Now for the Marvel side of the coin....
Actually, I can't really say there was anything here that I didn't like. There were a few decent reads, but nothing bad or really bleh. So all in all, decent week for me, though now that I think about it I did skip a lot of titles over the last 3 weeks due to money issues so I skipped a lot of the titles I probably would have been bleh over, so there's that. Maybe I should skip crappy stuff more often.
Cable 20 - While Cable is probably my least favorite of the X-Titles (and I read them all save Wolverine and his stuff) I will say that it's not been too terribly bad of late. I hate that Bishop is the villain. I don't really care about Hope as a character, and Cable is one of those that can bore me after reading more than a few issues. In fact, the only reason I stick with this title is because it's fairly essential to the ongoing X-Men franchise, from Messiah Complex to Messiah War, and soon with Messiah Second Coming... though the fact that Cable's title isn't a part of that crossover makes me wonder if it's getting canceled leading into it. I haven't checked the solicits, but it makes me wonder.
Anyway, as I was saying originally... though it's my least favorite X-Title, it really isn't that bad. And I think my favorite thing to come out of it has been Post-Messiah War and Hope's relationship with the little bald kid, Emil, who has been the stories narrator since his debut. I honestly think he's kinda shined for me in this title and has become the star that draws me in.
Sadly, ol' Emil meets his unfortunate demise with this issue, saving both Hope and Cable and attempting to stop Bishop and the Brood from killing them. It was a good death scene for him and written very well. I'd say that most likely this was my favorite issue of the title, though I wouldn't yell and scream it to the rooftops, as the title hasn't exactly been stellular thus far. I'm eager for Messiah Second Coming to come and go so all this Baby Messiah/Hope stuff can be done. If the title isn't canceled, I'm ready to drop it.
I just hope somehow Bishop comes out of this redeemed, but most likely he'll come out dead and tainted. And I think Cable will come out of it a dead man as well.
X-Force 21 - Still easily my favorite X-Title every month. Continuing the story that began in the Necrosha One-Shot (and mentioning a little from the New Mutants Tie-in) here we see X-Force, along with Scott, Emma, and Vanisher, taking on characters long dead, now alive and being controled by Selene and her crew. This would have better impact if not for Blackest Night already being half way through, but as an X-Fan, I'm enjoying it.
The chance to see characters I liked that died suddenly back is cool... and unlike Blackest Night, there's still a semblance of themselves in their dead bodies (and they look normal... yay! No Zombies!). The biggest thing for me in this issue is the return of one of my all time favorite X-Men... BANSHEE!!!! Yeah, he's working for Selene, but he does snap back to his old self for a moment and apologizes and tries to fight Selene's programming, so there's a real hint now that these people Ressurected have a shot at staying alive once the stories over. Most are fodder, but I'd LOVE to see Banshee stay after the story is finished, as well as Pryo, Rusty Collins, and Risque. Not to mention Doug Ramsey over in New Mutants.
And the ending of the issue was interesting, though we knew it was coming already. Selene uses Eli Bard to raise Genosha... but it's done really well! It's done similar to how it was destroied. We see Emma and the Cuckoos on Cerebro watching as the lights suddenly blink on and the text to the side mentioning the population raising. This is parallel to New X-Men 116 (I believe) when Xavier was on Cerebro watching as the lights blinked out and the population's number dropped dramatically.
Oh, and in those mentioned raising on Genosha briefly... Katu Kath and Angelo Unuscione of the Acolytes. I don't know who Gianna Esperanza, Mortimer Everet, Andrew Graves, or Marcus Andrews are, but they were mentioned as well. Other mutants I guess.
Good issue, good fights, ready for the real storylines to start happening!
Sword 1 - I REALLY want this series to work, but my GOD the art just killed this issue for me. It was BAD! I know people have been saying it's been okay save for Beast, but I hated just about all of it. In fact, after skimming it, I was sad to put it back on the shelf, but a secon skimming later had me change my mind due to one thing...
Death's Head!!!
Now, I'm a fan of Death's Head II, and Death's Head... er... "I".... should be dead. However, I remembered the original comics and it is entirely possible that this is the original Death's Head from previous to his being killed by Death's Head II. Either way, I love the whole franchise so this was cool for me.
And really, that was the only redeeming quality for me. The story MIGHT be really good from here on out, and I hope it is, but Man.... Sanders has got to go. He killed the whole issue for me.
Oh, but as the only fan of Lifeguard and Slipstream out there, I was excited to see Slipstream on the screen of aliens that needs to go. Of course, that's a bit odd being that Lifeguard was half Shi'ar and it was never mentioned that Slipstream was, but I can roll with it if it means a potential appearance later from the two of them.
Nova 31 - Good issue as always. Being that it was from last week and people have already reviewed it a bunch, I won't say much. I find it interesting that we have a new Raptor running around now, though due to the lack of personality and presence of them, I'm growing to not care as much. I'm hoping for some good characterization on this new Raptor once the story continues.
I'm glad to see Darkhawk, and I'm eager to see where this whole thing goes.
Realm of Kings: Imperial Guard 1 - I wasn't really sure what to expect from this so I came in with no expectations. I'll say it wasn't Abnett and Lanning's best Cosmic work, but it certainly wasn't bad. It was an obligatory first issue that let's us know how Gladiator is doing as the boss and how others are taking it. We get to know some of the Imperial Guard better (LOOOONG over due). And as we already know, the Starjammers show up in the end.
Honestly, he only real "Oh cool" moment for me here was the unexpected appearance of Talon from the War of Kings: Ascension mini. I kinda forgot about him and didn't expect to see him show up. But now with Darkhaw in Nova, the new Raptor over there, and now Talon showing up here... I'm curious what Abnett and Lanning have planned with their fraternity.
Not the best Cosmic read out there, and not really worth the $4, but it's an okay issue. I'm not exactly STOKED for the rest of the mini but I'll get them and I'll probably grow to like them just fine.
Zur er arrh! 
But at least he lives on to fight the good fight.
