Heeeaaattt Waaavveee!!!!

It's officially September, and I'm officially sick of this heat. Also, the hubcap on my car fell off. I blame the heat, like I've been blaming everything else on. However, it's Wednesday, which means........NEW COMIC BOOKS!

Avengers: The Children's Crusade #2 (of 9)

Avengers: The Children's Crusade #2

First, let's get this out of the way: Marvel should have just called this "Young Avengers", because lets face it, this is the continuation of the Young Avengers comic series from a few years ago (which I HIGHLY recommend). Written by Allan Heinberg, the producer of TV's The O.C.,  the series offered a unique look at a group of teenage heroes who decide to create their own Avengers team while the "adult" team was disbanded. However, YA wasn't exactly a high seller, so perhaps Marvel decided that they could increase sales by tying this mini-series into the re-launch of their Avengers line of books.
Anyways, this issue finds the Young Avengers continuing their search for Scarlet Witch, who may or may not be the mother of Wiccan and Speedster. Of course Magneto, their alleged grandfather, shows up, and of course, fighting ensues, especially when the "real" Avengers show up, who don't trust Magneto's intentions. Wiccan teleports the team away from the Avengers and to the birthplace of Scarlett Witch, where they hope to gain some clues as to her whereabouts.
One of the cool things about this series is that even if you never read the previous Young Avengers comics you can pick this up and know what's going on. With the exception of knowing that Magneto is now a "good guy" (however long that lasts), this is a very continuity-light story. Some people may get hung up on which Avengers team this is, but I feel that this is the way to get new people into comics: stories that contain great characterizations and require a very limited background knowledge of the characters involved in the stories. Plus the final page guaranteed my purchase of the next issue. 

Deadpool Pulp #1 (of 4)

Deadpool Pulp #1

Even as a fan of the character, I will admit that there are way too many effing "Deadpool" titles in comic book stores right now. Last I checked, he was sitting pretty with around five different titles. Usually this type of exposure is reserved for the likes of Spider-man, Batman, and Superman, not for a mercenary whose only mainstream exposure has been in X-Men Origins: Wolverine.However, Marvel continues their policy of beating something even remotely popular to death and has released Deadpool Pulp, a new miniseries in the vein of their semi-popular "noir"-themed alternate universe line of comics.
After reading this first issue, I have to say I was pleasantly surprised with how awesome it was. Perhaps it's because I've read so many Deadpool comics, but I really liked this characterization of the Merc with the Mouth, who actually isn't all that talkative in this series. Wade Wilson is still a mercenary, but in this universe he was kidnapped by Japanese soldiers during World War II, and the torture that he endured is the reason for the voices in his head. Wearing the mask of one of his captors, he performs covert missions for the American government.
Everything in this issue worked for me, from the artwork to Wilson's much more subdued insanity. In a way, it was pretty refreshing seeing a Deadpool that was much more serious and not acting like a Looney Tunes character. Also, the nods to the regular Marvel universe were really cool, not to mention the absolutely gruesome way that Wade Wilson escaped his tormentors. To say I was impressed by this opening issue is an understatement, and if the creative team of writers Mike Benson, Adam Glass, and illustrator Laurence Campbell can keep this exciting narrative going, then we'll have the best Deadpool book out of the fifteen that are on the shelves.