Much like Man of Steel #1 last week, Justice League #1 sure is a DC book. If youre excited by one of those, I guess youll like this, though I would encourage you to broaden your horizons a little.

My concerns, such as they are, arent quite enough for me to recommend skipping Isola. With a couple more issues like this one, the book could turn into something you wont want to miss. Still, I would recommend holding out for the first trade to dive in, in case it falters a little going forward. And even if it doesnt, I imagine the first five or six issues will end up reading better in one sitting than over half a year.

In other words, a DC comic. Take that as you will.

Despite its shortcomings, none of which are systemic issues, Mother Panic: Gotham A.D. has proven to be an excellent continuation, at least so far. The renumbering is superfluous, to be sure, but Houser is making good on some really interesting ideas, backed up by a fantastic art team. It may not be for everyone, but it is exactly my shit, which Ill take wherever I can get it.

Batman was on track to be the best its been since Morrison left the book, or the early days of Snyders run. Instead, its back to being a generic superhero book doing your average superhero things, and not even bothering to have fun along the way. Im on the verge of dipping out once more.

Gotham A.D. #1 is mostly a solid start to the relaunched Mother Panic. Between the world building and character writing, I found it fairly easily to push clunky monologue to the back of my mind. Im looking forward to spending more time with the cast in this new setting.

We may only be a few weeks in to 2018, but Abbott is one of the years most exciting books. If you need something different than whats available at other publishers, Ahmed, Kivela, and Wordie seem more than willing to supply it. I, for one, cannot wait for the next entry in the series.

Ive been a proponent of Kid Lobotomy from the start, and issue #4 keeps the level of quality high. Its a little slower and less out there than previous issues but justifies both. Milligan, Fowler, and Loughridge are doing excellent work, and Kid Lobotomy remains one of the best, most interesting books on the stands.

Theres an easy in here as far as modern critiques go, especially considering Snagglepuss sexual orientation (which this issue makes abundantly clear in some of its best moments). But that depth simply isnt here, at least as far as the first issue is concerned. Well see where I stand a few issues in, but for now, Im nowhere near as excited about the prospects of this series as I was not two hours before sitting down to write about it.

Ultimately, I was just bored with Doomsday Clock, and that is not a good sign for DCs second big event. These are supposed to be exciting, but theres nothing compelling about diving back into the Watchmen universe for no reason aside from DC happening to own the property and wanting to eek as many dollars out of it as they can.

Snotgirl is definitely an oddity. It thrives in breaking from the norm, using that very divergence as a plot device. Every issue is a treat, a jaunt through a world that feels all too brief, and leaves me desperate for the next installment. Hopefully this book is back to a more regular release schedule, making that desperation short-lived.

At the very least, there cant be any more setup in this event, right? Ill give it one more issue. But after that, Ill at the very least stop bothering to write about it.

After all that, I would forgive you for thinking I really enjoyed The Hard Place, and am excited for the next issue. Thats only partially true. I enjoyed the time I spent with the book, but its not something Im excited about. Were this quality of art and writing applied to a more original, interesting concept? I would be stoked. Ultimately, The Hard Place is another one of a particular type of story. But its a good one of those, and for some, thats likely enough.

Ill be reading more of Metal in the hopes that it'll get better, but this is a rough start to what should have been an easy home run for DC.

Underwinter is nothing short of a masterpiece. Its a defining work not only of the genre, but also of comics as a medium. The work Fawkes does here is the type of work that I want to see replicated and incorporated into future stories. While it may be too late to jump into the singles if you havent already, be sure to invest in this book when its collected.

Ultimately, Im not sold on Fontana and Andolfos run on Wonder Woman quite yet. Theres a lot to like in this issue, but it feels bloated with too many distinct characters and stories, not all of which are handled with grace. The potential is palpable, and its possible that this issue just represents growing pains for a new creative team. Im curious enough to come back for future issues, but that isnt a ringing endorsement.

Crosswind #1 is not perfect by any means. But it is an excellent start to a story that Im already engaged with, and thats more than enough.

Ive loved God Country from the beginning, but I could never have predicted the impact that this finale had on me. It brought me close to tearsmultiple timesand wrapped up the story in a way that blows my expectations out of the water. God Country will go down as one of the best stories of its era.

Evaluating this book is difficult. For as much as I love “Sanctuary,” $3.99 is a steep price point for ten pages. The other two have interesting ideas but are poorly executed. Ultimately, Ill leave it up to you, but I dont think I can recommend a third of a book. If the other installments are good, then I could see this being worth getting in trade.

Ultimately, the first issue of Iceman is best summed as a solid superhero book. It's got above-average dialogue, good art, and hints at a relatively interesting direction going forward. I doubt any of that sounds like an incredible endorsement, because it isn't. I enjoyed the book, and there's just enough here to make me want to come back next time. But just barely.

I feel like a broken record at this point, because at the end of every Donnie Cates review I beg everyone reading to just go buy it. And, much like Redneck and God Country, Im going to beg you to go out and buy this one. Its a better-than-promising start to another book from one of the best talents in the industry right now. Youre failing not only yourself, but good comics by not at least giving Babyteeth a shot.

Regardless, The Wild Storm continues to be an excellent book. This issue leaves me only wanting to spend more time in this world, and having to wait another month to dive back in is a little bit of a bummer. The work this team is doing feels like its on another level, in the upper echelon of comics right now.

Black Hammer #8 does lay to rest most of my concerns coming out of issue #7. Its back to being great, which I guess shouldnt be a huge surprise considering the precedent it set with the first six issues. More people should be reading this book.

Redneck #1 is, for the most part, exactly what a first issue should be. Its a tone piece that sets up some intrigue, with a few character moments tossed in so we know who were going to be reading about. Its incredibly well done.

X-Men Blue #1 is not a good comic book. In fact, its bad, almost to the point of being unreadable. I feel bad for anyone whos already paid for this book, because jeez. You got ripped off. Sorry buddy.

After reading this issue, Im kind of game for more of this book. Im not convinced that I really love it, but its good enough to warrant checking out a few more times. Even if its not some great masterpiece, I really enjoyed the time I spent reading this issue.

Overall, I think Kim Reaper is a well-done comic thats written for a specific audience. I dont think that audience is me, but the two leads might be charismatic enough for me to give the book another chance. Well see where Im at a month from now. In the interim, if anything about this does sound like its maybe your thing, give it a shot.

The conclusion Ive reached here is that X-Men Prime shouldnt have been a one-shot. It either should have been a miniseries, or been integrated into one of the upcoming X-Men books. It tries to do far too much with far too little space. Its impossible not to draw comparisons to the Rebirth one-shots, and this feels just as poorly conceived as those were.

Its highs are quite high, but there just arent enough of them. In the end, this issue feels rough and inconsistent.

At its best, Underwinter #1 is masterful. At its worst, its still pretty great. This is one to watch. It may very well be Fawkes masterpiece.

I think I really love God Country.

But the backup is a small portion of this issue, and everything else about it is far from great. Its written into oblivion, and for all the words I digested, I dont think I took anything out of it. It wasnt even particularly fun – I came away feeling like my time had been utterly wasted.

All told, the second issue of The Wild Storm is just about as strong as the first. The pace definitely feels scaled back, but not by much. At this point, I feel like Im fully invested in the world that Ellis has crafted here. Two issues deep, and without exposure to previous stories with these characters, thats impressive.

At the end of the day, I think I actually like this issue much less than I thought I did on my initial pass. Additional readings and discourse about the issue has actually hurt it for me, and thats never a good sign. This isnt a book Im particularly interested in going out and paying for – and I wouldnt recommend you do either. But Im definitely curious.

At the end of the day, I dont necessarily think Deathstroke #12 is bad, but it bored the shit out of me. In a lot of ways, thats worse than it being comically terrible.

So when it comes down to it, my excitement wasnt really warranted. Detective Comics #950 is pretty disappointing. Sure, its an oversized special, so perhaps it isnt indicative of the quality of the book. Maybe Ill give it another issue, but this has left an awful taste in my mouth.

God Country is the complete package folks. The creative team does a truly excellent job on this issue. Putting into words how excited I am about this book going forward is legitimately difficult. I feel the same way I did when books like Deadly Class, Lazarus, and Saga kicked off. Similarly to the end of the first issue, I cannot wait for the next issue of this book to drop.

I dont quite know that Im entirely sold on Supergirl. Issue #6 definitely had its problems–a weak villain and lack of tension being its bane–but hey, that could just be a consequence of me lacking context. I enjoyed this issue enough that I would like to continue with Supergirl going forward. Who knows, maybe Ill even pick up the trade.

At the end of the day, I plan on giving the book another shot. Probably two more shots, even. Stohl clearly has some incredible storytelling chops–they just arent on display for the entirety of this issue. Get away from the boring, conventional superheroics, and the creative team potentially has an all-timer on their hands.

Look, I dont think that the debut issue of Curse Words is bad. The art is fantastic, and the story is competent enough. If the jokes land for you, youll probably like it a whole lot more than I did. But I just didnt fall in love with it in the ways I was hoping to.

Tour de force is a phrase that is often over used when when writing about media. But goddamn, The Few #1 really deserves it. Its dedication to visual storytelling alone makes it incredible–its exactly what a comic should be. And it deserves tons of praise for that. Im definitely along for the ride with this one.

Overall, I think All Star Batman #6 is an improvement from the first arc (although I think that will read much better in trade). Some of the conventions fall a bit flat, I think, but at least Snyder and co try to push the envelope a bit.

I cannot recommend God Country #1 enough. I know this review is coming out a bit late, but seriously: go back to your comic book store and get this book. Cates, Shaw, Wordie, and Hill have crafted something special here. It would be a shame for your dollars to be wasted elsewhere.

Overall, I quite enjoyed this issue. Its a stark contrast to last weeks Rebirth offering, so maybe I went into it with a major blow to my expectations. Its flawed, yes, but there are some solid ideas here, and Orlando presents a character I may be interested in reading more of.

For the time being, Im going to be sticking with Motor Crush. In part because I feel guilty for not liking it, but in part because if it ever gets good I want to be there for it. Plus, where else am I getting Babs Tarr art? That being said, I really dont think I can safely recommend the book, at least at this point in time.

But they dont, and here we are with yet another painful to read Rebirth issue that will more than likely lead into another generic and awful superhero story. Fucking yay. Cant wait to never read another issue of this book.

I wouldnt say Im excited for the next issue of TFARoCA (theres that acronym again!), but Ill definitely be reading. Hell, even if I dont get a review copy, I may just go buy it out of curiosity. I may regret that decision, but I really want to see if the creative team follows through on a couple plot threads that could make me into a Captain Atom fan.

Seven to Eternity is a bit of a weird one. And not in the sense that subject matter is particularly odd–its just difficult for me to decide where I stand on it. For the time being, Im putting myself in the camp of enjoying it. At worst, I think this book is pretty good. But its a bit of a bummer, because four issues in, its consistently felt like its on the verge of of being great. It just hasnt quite gotten there for me.

So, yeah thats Rockstars #1. Its slightly better than Romulus, I guess. Theres my conclusion about this book.

Overall, Im not entirely sure I can recommend All Star Batman. It isnt quite living up to the promise of the first couple issues, and yet, there are parts of it Im really enjoying. Its just that those parts arent being pushed far enough. Theres a really original, quirky Batman story in here somewhere. Its just not quite showed its face yet.

In fact, this review just bums me out. Star Wars should always be great, and always be something Im looking forward to. Instead, I finished this issue out of a weird sense of duty. I have to consume ALL THE STAR WARS or Im just doing life wrong. Which, you know, is true, I just wish that I liked all of it.

Look, Wonder Woman #9 is yet another fantastic entry into the series. If youre reading any Rebirth book, it should be this one. Hands down. Its not particularly close.

If youre not reading Black Hammer, youre making a mistake. Unless, of course, you intend to get the trade(s) or hardcover(s) when those come out, in which case, youre fine. This seems like such an important book – one that well back on decades from now as a seminal superhero story. Get in on the ground floor of this one.

Look, I know that a lot of people won't be readingKill or be Killed monthly because of how much better Brubaker's work tends to read once it's collected. And that's fine, I get that. So if you're not readingKill or be Killed, and this review has piqued your interest, maybe you should wait for the trade. But regardless of how you end up reading it, I think it's important that you do.

Really, there's not all that much to say about Nova #11. It's pretty much just a fun, dialogue driven issue that gives decent insights into the characters. It's not breaking any new ground for superhero comics, but it's definitely an above average one of them. It's a nice little reminder that there are books that exist just to have fun with.

Even my complaints about this issue feel kind of minute, in all honesty. This issue is, after all, a mere glimpse into a different time period, with a different pantheon. It's not designed to be a treatise on the characters of that era, but to give a taste of it. In doing that,The Wicked and the Divine: 1831 AD is a success. Do I wish there was more time to be spent with these characters? Yes. Do I wish there had been more time to flesh out the plot? Sure. But there's so much else to love here that getting caught up on smaller intricacies seems like a bit of a waste.

