ICYMI

Since the Marvel Universe jumped eight months ahead following the conclusion of Secret Wars, the biggest mystery left unanswered has centered on the relationship between the X-Men and the Inhumans; specifically regarding the toxic Terrigen Cloud killing mutants around the world. This week, we got our first look at the events that sparked the conflict that will eventually lead to the disappearance or death of Cyclops, with a look at the first mutant to fall to M-Pox in Jeff Lemire, Charles Soule, Aaron Kuder and Morry Hollowell's Death of X #1.

This week saw the last issue of the current volume of Sean Ryan, Cory Smith, Andres Mossa and Albert Deschesne's Nova, which over the course of eleven issues has been a real coming-of-age story for Sam Alexander, who has grown into confident and worthy successor to the Nova name. In the final issue, Sam finally got answers about where his powers come from, but along the way he set in motion events that returned an iconic Marvel hero to the spotlight.

Marvel's The Vision, by Tom King, Gabriel Hernandez Walta and Jordie Bellaire, has been one of the biggest highlights in superhero comics this year, and this week's The Vision #11 is one of the most emotionally affecting and heart-wrenching issues in the serie. It features not one, but two character deaths that may bum you out all week long.

When DC launched its Rebirth universe, one of the big promises was that it was going to put the baby back in the bathwater and restore some of the elements that the DCU had lost in the New 52. Connections between characters had been restored, and there's even a hint of a history that goes far beyond the truncated five years that kicked off in 2011 with Justice League #1. But even with that mission statement, there were elements of the past that I thought might never make it back into continuity. Now, though, I'm not sure there are any limits to what's coming back, because I have seen the most unexpected return of the year in the pages of Francis Manapul's Trinity #1. In case you missed it, The Rainbow Batman is back!

Suicide Squad as a franchise is known for shocking deaths when readers least expect it; it was a fundamental part of the original John Ostrander, Kim Yale & Luke McDonnell run. Regular deaths keep the readers on their toes, and drive home the core concept of the franchise --- but this week's Suicide Squad #2, by Rob Williams, Jim Lee, Scott Williams and Alex Sinclair, took a shocking turn when it killed off one of the most iconic members of the team, and brought back an unexpected villain.

James Tynion IV, Eddy Barrows and Alvaro Martinez's Detective Comics has been one of the absolute stand-out comics from the DC Rebirth initiative, melding X-Men style team dynamics with fan-favorite Batman characters and providing the highest of stakes for the heroes on Batwoman's team. Heading into this week's Detective Comics #940, things didn't look too good for Tim "Two Weeks From Retirement" Drake as he faced down a horde of killer drones, but the conclusion of "Rise of the Batmen" and the revelation of Tim's fate are more shocking than anyone could have predicted.

Last week saw the release of Supergirl #1, by Steve Orlando, Brian Ching, Michael Atiyeh, and Steve Wands, and as you might expect, the new direction pushed Kara Zor-El a little closer to her television counterpart. The book is set in National City, reintroduced the Danvers Family as DEO agents, and even gave the teenage Supergirl a run-in with a very snarky Cat Grant. But for as much as it lifted from television, there was one aspect of the book that came straight from the comics, dropped onto the first three pages to help readers catch up with just who Supergirl is and how she came to be. So just in case you missed it, Supergirl #1 kicked off with an All Star Superman-style origin story, and it's pretty fantastic.

The current run of Deadpool --- which stretches back into the previous volume --- has been one of the smartest, most sophisticated takes on one of Marvel's most juvenile characters. Over the course of over sixty issues, Gerry Duggan and crew have infused Deadpool with a level of complexity that the character had been missing for decades. Recently, Wade Wilson has been pulled in all directions by the Avengers, the Mercs For Money, his burgeoning relationship with his daughter Ellie, and his failing marriage with Shilkah, Queen of Monster Metropolis. In the most recent issue by Duggan, Mike Hawthorne, Terry Pallot and Jordie Bellaire, Deadpool #17 one of those bonds snapped, and a classic Marvel hero paid the price. Spoilers follow.

This week, in Peter Tomasi, Patrick Gleason, and Doug Mahnke's Superman #5, Superman finally decided that the best thing to do about the Eradicator would be to take the fight outside of Metropolis, so he took it to the one place that he knows he has the advantage. In case you missed it, this week saw Superman and Lois Lane fighting the Eradicator in the Batcave. No, the other Batcave. The one on the moon.

Wonder Woman #2 is the first chapter of "Year One" by Greg Rucka and Nicola Scott, with colors Romulo Fajardo Jr. The whole issue alternates between scenes of a young Diana living on Themyscira and a young Steve Trevor in the military, leading up to the famous moment when they meet. But we learn a lot more about their lives before we get there, and that's led to a particularly strong fan reaction to Diana's life among the Amazons.