Any book where the creators produce a story with A-list villains debating if theyre evolved, evil, efficient, et cetera while the protagonist manages to be active in the plot despite chaining him up the whole time and it never gets boringwell, that is how you make a good story great and classic characters ever more captivating.

Priest's Deathstroke remains one of the best-written comic books from any publisher. But unfortunately, Priest's love affair with complex narrative and non-linear storytelling hurt the flow of this issue's plot. It felt like he threw everything but the kitchen sink into this script. The heavier-than-normal (for Deathstroke) amounts of exposition and flashbacks made the script a real chore to plow through.

Deathstroke by Christopher Priest, Diogenes Neves, and Jason Paz continues to be one of the top 10 comic books currently published. If you're not reading it, why the hell not? It's intelligent, thoughtful, action-packed, fast-paced, fun and funny. Buy this damn book!

Amongst the deluge of Dark Nights: Metal one-shot books, Hawkman Found #1 stands out. Bryan Hitch and Kevin Nowlan deliver vivid visuals and Jeff Lemire writes an interesting and straightforward script that distills exactly who Hawkman is while telling us what happened to him without clumsy exposition or schmaltzy tirades. This is a convincing and efficacious reintroduction to a classic superhero setting him up to reclaim his rightful place in the DC Universe.

Williamson tells smart Flash stories that manage to include the entire supporting cast. EveryoneKid Flash, Iris, Kristen, the Roguescontributes to each chapter and isnt left out. But many chapters have panels and panels of characters repeating things over & over to the point that the climax has a lot less power when it arrives. Flash is a good, decent comic book, but it could really be tightened up quite a bit.

Flash #35 was one of the better issues from this creative team. Nothing seems rushed and everyone was on top of it. Characterization was convincing, dialogue reflects that and the plot moved at a fast pace where action and character were perfectly balanced. Include some high quality artwork that ups the impact of a well-written script and you have one of the best issues of Flash in a while. This is a good read and leaves you eager to see what comes next!

Josh Williamson's run on Flash is equal or superior to William Messner-Loeb's early 90s run. But more than that, there are moments where it reminds me of David Michelinie's late 70s/early 80s run of Iron Man. Plots, characterization, and humor all evolve naturally and no events feel forced. Couple this smart, economical and clear-eyed writing with a sturdy bullpen of talented artists and you have an always good to at times great series. Flash #36 is good, old-fashioned superhero comics of the kind we sure could use more of now.

Josh Williamson turns in another fine script and another entertaining chapter of The Flash. His characterization of Barry Allen remains pitch perfect and I applaud his new take on Captain Cold which is a breath of fresh air. The one problem with this issue was the disappointing fill-in by Scott McDaniel with screwy anatomy and bad lighting which took a lot of oomph out of Williamson's otherwise enjoyable arc.

Joshua Williamson is building to big things on The Flash. His plot twists are unexpected keeping you on your toes. His characterization is smart, heartfelt and embraces the family at the heart of the Fastest Man Alive's franchise. The team of artists on this series is reliable with a nice balance between classic veteran storytellers and rising superstars. With the eagerly-awaited "Flash War" coming up next, I strongly encourage anyone on the fence to jump on the bandwagon now. Williamson's Flash is on a hot streak and this book is only getting hotter. Don't miss it!

Supergirl made a big debut in shops last year, but slowly lost momentum as Brian Ching's blocky pencils and scratchy inks didn't win over many fans. Steve Orlando, though, is one of DC's brightest rising star writers and he's kept this book on a steady path. His co-writing with Jody Houser has made the high school elements more authentic and the relationship with Kara's adoptive parents rings truer, too.

This was candy-coated comic book fun. Nothing life-altering happens. It didnt need to. The newly budding friendship between Robin and Kid Flash is a breath of fresh air and the hints of Red Arrow as Robins potential new girlfriend are sweet. This is not a perfect book, but its a good series with a much-improved writer and an artist that is growing leaps and bounds in his work. Read Teen Titan; you will have a good time!

This issue of Teen Titans is your typical action-fueled comic book crossover. The characterization is shallow and untenable. The expository dialogue drones on for too many panels and drags the pace of the narrative to a crawl at times. But the artwork is pretty and the stakes are serious, albeit melodramatic. Not much going on here but your average, dopey, uninspired superhero slugfest. Harmless and brainless escapism.

The underlying plot is compelling. Its his exposition and dialogue thats hurting his well-intentioned epic. Thats what makes this issue just your average, dull and run-of-the-mill comic book. Its saved, though, by the sharp, polished artwork from Kirk, Deering, Martin, and Milla.

