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

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

What eventually became the Vertigo line all started in 1984 with Alan Moore, Steve Bissette, and John Totleben's collaboration on these issues. This is the birth of the Modern Age in American comics, and reading it now, even 25 years later, we see how few comics have lived up to this incredibly high standard.

After all the words I've spent on describing "Seaguy: Slaves of Mickey Eye" #3, it can all be boiled down to a simple sentence: this is the best single issue of a comic book so far this year.

"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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Hickman and Weaver are doing something special here. It's the best new comic of the year, without a doubt. And Galactus is on the next issue's cover, so it doesn't look like it's going to slip off the edge of greatness anytime soon.

It's a strong start to what looks like the best work from Bendis in years, and maybe the best work from Maleev ever. "Scarlet" #1 feels personal and passionate, from cover to cover.

"Skyscrapers of the Midwest" deserves this hardcover edition, and it deserves all of the praise its received over the years. I'm embarrassed that it took me this long to finally dive into its pages, but now that I have, it's not a plunge that I'll ever forget.

Eleanor Davis is a major cartooning talent, and "Stinky" is the kind of book that everyone in your family will enjoy, no matter their age.

I've written all these words about "The Guild" #1 and I haven't mentioned artist Jim Rugg. Well, he's perfect for this series, capturing the sad but goofy reality of life and the drama of the role-playing game the characters retreat into. His style changes from the real world to the role-playing world, and Dan Jackson's coloring does as well. It's an effective artistic team and a wonderful complement to the sweetly savage sensibilities of Felicia Day.

"Umbrella Academy: Dallas" has Gabriel Ba and Dave Stewart's visuals, and that's enough to make it worth buying anyway, but Gerard Way is doing some pretty cool things with his little (yet expansive!) comic book world, and if his imagination continues to kick off its shackles, I think this may end up being one of the best series of the year.

">"Uncanny X-Men Annual" #2 preview to see a few decadent pages for yourself.

"Young Avengers Presents" #6 isn't going to change the direction of the comic book industry, but it's the model for what a great single issue can be. It's tightly focused, it's funny, and it's touching. It's Matt Fraction, injecting the Marvel Universe with new life, one issue at a time.

When Vertigo began advertising itself as the "HBO of comics," this must have been the series they had in mind. It's the best of the current crop, by far, and "Scalped" #16 is just another reason why.

"Scalped" is one of the best comics in recent memory, and this beautifully sad conclusion to "Dead Mothers" shows how masterfully Aaron and Guera work together. If you're looking for something more than a typical crime comic, "Scalped" is for you.

Every time I review an issue of "Scalped," I mention that it's one of the best comics on the stands. It surely is. It's complex and subtle and violent and merciless and passionate and resonant. It's a comic worth reading, every single month.

I'm oversimplifying "Scalped" by comparing it to its influences, because "Scalped" is much more than just a series of homages, but its powerful influences run deep and inform a series that's a thrill to read each month. I've been championing "Scalped" for well over a year now, and sometimes I think I might be exaggerating its appeal just to encourage new readers to check it out. But then I pick up the new issue and realize that it's even better than I can express. It's a truly layered work of sophisticated crime fiction, and I love every page of it.

With "100 Bullets" completed, "Scalped" is theVertigo book to read each month. It's a deeply layered crime drama with a vicious edge and a mournful soul. There's no excuse not to read it.

With this series, there's no guarantee that the plot will go in an expected direction. The only guarantee is that you'll get an excellent read.

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.)

"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.

"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.

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.

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.

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.

"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.

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.

"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.

"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.

"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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

"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.

"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.

"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.

"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.

"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.

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

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.

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.

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.

"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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Once again, Jason Aaron delivers exactly what you'd want and gives you more than you bargained for. If you want to delight and or/offend your loved ones during this holiday season, "Punisher Max X-Mas Special" might make the perfect stocking stuffer.

"Ramayan 3392 Volume 2" is accessible and intriguing, and the epic journey really does begin here. I hope it will continue for a long time.

Without a doubt, "Rasl" is worth your time.

Loki is a central player in this "Siege" event, even if he hasn't much appeared in the foreground. And this issue shows his craftiness and his behind-the-scenes maneuvering. But it does so with elegance and wit, not in a connect-the-dots-of-the-master-plot kind of way. And it's Gillen and McKelvie working together, which is always a good thing.

