Avoid like the plague. This storyline didn't advance anything and the art was poop.

Who is supervising Joe Quesada? This arc should have never gotten off the drawing board. OMIT is a big turd so far and that's a shame considering that ASM had been good/great for ~40 issues beforehand.

Save your money. Completely unnecessary.

After a really good first two issues, RoBW has really gone into a tailspin. This issue stinks. Unless you're committed to reading the entire series in issues, you might want to lay off and see if things improve.

It is a shame that some of the Chaos War tie-ins are weak because the event itself is quite good. But, of all the tie-ins so far, this is the worst.

When you go “all-in” on an event like I have with Chaos War, you know that some tie-ins will be gems (Dead Avengers) and some will stink. Unfortunately, this is one of the stories that stinks. Doug Braithwaite does do a very nice job with the art, but when the story is this lacking good art isn't enough.

Just stay away. It's not good. Watch the TV show.

It's over. Marvel did a lot of damage in this one. Nothing happened in this event except for a couple of temporary deaths. Bad job.

There are bound to be a few crummy tie-ins for every event and this seems to be one. Not a bad premise, but the execution is kinda lacking. I have hope that it'll improve on the next issue when the art situation is a little more settled.

This series is going to struggle if it looks like this. $3.99 for a decompressed story with poor art is not going to move many units of the second-tier GI Joe book.

If you want to turn a friend onto GI Joe comics, don't hand them this. This is decompression at its worst, combined with timid storytelling choices. Oh, and the art is lousy too. Yo Joe!

Good art can't rescue a boring story.

There just isn't much to recommend this issue. Or this series for that matter. I look in the crystal ball and see this getting canceled after about 6 issues.

Unless you really, really need to see armor battles (and you might since there haven't been any in Invincible Iron Man for years), there isn't much reason to buy this comic.

Confusing story and “where have I seen that guy before” art. Not good.

This crummy crossover continues to be very underwhelming. I appreciate the attempt to connect two of Vertigo's worlds but this really isn't the type of storytelling that fans of The Unwritten want.

A weird and substandard issue. Almost incompetent in some ways" Like they let their children handle parts of the issue. It's like the Axe Cop version of TWD. Let's just ignore this issue and hope that we return to our regular level of quality in a few weeks" The creators have earned that trust.

Any issue drawn by Greg Land is going to have trouble getting a good grade because it loses a full letter grade immediately. Gillen does a bunch of little things that I don't like and one big thing that kicks ass. I guess that averages out….

This series deserved a better send off. It's really frustrating to have to complain about Land's art month-after-month, but when that is the chief problem with the book month-after-month, that's what a reviewer does. The good writing can't save a pedestrian concept and the art is really problematic (again).

False advertising. Change the name and cover on this, and this title could find an audience with the folks who are starved for more strong female heroes. In fact, I might have liked this better if it didn't have the Vampirella name associated with it because this just isn't Vampirella. I would say that it is unfair to hold the book to the standard of that name, but they chose to license the property and use this story.

Not very good. It pains me to say that because Mike Carey has been telling really good stories in Legacy over the last ~4 years. Enough so that I kinda wish they would let him “drive the mutant bus” for a while now that Fraction is leaving Uncanny. But, this wasn't a great issue due to some story problems and art that I didn't enjoy. Still looking forward to Age of X though.

A serviceable story that is undone by really poor art. This is rapidly becoming a theme for the X-books and I don't understand why the X-office has to be the dumping ground for inferior artists. Still, this is important reading if you want to understand why characters are choosing one team over another and it has left me excited for the new issues.

This just wasn't very good. There are some interesting things here, but this feels really tacked onto the Age of X crossover. On the plus side, there is nothing here that is vital to Age of X, so you can skip it if you're just following the main story.

This could have been a lot better. At least we only have to wait a week or so to rinse the bad taste of this one away.

Good art can't save a really talky issue where the story varies from disappointing to boring.

This poor title just can't get out of it's own way and seems cursed when it comes to release dates: 37 issues in SEVEN years. If this title had shipped monthly, we'd be on issue 80 something. For comparison's sake, Uncanny X-Men was on issue 444 the month that Astonishing launched (and it's up to 536 now). It just kills a title when you open it and can't remember the ongoing story because it has only released a couple of issues this year. If the X-editors could get Pichelli so stick around for art duties, this title has some promise, but otherwise, we probably have enough X-titles on the shelves right now.

Not a very auspicious start for a new series. Especially when you consider that Invincible Iron Man is one of the best superhero comics on the shelf. I know this is intended for movie fans, but it's kind of a dirty trick to give them this and then have them find out they're reading the inferior Iron Man title, huh? I'm going to hang on for the first arc at least and hope it improves.

A sad example of how a very cool #1 issue can change too much away from what it originally promised.

The mysteries get a little out of control in this issue and the art can't save the day. But, after three previous issues in Age of X that were quite good, I still have high hopes for the crossover.

Not the strongest second issue to a run for Abnett and Lanning. This title has a lot of potential to be something more than a comic that X-fans just buy out of a sense of “buy everything”, but it needs to ramp up the pacing, ramp up the crazy and have slightly stronger art that is more willing to experiment. One of my biggest frustrations with Big 2 superhero comics is when 3rd tier titles (which is what New Mutants is) seem willing to settle for being mediocre. Abnett and Lanning gave us a cosmic bromance between an anthropomorphic raccoon and an ambulatory tree in Guardians of the Galaxy. C'mon guy! Go for it! This standard story pacing and predictable story isn't going to boost New Mutants to “must read” status.

Jumping on Point?: - No way. You should either go back to issue #6 (which is the beginning of this Snake Eyes/Duke story) OR read the whole Cobra Civil War (which is great) OR just wait until the Cobra Command storyline starts in a month or so.

I'm not dropping this series. Brian Wood has told me too many entertaining and challenging stories for me not to give The Massive the benefit of the doubt. But this series isn't working at all yet. No need to keep reviewing it until it turns the corner.

Jumping on point?: Not at all. We're smack in the middle of a trade paperback, so this isn't the place to hop on. You'd honestly be best served to start with the first issue and read forward from there (it's a great ride), but if you're really stubborn, you could probably start after at issue #49 which is where the second phase of TWD began.

Average story & below average art. There's nothing Earth-shattering in this issue. There are those who complain when comic events screw up the “normal stories”, but I like these tie-ins because it doesn't make any sense for the X-Men to have “normal stories” when the world is getting destroyed in Fear Itself. The biggest problem with this issue is artistic. I really don't need to see any more of Greg Land's art on this series. He has an interesting look and it is cool the first time you see it, so why not rotate him around the Marvel Universe because we X-fans have seen it all over the last several years.

Half of this issue was good, half was not. Unsure where this title is headed.

A much anticipated storyline doesn't quite hit its mark. Die-hard X-readers should read this, but otherwise it has enough issues with the story structure and the art that I can't really recommend it for general consumption.

An okay comic, but it feels really out of sync with where the other X-comics are right now and it isn't clear what direction it is going in. This comic is stuck in the past whereas the rest of the X-office if moving forward.

If you needed a character study of Cyclops, this is for you. Otherwise, just wait for the Schism miniseries for the main course.

This series and issue got us from Point A to Point B, but it wasn't great and I question the art choices in this final issue. But, it does open up a bunch of possibilities for the X-Men. Going forward we can still have the SF based stories that we've enjoyed (without Wolverine in every story) AND cover some new ground with Wolverine's group.

Nice, but hardly required reading. This is mostly a reminder by Marvel that Young Allies #1 and American Son #1 are coming out.

Not very good. It's hard not to assume that Slott has bigger/better plans for the Alpha story just because weknowthat he is a better writer than this issue shows. However, even if this is a midpoint, it is a pretty flawed one.

Really strong linework and a fun story can't save me the thought that I wasted $3.99 on this issue. The story presented in this issue is neat enough if you just want a fun, unencumbered Spider-Man story, but you're going to have to buy the Deadpool and Incredible Hulks annuals to read the ending. Boooo!

A serviceable story, but a misfit in terms of tone with what is going on in Amazing Spider-Man proper. This is saved by good art and a great back-up story.

There is nothing in this book that screams “good” or “bad”. It is thoroughly “blah”.

If you like stories that are made impenetrable just for the hell of it, be my guest. The art is quite good and could be in a much better comic, but isn't enough to save the day.

