Andreyko has shown flashes of competence during his run, but this book is overstuffed with characters and gaudy soap opera style relationship dynamics that are a total bore.

The lack of care taken to justify the characters' actions in this book make it seem like a nothing more than a cash grab that combines a popular character with a popular creator and hopes for the best. Ultimately, it does a disservice to previous work on the character and Kubert's legacy as a creator. Damian: Son of Batman is simply an exercise in weeping and moaning and gritting of teeth. Unfortunately, the weeping and moaning will be coming mostly from a reader who can't believe they spent four dollars on this one.

This series is an exercise in how not to make comics.

Francis Manapul is a known commodity to many fans for his effusive, inventive art style, but none of that skill translates to his writing.

Dark Horse has had a few noteworthy superhero outings lately but Never Ending isn't one. Its core concept is weak because we've been down this road before. We've had our heroes face these problems before. Knave and Kirkbride don't bring anything new or, at the very least interesting, to the table. They're working in analogs without delivering on the nuance that might make us care about characters that we don't already know. It's fitting that Baxter's superhero name is "Chuck," because this book feels like just another disposable, forgettable entry in the superhero genre.

Yang's story buckles under the weight of its own importance. In trying to kickstart a new era for Superman, he's not able to deliver a character-defining piece of work. There is no twist. There are very few turns. This was a story that always had a very clear ending but the ride didn't have to be this boring. Yang and Romita have proven themselves to be talented storytellers in their own right but to let a pillar of your publishing line be so grossly misused clearly falls on the editors, Andrew Marino and Eddie Berganza. This story would have worked for various B- or C-list heroes with much less to lose than Superman and far fewer means to avoid a situation like this one. It's a shame, but with Howard Porter joining the title next month, there's one silver lining: things can only go up from here.

Thor: Crown of Fools #1 likely exists to give new readers a more familiar starting point than Infinity or God of Thunder but its good intentions are outweighed by it's lack of quality.

In an era where putting the word "X-Men" on the cover is absolutely no guarantee that a comic book will sell, it's hard to know who this comic book is actually for, besides Kitty/Colossus diehards (if those exist?) and Chris Claremont completionists.

It's hard to know who this series is for, what it's setting out to do and how it really relates to the rest of the titles and that's definitely a bad sign for an event mini.

Overwrought narration and a weak concept bring this one down. A Joker derivative as a villain will always be appealing in theory but the execution leaves this one lacking.

Hopefully, DC will put this book out of its misery soon. We've already seen how Kate dies. I don't think that the character needs to be dragged through the mud any further. When Andreyko was announced on the book, I was hoping he'd be able to provide a unique perspective as one of the few openly gay writers in comics. Instead, he's stripped the book of everything that's made the book unique and traded bigger emotional stories for cheap thrills that, unfortunately, aren't all that thrilling.

People were invested in Batwoman because she helped fill a need for diversity and the book was one of high quality. Now, she's a vampire, and the shift from critical darling to anonymous DC dreck is complete.

Black has a really interesting premise, but work like this really dulls its shine.

A lot of people will point to the choice of character as a reason for the book's failings. But there is no such thing as a bad character (well, maybe Forearm, but I digress), only creative teams who fail to help them meet their potential. The fact is, we have decades of Black Knight stories of varying quality, but Tieri and Pizzari are unable to scratch this one into the win column.

Thompson has proven herself across multiple titles over the past few years. Bachalo is a legend in the industry. Deadpool, well he’s still Deadpool - one of the most popular characters in Marvel’s stable. On paper, there’s no reason that this book shouldn’t work. But a basic concept combined with lackluster execution makes this debut an exhausting read rather than a fun one. Hopefully, the creative team can pull this one together or Thompson can find new life with whoever (inevitably) takes over for Bachalo and company. But right now, Deadpool’s turn as King of the Monsters is dead on arrival.

Unfortunately, Paul Levitz's scattered script is entirely flat, bouncing between the helmet, the medical troubles of the lead character's father, and the hodgepodge of Egyptian mythology

Evil Empire #1 ends with a groan-worthy revelation, and in that moment shows exactly how it's set apart from similar stories in the genre. It's a juvenile attempt at a political thriller that is bereft of any sophistication or nuance. It communicates in platitudes and leaves its characters flat. Getty is doing his job telling the story but its not enough to prop this one up. By the end of the book, its unclear how this issue relates to the larger concept. This is how empires are born? By rappers hanging out with politicians? Bemis has a lot of things happening to his characters but his characters are not making anything happen. When plot is moving forward for the sake of moving forward, there's a problem, and one that an editor probably should have caught.

I've read good comics by Max Bemis before. It's clear that Evil Empire is his attempt to break out of his comfort zone, but it just isn't working. Uneven dialogue spouted by characters that have yet to be fully realized set against an increasingly unbelieveable political climate are making this more of an exhaustive melodrama than high stakes entertainment. It feels like there's an effort being made to say something important but if you don't care about who's saying it, then you'll never get your point across. whatever message Evil Empire is trying to get across is falling on deaf ears because the quality of its package isn't up to snuff.

The Flash and his creative team are really buckling under the weight of their own story.

Harley is a great character, but reducing her an inane plot and dumb jokes is an affront to her fans and her creator.

Heroes in Crisis is a bleak and joyless debut that will leave readers wondering why they should come back for more.

If this book didn't have "James Bond" across the cover, you probably wouldn't be able to tell it was meant to be a James Bond story. Ayala and Lore get so preoccupied with plot minutiae that they never get to the main event. Even worse, neither the plot or the heroes have any of the elements that make James Bond one of the most enduring characters in fiction.

Let's Play God #1 is a horror mystery comic that touts itself as "Siouxsie and the Banshees meets Halloween" but comes off more like Evanescence in one of those awful Netflix horror movies that you come across when there is absolutely nothing left in the queue.

Major X feels like a creator trying to relive the magic of their youth by mining the past, when really the way to recapture that magic is to keep moving forward instead of looking back. This is a timeslide that readers would do well to reconsider.

There’s only one issue left in this event and there are still so many questions and so few answers. These are not only questions about whatever shred of a plot might be left, but also about the validity of event books in general. Obviously, they’re meant to help introduce change in a world that can be fairly inflexible sometimes. It’s much easier than to introduce new publishing initiatives, but readers will grow frustrated with a main title that doesn’t deliver a satifying story. If most of the changes are introduced in tie-in books around the Marvel Universe, might the line be better served with crossovers that didn’t feature a main narrative book? Maybe those questions are all we can take out of Original Sin. As it stands, this book is every bit as disappointing now as it was promising at the start of the series, and that’s a shame.

Events need to be “go big or go home” affairs. Readers are plunking down extra cash on top of their normal pull lists and they want to be treated so something special. With Marvel’s (and to a lesser extent DC’s) insistence on inundating the market with event books, we’ve been left with a significant dip in their quality, effectiveness and lasting consequences. You can’t give a story stakes when your next event has already been announced. You can’t give characters meaningful roles when we already know their status quo in their own title. Aaron and Deodato might have had no shot at creating something coherent and entertaining. The realities of the current comic book marketplace were stacked against them from the start. Maybe publishers need to rethink how they do event comics. But it’s an ouroboros. So let’s just hope that AXIS avoids the pitfalls of Original Sin.

Ravencroft is an attempt to shine a light on a somewhat forgotten corner of the Marvel Universe, but it's only making the case that it should have stayed forgotten.

Return of Wolverine has been a disappointment so far to say the least. This is a team of talented creators not working to their potential and not finding a way to make one of Marvel's greatest characters a marquee event.

This book is a mess, plain and simple.

Batman & Robin fans are going to wonder why they bought this, and Kubert fans are going to wish they were treated to more good Kubert pages than bad ones. It's kind of bad form all around. The script lacks the heart that's marked Tomasi's tenure as a writer on Batman & Robin. The art lacks the pizzazz of Kubert's better work. And overall, the issue lacks the fun of what's come before. You might be better served just skipping this one, chances are the back matter of any other DC book in the last couple of weeks already gave away the big surprise.

The Parasite had the potential to be an interesting foe after the last issue, but Scott Lobdell and artist Ed Benes opt to make him a roaring pile of purple puss with a wholly inconsistent power set.

I know that this is just one of those issues that I'll come back to and say "Well, in the grand scheme of things, maybe it wasn't that bad." But after a really exciting first arc that saw the return of the X-Men to the Ultimate Universe and then an even bigger reveal in the last issue than there was in this one, I was really gearing up for something big. It seems that we'll get something big eventually. For now, I'm quite averse to being swindled even if it is only for one issue.

Overall, this title feels a little too self-important for its own good, and your time is better spent with just about any other Secret Wars tie-in.

In the right hands, a Carnage story can be really exciting and adaptable across many different genres. Unfortunately, Tieri and Beyruth aren't up to the task.

In the end, Spurrier's concept comes across as a weak marriage of Generation Hope's "find new mutants first" impetus and Remender's "defend mutantkind against the threats it doesn't know are there" motives. It might be a worthy cause for Cable and his crew but it's not grounded in anything except itself. Kims art has its strengths but they don't come through enough in this one. Hopefully, Spurrier can find an original direction to right this ship and take advantage of his artist. Otherwise, there's not much more reason to care about this iteration of X-Force than there was the last two.

This anthology seeks to honor the X-Men's legacy but nostalgia-seekers would be better served digging into dusty longboxes than plunking down for this clunker.

Absolute Carnage: Scream pays a lot of lip service to redefining the women who have hosted the symbiote in the past, but ultimately it doesn't do anything unique with that opportunity.

Brian Michael Bendis' "The House of Kent" storyline is really collapsing in on itself, and we're only two parts in.

Comic books are episodic. It's what sets them apart from other printed mediums. Each individual issue must have an arc, just as a larger run or miniseries does. Alex + Ada is definitely a comic book that comes out tomorrow. It is definitely about artificial intelligence in the mold of I, Robot and classic science fiction. But Luna and Vaughn have made their opening issue a non-event, and that's a shame.

All-New X-Men #31 plays more like filler than anything else. In an age where marketing and PR has completely robbed us of any surprises, storytelling decompression has only served to annoy readers rather than enhance their experience. I think Bendis presents us with a fairly classic "X-Men go find a new mutant" story (complete with another "survive the experience" reference to X-Men #139) in order to reacquaint readers with these characters before thrusting them into a new situation. But it only serves to delay the inevitable and it makes the final splash completely predictable. Asrar doesn't really get much to draw in this issue either. Without any action to anchor the book, the lack of detail almost comes across as disdain for having to draw so many talking heads. Maybe this journey into the Ultimate universe is what's needed to reinvigorate this book - ya know, if they survive the experience.

This issue acts as an epilogue for "The Black Vortex" crossover that has consumed both the X-Men and the Guardians of the Galaxy, and in typical Bendis fashion, it's a pretty breezy read with a couple of big soap opera moments throughout.

With so many ideas in play, it's no surprise that we needed an epilogue to tie up loose ends. It's just too bad we couldn't get a better one.

America has suffered a massive drop off from its first issue because it isn't solidifying its identity in a meaningful way through the writing or art.

Coupled with missteps in the lettering stage, Batman: Damned feels like a misstep for DC's latest imprint, with this Black Label blotting out any originality in this overly bleak Elseworlds tale.

This one is a bad effort all-around that really shows the worst of the weekly comics format. It's repetitive, unnecessary and boring.

The creative team ties a bow on this book with a schmaltzy closing bit, but any good will for this title has long been spent already, and any attempts to salvage the emotional core of the title comes across like putting lipstick on a pig.

On the whole this one just sets the status quo as we launch into Gothtopia. There's nothing here you won't glean from the next issue's recap page.

Hardcore Chaykin/Black Kiss fans will probably find something to love here, but casual readers should seek out the original.

Rick Remender might be leaving it all out on the court over in Uncanny Avengers, but he's really slipping in Captain America. The conclusion to Iron Nail and the Gungnir's story is lifeless. Iron Nail proves to be an uninteresting, single-minded enemy and the implications of the ending are greater than the story that got us there.

Ann Nocenti's first issue of the "Race of Thieves" arc is as bland and antiseptic a superhero comic as they come.

