This issue just really had me hit a wall, and open up my eyes: Batgirl needs a new direction. This book may work for the Simone faithful, but I just don't see it appealing to anyone outside of that group.

Batman Eternal sets up a lot of things I'm excited to see play out, and one of those was what Catwoman and Falcone's past was... But this was the first time Eternal really disappointed me, and didn't really deliver anything of note. When Falcone was losing power, Selina stole a statue and scratched him... That's it. With that disappointment in mind, the rest of the issue was more or less set up for upcoming stories, so nothing really balanced out. I feel like this is the issue I've enjoyed the least so far, but the good thing is that the bar has already been set really high, so saying I enjoyed this the least doesn't actually mean it was that bad.

Would I prefer the threat of this storyline to be more pressing and well defined? Sure. But the thing to remember is that Batman is character whose stories can vary in scale very drastically. This type of street level story that "Icarus" is turning out to be, is just as valid of a Batman story as is Batman being sent back through time being chased by some Darkseid monster which possesses a distant ancestor who--you know what, it's known. Manapul and Buccellato have set out to tell a very distinct type of Batman story, and not only do they do it well, but they do it with some of the most stunning art of any comic on the stands at the moment. 

Batman Eternal has really hit its stride these past two issues, and with this week's, goes into some truly unexpected places with the reintroduction of a character long lost to DC's other continuity reboot. While it's sad to know John Layman's time in Gotham is coming to an end, at least he goes out with really kickstarting Batman Eternal into gear, having it starting to deliver a great, compelling story, that reaches all ends of the Bat universe, providing unexpected twists along the way. Real good stuff.

Batwing was a fun book until this storyline, where it fell victim to every hero in Gotham needing to have family tragedy to fuel their angst. This stuff has just been done before, and this time around the villain wasn't interesting, and the results were just depressing. It's a shame, I would have liked to have seen this book stick to its more entertaining elements while it wrapped up, but the drastic turn from fun to angst this arc took has totally turned me off from reading the remaining issues in the series. 

At this point, I think Zero Year is like a new car you've had for a couple of weeks. It's still new and great, but the new car smell has worn off. While Zero Year continues to be entertaining, the spark and excitement just isn't there towards the end. What the book lacks in excitement, it makes up for it with the humanization of Bruce we get to see in his adolescent years, a period of time which I don't ever remember reading about. Even though we all know it, getting wrapped up in viewing Batman as a larger than life figure is still all too easy, so I'll take any chance I can get to have some great human moments with the character be told.

Focus is what I said Eternal needed the last couple of issues, and focus is what it got. The series has moved past the constant introduction of new players and concepts, and has finally started to really develop some of those early plot lines that were promised. That's not to say we're done getting new characters and concepts, the final page is proof enough we're far from done, but for awhile there, Etenral was like walking through the perfume section from hell with sales associates spraying shit in your face left and right, but that time has passed, all the core ingredients are in place, and now it's time for the flavor... METAPHORS! But in all seriousness, solid issue, and I'm glad the core setup seems to be over and everything else is moving forward.

Count me as someone who is very excited to see what comes of Grayson in July. That said, Nightwing #30 does a great job of setting up what's to come, essentially acting like a #0 issue to the upcoming series. While I thought there were some hiccups with how some scenes were handled and I wasn't exactly sure what to make of Spyral's motivations, the potential of what is to come is all laid out, and it's damn near limitless. I'm ready to see Dick Grayson take on a new role, adding Helena Bertinelli into the mix is a great bonus to something I already had plenty of excitement towards. 

While story progression has stalled a bit, with these last two issues just being Batman getting incrementally closer to finding Ra's, what this issue lacks in overall progression, it makes up for in the interaction between Bruce and Frankenstein. Those two have some bad blood between them (or at least Frank has a lot towards Batman), but their reconciliation was handled very appropriately, and Frank offers a very unique voice in Batman's handling of death. Batman and Frankenstein is truly a weird team up, but given the circumstances, it worked out really well. On top of that odd-ball team-up turning out pretty well, you've also got guest art done right with Doug Mahnke, instead of some random artist who was available. Always a positive.

After a couple of issues that were very distinctly different from one another, with different locations, concepts and characters, #7 shares some consistency with the final scenes of #6, thus this wasn't as jarring of a switch as say going from #5 to #6. That's all I was really looking for, and I hope to see some more consistency between issues now that we're moving past the single issue set ups from each individual writer. For the contents of the issue, Seeley pretty much nailed everything he had to, especially the characterizations of Catwoman and Pyg. Not only were there solid characterizations, but the action was real big and it was all complimented by some unique art on Simeoni's part. So far, I think it's safe to say that this has been my favorite issue of the month.

I enjoyed this arc, and while it was a pretty big departure from what Batwoman did before, I think just a nice and easy, consistent story is what this title needed following the controversy. What this arc (and issue) consistently excelled at was the "off-duty" scenes following Kate and all the problems in her personal life, followed up with how she deals with them. There was a great balance between Kate and Batwoman, which I really appreciated. Unfortunately, the Batwoman aspect of this story really failed to deliver any sort of satisfying conclusion and just leaves everything at a very underwhelming point. There were some highs and lows, but overall, I thought this issue was pretty okay.

Harley Quinn has been the perfect book for me. I appreciate grim/inappropriate humor, I like really expressive dynamic art, and I love me some Harley. This issue once again encompasses all those traits, making for yet another month of pure joy, delivered with a heaping side of crazy.

In the end, I don't believe Pfeifer's issues really amounted to much. There was some entertaining action and dialogue scattered through out, but ultimately these three issues felt like the book was just treading water, and this issue in particular really lacked any solid conclusion other than the earth being saved from vague threat #364,298.

The high point of Batgirl #31 is the return of Ragdoll, and for good reason, because he's as twisted and entertaining as ever. But Ragdoll's presence doesn't do much for the actual story other then giving a wink and a nod to fans of Secret Six. When you take the lovable twisted freak out of the picture, the rest of the issue is just pretty middle of the line stuff. Nothing terrible, nothing great either, just a pretty standard issue of Batgirl, if I'm being honest.

As with the most recent issues Batman Eternal #6 sets up another path for this series to eventually go down, but due to the structure of these single individual issues from the different writers, everything feels a bit disconnected and not as cohesive as one such as myself might like. This will probably be fixed once we start getting solid arcs from each writer, but as of right now, going from low-level criminals, to nanobots, and now to supernatural stuff, Eternal just seems choppy at the moment. Despite the flow form issue to issue being a bit disrupted, what is set up here could very well be the most interesting part of Eternal due to the wildcard nature of supernatural elements, especially within a story about corruption, organized crime, etc. Eternal is definitely cooking up something good, but I'm ready for things to start getting a bit more consistent from issue to issue.

Despite if it "matters" or not, what Batman/Superman does well is provide a really fun and entertaining story, as well as properly reintroducing an old fan-favorite character to their previous status quo, never before seen in the New 52. Jeff Lemire, Karl Kerschl and Scott Hepburn provide plenty of fun, plenty of wit, and plenty of action in what ultimately was a very satisfying one and done story.

While I thought this issue was generally pretty good, it's probably my least favorite of the series so far. There's a lot going on in Eternal, and while some things seem random, you can sort of make a guess as to why they're happening. Spectre showing up in Gotham? Weird? Yes. Explainable? Sure, we saw some spooky shit going down at Arkham. These nanobots? Just completely random. Like I said above, the elements introduced in this issue just made a bad first impression with me... and Vicki Vale was kind of annoying. That said, let's not play down the great art and solid Tim Drake in Gotham action. There certainly was plenty of that.

At this point, this book's current story arc just seems to be treading water to me. In previous reviews, I've already made my disinterest in the setting and villains of this arc clear, but those elements are moving at a snail's pace, and I'm only growing more disinterested in the title. What once was a much  needed jolt in the arm of a struggling book has found itself in a rut of weak melodrama that's just not that enjoyable to read from month to month. Best case scenario for me in this title moving forward is to wrap up this story, and just go crazy, making the absolute most of the forth or fifth lease on life this title has been seemingly given. 

Would it really be a surprise to say that this book has easily become one of DC's best looking titles? Not really, but it's true. The art is spectacular, and the colors are eclipsing this team's work on The Flash, in my book. Like FCO on Batman, Buccellato isn't afraid to use colors we don't really see in Gotham a lot... like pink, orange, magenta. There's a way to make Gotham look colorful, but still hold that certain darkness, and this book does it perfectly. On the writing side of things, the story has begun to get it's footing and have a consistent flow, and it's turning out to be a pretty interesting mystery so far. So, we got fantastic art, and a story that's picking up pretty nicely? Hard to go wrong with Detective Comics at this point.

For whatever reason, I've been enjoying Gail Simone's Batgirl way more recently than I have in prior years, and that streak continues as she picks up the slack that was left behind by Birds of Prey's wasted potential, and explores the personal, tension-filled relationship between Batgirl and Poison Ivy. Not only did I appreciate getting to see these two interact with each other on a one-on-one basis, but I also through the way the story was told throughout the seasons was very interesting as well. Overall, while not knowing what to expect from this particular issue, I came away from it having enjoyed it quite a bit.

With the initial setup out of the way, we are now starting to see where Batman Eternal's various plots will begin to separate and go their own way, all while continuing to develop and add or hint at larger additions to the big picture. The only drawback I can really find this week is the fact that I couldn't really tell this issue, which was scripted by Layman, apart from the first three that were scripted by Snyder and Tynion. Going forward, I hope that the individual issues/arcs will have more noticeable differences in styles between the writers. That said, through it's first month, Batman Eternal has had an incredibly strong debut and doesn't seem to be slowing down anytime soon.

Sure, circumstances surrounding this story weren't ideal, but at the end of the day, as a reader, I don't think I should allow myself to get wrapped up into whatever internal DC politics went on to create the situation that lead to this specific issue. What's important is what's on the page, and as far as I'm concerned, I enjoyed the story that Marc Andreyko provided, and felt it was beautifully illustrated by both Trevor McCarthy and Moritat. While this may have not bee the originally intended conclusion to the arc, I still felt that it was a fitting, enjoyable conclusion.

Three weeks in, and Eternalcontinues to develop into what is sure to be a great story. New characters and developments continue to be introduced all while teasing that the surface has barely begun to be scratched.

Like I said about, Zero Year fatigue is real, and despite how good the story or art is, the fact is, Zero Year has been going on for quite some time, and I'm personally ready for it to be over with Eternal having begun, and whatever is going on with Robin in the summer. That said, despite my fatigue, Savage City quite possibly gave me that last jolt needed to really stay enthused towards Zero Year, with the end closing in. Nothing about Zero Year has been typical so far, and the final arc seems to be the least typical out of all of them, and definitely reignited my interest. 

The Hunt for Robin started off really strong last month, and while it mostly continues into the Wonder Woman issue, the nearly mirrored structure of both issues left me feeling a little bummed about this month's entry. That said, despite the "There's Ra's! Oh no, he got away again!" format, the story is moving along quite nicely and has clearly captured my interest, as I'm very curious to see where the big turns we know are coming actually play out.

Like I said before, I was already sold on this book, that was a given, but this issue really starts to demonstrate what Batman Eternal could, and will eventually become. The scope of this series is wide, and after the inciting incident, the spotlight has started to widen, allowing characters and concepts both expected and unexpected, to step in and start to craft one big, crazy story.

Outside of my narration gripes, I didn't find much wrong with this issue, and it certainly looked very nice. The one thing that stood out to me about this issue was that nothing much actually stood out, everything just felt a bit typical. Still not really sure what the paintings are supposed to lead too, the Arkham breakout wasn't all that interesting with D-list inmates, and so on. It was a fine issue, just not the best.

What can I say? Harley is as ridiculous and over the top as ever and it's still really, really fun. I mean, what else is there? Guess what! Harley does some inappropriate stuff here, and the people who are up this book's ass will probably still bitch and moan about it, but if you getthis book, it's still hilarious and one of DC's funnest books to read each month.

There's a distinct element of fun in these recent issues of Red Hood, but with the feeling that they're not going to amount to much other than laying out the red carpet for Lobdell's... "glorious" return, it's sort of hard to get that invested in the story. Sure, Red Hood and Starfire traveling the world, fighting Frankenstein is cool in a shared universe perspective, but there's no real depth to it. Given those issues I had with the story and the lackluster fill-in art, I thought this issue was just okay.

This was an inventory issue, take that for what you will. To expect a lot out of an issue like this would probably be foolish, but even then, Batgirl #30 really fails to accomplish anything and just doesn't seem worthwhile.

Batman Eternal #1 was a good start, but just keep expectations in check, as this issue clearly only scratches the surface of what's to come.

I feel the same way about this individual issue as I do the arc, it does some interesting things with Luke's character and how it relates to his "mentor" in Batman, but the setting is just uninteresting and forgettable. I'm used to having fun with this series, but these past few issues have sort of lost that spark. I'm right down the middle with this one, not great, not bad, it just's okay.

While this new creative team's first issue was a beauty and filled with promise, it was a bit rough around the edges with how the story flowed from scene to scene. Don't get me wrong, I didn't find anything that was introduced in this issue to actually be bad, I just thought there was a little too much too soon. Once we get a couple more issues of this arc and everything gets a bit more established, I'm confident things will smooth out, but quickly introducing everyone up front in a single issue left me feeling like this was a rough cut of a story with a lot of potential.

Everything good I said about this book is what I believe Catwoman as a character should be. The way I review books, I judge them against themselves, and unfortunately, the bar is set so low for this title, even what I see as a standard Catwoman story seems like a godsend from the comic heavens. That said, I don't mean to diminish this issue and its accomplishments, because I came away from this very pleased. This was an inventory issue, and as they should be, my expectations weren't very far past "it'll be average at best." But I was surprised by this one, and Sholly Fisch delivered a really tight, quality story that had good characterization and seemed pretty well thought out from start to finish. So, despite it being a one and done inventory issue, I'd definitely recommend this to anyone who has missed reading Catwoman for some time due to the title's current circumstances.

Talon was a great book, and I'm really happy to see that despite a writer taking over with the last two issues, it came to a conclusion with thought and care rather than someone hastily slapping something together at the last minute. Tim Seeley managed to not only write an entertaining conclusion (aided by Lord Death Man's gleeful madness) but also figured out a way to tie all the elements he was working with together to cap off all the great work that has been done defining who Calvin Rose is as a character, all the way back from issue #0.  While I'm sad to see this book go, it definitely went out on a high note.

This was a pretty straightforward issue, but doesn't suffer from a lack of content. As is the case with the rest of Andreyko's issues of Batwoman, the great characterization is what really sells the book. Kate's personal problems are portrayed convincingly, as is how projects them towards other characters, such as Maggie, who I kind of feel bad for, as she's just trying her best to help Kate, who doesn't really get it. So while the arc may be stretching out the thin mystery a bit too far, and there was some fill-in this month, Batwoman #29 still manages to be a very compelling read from a characterization standpoint.

This book is insane. Absolutely insane, this might have been the craziest issue yet, and in Harley's case, the crazier the better. When you take all of this issue's absurdities and marry them with the pitch perfect art, you get one hell of an enjoyable read. In a world of super serious superhero books that tell similar stories over and over again, few titles put a smile on my face as much as Harley does. 

Is this issue amazing? No, not really. But what it does do is return the book to a place many wish it never strayed from, and that's be a simple, straightforward, fun read. Preifer isn't trying to make the book out to be something it's not, this isn't a life changing story with drama to spare, it's just the Outlaws doing what the Outlaws do best, and that's entertain. Accompanied by some of the best art this title has seen in over a year, and this issue is a welcome return to form in my book.

Was this issue (along with the first part) a ground breaking step for Batgirl? No, not by any means. But you know what it was? Fun. After a great deal of melancholy that I got very tired of, very quickly, these past two issues were a breath of fresh air for the series, offering a simple, kind of ridiculous, but entertaining short story. Hopefully the next arc continues this trend, because if the book stays constantly fun like this, I'll definitely start to enjoy it more.

As with Batman #24, the second arc of "Zero Year" hits its crescendo with apocalyptic force. The action and destruction is high, with a second issue's worth of art to support it. As with any good Batman story, beneath the fights, explosions and mutilated bone monsters, there's a good deal of character moments to be had, especially with a younger, less experienced, and perhaps a bit emotionally unstable Batman. It's a dense issue, that's for sure, perhaps a little to dense in some parts, but overall, a very strong read. While it perhaps doesn't match the stellar conclusion to the Red Hood Gang's part in this story, which was full of plenty of winks and nods to longtime Batman fans, the conclusion to "Dark City" was like watching the best disaster movie starring Batman, that doesn't actually exist.

Nightwing #29 serves a fantastic conclusion to Kyle Higgins' time on the book by remaining true to itself, wrapping things up with care, rather than hastily ending plotlines just to get to one editorially mandated point.

I'm not going to lie, this issue surprised me quite a bit, and of all Greg Pak's present day Batman/Superman issues, this probably was my favorite thing he's written so far. This issue not only avoided the problems I've encountered with how Pak writers Batman and Superman's relationship, but also avoids the tired trope that is a bad guy's kid coming back and wanting revenge. Mix some unexpected twists to the formula, some good character and humorous moments, as well as a helping of great art from three very talented artists, and you've one of Greg Pak's best issues yet on the series, which was worth the wait. 

Batwing unleashed is great. I love seeing Luke sort of fall into the darkness that comes when one puts a bat on their chest, as it creates all sorts of possibilities for character development, as well as drama to see just how far Luke goes. The problem with this shift in Luke's story, is that the motivation behind it has started to enter some a very grey territory, littered with refrigerators. While others have very well documented issues with character motivations such as this, I just find it lazy, as it's been done many times before. Perhaps the developments in this issue won't stick, perhaps due to the low readership hardly anyone will notice, but all I know is something sort of rubbed me the wrong way in this issue, and I hope there's some redemption and deeper reasoning down the line as to why those things happened.

