Day 14: Now Reading

A personal favorite I suggest for all Fiction fans.

Been awhile since I updated on what I was actually reading:

The Anubis Gates

I've almost finished re-reading this book by Tim Powers. It involves time travel, an interesting view of magic, and all the antics that come from combining the two. Brendan Doyle is from the present (well, the 1980s) and winds up in 1810 due to a completely logical foray into the past by a wealthy and intellectual man. From there, nothing goes quite right and the story is an interesting view on alternate history, destiny, and keeping readers on their toes. Even when you think you've got a handle on it, it adds a new twist and turn.

I'll be drawing on this book a lot for inspiration with my Steampunk-Detective novel that I'd like to work on after I finish my current project. That, the Cthulhu mythos, and the movie Chinatown. For starters.

Forgotten Realms: The Legend of Drizzt Part II: Exile

I like fantasy. I like older fantasy, and D&D stories, and the like. I've never really gotten into Forgotten Realms, though. I finished the first Drizzt book awhile back and found the second one at a used book shop, so have been paging through it. To be completely honest, it holds almost no interest to me other than the later (MUCH LATER) stories seem as if they're so interesting, I just can't imagine skipping so far ahead.

It'd be like reading current Dragonlance without ever reading about the War of the Lance! Blasphemy!

Fables: Sons of Empire

Solid entry, though not especially plot heavy.

I've just finished the 9th TPB of Fables. Without fail, the series is still going strong at this point, and this had a nice juxtaposition of what's going on in the Homelands with the Adversary and his gang as well as some of the less severe adventures of the Fables on Earth. This issue is notable for finally bringing Bigby together with his pops, though it is by no means climactic.

The Pull List

Yeah, so, folks may have noticed I haven't followed up on this lately. The reason is that my Pull List was reduced dramatically after moving back to MA, and I find reading 2-3 single issues a week fairly frustrating. I'm keeping current on my favorites, namely Saga, but otherwise am waiting until I have a few issues lined up to sustain a lengthier reading cycle. For now, Pull List Reviews will be put on hold and I'll do some "state of affairs" posts for the series that I'm enjoying down the line. Until then, however, I'm always happy to take suggestions -- as long as you know I won't jump in the middle of a series, I've got to start at the beginning.

I'm also trying to hunt down some Cthulhu related comics but have been unsuccessful at this time.

... That's about it. I am adding liberal amounts of Lovecraft since I've been in the mood lately, but I'm eyeing some other Mythos related authors more so. Just gotta find 'em.

Revenge of the Nerd!

I'm back! Ish! We've moved into the MA house and are in the process of getting settled. My work situation and schedule are still up in the air, so I won't go on record saying expect regular postings starting now, but you can certainly expect more very soon!

Casa de Nerd. Well... Sotano de Nerd, anyway.

Today I am working on finishing The Podcast is a Lie's late podcast (hopefully finalize by the end of the day). I'd also like to set up the Nerd-Cave as much as possible (recognizing that I don't have much in the way of furniture down here yet...).

Towards the end of the week, I have some more time off and will bring my Pull List Reviews up to date (though it will be a synopsis of where the PLR is more than an individual title review, sorry!).

I'm also hoping to convince the Wife to allow me to see Riddick this weekend, even though we just bought a house, so there will (hopefully) be a movie review soon as well.

And, today or later in the week, I'll be doing a write up of news in the X-COM world. Be prepared, because the alien menace is hasn't let up just yet!

Alright, to the podcast! ... This is my first time being the sole editor on a 'case due to Steve's absence, hence the delay and, possibly, the quality... We'll see!

If you were wondering...

Some of you may have noticed that I've not been posting very frequently. Most of you probably haven't. Well, I'm here to make excuses, yay!

RISK nights will (hopefully) come back!

I am currently in the process of moving from NY to MA. The Wife and I have been living in NY for the past three years (actually got married our first Summer here, though we met in college in MA), so this requires a number major life changes for us that will occur with the move. One of the biggest is that we're buying a house (closing this Friday, actually, so wish us luck!).

Instead of writing rushed blog posts (because I don't do any other kind), I've been planning for the move and, this week in particular, will be packing up the current apartment.

There may be an adjustment period after the move, but you can expect two things coming up soon:

I have a backed up pile of comics to write about in a Pull List Review. About two months of comics, actually, so expect a shortened version.

I will be living up the street from a comic book store. I already have a pull list set up. What does this mean? It means you can expect Pull List reviews on a (very close to) weekly basis! They'll be smaller, easier to manage, AND relative to what's on shelves! Oh my!

So keep an eye out! In the meantime, listen to our Podcasts and, if you are so inclined, drop some comments about other things you'd like to see this Nerd write about.

Pull!

Alright, we're going to get quick and dirty with this Pull List Review -- I made the mistake of picking up another round of books before finishing my last one and I'm afraid, if I don't make a stand now, I'll never catch up.

The best of the best in this selection will get a small highlight section. The rest will be given their 'arbitrary' rating. If you'd like some more input on a given title, you have but to ask.

Highlight Reel

Hawkeye #1-10 - I spent my mini-pull list hiatus catching up on the current Hawkeye series. They were a bit difficult to find (even though they've been reprinted about 4 times), but I'm glad I did. The stories are all Hawkeye (Clint Barton) and usually Hawkeye (Kate Bishop) when they're not being super heroes/Avengers. That's not to say they don't get into trouble. Issues 9 and 10 are showing the same time span from each of the Hawkeye's perspectives and it culminates in some of Clint's recent adventures coming back to haunt him in a horrifying way.

I've never been a Hawkeye fan, but the art on this book could carry it alone. Seriously, do yourself a favor and pick up a few issues just to look at. The engaging stories are just a nice addition, at this point. 10/10

This totally happened.

Star Wars: Legacy #1-2 - This series is a highlight just for showing up! The original Legacy series ended with Cade Skywalker winning his final battle, supposedly ending the series forever. Fortunately, we've got this interesting revival which follows an as-of-yet unseen family name: Solo. Ania Solo is a young girl and apparent wiz kid with machines. She's also, like any good Solo, poor and living as a scavenger. There are bigger events picking up, though -- the new government is going to have a wrench thrown in its plans as we see a new Sith infiltrating a Republic mission and causing trouble. 7/10

Proof that reading is cool.

Five Ghosts #1-2 - A new series with a new setting. Fabian Gray has been possessed by five literary spirits and is trying to use them to find a way to save his sister. He's possessed by Robin Hood, Merlin, Musashi Miyamato, Sherlock Holmes, and Count Dracula. This means that Fabian, a treasure hunter, can tap into their (normally fictional) abilities to, in general, be freaking awesome.

