Fleecs and company do a really good job of keeping that balance between perfectly normal realism and heroic adventure fiction in a dark world. Its something that wouldnt ever have made it onto the big screen with Disney, but the quality of the art makes it look like it could have done. Its dark and sinister stuff that doesnt rely on the cheap contrast between wholesome cartoonishness and gratuitous darkness to make its impact the way so many others have in the past.

The nature versus nurtures sense of the story seems to be the center that author and artist are reaching for. It's a bit upsetting given how complex everything else is. The obvious choices made for the contrast between angel and devil feel a little bit too on-the-nose. thankfully, there's a rich complexity through the script and to the art vet manages to steer pretty clear of really obvious choices with respect to be overall theme. Hopefully they can manage to maintain that even if the overall premise feels like it might be a little bit too, hard in the direction of the obvious.

Its not often that a story of any kind manages to render both love and aggression in equal alternating parts. Its kind of beautiful to see it work the way it does in the third issue of Tin Can Society. All too often an issue will lean too far in one direction or the other in the course of a single issue, but Remender, Warren and Mobilli have a firn sense of precision about the balance that they are creating for the third issue of the series. Its really impressive stuff on a few different levels.

The opening story seems like pretty basic one. The comic book medium is one that is inherently self-referential. Condons story seems like a perfectly natural fit. Although, there would be a lot of opportunities to get into the horrifying nature of artist, writers, publishers, retailers, and collectors. It wouldn't be that hard to find 1 million different kinds of horror in around comic book shops.

Grommets asserts its distinctive approach to the indie comics page with style and poise in another satisfying issue.

Johns and company deliver a really impressive second issue. One more foundation gets delayed for a series that could easily run for quite a few issues. There is so much potential in the story of so many people who have been subjected to the darker end of humanity. Really interesting to get a very sophisticated and nuanced look at that in a series that dives very deeply into the nature of human misfortune.

It's a remarkably well paste issue. Everything seems so perfectly balanced on so many different levels. It's all very well designed. There's so much going on that feels so very well constructed. It's actually not a bad issue to start this series. In fact, this might've been a better place for the series to start then whereRemender and company began it in issue #1. it's also beautifully constructed. Strange that it would end up being the seventh issue before it really felt like the series was totally coming together in a coherent fashion.

Grnbekk find the right rhythm to the action to make it all fit together quite well. It's really only a matter of time before the big climax hits. But it's going to be a hell of a journey for.Sonja as she makes it through headiness of the situation.Grnbekk has been bringing very powerful and novel energy to the page simply by plunging the title character directly into dark magic that is beyond her control and giving her power that she hasn't had the opportunity to really adjust to. So it's an interesting dynamic. And it's going to be interesting to see where it goes from here.

Its not brilliant or anything like that, But Larsens long-running series continues to find novel approaches to the standard sort of superhero fare thats been hitting the page in the course of the better part of the past 100 years. Larsens clearly having fun with a series. Larsen really needs to move in big, dramatic directions in order to maintain his personal interest in the series. Its been nice seeing him evolve as an artist and a storyteller over the decades. With any luck he might find an approach to everything that could really turn into something tat would capture the attention of everyone once more.

Its sad to see it all come to an end only four issues in. Granted: the movie itself was only 70 minutes long. As it is, its a bit indulgent to turn a 70 minute film into a four-part comic book series. Its just sad to see it come to an ends. Its been such a well-crafted love latter to the newly 100-year-old film. Surely there is more than has not been delivered to the page. Perhaps Wales and Griffin could do a similar adaptation with The Bride of Frankenstein? Its worth looking into in any case...

In retrospect is kind of weird to think that somebody had something like this before. Police procedurals in fantasy settings have been done before. But not quite like this. This has its own feel about it with so many fresh ideas that seem to hit the page at such interesting angles and so many different ways. It's just really a tremendous amount of fun from beginning to end.

There's a dreaminess to it that feels like it could fade in time. The memory of this particular story rest somewhere on the edge of a whole bunch of other stuff that came before it. It seems to be a fusion a lot of different stories that I've been told before and it's enjoyable. But it seems to be a strange dream that is only, resting in the shadow of so much else. Never quite reaches its own kind of reality in a wave that would feel profound. And so in the end, it feels very light and substantial while still managing to rest somewhere in the heart of the most profound dream.

The filth and brutality of the issue marks a pronounced moment at the end of the issue that feels like a nice moment of accent. It really hits the page and just the right way. And it's going to be interesting to see where it goes from here. Because there's a quite a lot that could happen in that fourth issue. Things could take a pretty turn. But overall, the events of the third issue quite an impact it remarkably vivid straight through.

Its not easy to execute this kind of actio non a way thats going to be terribly engaging, but Hama seems to know that hes working with an art team that can pull-off the larger elements of modern urban warfare in a way that feels compelling. Given thaw things have been going, it seems likely that the Battle of Springfield might well come to an end in the next few issues. Its nice to see Hama allowing the conflict to sprawl out over the course of a whole bunch of issues. Theres going to be a kind of a satisfaction I nesting it all come to an end in a couple of months or so.

Ganucheau and a company are doing a delightful job of doing justice to the old animated series. It's been a lot of fun in the course of the run of the series so far. And it had played with superhero tropes so effectively that it really isn't that difficult to find ways to needle around the edges of it and make it into something, that much more enjoyable. Multi series is the erratically really interesting amplification of everything. Particularly if there was some attention being paid to the overall continuity of everything. A true fusion between the animated series and the current trends in superhero comic books could really be a lot of fun under the right circumstances.

The mixture of science and fantasy and horror is kind of compelling. However, in reaching out to all of the different genres that it reaches out to, the overall impression of Rat City feels a little muddled. ideally a mashup like this should be one where every genre that's touched on informs on every other genre that's touched on in a way that amplifies everything. As it is, it almost seems like Schultz is trying to reach for too many different elements and cram them all into a single narrative. It works. It just doesn't work very well. Yet.

Momentum is maintained even as artist switch. The wide the screen orientation of the action continues to work quite well. And there is a lot of forward movement as the momentum continues. The entire thing could play out on more of an 11 x 17 sort of a canvas. it's so rarely that that sort of a format is used becomes a major appeal of the series as it reaches its midpoint.

The Department of Truth. Marilyn Monroe. Its kind of a fun two-shot story. A quick, little dance between major movements of a much larger series. There might have been more of an impact in the series if Tynion had managed to take Marilyn a bit closer to thee center of the main storyline, but its fun to see the author take it in a direction in which it might have a bit more of its own gravity. Maybe thats the best thing for Marilyn under the circumstances.

Its clever stuff. The problem is that the story at the heart of the fourth issue isnt exactly compelling in the new and novel way that the first three issues had been. The overall essence of the statement being made by the fourth issue, though...IS powerful. And its interesting. And itll be interesting to see where Gillen and company take things next. 

It's interesting seeing the ensemble of character is given greater depth. It will be interesting seeing where.Shalvey and company go with the series. The characters created had a great potential to explore great many things through space fantasy in a wave that could have been tremendously more deep than a 1980s animated kid show would allow for. It'll be interesting to see if more of that potential is realized as is hinted out in the tenth issue.

There have been a few different attempts at exploring Barbarella on the comics page since she was inteiduced over half a century ago. While the current series isnt exactly inspired, it is definitely enjoyable for a number of different reasons they dont seem to be expiring towards that kind of depth. Its nice to see them maintaining the appeal of an old and spacefaring venture hero. It would be nice to see them move off into more thoughtfully rendered a satire. All of the basic elements are there. Its just a matter of finding the right balance of comedy and drama, to make it work. Theyre not quite there yet.

It is undeniable and inevitable that things will be moving in a direction greater integration as the Energon Universe continues to develop. What had been a simple and pragmatic solution to gunfire in cheap animation back in the 1980s becomes a central plot in a first issue of a new series. The laser rifle style action of the old animated series is given a bit of a sinister look here in an issue that lends considerable darkness to the final splash page. It is that final page that really drives the fact that the new series is NOT a weak iteration of the old franchise. 

The climax of the issue hits like a hammer. It makes the eventual conclusion next issue seem a bit strange. Precisely how that last issue was going to get paste is going to be interesting to see given how everything had been going over the course of the first five issues. This is a talented, creative team, though. There's no question that they'll be able to pull off any issue that won't feel at all padded out in any way. These people know what they're doing. They just seems kind of strange to think that there could be another 20 to 30 pages of this given whats happened at the end of the issue.

The action moves with thoughtful grace as well. It comes to a conclusion in a way that expands the world that had been introduced in the prior series quite well. There is so much going on in and with the story that glances across the page briefly. So often a fantasy like this is so heavily rendered in concepts and details that the script feels the need to over render. One of the most beautiful things about this series in the series that preceded it was just the way the script interacts with everything that's going on in the visual and the comic book. 

It's nice to see the series settling into the kind of rhythm and motion that could make it almost live up to its potential. It's not doing so, of course. But it looks like it's actually actually going in a interaction where it could. It's just a matter of making a few adjustments here and there and the series could get really interesting really quickly. There is so much potential and this kind of time travel and weird office politics and strange, cyberpunk atmosphere. A few more issues like the latest and Rifters could really turn into something.

The basic pieces that the creative team is working with our well-worn. They're playing with these toys in a way that actually kind of fun. one does not have to do all that much in order to get them to do things that hadn't really been done before. And so although it's largely very familiar, there are certain elements ofThe Domain  that feels quite new and interesting.

Its a bit disappointing that they arent looking into continuing the anthology format that the first issue was leading in. Multiple different Terminator stories every issue would have been a lot of fun. As it is, the Shalvey story has some distance to cover before it can justify what it seems to be trying to do. Shalvey could take it in a lot of different directions, but only a few of them might actually turn it not something of any thematic depth. Vietnam is a tricky thing to bring to the page without oversimplifying complexities. Throw a terminator unit into the mix and things could get very silly very quickly. 

The basic format of both franchises had been so narrowly defined for so long. It doesn't take much to change things and mutate them in a way that makes them fresh and interesting. Daniel, Warren Johnson and company are doing a really good job of playing with the elements in a way that is respective to to what they've been through before a while. Also creating new and interesting dynamics. The Energon Universe continues to be fun. 

So far there doesn't seem to be an increase in tension from issue to issue. it's kind of difficult to find a central pulse of a series which just features a demon aimlessly wandering from place to place. It's fun in its own way. But it would really feel a lot more satisfying to see the direction that things are going in if they were actually going in some sort of a readily identifiable direction. That being said, it's a lot of fun. It's a lot of fun without any central conflict beyond the obvious.

Bennett and Company are doing a very impressive job of making this particular iteration of a series of work in a way that it's rarely worked in the past. It's working on so many different levels. It's doing so with great sense of style and poise. Hopefully the current momentum can continue into the future. Bennett has taken her time with developing all of the different fundamental angles of the character. Previous iterations of the franchise has provided a lot of potential president for the current series to explore if Bennett wants to. She's a really good writer, though. She could find something completely new. It will be interesting to see what happens in the future.

Barks adventures with uncle Scrooge, and the ducks were the product of some rather brilliant pacing. Everything seem to move briskly into adventure and worlds that seemed very imaginatively sat out. But theres something thats missing when an issue like this focuses so far on establishing the setting at the tone and all of those familiar elements that everybody remembers from the cartoon show. It feels a little slow in getting going. And thats kind of against the overall spirit of what Berks had created in the beginning. that being said, it should be interesting to see where this goes. Theres a lot of directions that one could take it in that wouldnt necessarily be outside the realm of the original series, but would be an expansion due to a decidedly different format.

And the next major moment is approaching. Theres some major decisions that have to be made. Villain is for it by all practical insect, tense and purposes totally successful. So whats next? Theres a lot that could happen. And of course a lot thats going to have to happen in order for things to truly get completely resolved. Its only a matter of time cutter. And certainly thats coming down the line very soon its going to be interesting seeing how they get there, though. The tone and rhythm and movement of the series continues to do a good job of advancing the interests of a series which was practically forklift on television.

Every now and again a spawn title hits on something that really would work well on its own as a completely different series. This particular manhunt would work really well as a matched pair trying to make their way through a world that is infested with the spawn of hell. Would be really fun to see that two of them continue on in some fashion. However, so many ideas ricochet around the Spawn Universe and so little of it meets the center of the page the way that it should.

The challenge in the future is going to be to try to find ways to expand the legends. If that would be a ring too far from where it is that things need to be in order to release still feel  suitably Olympian. Its going to be kind of weird seeing them try to do that. Although its definitely going to be something that needs to happen if a series is going to continue onto much more.

At the center of it all, Gert is really developing. There truly is a character arc going on here. In the midst of the weirdness. She is becoming someone other than she was at the beginning of the series. And this is not something that often happens to much more successful, but characters. That's really cool to see it happened to somebody who you wouldn't expect it to happen to. After all, she is very cartoonish. One would expect her to have a very flat personality in comparison to show many of the rest of the enhance of pages and panels all over the comic book rack. It's nice to see someone who's actually changing.

The 39th issue in this series actually actually does a really good job of telling what could be easily be a standalone story. McFarlane might not be very deep for this particular issue, but there IS a solid sense of exactly how much a story can fit into an issue and still feel like I kind of a satisfying action sequence. veteran, who knows it how action moves across the page. Its nice to see that experience put to use in a largely satisfying action/horror fantasy narrative.

And given the length of the life in the comic book danger, its nice to see you if theres still some life that can be found around the edges of the character. Its entirely possible that this sort of thing has been covered before on more than one occasion. But its been a while. And its nice to see it given such a strikingly clear perspective here at me And have a big anniversary for that she devil with a sword. Its very cool to see the way things come together on this. 

The general momentum of the adventure cotninues to propel itself in an interesting direction as Shayde moves ever forward through the chaos that surrounds her as echoed out from the past. Its all very enjoyable with a powerful character in the center who bears a central mystery that should hopefully end up launching the series in an entirely new direction once her background becomes a bit more clear in the course of the adventure that lies ahead in future issues. Its always a fun trip from one cover to the other with Emma Kubert. 

Of course, this is all process of viewing something that is very, very much a work in progress. And there could be larger things on the horizon, which need to be kept in proportion to what's going on in the issue. It's one thing for mortals to wield the power of the gods. It would be that much more intense to see the actual god wheel the power. So there's probably some need to pull things back a bit just to make sure that it all feels right on a larger scale as the series continues. It's going to be interesting to see how issue 12 fits in with the rest of the series as things progress.

One might expect things to be slowing down a little little bit. Certainly in light of what happens over the course of the issue. However, things need to keep moving. And they do. There's danger ahead. And it continues to dominate the page in a series that continues to have quite a bit of momentum.

Casey and Company have a long way to go before the series really starts to feel like its on the thing. Its echoing so many other series of so many other errors that it hasnt really managed to found a ton space yet. But its still relatively early on, and theres a lot of things that could happen as things progress into the future for a series which seems to have gained quite a bit of momentum. Its nice to see them, taking a moment for a standalone story involving some of the tensor aspects and implications of the superhero genre.

Its a briefly moving adventure that has a very natural progression about it. And one of the bits of genius about it is the fact that it gets so far into the minds of anthropomorphized aspect the reader moves along with it, and as obvious as the ending for this particular issue feels in retrospect, it still comes across as a remarkably surprising given everything thats happened in the course of the issue.

Its nice to see them branching out and really trying to develop Hyde Street into something that would be sort of a universal symbol for the bizarre and poor. Im trying to find a quaint little corner of the twilight zone on which to put a street like this. Its kind of a fun idea. And itll be interesting to see what they do. Moving forward. Because theres a lot that could happen on high Street. And its kind of cool to see a one shot that fits into the overall structure of the strange horror of it all.

The adventure is well modulated. However, at issue, like this goes by way too quickly, to really register as much of an impact as it probably could. That being said, the visuals of the issue are well executed, and everything seems to be rolling quite well through everything. Though it is perfectly well nestled into the run of the cereal, an issue like this also feels like a good, standalone, pretty well. Craig thats a really good job with it.

Theres a little question about any given reader, would be able to choose a side here. The creative team does a pretty good job of illustrating, strengths and weaknesses on both sides in an issue that feels largely consumed by the chaos on the battlefield. Part of the enjoyment of it is just knowing the full story the way none of the characters on the page could. Readers can see the conflict developing be on the mists of ancient time in an area where the air filter had ever been fully exposed to the other. Its enjoyable to see a conflict like this with the benefit of hundreds of years of history.

She is a powerful warrior. And a powerful warrior plagued by knowledge that goes deeper than the surface is an interesting thing to explore. Theoretically, the writer couldnt really do a good job of expanding on that in a way that could work itself out into something much more substantial than what other writers have been able to explore with Sonya over the years. Should be interesting to see what it is that shes able to do.Gronbekk no is that she cant change that much and still have Sonia be in distinctively Sonia. So just found a very dramatic way of developing the character in a different direction that still feels true to the appeal of who she is

Its not often that a series of laws itself in entire issue to simply allow a single conversation to happen, without any flashbacks or anything like that. What Johns and Company are bringing to the page it is something that would work remarkably well in a number of different dramatic narrative formats without much of any benefit of any background information. It would seem kind of strange for people who arent completely familiar with it. However, there is a great deal of background material provided in the biography at the end of the issue. Honestly, its a very good starting point for anyone unfamiliar with.Johns ambitious multi-title project known as The Unnamed.

There are a lot of ideas to develop around the edges of the action. The specific blend of magic and science seems kind of fun, and it would be really interesting to have it integrate better with this lol the adventure. This will be particularly easy as some of the technology being explored is that which only works on villains. Its a clever idea for an explanation for this sort of thing. It wouldnt be difficult to integrate that into the action, directly and more of a direct adventure that didnt realize so heavily on exposition.

Once again, its nice to see what essentially equates with 10 to 15 minutes of an animated episode in a single issue. The formulaic approach to script writing that was necessitated by a 1980s after school syndicated animated series It was a very regimented. Its nice to see a plot applied to this particular cast in this particular setting that doesnt necessarily need to fall in line in between commercial brakes. The various elements of the story have more room to breathe in a comic book format like the current Dynamit Comics series. Once again: its nice to life in the old cats.

There is still quite a bit of opportunity for everything to develop in a way that could be truly interesting. As it is, however,Llovet isnt doing enough with the concept to relieve register as much of anything outside of a relatively uninspired Anne Rice-inspired drama. Llovets style of visual rendering does continue to hold quite a bit of appeal that continues to keep the pages moving even if theres nothing on them that seems to be as engaging as it could be. Theres a real potential here. And theres every hope that.Llovet can live-up to that potential. 

Thompson is taking her tie with the amount of story covered in the first issue of the series. It would have been all too easy to rush through some of the basics of Dianas origin and then dive straight into the fish-out-of-water story of a warrior from Hell in Southern California. Thompson clearly wants to ensure that shes giving the idea room to breathe before it completely dives into the adventure that is going to be consuming Dianas life. Very cool stuff.