Tynion, Martinez, Fernandez, and Morey deliver an action-packed and dramatic ending to a compelling arc. The contrivances Tynion engineers to get everyone to avoid asking their antagonist what Batwoman does to ruin Tims life and the team are silly and irritating. But like every other issue in this run, the narrative flows smoothly, the action is top notch and the art is always good, if not great. Plus, no character is ever neglected and everyone always gets a chance to shine. Detective Comics remains one of DCs top ten books.

Hopefully "Fall of the Batmen" will get more exciting next issue. This was an inauspicious opening act and a bore.

Not a horrible issue. Not a great issue. I hope where this is going is more believable and convincing that what we've gotten so far.

This is one of the worst issues of Detective Comics I've ever read in 40 years of collecting. The script is slipshod. It's filled with over a dozen pages of talking heads repeating exposition and arguing over and over again in circles. The biggest battle in the book is never depicted happening entirely off-panel. It was a thankless task to read and review. When fans complain about books being padded for trade? This issue is exactly what they mean.

After a longwinded and preposterous script from Tynion last issue, this one was a big improvement. Multiple panels of people talking to each other for many pages was kept to a minimum. The battles were exciting and fun to read. Characters like Red Robin and Batwoman evolved more naturally as they moved farther down more dangerous paths. Things are picking up and the arc appears to be heading toward hopefully a satisfying climax.

But for a Superman book where he only appears on 1 page, this was only mildly satisfyinga light appetizer for the main course at the end instead of providing a tasty middle to keep us full yet hungry for more. If youre going to focus on Lois for most of the book, we need more than droning exposition, trite firefights and so-so comebacks from Mrs. Superman herself. Heres hoping the ending truly fulfills us.

This is a fun book and a good story!

It's not a bad issue, but it's certainly not a great one. It got us from Point A to Point B and sets up future storylines. Nothing exciting to see here, folks, and certainly no events or characterization you haven't seen done in comics a thousand times before. Very predictable"but with some beautiful art, though. Oh, and a motivational lecture by Superman. That's all, folks.

Superman #37 continues the steady decline in Tomasi & Gleason's writing on Superman. The heartfelt characterization between Lois, Clark, and Jonathan has become sparser over the past 3 months while boring punch-outs, clich-riddled dialogue and cardboard cut-out villainy have taken the spotlight. The one thing this book has going for it is sharp art coupled with outstanding coloring. Other than that, Superman has become undeniably padded for trade, awash in mindless fight scenes and losing focus on the potent characterization that once made it such a crowd-pleasing romp among all the DC Rebirth books.

Through the "Imperius Lex" arc and now "Super Sons of Tomorrow," Tomasi & Gleason's run on Superman keeps declining in quality. The heartfelt characterization between Lois, Clark, and Jonathan is rarely seen anymore. It's been replaced by dumb slugfests and lots of explosions. The writers make up stuff with no explanation and internal story logic is ignored. Thank God this crossover is over in one more issue because it can't end soon enough.

Peter J. Tomasi & Patrick Gleasons latest issue of Superman is a welcome return to form. The kindness and focus on children was missed. Barry Kitson does a good job illustrating this one-and-done issue. This is an old-school comic book that anyone can read and enjoy!

Skip this issue and all the ones prior to it. Wait until new writer Kevin Grevioux takes over next month before you check this series out.

Cyborg only has one issue left to go before this very under-written series finally ends. I had high hopes for new writer Kevin Grevioux, but sadly he won't get a chance to grow and improve with time as the book is canceled. I wish him well and hope he gets another chance to spread his wings and prove his mettle on another book.

Hopefully, the next time DC gives Cyborg another shot at an ongoing monthly, he will be blessed with a writer or writers who are more inspired by the character and with a bolder vision to give Victor Stone his long overdue chance at a truly legendary run.

The Falcon as written by Rodney Barnes is easily one of Marvel's most poorly written books. The hero's motivations are paper-thin and he has no complex characterization. The villain's dastardly plot is rife with gaps in logic and will not in any way lead to him taking over the earth. The gang members are toxic stereotypes. And all of the jokes are painfully unfunny.

This issue of Falcon was stronger in terms of plot and action. Joshua Cassara continues to shine with his sharp artwork. The narrative moved fast and didn't linger on dramatic moments at the open and close so they had more emotional impact. But the dialogue remains simplistic and the one-liners are stiff and tone-deaf. Characterization is paper thin. Rodney Barnes could be a better writer, but he has got to explore more of his cast's motivations and history in order to produce more compelling scripts. Fewer jokes and more characterization are needed ASAP.

I pray that Bemis pulls a total 180 in the next issue and surprises the hell out of me by upping the stakes and throwing a few curveballs in the characterization. But based on this script, I cannot find a reason to believe otherwise. This story seems D.O.A. I hope he proves me wrong.