There is truly not much to recommend in this issue. However, Dustin Nguyen and Derek Fridolfs make beautiful art and should be praised for continuing to be fantastic collaborators, especially after their recent work on Li'l Gotham, which made the strongest statement about theo worth of Damian Wayne after Grant Morrison left the Bat-books. Li'l Gotham is the "event" book one should read alongside Peter Tomasi's Robin Rises arc because it depicts the love between Damian and Bruce convincingly and with warmth, which is far more demonstrative than Batman And Robin's continually exaggerated upset concerning the tragedy of Damian Wayne.

Robin Rises: Omega is a confection, an entertainment, but not much more. (Though Ninja Man-Bats VS. Parademons are hard for a comics fan to deny.) This comic has some choice moments to earn its existence besides feeling scrumptiously weighty in my hands like Batman: The Return did in 2011: shifting alliances, gruesome action, witty banter, and epically personal stakes.

Batman wants to bring his son back and is willing to go through Hell to do it. It's beautifully epic and personal stuff worth sticking around for, but I'm concerned that what seems to be theeditorially mandated resurrection of Damian might berushed. The two-act events of this issue could have breathed better as two issues. Having said that, Tomasi is creative forcompressing a dense sequence of interactions and conflict into an entertaining whole.

There is an opportunity to tell this hugely personal story in an unconventional manner, and that is not being innovated presently. Still, this remains an affecting issue of Batman And Robin, if not a spectacular one. It will all depend on how this saga ends, and if it ends unsatisfactorily, then each issue along the journey can be docked a number grade.

So, yeah, I'm mixed on the issue. On one hand it was not as accessible as it could have been, and is missing a big segment of the appeal of this title: its team. On the other hand, you can't pass up or put down Bendis's beautiful character work and easy wit. The template might be difficult to embrace, but the details are loveable enough.

Bendis and McGuinness deliver a crescendo with #19 where #18 was a bit more plateaued, and successfully build confidence in the reader that this story will pay off big and we will see each of the players in a new stasis at the end of these thunderously climactic discoveries. This storyline still depends a mite too heavily on foreknowledge of Richard and Peter, the Cancerverse, Drax's assumed death, and Thanos's attempted banishment, but still makes for an exciting evolution of recent cosmic happenings. Guardians Of The Galaxy #19 is a solid example of why cosmic Marvel is one of the most exciting and expansive corners in current comics reading!

Wytches is poised to push these characters into that abyss and see if they can recover, which makes for an exciting read especially as the characters and the readers head deeper into the cold and foreboding month of October.

Browne continues to evolve as one of the most promising emerging comics creators, since the artist began working closely with Image Comics on Manhattan Projects, and Bedlam, as well as the criminally underrated IDW series Smoke and Mirrors. It's great to see a high profile publisher taking risks and putting content like God Hates Astronautsin the greater publishing sphere. I am immensely impressed with the creativity and daring involved in GHA #1, and look forward to the rest of the 4-part mini-series. Here's to looking forward to more from Mr. Browne!

Grayson will be a landmark book for the New52 if it can maintain this level of quality, and I feel confident it can. Seeley is doing something extremely smart in having each issue individually introduce and solve a mystery (which more books should do but don't). At the same time these two issues have pushed a master-arc forward: Grayson is embedded in Spyral so he can report back to Batman on the organization's covertmission to uncoverthe identities of the World's Greatest Superheroes. (They already know so many!) What is Spyral's agenda? It's the question that plagues many a devoted Bat-fan already, but this book only begins to scratch the surface. I'm hoping this book gains the readership it deserves so we can find out.

The point is, pick up this book! It is concise in its goals while also being witty and fun. It is classy comics for readers who like moral complexity, espionage, and action. Grayson looks to be a watershed for DC's recently welcomed indie-famous creators who are playing in the New52 sandbox. The final page, a coda, presents deepened complications with Dick's new employers and I, for one, cannot wait!

Ray Spass is another flawed and complicated anti-hero faced with a problem without an easy solution, but his adventure is an intriguingly physical and internal one set against the landscape of a city of dreams that runs on compromise and false hope. Morrison and Irving have crafted a beautiful first issue for Legendary that can and should be read multiple times. There is much to chew on – and be dazzled by – with interconnected themes that highlight each other effectively.

Issue #6 is the grand finale to Starlight,and while there are certain hopes I have for these characters, especially Duke and Space-Boy, I mostly hope to simply be surprised and thrilled. 20thCentury Fox has already picked up the book's movie rights, so get in on the ground floor before this property shoots for the heavens.

Starlight is a new essential by my estimation. Millar has added another to his list. It leaves our imaginations fired and hoping that we might be able to revisit this wondrous universe and the legacy it has built, hopefully with a further aged Duke along for the journey. I know I would be up for a sequel with a grown Space-Boy (now Space-Man) growing into his leadership role, his shock of pink hair set against the vastness of space. He now has one of the best hero-pointing-a-gun-at-the-enemy-gags, turning the tables on the object of his vendetta, with "Learn how to beg?". You will have to read the whole series to know how that is one of the strongest character defining moments in recent comics history.