The Feeding is the type of thing that would have been totally compressed in 1950s horror anthology and the m crushed under the weight of way too much unnecessary narration. The stylish nature of the whole thing feels sharply delivered in a way that feels more or less perfect. Though it DOES seem to suggest a kind of a deeper theme about the nature of hunger and expression, there really isnt a whole lot going on on the page that necessarily feels all that deep, which is a pity. Its a fun story that had a lot of potential to go deeper than the surface.

There is quite a lot going on in the first issue. However, Seeley and company manage to keep it all moving with the right amount of momentum and everything feels more or less perfectly poised to crash together in future issues as the series continues.

Cox and company have done a remarably good job of delivering everything to the page with a style that fully embraces the immensity that Kong is capable of delivering. Its a bit strange to get the final perspective on it because ther remain so many questions at the end of the series. Kong has been a force of nature at the heart of the series, but the massive mystery of humanity in the heart of nature continues to lurk around the edges of every panel as the series draws to a close. Kong has been explored in the comics pages before. Its nice to see a series focus so narrowly on the dark mystery of it all.

The yearlong cycle that Nullhunter is opening with the first issue feels generally quite promising. The big journey could go in quite a few different directions. The fusion between cyberpunk and ancient heroic legend has always been at least kind of inherent in the genre. Its nice to see it openly embraced with Nullhunter. A slightly cleaner approach to storytelling might improve things. Walsh and Vargas are throwing-in a few too many details around the edges to really be all that satisfying, but the core of what the series reveals in the first issue is pretty impressive.

Theres a showdown coming between Ryker and fate, but its kind of difficult to tell exactly where Loughridge is planning on taking it. There is a definite feel of a car wreck waiting to happen that would feel deeply satisfying at the end next issue. The only thing is: this is the third issue of an 8-part series. There are a lot of different directions that Loughridge and company could take the narrative in as the series reaches its mid-point at the end of the next issue. So much could happen with someone who can stop time.

The Horizon Experiment in one-shot issues continues to show quite a bit of promise. Image is going a really good job of twisting the expectations on traditional comic book genres by simply switching the leads to be something other than white guys.. Theres a lot of room to explore new ideas from cultures that arent always given the center of page and screen.

Its an interesting concept that could continue to be a great deal of fun as the issues continue. Theres a powerful sense of action that shoot s across the page. Theres a real sense of danger...even in the gooey weirdness of Rossmos visuals. With all of the basics developed, the series could really fall into a generic high fantasy mode if Johnson and Rossmo arent careful. Its been a lot of fun so far, but it will be interesting to see where Pennys parents go from here. Theres great potential for exploring their relationship and their relationship with their daughter in the weird tableau of her dreamworld. 

Gillen shares a few clever thoughts about his experience working with the series in after the timeline. Hes a sharp wit. Even nice Atom Bombs arent very nice, comes across as one of the better lines in the whole issue and it comes in his closing notes on the issue. Theres such an active conscience and consciousness about the series that feels so deeply engaging on so many levels. 

The next issue explores the origin of the monsters eyes. It will be interesting to see how Walsh frames the sight of a conflicted creature that has been drawn together by various people suffering from various issues that cut right to the core of who they are. Walshs work really delivers a breathtaking look at the background of the film thats based on Shellys work...expanding it and illuminating it in ways the bring a bit more definition to the Universal film as an accomplished work in and of itself. Walsh is giving the film a bit more of its own place as a clear and distinctive work by exploring the edges of a story from the dawn of popular cinema. 

It could be really difficult to take the rhythms of the story in episodic format. The world is so very rich and richly realize that brief little exposures to it, and that feeling more disorienting then they will win the series is collected into a trade paperback later on. certainly things are moving in a direction where it will likely be quite satisfying once everything is finally committed to the page. As for right now, its fascinating to get a little glimpse into this other world that seems so very well rendered.

The action holds quite a bit of impact. However, the drama that is driving, the conflict had a largely been concluded in the issues prior to the big finale. This is not to say that this issue is completely without its charm. Quite the contrary, in fact. Theres a great deal of work being done to set this particular series into the larger essence of the rest of the Energon Universe. Its going to be interesting to see how everything develops as the overarching universe continues to fuse G.I. Joe with The Transformers. Theres a great deal of potential in that particular crossover as more and more mini-series pop-up and the new G.I. Joe flagship series opens-up next month.

Though the issue might not necessarily feel particularly strong in, and of itself, there is quite a lot that is to be respected about this next chapter in a potentially integral part of the Spawn Universe that could potentially pull it over into a new direction with a whole new genre. Schultz is clearly working towards a very interesting vision in what could happen given the right direction. The first seven issues dont necessarily feel like theyre making it the right stride, though. And it could take a while before everything is fine present in a way that would feel totally satisfying.

A couple of pretty good dialogue, this one seems to have fallen into the pattern that they had throughout much of the rest of the series. It's just not very well written with respect to the dialogue. And if things were presented a little bit more stylish on page it might develop into something a lot more. However, the center of it seems to be holding together for quite a while. And it's entirely possible that, some sort of satisfying rhythm as it continues into future issues. With any luck, Trohman and Posehn might be able to maintain a decent pulse of the series from here on in. 

The moodiness of the series continues to dominate the page. There isnt a whole lot of actual activity running through all of that mod, though. McFarlane and Kudranski are moving in the right direction to make things work, but they would have to add just a bit more depth for the story to really go somewhere. As it is, the series continued Bea to feel like a sketch of an idea for a more complete series. There just isnt a whole lot between the covers. What IS there is actually pretty good, though.

As Tynion continues to develop all of the edges and corners of the DoT universe, it becomes more and more apparent that he would have the opportunity to explore quite a lot with respect to popular perception, and what reality is. Theoretically, it would be interesting to see him, pull forward through into the era of the Internet, and beyond in a more detailed fashion. But theres so much about the history of pop, culture and popular perception. That would be interesting to explore from the 20th century. It will be interesting to see him take his time with this story, though.. Hollywood in the 1960s kind of has it coming.

Zdarsky and Stott are making a really good case for what could be an ongoing series. The five issues of this series seem like a really good sales pitch for what could be be a very long-running series. And theres a lot of potential in and around the edges of the ensemble and a basic premise of the power of.The Domain that could be a lot of fun to explore under the right circumstances. As it is, its been kind of interesting little experiment that could become something unique given the right momentum. That momentum could take a while to develop, but its been a great deal of fun so far.

Its intricacies make it very difficult to assess while its in progress. There are various things that priest and company could be doing to amplify the weird nature of it all. They could also be tied a little bit more into certain realities of the human heart. But its hard to tell exactly what metaphors priest is exploring as the story still continues to sprawl out in various directions. Time will tell.

And now the Violator has found a new body. Its ready to find its way in the world with a renewed appreciation for its own infernal durability. Theres no telling whee life is going to take the infernal thing navigates its way to the Heptarchy in England in the eighth century. Beyond that, there are a lot of directions that Andreyko and company could develop in the course of the ensuing issues.

This isnt the first time Steve Trevor has died. It might be the single best-framed death of Steve Trevor since the character first appeared back in 1942. All too often the death of Dianas love has come across as being tragically peripheral to the center of her life. Kings treatment of the event hits the page with great force. And naming Dianas daughter after Sarah Elizabeth Marston is a nice touch. King manages a few clever turns throughout the issue, but the overall plot structure from death to birth is deeply satisfying on a few different levels. 

This series has been kind of hit or miss overtime. Some of the issues look really, really good. Johns work on the issue of the current series doesn't quite live up to the best in the serial flower. However, there are more than a few beautifully haunting moments that occasionally strike pose on the page. And things continue to look pretty good in various places from various angles. Given a long enough timeline, the series could really turn it into something remarkable. And certainly it seems popular enough that I could manage just that.

Theoretically, there could be quite a lot of exploration here. And its entirely possible that this series could just move on with Jonathan quest as the main character. Or maybe it could be a combination of the two. It would be interesting. Theres a lot of different directions that they could go in. But for right now there certainly going in the direction where theyre playing with the tradition of the series and just making it a bit and bringing it into bed now.

The series is taking the adventure genre in an interesting direction that feels like it's adding quite a bit around the edges of traditional steampunk. There is a rich depth to the story that begins to embrace the potential of supernatural drama from the era in the oft-ignored region of snowy northern Russia. Things that seem to be progressing quite well in this series in a way that's also adding quite a bit of depth to the character of Lady Mechanika herself. There is quite a bit of momentum as the series reaches its third issue next month.

If Edwin is given enough time on the page in subsequent series, the Full picture of the character could release our resonate as it is right now, the current series doesn't have quite enough impact to draw a profound understanding of who he is. There's a little bit more that's revealed. There's a little bit more that comes across the page. But it still feels like fragmented that would really need a lot more support in order to feel complete.

Please continue to run to the final chapter next month. It's going to be interesting to see where it all comes to rest. Nice as it is to see the creative team on the book continue to ratchet up the tension, it feels like they've been doing so for a long t and it's difficult to imagine the final chapter of living up to the intensity of everything that has come before it. Nevertheless, the final moment for the current series feels like it could open up into something unspeakably, beautiful.

It's actually a very slick package overall. Something as big as San Diego Comic-Con is going to be difficult to place on the page in the right way. It feels like there is quite a lot of thought put in to placing this particular issue the best known environment for the comic book industry. There would have been a lot of wage to present the story that could have bogged it down from one end or the other. Once again, Zdarski has managed to balance the series firmly between family drama and the distinctive trappings of the comic book industry.  

Image and Skybound continue to dive into the Energon Universe with the completion of another mini-series featuring another member of the extended cast. Whats frustrating here is the fact that the market may NOT be up to the task of maintaining all of the series that theyve developed as ongoing titles. It would be really, really cool to see Thompson and Ferrari continue with the adventures of Scarlett. Shes really fun as a covert agent breaking into a secure facility. It would be really interesting to see what else Thompson could do with her.

The idea of taking something which was essentially very light and simple on the TV screen ages ago, and turning it into something far more complex. Its a very noble gesture. However, this sort of thing has been done often enough that it might need a little bit more before it can really develop into something truly unique. The space fantasy of the action is really well captured, and theres a high Fidelity to the overall nature of that sort of thing. However, this particular iteration of the character really needs a little bit more depth in order for it to be able to do what it really needs to do and live up to its potential.

Overall, the general feel of the story hits something of a Highpoint here. The focus on a single character. The cleverly interesting dramatic elements. The appealing locations and the brisket plot structure all come together together in a way that makes this issue a little bit better than previous issues issues have been in the recent past. If Layman and the company can hold onto the energy that they're putting together here, and it's going to make for a much more appealing series in the long run. Other issues issues in the recent past haven't been bad. They just haven't been quite as appealing as this one.

Its an interesting opening. The basic premise of the original feature film is so amazingly simple that it could be stretched and prodded in a million different directions. It really wouldnt be much difficulty and that it really be a matter of making sure that everything comes together in just the right way. So theres a whole bunch of different ways that standalone stories could work with the premise. It will be interesting to see how this series works as things progress. There are a lot of potentials in a lot of potential stories that fit into the overall concept. These are interesting and initial sketches in the first issue. It will be interesting to see where Dynamite takes it from here.

Of course, addressing the fourth wall, the way this comic book is always kind of dangerous. It runs the risk of moving into incredibly cheesy territory from a variety of different directions. A story like this is really easy to do and it's really difficult to do very well. There are so many opportunities for the narrative to move in a direction that takes it to the fact that it doesn't. As weird and paradoxical as that is, it's not nearly as fun as it should be when this sort of multi-layered story is attempted. Hopefully Northcott and company can live-up to the potential of what theyre attempting.

Its just too bad that there isnt more distinguishing the action. Clearly theres a serious threat involving a powerful object falling into the wrong hands. It just simply is NOT where it would need to be in order to really feel narratively dynamic. The characters themselves DO seem interesting, but its difficult for any author to juggle all of the different characters in such a large and sprawling extended ensemble. Some of the drama supporting all of the action felt particularly compelling, but its all in the distance amidst all of the weird energies flowing in and around the pages of the issue. Theres so much potential in the many characters in the ensemble. A better Free Agents could happen if only the writers would let the series find its own rhythm. 

There was actually a guy who popularized X-ray specs and packaged Amazing Live Sea Monkeys. Harold von Braunhut was a sleazy racist who marketed some pretty shady stuff by mail order. (Crazy Crabs and the Invisible Goldfish were some of his lesser-known products.) The fictionalized Mr. X is a considerably more appealing anti-hero based on a much less appealing figure. Its nice to see Johns and company twisting his work in a direction that explores the darker end of humanity. Very cool stuff.

Gerts overall journey through her second series has been a great dea of fun. It would be all too easy for any writer to simply get lost in and amidst the weird amplification of everything and simply ignore all concept of character development and continuity. Fairyland IS pretty surreal and it would be entirely possible for that sort of thing to happen. Its nice to see Young and Bean echoing through the moment with a firmly-defined sense of progression for a titlethats just now wrapping-up its 9th year. It hasnt always been all that coherent, but its always been fun on some level.

There are allot of directions can go in for future issues. Theres a real sense of momentum towards something much bigger and its possible that King Spawn could suddenly start to get interesting in the course of the next six uissues or some from now. Its going to be interesting to see if McFarlane is able to make some sort of a coherent statement about Simmons, Spawn and th nature of life in the presence of such powerful evil magical forces. McFarlanes just might end up with something really interesting if McFarlane is able to continue to pul it together. 

It's nice to get a little bit more of a perspective on Sonjas history, but it's only going to be around for a little while. This particular story cannot hold for that much longer. They're already weaving through the elements pretty quickly and it's going to be interesting to see if Lieberman and Company can provide any additional insight into the character that they had already been able to manifest in the second issue. It's going to be interesting to see if they managed to get the title character to confront her demons of her past in a way that justifies the conflict of future issues.

It's hard enough to maintain a sense of continuity for our character. Who's been around this long. Even if it's just one person who is doing most of the action as a writer and artist a lot of inconsistency can fall into place here and there over the decades. And it's clear that Larson is having fun with what he's putting on the page and some of that fun is transferring to the reader, it would be nice to have it be a little bit more coherent with respect to continuity between scenes, issues and major eras in the history of Dragon.

It would be really cool to see Lyra and her own series. She certainly has the right dramatic and the right conflict to inhabit the center of the page quite well. Certainly she's doing that for a good portion of this issue. And it's really only a matter of time before she does. She does a really good job of serving as the central hero and a couple of different scenes over the course of the book. Once again, the title character seems somewhat ill suited to his own comic book. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, though. the center of the action of the issue really feels quite interesting. It just doesn't happen to be the title character for the most part.

Its weird that the indicted murderer would have mentioned that he had had a P.O. Box at a pack and ship place off of North Avenue by the Oriental. Thats strangely specific for something that would also be...wrong. Theres no such place in that neighborhood. Tynions dialogue feels natural enough about it, though. Hes done such a convincing job of making the thing seem convincing on so many levels that its easy to take that kind of detail for granted. Its just that good.

Sniegoski and Acheson have put a series in motion that really would have taken a hell of a lot more than five issues to tell. The premise of the series was a bit too ambitious to be adequately covered in the course of a five issue series, though. It would be interesting to see Sniegoski and Acheson explore what theve established in Dark Reflections in a story that was a bit more focussed and a lot less scattered. 

What continues to be the most remarkable thing about Black Cloak is its immersiveness. It isnt just Thomspons sharply-realized urban fantasy world...it isnt just the fact that McClaren has a brilliant sense of design for fashion and architecture. Its also the fact that the color and the dialogue and the perspectives and the central emotionality of it all come together in a way that feels very real...even in a world of monsters and humanoids flying around the place with leathery wings. 

Expectations continue to shift as the series progresses. The truly strange potential of something that would be very breathtakingly weird has been settled. Arcudi and Finley are working on some thing that is much more standardized. There's a tradition of single traveler in a foreign land that has roots in fantasy science fiction that go all the way back to Edgar Rice Burroughs and beyond. It's familiar ground. It's kind of fun to see it done again.

Honestly, they could have punched up the comedy of the conflict between the heroes and the villain at issues end. When Fenton nd Geller finally catch-up with the killer, he just looks SO cool and slick with sort of a dark ninja style that theyre both really impressed with. Had they just been way too in awe of his style to act effectively, it might have been a bit more interesting. Though there IS kind of an emotional moment at one point, the battle between Fenton, Geller an the villain stands as one of the best moments in the series so far.

The progression of Rykers encounters increases in intensity from the first issue to the second issue. His first major encounter involved tough US outlaw bikers. The second involves dangerous contract killers. One can imagine where things are going in the third issue as the authorities look to close on him with their own tech. It could be interesting to see where things are going. Loughridge seems to have a clean and clear sense of escalation about things that could be fun as the series progresses.

It's really difficult to manage a narrative of espionage and such in a postmodern era. No one has really managed to capture the nature of secrets in an information in a way that would transfer to the page all that well in a comic book format. The Manchurian really has a sharp opportunity to engage in that given the nature of Chinese spy tactics. The fact that he's not actually pursuing it is not necessarily a failure in execution. in the story is internally consistent, and well executed. It is, however, a failure in conception. And that's only a little disappointing given how well everything else is put together.

While it's quite clear that this is going to be a limited series, walls could theoretically continue this on for quite some time. There are so many aspects of the story that the Universal picture just didn't have a chance to explore. It would be really interesting to see a full and exhausted exploration that could run decades with the way Walsh is putting things together. Sadly, he only has a limited space in which to explore the nature of the monster. And it's really cool that he's going to be able to do so with the kind of thought, poise, and pacing that he managed in the first couple of issues.

Watters momentum going into the third issue was quite impressive. That momentum gets reduced a bit as Destro finds the woman he thinks is looking to have him killed. It really SHOULD be more of an intense showdown, but something gets lost between the script, the art and the issues that have led into the third. It doesnt quite hit the potential that it really could have managed and so it feels like a brief moment of  gradual motion before the narrative settles-down into its big finale next month. 

The action between the leads continues to hold enough gravity to keep the action moving quite well. The art has been integrated quite well with the writing. Though some of the personality may be missing from a traditional romance, its going to be interesting to see where things develop from here as the series continues towards its inevitable end that will be arriving in the months to come. The action may feel a bit uninvolved if the pacing doesnt begin to pick-up now that the two central characters have finally introduced themselves to each other.

