The composition of the 100-page celebration has been carefully thought out. The first two stories establish new directions for ongoing titles. At the same time, the rest of the book moves through Wonder Womans history in chronological order from the Golden Age to the Silver Age to the Copper Age and beyond. Not every story is totally brilliant, but the anthology works remarkably well as a whole, giving the reader a somewhat breathtaking look at the history of one of comics greatest heroes.

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.

Castellucci and DiGiandomenicos brilliant execution of Babs chronicles amid a big, oppressive multi-title crossover speaks to a very deft mastery of the street-level superhero genre that should be great fun to see develop further once the title wheels itself out from underneath the massive machinery of The Year of the Villain. 

A few thieves enter the home of a sorcerer supreme to steal an artifact. One of them is a ticking time bomb. Anything could happen. Its a simple premise that MacKay and Foreman have a great deal of fun with. That fun easily transfers to the reader in another thoroughly enjoyable issue of the Black Cats new series. If MacKay and Foreman can maintain this level of quality and originality, this series is going to be a lot of fun.

The first issue of the series was Marvel's best-selling single-issue of the year thus far. It will remain to be seen if the series continues to be as wildly popular as that first issue, but MacKay's writing is so dizzyingly enjoyable that it certainly DESERVES to be Marvel's consistently highest-selling book.

MacKay and Foreman have done a really smart job of bringing Black Cat into the center of her own series throughout the first four issues of the series. The initial story arc continues in a really fun place that explores the Marvel Universe with a very unique perspective taken from a very, very alluring anti-heroine. Its a great team that will be fun to watch as Black Cats run continues into the final months of 2019. Even if theyre not in a completely novel territory with Black Cats adventures, its a very refreshing perspective on a universe thats been around or decades.

The story in Black Cats first annual serves as the prequel carefully orchestrated serial that MacKay and Dowling are working on in the monthly series. Marvels work with Felicia Hardy has been smooth and reliably enjoyable for the first half of her first year with her own title. Its been a great launch for Felicia. The Annual feels like a celebration of the success of the series thus far. Complete with a satisfying guest appearance by the character who ushered her into the Marvel Universe back in 1979. After years of supporting appearances, Felicia is finally ready to move comfortably into her own title. The poise and polish of this annual make that perfectly clear. 

Theres little question that Felicia is going to do what shes going to do. Its interesting to see the tipping point which points her in the inevitable direction that she ultimately takes. It reveals a tremendous amount about her as a person. More so than anything else in MacKays impressive run with the Black Cat, this is a very intimate interlude with the title character. In a way, the entire series to this point has been leading to this one issue. In its own way, this is an impressive climax. Itll be interesting to see where MacKay takes Felicia next. 

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. 

With this issue Selina has acquired a talented pair of accomplices in Ram V and John Timms. Itd be nice to see her working with the two of them in more of a long-term relationship. Naturally the dynamic would be likely to change throughout a multi-issue story, but its undeniable that Ram V and Timms have done something here that manages to rival anything that Jones had built-up in her initial run writing AND drawing the series. The cleverly concise 22 pages here feel every bit as masterful as Kyle herself in a thoroughly enjoyable issue. Next month Selina saunters back over to work with Jolle Jones with artist Fernando Blanco to resume the regular chronicles of the Catwoman.

Due to its sheer simplicity and engaging sense of action, Maleficent #3 might be one of the single most memorable comics to come out so far this year. Lee isnt trying to do anything too complicated. Shes just telling a simple story of a simple conflict that isnt at all unlike a million others that play out in nature every single day on the planet. Its fun to see her bring it onto the comics page without substantial embellishment. Any other artist/writer would be tempted to add something in the way of additional story. The purity of Lees vision is captivating. 

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. 

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.

McGuire and Miyazawa have done such an excellent job with Gwen this year. This new chapter moves Gwen in a direction that allows for her to advance in a new direction of character development while staying true to the roots of the firmly established tradition of Marvel wall-crawlers.

The bomb that Phillips and company mix in at the end promises to launch the storyline in another really, really weird direction that should be a lot of fun as the series reaches its 25th issue before the end of 2022. Harley has had some difficulty finding the right equilibrium after writer Sam Humphries stopped hanging out with her some time ago. Phillips has clearly managed to find the right pulse.

Given Chaykins keen precision, its actually kind of surprising that hes only made it as far as the early 1980s in the first four issues of the current series. Chaykin slices through history with an impressively deft understanding of storytelling. There are so many different stories from the history of the comics industry for Chaykin to roll through, and it would be all too easy to get lost in details. Chaykin knows to keep it simple: get into the heart of an exchange, get out of it, and get on to the next scene. Brilliant pacing.

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.

At issue's end, Gladd refers to the technique that he and Kubert use as the Marvel Method. It isn't. (Not exactly.) Kubert comes up with the story and draws everything in pencil. Then Gladd inks it and writes the dialogue. This results in a more thoughtful collaboration than had been used in the original Marvel Method, which largely consisted of the artists doing most of the work on a book and handing beautiful fully-finished pages over to Stan Lee, who would then clutter them up with bad dialogue. There's more of a playful integration between Kubert and Gladd for Inkblot. There's so much potential for this collaboration to casually saunter wide-eyed through magical portals that lead from one issue to the next.  

Grnbekk carefully constructs the third part of her five-part series with an exhilarating mix of drama, horror, action, and mystery. The philosophical elements that she adds in to the conversation with the librarian elevate the chapter to something far more than the sum of its parts, lifted as it is to lofty inspiration guided to the page by the wisdom of Jane Foster.

There are only two issues left to go in the series. The story is wrapping up, and Cata...well...shes really turning out to be a joy to hang out with on the comics page. Too bad shes dead and on her way to reincarnation. Theres little question that March designed this to be the way that the story would play out. Initially, the title angle is the most fascinating part of the series...and then her assignment turns out to be really, really cool just as it becomes apparent that theres no turning back...shes definitely going to be dead in two issues or less.

Guillem Marchs Karmen has been so deliciously idiosyncratic. Everything about the world delivers a very specific personality to the panel, from the strange specifics of the afterlife to the gentle curving of straight architectural lines around the edges of the action. Its all so very, very beautiful, delivering a mood to the comics page that is rarely attempted and almost never accomplished. March has done precisely one hell of a job with Karmen.  

Wagner and Dabbs conjure a brilliantly expressive first issue with some primal bits of characterization in a mystery that is carefully and painstakingly bound to the page. It may lack the kind of heavy text and rendering that so often accompanies a first issue, but Klik Klik Boom delivers more actual story in a single issue than many titles manage in three. Its a very promising start for Wagner and Dabbs.

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.

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.

Kibblesmith and Bazaldua have established an appealingly firm foundation for Loki-as-protagonist in the first couple of issues of his series. A man who is lost and trying to find himself through weird, casually fantastic adventures is a fun guy to hang out with once a month.

Now that the initial premise is delivered, the challenge will lie in keeping everything interesting. The progression through the first three stories of the series is enjoyable enough. King has given the series an intriguing momentum, but it will be difficult to keep it engaging with Joan fully aware of whats going on. She doesnt know WHY its going on, though...which will likely be the mystery moving forward. The success of the series is going to rely on what King does with the central mystery of the premise.

The journey into self-awareness that Joan has been going through over the course of the series has been pretty intense. Theres some profound level of darkness going on in Tom Kings 1963 that reflects deeper concerns in the heart of the American home in that era. Its a fascinating, provocative look at the human psyche that holds great promise in possibly exploring things of equal depth from other eras through Joans fractured psyche. In the long run, the series repetition COULD damage it, but it still feels like an impressive accomplishment eight issues-in.

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.

So...the series is already 1/3 over. It's a bit difficult to accept this, given how good the opening issue is. Clarke, Bennett, and company have done such a good job of putting together a genuinely engaging fusion between satire, emotional drama, and traditional superhero story that it seems a bit tragic that it's only going to be around for a couple more months.

Cain and company have been sculpting a stunningly distinct, little narrative in Man-Eaters that feels quite unlike anything else on the comics rack. The unique blend of narrative, sequential art, and graphic design find an engrossing pacing in the second issue of the second series. The mysteries of the world of Man-Eaters get a boost of life in the second issue of The Cursed. If Cain, Mitternique, and company can continue work of this quality, Maude could wind up being one of the more cunningly mysterious heroines to ever appear in comics.

Once again, Cain and Mitternique develop a new, non-traditional narrative piece for an issue of Man-Eaters that wouldnt feel quite at home in any other format. Its silly and strange in places, but the third issue of the new series is breathtaking in the range and scope of moods and emotions that its able to conjure.

As it has a nontraditional mode of delivering quirky humor in narrative, Man-Eaters was going to take a while to develop a narrative rhythm. Now in is sixth issue, the series quirky narrative pattern has emerged. Its enchantingly charming stuff which feels like its breathing fresh new life into an art form thats been around for the better part of a century.

Cain and Niemczyk continue to bring something genuinely compelling to comics with a breath of fresh air to the medium. Their unique framing and pacing of a mystery story open endless possibilities for the nearly 100-year-old comic book medium that make it feel new again. As the series progresses, the long-running issues of plot development in an unfolding mystery will eventually emerge, but for now, its fun to watch Cain, Niemczyk and company play with an inventively novel idea in such a whimsically deft way.

Theres a lot going on in the eighth issue of ManEaters. In addition to developing the world of the series, its a brilliantly non-traditional, little one-shot that tells the story of a couple of characters. Jennifer and Mandy serve as character archetypes in the games. At issues end, a pair of articles tell the stories of the characters behind these archetypes. The vastly different outcomes of two girls looking to rebel serves to increase the tension of the middle school girl at the center of the series. Now that a little bit more about the world in which the characters live, the danger shes falling into is given that much more depth.

Cain and company continue to push the medium in a direction far more novel than anything else in comics today. With the plot arc playing out the way it is, theres clearly some kind of revolution coming. Itll be interesting to see if the series can maintain its edge if that happens. So much of ManEaters appeal lies in the power of the matriarchal dystopia. When its openly challenged, the power dynamic in the series is going to force the series in a different direction. I think fans of the series are in good hands. Cain and company havent given any indication of the series being anything other than deeply entertaining.  

Redondos level of detail is its own character in this issue. One gets the impression that he knows the history of every building and street corner in Bldhaven. Grayson has a Funko Pop of Robin on his shelf. Hes got a Batman bookend and an array of Nightwing masks as decoration. Its SO fun to look around the edges of any panel and see the personality of Bldhaven through the eyes of Redondo. There are scars visible all over Graysons shirtless torso. Theres so much story in every panel. Its one of those rare issues that feels like its fundamentally integrated with the whole of the continuity in every little, tiny detail.

Poison Ivy has had quite a few moments to shine over the years, but in Wilson's hands, its different. Wilson's walk with Ivy makes it seem kind of strange that she hasn't been more of a prominent character in her own long-running series. Ivy is incredibly appealing in the opening of something that feels like it could be remarkably special. 

This really just needs to keep going. Seriously. This is SUCH a cool road trip with a beautiful and gorgeously conflicted monster hero. Idaho is pretty far west, but I mean...she could head south and get in a little bit of sightseeing and infection along the Rockies. Maybe cruise through Southern California. Stroll through Gateway City and spend some time spreading spores in wine country on her way up to Seattle. I mean...she could do that, right? (I totally think she could do that.) This is too fun to end as quickly as its going to. 

Anti-heroes are very difficult creatures to bring to the page in a way that shows their true complexity. Poison Ivy works within the mold of an anti-hero story with the kind of depth that is rarely found in more straightforward heroic comics. Once again, Wilson, Takara, and Prianto deliver a brilliantly expressive story. Its one of the best things currently running on the comics rack for so many reasons. 

Poison Ivy started out as a rather weak villain that was occasionally interesting in the past, but Wilson is taking the character in a direction that solidly establishes her as one of the most complicated and compelling characters in all of mainstream comics. A political and intellectually rendered anti-hero who is actively interested in saving the ecosystem? Very cool stuff.

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.

Publicist Mindi Meyer was such a fascinating character when Perez debuted her in the 80s. She died in one of the more complex storylines in mainstream comics of the Copper Age of comics. Anyone who would try to bring her back would have to do so sharply and stylishly. Doran has accomplished that fairly brilliantly here in what stands as one of the better one-shot Wonder Woman stories of the past year. A simple premise animates the center of a story populated around the edges with very, very serious tragedy. A story of the modern media that so sharply captures its many, many flaws. 

Moon was wearing a COVID-appropriate face mask long before it was cool to do so. The fact that just about every woman her age seen out and about is wearing a similar mask amps up the character's relatability in her new series. The expressiveness of the eyes and Moon's sharp sense of humor carry one of the funnier excursions into the Marvel Universe so far this year. With so many web-slingers swinging around Marvel Manhattan, it's nice to know that there's still life in a wall-crawling superhero sub-sub-genre that's been around for nearly 60 years now.  

 Okay. Sounds like fun. After an issue like this, Pachecos audience might follow her just about anywhere.

This crossover does the sort of thing that crossovers might have been intended to do when the Marvel Universe was created back in the 1960s. The sudden appearance of Carol Danvers not only adds to the appeal of Jessica, but it also makes Danvers seem that much more interesting to anyone who might not be reading Captain Marvel right now. It would be fun to see Pacheco and Prez work together on a Spider-Woman/Captain Marvel series, but it would be just as fun to see what the two of them could do with a run on Captain Marvel. 

The cover states that this issue is a great jumping-on point! The cover is not wrong. Pacheco has put together the issue like a fun, little date with a woman who is finally back on her feet. Aspects of her life are clearly rendered in a very appealing way the mixes action with drama and comedy almost perfectly. Pacheco and Prez have proven to be a really good team in the series thus far. This issue gives the artist and writer a chance to connect with the character outside of the heavy machinery of a long-running plot arc. Its fun.

Pacheco and Prez are doing some of the most clever superhero work on the comics rack right now. The sophisticated blending of drama, comedy, and superhero action is firmly rooted in the Marvel Universe in a way that makes everything feel that much more integrated. The whole ensemble of characters that Pacheco is working with is fun. In its fifteenth issue, the current series of Spider-Woman feels like its working on every level. 

Two issues in, and Nocenti seems to be making a strong case for an ongoing series....whether she wants to or not. Storm is one of the more fascinating characters in the X-Men, and Nocenti is carefully adding to the background of Ororo in an era just before Storms powerful and magnetic Lifedeath solo issues of The Uncanny X-Men. X-Men writer Chris Claremont did such a good job of juggling a massive ensemble for that series. Its nice to see a bit of a close-up on a single character from that era. Nocentis chosen the perfect character for that close-up. 

