Absolute Batman #1 is a banger of a first issue that introduces readers to a new-ish kind of Batman, Alfred and Gotham City. Scott Snyder's knack for hard-hitting action and drama is on full display, and Nick Dragotta's art sings during the big fight. That said, Absolute Batman is almost too similar to regular Batman, so you may wonder why creating an alternate version was necessary.9/10

Absolute Batman #2is a mixed bag of an issue that doesn't match the energy and cool moments in issue #1. To Scott Snyder's credit, he fills in a lot of information quickly but in a manner that makes the comic readable, and Nick Dragotta's art is strong, but the issue feels at times overstuffed and unevenly paced. Plus, the Absolute Batmobile debut is both head-scratching and eye-rolling.6.5/10

Absolute Batman #3is the strongest and most gripping issue in the series so far. Scott Snyder finally confronts Absolute Batman with a problem that can't be solved with fists or gadgets, and Nick Dragotta's stylistic art makes even the quiet dialog moments captivating. Even if you find the Bat-Dump Truck a step too far, check out this issue.9.3/10

Absolute Power #1 presents oodles of action, adventure, excitement, and drama to get readers on board with DC's big Summer event. As a bonus, Dan Mora's art is an exquisite match for Mark Waid's surprisingly engaging script. That said, the story only works if you choose to believe Amanda Waller can take over the world without anyone lifting a finger to stop her, which is a mighty big pill to swallow.

Absolute Power #2 hits like a freight train when Amanda Waller's plan for world domination slaps the remaining heroes with even more devastation. Waid's script packs in all the scale, drama, and energy you want from a big Summer event, and Dan Mora's art is fantastic. Nothing can convince readers Waller was able to pull off this attack, but it sure is fun watching it play out.

Absolute Power #3 races readers from one scene to the next at Flash-levels of speed to cram in as much story as possible. For readers who favor non-stop, fast-paced action, this comic will feel like an absolute win. For the rest of us who would rather let the story breathe and unfold naturally to let the drama and emotional impact set in, this comic reads like a frantic panic attack.

Absolute Power #4technically wraps up DC's biggest event of the year by putting almost everyone and everything back the way it was, confirming the mountain of tie-ins and interruptions was completely pointless. Absolute Power isn't a multi-month, epic crossover to shake the pillars of the DC Universe. Absolute Power is a three-part miniseries that got blown way out of proportion and cost with little to show for it.

Absolute Power: Ground Zero #1 delivers three short stories to explain how three individuals came to be in Amanda Waller's service as a lead-up to the Absolute Power event. Of the three, Williamson's take on the Brainiac Queen has the best mix of art and story, but the overall anthology is relatively solid.

Absolute Power: Super Son #1 takes a deep dive into Jon Kent's mind as he subconsciously battles the vestiges of Brainiac Queen's programming. The issue starts and ends well enough, but the chaotic visions through most of the middle are tough to follow. However, the strangely large number of artists tapped to put this comic together did a great job. For Absolute Power readers, this issue is for completists only.

Absolute Power: Task Force VII #1 takes all the urgency, dramatic tension, and seriousness of the Absolute Power event and tosses it out the window in favor of a silly, disjointed, poorly constructed mess of a comic. Williams's script has all the weight of a deflated balloon, and Yarsky's confused action choreography is shockingly unskilled.

Absolute Power: Task Force VII #2 gives readers a view into how Amanda Waller's Absolute Power attack subdued Aquaman, Atlantis, and the Doom Patrol. Sadly, most of that fight takes place off-panel, and the rest of the information adds nothing meaningful to the event. In every sense of the word, this tie-in is pointless, but at least Max Raynor's art looks darn good.

Absolute Power: Task Force VII #3 is one of the better tie-ins in the Absolute Power event because it maintains consistency across titles, shows intriguing developments, and presents it all in a relatively pretty package. Adams continues to prove he's the DC guy who can make lemons out of lemonade, and Santucci's solid art is made better by Arif Prianto's excellent coloring.

Absolute Power: Task Force VII #4 delivers another one-off issue focusing on another member of Task Force VII - Failsafe. In and of itself, Pornsak Pichetshote's story is fine, but the characters involved here, particularly Nightwing, suggest the story is out of step with the main event. At best, this comic is just okay.

Absolute Power: Task Force VII #5 is a fun, Flash-centered issue that teaches Velocity a thing or two about what it really means to be a Speedster. Flash fans will get a kick out of the story, but its contribution to Absolute Power is negligible. That said, the tacked-on scenes starring Steve Trevor on Gamorra Island finally lead to a big reveal about Amanda Waller's allies in this event, which makes this issue a big deal.

Absolute Power: Task Force VII #6 accomplishes little, is riddled with terrible narration and dialog, and again demonstrates how each writer is simply making up the rules of how Amazos work. If you had misgivings about Absolute Power, this issue might just put you off for good.

Absolute Power: Task Force VII #7 ends the weirdly unnecessary miniseries with a weirdly unnecessary conclusion that ultimately contributes nothing to Absolute Power. The art is okay, and the story flows well enough for the concept, but this issue fails at the one thing every comic must accomplish - justify its own existence.

Absolute Superman #1imagines a slightly different Superman who comes to Earth as an adult and sets out on his mission to save the oppressed and disadvantaged workers of the world, inspired by a Kryptonian legacy of class discrimination. Jason Aaron's glum take on Superman feels like a cross between Jon Kent's activist personality mixed with Zack Snyder's dour Man of Steel, sprinkled with a dash of inspiration from Straczynski's Superman: Year One. In a world where it's tough to find shining beacons of hope, Absolute Superman chooses not to be that beacon, but at least Rafa Sandoval's art looks fantastic.7.8/10

Absolute Superman #2is an improvement over the first issue. Jason Aaron's script spends much less time on Krypton and more time showing what this alternate version of the Man of Steel can do. Plus, the art team creatively brings Kal-El's range of unique gadgets to life. That said, the script suffers from odd narration, heavy-handed messaging about the use of A.I., and weird action where the suit does most of the work.8/10

Absolute Wonder Woman #1presents a rougher, darker, mystical Wonder Woman, fit to fight all comers in a universe spawned by Darkseid energy. Despite the mildly annoying lack of setup in a few spots, Kelly Thompson nailed the assignment to create a Wonder Woman who's recognizable but stands wholly apart from her Earth Prime counterpart. Sadly, the material needed art with a harder, sharper edge, so the visuals don't live up to the script.8.5/10

Absolute Wonder Woman #2 unveils the big boss behind Harbinger Prime's attack and introduces readers to Absolute Steve Trevor. Unfortunately, Kelly Thompson's lack of setup and disjointed narrative flow hurt this sophomore issue in a big way, and Hayden Sherman's indie arthouse style only suits the parts of the story that don't involve action.

Bits and PiecesAction Comics #1049 brings Superman back to classic Superman form with big fights and evil Luthor plans in the making. That said, the Luthor thread feels oddly disconnected from the main plot, and Perkins's weird body distortions don't fit a book starring the Man of Steel.

Action Comics #1050 is a return to form for the Man of Steel with a dastardly action by Lex Luthor that resolves the secret identity problem, adds worldwide stakes, and teases big things to come. That said, the wildly inconsistent art makes this issue feel disjointed and jarring from one page to the next.

Action Comics #1051 kicks off a new era in the long-running title by converting the series into an anthology book. Two of the three shorts in this book are pretty darn good, with solid art and enormous potential. That said, the Powergirl short is a low-energy snoozefest.

Action Comics #1052 delivers three chapters in ongoing stories about the Superfamily and their adventures, past and present. Of the three chapters, House of Metallo has the strongest art, and Home Again has the strongest writing, but none of the chapters is an outright dud.

Action Comics #1053 delivers three stories to whet your Kryptonian whistle. The strongest stories center around Superman and his family as they fight against an assortment of threats. The Power Girl short, however, is a mess.

Action Comics #1054 is the best entry in the series since the title moved to an anthology format. There's a clear first-second-third pecking order in the shorts, but they're close enough to each other in story quality and art style to make the end result worth the cover price.

Well, two out of three ain't bad. Action Comics #1055 delivers an impressive ensemble story that will make Reign of the Supermen fans giddy. Dan Jurgens's chapter about a teenage despot who kidnaps young Jon Kent has solid action and an interesting moral dilemma. But Dorado Quick's Steel story is all kinds of terrible.

Action Comics #1056 gives readers plenty of Super action with three tales showcasing members of the immediate and extended Super-Family. Phillip Kennedy Johnson's story is easily the best of the bunch, but the Steel story falls short on every level.

Action Comics #1057 starts a new Superman arc that raises the Blue Earth's threat level, ends the Kent family's adventure with an alien princess in a wonky, rushed fashion, and undoes all of Conner Kent's character growth in a single blow. Collectively, the art is strong, but Johnson's new arc about the Blue Earth movement is the only winning story in the bunch.

Action Comics #1058 delivers two power-packed, rock-solid, entertaining stories to get your Super fix. Both stories are strong in different ways and plant mysteries that hold your attention for the next issue. As a plus, the art is consistently excellent throughout.

Action Comics #1059 represents the good, the bad, and the ugly of comics. Phillip Kennedy Johnson's good story contains a big twist reveal, Keenan King's lackluster resurrection and fight with China's Batman is clunky enough to be bad, and Dan Parent's pointless Jon and Jay date is made ugly with Sauvage's washed-out art.

Action Comics #1060 ends the main story with a tease and teases two new stories that continue in other titles. Of the three shorts, Phillip Kennedy Johnson's penultimate chapter of New Worlds is the most complete, and Nicole Maines and Steve Orlando's setup for Dreamer on the Suicide Squad is the most contrived and messy.

Action Comics #1061 marks Jason Aaron's first run at the title with a tried and true Superman adventure, albeit with a "been there, done that" plot. Aaron delivers an exciting, action-packed first issue, and Timms's art looks fantastic. I just wish the plot didn't feel so much like something that's been done before.

Action Comics #1062 turns the world upside down and backward when Bizarro's spell goes global. Aaron and Timms really capture the isolation and hopelessness Superman feels when all attempts to stop the spell fail, but the plot and themes feel uncomfortably similar to better-known literary works.

Action Comics #1063 ends the I, Bizarro... arc with a mixed bag of excellent art and eye-catching action with poor story choices. The Joker's anti-climactic involvement and the hasty resolution are a bummer.

Action Comics #1064 kicks off a Brainiac attack for the ages that portends big trouble on the horizon for the Man of Steel. That said, the issue suffers from pacing issues and supposedly smart characters making unwise decisions, resulting in a comic that feels uneven and forced.

Action Comics #1065 maintains the high bar for one of Joshua Williamson's better arcs in the series. The action and excitement are high, the developments are big, and the art looks great. That said, Brainiac's plan is not much of a surprise to anyone, so dragging out the mystery is becoming a sore spot.

Action Comics #1068 continues Superman's contest of champions with Earth's survival as the prize. Gail Simone's tale keeps the pace, energy, and smart action high for a rousing tale. Plus, the art team's execution is generally on point, except for wonky faces on Jimmy. That said, Rainbow Rowell's backup story is a bizarre headscratcher.

Action Comics #1070 starts a new adventure that prompts Superman to visit the Phantom Zone. Mark Waid's particular knack for quintessential superhero fare is on point, and Clayton Henry's bright, hopeful art is immaculate. But for a less-ideal backup, and one or two hand-waving plot hole covers, this issue is off to an excellent start.

Action Comics 2023 Annual #1 is a fitting end to the New Worlds arc and Phillip Kennedy Johnson's time on Action Comics. Admittedly, the smaller scenes feel rushed in spots due to lack of page space, but the final fight feels big against a formidable villain with an army, and the art looks great.

Adventures of Superman: Jon Kent #1 looks great, reads great, and gives you plenty of super action for the cover price in a story that sets up Jon Kent's long-awaited confrontation with Ultraman. Unfortunately, the setup that gets Jon involved in the fight has more plot holes than a wheel of Swiss cheese, so the setup feels more contrived than it should for a moment this big.

Adventures of Superman: Jon Kent #2 definitively (or as definitively as it can in comics) ends the conflict between Jon Kent and Ultraman with a one-on-one fight across the multiverse. Henry and Bellaire's art sings, and the emergence of Jon's new (old?) Electric Blue Superman powers look great. However, the fight's ending will either be loved or hated.

Adventures of Superman: Jon Kent #3 marks the midway point of Taylor's final story for Jon Kent, and the plot is nowhere to be seen. Jon spends the issue listening, learning, and taking in the sights of the Injustice world, but at best, this issue is mostly conversations with great art.

Adventures of Superman: Jon Kent #4 serves as an excellent primer that explains to Jon Kent how Injustice Earth came to be in its current state. That said, this issue is almost all exposition, the plot hasn't quite come together, Jon Kent is barely a participant in his own min-series, and the information only holds your attention if you know nothing about the previous Injustice stories. With two issues left, it's hard to imagine this mini will end well when it hasn't even started.

Adventures of Superman: Jon Kent #5 turns the momentum meter up a half-notch for a penultimate issue that delivers lots of talking and hand-wringing but no excitement or dramatic tension. Clayton Henry is doing his best to make a bland script seem visually interesting, but this comic is a forgettable miss.

Adventures of Superman: Jon Kent #6 is a laughable ending to Jon Kent's adventure on the Injustice Earth. Rather than use the dwindling opportunity to push Jon Kent to mature into the Superman he needs to be, Taylor dumbs down the enemies, the world, and the universe to make a simple hug the answer to everyone's problems. What a waste.

Alan Scott: Green Lantern #1 is a thoughtful exploration of what it might have been like to be a soldier, a superhero, and a gay man during WWII. The art looks great, and Sheridan plants a couple of intriguing mysteries. That said, so much focus is spent painting Alan Scott as an oppressed victim that the hero aspects get very little play. And the extreme retcons verge on salacious.

Alan Scott: The Green Lantern #2 isn't a superhero comic. It's an egregious piece of fanfic designed to retcon Alan Scott into a tragically oppressed man dealing with homophobic social ills in WWII-era America. The main plot gets no attention in an issue-long flashback that pulls Green Lantern's origin far enough away from the source material to be almost unrecognizable.

Alan Scott: The Green Lantern #3 is a decent detective noir murder tale. Sheridan's mystery construction is on-point, and the art looks great, but if you are looking for a superhero book that focuses on the Green Lantern part of Alan Scott, you may want to look elsewhere.

Alan Scott: The Green Lantern #4 gets to the heart of the issue by giving readers the full scoop on the Red Lantern's origins. While the reveal isn't the least bit surprising, it's well done. That said, Sheridan succeeds in building Red Lantern up by tearing Alan Scott down into a confused, chronically horny man whose libido clouds his judgment at every turn.

Alan Scott: The Green Lantern #5 gives readers everything this miniseries has been missing - action, excitement, drama, and cool wow moments. There's even a retcon that serves to align Alan Scott with the rest of the Green Lantern Corps in an interesting way. That said, the retcon creates decades' worth of plot holes, so continuity kings may have a tough time with the change.

Alan Scott: The Green Lantern #6 ends the retconning miniseries with brief but entertaining action, richer context to the relationship between Alan Scott and the new Red Lantern in Geoff Johns's current JSA run, and much too much self-affirmation. If the goal was to elevate Alan Scott into his new status quo, Tim Sheridan missed the mark in more ways than one.

