Bullet Reviews #82

One of the worst things we face on a Wednesday is a small week. Only getting 2 comic books? Well, maybe it’s a good week to try something new! Here at the Bullet Reviews Labs, we test out recently released books each week in hopes of finding one that will ease the pain of a ‘small week.’ While some books are regulars, there are many that are new each and every week. Thanks to our Comic Booked Technicians we are able to test these comics and make sure they are safe for everyday usage.
This way you can safely pick up more comics every week with no worry of dangerous side effects!

Now, let’s take a look at this week’s Bullet Reviews!

A+X #1 (Marvel)
Dan Slott and Jeph Loeb win the award for most entertaining issue of the week, as A+X entertained the hell out of me. But, it wasn’t the story that caught my eye. It wasn’t the cover. No, surprisingly it was the fun little Q and A at the start of the comic which basically said “This has nothing to do with anything, they are just fun stories so have fun with them!” I have to agree 100 percent as these stories were exactly that. Stories that didn’t fit in with any continuity, past or future storylines but it worked! They were a blast! The first story is by Dan Slott and a decent art team (Ron Garney Danny Miki Cam Smith Mark Morales and Wil Quintana) but the star is most certainly the characters, as Captain America and Bucky have a World War II tale with special guest, Cable. I won’t even go into detail, just know the story is a blast, the writing is top-notch (duh its Dan Slott). The second story is Hulk and Wolverine, which isn’t as entertaining as Cable and Cap. It still holds water and makes you go “Yeah! Superhero Team-Ups!”. The artwork by Dale Keown is great but the mvp goes to Frank D’Armata as the colors are gorgeous. The story is Hulk and Wolverine vs. Hulk and Wolverine. Jeph Loeb takes a simple story and makes it fun and charming, as the time traveling battles continue! Pick up this issue if you like your stories fun and full of entertainment. -Nick Furious

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #696 (Marvel)
It’s Hobgoblin Vs. Hobgoblin and poor Spider-Man, well, Peter Parker actually, is stuck in the middle! While Madame Web slips into a coma, Peter Parker was captured by Phil Urich, the current Hobgoblin, and taken to the Kingpin. At first it was thought Urich figured out who Parker was, but turns out he thinks Parker is Spider-Man’s best friend. Problem is, Peter can’t really escape or mount any kind of defense because the machine created by Horizon Labs traitor Tiberius Stone has heightened Peter’s Spider-Sense, making it difficult for him to think.
But as bad as things are, they get much worse when Max Modell puts himself in harm’s way to try to help Peter. We learn the whole thing was about Kingpin wanting to get his hands on the secrets of Norman Osborn, including everything he knew when he was head of H.A.M.M.E.R. as well as his Goblin Tech. Then the Hobgoblin shows up, not Urich but Roderick Kingsley, the Original! It’s all kinds of crazy!
And with all this going on, it’s almost easy to overlook those golden Octobots crawling out of the ocean heading into the city…
With four more issues to go until the entire world of Spider-Man changes, it’s nice to know Dan Slott isn’t letting this series go quietly. This doesn’t feel like the end of a run and it has me looking for clues as to what’s coming next year. This Hobgoblin Vs. Hobgoblin story is a lot more entertaining than I thought is would be, while I like the New Hobgoblin, the Original is still the best. I’d love to see Urich get his rear end handed to him! This feels like classic Marvel Comics and I like it!
The bonus is another fantastic cover! -Skott Jimenez

DARK SHADOWS #9 (Dynamite Entertainment)
Dark Shadows is on a roll, Dynamite is doing a fantastic job getting these out now, which I hopes keeps up until we’re all caught up. This series is still one of my favorites!
This issue wraps up the Children storyline and also gives the origin of Lockwood, the vampire responsible for the missing children and the bloody deaths that followed. He was a psycho in life and after a run in with Barnabas in 1795, he became something far worse. His whole scheme was to lure Barnabas from Collinwood and kill him, thinking that this will make him King Of Vampires. The whole situation puts Barnabas in a familiar situation where he has to face the sins of his past and fight for the lives of not only himself but young David Collins as well!
In the end, David is safe, and due to some planning by Barnabas, may not remember what happened. Then our Reluctant Vampire finally gets to try out the necklace Willie found in England. It’s suppose to cure vampirism, but we’ve seen that it only suppresses it, making things worse once it comes off. Barnabas puts it on and is stunned by what happens!
This issue stands out to me because it’s one of the few times we’ve seen Barnabas and Quinton Collins working together, especially with Quinton in werewolf mode. It’s also nice that the art has remained consistently good, even though I believe we’ve changed artists since the series began.  -Skott Jimenez

