Lots of stuff came out this week. Here's what I got:Siege #4 (of 4) - This was definitely a satisfying series, as it didn't drag on for too long, and it gave us the ending that's been a long time coming. Of course, it does seem a little hasty that the Superhuman Registration Act has just been completely thrown out, but does anybody want to read Avengers: The Congressional Debates? (An act of Congress thrown out by The President? The Tea Party was right! Obama is becoming a dictator!) It also makes more sense now that Steve Rogers is letting Bucky continue to be Captain America, considering that Rogers is now the top guy in the Marvel Universe. Just like the endings of Civil War and Secret Invasion, this leaves me curious as to what's coming next.
The New Avengers: Finale - Considering that this was one of my favorite series, I was a bit disappointed with this big wrap-up issue. I think that part of it is that Brian Hitch's art has suffered from a decline of late, and this issue is his biggest drop-off yet. I suppose that the story was fine, even though they had to shoe-horn Wolverine back into the mix. Now that the "Dark Reign" is over, I really have to wonder why they're going to reboot this series. I can see why there will be a Secret Avengers, but continuing this series just seems like a way of filling up the shelf space. Still, I'll at least give the first couple of issues a try.
Dark Avengers #16 - Now this is more like it - a finale that doesn't disappoint. The jig is up for the whole villainous gang, even though Dakken gets away. As for Norman Osborn, he's locked up deep down in a prison cell with only his alter ego of the Green Goblin to keep him company. I also thought it was interesting that Steve Rogers decided not to have Victoria Hand suffer the same fate as the rest of the Dark Avengers, and even more interesting, he'll allow her a place in his new regime. That scene was rather well done.
Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne #1 (of 6) - So this is what happened when Batman got zapped by Darkseid's omega beams. I always assumed that they destroyed the person that they hit, but I guess they send you back into prehistoric times. So why does he hop forward yet again? I don't know, but I hope they explain it. For me the best part of this issue was Chris Sprouse's art; I'm not sure who's doing the next issue, but he'll be a tough act to follow. (I seem to recall reading that the series would have a different artist every issue.) Supposedly in the main Batman book, some more gaps will be filled in - like what happened to Batman between RIP and Final Crisis. I guess I'm going to have to reread everything, because this is a lot to absorb.
The Flash #2 - Now this is more like it. I admitted to not being too enthusiastic about The Flash: Rebirth series, but I did enjoy the first issue of the regular series. This one was probably my favorite comic of the week, and that's saying something considering how much I liked Siege and Dark Avengers. The best part? The Flash races into the library and reads a ton of books on architecture then quickly rebuilds an entire apartment complex that was destroyed in a battle. He does all this as the residents stand there in amazement. What really makes it work is the artwork of Francis Manapul, whose work on Adventure Comics was perfectly serviceable, but this series is a much better fit for his talents.
Batman #699 - Tony Daniel wraps up his writing run before the return of Grant Morrison next issue (and Daniel back on art duties). I'd say that he did a pretty serviceable job, and I wonder if he's going to get to write some more since he left some threads dangling. I wonder if Paul Dini was out of ideas for The Riddler, because Daniel pretty much took over the character. Anyway, this was a fun read, and I liked the part where the one dude turned into a tree.
The Amazing Spider-Man #631 - This issue was decent enough, as it continues the story with The Lizard. Even more interesting, it looks like Kaine is back as well, and he's going to be a part of the whole "Gauntlet" storyline, as he encounters the daughter of Kraven the Hunter. I hope they do a good job of tying all these disparate threads together at the conclusion of this rather large story.
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