This book has been around long enough to have developed an identity and cast of its own, and is on a nice, steady upswing. Hopefully it can continue upwards to the point where it can stand shoulder to shoulder with Fables.

The use of the fictional storyline set in the backdrop of a historical event is nothing new for the world of film and television, but it doesn't happen very often in the world of comics, so I commend Brian Wood for pulling it off. Dean Ormston manages to raise the bar past the work he did for Issue #9 with both great action sequences and emotional moments. I hope we get to see more work from Ormston on this series in the future. I am very interested to see the next arc, since it will essentially be taking us from the very beginning of the Viking age to a story taking place at the end of their rule in Ireland.

Eddy Barrow and Allan Goldman share the pencilling roles in this issue, and I was surprised to notice there were two art teams, since I didn't really notice a difference between them, which is a rarity when using multiple artists on one story. So far, I am sort of interested in the new arc, but it is a bit of a letdown when so much happened in just one issue a month ago.

With Issue 38 in our hot little hands, our next issue marks the beginning of the "final year" of issues, and everything is going to come together. If Vaughan's work on Y: The Last Man is any indication, then we're in for quite a ride here, too.

Lastly, I would like to call for a Kid Omni-Man/Hit-Girl team up. The comic gods need to make it happen.

Hopefully this book will be able to adjust its schedule and pacing to help make the book flow better to single issue readers, otherwise I foresee people deciding the "wait for the trade" approach is best for this title.

One thing that this mini-series reminded me of is that I really enjoy the characters, and Marvel needs to find a way to get them on the stands on a regular basis. That seems to be taken care of as far as the Runaways go, but I think Marvel editorial needs to give up the ghost that Allan Heinberg will ever return for another round of Young Avengers, and put that team in the capable hands of any of the writers from the recent Young Avengers Presents... miniseries. (My vote is for Matt Fraction.) The characters are simply too good to be supporting players, and deserve a playground of their very own again.

This issue also features a new artist, Stephen Mooney (actually, his work appeared in After The Fall 6 and 7 as the artist of Connor's arc). He does a good job making the layouts easy to follow, and his likenesses are probably the strongest of the three main artists for the series. I have to say I am pretty excited about the upswing the series has taken in the last couple of issues, as it bodes well for the end of After the Fall, and whatever Aftermath will bring.

There is some promise here, so I'm hoping El Diablo will be able to grow into a character that will be around for awhile, instead of being the answer to an obscure trivia question.

Wagner seems to be having a lot of fun with the book so far, since each issue seems to bring a few new characters to deal with. And, looking ahead at the solicits for future issues, there are some potentially great ones coming. However, I am concerned that the overall plot will either get dragged out too long, or that "stunt casting" will turn this book into Vertigo Mystic Team-Up. Ultimately, this book seems to be suffering from an acute case of Vertigo Try-Out Syndrome, in that you usually need to commit to the first arc of a Vertigo title in order to determine whether you will like it or not, since we are now 3 issues in and I am not sure what to think.

With Lindisfarne being a 2 part arc, I am interested to see how much of the story we get to see next issue, and whether it will continue to focus on Edwin, or instead move to the Vikings now that they have arrived in England. Wood's decision to alternate shorter, 2 part arcs with longer ones on Northlanders seems to make for a good change of pace, and has calmed my fears that the book might end up being a "one arc pony", so to speak. The issue is a good jumping on point for new readers, but I imagine someone beginning the series with this issue will be placing a preorder for the first Northlanders trade paperback, which is due in October.

I wouldn't be so disappointed about this if I didn't like what I have read. Sure, it's a bit reminiscent of Conan or Red Sonja, but Skaar is a fun read. Ron Garney's art has been great and I think his uninked style lends itself well to this title. Greg Pak's run on Planet Hulk won me over, but I hope this series is able to get things going at a quicker speed, or I may give up on it.

Now, I'm wondering where Zan, Jayna, and Gleek are.

Then of course, there is the last page reveal of the villain in the future world. I suppose I should have seen it coming, but I was looking in a different direction and was quite surprised by what I saw there. And of course, it creates several questions that I am dying to learn more in the next parts of the arc. One thing I have learned over the course of Season 8 is that while it always seems there aren't enough pages left in an arc to complete the story, this series has continually delivered the goods, so I'm ready to see what is coming next.

