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Sorry I've been away for so long everyone--I am trying to insure that my college graduation will happen in a few weeks, and it's taking up an incredible amount of time, even during these, the most exciting weeks of my comic book life. To save myself a bit of time, I've combined two weeks of reviews into one mega-column. Please bear with me until June, and then I promise I'll be able to give this strip the time it deserves. Alright, enough 'splainin--onward!

SPOTLIGHT ISSUES:

Infinite Crisis #7:

All good things must come to an end, and that includes Infinite Crisis. The final issue was fittingly fantastic, and offered up extra pages for no extra cost. It offered reasonable explanations for the big questions: how did Superman lose his powers, where did the big heroes go after the Crisis, and who the next Flash would be. If you haven't read the book yet, I won't ruin any of the surprises for you. I'll just say this: I've never been more excited for a Wednesday that I was this week because of this book and Civil War. I don't think DC's upcoming titles look as good, and I have some issues with 52, but I'm grateful for the excitement that Infinite Crisis brought these last seven months. This month's issue has all the action, emotion, and big moments you could ever ask for from a comic, and if you haven't picked it up…well, then I don't know why you're reading this column.

Civil War #1:

As great as Infinite Crisis was, it's over, and it's time we be looking forward. Civil War also came out this week, and it looks promising. It hasn't had quite the buildup that Infinite Crisis had (though Marvel claims it will pull in plot threads from years ago), but it looks like it will deliver just as much on the goods. The event that kicks off the Civil War is no surprise to anyone who reads Wizard or any comics site on the internet, but the reaction to it caught quite a few people off guard, many of whom assumed Captain America and Iron Man would be on different sides than they were. Yet, Mark Millar's story draws on the history of both characters, and the sides make sense, as do who lines up behind them. His script is, if not as good as Bendis has described it, pretty damn good. If nothing else, he managed to make Cap the coolest character in the Marvel U in about three pages. Since I'm a fan of Ultimates, I wasn't surprised by Millar's quality, though; Steve McNiven, who has the artistic burden, stunned me. His pencils are more detailed and dynamic than anything I've seen from him before; he elevated his game every bit as much as Phil Jiminez elevated his for Crisis. It should be a good ride, friends. I'm looking forward to it.

FUN SIZE REVIEWS:

New Avengers Annual:

Yet another big Marvel release by a big-name writer who had the show stolen. Oliver Coipel, penciling for Bendis, has drastically changed his style since House of M. And, though I liked what he did on House of M, I was thoroughly impressed by his job on this special. The story sees a villain from the first arc returning to try and spoil Luke Cage and Jessica Jones' special day--as you may guess, there's a happy ending. Very good.

Villains United Special:

I have to say, I was pretty disappointed by the crop of IC tie-in specials. They all seemed padded, and not a one of them had a better artist attached than in the original miniseries. As for this one--the story, about world-wide breakouts, was more interesting than the other specials, but it still read like a regular-sized book stretched out to twice its natural length. The only really great moment was the reveal of the Society's secret weapon, which made for yet another great moment in IC #7.

Wolverine #41:

This double-sized standalone issue sees Wolverine going into a war-torn country to try and retrieve a helpless infant, the region's only hope for the future. The problem? Nobody else wants him to make it out alive, and babies don't have healing factors. This ish is short on dialogue and long on great art, by C.P. Smith. My suggestion would be to pick this book up--I love good standalones, and this one was great.

Checkmate #1:

Greg Rucka and Jesus Saiz team up to bring you Checkmate, one of the first post-Crisis titles (and one of the only ones that looks to be good). Rucka is on-target as usual, and I like Saiz's sweeping linework, along with the darkest color palette in mainstream comics. All in all, this could shape up to be a good espionage book, though I've always thought that for as cool an organization as Checkmate is, their way of sorting their ranks is kind of silly. This book is good, but not a must-read.

Batman #652 & Detective Comics #819:

Parts four and five of the Face the Face mystery are just as good as parts one through three, and that's saying something. This is one of the best crossover stories I've ever read--a must-see for any Batman fan.

