Because that's what I'd do, and I'm the guy that taught him how to run in the first place

So my appy-polly-logies to my readers. I'm sure I speak for both myself and Matt when I say, we've been busy. This is a major long post and as I mention further on that there are also a couple reviews from three weeks ago, the rest are from two weeks ago. And I'll be getting to last week's issues shortly.

Uncanny X-Men #523 **** 1/2
The X-Men have been on a wild ride in the past years, one more than the others, and it has all been leading up to the Second Coming of the Messiah. This epic event has been living up to all the expectations that I had and then some. What a great issue this was. I am loving the way that the writers have been portraying Cable and Hope's relationship. That whole hair kit scene was just a really nice touch. I am very excited to see how this all works out for Scott. The X-Force has been a clandestine operation because Scott knew that some of the X-gang would have an issue with it. And now that its existence is out in the open, not everyone agrees with their methods. And while I do have certain issues with Logan's actions in this particular issue, I think that Scott's decision to create the X-Force was the correct decision. With the New Mutants landing in, all hell's about to turn loose.

Matt Fraction has been a great asset to the X-Titles roster. I'm loving his run on the Uncanny title and I think that this issue just furthers my belief. I'm also a big fan of Terry Dodson's artwork. It has a great look and feel to it.


S.H.I.E.L.D. #1 ****
This was one of those last minute buys for me. My local comic shop has been pushing this book as one of the best of the year (they actually say the best of the year, but I disagree.) Written by Jonathan Hickman, the book chronologies the epic that is S.H.I.E.L.D. Contrary to what was once popular belief, Nick Fury and gang were not the origins of S.H.I.E.L.D., but in actuality S.H.I.E.L.D. traces its roots back to the times of the Ancient Egyptians. It turns out that throughout history a select few have become privy to the knowledge about how the world will end. The book gets truly interesting when a present day Leonid is invited into the secret city deep below the surfaces of Rome.

I am always a tad weary when things are hailed as the best of the year, especially when the year isn't half over. That being said, I enjoyed this issue. The writing was good, but the true winning point for this issue would have to be the artwork. Hickman has been getting rave reviews for his past writings, including his current run on the Fantastic Four title, and while I am intrigued as to how this will all play out, the art was outstanding. Dustin Weaver did a beautiful job. The whole art team, in fact, needs to be praised. Everything just came together so elegantly, that in my opinion, it stole the show.

Deadpool & Cable #25 ****
With all the seriousness taking over in the rest of the X-titles, this book was just some good clean fun, well, not always clean. The book fills in the empty spots of Cable's journey in Messiah Complex. Turns out, he had a little help from his good old buddy, Deadpool. Like I said, this was just a lot of fun. Deadpool was his usual self, witty, obnoxious, and amusing. Cable was his usual self, a tad surly, serious, and focused. And it turns out, Cable did need Deadpool's help a couple times.

Batman and Robin #11 **** 1/2
The return of Bruce Wayne is only weeks away, but Grant Morrison has started it all off here in the pages of Batman and Robin. More and more, in recent months, I am beginning to like Damian. Even more so, I am beginning to feel real sorry for the guy. I mean, his mother replaced his broken spine with a new spine, too bad she didn't tell him that it is a remote controlled spine. Who she's got controlling him should be a shock to those of you who know Dick Grayson. And just who is Oberon Sexton, is he Bruce Wayne? What's with the underground secret caves? Grant Morrison has definitely kicked it up a notch with this story. Plus, the artwork by Andy Clarke works quite well with the tone of the story.

Red Robin #11 ****
Tim's battle with Ra's Al Ghul rages on in this book. Tim's blow the League of Assassins, back in issue #8, has been met with a sound retaliation. Ra's has sent near everyone at his disposal to not only take down Tim, but everyone close to him as well. This issue was a nice issue. Some parts felt a bit flat though. I enjoyed Tim's interaction with Dick, now if only those two would patch everything up. I am more than intrigued as to how this will all come to an end in the next issue. And who is Ra's Al Ghul's buddy in the dark?

