Eddie's story shifts back into drive and the plot develops with a vengeance. First, though, a little Dark Web recapping and tying off a loose end from Thor. These are digressions, but they're structured and illustrated so beautifully that they're engrossing.

The nuts-and-bolts prose is a bit less impressive than the issue's other features, but it's by no means bad. It's clear and it keeps the story moving.
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I respect what the creators are aiming for here, but I think mindscape head games are a little outside their wheelhouses in terms of both words and art. They end up strong in terms of plot and character development, but the start is very shaky.

Roger Aubrey proves to be a lifesaver for the authors as well as the Invaders; his story is the magnet that pulls everything together.

The art is formidable as ever, featuring superb layouts. The choice to slap MODOC's rictus grin on the faces of other characters is jarring, though--and not entirely in the way intended.
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The Xeno plot coasts to a smooth conclusion, though it's not particularly surprising or intense. Fortunately, the art remains excellent and the point of view digs just deep enough into Domino's head to give the issue the engaging hook it needs.

It's a simple "meet the antihero and see what she can do" story. The details are laid out in clear if not particularly memorable language, and some fine, delicate art livens things up. Nothing I'd call bad, but not exactly an instant favorite, either.

But then the creators drop Maxine Danger and the Beyond Corporation into the mix, and that's exactly the kind of bonus that makes me sit up and pay attention. I'm eager to see where this goes.
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The plot takes a darker twist than I expected here. It's a good story, and this final chapter is particularly well illustrated. But the darkness is undercut by two factors: First, the protagonist/PoV character is incredibly flat, spurred on by the most generic motivations. And second, the resolution turns this entire series into a shaggy-dog preamble for a hypothetical Black Widow vs Arcade story. And if the authors *had* that story, they coulda/shoulda told it here.
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This is a simple--almost simplistic--story idea spun out to issue length with incredibly stylish scripting and art. I appreciate the subtlety and nuance, and I think the storytelling's talented, but even with close scrutiny, I don't see a whole lot of content.

If this series is going to be a semi-sorta anthology of little untold stories throughout Tony's career, starting with the timey-wimey future story is a *damned* weird choice.
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This issue faffs around with a lot of Avatar-press-level Grand Guignol theatrics before finally dragging the protagonists to the place the solicits brought the readers 2 months ago: They need to deal with Danny Ketch. To me, this is a competent but thoroughly superfluous middle chapter.

This issue features perfectly acceptable storytelling conveying a complicated, fast-moving plot that I am really struggling to care about. I'm giving myself half-credit for my Chosen One bet--I knew it wasn't Peter, but I picked the wrong alternate Spider. Ah well.

I'll credit the creators: They put in the work, and there's nothing mortally wrong with the storytelling here. Except they failed to accomplish the most important task.

My eyes roll at the basic premise: "Gwen meets more variants, but this time they're villains! And clones!" (And I bet mine aren't the only eyes rolling.)

All the creators had to do was give us *something* beyond that tired elevator pitch, some spark of novelty or mystery.

And they didn't.

Comedy Rule of Threes: If Marvel goes back to this well *again*, it might become hilarious. But the "Gwen vs. variants" count stands at two, so this is just sad.
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Frankly, It offends me that Marvel is rolling out a full slate of a-listers to shill for this dumb-ass Vampire: the Masquerade fan-fiction.

A sufficiently intriguing story told with considerable talent could get past my inherent distaste. This story? With these words, with this art? Not a chance.

Most comics are cinema. This one is poetry. A rare gem.

It's an excellent combination of slow-burn psychological study and hard-boiled Punisher combat. The tough, terse, symbolic language suits the protagonist to a T.

The art demonstrates a remarkable facility for both subtle character interactions and hard-hitting action--not easy to do in this heavy-line style.

I think I might like Torunn Grønbekk better on the Punisher than on Asgardian business.
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The plot's a bit of a hot mess, but the humor's solid, the art is gorgeous, and the pace is impeccable. Plus, the mysterious Valentine Vuong is well on their way to "breakout character" status.

The plot progresses smoothly, with plenty of fun along the way. The two authors pair nicely, shoring up each other's weaknesses. Donny Cates adds clarity, while Torunn Grønbekk brings wit and style. On the art front, Nic Klein makes everything look gorgeous all by himself. Though this issue doesn't deliver big payoffs, it's a thoroughly satisfying middle chapter.

The backup strip is flawed (short of plot and featuring a little clumsy language), but it has its charms. It looks great and what plot there is is enjoyable.
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We've reached the part of the event where plot developments march forward to a relentless drumbeat, leaving little room for subtlety or nuance.

That's not a bad thing when the story is told this well. Nicely-polished art, snappy dialogue, and the delicious treat of Emma Frost's PoV make this a delightful issue.

