The plot is spread too thin, is so lacking in focus that it's a struggle even to enjoy it as a fictional history of a fascinating universe. It's almost literally a shadow of what spawned it.

All-in-all, Rom: Dire Wraiths #1 is a rote and entirely skippable affair.

ROM: Dire Wraiths #2 is as much of a boring, poorly-crafted, mess of a comic as its predecessor.

Typhoid Fever X-Men feels like it was a failure from the word go.

Perhaps the series will pick up as we get closer to uncovering how Kratos go to where he was at the beginning of the 2018 series relaunch, but this opening salvo is an uninspired bore.

After two issues of hollow navel-gazing and half an issue of working up to it, perhaps the next issue will eventually see this God of War series living up to its namesake.

We've reached the penultimate chapter of this miniseries, and the story has yet to justify its existence or the time spent reading it in any way.

Spider-Man #1 is an inauspicious start to what might be the biggest Spider-Man comic of 2019. Fans of Spider-Man, Abrams, or Pichelli may hope to find something to love here. Unfortunately, the poor storytelling, bland characterizations, and less-than-memorable visuals combine to make Spider-Man #1 hard to recommend.

The second issue of the Abrams' Spider-Man isn't offensively bad in the way the first issue was, but it feels like a pale imitation of other, better stories.

This Spider-Man story continues to be a frustrating blend of cliches and poor storytelling.

The most impressive thing about this Spider-Man series is how seamlessly it blends its derivative story to its clumsy execution.

The final issue of the much-hyped Abrams Spider-Man series almost approaches competence.

But even setting aside cultural sensitivity issues, with the central premise not coming to the fore until the final page, Avengers: Tech-On #1 is running on nothing but wasted potential.

Avengers Tech-On #2 opens with a fight scene that is all but unintelligible due to Jeffrey Cruz's borderless artwork and milky coloring.

Avengers: Tech-On remains an idea in search of a story worth telling.

The series continues to fail to build on the base pitch in an exciting way.

There's not much here to recommend as Avengers: Tech-On continues to take an exciting premise and execute it poorly.

The most noteworthy thing about Extreme Carnage: Scream is how bluntly it shows Marvel symbiote events' dull, repetitive nature.

Basically, if you're a fan of action movies that take clever sci-fi concepts and do basically nothing with them concoct increasingly ridiculous action pieces, then Hardcore might be your jam. Otherwise, not so much.

If you enjoy big dumb action movies, you should probably go watch one of them instead.

What more can readers get from another take on Marvel's first five mutants after 60 years and all those previous returns? Based on The Original X-Men #1, not much.

This issue isn't simply terrible. It's offensive in the most careless and puerile ways.

At best, The Waters of Kanly #2 offers the briefest glimpse at how Arrakis suffers under Beast Rabban's rule. That's hardly enough to make the issue a worthwhile read.

Ultimately, the issue doesn't do much that one couldn't gather from a Wikipedia summary, failing to truly engage the reader at any point with its thin plot, near-nonexistent characterizations, and competent but unmemorable artwork.

It's an entirely baffling end to an utterly pointless story.

While Declan Shalvey's artwork is good, it feels poorly matched to this series, too tight and controlled to convey Wolverine's savage side or the raw emotion driving most of the action.

This is a resurrection story that has clearly drug on too long.

The series offers nothing new to say about Wolverine and no evolution, with Wolverine triumphantly exclaiming that he is the exact same character that he was before this overlong story started. Which leaves readers to wonder why they bothered.

Those eager to visit the universe of Arrakis would probably be better off waiting for the new movie.

Two issues in, this adaptation remains forgettable.

When it isn't confounding, it's merely dull, going through the motions to tell a story we already know the most important beats of and failing to add anything of interest to the larger narrative.

This series has been a total dud that fans will be better off avoiding.

Dune: House Atreides stars stronger than the previous four issues of the BOOM! Studios series.

It's a low bar, but compared to previous series issues, Dune: House Atreides is practically readable.

Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson's prequel story hasn't been all that compelling of a read before this, but now that it's just checking boxes, it's somehow even more rote than before.

While the drama in this issue is more compelling than most of what's preceded it, there are still some unfortunate indulgences.

Even for the most dedicated Dune fan, there's not much here to recommend.

Dune: House Atreides continues to be an uncompelling prequel.

But the issue ends on an odd note, driving home that the series title refers to Leto's coming of age, referring to himself as House Atreides.

Like most of the "Age of X-Man" events, it's a decent premise that lacks forward momentum.

It's an exercise in unfulfilled potential.

Only die-hard fans will want to glance at this, and even those will likely forget it soon after.

Fans probably aren't going to the Kick-Ass universe for subtlety or depth, and they won't find any here.

It is all feels a bit rote at this point. At least Rafael Albuquerque looks good, even if it isn't pushing any boundaries.

What this particular issue has going for it is some nice Rafael Albuquerque artwork, so at least there's that.

Indigo Children #1 doesn't deliver enough. It's derivative, ineffective at the basic tenets of the genre it's trying to play in, and the execution of its simple plot is rough around the edges.

The whole thing feels hollow, a style in search of a purpose, and a mystery imploring readers to place unearned trust in the book as it unravels.

It still reads like a lesser version of other comics, particularly the 2012 Harbinger relaunch, but this installment reads smoothly, at least.

The artwork is a little looser in spots here, but it is unlikely to change anyone's mind about the series, which continues to be a dry and unmemorable read.

Indigo Children continues to be a case of style over substance, essentially a prolonged action movie sequence in search of even a shred of emotional resonance and reconfigured into comic book form.

Indigo Children's ending lands with an empty thud befitting the entire run.

Life of Wolverine #1 adapts the vertically scrolling "Infinity Comic" by writer Jim Zub and artist Roman Bachs into print with passable results. Knowing that Life of Wolverine existed first as a webtoon-style comic, it's hard not to look for the seams where the phone-sized pieces were sewn together.

It's a thin tale that leans too heavily on a twist that will leave readers annoyed more than enamored.

The results are something like mixing together two different action figure toy lines, but the tone makes it feel like whoever is doing that mixing is a bit too old to be playing this seriously with toys.

It's a slow-going issue, but hopefully sets the stage for a more exciting finale.

The issue has solid art and some strong character work, but otherwise, it feels like a continuity bridge between two different eras of X-Men and little else.

It reads like someone took the basic premise of Neil Gaiman's television show-turned-novel Neverwhere and adapted it to appeal to fans of supernatural teen dramas like The Vampire Diaries with tedious results.

The first issue of Venomized makes it clear that Cullen Bunn has thought long and hard about how the mechanics and ecology of symbiotes and Poisons work. Unfortunately, those details aren't particularly interesting to have explained.

Venomized feels like a comic book with the volume turned up a bit too loud.

Venomized remains hard to recommend, but at least it's pretty and the plot seems to be going somewhere in this issue.

If Venomized ever had a narrative thread, it has certainly lost it by now.

The tonal hairpin road of Vinyl reads more like mismanagement than zany delight.

The series has potential as the ending hints at something far more significant than Magneto's tantrums happening, but this opening chapter can't seem to settle on a consistently compelling tone.