The journey of Supergirl and her companion has already been so many different places. Its difficult to imagine whats going to happen in the second half of the mini-series as the journey thus far. Kings pacing has been impressively well-thought-out to this point. A slow and steady journey to find the killers turns a major corner next issue. Itll be interesting to see how Supergirl handles the brigands who are as close as the next major planet at issues end.

Prince and Simmonds have put something together that has a kind of purity rarely granted to an end of any kind on the comics page. There have been a lot of ends of the world in a lot of different comics, but theyve always been marred by the trivialities that come from ongoing series or the restless introduction of every new beginning. Prince and Simmonds open their series on the end with a simple, open embrace of the end of the world. Its kinda cool.

The two features couldnt possibly look much different. The contrast between the two of them makes Tales of Syzspense one of the more unique-looking books to come out so far this year. Both of them seem to have been pulled out of some weird, dreamy, retro corner from a Silver Age that never really existed. Its fascinating stuff.

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.

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. 

The premise for The Department of Truth is so simple in its cleverness. The possibilities for fiction in a world of conspiracy at the heart of reality are endless. Tynion's idea is very appealing, but he's going to need an artist with Simmonds' exact aesthetic to bring it to the page in style as the series progresses. There are few other artists working today who could competently bring a drama like this to the page.

The first couple of establishing issues were a nice introduction into the world of The Department of Truth. With that firmly in place, Tynion IV and Simmonds can start to explore how different specific events involving conspiracy theories relate to this world. This issue shows a willingness to get into the deeper emotional aspects of how and why people believe what they do. Its remarkably compelling stuff.

The Gimmick is kind of easy to overlook at first glance. On the surface, its a silly little wrestling comedy. The intricate relations between all of the characters in the ensemble are deeply engaging. As are the weird angles at which the characters meet. The fact that Shane is now in the company of the daughter of his recent inadvertent victim is...darkly comic and emotionally engaging at the same time. Starer has a gift for finding the right situations to amplify comedy and drama at the same time.

Laila Starr is the main character here, but its really he who will invent immortality, who is the center of the story. Theres a nice sense of duality between story and art and death and the man who will make it obsolete. Laila has lost much of the direction she seemed to have in the first couple of issues. Itll be interesting to see what kind of momentum V and Andrade can summon for her in the last couple of installments of the series.

Sword and sorcery fantasy has such a distinct look. Its one of the easiest genres to bring to the page. Send a few heroes on a quest and give them some monsters. Let them have fun. Its a format thats literally been around since the dawn of storytelling. Its also one of the most difficult things to do well. Its a tiny, little indie comic book, but The Mighty Barbarians manages to nail the spirit of fun and action in an impressively satisfying adventure.

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.

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.

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. 

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.

And so a private detective is thrown into the kind of weirdness that has become the hallmark of various different incarnations of the Marvel Universe. The clever bit about the weirdness is that Simone never lets Jessica Jones stop being Jessica Jones, even when the weird sets in. Run into a perfect copy of herself in her own apartment? Doesnt matter if it IS her, shes going to beat the hell out of herself for trespassing on her own home. Simone has a brilliant grasp of Jess. This is going to be fun. 

Three more issues left in the series. Its still pretty confusing as to precisely what is going on. Simone is gazing deeply into the psyche of Jess while Noto is bringing that psyche to the page with a striking clarity of vision. Theres an impressive complexity about it all that also embraces the whole of the Marvel Universe with a tender intimacy. Simone has a deep understanding of what works for Jessica Jones, and shes bringing that understanding to the page. 

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.

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.

The gorgeous visuals of the issue deeply engage with and amplify the weirdness of Culvers script. Superhero teams are notoriously filled with neurotics, psychotics, and general dysfunction. Theyre almost never given the opportunity to get in-panel psychiatric treatment. Its fascinating to watch it happen. As weird as it is, the same overall plot COULD be brought to the page by a different writer, and it would be a completely different story. The same could be said of the art and the coloring. The weird fusion of Culver, Lafuente, and Reber has made for one of the more unique experiences on the mainstream comics rack over the course of the past few months. Its weird to think that the series is over in just three months. It feels like its just getting started. 

Jane Foster had been Thor. Its recently been announced that shes going to get to be the thunder goddess in the next MCU Thor film. Thanks to Aaron and Ewings smart construction in this first issue, she really feels MUCH more at home as Valkyrie than she did as Thor. A Valkyrie in one life is a morgue assistant in another. Its such an amusing contrast between hero and civilian persona. Theres great potential here.

Overall, Aaron and Grnbekk have guided Jane Foster through a compassionate character arc. So often, there is so much going on in the course of the first ten issues of a series that it can be difficult to feel a great deal of inner progress for the protagonist. Aaron and Grnbekk carefully balance action against reflection in a strikingly well-composed opening ten issues. 

The first issue of the new series looks extremely promising. Walker has shown that he can work well with the character in her world while dealing with what could have been a very simple introduction meant to lead the hero into a new adventure. Walker pumps so much wit, charm, and swagger into the first issue. Itll be interesting to see what he does with an issue that actually begins to render some of the series major plot points.

Cunningham and Holzherr have done an excellent job of refraining from any kind of overreach here. The 96 pages of anniversary are one hell of a lot of space to fill. A big anniversary like this often tries to overreach and go for a big, nostalgic look at the winding path that led its hero to this issue. Cunningham and Holzherr keep the project from reaching for anything too big to fit between two covers. The editors bring together tales of Dianas virtues in a way that showcase the distinct brand of heroism that has made her so appealing for over three-quarters of a century.

The new direction maintains a noble sense of mystery about one of the most established characters in all of contemporary pop fiction. She's front and center for the whole issue, but Tamaki doesn't allow the reader into Diana's thoughts. The narration that more or less runs throughout the issue isn't Diana's either. Tamaki renders a very appealing Wonder Woman who seems poised to reveal a more intimate personality in time. For now, she's just the beautiful woman with all the swords and vases and decorative Ionic columns who lives down the hall. 

Drama, action, and detail swiftly glide from opening to closing covers of a very well-executed issue. It's pretty rare for a reader to get such an immersive and organic single-issue date-with-a-superhero that hits quite as many levels as Wonder Woman #760. It's almost disappointingly difficult to find fault with the issue. Tamaki, Janin, and Bellaire make a genuinely balanced chapter of superhero-ing seem upsettingly easy to manage. Why aren't more superhero comics done this well?

Cloonan and Conrad have found an appealing rhythm for Wonder Woman that embraces the strength, heart, and confidence that make her such a fun character. The supporting cast is peppered with more than enough personality to keep everything appealing around the edges, and even the hero-being-used-as-a-villain trope feels novel and interesting. The back-up lead-in to the big Trial of the Amazons crossover is starting to pick up some interesting rhythm as well.

Novembers issue of Wonder Woman has some action but also a tremendous amount of space to allow for casual moments of conversation. Both creative teams have done an excellent job of keeping everything moving with plenty of time to reflect on where things have been. This is a balance that can be maddeningly difficult to achieve for long-running series. Once again, Wonder Woman shows a mature level-headed sophistication that works on many levels.

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 took quite some time for this volume to make it to the comics rack. It was well worth the wait. The next issue wont make an appearance until the other side of winter. If that second volume looks and reads anything like the first, Spring of 2022 couldnt come soon enough.

DeConnicks re-imagining of the origin of the Amazons continues to refine a story that echoes back over 80 years to Marston and Peters original tale. Every time the story gets told again, its a bit different. This time around, it feels much more firmly rooted in ancient Greek mythology legends than it ever has before. (The issue even opens with prayers to the seven goddesses.) There is a powerful gravity to this history that echoes through the second volume in the series. 

A wide-reaching series that has already had adventures on Coney Island and one of the tallest mountains on earth now finds its way to Gorilla City in Africa in a compelling alien invasion story. In three brief issues that have been shot out onto the internet over the course of the past month, Conner and Palmiotti have given Wonder Woman in a fun new direction.

When she was introduced nearly 80 years ago, Etta Candy was often featured as a courageous girl who Wonder Woman would call-in to help her out somewhere around the end of an adventure. This issue respectfully turns the tables as Wonder Woman is the peripheral action aid to Etta's central experience. It's an enjoyable turnabout that delicately plays with cloak and dagger action tropes while giving the genre all the respect that it is due. 

Agent of Peace has been an exciting opportunity to see Diana from a variety of different angles from many different writers and artists. Still, an issue like this makes a very, very strong case for Palmiotti and Conner being given the reigns of a full-fledged Wonder Woman series. They have a solid understanding of what has made the character so very, very appealing for well over 75 years.

As open as things are becoming, mainstream pop fiction still hasnt found a whole lot of ground for exploration of matters like gender identity. An issue like Agents of Peace #16 remains a relative rarity to superhero fiction. Its far from the first time this sort of thing has been featured on the comics page, but its still rare enough to be emotionally engaging. As envisioned by the first people to chronicle her exploits back in the early 1940s, Wonder Woman has always worked best when balancing action and aggression with empathy and understanding. Shes the perfect character to explore human conflict few other superheroes could.

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. 

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.

Lovecraft was prolific. Messina has a huge playground to move around in for a series with his work as a foundation. Three women dont know each other, and theyre all descendants of the same guy...AND they all have great cats that (evidently) only they can see as spirit guides. Its such an appealing contemporary horror fantasy. Messina and company really have something here, and it feels so cleverly formed even in the first panel.

One gets the impression that Messina is only barely scratching the surface of what could theoretically be a very long-running series. Messina is working with such a small canvas in an issue that largely concerns itself with what appears to be the first half of a combat conflict that starts off in a comic shop. There are so many possibilities that come in a pop fusion of Lovecraft and contemporary horror action with clean lines and sharp colors. With any luck, Messina can keep it up for a while longer. This is fun stuff.

This is an accomplished celebration of an 80-year-old character who still has a great deal of potential slinking around the edges of every panel. Chen and Mearas arguably do a better job with this particular 100-page anniversary issue than a similar team attempted with Wonder Womans 750th issue. Catwoman is seen from a variety of different compelling angles that all cast the thief in a way that maximizes her mystery and appeal. Given how much ground is covered here, its actually kind of surprising that the volume is only 100 pages long. This collection feels big enough to be a year in the life of Selena Kyle.

Theres very little here that is inherently original. Superheroes have always had to deal with juggling romance and duty. Theyve always had to deal with maintaining a secret identity and giant monsters and things. Liefen and Keng handle the standard superhero tropes with a class and poise that makes it all feel new. It will be interesting to see what distinctive style the creative team will add to the Iron Man crossover coming next issue. 

The opening of Aero's first major crossover continues to show the unique mix of superhero tropes that make Aero its unique voice. The blending of golden-aged heroism with silver-aged plot construction and a slow and steady pacing contrast boldly against the quick clustering of action that typically shoots through a standard superhero comic. With the tenth issue's connection to the main Marvel Universe, Aero begins to feel a bit more like a part of a larger tapestry. 

Liefen and Keng have worked through whole issues weighted so heavily in one part of Aeros life or the other. Its nice to see an issue that spends a little bit of time in a few different corners of Aeros life. Aeros first big crossover comes to a close in an issue that conjures a tastefully shifted look at a traditional superhero story. Hero. Student. Professional. Its all so familiar and all so fresh and new at the same time.

This is the opening of a 32-page epic thatll play out over the course of five months. Anything as huge and overwhelming as that is bound to have some flaws here and there. This opening issue sets a pretty high bar for the rest of the event. If most of the rest of The Age of X-Man can live-up to the quality of this issue, it should be one hell of a journey.

A solidly entertaining issue for the second month in a row lends Next Gen the distinction of being one of the better (and possibly the best) of the Age of X-Man mini-series. Exciting characters are going through exciting things.  The danger is right around the corner from everybody, and there isnt a character in this issue which isnt in over his or her head in ways that arent totally apparent to them just yet. Hopefully, Brisson and To can maintain this quality through the end of the series.

The first issue ended with a note. The second issue ends with something much more devastating. The mystery ramps-up pretty heavily in this issue. Theres a steady increase in intensity over the course of the issue that gets kind of crazy at the end. Its a fun trip, but itll be interesting to see if Ayala and company are able to maintain the kind of tight, clean rhythm for the remainder of the mini-series.

Its a smart issue. Ayala and Peralta manage to keep Bishops presence at the center of the book even though he doesnt physically appear in the comic book until the penultimate page. Hes only seen for two whole panels, but the reader sees everything through his conceptual perspective. Its a very deft narrative construction. Quite an accomplishment.

With only a couple of issues left to go in the mini-series, McGuire and company appear to be right on track to really get this series going right before it has to end. With the sheer number of titles that comprise the Age of X-Man mega-event, it was bound to happen that one of them might end up frustratingly reaching its most satisfying moments uncomfortably close to the end of the event. For now, its okay, though. The Amazing Nightcrawlers third issue is one of the few genuinely good issues in the Age of X-Man thus far.

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.

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. 

There are eight characters. And then theres one major villain. Its a big ensemble for a story with no introduction that drops right in the middle of the climax. Its all juggled with great finesse by the entire team. The fact that the story involves quantum teleportation is a pretty cool thematic synchronicity. The next issue finds a similar group of Avengers who have been captured by mega-villain Doctor Doom. Somehow Doom has gotten ahold of Captain Americas shield on the cover. That cant be good.

Landy is beginning to develop a larger plot around the edges of the series thats playing with the format. Specific memories of how they came to be where they are...simply arent there for everyone. Its a clever way to draw the overarching plot into the form of a series that launches readers and characters alike directly into the middle of the action. It may have an awful title, but two issues in, All-Out Avengers is beginning to look like something special. 

Its difficult to tell how long Landy could keep the current format going before it starts to feel boring and repetitive. The action sequences playing out in the first three issues of the series maintain great momentum and gain a great deal of momentum simply by staging compelling action sequences. The plot that Landy has tying them all together is just extra. 

The final twist is the big set-up for the next mini-series. Given the villain involved in the next series, its difficult to imagine it being nearly as much fun as All-Out Avengers has been. The villain in question has been kind of a problem ever since he debuted back in 1984. With the right direction, it could really turn into something. Landys done a good job with this series. Hopefully, he can do something similar with the next one. 

Williams and Gomez are playing with a really unique series that might have a charming opportunity for success in the current era. With entertainment news traveling as quickly as it does, the average movie fan knows a lot more about filmmaking now than ever before. Superhero films are some of the most successful movies there are. A comic book about a super-villain movie inside the Marvel Universe just might be interesting enough to gather readers as the story gains momentum.

