Some beginnings and some endings in the comics world.

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #800 by Dan Slott, Nick Bradshaw, Humberto Ramos, Giuseppe Camuncoli, Stuart Immomen and Marcos Martin. A monstrous, ten dollar finale to GO DOWN SWINGING. A host of atists, fourteen variant covers and a whole bunch of action and surprises. Superior Octopus turns face, Spidey gets possessed by the Venom symbioite and Flash Thompson dies, after revealing he knows Peter is Spidey. It’s heroics and heartbreak and a nice set-up for Slott’s ending his epic run on this title.

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #801 by Dan Slott and Marcos Martin. A nice epilogue to the lengthy run by Slott. Spider-Man saves a young man from certain death and, many years later, he gets to return the favor by helping Spider-Man catch some bad guys. It all ends up about how important everyone is to everyone, even if you can’t remember their name because you have had so many interactions over the years. A nice way to go out, especially after the drama and turmoil of the last issue. From here, it’s a new AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #1 by Nick Spencer and Ryan Ottley.

AVENGERS #1 by Jason Aaron and Ed McGuiness. The original trio, Cap, Tony and the Odinson are back together and are putting a new team together. And the threat that leads them to this is the apparent deaths of the Celestial by the Final Host. Aaron’s story is fun and McGuiness’ art is amazing. While the dialogue gets a little clunky at times, there are some nice bits and it’s a blast seeing where the former team members ends up. This is a great beginning for this series and I hope it continues.

BARRIER #1 by Brian K. Vaughan and Marcos Martin. What we have here is a story about illegal aliens and a rancher who end up being abducted by aliens. Originally a digital comic, and presented in landscape fashion to emphasize the widescreen, this story is wild and trippy. However, I think I need to learn Spanish as our illegal alien hero speaks only Spanish, meaning that a lot of the story translates through the visuals. Vaughan hits a homer with this, as it’s a great allegory about the state of the Nation today.

BLACK PANTHER #1 by Ta-Nehisi Coates and Daniel Coates. Two thousand years ago, a whole bunch of Wakandans went into space and set up the Intergalactic Empire of Wakanda. They have existed outside of our galaxy and have done what they wanted, taking slaves and conquering. But now, they are heading to our galaxy and have the Black Panther as part of their slaves: a man ho has brief glimpses of his past but Can’t remember much. With guest appearances by Nakia and M’Baku, we ask how could all of this happen? In a radical shift from the last series, this book is filled with some interesting concepts and leaves me wondering what’s next. Acuna’s at is amazing!

CAPTAIN AMERICA #704 by Mark Waid and Leonardo Romero. Waid finishes his run, and this title’s run, with the conclusion of the future relative of Steve Rogers and his fight against and with The Red Skull. I have found this storyline so out there that I really didn’t care about what happened at all, even though it is always nice to see the Skull in action. Make way for CAPTAIN AMERICA #1, coming on July 4^th, by Ta-Hehisi Coates and Leinil Francis Yu.

CAPTAIN AMERICA #1 by Ta-Nehisi Coates and Leinil Franci Yu. Cap is back and dealing with repercussions from the whole SECRET EMPIRE thing. Sharon is still old, after having been trapped by Zola, Cap is still trying to restore his good name and Selene is involved and decides that HYDRA is dead. Also, Thunderbolt Ross arrives to run a tea, made up of Agent 13 and the Winter Soldier. Wait? Wasn’t he dead at some point? Anyway, it’s a new beginning for Cap, which at least recognizes what has one on before, as opposed to Mark Waid’s run which was a crazy futuristic mess.

COSMIC GHOST RIDER #1 by Donny Cates and Dylan Burnett. Frank Castle, the Cosmic Ghost Rider, is dead and has gone to Valhalla, where he is causing all sorts of trouble. So Odin shows up and decides to resurrect him again, sending him off to meet a young Thanos. Frank’s goal: kill him. But…that may not be how it goes. It’s Cates, who created the Cosmic Ghost Rider and that means anything is possible. This has a crazy, unorganized feel to it, but I expect it will tie together nicely before it is done.

