There are plenty of bits to enjoy in this issue and I understand the longer arc that's being painted here for Vader with plans within plans and all. But some of it just feels overly complicated, especially when mixing in things like the Schism which is an interesting idea but just didn't come together well. Vader took on too many fantasy elements as this storyline has played out as well and the supporting cast around him just isn't that interesting. The time with Luke certainly works well and tying into Sabe is a big plus as it opens Luke up to a bit more information. But it's also good to see him struggling with things that the Emperor and Vader will push him on harder soon enough and to know that it's a struggle he's been facing for some time.

The ending to this is solid and interesting but ultimately disappointing because I expected this five-issue series to be a complete story. I did not expect for there to be a sequel maybe? down the line and there being more of it so it's frustrating. What we do get here is just as fun as the previous issues with some amusing twists and nods back to the film and just how nuts this world is for these characters. The xenomorph action is fun and a bit lighter even though no less serious and the artwork handles the setting and characters well. It's all enjoyable but still left a bad taste in my mouth at the end because it feels a bit like a bait and switch.

In terms of story, this is a pretty simple issue where you have to take it with a grain of salt as it's all about Bruce talking to himself and sometimes Hulk in his own head. It's an absolutely beautiful visual treat with some great artwork and designs with some truly disturbing elements as we see Bruce go through this journey. But its story elements are things we've seen so many times over the decades with the character that it's lost a whole lot of its power. And that's on top of how much of it is actually real or not. I wanted to like it more but it felt far more like it was going through the motions more than anything else in the story department.

There are some fun moments in this and Lando gets to be pretty clear in his loyalty to things and where he stands while Salli gets to put the heat to Rebel leadership a bit. There are a lot of awkward and stilted moments that don't work but trying to apply real-world American justice to this fantasy system is a fool's errand. Which is why it's best to avoid these kinds of stories in books like this. In the end, we get to learn how Lando became a general, which is the main point, and what happened to Lobot in the time after Cloud City. It's all right at best and sometimes that's the best you can hope for. I'm looking forward to getting away from this story for a while.

The book largely wraps up most of the storylines well enough without putting too concrete a touch on it so any of the characters can be picked up again easily enough. The only one who doesn't make out too well in aw ay is Bossk but that's just how it goes for Trandoshans. I'm glad it does touch on others such as Tasu and Vukorah and the like as well and I'm sure we'll see the strange pairing of Zucukuss and 4-LOM again someday as well. As a whole, the Bounty Hunters series frustrated me more than anything else because so much of it felt like it was reacting and bouncing from larger events and crossovers than being able to tell its own story. I'm sure there were moments of inspired creativity because of it but it's also why the Star Wars books as a whole continue to be frustrating at times because of the “Marvelization” of the storytelling. There's plenty to like as a big action series that gets to be over the top so it works well in its intent, but I had hoped for something

Inquisitors gets off to a solid start here and I'm looking forward to playing in this era some to see what they get up to in hunting down Jedi. While the joke is that there are a lot of Jedi running around when Luke is around, the reality is that there were thousands and thousands of them during the prequel era and so many more that had gone in different directions before the Clone Wars that are unaccounted for. The focus on Tensu Ran is off to a good start though I definitely need more personality out of him but I appreciate that he's taking the approach of not just living on the run but taking the fight to the Empire itself. There are a lot of neat places this can go and the team with Barnes and Rosanas heading it up is off to a strong start.

I do like the bit with get with Destro this time around as Zartan finds a way to get in touch with him and this whole thing feels like the interesting wildcard to the storyline so far. The rest of the book is solid but it's mostly just moving things along and slowly putting the pieces in place. Again, it's not bad or anything but it lacks a certain dynamism to it to make it feel like we're really moving forward. Pelletir's artwork is solid and does the job but Mooneyham was able to bring just a little something extra to it that's hadr to pin down so that even the workmanlike installments felt alive and buzzing. The curiosity to see how it all goes is still there but there's not muhc memorable to this issue.

This installment does some more flashback material to about a decade earlier in 2025 that shows some of the bleak actions one of them took as basically oil company militia types. It's a further part to highlight the kind of grim nature of the world and how it finally was so much that it pushed them away from it. But it also feels like it was a breaking point and explains why they don't feel like they're acting rationally for a lot of this. It's not bad but it leans into eco-horror enough that it made me revulse, which is the point, and want to just move forward rather than spend more time there. I'm still curious as to where it'll go but like many Thompson books, it's a damn hard read.

The action dominates here and it's certainly fun to see T'onga and Zuckuss working well together in a bad situation and to see Valance go all-out once he's brought back to himself. I've always found him overpowered but it's certainly amusing when he gets into it. The beginning part of the book was my favorite, against my better judgment, as we get some really modern feel and flow to the dynamic between Losha and Vukorah as they work together while dealing with the Scourge menace. This kind of stuff has always been a part of the Star Wars comics, dialogue and designs that are of the time they're created, so I'm not rolling my eyes or frustrated with it. I simply got a sensible chuckle about it and moved on with the story. Vukorah's character arc is wild, however.

This is a pretty solid standalone tale that digs more into Maul and his service under Sidious and is interesting to contrast with Vader. There are certainly similarities in the master and apprentice dynamic here and the comics over in Darth Vader have certainly made it stronger over the years in how Sidious was tamping down and toying with his apprentice, but you also get the sense that Maul had a lot less potential in comparison to Vader. We know how far he did go and the struggles throughout it but it starts looking more and more like Maul was a placeholder until Sidious could get what he wanted. I do think there's a good What If? series that would focus on if Maul had survived cleanly in The Phantom Menace and got away and Vader wasn't elevated to apprentice – or Sidious orchestrated a confrontation between them.

This feels like such a confused book. The main story isn't bad but it's bringing in Kara and the rest in a way that feel sudden and out of blue in comparison to previous issues and it took a beat to reconnect with it all. The actual stuff with the Chained is decent and the artwork is great with a good sense of power. But once it gets past that and some of the obvious flashback material to “celebrate” it being issue 850, get some badly done Luthor family drama both in story and visual execution and then onto a tonally different focus with Brainaic and the world of Braal. That at least looks interesting but it's such a chunk on top of an already problematic book that it becomes frustrating.

With one more installment to go the series should end in a pretty big and chaotic way but I'm unsure of whether it should end in disaster or not for our primary character. I've actually grown to like Brie a good bit and can understand Hiro but Carter himself needs to face a clear end here. There are some really amusing bits to this issue, such as him talking about his time in the alien nursery before that Brie never heard about, but it's also a reminder of how he was both told to never say anything and blamed for everything but also actually kept quiet for the most part. The whole Cygnus alien hunt thing kind of messes with a lot of what could make him somewhat sympathetic. It's a solid installment once again with some good artwork that's just held back by Burke sounding too much like Reiser's Mad About You character than Burke himself.

Dawnrunner has done a lot of great worldbuilding across its run and it's made moments like this issue all the more impactful as we understand the scale of it. The personal side is very much there as well with everything we get from Anita and Ichi and their journey of the mind but it also delivers well with Cat, Andro, and others as they deal with the scope of violence being unleashed on their world. It's again beautifully illustrated with some great layouts and designs that are just richly detailed and wonderfully colored. It's one of the best things that Dark Horse has put out in quite some time and I'm excited to see where it goes next.

I continue to like the book overall as the talents involved are strong and the material put to the page itself is engaging and a solid read. But it's running over familiar territory that's so well worn over the decades that it's just frustrating from that perspective. I know, comics always have to feel like they're introducing these pathos elements for the first time for new readers, but this method felt problematic and outdated decades ago and continuing it still is just becoming more of a problem. I have no doubt that this team can do some brilliant work as we've seen it earlier in the run but leaning hard as they do into this aspect is like revisiting Uncle Ben's death once again. All Bruce needs to do is yell out Martha at this point.

While I'm not as thrilled by the ending as I was the rest of the series, I'm not surprised by it as it's pretty standard. There's a lot of fun to this series overall and it has an interesting and creative concept that's executed in a strong way. It's the kind of project that comes from a team with talent but it was just lacking that little something extra to take it beyond its standard limitations. The heavy focus on Griz in this issue makes you realize that it happened in earlier issues as well to varying degrees and you wish you had more time with the rest of the cast in this final-ish fight. But it's got some solid narration, some good action, and some amusing bits when it comes to dealing with elder gods in how to negotiate with them. Definitely a memorable series overall.

Bounty Hunters has been in rough shape before the Dark Droids storyline even started and slamming the two together just makes for too many easy coincidences and shortcuts to dealing with things. The property hates actually doing things that make changes for obvious reasons but even killing off comics-original characters is something that they avoid. That's reduced or eliminated most of the tension here even though we did just have someone get their head blown off in the previous issue. But they weren't even someone you could name, so it's not like it really counts. Here, we're just waiting for whatever trick to be employed as the Scourge threat ends so that Valance can get back to being Valance. There are some new tensions set up because of what Bossk does here but it's just a matter of seeing if T'onga and the rest actually do survive the end of the series.

While I admire the tie into the larger events of what's to come I do wish the book had just stood alone overall. There was no need to bring in characters like Aurra or Lash at this point nor to go to this being a foundational part of Jango being the pick for the cloning program, which obviously has a lot more story to tell. I don't mind these stories being explored but this needed just a lot more of a serious (and more mature-level) kind of approach both in script and artwork to give us something more meaty. But it leans into the space opera side, which isn't unexpected, and handles it fairly well while playing hard on the “everything's connected” angle that's strangling a lot of projects these days. It's not bad but it could have been a lot more than just a project like this.

The book at times feels like it's going to lean into the All-Star Superman concept with how Supercorp operates and I'm completely down for something weird and fun like that. But it ends up going a bit more into the anime realm with what's hidden beneath Rykers and some of the standard crime stuff of Metropolis. The best parts continue to be Lois and Clark together as well as anytime Superman interacts with the actual working force of Supercorp because he can completely inspire them down the right path. The action in this is decent, the character designs have a neat feeling that at times reminded me of Barry Windsor-Smith, and I love when it takes some time to just breathe and explore the weirdness of what Supercorp has going on. More Mercy, less of this Pharm and Graft stuff.

Into the Unbeing has an interesting setup and concept behind it and I'm curious to see where Thompson goes with it. Right now, it's pretty standard stuff in that we've seen the setup before. The visuals are what's carrying it and that certainly does a good job in selling it as something that's going to be messed up once we dig into the reality of what thi solace is. The cast hasn't given me anyone to like at the moment and Hildur writing about them while processing the journey just made it clear she thinks everyone is pretty terrible in different ways. Thompson's works have gone with this approach before and the payoff can be pretty spectacular so I'm curious to see what's next as we literally go down the hole.

This series continues to be fun in a fluffy kind of way. I'm not looking to overthink the mechanics of how any of this works, the real darkness and scale of this elder horror that the characters are playing wiith, or the other logical things that people try to reconcile. It's just got a simple kind of classic 80s vibe of doing its thing and having fun with it while not overanalyzing it. The script is solid, the pacing is great, the artwork is fantastic, and it moves at a good clip so that you're entertained and tease just enough to want more but not angry that it's as thin as it it may be. It's just good entertainment.

With this being the end of this particular arc of Theta (and John's) life/storyline, there's a lot to like here. It goes pretty definitive in some ways and it feels like Theta's objectives are going to change a bit going forward after what she's accomplished here. It's good to bring John into this time period – whatever time period it actually is – and giving them a mission to jump off of here at the end that could do some good is also a plus. But it's also a fairly standard final issue in that it's lots and lots of action and focused on Theta going toe to toe with a pretty impressive Predator to the death. There's only one outcome but it delivers a thoroughly engaging fight.

Knowing that there are just a few issues left in this run is helping me a good deal in moving through it. It's not bad per se but it's also just kind of there. Valance is less of a character at the moment because of his condition but there's not enough personality among the rest of the cast to make it work. Fett's not really a personality either as he only gains one later thanks to the TV series and it's debatable if that's really a personality. The journey forward moves along well enough here to try and save Valance but it's made mostly through constant shootouts and action among various largely faceless-like entities such as the Syndicates or just random aliens in bars. It's simple and effective but it's also, once again, largely forgettable.

Mace Windu is just that odd kind of character where I don't think enough was laid down in the original trilogy for him to work and there's a wariness among many to really dig into it. Samuel L. Jackson was an absolute delight but it's basically him in Jedi robes and it's hard to separate that on some level. Stories like this can help to move past that a bit but there's still not much here that helps to really reshape or properly expand upon the character to breathe new life into it. It's a fairly straightforward adventure that works well enough across four issues but was so by the numbers at times that the predictability makes it worse. There are some interesting ideas around the edges here with the Coaxium and all that, but introducing things as it does in the final issue with the Shroud and hinting there falls short. It felt like it needed something tangential to the High Republic era fallout to be touched upon here more than anything else and by just being this seemingly isolated th

There's a lot to like in this issue overall though some of the core things that bother me are still here. We do get a bit more breathing space when it comes to Lex and Superman which is a plus but there's a death of quality Clark time. Perhaps that happens more in a different title. I do like what we get of Lex and Superman but I was more intrigued by Silver Banshee's home life, the reveal at the end, and the truth of what Lex's first days in Metropolis are like. Most villains see themselves as the hero and there's likely some truth to what happened but you get the sense that it's a lot darker than what we got. It is, at least, an interesting way to re-introduce the purple and green designs in a pre-Superman era. Not that I pay much mind to timelines and continuity anymore.

Things get a bit bigger in this installment as the characters stories expand just being things that Burke is trying to use and that helps a lot. There's a wonkiness to Cygnus that still sticks but is understandable considering what he is but I'm glad that Brie gets some better time here and Cygnus' sense of deadpan humor is the best in rattling off percentages. I do admire Burke's attempt at all of this and the long game that he's playing, but everything that's happening is just how so much of his life hs worked that even he shouldn't be surprised. Strangely, you end up wanting the best for him because the potential is there to help so many.

The action itself is effective and Hal figuring out how to use his ring more has some nice moments to it as it feels like he's gaining a new confidence while still being careful of what he can do with it. It's not bad but it doesn't feel like things are as tight as they should be in the storytelling department.

With the previous arc going through pretty quickly and to big effect when it comes to Valance, this one starts to deal with the fallout. A lot of things happened between the issues since T'onga sold off the Edgehawk but it's moving quickly into its story here in a pretty good way. I'm not exactly keen to have a whole new crew to start dealing with when it comes to Khel and the rest because it's easy to just view them as disposable props, and that's never a good thing. I do like how T'onga is taking this very seriously considering the losses in her past and why she's as intense about this as she is. And that we get as many others as we do here helping out. But the lean into Fett just left me groaning a bit as the character needs a long and lengthy break from being used, especially after the TV show. Not a bad issue, not a great issue, but one that propels us into the “Save Valance” storyline pretty well.

This is a pretty straightforward story that's well-executed with good artwork that captures the intent well. It's narration heavy by design and Russell captures it well with the former bounty hunter that's now the town doctor even though he had no experience with it before coming here. There's a nice touch of lightness in some of the dialogue and a bit of gallows humor as well but it fits the tale. Maul himself is less a character and more just a force of events and it makes me wish that we had some post-Clone Wars stories being told for the character where there's a lot more nuance to work with and story material with his takeover of various Syndicates and the like. This is pretty basic – nicely done basic – but nothing that will be too memorable in the long run. It's great in the moment and the red execution works well throughout.

Jango Fett moves along competently enough here but the book is still just lacking in a certain juice to make it work. It still feels fairly by the numbers and leans on some connections more than I'd care for, though I know that's the bread and butter for many people to enjoy these things. Everything moves into place well for the finale here as some of the truth is revealed and it's just a matter of the fallout and survival, which is largely a given since we're mostly playing with characters that exist for years to come. It's fun in a light way, the artwork is enjoyable, and it engages with some fun aliens as well. But it's not something that feels like it's standing out in any way and is just part of the larger wall of material.

While I think things could be slowed down a bit more and some time spent on the quieter moments and some of the creepier moments of what was going on with all the Parasites, the story moves at a quick clip and gets things done. Some of it feels like it's just glossing over elements to get to the intend point and it's lightly frustrating because I still have “distorted” memories of comics from decades ago where there'd be more panels, more dialogue, and more non-powered/action material. We do get some time with Clark and Lois and the family but it was just a background piece overall and not enough to really drive home the who of them and the dynamics. I'm hopeful things get more time to breathe now that we're past the first arc and the relationship with Luthor and Supercorp is established because the book needs just a bit more humanity to it.

There's nothing surprising about it and it unfolds almost as you'd expect panel by panel but it's effective in showing what the Syndicate is now like and how much has changed since the start of the series. Still not my favorite part by any stretch but it's effective in getting things done.

The Phase III storyline here has some interesting bits when it comes to the Occlusion Zone and how the Nihil are operating but it's also feeling just kind of off to me when it comes to the characters. We've had a lot of comics dealing with Jedi that aren't tied strongly to the Order itself and it's just a vibe that feels far too common overall and it's diluting the experience a bit to me. Revisiting Eridau is just kind of weird considering the future-history that it has and seeing so many happy times here knowing that this is where some favorite characters die in the future makes for some complicated feelings about it. Mostly, I just haven't latched onto the larger story that's being told in this phase through these comics so it feels a bit loose and ill-defined, which makes for a frustrating experience.

I'm a bit more split on this issue than the first one because of how Drewen operates here but pretty much everything with Ty works a lot better – though not completely. The bigger story elements are still a bit week with what's going on here but we're getting a better handle on Ty which is important. Klo has some good moments as well but Drewen just paints themselves into an obvious corner with only one real route to escape from in the coming issues. It is, unfortunately, just too predictable and the trappings are working against it rather than helping it. The High Republic can do both more mature stories and younger-oriented stories well, but combining the two leads to a friction that just frustrates.

Superman's opening issue was a busy bit overall but it worked despite that. This issue feels a bit tighter and flows better but it also introduces some sort of character that appears to be called Marilyn Moonlight that's got a bit of a Shadow flair about them combined with some cowboy/Zorro stuff. It's unclear where they're going with this but it's just another piece of the puzzle at this point to be solved. The main stuff with Superman is solid, I'm curious about this Secret Order of Mad Scientists, and the whole bit with Parasite was a nice change of pace from the usual design of the character and his powers. Even Lex is impressed, but that's easy to do when you're able to write the character to be impressed with your idea as the writer. Still, a solid issue that's giving me some hope for a good series.

Making it past the halfway mark of the limited series means I'm in tor the full run but each issue just makes it more frustrating as it goes along. I haven't been able to connect with Galaxy at all as her story is almost like it's bolted onto Kendra's and Kendra's story hasn't had any real progress at all since the first issue. It's just a bit of a mess of things going on. This one manages to stand out with some good dialogue, great artwork, and guest appearances that helps a lot, but it also highlights the problematic areas even more because of how Vulpecula figures into the story with the two leads that just took me right out of it all.

The devil's in the details and the offer being made to Bruce is definitely going to be full of that. There's a lot going on in this issue and it is a smart use of Man-Thing overall as even just its presence works well to create a certain mood and atmosphere. The material with Hulk works very well since you unedstand his desire to just be left alone but also that there may be enough to make him want to get involved just to smash it all down. The material with Betty is hard to watch but that transformation sequence from Hulk to Bruce is just horrifying to watch unfold. I won't forget that soon.

Sainted Love spends a good number of pages on some very solid action between its cast as the sexual side of it is just as important as everything else. And it's handled well with some very fun sequences but also a revelation from John along the way as he's learned more about himself as well, such as that he's bisexual. This creates an interesting conflict of sorts between the two of them as Malcolm isn't sure why he struggles with this but it works well to show how the two can strengthen their bonds together. It's a pretty fun issue and accomplishes a lot and comes up with some neat designs and ideas, but I just keep hoping it'll take a chance and breathe a bit more.

I've really enjoyed the Scarlet Witch series overall and this issue reminds me why it was filled with so much potential and delivered on a lot of it with a good chunk of its run so far. The standalone aspect, the playing in the big picture area with small moments, and the character dynamics all made for great reads. With the strong artwork design as well, and the way it played with fascinating areas in unconventional ways, the series highlights all that makes it good here with the montage element of so many stories. But it's bittersweet because these stories won't get told in full and the connection to these characters falls short because of that. I'm curious to see how they wrap it all up in the next issue but also frustrated since the follow-up series is designed in a way that makes me not want to read it.

The Bad Batch is a cast of characters that really became important to me over the course of their series, which I did not expect, so I'm glad to see them get a bit of love in comic form as they've not had a lot of attention there. Or in other media as they basically exist within their show and that's largely it at this point. This story is pretty straightforward and a touch goofy at times with the droids as we see them here but it also fits both into the movies of the period and the Clone Wars era itself as it swings between deadly serious and fairly goofy. It's a fun story with a good amount of dialogue and action so that it doesn't feel like it just whizzes by. Definitely more fun than I expected.

There is a lot going on in this issue as we get more of the monsters rising to claim the title of god of monsters and they all have an agenda that doesn't go with the other.

You can feel all the events coming together and some pieces that have been laid out for a long time activating in a new way because of the way the varied cast is interacting. It's not exactly too big but it also doesn't have something where you've known these characters for years and years and read so many stories about them that you're so connected. But it's effective in managing this and creating a good sense of drama and tension as the end of everything is almost here and they all react in ways that are honest and natural. I loved seeing how the situation with Gail gets handled and just the way the kids in general are dealing with this as all the secrets of the adults are finally being laid bare and nobody is ready to handle it. Some solid stuff that has me eager to see more of hoe the end is really going to play out.

The first of three issues, Giant Robot Hellboy is exactly what it says it's going to be. Fegredo does a great job of establishing the visuals for this book and the time in London from the abduction to the lab and all the costume design is fantastic. The colors are great and there's just so many neat details to linger on throughout these sequences. The island side itself is solid and fun enough and the semi-Evangelion-esque element of introducing Giant Robot Hellboy hits a certain sweet spot for me as well. This isn't something I'm expecting to be this massively intricate story concept kind of thing but more just a fun romp with some weird moments. It's delivering well on that and I'm excited to see what comes next.

I had fun with this run of the property overall and on top of the original work it's a good addition. The artwork is solid and the inclusion of Cherry meant we got to have some fun extra style brought into the property. I'm mixed on Cherry herself being used because it works but also just felt off, but that may have been part of the intent since it's essentially a billionaire coopting existing property for his own scheme and it's just a kludge. The core cast is fun and I'm glad to see Annie and her dude find some happiness and new normality for themselves. The rest of the cast is kind of there and I think we just need a storyline where they're all able to exist as characters and not part of some massive existence-altering storyline and the chaos that comes from it. It's still a lot of fun but I hope they think smaller next time around.

This isn't a bad issue per se and I still think Soule is handling this Dark Droids storyline pretty well with a narrow focus on Lando and his relationship to Lobot. The split that we get here in the body horror toward the end and the lighter moment in the flashback don't blend well and it just made everything off-putting – and forced the connection with Lobot as taken over by the Scourge in too blunt of a way. That really needed to be done in a previous issue and not re-referenced here to make it so clear. The artwork continues to be solid and I quite enjoy the bits we get with the Rancor here as well. It has some good tense moments that it needs to within the palace and the visual design for all the droids hits a sweet spot. But that bad blending of man and machine just makes me cringe.

This issue does a fun team-up bit with The Flash and there's obviously a very long history of that so it works well to bring them together. It scratches that kind of old-school itch in a good way to make it fun and hit the nostalgia side while being useful to the current storyline.

My frustrations aside with an all-too-common aspect of modern comics when it comes to the repeated history of the character being explored, this is a pretty solid issue. The action is good, the narrative holds everything together well with a cohesive flow to it, and it sets up for what's to come with the scale of what's happening. The gang that Randall has put together isn't the greatest but they don't get a lot of time here either as it feels like a group thing and threat more than anything else. Layla makes out well with some time highlighting her journey through this and that helps and you definitely feel for Khalil. The artwork continues to be great and it's a fun title overall even with what frustrates me.

While I continue to enjoy the artwork, especially the future sequence with Genis-Vell, I'm frustrated by the book otherwise because it's falling into the cliches all too easily. I mean, it's going to happen on some level because of how stories are told, but at the same time it feels like if it had more actually going into the structure of it that it wouldn't feel so obvious and predictable. And that's what's hurting it. The interesting moments are mostly involving Thanos and the Surfer talking and what we get out of the future Surfer more so than the actual story being told. Too many simply setup pieces that contextually shouldn't happen with such power players regardless of what's actually going on.

Coming into this storyline after it's been over and having read it elsewhere from other points of view is going to make this segment of the crossover amusing to read in the next couple of issues. This one does what it needs to in order to get things into place for it but there's not a lot of meat on the bones here. The flashback side has its moments but it's just kind of empty for part of it as it's mostly action and only gives us a small taste of what Valance was like at this point. The book generally seems to suffer from this need to be constantly in motion and moving which is keeping it from being able to spend time with its characters and let them breathe and exist. The action is good and the artwork is great but it needs something more.

