Comics

All-New X-Men #34

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All-New X-Men #34The time-displaced X-Men’s (along with X-23) visit to the Marvel Ultimate Universe continues as Jean Grey goes looking for help only to come face-to-face with this world’s X-Men including herself. Reading each others minds creates immediate confusion for both telepaths but also forges an unusual friendship between the pair understanding the highs and lows of each other’s troubled lives. Attempting to return home to Cyclops‘ compound, Angel and X-23 also discover that they are indeed in the wrong world and, as far as they know, without a way to get back home.

Things aren’t any easier for the Beast who has a dinner date with this world’s Doctor Doom who is fascinated with the tale of time-and-space-displaced mutants. Just what the super-villain plans to do with such knowledge is yet to be seen. And, in the least interesting of the three storylines, Iceman finishes battling the mole monster on the streets of New York only to run into a couple of police officers and discover mutants are no more beloved in this reality than his own. Worth a look.

[Marvel, $3.99]

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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #41

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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #41As Splinter, Leonardo, Raphael, and Michelangelo continue training with Old Hob‘s new army of mutants to go to war against the Shredder and the Foot Clan, Donatello continues his attempt to form a shaky peace with his father’s enemy realizing that the imminent threat of the Krang is a far bigger danger than continuing old blood feuds.

Teased for months, we finally get multiple images of the Technodrome in action as the Krang’s battle station nears completion which will likely set off some action-heavy issues in the months to come and possibly cause some serious fall-out between Donnie and his brothers over the Turtle’s choice of new friends.

Rounding out Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #41 the issue also offers glimpses into Casey and April‘s current life away from their friends while Baxter Stockman and Professor Honeycutt come to their own understanding about the Technodrome and the looming destruction of all mankind. Worth a look.

[IDW, $3.99]

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Astro City #18

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Astro City #18So much of Astro City deals with the fringe, normal people on the periphery of the super-hero world, that when you get a comic centered around a particular hero you are always a bit surprised. Beginning a new four-issue arc, “The Dimming of the Day” gives us a peek at aging crimefighters Crackerjack and Quarrel while offering a contemplative look back at the humble origins of the later who used her natural gifts and tragic family history to carve out a life as a super-hero.

Quarrel’s back story takes up much of the first issue of the arc while introducing the idea of two crimefighters whose heroic exploits may be coming to an end. Wiser and more armored, but a bit slower these days, how hard is it for a hero to admit that it might be time to hang up the tights?

Although I’ve quite enjoyed the short one-off issues of the current series, Kurt Busiek and Brent Anderson open a door here I’ll gladly walk through and stick around to see what does happen when a super-hero decides (or is forced to) retire? Worth a look.

[Vertigo, $3.99]

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Samurai Jack #15

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Samurai Jack #15The final issue of “The Quest of the Broken Blade” pits Samurai Jack against Aku without the magical sword which is the only weapon the evil demon fears. Those waiting for a big throwdown between the pair are not going to be disappointed as the entire comic is a single battle between Jack and Aku that ends with the samurai’s sword restored and Aku’s relentless attacks paused as the evil shape-shifting master of darkness escapes once more.

How the sword reappears is a bit of a surprise but certainly fits into the metaphysical aspects of the comic and the animated show which spawned it as the character not only finds the strength to keep fighting from within but the weapon by which to do so as well.

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Batman ’66 #17

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Batman '66 #17Lost in his delusional state as King Tut once again, the history professor turned super-villain unleashes an ancient plague upon Gotham turning the local populace into mindless zombies for their new pharaoh to control. Thankfully for the city’s inhabitants, Batman is up on his Egyptology and exploits an obvious flaw in the villain’s latest mad scheme.

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