(Creatively edited summeries from the Marvel.com listings)

Comics:
ANITA BLAKE: THE LAUGHING CORPSE - EXECUTIONER #2: Something something Hamilton, blah something Anita Blake something mysterious Gaynor whatis whatis animator dead to rights something something vampire hunter.

BLACK WIDOW & THE MARVEL GIRLS #1: Black Widow teams up Amora the Enchantress. I think. It's either that or she remembers getting help from Enchantress to escape from this one room this one time.

CAPTAIN AMERICA: THEATER OF WAR: PRISONERS OF DUTY #1: It's The Great Escape, Steve Rogers style!

DARK AVENGERS ANNUAL #1: After realizing that the Dark Avengers are *gasp!*...Evil...Captain Marvel the Younger faces off against Darth Osborn, and must choose whether to save the Planet or Fall to the Dark Side to help Rule it.

DARK TOWER: THE BATTLE OF JERICHO HILL #1: Gilead has fallen, and with it the six pillars are crumbling.

DEADPOOL TEAM-UP #898: Deadpool teams up with Zapata Brothers to collect...wait, the Zapata who?

FALL OF THE HULKS ALPHA #1: One year ago, M.O.D.O.K. brought together The Leader, Mad Thinker, Egghead, Red Ghost and the Super-Apes, and Doctor Doom to form an evil version of the Illuminati, and since then his grip on this Cabal has begun to fall apart. Wait a minute...

HULK: WINTER GUARD ONE-SHOT #1: In Soviet Superhero Russia, Comics read YOU!

IRON MAN VS. WHIPLASH #1: Ready for Iron Man 2 yet? Wanna read a miniseries that leads up to it to wet your appetite?

Nova #32: The Sphinx has returned, and he has a little riddle for the Nova and Darkhawk.

SIEGE: THE CABAL #1: In THIS corner, weighting in with magic, doombots and enough pride to build a planet out of, it's the one, the only, DOCTOR VICTOR VOOOOON DOOOOOOOOOOOM! In THIS corner, weighing in with technology, a secret weapon, and enough insanity to go around twice, the man ready to make you stop! For HAMMER time, NOOOOOOOORMAN OOOOOSSSSBOOOOOOOOORN!

SPIDER-MAN NOIR: EYES WITHOUT A FACE #1: An alternative take on Osborn is gone. You'd think that would make things better. Since there's a new mini-series happening, you'd be thinking wrong.

SPIN ANGELS #4: Angelo's back from the dead. Seeing as this is a comic, it's pretty well par the course.

STARR THE SLAYER #4: Trull hold's Starr's writer hostage.

Strange #2: Someone's looking to find Strange. They may just get what they're looking for.

THE MARVELS PROJECT #4: The umpteenth retelling of Captain Americas origin gets shaken up as an Angel hunts down a hero killer.

Thor #604: For the second time this week, Dr. Doom get hammer timed. This time, Thor brings it.

Torch #4: Toro must save Torch from Thinker. TTFN.

ULTIMATE COMICS SPIDER-MAN #5: Mysterio Strikes Back.

UNCANNY X-MEN #518: Cyclops gets inside Emma Frosts Head.

WHAT IF? SECRET INVASION #1: Marvels "What If Extravaganza Month!" kicks off with the most delayed Secret Invasion tie-in yet.

X-BABIES #3: Goo-goo gah gye gi? *suck, suck*

X-FORCE ANNUAL #1: Wolverine hunts down a Hydra agent. How many heads will he grow on the way? ALSO: Deadpool officially becomes the new Wolverine as he makes his latest guest appearance (but not in the main issue).

Trades:
*BLACK PANTHER: THE DEADLIEST OF THE SPECIES TPB
*ESSENTIAL X-FACTOR VOL. 3 TPB
*EXILES ULTIMATE COLLECTION BOOK 3 TPB
*NEW MUTANTS: RETURN OF LEGION PREMIERE HC
*SPIDER-MAN: THE ROOT OF ALL ANNOYANCE #1
*THE INVINCIBLE IRON MAN SAGA #1
*THE TROJAN WAR PREMIERE HC
*UNCANNY X-MEN: FIRST CLASS - HATED AND FEARED GN-TPB
*WOLVERINE: ONE NIGHT ONLY #1

I'm not getting too many this week. In a few hours I will be picking up:

Hulk: Winter Guard One-Shot
Nova
Strange

Now that I've tried tackling the DC side of this, the comics I got this week were Seige, Deadpool Team-Up, Ultimate Spider-Man, and What if?. I'll get back to you with my thoughts after I've had an opportunity to read them.

