Fans of Avengers Vs. X-Men has a lot to look forward to this April; new covers are ready to the upcoming issues. First, as the Phoenix Force continues its crash course towards Earth during the blockbuster comic event of the year, Avengers Vs. X-Men, Iron Fist learns that he has a shocking connection to the all-powerful embodiment of rebirth and destruction.

But what does that mean for his team? Find out in New Avengers #25 from the blockbuster creative team of Brian Michael Bendis & Mike Deodato, available in comic shops worldwide and on the Marvel Comics app.

Next, as the Marvel Universe sits in-between the crosshairs of the all-powerful Phoenix Force, Thor leads the Secret Avengers to space to face the cosmic entity head on. Will their plan work or has Captain America thrown the team into a suicide mission? Find out in Secret Avengers #26 from critically acclaimed writer Rick Remender and fan favorite artist Renato Guedes available in comic shops worldwide. With a cover by living legend Alan Davis, no fan can miss this.

And it does not stop here. The biggest names in the industry pit the largest super hero franchises against one another for the biggest war in comics history. To celebrate this blockbuster event, Marvel has your first look at the Avengers Vs. X-Men #2 Bradshaw Variant by red-hot artist Nick Bradshaw. With the opening salvo fired, the time for talking is over. What side does Wolverine choose and what decision will Hope make that may turn the tide of the war… just as it begins?

Which team will reign supreme? Join the conversation on Twitter with #AvX!

For more on Avengers VS X-Men, please visit http://avx.marvel.com

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When I was offered the chance to review the first issue of The Occultist, I was excited. I’m a huge fan of contemporary fantasy, and the series description sounded intriguing. I was expecting something like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but alas my hopes were dashed.

The hero of the series is Rob Bailey, a college student who has received mystical powers from an arcane artifact called “The Sword.” Now he must learn to use his new-found powers while avoiding death at the hands of  a bunch of “hit mages.” Apparently, this series is based on a one-shot comic that appeared last year.

I haven’t read it, but the writers do a decent job of getting the newbie reader up to speed on what’s come before. Apparently, Rob’s friend/mentor Jacob Elder died in mysterious circumstances, and Rob feels some regret that he was not able to save him. The police get involved, and they suspect that Rob might be hiding information, but he’s able to divert their attention by means of his magical mojo.

But when the buxom lead detective goes hunting for clues, she inadvertently stumbles onto something much more sinister, setting the stage for an epic battle between Rob and a bunch of supernatural baddies. Throughout the issue, it’s clear that writers Mike Richardson and Tim Seeley are determined to keep things as mysterious as possible.

The reader doesn’t learn much about Rob’s power. Rob’s hand is green, and when he gets frustrated, his eyes glow green as well. He’s able to manipulate the mind of the detective who comes to visit him and survive a leap from the roof of his dorm, but it’s clear that Rob himself is as much in the dark as we are as to the exact nature of his “gift.”

Unfortunately, despite the promising setup, the first issue ends up falling flat. The writers are so busy trying to be mysterious that they forget to make the reader care about the main character. Rob isn’t particularly interesting, and his power isn’t well established enough to draw the reader in.

We know he’s in some kind of danger, but it’s all kind of vague at this point. The issue ends with the promise of a big battle, but the whole thing is set up at the last minute, making it hard to get terribly excited about it. Art-wise, The Occultist is quite well done, though artist Victor Drujiniu seems to be a bit unsure of how to portray Rob, and his appearance varies from page to page.

Drujiniu is clearly targeting a male audience, as almost every woman in the issue has mountainous breasts and isn’t shy about showing them off. The Occultist has an interesting premise, but fails in the execution. There are some tantalizing hints of interesting things to come, but right now the story is just too inchoate to be interesting.

OVERALL GRADE: C

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Cut off one of its heads, and two more take its place — An all-new Hydra has risen and they have their sights set on the Sentinel of Liberty in your first look at Captain America #6.

