Assassin Nation concludes this week, with a certain finality only possible in books about assassins, but it leaves the door open for more tussles in the future.

It's fun, and interesting, but so little actually moves forward each issue that it's beginning to outstay its welcome.

Go read Assassin Nation, because you owe it to yourself.

The "zombots" story continues in Sonic #17, and it's as good, if not better, than ever.

Belit, both the book and the character, finally finds a purpose in this issue, but it is perhaps too little, too late.

Regardless of whether you cared about Sonic before, you should now.

Any story that largely focuses on Whisper the Wolf is aces in my book.

While the debut issue of Assassin Nation had significantly more blood and guts, the smaller core cast of Assassin Nation #2 makes for a better-rounded introduction to the series while still allowing Starks and Henderson the room to be a little gritty here and there.

It takes a little too long to get started, a little too long to explain things, and while the comic ends on a cliffhanger, it's a somewhat confusing one that doesn't feel particularly earned

The dialogue and general characterization is good, but the artwork falters when called on to illustrate any sort of action.

While it doesn't really rise above "fine," it's hard to say a book where multiple versions of Bishop beat the current version senseless is "bad."

The momentum of the series debut extinguishes thanks in large part to an overly long battle with Deadpool.

On this sheer fact alone, it'd likely be enough that Lazarus is back on stands in a new year, full of vim and vigor and ready for intrigue. But when you add to this the fact that the new 44-page spread allows for extended stories, the addition of in-world fiction, and material for the World of Lazarus tabletop game that's seemingly set to come with every issue -- all of which only serves to further enhance an already expansive world -- it's hard to argue that the book isn't currently at its very best.

Much of the groundwork laid previously finally pays off, but the issue stops short of actually engaging with what happens to Sonic courtesy of the "Metal Virus" developed by Eggman.

Belit #1 moves at too brisk a pace to set any real stakes, and even those stakes it does set are quickly washed away in order to drive the story forward to... who could say.

Kyle Starks and Erica Henderson knock it out of the park with Assassin Nation #1.

Bishop is once again the fish out of water in Prisoner X, and while the entire issue is basically setting up revelations to come, it's genuinely interesting to look into the man's history with the various mutants he comes across.

The initial setting of the stage is a little awkward, but the actual story here has meat on its bones, and I'm genuinely excited to see what happens next.

While Sonic as a book can sometimes feel like its spinning its wheels until the next time Eggman makes a move, #14 allows a number of secondary and tertiary characters to shine without feeling crowded.

A solid book with clear action and interesting character development, all while moving the plot forward without being overly wordy.

This issue serves as an epilogue of sorts to the events of last issue, and it does fine in that respect, but it's all epilogue and prologue without the action.

Domino's solo run ends with a confusing mess of a plot mixed with constantly shifting, disappointing art.

The entire run of this book has been chaotic, but Domino #9 leans a little too far in to the point of being somewhat incoherent.

Now that it's done, Deception has quite clearly benefited from its short run of three issues rather than the previous arc of five.

There is a single panel in this comic, of a surprised Knuckles, that made me laugh harder than anything else this year. The rest of the issue is pretty good as well.

It is a middling issue, suitable only for die-hard fans.

It's a little rushed, but Domino makes it count

If it continues like this, Deception just might be the best Dragon Age comic to date.

It's not a bad book by any stretch, but it's really only building up to a finale.

While the actual plot of this initial issue is a little thin -- two cons try to con each other, then others -- the implications are juicy, and the art is lovely.

The art and visual gags remain a highlight, and the next issue promises some fan-favorite characters, but this issue is something of a question mark on its own.

The book might be worth the cover price if only for short, beautiful Cable story.

The start of a new miniseries, Steven Universe: Harmony #1 does a good job setting up just where in the canon of the franchise it exists as well as moving forward naturally from there.

If you're invested in Sonic at all, you can't miss this issue.

A good outing, all around.

While the script can be a bit clunky, the art remains perfectly attuned to all things Domino. A fine, but not great, comic.

Only one book made me gasp out loud this week, and it was Domino #3.

It's a good book striving to be a great book.

Integrity, infatuation, and teamwork all shine through in this issue; it's the best to date.

If this really is the end of this miniseries, the hodgepodge of references to former Goosebumps titles turned out to just be that: a nostalgic look at previous stories through a modern lens.

It's a fun little book, and more Smoky Quartz is always welcome, but it's an otherwise forgettable entry.

Though it reads like a segue between intro and whatever comes next, this issue delivers a number of good goofs and visual gags -- along with a nice dose of both Deadpool and Amadeus Cho.

Some might find the ending a bit saccharine, but as a celebration of these two and all they've been through? It strikes the perfect final chord.

Though there's a slight Eggman tease at the end, it's still unclear who exactly is pulling the strings and in what ways, but the action and variety of faces more than make up any slight narrative gripes.

If the first three issues are setting the stage for what's to come, the play really needs to start soon.

This issue almost exclusively centers on this conceit, and the various misadventures of the two Gems and Steven are a delight -- if a bit small in scope.

The comic continues to feel like a sports manga, and that's high praise.

There's a lot to like here, even if you hate Greg Land, and the mystery at its center is promising. -

There's not much meat on the bone just yet, but it feels like this issue is building up to a reveal sooner rather than later.

A solid little book, all told.

Now that it's over, it is more than safe to say that Ahmed and Ward's run on Black Bolt defied expectations.

Another issue, another heartbreaking examination of the relationship between the two eponymous protagonists.

It's a fine comic that teases more than it shows, but it works -- at least for now.

The first issue is a little thin, but it sets the stakes well and features interesting characters and art.

It's not going to blow you away, but it'll grow on you.

Ahmed and Ward deliver a perfectly serviceable penultimate issue in Black Bolt #11 that is hindered only because it is in large part a segue from the reveal of Jailer-as-Blinky to the (apparent) conclusion of the duo's run on the book.

Dodge City #1 is a welcome addition to the relatively few books about sports -- even if it is ostensibly about organized dodgeball.

It's also a fine reminder of just how good the two of them can be together, and it helps that the splashes and layouts pop every couple pages.

The art is a bit loose, but given that all aspects of Steven Universe are a bit loose, it's more than forgivable.

Every turn of the page feels like a new paradigm, and while overall interesting, it's just too much.

This is more of what's made the book great in the past, but on a low simmer.

Warlock is a complicated character, and this issue tries (and mostly succeeds) to encapsulate his scattershot history into a single, compressed series of images.

The mission itself is little more than an excuse to pair the two together, and it continues to work here -- with more than a few genuine laughs along the way.