The series has spent nearly its entire first half year trying to find the right rhythm. A nearly issue-length talk show is rarely attempted. There WAS that oddly memorable time back in 1984 when the Avengers appeared on Late Night with David Letterman for almost the full-length of issue #239, but it wasnt handled nearly as cleverly as it is here. Leah Williams shows a considerable talent for constructing a solidly entertaining story in an issue that is smartly rendered for the page.

Peters bruised and beaten. He wasnt expecting whats happened, and hes going to have a hell of a time rolling into his next issue, but this one continues a time-honored tradition of keeping Spidey spinning through the danger without allowing him much of a chance to rest. It would be exhausting if it werent for someone like Wells handling it as well as he does and someone like Romita Jr. bringing it to the page with such a breadth of style. Things arent going to get any easier for Spidey next month but then...when have they ever been easy for him?

Honestly, the sudden turn towards a somewhat cliche murder-mystery with a large ensemble was kind of a surprise. The classic Agatha Christie sort of feel to the issue would be tedious were it not...yknow...Spider-Man and a whole bunch of classic Spidey villains as the ensemble in question. Dodsons visual wit matches Kellys sense of humor almost perfectly beat-for-beat. The pair makes a really good team for a pleasant little excursion from the work that Zeb Wells and John Romita Jr. have been rolling through lately.

Peter Parker casually runs into issues with half of the Fantastic Four and Captain America. Theres a sense of desperation as Parker rushes to try to do what he needs to do. Wells and company put together a remarkably sharp issue that doesnt require a whole lot of familiarity with Spideys recent past. A general familiarity with the Marvel Universe is all thats absolutely necessary. Issue #23 is a perfect example of how a long-running series can keep going indefinitely: keep established readers entertained while steering clear of the kind of muddled plot that would be boring to new readers.

The begins with the ending of Wilmas first day in school and ends early on in the afternoon of her second day. The first day she met with the outcasts. The second day she meets with the popular girl. Theres a very steady balance being executed in the first couple of issues of the series that will be fun to follow so long as Panosian and Ignazzi maintain the same moody, dramatic pacing that theyve established in the first couple of issues.

Burnetts big accomplishment with the series thus far has been the ease with which hes given everyone very simple and instantly recognizable motivation for their actions. Arcade Kings isnt a world of simplistic notions of good and evil. So often, this type of story uses that dichotomy as a crutch to launch the action. Burnett is telling a simple action story without resorting to good and evil. Very cool. 

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. 

Given the slow, refreshingly relaxed pace of the comic book, Giffen and Roman are establishing something that could continue for years without ever feeling anywhere near as tired or fatigued as Sawyer is throughout this issue. Theres a vivid freshness about the whole thing even though the hipster funny animal genre has been more or less dead for decades. The cast of characters feels immense. Theres so much that can happen on a tiny, little property with so many strange rabbits.

Giffen and Roman end the issue on quite a little cliffhanger. They do so in a way that is suitably stagnant for a series which has become so defined by idle moments in the lives of those living in impending doom of losing their homes and ultimately their lives. Once again, Giffen and Roman brilliantly develop a very unique blend of satire and serious drama.

Theres a lot going on here beyond the surface. Its difficult not to see a deeply flawed contemporary society reflected in the strange collection of psychologically challenged bunnies living on a rural farm that has been targeted for demolition. On some level, were all Sawyer trying desperately to save our homes from the utter destruction of sinister forces. Were all dealing with the dysfunctional dynamic of so many others who are far too wrapped up in their own infinite gallery of psychoses to be able to tackle the challenges of continued survival. Its just a funny animal comedy, but theres a very deep allegory going on here. Hopefully Giffen and Roman will be able to continue their exploration with the rabbits for a long time to come.

The pairing of Aaron and Marquez has achieved pleasant alchemy with this issue. The Avengers have tried to go in the direction of the demonic and supernatural in the past without quite managing anything anywhere near as impressive as theyve accomplished on a more cosmic level, but with Aaron and Marquez crafting the story, they fit right into the action horror superheroing. If they can string together a few more issues like this, the Avengers might finally have a satisfying brush with the supernatural.

Blade is hanging out with a mini-Man-Thing. Jen literally blows-up. Blade performs a decapitation and Captain Marvel shoots a blast right through the head of a vampire. There's witty dialogue and brisk pacing. Its a fun conclusion to the story for Aaron and Marquez. Next month, Ed McGuinness takes over the art as the War of the Realms crossover event. Aaron has an opportunity to take the team in new directions as the Squadron Supreme re-enters the picture once more like the United States latest superhero team.  

So much of what Aaron has been doing with his end of War of the Realms in the Avengers seems to have been a process of testing various characters for future projects. The Squadron Supreme issue felt a bit off, but this issue and the one before it (featuring Gorilla-Man) show a willingness to further explore aspects of the Marvel Universe that have faded out of the center of the frame in recent months. This closer look at She-Hulk turns out to have been one of the best issues in the whole War of the Realms event thus far. 

Even with the knowledge gained from the Unnamable, Barbarella still has quite a lot to deal with. Theres still the threat of the Architects on the horizon. Thanks to her adventure in the third issue of the series, shes got a better idea of how shes going to handle the fourth. Shes learned something, and she didnt have to resort to any kind of negative energy to gain that knowledge. 

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.

Though the issue fits into a more massive crossover event, Scott and Casagrande put together a story that stands quite well on its own. There are more profound implications of the overall psyche of Barbara Gordon that carry plot lines from previous issues, thus making this a chapter in the life of a crime fighter that works well both on its own AND as a part of a long-running saga.

The latest issue of Batgirl is the opening of a three-part story Scott is calling Terrible. The three-part story is off to an engaging beginning featuring a compelling combination of decent writing, decent art and a very precisely-balanced amount of stylish weirdness. The quality of Babs adventures appears to be looking up for the next couple of issues.

Its pretty rare when one creative team can take over for another this smoothly. Writer Mairghread Scott had done such a good job with her run aided as she was by artist Paul Pelletier. They had a very satisfying end to their run last issue. Castellucci and Di Giandomenico take over this issue and take over without the usual sort of awkward disappointment and stiff acclimation that has to occur with a new art team. Castellucci and Di Giandomenico  have hit the page ready to go right away on the first panel.

Castellucci and Carmine Di Giandomenico are dragging Batgirl through some really, really rough times to show relentless heroism. With any luck, the teams tenure with the character will last long enough to see her rise triumphant out of the disheveled mess of her life in the first couple of issues of their time with her. So far this has been a thoroughly engrossing walk with Barbara Gordon.

As closely as Batgirl is focussed-on with the new creative team, theres so much churning around in the narrative background that shes not given the moments to breathe. That would make for a really intimate 20 pages with her. This lends some power to a character who is so lost in trying to help other people that she doesnt time for herself. A lot is going on in her life. The new creative team is doing a remarkable job of bringing Barbaras life to the page.

Castellucci's time with Batgirl is only a few issues old, but already it's feeling like the writer has a very profound understanding of what makes the hero unique. The fusion between art and story is also very well-articulated. This is a fairly basic hero-villain interaction that echoes a story template that goes back to the dawn of the superhero. Castellucci and Di Giandomenico give the story enough distinct personality to make it feel new and refreshing in spite of this. With any luck, the two can continue on with the series for a long time to come. It'll be interesting to see where they can go with Babs.

Batgirl has liberated herself from the relentless discipline shes come to expect from herself. The change in her personality came about out of necessity. From here, her story could potentially cascade into several different directions now that shes free and clear of the year of the Villain crossover event. As good as Batgirl has looked throughout much of 2019, Castellucci and DiGiandomenico certainly seem to be casting her in a direction that appears to be a substantial improvement over last year. 

The act of thrusting a gritty, earthbound hero into a fantasy world is often used as a form of distance from the heavier aspects of the characters life. Here Castellucci is using the fantasy world to explore the deeper elements of Barbaras life into a fantasy world. It makes her inner struggle that much more visually appealing. 

A Batgirl tie-in to the Joker War tie-in could have been really tedious if it hadnt been handled correctly. The relationship between Batman and the Joker has been garishly over-rendered over the years. Batgirl could have been a pale reflection of that. An issue that pulls everything into a tight close-up in a run-down, little Gotham City apartment, transcends the crossover to become something far deeper and more satisfying than anything else in the Joker War crossover thus far. Anything else in the series is going to have a hell of a time topping the elegant minimalist appeal of this issues conflict.

Due out the week of Halloween, the next issue is the final issue of this series's run. It's arduous to imagine Castellucci ending on a more impressive note than the one she nails in this issue. The plot might merely be playing about with themes that have been explored in the superhero genre for decades. Still, Castellucci does a brilliant job of bringing it together in a powerful finale to a two-part series. 

The subtle overlay of tiny elements of interaction between the three leads is cleverly placed over a larger story with its own emotional resonance. As the series settles into its third issue, the series has really found an enjoyable rhythm between action, drama, and something more. As sad as it is to see Babs out of the mask again, the new team feels like a perfect fit for her that should work quite well for a hopefully long run in the future.

With clever bits of personality emerging from very appealing characters in a very immersive and gritty world, Cloonan, Conrad, Corona, and Stern are developing something very endearing. Its a version of Gotham City that seems to have found its own voice just a few issues into the series.

In the first six issues of the series, Cloonan and Conrad have firmly established a fresh perspective on Bat-based heroism that should have a nice, long run. Cloonan, Conrad, and Corona make for a really good team that makes a firm and appealing impression on Gotham City. Its been fun so far. If Cloonan, Conrad, and company can continue to allow the team to evolve in their own corner of Gotham, Batgirls has a good future.

In addition to delivering an appealingly fresh, new take on the Gotham bat crime-fighting trope, Cloonan, Conrad, and Corona Are developing an interesting new take on the nature of a rogues' gallery. The team has its own little corner of Gotham City to work with. It's a provocative microcosm with a lot of exciting potential that could filter around the central action's edges. The extended three-woman crime-fighting team is a very appealing mutation of the traditional Batman concept. It will be interesting to see where it goes in the coming months.

The second major plot arc of the series completes with another hugely satisfying conclusion. Theres a great sense of momentum being built and a genuine feeling of character development in and amidst the team as the series reaches the end of the second third of its first year. The clever swashbuckling mixes with the dark damage of one Batgirl and the cheerier humor of another (who happens to serve as series narrator.) Its a hugely appealing dynamic that Conrad and Cloonan have developed for a delightful action series. 

Nine issues in and the team finally gets something of an extended breather before barreling straight into the jaws of one of its darkest, most earthbound threats. Once again, Conrad, Cloonan, and company manage to balance an unsettling number of plot elements into a single, cohesive narrative that feels every bit as substantial as anything that any Gotham-based hero has managed in the past. The larger-than-normal bat ensemble adds a sense of community that embraces a much more satisfying bigger picture of Gotham City than what often finds its way into a single issue of ANY series.

The gradual development of ensemble conflict and setting makes Batgirls one of DCs better-balanced books. Conrad and Cloonan have found a compatible artist in Googe, who has a style so similar to the seriess original artist that the visual world of the series doesnt feel at all inconsistent across the first ten issues. It doesnt hurt that the seriess original artist (Jorge Corona) continues to do such a good job with the covers every month.

Cloonan and Conrad have been playing around the edges of the Gotham City milieu. Theres an intricate and nuanced understanding of the psyches of all three members of the team. With the eleventh issue, they dive directly into something far more central to Batman-related storytelling. They do so in a way that maintains the cleverly witty dynamic between Cass, Steph, and Babs. Conrad and Cloonan are expanding Gotham City much more than many of the other attempts that are currently on the comics rack.

The fourteenth issue of the series feels like a perfect point for a silent issue. That being said, its difficult to imagine how its going to fit into the overall rhythm of the series. At first glance, its woven pretty cleverly into the ongoing composition of the story. When it shows up in the eventual trade paperback, it might feel like a bit of a sudden lurch in tone and style between the thirteenth and fifteenth issues. On its own, though, its a lot of fun. Conrad and Cloonan manage something thats almost clever enough in rendering a coherent story that it could serve as a good place for new readers to jump on. The best silent issue kind of needs to be able to do this.

There has been a very clear progression throughout Conrad and Cloonans series that has palpably brought Cass and Steph together. The tension feels as impressively well-rendered as the action. Everything feels quite fluid in a series that has proven itself to be one of the more reliably good titles in mainstream comics over the course of the past year or so. A little more time with all THREE Batgirls would serve the series well, but the relationship between Steph and Cass is deeply satisfying at the center of the book. 

The Batgirls have come a long way since they started. Conrad and Cloonan have taken Steph and Cass through a nice variety of different adventures in the first sixteen issues of the series. Next, the Batgirls leap into Spring in Aparo Park with a couple of completely new villains. Then theres the return of the Saints in May. The first year and a half with Steph and Cass hasnt exactly been flawless, but Batgirls has easily proven itself to be one of the most reliably satisfying comics in the mainstream superhero genre.  

Conrad and Cloonan are clearly setting up for a deeper look into the nature of crime in their new From Hells Heart storyline. The black market arms dealers who serve as this issues minor villains add some depth to the themes that the writers are going to be exploring. Its the sort of thing thats been done countless times before, but Conrad and Cloonan seem to be tackling the theme with an impressive sense of overall composition that should be interesting in the months to come.

Only one issue left. Conrad and Cloonan have accomplished quite a lot in less than two years with the series. Its just too bad it has to end at only 19. The creative team has done an exemplary job of taking a tired, old setting and breathing new life into it for a couple of years. With any luck, there will be a future for the three Batgirls somewhere down the line. As for now--theres one more issue in June.

Ideally, a series thats been as good as Batgirls doesnt have to end. If it DOES have to end, though, it really SHOULD end with an issue like Batgirls #19. The final chapter in the series pays homage to the characters and their struggles while providing a satisfying conclusion to central conflicts and holding open the possibility of more at some point in the future. Its all quite meticulously placed on the page while embracing everything that makes the Batgirls such a fun trio to hang out with every month.

The whole creative team has shown a great deal of progress over the course of its time together with Babs, Steph, and Cass. The annual shows the poise and nuance that come with an ample amount of experience together as a team. Its been fun to watch the team grow together on both sides of the comics. Its not very often that teams match up this well. With any luck, the three characters, the two writers, and the two artists will continue to haunt their own distinctive corner of Gotham for quite some time.

