Panels of the Week

Interesting week or two for comic books. Fear Itself manages to impress with a neat ending to the Spider-man mini, whereas the fourth issue in the crossover event provides some great action in the form of the classic Avengers three. The last scene provides readers with that clamouring desire to see Thor finally set loose. It’s been too long since we’ve seen his true God-like powers, so hopefully Fraction won’t disappoint in the next issue.

Flashpoint is still a fairly stale event, however – Azzarello’s new take on the infamous Batman was insane. Some great writing and art from the same team of the great 100 Bullets, it was nice to see such a variation here. Sure, we may have some atypical ruthlessness going on throughout, but that’s okay – it just works perfectly here. Finally, an issue in the dull event which has actually piqued my interest.

The next big event for the X-Men is being heralded as ‘Schism’, an event which unsurprisingly breaks up the friendship between Cyclops and Wolverine. However, the set-up works in this introductory issue. A great character borrowed from Grant Morrison’s run returns to wreak havoc but without actually causing a loss of lives. It’s a unique turn, with hints of 90s nostalgia. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, when the art and writing is this good. X-Men: Schism looks to be an interesting event, and it’s one to look out for.

Recently picked up Bryan Lee O’Malley’s Lost at Sea, one of his first pieces. Along with that, Brian Wood’s DMZ which is incredible. Check out the links, and consider purchasing these comics!

Thanks for your time, looking forward to next week’s releases.

Venom #04 – Remender/Moore