Nemesis: The Imposters #2 ****
What a surprise this mini-series has turned out to be. While it feels like there are a million and one people out there named Nemesis in the superhero community, this is the one you should be focused on. This series has been surprisingly great. Not that I expected it to be bad, why would I have bought it, but rather I didn't know what to expect. I had a vague recollection of who Nemesis was, turns out I was right. He's the ex-lover to DC's very own Wonder Woman. Unfortunately for him, she just wanted his baby makers. Jump to the present and you've got yourself a mystery. Nemesis believes that for the past two years he had been abducted. Wonder Woman, and apparently the rest of the world, believe Nemesis to have been living a mentally unstable life, here in the real world. Faced with what appears to be Imposters, Nemesis is on a journey to save his own life. And how awesome that is. The writing is fun, the artwork is nice; it's an overall great read.

Flash: Secret Files and Origins *** 1/2
This past year has been very big for DC's very own Fastest Man Alive, Barry Allen. I should clarify, it's been very big for DC's Fastest People Alive. A couple or three came back to the land of the living, another couple of them have now become connected to the Speed force in ways that they hadn't been before, and others still are reaching new heights with their speed powers. That being said, this issue was a great lead-in to the upcoming Flash series. It gave us a little bit of insight into what is going on in just minutes of Barry's life. This was a nice and fairly thorough read. We get some back story but we also get some insight into the Speed family's future.

Last Stand of New Krypton #2 ****
This event started off with a bang, but I feel that it has slowly begun to plateau. With so many titles being tied into this event, I feel that the story is spreading itself too thin. Those of you who aren't reading each of the tie-ins will have to let me know how it's feeling for you, but having read all the tie-ins so far, the story just feels slightly repetitive. That being said, this issue in particular was pretty good. Superboy, Supergirl, and the Legion of Superheroes have finally made their way on to Brainiac's ship looking to rescue all the trapped cities onboard. With the help from Brainiac 5, who has just arrived from the future, their chances for success are looking better and better. Unfortunately Brainiac has not only reacquired New Krypton, but has shot a dose of Kryptonian rays at Superman, who is now falling from the sky. This main title has been great, there is just enough action, adventure, and information to maintain a great level of interest. I would just hope that this level of cohesiveness is reflected in the tie-in issues.

Superman Secret Origins #5 ***
I started off really enjoying this series and while I didn't exactly like the previous issue, this one was better. I was thoroughly amused when Superman posed for pictures for Jimmy Olsen and then again when Clark stared down that psycho that was manhandling Lois. I find that in the Superman books I am reading (Superman Secret Origins, Superman, even Supergirl really,) that the supporting cast really makes the comic. No offense to Clark or Linda, but without Lois, Jimmy, Lana, Mon-El, hell even Ma Kent, they just wouldn't be enough to keep me interested. Even though this is retelling of the tale of Superman, and therefore I know what is going to end up happening, it is nice to be reminded of the way things were.

And because I missed the review from two weeks ago:

Gotham City Sirens #10 ***
With Aesop's return last issue, yes the Fables man himself, the Sirens found themselves on the wrong side of a murder set-up, which then led to the hiring of a questionable (in terms of good or bad) private eye, the Riddler. This issue was a mixture of things. The writing, as I've come to expect from Mr. Dini, was good. I do take a little issue with the artistry. The colorist, which as a profession I don't think I've ever mentioned, felt a little bit off for me. There were odd highlights randomly throughout the issue that distracted me from the story. Overall it wasn't a bad issue, but it wasn't the best either. I can say that I have enjoyed the good private eye Riddler that we have been exposed to in this title and will miss him if he reverts to his old ways. I also enjoy the little bits and pieces we learn about the Sirens' personal lives throughout the book, which I feel adds to the depth of the characters.

Adventure Comics #9 ***
The war rages on in this multi-title crossover event. The book had three separate stories, written by three separate people, and had artwork by a whole bunch more. In the first story Brainiac 5, the smartest cognitive creature of the future, has sent himself back in time to take on the scourge of the universe, his ancestor Brainiac. While in the present time, Conner and the Legion are fending off Brainiac's robots in an attempt to save the Kryptonians, who would rather fight each other than help one another. For those of you who don't know, Kryptonians are a segregated people that don't play well with each other. And the final story followed the Kryptonian spy in General Lane's army and how she condemned a Kryptonian friend to death, in an attempt to gain General Lane's favor. The overall Last Stand of New Krypton story feels flat from time to time, but it was decent enough in this book. The biggest issue I have is with the artwork, which definitely feels inconsistent throughout the book. There were some scenes with great detail while others felt lacking. Some parts felt very rushed and I can't imagine why, seeing as each group of artists only really had 10 pages to work with each. An okay tie-in, nothing really necessary to further the plot though.