Age of Ultron #6 Review

By: Brian Michael Bendis (Writer), Brandon Peterson, Carlos Pacheco (Artist/Penciler), Roger Martinez (Inker), Paul Mounts, Jose Villarrubia (Colorist), VC’s Cory Petit (Letterer)

The Review: If you’ve read every issue of Age of Ultron up to this point you’ve probably been in one of two camps. You may have been growing increasingly impatient with Bendis’ glacial pacing, begrudgingly putting down your $3.99 week after week hoping each time that this will be issue to get things moving. Alternatively you’ve enjoyed it every step of the way, have withstood the downbeat and malevolent mood and savoured a Marvel event book that’s employed more substance than style. Either way it’s been a bumpy, expensive ride with few signs pointing to how, if at all, its outcome will impact on the wider Marvel Universe. Age of Ultron #6 signals the beginning of the end of this journey, and it might just have managed to keep everyone happy into the bargain.

It covers quite a lot of ground. Ostensibly it’s the natural progression from last month’s cliffhanger; Nick Fury and a handful of the more powerful Avengers head into the future to confront Ultron while Wolverine goes into the past to kill Hank Pym (thereby circumventing the whole Ultron problem in the first place). Admirably, this issue really jumps into both storylines head first and there’s immediate outcomes presented on each front. And when I say outcomes…I mean deaths.

You could probably have guessed that Fury’s camp would suffer the most casualties. The dude almost drops his team straight into the meat grinder after all as they move from the Savage Land direct to New York (even time-travelling genocidal robots want a piece of the Big Apple it seems).  Now a gleaming technopolis devoid of human life, the city offers nothing but an ambush from thousands of flying Ultron heads and the Avengers are pretty much sitting ducks. They are, after all, just drifting in the wind thanks to Storm’s weather powers, and that can’t allow for much manoeuvrability. They get slapped around some and a major character literally loses his head – we may see a few Avengers captured and brought before a gloating Ultron before the series is up, but otherwise it looks like this particular plan has gone wronger than corduroy.

X-Force #16 (Messiah War Chapter 7) – Review

By Craig Kyle & Christopher Yost (Writer), Clayton Crain (Art), and Duane Swierczynski & Ariel Olivetti (Epilogue)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: One… more… comic… Just one more… The Messiah War is almost over…

The Story: The Messiah War comes to a close as everything comes to a head. Apocalypse, followed by Death, seeks to end the age of Stryfe. X-Force tries to figure out how to deal with the time devices. Hope is in peril as Bishop tries to take one final shot…

What’s Good: As you’ve probably guessed, the best thing about X-Force #16 is that it finally brings an end to the Messiah War storyline. That said, if you’ve been enjoying the Messiah War storyline for what it is, you’ll probably find a lot to like about the arc’s conclusion. All the elements of the story come together for one final confrontation as Apocalypse says epic stuff (which is almost fun to read in a “wow this sounds silly” way), putting Stryfe in his place.

What’s Not So Good: I really can’t say what the biggest sin of the Messiah War is without heading into spoiler territory so… SPOILER WARNING!!…  Here’s the biggest sin of the X-Force/ Cable crossover – When it’s all said and done, everything goes back to how it was before the crossover started. Bishop winds up somewhere in the time-stream, Cable winds up somewhere else with Hope, X-Force is back in the present…Seriously…what was the fucking point?!

Alright, so with that complaint out of the way, I can now tell you the other awful thing about X-Force #16: Clayton Crain’s artwork. Dark, muddy, unclear, smeary (didn’t know that was a word until now), and hard to follow. Crain’s work makes a really poor story seem even worse. Look, I generally like Crain’s work. I think his style is a great fit for the X-Force series and when all of his art clicks, it looks incredible. However, the conclusion of the Messiah War is a great example of how horrible things can look when absolutely nothing clicks…

Conclusion: Save your money and skip X-Force #16. Also, do not even consider picking up the Messiah War trade if you have been waiting for that.

Grade: F+

-Kyle Posluszny

Dark Reign: Fantastic Four #3 – Review

By Jonathan Hickman (Script), Sean Chen (Pencils), Lorenzo Ruggiero (Inks), and John Rauch (Colors)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: I’ll be honest with you and admit that I had completely forgotten about the Dark Reign: Fantastic Four mini-series until this week’s shipping list reminded me about it. That probably says a lot about the first two issues even though I gave them solid grades.

