Avengers: The Initiative #8-now with even more hot Pym Particle on Pym Particle action! If that doesn't get your attention, I don't know what will! Maybe the cover of this comic, featuring two giant-sized heroes beating the living daylights out of each other while their hapless, normal-sized, peers run for cover? That should do it!

Seriously, if you haven't been reading The Initiative, by writers Dan Slott and Christos N. Gage and artist Stefano Caselli, you really should start now. As the smoke cleared from Marvel's Civil War, the big brains (Hank Pym, Tony Stark, and Reed Richards) who run the Marvel U got the bright idea to put a team of sanctioned heroes in every state. To make sure those heroes all knew their stuff, and could operate in perfect safety, they set up a training camp at the site of the Stamford disaster. Unfortunately, these guys aren't as smart as they think they are and things at Camp Hammond haven't been going very smoothly. The locals aren't really happy about having super-folks all over the place. The young, powerful heroes at the camp tend to disobey orders willy-nilly. And the guys at top have made some questionable staffing choices, such as a former Nazi scientist (awesomely named Baron Von Blitzschlag) and the super-villainous Taskmaster. Plus, anything with Henry Gyrich involved turns out badly.

Issue #8 starts a new story arc in which many of these bad choices come back to bite the Initiative in the butt. When the latest recruits show up, a fight breaks out between the Irredeemable Ant-Man (If you didn't read his recently canceled series, shame on you!), Cassie Lang (daughter of the recently deceased other Ant-Man), and Hank Pym, which is where the Pym on Pym action comes in. If a story where three giant heroes hit each other with busses doesn't pull you in, there's very little hope for you. That's only the tip of the iceberg though. The real trouble starts when the clones the Baron made of MVP (a young hero accidentally killed in the program) start acting up. When will these brainy guys ever learn not to mess with clones?

Avengers: The Initiative has amazing stories, with loads of action and plenty of character development. It has gorgeous art. It has a massive and involving cast of characters. It is pivotal to what is going on all over the Marvel Universe This is really a series no comics fan should miss. On top of all that, the first issue of this new story arc is Four Color Fantasies' guaranteed Book of the Week. All that excellence available with no risk! What more do you need? Did I mention Taskmaster is in here too? I love that guy!

Arse-kicking comic: Northlanders #1

Of all the arse-kicking tough guys to roam the earth in “ye olden days,” the Norsemen (AKA Vikings) were by far the most interesting. These huge, hairy, burly, bearded, manly-men lived in places so cold that frostbite was a summertime treat. It would have been totally understandable if they just huddled around the fire and cried, occasionally breaking off the tear icicles forming in their beards. But no! The Norsemen wildly embraced life (and death) by setting out to sea in tiny, rickety, wooden boats so they could plunder, loot, and kill their way across the world, discovering new places and people, and killing as many of them as they could! (With liberal helpings of wenches and booze to help pass the time.)

Writer Brian Wood and artist Davide Gianfelice take us for a visit to this violent Norse world in their new series Northlanders. In this first issue, an angry young Norseman names Sven learns that his father has died, and his unpleasant Uncle Gorm has taken over Sven’s rightful inheritance. Sven seems not so interested in the land or the people his father ruled, but he would like the cash that should be his. Sven heads for home, a desolate place appropriately called Grimness, to collect. Perhaps to no one’s surprise, horrible old Uncle Gorm doesn’t really plan to part with any of his wealth.

Northlanders has a story that feels authentic, and the historical vibe makes it all seem significant, while still being entertaining. Gianfelice’s art is appropriately grim, dirty, and bloody. It also certainly seems well researched, the character’s appearance, clothes, and squalid living conditions all come across as very authentic. But don’t worry; this is no dry history lesson. There is more than enough sword hacking and face punching to entertain even the most jaded reader. And, man, could those Norsemen swear! All our best rude words came from them!

So if you like fighting, history, or swearing, (and who doesn’t?) you don’t want to miss Northlanders #1. No pillaging necessary! Just stop by Four Color Fantasies and try this guaranteed Book of the Week. Just remember to plait your beard before you leave the house. Vikings were all about beard maintenance.

Clever answers: House of M Avengers #1

If there is one thing comic book fans like, it's a good alternate reality. Whether it's What If? or Elseworlds, the Age of Apocalypse or the Spock-with-a-beard Mirror Universe, we like seeing our favorite characters from a slightly different angle. How would things have been different if Uncle Ben was a gang boss, or if Aunt May never made wheatcakes? We must know!

In Marvel's most recent universe-shattering, reality warping event, House of M, readers were given only the briefest of glimpses into the world where Magneto's dreams all came true. Mutants ruled and sapiens drooled, but with all of the frantic punching and Scarlet Witch bashing, most of the backstory for this alternate world was left to the reader's imagination. At last you can give your weary imagination a rest, because Christos N. Gage and Mike Perkins are here with some answers in House of M: Avengers #1!

Lucky for us, those answers are mostly about Luke Cage! And I'm not talking about modern day Luke Cage, cool though he may be. I'm talking about the silk shirt, chain belt, and metal headband Luke Cage. He's kicking butts and invoking our most popular winter holiday as a swear. Christmas! That's the Luke Cage I'm talking about! He's one tough sapien.

The first issue of House of M: Avengers gives us Luke's origin, his rise as a gangland boss, and his eventual turn to defending helpless humans everywhere by gathering together his team of Avengers. And what a team it is! You would be pretty hard-pressed to find a tougher group of non-mutants lurking around the corners of this alternate Marvel U. In just the first issue he brings Hawkeye, Iron Fist, Moon Knight and Tigra (MMMmmm, Tigra-just the kind of furry, striped girl you'd like to bring home to mama.) into the fold. There's a lot going on in this issue, and Gage's tough-guy story is well-served by Perkin's dark and realistic art.

This issue has it all! Except maybe Aunt May and her wheatcakes. They had to save something for later! If you miss the House of M, or just like a good alternate reality, OR if you love some old-school Luke Cage action, you don't want to pass this one by. It is guaranteed, so what are you waiting for? Christmas!?