The art is still pretty good, but it can't make up for a story that is too lightweight to be called an “event” and some cringe-worthy dialog (“Man Down!”). On the positive side, it is almost over and you can be pretty sure that something will happen that is important to the Marvel Universe.

Meh….this series doesn't seem to want to address the really deep questions. It would rather show a Godly battle with tanks and other Gods. What's more, it doesn't seem to have that hard edge that I associate with a Hickman story. He usually has some point and he is going to poke you right in the eyes with that point…..but I'm not sure what he's trying to say here.

Very average story with challenging art.

Every “jumping on point” is also a “jumping off point”. The art isn't bad, but it is a change for the worse from Nathan Fox and the idea of crossing this title over with Spawn doesn't excite me at all.

Honestly, this story is slipping for me. While I don't mind the story about “the search for redemption”, I don't want to read about it in the context of the urban renewal of a town called “Coalville”. Give these characters something more important to do.

Not the strongest issue, but it does promise big things to come.

This series has really squandered a lot of momentum and gone from a stellar, monthly must-read to a mediocre book really fast.

Some cool concepts and Waid is pulling few punches in this exploration of morality. This series will always have relevance as long as Waid is willing to take it to places that Marvel/DC wouldn't touch. There's good stuff here, but the art and visual storytelling are holding things back a little bit. Better art makes this a solid B book.

Not a very strong issue. There is a huge sense of sameness here. I don't doubt that Millar has some interesting stuff to come, but those interesting bits were not in this issue.

Not a “bad” comic, but very guilty of getting our mouths ready for something juicy and off-the-wall and then serving us a vanilla anticlimax of an ending. I do think that Millar and McNiven can go back to this universe in the future and tell some very fun stories now that the premise is out of the bag, but it made my reaction to the entire series into, “Awww, man! C'mon…”

Very disappointing. This was a series I was looking forward to since it was first rumored a year or so ago. The story is okay, but specific elements of the art are holding this back.

A troublingly poor issue concludes an initially promising story-arc. I'm very discouraged that this series cannot seem to get any momentum.

I was really looking forward to this series and am a little disappointed so far. Based on Hickman's track record of having written some incredible stories, I still have faith, but if an unknown writer had created these first two issues I would drop the series. And the art is holding things back due to my personal preferences, but if you are a huge Darrow of Bodenheim fan you might really dig it and thereby enjoy the entire series more than I am.

A light and enjoyable little comic. Maybe “cute” is the word? Unfortunately, the ongoing Unwritten story has been completely derailed by this crossover and replaced with a story that belongs more in the pages of Fables. This story haszeroof the maturity and heft that we are used to from The Unwritten.

An issue that shows that the last few issues were nothing more than spinning the tires. It's really patronizing when a comic does that after so many issues. Get on with it!

Jumping on point?: Nope, not by a long shot. Not only is this issue 7 of 8 in this story, it also builds strongly from the first two story arcs of Uncanny X-Force and the 90′s Age of Apocalypse storyline. Try coming back in two issues.

Buy it for the first story if you're a Spidey completist, but the lack of execution on the Jackpot story makes this very skipable.

A misstep in this previously fun X-Men vs. Vampires story. Hopefully next issue will iron out some of these issues and bring the story home in grand fashion, but this issue (while far from terrible) just wasn't doing it.

Not terrible by any stretch, but the X-franchise is so bloated that Marvel should only be launching new titles if they have stories that they just don't have time for in Uncanny X-Men or Legacy. This story was fine, but nothing special and there's no reason at all it couldn't have been the next story arc in Uncanny or Legacy. Time to cut down the number of titles to 2-3.

The mystery is out of the way and we're set up for a big finale. I honestly am not wild about the story now that we're learned what is going on and have some serious concerns about the way this could end up (based solely on my anticipation). Still, if 90s X-Men and “battles of the mind” are your thing, it's worth checking out.

This tie-in doesn't add anything to Second Coming and misses the characterization of one of its main characters.

A funny comic with some nice cartoony art. The humor isn't really my style, but I know a lot of people will problem enjoy it. The more problematic issue was that the story spent more time on less interesting things instead of showing us the protagonist (who has potential). That's the type of thing that can be address in later issues if folks stick with it. I'm dropping this for now, but could be talked into reading future issues if the story-telling structure improves. Not a bad comic, but (as I said) this comics landscape is SOOOO crowded that there is no call for reading books that don't have a spark of excellence or that stumble in certain areas.

Not a bad story, but not up to par with what ASM has been giving us recently. It also is sapping some momentum from a really good story that Slott is working on. Mostly it is guilty of not being what I wanted it to be.

There are nice moments in this issue. Al Gore getting punched in the face was sweet. But, those nice moments aren't enough to overcome the problems presented by a very stale set of villains. Can't Spidey fight against someone new instead of fighting these guys for the upteenth time? We know how this turns out so there is no drama.

Competent. You decide for yourself if that is worth $3.99.

This issue has some basic Spidey fun as we watch the Hobgoblins taking turns fighting with each other and trying to kill Peter and Max. Of course, Peter is a little hamstrung because he doesn't want to divulge his secret identity to Max. But, since Max knows that Peter is designing tech for Spidey, Peter can use all the Spidey equipment as Peter. It isn't really clever, but it is kinda clever. However, this concept also shows some of the weakness of the issue: We've seen this sort of thing before, so no matter how well you do it, it'll have a hard time being GREAT.

By the standards of this series…..not the best. All should be fine when the regular artists return.

This is a must read if you are someone who had to readeverythingwith the word Batman on the cover. For the rest of us, it isn't a poor comic, but it is extremely skippable. This is precisely the type of comics I wish Marvel and DC would stop shoveling at us.

An enjoyable, but unspectacular story about a Gotham B-lister.

Not a bad comic and if you're really into possible apocalyptic settings, this might be worth a look. But it isn't a great comic either.

Jumping on point?: Definitely! There's enough info in there to get a newbie acquainted with either Bomb Queen or Shadowhawk. The only caveat might be that it isn't a very traditional BQ story, so someone wanting to "check this out" might not get what they're expecting. For those folks, go check out any of the previous BQ minis.

Enjoyment of this issue may be hampered by not remembering the story. I'm probably not the only one.

The art is off-the-charts; the story is almost non-existent.

This wasn't a bad book, but it was a little unremarkable. I'll tune in next month and see how the story has progressed.

Not bad, but average. There's nothing here that would make you hand it to a buddy and say “Hey! You have to read this!”

Not bad, but not great either. This issue was just kinda "blah".

I wanted to love this, but it's a big, fat "meh". This blending of old and new is foolish detracts from both. I'd really rather see Dark Horse consolidate their new material in one publication, rather than smearing it across two series and including old material to fill out the issue.

A pretty good issue that sells the concept of FEAR ITSELF. The story has some macro issues (like FEAR ITSELF still seeming a little dorky as a concept and that hasn't fully been explained in the main event book) and micro issues (continuity issues), but it is still a decent Spider-Man story that shows off his sense of responsibility for people he doesn't even know. But, based on this reading, I'm probably not getting the final two issues in the miniseries.

If you're all-in on Fear Itself, this is a worthwhile seasoning for the main event. It's kinda like adding a dash of pepper. It isn't a strong seasoning though (like hot sauce). If you're just reading the main series, you'll be fine skipping this with feeling any regret.

No hyperbole needed as this is a very middle-of-the-road comic. If you're looking for a slightly sunny, female character comic, this might be worth checking out. If not, you can certainly skip it.

The story is great, the art is bad.

Jumping on point?: This really takes place after the climax of the Cobra Civil War and the new Cobra Commander is in place. This isn't a bad place to hop on to try the next story cycle.

This is a well-told story with very clean and straightforward art. I do have a couple of problems with the basic story set-up because I just can't imagine the Lights being sent on these missions.

There's not much point to this issue or series. It isn't doing anything adventurous and isn't asking any deep questions. The art is average. Skip it.

A cute start to a story-arc, but nothing too impactful.

A perfectly fine issue of Hack/Slash. Satisfying if you enjoy the series.

An interesting concept that has a lot of promise, but the lack of excitement in this first issue placed it very much in the “average comics” category. Probably worth seeing how the next few issues are reviewed before jumping in.

