And, as Johns seems to imply, Superman wouldn't be who he is without them. As he says when he defeats the ridiculous Earth-Man, "I've been an outsider every day of my life." Not when he was with the Legion, though. For those moments, both past, present, and 1,000 years in the future, Superman belonged. And in those moments, surrounded by dozens of peers with special powers, Superman could feel like a human.

Ever since Johns got back on track with "Action Comics," and especially since Gary Frank has come on board, I've enjoyed this comic every month. This is probably one of the weaker single issues from the duo, but it's still a slick, well-told Superman story, and it's only the middle of a larger Brainiac story that has yet to unfold. It's a story that may or may not include an important part for the long-forgotten Ultra, the Multi-Alien, who appears in a few panels this month. Johns and Frank are always worth reading, and if they unleash Ultra onto the populace there's going to be no way you can ignore them.

"Action Comics" #875 tells a story clearly based on the narrative machine set in motion by Geoff Johns, but unless Greg Rucka does something special with it -- takes it in a surprising direction -- then this comic will lose its status as a central book in the DCU. It will be that lesser series about which everyone will say, "yeah, it's fine, but when is that Superman guy coming back?"

Checking in this week, it seems that it hasn't gotten any better at all. And with Lois' clumsy "journalistic" narration, it's possibly worse than ever.

Hopefully, we'll see Johns and Manapul bring Conner Kent back to the front of this book next month. And hopefully they won't just drift away from the character when Paul Levitz comes in to do his long-awaited return to the Legion. But the sad fact is that the two-part Superboy Prime story didn't work, and this series has lost some luster because of it.

All three stories in this issue are basically just preludes to the upcoming "Last Stand of New Krypton," but they do their job well, providing context, and a reason to care about what might happen next. And with Tellus and Quislet and the whole Legion gang back in action, the events on New Krypton should be a heck of a lot more interesting than they have in recent months. If this prologue is any indication, we won't have to suffer through the likes of "World of New Krypton" this time around.

The story leads directly into next week's "Action Comics" #871, so if you're picking that up, you will probably want to get this one first, as it seems that Robinson and Johns are setting up the Guardian to be the street-level operative as the Kryptonian battle for the sky rages inevitably in the future.

If the remaining three issues are this good, I'll be looking forward to more of these Marvel anthologies. "Age of Heroes" may not be essential, but it's certainly entertaining.

The art is certainly good enough to make "Agents of Atlas" worth reading, and issue #2 has some nice moments (particularly in the scenes with Gorilla-Man in the present day, and with Marvel Boy in the flashbacks), but Parker hasn't kicked this series into gear yet. It's still just idling in the superhero parking lot, looking pretty, making a sweet purring sound, but not going anywhere. But it is a nice-looking ride, and it's sure to be a thrill once Parker decides to take it for a spin through the Marvel Universe.

Until the characters become more than quirky concepts, mashed together, I won't be able to call this series anything more than very good. Very good is often enough, though.

I had zero interest in a new "Aliens" comic until I read the little story in the Free Comic Book Day flip book, and that little taste of Arcudi's direction was enough to make me curious about this first issue. And now I'm hooked. This is an exemplary first issue by Arcudi and Howard, one that brings the horror and suspense (and dark bits of comedy) back to the "Aliens" franchise after too long of an absence.

After ten issues, "All-Star Batman" is still a mess. It's inconsistent from issue-to-issue and the plot is little more than a series of violent incidents with nothing to tie them together other than the bombast. But it's still kind of a fascinating mess, and I have no idea where it's headed next, which, by my estimation, is a good thing.

"All-Star Superman" #10 establishes that Superman isn't a concept that humans created, humanity is a concept that Superman created.

This final installment of Zeb Wells's three-part story may not have any long-lasting affect on the Spider-Man franchise. Dr. Rabin and his Mayan menaces may never be seen again. None of that really matters. What matters is that for three weeks in a row, we got to see Chris Bachalo's Spider-Man. And it was a treat.

"Amazing Spider-Man" still isn't a great comic. It's a bit too simplistic, and some of the changes have been shoehorned in without much elegance (like Harry Osborn's new status as a restaurateur, or Peter Parker's one-note roommate, Vin) but I'm reading and enjoying "Amazing Spider-Man" several times a month, and this Anti-Venom arc looks to be one of the best so far. So while it isn't a masterpiece of the genre, it's a comic that's far better than it's been for years. It has certainly moved near the top of my stack each time it comes out.

It's a good thing all those people lined up in the cold probably only bought it for the cover.

"Amazing Spider-Man" #589 is a fun, maybe even poignant, comic from a writer who has established himself as among the best Marvel has in its stable today.

These two creators may only be around for a single issue, and it may be a brief diversion before the serious tragedy of "The Gauntlet" begins next week. But "Amazing Spider-Man" #611 shows that this series doesn't have to be bound up in pathos to be great. It can just cut loose and have fun.

"The Gauntlet" continues next month, with the return of yet another of Spidey's old enemies. (The whole premise of "The Gauntlet" is that these musty old characters get "leveled-up" to challenge the web-slinger as part of a larger, devious, supervillain scheme.) I don't know that Waid and Azaceta really made Electro much more interesting than he used to be, but it was fun watching them try. All-in-all, this is a solid issue of what has become a dependably enjoyable series over the past two years.

"Amazing Spider-Man" continues to be one of the best superhero comics on the Marvel shelves. And it comes out almost weekly? Amazing, indeed.

Amazing Spider-Man #601
Posted Mon, August 10th

"Amazing Spider-Man" #623 continues to prove that this series is one of the best classic superhero serials on the stands. No matter how "new" it looks.

It doesn't matter. That's all extra fluff. What matters is the "Grim Hunt" story that makes up the bulk of this issue. And that one's a definite winner from start to finish.

If you've been on the "Brand New Day" bandwagon, you won't want to miss this issue, since it's filled with stories that aren't just filler. If you haven't yet sampled this new direction in which Spider-Man's been headed, you could do a lot worse than this comic. It's worth a look.

But, for me, there's just a bit too much emphasis on the corny jokes and the sit-com quality gags and not enough skewering of the DC Universe itself. It is a six-issue series, though, so perhaps Giffen is saving all of his good stuff for later. I'm sure he can do better than the Mauve Lanterns.

I doubt anyone who's not intimately familiar with the past two or three years of DC comics would be able to make any sense out of this comic, but the same could be said for a lot of superhero comics these days. And at least this one is intentionally funny.

And worst of all, it's not even funny.

"American Vampire" #1 seems as ambitious as its title. It's not just another vampire story. It's a story about America. Bloody, vicious, and a whole lot of fun.

There's certainly no reason to read "Astonishing Tales" #5 unless you want the Hickman story, but that might be a good enough motivation for picking it up. Then again, that's the only story that might end up collected somewhere down the road -- the X-Men stuff tends to find its way to the reprint shelves, and Hickman will surely become a big enough name at Marvel to deserve more reprint attention -- and at $3.99 an issue, buying this just for Hickman story may not be your best bet.

If you somehow missed the Whedon/Cassaday run, or bailed out before the end, "Astonishing X-Men" #25 is the perfect place to jump on board. If you've been buying it all along, well, you don't need to fear: Ellis and Bianchi are more than up to the task of making this one of Marvel's premiere books.

"Astonishing X-Men" #29 may not look like most other Marvel comics, and may not read like many X-Men comics in history, but it's very good, and it's surely worth the wait.

There's nothing ambitious about "Astonishing X-Men" #33, but Ellis and Jimenez show how easy it is to make engaging superhero comics, and to make comics that don't feel bogged down, clunky, or overly chatty. Well, I suppose it is easy. If you're Warren Ellis and Phil Jimenez.

Next issue promises to conclude the mega-Brood story arc, and with the cliffhanger at the end of this issue, it looks to be an eagerly-awaited one. Six months is a long time to wait between issues, but I'll take quality over quantity any day. And as piece of superhero entertainment, the Ellis/Jimenez/Lanning "Astonishing X-Men" is quality.

If you can get past the ridiculously high price for so few story pages, you'll find a lot of interesting ideas and fantastic visuals packed into this comic. But its brevity adds to its feeling of incompleteness, and I don't know what Ellis has planned for the second (and final) issue, but I hope it does more than just provide intriguing windows into alternate superhero realms.

I've been a regular reader of Busiek and Anderson's "Astro City" since the very first issue hit the stands, but the "Dark Age" arc has gone on for too long, and the freshness of this series has worn off years ago. Busiek and Anderson are top-notch comic book craftsmen, and they can still produce solid storytelling even when the story has grown stale, but I hope for better comics from them once this arc has ended.

"Avengers Academy" may have replaced "Avengers: The Initiative" on the publishing schedule, but it's a better comic, with a stronger cast of characters from the beginning and the incisive dialogue of Christos Gage matched with the chiseled artwork of Mike McKone. This is one of the good ones, in a season when Marvel has had more than its share.

But it's too good to skip, even if its nothing more then a well-told superhero story of two titanic teams tussling.

This issue was good enough to make me want to read more about the adventures of the Taskmaster and his junior Dark Avenger squad. Too bad it's barreling towards a series conclusion in a few issues. But if the series that replaces it is as good as this one, I'll have to give it a close look.

This issue might be considered a prologue to the upcoming "Batman R.I.P." storyline, but, in fact, every Morrison Batman story since "52" #30 has been the prologue. It's all a single story, with clues to the larger picture planted along the way. Have you been paying attention the whole time?

Much of "Batman" #676 is spent laying groundwork, and guiding the reader through what has already been implied in previous issues, but it is a good comic nonetheless, and it sets things up for what will be one of the most memorable "Batman" stories in history: "Batman R.I.P."

I wish Morrison had a better artist joining him on this strange journey, but "Batman R.I.P." is shaping up to be a classic. The more we learn about the Black Glove, the more we appreciate Morrison's earlier work on this series, as small moments from months ago, or even years ago, matter more in retrospect. Morrison's "Batman" has re-engaged my interest in the Batman mythos, and I'm eager to see how he's going to tie the Black Glove reveal into the "death" of Batman. Because even though I've been "sure" of the Black Glove's identity about half a dozen times, I really don't know what Morrison has planned.

"Batman" #681 is a good issue, and important one, but it also puts an end to the speculation and gamesmanship that has sustained the series over the past six months, and in that regard, it comes with a hint of disappointment as well. But mysteries cannot linger forever, and even while wrapping up some of these, Morrison has left the door open for more to come.