The Story: The third chapter of Dark Reign: Fantastic Four begins with Sue, Johnny, and two versions of Ben on an air-ship that’s about to be boarded by Skrull pirates. That situation doesn’t last long as space-time collapses and the group is thrust into another version of reality…and then another….Meanwhile, Reed Richards continues to search alternate realities for superhuman peace by using the supercomputer known as “The Bridge.” As for Franklin and Valeria, they remain in the Baxter building while they await the arrival of Norman Osborn and members of H.A.M.M.E.R….

What’s Good: From the airship battle to the wild-west showdown and the alternate reality Illuminati sequences, Sean Chen, Lorenzo Ruggiero, and John Rauch do a great job of visually bringing Jonathan Hickman’s high-concept story to the comic page. The effort makes Dark Reign: Fantastic Four #3 the best-looking book in the mini-series so far. It’s a good thing the visuals do a lot of heavy lifting, as the character work and the concept are barely engaging.

What’s Not So Good: The overarching story feels like it’s stuck in neutral. In short, D.R.: F.F. #3 feels a hell of a lot like #2. Ben, Sue, and Johnny bounce around alternate realities as Reed sifts through alternate realities looking for nuggets of information. Meanwhile, Valeria and Franklin sit around the Baxter Building thinking about what to do in case the rest of their family doesn’t return. Those same things happened in issue two and, as a result, issue three feels disappointingly repetitive and somewhat boring.

Conclusion: Pick up Dark Reign: Fantastic Four #3 at your own risk. It looks nice and has some solid moments, but it feels far too much like the last issue to warrant a recommendation.

Grade: C-

-Kyle Posluszny

Uncanny X-Men #510 – Review

By Matt Fraction (Writer), Greg Land (Artist), Jay Leisten (Inker), and Justin Ponsor (Colorist)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: Uncanny #509 was a step in the right direction for the series.  Time to find out if Fraction and his art team can capitalize on it.

The Story: Uncanny X-Men #510 is one big fight scene between the X-Men (veterans and rookies) and the Sisterhood.  That’s really all you need to know…

What’s Good and What’s Not So Good: Let me start by saying that I have no problem with comics that are all about nonstop action.  That said, I do have certain expectations of comics like that because, let’s face it, their quality depends almost entirely on how the visuals look.  The action needs to look good, be well choreographed, and have a certain flow that tells the story in a way that makes up for the lack of actual written storytelling.  In addition, whatever writing there may be it must not distract from the intensity of the action or break its flow.
Uncanny X-Men #510 is a textbook example of how not to handle an all action comic book.  The visuals are stiff, distractingly inconsistent (Emma has three or four different faces), far too clean looking considering the chaos, and, worst of all, pretty boring all around.  While I will admit that some panels do look pretty solid, they are an exception as opposed to the rule. As for the writing, it is simply annoying.  Every character seems to talk in clever, hip, or witty quips and let me tell you, it gets old really fast.

While I realize that the way the writing reads is consistent with how Uncanny has been under Matt Fraction, I can safely say that after reading issue #510, I’ve had my fill.  The comments and quips aren’t nearly as annoying (or noticeable) when there is story being told through the dialogue.  In Uncanny #510 there’s very little story so the book reads like a string of (sometimes terrible) one-liners.  And what the hell is up with the fairly timid Elixir being a Zen pacifist tantric sex god to the Cuckoo triplets?  Is it funny?  Sure somewhat…But it totally goes against how I’ve come to understand the character and feels almost painfully forced (also, out of place).

In all honesty, the only reason to bother with the latest issue of Uncanny is so that you can check out the cliffhanger.  It is pretty interesting and definitely has me curious about what is to come in the future.

Conclusion: I can’t believe I spent so much time writing about such a bad comic.  But hey, at least the series is consistent.  Every time it looks to be turning a corner, a bad issue comes out so that they can climb back up and start all over again.  The book isn’t a total loss though, thanks to the ending and a few worthwhile panels, but it could have been a whole hell of a lot better.

Grade:  D

-Kyle Posluszny

Lockjaw and the Pet Avengers #1 – Review

By Chris Eliopoulos (Writer), Ig Guara (Pencils), Chris Sotomayor (Colors), and Colleen Coover (Frog Thor Origin)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: I’m not really sure what to expect out of the Lockjaw and the Pet Avengers mini-series. It’s based around a fun concept and features some nice-looking artwork, but experience has taught me that those things can only carry a series. That said, I highly doubt the mini will wear out it’s welcome in only four issues.

