If every few week, readers are gonna be subjected to bad art, because of tight deadlines, than this does not bode well for this series. The inker and the pencillers style dont match at all. Lashleys work is in line with Jim Lee while Draxhall inks are fuller and darker. It felt like reading a bad Jim Lee clone. The editors should pay more attention and with whom they match when handing assignments.

The artwork was great this issue. It was easy to comprehend the action. The inker, is also above average and gave a soft and clean look to the characters and backgrounds.

The artwork is decent but not exceptional. Smith's characters are stiff and his proportions are off. They have very small heads, long torso and long legs. Smith tries to convey some emotions but most of his characters have the same open mouth-dazzled look.

Marvel and DC Comics really differ. When you look at a Marvel comic book with a no holds' fight, things are messy. Here Batista drew a clean fight, although much of it occurred under rain. Looking at this issue without a Marvel comic book next to it, the fight looks spectacular. But comparing it with say, New Avengers #27, it feels dry. Nevertheless, the storytelling here is solid and it's far easier to understand what was going on in this issue, than it was in the other title mentioned above.

Camuncoli's work doesn't look as good here as it has in other series. All the crispness of his lines is gone. His work requires solid inks not thin lines. Benitez's two page origin of Starfire looks wild but interesting.

This issue reunited Ralph Dibny with one of the artist who drew him often in the old Justice League Europe / Justice League International series. Although the cartoony look was right for Ralph Dibny, it also took away from the seriousness of this issue. Sure Dibny stretches, but he doesn't have to look weird when he does. At the very least, the team who brings us 52 every month is finally making this series entertaining.

The artwork was fine, but the inking was all over the place, with so many artists.

Viacavas work is solid, although not sexy and provocative. He delivers a straight story visually sticking closely to the story and not bringing innovation. Im not complaining. For a story stepped in the real world, its important to have something easy for the reader to identify with. He succeeds on that front. But I cant help wonder how this series would have looked if say the publisher had tried a crime noir feel.

John Byrne is an action artist. With him telling the story, there is nothing that is unclear. His work is not as polished as it used to be, but still, it makes for a great adventure story. I really like the dynamism of his work. Scotts inking preserves much of Byrnes original work - or at least, tries to make it looks like Byrnes work of recent years.

This is not the all-knowing Batman. He is a detective and does uses tricks to get his way with Poison Ivy, much like he did with Freeze. The resolution of this story not confusing as the one with Freeze. Its a good thing.

I havent seen Giuseppi Camuncolis work in years. Im glad that hes back. His characters are always expressive and their grins are his signature. Mark Morales inks hims here. Its thicker lines and coarser than Sandra Hopes inking of his work in the Intimates. But its still remarkable and leads the story in directions easily. The page with the brain maze is one such gem.

But for this Batman story, it is not part of the procedural detective case. The tory has to be resolved and Snyder has dispensed with such details and instead focused on the masquerade and legerdemain between Batman and Ras Al Ghul. So we know that Batman is a detective, and as Ras Al Ghul says, an illusionist. But we do not see the construction of the illusion which would have been enhanced if more time had been spent with the procedural detective legwork. Perhaps it would have taken an extra issue to tell this story and that may not have been what Snyder nor his editors wanted.

I like Rafael Albuquerques work. It reminds me of Eduardo Barretos work but with thinner lines. The art is probably the one thing that made me most interested in the comic. It reminded me of the old 1950s Batman or the one from the Bruce Timms cartoon but with a bit more realism and crime noir.

Both sets of artists bring Batman back to his crusader roots via pulpy artistry. This is a savory representation of Batman that differs from the Dark Knight ghoul.

Rafael Albuquerques tale is also about fathers and their kids and brought full circle the nemesis storyline of the premiere story. I cant wait to see the Killer Queen reappear in the future. I like that Albuquerque is both the artist of the main story and the writer of the back up. As Ive written before, this Batman is more caped crusader than dark knight. The illustrations reflect that in the first story but less in the back story drawn by Sebastian Fiurama.

Larrocas work is cinematic and captures the acrobatic feel of Spider-man well. Although this story was staged at night, it still looked quite bright as Spider-mans world should be. Thats excellent work on the colour palette.

Im not a fan of Chris Bachalo. His work is confusing and he doesnt seem to care about storytelling. I feel like he takes shortcuts when he draws both anatomy and both when he lays down a page. It seems that omitting certain elements is where he draws his unique style. While some like these omissions, they annoy me. His Spider-man, for example, is not overly muscular. He looks like a slob with a beer gut and a few extra pounds, instead of being a slim acrobat. Why does Spider-man look like that? Well, Bachalo doesnt like to draw waist lines. So his Spider-man looks like a couch potato without a v shaped torso. His Wolverine looks like a fat sumo wrestler without elbows joints. Elbow joints are a pain to draw for Bachalo.

There has been many times where I have not found Jimenez work suitable for Spider-man. Hes work feels better in epic stories with iconic characters. Spider-man is iconic, but not larger a god-like figure. Yet, Jimenez added enough grittiness to make this story entertaining visually and selling me on the idea that he could be a great Spider-man artist, if given the right story. This was his breakthrough and he impressed me.

I never knew that Mike McKones art could look like Phil Jimnezs. It was a good issue with great graphics and great inking where each character looked like who they were supposed to be, as opposed to generic stick men. McKone is welcome to draw more issues in the future.

The artwork for the Obama insert was bad. Surely, MarvelComics could have found a better artist that can capture Barack Obama. He doesnthave high cheekbones. But then again, all of Nauck's characters look the same! I felt thatBarry Kitsons part was weaker, now that Mark Farmer was assigned as his inker.If Marvel Comics could go back to the previous team that corrected theweaknesses of Kitsons work, his run on Spider-man would be priceless.

This is an interesting story that extends a few plotsintroduced before, while introducing new conflicts. The story was not complex,but then it seems like a stepping-stone for much more to come. Its intriguingenough for me to come by next week.

What saves this issue from being a bad one isthe art by Romita Jr. Hes just fantastic. He adds grace and escapism to thepages, elevating them to a greater story than the usual Spider-man story. It feelslike great art even if the story is poor. Thats saying a lot of the masterartist.

This issue should be a treat for readers that havecarefully read all issues of this series for the last year. A lot of hints weregiven as to the identity of Menace and those readers will feel vindicated. Forthe rest of us, it will be no more than another reveal issue where the bad villaintells her complicated backstory instead of eliminating the hero while the goingis good. Im not sure if Ill be interested in reading more about Menace whenthe story ends.

Romita Jr. just continues to make me wish he would drawevery issue of Spider-man rather than anyone else. But then again, MarvelComics has to put him in all their big event series and they cant clone him.Too bad.

As for the plot, it too was rushed, but it wasgood enough and good wrap up of a long storyline. The ending with Menace andNorman Osborn is particularly interesting.

Ive never read anything by Van Lente before, although he seems to have been working in the comic book industry for some time. I really liked what I read this issue. The story was simple, yet complex. There was strong motivations and characterization. There was also some humour which is always good with Spider-man. I hope he returns for more stories.

I had to check the credits a few time. Kitson and McKones work is starting to look like Phil Jimenez. Im not complaining here. Kitson and McKone have been doing some great work in the past and Ive always enjoyed the rich textured pages filled with details and realistic renderings. But here, they are beginning to surpass their already excellent work. Morales' inks are thick enough to solidify Kitsons lines which are usually very thin. I like that. Hes also streamlining the characters visual to make them more recognizable as Spider-man characters. J. Jonas Jameson looks like himself. Aunt May looks like herself. The only character the team needs more work on is Mckone's Norman Osborn.

This new storyline is just in time to celebrate the 600th issue of the Amazing Spider-man. Part of me asks how Kelly will pull of the confrontation between Norman Osborn and Spider-man without detracting from the overall game plan of the Dark Reign storyline affecting all Marvel Comics. Still, it was a good build up issue that concentrated on the characters and introduced a credible stake and conflict in the person of Norman Osborn. One issue which I wish had been addressed this issue is how Jonah Jameson Jr. feels about the black Spider-man in Normans Osborns Avengers. Does he think hes ok?

Siqueiras work felt still at times, and with tons of expressions at other places. Im not sold on his Harry Osborn depiction yet, although it resembles the design established in comic books these days. His face is not long enough and too cheeky. But I do like the Kevin Maguire influenced pages, like the one with the fake Hawkeye. They were quite fun. Siqueira draws beautiful women, but they all look alike. At first, I thought that the Invisible Woman was another hooker...

Checchetto is a very good artist. Im not familiar with his work but he showed that he could handle the chores remarkably well. The one weakness is his inking which should be more encompassing to cover the lines. His work needs it. He plays a lot with page layouts and use closure to suggest information happening off page. Thats quite good.

I like the artists approach to the visuals. That was the strongest part of the comic book and perhaps this was not rated even lower by this reviewer.

I enjoyed the artwork tremendously. It was clean, polished, and filled with details. From the initial pages, the artists created a mysterious mood that quickly gave in to the brighter world of Spider-man. Its amazing how they effected this transition so smoothly.

So many artists work on this issue that its jarring and shows the weakness of the story. Its not good. Pulidos work fits better a crime noir or period piece. It looks out of place in Spider-man. I felt his work was weak, but upon looking at it again, it was enjoyable. It just isnt Spider-man material. Ross work looks frozen The characters dont feel like they are moving. Its not even that they are showing up to take still poses. They just feel out of whack. Paquettes work is the best here and actually makes this issue salvageable visually. But he can only hide the weakness of the script so much.

I like Azacetas work. This is not typical Spider-man fare, but it worked for this storyline. He didnt give the work too much crime noir angle. Instead, we saw overtones of dirty and compulsive design featuring compulsive characters. Its a shame the story was not up the quality of the art in this story.

I think one of the problems I may have with Spider-man are the artists chosen like Pulido. He is not a bad artist by any stretch. In fact, I like seeing Spider-man with big winter socks and a tuque. But while an accomplished artist, he makes this run feel like and old Ann Nocenti story which is not what I want to read here. I really feel conflicted here, because the artist is a top talent matched to a series that doesnt fit his style. I really like his rendition of the Sandman, but its not the stuff that makes me want to read Spider-man every week.

Visually Pulido continues to shine, although I dont believe he is Spider-man material. I really like how he draws the Sandman and uses him ingeniously. He does have a great sense of storytelling and posing which would probably look better he he had been assigned a more solid inker.

Fiumara is one of those artists that you have to learn to like. His work does not come across as great Spider-man material, but in spirit, it feels right. Sure, Peter Parker looks like a skinny dude, but I really like the facial expressions he gives his characters and the gestures and poses they have. The colouring by D'Auria also enhanced his work. Everything flowed well, although some aspect of the storytelling were off. For example, all the scenes with the horses were badly integrated. Where did they come from and how were they killed? This issue also makes the jump from $2.99 to $3.99 which is a concern to me, although there is a back up story. I'm not sure if eight extra pages justify such an increase.

With Pulido, Fiorama and now Rodriguez, I have to say that I dont understand Marvel Comics current taste for non American comic book style illustrators on this series. We had the likes of Barry Kitson and Phil Jimenez for so long that I didnt know how spoiled I was. Rodriguez is not a bad artist at all. His characters have distinct features and his fine lines are a delight. But he seems to be of that same school of artists with a less heavy-handed approach to comic book art closer to what one would expect from something like the Will Eisners spirit or even a European artist. It feels metrosexual. Im not complaining, but it is an interesting artistic direction for Spider-man as a series.

Martin is a good artist and his style is in line with the more illustrative and distinctive style used in Amazing Spider-man the last few months. Like many of these artists, it takes a while to get used to the style although the artists are excellent. They are just not super hero material artists. Here, Martin delivers with Spider-man and proves that a good artist can change preconceptions.

Larks work was good although not exactly appropriate for Spider-man. He gives Spider-man a noir look instead of the super hero feel needed for the character. Still, hes a solid artist that draws characters in motion very well. I guess Id rather see him work on Daredevil than Spider-man.

Speaking of Kaine, he looked very different this issue. The artist drew him with shorter hair and made him almost a clone look alike of Peter Parker. He tends to look very different with the long hair. I like the work of Lark and Gaudiano here. It fits the story well. They are also remarkable storytellers guiding the reader through a web of action seamlessly.

Spider-mans death has revived Kraven the hunter. The balance of life is in disorder and Kraven does not want to live, unlike what his wife and family wishes. Whats at stake now that Spider-man is dead. Or is he really dead? I didnt like the bad sleight of the hand trick used here. We never saw when Spider-man and Cain switched places. The Chameleon was following them the entire time. How can that be explained? The only thing Im happy regarding this issue, is the death of Cain. I didnt like the character and didnt know why he was brought back in the first place. The artwork is good and the shots of the impaled Spider-man are deadly creepy.

Kraven the Hunter is back and wants to end it all with Spider-man. It turns out that it was Kaine that was sacrificed last issue and now the web is turning against Kraven and his family. Can Spider-man restore cosmic order? First, the explanation for how Kaine replaced Peter Parker was totally wrong. It didnt make sense. Why Spider-man was dressed in his black costume also didnt make any sense. His sudden anger also didnt make sense. How easy it was for him to defeat all of Kravens family after a year of failing to do so didnt make sense. I guess not much made sense this issue. Marvel Comics wanted Kraven back after his suicide years ago and thats all this story was about. It certainly didnt feel like a Spider-man story. Where was Peter Parkers plight? Where was his dumb bad luck? This issue was disappointing and Spider-man as a series is starting to lose the freshness that the reboot over a year a year ago with his marriage to Mary Jane Watson being erased was supposed to accomplish.

Azaceta is a great artists, but not necessarily the best choice for Spider-man. The editors of the book have been favouring artists like him over the traditional action-oriented ones for a while now. Perhaps they are trying to give Spider-man a unique look and feel. Well, in a sense its working. Im just concerned about how Azaceta makes Peter Parker look so fat!

I dont like Humberto Ramos work. I wont go in details since I have never liked his work. Theres too much happening at once and the characters proportions are exaggerated and distorted. However, many people like his work and I wont fight against that. While many of the pages interior art was tough to follow in action scenes, the quiet ones were much better laid out. I will give him props for being a dynamic illustrator.

And thats why this entire story was painful to read for me because the same type of pulling without a pause that characterizes Ramos work is also present in the script. Things move fast then stretch, then compress into a mess that makes it difficult to care for the characters. Still Slott understand Peter Parkers voice and throughout the story, there are flashes of the eternal inner demons that affect the character. Here, hes worrying about whether or not to tell his girlfriend Carlie about his secret identity. It was actually quite fun to see him stress over that again.

I really like Casellis work this issue. Its everything Humberto Ramos is not. Its well constructed with good anatomy. Backgrounds are not rushed and are rich. Characters dont look exaggerated and the action flows naturally. A very good read.

I used to love Camuncolis work when he worked on the Intimates several years ago. On Dark Wolverine, he was perfectly suited for the twisted and anti-social nature of the story. But in Spider-man, he is painful to watch. The grins and angst he draws his characters with doesnt work with the adventurous world of Spider-man. Its too gritty. And he doesnt do emo kids so well. If he had a better inker, like Sandra Hope, his work would be better for this series.

Prez draws a rough Spider-man where the story and art are completely meld one into the other. The artwork does not over power the story at all. While the lines are rough, this new Marvel house style works well for characters like Spider-man and Daredevil. The inks feel minimal and the colours are simple. Unfortunately, this latest Spider-man series by Marvel is not as cheap under like the previous series.