Can someone fill me in on Siege? I'm contemplating buying it...

Alright, so here goes:

Cabal: Goblin and Osborn have a little talk which convinces Osborn he needs to deal with Asgard now. The Cabal meets, where Doom orders Osborn to reverse course on his decision about Namor. Osborn refuses since Namor crossed him, pointing out that Doom wouldn't be any better about things if the two were in opposite positions, but Doom doesn't care, even when Osborn brings out his secret weapon (which we don't learn the identity of). The mystery guy lays the smackdown on Doom (who in turn gets a shot off at Taskmaster, to an unknown end result), after which we learn that Doom was smart enough to send a Doombot. And he filled it with a swarm of Doombugs which attack the entire tower and force an evacuation. Sentry enters and destroys the doombot, stopping the attack. Doom and Osborn then have words, threatening each other long range. Osborn looks to get permission to deal with Asgard and blames the attack on Stark, but the President declines. So Osborn talks with Loki about it and getting him control of the city. Loki tells Osborn to wait, and that a Stanford-like incident is going to be arranged to give Osborn the cause he needs to strike. I can't say it's quite what I was hoping for, but at least it gives a decent enough setup for where Siege is headed. Also, I liked what Norman did pointing out how none of them are really big on letting others cross them, and the use of the Doombot and Doombug swarm.

Deadpool Team-Up: This issue is told out of order, but the general story goes something like this - Deadpool doesn't take well to a mercenary trying to kill him, whom from he learns of an easy job to dig up a head and take it to this guy. He digs it up, only to get stealth KOed and buried. When he digs himself out, he goes after the guys that jumped him - the Zapata Brothers. Turns out they're actually big fans of Deadpool, and didn't realize it was him they attacked (he was wearing a hat). They team-up to take the head to the guy who wanted it, since he's got a bad reputation. Naturally, he decides not to pay the Zapatas, who leave without any money but not before giving him a coffin. Which happens to contain Deadpool, who flips out, kills people, and escapes on a Zapata driven truck with the money.

While it wasn't as good as I think it could have been, especially if it had gone in a straight order, it wasn't really a bad issue, and I liked the Zapatas. I also just noticed that in the cover image for the next issue, it says "Last Issue" instead, which is a nice touch considering the backwards ordering the series is using.

Ultimate Spider-Man: Shroud shows up to help Spider-Man fight Mysterio, which allows him to win, and even take out his whatchamacallit giving him his glowing head and shock powers. He still vanishes, though, but not before leaving a piece of his machinery behind. After getting asked for his autograph, he takes the piece to the police station (still in his ripped up costume). And while the removal of the device from the crime scene was a bad thing, the officer he talks to ("Captain Franky" ) who informs Spider-Man that 1) Since Mysterio killed Kinpin, he's wanted on a Federal level 2) since Mysterio is insistent on killing Pete, they have something they can go on to try to catch him.
Meanwhile, the Parker house picks up another resident, this time being Bobby Drake AKA Iceman (I love how Gwen phrases it - "It's like our own little Avengers Mansion"). Finally, Mysterio discovers blood on his stuff that isn't his, which he plans to use to find out who Spider-Man is.
Another issue that's making me glad I'm reading this series, even if it is coming with a $4 price tag.

Finally, we have:
What if: Secret Invasion: I wasn't exactly thrilled by this issue - First, we have a what if about what if Reed had been killed in space, allowing the Skrulls to win. Apparently, everything appears peachy, with much of the Earth enjoying the Skrull reign. Including their ability to turn humans into Skrulls (Say what?) Also, Norman Osborn (now a Skrull) is Veranke's consort, rather than her killer. The heroes still rebelling against the Skrull invasion are working out of Wakanda, the last free place on earth, where they have Skrull-laced legacy virus, which they hope to use to get rid of the Skrull ability to shape-shift and neutralize the Skrull converts or something.
Vernake convinces the UN to launch an assault on Wakana, which happens just as the heroes are preparing to launch their the Virus. Sentry destroys the cannon, and then Thor destroys Sentry.
With the cannon dead, Iron Man has Thor create a hurricane that encompasses the planet, which is used to distribute the virus. However, rather than simply neutralizing the Skrulls, it instead kills everyone on Earth with Skrull DNA, original or Convert. At which point it's revealed that Norman was wearing the Iron Man armor, having hidden away Stark (who had already been drinking heavily). This was pulled off thanks to Spidey calling on Osborn for help making the virus non-leathal, due to wanting to save Aunt May (who had converted to Skrulldom). While Norman pulled it off, he only gave himself a dose of the neutralizer, leaving the lethal virus for the rest of the world. No one takes kindly to this, least of all Captain America, who decapitates Norman and then turns himself in to the arriving UN forces, along with several other heroes.