The Story: Mr. Fantastic meets up with Black Bolt and Medusa to find the infinity gems in order to keep them from falling into the wrong hands. However, Lockjaw happens to be the first to find one and so his adventure begins. The first step? Assemble a team that can help find the rest of the gems. Pet Avengers…ASSEMBLE!!

What’s Good: In order for something like Pet Avengers to work, the creative team working on the series has to strike a specific, somewhat challenging type of tone. Fortunately, the team succeeds in doing just that. Lockjaw and the Pet Avengers #1 is lighthearted, funny, and fun without feeling silly or childish. It’s also interesting and compelling without being overly serious or embarrassed by it’s concept.

Thanks to Ig Guara’s expressive, lively pencil work, Chris Sotomayor’s vibrant colors, and Chris Eliopoulus’ enjoyable, adventurous script, Pet Avengers works surprisingly well. It’s like Homeward Bound: The Search for the Infinity Gems.

What’s Not So Good: While Colleen Coover’s Throg (Frog Thor) section looks nice, it definitely is something of a momentum killer. It goes on for WAY too long and gets in the way of the more important stuff…like introducing the other members of the fairly large cast. The origin (or BORE-igin) story probably sounded a lot more interesting than it turns out to be. (yes, feel free to snicker at my clever wordplay)

Another negative is that there is no escaping the fact that Pet Avengers #1 is pretty much just another “team assembly” book. You’ve read something like this before. And even though it’s charming and stars pets, it’s still extremely familiar and fairly generic.

Conclusion: Lockjaw and the Pet Avengers is off to an entertaining, though unspectacular start. I recommend that anyone curious about the series check it out. It’s a decent, solid piece of animal-centric entertainment.

Grade: C+

-Kyle Posluszny

Invincible Iron Man #13 (Dark Reign) – Review

By Matt Fraction (Writer), Salvador Larroca (Artist), and Frank D’Armata (Colorist)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: Invincible Iron Man is easily one of the best Marvel monthlies. Matt Fraction writes one hell of a Tony Stark and his handling of Stark’s inner circle (which includes Mariah Hill and Pepper Potts) has been absolutely brilliant.

The Story: Tony Stark hits up a technology fair in order to find parts that can be used to downgrade the Iron Man into a form that he can more easily build. He also finds out that having a target on your back brings all sorts of people out of the woodwork. Mariah Hill fights to resist The Controller and finds a way out of Futurepharm. Meanwhile, Norman Osborn interrogates Pepper Potts about the whereabouts of Tony Stark.

What’s Good: The noose around Stark and his friends tightens as Matt Fraction continues to make great use of the Dark Reign scenario that is dominating the Marvel universe. In other words, it’s business as usual in Invincible Iron Man. The writing is absolutely fantastic and I really couldn’t be much more pleased with how “America’s Most Wanted” is progressing. Don’t let the fact that the entire issue is dedicated to setting up bigger and better things for the next month stop you from checking it out.

What’s Not So Good: Salvador Larroca continues to be an extremely bad fit for this arc because of the trouble he has in doing the artwork for human beings. While his artwork for technology looks absolutely fantastic, the people in Iron Man look either something close to awful or, at best, terribly inconsistent. I wouldn’t mind Larroca’s work as much if there was more Iron Man stuff going on, but Fraction’s story is more about the person within it and the people surrounding it as opposed to the suit itself.

Conclusion: Great writing and disappointing artwork is pretty much par for the course when talking about Invincible Iron Man. In that respect, I.I.M. #13 hits par. But it’s not like that’s a bad thing when talking about a series that’s so damn strong.

Grade: B

-Kyle Posluszny

Exiles #2 – Review

By Jeff Parker (Writer), Salva Espin (Artist), and Anthony Washington (Colorist)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: Exiles #1 wasted no time in winning me over. Jeff Parker’s script was informative, surprisingly funny, and featured a solid twist ending. Salva Espin’s lively, expressive artwork proved to be a perfect compliment to the story being told. As for the colors, Anthony Washington’s work made the entire book feel like a breath of fresh air from all the darker, more serious Marvel fare. Simply put, I found Exiles #1 to be quite the creative success because of the fact that everything just came together so damn well. It will be interesting to see if the second issue can keep up all the positive momentum.