Yes: there IS the feeling of an early 1980s feature in Heavy Metal Magazine, but theres more here than just that. The sheer brutality of some of the visuals and the raw nature of emotion on the page allow the series to once again transcend the un-engaging density so common found in high fantasy. Its fascinating stuff to see echoed on the contemporary comics page having been committed to film decades ago. Theres a kind of timelessness about it that carries a feeling every bit as fresh now as it did back in the early 1980s when it debuted on the movie screen. Theres a deep pulse to the action that continues to maintain quite a bit of momentum as the series progresses. 

Its cool to read a comic that the author has been associated with for nearly half a century...it would just be really, really nice to have more of a sense of that author/series connection in every single issue.

Schultz clearly has a long-range sort of a plan for the overall pacing of the series, but its ind of a weird way to start the sixth issue with a comprehensive history of the neighborhood in question. Schultz is writing with the full series in mind, but  the sixth issue feels a bit like an awkwardly lopsided sort of a feel. Its going to be interesting to see where shes going to take the story from here. There are a lot of different possibilities. 

So theres a lack of contrast between the worlds. Thats not a HUGE problem so long as Rossmo and Johnson are able to deliver the heart of the drama to the page in a way thats going to feel strong enough to carry narrative momentum from one issue to the next in a ten-issue mini-series. In the first issue, Johnson drops the readers right into the middle of a very tense combat sort of a situation...and it can be difficult to get a st ring connection with the characters right away, but things are bound to settle-down with the premise fully revealed by the end of the first issue. 

The X-Men found a really interesting exploration of dangerous superpowers in a real world in the course of its first couple of decades on the page. Alan Moores Watchmen tied that dynamic deeply into the socio-political world of the 1980s. With The Power Trip, Gillen has found a new level of detail that amplifies the dramatic potential of a cerebral super hero story in a way that feels fresh and interesting. Theres life in the genre yet...and its pretty remarkable life that shows a great deal of promise.

It is a real genuine challenge to make everything work. And once again, Lee and Carbone have found just the right mix of drama and action in very graceful, little intricacies that allow for a very clever look at something that could have much more easily turned itn o something with all the subtlety....of a syndicated cartoon after school in the 1980s. Its sharp stuff that feels remarkably fresh and easily one of the more sophisticated updates on an old animated property from the 1980s. Quite an impressive work.

In addition to the standard ensemble murder mystery dynamic, theres a superhero genre element thats drawn into the background of the series. This makes for a distinctly interesting situation with regard to the overall setting of the series. It's definitely a superhero comic book. However, there's a lot more going on here than it would normally be in a traditional superhero drama. The fact that the superhuman powers rest just on the edge of the center of everything is actually very refreshing. Really it's just a story about people who happened to live in a world that features some remarkable powers. Very interesting stuff.

Its nice to see Bennett slowly moving-in to the series. The time that shes taking in setting up the full ensemble in this particular issue suggests a desire to really hang out with. Pezzini for the long-haul. Its always nice to see a writer of these caliber to say that she really just wants to hang out with one character for a long time. Other two seem to work well together. It will be interesting to see where things go from here.

Dr. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross came-up with the five stages of grief. Then she said that not everyone goes through them in order. And not everyone goes through all of them necessarily. And...well...its really just a vague model that people can take comfort in, but its not a bad outline for a cleverly non-traditional cowboy western horror-fantasy. Theres been real poetry in the series as it has made its way to its own inevitable conclusion. Its a very sharp sort of an allegory that looks at the deeper horror at the heart of every good-guy cowboy story. 

Theres a clean and simple pacing to the story that opens and closes with the central premise of the series. The middle ground helps to establish exactly what kind of a nice thug Dead Eyes really is in cleverly stylish rendering. Its all very, very sharp. Nice to see Dead Eyes come back once more.

The biggest success here is probably Barney himself. The two-headed dog has always been one of the more charming aspects of Geiger. Hes a really expressive mascot who never comes across as being all that anthropomorphized...but still manages to be the emotional center of the series. The identical twin heads amplify the emotionality of the comic book the an intense degree. Its really, really cool to see him more in the center of the panel...even if its only for a single issue before Zdarsky and company get back to more of the same next month.

Honestly...there wasnt that much that was truly original about the original cartoon. It was a simple extrapolation of sci-fi adventur4e fiction that had been circulating around various mediums including radio, pulp fiction and TV for decades by the time Johnny made his first appearance. The deification of syndication have found a place for Johnny deep in the heart of Boomers and Xers that work their magic on the page in a way that feels just as engaging for those of us who WERENT interested in the original animation.

The dreariness of the drama really delivers on the mood. Theres an exhausted sort of a depth to it that feels restless around the edges. The issue seems to have captured quite a bit of the feel of an uneasy hospital stay. The full potential of a tightly-paced hospital drama may not have bee attained in the fourth issue of the series, but the momentum of the story is maintained as the series as the story somewhat strangely reaches the end of its arc with this issue. 

Its always a bit strange when a series thats as poetically surreal as Precious Metal hits some of the more intense moments of action. Can Poelgeest and company manage to finesse the weird emotionality of the series thus far into something thats suitably overwhelming, but the heart and the mind have already been so lulled by the beautifully poetic horror of it all that its a bit difficult to completely embrace the total intensity of whats going on with the central conflict. That being said, the conflict is DEFINITELY there at the heart of everything.

Sonjas bern in the general vicinity of Death and the Devil countless times before. Neverthelesss, Lieberman and Locatelli manage to make it all feel very sharp and appealing in a way that feels very fresh and new. Sonjas ally for this particular series seems like an interesting enough guy to contrast against Sonjas power and poise. And the conflict thats being presented feels more than interesting enough to maintain through the end of what appears to be a very promising new series for the She-Devil. Itll be interesting to see which direction this one heads-in as the story unveils itself. 

Tynion and Simmonds seem to be circling back a bit on the essence of what theyve been moving through in the early going of the series. Its fascinating to see the story weave itself in and around itself as the fictions on the page articulate with the fictions of history. Its fascinating stuff that could translate well into other narrative forms off the comics page. Thankfully, Simmonds does a breathtaking job of rendering visuals the keep the more abstract nature of everything firmly anchored into page and panel. It continues to be very well balanced. 

The work is remarkably fresh for something that feels a bit like a cheesy cross between The Greatest American Hero, Star Brand and...maybe The Terminator. Zrarsky and company are playing with tropes that have been kicking around the medium for decades. Theyre doing so in a way that feels distinctly new. Theres a remarkably strong narrative voice thats echoing through the pages of the first three issues of the series that feels refreshing without completely reinventing the genre. Its fun and its affecting.

Its too bad that the Sophia version of the Haunt character couldnt get her own series. The entirety of the issue would have fit rather nicely into a fully fleshed-out four-issue mini-series. With any luck, Sophia Swain will have a bit more going on in the Spawn universe moving forward. Its a cleverly simple mutation of the original Kirkman/McFarlane premise that feels like it could have some thematic depth to it. Theres quite a lot of potential in the Spawn Universe, but it always seems to rest on the edge of the panels. Nice to see it shoot across the center of the page once in a while.

A group of inter dimensional heroes present in a vaguely recognizable superhero world SHOULD be the type of thing that would naturally sort of draw-in a reader, but FreeAgents never really manages to make much of an impression as it struggles about on the page more or less fruitlessly. Its not that the third issue in the series completely lacks any appeal at all...its just that it doesnt feel interesting enough to make much of an impression on a crowded comics rack for superheroes.

As annoying as it all is, Gunslinger #35 still manages to congest a respectable amount of grit and monstrous brutality onto the page. It makes a hell of an impact for an issue that feels largely inconsequential even in light of the outcome of the battle. The overall intensity of the battle would have felt a lot more impressive if there was more of a larger picture in the overall comic.

Theres a very smart sense of pacing about the opening issue of the current series. The series of scenes that comprise the first issue have a very compelling sense of forward momentum about them that serves th overall action and drama of the series quite well. Once again, Lady Mechanika makes it to the page in a narrative package that feels distinct and well-balanced from beginning to end. If Benitez, Change and company can maintain the momentum established in the first issue, all should be quite well.

The series has reached its eighth issue. The basic novelty of Zdarskys calm, earthbound sense of characterization is starting to wear a little bit thin. Its been fun so far, but its difficult to imagine much of the rest of the series registering much of a pulse as things get started. If the series is going to continue, theres going to need to be some sort of a sense of progression that give the cast of characters a place to be that isnt just...cranking out the next issue of the series. So far Zdarski has been quite limited on any sense of conflict driving the whole thing forward.

There are quite a few layers to the plot and thematic intensity of what Johns is delivering to the page. The art team does a sharp job of weaving it all together with style and poise that beautifully brings all of the elements of the story together. Theres even some suggestion that Johns and company may be reaching for something deeper in the long run that has yet to fully materialize on the horizon of the series just yet. Rook had a lot going for it in its fifth issue.

Thompson heads a remarkably tight narrative package that works quite a bit better than most of the rest of whats been on the mainstream comics rack this summer. The fact that shes able to weave together a lot of subtlety and nuance while delivering a very well-executed action story that also fits into a larger comic book universe is really, really impressive. Its too bad Thompsons run with Scarlett is only going to last for one more issue. Shes a fun character with a lot of potential, but shes never been given enough room to explore that potential until now. 

Lyra seems interesting enough that she could really branch out into her own series after this. Shes a hell of a lot more interesting than the title character of Spawn has managed to be for much of the past couple of decades. It's Very strange seeing a character like this shine her way out of a largely tedious parade of blood and violence like the Spawn series. Very impressive to see something like this in a largely one-note series. The emotional intensity that McConville manages is quite admirable. 

Its difficult to do an issue like this in a way that feels terribly original or insightful. That being said, its a very familiar sort of a script that feels incredibly comfortable to anyone with even a passing familiarity with the action hero genre. Its fun stuff even if its really obvious where its been and where its going. The hero who gets the hell beaten out of him and keeps crawling back into the path of danger ontinues to hold a great appeal in a world that s seems to constantly be beating the hell out of everyone. It may not be original, but it IS relatable. 

The Infernals had a lot of potential. Its still really, really difficult to tell whether or not the series lived-up to its potential. Theres such a sense of duplicity about the nature of everyone in the entirety of the story that its difficult to tell quite precisely who was lying and who wasnt as the series draws to a close. Thats part of what makes the series fun, but its also a part of what makes it difficult to really assess even at the end of the final issue. Time will pass. The trade paperback will come out next month. Maybe there will be some form of insight into whats transpired before the series gets its inevitable resurrection in a subsequent series at some point in the future....

The overall movement of the action seems to be doing a fairly good job of delivering the intensity, even if the licked at the heart of it doesn't really seem all that well defined. The important thing is that it's all moving with the right kind of momentum under the power of visuals that feel suitably intense. It may not be all that clear exactly what's happening, but it's fun to watch it happen. And it's fun to watch the build-up to a big show-down in another fun trip into incomprehensible madness with a very appealing hero.  

Given the kind of momentum Fleecs is giving the series, theres really no reason that it couldnt keep going for years. In order for it to run with the kind of longevity its capable of, Fleecs is really going to need to slow the pacing and allow the weirdness to emerge with a bit more class and substance. This would also allow new readers and people not already as familiar with the franchise to get into it on a panel-by-panel basis that could expand the reach of both the property AND the comic book.

The familiarity of it all is so very, very engaging in so many different ways. The starkness of one human trying to survive in a lush wilderness is brought to the page vividly and without unnecessary ornamentation. The problem begins to set-in that it might not have enough going for it beyond the basic elements of human survival. The developments that begin to move the narrative at issues end could really go in a WHOLE bunch of different directions and itll be interesting to see were Convert goes in the next issue as the narrative reaches its halfway point.

Five issues in and the series still seems to be finding its footing somewhere between comedy, drama and something else altogether. A straight ahead biographical look at co-creator Eastmans life might be a bit more fun...as would something that really leaned-in to the surrealism of the premise. AS it is, Drawing Blood seems to be. Trying to balance things a bit too much for its own good. It seems to be moving in the general direction of something memorable. Thats enough for now...

The definition that Dinisio puts into the colors really draws Grommets out of the authenticity. Its kind of disorienting. So often period dramas from the 20th century feel the need to throw a wink and a nod to contemporary audiences about the quaintness of an earlier time. Remender and Posehn do a really good job of keeping it all grounded in the reality of 1985. The story isnt wearing the era like a costume...it really DOES feel totally ensconced in it...and much of the drama thats in the issue could easily be placed in any other era. Thats quite an accomplishment given how often these things tend to devolve into campy nostalgia.

Sonja is on the run...again. And though there isnt a whole lot that distinguishes her latest troubles from a lot of other issues that shes had to deal with over the years, Grnbekks writing advances her heroism in interesting directions while respecting the legacy of a character who has had a great deal of success on the comics page in recent years. Grnbekk and company have been able to maintain a decent momentum that should continue to develop quite well as things progress. She even seems to be working with villains who might develop into a captivating new menace as things progress. 

On the whole, though, Rathburn is working with sci-fi concepts that feel solidly well ahead of most of the rest of whats on the mainstream comics rack today. Thats actually really, really cool. The specifics of the physics of whats going on are really interesting. As is the overall run of things with respect to the rest of whats going on, but I mean...if Rathburn is successful enough with what hes doing in the course of this mini-series, its possible that he could really end up sinking into a rhythm between art and story with the next Remote Space series to really develop something.

Though shes obviously just a play on more popular characters, Sweetie has real potential to be something much more. Theres something to be said for the power of commerce in a world that is so obsessed with instant gratification. Caffiero doesnt really harness anything in the story that feels like its speaking to anything larger than a cheesy political drama. Sweetie could easily meet some of her potential without doing anything terribly deep. Even a shallow action story would be preferable to what Caffiero is doing with the series.  Its generally fun, but it could be a lot more than it is. 

On top of it all, there are some beautiful landscapes that are drawn to the page. Kim does some very pretty work with light and shadow that bring a strong sense of atmosphere to the page. Its not often that shadow is treated with such reverence on the page. The visual reality of The Last Mermaid is just as much about the unseen as it is about whats actually apparent there in the desert. Its breathtaking stuff in places. The story is taking its time as it slowly reaches its destination. Theres no telling what theyll find when they get where theyre going. Exciting stuff. 

The darkness is encroaching from every side of every panel but Remender and company are doing an admirable job of keeping it from being totally bleak. This is really important as the heroism of the central cast is the one, little gleaming ember of hope in the darkness that keeps it all moving and grabs hold of the reader. Without that little glimmer of hope, it would all be a bit too intense to keep the reader drawn to what is a truly captivating story.

This is still only the beginning of the series, but its a REALLY promising beginning that feels quite powerful. The scenes that are drawn more directly from the movie DO feel a bit flatter than those that were drawn specifically from Walshs dark imagination. With any luck, Walsh will have the good sense to continue to frame the classic story from the edges of marginal characters who all might have had some impact on the story as it developed. The strength of Walshs series seems to lie in the darker margins of the movie.

Black Cloak is shaping-up to be one of the more consistently impressive and original series to have come out in the past five years. There is SUCH a sense of invention about it that echoes through a very novel look at a very familiar kind of story. The narrative feels like it falls pretty tightly between Raymond Chandler and J.R.R. Tolkien. Its a fun and stylish walk between two covers.

Yesterday I was shot with a bullet. I was shot fro the sky with rockets. says Destro, But I did not have time to die... Theres real poetry to what Watters is delivering to the page, which is a bit odd for a guy who seems to have been originally just conceived as an action figure with a cool-looking chrome head. 

Theres a focus largely on waring factions of villains and the unsavory types here and there. There IS some appeal in the heroes, but they dont get enough of the center of the panel to  feel as interesting as the should be. They ARE the title characters in the series. Every now and then the villains are going to need to show what kind of badasses they are just to add to the menace, but it always feels weird ending an issue of a heroic action series without much in the way of heroism. 

Theres a major jolt to the narrative that goes way beyond any small town battle. It really SHOULD be hitting the page with a bit more intensity, though. This is particularly tragic as a major moment passes before the issue reaches its final panel and it really should have more of an impact than it manages. Theres a really nice atmosphere and a really intense build-up of tension, but it doesnt quite hit when it really needs to do so.

Little gets delivered inside a single issue of this series. It difficult to really get a full perspective on what's going on. And so it ultimately feels like something is missing. And what's missing they actually be coming in issues to come. It certainly is difficult to put down. The that delivered here is delivered in a way that is guaranteed to grab the reader and push them through every single panel of every single page. Fun stuff. It'll be interesting to see if it actually amounts to anything in the long run.

Rat City has been an interesting experiment in the Spawn Universe that seems to be drawing it in a direction thats a lot more interesting than most of the rest of what has been going on in the franchise. Given the right momentum, it could really turn into something fantastic. As it is, though, it doesnt quite manage a fully realized expansion of all the monsters and mayhem.

Theoretically Redcoat could turn into something more dramatic. But the attempt at some kind of shock in turning George Washington into an unseen villain is not a terribly good sign. in order to make an ultimate history, really feel sharp. It needs to genuinely shock and jar of the reader into a alternate world. Washington's going to be the big villain, its clearly misguided. Einstein isnt as interesting as he should be. Everyone else is kind of dull. And doing an alternate history of America of this sort without addressing oppressed multiculturalism makes the whole thing feel kind of tedious 

Craven had a single episode of The Twilight Zone to explore the idea of someone who could stop time. It was provocative. Loughridge and Robinson have a whole series to explore it...which MIGHT be too much space to work the concept and still make it appealing. Its a fun opening. Theres a great deal of promise in a series like Standstill, but a whole lot of ways that it could theoretically go wrong depending on how artist and writer decide to execute the series in the months to come. 

One gets the impression that if the script was tweaked just a bit it could end up giving the original series premise a hell of a lot more depth. Perhaps a bit more history on Third Earth could be written into a text-based page at the end of each issue to build-up and flesh-out the world of the series a little bit more. Theres so much potential for a series like this that doesnt have to cram itself into the script formula for a pulpy 80s space fantasy cartoon. Its easy to get impatient with the monthly format.

This is not the first Tom King issue of Wonder Woman that likely reflects on KIngs seven years with the CIA. Her capture at the hands of the Sovereign featured an extended PSYOP-style attempt to break Wonder Woman down. This kind of focus on captivity and interrogation is an interesting one for the DC Universe that adds quite a bit to the darker edges of a world populated by Superman, Green Arrow and the Justice League. 

If the romance is to play ut in a way thats going to feel balanced, the gunslinger is going to have to reach some level of equilibrium with the samurai at some point. Beyond that, the real challenge is going to lie in making a romance blossom between two characters who may not even speak the same language. Theres a definite rapport between the two central characters, but drawing them both into a romantic situation is going to be very, very tricky in light of the situation they find themselves in with hostilities from others and the nightly incursions of the undead.