After a disastrous few years of lackluster and outright bad Aquaman titles, Aquaman / The Flash: Voidsong #1 is a surprising breath of fresh air. The alien threat feels epic, the logic behind the unlikely team-up makes sense, and the art is gorgeous.

Aquaman / The Flash: Voidsong #2 may be the best comic we've read from Kelly and Lanzing. Despite the double-sized issue, the pacing moves like lightning, the character interactions are engaging, the action is intense, the plot drops more than one surprise, and the art is great.

Aquaman / The Flash: Voidsong #3 ends the arc with big action and plenty of heart. The pacing, dialog, and plotting are all on-point, and the resolution is satisfying. However, the epilogue drags on way too long, overstepping several moments to gracefully end the story.

Aquaman: Andromeda #1 is an interesting premise about a horror from space crashing in the ocean with only the King of Atlantis to stop whatever horror is coming. The character, vessel, and creature designs are cool, and there's plenty of moody mystery to build tension. However, the line work ranges from detailed to unfinished, the color palette is mostly dark and drab, and the writing is pretentiously bloated throughout the dialog and narration.7/10

Aquaman: Andromeda #2 swerves the story in a new direction to reveal the mysterious alien ship is not an alien ship at all. The swerve opens up a wide swath of storytelling potential, but the new direction is oddly familiar. Couple the strange-but-intriguing new direction with painfully uneven art, and you get a mixed bag overall.

Aquaman: Andromeda #3 ends the mini-series with a story about stories that create stories. Filled with over-narration, and exposition, the arc boils down to a DC Comics version of the movie Sphere (1998). Just watch the film instead.

Aquaman: The Becoming #1is the YA version of Aquaman you've always dreamed of having. Jackson Hyde is the perfect, All-American High School sweetheart that practically helps old ladies across the street, saves kittens trapped in trees, and has an emotionally healthy relationship with everyone in his life. For some, the wholesomeness may be too saccharine-sweet for your taste, but YA fans will eat it up and ask for more.

Aquaman: The Becoming #2 is a jarring shift in focus and tone from issue #1 as a slice-of-life-with-a-little-drama comic to a police procedural drama. The characterization of Mera as a shrewd (and slightly combative) person of interest really sells the drama. The art is great considering the multiple artists, and the mild cliffhanger hints at a bigger conspiracy that piques interest for what's to come.

Aquaman: the Becoming #3 is a tense chase story following Jackson Hyde's attempts to get away long enough from the forces chasing him to figure out who framed him and why. The mechanics of his escape drop a nugget of information about the inner workings of the JL that's as interesting as the conflict in this arc. The reveal of the big bad is surprising but may be a little too much soap opera for some tastes.

Aquaman: The Becoming #4 is a well-drawn and well-structured comic, but the creators fall short by forcing a "ripped from the headlines" narrative that doesn't focus enough on the main character. If you're looking for an exciting adventure that shows why Jackson Hyde is worthy enough to be the next Aquaman, this isn't it.

Aquaman: The Becoming #5 is a wasted opportunity to take one of the newer and popular characters from DC Comics and actually do something meaningful to build his character up. Instead, the main character is barely an influence on his own story. If you wanted to get to know Jackson Hyde and find out why he deserves to be the next Aquaman, this ain't it.

Aquaman: The Becoming #6 is as effective a single issue finale as the whole series - meaning not effective at all. There's plenty of action and forced emotion to keep your attention, but the attempt to make Jackson a worthy successor to Arthur Curry as the next Aquaman is no more eventful than Jackson saying, "I'm Aquaman now!" Sure you are, little buddy. Sure you are.

Aquamen #1 kicks off with large-scale mayhem and stakes. The art is decent, there's plenty of big action, but the characters all feel off and bizarrely disconnected from what's happening around them.7/10

Aquamen #2 drops nuggets of information surrounding the mystery of Orm's attack and seemingly random surface dwellers going berserk. The issue is filled with tense moments, generally great art, and plenty of curiosity-building to keep readers hooked for the next issue. That said, Jackson takes a big step toward becoming a villain and is not ready to take over the title of Aquaman.

Aquamen #3 starts to fill in the puzzle pieces behind the sleeper cell activations and the looming disaster to follow. Each page is filled with great action and generally good art. Every reveal and plot development generates as much excitement as a lead balloon. However, it's hard not to shrug and move on when the Big Bad is revealed to be a C-list Aquaman villain.

Aquamen #4 is another acceptable entry in the series. The plot moves forward, and the dialog, pacing, and action are fine. What's missing is any sense of scale from the attacks, a motivation behind the attacks, or stakes beyond stopping bad people from doing bad things. Again, the technical execution is here, but this comic never crosses the line between competent and memorable.

Aquamen #5 is a below-average entry in the series. The art is very good, but everything surrounding the rescue plan, its execution, its operation, and even the original terrorist plot, is either convoluted, unnecessarily complicated or doesn't make sense. With one more issue in the series, there's time to end on a high note, but it will take a minor miracle.

Follow ComicalOpinions on Facebook, Instagram, and TwitterBits and PiecesAquamen #6 is what happens when creators and editors know a title is canceled but can't be bothered to wrap up the arc with any semblance of sense or caring. Despite a valiant effort by the art team, the story simply skips the resolution in favor of a semi-emotional epilogue for a mild Dark Crisis lead-in.

Arkham City: The Order Of The World #1 is David Fincher's Seven in a Gotham City without a Batman. How does a city cope when Arkham inmates are on the loose and only the GCPD and one criminal psychologist are on the job to stop/save them? It's too early to tell if this is an entertaining read, but it's certainly a dark one.

Arkham City: The Order Of The World #2 pulls the grim, darkness aside enough to lay the groundwork for a potentially compelling story. The point of the plot is firmly established and makes sense in a Fear State world without bending to accommodate Fear State in an inorganic way. The complicated characters make for unpredictable actions, and that may be the best way to position this type of story. Dani's hyper-stylized art may not be for everyone, but it certainly fits the gritty, urban aesthetic of the story.

Arkham City: The Order of the World #3 has a plethora of cool concepts and ideas, but the story is getting weighed down by volumes of subtext and double meaning in every scene. While the backstory on Gotham's origin and what it means for Ten Eyed Man's ritual is fascinating, the pacing and constant injection of symbolism, double-meanings, and red herrings drag the energy down.

Arkham City: The Order of the World #4 ironically has bits and pieces (pun intended) of a story here, but it's not coming together after four issues. At points, the issue feels like the creators are jumping from one cool moment to the next but not heading anywhere in particular. Who are we supposed to care about? Does any character in this comic know where they're going? Couple the chaos of the story with stylized art that tips the line into sloppiness, and you get an issue (possibly a series) that's going nowhere.

Arkham City: The Order of the World #5 is a reveal-filled penultimate issue in this limited series. The mysterious players are brought to the light, even if their motives are unclear. The art is less sloppy than the previous issue, and there are some genuine moments of tension within. That said, the reveals instill dread but lack punch, so it's a wait-and-see recommendation.

In all, Arkham City: The Order of the World #6 ends a creepy, atmospheric, violent story with more creepiness, atmosphere, and violence. That said, the ending brings readers almost right back to where we started, and the theme of the story is not entirely clear. If you're looking for style and atmosphere without much more, this book may be what you're looking for.

Batgirl #1is a simple, straightforward start to a Batgirl miniseries that should make Cassandra Cain fans happy. This issue isn't breaking new ground or reinventing the medium, but Tate Brombal brings Cain back to form and Takeshi Miyazawa's art is very good.7.8/10

Batgirl #2is a super-solid entry in the miniseries that takes everything that worked about the first issue and builds on it. Tate Brombal's script is a pleasant mix of fighting and heart, and Takeshi Miyazawa's art style suits the story beautifully. That said, Brombal's lack of clarity about the nature of the conflict is a sore spot.8/10

Overall, I like this first issue much more than I expected. The material and characters are probably most relatable to a tween girl audience with a tone and style reminiscent of DC's Super Hero Girls. Still, the story and character work are no less engaging. As a result, I'm interested in reading more.

Batgirls #2 plays up the silly banter and the lack of stakes to build toward a mystery that has no apparent purpose... yet. Corona's art style appears more exaggerated in this issue, further enhancing the nonsense. The issue isn't necessarily bad, but the focus, right now, is on dropping clues about an undefined mystery. At the same time, the oddly re-characterized Batgirls don't treat their situation any more seriously than a collection of middle school hijinx.

Batgirls #3 increasingly shows this arc suffers from a fatal lack of focus. There are three villains at various stages of activity level, but it's not clear who the Batgirls should be prioritizing or why. Not a good place to be when you're at the mid-point of a 6-issue run. The art is fine is you like stylized anatomy, but this issue shows some weakness in the art choice due to lack of clarity.

Batgirls #4 takes an already overstuffed story with four separate villains and adds more to the mix. The stylized art might not be everyone's cup of tea, but it suits the neon YA tone of the book. I just hope the creative team can tighten up the story before this first arc ends.

Make sure to listen to our Weekly DC Comics Recap and Review Podcast to hear us talk more about this book.  Just look up "Weird Science DC Comics" anywhere you listen to podcasts, and make sure to rate, review, and subscribe! Bits and Pieces Batgirls #5 earns a gold star in the series for "most improved" by paring back the number of villains taking up page space and focusing on the conflict. The tone and style of the art are consistent with the previous issues, so this net issue turns out to be just okay, which is an improvement.

Batgirls #6 is the best issue of the series. The stylized art is an acquired taste, but there were plenty of visually striking moments in this issue. The central conflict with Tutor and Spellbinder ends satisfyingly, and you have a couple of moments of genuine emotion. However, Barbara's fight scene was ridiculous, some bait and switch went on, and the closing pages turned into a heavy-handed PSA.

Batgirls #7 moves on from Tutor/Spellbinder to deal with the Saints (again) and Seer. A new art team takes over with mixed results, and the story is just serviceable in an issue that's mostly setup for issue #8. As long as you know that Seer has been captured by the Saints, you could skip this issue and not miss a beat.

Batgirls #8 wraps up the conflict with the Seer and the Saints with light (read: low-tension) resolution that puts the saints out of commission and takes away Seer's power (for now). The art style and the story focus are significantly better than in the previous issue, but the coloring is not good, and the lack of story tension leads to a forgettable ending.

Batgirls #9 takes the scenic route to set up the conflict with the last mystery left in this series - the identity of the Hill Ripper. The pacing, dialog, and overall execution are fine, but there are no stakes, no urgency, and no drama. If you're looking for some airy, disposable, forgettable comic entertainment, this is it.

Follow @ComicalOpinions on Facebook, Instagram, and TwitterBits and Pieces:Batgirls #10 amps up the middle school YA shenanigans and turns down the dramatic tension in the Batgirls' search for a killer. The art is fine, and the plot makes a mild amount of progress, but the corny, childish dialog may be off-putting for some, and the leisurely pace prevents creating any excitement or anticipation.

Batgirls #11 is a light, fluffy, non-serious, non-urgent murder investigation that puts the cauldron one step closer to catching the Hill Ripper. This issue is the closest yet to a Scholastic Scooby-Doo mystery with friends being friends and kiddish hi-jinks at the zoo. Not a recommendation unless you like something to read while you drink your juice box during recess.

Batgirls #12 brings the hunt for the Hill Ripper to an end with a respectable amount of dramatic tension, plenty of action, and a decent conclusion to the killing spree. That said, the dialog in the first half is terrible, the tone is wildly inconsistent compared to the previous issue, and the art, especially the coloring, is odd.

Batgirls #13 wraps up the body swap adventure by waiting for the spell to wear off. You get the impression Cloonan and Conrad are throwing in goofy developments to pad space and bide time while DC figures out if the title will continue after issue #15. In effect, this title is quickly devolving into a timewaster.

Batgirls #15 is a passable issue that delivers a scene of heartfelt emotion surrounded by a contrived plot and functional art with terrible colors.

Batgirls #16 takes the weirdest, most nonsensical path to resolve Mad Hatter's evil plan, even though this issue is the first one where he actually makes an appearance. The plot is bizarrely random, and the art is sub-par compared to the last few issues.

Batgirls #17 begins a new arc heading into cancellation, and if this is the way the Batgirls is going to ride into the sunset, it would have been better for DC to cancel the title at issue #16. A potentially taut crime thriller about a mad sniper is marred by inconsistent art, terrible coloring, and a shockingly tone-deaf lecture about gun control from armored, armed, and illegal vigilantes.

Batgirls #18 is a decent little crime thriller with solid detective work, snappy dialog, strong emotional beats, and engaging drama. This issue exemplifies what the series should have been from the beginning. Conversely, the art is uneven, and the coloring is terrible.

Batgirls #19 ends the arc, the creative team's tenure, and the title with a final confrontation to stop a mad sniper from terrorizing the city. The resolution is serviceable, the killer's mysterious identity was telegraphed early on (although, the identity has a twist), and the art is passable with terrible colors.

Batgirls 2022 Annual sets up the next phase of the cauldron's adventures with an out-of-nowhere body swap, character cameos, decent art with bad coloring, and a lot of unnecessary slice-of-life scenes to pad out the pages.

Batman & Robin: Year One #1is an excellent start for a series detailing the first outings of the Dynamic Duo. Mar Waid's pacing, dialog, action, and central mystery have a classic Batman detective feel that we haven't seen in a long time, and Chris Samnee's art suits the story and timeframe perfectly. That said, the story feels like stories we've already seen multiple times, so it's unclear why DC decided to create yet another Batman title.

Batman & The Joker: The Deadly Duo #1 brings a new phase in the Batman/Joker relationship to life as a monstrous, unstoppable killer with ties to the Joker forces the perennial enemies to become partners. The story is an above-average Batman tale with solid pacing, plotting, and dialog, but the Batman/Joker relationship forms a little too quickly. Silvestri's artwork, however, is the best its ever been.

Batman & The Joker: The Deadly Duo #2 takes the boilerplate setup from issue #1 and amps up the horror elements in surprisingly new directions for an issue with spectacular art and a suddenly more intriguing story.

Batman & The Joker: The Deadly Duo #3 shifts away from nailbiting action into full-on detective mode as Batman hunts down the monster maker. Silvestri's artwork is next-level, the detective work is smart yet engaging, and the mystery unfolds at just the right pace to be satisfying.

Batman & The Joker: The Deadly Duo #4 breaks from the plot progression to fill in Simms's backstory and add more detail to the monster-making process. The details are interesting and give the story texture and death, but the story's forward momentum loses steam.

Batman & The Joker: The Deadly Duo #5 amps up the detective work and the exposition to uncover the "true" threat behind the monsters, kidnappings, and murders. The art is gloriously good, Batman's detecting work is solid, and the mystery reveal is surprising. That said, this is a very dialog-heavy issue with little action, and many questions still need to be answered.

Batman & The Joker: The Deadly Duo #6 uses the penultimate issue in the 7-issue run to answer lingering questions, deliver big fights, hit you with surprise twists, and set the stage for a big finale. Most but not all answers are satisfying, and the art is next-level brilliant.

Batman & The Joker: The Deadly Duo #7 ends a gorgeously-crafted mini-series on a strong note. Batman's challenges are clever, he overcomes them with equal cleverness and grit, and Silvestri's artwork truly is a work of art.