DEADPOOL #300 by Gerry Duggan and Mike Hawthorne. Not a first issue, but an end of things. The massive storyline where the Marvel Universe is hunting Deadpool for serving the fake Steve Rogers during the SECRET EMPIRE story comes to an end. Plus, he killed off Phil Coulson, so he’s got that against him. Along the way, he battles Avengers and even ills Duggan. Wade decides to end it all and that leads to another hilarious rebirth. I’m not a fan of this character, as he has become a great parody of himself. But Duggan and Hawthorne send hi off it style as we await the new series by Scottie Young.

DEADPOOL #1 by Scottie Young, Nic Klein and Scott Hepburn. Wade is back from the dead and looking to get back in the mercenary for money business by taking out a biker ho looks like Lobo. Hey: it is basically Lobo. With his teenage sidekick, he gets back to who he was and now it looks like he may have to be the savior of the Earth. Guest appearances by Tony Stark and the Guardians of the Galaxy. There is also a back-up where Wade tries to recreate a new origin for himself and it looks like he may be fighting someone with an origin very much like Bruce Wayne’s.

DEATH OF THE INHUMANS #1 by Donny Cates and Ariel Olivetti. The Kree have decided that it’s time for the Inhumans to join them or die, which means we could see a high body count before it is done. Heck, in the first issue alone, New Arctilan gets attacked, Triton gets blown up, Medusa suffer a critical injury and Lockjaw and Maximus get disintegrated. Talk about a reshuffling of the deck! This is an interesting setup issue from Cates with great art by Olivetti. Looking forward to see where this goes and what the repercussions are.

DEATH OR GLORY #1 by Rick Remender and Bengal. This is a great crime-noir caper by Remender and Bengal. The characters are great, the art rocks and this is a must read. Remender’s work is hot and cold, but this is amazing. Cool dudes, hot chicks and lots of action.  

DOCTOR STRANGE #390 by Donny Cates, Frazer Irving and Chip Zdarsky. All various plot threads from Cates amazing run get wrapped up here in preparation of a new #1 by Mark Waid and Jesus Saiz, that will put the Master of Mystic Arts into space. Guest starring Spider-Man, this is a wild ride with Doc, his apprentice, his ghost dog and a talking spider. With an end sequence harkening back to Cates start of his run, this is a nice love letter to a classic character. Hey Mark…in the words of Cates: “Don’t f&@$ this up!”

DOCTOR STRANGE #1 by Mark Waid and Jesus Saiz. So here we are: Doc has learned that he can’t control the magic like he once did. He goes to visit Tony Stark, who suggests that he tap into the mystical energies of other worlds. So Tony sets him up in a spacecraft and off goes Doctor Strange to explore strange new worlds and try to get his mojo back. All in all, Waid is giving us a neat little tale, although I was skeptical when I heard this run was about Doc Strange In Space! But it’s a fun read with some nice quirky lines, especially the dialogue between Strange and Stark. And Saiz’ art is magnificent!

ELVIRA MISTRESS OF THE DARK #1 by David Avallone and Dave Acosta. The original Scream Queen is here and up to her old tricks. She gets transported to the days of Shelley and Byron and fights a knight looking for a good time. But she ain’t having none of it. The art is good and the dialogue is full of Pop Culture references and innuendos…lots and lots of innuendos! If you’re looking for something a little too beyond the serous realm, this is the book for you!

HARBINGER WARS 2 PRELUDE #1 by Eric Heisserer and Raul Allen. Livewire has had enough of of the meddling and hunting of Psiots and she is taking matters into her n hands. This series brings together the heroes of the Valiant Universe to take down Livewire, who has truly overstepped her authorities. This comes on the heels of the previous HARBINGER WARS and amps up the action. Go find the trade from that series and the recent mini-series that lead into this.

THE INCREDIBLE HULK #717 by Greg Pak and Carlo Barberi. Pak’s run on this title featuring Amadeus Cho ends in preparation of the new THE IMMORTAL HULK series starring Bruce Banner. Plot lines are tied up and resolved, Cho gets powered down and prepares to go back to his role in the Champions. I was never a huge fan of this run, so it’s nice to see Cho step aside for the original big bad Green Guy. It’s not the most satisfying ending, but an ending nonetheless.