Action Comics #838:

This is the other great crossover running at DC, though its scope is a bit tighter. The highest compliment I could pay to this book would be to say that it's everything I expected from Geoff Johns and Kurt Busiek. The end of this issue is the moment you've been waiting for. So what are you waiting for?

Astonishing X-Men #14:

I feel redundant gushing on and on about all the great books out there, but what can I say? I've got the cream of the crop of two great weeks worth of comics. Astonishing starts getting pretty damn freaky with this, promising an arc that will pay off the potential of the Breakworld story from arc one. And, in typical Whedon fashion, there's a perfect Kitty Pryde/Colossus moment that ranks among his best character pieces.

Amazing Spider-Man #531 & Fantastic Four #537 (Road to Civil War Issues):

Two books On the Road to Civil War, both written by J. Michael Straczynski, featuring some of Marvel's biggest characters. One of them--I liked. The other--not so much. Amazing was well-scripted, and, though I'm not a fan of Tyler Kirkham's pencils, there were some moments that made up for, including an important revelation about Iron Man, and Peter Parker literally sleeping through the first shot fired in the Civil War. Fantastic Four, on the other hand, seems kind of contrived, and I wasn't really satisfied with the story behind the reintroduction of Thor's hammer. Yes, it fits continuity, but that doesn't make it a good story.

MIKE'S MAINSTREAM MAILBAG:

I got a letter from faithful reader Jesse L last week, which I'm reprinting here:

I actually got this kind of response from a few different people who read the column, and didn't think I bashed The Other enough in my trade review. Granted, I do still think it failed as a story (as do Joe Quesada and JMS, which they admitted in the most recent issue of Wizard). What I liked in the trade was that I had a chance to read all of JMS' run beforehand, and saw all the ways it tied into years-old threads. I missed the boat on the Spectacular Spidey rip-off--what can I say? Unlike the new Spider-Man, I'm still semi-human. The only thing Jesse's wrong about, is that there's No Way Wieringo is better than Deodato….unless you think I'm wrong. Let your voices be heard, Long Beach.

Well, that's all for now. I'm short on time but big on plans--in the next few weeks look for a book review or two, previews of some huge comics-related video games on the horizon, and, hopefully, more from Mike's Mainstream Mailbag. Please send any comments, questions, compliments or complaints to skio84@charter.net

Another nice, quiet week, with some good titles including what may be the best monthly on the market. Plus, one solid Marvel miniseries ends, a new ongoing begins, and DC…well, DC doesn't really do much of anything. Enough jibber-jab, let's get onward!

SPOTLIGHT ISSUES:

Wolverine: Origins #1:

This is the most anticipated and controversial launch of the month, with many fans highly upset that Wolverine would be learning more about his origins, and others intrigued to see what writer Daniel Way would come up with. I myself was somewhat in the middle--it is both an odd decision and a potentially interesting story to have Wolverine's full origins laid bare. I wasn't all that interested in the book until the end of last month's Wolverine issue. Finally, today, the first issue of the Origins series arrived in stores, bearing two covers, one of which is an absolutely gorgeous Joe Quesada painting. Unfortunately, my split feelings weren't put to rest by the first issue. The writing was good, and it looks like Way will deliver on some great moments, including Wolverine invading the White House in this issue, and a sure-to-be-brutal fight with Nuke in the next one. My problem, though, was with the art--I was a big fan of the Wolverine Origins story, partly because the writing was great, but in large part because of the spectacular art by Andy Kubert. Subconsciously, I was expecting art just as good from this book--what I got was a Wolverine with perfect posture, who could not look less ferocious or interesting. It's not that the art is bad, it's just that it is supremely unimpressive, which this book needed and deserved more than. I enjoyed the story, but it will be hard for me to pick up future issues. I'm a writer and I tend to enjoy comics for the writing, but you're only as strong as your weakest link, and the weakest link on this book is nowhere near the best there is at what he does.

Spider-Woman: Origin #5 (of 5):

Marvel's second Origin book of the month is much different from its first, as Bendis' concise, well-written, beautifully drawn origin story about Jessica Drew comes to an end. I enjoyed every word of this book, and every panel--it's a no-miss that's exciting enough to be read in monthly issues, although I'll probably pick up the trade, too. I'm looking forward to Bendis and longtime Daredevil collaborator Alex Maleev's new Spider-Woman monthly series that will be launching in 2007, and, if it's anywhere near as good as this book, you should be too.