Rivera is not a master storyteller himself " the scenewhere Wolverine is shot in the head is unclear. However, his work is more kineticand his panels less filled with useless visual information, the way Bachalofills his. I do like his interpretation of Wolverine. He looks more human thansuper heroic.

Georges Jeantys work is gritty for the period covered and full of action. His storytelling is also very clear. I feel that the colouring overpowers the artwork but this is how most comic books feel nowadays.

This makes Trump nothing more than a reactionary fighting against the past of an America changing while allying himself with foreign forces to destroy the unique American exceptionalism which is brilliantly exploitable and represented in Ridley's comic. Looking from the outside, I marvel at the United States constant struggle with itself. Georges Jeanty represents this struggle well in a comic where the pages keep improving.

I like the artwork. The colours are vivid and bright. The best part about the entire comic book was the slingshot frame at the bottom of each page mimicking the red bird attacking the pigs. I enjoyed this comic book and would recommend it to kids. Yet, I wonder how the creators will create enough stories for a continuing series.

P.S. $5 is twice the price of a comic book from just a few years ago, an one-third of what the movie would cost at the theatre. Where is the value for the reader?

I was not familiar with Brad Walkers work before this series. Hes a good artist. He seems to be more in line with Marvel Comics than DC Comics. This is not a criticism. Usually DC Comics goes for the more realist and classical artists. Their execution is usually fine but lacks energy. Not Walkers Aquaman! All of his characters jump off the page! Aquaman really has a lot of hair! Its good stuff!

Having said this, I enjoyed how Aquaman resolved his conflict with the Shaggy Man, using his brain. From my research, similar ploys have been used before to defeat the Shaggy Man. I'm glad that Abnett's Aquaman was able to update and old trick.

I have one complaint about colourist Gabe Eltaeb. Black peoples palms are a different colour than their hands. Black people do not have black palms.

I am starting to prefer Scot Eatons Aquaman better than Philippe Brioness version. Although each draws Atlantis as a generic science fiction set, Eatons rendition is less cleaner even with Wayne Faucher cleaning the pencils with inks.

I havent been a fan of Philippe Brioness Aquaman all the time. I think my problem is the inking. It lacks polish. And this is a shame because he draws very good figures. Still his work is solid and does not really jump out when compared to Scot Eatons. Each handle Aquaman well. But when will Brad Walker be back?

It finally dawned on me that Philippe Briones is inspired by John Byrne, heavily. The entire fight has the kind of kinetic movement one expects from a Byrne super hero fight. The angles, the postures all give away a clear Byrne influence. And thats why the way Briones draws technology seemed somewhat familiar in the past. If you long for a modern take on Byrne, pick up this issue. I havent seen anyone capture Byrnes energy and signature so well since the late Mike Parobeck. I must say that inker Wayne Faucher's inks also helped make Briones' work much better than usual.

Dan Abnetts job is to keep up the charm now that Aquamans first storyline has established the series as one to care about. Its a typical quiet issue where he introduces a new threat and resolves some dangling plot points relating to Mera and Aquamans relationship. Its all moving in the right direction. Its also a great jumping point for the series.

Scot Eaton is back and his work is clean. Its also dynamic enough. I like all of the Easter eggs that he added in the pages where there a crowds cheering. Aquaman has three regular artists but they fit well. I prefer Brad Walker but Wayne Faucher is a strong inker and he makes the art look great.

This story was good and added more background characters and potential conflicts for Aquaman to deal with. Id like to see how he would fare in a conflict involving China and Khandaq. These are not the type of stories that we see about Aquaman usually. This issue at the very least, opened the repertoire for new adventures. This story was also good because as he has done many times in the past, Aquaman had to use his brains to fight a threat as opposed to just his muscles.

What works less for me is Philippe Brioness art. He resembles John Byrne but not in a pleasant way. His figures are stiff and the faces not attractive. His work would look better with a dedicated inker. He should not ink his own work. His Deadwater looks scary though.

Scot Eatons work is solid as usual. Although some of the alien creatures on Tethis look cool, his strength is with technology scenes and military gear. But no worries. Aquaman and Mera look swell when they swim!

Im not always a fan of Philip Brioness work. While his art is reminiscent and inspired by John Byrne, his inking can be at time too light and insufficient to correctly strengthen his figures. Not this time. His work is outstanding this issue with great facility for action scenes. Youll believe that Aquaman is jumping off the ground easily.

Scot Eaton continues to draw a clean and effective Aquaman although characters hair could be flowing much more.

Pencillers Scot Eaton and Philippe Briones deliver a good farewell to the series theyve been drawing since 2016 but I have to mention the funny error that he tried to correct in the sequence during Arthurs trial. There is a blonde woman watching closely the trial. She wears what seems like a crown similar to Mera. But Mera was established as having left the city pages earlier. I bet that editor Andy Khouri had the inkers remove the scales from the womans costume and give her blonde hair instead! This woman was so prominently portrayed that at one point I even wondered if she was Aquamans mother, Atlanna! Similarly, there is another woman coloured differently who looks like Tuula, Atlantiss regent.

Of course, the best part of this comic is the art by Stepan Sejic. It seems that DC Comics really wants Aquaman to shine, now that he will become a popular movie hero. The publisher is putting its best talent behind this series and willing to reduce its publication from twice a month to one so that it can have solid work for this series. I do hope that Abnetts script will be strong enough to create a memorable Aquaman run similar to Greg Ruckas Wonder Woman.

Sejic provides the most vivid and original take on Aquaman since Esteban Maroto who was Davids colleague on the Atlantis Chronicles. His Aquaman and Atlantis are not sci-fi based. They are vivid with colours even deep undersea but there is a feeling that the characters are underwater. Sejic knows how to draw water and textures that resemble scales and other see critters. Its all fun here.

I like that many characters are playing parts and that Mera is still a part of this story even as she cannot reach Atlantis. Even Tempest has been brought back to the fold and new mysteries have been hinted at in this series and the Titans. I encourage you to read Abnetts Aquaman. His contribution to the character will soon reach and perhaps surpass that of Geoff Johns and Peter David.

I was excited to read Brad Walkers early issues on Aquaman but got bored when he was frequently replaced with other artists, being unable to draw a biweekly comic continually. With Stjepan Sejic, we again have a strong and distinct artist on the series. What he brings is the whole epic dimension that could only be captured by an artist not afraid of fantasy elements. Hi, is a savoury Aquaman!

While I liked this story very much, it is not the strongest one in the run with Stjepan Sejic. His artwork adds a lot to this story and as I have read elsewhere, Abnett should feel forever indebted to Sejic for making his work on Aquaman memorable.

This is Stjepan Sejics last issue. I thought that he would stay longer with this series as he elevated the series greatly. Aquaman has not looked this good since the Atlantis Chronicles. I like how he uses negative space with painted colours. Sejics depiction of hair underwater is not always good but I like how he draws swimming and floating bodies.

Most of this issue is about the intrigues in Atlantis as various factions plot to take down King Corum Rath, the man who usurped the throne of Atlantis from Aquaman. Thus, there is little action and the story feels slow and more like a soap opera rather than an adventure series.

Riccardo Federici is an excellent illustrator and storyteller. His sense of realism, even under the seas elevates Aquaman and will make this run memorable. My only complaint is the lack of scales on Aquamans suit!

My favourite part of the comic is of course the gorgeous artwork by Riccardo Federici. Having just seen the Aquaman trailer this past weekend, it appears that Federicis work in in continuity with the Aquaman film. His beasts and Atlantis feel familiar. This is good and hopefully will be something new Aquaman readers will enjoy once this story is collected nearer to the release of the compiled edition.

I like Robson Rochas take on Aquaman and Atlantis. His figures feel real and have enough dramatic faces for a political drama. He can draw monsters and stuff crawling underwater well too. I may mock the Mumm-Ra-like Rath but the villain does look great!

Joe Bennett has been working at DC Comics for years and has filled many gaps. This is not a good thing. I feel like his talent is used to fix problematic series because he can deliver on time and work on any kind of series. Here, there is an attempt to reconstruct the loose illustrative style used recently in Aquaman and it does not work. Bennett needs a strong inker, not soft shades. The comic looks odd and does not play to Bennetts strengths even though he is usually a serviceable and solid illustrator.

This incarnation of the Suicide Squad with Harley Quinn has always had a bit of dark humour. It returns in full force this issue with Master Jailer contemplating his future as a possible super hero. While his backstory is very similar to Deadshots, he has none of the assassins confidence. Aquaman in this issue plays a secondary role to the Suicide Squad but this is not a fault. This crossover has been very intertwined, and it has been difficult to decide where one series start and where the other one ends. This is highlighted in the conclusion where Amanda Waller and Mera have a chat together.

Lan Medina was the artists on the Mera comic book series. I like seeing him here too as it ads to the continuity of the visual storytelling. His art infused with inks by Vicente Cifuentes is tight, clean, and beautiful, although Im not always a fan of how he draws Meras face. Those are just personal quibbles.

Having written this, there is not much that I need to say as this story has been written in a much better way for Superman by Alan Moore no less. Max Fiumara is an eclectic artist. Its really take it or leave it with him. I dislike his Aquaboy but like the oddness of much of his work. He makes characters ugly and deformed but on purpose, not because he cannot draw. It gives them a form of expression and in some ways it is suitable for this story. I just dont like his Aquaboy.

Stapless art is great. She is the perfect artist for Archie. If she can stay with this series for a few years, she might one day challenge Dan DeCarlo as the ultimate Archie artist. Her rendition of the characters makes them more realistic, but its still a comic with enough comedic moments and funny gestures. She renders the reality television / comic jam well. Much of the comic would have worked fine without as much dialogue. Shes a great storyteller. I want to read more about this new Archie and I am glad that Archie Comics is continuing their push to make their comics relevant for kids today. It's part of what I call the nouveau comics.

Fiona Staples is becoming the classic Archie artist for me, the same way Dan DeCarlo and Dan Parent were for their generation. Of all the alternate covers for this issue and the first, only Stapless interpretation of Archie feels right to me. She adds a lot of comedy and slapstick humour to the pages, which again, are classic Archie tropes. While the art looks fresh and contemporary, its still an Archie story. My only complaint is that Stapless inking is too rough and hard. She should soften her touch a bit.

The story is straightforward and simple. But it works and is evocative of the period. It is interesting to see Archie live in suburbia before suburbia was something. Peter Krauses pulpy artwork helps evoke the 1940s. His art is dynamic, and the costumes appear right. This series starts slowly and give us an Archie that appears introspective but now that conflict has been presented, the next issues should feel more meaningful.

There are hints of Howard Chaykin in Brent Andersons work, but it looks much better and is not as deformed as the other artists. In fact, I could detect some Gil Kane influence too. This is to say that the characters and their designs are fluid, dynamic and not stiff. Its the right fit for a Golden Age adventure.

Marvel usually relies on Romita when it wants to push a comic book out there. Romita delivers, of course, thinking ahead, this may not be a wise decision as we know Romita will probably leave in about six issues and the artists left to pick up the slack, while probably good will probably drive the sales of this series down. Wouldnt it be better to build this series from the ground up with a regular artistic team committed to stick around for a while instead of borrowing a popular name to jump start a new franchise?

I think Romita is tired. His work is becoming sloppy in these pages. All the good thing about his storytelling and the way he draws characters as massive statues becomes a caricature of himself in this story. There is no elegance in the posing of his character. It feels as if hes delivering pages after pages mindlessly without taking proper care to compose good layout and something visually interesting. Romita is a great artist and I really like his style, but too much Romita without any control only shows his excesses which like everything consumed too much is bad for you.

Im tired of Romitas mumbo jumbo that passes for artwork. I never thought I would say something like that. While his work on Black Panther and the Eternals was well layed out and interesting. Here, Romita indulges in his greatest weaknesses. Characters have no real shape. Ok they look like cylinders so that must count as a shape. The story is full one full-page panels that attempt to look dramatic but arent. There are almost no backgrounds behind the characters and all the technology looks like a bunch of pipes plugged into bigger pipes. I understand that readers like Romita. Everybody likes Romita. But I feel like hes pulling a John Byrne on readers. Hes a high level artist mailing in crap as work and readers are supposed to feel privileged to read this crap which is a pale shadow of the real work the artist is capable of delivering. Didnt Frank Miller and Neal Adams try to pull that one too? Didnt turn out too well for either of them...

Romitas work was bettet this issue and less sloppy than I remembered. I especially like the last page with all the Avengers commenting on the new recruit and how the multiple panels showed their expressions. Its drawings like those on that page that made Romita a popular artist in the first place. Its simple work with but a few lines that capture so much energy. When he rushes his work, its easy to perceive that. By the way, I like how everyone but Wolverine appeared to be drink hot chocolate or tea. Wolverine had a beer instead!

Im not sure what will be salvaged from the crossover next issue, now that there is no Avengers Tower. It almost feels like Brian Bendis is compelled to put all the toys back in their box by destroying one mainstay of his Avengers run " the Tower. One thing I can say is that John Romita draws too many comic books per month and the lack of cohesiveness in his work is really harming the Avengers. He is still committed to Kick-Ass. Perhaps he should let another artist have go at the Avengers. His work does not bring anything to the table anymore and is actually a detriment. It used to be that his work on a series was a special thing. Now, its just a pale imitation of a master who works too much and sends in pages of scribbles instead of properly designed comic book pages.

Acuna is the right artist for this storyline which is less explosive than the previous one. Im actually glad to see John Romita Jr. gone from this series. He was really pushing it to the ground with his rushed artwork and dirty lines. His work was all sketches and no finishes. Its good to see a totally different take here with Acuna whose work is somewhat painterly and much more stylized. There are even hints of crime noir in his work. Im hooked again.

Some people told me on Twitter that they dont like Acunas work. I wonder why. Its not as designed and as distinct as it was on the Freedom Fighter series for DC Comics. Hes tone down a lot to look more like the crime noir work of Steve Epting on Captain America. Acunas not really good on action because his work is so stylized. The Avengers are all about action. It will be interesting to see if the toned down stylization works with action scenes.

McKone is a solid and very good artist whose work shines netter when he has the right inker. Here he inks himself which makes for a happy medium. Cox is a great match and solidifies his work instead of propelling forward the fine lines that McKone is known for. The series seems interesting, but its one too many Avengers series for me, so Ill skip it in the future, not because its bad, but because Im not convinced it needs to exist.

Finesse, the young polymath wants to know as much as possible about the Avengers and their history as possible to better herself. And she is prepared to blackmail Quicksilver to achieve her ends. Will that succeed? First, the only interesting character here, besides the older Avengers is Finesse. Shes interesting and not a redundant heroine who will probably cease to be in a few year. Im hoping she turns into a major villainess or attempt to. However, he angle was already explored in the Justice Society with the character of King Chimera, an equally smart young kid who wanted to get as much knowledge as possible out of the older heroes. Yet, here, shes looking for specific information on Magneto and the Brotherhood of evil mutants. As if there was something to learn by being evil. She should just move in with the X-Men and be done with it! I like the visuals in this story. They are very strong. I wasnt sure about whether to keep this series in my pull list, but I want o see what Finess

The art is a hit and miss. I dont like how McKone draws some of the characters faces, but thats not really his fault. Its his inkers. McKone is a solid and competent artist with decades of work under his belt. I cant ever complain about his work. What hes done in Amazing Spider-man the last few years is inpecable. Anything he did in LEGION for DC Comics is to be marvelled at. So here, I can only blame his inkers for the weird faces he gives some of his characters. But rest assured, everything else is rock solid.

