Buy Pile Report

The pile was quite small for me this week, but I still managed to read the good, the bad and the Marvel. Betcha thought I was going to say Ugly, right?

In truth, all three books I'm about to talk about are from Marvel. I'll explain what I meant up top in a moment. But first...

The Good: Cable #3. This future story of an old soldier protecting a baby messiah regained the promise issue #1 showed and #2 made us forget about. Did that sentence make sense? You know what I mean. Anyway, this issue not only explains what has been going on to make this near-future New Jersey so screwed up, but it also introduces what seems to be a new central character to the story, Sophie, a 1950's looking blonde woman that seems right up Nathan's alley if you know what I mean.

And if that wasn't enough, the last page brings us an old familiar face -- one that not only spices up the story but also sparks so many different story possibilities I cannot even begin to say where this story is headed. Duane Swierczynski, you've written this week's "Good."

The Bad: Young X-Men #2. Either Marc Guggenheim has a MAJOR trick up his sleeve, or he REALLY does not know what he's doing writing Cyclops. And, for that matter, writing a story that makes any sense at all. Which, I know the later isn't true, so it gives me some hope.

Either way, the premise of this book -- Cyclops training young mutants to take down older young mutants he's fought alongside in the past -- is atrocious. The New Mutants have never shown this newfound "ruthlessness" Cyclops talks about here, and some of the members he targets are depowered anyway. And for that matter, I am getting sick of this whole "The stakes are changed, we're allowed to kill now" crap. Scott Summers has saved the world countless times without killing, there's no need to start now, except in extreme cases (which is why I will forgive "X-Force"), and going after former teammates is not an extreme case.

Which is why I am hoping/guessing that Cyclops isn't actually Cyclops. I'm hoping/guessing he's posing as Cyclops to either get the kids killed or just keep public opinion going against Mutants. But, until that logical explanation is applied to this crap, Marc Guggenheim, you've written this week's "Bad."

The Marvel: Secret Invasion #2. And, by "The Marvel" I mean, stereotypical, there's the Marvel I know. This second issue of the "Secret Invasion" mothership was not bad by any means. It had some good action, and keeps throwing curveballs at the reader effectively. It's obvious Brian Bendis' main goals is to make you as unsure of your own opinions as the characters are unsure of who each other is.

But, in typical Marvel fashion, not nearly enough happens here. After the first issue hits you hard and fast with plenty of story, this issue is entirely set in the Savage Land, with little going on other than the fighting. There is no look whatsoever at what's going on in the surrounding world, either. And, After reading Marvel's last few events, I can only guess that this is the way it's going to stay. If you want to read more about the Marvel Universe outside of the Savage Land, I guess we'll all have to buy the ancillary books.

And really, that's the reason I am not nuts about Marvel's work nowadays. Not enough happens, and not enough happens in too many books required to get the whole story. Until I've been proved different, the King of it, Brian Bendis, you've written this week's "Marvel."

That's all, folks! Tip your waitresses!