Mike Buzzelli’s reviews:

Buffy the Vampire Slayer # 32

The Twilight arc kicks off with a bang (literally; Xander loads his gun on the first page). Buffy chases a bullet and wins and Dawnie is concerned about Buffy’s buffed up powers. Lots of exposition and exploration of Buffy’s new powers, but the story does move forward incrementally. Some peripheral cast members get the spotlight. There are unusual tributes to writer/artist Walt Simonson and television guru Gene Roddenberry. A couple of jokes are strip-mined until they aren’t funny anymore, and things get pushed past the ‘willing suspension of belief’ farther than they would if the story took place on boob tube, but it’s a fun little comic book.
Grade: B -

Invincible Iron Man #23

It’s the penultimate chapter of the “Stark Disassembled” storyline, and it’s mostly filler, but Iron-scribe Matt Fraction’s potboiler bubbles over. Dr. Strange takes a head trip to Tony Stark’s fractured mind while Stark’s most trusted allies huddle around Strange’s pentagram (or rather a funky geometric stand in). Meanwhile, Pepper Potts and Maria Hill share an interesting detail from their respective pasts, and they aren’t happy to learn each other’s secret confession. Also, Madame Masque isn’t happy (maybe because her mask is in a permanent frowny face), and the Ghost closes in for the kill.
Grade: B

Siege # 2

Here there be spoilers (read at your own risk): Ares fights with Balder and Heimdall and learns of Norman Osborn’s deception. It’s an epic battle (Oliver Copiel delivers some stunning visuals), but the Sentry steps in and turns the god of war into a pile of gore. Meanwhile, Captain America (the real one) gives a pep talk to the whole bunch of Avengers, Nick Fury and the Secret Warriors (Hank Pym’s Mighty team isn’t represented, unless you count Young Avengers Stature and the Vision). Jarvis shows up to and asks Cap to deliver an allegedly mysterious brief case (we all know it is the Iron Man armor) to Broxton. Peaches and Herb will play “Reunited” by the end of the mini as Cap, Thor and Iron Man come closer to palling around together.
Grade: B+

Nova #34

It’s more Sphinx vs. Sphinx high jinks with the time tossed Nova, Mr. Fantastic, Black Bolt, Namorita and Darkhawk going up against some stone cold competition (issue #34 reads like a Capcom video game, one hero and one villain are whisked off to a exciting locale to battle it out). Nova suffers from the second act shuffle (slow paced lumps in the middle of a story). It’s viral and going around this week. It’s got some nice art by Mahmud A. Asrar.
Grade: C –

Siege Embedded #2

The unlikely team up of Ben Urich and Volstagg continues. Author Brian Reed presents a disjointed and tedious story. Volstagg is awed by our human technology, but easily overtakes a H.A.M.M.E.R. agent and jumps on his goblin glider. Not only is Volstagg capable of flying the glider; the aforementioned glider is capable of holding the Asgardian’s prodigious girth). Liberal Ben Urich and his cameraman friend William complain about conservative pundit, Todd Keller, and not much happens. There is no subtlety; Keller is portrayed as a pompous ass with a Norman Osborn man-crush (reporters note: I am a liberal and yet the comical portrayal of the conservative media huckster is downright offensive. Yes. They need to be put in their place, but not as smugly and self righteously as it is done here).
Grade: D

Sean’s review:

Siege #2

I haven’t been an “event” person in years (even though I have every issue of the much-maligned “Final Crisis”) mostly because I find them to be more con than content. While hyped to be huge and meaningful, events aren’t usually that impacting, and, worse, they’re horribly written and poorly plotted.

Having said that, I loved Siege #2!

While the content is on the light side (the majority of the issue focuses on Ares and his ill-fated battle with Sentry), the more mundane scenes – particularly between Nick Fury and Alex, the Avengers in the S.H.I.E.L.D. transport, and the last page of the issue – are well-written and give more weight to the story than “superpower-on-superpower action” and “the Saint Crispin’s Day speech”. But, I’m a moments guy.

Coipel, Morales and Martin are a cyclonic artistic force. While Bendis’ words may have been handled well enough by another team, this one breathes life into each panel with its dynamic compositions and expressive faces. Even the capes are expressive and full of movement. The best example of this is page three – Ares’ realization that he’s been manipulated into attacking Asgard juxtaposed with the battle below is brilliant. Without words, without mummery, the reader knows exactly what is going on under the god’s helmet. Great stuff! However, the rending of Ares on a later page, while arranged beautifully, is odd in that his intestines seem to have been previously resting on his back, protecting his spine. Gory, yes, but inaccurate overkill at best.

My one complaint is the half-truth of the “death of an Avenger” solicit. It was sophomoric hype at best. You can do better, Marvel.
Grade: A-

Tim’s reviews:

Invincible Iron Man #23

This is better than the last issue, but not by much. There is still no real forward movement in the plot. I’m starting to think this book might read better in trade than in floppies. Waiting a month for such incremental developments is getting tiresome. Matt Fraction has some cool elements here, the best is how he’s handling the Ghost as he floats around a rural town looking for an unconscious Tony Stark. Other than that, the only big development is that Maria Hill and Pepper Potts both realize that Tony Stark slept with them both while on his run from the law. Good ol Tony Stark always makes time for the ladies. The rest of the book is filled with the Stark’s dreamworld stuff, with Dr. Strange providing exposition for us. I’m ready to see the armored Avenger do some straight up fighting again. Between this and World’s Most Wanted I don’t think Iron Man has straight out fought anyone in a year.

Salvador LaRocca draws entirely too much talking again this month. Let’s get some fighting! Maybe Iron Man will actually fight the Ghost next month!
Grade: C+

Siege #2

I’m impressed. The first issue of this event book really offered no new information. Almost everything that happened had been clued or flat out revealed in solicits and interviews. Not so in issue 2. Bendis packed this issue with high quality action. There are a few moments where we see a merged Avengers team (made up of the Secret Warriors, New Avengers, and Young Avengers) form up to go help out Thor. I would have liked to see some Mighty Avengers there, especially since Jarvis makes an appearance as the posse sets out with Nick Fury to give Thor a hand against the Dark Avengers and the Initiative.

The strongest parts of the issue involve actual fighting, sort of a rarity for a Bendis comic. Ares and Balder are having a knockdown brawl when Heimdall and Balder convince Ares that he’s been had. Ares realizes Osborn has played him for a fool and sets off for a dramatic confrontation with a great line of dialogue: ” And I told you what I would do, Osborn! I told you true! I’m going to pull off your head, armor and all.” And he delivers that last line with a period, not an exclamation point. That’s a statement, not a boast or threat! Awesome.
Grade: B+