There's a lot to like with this opening installment as the initial setting is interesting and not overdone, the characters are solid with plenty of room to go, and the overall design and aesthetic draws you in without being over-the-top. The story concept has a lot going for it even with how familiar it is because the execution is good and some amount of self-awareness as well so that it knows and admits some of what's going on is basically cliche. But that just opens it up to tweak things and explore some new areas and we get that with the twist toward the end that leaves things uncertain. Definitely a lot of fun and a solidly engaging read with great visuals. I'm excited to see what this team has put together in what's to come.

This book was fun enough but also reminded me why I stopped reading annuals for the most part decades ago. They have their use and can be done with some fun creativity, and this one does that, but it's also a very fast read for the cost of it. The talent involved is definitely worth it but I wish it just had a bit more meat on the bones of it since it's a dialogue-free work. It's well-executed with great designs and a sense of ferocity that comes through so it definitely scratches a particular itch.

I hate abandoning a book once I started it but I also know that when I reach a point where there's no real enjoyment left anymore it's best to move on. Earthdivers has a lot going for its concept and the two main arcs have had some great material, but the execution of it left me frustrated and wondering what the real intent with it all is. What it is that Graham Jones is trying to say with it all. If there's no greater meaning here and exploration, it just comes across as misery and continued failure. There are certainly successes in the two main arcs we've had so far but they pale next to what has gone done and aren't enough to rally around and to keep investing the time in, sadly.

Groo in the Wild continues to be fun even as it feels like it's taking its time to get to where it wants to be in regards to what King Putrio is doing and how Groo will be involved. Especially since it's just four issues total. Groo and his tough choice of eat or slay is definitely amusing and you have to feel for everyone who isn't Groo because there's just terror abound for them even knowing he's anywhere near them. The big sequence with the dam is wonderfully illustrated as expected and all the little nods and jokes throughout the book that edge in around the corners, or involve Rufferto, scratch an itch that only this book seems able to do. It's a lot of fun and I'm curious to see how it wraps it all up.

City of the Dead goes for a lot of action here and it has a kind of 80s feeling to it in a way, with Marc surviving some torture, beating the snot out of a lot of nobodies after they make some quips while playing cards, and then going for a bigger action sequence. It's busy and chaotic but it's done in a linear and clear way so that you never lose the plot and it all makes sense as more pieces of it are revealed. And in fairly quick order as well so that it's not dragged out until the very end. There's a satisfying element to all of it as it unfolds with sharp writing, good narration, and strong artwork to keep it all cohesive. Definitely continues to be a solid project that manages its ties-ins to other works effectively as well.

I have a lot of affection for this character over the decades and am always glad to see a new series for her. Leah Williams covers a lot of ground in this opener and that's a packed and familiar thing so I'm more curious as to what the next few issues will be like. I want to see this virus storyline and where it can unfold but I mostly just want to see more time with Paige and Omen together and throw in some fun with Streaky as well. It's a solidly launched title that does everything it needs to and hints at what it can be if it gets the time to do so, so I'm hopeful we'll get there.

While there aren't any great big plot points going on here, we get the continued arc of Vader realizing more of his past and who was involved in shaping it being realized and the flashbacks handle it well. They're powerful moments in the small sense but deliver an intriguing sequence of events as you try to parse how Vader is interpreting them himself. The bulk of the issue is all about the action and with Zed under the control of the Scourage it comes across quite well with so many good moments as the fight unfolds. I continue to just delight in watching how Ienco handles the movement and design of Vader as there's just something so powerful about it that works in a very distinctive way.

I'm very curious to see where this series is going to go in exploring what events fall out from the destruction of the Starlight Beacon. You can see familiar threads to the Clone Wars era easily enough but there are different things at work here that will impact it. Just the scale alone and the way that the enemy is so much more known. Soule's script is solidly done with a lot of dialogue and exposition to help fill in some of the blanks but also enough space in the back half to allow it to breathe. Roberson's artwork captures things well and it has the familiar cohesive look that most of the Star Wars books do and that makes for an engaging reading experience.

The second round of Alpha Flight works pretty well as it's trying to juggle a lot of things and handling it better than I expected. I still avoid most of the mutant books for a lot of reasons but this one is adjacent enough in a way that works without becoming too involved in all the complications there. Brisson has a lot of small things going here and hopefully each of the subplots get enough attention so that they work. Albert is the main catalyst for things at the moment but I enjoy watching how the Alpha Flight team itself is secretly split and working to help as many mutants as possible. It's a fun way to run things with the tension of wondering when they'll be found out.

There's a lot to like here and while I like Foreman's artwork it's in the vein of Klein's but has a different feel, especially with Banner himself. The story itself continues to be interesting and I'm glad we're getting mostly a slow build here as so many books just rush through things in a way that I simply don't enjoy these days. The time with Banner and Charlie works well and I'm intrigued by the larger story as we still get more to come from Man-Thing/Ted with what's really going on. The potential is there and it's laying out the stakes piece by piece.

There's a lot to like here. A lot. I'm not the biggest fan of horror material but this book opens well even if some of the general ideas are familiar ones. Pepose handles the pacing very well and as it settles on Vieri you find yourself drawn in more and more to what's going on. There are good layers of complexity it can exploit but also keep it quite personal to the characters directly Cormack's artwork is just fantastic and Justin Birch's lettering plays in some complicated panels expertly so that it adds to the tension and excitement as it unfolds. I'm really curious to see just how dark and grim this can go and what it can do if it's untethered from being truly historical and just making some real changes to the world it exists in. But even if it sticks small and behind the scenes in a sense, it sets up an exciting story to delve into that I suspect won't pull any punches.

Bunn has put together a very layered tale that draws you into the lives of a lot of characters that you want to follow almost all of them to see more of before things go crazy. That's not easy to do and so many creators fall very short in this regard. But Bunn infuses amazing life into his works with a cast like this. Hurtt and Campbell take it to a whole other level with the design and color work so that it's incredibly rich and distinctive as we get the modern tale and an array of views of different periods and types of monsters with their settings.

Black Hammer doesn't go into some really big fights or huge moments here as the biggest moment is the reveal at the very end that's just a bit of text. But what this issue does is to deliver some good character material and highlight the scale of the battle ahead. More time with this cobbled-together team is intriguing but there's also the power of the argument between Lucy and Rose which showcases how Lucy has done her best to just not be involved with all of this, often for good reason, but the ripple effect of it as well. I'm not looking forward to losing more stories of these characters when this series ends but I'm enjoying the time I get to spend with them here and seeing them work through all the complications that come from everything that has happened before. Definitely exciting times ahead.

There are some fun bits along the way that touches on how Kendra's forgotten or missed out on some of the right ways to be a superhero and that comes from interacting with the locals. The small sequence at the start when she deals with the Croc Bloc gang is light and fun and I appreciated the street-level element that we get. The stuff with Galaxy and Batman is fun and just acknowledging the Corgi delivers as it should. The book has all kinds of potential but it feels like it leans in an area that's just tiring and that the execution is keeping it from achieving what it needs to.

I had a lot of fun with this book though I'll admit I wish we had more time and setting take place in 1907 before it whizzed off to the future. I love the ideas within the book and what we see in the time travel element and how it'll unfold, and I think the team made it clear the relationship at play between John and Malcolm. I just wanted more of it (and Pat!) in 1907 before it got to where it goes, which is definitely fun to see play out. It's a solid title that doesn't hold back in ways most other things have over the years, or made it more “artsy” instead of just straightforward, and I'm excited to see what's in store for the cast and how they'll hopefully come out on top by the end. Time travel stories are certainly a dime a dozen but this one kicks off with a really interesting use of it and from a different perspective than normal for the characters. Definitely worth checking out.

This isn't a bad issue when you get down to it but rather one where the main story doesn't work for me. I know it's a way of bringing Bossk to the forefront since he's going to be tasked with going after Valance, but it's overlong and it's not all that exciting to watch him go through the Hunt itself. I would have preferred more time with some intrigue between Fortuna and the Banking Clan here and to dig into that and more time with the tension between Valance and Dengar that's pushed to the side too quickly. It does look good as expected with this solid art team on it, but the story just left me very cool and distant from most of it.

Fans of this era of storytelling and these characters get something that's definitely a lot of fun. Moreci handle the voice and style of them well while Brokenshire's artwork is fantastic in feeling like it's distinctive but also capturing a bit of that animation feel at times with some of its angular elements. And we get a lot going on int he backgrounds so that it doesn't feel like we're getting something simple and minimal here. The end result is a story that delivers well for fans of these characters but are also quite accessible if you've never heard of any of them or just have some passing knowledge from the recent live-action shows. It's a lot of fun with some solid pacing and good dialogue that keeps it from being a super fast read.

With this being a miniseries I usually stick with it throughout the run because, well, that's how I'm wired. The next issue isn't the finale but the events of this one make it clear that the book isn't for me. I was intrigued by the opening issue and curious where it went with the second, but it's execution in both of those and what's happened in the third and fourth installments just aren't my jam. There's a lot going on here and some neat ideas but it's throwing so much so fast so as to keep you engaged with it that it doesn't feel like it's telling a coherent story but rather a series of things happening that are loosely connected. There's a lot of potential with what's here and I really like the designs and artwork but it's just not coming together well. Perhaps it'll read better in a collected form without breaks and as a whole.

There's plenty to like here in general with what it does and that's in two ways; the time from Hal a month prior and some of his community service elements serve the character well while the time with Sinestro sets up something of a threat that may not be a threat. Where it falters is anything with Carol, though that's mostly with Hal's view toward winning her back – or stealing her away, more properly. Of course, there's agency issues in that in it'll be Carol making the choice, but Hal's view and mindset on it is just pretty terrible and doesn't make him the kind of character you want to hang out with. You mostly just want to smack him into getting his head on straight and focusing on other things. But comics do as comics do and Hal and Carol are in each others orbits forever.

Once again, it's more about just enjoying the small moments rather than the story which is frustrating since the original series did it so well in managing that. The adult material here is pretty fun and you really do just want a story with Annie and her guy since they're so fun and it would be interesting to see an Omar and Chris story where she isn't just so panicked or in trouble and just breathes a little. The science fiction elements are light touches here overall and it's more about leaning into the problematic billionaire thing on a galactic scale. Which isn't all that interesting still because of the chaos the ones in the real world continue to create, making the escapism here a bit less escapist.

I really enjoyed this series overall and I imagine those who read it collected will have a great time with it as well. It's pretty straightforward and fun action/fantasy material with a good sense of humor but also a pretty serious approach in general. It doesn't devolve into wacky but it also knows when to be lighter and more human and engaging. I do think we're going to need a good series checklist soon to show how all of this fits together for newer readers coming in but this one manages to stand alone pretty well even while knowing that thee are lot of interconnected parts from the past journeys of all of these characters. It's a great read with fun and fantastic artwork that tells its tale and gets on and ready for what's next. Easily recommended for fans of this genre and those that are just starting to sample it.

While the artwork takes a minor hit at times because there aren't a lot of backgrounds in Jotunheim, it's at least nicely creative as Loki and Wanda spar with words as it's presented like a dance for the two to engage in. And that leans into a good look that's at least balanced by the other areas where we do get some action or some more traditional pages. I like the look of the book but it's not trying to be a conventional action-oriented Marvel comic, which is in its favor. Each issue continues to be like it's own vignette and that comes through both with the story and artwork for it all. There's a good What If? story that can come from this in exploring what this pairing would be like but I'm glad it's presented as it is here and kept as a one-off thing in terms of potential as part of the verbal fight.

The book does give us a little time with a few other characters as T'onga works to bring Losha on her side to go after Nakaha's killers. It's setup more than anything else and just comes across as a distraction amid all the other things going on in this already overstuffed book, so it doesn't connect well. The main stuff with Valance in past and present is good and his new-found drive toward some form of revenge will be amusing to watch, especially as we see Dengar just thrown around again and not all that effective. At least there are a few other bounty hunters out there that do seem competent that are closing in on Valance.

The action aspect of this installment is the big draw for me here with what does because Ienco really delivers when he gets to show Vader either using the Force or just being so physical in his approach to opponents. It has the kind of impact and presence few other Jedi or Sith have been capable of having on the page and it delivers well for me. Pak keeps things moving well and allows the visuals to shine but slides enough character material in, particularly with the Imperial elements themselves, so that it has a wicked sense of humor about it. Definitely a solid issue and one that reinforces the positives of this storyline for me when it comes to the scourge or whatever it's calling itself as it seeks out the best home to operate out of. You can't do much better than Vader himself, considering its origins.

While we don't get too far in terms of any actual larger plot or story here, and I'm sure there is one, that's more than fine. I'm still of mind that we need more low-stakes books that just enjoy good character material and engage in the world with them without it being some massive threat. The low stakes make it easier to enjoy and keep it from being so intense as to take the fun out of it. And while there are serious aspects to a Fire and Ice story, they excel in lighter fare. The team here has captured a lot of this very well and has me excited to see what's next for it and how their lives in Smallville will play out. I just hope it doesn't become too big and over the top because a smaller approach works better.

I know I shouldn't read a book that involves a smash/action character when that kind of material does so little for me these days, but the team here has promised something bigger and deeper and they are delivering on it. The eldritch and ancient-style approach to the villains helps a lot to create something unique but it requires the artwork to really sell it to be effective. And Klein does that masterfully with Wilson as it's disturbing and creepy but still within the realm of Marvel. This was a good issue to see how Charlie does what she has to in order to survive, nudges the storyline forward a bit more, and gives us some time to see how Hulk handles situations that aren't exactly to his liking but can't be smashed through. Definitely good stuff.

Not knowing anything about this character from her past appearances in other works from the 19th century and present-day BPRD, it's rather freeing to read this because it's not reliant on that. Instead, it's a curious journey that does have me interested in what's to come for her and hoping there are more miniseries from this period ahead because I want to see this journey and explore those other stories. I love the journey montage bit that we get here with the panel layout and the different types of palace she visits but also the things Semi and Namrud reveal and all that their encounter and fight brings to the page. It's an intriguing story that hasn't quite clearly set its intent but draws you in quite well with all that it has done so far.

To some degree, I'm not sure what to make of this. It has some of the good and bad of days of old and even at times feels like it's right out of the 60s with how it approaches executing the story. There's an appeal to that in trying to recapture that style with a character like this but it also feels like it just moves to things out of the blue and oddly enough. This was my first experience with Genis so that didn't make too much of an impact on me but I can appreciate the idea and the way he was both reticent to do this but also tempted. I really enjoyed the artwork, especially in the trip back in time, and just the general flow and feel that we always get from Ron Lim's take on the Silver Surfer and how he moves. I'm curious to see how the second installment goes but it'll have to really get me to keep going.

While I'm still very wary of the Dark Droids storyline overall, Soule is handling it pretty well in this series as we get more of a Lando/Lobot story at the moment and the droid material is secondary. And when utilized, it's not such a big abrupt and in your face kind of thing, instead leaning toward a bit more horror and tension. The trip to Tatooine makes sense in the context of how things have unfolded but the nod to Han is awkward as hell even if it is what will be used to nudge how they deal with it in the near future. The little moments work and the lighter bits with Lando and Lobot in the past – that wig! – provide the relief the darker parts of the story needs.

The scale of this story is one that still feels like it upsets the balance of going into Return of the Jedi and that's just how my mind works in trying to place it within the context of everything. Beyond just the awkward problem of dealing with the droids but also not dealing with the droids and their issues, the core series so far hasn't done much in a way. We do see how Scourge is making active moves to secure a better position but it's a mixed one on whether it's a good idea or not. This issue isn't bad at all but against the big picture I'm just not show how it'll all shake out in the end and just how it fits into everything. It's effective and mostly done through a kind of narration and it has some great artwork, but the scale just makes me hesitate.

I enjoyed this series a lot and keeping it to five issues definitely helped because going for another round would have dragged it out with a traditional six-issue run. Some of the stuff going on in this series makes you cringe from how disturbing it is and the reasons given never feel as solid as they should, though you can understand some of the motivation. What we get with Dasha's past and story here is decent as well but felt incomplete, especially in relation to Batya's daughter and how this was all agreed upon. It's a solid story overall and one that may read better in full but is definitely worth it in general but especially for the strong artwork.

This was an absolute blast of a series from start to finish that only suffered from the delays it had. And those were worthwhile because the quality of the artwork and writing will mean that in the long run when more people see this through collections where they'll have the best experience. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the finale wraps up things neat and tidy but with enough messes around the edges so that we'll definitely come back for more whenever they decide to revisit it again. The concept is simple – just like the other non-continuity books that Taylor has worked on – but the execution is fantastic across the board. This is the kind of stuff that keeps me reading DC's books when their sprawling continuity stuff just feels like it doesn't work. Great characters, engaging and fun stories that shake things up, and great artwork. Very recommended.

The book is one that certainly does what you expect from a second installment in that it does move things forward and we do get some answers. It's a little more action-oriented than I care for – and I mean that even more in that it's just a rumble kind of thing and not something darker and mysterious as befits Moon Knight – but it's still pretty solid across the board. I like what we get from Layla and how she is certainly different now from who she was before and the dynamic between her and Marc is certainly loaded with some friction. The root cause of events is intriguing – and I'm hoping the stinger at the end with the reveal isn't the true mastermind of it all and that it's bigger than that. I'm curious to see what's next.

The gap between issues did not help at all and it took a bit for me to remember some of what was going on and to get back into the groove of it all. I still enjoy the story a lot as Tynion is capturing some of the essence of the original work in a good way while playing around some of the edges. The artwork continues to appeal in presenting this kind of Vertigo-era kind of world and that hits a sweet spot for me combined with the cover designs. I do like the story and what it's doing but the gap did some damage that makes me envious of eventual collection readers that will be able to just go through it without missing a beat and see the threads more clearly.

I wasn't expecting much going into this since I'm both decades out of date on the characters and everything that the mutant side of Marvel is doing just makes no sense to me. The unwieldy nature of what the Marvel comics universe has become makes a property like this not really make a lot of sense with sliding timelines and all that. But it was fun to reconnect, even briefly, with old favorites like Snowbird and Mac and to see another generation coming on board. Trying to wrap my head around the logistics of it all isn't easy and basically seeing more sentinel-related stuff in it doesn't exactly prove to be a draw. I do like the reveal that we get about the team toward the end as that helps to shorten some problematic areas for the group and I'm curious to see where it'll go from here.

It's laid out well with great artwork and some fantastic designs that have me eager to see what weirdness lies ahead as well. It's a solid start with so much potential in how it draws it all to a close that I'm excited and sad to see it all finally get to this point.

I want to like Hawkgirl a lot more than I am but this iteration is proving hard to connect with. The material with Vepcula has potential to it but it's playing by very old and familiar rules in how it's unfolding when there's some good drama to work with when it comes to what she's after. Kendra herself has plenty to deal with and I've even warmed up to Galaxy a bit. But there's just so much going on and no time to breathe with any of it that it just feels more like hitting marks rather than telling story at times. Kendra being as disconnected from the world as she is isn't a bad plot point but it means you have to do more to make her engaging. And this just misses the opportunities, such as when she gets to connect with her wings in a new way. This needed a lot more depth and exploration since it's a big change for the character in this iteration.

There's a good bit of fun to all of this and I'm glad to get Vader back on a ship and doing something than what he's been up to recently, as neat as the visuals of it all are. At the same time, the loss of what, 80,000 crewmembers from a ship that we're going to see in the next film in the storyline is a big shake to the continuity tree. But everything about this Dark Droids storyline is and I'm just so wary of it as we get closer to the end of storytelling in this era. Pak does a solid job of making it all work here and the artwork is great Ienco just has such a great take on Vader – especially with a staff and shield – and I love seeing more of the Executor. The flashback moments are what helped salvage a lot of this in a way as we get to see more of the slow erosion of the Sith aspects within Vader.

It's a good issue in that it works more character time and dialogue than some previous ones and the artwork is definitely age-appropriate while leaning slightly into the playful side, so it achieves its goals. But it still leaves me a bit frustrated overall that these characters with so much potential are still struggling to find a path that works.

I enjoyed this series well enough as it had some good fun to it, some really weird moments, and more time with Vix and their people, which was a treat. But it also felt like a story that needed one more issue for better pacing to tell the finale and to give it the emotional resonance it needed with the characters. What we get just feels a bit rushed and without the kind of material and time it needs to allow us to feel like it's earned material. It's not bad per se but it could have been better in that regard. It does look good and has a solid sense of fun as needed, such as the horrified looks on the faces of the Architects, but other areas – notably with Jack – just didn't click. All in all, a decent bit of fun that has me looking forward to what's next. And hopefully something a little less huge in scale.

It's a well-written issue with Soule's focus on Lando and his backstory and the artwork is once again great, but I'm filled with dread over this event.

Complaints aside, I am enjoying this overall with how both stories in terms of their scope. The time as an Imperial is interesting even if it does shoehorn in Han, which it doesn't need, while the present-day stuff is working far better for me since it's been more about Valance himself and not overwhelmed with a ton of “Name” bounty hunters. Just using Dengar and throwing a few other non-name ones in the mix works well since they're not main characters. I have grown to like Valance more than I did at the start of this series and just wish we had more downtime and a chance to just exist instead of constantly moving to more action with each page. There's a lot of good character to draw from here and you definitely want to explore that, especially since Prianto's artwork is so good.

I won't say I went in with high expectations here or low expectations as I've mostly enjoyed the other stories in this batch of one-shots. That said, it's one of the weaker ones but it avoids leaning too hard into what it wants to do here with Rebo's past, the music, and so forth. It works well by going as another point of view piece to events of the film more than anything else and it's almost cute and charming more often than not. It's got a good flow and reads well with largely fun artwork that digs into some of the smaller issues that exist in Jabba's palace. It's more fun than I thought it would be but is still going to be one of the more forgettable pieces as even though Rebo is narrating it he feels like a secondary character at best in it.

I'm still not sure what to make of this series to some degree because it's pulling from a lot of different areas. At times, it kind of reminds me more of the Preacher TV series than anything else because of its wild shifts in story perspectives and the amount of material being thrown at the reader and it's a kind of fun ride to go through all of this. It's got a distinctive look to it and the pacing it weird enough for me to want to see more of what they do. Bringing this core trio together, at least for the moment, helps to give it a bit more weight and cement it as the characters to pay attention to. Even if you can't take someone calling themselves Dracula Boy seriously.

Groo does as Groo does and that's part of the joy in all of this. The script keeps him moving forward in his own oblivious way – with Rufferto helping out from time to time – but so much of it is just the inertia if Groo looking for food or a fight. The local king has certainly done poorly in some ways with the locals but none of them seem particularly bad off – yet, at least. The changes they've made are going to lead to more problems beyond Groo but I love that Groo is the one that can see it happening and doesn't like it since he's usually just so oblivious to things. It's a good issue that keeps things moving right along as you once again sympathize with the army Groo faces but you also side with Groo more than you usually do.

Money Shot has a decent issue but sometimes, like a good chunk of the run, it's a bit too much of the Very Online world for me. And I say that as someone that's Very Online and I really don't want to inflict that on others. It's fun to see how Doug handles things here and I'm curious how Annie will handle it going forward but I'm just glad that, for at least the moment, we can put Hannah in the rearview mirror until she surfaces again as you know she will. The blending in of Cherry and her storyline next will be helpful and I'm curious to see what the bigger story percolating for a few pages here with the Covalescene will turn into as it becomes more of a main piece.

Panya's not as densely packed in this issue as it was the first one but so much of the foundation had to to be set. Watching as Panya tries to understand what's going on here, offering up her ideas but mostly being ignored, and grappling with what she's feeling is very well done. I love the pacing, the visuals, the dreaming events, and how Panya is working through it all within such a fascinating space, place, and point in time. I'm very curious as to what's next and am unsure of where it'll go but that just makes me all the more interested in it. Very intriguing across the board.

Queen of Swords does a lot of heavy lifting when it comes to Serra this time around and it definitely works well. I find her a far more engaging character now and I like the support that she's getting from La'Kandra and the way Deadheart is just all-in on “face it, fix it” with everything. The action in this installment is solid and there's a lot of things going on but the dynamic we get to see more of with Soren and Serra and understanding Soren goes a long way toward explaining a lot of other events. I'me excited to see how it all comes together for the finale and where it'll spin into next because I want to keep seeing these characters in some form and what they're going to do.

It also doesn't help that the last few pages are given over to the upcoming GODS storyline and that has Jonathan Hickman writing it. It was a jarring disconnect from the rest of the book and with me having zero interest in this event or storyline, it's just a lot of junk that wasn't interesting in the slightest or seemingly connected to anything from within this book, at least on first read. It didn't make me want to read further either. Overall, it's a middling at best installment that offers up some interesting places for it to go with Wanda and the clone of her father – and how others will take to his being there. The book looks great when it deals with Oz and all of its designs and Wanda is her usual self so there's plenty to like there, but this is a largely forgettable issue when it comes to the story itself.

There's a fair bit going on here overall and it's an active and busy book – though a lot of it is given over to dialogue as well. The cold open focusing on his time serving in the Empire with Solo felt out of place even though I know it connects to other things. It just didn't flow well as an opening or into the main story and I'd rather have had more time there. Sacks continues to do well in making Valance uninteresting and expanding our view of the bounty hunters out there, the organizations, and how it all works. It just needs a bit more time to slow things down and do some table setting – and to not rely on using the same “famous” bounty hunters constantly. It's a big galaxy out there and the reliance is understandable on many levels but Valance's book feels like it demands more original material.