Better art can't save this issue, though. The plot is meandering. The villain might as well be made of cardboard, he's so two-dimensional. There are still no stakes, and it's easy to see why. This is filler through and through. Why else would the event's main title not carry A-list talent? Don't get me wrong - these creators are capable, but their names don't exactly carry the weight that a Geoff Johns or a Jeff Lemire or a Scott Snyder might. Convergence is a disappointment that doesn't seem too concerned with righting the ship. It's bad, but not bad enough, and in a few month's time, when the small publishing changes that come out of it are written away, we'll forget it ever happened.

The third installment of Andy Kubert's bizarre Damian Wayne story trudges toward the end by adding even more to an already convoluted plot. But it's hard to look away because the the art is so good!

With a new status quo to explore, hopefully Soule and Garney can recapture some of the magic they found earlier in their run, but they currently feel like a team that's running out of steam.

Maybe the writer is holding something back to reveal over the next five issues but if that's the case, then he failed at crafting a compelling opening.

Maybe with more time Doctor Fate will come into its own, but these creators are an awkward fit for the property.

Chuck Palahniuk returns to one of his greatest creations, and while tone of this sequel is definitely in line with the original, these characters have not evolved - and that stagnation holds back this book.

Grant Morrison's work can often be impenetrable at times, and unfortunately this follow-up to his run on Green Lantern is no exception.

John Stewart's origins are revisited in Green Lantern: Lost Army, but I don't know if it's for the best. While the military overtures make for good narration, it's the same cliche-ridden stuff we've seen in tons of fiction that features veterans.

Harley Quinn and Power Girl is a mess of a book that does a disservice to both the characters and creators involved.

I guess the problem with The Infinity Gauntlet #1 is that it is completely unfulfilling and totally unsatisfying. There are no stakes. There is no fun to be had. This comic doesn't actually say anything or help us understand its larger role in Secret Wars. I'm not saying that this comic needed to be a meditation on mortality like the original. I'm not saying that it needed to give us a detailed explanation of how it ties in to everything else. But on a base level, a decent comic should be one that makes you think, "Hey, cool. Glad I read that." Unfortunately, this issue can't even achieve that.

Invincible Iron Man seems to be biding time until Secret Wars to end so that it can really start revving up the plot. But if that's the case, maybe it wasn't the right time to reveal your new flagship title. I can't believe the plot is moving this slowly only two issues in, but at least the book is nice to look at. Bendis is not utilizing Marquez to the fullest extent, but they have a history, so I'm sure that there will be some big moments coming. Unfortunately, you won't find them here, and there's no reason to check in on an issue that can be summarized in half a sentence on the next recap page.

Klarion looked promising upon its debut but the central concept will probably leave most fans non-committal.

Green Lantern stories thrive on themes of willpower and the struggle of good versus evil. Larfleeze doesn't have to concern itself with all that. Avarice becomes an opening to insert humor into the GL universe but J.M. DeMatteis and Keith Giffen don't attempt to write outside of Larfleeze's main motivation of greed, after awhile, it gets tiresome

Monsters Unleashed doesn't live up to its potential so far because it can't even live up to the Pacific Rim-style inanity of its conceit. It's hard to get readers invested in a concept when you fail to execute the most basic part of that concept well. Marvel did Cullen Bunn and themselves a disservice by choosing to switch artists from issue to issue. Rather than create something cohesive, the script almost seems to be fighting with the art. There's no fluidity. There's no grace. The end of the book is promising but even the most optimistic readers are going to have trouble finding something to love here.

Perhaps more than the writing, the art holds this book back. Robert Love's work is definitely reminiscent of Erik Larsen's but Love's awkward foreshortening, dull backgrounds and inconsistent characters make this one hard to get through.

Entirely too long and incredibly self-important, the conclusion to Nightwing is one that nobody needed.

Pires and Diotto are infatuated with the aesthetics of The New Gods, Thor and even Stranger Things, but that clouds their ability to mix those into something new and compelling.

No need to take the plunge with this one in floppies, this is likely trade-waiting bait all the way.

Red Wolf #1 is no way to quell those that said this book and this creative team wouldn't work. Hopefully, it's not an instance that allows Marvel to say, "Well, we tried and you didn't like it," because it's clear that they didn't really put their best foot forward. By the end, there's little doubt that Edmondson and his editors had any plans to actually keep Red Wolf in his original setting. Instead, they opted to go down the "man out of time" route that we've seen from Marvel so often. We get it. It worked with Captain America. But maybe it's time to try a narrative approach that's actually new.

Secret Empire is exactly what you don't want from an event - a hollow, uninspired slog.

Nick Spencer deserves credit for trying to corral Secret Empire into something workable, but this story's pacing and escalation was overwhelmed by the scope of everything. On some level, we expect our heroes to win, but we want those wins to feel earned. The status quo right now may not be all that different, but the Marvel Universe feels broken, stuck in a cycle of chasing the ghosts of past successes. Hopefully, "Legacy" will represent a truly new beginning, because it feels like we’ve lost so much. May we never lose hope.

This issue suffers from a lack of a real hook. Fraction has a lot of range as a writer. He can tell any story, from very down-to-earth ones that have no frills and are incredibly moving to plots that seem completely insane but actually have a lot of heart. Sex Criminals has yet to be defined because the creative team has barely scratched the surface. They spend so much time in the past that we don't get to see the present or move into the future. A few questions are raised by the events in this book but nothing that will really grab anyone. Fraction buried the lead. Let's just hope it's not six feet under.

There's a chance that She Said Destroy improves as it moves forward, but that chance looks particularly small at this juncture.

Two more stories are here to expand the Spider-Verse story, and they're both a bit saccharine and feel extraneous.

It's probably for the best that this book will soon be put out of its misery.

Matt Kindt's run on Suicide Squad ends with a whimper.

This is the comic book equivalent to catching up on a story via Wikipedia.

There are a lot of books featuring Superman on the stands right now and you'd probably be better served to pick up any of them than waste time with this formulaic snoozefest. Superman is a great character that is very flexible in terms of interpretation and execution of concept but Yang doesn't try anything we haven't seen before. Even Romita's work seems jilted by the switch from Geoff John's scripts to these. Other writers have used this new status quo as an opportunity to explore what makes Superman the hero that he has been for years. Yang doesn't get that chance, because his story exists before the status quo shift. He gets a raw deal because of the publishing schedule, but you'd have squint to find anything interesting here anyway.

With the release schedule the way it is, this creative team seems like they were doomed to fail. And that's a shame. But this title has burned through any goodwill it might have had. That's something that DC should take note of - you can only add a new creative team or relaunch a book or introduce a new status quo via a poorly executed event so many times before readers are going to start to feel like they're being fleeced. I'd love to write about how good Superman is. I really would. But DC hasn't given me a reason to, and they don't seem all that concerned with trying to.

Overall, this just feels sloppy.

American Alien has lofty goals, but there isn't an inkling of execution here. I don't think Landis' approach works here, especially when you compare it to similar stories like Mark Waid and Leinil Yu's Superman: Birthright and Geoff Johns and Francis Manapul's Superboy: The Boy of Steel. American Alien has no hook or framing device to give readers a reason to jump onboard with this title. Nick Dragotta is an incredible artist, but he doesn't show up here for whatever reason. It might have been the subject matter, but we're used to seeing much better work from him. American Alien is a disappointment in every sense of the word, and Landis would be wise not to dial up expectation for his next project the way he has with this one.

This might read better once the entire story has been released, but this first chapter leaves a lot to be desired. It’s admittedly a tall order to try and give the very first superhero a brand-new definitive origin. But Miller is really grasping at straws trying to find something to say. He fills the pages with narration the same way you might start the first draft of an essay in hopes that something comes to you.It’s frivolous. And if Romita is supposed to be a draw to the book, his work is blocked out - an awkward fit for what Miller is attempting to do. Altogether the whole affair just feels off, like it’s a song we’ve heard before played by a band we know, just incredibly out of tune.

Most of the key ingredients for a solid Teen Titans story are in place here. It's the execution that's lacking.

The Covenant isn't an offensively bad comic book - it's just an unrefined one. Horak's art feels amateurish at some points, and that's not particularly encouraging. Liefeld's scripting is utilitarian and dull. The sum of those parts is a boring book that stands out against Image's other offerings because it lacks the imagination and flair that those books possess. The concept at the title's core is somewhat interesting - the Ark is a compelling artifact on it's own and a biblical heist sounds like fun - but Liefeld and Horak aren't able to fully realize the concept in this issue.

I like the themes that Pires has worked with in the past and the ones that he seems to want to explore here. But this is a disjointed attempted at making some sort of statement. Is is decrying fame? Does it even want to? If ruminations on fame are essential to the book, the, uh, "cameos" (to put it lightly) at the end ring even more hollow. Pfeiffer's art is so referential that it feels manufactured and cold. When fans buy comic books, they buy it for the medium that it comes in just as much as for the story that's contained within those pages. Pires and Pfeiffer fail to use the medium to their advantage, and unfortunately only succeed in delivering a product that feels like an imitation of titles that tread similar territory.

This start isn't impossible to come back from. The idea of an eternal American warrior isn't a bad one. But the creative team needs to let loose. They had a blank canvas, and the best they could conjure up was the sort of thing that gets canceled after six episodes on USA Network. There's a lot of strong imagery that can be used here. I mean, plenty of characters have draped themselves in the flag with great success! The Shield can be one, too, but the creators need to show some vision first.

I understand that Marz is trying to build something new here, but nothing about this feels new. Castro isn’t a bad artist and hopefully, once he doesn’t have to draw the Colorado deserts, he’ll flourish. But Marz’ plotting really has to pick up the pace, too. While this book isn’t called “Turok: Dinosaur Hunter,” that’s what people are picking up the book expecting. It’s not a writer’s job to completely just give readers what they want, but this debut does nothing here to win readers over to this character.

It's pretty safe to call the weekly series a gimmick at this point, and unfortunately, a generally failed one.

Books like this bum me out because to me, they are anti-comics. I don't expect a publisher, especially one of the Big Two, to put art before commerce - that would be naive. But at least try something new.

This issue is a mess. All the good will that Jason Latour and Mahmud Asrar had built over the last few issues is squandered as we come to an entirely disappointing conclusion.

There's nothing to sink your teeth into with this book and that's how it's been for some time. The Finches were heralded as a saving grace for Aphrodite's agent, but their time ends with a whimper.

Hopefully, a new artist can help pick this one up, but for now, this book is scraping the bottom of the barrel.

In trying to get us to the finish line that is the end of the "New 52," DC is really limping along. While Batman has gotten a fairly succinct finish to this era of DC publishing, Superman's final days are spent much like the first ones - a varied, scattershot approach that doesn't serve the characters or creators as well as it should. This storyline is a mess and one that readers will, no doubt, want to move on from. But why should they have any faith that DC will handle the Man of Steel correctly in the next go-around? Completists won't mind flipping through this one but more casual fans might just want to wait for Rebirth.

Airboy will probably get a push from the controversy that surrounded this issue, and maybe the last two issues will prove that push to be deserved. Hinkle's art definitely deserves attention, but Robinson has yet to find his footing. The "depressed artist" trope is a well-worn one, and I kept waiting for the script to really say something about, well, anything at all. We do get an interesting bit of self-evaluation from Robinson, but it isn't the tentpole moment that the comic needs. Some readers might be enthralled with the bit of "inside baseball" that the comic provides, but that's a terribly small niche to be aiming for. I believe that Robinson has something to say - some of his previous work has had a very strong voice - I don't think this is an effective vehicle for him to say it.

Peter David does little to make his team compelling and their mission lacks a real hook. On top of narrative deficiencies, Carmine Di Giandomenico's art is lacking. Hes almost a Walt Simonson without any of the charm of Simonson's work and he has a penchant for awkward posing and unruly facial expressions. Hopefully once the entire team is together, David and Giandomenico can flesh out a solid direction for this book.

"Learning to Crawl" is unoriginal and it has no heart. It's basically the opposite of the main Amazing Spider-Man arc.

Event hangover is in full effect in this one. Without a new one to jump into, Dan Slott and Christos Gage's narrative meanders about in a bland attempt at establishing some sort of baseline for stories moving forward.

Venom Inc. involves a new symbiote host and his new mind control abilities, but Dan Slott and Mike Costa don't have any depth to add to the overall concept.

"World War Wendigo" might be an eye-catching title but this issue isn't worth the cover price. Hopefully, Kyle and Yost will do better than to use ol' Canucklehead as a storytelling crutch.