 And with that, Layman's time on Detective Comics comes to an end with the conclusion of Gothtopia.  Despite some questionable comic science, Gothtopia finished with Batman doing what Batman does best, being smarter than everyone else. Unfortunately, while we get a good helping of clever Batman, there's not a whole lot more to the conclusion other than "Batman figures out what's going on and stops it." The conclusion was good, just didn't really leave a lasting impression, which is unfortunate, given it was Layman's last issue, and I think he's done some pretty great stuff in his run. At least we've got four issues of Batman: Eternal from him!

This issue fits perfectly with the series as a whole, predictable and just doesn't amount to much. That said, I don't think any of this was necessarily bad, outside of some particular characterizations from issue-to-issue, but it wasn't great. If you enjoy Bane being a badass, then there's something to enjoy here, but just don't expect it to be a big shocking conclusion, as it's pretty much just more of the same.

With Calvin Rose's solo adventures wrapping up next month, it's hard to say where this final arc will take him, and whether or not he'll be granted life once more, but Tim Seeley's conclusion to the series has definitely started off well. As I mentioned above, this plot was ripe with easy opportunities for Calvin's motivation towards becoming "alive" once more, but instead of the easy way out, we're given a deeper motivation that feels authentic by playing towards Calvin's life as an escape artist and what makes him tick. Keeping in theme of taking the easy way out, what makes this issue more satisfying is by paying that extra attention to the details, it's easy to believe that unlike many New 52 titles that have just ended on an abrupt, flat note, Talon could possibly end with some well thought out closure, which would be great, given how consistently good this title has been.

I had no idea what to expect going into this story, and quite honestly, wasn't expecting to care for it all that much, but man... Did both Tomasi and Gleason deliver one hell of a Two-Face story. I'm all for Batman's rogues having a deeper tie to Batman than just the simple "they're the opposite of some element of Batman." That something that works, but really working out some meaningful ties between Batman and his rogues is what makes the rogue who's benefiting from those ties really great. When this arc started, I wasn't sure what to think of the changes being made to Harvey's origin, but then I began to see that they weren't simply New 52 changes for the sake of being new, and that's it... Then this issue happened, and really cemented the fact that some actual thought and reasoning went into the New 52 origin of Two-Face. Then when everything comes together, this finale just leaves you on a really high WTF note. This was one great story that I did not see coming. 

This issue was probably my favorite issue of Batwoman in quite some time. Andreyko and Haun hit that perfect mix of personal and vigilante drama, not relying too much on Kate's life as Batwoman or vis versa. While the ratio between personal life to hero life was great, it all wouldn't mean much without reason for the reader's to care, and the scenes between Maggie, Kate and Jamie in this issue really felt like a natural and authentic relationship, which is sort of rare in superhero books these days. Aside from a seemingly rushed Zero Year issue, I'd say Marc Andreyko's run on Batwoman so far has been really strong, this issue being his best yet.

Another really fun, entertaining, violent, and mildly inappropriate issue of Harley Quinn. While the issue was a great read, I don't think it was as funny as say issue #2, but to be honest, it just barely missed the mark. So far this book has been a joy to read, and you better believe Harley going up against a bus of love crazed serial killers, with nothing but garden tools, was pretty damn joyful to read.

James Tynion IV leaves the title with an odd note, that's for sure. While most of Tynion's run was full of unbefitting melodrama and child of destiny tropes, this final issue sees the book return to form in just telling a fun story about the Outlaws being Outlaws and fighting bad guys. There are good personal interactions, strong moments here and there, and it's just an entertaining read. That said, the problem with this issue lays in the fact that it was Tynion's last issue, and doesn't present anything that seems to matter to the title going forward. So while this issue was generally a fun read, and a general improvement in comparison to recent issues, at the end of the day, it doesn't amount to much. But fun is fun, and I did have a good time seeing the Outlaws interact the way I used to know and love.

There's been a good deal of woe is me going on lately, but with this issue, Batgirl has gotten back on track for me. Gail Simone introduces us to a new crazy in the man known as Silver, who fits right in to Gotham's crazy population, and was pretty entertaining to read. Meanwhile, the great dynamic between Batgirl and Strix, that was explored in the previous Annual, was picked right back up and continues to prove that there's a place for these Court of Owl exiles in Gotham. Something fun, kind of weird, and kind of goofy is really what I wanted out of this issue, and it's what I got, so consider me happy with the first part of this arc.

Prior to reading this issue, I saw a comment on a message board about how they didn't get why this was going to be a spoiler issue and thought it made zero sense… that sentiment is laughable. The idea of this issue was to throw readers into the middle of the shit, with no context  at all, and show them all sorts of craziness to get them excited to read Batman: Eternal to see how things get to this point. It worked, holy crap, did it work. In terms of comics, I'll fully admit that I can get jaded, or perhaps become too cynical, but I always have that soft spot for Batman… that said, going into this issue, I kept my expectations in check, which was probably the best decision I could make, as they were soon blown out of the water. I don't know when the last time it was that I was this excited to read a Batman story. This issue set out to do one thing, entice us with a whole bunch of great WTF moments, and it did that gloriously.

Despite having some heavy editorial influence looming over this book (due to Forever Evil), I can admire the fact that Kyle Higgins is still able to close out his run on the series while staying true to the overarching theme involving Dick's relationship to his past, that he's laid in place since issue #1. It's also nice to see that despite this book's impending doom, DC got a very talented artist in Russell Dauterman to help close out the book, instead of just sticking it with one of DC's many mercenary type fill-in artists. These final two issues are definitely a "make the best out of a bad situation" sort of deal, and despite a few details I didn't like here and there, Higgins and Dauterman seem to be delivering a fitting finale, before we get into all this post-Forever Evil mystery.

With another issue under its belt, Batwing continues to be an enjoyable read, and with the book seemingly not going anywhere for a while, might as well take part in the fun it offers.

It's going to be sad to see Layman leave this title, and Gotham in general once his Eternal issues are published, but at least his last solo story has turned out to be really fun so far. This issue, while having it's minor faults here and there, sets up what is sure to be a crazy conclusion, while providing entertaining team-ups we don't get to see too often, like Batman and Ivy. Really looking forward to the conclusion, that's for sure.

Same old story for this series, while it offers some dumb, lowest common denominator, albeit fun entertainment, it just doesn't amount to much past Bane faction vs. Scarecrow faction. This series is just a bunch of Batman villains fighting, and nothing past that. So, like always, if you just like seeing people punch each other, you'll probably enjoy this, if you're expecting something more, look elsewhere. Me? I'm straight down the middle on this one.

This issue should satisfy Dick Grayson and Damian Wayne fans alike, as we are given a rare (well, now it's rare) glimpse into Dick Grayson's life as Robin, and a couple of good one-lines from the now deceased Damian Wayne. Combine a really solid story with some of the best art we've seen on an annual from DC in a while, and you've got another issue that has no problems standing next to the splendid first issue of this Annual volume.

On one hand, this was a nice little story, dealing with something more personal than Gotham's latest psycho, on the other hand, it just didn't feel like it amounted to a whole lot, which has been this book's problem for a while now. It's kind of hard to say anything past that, given the book is already cancelled. It would sort of be like kicking a dog when it's down, because I could go on and say that this is the Batman book the character doesn't need, it's just excess, blah blah, but it'd be pointless, because that's known, and that's why it's ending in March. I can't say I wish this book would amount to more, because I know it won't, so I'm just left indifferent to the series, and this issue. It was fine, it really was, but I don't really have anything that great or that bad to say about it.

This series was rumored quite some time ago, and on paper, I was really excited for a 666 style Damian series... and then it actually happened, and that excitement turned into questions of just what I was reading. This issue gives this already asinine story and equally asinine ending with all the mischaracterization and lack of fulfillment you might expect, having read the first three issues. Once again, the only saving grace for this issue was that the art and colors were really good. In a Damian-less world, this series, which could have been so good, with tons of opportunity to be, given the setting... was just a massive disappointment. 

Let's not beat around the bush, this was an inventory issue, through and through. But just because it was an inventory issue, which by nature are pretty detached from any larger story, doesn't mean it was necessarily bad. If you like the Court of Owls, and are interested in their different Talons, then you'll enjoy this issue. The problem lays in the fact that we get to know this Talon is a bit crazy, but there isn't really a whole lot of reason given as to why he's so crazy. It was a good issue, just could have been a bit better.

Surprise! Zero year is still great! In the midst of all the crazy things going on, this issue gives the solo spotlight to two of Batman's biggest supporting characters, really educating Bruce on what Batman can be, and what he'll eventually become in time. As the penultimate chapter for "Dark City," it sets up some crazy stuff for the finale in March, but I just wish the Riddler was woven in a little more carefully, rather than the "twist" at the end. That said, it's hard to find anything to complain about, because the different and crazy take on Batman's origin is still a really fun read.

There's been a lot of changes to the origin of Two-Face, and as the backwards flashbacks have contextualized these changes, sometimes that's just not enough, and no matter how well intentioned, some changes don't sit well. I'll admit I'm not a fan of the defense attorney angle, but oh well, not that big of a deal. The story as a whole continues to be interesting, and the forced team-up this issue was nothing less than entertaining. 

If this issue suffers from anything, it's a mix of pacing as well as a bit of a "been there, done that" sort of feel. There's nothing wrong with the story presented, it just goes by too quickly, and some of it feels like a rehash. The consequences of this issue are where the interesting bits will most likely lay. The personal drama that could spin out of Kate's fianc's child learning Batwoman's secrets could be pretty big, throwing quite a few more bumps on an already bumpy road. That's what I'm interested in seeing play out.

This book continues to be an absolute joy. It'd be a bold lie to say I've had more fun with any other book DC publishes than I do with this one... just the boldest lie I could tell you. Harley, the art, the gallows humor, it's all right up my alley, and adding that Harley/Ivy element to this issue was just the cherry on top. Man, I love this book, I really, really do.

I was optimistic with this storyline to begin with, but with each month, I began to realize I sort of hated Jason as this child of destiny clich. Fortunately, that's over! Elements of what made the Outlaws such a fun team to begin with begin to shine through the cracks in this issue, but unfortunately, James Tynion only has one issue left on the series. Makes you wonder what could have been if all these mystical elements weren't pressed so hard, but oh well. I don't know if I enjoyed this conclusion because it was pretty decent, or because it was the closure to a story I didn't like... either way, it was fun, yet marred with the same art issues I've had with the book for the past... well, however long it's been since Rocafort left.

While this issue does some stuff we rarely see, like give a voice to the families of victims in Gotham, it ultimately pans out to be another pretty okay tie-in. There's been a lot of Batman tie-ins recently, and they ultimately end up being unrelated side stories when placed next to the story they're actually tying into, and that's the wrong way to do it in my view. I'd much rather have a tie-in that contributes something to the big picture, something this issue (and Batwing before it) didn't do. While it's a fine story on it's own, there's just something ultimately underwhelming to it.

Marionette is a cool character, with an interesting connection to a classic villain and I really enjoyed her reintroduction into this title, but unfortunately, it seems she'll be left hanging (HAH!). Like being on the road with the circus, or the owner of Amusement Mile before it, this Chicago driven direction for Nightwing seems to be coming to an end, and is unceremoniously being shown the door in favor for whatever is next. Unfortunately, this inevitable and most recent change in direction lead to a few too quick for their own good wrap ups on characters or ideas that were introduced recently, and it's disappointing for interesting concepts to seemingly not get utilized to their full potential, yet again. Par for the course of New 52 Dick Grayson.

This issue and arc as a whole was plain dumb fun, portrayed well with great and colorful art. But, one could find fault in that as well, as this arc, which didn't really have much depth, followed an arc just full of character depth. So if you appreciate more substance to a story, this one will probably disappoint you, but if you're willing to have a bit of fun, its got what you want.

I've praised this run on Batwingfor just being action packed fun every month... Unfortunately, that's what this story lacked this time around. Gothtopia sets up an interesting premise, but it goes underutilized in this issue, which s the most unfortunate part of the issue, as it could have been really fun. Mix that with the fill in art, and you've got yourself an okay issue overall. Not bad, but the series has, and can do better.

 While renumbering titles like Detective and Batman was almost a shock back when it happened, you can't argue with the results found here. This issue is just a great celebration of Batman, where he's been, where he is, and where he'll go, all put together by some of the best in the industry. If cool anniversary style stories wasn't enough, we also get a 27 page debut of the next regular story arc in Gothtopia, which is all sorts of weird and crazy, a fitting end to Layman's run on the title. If you like Batman, you need this book, without a doubt.

 For however much you can appreciate this story for being so ridiculous and over the top, you could also knock it for those very same reasons. As with the rest of the issues, I'm straight down the middle on this one, somewhere in-between "this is ridiculously awesome" and "this is ridiculously stupid." Weird book... really weird book.

Yeah, what happened to this title was kind of fucked up, but I'm not going to sit here and pretend I thought it was perfect before, or that Andreyko and Haun don't deserve a fair shot. If you're willing to get past the drama, you'll find that Batwoman has been left in very capable hands, but is also going in a direction unique to this creative team. It's important that this title went in a different direction, because if DC had this team immediately follow up on the plot that was left dangling, it'd be insulting to the previous team and readers alike… It'll be an interesting Annual to review in April, but we'll cross that bridge when we get to it. Regardless, aside from a few small blemishes here and there, overall this was a very strong issue for the new creative team that accomplishes what it needed to in order to establish a new direction.

 This series is lucky it has some fantastic art, because there is absolutely nothing salvageable from the story. This issue, and let's be honest, series as a whole, is just an pretty looking mess. 

 This issue set out to do something very specifically, and it accomplished that. The art has no problems portraying a story with no dialogue, there's no denying that. The only thing that really takes away from it is the fact that a similar, more personal story has been told with Batman, using the same schtick, and that one did it better. It's unfortunate, because while this is generally a good issue, it just perpetuates this title following in the wake of the other Bat titles.

 While this book isn't cancelled (for this month, anyways) this is the way you'd like a title to go out, with a clear ending, everything wrapped up in a nice little package, not a rushed mess of "I don't know, just get everything over with, or something… whatever!" like how most New 52 books end… Again, the book isn't over… but c'mon, it sort of is. Aside from some art inconsistencies and some confusions I had to what the whole evil plan was that Calvin and Batman was trying to stop, it was a really good finale of sorts. I've really greatly enjoyed this series since the beginning, and I really hope Calvin and his allies continue to appear in Gotham.

I'll be the first to admit, I wasn't expecting much from this arc, but surprisingly, it's been pretty damn strong. We're getting the meat of these new characters and who they are now, and like I've said above, some major holes that can be found in the concept of New 52 continuity are avoided by Tomasi's clever way of telling the backstory. This issue really backs up the changes in the continuity, supporting those changes with honest character motivation rather than "Fuck it, it's the New 52, let's just change shit!" which happens all too often.

This title launched with a great gimmick in the #0 issue, but it was easy to wonder where the series would go without all the A-list artists and Harley talking directly to her writers. Wonder no more, as with this first issue, it's safe to say that Harley Quinn is set to become one of DC's funnest series in years. If perhaps you felt alienated by how Harley was handled in the New 52 in books like Suicide Squad, you'd probably enjoy the hell out of this title, as it's a major return to form for Harley, who is goofy, lovable and just the right amount of crazy. Amanda Conner, Jimmy Palmiotti and Chad Hardin are definitely on to something here.

I think this story has just turned me off to the idea of having some mystic element in Jason's past, it's just not working, and this issue goes real heavy on those tropes. Okay, Jason's the chosen one... why? What is this? What's the point of it all? Up until this point, there's no real indication of why any of this is happening. Sure, Jason does mention this was "all part of the plan" but that just leads me to expect a very deus ex machina plot explanation next issue. Mix that one big trope I'm completely tired of, the less-than-steallar art, the overdone/annoying melodrama, and a not a great Ra's al Ghul, and you get a pretty disappointing issue. The one thing I like about this issue, is the fact that this very drawn out arc is coming to a close soon.

"Get it over with" was pretty much my tune through this whole arc, I thought the first two issues were just too melodramatic, couldn't buy into it knowing the dead son wasn't dead, and the characterizations were just all over the place... Well, this issue did get it over with, and in a pretty positive way. On top of being a really fun, action packed issue, the conclusion to Batgirl: Wanted didn't leave much room for any lingering melodrama that I wasn't a fan of. Add the fact that I thought it was also a visually stronger issue than we've received lately, and overall, it was a pretty strong issue, despite not being a fan of the story in general.

I mean, what can I say that I didn't already? Zero Year is a great story, and hold surprises around every corner. In fact, it being that surprising might be it's only fault, because if you're really looking forward to something that you think is coming, like the Riddler, you're probably going to be disappointed that the only riddle is: Where's the Riddler? It seems silly to complain about a book being unpredictable, and to be honest, I'm not really complaining, because predictability runs wild in modern comics. At this point, it's my fault for having expectations, knowing full well that Zero Year will blow them out of the water, and that's truly what this story does best... Still want some more Riddler, though.

I think this is the definition of middle of the line quality. There's a good idea here, supported by nice art, but past that, there's not a whole lot of content to be found in this issue. Perhaps if DC didn't spoil the fact that Bane puts on a Batman suit, then maybe it would have been a bit more worthwhile, but instead... yeah, that's pretty much all that happens, and we learned that two or so weeks ago.

I honesty had thought that this Marionette character had been dropped as everything started to focus around the Prankster in the first Chicago arc, but I'm glad she's back. She's a weird character, whose abilities and multiple personalities make her pretty entertaining to read, and that twist that ties her to the Mad Hatter seems pretty fitting, so I'm willing and interested to see where that goes. There's a lot of unanswered questions about Nightwing in the near future, but for now, this story has gotten off to a fun start.

The enjoyment you'll find in this issue depends on how open you are to bat-shit-insanity, because it's a pretty ridiculous and out there concept. While part of me can't take this arc too seriously, or believe it'll have any sort of lasting effect on either Batman or Superman, I do enjoy it for how crazy it gets. If you're like me, but even more hardcore and everything needs to be serious business all the time, then you'll probably not enjoy this that much, but hey, this is a story that definitely aims for a specific tone and not everyone's going to like that. On the other hand, if you love video games, and you love the idea of MechaBatman and Superman fighting, then this is probably right up your alley, so grab some Mountain Dew and Doritos and unlock some achievements.

