Here we go again…this time 11 reviews. Apologies for the delay - but now we are all caught up!

Overall Note - This round of event books left me in awe. Not so much from the trades, but the main event book, Infinity #4 - so awesome. In fact, many of the tie-ins were “so so”, with a few improvements where I expected them. Read on for more of my ramblings.

Avengers #20 ( 4 / 5 ) - It was good. At the start, it felt like more re-hashing of the same space battle we have seen over and over, but as the issue progressed, some new “space fight” stuff (which is huge in Infinity #4) was introduced, and even some very interesting (yet side-bar) new Ex Nihilo / Abyss stuff continues to form. Definitely worth picking up as a “first class” tie-in for Infinity. In fact, a bunch of it shows up in the “Previously in Infinity” section of #4.

Superior Spider-Man Team Up #3 and #4 ( 3 / 5 ) - Since #3 and #4 are so closely related in content, they kind of meld together anyway - perfect for a quick review of both. So here goes - I am not sure we need another book about Superior Spider-Man (as this could be a spin-off of Mighty Avengers at this point), but this one at least does overlap with the Infinity event and the resulting fallout from the Terrigen Bomb. Yeah, minor spoiler, that is the green mist…or so it would seem, from later accounts of terrigenesis (Infinity #4), is the stuff of Inhumans. In this issue we see Superior Spider-Man dealing with Thanos bad guys (quite effectively I might add) as well as “teaming up” with a newly hatched Inhuman (though, depending on when you read other issues, you don’t know this yet). Either way, it is interesting how this new character plays out. Proving once again Doc-Ock-Spidey is not much of a role model… things turn out much different than the Fearless Defenders tie-in (which I will discuss below). Are these worth it? Only to solidify “new powers emerging”…but quite frankly, how Inhumans differ from Mutants is getting munged here - besides from the obvious differences between the Inhuman gene and the Mutant gene. :|

Nova #8 ( 4 / 5 ) - The cover is actually pretty spot on, given what actually happens in the issue. The introduction of another “young” character seems overly “plot-device-y”, but hey, this comic is geared more towards younger readers. There are pretty decent call-outs to Richard Rider and the Cancerverse. It is obvious (from ties to GoG #6) “they” are strongly hinting that the Age of Utlron time/space stuff is what allowed Thanos and Quill to emerge from the Cancerverse…but still no definitive statements on the current whereabouts of Richard Rider. Anyway - the history in the Cancerverse is not the only thing being dredged up - links to Richard and his time with the New Warriors is also coming to head, as this 15-year-old Nova is introduced to Robbie and Vance. Where will this lead? How will the new “young” threat sent by Thanos come into play? It is all very exciting…albeit a bit too “teen drama” for me at the moment.

Infinity: Heist #1 ( 3 / 5 ) - I am not a fan of the “two-bit” villain comics that have been coming out. I stopped reading “Superior Foes…” after issue two, and this mini-series (hopefully) seems right up that same alley… I get it, “they” want us to see other things that are going on as part of the Invasion. Most of the second-tier tie-ins are showing us fallout that reaches close to home. Looting, rioting, and now a big heist. Maybe these thugs don’t realize that Tony stayed while the vast majority of the Avengers went into deep space? Sure, wait until Thor is gone… but I certainly wouldn’t underestimate Tony and his tech. It is hard for me to care about this story-line with everything else that is going on. I will continue to pick it up as part of the overall story, but it will not be high on my reading to do list.

Avengers Assemble #19 ( 3.5 / 5 ) - More backstory. More of the same goings on with the space battle where half the Avengers get captured. More behind the panels detail about the rescue. More overlap with Captain Marvel and Avengers story-line. All of this is fine. I just felt like I read it too late. So, be sure to read this near Captain Marvel #16 to have the best context. Also, if you like the relationships between Carol and Jessica, and Jessica and Clint, this is still the right book for you. Girl Power!

