Review: Thunderbolts # 1 – Daniel Way & Steve Dillon

Review: Thunderbolts # 1Okay, stop me if you have heard this one.

A retired military general recruits a rag tag band of heroes to do what normal people can’t – to kill threats instead of  merely subdue them. They work above the law to bring down their targets any way they can. No, they’re not the A-Team. It’s Marvel NOW!’s new Thunderbolts, courtesy of writer Daniel Way and artist Steve Dillon – and it’s nothing we haven’t seen before.

Thunderbolts #1 sees General Thaddeus Ross, A.K.A Red Hulk, recruit an elite team of killers: Deadpool, Venom, Elektra and the Punisher, to take down threats in ways that the other heroes wont condone. That’s it. There aren’t any other events that occur in this issue; no real motivations, no hint at what is to come – it’s just plain boring, and doesn’t do well to set up the series to come.

The character “interviews” – Ross finding the recruits as they are on their own jobs – set up the meat of this issue, and while the dialogue is good at times, what they have to say isn’t all that interesting. Having Deadpool fight a gang of mimes is suitably Deadpool-y, and the Punisher gets some good time, being suitably brooding and angry, but everything else is just there.

Steve Dillon’s art really doesn’t sell the issue either. I don’t mind Dillon usually, but he isn’t working at his strengths this time. The faces look like someone hit them with a frying pan, and in one panel, Ross looks exactly like the Punisher just with grey hair and a beard. I’m a bit upset that Dillon chose to forget Marco Checchetto’s badass Punisher design, and instead went with a more classic approach akin to his previous run on the Punisher, but that’s a minor quibble, especially in comparison to his rendition of Red Hulk. It looks like an abomination, and not in the right way.

Thunderbolts comes out of the gate very poorly. It’s clichéd, boring and not very good looking . Needless to say, it doesn’t bode well for the rest of the series, and unless the next issue sets up some interesting plot threads, it’s not going to be getting too excited.

Death Star: Blame The Contractors!

I’m a bit of a Reddit junkie, and I stumbled across this little gem of a discussion about the Death Star’s destruction as revenge for the annihilation of Alderaan:

(Click on the image for the larger size)

Star Wars Humour

You can check out all sorts of Star Wars stuff on Reddit here.

Review: FF#2 – Matt Fraction & Mike Allred

ff2“For the next two hundred and forty seconds, we are the Fantastic Four.”

Oh Scott Lang, you could not be more wrong. But it’s ok, the ride turns out awesome anyway.

FF#2 picks up right after the second issue of Matt Fraction’s other tie-in, Fantastic Four, as Marvel’s First Family begin their trip to the unknown universes. Events make a turn for the worse back on Earth, as Scott Lang and the Future Foundation learn that the new Fantastic Four’s stint will be a lot longer than expected. Fortunately for us, it makes for a fun story.

Fraction’s biggest strength in his other acclaimed series Hawkeye, the dialogue, carries over into FF. From Scott’s slight horror when he realises that the Fantastic Four aren’t coming back, to She-Hulk lamenting the loss of her Stella McCartney outfit; each of the character interactions are brilliantly handled. Without spoiling anything, if you aren’t laughing at a few of the excellent lines in this book, you need to check your pulse.

Dana Deering’s transformation to Ms Thing also comes to a head within this issue, and while the marketing seems to be building her up to act a bit like a bimbo, she often comes across as less like a an airhead, and more of an ordinary person thrown into extraordinary events. While it seems that Fraction is trying to make her likeable, she doesn’t come across as even remotely annoying – just a bit naive.

Once again the art pairing of Mike Allred and wife Laura looks as great as ever. There is a particularly stunning moment when the Mole Man and his beast appear to take on the Future Foundation, which shows that the Allreds know a thing or two on how to create fantastic looking monsters. The series so far harkens back to old Silver-Age comics, and is a treat to read.

One other problem that plagues this issue is that it almost requires you to read the Fantastic Four as well, as the events pick up immediately after the second issue of that series. Hopefully that is something that will change in the coming issues, with the Fantastic Four embarking on their journey, but readers of only the FF series will have a harder time following what is going on.

Despite issues regarding extra reading, FF  again continues to impress, both in story and in visuals. If Fraction and the Allred’s can keep this momentum going, while allowing FF to stand on its own, this book will be one to watch in the coming months.