If you're not already readingWeird Detective, you certainly should be. This isn't the type of book that should be allowed to fly under the radar. That's just doing it a major disservice. I'm not sure what anyone could want out of a comic that this book doesn't have.

Unfortunately, I'm not going to be continuing with the Monster Men crossover. I really wanted to like this story, if only because of how disappointed the main Batman title has been. Had this been a fun little romp, I would have been entirely into it. But instead, it puts a focus on some truly abysmal dialogue. It really reads nothing like Orlando's other work, which is odd to me considering how consistent he's been. That being said, this book did turn me on to Rossmo's art, so I'll be looking out for that name attached to future projects.

I guess that sums up this issue pretty well. I don't think it does anything that's all that bad. Sure, there may be a few text boxes too many on some pages, but reallyRaven #1 is rather inoffensive. There's just no reason to be excited about future issues. For me, that's actually kind of worse than the issue being offensively bad, because it means I'll be giving it at least another issue, probably two. And at that point I might as well finish the mini, which could end being a mistake. Granted, the book has the potential to actually be a pretty great mini series. And I hope it meets that potential, but the debut issue isn't convincing. That's pretty damning.

Honestly,Horizon isn't the next seminal comic book story. I don't even think that's what the creators are going for. WhatHorizon is is a fun sci-fi action book with a degree of depth so as not to be completely dumbed down. And that's more than enough, because it's worked for the book thus far. It's really good at being what it is. This is my favorite issue thus far, and as with the preceding issues, I'm looking forward to checking out more of this book next month.

Look, I know that this is a really strong week for comics, and there's a lot to check out. I mean, that's pretty true of every week these days, thanks to the variety offered by most publishers. But I implore you: giveSeven to Eternitya shot. Sure, it's not perfect, but I find it hard not to recommend this issue on the basis of its visuals alone. I really liked this as a debut issue, and have no doubts that this is a series that will go anywhere but up in terms of quality. After reading this issue multiple times, I'm just left really excited for more.

Ultimately, the issue just feels like another generic Batman comic. It loses nearly all of the identity that it'sbeen developingsince it came back earlier this summer. Even the character moments feel forced and insincere, as the book's uniqueness is eroded in favor of… brand synergy, I guess. It's a bummer, and this issue just left me feeling kind of empty.

I think I may have come across as being a bit more down on this book than I actually am. In part, that's because I'm trying to skirt around spoilers – there are things I want to praise but want to avoid specifically calling out. I think that the downsides actually stick out more than they would in other books, simply because of the creative team attached to it. This story does feel like it's going to read better in trade, but the quality of the writing and art is high enough that I'm willing to live with the slow burn.

That being said, I'm probably giving Superwoman another issue, regardless of whether or not I review it. Considering it's just the second issue, it feels a bit unfair to write it off for not fully living up to its potential quite yet. I'm certainly not forgiving its flaws for that reason, but considering Jimenez's past work I wouldn't be surprised if this book turns itself around a little bit.

I feel like I've been too forgiving when it comes to some of these Rebirth books, just because I have an affinity for the characters. But Green Arrow #6 is a bad comic. It has the potential to be good, but it's written into oblivion and lacks any impact whatsoever. I've spent way too long writing about it at this point. More time than it deserves, to be sure.

There's very little to complain about when it comes to Superman #6. It may spend a little too much time on the action sequences, there's a bit of deus ex machina tossed in, etc, but none of these are dealbreaking. In fact, they all pretty much get swept under the rug by the stellar character work that has defined this run thus far.

So yeah, despite not really liking any of the characters, I'm really enjoying my time withSnotgirl. The character study and social commentary elements are what defines the book, but it's whimsical nature is what keeps me interested. I'm really looking forward to more of this book, even more so than I was at the end of the first issue.

Never get too attached to fictional characters, kids.

Look,Detective Comics #939 isn't a perfect comic. But no comic is perfect, and this gets about as close as may be possible. The creative team executes the whole affair with utter perfection. Just when I thought this was a series that couldn't get any better, it proved to me that it most definitely could.

This should surprise no one, butWonder Woman is still incredible, and I say that despite this being my least favorite issue thus far. Which, for most books, would mean it would be on the chopping block. But for this one, it just means that other titles may have a realistic shot of being the best of the week.

What it comes down to with Demonic #1, at least for me, is that there are just too many books like this coming out that I'm enjoying. This one was unfortunate to come out in the same summer, and at the end of a string of excellent new noir/detective stories kicking off. If you're looking for more of that,Demonic is really quite good. The character work is great, and the plot is pretty cool. The art is a little rough, but for the most part that's pretty solid.

Look, I know that I'm in the minority when I say this. And I also know that this is very similar to how I closed out my last review ofGreen Lanterns. But whatever. I do like this book. It's just that I want to stop liking it and start loving it. Humphries has so much potential as a writer, and there are hints of greatness here. None of them, however, are able to translate to the book being great. I really hate saying this, but five issues in (well, six, technically) it isn't a great comic yet. And I'm starting to lose hope that it will ever become one. I still look forward to every issue though, so I guess that says something.

Look – Horizon isn't revolutionizing comics, by any means. But then, it doesn't really need to. The creative team is telling a cool story with characters that they've made me care about, and that's more than enough to convince me to stick around for a little while. Plus, the issue looks absolutely incredible.

Like I said in the intro, the speed with whichNightwinghas turned itself around is super impressive. The book went from aggressively mediocre to pretty rad in the space of two issues, and that makes me incredibly happy, since Dick Grayson is one of my favorite DC characters. It's nice to see that he's back on top, and I can't wait for the next issue of this book.

Superman #5 is probably the best DC book this week, and by a fairly wide margin. After the stumble of the last issue, nearly all of its former glory has been restored. So much so, in fact, that this may be my second favorite issue of the book thus far. It's really good, and I'm back to being excited for the next issue of this book to come out. I'm really happy the turnaround on that was this quick.

Overall, I think Backstagers just may not be for me. It's certainly the most out there of the BOOM! Box line, and I think that's to its detriment. It takes everything a step too far for my liking. So despite being something I'm in love with conceptually, it was difficult to find much enjoyment here.

The Black Monday Murders is a series I'm really looking forward to more of. Hickman, Coker, and Garland all knock it out of the park (excuse the cliche) in this issue. They get just about everything right, and I don't really have any fully formed complaints. And that's after reading it through three times. I may give it another go before I talk about it on Comics Dash this week, so maybe then I'll have something to whine about. But really, I predict that it's just going to be myself and my co-hosts gushing about it. Seriously, this book is one to get on board with now.

But yeah, I really need to wrap up this review. The long and short of the first issue of All Star Batman is this: it's excellent. Considering pretty much everyone enjoyed Snyder's past Batman work, I can't imagine the audience for this series will feel any differently. Because, as it turns out, Snyder still writes great characters and attracts some of the best artists in the business.

I totally expect to be in the minority when I say this, but, as with Green Lanterns, I'm enjoying HJGLC. Venditti captures the cast really well. Yeah, the writing has its flaws, and I'm not going to sit here and try to excuse them, or say you shouldn't take them into account when deciding whether or not to purchase this issue. But I think the most important thing I can give you is my honest reaction to the book; which is to say that I do quite like it.

Overall, I think RHatO#1 was Ok, which is more than I thought I would be able to say about it. That said, based on the way it ended, what I know is coming in the future, and how much I enjoyed the Rebirth issue; I really wish this was a Jason Todd solo book. And maybe a Jason Todd solo book that wasn't just doing the plot from Grayson, but with Jason instead of Dick, as if it wasn't bad enough that they're doing the Grayson plot again in Nightwing anyways. Just my two cents.

Honestly, I'm excited to read more of this book. A lot of its issues I can see going away with the next installment, since the amount of exposition in this issue will no longer be necessary. There's a lot of directions this book could take, but even if it just tells a neat story in the Dishonored universe, I'm going to love it.

Like I said at the start of the review, I do quite enjoy my time with Green Lanterns every time it comes out. The characters are fun, and, for the most part, it doesn't take itself super seriously. It's so close to being a great comic, but lapses in both the writing and art have held it back since the very beginning of Rebirth.

Essentially, Tokyo Ghost #9 is a culmination of everything that has made this book so incredible thus far. It's all here, from the quiet character moments to the overstated action sequences to the hyperbolic social commentary. That being said, I am really left with the sense that this series is ending long before it should have. And yeah, part of that definitely comes from the fact that I've absolutely adored this book. But I do believe that taking some more time to delve into a few elements of the series would have vastly improved it overall.

Batman #4 is the perfect example of the type of book that comes to mind when I think of comics that are just Ok. It's a decent enough Batman fix, but outside of that, it doesn't really do much that's super interesting. It's a very paint by numbers story with a scattershot cast and solid art. I certainly don't hate it, but it's not something I'm ever going to be enthusiastically recommending.

KoBK is a book that I'm really excited to see the future of. The first issue ends just as it was starting to get truly great, but the set up is more than interesting enough to have hooked me. I don't know that I like any of the characters, but I am invested in their story. Plus, I'll read anything just for Sean Phillips' work.

You know what? “Serviceable but unspectacular” describes this issue perfectly. There are some good moments, but overall it's not all that great. If you want Nightwing, you're going to get it here, sort of. If you're willing to deal with the book's issues, you'll probably have a good time. If excessive exposition and a lame villain isn't your speed, well… then this isn't for you, I guess. Look, even the way I'm writing this review reflects how unenthusiastic I am about the whole affair.

So yeah, I had a lot to say about Wonder Woman #3. The thing is, it's the type of comic that I love writing about because of how rich it is. It's something I want to pick apart, analyze, and talk about. And that's great – it's what more comics should aspire to do. The entire creative team is doing some truly great work on this book, and I cannot wait to see how the story comes together over the course of the next few months.

So yeah,Lazarus is still f**king fantastic. Any other stupid questions?

Regardless, I thinkSombrais a series to watch. This issue was quite good as an opening salvo, and I'm excited to see where it goes from here, especially when it comes to character relations. Sure, Jordan may be hitting theHeart of Darkness parallels a bit too hard by naming a major player Marlowe, but hey, it's a good story, and one that needs to be retold in different settings from time to time.

While it may not have blown me away like the first issue did,Weird Detective #2 is still a really, really good comic. More layers are added to the plot, the characters get some neat moments, and it has a solid aesthetic. All that said, I got the sense that something was missing – and honestly, I think it was the general lack of levity. I don't needWeird Detective to be some super quirky book, but the humor of the last issue was what really made it stand out. Still, I find it hard not to wholeheartedly recommend this series.

Black Hammeris a book that's shrouded in mystery. It's unclear where these characters came from, why they're where they are, and where the book is going from here. But every mystery presented in this issue is one that I find intriguing – especially since they concern a cast of characters I already love. Based on this issue alone, I'm ready to say I'm along for the ride.

It's kind of ironic, really, that in a book titledGreen Arrow, Green Arrow is the least interesting part. But this book has enough going for it that it's still one of the standouts of Rebirth. It's not the best issue of the series so far, but it probably could have been; had Percy written a little bit less and allowed Ferreyra to just take over for a few sequences. Even with that critique, the art is so fantastic that it really carried this issue for me.

Look, if you're still on the fence about this book; Simon Baz spends most of it carrying a teddy bear and it's great. And that's really emblematic of this issue – it takes the traditional self-seriousness of superhero comics and juxtaposes it with these two character. It's a flawed book, but I'm having a ton of fun with it nonetheless.

Anyways, I know this review has been pretty brief, but until the actual series starts, it's difficult to evaluate this book. Constantine reads like Constantine, and the art is solid, but it has the same issues as so many other Rebirth one shots so I can't really call this a great comic. It's certainly good enough to make me want to come back for the actual debut issue of the series.

To be completely honest, I'm really excited that Detective Comics is double shipping. It's up there, for me, with books like Lazarus, Deadly Class, Saga, and Wonder Woman. Whenever an issue come out, I just get insanely giddy with excitement. I've said this in every review I've written about this book so far, and I'll say it again: it's so much fun to be spending time with these characters again.

The biggest bummer about this Rebirth issue is that theres a constant feeling of Well, this is good but it could be incredible. Theres just a bit too much happening a bit too quickly in this issue. So even when there are good moments, we dont get to stick with them for long enough. Still, theres enough about this book that I liked to bring me back for the main series.

Overall, I don't think Green Arrow#2 is quite as strong as the issues that preceded it. That being said, reaching the heights of those two issues was a high bar, so the act that this issue even gets close is enough for me. It's still not too late to jump onboard, and honestly, I really think you should. Between Otto Shcmidt's incredible visual style and Ben Percy's character work, this could very well become one of the greatest runs on Green Arrow we've ever seen.

Overall,Green Lanterns #2 is a bit of an oddity. The best way to visualize it is to imagine Wario jumping into a swimming pool – stay with me here, please. You get the run up (the Rebirth issue), the leap into the air (the #1 issue), and then Wario hits the water and flounders about, realizing that he can't support his own weight. In this case, Wario's weight is the over-written pieces of dialogue and much of the inner monologue, in case that wasn't clear. Even the art is uneven, but at the end of the day, there's just enough here that I feel comfortable calling this issue a good comic.