Batman '89 #1 is a promising start to the continuation of Burton's version of the Batman legend. The characters look and sound great, and the plot works. However, the design of Gotham lacks the Burton flare, and the motivation behind Dent's actions feels forced.

Bits and Pieces:  Batman '89 #2 leans into the real-life sociopolitical issues to craft a Harvey Dent that feels like a character ripped from the pages of today's headlines. However, where the urban life drama succeeds, Hamm does little to build up a character you believe could become Two-Face. On top of the push for realism at the expense of a known character's origin, the light introduction to Robin is eye-rolling, and the overall aesthetic of Gotham lacks any of the gothic hallmarks of a Burton film.

Batman '89 #3 has the most Batman-like look and feel of all the entries in the series so far. Harvey Dent's transition into Two-Face is believable and probably the best version depicted to date. And the (re)introduction of Catwoman adds complexity to Gotham's corruption woes that escalate tensions further, leading to a huge challenge for Batman.

Batman '89 #4 is the big introduction to the film version of Two-Face and Robin for fans of Burton's Batman. The character designs are greats, and the frantic personality of Two-Face would have been a fantastic sight if it had been depicted on screen as it is here. That said, Hamm goes extreme with out-of-character versions of Bullock as a racist cop intent on beating people of color and using Bullock's antics to justify turning Robin into something he shouldn't be.  It all makes for a thoroughly distasteful (if that was even possible) version of Gotham.

Batman '89 #5 feels most like a proper Batman adventure with a grand crime, dramatic action, and the main criminal pushed past his limits of sanity. The art is excellent, and the writing is even better.

Batman '89 #6 brings the comic interpretation of Burton's scuttled third film with a finale with great-looking characters but little more to crow about. The Gotham City aesthetic is wholly absent, the story moves at a snail's pace with overlong dialog and narration, and the ending lacks gravitas.

Batman #125 is a strange tale that portends the beginning of the end for the Caped Crusader. The strangest aspect of all is a wildly uncharacteristic take on Penguin that paints him as a having a school shooter mentality rather than a ruthless and opportunistic gangster. The pacing, dialog, and art are fantastic, so the technical execution is masterful, even if the character depictions are uncharacteristic.

Batman #126 does what every superhero comic should - confront the hero with a more powerful villain. The art is gorgeous and powerful, the action is intense, and the writing execution is on-point. However, the last-page revelation will make longtime Batman fans say "Yes!" or "Oh, no!"

Batman #127 keeps up the rock-em-sock-em action from the previous issue as Zur-En-Arrh Batman tags into the fight with Failsafe with mixed results. Zdarsky's pacing and rise-and-fall in the action make for an engrossing read, while a ton of exposition and flashbacks fill readers in on how Failsafe came to be. The art is gritty and kinetic, and the backup story drops a tidbit with big implications for the main story.

Batman #128 pits Failsafe against the entire Justice League for an updated (possibly better) version of Tower of Babel for a knockdown, drag-out fight that truly puts the JL on the defensive. The writing is clean, rapid-fire, and impactful, and Jimenez's art packs a punch.

Batman #129 begins Failsafe's chase anew with clever traps, hard-hitting action, and relentless pacing. The art's fantastic, and the cliffhanger is as perfectly impossible a situation as you can imagine.

Batman #130 tops the impossible cliffhanger from issue #129 with a rescue/survival resolution that's patently ridiculous to the point of infuriating. In a series brimming with clever writing and cool action, this finale to the first part of the Failsafe arc is a massive disappointment.

Batman #131 takes a big step backward in the creativity department by transporting Batman to an alternate Earth where everything is slightly off. The technical execution is fine, but the story concept is so played out, it's become a boring clich.

Batman #132 picks up steam by putting a new twist on a classic story to show Bruce what a Gotham without Batman looks like. The pacing, dialog, and action are on point, and some of the confusing elements from the previous issues get answered, so on the whole, this is the best arc issue so far.

Batman #133 finds Bruce Wayne donning a street-level cape and cowl to save an alternate world's Gotham from criminal corruption. The art and writing are solid, and the plot feels like it's moving, but the lack of urgency on Bruce's behalf to get back home and stop Failsafe is somehow unsettling.

Batman #134 continues the World Without A Batman story with several surprises. Some surprises are strangely unsurprising, and at least one surprise is shockingly big. The art is generally okay, albeit too bright for an underground adventure, and the ending will get people talking.

Batman #135 reads like Chip Zdarsky watched Spider-Man: No Way Home and said, "Yeah, I can top that." And he does. The small army of artists gives you every Batman you can imagine for a multiversal adventure for the ages, and it works.

Batman #136 gets the one-handed Batman settled back into life in Gotham as he discovers who's who and what's what since Failsafe banished him to an alternate universe. Zdarrsky's plot movement, pacing, and dialog are top-tier, and Ortega's first crack at art on Zdarsky's Batman is impressive.

Batman #137 takes the foolishness of Catwoman's plan from the Battle Lines prologue comic and Turns it up to 11 when the entire Bat Family (except Damian) suddenly decides Catwoman's Henchmen Union is a great idea and actively scheme to stop Batman from interfering with Catwoman's approved robbers. This story is ridiculous, the execution is ridiculous, and DC is absurd for sending it to print.

Batman #138 is a bizarre fever dream of nonsense storytelling. Zdarsky creates one plot development with a "black box," and then jumps to another plot development with another "black box." Then Vandal Savage shows up to take over the world. What is happening? Somebody send out a search party for Chip Zdarsky because he might not be okay.

Batman #139 gets back to basics as a focused Batman (sans support from the Batfamily) resumes his mission to hunt down the Joker. But for Joker's antics looking too much like the Riddler, this is a gritty, taut crime thriller with gorgeous art. Unfortunately, the story is mildly tainted by too many connections to the Gotham War and the lack of follow-up concerning Jason Todd or Failsafe.

Batman #140 is the little acorn that could become the mighty oak if Zdarsky can keep the story going in the direction it's headed. The action is fierce, and several plot developments are introduced that have big potential for Batman and Joker, so it's on Zdarsky to pay off the setup.

Batman #141 gets back to basic (and ignores most of 2023) by picking up the next round against Failsafe. The action is fast and furious, Batman appears locked in a no-win scenario, and Jimenez's art is stellar.

Batman #141 puts Failsafe and Zur-En-Arrh on the backburner (again) to begin a completely unrelated story detailing the Joker's first year after his transformation juxtaposed with a tale in the future where old man Batman hunts the Joker after unleashing a deadly plague on Gotham. Zdarsky tries to do his best Frank Miller impersonation and mostly succeeds but falls short in the clarity department. Likewise, the art team does their best impressions of Frank Quitely, Liam Sharp, and Bill Sienkiewicz to present a visually appealing comic.

Batman #143 is a surprisingly taut and engaging continuation of Joker's Year One story. Continuity purists may take issue with Zdarsky's retcons, but at this point, if DC doesn't care, there's nothing to be done about it. Regardless, Batman #143 is a dramatic read.

Batman #144 concludes the Joker: Year One art by not telling you anything you didn't already know, confusing what you already knew, and focusing on nothing that matters. At least the art looks great, but this needless interruption to the Failsafe story is a complete waste of time.

Batman #145 delivers great art, action, pacing, and cool plot developments for a present threat to Batman and a future threat to the world in the forthcoming Absolute Power event. That said, this issue almost immediately invalidates the Joker: Year One arc, which means DC Editorial is doing a very poor job by wasting everyone's time and money.

Batman #146 rushes to explain how Captio is the mastermind behind everything, which explains a lot in a complex, exposition-heavy end to this act, just in time for Absolute Power. Unfortunately, Zdarsky's complex explanation often sounds confusing, and several plot holes are left on the table.

Batman #147 is one of the better examples of a setup issue that moves the players in place for the next big thing. Bruce's next steps to reclaim the mantle of Batman from Failsafe are intriguing. Damian's realization that he's been duped leads to a surprising reaction from Failsafe, and momentum is building. Even the backup shows promise.

Batman #148 brings Chip Zdarsky's first major villain arc to a close with big fights, family hugs, great art, and a slapdash sprint to wrap it all up in time for Absolute Power. Never in the annals of comic history has a villain with so much potential been so utterly squandered.

Batman #150 is a time-filling one-shot about a henchmen looking to cash in on Batman's real identity. Zdarsky's attempt at filling the publishing calendar has been done before (and better), and Denys Cowan's art is surprisingly weak. However, the backup ties into Absolute Power with a tidbit of useful information and confirmation that putting Amanda Waller at the heart of the event was a mistake.

Batman #151 ties into the Absolute Power event when Batman and Catwoman head to Okinawa to steal Amanda Waller's mother box. Chip Zdarsky's adventure is a perfectly serviceable mix of action, spycraft, and stakes, but the issue lacks the same intensity and urgency as the main Absolute Power story.

Batman #152 is a thrill ride of nearly silly proportions. Chip Zdarsky throws everything and the kitchen sink at Batman to get the Caped Crusader out of the painted corner Zdarsky put him in. At least the art team does their level best to sell the action and cover for the paper-thin plot.

Batman #153 begins a new arc that depicts Gotham City heading toward a brighter day while dark forces plot to tear it all down. Zdarsky's setup checks all the right boxes on the surface, but there's an obvious shift in Bruce Wayne's personality that feels off somehow. This issue is better than the majority of Zdarsky's run, so we'll see if he can pay off the setup.

Batman #154has the seeds of a few intriguing mysteries surrounding a murder and a new vigilante in town. Sadly, Chip Zdarsky resorts to cheap shocks and needless retcons to tear down every father figure in Batman's life, which puts a stinking cloud of desperation over the long-suffering run. Keep your daddy issues to yourself, DC.

Batman #155delivers an ugly next chapter in Chip Zdarsky's last run. Zdarsky's quest to tear down all the family figures in Batman's life is depressing, and Jim Gordon's character makes a series of foolishly bad choices. Further, the art is a step down from the previous issue.4.5/10

Batman/Catwoman: Gotham War - Battle Lines #1 kicks off the Gotham War event with Batman coming out of a long sleep to find Catwoman solving Gotahm's crime problem with a very un-Batman-like approach. The moral dilemma facing Batman is interesting, and the art looks great, but the plan that creates Batman's moral dilemma is riddled (*heh*) with logical flaws that lead you to believe the writers didn't think things through.

Batman / Catwoman: The Gotham War - Scorched Earth #1 is unintentionally scarier than the Knight Terrors event because it's terrifying that DC allowed such an embarrassingly bad comic to ever see the light of day. The story is nonsensical, plot points come out of nowhere, things happen that aren't possible, nobody acts with any sense or reason, and everyone is still acting as if the biggest problem with what happened in this "war" is Batman. Two points for mediocre art.

Batman / Catwoman: The Gotham War: Red Hood #2 is a pointless mess and a waste of time. There is no story here, the timeline doesn't fit within Gotham War, and the outcome is just a cheap excuse to read other titles. In the strongest possible terms, this comic is a hard pass.

Batman / Spawn #1 is a surprisingly creative story about a plan by the Court of Owls to trick Batman and Spawn into killing one another. While creative, the plan takes a couple of read-thrus to figure out, so some readers may need help with it. That said, the art is simply stunning, so if you don't enjoy the story, you'll probably love the art.

Batman / Superman #15, available from DC Comics on December 22nd, 2020, run offense and defense on a mission of mercy for DC's favorite swamp zombie. The simple story is fine for what it is as long as you don't think about it too much, especially when the silliness gets turned up to 11 in a few spots. The art is bold and memorable, the colors bring a lot of contour and gravity to the characters with some really nice shading, and the lettering keeps the story moving through a LOT of exposition.

Batman/Superman: World's Finest #1 leaves me feeling a bit cold. Waid stuffs in too much too fast, with most of the top villains showing up in one form or another. Much like eating a whole box of Twinkies, you feel like you ate a lot, but it wasn't particularly healthy or satisfying. That said, the art is phenomenal, and DC couldn't have assembled a better art team.

Batman/Superman: World's Finest #2 takes everything that worked about the first issue and builds on it. Then, it takes everything that wasn't right in the first issue and corrects it. This is a perfect example of classic superhero storytelling and a highly recommended pick for anyone that wants to remember why they liked reading superhero comics.

Batman / Superman: World's Finest #3 has everything you'll ever want in a DC team comic (and more) with fantastic art, non-stop story progress, cameos galore, and a shocking last-page twist. Waid expertly gives you a ton of exposition but rewards you by giving you incredible battles first. Mora's art is beyond reproach. This story is a little too busy at times with the sheer volume of cameos and references it tries to stuff in.

Batman / Superman: World's Finest #4 is the master template for everything that's sorely been missing from the Big 2 for years. Big action, big surprises, non-stop wow moments, urgency, drama, and excitement.

Batman / Superman: World's Finest #5 is a superhero comic lover's dream. The remaining heroes face off against Nezha (and each other) in a fight full of wow moments and heroic determination. The pacing, energy, drama, and excitement are firing on all cylinders while the art is practically perfect.

Batman / Superman: World's Finest #6 takes a break from the big, blockbuster action for a circus-set murder mystery that fits snugly in the wholesomeness of the Golden Age of comics. The adventure is charming, the mood is slightly corny but in an endearing way, and the art doesn't miss a beat in the hand-off from Dan Mora to Travis Moore.

Batman / Superman: World's Finest #7 pulls another obscure character from Superman's past to tell an updated origin story about the Boy Thunder, pay a visit to Kandor, tease a new threat on the horizon, and smack you in the face with all the awesome art, emotional moments, and cool Easter Eggs you could ask for.

Batman / Superman: World's Finest #8 lives up to its title as one of the world's finest superhero comics on the market. The action-filled story matches tons of emotional weight, exquisite art, and pitch-perfect intrigue.

Batman/Superman: World's Finest #9 is a perfect delivery of superhero action comics at their finest. Waid's writing is on-point with fun adventures and deep character moments while Mora's art is exquisite.

Batman / Superman: World's Finest #10 continues to hold the top spot as DC Comics' best comic series. Everything about this comic screams "QUALITY," from the outstanding writing by Waid to the mesmerizing art by Mora. But for a confusing stumble in the third act, this would be a perfect comic.

Batman / Superman: World's Finest #11 is the shining example that all comics from DC and Marvel should be following. The issue is filled with perfect art, exciting action, powerfully emotional moments, and a satisfying conclusion to this phase of David's journey.

Batman / Superman: World's Finest #12 breaks from world-ending events and lethal villains for a lighthearted and thoroughly amusing comedy of errors. Waid's gift for awkward comedy is on full display, and the guest art team's execution reasonably matches Dan Mora's immaculate style.

Batman/Superman: World's Finest #13 is as good a DC Comic as you'll likely find anywhere. The story is fun, with an intriguing mystery. Multiple characters appear, but each gets proper attention, and the art is brilliant.

Batman / Superman: World's Finest #14 takes a few pages to get going, but once the clues and action kick in, Waid and Mora prove they are the World's Finest DC comics creators around. The sheer volume of character cameos (some not seen in years) is astounding, the action is fun, and the mystery reveal promises a much bigger story on the horizon.

Batman / Superman: World's Finest #15 escalates the Simon Stagg murder mystery into a world-ending robot revolution without a single hero strong enough to stop it. The pacing is lightning quick to a fault, the laundry list of character cameos (some recent, others ancient) is astounding, and the art is perfect.