DC’s 'Digital First' books have really been a mixed bag, and I think it’s because these books were never really intended for the platform. It’s not enough to just make a comic for print and toss it into a digital setting. The ways that people read are entirely different on a phone or tablet. That means that the content has to change to suit that. Otherwise, you’re trying to fit a square peg in a round hole and you’re leaving readers holding the bag with a poor reading experience. This issue is a clear example of that, leaving Aquaman: Deep Dives #3 is dead in the water.

This event is a mess.

It's hard to write effective endings in superhero comic books, and that's plenty evident in Batgirl #23.

King's been able to do some interesting things with a close adherence to structure in the past, but forcing it into every issue just doesn't work. It's the kind of thing that you don't want to have come across as gimmicky, and unfortunately, it's getting to that territory.

This is the comic book equivalent of writing a paper the night before it's due and increasing the font size and margins to hit a page count. It's empty, and it's not enough.

Frankly, it's all a bit anticlimactic and boring. Wake me up when this "Knightmare" ends.

It will be interesting to see what elements of this run remain a part of Batman’s legacy, but arguably King was at his best when he was trying to tell a good story rather than deliver on some master plan. (The date night with Lois and Clark stands out as a particular highlight.) Bruce’s last words this issue feel like King trying to psych himself up for what’s next: “Maybe he knows how to go down and how to come back up. Maybe that’s enough. Maybe that’s just enough.” Maybe. We’ll just have to wait and see.

Batman and... has been a good place to explore Bruce's relationships with many different characters, but here it only changes the setting, and the narrative falls flat as a result.

The curse of the weekly struck swiftly. After an exciting opening issue, Tim Seeley mires Batman & Robin: Eternal in dialogue. The plot moves at a snail's pace and the lack of action is alarming.

Eternal keeps adding pieces to this puzzle but it feels like we're no closer to any sort of resolution.

Blue Beetle looked like it might be the kind of book that helped DC revitalize its lineup of teen heroes and give us a look in on the magical side of the DCU. Unfortunately, the creators at work here walk back on everything they did right in the debut issue. They end up stalling out on the same basic plot as the debut and in doing so, fail to move the narrative forward or enhance it by explaining some back story. Somehow they managed to tread water and we’re technically still at the beginning of an arc. Moving forward, Giffen and Kolins are going to have to try to recapture the energy of the Rebirth special if they really hope to get this bug off the ground.

If you like cyberpunk street gangs, parkour and comic books without any semblance of a plot, then Bonehead might be the book for you.

This book isn't a sendup of extremism. It punches down at something that tries to help bring clarity and understanding to our world and, in doing so, empowers the rejection of any meaningful dialogue about these ideas. It might be small, but missteps like these make it harder for anyone to do the things that superheroes can't.

Forever Evil hasn't been kind to Constantine and what we get here is essentially a drawn out fight comic, bereft of the character's intrinsic charm.

But after months of build-up, Convergence presents little more than a confused Superman running around punching stuff asking "Why?" I can't say that it's the start I hoped for - maybe it's not even a start at all. It feels like a haphazard attempt at Grant Morrison-esque meta-narrative, but without any of that writer's trademarks. A lot of people are heading into Convergence because they are excited to see their favorite eras of DC Comics represented, (I'm not the only one stoked for '90s Superboy, right?) but this issue doesn't really add to the hype at all. While an A-list artist elevates the book in terms of execution, at the end of the day, Convergence #0 is still a bizarre proof of concept that might actually fail entirely at setting up what comes next.

It seems that we're finally starting to get somewhere with Damian. But we're still lacking any real substance here. What are we supposed to learn about Damian? Why is he worthy or unworthy of the cape and cowl? Right now, we're flipping back and forth between action scenes and Damian's personal gripes about Batman's code. It's not particularly grabbing. But Kubert fans will definitely get a kick out of the art, which is more than I can say about the first book.

The only sure things in life are death, taxes and more Deadpool comic books. Cullen Bunn and Iban Coello produce another ho-hum entry into Marvel's most famous Merc's bibliography but they could elevate the concept at some point. This almost feels like the kind of book that you trade-wait on just because someone mentions that it gets good eventually. This first issue just doesn't stand alone as it's own compelling entry. The characters are hollow. The plot is predictable and the book isn't particularly funny or interesting. Best to spend your our dollars on something else this week.

Brett Booth's tenuous grasp on anatomy doesn't do Robert Venditti and Van Jensen's story any favors.

This is nothing like the Gen X that came before it - and it didn't have to be. But readers hoping that Strain and Pinna could capture some of the outsider appeal of that title would be better served to look elsewhere.

This issue is like the Nilla wafer of comic books. It's light. It's airy. It's enjoyable enough. But by the time you're done, you're still left kind of empty.

Fans of the Conner/Palmiotti run of Harley Quinn will find more to chew on than those jumping in with no familiarity. If you're someone looking for more Harley after seeing her new film or just curious about the character, you be better served by the beginning of their run than this awkward attempt to summarize their previous work and then move forward with it

Sometimes a veteran presence doesn't always equal a good product, and even promising artwork isn't enough to save this one. Homecoming #1 has a good core concept that is, unfortunately, diluted by bad pacing, cookie cutter characters and overwrought narration.

Marvel might be bringing out all its best guest stars to hunt for Logan, but right now, readers still have very little reason to pick up The Adamantium Agenda.

I Can Sell You A Body has potential, but fails to deliver on any of it.

It's great to see more of the "Fourth World" getting some play. But you'd be better served to read the originals. DiDio and Giffen clearly have a heart for the material, but they aren't doing anything exciting here or laying enough of a groundwork for new readers to really latch onto these characters. It's not enough to put characters in front of a reader and ride on historical significance alone. There's an opportunity for a great story somewhere in this book because of the pedigree of the characters and their original creator but DiDio and Giffen have yet to tap into it.

While Kick-Ass had a tongue-in-cheek charm to it, Kick-Ass 2 reads like nothing more than half-baked storyboards for the next film, filled with "cool visuals" and "edgy material" but little in the way of substance.

A promising debut is squandered in Issue #2 of Klarion. Trevor McCarthy's art goes from ambitious to incredibly messy.

Xavier Morell's work is exactly in the paranormal crime genre defined by The X-Files and Hellboy. The two leads, Lunita and Ms. Fillion, are likable enough. The plot introduces a drug ring surrounding mermaid tears but it never really gets going. The art is what keep this book from really succeeding, though.

It's unfortunate because the Marvel Knights imprint has always taken characters further than their regular stories would allow them. You won't see Spider-Man tripping out of his mind in any 616 book. Marvel Knights: X-Men doesn't go there and while the artwork is strong, a blend of Chris Samnee's simplicity with Jeff Lemire's off-kilter darkness, it's not enough to save this one.

MPH is not as strong as other Millarworld titles but fans of his work will probably be on board. The “superpowers as designer drugs” concept is not a wholly original one, and that’s compounded by lackluster characterization and plot development. But it still has the potential to be a very powerful starting point. Millar is onto something with his early depictions of super-speed. We’ll just have to see if the rest of his story can catch up to that.

DC probably wants (and maybe even needs) New Super-Man to be something of a hit. Marvel has seen a lot of success with giving readers a diverse set of heroes taking on mantles with some significance to the larger Marvel Universe and DC wants a piece of the pie. But this books feels so forced. By the time we get to the final pages, we haven't learned very much about Kong and we've already had two new heroes introduced. As far as origin stories go, this one fails to be captivating on either a narrative or artistic level. In theory, New Super-Man is the kind of book we need more of right now, but this outing isn't the one we deserve.

So far in Original Sin, we’ve learned that the Watcher is dead, been reintroduced to a Z-list villain in The Orb and had a plot point in issue three become nothing more than a red herring. As the book approaches its second half, the plot is leaving a lot to be desired. This event is built on fear, secrets and paranoia but that’s nothing new. Fear Itself had similar themes and left most readers wanting because of it’s inconsistent execution and disappointing conclusion. If Marvel insists on going back to the well by featuring these themes, they owe it to their readers to serve up something that ruminates more on these ideas rather than just sending their characters on a wild goose chase that ultimately teaches them and the reader nothing.

Punchline Special #1 may not be the origin story that readers expected but it's probably not one they'll be dying to see expanded on either.

Gardner's beating himself up and without a strong cast for him to bounce off of, there's little joy in reading this comic. Obviously, mourning the death of your team/family is not supposed to be a joyous affair, but this one is hampered by the weight of the emotions at play trying to balance with being shoved into a crossover.

Call it event fatigue. Call it whatever you want. I can't believe we still have three more issue of this. Hickman's the type that doesn't include details for no reason. Molecule Man's appearance is a sort of Chekhov's Gun that almost inevitably will pay off somehow. Which side will wield it has yet to be seen, but hopefully Hickman picks up the pace a bit. Convergence suffered from a similar problem of slogging through exposition and by the end, the payoff wasn't worth it. Hickman and Ribic have three more issues to avoid that same fate.

Slott and company can probably right the ship given enough time, but right now this is a mess. The plotting relies too heavily on the tropes of another property altogether. (Although, I wouldn't put it past Slott to somehow include continuity from Marvel's short Doctor Who comic from a few decades ago.) The art relies too heavily on digital effects and subsequently it undermines it's greatest setting: space itself. Marvel's solo titles usually do a great job of delivering compelling adventures outside the context of a team, and that's very valuable, especially to fans of those characters. But this book won't be enough to entice new fans or satiate old ones.

The Daily Show head writer Elliott Kalan is at the helm, but a throwaway cast and a concept borrowed in part from the last few years of young Avengers titles doesn't help this one.

Spider-Man 2099 #1 is a missed opportunity to bring back a fairly popular series. The title character is there, but the world that made his book unique is absent. Fans hoping that this would be a return to form for Peter David will have those expectations met with a middling plot and lackluster character development. The art team is biggest letdown, especially considering that Sliney has drawn some good-looking comics in the past. Going back to the future, Spidey 2099 could still bring about some great stories, but we're not seeing even the start of them here.

It's hard to know what the appeal of this story is supposed to be and it doesn't matter how much the art team flexes their respective muscles, they're not going to be able to save a book that has no emotional stakes and almost nothing unique happening.

This prelude treads water. It fills the slot in the publishing schedule without telling us anything that could really be conceived as a big surprise. You could likely skip this issue and still keep up with Issue #27 because some of these facts will need to be retold to certain characters. Slott is an ambitious writer, there's no doubt about that but I think he's been juggling to many balls at once. I would have preferred finding out some of the details explained here through more deliberate moments in previous issues. Bogged down with too many artists, this is one of the few issues of Superior Spider-Man that's worth skipping.

"Men of Tomorrow" follows what's starting to become a "classic" New 52 tactic; build a character in a certain direction until pulling a flashy, no-substance detour for the sake of some publicity. Hopefully, this time they haven't gone completely off the road.

John Romita, Jr. fares a bit better than Miller this time around, because there are some big action sequences, particularly during the Atlantis sequences. But Superman: Year One feels rudderless and bland, lacking the creativity that its creators are known for.

If you're looking for more Shazam (and I don't blame you given the Big Red Cheese's main title delays), you're better off skipping this one, as it says little about the character and adds little to this event's bigger arc.

Shadow fans are better off leaving this one on the rack. Five bucks for inconsistent art and snooze-worthy storytelling isn't a great value and would be better spent on the next issue of the series proper.

I was really high on this book at first, but since the opening arc it has been nothing but a disappointment.

Uncanny Avengers has been in hangover mode since the fallout of their battle with Kang. Rick Remender hasn't been able to capture the excitement that was so prevalent and gives us a talky set-up issue that's designed to recenter the focus on Havok, Rogue and Scarlet Witch.

This issue eschews action for more philosophical debate, but most of the characters are just echoing things that have been obvious to readers for years at this point.

All in all, this book isn't going to wow anyone. Buffy fans might get a laugh from it but Vampirella fans are going to wonder why Dynamite decided to put out a book that seems so inconsequential and dated.

Guggenheim's work with Gambit is fun but this book is falling short of the others in the line. I think a big reason for that is Guggenheim's pacing. The plot feels relatively fast moving but all the reveals stop the momentum dead in its tracks.

I loved the last issue of Action Comics but this one sees Greg Pak, Aaron Kuder and DC pull a resounding #NOTALLCOPS, undermining the statement that they started making.