It’s Time To Score

If you like retro game stuff, then it doesn’t get much better than this. While trawling YouTube on an unrelated search, I stumbled on this snippet of win – you just need to skip to 1:59 or click this link:

Does anyone out here recall buying this magazine?

Webcomic Wednesday: JL8

Hello and welcome to Webcomic Wednesday! Each Wednesday I’ll highlight a new webcomic, and let you know why I like it so. For our inaugural week I’d thought I would introduce you to a personal favourite of mine: JL8

JL-8 Image

Imagine your favourite Justice League characters, but they’re eight-years-old. That is JL8 in it’s most basic form. What that doesn’t tell you is how well realised each of these children are. They’re the Justice League, in all their heroic glory, but they also are just kids who deal with school in such a way that doesn’t detract from their adult counterparts. Batman is still a brooding paranoid kid, and Superman is a morally upstanding citizen, but they still have to deal with bullies, girls, and family. It constantly references the DC universe, while also giving out great moral lessons, making the comic feel like a great Saturday morning cartoon for kids, but with just enough referential humour to appeal to the parent. It’s fun that isn’t observed enough in the DC line-up these days, which makes it a nice change from the usual serious business that our heroes have to face.

Plus it is just so gawd dammed cute.

Check out JL8 here, it’s updated every Monday and Thursday.

Have any webcomics you want me to check out? Let me know on my twitter @Pipes815, or send me a message via our contact form.

Oceanic Gamer’s Best Comics of 2012

2012 was a pretty awesome year for comics. Well, every year is an awesome year for comics, but 2012 felt really special. And although our Comics section here at Oceanic Gamer has only been up for a month, we thought that we’d celebrate the year that was and give you our personal picks for our favourite titles, across a range of categories, from 2012. So without further ado, here are our picks for 2012

Favourite Single Issue

Hawkeye #3Sean: HAWKEYE #3 “Cherry” – Matt Fraction & David Aja

Hawkeye is something of a god-send in my eyes. It’s funny, it’s got action, it’s got heart, and it has phenomenal art, and you know what they say about the third outing. Hawkeye #3 is the perfect representation of the series itself, and my pick for best single issue this year. Framed by Clint Barton’s nine terrible ideas, it has the pace and charm of a great James Bond film, complete with a car chase and beautiful women. It’s as close to perfect as a single issue can get, with a complete story that doesn’t need any more explaining past the 24 pages it inhabits. This is the definitive Hawkeye.

Honourable Mentions: FF #2, Walking Dead #100, Justice League Dark #0, Wolverine & the X-Men #17

David: This isn’t necessarily a negative, but I don’t have a single favourite issue from this year. What I’ve read I’ve enjoyed on the whole, but nothing stood out strongly enough for me to make a call on this. Yes, I’m a fence-sitter!

 

Favourite New Series

Saga coverSean: SAGA – Brian K. Vaughan & Fiona Staples 

I admit to not really knowing Brian K. Vaughan before this year. I’d never read Y: The Last Man, and although I loved Lost, never remembered his name. However Saga has suceeded in making sure I will never forget him ever again. It’s a space epic that wouldn’t feel out of place if it were an HBO show- it follows the lives of baby Hazel and her parents Marko and Alana, people from both sides of the war whose love sparks an intergalactic manhunt. From the stellar cast, to Fiona Staples’ perfect art, every part of this series, that dips it’s toes into what appears to be every genre, is great. This is one to watch in the coming year.

Honourable Mentions: Hawkeye, FF, All New X-Men

hoax-huntersDavidHOAX HUNTERS – Michael Moreci, Steve Seeley and JM Ringuet

Image Comics’ Hoax Hunters get’s my gong as it’s got a great combination of interesting characters and a nicely paced story. It’s easy to be cynical about comics at times but this one is original enough to keep the cynic at bay so far. Who doesn’t like a spooky guy in a spacesuit??

Honourable Mention: G.I. Combat

 

Favourite Ongoing Series

Batman coverSean: BATMAN – Scott Snyder & Greg Capullo

I know what you’re thinking- how original. Scott Snyder’s Batman probably has featured on a lot of “Best Of” lists this year, but there’s a reason why- it is just that good. 2012 was especially awesome for the Dark Knight- from his wrap up of “Night of the Owls”, to the new classic that is “The Death of the Family”. Snyder shows no inkling that his run on Batman is losing momentum any time soon. Bruce Wayne’s own abilities, and his faith in them, are constantly put to the test, as Snyder breaks him down, only to build him back up in time for the next villain to appear. It’s humanizing Bruce, making him just as fallible as you or I, and coupled with Capullo’s art, this book is a real winner.