The issues are a bit broad and unfocused at the moment, but the art is fresh and the quirks of Fabian's gifts keep me reading more than the overarching story, at this point. A highlight for being something new and done well. 9/10

Uncanny Avengers #4-7 - This series has a relatively interesting team coming together and dealing with the political and social issues plaguing human-mutant relations. Oh, and then they have to fight some pretty awesome villains in the meantime. First they went up against Red Skull, who had just happened to exhume Xavier and take his brain, somehow tapping into the dead mutant's psychic powers. Then we saw Thor go toe to toe with Apocalypse back in the day, and now we've seen the Apocalypse Twins kill a Celestial. You heard me -- they killed a goddamn Celestial.

I don't know that enough attention is paid to the characters on the team at the moment, but if they keep an interesting rogue's gallery going, I'm down! 8/10

Superior Spider-Man #6 AU - I'm highlighting this issue in particular because of the art. It's like manga drawn in an american style and I am loving the look. Unfortunately, it seems to be a one time thing with the Age of Ultron tie-in, but I strongly suggest you pick it up, even if you don't normally get behind these comic events. The change in art style is beyond refreshing.

I really can't...

... get enough of this art style!

Speed Rating 

Thor: God of Thunder #7 - Enjoying today's Thor with future Thor, but not too much motion here. 8/10
Superior Spider-Man # 5-9 - I'm not liking the current direction, but it's at least keeping me engaged. 7/10
Cable and X-Force #5-6 - These characters are a mess. Keep 'em coming. 7/10
Star Wars #3 - Spy vs Spy gets really old for me, but there's still hope. 7/10
All New X-Men #8-11 - Things might have just taken an interesting turn again, maybe. 7/10

AoU lacks substance.

Guardians of the Galaxy #.1-2 - Not super familiar with this cast. Nothing amazing, but I'll stick it for a bit. 6/10
Age of Ultron #1-7 - Not as good as Age of Apocalypse. Artist can't differentiate between people of color. 6/10
Scarlet Spider #15-16 - Kaine dies. Again. And comes back. Again. Uglier. Potential on the horizon, though. 6/10
Venom #32-33 - Venom meets a new, slightly interesting enemy. Eddie is wearing Toxin. Don't like Eddie's dialogue  though. Mixing him up with Carnage/Kletus too much. 6/10
Ultimate Spider-Man #21 - I think I just want more from this series, especially when they re-intro Venom. 6/10
Avenging Spider-Man #17-18 - I both kind of like seeing Doc Ock interacting with other characters and hate the way he's changing opinions. 6/10
Red Hood and the Outlaws #18 - Bruce and Jason tenderness, but this series is wallowing. 6/10
Age of Apocalypse #13-14 - A poorly done crossover with titles no one reads. Incoherent without other pieces, which is always a bad choice. 3/10
Constantine #1 - Didn't catch my fancy, but decided I'll be hunting down old Hellblazer stuff instead. 5/10
Nova #1-2 - Somewhat interesting, but I'm going to focus on Guardians for my space stuff. 8/10
A+X #5 - Dropping this, shorts are never really my thing, though these can be funny. 6/10


I've recently picked up some volume 1 trade paperbacks that you can expect me to drool over soon as well: Saga, Fables, and Y the Last Man. Also, I still have some left over Pull List to mull over and two exciting announcements coming right around the corner!

Catching Up

So... I'm a bit late on my last Pull List Review... So much so that I've got another large stack ready to be read...

I'll be getting one out soon and then will consider shrinking the titles I actually review -- maybe a highlights or a few particular series. I'm not sure enough people read/any care enough to read my thoughts on EVERYTHING current I'm reading.

... So yeah, this is a post to tell you about a future post. It's totally a thing.

Pull List Review: Gotta Catch 'Em All

This post is going to be a whirlwind storm of back issues that I've yet to review for a PLR. These will be short and sweet -- if you see something you want me to expand upon, let me know in the comments section below:

Err... I have some catching up to do...

Favorites (Best of the best)

All-New X-Men #4 - #7: This series is still going strong, though it has slowed down a bit. My favorite parts are Angel meeting Angel, young Cyke blasting Wolverine, and Jean working with Kitty. I really can't get enough and wish these would come out faster! 10/10
Star Wars #1 and #2: The rebels have to find a new base after Yavin 4 and the destruction of the Death Star while rooting out a spy. The spy bit is WAY overdone in Star Wars Extended Universe, but I'm liking the classic characters and the new roles Leia is being put in. Nice to have a strong leading lady who isn't falling for men left and right. Also, loving the art. 10/10, this is a good book.

Staying Strong (Nothing special, good or bad)

Ultimate Spider-Man #17 - #20: An Ultimate Venom is back and attacking Miles (and his dad). Interesting, Venom looks especially monstrous, and I'm looking forward to seeing where this is going. 7/10
Venom #29 - #31 - Nothing super special, but Venom is now in Philly and dating Valkyrie. Oh, and being stalked. I do NOT like how Flash is having possessed blackouts, but I guess they won't leave well enough alone. 7/10
Age of Apocalypse #11 and #12: The series is coming to a close. Maybe? Weapon X is deposed, things have been shaken up, but there seem to be more changes on the horizon. An 8/10 for finally getting interesting.
Cable and X-Force #2 - #4: I don't know any of these characters particularly well, but so far seeing their connections and an X-team screwing up royally is always nice. Not sure about the series, but I'll stick with it for some more, I'm enjoying the Cable exposure. 7/10
Avenging Spider-Man #15.1 and #16: Doc Ock being in the shoes of Spidey and teaming up with all of Peter's old pals? Avenging may have just gotten interesting. It loses a point for having a Spidey/Wolverine (my favorite pairing) fight that made me sad :( 7/10
Uncanny Avengers #2 and #3: I'm liking the Red Skull action, the possession shtick is ok, and Wolverine just got his ass kicked by Thor. Yeah, that's pretty solid, and looks like Apocalypse is coming up soon! 8/10
Nova #1: This was a random grab. I know nothing of Nova so am a bit in the dark, but though it was interesting. Reminded me of The Last Starfighter a bit, netting it an 8/10 in my book, and added to the pull list.

Missteps (Series with recent issues being sub-par)

Scarlet Spider #12.1 - #14: Mexican werewolves. Kaine dies again. Kaine comes back all spidery again. This series is too new to already be repeating itself with a death and pointless reincarnation. Also, Spider-Kaine looks really, really stupid. Hoping this picks up soon. 4/10
Red Hood and the Outlaws #15 - #17: The issues aren't particularly bad, but as a tie in to the Death of the Family tie in, they are especially weak in regards to events happening, aren't coherent at all, and don't advance the Outlaws at all, other than apparently Jason getting some face melting at the last page. Hopefully, with the event having wrapped up, we'll see some interesting stories again. 3/10

Dropped Series (Series I've dropped from my Pull List)

Deadpool #1 - #3: The story is funny, but the writers have completely given up on any interesting plot to fill it with camp. That's fine for some, but for me, I don't like sacrificing interesting for funny. 2/10 because I did laugh some.

