With this issue, DC has done a great job of assembling a book and crafting a story that makes me look forward to September's relaunch by convincing me that this current universe is something I really shouldn't waste time (or money) caring about. I'll be skipping the rest of this series (someone please let me know if Hawkman shows up and kicks any moss-covered ass). Bring on September and Scott Snyder, a writer who gets horror stories and adventure comics.

Although this comic is littered with unnecessary mistakes, I can honestly say it isn't the worst book I've ever reviewed. It's damn close. There's simply nothing redeeming about this comic. All Deathstroke is able to terminate in this issue is my interest in ever picking this book up again.

Titled "The Junk," this story is adolescent teen humor at best, with dialogue like, "But -- my man parts ...ack." "Bloodstrike" #1 is a rough read. Liefeld might be trying for satire or parody here, but it falls flat and simply becomes more uninspiring artwork from one of Image Comics' founders.

This title is not completely without merit. Medina's art is solid. Unfortunately, it's also filled with imagery that seems to exist just because it can. After all, when the grenade goes off at the end of the issue, what does the reader gain by seeing some random chick puke? I'd like to see Medina handle a tale that features a more classic take on Deathlok, but I can't really evaluate his skills there as Deathlok, to this point of the series, has only appeared when drawn by Brandon Peterson.

This book is a major disappointment to me. I loved the first movie, and had high hopes for this series, especially once I saw the covers for this issue. After this bumpy start, I'm not sure there's any chance this book can recover.

This special simply isn't special, and for the price on the cover it's darn near painful. The worst part of it all? Magog's story isn't even over.

"Pantha" #1 was an impressive disappointment. I like the attempts to link in some Egyptian mythology, but that's not enough to save this book. In addition to not living up to my expectations, this comic left me with a question. In both feline and human form, Pantha is wearing an amulet around her neck. Given this is comics, I can accept the leopard-print bikini appearing when Pantha transforms to human form from her "panther" (in this case stemming from Africa she would be a leopard) form, but where do the big freaking earrings come from and how does no one see a reflection or glint from them when she's trying to be stealthy? One thing is certain, I won't be checking in on "Pantha" going forward to find the answer.

Gillespie spends most of "Purgatori" #1 piling on ideas that are intended to make the reader squirm, like torture, assault, rape, murder and vampirism. None of those pieces are crafted into a story, but simply jam together to form a diluted, uninteresting and unmemorable backstory. The debut issue comes across as a perverted pipe dream or a rejected script to a horror movie that treads a little too closely to being a porno. Unless that's your preference, there isn't much to like and certainly not enough story to enjoy, let alone remember. "Purgatori" #1 features a twisted soul cast out of Hell, but does nothing to incite the readership to care.

It's nice that the writing crew is trying to connect all of the moments of the past together, or to fill in scenes from slightly before readers meet these characters, but none of the "new" pieces revealed in "Earth 2: World's End" #1 feel necessary. "Earth 2" didn't need additional Batman ties. In the space where we meet Dick and Barb Grayson, we could have easily been introduced to Ted Grant, Charles McNider or Ted Knight. Unspectacular and borderline superfluous given everything that has already been revealed in "Futures End," "Earth 2: World's End" #1 doesn't offer readers enough to rush back for further issues.

Unfortunately, with such a vast array of creators chipping in to this title, it is nearly impossible to properly identify every creator's individual contributions, right down to the trio of colorists. There are some wildly imaginative drawings in this comic, but there are also some headscratchers and other distracting pieces. The final eight pages are such a collage of attempted money shots that all sense of storytelling disappears. It's unclear how the characters aboard the T.S.S. Endurance got there or what exactly happened to the other set of characters or if Alan Scott ever got to finish one activity. The big ideas and promise are there in "Earth 2: World's End" #26, but the vision was never given a true plan to follow for positive execution.

"Michael Turner's Soulfire" #1 is more of a new adventure for longtime Soulfire fans than a true introduction for new readers. As such, I'm sure those seasoned vets will appreciate it more than I found myself able to. I'm not sure where this comic story is going, but I won't be hurrying along with it, unlike some of the other "10 for $10" launches.

Marvel has been cranking out event stories and garnishing the presentation with additional tie-ins and crossovers, but in this case, the presentation suffers. Anyone buying this comic book for an appearance from their favorite character is certain to be disappointed, while any event completionists are set up for confusing continuity at best and frustrating dismissal of it at worst. "AXIS: Revolutions" #1 is a comic book with a pair of stories that are fine on their own, but really add nothing to the grander Marvel Universe in general.

This book, obviously, is set up as a gateway book for people who discover they like/remember/want more time with these characters via the game, but to those comic fans looking for a new story to follow this book is a big exercise in frustration. The Lex Luthor story is being told in a much more interesting manner over in "Action Comics." The writers on this book have delivered better. The artists are tasked with an uninspired story. The Ed Benes cover, the $2.99 price point for a mostly ad-free, the marquis creative names on the cover, and the start of a new series are all draws that this book just failed to capitalize on. Maybe this is just a slow first issue, maybe it is indicative of what to expect from this series, or maybe this is the odd man out with DC's continuous weekly/bi-weekly/twice monthly experiment. I'm not sure, but it certainly isn't a book that'll be fighting for prime space on my pull list.

As comics go, this is not DC's greatest achievement, and as marketing tie-ins go, it is not overly appealing either. This book could be much more " tips for the game, introductions to characters, compelling reasons to go beyond this to either the game or the other comics " but it falls horribly short. I'll give it another ten issues before I assess it again. Right now, there are many other comics to read.

Dinosaurs in a comic book are enough to get me to pick up the book at the very least. Sometimes the execution succeeds, like "Chronos Commandos" and other times it just falls short. This is on of the occurrences where the story just falls short. While this comic book is intended to have some cheekiness to it, there's very little charm tucked in the cheek. The end result is a story so heavy-handed and ham-fisted that it makes B movies look like high cinema. The upside is that this issue must have gotten all of the set-up out of the way, like introducing the cast, including television reporter Bob Gowen whose interview microphone never leaves his hand. There might be more in the next issue, but "Dinosaurs Attack!" #1 isn't heavy enough on the dinosaurs.

I admittedly had low expectations for this book going in, and aside from the couple of chuckles generated by the extreme-action dialog, I was not disappointed. Dixon appears to have had fun with this comic, but there's nothing worthy of me coming back for more. It's G. I. Joe-lite, trying to pretend to be "Suicide Squad," but truly it's neither.

Looking forward from here, I'm hopeful that some notes will be taken on what works and doesn't work for this character. I applaud DC for finally giving Detroit a character that doesn't induce groans from readers. I just hope they decide to keep Cyborg grounded in the Motor City. It just makes too much sense.

This comic is like a rejected story from "The Brave and the Bold" (by the way, where is that book now?!) that didn't quite hold up to "B&B" standards, but also repelled the all ages book of the same title much like Bat-shark-repellant took care of that pesky shark back in the Adam West days. Thinking about it, I suppose I should be grateful that this wasn't two issues of "The Brave and the Bold," as that would have run me an additional 98. The shame of this issue is that both Wolfman and Anderson have delivered better books, and I'm quite sure they could give us something better than this, but this is here and the "better than" doesn't exist.

By 1990s standards, this book would be an average -- at best - - story. By my standards, it has a long way to go to reach average. In reading this book, I cannot help but wonder what the vibe of the story is supposed to be. Is this supposed to be an over-the-top, retro-faux-1990s story, or is it just a mishmash of middling-to-good ideas that, when put together are just horribly wrong, like peanut butter on pizza? I don't know for certain, but I do know that with fifty-one other options, my wallet doesn't have much more patience for books of this caliber.

Under a $3.50 price point, labeled as the fifth issue of five, I expected this story to have a more satisfactory ending, but the jump in ending at the end reduces the plot of this book to "Mystery Science Theater" fodder-in-waiting. I, for one, won't be sinking my money into the further adventures of "Jungle Girl".

I suppose this is largely due to the fact that while this title is delivered as an all ages read, it is more likely directed at younger readers who are keen to the cartoon and action figure line. My oldest got a chuckle out of this story, but says "Tiny Titans" is more fun, and her younger sisters quickly agreed. If you're trying to hook some younger kids into the super heroes, this seems like the perfect tool to do so, combined with, say, a few packages of the figures. If you're looking for a light-hearted read for yourself, you'll get light-hearted here, but you'll be getting a little saccharin with it.

DC chose not to include the JSA in its initial fifty-two titles of the grand New 52 relaunch, and the publisher may have been well served to have held this title back as well. An extra bit of work both on the story and the art would have done nothing but help this book be more readable and enjoyable. As it stands right now, I certainly haven't seen enough in "Mister Terrific" to care to come back for more.

Aside from Namor vanquishing a vampire squid -- you read that right -- by ripping off one of its tentacles, this issue meanders about, showing Namor as an oafish brat. His strength, nobility, and character are never put on display, and the story suffers for their lack. Moore and Olivetti attempt to infuse some of the wonder and diversity from the ocean's depths, but that gets muddied up by vampires and paper-thin plotting. I had pinned my hopes high that this time Namor might stand a better chance to thrive in a title of his own, especially given the sales boost the X-emblem Namor wears would provide. Unfortunately, my hopes were quickly dashed beneath the surface of this book. Maybe I'll track down the stories mentioned in the "Namor Files" at the back of this issue to find some satisfactory tales of Imperious Rex!

I was put off by what I read in "Red Hood and the Outlaws" #1 last year and find nothing redeeming in this issue. It's also quite simply a boring comic book. I was hopeful Rocafort would find another gig and, as luck would have it, he's off this book and heading over to "Superman" #0. Lobdell's heading over there too. I'm looking forward to both reading it and seeing it reviewed here on CBR. As for "Red Hood," I think I'm pretty well done checking in on this one.

Lobdell's story hits on two notes: sex and violence. Neither one really has any reason for being in this book save for the fact that without either one, this book wouldn't exist. If you're up for a pointless, violent, sexist romp that offers nothing of substance, then this is your book. Otherwise, stay the heck away. Buy some back issues. Go get a three-dollar coffee. Download three ninety-nine-cent songs. Don't waste your time or money and don't say I didn't warn you.

"Red Hood and the Outlaws" #24 as a comic book story is more interesting than I expected it to be, but the characters and situations are no more compelling than they were when I last checked in on this title. James Tynion IV has a direction he is steering Jason Todd in, but the rest of the book seems like shrapnel from the explosion -- heading out from the core story in random directions without true purpose. I'm not sure who the target is for this title, but I do know it's not me.

The mischaracterization of Frankenstein aside, there is no real depth to any of the "Red Hood and the Outlaws" cast, despite thirty issues of existence and no fewer than three different writers trying to layer in nuance after failed nuance. Quite frankly, I would not have purchased this comic if not for Frankenstein and, having read it, realize that even that rationale was terribly flawed.

I get what the crew is trying to do here. The outcast and slaughter of the Budini make it quite clear. This story is one of intolerance and a quest for understanding. Of course, this is only the beginning of this series, so the answers are not all revealed here. To this point, the story is a tired one in comics. Mutants, aliens, teenagers, Native Americans, Jewish people -- we've red this intolerance before. Substitute out any one of these archetypes for "Budini" and I'm sure you can find a story that is a little more solid and more than a bit more enjoyable. Maybe the series will pick up steam in the next issue, but for now, I'm sorely unimpressed.

I haven't checked in on "Spawn" in a while, and after reading this issue, I'm reminded why. This, quite simply, is not my cup of tea. It's violent, gory, and offensive largely for the sake of being violent and offensive. I understand that's the "appeal" of one of "Hell's Soldiers," but it appeals very little to me.

"Worlds' Finest Annual" #1 is anything but the world's finest. It struggles to achieve middling, but at least brings strong story potential. It appears as though DC has been attempting to weave "Worlds' Finest" back together with "Earth 2," and this annual makes a strong move in that direction, only to trip over itself. Nothing presented here gives me any indication that the contributions of "Worlds' Finest Annual" #1 should in any way, shape or form impact the destiny of "Earth 2." Let Power Girl and Huntress continue to fight the good fight on the main Earth, but let Earth 2 continue to expand its own backstory.

Stating the mission of the team multiple times (including the front text piece) doesn't make "X-Force" #1 any more interesting. There's a paper-thin, stale plot pushing the story, but it isn't very compelling and the characters seem to be checking boxes in order to slog through another issue. The debut issue does little to distinguish itself from any other iteration of Rob Liefeld's brainchild. In fact, "X-Force" #1 feels more like a mismanaged remix of the Craig Kyle, Christopher Yost, Clayton Crain title without any interesting characters. In addition to providing hollow characters and a complete lack of heart, "X-Force" #1 brings nothing to justify the cancellation of the two previous "X-Force" titles, instead giving readers flat, uninspired writing and art that is every bit as murky and uninspired.

As crossover conclusions go, this one sets a new low for me. I like several of the characters present in "X-Termination" #2, but the fortunate way the story wraps and the price paid is just a little too predictably satisfying. Lapham throws some telegraphed finales our way, but they don't come anywhere near becoming a satisfying read. Nightcrawler gets to go out with a "BAMF!" and that's about the best "X-Termination" #2 has to offer.

Dazzler and company are a pale substitute for Blink and her crew from "Exiles," a title that blazed the trail for alternate-reality hopping adventure series. I really want to like what Pak and Segovia are doing here, but after two issues, I've come to the startling realization that maybe I just simply want "Exiles" back.

All in all, I was more than a little disappointed with this first issue. I think the massive shoehorn used to wedge Red Torpedo into Tornado's past is unnecessary, as the "beacon" could have been a strong enough plot device on its own to bring the characters together. I'm glad to see T.O. Morrow in this series; Kathy Sutton and Traya are also welcome additions. I'll be back to check out the next issue, but it will need to make up some ground for this first one.

I had hope in this issue once Reddy mentioned the ley lines. I thought that VanHook might stretch back into Reddy's past in "Primal Force" with the Leymen, but that gem was left unearthed. In a disappointing miniseries, that was the disappointing cherry left on the disappointing counter, completely forgotten. After this series and the way Reddy's been abused in "Justice League of America," I do hope DC finds a way to set Red Tornado back on the path of respectability. This is a great character with great potential. Someone just needs to get it right. Maybe Kurt Busiek would like another go?

I want nothing more than to be able to give "Savage Hawkman" #0 a five-star rating, but this simply isn't a good Hawkman comic on any level. If DC can find the formula to make "Aquaman" a quality and commercially viable comic, why can't the publisher apply the same equation to discover Thanagarian success? Maybe after the flaming exodus of Rob Liefeld, DC will be able to find the talent able to resurrect Hawkman from the ashes of mediocrity. Until then, if you'd rather spend three dollars on a huge pile of indifference, feel free to check this book out. If you're more shrewd with your money, there are plenty of other charities out there.

Sadly, it seems as though this title is so quick to distance itself from everything that defines Hawkman that it hasn't figured out how to re-define the character. Between this book and "Hawk & Dove," I've found a couple (so far) major disappointments in this relaunch. Maybe if I wait this out a few months, Hawkman will be knocked off and reincarnated in a title that's more in line with what the character deserves.

Someother characters had a nice launching point for this new universe from the waning days of "Brightest Day." Aquaman essentially kept on going from his path there. Swamp Thing, with a few speed bumps morphed into the tale Scott Snyder is telling. Firestorm is dynamically changed, but the roots of the character and the supporting cast of his universe share common history. Hawkman, however, slid the farthest and continues to slide. There was a wonderful refocusing on what made Hawkman so distinct, but that was washed away and replaced by contradictions, mediocrity, and dullness. Why does Hawkman do what he does? What is it that he does? There's just not enough here for me to find reason to continue on.

The talent in this book has the ability to craft more interesting, more engaging stories. To this point -- over the course of half a year -- it just has not performed up to expectations. With several of the first wave of relaunched books succumbing to cancellation, one wonders how long before this title vanishes from the stands.

This is one of those reviews that I truly wish I could split into an art rating and a story rating. Bennett would receive four stars and the story would get half of one. Hawkman has an underlying concept that works in every incarnation. "Brightest Day," which gave Swamp Thing and Aquaman a direction to move forward into in this new DC Universe, had a great set-up for Hawkman. It truly seems like no one can pull it all together. That said, this is the first issue and Bennett (with Thibert and colorist Jason Wright) has produced some great work. I'll open an extra packet of patience and see how this first arc plays out.

I saw "Hawkman: Wanted" as a chance to recalibrate the Winged Wonder following Liefeld's flameout, but DC hasn't found the method to execute that recalibration, leaving the character hollow and largely forgettable. I'm not sure who the regular writer will be on this title, but it could certainly use a complete creative overhaul as "Detective Comics " recently received or it will soon, deservedly, be tossed on the pile of failed New 52 titles.

It's sad to think that just a year ago, a new issue of "Adventure Comics" from Geoff Johns, Francis Manapul, and Clayton Henry was an exciting event. Now? With a monthly "Legion of Super-Heroes" title existing, and a "Superboy" title en route, I wouldn't feel too bad if "Adventure Comics" got the axe. Unless it gets a creative kick in the seat, there's not much to recommend it sticking around.

