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The Marvel Universe goes down in flames this week as we see the last issue of many, many series. CAPTAIN AMERICA #19 concluded Ed Brubaker’s eight year run on the title. Nice letter in the back, Ed! Thank you! It was great. Also saw the end of Matt Fraction’s long tenure on Iron Man with INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #527. Jonathan Hickman’s Fantastic Four extravaganza finished up with FF #23. Jason Aaron’s short lived, but always entertaining, run on the Hulk came to its conclusion with INCREDIBLE HULK #15. Kieron Gillen wrapped up Little Loki’s adventures in JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY #645 and they actually called him Little Loki in the book! Even Daniel Way’s time on Deadpool comes to an end this week with DEADPOOL #63. Who will ever forget Hit Monkey!
But this is no time to mourn, my fellow Marvelites. Oh no. Each and every one of those titles will be back next month. With brand new #1 issues. And with brand new creative teams. It’s not called a reboot. It’s called a reshuffle. It’s called Marvel NOW! And I’m very much looking forward to some different spins, some different takes, some different ideas on all your favorite Marvel characters. Fingers crossed. Toes crossed. I hope it’s great!
Nominees!
BATMAN INCORPORATED #4 – BATMAN THE DARK KNIGHT #13 also came out this week. Believe it or not, right now we are selling more copies of Dark Knight than we are of Batman Incorporated. No disrespect to Dark Knight, it’s been much better of late and is worth reading in its own right. It just made me think. Because Grant Morrison used to rule the Batman world. Not so much anymore. You can blame it on the New 52. You can blame it on Mr. Snyder writing some fantastic Batman books. You can blame it on Mr. Layman coming on board to write Detective. You can even blame it on having to decode a lot of what Grant writes. Doesn’t matter. Just really surprises me that Batman Inc. is now our fifth best-selling Bat title. Says a lot for how much you’re digging the Batman books right now because Batman Inc. is totally worth reading and it’s in fifth place!
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER SPIKE #3 (OF 5) – Spike is on a spaceship with talking bugs and a courtesan demon. And I continue to immensely enjoy the Buffy-verse in all its versions.
COBRA #18 – Dude! The Russians are awesome! Now that’s an elite tactical team. Cobra had no chance! And you want to give me some Ronin history? And some Tomax scheming? And then end it with the promise of sending Ronin to Russia? Okay. Okay. I’ll take it! Excellent issue!
FABLES #122 – First of a two-part interlude story set in Bigby’s past. And it’s a big bad story starring the Big Bad Wolf! Loved the green chick. Loved the assigning of fates. A really engaging story and it was also excellent!
INVINCIBLE #96 – Y’all can hate on Invincible all you want. I am totally enjoying the Robot and Monster Girl story. Big revelation this issue. And Invincible did show. Yes, he was whining about getting lucky but at least he showed up! 
I VAMPIRE #13 – Also excellent. Crazy Mary as a human is an interesting twist. While Tig as a vampire is equally as awesome. And I have the feeling that Deborah Dancer is gonna be great!
NATIONAL COMICS MADAME X #1 – The cover says it all. A voodoo zombie mystery! Madame X and her partner try to solve a crime… Scooby Doo style! Featured the Bayou, crocodiles, snakes and, of course, voodoo. Madame X was good. The art was good. And it was a very good book.
TALON #1 – Once again I liked Talon way more than I thought I would. Just really fits into everything Scott Snyder has done in the Bat-verse so far. Think they set up Calvin Rose very nicely. Like the direction they’re headed. He’s gonna be the bad Talon turned good who now seeks revenge. Liked the old man. Liked the history. Loved that they told us that the Court of Owls had resurrected 46 talons. That 30 have been locked up in Blackgate prison. Which leaves us with 16. Mr. Rose better get to work tracking them down!
Best Book of the Week? I got three choices. Fables, I Vampire, and Cobra. And if I don’t pick Cobra, the Russians might come after me. And nobody wants that, so Cobra #18 it is!
And I’m sorry to report that nothing of consequence happened in AVX CONSEQUENCES #3 (OF 5) this week. Bummer. Although Storm did get a wistful look in her eyes when it was mentioned that she should go after Colossus. And maybe, just maybe, we might get a little resolution to that Brian Wood X-Men Storm/Colossus conflict.
Poll tomorrow. Conversation on Sunday. Talk at you then.
See ya!
Rusty
I use this often as my reading list since I get my books on Thursday now. Read Madame X and it was very good. The funny thing about it is this was another take on Madame Xanadu. She has gone from a character no one in DC used to having a Vertigo series, being featured in Demon Knights and Justice League Dark to having another version of her being a proposed series or something. Her name was Nimue in the Vertigo series and now it is Nima. I would love to see one of the National Comics books be given a series, except Looker, all have been good.