I've enjoyed this series a lot because Tom Taylor handles Jon Kent the right way and in giving us a true next generation Superman. The Superman character has always evolved but this separate by it being a true next generation one has helped a lot so you can compare and contrast pretty well. I was surprised that we ended up getting more Injustice through it but it delivered well thanks to both Taylor and Henry and what they brought to the book. It's a lot of fun and I enjoyed the heck out of it, though the way it ends is such a hard end while at the same time saying “come back in a few months to see what's up next.” It just didn't make a compelling case to come back more since it's not as clear as it should be about where to find out what's next for the casual reader. All in all, definitely a fun book and enjoyable run.

There are some fun parts to this as I like seeing Bruce's struggle and getting a handle on the dynamic with his other side and how Charlie is able to just cut through a lot of things with it. The supernatural stuff is nicely done and the artwork is fantastic with it, but I wish we saw more of it done, particularly the first few pages, with smaller panels to get more done densely in order to get to the material with Bruce and Charlie quicker. It's just too decompressed for my tastes there when you can achieve some of it with something that doesn't take up so many pages. I get why it's done and it looks great, but it made for a slow reconnect with the book after the month between releases.

Dark Droids certainly has plenty of potential but with the last event landing with a thud for me and all of it getting closer to the ROTJ film moments, I'm just wary of doing something so big so close to that as it doesn't track well. I get the need in terms of story and business to interconnect things, but the droids themselves is such a minefield of potential terribleness. I do like that this book does a good montage sequence to show the different ways droids are treated and that it's a complicated situation, but the reality of the larger galactic social view on droids is clear and not likely to change anytime soon in-universe. Soule sets things up well and if I had actually liked the previous storylines with the Spark Eternal I might be more open to it, but there are just a lot of recent bad ideas that are floating into this from other works.

This has been a fun series overall in providing a look at Vader but they all keep coming back to the same thing where Vader always wins. And I get why that might either be an edict or just the way everyone writes Vader. But it closes off a lot of interesting avenues to explore in showing some real what-if style kinds of stories. The various works all had their pros and cons and it was fun to get Jason Aaron back on Vader for a bit with an extended four-part story. This issue brought in some great creators for the standalone tales and they each play out well while being their own thing. Definitely an enjoyable run as a whole that I wish took a few more chances.

This is a pretty solid standalone tale that fits into the period it wants to work well. I like the range of supporting characters and aliens that we get and it's all presented in a good way so that the story flows well but never feels like it's rushed. It knows when to focus on the action and when to spend its time on exposition and character material. I'm definitely enjoying the way Mon Mothma is getting a new look from writers with how to utilize her in stories and the scale they can play with, big and small. This isn't a story that will change anyone's view on things but it fits in well with how so much happens in the days before a decisive battle and how many ways it can spiral out of control.

The Yoda series has been a lot of fun overall because it wasn't trying to do a real ten-issue storyline but some variable shorter works with their own pacing structure.

The setup and execution here is solid all around and it covers the necessary bases while doing it with style. As is the case with most books like this, it has to satisfy both new readers and old fans so there's a lot of familiar narration or flashback material that's blended in to help with that and it can be tiring but necessary. Once beyond that, there's a lot to like with how it plays out as Pepose captures a solid voice for Marc in both his forms and I really love the visuals for the city itself once they cross over. The only thing is that it's just doing so much so fast that the pacing left me with a bit of whiplash as it has to try and provide enough hooks to keep you coming back, which I understand. But it's frustrating to be stuck in this cycle sometimes as it can take a great work and bring it down a bit.

This review was done with a review copy provided by the publisher. We are grateful for their continued support.

The book feels like it's expanding quickly on the concept to hit a lot of points rather than be something that feels like it's moving naturally in how it grows. I do like the visuals and designs for the book and it flows really well with some great colors and a good sense of presence, space, and just engagement as a reader. The stories are interesting as well but this is an expansion piece that just drops us into several different areas and something about it just doesn't feel cohesive yet after spending nearly all the first issue with just Chaos himself. I'm still curious as to where it'll all go but now the book feels a bit more like work than enjoyment.

This Alien series continues to be pretty solid all around but it takes some odd turns here that are a little squirmy for me while also leaning into some tropes of the property that I wish it had avoided. The threat of the xenomorphs continues to be nicely done here and I like the setting and scale of events as well. The family drama is handled well enough but it keeps coming back to the point where Zasha's mother is just unlikable in general and everything she does or has done seemingly makes things worse for everyone around her. It's a got a solid look throughout and I continue to like the character designs and especially the color work as it's not mired in heavy dark colors. That allows the truly tense sequences to feel even more so since you can see so much of it as it gets overpowering.

This issue again looks fantastic as Burchielli has a lot of great details and layouts here to make the whole thing work, especially with the color design from Lafuente. It's mostly done in darker periods and that makes for some great shades of blue to be utilized, and a lot of earthen tones, so there's plenty to enjoy with the artwork side of it all. The story is one that I'm quite interested in as well but the execution is keeping it from working for me. It's just too chaotic and without enough of a centered foundation to make it work. We know so little about Tawny overall and we're tossed from set piece to set piece with the story that it doesn't feel like it's meaningful. It's a great concept but it's just not being followed through as well as it needs to be.

Everything in Hawkgirl is competently done and it provides a lot of information but it doesn't feel like it sets us up well with our leading character. It's just so busy and packed with things that it's like the first episode of a show with a lot of CG that's trying to get all of its models built for the whole series at once. There's even a friendship reconnect that almost turns into a date of sorts in the mix as well. Readers get a feel for all the various parts of Kendra's life but we don't get to see Kendra actually living here all that much. There's no breather and that's before even talking about the pages involving the ostensible villain making their move out of sight. It's not bad but it's just familiar and doesn't do anything to really say exactly what it wants to be. It's every familiar setup piece laid out predictably so with solid artwork and layouts to carry it forward.

Scarlet Witch has an okay kind of issue here as I'm not connected much to the characters involved, it feels like a dangling plot being dealt with, and the artwork wasn't up to what I expected from the series.

I'm hopeful for the Dark Droids storyline because I do enjoy my murderbots and have since they were first introduced, but, well, Star Wars and droids is what it is. I did enjoy aspects of this issue as seeing how Aphra navigates being around Vader again and the way Ochi recognizes it and uses it to his advantage and all, and Vader himself is kind of minimal when you get down to it because it's focused more on the action than anything else. The droid material takes up the bulk of it and it's fun to see all the designs and different types which lets Ienco really cut loose and have fun, especially when we get to draw on some that haven't appeared in quite some time. It's not a bad issue but my general wariness of this setup for what's to come is just leaving me feeling a bit cringey about it all.

I know to go into this series with a certain set of expectations because it's aimed at a younger audience but not too young. So we get some odd messages mixed into the whole thing and focusing on Greedo and Jabba for it is certainly a choice. I'm glad we don't get any of the main characters here to mix into things but Greedo, a character I've liked from the film since a kid, definitely is green here and taken advantage of. The script works well and is a bit more dense than one might expect while the artwork does a good job of being just stylized enough to not be the same as everything else but not wildly out of place either. A fun little romp that may change your view of Greedo.

I wasn't sure what to expect going into this series but that it became an Injustice project just makes me laugh and laugh. I love those books and playing in this world, even a different version of it, makes me smile because of the things it can do. Jon's doing well in handling all of this and trying to find the right way to help things but only after he listens and works to understand what's happened here. It's not just fights and misunderstandings but rather an exploration to figure out the why of it and how to help change the course. Taylor's script works some fun little bits here and there and the nods to the original are wonderful to have. Henry's always been a great artist and projects like this with sprawling casts definitely work in their favor, so it's a fun and dynamic book as we get some executions set up for the next installment. We'll be there for that.

I enjoyed this series a lot as it was able to work into some material from the very earliest of days of the Fantastic Four. It did feel like the Surfer was a secondary character – at best – at times but it was a good way to utilize him in this context and to add a little more to his larger story and connections. Al and his situation is certainly intriguing and getting as much as we did with the Stranger – and showing a path forward to something truly interesting with what he, Sombra, and the others can tap into – is worth exploring. It was a solidly written book throughout that may have ended a bit familiar but the characters made it all stand out and I hope this team is able to mess with it all again in the future since there's so much that can be done with it all.

It's a solid-looking book as Di Vito does a good job with the designs and capturing the action with some strong layouts, but they deserved a better and more involved multi-part story to work with.

The alternate takes on the world of Vader and what he's capable of is pretty fun to watch here if you don't take it too seriously. But that's part of how you have to handle Star Wars comics in general with how much is packed into the timeline for the core characters. Vader's gout some fun stories here as we see the wild power levels at play and it's certainly enjoyable to watch with some creative situations and a sense of anything goes. All three stories deliver well in utilizing the format with the color design and black and white elements to give it an additional hook without overplaying it and I think I like the third one the most just for the way it unfolds and the narration that clicks. Good stuff all around, however.

The Yoda series has been a lot of fun overall as it's managed to be kind of low-stakes but has fit in well with the big-picture events going on. The framing elements have not been my favorite overall but it looks like it's set up to go into the finale well so that we understand more of how Yoda came to get involved, even lightly and begrudgingly, when it comes to Luke. This issue wraps things up well with the Megadroid and it's got some good action and another moment that helps to cement Anakin as an ace of a starfighter pilot. It's well-written with enjoyable dialogue and interplay between the two and Miracolo's artwork, as always, just delights with the expressions and layouts.

Decades of Groo and I can't get enough. I continue to enjoy the simple pleasures that is this property and the team that brings it all together. It's a lot of fun to watch as Groo is seemingly inquisitive and curious about the village he's come to since it's changed so much and that makes for a lot of good silly moments as the villagers try to protect everything. The writing does some fun play on words and events and captures the panic of the locals and gives such great voice to Rufferto. And yes, Aragones continues to deliver some great stuff with so much going on that it's easy to get distracted by so many panels and what they're doing in them. Good clean fun.

This series has been pretty fun overall and I like that we basically got two different storylines of different lengths across it. This second story was a bit shorter and felt a little more unfocused overall but it set up things nicely when it comes to Anastasia and Hellboy as well as what they'll be facing down the line as well. I definitely enjoy the way these two interact with each other and how they flirt and engage in everything so there's a lot to like with it which helps to balance the slightly less interesting story. Hellboy's nods toward his past marriage was also an amusing bit just in how it's presented. The book once again looks great as I expected as Smith and O'Halloran deliver consistently throughout the run and it's good fun overall.

There's a lot going on in this installment as we get to the halfway mark but it is also hitting plenty of familiar points. The marines are getting knocked around but are ready to go all-in on defeating the xenomorphs. The corporate guy is going to make things worse through both action and inaction, and we see how Batya's attempts at getting leverage are just going to get them possibly killed sooner. There's plenty to like here as it's well-executed, but it's also wonderfully illustrated with some great tension and forward momentum that works very well. The color design and detail all bind it together beautifully and makes you crave more.

Unfortunately, this proves to be a jumping-off point for me pretty easily. The first reason is that the book doesn't come back until September as we get two issues spinning off into the Knight Terrors summer event, which totally smacks the progress of this book in the face completely. The other is that the backup story with John Stewart just doesn't grab me and that combined with liking Hal less and less with each panel means I'm not getting much out of the book. I do have a love of Green Lantern overall and I know Hal is a problematic character – always has been – but it just feels even worse in this instance and so many other things make the book feel like work more than anything else. There are a lot of neat bits but it's hard to feel like it's worth investing in when just two issues into it you find yourself caught up in a 45-series/90-book crossover event. I just don't have it in me for that kind of thing anymore.

Well, breathe a little. I do wish we had more time to follow just Bruce trying to manage his control and at the same time to see more of Charlie and her home life before getting to the great escape. It feels too soon to introduce those that are hunting Bruce, though I understand why, as the prologue is all that I think should have been included here. Honestly, I just wanted more time of seeing gloomy and creepy material from Klein focusing on Bruce, his dreams, and this interpretation of Kentucky at night. Kennedy does a good job of establishing everything and nothing is done poorly here at all, it's quite engaging. I just wanted more space so that it didn't feel so rushed and intense, especially after the prologue set the stage so well and time for new readers to connect with how Bruce is in this state.

Lando has had some good stories in the comics over the last few years, from the first miniseries that was a real blast to the recent turn with him and Holdo hooking up. Watching him and Chewie trying to get the plans is fun and it's the light kind of adventure that you want for a one-shot and one where I expect the main storyline done in the main series will be a bit more detailed and complicated. I didn't go into this expecting Andor or anything but what I got was good Star Wars fun with a solid script and some great artwork. It's the kind of little details that I enjoyed in this sprawling adventure.

There was a lot to like with this series overall and clocking it in at five issues was the right choice. It didn't overstay its welcome but it wasn't too short so that everything felt rushed either. This was a good chance to expand on the larger universe in this era without constantly recycling the Name Characters. Sana's certainly fun and getting to see her family means more characters to play with in the future as well. The book wraps up nicely and provides for more backstory to deal with and places for it to go in the future. Ireland definitely had a welcome change in tone and approach from the regular books in terms of pacing and style and Perez's artwork was fantastic across the board, from characters to setting and to the ships themselves. It's definitely a solidly strong book that I hope more people discover as it's collected over the years to come.

The addition of Thessaly at the end isn't a surprise, obviously, and I'm glad to see them back in action again. What makes me a bit wary is that they're getting a spinoff issue next and we'll get a skip month for this series so we can come back together and move forward with the storyline with that knowledge. I'm not sure why it isn't just getting slotted within this run itself if it's going to be integral to understanding what they've been up to. Either way, this installment here is pretty solid and I'm interested to see more of what's unfolding and how badly it's going to go because of the players involved. Any scene involving Kells just feels heartbreaking at this point and I imagine it's only going to get worse before it gets better.

Blue Book was a welcome change of pace from a lot of other books I'd been reading from Dark Horse recently. It's a solid and small story with some personal flair to it for the characters and it was done with gorgeous artwork and color design to make it stand out all the more. And to be thematic in a fun way as well. I kind of dread the usual mini-glut of black, white, and red books we get these days but there are areas where doing specific single-color work can be a big plus and enhance the story. The artwork for this was able to do that thanks to Oeming's talent here as it all comes together wonderfully. This is going to be a book I hope more people discover in trade form over the next few years and find something wonderful within for this genre.

Aphra was one of the best things to come out of the original Vader series and when the two are together it works well. Greg Pak knows how to write her pretty well when it comes to playing against Vader but also in how to manipulate Ochi and survive. The dynamic here works well because she knows she's got a sliver of a chance to survive this and is using everything she can and has done in the past to survive. It also helps that Ienco is back on the art duties as I love their take on Vader in how he moves and walks as well as Ochi in the blocky elements of his design. Aphra hits a sweet spot as well and the whole book just comes together so well that I'm excited for what's next after some of the problems of the recent Hidden Empire storyline and its fallout.

I liked the concept as introduced in the first issue of this series but there are so many things working against this that I basically hope that it works better for anyone that picks it up in trade form or reads it one complete sitting. I had to look up to see if this was a title I had reviewed previously because of the length of the gap and then see how much came back as I got into it. It's got its moments and I enjoy the artwork, but some of the structure and pacing feels like it's hamstrung by coming to a close in the next installment and trying to find a way to do that. Simply not enough time to make it all work without leaving sizable gaps in establishing its world.

This is a pretty good issue that works on exploring more of the setting and relationships that exist so Jon can understand this world more. I do understand his need to try and help and fix things here and it is part of superhero stuff in general, but at the same time, it's like, you want to fundamentally change a world. That's not exactly the best thing to do based on a couple of days of understanding. He does at least work at it by asking questions more than anything else and isn't trying to start a conflict because you can see how he just wants to talk to the Superman of this world and try to change his mind. It's a solid setup with some mild complications brought in that work well. This issue was also a lot of fun since it has Robertson and Rapmund on the artwork and they were one of my favorite pairings during the old digital-first days with the weekly books.

Chicken Devils is inching closer to that finale and it's taking a long time to get there. The first issue came out back in October and it's been a long slog for the five issues – with one more issue still to come from that five. This one does the heavy liting to setup for it but that means it gets bogged down in some of the dialogue and putting everyone in the right place for what's to come. It's not bad and we do get a fun action sequence to it, but the character-driven aspect of it slows down events overall when you just want to get to the fireworks factory. It continues to read well and look great so it's a fun experience, one that I again believe will work better when read in full.

This issue has a lot of things going on and it reads great and looks great. I love watching the dynamics of the characters in this setting and configuration and the way we get real change, real honesty, and follow-through on events to give it all weight. This has been a strong series since the start and I'm hopeful it can stick the landing with all that it has to get done and all the characters it has to service – in both big and small ways. It's a good setup for the finale and leaves me wanting to see just how bad it can go for some and what twists and turns might come from it (and potential spinoff material as well1).

I skipped a bunch of the Return of the Jedi books as they came out as I was feeling a bit overloaded but they're definitely fun one-shots to check out to add some additional color around events and the lead-up to it. Focus on some of what was going on with Endor ahead of the film is definitely fun, especially as it leans into more Andor-like material with how the Empire has taken over businesses and essentially conscripted its employees. It's a solid book with some great character work from Jody Houser as always. Jethro Morales gives us some of the beauty of Endor itself but also makes clear the oppressive and confining nature of the Empire and its facilities as well. Definitely solidly done and some nice callbacks that work really well for me.

I put off getting to this issue for a while because, well, Ewoks. It's not that I'm against them or anything but I'm wary of anyone telling good stories with it. And that this is an anthology just makes it all the harder because you're not able to invest any time with anyone. Even a full single-issue story would allow for more connection. The stories here are interesting with only one of them not to my liking but they're simple and not much more than that. I thoroughly enjoyed the artwork for most of them, and doing a black/white/red installment was a surprise that worked out well, but there's not much here that's going to be memorable overall. It has its moments, however, and for the deep-cut fans this might be worth just knowing about.

I've been enjoying this series overall and the different aspects of it that we've gotten across time, but this one hits a sweet spot for me. The time period works well but I'm especially enjoying watching how Anakin and Yoda play off each other and the way they approach situations. Yoda's measured response comes from a lot of time and experience but he also knows to trust in the Force and it is incredibly strong with Anakin and there has to be a reason for that. While Anakin lacks the extent of experience he's got a lot from the war so far and the two together have an interesting way of operating. It's a good read with what feels like the right level of Star Wars quips along the way without being overdone. And it again looks fantastic with some great designs and layouts and a strong color work that makes it engaging across all the locales. I'm excited to see what's next.

Barbarella takes an unexpected turn here but considering the Architects themselves and the scale of their plans, is it a surprise? Barbarella's able to help “birth” another universe into existence and that's pretty on track for her so it's easy to enjoy that in its basic form. The book does some fun stuff with it after it deals with the ethical issues of a hologram interrogating another species, but what's ethics at this point in a book like this? It's just doing its own strange thing with a lot of strange characters and having fun doing so. It's a solid installment as part of this run and I'm curious to see how it all wraps up and what it sets the stage for next.

An intriguing and slow-paced piece that focuses on dialogue and engagement over action, making me quite happy.

This installment worked for me similar to the previous one in that it helped by simplifying the cast and focusing on just a few players. Valance and Cadeliah come across well here and you get a solid feel for them. Vukorah needs more development but at least their goals and intent are easy to process. And getting more time with some bounty hunters who I had a ton of fun playtime with when I had the action figures in the early 80s just makes me smile. It's a solid installment with really enjoyable artwork that captures my imagination well.

The familiar setup and movements of this is something that's just baked into an Alien property to some degree but it's the execution that sets it apart. The team here is making for a really good experience in watching it unfold, wanting to know more of what some of the secrets going on here are about, and just how bad it's going to get before it comes to a close. The xenomorphs look fantastic here in their movement and design and the color work on the series continues to stand out. I love all the details and the flow of the panels and story so that it builds the tension and hits some jolting moments as well, even if you know they're coming. I'm not hugely connected to any of the characters but there's a lot to keep you engaged with it, especially with solid dialogue that doesn't feel like it's written so simply as to be amateurish.

Barbaric continues to be a hell of a blast to read with what it does. The story is fun, the artwork is fantastic, and it continues to progress and change with each iteration with what it's trying to do. I like breaking it into smaller parts since longer ongoing books are harder to sustain and this makes it work in a clear and strong fashion. The finale for this arc provides for a lot of changes, a lot of humor, and some pretty exciting violence to unfold. I'm looking forward to seeing more of everyone's stories going forward and am glad to see where Owen is going to be at this point and what's in store for him. This property is an absolute delight that I cannot get enough of.

We've had some good installments with the series looking at particular characters as you'd expect and this was a solid one for Fred. He's been the quietest yet most accessible of the characters for me as a kind of plugger character and I have such a distinctive voice of Sam Elliott in my head for him that I can't help but to want to see him succeed. This issue does good by him while showing more weirdness in the world that comes from these out-of-the-way places and how certain paranormal things just become the norm and are accepted. Well-written and beautifully illustrated and colored, another strong installment.

There's a lot of exposition in this installment and it's pretty good all-around, but you have to settle in for it. And I'm glad for it because so many books are just so breezy in what they do and how they explain things. The lore that we get here is interesting, if taken with a grain of salt, and understanding the history of the world fascinates me as presented. But we also get some really good stuff that explores who and what Neth is and has been through and I like knowing that a whole lot. Zanzi comes across pretty well at the same time by her insistence on trying to save her but grappling with the way she's so focused on getting home and hating that she's gotten caught up in caring for Neth. You can see some of the po ssible angles that this will go and I'm definitely curious to see what it'll do.

Part of me does want to get back to the simpler times of the weird aliens and situations and some of the exploratory elements of it. I do like the weirdness and fun of the parodies here and the bigger look at corporate control that's unfolding, and some of the other pieces of it as well. But I also want to get more into some of the characters and their issues and encounters and just trawling through a lot of worlds. I'm definitely curious to see what's next with it and am definitely enjoying it as it's not just doing the same thing over and over though I think it could succeed on that front pretty easily too.

There's a lot going on in this issue and I wish we had a couple more instead of just one ahead so that some of this could have been dug into more. The way people reacted to learning of the missing day events is brutal and you feel it but I wanted to see more of what they went through than how it was presented. Al's angry talk about what happened to him with the Stranger is great and his response is weirdly off-putting because of the history of the character, but it fits. I really enjoy what this book is doing and how much of a throwback it is in a way while combined with some fantastic artwork. It's great to watch these characters exist and do things when they're tied to an almost throwaway story from so long ago as it unearths another corner of the Marvel universe.

I really had a hard time with this series when I first started reading it and this issue is one that felt like it worked a lot better than what had come before. Enough so that I'm hopeful that the next arc with Valance will function better for me and I can keep up with it instead of it feeling like a chore. This issue didn't feel like a chore and that was a big plus for me, as was cleaning out the cast a bit and thinning it down just a touch. I like Valance in general as he reminds me of some classic 80s Marvel kinds of characters and now that he's got the stand-in dad thing going on with a subplot for Cadeliah that feels like it could be fun, the pieces are in place. It just depends on what's added and how it's executed.

While not quite as strong as the first two issues, and Jack still rubs me the wrong way, this series continues to be a weird and fun ride with what it's up to. All set against a crazy big backdrop of what the Architects have done and are planning to do. It continues to be interesting overall and we get some fun stuff with the way Barbarella handles the local tough guys that are guarding the place as well. At this point, there are plenty of unanswered questions and nobody is coming across well overall, well, outside of Barbarella. But I'm curious to see what'll happen next and what surprises are in store.

Quests Aside was a fun series that delved into a cute fantasy setting to play with some amusing bits. Structurally, it's pretty familiar but the execution didn't always work early on and some of the pacing was just a bit weird. But the characters grow on you quickly and how can you not want to see a group of plucky bar friends not survive and keep their bar for another day of drinking and sexytimes? It's the kind of property that I wish we had more of because it's not all about world-ending chaos or big fighting events. It builds to a good end here and knows how to cap it off just right.

Anthology books are always going to be pretty variable but the draw is in the character and/or concept and seeing how it can be reworked. Vader has had a lot of stories over the decades and there's plenty of hit or miss to be sure. The main story is one that continues to unfold pretty well as it looks into the legacy of what built Vader and what comes from it. Pepose's story is pretty solid if familiar while Ying's story is the weakest for me but had the most potential to explore by showing the way Vader and power can inspire people to dark places. It just didn't hit what it needed to with the original characters for it to engage, especially as Vader's presence was so minimal. Still, a solid installment overall with this issue and has me looking forward to more standalone pieces and more of Jason Aaron's storyline.

This High Republic series had me quite interested in it from the start by looking at Jedha at this time, the various factions, and a worn down Jedi just trying to live life for a bit without anything to cause him serious problems after all that he'd seen. What we got didn't deliver on some of the promise of it or the things I had hoped for but it had some decent fun along the way and expanded on this era decently enough to make me more interested in it and some of the players. I'm definitely game for another round to see more of what Vildar, Tey, and Matty can get up to and to explore some of them more, especially with Matty and digging into Vildar's past a bit more. It's a solid enough piece overall that will certainly appeal to High Republic era fans.