Thunderbolts #1 - #4: I only got to issue 4 because they came out so fast. Honestly, this would get a low score on the art alone (I HATE THIS ARTIST! Everyone looks the exact same, why does Marvel still employ him!? Every book he touches leaving me feeling dirty after), but compound that with the cliche story and lackluster character choice, and mark this as a 0/10 and the official death of the Thunderbolts for me.

This is a sad day because the Thunderbolts are what prompted the creation for this blog :(

A+X #2 - #4: I don't remember if I actually dropped this yet or not, but it's only being dropped because I've grown tired of the too-quick stories that really won't amount to anything in the end. Still, not a bad series, so it's getting an 8/10 because I DID enjoy them.

Avengers Arena #1 - #4: Marvel's Hunger Games with maybe 3 characters I actually enjoy. Not an awful premise, but drags along too slow to keep my interest. 4/10


Ok, I know this is a really compacted version, but that's just because I've been too lazy to do a PLR on time. This format is what future PLRs will look like, though I would like to go into a bit more issue specifics.

If you have any thoughts or comments to add on the above issues, please post them, I'd love to hear them!

UPDATE: Sorry this post took a bit longer to go up... My PC has died (NOOOOOOO!), and I'm not sure when I'll be able to fix it. I still have a laptop I can use, so the Nerd is down but not out!

Coming up next: First Impressions of Bioshock Infinite. Sometime after that, I'll finally take a look at the Thor: God of Thunder series.

Seriously. It will happen.

Superior Spider-Man Superior?

I've been remiss in my updates, sorry about that folks. Last semester of actual grad classes, though, so hopefully I can get back to posting more after.

For now, I've been reading a bunch of comics (thanks to my comics-and-capitol trip and a recent Pull List pick up), playing the Dead Space series, and watching Downton Abbey.

Is that seems a bit eclectic... Well, yeah.


I was not pleased with the ending of Amazing Spider-Man. I still do not care for the idea of Doctor Octopus as Spider-Man -- he was never an interesting villain for me. Now, however, I've seen him as Spider-Man and Peter Parker in Superior Spider-Man and in Avenging Spider-Man. And we're going to talk about it Wild West style.

The Good:

From the get go, the art is strong and relatively consistent with recent ASM, which I've enjoyed. The differences come in depictions of Spidey and Peter, and I think both of those are being done reasonably well: Spidey's suit is modified to be a bit more vicious as well as more capable, with claws and digital lenses. Peter, when working, wears a lab coat and goggles, very much in Ock style. That being said, it works and is never overstated. 
The writing is done well, though Peter's language is obviously modified by Doc Ock's lexicon. This... well, disliking Doc Ock, makes me a bit annoyed at times, but it is necessary. It does manage to keep things funny, though not with Peter-Peter's slapstick. And Ock-Peter has a lot to reflect on; things he's done in the past compared to his new memories of what Peter-Peter had done. The stories so far have been acceptable -- a new Sinister Six, the Vulture, and Massacre are who we've encountered before, and we're definitely seeing a new Spidey in how he handles them -- viciously and publicly, much more like a Batman than our normal, goofy, red and blue Spidey.
A final element that personally sells the series to me was introduced in the last panel of the very first issue: Ghost Peter! He's NOT gone, which means he will be returning in the future, eventually. Well, that's an assumption, but I'm sticking with it. Ock-Peter is either temporary or not the be-all, end-all I wasn't looking forward to. Ghost-Peter is in ever issue so far, getting his own inner thoughts and visualization while Ock-Peter goes through his day. It can sometimes be a bit annoying, really, but I'm just glad they didn't hold to eliminating Peter for long.

The Bad:

Yeah... that happened.

The Peter Parker moments with Ock in the driver's seat are generally annoying, if not borderline revolting to a long time fan. Fortunately, the writers are staying away from him doing anything wrong or potentially vulgar, but there are a few moments here and there (pretty sure Ock-Peter touches himself to Peter-Peter's memories of MJ...), and every time he interacts with someone, it feels like the annoying bits when someone is masquerading as a particular hero/character and ruining their reputation. Ock hasn't ruined anything per se, but his general dick-attitude is coming awful close to burning bridges with interesting characters Peter-Peter made friends with.
Ghost-Peter tends to nag. Yeah, I want him back, but it's almost enough for me to know he's around; I don't necessarily need him in every frame criticizing, complaining, or realizing that Ock does do some things better.
Ock-Peter is a lot more Batman than Spider-Man. It's not a huge issue, but I'm here to read Spider-Man, you know?

The Ugly:

MJ doesn't have a clue the pervy Ock is in Peter's body, but Carly Cooper does. Sure, Carly is a cop and was there when Peter-Ock was still trying to get his body back, but MJ has more than enough history that she should know when Peter isn't quite Peter.
In Avenging Spider-Man, Spidey fights Wolverine and more or less ruins my favorite team-up for the foreseeable future. This is a sad, sad day for Spidey/Wolverine fans.


Now, to answer the question, is Superior Spider-Man superior? Ock as Spidey is definitely being more effective than Peter ever was, however nothing will overwrite the fondness for the character I've built since my childhood. It's good, and you should definitely read it, but I'm looking forward to some sort of resolution with Ghost-Peter soon.
Note to Marvel: I WILL accept Ghost-Peter jumping into a clone body. While you're add it, let's get some Ben Reilly back too.
Alright, that's all. Next time we'll be talking about a certain Norse God of Thunder...

This Week and Tumblr

So. I started a Tumblr. I'm hoping it's another way to get the blog out there. For the most part, there won't be much that goes on there that isn't here or coming here, but I may choose to post some of my shorter, more errant thoughts over there... Meaning you should probably follow me for your Nerd fill:

http://arbitrarynerd.tumblr.com/

You'll notice that I've got two posts about upcoming content on here: expect to see reviews of/thoughts on Thor: God of Thunder and Superior Spider-Man this week, as well as the new and improved (well, expedited, at least) Pull List Review.

If my posting seems to be coming a bit slower than normal, bare with me! The MFA coursework has been picking up.

Pull List Review: For Better...

First, I'm still looking for suggestions on how to do future Pull List Reviews  Click the link and comment with your thoughts.

Now, here's another chunk of my most recent Pull List. Seeing as how I hope to hit up Joker's Child (which is where my Pull List lives) on Sunday, I should probably get cracking on these last two posts...

This will be the remaining issues I enjoyed, while my next post will be those that hit the mark a bit.