This "Ame-Comi" concept stood out as an oddity from the start, but the Wonder Woman story gave me hope that there would be some fun to found. Granted, I haven't checked in on the two stories in between, but this issue is nothing like what I found in "Ame-Comi: Wonder Woman." I'm going to dig through my back issues and remind myself just how good a Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti "Power Girl" comic can be.

"Batman: Arkham Knight - Genesis" #1 is going to be a must-read for devotees of the games but, for readers looking to latch onto a new Batman adventure, it's going to prove to be a headscratcher that doesn't provide much return on investment. This is a story all about the Arkham Knight and, while it sets up his origin, it doesn't give the reader much reason for return.

Nothing about this book makes me want to come back for more, especially when my limited Bat-finances could be spent on books written by Grant Morrison, Scott Snyder, or even Peter J. Tomasi. I guess I could be optimistic and hope that Finch might be sandbagging for the September relaunch. Maybe then we'll get more exciting Batman stories in "The Dark Knight."

As this "10 for 10" experiment continues, I'm getting a bountiful sample of the variety Aspen offers readers, but none of the issues have really hooked me enough to merit further investigation into the second issues where the price nearly quadruples. "Charismagic" #1 is clearly more viable to readers familiar with the previous story, but does a decent enough job offering a nice character-defining opening chapter for new readers. It's just not an overly compelling opening chapter at this point.

"Convergence: Blue Beetle" #1 had a chance to be a remarkably fun throwback issue that celebrated the Charlton heroes in a more pure form, relative to their eventual addition to the DC Universe. Unfortunately, this issue completely misses the mark. Blue Beetle, Captain Atom and Question are all gathered together by the end of the issue, offering a touch more hope for the second issue, but it would need a solid infusion of collaboration to put this issue's woes behind.

"Dark Wolverine" seems to me to be a book without boundaries set around the character. This issue certainly celebrates that, as you can see from the preview pages right here on CBR. Unfortunately, that also seems to translate into a story that really doesn't seem to go anywhere powered by a character that fails to inspire.

The overall execution of "Detective Comics: Endgame" #1 is rushed and distractingly uneven, making this a story that will struggle to be remembered as part of "Endgame."

Dark Horse tossed in the original first appearance of Doctor Solar for the second half of this issue. That's a nice bit of nostalgia with timeless art. I found myself more interested in the further adventures of that Doctor Solar than the one in the lead feature for this issue. That said, there is potential here, and maybe with the burden of a secret origin out of the way, future issues will truly showcase the creative talent of this book.

The letters page claims this title deals with "the public face" of G I. Joe, while "G.I. Joe: Special Missions" will deal with the "deadly missions." I found that to be interesting as at least one Joe is apparently killed in this issue with two more in critical condition and the possibility of a third casualty on the horizon, thanks to the splash-page cliffhanger debut of one of the Joes' most recognizable foes. The spirit is of the G.I. Joe brand is well-represented in "G.I. Joe" #1, but the execution is sloppy. I'm certain many of the bobbled details can be corrected or used as educational opportunities and I would like to see the book congeal more into a solid piece of storytelling. For now, however, Van Lente and his team have their work cut out for them after a weak debut.

Even the stars of this title are pinched out of the issue, a fact magnified by the appearance of a handful of cosmic-related characters reimagined through the lens of the Nova Corps. So many concepts and characters received a signal boost through their "Secret Wars" connections, but the Guardians fail to connect in a story that seems largely forgettable when held under the lens of crossover saga.

"Guardians of Knowhere" #4 does give readers a slobberknocker of a scrap as Gamora and Angela form an uneasy alliance to take on the nebulous blue-skinned fury threatening Knowhere -- except she isn't as big a threat to Knowhere as Gamora and Angela are. As seems to be the case for Bendis' tenure on "Guardians of the Galaxy," "Guardians of Knowhere" #4 is just as disappointing. This could be more, it should be more, but it just isn't. Readers wanting more -- expecting more -- are simply told to find it elsewhere.

In addition to being a thick read due to the civilian attire the primary characters sport throughout most of the issue, the lineage of characters and relationships is not something new readers are going to easily discern. Once again, however, I find myself reiterating that perhaps newer readers are not the target audience. "He-Man and the Masters of the Universe" #1 is a niche book reaching out to a niche audience and I hope fans of the franchise enjoyed this first issue more than I did.

The opening scene of "Infinity: The Hunt" #2 made me think about the Triwizard Tournament from "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire," but the story in this issue falls well short of any expectations established in that comparison. Kindt and Sanders do add breadth to the Marvel Universe through the plethora of characters created in this series; they just don't add more depth. The focal character of this issue in terms of panel time is Quentin Quire. Honestly, I don't find the character all that compelling in Jason Aaron's work on "Wolverine and the X-Men" and find him less so for "Infinity: The Hunt." After two issues, this series has failed to deliver on the potential in the concept and settled in to being just another red skies comic with an unattractive price point. Although the main "Infinity" story in the series proper and the Avengers titles is enjoyable, the thin nature of "Infinity: The Hunt" fails to impress.

With a somewhat predictable debut, this mediocre launch to the latest adventures of James Rhodes leaves a bit to be desired. The basic concept of Rhodes' transformation from War Machine to Iron Patriot has already been handled more succinctly and with greater animation onscreen in "Iron Man 3." That makes the declaration of becoming a hero for the people simply boring and almost tiresome in this issue, consuming space that could have been filled with action or adventure. "Iron Patriot" #1 isn't Marvel's biggest whiff of the All-New Marvel NOW! lineup, but it most definitely isn't their strongest offering. Kot and Brown have their work cut out for them to make this a destination title noteworthy of readers getting excited for something different. I hope they get started on that path in earnest next issue.

With this issue, not only does the JLA go to Hell, but the reader does too. As for the location of the money from my wallet, well, I'm pretty sure six bucks is no match for hellfire. Maybe my money will come back in the next issue of "Brightest Day" or something.

Roy Harper has been down more than up, and to see this character smashed into and through the wringer sideways doesn't endear me to the character or the story that surrounds him. Krul claims to love Roy Harper as a character. Now that he's worked so hard to establish a new low for the character, I hope he gives the character something to live for, but honestly, I don't know that I care.

It has been made painfully clear that Roy Harper will never be the same, but a new "same old Roy" is starting to manifest in the form of this lashing out and self-pitying Roy Harper. I'm not expecting Lian to be forgotten and Harper to move on as though nothing happened, but the development of Harper into an ass has taken two full issues so far. With the confrontation set up at the end of this issue, we get another go-round between Harper and Cheshire (no, I'm not spoiling that, it's on the cover). Next issue is where the rubber meets the road. Hopefully.

Thank goodness Kevin Maguire was around for the art. He was able to provide the characters with passion, elegance, grace and emotion that were missing from stilted, burdensome dialog. "Legion of Super-Heroes" #23 might be the last issue of this volume, but there will undoubtedly be another one some day. Hopefully when that one launches, it's able to usher in more humanity and joy to what is becoming an increasingly joyless future in the DC Universe. I just hope DC realizes that Kevin Maguire is just as good drawing laughter, guffaws, shouts of joy and smiles when they look for an artist to bring some levity.

While the intent is clear, this parody just doesn't go far enough as a spoof, falling somewhere between a successful lampoon and poor caricature. In the end, this comic doesn't do a whole lot to dispel any preconceptions of the comic book standard, nor does it offer a story that I see myself re-reading or waiting for a follow-up.

Clocking in at twenty-two pages, "Midnight Tiger" #1 simply does not have enough substance to keep from feeling thin and incomplete. Instead of presenting the next "Invincible" or even "Blue Beetle," this is just another story about a kid with powers. It's a nice, comfortable celebration of comic books, but it spends too much time celebrating to solidify around the core potential.

Kickstart may not have put their very best work forward on this first book, but the story is certainly intriguing enough for me to check in on the further adventures of Owen Grimm. Mind you, I didn't say I was going to necessarily purchase the next, but I will certainly see where the story goes and if any of the kinks of this first story manage to get properly worked out.

backdrop of New Orleans and timing of this story being post-Katrina aren't played up as much as they could have been, or perhaps they're just not played up as much as I expected them to be. When all is said and done, this book is just another bullet-filled story of vengeance. It's not one that I'm likely to remember months from now.

Ultimately, the twenty-page story in "Red Hood/Arsenal" #1 is less impressive and less memorable than the eight-page free preview DC gave to readers last month. The generic foe of this adventure doesn't bring much gravity to the comic, which finds a tidy conclusion; likewise, the situation itself doesn't pack as much drama as Lobdell and Mesri fit into the eight-pager, which promised a significant menace with far-reaching effects. "Red Hood/Arsenal" #1 feels like less of a start to an ongoing series and more of a sample. If the creative team returns to the tale they started in the preview, "Red Hood/Arsenal" will definitely be worth checking out again. Until that point, this title is going to have to work a little harder to keep readers locked in from issue to issue.

I know Marvel has been holding back on getting a Doctor (or not so Doctor) Strange story out. They've been seeking the right combination of creator, story, and timing. I'd like to see some of the other pitches, as I find it hard to believe that this is the best combination of those factors. Waid and Rios have the talent and the ability to deliver a great Strange story. This issue is not that great Stephen Strange story. Maybe in the next few issues they'll swing for the fences. The former doctor could use some home run magic.

As first issues go this just feels like a loosely connected collection of notions, which together compile an incomplete and not particularly compelling story. None of the characters really wow me. The art ranges from decent to confusingly disappointing, and the overall story is simply lackluster. I'm still not quite sure how to process "The Movement" #1, nor do I have a strong grasp of what DC is trying to say with this book, but I know it doesn't move me enough to warrant more than an occasional check in.

"The Ravagers" #0 does not falter in delivering the relative story of Beast Boy's origin with the Ravagers, but it leaves parts of the tale leading to his time with that team untold. Unfortunately, those are the parts I find to be most interesting. This book has challenged me to continue reading out of the hope of rediscovering a new version of the Doom Patrol, but so far it has only given me a pile of disappointing comics. Maybe someday soon the creative apathy will disappear from this title and I can put away my own apathy for this title. Until then, I'll continue to peek in for more Doom Patrol news.

After taking a couple months away from "The Ravagers" and coming back to this series with this issue, I am still not sold on this book. At all. The best parting commentary, and sign of hope I can offer, though, is that the second-to-last page has just enough of a teaser for this diehard Doom Patrol fan to come back next month despite the painful writing.

As a Doom Patrol fan, I've been hopeful for clues to the New 52 appearance of the team and this book has offered the most consistent source of that hope, with appearances by Beast Boy and Niles Caulder. The art and story haven't always been easy to digest and, quite frankly, the book has been painful to continue with. When I saw the Pat Gleason cover solicited some time ago, it drew my attention to the text, which promised a new start of sorts for one of DC's lackluster "Second Wave" titles. While "Ravagers" #8 is far from an auspicious start, it is still far better than most of the previous seven issues. I'm hopeful that this new creative team is simply going through the storming part of their new working relationship and will soon find the norming phase. With that, maybe the book will become a readable series of adventures. If not, I would dare say "Ravagers" might soon be doomed, regardless of whether or not the Patrol ever materializes in these pages.

With all of the possible leads to this story's expansion winding down ("Ravagers," "Team 7" and "Deathstroke" all ship their final issues in May) I'm curious to see where threads go. Truly the scorched earth metaphor doesn't seem too far off base. Maybe DC will take a good, hard look at what went horribly wrong with this series and steer something good out of it. Or not. With one issue remaining, "The Ravagers" are certainly doomed and it's their own damn fault.

The computer details in "Vandroid" #1 seem out of place for a story set in 1984. Developing a machine with sufficient intelligence to be considered a threat is reminiscent of "War Games," but the machines here certainly seem uptech from where I remember 1984 and certainly smaller and more colorful. Granted, thirty years of hindsight does blur lines a bit and disbelief does need for be suspended for comics, but the efficiency of the tech is distracting throughout the tale. It needs to be this efficient for the story to exist, but there is room in this tale for the tech to streamline as the story progresses. Instead, it goes from masterfully streamlined (how would an A.I. even fit on a floppy with only kilobytes of storage?) to insanely streamlined, even for comic book tech. Yes, comic books are where Ultron and Red Tornado exist, but Edwards and Smith appear to be trying to give "Vandroid" #1 a tech-horror spin without providing any true evolution to the rise of the machine.

The fumbling of Donna Troy and Cyborg by their most acclaimed writer is puzzling and adds to the perceived lack of effort. I'll continue on with this "Deathtrap" story, hoping for improvement, but it's far from a lock.

The story seems to be either decompressed or mismanaged. The biggest development here is the addition of the Teen Titans team to the stew brewing in this story. Their addition and role in this story is not clearly defined, but they are literally on a crash course with the rest of the players in this drama.

I understand DC's perceived need to market this event and goose sales for both of the Titans titles as well as this book, but I think it would be in everyone's best interest if these books were finally given room to grow and develop on their own. "Titans" (and "Teen Titans") need to decide what they want to be and take those steps. "Vigilante" needs to start moving forward or it won't be able to celebrate a twelfth issue.

I expected a little more from this story than it gave me. There's nothing here for me to care enough about to come back for another issue, let alone four more. I'm sure some readers will find more in this book than I did, but if you really want an enjoyable tale with villainous leads, fun adventure, and good art, Marvel is also publishing a little title called "Thunderbolts." Check it out. Hold the two up to each other. You're sure to find a book that scratches that evil itch for you.

It appears as though the heart of the action is going to appear in the next issue, but the scheme being schemed up by a fraction of Lanterns seems just plain dumb. Between this disappointing issue and the major disappointment of the "Brightest Day Aftermath" book, I'm just about ready to bypass any and all DC events as they are certain to bubble over into a heartless epilogue story that would be better served by being left alone. Once an event is over, DC should return the characters to their books and deal with the fallout there. Maybe then the stories would be worthwhile.

The cover of "X-Men Legacy" #2 is the best thing about it, but Marvel even managed to bobble that as the cover stock seems to be lighter or thinner than the actual pages of this issue. It's certainly an odd choice for an odd book, but one that could be marginally justified given the nature of the story within. I know Legion has been an important character in the past, but he's also been a character that writers have never seemed to quite know what to do with. Now that Spurrier has figured it out, I'm left wanting.

"Avengers A.I.," like the characters it features, has promise as a concept. It is farming virgin soil in the Marvel Universe, but isn't giving us characters with pathos. Hank Pym is a whiner on an ego trip and Vision is as conflicted as he's ever been. There isn't much to cheer for here and there isn't much to hook into. "Avengers A.I." #3 seems like a last gasp for me -- not for lack of technical execution, just for lack of soul, a concept that almost seems funny considering the struggles some of these characters face or wrestle with themselves.

I keep waiting for this title to get Avenger-y only to be continuously disappointed. "Avengers A.I." #8 is the most Avengerful issue of the series to date, with appearances by Unity Squad members Rogue and Captain America and a slight cameo from Cannonball in addition to regular cast members Vision and Hank Pym. Instead of Avengers-powered adventures, this comic routinely reads like a metaphysical meditation of an inside joke between network admins with paper dolls of Avengers on hand for appearance. After Jocasta's appearance to close out the previous issue, I was holding out hope for this book to finally earn its Avengers stripes, but once again, "Avengers A.I." #8 just disappoints.

In the end, this comic is limp. I'd much rather prefer to read a great Kilowog story -- which I know Tomasi has in him somewhere " than suffer through a comic fans' guide to the unnecessarily changed characters you know from the books as they will appear in the movie. Last week's "Flashpoint" Abin Sur story was more enjoyable and offered more insight to the world of Oa than this book, which is a shame, because it has nothing to do with the upcoming film. This comic, however, seems like less of a prequel and more of a primer, gently easing comic book readers into the universe of the feature film Green Lanterns.

This issue isn't necessary reading before viewing the movie, but it certainly seems like a nice piece of prep work. Taken out of the context of the movie, it still holds up as an enjoyable story with a Green Lantern who certainly has his share of untold tales waiting to be told.

In all, this book doesn't feel like it's found its niche. The conflict with the JLA did nothing to help carve out that niche, even though that seemed to be Winick's intent. Largely forgettable, this book weighs in as a placeholder for the real battle with Jericho in a few months.

The issue ends with all the subtlety of a Billy Mays infomercial, demanding that the reader "check out 'Teen Titans' #69 and the 'Teen Titans Annual' for what happens next" before the multi-titular-crossover "Deathtrap" begins in the next issue of "Titans." Really? Is this the 1990s all over again with "family" crossovers spilling out from every corner of comicdom? I'm ambivalent about picking up "Teen Titans" #69, as I haven't truly enjoyed that series since before "One Year Later," but I will check back in with this title next month to see how "Deathtrap" hits the pages.

I'll admit, I was looking forward to "Deathtrap" as a point to re-immerse myself in the "Titans" side of the DC Universe, but this issue falls short. It feels less like "Judas Contract" or even "Titans Hunt" and more like the morass that Titans fell into after "Titans Hunt." I'm not sure this story needs the five issues, crossing over into "Vigilante" and "Teen Titans" that have been allotted to it. I suppose there's only one way to find out.