With a lot of Alien comics read in my background, I'm always keen for another one to see what can be done. The team here is operating at peak performance with a strong script, a strong setup, and fantastic artwork. The result is a book that reads extremely well for both new and old fans alike as you want to see how it's going to unfold this time. I mean, we know it's going to have a lot of bad things happen but we're already well-invested in the family, we get a good setup with the location and the arrival of the marines, and the tension is elevated just right with what Zasha is doing. I'm excited to see if it can build on this energy moving forward.

The original arc was one that start off strong for me but ended up not working the further along it went, both in the past and present for it. That's going to take a bit to shake off but this arc is off to a promising start with its focus primarily on Tawny as she's in full survival mode. It's a solid journey as she struggles with being in this period while piercing together what she knows of it and the events playing out around her. It's not too detailed at the moment in terms of story but that's balanced well by some great artwork that definitely carries the mood and tone, even if it is all pretty bleak and grim at the moment. I'm curious to see if they can move things forward in the bigger sense and what the real intent of this storyline will be since the series opener went quite big in concept.

Blue Book is doing something that's not easy in that it's trying to do something new along the way with something that's familiar. A lot of what makes this work are Betty and Barney and how they're approaching all of this and the fantastic artwork that we get from it. With this issue, we get to peek behind the curtain as to what happened on the ship in a big way, if it actually happened and is a real event in-book, and it's fascinating to watch because you have to make so many leaps for it to have happened that way. There are a lot of things to like in this issue and I'm excited to see how Betty processes re-learning what she went through and how it impacts events going forward for not just her but Barney and everyone else.

End After End has definitely been a lot of fun in its first six issues and it's sprawling into some interesting new territory here. I like that things feel like it's all come together better as we step away from the war proper and the slog of the fight a bit and dig into Walt trying to be proactive. There are things afoot and he's obviously going to be a key player in it but I'm enjoying the way we're starting to see more of how this place works in general and the kinds of alliances and strange bedfellows that exist. Haven isn't an unfamiliar concept as presented here but things like the councilmembers are going to make it thoroughly engaging.

There's a lot of movement throughout this issue as we get to a number of places, interact with some name characters, and have a full arc of sorts for Ventress. It's definitely an all-ages book so it's light and aimed at the kind of messages you'd expect from it but it does it in a way that works by reminding us who Ventress is and that she isn't just your average person. There are some fun if brief action sequences but I just enjoyed seeing some good pacing and ideas at play here that had the right lighter look and tone to tie it all together with. Ventress doesn't get a lot of new material these days from what I can see so it's a nice touching point for fans to get a little more.

While certain elements of this series have not won me over as it doesn't feel like it was fleshed out enough for new readers, there's still a whole lot in this run that I like. This issue keeps things more narrowly focused on Tey and Vildar and what they're facing in the vault and that helps a lot. The brief time we get elsewhere doesn't add much and mostly just remind us that action is happening there. Tey's attempts at fighting and doing the right thing unfold well, even if he gets a taste of darker power, and it's definitely interesting to see someone like Vildar just absolutely lose it. Solid stuff all around with great-looking artwork that delivers.

The Vigil certainly has plenty of potential and it scratches a particular itch of mine that DC has long done well. I grew up on a bunch of these kinds of projects in the 80s and 90s such as what we saw with early Checkmate and Suicide Squad books, so there's a lot that they can do things with here. It just depends on whether it charts its own path and has a solid enough audience to sustain it or if it ends up getting hobbled by crossovers and cameos that feel forced. I like the cast with what little we get to know here and the concept works, as design the first blush round of design and costuming. I'm curious to see what it'll do going forward with the next couple of issues and how it wants to define itself because the team working on it is definitely strong.

I'm still on board with the core concept that launched the series but the book has left me unsure of what it is that it's trying to say at this point, if anything. The basics are all here and it's mostly that corporations suck, but that's been the stock in trade for science fiction going back to the 1940s so there isn't anything new there. The “twist” toward the end that Carolina runs into is one that has you questioning what we learned early on and how so much of all this has worked for as many years as it has and you have to imagine that it might not hold up to more intense scrutiny to figure it out. It's still fun in a kind of wonky anything-goes way – what with a vehicle that looks like the cyber truck spiraling across Mars – but it doesn't keep you engaged for the long haul.

With a pretty good focus in the first two issues, things seem a bit more uncertain in the third installment here now that Ultraman is dead. What's Jon's purpose other than to see what a version of his father has created here? It's certainly educational on why he has to balance his involvement in the larger affairs of humanity but it feels like with Ultraman dealt with, the impetus for things has fallen apart and Jon is being sidetracked into something else. I'm curious to see where it goes because it riffs on my enjoyment of the Injustice universe and taps on the door in a different form here. I do like seeing the dynamics play out and Jon having to deal with a different Damian so there are areas to explore and a direction yet to be revealed.

There's a lot to like here in that this culminates Darcy's arc since the series started and we get it mostly wrapped up. I wouldn't be surprised to see someone from the Bacchae not agreeing with things and making a stink later, but for now there's a sense of closure to it and it'll be good to see how Darcy moves forward from here while both investigating and working the shop – the latter of which is a big plus. Wanda and Scythia's fight is solid even if it starts off absolutely goofy and the core piece of it about changing traditions is welcome to see being made so clearly. The post-story bit that sets up what's next looks like it's just the lead-in to the annual and it focuses on Magneto, so I'm not particularly enthused to cross into that realm at all and may just skip it. Wanda doing Wanda things without getting caught up in all that drama is my sweet spot.

The reliance on Sabe for a bit now has been an interesting thing but it's also not working quite as well as I had hoped, especially since it went so weirdly big in the arc prior to this and using all the handmaidens. I do like Sabe a lot and exploring her story more is worthwhile, but it's just falling a bit short. This storyline is moving along a bit better for me as it's more focused and down to the two core characters as they work through everything. I like the strangeness of the vision and the communicative side of it all. And even though the attack at the end of the issue feels nonsensical, it's executed well and shows just how intense Vader is and that it truly is hate that powers him. Good stuff all around but felt like it needed some tightening and slimming of the concept.

The series is one that's basically a simple space opera story that if you had changed one or two minor things, such as mentioning the force and maybe lightsabers under a different name, you'd basically get a story that could have been told since the 1940s in science fiction magazines. It's pretty by the numbers with pieces that don't feel like they add anything to it and in fact detract in my opinion. There's a potentially interesting cast of characters here but no time is given to develop them and not even much in the way of archetype material in order to make them being chased by dangerous aliens workable either. The whole thing just didn't come together right and left me curious if they could stick the landing thanks to the framing but ended up not doing so. I can forgive a whole lot when it comes to Star Wars, having read comics from it going back to 1978, but this definitely needed more grounding and character to work.

The framing on Dagobah continues here but it's not going to be all that interesting until we get the actual reveal and confirmation of what's trying to be accomplished there. The flashback story to this Clone Wars era period definitely works for me though as the whole thing has grown well over the years thanks to the TV show and its expansion. Guggenheim is able to deliver something sharp and fun with Yoda that has the right lightness at times as well. Miracolo's work with Leoni's color design keeps it in the Star Wars style we're used to here but there are some really good areas that lets Miracolo shine with their style and aesthetic, giving it a strong look that works well for me. I'd love to see them play in a good Clone Wars/Separatist storyline for a while and explore something deeper. Overall, a very solid first entry in this storyline.

The second installment expands on things without trying to rush it and that goes a long way toward keeping it engaging. We get some greater clarity of what's going on and are still invested in Max's story while also now getting a better handle on what the Corinthian is doing and why. It's a nice change from how we've seen him before, though it's been forever since I last saw him in anything, but it works well here and is bolstered by the live-action series that reminded me why I enjoyed the character the first time around decades ago. I'm even more curious as to how the story is going to unfold now with this second issue.

While there are still answers we want from the previous issue and what we know of the characters so far, this one just throws us into the story of a new town and a sped-up pace to discovering the darkness within. It's interesting to see that type play out instead of the creeping horror and it has me wondering what's next, especially if we do stay in Bear Creek for more. Bunn gets the right chills here and teases enough character stuff to leave you wanting more there but this is an installment that lets Cantirino's artwork really shine with its design style and layouts and what Cunniffe brings to it with the coloring. Really good stuff once again.

We get more story material here that helps to pave the way to Return of the Jedi and it definitely works well. I like getting an adventure with just Luke and R2 and introducing an interesting new character while visiting a world that we have a connection with through the Clone Wars side. And seeing how Luke is struggling with how little he was really taught about being a Jedi since Yoda and Ben were just more focused on him being able to handle himself against his father. It's a complicated piece that doesn't hold up too well in the grand scope of looking at things, but it's an area we accept. So I like seeing him trying to struggle with all of this to some degree and to find his own path while pulling together the things that he needs to face the future.

This new arc is pushing us closer to bringing us to the Return of the Jedi era and seeing more of what it is that Vader is going through that will have him more amenable to what Luke is trying to do while still being bonded to Palpatine. I'm glad to have a bit more time with Sabe even if I'm not convinced at the overall arc being good or that the other former handmaidens got a good shake. I like the character and seeing what we're getting here in this journey is interesting and doing something unexpected. The artwork is solid throughout with some inspired moments and the flashback pieces are done quite well to reinforce the mood of what's going on.

Jody Houser continues to deliver strong Star Wars stories and I wish they had the opportunity to dig into Dooku with some long-form storytelling in order to explore the character more. Or just focus on something from the Separatist point of view for a while and get into what's going on there. This story works well to hit the right notes about the way visions are problematic and the way that during this time that the Jedi Council wasn't taking it all that seriously. The story works well, the action is fun even as it's serious, and it captures the kind of quiet strength of Dook's convictions – right or wrong – that is hard for a lot of other characters to do. Definitely an enjoyable if short story but one that feels like it hit the right sweet spot.

I really enjoyed the opening installments of this series and this issue shows us more of how it's slowly expanding into something more. Fred's time talking to Max on the radio hints at the larger things and now seeing the gang handling something bigger like a wraith is interesting. It's admittedly smaller than the mushroom but it's more grounded in what they know of horror stories and the like than the shroom. I definitely liked the flow and nature of the tale and getting more time with Cal and seeing how things may be impacting him, or what angle he's going to be tormented with, definitely has my attention. The slow burn in getting to know more of these characters is great and wrapping up this story in one installment is a big plus as well.

My love of the Silver Surer continues with this property while also realizing that it's more about Al right now than Norrin. Norrin has some good moments but it's a pretty solid ensemble cast with some interesting moments that highlight a bigger story taking shape. I really like what we get from The Stranger himself and what's going on there as it's a familiar story with some of these epic characters from the Fantastic Four world and how they're reaching breaking points along the way. Jenning's script handles the small character stuff very well while De Landro's artwork is just fantastic in capturing the right tone and look of what these characters are experiencing. I'm excited to see what else is coming in this story.

The use of the black/white/red thing over the past several years doesn't mean as much as it once did but what I get from it are generally good anthology books. And those are hard to come by. Getting the first of four parts of an anthology Star Wars series here focused on Vader is definitely welcome and they're tales that you can either keep or toss away as part of canon and not worry about it. What you want is to just enjoy what these creators can do in playing in short form with the property and either going wild in their way or rich and deep in others. All three stories have great points to them and have that labor of love feeling that delivers.

Things continue to move forward and we see some of what the Herald is up to and acquiring from within the temple. There's more to learn to be sure and they're still not compelling villains, but we're at a place now where Vildar and Tey are working together so I'll take that as a win. And Vildar even helps to reassure Matty that she's definitely the right person to be doing what she's doing when it comes to helping others and the bigger fight here. It's a generally solid book in moving events forward and sticking to either Vildar or Tey and with them together it feels a bit more cohesive. There are some areas where Messina's art doesn't click too well, though some of that may be the color designs, but overall it all gets the job done.

There's a lot going on in this book and it almost feels overstuffed yet light at the same time because of it. There are interesting moments but I've not managed to find too much of a connection with any of the characters because it feels like there are too many and they're not given time to really stand out amid everything going on. Some of the Jedi get a bit more time, but when you add in what's going on with the framing story in the “present” as well, it's just busier than it feels like it needs to be and I'm uncertain just how that storytelling aspect is going to fit into it in a way that makes it seem worthwhile at this point.

Blue Book builds very well on what has come before as it shows how both Barney and Betty are dealing with what's happened to them. Each new thing helps to shore up the experience for the reader in how they're coping and digging into the various ways they're trying to work through it is thoroughly engaging. The artwork captures this kins of internal oppressive nature well and the way they deal with the designs of the aliens and the time the couple were in their hands hits a sweet spot of terror as it progresses. I'm excited to see what comes next with Betty's story.

DCeased, much like Injustice and Dark Knights of Steel, gives me something that the mainline books can never give me and Tom Taylor delivers it in spades. Real stakes, real emotions, a sense of true loss and victory, and radical changes to the world at hand. What we get here is done incredibly well in balancing so many characters and working with brief subplots so that it feels real and earned. The artwork is strong, the characters look great, and the scale hits just right. And Erebos has the perfect look here at the end. This was a great run across each of the series and it culminate well into this hard-won victory that leaves you somewhat exhausted with all that these characters have been through. Very recommended.

While it's been four months between issues for me, most of this came back quickly and I'm looking forward to getting to the next few issues as well because the property is one that has me quite curious about what it is that Bunn wants to do with it. Cantirino gets to be extra creative here in the journey into the shroom and it's definitely exactly the kind of creepy I wanted from their work considering some of their other recent books, so I'm delighted on that front. I hope there's a good and intriguing meaning to all of it but there's a really fun journey along the way as well.

The original series was uneven at times to be sure but it was an absolute delight. Tim Seeley sets up a solid way of getting back into it here for existing fans and covering enough of it for new fans so that they can figure it all out quickly. It's definitely fun and silly and with a healthy dose of sexual elements that are good and weird, as you'd expect. Lagace is a good addition to the roster of artists we've seen on the book and I like their approach to it because it captures that lightness, fun, and bounce that it needs. I'm excited to have this book since it last came out at the end of 2021 as it's a welcome piece of the marketplace that's terribly underserved.

The third installment delivers some good fun that feels right after getting to know more of the family in the first two and spending more time with Sana. You get clearly why she's frustrated by the deceptions going on, which she knew was happening on some level, and is frustrated with how she gets drawn back into it but can't turn away. There's a lot of fun action that avoids being silly even while dealing with Rancor urine so I'm fairly impressed. The artwork continues to be solid throughout it and the character dynamics work well. The subplot with Aryssha definitely has me wanting to see more there but also to see what she was like pre-pregnancy as well with what kind of shenanigans she'd get up to. Definitely a fun and easy read to enjoy.

The first issue got me pretty interested in this even though it goes big quickly and that's usually not my jam unless it's a limited project. This one has some solid character material and fun action stuff with a cost to it but I love the little nods, such as Val mentioning there aren't many universes with Jon this age and one of them that he saw was the DCeased timeline. Small stuff like that just delights. But the larger work here is strong and I'm really curious to see where Taylor goes with it next. Henry's artwork is fantastic and the sense of power that comes from the fight in just a few panels is beautifully done, especially with the color design applied. I'm excited to see more.

Chicken Devils keeps the story moving forward and there are some fun moments here, such as the parents dealing with each other after the shooting or just seeing how deflated Mitch in trying to keep up with all the demands on him. It's a bad spot that he's in and there are so many things in the air in his life that nothing is going to go well for him. It's hard to see how he comes out of this alive at all and even just leaving L.A. isn't going to help him if he tried that. It's a pretty strong book with good dialogue, pacing, and artwork to help bind it all together but the delays mean it'll work a lot better as a trade than the other way.

The Scarlet Witch series has been a great break from how a lot of Marvel books go that I've sampled in the last few years as it's very thoughtful, intentional, and feels like it's coming from a place where our title character knows and understands the impact of her power. It's a very big small project that delivers something personal and intriguing while wrapping it in some fantastic artwork and design styles so that it fits the moment. I'm fascinated by this series and what it's doing because it stands apart from most everything else even while sliding in types of crossover moments along the way. It's possibly one of the best “quiet” books out there that's doing some truly great stuff and character work.

There's a pretty solid book here with what it's doing as Ireland lays out the stakes cleanly and clearly along the way. We get a better handle on some of the characters and their family dynamic and that's making the jockeying and sniping make more sense as well. The touch to Sana's background was amusing and a one to lightly do a cameo of sorts without slowing down the main story at all. It's a good-looking book that captures the style well while showing off some interesting ships and a few more alien species as we get further along into. Definitely an enjoyable ride so far.

Exploring more of the High Republic era, the second installment of this series shows more of how the Jedi are dealing with the situation. I still find everything with the Path to be ill-defined with them and the nature of the period at times but that's because I've had such a disjointed presentation of it all that hasn't really coalesced. This series hasn't helped or hindered it but just left me a touch more frustrated. The story that we get here works well enough but the framing of it as a flashback slows things down in a short series and takes me out of the story at hand. I'm hopeful there's some payoff to it but otherwise, it's easy to enjoy as a straightforward space opera book without thinking of the Star Wars side too much at times.

Barbaric continues to deliver what works well with the characters and its style which make for a great read. I do wonder if this would have worked better as three issues with some tighter sequences because it does have a small feeling of dragging at this point, but it's building well toward what's coming next for the finale and what it'll lead into from there. Frogly is the character you care the most about at the moment though and watching him go through that is just horrifying to watch and I'm glad both Deadheart and Owen were impacted by it. I'm hoping Soren's story tightens up a bit more though some of it may just read better when you have all of it at once instead of monthly.

The No-Space story itself didn't do much for me and as an event, it just felt pretty bland and forgettable. The concept isn't bad but parts of it simply didn't click for me even though I liked the nods to the past. The stuff with Luke was okay at best and seeing Leia and Lando manage expectations and leadership here was a lot of fun. The Lando and Holdo material was the best for me and it looked pretty great with the artwork, which is a given considering the team at hand. It ran about as long as I expected and did what it set out to do but it felt like there were other areas to explore and work with here that would have been more interesting.

Hidden Empire is something that had interesting ideas within it but suffered from not having enough time to really feel like it was embedded in things. The whole idea of a Hydra-like organization within the Empire – and Rebellion – scratches a particular itch and utilizing Qi'ra adds something special to it. But I can definitely see this entire concept being ejected in the long run in favor of something else because it's just a bit too convoluted and it had to deal with other plotlines like the just plain dumb thing with The Spark. It's not horrible but it feels rushed and without the depth needed to pull it off. It's certainly more basic space opera than anything else, which isn't what something like this needed to be.

The opening installment of The Glass House of this property is one that eases us into things well. Tynion is able to deliver some solid character material even without an expansive amount of information so that Max feels well-realized. The premise is fairly straightforward with what's going on here and bringing in the Corinthian later into it helps to let the foundations set well. The script works well with the dialogue for Max, I'm intrigued by what we get with the Corinthian, and the artwork hits a sweet spot of both what I expect from a Sandman Universe title while also being its own thing as well. I'm definitely curious to see what's next for this series.

The book does squeeze in some time with Vix and how the Architects are trying to break his crazy little mind while also showing what Taln is up to, which converges in an amusing way. But a lot of it is just exposition and fleshing out things so Barbarella can be brought up to speed on the great universal plan that's going on. I am amused by it even if it is just basic and familiar as we've seen it in a lot of genre projects for the past decade, never mind numerous science fiction novels for decades. But it plays well with Barbarella at the core since it's going to be related to her specialty of love being important here. It moves quickly and is filled with lots of neat visual designs and ideas that could populate multiple series to explore. I'm excited to see where it goes next as the foundations are now laid out.

The series gives us that point in the run where it sets us up for the next two installments of action to wrap up this first season. We know the basics now of what's going on, the sides involved, and just how much has been accomplished to take down the ostensible good guys by sowing so much distrust and anger toward each other. Taylor gives us a lot of familiar material here even within this setting but it hits the right notes and for people not so familiar with it all makes it engaging. It's something that a lot of long-time readers have obviously seen in multiple versions and media over the years, but it is effective and sticks to the core concepts. Putri's artwork is strong as always and makes it thoroughly engaging and I just love the scene of all the leaders together and just taking everything seriously to figure out what's going on. Good stuff that sets up the end run.

Godfell nudges the storyline forward a bit more but it's just as expected in that it's focused more on the journey than anything else. We get some decent nods to a slow thaw of things between Zanzi and Neth and that's good to see as it plays out amid the tension and action. But it's mostly a book that's showing how things are set up within the body of the god itself. They do make a good bit of progress through it here and it looks like they're coming up on some very hedonistic types of people next, so it'll be interesting to see where it turns its attention to next.

To some degree, there's always that element of you know it would end like this in some form because of all that happened. There was no way to fix the world and the only other option was a kind of death-of-monsters path to follow. But a lot of the energy of what we had with the series up until now just dissipates quickly. There are tense moments because you can't be sure what the monster will do but the action and intensity from previous issues just isn't here. It's an interesting end but one that feels, well, a bit safe after all that we had happened over the run and all the weird places it went and uncertainty it had. It's solid and well done but I was hoping for something a bit less cerebral for it.

There's a fair bit going on throughout this issue but it's just a mix of retreat action stuff for the most part with a lot of characters that haven't had time to really feel cemented yet. It has its decent moments to be sure, and I like getting a bit more out of Vildar, but it's still hard to really get what each area is, which religious group operates out of there, and the nature of the groups since it shifted so fast from introduction to action. I do like what we get out at the statue with Oliviah because that feels like it's working a better pace and just two characters so you're able to roll with it better. The shift in art isn't bad but it's not what we had before and it feels a bit off because of it. It's a frantic installment in some ways and I'm still trying to connect with Vildar and his approach while also having to get a handle on both Matty and Tey, who at last feels like they're on the right path.

This series was a lot of fun in general because it played things straight and series, focused on adult characters, and dealt with some traditional story ideas that you'd find in feudal era works and slapped some lightsabers on it. That's one of the core elements of Star Wars when you get down to it and mixing it into this part of the High Republic with an outlying disconnected world hits some good notes. I really liked the artwork overall but it all comes down to whether the characters work. And both Barash and Porter deliver separately and together, so I'm hopeful we get more of both of them in the sequel miniseries that's coming. Definitely an easy recommendation for someone wanting the space wizard side of Star Wars without it being a part of the Skywalker saga.

The opening issue covers a lot of the basics of the concept but I'm not sure how many of those concepts will last more than a couple of issues, at that, as things get weirder. It's definitely an interesting angle to approach with and to find a lane to play in after the Lazarus story that I did not read. We also get a subplot with the Brain and Mallah as they're going after Immortus for things but that's less clear about what it's about at the moment and just more of the standard weirdness of these characters. I'm intrigued, however. With some solid artwork that I'm excited to see how it shapes things as we get more time with the cast and more weirdness, it's all got a lot of potential.

This is a pretty fun issue that lets things happen, though it avoids going for the big deaths like it could. Which makes sense as we've had so many over the course of the whole run and there need to be some dashes of hope along the way. I like most of the small character moments and the pivot we get with Brainiac adds some extra fun to it, as well as the fallout with Darkseid. It's a solid installment that again looks great with so much fun action and emotion that's tied well to the script that gives us a lot of good stuff. It continues to delight me as it has from the very first original installment.

With a sequel series coming later this year that shifts to a different time period, I'm admittedly curious about it but at the same time, I'm wary because it felt like this run squandered its premise so much. It didn't help that the future material wasn't clear enough to work most of the time, especially with the stretched-out schedule that the run had, making that whole side of it just not work at all. But everything we saw with Tad back in 1492 left you just wanting to throttle him some because of the way he was making everything worse with each new action. I'm still intrigued by the idea but the execution of this series faltered quickly after the second issue and has me wary about an expansion of it in a new era.

With a wrap-up piece in the next issue, we get a hint as to what that will be about as this one opens with a little time between Abe and Liz talking about how Hellboy is doing and relating it to the fight that currently exists between him and the professor. It's a decent piece to tie us back to some of what put Hellboy on this path and just his rankling against the controls over him. It's a fun story beyond that which we get here with some creative artwork moments but also just a lot of fun in seeing how he and Stasia continue to play with each other. It's fun and has the right energy to it but also just a bit of sauciness that lets it step up a bit more. Definitely looking forward to the finale.

This has been a pretty fun series overall but one that focused heavily on character for the first three issues before going for almost all action here at the end. Fogelman does get a lot of attention but it's more just exposition on his past that lead to the events here as opposed to good time spent with characters revealing themselves and connecting. We do get some smooch time here, which is amusing, and a bonding of the group both before they're caught and after they learn the truth so it'll be interesting to see what the reality is of the twist ending that we got. I liked a lot of this and definitely enjoyed the style and approach of the artwork as it definitely captured the mood of the story and intent. I'm definitely curious to see where they'll take it next.

This has a been a fun enough storyline overall and I'm curious to see what they'll do with Sabe overall going forward and I'm weirdly hopeful for a post-ROTJ look at what the Handmaidens are up to. That said, it was a little convoluted as a whole in what was trying to be done but that can be smoothed over just in the enjoyment of seeing these characters resurface and some of the things that they touched upon with it. It generally read well, dealt with some outstanding subplots that have been dangling for an age, and gives us a bit of closure while still allowing for a way to poke at it again should someone have an idea. It's definitely been an interesting experience overall.

