The art, also by Robinson, is appropriate in its tone and surprisingly well-detailed, but its not enough to save Five Weapons. Theres much better young adult fare out there. I suggest you go find it.

Its not all bad. There are one or two minor character moments, and Mike Norton gets to experiment with a different type of visual format as he replicates the drawing of Danas son Cooper following his abduction in the last issue. But its not remotely enough to save this issue. Revival began as one of the more promising comics of last year. But every time an issue like this comes along, it begins to seem more like a wasted opportunity.

Its a shame, because the vision laid out the world is, in some ways unique, as is the art. But unfortunately, it seems that this team is too caught up in the big ideas of this endeavor to focus on the things that make a comic work. When style lacks substance, it becomes shallow and gaudy even though it intends to be grandiose and profound. That is the trap Archeologists has succumbed to.

"Billy The Kid" works best when it's just fun and games. When it tries to be something more than that, it exposes its flaws rather than addresses them. Coupled with the relative stagnancy of the series itself, there just seems to be less in this issue than in the others. This arc wraps up in the next issue, so maybe things will take a different turn soon enough.

All this said, Revival #9 is not a bad comic. Its just an unfulfilled one. Right now, its bowed under the weight of its ambitions. Thats not the worst thing in the world, but at a certain point things need to change. And that change should probably happen sooner rather than later. Because, as this issue shows, when you fail to build something up right, the payoff just doesnt materialize.

Revival is still an excellent series. This just isnt one of its more exciting entries. A necessary read if youre following the comic, but this isnt a good place to start if youre not.

Mike Nortons art is a little more consistent, however. While nothing is exceptional here, he does a good job of telling the story, and his character work is definitely his strongpoint. His art does a great job of conveying the emotions obvious and subtle of the characters, and he can handle gore when it comes down to it. That said, Im still not a huge fan of his ghost, but then again, maybe thats just me.

This is a fun book to read. Its got a strong aesthetic narrative to it. This isnt a deep comic, or a well-fleshed out one, but it's a solid piece of entertainment. And, obviously, a well-drawn one. So if youre looking for a comic with excellent art, good action sequences, and Nazis, this is worth a look.

This isnt the most exciting issue. There are a number of moments that will elicit a chuckle, but other than that its mostly just Hughie paying respects to his former friends, talking to Stillwell, and being reunited with Annie. Its just a way of saying goodbye to the characters, especially Hughie himself. Theres nothing wrong with that, but its just not capable of meeting the high quality of some of this series. So The Boys doesnt go out with a bang, just a farewell.

Regardless, its a necessary moment. And while the rest of the content is somewhat breezy, it still tells an interesting story. The art is, as usual, up to the task. There are some missteps here and there Birds face right before he escapes is a little weird but its the strong, unassuming aesthetic youve come to expect by now. Strong and unassuming is probably the best way to describe Blackacre for the moment, and this issue continues that streak.

I was a little rough on the last issue of Revival, and while I feel like certain issues linger, this was definitely an improvement. Revival is still one of the better comics out there, and issue #6 is an example of why. But in my opinion, this series hasnt reached its full potential.

That said, while theres plenty of action and implications for further issues, there still isnt necessarily a lot that actually happens in this issue. The dialogue is sparse as well, and although thats not necessarily a criticism, there are certain characters like the Crow himself whose dialogue seems rather generic for the most part. Still, this isnt enough to overcome the solid aspects of this first issue. Definitely worth checking out.

Blackacre #3 is not without its flaws, but those are mostly to be expected. Its too early in the series for anything of gravity to truly occur, so this issue can only reach so high. But to the extent that it can, it succeeds.

Another month, another quality issue of Blackacre. Pick it up.

"Revival" #7 is an excellent issue, though it does have a bit of filler in it as well. Still, by and large this is a great comic, and certainly worth picking up if you're not following the series already (and if not, shame on you).

Millar and Quitely have touched on the nature of authority in superheroes when they worked on (the appropriately titled) The Authority a decade ago. With less creative restrictions this time around, things are looking up for Jupiters Legacy.

As the police approach the two, Butcher is forced to use Hughie for one last task. Going from calm to professional to downright sinister in the span of 3 pages, Butcher manipulates Hughie into doing something neither Hughie or anyone else would think him capable of. The Boys #71 may not be a perfect issue it is, after all, essentially all dialogue. But it also represents a highpoint of of one of the best series in modern comics, and one of the best characters as well. It packs an emotional weight with readers that few other comics can equal, and enunciates the themes of the series in a manner that feels completely organic to the story. And most importantly, its a fitting end for Butcher and The Boys.

Between this and Ennis latest issue of The Boys, Ennis has been on fire lately. This issue falls short of perfect, but its undeniably excellent. Well see if Victor Gischler can pick up where Ennis left off in issue #7 next month.