Outstanding art + disjointed story = average. I have high hopes this will bounce back next month.

Jumping on point?:This should have been a jumping on point, but it really wasn't. On the other hand, it also isn't much of a continuation from the old material, so I can't really recommend any of the past issues as the “perfect” place to jump in either. You'll have to figure this out yourself.

Not a bad issue, but you could skip this one and not miss much. I'm very much looking forward to getting the regular art team back and returning to the main story.

I enjoy this title, but this wasn't the strongest issue. It did establish Max Damage as a hero (and that is important), but the storytelling was a bit frantic and disconnected from the art in places.

There's nothing really “wrong” with this issue as long as you understand its transitional nature. So, it's not the most exciting. That happens in drama. Next issue should really kick ass and I do love the story even though I really can't give this single issue too high of a grade.

Not a bad comic, it just needs a little more “snap” to it. On the other hand, it is telling a very deep tale of personal redemption and that isn't something that makes it into many superhero comics these days (at least not this nicely handled). Even when this series has an “average” issue (like this one), it has tons of room to move up in future issues.

An average Hulk story with a mix of good and bad. It get's mixed marks for continuity and has great Hulk-smashing action, but the art does get a little unclear in places. Better than most event tie-ins.

Good, but these 8-12 issue story arcs are a real drag because you aren't getting a satisfying hunk of story for your $3.99. 6-issues tops!

This is a decent fun comic, but isn't anything noteworthy yet.

Okay, but when “okay” is your high water mark after 5 issues, it might be time to go back to the drawing board.

This was just a pretty average issue. It seems like I'm mostly criticizing, but that's only because this series has been so much better than this. The last few months have had a lot of average issues in this series and it needs to step up.

A fun and enjoyable issue in the middle of a bigger story. Waid continues to do little deviant things that make this series stand apart and not be “just another superhero story”.

This issue is a classic illustration of being in for a penny, so you're in for a pound. Taken alone, this issue doesn't have much to offer, but we don't have much further to go on Kick-Ass' journey… I'm eager to see how everything finishes.

Not a “bad” comic, but not a particularly compelling one either. Perhaps interesting to people who enjoy watching stories about gambling.

I really enjoyed the parts of this comic that were content to be a war comic, but the inclusion of superpowers means I'll stay away from issue #2. I'm not interested in reading the perspective of the guys who get mauled every time a super-villain goes on a rampage.

A strong story continues in the second chapter. We still don't really know what is going on, but that's a good thing because I'm in no rush to get to the (probably) boring middle act of the story. The art really isn't pleasing to my eye and that holds back the grade for this issue quite a bit.

A solid start to a Western comic, but nothing too special.

I want to like this series more than I'm actually enjoying it. Usually when I lose a plot thread it means that the story is taking too long to get from point A to point B and I really want to know the answer to that mystery from Issue #1, but I don't feel like we're headed in that direction. Isn't this a six-issue miniseries? I feel like we should be close to a climax, but we don't seem to be.

This is going to be a matter of personal preference: Do you like Matt Fraction when he is being really wordy? Are you unbothered by Howard Chaykin's faces on the sides of heads? If so, you might like this comic a lot. However, if you DO like it, we probably just shouldn't give each other comic advice anymore…

These issues since Ellis took over are just what Secret Avengers needed. They read just like his Global Frequency series set in the Marvel Universe. Even though this issue missed a little bit, it doesn't squelch my enthusiasm one iota.

Enjoyable enough for Snake Eyes fans and it does advance the Cobra Command story a little bit. The art is pretty solid. But, there's nothing in this issue that gets above the level of “average comic book”. So, buy it if you love GI Joe and skip it otherwise.

Not a bad first issue, but there isn't enough story here to really judge if this series will be awesome or not. Cornell is a gifted writer (so it has that going for it), but this Stan Lee-created concept is very close to some clichd territory. It's probably worth seeing how this series is reviewed for the first 4-5 issues before adding it to the pull list.

Your appetite for dragons and magic is really going to determine how much you enjoy this comic. They're not my thing personally, but the story is well-written and the art is attractive, so if it is your thing"this would probably be a good bet for you. That being said, there is nothing about this title that really elevates it above its genre.

This remains a very promising series, but this issue was a bit slowly paced. Strong art and coloring from Randolph and Gerads keeps me from even considering dropping the series. Starborne remains the best of the three “Stan Lee” titles at Boom!.

This is fine. It isn't great and it isn't bad either. If you're desperate for some science fiction in your comics reading or if you're a huge Doug Braithwaite fan, it may be worth a look.

Templesmith can't save this derivative story. Unless you are super-into demonic possession and hard-boiled PIs, I can't see much to recommend in this tale. I can appreciate people wanting a dose of Templesmith art in their life, but just go buy one of his other classics.

I'm not sure if this wasn't a great comic or if it just wasn't for me. To me, it comes off as feigning depth that the story hasn't earned yet, but I've said that about comics before and had hipsters tell me that I was wrong.

Okay–I guess. I'm still curious to see how Brooks resolves the vampires' food shortage, but there wasn't any snap to this issue.

The Massive is still frustrating. There are glimpses of an excellent story, but for the most part we get something a lot more boring.

This comic didn't blow my socks off, but I was probably expecting too much out of the #1 issue and I really don't have any doubts that we'll have a fun story before the series wraps up. So, although this issue isn't getting a stellar grade, the series is in NO danger of being dropped. If anything, I'm frantically looking forward to the rest of the series because that's where the cool reveals will be.

Solid, but no wow. I have faith based on Mark Waid's name being attached.

Not the hottest issue, to be honest. Maybe launching a new comic series (The Infinite), having a second season of TWD coming up on TV with all the hooplah around Frank Darabont getting fired, having a TWD novel coming out, having a TWD board game coming out and having a TWD video game in development (in addition to writing Invincible) is taking it's toll? This issue isn't “bad”, but it is mostly uneventful and features some storytelling that doesn't sit quite right.

Man! This storyline needs to get on with it!

After this dull thud of a conclusion, Kirkman has to re-earn some trust before The Walking Dead returns to the most anticipated list.

A messy issue… There is almost no momentum asstorylines seem to be randomly mushed together. There are about 4-5 really nice character moments that are getting lost in the plot mayhem. Why not let us enjoy those moments a little bit?

A pretty good Monster-of-the-Week story (that will be told over two months). It's entertaining, but the art change doesn't do the issue a service.

I'm glad to have Kitty back, but this wasn't the strongest ending to a story arc that began so powerfully. Not bad, but not great either.

It's a kinda unwanted origin, so while I didn't love this issue, I still really enjoy the series and am looking forward to its conclusion.

Fun if you unplug your higher reasoning and just roll with it. Not essential reading unless you really like the X-Men though.

Great art comes to the rescue of a kinda slow story that doesn't really tell us what is going on. Hopefully things will pick up from here.

This wasn't a bad comic by any stretch and it'll really hit a sweet spot for some folks. It has a clever concept relating to alien visitation and that isn't a theme that has been pounded into the ground in comics. However, it committed the sin of not being as good as it's marketing. For me, it fell into a “liked it but didn't love it” category, which means that future issues are going to be wait-and-see– and that's the true beauty of digital comics on your iPad, there's no rush.

A fun and enjoyable series, that is starting to strain credulity.

An interesting concept that needs to pick up the pace.

Not terrible, but a bit of a let-down from the last few issues.

I don't like the general premise of this story-arc and think it is unnecessary, but I do think I understand where they are going and it opens some interesting possibilities.

This is a pretty good issue and I'm glad to see the Avenger's Academy kids getting some play. Hopefully this issue gets them some more readers because I think that series is great. But, this was a classic “liked it, but didn't LOVE it” issue.

This was a nice first issue to a story arc, but that's it. It's probably not as good as I'd hoped for, but that's to be expected when I'm not really digging on the art. But, that's a personal taste issue more than anything else.

Some good, some mediocre.

A nice conclusion to a pretty good Lizard story. Drop out the hand-wringing about death and it would be a lot better.

Ugh"not the best. Surely there is a point to this story beyond introducing a loathsome new character and having a bunch of morality plays for the slower readers? Thank goodness for Ramos and company on art".

I hate to pee on something that some people will doubtless find “very cool”, but this just wasn't very good.