With another backup story that is just so tonally different that I couldn't get into it, the main part of Blue Book is once again a strong work. I really liked the pacing and approach to it that gives it space to breathe and unfold without forced tension – even with the abduction. The script isn't minimalist but economical while the artwork is striking and engaging throughout. I really like this and hope it has something significant to say by the end because the setup for it is thoroughly engaging.

As much as I enjoyed moments of this run of Groo, it was something that reminded me of the longer maxi-series works from years ago where it was just too much of the same story. Groo works best, for me, when it focuses on shorter pieces and without the kind of large sprawling number of groups as we had here. Things got lost along the way here and some areas didn't get enough attention, such as the bard and his daughter and some of the other power players. Even the gods felt underutilized here at the end considering the title. There are still plenty of fun moments to be had though and great artwork, so fans will be pleased much as I am with more Groo goodness.

Scarlet Witch continues to be an absolute delight and that has me wary about when the bottom might fall out from under it. Steve Orland is one of those folks that I trust to write a book like this but the crossover nature of Marvel is what keeps me away from so many of their mainstream books overall, as well as the way some come to such a quick and problematic end. I'm thoroughly enjoying this more languid approach to the character and their story and the small moments aspects that allow us to really connect with the characters. It's charming, engaging, and gives you the opportunity to enjoy it all the more. This issue also goes for a really good approach to presenting the Sub Atomica storyline so that it's not quips and action but rather something that has a fairy tale approach with great artwork and color design. The next piece with Darcy is going to be where we truly see what Orlando is playing with.

Silver Surfer: Ghost Light covers a lot of ground here and has a density to it that a lot of books these days typically do not. But it never feels overstuffed or crowded in a way that makes it feel like a slog. You want to know the next bit, to see the dialogue shape things in how characters react, and to watch as the artwork builds the tension or expands upon the revelations. I'm excited to see what comes of this and what Al's path is, as well as the kids, because you can see the potential for something from so far back in Marvel's history to be a key part of what's new and interesting.

It's a decent but and a good epilogue of sorts to the opening story while setting the pieces in place for what's coming next. The book gives us a look at where everyone is after the chaos from the past couple of issues and how they can focus going forward, a coming together to deal with a larger threat. That's mostly ignored in this issue in favor of the rescue side of things and while that may not give us a lot of action it fits with the mandate and the belief systems for most of those here so it's welcome to see. The book continues to read decently and the artwork looks good, making for a fun experience overall while waiting for the next round of things to pick up.

Yoda's not a big player in this storyline, allowing Krrsish to stand at the forefront, so it's similar to the first arc in this series in that way. Which is a mixed bag because I wanty more Yoda but I know we'll never really get much about him per se. His interactions with the students is decent but we're in a situation where Krrsish is hiding so much of what's going on and even though it's causing problems it's not getting the attention it should. I'm curious to see how it'll unfold as part of me doesn't want to have all the stories end on a positive but you also want to see what the Jedi espouse as beliefs show some resilience and being worth doing.

There are a good number of moving parts with all of this but it's the two lead Jedi that are making it an interesting story. I'm curious to see more of their past – and hope we have more series with them in the future – but I'm also enjoying the present storyline as well. It's a familiar concept with how everything is setup but it delivers it well both in script and with some really great artwork. I particularly like the way we see things play out between Barash and Engel and that we get good sequences out of both of them regardless of whether they're together or apart. Engel's definitely got the kind of style and approach that I want to see more of and to see more of how Barash operates. I'm surprised at how much I'm enjoying this book.

The first issue of this series is pretty much what I'd expect out of a Marvel iteration of the property and has some of the same problems that the most recent Alien series did as well. It is, essentially a Marvel-ized version of Predator. And that's fine, as a property can be interpreted through multiple lenses. But it always comes back to the core problem in that the Predator property can't be explored and expanded upon what we know from the films. So it's always back to this same thing, a hunt of some kind, and no actual growth. It's good for the action and I like the minor twists that we get with it in terms of the cast, but it's already looking like we're going to again be treated to something familiar and fairly standard.

My expectations for a Han and Chewie series were low simply because it's material that I don't think is worth mining in general. I've struggled with it in the books, the sequel films didn't quite capture things because of the relationship dynamic they opted to go with, and this period isn't limited for the character but the paths they're going to put him on are. So it's about what I expected which again, isn't bad, it's just not that interesting to me. It's loose and light with some amusing moments, but I think it keeps missing the mark with what it does. It leans too much into the original trilogy from the wrong points rather than what we get from Han during that first meeting with Obi-Wan and how he was for most of A New Hope. Getting ROTJ Han several years prior to A New Hope just doesn't work.

This installment has some decent stuff in showing us how Vader and Palpatine operate together as he gets Vader to train with him for a bit while exercising his complete control over his apprentice. There's a lot of dialogue in this issue as we see how Qi'ra wraps up events with Cadeliah and her attempt to draw in more to help protect the Archivist, but it all leads to the larger action sequence. I'm curious to see less the finale and more the fallout from it with who has survived and where they go to ground after this when you look at where various elements show up in a post-ROTJ world. It's a mixed series at best that I think just gave too much into the pressure of a sprawling event that never had clear enough direction or characters to sustain it. It has its moments but those go only so far.

West of Sundown delivers a solid installment here as we get some decent movement when it comes to a couple of the characters. A lot of it isn't exactly wheel-spinning material but it leans closer to that for me more than anything else. It's all perfectly fine and done well but it just feels like too much in a small area with several characters. The book works best when it focuses on Rosa, and especially when she's with Dooley, but I'm glad Rosa's finally back to herself here and getting ready to take direct action once more. That's when I'm hooked and eager to see what's next.

The series is one that overall was a lot of fun even if because of the nature of how the synthetics were portrayed here felt more like a superhero comic than a science fiction story. That's not a bad thing to some degree but it just reminded me more of that than anything else. The general setup and concept is one that I liked and the nature of how badly things end isn't a surprise either. Johnson's story was pretty sharp and focused for a lot of it with some good dialogue, but I don't know how connected it is to prior Alien works and bits I might have missed. Ohta has been a favorite of mine for some time with other publishers but they did a great job here in capturing the feel of all of this and engaging in a world that's chaotic and violent without it being, well, cartoonish. It had the right edge to it and delivered.

Barbarella has been an influential property since my childhood thanks to the film and I am absolutely loving the current modern stories being told through Dynamite and particularly with Sarah Hoyt. I love how well the scripts work in capturing that kind of space opera feel without getting bogged down in the “how would it really work” stuff that makes other things problematic. Here, the focus is on the story and characters and everything is in service to that and it simply delights. Bogani's artwork isn't a huge shift from the previous series and artist as they bring their own style to it and it fits in wonderfully. I'm excited to see where it goes and grows from here from all involved.

Dooku is a character that I always feel a bit complicated toward because the film version didn't hit well and the name is just ugh, but the expansion through Clone Wars and the novels as well as the recent Tales of the Jedi series has done a lot of great fleshing out. Getting to see Jody Houser work this path as well is exciting as they're a great writer and the way this issue works is fantastic. It has a good and natural flow, even with framing I usually hate seeing, as it spends the right kind of time seeding the small things rather than it all feeling like a big dump of information. Ross' take on a younger Dooku is pretty strong as well, especially as it leans into capturing more of that lightness to his personality that we learned about through Qui-Gon being his padawan. Hopefully, we see some of that more openly here as well, but regardless, this is a solid story start.

The book reads well enough and there's some good detail in there for how the colony comes together to make it engaging for those that want to dig in more. And, as usual, the artwork looks good and captures the look pretty well though those droids just bother me with how they look.

The Hell to Pay storyline is definitely delivering on the fun, though I felt like Owen did upon seeing the frogs as well. Dropping into what's going on there takes a little bit to connect with and get the feel of but once it gets underway it's definitely a lot of fun but something I'm glad we're not spending too much time on. I like getting some time with Deadheart and the tease of what's to come there and there's a lot to like in seeing Soren doing her best to get serious and work toward their goals, even if they're being sucked into a sidequest that will be interesting to see how it unfolds. It's a solid installment that's showing more of what the real focus will be.

When Darkseid – as a Yellow Lantern and virus twisted – isn't the worst you're facing in this story, you know things are going badly for the heroes. There are a lot of things going on here and what they're facing still feels insurmountable, so I'm definitely curious to see what method they come up with to try and save the day at the end and to bring in some sense of normalcy and promise. Taylor's script handles juggling so many things so well, from big galactic-ending level stuff to the small and personal. And with Hairsine and Lanning going all out with some strong layouts, good character expressiveness, and engaging action and dialogue, the book just flows wonderfully. I'm excited for what's left once again.

Godfell takes a pretty standard setup and adds a pretty interesting twist to it with the falling of god. I'm curious to see if we'll get actual answers in regard to it, but like a lot of the characters here, it's a thing that has simply happened and to be taken advantage of. The story is largely told through Zanzi's point of view as she works to wrap up her job and head home from the war and it's a lot of information and foundation setting going on. It's engaging and I'm even fine with the kind of simple way that Neth gets brought in and added to the journey because there aren't a lot of ways to really do it in a compact and economical way. So doing that just gets us to the main story quicker and that's why we're here. It's got a lot of details to sink your teeth into and think about and some solid characters with the first couple we're focusing on. Solid writing, strong art, and great color design sets this as a title to definitely keep an eye on.

Stories aimed at younger readers can always be challenging if you're not in that bracket and I'm glad that things are being made for them with a property I enjoy. Because you had a lot of similar things to this when I was a kid when the original film first came out in the years that followed. This story is pretty basic but it just does a few things that rubs me the wrong way in general and it made it harder to connect with. I do like seeing Chewie and Rey building a bond here and all, but beyond that there's not a lot to really latch onto.

The book is one that works with a backup story as well, also written by Tynion but with artwork by Klaus Janson, which is interesting but didn't quite grab me all that much. The main story, however, hits a sweet spot for me with what it does in creating a strong mood and going for a tale that feels from a time where you could work this kind of material better. It'd still work today to be sure but there's something about the disconnect from everyone else in this pre-internet era which makes it resonate all the more with its loneliness and lack of, well, everything else. The two characters are interesting and I'm both excited and afraid to see what's in story for them. It's a solid story with a lot of great tension that kept me eager to see what's next and I can't wait for the next issue.

I've definitely been intrigued by elements brought into the first two issues of the series but the execution has left me frustrated in trying to understand it all. I just don't feel like we've got the foundation we need in order to be a part of working through the story and understanding how it's unfolding and why these characters act as they do. It's a book that I really like the artwork and the ideas behind it but it's become harder and harder to connect with each new installment that comes out. Carolina's central focus helps and the flashback gives her a bit more but trying to piece it all together and throwing all kinds of unexpected stuff out of nowhere hampers the larger narrative.

The weight of the two previous series are definitely present here on top of all that these three issues have now done as well. It's a lot with all the various sides and while you can keep track of it relatively easy enough, the reality is that it's all going to come together in a big mess that Groo is going to fight or ruin in different ways. Evanier continues to have fun with the dialogue – and the bits with the bard and his daughter certainly are playful as that little side story unfolds – while Aragones just has so much going on with all of it that it's a thoroughly enjoyable piece to watch unfold. The series looks like it'll conclude in the way most Groo adventures do but that's a big part of its charm. Seeing how all of it is going toward that eventuality is a whole lot of fun.

With the shorter stories overall but a focus on the dynamic between Hellboy and Anastasia, this series hits a really good sweet spot for me with that. Anastasia is certainly fun and while I have that suspicion that there's more than meets the eye to her, it's enjoyable watching her flirt with Hellboy while also getting in a little adventure-tripping around the world with a couple of jobs. The Turkey storyline is certainly interesting and the exploration of the past adds some good elements to take in with it that'll launch me to some additional reading, but mostly what we get is a solid start to a story here that reads very well and once again looks utterly fantastic. It just captures an interesting look and period that we don't get often, especially in comics.

The series continues to move forward decently but it's also felt like this arc hasn't been as well-defined as it needs to be. I do like seeing how the handmaidens are coming together and presented all these years later though it gets to be a bit much sometimes when you consider their ages since they're supposed to be several years to a decade older than Anakin, if I recall. Regardless, it's good to see more of their story instead of just being forgotten about after the prequels and what we get here highlights their skill set, the traumas of their pasts, and what they are fighting for. I'm interested to see where it's all going to go and what plan Vader really has in mind here.

The Nameless Terror gets off to a decent start even though I'm not a fan of the structure of it. I imagine it'll play into Ty's storyline as it goes forward over the four-issue run but a bit more focus and a single time period goes a long way to providing pages to tell the story without feeling rushed. That said, Mann does a solid job of handling the cast we have here even if I'm not exactly sure who is who just yet and which one is padawan and which ones are Jedi. The idea of a remote crash and a kind of Enemy Mine situation with groups looks like it could be interesting and I'm curious as to what has been unleashed. I don't expect a full-on horror story or anything but you can tell that the hunt is definitely on and the potential for loss is definitely there.

Chicken Devils is moving the story from the first series forward pretty well, though this one is mostly focused on Mitch being dragged into another mission with the cops. The more interesting material comes from the family side, especially with how things are going so badly with the daughter and her boyfriend by the end, but also the kind of conflict that exists between Mitch and his wife over everything that's happened. She's at least aware of the danger itself and what's involved but is understandably frustrated with how it seems to keep escalating instead of settling down and drawing off. It's a fun book and a solid addition to the property overall.

Not unexpectedly for a series of this nature, there's a lot going on here as we get a pretty good look at more of the dynamics of this colony and what's going on there. The doc is the most frustrating yet familiar character and I rather like what Sandra brings to the table. Carolina's frustrating in her own way but there's also just that general sense that everything is so siloed in regards to the people who live there that there's no true authority respected on all sides to get things in order and to understand the stakes. It's got some potential still to be sure and I'm definitely curious to see how it unfolds, especially since the most obvious person behind the murder likely isn't the one that did it.

I'll give props to the use of acid to try and stop Vader but the reality is that there are so many ways to try and take him down but none have worked, largely due to his connection to the Force and how it's heightened his situational awareness on top of everything else. Qi'ra herself is given about two pages at the end and a bit of a cold but not unexpected or wrong approach earlier in what must be done in order to get the Fermata Cage to her. Farrus is a non-entity and the Archivist has only a few lines overall. So much of what we get here is just another fruitless attempt at taking down Vader and that's unfortunately something that is happening in too many of the Star Wars comics these day.

I really wanted to get into the nature of Jedha and how things work but we've gone so hard and fast into how many different groups there are and just very basic to no idea about the why of the issues between them that when it hits the action it just feels like noise and chaos. It's put together well here to make for an engaging enough read while trying to sort out who is who but I wish we had a bit more time to sink our teeth into the characters and location before hitting things up in a big way here. I'm curious to see how The Path of the Open Hand will be utilized depending on what they're after tho, but it is just another group amid a lot of different ones already. It definitely looks good and handles covering so many different events in quick order so there's a plus there as well.

This issue introduces us to the main storyline that our two Jedi have to face but what allows it work is that we had a whole issue devoted to just understanding them before they even made it to this world. And their journey even clues us to some of the problems faced here, such as off-world communication and economic engagement. All of this has pushed events in the direction we understand here, though wrinkles are introduced along the way. I really like seeing more of Porter and Barash when they were younger and how their Masters wanted to separate them because of how close the two are. Seeing more of how things work with padawans and the nature of becoming too close to anyone is both a good and bad thing that has to be looked at more individually than on a flat statement approach. It's a strong second issue that has me once again eager for more.

It's relatively easy to see how things will wrap up in the next issue while still being open-ended enough but that's not a detriment to the book. I like the cast of characters assembled and while losing one or two in the next issue won't be a surprise, it'll certainly change how it all moves forward from there no matter who it is. The wrinkle we get with Sarah here is a welcome one that adds some interesting ideas to what's going on and makes you want to know more about the bigger picture. It's also a fun book just to read for its visuals as I like the way the various stores are being utilized and the character designs themselves. It's definitely delivering a good reading experience overall and laving me wanting more.

The backup story involving Storm isn't bad at all but I'm not a fan of backup stories in general. I'd rather see the page/price go to the actual book itself but Marvel is doing a lot of stuff with backup stories these days again and it's just not my thing. The main book works quite well as Orlando really nails the pacing for it while Pichelli's designs are strong throughout in capturing the mood and atmosphere. It's not a big swashbuckling action work but it has some great big moments and delivers on them really well through the overall design. I'm curious to see where things will go with Darcy but that's already feeling like it's too big of a story compared to the smaller things we're dealing with so far. I'm hopeful that Orlando can navigate all of this well enough.

There's a lot going on in this opening installment but the real win is that we're getting a story that knows how to start to tell its tale clearly and effectively. So many books frustrate me when they open in the middle and with the need to know so much more of what's going on. Here, Jennings takes us from the ground floor up and adds all sorts of great details to the cast across the board so that you know who is who and what's driving them. And as it adds in the pieces that tie back to a character from decades ago, you've got the foundation to build on with. I'm really curious to see what it'll be like as the Surfer himself makes a truly formal appearance and interacts with everyone and we start to understand what's going on with the Sweetwater event itself. Jennings delivers wonderfully here in establishing everything that we need to know and teasing enough to make us want more. With strong artwork and color design as well, I'm excited to see what's in store here.

The story for this plays pretty well and I like how Ireland has constructed the story so far. It leans into a familiar quick opening action bit to capture the attention but the bulk of it is spent exploring the family relations and dynamics later while not getting too deeply into them so that it feels more natural. The end result is something that moves continually and keeps us learning more and more of what will be driving this. Sana's family certainly is more layered and interesting in half an issue than some other books manage over several and I'm keen to see what more truths we really discover along the way. Especially with Aryssha. Perez's artwork is a strong selling point here in drawing you in as well with some great framing of a lot of scenes and panels and a strong flow so that you're continually engaging and soaking up the details to it. Definitely looking forward to more.

Just as a first issue, this is the best of The High Republic comics that I've read so far. It's strong in establishing the two leads, it provides for some really great artwork that doesn't feel like every other Star Wars book but is still connected enough, and it engages in some good layering of the complexities of the period. The stage setting is great and something that's either done as an info dump or just plain poorly in a lot of other comics in general. Soule nails it in making all of this engaging quickly and wanting more of everyone involved, including following the Pathfinders to see how they operate here. Castiello over-delivers with a great-looking book and works from a strong script from Soule that gives him plenty to work with. I'm excited at what this can introduce to the larger storytelling world beyond being what could be a strong standalone tale.

It looks like the next issue focuses on Moon Knight but again, it's not really Moon Knight so there's not too much of a draw there because of that. If we were following “name” characters facing off against other versions of heroes it'd be one thing, but here we get mostly nobodies from what we can tell at this point, though the few nods to their past highlight how some villains view the various heroes that they face in interesting ways. The book flows well and hits its stride pretty quickly even without having anyone to really connect with as it leans into a standard survival horror kind of approach. It looks great and has a solid script but it just lacks that connection for me. It may work better if I'd known that there were two issues before this but it still works well enough, as long as you realize it's not a Wolverine story.

The series continues to be a kind of easy fun with what it's doing while making me wish that I felt for it, or at last some of its supporting characters, more. I disliked the Tarkin interlude the previous time around as it just felt like needless fanservice as I'd rather see something new or at least pedestrian instead of that. What we get here focuses on the way Han's luck goes as he gets a better idea of what's really going on here and the way forces usually line up against him. It's light and breezy but connects better overall this time around with what it needs to do as it's pretty economical in getting it all done and to the point it needs to for the finale in the next issue.

While I wasn't hugely excited for this book or even this storyline going by the first issue, it certainly grew on my as it progressed and drawing it to a close with this release helps even more. This is something that makes for a really good read in full because it's not overly drawn out or trying to make it into something bigger than it needs to be. It's small but important and lets the medium work well with the designs, color, and approach. Yoda's definitely playing something of a Gandalf role here to a degree and I really just liked the way he seemingly wandered in decades later to help see if the lesson was finally learned. It's a good read with great and distinctive artwork that delivers a fun story. I'm looking forward to seeing where it shifts next.

This issue is basically all action and some quiet moments toward the end before the moment where you know it's all going to fall apart for these survivors. The action is solid here and the flow is really good so it all moves well and is thoroughly engaging with great artwork. But because of the kind of installment it is in the storyline, it'll work better when read in succession at once as all the energy has built into it and it's hurtling toward its conclusion. There's plenty to like here and it delivers well on the past installments, though I wish we had more of Astrid in it just based on this issue alone.

I continue to have low expectations for this series and it does deliver on them, though that's not exactly a real criticism. The series is something that has a lot it can play with but it's leaning into the action-adventure side more than anything else. Which is fine, if not for it playing up against big things. Han on Coruscant doesn't feel right, nor angling against Tarkin of all people. It just ends up being referential instead of storytelling as there are plenty of other places and characters it could have used that would have worked just as well. But we're here with either “yay, Takin!” or “ugh, Tarkin” responses because the character has been used a lot. I want more from this series but at the same time, I'm weirdly becoming content with a low-stakes romp like this.

While not a bad ending, Strange closes with a sigh of disappointment for me. It delivered on what the team wanted it to be but I think they missed out on far better opportunities here when it comes to Clea as the Sorcerer Supreme. Yes, they'll deal with the logistics of that in the new series kicking off that I'm not going to bother with. But Clea got a handful of issues where she wasn't dealing with Stephen and even then that's not really true because he was there from almost the start as the Harvestman. There was a lot I liked about the book early on, especially the dynamic between Clea and Wong, but the book opted for predictability over anything interesting and just became kind of routine along the way. I'll always have a deep love of this cast that goes back decades now, Clea especially, but it's frustrating that it's just so simple here.

There's a lot going on here that's moving too fast to be told as well as it should. Plouth and what he's doing here is clearly a gish gallop kind of plan being put into motion so it mostly works for him, but if you go into what he presents as an honest debate it's going to just be a disaster. The Convocation doesn't do itself any favors here in how it's dealing with so many things and it just points to institutional decay and failure, which is all well and fine to contend with. Pluth and the Open Path have their own approach, however, but we don't know their actual goals just yet. It's a decent book in what it's trying to present and I get it but it just feels too forced at times. Broccardo's artwork is always great and they've got a strong handle on this world and material that it just feels like it's effortless. I'm excited to see more of their time in this place and property.

Barbaric has been firing on all cylinders since the first installment and this new series is hitting it right out of the gate. The team has a lot of fun with great dialogue, solid pacing, and a chance to let things breathe a bit as necessary as well. Again, I'm glad that we kept Owen's story to a minimum here because I can imagine it dominating soon enough but by giving Steel and Soren a chance to stand out we get to connect with them a lot more and understand what they're going through in their effort to save him. It's a strong issue in terms of character and story and it delivers the same with fantastic artwork, detail, and just a sense of self that exudes confidence in all the right ways.

Earthdivers as a concept and in its initial execution delivered exactly what I was looking for and it's got a lot of things going for it. But the execution in the previous issue and this one is just leaving me a bit cooler with it. It's probably more realistic in that there's less certainty about how to move forward and all that with such things, and human emotion coming into it as well, but it's just making clear that Tad was the last person who should have been sent on such a job. Even if it is a thing of history/time correcting itself as it can. The 2112 storyline is one that's worse off because it feels quite listless but I'm hopeful that it does all come together sooner than later.

This issue mixes in a few other things such as our favorite jester getting sentenced and the arrival of Taranto and Ahax on one of the islands, so it's going to be a big chaotic mess soon enough. The material with the gods is fun enough but continues to be one of the weaker points for me, unfortunately. I love Aragone's artwork and Evanier gets to be blissfully dialogue-heavy throughout this so it's a really fun combination compared to how most other books operate. Plus, we get a delightful Rufferto end-page once again and that just makes me smile stupidly and happily.

There are plenty of ways this can continue to go as it progresses, and in ways that can leave interesting openings after the events of Return of the Jedi as well. I'm really unsure as to whether we want to see these characters come to a close before the big finale of that trilogy or if we want to leave it open for use after the fact in other properties. Either way, I'm definitely enjoying seeing Pak play with the handmaiden characters and expand on their use some since I enjoyed them in the novels that I've read. Luke Ross continues to work well with these characters and settings and just getting more time inside Imperial facilities is rather welcome since we've been on other worlds and locations so much recently. I'm still in the mindset of things have been drawn out and not quite as declarative as it needs to be in this series for a bit but I'm enjoying it overall.

West of Sundown continues to explore the strangeness going on in this area and it delivers the right kind of southwestern creepy vibes it needs to. The script handles it well enough but Jim Terry's artwork with Farrell's color design very much pushes it into something stronger and more distinctive to its advantage. I love the look of this book and the way it handles so many nighttime sequences. Seeley and Campbell are serving up a very fun book overall and I'm quite curious to see how far they'll go with these new arrivals. The series doesn't feel like one that wants to hold back much and is able to deliver the horror appropriate for the story and that continues to have me excited to see what's next.

I really enjoyed this series overall with what it did and the complexity of what it's trying to get across. As Patrik says in the afterword, it could have gone in a lot of different directions and I'd actually be curious to see how so many of them could have turned out – except for the one lettered in comic sans. The concept here is a solid one and it delivers a familiar thing in a way that resonates and works well. The script is solid with a good mix of action elements and character material with some great dialogue and difficult things for the characters to work through. I loved the look of it as Rubine consistently delivers (and avoids mullets as necessary) so that we have something that really strands out, especially in Briski's work in the color design for these infected areas. Definitely a treat for those that discover it in collected form.