Batman / Superman: World's Finest #16 puts Batman in the driver's seat to free Superman and their fellow captives to begin pushing back on Newmazo's genocidal plan. The story is an exciting adventure from start to finish, and Dan Mora's art is Amazo-ing. (Yes, that's terrible, and I don't even care).

Batman / Superman: World's Finest #17 is the Grade-A stuff of superhero comic legendry you wish DC and Marvel would do more of. The battles are amazing, the pacing and urgency keep you on the edge of your seat with every page turn, and the twist ending is clever. Couple Waid's top-tier writing with Dan Mora's exquisite art, and you get DC's Finest comic team.

Batman/Superman: World's Finest #18 re-imagines the first meeting between Batman and Superman (again) with solid art, entertaining cameos, and a solid cliffhanger.

Batman/Superman: World's Finest #19 concludes Jax-Ur's escape from the Phantom Zone with plenty of high-flying heroics, clever twists, and cool art. That said, retelling (again) Superman and Batman's first meeting felt like a quick excuse to set up a deep-cut villain, prepping to make a splash later in the year.

Batman / Superman: World's Finest #20 gets back to the original creative team with a captivating story that seems to be setting up a prequel to Kingdom Come. Waid's timing and scene ideas are perfect, and Mora's art is the best of any book in DC.

Batman / Superman: World's Finest #21 is a fast-paced, energetic superhero action romp from start to finish. Waid smartly furthers the story through the action, and Mora's art is the best of any DC book on the shelves.

Batman / Superman: World's Finest #22 is the bee's knees. Waid delivers an action-packed issue with wow moments, interesting story reveals, and fast pacing for a worthy prequel to Kingdom Come. As a bonus, Dan Mora's art is spectacular.

Batman / Superman: World's Finest #23 delivers excitement, adventure, and stupendous art. Waid is working hard to give readers a Kingdom Come prequel that lives up to the original, and Mora's art is unmatched at DC.

Batman / Superman: World's Finest #24 almost sticks the landing with a multiversal battle against Darkseid that leaves one character damaged for a very long time, another dead, and hope for one Earth after its greatest challenge arrives in the future. Fans of Kingdom Come will have a lot to like in this issue, fans of great superhero art will love this issue, and DC fans finally have a comic worth looking forward to.

Batman / Superman: World's Finest #25 delivers the goods with an amusing team-up between Lex Luthor and Joker that turns out exactly as you'd expect, in the best way, and the setup to the World's Finest next adventure. In all, this was a highly amusing issue.

Batman / Superman: World's Finest #26 overflows with action, adventure, excitement, and jaw-dropping art. The challenge facing the World's Finest feels huge, and the mysterious villain is an attention-grabber. But for some odd character work for Mxyzptlk, this would be a near-perfect issue.

Batman / Superman: World's Finest #27 brings all the fun, excitement, action, adventure, and even a wee bit of fan service nostalgia to give readers the most entertaining superhero comic around. Waid's fast-paced script delivers non-stop cool moments, and Mora's art is peak superhero goodness.

Batman / Superman: World's Finest #28 shoots you in the face with a firehose of action, twists, energy, and big, loud developments. That said, Mark Waid's tale of interdimensional imps run amok is turning into hyper-hero overload, and the art team's quality takes a slight dip.

Batman/Superman: World's Finest #29 ends the arc with fast-paced fun, action, adventure, and excitement. Dan Mora's artwork and Mark Waid's script wrap the adventure up with a pleasant mix of heart and fun. That said, Waid takes a few shortcuts to the finish line that are a little too big to ignore.

Batman/Superman: World's Finest #30 is another winning issue in a sea of DC mediocrity. Mark Waid's interpretation of the first adventure of the Holy Trinity highlights the strengths of each character and serves as a great humping-on point for new readers who know nothing about Wonder Woman's home. Plus, Gleb Melnikov's artwork is stellar. The issue feels a bit rushed towards the end, but it's a solid pick overall.

Batman/Superman: World's Finest #31kicks off the last arc in Mark Waid's run with an action-packed, thrilling return of Eclipso. Waid's core premise and creative setup are top-notch despite a few rushed moments in the execution, and Adrin Gutirrez's turn on the title would make Dan Mora proud.

Batman / Superman: World's Finest #33races to the finish line to end Eclipso's reign of terror with a non-stop action fest. Mark Wiad pulls out all the stops to make the arc's finale as exciting as possible, and Adrian Gutierrez does a commendable job living up to Dan Mora's high bar.8.3/10

Batman And Robin #1 is a solid start to a series that solves a mysterious conspiracy while Bruce and Damian struggle to connect as father and son. The art is outstanding, and the quiet relationship moments are captivating, but the conspiracy is only teased enough to generate mild curiosity.

Batman And Robin #2 is an entertaining, Damian-centric issue to help you get to know the latest Boy Wonder. That said, the plot doesn't move much, and the art is a mixed bag. If you're a Speculator, pick this issue up for the introduction of Shush. For everyone else, consider waiting for the inevitable trade.

Batman And Robin #3 benefits from high energy, fast-paced action, and (mostly) great art. That said, there are too many contradictory plot developments, and the point of the story is still a mystery

Batman And Robin #4 goes a long way toward explaining what's happening and uncovering the puppetmasters behind the scenes, but this issue (and the series) lacks any wow moments, dramatic tension, or a reason to exist other than to flood LCS shelves with more Batman books.

Batman And Robin #5 takes an odd break from the urgent drive to find Man-Bat for an amusing issue showing Bruce and Damian infiltrating High School life to expose Principal Stone as Shush. Williamson appears to be having fun holding Damian back from unleashing his true potential on H.S. bullies, and the mildly Manga-influenced art amplifies the amusing tone of the investigation. That said, Man-Bat's plan is still a blank slate, which reflects poor pacing by Williamson.

Batman And Robin #6 is a surprisingly entertaining and wholesome entry in the series when the Dynamic Duo stops crime while starting to build a familial bond. Williamson's emotional beats and relationship dynamic are on point, and imeija's looks great during the emotional and action scenes. However, the mystery surrounding Principal Stone is starting to get silly, and imeija's art loses too much character detail in the wider panels.

Batman And Robin #7 has potential in the growing bond between Damian and Bruce, but that potential is getting lost in a malformed subplot (Cult of Man-Bat) and a villain who is starting to become more annoying than intriguing (Shush).

Batman And Robin #8 delivers plenty of energy and plot developments, but the fast-paced issue frequently leaves sense and focus at the door. Williamson shortcuts several scenes to keep the pace up, lowering the Dynamic Duo's competence. At least the art is better than solid.

Batman And Robin #9 is a sloppy, lazy mess of a comic. The Mistress Harsh/Shush reveal goes over like a lead balloon, and a guest artist was brought in to redo whole sections of the comic just to get the reveal out of the way. If you're paying for this comic, you're wasting your time and money.

Batman And Robin #10 brings the first arc in this series to a close with lots of action and a few emotional beats. That said, Williamson's central plot concept is poorly thought out, the script is riddled with plot holes and unanswered questions, and the art team's disparate styles don't mesh well. In all, this finale and the arc as a whole are a miss.

Batman And Robin #14 is a perfectly fine start to a new Batman and Robin adventure with a new creative team. But for a step backward in Damian's character growth, the setup and new villain introduction are well done. Overall, the new creative team is headed in the right direction.

Batman Beyond: Neo-Year #1 examines a future Gotham where Terry McGinnis is entirely on his own and a Gotham-Powers Enterprises run by criminals. The art is excellent, but the narration can be confusing, and the issue lacks any emotional weight. You'll get your money's worth if you want a standard Batman Beyond issue with familiar settings and action. If you want a Batman Beyond issue that puts in the effort to grab your attention, look elsewhere.

Bits and Pieces Batman Beyond: Neo-Year #2 is a serviceable entry in the series with a story that forces Terry to fulfill his mission against Gotham's AI with decreasing resources at his disposal. That said, the components of the story are present with nary an emotional beat to be found, and it's increasingly difficult to care about what's happening.

Batman Beyond Neo-Year #3 is all talk and no action with a retirement party that drops one or two useful nuggets of information for a future issue. The costume designs and set pieces look great, and the art team does their level best to make the conversations dynamic, but this issue is more style than substance.

Batman Beyond: Neo-Year #4 pits a weakened Terry against the Sword of Gotham to reveal that not all is as it seems. The art is excellent, and the story is furthered through the action. Still, when the Sword of Gotham's true identity is revealed, the creators seem to suggest that this arc draws heavily from another, better property. In isolation, this is a solid issue, but the future direction of this story is now cast in doubt.

Batman Beyond: Neo Year #5 is one of the better issues in the series, just in time for the finale next month. All the mysteries are resolved, the stakes are raised, and the forthcoming battle appears promising.

Batman Beyond: Neo-Year #6 ends the arc with a new status quo for Terry with a fancy new Batsuit and a new Bat-Team to fight crime across Neo-Gotham. The art is very good, and the ending ties up (most of) the loose ends, but the ending is surprising for its lack of surprise and the speed/ease with which Batman wins in the end.

Batman vs. Robin #1 is a worthy partner to Waid's run on World's Finest with plenty of drama, excitement, emotion, thrills, and magic. If the last issue finishes as well as the first issue starts, this will be an arc worth remembering.

Batman vs. Robin #2 gives readers a little insight into the next phase of Nezha's plan and spends most of the book replaying flashbacks to a known plot point from other titles. While the information is useful for new readers, fans of World's Finest and the recent Robin series may find themselves tuning out. Coupled with a step down in art quality and a last-page twist that may irritate more than a few readers, this entry in the series is a mixed bag.

Batman vs. Robin #3 is a mature, heartfelt, emotionally weighty issue matched only by exciting action and surprising revelations. The scale and complexity of the Demon Nezha's plan take a giant leap forward, and Batman's failure as a "father" come back to haunt him powerfully.

Batman vs. Robin #4 is a cataclysmic battle between father and son underneath Lazarus Island, just in time to kick of 2023's Lazarus Planet event. The brutal hand-to-hand action is fierce, and the outcome feels essential.

Batman vs. Robin #5 puts a capper on the conflict against the Demon Nezha with a fight between father and son, with the world's fate in the balance. The action, pacing, and sense of momentum work, and the art are generally good, but the final solution to Batman's possession may have some readers groaning rather than cheering.

Batman: Gotham By Gaslight - The Kryptonian Age #1 brings readers back to the Gotham By Gaslight Elseworld, with a setup that implies Earth and Krypton have a hidden history. The art and basic premise feel authentic to the Victorian Age, so Gotham By Gaslight fans will enjoy the aesthetic, but readers will be disappointed with the almost total lack of anything Kryptonian in this first issue to get you excited.

Batman: Gotham by Gaslight - The Kryptonian Age #2 starts the downward trend from mildly interesting in issue #1 to confusing, frustrating, and boring in issue #2. Leandro Fernandez's art is solid, and the number of Victorian-era cameos have potential, but the plot is a muddled chore.

Batman: Gotham By Gaslight - The Kryptonian Age #3 heaps on all kinds of cool Easter Eggs, twists on familiar characters and events, and a super curious cliffhanger for the strongest issue in the maxiseries yet. That said, the least interesting thing about this comic is everything surrounding Batman and Gotham City, so the result doesn't live up to expectations.

Batman: Gotham By Gaslight - The Kryptonian Age #4 gives Elseworlds fans plenty of cool developments to chew on with the introduction of Superman's supporting cast of characters and the first Green Lantern. Admittedly, the plot and direction of the story take a back seat to the world-building, but the twists are interesting enough to hold your attention for the time being.

Batman: Gotham By Gaslight - The Kryptonian Age #5 introduces even more Victorian-era version of the characters you already know as the Gotham By Gaslight world draws closer to some impending doom. Andy Diggle comes up with creative ways to reinvent classic characters, but there's so much going on that you'll need to take notes before your head starts spinning.

Batman: Gotham By Gaslight - The Kryptonian Age #6is a frustrating, sometimes boring read. Andy Diggle places all effort on world-building and Vectorian-era versions of DC characters, but the plot is almost non-existent. World-build should be a good thing, but when that's all you've got, the comic turns into a slog.5/10

Batman: Killing Time #1 kicks off an exceptionally strong start for a traditional Batman detective story. The heist is well-planned and executed, all the advertised Rogues are present and acting as their traditional selves, and the mystery of what was stolen elicits enough curiosity to want to know more. Beyond the story, the art is simply phenomenal.

Batman: Killing Time #2 took all the goodwill from a super-strong first issue and nearly squandered all of it with tedious and unnecessarily complicated time jumps, very little plot development or action, and a build-up to a mystery that already doesn't seem interesting. On the positive side, the art is gorgeous and almost worth the cover price. Almost.

Bit and Pieces: Batman: Killing Time #3 continues the tale of theft, double-crosses, and payback as a new player enters the race for a mysterious artifact.  The art is phenomenal, and the plot points introduced are intriguing.  However, the excessive flip-flopping in the timeline makes for a tedious reading experience.

Batman: Killing Time #4 contains the most jaw-dropping art of any DC title on the shelf. Unfortunately, the best art in DC pairs with some of the most mind-boggling creative decisions that turn what can be an engaging mystery into a tedious, ponderous reading experience.

Batman: Killing Time #5 peels back the veil of mystery on the series' biggest questions. The answers, however, are most remarkable for giving readers no surprises or satisfaction. Thankfully, the art is phenomenal, so come for the answers but stay for the art.

Batman: Killing Time #6 completes the run with a finale that's all exposition and clarifies what we've already suspected. This series was nothing more than Clock King doing something because he had nothing better to do. The art is gorgeous, but the reading experience was intentionally, unnecessarily tedious, and the big revelations fell flat.

Batman: One Bad Day - The Riddler #1 has only one goal: Push Batman to break his one rule. Unfortunately, it's set it up in such an unbelievable way that you're horrified by the misery of the story while dismissing it under basic examination. This story will leave you feeling dirty and depressed.

Batman: One Bad Day - Mr. Freeze #1 is a unique Holiday-themed one-shot that gives one of Batman's greatest villains a shot at redemption. The writing execution is rock solid, and Scalera's art is gorgeous. Unfortunately, the "One Bad Day" concept is missing, and Duggan retcons a piece of Freeze's history in a way that potentially "breaks" the character.

Batman: One Bad Day - Two-Face #1 succeeds by executing a basic Batman/Two-Face story but utterly fails to create a "One Bad Day" scenario. The setup is basic, the twist reveal is telegraphed from a mile away, and Batman is depicted as inept. Whatever assignment the creators were given, they get a 'C' for effort and 'F' for imagination.

Batman: One Bad Day - Penguin #1, as with the previous "One Bad Day" issues, appears to have nothing to do with the "One Bad Day" concept. However, Penguin's quest to regain his former glory in a villainous version of a hero's journey has a surprising amount of heart and wit. Ignore the title, but enjoy the story.

Batman: The Brave and The Bold #1 assembles four short chapters centering on Batman and his allies from alternate times and alternate realities. The collection has a little something for everyone, but Dan Mora's B&W short is the best of the bunch.

Batman: The Brave and the Bold #2 gives you different views into the Dark Knight with generally great art. But each chapter is either significantly flawed or lacks anything to get excited about.

