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Oh, hooray for that strange, twisted day: fifth Wednesday. Since it was kind of a slow week to begin with, and I’m working on my write-up of an uber-cool event, this week’s (and probably next week’s as well) column will be a bit on the shorter side.

SPOTLIGHT ISSUES:

New Avengers #13:

The biggest issue of this week is the conclusion of the Ronin arc, in which the identity of the mysterious Avenger ninja is finally revealed. I won’t even give hints about it, but I will say that I am thoroughly satisfied, and excited about the future of this character with the team. Besides that, Spider-Woman’s secret keeps getting harder and harder to hide. Things start boiling in this issue, with a simple cliffhanger that will launch us into the next arc, Secret and Lies. There’s nothing else to say about this book, except that you should read it. Good writing, good art, and a great finish to a great story.

FUN SIZE REVIEWS:

Marvel Holiday Special 2005:

Yeah yeah yeah, this isn’t going to change anyone’s world, but I’ve been reading the Marvel Holiday Special every December since I was knee high to a Moleman. This year’s issue is good, too, featuring a story about the aforementioned Moleman. There’s also a weird damn story called "Yes, Virginia, There is a Santron," about a Santa Ultron crashing an Avengers party, as well as a solid Mike Carey story to round it out.

Ultimate Fantastic Four #25:

The red-headed stepchild of the Ultimate universe is finally starting to realize its potential. Other Fantastic arcs have been readable, but haven’t featured the innovations of the other titles. Finally, with the Tomb of Namor arc, something interesting for readers to sink their teeth into. Pick this up, and the issue before it– –even if you haven’t liked previous UFF arcs, they’re worth the read.

Amazing Fantasy #15:

This issue commemorates the second coming of AF #15. The first time it was published, over forty years ago, it featured the first appearance of Spider-Man. This go around, Marvel let some up-and-comers try out seven new characters. Just to clear something up: this issue is part of Marvel’s Ten Terrific series, designed to try and give more attention to under-read writers and artists. DO NOT mistake it for self-promoting rating, especially if you are an under-researched Marvel basher with a keyboard.

Batman #647:

Over the past few issues this series seemed to have lost some sense of direction, as it moved from the excellent Under the Hood arc into larger Infinite Crisis tie-ins. With the most current issue, Batman seems to be back on track. The fights in here are great, and Batman’s last page declaration should point to another landmark issue.

Wonder Woman #223:

This important Crisis tie-in sees Wonder Woman’s home invaded by OMACs, as she has to try and figure out whether to break out of custody. Another good Rucka issue, as he does the nearly impossible with Wonder Woman: makes her interesting.

NEWS BITES:

– –The biggest news of the week is that the X3 trailer is up, and you can see it at newsarama.com, comicbookresources.com, and Apple’s trailer. It actually gives the impression that the movie will be a hell of a lot better than previous reports indicated. They’ve still got the look of the characters down, with the exception of Juggernaut and the in-costume Beast. Anyway, check it out, see what you think.

Hope you enjoyed the column– –wanna tell me something about it or anything else? Email me, day or night, at skio84@charter.net

Happy Thanksgiving, comics fans––there’s some pretty good stuff to be thankful for this year, and I hope everyone had a happy holiday. Mine was quite delicious.

SPOTLIGHT ISSUES:

Spider-Man: The Other #6:

FINALLY. This is the issue everyone (especially me, I think) has been waiting for. If you’ve stopped reading this series because it’s “boring,” or because “no matter how many issues you read nothing ever happens except the same dialogue over and over again,” pick this issue up. Finally, the fight between Morlun and Spider-Man has arrived, and it is damned good. Easily one of the better fights I’ve ever read in a Spider-Man book, even better than the fight with Morlun in Coming Home, his original appearance in the Marvel Universe. Despite the slow start, fans have been snatching this one up, and Marvel has reported a sell-out of every issue so far. At last, we have an issue that’s undeniably worthy of such distinction. Pick it up now, even if you don’t plan on reading anything before or after it.