It's far from perfect, with awkward attempts at wedging emotional moments into the rapid-pop scheme of events, and Daniel's final image, with the gargoyle-like Dick Grayson Batman, feels like an out-take from the Ed Wood theater hour. But at least there's plenty of other stuff going on to distract us from the weaker moments. Plenty of stuff that may or may not build to something significant in future issues, but at least it isn't boring.

The story ends with the promise that Dick knows who the Black Mask really is, and the villain's use of an Aristotle quote is surely a clue, if you're interested in trying to figure out such things. But this issue, like Daniel's run so far, isn't about subtlety or narrative gamesmanship. It's about telling a gung-ho, punchin' and kickin' Batman tale, and it's not a bad one.

Maybe he's the id to Dick Grayson's ego and the Batman super-ego. Maybe things will get a whole lot more internal before "Batman and Robin" reaches its conclusion. Or maybe Morrison will just continue to tell engaging, off-kilter stories about the Batman family, regardless of whether or not he has an artist who brings out the best in him.

And if "Final Crisis" was about the Modern Age of brooding superheroes coming to an end, then this is a great series from which to launch a new age. One of thrills and excitement. A high-speed rollicking ride for a new generation. Even if it hasn't fully lived up to its potential yet.

Comics that make you want to go back and reread other comics to see what you missed the first time around. That's good stuff.

Overall, "Batman and Robin" #16 provides the kind of closure that most readers were probably expecting from the end of "Batman R.I.P." a couple of years back. But it doesn't wrap up everything, and it still leaves plenty of story possibilities for Morrison to pursue in the rest of his Bat-run, wherever it's headed. This is a pretty great comic, flawed by an imperfect production schedule and saved by the skill of the three individual artists. And it's Bruce Wayne, back in Gotham, with a vengeance.

This story from Batman's past feels like it could have been written thirty years ago (although it would have been told in one or two issues instead of three), and Garcia-Lopez gives it a classic look that places it in that late-Bronze Age period as well. But in this era of Tony Daniel's "Battle for the Cowl," stuff like this looks refreshingly new and vibrant. It's the veterans coming back for one more swing at the pitch, saying, "no, youngster, it's supposed to look like this," and slamming it over the fence with ease.

It's a bleak vision of the world, and a bleak vision of Batman's life. But it's closer to the truth of the character than most other Batman tales. It looks, and feels, raw.

"Batman R.I.P.: The Deluxe Edition" may have its flaws, but it has its charms as well, and the manic, cagey story Morrison tells is certainly worth your attention.

This isn't an offensively bad series, but it's not a good one either.

"Batman: Mad Love and Other Stories" includes a few other Paul Dini/Bruce Timm short stories as well, featuring such characters as Poison Ivy, Batgirl, Clayface, and Two-Face, thus making it an appropriately comprehensive edition of their collaborative efforts. And, even if you ignore their great contributions to the DC animated universe and based your judgment on the stories presented here, you would be hard-pressed to deny that they deserve such a handsome collected edition.

And maybe that's okay for a Batman story, but in a world where Batman's incorporated, hopping around the globe on adventures, this opening issue feels regressive, inert, and not particularly worth reading.

That doesn't sound good, does it? But it's Bruce Wayne. I'm sure he knows what he's doing. Morrison and Irving certainly do.

The Haney/Aparo story may be enough to make this book worth a look, but you can surely find that story reprinted elsewhere, or buy the original issue for less than the cost of this rather expensive collected edition.

This is a well-crafted first issue (even though I have one minor complaint: I found the "handwriting" font to be distractingly difficult to read), and I'm curious to see how Ennis handles Sutton's dilemma.

"The Night Witches" is a high-quality war comic, and, without a doubt, I'm looking forward to other "Battlefields" installments from Garth Ennis and company.

"Big Hero 6" #1 surprised me, offering more fun than I had expected, and I'll definitely stick around to check out the next issue.

I'll leave the final words to my son, who says, "I'm really excited for the next issue."

This series lost its way for a while, but now it's headed in a much stronger direction. And if Norton stays on for an extended run, this could be the kind of series that's worth paying attention to. Like the Mike Parobeck/Rich Burchett "Batman Adventures," or the Mark Millar run on "Superman Adventures," this is a comic that's all about old-school action with a bold graphic style. Or, it is now.

Pierce does have a kind of righteous indignation that might make future issues a bit more interesting, as he turns from being a leader to being a vigilante when his leadership fails to solve the problems. Perhaps Van Meter and Hamner can develop this into a more layered origin story that the first issue indicates. There are still five issues left in the series, plenty of time to make this story into something that matters.

"Black Panther" #12 doesn't pretend to be anything other than it is: an overblown, stuffed-to-the-gills action comic. The political stuff going on in Wakanda is all background, it's all texture, for what is just a bunch of guys and gals pounding on each other with visually spectacular powers. I respect that. It's one of the things superhero comics do best.

"Black Terror" #1 is what happens when you take a silly public domain character and try to make him as "cool" as possible. But just because you yell, "this is serious!" over and over, that doesn't make it so. And it definitely doesn't make it any good.

Although the appearance of a giant flying pirate ship on the final page does hint at something better.

This is a grim first issue, but its grimness is in the service of a story that is about the role of death in the DCU. Perhaps Johns will explore the consequences of hero and villain deaths in some meaningful way, or perhaps this is the beginning of nothing more than a summer blockbuster full of horrific bad guys and noble heroes. Either way, this first issue boldly establishes that this will be a story to remember. It's excessive, but it needs to be to seem like it matters. And its excesses are part of its charm.

I prefer the overripe ambition of the "Final Crisis" finale, but I can't deny the satisfaction of seeing how everything played out in the end of "Blackest Night." We got what we came for, and a little bit more.

"Blackest Night: Batman" isn't as strong as Peter Tomasi's other "Blackest Night" crossover this week ("Green Lantern Corps" #39), but it's a fine supplement to the big Geoff Johns event. It's Black. It's Night. It doesn't take itself too seriously, but it takes the storyline seriously. It works. But it's nothing special.

In the final pages, the Blue Lantern Flash story and the Captain Cold and his wily gang of Rogues stories parallel each other, with Johns and Kolins cutting back and forth between them as they quote from "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" and march toward their destiny: a new "Flash" series, after a brief pit stop in "Blackest Night" #8.

Rogers (with the help of the wonderfully expressive Rafael Albuquerque) pulls it all together and includes all the right moments to turn the first twenty-five issues of the series into something that should be read as a single, epic tale. It's the type of comic that DC can be proud of, and if you haven't been picking this series up regularly, you really need to go back and get all the issues you've missed.

This volume celebrates Rogers by letting the comics speak for themselves in their own, whimsically odd, way.

Remender and Olliffe have one more issue to wrap up this bland Starro two-parter, and if this series is going to survive under Dan Jurgens it has to become more than just a time anomaly-of-the-month kind of series. It needs to have a real story, with real stakes, even if those stakes are at a cosmic, temporal level. Even though "Booster Gold" is about the infinite possibilities of time, it feels too small, too insular, and too pointless.

So the Booster Gold feature, good. Blue Beetle, not so much. Not yet, anyway.

"Brightest Day" #3 opens with the Anti-Monitor and closes with a doorway through Hawkman continuity, and we get a whole lot of tension in between. It may not have done much more than put its characters in motion, but "Brightest Day," as a method of story delivery, seems like it just might work. And it might end up being the best of the year-long superhero experiments so far.

"Buck Rogers" #9 doesn't push the envelope or challenge any conventions, but it tells a good-hearted romantic adventure in the sleek but imperfect future. With jetpacks and sky-sleds and something called "genius bombs."

Because if this issue teaches us anything, it's that while sex may be a whole lot of fun, it's bad for the universe. That's why we have vampires. To remind us of exactly that.

Even hillbillies from the future can't save this comic. And if they can't, maybe nothing can.

"Cable" is like "Doctor Who," if the Doctor jumped to a new time 10 minutes into each episode, without resolving anything. And that's not a particularly effective way to tell a serialized story, even if this series is building its own larger temporal mythology.

"Captain America" has been good since Brubaker launched this new series, and this issue is no exception.

Accept "Captain America" for what it is -- an elaborately developed superhero saga that, once it's completed, will take up three or four Omnibus volumes. Or one giant, awesome volume that will be so impressively huge you'll need robot arms just to lift it.

"Captain America" is Marvel's best ongoing series right now, and for all the attention on the "Death of Captain America," it's been the life after the Death that has been the real treat to read.

Any comic book series that makes me ask, "what's next?" after forty-two issues is doing something right. Brubaker and the gang have built an exceptional example of what a serialized comic should be in "Captain America." Not only am I asking, "what's next?" with genuine curiosity, I'm as eager to pick up the next issue as I've ever been. Not because some hot new creative team is coming on the book, not because upcoming storylines promise to change the Marvel Universe forever, but because Ed Brubaker has told a story exceedingly well, and he's hooked me for the long term. This is good stuff.

Welcome back to form, "Captain America." You deserve it.

But there's that moment near the end of this issue that makes it seem like something bigger is on the horizon. I have no idea what Brubaker has in store for the future of the "Captain America" comic books, but he's earned our trust after four years of excellent stories, and though this issue is completely action-free, it still packs its own kind of punch.

"Reborn" may be just the next chapter in the ongoing Brubaker/Cap super-saga, but like the other installments of the over-arching story, it's a good one.

The superhero spectacle of this conclusion might seem out of place in the more grounded "Captain America" run. Not that the main series, with its skull-faced supervillains, conspiracies, crazed Eisenhower-era refugees, and mind control victims is all that grounded in reality, but there's more bombast in "Captain America Reborn" than in the entire run of the main series under Brubaker. But it's the good kind of bombast, the kind that fits the explosively dramatic return of a legend.

The title of this comic is ridiculously long, and the idea of Captain America in Iraq is equally ridiculous (isn't he supposed to be off fighting other superheroes in some kind of Civil War, or traveling through time in his brain?), but this issue tells a powerful -- if familiar -- story about war, duty, struggle, memory, and forgiveness. It's good.

So when we read about these American soldiers defying the odds to defend their position on the Rembrechtshof Dam as the struggle with the inequity of war and the lessons of brotherhood, it's an effective piece of storytelling. This comic isn't much more than you'd expect, based on its title, but it's a professionally-produced tale that might be worth your time.