This is nice. If you're looking for a unique superhero story with swell art, this might be for you. But, it doesn't look like there's any hint of greatness here and I could do without the attempt to make statements about society's tastes in entertainment.

Although this is a must-buy for Spaceknight fans or Marvel Cosmic fans, it isn't without it's problems. This issue exists mostly on the promise of what is to come in the future issues.

Another nice tie-in by Bendis and Romita, but I'm really ready for Fear Itself to go away.

I knew I'd enjoy Ivan Brandon's work, but was surprised how much I enjoyed this tale of Two-Face with art by Bachs. Still, this isn't must read material, by any stretch.

I think your enjoyment of this issue is going to come down to how much you like T'Challa as a character. I've never been a huge fan and this story isn't causing me to frantically go on eBay looking for back-issues. But, your mileage may vary. I'm basically an optimist and think this story has a number of things going for it. One, Francavilla's art is not to be missed. The last Francavilla sketchbook I purchased cost over 10 dollars, so I could be happy with this even without words. Two, I love watching newer writers break into mainstream comics as they learn to adapt to the unique medium. Three, if you're a Daredevil fan, you know he will eventually be back in Hell's Kitchen and dealing with whatever happens in these Black Panther stories. So, for all those reasons, I'll be keeping this on my pull list.

Nice Spidey-Shellhead team-up. Disappointing if you expected to see Carnage though.

I'm still very optimistic about the finale of this event. This issue just can't be all that exciting because it is a penultimate chapter, but Marvel could have paced this event better because the abundance of tie-ins is making me lose the narrative a little.

Fun for me, but I love the character of Venus. It also explores some interesting ground in the Chaos War itself making a rarely meaningful event tie-in. But it those good parts don't outweigh the boringness brought on by Wakanda & pantheons of gods I don't care about.

If you're a Templesmith fan, it's probably worth checking out this series in trade since he doesn't do a lot of comic work anymore and the dude has a very unique style. But, for a single issues reader, it's really hard not to give this issue massive demerits due to the delays that sapped any emotional resonance that might have been there.

This is a really good story that is being let down by below-average art. It's a shame, but it shows how hard it is to do a high quality comic book.

Not bad, but nothing great either. Rossmo's art is kinda neutered by the coloring. The story will serve some people just fine, but I didn't find anything wonderful enough to come back for issue #2.

Like movie popcorn: Fun, but not filling.

It makes me sad that I don't like this more and can't say nicer things about it. I wanted to, but the comic just didn't give me much to work with. The art of Denys Cowan will keep me around for a few issues to see if the story starts to click, although lovers of New Orleans voodoo culture may love this.

Hardly essential reading unless you were dying to know what Deadpool did during Fear Itself, but it'll whet your whistle if that's what you're looking for.

This story arc is almost over and it's time. It has some interesting ideas, but we when a publisher screws up the length of the arc, you DO have to work to see the positives. Why must everything be long? How many times in comics have we said, "Gosh! That ended too fast!" and even if that DOES happen, the publisher can always revisit the material later. Still, I think the Joe books are worth checking out. They're entertaining and have stakes and that's enough for me.

Not a whole lot to say. Career-best work from the uber-talented Riley Rossmo is more than enough to keep me reading this series, but I wish the story made more sense or was just a straight-up crime story.

This is just the first issue, so we have a lot more story to go, but I'll be getting the remaining issues mostly on trust of the creators rather than the excellence of the first issue.

This is still a very compelling series and leaves me always wondering, “What will happen next?”

Some good story elements here, but the art and convoluted story hamper the overall effect.

Not a perfect issue, but if you want a fun comic with solid art that comes without pretentions of grandeur, you could do a LOT worse that reading Incredible Hulks.

When this issue is exploring the nature of self-determination and the impact that choices and consequences have on our lives, it is Daytripper-good. Unfortunately, it spends too much time in an average reality-jumping, conspiracy story that isn't bad, but isn't anything terribly compelling either. Ward does some great graphic design, but I'd suggest that the creators skip the fumetti in the future.

A great jumping on point, but not a great issue.

I do like most of the characterization of Tony Stark even if I'm not thriller (yet) with the storyline.

I really enjoy this series and like reading about Gwyn, but we just need to have a little trimming of the fat on this series. I'm not remotely close to dropping this title, but I wonder if it would benefit from putting some of these characters and storylines away for an arc, THEN get them back out once other items are resolved. It helps a lot that the Allreds are performing at the same high level that they have been for the last decade. They're just awesome.

Great art. Seriously. Joe the Barbarian has some of the best comic art I've seen in the last year. Unfortunately, the story wasn't quite as powerful as the art and lost what power it did have due to the delayed release schedule. It is very hard to grade comics when there is such dichotomy in quality between the art and the story.

Great art. Seriously, this is some of the best art you'll see in comics today. And the general premise of the comic is very interesting. But this comic is too wordy to get a really high grade.

“Unfulfilled promise” would be the unflattering pull-quote. The creators and the concept are there, but the execution is slightly lacking.

This was another fun little issue. It's only a 4-issue miniseries and I encourage you to pick it up. It won't be discussed in the same hushed tones as Watchmen in 20 years and that holds back the overall grade, but it isn't doing anything provocatively dumb either.

Fun, but slightly clich. Fiona Staples' art is the real star.

The execution is a little lacking, but the art and story concept are strong and that is a good place from which to start. But, it's hard to enjoy a story when you don't know who some of the characters are.

A good issue with one great scene, but it also has some flaws. However, the flaws are 99% those imposed by reading this in single-issue format and not things that make it a bad story. But, we can only grade it and review it in the format they publish, so…

It pains me to bash on this book a little bit because this is one of the titles that I absolutely love and Ms. Simone might actually bring it all back together in the next issue, but this story arc has lost the most fun thing for the Secret Six. There are a million places to see a badass guy viciously gutting enemies, but NOT so many places to get this level of character development and dialog in a superhero book.

This is shaping up to be a very solid title for Boom! It fills a niche and reminds me of one of my favorite childhood comics (ROM). The art is correct and proper and I strongly doubt that Boom! will ever do a crossover with these titles. So, it has a LOT going for it, but it isn't knocking my socks off and that can be a problem in crowded marketplace. Better than average.

A good first issue, but not the greatness I'd hoped for. The creators are reason enough to stick around for issue #2.

Not a whole lot to say about this one. It seems like we've got a very solid time-travel concept coupled with a writer who has told us some very entertaining stories in the past. Even if this first issue didn't blow my socks off, I'm certainly going to give this another chance.

This is another quality issue of The Unwritten, but any issue that doesn't have a reveal is going to feel lightweight at this point. It's time to let us in on the big secrets.

I like this story. The art is lovely and it is very well written. But….it needs to pick up the pace. All anyone wants to see right now is Tom fighting the Cabal. There is a time for character development, but it should not be taking place during the climax of a story.

Not really feeling it, to be honest. If you are, I'd love to hear it in the comments below. This series has "lost me" before only to rise back up, so it wouldn't surprise me if everything feels more squared away in 4-5 issues. But, for now".it's not great.

This is shaping up to be the weakest TWD storyline ever. There's still a lot of good dialog and character stuff and Kirkman may pull a rabbit out of the hat, but we need something cool to jiggle up life in Arlington. Have Michonne decide she can't take it and run off on her own…. Have a serial killer on the loose in the community…. Have the stress get to someone such that they decide everyone would be better off dead and blows up the fence…. Have them try to sail a boat to the Bahamas to see if island living would be zombie-free…. TWD is like a shark: it needs to keep swimming forward to stay alive.

I guess this was okay. I mean, I'm not in any danger of dropping TWD, but this issue (and other recent issues) are going to be really disappointing for us folks telling fans of the TV show, "You have to read the comics. The comics are so much better."

Well, we were overdue for a non-eventful issue.

A little disjointed and all over the place. Too many monologues and fake deaths… This event has so far shaped out to be basically entertaining if you aren't too demanding.

Good and troubling at the same time.

A promising second issue, but this comic has lost momentum with the delayed release. However, it is hard to hate too much on a comic with art this nice because in a year…. that art will remain and no one will care about the screwed up release schedule.

Pretty good. Gillen gets a lot of X-Men into action against an old-time X-enemy and he doesn't even resort to using any hairy Canadian heroes! Too bad that we still have Greg Land drawing this series. People who care about art less would probably give this a higher grade.