Supergirl and Robin might make a really good team for Worlds Finest. Batman and Superman have had it together for so long that its nice to see a relatively untested pair in the center of the panel. An awkward date between superheroes is a nice outlet for that. As obvious a comic premise as it is, its not one that makes it between the covers all that often. Waid and Lupacchino have nailed a perfect little sitcom in a very fun one-shot story. 

Waid, Mora, and Bonvillain tell a solidly entertaining narrative in another fun issue of a popular series. Its too bad that there isnt a more balanced story being placed on the page. Heroes in peril help out other heroes in peril as AI looks to take over. Theres a lot of action moving around the page.

At its heart, there's nothing more revolutionary than a conflict between super-powered individuals. There's nothing particularly original being presented here, but with a story that delivers the standard superhero/supervillain action so well. It's as entertaining as ever with Jurgens and Leonardi at the top of their games, this is an enjoyable issue nonetheless. With any luck, the new direction hinted at the end of this issue could bring about chapters of this level of quality.

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.

Brisson and company direct the flow of traffic quite well in the course of the issue. The group of crime fighters all come across as being distinct and dynamic in the larger flow of action. No one moment feels too rushed or too heavy-handed, which is particularly impressive given the weird buffet of different personalities laid out between the covers of a very, very busy series of action scenes. 

Wilson and McKelvies Catwoman is easily the single most satisfying entry in the One Bad Day series thus far. Clever and subtle characterization of Selina throughout the issue stands as one of the better treatments of Catwoman to have hit page and panel in recent years. Everything fits together so well from beginning to end. It might be interesting to see what Wilson and McKelvie might do together with a full series like this. Its such an emotionally engaging story. 60+ pages feel nice and cozy, but it would be SO nice to see this team work together again.

Its a more or less seamless extension of the series that was abandoned two decades ago. Madureira and company are picking it up like the last 20 years didnt even happen. Theres an almost heroic level of integrity in that faithfulness to the original series. Its a quick, breezy jaunt from beginning to end. Monika and Garrison return in a thoroughly enjoyable adventure that will hopefully lead to a series that runs much longer than the original one. Madureira and company have firmly resurrected a series that didnt appear to have any chance of ever returning to the comics rack.

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.

Betsys been through a lot. Shes been many different people since she debuted back in the 1980s. Braddocks latest incarnation as Captain Britain has proven to be an appealing one. Howards writing has moved Betsy into a remarkably satisfying place that balances drama with action, mystery, and magic. It really is the perfect mixture for a decent Captain Britain story. Georgievs art fits the overall presence of Howards writing quite well. 

There was a time when Peter Parker could have been said to have been having a midlife crisis. It was back in the mid-1980s (back then, continuity could still be said to reach back to the character's origin in the early 1960s, which would have made him middle-aged at the time.) He just come back from another planet with an alien costume. Spider-Man he was hanging out with Black Cat. As Peter Parker, he was getting into severe emotional territory with Mary Jane. One woman represented one side of his wife. The other represented the other. Ultimately he got married to Mary Jane. MacKay Takes the traditional dynamic between the two of them and pears them beautifully in a really, really breezy action story that's got a little bit of emotional weight to it as well.

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.

Mackay establishes the new ongoing series firmly on the right foot. Theres nothing terribly fresh about the story, but it IS a story well-told with art that delivers style and action to the page.

The series continues a thoroughly enjoyable pounce through its first major plot arc with clever work by MacKay and Foreman on an enjoyable climb around the edges of the familiar. Its a smarty unique look at the Marvel Universe fro the shadows with an appealing character who would appear right at home around the edges of almost any Marvel panel.

A lot is going on here. McKay is working on a story with many moving parts that never comes across as being too busy or cluttered with supporting details. It all feels very deftly paced as Black Cat concludes the first half of the first year of her own title. Its been an exciting journey across the shadows of the Marvel Universe thus far. Where McKay takes the series in the second half of his first year with Felicia shows every sign of being a really, really interesting place once everything has finally settled into place come next summer.

MacKay's time with Felicia reaches a bit of a crescendo here that feels like it might be heading somewhere. The little side elements of Felicia's personal and professional life provide opportunities to take her life in various different directions once this central arc finally plays its way through throughout the next several issues.

The first issue in a two-issue crossover with Logan will continue the next installment. In a chapter that is likely to explode into action. Which is certain to show once again that Logan IS the best he is at what he does. With MacKays appealing approach to Black Cat, it should make for one of the more memorable team-ups of the series.

MacKay and company shoot Felicia through a crazy amount of action this issue in a seamlessly energetic run as the series begins to wrap-up its first year. Once a marginal character, Hardy is beginning to feel like an indispensable part of the Marvel Universe.

The cleanly episodic nature of MacKays first year of Black Cat works well with the long pause for COVID. The overall tension looming in the background of Felicias life seems to have hung around in the shadows. As the character might well have been planning her heist with her accomplices while in lockdown. Many other titles hit the comics rack this month with a sudden jolt of a million, little subplots that shoot out of the page in mid-stride. Its nice to see Black Cat jumping out of the quarantined shadows with something fresh that continues to expand on everything thats happened in the past year without any graceless lurching at plot points. 

The issue ends with a text-based address from Black Cats associate Dr. Korpse. Its a nice wrap-up to the issue that gives it a solid foundation. One of the great challenges with a monthly comic in the modern era lies in maintaining its presence in the mind of the reader between issues. Dr. Korpses letter to the reader at the end of the issue allows the title to steal a nice, little corner of the readers consciousness until late January when Felicia returns again. Its a nice touch.

MacKays adventures with Felicia continue to be some of the best stuff Marvel is contributing to the comics rack. Theres so much potential with a character who delights in flitting from one end of the Marvel Universe to another, occasionally deciding to do something heroic like shes doing in the second issue of her new series. MacKay might not always be able to nail something quite this fun, but itll be interesting to see him try in the future.

Black Cat's big climax also seems to be setting things up for the next major plot arc as certain revelations are made about Black Fox that might be explored in greater detail once the whole mess beneath Manhattan draws to a close. It'll be interesting to see how MacKay and company finesse the transition away from the one central quest that Felicia has been dealing with since she started working with MacKay. The character has a really interesting relationship with the writer. Time will tell if that relationship continues to be fruitful. As it stands, Felicia is one of the more interesting characters in all of Marvel. Hopefully, MacKay can maintain that.

Once again, MacKay has managed a very well-orchestrated chapter in Felicias life that fits perfectly into the larger picture of a series he has been working on for quite some time. His sense of pacing with the overall series has been exquisite. The reader has been offered an opportunity to get to know Felicia quite well throughout MacKays run with her. It will be interesting to see where he goes with her in the issues to come.

Two issues in, and the Infinity Score storyline is proving to be a lot of fun. MacKay has had enough time with Black Cat that hes able to play a little bit with the relationship hes developed with her. There seems to be an areal connection between artist and writer that allows for some really fun energy. Once again, it is becoming very apparent that Black Cat is one of the most appealing characters in the whole of the Marvel Universe, thanks to MacKay. The Spider-Mans girlfriend of the past is solidly in the rearview. Shes her own person, and that person is a hell of a lot of fun to hang out with for 20 minutes per month. 

The first in-issue acknowledgment of the end of the current run of the series comes in the form of a note at the issues end by Felicias accomplice Dr. Boris Korpse. Its a classy, stylish way of formally letting readers know whats coming in Giant-Size Black Cat: Infinity Score in November. Black Cat has had a series end before in the era of MacKay. Hardy and MacKay have had a perfect working relationship. Its sad to see it end.

Black Cat is fun in South Korea, but shes not the only one in the issue. The continuation of the cross-annual Infinite Destinies event continues to lumber its way through the summer in the third installment of a story that doesnt really have anything to do with Black Cat. The Infinity Gems havent really been interesting since Thanos Quest back in the early 1990s, so its nice that the crossover only hits like an afterthought in an otherwise enjoyable annual.

Another series ends. This one is a bit more difficult to take than many of the series endings in the past couple of years. The team assembled for this book was one of the best. Everything was sharply balanced. Felicia slinks off into the darkness, and the Marvel Universe feels just a bit bigger, having been the central focus of the panels for a couple of years.

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.

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 Soska sisters bring on the brutality in a second issue that allows Black Widow to be extremely vicious to low-level villain who clearly deserve it in a surreal amplification of the street-level criminal darkness thats actually lurking out there in the real world. The villains have been revealed in this second issue. Now the Soskas have the rest of the series to navigate Black Widow through them in pursuit of justice for young victims like the one she encounters this issue.

Theres no question that the Soskas have a very definite plot for the series with a clear progression. Theres an end coming. Its undeniable. Too bad it cant keep going after the end of this story.  The Soskas have a very sophisticated grasp of what makes Black Widow such an interesting character.

Bolstered by Flavianos art, Jen and Sylvia Soska have sculpted a neat, little corner of the Marvel Universe that would be great fun to dive into again. Just as the story feels like its wrapping up, theres the full realization that the story is ending. Theres a kind of satisfaction in that, but theres a strong desire for more with Jen, Sylvia, Flaviano, and the badass red-headed Russian super-spy. With any luck, the Soskas will return to another mini-series at some point soon.

The disconnect between the first half and the second half of the first issue is potent. There's a real balance between Black Widow and Natasha's lives that makes for an interesting contrast. If Thompson and Casagrande can maintain that balance while keeping the mystery of the composite character solidly present, this could be a strikingly well-composed series. Arcade's addition as a villain could make this a very existentially trippy journey into espionage--particularly if the adventure somehow finds itself into the potentially surreal territory of Murderworld.  

Thompson manages some really sharp moments in a very stylish issue, but there isnt a whole lot of mystery lurking around the edges of everything. Minor subplots can be a bit of a distraction, though. Thompson seems to know how to put exactly enough on the page to keep the story moving.

Adam Hughes adds quite a bit to Issue Seven with a highly kinetic cover. It's a stylish opening to an issue that's cleverly executed throughout. Not only is Thompson rendering a really fun action/suspense story... she's doing so while adding depth to Black Widow that expands cleverly on the story arc that opened the current series. With thoughtful construction opening the current plot arc, the series is in very good hands, moving forward into a summer that will see the character also slink out of the shadows into a very high-profile movie.

The team on Black Widow is remarkably well-modulated. Everyones work on the book seems to sharply support everyone elses work. A team rarely feels this in synch. Once again, Adam Hughes cover artwork serves as an appealing opening to the eighth chapter of what is rapidly asserting itself as one of the most reliably good monthly comics on the rack this year. 

Thompson/De Latorre and Bellaire form an outstanding team. That team is bringing an enjoyable team to page and panel in a dazzlingly composed quartet of heroes who find a relatively unexplored home in San Francisco. The whims of marketing, editorial, and sales have a tendency to tangle things up over time, but for the time being, Black Widow has definitely found a state of grace that seems to be working. Its fun. Its stylish. And with any luck, itll maintain its footing for at least another year or so.

Casagrande bows out of the next issue of the series. Guest Artist Rafael Pimentel takes over the visuals in a story with a new character out of Natashas past that should lend interesting friction to Natashas attempt to start fresh in a new city. Thompson continues to guide Natasha in intriguing directions as the series enters its second year.

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.

The videotape and the glowing screens. Its really, really difficult to translate the low-res feel of surveillance camera-style horror into a comic book format, but the feeling of the darkness and the claustrophobia of it all is lovingly transferred to the page. Sebela, Sherman, and Filardi have something intriguing. Whether or not theres enough depth to go beyond the surface of the panel will remain to be seen, but the first issue of Blink feels like something truly new. And THAT doesnt make it to the comics rack very often.

The action hits the issue in the first couple of pages and doesnt really let up for the entire length of the book. Theres a kind of purity in that. Moraless adjustment to the armor Stark has made for him is a fun addition to a story that features Stark doing something a bit more challenging than he is often called upon to do. Everyone seems to be reaching just a bit further than they normally would, which ends up being a lot of fun.

Its fun to see this sort of noir feel for Kyle and Catwoman. Shes a badass. Not afraid to turn down an offer she cant refuse or climb out of an icy tub and into her costume with a few broken ribs. Theres no fear. There doesnt seem to be any sense of self-preservation either. It will be interesting to see how this plays out in the long run. An unflappably cool character is only cool for so long. Sooner or later shes going to have to have a more emotional reaction. For now, this is actually really cool, though.

Ram V teased his two=parter on Twitter back in May: #14 and #15 see Selina going up against a gallery of villains for control of the city she calls home. Sounds like fun. Gentleman Ghost was fun at the hands of Ram V and Andolfo. Itll be interesting to see what they have in store for Catwoman next issue. In the course of the story, it becomes apparent that a price has been put on her head. Who will step out of the shadows to take down Catwoman? 

Things drift back in the direction of Joelle Jones for the next several issues. And though her style is slick and intriguing, Ram V. and Andolfo will be missed in issues to come. This is Ram V.'s third Catwoman issue this year. It would be really nice to see him return for more fill-ins later on. And if Jones ever decided to leave the book, they'd have a brilliant back-up in Ram V.

Joelle Jones manages to heroically dive into the series once more after a two-month hiatus in writing the comic and absence as an artist that stretches much further back than that. The story feels fresh and interesting even if it consists of old tropes from crime dramas echoing out of every significant medium going back to Dashiell Hammett and beyond. Jones wields the heroic crime drama medium with great finesse.

Catwoman has been sliding through elements of magic in Villa Hermosa thus far. For month events have been leading down a far less earthbound kind of adventure for Selena. The poetry of this latest issue files quite nicely into a dark world of magic that should serve as a very appealing addition to the adventures of Catwoman moving forward into the end of the year and beyond.

Catwomans recent adventures have been amplifying her loner status. With this chapter, shes clearly ready to get back into a more social mood. Her new role as thief guru allows Ram V the opportunity to show Kyle from a distinctly different angle. Between enemies on both sides of the law and allies, she will be trying to train, Ram V has a wide range of different elements to work with in coming issues. 

Fernando Blanco returns as artist next month. For one, brief moment, the art and story of Ram Vs run with Catwoman feels absolutely exquisite. Blanco does an excellent job with the character in his own style, but a glimpse at something as dynamic as issue #32 is bound to give the overall flow of action in the ongoing serial a bit of an awkward bump. 

Next month, Selina tumbles from Villa Hermosa with Jolle Jones to Alleytown with Ram V and into the open arms of Tini Howard, who makes her DC Comics debut with her run on the series. She's out of Alleytown and into the business of stealing from the biggest criminals in the second-largest city in the DC Universe's U.S. It's a new writer. It's a new artist. Hell... it's even a new logo. Catwoman moves on from an intermittently satisfying current arc in January of 2022. 