Daredevil #79:

DC got two spotlights last week, so I’m going to give equal time to Marvel. I made Daredevil my pick of the week an issue or so back, and Bendis has proved me right. When last we left this one, Daredevil, Elektra, Black Widow, and White Tiger were all standing on a rooftop, preparing to break into a law office that contained the fabled Murdock Papers, all of Kingpin’s accumulated evidence of Daredevil’s identity. Then, on the last page, Bullseye showed up. This issue features the ensuing fight, which lives up to its potential and then some. For all the jokes about Bendis’ affinity for word balloons, people seem to forget that on occasion the man writes heart-stoppingly good action. The last few pages are mind-blowingly great; in fact this issue recently won Wizard’s Cliffhanger of the Year award. Bendis and Maleev are creating a storyline that holds its own with the other historically great runs on this title; don’t miss this.

FUN SIZE REVIEWS:

Ultimate X-Men #65:

This issue isn’t a spotlight pick by a hair’s breadth, as it marks the end of uber-scribe Brian Vaughan’s run on Ultimate X-Men. It wraps up the excellent Magnetic North arc, which makes it onto the shortlist of good Ultimate X-Men arcs. In this issue, Emma Frost’s students continue their attempt to break Lorna Dane out of the Triskelion, and the Ultimates continue to be unhappy about it. As the arc-title indicates, there are also some pretty serious developments with Magneto, as well as a Wolverine/Nick Fury staredown that leads into the upcoming Wolverine Vs. Hulk miniseries.

Batgirl #70:

I have no clue whether this book is good or not. If you read it, I’d love to hear what you think. I still believe that writer Anderson Gabrych is a soon to break-out talent, similar to Marvel’s Daniel Way. He writes dialogue and narration very well, both in this book and in his issues of the War Crimes crossover. His over-arcing plots, however, seem a bit strange. In this issue, Nora Fries/Freeze climbs out of a Lazarus pit, spitting venom and fire, and Batgirl’s quest to discover her mother’s identity more or less stalls out. The art is okay and the words on the pages are good, but the story itself is quite a head-scratcher. However, what makes this issue worth the price of admission is the gorgeous Tim Sale cover.

Batman: Gotham Knights #71:

Gotham Knights is another title that’s tough to pin down. On the one hand I found the story about Hush and the Clayface “virus,” pretty interesting. On the other hand, I must admit that objectively, it hasn’t been very good. If you’re a Batman fan, you might enjoy this issue, but buyer beware: the cover, which features Clayface clones of Batman taking on the real thing, with the caption “Batman vs. Batman vs. Batman vs. Batman,” has absolutely nothing to do with the issue, and the depicted fight is not in the issue.

1602 #5:

With this book I know exactly where I stand. It wasn’t good. It could have been, but it wasn’t. The reason I say could have is that this issue, the fifth, is the last. The book should have been either three issues, or eight. In five, it was way too busy––in eight, they could have developed all the interesting stories they hit on, and in three they could have fully developed one or two of them. Greg Pak, who wrote it, as well as the much better Phoenix: Endsong, may still have a huge career, but it won’t be based on this. The art, by Greg Tocchini, also seemed cramped––any time he got room to do a full spread or a splash page, it was gorgeous. But when he had to cram six panels on a page for ten pages in a row, it got…cramped. Nice try everyone, give it a better one next time. Fortunately this book changes nothing about Neil Gaiman’s masterpiece; the original 1602 remains impeccable.

Wizard #171:

Wizard, the bestselling comics magazine out there, doesn’t need me to hype their stuff. But I know a lot of people who refuse to read the magazine, and while I have my own problems with it as well, I thought I’d give you an idea every month of what was in it. That way, if you don’t normally read it and there’s something you might like, you can take a look. This month features a ton of exclusive announcements about DC’s creative teams and book lineups for the One Year Ahead jump (more on this later). Also, a profile on the soon-to-be-superstars Luna brothers, as well as Wizard’s picks for the Best of 2005.

TRADE REVIEW:

Y: The Last Man Vol. 6: Girl on Girl

Just...just go get this. Really. Go get all the Y trades, and do it now. Even if you’ve been buying the monthlies, get the trade, because this is by far the best book for introducing non-comics fans to comics, and non-comics fans abhor monthlies for some reason. This book has pirates, ninjas, lesbians, and heroin smugglers, all on Yorrick’s path to Beth, his true love. Sigh. I heart you, Brian K. Vaughan. No extras, as usual, but a pretty good pickup at $12.99 anyway.