Look, I get that this review may have seemed kind of contradictory at points. The bottom line is this:Detective Comics#935 is a good comic. No, it's a really good comic. It has some really cool character moments, fully introduces a cool sub-plot, and has really good art. It's just that it doesn't quite reach the heights the first issue did.

Overall,Black Widow #4 is a truly great comic. Sure, I have issues with the pacing of this story arc, but putting that aside, the issue is absolutely incredible. Waid's dialogue is excellent, and the vibrant visuals of Samnee and Wilson are stunning. This is one of the best superhero comics out there right now, and one that you should definitely be picking up.

Lazarus #22 has me excited for things to come in future issues. Then again, that's how I feel when I finish pretty much every issue of the book- when will I be able to read more? Fortunately, there won't be as long a wait for the next issue. Really, there's not much else to say at this point.Lazarus is still one of, if not the, best comics being published right now. It's a perfect example of an excellent creative team firing on all cylinders, and crafting a book that will likely be remembered as their masterpiece.

Anyways, I did like this issue a fair bit. It's not groundbreaking or anything, but it's well written and well illustrated, enough so that I'll probably be back for the next issue. So if you're looking for a decent science fiction comic, then this may very well be something worth picking up. Or maybe you just buy the collected edition, it's really up to you.

Look, it is unfortunate thatGreen Arrow#1 has some issues that weren't present in the Rebirth one shot. However, the issue still manages to be really, really fun. The plot is unfolding in an interesting manner, despite some pacing issues. And, in spite of a few awkward bits of dialogue, the writing is really good. When it comes to Schmidt's art, I really can't think of a caveat. It just looks great. All in all, this definitely feels like a Rebirth title you should be reading.

It really does sadden me that I'm saying all of this about a Scooby-Doo comic. When this line was first announced, I was excited about all of the series. And granted, we haven't seen whatFlinstoneshas in store yet, but nothing about this line has impressed me yet. The first issue of this series was just enough to get me to come back,Future Quest was kind of whatever, andWacky Racelandwas offensively bad. This issue isn't that, it's just kind of boring, and in some ways, that may very well be worse.

Of course, there's still a ton of time for that in future issues, and overall,Detective Comics #934 was an impressive issue. It's definitely a book I'll be sticking with, if only to see more of characters that were either forgotten or misused in The New 52. It helps that Tynion seems to have a handle on the characters, despite not giving everyone a ton of time in this issue.

I do like the art, overall, but it's probably the weaker element of this issue. More than anything, I think that's a testament to how excellent Johns and Humphries' writing is here. Sure, some of the narration is a bit corny, but other than that, I don't really have any issues with the book, and I'm really looking forward to the true debut issue of this series.

Batman Rebirth #1 isn't groundbreaking. It's not a revamp of a character. There are a few hints that change is in Bruce's future, but for the time being, King seems to be content with just telling good Batman stories. And that's exactly what this issue is – a good Batman story. Of course, there's been no shortage of that for some time now, and if the trend of great creative teams crafting great runs with this character continues with Rebirth, then I certainly won't complain. Based on this issue, that definitely seems to be the direction in which we are heading.

In case you didn't read the first couple lines of text, take this with you: DO. NOT. BUY. THIS. BOOK. It's nowhere even near good. It's a mess. The pacing is horrendous, none of the characters make sense, and it's bogged down in excessive exposition. On top of that, none of what happens is even all that interesting. It's not a particularly original story – and that's not inherently bad. But when none of the writing does anything to make the issue worth it, it becomes a real problem.

Look, I legitimately think that this is the best issue of Deadly Class yet. This review is certainly on the shorter side, but I feel liked I've summed up my feelings on the issue quite well. It may also have something to do with the fact that I'm emotionally distraught right now, but hey, what can you do? As always, I'm super excited to see where the series goes next month. After the events of this issue, the landscape of the series has to change, and it's exciting.

Green Arrow Rebirth#1 is a great issue, both for new readers and those returning to DC. It sets up the start of Percy's run quite well, and introduces (or re-introduces, depending on how much Green Arrow you've read) legitimately interesting characters. Oh, and it's also nice to know that Emiko is still around! I kind of assume that she'd been written out after I dropped the book, and she wouldn't be around for Rebirth, but just knowing she still exists is awesome.

Overall, I really likedRevisionist #1. I know that DC is launching Rebirth this week, but if you can find room in your pull list for something completely new, I recommend it be this book. It definitely has a lot of potential to go to some really cool places, but it isn't over-reliant on that potential. It realizes much of its potential right off the bat, and that's a rare occurrence.

The thing is, I liked a lot of what this book had to offer. Spencer really does a good job with the it, for the most part. The ending just left a terrible taste in my mouth, and it's something that I just can't seem to get over. It just doesn't sit well with me at all. Who knows, maybe it will all be addressed and explained away as some dumb swerve, and it will probably all be undone in a few months regardless. Still, in this moment, I really wish it wasn't a part of this issue.

Future Quest definitely has a lot going for it. Its problems aren't necessarily irreversible, and many of them are characteristic of debut issues. That obviously doesn't forgive them, but it's something to keep in mind while reading this issue, or deciding whether or not to pick it up. There's a sense of fun thatFuture Quest encapsulates really well. Despite it's flaws, it's just so excellent tonally that I hope it picks up in later issues.

It's a book I'm sure I'll be coming back to a couple of times, since one time through definitely wasn't enough to quite grasp everything going on. It definitely feels like there should be more, and if we get another volume, I think this one will retrospectively become a lot better. Even if we don't, I think this stands pretty well on its own as a different interpretation of Wonder Woman's character.

Overall,Poe Dameron #1 is a book worth checking out if you need more Star Wars in your life, which, you know, most people do. It isn't the best of Marvel's Star Wars line, but it's not the worst either, and this is just the first issue. It's definitely good enough to at least try out, if only because of how excellent the art is.

So The Shadow Glass #1 is a book I really loved about 50% of, and was not at all impressed with the other 50%. I'm not sure this has ever really happened before. I mean, there have been books where I like the writing, and don't like the art, or vice versa. But it's never been to this extreme, so that's kind of odd for me. Anyways, I don't think I can really recommend this book. I guess it could get better, but maybe just flick through the pages at some point to look at the art.

Anyways, aside from the last couple of pages (and hell, even those are more good than than bad),Deadly Class #19 is just another excellent installment in the series. If you're not already reading this book, you should be. Nineteen issues may seem daunting, but they'll fly by in no time. For people who have been reading from the start, I'm probably just preaching to the choir and telling you things you already know.

Really, there isnt much I didnt absolutely love about this issue. In addition to picking up the pace, the exceptional art, and the great character work, Rucka also meaningfully advanced the plot. This has happened in every issue so far, yes, but here it felt like a stride, rather than a couple small steps. Its probably a sign that were about to reach a turning point in the book, and that certainly excites me to no end.

This issue is probably the weakest so far, but its still pretty great. Everything seems to be coming to a head, and, like I mentioned earlier, its culminating in the climaxes of character relations. My only real complaint is it doesnt feel like weve reached the point where those are warranted yet, but I do really enjoy everything else about the book. Well have to see where the final issue goes, but this will probably be something worth checking out down the line, considering that it may be a bit too late to read it in singles with just one left.

So at this point Ive talked about the writing and the art as if they were separate entities, but I think in the case of this book its important to stress how well they coalesce. The two inform one another, which is especially important when it comes to world and character building. The two elements of the book feed off of one another, and it definitely feels like the members of the creative team take cues from one another. The result is a comic that is not only enjoyable, but an excellent experience overall.

If you're not already readingThe Goddamned, you probably should be. Sure, there may not be much of a story yet, but it definitely feels like it's building towards something. We're also starting to get some actual characterization, in addition to the visceral action from the first two issues. Plus, it's only three issues in, so it's a decent time to get onboard.

The series may only be two issues in, but I feel confident saying that Old Man Logan is one of the better books coming out of the big two right now. The plot is kind of throwaway, but it isn't bad, and everything else about the book is excellent. Lemire and Sorrentino both continue to do stellar work, and the result is a book that I can't wait to read more of.

Deus Ex: The Children's Crusade #1 is a decent comic. Like I said, if you haven't played the games, you should skip it. Otherwise, it's the start of what could potentially be a very interesting story, with decent characters. There's a lot of room to work with going forward, so I could see a world where this issue is the worst of the bunch and the rest simply improve upon. For the time being, however, it suffers from a severe lack of substance.

I think that it's safe to say that I'll be back for the next issue. The writing and art are both excellent, and the set up for future issues makes me want to stick around. Plus, there's a pretty insane cliffhanger that I definitely want to see the resolution to. Sure, it feels a bit cheap, but who knows?

Look,Last Contract is definitely not perfect. There's not a ton of character depth here, but the characters are interesting enough that I want to follow their story. The real driving force behind the book, however, is the plot, and the suspense that is built around that plot. So there is a lot to like here, and if you're looking for a solid crime book, this may be something worth checking out.

If you couldn't tell,Strayer#1 comes highly recommended from me. It's the type of comic that really deserves toexplode and get super popular, because of how exceptionally well crafted it is. Yes, all of this praise does come with the caveat that there's only a single issue out so far, but if it's indicative of the quality of the rest of the series, we're in for quite the ride.

Black Canary #7 acts as the culmination of Fletcher's first story arc on the character. He relaunched the book over the summer, completely re-imagined the character, and has been building to this issue since the beginning. All of the set up leads to this, and honestly, it's kind of a let down. The issue feels rushed and overstuffed " almost as if it should have spanned multiple issues.

For the time being, I'm enjoyingHellcat. It's fun and quirky, sometimes to its detriment, but never quite enough to make it not worth reading. The character is far more interesting than I ever would have suspected, and the supporting cast adds a cool dynamic to the book. That being said, it's not exactly groundbreaking – it feels very, very familiar. While this isn't a problem, as it's not impacting my enjoyment of the book right now, I do fear that it could start to feel old.

Anyways, like all things, Captain Marvel #1 isn't perfect. It has its issues, but all in all I would recommend it. There's nothing here so glaring that it turned me off entirely. Sure, it probably could have been better, even as a debut issue, but I'll be coming back for at least another issue or so, since I do like the cast. There's still time to sell me on the plot, and the cliffhanger is at least somewhat intriguing.

There's not a ton to critique about the first issue ofLegend of Wonder Woman. It's not perfect, but it's a fresh take on the character, so fans will surely appreciate that. For those just coming to the character, this seems to be as good an introduction as any, speaking both in terms of quality and chronology.

The book, for the most part, isn't what I would call "bad." Normally, I would easily overlook a single issue with a comic if the rest of it was well done, which is true of this issue. The thing is, this issue's problem is its main character being flat and uninteresting. That may be what Soule is going for here, but regardless of intent, this book struggles to be readable.

There's definitely a lot to like about Spider-Woman #1. The thing is, it has its fair share of issues that detract from the overall quality, and that's rather unfortunate. But if you don't mind a somewhat sloppy plot, and are just interested in spending time with the characters, then this is definitely the type of book for you.

In conclusion,Vader Down#1 is a great issue, and a great way to start the first Marvel comics Star Wars event. It seems, to me at least, that the story can only get better from here, and this issue has done a lot to get me really excited for the next five issues in the story, and I would highly recommend this issue.

In conclusion, I would highly recommendKlaus#1. It's a great introduction to a series with a lot of potential. If you're looking to get into the Christmas spirit way too early, this may be one of the few acceptable ways to achieve that goal.

If you weren't a fan of Fletcher and Stewart writing Batgirl when the run first started, then you probably shouldn't bother with this issue. It wasn't quite enough to convince me that I should bereading the book on a monthly basis. For everyone else, I see no reason not to enjoy this issue. It's not amazing or anything, but it's fun without compromising solid writing. Plus, the art's excellent, so there's always that.

Other than that, there's not much aboutBlack Magick to critique. The characters and art are both great, and the little we get of the plot and world are enticing. Plus, the cliffhanger, despite not being overly dramatic, already has me chomping at the bit for issue #2 to come out. I highly recommend picking this issue up.

There really doesn't seem to be any reason to pick this book up. If you're looking for a team book, find something that actually has characters that interact with one another, because this series has neither. The interactions that are here are inexplicable and over written, as if the book has absolutely no time to bother with subtlety. Plus, even if it had everything I've mentioned, it would still be hard to care about characters that don't seem to have logical, if any, motivation, to be doing what they're doing in this issue. In short: avoid this issue.

The first issue of The Hangman is perfectly fine, good even. It isn't exceptional, and it may never be, but I'm definitely giving it the benefit of the doubt, and will be back for at least another issue or two. Had their been some more consistent character work (and a cliffhanger that didn't feel kind of out of place), I would be completely on board with this book. Fortunately, there's time for that character work to come in future issues. If this book sounds interesting to you, but you aren't convinced, I would actually lean towards picking up the trade at some point down the line, but hey, that's just me.