This is a confident issue from DeConnick and Stegman. It does more than bring Sif back into play in the Marvel Universe. It makes us care about her, and cheer her return.

Kyle Baker is a major creative force in the comic book world, even if no other creator dares to follow him on his stylistic adventures. "Special Forces" #4 might be nothing more than a goof on the war in Iraq, but like the best of Harvey Kurtzman's "Mad," it reaches its own peculiar heights of greatness.

"Eyes Without a Face" looks, overwhelmingly, like a bizarre European interpretation of Stan Lee and Steve Ditko's creations. Or like Terry Gilliam heard about the characters, but never read a single comic book, and hired Sylvain Chomet to design them. It's one of those ancillary comics that makes you wonder why they don't release oversized, glossy Spider-Man hardcovers with art by DiGiandomenico. Last time they collected one of these series, they shrunk it down instead. His art deserves better. And if this second series is at least as good as the first -- and it seems to be -- then you might want to enjoy it while it lasts, instead of waiting for the Marvel micro-trade.

(See Di Giandomenico's stunning work for yourself in CBR's preview of issue #4.)

So maybe you should forget that Chandler stuff. "Stumptown" is "Scalped" meets "Criminal," and that sounds like a comic I wouldn't mind reading each month.

Superman's back.

If the other comics in the Superman line have served to remind us why Superman is so important, and to make us clamor for his return, then this series is the perfect way to whet our clamorous appetite. Johns and Frank know what they're doing here.

I didn't care one bit about the announcement of "The Death of Dracula," but now I want to see what happens next. And even if it turns out to be a waste of time, watching Scott Summers get grumpy at a bunch of bloodsuckers, then at least we'll have this single issue to remember. When the vampiric Brutus and Cassius debated the fate of the world, and it seemed to matter so much.

In a week filled with superior releases like a new "Seaguy" comic and another installment of "Scalped," "The Destroyer" holds its own. It's a comic that hasn't been promoted much at all, but it's surprisingly good.

This book isn't really targeted at someone like me, and I suspect that it's not targeted at the average CBR reader, either. But I liked it a lot, and if you're interested in vivid characters, emotional struggles, and stylish artwork, then I think you'll like "The New York Four" as well.

"The Nobody" is a quality work from a creator with a unique voice, and its haunting mystery lingers long after you close the book.

It's working, at least in my house. Aw yeah!

As a homage to comics and movies of the 1970s, "Wolverine: Manifest Destiny" is a lot of fun. As an X-Men spin-off miniseries, it's excellent. And as another taste of Jason Aaron's take on Wolverine, it's not to be missed.

Pretty much all of these Wolverine specials (and it seems that we've seen a lot of them in the past year) tell the same kind of story: Wolverine finds out about some bad stuff going on, he pops out his claws, and he takes care of business. "Wolverine: Switchback" isn't any different, but at least it looks great, and the subtle details of the story make it a cut, or a snickety-snikt, above the rest.

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.

"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.

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.

Though you might not expect a series tied to a video game to have this kind of quality, "The Sky Pirates of Neo Terra" #1 is a delightful series that could easily appeal to readers of all ages. I might not show it to my son, though, or he'll start bugging me about the video game already.

"Twelve?" I asked her. "But five is the highest. You can't give it more than five stars." "It's twelve," she said with a smile. "Twelve."

In my previous reviews of this series, I've mentioned how much my son would like this comic, and how much my daughter did like it. I'm flying solo on this review, and I can safely say that I like "Sky Pirates of Neo Terra" quite a bit. Video game tie-in or not, it feels fresh, alive, and full of the kind of energy that comics so rarely capture in these days of serious superhero melodrama and earth-shaking events. No, this is a comic about fathers and sons, life and death, great adventure and the potential for tragedy, but it never loses sight of the fact that it's telling a story. One full of wonder. Imagination, unleashed.

Marvel seems to be positioning this series as the central title in the world of Wolverine -- much like "Invincible Iron Man" took the reigns from the fading "Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. series -- and that's a good thing for readers. With Jason Aaron and Ron Garney telling stories about the X-Men's most popular character we'll get a whole lot more than an expensive movie tie-in from "Wolverine: Weapon X." We'll get good stories, well told. And this is just the beginning.

