Also this week...

ULTIMATE X-MEN #87 - It's the penultimate chapter of "Sentinels", and Robert Kirkman unveils another twist in his long-term plan.  Meanwhile, the Sentinels themselves seem to have been despatched with an issue still to go.  It's a strange book, this - all the elements seem to be there for a successful team book, and yet there's something missing.  I think perhaps it's the characters; nobody really comes across as a sympathetic protagonist, and I don't actually care that much what happens to them.  Kirkman's story is very heavily plot-driven, and it feels a little bit as though the characters are being shoehorned into place instead of acting the way they want to.  B-

UMBRELLA ACADEMY #2 - Slightly more subdued than the debut, but at least this makes clear that Gerard Way isn't just going to do a retro pastiche.  His story is mainly about a family of child heroes who fell out, and who are brought back together by the death of their mentor.  It's done with wit and style, and some warped superhero elements that recall Grant Morrison's Doom Patrol.  Morrison's gushing cover quote ("The superheroes of the 21st century are here at last!") may be going a little bit far, but there's no doubt that this is one of the most enjoyable new superhero titles in quite some time.  Dark Horse could have been forgiven for hiring Gerard Way as a commercially attractive novelty act, but the quality of this book more than justifies their decision.  A

WOLVERINE: ORIGINS #18 - Part three of "Our War", which seems to be mainly an excuse to guest star Captain America in flashback scenes.  It actually rates as one of the better storylines of the series, perhaps because Cap and Bucky forcibly drag the story away from its single-issue obsession with Wolverine's supposedly fascinating past.  There's a reasonably interesting attempt to build on Ed Brubaker's reinvention of Bucky, and overall, it's fine.  B

X-MEN: EMPEROR VULCAN #2 - Chris Yost unveils his contribution to this storyline, and it's not a bad idea.  The idea is that the Shi'ar are occupying a planet that they insist, on religious grounds, is their lost and rediscovered homeworld.  The previous occupants, who were living there when they rediscovered it, have a different view.  I like this concept - it's got some obvious allegorical potential, and it also livens up the Vulcan storyline by providing a third force.  The art is a little bland, but it's fit for purpose.  Decent issue.  B+

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

Next week, Cable & Deadpool #46 guest stars the Fantastic Four... twice.  X-Men #204 has the epilogue of "Blinded by the Light", as well as the concluding chapter of "Endangered Species."  And the Hulk shows up in X-Men: First Class #5.

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