Batman: The Brave And The Bold #3 delivers a mixed bag of one-off shorts and continuing chapters to give you a little DC variety in your life. Jorge Molina's Manga-inspired Batman short is gorgeous, but Christopher Cantwell's finale to his Golden Age Superman story is shockingly miserable.

Batman: The Brave And The Bold #4 continues Ed Brisson's Stormwatch story but shakes up the rest of the anthology with newer creators and different stories for a greater variety than the previous issues. The most intriguing short is Rob Williams's first chapter in an Emilia Harcourt story, and the best art goes to Beln Ortega for a character piece about family.

Batman: The Brave And The Bold #6 is a disjointed mix of unsatisfying endings, enjoyable beginnings, and weird one-shots. Guillem March's first chapter is a hit, so there's at least one bright spot in this mixed bag.

Batman: The Brave And The Bold #7 is one of the stronger entries in the anthology series, with four chapters of tales from regular and little-seen characters from DC. Overall, there isn't a stinker in the bunch, and Kyle Starks's take on Wild Dog is the most amusing short in the issue.

Batman: The Brave And The Bold #8 is one of the better entries in the series, with plenty of action, drama, excitement, and humor. Of the four chapters presented, Guillem March and Kyle Starks tie for the top story, but all shorts have an interesting premise to offer.

Batman: The Brave And The Bold #9 wraps up Tom King's take on the first Batman/Joker meeting, Wild Dog's journey to upping his hero status, and Aquaman's team-up with the apes from Gorilla City. For their part, each story ends at least as well as each started, if not stronger, and the art is excellent on average.

Batman: The Brave And The Bold #10 kicks off five new stories to add some Bat-variety into your life. Three of the five chapters are winners, so you'll mostly get your money's worth.

Batman: The Brave And The Bold #11 traverses the genre gamut from Old West theatrics to murderous cults. All the shorts have something to offer, but the next chapter of Mother's Day is the strongest, and the next chapter of Artemis's personal journey is the weakest.

Batman: The Brave And The Bold #12 is a solid entry in the anthology series that gives readers a variety of eclectic characters and their stories. Karl Kerschl's take on the Dark Knight is one of the most quintessential Batman tales I've read in some time, so it's the highlight. However, the ongoing Artemis tale turns out to be an ill-advised tie-in to Tom King's Wonder Woman series. In short, this issue has a lot of good with two extremes on the great/terrible scale.

Bit and Pieces:Batman: The Detective #1 is an okay start to a new arc for the Caped Crusader. The art is great. The jury is still out on the story. It's not flawed. It's just that there's nothing to blow you away or really hook you.

Batman: The Detective #2 is a gorgeous book with unique characters and an original setup but it lacks emotional weight or a sense of stakes. When you add in a nonsensical plot contrivance, this second issue feels disconnected and gives you nothing to care about. The score will be higher than you might expect based purely on the strength of the art.

Batman: The Detective #3 looks great and reads great, but it's not much more than one giant flashback of character-developing filler. If Taylor and the team want to keep readers engaged, they need to stop wasting time and put some meat on the table.

In Batman: The Detective #4 you get a little forward progress in Bruce Wayne's investigation, putting him through the wringer to make this feel more like a James Bond story than a Batman story. With no information to understand or care about Equilbirium, the story is starting to feel small and frustrating.

Batman: The Detective #5 uncovers all the mysteries and plans of Equilibirum in the penultimate issue for the series. While the telling works well enough, the villain's lackluster identity and her rationale for becoming a mass murderer strains credibility. You'll enjoy this issue if you're simply in it for the novelty of Batman in Europe, but temper your expectations for a big surprise reveal.

Batman: The Detective #6 ends this near-feature European Vacation with a little backstory on Squire, the reveal of Equilibrium's big plan, and a final conflict that ends with a phone call. Equilibrium has the potential to be one of Batman's better, crazier entries in his rogue's gallery, but this story won't be remembered for much else.

Batman: White Knight Presents Harley Quinn #3 takes the detective crime drama and sprinkles in just enough DC lore to make it familiar while still being strong enough to stand on its own. The art style is squarely in the Murphy-verse, which is a compliment, and big props to the artists for Harley's street clothes design. Her regular clothes are a smart blend of her alter ego and professional detective leisure suit that adds to her presence. If I had to pick one word that encapsulates this run so far, that would be it: Smart.

Batman: White Knight Presents: Harley Quinn #4 continues its run with consistently great art and excellent character writing. The big reveal of Starlet's identity and motivation was satisfying enough, but it felt a little vanilla. Thankfully, there's enough wonkiness with Hector's messed up mind to keep readers invested for the next issue.

Batman: White Knight Presents: Harley Quinn #5 tosses in a bunch of cameos and makes a lot of nice, but ultimately doesn't make much progress on the story. The art is good, and honestly, everything about the book is skillfully done, but cameos and Easter Eggs are a poor substitute for story.

Bits and Pieces:Batman: White Knight Presents: Harley Quinn #6 finishes off a unique detective drama with alternate takes on familiar characters but doesn't quite stick the landing. The art is great, and the action works, but the number of dangling threads detracts from the conclusion.

Birds of Prey #1 is a mixed bag of a comic with a strong central premise and solid interpretation of the characters' voices. However, Dinah's roster selection lacks sense, especially for Harley Quinn, and the art is serviceable at best.

Birds Of Prey #2 abandons any dramatic tension or seriousness in favor of a sanitized version of the Harley Quinn HBO cartoon with less cursing and more MCU Phase 4 levels of humor. The reason for Sin's predicament is explained, albeit poorly, and the team makes slapsticky progress on their mission, but it's very clear Thompson is writing for a very small audience that does NOT include legacy BoP fans, and Romero's art makes that small target audience even smaller.

Birds Of Prey # is an absurd comic. The flaws in the central premise grow wider with each page turn, the character work is just plain bad, and Romero's art is dull.

Birds Of Prey #4 is a severe miss in an already troubled mini-series. At its core, the plot is flawed. Too many developments happen off-panel, the creative choices frequently don't make sense, and Wonder Woman's big revelation makes the first three issues pointless. This is an amateur effort from creators who should know better.

Birds Of Prey #5 is the turning point in the series, where the fight to rescue Sin from a powerful demon devolves into Looney Tune-styled silliness. Bringing Arist Deyn as a guest artist is a significant improvement in the action, but the character work is abysmal, Megaera's "personality" is ridiculous, and the revelation behind Megaera's motivation to possess Sin is just plain eye-rolling.

Birds Of Prey #6 ends the first arc with a big action moment, a new status quo for at least one character, and the groundwork for the title's future. That said, many of the plot points that didn't sit right in the beginning resulted in too many plot holes that are either ignored or lazily explained away, suggesting the Birds of Prey is NOT in capable hands.

Birds Of Prey #7 is an oddball way to kick off a new arc. Meridian's placement as a time traveler makes little sense when she doesn't seem to know what's happening now (her past). The story jumps from scene to scene with little setup or transitions. Everyone jumps to huge conclusions that happen to be right, and Vixen's plan appears to be an excuse to play dress-up in skimpy outfits.

Birds Of Prey #8 is a confused, chaotic mess of a comic from beginning to end. Even the Birds Of Prey don't know what they're doing, why they're in this situation, or what's happening. I predicted the BoP was not in capable hands, and unfortunately, that prediction has come true.

Birds Of Prey #9 is a waste of time, space, and money. The plot goes nowhere and makes no sense, Thompson's character work and story structure are abysmal, and the series as a whole is getting worse, not better.

Birds Of Prey #10 is the can't-miss issue that explains everything about the mysterious time traveler trying to kill Barbara Gordon. Unfortunately, the answers don't come remotely close to anything you might have guessed. The answers are so overthought, overcomplicated, and unnecessarily overblown that you'll wonder how Thompson had enough hours in the day to go out of her way at every opportunity to make a simple concept unbearably not simple. Plus, the art team's style is unique... until it's too muddled to understand what you're seeing.

Birds Of Prey #11 is another shrugs and hugs issue that reveals a useful tidbit about Maia's portal and spends the rest of the story on hugs and validation. Thompson's script is cleaner than the last issue, and the art team is a step up compared to the first arc, but the wonky plot lacks tension, urgency, or basic common sense.

Birds Of Prey #12 is a silly yet serviceable issue that sends the BoP into Cartoon Land(???). Kelly Thompson's setup makes little sense, and this issue lacks dramatic tension or urgency, but this issue may have the clearest and most purposeful plot yet. Plus, kudos to the art team for making the most out of a bizarre assignment.

Birds Of Prey #13 ends the arc with an issue-long battle full of energy, action, and clever twists. Plus, Gavin Guidry makes the finale as visually engaging as possible. Unfortunately, Kelly Thompson completely botches the ending with a ridiculous resolution and wasted cameos.

Black Canary: Best Of The Best #1begins a seemingly impossible fight for Black Canary, in and out of the ring, when she accepts an offer to fight Lady Shiva for a very important reason. Tom King's laundry list of quirks is blessedly absent in favor of an emotionally impactful tale, and Ryan Sook's art is immaculate.

Black Lightning #1is a refreshingly solid first issue to spotlight Black Lightning's new role in the Justice League and portray the trauma he still feels after Absolute Power. Brandon Thomas turns in a rock-solid script, and Fico Ossio's artwork is on point.

Black Lightning #2 has all the makings of a great story as one of the few DC titles showing the consequences of Absolute Power. Unfortunately, Brandon Thomas's directionless plot and disjointed execution waste the opportunity.5/10

Blood Syndicate #1 is a refreshed take on the origins of the Blood Syndicate, with homecoming soldiers learning their town has developed a power vacuum after Icon and Rocket cleared out the drug cartels. The art is above average, with excellent coloring for a solid visual experience, and the plot is pretty straightforward. Thorne puts enormous effort into making the dialog as authentic as possible, sometimes at the expense of accessibility and clarity.

Blood Syndicate #2 does an excellent job of laying out how the main character's life has fallen apart since he left for the military. The art, particularly the coloring, is excellent, and the story feels authentically grounded. That said, the main character doesn't give readers a reason to get emotionally invested in his journey, and the dialog is a chore to get through in spots.

Follow ComicalOpinions on Facebook, Instagram, and TwitterBits and Pieces:Blood Syndicate #3 brings the new crew together to fight Holocaust before he burns the city down. The profuse use of Spanish without translation will make this book difficult to read for some, the opening prologue is jarring and poorly set up, and the big moment of superheroes deciding to form a crew feels small and cavalier.

Blood Syndicate #4 is a jumbled mess of a story with cool visuals and plenty of action. The story simply rushes from scene to the next with barely any transition, no character setup when a host of new players are introduced, and barely any sense of focus. The story is moving in a direction, but it's a bumpy ride to get there.

Blood Syndicate #5 delivers exactly what a penultimate issue in a superhero comic should. The action is big, the villain is finally elevated to a formidable threat instead of just a bully, and the cliffhanger offers the promise of a banger of a finale.

Bits and PiecesCatwoman #29 continues the trend of portraying Catwoman with a heart of 14-carat gold. She helps but always with selfish motives, which makes you believe she can be heroic without becoming a hero. The introduction of Wight Witch is both cool and intimidating, something I wish they would learn with all the new villains in the main Batman run. 

Catwoman #57 is a slightly better issue compared to the previous Catwoman issues, but all focus is on the Gotham War event, which has a broken foundation right from the start. The art is great, and there are one or two interesting developments in this issue, but the central premise is flawed, and the characters act wildly out of character.

Catwoman #58 is a disaster. Howard either has never read a Batman comic or has no idea how to present a valid Batman in her own script. The plot is a haphazard sequence of events, and the character work leaves much to be desired. Overall, this issue and event have been lackluster at best.

Challengers Of The Unknown #1is a decent enough start toa series of missions that puts the Challengers on the trails of anomalies created by Darkseid's demise. Christopher Cantwell's script does a decent enough job introducing the team and their mission, but the setup and some of the character work is off-kilter. Likewise, the art is decent enough, but the details are lacking.6.5/10

City Boy #1 is a dead-solid perfect origin story for DC's latest hero. Greg Pak packs motivation, depth, and intrigue into every page, and the artwork is Grade-A. If you were intending to pass on City Boy after his odd introduction in Lazarus Planet, this comic may change your mind.

City Boy #2 is a thrilling, action-packed, dramatic second entry in the series, pushing it head and shoulders over any other new title from DC at the moment. Pak's writing develops Cameron's character and gives him plenty of opportunity to let loose, albeit recklessly, and the stakes are potentially massive.

City Boy #3 continues to impress as one of the best new characters from DC in a very long time. Rather than using Superman's cameo as a shiny distraction, Greg Pak uses Superman's experience and wisdom to allow Cameron to grow into the hero he could be. This issue is an outstanding example of character development.

City Boy #3 is a fine issue that's starting to settle into the adventure-of-the-month model. There's nothing wrong with episodic adventures, but the great momentum and direction built up in the first three issues is noticeably absent. Still, the art is very good, and Cameron's power use is maturing nicely.

Cyborg #1 is a thoughtful, emotionally weighty jumping-on point for new readers to get acquainted with Victor Stone. The issue gives you everything you need to know about Cyborg's troubled past and sets up an interesting mystery for the arc to come. That said, readers looking for Cyborg superhero action will find very little action of any kind, the story is almost all setup we've already seen before (and done better), and the art is serviceable but not appealing.

Cyborg #2 builds on the mystery of a robot housing Silas Stone's mind, and all signs point to funny business at Solace. Tom Raney's art is fine, and the mystery of Silas's A.I. is worth watching, but the mystery is buried under an overwhelming amount of negativity as every character, including Cyborg, is constantly angry, terrible, or both.

Cyborg #3 increases the scale and scope of the villain's plan and adds a cameo from a Teen Titans cartoon character to spice things up. However, the big plan seems far-fetched and lacks motivation, which makes the villain come off as one-dimensional.

Cyborg #4 continues the downside of the series with a deeply flawed plot, inconsistent/weak art, and reliance on an overused trope for Cyborg's character.

Cyborg #6 ends the miniseries with some character growth for our hero, strong emotional beats, and plenty of robot-fighting action. That said, the clever path to victory isn't so clever, so the final fight ends on a flat note.

Danger Street #1 kicks off an odd, slightly surreal drama about a collection of characters who intersect through opportunity and tragedy. The artwork is acceptable, and the plot (such as it is) is unpredictable, but the overall reading experience is mired in drab characters burdened by angst and misery.

Generally, good art and good writing make for a huge prelude to the end (or beginning) of the DC Multiverse. Some vignettes were better than others, but all of them had some part to play in establishing the outcome of the big battle. If you're invested in the Death Metal event up to this point, this book feels more essential than a tangential tie-in.

DC All In Special #1 begins a new era for the reformed Justice League just in time for Darkseid to hatch his most diabolical plan yet. Broken up into two comics as a gimmick works in theory, but the execution is far from perfect, with the first half stumbling toward the end and a second half that delivers much less quality overall when compared to the first. This was supposed to be DC's most important comic in years, but it sure doesn't feel like it.

Sgt. Rock vs. The Army of the Dead #1 is a dead solid (*heh*) start to a WWII-era zombie story of history-changing proportions. The setup is rock solid (*heh again*), the exposition and scene progression seamlessly draw readers into Campbell's world, and the challenge instantly establishes high stakes. However, the exposition lettering is a little too dense in spots, and the pencils/inks lack detail.