Don't pick up this comic book. It's bad and muddies up the origins of Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver even more. Instead, go pick up their original first appearances in the Avengers and the X-men.

The artwork is just right even if painted. Often painted comics feel stiff. Janet Van Dyne has never looked better. Even the wacky costumes look decent with very little updates needed. The price of this comic book is a bit steep though. I would encourage readers to only pick up issues they are interested in as opposed to all of those coming out. For example, I skipped the one on Luke Cage because I dont really care about the character.

What are the reasons for still buying this series? Well, the Enchanteress is back. I like her. The real reason is Alan Davis who proves that he is as relevant as ever no matter what new generation of comic book artists comes after him. He makes Bryan Hitch look like an amateur. I like it when these old pros come out and are given opportunities to show why they are the real deal.

I dont know who Manifold or Captain Universe are. I dont know much about this comic book because the writers expect readers to know all the characters and what happened before. Although this comic book is gorgeous, I have no idea why someone cares about something so empty.

Castellis work is not standard Marvel Comics, but I really enjoyed it. His characters have strong facial expressions. The storytelling is good, although some of the characters should be facing from left to right instead of right to left to pull the reader forward in the story. This is a minor detail. The inking, which I presume is also Castelli is excellent. Real comic book inking has become so rare that when one sees it, one understands exactly why its missed.

I enjoy Casellis work. He gives a lot of dimensions to the characters and combined with the beautiful colouring by Rudoni, he makes me wish all comic books could look this good. The quality of the artwork on this series surprises me. After all, it is not a main Marvel Comics series, unless that is really what Marvel Comics wants. Well, I can only say that readers win, and I might have to seriously consider adding this series to my regular reading list, because the artwork looks so good.

Visually, this series is strong with strong visual expressions for the characters and great action shots. Its too bad that the artists are assigned to a less important series.

Kurths work reminds me of Michael Bairs. His characters faces feel twisted and in agony. An inker with crisper lines would have improved his renderings. He does know how to capture emotions and perhaps thats why he was picked for this issue.

Gage is a good writer and ads layers of characterizationto his characters. Each is unique and has its own motivations. Its hard toguess where this story is going though. Oh, well, at least the ride isworthwhile.

I said it. Ramos is becoming more enjoyable. Hisfigures have more shape and show hope that maybe one day, theyll have spines supportingtheir bulging muscles. My only complaint was the size of their mouth and howscrew they looked. But to Ramos credits, not reading the captions did not takeaway from understanding what was going on. That means hes a good storyteller.

Asrar is a good artist with good storytelling skills that can weave a story with an exotic panel canvas without confusing the reader. Buchmans inks are complementary and solid and make this a very delightful comic book to read.

Graham Nolan is very dynamic here. His work is expressive in the old action adventure comic book way that we dont see as much these days. While his style looks a bit dated it is exactly how a big brute like Bane needs to be portrayed.

The story is quick and little time is spent explaining transitions or events leading up to the tracking of the baby. Dixon avoids slowing down his story. I would argue that this comic has an adventure comic strip feel because of the talents involved. I kind of miss such comics sometimes and although I am not a fan of Bane, this comic is a good throwback to an earlier age while still being contemporary in its themes and tropes.

I like that the artwork in this series is so similar. Although there are small variations, all characters are instantly recognizable. Unlike all the Batman animated series, the characters model sheets are always respected. This is how a comic book based on licensed property should be conceived.

The artwork is good but there are a few pet peeves. There is a shot of Huntress swimming underwater with her hood still on in the water. As she pulls from the water, the hood nor any other part of her uniform look wet. She hood just fits on her and feels as puffy as it did before she jumped in the river. Its an amazing material that just looks great and dry at all times. Granted Roge Antonio is not drawing Aquaman but really?

While I liked the artwork, I have to severely criticize the use of black palms in the colouring. The new Oracle is black but his palms should have no melamine and hence not coloured brown. Colourist Allen Passalaqua should pay attention.

Now Ed Benes. I dont know how many times I have said that this guy just is not at the level that DC Comics is pretending he is by giving him all those top assignments that he cant possibly deliver correctly. As this issue was mostly talking heads, he was capable of doing a decent job, but the man cannot choreograph action to save his life. At this point, I consider him as nothing than a cheaper Jim Lee knock off to sell books DC Comics thinks are important. Benes wrecked the Justice League series with scenes that did not make sense, he continues to draw stuff all over the place without any sense of composition. Perhaps DC Comics thinks that putting an overrated writer with an overrated artist is the way to go. Well, its making it easy for me to skip this series.

That Daniel draws and writes the story is essential to its current success. He intuitively knows where to put emphasis on visual elements. The visuals could be a little more integrated with the plot, but Ill forgive him for taking a few graphic liberties when the story is so entertaining.

I already wrote about how I like Tony Daniel on this series. Hes different storywise and brings another energy visually. Its the first time in years, I believe, since the days of John Byrne that Batman has been written and drawn by one single artist (outside of Legends of the Batman and special oneshots and mini-series, of course). There is as much energy in the visuals as a Jim Lee comic book. There is also a lot of mood and brooding. Its a perfect mix.

What have we learned at the end of this story? Not much. The art was all over the place. Some was good, some was bad. Overall it just reinforced the craziness of this story that might as well have been credited to the Joker.

What happened to Batman just before he crawled out of the bottom of the river where he was trapped and insane and left off to help the Justice League figure out a case during the Final Crisis? This is the story of the last hours of Batman before being teleported to the past by Darkseid. The fact that I forgot that there was a gap between the story of batmans death and the one he suffered by Darkseid is probably a sign that it really didnt matter. At the time Grant Morrison was all over the pace confusing readers with complicated construtivist stories. What this story is about is how Batman is pushed to the limits of human endurance and mental stability by his work. Surely, Superman could have found another detective such as Mr Terrific or Dr. Mid-nite to solve the case of the dead gods. But it would have robbed us of another one of these stories where Batman is an omnipotent god instead of a man who tries really hard. Daniel is a favourite Batman artist of mine. He makes the story even

David Finchs pencils are crisp. Matt Banning and Danny Miki improve. However, Im not sold on how Finch draws faces.

David Finch, and Clay Mann are not the artists that I would have chosen for this story, not because they do not excel. They do. But for such a quiet story his work seems over kill and one expect a fight, an explosion lurking in the next page to jump at readers. But none does, so we are left with a complex story and intricate designs to convey emotions. Finch, and Miki do not convey emotion through facial expressions well so it is the placement of the characters in the page; their use of space that informs us of the subtlety in this story. It is one approach that is very sober, and removes the melodrama and lives us with cerebral decision-making and very few emotions coming from the characters. This seems to be the Batman that King wants to write about.

Tom King often uses good staging to start his stories and set up their conflict. I like what he did here with the stand-up comedian and the Joker. I also enjoyed how he mixed the Riddler in the chaos. There is a detective and crime noir feel to this story which like all of Kings work, is cerebral. Its also a great follow up to the last issue and its surprising revelation.

Mikel janns strength is his ability to draw so many different faces and keep them consistent. Hes the right pick for this story and I hope to see more of his work in the future.

Clay Mann is not the usual artist for this storyline. That affects the story as the visual style changes a bit too much. While the panels layout appears superficially the same, the characters idiosyncratic faces which are so important in this story are off regardless of Manns effort to mimic Mikel Jann.

Visually, this story deserves to be mentioned with the best about Batman. Im glad that the regular artist Mikel Jann is back this issue. One aspect of his work that may be ignored is how he draws cityscapes. Hes excellent. Look at his Gotham City. You would want to live there, minus the inconvenience of the Joker and the Riddlers war.

Mikel Jann draws great crowed scenes and the use of space, where the Joke constantly occupies the left, while the Riddler the right, is well done. King uses many parallels in his stories and Jann can execute them well. Now my only question is how is it that all the goons just stood there and had no meals of their own?

Clay Mann does not try to replicate Mikel Jann and that makes this comic stronger. His work is less clear and more figurative. But it is the right set of lines for this comic.

Mikel Jann continues to draw all characters distinctively and it makes the story much stronger. This is how the Joker and the Riddler should always look. They should always have those sneer and the personalities that come with them.

Mikel Jann deserves the other half of the accolades mostly for his rendition of the Riddler who finally has a distinctive look. He looks Irish! I also like the Jokers sneer. The action in this issue was telegraphed in a good way. These were fine pages where Jann skewered the frames to show the flow of the movements and the fight. The obligatory pows and other sound effects were there to remind us that this is a Batman comic after all. It should not take itself so seriously!

Having read the rest of this brief chapter, I can say that the setup was more than the overall story, but it was still very enjoyable.

Watch how Jolle Jones draws lines and movement in this comic. The goons gestures and drapery are like sinews and muscle all arching on one direction opposing the forces and counterweights of Batman and Catwoman. But once that segment of the story is over, Jones converts to a more intimate illustration style with less movement and more power given to the inks. A master is at work.

Mikel Jann and Jolle Jones split the art this week. Jann takes care of the super heroics. Jones covers the dress shopping. Its a good split and each artist is suited for the task at hand. Rarely does one see a split so well done with one comic. Jann is establishing Catwoman as a green-eye person. I love it. Jones Catwoman is silky and well inked. The work would work well in black and white.

Lee Weeks is back drawing a Batman series. He is for me the classic pulp and Daredevil illustrator. Of course, his style fits nicely with Batman. I enjoy how different his panel layouts are compared to other artists who have worked with Tom King. You can tell that Weeks is a master storyteller and much more experienced than the others (who are no amateurs). His interpretation of the visual storytelling is pulpy and classic, while capturing all the nuances of king's script.

Lee Weeks was at pain to depict the talking heads this issue. Of course, I adore his work but even he has limits when handed a script that kills any form of dynamism. One can tell that King overwrote this script. Even Weeks has to rely on the nine-panel grid scheme to get through this issue. While Weeks can deliver nine-panel grid storytelling like the best of them, using him this way is not the best use of his range.

It appears that King and Weeks have finally learned to work together in a complimentary manner.

Matt Wagners art has not aged as well but his function in this story was to refer back to an older mythical time in the past. That he does well even if the art looks a bit gauche in 2018. This is what he was supposed to do. He was not expected to draw like the current crop of artists.

Tony S. Daniel returns to the world of Batman to show us how he is one of the best Batman artists that can draw him in midair jumping from rooftops. He is the right pick for this story also featuring Nightwing. Normally, I would not be a fan of Daniels work not because it is bad, but the Jim Lee style is not favourite. Yet for this tale, capturing the innocence of Nightwing and the limited action afforded by Kings script, Daniel excels.

Tony Daniel rhymes with Batman for me. Now, it is not a version of Batman that I enjoy as much but for this story, he is the best match.

I do hope that I am wrong on the near murder of the KGBeast and Batmans confusion.

Yanick Paquette is a competent artist and I always loved his version of Dick Grayson as Batman. I was afraid that he would overpower and change the story because his style is different from that of the other artists that have shaped Kings Batman epic. However, Paquette tries to stay in the same line as that of the other cartoonists. His Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle look very familiar. Thats good. Now, what I dislike is his version of Batman. It worked for Nightwing but it does not appeal to me here.

Robin is left alone with a smiling and begging Joker that revealed the truth of how he has been manipulating Batman and Robin and the rest of the city police force for months. But Robin is too impulsive to be caught by the Jokers temptations. This story was good but weird at once. The beginning which starts a few days before the rest of the book was confusing in a Morrison way, so Im not worried about this. All we be clear by next issue. The best part was the smiling Joker who really didnt want to smile and how it was totally unclear if he was begging for his life or just taunting Robin. Irivings Joker is beautiful and scary to look at.

This series has to end. It will now fit in with the rest of the DC Comics universe closely. Spellbinders defeat was rushed and the conclusion of the story was designed to lead the reader to the future of Tim Drake and Rebirth. I did not enjoy the art by Stephen Thompson. It felt like a bad version of Barry Kitson with badly telegraphed action scenes. In the fight scene, it felt like the characters were floating in the air performing ballet and not connecting with one another with their fists. Also, white characters looked Asian for some reason.

The highlight of the series is of course Paquettes work. Its soft and well inked. The drawings are solid. I love his Catwoman and his interpretation of the new Batman suit. The colouring is simplified with palettes of colours per sequences. Thats not often done in comics, but always appreciated when it is.

I was bored by this comic whose only reason to be special is the artwork and the pedigree of the writer Brian Azzarello. If it werent for these, the comic would not fare well with critics.

Fans of Tony S. Daniel will be happy here as Bruce Wayne looks very familiar and the action never stops in this comic. I also like his depiction of Doomsday-like characters which is dirtier and more wart-laden than usual.

The best aspect of this comic is the artwork by Francis Manapul who has all the gravitas needed to depict havoc on a wide planetarian scape. I sense some John Romita jr. influences for the first time. But its exactly what is needed to depict chaos and war.

Murphys inks are strong. He plays up the Dark Knight aspect of the comic with a generous helping of inks. His Batman is very much like the Dark Knight of Frank Miller but interpreted with his own narrower and triangular design of faces.

Sean Murphys artwork continues to be the highlight of this series although unfortunately, he did not have room for any car chase or the gratuitous exposition of vehicles this issue! Still his backgrounds are solid and detailed. Given how wordy Murphy is, at this point the artwork is what makes this comic interesting to read.

Visually, this series works. The painted style is very dynamic and the artwork delightful.

Olivers work takes a bit of adjustment to get used to, but its still kinetic although all painted. Its as if he had made cuts out of airbrushed sections, cutting a clear line and using a lot of white space as a negative background. The lack of proper background is not much of a problem though, due to the well-done juxtaposition of painted elements and white space.

Just looking at the cover, one could see that art wise, it wasnt the strongest issue of the series. The storytelling and the choreography of the fight between the Birds of Prey and Prometheus is all over the place in a weird page crossing panel layout. Such storytelling invariably doesnt help the smooth reading of a comic book and are but excuse for an artist to show some of his work. It hurts the book, instead of helping it.

Past two alternated reviews:

Visually, I find it interesting that all the principalswho worked on this series seem tom have Qubcois origins. Bedard, St.Aubin andcover artist Roux all have typical Canadian names. Im not a fan of inker Floydand I think hes the reason the artwork looks so generic. This series has beengraced with strong artists in the past, but its not going out with a bangart-wise.

Ive criticized Benes work in the Justice League of America series several times. But I cant criticize him here. This is where he belongs and Im happy to see him draw these pages. Yes, he continues to have severe problems with storytelling. The fight choreography is not the best it could be. There are chunk of action missing. It doesnt all make sense. But I like how he draws the Birds. Hes trying for more grittiness, and I cant complain. Now, Melo is not as good an artist and her pages are very inconsistent. Im hoping she was but a small back up for this issue and not someone that will come back too often. Shes not ready yet to take the center stage in a series like that.

Visually, its where things fall apart. Benes has been sick and its difficult for him to deliver whole issues. I understand that and of course am not blaming him. As he handled the fight between Black Canary and White Canary, these pages were spectacular. The weaker pages are with Melo who just isnt a compelling choice for this work. She makes the girls look all round and cutesy, but not in a way that makes the reader think they are high level fighters.

Syaf is a solid artist. However the inking by Cifuentes may not be the best match for his style. Syaf needs something cleaner and more solid to highlight the great lines and figures he weaves.

Jesus Saiz is perfect for this series. One important thing about Birds of Prey is that it has to look good. When you have female leads in a series, I dont care if it comes off as sexist, but the leads must be beautiful. Each woman is beautiful here and graceful enough. The action was easy to follow. This series is a go for me.

