Alpha Flight #2 - This was first in my pile this week because i kind of downgraded my expectations after the last issue. Possibly due to Marrina's depiction. And it's probably just a coincidence that Marrina doesn't talk in this issue, but... wow. I'm enjoying the Conspiracy In Canada angle. Great characterizations. And it sure looks to me like they're going to retcon away Puck's ridiculous "sword in my head" origin story. So keep it coming. There's something i don't love about Dale Eaglesham's art, but it's hard for me to say exactly what - the characters are in that grey area where they're too realistic looking but not realistic enough, maybe? And things are a little too stiff - Puck bouncing around the room didn't looke quite right; the Box units are a little too round and not menacing enough. I dunno. Overall, i enjoyed the issue, though.

Captain America #1 - If i recall correctly, Steve McNiven is the guy who converted Captain America's chainmail armor into scalemail without telling anyone. So i'm a little down on him even though he is a good artist. And the art is good this issue. As for the story? Points for Baron Zemo. Minuses for introducing some more goddamn super-soldiers into Captain America's WWII backstory. We'll see where it goes. But if i may: this issue implies that Hydra formed out of Nazi Germany. All Marvel fans know that Hydra was an underground Japanese organization that Baron Strucker infiltrated and took over after he fled Germany when the war wasn't going well. And the original Baron Zemo was never a member of Hydra. Sheesh, people, let's do a little research before writing on a subject. Captain Savage and his Leatherneck Raiders #4 isn't exactly an obscure comic. What? It is? Well then, maybe you should have asked me.

New Avengers #14 - I don't know what the problem is that certain people have about this comic. I know there's a bit of treading water while the ridiculous Fear Itself mini-series wears itself out. I prefer that to actively participating in the mini since i'm not reading it and i don't want just a portion of the story. But this issue has Spidey raising his issues with Victoria Hand, former Green Goblin lackey. It's got Mockingbird learning about her new super-soldier powers. And it's got Luke Cage hurling Wolverine at a giant Nazi robot. Yes, there are four pages of talking heads. But Bendis is great at talking heads. He was a great dialogue writer in Goldfish, and Powers, and he used the talking heads device and we loved it. Now he's doing it with Avengers. I think it's cool seeing characters that i've grown to love over the years engaging in dialogues and monologues that match their personalities pretty well. I don't see the problem. Oh and you know what else i liked about this issue? The art.

New Mutants #27 - I've been looking at my beloved Sugar Man action figure in a new light. "One of the single most capable hand-to-hand combatants" that the X-Men are aware of, huh? Anyway, i thought this was great. Good characterization, a nice use of Steve Rogers, a fun fight, and nice touch at the end with Scott reconciling with X-Man. I like the mission statement for this series and i hope the New Mutants continue to tie up loose ends in the X-Men's backstory even through all of the upcoming Schism stuff. Maybe Abnett & Lanning could write another book just for me called the Continuity Miners - "boldly dredging up bad stories from the past and making them good".

Speaking of Sugar Man, it turns out he was originally a fan submission for the Foom Magazine contest from the early 70s.