Tom Taylor continues to surprise with how much fun this is and how twisted and weird it can get along the way. If it's a twist with what's really orchestrating things then it's one I didn't see coming and I like being surprised like that. Now I just have to see if it really makes sense once we know all of the trick and a revisit to it. What we get here is a mostly brutal fight going on as the bodies pile up and the anger increases. It's definitely a lot of fun even as it tries to juggle a lot of characters and their plots while also having just enough character moments to make it work. Pour one out for King Shark, though.

End After End is certainly delivering an interesting story with each issue but it's not trying to blaze through it as a high-speed endeavor. Which is good because you can see that this wouldn't have much impact of it was pushed through so fast. The first five issues are something that a lesser writer would just get done in two issues to move to the "good stuff but this is very good stuff here, especially with the artwork. The team is given room to let events and characters breathe and exist in this space and it makes it not just a haunting place to examine but one where we see the toll it takes on those that inhabit it, from new arrivals to long-time inhabitants. I'm excited to see what's next to come with it based on the teases here.

I enjoyed this series a lot overall as it played with some interesting dynamics and there was a good layer of whodunnit that became clearer as it went on. The early back-and-forth nature threw it off a bit but the exploration of control, the look into how things were developed, and then getting the reality of it here in the finale was a lot of fun. I do wish we got a bit more on the relationship between Hanna and Ben as even in the final pages I kept feeling like she was the one truly in control and playing him for all it's worth. That may or may not have been the intent but I do admit to liking some of that ambiguity. It's a strong book as an overall work with a true finale in full with great artwork. It's definitely not a brisk action-oriented work but one that plays to mystery elements quite well.

While I had interest in this I didn't have high hopes because a number of Marvel books I've tried recently have disappointed me. So many tend to be launching points from other events and there's significant catch-up needed or they're just poorly designed openers. Orlando does the expect big moment at the start but once you get past that you get a really engaging book. Just time spent sitting down and talking goes a long way to engaging and connecting us to the characters in a very necessary way as it makes me invested in wanting and looking forward to more. Orlando's able to pace this right and it definitely allows for Pichelli to deliver both in the character design elements but just the settings as well. I hope we get a lot more time in the shop – and Wanda and Darcy just hanging out with dinner and drinks in order to spend time with them and the dynamic that can be explored there. I'm cautiously optimistic.

While the previous issue started strong for me, I knew things would become a bit dicier as we got into the meat of the story because it's going to play to some very familiar tropes. Slapping some Star Wars characters onto it doesn't really change much of it but it is fun to play in another corner of the larger galaxy for a bit. Mostly, I'm just glad for more time with Holdo because I've felt invested in the character since their first book appearance ahead of The Last Jedi's release and am glad to see some smart use of someone from Leia's past that has been there for her for decades beyond the core group. Soule has her down pretty well here and I'm curious to see where else they'll go with it and this story.

I'm really not sure what to make of this series yet and it's likely not until we see the fallout from it that we'll be able to judge it. I really liked the idea behind Qi'ra and Crimson Dawn when it was first introduced but the whole crossover we had with her and the auction reduced a lot of my interest as it was all just too public and not terribly engaging. I get why her fight as it is and why it's public as it is, but it's not clicking well at this point. This issue smooths out parts of it for it to move forward but it's still playing in such a big way that it's feeling disruptive to events overall even though I know it's not. There's so much crammed into this period at this point that it's making me leery of everything happening. Plus, I still dislike Kho a lot so seeing their goofy self here getting involved in the Fermata Cage over a cloak just rubs me the wrong way.

While Yoda is a character I like a whole lot for a lot of reasons, stories with him continue to be hard to do effectively because we really only see him when he's in this older form. And there's just such a position of stature about him that the reverence by others places him in a particular position because of it. It's enjoyable to see him on this outer rim world helping out while also occupying himself with new things to him as a challenge, but the story is more about this world itself and what he's able to help nudge into something more. Scott's script is solid throughout and even while there's a lot of familiarity to it to long-time Star Wars readers and science fiction fans themselves, it delivers exactly what it needs to in a good way, especially with solid artwork and fantastic color design.

With one more to go, X-Terminators has been fun but a lot of the main things do wrap up in this issue. Which has me hopeful that the finale the next time will be more of an epilogue piece that lets our four leading ladies get back together for drinks and shenanigans and just have some fun. The best parts of the book have been their playful nature and the way they handle the situations and Marvel has certainly played up the “mature” side a bit more here which is welcome for a change. The end result is a brisk book that could have been framed differently and given a bit more room to breathe by cutting out the Collector entirely and reshaping part of it. Still, it's a lot of fun overall and it looks great, resulting in a very fun experience.

While I don't see Tey becoming a favorite character of mine, they've at least given him a bit of weight here so that he doesn't come across as a trickster thief with a heart of gold that we were getting the sense of in the previous issue. The book does a decent job here of showing more of how the Guardians of the Whills are a problematic organization, at least from Tey's point of view, and it certainly lines up with how problematic the Jedi here are on Jedha as well. It's a complicated setting and I hope it's something that Cavan Scott gets to explore more and that it's not just a big action/adventure book as the chance to do some defining work is possible with how little has truly been done in this era, and how it can impact things in the future.

While I want a bit more story-story to what's going on here, I do like what we get as it follows the familiar pattern of how an Alien story goes. I do wish we hadn't gotten a whole new hybrid kind of thing here but it was inevitable with the tinkering done by humanity and the insect vector of it all. There's a lot going on here but it still feels like we didn't get enough buildup to it that we can get out of a movie but so rarely get in a comic storyline. This leans more as we said before into the “superhero” area with the synths being the focus and able to handle and do more when it comes to the aliens. This team is definitely interesting but we haven't had enough time to really invest with any of them.

The DCeased series is one that has always escalated quickly so I'm not too surprised by that happening here. What we get is a good bit of fun overall and I like the smaller character moments while also really enjoying the big strange moments. I'm a huge fan of the Spectre so seeing him and others convene about looking at a larger exit plan is definitely up my alley as a long-time science fiction fan but I'm also glad that the book just goes all out with the weirdness. Yet it's all still strangely grounded in its own way that it doesn't feel out of place even as it escalates so quickly.

I'm really interested in see just where the team wants to go with this book as it definitely has some interesting ideas. The first issue really was quite character heavy and this one doesn't exactly abandon that but it dials it down significantly in order to deal with the weirdness of the twon and the conflict it creates with the characters themselves. I'm definitely interested to see more of what this new creature is and what will come from it and how the team adjusts, but also how it impacts the locals. We're just at the cusp of the weirdness and I hope that the team gets a chance to really explore what it is and what this book can become.

With Strange wrapping up in the next issue and evolving into something else, it's a reminder of why Marvel frustrates me and why I've fallen off so many of their works for so long. A series that actually dealt with Clea as the Sorcerer Supreme and interactions with others would have been interesting. But it's an epilogue to a past project and a setup for a future one and it brought out Strange almost from the start, albeit as the Harvestman. That's not bad but it just keeps us from engaging with Clea when she should have been the focus. This issue does some nice stuff in relation to how she views Stephen and her life with him, and the new complications, while also providing for some fun but forgettable action sequences. Consequences, once again, feel slight.

I'm definitely interested in seeing what's next because the big-picture concept of this works well for me, but this chapter and the reading schedule I have for it didn't help. It's reinforcing that this is likely going to be better when read in full, especially when adding more complicated layers to it such as it does with Martin here. I wanted more time in the past with Tad to see how things were unfolding there but we definitely needed to see more of what's going on in the present with the old school and what Emily ran into. It continues to look great and the script itself is strong in how it handles the dialogue and pacing, it's just a matter of being a book that works better the more you have to read at once, especially early on.

Groo is something that in a lot of ways you know exactly what you're getting with it. With this being the final round of a series of miniseries dealing with different parts of a larger storyline, it has a lot of moving parts but all flows together well. You can just jump in and figure it out along the way because it's also still a surprisingly verbose work. There's been a long build in dealing with the gods themselves but it looks like the war is here and it's going to be exactly what the Groo-god will be the most excited about. Beyond heavenly cheese dip. Oh my.

This series continues to be a pretty dense one as there are a lot of things going on in each issue, a lot of dialogue, and a lot of panels. It works well because there is so much happening and that it feels like the show without it trying to be active in the same way. Franklin definitely gets that it's two different mediums and rules and is using the comic side to its advantage to tell its own story but also complement the show. It again looks great with Mikel stepping in for the artwork here and delivers something delightful within the larger Harley framework.

Part of the challenge for some fans like myself is that we have to remember that Star Wars is many different things to many different people and the franchise has to serve all of them. This series is one that I think would work better as a series of miniseries without changes in artists along the way so that it feels more defined and coherent. I'm not against stories about Han and Chewie in this period but I want them to feel a little richer and more meaningful in establishing him at this point in time and some of those that he ran with. A nod to Maz was a given based on the films and filling in some of those blanks but it needs to really resonate in a way that there's decades of friendship ahead to build on. It's a pretty light and breezy story here that's a fun read in the moment but it's only going to take you so far.

This series is going pretty well so far and I'm definitely interested to see where it goes. I still have some of my minor reservations over it because of the whole synthetic team that makes it more like a super soldier team but they're being placed in an interesting situation and there are a few dynamics playing from it that I like. The writing continues to be solid for it and Ohta's artwork in giving us a really ragged group of survivors helps to cement the situation well, especially as they move between various bunkers in order to avoid the enemy.

Darth Vader has little Vader in it but that's fine as it's something that makes sense to do with the people that he's pulled around him to accomplish his work. Vader does make clear early on that he is Sith and that he is not Anakin and it doesn't feel like most anyone is trying to reach that side of him, which makes sense and ties into how Luke will end up reaching him eventually because of a different kind of connection. I really liked seeing Dorme may her way through the Imperial ship and deal with Ochi but I was surprised how much fun the bits with the Techno Union was. It's something that needs a lot more exploration and done richly which we won't get here, but just to acknowledge them a bit more hits a sweet spot.

The opening story here is one that's certainly familiar but it's executed quite well through both Scott's script that's tight without being overdone with too much dialogue and Leon's artwork that provides for good action and interesting designs for the local species. The color design really is fantastic throughout as Dagobah feels authentic in this early pages but we get a great mix of brightly lit outdoor material as well as grim in the heat of battle stuff that feels truly threatening. I'm curious to see where Scott will go with this as it's planned for several arcs and the tie-ins to the High Republic aspect are interesting to me as I've had such limited exposure to it. There may be a familiar and straightforward approach here but the mystery person is intriguing as it expands our narrative about what went on at Dagobah over the years while getting to see more of Yoda at very different points in his life has a lot of positives to it.

While this works to provide information through some fairly standard storytelling techniques, it gives us a little bit of time with Stephen as the Sorceror Supreme and that's kind of fun. But it also keeps Clea to the edges of the issue where she's just mad and plotting what she's going to do next and nothing more than that. This is unfortunate since this is supposed to be her book and my worry about it being heavily focused on Stephen with his return is looking more and more likely. It's a decent way to frame what happened before but it's not exactly unexpected. With the delays the book has had I'm glad they were able to keep the story going without full-on filler and to delve more into what set all of this in motion. But it's definitely a step-down overall from what we've largely been getting and left me a little wary of what's to come.

This series continues to be fun since it's working a bit “blue” compared to a lot of other titles and I'm glad that it's both a conscious decision and that people are warned that it's there in case it's not their thing. Some of it has always been there to a degree but by leaning into it you're going after something more specific. And that's attractive to me since it's not the norm and I'm glad it has a space. I still wouldn't want it in a lot more books overall but ones where it definitely works. The team continues to be the real draw and allowing them to speak as they do helps to humanize them a lot more as they deal with a stressful situation in the moment as well as the debriefing and judgment piece. It's fun, looks great, and has a solid flow to keep it quite engaging.

One of the things I love about this series is that I have absolutely no idea where it's going to go. Are we going to learn what this battle is all about and the real stakes behind it? Why it's happening as it does when people die? Is it even real or just a fever dream of Walt's that will lead to his artistic inspiration when he wakes up. I'm largely taking things at face value with what's going on and it's delivering a good look at who Walt is in his past life and how he's managing to survive, against great odds, in this new life that's nothing but battle and difficult waiting for the next one. It's a really strong read and it has such a fantastic visual design that I can't get enough of it and hope it has a decent run ahead of it still.

Heart Eyes continues to be a thoroughly engaging series that I could have seen easily being spread out to at least twice its length after it concludes in the next issue. I almost really want to see some standalone or side story material to explore more of Lupe in this world and the things she saw and the survivors out there. What we get here shows more of the aftermath of the bigger fight from before and how it went down and it's intriguing as well. Lupe's internal struggle is spread out a bit here but it delivers a really interesting experience and I'm excited to see how the team will bring it to a conclusion in the next issue.

There's a really good sense of fun about this that helps to make it as enjoyable as it is. Hellboy has long had a good balance on its stories where things are serious, there are big world-ending elements, and the characters have some true suffering to go through. But we also get something like this that's definitely lighter and more of a classic Bond/Indiana Jones kind of piece that runs with it in a fun way while still having some layers of threat to it. While we know that Hellboy will survive for obvious reasons, that makes you invest more in the supporting cast and seeing the way that they help shape his story and his impact on them as well. Anastasia is a really solid addition to all of this but that damn goblin steals the show more often than not.

There's a lot to like here just in a teenage slice-of-life kind of way in wanting to follow the story of how these kids live, but we know some strange stuff is going to be coming down the road with the end-of-the-world aspect. A teenage wasteland of a very different kind. Pires' script definitely captures a lot of it really well and the designs and layouts from Salcedo delivers a strong experience that makes it even easier to connect with the characters. Though it's going in a different direction than what most of this issue is, it's an important setup piece for what's to come and is thoroughly engaging throughout. I'm excited to see what's next.

The finale for this series is definitely fun and I liked having two different stories, even if both of them would have worked better as slime trade releases or two-issue event books that could have been flushed out a bit more with three. Cullen Bunn continues to be one of my favorite writers these days in this field of comics horror and both stories work really well without a lot in the way of actual overlap. The artwork for both is distinct and engaging so you felt like you were getting something that really does stand alone. I've enjoyed a lot of Leiz's artwork before so there's no surprise I really dug this story from them, but Luckert was relatively new to me as a whole and I'm definitely keen to see what they have next. And hopefully, both will be working with Bunn again as the collaborations were delightfully fun and dark.

I really enjoyed this series overall and already have a sense of jealousy of those that will be reading the complete series collection for it that's coming out. There was a lot to enjoy in reading these individual issues and being able to think about the events of each and piecing it all together. But there's also something to be said for being able to read it all in one sitting and getting a very different flow and feel for it. Cantwell has put together a thoughtful and engaging piece without easy answers for a lot of it as the characters really go through some difficult choices. Gorham's artwork was pretty great for this work as well, with a really great sense of design for some of the science fiction elements but also a strong eye for capturing the mundanity of Sam's life on Earth and what everyone was struggling with in their day-to-day lives. I'm really glad that it had the room to breathe with ten issues instead of being rushed and crammed into few ones, and that we got to follow

With a solid foundation in the first issue, this one moves things along at a good clip. Almost too much of a good clip as we lose the chance to really take in some of the atmosphere of the location and the tension that comes from a world of ruins. It's definitely strong in terms of the visuals for this sequence of it and I like the characters generally, so I'm curious to see where it'll go, especially with our new introductions at the very end here. The synthetics are definitely interesting characters even if they do push this to that superhero level a bit in some ways and how much harder they are to kill but we know there's still an element to them not being invulnerable so I expect some of the bodies to really start dropping soon and that'll change them in a big way.

While I'm not thrilled with the Oa side of things because it's just too predictable in a lot of ways, there are some good moments and Guy gets to have one of the best callback lines out there. The book does some great stuff with Alfred and Leslie and I liked a lot of what we got with the Almercian side of things even though I've got barely any memory of these characters since I haven't seen them in years. It all ties together well while the larger violence is unfolding across the galaxy is great and seeing where the urgency is. As well as where the compassion lies and whether you can have that or night when existence is stake.

DCeased still remains one of my favorite non-continuity books because of how many chance it takes and the evolution of characters through very difficult and chaotic times. What we see isn't so strongly focused on one or two characters and it shifts around well while expanding its eye of coverage. Giving Adam Strange some time here is a delight but it's Lobo that steals the show for me. And bringing in Ares as he talks about the recent fight as a struggle as opposed to a war is just perfect. The book continues to read really well as it jumps about and I love the artwork with all of its details and how it pulls things together.

Fear of a Red Planet plays to some of the things that get me excited but does it in a way that has a kind of steep learning curve for the reader. We get a lot of information but trying to piece it together into something cohesive isn't easy, which is fine. It'll take time and probably most of the run for it to come together, which certainly ups the value of reading it again and seeing the pieces more clearly. The cast of characters are pretty familiar and the setting is interesting so there's plenty to latch onto and enjoy. Olimpieri's artwork is very strong here with how everything comes together for the world design and I'm curious to see where it'll go as we explore more of it and some of the periods in between the first arrival and where things are now.

The series has been building toward this reveal point for a while and the clues have definitely been there but that doesn't detract from it at all. Kaplan and Pearson have put together a strong installment with this issue as it gives us a lot of good character stuff, expands on Hannah well, and digs into more of what drives Ben throughout. It looks fantastic with a great sense of style and layout to it for this kind of story and the lettering is just top-notch with the way so much has to be conveyed with particular feeling. Really easy to recommend this for folks that enjoy this particular kind of story and style.

With this more kids-oriented series, it's one where you really do have to reorient yourself in how you view it and I'm totally fine with that. Duggan's artwork is appropriate for what it's doing here but it just lacks a certain something to really feel like Star Wars. but that's part of the problem with the sequel trilogy is that once you step away from certain First Order things or legacy stuff like X-Wings and the like, there isn't anything that really feels definitive to that time period. Castellucci's script works well enough with what it's trying to do but having grown up with reruns of so many stories and movies like this as a kid, it's not something that has aged well and I can feel here. Maybe it feels fresh to a kid but even there I have to wonder a bit.

While other High Republic works haven't really grabbed me, this incarnation has its hooks in me pretty good and this second issue really helps that. Focusing on just a few characters while playing in a larger and more diverse setting, especially with the various religious aspects, leads to a lot of new things that can be added. And we're very early in discovering who these characters are as well which helps a lot and makes for a good part of the journey. Cavan Scott has given this a feel that leans more toward novel than comic, which is a big plus, while Ario Anindito and Mark Morales put in some great pages and designs to make it all come together and alive in an engaging way. There's a lot of details to catch here and I'm looking forward to seeing more settings in Jedha explored that hopefully can be referenced down the line elsewhere too.

The 06 Protocol has a lot going on here but doesn't reveal too much new material. The bit about the antidote provides some hope and I imagine there are secrets in regard to that which will make Manjeet look even worse. Cat's handling all of this in a pretty professional and intense manner but it's a spiraling bus of chaos and bloodshed that's out of control. There's a lot to like in getting something that's just seemingly constantly on the go and the artwork captures this kind of frenetic experience quite well. I'm curious as to where it'll go, especially now that kids are involved, as there's a lot of bad times ahead with what WASP is capable of.

The approach to this is really good as we spend most of the book getting to know the characters rather than being thrown right into the fire. It's one of Bunn's strengths in building tension but it also works really well with Cantirino's strength as an artist to give us these really humanized characters. The design work for them really is strong in bringing that emotional element to their movements and their expressions and it's key to knowing who these people are quickly in addition to what's said out loud. So when you get to the actual moment of action, a baptism by fire for most, their reactions and responses feel honest and earned. I'm really curious to see how far the team can go with this as it has a lot of potential but it's also just a really solid and strong opening installment. There's a lot to like here for fans of this kind of horror storytelling as it delivers across the board.

There's a lot of good stuff just in the worldbuilding here as the first few pages show more of what's going on with Murk and how there are others like him, though he's the one that's in charge. That has to go somewhere eventually and if it crashes into events in the next issue this quickly it's going to feel really weird as it's building too slowly to connect so quickly. I do like what we get with Frank and Lilja here but also a good several pages given over to exploring what happened to the group that went exploring which shows more of the world and some of the unusual things that happen out there.

With the show off the air and the third season not exactly lighting a fire under me with enjoyment, I'm really digging this series and what it's doing. It feels like in some ways it's able to go more all-in on the relationship and the physical-fun side of it as well as with the dialogue. And that kind of openness about the pairing means it works even better. It's definitely a lot of fun to see them navigating things here and Ivy trying to figure out how to be the one in charge while Harley struggles working with the “batfam” as she puts it. We get a decent subplot here with Batgirl and Nighwing in dealing with Lady Firefly but it's more just to showcase some action and connections to Harley it seems like.

West of Sundown was a really fun series with its opening storyline and I'm definitely glad to get more of it here. The story is setting the pieces into place pretty well so I'm really curious to see what will come from it. Rosa's definitely the one to follow with it and she's definitely fun to watch to see how she tries to recalibrate her life here while also trying to make sure she doesn't mess things up with Dooley as she has learned of his true value to her as a friend. It's solidly written with some great lines and design to it while Jim Terry's artwork is fantastic, especially with Farrell's color design giving it a really great edge. I'm really excited to see what comes from this.

Young Hellboy is a fun property in general and I really like that they went into the background story here as much as they did to flesh out the tale that Lobster Johnson is telling him. Or that his mind is creating. It's a lot of fun when combined with the simply playful superhero costume that he has on works as they make their way through the building, trusty dog right beside him. We do know that a real threat lurks here, though how capable it is really remains to be seen, so it's not just all silliness and giggles. Even though obviously we know Hellboy survives for decades to come. It's just simple good fun and makes me smile while enjoying the creativity and fantastic artwork.

I'm really enjoying this series and wish we had a longer form one that really had a chance to explore the stresses and pressures of it more. Douglas is really grappling with some difficult things here and it plays well in the space that we get so I'm certainly not holding anything against it. It's a creative way to work things and seeing him trying to cope with what he feels as a failure while having the real chance at ahppeinss and fulfillment right there in front of him is great. There are no easy answers here and someone will always be hurt by any choice made, so it's coming down to what he feels is the right thing and going forward with that. How it'll play out is what makes the upcoming finale exciting.

It took a bit to get back into the groove of the series and remember the who, what, where, when, and why of things but Taylor's plotting and dialogue works well to reconnect me with the story and its cast. I'm definitely glad to get this book underway again as it's a strong and engaging work with some really neat designs and ideas behind it and it takes chances in showing things playing out badly. Ivy's got a great moment here and I really liked Harley trying to find a path to peace. Constantine being even more reckless than usual is a whole lot of fun as well. Definitely a solid return that has me excited for the remainder of this back half.

While the end of this issue doesn't have quite the hook that I think it needed to, the events of the issue overall certainly deliver more than enough to stick with it. Tad's journey is really fun to watch unfold as he has to struggle with the morality that has him killing several people in order to survive and achieve his goals. Seeing the changes happening in 1492 definitely makes it intriguing. The 2112 material isn't bad but it's the storyline that I think will read better when you have multiple issues at once to dig into rather than piecemeal like this because I don't think we have a strong connection to either character yet and there's a different kind of feeling about the whole thing. I'm intrigued by it but I've not really connected with the characters yet.

The body count grows a fair bit in this book overall between the two stories and they're again pretty strong works. Both are going in their own direction and style and the artwork for each is really good in capturing the right tone for that particular kind of horror since the stories aren't alike. Watching the panic in the first one is great while the creeping realizations in the second hits really different. I'm enjoy both a lot and while it's set to conclude in the next issue it feels like they each still need at least a full issue on their own to wrap things up without feeling rushed, so I'm a bit wary.

The dialogue is fun and snappy while the artwork looks great and covers a lot of ground well. I'm definitely curious to see how far it'll go with the pieces of history being brought in and whether it gets too weird or not, something Star Wars leans into in a bad way from time to time.

While Strange was giving me what I wanted for several issues, the introduction of Stephen into it shifts the narrative and leaves my excitement about the book a bit deflated. That combined with it being so decompressed as it is here isn't help at all either. It's still a really good-looking book with what it does and there are some great moments with how Clea handles herself, but it's just working through something too easy and familiar. I'm curious to see how things go with Death in this eventually but I'm also curious to see how Wong and those that reside at the Sanctum deal with the information. It should be interesting to say the least.

End After End once again delivers an intriguing installment. I have no doubt that a chunk of this will read much better when you have the full series or a larger run of it, but I'm enjoying watching the mystery unfold with each issue and being able to let the events of that installment sink in. Daniel and Andry are laying out clues and answers in small pieces but I'm not quite sure yet that they'll matter in the long run compared to the experience itself. Sunando C's artwork continues to be fantastic here with a lot of great detail but Kurt Michael Russell's color design is what really gives it a great otherworldly feeling that helps to cement the overall atmosphere for it.

