comics round-up 25th September 2008

Dardevil #111:
Ed Brubaker certainly likes to run ol Matty Murdoch through the wringer a bit. He's had non-stop traumas for the entire run. From prison to Europe to Mr Fear to crazy wifey to Dakota being shot to more and more. And now there's a new villain on the scene, Lady Bullseye, a copycat of Mr Bullseye, enamoured with his skills, an assassin working for the mysterious Hand. She's going about town setting up a massive fall for ol DD, his mate Immortal Iron Fist and the newly reformed Black Tarantula. Meanwhile, Dakota's getting some fen-chui put back in her bulletholes and Matt is straying a little too close to the ex-model. Excellent first part with a nice morally shocking ending (for such an upstanding citizen as Matt) setting up another genius arc for Marvel's most underrated character from the grittiest guy to ever write him.

Marvel 1985 #5 (of 6):
I think I'm loving everything Mark Millar is doing at the moment (bar Fantastic Four). How work on Wolverine, 1985 and Kick-Ass is all superlative and with Wolverine's Old Man Logan arc and this, he's setting up a big new status quo for Marvel in the coming year. The kid has crossed over into the Marvel universe and is trying to find a hero who'll believe him about villains crossing over. Meanwhile his hometown is being shredded to bits back in the real world. From the Avengers to Fantastic Four, no one will believe him. Until he lucks out on old Spidey, cos he knows the guy's identity. Meanwhile, some purple planet-eating destroyer of worlds has just turned up in the real world. Oh-oh. Spells trouble!

New Avengers #45:
We learn more about how Hank Pym and Jessica Drew managed to stay undetected for so long and how Wanda's extinctifying of mutants during the House of M days actually was good news for them. They didn't have to worry about being defeated by mutants anymore. It's interesting seeing events you know so well, like the assault on Genosha, from different perspectives and now the whole success of the secret invasion is starting to make sense. More relevant than this month's Mighty Avengers.

Secret Invasion: Amazing Spider-man #2 (of 3):
We get to see what Spidey's supporting cast was up to while he was down in the Savage Land pounding Skrull ass. We get to see the woefully inexperienced Jackpot in action and further hints of Menace's true identity. Fingers are starting to point to long dead Harry Osborn. Not essential but good fun especially as the constantly outsmarted Skrull-beast tries and tries to hunt down Spidey while being kicked around the shop by an enimatic redhead in spandex.

X-Force #7:
This is mostly about the fallout from the Angels and Demons arc. Bastion is making moves with his newly revived anti-mutant figureheads. Meanwhile Rahne's programming is still making her want to tear poor Warren Worthington apart. This means more Archangel action and the X-Force is given its new deadly direction. Again, I was thinking of dropping this book after it finished tying up loose ends from Messiah CompleX but it's just as strong as the first arc even with a completely new creative team. Me like a lot.

All-Star Batman and Robin the Boy Wonder #10
I've waited 6 months for this issue and wonder why now. Frank Miller, concentrate on what you know and maybe this book can be rescued. After a strong #9, this is plodding, long and too text-heavy without enough forward plotting.