Not bad at all. The Mr. Sinister story is pretty fresh and fun. But this issue fails to really shine. Part of that is due to the art being nothing special and part is that it feels like just another X-Men story rather than the second issue of a “brand new era”.

This was fine. It mostly floats on the strength of Dr. Nemesis' dialog and some very solid art. If “they” manage to tie up all the subplots nicely, this could be a high quality miniseries.

Jumping on point?: You could probably pick this issue up and manage just fine because there's nothing too confusing going on with the story, but the first issue of the story was in X-Men #20 so it really isn't intended to be a jumping on point.

Different characters and different stories. I don't know about you, but I get plenty of Wolverine in my other Marvel books. Your level of enjoyment will probably be linked to how much you love (a) Legion or (b) the Starjammers, but I applaud the X-office for giving us a different sort of book. Now just let Carey tell his story and not get yanked into the crossover de jour.

If you like The Walking Dead, this is definitely something to add to your pull list.

Not quite as riveting as the last few issues, but it is a bit of a transitional story as Nelson get's out a few new toys to play with. One does wonder how long this series will remain at its current status quo before Selina and “the journalist” try to get out of infected Britain. Still, even with a few parts of this issue that weren't flat out awesome, this is a great series and a highly recommended issue.

A bit of a depressurized issue that shows our main characters getting a much deserved break. I'm sure it is only temporary and they'll be back into the frying pan asap.

If you're a fan of the novel, this will be a fun graphic adaptation with nice linework. It isn't going to set the world on fire, but you could find much worse things to read.

If you contain your expectations, this is a very good horror/crime comic. Just cover up the place where it says Alan Moore on the cover and you'll probably have lower expectations and enjoy it more.

This will stay on my pull list because it hits a couple of spots that just aren't well represented in today's comic industry. First, it's a slice of life comic and we need more of those (just like we all need to eat more vegetables). Second, it is black-and-white and I love comics that will tell their stories with nothing but words and lines. And, even though this issue didn't blow my socks off, Hahn is telling an interesting story of losers trying to find their way in life.

This arc isn't as strong as the initial Hobgoblin story, but it is still a very solid Spidey-story with good action and a very cool twist on Spidey's secret identity problems.

Good quality comic. It isn't without its flaws, but pulling off a 28-issue event over 2 months is really ambitious and the Spider-creators/editors have mostly kept all the plates in the air. Recommended.

Not an awesome issue, but still pretty strong, The path forward for Spidey and friends is very clear for the rest of this story arc.

Ramos' art saves the day. Slott's story is better, but still buggy as hell.

There are some good elements here, but the plot is smashed into your brain with a club. In case you didn't already know, “with great power comes great responsibility”. Demerits also for using non-essential back-matter to jump the price up to $7.99.

Note:One of the highest compliments I can give Robo is that I've gone 100% digital on this series and I still read it the week it comes out. My pull list get's pretty extensive and I've found that as I switch titles to the "digital" side, it's easy to defer them because I also have OGNs and back issues I'd like to read and those digital issues will never "sell out" and necessitate hunting on eBay. And once you defer a comic, it's amazing how few you truly miss. Atomic Robo is never in that category. I always download it and enjoy it shortly after it comes out". not because it's on my pull list at the comic shop and the owner will think I'm a dick if I don't buy it, but because it's good and I really enjoy it. A LOT of superhero comics are going to struggle in digital for this precise reason, but Robo will be fine.

Not the most exciting issue of Atomic Robo, but this is still a comic that folks interested in different sorts of comics should be trying out. It never fails to be fun and humorous and tells some very good stories.

A pretty good issue. The art's better than the story, mostly because the story is moving too slowly. But, this is still a fairly high quality title month after month. Put some worse art on this and the story flaws would really start to show up.

Another quality entry in what has been a very solid series since the beginning. If you're missing “new characters” in your superhero comics, you should check this one out.

A very solid first half that has great art and introduces a cool new character. Unfortunately, the execution on the last few pages kinda drops the ball.

Not bad. This is a comic that will appeal a little bit to people reading Zero Year and it does feature a different spin on The Riddler. Villains' Month is still kinda silly though.

Foibles aside, this was a fun issue because they let Damien loose. Just wish they would have let Damien do a little more to Zsasz.

A pretty good issue that has a few flaws on the production side. If you're interested in checking out what is going on in Gotham besides Batman, this is the title for you. Just don't expect a consistent narrative month to month.

A little frustrating after a gangbusters first issue, but this series still has a lot of good karma because that first issue was SO good.

This series is off the road and stuck in the ditch. Why you would create a comic series about a crew that hops between realities and then spend more time on the love-lives of the characters and pre-adventure back-story is beyond me. Still salvageable because the art is strong and the basic ingredients are in place, but I think the Remender is just interested in different things than I am.

Visually very appealing, but not a whole lot going on in this issue. However, this is in no danger of being dropped from my pull list.

If you didn't like issue #1, but do generally like the godly characters of the Marvel U. or enjoy cosmic-scale action, this might be worth another look (at least the main event series). This wasn't “awesome”, but it was good enough to warrant picking up the third issue. The tie-ins are probably a no-can-do at this point unless you really like a particular creator who works on one of those projects.

Tantalizing. Not a great comic on its own, but Marvel could easily bring Alpha Flight back from this point (especially considering that Puck is featuring in Wolverine's current story arc). I'm sure Marvel is watching sales on this title, so go pick it up.

A capable issue and if you're a fan of clones or Juan Jose Ryp, you might want to check it out.

Every time the GI Joe books cycle back around to Cobra is a high point for the overall story. The bad guys are just more interesting than the good guys. Honestly, I wouldn't mind just reading about Cobra a la Secret Six.

Another slightly troubling issue of Creepy where the reprinted classic story puts the modern stories to shame.

A very satisfying Bruce Wayne story for those who want a break from what Morrison is doing. Not without flaws, but Hine has created a very cool new villain in Winslow Heath. Hopefully, he'll be back sooner rather than later.

It looks like IDW is doing a nice job with yet another licensed property. Probably worth checking out if you're an old-time D&D fan who doesn't have 6 geeky friends and hours of idle time to actually play.

Outstanding production values and pretty art, but it still feels a little disjointed from what's been going on in recent issues.

Snappy story that takes the Joes in a fresh direction, but this art is extremely borderline for a $3.99 book. How can the same company that publishes this line of “artist editions” that are homages to the best the comic industry has ever seen continue to be cheap on the art in a flagship book like GI Joe?

A strong entry for a series that had been having trouble doing better than "average" for several months. Shame about the butch Selina Kyle.

Although it seems like I've harped on what's bad a lot, the good vastly outweighs any problems this series has. I just think it's only fair to be very specific about problems I'm having rather than giving vague criticism. You should still be picking this series up: It has zombie pets, murderous slashers returned from the "dead", scantily clad seductress slashers, plucky teen-female heroines, an intrepid demon dog that sniffs butts and talks and that's before we even get to the wonderful central characters of Cassie and Vlad.

A good funny/scary issue of Hack/Slash that fills a very unique niche on the comic shelves.

The story is very solid and promising. It offers what I want in a non-Marvel/DC superhero comic: something different. The art will be fine with a little tightening.

Some good elements, but the delay has kinda killed the story momentum. Still, the series has enough built-up good will and the creators are talented enough that this series deserves some flexibility.

Even though I miss Hardman & Breitweiser, this series just keeps chugging along. The new story we begin here is contemporary and fresh and the art's pretty good as well.

Another fun issue of Hulk. It feels fresh, has off-beat guest stars and pretty strong art. Check it out.

I'm a little confused by a few plot elements, but the generally good writing and very good art pick this issue up. This is also very much an Act II story where nothing too huge will happen and I'm ready for Act III.

A good issue. We know who Max Damage is now and it looks like he is going to start busting some heads.

This continues to be a good series. Knowing Waid, we know that something is going to happen in Max's journey. I just wish I knew when that would be.

A much better issue because it brought back the twisted edge to Incorruptible that it needs to differentiate it from an overcrowded superhero marketplace.

The story is coming around on this arc, but I wish we had more stuff blowing up.

Despite the lack of Iron Man and a few dull story threads, the presence of Pepper and her new armor really spiced this issue up and restores my hope for this title. Things are looking up.