At the end of the day, I would say that the first issue ofSteam Man is worth checking out. It has issues, yes, but it also has a lot of promise. The world building alone is stellar, and the art is a joy just to look at. Sure, the set up and exposition are off putting, so perhaps revisiting this series when there are multiple issues out is the way to go, but this is definitely a book to keep your eye on.

After spending so much time raving about the writing, it's only appropriate that I take some time and rave about how excellent the art is. At this point, Sean Murphy is a household name in the comic reading community, so most, if not all, readers know how exceptional his work is. In addition to his aesthetic just being visually pleasing, it fits the tone ofTokyo Ghost quite well, which is perhaps more important. His visual story telling – from facial expressions and body language to the environment that the characters inhabit – does as much as Remender's script in terms of the development of plot, characters, themes, and the world.

Switchdoes have a lot of promise. The dialogue is written fairly well, and Mary's inner monologue isn't the worst. After a few issues with the characters, there may be good reason to be reading this book every month, especially if the plot picks up and becomes a bit less convoluted. Unfortunately, the first issue does a poor job of convincing readers that this is something they should be reading on a monthly basis. For now, Sejic's art is probably enough to convince me to stay on board for another issue or two.

In spite of those flaws,Doctor Strange #1 definitely seems like an excellent start to the new series. What with the movie being confirmed and all, this seems like a great way for readers unfamiliar with the character to gain at least some degree of familiarity. I obviously can't speak for existing fans, but I doubt that they won't find something to enjoy about this new series as well. It's also entirely possible that, given another two or three issues, my complaints could turn out to just be growing pains, and be eliminated entirely.

The last aspect of this issue I want to touch on is the visual story telling. There are, as with the last issue, quite a few panels that are completely silent, and they're some of the best of the issue. However, it's even better when the visual story telling is used to complement the written story telling. There are a few panels where facial expressions and body language are just as important as the dialogue, and they mesh perfectly with one another. The creative team really takes full advantage of the medium, and this entire series " but especially the last couple of issues " have been incredible lessons in how to make comics.

Even thoughWe Can Never Go Home #4 is flawed, it is still exceptional. There's still time to jump on board, especially since it seems that we're only starting to get into the meat of the story. It's a great character study, so if that's your thing, I can see you not enjoying this book. And, you know, if you just want to see people with super powers beat each other up, this book has that as well, though that seems more like gravy than anything else.

If the dialogue is over-written, then I don't know what to say about the monologues and narration. It reads somewhat like a novel, with full narration provided in addition to the art. Now, in some scenarios reading the narration is better than having to look at the art, but is just seems so redundant. The reader is strung along, with information being fed to them at every turn. It gets a little bit annoying, after a time. There's just too much writing, and this is especially a problem when the sequencing of panels isn't always clear. Pages are crowded and it can be difficult to follow the writing. It becomes a bit mind-numbing to read, and it takes more effort to figure out what to read next than it should.

Deadly Class is consistently one of the best books hitting the shelves. It should surprise no one who's reading it that this issue doesn't break the trend of excellence that Remender and Craig have established. For those who aren't reading the series, it's impossible for me to not recommend it, unless you react violently to watching characters you've come to like completely fall apart. Fifteen issues really isn't that many, so if you missed the train when this book began, well… it's not too late!

All in all, I would sayCarmen #1 is worth checking out. It's not gorundbreaking, and there's not much character work, but it struck me as having a solid story that may be worth following into future issues. I can't not recommend this book, considering that the promise of an excellent series is there. Better to be on board from the beginning, rather than running to catch up with the train 3-4 issues in when the book achieves its potential.

Lazarus#18 is exceptionally well written and looks great. At this point, neither of these should come as a huge surprise for those who have been reading the series from the beginning. The quality has remained consistent, and this issue is no exception. It's great, and I probably couldn't recommend it any more than I already have. Still, I'm going to continue to rave about it every month because, well, the quality of the book warrants someone raving about it.

As enjoyable as it is, this does feel like back up material, with a lot of the care and nuance going into Cyborg's story and characterization. The tag line on the cover – “Man Inside the Machine” – pretty much says it all about what this book is. Even though we're likely to get a physical antagonist in the next issue, there is definitely a psychological antagonist that has already been established. This inner turmoil for Cyborg is something we've seen before, but it's been brief. Here, his struggle to find relevance and companionship comes to the forefront. His desire to be noticed by people he cares about is a massive part of this book, and allows for Walker to add some interesting irony to the mix. While the character dynamics are merely set up in this issue, they all seem interesting enough to be carried through for a good, long run on the character.

The problem with bringing any substantial criticisms to bear againstPrez is that all, or at least most, of the book's issues can be attributed to the fact that the book is still getting off the ground and finding its footing. The second issue of the series is a little bit less about that than the first, but there's still a lot of set up going on in this issue. Some of it is incidental to the rest of the story, but a lot of it isn't. Again, this can be excused as growing pains for the creative team as they grow into this new book. Fortunately, the book does have more than just promise, in this issue it begins to deliver on that promise. For now, it being a fun romp with a decent amount of depth is enough to keep the book going for some time. IfPrezcontinues on this trend, it could easily become one of DC's best books, which, considering the overall quality of their soft reboot, has a lot of credence.

All of this comes together to create a stunning package. At this point, if you aren't readingLazarus, I don't know what to tell you aside from screaming at you to go out and buy all of it. And, if you are readingLazarus, issue #17 won't break the streak of amazing comics you've been reading.

That's because there's a lot to like here. It feels very much like a first issue, and it has everything you would expect. That's not a bad thing, though. The characters, plot, and world are already interesting, and this issue has me excited for the next one–which is exactly what a first issue should do. And this one does it quite well.

There's not much that isn't done excellently inDarth Vader #5. It's by no means a perfect comic, but it hits all the right beats, and provides a great penultimate issue for this story. It is, by nature, largely setup. As such, we don't get any of the real action here – that's being saved for next issue. In spite of this, the issue still moved along at a brisk pace, so the story didn't lose all the much steam as a result of this issue being set up. So if you like Star Wars, and/or you like comics, this is definitely something you should be checking out.

Even if you don't immediately enjoy the story or the characters, at least you'll get to look at the art. Declan Shalvey's pencil work is as expressive as ever, and Jordie Bellaire's color work gives the world and characters a good deal of vibrancy. Together, the duo really brings the world to life, and makes it a very believable place. So if nothing else, you've got that to look forward to. That may seem like a broad statement, but I've never met anyone who has been disappointed with the work that Shalvey and Bellaire do, and Injectionwill definitely not be the book that will change that mindset.

In addition to some issue with the main character, this issue also seems to meander quite a bit without actually going anywhere. As I said earlier, the exposition is well written, and far from boring. That being said, it often feels like the issue could havemoved at a far brisker pace than it actually did. Hey, at least the art is gorgeous. Michael Lark does a great job with every aspect of the book – from human made constructs to natural environments to the characters themselves.

That being said, the book is not meant to be scary, and this issue is essentially Frank and Sadie's whacky adventures through a Haunted House. The plot is fairly superficial – one of their friends moves to a haunted house, calls them up, and they come deal with it. It's a testament, then, to how well the characters are written that this book manages to remain engaging throughout. That's not to say that there's a character arc, per se – but the characters are still interesting, and I actually do care about them.

Despite all the praise Im throwing at it, Critical Hit #4 has one glaring flaw. Despite being a conclusion, and having all the trappings of one, it leaves a few threads hanging. I wont get too much into them, for fear of spoilers. Im honestly not sure if theres a sequel miniseries planned, but for the time being, there are arcs that simply dont end. Since some of these arcs, especially Daniels, have seemed so integral to the series, its a bummer that they arent wrapped up here. It does leave avenues to explore for future series concerning these characters, however.

As for the plot, well, it's fairly simple. Rather than focus on an intricate plot, Miner is more concerned with fleshing out (Get it?) the main cast, and he does it masterfully. The plot merely provides a backdrop, and the general conceit is that the band, Toe Tag Riot, is on tour across the United States in order to lift the curse put on them, and also eat members of the Westboro Baptist Church. If that insults you, well, jokes on you I guess, because this book's not for you. Though maybe reading it will do you some good. I can see it now: "Kids, don't be bigots, or else zombie punk rockers will come munch on your brains in broad daylight!"

As with the original series, as great as Tobin's writing is,Colder: The Bad Seed #1 is made by Juan Ferryera's art. He really brings the world ofColder to life. His intricately crafted art makes the blood and the gore feel believable, yet uniquely terrifying at the same time. Ferryera has a way of injecting emotion and life into the characters that he draws, and the worlds that he creates. His art is easily one of the best parts of this book. The written storytelling is great, but it's absolutely astounding how amazing the visual storytelling is in this issue.

While the characters are excellent, and the smaller plot is nice, it hasn't been all that fleshed out. This is the first issue of a new arc, and the plotdoes seem interesting. However, this issue's largest weakness is its plot, which seems to jump around quite a bit, and doesn't really stabilize until the end of the issue. It's fast paced and entertaining, and the issue is lent depth by the characters, but the plot is a bit all over the place. Could it get better? It most definitely could, and my hope is that it does.

Because of how great these moments are, it's almost a disappointment when the team comes together to battle the main threat. The spectacle is cool, despite it not quite packing the same punch as sequences in other team books, but it's not where this book excels. That isn't to say that these scenes aren't good, they just aren't quite as dynamic as other parts of the books are.Visually,the scene where the Titans take down their foe is the most impressive part of the book. Kenneth Rocafort's art is stunning throughout, but he's in his element with action sequences, which come alive and pop off the page.

Really, this is the first time an action sequence has felt like a chore to read. Even in the worst comics, action is at the very least entertaining. Here, the art (courtesy of Jason Gorder), which is actually pretty great, is masked by text. Unfortunately, it's also fairly shallow, though again, that may be more because of how hard it is to care about anything that happens in this book than actual issues with the writing.

In that way, Marcus is nothing short of an inspiration. And we see that in this issue. He actually has way more empathy than he's willing to show – and even when he wants to show it, he's embarrassed to attempt to show it. He says as much himself – “It's not something I can talk about.” On the surface, this may seem like it's because of the violence of what's in the journal. But dig deeper, and it truly reveals that he doesn't want to talk about his empathetic side, or the side of him that is spiraling uncontrollably into a depression he's not sure he'll be able to come back from.

The character dynamics are what really make this book great. There's awesome tension between Clara and Boo, as the two vie for power. It will be interesting to follow this dynamic into future issues, as the two are forced to work together more. Even now, it's cool to see Boo taking shots at Clara, and Clara simply ignoring them. She is the perfect example of a strong female character. She's really just a character, and she happens to be female, which is great. Faerber isn't reinventing the wheel here – he's just writing a great character. In addition to the existing cast, this issue establishes more members of the supporting cast. Two of them are great characters, the third is barely given anything to do. Unfortunately, there's not much more to be said without getting too deep into spoiler territory.

Sure, seeing Batman going through LexCorp's multiple levels of security is really cool, but that's just Batman being Batman. It's not necessarily a setting we've seen him in before, true, so that at leastgives the book one almost redeeming quality. It's odd to see him doing the things he normally does in other Bat books, however, because his characterization is just so off. Maybe this is how Ray Fawkes interprets Batman, and it is different, just not in a good way.

Meanwhile, outside of Boston, back in Coffin Hill, we're being given a pretty solid horror story. Though the entire book is undeniably a thriller, all of the really creepy, horror stuff is happening in Coffin Hill. The first few pages alone should establish that this is going to be a creepy issue, and every time we bounce back to Coffin Hill, we get some great horror scenes. These scenes are brought to life by Inaki Miranda's wonderful art, which adds a great deal to the book as a whole. Plus, the pacing of this plot seems to be mirroring the pace of the murder plot in Boston, and really kicks into gear with this issue, adding a good deal of suspense to the book.

In addition, Lazarus #11 takes full advantage of the political dealings that go on in this world at all times. Seeing the political struggles unfold is great, as it offers development both for characters and for the world. I know that a book having a political side may turn some people off, but Greg Rucka does it in such a way that it never feels to be engaging to the reader. Due to largely to the amount of world building that he's done, it's very easy to care about every little thing that occurs in the pages of Lazarus.

Inferior only to the world building of this issue, the characters are great as well. Faerber does a great job of establishing the characters in this issue, but also fleshing them out. Not only will Copperhead #1 introduce you to its cast, it will also take you out to a movie with them. Not literally, of course, as I doubt that there's even a movie theater in the run down town in which the cast lives. Anyways, the cast has a lot to offer the book. It's the characters that give this issue comic relief, but also give it an anchor for readers to cling on to.

Despite sticking solely to action for most of the issue, Dysart chooses to round out the mini series with an ending that is emotionally impactful. This mini series has centered far more around the members of Generation Zero than it has the remaining active members of The Renegades, who are largely just supporting casting characters. The ending narration, over the course of the last four to five pages, brings their arc full circle, truly establishing them as a tight knit family. The whole idea of being connected by some type of shard consciousness is great, and it's easy to see the contrast between them and the Renegades.

