Comics this week

Uncanny X-Men #525- After a few set-up issues, action is back on the menu. And not a second too soon as the X-Men throw it down with the Nimrods. Having said that, I wonder if the Nimrods had degraded since the last time I saw them because they are a little weak here. Storm destroyed one with a lighting bolt and Namor actually held off 5 while waiting for support. I know he’s powerful but Namor against 5 Nimrods? It was nice to see Xavier again and a little of the mystery of Hope is lifted this issue. All in all, outside the art, a good issue.

S.H.I.E.L.D #2- I commented on the first issue of S.H.I.E.L.D that it has a great concept but only an average story. One of the reasons is that writer Jonathan Hickman never explained anything but kept on throwing one mad idea after another towards us. Dustin Weaver's beautiful artwork can only do so much. In issue 2, it’s pretty much the same old story. It starts with a guy named Nostradamus, ends with Leonardo Da Vinci with Leonid, in-between there is a fight between Leonid’s father and 2 guys named Richards and Stark; and in total I had no idea what I was reading about! I am loath to call this a mess, maybe Hickman has some mysterious plan, but if he does he better start showing it soon.

Secret Six #24 –"Cats in the Cradle" has been one of the best arcs writer Gail Simone has written so far…till this issue. The issue starts exactly when the last issue ends; with lions eating Loki. Catman then track down the rest of the kidnappers and in the climax, he basically gave up the search! Sorry but that is just wrong. I always thought of Thomas Blake as one of those stubborn determined guys who won’t let anyone or anything get in his way. I mean he is the best tracker in the DCU isn’t he? The guy who said, “The pavement has my child” a few issues ago right? For him to just give up looking for his son, even with a reason, is just something that comes out of left field. The rest of the issue, Catman’s flashback and Black Alice’s confession that she may have given her father cancer, were much better. This isn’t a bad issue, but if not for the climax, it would have been great.