NEWS BITES:

– –Hoo boy is there a ton of DC news out there. First was the announcement that several of their ongoing titles would be killed over the next six months, including Gotham Central, Wonder Woman, the Flash, JLA, Batman Gotham Knights, Superman, and Aquaman. Many of these series will be relaunched, with potential new characters filling the costumes, or…who knows? Hot on the heels of these announcements were a number of others regarding new creative teams. The biggest news: Keith Giffen on a new Blue Beetle series (DC promises Ted Kord’s not back), and Greg Rucka taking over for the departed Jeph Loeb on Supergirl.

– –Yes, yes, I know, I had a news item about Neil Gaiman last week (Absolute Sandman is coming out, remember?), but I just have to mention him this week. DC hasn’t made a fuss over this, but they really should. Gaiman has a Deadman story in next month’s Solo, which will be featuring Teddy Kristiansen. The book will be released on December 28th.

Howdy-ho cyberspace neighborinos– –enjoy your comics meal this week? Thought it was a Turkey? Send all love letters and hate mail about this column or anything else to skio84@charter.net

Thank God, we all get a rest after last week’s maelstrom. Still––some good books, including a few big debuts, and the finale of a miniseries that deserved more attention.

SPOTLIGHT ISSUES:

All-Star Superman #1:

The big news of the week, obviously, is the debut of what will probably be the bestselling book of the month: Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely’s All-Star Superman. DC, having watched Marvel’s Ultimate Line burn up the sales chart for years now, finally swallowed its pride and, whether they want to admit it or not, copied them. They created the All-Star line, hoping to give readers iconic takes on Batman and Superman––it was also a well-timed release designed to snag readers who wanted to read Batman and Superman books without having to stay informed on the huge Crisis event. The Batman book has sold incredibly well for them, and now the superstar team of Morrison and Quitely have put out the first Superman issue. This issue is great––head and shoulders above its Batbook counterpart. The story is new––what would the unkillable (except for that whole Doomsday thing) man do if he knew he was going to die? In this year-long arc, Superman flies too close to the sun in order to save a space crew, and as a result gets a kind of Kryptonian cancer when his solar energy-absorbing cells get overfilled. The doctor tells him he’s dying, and we get to read what preparations the Man of Steel would make if his was the life that needed saving. The writing and the art in this issue sparkle––if you’ve been waiting for an innovative, fresh take on Superman, this is your book.

Batman and the Monster Men #1:

The other big debut for DC is the Matt Wagner-written/illustrated Batman and the Monster Men. This book is a Year One era story, meant to fill in a major gap in Batman’s canonical history: how did he go from Year One to fighting Clayface and Poison Ivy? This book tells the story of Batman’s first battle against super powered villains, and how he has to deal with fighting a villain he can’t simply scare into submission, a villain that, despite all his training, he’s no match for, physically. I’d have to nitpick if I wanted to write about any flaw in this book––Wagner (whose previous Batman book, Faces, was a Wizard Top 100 of all time pick) brings a fresh perspective to Batman that still seems perfectly familiar. This book is a must-read, and I recommend it over All-Star Batman, which for all its continuity shucking, doesn’t give us a portrait of Batman nearly as clean as this one.

FUN SIZE REVIEWS:

Ultimate Spider-Man #86:

Bendis and Bagley begin a new arc on the always-solid Ultimate Spider-Man, as Silver Sable is hired by the mysterious Roxxon to track down the webslinger. This issue also features the less-than-impressive debut of Ultimate Omega Red. It’s a good book, and this arc seems to have a lot of potential. The book also includes the first part of the Ultimate Vision story that will be running in the back of various Ultimate Books over the next month and a half.

Supergirl #3:

Supergirl fights the Outsiders and Lex Luthor in this long-delayed issue, with mixed results. The ending could point to some sinister events to be unfolding in Supergirl’s future. Excellent writing and art from Loeb and Churchill, as expected.

Deadly Genesis #1:

Deadly Genesis is the first of several X-Men books expected to spin out of the House of M insanity. In this premiere issue, written by the always-reliable Ed Brubaker with art by newcomer Trevor Hairsine, the X-Men encounter a long-lost villain (emphasis on long). The tone and look of the book is great––close quarters, dark, and creepy. Worth the read, with the potential to get very, very good.