The battle between The Glowing Man and The Electrician could have been staged at any point in the history of comics. Its a kind of a universal sort of a battle that feels quite at home on the comics page. Johns and Frank do a good job of finding something new and unique in a conflict the likes of which has been echoing through page and panel for decades now. Its breathtaking to see something truly new on the comics page, but sometimes it can be equally as satisfying seeing something old and familiar placed on the page in a slightly new and novel way.

The whole, the first issue is rather deft and gaining the interest of even someone who might not normally have been interested in the property. Casey is managing a really tightly woven mystery that immediately launches the series into really fascinating new directions. Things have changed a lot over the years. Explorers of the unknown aren't quite as popular in popular culture as they had been in the past. Casey knows what hes doing, though. The pulpy, intrepid adventures that have been going on in popular fiction for well over a century. Continue to be really appealing if they handled right.

The various elements being brought into the story feel like theyre all working quite well together, but the narrative IS reaching a crucial point at which things could derail in one direction or another pretty quickly. Time will tell how it all plays-out, but there is a strong sense that the overall integrity of a deeply engaging series seems to be in good hands. The fate of the world is once again in question. It really feels like Remender and Bengal are taking this threat quite seriously and bringing its story to the reader with grace and poise.

Its difficult to believe that Precious Metal is only just now reaching its halfway point. The overall pacing and structure of Darcy Van Poelgeests  story feels extremely weighty. The narrative has been through so much already. Max has already been through a powerful kind of hell. The darkness thats going to come with a deeper sense of intensity is only going to grow over the course of the second half of the series. The story has already been through a great deal of darkness. Theres no telling what lies ahead.

In spite of its shortcomings, Empire of the Damned remains fun...and the final issue continues to develop Sonjas grace and beauty in another enjoyable outing the continues the legend. Some of Amorusos close-ups feel particularly intense here and there as the action moves forward to the inevitable conclusion. Its been a fun series that has filled nearly every page of its five-issue run quite well. In the long run it might not be terribly memorable, but its always fun to follow Sonja on another adventure as she continues to carver her way through danger. 

All its shortcomings aside, Rifters DOES look really, really good on the page. Englerts colors provide decent depth and texture. Johnson has a clear distinction between settings in what looks like really well-researched renderings of a few different eras that all come together in a visually enjoyable story that is this tedious. Not since Lee and Kirby or Lee and Ditko or...really Stan Lee and ANYONE has there been dialogue this bad matched-up with art thats this good. Its kind of weird, really.

Zdarskys work isnt terribly original, but it would really thrive if it was a part of a larger universe. Similar alien tech heroes like Green Lantern, Star Brand, Power Pack have done quite well in the context of larger universes with much more going on. As it is...just having this particular group of heroes being chased-down by various people looking to wield the power is...lacking in a whole lot of momentum. Two issues in and it already feels a bit weak moving into the third issue.

Its nice to see a bit more of the darkness than normally might have been present in the cartoon or the comics 40 years ago, but stories either need to be given a bit more time to play out or Johnson is going to need to work with a slightly smaller ensemble in order to really do justice to the potential for complexity that all of the characters have. And its not like the IP has been treated all that well in the past. Johnson and Coronas work is vastly preferable to the indecipherable, big budget visual, conceptual and aesthetic mess that was Michael Bays incompetent treatment of property. Its just NOT where it needs to be in order to live-up to the potential of the property.

Given enough time, Priest could really be developing something phenomenal here and it would be very, very cool. Seen on an issue-to-issue level, its almost completely unintelligible but for the intensity of what is indelibly real for the people going through it in and within the scenes. Priest and company of a good job of selling that much, though...which makes it well worth the rad. Its challenging stuff...but its still kind of difficult to tell whether or not Priests story will be worth the challenge.

Silent issues can be very, very tricky to manage. When an entire chapter of a story needs to play-out entirely without words, it can feel more than a bit disjointed...especially if theres a lot of characterization that needs to take place as is the case with this issue. Theres a point, though...a point in depression where the verbal end of thought is just...totally vacant and vacuous and all thats left is the cold reality of whats going on. Young and Corona do a strikingly brilliant job of bringing the full reality of that non-verbal aspect of depression to the page in a haunting issue.

The overall pacing of the issue seems really, really cool. there's a profile amount of depth to it. However, it feels kind of weird knowing that this year is already a quarter of the way finished by the end of the issue issue. One gets the feeling that a larger scope of what's going on be a bit difficult to pull off in for tiny issues of this sword. They do such a good job of, delivering the substance of the moment July 23, 1964. But it's just a snapshot of a single moment.

The deeper questions of what it means to hunt an android that is essentially very human or lost to a very schematic look at the human-like person  hunting another. there's a lack of finesse or artistic insight that really makes this worth anything more than a simple shoot out. Which is really too bad. Because there is more to be said that hadn't been expressed with this sort of action story by Phillip K. Dick over half a century ago in the novel that inspired the Bladerunner franchise. 

The overall minimalism of the execution of the action really aids in the impact of the issue. On the surface level, the overall plot is not unlike anything that's ever been done on a comic book page before. It's the writer and artist managed to mesh things a emotionally with the central characters that really brings in the power of Deadweight. these are people who really have no business trying to do what they were trying to do. But they're the only ones who can do it. Its a fun skewing of some traditional superhero tropes.

The series ends next month. Itll be interesting to see how the mood draws to a close. So much of the story feels like an extended music video from the 1990s. Theres got to be some sort of a conclusion to it all that makes for some kind of satisfying end of all of the moody brooding is to have any kind of meaning at all. Not that it has to have any deeper meaning if its going to leave a strong enough impression to prompt more issues. Cyan DOES seem like a very interesting person to hang out with for 20 pages a month regardless. 

Thompson and Ferrari keep Scarlett looking remarkably good on her fourth outing. The flagship G.I. Joe title has rarely felt as fun or exhilarating as Scarlett has under Thompsons pen. Its sharp and clever stuff. Thompson maintains a smart sense of fun and action throughout the issue. There isnt a whole lot of depth of characterization or theme, but Scarlett is easily one of the best straight-ahead action titles on the comics rack today. If Thompson can keep the series running this well, theres no reason why it should ever end. 

Everything seems to be moving in the right direction for the fourth issue with the series. It's very difficult to bring a truly sweeping adventure to the page with this sort of property. It wasn't even really taken all that seriously when it was originally presented on TV. So bring it to the page and wave that feels like it's actually taking the fantasy and the adventure and the menace of the villain seriously is quite an accomplishment.

The investigation continues. The Twin Peaks, Silence of the Lambs, Fargo sort of a fusion that Tyrion seems to be reaching for is satisfying enough. There isnt a great deal of insight into the natural of homicide and the human condition, but its rich and moody. When the story is finished, it might be a great deal of fun to read on some day in late December in and around the holidays.

Wijngaards work is brilliantly muted. Gillens script is cleverly concise...nonchalantly delivering  the surface tensions of a very intricate and complicated new superhero world without all of the nauseating exposition that usually entails. Oh...and designer Rian Hughes did a strikingly clever job on the issue as well. The back cover contains a hell of a lot of fine print in a bewildering array of different languages. The font for that fine print designed specifically by Hughes...who seems to have managed to get Gillen to write a bit of text thats buried in that fine print. Fun stuff.

Honestly, The Scorcher #32 could have been a hell of a lot worse. The mindless repetition of blood, gore and motion lines throughout the Spawn universe has a tendency to blur and bleed together into a big, congealed mess. Layman and Segovia provide some definition to that as things progress into the next few issues. Theres a definite direction that things are taking as the issue ends in a hospital bed after the bloody violence. Everythings going to be okay, but there IS a feeling like something might happen that might progress things away from some of the classic tropes of the Spawn universe that have come to be so...tolerable over the years.

It is remarkably difficult to keep things moving on a weekly series without having the whole thing feel rushed. There's quite a lot that has to happen in a very short span of time if everything's going to wrap up at the beginning of October for Absolute Power to usher-in the All-In Initiative and the coming Absolute Universe that DC rolled-out around the San Diego Comic Con. It's a hell of a lot to coordinate and they're actually doing a pretty good job of it. It's nice to know that, in and amidst all of the confusion and chaos  every now and again there's going to be a chapter like this that's actually written pretty well.

Comic books are difficult to bind to page and panel. The comics medium may not be as obsessed with itself as film or television or theater, but comic books DEFINITELY love looking at themselves between the panels. Its difficult to do something that feels new. Its kind of weird to have Eastman doing a story about an Eastman like character with an Eastman-like artist. Its not bad, though. Just...weird.

The central problem seems to lie in the fact that Weisman hasnt been able to frame the story in a way that works. The overall adventure involving a series of ancient magical artifacts in the so-recently-contemporary 1990s really SHOULD be a lot more fun than Weisman is able to conjure for the series. Its too bad as he is playing with some very, very fun characters that simply dont have much of a chance to be fun here. Falstaff and Puck and Shahrizad really SHOULD be great fun in the shadow of the Gargoyles. Things move too quickly in the series for them to properly show their charm.

And then...so much of the story DOES take place in a video arcade in a mall in 1985 thats so completely dominated by video games of the early 1980s, which just feels...weird. It wouldnt be so much of a distraction were it not for the fact that there REALLY isnt that much story going on in the foreground. Theres a kind of beauty to an issue that simply had a couple of kids skateboarding to the mall in 1985 to get high, but it would need to be executed just a BIT better in order to achieve what its going for.

So they tell the reader its best read after dark. Theyve even got a playlist for the things at issues end. But then its set during the holidays and it comes out at the end of December, so...yknow...theres time. Issue Nines original soundtrack looks fun including Christmas songs by The Pogues, the Kinks, Run D.M.C. and more. Once again Kennedy and Formisano manage a fun and quirky horror fantasy dramatic comedy. Its weirdly cool in its own stylishly casual way. Nearly all of the characters manage to be quite appealing at some point in the issue.

There's a darker, greedier edge to the Spawn universe that McFarlane, Goff and Kudranski our doing doing a pretty good job of exploring. It's just not terribly interesting beyond the visual. There is a certain amount of poetry in the way things are set up visually. But it's still not terribly deep. It doesn't really engage the deeper notion of what it is that's going on with respect to the crime and the activity in qu homicide remains as things continue to move around in the world of contraband and narcotics and things like that.

The long and twisted story of Spawn continues in another chapter that seems pretty indistinguishable from so many of the rest of them. Theres a sense that there might be some kind of something leading from the current situation, but its very difficult to tell and even more difficult to care aside from a few moments of genuine horror drama that crawl and splatter across the page.  The good news is that it all looks pretty good while its doing what its doing and that goes a long way towards maintaining the life of a long-running series. 

Theres a WHOLE lot for The Department of Truth  to cover with respect to the nature of truth and popular consciousness. Tynion, Simmonds and Bidikar are cutting a very narrow path through the darker ends of the 20th century in ways that continue to be compelling. Its not certain how much longer they can keep this up, but its deliciously dark fun so far.

As much as there is going into a single issue of this series, it feels very incomplete. This is the nature of a serial to be sure. However, hey 60 page issue should feel more weight than this. it seems like the whole thing could be edited down or put into a family of related comic books all taking place in the same timeline or whatever. It just feels scattered to be comfortably crammed between the two covers.

On the whole, the team is doing a really good job with a group of characters who aren't necessarily A-list X-Men.  There is a respectable amount of intrigue about the story that has a very solid pacing and rhythm to it. It looks good so far. It will remain to be seen whether or not the momentum can be carried through the issue.

Ash is really the heart of the whole Evil Dead franchse. Its difficult to get a feel for an Army of Darkness series that doesnt place him pretty solidly in the center of everything. And though he DOES appear in nearly every scene in the issue, the story doesnt dive to heavily into the psyche on the single most appealing of The Army of Darkness--its hero. The family drama that Sheila is involved in is interesting enough, but it doesnt feel like something that has its heart rooted in the Evil Dead..

So the first major story arc is finished...and its done so in a way that maintains a very sharp and sweeping sense of adventure. Ferals great strength lies in maintaining a very real sense of earthbound drama to a group of slightly anthropomorphized cats.  The ensemble of character and the overall setting of the series could lend itself to a great deal of potential for being QUITE long-running without the creative team having to resort to too much excess fantasy. 

Theres still plenty of room to get things moving for Simmons. Its not like McFarlane doesnt have a hell of a lot of momentum going into the next issue and beyond. Its just unfortunate that he feels the need to spend so much time away from the strongest couple of characters in the series to try to set-up conflict thats going to come into the foreground in the next few issues. The 36th issue of the series could have made for a really tight first half of a solidly better issue if McFarlane hadnt felt the need to muck about so much with the supporting cast.

Maika and Takeda are working with a long ranging plot that has moved out in many different directions that feel pretty idiosyncratic. A series like this would be very difficult for people to pick up anywhere in the middle of the story. To their credit, the creative team for this particular series are doing a remarkable job, maintaining a story that would be theoretically possible for just about to start with just about any issue. Each chapter is executed enough that it would theoretically be able to serve as a nice introduction to the series for anyone. This issue exception.

As competent as it is with the basic action of the situation, there simply isnt enough hard science in the series to make it terribly compelling as a concept. Its good superficial action fun, but it could be SO MUCH more of Johns and Fabok were interested in getting a bit deeper into the science of the situation. The encyclopedic entries on The Wildlife Grid and the Warden Helms at the end of the issue do a pretty good job of going in the right direction, but the series could gain a lot from getting more seriously into wildlife biology. 

Its just...weird...to think that theyre going to try to stretch this thing out into five issues. Theyve pretty much got the overall feel nailed more or less perfectly in the first issue. No reason to go on about it. Maybe a second issue could wrap-up everything, but even THAT seems pretty indulgent given the amorphous attempt at humor that the first issue has turned out to be. 

There are aspects of the basic premise of The Sacrificers that DO approach a fantasy story with thoughtful originality, but the basics narrative structure of the whole series has been built around a time-honored foundation that feels comforting enough to be reassuring, even in light of the grizzly nature of whats taken place in the course of the issue. Its rare that a series manages to hit the ground running with the kind of flair that The Sacrificers has managed. The series hits a particularly high point with its tenth issue.

If there had been just a bit more going on in the visual execution of the comic book, it could have been spectacular. If there had been just a bit more originality in the monster-versus-the-real-monster-of-man sort of a thing...well...maybe it could have been a bit more inspired. All of the elements are there for a truly cool horror comic, but they dont quite get executed in the right way.

She's been around for a long time. And she has seen a lot. Priest is doing a good job of illustrating the complex convolutions in her life. The restlessness of the narrative is its own kind of horror. And it does feel suitable to the nature of the situation. It does, however, as though priest is going to have to settle into a more coherent narrative in order for this particular issue to have had the kind of impact that needs to have.

Still.... It's fun to watch somebody having fun with the Transformers and a couple of other characters. It's a bit strange knowing that they're getting paid to play with these toys again. it's just too bad that the deeper potential of a series like this just hasn't been developed yet. And given the fact that it's been going for as long as it has, it's doubtful that Kirkman has anything terribly deep in mind for future issues.

The Energon Universe thats being explored in a number of different titles seems like a next natural step for the tow big Hasbro franchises in the comics. The challenge is going to lie in keeping everything dynamic without getting it to sprawl hopelessly out of control. There are a great many different characters in both G.I. Joe and The Transformers that could drag the momentum conisderably. For now, everything feels perfectly well-executed in another enjoyable walk with a notable villain.

The small-town restlessness and listlessness are drawn slowly and steadily across the page as intimate emotional horror gradually asserts itself in the big, final chapter of the series. And then there are a couple of really tense explosions of action and...the pacing is really well-executed in the final issue...as has it been over the course of much of the rest of the series. Its been a provocative journey. In the end, its all remarkably well-developed. Its just too bad it couldnt have maintained the wonder of weird fantasy straight through to the end.

Hama knows how to frame an action sequence. He knows how to execute a well-balanced chapter in a long-running ensemble series. It all feels pretty solidly executed, but its not enough to make it feel as tense and intense as it needs to in order to be a memorable chapter in a series that has been running for as long as it has. Hama has a lot of experience with the franchise, though. Theres no question hell be able to turn things around in the next couple of issues. 

Remender does a pretty good job of taking an alien world of a dark future for humanity and makes it look totally plausible. Thats not an easy thing to do. So often sci-fi authors fumble over any explanation for the darkened state of affairs in their stories in favor of getting down to the rhythm of the action and drama at the center of what theyre bringing to the page. Remender knows what hes doing here and it feels sharp. Furthermore--he knows what Bengal can bring to the page and allows the artist to do beautiful work with little illustrations the render a profound feeling of depth to the world hes creating.

Theres a bit of a lack of perspective going on. Grnbekk is working with characters who are on range of different scales both physically and and conceptually. The finesse needed to contract the overwhelming power of the giant versus the borrowed power of Kulan Gath and the scrappy heroism of Sonja...its just isnt clearly defined enough in the momentum of the story to be able to really give the reader a sense of whats at stake. It all congeals together in a vaguely satisfying chapter that really should be much more explosively constructed.

Its been fun so far. Weird to think that Rathburn is already halfway through the four-issue mini-series, though. Its difficult to see where things are going to land at the end of the fourth issue. By the time that Rathburn really gets going with the story its going to be more or less over. The balance between the familiar and the alien is nice. Humanity is going to need to change A LOT in order to survive int the future and Rathburn is certainly showing THAT, but maybe it doesnt go far enough to really give the reader a sense of the alien civilization that humanity will become in the next few hundred years.

And then theres the dialogue. Which is honestly some of the worse thats been featured in a major comic book in the past five years or so. I mean...wow. I guess on some level it would be kind of okay to have people sounding this silly if all the forced humor was offset by something that attempted to be a bit more serious in tone. Like maybe...maybe if the two main characters were the only ones who sounded like idiots, it would be cool. Instead...its just bad.

The action is maintained with a great deal of energy throughout. Panthro is given quite a bit of time to capably brood over the course of the issue, which it benefits from quite a bit. And then there are little details that are fun too. Shalvey and company even manage to make Snarfer come across as something other than annoying. Theres actually a cuteness there, which theyd never really managed in four seasons of the original series. Thats a nice touch on a largely satisfying issue that adds to a largely successful run for the current series. 

The garish 1990s sexiness of the original #1 can be felt in weird echoes throughout the latest #1, but it firmly establishes a much more dark and aggressive energy than writers David Wohl, Brian Haberlin and Christina Z managed with the original #1. There was far too much of a need to render everything that was going on in the background of the original #1. Bennett wisely focusses the story on its main character and the inexplicable horror the brings her in touch with ancient magic. Its a stronger overall approach to storytelling that Wohl, Haberlin and Z were playing with back in 1995. 

King has a simple task: get Wonder Woman believably captured by Amazo in order to serve the larger narrative of Absolute Power. This is really, really difficult as Wonder Woman is unquestionably powerful. Its always so difficult to bring that sort of thing across believably, but King manages it with great fluency and flair in an issue that once again shows Wonder Womans greatest, most universally consistent power: her empathy. She may be one small part in a larger crossover featuring a HELL of a lot of other characters, but King manages to keep Wonder Woman deep in the heart of another satisfying issue.