I've said many times before that I've enjoyed this run for the simple, action-packed fun that has been consistently produced month in and month out. That said, this was my favorite issue of Gray and Palmiotti's run on the title so far, because not only did it have that consistent fun, but it played with continuity from a past story (which I loved) in a new way, following up on threads that were left dangling. While always a fun book, this little foray into obscure continuity really gave this issue a nice hook, which I thought was really enjoyable.

I enjoyed Layman's Man-Bat/She-Bat story, I did, but unfortunately, the full story's general inconsistent release didn't allow this issue to feel as cohesive as it should have been. With Man-Bat jumping from the big anniversary issue, to the back ups, then put on pause by stuff like Zero Year, coming into this issue, you feel like there should be more, but instead it's a conclusion, that's it, the end. Ultimately, the segmentation that lead up to this issue didn't do it any good, so it's hard to fault Layman or Lopresti who produced a perfectly competent issue that should be perfectly satisfying to anyone who doesn't mind who the Man-Bat story was released.

This was a middle of the line ending to a middle of the line story. There's nothing all that bad about it, but there's also nothing that great going on either. If you like Clayface or you like Alex Maleev's art, then go right ahead, but ultimately this is a very come and go type of story.

I don't know what I'm more angry at, the fact that this book has to go back to the bottom of the barrel next issue, or the fact that DC teased us with the best written issue of Catwoman in over a year, only to go back to the shit next month. This is the Selina Kyle I want, the tone, characteristics, style and art all came together to get her right. There's not much I can say outside of that, this is Catwoman done right.

While the first issue salvaged quite a bit after a poor initial impression, this issue goes back to what I was originally expecting after reading that preview. It's just sort of all over the place, parts of the dialogue are truly bad and motivations aren't exactly clear. It would say it's a bad issue, but the inconsistency is worrisome. All that aside, from an artistic standpoint, the book remains a beauty, with Andy Kubert's art shinning along with Brad Anderson's colors, so at least there's that.

Final note: I'd be surprised if Icarus isn't a big part of Manapul and Buccellato's Detective Comics run.

While this story isn't going to be the finale of the book, it has that feel to it. With the way this issue progresses things, it feels as if the story will come to a natural conclusion next issue, rather than a "oh shit, we're cancelled, wrap everything up as quickly as you can!" vibe that many axed books in the New 52. Again, this book isn't cancelled (yet), but the you can tell that this chapter on Calvin is soon to close, and this issue should get fans of the character pretty excited for whatever happens in issue #14.

One of my main problems with the New 52 is the fact that perfectly good characters or stories will be changed just for the sake of change, with no noticeable reasoning or thought going into them. I was hesitant on changing Harvey's origin last issue, but the further context to the change provided by this issue makes this one of the rare occurrences that a New 52'd character clearly has some thought and reasoning put into what's different about them. Sure, you can not like for the fact it was changed in the first place, but you can't deny that Tomasi actually put some thought into the changes, and that, I can respect.

Given everything surrounding this book and how this issue came to be, I can tell you, they could have done a lot worse. There are consistency issues, the Zero Year story is rather uninspired, but writer Marc Andreyko does demonstrate that he knows this character, cares, and respects what came before, rather than being someone who treats this as a just another job. It'd be a mistake to use this issue as a gauge to predict where the title will go from here, as its particular problems aren't necessarily indicative of anything in the longterm, but the positives that were presented do provide some hope that everything is going to be okay with Batwoman. 

I knew what to expect going in, but Harley Quinn #0 exceeded all expectations with its insane fourth-wall-breaking antics, supplemented by some of the best artists in the biz. While this issue isn't a representation of what the title will be like going forward, it reintroduces New 52 readers to something the New 52 has lacked, and that's fun. Albeit that fun is insane, maniacal, amoral and just generally over the top in every way shape and form. But what else would you expect from Harley Quinn?

This issue improved on two things. First, the art was way better than it's been in what has to be over a year now, and second, it avoided being yet another generic "would be hero does something heroic" Zero Year story, which many books have fallen into. While some elements here and there are somewhat hard to believe, the visual improvements and the fact that it at least stands out from the other tie-ins, doing something unique, makes this a pretty good stand alone issue in my book.

Overall, I think this issue was a pretty good effort that was well told by an up and coming writer. What was missing was that one element that really said "Barbara Gordon." Other Zero Year issues, like Green Lantern Corps really used the main character to the fullest, and illustrated who they are and what they'd do in this disastrous situation. Is this what I'd expect Babs to do in big bad storm? Yeah, but the general heroics are one thing, I just missed that one spark needed to really mold this to Babs' character. That said, all and all, it was still a solid, enjoyable issue.

With the start of a new arc, despite the pace slowing down a bit, Zero Year continues to remain surprising, to say the least. Expecting more Riddler? Well, joke's on you, because this issue does what Zero Year does best, and completely screws with any expectations one may have gong in, and screws with them in the best way possible.

Overall, this was a much improved issue from a somewhat boring first. This issue truly lives up to the name "Arkham War." It's unfortunate that the issue is hampered by some clumsy continuity issues with various characters, some larger than others. Will most people realize those errors? I don't know, probably not, this is coming from someone who reads nearly all the Batman related books, so I'm tempted to say it's not that big of a deal... but still, typical messy New 52 continuity. Nerdy nitpicks aside, if you came for war, war is what you get in this issue, and it's pretty damn enjoyable. 

What we have here is a great characterization issue for John Stewart, all set with the Zero Year story as a back drop. Is the issue necessary to those following the Zero Year storyline in Batman? No, but neither are any of the other tie-ins. The Zero Year setting is just a convenient setting to allow this team to essentially tell an origin story for John, that could have fit in with the #0 issues last year. The problem with the setting is, unlike characters such as James Gordon, Dick Grayson, or Barbara Gordon, it's hard to say if the Zero Year setting will draw any Gotham fans into this character, who outside of this issue, has nothing to do with Gotham. I do think the general audience knows who John Stewart is, and even if you don't read Green Lantern Corps regularly, even a slight knowledge of who John is will allow some enjoyment to be had in this issue. 

Like a lot of these Zero Year issues, this was a good issue, but there's nothing that particularly stands out about it. There's a bigger idea I could put into words about that, but here is not the place. Overall, if you really like Nightwing/Dick Grayson, sure, pick it up, you'll probably find some enjoyment, but if you weren't picking up the series before, don't feel like you need this issue to fill in any gaps with Zero Year.

 I liked this issue, I like young reckless Superman and I like Aaron Kuder's art. For me though, I think the split between the Zero Year tie-in and where the real next story arc is going and setting up Lana as a major supporting character for that, was a little too much. I just didn't think the mix of those two elements worked in this context, it just wasn't exactly what I was looking for. Ultimately though, it was a good first issue to this new team's run, and I am looking forward to reading more.

Going from this issue from the last arc is somewhat of a culture shock. The visual style and tone have changed completely, but nevertheless, this issue was very entertaining in it's own way. This reminded me a lot of what the old Superman/Batman book used to be, just sort of weird out there stories, but this time around, they're actually in continuity. Unfortunately, the continuity is where a few of my hang-ups on the issue can be found, be it Bruce and Clark's interaction, or the lack of any acknowledgement of the stressed relationship between Bruce and Dick. Those minor problems aside, the issue was still fun, in a popcorn sort of way, and that's what matters most, ultimately. 

This book is a weird title, that's for sure. It's hard to point out specifics of why I like the title so much,  as it's greater than the sum of its parts. Taking this book for what it is, it's just fun, low stakes entertainment. Month in and month out, it delivers consistently. In terms of Zero Year, did it really offer anything up towards that story as a whole? No, not really. It was a bit of a swing and a miss in that department, but you know what, that's okay.

 John Layman is like the ultimate team player in the Bat office right now. He takes whatever is thrown at him and never misses a beat in terms of quality. Like Zero Year, Layman twists elements from Year One just enough to make them new and interesting, but not completely disregard what came before. Mix this with Jason Fabok's consistently great art, this month complimented by Tomeu Morey's colors, and you've got another great tie-in from Detective that plays well with the main story, but manages to tell a great story of its own.

 As I said above, this was my favorite tie-in of the bunch this week. Great mix of Green Arrow and his own story, crossing into Gotham and Batman. Luckily, there was no predetermined time where Green Arrow and Batman first met, because their meeting under the circumstances of Zero Year was just perfect. Two rich boys, just starting to play vigilante, both beating their chest, all while rightfully beating the crap out of a reintroduced villain, who deserves to get the crap beaten out of them. Loved this issue, definitely a tie-in done right.

I won't lie to you, the preview of this issue really got me worried about the writing. Some of that dialogue just made me cringe, and I started to accept that might be the standard for the series. Luckily, a few bad lines here and there aside, the writing really settled down, that bad first impression sort of got swept under the rug for me and I ended up enjoying this issue more than I thought I would. While the writing may be a bit shaky, the concept and Andy Kubert's art really shine through, and while not perfect, this was a pretty good start to this story.

I'm not a "shipper," I draw a line of where I stop caring, but I've always liked the Dick Grayson/Barbara Gordon dynamic. Even though you sort of come in knowing that they aren't going to have a magical fairytale ending, this issue still provides a good helping of their complex relationship. Add the juxtaposition with the antagonist's own relationship problems, and you a good one and done story that does much more than just pander to Dick/Babs shippers, and really does offer up a fulfilling short story about the two.

Going into this issue, I had a pretty good idea of what to expect, and found that I was right for the most part. Sure there are some interesting changes to the origin, but the whole bad childhood trope has become far too predictable for this title. Luckily we didn't spend too much time on that, and this arc seems to be shorter than the last, so there's that. Was it a bad issue? No, I actually did like it more than I expected to, but it does nothing to separate itself from any other issues of this run, other than the fact that it's Clayface, and not Penguin, Scarecrow or Mad Hatter.

Solid issue all around, despite some weird gaps one may perceive in the story. The big hook of this issue is the new artist, and I think he's fine. Like Red Hood, I think this is a book struggling to get it's footing back after the departure of the original artist, but Talon has done much better than Red Hood in that department, and I have the feeling people will probably generally like Simeoni's work. With James Tynion's time on the series coming to a conclusion, this issue definitely got me looking forward to his final two, despite not being as exciting as a few previous issues.

For all those who made things to be more complicated than they really are, rest assured, it will all make sense in the end, because hey! Mind wipe! Who didn't see that coming? But aside from putting that element of the story to rest, this issue wrapped the arc up nicely, making some interesting points, that may or may not be at least knocking on the fourth wall, commenting on The New 52 iterations of these characters. Or maybe that stuff went completely over your head, maybe it wasn't intended at all and I'm making shit up, regardless of those possibilities, this conclusion was plenty fun, and beautifully illustrated, no debating that.

I thought this was a pretty good start to an arc. Yeah, sure, the "new for the sake of being new" retcon being sort of pointless was... well, pointless, but it isn't as if it completely changed Two-Face and who he fundamentally is, unlike some New 52 retcons. It seems like we're going to get a good mash up of the two different elements of crime in Gotham, you got your classic mobsters, then you got your crazies, and hey, there's still Batman. So far, so good for "The Big Burn" arc, wasn't sure what to expect going in, but I'm liking where it seems to be going.

Given the recent events surrounding this title, I almost feel bad for rating it, but it doesn't change the fact that I took issue with it. While the story and art are very enjoyable, there's just no getting by how disconnected this book feels, in all the wrong ways. It's one thing for a title to be on its own and do its own thing, but when it comes back to the family, and incorporates elements incorrectly, it's hard to ignore. Maybe I'm being to harsh, maybe you might say "well it could take place earlier" which maybe it could, but the title goes out of its way to pigeonhole itself by making direct reference to when it takes place (Bane mentioning Robin's death). I just think this is an unfortunate issue, it has it's moments and quality elements, but given its inconstancy, and given that we won't get the ending originally planned, like I said, it just feels unfortunate.

The introduction of Ra's into this book, which was expected if you read the solicits, really helps give the recent events something to sort of grasp on to. It's a nice hook, and could lead to some interesting dealings in future issues. Despite all that, the art and Roy crying (literally) and being a total downer all the time, does just that for the issue as a whole, and brings it down. For every enjoyable bit this issue presents, there's a scene or Roy feeling sorry for himself again, and a poorly drawn panel to compliment it. It's unfortunate, there's some good ideas here, but a lot of stuff just holding it down.

I don't think this is straight up bad, the issue is well structured, has consistent art, and so on... I just can't buy into it. There are just all these little things that pile up and I just think are dumb. Combine that with the melodrama I don't think this story has earned, I'm just left indifferent. Perhaps I'm too cynical, but like I said, I just can't buy into what this issue is selling.

Has anyone said "an unfamiliar take on a familiar story" before? I like that" I coined it! There, we're done! But really, that's what's so enjoyable about this issue. This is the pivotal Batman moment in this new continuity, and is seeing Bruce Wayne become Batman anything new? Not in the least bit, but there are enough cool twists and changes to the formula to make it extremely entertaining to read. From the costume, to Bruce being reckless, to the increased threat of the Red Hood Gang, it's like having a new spin on your favorite food dish. This issue takes that big moment and shakes things up a whole lot to keep things interesting, but makes sure to keep certain elements (see: The Joker) of the classic continuity intact to preserve elements that need no change to them. Just a fantastic issue from start to finish.

While the concept and art are high points, this was just sort of a disappointment. We already had two issues of set up for this, and this first issue just continues to set things up... I realize maybe not everyone read the Scarecrow and Bane issues last month, but what would have been the harm in really setting this one off with a bang? There's not much you need to know. Blackgate vs. Arkham, lets go. But no... it just takes it's time and ultimately was just sort of boring.

This was a fun conclusion to what ultimately was a very fun arc. While some things fell a little flat at the end, there's no denying that getting Nightwing out of Gotham and putting him in unfamiliar territories with unfamiliar allies (sort of) like Tony Zucco made for a pretty interesting read. I like putting Dick in a new city, but who knows how long this is going to last... because, you know, Forever Evil, and what not. Until then, I'm looking forward to what else Dick is going to do in Chicago.

Was this a perfect issue? No, not really. There were a few things here and there that I wasn't really a fan of, but despite that, this book remains consistently enjoyable every month. This creative team has really made the best out of their situation and have delivered light hearted superhero fun, month in and month out, with a good amount of character development on the side, and this issue is no different, providing just that. 

Layman, Fabok and company once again deliver another fun, sort of off the wall at times, issue, which is nothing to complain about. While the arc itself was a little too point A to B straight forward, it still provided lots of fun, while reinventing an obscure rogue, giving the character a good presence amongst Batman's rogues. While I'm going to miss the stories and value added by the stellar back-ups, Detective still remains one of the best Batman books every month, one year after this team's first issue.

I'll be honest, I liked this issue a lot more when I initially read it, then I started flipping through it again to do this post, and I realized that it feel into the same trap that many of these other issues fell into, and that's being generally enjoyable, yet pretty empty when you actually look at it from some distance. If you're interested in Arkham War, maybe look into it, but I can tell you right now that it's basically just Bane setting out for Gotham once again, and that's about it.

To be a good villain, readers have to feel something positive towards them, be it a morbid fascination, or perhaps a bit of sympathy towards them. Killer Croc, when used well, as always been an unfortunate character, stuck with a shitty situation, and this issue definitely plays towards that end of Croc's characters. Seeley wrote Croc as more than the monster in the sewer, and while he's not exactly the most sympathetic character out there, I was definitely left with a little "ah man, that sucks" feeling towards him. Combine great characterization with equally great art, and you've got yourself a pretty good issue.

If you've been reading Detective Comics and have been interested in Man-Bat's back up stories, then this issue continues that story a bit. There's not as much development as you might expect from the recent issues of Detective, but the one big turn that happens is fairly important to Man-Bat as a character, so it's up to you if want to invest, because the end result could be told to you in a single sentence.

The Batman Beyond 2.0 series is really off to a great start. I complimented the first few chapters for really mimicking that nostalgic tone well, but not playing it completely safe, and clearly shaking things up a bit. These two chapters follow right in line with where the series started. On the surface, there's a lot of fun and action in the punchy superhero type variety, but there's also a lot going on deep down, that I can't wait to find out about (aka, what happened in that One Year Later time gap). I believe I said something along these lines last month, but if you've ever been a fan of Batman Beyond, there's no reason not to pick these chapters up. Really fun reads.

If you like the direction Penguin has been set in since the start of the New 52, you'll most likely enjoy this issue, but if you're looking for something new to the character, you won't find anything. The issue was told well from both a writing and art perspective, but given the saturation of Penguin recently, it doesn't quite stand out from the crowd. 

 Ra's is back, and I've been reminded why he's such a great villain to read. He's arrogant in all the right ways, and knows what's what in the world, and the Secret Society doesn't mean a damn thing to him, as it shouldn't. The way James Tynion wrote him reacting to the Secret Society, as if they were a joke, was just so spot on. I'm ready for Ra's to be a big part of Batman corner in the DCU again. I know he's going to show up in Red Hood eventually, but I hope he doesn't stop there. 

By this point, it has been what, a year since John Layman came on to the Batman scene? Or at least close to it? By now it is no secret how much I enjoy his work in general, but this is just another great example of why. I had no intention of really caring about Clayface, nor feeling any empathy for him, coming into this issue... but then I left with just that. Layman just has that ability to make me invested in characters like Clayface, and I'm left with not a single bad thing to say about these types of stories.

If you're getting Forever Evil: Arkham War, this issue (and probably Bane next week) is an absolute must. It sets up the Arkham side of the Arkham vs. Blackgate war very well, and leads right into the bigger story. Though the issue has fantastic art on the part of Szymon Kudranski, I do feel that Tomasi was a bit hit or miss with characters' voices, and not really hitting the mark with some, unfortunately. Despite some minor drawbacks, this was a pretty great issue all around, setting the stage for some rather large events to come.

