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.
UNCANNY X-MEN #518 – Cyclops wants the piece of the Void that Emma absorbed out of her so she can change from her diamond form and use her telepathy. Gathering Charles and Psylocke, Scott plans to use Charles as a guide as he goes in to perform “psychic surgery” to remove the Void. Psylocke is there in case the Void breaks free. After this little trip through Emma’s mind, I don’t know who has more issues: Scott or Emma. They definitely deserve one another. Scott manages to fight through the block both Emma and the Void put up in her mind, ultimately waking Emma up in her human form. Problem being, Scott is still trapped in the mindscape and Void is now in him. That seems to be much worse than being in Emma. At the same time, Beast finds Ice-Man to whine about how Scott allowed him to be tortured until it fit into his plans to free him and that Scott and Emma are keeping things from the rest of the team. Bobby basically tells Hank to lighten up and stay on to act as Scott’s conscience – which in Marvel’s f-ed-up continuity leads Beast to take a break and join his girlfriend in S.W.O.R.D. Nothing major happening in this issue, just some really great characterization from Matt Fraction. Greg Land takes a break from the art chores this issue as the always good Terry Dodson picks up the slack. Want crazy and action-packed mutants this month? Pick up Astonishing X-Men. But, if you want a really good story… it has to be Uncanny X-Men.
Undercover Fanboy Rating: 
STRANGE #2 – The girl that Dr. Strange helped in issue #1 is the focus of this story as she deals with the death of her grandfather and the fact that she can now use magic the magical spell Strange taught her whenever she wants. She could definitely use some time around Spider-Man to learn responsibility of power. She makes an annoying cell phone “go away” along with a tire boot, parking ticket and a moving van, etc. She becomes desperate to meet up with Strange again and almost gets eaten by a demon also looking for Strange. They go on to have a little adventure as they have to visit the dimension where she’s been banishing stuff. Seems the good doctor has found a new apprentice. Mark Waid is doing a great job writing this book as he conjures up the Dr. Strange I remember from the Mike Mignola era comics. My biggest complaint is the art. This is the Soceror Supreme, not The Runaways. It’s too happy, too manga and too bright. The Tom Coker cover draws me in ever time and then I get slapped in the face when I open it. Tom Mandrake, Jae Lee, Alex Maleev, Lee Bermejo, somebody with a dark, scratchy style. I really wanna like this one, but I can’t because of the art…
Undercover Fanboy Rating:
X-FORCE ANNUAL #1 – I don’t which was better in this issue: the Robert Kirkman story or the Jason Pearson art. I love me some Jason Pearson artwork. I consider him one of the “lost artists” of the ‘90’s. When everything went to hell in the comic industry for about five years, the people who kept their jobs knew people or were already superstars. Pearson was kind of caught in the middle. Amazing artist, pick up anything you see that he does and you won’t be disappointed. This is strictly a story made for a Marvel annual as it doesn’t have a lot to do with the storylines in the current X-titles. X-Force has to infiltrate a Hydra base and kidnap an agent stationed there. Wolverine decides to take this alone and literally jumps into the base from a helicopter. After hacking and slashing his way through a few floors, he lucks out and manages to find the guy his looking for. As he’s carrying the now unconscious guy out, he runs into more Hydra agents who are unwilling to shoot at him – but very willing to try to beat him to death. Guess they have never heard that you don’t get into a fistfight with Wolvie. After taking care of any “roadblocks,” Wolvie manages to get the agent back to a Hospital in San Francisco – where Cyclops is waiting with a little mutant girl who needs a bone marrow transplant. Turns out it this guy’s daughter and he’s the only genetic match. Just as they’re about to force the guy to help, Hydra agents crash in through the windows. This particular Hydra agent is a sector leader and very valuable. Not wanting to endanger anyone at the hospital, the girl and her mother, X-Force is prepared to watch the guy walk – but not before Wolverine can ask, “The girl? You’re just going to let her die?” The guy stops in his tracks, holds out his arm and tells Wolvie that he “doesn’t have time to give a proper sample.” Wolverine then hacks the guys arm off and the other Hydra agents help him to the helicopter. After they’re gone, Wolverine says, “Damn. Now that’s hardcore.” Kirkman manages to craft a perfect X-Force story in his first outing and actually makes me wonder if he wouldn’t be a better choice than Chris Yost and Craig Kyle to write the X-Force title. Maybe then we wouldn’t have to put up with Necrosha…
Undercover Fanboy Rating: 
PUNISHER #11 - I still can’t figure out what Punisher editor Axel Alonso was thinking when approved this one. “Franken-Castle?!?” C’mon, this should barely pass as a fever dream in a non-continuity annual. And Rick Remender can do better – I’ve read it. After the events of Dark Reign – The List: Punisher, Frank lost his confrontation with Norman Osborn and Daken. Badly. Literally cut into pieces, it looked like the end of his career as the Punisher. But, no! Some of Mole Man’s renegade Moloids collect the pieces and take them to Moribus; who is now living underground with Man-Thing, Werewolf by Night and some other shmoes not fit to be seen in sunlight. Moribus puts him back together, gives him life and then Frank basically tells them all to F themselves. Remender had such a great set up with Frank’s new sidekick being Jigsaw’s son. Wanna kill Frank. Fine. But let the kid who wants to make up for his father the new Punisher. Frank’s old and could use the rest. Nope. Let’s write a story that will be retconned within the next two years. Maybe Marvel is purposely driving readers to the vastly superior PunisherMAX title. Artist Tony Moore, late of Dark Horse’s Fear Agent, is actually the one good thing about this title. Highly detailed and still able to convey a wide range of expressions, Moore’s art is also very, very bloody. I could see him as a better fit on one of the fifty Deadpool titles. Oh, God. I just looked at Franken-Castle again… must… find… trashcan… to… puke… in… Maybe I can talk Dr. Devastacion into reviewing this issue… I’m giving the following rating just on the art. Too bad the story ruined Tony Moore’s Marvel debut…
Undercover Fanboy Rating: 
Visit Things From Another World for a massive selection of these comics and more.
