A pleasantly surprising piece of metafiction delivered ably by Johns and Gates made this, hands down, the best comic of the week. While the amazing lead feature has the regrettable side effect of eclipsing the Legion back-up, it's so good that I just didn't care. Highly recommended.

While I appreciated the raw energy apparent in the work, this issue of Amazing Spider-Man never rises above being the equivalent of someone explaining the punch line of a joke, and then asking, “Get it? Get it?” I got it. I just didn't like it very much.

Stern and Weeks deliver a strong issue, despite its overt similarities to an earlier story. This issue never feels like the beginning of a fill-in arc, even though none of the regular Spidey creative team is present. The stakes of the story never fail to keep your attention all the way until the last page, which is a whopper. I can't wait for the next issue, and it's been a while since I've said that about Amazing. Pick this one up!

Far from solid, but definitely full of potential. Worth a look, if only for Andrews' art, but I have a feeling that Ellis' script will provoke your curiosity enough to check out the next issue.

Another month, another Avengers Academy issue better than the last one. No surprises here.

Bendis' story and character work would be fun on its own, but with Davis on his side, this comic is THE Avengers title to pick up. Too bad it's only a miniseries.

While far from perfect, Tony Daniel has given a surprisingly solid performance after a few months away. Despite the story not being my exact cup of tea, it's a marked improvement over the previous story-arc. That said, the jury's still out on where Daniel will go with this.

Azzarello and Noto serve up a fine introduction to DC's pulp-tinged new universe. Lush visuals supported by a strong script that persuasively sells the character of Doc Savage as a worthy headliner make this an enjoyable read.

Dark Wolverine was the sleeper title of 2009 for me. It was ten times better than it had any right to be, and I looked forward to every new issue. Alas, the last three issues have been highly disappointing and the three before that? Middling, at best. Sometimes, you just have to pull the plug. Bye-bye, Daken. It was fun while it lasted.

Regardless of the return of a favorite of mine to the Marvel Universe, this issue fell flat for me. Annoying and bland characters plus a premise that I've already seen ad nauseam in other Dark Reign titles equals a complete misfire. Buy it for the Leonard Kirk and Steve Dillon artwork. Otherwise, skip it.

A somewhat disappointing time travel ditty with lots of potential. I'd be eager to read a second draft of this issue, but it seems I'm stuck with this one. Worth a look for Cloonan's art, though.

Hopefully someone at DC will realize that this comic book needs to be called Metal Men. Dematteis and Giffen and Maguire are producing a fun, humorous piece of storytelling that is unfortunately stuck in the back of a comic book not worth buying. It's a shame, really.

The best of the bunch doesn't always mean much. Gillen and Espin finally conclude the first arc and they do it pretty well despite the odds stacked against them, managing to inject a small sliver of, well, you know.

A lack of laughs in a story played for them, and a revelation that doesn't work unless you happen to have a steel-trap memory of the last forty-plus years of Bat-history makes this issue worth skipping. Hopefully, the usually solid team of Dini and March can come though next month.

Johns and Mahnke deliver yet another superb chapter of Blackest Night. While some other titles crossing over with the event have started to feel tired when it comes to the primary gimmick, Johns uses Green Lantern to further flesh out the story in a magnificent way.

Johns and Mahnke are, as always, a dependable team and they consistently make Green Lantern a title to look forward to. While Johns' jesting didn't always succeed when in contrast with the crisis at hand, it far from ruined the fun to be had getting to see the different-colored lantern corps finally team up.

Look, I know that no writer, no matter what we might think, ever aims to write a bad story. I do think that a writer has a sense of responsibility to make his plots make sense and work within its established parameters. Sadly, Hulk #17 does almost none of these things. Nice variant cover, though…

What's Good: Right after delivery, some parents give their newborn sons a sports t-shirt or a teddy bear or rattle. Ed McGuinness' parents must have given baby McG an issue of the Incredible Hulk on that momentous day because the artist was obviously meant to draw this title. McGuinness' larger-than-life pencils fit not only the Hulk title itself, but the World War Hulks story in particular. In a blockbuster tale where the likes of the Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, Thor and Wolverine all turn into Hulks, you must be able to bring a certain amount of weight to the proceedings, and McG does this in spades. I'd even make the safe assumption that if any other artist was given the task of bringing this issue to life, they would fail. (Well, okay, maybe not Arthur Adams!) The rest of the art team also deserves some kudos, from inker Farmer to the colorists Hollowell and Sotomayor. Hulk is basically a silly cartoon, complete with (unfortunately) silly cartoon logic but also silly cartoon visual

36 pages of a lineup of great Hulk pencillers. That's enough to make this one worth a nice long look, if not a purchase. The fact that Loeb actually tells a good story, too? Well, crap, this might the best Hulk ever gets.

A beautifully illustrated piece of popcorn fun. Seriously worth the price of admission just so you can ogle McGuinness' bigger than life pencils. The plot has its flaws, but it's so damn pretty!

There's an exchange around the midpoint of this issue between Badrock and the Savage Dragon that goes like this: Badrock: “This is going to ROCK!” Savage Dragon: “Grow up, already.” Those two lines perfectly summarize everything to be said about this comic book.