Saiz is excellent here. I just love how he draws women. They are hot but not exaggerated. They can kick ass and look good in skin-tight costumes, without looking like tramps. Saiz has the right mix for these characters.

Saiz, as I wrote in the past is the perfect artist for a series where the female leads are expected to be beautiful, but drawn to overemphasize their curves. He can draw women in action scenes quite well, without using any of the clichs and poses that would break a real persons back in real life.

This story was fast-paced. I read it in about five minutes. A previous story hinted that Batgirl and Black Canary had some kind of real disagreement. But this issue Batgirl just showed up to help her old teammate without bringing up any of their past issues. It kinds of invalidate the previous subplot. Of course the story ends in a cliffhanger. I will say that Birds of Prey is one of the most solid of the 52 reboots. It may not go to some of the creative heights of other series such a Wonder Woman, but it is a great read. Time Warner Inc. the parent company of DC Comics supports the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA).

About the visuals. Well, I like the logo a lot. Its original. I get that DC Comics is trying to market this comic to a female audience. I just dont like how Annie Wu draws Black Canarys face. It seems angry and she looks like a cheap trailer trash girl on drugs. This is not how I imagine Black Canary. She is not sexy.

Ditto is cute. Annie Wu renders action well. I just dont like the face she chose for Dinah. In some drawings, Dinah looks healthy and strong. In some, she looks meek and skinny. It feels weird as long time Black Canary fan to see her rendered this way. But I accept that I am not who this series is intended for. I find the background by the paparazzi blogger annoying. Its not easy to read. Maybe if the format was improved it would be more fun to follow.

Annie Wus work is still solid, although I continue to dislike the sneering Dinah she draws. The other characters all look great. So its a personal choice that she made about how Dinah looks. I like the variant wardrobe Dinah uses in this issue. Its inspired from older depictions on the character from the first Birds of Prey special from 1996 while emulating the classic costume. Hey, Black Canarys a good comic. Im only critical because shes my favourite female character!

As Im uncertain about why I should be readingthis series, the art by Lashley doesnt help. Hes one of those artists thatdraws women in mysterious ways. I havent seen women like that in real lifeyet. Theres a lot of cross hatching which means hes channelling Jim Lee.

Hudlin is taking the series in a new frontier, using the often used conflict of science versus magic as the theme and path upon which he builds this series. Doing so he tries to recapture the African heritage aspect of the series. Its also an interesting proposition given that the Black Panther has always been immersed in science and technological breakthrough as if this was the value that Africans placed on their culture. By going back to the magical and folkloric aspect of African culture he puts emphasis on matters that are closer to a typical African society than science.

Francavilla draws a pulp Black Panther that feels like hes from the 1950s. I like it. The Clark Kent secret identity trick is funny too. I like all the gear the Black Panther carries around. The fights scenes were interesting. Cant wait to see more from this team.

Series like these are good to give less known artists opportunities to shine and show their work to a larger audience. This, is done well, although Barrows is hardly a newcomer. I enjoyed his interpretation of several of the characters and how solid they felt.

Is Blue Beetle a series worth following in light of all the new series from DC Comics? Its not bad so far and has a lot of hinted future stories. However, if you dont want to go through a series about the formative years of Jaime, skip it. I it doesnt bother you or that youve never read about the character before, this series, while not exceptional is a good pick.

I like Guaras work this issue. There were problems with the first issue, so Im glad problems were ironed out. His work is crisp and with great inking by Jos. I particularly like how characters keep popping out the panels they are drawn in. Guara does it so naturally, that its almost unnoticeable.

This is a new Vertigo series with promise that takes from current cultural wars and attacks on the Latino community in the United States to create a tale about those living near the hypothetical wall that some want built to stop migrant workers in town. There are a lot of important revelations in this first issue and more than enough space to explore the main characters and his supporting cast. This is amazing. The threat is exposed but for now, it was not the most important aspect of the story. That will probably come for the next issue.

If you read Johnny Bullet, youll of course have figured out that I am a poor Alex Toth student. I was amazed at the many similarities between Jesse Bravo and Johnny Bullet that went beyond their infamous initials. This is why I felt that the story was not the best developed aspect and I yearned for more. There was so much that was barely unearthed in the few available Jesse Bravo stories he created for publication. Still, for fans of Alex Toth, Jesse Bravo is some of the most mature and idiosyncratic work done by the cartoonist, where he got to play with all of his favourite toys.

If you read Johnny Bullet, youll of course have figured out that I am a poor Alex Toth student. I was amazed at the many similarities between Jesse Bravo and Johnny Bullet that went beyond their infamous initials. This is why I felt that the story was not the best developed aspect and I yearned for more. There was so much that was barely unearthed in the few available Jesse Bravo stories he created for publication. Still, for fans of Alex Toth, Jesse Bravo is some of the most mature and idiosyncratic work done by the cartoonist, where he got to play with all of his favourite toys.

While many artists work on the series, they work on sections involving specific characters, so everything meshes properly. Its amazing that multiple artist series like this one looks so good. Often, newcomers are assigned to such series instead of solid artists. Im liking everything of course.

The various artists do a good job as usual. I dont feel that there were weak parts although I prefer some more than others.

The artwork continues to be pleasant. The place Hawkgirl and Hawkman visit reminds me of a cheaper Avatar world. Lets hope the artist can make that story look more visually interesting in future issues. I do like how he draws Hawkgirl and Hawkman though. They look great. The pages with Deadman were the strongest of all and that may help make the character popular again.

Meras people come back to seek the death of Aquaman and Hawkman and Hawkgirl are on a new world where men birds are at war with men lions. Our heroes are caught in the crossfire and may well be the next meals of the various factions. Oh, Mera reveals her real reason for travelling to Aquamans dimension. I liked the sections with Aquaman and the reveal of the big secret plot. Its about time. Now, because Geoff Johns is involved, we know that hes going to be rewriting a lot of history. The Hawkman and Hawkgirl segment was violent and it was fun to read the section because it felt that the writers really knew the characters. The artwork colouring for the Aquaman section was painful. The pencils were strong, but the colours destroyed the experience. The storytelling was not as clear in the Hawkman and Hawkgirl section.

Visually, this book continues to rock although several different artistic teams are involved. But parts tend to get gory, so readers beware.

Visually its difficult to judge this comic book. All participants provided good material. But the splash page at the end featuring artwork from artists currently on series featuring some of the characters feels more la disparate collage than a page meant to excite readers.

Reis was the perfect choice to draw the acrobatic Deadman. It felt like I was reading a Daredevil comic book. I really like how he draws his characters. Every page was lively. Whats good about Reis is that his artwork never gets in the way of the story. It supports and reinforces it without taking over, as many good artists tend to do.

Butch Guice is doing some of his best work in years here and I like how his Captain America is stepped in that real gritty political thriller world. Thanks to colourist Frank DArmata, the transition from Guice and previous artist Steve Epting is smooth and it still feel like were reading the same series.

Epting works hard at recreating entire sets that look real. For example, the introductory pages in 1945s Paris, is quite vivid and respectful of actual Parisian architecture. When added to his fine depiction of characters, it creates a whole world that is almost like a film. Some of the main characters faces are starting to look the same, but thats a small caveat.

The highlight of this issue, is of course the artworkwhich gives Namor unique features, although his head is not as triangular as inother comic books. Dont let the cover fool you, Captain America does not fightNamor. However, its interesting to see Namor rendered in a crime noir series.

In this issue, we get some Bourne-like remorse fromCaptain America. What really happens is that it highlights the fact that thecurrent Captain America is a criminal and murderer, a wanted felon in much ofthe world. Granted he wants to do well and improve now, but this is far fromwhat the original Captain America stood for. Im not complaining though. One issue that concerned me was the use of theword China to describe Taiwan, that is, if according to the writers, Taipei isstill located in Taiwan and not Communist China.

There is nothing that I can say about the artwork in this series except for marvelling at the quality and consistency readers are treated to. Even when there is a replacement artist, like Butch Guice, the work is so similar to Eptings that its only noticeable when reading the credits. Kudos to the art director who works behind the scenes and never get any credits for his work.

The artwork is all over the place this issue. Some is good, some is weaker, some is historical, and some self congratulatory, like the Alex Ross piece reprinted from an earlier story. The one story that was the most fun to look at was the old one from the 1940s featuring very primitive artwork.

Ross and Guice are great artists as usual, but the colouring was simplified compared to what has been depicted in the series. The almost sense of tension brought by the colours that contributed the thriller feel are gone, replaced with regular comic book colouring. Its not bad, but less inspiring.

Is Captain America too violent? His partner, the Falcon thinks so and wants to chat about it with Steve Rogers, the first Captain America. But time for repentance is short as the latest Baron Zemo launches an attack on Bucky Barnes to destroy his life and may have help from a certain Red Skull. Will they succeed? This issue was interesting and obviously a set for Barnes to fall into more violent acts as he avenges his friend and at the last minute realize that violence is not the way. Well, thats what I expect at the end of this story as well as the formal introduction of a new Red Skull and the creation of a new batch of arch villains for the hero. In other words, I feel that Ive read this story before and know whats going to happen in about three issues from now. Guice delivers better art than usual, which is a weird thing to say as hes always very good. Theres something about the way he inks this series that has changed. Its much stronger than before.

Bucky and the Black Widow are searching for the girl who slipped some drugs into his drink a few days priors and caused him to hallucinate and attack several cops at the hospital where his partner the Falcon was treated. But Baron Zemo is prepared to take out the new Captain America. Will he succeed? This issue is much more interesting than the previous one and the Captain, thanks to the Black Widow has to use his brains for once. I like that he has a good back up with Steve Rogers and the Black Widow to keep him out of trouble. Although we know who is the bad guy and part of their motivations, its still interesting to follow the trail of deception with Captain America. The artwork is as solid and consistent as in previous issues with the established look for the series maintained by the forceful inks by Guice.

The dated feeling about this comic book must come from the new inker who turns Guices work into its weakest form. Guice is an artist that needs strong inkers. Here Magyar and Pennington gave us something that felt like I was reading a comic book drawn by Don Heck. All the mystery and mood of earlier issues in this series were replaced with quick action panels and poor inking.

Now, the artwork is another matter. Im not sure what happened. Its the same regular team, yet it looks so different and uninspired. It felt like I was reading a Captain America comic book from the 1970s with the angst in the characters face and the melodramatic poses. Maybe its the inking, or the colours that arent making Guices work look better.

Changing the artist probably made me like this comic book even more. Aruna has a great reputation for drawing characters in a way that makes them look like theyre from a political thriller. With the old Marvel Comics look of past issues, Im glad we have something more solid to concentrate on. Aruna particularly reveals the distinct traits of every character he draws. I like how skinny his Tony Stark is, compared with Steve Rogers.

McNiven is the top artist to have work on Captain America for a while. This is a compliment as the past series was quite well drawn with solid art by Steve Epting. McNivens page layout stays consistent and mostly simple which helps with the storytelling. Hes shading adds a layer of grit to Captain America and make his seem slightly older, but tougher. I can grow to like this way Captain America is being portrayed. Now, if the story could only get more interesting...

McNiven is a great artist, but his work here only serves t highlight the weakness of the series. Was the series a real suspense thriller, his Captain America might have a chance to look and feel right. But here, we see stitches and chainmail details on the costume which only reinforces the reality of the world Captain America lives in, while he looks like an idiot wearing a rubber suit. It doesnt work, unfortunately, no matter how good the artist is.

McNiven is good here. The illustration and storytelling are fine, but I still feel like his work is like a bunch of photographs. So even though he can move through the story visually and make it clear for readers to know whats happening, it feels stilted. Its really difficult to understand whats off. Check out the picture of the Falcon flying on page four. He just stands there in the sky on top of a city as if he had been stuck there. Its hard to feel that hes in the air floating. Well, much of the comic book has this feel. So gorgeous art work and decent storytelling, but it feels stiff, monotone and non-moving. There is no kinetic energy to the drawings.

I also need to mention that a comic that features black characters prominently should not be plagued with the black palms problem, where colourists draw the palms of Blacks the same colour as the rest of their skin. This usually betrays a colourist who has little clue about how people look in real life and has not spent much time observing the world. In Sam Wilson Captain America, this is not just an oversight, its bad design.

The one salvation of this comic is Jesus Saizs work. His Captain America is solid and real. There are dimensions to his characters and they are pleasant to look at. There is an Art Deco feel to the dimension that he gives his characters that fits the story of a white supremacist. Art Deco always makes white supremacists look better.

This issue could have been published within the regular Captain America run. It is created by the same regular team that has work on the regular series and the Captain American Reborn series. The one thing I do miss is the fully dimensional colouring of the regular Captain America comic book series that gave a realist bent to the earlier issues in this run.

Im not a fan of Williams. I didnt like his work in JSA All-Stars. But here, hes actually effective. The energy that grows and ebbs works for his style. Im not annoyed at all by his take of Captain Atom, although hes not my favourite artist. What he draws is classic super hero and its just right for this series. Now, whether this series will make it is another story. Ill stick around for the next issue, and maybe the concept of a Doctor Solar and Doctor Manhattan-like character in the DC Comics universe will materialize. So far, I cant say this creative team is not getting it.

Sometimes artists you literally hate on some series find their voices on other ones. The number one reason I didnt read All-Star Justice Society was because of Williams. I just could not stand his work. Here, on Captain Atom, that series is perfect for the fluid forms he likes to depict. He really complements the series. The colouring is fine too, although I wonder why Captain Atom has to glow, if its hinted at in some scenes that he was invisible to onlookers. I didnt like Kruls work on Green Arrow and Arsenal and I didnt like Williams Justice Society work. But here, both creators just merge their talents and create one of my favourite and one of the most innovative of the 52 reboots. Woah.

I'm not sure if I'll return to this series next month. It's a wait and see.

I am a bit disappointed that Joness Catwoman, being created by a unique cartoonist is not more profound but then again, she is jumping in just after Tom Kings Batman run.

The story was a bit too wordy for my taste and even if a lot was spoken, it still did not make things easier to grasp. Its only when Mazra started fighting the female giant that things got interesting and that it was easy to follow the story. It was a classic super hero fight, after all!

My problem with this comic is the art by Dave Acosta. Its not bad, but its not competent. Chastity is not the most popular comic book character. Chaos Comics is a small publisher Chastity. The Acosta needs an inker to equalize his work. I grow tired of comic book publishers who cut corners by taking unpolished pencils straight to colouring. Inking improves comic book art.

There are minimal shadows in Walter Geovanis work. I dont believe that he cant play with light and dark. I think that given the very bright environment he plays with, that he purposely avoid strong shadows. It makes his characters, regardless of the colouring feel as if they were over-saturated. This is not a criticism. This is very effective for the kind of story that he writes and the bright settings his characters thrive in.

Sanya Anwar is a good artist for this issue as shes good with drawing everyday people, places and things. Funilly, Anwar would also be a great artist for the new Archie series with realistic characters. Her work looks cartoony but not too much. Its far more realistic than Love and Rockets.

Walter Geovani continues the tradition of limiting the black and dark areas in the comic, especially in the well-lit clean room. But outside, in the streets, he did use good amounts of inks. He knows how to ink and play with light and dark. But he is choosing to focus on the bright. That, as I have written before, is a good choice.

The beauty of this comic is how the authors explain the science fiction as a simple extension of current social media practices. Thats why the story is so relatable and captivating. Piotr Kowalski gives a plain look with rudimentary but correct renderings. The low-key factor does not hide the internal debates the characters are going through as the comic progresses. The stunted reality depicted with this visual style removes the artifice and grandiose science fiction elements and replaces it with a story that seems very real.