Critically acclaimed writer Ed Brubaker is joined by legendary artist Alan Davis for an important new chapter in the life of Steve Rogers. Throughout Fear Itself, Rogers has been harboring a dark secret and its one that may leave the leader of Earth’s Mightiest — powerless. Can Cap and his closest allies take on the revitalized Hydra and stop them before it’s too late?

Meanwhile, Norman Osborn’s new Dark Avengers are put to the test next month in New Avengers #19, courtesy of the blockbuster creative team of Brian Michael Bendis and Mike Deodato.

The new and improved H.A.M.M.E.R., led by Osborn, is out for revenge and failure is not an option for his new Dark Avengers. And when the New Avengers find out who their doppelgangers are, it will send shockwaves throughout the team. Get your front row ticket to the action in New Avengers #19.

Finally, for X-Men fans, Stryker’s rampage against all of mutant kind escalates in your first look at Ultimate Comics X-Men #4 from the creative team of Nick Spencer and Paco Medina.

With the number of mutants still on the run dwindling down, the new X-Men must act quickly if there is any hope of survival. Except when tensions rise amongst the group – a traitor may be in their midst.

Can Stryker be stopped and can the X-Men hold it together in time to save their race? Find out in Ultimate Comics X-Men #4.

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The second issue in the “Orchid” series came out last week on November 9, and it is already gaining interest. Set in a dystopian future, “Orchid” follows the life of a prostitute and her little brother as they struggle to survive. In the first comic she meets up with Simon, who has been involved in a group trying to fight those oppressing their human slaves that they use for manual labor.

Similar to the first issue, “Orchid” #2 starts off by giving some more details into the history of this universe and how things got to where they are. The details are gruesome and compelling, adding some depth to the story. By juxtaposing the present with the past, it helps the reader to slowly gain more insight into the motivations of the characters, and adds to the storyline.

The idea behind the story is one that has been told before, but the author, Tom Morello, has added some interesting elements, such as the fantastic creatures and the sometimes unexpected interactions between the characters. All of the animals have become behemoth mutant creatures, pushing the humans to the bottom of the food chain.

In addition to Morello’s work with the “Orchid” comic, he has been the guitarist for Rage Against the Machine, and after leaving the band, also played in Audioslave and Street Sweeper Social Club as well as having a solo career as The Nightwatchman. Morello is a strong supporter of the Occupy movement, and his views on the oppression of the underclass are made quite clear in “Orchid.”

He feels very strongly about protesting against the oppression of the underclass, and has even begun travelling around to various cities to sing at the different Occupy demonstrations to help bring awareness to the movement and solidarity to those who are protesting.

Music is a large part of his life, and he has managed to bring that passion to his “Orchid” comic as well. He has provided theme music for each of the first two issues, and this innovative idea adds a nice unexpected element to the story. While it is not clear exactly how the audio is supposed to accompany the comic itself, the tone of the music does seem to reflect the tone of the story.

In the music for the second issue of “Orchid,” the track titled “The Deluge” starts off softly with the sound of waves gently lapping up against the shore. Then as the track continues, a single guitar begins playing, followed by a full orchestra. The music is morose and poignant, and it creates just the right mood for the story.

Because it is only four minutes and sixteen seconds long, it is not really possible to read the entire issue before getting to the last page. The track seems to be a musical rendition of this part of “Orchid” and even though it may not be understood by everyone, it is certainly a nice addition to the story.

Scott Hepburn is the main artist for “Orchid” and he does very detailed drawings. One of the visual appeals to this series is all of the strange creatures, such as the six-legged bear with a scorpion tail that is featured on the cover. Hepburn first worked on several Star Wars comics, but he has been very excited to work on this project with Morello and to draw numerous fantastic creatures, according to an interview with comicbooked.com.

The second issue of “Orchid” delves deeper into the story, ending with a compelling mystery that is sure to leave readers waiting anxiously for the next issue to come out. While “Orchid” is not groundbreaking as far as the theme of the story goes, it is an enjoyable read, and is very visually appealing.

The addition of the musical soundtrack for each issue adds a certain depth that would otherwise be missing. “Orchid” is a good story that compels the reader to consider wealth and class, not only in the context of the comic, but in our society as well.

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