All-New X-Men #1 Beast is changing (again) and this time he knows his body won't handle it. Mutantkind is in turmoil and he isn't going to be there to help fix things. Cyclops, Emma Frost, Magneto, and Magik are seen recruiting new, powerful mutants to their cause -- even if they have to harm humans in the process. The other X-Men are at a loss as to what to do -- they don't agree with Scott's new views and know they need to stop him, they're just not sure how. Beast thinks he knows. He travels back to the time of the original X-men: Cyclops, Marvel Girl, Iceman, Angel and Beast himself. Future Beast tells the startled young Cyclops, "I need you to stop yourself from committing mutant genocide." A lot of events happen back to back in this issue and I even feel that Beast's reasoning makes a sort of sense -- he's dying and desperate and just wants things to be how they were. Also, the interaction between the younger team and present Beast is done very well, the art is great, and I'm really interested to see what comes next. This issue is a 9/10 for me.
All-New X-Men #2 Shadowcat and Iceman are wondering what's taking Beast so long (heh), so they decide to search his lab. The notice some odd things relating to Beast's physiology, but can't make much sense out of it. Next they fail at hacking his computer. Beast is trying to convince the X-Men of the past that he is who he says he is and why he needs them. This becomes interesting when he starts spoiling things -- such as Marvel Girl eventually developing telepathic powers (in addition to her telekinetic ones). Or, you know, that Scott killed Professor X. The Hank v. Hank conversations are great, and Past Hank trying to figure out what could possibly drive Present Hank to come to them is actually fairly moving. The young X-Men are eventually convinced and they arrive at the Jean Grey School for Higher Learning. Because that won't be awkward for Past Jean... Wolverine, in the middle of teaching class, smells (Past) Scott and charges out in a beserker rage, stopped from killing Scott by Jean's telekinesis. This draws the attention of some of the other current X-Men (leading to Iceman meeting himself). They present folks being yelling at Beast, who promptly falls into a coma. The two teams of X-Men are trying to aid the ailing Beast. Logan calls the past X-Men out and begins to tell them he's sending them back ASAP. Jean, realizing she DOES have telepathic powers, is able to cause Logan to falls asleep. This is odd because Logan is usually immune (or at least very strong) to mental attacks. Possibly screwing with the time line will have some more adverse effects. At this point, Jean knows she's dead and Scott knows he's gone renegade. They steal a Blackbird and go to confront him -- they know Present Scott is hunting new mutants, so they plan on getting there first. The final panel is Logan saying, "It was her. It was really her. Jeannie." I wonder how Present Scott will react. Also how Present Emma will... I loved this issue, though it was a touch slower than the last. Still, solid art, story, and I'm loving the reactions we're given so far -- they're a bit too abrupt to sink in for long; we'll see how long that lasts. This is another 9/10 for me.
All-New X-Men #3 This issue starts ten days before events last issue. Scott, Magneto, and Magik are overlooking their new base -- the old, abandoned Weapon X facility. Two days later, they are seen attacking a convoy, only something goes wrong -- Magneto is having problems controlling magnetism and Scott can't control the power of his optic blasts (which looks pretty badass). They eventually succeed in freeing Emma Frost, who has no interest of seeing Scott; she blames him for turning on her when they were the Phoenix Force. Scott says that it wasn't him, it was the Phoenix. Then Emma reveals that her powers have changed since the Phoenix as well. Magneto says that doesn't make sense, but Emma reminds him that Cyclops blasted him with a full dose of Phoenix exposure. Scott is determined to make things right, though Emma isn't interested. They do leave together, however, when the authorities arrive at the site of the convoy wreckage. We then pan to a college peace rally. We see a student find they are a mutant when the begin to morph into whomever they're speaking to. Back to Scott, we see him blasting away with his massive optics blast, repeating the word "No" over and over again. Mags comes to knock some sense into him, at the same time as threatening him if his powers, the only thing that made him important, weren't returned. Magik pops up and tells them that her powers have only gotten better, giving her access to the Limbo dimension. Emma joins the club and points them to the changeling mutant we saw moments before. They teleport to the mutants location, only to be intercepted by the young X-Men. Shit will hit the fan next issue, and I for one can't wait. This issue, being focused on the renegades, wasn't as interesting for me and moved a bit slower than I would have liked. I'm still not sure where present Scott is coming from with his New World Order idea, so I'd like to see that more. Most of all, however, I want to see the showdown next issues. This was an 8/10 for me.
Cable and X-Force #1 Cable, Domino, Colossus, and Dr. Nemesis are seen murdering unarmed civilians in some sort of industrial plant. The Uncanny Avengers show up and Havok tries to reason with Cable to understand what's going on. In response, Cable and Co. teleport away, leaving Havok looking like a biased schmuck. Then, as Marvel loves to do lately, we're taken to "days earlier". Hope is complaining about being in public school while Cable stalker-watches her. He then goes back to his secret base (an airplane graveyard) and talks to Forge. He gets a new arm and then starts having pains in his head, which have apparently been a thing as of late. Next up, we see Domino breaking into an A.I.M. facility, only to be beaten to the punch by Hope, who recruits her to find Cable. Cable is busy recruiting Dr. Nemesis to fix his head. Back at base, Hope confronts Cable, complaining about him leaving her (I didn't know that Cable was her father, that's interesting). He tells her he missed her and they hug. Cable gets another headache, causing Hope to catch some kind of vision of disaster. The end of the issue is the vision of disaster appearing on the TV. I'm interested. I don't know much about the characters, but the might just keep it interesting. This issue was an 8/10 for art and interest at the very least, and I'll add this as a recurring issue to the pull list.
Red Hood and the Outlaws #14 Superman shows up at Starfire's spaceship, knocking to be let in. Instead of answering, the Outlaws teleport to Starfire's crashed ship (back on Earth). Red Hood is immediately on the defense, expecting Supes to catch up. He does, of course, and the gang throws down. Superman... Well, let's just say that not a single shit was given that day. Red's civilian friend cuts through the nonsense and tells the group to hear Superman speak. Superman explains that a powerful alien entity, Helspont, approached him with a job offer. Starfire admits she was similarly asked. Turns out other aliens on Earth are getting the same "join or die" speech and Superman wants to make sure that, when the time comes, that they'll band together against the cause. He says he wants to drag the Outlaws back to the states to pay for their crimes, but Batman has vouched for them (woot woot). The end of the issue is Red spending some private time with his lady friend. He takes a shower and comes up to her, almost dead on the floor (via some sort of drug overdoes). This mirror's Red's mother's death. The television ends up revealing the Joker, who is back in action and has set Jason up, which we'll see next issue. My favorite part of this issue is that Superman gets so much shit and is basically looked upon like a tyrant, which is SO unusual from normal perception. The lack of any real story progress does hurt the issue, though. Still, dumping on Supes is worth another arbitrary point, so the issue lands at an 8/10.
Age of Apocalypse #9 This issue starts out with Jean being discovered and reported by Daredevil, while the X-terminated are busy learning from Doom's DNA. They are able to develop a weapon, which the promise to give to Penance, as long as she sets aside a refuge (Australia) for humanity once she takes over Weapon X's energy. Jean and Graydon go on a fancy date. It ends poorly when she brings up Sabertooth one too many times. Then they are attacked by Weapon X's forces and they know their cover is blown. Jean flees into the sewers while her allies cover her. Flash to Prophet releasing Sabertooth to go help. Flash to Weapon X saying he's getting into the hunt. This issue is only a 6/10 for me, but the next one brings it up a bit. I still dislike the art and characters, but the story spikes here and there with being interesting.
Age of Apocalypse #10 Jean is on the run. The weapon, a pill, is created to remove Weapon X's Celestial given power. Jean fights off some random tunnel dwelling mutants. Some maneuvering goes down at the Hellfire club so the X-terminated can find the Shadow King (in an effort to get to Jean, supposedly). Jean meets Logan, but is interrupted by Sabertooth. Jean escapes while Sabertooth gets his ass kicked and blows himself up with a grenade. This is actually a pretty cool moment; Logan says "If it makes you feel better, bub." They both know it won't actually hurt him. And it shows that Logan is still somewhere back there, or at least his personality hasn't been obliterated. I don't feel like looking it up, but wasn't this the Sabertooth in Exiles? Pretty big deal that he'd dead then, even though he's been useless (and wasted) this entire series). Jean is learning that the pill is the weapon and it has to be ingested. Also, she learns that she was being groomed to take over for Prophet (should anything happen_, but now she was conveniently the only one to possibly get close enough to administer the pill. The issue ends with the Shadow King getting surprise visit from Quentin Quire (I assume some kind of clone, because he blew his brains out in an awkward plot filling issue a while back). The pace is ramping up for some big stuff next issue and I'm looking forward to things coming to a close. I'm not sure how much life this series has left in it, but I feel this particular book hasn't been able to keep enough interest and will be wrapping up soon. Or maybe I just hope so. This issue barely scrapes by getting into this post by scoring at 7/10. I'm really hoping the following issue is an interesting climax.

