto, Dude.