Rating System: 0 to 1.5 stars = save your money unless you are just mindlessly collecting the title. 2 to 3.5 = worth a shot if you are up to trying something new or wanting to get back into a title. 4 to 5 = a must buy for any comic reader.
SWORDSMITH ASSASSIN #4 – If I had the cash, I would buy the movie rights to this comic. In just four issues, writers Andrew Cosby and Michael Alan Nelson have crafted a classic story of revenge, honor, redemption and love set in the waning days of feudal Japan. After telling his story to a French army commander, sword maker Toshiro has track not only the last sword he made, but also the woman he fell in love with. The sheer emotion that this final issue pulls out of you is amazing. While the art isn’t on the level that most mainstream readers expect, the story makes you forget the shortcomings and quickly becoming engrossed in this tragic story of love and redemption. BOOM! Studios should be getting a lot more credit for the work they are doing between titles like Swordsmith Assassin, Irredeemable, Nola and the Disney comics they’ve acquired. Editor-In-Chief Mark Waid is making the kind of moves that we’ve needed to see at the big two for a while.
Undercover Fanboy Rating: 
X-MEN LEGACY #229 - I’ve said it many times before and I guess I need to again: artist Daniel Acuna needs to either stick to covers or do more static/established characters like Fantastic Four or the Justice Society of America. From my informal interviews with readers of this title, I’ve found that many X-readers are just buying the title so they don’t miss anything from X-Necrosha or Nation-X or they are just reading the title in the store, not wanting to waste the money on the art. More and more, you can tell this is quickly becoming the step-child of the X-titles, throwing out a tidbit or two to keep the diehards buying the book. For example, we find out that Gambit, much like Archangel, can revert back and forth between his normal look and the one Apocalypse gave him. The peek in at the goings-on of the X-Club (the scientists that Beast put together… maybe he knew he was going to leave…?) was cool as always – but time and again or, should I say, panel after panel – Acuna’s art broke any continuity of the reading. His art has actually taken a step backwards from the stuff he was doing for DC on Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters. Even the cover this month looked like it was rushed… the last time I checked, Gambit wasn’t Asian. As an X-fan, it hurts to say this (I like Mike Carey’s dialogue too…) – but if you are looking for a book to cut so you can save money for presents: this is the one…
Undercover Fanboy Rating: 
DR. HORRIBLE ONE-SHOT – If there was ever an origin story for Joss and Zack Whedon’s Dr. Horrible – this is it. If you haven’t watched Dr. Horrible’s Sing-A-Long Blog yet; stop here, find it either on DVD or the internet and then come back. And you call yourself a fanboy/girl. Showing the inspiration for Billy becoming a super-villain and his first confrontation with his future nemesis, Captain Hammer – this issue is just as hilarious as the show. Writer Zack Whedon shows that Joss didn’t get all of the creative genes in the family- touching on the same wit and fanboys jokes that the show did. Joelle Jones’ art was a little too simple for my taste (and definitely needed more backgrounds…), but seeing an eight year old Billy in the eighth grade was great. The cover art by Kristian Donaldson was good, but the pin-up in the back by Gene Ha was amazing. Be sure to pick this up and watch Dr. Horrible’s Sing-A-Long Blog before the sequel comes out (Zack has been quoted as saying that he and Joss have already begun working on new songs…).
Undercover Fanboy Rating:
THE MIGHTY AVENGERS #31 – THIS… THIS IS WHAT THE AVENGERS TITLES SHOULD BE LIKE! A bunch of heroes fighting against overwhelming odds and one hero risings above all – giving orders, kicking @$$ and taking names. In this title, that hero is Hank Pym aka: The Wasp. That’s right, Hank Pym. The real one and not the Skrull dupe. After learning his is the Universe’s “Scientist Supreme,” Pym travels back to find the rest of the team and the New Avengers taking on the Former Inhuman ruler, The Unspoken. Grabbing some gear from HQ, he proceeds to Tibet and then to kick major booty giving everyone orders and truly becoming the hero that he always wanted to be. Dan Slott and Christos N. Gage are writing a true superhero comic by packing in what we want most: a major baddie, lots of heroes and the heroes triumphing as they teetered on the jaws of defeat. Brian Michael Bendis is doing a great job on New Avengers, but the stories are all intrigue, posturing and very little fighting. Sure there are battles with Osborn’s Avengers, but they spend more time whining and running than finding a way to kick Osborn’s @$$ (so I agree with Clint/Ronin on that point…). And though I preferred Khoi Pham’s art, Sean Chen is a pretty good fill-in. If you’ve been missing what the Avengers are supposed to be, grab this title. Plus… I have a feeling that Pym will be the one to unite all of the various teams to bring Osborn down (if Normie doesn’t do it himself…).
Undercover Fanboy Rating:
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