The Trial of Magneto continues and it highlights all of Leah Williams' strengths and weaknesses as a writer. The issue's script navigates and expresses the nuances of mourning and grief in ways that superhero comics often gloss over, but there's also a least one line in the script that will likely leave readers confused unless they belong to a specific subset of online fans.

X-Men: Trial of Magneto #3 goes entirely off the rails and reads like a jumble of random events, abandoning any sense of cohesion.

Simply one of the messiest ventures to come out of the X-Men's Krakoan era.

Are the events of Trial of Magneto going to be significant and perhaps a relief to certain fans? Sure. Are they enjoyable to read? Not really.

It's a newcomer-friendly issue as it goes out of its way to present a full crew roll call over multiple pages. While the sci-fi elements may be toned down, the story still operates on a larger-than-usual scale, involving a political assassination that could affect the whole galaxy.

It's a fine enough continuation of Firefly's comic book adventures, but unlikely to draw or keep the attention of curious newcomers.

There's a rocket-powered stagecoach in this issue of Firefly: The Fall Guys, and I feel like that's somehow symbolic of how far the Boom Studios take on the series in comics has fallen.

Firefly: The Fall Guys #4 feels like it is retreading old ground as the Serenity crew and the Archambeau Gang continue this endless process of trying to frame and/or kill each other.

By the end, the issue feels like its run a lap on a narrative tread that's wearing increasingly thin, without anything memorable to show for the effort.

Ultimately, Firefly: The Fall Guys is another failed attempt to get the Serenity crew's comic book adventures back on track.

They say you can't go home again. After reading Fall of the House of X #1, it feels like Marvel and the series' creative team may be poised to test that maxim, clumsily stumbling all the way back to Xavier's front door. -

Fall of the House of X #2 is full of moments where the artwork fails to live up the pitch.

At three issues in, Fall of the House of X has become the antithesis of the House of X miniseries from which it takes its name. Where Jonathan Hickman insisted that all other X-Men titles end before he began his run to ensure that House of X (and Powers of X) were the sole, singular X-Men narrative for readers to focus on, Fall of the House of X feels less like a story in itself and more like a highlight reel of events happening in the handful of other Fall of X stories that are running simultaneously.

Fall of the House of X #4 has a lot going on. None of it quite hits the mark.

The finale to Fall of the House of X bears the same signs of being rushed out the door as the rest of the series (and several others of the "Fall of X" era).

Frankly, if Boom and its creative talents aren't taking this kind of book seriously enough to commit to the bit, I don't see why anyone else should.

Both stories feature a few too many scenes of characters standing around talking about things that have happened already or elsewhere, but they're otherwise enjoyable affairs.

Something Epic has a strong premise and great artwork, but all the hand-wringing over the burden of creativity gets in the way of any semblance of plot, which makes it a nebulous read.

Perhaps those internal monologues that read like essays will become more relevant as Something Epic reveals more about the rules and secrets of the imaginary world and Danny's increasingly dangerous relationship with it, making them more than curious, if at least refreshingly personal, sidetracks.

There are technical skills on display herethe framing of the dream conversation nicely mirrors the real-life conversation, and the red glow of sunset speaks to the ending of the mother's lifebut that's not much to recommend.

It's a maddening slog that transcends the traditional definition of a vanity project while wasting Kudranski's artistic talents.

X-Men #1 isn't poorly crafted but is indebted to a version of the X-team we've seen in the past. X-Men #1 lacks a strong hook, seemingly hoping that simply sending out these characters under familiar circumstances will be enough to make its case. It's not. Perhaps that's overly criticalthe issue is functional and capably sets the stage for future adventure, and it isn't a bad-looking comicbut it doesn't make much of a statement.

I'm not sure what X-Men #2 is trying to achieve beyond possibly turning X-Men into a straightforward power fantasy and not even doing that particularly well.

At four issues in, this latest X-Men volume is already feeling rote.

X-Men #5 simply does not measure up to the legacy it seeks to co-op.

Perhaps future issues can build on the groundwork lain here and find the sense of scale it's reaching for by playing off of events in its companion series, but this debut issue is a frustrating start.

It all feels a bit slapdash as if the creators weren't on the same page about the issue's goal, and it ends up being more unintentionally funny than good.

The visuals are still busy, but the slowed pace makes them more bearable, and the new context helps give the narrative a weight that previous issues lacked.

This penultimate issue feels like the series is finally operating on all cylinders.

It was unwise to prop these Wolverine-centered series as spiritual successors to House of X and Powers of X. It set them up to disappoint, and disappoint they did.

There's potential here in setting a new stage for adventures in the Firefly universe, but the creatives will need to execute better than this for it to pay off.

This story is simply an infuriating and baffling read.

It isn't a perfect issue, as Simon explicitly stating that his family's safety is paramount and then ignoring Zoe's warning boggles the mind, and Lucia Di Giammarino's colors are still too washed out. However, it's a step in the right direction.

Coupled with Luci Di Giammarino's pale colors, the visuals sap the energy out of what should be a thrilling escape.

It's a mostly fine issue for those invested in the series.

Brand New 'Verse's peak into the future of the Firefly universe ends quietly. With most of the character conflicts resolved in the previous issue, the finale is a pretty by-the-book escape with the aid of a conveniently place Inara and River's telekinetic friend.

Even with these minor possible flaws in mind, Iceman #1 is a stellar return.

It will prove satisfying to some hardcore X-Men fans, but lacks much of the energy and excitement that infused the first issue.

This five-issue Iceman revival is only three issues in and already it seems to be spreading itself pretty thin.

Iceman was supposed to be one of Marvel's canceled-too-soon, returned from the dead fan-favorite series, but at this point it seems like maybe it really has run its course.

Iceman comes to a close -- again -- ending a less-than entirely successful revival.

If this is your thing, you probably already know that it is. If it's not, then there's little reason to change that unless you're a very curious Westworld fan.

If you're not already interested, I can't say I recommend it -- I'd just as soon go watch the cartoons these are inspired by -- but I also can't really fault it for being what it is.

Looney Tunes #245 is another example of a comic taking typical Looney Tunes characters and humor and depriving them of the inherent energy of animation to create a kind of carbon copy homunculus of a cartoon in comic book form.

The rest of the issue is your pretty standard fare for Looney Tunes, which means pretty forgettable attempts at recreating the charm and energy of the cartoon.

None of it transcends its source material, but if Looney Tunes is what you want, then Looney Tunes is what you'll get.

The issue's dialog is often pedantic, oscillating between speaking in inspirational memes and baldly verbalizing the themes.

It's mostly inoffensive, but the issue ultimately feels like it swings and misses.

New Mutants: Lethal Legion #3 has a clear message that it wants to impart, and that's commendable. However, the message is almost too clear, as one character verbalizes it point-blank to another in the middle of this issue.

New Mutants: Lethal Legion concludes with the same blend of therapy speech and cheesy humor that's defined the series throughout.

It isn't even hard to imagine revisiting those original comics and inserting X-Men: Legends #1 into the reading order to see if and how it all holds together. However, for anyone but the most dedicated fans of that bygone era, X-Men Legends #1 is little more than a baffling contradiction, a new thing made to be old that it may provide shelter to those who live in the past.

The idea of a series existing alongside the main X-Men line that revisits eras from the past isn't inherently a bad one. However, this is a prime example of how to go about it in all of the wrong ways.

