Review # 81: "Elektra: Assassin"

Start with "The Dark Knight Returns." Mix in "Born Again." Then add a mishmash of drugs even Toronto Mayor Rob Ford wouldn't touch and you get "Elektra: Assassin."

Review # 80: "Spider-Man - The Death of Jean DeWolff"

I love Peter David's run on X-Factor. Yet I've been reluctant to pick up what many herald as his greatest work. "The Death of Jean DeWolff" is regarded not only as one of the best Spider-Man stories, but as one of the best in the history of comics. There's just one problem: overcoming my general apathy for Spider-Man.

Review # 79: "X-Men - Second Coming" (and "Second Coming: Revelations")

"Second Coming" is a landmark event for the X-Men, wrapping up the Hope Trilogy with the greatest threat mutantkind has faced as a species: complete annihilation. They have saved the world before, they've faced monstrous fellow mutant supervillains with grand designs that would leave bodies in their wake. They have not, however, faced a hate crime so massive that it threatens to kill them all.

Review # 78: "Yukon Ho!"

"Yukon Ho!" is the turning point for Bill Watterson's "Calvin and Hobbes" for three reasons: volume, sarcasm and cruelty. Calvin yells more, his parents have drier reactions and everyone is much better at getting under the skin of someone else. It makes the strip much, much funnier.

Review # 77: "'The Walking Dead Vol. 1 - Days Gone Bye' and 'Y: The Last Man Vol. 1 - Unmanned'"

It may seem odd to group these two collections together, but to me it makes sense. These are the first two comic collections I've ever purchased that don't involve superheroes, though they are still clearly in the realm of sci-fi. When I brought the first volumes of "The Walking Dead" and "Y: The Last Man" to the counter at my local comic shop, I called the purchases "dangerous." Both people at the counter nodded in agreement.

We all read the situation perfectly. These are great. I want more.

Review # 76: "X-Men by Chris Claremont and Jim Lee Omnibus Vol. 1"

Even though I've gone through all the issues included here before, there's a bit of culture shock as the last Chris Claremont X-Men work I'd read was the omnibus collecting the start of his run up until the beginning of "The Dark Phoenix Saga." We're talking about a ten year gap and a definite shift in style as the X-Men storylines are darker and a lot more cruel to the characters. This is coming in at a key moment, as - after "Inferno" wrapped up years worth of stories in a single swoop - Claremont is spinning a trademark, complex web of narratives for the last time before his exit from the franchise he defined.

Review # 75: "The Mighty Thor by Walter Simonson Vol. 2"

In my review of volume one, I noted that Walt Simonson had appeared to barely show his hand. I had no idea that his already solid run would get so good so fast.

Review # 74: "Necrosha"

"Necrosha" is an underrated story that is a victim of bad timing. Resurrected by former Hellfire Club Black Queen Selene using a corrupting techno-organing virus, friend and foe alike are brought back from beyond the grave to attack the X-Men on Utopia. Selene, meanwhile, readies to feed on the souls of millions of dead mutants massacred on the island nation of Genosha years prior, which would transform her into a God. It's a violent, vile, gripping tale with two very well done parallel stories and a complex backdrop that touches on decades worth of material.

Review # 73: "Nation X"

"Nation X" has the X-Men in a pretty cool place. Outside of a few exceptions, every mutant hero is now living on one big island made out of what was once Asteroid M. Cyclops, Wolverine, Emma Frost, Storm, Rogue, Gambit, Nightcrawler, Colossus, Professor X, the original New Mutants, the New X-Men and many, many others are now directly interacting.

Review # 72: "Dark Avengers/X-Men - Utopia"

Norman Osborn had secretly taken over the world. His Green Goblin persona under control, he had formed a secret cabal, taken command of SHIELD and formed his own Avengers team while keeping the originals on the run. Far more frightening as a villain smiling for the cameras than he had ever been with a glider and pumpkin bombs, life for Orborn was as good as it got.

Review # 71: "Something Under the Bed is Drooling"

The second "Calvin and Hobbes" book is more of the same, though Bill Watterson is stepping up his game to a small degree. He's still a far climb from the peak.