Books of Doom #1:

The second number one from Ed Brubaker this week is Books of Doom, a kind of Year One story about Marvel’s most metal-covered villain. The first issue tells the story of Doom’s gypsy childhood, and the seeds of his hate for the rest of the world. The story and writing are good, but it’s narrated as though it’s a reality show, including a few brief interviews with people from the past, which is more than a little strange.

Spider-Man: The Other #5:

This book is giving me an ulcer. One week it’s good, the next, not-so-good. I just read Amazing Spider-Man: Coming Home, the first book that Morlun was in, and it was great. It was six issues, and one of the better Spider-Man books I’ve ever read. This series seems like it would have been that level quality if it was six issues long, but we’ve gotten to issue five, and so far nothing has really happened. In this issue, things take a turn for the ridiculous as Peter steals a time machine from Doctor Doom so that he, Mary Jane, and Aunt May can literally relive the past. Sweet ending, but an uneven book that seems, like most of this series, like it could have had one out of every two pages cut.

Daredevil Vs. Punisher #6:

This book didn’t get the attention that it deserved, from critics or fans. I’m not a huge Lapham fan––I think Stray Bullets is kind of up and down, and his run on Detective Comics has been one of the worst things ever, but this book was interesting. He switched narratives between the two dichotomous heroes, and did so effectively, which is rare. He told a dark story that wasn’t needlessly pessimistic or violent. The knock down, drag out fight between Daredevil and Punisher in this, the last issue of the series, is not to be missed.

TRADE REVIEW:

Astonishing X-Men Vol. 2: Dangerous:

Joss Whedon and Marvel don’t need me telling you how great this book is for them to sell a jillion copies of it, but I’m going to anyway. Whedon’s X-Men are classic––they’re iconic takes on the iconic X-Men, but without losing the humanity (or mutanity) that made us care about these characters in the first place. This arc, comprising issues 7-12 of he and the always-amazing John Cassaday’s first run, is about the X-Men’s battle with the ultimate villain, one that was created to destroy them. There are also some revelations about Professor X and Emma Frost that are sure to be resonating throughout the X-Universe in the months to come. Viva la Astonishing––I wish I could fast forward to February so I could start reading the next arc.
<< Get Astonishing X-Men Vol 1 TP for 50% off in Dec when you mention this column >>

NEWS BITES:

– –As many of you may have heard by now, Stephen King is going to be writing for Marvel. The eighth volume in his deservedly popular Dark Tower series will be published in comic book form. King seems excited, and Marvel is drooling over the guaranteed sales, which could shatter records if King can pull his massive audience into the comic shops. No one should be more excited than fans of King and of comics. There are a few preview pages floating around, illustrated perfectly by Jae Lee. Find them, and find out why fans across the country are waiting with bated breath for April 2006, when the first issue is slated to come out.

– –The other big news is that DC is going to be doing Absolute editions of every single volume of Neil Gaiman’s timeless Sandman series. No word yet on price or extras, though they will be recoloring the first few volumes for sure. Look for volume one to hit sometime in early 2006.

Howdy, ladies and gents– –like the new format? Don’t like it? Send all love letters and hate mail about that or anything else to skio84@charter.net

Well, it looks like I’m earning my keep here on the www this week––more great books to talk about than you can shake a stick at.

Infinite Crisis #2:

The second issue of this year’s highest selling book is out, and it is a doozy. This issue is miles ahead of the first, and it looks like it’s only going to get better from here. The big surprise at the end of last issue, which I wrote before wasn’t really all that great, takes on a meaning and purpose here that will knock the socks off of any fan. Earth 2 heroes are back, and they’re pissed, baby. Look for some great fights and some great stories over the next few months––I don’t want to give anything away in this book, so just go get it. Definitely a must read.

Nightwing #114:

I’ve read this series off and on for a long time now, and it’s usually pretty good. Devin Grayson, who writes the book, made some “toe-the-line” incendiary comments about DC in a comicbookresources.com interview last week, basically saying that the Infinite Crisis hoopla forced her to completely change the ending of a year-long story she had been working on. She also said the new ending will probably not be all that good. So far the story has Dick Grayson undercover (or not?) as a new rogue named Renegade, in a Donnie Brasco style infiltration of the mafia. We’ll have to see if Grayson pulls off a miracle in the next few months. These casualties are the downside of huge events like Crisis, rewarding as the cross-universe storylines may be at times.