If it wasn't obvious, my favorite series this Pull List (and with Marvel NOW! in general) was All-New X-Men. The past X-men can really stir things up in today's world without ever jeapordizing that past -- if they DO get planted back where the belong, which seems inevitable, Professor X can always wipe their minds (they alluded to as much already). I know the focus is supposed to be some Scott on Scott action, but I'm really hoping Jean Grey finds some way to stick around or at least stir things up. I miss her as Marvel Girl, even though it would be pretty hard to go back to that (you know, besides re-reading some First Class).

I will do a post ASAP on the remaining issues from this month, seeing as how I've already picked up another pull list, which will have some doozies... I'm going to go ahead and switch up the PLR (Pull List Review, let's try and make this stick...) a bit after next post. If you hate it, let me know.

For now, have a good one!

Question for the Readers: Pull List Reviews

Hi all,

I have a question for you folks. Currently, I do a Pull List Review whenever I pick up my Pull Lists. Then I proceed to write short descriptions of each issue, include the cover (or especially interesting panel) image, and assign it a relatively arbitrary rating, which a succinct list of reasons why.

This sometimes takes me awhile to get them all out (I do have to actually READ the issues, you know). I was wondering if this format has been working for folks or if an alternative setup would work better.

Example: instead of doing an issue description of each issue from my Pull List, I could choose major issues/moments and then the most interesting (or recent, if that makes more sense -- series like Amazing Spider-Man that come out multiple times a month tend to pike up) issues from the selection. This month, I really enjoyed reading All-New X-Men, but I didn't particularly care for Deadpool. I could write a short one line or so about Deadpool and then go through the normal process of posting the cover and a more detailed description of my personal favorite All-New X-Men issue.

This would make the posts shorter, quicker to come out, and potentially more on point. However, if someone was really interested about Deadpool (which I WILL be posting about soon, don't you fear), they might miss out there, other than to see I didn't have a high opinion of it.

Input? Thoughts on this or the rating scale or anything else on the Pull List Reviews/blog in general? I'm looking for your feedback!!

Thanks for taking the time to read The Arbitrary Nerd, it means a lot to the amateur blogger!

Pull List Review: The End of Amazing Spider-Man

Hello all! In this post, I will be posting spoilers for Amazing Spider-Man issues 697-700, give my arbitrary rating for all of them, and then bitch about the last issue. Sound good? Then keep on reading!

Note: in an effort to get to #700 ASAP, I'm going to keep the over descriptions short.