While Pak will never get me to like the ridiculousness that is A-Bomb, he has put forth some interesting story beats with his Hulks storyline. Unfortunately, Reed's approaching tale of Hiro-Kala that threatens to intersect with Pak's does dampen my excitement quite a bit. But if anyone can pull a good story out of questionable material, it's Pak.

It's an improvement from last issue, but the lack of appealing leads and the presence of dull villains continues to bring JLA down. I look forward to the day that the potential of a Robinson/Bagley Justice League title becomes more than just potential.

Whether you're an adult or child, this comic book is a must-have. Young and Shanower manage to make you remember fondly what it's like to be young and have an unknown, fantastic world laid out before you. And if you can't remember, they certainly make you wish you that could.

Second Coming continues to prove an apt title for this revitalization of the X-Franchise. Wells and his troika of artists supply a steady continuation of the plot that never fails to entertain.

DC's continues to land the majority of their Blackest Night crossovers in the win column. Tomasi and Pasarin not only deliver a solid story that entertains plot-wise, but it also looks great.

While some might think the last thing we need is yet another re-telling of Superman's origin (and I was inclined to agree judging from the first issue), there does seem to be room for just such a thing. If Johns and Frank can continue to mine the rich emotional content, then Superman: Secret Origin just might turn out to be worth it.

Remender and Opena have pushed aside any doubts that I might have had about this iteration of X-Force. A script that not only delivers on the action and intrigue, but also humanizes our anti-heroes (even ones like Deadpool and Fantomex) combined with beautiful artwork that is perfect match for the plot equals a knockout second issue that really sells the potential of this series. Don't miss this one.

Well, the momentum coming off of last week's X-Men: Second Coming #1 hasn't been completely lost, but the danger has reared its head in this installment. Despite that, strong character moments as the X-Men threaten to tear apart from within keep the story exciting enough to continue with. Fingers crossed.

A solid “breather” issue as Fraction and Dodson show the X-Men gather their strength and mourn their fallen friend before the next big push. Fraction's installments of Second Coming have, to date, been the weakest of the bunch, but in a crossover with such a high performance rate, “weak” is far from bad.

Waid and Oosterveer's sophomore chapter of their latest The Unknown miniseries doesn't fail to entertain. A fascinating heroine, a creepy and well-written mystery, and generally solid story-telling in the artwork all add up to a comic book well worth your time.

Despite distracting similarities to DC's own nighttime avenger, Hurwitz and Opena make Vengeance of the Moon Knight #3 work thanks to this month's spotlight on wonderfully wicked baddie Bushman. A particularly affective last page left me wanting to see what happens next.

Skip it. Unless you're a hardcore Hulk or Deadpool completist, you really do not need this comic. Skim through the Deadpool story in your local shop, and then buy S.H.I.E.L.D. #1.

There are just as many positives as negatives to be found in this first issue of Marvel's newest X-title, and while Liu seems to manage to hit the right beats most of the time, Conrad's handle of the character is more in doubt. There's enough promise here to stick with it for the first arc, at least. Let's hope it's not in vain.

In spite of a much-publicized death that could have been executed better, this issue fired on all cylinders. Kyle and Yost deliver a riveting script, and Choi and Oback make it that much better with their visuals. The first act of Second Coming concludes here, and boy, has it been a wild ride. If the X-office can keep this up, they've got something special on their hands. Definitely worth your time.

If you lost faith with Second Coming's last few chapters, don't despair. X-Force #27 has arrived to tell you it's all going to be okay. Check it out and you'll be happy you did.

Not only is this the second-to-last chapter of the event, but it's also the last issue of the current iteration of X-Force. Kyle, Yost, Choi and Clayton Crain have, for my money, delivered the best, most dependable X-title hitting the stands for the last 2+ years, and this issue isn't any different. While Chapter 13 didn't serve as a perfect swan song to the series, the Second Coming plot on a whole did a reasonably fair job of it. After all, X-Force spun out of Messiah Complex, which this is a sequel to, and the Bastion/Hope/X-Force as Cyclops' dirty little secret story-lines are really X-Force plot points that have been present since the beginning of the series. Kyle and Yost haven't always hit it out of the park (Necrosha, the aimless Wolfsbane nonsense), but they've definitely scored enough homeruns (Archangel's return, X-23′s character arc, the addition of Vanisher & Domino, Not Forgotten', pretty much the first 13 issues) that the series' failings don't stick wit

This issue's a winner. Carey, every month, demonstrates that he knows these characters well and how to make them interesting, most prominently Rogue. Acuna shows off his ability by really taking advantage of his strengths within the story. As a result, X-Men Legacy is definitely becoming the X-Men title to follow.

I know Im being harsh. This is how insulted I am that a story I could have really enjoyed has been crippled by a professional artist who cant be bothered to actually draw from his own imagination. To properly rate Careys contribution to this issue apart from Lands laziness, I had to pretend I was reading it in raw script form! Call me crazy, but thats something I think is worth getting a little irate over. This is the last time that Im buying anything that Land produces, no matter what title. I can no longer conscientiously support this sort of insult to the readers.

While far from perfect, Hellbound does show promise of potential and at least doesn't feel like a cheap spin-off of the larger event. Great characterization and the return of some classic X-villains rarely seen in decades have convinced me to come back for the next issue. Worth a look.