Howard, Leon, and Bellaire do a brilliant job of opening the current era in Catwomans life. It will be interesting to see the series play out from here. Howard is a seasoned storyteller who knows what shes doing. Leon and Bellaire work remarkably well together...each artist admirably amplifying the work of the other. Its been quite a while since Catwoman reached the level of achievement it has in the 39th issue of the current series.

Howard had mentioned in an interview that she pitched the idea for her run on Catwoman with the opening scene of the previous issue more or less as it appeared on the page. From there, she just had to fill out the rest of it. And though it kind of feels like she might be filling out an equation, shes doing so in a way that feels fresh and interesting.

After all of the cramped clutter of the large ensemble that appeared in Catwoman prior to the appearance of Harley, Tini Howards latest arc with Selina feels a lot like a fast-paced summer vacation. Bengals wide sweeps of action hit the page with Bellaires bright, beautiful colors. The fact that there happens to be a hell of a lot of depth beneath it all is quite impressive given the fact that Howard and company have delivered a story with the pulse and humor of an action-adventure comic.

On an issue-by-issue basis, true multi-title integration is really, really difficult to manage. Either theres some big dozen-issue crossover that derails the momentum of the individual titles without actually doing much, or the elements that crossover are minor curiosities. With the 45th issue of Catwoman, Tini Howard manages a deep integration with nearly every title in the Batman family of comics that makes Gotham City feel remarkably vibrant while also providing a fascinating look into the psyche of the title character. The central plot of the story might not be all that interesting, but Howard makes the title character and her world seem totally captivating. 

Selina may have had a bit of a road trip with Harley in recent months, but she hasnt had a chance to really explore what it is that shes doing. This issue allows shadows from her past to overshadow the page. Issues like #46 allow Catwoman a chance to put everything into perspective before it all gets plunged into danger in the next storyline. Howard has had one of the more satisfying runs with Selina of the past few years. Itll be interesting to see where Tini Howard ushers the story next.

Howard is moving things forward in an interesting way. Its an approach to the character that's both respectful of her past and respectful of her need to go beyond it. Shes been to so many places just in the past year. Howard lends Catwomans personality a kind of stature that seems totally cohesive with everyone shes been over the course of the past five or ten years. That being said, as bewildering as the plot might be to first-time readers, Howard tells a succinct story that feels respectively complete in its own right.

Kyle acts as the leader of a group of apprentice thieves. It's a fun concept. Jones has been placing Kyle out of her comfort zone in exciting ways throughout the series thus far. With this issue, 'she's pushing the character in a direction that feels much more compelling than previous issues in the current series thus far. If Jones can develop more like this in the future, Catwoman could have quite a bit of vitality moving forward.

The seriousness of the drama really hits at the end of the issue. The story ends with the fifth issue. Things have gotten out of control. And yet everything still feels so static and isolated. Its a very nuanced and complicated drama. The physical action is really only there to amplify it in various directions. Buccellato and Monaco have something interesting in the series. Its the type of story that could easily be made as an indie drama or a one-season streaming series. Presenting it in comic book format lends a remarkably vivid quality to it that no other format could do justice to.

Valenza adds a bit of crucial depth and atmosphere around the edges of the action, but Skroce runs everything else with an expert sense of showmanship. Given how completely Skroces art and writing style dominates the series, Clobberin Time really sets itself apart from much of the rest of the mainstream comics rack. If it werent for the fact that Skroce is working with some of the biggest-named characters at Marvel in one of the most recognizable settings in comic books, Clobberin Time would feel a lot like an indie comic.

Without substantial background or backstory, Simpson and Dani are throwing the readers directly into the end of everything with a story set in a world that no longer makes a whole lot of sense. The reflection of life and death is thrown into a deeply enjoyable adventure horror drama. Izzys a fun character. From the first installment, we know that shes not going to be successful unless shes dead. Judging from the opening act, its going to be a hell of a journey to her death.

The horror of the story is clinging together quite well for now, but time will tell if it ultimately builds-up into a satisfying account. The pulse of this issue suggests a kind of narrative decay that might make the story increasingly disjointed. For now, its okay. The third issue is a delicious nightmare. 

Doll isnt actually doing a whole lot this issue. Its a moody journey for her, but theres so much in it that feels so very, very weighty. Watters has sometimes submerged the series in so much poetry that any overall sense of plot feels hopelessly lost, but the final issue of the second plot arc comes across with the striking impact of an aesthetic body-blow. Given the center of the panel, Doll seems like a really compelling character. With any luck, shell be the central character of the next four-issue arc. 

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.

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 brutality of Elektras background is contrasted against the person that shes trying to be as the series opens. The series opens as shes fighting for her very life. Its a compelling beginning, but if the series is to make progress towards something truly refreshing, Elektra is going to have to dive further into the selfless heroism that will truly make her a Daredevil.

It's too bad this is it for Daredevil Elektra. Zdarsky has shown some appealing character development for the Woman Without Fear that feels like a compelling contrast to the blind lawyer from Hell's Kitchen. Elektra was interesting as an assassin in all of her incarnations. Still, Zdarsky makes a compelling case for her as a lone hero in her own book. Three issues are simply not enough. It remains to be seen how things will develop in the remainder of Devil's Reign, but it would be nice to see Elektra under the horns again. 

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.

As with any anthology, DC Pride 2023 has its weaker moments as well. Not everything feels completely in sync with the format of a short-form comic book story, but theres more than enough here to make for an inspiring series of stories told from angles not often found on the pages of a mainstream comic book. The whole thing feels like it was pulled from a parallel dimension that might have had a more inclusive mainstream comic book industry stretching all the way back to the Golden Age. As always--its really nice to see the mainstream embrace a bit more of the full spectrum of human experience.

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 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.

Once again, Higgins and Clark have nailed a very sharp story that manages to resonate even though its telling the type of artists journey that has been delivered to page, stage, and screen countless times before. The distinct package thats being delivered by Higgins and Clark feels quite refreshingly unlike anything else thats currently on the comics rack.

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.

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. 

Seriously: just get rid of Batman in Detective Comics. Gotham City is a lot more interesting. Two-Face. Commissioner Montoya. Jim and Barbara Gordon. Theyre all a lot more interesting than Bruce...and hes got more than enough titles already. Ram V shows great potential for the city to exist on its own without Batman. There certainly is a hell of a lot going on without him. Montoya and Gordon would be more than enough to hold down the title of Detective Comics. Ram V has found a hell of a lot of life inhabiting the corners of Batmans world. It would be nice to see a single title linger there in the corners of the panels for an extended period of time.

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.

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. 

Doctor Strange #18 is a sharp departure from the usual. A standalone house call involving an invading demon is such a deliciously simple concept for a Doctor Strange issue. Surprisingly, a story like this hasnt been tried more often in the long and winding history of the series. Its a great deal of fun.

Its dense, complex fun that has to do with devils and demons and things. Compare the emotional complexity of this with a longer-running series like Spawn, and it feels positively brilliant by comparison. Spawn is also dealing with very direct conflicts between angels and demons, and it isnt anywhere NEAR as engaging as what Priest is bringing to the page in Draculina. 

The script format of a four-part series begins to seem like something that might have fit rather nicely between a couple of episodes of the old Saturday morning series. That means that the first couple of issues would constitute a single episode. The overall feel of the story is true enough to the original series that it is a little weird being fitted around the plot structure of a couple of issues of a contemporary comic book, but it remains a lot of fun to hang out with a few old friends again.

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. 

Ellen and Syd just defeated Gluttony. Next month, its on to Greed. THAT is something thats been echoing around the margins of the series since the first issue. Its going to be one heck of a dragon to try to slay as the stakes get just a little bit higher in a series thats proving to be a lot cooler than the basic premise has any right to be. The third issue was a solid mix of jarring action and deep psychodrama. If Orlando and company can hold onto it, the series could be one of the better debuts for 2023. 

The sisters open the issue in an alley and end it swimming in darkness. Their journey continues. Boothby and Lagac have something that feels effortlessly unique here. This is a great accomplishment as the urban fantasy genre has been tread quite heavily by pop fiction in recent years. Cate and Kate are a lot of fun to hang out with for 30 pages per month.

Having finally arrived at the origin of Cate and Kate, the central pulse of the series is firmly established in the fifth issue of the series. The central mystery of who the characters is a delicate matter in this type of intrigue-based series. Now the backstory is fully rendered the series get on with the business of reaching what will likely be a satisfying conclusion to this story arc.

Boothby and Lagac have a really solid feel for the rhythm and the pacing of the occult action sitcom, but the single-issue format doesnt allow for much substantial development. The first issue to be released in many months is a potent reminder of the series absence throughout the recent past. Its frustrating to have had such a long wait for this issue, but its nice to see Kate and Cate return for the first of what hopefully is another satisfying string of months.

An issue of Exorsisters goes by WAY too fast. The light comedy of the series would make it exceedingly easy to binge. Still, Boothby has a very sharp sense of classic comic book hero characterization about Cate and Kate that they feel much more substantial than the nine issues that they've appeared in thus far. The best characters in comics have a way of lingering between chapters in a way that intensifies their charm in the space between one installment and the next. Boothby's managed that charm with deft heart in nine issues of Exorsisters.

The fusion of genres seems to improve both of them. The nauseating world-building and constant drone of backstory that so dominates the high fantasy genre fades-out in the rigorous structure of the detective murder/mystery. The monotony of the milieu of the down-on-his-luck gumshoe detective is freshened-up by the magical fantasy setting. The greatest weaknesses of both genres seem to fade-out in the fusion. There's brilliance in the single mystery per issue format as well. Readers can jump in at any chapter, which isn't something typically found in the fantasy genre. It's the type of fusion that could find an audience not ordinarily interested in dungeons, dragons or sorcery.

Schirmer and Balboni have only begun to scratch the surface of a very, very exciting, and idiosyncratic fantasy world. Jenner is given a bit more depth in a story that finds her contrasted against legendary barbarian warriors with basic skills far more advanced than her own. Shes dwarfed by legends but still manages to remain the most interesting character in her own book. Jenner is making quite an impression in her first three issues.

Schirmer and Balboni blend genres in a moody comedic mystery that feels quite distinctly unlike anything else available right now. Jenner and her friends fuse well with the monthly comic book format once more. The episodic nature of a monthly comic book is perfectly grafted to yet another fun excursion into another world.

Things have gone very, very badly for Jenner in this issue. The dive into the darkness this issue shows a willingness to vary the mood and tone. To show a real progression in Jenners long-range character development that could be quite dynamic over time. The challenge here might be keeping things fresh over the very, very long-haul as so much seems to be happening for the young Fairlady in such a brief time. The series appears to be rounding-out the first half of its first (of hopefully many) years very dynamically. 

The issue is appended with some of the women involved in the book. Its an appealing package that would work exceedingly well as an ongoing series. The Marvel Universe is populated by fascinating women who would be all kinds of fun in little bite-sized narratives placed together in a single issue like this.

As with the previous issue, Fearless #2  ends with Q&A with some of the women involved in making the comic book. The Q&A at the end of the book was particularly effective for The Unstoppable Wasp. It's a nice way to round-out an issue of this series as well. The behind-the-scenes stuff helps tie-in some of what's being presented in comic book format with a bit of a social discussion at issue's end. It's too bad that Fearless has been designed as a mini-series. Popular in a bygone era, the multi-story anthology comic book still has great appeal in an issue that is over WAY too soon. 'There's no reason why this 'can't be an ongoing series is there?

The final issue of Fearless wraps-up what really should be the first in several such series. Theres a lot of great female talent drawn-into working with Marvel. Fearless has been an excellent opportunity to get a concentrated look at all the women working with the company. And some of the characters who might otherwise get overlooked. Sadly, anthology series just dont sell as well as they had in earlier eras, and this sort of thing is likely to exist as a bit of trivia in the long and winding history of a company that has come to dominate the pop-cultural landscape. 

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. 

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.

While this sort of thing HAS been tried before over the years, Chos approach to it is refreshingly simple. The dystopian future world in which it is set gradually bleeds in around the corners of the page. The clean lines, bright colors, and fast pace of the comic make it feel almost iconic right out of the gate in the series first issue. The test here for Cho is going to lie in keeping the remaining three challenges in four chapters of the series from being repetitious. Hes established a pretty tight format. If he veers too far from that format, it loses some of its purity. If he sticks too closely to it, it could get stale by the end of the second issue. 

A second challenge is completed in the second issue. The basic format appears to be one challenge per issue with a big finale in which the implications of the intrigue come to the fore. Its a fun idea for a series that still has a chance of delivering the unexpected. A format that feels as simple and regimented as Fight Girls has plenty of room for sudden changes to come out of nowhere because the basic narrative rules that Cho has set up seem so totally rigid and inflexible. Itll be interesting to see what Cho does with this as the series reaches its midway point next month.

As the series progresses, its apparent that. Cho is lining things up for an essentially political cloak-and-dagger wrap-up in the fifth issue. The pacing has been maintained in a way thats come really, really close to being repetitious, but Cho has done a really, really good job of keeping it interesting throughout. So much of the appeal in the series has proven to be the repetition. Rarely has a sport-like series worked this well while keeping so close to the game-by-game nature of an athletic competition motif.

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.

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. 

With so many characters to be juggled in and amidst the central conflict, its some kind of miracle that Adams and company manage to keep it all together in a way that feels at all coherent, let alone...fun. The multi-generational Flash team is unlikely to continue working together forever, but Adams and company make it all so enjoyable that its difficult to imagine the current incarnation of the hero working any other way. Its just too much fun like this.

Given Adamss treatment of the ensemble, its not hard to imagine the current Flash series splitting off into a couple of different titles that would have a chance to focus on a couple of different Flashes. It wouldnt be the strangest thing thats ever happened. Adamss writing certainly HAS found the right appeal for just about every character in the ensemble. Adams, Dias, and Guerrero are developing an entertaining dynamic for every hero in the book. The villains scarcely have any time to make much of an impact, but it really doesnt matter. The Flash family is interesting enough to carry the title.

Its an impressive opening issue. As a hero, Gem is just really, really cool. Shes somewhere between Batman and the Punisher, but something far darker and badass than either of them had managed. As a whole, Flawed is deliciously over-the-top. Its urban horror action on a level that feels powerful enough to launch its own franchise. With any luck, the right people see this, and it takes off.