Louise Simonson still has a strong grasp on these characters, and Walter Simonsons is a singular artistic talent, but X-Men: Legends continues to feel like a pointless endeavor.

As with the rest of X-Men: Legends to date, the premise doesn't feel strong enough to justify the trip back through time, but the execution is stellar enough that diehard fans and those nostalgic for the era should find it enjoyable.

These X-Men: Legends stories often struggle to justify their existence, but this one may make the previous work it intends to complement retroactively worse.

Of all the X-Men: Legends issues thus far, X-Men: Legends #7 is the one that feels least stuck in the era that inspires it.

It isn't inventive, but if you enjoy a good-old-fashioned Wolverine slice 'em up, it won't disappoint.

What was a solid Wolverine throwback story gets messy in its closing chapter.

Nicieza tries to make something of nothing, turning it into a character piece about Sinister, but it ultimately feels at best like part of a larger story that doesn't exist.

The style may seem dated to newer readers, but anyone who knows the tone and style and maintains a taste for it will enjoy this slice of nostalgia.

It's a simple story but a successful one that will delight classic X-Men fans, especially those with a soft spot for Nightcrawler.

It'll be interesting to see how this develops over future issues, but I'm apprehensive after issue one.

It's a series built around the charms of a particularly uncharming character, making reading it a dense chore.

Conan: Serpent War #1 is well-crafted but overstuffed as it struggles to get introductions out of the way so that it can move towards the conflict.

It's a boring execution of an exciting premise.

Conan: Serpent War feels like it's going through the motions and is perhaps telling a bigger story than its built for.

Marvel's big Moon Knight meets Conan and some other Robert E. Howard characters has proven to be a structural mess.

Death Orb #1 doesn't offer a lot of substance to sink your teeth into, so far it has a pretty basic lone-desert wander on a quest plot and not much else, but the execution is good enough that if you appreciate any of the influences mentioned above you may want to keep an eye on it.

What action is included is competently done, but there's just not enough substance or flair in this comic to be truly memorable.

A solid-enough middle chapter of the ongoing storyline.

It's all fairly forgettable material.

On the upside, Tom Fowler's artwork is always delightful and fits the expected grindhouse stylings. Still, the script is a confusing jumble, and fans of the original series are bound to be disappointed.

Refrigerator is shaping up to be the sillier sequel to a taught horror story"not an unfamiliar scenario"and is less likely to be remembered when finished.

Here's hoping we'll see more of this issue's first half and less of its second half as Refrigerator Full of Heads moves into its back half.

Unfortunately, this sequel continues to fall short of the original's grindhouse greatness.

At this point, Refrigerator Full of Heads feels entirely too indebted to its predecessor and yet misses so much of what made that original Basketful of Heads such great fun.

Refrigerator Full of Heads finds some of that grindhouse goodness in this final issue, but the heart that made Basketful of Heads delightful was excised from this subpar sequel long ago.

The colors are a little flat, but otherwise, this is the start of what promises to be an exciting fight comic with unforeseen depth.

Search for Hu #2 is a disappointing follow-up to a stellar first issue.

Search for Hu is a story stuck in an odd narrative loop of its own making.

There's a story worth appreciating at the heart of Search for Hu, but the muddy and ill-paced telling makes it a challenge.

Search for Hu began energetic and ambitious, but its end feels tired and unpolished.

IDW'S first Star Trek: Discovery miniseries continues to trudge along, but at this point is hard not to wonder why.

It's definitely a plot over character kind of story, but if you're seeking additional context for the events that kickstarted Star Trek: Discovery's first season, then this will not disappoint.

There's simply too much going on here, and not all of it is as interesting as the rest.

The Madness #1 feels like a comic that's been in hiding for 20 years. Like many of AWA's comics, ACO affects a Bryan Hitch-like "widescreen comics" style.

There are seeds of interest here, but they go mostly squandered, as is the recurring theme for the current Transformers line.

Ultimately, this era of Transformers comics failed to leave a lasting impression.

Exarchon is one of the more exciting aspects of this take on Transformers, serving as an otherworldly being of pure destruction antithetical to the political intrigue that has defined this run. Yet, War's End maintains the same sluggish pace as the main Transformers series, with readers waiting for everyone else to catch up to what they already: that Exarchon is indeed back and ready to begin the Three-Fold Spark's conquest once more.

There's plenty of action to be had, though it remains difficult to feel invested in much of it. There are some nice cartooning bits, especially involving Soundwave and Starscream's jockeying for Megatron's favor.

All this mustache twirling leads to one exciting development from the previous issue resolves in the most obvious way possible (at least as it appears here). At the same time, the Decepticons and Autobots continue their tiresome bickering on the outskirts. Additionally, the artwork has some noticeable issues with perspective and foreshortening, making this installment one irksome frustration after another.

It's a shame that this installment couldn't rise to the bar set by its companion series.

There's potential for both of these stories to grow into something worthwhile for fans of the source material. This issue isn't there yet.

Vampire: The Masquerade's sophomore outing is an improvement over its debut issue.

The individual elements can be enjoyed, but they don't quite form a cohesive whole.

The "Poison X" crossover between X-Men Blue and Venom continues in Venom #162, and the story may be suffering from symbiote overload.

Perhaps when the larger Poisons storyline that Cullen Bunn is telling is complete this chapter will feel more worthwhile, but for now, it just feels like a derailment of what he had going on in X-Men Blue.

Venom is beginning to feel like a skipping record. Each issue plays out pretty similarly to the last.

There's not much memorable here and the issue is likely to be forgotten once its closed.

It's entirely possible that, with this bit of homework out of the way, the remainder of this miniseries will be something enjoyable for fans of Claremont's X-Men voice, but this issue is a waste of everyone's time.

It's better than almost all of what appeared in X-Treme X-Men's pages during the second half of its run, meaning anyone who found anything to enjoy in that original series will likely find something to appreciate here.

X-Treme X-Men #3 is chock full of patented Chris Claremont dialogue, from the hammy "body and soul" style dialogue to the mutants losing their power beat. The issue feels scattered as Claremont, over the course of only two previous installments, established at least four subplots playing out simultaneously, making it hard to connect with any of them.

X-Treme X-Men #4 is fueld by familiar Chris Claremont tropes. Characters lose their powers only to show how formidable they are without them, and the power of teamwork overcomes seemingly insurmountable odds.

Even fans of the original X-Treme X-Men run will struggle to find what's essential in this revisitation.

Altogether, it's a stellar start to this version of Buffy's future.

Despite the wrinkles, it all rings a little too familiar to be genuinely exciting, and the busy artwork makes it hard to connect with the characters. However, it at least feels like a story built on firmer ground than some of the Buffy comics that preceded it.

Thessaly remains a compelling character and a believable evolution of the Slayer role for a new generation. However, Buffy the Last Vampire Slayer needs greater focus in its plotting and visual storytelling if its creators hope to do the character justice.

Buffy the Last Vampire Slayer #4 is a disjointed mess of a comic book.

There's a nice two-page spread as well, but on the whole, this is a puzzling, unpolished conclusion to an uneven series.

Carnage #1 is on the cusp of something worthwhile but hasn't fully invested.

If it can shed its ponderous pacing, Carnage might become something worthwhile.

Even as Carnage #3 offers up the series' centerpiece a showdown between the original Cletus Kasidy and the Carnage symbiote, with its coughed-up clone it lacks the focus and seems at odds with itself.