The Story: The Exiles mission is to help Wolverine overthrow Magneto’s reign in Genosha. The one catch is that in the reality the Exiles are in, Wolverine isn’t much more than a head on a stick. So what that means is that it’s up to the Exiles to figure out a way to overthrow the royal family of Genosha while blending in with the general mutant population of this alternate reality.

What’s Good: Nearly everything about Exiles #2 works for me. The story that develops successfully threads the line between fun and serious, rarely losing balance. Jeff Parker’s script is clever, humorous (Black Panther has some great lines), and very effective in how it plays around with established character norms. The visuals from Salva Espin look fantastic, especially in regards to the highly expressive characters that show an impressive range of emotion throughout the book. Also, I must mention that Anthony Washington deserves praise for making Exiles one of the most colorful, eye-catching books on the stands.

What’s Not So Good: While rarely losing balance, Exiles #2 does occasionally teeter into melodrama here and there. It doesn’t really hurt things from a story perspective because the drama is used to develop the characters on the team, but it does come across as a bit heavy-handed. Another small complaint is that some panels look a bit rushed. It’s something that’s carried over from issue one and it, while somewhat understandable, still proves to be distracting.

Conclusion: Exiles #2 manages to maintain nearly all of the momentum generated by the strong debut. I highly recommend that you give the series a chance while it’s still early enough (and easy enough) to get into it right from the beginning.

Grade: B+

-Kyle Posluszny

Deadpool #10 (Dark Reign) – Review

By Daniel Way (Writer), Paco Medina (Pencils), Juan Vlasco (Inks), and Marte Gracia (Colors)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: Deadpool Vs. Bullseye? Sign me up! I can’t wait to tear into Deadpool #10, so I’m just going to get right to it.

The Story: Norman Osborn decides to send Dark Hawkeye (A.K.A. Bullseye) after Deadpool soon after finding out, in a hilarious way, that the Merc with a Mouth somehow survived his encounter with the Thunderbolts. Meanwhile, Deadpool takes care of job that he found on Craigslist that involves a vicious rumor and an unfortunate pizza delivery guy.

What’s Good: The way Deadpool handles his latest job proves to be quite surprising. That’s because it highlights how Wade exists in his own little world and is still far from being a true “good guy,” despite how he often finds himself facing off against some of the best villains the Marvel universe has to offer. The whole scenario gives the book a darker feel that is both welcome and appropriate, especially considering how it leads into the start of what looks to be a great confrontation between Deadpool and Bullseye.

As usual, the artwork in Deadpool #10 is a blast to look at. Paco Medina, Juan Vlasco, and Marte Gracia make one hell of a team and the latest Deadpool is a great example as to why that is. Even when most of the book involves talking, it’s still a lot of fun to look at. While I’m sure the style turns some people off, I think that it is a great fit for the character and the dark cartoony vibe the series tends to shoot for.

What’s Not So Good: Unsurprisingly, some of the humor feels out of place among the darker aspects of the story. While I still laughed, I didn’t laugh nearly as much as I usually do when reading an issue of Deadpool. Another complaint I have is that it takes far too long for Bullseye to show up and, as a result, the whole book tends to drag because of it. While the job is entertaining enough, it takes up WAY too much of the issue.

Conclusion: Deadpool #10 is solid, but it’s not nearly as strong as some of the issues that came before it. However, I won’t lie; the small fight between Deadpool and Bullseye left me itching for more.

Grade: C+

-Kyle Posluszny

Dark Avengers #4 (Dark Reign) – Review

By Brian Michael Bendis (Writer), Mike Deodato (Art), and Rain Beredo (Colors)

The Story: With Norman Osborn (Iron Patriot) and Dr. Doom busy confronting Morgan Le Fey in the past, the leaderless Dark Avengers must face La Fey and her demons in the present. During the battle, Clint Barton goes public with information regarding the Dark Avengers…

What’s Good: I know that Brian Michael Bendis’ writing is pretty divisive, but I found Dark Avengers #4 to be one hell of a fun read. And that’s almost entirely because the Dark Avengers have a team dynamic that makes good (and appropriate) use of Bendis’ style of dry, sarcastic humor and personality driven dialogue. It goes a long way towards masking the fact that, as far as plot is concerned, very little actually happens in the latest issue of Dark Avengers.