Thunderbolts #16 ( 4 / 5 ) - Consistent with the last issue… The first tie-in for Thunderbolts must have been a fluke. Because I am still impressed with the level of writing and tie-in with the Infinity event. The art is still quirky - but I love it. The Leader’s head never has looked so good. The juxtaposition of its whimsy against the dire nature of the event make the book more entertaining. Deadpool continues to amuse, Punisher continues to brood, Ross continues to bully and Elektra well, Elektra continues to use her “talents”. ;) All is well in Thunderbolts land. Heck, even Mercy plays a pretty decent role in battling Thanos’ thralls. Worth the read as it relates to the event, and even the series, as it has not picked up to readable levels.

Mighty Avengers #2 ( 4 / 5 ) - This issue was better than the last. For me anyway. It had a good tie-in to the event, not only through all the fighting, but through Dr. Strange and Uatu. It also had a great “goose-bump” inducing moment. I don’t want to spoil it, but you will know what I am talking about once you read it. With the introduction of another player in this “Mighty” battlefield ,this book continues to grow into the “Minority” Avengers, which is great - but seems somewhat forced now. Almost making the point too well. Maybe that is just me. When I see the Avengers, I do not see race - this series seems to make a point of calling it out. Whichever lens you want to look at this book through, it is a pretty decent read. I look forward to where this NYC battle is going, and how the new character introduced will impact the story. At this point in the event, if you had to choose between this book and Superior Spider-Man Team Up, I would recommend this book.

PS. Yeah. I don’t know who “Spider-Hero” is. Maybe, Iron Fist?

Infinity: The Hunt #2 ( 4 / 5 ) - Wow - much better! More what I expected from Matt. I loved that the entire book started out with what was missing from the last issue - details on the Latverian School of Science and their “chosen”! From there we go back to the battle already in progress. We get some great visuals from Wolverine and an awesome disarm / super-punch from She-Hulk. All this, and a death of a friendly. Very interesting. I am really looking forward to the next issues. As these “kids” take off on their own, it should be a wild ride - maybe to rival Avengers Arena…

Fearless Defenders #10 ( 4 / 5 ) - I have to be honest, I haven’t read Fearless Defenders since #4AU. Further honesty, I don’t remember what it was about other than it was part of Age of Ultron. I have to say though - after reading this issue of Fearless Defenders, I may have to go back and read what I have missed. I am impressed. There are some great undertones of “strong female role model” in this book. Be they super-powered or just partial robot. It does feel a bit overplayed, similar to the Mighty Avengers, but that is what we get when books try to break out on their own for a specific audience with a specific set of character types. Anyway, much like Superior Spider-Man Team Up, this issue surrounded the fallout from the Terrigen Bomb. New Inhumans are popping up everywhere. As hinted above, this time things go a bit better than Doc-Ock-Spidey’s failed attempt to mentor the fledgling power. This time the powers are harnessed, not confused. Something more develops…

Infinity #4 ( 6 / 5 ) - Wow. This is a fantastic issue. Both on and off planet. The Inhuman stuff is really intriguing, especially the Thanos specific stuff. The space stuff - again, wow. Blown. Away. In fact, one thing that I have discovered while reading/reviewing comics - if the story pans out “how I would have written it”, I like it way better. I know, I know - that sounds super egotistic - but as the primary plot point was being set up I had a thought of how it should go…needless to say, the results were impressive and bested my expectations! I am not going to spoil anything, but I have to say - you have to read this issue. In fact, read all the main Infinity Event books - it has been a stellar event! The books from the main event have it all. They cover all the bases. After that first minor confusing issue, it has all been a highly enjoyable ride. I cannot wait to see how things pan out.

What’s Next? I did happen to see a sneak-peek of Infinity #5 - interesting. All I can say is - execution better be great, especially to top Infinity #4. At first glance (of just the reveal), Thane looks a bit too much like Sinestro for my taste. :/

enJOY!