Riddler is a pretty great character that doesn't really get the respect and use in books he deserves. This issue (which I believe was the first present day story of the New 52 featuring him) along with Zero Year are certainly steps in the right direction to change the lack of use Riddler's seen in recent years, but in the end, I couldn't help but want a little more pay off. There was potential for a really cool ending, but Riddler's ego sort of hampered that by making this all about settling a personal score for being roughed up that one time. All things considered though, it was still a clever and fun Riddler story with some pretty good art. We don't get a lot of Riddler stories, but this was definitely fun for what it was.

While I thought some of the flashbacks went into "Yeah, okay, I get it" territory, the over all tone and feel to this book really shines through anything I didn't like about it. Tynion and Lucas produced a straight up horror book, which is a hard feat to do in comics, let alone mainstream books with Batman in the title. While it's no issue turning Batman #5, this issue definitely stands next to that issue as one of the best, most creepy Court of Owls stories told, to date.

I liked this issue, I really did. Gray and Palmiotti hit that great creepy tone Freeze requires, and Masters along with McCaig did a great job of portraying Freeze himself and an overall sense of coldness. Like I said, I felt this issue did a good job of progressing the story we got with Freeze in the Annual, I just wish it didn't spend as much time on retelling certain scenes from that issue. That said, if you enjoyed the New 52 Mr. Freeze, definitely pick this issue up.

Though this issue was chaotic by nature, given Harley's nature, I feel as if it could have used a bit of order to tighten things up a bit. That said, I do believe Matt Kindt and Neil Googe delivered a fine one and done Harley story, with particularly fantastic art. While not producing the same level of excitement for Kindt's upcoming Suicide Squad run, like the Deadshot book produced, this issue definitely helped contribute to my high hopes for those upcoming issues.

This issue truly was a swing and a miss. Despite the gorgeous art from Andy Clarke and Blond, this really disappointed me in every other department. Didn't make a whole lot of sense, didn't justify the story being told, and violated a cardinal sin of the Joker, and thats to give who he is context. Seeing Joker's childhood just left me saying "no, I don't want this" and I'm not quite sure many others would want it either. This issue just felt unnecessary, to be honest.

This was just a solid Two-Face story from start to finish. Tomasi wrote him well, March portrayed him beautifully (in a grotesque sort of way) and those two elements combine to make a pretty enjoyable issue. Is the set up of Two-Face conducting his own trials anything new? Not really, but the actual tie-in to the Secret Society justifies it this time around. Of all the Batman branded books this week, Two-Face was definitely the strongest of the bunch.

It was an okay issue. If you were super into this new Ventriloquist with the Batgirl issues, you'll probably find this issue enjoyable, but if not, you're not missing anything here. Shuana's origin is in line with that particular creepy villain vibe we often get from Gail Simone, and while I usually find that particular vibe enjoyable, this time I found the character to fall a bit flat, and not achieve any level of likability for my personal taste in villains.

The standout element of this issue was definitely the art, Javier Pina and colorist John Kalisz definitely produced a very eye-pleasing book, but unfortunately the story itself doesn't really stand out. That's not to say it was bad by any stretch, I honesty found it to be enjoyable, it just didn't add all that much to Ivy's character, especially if you're already familiar with her. That said, if you're a fan of Poison Ivy, it's still worth a look.

While I feel a few things could be a bit clearer, especially given we only have one more issue for this arc, ultimately the relationship between the two Batman and Supermen is what makes this book. These two are part of the possibly biggest bromance in superhero books, so it's immensely interesting to see the different incarnations of their friendship matched up against one another. I also just enjoy the fact that these Earth 2 incarnations of Superman and Batman get more of an expanded back story, as they sort of came and went (died) when we first saw them. While this issue may have left me a bit confused as to the bigger picture (Darkseid) I'm sure we'll get a satisfying conclusion to this arc next issue.

Remember those original issues of Batman, Incorporated that had Bruce hopping the globe, teaming up with heroes in Japan, Brazil, etc? If you missed that element from the second volume of Inc, like I did, you'll no doubt love this. As I said, this issue scratches that weird, goofy, globe trotting itch that was largely absent due to the personal Bruce/Damian/Talia story that had to be told in the second volume. While it wasn't as grand as Morrison's goodbye to the series, it was very supplemental to that, offering a different sort of goodbye... but is it really a "goodbye?" I certainly hope not.

This is a standard Clayface story so far, nothing ground shaking, but perfectly suitable and enjoyable for what it is, complimented by Alex Maleev's very strong showing. The only problem is that the issue just sort of ends, it seems as if the conflict is over, but there are at least two more issues of this arc to go, so by the end you're sort of just left thinking "Wait... What, that's it? Okay?" The issue just also leaves me worried that we're going to get another "Karlo had a bad childhood and now he's Clayface" story, like this book has sort of become known for in the past year.

Talon #11 was ultimately another fun issue of the series, that offered up great art, entertaining fights, and a comparison/contrast between pro and antagonist, which I didn't see coming, but nevertheless found very interesting. To go along with everything just mentioned, I commend this issue for playing along well with the shared universe and setting up Bane's place in Forever Evil, something pretty much no other normal book has done. The only thing that took away from an otherwise great issue, was the all too quick disposing of Sebastian, whose turn was such a large part of the first arc's larger hook. Despite that one complaint, Talon's eleventh issue was still a very fun conclusion to the Bane arc.

I'm not going to say that this issue salvaged the entire arc for me, I still don't really like issues #19-21, but this issue (and the last) went a long way to make it all sting a little bit less. This was probably one of the saddest, yet touching issues of any Batman comic I've ever read, and needs to be read by any Damian fan out there.

While I've enjoyed this arc so far, I have had my problems with how it had been structured, luckily, this issue didn't fall victim to any of that. While light on the action, Batwoman #23 delivers heavily on one of the DCU's richer relationships, with Kate and Maggie. This issue further solidifies why they're together and what they mean to each other, and if you're a fan of either character, you without a doubt, will enjoy greatly. The only thing that took away from an overall pretty good issue, was the use of a single character, who really shouldn't be in Gotham at the moment, due to major events in another book, but other than that, there's a lot to enjoy in this issue.

While I've enjoyed the battle that has been brewing between the League of Assassins and the Untitled, all while the Outlaws are caught in between, what's really holding this book back for me now is the art. Comics are a collaborative process, and work best when writing compliments the art and vis versa, but the art here is doing nothing for an otherwise solid story.

Well, I certainly had a lot to say in the "bad" section, but I didn't hate the issue. It's competently told, has pleasant enough art, and does some interesting things here and there. The problem is, I'm just not buying it. This all hinges on James Gordon Jr. being dead, but the dramatic irony is, he's not dead, he's over in Suicide Squad. So I find this issue (and plot line, in general) asking me to care about all the drama that has ensued because of this event that hasn't happened, a hard sell. Maybe I'm just being too smart for my own good, but I'm left either not caring or believing all the drama is forced and phony. I can understand how others may like this, but it's just not clicking with me in the way it's intended to.

If I had to use one word to describe this issue, it would be "deliberate." The larger plot takes a back seat for an issue so the Batman team could really take it's time, and respectfully recreate their version of Batman's most pivotal scene. That's not to say there is absolutely no advancement of the story, but the deliberate intentions of this issue were abundantly clear. The portrayal of this moment in Batman's life was what it needed to be, respectful, but with the Zero Year twist.  Though everything was treated with the care and respect it deserved, there's still that part of me that sort of grins and bears it through all the changes. As a die-hard Batman fan, you can't help but be nervous about some of this stuff, but it's safe to say Scott Snyder, Greg Capullo, and company aren't exactly coming in with a sledgehammer, but instead are doing everything as delicately as possible.

Yet another fun issue in this Chicago arc, which took some turns I really didn't expect. The issue did it's job of making me interested to read the finale of this arc, which is saying something since the next issue doesn't come out until October. But when that Wednesday in October comes, Nightwing is going to be near the top of my metaphorical pile (I read digitally) because I really want to see how Dick and Zucco work together, and what the bigger mystery behind Prankster is.

As stated above, this is another fun issue from the new Batwing team in both entertaining story, and great, consistent art. I only wish that perhaps the Marabunta story should have been wrapped up by the end of the last issue, and Lady Vic, the stronger element of this issue, had this one all to herself. At the end of the day, oh well, timing of when foes come and go aside, it was still another good issue, in a line of many for this creative team.

As with last week's annual issue, I really believe it's the supplemental back-up that stole the show. Layman's back-ups do more than just fill space, they tie in the main feature, and make it all the more richer, while continuing to tell their own independent story. Because of the general strength and entertainment factor of the main features, mixed with the great back-ups, Detective Comics under Layman, Fabok and Clarke has really become a bat book to reckon with, against the likes of Snyder and Capullo's Batman. Are they two completely different books? Sure. But do they offer up similar value in entertainment? Absolutely.

This was a very strong debut for writer Marguerite Bennett, who in recent interviews has expressed her love for villains, and backs that up by introducing a truly unique one to Batman's cast. That said, while she and Scott Snyder have created a pretty unique character, I'm not entirely sure if the Anchoress has longevity or not, she may just work with this story and that's it. Regardless, this was a really fun issue, and like James Tynion, I'd fully expect to see Bennett on a book of her own following a strong issue of Batman Annual.

I mean, what is there to say? Morrison has made his mark on the Batman franchise, and as he promised, returned the toys to the toy box where he found them. It has been a hell of a seven year run, and as far as I'm concerned, Morrison delivered until the end. There will never be another Batman story like this one, which is both a blessing and a curse. Nothing will ever get near this level of quality again, but this story will always stand alone, as it should. I'm going to miss it greatly, but Grant Morrison's Batman certainly went out with a bang.

Was this an AMAZING story? No, not really, but like I said, it continues the general theme that I've enjoyed in Layman's run. What really sold me on the issue were those stories after the main feature that expanded upon main story. If it weren't for those two stories, this would have been a generally good issue, but those two stories leant a needed emotional impact, that gave the story as a whole much more depth.

This issue continues the really fun and interesting start the first issue set the bar with. Getting glimpses of characters from pre Earth 2 (the book) Earth 2 was a welcome surprise, as it offered up that much more to enjoy outside the core characters of Batman and Superman. The only thing I was left wanting, was a little more information on who the Trickster is, and why she's playing her game. Perhaps I'm just impatient, but I'd just like the blanks to have at least started to be filled in. Besides that point, this issue was a very good follow up to the fantastic first issue.

After my less than enthusiastic reaction to the Mad Hatter story, the change of pace that is brought with Alex Maleev and Clayface was much appreciated. This issue not falling for the standard format this series has had for the past year plus was a big win, as I had been getting fatigued on that format by the mid point of the previous arc. The only thing I can fault this issue for is the bait on the end of the hook being a little too ambiguous for me to bite, but I will say that I'm at least interested in it.

This issue makes some clever ties between old DC lore and new, along with establishing a baseline of this New 52 league of assassins. While the connections made are all well and good, in doing so, the issue lacks any serious action or excitement that would propel it above being an okay issue.

 Despite the cover, Bane is a tad bit under utilized in this issue, and that's a bummer... But despite the lack of solid Bane action, this issue continues to deliver on fun action and well defined characters, one of whom is probably the strongest characterized woman of color in the DCU at the moment, though entirely taken for granted. 

It's no secret that I've thought the last three issues of this book have been pretty off the mark, but this arc finally managed to produce an issue that didn't make me utterly dislike Bruce by page 20. With that, and seeing some quality interaction between both him and Selina, which has been sorely lacking, I found this issue to be rather enjoyable from start to finish... Well, aside from random Two-Face.

 This series remains enjoyable in both plot and art, but structural issues continue to bog it down for me, and once again, this issue just ends very abruptly. It's just rather unfortunate, because the story is good! I just wish I came away from each issue with a more satisfied, complete feeling.

This book is a pale comparison of what it once was. It keeps trying to hammer home plot points and characters that are impossible to care about, and comes out an awful mess of a boring, lifeless book. The worst part has to be the fact that the most interesting elements of this book have been stripped from it. No more Poison Ivy, no more Katana, no more Starling... Just a dull Black Canary, a little-more-than-a-background-character Batgirl, a mute Cassandra Cain knock off and a character no one cares about. I'm not going to lie and say this book wasn't struggling a bit before Marx took over, but I've given her a fair shot, and have to say it's been downhill from the word "go." This issue was the final straw for me, and unless there's a big change for this title, this will be the final issue I review of it.

Despite being lukewarm on the issue as a whole, it did offer some good character moments, matched with some strong art. This hasn't left particularly psyched on the "Batgirl: Wanted" story, but I'm curious nonetheless of how you continue a book called Batgirl when Batgirl refuses to be Batgirl.

 I'm all in on Zero Year, and I'm loving it. Everything is just new, weird and interesting as all hell to read. It's been quite awhile since a Batman book has had me guessing so much about what the hell is going on. I think Batman RIP may have been the most recent previous instance of this feeling, but that said, it's quite a feat... I've read a lot of Batman comics, and this issue (as well as arc, so far) is truly doing something unique and daring, all while playing with fire by setting it in a time most Batman fans find untouchable. Just great stuff.

This Chicago arc continues to be a lot of fun, and we just reached the tipping point, where all hell is sure to break loose in the coming issues. This issue continued to give us a fun and entertaining Dick Grayson to read, but also reminded him that there's always going to be consequences to his actions, mainly those he took against the Prankster. The only thing I was left wanting more of is some insight to the backstory that has been teased these past few issues, but when the A plot is as fun as it currently is, I'm willing to let that one slide a bit.

Also thought the transition from a skyscraper blowing up to Talia at Wayne Manor was a little abrupt. With issue ten, I believe I said something along the lines of I was ready for the shit to hit the fan, for things to explode, or whatever figure of speech I chose at the time... this issue delivered on that. This was just an action packed, crazy issue, with superb art. There's not much left to say, after six years or so, we're on the verge of the end, and I'm on the edge of my seat, waiting, and ready for it.

This was a solid, fun issue, but I can't say it was anything much more than that. Like I said above, this book is getting by on the fact it has a new character in the driver's seat, and I feel like time is of the essence, and that needs to be utilized at every turn. Perhaps Lucius finds out Luke is in the suit, and that's what keeps things interesting? I don't know. But to play devil's advocate against myself,  this is a book that features superheroics of a certain type, and it can't all be drama, sometimes the action is needed for the pacing. All true, and the point could be argued from either side. All I'm saying is that I'd rather get as much meat as possible, because who knows how much more we're going to get?

From the start of John Layman and Jason Fabok's Detective run, they've been toying around with familiar concepts and freshening things up as they go, and this issue is no different. Bringing in the Anti-Batman is right up the alley this creative team lives in, and I'm excited for it, despite my issues with the colors and general quick pace of the story.

Yeah, I would have preferred Lee do a complete issue, but given the quality of the second artist, it's hard to hold that agains the title, especially when it started out so strong. In a recent market where most of DC's recent launches are struggling to get footing, this issue definitely steps in as a shining light of hope. Even though the book is relying on two of the safest bet characters in the industry, it does so masterfully, and with an interesting, compelling story to back it up. I'm sold, and you should be too.

I think this issue/arc just sort of forgot it's place in the grand scheme of things. I'm not trying to insult the book or anything, but for this book to suggest some of the things it did... yeah, it's not the flagship title, by any means. Ultimately, I think those elements just tarnished what this book does well, which is tell stories with classic characters, that may have been lost in all the hype of the new in the New 52. That said, the final fight was entertaining, and again, it had great art. Hopefully going forward, this title shortens things up a little bit, and sort of just levels itself out.

Okay, really finally... the Birds of Prey stuff? Pretty nonexistent. So nonexistent that I had completely forgotten about it, and had to come back to type this up after I finished The Bottom Line section. To Tynion's credit, he does blow by it pretty quick, so it doesn't waste too much time.It should come as no surprise to anyone that I really enjoy this series as a whole, and as one would expect, enjoyed this issue. It did the somewhat impossible of keeping the Court of Owls fresh and interesting, and still manages to do so, almost a year in, by taking the story to Santa Prisca and involving Bane. Talon is much more than a book just about the Court of Owls, and this issue really illustrates it with it's character work, and outside elements from the rest of the Batman universe. All in all, another really fun issue from the Talon team.

 With each issue of this arc, I get more and more disappointed. On paper, this is a great concept for post Damian issues, but execution is just so bad. Batman's son has died, a son that I absolutely loved, perhaps more than Bruce himself, and I'd like to feel bad with him, but these issues are making it god damn impossible to. Take the absurd way Batman is acting, and add the equally absurd potential solution Batgirl brings up, and I'm just at a loss... I really am... the score is generous, I'll say that.

I knew I was going to enjoy this issue simply for the fact I'm a huge fan of Francesco Francavilla's art, wasn't quite sure what to expect with Croc, but knew it could go in one of the two directions previously mentioned. I don't want to say I was surprised that it went in the good direction, but nonetheless, I was very pleased. Killer Croc is a character who when used well, can be quite the compelling villain, and I'm glad that's what we got in this interlude issue.

 When a tie in to a book that I enjoy every month doesn't do anything to spur my confidence, something's wrong. In the first post-Starling issue, all the problems are clear, there's just nothing interesting about this book anymore. Black Canary as a character seems lost, Batgirl is just there, screw Condor, and Strix can't even talk. This issue wasn't Ann Nocenti Catwoman #0 bad, but ultimately, it's just depressing. I see no point to this story, and what they're trying to convince me of mattering, is falling flat. A romance between Black Canary and some no-name is pretty much the exact opposite of what I want... at least the art was nice.

Luckily, many of the elements of James Tynion's first arc which I haven't enjoyed weren't present in this issue... which basically means Jason wasn't whining when he opened his mouth... But due to that, Jason sort of takes a back seat this issue, while a whole bunch of more interesting stuff than his angst, happens around him. Making Roy more of the focal point of this arc (well, more than one may expect) offers up plenty of character development, delivered in a better way than wiping one's mind. Was it a perfect issue? No. But compared to 20, it was much more of an improvement... now hopefully Jason keeps his mouth shut until he gets his memories back.