Breach #11:

Another DC casualty, though this one more likely due to sales than Crisis, Breach hit stands this week, with the tombstone-like “Final Issue” stamped across the cover. This series definitely deserved a wider readership than it got. Bob Harras, who wrote it, is hot and cold, but mostly hot on this book, and the art team of Marcos Martin and Alvaro Lopez, who did a few of DC’s Year One books, was always stellar. Issue 11 was clearly not what they envisioned as the last in the series (they’d been claiming that number 12 held a big surprise) but they do a decent job wrapping up a complex, layered story on short notice. If you didn’t read this, it’s worth grabbing the back issues since it probably won’t hit the trades; and if you are a Breach fan, never fear––he’ll be making some kind of appearance in Infinite Crisis in the coming months.

Batman Legends of the Dark Knight #197:

Now that the Snow arc of LOTDK is over, a new team arrives, with a new story: Will Pfeifer, who’s been writing Catwoman, is penning the next few issues, while Chris Weston takes over art duties. This new story is about an ex-military man who was busted by Batman while trying to rob an armored truck, using non-lethal methods. He finds out he has only a short while to live, and decides to dedicate his remaining time on earth (and his newfound heightened intelligence) to take down Batman, going out in a blaze of glory. Only time will tell if this pans out, but this week’s issue shows a lot of promise.

Y: The Last Man #39:

Y doesn’t necessarily fit in with a lot of these other books, but it sells well enough for me to feel comfortable calling it mainstream. I actually read a fair amount of books that don’t have superheroes in them, and this is by far the best of them. In fact, month for month, this may be the best book I read. Constant twists and solid art are the name of the Y: The Last Man game, and if you’re one of the last few who haven’t converted yet, let yourself go. It’s better here. This issue sees Yorick trying to track down the photographic proof that he exists before it hits print, a sinister between-the-sheets betrayal, and yet another stunning last page that leaves me tapping my foot for the next four weeks, waiting for my next fix.
<< Get Y The Last Man Vol 1 for 50% off in Dec when you mention this column >>

Incredible Hulk #88:

I’ve never been a huge Hulk fan––there’s a lot of great things that can be done with the character, but he requires a much higher talent level than your average superhero, and most people don’t live up to the challenge. Marvel thinks they’ve found their man in the suddenly-hot Daniel Way, who will also be penning Wolverine. This arc has Nick Fury sending the Hulk into outer space for a secretive mission that will launch next summer’s Marvel event: Planet Hulk. I won’t say anything one way or another about next summer’s event, but I can vouch for the quality of this issue, with startlingly good art by Keu Cha, whose work looks like Greg Land if Greg Land could draw more than two facial expressions.

JLA #122:

After what feels like pages and pages of bubbly enthusiasm, finally, a book I can thumb my nose at. JLA continues to underperform, helmed by the aforementioned hot-and-cold Harras, here turning in a cold one. This issue is better than the last, though that’s not saying much, if only because of a pretty decent OMAC confrontation. The writing isn’t good, the art is plain bad, and the covers are an interesting experiment that didn’t work out. Sigh...I’m not sure about the DC Universe, but I’m beginning to feel like this world would be better off without a Justice League.

Teen Titans #29:

If you haven’t been enjoying JLA, it’s probably because Geoff Johns jumped ship after the Crisis of Conscience arc, in order to pen Infinite Crisis and Teen Titans. I don’t usually read the Titans, but I follow Johns like a dog follows steak, and I was quite pleased to see how good TT is after only one issue. This one is a truly don’t miss stand-alone, in which Red Hood/Jason Todd confronts Tim Drake alone in the Titans Tower. Fight of the month––you’d better find out who wins. Cheers to Johns for being maybe the most consistent writer in the business right now, and continued luck and success because of it.

Spider-Man: The Other #4 (Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #2):

This issue marks the start of the 12-issue event’s second act, to be penned by Reggie Hudlin. We still don’t know what exactly is wrong with Peter Parker, but we know that it’s terminal, and that (according to the book) he’s going to die. In this issue, Peter moves into the second stage of trying to deal with his illness, which is trying to stop it. Mary Jane convinces him to rely on some of his uber-powerful/smart friends, so this book is loaded with guest appearances as Spider-Man travels across the Marvel Universe, seeking a cure. Morlun makes a few appearances, but still hasn’t entered the story in a significant way. It’s nice to see it still moving forward, and gaining a clear structure. Reggie Hudlin’s run on Marvel Knights: Spider-Man has been pretty good so far, so it will be interesting to see if he can achieve as much as Spider-Pros Peter David and JMS.