As per usual, Joe Eisma's art is awesome to look at. He brings the school, the characters, the chairs, the hallways, and even the dungeon to life in this book. Morning Glories has never failed to be aesthetically pleasing, and this issue is no exception. Eisma's art is just as visually dynamic as it was when the book started, and perhaps is even better at this point than it was back when Morning Glories #1 was released.

As important as Jordan's masterful writing may be, it's really Strahm's art that brings the world to life before the eyes of the reader. Along with colorist Felipe Sobreiro, Strahm takes Jordan's words and transforms them into the vibrancy that we see in Spread #3. It breathes life into a world that is defined by death, a hard thing to do. But then again, so do the characters. Maybe not so much No, but Molly, despite her naivete, makes the book come alive. Her enthusiasm and joy at the smallest of things represents an optimism that should have been killed off long ago, especially in this setting. The contrast between Molly and the world is great to watch unfold.

Really, this issue could have been the perfect send off for Lemire and Sorrentino. It checks up with all of the characters from their run (though Fyff is surprisingly absent), and ties up some loose plot threads. As I mentioned earlier, even the Outsiders return, along with Shado. That being said, the fact that this is pretty much a direct tie-in to the Future's End weekly series hurts the issue immensely, especially if you aren't reading it. The whole plot is concerned with Oliver going after Cadmus, who apparently is holding Earth 2's heroes captive. As someone who isn't reading the main book, it's hard to follow. It seems like an interesting plot, and those reading Future's End will likely have more appreciation for this issue than those who aren't.

The biggest issue with Letter 44#9 is that, until the end, it lacks the sens of suspense that past issues have had. There's a lot of talking, and a lot of technical jargon. It's all important, but this issue is largely just the humans reeling from a massive turn in events that happens close to midway through this issue. It pushes the plot forward, so the book isn't slowing down in that sense. But this issue was fairly dialogue heavy, making it seem a little bit dense at times.

What it comes down to is that Soule justgets Swamp Thing's character. He understands what makes the character work on every level. He can give fans the surface level stuff that they appreciate, but at the same time, he can dig deep into Swamp Thing's psyche, and extract the ideas behind the character. It's for this reason that this issue succeeds at the level that it does. Everything about it works like a fine tuned machine, from the plot, to the characters, to the narration. In fact, the narration is a great change from how Soule normally does narration. Rather than have Alec narrate the story, an omniscient observer narrates the events. The narration is impeccably well written, and a great example of solid story telling.

As a result, it's fairly exposition heavy, with probably about a third of the book taken up by exposition. The constant explanation of everything that's going on, and everything that has happened, is a little bit of an issue. But here's the thing: the exposition is legitimately entertaining. This universe is just so weird that learning more about it is pretty great, and Ryan Browne's writing is so off the wall that it's hard to be bored by the exposition. Still, it would have been nice to just be thrown into the world, and have this information given to us over the course of four or five issues, rather than the massive info dump that we get in this issue, which spans quite a few pages.

To be clear, none of that is a bad thing, and it's not like the actual human characters are weak characters in any way. In fact, all of them, Earl included, are great characters. Coach Boss, who we finally get to meet in the issue, is the perfect example of this. He's an exceptionally well written character, and just the little characterization he gets in this issue makes him extraordinarily dynamic. Sure, he may be based off of a well-known character archetype, but that doesn't make him any less interesting. It's a testament to Aaron's skill as a writer that at this point in the story, it's easy to care about the characters, despite their development (barring Earl) actually being fairly minimal.

Anyways, this book succeeds on more than a conceptual level. The execution has been excellent as well, with Higgins and Siegel creating a great cast of characters that populate an unbelievably fleshed out world. Each of the characters has their own defining characteristics that makes them believable, as if they were real people who just happen to have superpowers or fight crime. More so than superheroes that exist in the DC or even the Marvel universes, these characters feel like they could exist in a real world context. That's not a knock against the big two, as the goal of COWL is very different. It's not about the big, bold superheroics of those two universes. It's a more grounded story about characters with relatable issues.

That said, this issue does a ton right. The character development of Rai, over the course of these first four issues, has been great, and this issue really rounds it out. Seeing him deal with the revelation that he has a mother (who happens to be dead) is great. Until this point, he's had this belief that he's completely inorganic. Him finding out that part of him is human is huge for his character arc, as he begins to find his humanity. This is where his supporting cast of Lula and Spylocke come in. These two characters are one of the best parts of the book, each of the two characters representing the dichotomy of Rai's character. In addition to their roles as representing part of Rai's character, they're awesome on their own as well, which is good, because they take up so much page space here.

Do I still love her character? Yeah, she's pretty great. I just wish we could have seen more of her before she slipped into the state that she's in now, so that we could establish a more solid contrast between the two. Low, as Remender has pretty much said himself, is a commentary on depression, and that's great subject matter. The concept is great, and I wouldn't say that itfails in terms of execution. What I will say, however, is that the execution could be improved if this were read as a complete story, rather than as 20 or so page issues that come out on a monthly basis.

Fans of the series may also have noticed that Chris Samnee isn't on art duties for this issue. Of course, this is a bummer, but guest artist Alvaro Lopez does a great job nonetheless. He has a style that has a lot of similarities to that of Chris Samnee, though it isn't exactly the same. Thanks to the rest of the art team staying the same, Lopez' work doesn't feel out of place at all.

My biggest gripe with this issue is the panels that are (presumably) flashbacks. I understand the purpose that they're supposed to play, but as a storytelling mechanism, they do fall flat. They definitely look cool, the combination of Declan Shalvey's art and the red and white color schemes is great. Other than that, however, they simply fail to contribute much to the issue other than detract from page space that could potentially be utilized by Bunn to continue his plot.

Like most elements of this issue, the social commentary in this issue is on a much smaller scale than it is in the first issue, but it still deals with the issue of disenfranchisement. It's hard to actually discuss this without spoiling the resolution to the issue's conflict, and considering that this is a one shot, that's not something I want to do for those who have yet to read it. What I will say, however, is that, personally, I appreciate its conclusion. Many readers probably will as well, though it's subtle enough that readers can choose to simply ignore it in favor of just reading a straight up superhero comic.

While these two definitely share some of the best scenes (and the only action scene), we do check in with both Red Robin and Raven as well. Red Robin seems to have taken on an advisory role in the team, doing all the detective and strategy work, while letting the powerhouses actually take out threats. We saw that in the last issue, but it resulted in Red Robin feeling underused. In this issue, we actually get to see him in his element: doing detective work. Tim Drake has been a character that's been notably absent form The New 52, outside of Teen Titans, and so fans of the character will no doubt appreciate Pfeifer's writing of the character. The two pages with Raven are great too. She isn't a major part of this issue, but we see the start of what could turn into a great character journey for her, as she attempts to discover who she is.

Afterwards, it transitions to an elevator shaft, as Lilt attempts to kill Malgam and sabotage the Loveboat (which is the airship MERO HQ from Armor Hunters #3). She is pursued by Bloodshot, and the two face off again in this location, though there is less actual fighting between the two. Unfortunately, readers will already know how this scene has to end, because of events in the previous issue of Armor Hunters. We see the Loveboat escape from MERO, and as a result, the stakes simply do not feel all that high for what is supposed to be the climax to this issue.

After being freed from PRS in recent issues of Harbinger, we haven't seen too much of Generation Zero, until now. Their leader, Cronus, is torn between his team living a normal life and them being heroes. They are all teenagers, and were robbed of a normal childhood by PRS, but it seems that they just can't live a normal life. This is the central conflict in this mini series, and it actually ends up being fairly nuanced. Really, this issue is far more about Cronus and Generation Zero than it is about the remaining members of the Renegades. It's proof that Valiant is still trying to build out this universe by adding different teams with different goals to it, and that seems to be the purpose of this mini series, with Armor Hunters acting as a catalyst for real development for Generation Zero.

Unfortunately, this issue does very little to advance the plot. Sym gets a surprising amount of character development, despite her uttering a single line and only appearing on two pages. Bivens' art really gets a lot across about the character. In addition, the post apocalyptic world, where the Alchemist's Tower exists, is a very interesting setting, one that I am enticed by. I would love to see more, as everything we've seen there has been some of the best material this comic has to offer. The issue ends in a similar manner to the first issue, and one would hope that this new time that Sym has travelled too will do more to progress the plot than her time in Egypt did.

They are also the people who will know that Brian Reed has nailed the voices of each of the Spartans. Even though there isn't much dialogue, he gets the characterizations down almost perfectly. I do wish that there was more dialogue, however, because it would allow for some substantial character growth, and possibly plot progression. Most of the dialogue in this issue is exposition on the part of the monitor, Static Carillon. Sure, seeing a monitor talk is pretty cool, and what it's saying isn't exactly disinteresting. I just feel that the page space could have been better used developing the book's lead cast. New readers won't have the benefit of having read all the novels concerning these characters, and so they may come across as stale and boring to new readers attempting to break into the world of Halo's lore.

The last couple of pages actually offer up the first suspenseful moment in this entire book, the only time where I've ever felt like I really need to pick up the next issue. Other than that one moment, nothing really happens in this issue. Sure, it's most definitely a slow burn book, but that doesn't excuse the fact that this is the fourth issue in a row where almost nothing has happened. Trees is still readable, and it has a few elements that make up for its largest flaw. It runs the risk of feeling dull and boring, but is never quite thrown over the line, fortunately.

Plot wise, it's becoming obvious that this series is wrapping up. We've knownthat the tenth issue would be the last for some time, and with next issue being the penultimate issue, there's some set up for the final confrontation.Characters are making their moves, and maneuvering around the board. Fortunately, everything feels natural, and while this issue is largely set up, it doesn't necessarily feel like it is. It's not as if the pot goes nowhere, because it does, with a major revelation towards the end of the issue and a couple more minor advancements earlier in the issue, namely Hazmat and Aiden being brought into the fold of the Masters of Evil's plan by Madame Masque (who's an awesome character, by the way).

Plot wise, however, this isn't the strongest issue of JLU. It's a lot of epilogue, and this story hasn't exactly been the most engaging. I wouldn't call it boring, and there's some depth to it, but the reason that I keep coming back to this series is the characters, not the plot. To be fair, it's the strongest first arc any team book has had since the start of The New 52. This issue, in addition to wrapping up the Rann material, also sort of wraps up Miiyahbin's origin story, which has been the weakest aspect of the book fromthe start. There just isn't much to care about in terms of both her character, and whatever it is that she's wrapped up in. Maybe once she actually begins to play a larger role in the book her character will become more interesting. But for now, she exists so that there can be a Cree superhero, which is fine.

It must sound like I didn't enjoy this book. The fact of the matter is, that couldn't be further from the truth, because I did rather like this issue. The character dynamics are great to see on the page. Anytime Harley Quinn and Deadshot are together, and written well, is great. The two bounce off of each other perfectly, and are more interesting than ever now that they're the only two “veterans” of the Suicide Squad. Then there's Joker's Daughter, a character who, ever since Ann Nocentiintroduced her about a year ago, has been completely turned around, and Sean Ryan is definitely helping with improving the characters image. Since she's relatively new, she's a bit of a fluid character, and still lacks defining characteristics aside from wearing the Joker's face. Fortunately, Ryan is giving her solid characterization, and seeing her bounce off of the rest of the team is great.

As a result, the second half of the book becomes a massive action set piece, worthy of a summer blockbuster. Doug Braithwaite's pencils make this scene come alive, conveying the action perfectly. It's great that Venditti is able to strike a balance between the smarter aspects of this book (plot and character progression) while still maintaining a lotof the dumb fun (the massive action scenes) that bring excitement to the book. Armor Hunters #3 was a great issue of Valiant's summer event, reminding comic book readers how great events can be. It brings massive spectacle to the table, but it doesn't rely solely on that to maintain the interest of the readers.

That isn't to say that Starlight does everything wrong, in fact, it gets a lot right. It isn't always boring, in fact, it's possible to have a little bit of fun with Starlight. It has almost no originality, that's for sure, but it does have a little bit of heart. It's not a dark or gritty comic, and it doesn't always feel like it's meant to be taken 100% seriously. It has a lot of 70′s and 80′s sensibilities, and for that reason, it could provide some nostalgia for some readers, and even those who don't get the nostalgia could get a kick out of it. Even the plot is very rooted in that era of science fiction movies, seeing a hero from Earth leading a resistance against a brutal dictator. It's a great opportunity for social commentary, which is squandered, but that really isn't the purpose of this book.

Essentially, this allows us to get two great action sequences in this issue. One is simply a page, showing Capucince completely beating down Lady Weeds, which is awesome. The other is an extended battle between Swamp Thing and The Wolf, who is now some sort of flesh monster, going at each other in a burning hospital. This is, again, a great action sequence. In fact, one of these may have been my favorite of the week, if it weren't for the impressive Richard Dragon versus Green Arrow and Diggle in Green Arrow #34. We almost get a third action sequence, but this is where my complaint aboutthe abrupt ending comes into play. The Wolf and Lady Weeds have come close to reaching a checkmate, and it's a suspenseful couple of pages, at least until one of the characters does something that makes no sense.