Cornell also adds a powerful climax to the first issue, after effectively setting up his characters and throwing in a battle or two. (Just like in his "Wisdom" series, Cornell doesn't decompress his storytelling here. Stuff happens.) I won't spoil the ending of the issue, but there's majesty and sacrifice and a sequence on the final three pages that perfectly encapsulates what this comic is all about. "Captain Britain and MI:13" is a splendid new series, and the second issue can't come soon enough.

"Captain Britain and MI: 13" may have an unwieldy title, but it's a book I'll be reading as long as Paul Cornell sticks around. This was a solid conclusion to an excellent opening arc.

"Casanova" is still one of the top five series published today, without a doubt. A tiny little storytelling gaffe doesn't change that. It just proves that Matt Fraction is, as the rumors indicate, human.

Plot-wise, Fraction and Moon build to what will surely be an intense climax next issue. But while the first seven issue of this series were almost all plot -- or densely woven, recursive plots which gained depth through excess -- the past six issues have presented a careful unfolding of one multi-layered sequence of events, and the series has seemingly matured. What started out, in issue #1 as a thrilling and stylized pastiche of the super-spy genre has become something far greater and more resonant, and that was probably Fraction's plan all along. As good as Fraction's Marvel work has been, "Casanova," untethered from mainstream continuity and conservatism, is his masterpiece.

When the dust settles, I wouldn't be surprised to see "Casanova" emerge as the defining comic of this decade. Not because it represents it so thoroughly, but because it transcends it. Just like great art is supposed to do.

A typical, innocent teenage girl who has the power to kill with her bare hands and doesn't seem to know it. Matching red uniforms. Strange futuristic technology. It's a decent start for a new series, although it's still just the promise of pending quality at this point. But the first issue makes me want to read more, just like it's supposed to.

The art, as always, is excellent, but it's just not enough to save the flawed concept of the issue. The story ends with Catwoman waking from her imposed dream state, though, so I have faith that Pfeifer will get the series back on track in no time.

It's probably futile to review a comic book so close to cancellation, but "Catwoman" readers know how good this series has been, and if you dropped the series somewhere along the way, you might want to check out the last few years of the comic and see what you've missed. This isn't one of those comics that's limping to the finish line. It's not a mercy killing. "Catwoman" is a good comic book, standing tall even as it faces its demise.

"Clandestine" #5 certainly isn't worth picking up if you've ignored the first four issues, and if you were waiting for the trade, you have to ask yourself what you're looking for. Are you looking for a fully-developed exploration of a superhero family? Then this won't be the series for you. Are you looking for a fast-paced, overwhelmingly packed narrative involving a huge cast of characters drawn by Alan Davis? Then this is right up your alley. And, man, does Davis know how to draw.

Ultimately, this is a comic that doesn't do anything to move the Cloak and Dagger characters forward in any meaningful way, and it doesn't even reaffirm the best parts of their previous stories. It's just a competently-crafted, inconsequential episode. Like so many other one-shots.

Giorello's art is lush enough for a visit, but there's not a lot here to make me come back for more.

I should also note that this, and every, issue of Countdown to Adventure includes a new installment of the adventures Forerunner. Remember her? That sensational new character who popped up in the early issues of "Countdown" and then kind of disappeared? Well, she doesn't do much here either, other than run around through the multiverse and scowl. You're not missing anything.

At least it's over.

This issue of "Criminal" is very good on its own, but it's even better as part of the larger "Criminal" tapestry. It informs all of the previous issues and adds depth to scenes we've already witnessed. And, as a bonus, issue #2 includes a two-page essay by Jason Aaron on the topic of character-based crime fiction. Aaron mentions what makes "Homicide: Life on the Street," "To Live and Die in L.A.," and "Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia" so good, and in describing that last film, Aaron describes it as "dark, bitter, merciless and gorgeously violent." It's no coincidence that such a description could apply to "Criminal" #2 as well.

If you're not reading "Criminal," you should be. It's a dark, twisted, glorious descent into the world of crime from two creators reveling in their work. I can't recommend this book highly enough

Plus, like every other issue of "Criminal," you get a bonus essay -- this time from Tom Piccirilli on "Korean Noir." It's a nice little extra, and the essays are always fun to read, but it's just a decoration. The story by Brubaker and Phillips in "Criminal The Sinners" is the cake and the icing. Deliciously so.

I've only read this one issue, which I assume is building to the climax of the first story arc, but if this issue represents the quality of this series, it's something you'll want to check out.

Perhaps it's not that Brubaker is taking this series in a new direction, but that he's returning it to its roots, and doing it in his own particular way. Without a doubt, though, "Daredevil" has now regained its status as one of the must-read Marvel comics. It's the Brubaker/Lark "Daredevil" comic that you expected a couple of years ago, finally free of the Bendis influence.

"Daredevil" has turned a corner with this story arc, and if you haven't been reading it lately, now is the time to take another look.

This is a fine farewell to Brubaker, Lark, and Gaudiano's "Daredevil," and with its jam-packed pages, this is a comic book not to be missed.

This is a stranger, less realistic direction than we have seen in "Daredevil" for years, but it's in keeping with his pulpy roots and the crime-meets-kung-fu direction Frank Miller made famous in the 1980s. I know I'm enjoying it.

Well, it doesn't actually end with that, but that happens near the end. The actual end is a splash page of Elektra. And that doesn't bode well for Matt Murdock either.

Ultimately, this is just a standard, old-school Daredevil/Captain America team-up -- something out-of-continuity that would have seemed right at home in a mid-80s issue of "Marvel Fanfare." It seems exceedingly safe, offering little in the way of a new perspective on any of the characters involved, and for the five bucks "Dead on Arrival" costs, you can dig through the back issue bins and get a whole lot of actual "Marvel Fanfare" comics instead, if that's the kind of thing you're into. If not, you won't find much here to interest you, anyway.

It's very good work that seems wasted here, in this Elseworlds Hell's Kitchen. But Coker's work is good enough to keep me coming back for more, and the story might develop into something special by the end. It's happened before in the short life of Marvel Noir.

Perhaps this one-shot is meant to set up future Black Tarantula episodes, or maybe it will lead into some major Daredevil events a year from now, but it stands on its own as a story about a tormented man trying to do what needs to be done. Sure, it owes more than a little to Miller and Mazzucchelli, but there are far worse creators to emulate.

"Dark Avengers" #2 may lack the perversity of the Ellis-era "Thunderbolts," but its still a deranged look at the Marvel Universe, and that makes for a fun, if very dark, romp.

Things are falling apart, just like they should. And this series continues to make its mark.

Bendis and Deodato have done a solid job on this series since it launched, and this is another fine installment. Nothing extraordinary, nothing particularly shocking -- unless you take the Molecule Man's fantasies for reality -- but well-told. And more dominoes are placed in the Dark Reign lineup, ready for their inevitable fall.

(Check out CBR's preview of this issue to see Clay Mann's art is more to your liking.)

Still, this is a good, if not the best, "Dark Reign" spin-off so far, and both Diggle and Raney surely have more twists and turns in store for us.

Yet, the fragmented story is bit of a mess, like something that burst out of the mental recesses of the world's most enthusiastic Keith Giffen clone. Still, the Bachalo art makes it all look like it's worth your time, even if it may not be.

Still, the main story's the real draw here, and it's certainly a good one.

Still, Nathan Fox drawing the weirder side of the Marvel Universe seems a whole lot more palatable than yet another take on the Avengers, dark or otherwise.

"Dark Reign: Zodiac" #2 is probably the most Dark Reign fun you'll have all summer. Just watch out for that sneak attack at the end.

"Dark Wolverine" #75 does what it needs to do to make Daken a character who isn't a total waste of space. It's not a story I'm particularly interested in, but I'm certainly curious to see how this unique Dark Avenger plays this twisted game of his.

And though the plot doesn't really matter, we do get a shocking moment in the final scene. It's so shocking that it can't possibly amount to anything, because it would change the course of "Dark Reign" and "Siege" so radically that it couldn't possibly occur in the pages of "Dark Wolverine." But it's a surprise nonetheless. A good one.

But for all that, there's still not a whole lot here beyond a typical extended battle scene. In the context of the series, that might be enough. But for a single issue, it's a bit thin on content, even if it's heavy on style.

But right now, that's based more on faith than actual evidence.

And with "Daytrippers" #3, what beautiful art it is.

Yes, it's a meaningless comic book on its own, but it establishes the players for the cosmic game which will soon occur. It's exactly what "Countdown" failed to be, and at fifty cents, how can you pass it up?

That's what this is, except less comfortable.

I don't know if this fall's presidential race has whet your appetite for political superhero comics or not, but it's safe to say that no matter what you're in the mood for, this comic probably isn't going to satisfy you.

I'm sure Giffen will explain all of these strange plot events and shocking "deaths" within the next three issues. I'm sure Chimera will be some whacked-out crazy comic book fan with mental powers who has created constructs of his favorite characters or something along those lines. But until the inevitable explanation comes along and playtime is over, I'll enjoy this series for what it is: a giddy "Secret Wars"-style romp in the fields of DC and Wildstorm, where anything can happen because it's all just an imaginary story anyway. But, as the man once said, aren't they all?

I don't know why this is labeled as a "Dead of Night" comic, since it has nothing to link it to the previous, poorly-received series, and I assume the "Devil-Slayer" concept will pop up sooner rather than later. But so far it's just a decently written Iraq war comic with a bit of devilishness at the end. I hope Keene has something a bit more unique planned for the next few issues.

There is a bit of fun at the end of the issue which bodes well for the finale next month -- some random violence that highlights the absurdity of the comic. But it's not enough to save "Dead of Night" #3, especially with its $3.99 price tag. There's nothing here you haven't seen in any original Sci-Fi channel movie, except for maybe the "Preacher"-like bit in the final two pages. But who watches those Sci-Fi channel movies, anyway? So maybe you haven't seen stuff like this before. Still, this comic probably isn't worth picking up.

There's almost enough here to get me to come back for Volume 2, but just barely. And unless the tightly-wound world of "Deadman Wonderland" opens up a bit and lets some life inside, I don't think I'll make it much beyond that.

I've read plenty of Daniel Way comics, and I can't say that I've ever been a fan of his work, but his "Deadpool" is worth reading. It's a gleefully mad romp through the more ridiculous fringes of the Marvel Universe.