The artwork was jarring. There were too many lines and magic energy blasts to follow the action. If this is what the creators intended then good job. But its not the kind of comic book that I want to read a second time. It was too busy. The illustrator is good but he buries his own work with unnecessary details.

I like the dynamism of TenNapels work. One can feel the animated cartoon influence in his art. Of note is the close resemblance to the Charleroi comic book school of design, popularized by Belgian cartoonists. His characters are expressive while being inked with a heavy line that is closer to American styles. Its a good mix and its perfect to capture the once serious and comical tone of this book.

The artists are a mix of Lee Weeks and Alex Maleev. Suitable for Daredevil as every character looks like what we have come to expect. Its a good thing their work is good because the story is not as entertaining.

The artwork is fine and a great way to imagine Daredevil. Its rainy and realistic at the same time. Its not about dark shadows in corners, but more about the brownstones and rain drop. Its great stuff.

Lark and Gaudino continue to deliver gorgeous realistic shots that fit the current crime orientation of the series. Although not as spectacular as previous Daredevil artists, their work focuses on the story and telling it well. As such, its a perfect complement to Brubakers scripts.

Lark and Gaudino offer visuals where the characters look consistent. They even look consistent to the work by Alex Maleev. Thats a great feat and I wish more comic book series spent time creating a uniform visual identity for their characters, than trying to feature the new hot head artist of the month. The story is just easier to read this way.

Lark and Gaudino continue to create artwork that complements Brubakers plot very well. I do have one caution though. While their work is consistent, when compared to Alex Maleev, it feels somewhat inferior. Thankfully, what they lack in polished looks, they make up in storytelling - one of Maleevs weakness.

Lark is a solid artist whose work captures the mood and doesnt deviate from the script. Characters show enough facial expressions to be believable and make readers relate to them. That is all this story needs.

Lark is just right for this series and help establish the crime noir feel. Whats good, is that it doesnt feel like reading a Batman title. Its clearly a Daredevil branded style and the lack of Daredevil in costume in these pages is not even an issue for this reviewer. Its just solid drama rendered visually.

The art team on this series does what few can. Itintegrates different chapters drawn by different teams smoothly, making it unnoticeablefor the casual reader to pin point where one artist started and left off. Ofcourse each artist in this series works solely to carry the story forward andthere are no wasted panels or posters showing the prowess of individualartists. Its a team effort that pays off quite well.

Aja continues in the tradition of past Daredevilillustrators to create a crime noir what I like about his contribution, isthat its so embedded with the general tone of this series, thats itsdifficult to differentiate from other Daredevil illustrators. Its good work.

Visually, it all works out. I remember when Daredevil looked like but a worm next to the kingpin. Its not the case now it seems. The cover shows them at about the same size. Its not clear with the inside art, as Daredevil is constantly slouching. Its kind of odd too that he would do so instead of measuring up to the man he has come to call his arch nemesis.

Lark and Gaudiano continue to draw a good series and their run uninterrupted for many issues certainly strengthen this run and gives it its own identity.

De La Torre is a good artist and keeps Daredevil in style which is appreciated. I particularly liked Hollingsworths colours. He creates palettes that feel like washes with too much light saturation. Its great with the story as it gives it an aerie mood as if there is steam in the room.

De La Torre is great. I like how his work feels rainy and continues to give everything Daredevil related a unique look that cannot be found in most other super hero books. Ive said it before. DC Comics had an opportunity to make Green Arrow a Daredevil type of book but failed after Brad Meltzers run. Here Marvel Comics keeps to the right formula with edging stories and iconoclastic artists.

Checchetto is a good replacement for De La Torre.Hollingsworths colours help cement the whole story and make sure it all fits in. This is turning to be a real classic Daredevil story in the making, visually and storywise.

Visually, although the artist is not the same, the colouring helps create the same mood of lush red blues that has pervaded this series since the new team took over. However, things may be a bit too dark in places. The mix of snow and blood looks great though.

Daredevil has turned the Hand into a retributive justice organization and killed his arch enemy Bullseye (although no body was shown). Where will he go next? Will his best friends, Foggy Nelson and Dakota North be the next victims of his madness? Daredevil as a villain is interesting, although he never really is in control of his fate and other people are always playing him. Im not sure what will be achieved with this storyline that has not been explored and done before in a Daredevil comic book. Hes been betrayed before. Hes gone crazy before. Hes beat up a lot of innocents and hurt Foggy and people he loves many many times before. Why do they even care at this point? The story doesnt explain that. Foggy thinks the Kingpin is behind everything and is willing to forgive Matt Murdock another time. Again, that is the weakness of the story. It stays in the past and plays the old plots constantly and shows what a wreck Daredevil really is. How I long for a good Daredevil story arc where he

De la Torre is a great artist here and unfortunately, he is not given good material to work with. He manages to make the story visually interesting and rich which is the best thing about this comic book. Combined with Hollingsworths colours, they do make this comic book a visually rich experience, even if the story is nowhere to be found.

Visually, the artwork continues to be great with exceptional colouring. It was probably the best thing about this issue.

Daredevil and Cage have a bet about which one can take the other first after Cage misjudges Daredevils capabilities. But good old Daredevil thug, Turk is involved in the match as Cages trainer. Will he manage to sabotage this friendly fight? This story is set in the past and of course, is full of continuity errors. In the past, Foggy Nelson, Matt Murdocks partner did not know he was Daredevil. Or if he knew, he did not tell the hero he knew. Thats a major mistake. Second, Turk looks way too modern with dreads rather than the good old afro weve always known him to sport. There is no point to the story. Its not even charming or reeking of that good old fake nostalgia story set in the retroactive past that comic book publishers like to publish. The characters in the book look very stiff which is not a great thing when featuring a very acrobatic protagonist.

Rivera is from the Spider-man series. Maybe thats why I felt like this was like reading Amazing Spider-man. Hes the kind of artist that works well with the choreographed action in Daredevil. Im still amazed that Marvel Comics allows artists like Rivera to work for them. Their styles are completely non super hero mainstream, although it captures action just as well. To tell the truth, I prefer Rivera to whoever was handling the regular Daredevil series in last years Shadowland crossover. Pay attention to how Captain America and Daredevil spar in this issue and you will discover what real comic book storytelling is about.

Rivera is great at action. I like how he drew the decomposing sound-based villain. Thats some ingenious design. However, he should not be doing any more cover for Daredevil. This one was so uninspired that were this series not already in my pull list, I would not have picked up this book based on its cover. Its really an ugly cover that feels like its from a 1980s comic book.

Now that Waid is finally blooming on this series, Martins work is finally allowed to shine properly. Martin has been a great draftsman from the beginning, but with little inspiring material to work with, it all felt useless. Now he can tell the kind of stories that matter and that people will remember. Its nothing crazy or groundbreaking, but the illustrations are just right and of course the storytelling works well for a character with so much kinetic energy, like Daredevil.

Martin is not Lee Weeks, but his works is perfectly suitable for this series. Hes not too big on drawing Daredevil jumping around, but his storytelling is excellent He casually moves the story along and as reader, I never feel overwhelmed. There is just enough visual information to carry us through. Its refreshing.

Here, Deodato tries to make Osborne look like Richard Nixon.I guess that when a villain of the day is needed, Nixons the man to ape. I dontlike how Deodato poses his characters. Their gestures feel painful and stretched.If I were ever to stand like any of them, I would have chronic back pain. Hesalso the type of illustrator that has muscles always in a pumping mode, neverrelaxed. Well, looking at his work did not relax me. Hopefully this series canend quickly once this crossover is over.

The artwork this issue is better than in the first issue.The weird posing has stopped and Deodato shows he can stage a fight scene. Now,if only his Nixon interpretation of Osborn could become the norm at MarvelComics, that would be just sweet.

Deodato is a good artist. He continues to build upon the facial representation of Osborn as Nixon crossed with some Tommy Lee Jones. Its priceless and how I envision the character from now on. The mood here reminded me of the current Captain America run but with less beautiful colouring. Still this is a good layout and with good pacing.

The Egyptian gods have been waiting for Thor to suffer from somekind of weakness before returning a favour and taking him out once and for all. So they plot this plan to go meet him in his secluded mountains and defeat him. Meanwhile, Thor, having recently killed his own grandfather is afraid of his power and prefers to stay away from civilization. Will the Egyptian gods succeed in defeating the Norse god?

Deodato has often been for me a hit or miss, but here, its a hit. Hes much more interesting than in the first issues. Gone are the dramatic pauses, replaced by solid storytelling and good staging. My only question is why cant he draw nipples on naked characters. I thought this convention of the comic book world had been dismissed years ago. As an aside, old time readers will recognize that this cover is an old recreation of the first Avengers series #314 which also mentioned the Void!

Its hard to imagine that a year ago, I really did not like Deodatos work on this series. I felt his characters gestures were odd and non natural. I didnt like his storytelling either. Whereas I wished this series would end quickly, I now really like what is offered and the visual. Deodato has grown a lot in this series in subtle ways. His posing is no longer back pain inducing. His characters look like normal humans instead over muscled creatures suffering from roid rage. He also makes every one of them look different. Finally, his Norman Osborn is the best rendition of any current one with his Richard Nixon nose. This series really has grown and is a great one.

The Sentry goes berserk assuming his dark side and only Norman Osborne is capable of taming him. Yet, any result must be temporary as the Sentry is now self aware. That cant really be good for anyone. I really like this issue which shows that Osborn is more than a crazy lunatic. As crazy as he is, he knows how to control people crazier than he is. His argument for stopping the Void was credible and showed that he did not reach his current position only through guile. He has merit. This series is the one where Bendis has been putting all his efforts and it will be sad to see it go away. Its just too enjoyable. Deodato has grown as an artist and converted me into one of his fans in the space of a year. I used to hate his work. Now, I feel he defines the entire Norman Osborn and Dark Reign era.

I will miss Deodato when the Dark Avengers end in a few months. Hes really a great artist that has evolved over the past year into a strong creator. Beredo added more painterly effects to his clouring this issue and that complemented Deodatos work quite well.

Deoodato continues to impress me. Starting as an artist I could not stand with annoying unnatural poses, he morphed into a strong storyteller with a sense for the dramatic, as can be seen in the last page of the comic book featuring Osborn. Hes not what I would call a photogenic artist. His style is not exuberant. But he gets the job done.

Deodato and Dodson offered the type of visual that makes one wish the story read could last forever. It was just fun to see the potential fights and the various set ups. Some of it was confusing though and may have something to do with the large cast used in this comic book. Nonetheless, its still something worth collecting.

Tan is a bad choice for this series. His work is better suited to clear-cut and brooding super heroes, not crime detective tragedy like Daredevil. Although his work was not bad, he lacks the skill to capture Daredevils kinetic moves. When Daredevil dodges an attack from Bullseye, it doesnt feel like its this superbly trained acrobat beating the odds. It feels like Cable ducking an explosion without any grace.

Djurdjevic is a great artist, although he draws his characters open mouth wider than Rob Liefeld. He gets pacing and page composition and its hard to find anything bad with his work. Its crispy comic book fair and it may help to justify this fourth or fifth " I lose track " Avengers series.

Camuncoli has been a better artist. When he drew the Intimates for Wildstorm hes characters looked more compelling. The only difference is that he had a more competent inker " Sandra Hope that was capable of improving his work. Here, Catacchio only enhance Camuncolis weaknesses like the wider than normal mouths and the goofy expressions of the character. The way this is drawn is not bad, but would be a better fit in a Vertigo series, than one featuring a Wolverine.

Im not a fan of Segovias work. He makes womens breast stupidly huge and draws their hair as floating in the wind, even inside a closed office. His storytelling is all over the place as he favours expressing and showing off his art work and weird angles as opposed to sticking to the script and delivering something the average reader can decipher without having the rebuild a puzzle that ultimately doesnt make sense.

Im not a fan of the artists work as their storytelling is not good. Theyd rather put dismembered panels all over the place instead of concentrating on telling the story clearly.

Daken, the son of Wolverine is courted by Fates of Asgard that want him to start Ragnarok anew. Will Daken follow their lead or continue to prove that he is his own master? I really like this issue and although I hate Daken as an antisocial jerk " he represents the worst type of person I would never want to come across, he is the most interesting villain I have read in years. He is just a bad guy and there is nothing redeemable about him, as the Fates see. I see a future for this series after the Dark Avengers story and would gladly follow it, if the writers stay on board. Camuncoli has always been a great artist and I wish he could get a better inker to show how good he really is.

Daken is offered a future where he is a leader of men during the Siege of Asgard. Will he rise up to the occasion or will he be a loner once more. I really liked this issue as it showed the best and the worst of the character. I really despise Daken as a character but I feel compelled to read his comic book series. I dont usually like clones of other characters like X-23, but Daken here is his own character. Hes not his dad, Wolverine and his even more interesting than the old man. Hes just crazy and a psychopath. Much of the fun of this series lies in the strong characterization by Way and Liu. Im not sure anyone else could make Daken such a formidable character. Camuncoli of course is a great artist, although Sandra Hope is his best inker to date. Catacchio brings another dimension to Camuncoli and in this gritty war with Asgard, it fits just right.

Wolverine recruits his son, Daken, the Dark Wolverine so they can team up to take down Romulus, the man who trained Daken. But Daken is his own man and betrays his father. But can Daken really trick his own father or is there a greater plot at work? I like that Wolverine is no longer treated as an idiot next to Daken. I like that Daken has been taken down one peg and that his sexuality is his downfall. Hes not that smart, just a psychopath. What I didnt like was the clear cut break from the last storyline where no explanation about where Daken ended up after the Siege were given. The last issue of Siege is next week and I know this series is not meant to spoil that, but some better transition is warranted. I felt like I had missed an issue. Im not a fan of Segovia. He seems to me like another of those Leinil Francis Yu clone artist. Maybe with an inker that did not reinforce Yus style it would have worked better. On the other hand if you like Yus work, this comic book is for you.

Daken, the Dark Wolverine sets his father in a trap in order to deliver him to his guru Romulus. But will Wolverine fall into the trap or will Dark Wolverine try to set up the two men against one another and claim the spoils? I hate stepping into a comic book that In follow monthly and discover that Im missing a whole chapter because of some stupid and convoluted crossover. Its whats happened here. I didnt know the last issue would be continued in Wolverine Origins. Frankly, I dont care about Wolverine Origins. The only thing that occurred here is Marvel Comics proving that I didnt really need to read much of Wolverine Origins to get the story. It was confusing at first, but after ignoring the missing chapter, I could focus on the present tale. The story is pointless and a bunch of fight strewn together. Im not interested in the whole Romulus affair, although one could argue that Romulus is a big part of Dakens history. Smith s visual work is good and flows well.

The artwork is good in places but weaker in other ones. Still it captured the ambiguity of the character well. I actually like seeing Daken without his super villain costume more than. The character feels more genuine and his conflicting personality can shine better. The colours were particularly good this issue.

I didnt know Mauricet before but one can tell hes been trained in classic European comic book art. All his work is solid and mildly cartoony and fun to look at. He is a good fit for this comic. He manages the visual expressions of humans well but I hope that he makes his Muttley more expressive in future issues.

Mauricet contributes solid visuals that are realistic but integrate the cartoony aspects of the story lightly. It would be fun if he would let himself loose a bit and just draw the crazy stuff happening. The restrain Mauricet and Ennis have is holding the comic back and not allowing it to just make fun of itself. There is not point trying to maintain realism in this comic. It is about two silly cartoon characters after all.

