I agree... I remember back in the peak of the bad 90s he was practically a Liefield clone... he did some really bad Thor and Wonder Woman IIRC... that's been the only bright spot of this Iron Man volume.

I didn't mind the undercover bit...I just hated that it was with the owls and it was so damned dreary and angsty. I hated the Court of Owls to begin with so more of them was a downer but that it wasn't upbeat just killed it for me; it could have been like say Agents of Atlas but it just seemed like it was going to be too dark and without any sense of fun.

Wow, that is good. Again I think that its the coloring that really makes it stand out but it's great either way. While the choices for who will be "Ironman" aren't my cup of tea I may need to check this out in trade at least. 

Skybourne #1 (Boom!)

written & drawn by Frank Cho

Summary:  Grace Skybourne, one of three immortal children of the biblical figure Lazarus, is, like her siblings, blessed with near-invulnerability and super-strength as well. She seeks to recover the mystical sword Excalibur through diplomacy at first and then violence at last. She does so only to run afoul of another mystical warrior whose after the famed sword. After an engaging battle, Grace finds a limit to her invulnerability as the sword is taken yet again.

Plot: When I read the initial previews of this new mini by esteemed professional Frank Cho, I knew I had to read it. I'm a sucker for anything pertaining to or offering some new twist on Arthurian legends/fables. Tying in the biblical figure Lazarus as the father (after his resurrection) of these children was a nice touch.

While I'm familiar with Cho's art, I'm not as familiar with his writing. Here, he presents a straightforward snatch and grab story with Excalibur as the loot in question only to have the job go sideways when someone new puts their hat in the ring for the sword. Grace's personality so far is equally straightforward, she's immortal, invulnerable, super-strong and she knows it. The violence herein is quite graphic but expected for someone with these abilities. There are the usual vague questions about who does Grace work for? Why do they (or her) want Excalibur? And who is the mysterious mystic warrior and what does he want with the sword?

Then there are Grace's siblings, Thomas and Abraham. Thomas appears at the beginning but the rest of the story focuses on Grace. Abraham remains a mystery. It's not too complex but the first part of this serial is decent and interesting.

Art: Terrific, clean, dynamic, it's what one would expect from Cho. Marcio Menyz's coloring makes the action (and gore) vibrant.

Plot: 6/10
Art: 8/10
Overall: 7/10

Would I come back next issue: Being a five issue mini helps and Cho has laid out an interesting overall mystery with the Skybourne children. Do they all want the same thing/result? If not, why not? There's a good dynamic here and the touches of Arthurian and Christian imagery is enough for me to want to check out the next issue.

Uncanny X-Men #12 (Marvel)

written by Cullen Bunn
art by Greg Land


Summary: Psylocke and Sabertooth learn of Magneto's involvement with the Hellfire Club as he seeks to use them as part of his plans to safeguard mutants against the deadly Terrigen Mists and the rising surge of Inhumans. To show this, Erik lets Betsy in on what the Club has learned about the Someday Corporation, a entity whose public image is one of wanting to help those mutants fearful of being infected and possibly dying by the Mists by putting them into cryogenic sleep till the Mist crisis is resolved. Betsy sees firsthand when she leads the other X-Men (Sabertooth and Monet) in a covert assault on a Someday Corporation site that the company is actually brainwashing and weaponizing these mutants for some yet unknown purpose.

Plot: Bunn acknowledges in broad strokes past canon which is always a good thing. This new Inner Circle of the Hellfire Club is different from past incarnations. While Sebastian Shaw is present and Erik is the new White King, we also have Monet as the new White Queen (ooh, how that must sit with Emma given their past history!) and Black Tom Cassidy, who makes a most welcome return to the forefront as the new White Bishop. Bunn also acknowledges his previous work in Magneto's last solo title with the return of Briar Raleigh as the new Black Bishop.