FUN SIZE REVIEWS:

New Avengers #18:

The Collective continues, as the "equal and opposite reaction" from the last page of House of M lands on earth and starts ripping stuff up. Ms. Marvel got her cosmic powers back in the last issue, and some much-needed help arrives in this month's installment. Another good issue, with some good action--but it looks like the big brew-ha-ha will be in next month's issue.

Justice #5:

In last month's issue, Lex Luthor and pals disabled the Justice League while announcing to the public that they would be their new heroes. This issue sees the League start to pull itself together--but it looks like it might be a while before they can do it. Another stellar issue, my only problem with this series is that it comes out so infrequently--it's an Alex Ross masterpiece, so it's as understandable as it is regrettable.

Sensational Spider-Man #25:

If you've liked this book so far, you will continue to, if not, you won't. I wouldn't review this book, which I find to be pretty good, except to tell you that this is your last chance for a while to see Spidey in his red and blues in his own monthly for a few months.

Daredevil #84:

Any week a new Daredevil issue hits stands is a good week. I call this book the best monthly title on shelves (only because Ultimates is by no stretch of the imagination monthly), and if you've been reading it for a while, you probably agree. The end of this issue somehow manages to up the ante just a little bit more. There has to be a ceiling, doesn't there? They haven't hit it yet.

TRADE REVIEW:

Spider-Man: The Other HC:

Those who read my weekly reviews of this series might be surprised to see that I reviewed this collected edition of The Other. There were a few reasons: one, it's a major release, and two, in between the end of this weekly series and the release of this hardcover, I read all of JMS' run on Amazing Spider-Man, which had been foreshadowing this book perfectly over the last several years. The story went down much easier in collected form, though questionable scripting choices such as Peter's "I've had my cathartic cry for the day" still rubbed every hair on my body the wrong way. It put the differences between the artists (Deodato great, Wieringo good, Pat Lee bad) into stark contrast, and made me wish Deodato could have drawn an extra set of arms to take on a couple more issues. Overall, better than before, but still not nearly as well done as it should have been--the potential for such an amazing project (how would a superhero prepare for death if they knew it were coming) far outstripped the execution. The Joe Quesada cover for this book is fantastic, but the only extra is two pages that include thumbnail images of all the alternate covers they released, which were pretty great. I can't say I recommend this book to everyone, but it probably wouldn't hurt to get it.
Not really any big news to report this week, so I'll just call it all quiet on the western front and see you next week. Direct all comments of all stripes and color to skio84@charter.net.

Slow week, which is kind of nice after the doozy we just had. There were still some good books, but not much to knock your socks off. Onward!

SPOTLIGHT ISSUES:

The Battle for Bludhaven #1:

The first of the Infinite Crisis spin-offs is out, just in time…a month before the series wraps up. Yes, the Infinite Crisis Aftermath is so big it couldn't even wait for the "after" of Infinite Crisis. Of course, there is the whole One Year Later timeline running concurrently…still, I've liked the OYL title so far, but seeing the IC Aftermath banner the week after I bought issue six just doesn't feel right. Fortunately, the book itself is pretty solid. Co-written by Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti, who may be writing more books together than Bendis and Geoff Johns combined, with art by Dan Jurgens, this book is set in the aftermath of Bludhaven, which was decimated by Chemo in the IC series. The government has declared Bludhaven a no man's land…er, a restricted zone, and has put the group Freedom's Ring in charge of making sure no one, super powered or otherwise, enters it. We flash One Year Later a few pages in, and see that the former citizens of Bludhaven are still living outside the destruction zone, trying to get in, and Freedom's Ring is still enforcing the government's will. But we also find out there's an ulterior motive to the move, one that has the Society trying to get in just as hard as the government is trying to keep them out. Solid issue, worth the pickup if you're a Gray/Palmiotti fan or a fan of the DCU in general. It didn't blow me away, but I enjoyed it, and I'll pick up the next issue for sure.