I have no idea what to expect from Heart Eyes overall, though a dark and grisly end is pretty expected, and I'm definitely enjoying the experience. Hopeless has put together a strong idea and is executing it in an interesting way that works so that you get progress and answers but a lot of uncertainty and chaos as well. Ibanez and Duke have delivered another strong issue visually with its designs, layouts, and how to handle all of the remote viewing that's going on here. I really have to again highlight the color design as it has such a neat level of oppresiveness about it to evoke the feeling of this post-apocalyptic world. I love the various takes on Lupe throughout as well as the critters and the big explosion/feeder sequence we get toward the end is just fantastic. Really great stuff here that I hope can stick the eventual landing.

I don't think I enjoyed this issue as much as the last one because the series opened with a lot of good character stuff and things that just focused on the characters. Here, it's all about the fight and the minor personality clashes between the four women, which is less interesting overall. It's not a surprise or unexpected material but it's also why I was more interested in the Kraoka bits and what we got from Alex with the behind-the-scenes look at events. It's a solid issue and the fight material is really good with some great visuals – especially the color design – so it's a strong read throughout that delivers a lot of fun.

I've got that mixed feelings on the approach to publishing in that we're getting small series of arcs, but mostly I come away from it in that if it keeps the series in the spotlight and gets more made, it's worth it. The quality of this three-issue run is strong across the board with writing, artwork, lettering, and the color design, resulting in a fantastic experience from issue to issue. It's got a lot of great old-school feelings to it but with all the polish and maturity of modern comics to it. This scratches an 80s indie black-and-white era kind of thing for me where creators were able to just tell the story they wanted and really deliver something that feels special and unique. I'm excited for the next round to see how they handle building the mythology more of this world and how the cast handles all the big changes.

One of the things that I really love about this series is that while it does focus on the big action and fighting sequences and just the comedy of the axe that Owen swings, but it also gets into real dialogue. And not just platitudes or simple things. We get steel really going into what happened to him and why he's so wary and weary with it all but continues to fight. And it explores more layers of Owen himself and how this curse has turned him even more in this direction. It's strongly scripted and the artwork is just brutally gorgeous, especially the final sequence with Deadheart we get and how Steel changes along the way. I'm excited to see how it all wraps up.

While this issue is focused less on our heroes and more on the villains and those controlled by the Anti-Life Equation, the result is a lot of fun. The kind of fast-moving apocalypse across worlds is underway and having that come just after humanity finally started to regain its place is going to up the ante a lot. I really like seeing Darkseid in this form as so often it's just the master puppeteer while here it's very active. The time on New Genesis with Scott and Barda was a lot of fun as well even though Barda understandably reacts in a way that doesn't make a lot of sense at first. The book continues to really know its characters well and is so wonderfully illustrated and colored that it's an absolute delight to read and re-read.

This storyline has done well overall to work some small nudges in getting Vader to realize once again that the Emperor is always toying with him and humiliating him in his own way. But also that he's completely bound to his master. This helps to set him seeing a real chance at change by bringing Luke on down the line to bring about his vision of order to the galaxy but also why he won't sacrifice his son to Palpatine. I really liked the moments of knowing how Sabe stands next to Palpatine and both have memories of Naboo decades earlier in a very different context. It's another nicely done bridging moment that loops people back in that we never thought would have an impact in this era of storytelling.

Mindset continues to be pretty interesting but it's a difficult read in a way because of the nature of the story. It's one that would definitely be riveting in a novel and it works well enough here but the monthly format is what keeps it from being able to maintain the tension. This issue is all about showing more of what's going on as the company grows rapidly and Ben is finding himself more and more on the outside. It's solidly done and you can see how he's being manipulated and how it is eating at him as well. There are a couple of ways that this can all be toyed with by players unseen but that uncertainty is definitely interesting to watch unfold.

The concept here is pretty strong and I like taking a look into what's basically a what-if future because it's another one of those reasonable ways to view it. Atlantis at this stage looks pretty good but you know there will be dark secrets and hidden agendas revealed. I'm naturally curious about what happened to those that left but I hope it's not touched upon much. I'm weirdly glad that Cap is here but I wish that none of those from the age of heroes stuck around for this just to give Namor that chance to deal with the world as is without the lingering of the past. Time marches on but some things are clung to. Regardless, I'm all-in to check out more of this as it's a pretty strong opening shot.

I know I'm going to have to re-shift my perceptions going back into a number of the comics and such with how Andor is giving me something that I consider magical, but I can definitely enjoy this as there are a lot of fun things to it and it moves well and has a breezy script that delivers all the right things. I'm not sure if the comic fans want something that would be more serious and executed in such a way or if they just want to stick to the adventurous spirit that populates the film narrative. I do like the nod to the uniform and there is something darkly amusing about him adopting the look of the Empire to end the Empire, but that feeds into the whole idea that we either die the hero or live long enough to become the villain trope.

This installment moves pretty briskly and that's not a bad thing, though it comes in short in the number of pages as well. But it does tell the tale it needs to at this stage even if I wish for a few more pages to expand on the events of Tobler-9 more or to see more normalcy that the synthetics live by before going into action mode. I like that the story is taking place some forty or so years after the events of Aliens and showing some different elements of what's going on in this time, and focusing on a synthetic group. The brief bit we get with the Xenomorphs is solid and it does leave you wanting more, and to know more of the “world design” of how humanity has spread out at this point.

I really enjoyed the first series for how over the top it was at times and that Mitch basically just pratfalls his way into survival more often than not. This series looks to take it to its next logical step if things like jailtime aren't being considered as the coverup is going to allow for more insanity. Which I can believe as well. There's a lot of fun here in seeing how Mitch is coping with trying to get his family back on track, which isn't easy since they weren't exactly super tight before, while also worrying about the bigger picture of things that could happen from the bloodshed. That it's going to go bigger and crazier isn't a surprise but this at least makes a twisted kind of sense and I'm in it to see how Denise reacts to events more than anything else.

This book ticks all the boxes of what I'm looking for and executes its concept beautifully. I adore the artwork and the way that everything is laid out as well as the distinctive nature of so many of the characters. The story hits exactly what I want to see as a big what-if kind of thing that I've read before in science fiction novels so seeing it play out this way scratches that itch. The focus on both past and present works well and I'm hopeful there's a neat hook for the present-day side to work with that'll hold up against what we see in the past as that's definitely the storyline to follow. I'm excited to see where this goes.

Nyx really grew on me after being wary of it at the start and it won me over well by the third issue with what it's doing. There's a lot to like about the series as a whole while this final issue wraps up things in a clean way. This provides for a solid ten-issue story that tells its tale with a beginning, middle, and end while leaving it open to what the character can do next. If Nyx falls back into old habits, we understand why because of here. If she moves in new directions, the same. It's definitely something that fits into the larger narrative of the character over the decades and is a project that I hope Gage and Borstel really take some pride in. It was blessed with great covers and a lot of talent working on it all-around. It'll certainly stick with me for years to come.

Spider-Man suffers from something that a lot of Marvel books that I've dipped my toes into over the last few months where it's just so busy. There's no time to establish things beyond a couple of narration boxes and a quip or two of dialogue. We're thrown into things hard and fast, which is fine, but there's no moment to breathe in this issue at all before the deluge of other Spider-characters shows up. Which again, is fine, but it's very limiting. But at the same time I understand that you have to do this in order to keep people hooked and draw them in to come back for more. It's just unfortunate because I would have loved, coming into this after years away from the character, to have a chance to see where things stand and what's going on more than we get. There's a lot of the fundamentals of Spider-Man here and it does what Marvel does well, but it lacks the opportunity to connect with the characters and their lives.

With a few series recently dealing with Sonja handling kids as companions, I'm a bit wary of going to that well once again. I also admittedly prefer the Sonja stories that don't involve magic, though we haven't really had much of those as of late unless it's been the Sonjaversal property or some crossover. So I'm curious to see where Zub goes as he does capture her right in the way she bumbles around town and enjoys her downtime from fighting. The artwork is solid with some neat hooks to it and I'm curious as to who the kid is even if I'm just looking at it askew after the last ew projects.

This series has set an intriguing enough design to it that I'm glad that it's not providing a lot of answers right out of the gate to explain things. It has to give us a bit more meat sooner than later but right now following Walt and his trying to understand things, and the nods to his past life, are working quite well to show how he's handling this happening to him. The script continues to be solid with some good dialogue and highlighting the kind of shell shock that Walt is going through. The artwork really delivers here in creating something unique and engaging, especially as we get to dealing with things like cave spiders and more. Definitely worth a look and a high recommendation if it can stick some key moments soon in why we should be really invested in it.

With this issue taking a bit longer to get out as there's a two-month gap, that does slow the pickup a bit but the end result is strong. Jenny Zero has been a really fun series overall and I love that it's not beholden to making sure every character survives. They've all changed a good bit during it and the expansion of the backstory with this run in particular has been great. There's still a good sense of fun in the script with what everyone has to deal with even as serious as it gets and Magenta King's artwork is such a joy to watch and discover with each turn of the page. This brings this part of the story to a close but what comes next should be off the charts.

Shadow Service continues to be a series that surprises and delights. I'm beyond thrilled that Vault has let it get to fifteen issues and that they haven't reset the numbering with each arc. I would totally understand why and even support it to some degree in order to draw in new people. With two trades out, this third arc will make for a great follow-up and I'm excited to see what the next installment will be like and how far it'll go. This issue brings things to a pretty dark place overall with how the cast is treated and how events unfold, so that's definitely going to stand out. The writing continues to hit well, the artwork looks great, and the flow is fantastic. This continues to be a brightly shining hidden gem.

There's enough decent stuff here to carry it through but there's not enough to really hook me into things here. I do like getting a little time with Maz and seeing her with Chewie as that sets up something that spans the decades and the prison stuff is kind of basic but workable. The main thing is that Han is out of the picture for almost the entire issue and we're left with a lot of characters that we barely have a connection with running a job to steal the Falcon from Imperials. It works but it doesn't resonate well and left me just kind of meh.

As always, there's a lot of fun to be had here even if the film series that it's playing in isn't your thing. And honestly, horror in general isn't my thing but this whole series, and every run of Elvira for the most part, has been an absolute delight. This film series is played with well here and delivers some good laughs and some creative satirical interpretations to make it all work. The dialogue is sharp and fun and it has some really amusing side nods along the way. The artwork is great and it looks like it'll wrap up well with the next installment, leaving me hopeful for a shift in stories for whatever form the property takes after all of this.

Heart Eyes really won me over with the first issue and I'll admit to hoping for more of that in this issue. We get a small taste of it again before it goes into flashback territory in order to show some of the origins of all of this. Which I expected at some point and I do think there's some question as to whether it should have been shown first and then gone into the present or not. That said, there isn't a huge tonal shift or anything as Lupe's life before the end of the world is likely worse than after in a lot of ways, so it's still pretty bleak. But there's a lot to like here in exploring some of the origins and getting some answers so that it's not just a big mystery box. I'm eager to get back to the present quickly and move forward, however, but I enjoyed getting this part of it and seeing some really strong artwork throughout once again.

While I haven't cared much for the storyline with the Governor as she's far too underdeveloped overall and just never connected well as a character, the use of Sabe is what has driven the whole thing well. I like the place she's put in here at the end and seeing the choice she makes while also understanding how Vader's view of things is changing more and more as well. A couple of decades worth of manipulation means it can't last forever and exploring some of that is fun. It's a decent read with some great artwork. I'll be glad to move on from some of these legacy characters, however, and see where it shifts to next with Coruscant and Palpatine.

With Clea nowhere to be found in this issue outside of a reference or two, Stange puts its weight on Wong and he's naturally quite up to the task. His role is explored at first and then it shifts to him dealing with moving through the intersections of magic and engaging with people to try and understand what's going on. A touch of action gives us a distraction but the real meat of the book is in its time dealing with Jean Grey – the first time I've read hear in anything in years – and then the big reveal at the end which I wish was given more time here instead of the pointless action earlier. A solid book all around but one that could have been paced better and fleshed out more.

I didn't go in with a lot of expectations because I'm so disconnected from all of this but it did exactly what I had hoped. The book focuses on just a few characters without all the larger trappings that make up both Marvel and mutantdom in particular. What we get here is something that's very simple and character-driven that then takes us into the wild and crazy stuff. The core trio we spend time with here aren't deeply fleshed out but you get a sense of who they are and that makes it easier to go along for the ride with and see what it introduces us to. It does help knowing who these characters are since I've got old familiarity, but it's also pretty standard stuff here. The artwork is great and the pacing is solid as it moves us from a breakup into a crazy world of death. It just works it works really well. I'm definitely keen to check out more.

The lack of preconceptions about this by not having read the prior material has likely been helpful to a degree because what we get here is a really good low-key (for now) exploration of a new world to the characters and the reader. I do expect things to get more problematic as it goes on as all the pieces are there but just spending the time to dig into it is really great. Lilja and Frankenstein are a good odd couple to watch play out and this first new culture we get to see is really interesting with its history. With solid scripting and fantastic artwork, this is a really strong under-the-radar title to sink your teeth into.

There's a lot going on in this installment of Mindset but it has that extended montage feeling for a lot of it. That's not a knock on it at all as Pearson does a great job with it in showing how to reveal this kind of material in an engaging way. But it's very exposition heavy in how it unfolds and that can be a bit slow to some, especially as a single issue. I think it'll read a lot better when read in full with the series and will even connect better since it takes us back to the beginning a bit. Kaplan's script keeps things engaging and that energy rush you get from the way it reveals how the app launch goes is great. I'm really curious to see where it'll go at this point and what statement it really is trying to impart by the end.

I've enjoyed works from both creatives here before so it's fun to see them get to play in this particular space, both with it being Star Wars and also some much-needed all-ages material in the world of comics. The script for this doesn't dumb anything down and works plenty of dialogue, morals, and action all while showing the problems with a lot of it. Huang's artwork isn't going to be for a lot of people looking for the characters to look identical to reality but I love the style for it and the way it has a good flow and feel to their movement and all the expressiveness. It's a fun ride and a non-heavy version of the property to just enjoy.

I didn't go into this series which expectations because I understood what kind of project it was and what limitations it was likely under. What I got was a number of standalone tales with a good framing that allowed us to see more tales about Obi-Wan across his life. That made for some stories more enjoyable than others, though this last one has the least Obi-Wan in it while trying to say something about how he never gave up being what a Jedi is. There are plenty of complications that come from this character being expanded upon instead of a mystery and it generally makes him more problematic because of his focus in how he protects Luke. But the individual tales themselves were a lot of fun overall and I like getting more time in the Clone Wars era period with him. It's pretty nicely done overall and I liked the rotating cast of artists that worked on it and the variety to the tales overall. It was a nice complement to the recent live-action limited series.

As an opening issue, The 06th Protocol does all the heavy lifting it has to. It does fit in with how a lot of AfterShock's books have felt lately – I need more variety, folks! – but it does it well and provides enough of a hook to make you want to come back more if this kind of story is your thing. Turner's script is pretty efficient while taking moments to breathe but we don't really get to know Cat or Missy all that well here just yet as it has so much ground to cover. Richards' artwork is pretty solid through and through and I like the action sequences as they're pretty clear as to what they're doing. There's just a good bit of exposition going on here after the opening surprise moments and that takes a different approach to get across, which is done well. I'm curious enough to see more.

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This run, coming out alongside another Red Sonja series, had a lot of similarities in a broad sense and kind of ended in the same way, which is a little frustrating when you've basically read both endings within a week or two of each other as it stands out more. That said, each run is incredibly distinct in how they operate and sound and showcases the way Sonja can operate under very different voices managing the stories. I really enjoyed this one as Palmiotti and Connor have this kind of material nailed down well and just feels like they had a blast with it. And Moritat is an incredible artist in general and what they did here in giving us a view of Sonja's world through their eyes made for a really engaging and fun journey. It's a great run that hopefully finds a very long life in collected form as well for people to discover.

A lot of the focus here really is just on Hellboy having a great little adventure. He's using his imagination in a big way and has no clue that he's being hunted. He's simply having a ton of fun as boys of that period would while hanging with his dog Mac. He's not being watched as he should be by those there that are supposed to but it that's also something that feels natural as well. The book reads quite well and the art is great in making it all feel cohesive and absolutely delightful at times with Hellboy's imagination. I can't wait to see what happens next.

Elvira definitely has a fun issue here and that's just the plain simple truth. Avallone knows how to work this genre well and it delivers good on the action and laughs and lets Elvira be thrown to someplace new and have to deal with the issues of it. It just feels a bit lighter on the material in a way when there are more things that it could draw from. I enjoyed it a lot and the way Elvira handles the whole thing, especially in contrast to the previous issues that took place in the past with different ways women would handle situations, makes for an engaging bit for her since you see her developing quite the natural crush on Ridley. Good stuff all around as we get ready for some nightmare material next.

I really enjoyed this run overall and while things do end predictably, it's the execution that makes it as strong as it is. Sonja is very much in character here with what she does and how she operates, Sitha gets a great couple of moments and provides a strong end-narration to it, and the exploration of why these women did what they did works well. The larger series itself really is strong and I am envious of those that get to binge through it and savor it in a collected form at some point. I really hope we get a collected version of all the covers for it as well as its own work because there is so much gorgeous material produced for it that many will never see in full. I can't wait to see what any of the members of this team put out next and this will stand out as one of my favorite Sonja stories ever.

I enjoy anthology books a good deal when done like this so this is a series that scratches a particular itch – and kind of makes me miss Dark Horse Presents all the more. Bunn plays in a couple of different areas here but I like that the characters are all primarily adults that are who we follow and it's not going for the cheap seats of scares. They're creepy and detailed but have some neat twists as well. The artwork is great and the potential for a lot of fun depending on the length of tales could make for some really good variety as it progresses. I'm definitely on board.

There's a lot to like with this installment and some of the ideas it wants to play with but it also felt like a story that needed to be two issues so that it could dig into everything. The time with Yularen and just getting to where Mekedrix is should have been its own issue and going further into the confrontation the next one. The compression makes for a fine story but you see the shades of something more meaningful here, especially as Cantwell so smartly nails the dialogue and complexity of the moral issues at play here. It's a solid book, no bones about it at all, and it looks great, again leading me to wish that Musabekov could do a few more stories in this era.

Nyx has been a pretty strong book throughout its run and this installment definitely brings us forward more to where it was going to go. It's engaging to watch as the younger kids are now figuring things out and making their own plans and grappling with who they are and what they want to be. That's welcome to see, especially with Tunrida, and coming after recent issues. Nyx has grown and changed from all of this as well and that may be harder for the kids to see because they are still kids even with how it's all played out, but for the reader, it's definitely something that works well – especially if you have the longer context of the character beyond this series. Definitely excited to see how this storyline wraps up in the next issue.

A lot of this issue can be viewed as recap of parts of the prequel trilogy but it does play out in a good way to highlight the loss that Vader has faced over the course of his life and why he's suddenly finding himself unable to keep it all sealed away considering how Sabe looks so much like Padme. The book looks good with Ienco really capturing some of the element of the film right for this particular style and intent while Pak's script keeps things largely clean and accurate. It's just that I keep feeling like it's going too far into that interconnected nature in some ways that it defies belief. I know, I know, it's just how Star Wars is to some degree. But this is just a degree too far for me, even though it works and I can enjoy it. Dealing with adult Kitster just feels wrong.

I had a lot of fun with this series overall and the finale brings it to a close about as expected. It is a finale that will read better when you burn through the whole series at once rather than on the monthly run as I did because it's the culmination of events and feelings from the characters. It all comes across really well here with some great emotion out of Brian and the interactions with his father. It comes at the cost of dealing with most of the other characters in the action side of it, unfortunately. They get their moments but it's something that doesn't feel like everyone is as involved as they have been, but it makes sense in the context of the story. The property is a lot of fun and I'm glad they left the door open for more and hope that we see something else out there. It's the kind of book that I wish would just do a run of one-off specials before going into something more to help expand everything and do some good character focus stuff because Douek did a really good job

I really enjoyed this series and it was the covers that got me to really give it a try as I had been burned out a bit on the supernatural and horror side of things with so many books lately. Once inside, there's a lot to like here with a stylish and distinctive look to it and a good storyline and time period operating with interesting and complicated characters with distinct motivations. It does almost feel like it needed one more issue just to flesh some areas out but largely it handles things well and is well-paced and designed so that it accomplished a lot while still giving us characters we could connect with. I'm certainly down for more but this is a good run that if you pick it up in trade or complete you'll have a great read.

A Calculated Man works its familiar premise well and with a character that hits all the expected notes. That's not a bad thing when it can be infused with the charm and personality to it that takes it to another place. There's a lot to like with what's been built up in the first two issues and that carries through well with this one so that it flows well and you're in the rhythm of what Jack is doing, how his handlers are coping with it, and what Keys group is doing. It's got a good nod and wink to the whole thing and it leaves me really enjoying it and looking forward to seeing more of what it can do and become.

With a lot of books about what's after death out there lately, it's definitely fitting a mood that a lot of writers and readers are in. Andry and Daniel have put together the strong opening issue that sets a tone and energy about it while promising something to come in regards to the story. It's an easy concept to expand upon and the teases we get here are interesting enough to draw you back. And that's if the artwork didn't already accomplish that. Sunando C's design and style here with Kurt Michael Russell's color design really gives us something that stands out and has me excited for where else it'll go and reveal and what kind of creativity is still to come. It's a great opening issue.

While Genolet's style definitely fits in with what's come before, I really like the way he works it so that it's still quite distinctive. It's more noticeable when working with core characters but less so with the new ones and that may be why I ended up drawn to the Imperial story more. There's a lot to like with the look and color design of the book as it captures a really good feeling, especially again on the Imperial side. Soule's script is pretty good even if I dislike opening it the way he did, but once you get into the energy of it all things click well. The smaller and more personal side of it, such as the Rebel leadership meeting and the time between Melton and Bevelyn all help to seal this as a very human story to connect with. I'm quite excited to see what's next.

With all the big ongoing Star Wars stories happening at Marvel and the TV shows on Disney+, there hasn't been much for the all-ages set for a bit. Hyperspace Stories delivers on that well enough in providing something that definitely feels Star Wars and leans a bit into the Clone Wars look a bit here and giving us a quick hit of some of the characters that time. I'm definitely on board for it because of the various creators that will be stepping in to work on it as that variety is what will be the real draw for me as a good anthology book is what's needed, especially since it can reach more casual fans and younger readers easily. This is a solid enough start and it has a whole galaxy to explore.

Having not kept up on the recent Moon Knight work, it was definitely a fun crossover to have here and a fairly natural one after the events of the previous issue. I do like the confrontation that we get with Clea and the Harvestman and you certainly want to go back and re-examine previous issues with him now that we know their identity and how it reshapes conversations. The use of Death is always a little dicey in books like this to begin with – it's such an impermanent fixture – but it's something that does work when playing with the Sorcerer Supreme characters and what they're involved with. Definitely need more time with Clea's mom tho.

There's a lot going on here but it doesn't feel like it's trying to cram things in before it concludes in the next issue. But it also doesn't feel like it has a strong way to stick the landing just yet as we get a decent bit of information without it feeling pivotal in a way. There are a lot of questions to be answered as we go into it and I know the gaps between issues have made the series less compelling overall. But that sense is definitely there as we get closer to the end that those that go into this as a full collection are going to have a fantastic ride. It's been a strong series so far and I'm excited to see how the revelations here unfold more in the finale.

Barbaric in its opening run – which ended a year ago next week – was an absolute blast. I'm glad it was given the time to be done right for more as I enjoyed the special we got recently and then getting into a new storyline here. It's beautifully illustrated and colored, the script is fun, and the dialogue hits right. This is not a fast read even though it has a ton of action but it also manages to feel like natural dialogue during the action without just being constant quips. There's a ton to love with this opening installment as it puts all the right pieces in play and reconnects us with our cast well. I'm excited to see what's to come and to have more adventures with this group as the concept grows and becomes more realized.

Heart Eyes has a lot going for it here and while I try to avoid thinking of how it could be adapted into another form, it just screams an easy and interesting adaptation. Ibanez's artwork is just so good that it makes it all comes alive in its ruin so well that you can visualize it before you. Hopeless does a really good job of giving us some real meat on the characters of Lupe and Rico in a short space while still not making it feel rushed. And that's on top of introducing the basic concept of how the world ended and that time has passed since then to lead things to as ruined as they are. I'm really interested in seeing where this goes and what the real story is here, beyond the obvious character element, as it could be really interesting even if the thing with the monsters is just the trapping to tell the main story.

I really enjoy the things presented here as it taps into some of the great indie comics of my teenage years in the 80s in a really delightful way. It's a bit too rushed and trying to do too much at once but I can understand why it's doing so. It's the kind of book that I hope is doing well enough that it can go on a bit and allow the team to slow down a bit because they've got a great thing going here and have a lot of places it can go. Especially just in showing how they deal with the Princess here in introducing her story. It's creative and interesting but it's just placed at the wrong point in time for the narrative flow to me.

There continues to be a basic kind of fun to this property and it's enjoyable as a kind of simple space opera romp. At times it doesn't feel very Star Wars-y outside of the characters being used but it has at least captured the right voice for Han at this point in time and just seeing him and Chewie fall into problematic situations is fun. I'm curious to see how things go with the next installment and where the series finds itself after the first storyline. Part of it is just figuring out the nature of the character and property with that first storyline and getting a better handle on the next, so I'm holding out hope that it can come together better. But if not, it's still a fun romp that you can treat lightly and enjoy without trying to connect things too hard – for the most part.