Amazing Spider-Man #697 Peter and Max are on the run from the Hobgoblins, who are having trouble deciding if they should give chase or fight each other. Peter leads Max to a Goblin bunker, which causes him to call Harry to figure out how to defuse the booby traps. Harry looks suspiciously like Walter White from Breaking Bad. Petey uses his knowledge as Spidey's "sidekick" to fool Max while he builds some tech (including a Spider-Glider) to get them out of harms way. Fighting ensues until the Goblins use Norah Winters as bait -- even Phil, her boyfriend, is ready to sacrifice her to further his goals. Max gets the save, Spidey escapes, and Old Gobby takes out New Gobby in a surprise attack, taking the younger Goblin and giving him a business offer. An interesting, but seemingly unrelated event, occurs when Norman Osborn, the Green Goblin, isn't in his hospital bed... Not that his comes to play in ASM at all... I like the characters, and the Peter-fooling-someone-that-he's-not-Spidey was done well enough too. A solid 8/10.
Amazing Spider-Man #698 This issue starts with the near-death Doctor Octopus waking up and calling for Peter Parker. Meanwhile, Spidey is swinging around town, having a good ol' day. He beats on a fake supervillain, reflecting on his relationship with MJ, has a confidant review with Max Modell, reflects on his wasted scientific career, hits on MJ (and random girls at her club), and then gets an Avengers priority call to attend Doc Ock in his last moments. Once alone, Peter confronts his long time enemy, who announces that HE is Peter Parker... and he's right. He doesn't say how, but Doctor Octopus has switched bodies with Peter Parker, and Peter is stuck in a dying body... I don't remember if I ever wrote it down in my fear for the ASM finale... but this was it. Despite going in a direction I don't like, the issue looked crisp and was interesting -- more so in that re-reading it shows hints that Doc Ock is in Peter's body the entire issue. So it gets an 8/10 from me.
Amazing Spider-Man #699 The issue opens with Peter-Ock being barely brought back from the brink of death by a team of doctors, though his time is still running out. Peter fears what Otto may be doing in his body, before realizing that he has access to all of Otto's memories, just as Otto claimed to have access to his. That's when the disturbing sex scene between Otto and Aunt May comes to light (well, it's only a reference, but still. I had enough of May's sex life when Peter walked in on her and Jay...). Searching through the memories, Peter realizes that, every time he used Otto's tech, he was allowing the villain to map his brainwaves, which led to the switch via Golden Octobot during the Goblin fight. Peter is able to use the Octobot as well, he finds out, and uses it to hatch one of Otto's stock escape plan. This one includes recruiting Scorpion, Hydroman, and the Trapster to break him out of prison. Peter does his best to stop them from killing anyone or freeing anyone else, but even he realizes he's walking a precarious path, no matter the circumstances. This issue keeps you on the edge of your seat and leaves some hope that Peter won't disappear at the end of ASM after all. An 8/10... You know what? It loses a point for that Aunt May sex scene. It was humorous... but ew. 7/10.
Amazing Spider-Man #699.1 This issue is all about Morbius. His cell is damaged during Peter-Ock's escape, and he leaves the Raft. The rest of the issue is Morbius' back story. If you like the character, it's an interesting read that leads to Morbius' ongoing that's coming up. If you don't care for the character, it's a completely skip-able Point One issue. I'm more of the latter, though I'll give the issue a 6/10 for being done well enough.
Amazing Spider-Man #700 This final issue is packed with three stories. The first is the tense and action packed story of Peter-Ock trying to get back in his body. Well, actually, it starts with Otto-Pete putting the moves on MJ before getting interuppted by an alert that Peter-Ock has escaped. Then Otto attempts to flee the country, while Pete starts working on his plan to get his body back. He goes to Heaven for a bit when he dies for three minutes, and it's an paradise place filled with all his loved ones who have gone before him and still support him. It's pretty touching stuff, but ol' Uncle Ben is there to tell Peter to get back in the fight. Pride gets the best of Otto, keeping him in the country. Peter uses his ragtag group of villains to procure the Golden Octobot without killing any civilians (though Carlie does get wounded by Peter in the process). Otto rounds up all of Peter's loved ones, in the pretense of keeping them safe. Some nice interactions between JJJ and his father/May, as well as some tit for tat between Peter and Otto -- they know each other more than ever before at this point, and have a hard time outsmarting each other... almost. MJ professes her love for Peter (to Otto), right before we get to the final showdown between Otto-Spider, Peter-Ock, Scorpion, and Hydro-Man in an emptied Avenger's Tower. Otto starts showing he has the upper hand in every way, having planned for every contingency. The only flaw in his plan are the nagging memories of Peter Parker's life, the ones the make him who he is and feel the way he does. Otto actually punches Scorpion's jaw straight off his body, which is pretty awesome, and a turning point for Peter when he sees this. In a suicide plot, Peter latches on to Otto and jumps out a window, explaining that he can no longer be Spider-Man after this -- he's ensuring that Otto dies while Peter will be back in his body, thanks to the Golden Octobot attacking Otto-Spider's skull -- BUT WAIT! THERE'S MORE! Turns out Otto expected the Bot as well and shielded his head, meaning Peter-Ock is trapped for the duration of the fall. Otto mortally (even more mortally?) wounds Peter. Peter realizes his time is up but, in a last ditch effort to stop a monster from running around as Peter Parker/Spider-Man, Peter-Ock uses the Bot's mental link to force Otto to see and feel the defining moments of Peter's life, forcing Otto too see the world through a new perspective and accept the responsibility of being Spider-Man, not a villain. And then... Peter-Ock dies. Otto-Spider makes his declaration that he'll be an even better Spider-Man -- a Superior one. So, that being what it is, I find the story difficult to rate. It was decently told, intense, and has had a lot of build up. That being said, Marvel has killed another Peter Parker and this hand off is even worse for the fans than the 90's Clone Saga, which is where they tried to phase Peter out in favor of Ben Reilly (which caused an uproar). So I like the issue but absolutely hate the ending and honestly thing they've brought the quality of Amazing Spider-Man down in a single issue... So I rate it a 7/10, though I would also be comfortable going lower. I want to give it a point on the awesome cover alone... but the book is so unwieldy due to it's filler content that it balances out. The second story is about a random geezer telling his great-grand kid that he used to be Spider-Man. Not really sure what the point was or why it was included. 1/10, some of the art is interesting. The third story was about the Black Cat, but was drawn so bad I didn't even bother reading it. 0/10 -- I really dislike camp in my comic books to begin with, and including this awful art in the final issue of ASM was almost a slap in the face.

The future of Spider-Man looks... Well, pretty crappy. I assume that, due to fan backlash (or possibly something they've already planned), that this will, if not get reversed, at least get remedied; the Golden Octobot wasn't seen destroyed, so it is possible that Peter comes back, either in his own body down the line or in a cloned body (which might make the Jackal popping up recently make sense). Then I would be slightly more accepting of the Superior Spider-Man. Well, except for the fact that it's Doc-Ock, a character that I've only enjoyed mildly and can't imagine then perpetuating for too long -- he's a fan favorite villain, not someone we wanted to actually follow. He's just not that interesting. Marvel would have done better giving us something new, so that way they could at least work in an interesting back story.

Now we have a character that I really don't care about, at all. We already have a dark and troubled Spider in the form of Kaine, we didn't need another. And using a character we already know well enough doesn't make us want to see him succeed or grow as a person. It's just a touch revolting. I'd like to see them make it interesting, but I want to see it undone more.

Here's to Marvel getting their shit together and undoing the damage they've done. Hopefully Peter comes back sooner than Ben Reilly has...

Peter DID once see the future and apparently witness his final stand, and it WASN'T as Superior Spider-Man either, so I'm holding out that this will just be a short stint to rile up the fans. Because, you know, it's totally worth stopping a 700 issue series to do that.

Next up, I've got a good amount of Pull List issues to get through, probably two more posts worth. See you then!

P.S. If you want to commiserate about the grim future of Spider-Man (or, I guess, tell me I'm a stupid fan boy), leave a comment!

Pull List Review: Minimum Carnage Finale

Hi all,

Sorry for the absence, I've been enjoying my holiday and not doing anything that looks remotely like work. I've occupied my time with Star Wars: The Old Republic, comic books, spending time with the Wife, Supernatural, and Star Wars Blu Ray (expect to see a continuation of Machete Order soon!). Good times.

Before I get to the first post for the current Pull List Review (I'll try to follow up with the next few shortly), I want to explain a minor change I'll be making to the blog. The three buttons you see up top (with difficulty on mobile browsers, sorry about that -- I don't know how to make them automatically resize for mobile) will be getting a couple more additions, featuring my more popular post tags. In additional, I'm moving away from the three days a week schedule and going to a minimum of two posts a week, preferable at the beginning and end of the week.