Bunn's main strength continues to be his characterization. Throughout this run, he has built up the working partnership of Erik and Betsy and here, it's put to a big test as Betsy learns of one of Erik's (many) ongoing plans in fighting this new guerilla war against Inhumans. Her resolve is tested as it seems that Magneto is often right in what he is doing (as seen with this revelation about Someday), something she finds troubling.

Art: With Greg Land, you basically know what you are going to get. Interesting poses, close-ups and yes, something akin to realism. But it also backfires when it's hard to distinguish between characters, in this instance, Betsy and Monet. It's a mixed bag of good and imperfect moments.

Plot: 7/10
Art : 6/10
Overall: 7/10


Would I come back next issue: Bunn has been steadily building upon this storyline so this title may not be the easiest to just jump onto with this issue. But it's worth investigating for Bunn has consistently had (so far) good drama and characterization and the action has been good too. Land's art, depending on it's relative quality, is the only real factor that may hinder or draw down this title. Otherwise, if you're a passing X-fan, check out one of the more solid titles in the X-line. As for me, based on the continuing level of intrigue and drama, I'll be back next issue. 

Justice League #4  (DC)

written by Bryan Hitch
art by Jesus Merino


Summary: The Kindred, an ancient alien force of unknown origin and purpose, continues their extinction-level assault upon the Earth and humanity, stretching the League to their upper limits in trying to stop them. Wonder Woman, trapped within one of the Kindred giants, tries to maintain a dialogue with these aliens while showing resolution that the League will stop them if they continue this attack. Flash maintains his efforts to halt the Kindred's tech creatures attacks globally. Meanwhile, Batman seeks out Cyborg, who suffered a massive attack from those same creatures and comes away with some new insights into their methods and purpose. Batman feels it's time to move on to the next step, feeling Superman has failed in his attempt to stop the deadly machines who are causing devastating worldwide earthquakes from deep within the Earth's core. Lois bravely talks him into trusting her husband, who we see has discovered a way to destroy these infernal machines but does he have the strength and resolve to finish the mission? Aquaman feels he may have the answer to this crisis and off in space, the two Green Lanterns reach the supposed alien world that's the source of this invasion and make a disturbing discovery....


Plot: With this title and his previous JL work, I think Hitch has done rather well with this team and characters. The Justice League should face the gravest of threats and emergencies and Hitch has provided a massive one here with the Kindred, aliens who apparently have had some previous ties to humanity at some point in the distant past. It takes a bit of juggling to give all these characters their proper due face time but Hitch has done well with the pacing, with each issue, moving each character's individual storyline forward.

He's also done well with the new dynamics of this team, especially with Superman. Wonder Woman and Flash may trust this 'new' Superman but Batman doesn't. He's hesitant over involving him yet can't deny that his power is needed in facing this severe threat. Batman wants Clark to prove himself while Clark simply wants to help stop this menace. Here, Lois' defense of needing to trust Clark when Batman is ready to quit on him is handled very well. Plus, the rookie GLs, Simon and Jessica, come off better as a partnership than they do in their solo GL title.

Last, this story just feels epic, like any proper JL story should.

Art: Merino's art matches the epic feel of the story. His character work is strong and graceful especially his facial work. The determination on Diana's face, the fear and shock from Victor, but really the sheer grit on Clark's face as he pushes himself to his own super limits. From the backyard of the Kent household to the vastness of an alien world, Merino encompasses it all with terrific style.

Plot: 7/10
Art: 8/10
Overall: 7/10

Would I come back next issue: Hitch is pushing the team to their limits, the threat is exotic and menacing, and the art properly supports the scope of the story. How will the League stop this? I'm eager to find out. 

I didn't like Hitch's first JLA (the pre-rebirth one).. I felt like he was trying too hard to make his villains be threatening by having the heroes be really, really dumb. Has that gotten better? With Superman, Wonder Woman, Flash, and TWO Green Lanterns on the team seems like it would be really hard to have a credible villain without doing so.

That pre-rebirth story-line seems pretty decent I might need to check that out.