I am beside myself that the Titans corner of the DCU has deteriorated to this storyline. It makes "Titans Hunt" look like "Judas Contract" by comparison and makes "Judas Contract" look untouchable and unmatchable. I've covered the first four parts of "Deathtrap" through the three titles it has touched, hoping against hope that the story would get better. It hasn't and I don't see it happening any time too soon. Do yourself a favor and avoid this title at all costs. If you're compelled to spend money on something Titans-related this week, ask your comic shop retailer to guide you to the back issue bins or copies of "Teen Titans Go!" The Titans deserve better than this, I just hope DC can figure it out.

This book is far from the greatest comic of the week, but it does serve a purpose to re-introduce some forgotten heroes and foes back into the DC Universe, just in time for "Blackest Night," an event seemingly custom-built for such a long-suffering character as Tempest.

This issue wants to be "A Day in the Life," but it feels more like a "DC Tryout Book." DC desperately needs to decide how to commit to this title, what "Titans" needs to be and how to get there. This title has been boring and flat for over half a year now, and this issue is just another example of that. I want to enjoy "Titans," truly I do, but to receive this level of effort for my hard earned three bucks really makes me want to chalk it up and start a different title.

This issue is little more than a detour between "Justice League: Cry for Justice" and J.T. Krul's upcoming "Rise of Arsenal" and "Fall of Green Arrow" stories. This issue does, however, set up a scrum in the next between the Titan remnants and one of their oldest foes. I'm hoping for a little more from Krul and crew in that issue.

Of course, much of this discussion is moot. The creative team is a flock of lame ducks here as the new "Titans" crew has been announced, along with the new direction and team.

I do hope Wallace and team manage to prove me wrong, but I don't think I have the fortitude to see it through.

As much as I haven't enjoyed either "Titans," or "Teen Titans," I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this issue of not-"Titans." The story moves at a nice clip, offers a vast array of characters, and delivers plenty of action.

"Titans" is no more worthy of the title following this issue than it was before, but this run of "Titans" certainly has a theme it is running with. I still find no redeeming qualities to any of these characters, but given the final page reveal and the stories set in motion here, I am growing more intrigued by this series with each issue. I just wish it weren't so gory.

This book has strung the stories along for quite some time and now those stories are starting to weave together, even as it seems that the characters have reason to drift apart. There's enough of a collection of story sparks here to keep my interest, but what Wallace chooses to ignite with those sparks remains to be seen.

I'm not sure why a title like this is given the opportunity to continue on, spewing forth a story that corrodes the comic book landscape, while other titles like "Doom Patrol" and "Freedom Fighters" -- which have more intricately plotted out stories, more coherent artwork, and more compelling characters -- are targeted for cancellation. If I have to find a silver lining in this book, I suppose it is the fact that Isis has returned. Of course, the longer she remains in this title, the less thankful I may be for that. That one character alone is not enough for me to continue to lose money on this title. After all, I can get 2/3 of a gallon of gas for the same price, which is just enough fuel for me to go to the comic shop and back home without any future issues of this book.

This series has gotten off to a bit of a rough start in my opinion, but it seems poised to make everything all better with a guest appearance by Green Lantern next issue. Too bad nothing in this issue makes a compelling enough case to come back next issue.

This issue is capped by an image on the final page that is so very unexpected it all but guarantees that the next issue is going to have a few more surprises in store. This issue definitely has a little more to entice me back for a third installment. In this case, it will be to get some answers to the mysteries of the story.

While this title has been hit or miss with me since it started up, one thing that has been consistent has been the high level of DC shock-value gore. In this issue, a stabbing victim is gutted like a fish with explosive skin that radiates gore and blood and then proceeds to bleed from his eyes, nose, and mouth as he fades away in Ollie's arms. When the action shifts to the forest, we're treated to Black Lanterns spewing blood from contact with Ollie's bow, at least the ones that aren't shorn in two by Galahad's blade. Although it is Halloween week, I'm near capacity on gore and blood for the sake of shock value. Enough already I say. This title has shown promise of adventure, excitement, and intrigue, but moments like those in this issue cause me to want to just walk away from it altogether, forsaking the good ideas and potential that have appeared in this version of "Green Arrow." The story potential " for really great, fun, unusual stories " is here, but for now it is buried under sh

This issue was a breezy quick read, but less than satisfying, kind of like trying to nibble a substantial meal from the morsels that stick to a wish bone four hours after the Thanksgiving Day turkey has been carved. I've stuck with this series, sensing that it could turn a corner soon. I've had visions of great stories, interesting plot twists, and shocking revelations to come, but after six issues, my dedication to this lost cause is almost as misguided as the faith of the fans who show up at Ford Field in Detroit each and every Thanksgiving to cheer the Detroit Lions on against a gridiron foe who is more than a match for the Leos. I've given it time, I've been let down, and I'm certain I'll find other spots for my $2.99.

If I've said it once, I've said it six times (I didn't review issues #3 or #7): this book has potential. I just don't see that potential being tapped. Krul has done a good job bringing in characters that make this book interesting, but by comparison, they make the titular character seem lackluster. I'd like to see Krul give me a reason or seven to care about Ollie, but so far, there's nothing. At least the forest is entertaining.

There's no doubt that this title has some critical ties to the "Brightest Day" story, as the story is moving a little more directly towards an apparent conclusion in parallel with the main "Brightest Day" series. As that story enters its final two months, I'm anxious to see what this title does in that same span. It is apparent that Krul has a plan for a significant reveal (while others have speculated the return of Swamp Thing, I'd like to suggest the Floronic Man perhaps?) and some of the issues to this point have been deliberate pit stops. Now that it is pared down to Oliver Queen and the forest, I think Krul will be able to tell his story unimpeded.

Future issues should bring not only a more interesting plot, but a story that filled with the action and gritty adventure of the close-quarters battles favored by both of these alien species. "Should "is the operative word here, as it is possible that this matchup could just degrade into another tired franchise with the best stories behind it, or this could be a return to brilliance. One way or the other, this first issue exhausts itself setting up what is to come.

Buried beneath a clunky story is the fact that this Spider-Man isn't as committed to his values as the "regular" Spider-Man. Slott makes it quite clear throughout the story but doesn't give the reader enough material to evaluate whether or not they prefer a slightly harder-edged webslinger. More noteworthy is the fact that Peter and Mary Jane feel content telling their kindergartner a life-altering secret and seeding lies around the rest of Spider-Man's story. "Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows" #3 is a decent enough inventory story, but not the type of tale I'm likely to go back and re-read any time soon. Its connection to "Secret Wars" is, currently, tenuous at most and the characters just don't have enough personality or vitality to make this storyline exceptionally memorable.

While the writing is already dry on the wall for some of the plotlines (seriously, does anyone NOT see King Yamoon trying to conquer unsuspecting worlds again?) I am interested to see how the story plays out and just who the people ransacking the Atoms' homestead turn out to be. Potential is here, now it is just a matter of acting on it.

This book is an oddity. It offers a whole lot of potential, but doesn't deliver on much of that potential. The recently published "Hawkeye & Mockingbird" series had more of a "Solo Avengers" feel to it than this comic does. There's no denying "Avengers" is the brand of choice at Marvel nowadays (I'm surprised Matt Fraction's new book isn't titled "Defending Avengers") but this title does little to merit that connection.

This issue seemed poised for deep revelations, exciting subplots, and action aplenty, but it fell short in all areas. It is a nice little humanitarian piece, of sorts, that allows Dick Grayson to try to teach Damian Wayne a lesson on right and wrong, but it turns out to be an average comic. It does, however, do a good job of keeping the seat warm until all of the Batbooks are synched up for their next step forward.

This issue doesn't offer much for Beta Ray Bill fans, as the character in these pages seems to be a mere shadow of the character created by Walter Simonson to be a capable replacement for Thor. Speaking of Simonson, this issue does offer Bill's first appearance, reprinted from the pages of "Thor" #337. This section of the book is well worth the cost of the book, but sadly it makes the newer material that much more pale by comparison. John Workman, Jr.'s lettering alone makes the reprint worthy of your hard-earned $3.99.

While some of Widow's potential is getting tapped here, this adventure seems slightly misguided. If someone truly wanted to wipe out the people Widow cared for, why telegraph it? With a character as crafty, connected, and resourceful as Black Widow, the mystery presented here seems very thin, the challenge more minimal and elusive than daunting. The thin veil of the present day story is a distraction to the more interesting details of Natasha's past. Hopefully Cornell can punch up the present day tale in the issues to come.

Cornell and crew cleared the deck nicely for the upcoming series' creative team, so from here it's forward motion for Black Widow. Hopefully the next chapter in Black Widow's story has a little more bang for the buck -- or three bucks.

"Convergence: The Atom" #1 is hardly a deathmatch issue, nor does it particularly sell Ray Palmer or the Atom very well. Fans of Palmer, Choi or the Atom concept aren't going to find the next great epic of the Mighty Mite here. With DC pumping out so much product in the next two months around "Convergence," there are bound to be some gems, stinkers and completely forgettable tales. Nothing in "Convergence: The Atom" #1 is exceptionally memorable, and the final page introduces the most interesting concept. Hopefully, part two brings something more interesting along.

While there is a great deal of potential in Top Cow's "Pilot Season" program, I feel like I haven't seen the potential truly realized yet. There must be a reason that "Cyblade" won the chance at being a title, I just hope that reason shines through very soon.

The story has potential, weaving these legends together, but I haven't seen enough from one issue to convince that that potential will quickly or solidly be realized. I'm not currently reading "Fairest," therefore I can not make a comparison, but taken on its own merit, this book seems entertaining enough and worth a peek into the second issue. It's not completely dismissible, but it is also not quite memorable.

Vertigo has had a nice run lately of intelligent, compelling reads and I was hoping that "Dominique Laveau: Voodoo Child" was going to follow suit. So far, there hasn't been anything to prove that a worthy assumption. It's a decent read, but comic budget being what it is, decent just doesn't cut it.

This book is full of odd pairings and gatherings, but all the same it just seems slow and choppy. The plot is well-intended, the characters an odd assortment, but nothing about this book really entices me to plunk down another three bucks for the next installment. I'll peek between the covers, sure, but I'm not expecting a great deal.

This first issue is hardly "must-read" material. I'd even go so far as to say it's barely even "nice-to-read" stuff. It doesn't do much to add to the tapestry of "Fear Itself" that isn't already masterfully accomplished in the main title. As a standalone, it is a little less inspiring, unless you happen to be a diehard Speedball fan. I'm not certain what future issues hold, but there will be, at the very least, stories of Speedball and Agents of Atlas. That's really not going to be enough to guarantee my dollars and time, but I'll at least peek in the issue to see if it is an upgrade from this one.

That said, overall, I think this book is well below the bar of expectation that has been set for it and this series. I know what the story is supposed to be about, I know the names, but I just don't see the characters. I don't feel the energy. I don't care. I might give this a shot in collected form, but for now, I'm done with "Final Crisis."

This issue seemed like a shallow fish tank for me; Perhaps "Nemo" would be more enjoyable as a series of shorter tales.

Taken as a whole or as a single issue in the flash flood of books in DC's summer event, this book is not one of the best "Flashpoint" tie-ins, but I'm willing to bet it will eventually be one of the "most critical" tie-ins. Of course, I could be proven wrong next week if Geoff Johns boils down the critical highlights of this issue into a smattering of panels in "Flashpoint" #5. All the same, this issue does serve as a nice epilogue to the legacy of the Flash that has served as the spine of the DC Universe since "Crisis on Infinite Earths."

The characters presented in this issue are less compelling than their "true" counterparts. I'm not sure what role Traci Thirteen is going to play in the resolution of this storyline, but given DC's recent announcement of the ambitious relaunch of their entire line of superhero titles, I think it is safe to say that Traci doesn't quite help put things back the way they once were. Where she puts them and how that affects everything else remains to be seen. Unfortunately, it doesn't remain to be seen with any urgency.

"Forever Evil: A.R.G.U.S." #1 succeeds in the spots where it doesn't focus on the acronym, the organization or the crossover with "Forever Evil." Essentially, if this comic were called "The Adventures of Steve Trevor," it would be a lot more on-target. The cover makes this seem as though it is a book about a team of warriors, but the story inside narrows the focus to Steve Trevor and Etta Candy, with a few cyphers dropped in for padding. This isn't the greatest tie-in story ever, but it's also not the worst.

As "Forever Evil" shuffles to a close, Gates and team do a decent job packing a lot into the "A.R.G.U.S." conclusion, as they have done throughout the series, but fail to draw a satisfying conclusion to this tale. Rather than decisively finalizing anything, Gates and company leave the story open, which would be perfectly acceptable if this were an ongoing series. Instead of continuing in the next issue of "Forever Evil: A.R.G.U.S.," the story ends limply pointing readers towards "Forever Evil" and "Justice League." There's no denying Steve Trevor is now intertwined into the DC Universe a little tighter and that universe is certainly richer for this series, but finite series should be a little tighter when they wrap up.

In all, this story is disappointing. The two pages up front offer more promise than the paltry twenty pages can deliver. There may be hope for future issues, but Abnett and Lanning will be hard pressed to make the next two issues meaningful, offer a refined plot and competently introduce the remainder of the characters introduced on the early pages of this issue.

In all, this is a decent read, and having just watched the original film, I can attest that the flavor of the story and the characterizations of the major players are replicated here. For diehard Ghostbusters fans, this book is a can't miss, but for the casual fan, the story might entertain, but the background seems to be quite lacking.

Overall, I found this collection to be underwhelming, in choice of character and content of story. I think Marvel would be better served to promote their female creators by letting them just create on Marvel's major titles. I'm not sure if this title is supposed to serve as a tryout book for creators or characters, but it is rather thin on character, even if it is rich on creator. I'd love to see many of these creators given a chance to take on other characters in other situations.

Despite the really limp tagline of "In a world where monsters roam freely, some stories have been lost to time. . . until now. These are Godzilla Legends," this issue is a not so much a legendary tale as it is a story that we just happen into. Anguirus isn't the greatest of all kaiju, nor is he the worst. He's just forgettable, and, unfortunately, so is most of this issue.

Personally, as someone who has lived closely to the character and history of Hawkman for the past eighteen months, this "bold new direction" for the character concerns me greatly. Geoff Johns and James Robinson hammered out the historical mess and made it a palatable story that fit the DCU to a "T". Obviously, however, DC felt that Hawkman would be better served as a space champion, given the redundancy of Rann-Thanagar skirmishes since 2005. I think DC just needs to revisit the character's successes and failures, make a note of them, staple the note to their forehead and make a solid effort to avoid the failures. With this issue, I see one of the failures ""- uncertainty of character ""- creeping back in and I fear Hawkman may have some fairly brutal days ahead of him.

The final page of "Huntress" #6 plays out like the credits for a buddy flick released just after the announcement has been made for the eventual sequel. It's less of a conclusion and more of a setup for a story yet to come. That future tale is billed at the bottom of the last panel, but that label lacks the punch it should have, further adding to the unimpressive quality of this installment. There's simply no finality to the story, which dampens the impact this conclusion should have had.

Call me a stick-in-the-mud or a traditionalist, but I prefer my Annuals to be encapsulated events, toppers to a long story or an extra-long, extra-fun self-contained adventure. "Iron Man Annual" #1 is none of those. It's not a terrible comic, it's just not a comic worthy of Annual status, nor will it prove to be an overly memorable one. Essentially, "Iron Man Annual" #1 sums up the unadorned nature that the series has delivered of late: it's mechanically fine, but it's mechanical.

The Justice Society brand, stretched over two titles, seems thin to me, despite the fact that there are a large number of characters between the two titles. Characters in this series that I have an interest in seem marginalized due to sheer numbers while newer characters, like King Chimera and Anna Fortune, either have no resonance or feel forced upon us. The JSA brand has a great deal of potential, but this issue certainly doesn't do much to realize that potential.

"JSA All-Stars" still feels like the farm team to a major league club, but that major league club hasn't been much to aspire towards of late. The end result is that this book is something that was once defined, but has lost sight of that definition. Without a goal, this book sits idle, and in a dimension between dimensions like the one Power Girl declares to be limbo at the start of this issue. If this team ever gets going against a real menace and re-establishes solid footing, this is going to be a fun book. For now, it simply is.

This book never really clicked for me. It never made its way to my "must-read" list. Now that the book is done and the characters are returning to the mothership, I'm not sure what to make of this title as a whole. It was a nice interlude and a fun diversion for diehard JSA fans, but for more casual fans, it floated out there with nothing to make it shine. I'm interested to see how well the characters integrate back onto the main squad, and wouldn't be adverse to either Sturges or Williams (or both) finding the time and space to revisit some of these characters in solo stories in the future.

While art and story are not truly synchronized in "JSA Liberty Files: The Whistling Skull" #1, there is reason for hope. It appears as though Harris is drawing what he wants to draw, given the energy on the page, and there remains plenty of story to be told in the remaining five issues, including the power set (or lack thereof) that the Skull possesses, and how he goes from trying to solve a mystery in Switzerland to fighting alongside the JSA in Japan. Hopefully, as those threads get addressed, art and story will merge together.

The story has some charm and wit to it, but nothing that is going to remain in my consciousness beyond this coming weekend. Consider it akin to an Archie comic with some more winks and nods. I can easily see this book finding its way into the hands of unsuspecting readers. Some will revel in the story while others will be disappointed that they spent three bucks for this. Personally, I found it to be a nice comic break, giving me a respite from the standard fare.

