Wednesday's Recommendation

Note: In the future, I'll try to post these on Tuesday.

Obviously Final Crisis as well as the two Avenger's tie-ins will be at the top of everyone's list today. And we're also getting the final issues for two amazing arcs: Whedon's Dead End Kinds (Runaways) and Ellis' Caged Angels (Thunderbolts). All of those are going to be great, of course. But I'm going to take a chance and recommend that you also pick up this week's Avengers: The Initiative (click through for a preview).

Last week introduced us to a new cadre of recruits, none of whom you will probably recognize unless you are full-fledged Marvel zombie who has been reading every title for the last 30 years. They're not as interesting or compelling as the first class in issues 1-12, but I'm expecting a few new faces (possibly the old Skrull Kill Krew, or so I've heard). This issue should be a good jumping-on point for new readers, but you might want to flip through last month's issue at the book store just to catch-up on the new recruits' back story. Plus, this is a Secret Invasion Tie-in, and with the Initiative playing such a big role in pushing back the skrull invasion of New York, there's bound to be some juicy SI-related plot developments here. This will also be a good introduction to the Initiative for those unfamiliar with some of the minor characters being featured in the SI main book. We already know that the Crusader, an older member of the initiative, is a skrull as is Henry Pym who is one of the trainers/drill-sergeants at Camp Hammond. So they'll definitely be some fallout from all of that.

Slott and Gage are good writers capable of creating interesting and dynamic teen characters. They can also weave that in with an action-filled plot and lots of good twists and turns. The art style for A:I is sort of manga-ish and really suits the young characters featured in this series while still doing justice to the old cast. I'm not so great a describing art work -- just open the cover and you'll see that it's unique while not being confusing or messy.

So check it out if you're not broke after paying for the rest of your pull list.