I'm really curious to see where all of this is going and that upon completion it makes a kind of cohesive sense. I liken a bit to Sable's Miskatonic work in that it starts with some things you can connect with and throws the weird at you in a big way and you're left trying to see how it all comes together. I'm not sure exactly what's going on but I am liking the exploration of these variations on past history and how it could of gone as that scratches a particular itch. But there's little in the way of character material to latch onto in order to help provide a narrative that draws you in for the big story.

As always with this series, there is a lot to like here. It's a plus that it's mostly dialogue and exploration of what this land is like and the return to home for Sitha with all that it means. We get to see a good side of both her and Sonja with it and that helps to cement things and leave you feeling like it's right, even though that obvious edge of waiting for the other shoe to drop happen. It's a very good read and continued good take on Sonja and her journey, one that really gave us a chance to enjoy the bond she formed with Sitha. It has some interesting places to go in the finale and leaves me hopeful that this team will come back for more some day.

There's a lot to like with this property and while it does feel like it's a screenplay moved to comics to some degree, that doesn't change the fact that it's pretty engaging and interesting. It works with some tough concepts and ideas in how people would react to a situation like this and I rather like seeing it going through to places where there aren't easy answers because of the conditions at play. It's a series that I wouldn't mind much if it ends on a real downer because of the motivations at play and what's going on, though I can imagine a few outs that would change everything. Regardless, this is a really solid installment that ups the ante and highlights the complexity of what's going on in moral terms that's definitely intriguing.

I continue to find a lot to like about Clone Wars era stories and the way there are so many tales to tell there. While I do wish we had less about the core characters for it, it's a given that it will be that with a series like this and Cantwell executes it beautifully here. I really like his take on Obi-Wan from this period and how he was feeling amid everything happening and his distaste, to say the least, for what the Jedi had to be involved in. The framing of this toward the end of his time on Tatooine continues to serve the story well and I'm really enjoying the rotating artists on it, though Miracolo is someone that needs an ongoing Star Wars book right now.

Strange has some fun with the arrival of Umar though the reality is that it doesn't accomplish much at the moment in terms of larger storytelling. Yet. It's good to see how Umar is viewing her daughter and the realization that it's not all some big power play is something she just can't process. But it's also good to see Clea react to hearing her mother express pride in her daughter for the first time, even if it's not warranted in the reason why. The two definitely have a delightful meeting and this is exactly the kind of issue I enjoy, though it would have been better without the seemingly obligatory fight. That could have held off for another issue and just given us more time between these two in talking things out and reacting as crazily as they do. It's a lot of good fun and the artwork really delivers when it comes to the reaction shots.

With the Mignola name getting me in the door but also intrigued by both Golden and Sniegoski's involvement, I'm really curious as to what this will be. Coming in with no real knowledge of the past appearances of the character, this works well in being very accessible to someone new and hopefully with enough to make existing fans happy as well. I really like the way it eases us into the familiar concept and story but with its own unique twists and trappings. It has a lot of good stuff going on and some gorgeous artwork with a great color design that makes this feel like the kind of strange world of the future that we expect. I'm excited to see what's to come with it.

Mindset continues to be an intriguing project that, at times, feels like it's something that's easily adaptable into another medium. I don't believe Kaplan designed in that way but it's something that you can see being done in a way that would be really engaging because what he and Pearson have put together here works really well. This isn't the kind of series that you flip through and just “get” everything because it's written simply. It's not overly complex either, but it's one that requires you to go through all of its details and dialogue to know what it wants to convey and hint at what's to come. I'm becoming more excited to see where it goes and what kind of twists there are ahead.

I continue to thoroughly enjoy this series and that it makes progress issue after issue with what's going on. It's changed a good deal since the first issue and first arc alone and I'm really enjoying that avenue of it since it can be hard to find that in a lot of books. Scott's script works well so that if you did miss an issue you can get key points (though you should go back and get the full experience!) while Howell's artwork really hits a sweet spot for me, especially with how they hand Hui in this installment. It's really well done and I'm curious to see what twists and turns are next in this storyline as it is unpredictable, which is a big plus for me.

Though there are some moments where I had to remind myself which point in time events were taking place, this issue covers a lot of ground and helps to cement more of who Jenny is and why she's been the way she has since the start of the larger property. It's the kind of piece that makes you want to go back and reread everything right away just to get a better sense of the context of it all. It's a good read with some fun and interesting moments while also continuing to have a distinctive and neat feeling with the artwork. I'm excited to see what comes next even if it will come with a body count.

The follow-up from the creative side at the end isn't as clear as I'd like in regards to whether there will be more but this is a world I'd easily come back to anytime. It's got some fun ideas about it, it's creative in its execution, and I really liked that it avoided the trap of just doing the same thing over again with some tweaks. This series dialed in on Michelle in the right way to provide the connection beyond the kaiju and it felt like a propr sequel in a world that's expanding in front of us. Patrick and Broo have a really great title here that I hope people discover in the trade collections over time as it's got a strong evergreen feeling about it to me in that it'll be a real delight to anyone who discovers it.

Nyx continues to be one of the best surprises of the past year or so for me as it took its original idea and really built on it beautifully. We're seeing some more of the fallout from what Nyx has attempted to do in order to deal with her father and other issues and it's going to be a mixed bag all things considered. But that was really a given. It's definitely fun to see this come together as it does and by taking this sidebar into the past and referencing, albeit lightly, some of the events of the 90s era Vampirella storytelling is definitely enjoyable. The book continues to be engaging with how its characters interact and Borstel's artwork really does work well, especially when dealing with oddities like Unison.

With this being a kind of commemorative issue for writer Charles Soule, I'm glad a little indulgence was given as doing some short one-off tales is something that I wish Star Wars did more. I enjoy the big arcs and everything but at the same time, the advantage to these kinds of media projects is to do the smaller things and focus on character and connect us more with them. Soule has some fun stuff here and he gets to work once again with some of his favorite artists who have turned in strong stuff over the years working on this overall property, making this an easy and fun read.

While I am enjoying this arc I do find that it needs to be finished up sooner than later and to move on to something that feels more meaningful. I like seeing Sabe and her involvement in things but it's leaning a bit too much into the prequel stuff that's a real reach, such as Kitster being here and having an actual pod racer that Vader is going to use to deal with the machine problem. It's not bad per se but it's just too obvious when there needs to be more subtle approaches to using this kind of stuff. Ienco's artwork helps to smooth over a lot of things for me as he delivers a great look and feel for the characters and especially the action, especially reading this one after the end of the Obi-Wan Kenobi TV series.

This is a fun issue overall and it kind of reminds me of that classic GI Joe issue with it done about Snake Eyes back in the 80s where there was no dialogue. Telling most of the story through just movement and action isn't easy and it takes a good artist to do it and some room to move and explore things. Messina largely nails it here and a re-read lets you soak up more of the details and how well it flows. The story itself isn't too much when you get down to it but it reinforces how far Chewie will go for his friend and what he won't let stand in his way.

Strange continues to be a really good book, albeit one with an awkward release schedule that makes me forget that I even have it half the time. It's almost the kind of book that pushes you to trade-wait for it. I really like the artwork in this issue as it delivers some really good stuff with the Nobody's and the color design while the script moves things forward in a solid way. Clea's push to find out what's going on is causing other things to shift around her and it's creating more mysteries. The next issue brings her mother into the picture but I suspect it'll be a good portent of things to come with the main storyline or at least seeding for what's next in the series.

I enjoyed the first issue a good bit but this one really cemented my enjoyment in a larger way. The addition of Vera and getting past the setup phase of it all helped a whole lot and made it a lot more engaging. Jack is a delight as he tries to be truthful while also hiding things so openly that you have to admire it even if it could blow up in his face spectacularly. It's got a lot of well-executed moments in terms of character but it also delivers that right in the action department as well. It's really smartly done and hopefully avoids the trap of being too smart for itself as it progresses.

Taylor's got a lot of good stuff packed into this even if I think it needed a better epilogue and I really enjoyed Hairsine's visuals throughout as you got a good sense of all the characters as well as digging into their evolutions and how they'd fight as they grew and changed. Definitely a strong property overall with what came before and worth checking out.

This series for Red Sonja continues to deliver strongly issue after issue and this one is no exception. The diversion into one of the stranger sides definitely works well with the Crimson Mists and the dead god that we see Sonja have to deal with here as it's haunting and beautiful in its own way. The core storyline is moving right along at the same time and the more personality intensity is showing its true face as well as we get closer to the end. I'm really enjoying this and at the same time envious of those that will get to read it as a whole work at once.

This series opened strong for me and has held onto it while expanding in the right ways for what is a five-issue run. It has a limited amount of time and some things may feel a bit forced because of it but that's where we're supposed to use our imaginations to fill in the blanks because it can't cover every minute. The foundations to this run were set well and that means some solid payoff here as we get more discoveries, more overt moments from the bad guys, and some action with dark real-world consequences to come from it. It's sharply written with great dialogue and I can't gush about the artwork enough as it has a lot of style and is well-elevated by Manuel Puppo's color design. I'm excited to see the conclusion while hoping there's a way for another series.

I always feel like an outsider when it comes to this property even though I enjoy everything I've read with it. Going back to the young days for Hellboy is definitely an interesting space to play in, especially when dealing with some of the darker aspects of the character and his existence, but it offers up a lot of good stuff to work with. And I really like the time period and the way the story can be told here without all the complications of the modern world. The script for this gets us up to speed quickly and with some solid character stuff to fill in what's going on while the artwork is great as it captures both the mundanity of the day and the unreal aspect of Hellboy himself. I'm excited to see what comes next.

Everything about this book is really well-executed. The script is solid with all the details, the dialogue flows in a way that feels right, the settings and backgrounds look great, and I love the character designs. But it's also a story of a cult of some sort set in 1928 and running just as many parallels to today. Normally, that would be my jam, but at the same time we're in the middle of some really dark times, and adding more of it is cathartic to some degree and moreso for some than others, but it can also be something that you can spiral with. I'm intrigued to see more and if there is something greater at work here and to just savor the artwork and the characters. But I'm also fighting off some real wariness about reading about another cult.

Like the first two issues, there is a lot going on here and I do wish it would just take the time to slow down and breathe a little more. Let us enjoy the characters, understand their situations, and see their connections without bouncing to the next thing so quickly. Other than the two-page piece where we see Tavin's training, everything else feels like it's happening in the space of a single day or even evening as it plays out. I really like this cast and want to see more of it, especially with Gogou's artwork as it has a real charm with all of the cast. I'm definitely curious to see where it goes and what quirks it unearths next.

There's a light and breezy approach to this that works well and I do think it's fun. It falls into that area of I'm not sure we needed it and that there's just a sense that so much of Han's past is likely exaggerated compared to reality that looking too deeply kind of takes away from it. It's the kind of thing that feels like it needs to be played more serious than it is but that kind of comic charm is what made the character work so well in the films. It's a problem in that the character is so beloved but it has to be handled just right. It's a solid story overall with what we get here and the artwork is pretty fun, making it enjoyable enough overall. I'm curious to see where it'll go next but hoping that the connections are kept to a minimum overall.

Though I missed an issue and I know I'm missing parts of the story, I definitely like where this is going as it has the right kind of grim darkness about it. It does spend a good bit of time with characters that I figure are going to have a grisly end so it's hard to invest in them and I wish we had more time with Constance and Dooley, or some of the events in the town. But watching this group navigate things, getting a better handle on the nature of how wide this story can go, really delivers an engaging experience. One that I suspect in collected form is really going to read well. The artwork continues to be fantastic and I really love the overall presentation of it with such striking color design to it.

This book is holding my attention for its concepts and just the unpredictable aspect of what's happening. Sable isn't able to build characters here to work with because there's no time for it and no real opportunity given to it. They're mostly just vehicles to take us from discovery to discovery at this point and that's fine because we do get these interesting discoveries and events happening. I want to know more of what the big picture is and what's going on but I wish the characters just felt better designed. Locatelli's artwork is solid overall but some of the layouts and positioning have me wondering just how much we're seeing happening that the characters aren't seeing happening.

Astronaut Down is playing with a pretty familiar concept for a lot of comic readers but James Patrick is able to deliver it in a pretty engaging way. It doesn't feel like it has some of the usual fluff that we get or subplot material that's counterproductive to the tension. Watching our lead work through the situation and trying to grapple with it is definitely engaging and I love what Rubine brings here with the visual design and Briski's color work to highlight the way everything looks.The green hue to everything through the exposed light is intriguing to see play out and how it would re-color the way clothing and so much more would operate. I'm excited to see what's next.

Most of this final installment is a big action piece and it works well enough with all the things at play. I liked the series overall for dealing with things that we don't normally get here and while I had a few technical issues with it along the way, it's one that holds up pretty well overall. I liked the concept, I liked how they handled the living gods themselves, and just getting something set in places a lot of comics tend to not cover with an interesting range of characters. I'm definitely keeping an eye on the creatives behind this in general and wherever they may end up next.

While I continue to like the potential of what Qi'ra represents and can both within this sphere of time and what can come afterward in a post-ROTJ world, this series didn't hit the notes it needed to in order to feel worthwhile. There were interesting parts to it but we're left just waiting for the real story to happen in the next and final miniseries. This one does do some heavy lifting along the way to get things into place as they need to be but it wasn't all that compelling and shifting gears to different leads with each issue didn't help it much either. I liked aspects of it and there was some really solid dialogue along the way, such as the Vader and Palpatine material here, but the series overall just left me wanting something more meaningful.

As we move quickly toward the finale in the next issue, a lot of things are thrown at the reader here that again makes me wish this was a longer series so that the build-up could have been explored more. But I'm also enjoying the energy of what we're getting here and how it's progressing. Everything is moving at a good pace, the scripts are fun, the character interactions continue to be a delight while being filled with emotion, and the artwork is fantastic. This is a larger storyline that works really well and makes for a lot of fun in compiled/full reading as well I'm sure. There's a lot of things here that make it worth repeated reads and that's hard to say for a lot of comics these days.

This series continues to delight in its execution of playing with familiar films and the director's behind them. It's upfront about what it wants to be but it delivers in spades with the wordplay and reworkings to make it all happen without there being any legal issues behind it. Which is what makes it so much fun because it's handling it all so masterfully while still making sure that Elvira is at the forefront and having a terrifying blast in the midst of it all. It's got a solid script with great lines and some fantastic artwork that knows how to adapt what's come before but giving it its own playful twist at times, especially in the character designs. The first two issues are fun and while there is a bigger story unfolding here, I could just go on with this style and approach for quite some time yet to come.

Ghost Rider does the thing here and it's a thing. It's not great, it's not bad, it's just underwhelming because it's standard by-the-book stuff. We get the minor teases of the larger events at play here which is fine but even that is completely expected and doesn't really say anything. We get some decent action and the narration is fun because it reminds me so much of 80s Hulk TV. I can hear the ending theme from that as Johnny keeps walking down the road. But it's all just so basic.

Mindset has a lot going on here. Like, a real lot. I won't say more than it should for a first issue because it does handle everything well, but it's attempting to cover a lot of ground and dig into who our characters our with a heavy focus on Ben at the start here. And it's certainly intriguing and leaves you wanting to know a lot more about what's happening and how it plays out in the real world once they go live with. The setup is interesting with the origin of it all and I'm sure the murder side will make more sense later. I'm not a huge fan of the framing of the story in starting with the present at the murder and then going back to explore the characters, but it's a pretty regular one. Kaplan's script really digs into a lot of things here and Pearson's artwork is really good, though there's precious little in the way of bright sequences here and that adds to the oppressive sense of things.

There are a lot of things going on in this book and almost too many things in some ways. I'm not saying the book should be simpler, but the book should be simpler. It's fun and silly but aiming just a touch too high for what it should be. Finding that middle ground between being made mostly for adults and just for kids isn't easy, but this leans much more toward the adults when it could have been a lot more mainstream mass media. It's a ton of fun and I'm enjoying it immensely but if it proves successful I hope there is a more kids-oriented version that gets done which embraces the silliness itself more than the violence. I really liked seeing how Supersaur struggles with stuff here, the bonds that Batsaur is starting to create, and getting the teases with the Dark Embryo and what's to come from there. It's playing in familiar areas and doing it creatively with fantastic artwork that sells it really well.

There's a good bit of material going on here and I appreciate that after everything else it does largely focus on Leia versus Zahra. That does undercut Shara and Kes a bit but you also don't want to see them too wrapped up and consumed by revenge either. The setting works nicely overall and we get some decent moments from both Kes and Chewie that Leia has to say out loud about how they work together to do the right thing, but it's part and parcel of what Star Wars is. Some of this arc was a bit heavyhanded at times with what it was trying to do and the crashing of the ships stuff was just a bit more, but the big picture is that it works really well and was a solid entry in the storyline and bigger picture.

The second installment of this plays out pretty well all things told as it has a simple and straightforward adventure with the kinds of minor twists that you'd expect. There's the mild uncertainty as to the truthiness of the father and I'm fine with that as long as it's resolved one way or another by the end. This is a solid little caper playing out that lets Greedo get a little more life – since we did pretty much start knowing him as dead after all – and I'm enjoying it for its simplicity in a way. The script works well, the dialogue fits the characters, and the artwork captures the kind of look that you'd want for Corellia. It's enjoyable and a solid addition to the larger mythos so far.

There's a whole lot going on here as usual and it delivers really well on some great dialogue, interesting reworkings of familiar characters and concepts, and a real sense of being lived-in in a way that makes me want more. Hell, this is the kind of stuff that could get novelized easily and run for years with expansive storytelling. Taylor's scripts is frustrating in just how easy flowing it is and the way the characters move about and interact, all while new aspects are revealed and more characters surface. Gooden's artwork is spot on in feeling like what we've had but also having its own style and design choices made that let it stand out as a different artist, giving us the best of both worlds. I'm excited to see what's next.

I've definitely been enjoying this series a lot since it's working with the concepts of the first without repeating everything that was done there in the same way. This one has a lot of things going on as the plan gets underway but there are twists and turns along the way with some betrayals just to make it all the more dangerous. I do enjoy the tighter feeling of a four-issue series like this even as I wonder how it'll get wrapped up next time around, but it has the right sense of tension to it and the chaos created along the way works well. Patrick's script works well to cover a lot of ground while Broo's artwork once again looks great and conveys this world in a really neat way.

The first High Republic series is one that worked well enough for me overall but also reads better when you can just binge through a whole arc at a time. Admittedly, my mind has not wrapped around all of these characters at this point though I know who they are. For obvious reasons it doesn't have the same resonance as the original works but I'm enjoying seeing more of this period, this flavor of Jedi, and the threats that they're facing in both comic and novel form. Cavan Scott covered a lot in these storylines overall and I'm curious to see where the next series will go and if they're able to start bringing things together in a really good way. It's a solid piece with a lot of potential that does have me interested in more.

I'm excited to see how the team wraps up this storyline in the next issue. They've worked this over ten issues in a really great way so that there's a lot of build-up to events, characters that we're committed to and understand at this point, and a journey that has bonded us even closer with them as a whole. With it starting to whittle away at that because in the end it must be Sonja on her own once again, there are some expected elements but they unfold well and make sense for all. Sonja is an absolute delight throughout this and Moritat's artwork is generally fantastic, though there are a few panels that made me cringe. I loved his stuff with her looking out over the city, for example. I'm excited to see how they bring it to a close and what Zaria's future will be, and then to see where Sonja goes next. Really great Sonja storytelling here.

A Calculated Man is off to a very solid start. What we get here is a familiar concept to be sure with what it's doing but it's executed well. The combination of the dialogue and the look for the amusingly named Jack Beans is a draw from there while getting to see things from the WITSEC site of things helps to give it some balance. But this issue mostly focuses on background and introduction while allowing Jack to manipulate a situation to his advantage. The gifted genius trope is pretty familiar but it can be played with well depending on how you approach it. I think Tobin and Albuquerque have a solid take here that could work well as time goes on with it and I'm interested in seeing what kinds of twists and turns are brought into it.

Knowing more is coming and that it's part of a larger story has me excited to see what Sarah Hoyt has in store for us. This issue wraps up things with Lady really well as it connects a few things from the past, shows where Barbarella is in the here and now, and just how far she'll go to protect her friends. It's a solid story that I imagine will read even better in full and it's filled with gorgeous artwork and some great covers. I love this series immensely as a whole and really enjoyed how it came together in the end.

Bunny Mask continues to be an intriguing property and I'm unsure of where Tobin is going to go with it, which is definitely a big plus for me. I can see some of the threads but what it is that wants to be said remains to be seen. I'm definitely enjoying the ride and this issue does a lot of good stuff for me when it comes to Bee as well as Bunny Mask herself and all of it just looks great with Mutti's artwork. It has such a distinct look and feeling that helps to deliver a really good experience. I'm excited to see what comes next.

Nyx was such a wild card for me when I ended up starting it because I really wasn't sure where they would go with it. Gage has surprised issue after issue, building a solidly engaging work throughout that makes you want to see more of how it'll play out. Nyx herself is in an interesting place as she doesn't have time to think of a new plan against her father but she's starting to realize she may have the tools to execute something – if she's smart and careful. This one delivers some really fun stuff with the kids and I really enjoyed the expansive cast that we got to deal with, from hippies to bikers to an giant ape and woman combination. Borstel does a great job in illustrating it and Llorach helps to give it all the more life with the color design. It's really a lot of fun.

I've been enjoying the heck out of this series from the start and each issue is adding to it well. The cast is one that I'm getting more comfortable with and getting a handle on their personalities with how they react to various things. The background we get here from Piper's research and what Brian reveals about the summer with his brother goes a long way toward connecting the dots. The real journey continues to be the characters themselves bonding as a group and I'm really enjoying the way Danica and Rivera are with each other. I'm excited to see what's next and what level of twisty darkness there is ahead for it.

The Elvira books have been firing on all cylinders for a while and this new miniseries carries on in the same tradition. It hits the right notes in placing Elvira into the situation she's in and the humor, while obvious at times with its being referential, is exactly what you'd expect out of Elvira in these kinds of situations. The use of the Psycho setup here makes for a lot of fun in seeing how she handles being in this world and without the device she needs while Califano puts together a great looking book, one that Walter Pereyra does a great job of pulling together with its color design. Really enjoyable stuff all around.

Jenny Zero continues to be one weird little book and I really like it. It's not the height of creativity or storytelling, but it has carved out this space for itself that you don't see often and it does it well. The backstory material here is admittedly more interesting to more than what's going on in the present because I wanted to see how all of this came about and getting more is a plus. The present-day stuff is definitely fun, especially the fight, but also seeing how Fujimoto is handling things works well for me too. It's a really solidly done book whose audience is likely pretty strongly into it.

Quests Aside provided the right kind of laughs for me in the opening episode while establishing the setting and main cast well. This second issue pushes it forward by looking back, which is always a little dangerous as you lose your momentum. But what it does here works well to showcase more of the world and the supporting cast and random players while also doing a solid focus on Barrow and just how conflicted he is about what's being asked. It makes a lot of sense and hits all the right notes. Elena Gogou brings it all to life really well with some very enjoyable and fun character designs and reactions, as well as just all the material we get from our skeleton member.

With an issue like this, the larger scope is something that works well but I can totally understand why it will frustrate any number of fans who are tired of the deep connections that just make everything too connected. And I'll even agree with them on this particular case with the former slaves. The Sabe storyline itself makes sense and works well and I can see how she would use her knowledge of how Vader is Anakin to achieve her goals which are in turn Padem's goals. With the background of the novel and how those two spent time together during Padme's time in office, it all makes a lot of sense. Pak keeps things moving well here and leaves me really enjoying every scene that Sabe is in. The artwork is solid, the fight sequence is well-laid out, and the design as a whole delivers just right. I'm curious to see where this storyline will go.

I can see the promise of this title easily just in the initial setup and idea and then to have everything thrown for a loop later on with Katri's ancestry. I'm curious to see where it'll go because Sable has a knack for blending interesting things together like this but it takes a bit to find its rhythm, especially after an intro that needs to load up a lot of things in favor of time to build and introduce characters. Locatelli's artwork is definitely solid throughout and I really like what we get as they get the ship underway to the south pole and we see what they discover there. It's just that there's a ton going on that doesn't make for smoother transitions in scenes and the period of time, which makes for an awkward read at times.

Just like past issues, there's a lot to like here. Putri's artwork is fantastic throughout with a distinctive look that captures the characters original general designs well while making them feel like they belong in this world. The various locations are all fairly distinctive overall and the costuming is great throughout. It's a really strong visual treat that keeps me entertained. The story is just as engaging as Taylor's other non-continuity books but without the same level/scale of violence and destruction. And it feels like there's a much clearer laid-out plot and story at work here that makes each new tease a delight to unearth. I can't wait to see what's next.

This issue is pretty heavy on the action with the battle aboard the ship and it really does dominate it. It works well with Sonja having a good opponent to play against but the book became a lot more interesting once they hit shore and a new mystery is there. I don't expect it to be a long journey there as the main focus is keeping Sitha moving and this has the feel of a fly-by-night adventure. A very intriguing one.