This issue also ends with a lesson learned, and a bit of insight into Deadpool's character on the final page. If that's what you're looking for. But like most everything else about this issue, it falls a little short. It's not enough.

For the love of the saintly, gorgeous, and dead Bea Arthur, I hope not.

The story's a mess, but it does have its satirical elements, and between Huston's on-the-nose sadism and the 1980s Epic Comics-style painted artwork of Lan Medina and Brian Heberling, there's a certain campy charm to this series. It's about as subtle as "Small Soldiers" combined with "Terminator," but in a comic called "Deathlok," subtlety's probably not something you'd expect anyway.

This may be Kirkman's last Marvel superhero series for a long, long time (maybe ever), and it's a good one.

If you're buying this issue for the "Batman R.I.P." tie-in, you'll be disappointed, but you might find a lot to like here anyway. Come for the misleading advertising, stay for the Nguyen.

This story feels like a situation where O'Neil and March were called in to produce some filler before the really "important" stuff starts coming out in 2009. "Last Days of Gotham" may lay important groundwork for future stories, or it may be a way to give O'Neil a victory lap after a long and storied career with the character, but it doesn't feel like it. It feels inessential and unimpressive, and that's too bad.

This incarnation of Batwoman hasn't been around very long, but J. H. Williams III has reinvented her here. He has given her substance. He has given us a reason to read about her. And "Detective Comics" has rarely looked this good. And that "rarely" is pretty darn close to never.

As good as the Rucka and Williams's opening arc on "Detective Comics" was, this arc is even better. This is the kind of comic that we're going to remember for a long, long time.

While this may be the final J. H. Williams III story in "Detective Comics" for a while, maybe ever, it's a wonderful one. And it's yet another example of why I ranked this series as one of the best comics -- the best superhero series -- of 2009.

David Hine will be back with more Batman two issues from now. I'm curious to see what he does with the world of Gotham City next.

Maybe it will serve a larger purpose. Maybe this whole seemingly fill-in issue has some relevance to the world of Gotham and the current adventures of Dick Grayson and his pals. But it doesn't feel like it will. So all it has to rely on is its own internal strength, its power to affect the reader within these twenty-two pages. And on that level, the story just fails, even if the art has a bit of charm.

"DMZ" is perhaps too reliant on the insubstantial Matty Roth, but at least its about something. It's not an allegory, but its thematic concerns about the convergence of media, business, and the military are relevant today. Deep and meaningfully relevant, not relevant in a way that will seem dated in a year. Brian Wood isn't afraid to play around in the world of ideas, and he clearly has something to say about them. His authorial voice is stronger than his protagonist's, though, and therein lies the main fault.

I assume Matty Roth will take the spotlight again next issue, as Wood is unlikely to abandon his protagonist completely after so many issues. But I certainly didn't miss Matty during this arc. Not when Wood had such a compelling story to tell.

That's true. But after four issues of fighting, I still don't see a reason to believe. Not at all.

Issue #1 hits the stands this Wednesday. Until then, check out http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=preview&id=1872&disp=table>CBR's preview of what lies inside.

But the series feels too reigned-in after the first issue. As it stands now, it's just a dark, Loa-ridden version of "Doctor Strange," and I don't think that's enough to keep readers for much longer unless Remender really starts cutting loose. Which he's more than capable of doing.

Still, it's a near faithful reproduction of the kind of thing you might see in a "Doctor Who" serial with an unlimited budget, and though Tennant's Doctor doesn't translate perfectly to the page, Tony Lee captures his voice about as well as he can, given the restrictions of the medium. It's a good complement to the series, even with a new Doctor in the TARDIS on television. It gives this series a kind of immediate nostalgia. And that's okay.

Between the gorgeously-textured period detail, the acerbic dialogue, and the grotesquely beautiful inhabitants of his cruel world, this may be Chaykin's best work in years, at least as a writer/artist. It's certainly a return to his roots, and longtime Chaykin fans -- and unprudish neophytes -- will find a lot to enjoy in "Dominic Fortune."

"Doom Patrol" #3 is a good little comic, a twisted psychosexual tale of weird superheroics from the first feature to the last. It's better than you probably expect.

I suppose it's no surprise that a video game spin-off series ends up lacking so much substance, but then I remember "The Sky Pirates of Neo-Terra" from last year, and how much soul and charm and freshness that series had. "Dragon Age" doesn't reach that level. Not yet, anyway. After this first issue, it's just a mild disappointment. But a good-looking one.

IDW has declared its plans to reprint some classic D&D comics in addition to producing its original comics based on the property. Most of those "classic" D&D comics are about the same quality of the Alex Irvine/Peter Bergting attempt, from what I remember. But the John Rogers story in this issue bodes well for the future of the IDW D&D relationship. It looks like a comic that has appeal outside the gaming fanbase, and it looks like it will be plenty of fun.

"El Diablo" #1 is a strong start for Nitz and Hester, and it's a comic that's accessible to new readers and yet has those inside-DC bits that old-time fans will enjoy. In this marketplace, westerns and third-string superheroes don't stand much of a chance for longevity, but "El Diablo" definitely deserves your attention. Maybe after its six issues are up, sales will warrant an ongoing series by this creative team. I know I'd buy it.

The issue ends with a radical shift to the El Diablo status quo, and as this series races towards its conclusion next issue, one wonders what kind of El Diablo will remain standing in the end. After four issues of world building, Nitz has unleashed an earthquake, and "El Diablo" may well end as powerfully as it began.

The Knaufs have a fascinating premise to work with -- space-god resistance fighters vs. even bigger space-anti-gods, against a backdrop of average American life -- but they need to avoid their tendency for the slow burn in "Eternals." With Acuna's considerable help, they have begun with a good first issue, but I'd like to see it move beyond mere exposition and set-up and into something worthy of Kirby's legacy.

It's still too early to condemn this series, and the Knaufs do seem to be heading somewhere: the Deviants are scheming, the Celestials may not be what they seem, and the Eternals are trying to hold everything together while dealing with their very human problems. But after two issues, it's still all promise -- a lot of talk with no sense that anything significant will happen soon -- unless you believe the imitation Stan Lee in the "next issue" box, which I, understandably, do not.

These are the gods of the Marvel Universe and they spend their time acting like characters from a third-rate television soap opera. But even "Heroes" has some characters that you might care about, or find interesting on some level. "Eternals," in the hands of Charles and Daniel Knauf, doesn't even have that. All it has is the painterly art of Daniel Acuna, doing some of the best work of his career on a comic that's nowhere near as good as it looks.

Even with the flaws in Van Lente's script, I'd like to see him tackle the ongoing "Eternals" series. He would be a great match for the dream-like wonder of Acuna's artwork. As long as he can cut down on the painful gags and one-liners.

This is a good comic by a very good creative team, and if you're like me and you haven't given "Exiles" much of a chance before, I think this might be the series for you.

At least this comic doesn't end with a "hey, btw, there's a new series featuring this character coming out soon, and this was just a teaser" threat/promise, the way the Solomon Grundy comic did. But it's just a matter of time until someone gives Deathstroke something to do, and when that happens, I hope it's something with more imagination that this issue demonstrates.

It's also never dull. And that may be exactly what Millar and Hitch are reaching for. Maybe not being dull is enough.

Millar gives Reed Richards all the hero moments in this issue. Not only does Reed get to pilot his "billion dollar a second" super robot armor, but he also gets to reject the gorgeous and brilliant ex-girlfriend and take his wife on a time travel getaway. It's that last scene that works best, as Reed and Sue Richards watch, through a restaurant window, as they bumped into each other for the first time, thirteen years earlier. There's a simplicity, a sense of wonder, and a sweetness to this comic that shine through the veil of sleaze. Maybe that's the point.

In an era when spectacle is usually tied into some soul-crushing mega-crossover event, it's nice to see that an old war horse like "Fantastic Four" can still bring the thrills all by itself. It can. It does.

This comic promises something major. Now we have to see if Millar can make it work.

Could Stuart Immonen come along next issue and help put an exclamation point on the Millar run? Sure. But as the climax of a multi-arc storyline, this issue is merely a half-hearted ellipsis.

This is Hickman's first shot at a core Marvel series, and he plays it relatively safe, but it's a promising start, and I'm curious to see how far he'll push the boundaries of this historically conservative series.

Sure, this opening arc might be a bit of Charles Dickens's "A Christmas Carol" mixed with Alan Moore's "Tom Strong." But it's that infused with a little bit of Kirby and a whole lot of Hickman. It's very good, and if the covers begin sporting "The World's Greatest Comic Magazine" blurb on the top, I certainly wouldn't bother to object.

Overall, this is another very strong issue from Hickman and Eaglesham. They're not only doing the Fantastic Four right, they're doing superhero comics right. This is an issue full of spectacle and conflict, thoughtfulness and surprising moments. And it's Susan Storm's chance to shine, even in a story where her brother shows up wearing flaming cowboy boots to the coldest place on Earth.

"Hothouse," though, is a good story all by itself. It tells of a quarantine in the Baxter Building, as an exploration into a pocket dimension has led to a kind of alien bacteria hiding out in the Thing's crevices. But there's a more sinister agent at work in the story, and as the house-bound heroes (and, importantly to the story, Franklin and Valeria Richards) begin turning on each other. It's a classic sci-fi set-up, with each character becoming increasingly paranoid and vengeful, but Bates provides excellent characterization and allows the members of the team to express their true thoughts about one another. There's nothing particularly surprising here, but Bates writes all of the characters well, and paces the story perfectly. It's far from the "Cosmic" implied in the title, as it's a very inward, twisted family melodrama, but it's a good one.

Paul Cornell is one of the most inventive writers working in the superhero genre today, and if you missed this series in single issue, consider picking up the inevitable trade paperback collection. It may not look like one of the best Fantastic Four story you've seen in years, but it sure reads like one.

"Fathom" #8 may stumble over the lesser details (like dialogue and figure drawing) in its dash toward something vast and awe-inspiring, but at least it tries to underscore the action part of its cheesecake action nature. Still, after reading this issue, I'm in no hurry to come back for more.

This isn't just a giant team-up series. It's not a billion heroes from the DC Universe getting together to punch some shadowy bad guys or stop an alien invasion. This is the story of a planet, a universe, coming apart at the seams. It may not really be the "final" crisis, but the first issue makes it feel like it could be.

