Comics Roundup for 5/26/10

Secret Avengers #1 - This was a fun first issue, but that's not surprising at all. I guess the only criticism that I might have of this is that it feels a lot like an extension of Brubaker's Captain America, but considering how much I love that title, that's not really a negative. Anyway, they've assembled a pretty interesting crowd of characters here, and I don't think that I'd be all that interested if it weren't for the creative team (Ed Brubaker and Mike Deodato) involved here. I bet that we won't get the whole cast every issue, as I can't imagine every situation calling for spies like The Black Widow and Moon Knight, a scientist like The Beast, and a space-traveling Nova (not to mention War Machine, Valkyrie, and Steve "Super Soldier" Rogers). Still, unlike Dark Avengers, which this one replaces in some respects, I can see this one having some legs beyond the whole Age of Heroes storyline running through Marvel's books.

Green Lantern #54 - It's good to see that the whole issue with all of the various colored lanterns hasn't gone away with the end of Blackest Night, and we also got a little bit more about this mysterious new villain, along with some more information about the White Lantern. Honestly though, I don't think I can remember what happened in the last issue of this series versus what happened in the Brightest Day series. Hopefully that title will remain a compelling read, as I wouldn't want this, one of my favorite comics, to start getting all confusing.

The Amazing Spider-Man #632 - This was a really compelling read, and Chris Bachalo's rather unconventional way of laying out a page was more fitting than distracting this time. I do have to wonder if everybody who reads this issue would necessarily get what's going on with the Lizard's new ability, as it didn't seem to be really well-explained. I got it because I 1) have read the early appearances of the character and 2) know that we still have a lot of reptile genes in our DNA. Essentially, the Lizard is once again using his power to control reptiles, but now it has been expanded to communicate with mammals, as he's been able to tap into the reptile part of our brains. Pretty cool...pretty cool.

Thor #610 - Apparently there isn't any mayo in Valhalla, and even if a goddess can see into its halls, she cannot be with a slain loved one. That was probably my favorite moment in this series, as the bit where Thor fights his clone from Civil War just felt like it was wrapping up loose threads. It seems like Kieron Gillen is going to be sticking around for a few more issues than the original plan. That's fine by me.

The Amazing Spider-Man Annual #37 - They stole my idea! I always wanted to read an "untold tale" of Spider-Man meeting Captain America for the first time, and I thought about it real hard. Apparently they read my mind and stole my idea! Heh. Seriously though, this was just a matter of time, and it was handled pretty well. It also answers a really good question - if Cap has so much respect for Spider-Man, which he obviously does, why hasn't he used his good name to help Spidey's rather crappy reputation in the media? Aside from that, it was good to see an official "Untold Tale" from the original team behind the now-classic Untold Tales of Spider-Man: Kurt Busiek and Pat Oliff.

Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne #2 (of 5) - Grant Morrison makes my head spin sometimes, but I dug this tale of Batman versus The Crucible plus a giant squid-monster. It looks like next issue he's going to be a pirate - kooky, crazy stuff.