Luckily, many of the elements of James Tynion's first arc which I haven't enjoyed weren't present in this issue... which basically means Jason wasn't whining when he opened his mouth... But due to that, Jason sort of takes a back seat this issue, while a whole bunch of more interesting stuff than his angst, happens around him. Making Roy more of the focal point of this arc (well, more than one may expect) offers up plenty of character development, delivered in a better way than wiping one's mind. Was it a perfect issue? No. But compared to 20, it was much more of an improvement... now hopefully Jason keeps his mouth shut until he gets his memories back.

 If you enjoy Gail Simone when she's working with weird creepy characters, then you should probably pick up this issue (and the pervious one) because the new Ventriloquist is total a piece of work. While a bit overdramatic with some of the overhead stuff after the situation with James Jr. this was a generally fun issue that hit all the right notes of some of Gail Simone's older work that I really loved. It'll definitely be fun to see the new Ventriloquist back come September.

I came into Zero Year both barely knowing anything about it and very cautious of it, as any hardcore Batman fan would be. When someone starts to say "Batman" and "Origin story" red flags are automatically thrown, but Snyder and company manage to tip toe around the sleeping beast, and tell their own story that so far, promises to be wildly different and crazy. Yeah, I'm sold. I'm in. Bring on more Zero Year!

This entire arc has been exactly what Nightwing needed, a fresh start, away from the doom and gloom of Gotham. Each issue seems to have been better than the last, and this is no exception. When we're getting a fun, witty, and entertaining Dick Grayson, you know something is working right, and this book is quite the well oiled machine at the moment. 

Batwing is a title that had to have made a deal with the devil. It's numbers were bottom rung bad, but yet it was given a second chance with Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray, and they seem to be making the best out of the title's second wind. Luke's character and personality is being rolled out at a good clip, and he's been giving an enjoyable supporting cast to help him along the way. If this issue did one thing, it was that it took the training wheels off for Luke, as Batman said, and so far, his hero life promises to be pretty entertaining.

While not groundbreaking, this was a fun and enjoyable issue, which teased a potential villain that could be really fun under Layman's pen. I was originally going to say some more stuff about Harper Row here, but I'll make a whole post about that sometime later. So, to conclude... Fun main story, with an enjoyable back up... well worth the four dollars paid.

If you're looking for a easy to jump into story involving three of Batman's more recognizable rouges, then this is an issue you'll probably be interested in. It's simple, entertaining, and even funny at times (IE the early banter about Batman's tropes). If you're looking for the NEXT BIGGEST STORY EVER THAT WILL SHAKE CONTINUITY... then this probably isn't that. It's an enjoyable, low-stakes story, with enjoyable atmospheric art, nothing more, nothing less.

I may not be a fan of the circumstances that have lead to this issue, but I have to judge each issue against only itself to be fair, and given that, I enjoyed this issue quite a bit. Cheshire was entertaining, and I look forward to her's and the rest of the League of Assassins' further appearances in the title, as they could give this book a connection to the greater DCU that it's lacked outside of crossovers. The only thing to take away from this issue is that the namesake character is just being an annoying whiney bastard, which you have to figure will eventually change? Hopefully... please? I don't think I can put up with Jason complaining about himself on a monthly basis.

Yes, this issue completely interrupts the flow that Inc had going for it, and yes they probably should have announced this when they announced that Inc would be getting an issue #13, which we now know to be what issue #12 would have originally have been... All that said, when you take this issue for what it is, it's a fun and goofy love letter to classic manga with an over the top style you rarely see in western mainstream comics. It may have not been the issue we had been expecting, but it was great fun in the end.

From an art perspective, this was pretty good, but from the story side of things is just a big swing and a miss. On top of the beating and murder of Natalya, my complete lack of care for the character leaves me unable to feel anything about the conclusion of this issue, past my problems with how it got there. To feel nothing is almost worse than just straight up not liking it, and that's where I'm at... it's just unfortunate.

This issue served as a great start to the second arc, and I dare say the Court has never been more interesting as it is in this book. When most books says "things will never be the same!" it's mostly bullshit, Talon joins the thin ranks of recent books to actually pull that off. If you were reading the series before, the art may throw you off a bit, but hey, I think it's perfectly fine for the most part, and things could be worse. If you haven't been reading this book before, I've got to really recommend you do, because it has been consistently entertaining and fresh from issue #0, and this second arc is a great jumping on point.

This was a pretty alright issue all around. Creepy villain with some cool twists, but a bit stained with a few scenes that just rubbed me the wrong way. So all in all, it was a good issue, but nothing I'd call great. I read it, enjoyed it for what it was, and that's about all I can say.

I thought this was a really good issue, with some genuine emotional moments spread through out. While this title seems to struggle with which scenes should be a priority, the ones we got with Kate and her family progressed the character's relationships quite a bit, in very few stages. For awhile, it was just "I hate my dad! Sorry Bette, but no! Oh no, my girlfriend! My secret! Bwwaaaah!" But all that has changed in a matter of a few issues, and change is good when it brings progression!

As you can see by my post on the preview, I was not happy with this coming in. I expected to not like it at all, but came out of it having liked it more than I thought I would. I still have major problems with how some of the things went down, but I can at least buy into what happened. I only hope that we actually get an answer to why, but wouldn't be surprised if it doesn't happen in Birds of Prey... Hopefully Starling shows up in Suicide Squad (due to the Waller connection), or I feel like the heel turn will be yet another mystery never answer.

It is an exciting time for Nightwing. New city, new direction, new characters, some changes to old ones, there's a lot to like. While this issue didn't leave me as amped as #19 did, with all the initial changes to everything, there's still a lot to enjoy, mainly: Nightwing is free. Free of Gotham, free of owls, free of Joker, and what comes in the wake of all that stuff? Fun, and fun is what a Nightwing book should be.

This was a hard review to write, as it's the first thing from Tynion I really didn't enjoy, and given that he has been nothing but kind to me, I kind of felt like crap writing it, but I have to be honest. I just don't like or agree with most of what goes down in this issue. The worst part is, I can distinctly remember the fact that the fun of this title wouldn't be lost was mentioned numerous times, but these past two issues have been nothing close to fun, and that sucks. That being said, the only redeeming quality I found was the fact that the doorway for this to be fixed was left open, or so it seems... I hope it is, but I hope the damage that is left in its wake isn't too much. I really, really hope the annual salvages a lot in two weeks.

This issue, and two issue arc was short and sweet. It offered up a low stakes (comparatively speaking) story, that was entertaining, a touch clever, and peppered with a handful of nice little character moments. Was the story groundbreaking? No, but you know, as conditioned as I am to expect one thing from this title, the change of pace was enjoyable. If there was one thing I was missing, it would be some greater ties to what's to come, and some cohesion between the main feature and back-up. But, sort of hard to tease a story set years ago in the present day, and without taking the main feature into account, the back-up was enjoyable in it's own right. Hey now, I'm from the internet... my opinions can be contradictory!

All that being said, I enjoyed the issue up until the turn with Jason. The two shared some good emotional beats together, and it was fun to see them in action together for the first time in god knows how long. Carrie Kelley is also intriguing, at the very least. Nothing says "she's going to be the next Robin" to me, so that makes me really try and think as to how she'd fit in long term.

Despite some weird time questions, this served as a great introduction to Luke Fox, Batwing Ver. 2.0. A good first impression was absolutely crucial for this character/book, and Palmiotti and Gray delivered on that front. I'm not excited and interested to see where this more relevant Batwing will go in the coming months, and a big part of that is due to this issue.

That awkward moment when you realize you've said everything you'd like to say in the finale, in the "good" section. Well, whatever. The arc was closed out very nicely, with the exception of the rather quick mop up in that second fight. When all is said and done, I knew Jason Fabok was going to kill it on this series, but the question mark was John Layman, who I believe has done a great job with his first crack at Batman. I look forward to reading more and more Detective Comics from these two in the months to come.

It shouldn't come as a surprise that this issue continues to bring all those layers, all those threads, and all those plot lines that have been cooking away for months, even years, together. That's what I love, and have always loved about this book. The build up is great, but man do I want someone to just knock someone else the hell out already. It's this weird mix of me appreciating the methodical pace, but at the same time just wanting the shit the to hit the fan in the worst way possible. So that, and nagging art inconsistencies are what kept this issue down a bit.

This issue was just fine, but if anything, it was a bit by the numbers. The predictable nature that has developed between all three of Hurwitz's stories has really begun to drag this arc down for me. Yeah, these villains had bad childhoods, one would assume, they're pretty horrendous people, I get it, but it just keeps going on. I might as well get started on the next write up, Hatter kidnaps Natalya, he still had a bad childhood, there you go. All that said, it's still a well told issue, with some pretty enjoyable art, so it definitely has some good going for it.

This is how you end an arc, just a great cliffhanger, with a true "this changes everything" ending, because everything is changed. The main character is fucking dead! Now, he'll probably get the full Talon treatment (and by probably, I mean absolutely, look at the next cover), but still, that's a big deal. You have a character who just got his neck snapped, then he's gonna be an undead freak. Crazy! Ahhhh, this book is so good. Shame on you if you're not reading.

This was a perfectly enjoyable issue. If you're a fan of the series, you'll probably enjoy this issue too, surprise surprise. If anything, it just felt like there was a little bit of wheel spinning. The wheels are almost at the ground, but not quite. I fully expect things to get real interesting from next issue and on.

I have nothing against Christy Marx, I think I've made it known enough that I enjoy Sword of Sorcery, but she's just brining nothing of any stand out uniqueness to this book. There's just no soul to this issue. The Birds of Prey used to be about a group of women who above all else were friends both in and out of costume. This issue just shows a team that's so disjointed, untrusting, and are getting deeper and deeper. While on face value, this book is an enjoyable read, but if you look for anything of substance beyond "This happens, then these people get punched," it's just not there. Birds of Prey can be so much better, but this issue is just a big swing and a miss.

To put it simply, this issue just felt right. Again, this feels like what Nightwing should be. He's the fun one out of all the Gotham characters, and it shows. I really enjoyed the book before, but this change of location and new art team is just frosting at this point. I'll be honest, I came into this thinking I'd probably enjoy the shift, but I came out of it surprised at how much more I liked it, compared to where my expectations were at. If you've been put off by the book's past tone and style, yet are still a fan of Dick Grayson, I say there's no reason not to give this a shot.

This issue leaves things at a really interesting place really makes you stand up and pay attention to it. I'm just sort of asking myself where Tynion is going with this, and I really can't wait to see more. Tynion has teased a bunch of cool stuff on his tumblr that is bound to come up, and it all starts here, so hell yeah, I'm on board. The only thing is the art... hopefully at least the character issues I pointed out get fixed, because I've definitely seen worse, and at least would like to see the characters drawn correctly.

The This was a particularly strong issue of the series. Sure, I wasn't always too hot on the use of James Jr., but he should be gone for a while now, so I can't rag on that anymore. I think the real story here is that Gail Simone is back, and it shows. We got a taste of the title under someone else, and the differences were pretty big. Good or bad, I just generally enjoy the aspects Gail brings to the book more than the alternative, and I'm glad she ended her long simmering arc with a big bang, that's not going to be brushed under the table.

This issue was just kind of weird, you know? It was a fun, to the point Clayface story, but it was also just that. This is the book that drives shit, the other follows, so it going small scale on us is a jarring change of pace for me. But again, that doesn't mean this wasn't fun, it was just different, and we also got some great Batman Superman interactions too. So, yeah! Hopefully people are like me, and can appreciate the issue for what it is, and not overreact to us not getting another huge story, or whatever.

So, I like the concept, I really do, but Bruce being super crazy really put me off, combine that with the lack of Tim, the anti-climactic ending, and this wasn't my favorite issue. I feel like this was a victim of the Lazarus pit situation not being explained in Bamtan Inclast month. You question why Bruce, as distraught as he might be, would even think Frankensteining his son would be a great idea, and everything just comes off kind of weird... I also just don't know where they're going with this Carrie Kelley thing... it's confusing, to say the least. Ultimately, I like the big picture, but wasn't big on this stage of grief.

The As said above, this book has so much new potential now, something it has been lacking for months. I have a feeling Luke Fox will send a jolt through this series, giving it the potential to recapture some of the early glory it had when it was new. I'm looking forward to where Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti take the title, I can't wait to see what the cast will be like, what kind of stuff Luke will be doing, who he'll be fighting, all of that. This was a pretty strong debut for the new creative team, and the future is once again bright for Batwing.

At the end of the day, this is just one meaty, jam packed issue, with entertaining stories, all entirely unique to each other. The intertwining plot threads, the use of characters one wouldn't expect much to be done with, and the great art is why I've really been loving this creative team on Detective, and all the extra stories are just frosting on the cake. I'd say with confidence that this issue was worth every dollar, and my only gripe is that DC didn't sack up and say "okay, we'll renumber the series now" especially when the "52" in "New 52" doesn't really mean anything anymore... looking at you, June.

The This was definitely a calm before the storm issue (potentially too calm, but I've said my part on that), but damned if it doesn't make me look forward to said storm. Morrison and Burnham manage to deliver an issue that deals with the biggest event in Batman's recent history remarkably well, and on a more encompassing scale, showing the repercussions outside of the costumed characters. While it didn't hit the emotional mark that I would have liked it to, being that it was the issue immediately following the death of Damian in the series he died in, but it made up for it by showing many aspects of his death, that only this title would be fit to do.

The This issue, like the arc as a whole, remains fine. There's some fun stuff, and there's some stuff I just don't dig. But at the end of the day, I can't fault this title for just doing it's own thing, and having fun with these classic villains. Don't get me wrong, the humor and ridiculous nature of the Hatter are really enjoyable, but some plot holes and personal developments I just don't agree with end up bogging it down a bit.

Like I said above, this issue just did everything right. The twist was fun, and makes me excited for how things will play out in this book in the future. Sebastian and Calvin's relationship was rocky to begin with, but now I'm reallylooking forward to how shitty it could potentially get. I mean, just the fact that Calvin has potentially been working for a sect of the Court this entire time is nuts. This issue really just encompassed everything a good book needs, Great characters, great art, and an engaging story.

After the long Medusa arc, this issue feels like a breath of fresh air. While it seems this next arc may be a bit more grounded and less grand, it's a welcome change in my book, as we'll be getting more integration into the Bat world, more focus on the supporting characters, and all the good stuff that comes with it. If it wasn't for those nagging habits this book has had since the start, I would have been entirely satisfied with this issue.

Drama aside, I'm really open to Christy Marx taking this book in a new direction, if she can just sort of streamline things, while keeping the characters fun, and the action high, then we'll be good. This issue was a step in the right direction, and I feel like while it may have been slow in some spots, once things get moving, it'll be really fun.

This issue delivered the emotional beats that Dick Grayson reallyneeded to have in regards to Damian, and it also set up a great new direction for the series. Zucco being alive is more than enough reason form me to get Dick to move to Chicago, so consider me really excited for where this issue left the series.

As I said above, Lobdell really came full circle with getting Jason out of that "I'm mad!" rut he had been in for god knows how long. To have him fully reconciled with Bruce is big, and a great way for Lobdell to leave things as James Tynion comes on. Lobdell and I may have some differences (well, more just me not really digging his Teen Titans) but I've consistently enjoyed Red Hood, minus some bumps in space, and he definitely left the title with his best issue yet.

The This was a solid, well told issue, which was personally bogged down for me with my James Jr. fatigue, and feeling that the style of story telling doesn't quite fit the title.  Overall, I wouldn't say anything is wrong with it, I just don't think it was a great fit. I will say though that I genuinely enjoyed how strong of a character Fawkes portrays Babs as, intelligence is key to her, and he definitely showed that off in his two issues.

The So, all that being said, this was a great heartfelt story, with a character who I'm very interested to see more of. Snyder did exactly what he promised, and showed a different side to the Damian death reaction. It wasn't as emotionally impactful as Batman and Robin #18 was, but it hit all the right notes for what it was. The only draw back was just how familiar the story felt, and if it wasn't for that, I'd really have nothing to complain about with this issue.

Surprise, surprise. I'm still somewhat indifferent with this book. While I welcome the much needed change, this issue just feels like all possibility this title once held was squandered. That, and the art leave themselves on even playing ground for whatever is good in this issue. As usual, nothing is outwardly terrible, but nothing is all too great either.

The Penguin's downfall has truly begun, and it's still as entertaining as ever.  Layman and Fabok continue to craft these nice one issue stories, while laying crumb trails between issues both in the past and coming soon. It's unfortunate that the Requiem thing was tacked on, because when you really start to think about it, it feels pretty cheap. Regardless, if you've been enjoying the rise of Emperor Penguin, then there's still a lot to enjoy here. Who knows how crazy it's going to get in issue not #900 next month?

I've seen a lot of screwed up stuff in my time reading super hero comics, and it's easy to dismiss stuff like this to be sales gimmicks or for shallow shock value, but when you strip away the jaded cynicism that many readers have towards death in comics, there is a truly sad and tragic story to be read, the likes of which I haven't read in a very long time. I absolutely hate the outcome of the book, but stripping way the emotions, and looking at this issue in an objective light, it is hard to deny the masterfully told story at hand.

This issue definitely had a bit more substance than last, and I'd like to say that EVS' art is even a tad bit better looking here, or so it seems to me. Overall, I'm really enjoying the sort of "classic" Batman feel this book has at the moment, and the slight variation of the Mad Hatter's past (as compared to the Penguin and Scarecrow arcs) has kept me interest a bit more than I would have expected. Still, the similarities between this and the other two arcs Hurwitz have done, makes this issue especially hard to actually stand out from that pack.

I'm also just glad this story is over, though enjoyable, it's gone on for a while (since #1). But though I got a bit exhausted of the story, this issue really closes a lot of doors, and opens new ones for the book to go into. Kate cutting ties with the DEO, her and Maggie's relationship, Bette coming back into the picture, as well as Alice, there's just a lot to look forward to in this book moving forward. This issue has left me a lot more excited for the title than I have been in a while.

