A Few Thoughts on Comics from This Week

Originally Captain America Reborn was scheduled to run for 5 issues. That was extended to 6 but the surrounding books weren't rescheduled, meaning that we've had Steven Rogers running around for the last month our time without getting to see the details of his return. Did this blunt the impact of this last issue? I don't think so. Once the crazy briefly giant Red Skull has been dealt with and the buzz grows within the crowd that 'It's him! It's Captain America!' there's excitement to be had. I think it paid off well. Great mini and a good 'charge' with which to go into Siege.

One of the things I've been enjoying about the Fantastic Four of late is that their book has been focusing on them being a family of adventures moreso that super heroes. As issue #575 explored Subterranea, it felt comfortingly familiar while still seeming new and fresh, that there were still new elements to be found in existing territory. That's not easy to do without a reboot but that's what this book feels like to me. Excellent stuff.

Since turning into 'FrankenCastle', the Punisher has become a crazy 80s action flick mixed with a 40s monster film. You may argue the merits of turning the mobster-killing Frank Castle into a patchwork being, but when FrankenCastle throws Man-Thing at a bad guy in a 'fastball special' type move so that Man-Thing can grab the bad guy in the air and 'whatever knows fear burns at the touch of the Man-Thing!', well, that's just crazy over-the-top fun.

Secret Warriors #12 and Avengers: The Initiative #32 both provide us with some back story but in very different ways. Secret Warriors takes a breath to explain where some characters come from, some origin moments if you will, while the Initiative continues to expand the our understanding of the Taskmaster's mindset while providing alternative perspectives on the events of Siege #1. Both play out well to accomplish these goals.

Transformers - Last Stand of the Wreckers #1 is set in the current 'G1' type continuity of the Transformers line but takes place in outer space instead of focusing on Earth. While there are a number of characters to take in, most of them will be familiar if you've been reading the books and only a few are new. The art is solid and the robot designs are clear enough that one character can easily be identified from the next, unlike some of the current movie Transformers. The story has a feeling of history to it while having enough mystery to go around without it feeling like 'everyone has a secret dark past if we did but know about it'. It looks like this will be exciting.