American Vampire #9 *****Writer: Scott Snyder
Artist: Rafael Albuquerque and Mateus Santolouco
Cover Artist: Rafael Albuquerque
Publisher: Vertigo
The end of the second arc comes to a fantastic end in this issue. The vampire killers, the vampires, and Skinner Sweet all make their move and in the end it is Cashel who is left to pick up the pieces. By this point it is clear that Snyder is able to create a vampire story that is not only fresh, but exciting from issue to issue. The league of vampires going around killing off other vampire cults is a nice juxtaposition to the vampire killers who are going around killing all vampires. Skinner Sweet reveals himself to be the ultimate badass in this issue, breaking his deal with the vampire league, then double crossing Cashel's father, and finally reaping his revenge on Cashel's unborn child. This story is consistently intelligent, fresh, and exciting. The art continues to be outstanding on Rafael Albuquerque's part as well as newcomer Mateus Santolouco. Essentially, this is a must read book.
Generation Hope #2 ***Writer: Kieron Gillen
Artist: Salva Espin
Cover Artist: Olivier Coipel
Publisher: Marvel
I'm on the fence with this title and I guess only time will tell. I think the story is pretty interesting. The fifth light is a unique mutant whose powers are actually fresh, unlike the other four copycats. In this issue the first four lights play relatively no role whatsoever, other than being Hope's cheerleaders. I think my biggest issue with the book, and I understand that this is a personal issue, is the disregard to leadership shown by Hope and her minions. Hope continues to act without any regard for anyone around her and the five lights seem to have no sense of authority. That being said, I do understand that this is just the second issue and it started off with a major battle so I will hold off ultimate judgment.
Uncanny X-Force #2 ****1/2Writer: Rick Remender
Artist: Jerome Opena
Cover Artist: Esad Ribic
Publisher: Marvel
Speaking of second issues, I thought this issue was absolutely fantastic. When the lineup for this group was announced the only questionable member, in my opinion, was Betsy. Even having been aware of her somewhat violent past, the fact that she was more than a little outraged in Second Coming made her seem like the wrong choice. These first two issues, this one especially, have done a good job in making it clear why she's around. This issue introduced to us Apocalypse's new Four Horsemen and other than wondering why Gambit is not around, I think they are all kinds of awesome. The whole set of villains are great. The creepy kid to be Apocalypse's host is just that, creepy, much like the Four Horsemen who's appearance seems to personify their character. As is to be expected, Deadpool and Dr. Nemesis bring a nice touch of humor to the whole book. Wolverine, who if you've been taking notes is in like 7 places at once right now and in multiple stages of living, isn't nearly as annoying in this series. Warren's new batcave, excuse me, X-cave is pretty awesome as well and with the Manor having been demolished a couple years back, it's a pretty smart addition. 4.5/5
Uncanny X-Men #530 ***1/2Writer: Matt Fraction
Artist: Greg Land and Jay Leisten
Cover Artist: Greg Land and Justin Ponsor
Publisher: Marvel
After a rocky start after the multi-title crossover, Second Coming, Uncanny is finally starting to get good again. The mutant sickness that is plaguing Utopia is a pretty smart plot, in my opinion, and as far as I know it is one that has not been done before. Coupled with the ragtag X-Men story line going on in San Francisco, this new arc has the potential of being some really great stuff that we've come to expect from Fraction.
X-Men Legacy #242 ***Writer: Mike Carey
Artist(s): Paul Davidson
Cover Artist: Leinil Yu
Publisher: Marvel
If there was any title that suffered as much as Uncanny after Second Coming, it was Legacy. The last arc felt completely out of place, almost as if it was released at the wrong time. This issue starts up a new arc, although we are still left in the dark as to the entire story. The issue plays out in the flashbacks of multiple characters as they recall the events that take place at a construction site. I thought that this issue was a definite improvement over the last arc. The story itself feels more relevant than the previous, with Hellion still struggling over his lost arms, Scott sending a group out to assist in rebuilding San Francisco, people still dealing with Hope. It all feels like a better fit to have followed Second Coming, except it didn't. Unfortunately, the art continues to struggle in this title, with this new artist being no better than the previous one.
Walking Dead #79 ****1/2Writer: Robert Kirkman
Artist(s): Charlie Adlard and Cliff Rathburn
Cover Artist(s): Charlie Adlard and Cliff Rathburn
Publisher: Image
Being so far into the series, we can already start to picture what will happen next. There's a sense of calm, a rebuilding of sorts, and that is followed by an event of massive destruction. However, even anticipating all of this Kirkman is still able to keep the reader on our toes. The introduction of new characters, new situations, new relationships, all are a part of what keeps this series going. The juxtaposition of Douglas expressing his failures as a leader with the onslaught of zombies outside the walls is a perfect example of how character development mixed in with action keeps this story so good. Relationships and connections between people has been what this title has been about since the beginning and it is what keeps things fresh after so long. The artwork from day one, of my reading, has been fantastic and continues to be fantastic. Whether or not what I think will happen happens, I'm sure I'll be satisfied because of the consistent quality from this creative team.
You can read my DC reviews for this week at ComicAttack.net!
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