Honourable Mentions: Rachel Rising, Wolverine and the X-Men, Daredevil

daredevilDavid: DAREDEVIL: Mark Waid & Chris Samnee

I’m a Marvel fan through and through, although a much more cynical one than I used to be. The current Daredevil run is one of the highest quality offerings on the market today and it takes the red-horned one back to golden runs like that during the 1980s with Frank Miller. If you have the dosh, buy the first 5 issues of this volume and you won’t be disappointed. One disclaimer though: as a comic collector this is the one character I’m attempting to be a completist with, so I’m a little biased.

Honourable Mention: Winter City (an independent Australian release – my review here)

 

Favourite Miniseries/ Graphic Novel

Welder coverSean:  THE UNDERWATER WELDER – Jeff Lemire

Jeff Lemire is the king of making me feel for his characters. His other solo work, Sweet Tooth, also manages to make me tear up every once and a while, but The Underwater Welder really takes the cake in the water-works department. The story of an underwater welder that tackles his marital and family problems in a Twilight Zone-esque tone. Its weird, but it has this strong emotional core of a man trying to piece together his past, only so he can move on with his future. Jack’s story is truly original, and something you shouldn’t miss this year. [Read Sean’s full review here]

Honourable Mentions: Think Tank, Batman: Earth One, Punk Rock Jesus

David: HABIBI – Craig Thompson

habibiThis isn’t a 2012 release but one I read during 2012 and I can safely say it’s in the Top 5 of graphic novels I’ve ever read (with Thompson’s other masterpiece Blankets in that Top 5 too probably). It’s a huge tome and worth every cent you spend on it. Go find out more about it.

It’s the type of graphic novel that totally destroys the idea of comics as a juvenile pursuit – as sad as it is that such a stereotype is still alive and kicking.

 

 

Favourite Story Arc

batman cour owlsSean: “THE COURT OF OWLS” – BATMAN – Scott Snyder & Greg Capulo

 “The Court of Owls” was something pretty special. It took Bruce Wayne and his firm belief he really truly understood Gotham City, and flip it on his head. The Court of Owls had been operating long before Batman was an idea, and for Bruce to repeatedly deny their existence, only for him to be completely and utterly wrong, gives him a layer of hubris that is something not really tackled before. It takes a strong creative team to make Bruce be blatantly wrong, and Snyder and Capulo nailed it. From a section that requires you to turn the book in your hands to read as Batman descends into madness, to bringing forth a new character that may shake his faith in his parents, “The Court of Owls” was an impressive debut for the New52 Batman, and is a fantastic herald for things to come.

Honourable Mentions: Hawkeye – “The Tape”, Batman and Robin – “Born to Kill”

 

Favourite Overall Series

sga best of finalSean: SAGA – Brian K. Vaughan & Fiona Staples

There were plenty of fantastic titles in 2012. I spent about half an hour breaking down about 20 separate titles into a final 5, and then it felt like choosing between children. But in the end, Brian K. Vaughan’s Saga was the clear winner for my favourite title of the year. It’s everything I love in comic books, and even storytelling in general. It’ s a genre-bending science-fiction epic that can be hilarious on one panel, but then incredibly sad in the next, only to turn so sweet. Vaughan’s masterful story-telling is only accentuated by Fiona Staples’ artwork, that is fantastically expressive, and well detailed. Every single aspect of this series is so brilliantly done, and shows no signs of slowing down. Saga is a work that everyone should experience, and it is my favourite comic of 2012

David: I got nothin’ here except to repeat what I said about Daredevil above. Sorry 😉

So that’s it! The year of the best in comics, whittled down into an easy to read list.

What were your favourite comics this year? Sound off in the comments below!

Build Your Own Hobbit House For $5000

Build Your Own Hobbit HouseI went and saw The Hobbit yesterday and aside from a numb bum (the movie runtime is 3 hours and 9 minutes plus the 15 mins of ads and trailers at the front-end), I enjoyed it immensely.