It is so very, very difficult to keep everything running smoothly in a huge and sprawling crossover event. Thus far Absolute Power has managed to feel reasonably well-integrated. The crossover reaches into mid-summer with a bit of an awkward posture that doesnt set-up the second half of the summer all that well. The series should improve as the crossover continues. The narrative just needs time to catch-up with everything thats happened so far and provide some sense of perspective on it all. As it is FAR too much has gone on and so very, very little of it seems to have been framed properly in page and panel.

The balance between they take cage that writer and artist are working with in this series is really, really touchy. If you move too far in one direction or another, it's going to end up falling down it's going to make it largely. However, the creative team on this particular book has done a very good job of maintaining the Nursia that keeps it on the razors edge between something remarkable. At the center of it all are a couple of guys who seem remarkably well-rendered intellectually and emotionally on a number of different levels that hit the page both visually and verbally.

Johns is really trying to develop a whole world here. Hes been developing it for a few years now, but its still missing something. Theres some sense of novel innovation, but not nearly enough to distinguish it in the sprawling history of post-apocalyptic sci-fi. The clever fusion of that genre with a carefully-crafted superhero universe has been an interesting exercise, but Johns hasnt developed enough from there to keep Geiger fresh a couple of years out from his debut a few years ago..

Marvel continues to celebrate the 50th annual of the giant sized format with an appealing issue. It's nice to see vintage work from the early 90s and a talented guy like Ron Lim. Its fun without being totally revolutionary or anything like that. And it's nice to see a relatively unsung villain like Terrax getting a bit more of a central look in this latest outing for Silver Surfer. It also serves as a pretty solid showcase for the Surfer himself, who once again manages a distinct brand of heroism.

Its not like it isnt fun in its own way. And its not like anyone picking-up a copy of a Spawn Universe comic book would really expect anything different. It comes across with the consistence of a pile of death metal album covers that  seem to lack a whole lot of the type of variation necessary to really tell much of a coherent story.  Its really...really kind of excessive. There are big things going on at the end of the issue, but by the time the narrative reaches that final page its difficult to care.

Once again, Precious Metal transports the reader to a very distinctive different place. Dream like world that is speaking to something much deeper than can be communicated with words alone. This is the sort of thing that so brilliantly captures the way that comic books are unique as an artistic medium. What's being executed here couldn't be conjured in quite the same way in any other medium. It is very much its own thing and it is very much resting in its own world. And it's a very compelling place to visit.

This mini-series, of course, follows the 2020 debut of this material in a graphic novel format. It's too bad a character hadn't shown up that much since. It seems entirely possible that DC would be interested in exploring the possibility of taking the character a little bit further. It will be interesting to see a subsequent series by the same creative team that followed Ashley on the verge of graduation from high school, which is where she would be now. Theres a lot of potential with Ashley as she works her way through the awkwardness of her teen years.

Everything feels remarkably lean and well-balanced in a series that continues to prove to be one of the better Sonja series in recent memory. Niles and company do an impressive job of juggling everything and keeping it just unpredictable enough to feel wild without ricocheting off into strange and unfamiliar territory for a sword and sorcery action series. Above it all, Sonja seems powerful and beautiful...just exactly as she should. She feels formidable, imposing and thoroughly captivating.

The actual story itself doesnt seem to have a whole lot of momentum to it in spite of Zdarskys best efforts. The overall mix of early era Spider-Man and Star Brand and...the Captain Marvel family and so much more...its all kind of tedious in and of itself, but Zdarsky does such a good job of making the characters likable and relatable that it would be difficult not to feel emotionally invested in the characters. You almost kind of feel sorry for them having to worry about the government and the whole alien invasion thing thats going to be coming next issue....

The X-Men continue to find their distinctive appeal in a whole new #1. The action can be difficult to reconcile against some of the dialogue in places, but thats been a problem with the X-Men going back to Claremonts early days in the late 70s. What is important is that the heart of everything is firmly held onto in a promising new direction for a series which is leaning pretty heavily on reconstruction in the light of the fall of Krakoa at the end of the last major epoch for the franchise. MacKay and company have found fresh life in a new team with a whole new background. This looks like its going to be fun.

Llovet mentions a bit of the background on the story at issues end. She really wants to make this thing work. The hitman and the jewel thief could end up a really clever combo if Llovet had the good fortune to be able to follow them further on other adventures. Theres a stylishness to the idea that could work in a variety of different settings without ever getting dull. And while that may never happen, All the Things We Didnt Do Last Night is a very, very fun, little dream in comic book form.

The premise is interesting. Busiek and Nicieza simply arent embracing the concept in a way that feels all that interesting. Theoretically the plot could have worked if the artwork felt a little bit more like it was in the spirit of Jim Lee or Todd McFarlane or any of a host of others who had done this sort of thing back in the 1990s, but it still would hav felt like a weak echo of what it needed to be in order to really deliver on the idea. If the writers can focus a bit more on the idiosyncrasies of this particular group of displaced paranormals....maybe there might be something in it...

It's going to be more difficult for many people to follow. But it's still really fun. There is such an intensity of activity that goes into every single page in the issue that it just feels like it could've been a handle better, but it doesn't feel as awkward as the larger group scenes in so many of the mega crossovers that DC has put to the page in the past, including about Crisis theyve ever published. Johns knows what hes doing, but what hes doing is for a decidedly smaller subset of the comic book reading public than most mainstream comics.

Wilson has been gradually expanding complexity of things that shouldn't since she first started to tell Pam's story a couple of years ago. It's quite breathtaking to see where she's brought the story to at this stage. Everything is so very, very still. But there is kind of a crescendo going on as the momentum of narrative reaches a climax here at the end of the second year. Quite impressive.

Honestly...Dalhouse isnt alone in trying to render too much detail in the story. While Dalhouse is clearly embracing the pulpy space superhero genre with his writing, there are far too many elements being thrown together in the script to keep the story interesting. Space Ghost would work a lot better with brutal, jarring action delivered with just a bit more primal simplicity. Space Ghost #3 could have been much more powerful with a bit less dialogue and a bit more clean, open rendering. The character design is there. The setting is there. Theres no reason to engage it any deeper than a slick, shiny, surface-level action story.

The fact that both of the lead characters are Robins isnt really that much of a focus. Thats remarkably refreshing with a title like this that rests so firmly in the shadow of the Batman...Batman who is a cheap ripoff of The Shadow...so its fun to see a couple of characters emerge from a popular ripoff and emerge into something sharp, stylish and remarkably clever.r

Creator Tobin Wolf had developed an interesting enough loose premise for a fantasy franchise. Lots of different stories could be told there. When Wolf created Cheetara as the sole female character in a group of action heroes, he was merely following a 1980s traditional that had already been relatively long standing when he presented his first sketch in 1984. Its nice to see her get a central focus.  While there have been many adaptations of the premise since the TV series debuted back in 1985, relatively little attention has been paid to the period of time in the history of Thundera prior to the beginning of that first episode that originally aired in 1985. Lee rectifies this a bit with a look back at the world before Lion-O and his conflict with Mumm-Ra.  

The story as presented in the second issue of the current series continues to make a powerful case for Vampirella continuing on indefinitely into the future. Shes been through so much over the course of the past few decades in the hands of Dynamite Comics. It would be easy to fall into restless repetition of what works...but Sniegoski and company are clearly trying to reach for something new in a character who has been through so much in the recent past.  It all feels so well-executed in the second issue of her current series. 

Its going to be a huge crossover. Waid and company have clearly staked out the specifics of their territory in a crossover thats meant to be the culmination of a few other crossover evernts that have happened in the recent past. Theres no way its going to live-up to its intended intensity, but judging from the opening chapter, its going to be fun to watch everything develop anyway. DC is clearly moving around the talent quite well in terms of opening issue. 

The ninth issue in the series might nor quite be living up to its potential, but  that doesnt mean that its not fun. Fleecs and Mhan have a very firm grasp of Ramis sense of visual movement and continue to do a really good job of bringing it to the page. Its a very clean and smartly-delivered action package. The series is nine issues in and theres still so much that could be done with the premise. Fleecs and company have found some interesting elements to add into the mix. The robot, the baby demon and the multiple Necronomicons alll feel like a very natural progression from the early 1990s action feature. 

If there wasnt such a pounding need to rush the characters through as much as possible as quickly as possible, it might have been fun to explore a more nuanced look at the psyche behind the classic image of Adam and that perpetual atomic mushroom cloud looming over his head. Really...any one of these characters might be interesting to get a closer look at in more of a narrative context, but this series is far too interested in cramming the characters into every panel to make much of a deeper analysis of the characters behind the images. 

Absolute Power hits its second issue with a very promising opening that could mean good things for the rest of the event.Williamson and company manage a sharp sense of poise about the issue that should do a good job of welcoming unfamiliar readers who might be drawn to the title because of the crossover while integrating the title well enough for regular readers who might be interested in following the event further into other titles.

Tini and Sweeney continue to have a great deal of fun hanging with Harley, That fun continues to transfer off the page remarkably well in a way that feels distinctly unlike anything else on the comics rack right now. The rubbery comedy of the action playfully serves as a counterpoint to deeper emotional connections being made deeper in and within the heart of a really fun and engrossing story. Theres nothing necessarily all that original about what Tini and Sweeney are doing. It still manages to be a great deal of fun, though. And with Harley...thats all that really matters.

The series has been interesting to follow. However, there's a real line between darkness and comedy that could have been nuzzled up to just a little bit more closely in the course of this series. Parker is working on something that's very much true to the original cartoon series, but it doesn't quite have the kind of momentum. It needs to really justify its existence outside of that beyond being just a fun, little action comedy poles the story out of old cels broadcast on Cathode ray tubes back in the 1990s and transfers it faithfully to page and panel decades later.

Its taken a while for this particular incarnation of Power Girl to gain enough traction to feel distinct. Shes been through so many different incarnations over the course of the past four decades. She has managed to maintain a certain amount of continuity even as shes had her past, present and future knocked about by a parade of different writers. Nice to see Williams finding a new connection for an old character who could have easily ended up as another Superman knock-off in another short-lived series. Williams has tapped into something new AND familiar with this latest series.

The plot seems to be running in a pretty predictable direction. The villain is plotting against Sweet as she makes the next move in her enterprise. There IS a kind of an appeal in the overall direction that things are moving in, but its not enough. Sweety and her entourage do a pretty good job of locking-in interest as the current series continues through its third chapter. Its been a lot of fun so far and theres still a great deal of potential in the overall idea, but Cafiero seems to be weighing-down the page in too much dialogue to keep everything moving with the right amount of interest.

As fun as this might be for people familiar with the character, Allen actually ends up writing a story that feels very much like a very solid introduction to the character for anyone who might be unfamiliar with her. Illyana has always been a really interesting character who even managed to get her own series outside of the X-Men long before such a thing came into fashion. Its always nice to see her showing-up under a cover bearing her name again.

This particular version of Zatanna has been established. Its different from the stylish confidence that the character has so often exhibited in the past. It will be interesting to see where Williams takes the story from here. Undoubtedly the horrors that lurk around the edges of the panel are going to be moving more to the center of the panel. Hopefully Rodriguez has the strength of vision to ratchet-up the horror once it becomes the central conflict of the series next issue. The opening chapter feels well-executed. Hopefully Williams and company have something interesting to follow up with next month. 

It might start a little slow, but Campbell's story draws together several elements that should be fun as the story continues. The fundamental grounding of the current "Amazons Attack" story might feel a bit silly. Still, Campbell is building something interesting in what should be a fun adventure drama that should deliver an interesting new dynamic to the world of Wonder Woman and the rest of the Amazons if all goes well. 

The background and world-building that are going on in the first issue. Have an incredible density about them. This is going to be kind of a challenge moving forward. The series could be remarkable if the world-building settles down a bit in the issues to come. Yes, it is. Things are whipping across the page very, very quickly. And this does deliver a really impressive "fog of war" sort of an effect on the reader. Still, it will get really old quickly if Daniel doesn't settle the narrative down at least a bit and allow the central drama to dictate the pacing of the action.

The 346th issue of the series feels...exhausted. Everyone is overcome by the relentlessness of it all. There is an overwhelming feeling of fatigue hanging heavily over nearly every panel in the issue. There certainly IS an interesting story in the current issue of Spawn, but it seems to be immersed in a heavy, heavy layer of plot machinery moving around in a massive ensemble of characters who arent really given enough time to really do much of anything to define themselves as individuals. Its a big, amorphous mass of art waiting for the next big fight. 

As bad a movie as it was, Tod Brownings Dracula is starkly iconic and a landmark horror film. Theres something kind of cool about a big two-page title spread that reads Universal Pictures and Skybound Present...Dracula. Tynion and Simmonds manage a first issue that feels darkly cinematic while intensifying the atmosphere that feels that much more powerful than that which was committed to film on the Universal Studios Lot in the Autumn of 1930. 

There might have been some doubt that Wonder Woman was in good hands at the end of the first issue of the current series. That doubt evaporates pretty quickly with the second issue. King and company arent doing anything with Wonder Woman that she hasnt done before, but they manage to make it work in a way that feels new and novel while embracing the traditions of one of the most storied heroes in the history of popular fiction. Wonder Womans been a fugitive before. Shes been up against similar villains in the past. If King and company are going to keep things fresh, theyre going to have to continue to do the kind of job that they have done with the second issue. 

There's no way series like this could live up to its potential or what anyone could expect from it. But it's nice to see them trying, even if it's just an opportunity for DC and company to make some money. There's a great respect for every significant property that is being displayed in the series. But they remain properties for the most part. Not actual characters that feel terribly fleshed-out at the end of the first issue. How much is doubtlessly going to come in time as the series progresses?

Elvira seems to have made a very successful leap from her long-running 1990s indie comics series to a very steady contemporary run with Dynamite Comics. Having survived another series, Elvira will take on the xenophobic mind of a twisted little racist guy who just happened to write some very phenomenal and hugely influential horror as Elvira meets H.P. Lovecraft. The current page-and-panel adventures of Elvira continue to feel like a natural progression for the Mistress of the Dark as she continues a longstanding relationship with the comics page. 

Williams extends certain aspects of Power Girls personality that make her who she is. The inadvertent damage is a recurring theme that makes Power Girl seem relatable. Her desire to go beyond the physical confines of superheroism to try to deal with problems on a more holistic level is one that never really had the opportunity to be nearly as prominent as it should have been in the past. Hopefully, Williams can look into that a bit more closely. Williams writing in the first issue suggests a willingness to explore the title characters semi-disheveled single-girl lifestyle, which should be fun in future issues as well. 

Having firmly established the overall premise of an intrepid investigation into an alien world, Thompson is moving ahead, very clearly, in a very cool way, into a fascinating new direction or an adventure series. The reader learns a little bit more about the characters as they interact with another world that doesn't appear to be dangerous on the surface but is clearly going to be apocalyptically awful. It's a very delicate kind of brilliance that Thompson's working with.

Kings pacing hits the page with clever direction. An early showdown between a powerful Wonder Woman and a comparatively weak Steel features some very smart foreshadowing. Wonder Woman has been around for long enough that she KNOWS shes going to face this guy again many, many times. She tells him as much...which is such a brilliantly self-aware line for Wonder Woman to utter as she defeats the guy. If King can manage more of this kind of cleverness, his run with Diana should be a lot of fun. 

Alpha Flight has been a tricky team to get right. Its not often that the teams delicate balance between politics, emotion, and action has been placed on the page in a way that makes any kind of sense. John Byrne did a brilliant job with the first run on the first series back in the early 1980s. The series has been hit-or-miss since. Thankfully, Brisson and Godlewski are doing a good job of bringing it all to the page. 

Its taken a while for the story of Jackie and Bryce to pick up enough narrative momentum to build into something impressively engaging. By the fourth issue, all of the writers seem to have found a dynamic that works as the story progresses into some pretty poignant territory that explores certain inevitabilities inherent in the pantheon of heroes and villains inhabiting Gotham City.

Thompson has done a good job of slowly adding layers to the first chapter of the story. She gives away just enough added depth and detail with each scene. The mystery of what it is that's going on is slowly revealed until the big final reveal at the end of the issue. At that stage, there are so many more questions that are brought up that make the second issue feel that much more impressive. It's going to be a fun ride with Thompson.

Its inevitable that Zdarski is going to have to bring Matt back into the mask, but Elektra continues to be really, really appealing as the title character in the book. The darkness in her tragic backstory and the loss of love feels like a very, very strong and intense dramatic anchor for all of the violence and action. Its really fun to see it play out the way it does. But then theres that last scene...and a coming video serial with Charlie Cox...so its inevitable that hell be back. With any luck, Zdarski is able to take his time with the brooding former assassin as Daredevil. Shes really cool.

The delicate balance between the supernatural and the social is really, really difficult to maintain. Foxe and company run the risk of leaning a bit more in the direction of the supernatural with the opening issue, but this IS Dark X-Men, so its totally understandable. The challenge moving forward is going to lie in making certain that theres enough of an X-component to the series to keep it grounded in the appeal that has worked so well for these characters over the decades. Its not easy. The past few decades are littered with forgettable X-titles.

DC/RWBY hasn't always hit the page with perfect pacing for human Motion, but overall, the rest of the action in the final installment brings it all to her clothes with a delicate sense of poise. Had Bennett been a little bit more conscientious about making sure that everybody had the right amount of time on the page throughout the DC universe, it would've been just a bit more well-modulated. As it is, though, it's a memorable ending to a strange dramatic fugue in a very strange summer for the DC Universe with all of its many, many crossovers.

Starer, developed a really interesting concept and a fun cast of characters that fit into a potentially interesting premise.

More clever moments of comedy like the one mentioned in the above paragraph might have aided the issue a bit, but Percy brings both heroes to the page in a way thats a lot of fun, even in the issues darkest moments. Team-ups arent often quite this much fun. Unlike some of the best team-ups, Ghost Rider and Wolverine clearly DONT belong together, but its going to be really fun to watch them continue to work together in the course of the brief crossover series that theyre engaging in at Summers end. 

In the second issue of the current series, the artist's big, flat tapestries of massive crowds of people serve a story that involves the oppressive mass of the masses in the service of commerce. The big crowd shots serve a deeper meaning in another satisfyingly simple adventure for one of the longer-lived satirical characters on the fringes of pop cultural fame. Sixty years is a long time to be working in ANY industry. Aragons' style is charming enough to maintain for another sixty years or more, though it's undoubtedly the case that this is likely to be the later period beloved artists' impressively long career. The guy IS 85. It's just cool that he continues to produce stuff with such resilient heart.