Ultimate Spider-Man #93:

It's not just minis nearing completion this week from Marvel--we also get this stallion of a book, which at 93 (count 'em) issues with the same creative team, is still going strong. Every twenty issues or so Bendis breaks out a narrative style that's memorable, and this is one of those issues: it's non-stop action seen through the eyes of the twisted weirdos watching the Krakoa mutant hunting show. Fans everywhere agree that Kitty Pryde is the best thing to happen to Spider-Man in a while--between her, the creative storytelling, and a serious "Oh Shit" moment on the last page, this old favorite is picking up steam in a hurry. The Deadpool arc has been one of my favorites in recent memory, and this is part three of four, so grab 'em while they're hot.

FUN SIZE REVIEWS:

Ultimate Extinction #4 (of 5):

This series just never got off the ground for me--it's been too much of the Ultimate U's big brains sitting around talking about Gah Lak Tus, and not enough of what made Galactus' original introduction so memorable: tons of heroes fighting to save the planet. I appreciate what Warren Ellis has tried to do with this book, but unless the next issue really, really blows me away, I'm going to have to declare this one of his rare failures. There are a hell of a lot of threads to tie up next issue, and we better see some action!

X-Men: The 198 #4 (of 5):

This series started out with so much possibility and flew straight into weirdness so fast it left my head spinning. Towards the end of the book things start to make a bit more sense as we find out the true character of the mysterious Mr. M, and things boil to a head between the government and the 198. Jury's still out on this book, though it's leaning towards a bad place--needless to say, a lot is riding on the last issue.

Son of M #5 (of 6):

This is the third next-to-last issue to hit stands from Marvel this week, so you can bet things won't be so quiet next month around this time. I've enjoyed this book a lot so far, and nothing has changed yet. This issue has a wonderfully drawn confrontation between Quicksilver and Magneto in it. Even as Marvel gears up towards Civil War, this book, the best of the Decimation crop, is not to be missed.

Nightwing #119:

This might be the best of the OYL books--we should know within another few months. Jason Todd proves in this issue that he's going to remain a huge thorn in Dick Grayson's side, on both sides of the mask. Bad for Dick, great for Nightwing fans. Pick this one up for sure.

Superman #651:

In the wake of the startling offer Clark Kent got in the last issue of this crossover, we get a bit of calm in this one…except that the Prankster is going nuts in Metropolis. Plus, Lex's plan starts to take shape at the end of the book, and DC promises in the teaser it will all come to light in the next issue. It's everything you'd expect from the amazing writing team of Kurt Busiek and Geoff Johns.

Batman Legends of the Dark Knight #203:

I love, and have always loved, the LOTDK book because of arcs like this one: short, quick, set in the past, and wonderful. The mystery of who the Ripper is has been ruined by DC's cover choices, but the book doesn't really suffer that much for it. If you're a Batman fan, or if you, like me, are still pissed about what was done to Leslie Thompkins' character in War Crimes, pick this up for a good, classic story that combines the Dark Knight's sleuthing skills with his ability to kick serial killer ass.

TRADE REVIEW:

Astonishing X-Men vol. 1 HC:

Finally, finally, finally I have one big, spiffy volume collecting the entire first year of Astonishing X-Men. These twelve issues belong in this format--they're so gorgeous at this size that I wish Marvel had something comparable to DC's Absolute books, because Cassaday's art deserves it. I will be the first person to say that Joss and John's first arc together is my all-time favorite X-Men story, and the first to defend the much-bashed Danger arc (which reads much better when you read all 12 issues in a sitting, by the way). Along with the 12 as-close-to-perfect-as-mortals-can-come issues, this book has a spankin' new introduction by Brian Vaughan, some beautiful character designs by Cassaday, all the cover art he's done (including all variants and Wizard promos), a Marvel Spotlight interview with Cassaday, and some of Joss Whedon's planning e-mails sent to and from Marvel. All that for thirty bucks. I quote Vaughan's intro in saying that, "Rarely has a comic benefited so much from multiple readings," and throw in that fewer books will hook your friends on comics than this one. It's one of the few books I'd call worth the buy at any price--issue four just happened to be on stands when I walked back into a local comic store, and it's responsible for getting me back into comics (for the third time). For that, I owe a debt to Whedon and Cassaday that no glowing review could ever pay back--still, I hope this is a start, and I hope you'll join me in supporting one of the best books to come out of any publisher in the last five years.