I probably didn’t enjoy it enough to want to build my own Hobbit dwelling, but if you get that way inclined, you can now give it a go:

How can you build a house if you have only $5,000? Simon Dale, a self-build devotee, knows the answer. He constructed his woodland home entirely from natural and reclaimed materials, including tiles from a showroom skip and spent $4,900 and only 4 months on this low-impact living.

Go check out the series of pictures of the build, it’s absolutely amazing.

Simon Dale, we salute you.

Review: Wolverine #49 – Rob Williams & Laurence Campbell

Wolverine #49My favourite Christmas movie of all time would have to be Die Hard. While it may not have the wholesome family fun and good morals that make up a typical Christmas film, it’s still a film set on Christmas Day and most people would agree that qualifies it. So when I heard that the current (Volume 3) series of Wolverine had an issue that was often described as Wolverine meets Die Hard, I got pretty darn excited. How hard would it be to mess that up? As it turns out, it’s not hard to mess up at all.

Wolverine #49 opens with Logan being forced to Christmas shop at the behest of Kitty Pryde as he makes a stopover in New York. The mall he chooses to shop at also is being visited by Toulouse Lexington, the daughter of a very wealthy man, who is then kidnapped by a gang masquerading as a Santa act. Usual kidnapping antics ensue, as Wolverine attempts to save the day.

If that description sounds derivative and clichéd to you, it’s because it is. Nothing here is even remotely unique to Wolverine’s character, and he could have easily been replaced by any number of superheroes within Marvel’s catalogue, or even John McClane himself. We barely see him, and his powers only become handy twice in the entire comic – even then a number of other heroes could have dealt with it too. It almost seems that writer Rob Williams had a basic story ready for whenever he had the chance to fit in a hero he was working on at the time.

That’s not to say any other parts of his by-the-book hostage story are particularly good either. The gang who are clad in Santa and Elf outfits have the privilege of having the stupidest name a gang could have: “the Black Christmess”. They jump from having one motive to a completely different one later in the story, and any attempt at making them even remotely sympathetic is lost. There is even a small sub-plot regarding the heiress and her relationship with her estranged father that is picked up, and then promptly forgotten. Nothing here feels particularly fleshed out, despite the fact that most of the issue is characters explaining themselves, leaving the action in the back seat.

Laurence Campbell’s art isn’t too bad – the environments are well detailed, and he has some fairly cool action shots thanks in part to Kris Justice’s colours. But the side cast all look like fairly generic stock characters, except for the heiress Toulouse, who actually looks like a librarian rather than the daughter of a wealthy business man.

Wolverine #49 is a poor attempt at making an action story set during Christmas. There is little action to keep you entertained in the mess of a story that could easily have its characters switched out without you even realising it. If you want to watch a man kill hundreds of terrorists on Christmas, stick to Die Hard. Wolverine #49 is definitely not worth your time.

Review: Hawkeye #6 – Matt Fraction & David Aja

Hawkeye6I once told a friend regarding Hawkeye that if Matt Fraction spent an entire issue dealing with Clint Barton doing the laundry I’d love every minute of it. It seems I almost got my wish in the special Christmas themed Hawkeye #6, which, for half the issue, is Clint trying to get his DVR to work. But that is the beauty of Matt Fraction’s run on Hawkeye –  although this issue also deals with the Russian Mafia and a crisis of faith, the best parts of this issue, and in this series in general, isn’t always the action. It’s the heart.

It’s almost Christmas time in the apartment that Clint Barton a.k.a. Hawkeye lives. Over the next six days, he will deal with with a broken satellite dish, A.I.M., the Tracksuit Mafia and his own DVR.  As he deals with the issues of owning his own apartment (reluctantly bought off the Russian Mafia back in issue #1), Clint must also ask the question: can a man who is trying to do good, still end up making things worse?

This is how the heart makes its way  into Hawkeye. Clint Barton is a normal, regular human being. Granted; a regular human being who is also the greatest sharpshooter alive, but Matt Fraction taps into the human side of his psyche, stripping away the “heroic” traits of a super hero comic, and drawing on the more everyday experiences of this Avenger. We see him desperately try to avoid spoilers to his favourite television show, convince a neighbour his name isn’t Hawkguy, and try to clean his apartment. It is these moments that give the issue its charm – Clint is a normal human being, and acts like so. Even the cameos from other famous Marvel heroes give them more grounding features that most other writers gloss over.

