Comics

All-New X-Men #24

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All-New X-Men #24The “Trial of Jean Grey” crossover continues as the Guardians of the Galaxy, X-Men, and Starjammers prepare for their suicidal rescue attempt and Jean Grey‘s trial is momentarily halted by the arrival of Peter Quill‘s father Jason who shows up not only to throw a wrench in the proceedings but to clue Jean Grey into the fact that Gladiator and the Shi’ar are responsible for systematically killing her entire family hoping to provoke a response that turns the proceedings his way.

While continuing to offer some fun interplay among the various groups’ members, All New X-Men #24 also features a shocked Jean Grey dealing with the horrors her future self will commit when controlled by the Phoenix.

Outmanned and outgunned the group will have to find a satisfactory end to the proceedings as the crossover wraps up in the next issue of Guardians of the Galaxy which, if the cover is to believed may include an appearance of the creature truly responsible for Jean Grey’s crimes. Worth a look.

[Marvel, $3.99]

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Smallville Season Eleven: Alien #4

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Smallville Season Eleven: Alien #4Finishing the four-issue mini-series, Smallville Season Eleven: Alien #4 features Superman‘s final battle with the Monitor in Russia, and pits Batman against an evil Joker-Batman version of himself from another Earth who severely wounds Nightwing before his capture.

By the end of the issue Batman agrees to join the Justice League (at least on a temporary basis), the threat from the Multiverse has been dealt with (at least for now), and things can get back to normal (or what passes for normal in the Smallville Universe).

The ease of which Superman beats the Monitor here took me a little by surprise (isn’t this the same guy who was mopping the floor with the Man of Steel just last issue?), but Smallville Season Eleven: Alien #4 ties up all the loose ends (including quite a bit of epilogue involving Bruce finally agreeing to join the JLA), and even gives us a little of Lex being Lex (causing tomorrow’s trouble). Worth a look.

[DC, $3.99]

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Astro City #10

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Astro City #10Astro City #10 concludes Winged Victory‘s storyline as the heroine faces not only the villain who has systematically destroyed her public image but also stands in judgement by the Council of Nike as to whether the hero will be allowed to continue as their champion given the recent events.

Tying back in the storyline of the young man whose arrival at Winged Victory’s compound at the beginning of the arc, writer Kurt Busiek and artist Brent Anderson wrap-up all the arc’s various storylines by allowing our hero to rediscover the confidence needed to stand-up to those who would do her, and those who she protects, harm.

Although the full effect of the smear campaign isn’t yet clear, Winged Victory earns her hard-fought victory and proves her worthiness to continue her quest to help troubled and abused woman (and her first male student) across the globe as her story, thankfully, isn’t over quite yet. Worth a look.

[Vertigo, $3.99]

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She-Hulk #2

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She-Hulk #2Most of the second issue of the new She-Hulk title involves the basic set-up of She-Hulk setting up her new offices. She grabs office space in a building that targets super-powered tenants, hiring an assistant, and does her best to drum up new clients (which isn’t easy as her former firm has spread word about her hotheadedness destroying the partner’s conference table on her way out of the door and poisoned the well against her).

The second-half of the issue involves She-Hulk letting off some much needed steam with Hellcat first at a bar and later, against her better judgement, taking on an A.I.M. warehouse with her drunken (but determined) partner.

Although things don’t exactly go smoothly, the much-needed victory gives She-Hulk exactly what she needed as the misadventures of the lawyering super-hero continue. And by the end of the issue our heroine has her first new client: the son of Victor von Doom. Worth a look.

[Marvel, $3.99]

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Fairest #24

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Fairest #24Cinderella‘s search into the army of rat men leads her to reconnect with two characters from her past. The first, the simple-minded mouse turned man Marcel, it seems is responsible for the birth of the rat army but not the nefarious purposes they have been put to recently. The second, however, is an old enemy who very much wants Cindy dead (I guess what they say about evil step-sisters is true).

After surviving the attack of her step-sister, Cinderella and Marcel escape on a boat bound for home, but (as the last couple of panels illustrate) getting away from an insane step-sister turned assassin is harder than it looks.

Although we don’t get much in the way of answers (which will likely be coming in next month’s issue), the latest issue of the arc delivers a pair of action sequences between Cinderella and perhaps her oldest nemesis as the story arc reaches its penultimate issue next month before concluding in Fairest #26. Worth a look.

[Vertigo, $2.99]

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