Maybe it's time to put this concept on the shelf. Age of Apocalypse holds a lot of nostalgia for many readers of a certain age (including this reviewer), but this is a bit of a jumbled mess. The stakes are unclear. The characters ring a bit hollow. The art is stylistically strong but that can't overcome the lack of visual clarity on display. We like to remember the '90s as a time of excess and bad comics. Maybe this was a meta-commentary on that, but I doubt it. Instead of an interesting new chapter in the Age of Apocalypse, all we get is a middling Secret Wars tie-in.

"Oz meets X-Men" should be a slam dunk of a concept - and it might still be - but as it stands, Vita Ayla and German Peralta's first issue leaves a lot to be desired.

X-Tremists is a book that's probably bitten off more that it can chew. Halfway through the series, it feels like writer Leah Williams has yet to dive into the themes that she set out to.

Smith tries to prop the book up on brotherly love schmaltz, but it's hollow at best.

All-New Hawkeye is suffering from a little bit of identity crisis right now. Lemire definitely has a direction he wants to take the book in, but he doesn't dig deep enough into yet and then drowns himself out by aping Fraction's quick quipping on the superhero side. Prez pulls something similar, letting loose during the flashbacks but then moving closer to Aja's style for the rest of the book. The book tries to play both sides of the new reader/old reader coin to some only middling effect. If the creative team continues to cuckold itself by hewing to the one that came before them, it's going to take a while for this book to find its own voice. If that's the case, they'll have to hope that readers stick by them.

I think that most fans wanted new adventures from Peter Parker and not think pieces on what it means to be Spider-Man. Unfortunately, this issue doesn't do a great job of delivering either one.

"Spider-Verse" will be over soon, but even it's conclusion looks to be overshadowed by Marvel's recent S" announcements. These are all imaginary stories, but at least when the universe isn't coming to a close they feel like they have some weight. The hype machine needed for Marvel's next big event might have cut the legs out from under Slott and company, and that's a shame. Up until now, the book had been carrying along at a nice pace. Unfortunately, it gets too caught up in it's own machinations in this penultimate chapter, and muddies the potential for a strong conclusion.

Humberto Ramos' artwork is effective but the story is a bit of a bore, making this issue one that most readers can probably pass on.

The newest entry in Nick Spencer and Humberto Ramos' latest Spider-Man arc "Hunted" still feels like it's locked in to building a foundation for this event. And that robs the narrative of a lot of momentum.

Love him or hate him, you can't deny that Humberto Ramos' linework is some of the most energetic in comics, but it feels like he's really laboring here. He doesn't get as much consistency from his renderings of Spider-Man as we're used to.

As always, 'time will tell' if this arc will really engage and satisfy readers but at this juncture, it can't help but feel anticlimactic.

Renew Your Vows was a nice trip down memory lane, but it doesn't have the teeth to be considered memorable on its own.

It's far from the worst book you'll read this week but it definitely won't inspire anyone to really dive into the hero of Atlantis.

When Abnett digs into the bureaucracy, it feels real, like a scene you might see in House of Cards but it's not terribly interesting and that's because we know so more information than the characters do.

Avengers has been a disappointment so far. Aaron and McGuinness just can't get on track.

With a more compelling artist onboard and a more singular vision, I think it's possible that King could have communicated what he wanted to communicate to readers a little bit better.

There are only 13 issues of Tom King's Batman left, and given the two big moments toward the end of this book, it's impossible to know where he's going to from here. On some level, it feels like he's got to have more to say than what he has so far. But it also feels like without his trademark nine-panel grids, King is still struggling to properly pace his work.

While Tom King's run may have leaned heavily into metaphor, it doesn't seem like Tynion has quite found his voice with this run yet, and the result is an adventure that feels like a boilerplate approach rather an essential one.

The hallmarks of a great James Tynion book just aren't there, as the writer seems to be forcing himself to write an answer to fans' expectation of what a Batman book should be, rather than deliver a title that feels uniquely his.

This book reads like a writer unfortunately reined in and but really wanting to do the best job possible. Jorge Jimenez's work is the kind that helps readers gloss over the script's inadequacies because it's so easy on the eyes but even having the kind of consistently drilled into us month after month has a numbing effect.

Weekly series always have a few clunker issues, but this is far from the worst of them.

Sean Gordon Murphy can sure draw the hell out of Gotham City, but his writing in Batman: Curse of the White Knight leaves a lot to be desired.

James Tynion IV handles scripting duties for this installation of Batman Eternal, which is proving to be an all-encompassing narrative but an unwieldy one

This issue reminds us of the pitfalls of the weekly format; sometimes you hit odd uneven patches after a stretch of good storytelling.

This chapter almost feels extraneous, but it's not the worst this title has been.

This issue sets up Arkham Manor but does little to be a satisfying read.

This is the worst I've seen Batman Eternal look in a while.

Each interesting concept that has been broached by the Batman Eternal creative team has (mostly) been marred by poor execution, and the plot is starting to feel more like a wild goose chase than a compelling narrative.

Fernando Blanco's art works for this issue and by virtue of effectively telling the story, it's definitely ahead of many of the other artists that have worked on Batman Eternal. But for this issue, there's nothing to get particularly excited about - fatigue is definitely setting in.

Gregg Hurwitz ends this Man-Bat story with a fittingly gray conclusion. Man-Bat might have been stopped but corporate greed is alive and well. Hurwitz is reaching for something bigger than this book ever was and the sentiment rings a bit hollow.

The action is visceral and the characters are expressive. There's a lot to like here, so hopefully the story itself catches up to the artistry on display.

All in all, come for the art, and hope Murphy figures out the rest because there's a lot of potential here if the creator can decide what he actually wants to do here.

After a forced tie-in to "Zero Year," writer Marc Andreyko finally gets to spread his wings in Batwoman #26. But the results are less than inspiring.

Batwoman is starting to read like a book on its last legs. Marc Andreyko moves into familiar territory with a hallucination sequence that recounts Kate Kane's struggles with being gay in the military. While that could have the potential to be very powerful, the delivery method is awkward and haphazard.

Bennett and Tynion don't do anything to make this story uniquely a Batwoman story. The plot feels interchangeable, like any hero could be slotted into a very similar situation. That's disappointing for a character who was previously one of the more exciting heroes on DC's roster.

Bloodshot #1 is fuled by cool factor and driven by "whoa!" moments. It's meant to shock you into reading on while still providing a few main plot points about Bloodshot's past and origins. But it's not enough. It feels like we've been down this road before with other series. If this book continues to be dragged down by inconsistent art and recycled plot points, it'll have a hard time getting its hooks in with the current comics market.

Decidedly average is probably the best way to describe this outing.

Book of Death #1 is a rough beginning but maybe not one the creative team can't come back from. The lifeless and bland nature of the art is a letdown, considering this is supposed to be Valiant's main event for the summer, but there are a few bright spots for them to build on. Venditti's concept at the core of the title is one that can work in the Valiant Universe, it's just going to take a little bit more time for the individual pieces to gel. Die-hard Valiant fans will be excited by the premise but likely disappointed in the execution and new readers will just be a bit lost.Overall, there isn't too much for anyone here except the hope that it gets better.

Overall, everything in the story works together but it feels like a story with the pages that might inform the reader as to what is actually going on completely missing. This is not the best way to deliver a debut issue.

I think this event is finding some sort of footing but it has yet to really resonate with me in any meaningful way. Telos hasn't been a compelling character from the onset of this story so any development he has towards the end of the story doesn't really look to make us suddenly care. Great villains are usually born of great tragedy (in this case, Thanos specifically comes to mind) but Telos' great tragedy is so amorphous that we have no context for it. I'm glad that DC is putting some competent artists on these issues to at least make for something easily readable but there's no substance to this event/ And without that substance, how is it supposed to have a significant impact on the line moving forward?

For a tie-in that's so focused on its characters, Duursema can't seem to decide what they look like and that draws attention to other weaknesses in the art such as the lack of visual flow. These inconsistencies pile up and mar an otherwise inoffensive event tie-in.

Damsels will immediately be compared to Fables and Fairest because of its setting and characters but its definitely got a different feel to it. Unfortunately, this first issue is not going to be enough to hook most people in.

Barring offensive stereotypes, there is no such thing as a bad character - they're only limited by what creators do with them. But as it stands, this one-shot fails to inspire any hope that Bowers and Sims have something new to say and do with Darkhawk. This is basically the comic book equivalent of his Wikipedia entry, and that's not going to be enough to get readers to beg for an ongoing. Diehards will have some fun with the little Easter eggs and nods to continuity that they know, but that's about it.

Unfortunately, this book is going to take a couple of issues to really come together.

This is a book that feels like it's going in reverse. Rob Venditti and Van Jensen's narrative lacks the excitement and stakes of previous Flash stories so they go back to the well.

Gotham Academy is a step in the right direction for DC and for superhero comics in general but the creative team, specifically the writers, are going to have to give us more if they want us to keep coming back. So far, we've gotten a somewhat derivative story set-up with little in the way of direction or characterization coupled with mostly gorgeous artwork. It's not a terrible base to start from and the general comics buying public seems to agree. But a notoriously fickle audience could turn pretty quickly if the creators aren't able to deliver.

Patrick Zircher's art is still the main draw, but Benjamin Percy's concept is crumbling under its own weight.

This issue wraps up the return of Roy Harper, but having to split time between present-day events and flashbacks hurts the flow of the book and the impact of the ending.

The final page is ripped straight from Star Wars, Episode IV: A New Hope, but it sets the tone for this new era of Green Lantern. Hopefully, the execution will eventually match the potential here.

Space scamp Hal Jordan is back at it again, but Robert Venditti's script is dull, save for one interesting action sequence.

With Kirkman's popularity growing every day, it only makes sense that Top Cow would want to put out this unreleased issue. Hordes of Kirkmaniacs (and "Pilot Season" completists, I guess) will probably buy it. Mission accomplished. But as a standalone piece of work, this one was probably better left on the shelf.

Mark Bagley plays to all his strengths, never really venturing outside the pocket to experiment with new methods of expression or storytelling. But for a script that leans a little heavy on exposition to set the stage, that works here.

Too much style over substance really undermines some solid cartoonings from him and distracts from the narrative. This event has already worn out its welcome.

Inhumans Prime #1 is a very, very soft reset for the Inhumans line. It puts some familiar pieces in slightly unfamiliar circumstances and it puts forward the idea that without the Terrigen mists, this may be the last generation of Inhumans. They’re now a race that faces imminent extinction, at least as far as having superpowers goes. That’s not unlike the X-Men’s status quo post-M-Day. It remains to be seen if a quality story can be built on this foundation, but at least Marvel has acknowledged that they need to make the Inhumans somewhat more unique. The less-is-more approach should help them refocus. As for this issue, it’s does a mediocre job of bridging the gaps because more of these plot points will be repeated in individual titles moving forward.

We're halfway through this event and if you're feeling a bit nonplussed, you're not alone. This reviewer may be letting the outside factors of Marvel Entertainment's reality affect their enjoyment of the book, but it's hard not to consider when it's hard-earned cash that plunked down month after month. Clearly, no one is totally trying to phone it in - there are talented creators working on this title - but there's a level of complacence. Nothing is really going to change. While that feeling is present in all superhero comics, the arcs of these properties are too well-known (the recent "ResurreXion" announcements didn't help) to feel the gravity of this plot.

There's no avoiding it: Justice League #41 is a slog.

Talented creators are involved in this one all around, but they just aren't able to stick the landing.

This kind of workmanlike, tunnel vision approach to storytelling gets the bills paid, but doesn't really feel worth the cover price.

Coupled with a boring story, this book just looks and feels like any old superhero comic book. That approach might work for a more established cast of characters, but the creators here do their book a disservice but not having it stand out more.

There's clear room for improvement, especially the inventive way Orlando has Vixen rejoin the fold. But this roster still hasn't consistently gelled, and it shows.

After an inspiring start to this mini-series, Longshot Saves the Marvel Universe #2 goes off the rails in terms of pacing and effectiveness.

Marvel's "Marvel Rising" initiative is aimed at younger readers but it's so poorly executed that I can't imagine they'd even be interested.

Moon Knight is a character with a lot of potential, but it's being wasted here.

Now, of course, this is only a first issue. Things can change quickly. By issue #2, maybe the creative team will have worked out some of the problems that plague this issue. But burying the potential hook that this series/character has and pedestrian artwork really start this one off on the wrong foot. Even if Morbius survives his current predicament, this book might not make it to 2014.