The Pulse # 12:

A Marvel baby is coming soon, and this is the place to see it. In this issue, Jessica Jones goes into labor, and has a hard time finding someone who’s willing to help her give birth. Since the father is Luke Cage, and its mother is Jones, a former Avenger, there’s no telling what powers or extra appendages it might have. Next month should be the debut of the newest addition to the Marvel Universe: stay tuned!

House of M: The Day After:

This one-shot special, written by Chris Claremont and illustrated by Randy Green/Aaron Lopresti, is meant to be something of a bridge between the 8-issue power-series House of M, and the long, wide-reaching stories to spring from the explosive end of that series. As a bridge, it is successful. But it isn’t a very good self-contained story, and the art leaves something quite large to be desired. Claremont writing seems almost disinterested, and I never really settled down in the story. The coolest thing about this book is that it explains in some detail which mutants undergo the change brought on by House of M, and which remain the same––the best scene in the whole book is the horrifying fate that befalls the Blob. I can only hope that the scattered, haphazard aspect of this book is merely a result of trying to preview so many different series, and not an indication of lack of direction in things to come.

Well––if that wasn’t enough for you, you’ve either got too much money, too much free time, or too much of both. I need a rest after all that comic quality––see you next week, when things are going to be a bit quieter.

House of M #8:

Marvel’s big finish is finally here, and wallets across the nation are sighing sighs of relief, before bracing for the next onslaught of Crisis books. The last issue was good––it just wasn’t as good as I wanted it to be. Issue seven was one of the best single issues I’ve read in a long time, and issue eight was much more a semi- wrapping up of the story, clearly designed to spin into all the big X-events for the next several months. The art and writing still worked well together, but it didn’t really pop off the page at all. Still, this one is worth buying. Stay tuned for the “Day After” book coming out next week.

Spider-Man House of M #5:

For those of you who haven’t read any of the House of M spin-offs, here’s the run-down. Unlike DC’s mega-event, which kind of does require you to read a hefty amount of the spin-off material to understand the full ramifications of the main story, Marvel’s spin-offs have had less to do with the big event, for better or worse. Rather than have the Spider- Man spin-off explain how Spider-Man gets to where he is in the House of M title, it’s a creative take on what his life might be like in the House of M universe. The other spin- offs took this approach for the most part, to mixed reaction. Many fans were glad to have them be isolated stories, and some felt like if it wasn’t connected more closely to the House of M book, there wasn’t a point in buying them. I happen to belong to the former camp, though I understand the other side. This book was one of the best of the bunch, and worth the read.

Ultimate Spider-Man #85:

Sometimes it seems like Marvel averages at least two Bendis books and two Spider-Man books a week…This issue wraps up the 7-part Warriors arc that featured the Ultimate versions of everyone from Elektra to Moon Knight to Hammerhead. It was a great issue, with the most embarrassing moment of Peter Parker’s young life, a stunning revelation about Captain DeWolfe, and yet another “Shape up or ship out” speech from Aunt May. Basically, everything you want and expect from an Ultimate Spider-Man issue. Watch out for Ultimate Silver Sable in the next arc.

While this week was slower than the Blob in quicksand for monthly issues, several good trades are exploding off the shelves. Marvel Knights Spider-Man Vol. 1 HC collects Mark Millar’s entire (excellent) run on the series and Catwoman: When in Rome is the collected edition of the newest collaboration between Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale, possibly the best team in comics. Finally, if you’re looking around craving some good Crisis content, your best bet is probably going to be buying the OMAC trade, which came out this week. It includes all six OMAC issues, Infinite Crisis, and the essential fourth chapter of the Sacrifice arc. There are some neat designs in the back, and the issue separations look pretty good on this one as well. Worth the dough to have a nice edition of the best Crisis miniseries by far.

I don’t have anything against DC, I swear––the issues I read from them this week were just pretty unremarkable. Watch out next week though, which may be their biggest week for the next couple months. Keep your eyes open, and I’ll see you in a few.