Cobra Commander #2 - The Energon Universe has pushed the maturity of its titles a notch above their kid-friendly source material. The second issue of Cobra Commander takes things to another level. Commander has been dispatched from Cobra-la to find and take Earth's energon, chafing under the watch of his appointed guardian. Writer Joshua Williamson puts villainy front and center as our title character goes head to head with perhaps the only faction to have less regard for human life than him: the Dreadnoks. I’m not kidding; this one goes hard. Buzzer and Ripper waste no time demonstrating how they got their names in a brutal interrogation. Whether the violence in this issue is sudden or foreshadowed, artist Andrea Miller and colorist Annalisa Leoni ensure that the reader feels the shock of impact. While other books in this universe use action to thrill the reader, this one wants to disturb the audience. This issue is all the better for it, making a great case for just letting your villains be villains. We’ve seen so many bad-guy titles that look to find sympathy for the devil or take the turn from antagonist to antihero; the fact that this ostensibly young adult targeted series is willing to let its bad dudes be this bad is refreshing to say the least. This issue is another impressive showing from the Energon Universe. The creatives behind these comics truly understand the assignment.

Ultimate Spider-Man #2 - Issue number one brought us up to speed on the life of journalist and family man, the perfectly ordinary Peter Parker. It was an incredibly satisfying premiere, taking time to show the soon-to-be shattered status quo of this world, and allowing us to absorb new characters and altered dynamics. It was a perfect jumping-on point, and now that we’ve hit the ground running, this issue arrives with the web-slinging action that the first lacked. Jonathan Hickman doesn’t dial back on the sharp dialogue and the deliberate pacing but adds generous amounts of the action and humor we expect from Spidey. Having accepted the belated spider bite, Pete has begun to learn the ins and outs of his new abilities. More than a decade behind the learning curve means the occasional hard landing, but in just a few weeks, his fledgling heroics have begun to generate attention. For Wilson Fisk, under pressure from both this world's secret masters and an assassin in green armor, it is a needed distraction. Old newsmen J.J. Jameson and Ben Parker can smell a cover-up and decide to make this their first investigation as newly independent journalists. Peter learns some hard lessons about the superhero game in repeated encounters with a hi-tech robber, but starts giving out quips and punches in the way we’ve come to expect before too long. The Ultimate universe continues making a great first impression. This and Black Panther are setting a high bar for the upcoming Ultimate titles. If this is an indication of the quality we can expect from future books, this will be an amazing year for superhero comics.

Guardian of the Galaxy Annual #1 - The Grootfall saga comes to its end. This epic space opera gave our heroes an impossible challenge, to fight a losing battle against one of their own. Along the way, they’ve had to reckon with their pasts. In facing Groot, they have each faced themselves, both who they were and what they’ve grown to be. In their final desperate bid to save the manifold territories and their friend, the guardians stopped fighting and joined with Groot, hoping to not only end the destruction but to undo it. As is often the case, a reckless action by Starlord has imperiled their plans. The Spartoi have arrived to exact justice on their fugitive royalty and prevent Grootfall's final bloom. This arc has shown so much heart; its action and humor never distract from a story that is ultimately grounded in emotion. They all have regrets and learn a measure of acceptance. For Rocket, that means forgiving Groot for what he’s done and forgiving himself for what he’s done to stop it. No character is more changed by this story than Drax. From the beginning, we saw the destroyer in a far more reflective and at peace than ever before. It’s as though he’s been patiently waiting for the rest to arrive where he has, resigned to fate but not despairing. Comics haven't always known what to do with Drax post-Thanos, so this annual gives the character some long overdue catharsis.