The book slow crawl and lack of clear purpose make it ill-positioned for a crossover with another title, but all Carnage stories seem to inevitable lead back to Venom, and here we are.

It feels like there are ideas buried here, but the lack of mood and motion makes it hard to invest in whatever the narrative is trying to say.

It's a solid enough issue that picks up the pace but can't shake off all the problems plaguing the series.

There's fun to be had here, and the big reveal at the end suggests there' another layer to this crossover madness, but we're not quite to the good stuff yet.

Two issues in and Batman / Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III so far has been an exercise in exposition.

The idea New Gotham City, this amalgamation of the DC Universe and the Turtles mythology, is fascinating. Yet we're spending almost no time exploring it. Instead, we're searching out those least changed by it so revert things back. That's the endgame in any situation, but going in that direction with little time to meander seems like such a missed opportunity.

It feels like Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III should be more fun. All of the elements are there, but it's not spending enough time reveling in the absurdity of these mashed up characters.

Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III hasn't done a great job of capitalizing on the fun potential of its premise. Its fifth issue offers a taste of that untapped potential, but the supposedly epic battle that makes up the bulk of the issue is shapeless, taking up space rather than telling a story.

If you've enjoyed the series thus far, the finale won't disappoint.

Doctor Strange: Damnation may turn into a worthwhile story, but the first issue feels more like homework than entertainment.

With all of the overblown setup and tying into Secret Empire out of the way, Doctor Strange: Damnation #2 is able to play to writer Nick Spencer's strength: his ability to write fun banter for a motley crew of B-list characters.

Compared to the far more consistent Doctor Strange ongoing series, Doctor Strange: Damnation feels all over the place.

Rick and Morty fans are going to love this one.

The result feels confused in its purpose and like a shadow of the original rather than an extension.

The issue looks decent enough, and there are one or two moments that earn the issue's premise, but this one is purely or the Rick and Morty completionist.

The current iteration of Spawn feels like a blend of old and new.

Jason Shawn Alexander is still a stellar fit for the series, but here's hoping he gets something more interesting to draw than mangled fingers in the near future.

Jason Shawn Alexander gets to draw a lot of pinup-style pages here and the way he incorporates a bit of McFarlane's style into his renditions of moments from those early Spawn issues is a nice touch.

This feels like a skippable episode of an otherwise enjoyable story.

The return of the Sinister Six story continues in the pages of Spider-Man and its... fine.

The penultimate issue of Brian Michael Bendis' Spider-Man run is, unfortunately, little more than an average throwdown between superheroes and supervillains.

Star Trek: Holo-Ween is a ridiculous story, one that would put even the campiest Star Trek: The Original Series episode to shame.

Even with the tonal dissonance, it's an enjoyable enough read, but imagine what it could have been if the book had committed to one direction or the other.

Having the Enterprise haunted without a sci-fi explanation would break Star Trek rules, but trying to ground a haunted house scenario in Star Trek's logic leaves little room for the themes or anything beyond the base plot to shine through.

The second issue of The Expanse from Corinna Bechko and Alejandro Aragon is an uneven installment.

The darkness and desperation in the issue's script also play into Alejandro Aragon's artistic strengths"his loose lines and long shadows"helping this penultimate chapter coalesce into the series's best installment thus far.

The entire series is the definition of inessential and quickly forgotten, but it isn't poorly crafted.

Writer Erik Burnham delivers that, and Josh Burcham's art makes the transition from 3-D to 2-D a graceful one. But it does feel like a missed opportunity to do something a little more transformative (no pun intended) with this property.

Perhaps next issue, the series will become something more than a pointless nostalgia strip.

The issue isn't anything game-changing, but it's the kind of simple, stellar storytelling that readers have been expecting from the series from the first issue.

Transformers: Beast Wars continues to be the simplistic, distant cousin to the main Transformers series.

All in all, it's a disappointing payoff after a not-particularly-exciting buildup.

Anyone enjoying this series thus far won't find a reason to argue with its sixth issue, but nor will convince any detractors to change their minds.

It's all business as usual for the series, but it goes off without a hitch, and anyone who's enjoyed the series to date should appreciate what this issue is offering.

There's little here to hook anyone but the most dedicated Beast Wars fan with such a thin plot.

Not much happens here beyond a long walk and a fight with some robotic wolves. Apropos of nothing, another character lays out certain time travel rules, priming readers for the return of of the fourth-dimensional interlopers watching events unfold, which feels out of place in this particular issue. But if Erik Burcham continue to build of Beast Wars' cast of characters as he does with Skold here, then Transformers: Beast Wars could grow into a compelling ensemble adventure series.

Transformers: Beast Wars #10 is an enjoyable entry in the series that will leave readers eager for the next, perhaps more so than any previous installment.

Another solid installment for IDW's Transformers line.

Maggs relies heavily on internal monologue captions to express Gauge's uncertainty. That leaves little for the art team to do then to spend another issue depicting Gauge's cult-assigned routine fo menial tasks that are as boring as to look at as they are to execute.

Transformers: Galaxies stumbles in its conclusion to an arc that had a promising start.

This issue is a little uneven, but it's interesting enough to keep readers around for the next installment.

If you're particularly fond of Ultra Magnus, you'll appreciate this issue more than most.

The final few pages bring this story up to date with IDW's main Transformers comic and feel mostly perfunctory, but the rest of the issue is a solid enough action comic.

There's potential here, but the creative team will need to cut through the chaos to find it.

Guara's artwork still somehow feels both incredibly busy and somewhat empty at the same time, pairing over-emphasized figures in the foreground with often blank backgrounds. Still, if you're going to do mystery in Magic, Ravnica is the place for it, and you can sense the fun McKay is having while weaving these threads.

Magic: The Gathering #3 sees writer Jed McKay slowing the pace to spend some time fleshing out the Planeswalkers' backstories. Unfortunately, it's an exercise in telling instead of showing.

The issue touches on worthwhile themes as the conspiracy could pit the Guilds against the guildless, an almost literal representation of the haves and the have-nots, but that's not enough to excuse such poor pacing and dull means of revelation.

It's the kind of fan service you often expect from these licensed books, nothing more and nothing less.

Magic: The Gathering #6 is almost entirely a backstory info dump solving the series' great mystery and setting up the story's next act, but it's least it has some depth to it.

As a climax to this story's first act"with much more teased by the ending"Magic: The Gathering #7 fails to deliver.

The issue has the tone of a middle chapter of a long-running superhero series, restrained in action but allowing for the relationships between the heroic Planeswalkers of Ravnica to shine through and further solidify.

It's a fine enough issue if you're already deeply invested in the series' story and promises a big climax in the next.

As the climactic chapter in this Marit Lage saga, Magic: The Gathering #10 suffers somewhat from too much going and yet not enough at the same time.

While uneven, the issue assembles an exciting cast of characters for further adventures. Plus, it's full of action that's exciting enough moment to moment to overlook the thin plot.

It's not the most exciting issue but does the job and points towards more exciting things to come.

While the issue doesn't do much to advance the plot, it does offer insight into these new, emerging character dynamics.

It's a self-contained issue that doesn't contain much action or events until the end, but it's hard to complain about a solid, standalone-ish, character-focused episode.