Abnett is a remarkably versatile writer. Hes doing some staggeringly intricate work for 2,000 A.D. in his Azimuth series. His work on Wilds End is hauntingly still. And with Groot, hes managed a very contemporary-feeling sort of a vintage space ranger-type story. Theres a definite momentum in a traditional tale of early Mar-Vel that could gain a whole new series if Groot does as well as it should.

Its part of a crossover that started in the Scarlet Witch annual. It feels kind of late for a summer annual crossover, but its fine. Really. Heroes battling heroes. Its not like thats ever been done before, right? There hasnt ever been a crossover series like that, has there? Its fine. Its not...like...memorable or anything like that. Its fine, though. The Iron Man Annual is probably going to look a lot better in the context of the rest of the crossover. Its bound to do so in one way or another.

The opening issue has enough mystery to keep everything rolling into issue, too. However, 1 girl's fantasy world being affected by reality and unforeseen consequences in a coming-of-age story feels way too familiar. Or things could really become very tired and clichd if Parker and Sheridan aren't careful. Rose seems like a really cool little person. And that's a good enough start for what could be a really, really powerful series.

There HAD been rather a lot of action throughout the crossover featuring quite a few characters who all showed a great deal of promise, but none of them feature all that prominently in the final chapter of the crossover, so their presence earlier on feels kind of empty for the most part. Deadman comes across with some degree of power, but there really isnt much on the page aside from him and his big, final tussle with Insomnia.

The concept of the Joker with a day job is fun. What Rosenberg is working with feels appealing, like Brett Easton Ellis' American Psycho in Gotham City, which is much more fun than it SHOULD be. And it would be much more interesting to dive into as a more complete serial. Two issues aren't enough to explore the concept of the kind of death it needs. Rosenberg needs more room to give the premise enough depth. It's a fun survey of elements that could extend into a more extended series. As a two-issue series, however, it falls flat.

Mignola and Lonergan deliver a primal ending to a simple fantasy story that has one foot firmly planted in a more conservative reality somewhere in the nineteenth century. It's a fun fugue of a dream that casts itself across the page and vanishes into nothingness by the end of the final panel. It's too bad that there isn't a bit more to what writer and artist are putting on the page. With just a bit more complex conflict, the victory and tragedy at the chapter's end could have been a bit more powerful.

The first couple of issues of the series could be criticized for lacking a strong central direction. Thats actually a good portion of the point of the series, though. A big part of the central conflict IS Panyas overall lack of direction. Shes looking for deeper meaning in and around the edges of a very simple life. When the fantastic finally DOES strike, it does so in impressive fashion when contrasted against Panyas daily life. Its a nice little world that Roberson and Mitten have begun to explore.

Questions of the difference between hero and villainy continue to be explored with monsters of all sorts. Above all, every character in the series seems really, really interesting in ways that one might not entirely expect. Even Harley is given and interesting and novel new life. This is quite an accomplishment, given all of the different angles that she has been given over the years. Wilson, Takara, and Prianto continue to develop something truly distinct and distinctive that feels quite unlike anything else on the comics rack right now. Very, very impressive stuff that doesnt seem to be slowing down or fading in the least.

The right elements are in place for a really good story. However, there's a lot of potential silliness that seems quite ready to swoop in at nearly every corner of the plot. The drama has real potential. The political end of Val Verde seems to be resting quite clearly in the background of the story. The fictional locale for pop action fiction in films, comics, and video games doesn't often get a very close look, so it'll be interesting to see if DeSouza and company are able to place it a bit more in the foreground of an action thriller that's grounded in political drama.

Yeah. Its okay. Go ahead and do a Spider-Boy series. Really. Itll be...cool or whatever. Its not like hes THAT much younger than the original Peter Parker was when he started up back in the 1960s. What was he...like...a sophomore in high school or something like that? Yeah...so its not like this is going to be all that different, right? Really. Another Spider-title. Itll be...fine. Honestly, its not like...its not like there are any other ideas for a new Marvel series, right?

It's the end of the world. Again. And it's fun to explore just a little bit more. However, it doesn't seem to add a whole lot to questions posed by the end of humanity. There is no whole lot of insight into what's being developed in this story. It's just a really fun end-of-the-world story. And maybe it doesn't need to be any more than that. But one can't help but get the feeling that maybe there is something deeper that could have been developed out of the story if Prince could have found something a bit more inventive.

Overall, Crooks pacing seems to be the central appeal of the series. Its beginning to become apparent over the course of the series that Cooks story might have taken the space of a single issue written by a less inspired writer. The fact that Crook can keep things interesting at a very low metabolism is quite an achievement in and of itself. The fact that theres as much going on as there is, even WITH the slow pacing of the series,...thats its own kind of genius. Precisely where it is that Crooks going with the series might become a bit of a problem over time, but the first two issues of the series are beautiful.

Duggan and company manage a very cleverly-modulated first issue. Its remarkable how much the creative team manages to cram into a single book without making it feel cluttered. Its really only 38 pages or so, but it feels spacious and well-executed enough that they could have actually filled a few issues. Theres a sharp slickness about it all that feels like its. Going in a fresh direction for everyone involved. The themes being covered have been around in X-books for decades, but Duggan and company are giving it fresh life in a new series. 

Its not just Ra who sees great potential in Marlenes heroism. And..yknow...if editors at Marvel are listening...with great potential comes great responsibility. Im ready for Luminary to have her own series. Really. It would be totally cool so long as Shultz wrote it. Its a clever idea and a fun concept, and really...it would make a nice contrast to the adventures of Marc Spector. The contrast between the Sun and the moon would be really interesting on the comics rack within the Marvel Universe. Schultz doesnt have to do much to set Marlene up as a fun hero, though it WOULD be interesting to see what kind of a costume Bill Sienkiewicz might have rendered for her in some parallel universe...

There is some poetry to the way that Guggenheim is framing the former future history, which was not destined to be the presents present on the comics page. The issue opens with a funeral and ends with a wedding. Theres a great deal of potential in a closer look at Claremont and Byrnes Days of Future Past, but Guggenheim is rushing through events in the course of the series. A more satisfying approach might involve a whole subset of issues set in that dark future. Rachel Summers saga during the era would be interesting enough to warrant its own series. 

The anthology takes a quick break from the usual next week for what appears to be an issue of one-shots aimed at more of an all-ages crowd, which should be a weird experiment for the anthology. As it is right now, the series is weighted heavily in a classic cyberpunk format. A brief escape from that might be fun.

With the story reaching its ending, there's a fundamental problem with the series: it needs a fresh perspective. What made the franchise's original films so appealing was that it was a progression of different sub-genres. The first was sci-fi horror. The second was sci-fi action. The third was sci-fi drama. The fourth was franchise sci-fi legacy. Johnson's series needs something significantly new to offer the franchise aside from the comic book format that's been a part of the franchise for a long time. And though the overall design of the series fits the film's production design perfectly, it all feels superficial. 

There are clues in the script that suggest that Batman has only been operating for about a year as the story opens. Clark Kent is only starting in his career as a reporter. Waid envisions a contemporary first meeting between the two legends. It's the opening of a fun two-part story that serves as a surprisingly fresh team-up, given how often the two characters have appeared together over the past century. 

Kalan's Hades has no business being anywhere near as appealing as it is. The overall premise is silly, and the plot's basic nuts-and-bolts are tedious. Still, Kalan and Ranaldi nail the fun of the story with such brilliance that it almost makes the mini-series opening feel much more appealing than anything that Disney managed with the original 1997 film.

Maleficent's appeal continues on the page as it did in live-action in recent memory and cell animation in the late 1950s. Lee's approach to storytelling maintains the ineffable visual of the story in a way that makes for one of the more memorable entries into Dynamite Comics' Disney Villains series.

Dakota comes across as a fun character in an otherwise messy issue. Given the right narrative momentum, she could become something special in her title. Time traveling. She was working with dinosaurs and wearing a ridiculous-looking hat. It all works so well in the center of the panel. Cowboys and dinosaurs could be a lot of fun under the right circumstances...particularly with a dinosaur wrangler like Dakota.

Once again, an anthology issue proves that you only need three colors and three stories to fill a fully satisfying comic between the covers. Harleys personality works well in bite-sized jokes, even if they have no coherent punchline. Shes a lawless person who makes three stories come to life even if she isnt the center of every level in the issue.

Axelrod and Nahuelpan bring Hawkgirl through quite a bit of inner progression in a single issue. They manage to do this without making it feel rushed or forced. She's dealing with inner turmoil, so the character development feels natural. Internal struggle can be tough to bring to the comics page in a way that doesn't feel over-emphasized. Nahuelpan's intricate subtlety in characterization works well between the dialogue to develop something that feels quite vivid. Now that the antagonist entirely views the hero, that character development should start to go in exciting directions.

It's strange to title the comic book as it's been titled. There's no question that it will sell if you have the giant ape on the cover. And indeed, his presence can be felt throughout the issue, even if he's not directly there. It just seems strange to have the title character. Only if you're on the cover, the title page, and then a final splash page. This is not a King Kong comic book. Honestly... that's a good thing, what with the sort of job that Cox, Bianchi, and Devlin are managing.

For all its lack of consistency, the issue has one of the more vital endings of all of the Knight Terrors crossovers so far. Kyle wakes up to a powerful jolt of awareness in bed. Howard and Leiz converge beautifully at the issue's end. Howard has done an outstanding job with Selina in recent months. It's too bad this nightmare couldn't have been more vivid. 

Grayson finds his way out of the nightmare and into something new. Its fun watching Conrad and Cloonan work with him, but the little bits of the extended cast in the periphery feel a bit stronger. The cameo with the Batgirls is excellent fun and a painful reminder that they no longer have their series. Cloonan and Conrad have added a nifty little corner to the Knight Terrors crossover event with a fun pair of issues that help round out one of the more satisfying summer events in recent memory. 

There's real poetry in the ending of Punchline's latest mini-series. She might be flawed for it with any writer, but Lore has done an excellent job of framing a story around Punchline's fears. She comes across as a mighty hero in the end. It's almost inspiring. Interestingly, this is the second time this week in which Batgirl has shown up as a hideous monster. She has yet to have a whole lot of luck in Knight Terrors. Hopefully things turn around for her.

The Knight Terrors crossover event has featured a lot of excellent writing. Williamson puts a solid end to a promising exploration into the darker realm of Supermans dreams. Its not nearly as impressive and intricate as it could have been...and given all of the weird, little mutations of the nightmare that other writers have put other heroes through throughout the summer, its excellent to see a more straight-ahead interpretation of the premise.

Wonder Woman has occasionally appeared on wanted posters in comics for decades back to the early Silver Age and beyond. Campbell and Ferreyra place a Wonder Woman wanted poster in the first few issues of the current comic as a bit of foreshadowing to the Tom King series thats coming next month. Diana may have overcome her inner struggle here, but theres more next month as Amazons become fugitives in the U.S.

Grnbekk has handled the traditional sword-and-sorcery story with a well-thought-out first couple of issues. Sonja versus a priest capable of mind-control...its a very sharp and symbolic conflict that speaks to the heart of who Sonja is. Grnbekk knows exactly what makes Sonja work on a fundamental level.

The issue marches on, and the pacing begins to reveal itself. Two issues in, and it already feels like its organized and articulated well enough to have been running for years. If each Savage Squad mini-series could be its mission, it could become an enjoyable property over many years, with squad members occasionally dying in service to add to the stylish brutality of the series...but thats all in the future. The Squad has a small pack of monsters to deal with next month.

The series continues to find exciting dynamics for a diverse crew but needs finesse. Sutters story feels solidly pointed in a direction that might be interesting as things progress, but even in the second issue, things are only just starting to get moving. Theres still a lot of potential in the series at issues end. Theres a good chance that Sutter and company could manage. 

Howard does an excellent job with a reluctant hero. Carlinis work is breathtaking. Theres no reason they cant work together on an ongoing Raven series. Ravens a difficult character to hit just right, but Howard and Carlini have done an excellent job hitting all the right points in a standalone Raven story. She thinks of herself as a Titan. Itd be interesting to give her a bit more room on her own...get the character out of her comfort zone just a bit more to explore her in greater depth.

The super-powered squad of heroes is almost fully established by the end of the eighth issue of the series. Ram V has been patient enough, rolling out the backstory for every team member. Its been a very practiced and systematic approach to unveiling a team that maximizes the readers connection with every team member. The cleverness of Ram Vs writing isnt in its inventiveness...it lies in his technique and the overall composition of what is rapidly becoming a very satisfying new addition to the DC universe.

The Cull is completely unlike anything else on the comics rack right now. It flawlessly engages the emotions on a level thats kind of difficult to manage with most traditional comics. Thompson approaches the story with a steady and patient hand as the reality of the terror begins to bleed in around the edges of the panel. The richly textured mood of a thoughtfully-rendered ensemble horror story begins to assemble itself in a promising first issue for Thompson and De Iulis. 

Writer David Barnett also delivers a fun opening for a story of a guy named Herne who is looking to save a young girl from the cult that is on her trail. The contemporary fantasy makes for a nice addition to the rest of this weeks offerings in one of the most reliably good sci-fi anthology comics in history. There I.S. some dead weight to this issue, but there is more than enough to carry the momentum from one cover to the other.

Hoyt, Bogani, and Sanchez call the fantastic grandma to a close with a great deal of style and flair. It's all drama, and there could be a better deal of action. However, that doesn't matter. Because it all looks so good while everyone is discussing dramatic matters pertaining to a distinctly non-human culture. Once again, the title character manages to keep herself totally on track the entire issue, and everything feels more emotionally engaging than one might typically expect from a light space opera. It's precisely the type of thing that makes for an outstanding Barbarella story.

With the events of the first part of the story already finished, it'll be interesting to see which direction Thompson takes the arc in. It's pretty romantic stuff. And it has quite an emotional weight to it. There's no question that Thompson is working with effortless and broad strokes. That doesn't make what she's putting on the page any less powerful. Given what happened, the second arc could be drastically different from the first. It will be interesting to see which direction she pushes it in, given that things will be dramatically different after the end of the sixth issue. 

Given how well laid out each issue has been concerning the dramatic impetus of the ensemble, Weisman has a solid idea of how to keep the momentum of the series going. There is a do you love motion towards the end of the second issue, which we all catapult things into the third. Weisman has the first two issues ending in cliffhangers that feel remarkably strong, given how little story has actually made it across the page by the end of the second issue.

As sharp as Chaykin's storytelling is, it's a very quick enjoyment across various elements of this point in comic book history. There isn't a whole lot of insight that's being driven into the narrative. He's just delivering it to the page in a way that seems suitably crazy. Because it was a crazy area. Because there's never been anything other than a crazy era in a very, very strange industry. The business never really made sense. Chaykin knows this, and he's playing with it in a way that makes it feel every bit as insane as it is. Art imitates life imitating art.

In its short run thus far, the new Justice Society is consistently one of the best series that DC has put out in recent memory. We're not tackling anything new. In fact, it's all an echo of an echo of an echo. It's just a really good iteration of themes that have been ricocheting back and forth around DC for a long time. How long these teams have been moving in and around various titles for years, it's kind of impressive that Johns has managed to bring it to the page with an impact that truly seems to fit the concept of the new Golden Age that he's reaching for in his corner of the DC universe.

There's an absolute purity of vision here. It has strength all its own. Simply allow Ivy's nightmare to run its course in a non-complicated and straightforward way without trying to amplify anything. And it becomes its own breathtakingly simple analysis of a very complex and conflicted person. Wilson's long-term progression of Ivy's psyche has been fascinating to watch. She explores that here as well. The true identity of the polo-shirted Batman of Ivy's nightmares is a clever echo of something that Wilson has been echoing around the back corners of her characterization since she started working with the character. 

There aren't very many traditional heroes who could register much intensity simply fighting monsters. Most of the more traditional-looking heroes have slain it so many over the years that it doesn't really feel like much on the page anymore. Ravager has enough of a dark edge about her that she can fight something like Murder Man and come across as being every bit as dangerous and monstrous as the monster itself. The inner journey here is also relatively straightforward, but Brisson and Soy put together a rendering of the story that has just enough momentum to keep it interesting through the final panels. 

It had been a dream. Something that was very pleasant and relaxed. Then things change. Any reader knows that change is coming. King's delivery of the story keeps the inevitable seeming tantalizingly out of the immediacy of the moment until the next splash page hits and the cycle of the series sets in one more time. The entire reality of the horror is only beginning to set in ten issues, and it's breathtaking to watch it all unravel the way it is. Joan has been so painstakingly rendered in tender moments. Now the horror really hits.

Weaver's world moves around on the page with the depth that comes from a whole lot of a story that hasn't made it to the panels. There is a ridge depth to everything that makes it all feel firmly anchored into space. That seems more or less infinite. This is quite an accomplishment, given the fact that the series is only running for 10 issues so far. He's been working on it for a lot longer than that, though. The next issue we explore is a little bit of the prehistory of it all with an issue #0, which explores some of his earlier non-published work with the characters.

Luna and Wood might be moving the story along in a way that feels a little awkward at the outset. However, it feels like things could really ramp up and become more intriguing. Once the story moves out beyond the palace. The nobility of the princess will be contrasted against the rest of the world in which she's adventuring. That's going to add a great deal of momentum to things. The Southeast Asian atmosphere should be a pleasant and fascinating contrast against all of the European-based fantasy adventure stories that dominate the comics rack. 

Indeed, everything seems in place for a compelling and cosmic war drama. It's just assembled on the page in a way that doesn't feel like it can really articulate the dangers and threats and things they are clearly playing with. It's just a lot of Musilli people jumping around and shooting at each other. There isn't enough thought about how things are staged or the beats in the drama to bring across anything terribly coherent. It's not really clear what's happening. Which is too bad because it actually looks kind of fantastic while it happens.

On the whole, it's very sharp and very clever stuff. And powerful forces move around the story in ways that make for some fascinating dynamics. It is a carefully woven story with lots of moving parts that don't seem all that apparent until things wrap up toward the end of the issue. Honestly, it might be one of Tynion's best works in the past couple of years.

With the basic premise of the series, a fully established priest has a long way to go with it. There is an impossibly large amount of complexity in what he is setting up in the first issue. There are a lot of ways that this could go wrong. However, Priest knows precisely what he's doing from the first issue. There isn't much of a margin of error on this sort of thing. You're dealing with two very powerful and prevalent vampires. It's a daunting task for any author.

The series hits its stride in an issue that mixes in a bit more dramatic intrigue than the prior issue did. Johnsons skill at bringing together dramatic dynamics in the foreground serves as a solid foundation for action, even if everything going on in the background is really quite silly. Its an attempt to weld a super soldier-style story into a 007 tux. There might be some way of doing it well, but its at odds with Johnsons style.