It's a valiant effort from all parties to an imperfect situation, but this issue is a reminder that despite the best laid plans, comic books are more than just the sum of their parts.

Considering Marvel's recent rededication to OGNs, I'm somewhat surprised they didn't go that route with Origin II. This issue sets up the rest of the series without telling us anything new about the character. It doesn't have the same wow factor that issue one did with the fight between Wolverine and the polar bear. It's not that this is a bad comic but in the course of a five-issue miniseries, this might be the one you mostly forget.

There's a good X-Men story in here somewhere, but it feels like Rosenberg is really spinning the wheels at this point.

I kind of hope the ending is a red herring. Chu can obviously understands the character, but this issue reads like she didn't have a surefire home run for a plot. Considering Ivy's stature as a B-list Batman rogue, it's going to take a lot more than half-baked murder mystery to get reader to buy in. Mann's art is aesthetically pleasing but he doesn't really push the envelope and he's going to need to if Chu's plot doesn't improve. I like the idea of giving a character like Poison Ivy a chance to be in a spotlight but creators have to remember that it also puts them under a microscope. Right now, this title isn't holding up under scrutiny.

Removing Starfire from the Outlaws equation seemed like a move that could work. (After all, the book wasn't great with her in it - could it get worse?) But Lobdell fails to do anything new with the characters that remain. That's the problem with the book. It's not going to be the worst book on the stands, but it doesn't even feel like it wants to be the best. I'd rather see creators try and fail to execute big ideas than deliver something so textbookly mediocre. That's not to say that this book can't get better, but it feels like this title has a low ceiling - and worse, that the creators are okay with that.

Buyer beware, but if you do decide to jump into the deep end with this one, at least it'll look good.

S.H.O.O.T. First has a solid concept at its core but subpar art is likely to clip its wings.

Secret Empire #1 fails because at best, its hook is a gimmick. It's a cheap trick. And at worst, it attempts to stand on the shoulders of the legacy of some of Marvel's greatest creators and then do a disservice to one of their greatest heroes.

Secret Empire has been uneven at best. I hate the term “event fatigue,” but who is a 10+ issue event like this for when there’s such a big sea change on the horizon for the publisher? Nick Spencer’s work here has been its best when he isn’t just trading in the dynamics that the publisher has been for the last 10 years. But it’s hard to keep the stakes up when every reveal only asks more questions instead of answering any of them. The art’s scattershot approach across the event has hurt the story overall, and this issue is no exception. Secret Empire keeps delivering big moments, b...ut it’s not cluing us in on what any of it means, and that’s disappointing.

If Secret Empire can deliver on bringing its separate narrative threads together, it might end up being a satisfactory event. Multiple artists are really bringing down the flow of these issues but it's really Sorrentino that's the worst fit. Even the big moment at the end is a swing and a miss because Sorrentino doesn't thrive with those big iconic splashes. But credit to Nick Spencer for at least removing some of the inevitability that was creeping in. Events are fun when you don't feel like you know the ending! The last three issues looks to be a sprint to the finish but it's unclear what path they'll take and that's promising.

She-Hulk debuted with a bang, but it goes out with a whimper.

One has to wonder why DC would opt to bring in another mediocre new teen hero when they have so many great ones currently sidelined.

This isn't necessarily a bad outing by this creative team, but after their dynamic debut, this #1 can't help by feel a little light. It feels too early to be rehashing old storylines already. Considering how long Spider-Gwen has lasted, we'll hopefully get to see more of her world and the other characters that inhabit it. Latour and Rodriguez are taking their time building the world and there's nothing wrong with that but there's nothing in this issue to really entice anyone to read it. I mentioned a reveal at the end and it's kind of cool but it feels inorganic and tacked on. Here's hoping that Spider-Gwen can swing back to its previous level of quality next month.

Brian Michael Bendis is clearly the architect of the Marvel Universe at this juncture, but his books aren't always worldbeaters. After so many years with certain characters, maybe it's time for fresh perspectives to inject them with some sense of urgency rather than trapping them in a seemingly endless cycles of inciting incidents followed by half-hearted rumination. Bendis doesn't ask bad questions or even the wrong ones, but he's not concerned with answering them, and in doing so takes agency away from his characters but also his artists. Kudos to Nico Leon and Marte Gracia for at least making this book look like a Big Two comic book - it's not easy to find interesting ways to draw talking heads. But if characters are going be the core of an issue like this, the creative team, editors included, need to make sure that meaningful work is being done.

If this was either creative team's audition for more work with Miles moving forward, it wasn't a great one.

Spread isn't a bad comic, but the writing comes across as purely utilitarian, and it's completely outclassed by the art. The familiarity of the book could work for or against this title, depending on the reader. But if Strahm and Sobreiro continue their strong work, they should be able to buy Jordan enough time to really get this story going. Jordan has put himself in a position to deliver on a book that is much more than the sum of the parts presented here, and that's better than many creator-owned comics can say.

Fans of Amanda Waller's current incarnation might like seeing her in action but this is by no means a must-read issue. For those unfamiliar with Waller, this isn't a great place to start. Her New 52 characterization has been uneven, and this just adds to it. Here's an issue of a comic that, at the end of the day, is mostly inconsequential. There was no big demand. It takes place over six months ago (in terms of the publishing schedule). No other notable DC characters make an appearance. DC didn't try to put out a top-tier product by placing big-name creators on it. I'm sure that the creative team gave it their all, but it's not enough. The Wall might be the big dog at Belle Reve, but this issue is all bark and no bite.

Superior Iron Man doesn't give us anything to cheer about yet. In the back matter, editor Mark Paniccia explains that a bit about the history of "the unlikable Iron Man" and how this book returns Tony to that point in his characterization and cranks it up. The problem is that Tony was pretty unlikable when he was tolerable. Making him even more unlikable and saddling him with a concept as groan-worthy as the creation of a killer app (pun half-intended), doesn't do the character any favors and it forces Tom Taylor to write a character bereft of any dimension.

Superior Spider-Man is a book that's been merely good at its worst and one of the best books on the shelves at its best. But this issue is a new low. It does remind us of some major players that will undoubtedly rear their heads soon but for now, it seems like we're spinning our wheels just getting to the next big reveal. Characters are doing things because the writers wants them to do things and not because that's how the scenes would play out naturally. It's a rare misstep for an otherwise, solid run for Slott and company. Thankfully, we don't have to wait long to see if the quality of this book can catch up to the pace.

"Goblin Nation" is starting to feel sisyphean. For every few steps forward that are taken with the plot, we realize that we're still in basically the same place we were at the start. Everything must come to a head soon considering there are only a few issues of Superior Spider-Man but knowing that Peter is coming back and knowing that this book is ending are really robbing Slott and co. of the big ending they are shooting for. Camuncoli continues to be as on point as ever, and he's really expanded his range. It's a shame that an arc that's supposed to go out with a bang looks like it's going out with a whimper.

As prelude issues go, this one is pretty dull.

For full issue, this one is a little light. The highlight might be he Clark/Steve Trevor soap opera dramatics, but I think that Diana would be rolling her eyes if she heard Steve's speech. I want to say that Porter doesn't give the script the turn that it deserves, but the script isn't even particularly inspiring so who can blame him. Maybe I'm giving him too much credit, but it feels like there's a story that Yang is trying to tell somewhere underneath all the back and forth about Superman's powers and his identity. On some level, comic books are escapist fantasies, and the thing about Superman was that we could never be like him. He's super. We're not. Unfortunately, as we've seen these past few months, putting Clark Kent down to our level hasn't humanize him - it's just made him boring.

This finale will be overshadowed by the dawn of Rebirth, and this version of Superman is unlikely to be fondly remembered. The New 52 was an interesting experiment. It showed us how strong concepts like Batman can be while also showing us how easy it is to miss the mark with characters that are supposed to be constants in their universe. Tomasi and Janin try their damnedest to make this issue something memorable, but it's not enough. The reactions of the other heroes feels disingenuous. This is a Superman that didn't make a lasting impact on readers or his world of story. That's a glaring mistake, and one that I hope DC can fix moving forward.

This doesn't feel as much like a chapter in a story as an illustrated recap page.

Bendis can lampshade it all he wants, but he is having trouble balancing the feel-good nature of this Clark Kent/Superman reveal with anything resembling actual stakes.

Lobdell promised that this wouldn’t be a “cover band version of ‘Death of Superman’” and he’s absolutely right. There’s no way that Doomed will play out like that at all. But as far as being a Superman story for the ages, this one has a ways to go. There are a lot of balls in the air plot-wise and if they’re resolved in the other titles that cross over with Doomed then the main narrative will suffer. This is definitely the most ambitious Superman story that has been done in the New 52 and hopefully, it will clear away some of the detritus that has built up across the Superman titles and really allow future iterations to fly. But for now, this issue stands as a red herring that does little to make us care about the arc as a whole.

The Multiversity was a huge undertaking, and one that Morrison himself has stated that he wanted DC to use as a platform for more stories. That's where this story succeeds. I could read an ongoing or a miniseries of almost any one of the one-shots, and Captain Carrot is something of a breakout character, maybe the kind that DC needs to diversify its publishing line. Morrison may have left readers wanting by the end of this story but maybe that was the plan all along. All the forethought and planning was to serve the greatest good that comics publishers can ever get: the almighty dollar. Maybe Morrison was reminding us of those famous lines from Macbeth, that at the end of the day comics are tales "told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing."

The Returning is a by-the-numbers horror jaunt that hits almost all the necessary tropes. Starr is definitely trying to open up the concept but most readers will need more than the appearance of a mysterious stranger to keep them interested. While Mutti and Starr do get better as the issue progresses, the whole package kind of feels stale. There's potentially a good story to be told here but the creators haven't unearthed it.

This is standard is as standard goes, but there's a little failure to launch here " instead of taking the opportunity to stick their tongue out at their competition and show that they can do the FF better, DC gives us an awkward approximation that pales in comparison to almost any era of the Richards family.

At this point in his career, Priest feels like the kind of writer who is just giving excuses for not being at his best. He speaks more eloquently about his thoughts behind the title for this limited series, 'American Zealot,' than anything that we see in the actual work. And in that same interview, he laments not being able to do an Adult Swim U.S. Agent book because even the stuff writers did with the character in the '80s and '90s "simply won't fly anymore." U.S. Agent is a character who could be so specifically relevant to the times we're living in but this book just misses the mark.

Rick Remender gives us a brief respite to set up the next chain of events, but it's a bit of a lame duck issue.

In true Brian Michael Bendis form, we get a lot of talking and a lot of exposition and a lot of set-up that is bound to pay off eventually but just doesn't make for a compelling comic book.

A lot of people have found something to root for in Grace's run with Iceman, and for those readers, there's something of a cathartic ending here. But that said, this isn't a finale that will win any of its naysayers over.

We Stand On Guard might get really good. After all, the creative team has a track record for making really good comics. But Vaughan has buried his hook maybe an issue or two down the line, and the concept that we see in play here isn't that enthralling. Skroce's artwork might be enough for former fans to want to pick this one up, but Vaughan fans who lack the context for why Skroce's involvement is exciting may be left a little disappointed. We've come to know Vaughan as something of a modern master of comic book storytelling, and part of that is in his ability to immediately give the readers something of value from issue to issue while still playing the long game in terms of an overall plot. It's odd to see a debut script from him that doesn't do much to try and forge an emotional connection. But for all we know, that's still coming.

Weapon X feels like it should be the popcorn movie title of the new X-line but it never gets out of it’s own way enough to be fun or interesting. And that strikes me as a little bit strange. Pak has delivered that type of story before with Wolverine’s first nemesis, the Hulk. He’s also done a lot more thoughtful work in the pages of Action Comics. So far Weapon X doesn’t feel like it’s keying in on any of Pak’s strengths, instead lurching through the motions of well-worn conceit. Pairing Pak with Land is the opposite of what most readers were hoping for when they heard the X-line was getting a relaunch. Land has been good in the past but it’s been years since he’s made challenging, meaningful art. Comics is a visual medium, first and foremost. This is just an uninspired effort all around.

Neither creator is working to their strengths at this point.

