Marvel comics of January 22, 2014

So many comics came out this week. In fact for simplicity’s sake, I’ll be splitting this up into two posts: one for Marvel comics and one for other companies. Let’s get started.

The Marvel comics I picked up this week include All new X-Factor 2, Black Widow 2, Marvel Knights X-Men 3, X-Men 9, FF 16, Indestructible Hulk 18, Cable and X-Force 19 and All New X-Men 22. Here are my first impressions; links to full reviews will be added as they’re posted. It’s a bit of a pain though. There are 6 comics I’d like to review in full, but I don’t want to wear myself out. So I’m picking 2 Marvel comics and 2 non-Marvel comics.

All New X-Men 22 review

Black Widow 2 review

All New X-Factor 2 was great. It’s a fun mix of action, humour and touches of character development. It does a good job at referencing events from Peter David’s previous X-Factor volume while explaining enough for new readers to understand them. The interactions between Gambit and Quicksilver continue to be very entertaining. Basically, it’s a self-contained series starring mutant superheroes, but it’s not meant to be an X-Men book. In short, pick it up.

Marvel Knights X-Men 3 was good. Those who see Wolverine as a total jerk will either enjoy him or hate him in this issue. Beyond that, it explains more of the story and has some good character moments for Kitty Pryde, Rogue, and the two mutants introduced in the last two issues. It’s a fun mini-series about the X-Men finding new mutants in a small town. If that sounds interesting, you’ll likely enjoy this.

X-Men 9 was so good. Much of the action showcases exactly how awesome Monet can be, while the story really ramps up with the “partnership” between Deathstrike and Arkea. Without spoiling too much, this issue is intense in so many ways. The writing is great, as is the characterization. Even with everything that works though, this is clearly just a build-up issue. X-Men fans in general should be picking this series up.

FF 16 was good. The bulk of the issue is the fight between Scott Lang and Dr. Doom. It’s both epic and dramatic, really highlighting Scott’s pure hatred for the villain. The remainder of the issue is the same party from the end of Fantastic Four 16, but mostly from the perspective of the FF characters. It ties both this series and Fantastic Four together very well. While it’s not as light hearted as most previous FF issues, it’s still a must for anyone who’s been reading it this far.

Indestructible Hulk 18 was fun. It’s a little chaotic and hard to describe in one paragraph, so let’s just say it continues the Inhumanity tie-in with several surprising developments. The cliffhanger is awesome, as usual for this series. Hulk fans won’t want to miss this one.

Cable and X-Force 19 was good. It sees the two X-Force teams joining up after last issue’s overlong fight scene. Meanwhile, there’s more focus on the hatred between Hope and Bishop. The dialogue between Cable and Stryfe is also good. I’d be surprised if the cliffhanger is what it seems, but it’s still a good one. Since this crossover with Uncanny X-Force will see the end of both titles, those reading either title should pick this up.

All New X-Men 22 was great. The first half focuses more on the drama between Cyclops and Jean Grey with a bit of a hilariously awkward argument. And then the story kicks off as Jean Grey is captured by the Shi’Ar. The Guardians only show up at the end, but what did you expect? It’s also nice that all seven of the X-Men contribute fairly evenly to the fight scene. Kitty Pryde’s ignorance to what they wanted felt a bit odd though; I would have thought she’d figure it out quickly. Also if this issue’s ending is of any indication, this crossover will wisely skip the obligatory hero vs. hero fight. Also, Silver Boobs McGee may be the best nick name Emma Frost has ever had. So far, it looks like it’ll be worth reading for anyone enjoying either series.