If you like/dislike the changes, let me know. Otherwise, enjoy my review of the final issues of Minimum Carnage (and the following Scarlet Spider/Venom issues):

Scarlet Spider 11 (Minimum Carnage Part 4) This issue starts with a nice fight scene between Carnage and Scarlet Spider as well as Venom going crazy against the Enigma Force (group, not power). Venom gets calmed down and then captured along with his friends, while Scarlet gets the upper hand on Carnage, only to give it up in an effort to save the Redeemer. We finally meet Radu, learn the history of symbiotes in the macroverse and Radu's plan with them, which is the build an army out of Carnage and Venom's suits. It's an action packed issue with strong art and a decent enough storyline. Issue gets an 8/10.
Venom 27 (Minimum Carnage Part 5) An army is created by cloning and combining Venom and Carnage's symbiotes with mindless Macroverse clones Radu had been growing. Venom and Carnage fight it out, but Carnage has the upper hand because he can control the symbiotes due to not being nuetered (also, Carnage has been shown having the ability to manipulate many hosts via his symbiote before, so this isn't much of a stretch. Venom realizes he has to release the beast, so to speak, and fights viciously, beheading Carnage. Pause. This doesn't make sense to me because Carnage continues to live -- Cletus Kasady, the host, should be dead. The symbiote shouldn't have anything to do with him surviving that, but that gets ignored. Scarlet comes to aid in the fight, while the Enigma Force are busy escaping with Venom's reported friend. Radu is seen fighting the uncontrollable symbiotes and then teleporting away before the Enigma Force can attack. Venom once again goes all out, unleashing the symbiote more and more in his fight against Carnage, finally using a psychic shriek to defeat the clones and Carnage (which happened with Eddie Brock in Planet of the Symbiotes, way back when). Carnage, however, sinks into the floor, disappearing. Why the symbiote can break down and rearrange its host, I'll never know. Seems like a new thing to me. Either way, we next see some microscopic carnages wreaking havoc back in the real world, while our heroes remain behind. The art is awful for most of the issue, the Carnage inconsistoncies bother me, and the whole trip through the Macroverse doesn't seem to accomplish too much, leaving this a 6/10 for me.
Minimum Carnage Omega This issue ooens with Carnage killing random folks while growing bigger and bigger, both due to time spent in the real world and his absorption of the clones that traveled with him. Our heroes get sent back to Earth by the Enigma Force and go toe to toe with Carnage -- literally, because they're still no bigger than his toe. The heroes get their ass kicked for a bit before reverting to their original size, at which point they begin to turn the tables. Venom finished the fight by force feeding Carnage a sonic grenade given to them by the Enigma Force. One of the major turning points for the whole arc comes when Scarlet Spider, realizing (FINALLY!) that the heroes are responsible for every time a killer escapes and kills again, lobotomizes Cletus Kasady with one of his spikes. Venom doesn't agree with this tactic and tries to get Cletus medical help. We learn that, while Cletus may be gone, the Carnage symbiote is now in 100% full control, making him more dangerous than ever. This is a bit unfortunate because Cletus was already suffering from a painfully repetitive personality, but we'll see how it goes from here. For now, however, this issue gets a 9/10 because of the lovely art, the acceptable conclusion to the story line, and someone not completely insane (ie, Punisher) realizing that imprisoning some of these super-villains isn't enough.
Scarlet Spider 12 How does Scarlet feel after this big revelation? Upset that he was, is, and always will be a murderer. He gets hammered and attempts to leave Houston and his friends behind. Fortunately, a heist occurring in the hotel Kaine is living in spurs his friends into action, which eventually gets him into the action. It's definitely a filler issue, but shows that Kaine is a bit deeper than some other characters and really shows some interesting relationships he's building. I'll rate it an 8/10 and am looking forward to seeing where the series is going.
Venom 27.1 This is a bit of a strange issue. Per usual, Flash is depressed and thinking about all the shitty things that have been going on. When he sleeps, however, the demon/symbiote setup seems to take him over and terrorize both criminals and Flash's mother, with Flash waking up none the wiser. The big issue looked at here is Flash coping with how much of a bully he was in high school. He meets up with someone he bullied terribly for being gay and then talks to Peter about their rocky history. After Peter is painfully honest, Flash announces that he's officially leaving New York, forever. This issue was nothing special but not terrible either, so it gets a 7/10 and we'll see Venom in Philadelphia next time.

Next post (coming after the weekend) will feature the rest of the Spider titles I've read this month. Until then, I hope you have a Happy New Year!

Hunting Game(s): The Old Republic News

Hi All,

I'm just popping in quick to post about some news regarding Star Wars: The Old Republic and then to mention what I'll be writing about next week.

First, Star Wars:

The first ever "expansion" for The Old Republic was announced this week: "Rise of the Hutt Cartel".

It includes a new planet (Makeb), a boosted level cap (to 55), and extended story missions (faction, not character, specific). If you're a subscriber now and pre-order, it costs $10. Otherwise, it's $20.

Here's hoping the next few months see something more interesting.

I'm glad things are still being worked on, but this sounds like the weakest excuse for an expansion I've ever heard of. No new class stories and an uninteresting faction story (opinion, of course. I find Hutts boring). The additional five levels doesn't sound all that exciting either, especially if there's no additions/changes to the classes themselves.

I'll buy it, mostly because $10 isn't too bad and I wouldn't mind leveling up my level 50 character, but I really think the devs need to get their head out of the sand and give players what they actually want, which so far HASN'T been seen.

Well, there's my two cents. I've been playing TOR more and more lately and am still enjoying it, don't get me wrong, it just seems to have failed on ever level an MMO should strive for. It's a great single player MMO, though.

For next week, when I'm not sleeping, I plan on doing this month's Pull List Review! The Wife picked up my Pull List this month as my Xmas gift and I've been very much enjoying some of the new stuff coming out of Marvel NOW! Since there are so many issues, I'll space out the posts through the week. Keep an eye out because the next post will review the last few issues of Minimum Carnage!

Extra! Extra! Pull List Review

Hi all! Sorry for another missed Friday, my schedule has been very crazy these past few weeks. I'm on call all week this week, so, barring any major incidents, Friday should come out on schedule this week. We'll see.

This is late... because I was playing Halo 4. More on that Wednesday (more like Wednesday-ish).

For now, this week's Extra! Extra! will take a look at my most recent Pull List!

