Also this week:

AVENGERS FINALE - In which everyone suddenly announces that they've decided to leave the team, and the book ends.  Better than any of the "Avengers Disassembled" issues, but you can really see the strings being pulled here.  I suppose the storyline has achieved its aim of clearing the decks to make way for New Avengers but it hasn't done it very well.  The second half is a glorified pin-up gallery of great moments in Avengers history from a slightly curious selection of artists (David Mack?  Mike Oeming?  Steve McNiven?), although many of them are certainly very pretty.  B-

MARVEL TEAM-UP #1 - With no regular characters, and with guest stars rarely making much impact on sales these days, this book is going to have to try and get by on the names of creators Robert Kirkman and Scott Kolins.  I'm not holding my breath.  Issue #1 is Spider-Man and Wolverine, and it's in one ear, out the other stuff.  Nothing wrong with this, but a title like Marvel Team-Up needs to keep up extremely high quality if it's going to stand a chance in 2004.  This sort of thing won't do it.  B-

NEW THUNDERBOLTS #1 - Well, if you liked the first series under Fabian Nicieza, you'll like this, because it's basically more of the same.  Thunderbolts is an odd choice to relaunch; it's a good strong concept, but it was only axed quite recently, and even before the ludicrous change of direction near the end of the title's run, sales were less than stellar.  But the title has the same old-school superhero charm as before, so you never know - maybe this time it'll get a bit more attention.  Much as you remember it from the last time round, anyhow.  B+

Last week's Article 10 is still up at Ninth Art.

Next week, break out the party hats - it's the long-awaited X-Men #164, Chuck Austen's final issue.  Bye, Chuck!

Ultimate X-Men #53 finishes the Fenris storyline; Wolverine #22 has more from Mark Millar; Cable & Deadpool #9 continues the storyline formerly known as "Passion of the Cable"; Gambit #4 continues the tarot deck arc; X-Force #4 speaks for itself; and Madrox's miniseries reaches issue #3.

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