On some level, this issue feels a little bit like homework " nobody wants to do it, but you might as well get it out of the way. It'll be interesting to see how the Weapon Plus program narrative develops moving forward with the introduction of Sacks' new villain, but the idea of heaping even more retroactive continuity on top of retroactive continuity seems tedious at best. Remember how much cooler Wolverine was before we got Wolverine: Origin? There's something to be said for leaving some narrative stones unturned. This is a one-shot that your pull list probably won't miss.

With Return of Wolverine wrapped, Ol' Canucklehead is officially back, but Gerry Duggan seems to not really know what to do with him.

Wolverines is definitely a comic book made by some talented creators that is coming out this week and it definitely has a lot of characters tangentially related to Wolverine in it. It may live up to its name by the letter of the law, but the story just doesn't live up to its legacy yet.

Some readers will love getting a more modern take on these characters, but others will find this to be nothing more than a half-hearted send-up of old favorites.

Coipel's inclusion was supposed to add further legitimacy to a book that many would dismiss as "that girl X-Men book." Instead, the art stands out against a story that could have appeared in any book with any characters that was written, frankly, by any writer. Somewhere along the way we lost the Brian Wood that was responsible for DMZ and Northlanders, books that had style and nuance in spades while still providing powerful, meaningful plotlines. I'm well aware that those aren't superhero books. I'm well aware that Wood is playing with "someone else's toys," so to speak. But great writers are able to bring out the best in corporate characters by taking them to their limits in new and interesting ways. I've always considered Brian Wood a great writer but I have yet to see him bring much to the table in his work for Marvel to this point. X-Men is probably his best opportunity to change that but we haven't seen it yet.

The core concept of Gold is solid but the execution is sorely lacking.

It’s easy to draw a parallel between Youth and Olympia. Both are cases of these creators presenting readers with an amalgam of stuff they like and hoping their readers like it, too. It’s like trying to cook your favorite food - the first few times out, you’re going to follow that recipe closely before thinking outside the box a little and making it your own. To this point, Pires has proven that he can put a book together. He can tell a story. But I’m still at a loss to know what makes a Curt Pires story unique. I want to know his point of view. That’s where Youth #1 is lacking.

I love a book that focuses on an oddball group of heroes, and Rosenberg establishes a decent dynamic with his characters here. But fairly by-the-numbers plotting drowns out the best parts of the script.

This issue takes a hit because the second story is so lacking. The first one might have been worth the price of admission had it actually been a full-on one shot but I'm hard pressed to want to plunk down hard earned cash on something that's so inconsistent. Still, it's nice to see these characters outside of their solo books or their typical team settings and for fans of whichever characters are featured month in and month out, A+X might be a decent way to get your fix.

Altogether, this is kind of a neutral beginning. It doesn't really give us anything new, but it reminds us why the story is at this point in the first place. It's a decent base and a quick read, but not quite a must-read yet.

This one is a solid read if you're on-board with the storyline but otherwise, it's little more than villain monologuing for 20 pages.

Action Comics #991 is worth your time if you're fully invested in this arc specifically, but there's nothing here that can't be summed up quickly on a recap page.

Venom fans might be a little disappointed with this considering Cady's story doesn't do anything exciting with Eddie and his partner, but readers looking for new characters to get excited about might be enticed by Lady Hellbender.

Seeley gets to do a little more than some of his fellow writers in that he's giving us almost entirely new information rather retracing details that we're at least somewhat familiar with. But Espin's artwork isn't consistently the best fit, and the psychedelic angle feels more like a gimmick that a meaningful part of the story at this juncture. It's issues like this one and last week's Prisoner X that can easily make the case for trade-waiting this event.

Your mileage with Nextgen will vary, as the trappings of it will feel very familiar and Brisson doesn't reveal all that much about the world beyond that. To isn't a terrible fit for the book, but his work doesn't elevate the script and he doesn't have any standout moments. (Though I don't think I've seen quite so many accurate depictions of chickens in an X-book before.) Brisson does ensure that this title syncs up with the rest of the event in a neat way, but it feels like there should be a little more meat on this narrative bone. Your enjoyment of Age of X-Man: Nextgen will hinge mostly on how much you like Glob Herman and how patient you're willing to be.

Age of X-Man: X-Tremists #1Written by Leah WilliamsArt by Georges Jeanty, Roberto Poggi and Jim CharalampidisLettered by Clayton CowlesPublished by Marvel ComicsReview by Pierce Lydon‘Rama Rating: 6 out of 10

Ramon Perez is the biggest reason to buy this book. All-New Hawkeye is, by far, the best work he's ever produced for Marvel.

This annual is a weird move for Marvel especially, with seemingly no further Miracleman material on the immediate horizon. All the creators involved are great talents (and Quesada in particular is a standout in this issue) but, especially at a $5.00 price point, this seems like little more than a cash grab. It's an expensive reminder that, oh yeah, Marvel owns that guy. Neither story develops a foundation for Marvel to continue with their vision of Miracleman and that might be because they don't have a vision yet. For hardcore Miracleman fans, this is an interesting piece of work, but it's one that a more thrifty fan is better off waiting to find in the $1 boxes.

Diehard Laura Kinney fans might feel this is a satisfying ending, but this arc is one of the lowest in Taylor's run.

All-New X-Men is losing some of its luster. Someone should call Doc Brown and get these kids home.

Overall, this isn't a bad book at all, but not as cohesive as one might expect given the talent involved.

Peter Parker is truly back and with him, the ol' Parker luck. We're along for the ride as Peter navigates a myriad of messes left by the Superior Spider-Man, and while the light tone comes in heavy contrast to the recent web-slinging stories, it lacks any real gravitas.

This issue kind of comes out of left field. Hopefully, the end of Original Sin will get it back on track.

Amazing Spider-Man is a fine book, but maybe it's time for some fresh blood. By taking Peter out of his element, the writers have definitely opened up the story possibilities, but they've also moved away from some of the things that make him unique. The back-to-basic approach has been done time and time again, but if New York can have the Avengers, Fantastic Four and many other heroes, I think there's room for more than one webslinger. There are still ways to make his adventures unique without rehashing old stories or forcing him into another character's general concept. There are worse books you'll read this week, but if you're looking for a more classic Spider-Man yarn, you might want to look elsewhere.

Amazing Spider-Man is a little cheesy but it has heart. It might be a little bit ho-hum for long-time readers but Slott shows that he knows how to work with his collaborators and turn out an entertaining story. The team has coalesced so much to this point that sometimes they're going to churn out an issue like this. They moved the chains on the A, B and C plots just like you would expect. That was the goal here. It only feels disappointing because of the talent involved. We've seen what these creators can do when they let loose. I guess we'll just have to wait a bit longer.

We all know something big is coming. I just wish the road to get here was a little more interesting.

Amazing Spider-Man feels like it's in a weird holding pattern under Spencer's pen - always looking back and never really pushing forward.

Azzarello has a track record miles long. A lackluster debut issue could be long forgotten by the time #2 rolls around. The art side of this title is what will keep me coming back in hopes that book lives up to its pedigree at some point. Fans of Azzarello's other darker creator-owned work will see some similarities here, but for me it hews a little closer to stuff like Southern Bastards. The difference is in the creative decisionmaking to emphasize plot or characters (or neither). American Monster looks to be a slow burn, but right now it's barely flickering.

I am excited to see more of Amy Reeder's work moving forward but right now, Amethyst is not a testament to the level of quality we're used to seeing from her. It is a merely okay comic when we have definitely seen more from her.

This issue is a prime example of what's been so problematic about Lemire's run on this book. In spending so much time with added Red/Green mythos, we lose Buddy's family and it waters down the threat of Brother Blood.

There's a fun final page, but there's nothing here that feels really essential or particularly fun to read.

Overall, this book doesn't really come together for me as anything particularly super or heroic coming off of the recent "Drowned Earth" event.

The problem with Arkham Manor is that is doesn't have its own identity yet. Sure, the setting is unique but the story hasn't played out all that differently from any story that you might find in Batman or Detective Comics. I assumed that a book focused on Arkham would place more of an emphasis on the villains and we haven't really gotten there yet. Their presence is used more for color than anything of substance. But the art is really great and fans looking for the next big thing to come out of DC should be paying attention to Shawn Crystal's work. Hopefully as the book progresses, the writing will start to match the art in terms of quality.

I'm left wondering if Arkham Manor ever really had a chance. Duggan clearly had some farther-reaching ideas that we didn't get to see play out. But was the concept ever really strong to begin with? I think the world of story made for a ton of potential to see some interesting relationship dynamics amongst a bunch of characters that we know but maybe that hewed too close Arkham Asylum for DC's tastes. that said, the execution was still similar to that seminal work, in that Bruce shows up to Arkham and has to get to the bottom of everything. Despite a real lack of a hook, Shawn Crystal's art helped buoy the series and hopefully, this isn't the last we see of him. There is room for a lot of different kinds of books within the Batman/Gotham City dynamic, but Arkham Manor is further proof that you need an airtight concept to really succeed.

If Marvel's constant stream of monthly events didn't win you over, don't expect their weekly ones to, either. Because as Avengers #677 demonstrates, they essentially have the same problem: pacing and framing.

Avengers #1 stumbles out of the gate because it tries to be everything all a once - an epic story, a course correction and an apology. In trying to be everything for every kind of reader, Marvel has delivered that, honestly, doesn't feel like much of one despite the implications of its final pages. This is by no means a death knell, but "boring and mishandled" is a bad place to start.

Avengers of the Wastelands won't blow you away, but it's a solid little adventure book.

Avengers Undercover #1 reads more like an epilogue to Avengers Arena than a debut issue of a new series. Considering Hopeless and Walker's good work with these characters in the past, it will be exciting to see them in a new setting but we haven't gotten to anything exciting just yet. Kev Walker remains a great fit for Hopeless' style and the tone of this book. A lesser artist wouldn't be able to keep a slow issue like this one afloat. Arena stumbled similarly at its debut until Hopeless really hit his stride and it became one of Marvel's most entertaining books. Here's hoping that's what we're in store for with Avengers Undercover.

I hate to bring up "Year One," because comparing "Zero Year" directly to it is unfair to what Snyder and Capullo were assigned to do. But part of the reason that "Year One" worked so well as a prequel story was the efficiency in its storytelling. Everything you needed to know and wanted to know could be found in one place. "Zero Year" has been a sprawling mess of an event that's crossed over with too many titles and involved too many other creators of varying levels of talent. Snyder and Capullo can only control what happens in their book, and they've done all right on that front. But the scope and length of this event has robbed them both of the ability to imbue this arc with the stakes necessary to tell a great story. They were able to manufacture some in the first two acts of "Zero Year," but so far it hasn't carried through to the final act.

On its own, this issue doesn't stand up but as part of the whole story - it's probably a necessary cog in the machine, but that makes it hard to read (let alone enjoy) issues on an individual basis rather than as a collected whole. But even when writing for the trade, each single issue should gets you jazzed for the next issue, and that just doesn't happen here. The next issue of Batman will undoubtedly be better not because of anything we've seen, here but because that's what we've come to expect from this creative team. Here's to next month.

Greg Capullo's art is as strong as it's ever been, and he really gets to dig into a bunch more characters than usual. (His Clayface is a personal favorite of mine.) But a wholly dull script has me wondering if the insular nature of this Batman book is starting to hurt it.

Despite the lack of an emotional payoff, this book is still pretty sound. The art is tight and it accomplishes its goals even if it meanders for a moment in the service of poetic license. But the ending feels like a non-event. It's cheap, and frankly it feels like the creative team isn't giving readers enough credit. They've built a rabid fanbase with this take on Batman. The tease is unnecessary, and I think it undercuts the effectiveness of the script. The big reveal plays like that episode of a TV show that knows it wasn't strong so they give you a glimpse of next week's guest star to get you to tune in. Stick the landing before getting back on the horse. I promise your audience will still be there.

Williamson's work differs so greatly in tone from King's that this almost doesn't feel like a Batman book. That's not so much a knock against Williamson as one against an odd editorial decision to set this before the "Knightmares" arc concludes, instead placing it directly in the middle.

We still have some 30 odd issues of King’s Batman yet and it’s hard to know what that means. It’s hard to really know where we stand right now. And again, I think a lot of that is by design but King’s work leaves a lot to be desired in terms of execution and it relates to the larger mythology of these characters. I still don’t know what King is trying to say about himself or Batman or Bane or Gotham or any of it. And as Batman continues to be punished by his writer, it’s understandable that some readers have felt similarly about this run.