As for the artwork, Mike Deodato and Rain Beredo continue to do great things as a team. Dark, moody, detailed, and even, at times, sexy, the art helps to ease the pain of the $3.99 price tag a little bit. In short, Dark Avengers #4 is one good-looking book.

What’s Not So Good: For as much as I like the writing and the artwork on a technical level, Dark Avengers #4 feels somewhat lacking as a whole, especially considering that it costs $3.99. One reason is that it’s an extremely fast read that has a number of (visually impressive) panels and pages with little, if any dialogue. Sure it looks nice, but it makes the everything fly by. Another reason is that the issue is pretty light on plot. Things with Doom and Le Fey wrap up well enough, but it left me wanting more. In addition, it feels almost incomplete in some ways due to the rather abrupt ending. The ending works; don’t get me wrong, I just wish the stop wasn’t so damn jarring.

Also, on a side note, Dark Avengers is starting to feel a bit too much like Warren Ellis’ Thunderbolts.  While that’s not necessarily a bad thing considering how awesome the Ellis, Deodato, and Beredo run on Thunderbolts was, it wouldn’t hurt if the creative team put some more space between the two series in some way.  That said, I understand it might be difficult considering that Dark Avengers has the same art team and many of the same characters that Thunderbolts had.

Conclusion: There’s a lot to like about Dark Avengers #4, but considering how fast it moves, it’ll be up to you to decide whether or not it’s worth the asking price.

Grade: B-

-Kyle Posluszny

Uncanny X-Men #509 – Review

By Matt Fraction (Writer), Greg Land (Pencils), Jay Leisten (Inks), and Justin Ponsor (Colors)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: Uncanny X-Men frustrates me. Read my review of Uncanny #508 for an explanation of why that is. The series is very close to being good (or even great), but a number of kinks must be worked out before it can make the jump.

The Story: The mutant community gets quite a jolt when news of Proposition X, legislation that would make chemical mutant birth control mandatory, hits the airwaves. Meanwhile, Beast’s X-Club learns that the key to solving the mutant birth problem may actually lie within one of the science team’s members. As for the Sisterhood? Madelyn Pryor’s plan gets revealed a bit more as they begin to take the fight to the X-Men.

What’s Good: While many of the usual flaws of the series still pop up, Uncanny X-Men #509 is definitely an improvement over the last issue. Especially in regards to the pacing of the various plots. What that means for the reader is that the storylines finally progress enough to feel somewhat satisfying and are also left dangling at logical, suspenseful moments. I still wish the plot segments weren’t so broken up, but I’ll take whatever improvements I can get.

Matt Fraction continues to do an extremely good job of using his large cast to explore big ideas. From Proposition X and the Sisterhood’s goals, to the X-Club’s mission, Fraction fuses plot and personality in a way that makes Uncanny #509 fun to read even when it falters or frustrates. Heck, even the artwork contributes to the feeling at times (turns out Colossus fits right in with the Oakland Raiders faithful), though I can’t help but wonder where Greg Land gets his source material from, because some of it cannot possibly be safe for work (Emma Frost in bondage restraints is just one of the questionable images).

What’s Not So Good: Even though the latest issue of Uncanny is an improvement, it still disappoints from time to time. The biggest reason for that is because the headlining Sisterhood story arc is proving to be a bit vague with the details and at times, too reliant on knowledge of X-continuity. Also, the artwork remains firmly inside the “love it or hate it” category. And as for the writing, Fraction can rightfully be accused of trying too hard to be hip or clever with some of the dialogue choices.

Conclusion: Uncanny X-Men #509 is a step in the right direction in almost every way. The flaws still prove to be distracting, but the good manages to outweigh the bad for once.

Grade: C+

-Kyle Posluszny

Deadpool #9 (Magnum Opus Pt. 3) – Review

By Daniel Way (Writer), Paco Medina (Pencils), Juan Vlasco (Inks), and Marte Gracia (Colors)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: If you take a minute to check out our “Best and Worst of ’08” feature, you’ll find that “Magnum Opus” was one of my most anticipated things of 2009. Now, with half of the crossover finished, I have to say that it is almost living up to expectations. It’s fast, it’s fun, it’s funny, it’s action-packed, and the conflict between Deadpool and the Tbolts makes for some extremely entertaining reading. The only real problem is that I would much rather have the old Thunderbolts (more effective?) team facing Deadpool as opposed to the new one. I’ve got to say though, the new team is starting to grow on me.