When the dust settles, the Oliver Queen/Green Arrow that delivers the heartfelt inner monologue of this issue's final two pages is not the same character we knew seventeen issues ago. And he is still definitely not the same character we knew before the start of The New 52. At this point, that doesn't matter. What matters is that this is the Green Arrow we have now, and this is a status quo that is satisfying for everyone. At this point (and I know I'm not alone in this) I care more about this character now than I ever had before. It's a shame that Lemire and Sorrentino won't continue with this, but it's because of them that I'll be giving future runs on the character a chance I may not have given them in the past.

Now, the other plot line that appears in this issue is the Tim and Harper go to Tokyo show. I've made it clear that I really don't like the direction that this is going in, but that changes with this issue. Kind of. I still really think that the Tim/Harper dynamic is a complete waste of a potentially awesome pairing. The dialogue between the two comes off as being a bit stale, and it ends up being rather disinteresting. The reason, however, that I say that there's improvement in this issue is because of the where the actual plot is going. The two have to fight off some sort of mechanical tentacles (After all, they are in Japan…), which provides a pretty cool action sequence. However, an important change comes in the arrival of a new character, who we've only seen once before, at least in The New 52. His one appearance made him seem like a great character, at least to me, and so now I'm a little bit more excited about what this has to offer.

Anyways, this is where Quantum and Woody come in. They get hired by the corporation to find the missing half of the map (which is in Armstrong's possession), and track down the treasure. While the two duos don't actually meet in this issue, both have a role to play. Quantum and Woody begin their search, which inadvertently leads an old friend of Armstrong's to tipping him off about the two. So we don't really get to see what the dynamic between all four of these characters is, at least not yet. This really just feels a lot like an issue of Quantum and Woody combined with an issue of Archer and Armstrong, rather than an actual crossover between the two, which is kind of unfortunate. However, the quality of those two series definitely translates to this comic as well, and so critiquing it for that reason is slightly counterintuitive.

Still, that doesn't quite excuse the mindless nature of this comic. Despite some of the self deprecating humor, it's mostly style over substance. The plot trades a coherent plot for massive action scenes, and this doesn't benefit the comic. It's certainly cool, but, beyond that, there's not much to this comic. Character development? Nope. In fact, all the characters really seem to blend together. Maybe for GI Joe fans, that won't be the case. However, for fans who are new to the franchise, there should be some type of introduction to the characters, because honestly, I don't really care about any of them. Again, maybe that's because I'm not a part of this book's target audience. I'll be the first to admit that, but still, this issue is marked as a #1. As such, it seems logical that there would be some form of introduction. Otherwise, as this book does, the writers run the risk of cutting out a large swath of readers who are unfamiliar with the franchises.

However, this issue is far from perfect. For instance, I'm still a bit confused as to what the significance of the Trees is. The book is called Tress, and they're definitely there, but they don't seem to serve the story at all in this issue. Or in any of the issues, for that matter. Sure, this is a great character study, but it seems more like a character study about normal people's everyday lives. Hence, the Trees seem unnecessary to the story, and the book as a whole. So that's definitely a major issue with the book. A second, more minor issue, is some of the crude humor found here. I can appreciate some below the belt humor, however, it does feel quite out of place in this book. The problem isn't that it provides levity, levity on its own is fine, but here it just feels forced and unnecessary.

In addition to all of that, this issue also has some really,really, good social commentary. This first becomes clear in a scene in the Infirmary, in whichthe Atlantean soldiers are torturing civilians. Not for information, but just for fun. Of course, this is characterization, not only for those specific characters, but also for the oppressive Atlantean regime. But it's also offer a critique of something that actually happens in real life, which is great. Really, this scene is just the tip of the iceberg. In the epilogue (which is drawn not by Trakhanov, but by Yaroslav Astapeev), there's some great commentary on socioeconomic classes, as we get a look into how the richest Atlanteans live. But even this epilogue isn't where the social commentary ends. The book has a good deal more of it, and its all done extraordinarily well.

On top of that, this issue provides some of the series' coolest action sequences, as well as implied action sequences, courtesy of Marco Castiello's pencilling. Since the issue has a heavy focus on Luke Skywalker, we get to see some very cool acrobatics and combat scenes that require Luke to pull his lightsaber on opponents. These action sequences could, of course, fall flat. after all, it's hard to convey Luke's fluid movements, even before he really begins to come into his own as a Jedi. Castiello really steps up to the plate in these scenes, and while he isn't exactly breaking new ground, he does a great job of portraying the action scenes, which are plentiful in this issue. Plus, he draws a really awesome panel showingChewbacca standing atop a dead rancor. That's some serious screensaver material.

Hopefully that aspect of the book changes. But it really drags this premiere issue down in terms of quality. The Death Defying Dr. Mirage has heaps of potential. The plot and concept are both interesting, and even though I'm interested in the characters on some level, the main character fails to engage me. Even the surrounding characters aren't particularly great. So while every other aspect of this book is pretty good, it takes a massive hit in terms of its characters, which could ultimately be it's downfall.

If you're looking for something less long-winded; Dark Engine is a very good comic book, for the art alone. At this point, after only one issue, I have no doubt that Bivens is going to be a hot name on the scene, and being in on the ground floor is going to be awesome. The same is true of Burton; though he doesn't really get his chance to shine here, seemingly by his own choice. What writing there is is definitely fine, however, seeing more will definitely allow a more solidified opinion on it. I'll definitely be back for the next issue, and I highly recommend that you check out Dark Engine.

The coolest part of the issue is easily the connection between this and the opening story arc in Batman/Superman. It seems that Batman actually remembers what happens now, which definitely has some interesting ramifications for the DC universe. My only problem with these scene is that I honestly do not understand why it happened. Sure, it may be unfair to critique this issue because I chose not to read the last year of the book. However, for a story line of this importance, I find it essential to effectively explain what's going on to new readers.

Finally, we check in with Batgirl, for the first time in what seems like a long while. The last time we saw her, she was still trying to find evidence that would help her father, and she had linked up with Red Hood. Now, this is undoubtedly an odd dynamic, but man, does it have the potential to be awesome. And now that Batwoman has entered the picture, I dont doubt that well begin to see a great dynamic being built around these three characters. The hints of it are already there, and hopefully it gets developed a little bit more. Theres also some solid plot progression for this story, so its good that it seems to be going somewhere.

Normal Harbinger issues are $3.99, and this only will add a dollar, bumping the pricing up to $4.99. There's a good 16 pages added, plus there are no teasers for other series, barring one page in the middle. It's pretty much a solid 48 pages of comic, which equates to almost 10 cents a page, which is not bad for what you get in this issue.

Finally, we have the Time Drake/Harper Row story line. Each of these characters is interesting on their own, however, this plot is really weak. It seems kind of unnecessary, as if it were added simply for the sake of having these two characters involved somehow. The worst part is probably Tim Drake's characterization. I'm not reading Teen Titans, so maybe this is a carry over from that series. However, his attitude towards Batman seems unnecessary. Even after Death of the Family, his relationship with Batman at this point makes little sense. This Tim Drake also doesn't feel like the Tim Drake that I know and love. He remains a cool character, but I feel that the way he is portrayed here is kind of odd. Also, this plot is the least interesting of everything going on in this book, definitely the hardest o get invested in.

Anyways, seeing the group of vampiresin the swamp interact with one another is great. Snyder takes advantage of combining new characters who we may never see again with older characters. The interactions between characters are what make this book so great, and Snyder is at the top of his game, especially since he's able to use characters of his own creation, that he can do essentially whatever he wants with. But he isn't the only great story teller involved in American Vampire. No, this book would not be what it is without Rafael Albuquerque's stellar artwork, which is just as important to the story as Snyder's writing. He does a great job of conveying the tone of the book, as well as showing us character's emotions in scenes where they aren't speaking. As good as the dialogue is, it could be stripped away and Albuquerque's artwork would likely tell a similar story. Maybe without some of the subtle nuances of Snyder's dialogue, but it would still be awesome.

Even Livewire, who probably has the largest role of the characters who are brought in from around the Valiant universe in this issue, will feel like a throwaway character if you don't know who she is, or her “significance” to the plot. Even though some of these scenes are strong scenes on their own, they don't do anything for the larger plot of Armor Hunters. It seems that, at this point, the simplicity of the plot is coming back to bite Venditti. Really, all there is to the plot is that the Armor Hunters show up in orbit around Earth and want to kill Aric. It's simple. In many cases, that would be fine, it it were handled correctly. However, Armor Hunters is really just beginning to feel like it's treading water and not really going anywhere.

I guess what Im saying is that Rai is a really, really good comic. The problem is, I can never quite shale the feeling that it could be even better than it currently is. And perhaps thats just my interpretation of the book. Thats not to say I didnt like the latest issue of Rai in fact, I loved it. Other than some of the minor issues, the only major issue with this book is the art. That isnt to say that its bad, per se. However, its obviously all digitally rendered. On occasion, I find artists who play around with digital art techniques to be extraordinarily talented, and Im not saying that this artist isnt. However, it looks a little bit too digital for my taste, even though it suits the book.

The art, courtesy of an artist simply known as Gabo, looks great as well. The art is essential to conveying the tonal shifts present in this issue, at times even more so than the writing. It has some manga sensibilities to it, and that often will turn off many readers. However, this is something of a merging of eastern and western art styles (though it does lean a little bit more towards western art), and it looks great. It goes from being dark and grim to being light hearted and fun, and the shift in styles is seamless.

At the end of the issue, after one of the greatest single pages of Charles Soule's run on this book (seriously, it made my spine tingle), we get to see Lady Weeds beginning to come into her own. Up until this point, she has really just been a pawn for the Wolf, which is unfortunate. At this point, after seeing the Wolf's failures, she seems to be taking things into her own hands, and this gives her the bets character development she's ever had. She's been a great character for a while now, but she really hasn't been a character that acts on her own, and so seeing the seeds of that being planted in this issue is great to watch unfold.

These aren't the ideal people that heroes are supposed to be. For the most part, they're just normal people, even the ones with powers are just trying to lead normal lives. As such, they have the same issues that normal people have based on their status. For example, Warner has to deal with all of the petty issues that that union leaders have to deal with, despite being the leader of a superhero union. All of the characters have to deal with normal problems, but also with the problems that come along with being a hero. These aren't problems that people like Clark Kent or Bruce Wayne, but people who seem very, very real. And that's great. This is what superhero comics should strive to be, comics that manage to connect with their readers.

That being said, there isnt any interplay between the heroes, who get only a few lines of dialogue throughout the entire issue, and have very little to actually do. They mostly just sit around while the villains take control of the plot. Aside from confrontations with numerous robots, the heroes dont seem all that integral to this issue. The battles with the robots, of course, are pretty great to watch unfold. Each of the heroes deals with them in a very different way, and it makes for some very enjoyable entertainment, even though it is all kind of mindless.

Finally, the book comes to an end, although you probably wouldn't know it. It just sort of stops, making the ending feel extremely lazy. It really makes me wonder if this was actually written as a collection, and then cut down into individual issues, because the book just stops. In a trade, this may feel more natural, since the dialogue would just continue on the next page, but this ending makes very little sense. If it weren't for the art, this book would have no interesting or dynamic elements to it. Fortunately, the art, courtesy of Jason Howard, looks amazing. His landscapes are breathtakingly gorgeous, from the arctic plain to the mountains of Cefalu, all of it looks exceptional.

Other than that, however, Artyom Trakhanovs art is breathtakingly good. It isnt your typical comic book art, but regardless, it looks great. The characters are, hands down, the best looking part of the book. Because theyre Atlanteans, Trakhanov is free to design them as he wishes, and so they look great. At his hands, the world of Undertow comes alive. The colors make it look exceptionally vibrant, and the loose inking gives it a sense of loopiness that benefits the style.

The issue also has great artwork, for the most part. The penciling, courtesy of Diego Bernard, is consistently excellent. This is especially obvious in the opening pages, which take place in a bar in the farthest reaches of the universe. The numerous alien species all look great, and the crowded setting is a perfect place for Bernard to flex his artistic muscles. Unfortunately, Brian Rebers colors dont quite match up. Everything looks unnecessarily dark, as if darker shades of colors were used in place of their lighter counterparts. In some places, this works, but in others, it makes the book look a little bit dull.

The plot of this book is fairly simple, but its nuance comes entirely from the characters and the world. The Star Wars universe, of course, already feels lived in. But it's series like Rebel Heist that add layers to that nuanced universe, specially by focusing on more normal people living within the galaxy. Introducing new characters is always beneficial, especially if they're written as well as Kindt writes them. Seeing these new, somewhat inconsequential, characters interact with major players in the universe is great. Throwing them on missions together really serves to solidify who the existing characters really are. That being said, it is starting to feel a little bit repetitive at this point. Each issue follows a very similar formula, and while it's consistently well written, each issue feels, to an extent, like a re-skinned version of the previous issue.

