AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #663 (Marvel)
Alright…I think I’m just so eager to get to Spider-Island that all these issues feel like filler. This time around it’s Anti-Venom, a character I enjoyed the first time or two I saw him but now is kind of annoying, going after Mr. Negative, again, and Spider-Man gets in the way, again. Then there is something about Jean DeWolffe or something but let’s talk about the Infestation installment! The Jackal steps out of the shadows and begins to take a closer look at his handy work in a story that also involves Cloak & Dagger! They try to take down a thug who uses spider-sense and speed to escape. Both C&D and the thug see a similarity to Spider-Man. This is turning out to be the part of this series I look forward to the most now and it all leads to Amazing Spider-Man #666, which is the full prelude to Spider-Island. That story begins in full with Amazing Spider-Man #667! –Skott Jimenez
FLASHPOINT – BATMAN: KNIGHT OF VENGEANCE #1 of 3 (DC)
The team that brought you 100 Bullets is writing the story of Flashpoint’s Batman. And he’s not your father’s Batman. Turns out he’s Batman’s father. What? In the world of Flashpoint, Thomas Wayne survived the Crime Alley attack on his family, while his wife and young son Bruce were killed by the gunman. Here Thomas Wayne has decided to go after the criminal elements of Gotham by getting close to them. He’s opened a series of Casinos in the heart of Gotham so that he can monitor the mobsters and other criminal types. He has managed to get Gotham to privatize the police force, creating Gotham Security which also helps him track the baddies. But unlike his other timeline’s caped son, this Batman is driven by anger and hatred, not loss, and has been known to drop a person or two off of buildings that overlook Crime Alley. There are a lot of familiar faces turning up in this series (Jim Gordan, Oswald Cobblepot, and DA Harvey Dent as well as a certain clown). Turns out, the more things change, the more they stay the same in Gotham. –The Exile
FLASHPOINT: SECRET SEVEN #1 of 3 (DC)
Peter Milligan is very familiar with Shade, The Changing Man (not to be confused with JSA/Flash villain and sometimes Starman ally The Shade) having recreated the character as part of the DC British Invasion of the 90’s that revamped the Steve Ditko creation and made him part of the Vertigo line. Here he is the leader of the Secret 7 (not to be confused with the Secret Six.) a team of secretive mystical heroes. If you are fan of the magical side of the DC (Zatanna, Shadowpact, Madame Xanadu) this might be the series for you, but after this whole issue and 2 issues of Flashpoint we still don’t know who else is on the team besides the Enchantress. -The Exile
FLASHPOINT: THE WORLD OF FLASHPONT #1 of 3 (DC)
So what does the world of Flashpoint look like? What happens to the world without it’s heroes? We see this world through the eyes of Traci 13, a young magic user, who with her father survived the sinking of Western Europe by Atlantian forces. This series helps fill in the blanks. Where is the Justice Society? (apparently Barry wasn’t the only Flash’s origin Zoom has negated) What is mankind doing to protect it’s self from the Amazon/Atlantian war? And does anyone remember the world that once was? I don’t think all of the supporting series will be important to the core story, but this one definitely will add to your enjoyment of Flashpoint. -The Exile
Also, for more Flashpoint coverage, check out The Read Of The Week by our own Exile who covers Flashpoint #2, also, check out his blog: Exiled In Geeksville! For more information on this week’s Secret Seven check out Emmet OCuana’s full review right here, on ComicBooked.Com!
Haunt #16 (Image) 
Haunt #15 ended on a wild note. I didn’t spoil it back then, but it has been a month now. At the end of that issue, The Apparition was finally successful in tearing Kurt’s spirit away from Daniel and the earthly realm. This issue picks up with Daniel collapsing into unconsciousness without Kurt’s spirit there to give him the power and protection of the Haunt form. Kurt’s soul takes a strange journey into an unexplained realm (marked mostly by the use of negative-space in the artwork) where he speaks to a power that claims not to be god. This disembodied voice explains more about the nature of The Apparition, while deciding whether or not to return Kurt’s spirit to Daniel in the realm of the living. Is Kurt haunting Daniel for a reason? With Kurt gone and Daniel’s severely wounded body being moved, Cobra takes the opportunity to track Daniel’s location. Will Kurt be sent back to Daniel? Won’t the Apparition just be waiting if he is? Will Daniel survive his bodily injuries? Pick up Haunt #16 to find out! Not the most outstanding issue, but obviously one setting up the next turn of events. It was kind of nice to get a breather after the excellent and relentless pace of the previous two issues. In the letter section Todd McFarlane talks about a strong desire to do some type of Haunt animation, similar to Spawn’s HBO series. Please make this a reality! -Robb Orr
NINJAS VS. ZOMBIES #1 (Azure Press)
“NINJAS VS. ZOMBIES tells the tale of seven friends in their late 20’s and early 30’s struggling with life issues, only to find themselves in terrifying danger when a long-dead loved one is magically resurrected and begins devouring the souls of the living. Complicating matters, three of the friends have mysteriously been granted the power of the ninja, and now must lead the fight against an evil force that they cannot hope to vanquish. If they fail, the undead will overrun their little town, and maybe the world.”
The events of the first issue are told by Kyle, a former pizza delivery guy who now has the powers of a ninja and wears a black trench coat and prefers guns over swords. This proves, once again, that ANYTHING can become cool if zombies are put with it. Even ninjas. The story is played purely tongue in cheek and it’s massively entertaining. I own the movie, had a lot of fun with it and the comic follows the movie fairly well, adding a few new things here and there. It’s imaginative and entertaining. The only questions I have are when is the next issue coming out and how many will I get? -Skott of Fables
Well, that is this week’s round of Bullet Reviews! See you next week as we get locked, loaded, and take aim at another week of comic releases here at Comic Booked!
Great reviews…got some good variety on this one!