There's enthusiasm and fire in "Jinnrise" #1. There's also potential for a fun, entertaining story, but there is a most important need for a little more polish and refinement. Alien invasion stories are a staple of comic book adventures, but this one, which is essentially set up to be genies versus aliens, needs a boost to become noteworthy. Awan and Vassallo have displayed a measure of skill and talent, they just need to work on execution and delivery.

"Jirni" #1 pulls no punches in establishing a confident and (overly) sexy heroine with a will that is unchecked and a quest that can be supported. This is familiar territory for readers of fiction, fantasy, science fiction and comics, but Krul brings newness to the story beyond the featured purple-skinned warrior woman on the cover. Ara's powers are impressive and effective and her conscience quickly assumes responsibility for Nylese, who is set upon a quest of her own. Of the three titles I've sampled in Aspen's "10 for 10," I think "Jirni" has the most complete world to offer. This is a title I'll more likely be checking in with than the others, I just wish it weren't so (butt)cheeky.

I will admit to having low expectations coming into this issue, but even those were unmatched. DiDio and Johns filled "Justice League International Annual" #1 with lots of teases and contradictions, scattered character bits that do little to define the characters and plenty of lead-ins for things elsewhere. In essence, it's a skinny version of what "Countdown to Infinite Crisis" represented, without the grand scope, interesting characters or drama. Love or hate the outcome, this issue is going to prove to be a must for New 52 O.M.A.C. fans, of interest to Booster Gold fans, and completely forgettable for most others although references will almost certainly be dropped in the near future, especially in "Blue Beetle" #0. At least I presume as much given how Jaime was shunted out of this story almost as quickly and awkwardly as he was brought in.

"Longshot Saves the Marvel Universe" #1 is a fun story concept that has some enjoyable moments in it, like winks to Longshot co-creators Ann Nocenti and Art Adams. With the pieces unpacked from the crate and the story set in motion, Longshot now has a chance to show readers how to be lucky and have fun doing it. Hastings and Camagni have the chance to pull it together. Hpoefully they'll focus a bit more on Longshot and make this a series worth remembering.

If it is ever decided to pursue the tale of the gathering of Brotherhood, with a Magneto that is full of his self-righteousness, determined in his mission, and brutal in his cause, then please bring Chaykin back and turn him loose, no holds barred. That's a Magneto story I'd love to read, and one I'm certain Chaykin would love to tell.

All in all, this book hits a mark much higher than I had set for it, but given the nature of apes, very few things are ever out of reach. Thats not to say this was a great book, but I have purchased worse. While I was hesitant to pick this one up, I found myself almost enjoying the purchase in spite of my expectations. I'm certain that I did not enjoy it enough to have my LCS hold a copy of #2 for me, but if it happens to be available, I would at the very least flip through it.

In the end, readers' imaginations might be up to compiling stories similar to this one, capable of filling in the gaps between films while saving readers a few bucks. There really isn't a whole lot in "Marvel's Thor: The Dark World Prelude" #1 to excite readers eager for the next film in the franchise, but there a little hints and clues as to things to look for in November. I'm already in for three bucks on this story, so I may as well check in with the next issue. Hopefully we get something a bit more "prelude" worthy and less "epilogue-y."

I'm happy that Ape continues to throw these DreamWorks comics out on the stands. They offer a nice option for parents (or aunts, uncles, or otherwise philanthropic adults) hoping to nurture the next generation of comic readers. This line is definitely geared towards the kids who are plugged in to the hit movies from DreamWorks, and this series is no exception. It is, however, definitely a younger reader comic more so than an all ages read.

This title seems like it has been a long time coming, but the end result is lackluster. While I appreciate Marvel's effort to publish books that are different, I don't find this story different enough to make it memorable.

All in all, this book is a quick, fun read, but it needs a little more oomph in both story and art. Mr. Stuffins' interaction with Zach's stuffed rabbit gave me an audible chuckle, but I expected more chuckles when I picked this book up. The subject is there, just waiting to be fun. I hope Cosby, Stokes, and Machain realize that before this series is over.

"New Warriors" #2 doesn't do much to dazzle the reader. There's plenty of action and a touch of intrigue, but at this point, readers are either going to be in or out. Yost doesn't mold any of the characters enough in this issue to make them likeable or identifiable unless readers already have a predisposition for the characters. That said, the creative team crafts a solid plot that is drawing these characters together in classic team-building fashion. These first two issues do the job of putting the ingredients on the table, now it's time to see what happens when Yost, To, Curiel and Caramagna begin mixing them up and really start cooking.

This isn't a book about redemption and justice; it's a book about revenge and murder. It's a one-note book at this point, and gritty revenge can only take a story so far. I'm hopeful that we haven't already reached that limit.

This is a book I really want to like, but this first issue just hasn't sealed the deal for me. Maybe the concept will become more worthwhile as the "Pantheon" is further revealed.

Overall the story feels kind of flat. For an issue that needs to build excitement and generate some buzz, this title just shows up. Sure, it's a new take on an older concept. The art is different than a lot of art on the stands, but nothing in this book really blew me away. I'm sure some folks would enjoy an ongoing featuring Destiny and her efforts to bring her war to those who deserve her righteous fury, but this story just didn't hook me enough.

"Rann-Thanagar: Holy War" has potential to be something, but I'm not quite sure it knows what it wants to be yet. It's almost as though DC had some leftovers and threw them at Starlin, saying, "Make us a masterpiece." Starlin could do that, but he's going to need to really set this thing cranking in the next issue in order to gain momentum and make a readable story out of this. As Augie alluded to in his column last week, building upon the thoughts of Tom Spurgeon, decisions are going to have to be made soon by consumers between gas and comics, or comics and other requirements. Clocking in at $3.50, this one's losing that fight for me.

I admire the mission statement of this comic; but it needs to be more dedicated to the cause and approachable to the target audience. There is a text page at the end of the issue that declares the purpose of this issue to be a wider range of exposure to readers heretofore unfamiliar with Marvel UK characters, but "Revolutionary War: Alpha" #1 could use a little more pizzazz to keep the readers interested and returning. Perhaps "Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe" type text pieces would be of benefit. At that point, readers could quickly reference the characters in the issue rather than wondering who Tion Liger is, what his skills are and why they should care.

What should be a fairly simple story is decompressed to fill the issue and to display what a badass Ms. Odenkirk can be as she makes decisions that shape the future of the Detroit area, sacrificing innocent lives without a thought. A true businesswoman on every note, Odenkirk finds a way to not only vex Officer Murphy, but to turn a buck in the process. The end result of this issue is a powerful lesson in capitalism, "I'd buy that for a dollar!" Unfortunately, this issue is priced a little higher than that.

As one of the "Spider-Verse" spin-offs, "Scarlet Spiders" #1 sets and follows it course, but doesn't bring much heart to give life to the fan favorite characters Costa inherits for this title. Anticipated to clock in at three issues, this series may have been better served as a giant-sized single issue. Instead, Costa and Diaz have to stretch out the tale, giving readers barely enough information and characterization to snag their interests. This is a fun set of characters placed on a do-or-die mission, but the story itself doesn't have much gravitas. As it advances, more drama will likely be sewn in, but this first issue is a rather shallow debut.

"Scarlet Spiders" #3 suffers from being a sidebar tale that has expanded to fill the space available. Costa gives Ben Reilly some humorous lines, but those few lines aren't enough to string out the inevitable in anything resembling a successful manner, and the comic just limps along, like its stars, to the end.

The cover begs discussion, as the trade dress, coloring, and artwork rendered look and feel more like a Dark Horse "Star Wars" comic than a Marvel comic. I'm interested to see if this is a common perception from other readers. I think this issue certainly could have benefitted from a little more "space opera" on the interiors as well as the cover.

As so often happens with anthology tales spiraling out from a big crossover event, "Secret Wars Journal" #1 is a solid concept but falters in execution. With two seemingly unrelated stories shoehorned into the same title, this feels like leftovers or excess. These are tales that were deemed worthy of being told, but they just never congeal enough to be effective or purposeful.

"Shadowland" was an almost intimate event, compared to some of the massive, sprawling events of the recent (and current) past, and its story was intimate as well. At the heart of "Shadowland," Diggle gave us a story of one man's struggle for self, a story we've seen in comics time and again. This time, however the story disappointed me with its predictability. Closing the back cover left me with a story that is largely forgettable, save for some minor conflicts and passing character bits. Truly, with the conclusion of this issue, it feels as though Daredevil has run its course, and I find myself quite apathetic regarding what might be in the immediate future of this little corner of the comic book world.

This series has traversed quite a distance from where Dan Slott originally started off, essentially becoming a separate book altogether with a cast divergent from the original in as many ways as possible. Personally, I'm glad we're getting a break from She-Hulk, as I think Marvel truly needs to figure out how best to utilize this uniquely Marvel character. Maybe she needs to have a visit with Mephisto. . .

"Skyman" #1 is a mundane first issue that offers potential for future issues. Presuming we're ready to leave the racial slurs behind and focus on the construction of Skyman, Fialkov and Garcia have their work cut out for them. There's a lot of story waiting to be told here and Fialkov has established there are plenty of foundational blocks to build a world upon.

At the end of the day, this is just an average comic book delivering an average story with better than average art. Nothing in this tale is going to stick with me long enough to remember when the next issue comes out. The main character looks like Breach crossed with Kofi from "Power Pack." Trautmann's downtrodden lashing out at the world around him doesn't make him an endearing character and the situation that brings about his "heroic" transformation is lackluster. Of course, this is the first installment of a brand new series in the grand era of decompression, so I'm sure there is plenty more interest and definition set for the months to come. It would have been nice to have some excitement peppered in here though.

Fans of Static are certain to be pleased with this issue, but comic readers who happen across this book as their introduction to Static might not find this book climbing to the tops of their must-re-read lists. The Special means well, but just fails to serve as inspiration.

There is no doubt in my mind that this is DC's way of trying to freshen up their flagship character for another run at the silver screen (especially when the first intersection we see in Metropolis is Donner Place and Swan Street), but I don't think this really succeeds at anything more than being a pitch book. The classic characters are spruced up and made trendy, but they don't feel like characters I can really care about. After the recently completed "Superman: Secret Origin" this story pales in comparison. This is the start of the "Earth One" line, but it's a pretty slow start. I certainly hope the next installment rises up to meet the hype a little more strongly.

"Superman: Earth One" Volume 3 is painfully uneven, and the leaps in storytelling cross from the script to the art and back again. At one point, Zod hefts Superman over his head, but Superman is shown limping away on the next with Zod nowhere to be seen. This book is incongruous: when the story is strong, the art waivers and, when the art is strong, the lettering is over-the-top, but all of the parts never click or get the gears to mesh completely. Rather than forcing mediocre stories into a reliable schedule, this installment makes a strong case to look at the product and reconsider what it is that should make the "Earth One" line exemplary.

When the story ends, there is one less Lane on the planet, and a significant decrease in the perceived Kryptonian threat. There are stories left to be told of Kryptonians, of the Super-family, of the survivors of this tale, but those are clearly for another day. This issue is all about the final minutes of the "Hundred Minute War."

Phil Hester's writing in and of itself was not enough to save this issue of "The Darkness" which suffered from a lack of direction in overall purpose and shallow in visual spectacle. There were more than six variant covers for this comic to the twenty pages of lead story. Unfortunately, as the saying goes, "You can't judge a book by its cover." Never has that been truer.

"The Darkness" #101 is a decent start for the next stage of one of Image's mainstays. The cliffhanger is not unexpected, but it certainly seems to have packed the most amount of drama possible into the conclusion of this issue. Hine and Haun clearly have a plan and Jackie Estacado's life will never be the same again.

(Dont' forget to check out the CBR Review of the movie, as well.)

Loaded with expletives, gory disembodiments and other excessively disgustingly foul acts, this story doesn't do much to entice readers to return for any further installments, despite some bold art choices in the non-offensive scenes. "The Victories" #1 was more than enough for me to thank Oeming for sharing his ideas and leave them for fans more apt to enjoy them in a way I simply cannot.

In the end, readers' imaginations might be up to compiling stories similar to this one, capable of filling in the gaps between films while saving readers a few bucks. There really isn't a whole lot in "Marvel's Thor: The Dark World Prelude" #1 to excite readers eager for the next film in the franchise, but there a little hints and clues as to things to look for in November. I'm already in for three bucks on this story, so I may as well check in with the next issue. Hopefully we get something a bit more "prelude" worthy and less "epilogue-y."

"Threshold" #2 continues to get the new toys out of the toybox. I think it's safe to say we haven't seen everything or everyone yet. The promise of Lady Styx still hangs in the background. Furthermore, as these characters get more paneltime and their stories get deeper it seems as though Giffen's long-range story might come together soon. I just hope it congeals a little faster as two issues of exposition have left me wanting to see these characters exert a little cooperation and maybe face a legitimate, non-manufactured threat.

Perhaps there will be some reward to be found in the team up between the Jaime Reyes Blue Beetle and Lonar, but the fuse has burnt pretty far for me with "Threshold" #3. I'm a dozen bucks on characters that can't even compel me to remember their names. The only thing that could truly save it would be for these characters to find some purpose, some consistency and some great art. Until that happens, I'm pretty darn sure I can spend $3.99 some other way.

"Trinity of Sin: Pandora" #2 is an average comic book all the way around. It doesn't add much to the "Trinity War" story despite the logo on the cover and it certainly isn't going to stick with me until the next issue.

This book was not quite what I expected and I'm having a very difficult time determining whether or not to take a chance on the second issue when it comes out. I'm not sure any of this is going to be memorable enough to stick with me until then, but there just might be a payoff worth the investment in issue #2. As I mentioned before, the premise has potential, after all, other than Claw, how many characters are out there fighting evil with a limb that resembles those of the enemies more than those of the heroes? There is potential here: potential for a fun story, or potential for a snoozer. I'm hoping the fun story steps up in issue #2.

As far as anthologies go, this one is pretty damn flat. Lobo does what Lobo does, which is maim and kill, drink, smoke, and insult people. Garbage Man feels like a cardboard cutout. Tanga has potential, but nothing to latch onto at this point. I'm not sure what the goal was here, as the three characters have different drivers for their stories. "Weird Worlds" is weird alright, but it's not the worlds in the story bringing the weird. At least it's got great art.

I've groused about this before, and I'm sure others have also, but I'm not sure why I'm paying an extra buck for a twenty-two page event book. Aren't event books naturally programmed as better sellers? Wouldn't these three-issue events have been prestige format books once upon a time? I don't mind paying an extra buck for high-quality books. I'll even pay an extra buck for upper-middle quality books if you give me some choice filler material, but an extra buck for nothing sure seems like a bit of fleecing to me. If this were a $2.99 book, I'd feel a little more confident in recommending it, and the ranking might be higher, but as it stands, this is a sub-standard $3.99. Go buy "Gorilla-Man" instead.

"AXIS" #4 fails to impress, taking a thin concept and coating it with half-finished extensions of its core. This is like the worst bits of "Secret Invasion," "Fear Itself" and "Avengers vs. X-Men" thrown together without any heart in the story, which is especially troublesome considering the spectacular job Remender has done with other books and stories. Some of Remender's previous work had a slower burn to them, eventually paying out and changing worlds, but "AXIS" seems remarkably temporary. It's hard not to imagine the end of this series portraying a bunch of characters sitting bolt upright, shaking their heads and saying, "I just had the strangest dream!" "AXIS" needs to make another turn, quickly, to give readers something to get excited about.

The story spins around Spider-Man and Nova, making for a fine team-up and nod to the friendship present on "Ultimate Spider-Man" animated series. Readers already familiar with the pairing from that avenue who find their way to this issue are sure to enjoy Remender's playful banter. With the lines in the sand drawn and cleanly defined in "Avengers & X-Men: AXIS" #5, the combination of Nova and Spidey in a team-up situation blended with the slick art from the Dodsons has at least temporarily reignited my interest in the series.

"Avengers & X-Men: AXIS" #8 delivers a story that contains a war of inches and millimeters, not one of major battles and tide-turning confrontations. The sides may not be completely identifiable (like Absorbing Man beating the heck out of anyone and everyone within reach simply because he can) but most of the players have indicated at least moderate allegiance to other parties. Although the issue has some fun artistic moments, it doesn't do much to move the story along.

In the end, "Grinding Halt" is an appropriate title for this final issue as the story finds its way to an end. The purpose of "AXIS" seems to be simply to have undone some wrongs while testing out others, and in the end, Remender was successful in that regard. He also set up no shortage of future adventures and even provides the springboard for a pair of titles to launch in January. "Avengers & X-Men: AXIS" #9 is the capper to a series many readers will likely forget, but the repercussions of this adventure will impact stories for at least the very near future.

This book is not a book for everyone. The closest approximation I can conceive of this title is that it is DC's version of the Punisher, but placed on a global scale. Rather than finding and killing the smack dealer, Magog is going to cover the globe to find and shut down the arms dealer -" by any means necessary. The adventures of Magog are just beginning here, so there isn't a better time to jump on, provided you like proactive heroes who won't hesitate to kill the bad guys.

The formula was available for this series to be more successful: Magog + "Kingdom Come" characters = success. At least it would have been successful for a short period of time, which is more than this book can say. With only a few more issues left, under the pen of Scott Kolins, DC appears ready to admit the fact that the Kingdom Magog comes from should have been a heavier factor in this series. Here's hoping so.