Yeah! The band is getting back together. If you were wondering what happened to all those cool and flawed characters of the Paradigm, look no further. They're back and that bodes well for future stories. It really is amazing how this series has grown legs for the long term after starting as “Superman turns evil”.

Lots of good stuff. Still a little toobusy, but this crazy comic about all sorts of creatures is coming close to a pay off. Great art (again)!

At this point, there isn't much reason for new readers to hop onboard. But, if you're an existing reader, you'll find this issue to be pretty much like the rest of the series: Too many interesting characters for the pages allotted with wonderful art keeping you interested.

One of the most visually distinct comic on the shelves right now. Unfortunately, the story isn't quite keeping up. It isn't bad, but I sorely want the story to be the equal of the art and it just hasn't hit that mark yet.

This series has hit the point where I'm having a very difficult time remembering any of the nuance to the story from month to month. That makes it hard toanticipatethe next issue because I can't really remember what happened last time. But the uniqueness and quality of the art will keep me coming back for awhile.

Another well written and well drawn issue of Morning Glories. I really don't know what is going on, but I am enjoying the experience for the most part.

Another good and mysterious issue. We're a year into the series now and still don't really know what is going on. When this series reveals its mysteries readers will either be (a) blow away or (b) angry that they read so much for a payoff that they don't think is worth it. But hey, it's a creator-owned series and it is kinda cool to see a writer who is clearly doing things 100% his way and is confident enough in his story to tell it this way.

A pretty interesting first issue with great art. It doesn't quite live up to the hype with this issue, but often series that are this heavily hyped DO turn out to be pretty good even if you can't really tell it on the first issue.

Deconnick and Rios have created an interesting world of possibilities for Norman Osborn.

Slow at first, but this issue has a GREAT "Oh Crap!" No Way!" reveal on the final page that'll hook you.

A kinda quiet issue that takes time to develop a few characters while also giving us a big cliffhanger at the end.

Still a strong series, but I can see why people prefer to read Terry Moore in trade sometimes.

The beginning of another slow burn. Aaron introduces a LOT of interesting elements in this issue and we'll enjoy watching it unfold over the next couple of years.

Really glad that we have a truly ongoing story back in Scalped. While I have a few little personal nitpicks with this issue and there are a few things reducing my enjoyment of it, it is so well done that it still is getting a pretty high grade.

Another really good issue of Scalped that again shines a light on the depressing lives of some of these characters we've grown to love. Not the best issue-to-issue story flow, but at least we have Carol back into the mix.

Much improved from issue #1. Good action, fast pacing and solid humor.

The story is pretty straightforward, but the art is a big improvement from last issue. These are difficult issues to draw and the addition of a separate inker seems to have helped the final product.

Some hiccups in the visual storytelling are holding this story back. We shouldn't have to work so hard to tell characters apart.

Kinda a dull first issue from a story standpoint, but with this creative team's track record, I think it's safe to stick with the title, especially because it looks so nice.

This series set a very high standard with earlier issues and didn't quite close the deal as strongly as I would have liked.

A very key issue in the Sweet Tooth series as it seems to reveal what happened to cause the apocalypse and Matt Kindt's art is beautiful. The issue is a bit slow-paced to get the highest grades though.

A pretty good first issue that is very new reader friendly. It has probationary status on my pull-list based on this issue.

A nifty and unsettling issue that teaches a lesson about getting into cars with strangers. Not sure if I'm that intrigued enough to keep reading though.

I'm enjoying the weirdness a LOT more than the actual story and the delayed publication schedule isn't doing this series any favors.

A frustrating first issue. We have a neat setting and some interesting characters, but I need a better sense of what the characters aredoing before I can get really excited. Still, given Brian Wood's track record, I'm not too concerned about the series.

The introduction of Gerry Brown a few issues ago has helped this series find it's legs. I'm really enjoying Brian Wood's world-building, but am still wondering if there will ever be a central plot to this series.

This series continues to confound. I love this peri-apocalypse setting that Brian Wood has created, but I'm starting to wonder if Callum Israel's story is the most interesting thing to watch therein.

A solid issue without any technical flaws. The only problem is that the series is a little slow. We're taking the country road to the final destination and sometimes it would be nice to hop on the interstate for the final bit of the journey. Go faster!

A nice return to the main Unwritten storyline, even if it was a bit busy.

This is still a good series, but I felt a lot of anticlimax after reading this issue. On the other hand, it is still about as intelligently written and drawn as any comic on the market and that makes it hard for the issue to stink too badly.

The Unwritten is back. This wasn't a contender for “issue of the year” or anything like that, but it did make me feel that this title has its feet back under it after a couple of shaky issues. Even with a few odd things about this particular story, I feel a lot better about the future of this series than I did a month ago. It is also probably an example of why “trade waiting” on some of these Vertigo series isn't a bad idea because if you were reading these in collected editions I doubt you'd even notice the lull.

A good jumping on point (provided you also intend to read the collected editions) that also resets things nicely for ongoing readers. Not a huge about of new stuff though.

A good issue, but this series has been carrying these mysteries for a long time. It may be unfair, but it is easy to feel shorted by any issue that isn't paying off some of the mysteries. I'm sure it will read wonderfully in collected editions, but it wouldn't hurt to put a little more consideration into making the single issues a meatier read.

A solid issue. Most of the really deep stuff takes a break this month in favor of pushing the plot forward. Sometimes a series like The Unwritten needs to do that just to make sure that a segment of the readership isn't being left behind.

The slow burn to the next explosion has begun because we just know that the story won't end with Carl sitting in a rocking chair as an old man, safe inside the Arlington compound with grandkids running all over the place. The question is what kind of nastiness will happen that prevents that possible future. Just enjoy the ride.

No slow-burn here. Kirkman goes straight to climax and that's a good thing even if some storylines get neglected in this issue.

After sucking wind for a few issues, TWD has a nice bit of forward momentum again and that's great. This series has a wonderful quality where Kirkman could probably just ad lib for years because we'll always want to know what happens next. Still, it wouldn't hurt my feelings if they stepped on the gas a little bit.

A little slow. I know there'll be a big explosion of stuff around issue #100, but I really don't want to wait 6 more issues for something to shake this book up. I need an appetizer before the meal. Nevertheless, a weaker issue for TWD is still pretty good.

Not a bad issue, but not much happens either. There's no hook to this issue. This is one of those interludes between the big and bloody events; and while I'm looking forward to the payoff, the creators need to be careful that the action doesn't become too dispersed.

This issue is mostly set-up. Other than getting a little to close to explaining the science of zombies, this issue is perfectly fine.

The new direction is the same as the old direction. Smoothly written and expertly drawn as always.

Finally,the story moves into gear… Unfortunately, it seems headed to a very familiar destination.

Not without a few flaws, but still very enjoyable and it is hard to go wrong with Tommy Lee Edwards doing the art.

Not great, but a pretty good issue showing that Gillen is a font of ideas about creative ways to use the X-Men's powers. That bodes well for the future! Greg Land does a pretty nice job, but screws it up by giving all the women the same face (again).

A fresh story with very stylish art. Coker & Freedman are really just using the vampire genre to tell a story of man-and-woman-in-love-and-on-the-run. They happen to be running from vampires, but this story could just as easily be a crime/exploitation tale of freeing a prostitute from her pimp. It wasn't an “awesome” first issue or anything like that, but you can tell by reading the first 5 pages that it is going to be pretty good and possibly great (as it does have a LOT of buzz behind it).

Some really solid stuff, but some things to be concerned about too. If the comic is going to involve the men in the story, they need to be developed a little more.

Still going strong 75% of the way to the finish. This comic has been weird-fun and shows no signs of letting up.

Not as funky as the first miniseries, but still a very human story of a guy trying to get his mojo back.

A rare “take time to breathe” issue of 28 Days. Of course, we're going right back into the meat grinder, but it was fun to see the characters kick back a little bit. Nice art change. I wouldn't mind Salas being the permanent artist on this title.

Bad stakeout techniques aside, this is another strong issue of one of my favorite series. I can't wait to see what happens next month and find out why this guy has a grudge against Selina.

A really good change of pace issue for this series that makes me feel really good about its long-term prospects. It is also a nice jumping on point for fans of the film.

A really great series is wrapping up in a way that is still new-reader friendly. Just buy issue #21 and this one and consider it like a 4-5 issue miniseries. The writing and storytelling have both been top notch throughout!