Seven issues in, and this is the kind of "Wolverine: Weapon X" issue that we've been waiting for. It's not for the faint of heart. It's not for readers who thought the movie was the best version of Wolverine ever. It's for those of us looking for an offbeat, disconcerting Wolverine story. One that is a bit different from your normal superhero tale.

Jason Aaron is not-so-quitely carving out a Wolverine run for the ages here. And it demands a look.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

"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.

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.

"Punisher War Journal" is a good Marvel book, every month. And with Chaykin on board as the artist, it's now reaching its peak -- aesthetically and dramatically. I can't imagine anyone deciding to start buying this comic now, during part four of a six part arc, but if you've skipped this series before and find yourself liking the work Matt Fraction has done elsewhere, I think you might want to check out some back issues, or pick up a collected edition or two. I think you'll find a lot to like.

This series exists to show the Punisher re-engaged with the Marvel Universe, and "Punisher War Journal" #24 is a perfect example of that. And it's an absolute blast, from cover to cover.

The series doesn't seem to be heading in any surprising direction, but it's extremely well-executed and establishes the strange incestuous wonder of the Inhumans as well as any series in recent memory. It's nice to see the Inhumans get their groove back, and if it took a Skrull invasion to do it, that's okay with me.

As "Secret Invasion" proper comes to a close, and after having read every single "Secret Invasion" crossover and spin-off, I can safely say that Joe Pokaski and Tom Raney have produced the best spin-off of all. They've tied their tale into the Skrull invasion, but it has been a story about all the things that make the Inhumans such a fascinating part of the Marvel Universe. This is good stuff.

I don't want to get all hyperbolic and declare "Unwritten" to be the best new series of 2009. But it just might be the best new series of 2009. It's pretty darn good.

But for all my criticisms, this is still a good series, a good series that's still young. And it has a edgy darkness that's easy to overlook among the Potter pastiches. Children die here. Prisoners are torched. It's violent and harsh, even when its about winged cats and the ghosts of legendary heroes. And the discord between the fantasy trappings and the violent reality keep this book interesting.

This isn't a fast-paced series, and that may be to its detriment, but what has been set up seems to work well. After two issues, "Punisher" is primed for a frontal assault on the Marvel Universe, and I'm sure the results will be explosive.

While the MAX series stumbles around in the wake of Garth Ennis's departure, this Marvel Universe-centric "Punisher" takes confident aim at its target. In the hands of Remender and Opena, this series knows what it needs to be, and it's very good at being just that.

Maybe it's the addition of Huat to the visuals, but this book has replaced the on-hiatus "Ghost Rider" as the grindhouse comic of choice. It's a pretty wild time, and it just keeps getting better and better.

Where is this book headed next? I have no idea, and that's exciting.

I don't know where this series is headed next, but it's supposed to officially change its name to "Franken-Castle" with issue #17. The monsters are here to stay. Now it's just a matter of keeping it so that we continue to care. And don't become numb to the joys of the series.

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.

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.

Hickman's doing a lot of nice things on this series, and it's an excellent look at the secret side of the Marvel Universe. The look of the comic will just take some getting used to.

Good stuff, Jonathan Hickman. Well played.

And though we got away from that for a few months we're back in the thick of it again, and when you get a final page where Nick Fury says, "Hell's comin' -- and I'm comin' right behind it," that's a series that I'll follow anywhere. Even if I don't want to know where it's headed.

"The Mighty" is about something, and that makes it better than your average superhero tale. And if it's given a chance to continue for the long term, I suspect it might become something even more.

"The Mighty" #4 proves that this little series isn't going to be a watered-down Superman Elseworlds series, and as long as Tomasi, Champagne, and Snejbjerg keep taking this comic in unexpected directions, this is a comic worth following.

"The Mighty" continues to be one of the best DC comics that you're not reading. I just hope it gets a nice collected edition so you can see what you've been missing.

The series concludes here, but it keeps a window open through which future stories might drift back in. I don't think that's likely to happen -- and Chris Samnee will be doing bigger and higher-profile things soon enough ("Siege: Embedded" is but a taste of what he's capable of) -- and these twelve issues of "The Mighty" will make a handsome collected edition. Nothing revolutionary. Nothing that will change the way you look at the world. But this has been a good story, told with some surprises, and plenty of craft.

