Also this week:

BLACK PANTHER #9 - The conclusion of "Wild Kingdom", but I've already reviewed two parts of this storyline and I honestly can't be bothered doing a fourth.  Remarkably enough, this story ends with Storm - who isn't even a regular character in X-Men, let alone Black Panther - announcing that she's going to stay in Africa and not come back home.  If that's actually meant to be a genuine plot development, rather than more "who cares about continuity" Black Panther randomness, then god only knows what they're thinking.  It doesn't really ring true as a character moment either - Storm's suddenly overcome with nostalgia after spending a couple of hours in a wartorn city in a completely different country from the one she lived in?  That's like having Sean Cassidy overcome with nostalgia because he's visiting Ljubljana for the first time.  It only really makes sense if you figure one black country's the same as any other, and one would hope that isn't the attitude.  (Then again, this is the publisher who put out a press release this week describing Storm and the Black Panther as "the world's two most popular African-American superheroes", so I wouldn't really put anything past them.)  As for the story... I was amused by this stuff when Milligan was writing it, but Hudlin really isn't much for me here.  C-

LOVELESS #1 - Sometimes I find myself buying first issues because I figure I ought to take a look at them for review purposes, even though I know full well I'm probably not going to like them.  Loveless is firmly in that category.  I've never seen the big deal with Brian Azzarello, whose stories have always left me completely cold.  This formula-cynicism western delivers no surprises, as an all purpose protagonist returns home after the civil war, performs acts of violence, and generally fails to do anything that would make me want to read about him again.  There's a big twist ending, which is helpfully given away by the cover and all the publicity material.  I'm sure Azzarello's usual fan base will probably adore it, since it seems to be the same old tricks, but I just don't get it.  C

Last week's Article 10 is still up at Ninth Art, and there's other stuff from me at If Destroyed.

Next week, House of M #8 finally wraps up the big event, and kicks off Decimation.  Sentinel returns for another five-issue miniseries following strong digest sales.  Colossus continues his rather contrived miniseries.  And Nightcrawler #11 rounds off the Soulsword storyline, as the book nears cancellation.

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