The issue closes out with a letters section and a very cool little essay on superheroes and mental health written by Professor Julian C. Chambliss of Michigan State University. Chamblisss essay doesnt connect directly to the rest of the chapter, but its an enjoyable, little thought-provoker that feels right at home in an issue featuring a hero who is also a psychotherapist. There isnt a whole lot in the essay thats all that insightful for people already quite familiar with superhero stories, but its a really intriguing addition to the end of the issue. 

There isnt much in the substance of the actual story thats terribly new or inventive, but Brown and Prenzy are bringing it all to the page with such distinct style that Flawed makes an immense impact on nearly every page, both in art and script. Flawed is a dark and slickly appealing place, but it keeps all of the horror close enough to the panel to maintain a lucid perspective on the brutality thats being continually sliced and pounded into the page. At the rate Brown and Prenzy are going, theyll need to let up on the darkness a little if the series is going to maintain for much longer.

Allor and Evenhuis pack a lot of intricacy into twenty pages. All of the elements of the story come together without slowing down the action OR the drama. No one aspect slows the rest of it down, and nothing comes crashing into anything else. Whats being covered in the issue isnt anything new, but its fun to see it put to the page so well in what will hopefully be the next of many chapters for Allor and Evenhuis.

Allor, Evenhuis, and Peer have done some very, very vivid work on this series. This IS a climactic issue, but it'd be really nice to see this particular creative team continue with the work it's doing here. And honestlythese three people could work together on just about an action comic, and it would be worth reading. They've got a remarkably excellent creative rapport that has served the franchise well over the course of 2020.

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.

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.

Its way too easy for a heros personal life to come across as minor details in the background propping-up the next in a long line of conflicts with colorful villains. Here the personal experience that is so often treated as supporting filler detail becomes a vibrant part of the heros. As McGuire and Miyazawa manage an impressively-articulated progression in the life of Gwen Stacy one issue at a time.

The danger now rests on both sides of the dimensional commute for Gwen. Shes got problems back home. Shes got problems at college. Shes got problems in and out of the mask. Peter Parker rarely had to deal with this sort of thing when he was in college. Its very reassuring to see Gwen so effectively juggling everything that McGuire is throwing at her.

Events seem to have begun to crash-in on Gwen from both universes now. Gwen's ability to balance things between two worlds is going to live in McGuire's ability to do the same with the scripts. If McGuire can keep it interesting, everything should continue to swirl appealingly around the page. Still, this style of story could easily lose its appeal if it starts to feel like a dull and formulaic variation on the sort of spider story that's been going on for decades. 

After all the weird specifics of Gwen's life throughout the past several issues, it's nice to see McGuire and Miyazawa handling a more traditional spider-story. Gwen is looking good as the trap slowly snaps shut on her, and she struggles to find a way out. The series could launch in a number of different directions for her here. It'll be interesting to see what McGuire comes up in 2020. 

With half a year finished on Ghost-Spider, McGuire has built a very thoughtful and methodical progression to Gwens life that feels a lot less scattered than her male counterpart had been at this stage in college. Its a very clean character arc that feels every bit as hectic and crazy as Parkers days at ESU decades ago, but without all of the clunkiness of the late silver age/early bronze age storytelling. McGuires approach is a definite improvement that makes Gwen feel like that much more of a coherent person. Its quite an accomplishment.

McGuire has built-up quite a run with Ghost-Spider over the better part of the past year. Shes a fun character to hang out with for 20 pages or so a month. Guara fits the distinctive momentum of McGuires scripts quite well. The challenge moving forward lies in keeping Gwens adventures distinct from all the other Marvel Spider titles. There are decades of history with Peter Parker. Its going to be difficult to maintain the right balance, but for now, McGuire and Guara definitely have everything in order.  

McGuire and Guara put together a very, very engrossing issue here that tells its own story while fitting into an engrossing ongoing saga. Somewhere in the midst of everything else, McGuire is giving Gwen a much more gradual and nuanced walk with her version of the black costume than Spider-Mans editors allowed themselves back in the mid-1980s. In addition to everything else, its that much more satisfying to see Gwen going through some of what Peter did decades ago with the singularity of vision afforded a single author. 

The second part of a two-part series, Williams Giant-Man is going to be kind of easy to overlook. Its a marginal story in a much larger War of the Realms event featuring heroes who arent exactly popular. Williams has really managed something witty and sharp in the series thus far, though. Its too bad that four humble giants will likely get lost in the mix of a massive multi-series crossover. This is actually a really fun story.

The story of stories is one of the more difficult things to maintain. Things can fall all too quickly into a nebulous territory as various plot elements begin to fall apart under their own weight. Morris has set up quite a job for himself, keeping everything in play without having plot elements crash into each other, but the first issue is clearly moving in the right direction to lead into interesting territory in the chapters to come.

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.

Adams and company take a well-balanced approach to Hal and his life. Hes a sharp guy with a hell of a lot of charisma that guides the narrative gracefully from the beginning to the cliffhanger ending of another thoroughly satisfying issue. Larger concerns in and within the current plot arc will take a little while to emerge, but for now, Green Lantern is gliding quite well through all of the different angles on the life of Hal Jordan. Its nice to see Adams taking a slow and measured approach to this particular Green Lantern.

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.

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.

This is a very promising start to a story that will seamlessly bleed over into a number of other formats. Its not difficult to imagine this story translating well with actors - on a glowing rectangle of some sort. Moritat has done a great job of delivering Rougvies inside-the-music-industry drama to the comic book page, punctuating a very promising debut.

The issue wraps-up with Rougvie speaking directly to the reader in a long bit of text that provides some background on the thought thats gone into the series. Rougvies work with the creative team on coming up with a way to dynamically show the power of music on a comics page makes for reading thats every bit as interesting as whats going on in the actual narrative. That final bit of text at the end of the issue, the Spotify playlist that goes along with the issue and so much more continue to make Gunning for Hits a refreshingly deep multi-track series.

Once again, Rougvie, Mills and Silver put together a very novel and unique style of story to the comics page. In these first three issues, Rougvie and company have painstakingly drawn a very distinctive narrative onto the page. There might be a bit of a jarring cut between the story and the Back Matter at issues end and there might not be a clear sense of where things might be at the beginning of the next issue, but this third issue of Gunning For Hits feels nearly flawless nonetheless.

Success and failure play in a crisp narrative stereo feel that works impressively well this issue. The build-up to the end of the issue is punctuated by a fun couple of pages that have Rougvie writing the rough copy for a total evisceration of the doomed album by a fictitious music critic. As the issue ends, its already apparent that the album is bad. Its a nice little stylistic punctuation for Rougvie to go into detail on just HOW bad it is in the narrative text at the end of the issue.

The first arc in the story of Martin Mills wraps-up with clever style. Theres a quick turnaround on the review of Slades album prompted by the events of the issue that serves as witty punctuation to the first six issues of the series. Rougvie definitely has something fresh here. Itll be nice to see it develop with the next instalment, which Rougvie will get to once hes finished work on a nonfiction book hes working on about the history of Rykodisc.

The series feels like it could go on forever like this, with Prince telling a different clown story every issue. Haha seems interested in telling only stories that are strikingly different from each other in every way other than their darkness. The pairing of Prince and Langridge feels more or less perfect in what stands as one of the best issues in the series so far. A silent issue in any comic book series is a rarity. A silent issue in clown-based darkness feels like a more perfect match for the perfect match of talent.

Haha, has had a genuinely diverse series of moods. The penultimate issue is a perfect match for the strange patchwork of stories that Prince has crafted for the series. Theres no telling what Prince might do in the interest of wrapping up his appealingly quirky, little journey in July. As ephemeral as each story from each issue has been, its going to be sad to see the final chapter saunter its way to the rack next month. Itll be a bittersweet moment for the indie rack to see this series come to an end in July. 

Its very reassuring to see a character who is both crazy and relatable. Its also reassuring to see her walk the narrow path towards becoming something other than a detriment to society. As the storyline progresses, itll be interesting to see how Harleys long term character development is going to affect how everyone relates to her, on and off the page.

Harleys been through a lot. In this issue Humphries and Timm have tossed the captivating clown girl onto the page at just the right angle. As this is the beginning of a multi-issue story, theres hope that the next few issues could be the beginnings of a fascinating new chapter in the heroines life in 2019. 

Humphries, Timm and Harley work some clever magic together for an issue with #58. The bad news is that Timm steps aside net issue. The good news is that Sami Basri is taking over for him. Basri has a solid handle on the character which should continue a very fun series as it moves beyond a remarkably enjoyable team-up with Batman.

Humphries issues of Harley have been strangely erratic in kind of an appealing way. Traveling off into some weird Kafka fugue for 20 pages seems to fit the kind of weirdness that the title has been engaging in of late. It makes perfect sense in context even if it seems like kind of a departure from everything shes dealt with thus far a strange, little dream of an issue thats not without its charm.

Harley really has some kind of serious breakthrough this issue.  Humphries, Basri and Sinclair bring together a really complicated world for Harley to inhabit that feels every bit as complex as Harley herself. On the surface, its a fun little sci-fi adventure, but there IS deeper dramatic energy lurking beneath the surface of it all for those who are interested in something deeper. This issue continue to exhibit the sharper elements of Humphries era of Harley Quinn, delivering a good story that works on any level a reader wants to engage it on.

Above all, Humphries and Schmidt handle a challenging subject with heroic looseness.  Theyre so wildly open to comedy, tragedy and everything else that theyre able to integrate this issue with a larger plot arc in her own title while gracefully shoving the last couple of pages into the Year of the Villain with all the subtlety of a giant wooden mallet. It doesnt sound like it SHOULD work, but it sure as hell does. Harley is going through a lot right now, but shes in good hands.

Somewhere in the midst of the issue, Harley makes bitter mention of crossover events that everyone complains about, but everyone still buys. Humphries is having fun with a bad crossover that hes clearly been cornered into. Its really satisfying to see Humphries manage to make the crossover fit so well into the ongoing drama of Harleys life. It all comes together so perfectly that it would have practically have had to have been planned by some sort of evil super-genius looking for the only way he could possibly wrangle the anarchic energies of a slowly-reforming clown-girl psychopath

The degree to which Humphries' story works on multiple levels may suffer a bit this issue. The physical action of the issue takes a backseat to a conversational drama that is satisfying in its own way. Without holding a great deal of appeal for anyone who would be interested in the issue on an action/adventure level. This isn't a serious problem as the story is totally engrossing on a dramatic scale.

Harley Quinn's first trudge through the holidays without her mother continues next month as Thanksgiving gives way to a Christmas issue. Humphries has been really deft in giving each moment in Harley's life over the past Year a very distinct sense of progression that is so often missing in long-running series. The path to reformation is now compromised by a need to recover.  Handling the loss of her mother as she has shunned offerings of great power from a couple of different angles. Harley deserves some time-off for the holidays. This issue is part of a fun excursion for Harley.

Humphries and Basri give Harley a needed infusion of direction and vitality. Harleys life may still lack a great deal of direction, but shes much more in the rhythm of her own psychosis as the current storyline reaches the end of its fourth chapter. Harley might not ever find a totally well-adjusted lifestyle. Still, Humphries continues to push her in a direction that at least FEELS like its progressing to some sort of stability even though shes unlikely to ever really stabilize.

A revenant Harley is a really clever idea. All too often, the dead are given a humorlessness. Harley has seen death. That cant be easy, but she wouldnt be Harley if she didnt come back from it with a clear sense of humor. Theres every indicator that shes going to be just as weird and whimsical having been through the Lazarus Pit. Phillips and company have their work cut out for them. This should be fun.

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.

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.

Theres a whole John W. Campbell Who Goes There? feel to the series. A group of experts in a few different areas dive into the unknown. Some of the better examples of this sort of thing in pop fiction tend to be sci-fi horror. Cady and Mutti take a group of people who dont seem to believe in ghosts into the heart of supernatural horror while also fusing the narrative with a post-apocalyptic vibe. Its a fun mash-up that could easily play with the audiences expectations. Itll be interesting to see where Cady and Mutti take it.

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.

Soule has put down a hell of a lot of story in the first five issues of the series. Given how much has been delivered in the course of the first five issues, its kind of surprising that the series hasnt felt more narratively cramped and crowded as it could have been. Soule gives each moment a great deal of room to breathe, and Slineys visuals lend a voluminous weight to everything that makes it feel much bigger than the images on the page.

The interplay between capitalism and the realm of the devils is a fun one to explore. Soule casts a pretty stern glance into the overlay between money and misery without going into a great amount of detail. It might be interesting to see him explore that in a bit more depth, but he has other places to be with the Shrouded College, and the next series is about vampires in space. So...yknow...Im sure there will be depth there as its connected to Hell to Pay, but hes clearly going to be exploring other themes with the next series.

The amnesiac detective is a really fun trope to explore. Its not attempted too often, but its always notably interesting when it IS...especially with a character who is as immersed in the darkness as Patsy Walker. Cantwell clearly has the series thoughtfully laid out. There are only two issues left to go before the big inevitable resolution. As disappointingly short as the series is, Cantwells writing through the third issue suggests that theres a really sharply satisfying ending coming in late July.

One issue. Theres one issue left to go in the series. Cantwell and company have just really gotten going on the series, and its over with Issue #5. The cleverly-crafted story is coming to an end, but Cantwell has found a really nice niche for Patsy that works so well with an area of the Marvel Universe that so rarely gets the right treatment. Hopefully, everything wraps up with a clear conclusion for the next issue. If all goes well, it would be cool to see Cantwell and Lins have another adventure with Patsy.

Tension is maintained throughout the issue until the end. With all the secrets finally out in the open, the final three pages set-up a vivid confrontation which should make for a suitably dramatic end to the series first 6 issues. Precisely where Blacker and  Andolfo take it from there is going to be interesting to see. A series so deeply entrenched in the mysteries of domestic incarceration might suffer a bit with all of the secrets out in the open unless Blacker can find something compelling for the series to transition into in issues to come.

Its a satisfying wrap-up to the initial six issues. At the outset of the series back in October, Blacker and Andolfo said they wanted to keep doing the series indefinitely. There are so many places the story could go from here, and there are quite a few mysteries revealed in the sixth issue for Blacker and Andolfo to uncover. The ensemble of witches has been introduced. From here it could get really interesting.

As an artist, Chaykin is one of those few talents who has given himself a chance to truly grow artistically over the decades. Kirbys work in the 1940s didnt look all that different from his work in the 1980s. Ditto for Ditko. Theres a clean line between McFarlanes Batman and his Spawn. Liefeld...has always been Liefeld. The list goes on. Chaykins style shows a bold progression line, with this series up from anything else that hes done, and its clear that hes improving and growing...and continuing to do some really remarkable work.

