Any week that Uncanny X-Men comes out, I can guarantee that will be the first book I read. I’ve been a lover of mutants since before I ever masturbated. So first up? Uncanny #527. It has a boss cover by Terry and Rachel Dodson. Namor embracing Emma Frost. Ooooooh. What's gonna happen? I open it up to find some the most shit-tastic art I've seen in over a decade. Emma Frost is cross-eyed. It took me three pages to realize that the character I was looking at was Colossus. I can't even tell if the writing was any good. I'm certainly not giving it up, but it was so disappointing.

So I go back to my stack of books. I need something new. A palate cleanser. I chose a book I haven't picked up in years. SUPERGIRL. Ever since Final Crisis when you see Supergirl in her apartment with her cat and her sewing machine, I've kind of wished there was a great Supergirl book out there. I haven't really loved the character since she kicked the crap out of Faye Dunaway, but when I saw that cover, I knew it was time.

Bizarro Supergirl? Fuckin' A. I'm in. I've been hearing from various comic pros that Sterling Gates can spin a good yarn, but I'm always cautious to try new DC books. They seem to get canceled very quickly, and I've been burned a few times. But since I'm coming in at issue 55, I figured I didn't need to be so cautious. And it's a fun, action-packed issue of Supergirl going at it with her fucked-up clone. I'm not familiar with all of the characters in the world of Supergirl. But I know Jimmy Olsen, Perry White, and Cat Grant, so I can get by. Bizarro Supergirl is a hoot and the art by Jamal Igle is quite impressive for a guy I hadn't heard of before. It kind of reminded me of Carlos Pacheco, but he's definitely got his own thing going on. Tons of fun. Girls throwing each other into buildings. Palate cleansed.

NEW AVENGERS #3 is another one where the cover was so great, I wasn't sure the interior would live up to it. But I was wrong. Brian Michael Bendis delivers up a Ghostbusters-like tale, complete with the sky ripping open, an invasion of demons from an untold dimension, and plenty of classic Spidey one-liners. Although Stuart Immonen and the whole art team deserve an equal amount of the credit because this was by far the best looking book on the shelves last week. From the cover, to the orange sky, to the mysterious, white, misty realm where Iron Fist was taken to discover who the big bad villain is, it was otherworldly goodness from beginning to end.

Bendis is delving deep into the magic of the Marvel Universe and is doing it with ease. I love his technique for giving us the spells that the various Marvel magicians use. And who doesn't love watching Spider-man and Wolverine punching demons? Bendis is a pro at taking us from one scene to the next, from one dimension to the next, and never losing any momentum, yet always making sure we have those moments where we, and the characters, can catch our breath. The scene with Victoria Hand and Jessica Jones comes to mind. I love those two, and can't wait to see more of them together. And therein lies the problem. I wish I had the patience to wait for the trade because I want to read the whole story at once. But I can't! I need my fix as soon as I can get it.

COMICS!!!

SLIM & FILTHY, VOLUME 1

BIG HONCHO