The president depicted here is a mix of Nixon and Trump. This is good. The rest of the visuals are solid but still not wacky enough. This is not because Mauricet is not imaginative enough or a great storyteller. It is because he is limited by a script that does not allow him to cut loose.

The artwork in both tales was fun. I did prefer the cartoony rendition because it was less constrained by logic. It was filled with cartoon chaos! Im not a fan of the dark shade the colourist puts in Black Canarys face to suggest a mask. It looks weird at best and is a distraction. The fight between Catwoman and Black Canary is fun and the comedic timing of Sylvester and Tweety just right.

One artist would have been enough to tell this story. Not trusting any of its great cartoonists means that DC Comics is still playing it safe. I dont want to read a safe comic meant to comfort me in the familiar. I want to be impressed and shown what the future holds for DC Comics. I dont quite feel it yet with Rebirth #1.

Just a note: Hawkgirl is not in the comic even though she is featured on the cover.

Joe Bennett is an old time 2000s DC Comics artist who could draw good looking women. Im glad that he is back for this issue as it focuses on Ravager. Bennett is a pro. His work follows the lead established by Carlo Pagulayan but with less flash. What he loses in flash, he makes up in solid storytelling and a double-cross set up that remarkably enhances Priest complicated premise.

Joe Bennet's work here is great. He is used to drawing urban action scenes. But here, he does the kinetic and step by step storytelling well.

In the visual department, Larry Hama, an old pro at wordless comic book storytelling, continues to guide the beautiful pencils by Carlo Pagulayan. Hama is the perfect foil for Priest. They are both old timers in comics who are willing to let visuals do the heavy storytelling lifting. Pagulayan is a fine artist who while he many not handle storytelling as naturally as Hama, can render beautiful scenes.

Cary Nords style is a complete switch from what weve seen previously in this series. The problem is not that Nord is a bad artist. He is an old pro. The problem is that the does not match what weve seen before and creates a storytelling break that is worsened with the complicated story. Editors should really be more careful when picking replacement artists for a few issues.

Cary Nord is just not right for this book. I usually like his work but this is not the kind of series where he shines. The Slade in prison scenes were painful to watch. His storytelling of the Bosnian attack in the flashback made no sense and due to equally bad lettering and dialogues, it was unclear who was speaking. The characters in this book tend to share the same voice.

Dennys Cowan is back! And hes inked by Bill Sienkiewicz. Hum, what can I say about this? With Priest, this is one of the strongest line up of classic comics greats working together. Ive complained about guest artists not fitting the current series look. Because this was a one shot with the Creeper, which mind you fit the rest of the series continuity, I can only say that I was impressed with this comic. Its the best one so far. Why is Deathstroke so hit and miss?

Trust Joe Bennett to deliver a solid comic capturing all the madness in the Wilson family. His work is detailed and just right to capture the beauty of the characters. These are not, however, beautiful people. And the fact that their ugliness is not more visible is a problem!

The artwork in this chapter is the best of the entire storyline. Carlo Pagulayan did get help with wonderful layouts by Larry Hama. Im hoping that when Deathstroke becomes a monthly title, that Pagulayan will be able to remain as the only artist on this series. While I enjoy Joe Bennetts work, I prefer Pagulayan to the regular DC Comics s house style.

Larry Hama continues to shape the wonderful breakdowns of this story which are then rendered marvellously by Carlo Pagulayan. Its great work guys!

Deogenes Neves is an unknown to me but he seems ready for the big leagues. I dont always like the way he draws faces though, but everything else is dynamic and at the level established by prior artists on this series. Last question. Why is this series priced at $3.99 when it has the same page count as cheaper series?

I did not enjoy the part of the story involving the big fight with the light creatures. So many clichs, like the size-changing teammate falling after being hit. The art was good yet the way the story was told visually was disappointing.

This is the part of Christopher Priests stories where things get a bit murkier as he introduces more subplots with unknown characters whose presence we know we must pay attention to but without anymore clues as to why. Although there is a training session and a mission, this story is a setup one for new storylines and rather quiet. More should be expected. The theatrics of Deathstroke being maimed by a sword is just for show and to add something interesting to the story. Its a scene used to advance more ideas whose payoff, following Priests writing style will come later,

The continuing thread about the vigilante woman hunting Chinese gangs continues to be odd but the payoff is sure to come.

Carlo Pagulanyan continues to draw the best and most dynamic Deathstroke since Mike Zeck. Yeah, since Mike Zeck. I wish more people would discover this series. Its one of the most intricate and pleasurable one on the market, regardless of how difficult it is to approach initially.

Carlo Pagulayan is strong this issue. I wonder why he was given assistance on the layouts earlier in the series beginning. In terms of storytelling, there are a few things that I would adjust but its a strong visual representation. I like his effectiveness at showing the bravado between Batman and Deathstroke.

Carlo Pagulayan was allowed to complete the layout this issue. Hes not bad at all on his own. His realism is pleasing and help make Deathstroke a book that matters.

I dont care what the credits indicate but I could swear that M.D. Bright contributed to some of the early pages in this comic. He is not credited at all, but I recognize his work. Did M.D. Bright return to comic to draw a few pages with Priest, his old partner in crime?

A stronger inker is needed to enhance Andy MacDonalds artwork. At point, his ink coverage work. At others, it is too light and gives a Vertigo Comics feel to his work. Although dealing with monsters, the Vertigo look should not be what this series aims for. He can draw gory stuff, although not as well as Ryan Ottley or Howard Porter.

Carmen Garnero is a great artist with solid anatomy and interesting backgrounds. The action portrayed is not always clear, but the comic remains entertaining throughout.

This story is the conclusion of several threads that will eventually lead to a wider storyline. It is a good comic that seem to focus on Batmans crew more than him. It also is not very detective-oriented and more adventure-based. This is not a complain. I do find the comic to be bright and colourful which is something that has been missing from Batman for years. Perhaps the focus on Batmans team helps with that.

The one weak point is the artwork. Its not bad at all, but the inking should be stronger. It doesnt fit with the style of the story and makes it more quiet than it really is.

Robinson replaces Dennis Calero this issue. His work is more attuned to a super hero comic book and although he is not a better illustrator, his dynamism may be what this series needed to be noticed. I like Caleros work, but the inking was not the best. Its pure super heroics!

As I write before, Robinsons work is more suited for this series than the previous artist because its more super hero-oriented. The line work reminds me of Gil Kanes drawings. Funnily, its also kinetic. For those not familiar with Solar The Man of the Atom, this series is worth picking. The story is still slow, but it packs enough action and contents per issue. Its not a five minutes read.

Neil Edwards is a solid illustrator whose work seems to be as good with super heroes as with drawing regular folks. Most of the issue contains with regular folks. His work is cleaner than the average Vertigo series from DC Comics. Im looking forward for more adventures from this series but Im not sure if enough readers will notice it and give it a chance.

Since Im comparing this series to Angry Birds, I have to say that the birds look much better. I like the roughness and line quality of the doodles but they look less polished than the Angry Birds comic. While the colours are bright, the shading on the character makes them look dirty. Perhaps this is the intended look for the series but it looks dirty.

Gary Frank contributes greatly to the enjoyment of this comic by sticking with the nine-panel grid layout and breaking it when needed, using the same spatial design. Of course, Frank is a better illustrator than Gibbons. His pages are richer in texture and more dynamic. But then, he has had years to study the work of Gibbons before being able to perfect his art here and elsewhere. Frank is a great pick for this comic and adapt at facial expressions and visual storytelling.

So far, the story is solid, and I enjoy seeing the proto Jokers in the form of Mime and the Marionette. I like the reintroduction of old DC Comics characters like John Law, Libby Lawrence and more in the articles that follow the comic. Gary Frank makes everyone in this comic look good while still drawing from Dave Gibbons lead. I do wonder if he finds it ironic to draw a comic whose theme is similar to Supreme Power from Marvel where the presence of an alien baby on Earth was deemed responsible for the onslaught of meta-humans on that world. This is where Johns story is weakest. He is threading old material that Marvel Comics had already intended for their version of the DC Comics universe.

Regardless of my minor criticisms, this comic continues to impress.

Gary Frank continues his systematic storytelling using the nine-panel grid. It is interesting to compare how Frank uses the nine-panel grid versus someone like Mitch Gerads. Both break larger panels into small chunks spread on rows of three-panels. Gerads, however repeats many frames within a page or uses them to make characters move within that space. This is something Keith Giffens used to do frequently. Frank favours using subject-to-subject transition between his panels. This fascinating stuff!

I dont know if Gary Frank likes gore but there is a lot in his work. It is a regular feature of many postmodern comics. Its still chocking. His strength is depicting emotions with eyes. This is important in the overall narrative as it seems that Johns is the one pushing the story. Examples such as Franks handling of emotion shows he is as invested in the work. Its just that his contribution is not a easy to recognize.

Gary Frank may be late on this series, but every issue has been a delight. Although he does not draw like Dave Gibbons, his interpretation is as authoritative. He helps Johns weave many clues that many will miss. I for one, do not perform as close a reading as I could as there is so much hidden in these pages. Frank has the patience to deliver those clues to willing readers.

Enough ranting. Go buy this comic Its great! Oh and Ferro Lad is the new Happy Face with a blood stain.

Eaton is used to working on the Black Panther so his work seems natural here. It is a bit busy with too much going on in the page to really make the layout work. Thus its not very engaging even if the characters designs are strong.

Eaton is used to the Black Panther and his black characters actually look like they are black, instead of Caucasian with brown painted on them. The characters also each have their own looks. This is good. Unfortunately, the darker colour palette used by Beaulieu is too dark to enhance the work of Eaton and the entire book ends ups being a smudge of lines and colours that is not really appealing, although the artist is fine. The cover by Romita was poor by all standards and looks like it was put together at the last minute just so they could say Romita participated and try to sell more copies. Well poor covers, even by Romita dont tend to do that.

The artwork was good of course with a team thats quite used to working with these characters. It seemed less dark than previous issues. Its not an impressive issue either which means that this comic book will not have that much resonance or influence in a few years. Thats a bummer because there was so much great potential when it started.

Although the Avengers seem to not recognize the Eternals, it is not a real worry, as Gaiman has indicated that he was fully aware of continuity of this group. In fact, he revels in it with his hints about the current civil war at Marvel Comics. The discussion Makkari has with the celestial is interesting, and although no man is meant to understand its scope, Gaiman still showcased its philosophy as best as he could. It seems that another issue will be added to this series, where possibly, the Avengers go for a rematch against the Eternals. No complaints from me.

The story did a good job of retelling details about the last mini-series so readers can start fresh. Knauf set up the conflict with Druig and another evil very well. Coming off after Neil Gaiman is a tough act to follow. And where the Knaufs divert with Gaiman is when they try to give the Dreaming Celestial a language at once alien and similar to a computing language in order to make us understand how Celestials communicate and view our world. It removes the dread we had about the Dreaming Celestial in the mini-series. We know hes not going to start rampaging through San Francisco. But it also lacks the evocative and poetic quality of the simple words used in Gaimans scripts. Still, the story is worth reading and the characters likable and intriguing enough for us to care more about them.

Travis Moore reminded me of a younger Rags Morales. I have never heard of him before but I enjoy his work. Unlike Morales, he keeps the size of eyeballs to a respectable size. Besides great character renditions, Moore excels at background illustration. His page layouts are sometimes a bit too fancy and can lead to confusion though. If he limited these tricks, it would enhance his considerable storytelling abilities.

Travis G. Moore is incredible. His work is stellar and adds a lot of realism to a story about mythical creatures and characters. This series is great. If you are not reading it yet, I urge you to try it.

Steve Rolstons work is a stark change from what we have been treated to earlier. His rendering which are cartoony and simplified are suited for a story featuring goblins. I do admit that I was put off by it at first since it is so different from the hyperrealism that we have witnessed earlier. But Rolstonis a solid storyteller, nevertheless.

Mark Feehan is a solid illustrator at ease with everyday scenes, and the odd animal snout. The work is not dark at all for a period piece. Feehan could have used more contrast with light and dark. Instead, he and inker Mark Morales kept the pages bright and free of shadows and large masses of blacks. Paul Mountss colours support this bright world.

Hitch doesnt help his partners story. His art, here is ugly. The inking is poor and the characters not solid. Johnny Storm who is supposed to be a hunk, looks like a 40-year-old guy. Reed Richards looks alright, but what Hitch does with the story is not interesting. There is a lot of information in each panel, but after a while you ask yourself why? It doesnt make the story clearer or more interesting.

Hitch draws a decent George W. Bush, and adds many intricate details to the CAP and other settings. The story definitely looks over the top and out of this world and I understand why Marvel Comics picked him for the storyline. Because of the outlandish sets he creates, there is always a threat that his work will not connect with readers because they are out of scale. However, he does add enough of those close-ups shots with enough human emotions.

Hitch is a hit or miss. It depends on how much he inked his work or let other inkers lend a hand. I would bet that Currie does a better job of inking Hitch though and maybe he should have more space to interpret this great penciler. In the past, teams such as John Romita Jr and Klaus Janson proved that an inker can add as much thrill and delight to a great artists work, when they are given the space needed to shine. Lets hope that Hitch inking his own work is not a matter of ego, and that Currie can start taking more spotlight.

Im not a fan of Hitchs work here. All his male characters look like George W. Bush. However, the action sequences are entertaining enough and of course done in cinema wide scope format. Perhaps thats why the issue feels like such a quick useless read. Its filled with giant posters.

Hitch continues to deliver superior renderings in these pages and he will be missed when his and Millars run end. He clearly defines how the characters should look, although I dont like how he draws Doctor Dooms nose. It seems like something DC Comics Hawkman would wear!

Epting is a great artist. Hes like a mix of Alan Davis and Bryan Hitch. If I have one criticism, its that he needs a stronger inker to strengthen his lines. In many panels, they look almost half-closed. Beyond that it all looks nice and has great colouring by the unmatchable Paul Mounts.

With an anthology format, its easy to have bad art. There were no real weak chapters visually. It all looked nice although the styles were very different. Di Giandomenico was my favourite artist. His piece on Johnny Storm was crisp and lively.

Visually, the story is good with a well flowing story reinforcing the plot. Its just too bad that the artwork is wasted on a story that makes no sense.

Im not against Mahnkes interpretation of the Martian Mahnunter, as it gives it a unique look among all the football-player-like super heroes he used to fight with. The death of the Martian was gruesome but effective. It did show some of his emotions through his eyes which lack irises. Thats a feat.

I guess, giving the Flash to a new writer like Manapul was a big gamble on DC Comics part. The Flash is one of the core characters at DC Comics and its always had great creators working on it. Visually, Manapul does incredible work and because hes both the writer (partly) and the artist, his work relies on the visual storytelling a lot. It works. There are very few mainstream comic books still written and drawn by the same guy and I hope that DC Comics will let the experiment continue a while longer. These comics usually produce gems when given time to grow.

Howard Porter does the best he can with the thin script he was given. He continues to draw his characters with as much expression as Bart Sears and the dynamism of comics in 2017. Not many artists at DC Comics have the level of dynamism that Porter has. For this issue, he was the best pick. I do like how he redesigned Jay Garrick though.

Carmine Di Giandomenicos work continues to remind of the art of Carmine Infantino with the elongated figures whose muscles are well defined and almost sculpted. I wonder if he has trained with Carmine Senior. Of course, his take on the Flash is more modern yet still pleasing.

