Comics Roundup for 2/6/13

Winter Soldier #15 - I figured I'd give the new creative team of Jason Latour and Nic Klein a shot.  It certainly reads like a Winter Soldier book, and they're definitely sticking true to the basic concept behind the character.  Bucky Barnes continues to look for redemption - this time while trying to apologize to those whom he has wronged.  Of course, all sorts of high-stakes shenanigans ensue.  I didn't love it, but I just might be intrigued enough to pick up the next issue.

New Avengers #3 - This was good - really good.  It basically demonstrates why Captain America wasn't a member of the Illuminati in the first place, and it shows that he's going to be a problem with it if they let him stay.  Definitely some good character interaction, and it's interesting to see something defeat the Infinity Gauntlet.  Still, this series has no business being called New Avengers no matter how good it is.

All New X-Men #7 - Good stuff, as usual, from one of my current favorite books.  I still wonder how long they can run with this concept, but so far I'm still intrigued.  Eventually there's going to have to be a reckoning between the young and old Scott Summers.  I wonder how much it will be necessary to read the other Bendis X-book that's coming out soon in order to follow what's happening there, 'cause it looks like Cyclops is headlining Uncanny X-Men.

The Superior Spider-Man #3 - The plot thickens, and Carlie Cooper is finally starting to serve a purpose beyond "post-MJ girlfriend".  So long as this series can deliver a new wrinkle in the current situation every issue, I think that this book will have some traction.  In this one, we find out that the "ghost Peter" is able to view the memories of Otto Octavius.  Perhaps somewhere in there lies the answer to fixing all this again - that, or the fact that Carlie seems to be hip to what's going on.

Hellboy in Hell #3 - I was a bit more puzzled as to what was going on in this issue than the last one.  Satan has brothers?  Is that what it is?  Either way, I'm still digging it, and I can only imagine how much it would have freaked me out if I read this back when my family was under the influence of the Jehovah's Witnesses.  My comic with Jack Kirby's Demon would seem like a children's book of Bible stories.

Avengers #5 - We get introduced to one of these mysterious Avengers who's been hanging around the book for the past couple of issues.  I'm not sure who she is, exactly.  I read a review, and apparently she's "Smasher".  I don't know much about her or if I should know about her.  I'm kind of interested in her backstory, and I want to see how she'll fit into the greater plan, but I think that greater pains could have been taken to make things a bit clearer in this issue.  (Apparently the original "Smasher" debuted in some old Chris Claremont/Dave Cockrum X-Men comics.  He doesn't ring a bell.)

Hit-Girl #5 - This issue is delightfully violent, and the panel where a little girl uses a sledgehammer to turn a guy's skull into pulp is a thing of macabre brilliance.  As I always say, this works better as a comic than it does live-action.  Dammit if this twisted book isn't entertaining, and I'm looking forward to the grand finale in Kick-Ass 3.