The beats are undeniably familiar, and there are some major red flags that pop up in this re-telling of Poison Ivy's origin. Nevertheless, I have faith in G. Willow Wilson's writing, and I'm curious to see where the story goes. This, on top of it being one of the best looking comics on stands today, makes Poison Ivy #19 well worth picking up!

Wilson, Takara, and Prianto continue their strong run on the series even if the middle chapter can sometimes feel more like setting pieces in motion than telling an organic story.

The decision to split up Isley's origin into three parts and include recent elements such as Bella Garten indicated an exciting take on the story. Unfortunately what we got was unfocused, episodic, and full of repeated ideas and frustrating dead-ends. If you're unfamiliar with Ivy's origin or want to see a more in-depth blow-by-blow then this is a serviceable version. Otherwise, it's gonna be a no from me dog.

This issue moves the story forward in only the most incremental way possible. It's essentially a glorified plant zombie kaiju fight and not a particularly good one. I think this series is in need of a major overhaul.

A step up from last month, but how could it not be? If you're a Harley or Jason Todd fan, pick this up if you want to see them here. Otherwise, the plotting is still very much stuck in the mud.

The two biggest narrative threads we've been following for months: Ivy's struggle with her own mortality and her relationship with the impulsive and untrustworthy Quinn completely fizzle out.

Would Poison Ivy work as an anthology book going forward? Who knows, but this collection of stories is just what the series needed to get out of its creative rut. Plus, it's easily the best issue this book has had all year.

Poison Ivy #26 presents a solid start for this new arc with a few interesting avenues for G. Willow Wilson and Marcio Takara to explore. Here's hoping that it ends stronger than the last arc.

The central narrative with "The Order of the Green Knight is interesting enough and the art is strong enough to carry the issue.

Technically there's a lot of dumb stuff here but I loved the tree council scene so much that I'm recommending the issue on its merits. Marcio Takara, you are a master.

All around, Batman: The Brave and the Bold #8 is still struggling to justify its existence. Even with a couple half-decent stories, it overstays its welcome and fails to justify its inflated shelf price.

Anthology books are difficult because even one middling story can drag down the whole product. The stories in Batman: The Brave and the Bold #9 are mostly strong but a deeply frustrating opener makes the book hard to recommend wholeheartedly.

Batman: The Brave and the Bold #11 sees a fun continuation of last month's Man-Bat story and the return of two iconic DC legends, but still struggles to hold its consistency over all five stories. Maybe it's time to drop the second Batman story (which is rarely good) and re-orient the book as more of a DC showcase for lesser used characters like Bat-Lash, Sgt. Rock, and Wild Dog.

This is one of the strongest collections of stories yet. This issue shows exactly what the series can do at its best: provide a core thematic framework (such as dealing with regret and redemption) using a variety of eclectic DC comics characters. Or to put it another way: all killer, no filler.

This is a fairly enjoyable issue of The Brave and the Bold. While it doesn't hit any extreme highs, both Time Jerks and The Invader set up fun stories that I'm excited to keep reading, and there's still stuff to like in the weaker stories of this anthology. Just cut it out with the Batman-Joker obsessive trauma bonding stuff.

Batman: The Brave and the Bold #16 is another mixed bag featuring two worthwhile segments highlighting the public servants of Gotham City and Metropolis, while finally closing out Nightwing and Deadman's confusing journey into Carney lore and offering a brief peek into Vox or Bumblebee's anniversary vacation. Just don't be fooled by Batman's appearance on the cover, he ain't here!

Batman: The Brave and the Bold #17 reinforces that uneven storytelling seems to be this book's brand. The opening Calendar Man story and the twist in Duality are just worth the cover price but the other stories are some of the least interesting yet.

This is officially the worst issue of this entire run. Beyond the art in the first story and some of the Robin's chemistry in the last story, there is almost nothing to recommend this issue on.

Batman: The Brave and the Bold #19 serves up a strong collection of team up stories as well as a frightening but familiar horror tale featuring Victor Zsasz. A major step up from last month on all fronts.

Superman #18 is not a bad issue, but it's neither essential for the ongoing Absolute Power crossover nor is it accessible as a standalone story. As a result, while it avoids any offensive missteps, it also fails to rise to greatness.

Superman #19 is a beautiful issue filled with so much joy and fun. Superman is back, baby and you don't want to miss it!

This isn't the first or best Doomsday fight we've seen but there are enough interesting elements in the periphery to keep Superman #20 afloat.

All in all, this is a brilliant opening issue that shows the creative team's skill in not only making an entertaining comic, but also intelligently exploring ideas about wealth, industry, and power. Not to mention some of the best art we've ever seen in an Elseworlds story. Do not miss this one.

If you're still holding out on this run, I strongly encourage you to give it a chance. While Andy Diggle is still unfolding the layers of this epic superhero mystery, he's clearly got more than a few twists and surprises in store, and I cannot wait to see where it goes. This is an issue so good, it reminds you what makes comics awesome in the first place.

As to be expected, the terrific team behind this book has delivered another excellent issue both expanding and fleshing out the world of the 19th century DC Universe. While some narrative choices raise concerns for where this story is headed and the Wonder Woman exposition dumb could've been handled better, you'd be hard pressed to find a more intelligent and well produced comic on store shelves today.

Batman: Gotham by Gaslight - The Kryptonian Age #4 is still very much in table-setting mode four issues in. As long as your patience isn't starting to wear thin, there's still plenty to recommend this book on.

As long as you don't mind a densely packed narrative, Andy Diggle, Leandro Fernandez, and Matt Hollingsworth deliver on pretty much every level here and the titular Kryptonian's debut appearance is everything you would want it to be (and possibly more).

By this point, you know what you're in for with this run. Batman: Gotham by Gaslight - The Kryptonian Age #6 serves up more epic globe spanning storytelling and a heck of a climax in Smallville.

Hickman and Messina knock it out of the park here with another bold and unexpected issue with Ultimate Spider-Man #10. If you're at all a fan of the medium, ignore the detractors. This is something truly special.

Ultimate Spider-Man #11 is a solid if uneventful issue. I would like to see MJ be given some more depth and I'm eager to see the tension ratchet up as we approach the end of a year with this book. But overall, Ultimate Spider-Man continues to be a worthwhile investment.