Sgt. Rock vs. The Army of the Dead #2 is a fun, energetic horror/war mashup that drops Sgt. Rock into the heat of battle with excellent pacing, plotting, and dialog. The action is fun, the deaths are gross, and the stakes take a significant bump up at the end.

DC Horror Presents: Sgt. Rock vs. The Army of the Dead #3 is pure entertainment from start to finish. Campbell nails the personalities of Easy Company's members and the joy they take in kicking Nazi Zombie butt. Risso and Rossi up their game with better visuals and exhilarating action.

DC Horror Presents: Sgt. Rock vs. The Army of the Dead #4 is an unapologetic hoot of a wartime/horror mashup. The plot only moves forward a little since Easy Company is distracted with surviving their trek through the countryside, but the lack of plot is more than made up for with eye-popping action, wit, and excitement.

DC Horror Presents: Sgt. Rock vs. The Army Of The Dead #6 gives horror/grindhouse fans exactly the ending they want to see. The brutal fight between Sgt. Rock and Hitler is cheer-worthy, and the epilogue teases even weirder adventures.

Bits and PiecesDetective Comics #1066 takes a few steps forward to reveal the Orghams are up to something shady, and Gael is also up to something shady. What's that shadiness? You'll have to wait for another issue. However, the art is simply gorgeous, and Ram V's execution in what you're reading is interesting enough to keep you invested.

Detective Comics #1067 makes some much-needed progress on the plot with an Orgham-sponsored takeover of the Narrows. The art is fantastic, and the plot looks like it's taking on shape and form, but the needlessly heavy dialog and narration drag the story to a crawl.

Detective Comics #1068 is a collection of things happening and potentially interesting ideas. Still, the plot moves at a snail's pace, and there needs to be a clear direction or motivation for the villains.

Detective Comics #1069 is another slow, complex, ponderous entry in an arc that appears to need direction or sense of momentum toward an eventual goal. The art is spot-on for a dark, grim thriller, but the glacial pacing and overwritten text need to come together in a story that will hold your interest.

Detective Comics #1070 takes a break from an already slow-moving story to introduce a few interesting ideas, tease a little bit about the Orghams' history, and devote the rest of the issue to a backdoor pilot for the upcoming The Vigil comic (also written by Ram V). If you're all in on the Orghams, you could skip this issue and not miss a thing.

Detective Comics #1071 takes a slow train to nowhere with a plot that doesn't move, an extended flashback that isn't interesting or adds anything of value to the challenge confronting Batman, and a lot of unanswered questions. The art's decent enough, but you could skip this issue and not miss out on any important information.

Detective Comics #1072 feels like the beginning of a climactic finale, but the bizarre lack of motivations, stakes, or clarity results in a comic where explosive things happen that have no meaning or purpose. Reis and Raffaele deliver stunning art, and the action scenes look great, but it's not clear if this title (or Ram V) knows where it's going, or if the creative team is just making it up as they move along. Right now, it feels like the latter.

Detective Comics #1073 is a confusing, convoluted, bloated mess of a story that tries its darnedest to make the Orghams seem like masterminds but winds up making them look like inefficient idiots. The more Ram V's master plan comes to light, the less sense it makes, and the art is woefully uneven.

Detective Comics #1075 is a regrettable miss in an already struggling title. The highlight of Ram V's script is an interesting development concerning one of the GCPD detectives who owes his life to Batman. The low point is everything else, particularly Francavilla's rushed, sloppy art.

Detective Comics #1076, under Ram V, takes the unprecedented step of presenting a coherent, purposeful plot when Selina and Batman's allies take measures to save Batman from a public hanging. All the uncertain questions surrounding the Orghams remain, but at least this issue shows direction. The elevated cover price signals the inclusion of three backup stories that are all, in one way or another, weird (but not in a good way).

Detective Comics #1077 takes another big step toward cleaning up this series's act by toning down the bloated language and focusing on a clear, directed plot. Setting up a heist to save Batman is an intriguing idea worth following, and the art is mostly good.

Detective Comics #1078 is one of the better issues in one of the better arcs in Ram V's run. Selina's plan comes together with fast pacing and thrilling action, and the art steals the show. That said, don't think about the plot too much because it falls apart under the slightest pressure.

Detective Comics #1079 brings the "Let's Hang Batman" mini-arc to a close with clever twists, moody art, and an ending with potential. That said, everything surrounding the Orghams is a convoluted mess, and Catwoman's clever twist wasn't thought through.

Detective Comics #1080 gets Batman out of Gotham City to begin a period of reconstruction for the city and the hero. Ram V's script has one or two cool moments, and the possibilities are intriguing, but the poor pacing and inconsistent art are a bummer.

Detective Comics #1081 begins the countdown to the end of the Nocturne story and Ram V's time on Detective Comics with a characteristically slow, plodding, directionless chapter that says a lot but communicates little. The art is fantastic, so the slow trip at least looks good.

Detective Comics #1082 delivers amazing art, an intriguing series of developments in the Question's investigation into Fielding's death, and blathering nonsense for everything else. The major failure of Ram V's tenure is a need for more direction and purpose. So far, Ram V is determined to push that failure to the very last minute.

Detective Comics #1083 brings Batman's journey of the mind to an end just in time to return to Gotham with allies and evidence to take the Orghams down. From the inconsistent art to the pointless mind journey to the ridiculous backup, this comic is a waste from start to finish.

Detective Comics #1084 is a perfectly serviceable issue that gets Batman back to Gotham for the last leg of Ram V's tenure on Detective Comics. The plotting, pacing, action, and dialog are solid and largely free of Ram V's trademark overwritten narration. Even the backup is worth your time as it enhances a key development in the main story.

Detective Comics #1085 puts Batman on the offensive as he methodically starts assembling what he needs to take back Gotham. This is the most active Batman has been in over a year, and the series feels like it has purpose when moving into Ram V's final issues, but the metric tons of unanswered questions and go-nowhere plot points continue to go unaddressed.

Detective Comics #1087 ups the action, energy, and pacing to deliver one of the better issues in the series. That said, the plot only works if you accept a tidal wave of shortcuts, convenient coincidences, and happy accidents that put everyone exactly where they need to be at exactly the right time without explanation. The art's decent enough, and the individual scenes are perfectly good, but it's clear Ram V is throwing every bit of smoke and flash at the reader to cover up how rushed this finale is turning out.

Detective Comics #1088 is another energetic, fast-paced, purposeful issue that shows Ram V is determined to throw every plot development at the wall, tie up every loose end with a sailor's knot, and toss in the kitchen sink for good measure to make up for months of treading water. It's unclear how the finale will turn out next month, but DC is pulling out all the action stops to get there.

Detective Comics #1089 ends the long, meandering Orgham arc and Ram V's tenure on the title exactly as you would expect - with lofty ideas and concepts that rely on superficial tricks and flowery language to mask an inability to execute those ideas. Most of the big questions created by the Orghams are not resolved, and the arc ends almost exactly where it started. Ultimately, Ram V had nothing to say, and Batman's legacy is poorer for it.

Detective Comics #1090 is a super-strong start to a new era of Detective Comics with a new creative team. Mikel Jann's art is a winning mix of modern drama and a classic Gotham aesthetic, and Tom Taylor's mystery concerning a new serial killer in Gotham has a lot of potential, albeit with one major point of concern.8/10

Detective Comics #1091slows down the pace and the plot while Batman grapples with his inadequacies and privilege in a sedate step down from the previous issue. Tom Taylor slathers on the heavy-handed pontification while progress on finding the serial killer and the twist involving Thomas Wayne go completely on the back burner. The first issue showed promise. The second does not.

Detective Comics 2022 Annual gets a B for concept and a C- for execution. The Elseworlds-style story is interesting but doesn't fit within the main title, and several editing flaws take you out of the reading experience.

Fire & Ice: Welcome To Smallville #1 looks, reads, and feels like a YA story. That's not inherently wrong, but this story takes place in current continuity, and Fire & Ice are written as immature Junior High students instead of the seasoned heroes they're supposed to be. That doesn't make it bad, just very odd.

Fire & Ice: Welcome to Smallville #2 takes the juvenile situations from issue #1 and repeats them with more ferocity. Bea is turning into a raging sociopath, the duo's time in Smallville seems pointless because they clearly need adult supervision, and Starer injects a few offensive jokes to put the icing on the cake. 

Fire & Ice: Welcome To Smallville #3 is tone-deaf, unfunny, chaotic mess of a comic. The main characters are increasingly unlikable, the plot lacks sense and purpose, and the mediocre art is uninspired.

Fire & Ice: Welcome To Smallville #4 loosely tries to combine wacky superhero antics in a YA slice-of-drama, and it doesn't quite work. Starer's grasp on the juvenile drama between Fire and Ice feels somewhat authentic if they were anyone else, but the random developments and wildly misplaced character work amount to nothing but noise.

Fire & Ice: Welcome To Smallville #5 is an abysmal, painfully terrible comic from cover to cover. The mediocre art can't cover up for the bad humor, nonsensical plot developments, and a complete lack of storytelling skills.

Fire & Ice: Welcome to Smallville #6 ends the ill-conceived mini-series the way it started - badly. Starer's pitch and execution are fully terrible, several plot points make no sense, and the finale only partly resolves the myriad of conflicts, but not the most important one.

Flash #789 ends the arc with a big reveal about Mayor Wolfe that should be a big threat to the entire world. Wally handles the threat well enough, but the light, mellow tone deflates any sense of danger, urgency, or stakes. It's a good ending, just not a great one.

The Flash #790 is a solid kickoff story that brings up readers up to speed (*heh*) on all the Flash-related characters just in time for a massive alien invasion. The stakes are huge, the alien threat is immediately overwhelming, and the art looks great. That said, this issue is mostly a setup issue to establish who's who and what's what, so current Flash readers won't get much out of this issue until the last few pages.

The Flash #791 is a better-than-average DC comic that delivers plenty of action and revelations. However, the art doesn't sell the drama the script calls for, and the villains are increasingly one-dimensional.

The Flash #792 picks up the pace and the fun of the One-Minute War event with a Wallace and Bart-centric issue. Adams nails the slightly juvenile charm of the leads, the execution and success of their mission make sense, and the action is a lot of fun.

The Flash #793 amps up the family feel, the frenetic energy, and the fun for a rousing plan to stop the Fraction. The family dynamics, during the big action moments and the small quiet moments, sell this issue, making this the best entry in the One-Minute War.

The Flash #794 is another strong issue in the One-Minute War event, with an Irey-centric issue that cements her place as a hero in the Flash Family. The family dynamics and their teamwork are what make this issue work, and you get that family feeling from start to finish.

The Flash #795 puts Barry's new plan into motion with exciting super-speed action, strong emotional beats, high stakes, and a twist reveal at the end that could pave the way for big Flash changes in the future. That said, the mixture of artists in this book don't have complementary styles, causing the art quality to suffer.

The Flash #796 is an almost strong finish to an event that started weakly and got better as it progressed. The tone, dialog, and action hit all the right notes for what Flash Family fans could want, but the cobbled-together art from too many artists with too-different styles is off-putting.

The Flash #797 kicks off a new arc where the Flash Kids and Animal Girl get kidnapped by a gangster with a wishing machine. The hijinks and sibling dynamics are fun, but the threat level is deflated by an overly light tone, and the art looks rushed.

The Flash #798 marks the beginning of the end for Jeremy Adams's run on The Flash, and this last arc kicks off a new adventure in style, with a big heart, big explosions, and an adventure that's all about family.

The Flash #799 is pure entertainment from start to finish. Adams has rightfully chosen to turn the imagination and fun factor up to 11 as he exits the title, and readers are reaping the benefits. The art could be better, but the story's over-the-top determination to be fun more than makes up for any art flaws.

The Flash #800 delivers five short stories to warm your heart and excite your senses, reminding readers why the Flash has the best family around. Collectively, all the shorts have fun and interesting moments, but Jeremy Adams's short scores the top spot for pure entertainment. On the other hand, Si Spurrier's short, portending his assumption of the main title, projects a dark, gloomy, and unfun future for the Scarlet Speedster.

The Flash: One-Minute War Special #1 delivers a rich backstory for the Fraction and fills in the rest of the oversized issue with filler. If you're interested in reading a comic that provides context for the main villain, this is the one for you. If not, you can skip it.

The Flash #1 begins a new era for the West family when the Speed Force gets wonky, new threats appear, and Mr. Terrific is let in on a reality-ending problem. Fans of Jeremy Adams's time on the title will get whiplash with the jarring shift in tone and attitude. Spurrier's foray into cosmic horror leads to more confusing questions than intrigue. The art team's stark, oppressive art makes this first issue in a new era a ponderous, joyless read.

The Flash #2 continues Si Spurrier's take on cosmic horror by giving you a lot of complicated, convoluted, cosmic developments that appear out of nowhere and leave the horror, plot, or setup behind. The weird, twisty art is interesting, and there are plenty of ideas worth exploring, but Spurrier's final product is too complicated and not fun.

The Flash #3 appears to have no purpose other than to figure out how far Spurrier and Deodato Jr. can make a comic disjointed and weird before it devolves into pure nonsense. The story makes almost no sense, and the art ranges from weird to ugly.

The Flash #4 is the most coherent issue in a largely muddled and incoherent run by Spurrier. Unfortunately, Spurrier introduced too many underdeveloped ideas at the beginning of this run, so nearly all of it has to be ignored just to find a plot buried under the chaos. Issue #4 is better but not great.

The Flash #5 succeeds in creating a heartfelt story about a superpowered boy wrestling with his powers and his future. Unfortunately, the emotional strength of this issue is mired in pompous dialog, plot points that don't go anywhere, high-concept ideas that are meaningless, and a story that feels like it's treading water.

The Flash #6 takes a significant step toward answering the mountains of odd mysteries by revealing the mastermind behind Flash's reality-warping troubles. Unfortunately, the answer is almost surprising in just how unsurprising it is, which makes all the complicated storytelling to get to this point seem pointless.

The Flash #7 brings much-needed clarity to a hyper-confusing storyline. Clarity is always a good thing, but unfortunately, that clarity reveals Spurrier's whole concept is borrowed from an older, better story, which may lead readers to believe they've wasted their time struggling with Spurrier's needless complication.

The Flash #8 tones down the technobabble and the over-surreal delivery for an action-packed issue that puts all speedsters on notice. That said, the reduced complication is overshadowed by a seemingly omnipotent Amanda Waller, who throws an already flawed story yet another curveball. September can't come soon enough.

The Flash #9 peels back all the faux-intellectual layers of complication to reveal Si Spurrier's arc is nothing more than a basic Reverse-Flash-messing-with-Barry-Allen story. Nearly all the pressing questions get answered with little satisfaction, the bizarre ideas introduced appear to be nothing burgers and new plot points are introduced out of nowhere to start working in Absolute Power. History will not be kind to whoever approved this creative team and concept.

The Flash #11 is an overwritten, overthought, pretentious pile of poop that dumps an overblown amount of exposition on the reader to explain who and what the Arc Angles are and what they intend to do with Wally West. If you peel back the layers, there's an interesting idea at the heart of this series, but Spurrier is too lost in demonstrating how smart he is to pull it off effectively.