That’s not to say that this issue skips over the heroic. The Tracksuit Mafia (or as I like to call them the “Bro Mafia”) return, intent on reclaiming their lot back. We meet their leader this issue, after a few surprisingly unsettling panels, which prompts Clint’s crisis of faith.

David Aja’s art, combined with Matt Hollingsworth’s colours look absolutely sublime. The wonderfully expressive faces thanks to a simple art style, combined with the flat colour palette and striking purples, make this one of the best looking comics all year. The layout also looks absolutely stunning, as Aja manages to fit more panels than one would think possible on a single page. It also helps that there is a nod to the old X-Men Arcade game that looks fantastic. Aja’s work on Hawkeye just looks brilliant overall.

If you haven’t picked up Hawkeye yet, let me ask you a question: what is wrong with you? Go and pick up the first six issues and get lost in the world of Clint Barton. Give these people money to make more comics – just so I can see that laundry issue.

Simple Tutorial: Transfer Data From Wii to Wii U

wiiu-trannsferHaving just spent a couple of hours setting up my new Wii U, I thought it might be useful to create a tutorial, as the official instructions missed a couple of simple explanations that caused me to make some mistakes. For this transfer to work you’ll need both consoles to be able to connect to the internet and for both to be able to be seen on your TV. For the sensor bar I just kept swapping the plug between the two consoles as I needed to, using separate power and AV connections for the two consoles.

The transfer process:

1. Have an SD card with at least 512 MB free

2. On the NEW (Wii U) Console: go to the shopping channel and download the Wii Transfer Tool to your system memory

3. On the NEW Console: after downloading successfully, go to the main Wii Menu and select the transfer tool. Follow the instructions and the required data will be downloaded to the SD card you will have inserted (the slot is just under the CD slot on the front of the console – just flip down the black lid and you’ll see it)

4. On the NEW Console: Go back to the main Wii Menu and remove the SD card ready to put in the old Wii console. No need to turn the console off.

5.  On the OLD (Wii) Console: If like me you’d already paired your Wii remotes with the new console, you’ll need to re-pair one with the old console. Just remove the battery case at the back of the remote, press the red sync button until the lights on the front of the remote start flashing, then press the sync button on the Wii console (it’s the red button inside the little white section just below where you insert the game CDs). The remote will stop flashing and you’re paired up.

6. On the OLD Console: go to the Nintendo Shopping Channel and download the Wii Transfer Tool to your system memory. The tool is located under the Channels box in the main menu of the Shopping Channel.

7. On the OLD Console: Insert the SD card you set up on the Wii U into this consoleGo to the main Wii menu and select the Transfer Tool and start it up. Follow the instructions on the screen. Your Wii’s info will be downloaded to the SD card. Remember – once this occurs all the info is removed from your old console. A cool animated transfer sequence shows on the screen while it is transferring. You’ll be told once it’s complete and when you can remove the SD card.

8. On the NEW Console: Insert the SD card. Open the transfer tool from the main Wii menu. It will say a transfer is already in progress and do you want to continue – do that. Follow the on-screen instructions. The second half of the animation sequence will play. You’ll be told when the process is complete.

That’s it!

If the tutorial has helped you or you think something is missing, please post in comments!

Review: Batman #13 – Scott Snyder & Greg Capullo

Batman #13Ask any fan of Batman comics who they think the Dark Knight’s greatest nemesis is, and you’ll be sure to hear The Joker’s name more than once. The quintessential Batman villain, The Joker has always been the other side of the same coin, a product of similar tragedy that turned him into a murderous madman. So when it was announced that Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo were bringing a new story featuring The Joker, especially on the heels of his fantastic character study of Bruce Wayne in his previous arc “The Court of Owls”, it wasn’t hard to be intrigued.

The stage for Batman #13, which marks the beginning of his new story arc “Death of the Family”, takes place a year after the events of Detective Comics #1. The Joker had allowed his face to be removed by another villain known as The Dollmaker, and he returns a year later beginning a series of ‘greatest hits’ – previous crimes that were perpetrated in famous Batman stories of the past. As we soon learn though, his motives are much more sinister. These events don’t end up as Bruce expects, and it hurtles towards a fantastic cliff-hanger at the issue’s end.