Magog's down on his luck. Naturally, it figures that this title is starting to be something I would want to read. Kolins presents a strong case for more "Magog," unfortunately; it's too little, too late.

While the story does summarize the start of Red Robin's career, it does so in a manner that compromises the character and integrity of Batman. That doesn't even begin to scratch the surface of the fact that this story ignores the rest of the Teen Titans save for one panel late in the issue. In "Teen Titans" #0, I expect a Titans-centric story. Instead I got "Red Robin" #0 under a "Teen Titans" #0 cover. I haven't been closely following the adventures depicted in "Teen Titans" and there's nothing in this comic book to bring me back. This story is one that needed to be told, sure, but it certainly could have been more engaging. It could have maybe even been more intelligently marketed, perhaps in "DC Universe Presents" or as a series of backups for a stretch of time in one of the Batman-starring comics. As an issue of "Teen Titans," it is simply unremarkable.

Lobdell does a good job illuminating the characters throughout this issue, teasing powers, subplots and interactions while building up the team dynamic. Virgil Hawkins added to the mix brings some stability to the team by offering a connection to the broader universe beyond their membership. Able to be enjoyed independently of the tussle with Superboy, this issue certainly takes on a more impressive sheen when placed in the context of the universe "Superboy" #6 provides. The Titans are rooted in the DC Universe nicely but need more of a purpose than is found in this issue. The team is coming together, so maybe from here their purpose will be more clearly defined.

Now that the team has been introduced to the readers and the DC Universe I am hopeful stories will be less cluttered than this issue was. If nothing else, there will be dinosaurs in the next issue -- certainly enough to get me to check back in. I just hope the Titans each begin to find their true, teen voices.

At the end of the issue, "Futures End" #3 just barely moves the pieces forward. Readers get a little bit from each of a wide range of characters, but after closing this issue, I'd be hard pressed to tell you what happened come next week's issue. The biggest impact to the grander adventure is that a hero is put back on the board. That said, it appears as though most of the exposition should be complete now that the series is four issues in (including the "Futures End" #0 Free Comic Book Day issue) so things should be ramping up shortly.

While I am no more certain what to make of "Futures End" now in than I was when I finished reading its short tease in "Aquaman and the Others" #1, I am intrigued. The series hasn't hit fever-pitch, must-read levels yet, but the questions are enough to keep me dialed in, for now.

Every series has transitional issues that establish upcoming threads, but this one doesn't do that so much as it slightly rotates the existing threads, providing readers with new perspectives on tales that need progress, not more depth. There is no mistaking "Futures End" #7 as a transition, but it also might be the most unimpressive and least memorable issue of the series.

Rounding out the underwhelming adventure in "New 52: Futures End" #16 is the full-fledged debut of Stormguard, quite possibly the lamest hero name in comics today. Luckily he left the weather-stripping out of his utility belt, so the writers are able to give him some character development, but with a rejected 1990s name, the character has a steep hill to climb to gain fan's attention. It's a weird addition to the menagerie of tales going on in this series at an even weirder juncture, as things seem to be finally starting to come together. Hopefully things pick up now that the story arcs are beginning to point towards an intersection.

"Futures End" #18 is a decent offering for a series that has had as many downs as ups. This issue, however, checks in across the Earth of the DC Universe and gives readers some notable surprises. The cliffhanger installment of this issue checks back in with Terry McGinnis and crew, but the most interesting bits happen much earlier in this comic book. Azzarello, Giffen, Jurgens and Lemire have this series on track once more, with a little extra suspense thrown in. From here, the creative team needs to do more than simply get back on track. They need to start rolling down that track and picking up speed.

There aren't a whole lot of payoffs in "Futures End" #23, but this issue has a whole lot more vim and vigor than I've noticed in previous issues. Each of the storylines notches a little time in and marks some forward progress in their evolution, while the crisp artwork from Lopresti, Thibert and Hi-Fi does everything it can to hold the readers' attention. The stories in "Futures End" seem poised to turn a corner. Here's hoping for more excitement and energy as the series continues towards whatever end is intended.

It's rough to find fault in the series for not living up to expectations, but the expectations themselves got a little more slippery as the cast expanded. "The New 52: Futures End" #48 fills space and marks time but never really feels substantial, even in regards to the characters who have darn near an entire issue of spotlight. Other than two characters reuniting and the story left hanging, this was rather unsatisfying and left me ambivalent towards the next event, "Convergence." Too bad DC has left us no time to reflect on this prior to serving up the next one.

Midway through "Convergence" #3, I found myself comparing the plot of this to the "Super Powers" miniseries from the 1980s. Why else would Telos, with the powers of a god, be reduced to laying hands on characters? Four issues into the adventure, not a whole lot has happened outside of the deaths in this issue. Shock deaths are not something I buy comics for, and events need to have some emotional draw. Right now, the prime "Convergence" title doesn't offer the emotional investment to make the shock deaths anything more than a bloody gimmick.

Overall, "Convergence" #7 is one of the more impressive issues of the series, from art to cast to cliffhanger. It's just a shame this is the penultimate issue in the series. Surely, no one would have minded reading the action in "Convergence" #7 had it filled the pages of "Convergence" #2. King and Lobdell have found a way to inject some excitement but, with only one issue left, I'm holding out hope the writers can find the trigger to expand the scope and also find a way to bring this whole series to a satisfying conclusion.

The political undertones of this story -- Doom fueling a civil war within Wakanda to distract from his true goal -- is well devised, but ultimately falls short of its potential. This isn't the shiniest gem to come out from Marvel this week, but it's also not the dullest. This is a slightly above average story with aspirations of being great. With four issues left in this series, there's a great deal of story left to be told and things are ramping up, if somewhat unevenly. Maybe it will be great, but for now, Marvel's offering some stiff competition against themselves.

I'm curious to see where Marvel goes from here as they left this story wide open, which is quite surprising considering the blatant plot device used to end the war.

"Forever Evil" #2 moves the pieces across the board a bit, but these are the movements of pawns. Johns slides the spotlight around enough to generate interest in many of the characters present in this issue, but doesn't give any one character too much time to claim this comic book as his or her own. Clearly, Lex Luthor has designs on the power plays here and Johns does a fine job of propelling Superman's nemesis to a starring role that develops in the wings. Luthor isn't ready to shine here, but he's well on the path to achieving a significant role in the series. "Forever Evil" #2 is filled with cool little moments that play nicely in a collection, but the story itself needs to get some traction soon or this series might simply be a collection of cool little moments without any strong significance.

"Forever Evil" #5 turns a corner in the story and also gives readers some crazy fights. It's a decent transition issue that doesn't feel like it's wasting time or shuffling in place, but instead begins to make small moves across the board, setting up the final conflict and (hopefully) the resolution to DC's crossover event. Lex Luthor is throwing down the gauntlet and making a run at reclaiming the Earth, just as the Crime Syndicate is beginning to fracture. With two issues left, Johns has saved plenty of drama, but at least he delivers some fun action scenes here.

It's been dragging out for quite some time, but so far, there's a villainous crew taking over the Earth, an eclipse and the Justice League are missing. Most of that was established at the end of the "Trinity War" story, but six issues into "Forever Evil," there isn't much more depth on the tale.

This isn't the greatest DC event, but "Forever Evil" #7 does give readers a satisfying amount of closure to the story that has been driving the line's flagship brand for almost two years now, tracking back to Free Comic Book Day 2012.

My colleague in reviews, Greg McElhatton, has raised the observation that this title doesn't seem as though it needed to be restarted. I wholeheartedly agree with that assessment. Gillen and Land have simply given Tony Stark a different task, not an entirely new mission. Sure, the armor is modular now instead of being slick and complete, but even that isn't cause enough for a restart. "Iron Man" #3 is a book that offers a complete sample of what this series has been like through a trio of issues and halfway through his latest mission: nothing terrible, but nothing terribly spectacular either.

The rationale Tony Stark provides for not involving Thor doesn't hold water for me, making the predicament seem even more precarious with Iron Man meddling in what should be determined between the denizens of the other Nine Realms. Clearly, Gillen wants to give Iron Man a fair fight against the Mandarin ring-enhanced Malekith, but "Iron Man" #23.NOW seems to be going out of its way to deliver a story torn from the pages of 1989's "Acts of Vengeance." The two characters have a brief encounter in this issue, but there's a reason this installment is labeled "Part One."

Just as I thought I could write this one off, the story really begins on the seventeenth page of this issue. With only three pages to go, I found myself roused from a "Team 7" induced slumber to actually find some enthusiasm for what's coming up next. I just hope that "next" doesn't include droning monologue that spills exposition all over what should, by all rights, be a fun, action-packed adventure. Since I'm putting my hopes out there for this book, some stronger art, more in line with Mahnke's cover, would be pretty darn good too.

While "Team 7" is a dead title still being printed, there are stories to be told, secrets to be exposed and worlds to be built. The connections -- even if just in name -- that Jordan sews into this story are geek-worthy, fist-pumping moments. There are only a few issues left, but if they all add threads to the larger DC Universe tapestry like "Team 7" #5 does, then I'll be enjoying quite a few reads.

One final item of note, Wolverine doesn't appear at all in this issue. Not a bit. Rather unheard of for a comic in the X-Men corner of the Marvel Universe, wouldn't you say? For that, however, I think this issue is stronger in that other characters are reminded of how bright the spotlight is.

Those moments were not as plentiful as I would have liked, so I returned my focus to the story at hand. And I was quite bored. This is a four dollar issue filled with nothing of substance. The Worthy chosen by the Serpent have set the world into chaos, Namor wants to have one last go with Emma Frost, Cyclops is posturing, and Colossus feels his sister is being treated unfairly. Oh, and Juggernaut is coming to San Francisco and has picked up a remora of a character that will quickly be forgotten once this story ends. In other words, next issue might be interesting. This issue? Not so much.

Overall, this book is largely enjoyable, but to me, it also felt largely forgettable. I am not certain this was the best vehicle and/or time for such a project, but Marvel has their reasons for releasing this when they did. For fans of the Beast, this book is a great read. For fans of the X-Men in general, there might be better ways to invest the $3.99 this week.

This issue gives us the chance to discover teleporting right alongside Nightcrawler. His amazement is supposed to carry over to the reader, but falls short, as the entirety of this issue does. I'm pleased to be able to read a comic that focuses on Nightcrawler, and Nightcrawler alone, but this is a story for the most passionate, open-minded fans of Nightcrawler. Pedestrian X-fans might not be as enthused by this reconfigured tale of yesteryear.

It's a darn good thing the double-shipping pattern gives us the next issue coming out next week (undoubtedly the oddest double-shipping assignment ever) as "Cable and X-Force" #1 feels like an incomplete thought. When I was a kid, there were things called double-sized premiere issues. This comic would have been much better served and more enticing than shelling out six bucks for forty pages, especially when the first twenty are little more than a tease. Sure, that might reduce profit margins a bit, but it would also reduce printing costs and also ensure that fans get a more explosive debut issue.

"Cable and X-Force" #9 is a disappointing comic book on many levels. The ingredients are here for awesome adventures and fun stories, but "Cable and X-Force" has not figured out how to concoct the proper recipe to make those ingredients into what they can be.

I'm not the most dedicated supporter of either X-Force title, but that doesn't matter to jump into the opening installment of "Vendetta." Hopeless provides sufficient background regarding the characters and their relationships that readers new and old alike will be able to join the flow of "Cable and the X-Force" #18. There's a misunderstanding at the heart of nearly every conflict between assemblages of heroes and this is no exception. Historically, however, we might be a little deeper into one of those conflicts by the end of the first of a four-part crossover event. From this point, however, we are all but guaranteed a fast, wild ride with plenty of explosions and fisticuffs, at least if this comic book is anything to base expectations around.

I haven't been reading "Catwoman" since the first issue of this series in September of 2011. Admittedly, I may not be the most well informed reader of this series, but I do know incomplete storytelling when I see it. The coloring duo of Sonia Oback and Guy Major do a decent job of holding the visuals together around the similar styles the three pencilers deliver, but the visual panel-to-panel of "Catwoman" #20 leaves me tremendously disappointed. I expected mirthful mayhem and maybe some oddball fisticuffs between Catwoman and Penguin, but got none of that. If this is what I can expect from "Catwoman," I'm pretty sure I'll be taking another twenty-issue break from this title.

"Catwoman" #35 looks like a Vertigo book, which is appropriate with editor Mark Doyle on the helm, but an odd choice at this juncture in the series' run. With issues of "Batman Eternal" still to be published, it seems like a peculiar time to tie Selina Kyle's activities into that series so tightly. This issue is a dynamic departure from anything the series has delivered to this point, as "Catwoman" takes a backseat for now while Selina Kyle sets out to show Gotham how to do business. It makes for a fine jumping on point and adds another option to those seeking diversity from the Bat-family of titles.

Selina Kyle is at the heart of it all, as befits a titular character. "Catwoman" #41 gives readers a complete definition of Kyle's deeds, both as the head of the Calabreses and as Catwoman. Revelations in this comic cement her status, elevate the risk and offer plenty of opportunities for dynamic stories filled with physical and mental conflict. Catwoman isn't gaining many allies here; she's finding few answers and even fewer happy endings, which makes for plenty of great drama.

Discounting the three one-pagers, this issue has one great story, two good stories, one decent story, three forgettable tales, one painfully unnecessary story, and one story that had an ill-matched writer/artist combo. The framing sequence would have been enjoyable as a freebie, like a Free Comic Book Day handout or an online tale.

All in all, this one-shot underwhelms more than overwhelms. There are some fun team-ups here, but none of them are extremely memorable. It's a fun comic for the most part, but for the price this thing is asking, I'd prefer to have some more memorable moments.

In all, the concept -" Ralph and Sue hosting the reader, in Phantom Stranger-like fashion on a guided tour through some spooky, charming, scary or fun Halloween related tales "- is brilliant, but the execution is meager. As already mentioned, a book like this would lend itself to stellar talent dropping in a few pages (like an Art Adams, or Kevin Maguire) or new talent being given a chance to show their stuff. Either setup, to me, would have been more worth the money than the final compilation that resulted here.

Two books this week come down to fatal decisions that Wolverine has to make and of the two, this one is less successful in the argument it makes and the execution on Wolverine's behalf. Frank Cho's art is nice to look at and his subject matter is the very stuff comics and pulp were built around, but the story itself is thicker than it needs to be. The pages where Cho tucks the narration off to the side and lets the panels tell the story really shine and carry this book. Much as I was enamored with Stout's artwork, but cannot recall a line of text from any of the Stout books I owned, I can see Frank Cho making a similar impression on readers of "Savage Wolverine" #4.

As a fan of the Heroes for Hope concept, I'd love to see that same effort pushed in other directions, get a little press and some publicity in other media prior to orders and make a difference. Let Wolverine be the best at what he does and let's make what he does make a difference. Give comics like this a chance to reach beyond the tight-knit comic reading community. Until that happens, comic books like "Savage Wolverine" #12 will continue to offer equal parts entertainment and frustration. At least with Phil Jimenez on the creative chores, comic books like this favor the entertainment factor.

"Savage Wolverine" #13 attempts to deliver a message about the hazards facing endangered animals, but instead comes across as a collection of ideas that ring hollow and distinctively preachy as it falls into the dangerous area of solving real-word problems in an almost magical manner. This isn't Wolverine curing cancer, nor is he undoing terrorist attacks, but he is waging a war against poaching that seems to stand a good chance of being successful. Instead of delivering one very focused story, Jimenez is most likely trying to seed hope and raise awareness to a cause. Instead of jamming in Kraven and Kitty Pryde and the feel good moment with the X-Men, "Savage Wolverine" #13 would have benefitted from committing to a story and fleshing it out more completely.

While this book is enjoyable, it does feel like a decompressed title on downers, slowing almost to a crawl under the weight of its own exposition. We still have no clue who the mysterious foe is, nor have we seen the team lurch into battle. I look forward to seeing what this team is like when the "batcrap" (using a term from Creeper) hits the fan. Hopefully other readers will stick around long enough to find out as well.

This issue moved things forward more significantly than the previous issues, but it appears as though next issue is going to be where the rubber hits the road for these Outsiders -- the threat of the Insiders, their mysterious master, and their sub-contracted gun are on a crash course with these Outsiders who now seem marked by their lack of true leadership and a lack of understanding regarding their waiting foes.

While reading this, it occurred to me that this was the fifth issue of this storyline, meaning next month when this storyline wraps, we'll have invested half a year into reading it "- if you've been here since the beginning. That said, this issue deftly tucks up the corners of the various storylines and begins to put a bow on this story. Tomasi has been given quite a bit of leeway, using three major villains in one storyline. Beyond that, the seeds of dissent are planted within the team in this issue, surely they will not be quickly resolved.

The first arc of Tomasi's scripting the adventures of "The Outsiders" may have chased (or even bored) away a few readers, but this storyline has the potential to reward those who stuck around. After all, these are fan favorite characters (for the most part) going up against fan favorite foes. This book certainly appears to be on an uptick, once Tomasi gets the voices of his cast straightened out.

This book wasn't a chore to read, but it sure wasn't a pleasure either. I'd think if any other writer were turning in material of this quality, Didio would have replaced them by now. Maybe Jim Lee needs to have a little talk with Dan.

