This book in undeniably consumable and thought provoking, and with only six issues left, new readers would be wise to catch up while they still can.

As with Hickman's characterization of Babylon through his speech and Balloon's “parenting,” Nick Dragotta's art does a great deal to add to the abomination's unsettling nature. In the face of great supernatural power, Babylon appears expressionless, relaxed, and almost bored with anything other than his education. As always, Dragotta excels when the point of view pulls out, offering phenomenal vistas of American forestland as well as smouldering dystopias. Colorist Frank Martin cannot be overlooked either as his coloured lighting bleeds effectively from the source, and the primary colours of War, Conquest and Famine only further enhance the stark white profile of Death's progeny.

Issue #18 moves the plot, but more importantly, raises the stakes considerably. Since his introduction, Babylon has been an unsettling character in premise and personality, and the road he's taking will surely further this. While the dialogue is heavy and at times difficult to parse, the book benefits from second and third readings, a given, considering the scope of the story and the size of its cast.

To Hickman's credit, Babylon does not simply change into a murderous monster over the course of a single issue. When he is presented with the idea of preemptive action — that is, killing something before it grows into something that will kill you — he shows valid skepticism. While the book ends on an essentially definitive conclusion for that argument, it's admirable that Babylonis given time to grow into whatever he will become, as well as that the reader gets to see it happen.Hickman is not one to rush through any story, and it's issues like this that benefit the most from that tendency. While East of West can occasionally sag under the weight of its complex history and political factions, stories like this benefit from patient character development and minor plot progression. It all comes from the intentional and effective choices made by Dragotta and Martin.

All in all this book perhaps give less in terms of plot than might be expected when meeting such a significant character, but makes up for it was a few significant innovations concerning the book's layout, which tie neatly into the juxtaposed narrative.

As the climax and resolution of Mind MGMT's mystery (though luckily not the story itself), issue 27 is surprisingly tempered, forgoing bombastic twists for more subtle revelations. The issue only gets better each time it is reread, a hallmark of any great work.

While Mind MGMT is usually at its best when it moves the plot forward, offering twists and reveals that often end up the most memorable points of arcs, issue #31 is a reminder that recaps and new perspectives on the past can be significant detours when treated properly. As shown with Lyme in this issue, narrative pauses like theses are goldmines for character development, and given the few remaining issues, this may be the last time Kindt gives the reader a look back before the end, and as such its a more than worthwhile installment.

In its penultimateissue, Mind MGMT maintains its strong grasp on conceptual exploration of memory, perception and influence in relation to the mind itself. While certainly heady, Kindt knows enough to about the story he is writing to still give an action packed-conclusion, as opposed to the more conventional telepathic fights seen regularly in comics,in which opponents, absolutely still, stare each other down while grunting, sweating and bleeding from the nose. This aint your daddy's high-concept mind-bending sci-fi conspiracy thriller.

Providenceis a worthwhile purchase for anyone interested in classic horror, metafiction, or simply something a bit more challenging. With each issue offering nearly 44 pages of story packed with content, clues, references and more for the particularly enthusiastic reader to consume, it's well worth the $4.99 cover price.

While on a monthly basis The Fade Out's story can be little difficult to keep in mind, the supreme definition of its characters helps to cement the large cast in your mind between issues. Month after month, Brubaker's writing maintains a graceful control of the overall themes as they apply to different characters, and Phillips' and Breitweiser's art continues to hold up its end, and then some. Especially when taking into consideration the back-up essays and Image's overall lack of ads, this book easily contends the best spent $3.50 this month.

John Flood #1 marks the beginning of an interesting story with good-looking art; given its limited run, those interested should be sure to pick up a copy now.

Mind MGMT #25 is bold in recognizing its protagonist's weaknesses, and exciting in what it may lead to, if a little uneventful otherwise. Kindt's unique art style is just as adept at telling his story as ever, and even offers a few particularly impressive spreads. Like any book worth it's pulp, it leaves you wanting more.