As the plot marches slowly towards a confrontation, the day-to-day business of finals seems a little superfluous. The storm preparation stuff at the end is a different matter, though; that's charming. And the shifting character allegiances are engaging. The whole thing is wrapped up in another serving of refined, distinctive art. This strikes a great balance between entertaining on its own and building anticipation for the finale. more

The story climaxes in a way that's both technically and viscerally satisfying. The dialogue might be a trifle simple, but the script's structure and pacing are just fine. The art remains knock-your-eyes-out gorgeous. Getting a new superhero that's worth revisiting is the icing on the cake.

This is still an incredibly charming portrait of She-Hulk, the superhero you'd love to party--or commiserate--with. The art is right in line with the charming-ness, and it's (for me, anyway) a really fun read.

But the important scenes take so long, and so much space is devoted to showing the passage of time, that this issue just can't make much progress. *One* development on *one* plotline. No motion on the mad science antagonists at all--the characters even lampshade the lack of development there. And not a word said about the 4th-wall-breaking elephant the last issue dropped in the middle of the room. more

It's essentially a middling Star Trek story, but I appreciate how smoothly the Marvel elements have been massaged into the script. It's nicely-paced, too, holding interest as the action ebbs and flows. The art's imperfect, occasionally dropping the ball when it comes to detail and dynamism, but there are also plenty of visual flares. A touch of great expression, a spread of inventive blocking--ultimately, I like the visuals.

Subjectively, at least, it succeeds in the core mission of any #1: It has me looking forward to #2.
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The consistently competent storytelling work really pays off here as the story bends towards its conclusion. The art's firing on all cylinders again. The dialogue might not be the most memorable, but it's all clear and it does a decent job expressing character. Best of all, there's a fine sense of rising tension leading to a well-executed twist ending.

This is a pretty choppy installment in terms of scene structure and plot developments. Things are happening rapidly, and this issue doesn't spend much time explaining their import. It's all illustrated pretty well, though, and past performance gives me confidence in the upcoming finale.

The words in this issue don't stick in my mind at all, and the art isn't much more memorable. Which is not to say there's anything *wrong* with the storytelling here. And even if there were, the heaps of plot development have a memorability all their own.

Slapping in a slightly-significant Relationship Moment™ for Pete and Felicia gives this issue some sorely-needed weight. The script is focused on funny banter and the art is devoted to sexy splashes. What's missing from both sides of the storytelling is any sense of world-building, character development, or scene-setting that would make this conflict memorable. It's still a decent comic and a fun read, because the creators are very good at those things they're focusing on. But without that deeper work, this can't be more than an amusing diversion. more

It's a satisfying, simple conclusion to the story--though it borders on simplistic. Once again, the best cutesy art in the business elevates the proceedings and keeps this kiddie comic from getting tiresome for adults.

The silly story of silly characters locked in a silly conflict grinds on, devolving into a literal popularity contest. And that's fine. It certainly looks cool.

There is *one* element that approaches contemporary relevance: Zeitgeist and his problems with women fit well in a #MeToo world. What is Zeitgeist, after all, but the literal embodiment of toxic masculinity?

Unfortunately, the other attempts at social commentary are DOA. I couldn't even go along with the hypothesis that this comic's tone-deaf swings at social media are intentionally, ironically out of date.

It wants to be clever and insightful and subtle and it just isn't. It isn't *bad*, but neither is it good. more

This is one of the strongest pieces of evidence I have for my theory that Marvel should be publishing more OGNs. As Chapter 4 in the Planet Hulk: Worldbreaker story, this is decent (not great or even good, but serviceable). As #4 of a miniseries, published a month after the last issue and standing on its own, it verges on trainwreck territory.

My problem is that the author doesn't seem to know of any other way to establish a plot point than have at least 2 characters talk about it for at least 2 pages. And then, once they have all that space to fill, why not pour in several hundred words of recap, exposition, character opinion, digression, and/or speculation?

All of the plot-chickens came home to roost in an immensely satisfying way here. The action was tense and beautifully drawn throughout, and the dialogue was good and tough without veering into cliche.

I needed to be reminded that this title can be great, and this issue did the job.

The adventure story barrels right along, with the all-Wasp fight scene being a particular high point. Characterization is spot on, and the art is an excellent all-round tool for every kind of visual storytelling. Yes, there's an awful lot of author-centric continuity wank--but who does that better than Al Ewing?

The art is solid, though it doesn't evoke the full potential of fighting Limbo-demons. The plot grows thin and strained.

And these things are okay, because the *real* point is showcasing the most ridiculously great character interactions imaginable. Felicia, MJ, and S'ym are pure vaudeville in the best possible way.

Still, at this point I'll admit there's not much here outside the comedic triple act, and that's not everyone's cup of tea. So I'm pulling my rating down from "great"--but only down to "almost great". It's still a damn good comic however you slice it. more