The Front Page

Reviewer: Adam Chapman adam.chapman@sympatico.ca
Quick Rating: Painfully Uneven
Title: Chapter Two

Wolverine and Domino go on the run, pursued by the Assassins Guild!

Writers: Craig Kyle & Christopher Yost
Artist: Gabriele Dell'Otto
Letters: Virtual Calligraphy's Cory Petit
Cover Art: Gabriele Dell'Otto
Assistant Editor: Jody LeHeup
Editors: Jeanine Schaefer & John Barber
Executive Editor: Axel Alonso
Publisher: Marvel Comics

This is a mini-series which is far more style than substance, and although it does help propel the story along a bit, it doesn't quite make up for certain deficiencies in the plotting and characterization. Some series are able to trade on the style points far more effectively than here, but ultimately the over-sexualization of this issue detracts from the actual story that's being told. And for what it's worth, the story isn't a bad one, it's somewhat simple in how it's laid out, but it has some potential in it.
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Reviewer: Craig Reade
Quick Rating: Above Average

The Rapture has come and gone, and you are still on Earth. Now what?

Writer: Chad Feehan and Ryan Dixon
Pencils: Tsubasa Yozora
Colors: Ed Ryzowski
Inks: Jeremiah Lambert and Matt Keltner
Editor: Jim Resnowski
Publisher: Viper Comics
Solicitation Date: September 2010

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Reviewer: Adam Chapman adam.chapman@sympatico.ca
Quick Rating: Very Good

With Erskine dead in his arms, Steve Rogers tries to find out who killed him, and why?

Writers: Ed Brubaker
Artist: Dale Eaglesham
Colors: Andy Troy
Letters & Production: Virtual Calligraphy's Joe Caramagna
Cover Art: Carlos Pacheco, Tim Townsend & Frank D'Armata
Associate Editor: Lauren Sankovitch
Editor: Tom Brevoort
Captain America Created By: Joe Simon & Jack Kirby
Publisher: Marvel Comics

It's nice to have Brubaker writing a solo Steve Rogers story, and he doesn't disappoint with this mini-series thus far, and thanks to Eaglesham, the entire enterprise becomes that much better. The story is a very engaging and enjoyable one thus far, with a nice mystery, some emotional resonance for Steve Rogers, and a great cliffhanger ending in this issue. The scripting is far simpler than Brubaker normally writes Steve, but that's most likely due to the fact that this is a four-issue mini-series as opposed to an ongoing series where Brubaker can tell a more long-form story. That being said, the simpler, more compact nature of the story is not a detriment, but instead makes the story more accessible, and faster-paced.
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Reviewer: Adam Chapman adam.chapman@sympatico.ca
Quick Rating: Above Average
Title: Stark Resilient Part 5

Pepper is reacquainted with RESCUE, as Tony prepares for a Gala event...

Writers: Matt Fraction
Artist: Salvador Larroca
Colors: Frank D'Armata
Letters: Virtual Calligraphy's Joe Caramagna
Assistant Editor: Alejandro Arbona
Editor: Stephen Wacker
Publisher: Marvel Comics

With this arc rebuilding Iron Man and Tony Stark for the new Heroic Age status quo, it stands to reason that there'd be some slowness in the set-up stage, but even so it feels like this storyline is progressing far too slowly. It's not that it isn't interesting per se, but I just don't think it's engaging ENOUGH for a monthly series. There's a lot of pieces being put into play, which I like, many different character interactions, etc, and the series is definitely becoming more of an ensemble drama, which I also like, but its the speed and pacing which seems to dog this series the most right now. Take another comic that came out this week as an example, Thanos Imperative #3. That series manages to deftly balance so many different characters, concepts, ideas, interrelationships, etc, and it somehow does it flawlessly, without the pacing feeling sluggish or prolonged. And yet then you have this series, and it just feels like it's moving at a snail's pace compared to that series.
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Reviewer: Adam Chapman adam.chapman@sympatico.ca
Quick Rating: Very Good

Thanos and the Guardians of the Galaxy discover the branching-off point that led to the Cancerverse being corrupted!

Writers: Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning
Artist: Miguel Sepulveda
Colors: Jay David Ramos
Letters: Virtual Calligraphy's Joe Caramagna
Cover Artist: Aleksi Briclot
Assistant Editor: Rachel Pinnelas
Editor: Bill Rosemann
Publisher: Marvel Comics

The one good thing about ending Nova and Guardians of the Galaxy while Thanos Imperative is running is that it ensures a clarity of focus, so that everything that you need to know comes solely from this one series, with one creative team, and it also heightens the anticipation because you only get one dose of the story a month, to whet your appetite for cosmic action. Thus far, this is proving to be a very exciting mini-series, because you get to see some really cool characters all occupying the same series, as pieces that have been set in motion over the last few years come together. What I really liked about this issue is how it revealed the true cause of what corrupted the cancerverse, by giving a specific timeline to when it was corrupted, and also managed to do so without disrupting the overall pacing of the series. In fact, I thought it was quite clever how we got a nice parallel in scenes as Thanos discovers the branching point, and at the same time Mar-Vell from the Cancerverse finds out the difference in realities thanks to the branching point occuring differently in the "normal" universe.
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Here we are again, friends, August. For many of us across the country it’s time to roll up the slip-n-slide and roll out the loose leaf paper. Desks are getting full, parents are getting excited, teachers are stocking up on paperclips and ibuprofen. It’s time friends. To go Back. To. School.
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Review by: Walt Kneeland (walt.kneeland@gmail.com )
Quick Rating: Good
Story Title: Curse of the Mutants part two

The X-Men try to capture a vampire, though an old pro has to step in; while they begin to grasp the severity of their situation, Jubilee deals with the spread of the corruption inside her.