While I might be giving the idea that the first arc tied itself up in a neat little bow, there are plenty of dangling subplots to be dealt with in future issues. I look forward to seeing the lengths the government will go to in order to bring Julie back in. I look forward to seeing what decisions she will have to make, since it seems certain her friends and family are going to be placed in jeopardy as a result of her actions. And of course, I look forward to seeing what her powers exactly are, and what will come from the mysterious character at the end of Issue 3...

Franco Urru's art shines when handling dragons and other mystical beasts, and this issue is no exception. I am also happy to report that I enjoyed his work more on this series than on his more recent issues of Angel, perhaps due to the more focused cast and less chaotic events Spike: After the Fall boasts. I really want to like this storyline more, but whether it is fair or not, I find myself comparing the Angel/Spike books to Buffy: Season Eight, and they simply pale in comparison at this point.

While interviews have called The Warning the first of a trilogy of miniseries that will supposedly mark some significant changes to the BPRD team, I'd go one better and say it's the 2nd part of a Quadrilogy, since it really does a great job carrying the threads from the previous series. It is really shaping up to be a great run regardless, and I'm glad to see the book both incorporate new blood (if you can call a resurrected mummy that) and keep the familiar feel the series has typically had.

Mature content matter aside, this book is certainly not for everyone. If you are a fan of Lapham, you are no doubt reading and enjoying the series already. If you haven't picked it up, it really is unlike just about anything out there on the bookshelves, but it's worth your time and money should you be looking for something very different on your next trip to the shop.

I'll keep reading this because of my faith in Terry Moore, but I would love to see this step further out of the shadow of Strangers in Paradise, since the story thus far remains grounded in interpersonal relationships. It seems to have some unique material ready to be shown, but it just appears it will be a bit more time before we get to see it.

As with most Hellboy series, I am looking forward to the next issue. The difference from recent series is that I'm not looking for it to reveal a major secret of Hellboy's past, but I'm "just" looking forward to another great story.

It is a bit unfair to constantly compare Zorro to The Lone Ranger, but it is a comparison that Dynamite has brought on themselves in the marketing for this book. Luckily, with the success of The Lone Ranger, they have a blueprint for success, and I hope they are able to bring more of that storytelling style to Zorro. It is clear that the material is there, but they will likely need to bring more of that classic Zorro action to this book to keep readers beyond this initial arc.

While I have found "First Night" to be uneven, it has been a good read overall, and there have been some wonderful artists in each issue. The difficult part about reading this is not knowing exactly how this fits into the bigger picture because of the storytelling style. Like I have said in previous reviews, I have a feeling that this will become more important and enjoyable when it is all said and done, but for right now, it seems to be a lost opportunity to tell a giant, epic story instead of character interludes with a giant, epic-looking story in the background.

This book seems to be geared primarily to longtime fans. If you don't know anything about the BPRD, you won't really be invested in the story, so I cannot imagine that the book will win you over. Even if it did, this book is not indicative of the vast majority of BPRD stories you will find on comic shelves, so if you do read it with no prior knowledge, don't judge the BPRD "series of series" on this one book.

Superhero fans really should be reading this book. And hey, if you don't believe me, go to imagecomics.com and check out the entire first issue for free in their Online Comics section. Just don't send me nasty letters if you end up spending more money than you planned on during your next trip to the shop, OK?

Although Corben has an unmistakably unique style, even in black and white, it still changes up chapter to chapter. "Dagon" features extensive use of pencil shading, which gave a very organic feel to the book. The other two chapters use more of a uniform shading approach, and is also nice, while providing a different look at the same time. Fans of Corben's work are going to enjoy this issue, and fans of Lovecraft's work will almost certainly enjoy seeing his stories brought to life. I particularly enjoyed seeing both adaptations from "Fungi of Yuggoth", and looking ahead, the final issues of the series each feature two more chapters from that poem, so it would appear there are going to be more opportunities for Corben to really stretch his creative wings.