NEWS BRIEFS:

--Yet another slow news week, with one exciting tidbit to give you: the lineup for Marvel's upcoming Heroes for Hire book has been announced. Fans of the classic team will be sad to see that Luke Cage and Iron Fist aren't in it, but Marvel says the lineup will make sense as the launch of the title gets closer (I, for one, can't wait). Without further ado, the new Heroes for Hire: Humbug, Misty Knight, Black Cat, Tarantula, Colleen Wing, Paladin, Sable, Orka, and Shang Chi. The book will be written by our old friends Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti, and will be drawn by Billy Tucci, of Shi fame. Exciting news--to see some cover art for issue #1 with the whole gang, head over to Newsarama (you'll find a link on our Links page).

Hope you all found something good to read. As always, direct all questions, comments, raves, rants, love, hate, stuff, and junk to skio84@charter.net. See you in seven.

The sixth issue of Infinite Crisis is out this week, as well as a trio of great Batman books, and the second stage of the Annihilation event begins. PLEASE NOTE: READ INFINITE CRISIS #6 BEFORE YOU READ ANY OTHER DC BOOKS RELEASED THIS WEEK, OR PARTS OF IT WILL BE RUINED FOR YOU. No more time for chit-chat. Onward!

SPOTLIGHT ISSUES:

Infinite Crisis #6:

Well well well, what can I say--our little baby is turning six. And, sadly, it's only going to be around for one more month. This issue has death, drama, a perfect script, and gorgeous art--in other words, exactly what we've come to expect from this book. Alexander Luthor has completely flipped his ass, and is seemingly getting crazier and crazier by the moment. Nightwing and Conner Kent take him on with the help of a host of heroes, as Batman leads the Green Lanterns and the new Blue Beetle into space to battle the Brother Eye satellite. There is also a conference of the Supermen, and Wonder Woman catches up to them with some important advice. Things are cresting in this series, and the teaser at the end of the book reads: It all comes down to a showdown with Superboy Prime. Who will survive? Who, indeed? I can't wait for the next issue. Make sure to pick this one up. But of course you already knew that, or you wouldn't be reading this column.

Annihilation: Silver Surfer #1:

Well, two issues into the event, it's clear that Marvel is reaching more than a little bit with their Annihilation schedule. A space epic will probably not be able to support four spin-off miniseries, as well as a longer single miniseries, especially since they're all populated with characters who have been largely unsuccessful. This book is about one of the few characters who remains popular despite his inability sustain on ongoing series: the Silver Surfer. As a burgeoning Keith Giffen fan, I enjoyed the writing, and the art by Renato Arlem was a pleasant surprise. This story arc, which will see Silver Surfer grappling with inner demons and trying to go after Annihilus, looks like it will support four issues. Will the other minis? Only time will tell…

FUN SIZE REVIEWS:

OMAC Special:

I've been excited for this special above all others since its announcement, as I feel OMAC was the best of the pre-Crisis minis. Greg Rucka delivered the goods again, in this special illustrated by Jesus Saiz. These specials are priced a bit high at five bucks, but they're absolutely huge, and this story is a perfect bridge between the OMAC mini, Infinite Crisis #6, and the upcoming Checkmate series, also to be penned by Rucka. This story isn't essential to the Crisis series, but it's a good tie-in.

Moon Knight #1:

Written by novelist Charlie Huston (who has a full-length letter to the fans printed on the last page of this issue) and illustrated by David Finch, one of my favorites, this new series has generated a lot of buzz. This gritty take on Moon Knight is pretty kick-ass, and the juxtaposition of brutal crime-fighting with painful personal drama worked very well, making this stand-alone story a rather enjoyable one. Not a must-read, but a book that won't disappoint most fans of Moon Knight, or fans who love to see their heroes get some grime on them.

