Ultimate Comics X-men #1 Marvel's Ultimate Universe has gone through some huge changes as Marvel tries to re-invent the line as something other than standard Marvel 2.0. In "Ultimatum", Magneto attacked mankind with a savagery the regular Marvel Magneto has never shown. He caused a tidal wave that flooded Manhattan, killing many Marvel heroes right off the bat. Many more died in the mission to take him down, not least of whom was Wolverine. Most of the X-men died in the event as well. Since then it has been revealed in the Ultimate universe that Mutants are not the next step in human evolution. They are, in fact, a result of a US military experiment that leaked out and spread. Humans across the globe reacted poorly and the government started rounding up mutants and putting them in camps. If they didn't come peacefully, they are killed.
This issue sets up the new status-quo for the X-men. Jean Grey has gone around using the name Karen Page, and is trying to round up mutant children before they get incarcerated or killed. In the first part of the story she visits a family and the mother is acting very weird. She says her daughter is a mutant is upstairs asleep. She then says that her husband is up there as well. Then there's a gunshot! The dad walks downstairs crying, spattered with blood and says, "She's gone, Mother. It's okay, she was asleep and didn't feel a thing." YIKES! Jean has a look of utter horror on her face.
In the meantime, Wolverine's son, James (who was raised by some of Wolverine's friends and didn't know his father) has developed identical mutant powers as his father and is traveling with Jean Grey and a couple of other mutants that I did not recognize. While Jean is out trying to recruit that poor girl, James and the others see the announcement about mutants being created, about how the US government created the first mutant, Wolverine, in a Canadian lab. Furious, James leaves the group to visit the lab where his father was genetically manipulated.
Then the story switches to a mob and a small sentinel-type robot hunting down Rogue. Kitty Pryde, the Human Torch, and Iceman had been living down in the Morlock tunnels, vowing to stay hidden and safe, but when they see Rogue in trouble, they get ready to intervene.
It looks like Kitty's group and Jeans group and Wolverine's son will meet up soon and form the new X-Men and it should be a pretty cool ride. The art is well done. The story is well-paced and interesting. Though this was basically a set-up issue, I'm interested to see what happens next.
Wonder Woman #1Another in the "New 52" relaunched series from DC, I picked up Wonder Woman for the artwork alone. I mean, that cover art is just cool! I'm glad the inside pages matched the awesomeness of the cover. Here's what happens.
The story opens with a creepy looking guy talking to, and then apparently possessing 3 women as he tells them the story of his womanizing father and his rival siblings. The creepy guy is Apollo, god of the Sun, BTW. The scene cuts to a farmhouse where a woman is greeted by the god Hermes, and then is attacked by 2 centaurs. Hermes transports the woman directly to Diana (Wonder Woman) who assesses the situation, transports back to the farm with the woman, and proceeds to kick centaur tail (literally). She saves the woman and then tries to help a wounded Hermes. Hermes then explains to the woman that she is in terrible danger because she is pregnant with Zeus's son. The story ends back with Apollo killing the 3 women as he talks about an upcoming conflict with the unborn baby.
Wow. Really WOW! This is not a superhero book at ALL! It's more mythology/horror! There were some very gruesome scenes, fast-paced action, and Diana comes across much more as a warrior than some star-spangled do-gooder. At one point she headbutts one centaur, then throws her sword and cuts the arm off the other! This is one BAD chick! By far the coolest take on Wonder Woman I have ever seen. I've gotta have more!
- Book of the Week!!! 
Green Lantern Corps #1 This is the only other DC #1 I bought this week. The Green Lantern Corps focuses on the Corps as a whole, but mostly on Earth Lanterns John Stewart (not the Comedy Central guy) and Guy Gardner. They try to juggle a normal life on earth, but neither of them have conceiled their true identity like Hal Jordan did, so everyone knows they are Green Lanterns and thus, it is pretty difficult to convince an employer than you can really keep a full-time job. They then fly to OA, hear about a string of GL murders and proceed to investigate. The rest isn't really worth getting into.
If you've been reading my earlier posts, you know I've been on a big Green Lantern kick this year. I thought I would want to keep up with this book for the supporting characters, if nothing else, but I just don't enjoy reading about John and Guy that much. I don't care that much where the story is going and I don't like the main characters. If they had made the series focus on Kilowog and Arisia, or Sallak and Soranik, or Stel and Isamot...that'd be fine. These two guys, eh, no thanks. My favorite Lantern, Kyle Rayner, has moved over to the book, Green Lantern: New Guardians, and I will be picking that up next week. This book is dropped.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #2The second issue of the new TMNT series deals a little with quest of the 3 turtles and Splinter who have been searching for Raphael in New York for over a year without any success. We get more of their updated back story which is pretty fun, and involves April O'Neil as an intern at a genetics lab instead of being a reporter. The turtles and splinter were involved in some research to try to grow exoskeleton-type shells on humans for military purposes using DNA from turtles. Some ninjas break in, some vials get dropped, some turtles roll around in it...you see where this is going. Lastly, we get to see a great scene where Raphael (who has been wondering the streets as a hobo with amnesia for the past year) confronts a drunken, abusive father in a nearby apartment and tosses the guy out of his own house. The man's son, Casey Jones, thanks him and offers to go find him some food. Then he puts on his hockey mask! Fans of TMNT and Casey Jones will understand how awesome that is.
What can I say? I love some Ninja Turtles, and the fun continues with this issue. The art isn't fantastic, but it works well with these indie comics heroes. I don't mind it at all. A very fun read.
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