The Flash #12 nears the end of Si Spurrier's bizarre, head-scratching take on the end of all things with an issue that's sort of understandable. This isn't a great comic by any stretch, but you can at least (almost) follow what's happening. That's about as much praise as this comic deserves.

The Flash #13 brings the mind-bending but ultimately ill-conceived attempt at cosmic horror to a close with lazy shortcuts and cheap tugs at your heartstrings to wave all the problems of reality away. If this ending was Spurrier's plan all along, somebody at DC should have told him to rethink his plan. At least the art is great, and the arc is finally over.

The Flash Annual (2024) #1 boils down to a straightforward Flash story buried under mounds of unnecessarily complicated narration, convoluted tangents, and disharmonious art. In fairness, you get a little clarity about the real culprits behind the reality-bending mess, but it's not worth the cover price.

The Flash: The Fastest Man Alive #1 makes a great tie-in to the Flash film (if and when it ever comes out), showcasing the Snyderverse Flash's evolution into Central City's beloved hero. The Snyderverse Easter Eggs and aesthetic are present, Flash comes into his own, which makes for good character growth, and the art is fairly good. However, Girder is formidable but misused in the fight scenes, pulling you out of the story.

The Flash: The Fastest Man Alive #2 is an above-average movie tie-in that successfully expands the Flash's life circumstances and Rogues Gallery for a standard-but-fun Flash adventure.

Bits and PiecesFlashpoint Beyond #0 takes a game-changing Elseworlds event and goes back to do it again. The writing execution is excellent, but the concept feels played out and boring. Coupled with bland, uninspired art, I'd be tempted to say "skip it" if not for a few hints of wow moments in the future.

Flashpoint Beyond #1 does an excellent job continuing the Flashpoint timeline when Barry Allen's assassination forces Thomas Wayne to seek answers amid a blossoming war between Atlantis and the Amazons. The dialog, pacing, plot developments, and art were executed beautifully. That said, the novelty of this story is wearing thin.

Flashpoint Beyond #2 is filled with great art, plenty of clues to tease you about what's going on, and a few interesting Flashpoint versions of characters. However, the issue makes little progress towards solving the mystery of Clockwork Killer's identity, resulting in an issue that's mostly a teaser for what's to come.

I want to have fun with Flashpoint Beyond #3. The art is fantastic. The pacing, dialog, and little Easter Eggs of Flashpoint characters are cool. And, Butler Penguin is the breakout bright spot of the series. However, there's a lot to keep straight, and you feel like this is tied into something bigger, but the conflict for the main character (Thomas Wayne must undo Flashpoint) still feels like a retread with a fresh coat of paint.

Flashpoint Beyond #4 starts assembling the pieces to the Clockwork Killer's identity, and when the killer is revealed, you may love it or hate it. The art is excellent, and the storytelling is top-notch. However, this series seems more interested in the novelty of Flashpoint and Easter Eggs and hasn't entirely locked down a reason to exist. A closer tie to Dark Crisis may be at play, but the nuggets we get here barely rise above mild curiosity.

Flashpoint Beyond #5 starkly spells out everything wrong with DC continuity and confirms why this title hasn't justified returning to the Flashpoint timeline. The big reveal surrounding who, why, and how is so shockingly dumb that it boggles the imagination. The art is great, but the story is repellent.

Flashpoint Beyond #6 unveils the big mystery behind how and why the Flashpoint timeline was resurrected, and it's not for reasons you would suspect. The execution is well done, even if the motivations of certain characters, particularly Batman, are out of character. In the end, some may find the ending satisfying, but others may see the ending as a complicated setup for the forthcoming JSA book.

How are they going to get everyone off the train with only a few minutes left? Why they're not getting off. They're going to steal the train, of course. And that's the setup for the next issue.Bits and Pieces:Future State: Catwoman #1 is a simple clean heist story that's enough in the future to explain the high tech components but not so far that our lack of backstory is a problem. Ram V's story keeps things moving at a pleasantly brisk pace, and the art is a perfect match for this story. This is s strong recommend.

Future State: Batman/Superman #1 successfully combines Batman's detective skills and Superman's brawn to work out a growing conspiracy, using the Magistrate as a catalyst rather than the main plot point. The art is excellent, and I especially like the interaction between Batman and Superman as less friendly and more like colleagues with a tension between them because of the difference in their operating styles. They respect each other, but there's a clear sense of turf and different methods that work well here.

Future State: Superman / Wonder Woman #1 is a mess. Confusing story. Meta mythology may have some cultural accuracy but doesn't make a lick of sense in this specific context. And rough, inconsistent art makes for a tough book to get through. If you're keen on getting to know Yara Flor / Wonder Woman, Future State: Wonder Woman #1 is a much better book.

Future State: Kara Zor-El Superwoman #1 plops the reader into the middle of a personal journey with a hazy beginning and no clear destination. The art is an interesting standout, and the story has potential, but the writing has too many holes to really hook you.

Future State: Aquaman #1 is filled with great art, great action, intensely emotional moments, and an exciting Sliders/Quantum Leap-esque story with an edge. Despite only a few plot holes, the story is well-constructed, and I'm hooked to see what happens next. Where the heck was Brandon Thomas when the regular Aquaman title was running?!?

Future State: Wonder Woman #1 ain't your grandmother's Wonder Woman. The main character is stunning and exudes a gruff charm, but her moral flaws work against the nature of what we've always known as the Wonder Woman character. At the very least, I'm very interested to see what they can do with this character in the very short time Future State is in effect.

A few points to consider. First, It's misleading to call the Nubia story a backup since it's just as long as the Wonder Woman story. Second, the art is better than the Wonder Woman story. Not a lot better but better. Third, there might be a printing issue (at least in the review copy) as all the word balloons and lettering were repeated and superimposed on top of the art from the opening dialog between Grail and the museum guard to the first fight scene between Nubia and Grail. Hopefully, that won't show up in print but that's a major publishing error if it does.Bits and PiecesImmortal Wonder Woman #1 does it's best impression of The Neverending Story and falls well short. The story is clunky and the art is just plain terrible. The Nubia backup story has mildly better story and art, but not for the cover price. Read at your own risk.

Future State: Batman/Superman #2 concludes this very near Future State title with glacial pacing, explanations that are paper-thin, and gross body horror art. Thankfully, the art is the highlight of the issue, but this title is one of the mediocre Future State experiments.

Future State: Kara Zor-El Superwoman #2 wraps up the Future State version of Kara Zor-El in a way that makes Kara sadder and pitiable more than the hero she's always been. The art oscillates between gorgeous and blinding, and the story, for better or worse, is done.

Future State: Aquaman #2 takes all the mystery and anticipation of the first issue and completely discards it in favor of a problematic, survival, coming-of-age story. The art is great and the character designs are imaginative, but what could have been an epic bookend falls flat.

Future State: Superman / Wonder Woman #2 is a less confusing chapter to this particular title than the first issue. However, an overly convenient plot device, an eyerolling super punch, and inconsistent facial art keep the issue from rising above mediocre.

Future State: Immortal Wonder Woman #2, suffers from art ill-suited for action and storytelling that disregards sense. It would be best for everyone involved if this Future State entry was put back in the drawer it was pulled from. If there's any saving grace, the Nubia story has some potential going forward.

If the intent was to paint Harley Quinn as a calculating, heartless, sociopath, mission accomplished.Bits and Pieces:Future State: Harley Quinn #2 is an uneven ending to a better-than-average Future State title. The art is consistently bizarre, and the story wraps up on an ugly note. If you like a comic where everyone is terrible and they all do terrible things to each other, this one is for you.

Future State: Catwoman #2 is one of the best entries in the Future State collection by taking the best of comics storytelling and pushing it far enough into the future to feel fresh without sacrificing what makes the heroes (and villains) familiar. The art is action-packed and tight, and the story keeps you hooked from cover to cover.

Future State: Wonder Woman #2 takes the promising start from issue #1 and sticks the landing with an extra backflip just to show off. The art is excellent, the emotional impact is turned up to 11, and this comic introducing a new character does exactly what it's supposed to do - leave me wanting more.

We end with Grifter in cuffs, on his knees, and smiling all the way.Bits and Pieces:Future State: Dark Detective #3 gives us a Bruce Wayne that thinks a lot, does little, and learns almost nothing. On the other hand, Grifter fights, wins, gets double-crossed, and gets captured. And he looks like he's loving every minute of it.

Gotham City Sirens #1 is a mess from start to finish. Things happen out of the blue, the plot is a jumbled collection of weird occurrences, and the action choreography is terrible. The original announcement made it sound like this miniseries is filling space until the majority of titles reset themselves in October, but the only thing this issue should fill is the bottom of a birdcage.

Gotham City: Year One #1 effectively retells the Lindbergh Baby Kidnapping set in the DC universe. The story mimics the real crime down to exacting details while putting Slam Bradley at the heart of the investigation. If fictional history crime stories are your cup of tea, you might enjoy this. For everyone else, it's a wait-and-see to find out if King injects more originality into the premise.

Gotham City: Year One #2 is a solid detective noir story with plenty of twists, turns, and drama. However, King strangely morphs Slam Bradley and femme fatale Sue into a proto-Bat/Cat, which changes a potentially fresh idea into a reskin of an old idea.

Gotham City: Year One #3 is an excellent example of detective noir done right. Slam Bradley's gritty detective work is matched only by Hester's moody, atmospheric art. That said, the depiction of the Wayne family's moral flaws is gratuitous, unnecessary, and off-putting, holding back a very good comic from being a great comic.

Gotham City: Year One #4 uncovers the truth behind Helen Wayne's murder and gets the main character, Slam Bradley, beaten up... a lot. All that's left to do is find out how Slam resolves the murder while keeping the Wayne legacy intact, so we'll see how it goes. In the meantime, this issue is a serviceable time waster.

Green Arrow #1 is a super-strong start to the Emerald Archer's latest adventure with fast-paced action and hard-hitting emotional beats surrounding a Grade A mystery. Green Arrow fans will like this issue a lot.

Green Arrow #2 is a generally good comic with great art, great action, emotional weight, and gobs of character motivation. However, issue #2 isn't as good as issue #1 for a few reasons - namely, over-designed costumes, over-used tropes, and yet another unnecessary appearance by Peacemaker.

Green Arrow #3 goes a long way toward explaining why the Arrow family is separated, why/how the random teleportations are happening, and the justification behind it all. Unfortunately, this is a case where the answer is less satisfying than you hoped. Williamson has time to make it make sense, but this issue feels like a step back for the series.

Green Arrow #4 gives readers excellent art (except for the costume redesigns), cool character moments, and a cathartic fight. That said, the plot centers around a mystery with no clues and no believability, so the entire journey is just plain boring.

Green Arrow #5 delivers the big reveal about Old Man Ollie from the future for a memorable development. Unfortunately, the reveal isn't surprising, and it invalidates most of the rest of the mini-series. The story makes little progress beyond the big reveal, and the art is weirdly inconsistent.

Green Arrow #6 is a perfectly serviceable ending to a perfectly serviceable arc that unveils the secret villain behind Ollie's woes, brings the family back together, and plants seeds for what's to come. Despite a small squad of artists on the finale, the art team managed to strike a better balance when compared to issue #5.

Green Arrow #7 begins the next arc with an issue-long recap of the past that doesn't tell you anything you didn't already know and does nothing to find Roy. Williamson picked the oddest time for a cooldown issue after the poor finale in issue #6, and the art team's output is jarring.

Green Arrow #8 begins the last third of the maxi-series with a formulaic detective noir murder mystery that ends with an intriguing surprise after the mystery is solved. Phil Hester's art is tailor-made for detective noir visuals, and Williamson uses the story to create father/son bonding between Connor and Ollie, but the murder mystery is as formulaic as it gets.

Green Arrow #9 is a pretty solid issue that lays the foundation for this Sumer's Absolute Power event, but a heartbreaking creative decision on the last page casts the entire strategy in doubt. Nobody in their right mind loves Heroes In Crisis, and you'd be hard-pressed to find anyone interested in going back.

Green Arrow #10 serves as an excellent jumping-on point for readers who want to get to know EVERY member of the extended Arrow Family. You get plenty of reunions, hugs, and introduction montages. Unfortunately, Williamson neglects to tell much of a story, giving you the impression this issue is only meant to fill space in preparation for the Absolute Power event.

Green Arrow #11 delivers an action-packed issue with the extended Arrow Family fighting a hard light Justice League to get Amanda Waller's prize. The action sequences are fun, the twists are intriguing, and Ollie is up against the wall in this penultimate issue to the arc's finale. That said, everything surrounding Amanda Waller makes little sense or seems needlessly complicated.

Green Arrow #12 wraps up the arc and the series by transitioning into a bridge that serves as a prelude to Absolute power. The multiple artists find a way to get their distinctive styles to complement each other, and Williamson's feel-good ending pulls at the heartstrings, but the final conflict against Merlyn feels rushed and lame, turning what should be a climactic finale into a semi-filler.

Green Arrow #14 is one of the better Absolute Power tie-ins because it gives everyone in the Arrow Family something to do that feels connected to, and may have an impact on, Absolute Power. That said, Connor's assumption of the Green Arrow mantle feels forced and immature, and either the writer or artists mixed up Arrowette and Speedy in at least one or two spots. Still, this is a fairly decent superhero comic.

Green Arrow #15 jumps into a heavy-action issue as Roy and the Arrow family fight Tomorrow Woman and Bright for control of Ivo. Joshua Williamson's and Amanclay Nahuelpan's action-heavy issue is largely engaging, even if the net contribution to the Absolute Power event doesn't amount to anything important.

Green Arrow #16brings the series' contribution to the Absolute Power event to a close with a rousing fight, Bright's lackluster origin story, and not much else. Williamson delivers a reasonably fun script, but the contribution to Absolute Power is lacking. At least the art team gave it their all.

Green Arrow #17 gives readers two stories for the price of one when Joshua Williamson cleans up his loose ends before departing the tile, and Chris Condon teases what's to come as the new writer. Both stories capture the heart of what makes Ollie unique, and Condon's prelude story appears very promising.8/10

Green Arrow #18begins a fresh start and a murder mystery for DC's Emerald Archer and a new creative team. Chris Condon's detective noir plot is a perfect fit for a street-level hero, so the new direction for Oliver Queen shows promise. That said, the art style and costume redesign may not be the best choice.8/10

Without spoiling too much of the ending, Jordan gets his ring back, Hammond's intellect is consumed by his partners and defeated, and Jordan makes a deal with the Golden Ones to give them an alternate food supply if they promise to go away.Bits and Pieces:Green Lantern Season 2, #12 is a simple alien invasion story made ponderous by overly-complicated plotting, dialog that reads like an unpublished Shakespearean play, and good art that ultimately makes the issue more burdensome than it already is.

Green Lantern #1 does exactly what it needs to do - re-establish Hal Jordan as the greatest Green Lantern and get back to basics. Xermnico's art is excellent, and Adams's script is a perfect jumping on point with action, motivations, and a smile-inducing final page.

Green Lantern #2 leans into the joy and fun of having the most powerful device in the universe at your disposal. Jeremy Adams leans into the whimsy with a bit of humor, and Xermnico's art is top-notch. Unfortunately, all the momentum this series started to generate runs smack dab into the Knight Terrors wall, so time will tell if it can recover.

