Wolverine and the X Men #19 Review

This series has constantly impressed me over the first 18 issues of its run. Some of the tie in issues to AvX did feel a bit forced, and were maybe a little poor, but that was to be expected. Now all that is behind us, here Jason Aaron gives readers a perfect jumping on point to kick on from.

So many different things happened in this issue. Firstly, throughout the issue Kitty was interviewing for the vacant teachers post that Hush left. These frames kept popping up and were absolutely fantastic. Some of the candidates were brilliant (Deadpool, Blade, Spider-Man), and I was very eager to come across more of them as soon as I figured out that it was a continuous theme throughout the issue.

We also saw a character developing moment for Toad the janitor in this issue. In the series so far he has always been in the background, gaining no real interest from myself and possibly others. However, in this issue we see that he may have a nasty side to him which we could be seeing more of in future issues.
The Hellfire club still seem very evil which is to be expected. Their little trick on Wolverine was very low, but shows just how seriously they should be taken.
A new villain was showcased at the end of the issue which could be interesting. It is not made clear what is going on with that just yet, but I expect it to be great like the rest of this current run.

Seeing Hank attend to Broo was one of the more sombre moments of the issue. Broo has been a big favourite of the fans throughout the series, and you can tell that the writers also feel that way. This was shown by the way some Marvel characters have reacted to Broo's current state. I really dont think we have seen the last of Broo, and I am hoping he makes a full recovery. He is one of the many highlights of the book and it would be a shame to have him written out completely.

Nick Bradshaw returned to the series with this issue, and let me tell you his art is worth the price of admission alone. He is back on top form this month and it is truly great to see. His art was just made for this book. It fits it to perfection.

All in all another great issue in this series. We were shown future plot points and they all look to be really interesting. I was worried Aaron was going to lose momentum after the stop start of AvX, but I have been proven wrong here. Eagerly anticipating the next issue, along with the rest in what will be the second year for this title.


Rating: 8.5 / 10

Daredevil #19 Review

In the last few issues of this series it has looked as though Matt Murdock is losing his mind. The remains of his dead Father have been found in his desk drawer at his office, and he is having hallucinations of his ex wife. He has also lost his job at the law firm that he shared with Foggy, who really wants to get Matt what he sees as some much needed help.

Right from the start of this issue it seems as though Matt is carrying on down the slippery road that he is on. He temporarily loses his billy club, but finds it just in time as he swings into a bus which actually turns out to be his apartment. Yes, it seems like Matt has lost it completely. After speaking to Hank Pym, he figures out just who is behind what is happening to him, as well as behind all the strange mob leader murders. However, we do not find that out just yet...

There is a scene in a bar between Foggy and Matt's current woman in his life; Kirsten McDuffie ( which is actually quite a strange surname when you think about it ). In all seriousness though this was my favourite scene in the whole book. The emotion really jumped off the pages, and seeing Foggy in the state he was in was heartbreaking. He cares so much for his best friend, and only wants the best for him. He believed that the best thing to do was to tell Kirsten who Matt really is. The predicament he found himself in was a tough one, and that was clear to see all over his face as Chris Samnee nailed the art perfectly in what was a very important scene.

The ending of this book was a really odd, yet enjoyable one. We found out the Coyote is behind all the odd things happening in Matt's life, as well as being behind the murders. The last page of the story really was a true shocker. It looks as though Coyote has Matt's head in his hands while his decapitated body is tied up to a post next to them. It really is odd, and when I first turned on to it, it really was a WTF moment ( as much as I hate that phrase ).

Coyote seems like a pretty interesting villain. Waid and Samnee combine to make him seem light hearted while also being creepy at the same time, if that makes any sense at all. For example, seeing his multiple sets of arms appear all around Matt was like watching something out of a classic horror movie, while at the same time being somewhat ridiculous. He is a nod to old school comic books for sure. He is wacky and different, without making the reader lose interest in the character, or feel like their intelligence is being insulted. Coyote also seems like a pretty perfect way of explaining all the strange things that have been happening to Matt, so I guess he is being played to perfection. So far so good anyway.

It was always clear that not all is as it seems in regards to the situation with Matt Murdock's current state that he finds himself in. This issue confirmed that for us, and also makes you intrigued as to how everything will play out in the next issue or so. I am sure Matt will find a way to get rid of Coyote, but how is he supposed to convince those closest to him that all is well? I cant wait to find out.


Rating: 8.3 / 10