Willingham and Manco are working with something far more technically accomplished than what Bakshi managed with the original film. Theres great thematic substance to Willinghams script that also seems a great deal denser than what rested at the heart of the 1983 film. If they meet success in the prequel, maybe Willingham and Manco can do something about an adaptation of the movie as well.

So, the opening issue looks really good. There is clearly a lot of world-building to be done over the course of the series. Remender is taking his time with it. The world rests in the background as the drama of these two families gradually finds its way to the page. So much is seen through the eyes of the two children, even as they are clearly given smaller corners of the narrative at the beginning of a hopefully long and satisfying serial.

One of the oldest running sci-fi comics anthologies continues to look good as it pushes into the second half of its fifth decade in existence. Abnett is a major talent working on a number of different series for a number of different companies, but his work in 2000 A.D. continues to be some of his best. Dredd might seem a bit tired even in his current series, but he maintains a solid presence as a second mascot behind its fictional editor Tharg the Mighty. 

All the cosmic energy burns off of Marvel Manhattan one more time. Everybody gets back to all of those things that they were doing before. Theres kind of a lot of other activity in Marvel Manhattan...and all over the world, for that matter. Theres an impossible city in orbit around the Earth. Interdimensional cityslayers from that city are attacking Manila, Helsinki, Toronto, Sydney, and Vatican City. The Avengers have to go to work on that in their OWN title.

It appears as though the series is going to run through a very comprehensive look at this particular vision of the future. More than just a crime procedural, it is an adventure set in a world that is being presented to audiences in a slightly new and fresh perspective. With any luck, the creative team will do something that will involve a lot more of an intrepid adventure through this particularly dark city of the future as the series progresses.

Gotham City has been in so much peril over the many, many decades its been around. Its kind of hard to do that in a way that feels fresh, original, and genuinely dangerous. The author and company manage to do something that feels more or less precisely where it needs to be in order to bring across a genuine sense of danger. However, the tension seems to be moving just a little bit too quickly for it to really come across as anything more than a very quick and breezy fugue.

The sharp and stylish anthology series continues to find a variety of different appealing angles on action and drama in the DC Universe. Brissons Stormwatch series has been entertaining enough that it could easily fit under its own title with the current creative team. Not everythings brilliant, but it all fits together quite well in a package that feels like it could keep going and even potentially introduce entirely new features with marginal characters that could lead to something bigger down the road. 

There need to be more actual events going on for each character to have more of a presence on the page. This would also allow the threat to develop in a way that is much more engaging. It feels like Bennett tried to do too much in too small a span of time. Its very difficult to manage the kind of ambitious storytelling that Bennett is really trying to do with the series. The story needs to be large enough to fill six issues and interact with enough of the DC Universe to really live up to its title. However, there just isnt enough time for everything. And there isnt enough time spent on any one thing. It feels cluttered.

Envy is next. There are quite a few ways to play out a conflict with the abstract entity of Envy, but only a few of them are actually going to feel all that interesting. Envy can make people do some very, very vicious things, but Envy in and of itself isnt really a very powerful force without someone to work through. Orlando is going to have a hell of a time framing the conflict on the same sort of heroic level that hes managed with the other sins thus far.

Its fun to watch Stark launch himself selflessly into a situation in hopes of saving the day while making things that much more difficult for himself. Stark hasnt always come across in such a heroic light. Duggan and company give Stark some altruistic weight to fling around the page, and he does so in a suitably heroic fashion with moments of genuinely fun action and some very cleverly-rendered emotional complexity. 

There are dark and sinister shadows around the entire issue. Its not very easy to bring authentic horror to the page in a way that sneaks in around the perceptions of a reader. Populating a world full of people having nightmares with dead people and the resurrected heroes of ages past is a very powerful step in the right direction. The reality being presented in the story feels like its own kind of nightmare. All of the heroes are gone, and all thats left is a few shadows of people who arent alive anymore.

The Knight Terrors crossover continues to be very successful. The simple narrative device of throwing everybody into their own nightmares actually manages to find quite a few different ways of being novel. And all of the writers involved are doing a pretty good job of making them feel like something other than clich. Its pretty rare that a big summer crossover like this comes across as being anything other than an attempt to make more money. Theres actually a narrative weight to this particular crossover, and its kind of refreshing.

Once again, this particular summer crossover shows that the peripheral inhabitants of the DC Universe have quite a bit of potential in and of themselves. It seems kind of strange to think that characters that have been around forever still have as much momentum as they do given how often characters like this pop up. Its nice to see Angel in her own series, even if its only going to be for a couple of months.

As interesting as it all is, it doesnt really engage with the deeper themes that its presenting. That being said, this issue really does give a very interesting perspective into the psyche of Jim Gordon. If anything, its nice to see a deeper connection with a character who tends to be a little bit more marginal. So often, the perspective of those in the shadow of super-humans and their enemies goes largely unnoticed. Its fascinating to see this sort of character focused on with this kind of detail. And its a pity that this sort of thing doesnt happen more often.

Running through things as quickly as Howard has it should be interesting to see where the second issue takes her. Shes been all over the place on a cosmic level and here she is inside of her own skull. Howard will pick up from this to issue, miniseries, and or launch Harley into further cosmic adventures in her own title. So shes got a long journey ahead of her. This is an interesting opening to that journey.

Constant and company have managed to work with what could have been a very clich concept and turn it into something that feels genuinely interesting. And maybe all they really needed was to introduce one character and one mirror and suddenly it becomes something new. Hold a mirror up to the old clich and suddenly theres steps to it. All you have to do is look at things in reflection. Its kind of an interesting image. Very iconic.

So much of what the story is doing is delivering a vehicle for the visuals. On the whole, thats not really a bad thing given the fact that it still manages to feel substantially compelling. Its a really solid execution of decent action that feels suitably scary for a horror story. Hazan has some novel ideas underpinning everything, but they dont seem all that prominent in the third issue. 

The series ends with an announcement that Rowell and Genolet will be working together on a new Sensational She-Hulk series. Last month, Rainbow Rowell posted a picture of a row of Sharpies in a range of colors, including green and purple, along with the text, She-Hulk Brainstorming Time. So, one series ends, and the next begins...in a while. As of this writing, there still has been no formal solicitation for the new series, so there could be a bit of a wait. In any case, its been a really, really nice run with Walters and Rowell, and its going to be weird to have both of them MIA for at least 2-3 months. The current She-Hulk has been a very unique title that focuses a lot more on the personal life of the hero than most titles on the rack today. No one else is doing what Rowell has done with Jen.

Jordan is beginning to ramp up towards the climax of this particular series. It's going to be interesting to see the way it all comes together. Once things have settled down into a more intelligible fashion, the ensemble should hit the page with suitable flare. As of right now, it's all kind of a mess. But that's kind of the nature of battle, isn't it?

Clearly, Waid is going somewhere with this. And it probably is a lot more interesting than it seems by the end of the issue. The problem is that with technology being what it is in the DC Universe, it feels kind of unlikely that things would go off the way they do at the end of this issue. It just doesnt feel all that believable. That being said, so much of the basic dynamics of the dramatics that are being delivered to the page actually work quite well. Its just really hard to look at it with fresh eyes without knowing all the history thats gone down with these two people.

And now we know the name of the naked woman. She once was a sweet little girl named Samm. And we also know how she got twisted into doing what shes doing. So, in a sense, the fourth issue is a bit of an origin story for her, but theres still so much more mystery that Tynion hasnt quite delivered on. For the time being, its a fascinating mystery.

As it is largely ancillary to the movie, Brown and company don't need to have any kind of finality about the series. It ends on its way into the end of the movie. And it feels largely incomplete as a result. Given how nauseatingly close Disney animated features always tend to run to the traditional 3-Act Hollywood plot structure, its actually really cool to see a fragment of characterization presented as a complete story. Granted...its only a supplement to the movie that has inspired it, but taken on its own, this particular Disney Villains series feels like a strangely elegant mutation of something that is far more commercially digestible. 

The TV series may have only run for a very brief time back in the 1990s, but there WERE 78 episodes in total. A comic book series would take quite a few issues to make up the kind of ground that the TV series did. Weisman is doing a solid job of laying out everyone in the ensemble and moving them through the motions on the page, but Gargoyles has a pretty large cast of characters, so its going to take a WHILE to get the momentum running on the series. Its nice to see it off to such a solid start, though.

The stinger at the end of the story hits perfectly. Its worth noting that the issue kind of plays out like the final scene of an episode of a one-hour action drama...but it fits a hell of a lot better on the page than it does on the screen. Theres a kind of purity about getting the heroes started without too many bits of subplot and then just...launching them right into a chase that ends at the end of an episode. Its difficult to imagine that working out in any other format than the single issue of a comic book. 

The decision to make Sprout entirely nonverbal might be the single most defining decision in the entire story. So much of the rest of it is a weird construct of different tropes all pasted and plastered and duct-taped together...a bit like something Sprout herself might come up with to detain gun-toting pursuers. The heart of what makes Klik Klik Boom so fun is the fact that there ARE no words coming from Sprout. Theres no first-person narration. There arent any thoughts. Only actions and polaroids. Its such a cleverly distinctive form of characterization for one of the most promising new characters to emerge on the comics rack this year.

As powerful as the visuals continue to feel, it all begins to feel like one big, strange wallpaper as the prison break approaches. The planet Golga is impressive, but there isnt enough variation from panel to panel. It all tends to blur together in a way that can drone a bit in the background visually. There isnt anything visually dynamic going on beyond the vision of this other world...and so it feels like a long, slow slog through the prison. Not exactly dazzling, but it DOES present a very haunting and disturbing image that continues to burrow its way through another issue and the mind of the reader.

Theres such a strong dedication to the overall look and feel of a guy like Newburn who works in Newburns line of business. Its all perfectly casual, which makes the act of reading the comic book feel really slimy and illicit. Its just people doing business that happens to involve murder and the darker side of human endeavor. Things are so strangely dispassionate that its difficult to feel a whole lot of engagement coming from the comic book itself until they get to the motel and shots are fired. Then the issues almost over.

Shalvey takes a hell of a chance with the action on the surface. There really isnt much thats truly engaging about the action aside from its brutality. This IS the end of a major plot arc and the beginning of another, but its got so much depth and weight to it that doesnt appear until issues end. Hes really running a risk of boring the hell out of the type of person who might otherwise love the weird mind-bender of an ending that hammers into the last few pages.

Just give Nyctessa her own series. Really. Shes cool. Van Lentes work is really fun. The overall feel of the action continues to find interesting ways of framing old fantasy. If the team can maintain the weirdness of this particular fantasy world, this particular series could end up being much more than a comic book based on a game. Its been a lot of fun so far.

The first issue engages the reader through a sense of mystery and weirdness. So much of what drives the action from page to page lies in the foundations of that mystery. There is a little bit of intriguing drama with Deb. She seems like a truly interesting character. However, that might not be enough to keep this series feeling novel. A series based in mystery can rather quickly turn out to be dull in full view. The first issues great. Andolfo is going to have to tread carefully in the issues to come. Its a fun story so far, but occult and gore and family drama...could turn unpleasantly silly really, really quickly.

The issue manages some level of fun, but Dylan and Renna arent quite hitting the script or visuals in a way that feels particularly memorable. There are a lot of angles on the story that feel more or less interesting, but theyre not quite hitting the page in a way that feels dynamic enough to really make much of an impression. It would have been very cool if things had been managed in the right way. Dylan and Renna clearly know what theyre doing. Theres little doubt that the series is going to find its footing again in the near future. 

And then everybody turns away from the horror and just tries to deal with it. Its weird. The fantasy doesnt work without the mundane. Hell is other people on the inside of the tenement, but theres a whole different hell lurking outside. The real challenge for Lemire and Sorrentino moving forward is going to lie in maintaining the same kind of dichotomy between realistic emotional drama inside and the supernatural hell that rests beyond.

DL has come a long way in only seven issues. Floress overall pacing feels like it might be moving a bit too quickly, but only because shes gone from San Francisco to Jordan in...seven issues. Theres nothing structurally wrong with Floress pacing over the course of the entire run of the series...but there IS some concern that maybe she might be painting herself into a corner in the long run if things get international as quickly as they have. At this rate, shes going to be fighting aliens on the other side of the galaxy by the end of the year.

Theres SUCH a strange and distinct reality being brought to the page by Craig. It has a language and reality all its own that doesnt quite feel like anything else. The style is really cool in places, but the story is SO derivative of so many different elements in the superhero genre that its kind of difficult to walk away from the substance of the story with any kind of impression at all. Given enough issues, it would be interesting to see where Craig is taking the story, but at the outset, its just kind of a weird visual exercise.

Vampirella knows that Photofit isnt at the top of the criminal food chain. Shes going to have to dive deeper, but her designs on investigation get a bit derailed when the action sets in. The story delivers smartly on some of what makes her such an appealing presence on the page. Abnett has spent some time delivering background details to the reader in the form of top-secret document pages in courier font. Its almost as though hes building a place designed for something more than a single plot. It could work. The 1957 part of the series has some really fun aspects to it.

Xaviers art can feel a little bit stiff in places, but the dialogue is crisp and occasionally quite witty. And theres a slaying scene involving a decapitation towards the end of the book that has got to be one of the more dramatic and graphic deaths on the comic book rack so far this year. The complex emotional dynamic that Xavier nails in that one panel is positively haunting. Belle might feel a bit generically superheroic on the surface, but Franchini and company make her engaging and relatable enough to hold her own regular series.

The deeper themes of Ewings series will have a chance to expand and open up in the issues to come. The initial sketches of a nation in transition seem to hit page and panel a bit unevenly, but Ewing is doing a good job of establishing them with a degree of grace as Black Panther and Beisa get a bit closer in the second issue of the series.

There are ways to bring conversation to the page that serve even the black-and-white format of Blacks Myth. Dave Sim did remarkable things with intrigue and drama on the comic book page back in the 1980s. Its all a matter of fusing the sequential format of the drama to the mystery in a way thats both visually appealing and closely tied to a series of pictures. Cavalcanti hasnt quite worked it out yet, but theres some very powerful drama making it to the page, so its well worth a look.

Its a promising opening to a new series. Rarely is a single issue this balanced between creative personnel. Everyone working on the project seems to have an equal impact on the story. Hill is delivering a script that really is a blueprint for action for someone with a very precise idea of how to deliver it to the page in a way that allows for the colorist to come in and bring it all to life. If every issue is going to be like this, the current incarnation of Blade should be a fun one.

Once again, its apparent that the series isnt really offering anything that hasnt been done countless times before with various X-books over the years. This wouldnt be all that bad if it was executed with any competence of execution. Deadpool is a very cool character. He deserves better than Liefeld. And...he IS getting better than this...with Alyssa Wongs series. The first couple of issues of Liefelds series just arent any good. But, yknow...the color is actually really cool. 

It's a soap opera with panels. And the fact that it just happens to be in a space fantasy setting is what sells it. The political drama would be a lot more potent if it were focused on a little bit more closely. It would also feel like a closer walk with the world of the novels if the deeper philosophical aspects were explored. Once again--the authors are doing a pretty good job of being faithful to Dune...insofar as a casual fan of the series would be to enjoy, in any case. An ideal comic adaptation would tie in a bit more to the visual.

It's remarkably strange how far things have come from the early 1990s. There used to be an arrow where the only real variants were on the covers. Shoot ahead a few decades, and now there are countless variations of nearly every major superhero and villain. Extreme Venomverse has been a weird exploration into this on the verge of the symbiotes 40th anniversary this coming January. Its been a weird journey. Some of it's been fun. Some of it has just been strange.

The series continues to gradually coalesce as the team is gradually drawn together. Its fun to watch Lanzing and Kelly revealing aspects of events that scattered the team. Theres a sense of anticipation and build-up to the big climactic resolution, but it feels like its running the risk of totally falling apart by the time the story reaches its final issue. 

Now that Marc is off into realms beyond life, Pepose and company are going to have to tread pretty lightly. The supernatural location is going to pose some problems, as it might bend Marc in an exclusively supernatural direction thats going to alienate the basic humanity of the character. Moon Knight has always worked best as a balance between street-level crime and the supernatural. If Pepose and company can maintain that, theyll have a hell of a series on their hands.

Honestly...there are probably at least 2-3 more characters than are actually necessary in the ensemble. Theres a core group that seems to be continuing to work well for the team, and the overall run of the series has been pretty good, but theres a big pile-up at the end of the series for the big resolution. It just feels cluttered. The best writers on any mutant team book have always managed to direct the flow of traffic. Anders has done a pretty good job, but things just got congested on the way to the series climax. 

The monster they're facing now is something that challenges them quite a lot. And there's a deep thematic complexity about it. They hunt monsters. They feel like monsters. Now, theyre facing a monster that looks and moves like them, and they wonder just how far the darkness moves in and within them. The thirty-first issue explores some of that around the edges of everything in a way that cleverly increases the overall horror of the story.

Gail Simones The Variants with Jessica Jones was SUCH a good treatment of the multiple variants concept. The trade paperback for that series came out at the end of last April. The multi-Gwen thing comes out a little too close to that particular bit of extreme cleverness. Kim has a solidly well-told story with Gwen, but it lacks enough depth to feel original in light of Simones still very recent work in the same universe.

There have been A LOT of Star Trek comics over the years. Older series never really managed to capture the feel of an episode as well as the contemporary issues. Day of Blood connects to the Next Generation with such strength that it honestly feels kind of weird that the episode ends where it does, only like...22 minutes into the story. It feels like the story should resume at the end of the commercial break and not...like...a couple of weeks from now as the crossover continues in Defiant #6, which is due out on August 2nd.

One should not expect a terribly deep story given the fact that it's just a fusion of two highly marketable properties. There isn't anything terribly revolutionary about the way the action hits the page. It's just kind of fun to see an issue that is so dedicated to action for the sake of action. The issue reaches its end, and it doesn't really feel like there's been a whole lot of emotional engagement. But it's been fun.

If it was handled with just a bit more poise and squishiness, it might feel like an Archie-meets-Buffy sort of thing. There's an undeniable appeal about it that feels like a pleasantly strange mutation of the original TV series. It doesn't quite have the same impact, but it does feel like a natural extension of the beloved franchise that fits everything together quite endearingly on the page. It all ends with a bit more cheesiness than most episodes of the TV show, but its a nice, cuddly close to an adaptation. And its just nice to see an old franchise continue to make its way forward after all these years.

Liesel is going home. And hopefully, she can get things to come together for Julie so that she wont have to be quite so sick. The ongoing adventures of Liesel Van Helsing have been a lot of fun in the recent past. Her sharp resourcefulness and her quick wit would be interesting to explore in a more frequently-appearing series of comics, but its just nice to get a chance to hang out with her on occasion. A more satisfying Grimm universe would also include regular solo appearances of Hellchild and Julie as well. Theyre both quite fun. 