It's a dull read that entirely focuses on the make-believe mechanics that make the plot function and little else.

Magic: The Gathering #16 isn't a total wash, and fans of the series will likely find it passable, but it is significantly worse for its poor pacing, ill-suited art, and lack of attention to detail.

Jed MacKay gives Niko a strong characterization in the issue, as they are shown to be fiery, empathetic, full of wonder, and also perhaps a bit reckless and impulsive.

The fast-paced script plays to Ig Guara's strengths as an artist, and the colorswhile still a bit soft in softare vibrant and varied. It's an action-heavy payoff to the plot thus far and ends on a note of excitement as things seem poised only to escalate from here.

It all comes together into something that feels slapdash and serviceable at best.

He adorns the plot with simplistic posturing dialogue and overbearing narration. It's a muddled end to this long Magic: The Gathering saga.

The three different artists aboard make the reading of it feel disjointed as the styles are not similar nor are they sectioned off in a way that makes any particular sense. It's a minor annoyance in a functional if not particularly eventual issue.

While reading Magic: The Gathering #22, I'm struck by how small Magic's supposedly infinite multiverse feels.

This Cliffs Notes version of the epic metaplot isn't likely to compel the uninitiated. At some point, you have to trust that those who don't know and care enough to be curious know how to look things up on the internet and tell the story with the confidence that this issue is lacking.

There's simply not much memorable to speak of in this muddled, middling issue.

It's all anticlimactic and underwhelming and like the ghost of a better story.

Unfortunately, this first issue feels somewhat retrograde.

None of it feels very cohesive and ultimately the issue feels thin as a result and run of the mill as a result.

Rogue & Gambit continues to deliver straightforward superheroics in its third issue while adding some texture to the tension between the lead characters.

Rogue & Gambit might bring satisfaction to the die-hard fans of these characters, but it does little to stand out from its peers within the genre.

Rogue & Gambit's final issue contains several high points for the series. The rest of the issue wraps up a run-of-the-mill superhero story in predictable and familiar ways, except for Rogue's dealings with Destiny.

It feels a bit like the issue throws readers into the middle of an ongoing series, and the lack of familiarity with these particular versions of the characters makes it hard to feel invested when apparent tragedy strikes. But there are hints at multiverse madness afoot, and while the story may not fully get readers to invest emotionally, it'll likely have them curious enough to want to see what happens next.

Even as is, it isn't a terrible diversion for Angel fans, but it doesn't transcend that as its purpose.

It's not bad but suffers from the same lack of focus and direction that seems to have infected all of Boom's Buffy-based efforts.

The first arc of Angel never really established a reason for its existence beyond simply putting out more Angel content. As far as that goes, it isn't bad. However, the decision to set it in a just-slightly-different timeline is ultimately more confusing and distracting than additive, and judging by the final pages of this issue, that problem may only worsen.

It's a clumsy but passable issue, but not an exciting one.

Boom Studios' current Angel series from Christopher Cantwell, Daniel Bayliss, and Patricio Delpeche fails to shake some of its frustrating flaws in its sixth issue. Again, it feels like we missed an installment as a significant amount of time appears to have passed since the previous issue's events.

Angel #7, while crafted well enough, is built on shaky ground.

It's just a shame that what came before wasn't more cohesive.

It's hard not to feel like Buffy the Last Vampire Slayer is ripe with wasted potential and only suited for those who can't get enough of Boom's take on the Buffy mythology.

It's got plenty of hooks to sink into Buffy the Vampire Slayer fans, which makes it a shame it flubs the execution this badly.

Buffy the Last Vampire Slayer #3 remains clumsy in spots, but this series makes a case for its existence for the first time.

The issue asks what happens to a Slayer after their slaying days are over, becoming a fitting coda to the Buffy the Vampire Slayer saga fans know and love.

Casual Fling #3 is the weakest issue of the series, but it's unlikely to deter anyone who's invested in the story already.

Casual Fling started as the kind of sex thriller you don't see much of in comics and lost its focus a bit in the middle, but at least it wraps up tidily, even if the finale lacks flair.

It feels like there's a disconnect between the story the creators think they're telling and the story that appears on the page, and I'm not entirely sure they envisioned the same one to begin with.

It's good stuff all around, providing entertaining X-Men adventures and meaningful development for a character desperately in need of it.

It's an interesting premise and while Marvelous X-Men #1 retreads some ground already covered by last week's Age of X-Men: Alpha, mostly introducing the concept and characters and seeding the conflict to come, the idea still hasn't lost any of its shine.

"Age of X-Man" seems to be losing its way a bit. Marvelous X-Men #2 spends a lot of time pondering the goods and evils of love but struggles to define what the word really means.

Marvelous X-Men, and perhaps the "Age of X-Man" concept, feels like it's running out of steam.

At this point, Age of X-Man: Marvelous X-Men feels like a concept in search of a story. This issue meanders, lightly hinting at beats without striking any of them firmly.

Marco Failla and Matt Milla make the issue look good, but in the end, it's just good enough to be disappointed that it wasn't better.

Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora Solek's Journey #1 is a solidly assembled start to the character's pilgrimage.

It's a fine enough comic for fans of the game or the larger Avatar franchise, but it's unlikely to impress outsiders.

It's not going to surprise anyone or transcend expectations as a licensed tie-in to a video game based on a movie, but for the target demographic, it likely does enough to satisfy.

It's another issue that's crafted well but relies heavily on established tropes and a narrative pattern that is, by now, well-worn.

There are ambitious ideas here but a flawed execution results in a muddy reading experience.

Buffy fans new and old will likely find themselves hooked on this modern reimagining of the Buffyverse.

Bellaire is building to something -- Xander's detachment makes it clear that keeping the gang separated is intentional and not an oversight -- but without those core relationships intact, this issue of Buffy feels like its missing something.

Whereas the previous issue of Buffy the Vampire Slayer felt like it was moving too slowly, this issue goes hard in the other direction. There's so much going on that it feels like two or three different stories crashed into other.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer #4 has everything a Buffy fan could ask for, beginning with the Scoobies' perfect reaction to Giles offering them a night off. From there we get relationship drama, internal conflict, the big bads plotting, and a cliffhanger right as a key character reaches a major turning point.

Jordie Bellaire provides a strong script that both feels like a perfect replica of a traditional Buffy TV episode structure while being wildly different from any particular episode in interesting ways, and that's enough to make up for Lopez's mixed artwork.

It's one piece and another great issue of Buffy that captures the spirit of old Buffy while still feeling fresh, new, and different.

. It ends with Lopez returning for a strong final scene between Willow and Xander, but it still feels like a story missing most of its middle.

Fans will have to wait and see if that helps focus the series and improve its pacing issues, or imbalances the series even further.

The story lacks a smooth flow, but the characters"while not at their most endearing here"are still those lovable Scoobies. Now that Jordie Bellaire, David Lopez, and company have broken them down, it should be fun to see them built back up again (presumably) over the course of the crossover event.

What stands out most in this issue is how insufferable Giles is, a far cry from his composed, paternal television counterpart. It's another example of the series jumping into the deep end.

The issue does highlight why the reimagined Robin Wood has been such a strong addition to the reboot's cast, especially now that he's been paired with the new slayer.

This issue feels more focused than those that preceded but still doesn't stick the landing on its most dramatic moments.