THE IMMORTAL HULK #1 by Al Ewing and Joe Bennett. Bruce Banner is back from the dead and that means his green partner is too. After a convenience store robbery results in the death of a bunch of innocent people, the folks responsible get attacked by theb ig green guy. All the while, a detective and a reporter follow the clues which seen to show dead Bruce Banner is back. The story us fun and Bennett’s art, specifically a two-page centerspread, are amazing. My only complaint is that we were promised a return to the savage Hulk of old and this one seems to toe the line between the angry, vengeful Hulk and Mr. Fixit. In other words, he’s like a big green Punisher, dealing out retribution for those who have wronged the innocent. Let’s see where this takes us. As of now, it could be some of Ewing’s best work.

INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #600 by Brian Michael Bendis, Stefano Caselli, Alex Maleev, David Marquez, Daniel Acuna, Lenil Francis You, Jim Cheung, Mike Deodato Jr., Mark Bagley, Andrew Hennessy and Andrea Sorrentino. A virtual who’s who of artists are on hand for this truly oversized last Marvel story by Bendis. It wraps up the storylines from his lengthy run and reestablishes Tony Stark as THE Iron Man. This is a big one! Tony takes the suit back, he resurrects Rhodey, meets his REAL father, battles The Hood and his gang, meets Leonardo DiVinci and may, someday, become the NEW Doctor Strange with Kurt Wagner acting as the new Wong.. And Doom gets his face scarred…again! All in all, it’s a huge piece that establishes a future for Tony and his supporting cast.

THE MAGIC ORDER #1 by Mark Millar and Olivier Coipel. Welcome to what would happen if HARRY POTTER had sex with THE SOPRANOS and gave birth to this!  It’s about two groups of magicians and there is a certain war brewing. This is a slight step sideways for Millar and his take on the gangster genre works nicely. And Coipel’s art is beautiful This first issue didn’t totally grab me, but I’m willing to see where Millar goes with it

MARVEL 2 IN ONE ANNUAL #1 by Chip Zdarsky and Declan Shalvey. It’s a story continuing from the regular title as the Human Torch, The Thing and the Infamous Doctor Doom travel to find the rest of the missing Fantastic Four. That means they encounter a hole different group of Fantastic Four characters in another universe, including another Victor Von Doom. Of course, our Doom is trying to be good and s wrestling with his past and his emotions. Throw in a special guest appearance by the Council of Reeds. This series has been a blast and this issue is no exception as the road to the reappearance of the original FF is clearly being paved.

MULTIPLE MAN #1 by Matt Rosenberg and Andy MacDonald. Jaime Madrox is back from the dead…well: sort of. He is back in a form, well…many forms and is looking to time travel to correct things in his life. This leads to some crazy action that feels more like a bad situation comedy than a serous attempt. Although the surprise ending was, well…a surprise, the book as a whole felt flat and confusing. I may give issue #2 a shot, but I have low expectations for a book that I had such high hopes for.

S.H.I.E.L.D. THE REBIRTH #1 by Jonathan Hickman and Dustin Weaver. This collects he four issues of Hickman and Weaver’s series about the earliest days of S.H.I.E.L.D. which brought such folks as DaVinci Michelangelo and Isaac Newton together in a whirlwind tale. Since Marvel canned the book before it was done, they bring this out and it will be followed by issues five and six later this month. This is typical Hickman as it drops bread crumbs throughout and forces the reader to follow these crumbs. It’s a wild ride and highly recommended.

THE MIGHTY THOR AT THE GATES OF VALHALLA by Jason Aaron, Jen Bartel and Ramon Perez. While waiting for the new THOR series, Marvel throws us this. Two tales make up the book. The first is about the Tomorrow Girls, Odinson’s granddaughters, as they travel through time, meeting Thor’s of the past and future before meeting Jane Foster and offering her advice. In the second tale, Malekith continues his battles and, with the help of Roxxon, gets ready to kick-off the War of the Realms as it will soon come to Earth. It’s a filler book just designed to drop a few hints about the future and tide us over. Find a copy in the cheap back issue bins in a few months. For me, it was five bucks wasted.

