Writer: Joss Whedon
Art: John Cassaday
Colors: Laura Martin

Another winner in which both members of this superstar creative team deliver the goods. Whedon comes through with a fast paced witty and action packed script and Cassaday provides the gorgeous as usual artwork. Whedon’s script can be enjoyed by readers with little or no knowledge of X-things past and present yet it’s filled with plenty of winks and nods to current (read Morrison) X-continuity and the not so current. There’s a touching talk between Kitty Pryde (clearly Whedon’s favorite) and the thought dead Colossus as well as the great little asides from all the characters that always populate Whedon’s writing. He gives Cassaday plently of opportunities to shine and Cassaday takes advantage of them all.

Writer: Kurt Busiek
Art: Greg Ruth

When regular artist Cary Nord needs time to catch up Dark Horse has decided to run stories of Conan as a young boy. Six such stories are planned and they will be dropped in time to time after arcs drawn by Nord. This one starts all the way at the very beginning with his birth. Although this series purposely is trying to be closer to the work of Conan creator, Robert E. Howard, the very early years of Conan are virtually a blank slate for writer Kurt Busiek. He fills in that blank slate with an enjoyable tale that sheds some light on Conan’s homeland of Cimmeria and his parents. From birth, which took place on a battlefield in the middle of a fight Conan was looked upon as special. Busiek uses this as a starting point and weaves in glimpses of Conan’s early training, his interaction with other children and how his “specialness” disrupts the social order among them. Artist Greg Ruth is an excellent choice as a fill-in as he matches the usual tone and feel of the book and provides top notch evocative pencils through out. A bold and unusual move by Dark Horse turns out to be a great idea. You’d be hard pressed to find a better “fill-in” issue anywhere.

Writer: Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa
Art: Jim Muniz Inks: Scott Hanna

Aguirre-Sacasa continues the roller coaster nature of this book and he’s due for an upswing. He followed a truly dreadful opening arc with an pleasing little story set in the back woods of New Jersey and then went right back in the dumper with an truly insipid tale featuring the Sub-Mariner. This story apparently will feature the return of Psycho-Man and it’s off to a pretty good start. Like the “Pine Barrens” arc Aguirre-Sacasa plays off movie scenes and clichés as the team shares dreams inspired by the films, “The Thing” and “The Fly.” Additionally I can’t think of the film or the TV show (or even comic) but I’m certain the idea of people all having the same dream or variations thereof is not new. It may even have occurred in the FF’s past. Therein lays one of the problems here. For those of his familiar with the movies in question the opening reads like a rip off. Add to that an argument between Sue and Reed that feels out of character for each and you have an issue that’s slightly off. Speaking of that argument when Sue mentions having once been possessed by Psycho Man I think Aguirre-Sacasa needs to provide a little more detail since editor’s notes are out of fashion. Like the whole issue the cliffhanger fails to reach the impact it aimed for. So this is much better than the prior dreadful arc but not anywhere near what this book potentially could be.

Writer: Mike Carey
Art: Salvador Larroca
Inks: Crimelab Studios

I’m of two minds when it comes to this series. One the one hand this is a well done and a good solid story that I enjoyed. However I’m getting Kingpin Bullseye overload. I had hoped that in the Ultimate Universe we could break the intricate link between Elektra and Bullseye and Kingpin and Daredevil. Instead we just get another variation on the theme. Still Mike Carey has moved us forward to Elektra’s day of reckoning which when considered with the previous “Ultimate Daredevil and Elektra” limited series a while back has been a long time coming. Two scenes carry this issue and they are Matt Murdock’s actions at the under siege law firm and Elektra’s attempt to clear her father’s debt. Salvador Larroca’s art is very good except he has occasion to let some of his profile’s get almost ape like. He’s also a little erratic when it comes to Elektra as she varies from scene to scene in how old she looks. This issue provides hope that this is developing into an appealing series if Carey can give us something different from the same old characters he’s chosen to include.

Writer: Warren Ellis
Art: Stuart Immonen
Inks: Wade Von Grawbadger

The pace finally quickens as our heroes actually get to meet and confront their nemesis. Doom’s attacks on the group are refreshingly direct and swiftly effective. In addition to having armor in place of his skin and hooves instead of feet we now know that Doom can spew poison gas. Prior to the fight Ellis provides an effective and chilling example of manipulation of crowd mentality. Stuart Immonen has a field day with the action sequences and has really stepped his game up during his time on this series. I still don’t think Ellis has six issues of story here and this issue features three splash pages to pad it out although the last one, maybe the first full page devoted to Reed Richards kick ass action hero, ends things on a great note.

(ROBIN #130, BATGIRL #56 & CATWOMAN #35)

This massive crossover lurches forward with all of it’s warts on display. Part 5 in “Robin” reveals Death Mask as a major player in the chaos that is the gang war but the issue is marred by Jon Proctor’s artwork that is just awful at times. The opening fight between Dark Mask and Spoiler is epic and too intense at the same time. It and the ensuing torture scenes would be more at home in the more mature in tone “Identity Crisis.” Also as is inherent in this type of crossover Robin gets short shrift in his own book. “Batgirl” starts well enough with Batgirl searching for Spoiler and Death Mask discovering how to use Orpheus’ link to Batman to his advantage but quickly devolves with an appearance by Hush who inexplicitly offers some information to Death Mask. From there Leslie Thompkins’ clinic is put in peril to set up a huge and unnecessary prolonged battle scene. “Catwoman” has more going for it than the others due to terrific artwork by Paul Gulacy and a script by Ed Brubaker who knows how to write Batman and all associated characters. The start is good but soon two villains are introduced just to give Catwoman someone to have a perfunctory tangle with however the story does move further. All three of these books nudge the plot along a little but this whole thing is spread way to thin and the concept was never grand enough to justify such a crossover event.