Outsiders #35 (One Year Later):

The Outsiders are a scary bunch One Year Later, as Nightwing leads this team of black-ops freedom fighters. The team contains some surprising new faces, including former villain Captain Boomerang, among others. This OYL story sees the team going to desperate lengths to recover stolen gas--written by Judd Winick and drawn by Matthew Clark, this looks to be a superhero/gritty espionage book like none other.

Batman: Secrets #2:

Dark series, dark cover. If you're looking for which book this is, just find the one whose cover is sucking in all the light around it. Once you get past the cover, the art gets significantly more vibrant, as Sam Kieth makes it clear that every issue he'll be serving up at least five pictures of the Joker that will haunt you forever. The story, about Joker blackmailing Batman, gets even stickier for the Dark Knight on the last page, but we still haven't found out what little Bruce Wayne did so many years ago on that rainy night, an event that this miniseries hinges on. I'm still digging this series, but it remains to be seen if it will live up to its huge potential.

Batman and the Monster Men #6:

If you're like me, the biggest problem you have with Batman and the Monster Men is that it's only six issues long--the writing and art have been superb, combining to give us one of the best Batman stories in a decade. Both are courtesy of one man: Matt Wagner, who has just solved my biggest problem with this book by announcing he will be writing and drawing Batman and the Mad Monk, the first issue of which will be released in three short months. Along with Marvel Zombies, this week is seeing the end of two wonderful mini-series--make sure to pick these issues up, and get the collected editions up when they come out. These books will be perfect for indoctrinating your unsuspecting friends.

Marvel Zombies #5:

I've really enjoyed this miniseries, but I admit I'm going to miss the gorgeously disgusting covers and alternate covers by Arthur Suydam as much as I'll miss the book itself. Fortunately, it looks like he's going to be doing zombie alternates for other titles, including Ultimate Fantastic Four. This is the last issue of Marvel Zombies, and it's a doozy, as our zombie heroes tackle the zombie villains and an incensed Galactus. Don't miss battles between Zombie Wolverine and Juggernaut, Zombie Cap and Red Skull, and Zombie Spider-Man and Venom. Classic, classic stuff.

Y: The Last Man #44:

Y is an amazingly well-written series, and this is the best written issue in months, managing to catch readers up on the happenings of all the different plot threads, while still advancing each of them in huge ways. Yet another can't-miss ending to an issue for this can't-miss series, as it marches steadily towards its final story a scant 16 issues from now. It can't get here slowly enough for my tastes.

Detective Comics #818 (OYL and Face the Face Part 3 of 8):

This crossover story is serving as a perfect re-launching point for the new, revamped One Year Later Batman. It combines elements of classic Batman/Robin stories, a Batman detective tale, and some great action, too. Harvey Dent makes his first appearance, as Batman discovers the murder weapon, and a Batman villain I actually give a crap is the next to bite the dust. We're only on part three of eight--things could get very interesting.

NEWS BRIEFS:

It was a slow news week again, aside from the announcement that Mark Millar has re-upped with Marvel through 2008, which is great news. As promised, here is my rough Civil War timeline, for those of you who aren't quite up on what's going on:
--First there is the Road to Civil War, going on in a few different titles: Amazing Spider-Man (529-30), and Fantastic Four (536-7), as well as the New Avengers: Illuminati Special.
--Then the series proper opens in May with Civil War #1, and it will run monthly until November, when it ends with issue 7. --During this time there will be innumerable tie-ins in regular books. Most notably, Civil War: Front Line will be written by Paul Jenkins and will come out twice a month, at 32 pages with absolutely no advertisements.
--There will also be three series launches in conjunction with the event: Heroes for Hire, with an as-yet-unnamed lineup, Punisher: War Journal, a non-MAX Punisher title, and the Irredeemable Ant-Man, written by Robert Kirkman.
If any of that was unclear, or you want more info, drop me a line at skio84@charter.net.

Hard to believe there's only one issue of IC left--here's hoping it's a doozy. I'm writing this on the eve of my Spring Break, so I'm sure I'll find lots of great stuff to tell you about next week. Until then, as always, direct all comments, negatory or affirmative, to skio84@charter.net. See you soon.