All that being said, I really enjoyed Swierczynski's run, and it's unfortunate that some of the things he started never got to get finished properly by him.

The Going into a balls out action packed issue following "Death of the Family" flat out would have felt wrong. I'm glad that this book is taking the time to deal with everything that happened accordingly, especially because one could argue Dick lost the most. Even though it dwells on the sad parts, it manages to set up some interesting plot points for next issue with the Dealer coming back, and who knows, it could transition into how Dick ends up in Chicago in two issues.

The If there's one thing you can generally expect from this title, is that every now and then you're going to get a issue full of great character beats, and that's what this issue is. Don't know how bad Jason's face is burned, but damn is it funny to watch fanboys and girls squirm on tumblr. I'm not going to say that I'll flat out miss Lobdell on the title, but these are the kinds of issues that I hope continue when Tynion takes over.

The This is an issue I didn't particularly like, but I can't hold that much of it against it in way of the creators, as I would for say Catwoman, which I think is written by someone who is not particularly good at writing. I don't know for sure what went on behind the scenes, but I'm willing to bet it didn't help this issue. Hopefully I like Fawkes' next issue more.

The I loves me a good Batman/Joker story, and despite whatever those comic fans who just love to hate stuff just to hate it, this was one of the best pure Batman and Joker stories we've gotten since Batman R.I.P. (Batman and Robin was entirely different, given it was mostly DickBats). Joker works best in high stakes situations like this, and I've got to say that with everything listed above, team Batman did not let me down, one bit.

The I really, really loved this issue. Great psyche stuff, which was really enjoyable to read. One of those issues that really makes me hope I'm completely wrong.

The This continues to be a favorite of mine, but this issue did hit a bump or two with the reveal of who Merrymaker was. I've been reading John Layman's Chew a lot recently, and know he sort of plays the long game with his stories, while giving you bite size (no pun intended) stories through out, but with something like Batman, I feel one needs to emphasize the face story a bit more, due to the nature of the character, while that long, and probably more fulfilling, B plot (Emperor Penguin) runs its course. Regardless, still a fun issue and did nothing to shake my confidence in this team.

This was so much fun. Funny, light-hearted, and heartfelt, it was by far one of the most enjoyable reads I've had in quite some time.

The I mean, what can I say about this book that I haven't already said before? Morrison and Burnham are delivering the final arc that was promised, and things are really starting to heat up in this issue. This title is its own beast (leviathan, if you will) and damn do I love it for that fact. It's hard to make Batman anymore entertaining than this.

The This was a set up issue, for sure, but even as far as set up issues go, this one was lacking a bit. Despite all that, EVS was the main attraction, and a strong showing from him gives the faults I found with the issue itself a bit of a pass. Hurwitz does eventually deliver, I've read enough of his Batman stories to know that, so I'm not worried.

The At the end of the day, this book is just fun. We've gotten a full arc by now, and I've got to say, any worry I had about being burnt out on the Court of Owls by now is long gone. It works because this isn't Batman. If we still had Bruce going up against the owls 17 months later, it would be VERY old by now, but since Tynion, Snyder and March have brought us an entertaining new character, it works with the different perspective. This issue really gives us that clear picture of who Calvin Rose is, and why he does what he does. Great stuff.

The This was a fun issue, with great art, and I like what Scott Lobdell has done with Tim and Jason's relationship in The New 52, that said, I feel like this issue had yet another serious lack of balance with the characters. The random plot set ups with all those cameos didn't help as well. Then just as a general note (not a knock on this issue itself) but by the fourth time, the silver platter ending is pretty predictable.

The This issue might not be the most... let's say, "involved," issue in the story telling department, but god damn if I don't care. From the start, I've loved the whole vibe this Batwoman Wonder Woman vs the Gods arc has given us. It's big, beautiful, and epic, despite how much I hate to use that word. This issue definitely continues the trend, and I'm looking forward to the conclusion next month (but not Williams' leaving art duties).

The I hate when I don't like an issue of this series, because the characters are great, and the dynamic between them is always fun, but this penultimate issue to Swierczynski's run doesn't inspire a whole lot of confidence for the final issue, but then again, I'm not entirely sure he's to blame for that. Looking forward, given the editorial nonsense that has surrounded this book, I can only hope Marx comes in and injects the title with some excitement.

The Like I said above, and if I remember correctly, in the last review... if you only pick up one title that ties into the main story over in Batman, this would be it (Batman and Robin is close behind). You get a deeply personal story for Dick Grayson, delivered by one of the most twisted renditions of the Joker yet. Barrows may have moved on to Teen Titans, but he has also left these past two issues with HUGE shoes to fill.

The Fun issue, like I've come to expect from the title, but as stated above, the hit provided by a serious lack of name-sake characters is pretty darn noticeable. Hopefully next week's issue of Teen Titans really redeems this crossover within a crossover...

The I enjoyed these Batgirl issues, and #16 is no different. In terms of tie ins, the issue doesn't do anything extraordinary, but the character beats are where the meat is. Though I don't agree with how James Jr. is being used and portrayed, it's not enough to truly ruin my enjoyment of the issues. Thankfully, this isn't Gail Simone's final issue on the series, and she'll probably be given the chance to explain that new dynamic in full.

The This issue did a fantastic job at being the penultimate issue of the story. With that final tease (also seen in the rest of the DotF books) I immediately dreaded what was to come in the first few pages of next issue. All day I've been telling myself, hell, trying to convince my self "it's not going to be Alfred's head... It's not going to be Alfred's head" or face, or whatever... but man, I just have this terrible feeling in my gut, and the fact that this issue stuck to me like that is why it's so god damn good.

The Were these the most complex psychological tie ins? No. But Joker and Damian can probably be described as much as a unstoppable force meeting an unmovable wall, as Joker and Bruce, so that dynamic is fun to watch play out. Then there's the art, which lord knows I've already explained. Great issue.

The Bad:While I just sung praises for the change of pace, it was good, and not great, which definitely works against the title. This book is at a point that it really needs to WOW me to get me to care about it the way I did in the first arc, but it's just not happening.The It's fine... I mean, that's all I can really say. Is it bad? No, not at all. All that exciting? Not really. I think mentally, this book has just dug itself into such a hole for me. Is it fair that I judge it on that? Probably not, but I'm being honest, and I'm not finding a great amount of joy reading it. Is it anyone's fault on the team right now? No. I can't really blame Nicieza for me not being that into the title anymore, that's like blaming the relief pitcher who comes in when your starter has given up 7 runs in 3 innings. BASEBALL.

The While this isn't really a "Death of the Family" tie in, hell Joker isn't actually in it, but it works on it's own so well. Layman would have never gotten away with Bruce and Joker duking it out here, because it just wouldn't work in any sort of context. Instead, Layman manages to spin his own tale, with Death of the Family as a backdrop, that is not the least bit less compelling to read. Combined with the continued great art, I don't see how anyone couldn't enjoy this book.

The Is this volume of Batman Incorporated the most accessible book? To an extent, no. One could jump on and get some enjoyment out of it, but having all the knowledge of Batman & Son on makes this title that much better. I love a lot of what's going on in Gotham at the moment, but no other book is building up as much hype as this one. I cannot wait to get to the pay off of this story, and this issue is really where some of the pieces start to fall into place. If you really haven't invested yourself in the Morrison Bat epic, and are reading this book and not "getting it" entirely, you're just doing it wrong. Read it all, it's entirely worth it, and with it, this book gets on a whole new level of craziness. 

Overall, I had my fun with this issue, but if memory serves me correct, I found the final issue of Penguin P&P to wrap up a bit too quickly as well. Fun, but lacks that certain pay off. That and the two things I brought up above made me hold some serious reservations about this issue. Overall though, as an arc, I dig the villain psych profile aesthetic, and it had some truly great fun and art. Good start for Hurwitz, and hopefully EVS can continue the great art streak.

Calvin Rose may be the star of the book, but he was definitely out-shined this issue. Perhaps a little too much? I don't know, while I thought the issue was really good, I felt it almost needed a touch more Calvin to balance out the great reintroduction we got to Casey. Issue was pretty light on the actual Court too. DESPITE ALL THAT, I'm coming off more negative than I mean to. Great issue, as fun as the first few, just didn't have that extra spark I found in the earlier ones.

The  Like... on one hand, this is fun... great art, some good Joker bits, and fun character interactions. But on the other hand, I wish the Joker would just fucking do something already. Outside of Batman, he's only actually done anything in Nightwing and Batgirl. The little bits of fun don't completely mask the slight sense of boredom that came over me after reading through the issue.

The The fact that this was a bit of a momentum blocker wasn't exactly a surprise, but I did find myself way more invested in the story than I thought I would be. I'd like to say it reminded me of the old Chase series, but it's been a while, so I can't say for certain. Regardless, the change of style and the nice character beats made for a pretty good read.

The I'm not sure if the way this arc panned out was Duane's idea, rather than editorial saying "get rid of Katana so Geoff Johns can use her" but regardless, it was fun, and wrapped up nicely. The inclusion of a Talon (probably another editorial thing) is also an interesting idea, and I'm looking forward to seeing what Duane does with his final two issues of the series.

The I'm done. That's it. Done.

The  Like I said above, this is by far the best tie in series of the bunch, already. Even if you don't like cross overs and don't buy all the tie in books like I do (I'd be buying the books anyways, let's be honest) this is a book that you owe it to yourself to pick up, because it's a flat out great "Joker fucks up someones life" story.

The Despite the largest "Bad" section I've ever written... probably... the story is okay. If there was some better art, I'd probably give it a point higher, but the at times interesting story mixed with the bad art creates this weird vibe, where I want to read the book, but it just bums me the hell out. 

The I enjoyed the issue a great deal, that's for sure, but I can't help but feel those two points I mad, more so the Jr. one, really left a bad aftertaste, following what was a good meal. I just think there's a time and a place for a story involving James, and the slow burn they had going didn't benefit from having the heat turned up during the Joker story line. All things considered though, like I said, I got most of my enjoyment out of this issue due to the clear sense of enjoyment that anyone can tell Gail Simone had writing this issue. Gail's passion for the character is beyond question, and it's really evident in all the best ways here.

The I never like saying I took issue with some specific parts in an issue of this series, but whatever... nothing is perfect. All things considered though, this book is still awesome. This was a calm before the storm issue that gave hints as to what "Death of the Family" really means, and what could possibly be coming up later with the Riddler. As always, Capullo and Jock were both on their game as well.

The Despite the somewhat lack of action, this issue really digs deep into a dynamic of Robin, and Joker's perception of him. Joker and Damian are just as interesting together as they were the first time and GOOD GOD, THE ART.

The With the first issue being way too light on the Joker stuff, and this issue just striking out, I have to say this has been the biggest disappointment of the cross over. I feel like hearts were in the right places, just the execution fell flat.

The Batwing started off as a promising book, relatively new character, good art, world building, but since the start of this arc, I've just felt it has lost it's spark, and this issue just wrapped things up a little to cleanly. My attitude has gone from "Man, this is a surprising title." to just "meh," real quick. It's unfortunate, it really is. This book has gone on for longer than anyone probably thought it would, but I feel as if it's worn out it's welcome a bit, and is working on borrowed time. Again, I don't expect this book to make it past May.

The Once again, this book has really reestablished itself well. It reminds me greatly of Some of Paul Dini and Dustin Nguyen's Tec issues, prior to "Heart of Hush," which I also really enjoyed... Only this time, there's way more connective tissue between each issue, yet each stands alone pretty well, something Layman aimed to do, and pulls off really well. I guess I shouldn't be surprised at this point, but somehow, I keep asking myself "wow, did this book really get that much better?" each month.

God, I love this setting. The #666 stuff is just fantastic, I always wanted it to be expanded upon for years now, so this was a godsend. Everything is just so god damn crazy, drenched in metaphor, and paying off in spades for those who have followed this story from the beginning. While I think that original issue by Andy Kubert is pretty untouchable in it's aesthetic, Burnham really made the setting all his own with his gritty, down right dirty style to this dystopian future. The violence, the blood, the gore... man it's all just great. Not Officer Downe great, but hey... they're are limits for what DC will allow.

The Despite this issue being less substantial than the past few, it's still good. Like I said in the good section, the art is the big talking point, and Finch is making it hard to say goodbye. Granted, EVS is no artist to scoff at, but Finch is killing it right now.

So far, this book is three for three. Now that we're really getting into Calvin's quest, I'm really enjoying the expansion of the Court mythos, which despite introducing the concept, Batmandidn't touch upon enough, I feel like. As said above, Calvin is just an awesome character, and the shaky relationship he has with Sebastian is really interesting, and rather unpredictable. I'll say it again, this is hands down the best book to come out of the third wave.

The  Batwoman has more or less been the black sheep of the Batman Family books, and you know what, that's okay. This issue, and the mythical ties it brings with it gives us a whole different dimension of types of stories that are being brought to Gotham. The unique setting combined with the gorgeous visuals really leave me without anything bad to say about the issue.

The Any problem I have with this issue isn't exactly a deal breaker, but they do add up. While I enjoyed the book, I wouldn't say it was one of the best issues to date. It had a lot of fun in it, but aside from that, not a whole lot of meat left to it.

Look, I'll be the first to admit it... Maybe I jumped the gun in my judgement of Nocenti. I thought the zero issue was pure shit (and hope it really gets buried, still) and the last issue fell apart for me. But this... this was pretty damn good. I would have liked perhaps a little bit more up front substance (potentially another issue, given that this is it for Catwoman and the crossover) but the psych stuff was really pretty good. I was very surprised, and pleased coming out of this issue.

The I'm glad these two issues are over, moving on!

The Like I said, humorous at times, but the bigger point of the issue was just lost on me. Saw the Joker stuff coming as soon as Jason and Isabel were left alone, but nevertheless, it's not really substantial enough to contribute anything to my opinion on the individual issue. I enjoyed this one more than I did the space arc overall, but it was still just "alright" at best for me.

The I wasn't too impressed with the "Night of the Owls" issue of Batgirl, but if this is any indication of how the "Death of the Family" tie ins will go for this series, then I will tell you I am greatly looking forward to them.

The Despite my large "The Bad" section, that was more or less me just getting something off my chest, not really anything at fault with the issue. But in all honesty, what is there left to say? I mean, just two issues in and it's hard to verbalize just how much I'm enjoying this story, already. Thinking about this issue, the one phrase I keep coming back to is "MAN, that's fucked!" because it totally is! All hands are on deck, and team Batman has gone absolutely off the rails, and it's fantastic.

The  I think I summed up most of my thoughts in "the bad" which is unfortunate, given that I do generally enjoy the title. I mean, when it comes down to it, a lot of what we get seems almost as if it was all an afterthought or just left out to dry and forgotten about. Ever since the Nobody arc, this series has been either part of a crossover, or dealing with half-baked plots that seem to go nowhere, above all else, after "Death of the Family," I hope this series is given room to breath again, this issue being a key example as to why. 

The Aside from the opening scene, which I liked quite a bit, there's not a whole lot else going on in the book until the final two pages, which creates some "when did this actually happen?" contradictions if you think about it, but that's not really worth getting into. As said above, I wish this issue just dealt with "Death of the Family" and only that, rather than a little DoTF, then a repeat of issue #8. Hopefully the next issue is more focused on DoTF.

The All things considered, this is pretty part for the course for the title. Not good, not great, it just feels somewhat complacent, and doesn't leave a whole lot of reason to be excited.

The Overall, I thought this was a really good looking, well told story. Was it an absolutely necessary story to tell? Probably not. Was Babs the stand out star of it? No, that honor goes to Selina in my opinion. Was it fun? Sure, and it definitely ads to my growing enjoyment of the book lately.

The  Despite the cohesion issue, and the lack of Jason build up, this book is still so insane and unique, it's really hard for me to actually hold anything against it. The roller coast ride story, the emotional beats, and the art, all add up to one fantastic package. While you have books that are fantastic in their own right, like Batman, there will never be anything quite like Morrison's Batman Inc. 

The While Hurwitz's time spent in the Bat universe has been similar from title to title, that's not a bad thing. He's turned this book's direction into a series that features villain case studies. Direction is something that this book needed greatly, and this issue is a shining example of that. Comparatively speaking, there pretty much is none between this, and the last time Scarecrow was featured in the title.

The Talon is by far the stand out book of the fourth wave. I'd say it goes Talon... Talon again, Sword of Sorcery, Team 7, Phantom Stranger in my book. This issue is also the only one of those titles that didn't feel like it was simply the #2. It felt as if it was a true #1 issue. On top of that, it was written and illustrated especially well. I'm very excited to see where this book goes, and how it expands in the coming months.

The Fantastic art, met with a great narrative tone to the story, makes for a great package. Batwoman and Wonder Woman are a duo that don't make much sense on paper, but they totally work, thanks to some intangible elements. Everything just clicked in this issue.

The This book is great, it has consistent art again, and great character work. If it wasn't for that big lingering thread, that will probably never be wrapped up, I really wouldn't have any problems with this issue. If it happens again, I'm going to go insane.

The Like I said, not as bad as #0, but that's a pretty easy feat. The art was great, but the story getting out of hand after the first half just left a bad taste in my mouth. Those last 11 pages just seemed so pointless, and a waste of time.

The While it's not Catwoman #0 terrible (which is my new base line reading of absolute shit), there's not a whole lot to like. Subpar art, forgettable story, bad characterization, it's all just pretty bad, but not awful.

The All in all, it was fine. My complaints remained consistent through this arc, and I'm glad it's over. Is it still action packed, fun and peppered with humor? Yeah. Did I feel the sci fi setting worked? No. Some highs and lows, not great, not terrible.

Like I said, I've really enjoyed this arc, way more than the past arcs of this book. There are still a few things that irk me here and there, but add Ed Benes' general awesome art to me already enjoying this arc, and I'd say this issue finished pretty strong.

Yeah, no... I don't have to justify this anymore, this issue was amazing.

I mean, it's alright. It has some good parts here and there between Bruce and Damian, but as a whole, there's nothing special to write home about, and the abrupt art switch bothered me.