Now that this lame duck has quacked, I realize that perhaps DC mailed in a whole lot of these almost-instantly forgettable stories a long time ago. Even the attempts at humor seem mailed in. That is all a giant shame, especially since there are some wonderful characters in this series. The series ends with thirteen Outsiders, so someone has to like some of them, right? Ok, so take away Freight Train and there's only twelve potentially worthy characters, but I still say someone's gotta care about some of them.

All plot and little else, "Ant-Man: Larger Than Life" #1 is a decent glimpse in to the world of Hank Pym and the origins of Ant-Man. Unfortunately, it falls short of being anything more than a printed commercial churned out by the hype machine as Marvel's latest cinematic release draws nearer. The addition of the two stories from "Tales to Astonish" elevates this comic nicely, giving readers a peek into the origins of Ant-Man and the variation in genre this character has experienced, from the horror tale of "The Man in the Ant Hill" to the boldly costumed debut of a hero in "The Return of the Ant-Man!"

Taking a risk in today's comic market by offering up a title featuring a female lead, "Athena" is able to offer readers a different take on a female warrior with a title that not only develops the character for the future, but also celebrates her past. While this comic may not be directly comparable to "Wonder Woman," it will be interesting to keep an eye on both titles and see if one influences the other in any way.

While I enjoy a good Avengers comic as much as anybody, in the end, this issue is an average tale of decompression on the origin of the Avengers. There's nothing startling here, and nothing overly exciting either. For the price, this book is a bit of a letdown, but at least it's a very sharp-looking letdown.

"Barb Wire" #1 is undoubtedly a deeper experience for readers familiar with the character, but a new number one issue should be more new reader friendly. That's not to say Warner and crew don't make this story memorable or inviting, but they don't offer much by way of character depth or development and there is very little to draw new readers back. "Barb Wire" #1 knows its target audience and guns for them, but continued adventures certainly have ample opportunity to expand and invite.

The concept of the "Blackhawks" as a United Nations-sanctioned covert peacekeeping force has legs, but barely gets to stretch them here. The characters are just being given names and vague purposes, but that simply means that there isn't significant depth to anything here. Hopefully this is just the start and the rest of the story as it were will come into view more crisply in the next few issues.

With four months and a dozen bucks sunk into a number of the relaunched titles, it has come time for me to separate the keepers from the also-rans, the might-read-its, and the good-lord-nos. Congratulations, "Blackhawks," you'll be sticking around for another month. Let's make the mission a success. The easiest way to do that would be to offer up more of everything that made this issue so enjoyable.

Unfortunately, that best summarizes not only this issue but the entire "Blackhawks" series. It was serviceable, had some decent moments, showcased some good talent, but nothing here is memorable. Of the fifty-two titles that launched last September, this one had the most untapped potential. Maybe at some point the Blackhawks will resurface, but they'll need some help to catch notice.

The Atom's back, and this issue is a fine introduction to him, but it's light on action. Good thing the story continues in "Adventure" and not some other Super-title. This is a fine starting point for readers unfamiliar with the Mighty Mite, and it's approachable for younger readers as well.

For the most part, this is a very straightforward and somewhat forgettable adventure, but the lead character is, perhaps, off-center from what readers might expect in the debut issue featuring a new character. "Captain America and the Mighty Avengers" #1 has the potential to be very confusing to anyone thinking this is parallel or supplemental to the "All-New Captain America" #1 instead of inline with "Avengers & X-Men: AXIS" #1. The potential for conflict teased for upcoming issues definitely plays to presumed familiarity, further the reducing the approachability of this first issue.

Some of Pixar's other licenses will certainly read better on the printed page, but with the fan base out there for "Cars," I have little doubt that this title will race home with fans. While I didn't enjoy this book as much as I did "Incredibles," I'm far from disappointed in this line.

"Convergence: Aquaman" #2 delivers a fight to the finish and an interesting path to victory for the winner. Bedard and Richards give readers a solid story, but it needs a little more oomph. That path to victory will probably be much more memorable than the actual fight between the characters, the outcome of the battle or, perhaps, even the "Convergence" event itself. "Convergence: Aquaman" #2 is decent, but it falls short of ascending beyond that.

"Convergence: Harley Quinn" #1 gives readers a nice peek back into the madcap, potentially homicidal adventures of Harley prior to the 2011 "Flashpoint" event. It takes some artistic leaps from there, setting up the world around the character with a little more depth than some of the other "Convergence" tales, but it just doesn't pack enough zaniness in between the covers to make this a particularly memorable read. Pugh does a nice job of following format without falling into prescriptive writing, but his characters just need a little extra boost.

"Convergence: Justice League International" #1 is a fine enough introduction to the concepts of "Convergence" and the Justice League International team but, in a sea of "Convergence" tie-ins, there isn't a strong enough hook to elevate this book above its peers. Marz and Manley deliver a solid character story with some adventurous bits of heroism and, given a little more room, might be able to serve up a transformative journey for Ted Kord. However, their assignment in "Convergence" simply doesn't allow the latitude to enrich the characters beyond motivation and conflict.

The "Convergence" event offers readers and creators the opportunity to revisit beloved properties, characters and teams. Such is definitely the case for "Convergence: New Teen Titans" #2. Wolfman and Scott even check the box by declaring a victor in the battle, though they leave readers hanging as far as paying out the victor's reward. Wolfman fills the issue out with relationship subplots before reaching the conclusion but, along the way, this feels like a classic Wolfman-era tale. It's not going to be as memorable as "The Judas Contract" or the classic New Teen Titans' earlier adventures, but it meets the requirements of the event nicely, giving readers an enjoyable adventure along the way.

A handy roll call introduces readers to the cast of "Creature Cops: Special Varmint Unit" #1 and the action gets rolling right out of the gate. Some of the bit character moments are intriguing seedlings for stories to grow off of as this series progresses, but the true draw is the bizarre creatures the team encounters. Some of the critters glimpsed here offer promise and excitement, but need a little more room to stretch out. "Creature Cops: Special Varmint Unit" #1 sets the story up and proves that Anderson and Melek have some fun ideas in store; they just need to decide if this is going to be an over-the-top adventure or a procedural with interesting window dressing.

Gallaher and crew do a great job of world-building here, offering the readers insight on a team of heroes that shows up infrequently at most. I've always enjoyed the appearances of the Soviet Super Soldiers and look forward to more of them with the next issue of the Winter Guard.

This is an average book that really needed to step up a little after a nice debut. It didn't. This issue is a bit of a disappointment, but the set-up accomplished here gives me hope for a strong finale to this three-issue story.

This series was a decent enough read, but it didn't compel me to want to read more of Darkstar, nor did it move me to care much as to who is under the Dynamo armor. The last page, however, does pique my curiosity with regards to future adventures, but if that never comes to pass, I certainly won't lose any sleep. Marvel has tried to launch franchises outside of the "X-Men" and "Avengers" brands with minimal success, and I applaud them for trying, but it seems to me that it shouldn't be too difficult to sell some of the less mainstream concepts a little more successfully and critically than they have of late.

"Doc Savage" #1 could open up with bombastic adventure, but checks in as something much more pedestrian. The scheming plot that threatens Doc Savage is not overly exciting, but provides enough of a menace to keep the comic book moving along. Roberson and Evely are clicking together nicely, but the story they're sharing just needs a bigger charge of excitement. The adventures of Doc Savage should be exciting and electrifying, not typical and uninspired. The creative talent on "Doc Savage" #1 is present; they just need to collaborate on an inspired tale for Doc Savage and his crew.

This is low budget sci-fi oddity without any really interesting characters. In this first issue there are no aliens, dinosaurs or other spectacular creatures, just humans making decisions that impact the people around them. It's all plot and movement around that plot. All in all, it's a decent enough read, but not packed with anything extraordinarily memorable. I'm sure science buffs will punch all sorts of holes in it, but as a vehicle for Byrne's over-the-top storytelling and hyper-detailed, stylistic art, "Doomsday.1" #1 hits the mark. Personally, I prefer more dynamic applications for Byrne's art.

As with the initial issue of "Forever Evil: Arkham War," there just isn't enough here for me to sink my teeth in to. Batman is fighting Bane again, only this time in a one-shot, so the tension is deflated almost immediately. Bane, like Doomsday for Superman, was once the ultimate foe for Batman. Now, he's just another nutjob with a different gimmick on a rotation to engage in fisticuffs with the Dark Knight. At least I know I can find memorable Batman tales from Tomasi in "Batman and Robin" each month to help balance out the forgettable adventure presented here.

Villains Month and "Forever Evil" have afforded writers and artists the opportunity to explore the twisted psyches of demented and deranged villains that fill the DC Universe. Tomasi and company seize that opportunity to display what happens when the worst of those damaged madmen are given more freedom and power than any one of them has ever held before. The concept of Gotham split among villains is an entertaining concept and Bane's assault on the city will certainly be an interesting read, but "Forever Evil: Arkham War" #1 needs just a little more personality to really hook readers. Right now this story is a trainwreck: readers will be attentive simply to see the destruction and carnage. Hopefully Tomasi and crew find a way to make the subsequent issues more memorable.

That said, the book doesn't read like a moth-bitten old history tome, but provides a story of two men who share the unspoken bond of friendship. I saw enough in this first issue to want to see the second, but in no way did I see enough to declare this an epic masterpiece. It's a good offbeat read for anyone with a serious pirate deficiency. What future issues hold is left to be seen.

It's a fun romp, but I found it to be a thin one. D'Orka seemed like a one-note threat and the manner of his defeat left a bit to be desired. This isn't the consummate Ghostbusters comic, nor do I suspect it'll be considered the greatest masterpiece from the creators associated to it, but it's a fun comic. The Ghostbusters are a property that translates well across various media -- from movie to cartoons to video games to comics -- and this is another example of that ability.

In typical fashion, I happened across this book at the wrong time. Kirkman and Capullo are on their way out, but the story they're leaving with is certainly entertaining enough for me to continue to check in until then. Maybe another issue or two will help me figure out just who everyone is and why it matters to this story. If nothing else, the book has a captivating visual quality to it.

Masters of the Universe fans will be pleased to read these adventures and see their beloved characters in play again. The range of characters might be disappointing in this issue, but the promise of more (and soon) is clear enough at the conclusion. I might not be interested in reading more, but I can understand why fans who are entrenched in the He-Man universe would.

In all, this books offers Indiana Jones adventure and even puts Indy into conflict with Belloq while consulting his old friend, Marcus Brody. Fans of the Indiana Jones galaxy looking for another hit would do well to give this book a spin, as Dark Horse is almost certainly planning additional volumes of this type of tale.

This book has some charm and a more than a little bit of potential but, for the most part, it is largely forgettable. Unless the second issue has as memorable a cover as this issue (I just checked and Firebreather is on the next cover) then this book might be overlooked. It is nice to see Image reaching out, however, and trying to do some more all-ages-friendly books, between this and "Amber Atoms." If they would just realize "all-ages" doesn't have to rely on predictability.

I want to be enamored with Sable again, I do. I have fond memories of this character, but, unfortunately, I don't think this issue will be remembered with that set of memories. Hopefully the rest of this series boosts up the product as a whole.

Among the mysteries and teases are some connections to "Justice League." A Secret Society discussed in conversation between Amanda Waller and Steve Trevor is inferred to have connections to characters that have appeared in Johns' "Justice League." That setup, combined with the purpose of the team's formation and Johns' current assignment writing both "Justice League" titles, all but assures a team-up or conflict somewhere down the road. In the meantime, "Justice League of America" is still trying to establish its voice, which it should be able to do now that everyone has been introduced.

"Justice League of America" #4 is just another issue of paced-out story; setting up future developments, tinged with extreme story beats in the form of character death. Although a character is killed and another revealed, this issue just feels like it doesn't deliver much. The story is simply hollow. It's unfortunate that as we near "Trinity War," this title seems to be taking a cue from "Justice League" by making the backup story more interesting than the lead with tales that simply mark time and keep the seat room temperature.

Johns and Booth cleared the decks for "Trinity War," but someone still has to take care of those dirty dishes and that big lump under the carpet. "Justice League of America" #5 has some big-name talent attached to recognizable characters, but ultimately becomes a mostly forgettable set-up to something that will hopefully be more memorable.

This issue is filled with questions, limiting the action to the opening scene. There seems to be a lot going on, but nothing really moves forward. I'm not as impressed with the second chapter of "Trinity War," but it isn't disappointing. I made a comparison in the feeling of this adventure to that of "Crisis on Infinite Earths" in my review of "Justice League" #22 and there's still that tinge of excitement and uncertainty in the face of action. The rise of the Question into a prominent role is intriguing as well. I'm holding out hope that the Outsider lives up to the brilliant character that James Robinson created for "Flashpoint," although he's been more of a Joker wannabe than an overly original character. "Justice League of America" #6 is a nice coverall chapter in this brand event, but bigger action and more excitement are sure to follow.

Not a bad story, but there's no direct link or continuation indicated in the direction of "Forever Evil." Actually, Shadow Thief seems less evil than most of the characters getting these one-shots. Her acquired hatred of aliens makes her a perfect ally for Lex Luthor, which might lead to other stories at another time. For now, "Justice League of America" #7.3 serves as a nice character study for the damsel of the dark. It would be more poignant if Hawkman had a larger role in the DC Universe, but it's enjoyable enough as a stand-alone tale.

Where the story goes from here is something worth exploring, especially given the final page and Adam's shouted exclamation in retort to the message the Grid has been pushing out on behalf of the Crime Syndicate. Before that, however, Gates ties Adam's present and future tightly to the brother-sister coupling introduced here and even teases out a future storyline specifically focused on one of them. In "Justice League of America #7.4: Black Adam," Gates makes a strong argument for shades of gray in the black and white good versus evil argument. This is the same character from those "Justice League" backups, but his anger is pointed in a different direction, making him more intriguing in the process.

"Justice League of America" #8 offers the first glimpse into the post-"Trinity War" situation for the members of the various Justice Leagues. Not everyone is accounted for in this issue, but Matt Kindt and Doug Mahnke make the most of the characters who are present. The story is by no means wrapped, but the adventure is teased enough to lure readers into "Forever Evil" #3 for more on their favorite surviving Leaguers.

The fight sequences between Stargirl and Secret Society members Copperhead, Blockbuster, Shadow Thief, Giganta and Deathstroke are filled with vitality and adrenaline, but get a little choppy on the storytelling as the rainy conditions (which seem to be rather a specialty of Barrows') muddy up some of the paths of action and attack. Featuring a fraction of the Justice League team usually found in this title, Kindt delivers an odd buddy story that isn't really much of a buddy story at all. Once upon a time the teaming of Stargirl and Martian Manhunter would have flown under the banner of "The Brave and the Bold," but nowadays the Justice League brand brings cache, so if ever any Leaguer is present, there the League is. The story itself is a quaint investigation of Stargirl's history, but it really could have been just as effective in a more condensed deliverable.

The team-up between Stargirl and Martian Manhunter is entertaining and provides some fun, but is too short and appears to be an aside instead of a story. What would have been the crux of an issue of "Brave and the Bold" once upon a time is simply a plot device and fails to deliver any character development. This title certainly feels as though it has been shuffling its feet through the darkness of "Forever Evil," afraid of stepping on something or stubbing its toe, but more noticeably, it simply isn't getting anywhere with any speed. Instead of delivering stories worthy of the "Justice League of America" brand, this comic book is simply holding a spot on the shelves warm until something else shows up. I just hope whatever that "something else" is it brings more heart and character.

The roster of "Justice League of America" as a whole never wowed me and this "Where are they now?" installment does nothing to shift that mindset. The three characters that most interested me -- Hawkman, Vibe and Element Woman -- get a total of three panels between them, despite the twenty-four issues of story in "Justice League of America" #14. This issue, like so many issues of this series just fails to bring the action, adventure, superheroics and fun I expect to see in a "Justice League of America" comic book, which is kind of a down note to end with.

I'm ignorant on the 99 to this point, but this book is a fair starter. It leaves me wanting more information, but honestly, my curiosity is tweaked a little harder by the JLA roster than by the powers, abilities, and personas of the 99, maybe future issues will offer a little more to enjoy.

"Katana" #1 is a chance for a perennial background character to gain some depth and Nocenti and Sanchez waste no time providing that depth in adversaries by introducing Coil, master of the spiral sword and giving her a place to call home. When I saw that DC opted to include "Katana" as one of its fourth wave of the New 52, I set my expectations low, not knowing what to expect. Those low expectations have now been obliterated by a surprisingly good comic book with a strong female lead, written by a female writer with stunning art from an artist I was unfamiliar with before today. Not only do Nocenti and Sanchez hit all of the marks necessary for a strong introductory issue, but they do so with a character that I was apathetic to prior to reading "Katana" #1. Following this issue, Katana has made a remarkable leap to must-read territory for me so long as the quality displayed in this first issue is sustained.

Of course, none of that will matter if the story isn't worthwhile. Katana is surrounded by intrguiing characters, mysterious circumstances and boundless potential, but that potential needs to be transformed into detailed action and adventure in order for me to continue to find anything of interest here. Potential is a great thing in a story pitch, but for less prominent heroines like Katana, potential is something that doesn't keep a book on publisher's schedules for very long.