There's a danger, though, to what Straczynski is doing in "Thor." It might be too little story development for some, and if the intrigue and manipulation doesn't build to a suitably Shakespearean climax then it will all amount to nothing, but I like what he's doing so far, and I appreciate how different this book feels. In a sea of bland similarity, "Thor" sails along like an elegant warship.

"Thor" has some newfound life, thanks to Gillen and Tan, and if you've given up on this series, now might be the time to check back in. Nah, it is the time to check back in.

"Thor" is maybe more interesting without Thor around. At least with Gillen and Tan doing their thing.

At $3.99, with it featuring a story that doesn't tie in to any of the Marvel event books, you might have skipped this series. I recommend that you take a look at it yourself and see what you're missing.

Describing it this way makes it sound ridiculous, sure, but it embraces its ridiculousness and blankets it in the luxuriant artistic stylings of Mario Alberti. And for all of the inherent absurdity of the Jim Lee-era X-Men trying their best to be tough and cool, and the clone of Spider-Man not really getting what he's supposed to be getting, Gage doesn't resort to cynical mockery. This is a loving tribute to these characters, maybe not as majestic as "All-Star Superman," but in the same vein. And if anyone is going to be spoken of in the same sentence as Frank Quitely, it should probably be Mario Alberti.

And it was fun while it lasted.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

"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."

"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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

"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.

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.

"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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

But it is worth reading. Certainly.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

"Punisher War Zone" #6 is a cynically gleeful comic, and it makes no apologies for it.

In other words, its Jason Aaron's version. His mark on the character. And like Steve Dillon, he has his own dirty, elegant, ugly, beautiful simplicity.

This first issue just establishes the setting, really, and doesn't go much beyond it. Presumably, the remaining three issues will show the human resistance to the alien threat. But Hickman's other work has avoided cliche, and I hope this one will, also. We've seen alien invasion stories a million times (this summer's Marvel mega-crossover is founded upon it, of course), but I think if anyone can provide a fresh spin on that stale old story, it's Jonathan Hickman. And he's off to a good start here.

This series still has a rawness to it that's charming, but it also has a deeper structure than the first issue would have led you to believe. Thomas Hall and Daniel Bradford are making a mark in the comic book world with this series, one issue at a time. It's a good-looking one.

Writer Matt Sturges, who replaced the over-worked Bill Willingham a couple of issues ago, continues his apparent mission to push this comic into absurd territory, which I find absolutely enjoyable. He's the guy who wrote the gorilla on gorilla action last issue, and here he juggles the warring supervillain factions with a subplot about Vandal Savage's secret plans and the reveal of an even bigger (much, much bigger) threat from off-planet. This doesn't feel like the comic Willingham started, and that's a good thing. Willingham seemed interested in exploring the "Lord of the Flies" dynamic of immature characters on an inhospitable world. Sturges, on the other hand, seems interested in turning it all into a frenzy of explosions and heat vision, gigantic girls and falling martians. Restraint is not what this comic is all about, and that makes it worth a look. Enjoy it for what it is.

"Secret Invasion" #1 offers just about what you'd expect, but it's well-executed and offers a solid launching pad for what could turn out to be an excellent little gigantic crossover event.

Is that a Dr. Strange/Black Bolt/Iron Man/Mr. Fantastic Super-Skrull? Yes. Yes, it is. And who among us hasn't dreamt of such a concoction?

"Secret Invasion" continues to be a better-than-average event, but it's starting to show some weaknesses. But if Bendis can hold it together for the next five issues and tell an actual story in this one series, this still has a chance to be one of the best crossovers in Marvel history. It's still a heck of a lot of fun.

Although a few interesting moments in this issue, like the Thor/Captain America meet-up, are shortchanged because of the escalating battle, Bendis seems to have kicked it into high gear now, racing toward the fast-approaching finale. If you've had the feeling that "Secret Invasion" has been moving slowly since issue #1, I think you'll be pleased by this issue. I know I was.

"Secret Invasion: Thor" #2 is little more than an extended fight scene, but it has enough humanity to add a meaningful subtext to the bombast. It's a "Secret Invasion" story, but it's a good one, continuing the noble rebirth of Marvel's favorite hammer-wielding god.

It seems that, after years of a single extended narrative that began with the launch of "New Avengers," ran through "Civil War," "Secret Invasion," and "Dark Reign," we're finally getting the denouement. And it looks to be nasty, brutish, and short. Which is just fine with me, as long as it looks this good.