Artist Rosemary Valero-O'Connell brings a softer style to the standalone issue. It suits the setting and story, though the action scenes lack some weight and impact.

The issue makes two minor missteps towards the end"an awkward inset mars a beautiful splash page, and the final tease is too vague to be tantalizing"but this issue everything Buffy fans crave.

With this issue, she appears to be treading familiar ground at first until one of the characters questions the premise. Bachs' art isn't the strongest we've seen on the series, but the issue is still keeping the series headed in exciting directions.

The ideas here are exciting, and Bachs' artwork is solid in other places, but it's frustrating to see such a crucial scene flubbed this way.

This issue is an example of the series' creative team taking full advantage of the unique opportunity they have with this fresh comics continuity to improve upon the source material.

Unfortunately, Ramon Bachs' artwork is a distraction here. Bachs tries to give these high school students a youthful look, as you'd expect, with character manga-inspired character models, but his faces and bodies are inconsistent from page to page, resulting is something that looks like Dan Mora's work minus discipline.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer #19 is an uneven comic comprised almost entirely of three conversations.

As is par for the course with Buffy the Vampire Slayer, there are excellent ideas hampered by messy, uneven execution.

There's a strong concept here, but the execution isn't doing it any justice.

This moment shines through as one of the series' best to date.

The series needs to start paring down its narrative threads, or this reboot will soon need a relaunch of its own.

The Buffy the Vampire Slayer ongoing series stumbles through another issue that should be revelatory but is jumbled and forgettable due to subpar storytelling and lack of proper setup.

The story does channel some of the tone fans of Buffy love, with the Lurkers being appropriately creepy and the beats about shrimp tacos bringing the humor. But it also suffers from all of the usual problems this series struggles with"a lack of grounding and mediocre visual storytelling"making it hard not to feel like this forgettable issue could have been something more.

Buffy's narrative may lose its power without a seasonal structure to mark a meaningful passage of time, force it into periodic climaxes, and organically mark the start of a new chapter in its characters' lives. Instead, it's devolving into the worst type of superhero story, an endless string of things happening simply to keep things happening, which is disappointing given how much potential there is in the building blocks of this relaunched timeline.

Yet the script devotes too much of Buffy the Vampire's Slayer #27 to watching the characters talk in circles about a villain with barely any presence.

It's pretty telling that even Buffy herself spends half the issue asking for someone to provide a plot summary because she's lost.

There's also still too much going on here narratively, burying the emotional core that's vital to making Buffy work, but this is a solid issue with some notable high points amid continuing series woes.

With a listless plot and clumsy visual storytelling, this issue of Buffy the Vampire Slayer is another that doesn't justify its existence.

The series is overly-busy, and it hasn't given Joyce and Buffy's relationship enough weight for any of this to feel meaningful. This comic just can't land the big beats, making it feel like a hollow endeavor.

It seems the series' creators can't grasp the correct pacing to give any of the story beats in this comic the appropriate weight.

There's not much here narratively to latch onto as the issue moves characters from point A to point B, reading like a rough draft of half-baked thoughts.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer has needed a refresh for a while now. The best thing about this issue is that the opportunity has finally come.

For the most part, it's a solid debut, leaning heavily on familiar designs from the Next Generation era to set the stage ad the mood, but the plot gets a little muddied in places.

Despite soaking in the vibe of the Next Gen era, this issue is more action-oriented, focusing on a covert rescue mission that ends up being less undercover than intended. The visuals aren't up to the task of depicting the action, with bodies distractingly contorted after being struck by phaser fire, inappropriately over-the-top reactions, and an at least one instance where an officer trying to shield his captain looks more like he's going in for a hug.

There's an unusual conflict in this Star Trek: Resurgence prequel, in that the hero ship's captain, typically cast as the pinnacle of Starfleet values, is perhaps too close to another character, too invested in the research, to see the danger all around him clearly.

Star Trek: Resurgence #4 is a solid enough entry in the prequel series.

Nonsensical dialog, weak jokes, and disjointed artwork plague the story, yet it gives Sutherland an epic, if familiar, last hurrah while drawing some interesting parallels between Sutherland and Leah Brahms. This final installment, like the miniseries collectively, is uneven but not without some merit.

Storm #1 is a throwback to the X-Men of the 1980s, and writer Ann Nocenti leans hard into the melodrama that defined the series during that era, with interpersonal conflict around every corner.

The issue digs deeper into the conflicts and relationships surrounding Storm at a breakneck pace. At times, this means characters come off like one-note caricatures of themselvesKitty a petulant child, Rogue a thoughtless bruiser, Wolverine a possessive and rage-fueled admirerwith even Storm seeming to be in an unusual hurry to bring this man she's known for about a day home to meet the found family.

While it's easy to appreciate what its creators are attempting to do with Storm, something still feels not quite right with this throwback to 1980s era X-Men.

Storm's story feels like it's getting away from itself.

The bones of an interesting Storm story are here, but overall, the series feels muddled and overburdened with subplots, distracting from the character it intended to spotlight.

A Vicious Circle #1 indulges in the too-familiar trope of killing a barely developed, innocent supporting character to motivate its protagonist in what feels like a transparent attempt to add unearned, instant emotion to the plot.

The plot reads like a spec script for an action movie, specifically the part where the protagonist fills us in on the minimum backstory required to justify the fight scenes. The artwork remains strong but offers fewer opportunities for Bermejo to play with different styles, making it less exciting than the previous issue, if not any less skillfully done.

A Vicious Circle feels like a story built on a clever plot device desperately grasping for meaning and coming up empty.

What comes next as Dark Space: Good Deeds continues will ultimately determine whether this introduction is worthwhile, but the chances seem good that'll only get more interesting from here.

Dark Spaces: Good Deeds #2 keeps the Vertigo vibes established in the first issue but still hasn't firmly differentiated itself from other stories in the genre, ultimately repeating the same narrative bits.

Visually, the issue still feels like it walks the line between realistic and supernatural, but the pacing is tripping up the story.

It's a version of the old "built on a native burial ground" trope, but Good Deeds treats the idea with more respect, nuance, and detail than usually afforded by shlocky horror stories.

Dark Places: Good Deeds may be falling into a common trap, which is including one twist too many.

The conclusion to Dark Spaces: Good Deeds reads like watching the end of a Twilight Zone episode on fast-forward.

While Godzilla: Here There Be Dragons II Sons of Giants #1 may not hook readers on its central mystery by the time the issue ends, the gorgeous historical vignettes are enough for even casual kaiju lovers to consider returning for a second look.

Sons of Giants hasn't made a strong enough case for why readers should be this invested in the titular group and is taking too long to get the point of this sequel.

If you're here for cool Kaiju art, you'll be satisfied with what's on offer, but the issue will bring you no closer to understanding why you should care about these kaiju-obsessed weirdos and their little conspiracy.

Writers Scott & David Tipton will also be familiar to Star Trek comics fans and they begin this story on a slow burn, but it seems like a tale destined to go in some interesting directions as we see mirror Barclay redefine the character's relationships with his colleagues.

The creative team here is capable of solid storytelling, but this issue just does not come together in a way that makes sense.