Cuteness often gets mixed with horror for the raw, visceral effect. What is cute is meant to be cozy and cuddly and something that's inherently safe. Give it claws and gore and sudden slashing of razor-sharp teeth, and suddenly it's very disturbing. A child scampering around can be cute. A child scampering around with a bloody butcher knife is horrifying. However, Wilds End is doing something altogether different. The cuteness of the animals cries for the reader's empathy. As a result, the horrifying reality of what's going on is that much more emotionally present for the reader. It's quite an effect.

When a huge amount of story moves glacially towards a massive crossover event, every now and again, an issue feels like it's just connecting out major moments rather than existing as a compelling story in and of itself. Thats the case with X-Men: Red #13. There seems to be a lot of waiting around to make sure that everything is in place before Ewing can move on to more important stuff that's going to be much more consequential than this issue.

Intricate plots are fun. A war with AI could be maddeningly sophisticated given the right angles. Waid and Mora keep the complexity out of the way, allowing for a really fun action climax with well-directed aggression that seems to be moving across the page in the right way. It might be big, dumb action on one level, but its big, dumb action that is very smartly executed with a sharp sense of style. Waid and Mora ARE working with a large group of heroes in the book, and none of them seems to get enough time on the page or nearly enough credit for being as powerful as they are, but then...thats always the problem with a superhero party thats as big as the 17th issue of Batman / Superman: Worlds Finest.

Harley Quinn is hit-or-miss. She can be a lot of fun if shes caught at the right angles. Its really, really difficult to do so, though. Shes such an erratic personality. What works well with one writer might not necessarily work really well with another. The cool thing about an anthology is that if one creative team doesnt necessarily have a fun relationship with the clown girl, theres a good chance that shes going to get along with at least one of the other two. In this issue, that connection is made quite well with Maguire and Zdarsky.

The Knight Terrors crossover event has had a dazzlingly weird variety of different stories that all manage to come from the same heart. Supermans foray into the horror is the first one to really openly embrace the dark absurdity of the situation. Its a very cool approach that makes for a truly enjoyable Superman story.

The cliffhanger ending for the issue does feel a bit forced given what a strong presence Diana had managed throughout so much of the issue. And the inner struggle that the nightmare is bringing out of Diana and Constantine might seem kind of disinteresting on a surface-level, but there IS some interesting insight into the inner psyches of both heroes. Some of the surface level stuff can be pretty haunting in its own right. The lasso turning into barbed wire is a particularly intense visual given how reassuringly safe its been for Diana over the years...even when its been something of a threat to her. 

Its been quite a bit of fun having Chelli and Luke hang out in a tightly-composed team-up with a few other characters. Writers have a tendency to want to work with a whole bunch of different action figures when someone's writing a Star Wars comic book. Wong keeps it close and cozy, and the resulting two-player adventure with optional droids feels remarkably fun. 

The Hales do little to advance the personal growth of Starfire. However, the one-shot in question does continue to explore the general appeal of a character that has never really been given the right venue for her distinct power and personality. The story present in the first issue of this new series is fun, but it's too much of an echo of what's come before it to make much of an impact in and of itself. The concerns of Starfires family are entertaining enough, but theyve been solidly explored before. 

Burnett is allowing the world to expand a little more as he introduces a new character on the other side of the narrative. As cool as the itinerant hero is in the first couple of issues, it's cooler to see a contrasting hero who is every bit as valorous while being much more firmly anchored in a single location. 

There's still time for the series to live up to the potential of the themes being explored. The writing team is certainly circling around at the deeper end of the premise. They just haven't zeroed in on it yet. And that's a little frustrating. Three issues in, and they were still playing around on the surface-level silliness of the premise. There is so much more that could be explored about a pair of kids dealing with the legacy that they were now forced to be a part of. There's a legacy of madness there, and they really could be doing more to integrate and interface with the legend of one of the more popular villains in the history of comic books.

The only problem with Madureiras pacing is that it takes SO LONG for a plot to develop. A typical writer might have chosen to try to cram both #10 and #11 into a single normal-length issue. With Lullabi as the artist, it could have even worked that way, but Madureiras a lot more patient than that, and what results is gorgeous in places. (Red Monika continues to be fairly dazzling even in the presence of a giant monster.) Its kind of difficult to feel an emotional connection with much of whats going on on the page, though the series has been back for two months now and very little has happened. It looks really, really good, though.

It's remarkable how short-lived the original cartoon was. The three-season series was largely a series of one-shot episodes. The patience given to a single issue of the comic book series feels roughly equivalent to a 22-minute episode of the series. So it feels a little bit indulgent to have a multi-part story for the comic book. Really, though...the fact that the series has been off the air for over thirty years makes ANY further exploration of the character feel at least a bit indulgent.

The brutality of the series continues to march on in the midst of some basic history that Kennedy is covering. Its generally a fun ancient war march. Ancient war drama is so often focused on generals and emperors and powerful heroic figures. Its actually kind of cool to see a war drama from ancient Rome that firmly has its boots on the ground. 

The plot of the series thus far has been enjoyable. The actual execution of the plot is lacking in intensity. If it was to be amplified in certain areas, it could really be something remarkable. Edgar Rice Burroughss characters and setting are inherently very appealing. There's clearly something in them to have lasted for as long as they have. Dejah is a really interesting character. Its so very, very difficult to frame her in a way that does justice to her potential. 

Next up: Kaiju. Thatll be fun. (Gamera would be particularly weird in the context of the series.) Regardless of how long the miniseries is going to be, theres little question that itll feel like its ending at least a bit too soon. The character of Elvira has been looking for this kind of opportunity and story for at least a couple of decades, whether she realizes it or not. 

Though hes clearly the center and soul of the issue, the title character serves as more of a sidekick to the guest stars, which tends to be the case with characters that dont speak clear English. Its difficult to maintain a central focus on the title character if theyre not going to allow a deeper perspective on his own articulated thoughts and emotions, but its just really nice to see him hanging out with an old hero from the Silver Age in a story set some time ago on a distant planet.

Although it is the case that the aggression of the 22nd issue of the series is kind of overwhelming, there clearly is a dramatic gravity thats holding it all together. Its just a bit lost in all of the action thats scratched into the page. Somewhere under the weight of all that blood and aggression lies a hell of a lot of emotion thats going to have to wait for issue #23 to really emerge.

Beyond all of the surface-level silliness, there's a really deep somatic thing going on with I Hate Fairyland, which somehow manages to peekaboo out from the end of the strange game of hokey pokey that Young has been playing with Gertie over the course of the past seven issues. Its taken a while to build up momentum, but theres definitely...something going on in the pages of the series.

Beacham really could've turned this into something bigger if there had been the opportunity to do so. The long, protracted journey being taken by Baruch and Fin could have been its own series. Both romantic leads are interesting enough, and the journey theyre taking is distinct enough that theres little question that it could have its own appeal. By issues end, it feels like its over way too soon.

And its all punctuated by the furtive plap of a severed head at the end of an issue...and the ominous return of a guy smoking a cigarette. Honestly...the current storyline feels like it might have been running for a little long. As painstakingly written as the script is, there isnt quite enough holding the drama to the page. If Lewis and company could lean back from the action just a little bit more, the series would improve immeasurably. Lewis CAN write decent drama, and his dialogue doesnt suck. If they slow it down and let the drama creep across the page, it could feel a lot more interesting.

It's nightmarish. It's dystopian. And it's kind of fun. But it lacks the central vision that would make it anything more than a strange curiosity. Bendis is clearly tilting toward a sort of Frank Miller Sin City feel in the direction of something thats at least ostensibly attempting to be a little more political than his work, but it feels kind of like a weak attempt as the series continues.

Its beautiful and fantastically dark in places, but there simply isnt enough holding it together to make it feel like a coherent story. The pursuit is interesting, but so much of what Emory is going through lacks the kind of direction that would make for a compelling trip between two covers of a single comic book.

Itll be interesting to see where the next issue takes the new Catalyst War story arc. It appears as though Clark and Higgins are working the whole...duplicate thing straight through the end of the arc. The next two issues have variant covers that are patterned the same way as issue #25. The parallel heroes concept looks like fun. Whether or not it turns out to be a cheap, insubstantial gimmick will be revealed in the course of the coming months.

Sonjas recent exploits have been hit-or-miss. Shes such an interesting character, but its all too easy to simply fling her at a conflict and allow her to swing her way through it. Or maybe theres a premise for a series that seems to force her into being a supporting character in her own book. Thankfully, this new series looks like its going to be very well-balanced. Grnbekk is one of the best contemporary writers working in the sword-and-sorcery genre for the comic book industry. Her work with Thor and Jane Foster for Marvel had been particularly impressive. Her Red Sonja for Dynamite joins a Carnage that shes going to be doing for Marvel, which should be really interesting too. 

There isnt a whole lot to the character of Robyn. There isnt allowed to be. Shes always being thrown into action, spouting fun lines of dialogue and battling some monster of some sort. There doesnt really need to be a whole lot more to it than that, honestly. Brusha and company put together fun supernatural action that aims for a minimum of innovation in the interest of having fun with some gorgeous heroes. Theres certainly space on the comic book rack for that sort of thing.

Static is drawn ever closer to making decisions that he doesn't want to make in an issue that feels a bit like it's stuck in its own gravity. There is little question that the momentum of the plot is going to pick up as the series progresses, but its going to have a hell of a time doing so with its hero being as tortured as he is right now. As heavy as it is, there's a very profound charisma tied up in the whole story. It's very appealing in its own way.

By the fourth issue, the series has finally met its stride. Ghostbusters has fully met Escape from New York, and the two distinct ends of action are working together quite well. Hopefully, the story can find a more distinct voice as the issues progress. Ahmed is tackling a story that is beginning to look like something new and interesting, but its had to crawl through the muck of a whole lot of world-building to get there. The artwork feels well-rendered. The squad-based drama feels like its running on all cylinders. The series can really start to go places in the fifth issue.

The kinetics of the action and the warmth of the drama are more than engaging enough to launch the series forward into its second issue. Its been a great deal of fun so far...and it almost seems to more or less be a story that picks up right at the end of Dave Stevens original series, which ends up feeling like a smooth transition for anyone who might have only been familiar with Cliff, Bettie, and Peevy from Stevenss original work. Mooneys style feels similar enough to Stevenss that everything seems to fit together remarkably well between Den of Thieves and a series that had originally appeared on the racks of comic shops decades ago.

Everybody in the ensembles just...in a mood. Theyre having a bad day or week or year or...offensive or whatever. Its just...the 25th issue of the series is overcome with such extreme...fatigue. Everyones just a little edgy. Maybe the series gets a chance to sleep until August, when the next issue comes out. Maybe everybodys going to be a little bit better rested by then. Its a good series. Really. Issue #25...just caught everyone on a bad month, is all.

Walker treads a very fine line between comedy and horror, and its a lot of fun to watch him do it. Only a couple of issues in, Victory seems like a profoundly complex person. Its already been a long and very personal emotional journey with Victory, and the adventure hasnt even really gotten started yet. 

Its too bad that Ram Vs fragmented narrative is so intentionally shattered. Theres a fine line between telling a compelling mystery and just...throwing a whole bunch of narrative shards at the reader and letting them work it out. There DOES seem to be enough holding everything together to keep a readers interest, but Ram V and company are really taking a chance that they might not have the ability to pull it all together before the end of the series. 

The series could go in a whole bunch of different directions. The hint at bigger mysteries in future issues may lie in the fact that the kid is surprised when Scrapper talks. When shes returned, her parents assure her that dogs cant talk. So theres something special about Scrapper and Tank...and all those weird, little talking pigeons and rats that are lurking about.

Wells is mixing comedy and serious drama in a way that makes it kind of difficult to interface with the center of the story. A few pages before the end of the issue, its just...silly. It all kind of falls apart by the end, but there ARE some really good moments splattered throughout the issue that almost reach a kind of brilliance with some very witty dialogue by Wells. 

As delicately as the creative team on the book moves the action along, that final scene is a little more intense than much of the rest of the book. They were wise to slowly lead into it. However, that sudden burst of energy at the end of the issue feels like a bit of a jarring contrast to the more intimate,  intricate, and emotionally dramatic nuances that lead to that final scene. The delicate balance between earthbound drama and the world of magic and fantasy needs to be well-defined if the series is going to live up to its potential.

There isnt much in Wilsons bigger narrative machinery that feels terribly new. Something about the way that shes casting together the two races feels elegant in its simplicity. All too often, sword-and-sorcery fantasy overloads the page with too many unnecessary details. Wilson knows exactly how much the page will hold and doesnt try to cram it with even one element more than is totally necessary to deliver the story. Its a very patient approach for a very promising new series. 

The reality of what Howard and Lupe are going to be dealing with is quite firmly established in the issue-ending splash page. Its an ending that you just know is coming based on the events of the opening of the issue, but it packs a hell of an impact once the visual is finally delivered at issues end. The overall feel of it is pretty remarkable given the fact that it all moves as slowly and moodily as it does. With the conflict firmly in view, Crooks challenge is going to be a matter of finding new ways to present a very familiar cryptid. 

Lim had done a lot of work over the years. Its possible that some of his most captivating work was with Jim Starlin on The Thanos Quest. That series had an intensity to it that came from far more than the mere physical conflict that Marz is bringing to the page here. If there was a bit more of an emotional component to the conflict, this would be a powerful rebirth and not just a weird...reanimation of old, dead narrative matter.  

Once its over and the final panel crosses the final page, you kind of have to reach for a tissue. Its all been a lot of fun and everything, but its time to clean up and get on with the process of figuring out just what the hell it was all about. There was a lot of suffering and slime and slashing and such. And its not like there isnt SOME appeal to the deeper drama, but theres just way too much mucous on the page in a conflict between Carnage and Venom. Honestly...the upcoming Carnage #1 might be a lot of fun if the title character is given something less...slimy to contrast against. 

The issue wraps up with a pretty exhaustive interview with industry legend Walt Simonson. Hes always good in an interview, but this one in particular feels like a perfect companion to this issue. Its kind of a fun retrospective on the man and his work with Thor that turns the one-shot into something more than a simple What If?

The restlessness of the opening issue of the series really could have been cut entirely. So much of the introduction to Hannah and her life leading into her trip to Antarctica could have appeared as flashbacks. That sort of set-up might have resulted in a little more immediacy in the first issue, but its difficult to find any real fault with starting Hannahs story a bit earlier until it becomes apparent exactly where Birks is taking it in the issues to come. 

Andolfo and Blengino have established a story that seems familiar enough without feeling tedious. Given the universal recognition of Bettie, there might be a tendency to want to take the character in a direction that would be more weird and abstract simply for the sake of contrasting against how iconic a figure she is. Andolfo and Blengino have found a perfect spot for Bettie in a surprisingly enjoyable shallow mystery. Theyre also managing to engage the reader in the peripheral characters. The charm of the current series might well run out in a few issues, but by then, the story will most assuredly have come to a close. Everything in the series is so well-balanced.

Williamson has an excellent rhythm for the series. The seventh issue brings the ensemble to a very crucial moment. Its a conflict that has been brewing for quite some time. Its a bit strange to see it flow out the way that it does in the seventh issue. One might have expected something more dynamic in the showdown. Its just a conversation before the food arrives at a restaurant. Williamson, Bressan, and Lucas make the pre-dinner conversation quite engrossing.

Clark and Higgins show a masterful sense of rhythm with respect to the overall plot structure of the one-shot story. Dramatic moments hang in the air and on the page just long enough to make an impression before the next major plot point glides into view. Its a remarkably delicate and intricate drama that continues to establish Deep Cuts as one of the best new series of 2023.

Fishflies inhabits a chillingly poetic narrative space. Psychological horror twists into something far more supernatural and deeply unsettling as the story progresses. Above it all, Lemire does a strikingly good job of bringing across the uniquely strange relationship between Franny and the dying man. Their interaction exists mostly in silences and unspoken words. And there is SUCH a profound sense of stillness about the horror right up until that final page. Lemire takes such a hard turn in that final panel of the first issue...it will be interesting to see where he takes it in the final five issues. 

Weisman keeps the politics clean and simple as the issue opens...only allowing just as many different moving elements in the story as can comfortably fit between two covers. Given this attention to pacing and overall narrative rhythm, theres very little doubt that Dark Ages is going to be a well-designed series. Its not envisioning a whole new reality for the Gargoyles...only building on the back of the rich history of the series to bring something entertaining to the page that appears to be off to a good start.

The clever mixing of environmental and supernatural horror should be fun to explore in future issues of the series, but it will remain to be seen whether or not the series can get enough distance from the central ensemble to get a good look at the world that theyre exploring. The ensemble of characters IS interesting in places, but it lacks the kind of compelling dynamic that would serve the center of the series alone without something more being added in. As the central conflict begins to set in at the end of the issue, there DOES appear to be a chance that the plot will begin to balance out. 

The story seems cleverly crafted on so many levels. The art feels like...a rough thumbnail outline for the real art that Niimura isnt ever going to deliver. And though the action and attitude feel really, really fun, the visuals are simply too empty to engage the reader in what really SHOULD be a much more immersive dramatic story. Its a fun story, and the minimalism of Niimuras art style IS a part of that fun, but it doesnt suit the deeper drama of the story at all. 

Layman and Jok are working with a very large and diverse ensemble of characters who seem to be well-articulated and equally well-rendered on the page. The challenge moving forward is going to lie in maintaining the right balance of weird comic energy and deeper emotional drama while still keeping a firm grasp on each of the characters and everyone involved in the action. Judging from the first couple of issues, the overall integrity of the series is in good hands with Layman and Jok.

The crossover enters its third week with a sharp little dive into the background of the big villain and a bit of a closer look at a character who is between series of his own. The crossover has had its ups and downs throughout the first two weeks, but its honestly been one of the better DC crossovers of the past couple of years. Some of DCs better writers have worked on it, and theyve all been pretty well integrated in the course of the series. There are still a couple of weeks to go, but the crossover has been a lot of fun going into the third week.

Once the pattern is established, things settle down. And they shouldn't be settling down. Because they need to be tightening up with respect to the drama. It is a lot more fun watching the pattern of the issue establish itself than it is actually watching it play out to its cliffhanger ending. This is really too bad, as the story started out with such a strong and offbeat tone. The surrealism had a powerful connection to the crossover. Porter had been doing such a good job early on. Dual-track psychological action/horror is very difficult and tricky stuff to manage.

Mary may be more or less oblivious about the situation that shes in, but she remains an admirably heroic figure throughout the issue, which ends up being really, really impressive in its own right. She knows that shes caught in a dream, but she refuses to acknowledge it until she has to. There are things to be done regardless of the situation with the world around her. Its an interestingly skewed look at superheroism that ends up being really, really fascinating on closer inspection, even though...ostensibly, its just another superhero horror story.