i cant believe there are people fucking bitching about this.  this should have been the wrap up of SI, just like the Death of Cap should have been the real end of Civil War.  when i was thinking what i wanted to make my pick of the week, it was between this and the two Final Crisis issues, but ultimately this just soared above those two other book.

we see the "dark illuminati" gather for the first time at the behest of Marvel's new big time player, Norman "Green Goblin" Osbourne and lay out his plan for the Marvel Earth.  This book is great old-school Bendis; people talking, having distinct voice, and being incredibly complelling. And then when the reader think Osbourne has everyone dead to rights to follow his plan, we get a great scene between Namor and Doom that is soo fucking cool.

as for the art, ive heard people criticize the art, but i have to say that this is the ebst Malleev stuff ive seen in a while, and i think a good chunk of it has to do with Dean White's colors.  His Doom is especially menacing.  If Malleev were to draw a book thats just walking around a castle and brooding, saying "i am Doom!", i would buy it in a fucking heart beat.

At the end of this, i cant wait to see what this Dark Reign is all about.  And theres also a sneek peak at the DR book i am the most looking foreward to: Secret Warriors.