Star Trek: The Next Generation - Terra Incognita continues to be a curious series. Billed as the next installment in The Next Generation mirror universe series, the issue minimizes Barclay's role. Instead, the issue plays out like a lost episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation. Captain Picard plays the familiar role of mentor when one of his crew members comes to a emotional turning point.

With the mirror universe Barclay story still simmering in the background, this is another delicious serving of comfort food for Star Trek fans.

There are some characterization issues -- Worf seems strangely standoffish even by his standards when dealing with Dr. Crusher -- but the story, on the whole, is still solid Star Trek goodness, and the surprise ending promises that Barclay's storyline will finally be resolved in the next chapter.

Star Trek: The Next Generation: Terra Incognita #6 brings Mirror Barclay's trip to the Prime Timeline to an end, but feels less like a conclusion and more like it is setting up whatever the next chapter of the Mirror Enterprise-D crew's story turns out to be.

A clashing of tones that fails to commit to one sensibility or another, or even to the tension between, creates a disorienting reading experience that fails to pose some obvious and important questions about its central characters.

There are some genuine laughs in Deadweights #2 as well. Here's hoping it all comes together as the series progresses.

There's still the lingering question about making restitution for their past deeds, but by giving us a glimpse at the normal, mundane lives they may choose to live, Deadweights #4 goes a long way in creating empathy for these burned-out henchmen.

Ultimately, this is all thematically muddied, with Deadweights suffering an identity crisis that mirrors its main character.

In a way, it's a microcosmic example of the odd direction the Firefly comics have gone in since coming to Boom, with the characters behaving like cartoonish versions of themselves ("It's Jayne time"?) and a heavy reliance on sci-fi plot devices, neither of which helps to elevates a mediocre celebration.

It's a decent read for Firefly fans, especially those with a soft spot for Jayne, but it has little else to offer.

There's a nice bit of connectivity hidden here that will reward those who have been reading Boom's ongoing Firefly series. Otherwise, it's frustrating to see a good idea fall to confounding and disappointing execution.

River Run doesn't live up to its full potential. Still, for a story that probably never needed telling, it proves a much more enjoyable read than most such interstitial franchise tie-ins.

While some of the lettering choices stand out poorlythe book would need a much more comedic tone for "CHOMP, BITE" to appropriately represent the sound a monstrous grub makes attempting to eat someoneThe Hidden Planeswalker #1 is a stellar start nonetheless.

For an issue primarily comprised of people doing research in a school library, Magic: The Hidden Planeswalker #2 is an engaging read. That's largely thanks to the delicate line work and iridescent colors

Magic: The Hidden Planeswalker has been stellar enough until now, but this issue feels like it tried to make a hairpin turn now that its secret character has been revealed and ended up skidding out. Hopefully, it can course correct in the next issue.

Magic: The Hidden Planeswalker proves to be a nice showcase for the complexities of Liliana Vess's character.

The Vampire Slayer #1 starts Boom Studios' latest foray into the Buffy the Vampire Slayer multiverse, and it hits the same stumbling block. Like its peers, The Vampire Slayer leans on readers' assumed familiarity and attachment to Buffy's cast of characters to hook readers in but never clarifies how much previous knowledge they should assume applies to this particular branch of the multiverse.

It's a curious comic that feels like a reset for the concept. Hopefully, it will explore some new territory going forward.

The Vampire Slayer has struggled to find a consistent focus, but this is at least an interesting reinterpretation of some of the original series' familiar tropes.

It's an increasingly frustrating read, especially considering the promise the series showed early on.

The issue proves to be one of the better installments of this consistently inconsistent series.

The Vampire Slayer #6 is a mix of some fresh ideas and others that are quickly going stale.

The excellent artwork combined with some of Gailey's best character writing to date (including Xander and Spike playing Mario Kart, a delightful aside) makes this The Vampire Slayer's strongest installment yet.

This issue of The Vampire Slayer showcases some of what the series does best, and what the series does worst.

Perhaps the most striking thing about The Vampire Slayer is how well the indie slice-of-life comic visual style brought by Hanna Templar (and some past artists) fits the comic's tone. Here, it works better than the superhero-like style used in many past Buffy comics.

Willow reflects on each of her close friends, highlighting their strengths, flaws, and internal struggles. It's a narrative move that feels insecure as if double-checking to make sure readers have been paying attention, or that the point has come across effectively enough before moving on to the next act. The issue is thus left redundant, if not condescending, for any reader who has invested enough to stick with this iteration of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer universe for 10 issues.

Gailey employs signature Buffy dialogue with enough restraint that it doesn't become obnoxious, and leans on Hannah Templer's ability to make the characters "act" to bring out all the emotion in the narrative. It's stellar stuff.

The Vampire Slayer #12's resolution to the story doesn't quite match the scale of its threat, and the issue doesn't build the appropriate tension.

The status quo is familiar, but the dynamics are different enough to keep things interesting. The dialog is recognizably Buffy, with subtle adjustments to delivery to account for it being read rather than heard. Lastly, the teases of a couple of familiar faces and locales are likely enough to keep readers hooked.

It feels like an issue that's standing still, and then awkwardly chooses to have characters dump their emotions all at once during what should be times of urgency.

The issue ends feeling flat, both in its characterizations and its execution.

The Vampire Slayer was an uneven attempt to start the Buffy the Vampire Slayer mythology over anew, proving too familiar at times and pointlessly different at others but it had its high points as well. This finale is not one of them.

This issue is a sign that this slow-burn series is about to start firing on all cylinders.

The result is a flight through dangerous territory that's a nice change of pace, but not entirely successful as it doesn't spend enough time digging into the emotional impact of everything that's happening.

It's been a slow and steady build, but this series is paying off everything readers have invested inot it.

Brian Ruckley is weaving a vast, political conspiracy thriller, and the dividends are still paying off. At 20 issues in, it's a take on the Transformers that still feels fresh.

There's still something interesting at the core here as Orion Pax finally begins to see that Megatron is at the center of the upheaval that's struck Cybertronian society. We get a single page dedicated to that core as the issue buries it under harder to follow, less engrossing asides.

Anna Malkova's artwork could stand to be more detailed and flesh out Cybertron, but she tells the story well, and for the first time in several issues, I'm curious about what will happen next.

Transformers #23 proves to be the end product of a narrative with all the moving parts of a great political thriller, but that can't deliver the goods.

It's a decent issue with good ideas that didn't somehow isn't as engaging as it could have been.

It's another stellar installment of a series now operating like a well-oiled machine, but it could stand to find a way to connect on a more emotional level.

With this current "War World" arc, political machinations fall to the wayside while the Autobots and Decepticons begin marshaling their forces and taking up arms for civil war. It's a welcome shift as, after 24 issues, the subterfuge and plotting started to wear thin. Yet, instead of being an exciting transition, the series is taking on such a familiar shape"the classic robot versus robot warfare that defined the original Transformers toys and cartoons -- that it feels like more returning to a status quo.

Still, it provides some visceral robot vs. robot thrills in what has otherwise been a slow and sterile series.

Who would have thought that a comic book about transforming robots fighting could be this verbose?

Transformers' most impressive achievement is making war between alien robots that transform into planes and cars an unintelligible bore.

Now that the conflict is in full swing, 30 issues of running in circles while pursuing a Game of Thrones level of intrigue done, there's reason to believe Transformers is about to heat up.