While in the simplest terms this issue merely reinforces the fact that the Eraser and the new Mind MGMT are not to be trifled with, it marks an effective point for the beginning of the final arc. Duncan and Perrier's efforts are compelling, and even tragic, making for a true low point from which they, Lyme, Meru and the others can climb out of for the conclusion to this endlessly engaging series.

While this issue doesn't move the plot too much, the way it develops the ongoing themes of the series cannot be understated. Mind MGMT #34 is dense with new information worthy of analysis and re-examination in light of the book's conclusion and subsequent rereads.

The first issue ofProvidenceprovides a compelling start to a story that is sure to be a rewarding read for Lovecraft fans, whether they're veteran readers of H.P.'s own work, or fans more recently introduced to this kind of horror through the likes of HBO'sTrue Detective.Moore and Burrows have an undeniably intimate grasp on the subject matter they're dealing with, and only time will tell if this take can surpass the needless shortcomings of their previous horror work.

Providence #2 is worth its cost if only for how much it offers the more ambitious readers out there. The pages of Black and Suydam's occult musings alone are ripe for intense analysis and hours of research and cross referencing to other horror texts. This is a book that rewards the curious, and is a worthwhile read in the long-standing tradition of reality-blurring horror.

At worst, The Fade Out is only a tough read because it's difficultto watch these broken people only further the damage done them. At best, this series features wonderfully developed characters drawn from noir tradition, with just enough progress gained each issue in the exploration of the central mystery to keep it enticing. After two arcs, The Fade Out has maintained a steady, but methodical pace, and continues to be a worthwhile addition to any pull list.

As opposed to other serialized comic books, The Fade Out probably works better when read month to month rather than in trade, if only for a more tolerable dosage of these sad characters. To be fair, these are engaging and interesting characters, and the reader has plenty to root for; but the cast in this book easily rivals that ofTrue Detective's second season for emotional damage and poor-decision making. So far, it's a better story as well.

Despite compelling vignettes of different relationships within the enormous cast and winding plot of East of West, issue #17 offers too little progression to stand out. While the art and story telling remains consistent, it does not excel in this instance, leaving readers to hope the production schedule will allow for a more notable book next month.

Both in art and tone, this is by far the closest thing that fans of the gone-too-soon Superior Foes of Spider-man will have as a spiritual successor to that series. If the first issue is any indication, Zdarsky and Quinones' Howard the Duck will be a fun and well-paced departure from the super-powered antics of the rest of the Marvel universe.

Infinite Crisis: Fight for the Multiverse #6is easily the best in the series so far. The issue showcases Abnett's ability to pique a reader's interest in a character within the space of only a few pages, benefiting greatly from Sejan's deliberate artwork. Though the series has been a frustrating read, readers can start to get excited about after this latest issue. Though Sejan will only be on the book for a few issues at most – assuming the artist rotation continues – Abnett's insight into the Lantern's history should keep readers hooked in anticipation of another character-focused issue, or even a considerable progression of the plot.

What's most intriguing is that the book doesn't hold the reader's hand through its labyrinthine plot. Given that the main character is an insane investigator who is able to draw unlikely conclusions because he hasn't slept in a decade, it'd be fair to expect that the series would be heavy with exposition to help the reader keep up with Flood's logic. Instead, the audience is aligned more with Berry in that you can only just follow what the leaps and bounds that Flood's mind takes, making for a much more rewarding mystery experience.

This far into the series it's impressive that Kindt, as sole creator, can continue to promote the themes of the book without becoming overbearing, as well as develop the art in relation to the story he's telling. Sometimes an issue of set-up is necessary, but it is attention to details like that in this book that make it a worthwhile read regardless.

While some of the key aspects of the show are definitely lost on this medium " such as Greg's phenomenal voice acting " the characters are kept consistent, and this issue functions just fine for those new to the Over The Garden Wall franchise.

