I have to say right now that the response to the last few comics has been phenomenal and I really wanted to thank you guys for the comments and suggestions you’ve been leaving.

A lot of you have been trying to guess where the story line might be going and I LOVE that. It tells me you’re invested in what’s going to happen next. That’s good, because this week was pretty much all exposition – getting all of the characters “in costume,” so to speak, so we can kick the action into high gear next week.

Someone wrote me on Twitter the other day asking if Cami would show up wearing a cardboard Black Widow costume. And while I think the visual gag would have been hilarious (if somewhat difficult to pull off), I decided to play it straight and put Cami in the sexy catsuit instead. I honestly believe this is one of the best renderings of her I’ve ever drawn.

Besides, I think the contrast of a hot babe running around with a couple of dorks in cardboard costumes is still an effective visual gag. It gives you some eye candy, at least!

I was writing on Facebook about how much I’ve been enjoying this story line. Both in terms of what I’ve already accomplished as well as what is lying in store for the weeks ahead. I’m feeling really enthusiastic about it and I hope that enthusiasm is translating for you guys.

I think it boils down to authenticity. I’m a crazy Iron Man fan in real life, so now it’s working it’s way into the comic. I actually consider it a point of pride that I’ve haphazardly “branded” myself as the crazy Iron Man fan. It seems like there isn’t a week that goes by that I’m not talking about Iron Man to someone on Twitter, trying to convince them to pick up Matt Fraction’s recent run on Invincible Iron Man.

When the first movie came out, things were so crazy because people were sending me Iron Man cups from 7-11, stickers, theatrical posters… One guy even sent me a full-sized Iron Man theater standee! It was wild!

All I’m saying is that I appreciate all that stuff but what I appreciate more is that you guys are zeroing in on my passion for the character and are echoing that same enthusiasm. It’s personally very satisfying for me. So, thank you.

As a side note, I’ll mention that a few of you living outside of the United States have already seen the movie and are talking about it. That’s fine, but I’m in total lockdown mode now. I’m not reading any reviews and I’m not watching any more clips. I saw a clip with the briefcase armor and I felt like I had already seen too much. I don’t want to accidentally ruin something else.

That said, I do know some things about the general consensus regarding the film as a bi-product of simply being online and absorbing things. I’ve seen a few headlines raving about it and a few headlines saying its a disappointment.

In my mind, that brings me back to an even keel. It’s not important to me that the critics or blogosphere unanimously love the movie. What is important to me is that I control my expectations walking into the theater and – for once – just enjoy the film while freezing out all of the hype.

I don’t do this very often because, typically, I find the marketing of a film as interesting as the movie itself. But this one is for me to savor. I am greatly looking forward to it.

Not much more for me to say at the moment. If you have thoughts or reactions about today’s strip or the developing story line, feel free to leave them in the comments section. I always welcome your feedback!

Have a great day and enjoy the weekend!