Green Lantern #3 quickly dispenses with the nightmare of Knight Terrors to get Hal Jordan settled in with his new ring by learning what it can and can't do while he has fun figuring it out. Adams is playing it smart by returning to a simple, clean Lantern story, and the art is fantastic.

Green Lantern #4 is a bright, fun, action-packed team-up story with the guest hero, The Flash, pitching in to stop two disasters in the making. The team-up action is fun, and Barry and Hal have a natural rapport with each other, but the overall series may be taking a little too long to present Hal with his first big challenge.

Green Lantern #5 is a ring-slinging dream for Lantern enthusiasts. Jeremy Adams delivers past-paced Lantern action from beginning to end with a killer cliffhanger, and Xermnico's art is excellent.

Green Lantern #6 is an action fans dream with big constructs fighting big battles with big stakes. That said, Adams doesn't give enough attention to the mysteries or further the story through the action, so this issue is a lot of eye candy with little substance.

Green Lantern #7 is an issue-long flashback answering the question of Kilowog's death. For his part, Adams gives readers a thorough depiction of events, showing how Kilowog gave his life doing his duty, even if his death feels meaningless. Whether or not Kilowog is truly dead remains to be seen.

Green Lantern #8 is the issue we've been waiting for in Adams's tenure on the series as the big questions surrounding a disruption in the emotional spectrum and the origins of Hal's new ring start to come into focus. The mysteries are intriguing, now that we have a few clues to fill in the blanks, and the art looks great.

Green Lantern #9 is the issue that pays off what's been lacking in this series - meaningful answers. With a new status quo for all GLs and badly needed canon fixes, Adams is on the right track to get the Green Lanterns back to their place of prominence in the galaxy.

Green Lantern #10 gives readers starving for more Lanterns, besides Hal Jordan, all they could want and more. The cameos fit within the larger UP conspiracy, the Resistance has a big problem on their hands, and anticipation is high for where the series could go.

Green Lantern #11 is another strong entry in the series when Hal and his rebel group of Lanterns expose the U.P., and Carol Ferris makes an impulsive move. Adams excels at telling stories that correct and improve on past mistakes from previous writers, so this does well to stand on its own and set the stage for potentially cool developments in the future.

Green Lantern #12 delivers action, energy, excitement, and adventure wrapped up in a power-packed package. Jeremy Adams is dead set on giving Jordan more trouble than he can handle, and Xermnico's art is great. If only the rest of DC's title lineup was this much fun. Even the backup is worth your time.

Green Lantern #13 serves as one of the stronger, if not THE strongest, tie-ins to Absolute Power, with surprises that create shockingly high amounts of anticipation and excellent art in both the main story and backup. That said, the least interesting thing about this Absolute Power tie-in is everything related to Amanda Waller and Absolute Power.

Green Lantern #14 is one of the strongest tie-ins to Absolute Power because Jeremy Adams gives you plenty of cool developments, action, excitement, and adventure while finding an organic way to further the plot on Green Lantern. There isn't a bad spot scene in this entire comic, and the art team delivers.

Green Lantern #15 continues to be the best Absolute Power tie-in, with tons of action, drama, personality, and meaningful contributions to the main event. Plus, Jeremy Adams continues to weave in plot developments for the regular series to keep Green Lantern fans happy, and the art team's output is excellent.

Green Lantern #16 is a hard-hitting, all-out action fest to begin a war with stakes, consequences, drama, and surprises. Jeremy Adams's script makes this issue feel more important than anything DC has produced in years. Plus, Xermnico's art is excellent.9/10

Green Lantern #17is a blistering war comic that bombards you with action, adventure, twists, turns, and surprises. Jeremy Adams's script grabs you by the scruff of the neck and sprints to the reaches of space, and Xermnico's art looks gorgeous. That said, Adams almost does too much too fast, leaving little time to appreciate the cooler developments.8.5/10

Green Lantern #18is a big, loud, relatively satisfying conclusion to the Civil Crops War that establishes a new Green Lantern Corps, new Guardians, and a new mission to protect the galaxy. Jeremy Adams made the most of the Absolute Power interruption to keep the story flowing, even if the interruption resulted in a few corners getting cut, and the art team pulled out all the stops for a climactic battle.8.8/10

Green Lantern: Civil Corps Special #1 is an odd, double-sized issue that integrates the main plot point from the main Green Lantern ongoing and the recently canceled War Journal series to clear the board of dangling plot threads and reset the status quo. The art is fine, and Green Lantern fans will have plenty of stories to chew on that aren't interrupted by Absolute Power or any other external events. That said, this issue relies heavily on War Journal, which may leave some readers confused and feeling left behind.6.5/10

Green Lantern Dark #1 creates a future Earth on the edge of distinction where the last Green Lantern travels the dark roads to stave off supernatural monsters. Tate Brombal's core concept sounds cool, but the execution is too dialog-heavy and too vague to really hook you. Plus, the art fits the supernatural theme, but it's better suited for indie books well outside the typical DC quality.

Green Lantern: War Journal #1 sets up a Jon Stewart-centric story that puts his life of quiet retirement on the back burner. There's plenty of creative ring-slinging, and the art is strong, but readers who missed the backups from the main Green Lantern title may feel a little left behind.

Green Lantern: War Journal #2 is a solid entry in the series that brings the Revenant Queen's hunt to Earth and puts John Stewart's mother in the crossfire. The Revenant Queen presents as a formidable threat with high stakes, and the art is decent.

Green Lantern: War Journal #3 is a dramatic, emotionally weighty take on the classic hero's journey as John is forced to accept his mission to fight the Revenant Queen. Johnson's script contains aspects of a classically mature war drama, and Montos's meaty art is aces.

Bits and Pieces:Harley Quinn #1 takes the silly, billy, oh-so-wacky version of Harley and puts her through her paces as a recovering addict resisting the urge to break stuff. If you can get past the uber-stylistic art and the over-the-top Harley persona, this has the makings of an interesting take on the character.

Harley Quinn #2 is loud, childish, unbelievable, and unlikable. Whatever hope for a smart, fun, interesting take on the character hinted at from the first issue is wholly absent here. Perhaps issue #3 can get back on track.

Harley Quinn #3 only works if you're comfortable accepting Harley Quinn is superpowered and dumb as a box of rocks. If that's the Harley you want, this is the book for you.

Harley Quinn #4 takes a few baby steps in progressing the plot, but the story does little more than trying to validate Harley by coaxing her to accept she is her own person. The art is not going to be everyone's cup of tea, and the central plot has effectively stalled.

Harley Quinn #5 is the comic book equivalent of a spoiled child begging for attention. All silliness. Constant noise. No substance.

Harley Quinn #6 finds a new artist to improve the visual style of the book, but the reset is only half successful. The story is barely held together with scotch tape and dental floss, and the action makes no sense. I don't like being negative on a title to dunk or roast, but man, oh, man DC, what are you doing with this title?!?

Much like most of this series, DC can't seem to figure out who or what Harley is trying to be. Consistent with that indecision, DC can't figure out what this story is supposed to be as a Fear State tie-in. The solution here seems to be simply telling the Fear State components as a second story that has nothing to do with Harley Quinn, and so the riddle you must answer is "Why bother?"

Harley Quinn #8 surprisingly manages to tell a story worth telling by focusing on the one character that matters above everyone else in this series - Kevin. The Kevin bits are great, everything else barely qualifies as Fear State tie-in fluff.

Harley Quinn #9 is half of a good comic. Everything surrounding the character progression and growth of an originally ridiculous side character, Kevin, is turning out to be the highlight of the series. Everything else related to the titular character is silly nonsense.

Harley Quinn #10 is a bit nonsensical to matter much and feels like an excuse for Stephanie Phillips to force the issue's ending. Laura Braga's art is very different from Rossmo's bewildering funhouse mirror style for a more relatable visual experience. Still, there are issues with movement throughout, making for some confusing panel sequences.

Harley Quinn #11 loosely picks up after the events of issue #10 to put Harley in a no-win scenario. The setup is ridiculous, Harley's fighting prowess is ridiculous, the dialog is ridiculous, and the art is ridiculous. Purchase at your own peril.

Harley Quinn #12 is a middle finger from the creators to the readers in every way that matters. Nothing makes sense. There are no stakes. There is no point to the story. And it's 100% clear nobody at DC Comics cares about what's going on with this title or this character. Save your money.1/10

Harley Quinn #13 slightly improves over the last few issues with improved art and a cliffhanger that could lead to some fun.  Unfortunately, the journey from the first page to the cliffhanger requires the reader to believe everyone around Harley is incompetent.  But, at least, Phillips is consistent.

Harley Quinn #14 is a decent issue overall.  Unfortunately, Rossmo's stylistic design of Batwoman is more distracting than interesting, and Phillips ignores specific dangling plot points in favor of moving the story forward.  Nevertheless, the big moments make sense, and Phillips lays the foundation for a good mystery surrounding Verdict's identity.

Harley Quinn #15 takes the bold step of presenting a straightforward detective story starring Batwoman. Harley's rolling around on the floor spouting gibberish. Rossmo's art is Rossmo's art, and the story takes a few steps forward in a proper direction. However, the big surprise of this issue (Verdict's identity) is the least surprising thing of all.

Harley Quinn #16 is one of the better issues in the series as we learn Verdict's origin story. Although, Verdict's origin is well-constructed and makes sense in context, the standout of the issue is still Kevin. Rossmo is due credit for depicting Kevin's range of emotional strife once he learns the truth, making this one of the strongest issues in the series so far.

Follow ComicalOpinions on Facebook, Instagram, and TwitterBits and PiecesHarley Quinn #17 ends the current arc with a plot that makes little sense, a wacky Harley that acts with even less sense, and wonky art.

Harley Quinn #18 jettisons (almost) everything from the previous seventeen issues in favor of an ill-explained and odd mission to send Harley to the moon to destroy an unstable, alien element. Changing the art over from Rossmo to Duarte is a step in the right direction, but the kookiness, lack of setup, and explanation to go with the nonsensical plot are too much for any artist to overcome.

Harley Quinn #19 makes progress on the team's mission to diffuse a dangerous element on the moon, but the plot is riddled with unanswered questions that cast the entire plot in doubt. Luke Fox is portrayed as arrogant, irresponsible, and foolish. Meanwhile, Harley is depicted as a spastic child whose presence serves no purpose but to annoy her teammates.

Harley Quinn #20 reads like a semi-serious 80s alien horror movie starring Task Force X. Harley is barely a player in her own title, but in this case, that's a good thing. The art is serviceable, the ridiculous action is okay, and the issue ends with a respectable cliffhanger.

Harley Quinn #21 turns the title in the right direction with a story that forces Luke Fox to confront the mistakes of the past and take up a direction for the future as an alien threat looms large. Ironically, this issue works best if you accept Harley is a side character in a serviceable Task Force X story starring Luke Fox, and maybe that's for the best.

Harley Quinn #22 begins a new arc with significantly improved art, good pacing, and the makings of an effective murder mystery. Fortunately, the flaws (Kevin's green hair, Harley's personality, and an alien?!?) are compensated for by some darn fine technical execution.

Harley Quinn #23 is the issue true Harley fans have been waiting for. The art is gorgeous, the action is exciting, and Harley appears to be moving in a direction that will elevate her character immeasurably... if the creators and editors follow through. 

Harley Quinn #24 unravels the big mystery behind Harley's death in a low-energy, lackluster issue. The art is excellent, but the plot is paper-thin and wastes the potential set up in the previous issue.

Harley Quinn #25 dips into multiverse shenanigans with a nonsensical plot, terrible jokes, and tone-deaf attempts at heart and character development. The art is solid, so that's something at least.

Harley Quinn #26 ranges from serviceable to mediocre as Harley and her team hatch a plan to get all the multiversal Harleys together in one place for a showdown against the Harley Who Laughs. The art is strong, but the story could be more varied and active.

Harley Quinn #27 ends the series as it began - with contrived, nonsensical shenanigans. However, Phillips steps into Harley's narration to deliver a sincere message about love, express an odd self-awareness over her mistakes in this run, and cap the finale with a heartfelt goodbye.

Harley Quinn #28 turns the wackiness up to 11 with wildly colorful art and a nonsense plot. The story doesn't make a lot of sense, but at least it has a direction, so we'll see if the new writer can make the trip worth taking.

Harley Quinn #29 is a mess. Characters (Zatanna, Batman) written out of character, plot developments that come out of nowhere and make no sense, an increasing "bimbo glorification" vibe that feels like a bad transplant from Marvel, and a higher cover price justified with a backup story that's pure nonsense.

Harley Quinn #30 is a clownish nightmare of a comic masquerading as a bad Looney Tunes cartoon. The plot has a basic foundation for Harley to leverage in her journey to becoming a hero, but the random, over-the-top developments keep getting in the way. Coupled with offensively colored art, you have the comic equivalent of a candy store hit by a tornado.

Hartley Quinn #31 is a mess in both the writing and the art. There are seeds of sweetness within the personal character interactions, but the structure is awful. Likewise, the art looks "pretty," but the design choices and fight choreography are amateurish.

Harley Quinn 2022 Annual #1 is a serviceable-yet-bland end to the Task Force XX arc. The action art is generally good, and the ending feels complete. However, the stakes barely register above 'mild,' everything in the finale is predictable, there are no consequences for anyone's action, and Harley's ability to shake off harm from point-blank attacks has moved well beyond ridiculous.

Harley Quinn: 30th Anniversary Special lacks quality and makes up for it in volume and a hefty cover price to make you feel like you're getting your money's worth. Of the ten shorts included, only two or three truly celebrate the titular character and are worth your time.

Hawkgirl #1 is an unmitigated disaster and one of the worst (best?) examples of a writer's narcissistic need to push themselves into a character's life instead of caretaking what the character is meant to be. The setup is disjointed, the connections to continuity don't make sense, the self-insert characters are irritating, but the art is fantastic.

Hawkgirl #2 is a mess with fantastic art. The one positive is clarity surrounding the villain's intentions and motives, but everything else is a mass of confusion designed to force fit Hawkirl into Galaxy's world, whether she wants to or not.

Hawkgirl #3 isn't very good, but it's slighty better than the first two issues. Still, Hawkgirl #3 poorly concocts an excuse to head to Gotham for an obligatory Batman cameo so the world's greatest detective can add context to Vulpecula's backstory. At best, this issue is flawed and mediocre.

Hawkgirl #5 is a tedious, self-pitying, frequently nonsensical chore of a comic to read with spectacular art. It's clear Axelrod never understood the character or had a clear idea of how to build on her mythology, so the obligatory final issue next month will, at best, be a blessed relief.

About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.Follow @ComicalOpinions on Facebook, Instagram, and TwitterBits and Pieces:Hawkgirl #6 is possibly the best issue in a deeply troubled, poorly-written series. Axelrod introduces interesting concepts with the unveiling of Nth World and Kendra's new status quo. As a bonus, the art team's output is fantastic. That said, there are too many big concepts and expansive plot points that don't get enough time to develop, which means the series as a whole is poorly paced and wastes too much time in the beginning issues on inconsequential ideas.

The Human Target #1 kicks off a detective noir mystery that feels authentic to the 1950s in both writing and art, partly because it's almost a direct lift of a film from that time period. The narration has a hard, gumshoe edge, the dialog is snappy, and the book is visually engaging.