X-Men #5

            This series has been “disappointingly average.” When two things like mutants and vampires are out together in the same arc, and the mutants are X-Men, I get high expectations. If this arc isn’t great then I am discouraged. So far that is exactly what this series has been, and I have been disappointed.

            In this issue the vampires siege Utopia. Cyclops puts all of his “hard skinned” people out front. Like Emma Frost, Colossus, Ice Man, and archangel. Cyclops also stays out side, and all the other people go inside. The vampires then release the vampired Wolverine. Cyclops then reveals that he temporarily shut down Wolverine’s healing gene, but then he turns it back on, and gets the vampirism out of him. So the mutants beat the vampires. Then Dracula comes back and takes control of the vampires.

            This is a good issue. In X-Men 3: the last stand there was a moment where they were about to battle the brother hood where it felt like the movie was holding its breath. This issue had the exact same feeling before the vampires. It’s hard to do that in a comic, but Gischler did it very well. Other than that the comic was almost entirely a fight scene, but a very entertaining fight scene. Except when Xarus lost, his defeated attitude and expressions really showed that he felt powerless. I still don’t know what happened to Janus, I expected him to show up around issue two or three, but I still just have no idea what happened to him. It’s a loose end that no one has tied up, if he appears now it will be pointless because he was on the run from Xarus, and now he’s not in charge any more, so I just don’t know about him.

            This arc isn’t over yet, but now I’m genuinely exited for the next couple issues, and the next arc. I wouldn’t call this a must buy issue, but it’s definitely in that range.

Grade: 8/10
Buy at: www.mycomicshop.com

X-Men #4

             I always look forward to this series, I just resized I never reviewed X-Men issue three, so I'll give it a grade right now Grade: 9/10. I had stopped liking Marvel for a little while, because they destroyed Hulk to the point where I can no longer read it, and I wasn't a huge fan of what they did to Spiderman's villains (Doc Oc, Vulture etc. but it did grow on me later) but now I love Marvel again, this is just a great series.
              In this issue Blade and Angel hunt down some vampires and then realize they have to run away from them because there are too many. Xarus then confirms that there is no chance Wolverine is healing off the vampire gene, and gains his trust. Xarus then calls up Cyclops and uses Wolverine to intimidate him, so now the vampires are going to invade Utopia.
              I'm just waiting for the moment when Wolverine says "ha ha I'm not a vampire."  I guess that adds suspense, but that is canceled out by predictability. I do think that Jubilee should stay a vampire, because now that she isn't a mutant her character has become a annoyance, and this is a way to give some conflict to the X-Men and purpose to Jubilee.
              I don't think that Blade is being used to his full potential, six pages were devoted to Blade and Angle (two of my absolute favorite characters in any comic universe) but they didn't do anything. They found vampires and ran away. Blade is one character that can pull the Punisher thing off well, and there making him a "sissy."I do have to complement the cover which is just very realistic and very cool, although, the art inside the book is just okay. (like green arrow it's nothing special) This issue does open the gate for many good issues in the future, but only if Gischler uses Blade, and Jubilee to their full potential.
              While this issue wasn't the best thing I've ever read, I still love the series and am looking forward to future issues.
            




Grade: 7/10
Buy at: www.mycomicshop.com

Namor #1

            

             Curse of the Mutants is another comic event like Shadowland, however the there is a difference. Shadowland is flawless, and I do have some doubts about how good Curse of the Mutants will turn out to be. So far this and X-Men are the only Curse of the Mutants stories I've read. The X-Men series has been satisfactory not great, but not bad. I'm surprised not to see Janus (see review of Death of Dracula) in the X-Men series yet, and I also am wondering when the Brotherhood is going to make an apperance. When both of those things happen the event will become so much better, because then there would be no loose ends, and everything's better when it has the Brotherhood in it.          In this issue Namor is trying to find the head of Dracula which is underwater being protected by the Aqueos. (AKA: underwater vampires) He runs across a group of rogue soldiers called the Tridents. They bring back to body of Namor's old general. They all go looking for the head, they find it, and now they are fighting their way out.
        I really love the art in this story. A lot of times Namor stories just look like normal stories with a blue background. Olivetti did the art, and he found a way to make the book have a very aquatic feel to it. When you look at the page it feels very aquatic, cool, and (for a loss of a better word) floaty. The basic story its self was kind of " been there done that." Man goes in search of treasure that will help him in a bigger cause and other people die to help him. The writing was what made up for that. Stuart Moore voiced Namor very well he gave him the "I hate everything and everyone around me" kind of feel to Namor, which he should have. Plus Namor's dialogue was good, there was never really a dull moment in this comic, which is a good thing.
         Overall this comic was a little more than satisfactory, and I will recommend it, but not highly. It's a buy if you want to, if you'r really not interested don't waste your time.
        




