A Close Look at DMZ Part 11: Matty Comes First

"The Island", despite how tonally different it feels, serves a valuable service: it allows the series to time jump the two months between Parco Delgado being elected and taking office without having to find something for Matty to do in Manhattan during that period of limbo. When Matty returns following his absence he's confronted with a new status quo. As with the first story arc of the series, Matty takes us on a journey that shows us the changes. And there are a lot of changes.

The following contains spoilers for DMZ 37-40.

Operation: Zero Tolerance - 25 Years Later Part 11: The Secret Files

So what's up with those Xavier files that Bastion retrieved from the mansion? You know...the ones that may or may not have been secured and/or deleted before "Operation: Zero Tolerance" began? Readers who only followed the main thrust in X-Men and Wolverine never really got resolution for that plot point--which is somewhat unfortunate given how big a deal Lobdell makes about them. It would take following Cable's tie-ins to find out what, if anything, came of them. And readers not following Cable would only be pointed in that direction if they read Uncanny X-Men 346 (even X-Force 69, which cuts to a scene of Cable in the mansion, doesn't tell readers what he's doing or direct them to his own title to find out).

As for Uncanny X-Men 346, it's easily the strangest tie-in of the event. It's the only Uncanny X-Men issue included in "Operation: Zero Tolerance"--because it's the only issue of Uncanny X-Men running during the event that doesn't feature the X-Men. Yes, you read that right. The Uncanny X-Men team went to space in issue 341 and still haven't returned so their issues can't exactly be part of a U.S. centric event. The logical decision, obviously, is to have Uncanny X-Men 346 star J. Jonah Jameson and Spider-Man.

Also...Nate Grey does a thing and (you guessed it!) complains about it in the process.

The following contains major spoilers for Uncanny X-Men 346, Cable 45-47, and X-Man 30.

Pearl III #3: Spoiler Free Review

Everything has gone wrong for Pearl Tanaka. On top of her own little world not that long ago, Pearl's ongoing feud with Mr. Miike threatens to take down everything she's built. Can she strike back against her enemy or if her only hope to run from his attacks?

Writer: Brain Michael Bendis

Art and Colors: Michael Gaydos

Letters: Joshua Reed

Covers A: Michael Gaydos

Cover B: Laura Pérez

Publisher: Dark Horse Comics

Price: 3.99

Release Date: July 27th, 2022

Rogue Sun #6: Spoiler Free Review

It’s not easy being a teenage superhero. You have to learn about your new abilities, hide your secret identity, and not kill yourself while you’re practicing. But for Dylan, the newest Rogue Sun, there is one more complication: bickering parents who want him to choose sides.

Writer: Ryan Parrott

Art: Abel

Colors: Natália Marques

Letters: Becca Carey

Covers: Abel; Igor Monti

Publisher: Image Comics

Price: 3.99

Release Date: July 27th, 2022

Gambit #1: Spoiler Free Review

Gambit may be an X-Man now, but once upon a time he was quite the thief. Chris Claremont takes us on a trip back to the days immediately before Gambit joined the X-Men and starts weaving a complex story that fits in perfectly with his Uncanny X-Men run.

Writer: Chris Claremont

Art: Sid Kotian

Colors: Espen Grundetjerk

Letters: VC’s Clayton Cowles

Cover Artists: Whilce Portacio & Alex Sinclair

Variant Cover Artists: Salvador Larroca & Edgar Delgado; InHyuk Lee; Peach Momoko; Scott Williams & Sebastian Cheng

Publisher: Marvel Comics

Price: 3.99

Release Date: July 27th, 2022

Operation: Zero Tolerance - 25 Years Later Part 10: Is Everyone A Spy?

Like Generation X, X-Force's involvement with "Operation: Zero Tolerance" was on the periphery. Nothing in the two tie-in issues (technically four though two are unbranded) impact the main story or deal with Bastion. But unlike James Robinson's efforts on Generation X, X-Force writer John Moore seems interested in telling a good story. Moore ties the events of "Operation: Zero Tolerance" into ongoing subplots and character development that makes these issues work effectively as part of the larger story while still feeling distinctly X-Force.

Moore uses "Operation: Zero Tolerance" as a way to forward strong character threads for Dani Moonstar, who makes a return in a big way, and Domino with whom he creates a personal connection to one of the Zero Tolerance troops. And perhaps most importantly, the events featured in the pages of X-Force leave a lasting impact on the series.

The following contains major spoilers for X-Force 67-69.