While filled with plenty of action, "New Suicide Squad" #1 really excels when it tackles the dynamics between the characters as the new overlord for Task Force X pulls some strings to unleash a fresh batch of chaos. Some of the characters seem repetitious, but those overlaps set up conflicts to come and internal strife built into the story. The action, unfortunately, is overshadowed by the drama in "New Suicide Squad" #1, which one would expect to open with bombastic explosiveness. Instead, it dramatically begins its run with soap opera, effectively short-selling its greatest potential asset: action. This roster and the bureaucracy behind it has grand story potential, but the opening is less than grand.

In the end, "Original Sins" #2 only has enough content to tangentially be considered a tie-in to the "Original Sin" series. Yes, technically it is an anthology, but realistically, it's a very skinny Black Knight comic with a Young Avengers back-up and a Howard the Duck advertisement. At a time when Marvel has a strong digital platform, these stories may have been better served as a pick and choose offering digitally rather than forcing readers into an all or nothing decision. Why not ignore the fact that the platform of "Original Sin" may have fallen by the wayside and simply call this series what it should be: "Marvel Comics Presents."

"Painkiller Jane: The 22 Brides" #1 is a thick book with a lot to offer readers. Longtime fans of Jane will certainly get more out of the comic than newbies, but the second story will give them all they need to know to understand the title character. This is a comic that pulls very few punches, filled with female nudity, swearing and violence, a book which isn't for the squeamish, easily offended or reserved. It's unapologetic, and sets the tone for the series on the very first page.

This isn't the greatest of the "Pilot Season" tales. It wants to be a big screen adventure, but the emotional aspect of the story slows down the adventure and makes this story seem pedestrian, even though the occurrences in this issue are far from pedestrian. I'd like to see another adventure before committing to this character and concept beyond a string of serialize shorter adventures.

While this "Planet of the Apes" book is the one most likely to connect to the common consciousness or public perception of the concept of a world ruled by apes, it falls short of being memorable. It's decent and entertaining, but by this time next week I would be hard pressed to distinctly recall anything that happened in this issue with any specific detail. I enjoy the Planet of the Apes brand and like the concept of telling early tales of the adventures of Zaius and the lot from the feature films, but given a choice, I'd like to see Hardman step in to the art chores.

This book is a nice offering to Predator fans as a fix, but the final collected story may just be more satisfying to fans who need a little more substance to their Predator reading.

At any rate, this is a great read, definitely not for the younger readers in your households, but a definite suspension of reality for older readers. Any fan of Frank Castle is missing out if this book isn't in their hands. Hell, even readers who aren't Frank's biggest fans would surely get a kick out of this book. I know I am.

The second issue of the Marvel NOW! launch of "Red She-Hulk," while disappointing, does offer some nice character bits and moments of development for X-51. As the automaton says in conversation with Captain America with regards to the Red She-Hulk, "I am building a profile, Captain. It is far from complete." That is a fair assessment of the two issues of this series so far. Jeff Parker has built profiles before and made marginal characters interesting. I have no doubt he can make me care about Red She-Hulk, but I need to see more than I've seen in "Red She-Hulk" #59 to draw a firm conclusion.

"Red She-Hulk" #61 is the first issue since the NOW! rebrand that I can fully climb onboard with as being a Red She-Hulk comic. The upside to that is that in the past three months Parker has shown the world he can write a fantastic X-51 book. He has also set up circumstances to play against Red She-Hulk, forcing the character to grow right before readers' eyes.

The Ancient Order of the Shield factors in, offering an escape clause that simply was not present in an otherwise mundane story. Stuff gets hit, stuff blows up and good guys prevail. I'm interested to see what's next for Red She-Hulk, even if this story won't be top of my mind at that time. Parker, as he has a knack to do, drew my interest to Red She-Hulk and to Machine Man: characters I cared less about than Night Nurse and Frog-Man. The formation of a team is mentioned at the end of "Red She-Hulk" #67 and if Parker took Red She-Hulk, Machine Man, Frog-Man and Night Nurse and wrote the "Adventures of the New Champions," I'd be all in.

"Red Sonja: Vulture's Circle" #1 contains the framework for a fun story, but the execution falls flat as Sutekh, the son of Set, is loosed upon the unsuspecting population. It seems a shame that the most prominent event in this issue is Red Sonja's choice of attire as she assumes the next stage of her life but there isn't much else that really stands out.

Now that Damian has returned, I'm much more interested in the aftermath of this tale than "Robin Rises: Alpha" #1 itself. Some revelations are made, but quite honestly, were deflated by spoilers and DC's own promotional department. With Damian returned, how do Tomasi and company keep the title fresh and the partnership on track? The potential for future tales planned in "Robin Rises: Alpha" #1 is immense, but then again, so was the tale of Batman's quest for his son.

I expected a more welcoming story from "Shadowman" #13 than what I found, but that doesn't mean this isn't an enjoyable tale. As with all Valiant titles, this is a fine detour from the same-old same-old, but it doesn't quite have the hook other recent releases from Valiant have had. There's plenty of mystery and intrigue, but "Shadowman" #13 could have used more of each to lure and lock in newer readers. I'll be back for more, I'm sure, but I'm not yet counting down the days until my next encounter with Shadowman. Hopefully in the next issue, Milligan and de la Torre will give readers more to grow with.

Overall, "Shrugged Volume 2" #1 is fun, but not compelling. None of the characters hooked me and the story itself didn't offer enough of a threat to bring me screaming back for issue #2. That said, for a buck this wasn't a horrible story, in fact it was actually quite enjoyable. It just isn't a particularly memorable one. Aspen is doing well with their choices and between this and "Legend of the Shadow Clan" provides a nice range of subject matter and adventure options that shatter the preconceived notion of cheesecake good girl comic books that many readers associate with the publisher of "Fathom" and "Soulfire."

"Sinestro" #6 is another installment of the "Godhead" saga that flirts with being one of the more boring additions despite the all-out battle. Fortunately, the issue is saved by a surprising (even for Sinestro) maneuver. Bunn finds a new way to surprise readers and to up the ante in the war between the Corps and the New Gods. When all is said and done, Sinestro has made an enemy for life: a warrior maiden from New Genesis (so, "for life" might wind up being a short time for Sinestro.) In executing this maneuver, Bunn elevates the struggle in "Godhead" and once more proves that Sinestro is anything but predictable. It isn't the single strongest chapter of "Godhead," but it definitely is a critical battle.

The finale sets up a dynamic second issue, but this first issue lacks the pizzazz a debut needs to grab readers' attention and lock it in. "Spider-Man 2099" #1 gives the futuristic wallcrawler a vague threat to face down, a clichd entry point into a new life and an uninspiring introduction. This feels less like a #1 and more in line with something you'd see for a #0 or an anthology appearance. David and Sliney have their work cut out for them to hook readers in the second issue, but second impressions don't usually carry the same weight.

The story provides an interlude to Spider-Man's adventures, but doesn't rely deliver much of a payoff for any Man-Thing fans. I'd honestly rather re-read "Marvel Team-Up" #122 again. As a matter of fact, if you're on the edge of whether or not to buy this issue, having read my review or having http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=preview&id=1815&disp=table" target="_blank">peeked at the preview pages, check the back issue bins at your comic shop. If you can land "Marvel Team-Up" #122 for the same price as this issue, do it.

On a franchise such as "Star Trek," average just isn't enough to keep me coming back for more. True Trekkies jonesing for more adventures from the original crew may find enough of a fix to stay connected though.

"Star Wars; Rebel Heist" #1 isn't the greatest "Star Wars" comic book that Dark Horse has ever published, and quite honestly, it's mostly forgettable. Lucky for Kindt and crew, however, that the opening installment of this series features one of the brand's most revered characters. If nothing else, that will keep readers coming back. Hopefully the next issue peels back the shroud of mystery a bit and elevates the story.

It will be interesting to see how long a monthly comic that is conceived as a supplement to a small screen "Star Wars" effort is able to sustain on today's market.

By the end of this issue, Hester has established Dynamo as the gateway character for readers. With a personality that blends aspects of everyman characters like Peter Parker and Guy Gardner, Len Brown is a perfect foil to introduce new readers to a long-established world filled with history and nuance. The pacing of the story and the prep put into recruiting Len Brown defuses the initial urgency of opening scene in "T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents" #1, but in exchange for urgency, Hester gives readers a character to cheer on. This comic book does a nice job of setting the tone for Hester and Di Vito, but definitely could use a little more excitement to instill a sense of wonder while stoking the urgency Hester uses to launch the series.

Talon-on-Talon action makes for an interesting enough fight, but the stakes in this story are not high or intimate enough to process them as anything more than collateral: bits of story present for the sake of progressing the grander narrative. Additionally, Rose's accomplishments don't strike me as impressive. The story is a little Indiana Jones, a bit Batman and a little more Nightwing, but not enough of a variation or blend from those sources. I can certainly see the appeal "Talon" may have to Batfans looking for more Court of Owls stuff, but personally, Calvin Rose doesn't offer anything more for me that I couldn't find in the pages of "Nightwing." While "Talon" #2 is a decent comic book, I don't think it does enough to separate itself from so many other comics.

While most of my experience reading about Thanos involves him pining for Death or lusting after the Infinity Gems and being soundly defeated, I'm itching to see Thanos being bad. I don't want downtrodden Li'l Thanos dissecting things looking for the answer to the universe's questions, I want Thanos hunting down answers and squeezing them from the skulls of his prey. You know, kind of like Darth Vader did in the first "Star Wars" movie thirty-some-odd years ago. Aaron and Bianchi have the talent and the power to make Thanos being bad a good thing. I just hope they get to it soon.

A five-part miniseries to tell readers, "Thanos is a lonely bastard" seems a bit severe and a little to close to the failed model executed through the "Star Wars" prequels. I'm not sure what benefit Thanos' legend gained from the grade-school adventures of the mad Titan, but this issue, like "Revenge of the Sith" does a decent job of elevating the evil titular character to expected levels that should have been present earlier. Mind you, Jason Aaron hasn't failed in delivering a compelling story, but Thanos is compelling enough without any backstory -- especially backstory that isn't particularly electrifying. I'd like to see Aaron handle the Mad Titan again, but with a more animated artist and in a more cosmic setting.

"Thanos: A God Up There Listening" #1 doesn't do much to make Thane a convincingly interesting character. He mostly seems to be the key to unlocking yet another Thanos story more than being the star of his own adventure. Williams makes some really inexplicable leaps for the character, and reflecting on why Thane makes a few of these choices just raises more questions and reduces the reading equity. With Thanos set to take center stage in the next installment, I'm curious if the story will forget about Thane or eventually return to give the character a little more development. "Thanos: A God Up There Listening" #1 is a nice deviation in the form of an Infinite Comic, but it could be improved.

"Thanos: A God Up There Listening" #1 doesn't do much to make Thane a convincingly interesting character. He mostly seems to be the key to unlocking yet another Thanos story more than being the star of his own adventure. Williams makes some really inexplicable leaps for the character, and reflecting on why Thane makes a few of these choices just raises more questions and reduces the reading equity. With Thanos set to take center stage in the next installment, I'm curious if the story will forget about Thane or eventually return to give the character a little more development. "Thanos: A God Up There Listening" #1 is a nice deviation in the form of an Infinite Comic, but it could be improved.

This is a fun enough story, but hardly A-Team worthy, save for the trademark line of "I love it when a plan comes together." An extraction tale with nearly predictable results and minor swerves to hold the reader's interest, it would be every bit as intriguing under the title of "Not Liam Neeson Adventures" or some such. The A-Team, in my opinion, works better as a team, hence the title. If the rest of these one-shots are akin to this one, I'll hold off until the plan comes together more tightly.

Dynamite Entertainment has done a nice job of churning the public domain heroes through, getting them in front of eyeballs. Krul does a good job giving the Owl a voice that is both comfortable and fresh and the visuals on this book are better than average. The concept of a man lost in time searching for a lost love is paved over by a mystery set to drive the rest of the story forward. I might not recall the specifics of "The Owl" #1 when the next issue hits the stands, but Krul's set up an uncluttered story that will certainly jog my memory. Hopefully he builds on that story and makes Owl Girl more than a plot device.

"The Shadow Volume 2" #1 is a decent read. It will certainly be more attractive to Shadow fans, but it's a fine start for the price. It fells like it should be a bit darker or -- pardon the pun -- more shadowy, but it serves the purpose of introducing the Society of United Magicians to a new set of readers.

The problem is, much like the main series, "Ultron" #1AU doesn't provide much in the way of action. Just as things are shaping up, the issue concludes. Sure, that conclusion is open enough to be built upon elsewhere, but for now it feels too open-ended and Victor's story is too incomplete. As his father ravages the world around him, Victor Mancha has his own microcosm rocked to the ground. There's enough here to make readers care about Victor, regardless of their prior knowledge of the character, but there really isn't enough of a payoff for the time invested in this story. I'm sure it'll cycle back into the "Age of Ultron" story, but in doing so, I think it could very well diminish the impact Immonen and Pinna would have been able to provide with a little more space. For now, I close the back cover; fairly positive I'm not going to consider this the most memorable chapter in the Ultron story.

The end of the issue is a continuation of the story we've seen all too often: an X-Man, alone, is left to confront their possessed teammates. What could have been great simply feels rehashed. I like the concept of the Revenants, but I'm not a fan of the execution in this issue. Humphries and Prez can do better. I'm hopeful that "Uncanny X-Force" #10 was simply the first issue of writer and artist figuring things out as this subpar to average issue misses out on its potential for greatness.

This is a fine addition to the Heroic Age, but it's not the most memorable comic of the bunch by any means. There's a half dozen new characters here that will surely be someone's favorites someday, but for now, they're just being introduced. Where they go from here defines how successful this first issue truly is.

I really, really want to like this book, but it just isn't dazzling me. There's a threat of the month, the kids are presented with the opportunity to learn an after-school special-like lesson, and then we move on. The underlying current of the kids knowing that the adults have them marked as potential bad seeds needs to evolve a bit, before it becomes more of a crutch and less of a subplot. Nothing in this book has hooked me. This is an average issue of "Avengers Academy." It's quaint, and enjoyable, but not very memorable. I can appreciate where others might disagree with this assessment, but this is the one "Avengers" book I just can't get into.

Sure, this issue does have a service announcement educational-type quality to it, but it does so in a manner that improves the story. What happens to the Academy from here is unknown, but with the work that Gage and McKone put into this issue, I'm looking forward to finding out what happens next.

"Avengers Academy" is a book that continues to receive considerable accolades, but I somehow continue to sample it with issues that are just slightly better than average. This issue seems on par with the others I've read in recent months: nothing of significant consequence occurs and the characters are less engaging for it. The Academy is a good concept, but lacks some electricity in execution.

"Avengers Academy" still has a solid core concept, a handful of interesting characters and a decent creative team. Unfortunately, it also has the attention of events and has to pass time between those them. This issue is one of those moments: largely forgettable but indicative of what could be.

Which sets me to thinking about the future of these future Avengers. As this series closes up shop, waiting for Marvel NOW! to bring "Avengers Arena," I can't help but wonder how these characters will fare in what is being summarized as a deathmatch comic. Some of the friendships Gage created have started to crack, but given that these characters are all moving out from Gage's watchful eye, nothing is guaranteed.

The end of this third issue of "Avengers Assemble" delivers a cliffhanger and a wild moment that will surely have fans talking nearly as much as the final after-credits scene at the end of the movie. That certainly gives the story a massive swing in momentum, but the path to get there limps along considerably. While this book certainly does have the star power and momentum going for it, momentum rarely writes a good story. Even with the final page, this issue doesn't forge strong impressions or beckon readers to hurry back, but it does nicely present the secret threat behind the story to this point.

"Avengers Assemble" #8 is an exciting read, action-packed with great little character bits, but delivering an inordinately quick resolution for a story that has carried on for eight issues. At that length, the story becomes an event of sorts. Bendis acknowledges that with a big-time fight in the latter half of this issue, but it all happens so quickly I find myself wondering why it didn't happen sooner. Bendis is now off to "Guardians of the Galaxy," and given what I've seen here, I think it will definitely be entertaining. Before leaving this title, though, the writer was kind enough to drop a final scene on readers that is the comic book equivalent of the post-credits pieces from the films. Just a quick scene to sharpen our interest as his time on the book concludes.

"Avengers Assemble" #9 brings the title focused on the "movie cast" into the Marvel NOW! As DeConnick has made quite clear in interviews -- and certainly in the pages of this issue -- this title is going to be less concerned with only depicting the movie Avengers and more about branching out to the plush cast that carries Avengers ID cards. The first issue in this new direction is slightly underwhelming, giving readers less of a grandiose story than I expected for Marvel NOW! Caselli's art is full of energy and expression. Hopefully some of that will absorb into the story in issues to come.

Apparently the outer edges of the "Infinity" story will continue on for a second issue of "Avengers Assemble," but this first issue doesn't do much to inspire me to drop another four bucks without some convincing. I do enjoy how much command DeConnick has of Spider-Woman and look forward to a team-up with Black Widow, but beyond that I'm more hopeful DeConnick's use of a baseball metaphor will lead to some personality-dominant scenes and that once "Infinity" is done with the Avengers we can maybe see a baseball game like back in the 1986 "Avengers Annual" #15. That would bring in some fun "Avengers Assemble" #18 is simply missing.

