Captain America & the Mighty Avengers #2

Writer – Al Ewing
Artist – Luke Ross, Iban Coello
Colours – Rachelle Rosenberg

The Fast Five are on the loose, something is up with Jason Quantrell and Luke Cage is just a little obnoxious.  That might be putting it lightly though.  Al Ewing has been writing the most underrated Avengers book at the moment, and in some ways, it is one of the best as it features the one thing the others have been missing for quite some time – humour.  Ewing peppers the book with all sorts of funny, from dialogue to captions and it not only moves the story along at a quicker pace, it makes it extremely enjoyable.  The inverted personalities that Cap and Cage are sporting are really making the title interesting as Cage tries to sell off the team, only to be shut down by She-Hulk, the rest of the team and even his wife.  This new Luke Cage is really going to make things quite difficult for our heroes going forward, though his loss will not be felt too much as the team already has a lot of heavy-hitters.  For the second issue in a row, Ewing has also brought in some of the worst super-villains that the Marvel Universe has to offer and though you shake your head a little bit, it not only adds to the laughs, but also nails home the fact that these Mighty Avengers are kind of looked at as the B team, a joke that Ewing is completely aware of.  With the cliff-hanger the book is left on, it will be good to see some real action next issue should it happen, as so far the first two books have just been introducing the characters and setting up the situation.  Captain America & the Mighty Avengers is an absolutely wonderful book on every level and a fun time to be had with every issue.

4 out of 5

Rasputin #2

Writer – Alex Grecian
Artist – Riley Rossmo
Colours – Ivan Plascencia

The story of Rasputin continues much as it did last issue with the man being betrayed by his friends who are trying to kill him.  It then flashes back to a time when he was still a young man and starts to meet those people whom he would be having that fateful dinner with.  This book has turned out to be a pleasant surprise right from the start that tells the story of Rasputin not only through the script, but also the artwork which ends up being a true co-operative between the two.  It is rare to see one rely so much upon the other, but it does so here and it does it exceedingly well.  Whether the book is silent, or filled with dialogue, you glean as much information from both and it makes for a very exciting read.  This issue sees our leading character jump a few years in age, still trying to make it in the world and finding some friends to help him on the way.  We also get to see Rasputin use those famed magical powers, though if they were ever real or not is up for debate.  The narrative device works well and really adds to the story more so than just a literal telling would be and there is enough action in the book to keep anyone entertained whether they know of the man or not.  This title is off to a very promising start and looks to be in it for the long haul.

4.5 out of 5