Carmine di Giandomenico and Pop Mhans show a lot of the pencils (whether they are actual pencils or digital) used for the page. Often Giandomenico reuses elements but does not adjust the width of the lines in close shots. Here instead, we see the thickness of the lines that he uses and the analog quality that they have. Not any comic book artists these days are willing to play with the lines of their figures the way Giandomenico does. It adds a lot of energy to his work.

Many artists contribute to this issue and do make it good. I like that each artist was given the right section to illustrate. Carmine di Giandomenico is violent in his expression of emotions such as Barry Allens pain and the Reverse-Flashs evil. Neil Googe gives the Flash and Thawne innocence and naivety. Its lovely. Ryan Sook adds grounding and the weight of a body to the few pages that he draws. If the colourist had toned these pages with sepia or another filter it would have added to the historical feel the artist conveyed.

To some extent, I feel that now Flash suffers from the Daredevil problem where since Frank Miller every writer wants to rewrite the classic stories that elevated the character. So just like Daredevil, with Flash, every writer since Mark Waid has been trying to write the ultimate epic with the speed force and the Reverse Flash. When Geoff Johns did it, he added layers by beefing up the Rogues gallery. But Im not too sure what Williamsons contribution will be at this point other than playing with other writers toys and retelling their greatest stories his way. Why wont writers of characters with defining stories like Daredevil and Flash just not forge their own paths?

Im glad that this story is over even though the Reverse-Flash seems to be gone for a while. I suspect that he will be revived yet again. Im tired of seeing him. Hes like Sinestro for Green Lantern Hal Jordan. You can always count on a writer to bring him back no matter how often he dies. Because the death of the Reverse-Flash does not appear to be permanent, the story loses all emotional connection and strength. He had been killed in the Button crossover with Batman, and revived the very next issue in Flash. Writer Joshua Williamson has sabotaged his own efforts here.

The art was almost as good as the story. Mixing Pop Mhan and Christian Duce does not work though. Their styles are too different and clashed. I prefer Duces pages. His faces are stronger and his figures better shaped. Mhan was gave the few Negative Flash illustration a lot of energy but hes not as great when it comes to illustrating police procedurals!

Neil Googe was a welcomed change from previous artists who deformed the shapes and the forms of characters so much. But Googes characters are anorexic! They are very skinny and in the case of the Flash, does not show the heroic stance and body that would make us believe that he is not just a runner, but a supper hero.

Neil Googes section which covers the fight between Flash and Bloodworks looked good and that was the point of his contribution, regardless of logic. Gus Vasquezs took care of the police procedural after the fight which was cleaning up Bloodworks mess. It wasnt as spectacular but was the appropriate part to hand to the second artist. Googe was great at drawing blood-based constructs.

The story sets up a few plot threads to be followed soon so it moves slowly enough. Not much happens of course. It's a decent read.

Howard Porter continues to draw twisted versions of the Flash and any character he draws making them less heroic and uglier with stretched expressions and twisted bodies that pervert the elegance of the simple body of athletic figures like super heroes. There is a lot of dynamism in his work, but it does not always look aesthetic.

Pop Mhan is competent, but I dislike his Barry Allen. Too many artists are assigned to these series and the art becomes inconsistent. I understand that the two-week production schedule means that no single artist can keep up with producing a series, but it should not feel like every second issue is a B-issue and not as important because a filler artist was hired. How about assigning artists to complete storyarcs so that solid artists like Mhan dont feel like B creators when they are not. I just dont like his Barry Allen, but the rest of his work is fine.

Pop Mhan displays a lot of energy in his work and somehow makes the pages look big. His speedsters dont pop in the same frame multiple times like Francis Manapul. Yet the characters still look like they are moving so this is good. I find some of his faces a bit distracting and the jagged layout is inventive but does not really improve the storytelling and the narrative.

Having read much of Joshua Williamsons Flash, I now understand how he crafts story arcs. He introduces a current conflict and problem that Barry Allen has to deal with before resolving it a few issues later. The pacing is all classic super hero action and surprise revelations that careless readers would have missed but old timers would anticipate. In many of those stories, I fall in between surprise and anticipation. Williamsons entire stories on The Flash are part of one larger canvas but where that leads is anyones guess.

I have written this before; it is always a good thing to see someone named Carmine drawing a Flash comic. Di Giandomenico is the perfect foil for Carmine Infantino. Their styles with elongated muscular limbs is very similar. Di Giandomenico is of course a much more current and dynamic artist but he is equally suited for the Flash. One thing that he does not do as much as the other Carmine, are multiple drawings of Flash doing things at super speed I one panel. Instead of that or speedlines, he likes to populate his panels featuring Flash with thunderbolt contractions.

I really like Carnie Di Giandomenicos work this issue. It works well even though he does not draw many repetitions of the Flash within one panel. There is feeling that the character is moving fast, regardless.

One remedy could be to stop wallowing in the speedforce drama and world of the Flashes and explore new grounds that does not include the Rogues or anything concocted by Mark Waid or Geoff Johns.

Christian Duce is another from a long line of artists working on this series as a fill-in artist. His style is reminiscent of Howard Porters but leaner and cleaner. He has a good handling of super hero dramatics and action but he does commit several 180 degrees errors

This is another issue where a fill-in artist is featured. Christian Duce gives some grit and nice textures to his characters. He is quite good at drawing exaggerated musculature. This is not a jab. This is needed for this issue. I wish the editors would retain one alternate artist for when Howard Porter is working on the other issues. Duce would be a good pick if he could commit.

Scott Kolins has drawn the Flash for so long that whenever he comes back to the series, it is a pleasure. It is as if he simply picks up from where he left the last time and continues. Although he was assigned with the Wally West version of the Flash, everyone, including Barry Allen look familiar. I like that he draws the warden of Iron Heights again. If Kolins wants to stay, and draw Flash more regularly, please sign him up!

Im really enjoying Scott Kolins here and I am glad that the editors have finally figured out that it is better to let one artist handle a complete storyline instead of bringing in many fill-in artists. This has hurt the series a lot in the past.

This is the third issue in a row with Scott Kolins drawing the comic. Of course, I am elated. But I really hope that he will not draw the next issue, so that he can prepare and draw an entire future storyline without interruptions. Im ready to see some good artwork by Howard Porter or whoever is lined up next. Scott Kolins on Flash is a joy. His work is messy and reminds me of Chas Truog and Greg Larocque mixed with a bit of Gil Kane. Kolins does not draw multiple Flashes in one frame as often as other artists, but it does not matter much. His work is still enticing and a good fit for this series.

I have a concern about this series. The ideas are fresh and could cement a solid reboot for Flash Gordon. But will Dynamite lose interest with Flash Gordon in a few years or will it try to sustain a new classic version of the character?

Evan Shaner continues to be a remarkable artist in the tradition of Chris Samnee, Alex Toth and even Frank Frazetta. He renders his characters with a retro look fit for the 1960s but that is delicious for the eyes in 2014. A dedicated inker would create the textured light and dark compositions that would enhance his work.

Evan Shaner is of course the best artist for this series. The comic book did not feel the same the last issue when a guest artist stepped in for a substantial set of pages. He adds a lot of the levity that Parker tries to imbue in the comic. His composition and storytelling is flawless. He understands the basic cinematographic staging. For example, check out the pages where Dale and the Hawkmen hide in the bush. The space they occupy on the page is rigorously maintained, just like in a movie. Few comic book artists bother to use these cinematographic continuity tricks.

I like having Carmine di Giandomenico working on this series. Its been a while since a guy named Carmine drew the Flash and for some odd reason, he draws his character with the same elongated limbs that look unattached to thetorso, like Flash creator Carmine Infantino! Di Giandomenicos interpretation of the Flash is really an updated take from Infantino, down to certain memorable poses that old time readers will recognize.

I marginally prefer the Doc Shaner pages to Ron Randalls pages. Jonathan Cases pages were good too. It feels like one is watching the old cartoons. Perhaps that is why these artists were created. The transitions between their pages were seamless thanks to the colouring from Jordie Bellaire. Im looking forward to reading more issues of Future Quest. The cover and the colurs for the cover are not as good as what's inside.

Ariel Olivetti has experience drawing Space Ghost comics. However, his style is a bit jarring compared to what weve seen previously. He is an excellent painterly artist. It just feels out of place in a comic with pure retro art.

I really like Ron Randall and think that he is a great replacement for Doc Shaner. His work is cleaner too. Randall is an old pro who delivers good super hero action. Veronica Gandinis colouring is also very good although he draws the palms of black characters the same colour as the rest of their skin. No one has melamine in their palms and soles. That means that they should not be coloured brown.

The saving grace of this series has been the characters which so many love and the artwork by wonderful artists such as Evan Shaner who is back this issue after only been the cover artist, as I assume that he was working on other projects. Ive said before. Shaner is the perfect artist for this series.

I want to see more of these characters but I want the stories to avoid dragging and to mean something.

The last Future Quest series was a success mostly because it was drawn by Evan Shaner who easily evoked the simple and effective designs of Alex Toth but for comics. Ariel Olivetti was one of the artists who took over Shaner when he needed a fill-in artist. In the previous series, I was critical of Olivetti because his style conflicted with the what had been established by Shaner. Art direction matter more than the ability to fill-in a comic. Many editors forget this.

This comic is adventure-based and serviceable. However, it is not very entertaining although well written and solid. There is a spark missing and I wish I knew what it was, so that I could indulge in the pleasure of reading about these characters. The Space Ghost and the other Hanna-Barbera characters have genuine appeal. I liked knowing more about Jan and Jaces origins.

Ariel Olivettis work is a stark difference from the Alex Toth-inspired designs for the Space Ghost. Although a painterly style, it is simple enough in details. It feels much like what Steve Rude would paint which means that it is easy to see the progression from Toth to Olivetti. This work would look better in a larger format book. It is a waste that such epic illustration be lost on such a small-sized comic and something very few will ever pay attention to. Perhaps Parker and Olivetti should work on a larger-sized Space Ghost project.

Of course, any comic book featuring female lead is forever doomed to have an artist that knows how to highlight the female physique " or draw something that looks like what men idealize about womens bodies. March does a good job drawing women, but also backgrounds and male characters. His work is crispy and full of action. Hes capable of doing comedic facial expression and is a good storyteller. Did I mention that his women, although over sexualized, have reasonably real proportions?

The visuals are not bad, but they do annoy me. They have that sharp edge that feels like someone is rubbing their nails on a blackboard. Thats how it feels looking at them. Its not that the artist is bad. But his work is not quiet. Blame the inker for that one.

Jurgens and Prez deliver a crisp and solid comic book, but it feels dated and from an earlier generation. Its not to my liking. Ill have to seriously consider whether Ill get the next issue.

Jurgens and Prez may sound like a dream team, but the work comes out stiff. It really feels like a book from the 1990s. The storytelling is brilliant, but the rendering, while well done still continue to feel old.

Norton is not a bad artist, but his work is not memorable either. Its solid and well crafted but without the extra oomph that creates a star artist. I think his greater weakness was having Rubinstein ink his work. While Im glad to see old pros get work, his inking totally overpowers Nortons work.

Norton is a good artist that delivers. But my problem with his rendition is that theres nothing that grabs the reader and takes it to another level. He is not a bad artist at all. His work is professionally rendered but he doesnt try to break any mould. DC Comics seems happy to hire a lot of artists of this caliber for its series. On one hand this is a good thing because artists like Norton and Rubinstein do their work proficiently. But on the other hand, this work does not elevate the comic book into anything more. In these times of shrinking audiences and economic downturns, Id like to see artists like Norton and Rubinstein put more efforts to grab readers attention.

Rubinstein gives a Dick Giordano feel to the book which is not bad, but does date it and make it less attractive than other comic book. Its a pity that a fine inker like him who understands the art of the comic book feels dated in his handling of comic books. The reason I worry so much about the dated look, is because the majority of comic book readers these days dont have appreciation for the art of comic book inking and looking at this comic book may decide that it is old and boring, because of the well executed, but not mind grabbing artwork.

Dallocchio is a great artist but his inked lines are too thin in several instances. He would benefit from a more present inked line. His characters look weird in some places. He tends to draw women with gigantic opened mouth that look silly.

Green Arrows secret identity is busted and he is on trial for the murder of Prometheus. Can Green Arrow maintain his old friendships and save his marriage with the Black Canary? Im not sure what Im supposed to read here. Green Arrows secret identity has been busted? I thought everyone knew about him being Oliver Queen? Isnt he married with the Black Canary a super heroine with no secret identity of her own? Its a time like this that casual readers, like me who claim to not care much about continuity become continuity freaks. The story is ridiculous and makes no sense. The entire mayor storyline before that, where no one connected the dots was as ridiculous. But worse is the fact that we are supposed, as readers, feel that Green Arrow did something really bad. In Identity Crisis, the actions of the super heroes were genuinely wrong. There was a real tension and a feeling that a threshold had been crossed. But Green Arrow? The guy whos been killing people since the mid 1980s is supposed

Lau is a good artist, but his characters seem too long. Im also not a big fan of his action scenes. What I do like is the colouring. Its bright and vibrant. It helps that the various covers are as enticing as the ones from Now Comics.

Although accomplished artist Phil Hester draws the breakdowns, the storytelling g and fights scenes are not the best I have seen. Theres a real problem with the choreography and Laus elongated figures dont help much. But regular non action scenes fare much better.

Britt Reid Sr. is murdered by the Black Hornet in front of his son Britt Reid Jr. while the mysterious Asian woman fails to save the day. Whats going on? Can Reid Jr. exact vengeance on the Green Hornet or is the Black Hornet as different man? There was inconsistencies in this issue. Who exactly threw the Green Hornet darts at the home invaders last issue? It seems that it was this new Black Hornet character, but why would he attack his own men? The rest of this issue serves as the wake up call for Reid Jr. and will soon explain why he must become the new Green Hornet. The old Green Hornet, from what I gather in this series didnt become vigilantes for revenge but for justice. It will be interesting to see the old Kato guide the new recruit. This issue is almost farcical. The old Kato really is Miyagi. Its unfortunate that Green Hornet has to become the karate kid. Still this series is interesting, even if one knows exactly where its going next. It may not be the most thoughtful Kevin S

Lau is good here with, although the first few pages with the missiles and the transformation of the Black Beauty into a hornet jet were incomprehensible. The other pages were much clearer and easier to read. Hester who did the breakdowns is usually good at storytelling and may have helped with that a lot. Theres a manga feel to this comic book series, and it feels odd because Green Hornet feels more like crime noir.

Im not sure if Hester even helped with the breakdowns of the storytelling this issue, but Laus work seems more dynamic than usual. The figures look much better than they did a few issues back. My only criticism is that I feel he needs a thicker inking over his pencils to strengthen the characters on the page. But it seems that now inkers was hired for this book and that it was sent directly to the Photoshop colourist for treatment. If thats the case, that would annoy me greatly as comic book inking is an essential skill and part of why comic books look so good. Skipping this production step in favour of the colourists fixing the work is a short term gain that doesnt help to highlight the artwork and make it more solid for a viewer.

As for the artwork, it was as bad. All the bad guys looked the same, making knowing who was saying what more difficult. Then the action and the posing of the character was bunch of clich action scenes that didnt help me as reader figure out what was supposed to be happening within the panel. It was really bad and a very weak attempt at a Green Hornet comic book. I supported this line before because I really like the characters, but material like this makes me seriously question future purchases. This comic book should not have been printed and sold to readers without major revisions.