Furthermore, if it weren't for the writing, the story telling in this book would have taken a huge hit, because the art is rough at certain parts. The proportions of characters seem to be off at times, and its hard not to laugh at it. Granted, this actually works really well in a couple panels, but for the most part, it just looks odd and detracts from the experience as a whole, which is a bummer, since the rest of this book is so good.

MPH, when all's said and done, is a very simplistic comic. Social commentary is generally associated with “smart” or complex comics, but MPH is neither of those. It's really just a bland look at American society, focused around a cast of characters that struggle to be interesting. Sure, it isn't all bad. The book has a good message, even if doesn't exactly deliver that message effectively. And the last page of MPH #2 offer a look at another aspect of this world, showing us a completely different side from the one that the rest of the book shows us. In fact, it's the only part of the book that is mildly interesting.

At the end of the day, Jon is actually a pretty good guy. He legitimately cares for Suzie, and so for every moment of his messed up life, there seems to be a great moment where we see him trying to be better, and bounce back from the funk that he's trapped in for the majority of this issue. It's a stellar character piece, and as a result, the ending of this particular issue is extraordinarily impactful, and its ramifications in future issues are undoubtedly going to make for some outstanding story telling.

The a Wicked and the Divine is definitely a series that is worth checking out. It may not be for everyone, but there's a lot to enjoy here, from the characters to the stellar art. Plus, based on what we know of the plot so far, and the cliffhanger that we're left on, this first story arc could shape up to be a really, really interesting story, and make this comic one of the creative team's best works to date. Sure, it's by no means a perfect start, but this book has a lot of heart to it, and that quality alone makes it worth reading. It feels alive and warm, so that's a definite mark in its favor. And on top of that, it is quite different from many other books, another quality that makes it worth reading. When all's said and done, this is a solid start to what will likely become another great Image book.

With pretty much the whole issue centered around Eve taking this detective case, there's really not much else going on. In many ways, it's a very standard detective story, but with a few supernatural twists, though those are largely relegated to the backseat while the actual detective work is put front and center. This issue is really a great example of Kittredge's flexibility as a writer, seeing as she went from writing a horror story to writing a grounded crime story, and doing both pretty well. Inaki Miranda also illustrates her range as an artist here, as the setting completely changes from a small town to a big city. And while it still looks good, the city isn't characterized as well as Coffin Hill was in the first arc, and not using the setting as its own character is a noticeable downgrade from the first arc.

I think that, considering that many people probably won't have read this issue yet, that it would be inappropriate to spoil this ending. Suffice to say, the Armor Hunters deliver and ultimatum to the humans, and they deliver on their ultimatum, and it's a huge, world changing event that will have massive ramifications for Aric as a character, but this is something that will likely resonate throughout the entire Valiant universe. That being said, it kind of seems like it was done for pure shock value right now. Venditti still has time to change that, and I get the feeling that he will. Unfortunately, that doesn't seem to be the case with the way this issue ends.

Sure, the dark and gritty occasionally finds its way into this book, but itneverdominates an entireissue. Instead, Keatinge does a great job balancing the occasional dark and gritty bit with humorous panels that just make the book seem downright fun. At times, that sense of fun may be buried under an avalanche of human pain and loss, but its always undoubtedly there, and that does wonders for this book. Just when the characters seem to be beaten down and at their lowest, it's nearly always the case that there's something fun and interesting to get them out of that situation, be it a cute talking alarm clock cat or something as simple as having a good friend there for them. It's at these points that the world of Shutter is at its most alive, its most vibrant.

At the same time, Leia is going through a somewhat similar character arc, in which she's taking actions that wouldn't necessarily be her first choice. However, in her case, it actually hurts her character, because she is, in some ways, being objectified. Despite the fact that she remains a badass, the strong, independent female character seems to be gone, replaced instead by a prize to be sought after by the male characters withing the comic. Not to mention that, at this point, it's unlikely that Han would have taken some of the actions that he did just to protect Leia. All of that comes later. Luke may be a different story, however, it's still odd that he seems to be interested in Leia romantically. I know that he doesn't know that they're twins yet, but the borderline incest is still a little bit creepy, and reminiscent of Splinter of the Mind's Eye.

All in all, Harbinger #23 solidifies Harbinger as the strongest book in Valiant's line up right now. Sure, this issue has a couple of missteps, and some events take up too much panel space, while others take up far too little. It's a matter of striking a balance between the big spectacles and the smaller moments. Both of them are here, and both are extraordinarily well done, but I'm left feeling that perhaps there could have been a little bit more small, character driven moments, and that a lot of the heavy action sequences (namely Peter vs. Harada, even though that's awesome), could have been saved for the next issue.

On a more positive note, the back matter is awesome! There's some really cool stuff here, dealing with building out the world. Hopefully it ends up tying into the story at some point, but you should definitely take the chance to read it!

Really, I don't have that many complaints about this issue. As a first issue, it works very well, establishing the characters, world, and plot with ease. Both the writing and the art are great. Aside from the fact that it sometimes feels way too familiar, Translucid is a great read, and one that I would wholeheartedly recommend.

Anyways, other than that, the plot is nothing all that special. It all just seems very shallow, and that's very unfortunate, considering that this is a fresh start for the Ultimate universe. The team dynamic just isn't there, and the art is atrocious. There's also no real threat established right now, so there's no real reason to keep coming back to this series other than to see how the last page's reveal ends up playing out.

But arguably the best part about this book is the ending, in which we get to actually see the armor hunters in action. It seems that their goal is to destroy all the X-O suits, and their next target, as it happens, is Aric. This issue is all around a great comic. It's got action, plot progression, and great character moments, plus it sets up what's looking like an absolutely amazing story arc in the coming months. When all's said and done, this is great series, and one you should definitely give a chance if you're even remotely interested in quality science fiction tales.

So, my verdict in this issue? It was amazing. There's not much else to say. Sure, the lack of Skinner Sweet was definitely a disappointment. But this issue was packed full of great writing and art, so at the end of the day, the absence of one character isn't much to complain about.

Star Mage #1, is, by no stretch of the imagination, an amazing comic. That said, it is a pretty good comic. It does have a few problems, namely its over-reliance on tropes and the fact that parts are over written. But at the end of the day, it has a very likeable, relatable protagonist, and for now, that, coupled with the awesome plot development are enough to keep this book enjoyable.

When all's said and done, this is another solid issue of FBP. Yes, there isn't much plot movement, in terms of some of the larger plot threads. But the smaller, character driven scenarios that populate this issue seem to be where the creative team of Simon Oliver and Robbi Rodriguez really deliver. They really do a stellar job making these characters fun to spend time with, and, at the same time, understandable and relatable. And of course, the zany, out there, lack of physics always make this book interesting.

Taking all of that into account, this issue is undoubtedly good. Yes, it pales in comparison to the work that we've seen from Kittredge in past issues, and the guest art from Stephen Sadowski is underwhelming. It's a shame, really, that this issue failed to meet the high standard set by the first six, and hopefully, it is not a sign of things to come for the series as a whole. Parts of it are better than others, but the biggest problem is the lack of familiarity.

For every two or three pages that we get to know Kate, and see how her world seems to be collapsing around her, we get a breathtaking splash page of a quasi-futuristic New York City, or a great interaction between Kate and a young fan of one of her books, or even an assault be illusionary purple ninjas. For all of that, minor issues that plague nearly all introductory issues to a series are hard to care about. Some people may be bother by all the little technical aspects that this book doesn't execute perfectly, but honestly, you really have to enjoy this issue for what it is, and what it is is the start to a series that could turn out to be really special.

All in all, the second issue of Pariah is nowhere near as strong as the web series, or even the first issue of the series. It's not a total loss, and it just screams potential. And maybe that's why I ended up scoring it so low, because I may just be annoyed at the fact that the potential that this book has is never quite reached. Warner, Gelatt, and Weldele could have a masterpiece on their hands. I wouldn't rule this series out quite yet, as a rocky start isn't indicative of what could come later in the series. Unfortunately, despite it practically screaming potential, the second issue of Pariah doesn't do much to solidify it as a great, or, quite frankly, even a very good series.

Really, Dead Body Road ends up being a hard book to review. On the one hand, it's a really great, all out, shameless action book that's insanely fun to read. On the other, it's kind of lacking in terms of plot and character development, which should not be the case four issues in. But, the choice is yours. If you want to spend the $2.99 for a kind of hollow but at the same time really awesome action book, then by all means, go ahead. More power to you. But for the rest of you, maybe trade waiting this would be a better idea, because it feels like a story that would read better in one sitting, rather than scattered across six or seven months. Either way, it isn't all that hard to find some form of entertainment in Dead Body Road.

All in all, this is an excellent way to kick off the Second Cycle of American Vampire. To be honest, this is Snyder at his best. American Vampire is his and Albuquerque's baby, and its probably the work that will define both of their careers. Of course, this is completely logical to me, because it's just so good. For now though, this issue is one of the best issues of the series. It's an excellent jumping on point, but for those who have been around since the beginning, there's still a lot to love. Actually, there's nothing not to love. Character development, plot progression, everything you could possibly want is here. So do yourself a favor, and read this issue. There's no possible way you could regret it.

Really, at the end of the day, this book has way more positives than it does negatives.Even if there are a few scenes that aren't necessarily the greatest, they aren't enough reason to not enjoy this book. And even in those scenes, at least the art is interesting to look at. And when the book hits its stride, it hits it to its fullest. There really are some hints of Image's best new book since Lazarus in here, and they're just begging to be brought to the forefront. Until then, Orlando and Trakhyom are still writing an excellent comic, that's greta both on its own merits, and because of how different and cool it is. It may very well be the best new thing out of Image since Lazarus anyways.

Really, FBP has everything going for it. It has interesting lead characters, great artwork, and a great plot. Unfortunately, you probably aren't reading it, and that's a problem. We need more high concept books like FBP, that are different from everything else on the shelf. FBP is a unique book, that very much exists in its own little world. And that's fine, because it's of such high quality. The creative team has full control over what happens in this series, and that is really to the benefit of the series overall.

Look, guys: Coffin Hill is an amazing read. Does it have its flaws? Definitely, and they're especially prominent in this issue. That being said, I'm challenging you to name a single comic book that lacks flaws. Trust me, you will not find one. And this book definitely has less flaws than most other books that you can pick up right now, so why not give it a shot? For fans of horror material, it's amazing. And speaking from the perspective of someone who generally dislikes horror, this has emerged as one of my favorite books in recent months. That's saying something.

On the whole, though, it's really hard to deny that this is a good issue. Soule is a stellar writer, and so all of the characters are written excellently. As usual, Jesus Saiz brings his A-game as well. Of all the artists on this book, he's probably the best, and he draws everything at a completely different level. Both halves of this creative team are consistently doing some of their best work, and so even in an issue that isn't as good as the rest of the series has been, it still manages to be one of the best comics available, not only from DC, but from any publisher.

All in all, this issue of The Wake was one of the best books this week, and hands down Scott Snyder's best issue of anything in a while. This series reminds me that Scott Snyder is, in fact, one of the greatest writers in the business. There's a reason that he gets so many accolades, and there's a reason that so many people are excited for him to work with Sean Murphy. Together, the two have come together to create a masterpiece that really needs to be longer.

And when they figure out what's really going on, the book really starts to get brutal, in a series of pages that will make your spine tingle. We get to see both Superman and Power Girl do what they do best: do what's bets for humanity. The book ends with one of the bets Superman moments since Grant Morrison's All Star Superman; and it's the quote I'm going to leave you with. This one quote essentially proves that Greg Pak is the perfect writer for this book, and for Superman in general. It goes like this:

As great as that action is, at the end of the day, it all ends up feeling rather shallow. It's hard to care about the awesome fight scenes when you don't know why they're happening, or what they're doing to advance the plot. So while it's fun and entertaining, it's fun and entertaining in the way that a big budget action movie is fun and entertaining. You go in, watch it, and leave the theater, thinking “Oh, that was cool, but not something I ever need to experience again.” After finishing Dead Body Road #3, you might be having exactly the same thought.

All in all, this was probably one of the series strongest issues. It encompasses everything that I love about this series, in terms of writing. We get stellar characterization of Wonder Woman that serves as a reminder as to why shes my favorite superhero, along with great character moments for the rest of the supporting cast. We get some great plot progression that thickens the plot in a good way, and leaves readers on an excellent cliff hanger. We get even more of the mythology that has made this book so interesting from the start of the run. And, on top of all of that, we get an issue that is done fully by Cliff Chiang, and, as a result, this book is gorgeous.

All in all, this was probably one of the series strongest issues. It encompasses everything that I love about this series, in terms of writing. We get stellar characterization of Wonder Woman that serves as a reminder as to why shes my favorite superhero, along with great character moments for the rest of the supporting cast. We get some great plot progression that thickens the plot in a good way, and leaves readers on an excellent cliff hanger. We get even more of the mythology that has made this book so interesting from the start of the run. And, on top of all of that, we get an issue that is done fully by Cliff Chiang, and, as a result, this book is gorgeous.