I'm really not sure about the second story, which has something to do with the Skrulls not revealing themselves and instead trying to incorporate their way into Earth Culture without a fight, and that the Norman of the story was a Skrull who didn't realize it or something. It's pretty odd and hard to really say what's going on.

Either way, I wasn't a fan of this What if issue. It's a case of an issue where had I known what was happening, I would have skipped it.

I never do that.

Maybe you should do this every week. Then I can go back to critiquing the person who starts the weekly thread.

And that's a good thing, so the story wasn't all bad.


Cap was just trying to help cure Norman's headache.

On a side note, since Norman has a healing factor, I'd like to see how this kind of wound heals up.

I'm planning on picking up Thor and Nova, I'll post some info after I've had a chance to read them.

While I haven't read this comic (things were shipped a day late here), I remember them from a recent issue of Moon Knight I read. They seem pretty cool and it doesn't surprise me that they think highly of Deadpool. I may have to pick this comic up.

I see three books this week.

Black Widow & Marvel Girls
Captain America Theatre of War.
X Babies

That's nothing. Now, if you could see dead people, that'd be interesting.

Thor #604 - 10/10

It reprints part of Thor Giant Size, but that doesn't hurt it to much. Balder finally gets his head out of his @@@ and declares war on Doom/Loki. Loki tries to talk his way out of it, but so far no one is buying it. Tyr shows up to help plan the assault on Doom. As the Asgardians show up, after refusing to get Thor's help, Doom unleashes the zombie esqe cyborg Asgardians he's been expirimenting on. Things look rough for the Asgardians but Thor shows up, a half second away from making Doom into spam in a can.

Here's to hoping Thor opens a MASSIVE CAN O WHOOP### ala his fight with Iron Man. I'm hoping he pounds Doom to jelly over this. Let's see some Warrior Madness break loose and teach Doom exactly why you don't f with Viking Warrior gods.

Nova - 8/10

Nova and Darkhawk are saved from the Fault by the Sphinx. It seems he wants their help in dealing with some sort of war of the gods. Well, at least he wants Nova's help, Darkhawk is somehow outside Sphinx's control (he can't see him, and later Darkhawk can go places Nova can't). Turns out Sphinx is grabbing heros from across time, including a Blackbolt and Reed Richards. BB in particular shows up with a wounded Namorita. Likely from another time as well, but we don't know yet. Nova does pull a few cool moves though (such as a stargate which pulps a horde of demons that even scare Sphinx, and utterly destroys what looks like Sobek)

Got some great books today.

Loving the X-force annual. The X-force story is decent, but the deadpool story was hilarious. People who love anthing deadpool would absolutely love that story.

Nova was a great read. Darkhawk's armor is very suspicious and that Gator monster did look Sobekish (though he didn't talk or had a hunger problem). Nova onca again shows us how badarse he is and then we get to see a nonmutated Namorita......fascinating.

Dark avengers annual- was okay. People will really love the revelation on the last page and who now holds the shield, but I really hate Marvelboy's new look. Not. Feeling. It.

Siege cabal- Doom forces Norman's hand and now he has 3 enemies of the cabal. Its very easy to see norman is losing control of everything and Loki is playing him for a fool. Doom at least isn't afraid of the mystery character at least (as he uses a doombot on everyone. One would think they'd know doom by now) and Loki seemed happy with the results. I also loved Norman talking to his mask......it has a lot more sense than Norman.

Norman may have created Dark reign, but the true villain seems to be Loki as hes playing everyone for some reason.

Loki is po'd that they're recycling his "Acts Of Vengence" storyline.

Even the "doombot at the meeting" was done during AOV.

It probably was Sobek, just Marvel's version of Sobek.

http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/sobek.htm