Another week of comics, which included Avengers vs Atlas #4 (but I’ll be talking about Agents of Atlas at a later stage, so that will have to wait). Soon, I’ll be up to date. Soon.

Hercules: Fall of an Avenger #2
‘Now that’s what I call a funeral.’ The gods choose mortal champions to fight their battle when Apollo decides to stop Athena; the mortals end up changing the rules, but what else to you expect when Amadeus Cho is involved? Clever, funny, hopeful (Hercules isn’t in the Land of the Dead), enjoyable – it’s a shame that this book can’t sustain an ongoing series without having to revert to specials and mini-series. Even the back-up story is good, as Venus and Namora discover the hospital for children of monsters that Herc set up. Why aren’t more people buying this book?

Joe The Barbarian #4
Grant Morrison has fun with this fantasy series, such as ‘EEE equals Magic times the speed of all likelihood squared’ and the order who have taken a vow of cowardice, and mixing the real world with the fantasy world (such as the place called Yalway). But it’s Sean Murphy who is the star of the series, creating an eerie quality to the ‘normal’ reality and an extra-real nature to the fantasy world, and making this a a great little mini-series.

X-Factor #204
Peter David has fun with the reader by starting out with some soldiers killing X-Factor, but which turns out to be a simulation, only to end the issue with the same soldiers actually killing Madrox, Rictor and Longshot. Great cliffhanger. Throw in some jokes and good dialogue, and the art is getting better: Valentine De Landro’s pencils are improving the longer he works on the title, settling into the noir mood and the facial expressions necessary for the comedy.