One wonders how easy it might be to do something really, really similar to this that DIDNT thinly veil everyones identity. It might not work as well, though. Any history of the comic book industry (and there have been A LOT of them over the years) tends to focus on companies, characters, and personalities. What Chaykin is doing with this incredibly clever series istelling history with a focus on the people. Names like Stan Lee and Jack Kirby and Marvel and DC and EC are way too big. Taking away the names, the fame, and the legend allows Chaykin to focus his history on the people who built an industry that has had a profound impact on pop culture.

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.

The rhythm of the story feels very much like a traditional samurai film taken from a slightly skewed angle. There is a grand sense of scope about the story that makes the world feel large and imposing for the little hero, even if much of it is snow and empty space. Its difficult to tell quite where the story is going, though Tak and company have clearly defined it in a way that feels like it could open up into a big, sprawling adventure if everything makes it to the page just right.

Much like his work on  Coffinbound, Watters scripting for Home Sick Pilots has leaned heavily into the art to tell the story. Theres a tremendous amount of trust in the artist to deliver the bulk of whats going on thats paid-off quite well in Watters work. Watters approach has been impressive. Give the artist the freedom to work on the visuals without too much dialogue, and you just might end up with something beautiful. 

With just the right mix of interpersonal drama, action, and supernatural horror, Watters story is gradually revealing itself to be a truly unique fusion. Wijngaards strikingly vivid art brings the story to the page in a way that fuses well with Watters scripting. There are countless potential paths that Meg and Rip could stumble through in the coming issues. Thanks to some very sharp characterization, the pair are as deeply engaging on the comics page as they are in their dialogue. 

This issue shows a genuine interest in modulating mood, mode, and tone between issues that should serve the series well in the long run. Watters and Wijngaard point the pages in the direction of a chapter that allows the supernatural end of this supernatural horror to rest along the edges of the narrative. Characters are given a bit of a breather before the next chapter.

The overall pacing of the series has been a little bit hard to gauge. Watters and Wijngaard have had a scattered amount of success in bringing together a coherent rhythm to the series, which has served it quite well in retrospect. The crazy scratchings of the story have helped to amplify its beautifully glowing weirdness. The ninth issue makes it feel like there are much bigger plans at work beyond the surface of the series.

In the course of its run, Home Sick Pilots has occasionally toyed with some fascinating ideas. With some appealingly weird moods that come together at odd angles and tend to fade out into a strange semi-coherent blur before shooting into striking clarity for just long enough to keep the whole thing really, really interesting. With issue eleven, Watters and Wijngaard manage to hold everything together in a strange state of grace from beginning to end. Much like the old James House itself, its difficult to predict how it will all hold together in the course of the following few issues, but itll be a lot of fun watching it attempt to do so.

The rhythm of the series hasnt always worked to the advantage of individual issues. Watters and Wijngaard have kept a firm perspective on the larger picture, which would generally lend itself to a more satisfying format in trade paperback. Every now and then, though, theres an issue of Home Sick Pilots which feels perfectly at home in a single issue format. The thirteenth is one of those issues.

In completion, Watterss story has a dreamy feel about it. Watters and Wijngaard play with popular imagery...mixing spectral action and comedy with a splash of struggling rock and roll grunge to create something special. Its a clever mutation of horror and fantasy that has so much more potential than a fifteen-issue series. Part of the appeal lies in the stylish ambiguity between Watterss scripts and Wijngaards visuals. Theres a fascinating world between the panels that could be a really fun playground for anyone wanting to play in a similar world of weaponized ghosts. Of course...Watters does leave the possibility open for a sequel series

London has done a pretty good job of modulating the action. Rising tensions have gradually been mounting over the course of the first half of the series. Clearly, Artemis is heading towards some kind of showdown with Zeus. If she had all the power of her original divinity, a confrontation with the diety would be a challenge. Without her power, its going to be that much more of a challenge. Its a captivating journey with Archidiaconos work amping up the intensity with some very well-executed godlike aggression exploding across the page.

Its not just the gun. There are a few other moments that dont quite live up to their potential, but for the most part, this is an admirably powerful chapter in the life of a young Batman. This is particularly impressive given how totally over-done this sort of thing is. The hero questions his or her value but is ultimately galvanized before beating the hell out of the villain trope has been done to death. Ridley and company give the old cliche new life in an issue cleverly executed from beginning to end.

Tonys been through a lot over the years. His psyche has been explored on page and screen quite a lot over the decades. Ayodele and Akande are exploring Stark in a way that feels like it might be coming from a wholly new perspective. Its a lot of fun to see him outside the traditionally explosive action of a standard Iron Man story. 

Ferrier drops romance into an already crowded thematic space for Denny Little. It wouldnt work without a very disciplined approach to maintaining the narrative momentum thats been unwaveringly maintained throughout the first couple of issues of the series. Ferrier and Kambadais keep a wild and tender dramatic horror action comedy scurrying across the pages of the third issue of the series.

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.

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.

With an opening chapter placed in a humble house, the story has plenty of room to get bigger in the course of the issues to come. Given the fact that the story is set to delve into a dark post-Arthurian realm, there's quite a bit of potential for things to get big and epic the further Sonja travels with the cursed chainmail. Sonja has been stalking through comics for nearly 50 years. It's nice to see renewed life in the old warrior as she marches into darkened reflections of the realm of Avalon.

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 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. 

With his origin well and fully behind it, Inkblot is free to engage in weird sword-and-sorcery adventure. Here it wanders in and out of the center of the panel, finally arriving at the very center of the story in a very, very big way. It will remain to be seen how Kubert and Gladd manage the series's overall flow, but the premise of a main character who fades in and out of prominence as the world tumbles around it feels refreshingly novel.

Kubert's art is so appealing that honestly it just feels like she would have needed to switch the vantage point of a few panels and the issue could have been breathtaking.

Much like the cat at the center of its story, Inkblot had been popping in and out of narratives. In various places in the course of its run so far. Every now and then, the story lurches forward and gracefully pounces its way into a sudden plot revelation or plot development. It's been a bit difficult getting used to the narrative rhythm that Kubert and Gladd have been working with, but it's been a great deal of fun. The seventh issue catches Eliza AND her cat in a very endearing light that once again secures the series' charm.

An ambiguity has surfaced around the edges of every panel in the series so far. The ambiguity is a really nice hook. All of the little questions that restaurant the edges of the story make for interesting thought. The cat is of the void. It is the same color as the butterfly its chasing, So what does it mean that it is able to eat that butterfly? Is it hunting down the rest of the void? Why is it drawn to the movement of something else that looks just as dark as it is? A lot of little questions pop up around the edges. Its fun.

Part of what makes the epic fantasy of Inkblot so strange is the fact that it IS little more than a backdrop for the mystery of a single black cat with huge green eyes. If it werent for the cat, the story might feel a bit dull, which really isnt a problem as the mystery of the cat continues to capably drive the series in yet another issue. Kubert and Gladd are doing a great job with an odd, little fantasy series. 

The strangely intermittent momentum of the series has a personality all its own. Like any cat, the narrative has a tendency to hang out in one spot for a while and then, suddenly with no apparent cause, bolt off into the next room with life-or-death urgency. Somewhere along the way, the image of a much severe world becomes clear. With this issue, the Void that is that cat's origin becomes that much more interestingand the series becomes that much more interesting right along with it.

Its not often that a single issue can deliver a totally new look at a character who has been around for decades and make it feel totally natural. Waid and Iulis do a brilliant job of this in a very cleverly-crafted opening issue. A little more than 20 pages, and already it seems like Sues always been a spy. Its a very engrossing start to a new mini-series.

Above all, Mark Waid is delivering a story that shows the Invisible Woman to be a remarkably strong female lead. Her fit in a cloak and dagger story feels so perfect that it's surprising that it's taken Marvel this long to give Sue her own spy mini-series. With only three issues left to go, Waid and Du Iulis run the risk of ending the series without really satisfying. There are so many possibilities for this type of Invisible Woman story. This series feels like it might really get going a few panels before the final page

Thief and billionaire. Hero and anti-hero. MacKays mastery of the Marvel Universe is sharp enough that Black Cat could easily team up with a different hero for a different team-up series every year. The distinct match between Felicia and Tony is remarkably appealing. It will be interesting to see where he manages to take it in the months to come.

Building on two well-known characters, MacKay is developing a somewhat intoxicating villain in the pages of this latest mini-series. The second issue of the series takes a real chance by giving the heart of this installment to Tamara, and it pays off in a really big way. Tamara could develop into someone every bit as charming as Iron Man or Black Cat given the right angles. The middle of the series hits the page with an apparent clash between Iron Cats for issue #3. It will be interesting to see how the overall plot arc resolves in the final three issues of the series.

Visaggio, Melnikov, and Guerrero find a strikingly unique appeal to a relatively new character. The issue feels a lot like a pilot episode of a whole new series. Ginny and Lady Bird are great fun to follow in a one-shot that makes a very strong case for further adventures. The two characters work well together, carving out a potentially intrepid trail through the shadows of major landmarks in the DC universe.

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.

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 dark background of Junk Rabbit finally has a complex conflict in the foreground to keep it moving. All of the concern about authorities looking for the revolutionary has been really engaging and everything, but its been done before so many times in the pages of so many comic books. Its nice to see something a bit more fresh. Ashleen is one of the more interesting characters to come out of the series thus far. Its nice to see her enhance the originality of the series, if only for a few pages. 

The first issue of the new series would be kind of bewildering for people not already familiar with...rather a lot of whats gone on in the past of the DC Universe. Its not as cluttered and clunky as Crisis on Infinite Earths or...well... a hell of a lot of other major crossover series, but it wont mean nearly as much to anyone not already familiar with much of the backstory. Thankfully, Johns, Janin, and Bellaire do a really good job of making it all appealing enough that nearly anyone leafing through the first issue will be engaged...even if they dont know quite what the hell it is that theyre looking at.

The bulk of the issue seems to play out in the combat between Degaton and the JSA. Jann has been granted a great deal of real estate in the issue to deliver the impact of a single fight, and it REALLY works. Johns has a deft enough handle on the pacing to allow Jann the space he needs to hit that combat with impressive impact. All of the drama falls in line behind that combat quite well.

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.

March takes his time, allowing the story to develop with short bursts of exposition shooting out of casually playful visual phantasm. There isnt much going on here, but there doesnt have to be. Its just enough emotional rendering to cast a post-suicidal mood in breathtaking detail. There is a moment after a failed or abandoned attempt at suicide that feels positively serene. The living can only see that mood from the realm of the living. March casts that exact same mood quite vividly from a whimsical post-life perspective. Its deliciously dreamy.

With only one issue left, its difficult to tell where March might be leading for the final issue. Cata is definitely drifting towards a conclusion of some sort, but its difficult to imagine her simply gliding off into the beautiful oblivion that awaits her beyond the last panel. In focussing on a character who has already committed suicide before the first issue even starts, March has crafted a serial that feels every bit as unpredictably uncertain as the world on this side of the comics page. Marchs art and story are a haunting amplification of life beyond the panels.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

The Knight Terrors crossover has had mixed results from a variety of different writers in its opening week. Wilson's vision of the darkness is very impressive. She manages to avoid clichs and show an antiheros worst nightmare of pleasant happiness. She never quite manages to dive into a biting satire on the nature of the traditional American dream. She doesn't need to. This is really more of a story about Ivy and her interior life. Its sharp. Its clever.

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. 

This is probably the most straight-ahead adaptation of the horror genre in the whole crossover thus far. Knight Terrors: Ravager feels like one of the more sophisticated treatments of the nightmare realm concept. Rose comes across as a very formidable warrior against darkness. The deadly skill that she wields is that much more potent as the story explores the darkness that's not only in her own past but in her own mind. Theres a powerful contrast in that which feels overwhelmingly cool on more than one level.

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. 

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.

Barrys heroism comes across quite vividly. Paknadel even allows him a chance to completely mess with the speed force if it will allow him to save the life of Wally. There are some truly touching moments in an issue based on a dreamlike reality that rests beyond the tapestry of DCs tattered continuity to speak to something a bit more real and emotionally resonant. Its impressive stuff. 

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.

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. 

The Knight Terrors one-shots have been a pleasant surprise thus far. Not all of them have been brilliant, but there have been quite a few sparkling moments here and there. Its not often that Zatanna is given her own title. Zatanna-centric stories have been rather hit-or-miss in the past. Its nice to see it done so well. Not everyone gets the character right, but Culver has a clever handle on what makes her appealing. A Culver-written Zatanna series would be great fun.

Lady Hel could have been a totally menacing vision of evil before the first panel of this series. (And...yknow...lets be honest: she IS a goddess of death.) That doesnt matter here: shes been deposed, and shes going to go through somebody elses hell before she can get back to anything resembling her own throne.

Lady Hel finds a compelling rhythm as the series reaches the end of its plot arc. Its covered a remarkable amount of ground in the course of only three issues. Burnham has carved out a very unique space for Lady Hel that feels like it could support an ongoing series if it was fortunate enough to find the right audience. Lady Hels journey has gained a fun momentum. Shes clearly going through some kind of inner transformation that could become something really interesting if it was allowed to develop over the long term.

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 main story is followed up by a quick, little jaunt to Themyscira courtesy of writers Becky Cloonan and Michael W. Conrad. An internet video star makes a trip to try to discover the nature of the island of the Amazons and gets a bit more than he bargained for in a piece that gets exquisitely dark before the back cover. Its an event that could be foreshadowing a darkness, which could explain the state of things that will dominate Tom Kings run on the new Wonder Woman that starts this coming September. 

Its fun to see Captain Marvel contrasted against a couple of superpowered women who are much more poised and sharper than he is. Its a nice dynamic. It isnt always easy to show the boy-in-a-gods-body in a way that truly respects the complexity of the hero Captain Marvel. Wilson does a really good job of articulating that complexity.

DC has had a rather shaky track record in bringing the larger-than-life crossovers to the page. Crisis on Infinite Earths was impressive enough, but it was WAY too cluttered to make much sense to the average reader. War of the Gods was a hopeless farrago that was all completely muddled by the editors involved. By contrast, Lazarus Planet has come across with a great degree of coherence and a vivid sense of gravity. Its quite fortunate that DC had managed to get some of its better writers together for the crossover. Its been a very satisfying crossover thus far. 

Wilson gives Wonder Woman the warmth and passion that she so richly deserves in one of the biggest combat sequences shes ever been a part of. Marys adventures continue in Shazam!...which is written by Mark Waid. Is it too much to ask to have Campbell continue to write her adventures as a back-up feature in that series as well?  

