Secret Avengers #7 - It's probably thanks to my low expectations, but i found that i enjoyed this issue. I suspect i'll like this series more if i read it in story arcs instead of single issues, too. But it also helps that things are heating up here - Daisy Johnson getting relieved and Maria Hill shutting down her operation mid-mission, and the really cold act of abandoning Mockingbird. There's still something about the basic premise of this series that i think will be damaging long term, but at least with this issue it's really embracing the dark side of SHIELD that this series is meant to be demonstrating. I do sort of long for the days when the Avengers fighting Graviton would actually merit more than a couple of panels, though.

Uncanny X-Force #10 - Gah! So the rest of the team was literally sitting around in a dumpy room while Psylocke was off with Fantomex? I thought Psylocke actually called Storm at the X-Mansion during one of the Fantomex issues, so maybe that wasn't the case (i don't have the issue handy to check) but it's certainly the impression you get reading this issue. I guess the good news is that Puck (who is poorly written) and Storm were suffering right along with us during the Fantomex detour. As for this story, i've been waiting for the revelation that's been teased about the Demon Bear to come through but so far i'm not impressed. "Psychic demons that mirror us from birth and watch, waiting to cross into the material world" is both generic and unworkable as a Marvel universe concept, and the idea that the Demon Bear is one of them but is protecting Psylocke is going to need a lot more explanation before it helps in any way with the classic New Mutants story. To Sam Humphries' credit, i did think the character insight splash panels (with the demons trying to work down the characters' self-esteem) did a good job describing the characters. And again, maybe this reads better altogether (although i think the Fantomex detour is going to be a problem no matter what). Artwise... look, i give a lot of leeway for style. The artwork here is sketchy, scratchy, rough, whatever you want to call it. I don't like it. But i would normally say it's what the artist is going for. But it's harder to say that when you're recalling iconic images from the past. In other words, drawing this...

...just invites comparison to this...

...and not only is that comparison not favorable, but it makes me look at the rest of the art in a different light, too.

Wolverine #8 - Alan Davis art.

Superior Spider-Man Team-Up #1-2 - Ok, i know that this isn't this issue's fault, but let me start with this.

If you're gonna do this, i demand that Tyrone get the cutaway dagger on his chest.

Ok, that out of the way, i am enjoying these issues. Loved the set-up for issue #1 with Octo-Spidey going around punching the other heroes, and i loved the resolution. And i like the use of the Jackal and Carrion for this storyline, and the tie in with Kaine/Scarlet Spider and the handling of the fact that Kaine has killed Doc Ock in the past. I would have expected a scene of Octo-Spidey completely not reacting to the Gwen Stacy clone, to the surprise of the Jackal, but i guess not. Now here's hoping that we can track down the third part of this story, since we weren't prepared to pick up an issue of Scarlet Spider and of course the LCS doesn't exactly keep extra issues of that series around. We also had a problem where we had Avenging Spider-Man on the pull list but the comic shop dropped it when the book was rebooted/renamed, which is why i'm covering two issues at once here. This stuff is hurting you, Marvel!

Avengers Arena #13 - Picked up this issue thanks to Gage coming back to write his Avengers Academy characters (actually, it's mainly Pym, Tigra, and the Runaways). And it's nice to see that there's thought behind why no one is looking for these missing kids (my jokey answer: because when you're relying on Henry Pym to help you, you might as well give up now. But the real answer is plausible enough.). Nothing here that would make me go back to the series, though. Not because i have a problem with the premise, and nothing wrong with this issue, which i enjoyed. But i dropped this book after issue #7 and it seems like six issues later the book hasn't changed a bit, judging by which characters are crossed out on the recap page (yes, yes, i see Chase is now Darkhawk) and the way Arcade is acting. This series just seems insanely slooooooow.

Secret Avengers: can this plot move any slower? it's a damned iceberg. in the previous issue, they assassinated the Scientist Supreme and now they're stuck fighting their way off A.I.M. Island. this issue they fought their way off A.I.M. Island.

and Butch Guice is terribly confused about what Daisy's hairdo is supposed to look like. he can't manage consistency from panel to panel. fnord12 says that nowadays, Guice measures success by how many angled panels he can draw. clearly.

Uncanny XF: another super slow plot. and i'm starting to think this series isn't about the team. it's really a series about Psylocke and her fucked up past coming to roost. that's not really what i thought i was signing up for. i really don't care about her past drama. and also, you're not writing it in a way that's making me care, either.

but i really wanted this book to be good which is why i haven't dropped it yet. i'm going to give this owl-bear demon story a couple more issues. if it continues to focus on Psylocke's convoluted past while the rest of the "team" sits around waiting for their turn on stage, we'll be dropping it.

Wolverine: so dumb. Wolverine being afraid of death. Storm having the "i can tell you're shaking on the inside" conversation. the whole Black Panther fight where Wolverine loses it cause he's got a secret thing for Storm. just ugh.

Superior Spider-Man: what i'd like to see is Doctor Octopus in Peter Parker's body actually on his little date with the girl he decided was intellectually worthy of his time. i imagine the dinner conversation being totally about why he's so much better than everyone.

but, really, after Aunt May, who could possibly compare?

Avengers Arena: nothing i love better than seeing Hank Pym running around and nobody trusting his judgement enough to listen to anything he has to say. yup...