"Final Crisis" is not a tour through the DC Universe. It's not a fun, light-hearted summer event. It's a deeply disturbing look at heroes under siege. And it's very good.

The first three issues of "Final Crisis" have set the stage, as advertised, and after a short break for some ancillary series and one-shots, "Final Crisis" will return with a new focus, I'm sure: the heroes are assembled, now they need to figure out what to do. As much as I've liked "Crisis on Infinite Earths" and "Identity Crisis," they were designed as continuity fixes first, and stories second. "Final Crisis" is, above all, a story. And it's unfolding a bit differently than the other two series, but I think it's much better for it.

"Final Crisis," even with the artistic inconsistency, is shaping up to be a powerful story of the DC universe in its darkest days. Any of the initial confusion should have been wiped away by issue #4, as the scene has been set for the superhero uprising. Evil has won, almost completely, and the heroes have three remaining issues to save the universe. We know how it's going to turn out in the end, but it's the journey to that destination that makes it all worthwhile, and with Morrison at the helm, I'm sure we won't be disappointed.

Really, though, the fun of this series is that Joe Casey tries to keep everything zipping along at the speed of contemporary culture. Scenes begin and end briskly, and we jump from location to location with no time for reflection or introspection beyond the most superficial. But that fits these characters, that fits this comic, and if he had CrissCross back on the pencils and inks, it might look like a comic you wouldn't want to miss.

We don't know hardly anything by the end of "Final Crisis Aftermath: Escape" #1, but that we are enticed to come back for more.

Since nobody cares about Mike Miller, one might think that the creators could do anything with him, completely free from the burdens of corporate fealty. But no, it's just another comic that's exactly what you'd expect from something called "Final Crisis Aftermath" and distributed five months after the main series concluded. That is, it's what you'd expect assuming you didn't expect much at all.

Out of all four "Final Crisis Aftermath" series, this is the only one that's gotten better every issue. It's gotten to the point where I'd actually recommend it, especially if you like your supervillains goofy and your protagonists bumbling. It doesn't seem to be aiming for anything more than that, and why should it? It knows what it is, and it embraces it on every page.

It may be February, but this is a summer blockbuster in comic book form, and though the delays have softened its impact, it's a four-color romp that recalls the best Legion stories you've never read.

This series is scheduled to end with the next issue (though who knows how many moons it will be until we actually see it on the stands), and if there's one major flaw with "Legion of 3 Worlds" it's that five issues is far too few to tell a story with as many characters as Johns and Perez have included here. It's dangerously close to becoming page after page of Legion wallpaper, even with Perez doing his best to keep our attention focused at just the right moments. But this isn't a comic about the small moments. It's about Polar Boy teaming up with Sun Boy to fend off a maniacal Superboy from a lost dimension. And it's about old friends, returning from a long absence.

I realize that a series called "Final Crisis: Revelations" shouldn't be subtle, but it would be nice if it were more than just gnashing teeth and zombies of Darkseid.

If you've been enjoying "Final Crisis," this will illuminate new facets of the struggle between light and darkness. If you've found "Final Crisis" difficult to comprehend, I don't think you'll have a clue what's going on by the end of this issue.

IDW has a lot of handsome books on the stands these days, but this one stands apart. "Fishtown" doesn't look like anything else, and its story will haunt you long after you close the covers.

The only reason I'm even giving this issue one and half stars is because Freddie E. Williams III is a competent superhero artist. The story, with its wildly inconsistent tone and faux-relevance, would warrant a zero.

"The Flash" #1 is a faced-paced, dynamic relaunch for a series that has something to prove: that bland old Barry Allen can be interesting in a superhero universe that has radically changed in the past few decades. It's off to a nice start.

"Flash: Rebirth" #3 isn't a run-of-the-mill superhero comic, but for every great moment we get a few that don't work at all. It's certainly not a lumbering, slow comic, but its speedy pace comes at a price: we don't know what its racing toward, or why any of it really matters.

Johns and Van Sciver are working with primal, archetypal situations here (and there's a new Impulse thrown in for good measure), so while some of it may seem clichd it's still satisfying. And maybe this is what Barry Allen needs for his rebirth into the DCU. Stripped down to his core, just him vs. his nemesis. With a gang of speedsters by his side.

All in all, it's a fine precursor to the soon-to-launch Johns/Manapul "Flash" series, with a nice balance of story and information -- the kind of thing these "Secret Files and Origins" comics were meant to deliver.

"Garrison" may yet have plenty of twists and turns and revelations. But after the first issue, I can't say that I care.

The mystery at the center of this story isn't bad at all. And there's a genuine creepiness to the forbidden experiments and haunting presence -- and that damned cat -- at the Dosvidanya Projekt. The narrative's a bit underdeveloped, and the characters are a bit shallow right now, but there's hope. Because even if it continues to skim the surface of its own story, at least it will look nice along the way.

Twenty four years ago, Alan Moore took over a meandering, toothless horror comic in "The Saga of the Swamp Thing" and made it something astonishing. Jason Aaron's accomplishment on "Ghost Rider" reminds me of Moore's earlier days. Aaron brings a distinctive, compelling voice to comics, and he's destined to be a major talent in the industry. Between his Vertigo series "Scalped" and now "Ghost Rider" at Marvel, he's already hitting his stride.

"Ghost Rider" seems to have a low enough profile -- and exists far enough outside the Marvel mainstream -- that Jason Aaron can do what he wants here. And as he says in the letters page for this issue, "All of us here at Flamehead Central are committed to making this the craziest and most exciting book Marvel publishes." After reading the first seven issues of his run, I believe him. And trust me, I am definitely along for this ride.

You might scoff at the idea that a Ghost Rider comic can be something great, but people used to scoff at Iron Fist and Punisher, Animal Man and Swamp Thing too. Give it a chance and you'll see that Jason Aaron and Tan Eng Huat's "Ghost Rider" is one of the best Marvel comics on the stands, each and every month.

(The cover illustration has absolutely nothing to do with the contents of this issue, but you can get a sneak peek at Tony Moore's interiors in CBR's preview of issue #35.)

If you're a big fan of the Howard Mackie/Danny Ketch era of "Ghost Rider," you might find something worthwhile here, but I'd recommend sticking with the current "Ghost Rider" ongoing instead. There's little here to appreciate, sadly.

I will say that Kitty Pryde's sacrifice is not what I expected, and it works quite well -- it's emotionally effective and consistent with what has been established in previous issues, and yet still surprising. Her sacrifice (and you all realize that she's been missing from the other X-Men books, so this isn't a spoiler, right?) is the heart of "Giant-Size X-Men" #1, but with everything else going on in the story, that heart is a bit obscured. It's too much sound and fury, ultimately, and Whedon's attempt at a grand climax overwhelms itself. Except for poor Kitty Pryde, who handles the whole thing with dignity.

"Gigantic" is the best work I've seen from Remender since the early days of "Fear Agent," and it's certainly the best new series of the year (and now that it's the end of the year, saying something like that should have a lot more meaning). "Gigantic" will thrill and astonish you, and take you on a ride through this artificially-constructed reality we call planet Earth.

The final page of this issue implies that we may have just witnessed an origin story, the birth of a new robot-mutated human-farmer trio of heroes, ready to take on anything that would jeopardize the peace and prosperity of their planet. But it also feels like a satisfying end as well, Rick Remender's way of saying goodbye to a personal project as he devotes more time to the Marvel Universe. Whether there's more "Gigantic" in the future or not, this has been a heart-rending, yet fun, five-issue ride.

Sim ends up with a collection of underdeveloped, lightweight pseudo-parodies that fail and several legitimately interesting comments on the history of photorealist art and comic strips. Had he devoted the entire comic to his digressions on Alex Raymond and Al Williamson and attempts to replicate that style, "Glamourpuss" might be worth reading (if you're interested in the artistic process), but he sabotages the better parts of this comic with limp, irrelevant parodies. This certainly isn't "Cerebus," and it certainly isn't like any other comic you've ever read. But that certainly doesn't make it any good.

Hopefully, Tischman can take the story in a surprising direction over the remaining five issues, because Vertigo superhero comics are few and far between, and this one hasn't yet lived up to its potential.

How can we not feel compelled to keep reading?

And that Ladronn cover sure is sharp.

If you just look at the pictures, you can find a lot to enjoy in "Green Arrow/Black Canary" #29. Maybe that's for the best. Because the dialogue? Well, it quotes Tim Gunn in the epilogue. That's witty, right?

This is a good start, and though we know where it's headed -- Green Hornet and Kato, zooming down the Chicago back alleys in the Black Beauty -- the journey is as important as the destination. And it's worth watching what happens to young Brit and young Kato next.

Geoff Johns and Ivan Reis are at the top of their professions right now, and if you're not reading "Green Lantern", you're missing one of the best superhero books on the market.

"Green Lantern" is the kind of superhero comic you can count on, month in and month out. It's what an ongoing DC comic should be, and I look forward to it each month.

And the enthusiastic sincerity comes across in the narrative. It's infectious.

No one who has been reading "Green Lantern" since Johns' run began is going to skip this issue, but, for the first time, you could. You should. Even if you know you won't.

In recent months, Tomasi has given us one memorable scene after another, with a killer who targets Green Lantern families, eyeballs literally falling from the sky, a Lantern who speaks with the dead, and now this: the brutality of love, in all of its manifestations. If you haven't been reading "Green Lantern Corps," now's the time. It's never been better than it is today.

Sinestro's Hitler haircut might be a bit much, but "Green Lantern Corps" #35 is a salvo in a cosmic war, and it's suitably epic. And we're not even close to "Blackest Night" yet. That bodes, and it bodes well.

So when a major player in the DCU dies in this issue, the effect is diminished. It's just another ant succumbing to the tortuous flames of the children. It's supposed to be meaningful, if the final splash page is any indication, but it doesn't feel that way.

"Green Lantern Corps" #49 is a solid installment in such a series. It hasn't skipped a beat with the departure of Peter Tomasi. The Corps marches on.

Tomasi has proven that he's good at juggling a variety of characters in a boiling pot of superhero melodrama, but this isn't a strong start for "Emerald Warriors," even with the heat turned up in the final pages.

That pretty much sums up "Guardians of the Galaxy" #5: it's like other comics you have read in the past, except not quite as good. In space!

I haven't read anything written by Frank Marraffino before, but this is a strong Vertigo debut. This "Haunted Tank" is a more than worthy follow-up to the Kanigher classic.