Scarlet Spider # 10 (Minimum Carnage Part 2) In this issue, Venom and Carnage meet after Carnage disappeared into the Microverse last issue. At first, things seem to go well, until the Venom symbiote goes batshit insane (my favorite because it reverts to the Eddie Brock style suit) and lashes out at Kaine (probably recognizing him). This fight ends pretty quickly (though is still pretty awesome). It does show that Kaine is willing to do anything to survive, which I'm sure will come in to play soon. After they make up, they jump into the portal to the Microverse, getting separated. Venom finds allies, Scarlet finds a giant monster. Carnage, meanwhile, is being prepped for an assassination, though has some plans of his own... The art, while not as good as Alpha, is still pretty awesome. This issue gets a 9/10.
Venom #26 (Minimum Carnage Part 3) In this issue, Venom finds out that his allies don't like him very much because the symbiote seems to infect/eat the Microverse simply by being there. He joins with them, however, to help get to their leader, the Redeemer, who just happens to be Carnage's target. Scarlet fights a giant monster while the Redeemer watches. Carnage... Well, does what Carnage does. He kills the villains that freed him and decides to hunt down the Redeemer anyway. At the end of the issue, Venom goes even more batshit insane during a fight against a bunch of random enemies, while Carnage runs into Scarlet and the Redeemer. Next issue should be awesome! I love the issue, but didn't care as much for the art, especially the depiction of Carnage. Issue was definately a solid 8/10 for me, though.
Amazing Spider-Man #696 As I guessed it, Peter Parker is held hostage to be used as bait for Spidey. The go between is Max Modell, who manages to give Peter the opportunity to escape without revealing his identity, though Max should really be catching on by now. The main event in this issue, however, is the fight between the original Hobgoblin and the New Hobgoblin. They go at it while Kingpin shouts and waves his arms. The end of the issue has them coming to an agreement, however, to recapture the escaped Parker and Modell -- they managed to steal the "Goblin Key" that Spidey stole from the New Hobby last issue. A decent issue overall, and I don't mind a regression to the old using Parker as bait to catch Spidey shtick from times past. I'd give it an 8/10, with a note that at least one point is for the awesome cover. Oh, and if Superior Spider-Man turns out to be in anyway a Doctor Octopus controlled character or the Doc himself, I will be very, very displeased. In this issue, we see one of Ock's bots crawl out of the water, and this one is special because it's a golden snitch gold.
Avenging Spider-Man #13 This issue is pretty much just a long fight between Spidey and the Hypno Hustler's mind control, with a little bit of Deadpool thrown in on both sides. The only notable thing is the way Spidey and Deadpool choose to team up... A 6/10. It wasn't aweful, I just didn't care for the HH and I don't care for issues in which Spidey is made out to be a bad guy. THAT shtick was done to death.
Avenging Spider-Man Annual #1 This is another Spidey team-up in which minds are altered. This time, it's due to an alien artifiact a couple of chumps dig up in Central Park. It makes everyone hate eachother and become violent. They try to sell it to a gangster-type while NYC tries to kill itself. Spidey and the Thing also throw down. Of course, Spidey is mostly able to shrug off the effects and finds the source. When the device is damage, everyone begins to love each other... physically. The issue ends in a neat, tidy bow. A relatively fun issue. I didn't care for it, so a 6/10 -- at least the art style and writing kept it interesting.
Ultimate Spider-Man #16 Miles narrowly avoids getting arrested by Cap when Hydra attacks the base. Miles teams up with Cap and SHIELD to repel the invaders, impression Cap enough to accept his request to join the Ultimates. ... Little sick of Cap needing to be impressed every other issue. The end of the issue reflects the major (and quite startling) major change that comes from the Divided We Fall event -- Captain America becomes President of the United States. Issue is a 7/10. I still don't care for Ult. Cap, but it was good to see Miles in action some more.
Ultimate Spider-Man 16.1 This issue takes place directly after the death of the Prowler, in which Betty Brant, who is a huge douche in the Utlimate universe, tries to uncover dirt on Spider-Man and find his identity. She mistakenly comes to believe that Miles' father is the masked vigilante, and goes to Jameson with her "proof." Unlike 616 JJJ, the Ultimate version is against A) slamming Spider-Man and B) ruining a family's life just to sell a story. I LOVE Ultimate Jameson. Betty decides to take her story elsewhere, though is killed before she can do so... by Venom! Finally! This issue gets a 6/10, and that only because I liked JJJ and am looking forward to Venom. I dislike Marvel's confusing "Point One" system -- it was launched as a way for new readers to jump in mid-series, and is now a lazy way to say "Hey, we're writing about a story we probably should have done earlier, hope you don't mind! Also, nuts to future collectors who expect whole numbered issues!" I mind.
Red Hood and the Outlaws # 13 First, the covers of this run have been VERY misleading. It's an old school technique that I don't particularly care for; a cover should have SOMETHING to do with what's going on in the story. Instead of fighting (as most fans might have expected), Starfire and her sister team up (along with the other Outlaws) to take back Tameran. Blackfire gets seriously wounded, but the good guys pull through and the Outlaws decide to head on home. The end shows that Blackfire is aware of the Thirteen and knows they must be stopped, even if she doesn't share that info with anyone. Also, the Joker is shown back on Earth at Starfire's old, crashed ship. He's pulling the original Red Hood's (Joker's first alias) helmet out of a box and laughing... Issue is a 9/10 for me. Really enoying this series, and it's the only DC item still on my pull list.

Because the Wife picked up the Pull List, she ended up picking a few other issues she thought I might like. Thus, we have the Pull List BONUS ROUND!

Uncanny Avengers #1 I was NOT going to pick this title up. I've never really cared for a team book, especially the Avengers. That being said, I enjoyed this issue! It's just the recruitment issue, showing how Cap, Thor, Rogue, Scarlet Witch, Wolverine, and Havok all wind up on one team, but it shows some interesting character dynamics (especially between Rogue and Scarlet Witch) and has me interested for the next few issues. That being said, I'd rate it an optimistic 8/10. The art on some characters is terrible (what the HELL did they do to Wolverine?), but mostly it was decent and there was a nice scene between the Summers brothers (thought I hate what they've done to Cyclops). We'll see how long this stays on the Pull.

A+X #1 This is another surprise. I normally dislike team-up titles as a rule and ESPECIALLY hate comics that tell more than one story -- there's not enough room to really flesh out two full stories, and comics don't do short stories well as far as I'm concerned. That being said, I liked both the stories here. The first has Cap and Bucky during WWII teaming up with Cable to stop Sentinels being produced before their time. The enemy, notably enough, is a Trask descendant from the year 2099. Here's hoping we see more of that!! The second story has Wolverine and the Hulk going toe to toe with... Wolverine and the Hulk? Future Wolverine and Future Hulk (called Maestro) fight it out in Avengers tower when the future pair randomly teleports in, hunting for "a Hulk." They don't find who they're looking for and leave quickly. They return to their time (I didn't recognize it, honestly. I'd say NOT 2099, but could be wrong) and wind up in what appears to be the Oval Office, being told that the Red Hulk MUST die by none other than... the Red Hulk himself? What the... So, a pretty interesting issue. As long as the team up pairs are interesting, I'll keep it on the Pull List.

That's all for this time, though keep an eye out for the following Marvel NOW! titles I've added to my Pull List:

Brand New X-Men (can't wait to see the interactions)
Deadpool (just a test run)
Superior Spider-Man (this won't be out for a bit)
Avengers Arena (has some interesting characters)
Thunderbolts (these might not be added to my reviews until I catch up with the past volumes)
Uncanny X-Force (because the current run has gone so well)

Alright, that's all for tonight! Sorry for the late and long post, I'll see you Wednesday with some Halo and CoD talk!