The creative team is really clicking on all cylinders, with Brian Michael Bendis continuing to "open up" his storytelling style with this series. If I didn't know who was writing the series, I don't know that I would have guessed him, considering his trademark dialogue heavy storytelling with 12 panel pages isn't present here. Leinil Yu's art continues to shine with Mark Morales on inks. It's easy to get lost in a book with a huge cast and big action, and it's a credit to the art team that they are able to handle the big action pages just as well as the small character moments. Despite my misgivings about the pacing, I'm still enjoying what is presented to me and looking forward to what is coming. I just wonder if there is a better way to present the individual issues, whether it is a bigger page count, or more frequent publication, instead of spreading it over 8 months.

I am a firm believer that you must enjoy this series if you read any kind of fantasy. When it was announced at Wizard World Philadelphia last weekend that Marvel plans to publish 30 issues of The Dark Tower, I let out a cheer. Like everyone else I know who has read the book, I have enjoyed every single issue and hoped this series of miniseries would get to continue for a long, long time, and it would appear I have gotten my wish. Not only can I not wait to see this series end, I can't wait to see what is coming after that.

On a side note, I have to admit I'm enjoying that this book seems to be existing in a world that's not centered around Secret Invasion. It's also really exciting to see a creative team that got broken up too soon get back together, and I hope this is the start of another great run for Daredevil.

Mike Choi and Sonia Oback aren't always my favorite art team, but this issue shows off their ability to handle the action sequence. Sure, the plot was something you could predict was coming, right down to how it was done, but it was still cool to see. For some reason, I was drawn to the facial expressions on the characters' faces, and I really dug it. What was even better to see was that an arc I had basically written off as "Filler Until 500" just two issues ago took some strides forward and could finish strongly, at the very least.

Again, it's not a terrible issue, but it's just really hard to recommend that someone pick this up if they aren't already collecting the series, especially considering the other two members of DC's Big Three have major storylines kicking off today. If you're jonesing for some Superman, just wait until James Robinson's story begins next month.

Chris Weston's art remains super-detailed as always, and there are some great panels, particularly one on the next to last page with a revelation that will almost certainly drive part of the story next issue. His art still appears a bit static at points, but I think I can see that in all of his books. It's one of those art quirks that people can either deal with, or drives them away, but folks are really missing out if that is why they are passing this up to this point. Granted, it is still not clear what the "larger story" in all this is, but even if it is simply reintroducing these characters to the Marvel Universe, then JMS is well on his way to crafting another classic storyline.

The most difficult thing for me to deal with about this "arc within an arc" continues to be holding out hope that this very unconventional narrative will all come together in the end so After The Fall will make a good companion piece for Season 8, since that is almost certainly what fans are really looking for out of this.

In true Buffy fashion, the issue ends with a sequence that will make for a great setup to part four of the arc. What does surprise me is that the next issue marks the end of the arc, and it seems to me like they either won't be able to wrap everything up in one issue, or there's going to be a rushed finale. Here's hoping I'm wrong about both.

Judging from what appears to be on the horizon based on the not-too-subtle hints in the issue, it would seem that won't be a problem for too long. It's just going to be a bit of a wait until we see the results.

No, this one-shot isn't for everyone. If you don't like Quicksilver, you will want to just pass it by on the shelf. However, if you read House of M, Son of M, Silent War, or have otherwise been invested in this character for a while, you will definitely want to get it. Those on the fence or other new readers will be able to get up to speed easily enough, but some of the events will certainly not carry the same weight they would to longtime fans.

While I certainly can't recommend this issue to everyone, I thought it was a lot of fun, and I'm looking forward to see what Will Pfeiffer and Matthew Sturges have in store over the coming months.

While the format of this series might not be for everyone, this issue is a better point than others to jump on. The stories that start here are enjoyable, and the continuing ones are not inaccessible to new readers who might be reading for the first time. I'm certainly up for seeing what this series has in store in the future.

A couple of nitpicky things: It seems weird to me that Robin would refuse to forge documents for a teammate, since I'm going to guess that he's seen Bruce do it once or twice before. Another odd part of the issue was the small editor's note that "Events in this issue take place prior to or during issues 56 and 57". Huh? There really doesn't seem to be a reason (that I see currently) which would prevent the last few issues from being restructured for a more linear storytelling. Maybe it'll make sense when all is said and done, but it really seemed like a weird aside to have on page 4 of the issue. In the end, it is a good issue, and I suspect most fans will be eagerly anticipating the next issue based on the cliffhanger McKeever leaves us left on.