And the dead guy on the ghost horse was just one way to get the message across.

"Hellblazer" #245, part one of Jason Aaron and Sean Murphy's two-issue stint on the series, is smart, funny, horrific, and vicious. It's a punk rock comic for the 21st century, and you can pick it up and enjoy it without ever having read a "Hellblazer" comic in your life. But if you have read "Hellblazer" #11, the reading experience is even richer.

And the world marches on, with Constantine as its mad, cynical, secret guardian.

"Hellboy: The Wild Hunt" shows a Mignola comfortable with his fictional world. His writing seems less restrained, and his stories more expansive. This is Hellboy comics the way they were always meant to be, tinged with a pathos but not overburdened with seriousness.

"Hellboy: The Crooked Man" ends with issue #3, and the trio of issues tell a satisfyingly self-contained tale. I don't know that this will be anyone's first exposure to Hellboy, but it could absolutely work as such. And it's so good, in its grotesquely beautiful way, that it might make other Hellboy stories a little dry and distant in comparison.

Marangon has ambition, though, and that you can feel in "Hellcyon" #1. He introduces plenty of locations and a bundle of characters in this first issue, and that probably leads to the lack of depth. He may yet give this visually-fascinating world a soul, a heartbeat, that would make it seem like more than just a chance to draw the cool stuff he likes to draw. It's the future. Anything's possible.

Kath

As a way to trick reluctant readers into buying an anthology series, "House of Mystery" seems to work. The main narrative has enough strangeness and, well, mystery, to propel the story forward, and the small little flashback tales are an added facet to this potential jewel. The "Lost" model can work in comics, I think. I just hope Sturges and Willingham don't get bogged down by their need to keep the mystery alive at the expense of the solution.

The rest of this issue, drawn by regular series artist Luca Rossi, shows that this series has changed plenty since last time I checked in. First, and most noticeably, the characters aren't in the house anymore, and the long-form mystery has blossomed into a full-on war with goblins, and witches, and time travel, and flying killer robots. Not what I expected to find at all, and though I don't know what's at stake and who all the players are, I know that my curiosity is piqued. I might just have to check out this series again, even if Brendan McCarthy isn't around each and every month.

Even a ridiculous, giant monster battle comic should have some internal consistency.

It may seem like I'm mocking this comic in my review -- and I am -- but it's a mockery tinged with love. This comic is pretty much all I ever need from a "Hulk" series, and as long as each issue is this much fun, I'll be sticking around for a long time.

If it's primal, savage, beautifully-illustrated fisticuff fun you're looking for, "Hulk" #8 might be just what you need.

Loeb and McGuinness don't unleash the battle just yet -- this first installment is just the prelude to the coming storm of smashing -- but it's a joyous start. "Hulk" #10 won't win any awards -- it doesn't take itself seriously enough for that -- but it will charm you if you let it. It's classic Marvel fun, wrapped up in a beautiful Ed McGuinness package.

In the larger "Fall of the Hulks" context, this story might have some deeper meaning, and the ominous words between the characters might have more relevance, but as a single issue, it's pure spectacle. In a good way.

Ultimately, this is an inconsequential story set in the obscure corners of the Marvel Universe, so the only reason to read it is because of the way the story is told. But that's really the only true reason to read any comic, and at least this one is told with some of that Steve Ellis style.

The timeline in this first issue is a bit too fragmentary, and the pieces don't fit together as well as they might, but Madison seems to have an intelligent take on the Huntress. This is not a rote retelling of a familiar origin. I've read plenty of Huntress stories in the past, and this is the first time I've gotten a sense of the complexity of her character. "Huntress: Year One" #1 might not be perfect, but it's interesting enough to make me want to read the rest of the series.

Rarely has the anxiety of adolescence been so well presented, and in such an engaging, magical way, as it appears in "I Kill Giants." If the stylistically-similar "Scott Pilgrim" is the cool kid in the magical realist lunch room, then "I Kill Giants" is the weirdo with the furtive look who sits by itself, confident in what it is, and all the more potent for the secret knowledge it possesses.

It settles for the cheap thrills of seeing guys draw stuff they were once famous for drawing. And that's really it.

I know the realities of comic book production require fill-in artists, and I know Aja was unable to produce pages because of personal matters (his wife recently had a baby, apparently), but when this story arc is collected in a fancy hardcover, this particular chapter will remain as a blemish on an otherwise exemplary story.

So the character moments are in place, the Iron Fist legacy moments are here, the story follows consistently from what has come before, and Danny Rand is doomed. And the kicking? The kicking is spectacular. And it has to be, because this is an Iron Fist comic.

Travel Foreman may draw some panels that look strange to you, and Duane Swierczynski may not write the same stories as Brubaker and Fraction, but "The Immortal Iron Fist" is still a good comic, definitely worth your time.

"The Immortal Iron Fist" continues being exactly what it is: a supernatural martial arts comic. It embraces that role and while it may not have regained the heights of the sublime Brubaker/Fraction era, it's still very good. And if you're looking for a Marvel comic that's not tethered to the event or "Reign" de jour, then this comic might be for you.

"Immortal Iron Fist" #24 is another good installment of Swierczynski's best Marvel series, and though the internet was abuzz with the news that this series was headed for cancellation (information that turned out to be erroneous), this series seems to have a long life ahead of it. Or it deserves one, anyway, because it's still a comic worth reading.

By the end of "Immortal Iron Fist" #25, the Immortal Weapons are headed for freedom, rescuing all the other prisoners along the way, but the corrupt first Iron Fist has a few more tricks up his sneaky kung-fu sleeve. Once again, Swierczynski and Foreman make this comic a fun read each and every month.

Spears's finale does make the story worth a look, though, and Tim Green's art makes it a clean read. Sadly, I can't say the same about the Iron Fist back-up.

Hopefully, we'll see more of these characters in the near future, and I certainly wouldn't mind seeing someone of the caliber of David Lapham take the Iron Fist family in a new direction. But for now, this is a comfortable reminder of the good old, relatively recent, days.

"Impaler" #3 is part of an immense story about the end of the world, and Harms and Timson don't hold back. They tell it like it needs to be told, with heroes and villains, vampires and monsters, mothers and children, soldiers and citizens all paying the price for the world in which they live.

(If you'd like to see what issue #1 looks like, CBR has a 14-page preview.)

"Incognito" is the real deal, and if the price of this comic is a handful of months without a new issue of "Criminal," well that's okay. Because it's still Brubaker and Phillips, doing what they do best: creating sordid beauty out of a world gone wrong.

I don't know if this series is doing well or not, but it deserves to be one of Marvel's top sellers. Like Hercules himself, it's smarter and more nuanced than you'd expect. And it will punch you in the face if you don't believe it.

Rafa Sandoval's art is majestic and detailed. Pak and Van Lente's script is tight and inventive. This issue may be set-up for the showdown between the gods and the Skrulls, or it may all be a misdirect, a way to weaken the pantheons so the Skrulls can destroy from within. Would the Skrulls be audacious enough to take on the gods on their home turf? Maybe. With this series, it seems as if anything can happen, and that's something I look forward to each month.

This is really the Pak and Van Lente show, however, and they continue to deliver excellent characterization set firmly inside the Marvel mythology. And unlike many superhero comics that focus on characterization, Pak and Van Lente don't skimp on the plot, either. This is a comic about grand adventures and epic battles, and based on the spash page at the end of issue #129, the epic grandeur is just getting started.

Moreso than most Marvel "events," this feels like a "Crisis." A crisis with a sense of humor about what it is, yet playing it all with straight-faced glee. The glee that accompanies a line like, "Avengers Smash!"

Jam-packed with story, complex themes, and strong characters, "Invincible Iron Man" is the Iron Man comic you've been waiting to read, whether you knew you were waiting for an Iron Man comic or not. This is the one. Especially if you can forgive the ever-shifting faces.

The problems with the art aren't enough to sink the issue, though. Fraction's Tony Stark is still an exciting character, always thinking five steps ahead of everyone else and his relationship with Pepper Potts is believably human. This is the best Iron Man comic on the shelves, without a doubt -- maybe the best version of Iron Man ever -- and I'll certainly keep reading every month.

Fraction, and artistic collaborator Sal Larroca, haven't done anything shockingly new in this series, but it's a very good portrayal of the Iron Man universe in all of its sleek beauty and moral uncertainty.

This is just a middle-of-the-arc issue, but it's a good one, and if Larroca has truly abandoned his celebrity photo reference approach to the visuals, its look will finally start to match the quality of its writing.

So while the issue may feel a bit decompressed, and while it may seem like a long way until this story wraps up, there's more than enough here to keep me coming back for the next installment. And once it's collected, I suspect I will enjoy it even more.

The story beneath the surface is worth reading, but the surface is distracting more often than not.

Oh, and there's a cliffhanger at the end. So now we have to come back to the theater next week (or the comic shop next month) to see how our hero could have unbelievably -- yet thrillingly -- survived.

As a final issue, though, this story does suffer from that way it concludes. And maybe it's because this is a movie-tie in (even if it doesn't say so explicitly, and isn't a direct tie-in) and maybe it's because this is the kind of classic story that ends where it began, with all the sound and fury signifying practically nothing, but this isn't a strong ending for a four issue story. It's not a particularly satisfying wrap-up. In the end, it was little more than a showcase for a redesigned Whiplash, but, in the end, we aren't clamoring for more of him.

Stuart Moore has done excellent work in the past, but the swiftly moving culture of Iron Man seems to have passed this story by. It's not a bad four issues, but I certainly wouldn't recommend seeking the story out.

If you haven't read an Iron Man comic in a while, and you are jazzed about the character after seeing the movie, this isn't the comic for you. The one for you is "The Invincible Iron Man," written by Matt Fraction. That comic is everything this one is not.

Unlike, say, "The Boys," this isn't a comic that revels in its own debauchery. It knows that this Superman-analogue is doing something terribly wrong, and it tries to show the good guys doing their best against impossible odds. But its greatness lays in the way it messes with the Superman conventions, twisting them to accentuate the ridiculous selfishness of the character's whole elaborate secret identity charade. And it's a comic book about Superman gone bad. Done with such loving attention to detail, what's not to like?

Mark Waid has written some excellent comic books in his impressive career, but with the no-hold-barred "Irredeemable," he's at his very best. And with Peter Krause's classical panel-to-panel storytelling at his side, this is a comic that just bleeds craft, and deserves much love.