Written by: Victor Gischler
Penciled by: Paco Medina
Inked by: Juan Vlasco
Colored by: Marte Gracia
Lettered by: VC's Joe Caramagna
Cover by: Adi Granov
Assistant Editor: Jake Thomas
Associate Editor: Daniel Ketchum
Executive Editor: Axel Alonso
Published by: Marvel Comics

Wolverine and Colossus chase one particular vampire, in order to essentially bring back a "live sample" for the X-Club (the X-Men's scientific team) to study and potentially produce a way of saving Jubilee. As they find the challenge a bit more than they bargained for, they find a new ally in Blade, who brings with him the news that Dracula himself is dead. While Jubilee faces the effects of her contamination from the self-destructing vampire last issue, the X-Men get a bit of a look at just how bad their situation is ...

Review by: Walt Kneeland (walt.kneeland@gmail.com )
Quick Rating: Above Average
Story Title: Like a Hurricane part 3: The Curse of Flabberge pt. 1

After a disappointing setback in seeking one treasure, Scrooge & crew take off after another.

Writer: Regis Maine
Artist: Jose Cardona Blasi
Translator: David Gerstein
Inkers: Comicup Studio
Colors: Digikore Studios
Letterer: Jose Macasocol, Jr.
Assistant Editor: Christopher Burns
Editors: Aaron Sparrow & Christopher Meyer
Cover Artist: Giorgio Cavazzano (colors by Cyrille Leriche)
Designer: Erika Terriquez
Published by: Boom Kids!

Continuing the Like a Hurricane bit, we find Scrooge and Launchpad attempting to retrieve a giant diamond from Chickaboom tombs. When the Beagle Boys interfere, things fall apart--literally, leaving Scrooge as one ticked-off duck. Returning home with Launchpad minus a treasure and his hat, the two are hospitalized due to a particularly ugly crash-landing. The nephews show up, and provide their uncle with a new quest to take his mind off the lost treasure, and everyone jumps back into action. ...

Cars: The Adventures of Tow Mater #1 (Boom! Kids)
By Chuck Wilson, Keith R.A. DeCandido, Travis Hill & Allen Gladfelter

The newest Cars storyline begins with Lightning looking around Radiator Springs for the absent Mater. When they find him, his newest project is something that could be a lot of fun – or spell disaster. DeCandido wrote the script for this issue, adapting it from a children’s storybook by Chuck Wilson, and he does a pretty good job. I’ve never read the storybook, but your typical comic book definitely requires more depth and planning (and, y’know, words) than your typical storybook. He seems to have expanded the story nicely, while still building on the stories that have already been told in the comics by Alan Porter. ...

The gay guy death watch is officially over, as bit it, just like I thought he would, and at the hands of , again like I thought he would. But I’m jumping ahead of myself.

Once again, a ton of plot development in this issue, as Sookie and Bill have a tearful bedside break up while she’s still in the hospital, recovering, and a complaining Sophie-Anne is moved into Russell’s mansion with all her birds. Talbot is furious, as he (rightly) guesses he will be babysitting Russell’s new wife, on top of all the other things he’s been doing (burying werewolves, cleaning brains off bed sheets … a vampire husband’s job is never done). Russell does his best to calm him down, and with Eric listening, says the only thing he cares about is that Talbot is safe. (This is where the guy in the top hat singing “Mistake!” would have been very helpful for Russell.) Talk about foreshadowing.
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Reviewer: Andrea Speed andy@comixtreme.com
Quick Rating: Good
Rating: PG-13 (language, violence, some crudity)


Two desk jockey cops end up with a big case. Now, if only they can figure out how to solve it …

Starring: Will Ferrell, Mark Wahlberg, Eva Mendes, Michael Keaton, Steve Coogan, Rob Riggle, Damon Wayans Jr., Ray Stevenson, Lindsay Sloane, Samuel L. Jackson, & Dwayne Johnson
Written By: Adam McKay & Chris Henchy
Directed By: Adam McKay
Released By: Columbia Pictures


Will Ferrell comedies are usually frantic, low brow things that I avoid, just because I know this isn’t my kind of humor. But the trailer for this actually gave me a good chuckle, so I figured why not, and went ahead and bought a matinee ticket. I’d say that’s just about the right price for this.

Buddy cop films are dead. I think Cop Out was the final nail in the coffin, as this plot is a cliché so hoary it has mold, rust, dust, and its own self-created cheese by now. We’ll all been there, done that, bought the Big Gulp cup, and watched Mel Gibson descend into madness. (I’m not saying Lethal Weapon made him this way, I’m just saying it couldn’t have helped.) But “The Other Guys” decides to go the satire route, which is pretty much all you can do with a buddy cop film.
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