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Snapshots for 7/28
There's no way that Don and I can cover all of the material we have for review in full reviews, so these capsule reviews will offer some brief comments on other recent releases.
ASTONISHING X-MEN #3
by Joss Whedon & John Cassaday (Marvel Comics)
 Unsurprisingly, I've grown more and more enchanted by Astonishing X-Men as it has gone on, and this issue is my favorite thus far. Whedon's way with character interaction is in full evidence, most notably with the scenes where Kitty Pryde is on the scene (and especially when she's needling Emma), and I can't remember the last time these characters felt so real and human to me. The plot itself is solid, but it's the way the characters are reacting to it that is fascinating. A throwdown between Beast and Wolverine is both a visual treat, thanks to Cassaday, and a great expression of both characters, and I loved the showdown between Nick Fury and Cyclops, which goes a long way towards de-wussifying Cyclops, something he desperately needs. Throw in settings that are just sublime, from the kids' room theme of the Danger Room to a stunning shot of the Blackbird leaving the Helicarrier, and it's clear that Whedon and Cassaday are providing a little slice of fanboy nirvana for X-fans with this title. 9/10
CAPER #10
by Judd Winick & Tom Fowler (DC Comics/Vertigo imprint)
 From period organized crime drama to gritty noir murder mystery and now to screwball dark comedy, Caper has shifted three times in all, but each story has been as entertaining as the last. This is the second issue of "On Ice," an arc which finds a pair of screw-up buddies in Los Angeles in possession of a hand that some very dangerous people want. The result of that desire in this issue is a handful of assassins right out of Pulp Fiction, including the black suits and the dialogue that sounds more like an Ain't It Cool News chatroom than the chatter of dangerous hitmen. You either love or hate this kind of thing, and in this case, I love it, as Winick captures the same thing that Tarantino did with Jules and Vincent, that this is just a job to these guys, and that they chat about whatever while they're doing it. Unless the violence goes too far over the edge, the juxtaposition is exceptionally humorous, and so far the violence, while over-the-top, is comedically so, and the whole thing plays out like a cross between Tarantino and Chuck Jones. Certainly Tom Fowler has some of the most bizarre and expressive cast we've seen in comics in a while, and it is his comedic timing, combined with that of Winick, that makes this such a fun read. 10/10
THE LEGION #36
by Gail Simone, Dan Jurgens & Andy Smith (DC Comics)
 With the revamp lurking in the wings, Simone's story both loses and gains in stakes. Loses because whatever she does isn't likely to matter once the revamp takes place, but gains in that she has a lot less rules as to what can happen to the Legion on the way. The story features a number of facets, some more interesting than others, but now that we're two issues in, I find that I'm pretty interested to find out where it's going. The strength of the story will really hinge on whether I buy into the plot (and the plot device) that took out all the technology, but in the meantime, there are any number of great moments, from Apparition taking charge to Taine sending in the reinforcements to (my favorite) Karate Kid looking like the badass that all of us fans knew he could be. There are also some moments that verge on the hokey, especially anything involving plucky journalist Trudy, but some excellent character moments, a compelling plot and solid superhero artwork from Jurgens and Smith makes this a fun read, and a good last hurrah for this incarnation of the team. 7/10
POWERS VOL. 2 #2
by Brian Bendis & Mike Avon Oeming (Marvel Comics/Icon imprint)
 I know, I know, it's a whole new series, maybe it should get a full review instead of a little capsule, right? Wrong, because this book is still Powers, which means that if you loved it before, you'll love it still, and if you didn't like it before, the change of three letters after the "I" instead of four in the company name ain't gonna make much of a difference. Myself, I'm enjoying the book, which in this second issue pays off nicely a character introduced in the very first story arc, has Deena once again acting like the kind of borderline psychotic, sarcastic and funny cop you want if you're not going to be breaking any laws (and the last one you want if you are) and tells us some interesting things about the police commissioner in the city. It also features Oeming and Peter Pantazis doing some spectacular action in the first part, some really fun violence in the middle and some terrific, expressive characters in the finale. In addition, the move to Marvel hasn't changed the letter column, which remains just this side of bad taste, and makes you feel kind of dirty for laughing at it. Not as fresh as it used to be, but still plenty of fun, Powers is also the only remaining comic where you can get that trademarked Bendis swearing to go along with the strong dialogue and solid plotting, so, y'know, it's got that going for it. 9/10
ULTIMATE FANTASTIC FOUR #9
by Warren Ellis, Stuart Immonen & Wade Von Grawbadger (Marvel Comics)
 To be honest, I had kind of written off the Ultimate imprint, except for Ultimate Spider-Man, as thoroughly readable but not something I really wanted to keep on my shelves, the equivalent of a good popcorn flick but nothing more. However, Ellis, Immonen and the rest have taken over Ultimate Fantastic Four and changed my attitude a bit, and if Ellis can continue to build his weird ideas and pseudoscience while writing very un-Ellis-like characterization (more reminiscent of Bendis than anything else), than I might just have to put an Ultimate Fantastic Four hardcover on the shelf next to my Ultimate Spider-Mans. This issue has several fun moments, including Sue Storm making great use of her invisible force fields, some terrific dialogue and character moments as the team slowly start to discover what their powers can do and the birth of the Human Torch/Thing rivalry with a great line from Ben Grimm. Reed Richards is pushed to the side for the most part, but he gets a strong moment for the finale and the promise of a lot more drive and activity in the next issue as a result. In addition, while I enjoyed the work that Kubert did on this book, I must say that I've grown to really love Immonen's work here, not quite as detailed in terms of backgrounds but in every other way spectacular, with unusual execution of the team's powers, a really cool take on the "Ultimate" looks for each of these characters and some spectacular action moments. 8/10
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