by Josh@TFAW
We’ve got four Dark Reign issues this week. As always, we’ll try not to give big stuff away, but beware: SPOILERS AHEAD!!! Let’s get down to it.
We’re at the beginning of a brand new arc starting with Deadpool #10. The merc has a brand new target, and his name is . . .Gavin? 
Highlight for spoiler.
This guy’s deserved it for nine years, and Deadpool is going bring balance to the force . . . er . . . something like that. The Crimson Comedian just doesn’t know to quit when he’s ahead (he is crazy, I guess), but he’s gone and upset Osborn again, and now Bullseye is after him . . . and you know that Bullseye never misses his target!
See you back here next month for Deadpool #11.
In Invincible Iron Man #13, it’s clear that Tony is far from invincible anymore–erasing parts of his brain (to protect sensitive information from falling into the hands of Norman Osborn) is giving him serious Flowers for Algernon moments as his intellect degrades, forcing him to try to downgrade his Iron Man suit so he can operate it!
In other news, Pepper Potts has been “detained” by Norman Osborn, and it’s an unpleasant enough experience that she makes a huge decision that will impact her and Tony’s lives. Meanwhile, Maria Hill is dealing with a mysterious puppet master–is her own innate cussedness enough to save her? You’ll have to wait and see in Invincible Iron Man #14.
I’m taking on New Avengers: Reunion #3 because Elisabeth didn’t want to read it after last month’s issue. So, Clint Barton, a.k.a. Ronin (formerly a.k.a. Hawkeye) and Bobbi Morse, a.k.a. Mockingbird are on the hunt for a dirty bomb, so they pose as scientists but their on-again-off-again relationship takes center stage in this issue.
Mockingbird was the first to be nabbed by the Skrulls, and they did a number on her head, and that hasn’t been good for the couple’s relationship . . . drama, intrigue, desire . . . not really my bag, but the art is pretty darn good! Only one more issue of New Avengers: Reunion to go.
Agents of Atlas #4 finally starts tying the past and present storylines together, and I’ve gotta say–I’m enjoying the ride. I’d appreciate a little more time on the individual characters–especially Venus and Bob–but the action is slam bang! Captain America guest stars–both the Steve Rogers and Bucky versions–and it’s really interesting to see how those two time periods overlap and echo each other.
In the past, the Agents of Atlas discover Captain America and Bucky are cryogenically frozen and being held by the Russians, while in the present, the new Captain America is buying the Agents’ cover story (or “lid story,” as Bob puts it) that they are an evil super group–and he’s calling in the Avengers to deal with them (note: it’s so weird to still see Carol Danvers as Ms. Marvel in these books, when she died a month ago in her own). In any case, Agents of Atlas #5 is sure to be entertaining.
That’s about it for this week. Are you digging any of these titles? Has Invincible Iron Man changed too much to keep you in the game? Is Josh’s take on New Avengers Reunion off the mark? Let us know below.