The Bottom Line:I've said before, this book is just pure fun. It won't blow anyone away, but it has consistently been enjoyable from issue #1 to #13. David is a fun character, and he's put into nothing but new situations (minus the Court of Owls tie in) which remains true to this issue.

The Bottom Line:For the third time, comparatively speaking, this issue was amazing. But on it's own merits, it was a damn good issue. It was a very, very strong start for the new team, and after this initial issue, I hope they stick around.

 Overall, this was a well told, and well illustrated issue. Did it feel absolutely necessary? Not really. You sort of get the sense that the prospect of a Zero Month came up, and Grant Morrison said "Really? Alright then..." which may be why Chris Burnham came in and co-plotted it with Morrison (which, he did a good job of). There was a lot to like in the issue, but not a whole lot to really love.

I enjoyed this issue. It was well illustrated (although I'd prefer one artist, but already said that) and well told. Like mentioned above, I enjoy stories that are told in this period, you can't tell a whole lot of them, but this seemed to fit perfectly within the themes of the Zero Month.

 Of all the new books this month, this was by far the most successful launch. I was sort of worried as how some books would fair launching from zero issues, and I have to say, this one felt more like a zero issue than the others, which felt pretty much like #1s. We're left with a taste of Calvin Rose and the life he's gone through, and wanting more. Even if you believe the Court of Owls has run it's course, and should probably be rested, pick this up, I'm willing to be it'll prove you wrong.

So, I was really curious to see how they were going to pull this off, given that we have already seen Kate's origin, and there has been a 0 issue before. It was pretty fantastic. The format of the issue was very well constructed, and Kate's message to her father was very genuine, and heartfelt. The art is fantastic, with Williams sticking to the same style he used through out most of Kate's origin in elegy. Not a single double page spread, but the art is just as gorgeous. I'm just really glad they were able to make this 0 issue unique and different than the last. Pulled it off flawlessly.

Okay, there was this weird time issue with a "one year ago" thing that makes no sense, but as I have said before, don't pay attention to those, they won't make complete sense, ever. But nevertheless, loved this issue. Great interaction and introduction between all the characters, and cool little twist at the end with Waller and Ev (which I kind of called last week!). Molenaar's art was pretty good, good enough for me to REALLY hope he has a nice lengthy run on the title, as it needs consistent art. Love this book, and love the characters. What else is new?

Look, I realize that there were some complaints about Judd Winick's run on the book, and those who had issue with him got what they wanted. Lord knows it wasn't perfect, but it wasn't nearly as bad as this.

Nevertheless, the Shiva bit didn't lessen my enjoyment too much. It was still a great and beautiful issue.

So, weird issue. I'm not sure what to think about it. I had no problem with the bulk of it, aside from Pasqual Ferry's art... wasn't a fan. But the Joker thing... I don't like that, not at all. To think that everything in Jason's life was orchestrated by the Joker, it's just too much. That being said... you could interpret it as Joker being Joker, and you don't know what story he tells is true. A lot like the origin story he gives in The Killing Joke, even he admits he doesn't know if it's true. Still... I don't like it. I'm on the edge with this issue. Some parts I liked, some parts I didn't. Thus:

Ed Bene's art was fantastic, and not a single out of place ass shot! No, but really, for the most part, his art was on point, and I loved the page that was only colored from his pencils, summing up Babs' time as a solo crusader. The spread of her, Bruce and Dick? Yeah, guess what panel I'm picking this week?

Abrupt ending aside, I'd say the back up made up for it, and more, so there's not a whole lot to complain about.

So yeah, not a whole lot of meat to this issue, that is, if you're not a new comer to the franchise. If you know Damian, there's not a whole lot of new info to go by here. That being said, as a whole, the issue was executed very well. Patrick Gleason's art was pretty damn fantastic this issue, especially with the way Damian movies, something I don't believe I've commented on enough. All in all, it was a really good issue, but don't be expecting anything all too new if you're a seasoned vet, like myself.

Loved this issue. If you ask me, Batwing is one of the break out stars of the New 52, just no one knows it yet. His past is so fertile that this origin story didn't feel redundant at all, given the fact that much of the first arc was also based on his origin. There's just so much story to tell, and Winick did it very well. David is a character that has a real sense of... well, character. He isn't some generic Batman clone, he's unique, has a personality of his own, and an interesting back story, which I greatly welcome being expanded upon. This is an example of what these zero issues should be, filling in gaps that have been left open, but not retelling a story we all know.

The back up by James Tynion and Henrik Jonsson was pretty great as well. The Kane family really doesn't have a whole lot to do with anything... ever, so to paint them still in the picture, is something I'd really like to see expanded upon. I mean, apparently Bruce has this whole other side of the family that is never mentioned... I don't know where this story could continue, but I would love to see the Kanes come into play somehow.

The art was pretty darn good. Romano Molenaar was originally supposed to do the full issue, but then Birds of Prey happened. Once again, Pere Perez stepped in and filled in perfectly. You can sort of tell when the change is made, just from a visual standpoint, but Perez alters his style from fill in to fill in, that allows his art to blend in nearly seamlessly. That's how you do fill in art, combined with consistent coloring from page 1 to the end.

Sooo... yeah. Not the most original of stories, as this kind of issue is pretty much always expected when Scarecrow is involved. That's pretty much my only complaint though, just that we've seen it before, which in turn, really messes around with the pacing of this arc (especially with the #0 issue coming next month). All that being said, I really found the mirrored Scarecrow story to help make this issue feel different than other Bruce hallucinating issues. Hurwitz is managing to add depth to Scarecrow in these broad strokes, as well as little subtle actions, like interacting with one of the abducted kids. That, combined with great, flat out creepy at times art from David Finch, is what really makes the issue stand out from past Scarecrow stories.

With all my problems with the non linear nature of the last arc, I have to say, I do enjoy how this is actually just one big story. That being said, I kind of wish we had more Kate/Diana interaction in this issue, but I understand the need to sort of establish who both these characters are, while showing how similar they are to each other. If anything, despite the lack of interaction, this issue got me excited on how the two will play off each other in this arc.

I generally enjoyed this issue, and the arc, mainly because we haven't really had a good Poison Ivy story in god knows how long, and this one served as a pretty good one.

Good issue, liked it. Wrapped up Judd Winicks little run nicely, teasing some potential plot points later. I've got to admit, I had thought "This dude has to be involved with the Dollmaker right?" before, but for some reason just thought it was just too similar to be related and a complete oversight by anyone involved... I don't know everything, this is true. I was surprised how quickly Spark got wrapped up, especially with Selina not learning of his betrayal. I don't know if it's just someone who Ann Nocenti didn't have plans for, or if it will be continued later with his death. Again, not really feeling Melo's art... just kind of generic, but nothing is new in those regards. Over all, the issue didn't floor me, it was just good, did it's job.

I really enjoyed this issue. It wrapped up the arc nicely, and progressed the supporting characters. The relationship between Dick and Sonia is really interesting to me, and the final line of the book is certainly very telling. I'm also interested to see how Nie is used from here on out, now that he knows Dick wasn't the killer, but still has that animosity towards him due to the death of his boyfriend.

I don't know... every book has it's low points I guess? If anything, there were a couple of nice character moments between Roy and the other two on separate occasions, that I've come to expect and like from this book.

So yeah, this arc has really turned this book around in my opinion, I thoroughly enjoyed this issue.

Also, loved the call back to The Black Mirror with Tiger Shark.

So yeah… this arc had potential, but sort of disappointed me. Never found out any of Terminus' deal, which bothers me to no end, especially now since he, you know… died. I had some issue with the dialogue in this issue as well, particularly during Bruce and Terminus' fight. Very blocky and choppy. I mean, I realize it's a fight, and we won't be getting some eloquent speech or something, but really, it just kind of sucked. What saved this issue was the interaction between all the Robins, which I did really enjoy, especially Dick's talk with Damian.

So, you know what was awesome about this book? That this issue made Batwing really feel part of the DCU. Him working with Nightwing, Batwing, and the JLI really cemented him as someone more than a bit player made by Morrison for his INC story, who surprisingly was handed a book after being on about 6 total pages. This was just a big super hero action issue, which I really enjoyed. You can't go wrong with a book like that every now and then. The only negative was some of the inking. Marcus To is a guy who you can really tell when others ink him, a lot like Jim Lee. Given that I know Fed Ex fucked up a lot, if not all of the pages when he shipped them to the inker, I have to imagine a reason why there are so many on this particular issue, is because they were strapped for time. A lot of the guys who helped out inking just look really inconsistent, compared to Winn, who is the regular inker. But, it didn't actually take away from my enjoyment, just was noticeable is all.

So, if we average out a story I hated with one I loved, we get...

It so isn't your standard Batman book. It has such a weird vibe to it, but it just works. We barely see Bruce in the batsuit, let alone the cowl (which he's actually never in) but as Matches Malone, he just gets the job done. Not many people can really pull of a Batman book with out Batman in it, but Morrison did with this Matches Malone issue. And Chris Burnham's art... man does it fit that weird vibe. Again, something (or someone in this case) who you wouldn't necessarily think of as "Batman," but for some ridiculously unexplainable reason, it works perfectly. Oh, and Damian is a badass, and BAT COW!

Whatever, regardless, I'm liking where Hurwitz is going on this book, major improvement so far.

Anyways, I really had nothing against this issue... loved every page.

Foreman was still here as well, and his stuff was good, but his last few pages started to dip into that territory where it just sort of looks weird to me, with people's heads just having odd shapes to them.

A fine issue I'll say. Nothing great about it though, just progressing the story more, getting done what needs to be done. Average art. I don't know, I just don't really find anything special about this arc. The whole Spark thing being a double agent is interesting, but it wasn't really touched upon here, and with Winick only having an issue left on the title, I feel as if not addressing it more here, may leave it to be a bit underwhelming when it finally comes out, if it does. Then like I said... Melo's art is fine, just nothing too special. Guillem March is a hard act to follow in my mind, and everything here is just a bit average, par for the course.

In the end, it's a good issue, bogged down by inconsistent art... so, first time doing this, I'm going to say if the art wasn't a factor, the score would be one point higher...

Despite everything I just said, I have a feeling I just came off more negative than I really am towards this book. I quite enjoyed the issue, as everything I love about the book is here. Action, humor, great art.

Alright, so I thought this was a pretty good issue, right up until the final scene in the apartment. But, prior to that, what we had was a confident Batgirl, kicking some ass, no woe is me nonsense, and over all just being enjoyable. Everything I want from this book, is that, exactly.

In the end though, this issue was great, and this arc was fantastic, so whatever faults I may have with this issue, are greatly outweighed by the bigger picture.

That being said, I found enjoyment in the issue. The Jason fight was probably the highlight, there were a few good comedic beats, the only thing I flat out didn't like was Batman yelling in the middle of an empty street "LEAVE MY CITY ALONE!" Seemed kind of out of character for him. Oh... just remembered something I hate, well more a pet peeve. I can't stand when you have characters introduced and don't learn their name. Fucking hate that. I should have mentioned it last issue with that group of characters, but I forgot. Here we learn two characters names, but are left wondering about the others. Just say their name ONCE! That's all you need. Ugh. Whatever.

Another fun issue of globe trotting for Batwing, and another issue for Marcus To being awesome. What I've really come to like in these last two issues are the buddy cop pair that is Batwing and Nightwing.

I know Tony Daniel probably had to pull the plug on a lot of what he wanted to do, seeing as next issue is his last... but man, I hate to be this negative, I really do, but bring on the next writer...

So, that's it for the Batgirl series. Overall, it was a fun ride, not over though. This series has some key factors going for it, and it just being plain, enjoyable fun is the main feature. It's nothing too big or dramatic, just quick, to the point, light hearted, fun. I felt the very ending of it sort of fell flat though, I know it'll be continued in Duela Dent #1 next week, but to just end the Batgirl series on the "bad guys show up" note, felt a little lack luster. Oh well, like I said about a billion times before, this series and concept is fun, and that's what matters.

So, with the preview, you sort of expected an origin type issue, which is fine, but to have an issue like this so early in the game, it really felt kind of odd... Given the ending of #1, that's what I really want to see what the fuck is happening with, being that it was so crazy... this almost felt as if it should have been the #0 issue instead... Regardless, what we did get was pretty awesome. I was wondering how Ra's may factor into this story, judging by the fact Morrison has admitted he's not a huge fan of Ra's, and we got that answer, he doesn't. This is because, Talia is a bad ass, and the new shit, Ra's is the old shit, haha. Chris Burnham's art is perfect, as always, showing a wide amount of variety in his characters and the emotions on their face, while planting small little details throughout. At the end of the day, the only bad thing I can say, is the far that it felt like an intermission, and din't necessarily push the momentum forward to a great extent.

Finch's art was pretty damn good as well. His scarecrow stuff from the first arc was a big highlight, so I'm glad to see him revisiting it now, and his redesigned Scarecrow is even more fucked up looking than before. If there was one artistic drawback, it would have to be the colors, here and there. Now, don't get me wrong, Sonia Oback is a greatly talented colorist, no denying that. It's just that at some points, her colors didn't seem as dark as they should be. A lot of the night time scenes, I never really got a night feeling, and the bat cave looked pretty damn well lit. Also, on page 10, it really looks as if some of the colors bleed over the lines so to speak. But, like I said... she is a great colorist, but relatively new to Gotham, so I'll give her some slack.

So, I feel as if I'm a broken record, I still don't like this story's format, as it really leaves me wanting more simply because we never have time to really get used to these characters and why we should hate the bad guys. We were thrown right into the fire from issue #6, and there was no real sense of anything building up. That being said, I knew something was going to go down with Sune based on the cover of issue #11, but I wasn't expecting that. I am enjoying these last few issues a tad bit more because everything has escalated with it being wrapped up soon. Finally, Trevor McCarthy's art is fantastic, and really lends itself well to the style and tone that has been set by the book. Said it before, I hope he comes back next time JH Williams needs a break.

So yeah, this book is crazy. There are times where I don't really enjoy all the WTF moments that aren't really explained, but this... yeah man, whatever, this was awesome. Missiles, plant monsters, Starling always having C4 on her, apparently. This issue had it all. This really is a fantastic team book, a group of distinct personalities, crazy action, humor, and plot twists here and there (yeah, Ivy ain't exactly innocent looking on the final page). This issue was just plain fun, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

So, this was another solid issue. Nothing really elevated it above any other issue this week though. There are some interesting developments taking place, mainly with Spark not being who he says he is, and I still can't figure out what the angle Selina is working with the detective. Dollhouse is super creepy, but I kind of wish he had more to his gimmick other than just selling organs... that just kind of falls flat, somewhat boring for my taste. Oh well. Like I said, good issue, nothing fantastic.

So, first thing is first, aside from the murder weapon subplot from #5, this really felt as if it was a new volume #1 issue. Perfect jumping on point, and you can really tell the book is about to take off now that it isn't confided to tying into the Court of Owls stuff. It really was a great issue.

my biggest problem of the issue was the back up, it just sort of took away from what I really wanted to see, and that was the Outlaws in space. We got the humor and fun that you've come to expect in the main feature, but it was a brief affair, and that stuff has quite honestly become par for the course, it's what is to be expected, in my opinion.

Alitha Martinez's fill in pencils, I've got to say, were more to my liking than Syaf's regulars. Lines were less bold, characters looked less chunky, and while I feel as Martinez was trying to stay true to Syaf's (something that shines through in the few less than stellar panels) I thought it was generally more pleasing to my eye.

With this, and the back up, Scott Snyder has really just made a huge impact in the universe of the Bat. The core tenants remain the same, but you can't get around how huge this addition is. Prior to reading this, I talked to Scott briefly, as he teased how big this would be. Now, I mostly believed him, but there's that jaded part of me, that was sitting there thinking "I've read a lot of Batman comics… how can something be THAT big" but man… I got proven wrong in a big way. This issue was flat out, amazing.

Fun, fun issue. I was hoping there'd be a lot of witty snark between all the Robins, and I wasn't let down, at all. There's just something so fun about seeing all these characters together... Sure, it's kind of a dickhole premise on Damian's part, but any excuse to get the four of them together is okay with me. The book suffered from the same thing Batgirl suffered from this week, you just don't get a whole lot from the villain. I got the feeling that all the book's arcs are supposed to end at 12, so if we're short on time, I'd rather learn something about Terminus, other than he's dying and can revitalize himself temporarily. If these arcs continue on after 12, then fine, whatever my mistake.

Some drawbacks to the issue, Robin was all too helpful, not as much as a snarky asshole as he needs to be. The bombing story/Matu's family being dead now was REALLY out of left field. Didn't really fit. Might be something that they'll get into later?

On the positive side, Ed Benes' art is pretty good. Not the best I've seen from him, but I think he's just made some stylistic changes to his work, it looks a bit "scratchy" if I had to put my finger on it. What really helps is Tomeu Morey's colors, which really keep the consistency between Tony Daniel's and Ed Benes' art intact.

What I kind of took away from this was the semi-false advertising of it being a Night of the Owls tie in... It really isn't. The Court, nor the Talons where anywhere to be seen, and only referenced two or so times. It's no where near as bad as the The Dark Knight #9 Tim Drake cover, but I would have liked to have seen the Owls connections explained a bit more, because I'm still kind of confused as to how Freeze's stuff and that implant in the Talon's teeth work... oh well

Well, this was sort of different than the usual Night of the Owls books, mainly because it's in the 1880s, but also because the Owls are not finished in this particular story, so there's that. What there was here though is another great issue with a lot of funny character moments, and great action. If I had to take away anything from it, it's the quickness that the August 7 is dealt with, then the brief Owls appearance. Would have liked more of both, but there just wasn't room. This perhaps would have been a good issue not to have a back up, but then you would have needed Moritat to do more pages... can't really win on that. Regardless, good issue.

This was truly a great issue, and I'm so glad to have this book back. I have nothing bad to say about it.

Though, if you're expecting a Tim Drake story... yeah, no. Tim got the short end of the stick for this cross over.

Regardless, like I said, I did like this issue a bit more than the past three, so whatever, I'll bump up the score.

