UNCANNY X-MEN #519 - So it’s not a big surprise that Beast decides to take an indefinite leave of absence from the X-Men for awhile. Seems he’s still a little peeved at Scott for letting him languish in Osborn’s prison during Utopia until it suited Scott’s purposes to free him. Hank has graciously put together the X-Club to act as the X-Men’s brain trust in his absence. Fine. Done. Good-bye Cowardly Lion. Go hang out in S.W.O.R.D. with your green-haired girlfriend. This issue is once again stolen by how f-ing bad-@$$ Scott Summers is. Last issue, with the help of Charles Xavier and Psylocke, Scott entered into Emma’s mind to get the piece of the Void that she unwittingly picked up after going into the Sentry’s mind during Utopia – ultimately trapping her in her diamond form. With the Cuckoos down a power level due their sliver of the Phoenix Force taking off for parts unknown (see current issues of Cable…), Scott decided that the X-Men will need another high level telepath in the field. Since he can’t trust Charles to act without questioning his leadership, Scott’s taken this more dangerous path. Having already dispatched the Void’s very Emma-like defenses, Scott has found the “real” Emma and they have begun to track down the Void. Scott is repeatedly tripped up and messed with as he and Emma try to run away from the Void. Scott is over taken and the Void begins to try to wear away at his confidence and self-loathing. Scott breaks free just and Emma catches up to them and Scott slams a mental door in his head, sending Emma back to the real world without any effects from the Void. While Emma convinces Charles and Psylocke to give Scott a little more time, Scott allows the Void to completely envelope his consciousness… turning everything black. When then see Scott closing a box with the Void trapped inside as Scott tells him, “I dated the most powerful telepath the world has ever known for, like years, man. You’re gonna have to do better than that. Thank you, Jeanie. That’s another one I owe you.” and then he wakes himself up after permanently shutting the mental door. Cyclops has just done what Charles, Emma or the Sentry could do by defeating and trapping a piece of the Void in his own mind. Loose-end? Sure. That’s what’s making Matt Fraction my favorite writer at Marvel. The “Chris Claremont” style of writing that ends a storyline, but dangles a thread to revisit later. Artists Terry and Rachel Dodson are back doing a great job of mixing “pretty” art and all-out action in this title. Seems that Wolvie, Psylocke and Fantomex are teaming up for a little sewer adventure next issue…
Undercover Fanboy Rating: 
BATGIRL #5 – I don’t how much longer I’ll keep getting this title. It has the same feel that the Robin series had when it first hit the shelves. I realize that comics are rather cyclical, but I think this title will be dead by 2011. I just can’t find myself caring about Stephanie Brown as Batgirl. Sure, she’s tenacious, but her “tripping” through solving crimes and barely holding her own in fights with street thugs is just sad. She’s wearing the Bat-Symbol for crying out loud. When Tim Drake started as Robin being better than she is in every way. Even with Oracle in this book as her mentor and the tension between the two of them and the current Batman and Robin – it’s just so forced. The interaction between her and Damian as Robin is hilarious since she knows he could full-on kill her without trying, but again… forced. This is only a book for the biggest Batman fans or young (10 & up) female readers looking for a superhero role model.
Undercover Fanboy Rating: 
GOD COMPLEX #1 – This new series from Image and Michael Avon Oeming features the Greek God Apollo trying to live among mortals like one of us. The Greek pantheon of gods took a “break” during the rise of Christianity only to resurface with Promethean Fire to fuel the Industrial Revolution in the 1800’s. Now board members of the Kronos Corporation, the Greek Gods run their pantheon like a business in Los Angeles, capitalizing on their positions and wealth. Bored with immortality, Apollo (Paul) secretly stops drinking ambrosia (what keeps the gods immortal…) and resigns from the company and pantheon. Slowly making his way across country to New York, Paul settles into Little Greece and becomes a dishwasher for a Greek restaurant. Flash-forward three years to when thugs come in to shake the owner down for protection money, Paul is forced to step in save the day. Still in possession of his godly powers, Paul easily handles the thugs and becomes the unwilling protector of the neighborhood. Hermes gets word of his exploits and tells Zeus where he’s been hiding. Zeus is still furious with Paul for leaving and grants a witch in New York the power to teach his son lessons in hubris. Overall, it’s not a bad series. Playing Apollo as the unwilling hero instantly makes him identifiable to the readers, giving the title a superhero feel with being in your face like the heroes of Marvel and DC. Much like Brian Michael Bendis and Oeming’s Powers title. Oeming is co-writing with Dan Berman and artist John Broglia does his best to copy Oeming’s art style – which is my main turn off to the book. Broglia doesn’t try to bring his own style, simply choosing (or being told to by Oeming…) to ape Oeming’s art style as much as possible. Problem being… he doesn’t do a very good job of it. I can see flashes of brilliance in the art, but then it gets reeled back in to once again become an Oeming book that Oeming isn’t drawing. Still, not a bad read if you’re not a fan of the “flights and tights” crowd…
Undercover Fanboy Rating:
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.
Visit Things From Another World for a massive selection of these comics and more.
