Broken Frontier

Astonishing X-Men #15

The Hellfire Club makes its move and Scott proves to be only the first victim. As the team is attacked with a startling swiftness, S.W.O.R.D. waits on the sidelines and watches carefully. Meanwhile, a couple of old enemies start making deals as well.

Joss Whedon again proves that, when it comes to plotting, he has talent to spare. While the X-Men are fighting for their lives he still manages to inject humor and emotional drama into the story. Even better, he manages to continue to juggle a number of mysteries without annoying the reader or slowing the pace. John Cassaday’s artwork for this series remains top quality. Clean, balanced, and detailed, Cassaday has not produced a bad issue for this series to date.

This issue would be worth the price if only for what Whedon does to Wolverine here. Added to that, however, is a tip of the hat to Chris Claremont’s classic X-Men run, a story that has the reader of the edge of their seat, and characters that are vital.

- Tonya Crawford

Girls #14

After last month’s cliffhanger revealed that Ruby didn’t get attacked by a whacky girl on the loose because she’s carrying a son, the pregnant woman gets sent into town to pick up supplies. Oh, and someone’s snuck into the shed for a quick f---.

Fourteen issues in, readers are still very much clueless as to the how, what and why behind the sudden appearance of the giant sperm cell in the corn field and anything it’s brought with it. Most of the time, the typical Luna humor is sufficient to take your mind off of the-mystery-that-won’t-be-solved, but here, an interesting turn of events allows the story not to rely on humor too much: one of the men has snuck into the shed to f--- one of the girls that are being held captive. With speculation running rampant on whodunit, the women figure the men are even less trustworthy and frustration amid both ranks continues to build.

Some Girls installments can be rather slow, but overall the premise is intriguing enough for readers to stay on the Luna Brothers bandwagon. Count issue #14 among the ones that make this series a worthwhile read.

- Frederik Hautain

The Reject, His Life and Times

A small, comfortable house in suburbia. A modern working woman and mother. And, her child, the Reject. All the little guy wants is some dinner, but in “a sad little comic”, you know that even the most simple things won’t come easily.

Mixing the silent storytelling of Andy Runton with the clean, vivid artistic sensibilities of Cal Slayton, along with his own dose of humor and cynicism, Radtke’s first chapter of The Reject, His Life and Times is an odd, albeit entertaining mini-comic. Running somewhere in the neighborhood of 35 single-panel pages, The Reject isn’t a complicated tale, but Radtke makes solid use of every page. His characters, especially The Reject, are extremely expressive and add to the dark comedy of the comic. While it is a little pricy for such a short read, Mealtime is a well-done societal critique.

With a strong, clear narrative and equally accessible art, The Reject, His Life and Times: Mealtime is a densely packed short tale. Provoking both uncomfortable and sympathetic emotions, Radtke shows that he is a solid cartoonist and knows just what buttons to push.

- Fletch Adams

Superman/Batman #27

In this solo issue, Batman and Superman’s minds have been transplanted into the bodies of the Huntress and Power Girl. Time is running out and they have to sort through what exactly happened and how to correct it.

This issue is a placeholder between arcs, and it shows. While the plot could have some potential, especially if it was spread out over several issues, instead the entire story comes off rushed, and any revelations that occur are simply brushed off by the end. The fact that the Superman and Batman featured in this story are from Earth-Two confuses the plot even more, instead of adding any excitement. The art is capable throughout, though nothing that enhances the purchase of this book.

It’s seldom that a series doesn’t have an interlude between arcs, and Superman/Batman has proven it is no exception. Unfortunately, with all of the other books hitting the shelf this month, this particular issue cannot be recommended.

- Adrian f. Zettlemoyer

Witchblade #99

This issue is the setup for the big #100, as Jake comes out of his coma, and personal feelings continue to progress between Sara Pezzini and partner Patrick Gleason. Plus, a giant new threat arises from a very unexpected source.

The fact that this issue is #99, Marz could have coasted and just used the issue to remain the status quo until next month. Instead, he sets up next month's issue perfectly by starting with some slower-moving dialogue, then building to an excellent cliffhanger. His dialogue remains spot on, keeping things flowing naturally as the action crescendos. This issue also brings in new regular artist Adriana Melo. While Choi’s pencils will be missed, Melo’s work will keep Witchblade a good looking book.

Marz and company turn out a tale that starts out with character development, then transforms into a series of fantastic action sequences. This summer, the big-action blockbuster is not in the movie theatres, but in your local comic shop.

- Adrian f. Zettlemoyer