Here's my biggest problem with the book, lateness aside: It's a really short read. However, I think that's a problem I have with just about every Loeb/McGuinness collaboration, since Loeb seems to tailor most of their storylines to be heavy on the action, which clearly plays to one of McGuinness' strengths. 22 pages go by really quickly when you have 4 single page splashes and 2 double page spreads. So, while that is a great layout for showing the smashing, it's not as great for smaller moments. So, since we have been waiting 2 months since the last issue, and know we have to wait 2 months for the next issue, it's quite annoying to not really give any new information about the mystery of the Red Hulk to the reader. Hopefully they'll be able to strike a better balance in the next issue.

David and Semekis are definitely working together nicely as a team on this book, but it's going to be interesting to see how this series evolves when Vincenzo Cucca takes over on art with issue 31, as his art has a very different look and feel. One thing that has been very unique about David's run is how the storylines aren't quite as compartmentalized as they are in other titles. Plotlines have stepped forward and faded backwards, but here we are, 7 issues into this run, and I can't really point to where one arc clearly begins and another one ends, and that is something pretty unique in this era in comics.

Me miss old Grimlock.

Is the "fable" something incredibly insightful with a unique message? Not really, since it seems similar to other stories told before. What is different is how it is told in the context of the story, and Pope's art offers a nice contrast to Cariello's work. It is also great to continue seeing these characters that we have been familiar with for years, yet not really know, get fleshed out even further. This issue stands on its own very well, and is a nice breather in between arcs, with the requisite teaser at the end for what's coming next.

Standing on its' own, this issue is a good read, even if it isn't really indicative of the type of story this series typically tells. Plus, I think this seems to explain the use of the "Annual" tag as opposed to putting it in the main book. Once I got over my initial misgivings of being a bit of an extension to "Forever", I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. When the Powers story finally wraps up, I don't know that this issue will be something we can point to as a high point for the book, but in the context of the larger story, it seems this is more of a background story told for the longtime fans that will make the story a bit richer.

Ultimately, I just don't care about the antagonists, and don't see many of them as legitimate threats for Superman to deal with. A big, iconic character like Superman deserves some big stories to match, and it seems like characters are being inflated or created for the sole purpose of being powerful enough to get in a fistfights with him. Here's hoping he gets to tell some of those stories in Trinity, and that James Robinson has something big up his sleeve later this year.

Considering there has been some build up to revealing what exactly happened after "Not Fade Away", I'm not so sure an arc of anthology stories that breaks up a larger storyline is the best way to tell these stories. I'm willing to go along with Brian Lynch on this, but this issue feels a bit shallow due to the anthology format. I look forward to see how the overall story flows when the story is completed, but for right now it seems to me like they came up with the idea to do this after they started the miniseries, and it seems like a very disjointed way to tell what should theoretically be straightforward. At the very least, "First Night" will be of interest to fans of the television series, since it doesn't require any knowledge of the comics to understand what is going on.

I've enjoyed the story so far, but I have had a harder time becoming invested in the characters than I have in similarly themed books like Agents of Atlas and The Twelve. It also seems as if there's a significant amount of backstory that I'm missing and by the looks of things, will likely not get told by the time this miniseries ends. I look forward to seeing how big this cast of characters gets before all is said and done, but I hope the storyline can expand and develop to make me have feelings about some of these characters, good or bad.