This is the worst Green Hornet series published by Dynamite. Its just bad. Lets start with the artwork. I cant stand Desjardins' work. Its smudgy and a bunch of lines trying to pastiche Jim Lee who unlike Desjardins, knew exactly how many lines of cross hatching to put on a page and where he had to stop before the whole thing became convoluted. Desjardins' characters all look the same and have the same expression. The inking i is weak and instead of reinforcing the best aspect of his work, only highlight the bad. The bad composition, the odd facial expressions, the weird storytelling are all put under the spotlight with the chicken scratches that pass for inking. What Desjardins needs is a solid line. Not crosshatching. You look at the page and there is no anchor to help the readers eyes latch on to some element because everything is a weak chicken scratch. There is no play of line width and thickness where foreground elements stand out and help guide the readers eyes within a panel. E

This story tells the origin of the first Green Hornet and how he and Kato started fighting criminals in Chicago. As an old comic book fan of the Green Hornet, Im happy to see the multi-generational history of the character first established by writer Ron Fortier back. When Now Comics published the Green Hornet, there was a Golden Age one " the same from the radio serials, there was Silver Age one, the same from the 1960s television series and finally, there was the new modern Green Hornet and a female Kato. While the female Kato will be seen in the modern Green Hornet series, the other Kato is the original butler that passed as a Korean while being Japanese. In this issue we are shown flashbacks of both Britt Reid and Kato before they become masked vigilantes. We see what motivated them to become the men that decided to fight crime. Although the Green Hornet is much like Batman and preceded the later, there has not been such thought provoking work done on the character. Kato, in the N

The Green Hornet is here to give a warning to crime boss Carusos men. He wants a share of the business and nothing happens in his city without him being a part of it. The best parts of this comic book were those where we did not see the Green Hornet and Kato. In particular I liked the sequence in Africa with the warlords. All the parts with the Green Hornet and Kat were standard super hero thug action without anything imaginative. If youve read a Batman comic book, youve read this one. Lets hope future issues can put more fun back in the characters as opposed to their flashbacks. The art is solid and reinforces that 1940s look.

This story tells the tale of how Kato first met with Britt Reid and became his lifelong servant and sidekick. Caught in China during Japans attack on China and witnessing the horrors of his fellow Japanese patriots, Kato switches side and fight his countrymen until caught. But Reid saves him just in time to create a friendship that will take them all the way to Chicago where they will fight mobsters. This is finally the story that should have been told for the first two issues explaining the bond between the two heroes. Theres always been a racist context in the Green Hornets relationship with Kato where the former is less skilled and talented than the man that serves him and drives him around. Wagner doesnt deal with that issue head on, but helps alleviate criticism about the white guy who bosses around the yellow guy. Katos devotion to the Green Hornet is explained more in cultural obligation mode than in terms Westerners are used to. Lets hope future stories delve deeper in this asp

Benes draws this issue well although he still is a poor storyteller that relies on grandstanding shots of people standing around full of angst without doing much. The section by Marco Marz actually show what a better artist can deliver in but a few pages and how Benes is overrated and out of his league in a book like Green Lantern.

Doug Mahnke is a pro and I have always loved his work from the day I saw it in the first Mask mini-series. His work is crispier than before and at times, I found myself wondering if it wasnt Patrick Gleasons work. Gleason worked under Mahnke for years, so its interesting to see the master allow the student to inspire him. But its ll good including hints of Steve McNiven. Its sweet and crisp.

Mahnke adds that touch of suspense and great design to every page. Through him, I could feel the despair of Hal Jordan as he tried to rescue the people on the bridge but could not. I cant say anything bad about this comic book. Its that good.

Mahnkes Sinestro is creepy but so real. I like the crispness of the artwork. There is a Gil Kane quality to the visuals, which is quite a compliment for the artist.

Doug Mannke works wonder here and it's funny because one can feel see fear in the eyes of the Korugarians hedraws. Sinestro's gaze also has the same scary quality. I like Alamy's inks this issue. It's not as clean as usual with thick layers of blacks, but it works in the context of the story with the cells covering and absorbing all light.

I dont know Fernando Pasarin, but can say that his work is brilliant so far. He has that same crisp quality that Doug Mahnke and Patrick Gleason have brought to Green Lantern in the past. His figures are well-formed and even his aliens look believable. Being able to draw good aliens is one great skill for a series like Green Lantern. I wasnt a regular Green Lantern Corps reader in the past, but I see no reason for passing such an excellently put series. This one has my full recommendations.

Pasarins work is crisp and detailed. Hes good with alien designs too. He also knows how to create dread and anguish. Most of this story is about the perceived threat of the aliens. We dont see them do much damage on panel. Pasarin is good at hinting at stuff that occurs off page and creates dread.

I like how the story has moved along and the big reveal of the villains origins. Its actually an interesting concept. We havent heard of them before of course although they seem similar to the Manhunters. I dont know how the Stormwatch and the Martian Manhunter will play out in future stories, but I really like the cameo. I also like seeing more of Stewarts resolve and Gardners cunning. This issue was not as fast moving action-wise as previous ones, but the build up and characterization rounded off the series thus far. Time Warner Inc. the parent company of DC Comics supports the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA).

Changs work under Moritas inks is a compelling mix. Moritat changes enough of Changs work that I didnt recognize it at first. Yet, the work is crisp. Chang draws good action scenes. I like the sequence where John Stewart was fighting with the Durlan invader. Some of the pages are too packed. For example, the shots of the Corps become a big mass of lines. This comic book is good. Get it.

Im not used to Kirkham, but I like his work already. Theres almost a hint of anim in his work, but with full composition being influenced by American comics. He can draw gore and aliens. His characters have good facial expressions and dont all look the same. Who could ask for anything more?

I liked Robson Rochas artwork. Its not special but solid. His figure have that early Image Comic rage thing but with better anatomy! Hes also a decent storyteller. The colours were a bit too bright and muffled the artwork in places though. It was often difficult to quickly differentiate Green energy from the figures or the refracted light from props and surrounding characters.

Rafa Sandoval is solid. He has a clean style with a few edges and angles that add to the dynamism of Green Lanterns. I really enjoy reading a comic without any internal logical flaw, good art, and a strong plot. Read this!

At least Laura Bragas artwork was great and, in this issue although there was little to differentiate the real Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy from their Riverdale cosplay competition. Its Halloween season. I saw a woman dressed as Harley Quinn in the subway last night. Her cosplay skills were incompetent as best. One would exect that if Betty and Veronica were cosplaying as Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy, that their disguises would look like cheap imitations of the real thing too.

Chaykin is not even trying to do the character justice. Hawkgirl is a babe for God sake. Here she looks pudgy and fat. That villainess looks even more ludicrous as she is built like a man yet wear those little bras to cover her boobs. Shes so manly, no one would have cared a second if they had drawn her nipples. Really, if you were a seven foot giantess with the body of a football player, would you even bother to cover your boobs? Just to keep fans reading, Chaykin shows us the nice lingerie that Hawkgirl wears to fight crime. Perhaps he never heard that female soldiers have bras designed for action. Who the hell cares, right. Lets just put some bras on the women built like Miss Muscle USA and put fine lingerie of the fat girl.

The Thanagarians look like the classic Hawkworld series from the 1990s. Its great. Thats the problem. The series looks right and just like Hawkman and uses the visual language of Hawkman although the helmet of the current Hawkman annoys me. The inking of the series has improved a bit and makes Bryan Hitchs loose pencils stronger.

Even Bryan Hitchs artwork whom Ive been very critical of in this series is delightful this issue. The inking is stronger and the Microverse setting apt for Hitchs style. While I continue to dislike how he draws Hawkmans helmet, Hitchs Atom is very fine-looking.

Kevin Nowlan is a good inker for Bryan Hitch because he solidifies the looseness of the latter. The first version of Hawkman drawn by Hitch looked like the classic version without the trunk and much of the pouches and gear. He looked clean. The one that we see fly away at the end of the issue is has a whole chest armour instead of a harness and metal wings instead of the traditional feathery grey pinions. Im less thrilled with this depiction of Hawkman.

Freddie Williams II is always an acquired taste. But here, his work shines and fits better than anything else. His exaggerated musculature is not a problem in this comic. The kind of grotesque physique he gives characters is what I expect from these cartoon characters. If you have been sitting on the fence about this comic like I have, just give in. You will not be disappointed.

Ive already written about how Freddie Williams who is an acquired taste usually is the best artist for this comic. Besides the fact that he can render these muscle-bound atrocities well, he also make them look dynamic. In the case of the Thundercats, lets not forget that they always seem to dance when they fought. They dance in the comic too! Heres a suggestion. If youre a fan of Conan comics, pick this up.

Freddie Williams continues to be super cool drawing the one comic book he was meant to draw. He keeps amazing me by how much I cannot imagine anyone capturing the action from these cartoon properties and the overtly muscle frames of the characters so well.

I'm tired of saying that Freddie E. Williams II was born to draw this comic. Its chaotic and filled with energy and overtly muscle guys who seem on roids. It doesnt matter. This is what this comic and the cartoons were about. Get this comic!

Freddie Williams continues his dynamic work here but puts in way too much details per page. Most of it is lost in a fury of colours and details. You can only savour the comic if you read it slowly. There are so many details hidden everywhere. But these details do get in the way of the storytelling and the action looks off in many of the panels.

Jess Merino does bloke art well! Yes, thats the best word that I have to describe the various British characters in this comic. They look like blokes and I like it! His John Constantine is not as photogenic as he could be. He lacks the Sting factor but its still John Constantine. It remains to be seen if he can do horror and gore. Well find out in the following issues!

Clay Mann is good here. Although not my favourite illustrator, he gave the farm this Smallville scope of wideness that makes one think everything around is silent. His best scenes are of course the diner ones where the characters just eat and live their relationships like typical Tom King characters.

I was not as impressed with the visuals this issue as with the previous one. Like I wrote above, the guest-filling was not as strong and Clay Manns work did not feel as polished as the first issue. I still like this comic, but this issue is not as remarkable. It is still a must pick comic though. The cover will remind some readers of Wonder Woman: The Hiketeia.

A word of warning to all future comic creators; avoid creating legacy characters of revive them later.

The artwork by Mirka Andolfo is great although seeing her draw gore is odd given her clean style. It works well for the housewife scenes but is not the right fit for the gore. It feels more like cartoon violence and gore like a failed Bugs Bunny experiment than something from Vertigo.

About the artwork, only Valentinos was solidly formed and well composed. To think that these guys were once considered the top of the cream in terms of comic book art. Looking at their stuff is like looking at an old boxer who think he still has in him but doesnt realize that world has moved pass him.

This series need an editor. I know the guys at Image Comics think that editors are there to make their lives miserable, but a strong editor would send the badly drawn pages back for retouching and make sure all the characters had proper anatomy and scales that matched one another when two artists share the same page and panel. Here, there is nothing but a mess and complete waste of raw talent.

I like Mike S. Millers work here, but I will not say more as he his personal politics have affected many people in the comic industry. He is not a good person and has wasted his talent and its potential reach to peddle cultural wars and attack creators and fans who support diversity. His Kara is not exactly the best that I have seen, but it is too bad that is he is better known for his atrocious politics, rants, and attacks, rather than his work which is good.

I have already praised Williams many times, but I have to do this again. Few artists would make such a complicated comic work. The best part is that one can feel the love he has for this franchise and how he tries to make it work with Injustice. I will argue that he is a better fit for the Masters than Injustice who usually is rendered in a slick and clean style. But the best thing is that the story moves, and moves, and moves.

Freddy Williamss work is good but sometimes cluttered. I will say that Darkseids minions look great next to the villains usually serving Skeletor. Its a natural match. I also have to mention the eclectic but beautiful and engaged colouring by Jeremy Colwell. Few could add as much to Williams illustrations.

I like the new costumes created by Freddie Williams. They update the Masters of the Universe and even the Injustice characters. I do feel that too many characters have huge proportions that make them look like wrestlers.

The story and the characters are still interesting, butbeyond the break point in issue #50, I dont feel that much has happened,although Ive skipped many issues.Visually this series continues to be strong,with clear storytelling and engaging sets. Many comic book artists should startstudying Ottleys work and aptitude to deliver a monthly series.

I like Ryan Ottleys work. Hes definedInvincible for this reader and adds a good super hero but lightness to the workthat makes it pleasant. In hindsight, Im not sure if his work would fit in anotherseries that was not about a young idealistic hero, like Johnny Rocket orSpider-man.

Ottleys rendering of the various vignettes for this issue works. A lot of stuff happens. But unlike Morrisons Final Crisis, the vignettes provide just enough information for the reader to complete the missing elements in one narrative. Thats good storytelling. Ottleys work is violent and full of blood, but dynamic. Perhaps his simplified and almost cartoony style is what will keep readers from perceiving the full effect of the gore in this issue.

I ask myself often if Ottley will ever get equal billing to creators Kirkman and Cory Walker. When I think of Invincible, I dont think of Walkers interpretation. I think of Ottleys. Hes defined the character and his universe for me. After delivering months after months of work on this series, it would be just for him to be acknowledged as an equal creator of Invincible, even if he did not draw the first issues.

By the panel counts, this issue seems to have a lot going for it. There is actually a lot to view visually. Ottleys storytelling is impeccable and entertaining. Sure, all his characters are covered with blood, which seems odd in such a clean cut comic book, but at least the gore has a purpose.

This is the second issue of Walkers return to Invincible. May I ask where hes been? I really like his work on this series as it gives a solid form to all the characters. He seems to be able to draw action, quiet scenes and gore as well as the regular artist of the series. The only difference here is that hes also part creator of Invincible and its world. A very good issue over all.

Ottley is back, but the inks on his work are to fine. I like the thicker lines better. I still like the amount of details he puts in and the construction of the panel. Its really a dynamic series when hes around.

Invincible fights the horrible squid guy that looks like the Justice Leagues Starro. But the fight against the parasite alien organism turns bad when Invincible has to make an important decision about the how to stop the villains threat. This story seemed like it was played for a laugh until Invincible crossed that line and ended the threat posed by the villain. I like where this is going and what it means for the character. After all the crap hes been through recently his reactions make sense. Theres not much to discuss about this issue except for the fact that it was a solid read. Ottley remains my favourite Invincible artist and he knows how to draw gore.

Invincible, his brother and his dad go out in space to join an alliance against the Viltrumites. However on route, they are attacked by Viltrumites and the one man that cause so much grief to Invincible. But prior that, its goodbye to everyone, including Eve who has a secret that could change Marcs life. I like this issue. It was a simple story with the right amount of action and strong storytelling. Its also the pause before the big fight. Im not sure how Invincible will get out of the jam hes in though. This issue a;so introduced a new character called Tech-jacket. Im hoping to see more of this character but I hope this is not Kirkman signalling that hes ready to retire Invincible after this run. Ottley is again gracing the pages with inker Rathburn who works so well with him. If both draw the next issue, I bet they will be tons of cool gore!

Invincible faces Conquest a second time. This time neither combatant will underestimate the other and they will fight until one of them die and the other barely makes it alive. Which one will it be? This issue took me by surprise. Its a great super hero fight to the finish the likes of which we rarely see these days, even with all the violence thats been allowed to creep in super hero comics. It used to be that Invincible was the safe series for those who long a old school super hero with challenges and real emotions, la Spider-man. The last year or so, Invincible has proven that every time we think it will become bland, it will shock us. This issue is like that. I really did not expect a fight to the finish when I picked this title this week. I didnt skip to check out the last pages, so it was a real shocker for me. I dont know how they ll come back from that one. Ottley, like everything in this issue is great. However, I seriously hope that drawing these comic books draw out all th