FABLES #122 (Vertigo)
After the ending of last issue, it’s nice to have a different sort of story. This is one of those stories that takes place outside of current continuity, but still adds to the overall story.
This issue is told by Ambrose, one of the Cubs, but here he’s all grown up and writing memoirs. This particular story takes place far in the past, before The Adversary, when the Big Bad Wolf was in his prime.
While chasing a girl, known as food, Bigby is faced with a choice: eat her or learn the future. Fortunately for the girl he chooses the future. He’s then told of a great beast that will kill him in the next few days. Depressed, the Wolf leaves the girl, resigned to his fate.
After he leaves we learn more about the girl. She can tell the future but it isn’t always the future of the person who asks. This leads to some very interesting situations for her… and for the readers, as she begins to tell a king a version of the future, one that long time readers of Fables will be very familiar with: She tells the king that he will be married and will have 8 children that will end up impacting many worlds. This is obviously Bigby’s future, not the king’s. But if that’s the case, whose future did Bigby get? I’m thinking the king’s.
These are the sort of issues that make this series one of my continued favorites for over 10 years now. While we get a straight forward story featuring the present, we also, on occasion, get stories told from a different perspective that are still part of the overall world. Bill Willingham continues to keep this series unique and entertaining. This issue also features a guest artist: Gene Ha who knocks it out of the park! I wouldn’t mind having him back again! Finally, look at the cover. This series, along with Fairest, continues to have some of the best covers on comic book shelves today! -Skott Jimenez

GODZILLA #6 (IDW Publishing)
The beginning of this issue features the worst family vacation in the history of family vacations. I mean, what do you do when you’re on a road with no turn off and you have a giant month in front of you and Godzilla behind you??
After this is over with we get to the meat of the issue: Boxer and his crew have been arrested by the mother of the girl who was killed by Godzilla some time back. She blames Boxer for the girls death, naturally. After a daring escape they end up on the run only to be faced with Mothra! While the tiny twins are trying to talk sense to the human race at the U.N., Boxer and his crew try to take out Mothra.
But things take an interesting twist when Mothra, in a way, communicates with Claire, Boxer’s friend, and gives her a vision of the horrors to come: Hedora! Gigan! Space Godzilla! Suddenly, Claire isn’t to sure they are doing the right thing by trying to capture or kill the monsters. Could they be coming out now because of some larger threat heading towards earth?
Godzilla is really starting to pick up the pace and the action now, we’ve had Boxer and Crew globe-trotting and collecting the monsters, we have a group of people trying to experiment on the monsters to better control them to use them as weapons of mass destruction.
There are a lot of things going on in this book now, more than you would figure would happen in a Godzilla comic. It’s getting better with each and every month! -Skott Jimenez

WOLVERINE AND THE X-MEN #19 (Marvel NOW!)
And this winner for worst issue I bought this week goes to the horrible attempt at comedy from Wolverine and The X-Men #19! This issue was terrible from writing to artwork to the actual events that take place. As much as I enjoyed seeing Beast trying to help out Broo, it couldn’t save this train wreck of an issue. This isn’t the first time they have made a joke out of Wolverine and The X-Men. I see the positive reviews the series gets and I am so happy so many comic book fans have been dumbed down to find this entertaining. Jason Aaron is capable of so much better than this! Don’t believe me read “Scalped“. Basically this issue continues to be garbage time for Kitty Pryde as she attempts to find a new teacher for the school. Enough of the B team of Marvel shows up along with Ghost Rider, Blade, and Sasquatch. It is painfully unfunny and just runs the joke into the ground. Apparently something twisted happens at the end but I didn’t make it that far so I guess I have to hope the next issue covers that. The new Hellfire Club is the only thing that even remotely makes me want to grab the next issue. You can completely ignore this issue unless you plan on saving other comic book fans by letting them know. Remember friends don’t let friends read crap. I think Smokey the Bear said that. -Nick Furious

X-MEN LEGACY #275 (Marvel)
FINAL ISSUE!
As I said last week I bought X-Men Legacy #274 for the cover alone but I HAD to buy the Final Issue of the most underrated X-Men comic out there. But lets talk about the cover for the final issue. Also done by Mark Brooks this cover showcases Rogue in the center surrounded by her former X-Man teammates. This includes the most prominent X-Men in the comics right now. But not the evil versions of the Extinction team, the main team in all of its glory. It almost makes me miss the good old days. But enough crying, lets gets down to the issue. Oh wait I just noticed that Doop is on the front cover. Dumb. Anyways moving on. Last we left off Rogue and Magneto went their separate ways and Rogue was on a mission to find herself (again). But this issue stars Rogue and Mimic, you know the sixth X-Man? After a riot at the Raft breaks out Rogue and Mimic are the only ones available to stop it. We get some great cameos from some not so great villains and few really clever ones that don’t exactly make the big league comics anymore. After seeing Mimic in action I often have to wonder how he wasn’t able to beat the X-Men back when he was a villain, dude is a beast! Anyways the issue ends with Rogue and Mimic both realizing they may have found themselves just as the rest of the X-Men return. Next X-Men Legacy relaunches, with a new number one as, the star of the series appears to no longer be Rogue and is replaced with Xavier’s misfit for a son, Legion. Should be interesting. -Nick Furious

So there you have it. A nice selection of titles for you to ponder.
Now, my friends, it’s YOUR turn! Let us know what YOU think about these books, and others if you prefer, in the comments section below. Also, chat it up on Twitter with #BulletReviews, check out Comic Booked’s very own Pinterest page, and, of course, check us out on Facebook!