"Irredeemable" isn't some radical deconstruction of the superhero myth, but it's a series in which Mark Waid isn't bound by any corporate demands to protect the icons. And he takes advantage of that. Anything could happen to these characters, and that gives them the kid of life so often lacking in superhero comics. That, along with the powerful, efficient unfolding of the story, makes it worth reading every single month.

The tone is fun, the situations fraught with peril, and Roberson gives these characters strong personalities through their dialogue in this issue. I've stuck with this series just for Allred's art, but now I'm interested in what happens next -- and how. "I, Zombie" is turning into another quality Vertigo series, by the looks of things.

So I guess that's what makes "Jack and the Box" work so well for young readers. Like a jack in the box toy, there's an element of scary surprise inside this book, and two out of two kids in my house seem to love it.

I suppose you could go wrong with Grant Morrison and Sean Murphy (and Dave Stewart on colors!) but I can't really imagine how. Not when it's high adventure and emotional drama. Not when it's a story told like this.

As a spiritual sequel to this summer's movie, or as, perhaps, a deranged counter-argument, "Joker" works quite well. It's a beautifully ugly graphic novel, suitably so. But it's certainly not perfect, although I'm sure the Joker wouldn't have it any other way.

"Jonah Hex" has a six-part story coming up, and while I'm looking forward to some more developed continuity in this series, I will miss the fact that an artist like J. H. Williams III won't be able to work on something of that length. These days, he produces only a few issues a year, but I can't complain. His work here is wonderful, even if it's just for a fleeting twenty-two pages.

It's nice to see this series evolve into something with its own internal continuity -- it makes the stories matter more in the larger scheme of things. And it looks like Gray and Palmiotti have a massive adventure planned for this six-parter. Things can't possibly go well when two of your heroes face a firing squad at the end of the second chapter. But for all its existentialism, "Jonah Hex" has been a series about the hope that comes from never giving up, and now that "Sixgun War" is underway, I certainly won't be giving up on this comic any time soon.

This isn't the final issue of "Jonah Hex." Dick Giordano comes in next issue, followed by the return of Jordi Bernet in issue #52. But issue #50 feels like a finale. And if it were, it would be a fitting one for this fine series.

So ignore all of your preconceptions about Alex Ross and enjoy this story for what it is: a deeply passionate and vividly illustrated exploration of a supremely powerful man who lacks the power to help those he cares most about. It's a mythic tragedy of a superhuman sort, but one with a deeply human resonance.

And for all the scene-shifts between various PG-13 romantic dramas, this issue is just another story of the android Amazo getting a new robot body. McDuffie and Benes are just retelling the same old story -- the same story that began this new series less than two years ago: Red Tornado is sad, and Amazo can beat people up. It's almost as if someone at DC said, "hey, remember how well those first few Justice League issues sold, back in 2006? Let's do that story again, we'll sex it up even more, and we'll sell millions of copies this time!" I'm not cynical enough to believe that was the real thinking behind this issue, but it sure feels that way, and that's just as bad.

"Justice League of America" #29 ends with a lead-in to some kind of epic Shadow Thief story. I have no idea who's writing that one, because even though the DC website says "Dwayne McDuffie," we know better than to trust the reliability of that.

Even though McDuffie has been on this series for years, it still doesn't feel like he's had a chance to tell a real story. It's been all event tie-ins or character introductions -- the Tangent characters! Milestone! -- and nothing in terms of small stories that matter or larger stories that have a chance to evolve. If "Justice League of America" is supposed to be the flagship superhero team book of the DC Universe, then it's not living up to its responsibility. At this point, it's little more than a "JLA Classified" comic. One mediocre story after another.

Honestly, though, I can't get enough of this comic. This issue isn't as riotously campy as the first installment, but it's an entertaining read, full of self-important proclamations and characters who pose and ruminate while standing atop piles of defeated villains. It's goofy and silly and kind of wonderful. But it's not very good.

And James Robinson ties it all together with a six-page text piece on Damon Runyon, Mac Raboy, and Mort Meskin. Because why not?

It's rare to see a mainstream superhero comic deal so explicitly with religion, but Johns doesn't preach any particular doctrine. He seems more interested in exploring notions of faith and power and wish-fulfillment than he does in trying to promote or undermine anyone's belief system. In the previous "JSA" series, Johns emphasized Mr. Terrific's lack of faith -- the character was one of the few avowed atheists in comics, maybe the only one. In a DC Universe in which Heaven and Hell literally exist and gods and demons walk the Earth, it's difficult to maintain an atheistic outlook, and in this issue, Mr. Terrific admits that he has seen things science cannot explain and though he wishes he could believe in a higher power, he cannot. "Something inside won't let me," he says. It's difficult to read this as a pro-religion moment, since in Mr. Terrific's world, higher powers clearly exist, and he's silly to pretend they don't. And the insularity of Johns's exploration -- the idea tha

Johns was never able to develop this series in a way that reached the heights of his achievement on the more tightly-focused (and shorter-titled) "JSA" series, but if you're looking for good, old-fashioned comic book superheroics with more characters than you can shake your crotchety old stick at, you could do a lot worse that "Justice Society of America" #25.

No, this isn't about beginnings or triumphs. It's about kicking the ball away because the clock is winding down and its time for someone else to play.

But it is worth reading. Certainly.

Is that kind of thing really on par with "Fables," never mind "League of Extraordinary Gentlemen"? That's a rhetorical question, and I wouldn't be able to hear you answer anyway, but I assure you that the answer would be "no."

The humor's unfunny in its obviousness and the action feels grafted on from some other type of comic. No, this is indeed a stupid comic, and it's by far the worst thing I've seen from either Adam Beechen or Trevor Hairsine.

That single page shows why "The Last Defenders" #1 works so well. Casey and Giffen undermine any attempt to take this team seriously, but the characters themselves are trying so very hard. The creative team also does a nice job throughout the issue establishing the personality dynamics within the group and setting up a number of plot points and brief action sequences. This isn't one of those issues that's all talk. It moves. It's an excellent first issue that sets up what will no doubt be a very interesting series.

If it doesn't, then how about a Blazing Skull solo title?

Casey and Jim Muniz (who provides some really nice pencils here -- clean and expressive) tell Richmond's story with a wink, but they tell it well. It's easy to overlook these kinds of miniseries starring third-rate heroes and tenth-rate villains, but "The Last Defenders" deserves a read. It's a good series that doesn't feel quite like anything else on the Marvel shelf these days, and I'm looking forward to seeing how it ends.

"The Last Defenders" was a refreshing change from the rest of the Marvel line, but at the end of the day, it's not a satisfying story on its own. I'd like to see Joe Casey do more with this team, and finish the story he began here, but until that happens, "The Last Defenders" isn't strong enough to stand on its own.

Shooter's "Legion" has the potential to become something special: a straight-ahead superhero action book, with compelling characters. It's a classic formula, and it has been proven to work in the past. Shooter just hasn't quite pulled it off here. Not yet.

Even with a bit of artistic inconsistency, this is a good issue, and it shows how well Levitz can juggle the plotlines and the character beats and still move the story forward at top speed. Forget the sluggishness of the history lessons of "Adventure Comics." This is Paul Levitz really writing the Legion. This one counts. And it shows.

If this is the best Scott Ian and Sam Keith can do, then two issues is far too long for this series. Maybe as a six-page story in a "Bizarro Comics"-style anthology it would have worked. Because this just doesn't.

You know what this comic is? Delightful. And how often have I said that about a comic book? (Not very often.)

I don't know how this issue fits into the larger scheme, or, at least, how it compares in pace to all the others. But I liked the feel of this one. And even if it didn't make me want to rush out and get caught up right this minute, it certainly made me interested in reading more. Matthews and Cariello are doing some nice work here.

I've liked a few of these Marvel Noir comics quite a bit -- "X-Men Noir" won my over by the end, and "Spider-Man Noir" was pulpy fun -- but "Luke Cage Noir" is my favorite so far. Before I read this issue I joked about the title of this series, saying "the existence of 'Luke Cage Noir' justifies the entire Noir line." No joke, though: this comic is a very good one.

I hope there's more to this series than just the fairytale world tour. In the current DC Universe, Madame Xanadu seems to have some dark secrets, and that would imply that this series is headed in that direction. It could use a little more darkness. Even the violence and beheadings on the final pages are too light and airy to have any real impact. Nimue is just a spectator in her own life still, and unless she becomes something more, quickly, "Madame Xanadu" might become another unfortunate casualty of the Vertigo line, and that would be too bad.

"Madman Atomic Comics" #9 isn't for everybody, but if you're at all interested in an artist trying to push the boundaries of the superhero genre, an artist trying to use the conventions of the comic book form to its utmost, then you need to take a look at what Allred is doing here. It's all about the "how."

"Madman Atomic Comics" #11 doesn't allow Frank Einstein a moment of reflection where he can realize how close he is to achieving his purpose, because this series is about the struggle of not knowing, even when the answer is right in front of you.

One of the reasons "Marvels" was such a success, besides the painted artwork of Alex Ross, was that it helped to re-establish the strangeness and wonder of the Marvel characters. When they're punching each other, hanging out at their headquarters, or chasing Skrulls around, it's difficult to remember how fascinating each of these characters can be. "1985" reminds us, just as it reminds us of our own lost childhoods. But it doesn't shovel these things at us, cynically. It celebrates these lost moments, these pieces that we've forgotten. And I want to read more.

"Marvels 1985" is the perfect gateway comic for someone new to the Marvel Universe, and it's also a lot of fun for the old-time readers. It reminds us about how strange and wonderful these characters can be, while telling us an exciting story about courage and responsibility. It's good stuff.

But at least Greene and DeZago are producing some very nice work for the Marvel Adventures line for the time being. It may not be complex, sophisticated graphic narrative, but thankfully it's no Barack Obama vs. the Chameleon either.

A spin-off series from a team book on hiatus hardly seems like a likely source for great comics, but maybe the freedom from the Marvel mainstream helps. Or maybe Parker and Ruiz just know what they're doing. Probably both, and the results are certainly worth reading.

From what I've experienced over the past few years, any sort of holiday-themed issue from Marvel of DC seems not only skippable, but a disappointing waste of time and talent. "Marvel Heartbreakers" doesn't suffer that fate. It's a charmer.

