I flipped through Ultimate Nightmare. I couldn't figure out what the fuck was going on. It's pretty much a set-up issue.

I also checked out UXM #50, since I didn't realize Vaughan was writing, and it was the first in a series. It was pretty good, and dude, Gambit! Except he's evil.

The 12-Cent Adventure was expositionalicious, which was actually pretty good for me, who hadn't been reading the main titles but had picked up general events from this thread. When did Spoiler get fired? Why? I think I read the issue where she donned the costume for the first time, and that was only like last month or so. And why did Tim quit? And what's happening in the title if there is no Robin?

Also, am I supposed to be familiar with all the warring gangs? Like this Galante fellow? And the chick who comes back to take out the Escabos? And who's Orpheus?

Well, "War Games" looks good so far. Let's see how much more shit they can blow up.

PC, I recognized some of the gang leaders -- but not all of them and I have no idea who Orpheus is and why he is working for Batman.

Steph got fired because she disobeyed Batman's direct order. Tim quit because his father found out he was Robin. Ummm, I don't know how he found out but based on 12-Cent -- it looks as though Steph may have told him. Plus it looks like Tim was okay with Robin/Spoiler but not Tim/Steph -- I don't know what's up with that -- or did he not know that she was the Spoiler? And that she knew that he was Robin?

Did you get Detective Comics?

Is Detective comics supposed to be part of War Games because the last I remember Steph was fired for going after Batman to rescue him.

Also I spent the first few pages of Ultimate X Men totally confused, wondering why Scott needed permission to go anywhere and a few other things because even though I know it's Ultimate X Men I was thinking of the characters like they are in Astonishing X Men.

About Ultimate X-Men -- familiar mutants have been popping up around. Obvious in this issue was Rahne, but might that have been Puck with her? Was Puck a mutant? And I really think that Gambit's hair looks like crap curly.

Did you get Detective Comics?

If by "get" you mean "read," yes. Thanks for the info. And askye, it's definitely part of War Games. And ita, I agree about the hair.

I got Y #25, UltFF #9, 12 Cent Adventure, the new Ult. Spidey and Astounishing. Which is odd, because I'm far more obsessed with DC than with Marvel, and yet my purchasing habits do not reflect this. Maybe it's because I usually catch up on DC by spending half a day at Barnes & Noble, reading their trades.

ita, my sister in the Gambit hair hate. I, uh, actually shrieked out loud when I got to that page.

P-C, I've been reading almost all of the Bat titles, and the only person on the scene I don't immediately recognize is the chick in white with the uzi, possibly because I'm having a brain fart. As for what's happening with the Robin title, the Identity Crisis issues seem to indicate that Tim will be back in the suit eventually. As he damn well should be. I've only begun to pick up Detective Comics, so Plei might be better to ask about Orpheus, but he's a vigilante that Batman hand-picked to take over his neighborhood's street gang, and they have a new 'no guns, no drugs' rule.

I finally caved and bought the last six issues of Ultimate Spider-Man. We'll see if it sticks. Curse you, wee Bendis!

What is Ultimate Nightmare about?

Dubya getting a second term?

Tim knew that Spoiler was Stephanie, but he got upset at Batman for deciding to tell Stephanie he was Tim Drake; he thought it should be his decision to make.

BoP: Paraplegics can't sit up like that. Also, trying to figure out how the timeline intersects with the other Bat titles makes my head hurt -- I think BoP must be happening after the others, not before or simultaneously with.

I loved Dinah's riff on Superman. "He's Superman. I blush when I have prurient *thoughts* around him. Which is often."

Shrift, Ultimate Spidey is Teh Shit. Particularly the last 4 issues.

The 12-Cent Adventure was expositionalicious

It was, but I thought it was done more or less in a non-anvillicious way. Except for all the attention paid to Jason Todd. For someone who's been long dead, he got a lot of ink.

I just picked up Astounishing today, and I'm really liking this whole run so far (and this is the first X title I've ever read, though I don't knowif that's good, bad, or neutral).