A nice blend of cheesecake and space opera. Two of my favorites"

This remains to be a good series to pick up for a non-comic fan who enjoys Game of Thrones. By playing the material and the art very straight, it will give new readers what they expect and perhaps make them fall in love with comics.

A nice issue that doesn't necessarily bend your mind, but effectively pivots from Act I to Act II of the story.

A really strong first issue of Alpha Flight. It isn't without a few problems (few comics are), but it succeeded very well in (a) not sucking and (b) recapturing that early 80"s Alpha Flight feel.

First “good” issue of Amazing Spider-Man in a couple months. Thank goodness! The world is just better when the Spider-Man comics are good.

Dan Slott is off to a really good start to another story arc on ASM. Life is just happier when ASM is snappy and good. And what a battery of artists they've had on this title?!? Talk about not missing a beat!

Even with a few quibbles on the story, this is another strong performance on Slott's run on ASM. If you aren't reading ASM, you really need to stop what you're doing and go pick up these issues NOW and catch up because, 9 issues in, it is shaping up to be a historic run on the title.

My personal issues with misdirection aside, it is still a pretty strong issue with clever dialog and lots of fun action. Nice art too. McKone would certainly fit in the rotating stable of Spidey-artists. I'm very much looking forward to seeing the bad guys get their asses handed to them for invading the Baxter Building and can't wait to see the neat traps that Slott and Van Lente come up with that'll be part of the FF's security system.

A pretty good start to this event with an interesting story and very nice art, but there are some mild warning signs of a bloated event.

Slott and Ramos nail it. With the excellence of this issue, I suddenly don't feel so upset about having all 28 issue of Spider-Island on my pull list. Fun story and great art. This is what I expected coming into the story and after a bit of a disappointing opening, we're back on track.

A very worthwhile coda on Spider-Island.

Jumping on point?: Even though Slott makes every issue pretty accessible, this is a really good place to jump on. Not only is it a new arc, but it is the first arc coming out of an event. Surely this is where Slott will start building towards the next BIG thing he's got in mind. Maybe for #700?

Jumping on point? This is a GREAT jumping on point. Even without Spider-Man appearing, it does a great job of establishing where the Spidey-villains are going in 2012.

A few, jaunty issue of ASM that has a few little teasers of events to come.

Hey, guess what? Another very strong issue of Amazing Spider-Man! Going back to #600 (including the two .1 issues), they've had 77/84 be really strong. That's quite a run!

A pretty strong issue that wraps most of the Ends of the Earth plotlines (nothing on the MJ thread though").

Let's give Slott the benefit of the doubt and trust that the story of Alpha won't veer into predictable territories.

This was a pretty solid issue. If anyone was wondering if this title had lost its juice after that mediocre Alpha story, this should put those minds at ease.

Can a really fun story with awesome art make up for a mediocre I-can't-finish-this second story? I say yes, but your mileage may vary.

GREAT art and definitely worth picking up if you enjoy Black Cat.

Another strong issue that emphasizes that Skinner Sweet and all the vampires are people out of time. Time moves on, but they stay they same. This is such a good series and every comic fan would be well served to squeeze this onto your pull list!

If this is as bad as it gets, you can see why this series has won so many awards. Even though I was disappointed in a few aspects of this issue, typing them up makes me feel really petty and trite. Oh well… Can't wait for next issue. This is still the most consistently good series on the market right now.

A few little quibbles hold this back a bit, but it's still a darn fine comic from an outstanding series.

A nice ending to a pretty good story. This gave us a lighter hearted X-Men story and there's certainly a place for that among the ~10 ongoing X-titles. Really sharp art from Bradshaw and Rosenberg too.

If you're not reading Atomic Robo, you're doing it wrong. Every comic fan should find a place in their pull list for this little gem because it brings you a sense of fun and amazement that is very rare in comics.

An excellent non-Marvel/DC comic that we should all support. Like all issues of Atomic Robo, this issue has fun all over it. This is the classic example of, If you don't like this, you are allergic to fun.

Atomic Robo is always fun. This issue has a bit more character development for the metal guy without losing the trademark sense of humor that this series is known for.

Jumping on point?: This is a great jumping on point for new readers. Start here and enjoy the next story cycle. In fact, probably the reason why we have no action in this issue was so that Bendis could make it accessible to new readers.

Another very strong issue of Avengers Academy. Love the heavy focus on Finesse since she is the best character in this book.

Another strong issue of Avengers Academy. Considering that this is a B-list title and it is one year old, it says a lot that I've never once considered dropping it. It's been just that strong. Even though I think people make WAY too big of an issue of “jumping on points”, this is a pretty good issue for the uninitiated. Trust me, you'll like it.

It's a shame this series doesn't have higher sales because it was been consistent quality since issue #1. This is a pretty decent place to hop on as the Academy is starting a new direction and I'm sure it'll be awesome.

It's a shame that this series couldn't quite continue the upward trajectory of last issue, but it still seems like big things are happening in this series. Make sure to tune in and see what becomes of the Scarlet Witch.

A nice issue that could probably be skipped for longtime Bat-fans, but is very worthwhile for anyone new.

A little confusing in places, but Snyder and Capullo are so good that they can just push through those weaker parts and still make you want to read more. Love watching Batman taking on a new villain rather than these dusty old rogues that he's fought a million times before.

A pretty good issue. I think this story is going to be challenging for long-time Batman readers just because we've read too much and it's hard to lever this story into what we already know. New 52 be damned" On the other hand, if you can shrug off that baggage, it is a pretty good issue. And the back-up is aces (how often can you say THAT about a back-up story?).

Zero Year is still going very strong. But it is still going.

Hey look! It's an annual that is (a) self-contained, (b) introduces an interesting new character and (c) shines new light on a familiar Gotham landmark. That's really all you can ask from an annual (especially considering how lousy annuals sometimes are). The art is fine even if it isn't excellent enough to merit a higher grade.

This comic has moments of brilliance, but it also trips itself up sometimes. This is a great example of how there are two different types of "B" comic books. There are those where the A-level elements average out with the C-level elements. Then there are those that are good, but unremarkable. I'd much rather consume comics that have an chance to be extraordinary and Bedlam still fits that bill.

If you like your Blaxploitation to be 100% silly and 0% serious, this is the comic for you. I'm just not sure I understand the point of spoofing a genre about social misfortune if you don't bother to remind what that social misfortune was.

A strong second issue and another interesting world to explore. Just be careful with the stereotype characters that are all pulled from the Nerd Fantasy textbook.

I've lost the story thread, but this comic features strong enough storytelling and the art is stylish enough that I don't care very much.

Hip, fun and fresh. A very different look at a Russian crime story with great art.

A fun, humorous and fast-paced crime story with art direction that demonstrates that "multiple artists isn't" something to be afraid of.

Hey look! There is an actual story under all that shocking stuff from issue #1. It isn't a hugely deep story so far, but there is something there. The big attraction to this issue is Mike Huddleston's art because this issue looks like nothing else on the shelves right now.

This title has successfully turned the corner from “shocking and fresh” to “quality story”. I plan on staying tuned as long as Casey and Huddlestone plan to publish this title.

A little rushed feeling, but at least we got an ending and the art is glorious.

A really good Herc story comes to a close. This might have been miscast as an event, but some big things did happen including some changes for Herc and the return of some lost heroes. I'll be curious to see how things continue in the new Herc ongoing this spring.

Most event tie-ins make you feel like a chump for plunking down $3.99. Not this one. This was worth reading (and seeing) even if it does have some limitations in story-telling placed upon it being a tie-in. Well worth tracking down at your LCS or in back-issue bins in the future.

Not as funny as normal, but the plot is advanced quite a bit.

Not the hottest issue of Chew, but as this series develops more of an ongoing story, transitional issues will happen sometimes.

A good issue. I'm just hoping that the small amount of humor that we're sacrificing for the sake of story is worth it in the end.

A nice gritty, time-jumping story. This issue does a nice job of laying out the basics of the story and there will surely be twists and complications in future issues.

Four very strongstories should satisfy any B&W horror fan, but missing that single awesome story.

Even if you aren't a card-carrying member of a Cthulha cult, you can enjoy this issue that pays tribute to Lovecraft. The art is sublime for the most part even if they stories aren't going to light your socks on fire.