This is strange issue because it feels technically proficient but tonally transient " an odd mix for a writer as intentional as King.

Batman #84 is fine. That seems like a lackluster assessment, but it really feels like a placeholder, biding time for whatever comes next while doing its best to stretch out the little bit of context that King wanted to give to Thomas Wayne's motivations.

I'm sure there are some folks out there that will love this book and despite flat writing and art, I'm sure Punchline has just become someone's favorite character. But this is an issue that was so poorly put together that it negatively affects the reading experience. It's certainly not of the quality expected from one of DC's flagship titles, and that poor execution makes it clear how much this arc is just treading water getting to a big reveal.

There's always the chance that the end of this arc pulls the rest of the arc into focus - Tynion is a good enough writer to do it. But maybe the problem is really the audience and the times we're living in. Superhero universes are never going to accurately reflect our world. But they can teach us lessons - many that stick with us our entire lives. But when we learn that good prevails over evil and fail to even a scrap of that in our everyday lives, what's the point of one more story about good versus evil?

Williamson will likely be able to pick things up next issue with some new antagonists, but this issue is about as close to non-essential as a book can get.

Cliff Richards's pencils are solid, if unspectacular. Unfortunately, they don't do enough to sell some of the emotional weight that is present in the script, causing the big moments to fall flat.?

Nazis are the kind of antagonist that always works, but having a character side with them even for a short time definitely muddies the waters a bit. And Murphy's clunky dialogue keeps this one from really reaching its true potential.

We are less than 10% through this series, but we're not seeing enough effective payoff yet. The World's Greatest Detective is really taking his time doing any detecting.

Trevor McCarthy turns in the best looking issue we've seen so far as James Tynion IV and Scott Snyder add Batwing, Doctor Phosphorus, Gentleman Ghost and Spectre to the fray.

Batman Eternal might actually be a good story, but its weekly nature works against it. Not so much on the writing side, as the entire team are fairly capable. But the art really suffers by changing issue in and issue out. On some level, it limits what the artists can do because they don't have the opportunity to lay the same groundwork that they would on a monthly book. Readers are forced to readjust to a new style and different storytelling tendencies. That's great as a way to sample the line of Batman writers and artists that are currently working but it's not conducive to this story. There's more set-up in this issue but the plot is rolling forward. Since some issues thus far have felt rather plodding in terms of pacing, I'd call this one a net positive despite its artistic failings.

The key to these weekly issues has been the pacing and Fawkes doesn't nail it down here. While the supernatural elements dominate most of his script, his little check-ins with Lt. Bard and Red Robin are too short to really be impactful.

Catwoman gets a big background reveal here that helps set up her upcoming solo adventures and Dustin Nguyen provides solid art, but there's something about Batman Eternal that consistently holds it back. I think it's that the incredibly expansive story is just too much for the weekly schedule.

There are definitely a few wonky expressions (par for the course when most artists have to draw children, sadly) but storytelling-wise, this is a solid, if unspectacular, issue.

All in all, Eternal has been the best of DC's weeklies, but it never breaks through to truly legendary status because of a lack of cohesive execution on a week-to-week basis.

At this stage, it's hard to muster any real excitement about the pieces that Johns is putting in place. We're no closer to understanding the mystery. Johns has yet to really say anything about the themes that he seems to be playing with regarding how these characters relate to their trauma and legacies. Is there a more meta angle here? Does Johns consider himself to be Jason Todd in this story? Torn between the weight of his own legacy and criticism that he just stood on the shoulders of those that came before him? That might be a bit of a stretch but you can make a case for it. Three Jokers remains a perplexing entry in the DC canon and one that is hard to reckon with on a chapter-by-chapter basis.

Andreyko proves himself completely capable to write Batwoman. I'm more excited to see what he does outside the "Zero Year" box. I'm also hoping that the art on this one is the exception and not the rule. It's rare for one story to bear the weight of so many artists without hurting the quality of the book. Batwoman #25 could be the start of a quality entry in the "Zero Year" saga but it definitely has its warts. Fixing those will be the difference between a memorable first arc that does Williams II/Blackman's work some justice and a disastrous one that only justifies the comics community's hemming and hawing over editorial interference.

Artist Jeremy Haun is really coming into his own on Batwoman. It seems that the longer he draws it, the stronger his work is getting. And we're finally seeing him really nail facial expressions and renderings, an aspect of his art that has been plagued by inconsistencies in the past.

Overall, you might be tearing up while you roll your eyes, but this one is ultimately a net positive.

This book is not shaping up at all. We're three issues into the Marguerite Bennett/James Tynion IV/Steve Epting run and we don't have much to show for it.

C.O.W.L. takes a step forward in the art department in Issue #2, but the narrative is still treading water. Kyle Higgins and Alec Siegel are building something big while trying to forge a new path in done-to-death cape comics. But the world-building is slowing the pace to a crawl. The writers are trying to flesh out a complex cast that will allow their story to really sing, but it’s not as easy was it might be with a television show that can rely on an actor to turn in a good performance.

Fans of last year's Canto miniseries will likely be happy to see the little adventurer back in action before his sequel series. But there's very little appeal here for readers coming to this cold.

The final showdown with The Iron Nail is still to come but the stakes surrounding their confrontation aren't nearly as high as they should be. Remender has a lot of things falling into place and anyone would be a fool to believe he won't surprise us with the conclusion of this arc. However, this issue doesn't stand up. While the visuals do line up well with the message, it fails to provide more context for The Iron Nail's involvement and Nuke never seems like a credible threat. The added nuance of Captain America's public persona coming under fire is an interesting caveat but not necessarily a new one. We'll have to wait and see how this one shakes out.

We've seen the ending of this one coming for a while, but the epilogue was a nice surprise. It seems there's a fox in the hen house, and the Avengers don't see it coming. That's a pretty big challenge for a new Captain America, especially as Jet's loyalties are now in doubt. I have to say I'm looking forward to the new art team as well, in hopes that they'll be able to give Sam Wilson's Cap his own visual style. This big announcement issue is solid through and through. It's not going to change the world or be anyone's favorite comic that comes out this week. But it does it's job, even if it's somewhat unspectacular.

The foundation is solid enough. But the vision leaves something to be desired. We'll see if Waid and Samnee can come though moving forward.

This is a nice story and in a lot of ways, that's the most damning praise I can give it. It's not bad. It's just nice.

If you're looking for a clinic in visual storytelling, this is your book. But if you're looking for a good Captain America story, sadly, you'll have to look elsewhere.

Captain America: Sam Wilson is one of the more challenging books in Marvel's line, and that's a good thing, even when the book's narrative and message find themselves at odds.

Al Ewing and Alan Davis reimagine their little section of Battleworld as a Judge Dredd-esque dystopia. The problem might be that it's so short. In two issues, fans unfamiliar with some of these characters won't have much reason to root for them.

Marcio Takara makes his debut in this issue, and it's a great example of his cartooning abilities.

For readers with a penchant for mystery and horror, this might be one to sink your teeth into but the interiors don't deliver on the creepiness promised on the cover. It's the first issue and the pacing is slow but the art is good enough to keep it afloat. Time will tell if pacing will freeze Colder in its tracks, but for now it has a vague premise with an intriguing amount of potential.

This is probably the most entertaining issue of Convergence yet, due in part to Andy Kubert's artwork doing a lot of the heavy lifting. Jeff King's plot is still of questionable quality but at least the character dynamics at play are becoming fun to watch.

Like many other Convergence artists, Manley's art exists mostly to be a vehicle for the narrative and not to be the real draw of the book. To that end, it succeeds.

Here's a prime example of a book that's definitely not as good as it's cover.

This isn't the best issue but it should instill some faith in readers who weren't sure what was in store for Matt Murdock in the Soule era.

Your mileage may vary with an anthology like this. If you really love the season and want to see these characters getting up to some holiday hijinks, you’ll definitely have fun with this book. But even at 88 pages, the price point may give some readers reason to pause. That’s a potentially big burden on a pull list (and a holiday shopping budget) for stories that are very sweet but lack any sort of impactful substance. It would be a different story if the second half of the book stood up as well as the first half, but this special stands firmly in the middle of the road.

There's a chance that this arc improves with the next issue. It really could go either way at this point. We already know the book will survive this arc now hopefully Way will deliver a stunning to conclusion to whether or not Deadpool does.

Detective Comics #25 isn't reinventing the wheel with this entry into Zero Year, but it is an inoffensive starting point for those would-be Gordon fans.

Obviously, this story is just setting up little details for "Joker War," but Tomasi and Walker try to make that as entertaining as possible.

No one else draws like Bachalo, and not many books look quite as good as Doctor Strange.

Don't get me wrong, I like E is for Extinction. It's refreshing to see a creative team do something weird but this issue loses the themes that were built up in #1. Without that focus to help ground the book, this issue turns into a trippy fight comic that lacks the context to really pack a punch. I even like that the final page reveal comes out of left field. This creative team is keeping us guessing and that's always good. I'm just hoping for the return of a more nuanced approach in #3, as well as a little more influence from Secret Wars.

Empyre may not have gotten the chance to really be what it was supposed to, but if you're looking for a fun and fairly straightforward adventure, you could do worse.

Josh Scott Emmons and Tim Seeley present a mash-up of the serial killer and vampire stories we know in ExSanguine and while Seeley's art shines, the script leaves something to be desired. The characters are hollow, for now, and they are set on an unclear path. That said, the book has the potential to go in a lot of different directions, anywhere from Zodiac-style drama to Kill Your Boyfriend levels of absurdity and that might be enough of a hook for some.

The biggest knock against Lemire's work here is that it might hew too closely to what we've seen before from the X-Men. We're used to extinction plots. We're used to Jean Grey being called upon as a last hope. Hell, we've even seen a few different versions of that cliffhanger before. Lemire is definitely going to win some people over by staying in this lane, but familiarity can breed contempt. And the Terrigen Mists are clearly a pretty big concern for the X-Men, but one can't help but wonder if the sterility angle is really necessary considering plenty of non-mutants have birthed mutant children, so already the story logic is a headache. Ramos' strong work is coup for a book without much in the way of identity but they'll be in an even better position to usher in a new era of X-Men if Lemire can get a handle on the central conflict of this title.

This is a great little issue for completists and diehards, but there's nothing really essential here.

Buccellato's lackluster finale robs a good story of a worthwhile conclusion.

The Flash #42 is here for the diehard Flash fans but otherwise there's not a ton to really sink your teeth into.

Josh Williamson's wholly solid run on The Flash continues and this one fails to inspire because the twist is completely telegraphed.

This issue feels like it's over before it really gets going, but then maybe I shouldn't expect a Flash book to be anything less than a fast read.

Readers who have been firmly entrenched in this run from the beginning are going to feel a little bit like this issue is going through the motions. But thanks to the pace set by the art, this chapter will probably read great in trade, especially as that moment for Barry will stop the narrative dead in its tracks for a moment. It doesn’t feel like this story needed this issue so much as it needed that moment. Porter and Peterson put Williamson on their back a little bit in this issue but that’s what a collaborative medium is for. Williamson has proven he can deliver great Flash stories, and it’ll be a treat to see him wrap up this one.

Like I said with the last issue, if you are already waist-deep in this run, you'll probably want to keep wading further to reach the conclusion but it's unlikely that you'll be surprised by anything Williamson is offering here.

All in all, this feels like a standard effort from this creative team. It’s not the best comic you’ll ever read and it’s not the worst. But I doubt you’ll remember anything about it as the quarantine days continue to run together. It’s a shame really because this is an opportunity for DC to spotlight their characters and creators in new and interesting ways but it seems like there is very little vision to that end. Flash completionists or folks hoping to sell their friends and family on the idea of comics might find something to latch on to here but overall, this is really a workmanlike but forgettable entry in Flash history.

There may be a lot of potential in what Paknadel and Simmonds are doing here, but the decompression of the script leaves this debut feeling glitchy at best.

Furious has some hurdles to overcome to break into the upper echelon of indie superhero books but they aren't insurmountable. There's a good foundation under some unfortunate art direction. The superhero as celebrity metaphor isn't new but it taken on a different kind of context as time has gone on. The 24-hour news cycle and the rapid growth of social media have changed the ways we think about our cultural icons. Glass is attempting to distill that are hopefully he can with stronger work from Santos.

