Also this week...

BIRDS OF PREY #102 - It pains me to say it, but the new direction of this title really isn't working for me.  Birds of Prey was always, on some level, the token girl book.  But until now, it seemed at least like a basically organic family of characters who simply happened to all be women; within the logic of the story, it wasn't a gimmick.  Now the book seems to have turned into an open-ended vehicle for any B- or C-list DC character with breasts, thrown together with absolutely no rhyme or reason beyond gender-oriented gimmickry - Judomaster and Big Barda, for heaven's sake?  It feels terribly forced and contrived, and it's an alarming downward turn for a book which was so consistent for so long, especially considering that Gail Simone is still writing it.  I really can't begin to imagine what they're thinking here.  C

CABLE & DEADPOOL #36 - Beginning a Deadpool solo storyline, something that looks suspiciously like an attempt to keep Cable on the sidelines until Fabian Nicieza finds out what's happening with him in X-Men.  This issue, cheerfully ignoring Cable's attempts to force him to confront his conscience, Deadpool sets about trying to prove himself to the mercenary-employing community - in the most idiotic manner imaginable.  This story teeters right on the edge of being too silly for words, but hangs in there and manages to make it work.  And Reilly Brown manages to pull off an extended action sequence where one of his characters can't use proper body language.  Tremendous fun.  A-

FANTASTIC FOUR #542 - Originally solicited as a J Michael Straczynski issue, this issue now comes out with Dwayne McDuffie's name on the credits.  What with this and the massive disruption to Squadron Supreme, you have to wonder what's going on with Straczynski.  Anyway, McDuffie was already scheduled as the incoming writer, and since this is a Civil War crossover issue, presumably he has the benefit of some sort of plan.  In the circumstances, it's actually a pretty good issue, with McDuffie taking over seamlessly and quietly setting about untangling the bizarre characterisation of Reed Richards in this series.  (It's worth mentioning that the explanation for his actions given here, although wildly different to what Straczynski was writing, does more or less match the core Civil War title.)  I'm not sure about Mike McKone as an artist for this book - he's a great illustrator, but doesn't have the sense of grandeur that this book seems to call for.  Still, this is good enough to be a very promising start for the McDuffie run.  A-

SPIRIT #2 - For all that I can't help wondering why you'd bother bringing back the Spirit without Will Eisner, he turns out to make a very suitable vehicle for Darwyn Cooke's breezy, slightly tongue-in-cheek, old style stories.  It's a timeless piece of quality storytelling done absolutely straight and without pretensions or gratuitous darkness.  In an industry where cheap gimmicks and tired shock tactics abound, you've got to admire a book that's willing to set its stall around sheer honest craftsmanship, and has the talent to back it up.  A

WISDOM #2 - Ah, so there's a running theme here.  Even though the stories are self-contained, the basic idea is Wisdom fighting magical creatures who represent the sort of British history that he regards as terribly embarrassing and touristy.  It's gloriously off-the-wall stuff.  Aside from the giants with villages on their heads, you've also got the ludicrous origin story of the Skrull Beatles, who are sent to invade the world by posing as the famous musicians, and end up just not bothering. ("Lads, I've found I like money and power.")  But there's an interesting theme here about British national identity beyond the nonsense, and this book is a bit of a hidden gem.  A   

There's more from me at If Destroyed - now updating daily, you know - and if you're desperate for more Article 10 columns, you can always hunt through the archives on Ninth Art.

Next week, Wolverine celebrates fifty fabulous issues since the last time they restarted the numbering, with the arrival of new creative team Jeph Loeb and Simone Bianchi.  The other books solicited for next week have all been delayed, but we do have X-Factor #15 - itself pushed back from an earlier week.

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