Nothing about this issue has any character beyond its concept as "World War Zombie Hulk." Unlike the previous three issues, it just wallows in its premise and never does anything interesting with it. Looks like the Marvel Zombie train is starting to stall again, even after an attractively vicious three-week ride.

"Marvel Zombies 3" #1 is just what the franchise needed: and injection of Van Lente, straight into the brain. It's continuity heavy without being the least bit inaccessible. It's sleek and violent and funny, and I can't wait to read the rest of the series.

But a little sentimentality never hurt anyone. Especially not a robot with a built in laser array and a mean-on for anyone wearing flesh.

Luckily, this comic doesn't wallow in such negativity. It shoots it in the face.

Issue #1 doesn't end with a cliffhanger, or a dramatic splash page. It seems built for the collected edition, providing the first part of what will be a longer story of adventure. And that's okay, because a comic like this will surely have a long shelf like in book form. With Young's art, it may have a chance to become read and enjoyed by more readers than have read Baum's original. And that's quite an accomplishment.

When this series began, I raved about its ambition. It's difficult to make the "one-joke" Metal Men into something fascinating, and that's what Rouleau seemed to be doing at the beginning. But, by the end, he just couldn't pull it off. If you haven't read any of the earlier issues, "Metal Men" #8 will leave you completely scratching your head. And if you have read the earlier issues, you'll be left thinking, "this is how it ends?"

In "The Mighty Avengers," Bendis has created a potentially interesting mix of characters, but he hasn't done much with them yet. I hope "Secret Invasion" provides an opportunity for Ms. Marvel's overt Avengers to show how dynamic an interesting they can be. Because, as of issue #11, I'm not very impressed.

Like everything else in the Marvel Universe, "Mighty Avengers" is embroiled in the impending "Siege" and the legacy of Norman Osborn's rule. But given what Slott has been constructing over the past year, the series fits nicely into that larger tapestry. And it stands firmly on its own. It's good, solid, classic superhero action and adventure, in the old-fashioned "Mighty Avengers" mold.

In his text piece, J. T. Krul seems to have ambitious plans for this series. And its natural questioning about notions of appearance and reality, and what people think vs. what they do -- well, that could lead to some interesting possibilities. But this zero issue doesn't make a convincing case that he'll pull it off.

For your $3.99 you also get a couple of Golden Age Whizzer reprints -- for no apparent reason, except the Whizzer appears in the opening Miss America sequence -- and those, like many Golden Age Marvel Comics are terrible in a bland, unfunny way. But no one's getting this comic because they have a hankerin' for more old-school Whizzer. I don't know why they're getting it, but if they are, they'll find a lot to like in the Miss America story. It's better than it has any reason to be.

"Mister X: Condemned" demonstrates that Motter's style has aged well. Actually, it seems ageless, probably because "Mister X" has always existed outside the comings and goings of each decade's comic book trends. It's a classic story with a classic look. Motter has created his own off-beat, stylized cityscape, and even when it engages with contemporary culture (as in issue #3's introduction of the "Internette," a row of female telephone operators who find the answer to any question posed to them) it does so in it's own unique way.

My seven year-old son and my four-year old daughter enjoyed listening to me read "Mo and Jo" to them, although even they admitted that it wasn't quite as good as the other Toon Books -- all of which are perfect for kids their age.

This comic has a lot going on, and even if Benson's script falls short more often than not, there are a few Deodato images that make it worth a glance. If you decide to buy it, at least you get a lot of pages for your four bucks.

If that's the level of wit we can expect from even an "Entourage" writer, then I'm not looking forward to more.

The recent "Death of Marc Spector" arc cleared the way for a new kind of "Moon Knight" comic, and Mike Benson has started to take advantage of the opportunity to tell stories that feel different from the ones that came before. Unfortunately, they are just generic crime stories, and that's barely an improvement.

As quiet and understated as this story is, Milligan and Campbell measure it off with great care, and it's definitely the best Moon Knight story I've read in a long time.

Ms. Marvel #39
Posted Sat, May 30th

Other than the hideous and embarrassing Greg Horn covers, I've enjoyed the "Ms. Marvel" series. Brian Reed has done a good job with the character, and I'm always looking forward to seeing more from him. But this one's just not worth the four bucks.

This isn't Millar or McNiven's best work, and with two more issues to go, I suspect it won't have time to turn itself around.

But I don't really know where this series is headed, and that's its charm. We'll just have to buckle in to the back seat of that Barracuda and enjoy the ride. Even if it launches us off a precipice.

Cue ominous "Lost" music, and the white words "Nemesis: The Imposters" floats through the screen.

This may not be your father's Avengers, or even your Avengers of a couple of years ago, but Bendis still knows how to tell a good story and Philip Tan's art captures the anxiety and uncertainty needed to pull it off. Plus, this issue might enhance your "Secret Invasion" experience, if you're really into Skrulls.

For all the criticism Bendis gets for decompression and slowly unfolding storylines (and I've shared in the whining about such things), "New Avengers" #59 proves that he's skillful at pacing a single-issue story while building in structural elements and character bits that will pay off down the road. It's just good, solid superhero comic book storytelling, from both Bendis and Immonen.

But in the end, Bendis and McKone and colorisst McCaig leave us with more than just a story about a pair of superhero couples. They leave us with a knife in the gut. A reminder that it's all well and good to make plans for the future, but in a world full of villains and falling cities of the gods, it's more important just to survive.

It's a fast-moving, great-looking superhero comic, and it's a fitting flag-bearer for the entire Marvel Universe during this "Heroic Age," when everything may not be ice cream and rainbows, but it's not all skulking in shadows and misery, either.

I'd like to think Arcudi will break out of this obvious structure that he seems to have undertaken, but, even if he doesn't, we'll still get to look at Eric Canete doing his thing for the next three issues. We could do a whole lot worse than that.

But "New Avengers: Reunion," like any good Clint Barton story, has far more hits than misses, and the conflict between its two lead characters creates more than enough explosive energy to propel this series forward.

It's not that this is a terrible issue, it's just that this kind of story has been told better before. And these characters have been better written and better drawn before. "New Mutants" #4 is just a bottom-of-the-barrel 21st century Marvel comic, no matter how much the fans of the Claremont days might be glad to see their old favorites back in action.

But this is still clean, straightforward storytelling, from the pencils of David Baldeon to the sincere dialogue. "Nomad" #4 feels like a bit of a throwback to simpler times, and that's not an inappropriate feeling. This is, after all, a story of a girl without a world. A girl who is coming to terms with who she is and who she needs to be. It's a classic story, told without pushing any boundaries at all -- even the safe-as-Wonder-Bread Young Avengers show up to lend a hand, to endorse this new Nomad as a young hero worth watching. And she might well be, even if this series is more nice than interesting.

It's not simply about revenge, or about the power of modern thinking. It's about humans, flaws and all. And, of course, many of these flawed humans wield very large swords.

Just to clarify: it's "300" meets "Bravehart" plus "Hamlet" with a bloodstained heart.

Every time I review "Northlanders" I tell you how good it is, and I'm not going to stop now. "Northlanders" is the comic book you should be reading. And if you haven't been picking it up, you can jump on board with a brand new story next issue and pick up the trade paperback of "Sven the Returned" in a couple of months. You won't be sorry.

Brian Wood's "Northlanders" continues to be one of the best monthly comics on the stands today, and the conclusion of "The Cross + The Hammer" arc proves it.

There's an emptiness at the core of "The Plague Widow" that has kept it from being one of the best arcs in the series, but perhaps the emptiness is one of loss, of sorrow. Because that's what the Plague Widows themselves feel, and as they stand strong amidst the attacks and manipulations by the vicious men around them, they cannot afford to feel much emotion beyond that. Although the rage is growing, as the finale of this issue establishes, and that may help bring an emotional charge to this story. So the horror of the conflict will matter more to the reader. So their fate, whatever it is, will resonate.

Johns and Tomasi may be doing something more ridiculously epic in the various "Green Lantern" and "Blackest Night" comics coming out this year, but Abnett and Lanning have held their own with this war in the realm of the Marvel cosmic. Really, it's the classic DC/Marvel dichotomy, with the former company delighting readers with extreme sci-fi ideas and iconic heroes, while the latter company makes even a space battle seem like a down-to-Earth street fight. Abnett and Lanning make that street-fight-in-space feel like it matters, and that's no easy feat.

For the rest of us, though, it's just a well-produced, if ephemeral, diversion.

If you've missed this series for whatever reason, I implore you to check it out when the collected edition premieres. If you're willing to embrace the surreal implications of the superhero genre, I think you'll find a lot to love here.

As I said when I reviewed the last issue, Lethem, Rusnak, and Dalrymple's "Omega the Unknown" is worth checking out. The collected edition is due in September, and though the ending might frustrate some readers with its lack of narrative closure, it will make a great single volume, full of the kinds of strangeness and unease that are the precise opposite of most traditional superhero comics today. I wouldn't be surprised to see the "Omega the Unknown" collection popping up on my end of the year Top 10 list.

I'm guessing that some readers might skip this comic just because of the title. Don't make that mistake. It really is one of the best Marvel comics out there right now. You should be reading it, and enjoying every minute.

Though I've read Tezuka's "The Greatest Robot on Earth," I have no particular fondness for it. It's a fun diversion, and it looks great, but there's not much to it. Yet this elaborate, decompressed reimagining of Tezuka's story works on a more sophisticated level. It's the robot battle story you never thought you needed, and it's very good.

With the creative team leaving the series after next issue, "Power Girl" is effectively coming to an end. It may limp on with a new writer and a new artist, and it may even be a good comic, but it won't be the kind of comic it has been for the past year. Comics like this are hard to come by -- smart, funny, whimsical, emotionally-charged, energetic, and bold. Enjoy it while it lasts.

I'm not saying that "Powr Mastrs" Volume 2 is good just because it's different. I'm saying it's good because C.F. has smashed the preconceptions about what an "art comic" should be and what a fantasy comic should be, and he's done it in a way that makes for exciting reading. It might take a couple of reads through the 104 pages of story to fall into its rhythms, but once you immerse yourself in C.F.'s wonderfully odd world, you will see the beauty beneath its apparently ugly faade.

I can't believe that the stores are flooded with Deadpool comics, but they are. And this is one of the better ones.

Because it really doesn't matter. It's a Deadpool mega-epic. So not mattering is its very purpose. But at least in knows how to have fun.

Especially if you get Kyle Baker to make fun of it.