So Lokis cool, The creative team is cool., The team is VERY COOL. No creative team lasts forever, though. Its hard to imagine Loki working quite this well with anyone else. But in the opening installment, Kibblesmith and Bazaldua give this series the kind of appeal that makes it FEEL like anyone could pick up the title and instantly make it their own. Lokis just that adaptable. But with any luck, Kibblesmith and Bazaldua will be around for a long, long time. This is a fun opener.

Rather than working on a small canvas or a large canvas for his narrative walk with Loki, Kibblesmith is manifesting a story on several different interconnected canvasses. That range from the ridiculously cosmic to the intimately personal. Its going to be a difficult dynamic to maintain in future issues. Theres a lot of traffic to coordinate between different story elements. That are going to need to come together at some point. Kibblesmith has shown a great deal of talent so far. Itll be interesting to see where he takes the series next. 

Kibblesmith and Bazaldua guide Loki through an in-depth analysis of his history and personality as he engages in a search for his destiny that seems to be rendered in fragments that are so scattered that even he isnt terribly well-equipped to understand them. The initial story arc is fun and breezy while getting substantially into the depth of human understanding through the thoughts and feelings of a god. It continues to be a very sharp journey.

So maybe he gave Wolverine a verbal tic back in the old west. He may have done more than that. Kibblesmiths all-too-brief walk with the god of mischief has cast everything in the Marvel Universe in a whole new light. He can affect events in the past now. Who is to say that he hasnt been between the panels? Causing weird, little problems and inconsistencies in the continuity over the years? Its a fun, little gift that Kibblesmith and Loki are handing the Marvel Universe at the end of a very short series.

Given how sad the issue is, its remarkable how truly captivating it is. Aside from the predictable ending, theres only one major plot development. Somehow, King and company manage to keep Joans emotional journey so totally pure and uncluttered that it grabs hold of the reader and doesnt let go until the end. And of course theres more. Joan advances into older age, which should take the series up through the mid-to-late 1960s and beyond. Its been an interesting journey thus far, but itll be interesting to see where King and company take it as the series continues its descent with Joan.

It would have seemed like there wouldnt have been a whole lot of ground for Cain and company to cover after the first series. Rather than trying to repeat the successes of the first series, Cain. And company are valiantly leading Maude in a totally new direction as she navigates her way through adolescence. The summer camp format might have been a bit more cleverly placed in a quick-moving series scheduled to run the length of a single summer, but every other aspect of the series seems to be more or less perfectly placed at the end of the first issue.

Given the fascinating nature of the storytelling style of the series, The closing chapters Of the series feel a bit abrupt. This is because the five elements don't play out like a traditionally cluttered genre comic book. Instead, World-building happens in strange pamphlets and ads while characters in the foreground are allowed just enough mystery to Maintain the reader's interest. It's very delicately rendered storytelling that continues to be immensely appealing. The pacing could get kind of weird in the next issue with everything having to wrap up. But given there isn't that much to resolve, it might be kind of fun.

Once again, it seems as though a Chelsea cane and series has come to an end all to abruptly. And yet, its a very satisfying ending. Maude Is a truly fascinating character who we should find a welcome home on the page if ever cane Cain has the opportunity To allow us to hang out with her again

The depth of what Cain and company are exploring here continues to be deeply engrossing. Cain maintains the mystery of the attacks while delivering deeper insight into the ensemble AND exploring a world that is all too much like our own. With its clever mix of humor, drama and horror Man-Eaters is quite deliciously unlike anything else on the rack right now.

There are only two issues left to go in the series, but with the final chapter being another non-comic-centric Handbook-style issue, the central part of the story really ends with issue #11. The rhythm of the series has been great fun. The big climax is just one month away. Hopefully, theres satisfaction in things becoming more surreal at the end of the series. Its been a hell of a ride thus far. With any luck, Cain and company can hold out for at least one more issue to deliver a satisfying conclusion to the series.

Man-Eaters has been an immensely enjoyable series. The final issue in the series gives the world of the story more room to expand the concept of social revolution well beyond the page. All that seems to be missing is a direct invitation for the reader to carry the revolution to the world outside the panels. The page of blank membership cards for The Ministry of Trouble seems as close to an invitation as Cain can get while maintaining plausible deniability. Cains done a clever job of making the revolution seem very, very cool. The potential for revolution and meaningful change in society rests in the hands of every reader. 

The series Cain and Miternique ended may have been a bit hit-or-miss in places, but The Future is Yours! Man-Eaters one-shot brilliantly illustrates how the narrative can move forward in clever bite-sized specials that continue to be every bit as much satirical bite as the full series did. Current events are as ugly as ever, but its nice to know Cain and Miternique are still there to sink razor-sharp comic teeth into the ugliness of it all.

The bigger picture of Orlando's story is given further grounding and motivation with this flashback issue. Had the series as a whole started with this story, it might have lent a great deal of momentum for the 11 installments which would have followed it, but some of the impact of the story would have felt missing. The rest of the series may well end up feeling as convoluted as the first five issues. As a standalone story, Martian Manhunter #6 is vividly weird and wonderful.

The series reaches its mid-point next month. MacKay and company have rigidly defined the parameters of the rest of the series by the end of the second issue. There seems to be more than enough magic around the edges of the story to maintain the possibility of the unexpected sneaking up on the narrative from a number of different directions. Its neat. Its tidy. And its got just the right amount of chaos woven into its heart.

MacKay and company continue to deliver a fun adventure with a couple of characters who continue to make quite an impression outside the margins of the Spider-Man titles that they debuted in so many decades ago. MacKays treatment of Black Cat continues to make her adventures significantly more intriguing than much of what Spider-Man has been doing of late.

The world in which all of the action is going to be taking place is still developing at this point. Its very reassuring to see the moral complexity lowered into this one. This is a coming-of-age magical fairy tale, but its going to be a very ethically complicated one. With the right economy of words and image in well-paced scenes, this third issue establishes important conventions this serial will hopefully continue to follow for many, many issues and what will hopefully be a very long run.

Young and company beautifully broaden the world of Middlewest this issue. The journey of Able and Fox and Bobby and Wrench looks like its starting to develop into something truly unique in an issue that feels viscerally powerful amidst the lights, popcorn and barkers of a carnival.

Young and Corona are constructing something that feels quite distinctly unlike so much that litters the contemporary pop fantasy landscape. Its grounded in standard fantasy elements, but Young and Corona are carving-out something that feels genuinely fantastic. No need to bog down the narrative in so much detail. Young and Corona are wisely allowing the fantasy to be fantastic on its own.

Middlewest swings into a clever bit of momentum with this issue, which continues to develop through sharp bits of mystery that cut through every aspect of the issue from bits of plot resonating out of the dialogue to details drawn into key panels. Young, Corona and Beaulieu round out the first six issues of a series which clearly has a sweeping sense of momentum carrying through a fantasy mutation of the American midwest. From here, theres the risk of a repetition feeding into the story now that all the basic elements of the story are in place, but Young and company feel inventive enough to maintain interest in future issues.

In a long-running fantasy serial, it was inevitable that Abel was going to tumble back into the horror of action. He had been hitting hinting at this for a couple of dishes now he had been hitting hinting at this ever since Able joined the carnival. Thanks to the delicate handling of the story, the emotional impact of the inevitable is felt with just as much strength as a random act of nature.

Theres a clever balance to the issue that series well. The complexity of relations within the ensemble that could lead to a number of different directions over the course of the next few issues. The social and atmospheric ends of the world that Young and Coronas world captures the imagination and runs with it. No one else is doing anything quite like this on the comic book rack. Its a fun journey that makes another major step with its eighth issue.

Young and Corona continue to develop a very unique North American adventure fantasy that fuses Anglo-European culture with native legends in a way that feels breathtakingly fresh. European fantasy has been done to death in pop fiction. Its nice to see a story that takes a look at the traditional path of the hero from a more uniquely American perspective. Abel might yet turn out to be the self-directed fantasy hero that has been conspicuously absent from pop fantasy for so many years.

With pacing well and fully back on track, Young and Coronas story has regained a sense of momentum about it. The placement of a frigid, wintery issue in the heat of a late summer adds to the earthbound sense of fantasy about the serial. Summer solstice feels like a distant memory. The days are getting shorter. Winter is coming, Its going to be cold. Young and Corona are there to echo the dream of the near future into the tale of Abels past.

Bringing the action into a decaying city has given the series new life that it didnt seem to be lacking. The adventure bursts into new territory with a refreshing look at the most charming character in the whole series. Things are taken in a bold new direction with future issues as a lost Abel attempts to calm himself in the essence of a perilous world. For fear of letting the danger of the destruction within him out to mingle with that danger.

Young and Corona seem to have been building up to some kind of showdown between Abel, his father, Maggie, and her husband for quite some time now. Now that everyones looking for Abel, theres clearly a showdown of some sort coming in a series with a very diverse ensemble that plays fantasy against earthbound reality. Twelve issues in and Middlewest still feels new.

This issue cleverly ratchets-up the build-up to the big confrontation, which is likely to come in the series very near future. With the shift from the very literal journey of one hero to direct confrontation, the series takes on a whole new direction on this issue. The cleverly-structured plot of this issue and the sharp rendering of the art team give this issue a suitably ominous tone that gives a powerful impression that everyone involved with the series has an excellent grasp of where the story is heading. This isnt always the case with an ongoing series. Middlewest is given an added push of momentum as it moves into its second year with this issue.

Young, Corona, and Beaulieu have been marching Abel and company through a slow, steady arc that reaches a huge climax in Middlewests 17th issue. The intensity here is elegantly rendered with magic and power firmly rooted in the sense of emotional and interpersonal drama that builds on events circulating around the series for the past sixteen issues. Different elements of aggression have been drawn together with such a remarkable sense of economy that its actually strange to think that this is still only the seventeenth issue of the series. A story doesnt typically achieve this level of climax until years of steady build-up have passed. 

Ending the story without completely shutting the door on a fascinating world of small-town American magic and mystery. Young and company could do so much more in the world of Middlewest that witnesses the simple power of the climactic clash of this final issue. The world of small-town magic has played out here in an amplification of the cycle of familial domestic violence. It's a powerful magical amplification, but there are so many other small-town midwestern American themes that could be explored in a world like this. It's too bad Young and company have chosen to end the story after only 18 issues.

Monstress continues to be a thing of terrible beauty that is drawn straight out of another realm in ways that so many other comics are only attempting. The darkness is overwhelming, and the heroism of the central characters rests on a towering level as they confront so much on so many levels...many of them scarcely able to be articulated in any kind of coherent language. Its like nothing else being done in any other format.

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.

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.

Moon Knight works best in concert with himself. Back in the early 1980s, he was actually doing such a good job that he thought he didnt have a mental disorder. Here things have gotten so bad that he needs to have an intervention with himself. Hes struggling with himself on so many levels that shine a spotlight on the most interesting aspect of the character: himself. The villains. The confusion. The relentless combat. None of that has ever been as interesting as the character himself. MacKay takes the opportunity to really explore him, and it works beautifully.

Honestly, with things being the way they are, it wouldn't be that difficult to edit the entire six-issue series down into a much more pleasantly comical three-issue miniseries. While there is a hell of a lot of filler, there are quite a few moments scattered throughout the series that are actually pretty funny. This last issue, though? It's probably the best.

The series is going to have to be really careful and thoughtful about letting bits of the mystery become revealed in future issues. Reveal too much at once and the series is going to lose even more of its appeal. As an opening, though, Naomi's first issue feels like it could be a part of something special.

Naomi now begins to make appearances in other DC comics. Issues end promises a second series. If Walker and Campbell are involved in that next series, it may be well worth checking out. The pulpy space adventure thats being delivered here really needs the kind of expressiveness that Campbell provides for it to feel right. It may have had its slow moments. All in all, however, this is an excellent opening for a new hero.

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 pretty rare when a title character gets knocked out of the center of the panel of his own book, but Taylor does an outstanding job of making it work in the single most fascinating issue in the Fear State crossover so far. Taylor manages to fuse Nightwing with Batgirl in a way the provides interesting character development while simultaneously advancing the plot of the Fear State storyline. So often, multi-title crossovers can feel crude and awkward. Nightwing #85 is an excellent example of how a single issue can beautifully integrate with a crossover event. 

Once again, Nightwing isnt really the center of the Nightwing book. Hes making some fairly major decisions in the issue, but he is solidly upstaged by the Batgirls as Fear State draws to a close. Nightwing is a strong enough character to lurk around the edges of his own title to allow for a an issue or two. To Taylors credit, he understands this well enough to allow for a few other characters to take over fo a couple of issues. An expansion of the Batman family of titles could make for a more dynamic corner of the DC Universe.

The sort of experimentation in Nightwing #87 breaks up the monotony of a long-running series without necessarily upstaging the story. One of the single most memorable issues of Marvel's G.I. Joe had Lara Hama delivering a story entirely without dialogue...and it didn't detract from the overall rhythm of the series. Nightwing #87's "Get Grayson" does the same.

Taylor and Redondo have been doing some really remarkable work with Nightwing. Its a fresh look at Gotham that delivers depth in comedy, drama, and action while also giving the look and feel of the varied architecture in the background that one might expect out of the second largest city in the DC Universes US. Its so rare that a series works so well on so many different levels. With any luck, the series can look forward to many more months of Taylor and Redondo. (Its always so frustrating when a team like this fades out of a series.)   

The current creative team on Nightwing continues to be one of the better collections of talent in mainstream comics today. Its smart, savvy stuff that glides across the page in a way that balances action with drama and humor. It may not fit perfectly with every other title in Gotham Citys corner of the DC universe, but it keeps in touch with the overall rhythm of everything well enough to keep Nightwing firmly grounded in one of the most totally corrupt cities in the DC universe. 

Theres a real sense of integration between hero and admirer that feels particularly satisfying for those who have encountered the imps on the comics page in the past. With this moment well and fully taken care of, Nightwing has the opportunity to take a clearer, more level-headed look at whats going on in and around his corner of Gotham City in the next couple of issues. Of course, the next couple of issues happen to include the big 56-page 100th issue celebration in mid-January. Its a big close-up of a character who has been around for a long time and is looking better than ever.

In a few years, Dick Grayson will have been Nightwing for just as long as he had been Robin. An issue like Nightwing #102 is a satisfying look back at where Grayson has been without taking anything away from where he is now. Its a very clever balance that moves things forward for him without all of the flashbacks and needless nostalgia that so often accompany this sort of story.