The last page offers a fun tease for fans of the series and possibly a drastic shift in direction, but this issue is a small step towards getting there.

The script suffers many of the same problems that have plagued the series from its start, primarily dry, jargon-heavy dialogue.

It's still not the most engaging storytelling, but it's more coherent and exciting than many of the series' past issues.

Unfortunately, the mixture of these elements results in an uneven reading experience.

The Transformers #35 gives Transformers fans their most basic desire: a big, old-fashioned Autobots versus Decepticons battle.

The newest issue of Transformers turns out to be another dull and unwieldy mess of characters and plotlines that are difficult to distinguish and untangle.

This issue feels like prologue as it is mostly Optimus Prime getting vague warnings from immersive Transformer, but there's some solid action beats here and Winston Chan brings a little more texture to the series' visuals.

It's what fans have come to expect from this Transformers iteration, for the good and the bad.

All combined, it forms a stellar issue through and through.

There's not much of a narrative arc here, just pushing the pieces closer together so that they can have the big fight next issue (presumably).

It's hard not to be a little exhausted by this Transformers series. There are many characters and so much happening at any time, yet everything moves at a glacial pace.

There have been some action-packed issues lately, but the series consistently reverts to this state of near inertia, forcing readers to wait for the next random fit of action to happen, and the characterizations are not strong enough to carry these quieter issues.

There's some good old-fashioned robot blasting fun in this issue, and it's a welcome change of pace from what's been a morose march towards the series' conclusion.

While the story of All-New Firefly as a whole is weighed by the tonal shifts in the series that preceded it, this finale issue, built on sentimentality though it may be, hits the spot.

It's not an outstanding issue but it is a stellar reset setting the stage for the series' new era.

There's still hope that this series will find its footing and learn to walk a balance between fresh and familiar, but this issue isn't it.

Jayne's arc is a good hook, but the rest of the issue doesn't come together.

The issue frames the story again by focusing on Jayne, first with another flashback and then with a surprising ending that could go in a few different directions but will unavoidably change the character. Is Jayne Cobb ready to grow up? That seems to be the question All-New Firefly is looking to answer, which could lead to either a frustrating or delightful new status quo.

All-New Firefly #5 makes the case that this story will read better in the eventual trade-paperback collection. It takes this issue's reactions to the unexpected revelation at the previous issue's end for seemingly random asides from earlier issues to begin congealing into a cohesive narrative.

It's a low-key issue, but not uninteresting.

There may be a bit too much going on in this story arcspeaking for myself, between the Tax Collector and the monks, I'd almost forgotten the whole Jayne has a son subplotand I may be grading on a curve because the series has been on shaky ground lately, but this totally unremarkable but competently crafted issue of All-New Firefly somehow feels like a win.

A simple plot paired with repeated ideas makes it feel like this All-New series may be running out of steam quickly.

While All-New Firefly has had its ups and down thus far, and the arc has gone on perhaps too long, the idea of introducing Jayne Cobb's son, Owen, into the mix is starting to pay off nicely.

It's unadventurous by comics standards but should be familiar and fun for Orville fans.

Ultimately, the issue ends up feeling more like bookkeeping than storytelling.

The issue is written by David A Goodman, a writer and executive producer on The Orville, so it should come as no surprise that the issue's dialogue and plot are pitch-perfect.

The Orville fans will feel at home and like they're reading an unproduced episode of the TV show, while more comics-literate fans will be let down by that same feeling.

The story still unfolds as if written network television, failing to leverage the comics medium in any way. Still, anyone primarily coming at this issue for a dose of the Orville to tide them over during the long gap between seasons will find in Artifacts a satisfying adventure.

At best, this is a story for Orville completists desperate for something new during the long wait between seasons, but even they will likely find this story unexciting.

Fine, but not memorable.

The series' art remains unremarkable, but it shouldn't be a barrier to entry for anyone looking for an offseason Orville fix.

The issue is certainly an attention grabber, with plenty to love on the surface, but comes up short on substance.

With all of the attention-seeking stunts of the first issue out of the way, the second issue of Uncanny X-Men -- drawn by RB Silva, an unsung hero fo the X-Men line -- moves at a much steadier pace, giving its large ensemble cast proper room to breath and readers something to latch onto.

Uncanny X-Men's "Disassembled" arc is beginning to read a bit like an "and then"" improv exercise that got out of hand.

The fourth issue of Uncanny X-Men takes the "Disassembled" arc from "not living up to expectations" territory to being actively frustrating.

The story still feels a bit too much like a pastiche of '90s X-Men events like "X-Cutioner's Song," but it's a big step up from last weeks nadir.

Uncanny X-Men continues to feel like an overplayed greatest hits album.

The quiet is welcome in a series that has been so much cacophony so far, and hopefully, the sense of focus will carry through the final act of "Disassembled."

It's another case of "Disassembled" remixing old X-Men ideas rather than offering much new, but it is solidly crafted at least.

This story has been unfocused and detached and failing to invest readers early means the payoffs aren't paying off the way they should.

Despite the many talented creators involved, "Disassembled" was not the rousing return of the flagship X-Men series that it was made out to be.

Mutants being on the verge of extinction for different reasons has been Marvel's status quo for the X-Men for years. Uncanny X-Men #11 sells that idea better than any attempt before.

Uncanny X-Men is again a strong story hampered by murky artwork.

There's a bit more handwringing about Cyclops' time as a revolutionary than seems necessary, and there's also a couple of moments where another panel beat would have helped. Otherwise, Rosenberg has a solid take on the X-Men for the era they're in, and the execution issues that have hounded the series seem to be improving.

Larroca provides stellar artwork and Matthew Rosenberg writes the team with a sense of camaraderie the infuses each scene with joy. The issue ends with the team toasting to small victories, and that's an apt reaction to this issue.

Rosenberg is making the X-Men feel like they matter again in a way that's bigger than the Marvel universe.

This issue has more great character moments, though does suffer from some clumsy pacing in the back half of the issue, which has way too much going on for its own good, even if they are all good, entertaining things in their own right.

The melodrama that creeps in is understandable but feels cheap compared to what is at the core of the story. Still, this a standout issue of what has already been a stellar run.

It's fine, but a little too illusory for its own good.

The artwork in this issue is surprisingly consistent for having three credited pencillers and sets up an exciting conflict to come.

This is a weak issue from a creative team that's proved they're capable of much better.

It feels like this run, which started strong, is running out of gas before the end.

Matthew Rosenberg's run on X-Men started off feeling fresh, focused, and energetic. As it's continued on it's grown a bit unwieldy, and that feeling is present in this final issue as well.

The Progenitor refuses to let Jean off the hook for the death of the D'Bari people, but Jean doesn't seem to learn or change based on his judgment. Instead, she deflects, focusing on the Celestial's hypocrisy rather than her anything interior. It's a shame because tackling questions about whether fictional characters need to be held accountable for crimes committed decades ago under another writer's pen seems like the kind of thing writer Kieron Gillen would knock out of the park. Instead, he sidesteps, and all that remains is a sparse, basic infiltration story drawn in something approaching the early 2000 shadowy realism popularized by Bryan Hitch and others, minus the obsession with cinematic framing and lacking depth.

The story isn't particularly memorable, but there's a certain boldness to be appreciated in how it escalates despite how contrived the payoff ultimately is.