Ok, so what about the overall story? You know, the one about people being brutally murdered? So that's going places with the way this issue ends! There's a great cliffhanger at the end, and the last few pages really move that plot forwards. But at this point, the real plot that matters is the mythology behind the town, and all the crazy supernatural stuff that's going on behind the scenes. This comic is dark, scary, well written, and well drawn. WHAT MORE DO YOU PEOPLE WANT?! Caitlin Kittredge and Inaki Miranda put together one of the best issues of an already stellar series, so chew on that for a little bit. And then go buy this book, because it's just so good.

All in all, this is a book (and likely, a series) that shouldn't be missed. This does everything that a first issue should do, and more. It's a really fun, enjoyable read, definitely worth revisiting if you've already read it. It's probably Remender's most realistic series yet, but at the same time, there are some interesting concepts coming into play, especially with the way the book ends. The characters, world, and plot are all worthy of being invested in, partially because of the writing, but partially because of the artwork that Wes Craig does. Both members of the creative team bring their a-game in this issue, and it's probably career defining work for both of them.

All in all, this is the strongest issue of Wonder Woman since the gut punch that was issue #23. This is a stellar issue, and both Azzarello and Chiang are at the top of their game. The art is gorgeous on every page, and we get some excellent character development out of nearly every character. Azzarello manages to both set up the next big thing, while at the same time telling some very personal, down to Earth stories with the characters that he's crafted in this series.

However, that's a relatively minor complaint about such a great book, and is little more than nitpicking. This may actually be Pak's best series rest now, and Eternal Warrior #5 is the best issue in an already excellent series. Part of that comes as a result of the book no longer using big action scenes as a crutch of sorts. There's still action here, but it seems like Pak is taking this new story arc as an opportunity to really flesh out the plot, world, and characters. None of that is missing from this issue, as we get plot progression, character development, world building, and shockingly good art to boot. This is a book you shouldn't miss.

There's only one problem with this specific issue, and that's that it consists almost entirely of a drawn out action scene. There isn't really much plot work here, and even though that large action sequence is undeniably awesome, it doesn't mask the fact that there's not much done in this issue to move the plot forward. But that's hardly an issue, because, based on Wiebe's work so far, he'll be able to pick up the story next issue.

All in all, the past few issues have felt like filler as the book transitions from one crossover to the next, which may be their biggest problem. Instead of going directly from Battle of the Atom to The Trial of Jean Grey, Bendis decided to sandwich this arc in between, and it's noticeable by the dip in the book's quality. It's probably best to just skip this book for now, because it's starting to feel like it's time to put the original X-Men back where they belong: in the past. Wrap it up and move on.

Coffin Hill (both the town and the series), however, would be nothing without Inaki Miranda, the series' artist. Miranda is a smaller artist, who's done work almost exclusively for smaller publishers. Maybe she prefers that, but it's still surprising, because her art is worthy of a series for the big two. It isn't perfect, and there are a few panels where it looks a little bit bland, or doesn't necessarily convey an action. However, she really serves to bring Kittredge's words to life on the page. She excels throughout almost the entire book. She can do the mystical elements of the book, she can do structures, and it all looks gorgeous, and Miranda deserves some credit for the series' storytelling. This is a creative team that just seems to be gel, and the writing style and art style fit perfectly with one another.

The stand out story here is probably the fourth chapter in the story, centering around a vitro named Robert, who uses his intelligence to manipulate others into doing things for him. His character is almost reminiscent of the Riddler, and he has a sadistic streak to him. He uses people as puppets, and at one point, he instigates a bank robbing. This is probably the best scene in the book, as we get a look into just how twisted people can be pushed into becoming because of who they are, and that's what Pariah is really about. It's a story of exceptional people being pushed to their limits, and being forced to do things they wouldn't otherwise do. These characters are driven into doing things that violate their moral code, because of how society views them, and this works very, very well, all the way to the stunning ending that will leave you clamoring for more.

The only other issue with this series is how quickly the plot seems to be advancing. Even though the series has undoubtedly slowed down, it's still moving at an alarmingly fast rate. Were this a mini series, that would be understandable, but this is an ongoing series. Edington may have a ton of ideas up his sleeve, and based on what we've seen so far, we've only scratched the surface of his creative reservoir. That being said, it's slightly worrying that the plot is moving at this rate. It's hard to actually talk about this without spoiling key plot points, but many key plot points for the overall series (ones that were inevitable eventually) have already been crossed off the list. That said, there really isn't much reason to complain about this issue. Hinterkind remains a solid series, finding success once again.

The one area of the writing that succeeds without question in this issue is the theme of the book, which comes across better than ever here. Unfortunately, you'll have to wade through a bunch of content that's just Ok to get to the two great fist pump moments at the end of the book, which are shown below. These two panels almost make this issue worth reading, if you've been keeping up with The Movement.

Other than that, there really isn't much to say about this issue, because it's shallow. The plot isn't anything layered or deep, in fact, it feels like a bad action movie. At times, this can be fun to read. The issue kind of bounces back and forth between being really good and mediocre. It creates a mixed bag, inconsistent issue that is just Ok. It's kind of annoying really, because it's not downright horrible, or worthy of being completely bashed, but at the same time, it's really hard to give it any praise.

If this book had any issues, they would pretty much all be found in the art. This isn't so much the fault of Phil Noto, but more the fault of the inker. The inks look a little heavy at times, and this makes some panels look like they consist of a bunch of paper cutouts glued on to a background. This ends up making the book look downright sloppy at times. It's different, yes, but it isn't necessarily the good, interesting type of different. It's the type of different that weakens what otherwise was a strong start for one of Marvel's newest series.

To close, it's nice that this book is distancing itself from Harbinger. They're undoubtedly sister series, but initially, Bloodshot used the Harbinger series as a crutch, and the first new story arc seeing Bloodshot go up against Harada again was worrying. However, they've moved away from Harada and other Harbinger characters with this issue. PRS is still involved, but that's to be expected. Though the books deal with very similar subject matter, and are in the same corner of the Valiant Universe, the two are putting some distance between themselves, and that's great.

Of course, Ryan Kelly's art is stellar. This is probably the best Ryan Kelly work in a while. His particular style fits the tone of the book, and the visuals he provides of Ancient Greece are little less than breath taking. The artwork is stunningly excellent, and, to some, may justify the price of entry on its own. It's great to see that this book has turned around, keeping the strengths of its first two issues and adding onto them by fixing most of the problems with the book's first two issues. Even if they aren't completely gone, at least this book is on the right track.

Gail Simone gets Barbara Gordon. It's as simple as that.

Really, the one issue people may have with this book is the art. At times, it can seem a little bland, especially the faces characters, which lack detail. That being said, this is made up for by all of the other crazy things that Inaki Miranda draws. The town of Coffin Hill is very well realized visually, and every other aspect of the book looks great. The art is extremely fluid for the most part, and the lack of facial detail doesn't detract too much from the stellar story that is being told in Coffin Hill #3.

On the whole, this issue is the strongest issue of Hinterkind yet. It slows down the pace a little from the frantic pace that the book maintained for the first two issues in order to flesh out the world and mythology a little bit, in an entertaining couple pages of dialogue that answer a couple questions about what's really going on, but leave plenty unanswered. However, the pace picks up in the book's second half, and the plot makes a couple strides forwards, making this issue more than just an issue of exposition and set up.

This all ends up spiraling into a story of police corruption, which seems like something we've seen way too many times before. While it certainly isn't a bad thing is this issue, it feels like a concept that is a little worn out and maybe Buccellato and Manapul could have done something a little different. Regardless, that isn't what this story is truly about. This issue is a showcase of Barry Allen being a hero, even without superpowers. It's about what it truly means to be a hero, and that is a theme that has been present since the start of this run on The Flash. While it would have been great to see it be continued for years, the duo are moving on to other things, and at least they made their send off one of the series' strongest issues.

It's really hard giving this particular issue a score. It was pretty much an even split between what was good about this issue, and what was bad about this issue, in terms of the story and character work. Half of the story and character work is interesting, and the other just fails to be as interesting as the rest of the book. That said, the art is consistent throughout, but nothing else about this book is consistent.

That being said, this was a really great issue. It is a lot of standing around and talking and there's certainly a lack of action in this issue but it's entertaining. Wolverine and Maria Hill going at each other is great and this is the only X-Men book that is exploring the real fallout of Battle of the Atom, which has to do with the fact that SHIELD is building anti-mutant weapons, something that probably surprised pretty much everyone. The best thing about this “problem” is that it's very two sided. There's no clear solution, and this is when the heroes of the Earth, both SHIELD and the X-Men, will really have to step up and prove themselves.

There's some good action action, but without getting the rest right it feels like a bad action movie, except this isn't at all exciting. It could at least be entertaining, but the exposition just makes this seem like a boring comic. Hopefully now that it's out of the way, the book will be able to improve in future issues.

Now, the reason that this book is better than either of Pak's books over at DC isn't only because of the story, it's also a result of the art. Neither Batman/Superman nor action Comics look astoundingly good, but this? This looks great. Valiant seems to have set a visual style across all of their books, and that's true with Eternal Warrior as well. It looks very similar to other books being put out by Valiant, and this gives the universe a more coherent sense. That being said, the art in this book looks a lot grittier than the art in, say, Harbinger. It's subtle differences in the art style that set this book's art apart, and it is quite good, for the most part. Occasionally, characters will look inconsistent, but everything else looks and reads great. This is another excellent title in Valiant's already stellar line up of comics.

More than anything else, this issue is about hope. Yes, the tone is still extremely dark, but at it's core this is about Buddy's hope for the future being restored… right before it's all ripped away again in one of the series' best cliff hangers to date. Take that, Brian K Vaughan!

This book also seems to have gained more of a plot since Harbinger Wars. Bloodshots actions are more justifie, and the stakes have been raised extraordinarily high. Theres also some excellent behind the scenes content with PRS, something we havent seen much of. Weve seen a lot of Haradas organization and now were getting a look into PRS and it only blurs the lines between good and bad even more. This book very much deals in shades of grey and its nearly impossible to decide whether we should even be rooting for Bloodshot anymore. Theres a lot more to this book now and instead of feeling bloated, it just feels like theres a lot more about it to enjoy.

I was also quite astounded at how much Busiek packed into this issue. We get to see the creation of a new super villain, by means of a completely new plot device, that could be interesting to see used in the future. We get a great new character, and we get a ton of well written dialogue, that in no way gets in the way of Brent Anderson's stellar artwork. Though this is the second part of another story, it reads much more like a one shot than anything else. It takes the current status quo of this universe, and uses that as a spring board to tell a seemingly self contained story, and a very good one.

The bottom line is this: there's nothing to keep me invested in this series. To be quite frank, that kind of makes me angry. The world, plot and characters all have so much potential. This book has the potential to be a great science fiction series, but it's so mediocre that it can't recognize any of its potential.

I hate to say it, but this book's only redeeming qualities are Ryan Kelly's artwork and the historical aspect it has. Both of those are stellar, but very little else about this book makes it all that enjoyable. The plot is paper thin, and I get the feeling that without the world building provided by the historical context, it would completely fall apart. This book is one of those books that sounds great on paper, but falls apart in the actual execution. I mean, it's far from the worst comic being published, but at the same time, it's far from the best.

Its been a long time since we've gotten an intelligent book in the Max line over at Marvel. Its possible and you need look no farther than Punisher Max to figure that out. Sadly, none of the other Max books have reached its level of depth, and Fantomex Max doesn't exactly do it either. That's not to say its bad, because it isn't I'm actually enjoying this comic. Sure, it has its issues, but if we're being realistic; what comic doesn't have issues?

Of course, Marco Rudy's art is just as important to this book's success as Matt Kindt's writing. There's always so much going on, and it makes the book feel very surreal. Its hard to know what I'm experiencing, and what to expect. The way Rudy draws it, it sometimes seems like ot could be real life, a dream or a video game, but I'm never really sure. It would, of course, be better if the plot were a little stronger, but this is very much like a popcorn movie.

The only case in which this isn't true is Wraith. I'm not sure I would classify him as a villain just yet, but he's just not an interesting character, he's essentially a more powerful version of Superman. Considering that this is Snyder writing this, it just seems really odd that he hasn't gotten any character development. Who knows, maybe he was created to be a one note character, but when he's part of such a vibrant cast, he sticks out like a sore thumb.

Really, there wasn't anything I didn't like about this book. That's not to say its perfect, or a masterpiece, in any ways. It looks great, its a lot of fun, and it has this great mystical element to it and it made this issue the best of the series to date. Both Charles Soule and Jesus Saiz are nailed these characters, providing moments that go up and down the emotional spectrum. This issue was just a blast to read.

All that said, it does feel like there's a little too much going on. Each member of the cast gets some great moments here but the story doesn't exactly go anywhere and that's not a good thing. There's a lot going on in this plot, and there are simply too many antagonists to keep straight at times. I'm sure that it will end up coming together eventually but for now there's just too much going on.

The winning combination of humor and great characterization really serves to make Hawkeye vs. Deadpool #0 a great success. For something that really shouldn't have been all that good, it ended up being a massive surprise, and a series that should definitely be checked out.