I skipped over the Luke Cage issue of "Avengers Origins," but the other two I did read set a nice standard for what to expect from these books. Sure, neither of those stories are "must-read," but both offered additional insight to the development of the titular characters and the stories of said characters finding themselves Avengers-worthy. This issue ignores the standard and offers up a sub-standard. If this brand is to continue, I'm hoping for a return to form closer to what was established in the first two issues of this series. This issue is not only forgettable, but largely dismissible. The redeeming factor here is the limited appearance of a great line-up of Avengers and the visuals of the fight between the Brotherhood and the X-Men in their original blue and yellow uniforms. Even that, however, seems to be set up as another box on the checklist.

"Avengers Origins" is a fun set of one-shots brushing up the origin stories of these fan-favorite characters, and this issue is a textbook example of what these stories should be like. With more issues on the horizon, every fan of the Avengers is sure to find a story or three of "their" Avengers. I've certainly found mine in this issue. If only we could have more.

As initial installments of event stories go (if this "Avengers: Origins" can truly be considered an event) this one is a fun kickoff with two characters that just don't get enough love. Hank Pym and Janet Van Dyne are inspirational to a generation of heroes, especially Avengers, and really should be celebrated a little more often and more impressively.

Despite the setting and supporting cast gathered from the entirety of the Ultimate Universe, the story in "Cataclysm" #0.1 is personal and focused, pitching Galactus against Ultimate Vision in a battle for the fate of everything. I'm not the most dedicated reader of the Ultimate line, having been lured over to "Hunger" via the goings-on in "Age of Ultron" and the heavy hints dropped by Marvel editors and creator about the significance of Galactus' visit to the Ultimate Universe. Content with the conclusion of "Hunger," I was ready to let go of the Ultimate Universe once more, but the similarity between Ultimate Sam Wilson (as seen in the preview for this issue) and the Falcon briefly glimpsed in the "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" trailer was enough for me to peek through this issue. From there the artwork was enough to hook me into buying it. Fialkov's story is enough to keep me interested in the story ahead as it unfolds.

"Cataclysm: The Ultimates' Last Stand" #1 is a solid enough read, providing comic fans with a fitting crossover between the Ultimate Universe and the 616 Marvel Universe. After the final page of the story, Marvel delivers some additional kindling for the speculation fire by placing a full-page ad in the inside back cover that inquires: "Is this the end of Marvel Comics?" Obviously, it isn't, but if it were to be the end, this is most definitely the opening chapter. Many a crossover has promised to alter the landscape of comic book universes forever, but "Cataclysm: The Ultimates' Last Stand" #1 actually sets that in motion.

"Cataclysm: The Ultimates' Last Stand" #4 leaves a lot to be desired. This is the penultimate issue for the "Cataclysm" saga, but it simply feels like a benchwarmer. The cover is certain to catch the eyes of a few readers, but the story inside is just as sure to disappoint, as the emotional impact is simply missing. There's enough action and adventure to tease, but Bendis weighs the issue down with excessive exposition that could easily have been condensed. With one issue left in the saga, Bendis has set up a finale readers will not want to miss. I just hope that final issue doesn't suffer from trying to tie up too much that could have been more effectively chipped away in "Cataclysm: The Ultimates' Last Stand" #4.

Like so much of the entire "Cataclysm" saga, "Cataclysm: The Ultimates' Last Stand" #5 has moments of glory and even some brilliant ideas, but the execution is found wanting. While it has been spoiled for a while now, it comes as no surprise that there is still an Ultimate Universe following this story. What happens in it, who has survived to guard it and what new threats arise remain to be seen. One thing is perfectly clear though: it won't be Galactus. I just hope the stories to be told there are more compelling than this series has been.

Of the three "Green Lantern" titles currently running, the cast of this one appeals to me the most, but the story doesn't compel me to itch for more. Would these three Lanterns be better served as a "second feature" in the "Green Lantern Corps" book, or will Tomasi deliver some tales that truly separate these characters and their cause from the rest of the Corps? Honestly, at this point, I'm unsure. Kilowog, Guy, and Arisia are enough for me to come back for another check next month though.

The Green Lantern stable of books is certainly riding a high, strong wave right now, but the books are threatening to homogenize. I don't see much of a reason for there to be three Green Lantern books. Yet. Tomasi needs to push a stronger, more clearly defined agenda forward for this book to give it an identity and personality that allows it become more than just "the Green Lantern book with Guy Gardner and Kilowog in it."

This issue seems to be the herald for the upcoming "War of the Green Lanterns," offering up prophetic visions, mysterious foes, and Corps members bearing grudges one against another. With the iconic cover promotion underway, this issue doesn't wave a colorful "War of Green Lanterns Prelude" banner, nor does it need to provide a good story. The rubber is finally hitting the road here and Tomasi's story is starting to build upon the wide base that has been constructed for the past five months. The issue leaves Guy hanging, but Guy's resourceful. How he gets out of this one is going to be worth the price of admission " which, by the way, has dropped a whole buck(!) on this title " for the next issue.

This third installment of the "War" delivers enough material to recap and push forward the storyline without becoming self-indulgent. There are matters of significance at play here, and the final page of the story is compelling enough to bring me back for the next chapter, even though I'd like to see what these titles can do without an event driving them. This event is at least self-contained (within the Green Lantern core titles), so there's something to be said for that.

This installment of the "War" was less than impressive, but leaves the Green Lantern corner of the DC Universe with some big moments coming up " decisions to be made, repercussions from decisions made, and fallout from, well, something. To this point, however, it seems as though there's only one major casualty and not a great deal of other changes that cannot be undone or forgotten.

Like I already said, however, it is not a particularly memorable Guy Gardner tale. It's nice to take a break from the constant go-go-go of the hubbub and commotion that has surrounded Oa and its champions for the past half-decade, but it would have been nicer to have a memorable break. Maybe Tomasi won't have to wait another five years to have a go at giving us another such tale. One can always hope, right?

"Green Lantern" New Guardians" #0 confirms that a great deal of the pre-"Flashpoint" Green Lantern continuity is on the record, like Kyle being the "torchbearer" and the Rainbow Corps fighting the Black Lanterns. After all, Carol (as Star Sapphire) and Kyle use the "Green Lantern ring plus one" method to combat and vanquish the risen dead. Otherwise, this is simply just another issue. There're no origins, no explanations of the New Guardians, who they are or why they are banded together. Really, this issue is simply an interlude for this series and a decent pause for Green Lantern readers without really giving new readers much to grab onto.

By the time this issue concludes, the tables have shifted, the "Rise of the Third Army" is beset by a severe challenge and the course of this series is given a good shakeup. This issue is a game changer -- one people will be coming back to find. Bedard illustrates that Arkillo, Carol Ferris and Saint Walker prove their allegiance to Rayner and stand poised to see the conclusion of the battle by the Lantern's side. What that means to the old Guardians and the New Guardians remains to be seen, but at least it should look nice when it is seen.

Of the refreshed Green Lantern family of books, "Green Lantern: New Guardians" was the one of the main triad I had the least amount of interest in. "Red Lanterns" and "Larfleeze" are exempt as I have less than no interest in either of those books at this juncture. That said, "Green Lantern: New Guardians" #21 might hit a high note due to the low-hanging expectations, or it might simply be enjoyable. I do know that I liked it considerably more than "Green Lantern" #21, but that's not really much of a comparison right now. At the very least, this comic book has given me enough reason to check back in with the next issue, even if it is more for the characters and circumstances surrounding the main character than for the character himself.

With "Convergence" on the horizon and a host of titles set to end, DC is sure to have some stories that underwhelm just as surely as it will have some tales that surprise readers. Unfortunately, "Green Lantern: New Guardians" #40 just hits enough notes to do the job of finishing the series without bringing anything spectacular or memorable. Jordan, Neves, Antonio, Quintana and Sharpe give readers a complete tale that has some nice moments, but it simply burns out too early.

For a membership drive issue, nothing really happens here, but McKeever and crew have determined to make this storyline last more than a mere issue, as seems to be the trend in this era of decompressed storytelling. This series currently feels like the Justice League felt after Jurgens, just a hodgepodge of characters who need a home. Maybe McKeever and company will prove me wrong with the conclusion of this storyline. Unfortunately, given that future issues appear to be focused on Kid Devil, a shadow of Blue Beetle, and a cluster of other uninteresting characters, I'm certain the rest of this storyline will need to be reviewed by someone else.

As someone who's read a LOT of Titans comics, this issue -" this whole "Deathtrap" storyline -- just seems stale. I've got the feeling we've been here, done this, and we might even have the t-shirt.

One final note about this issue that strikes me as exceptionally odd: DC decided to "celebrate" the seventy-fifth issue of this series. How, you ask? With a cover starburst and a splash-page announcement of "Welcome to the 75th issue of the 'Teen Titans'." Superman's seventieth anniversary as a character being published by DC barely gets a wink and a nod, yet this issue is tagged with a starburst and an announcement. Nothing else, mind you, no extra pages, no special roster shake-up, just another "Teen Titans" comic. Weird almost marketing there, DC, just plain weird.

Krul has managed to find a comfortably exciting place in the realm of the Titans, and I hope this issue is a precursor of more "Titans" related issues penned by Krul. The Titans universe has been floundering of late and this event is giving it a much-needed boost.

Overall, this is a fun issue, and a very promising fresh start, but it needs some more punch. I understand DC's desire to flesh out their collection of villains and their preference that writers contribute in that direction, but I think the Titans have been shuffling along enough lately that a familiar evil face or several might have given this book the extra goose it needed to go from "good" to "great." This is a good start, and I'll definitely be back for more, and in that alone, Krul and Scott can claim a victory.

"Teen Titans" is a book that is finally starting to settle on the path it should be taking. There's a roster decision made in this issue that is certain to impact the story as it continues to grow. The team is settling down a bit and Krul is figuring out how he wants the team to interact and react. This is a promising issue offering hope for issues to come, as we are promised a new member in the form of Solstice in the next issue.

I lost interest in the first story arc under Krul's pen, but this new arc, beginning this issue, offers a less clichd, more intriguing sophomore effort. Krul gives every character a chance to shine, which makes the book feel balanced and provides a more interesting read. What happens once this team is fractured (no, that's not really a spoiler) remains to be seen. The main part I'm waiting to see, however, is more of the other-dimensional fracas as rendered by Scott.

Huntress and Power Girl might not be my favorite characters, but the creative team for this book sure doesn't care, they're doing more than enough to open up an enjoyable adventure of a pair of friends who only want to make things better. I'm all in for that.

Unfortunately, we're three issues in and I'm not certain we've really put any road behind us. Huntress and Power Girl try to return home, but they've crossed paths with Hakkou and now can consider themselves his enemies and maybe even targets. Like the early issues of "Crisis on Infinite Earths," we get a tease of a story, but nothing complete enough to really measure out an accurate judgment. I'm eager for more of this book, and "Worlds' Finest" #3 is a wonderful example of what to expect from the title, it just needs a clear direction. As that materialized with "Crisis," I'm certain it will here. I just hope it does so soon.

"Worlds' Finest" #5 shows what this book could become if it doesn't find a voice relatively soon. As part of the second wave of relaunched comics, this series was my most anticipated. Kevin Maguire and George Prez are among my favorite artists. To this point, however, we've got a half-year worth of comics and not a lot of story. As a matter of fact, "Worlds' Finest" can be summed up in a sentence: Karen and Helena want to go home, but they're not sure how to get there and don't know what to do. Hopefully Levitz and crew can figure out what to do to make "Worlds' Finest" a comic more worthy of that moniker. For now, it's simply "Worlds' Mediocre-est."

In the end, when the back cover is closed, "Worlds' Finest" #10 just feels like a collection of set-up scenes, but the impending payoff just isn't that interesting. Power Girl and Huntress have a bone to pick with someone at Holt Industries and Batman caught a glimpse of Huntress (are we truly expected to believe Huntress was that successful in flying under the radar?). This isn't quite the stuff of thrilling comic books. Thankfully we had some issue saving art from Maguire and Cheetham.

"Worlds' Finest" #12 is the latest installment for a title that simply seems to have lost its way. As James Robinson's "Earth 2" finds its ground and blossoms, "Worlds' Finest" seems to wither on the vine. A single quest has dragged this book along for a year, now a new quest arises. There is a parallel between this book and Robinson's in that both books now prominently feature a member of the Fourth World pantheon, but Levitz has failed to add depth to the maniacal workings of Desaad. At this point, I'd almost rather see this book cease on its own and the adventures of Power Girl and Huntress be relegated to the backup of "Earth 2," as the stories seem destined to connect, but "Worlds' Finest" doesn't offer enough pizzazz on its own.

For a miniseries that has the potential to launch a whole new line of books -- or possibly a timeline to be revisited in future stories -- this adventure never really does more than introduce some characters and emphasize the fact that the Fantastic Four is always about family. I wasn't sure what to expect from "100th Anniversary Special: Fantastic Four" #1, but it wasn't this. Van Meter and Estep open the issue with promise, but before too long, the "traditional" Fantastic Four is back in action, but against a less-than-inspired foe. I'd like to see more of the Richards-Banner twins, the "future" Human Torch and the Enchantress instead of the Fantastic Four once more besting a borderline generic foe. Perhaps, like the refugees of "Days of Future Past" did throughout X-Men history, these new characters will be able to check in from time to time. This issue, however, doesn't really pack enough of a punch on its own to sustain in readers' collective memories until 2061.

"100th Anniversary Special: Guardians of the Galaxy" #1 is the most enjoyable, most accessible and most timely of the "100th Anniversary Special" series so far. This issue won't change the industry, but the on-sale racks are much better for having such a comic as this. With Guardians-mania hitting its apex, it might just be time to pull out all the stops and give this all-ages appropriate amalgamation of all things Guardians of the Galaxy a chance to carry on and build a legacy.

"Captain Midnight" #0 is a very solid start from Williamson and crew. The issue is rounded out with a sneak peek at issue #1, due out next month. All in all, "Captain Midnight" is a relatively fresh story with familiarity that makes the introductory story more palatable.

"Captain Midnight" #14 is unspectacular, but technically sound. Williamson and Garcia give readers plenty to digest, but stop short of making any of the characters dynamic or engaging. Tempus is propped up as a major league threat to Midnight and acts as such, but the rivalry just doesn't feel deep, and the impact of Tempus' actions lack scope. Some of this may be that the most important supporting characters in Captain Midnight's cast are geographically removed from the event site, but part of it comes (once again) from the lack of sparkle and flash. This is a decent comic geared towards dedicated fans of Captain Midnight, but there's very little here for those not already familiar.

I'm willing to give this issue a free pass, as I trust Andreyko as a writer, but for my four bucks, I really expect to get a little more Hawkman in a Hawkman comic. Had Adam Strange remained a co-headliner, then this issue would have more significantly more legitimacy. As it stands, it's more a prequel (and we all now how those go) to the action soon to erupt in the pages of the next few issues of Death of Hawkman.

Whatever does happen, I hope DC finally gives Hawkman, Hawkwoman (or Hawkgirl), and their legacy the respect it deserves.

It is quite a shame that the information age has spoiled the "secrecy" of the comic world so massively, as it seems all but given that this current volume of "The Flash" will almost certainly give way to a new title following Geoff Johns' and Ethan Van Sciver's take on the Scarlet Speedster. Just as readership fell from the previous Flash volume (featuring Bart Allen under the crimson cowl), it seems almost inevitable that history will repeat itself, despite the promise of invested stories from Alan Burnett and Paco Diaz. I've been with this volume of "The Flash" since issue #1, and I plan to see it through. Hopefully, I'm wrong and the title will continue well past 2009. We'll just have to keep reading to find out.

By no means is this the worst issue of the 21 years that I've been reading the Flash (am I really that old?!?), nor is it the best. It wraps things up and sets them over to the side. Ringing out the old while singing in the new.

"Grayson" #2 continues to set the boundaries for this series from Seeley, King and Janin. Dick Grayson's past weighs heavily into his unfolding future, but that future holds secrets even the apprentice of the world's greatest detective cannot quite crack. The writing duo have built stories within stories and stories that run parallel to each other, miring "Grayson" in remarkable potential. This issue presents just enough to illustrate that Seeley and King will continue to reveal more about Spyral, surprising readers and Dick Grayson alike, which makes for entertaining comic books.

Grayson #18 is all over the place, with the Skull Girls and Midnighter, Agent Zero and Helena Bertinelli. I'm not sure where it's all going and there are points in this issue where I'm not sure what I've read, but there is no denying the sense of action Lanzing, Kelly, Antonio, and Borges have delivered. It's not an awful read, it's just fails to reach the high levels of expectation that were established by Tom King, Tim Seeley, and Mikel Janin.

The essence of this story is boiled down into one splash page at the end of "Green Arrow" #0. That doesn't make everything else filler, but it certainly does serve as a nice statement for the Emerald Archer's motivation and methods. "Green Arrow" is a title that's never really grabbed me, no matter how hard I tried to like it. Winick and Williams almost rise above that challenge, but fall just short of providing me with a compulsion to come back for more regardless of the creative team aboard. I might be more interested if this duo returned, but this issue doesn't close the deal to entice me to come back next month to an unknown quantity.