Also among this week's comics...

BLACK PANTHER #59 - It won't have escaped most people's attention that in the forthcoming months this book is being cancelled and replaced with an entirely new series, The Crew, which is starting before the cancellation of Black Panther, thus preventing people like me from observing that it's a really elaborate device to relaunch the series and try to kick the damn thing up the charts.  Anyhow, this storyline, which is no sense whatsoever a lead-in to The Crew, in which lead character Kasper Cole will feature prominently, involves Kasper feeling guilty about causing the death of Detective Sergeant Tork, and feeling even worse about it after spending some time with the Falcon.  Sarcasm aside, it's decent superheroics, and (one assumes) a decent transition into the de facto replacement series.  B+

CALL #2 - Are you familiar with the concept of pacing?  Then Marvel would like to hear from you.  At the very least, they certainly should.  For example, take The Call.  This series has already had three lead-in miniseries totalling fifteen issues.  And what are we getting in issue #2 of the ongoing - and already cancelled - regular series?  Why, it's part two of an incomplete origin story!  Has any previous failed character ever had an origin story so ornate that it called for over seventeen issues to set out?  I'm certainly struggling to think of one.  Anyhow, this is mediocre.  C

CAPTAIN AMERICA #13 - Lord almighty.  Captain America sits around sulking, and then some assassins show up.  Really, that's the entire issue.  What a trainwreck.  The sooner they get this storyline out of the way and at least move on to something that vaguely resembles the writer's original concept the better; this ponderous nonsense is both embarrassing and dull, and either is sufficient to tank the book on its own.  C-

DOMINION #2 - Before you ask, Dominion #1 came out back in February.  Unfortunately for the creative team - and this being an Image book, they're basically paying for it - the audience for Image superhero books turned out to be rather lower than expected.  Which is why, on issue #2, we're already into black and white.  The bright idea here is supposed to be that Maggie is an allusion to Wonder Woman, hence her love-hate relationship with the character who's supposed to be vaguely referencing Superman.  At this point I get the sinking feeling that I'm reading yet another story based primarily around referencing decades-old characters.  The central idea of this series - an alien virus invades earth and possessions from previous planets re-start old rivalries - isn't awful.  But why on earth is it being used for yet another iteration of DC's 1940s roster?  Taken on its own terms, this is alright, but it's clearly not long for this world.  B-

FABLES #13 - The fables see off the threat of exposure through a careful programme of journalistic blackmail.  Much as I enjoy this series, I'm still in two minds about it; it seems to be as much about playing about with pre-existing characters as telling stories.  Nonetheless, this a fun two-parter, and for all that many of the characters are two-dimensional, they're still entertaining company.  B+

POWERS #31 - Now that's what I call a change of pace.  Regular readers will be aware that this series is about police officers Christian Walker and Deena Pilgrim, investigating homicides involving superhuman powers.  However, that has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with this issue, in which a bunch of inarticulate neanderthals show us how the first superhuman powers emerged on Earth.  Containing no dialogue whatsoever (although an awful lot of grunting), this has to be one of the strangest comics in the superhero genre in a long time.  Younger readers may wish to note that it probably ought to carry a mature readers warning, but doesn't.  So rush out there and buy it before your parents notice!  Pretty good, in fact, but I have no clue how this figures into anything else going on in the title.  Certainly a brave move, considering that this is an Image book and Bendis is basically paying for it.  A-

PUNISHER #26 - Something about this storyline just hasn't worked for me.  I'm not sure what it is.  I think perhaps it's the art.  It's Tom Mandrake.  He's just not funny.  At the very least, he's drawn this storyline as a straight horror story, and the jokes have sort of fallen flat.  It's one of those awkward stories where I can imagine how the script read, and I can imagine laughing at that, but somehow it's not funny on the page.  It ought to work... but it doesn't.  B-

STORMWATCH: TEAM ACHILLES #11 - Why, continuity rears its head as a member of the original StormWatch turns up to join the team.  Meanwhile, Luis Cisco prepares to get married.  As usual, a fun little book, bolstered this time round by a decent art job from CP Smith and Bill Sienkiewicz.  Not the greatest comic ever published, but certainly solid stuff.  B+

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

You're too late to vote in the UK National Comics Awards, which will be given out on Friday in Bristol.  Who knows, I might attend.  I haven't decided yet.  It depends primarily on who's going to the pub instead.  In any event, thanks to anyone who actually took the hint and voted for either the X-Axis or Ninth Art.  It's appreciated.

Next week is a huge week for the X-books.  New X-Men ends the "Murder in the Mansion" storyline; Soldier X reaches its penultimate issue; and X-Men Unlimited #47 features a Psylocke story.

More to the point, New Mutants returns, Wolverine is relaunched with Greg Rucka; and Mark Millar leaves Ultimate X-Men.

 I, however, will be buggering off to Bristol for the weekend, where I plan to drink heavily.  Be aware that next week's column might be late.

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