The Story: Deadpool, while attempting to score points with Black Widow II, teams up with the Taskmaster to take on the Thunderbolts. I wish there was more to it then that, but there really isn’t. There is a variety of attempts at different types of humor, a lot of action, and a healthy dose of violence…in other words, business as usual.

What’s Good: The highlight of Deadpool #9 is how Wade Wilson interacts with both Taskmaster and Black Widow II. The exchanges he has with both are, in my opinion, downright hilarious and they are made even funnier by the ever present voice inside Wade’s head. Simply put, Daniel Way brings the funny in the third chapter of the “Magnum Opus” crossover.

Also of note is how great the whole book looks. Paco Medina’s cartoony style is a perfect fit considering the tone and his action scenes are just a lot of fun to look at. Juan Vlasco’s inks and Marte Gracia’s colors deserve to be mentioned as well, because the visuals really are the total package.

What’s Not So Good: For as fun as Deadpool #9 is, both as a visual experience and a reading experience, it definitely has a few flaws worth mentioning. One of them is that everything just feels extremely basic, like Daniel Way is just going through the (very funny) motions. If it wasn’t for the Thunderbolts, the latest Deadpool would feel very much like any other. In fact, it still does, though in nearly any other context that wouldn’t be a bad thing. I guess it’s just that it’s something of a shame to see a crossover so loaded with potential lean so heavily to one side. Also, and I know I can’t be the only one, I continue to be disappointed with how rather easily Deadpool is dealing with his enemies. While it’s fun to see Wade get the upper hand, it also undermines the effort being made to try and have the Diggle Thunderbolts fill the very big shoes left by the Ellis Thunderbolts.

Conclusion: Deadpool #9 works better as an issue of Deadpool than it does as the third chapter of “Magnum Opus.” I found it to be extremely entertaining (hence the high grade), but couldn’t really shake the fact that it didn’t lend itself well to the whole crossover thing. It just seems like “Magnum Opus” could be (or should have been) so much more.

Grade:  B

-Kyle Posluszny

Deadpool #6 (Dark Reign) – Review

By Daniel Way (Writer), Paco Medina (Pencils), Juan Vlasco (Inks), and Marte Gracia (Colors)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: With Deadpool #6, the series heads into Dark Reign by putting the Merc with a Mouth on a collision course with Norman Osborn and the Thunderbolts. But first, as revealed last issue, Wade Wilson must deal with Tiger Shark. Should be fun to see how that plays out…

The Story: Deadpool battles Tiger Shark, meets a potential love interest, and comes to the conclusion that someone wants him dead. Also, the titular character cracks jokes and inadvertently becomes part of a hostage crisis. In other words, it’s pretty much business as usual in this issue.

What’s Good: While it certainly isn’t the deepest comic on the stands, the sixth issue works well because the creative team knows exactly what makes a character like Wade Wilson work. On the writing end, Daniel Way’s script revels in dark, offbeat humor and graphic (sometimes gratuitous) violence, while still managing to keep the character thoroughly fun to follow. And with the addition of a possible love interest, it’s almost impossible not to want to root for the main character. As for the art, it continues to be perfectly suited for the tone of the book. Paco Medina and his art team make Deadpool’s world (and the events that take place in it) slick, stylish, and loaded with personality.

What’s Not So Good: Despite the fact that there’s a lot to like about Deadpool’s encounter with Tiger Shark and the chaos that ensues, Deadpool #6 might be the weakest issue of the series so far; considering how strong the others are. But don’t take that as a big negative. The biggest problem is that it feels as though a few parts of the issue only exist to get a laugh. Now I;m not saying I have something against the style of humor Way employs, but this time around some of it just simply gets in the way. For example, a nearly four pages are spent on Tiger Shark’s encounter with a guy in charge of the shark tank at an aquarium. Was it funny? Sure, to an extent. But it feels like the pages could have been used for something much better.

Conclusion: While not quite as strong as other issues, I still consider the Merc’s latest story a hell of a fun read. In addition, it serves as a nice, lighthearted appetizer before the Deadpool/Thunderbolts crossover takes the series into darker territory. Check it out.

Grade: C+

-Kyle Posluszny