Comics Roundup for 3/17/10

Here's what I got:

The Amazing Spider-Man #625 - While the artwork was a step-up from last issue, I'm still a bit disappointed with the artists that they've had on this title for the last several issues. Obviously, I'm not talking about the likes of Marcos Martin and that one guy who has a somewhat similar style whose name escapes me. Maybe they just set the bar too high at the beginning of the whole "Brand New Day" with the likes of Steve McNiven, Salvador Larocca, and Phil Jimenez. Anyway, the story was pretty solid, so that's okay. I'm looking forward to the upcoming Roger Stern/Lee Weeks "Something Can Stop the Juggernaut" storyline.

Echo #20 - I probably need to reread the past several issues, but I have this feeling that the cover of this issue gave away the big reveal at the end of the issue. It looks like that one creepy Asian guy is back, and now half of his face has been blown off. Pretty cool. Anyway, this remains a cool series, with a good mixture of plot and character development.

Siege #3 - This is the kind of thing that reminds me of why I love comic books. After the past couple of years of seeing the bad guys in charge, it's great to see the Avengers come back, with Steve Rogers as Captain America again. Also, it was great to see Spider-Man play such a major part in all this. It definitely makes it all make even more sense when he'll be a part of the regular, ongoing Avengers series. Not only that, but this issue ends on a pretty decent cliffhanger. Let's hope the final issue pays off.

Dark Avengers #15 - I really like the way they're handling this particular crossover. You don't need to read this to enjoy the main storyline, but it's cool to see a bit more backstory that this issue provides. Turns out that Bullseye is kind of a jerk. It's bad enough that he was so eager to kill the Sentry's wife in the first place, but first he has to screw around with her and insult her before he finally does the deed. Screwed up, but entertaining, stuff.

Batman #697 - Not much to say here, only that this is another solid issue from Tony Daniel. I'm glad that I kept with the series even when I was ready to drop it. Still, I should probably reread the entire storyline once the concluding chapter comes out. It turns out that he's sticking around for a while after that, and I'm just hunky-dory with this proposition. I think it's a safe bet that Bruce Wayne won't be back in time for #700 though.

Spider-Woman #7 - The final issue? What the ___? I was getting ready to stick with this series for the long haul, and all of a sudden this is going to be the last one? Brian Michael Bendis gives his reasons for ending the series (most of which have to do with artist, Alex Maleev) at the end of the issue, but still I gotta say that I didn't see that coming. Oh well, I'm looking to drop books, and even though I was warming up to this one, I guess it's nice to not have to decide that it's going to be one of the ones that I'll drop. Overall, a satisfying issue, and a good end to a short-lived series.