@DocBenway Comic Reviews

This book wont push you to have deep thoughts or grow as a person. It has little to no moral or socially redeeming qualities at all. Gage and Duffield know this and revel in it. Pick this one up and enjoy the grime.

Alex + Ada promises to be a cult favorite among fans that can be patient as Luna and Vaughn explore the interesting concept of purchasing companionship. Mix this into a pull list with some quick cheap thrills and balance out your comic book diet.

The reliance on events in other Bat titles feels like a step backward from the independence that Simone has given these characters to date. Heres hoping she can get back to business when this Gothtopia storyline fades away.

This creative team doesnt disappoint. The reintroductions keep coming along with fun cameos, surprise developments and as yet unanswered questions. Zero Year is turning out to be spectacular storyline and I cant wait to see where we end up.

This Batwoman story is solid enough stand on its own with or without the Zero Year tie-in. Thats kind of the way this book has been in the new 52: a peer to, but independent from the rest of the Bat books.

Although there are still a lot of loose ends to tie up, Andreyko and Haun have a tight grip on the wheel and it looks like this series will survive this rocky transition.

Perpetual action and plenty of unanswered questions will have me waiting for the next installment of Black Science. Move over Saga and East meets West, theres another sci-fi hit on Images roster.

The concept and creative team are very strong on this book and we could all use another strong science fiction title to read every month. Hopefully Remender and crew can find a way to strike a better balance between character development and relaying the action.

This is a beautifully drawn and colored book focused on a vital yet deeply flawed, female character that is more concerned with the nuances of her quest for redemption than the contours of her figure. Quite a refreshing contribution and worthy of your hard earned dollars.

If you can put aside the dubious motives behind publishing this book so soon after his demise and ignore the concept of Damian reaching out to the worst mom ever for a solid, go pick up a copy and enjoy the beginning of what looks to be an interesting tale of what could have been (or my still be).

Kubert is handling the writing and artwork of an over-the-top tale of what the future might have held for the Bat clan with panache. Screw continuity and enjoy the ride.

Kubert is three for three in this miniseries. Each book has been a fine read and would make fine primers for many of todays working artists (including some of the folks on other Bat titles). Unless the ending is a bomb, this will be a classic story line in Bat-lore.

A well-drawn and colored version of every action-adventure movie youve ever seen. Im hoping for some more twists along this fun, but uninspired road.

Batman cleans up Gothams other bat problem a little too easily thus ending an interesting storyline without much payoff for the readership. Fortunately the upcoming Gothtopia kicks off with an interesting allegiance.

By skipping a repeat of Harleys origin and cranking out a stunning display by a multitude of great artists, this team has crafted a rare gift. Dont skip over this one!

Conner, Palmiotti and Hardin have given one of DCs fan favorite villain a place to shine. I cant wait to see how Harley manages to balance a couple of jobs while avoiding assassination. Nice work and a great new book. Im all in.

An interesting concept that is deftly written and drawn by a modern master of indie comics. Enjoy this young-reader friendly book with your kid instead of the recently released dino-turd The Midas Flesh.

I wish we got a bit further into the story in this issue than we did. The premise is interesting enough to keep this in my read pile for a couple more issues, but somethings got to happen to make this a bit more buzz-worthy and to help it live up to its potential.

Hopefully this weak story serves as a platform for American publishers to get a whiff of the good stuff that Sergi San Julian can serve. Somebody throw him a line and give him a well written book to work on.

Manifest Destiny is off to a great start. The premise is interesting and the artwork is crisp and well framed. I hope Dingess and company can live up to the concept theyve developed and use monsters and the Wild West to tell a very human tale. Done right, this could be an epic series and I look forward to where they take us.

Fingerman has outdone himself. This book is raw, alternately hilarious and depressing, hopeful and forlorn and most of all honest. Get on board now so you can be cooler than your hipster friends (unless your hipster friends are too hipster to read a book with more production value than a photocopied fanzine).

There are high and low points in this book in both the story and art departments. Maybe Im a glass-half full type, but I think theres a few gems (mainly centered around the debt of gratitude at the end) to make this a worthwhile read for the Bat-nation.

Milligan and crew have kept the past as they take us along in the next chapter of Jack Bonifaces tribulations as the Shadowman. Although Jacks future is uncertain, this books place on my pull list remains safe.

The stage is set. We know that there isnt much that Lucas wont do to keep the kids at Safe Haven under his thumb. The question Im dying to know the answer to is if there is any benevolence in him and/or a true need for his drastic actions. I hope Brisson and company takes pity on us next month and lets us in on the secret.

Last month I hoped that Brisson and company would let us in on the secret and they have to some degree. The obvious question that emerges from this reveal is how Lucas will explain, exploit or bury the event. Even more interesting is the question of whether or not he can maintain control of his compatriots.

Tweens that like video games and dinosaurs wearing glasses will have fun with this one. Ill flip through it on the shelf for some quick yuks and waste $3.99 on something else.

This is a great place for readers to jump into the Valiant universe and see whats up. Its a solid story with the potential to be a keystone book for the company, but the artwork needs to rise to the level of the writing.