PETER PARKER: THE SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN ANNUAL #1 by Chip Zdarsky, Mike Drucker, Michael Allred and Chris Bachalo. The main story is all about J. Jonah Jameson and, with call backs to his past, we see Jonah trying to make good on his new-found love for Spider-Man. Bring in a new version of the Spider Slayer, throw in some old school characters and let Zdarsky and Allred do their thing. Great art, if you’re a fan of Allred, and a fun story by Zdarsky, who continues to write this book as a throwback to the glorious Sixties. The back-up by Drucker and Bachalo is all about Spider-Mn realizing that h has to do hat a hero does, even if it hurts those he loves. All in all, a fun issue that feels more like classic Spider-Man than the angst filled, dram filled sister title.

THE SENTRY #1 by Jeff Lemire and Kim Jacinto. Bob Reynolds is the most powerful of superheroes, but has a darkness that shares his life. He has worked with Doctor Strange to keep The Void at bay, but that involves transporting to another space in time to fight with his team. In his every day life, he’s a cook at a diner. When he discovers that the device that transports him is missing, the real horror begins as someone has crossed over and begins to kill his other worldly friends. Confused? You bet! This is very trippy and required a couple of reads to figure it all out.

THOR #1 by Jason Aaron, Mike DelMundo and Christian Ward. Odinson is back, Heimdal is still blind, Jane Foster is still battling cancer, Volstag is recovering and the War of the Realms is progressing. But without the rainbow bridge, how can Thor get there? Bring in Loki, the dog Thori and a little magic. In the back-up, set “untold eons from now, the universe is ending and Thor goes on a quest. At the end of that road, he finds a Logan/Phoenix mashup. This is a little uneven issue with interesting art, some funny  its and a pair of stories that were just okay. With such a high profile character making a return to his own title, it was a bit disappointing.

TONY STARK IRON MAN #1 by Dan Slott and Valerio Schiti. Well, he e go again: another IRON MAN #1 and another character reboot. Slott jumps in with both feet and immediately Tony starts throwing out quips like he’s Spider-Man. There are some nice call backs, however, including the reintroduction of Bethany Cabe, Jocasta, the Controller and…Fin Fang Foom. Dumb moments include a Voltronesque robot Iron Man called the Fin Fang Foombuster. All in all, it’s a bit of a rocky start for this title, as it becomes all about Tony being a mash up of Peter Parker and Robert Downey Jr. Personally, I’m thrilled to have Stark back in the armor, but leave the jokes at home!

VAMPIRELLA ROSES FOR THE DEAD #1 by Kristina Deak-Linsner and Joseph Michael Linsner. Well, there is a promise of having the classic Vampi back, as opposed to some of the stuff Dynamite has shoved at readers in the last few years. Vampi is looking for a vampire and so is Witch Evily, which leads to an interesting team-up. The book looks great and I think Deak-Linsner is on the right track, going as far to give us a brief origin recap about Vampi being from Drakulon. No Buffy the Vampire swipes, no futuristic tale and no team ups with KISS. This looks like it might set our girl on the right path AT LAST! Of course, Dynamite has already announced a Vampirella/Dejah Thoris team-up book which only makes me groan again!

VENOM #1 by Donny Cates and Ryan Stegman. Cates has been burning it up lately with killer runs on DOCTOR STRANGE and THANOS. Now he takes on everyone’s favorite symbioite. Eddy Brock is having trouble as his creature is having control issues. And we have other symbioites showing up. And Eddy gets killed. Now THAT’S how you crank out a first issue. It’s a fun ride and Stegman’s art rocks!

X-MEN: THE WEDDING SPECIAL #1 by Chris Claremont, Marc Guggenheim, Kelly Thompson, Todd Nauck, Greg Land and Marika Cresta. In celebration of the upcoming nuptials for Kitty and Peter, Marvel releases this over-sized one-shot with three stories revolving around the event. In the first, we get a recap of Kitty’s life and she meets with some of the ghosts of her past that give her a bit more confidence to her future. In the second tale, the boys go out for their bachelor arty where they brawl with a mutant hating monster. In the final tale, it’s girls’ night out, with a conversation between Kitty and Calisto.