Grade: 7.5/10
Buy at: www.mycomicshop.com

X-Men #2

                The first issue of this series didn't really impress me. When you put the title X-Men, it better be good, okay is not good enough. I really wished that Marvel would have held off on the Vampires for a couple story arcs, just introduce the series, then do something shocking and huge, like the Curse of the Mutants. It is starting in the middle of the series all over again. I promise I'll start talking about that as soon as all these new series get into their second or third story arc.
                 In this issue, Colossus, Wolverine and Storm go off chasing a vampire trying to bring it back (alive) so that Dr. Nemesis can find a cure for Jubilee. When they find a clan of vampires Blade jumps in and kills all but one. Later in the issue Jubilee runs off to Xarus, and the X-Men find that the vampire population is growing, rapidly.
                 I love Blade, I think it's great that he's in this series. I've heard that some people are upset that there wasn't actually a fight scene like the cover suggests, but I didn't mind that. It could be because I'm so happy to see Blade that I'm okay without a slugfest. But mainly I think I'm fine with it, because it really doesn't matter. The cover is there to advertise, and this looks a lot cooler then Wolverine shaking hands with Blade.
               Gischler did a great job with making the characters sound like them selves, especially Colossus. He made him sound Russian enough without over doing it. It was a little thing but for me it made this issue more enjoyable. One thing I really like about this issue is how Blade describes the political aspects of the vampires. How he explains that Xarus is more dangerous because he was able to unite all of the sects under one banner. I know that is just another little thing, but this issue is full of just really little good things, that when added up make this issue pretty good. Add Blade and you got your self a great issue. So I'm happier about this issue, but I still think Marvel can do better.
                 I just am wondering one last thing. Where is Janus during all of this? He was the main character in Death of Dracula, and his story was left at a cliff hanger, so where is he. He hasn't found the X-Men yet, or Xarus, I just want to here something about him, but at least it gives me something to look forward too in future issues.


Grade: 8.5/10
Buy at: www.mycomicshop.com

X-Men #1

           I absolutely love the X-Men, I love the idea of them, the characters, just everything about them. I also liked the Death of Dracula one shot. I could see why putting them together would be appealing, but this is another case of starting in the middle of the series. (I'm sorry that I mention this a lot, but it will stop after the first story arcs of all these new series end) Marvel should have held off doing this until around the fourth or even fifth story arc. Just not right away. I am happy to see that Marvel is bringing Blade back. I've never actually read a comic about him, but the idea of him always was cool. (and the movie was pretty good) In this issue (what I think I'm right in assuming was) a vampire walks into the middle of a out door restaurant where Jubilee was having lunch. He takes off his coat and explodes, getting blood all over Jubilee and everyone around her. In the infirmary the Doctors find out that Jubilee is showing signs of becoming a vampire. This is after she explains what really happened, how there was no bomb. Wolverine goes to investigate, he finds a warehouse of sleeping vampires and starts to fight with them.
           When Jubilee says "There was no bomb. He just tore off his coat and his skin started sizzling." How did Cyclops know that it was Sun Light, stranger thing have happened in the Marvel Universe, but Cyclops knew that "Flesh...burns in day light" Instead of oxygen, or he took some chemical. Other than that my only complaint was starting in the middle of a series, but I already went over that . I loved the art, and the writing, and the fight between the vampire and Wolverine was done really well. I thought the suicide bomber thing was perfect, it modernizes the vampire and makes it less swords and steaks but more like a terrorist organization which is perfect for what Marvel is doing here. I was a little disappointed not to see Janus in this issue, but he has to turn up sooner or later.
             So this issue is not what I expected, but it was still pretty good.



Grade: 7.5/10
Buy at: www.mycomicshop.com

The Death of Dracula #1

               This is supposedly a Marvel one-shot, but I highly doubt this is the last time we are going to here about this story.Vampires are a fad now a days, and it was smart of Marvel to make a vampire comic. In this issue Xarus (Dracula's oldest son) killed his father, and all of the vampire sects have to decide to join Xarus and agree to make him the new king vampire or fight back. Janus (Xarus' older brother/ main character) has to think.
               Before I go any further I have to state that there are three main sects in this comic. There is the Siren ("female seductresses") Krieger sect (warriors) Claw. (warriors) The Krieger sect walks away, and so does the Claw sect. The Leader of the Siren sect's leader tries to kill Xarus, but of course that fails. He wipes out the Krieger Sect and Janus goes to attempt to gain the Claw sect's loyalty, for the revolt against Xarus. That's where I leave off on the synopsis.
                 I would be very happy if this became an ongoing series. You can flip to any page in this comic and you will see amazing art. It is the best art I have seen in at least the past two months. I know I say I like a lot of art in different comics, but this is truly something else. I didn't like how the comic is called the Death of Dracula, Dracula's death wasn't very dramatic, actually that's not true it was very dramatic, but it would have been more dramatic, and effective if he had been in more than four pages. The pages that he was in were perfect, he looked and talked exactly how I ever could have wanted. I also appreciated that Dracula was hard to kill, if it had just took one stake to the heart I would have been disappointed that the most famous vampire ever, and who was supposedly king vampire for years went quietly. I really liked how each sect had different appearances and views on "vampire-hood" and humanity. The Claw kept to them selves, the Anchorite wanted to be left alone and so on. So I really want to see more, at the end of it I was longing for more.
              


Grade: 9/10
Buy at: www.mycomicshop.com