Pretty good, but the art is doing a LOT of the heavy lifting on this issue and there are some worrying problems with inconsistent characterizations. Fraction has had a tendency to write characters however he pleases in the past, so if you like consistent characterization".well".this might not be the book for you. But if you just want jaunty fun, it looks like that might be possible. And again, great art.

A very well told and illustrated Bruce Wayne detective story.

The comic is trippy and weird and very pretty to look at. Not sure there is enough story to keep me interested in the long term.

Refresher information for newer readers and very intriguing fresh meat for long-time fans. And, of course, we have the wonderful art and design that we expect from the series.

A little overpriced and the extra material isn't much, but this issue showed me something new about the series and I didn't think that was possible after 50 issues.

Still quality, but not close to the stellar quality of the last two issues.

Fans of the Hernandez brothers were probably already aware of this, but if you're looking for something a little different, you could do worse than sampling a 4-issue story from a modern master of indie-comics. Heck"even if you don't LOVE it, you'll get some street cred with the cool kids at the comic shop who won't touch an X-Men comic.

Very different from the usual fare. This is not only a major change of pace from superhero comics, it's also quite different than most material published by other "major indie" publishers like Image and Vertigo.

Having McKeever write younger characters and having Norton drawing anything is a recipe for success. If you're having trouble picking between all the FEAR ITSELF tie-in series, this looks like it will be pretty good and add a lot of depth to the main series.

A fitting end to a fantastical journal for a Marvel character who can get a little one-note. Bravo to Remender for going for it and doing something new. Even if you didn't personally love Franken-Castle, creators who aren't afraid to try new things should be rewarded and the fans should remember that even if not all character experiments work out to their liking, without experimentation characters get stale pretty fast.

A bright, shiny breath of fresh air. I'm really enjoying this comic after two issues and it'll be fun to see the creators continue to flesh out this universe. Perfect art for this type of story too!

Overall, there is a lot of potential in the concept. This first issue just establishes the overall scenario, so I really have no idea (yet) whether this will be an edgy comic of just something that is derivative of a Big 2 superhero work that uses gods as bad guys (since they're in the public domain). It may turn out to be nothing, but at least the potential for boldness is present.

A very strong first issue of the second volume of Hack/Slash. Friendly to new readers without making loyal readers feel dumped upon with the bloody/sexy art we've come to expect from the series.

Another solid issue of Hack/Slash. If you're an adventuresome reader who has an affinity for old horror movies and bodily function jokes, this is a series you shouldn't be missing. This issue is even is decent jumping on point.

I've been looking forward to this issue and even if it was a little slow, it didn't disappoint and I'm looking forward to reading this monthly.

A very nice issue".especially if you've been itching to see Morrison doing something a little more visceral.

This series has gotten light years better since its debut last fall where the nicest thing most reviewers would say about it was “disappointing” and some used words like “self-indulgent”. It's evolved into a really good read that I encourage you to pick up.

Worth buying for the art alone, but there is also a lot of set-up for the next 5-6 issues.

Haunt is just fun comic books. Even in the few places where Kirkman has too many toys out at one time, the basic story is clear and easy to follow. It was also neat to see a story-arc kinda wrap up and I'm definitely interested to see this new story. And as always Capullo's art rocks!

The new story is very promising even if it didn't get fully fleshed out in this issue, but the art is (again) just beastly good. And, at $1.99 for this first issue, how can you justify not picking this up. This series has consistently been fun and has had wonderful art.

Jumping on Point?: Sure, why not. You'd miss a little bit by not reading issue #19, but it wouldn't be a tragic blow and you could go find that issue if you enjoyed what you got in this #20.

Haunt has found it's second wind after the departure of Kirkman and Capullo. It isn't the "greatest comic on the stands" but it's enjoyable every month and Fox's art is just tremendous. If only the story would stick in my brain after I close the book"

A nice ending to this chapter of the Kick-Ass universe. If you love watching Hit-Girl kill folks, this will be fun for you.

The Planet Red Hulk part of this comic is great. Didn't love the transition back to Earth quite as much, but I'm willing to give Parker the benefit of the doubt. Really great linework in this issue too! This is a really great comic that everyone should be reading.

VERY snappy art and a clever main character. I'm still struggling to find a main story though.

A nice ending to a strong Incognito story. It nicely sets up the next story and I'll be looking forward to seeing that in a year or so.

Solid and a very nice change in art should help this series reach new heights.

The main story is a wonderful capstone on a great run on Hulk for Greg Pak. Hopefully Marvel will give this the Omnibus treatment someday and also get the entire run available digitally, because these are stories that have the potential to be evergreen. Jason Aaron has some big shoes to fill.

Back on track. I was worried for a few issues, but Fraction has righted the ship and is once again telling a fun Tony Stark story.

Fraction at his decompressed best. Eagerly anticipating next months finale.

A very solid grounding for one of Iron Man's classic villains. I doubt Marvel will need to do another “origin of the Mandarin” for a LONG time. Bonus points that you can fend off muggers with this weighty tome!

Still going strong, Mark Waid has established another compelling status quo in this series and I'm eager to see how it develops.

21 issues in and showing no signs of slowing down. This issue is light on actual events, but foreshadows the hell out of what we can expect over the next year. I'm looking forward to it.

Nice to see this series get its mojo back. It isn't a perfect issue, but I'm happy that it has rediscovered its slightly deviant nature because we have plenty of edgy superhero stories from Marvel/DC. But those big publishers usually won't do deviant and that creates a niche for this book.

Some of this ends up not really mattering, because the upshot is that Plutonian is on Earth with his gang of villains, but if those panels aren't going to be clear, we could have used those panels to touch base with the folks on Earth.

A very strong issue. The initial Plutonian rampage that the series began with came out of the blue. Now we'll see what happens when the Earth's heroes are somewhat prepared for him.

More background work and nice art, but it would be nice to advance the story too. Surely that is just around the corner.

Great, great issue (and series) from a visual standpoint. The story is enjoyable too, but I really don't think it would hurt to streamline some more. It's a shame because all of the story elements are really cool, but it is kinda like drinking out of a fire hose.

This series really tantalizes with its possibilities. I LOVE the art and enjoy many of the concepts, but too often it is like trying to drink from a fire-hose with the way the story is presented. It's entirely possible this is a series that will read better in collected form.

You won't find comics that are much more pleasant to look at than I Zombie due to the artistic contributions of Michael and Laura Allred. I enjoy the story too, but in a long-term kind of way. This is a series that probably reads a better in trade format than in single issues that cause a break in the action every 20 issues.

A nifty little issue. I'm not sure it was what the series really needed with only a handful of issues left, but it is what it is"

All in all, Kick-Ass 2 is a very worthy read. Millar takes a very clever scalpel to superhero tropes by transplanting them into the real world.

A fun and very professionally done issue. The story is streamlined enough that the long delay since issue #2 doesn't really matter. Can't wait for next issue when it looks like some pretty hot things might happen.

Very well done, but a little too icky and disturbing. I applaud Millar for pushing the boundaries of good taste, because without pushing it you'll never learn where the boundary is. But this was too much for a mainstream comic. It was a good comic, but I'd never recommend it to anyone and feel kinda bad having it in my house.

Another good installment of the second Kick-Ass story. Even through all the slicing and dicing, blood and guts there are actually some smaller points that Millar is making about the true nature of heroism. He's not being very subtle about it, but it is effective nonetheless. The big finale in the next issue should be fun.

This was a pretty good ending to this miniseries. I like these characters and I enjoy the story. Plus, it's nice to see someone who is such a veteran of the industry pointing out how foolish superheroes really are while also telling a "never give up" story.

I'm glad to have the series back. If you push past all the violence and outrageous stuff, Millar and Romita are really just showing that it is hard to be a hero and therefore, heroes should be admired.

An intriguing first chapter. Worth a look when the #1 issue comes out.

A whacky-fun change of pace! Way more than I expected it to be. I'm buying the next few issues without question.

A fun one-shot that has promise for a 4-issue miniseries. Not the tightest story, but the art on the main story more than makes up for it. If you like art that is on the Darwyn Cooke (who does an awsome cover for this issue) or Amanda Conner side of cheesecake, you'll love this.

A comic book about volleyball? The fun lies in wondering what Brian Wood will do with this scenario because he almost always has something to say in his comics.