Snyder creates a wonderfully dark entrance for the Clown Prince. The inner monologue of the Batman, combined with his uncanny ability to channel The Joker’s demented dialogue to a tee, helps create a truly dark and twisted story. Snyder manages to instil a true sense of dread and horror within the pages of Batman #13, especially in a chilling assault of the Gotham P.D. at the onset of the issue. The horror isn’t merely blood and gore either, as the Joker’s dialogue throughout the sequence is truly evil and terrifying. Without spoiling anything, you’re going to want to look under your bed. While many of the stunts resemble fairly “standard” (whatever that term may mean in this case) Joker crimes, it sets the mood for how the arc will play out, and still leaves the reader guessing where the action will end up next.

Synder also works in a subtle character moment for the Dark Knight in this issue. As he communicates with the rest of the Bat-family about The Joker’s return, you learn that he intends to keep details, and even the investigation itself, between him and his nemesis. It is a moment where you realise that Bruce either wants to protect the ones he loves, or is willing to bank on his own skills and hubris to bring The Joker down, which is an important theme tackled in the “The Court of Owls” arc. It’s interesting that Snyder chose to revisit this theme, considering that Bruce Wayne should have learned his lesson in “The Court of Owls”, and it will be interesting to see how it will play out.

Greg Capullo’s pencils combined with Jonathan Glapion’s colours gives the art in the issue a strong resemblance to the Batman: The Animated Series of the late 1990s. It’s suitably graphic without relying too much on gore, and when The Joker’s face is finally revealed, it will give you chills down your spine. Its dark and twisted, and it really works.

It should also be worth mentioning that picking up Batman #13 without any previous interaction with Snyder’s run will be of no real detriment to the story he is writing here. While it may drop in a couple of references to his previous encounters with The Joker, it only requires a base understanding of how the villain works.

When Scott Snyder’s run on Batman moved towards the event “Death of the Family”, and the inevitable return of the Clown Prince of Gotham,  the questions were asked regarding whether this new take on this villain would live up to the standard set by The Killing Joke, and other Joker tales of times gone by. After Batman #13 perhaps we should begin to ask a new question:

What if the “Death of the Family” is better?

Review: All New X-Men #1 – Brian Michael Bendis & Stuart Immonen

X-Men #1I’m a sucker for a good time travel story. Most of my favourite works of fiction deal with the concept of time travel, and I can’t seem to get enough of it. So when Marvel announced as part of their Marvel NOW! relaunch that All New X-Men would find the original five X-Men; Beast, Angel, Iceman, Jean Grey and Cyclops, taken from the past and brought to the future to help talk down one of their own from committing mutant genocide, my interest piqued. Fortunately for everyone,  Brian Michael Bendis sets the stage for what will be one of the most interesting titles in coming months.

All New X-Men #1 picks up right after the events of the Avengers vs. X-Men event earlier this year. Professor Xavier is dead, murdered by a Phoenix-possessed Cyclops. This leaves the school renamed as the Jean Grey School for Higher Learning under the leadership of Wolverine. New mutants have been popping up all over the globe, as Cyclops’ X-Men move to start the “mutant revolution”, leaving a trail of regular human-beings in their wake. Wolverine’s X-Men soon discover that desperate times call for desperate measures, as they are forced to retrieve the original X-Men in hopes they would be able to save the mutant race from once again being caught under the prejudices that the series was built on.

Bendis brings the feelings of prejudice and fear for the mutant race back on to the table easily. While not allowing humans to be outright  assaulting the new mutants, the sense of fear and dread, even to one mutant who can save lives with his touch, is palpable throughout the book. This title may say New X-Men, but these are classic X-Men themes.

The characterisation takes a back seat for the first issue, as Bendis first seeks to set up the world post AvX. The only character who is given any real spotlight  is Beast. With his opening monologue, we learn that the idea of travelling the space-time continuum was not something he has taken lightly. The rest of the characters take a back seat to action and story – with the notable exclusion of Wolverine, this initial outing seeks to set up events to come rather than showing the characters who will take part.

Stuart Immomen’s art, coupled with Marte Garcia’s colouring, gives the entire issue an animated feel. The action panels have a sense of momentum, and his art in the more talking moments gives each event their proper due. While his work may not necessarily stand out, it still looks fantastic, and suits the tone of the book well.

All New X-Men #1 succeeds fully in introducing the new status-quo for our favourite mutant family. While the first issue is light on character, its heavy themes, and the set up for the time travelling X-Men gives the coming months much promise for the title.

Plus did I mention that it has time travel?