It's stylish and largely very effective but the pacing is generally so head-spinning that it takes a little bit away from the real climax of the book: Bat and Cat reuniting.

Venditti doesn't do too much more than move the chains in the story but his character work between Walker and Hal is really strong, serving to reestablish the diffrent ways that some pieces of the emotional spectrum operate.

Grant Morrison's Green Lantern has been a special kind of bizarre and this issue is no different.

I'm not a fan of the dual artist approach to a book unless the artists' style work well together. Unfortunately, Scott Kolins and Chris Batista don't really mesh.

That all said, the opening chapter of "Planet of the Symbiotes" is still a bit of letdown. The art can only do so much to help what turns out to be a rare lame duck script from Brian Michael Bendis. Inevitably, this arc will get better if Bendis gives us more of what we seem to be promised by the title. Schiti's art will do a lot to help sell Bendis' sometimes tired dialogue but the moment these two creators really lock it in, readers will be in for a treat. Guardians of the Galaxy is usually near the top of my reading pile, but you wouldn't be missing much by skipping this installment.

The story itself isn't really much of one, and the planet mentioned in the title is still nowhere to be seen. Here's hoping that Bendis picks up the pace next issue.

It's a weird and wacky spectacle despite the plotting being a little thin, but there are far worse ways you could spend $4 at the comic shop.

Mark Russell and Sami Basri have some fun with a fast-food flavored caper that's a send-up of the McDonald's corporations various characters, but as a Harley Quinn story it leaves something to be desired.

Here's hoping DC let's Humphries do something more substantial in the future because it's clear that when he's left a little bit more to his own devices, he's a more effective creator.

While fans of Grace's previous run will enjoy the continued adventures of Bobby Drake in Iceman #1, there's enough flaws in the execution that may leave new readers cold.

Pencillers Edgar Salazar and Ibraim Roberson render the world of the story with more realism than Alessandro Vitti did in the debut but it's all very utilitarian and generic. They don't hurt the story but they don't elevate it at all either.

Bendis follows through on his premise, but he doesn’t do it with the flair that the character of Doctor Doom is really known for. On some level, this feels like a book without a solid identity. That kind of works since Doom is exploring his own role in the post-Secret Wars Marvel Universe but it might fail to hook many readers. The book does well to serve its central conceit but to the detriment of drumming up any real interest in the book. If you like the creators or the characters, you’ll likely have a good time, but the hook is weak for potential readers on the fence.

Infinity has been an intense story both in planning and execution and Opena's work echoes Hickman's prose perfectly. There are still a lot of questions to be answered as the event winds down but the conclusion is sure to be as grandiose as the rest.

Duggan and Deodato are well-intentioned creators, but their story lacks vision, and so far only dilutes the "Infinity" brand.

Duggan has kept readers on their toes, but it's starting to feel like diminishing returns as Infinity Wars heads to its conclusion.

Overall, it's not a bad comic. It's one that says exactly what it is, and is happy to be just that.

Iron Man 2020 is a book for the diehards. If you haven’t been enjoying Slott’s time on Iron Man, this probably isn’t going to win you over. It is a table-setting issue first and foremost, but I don’t think it’s really pushing the envelope in terms of the types of AI/robot rebellion stories we’ve seen before. I think this mini-event just hasn’t hit its stride yet and once the pacing gets moving, it will be more effective. But right now it feels like an attempt to get everything in order before delivering the goods.

It Girl and the Atomics is by no means a bad comic. It's just one that takes a bit too long to get going. It treads water because of a lack of humor and originality until the final scene. But the art is beautiful. Norton knows his way around Snap City and Rich is lucky to have such a talented collaborator.

Justice League vs. Suicide Squad is a fun exercise in pitting two ideological opposites against each other in a way that makes more sense than something like Avengers vs. X-Men. The rub is that Williamson hasn’t introduced a real conflict beyond the dichotomies already established by the very existence of these characters. There’s potential for his ending to inject some more life into the title, but for right now, it’s a pretty standard heroes-versus-villains book.

Karnak is fine as it currently stands, but I fear that if it keeps going on like this much longer, it'll be just another in a long line of inconsistent attempts to make the royal Inhuman Family more relevant and interesting. There should be a place in the Marvel Universe for a character like Karnak. He's almost completely unique. But keeping him so far outside of the action doesn't benefit him. It's hard to understand a character's place in a world that they never interact with. I'm not saying that Karnak needs to be teaming up with the Avengers every other issue, but it would be nice for Ellis to define him within the world that we know he inhabits rather outside of it.

For fans of Cates' Venom work, King in Black stands as an exciting continuation of his symbiote story. But if you step back, it feels like Cates is almost going through the motions compared to what we've seen from him before. We know that he's a student of the genre and is looking to deliver a story worthy of the ones that came before him. But it often feels like he's playing at remastering them with some new glossy sheen. He'll remind you of the originals but isn't doing anything more than making them shinier. This opening issue isn't a bad place to start but it lacks the urgency of great events that have come before it.

This issue drags a bit but there are some interesting moments. It will probably be the kind of issue that reads way better in trade paperback format because you'll immediately be able to get into the action that issues three and four are sure to offer. The art is solid. The storytelling is happening but the pacing is a letdown after an introductory issue that moved at a much quicker and exciting clip.

Low has promise but it hasn't been fully realized yet. Considering the larger than average size of this issue, it's unfortunate that we don't get a little more here. Remender has talked about how this book is a shift from his normal status quo, but so far the futility and negativity that exemplifies his past work is still on display - it's just been presented differently. Whereas past works have featured pessimistic protagonists, this book's pessimism is in its world. And maybe that's why we see such a focus placed on the world in this first issue. It's Creative Writing 101: "Write what you know." It'll be interesting to see how Remender cuts through that safety net with Stel, the proclaimed eternal optimist, in Issue #2, but this debut only hints at its potential.

Overall, it just feels like Man Without Fear is killing time waiting for the next run with the character to begin. It doubles down on what makes Matt Daredevil and vice versa, but it’s not really doing anything we haven’t seen before. It’s cool to see the character coupled with more horror imagery than we’re used to, but it’s hard to know exactly who this is for. Diehards will feel like this is well-trodden ground at this point, while new readers are forced to make a lot of inferences about recent events to get a handle on the story. Despite going for it visually, Man Without Fear feels woefully indifferent, and that’s probably the worst thing a piece of art can be.

You mileage may vary with Marilyn Manor. The book feels like a loose assemblage of story elements at this point that aren't completely in line with what the solicit copy teases. It's steeped in '80s pop culture touchstones, but there seems to be a lack of intentionality in how they're used. But the book looks good, and these are two creators with a good track record. If you like the pieces they present here, it's only a matter of time before they give you a satisfying whole.

This isn't a bad start, but it's not a particularly inspiring one, either.

If the Illuminati existed as a riff on heroes living long enough to see themselves become the villain, the Cabal must almost be the other way around. The only problem is that while this group of supervillains is saving the universe, they're also doing a lot of very bad things. Those expecting an exciting face-off between Namor and Doom will be sorely disappointed. The art team is one of great talent but they don't really get to let loose here (the only exception being an incredible final page splash). Hickman's reputation as a master planner means that we'll probably look back on this issue a couple of months from now and realize all the clues that he had left for us. But as it stands, this is just another issue that moves the plot forward and introduces a new layer to the story.

I have more faith in the creative team than what they've shown us here, because it feels like the pieces are mostly here, they're just one or two more details away from coming together as a compelling whole.

This is a solid story for Suicide Squad fans but there might not be much for anyone else.

The New Warriors title alone will cash in on a lot of nostalgia but not much else. Marcus To fans will be pleased but readers hoping for a team book with heart will be sorely disappointed. It's hard to have a team book without a team in place and Yost's disjointed approach just isn't gelling. Coming off a relative hit with Scarlet Spider, I'm this book will get a real chance to sink or swim but right now it looks like it's taking water.

Overall, it's a good book for Nightwing fans and fans of the Damian/Dick relationship, but others might not get as much out of it.

Fans of previous volumes of Kim & Kim will find the characters they love intact but this is a book that could use some editorial massaging.

Original Sin has six more issue to really come around but it seems like Aaron is going to have trouble balancing each of his different task forces. He’s especially having a hard time finding the different voices on each squad, a problem he didn’t have as much in issue one because he could rely on Thor, Captain America and Wolverine, characters that he’s fairly familiar with. Deodato’s art will look a lot better the more the story expands into space but he need to ease off the pedal with his heavy inking during daytime scenes. I didn’t think this event would start spinning its wheels so quickly, but here we are.

Phoenix Resurrection #1 is an okay start. The art holds it back, while the plotting is a bit too utilitarian. Rosenberg includes a sweet letter about how much Jean Grey means to him in the back matter but we don’t really get to see any of that in the book itself. I feel like we’ll get there eventually, but we really aren’t there yet. Right now, we’ve got a large cast and a lot of questions. We’ve got no answers but the creative team has yet to make it feel like there’s anything more to this book than its title. And moving forward, that’s going to be the key.

I want Plutona to surprise me in #2, and I think it will. Lemire, Lenox and Bellaire have put a lot of really good pieces in place, even if they are a little bit familiar. The key will be in turning readers' expectations on their head in subsequent issues. For a five-issue miniseries, this is paced about as well as I could have hoped, I'm just hoping that there's more to the characters than what we've seen here. For now, we've got a fairly by-the-numbers set-up with a chance to deliver big.

Music and comics go together quite well, and they’ve been fairly popular in recent times. Pires and Copland’s Pop has some of the sci-fi DNA of David Lapham’s Young Liars and they almost certainly have a stronger concept than that book did, but they aren’t able to put it all together on the page. The talent is there, though. If the team can fix the pacing issue, Copland and Toms should be able to carry the broad strokes characterization that Pires has given us thus far. There’s a good story brewing here. Hopefully, it doesn’t take too long to bubble to the surface.

Fans looking for more closure from War of the Realms or a great-looking Punisher book will find what they seek here, but this issue likely doesn't have too much appeal outside of that audience.

Outlaws and Nightwing fans will have a good time with this one, but it might not be the best book for the uninitiated.

Charles Soule is sticking with a formula that's worked so far in Red Lanterns. But this issue is so bogged down with character development that the dialogue actually crowds the panels.

Jim Calafiore excels with the non-human characters but completely misses the boat when trying to depict the emotions at play in Guy and Kara's mentor/mentee relationship. On the whole, he delivers as many great panels as the story allows, but the story itself is lacking.

This one is a bit shmaltzy but Charles Soule does introduce a few cool ideas.

Gleason is a very talented creator who takes a step back here in writing and art. Hopefully, though, it's just a minor hiccup.

So Fawkes and Bachs don't really reinvent the wheel here but for new readers that are wondering what this whole "Son of Batman" thing is all about this a good primer.

This ground is well-trodden and not without potential, but they're going to have to dig a lot deeper to find their unique way in.

Despite some strong art from Giannis Milonogiannis, Ronin Island #1 is an uneven introduction to the series.

Runaways definitely has a unique voice and style when put up against many of the other books spinning out of Secret Wars, but in a grander scheme, it's not all that original. The book will live and die with its characters and Stevenson's ability to make the readers care about a plot that they've seen over and over in Hollywood in the past five years. and for all his great character work, Greene will need to pick up the slack in terms of building out the world. Comics are a collaborative medium and this team isn't synced up just yet but if they do, watch out. Runaways has the DNA to be one of Secret Wars's best books.

For a first time writer, Isanove has a sense of what works in a Wolverine story but that's only because it's worked a hundred times before. At the very least, Isanove's art is a great fit for both the tone of the story and the character. Hopefully, as his arc continues, we'll get to see a bit more reasoning behind Isanove's storytelling choices. Why is this setting an important moment to Logan? What will this story reveal about him? He's a character that, despite the many stories about his past, is still cloaked in mystery. There's a lot of room to grow.

It’s true, sometimes you do find hope in the strangest places, and we’re still very early on in this event. That final splash is might be the best hope we can hope for, but even with this markedly improved sophomore installment, Secret Empire still has a ways to go before it will feel like it has truly turned the corner.

This issue is utilitarian in that it asks even more questions and provides no answers, forcing those who seek them to hang on for another issue. If Marvel's event format has been trying to ape the success of Civil War, they'd do well to learn one simple lesson from that book: less is more.