However, when it all comes down to it for me, this series hinges on Brian Michael Bendis. It's one thing to write a universe-spanning storyline that affects the entire Marvel Comics line. It's another thing entirely to do that and at the same time tell a story that should weave in and out of comics that have been on shelves for years. With plot threads allegedly being planted as far back as Secret War in February, 2004, and story implications potentially stretching back even further, this series has the potential to deliver some big shocks. I personally hope it does that without resorting to the dreaded retcon, since that would cheapen some of the setup. From some of the events of this first issue, it looks like some events in Civil War were pretty Skrully, and it was a cool feeling to put the pieces together. I hope there are a lot more reveals like that coming up in future issues, since that could make Secret Invasion a series fans are talking about for years... for the right reasons

Rafael Albuquerque is one of DC's rising stars, and while I love his work on this title, he is certainly destined for a higher profile assignment down the road, so I'm going to enjoy his work here while I can. Like the aforementioned Invincible, this book should be started from the beginning. So if you aren't reading it now, go pick up the first Trade Paperback, "Shellshocked", and enjoy the ride towards 25. If you have been reading, then I'm simply preaching to the choir, right?

I really like Paco Medina's art, but it's too bad that it's being wasted on a book where there isn't a ton of action, and what action there is turns out to be a training exercise, or something along those lines. This book seems to have a lot of potential to be a wonderful companion book to the excellent Avengers: The Initiative, but it unfortunately pales in comparison at this point.

I liked Val Semeiks' art this issue, and judging from the upcoming solicitations, he's going to be the regular artist for awhile. While he isn't an attention grabbing superstar, he is solid and will certainly help bring some visual consistency, something that hasn't exactly been a mainstay of the series. I'm also glad to see some of the blanks being filled in about Jennifer's departure from the legal world, and I'm looking forward to the next arc, which promises to keep doing that. (Plus, I'm guessing Secret Invasion is bound to sneak into the book at some point, and that should be interesting.)

Brian Lynch continues to take advantage of the "unlimited" visual effects budget that the comic format provides, with some incredible settings and creatures that probably wouldn't be able to be delivered in quite the same way on television. Franco Urru's art continues to frustrate me a bit, though. I think he captures likenesses well and I enjoy the supernatural creatures he draws, but the smaller details in his art seems to suffer when the action gets big and the panels get big to match. For a fan of the series and characters, it probably isn't a dealbreaker, but it does take a bit of effort to follow at times and could confuse newer readers. However, with multiple artists on "First Night" and a new art team taking over after that, don't give up if you aren't a fan of the art.

One of the "problems" with reviewing Invincible is that I'm such a big fan of the series that I feel readers should start at the beginning, or at the very least, start from the beginning of an arc, so it's hard to recommend starting here. While new readers would be able to understand and enjoy what is going on, you're going to be missing out on so much great backstory that you would be doing yourself a terrible disservice by jumping to this point. Go get started and just know that when you get to Issue 49, or Trade Paperback 10, or Ultimate Collection, Volume 5, you'll have yourself a great story that sets up something big in Issue 50.

Even if you've seen Hook, Finding Neverland, Walt Disney's Peter Pan, or read the book, the story remains different enough to warrant another pass, and it's a lot of fun to see these characters placed in very different situations. As great as the writing is, the art is pretty much a perfect match, too. Joao Lemos and Christina Strain team for some gorgeous and appropriately ethereal art, and I really can't wait to see what they team up to do next.

As I mentioned earlier, it's hard to recommend picking up the issue blindly unless you're already collecting, or a huge fan of one of the creators or characters in the book. It isn't bad, but at this point, you would have missed 50% or more of three stories. Next issue would look to be a good jumping on point, since you will have 50% of the stories either one and done or beginning. To an outside observer, it would seem that Marvel Comics Presents needs some kind of a hook to keep bringing in new readers, whether it's using an exclusive superstar Marvel creator inside each issue, or some kind of story that ties more closely to events like Secret Invasion.

Claremont's story seems solid enough, but I am still driven crazy by his characters verbalizing things that I think would serve better as internal monologues (which I know is a Marvel no-no outside Mighty Avengers, but still annoying nonetheless). Grummett's art is typically solid and he draws some great action scenes yet again. My biggest problem with the relaunch and this arc is that I'm not as invested in the characters anymore, and I'm not really seeing where the overarching story is going, despite having read every issue of the series so far. I am still along for the ride, but I would like to see some movement and resolution before this arc ends or I may be leaving the Exiles behind.

With all the supporting characters and Moon Knight's personality quirks, I don't know that new readers would want to jump into this midstream, but that's nothing that picking up the previous 2 collections couldn't fix. I am definitely looking forward to seeing what's up next.