Also this week:

GLA #2 - In which the GLA set off for New York in search of new members who might help them move a little bit upmarket.  Needless to say, it doesn't go well.  It's possibly a little too in-jokey to appeal outside the hardcore Marvel audience - an entire scene depends on you getting jokes about the likely identity of a character from a subplot in New Thunderbolts, which is surely stretching it.  But the central story of superhero losers keeping up their proud track record of abysmal failure should work for anyone, and most importantly, it's very, very funny.  Oh, and Squirrel Girl's in it, which will delight her many fans.  A+

SEVEN SOLDIERS: SHINING KNIGHT #2 - The art's a little more hazy in this second issue, and the storytelling perhaps isn't quite as clear.  But the ideas are fantastic as ever.  Of course, this is the issue where Justin has to adapt to the present day.  Being a Grant Morrison story, however, it's also an issue where poor Justin spends the whole story fending off a Guilt Monster, which delivers really miserable exposition at him for the whole issue and then tells him that it's his fault.  This shouldn't work.  But it does.  If only all big event comics were like Seven Soldiers.  A

VILLAINS UNITED #1 - And yet another Infinite Crisis lead-in, to join Day of Vengeance, OMAC Project, Countdown to Infinite Crisis, Prelude to Infinite Crisis, Crisis on Infinite Crises, Now That's What I Call an Infinite Crisis, Whoops Vicar Is That Your Infinite Crisis and I Can't Believe It's Not A Finite Crisis.  I've been so underwhelmed by what's come out to date (not to mention so baffled by wildly inaccessible DC continuity) that I nearly didn't bother with this one.  But it's Gail Simone, so I gave it a try anyway.  And indeed, it's probably the best of the bunch so far.  Word has got out in the supervillain community that the JLA is going around lobotomising people.  This would be a sensible time for the supervillains to gang up.  Of course, being supervillains, it doesn't quite work that way, and the whole thing is quickly hijacked as a glorified protection racket.  The stars are actually the Secret Six, a bunch of supervillains of slightly questionable standing who turned down membership in the union and are therefore out of favour with everyone.  This is a good supervillain comic, and there's also a quantum leap in accessibility from the other Crisis books (by virtue of, ooh, bothering to explain who Catman actually is and how he fits into the DCU pecking order).  Surprisingly enjoyable.  A-

There's a new Article 10 on Monday at Ninth Art.

Next week, Astonishing X-Men #10 continues the fight against the Danger Room.  (Only two months late, kids!)  District X #13 looks to be the title's penultimate issue.  Excalibur #13 - yes, it's coming out next week - is our first House of M crossover.  Gambit #10 picks up on the incriminating video.  And X-Men: The End ploughs on with its alternate future.

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