Comics: 3-12-08

FANTASTIC FOUR #555
"World's Greatest 2 of 4"
Writer: Mark Millar
Penciler: Bryan Hitch
Inkers: Bryan Hitch & Paul Neary
Colorist: Paul Mounts
Letterer: VC's Rus Wooton
Associate Editor: Molly Lazer
Editor: Tom Brevoort
Editor in Chief: Joe Quesada
Publisher: Dan Buckley

Millar and Hitch continue their run with a new issue four weeks after the last one came out. Yes, that's how a monthly book is supposed to be done but for a Millar/Hitch book, it's a pretty phenomenal feat. If they get the third issue out on April 9th, there may be hope for a hitch-less run (pun way so intended). This issue isn't as much slam-bang fun as the last one since most of this issue plays with the exciting reveal of last issue. This issue's only new development is almost a head scratcher and would be a detriment if I thought it wasn't going somewhere. Johnny's Storm's mystery villain/make-out buddy is initially void of personality and possesses very ill-defined powers (she makes things go...um, she throws things and, well...she can cause riptides or earthquakes or...huh?). Johnny accuses her of trying to raid a diamond truck but nothing on any of the pages makes that clear to the audience and their make-out session almost seems to be the stuff of mind control. It's jarring but I know it's going somewhere, so I can't really fault it yet. Other than that it's a solid issue and I'm looking forward to seeing the FF fight a force of nature that is, in fact, nature and not Galactus.

MY SCORE: 8.5/10


MIGHTY AVENGERS #10
"Time Is On No One's Side"
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Penciler: Mark Bagley
Inkers: Danny Miki & Crimelab Studios' Allen Martinez
Colorist: Justin Ponsor
Letterer: Dave Lanphear
Assistant Editor: Molly Lazer
Editor: Tom Brevoort
Editor in Chief: Joe Quesada
Publisher: Dan Buckley

The most fun I've had looking at a comic in years. For this time travel issue, the creative team went back and actually made every page look like an old comic from 1975. Footer notes, newsprint coloring effect, faded off white pages, it's done with such detail and enjoyment that it leaps off the page and into the reader. The story itself isn't so spectacular; Iron Man, Sentry and Dr. Doom try to find a time machine to get back home without disrupting the time-stream. Snappy dialogue and seeing the Marvel of days past make this issue special, particularly the panel where Doom admires Mastermind's abilities and then says that more people hate Iron Man now than Doom. Great great great exchange. Mighty Avengers is a great old-school hero comic and it's showing no signs of slowing down.

MY SCORE: 8.8/10


X-FACTOR v.3 #29
"The Only Game In Town 1"
Writer: Peter David
Penciler: Valentine De Landro
Inker: Andrew Hennessy
Colorist: Jeromy Cox
Letterer: VC's Cory Petit
Editor: Aubrey Sitterson
Editor in Chief: Joe Quesada
Publisher: Dan Buckley

X-Factor has made a habit of addressing the problems that the other x-books forget. M-Day was first, last issue we had the impact of the super covert (sarcasm) X-Force, and this issue we have the dissolution of the X-Men. As the only game in town, hence the story arc's title, Madrox is determined to keep the team together even though most of the others have other ideas. This team has really come together to be one of the most dynamic casts in all of Marvel and I love seeing David come up with new obstacles for them. I'm excited about where everything in this book is going, even more so now that Larry Stroman is returning after almost 16 years away. This is a great time to be an X-Factor fan.

MY SCORE: 9.1/10