This was Travel Foreman's first issue, and while the style is vastly different than Jesus Saiz, it's still really awesome in it's own right. Saiz fit the book so perfectly, but I think I'm really going to like Foreman's art going forward.

Also, Guillem March is back in full force. His work with the Talon here really reminded me of what he did on Azreal with The Crusader, who was just as crazy looking. March does two things really well, draws sexy women (albeit, not to some's liking) and draws crazy ass villains. As always, he's one of my favorites at DC now.

The one drawback is that Eddy Barrows didn't complete a full issue, again... which is just annoying at this point. I think if I knew it was coming, it'd be fine (like knowing when you're going to get Marco Rudy on an issue of Swamp Thing as opposed to Yanick Paquette) but these just aren't fun surprises, especially given how good Barrows has been when he's been drawing the series. To Andres Guinaldo's credit, he did do a better job of fitting Barrows' style than the past fill ins, and it was probably better than anything I saw from him in Gotham City Sirens (perhaps due to Mark Irwin's inks) but it was still fill in, and I found that the different colorist made it more jarring than the actual artist. Eh, whatever, could have been worse.

Another fun issue form Red Hood and the Outlaws. Not much left to say... The book was just fun, like it always has been. Also, enjoyed the Batgirl cameo. Shared Gotham universe! Woo! One slight drawback was the Talon. Based on all the others, I've never known a Talon simply to run for no reason. I never really got why he was fleeing the scene. I mean.... I get it was to get him to the circus grounds, but the Talons are relentless killing machines, and we didn't really get a reason as to why this one stopped. Basically I feel we're just missing that variable between the "Ruthless killing machine" and "Sympathetic Jason analogue." It's not as big of a deal as I'm making it out to be, just voicing my thoughts. Still like the issue plenty though.

This... this was very disappointing. There are just so many "wait, why, why is this happening moments?" Why did the Court guy freak the fuck out over seeing Mary's face, like it would impede her ability to be a Talon (her face looked fine at the end, by the way.) What the hell did Mary's message to Babs even mean? What was with the convoluted plan to get Gordon to light the signal, he would have done it regardless of being provoked or not. I mean, there were some bright spots... but with the "wait, what?" sort of elements, along with it feeling a bit rushed (after the three page intro in Japan, with characters that didn't really seem to matter) it was just disappointing.

I digress though. Those were the two little things that bugged me, but anyways, it was another awesomely drawn issue by Capullo, so there's that... but what really shined in this issue was the back up. There's so much pure atmosphere and mystery brought up in those short ten pages, where I quite honestly am looking forward to that more than the main feature next issue, crazy. The line about Martha is rather cryptic, as I feel the need to point out that some believe the wheel chair woman in issue #6 to be Martha's mother... hmm hmm hmm. And on top of that, the art Rafael Albuquerque produced is on par with the best of his American Vampire. That shot of the Talon at the end was flawless.

Pretty good issue. It seemed a bit quick, but with most of these stories being one shots, you can't really help that, can you? It was fun to see Damian bark out military orders, and he had a good line about reading military strategy books when he was six, so entertainment was not an issue here. Just reading it though, I didn't really feel the book as much as I did say Batwing, where, for whatever reason, I absolutely loved. I don't know. I liked it, just wasn't floored.

Man, this was a fun ride. Where this story is light on, well, actual story it makes up completely with just an action packed issue. When I swiped to the page to see Staunton's arms blown off, I literally yelled out "ho-oh, shit!" This was just straight up comic book fun, and one hell of an issue for new artist Marcus To to come aboard. I loved To's work on Red Robin and Huntress, and nothing changes here, he's got a great, clean, action packed style, and I love it.

So, like Batwing, this tie in was a really fun ride. Lots of old Batman villains, and I can't believe I didn't see the "well, let the rouges fight the Talons" thing coming, it is so obvious when you think about it. The only thing that put a damper on my enjoyment of this title was the back up. As soon as the guy offered Two Face his position as DA back, if he did some stuff, my brain just turned off. It's just, no, that would never happen. I know it's a comic, but still, no.

Eeeeh, this was the definition of a filler issue. I mean, it literally is. Paul Jenkins had plans, then got dropped, no reason to start a new arc, Owls are coming up next issue, and Hurwitz then takes over. So they obviously needed a little one and done. I mean... it was average. Nothing good, nothing terrible, just eh. Predictable is probably the best thing I can say, haha. Bene's guest art was good, but it felt like he was mimicking Finch's pencils, which very well may be the case, given the situation. Honestly, unless you're a die hard fan of Mad Hatter for some reason, you're not missing much.

And the back up, not so much a back up, as it was just a direct continuation of the main story, but still, great stuff on Tynion and Albuquerque's part. It'll be interesting to see how the "Fall of the House of Wayne" pans out next.

But getting back to what actually happened, like I said, it was good and fun. Entertaining, and certainly made you feel like you were in the middle of a clusterfuck. So there was that. I mean, good issue over all, but still... just a bit confused.

If I had to take anything away from it is that I found Melo's work a little less refined compared to last issue, but that may be due to there being two inkers on the book this time. Guillem March coming back next issue!

That's all I got. So far the Night of the Owls is off to astrong start.

Oh yeah, Kenneth Rocafort and Blond are still drawing the hell out of this book like the bosses they are.

Well, certainly did not expect James Jr. to show up like this, out in the open. Given the solicits, there really wasn't anything to run off of where you could expect this. Surprising to say the least. Anyways, I liked the rest of the issue, Grotesque sort of fell flat, but the meat of the issue was really the final confrontation with Danny Weaver. That was really well done, and I really liked his dying words, which I quoted up there. It seems now, finally we can get past Baggage Babs, and really go headfirst into Babs at her prime. I hope at least.

This issue played out pretty much how I'd expect it to. Get Damian out, heal him up, stern talking to. I was actually surprised Bruce wasn't as harsh as I expected him to be. Though predictable, this was a really great issue for the father/son moments that this first arc has been so heavy on. It wrapped up quite nicely. It'll be interesting to see where the story goes from here, now that the big "alright, this is how father and son work together" thing is out of the way.

This issue played out pretty much how I'd expect it to. Get Damian out, heal him up, stern talking to. I was actually surprised Bruce wasn't as harsh as I expected him to be. Though predictable, this was a really great issue for the father/son moments that this first arc has been so heavy on. It wrapped up quite nicely. It'll be interesting to see where the story goes from here, now that the big "alright, this is how father and son work together" thing is out of the way.

Alright, I'm really not going to even spend a whole lot of time on this review, as it's pretty identical to my last two. The story here is good. I like it. Not as much as the first arc, but whatever, it's a fun story. The delivery is not. I'm starting to really resent it, and can't fathom how it's supposed to go on for three more issues. This non linear device just isn't working for me, for the third time. I liked Amy Reeder's art here, but a little of it looked a bit rough here and there. Oh well.

Well, this arc had quite the few red herrings. Can't say didn't see Isaac coming, and quite honestly, at one point really didn't want that to happen, but the way it was handled was really well done. The issue also had some really good Batman Batwing interactions, particularly the last scene with them. Really enjoyed it. Only drawbacks was the predictability, and despite the cover, no Babs.

The back up? Can't really gauge it yet. Back up's are hard to judge. Only got 8 pages of set up. I can't say I am all too interested as of now, but we'll see. Szymon Kudranski's art is pretty great (as always) though.

Pretty alright issue. Coherent enough, action packed. Liked it. Bruce really got thrown through the wringer on this one. I found it a little odd that it ended on Jaina/White Rabbit, I mean, there was no real conclusion on Bruce's end. There was the climax, but nothing to follow up on. Just a "He'll be back." Eh, whatever. White Rabbit and Jaina was both expected and unexpected. That's the only way I can describe it. The fact that they're the same person, but separate is a nice little twist. I know that Gregg Hurwitz has got his own stuff planned in the future, but I kinda hope White Rabbit isn't lost in that. She's interesting, and again, I can't peg why... who the fuck knows, maybe it is the lingerie, haha.

Let's focus on Greg Capullo for a minute. When I swiped to that second page, I nearly cried at the sight of such beauty. The splash page of the owl and bat is soon to become my iPad's background, which is usually reserved for attractive women, it's that god damn good. I don't know how I can give a better compliment. But Capullo continues just to draw some of the best Batman I've seen in years. He was meant to draw Batman, and damn it, he needs to keep drawing Batman.

Also, I've said it at least three times, Jesus Saiz is going to be VERY missed on this title. I'm sure Foreman will do a great job, but Jesus is just killing it right now.

Adriana Melo jumped in an issue early (originally only solicited for #8) to give March a little bit more time off. I have to say, her stuff here I liked. It fit March's style well, and Tomeu Morey's coloring helped. A lot better than Melo's Birds of Prey fill in from a while back.

Man, this issue is what made everything worth it. Big revelations, great character moments, and great pay off, the future of this book is bright... well, maybe not for Dick, but for us, definitely. This was by far the best issue of the series, and I can't wait for more.

Another good issue from Red Hood. Writing was fun, art was gorgeous. Can't say that enough. Raises a lot of questions about Essence and her motivation which I assume will be answered later in her "back up."  We just never really got a "why" as to her actions against the All Caste, but oh well. This book remains entertaining month in and month out. Looking forward to seeing just what Suzie Su can do next month, oh, and Tim Drake!

Also some James Jr. teases. Some elements in The Black Mirror have obviously been changed with the relaunch, but what can you do?

The rest of the issue though, man it didn't disappoint. Big bad bat ass kicking, just what I expected, and Gleason really shined through on this. Seriously, between this and Batman #6, we've gotten some pretty awesome fights from Bruce in the past month.

I have a feeling my thoughts are going to be the same for the rest of this arc. Plot is nice, but I just don't dig the format.

Dustin Nguyen's art is great. If Marcus To wasn't taking over soon, I'd love to see Dustin stay on the book, I miss him in Gotham.

That was the real problem with this issue, things just happen for god knows what reason at all. There's no logic to what's happening, no lead up, they just happen. Take for example Daniel's first story, where we found out Black Mask was Jeremiah Arkham. Prior to the reveal, there was an issue where Arkham mentioned carrying around a revolver with rubber bullets. Dick later gets shot by Black Mask by a revolver, pulls out the slugs to find rubber bullets. Now, it's not the mostclever hint, but it was a hint none the least, and you could trace those clues to figure out the ID prior the the last issue. Here... shit just happens.

Marcus To's art was still great though. That's really the only thing I've liked about this series, as I've said before.

This was an okay issue. Entertaining, great art, cool fight. Little too much exposition, but whatever. Bane was treated well, and while it's not the Secret Six type Bane, it's definitely not brooding hulk dumbass Bane, which allows me to sigh in relief. The other stuff though, the sub plot with Gordon, like I mentioned... I really don't give a crap about it. I have a feeling that once Hurwitz takes over, this lingering plot of Dickhead Forbes trying to shut Gordon down for whatever reason that started in the first volume, is finally going to be put to rest... What I do hope gets continued on (but really, doubt it will) is the White Rabbit... I want to know more about her, for some reason. I like the way how they've mimicked her to be like her namesake's likeness... we'll see.

Also... I kind of wish they didn't do that whole "did Bruce just drown sort of thing?" at the end, it seems kind of pointless. Just let his broken ass body float away and get discovered by Alfred or someone. That was sort of a weak cliff hanger, but no big deal, really.

Another good issue from Birds of Prey. We finally got some explanation as to how Choke and the cleaners work, and it seems like the fight next issue is going to be interesting based on what Choke said. One thing I didn't like about the issue is how it opened. It really didn't address the ending to the last issue until about half way through, which was just weird until I got to that point. Those first pages I'm sitting here wondering "wait, so are we going to address the ending to the last one?" Not a big deal, because I mean, they did, just didn't care for that storytelling device.

So, I said this on Twitter, I thought this was the best issue of the series in a while, and hell, probably out of all of them too. The first half of it was genuinely a awesomely brutal good time, and the second half managed to come off rather emotional. It doesn't outright say it, but it's clear Selina is still in a form of grief/depression over the death of Lola, and the last Batman scene really hit that home. This was generally one of the deeper issues of the series so far, and I really enjoyed it.

So make your own speculations. What I laid out above is why this issue got me so damn excited for what's to come.

This was a nice little interlude issue. While at times I thought it almost was just an answer to all the critics of the first issue, it still served a great purpose of expanding Jason and Kori's character within this series, while also clearing up a few continuity questions (IE, Kori, Dick and Roy worked together in the past.) I've said it before, I've loved the fact that this book has really moved Jason forward, it's something that needed to happen if he was ever going to star in a book on a consistent basis, and this issue is what helps the series as a whole doing so.

So yeah, the book is getting better, which is a welcome change for me. Next issue seems to be dealing with some Joker stuff, given the end title tease, but should also introduce another rouge named Grotesque.

Another great issue from Tomasi and Gleason. It's a bit of a slow burn, but one, it's great characterization, and two, these next two issues will probably be roller coasters of action. I've said it before, but this book has really exceeded my expectations. Can't wait to see where it goes past this arc.

The real story is how awesome Amy Reeder's art is. While she is clearly taking some cues from JH Williams' style in stuff like layouts, she brings a whole new dynamic feel, with warped perspectives, and other neat little tricks. It's hard to match up to JH Williams, but Reeder doesn't really need to. She managed to carve out her own style within the book, and it works.

All in all, the issue is once again, just more of the same... Helena goes in, fights some dudes, then it ends. There's nothing really wrong with it, it's just boring.

Anyways, the issue was pretty good. The series continues to be good. I loved the way it intertwines David's past and present. It's been continuously laying out the origin story of David through out these last few issues, which is fun to see. Also, thank god Massacre isn't David's brother, that was just too cliche. Keita on the other hand was prime suspect #2. Anyways, good issue, and I'm looking forward to the next two set in Gotham, drawn by Dustin Nguyen!

The story though, a little all over the place. There were some logic gaps. I can't help but feel that Bruce knew all along that everything would end up at the Iceberg Casino, so why waste time around Gotham? If he just went to the casino, probably could have prevented Charlotte from getting shanked. I couldn't help but just have that in the back of my mind the whole issue. Also, this is definitely not a Penguin story, that's for damn sure, despite what the covers want you to believe. But eh. I've read worse.

Still though, the fact that I was left wanting more, and actually counted the pages at the end to make sure something wasn't wrong, is the big downfall of this particular issue.

I was shocked how drastically out there this book was. It took a big risk, but pulled it off flawlessly. There's a running joke that Snyder really hates Batman, because he does such terrible things to him, and man, you really got to think about that now, because really, the only thing you can say about this issue is how bat shit crazy it is.

It also featured some fill in art by Javier Pina, who drew over Saiz's layouts. I've got to say, unless you know better, it's really hard to notice a difference. The art doesn't skip a beat.

Like the last issue, and probably the one before it, I wish this book had a bit more sense of purpose. But perhaps, that doesn't actually fit this title. Not every book needs to have a big arc to it, I'm just somewhat used to that. What's important though, is that Winick has Selina's voice down. Her sense of taking risk is there, but the compulsive nature of it can cloud her judgement, and thats fun to see that she isn't perfect, and sometimes she does screw up. If she kept on getting away easy, that wouldn't be too much fun.

The big reveal was the identity of Saiko, as Dick's one believed to be dead friend, and the fact that Raya is in league (and bed) with him. This sucks, cus I actually liked Raya, but nevertheless things are coming together. Saiko knows about the book, and what it is. Thanks to the solicit for issue #8, we know that one of the names in the book belongs to William Cobb, aka the Talon currently after Batman. So the book obviously has something to do with the Court of Owls. Does that mean Saiko has something to do with the Court? I'd guess "yes."

Up until now, I would have said the third issue was the best of the series, but really, this is it. Why? Well on top of the popcorn fun the book offers, along with bright, beautiful, and colorful art, this issue serves as a turning point for Jason. He isn't just some angry kid about Joker and Batman anymore. He's moved on, and it's about god damn time. That is what in my opinion was hurting the character before, he was just defined by his angst, and it got old after Under the Red Hood. Now, he can move on, and that's alright with me.

Two things that were kinda weird to me, was Jim's need to have Batgirl found. I know Babs telling him while she was Oracle is probably thrown out, but I'd still like to think Jim knows more than he lets on. This and the scene in The Dark Knight #4 I didn't like just makes it seem the opposite, like he's completely oblivious. And the Bruce Wayne thing at the end? Who didn't see that coming?

Another solid issue in Tomasi's first real Batman and Robin run. It's good to see Bruce come to terms with himself being sort of a shitty father, it's a side we have never really seen from him before. While the issue really does lean heavily on expositional back story (perhaps leaning too heavily on it) we did get a good, messed up look into Morgan's mind. The second part of that will probably be filled in next month, which will for sure be a very interesting issue...

Annnnnd that's a wrap on arc #1 of Batwoman, and I've got to say, this turned out better than I could have expected. Beneath JH Williams III's beautiful art, we got a nice conclusion to the Weeping Woman, and a flawless transition into the bigger story on top of everything. There really isn't anything to complain about with this issue, just fantastic stuff.

The only thing holding it back is that we've had 5 issues, and there's not a whole lot to go on who Massacre is and why he's doing what he's doing. The easy guess is that he's David's brother, Isaac, which some don't want due to clichs. It may be supported here by Massacre's unwillingness to kill civilians... but we'll see.

What's getting me are these hints towards cats in the last two issues. If you read my twitter feed before this, you know what I'm getting at. People seem to think that this is actually Helena Wayne (daughter of Earth 2 Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle) thus this book is actually in Earth 2, like the upcoming Justice Society. If that turns out to be the case, I have to admit, I'm gonna feel cheated. It's not what I bought in to. If after saying "Helena Bertinelli" in interview/solicits, putting Huntress in Bertinelli's costume, giving her Bertinelli's Italian heritage/connection, and say right from announcement that the events in this book will tie into Birds of Prey (a book you can't even argue is set in Earth 2) prior to the mentioning of Justice Society or Mister Terrific, then pull the rug out from under everyone, I'm going to be kind of pissed. Helena Wayne isn't the character I care about, sorry.