Jim Campbell's art has just the right balance of simplicity and detail to suit the tone of the story. The animated series often found its comedy in brief facial expressions of its cast, a tradition in animated comedy going all the way back to Chuck Jones' work on The Bugs Bunny and Tweety Show. Fortunately, since Campbell was a storyboard artist for the show, that's carried over to the comic as well.

Whereas the series' title infers a consideration of Superman being unencumbered physically, it also seems to consider the idea of Superman laid bare. In this story, Superman's vulnerability isn't just a possibility, it's a guarantee. In the face of certain death " whether at the hands of a human or an equally-powered, politically-opposed alien " all that's left is the symbol. It's about who Superman is, not what he can do. This idea is unfortunately buried under pages of action and cheap dialogue, making the issue much more brawn than brains.

The conclusion is perhaps the most exciting nod to best parts of Booster's cannon, setting up a hopefully exciting and action-heavy issue to make up for the albeit necessary — groundwork laid in this one. The premise of this miniseries shows faith in the readership's knowledge and is further notable simply for focusing on a character that could have been brushed aside in light of his knack for skewing continuity.

With the first four issues out, the print copy that compiles them should read better than the digitals taken separately. The latest issue gives much needed diversity to the cast, even if it does come across overly snarky or underwritten at times.

The start of The X-File's eleventh season is " in the spirit of most late series X-Files " a bit inaccessible. While writer Joe Harris' core concept of Agent Mulder on the run and Agent Scully working within the FBI to clear his name rings true of many different plots from the show, the particulars may be a little difficult to follow.

Overall this book is hurt by its duties as the first issue in an event miniseries. Too much of its time is taken explaining itself to possible new readers brought on by the hype, and as such it makes for a boring, if necessary read. If the second issue can hit the ground running it may still make for an exciting miniseries, especially if the betrayal portion of the story is economically developed in the pages available to it.

Despite its almost dismissible price of 99 cents, the art and story of the series' second issue are just not worth it. Fans of the video game that the book is based on may enjoy some back story to the online action, but those who read past crisis events will not find the same gravity or quality here. That said, this is only the second issue; it will take at least a few more before seeing whether the slow plot and poor action of Infinite Crisis: Fight for the Multiverse #2 is indicative of the whole series.

If nothing else, Issue #7 proved that if the book is going to continue to move this slow, it will need better art. As a 99 cent weekly issue based off of a video-game, readers should know to expect a little less than your average monthly, but the line has to be drawn somewhere, namely a few pages into this issue.

While there may not have been much downtime between issues, Infinite Crisis: Fight for the Multiverse #3 does little to make up for its predecessor's mistakes. Now that the story appears to be moving, it'll be interesting to see how much ground can be covered in the next issue, but as it stands, this book stretches a thin plot like too little butter over too much bread.

What began as understandable problems of a book in its infancy are now cementing themselves as repeated failures. The series moves at a crawl, even by digital comic standards, with the lack of progress only compounded by the painful exposition. One can't help but assume both the writing and the art are simply rushed. If there is an upside, book's weekly schedule and premise offers many opportunities for improvement. Given the quality of Abnett's past work, and the fact that artists will rotate every 3 or 4 issues, it's easy to be optimistic. But for the time being, this book just is not worth 99 cents each week.

Due to the Infinite Crisis: Fight for the Multiverse's weekly release, an issue dedicated to combat wouldn't be the worst choice, but it needs an artist more suited to the job. A majority of this issue relied heavily on the visuals to keep the reader entertained, but the art just didn't measure up.

Cumulatively, writer Frank Tieri and artist Tom Mandrake hold around 40 years of experience in making comics for big name publishers, and this series exhibits not a single instance of that implied competency. To call the plot of this issue serpentine would be insulting to a snake's ability to arrive at a destination. To assume even a modicum of care taken in this issue's art would require a saintly level of leniency. This series is simply a resounding waste of time and money on the reader's, creators', and publisher's part.