As a story, it probably works better in conjunction with the other two companion Avengers issues released this week, but as a comic -- and as a finale to a short burst of a series -- it serves its purpose well. It gets the characters where they need to be, and it does it with a bit of flavor. It's the citrus sorbet of the comic book world.

"Skrulls vs. Power Pack" #1 is the kind of comic that we should see more often. It's a lot of fun, no matter your age.

This comic is certainly kid-friendly, but if you're a longtime Marvel fan, you might enjoy it even more. Unless "Secret Wars" is some kind of sacred cow in your life. In which case you should probably save up for the "Secret War Omnibus," instead.

This issue concludes with an unforgettable image -- the kind of situation that everything from "Secret Invasion" onward has built towards. And because Bendis makes the moment feel earned, and because Maleev makes it all look sad and powerful and charged with tension, it's a strong cliffhanger. This is good comics, whether or not it works when delivered on iTunes.

The lead-time on this series has distanced it from Marvel relevance, what with "Secret Invasion" long forgotten by now, but it still has artistic relevance. It still has excellence within it. It's worth more than a glance.

"Spider-Woman" #7 ends with a validation of the character and her place in the larger superhero universe, and though it may not have been originally planned as the end of her series, it's a fitting one. As she flies up toward the reader in the final double-page spread, she's ready to take on Marvel's new Heroic Age.

Thanks to Gates and Igle, Supergirl the character and "Supergirl" the comic are important parts of the Superman universe once again. This isn't an innovative, revolutionary take on the comic book medium. It's just a good comic. A good Supergirl comic. And that's all it needs to be.

"Supergirl" #39 is a worthy addition to the overall Geoff Johns-driven Superman mega-story, and Gates propels the Superwoman mystery along nicely. Now that "Action Comics" and "Superman" have turned their attention to the third-stringers of Metropolis, it's nice to have "Supergirl" maintaining its newfound consistency as a comic worth reading.

$40 is kind of steep for less than 200 pages of Bronze Age reprints -- though the stories aren't retouched or recolored, which is a good thing, because you can experience them the way they originally looked, unfiltered, not traced by digital hands -- but this is one of the most satisfying single volumes of Superman reprints available. Superman is a great character, maybe the greatest character, but he doesn't have a whole lot of single volume collections that work as a self-contained, satisfying whole beyond "All-Star Superman" volumes 1 and 2. This, though, is an exception. A good one.

"Sweet Tooth" may unfold a bit slowly for some readers accustomed to page after page of visual excess and heroic declarations, but if you can settle in to the Lemire rhythms, you'll find a story that lingers. This is a series unlike anything else on the shelf right now. It has its own feel, its own look, and it deserves your time and attention. Like Sweet Tooth himself, it might be bit odd, but it's damn endearing.

"The Alcoholic" isn't a perfect graphic novel -- and I don't know that there's all that much about it that wouldn't have worked as a straight-up prose story -- but Haspiel's art is dynamic and bold, and Ames's unique narrative voice makes it worth reading for sure.

"The Order" may have looked too conventional or too marginal to survive as a monthly comic, but its readers know that it was one of the most interesting takes on classic superheroics in the last few years. If you missed this series, it's a bit late to jump on board now, but at least you'll have a couple of nice trade paperbacks to dive into.

This isn't a bad story by any means -- in fact, I think it's the best thing Straczynski has ever written -- but the best parts of "The Twelve" belong to Chris Weston. He makes this series worth reading, in all of its sordid, pathetic unraveling.

This issue has been a long time coming (issue #4 came out last fall), but it jumps right back into the action as if no time has passed at all. And that's how it should be. That's how this series operates. Full speed ahead. On the page, if not on the publishing schedule.

This may not be an astounding, stand-out issue, but that's not how this series works. It works by being very good every single month, and no matter how you feel about the rest of the Ultimate line, this comic is always worth reading.

The 133 issue run of "Ultimate Spider-Man" has been Bendis's masterpiece at Marvel. More streamlined and cohesive than his Avengers work, more emotionally true than his work with the Daredevil character, and more resonant than his "Secret Invasion." He ends it with dignity, letting the characters actions speak for themselves, letting the weighty moments sit on the page, letting us watch as tragedy unfolds. I'm sure Bendis and LaFuente will do excellent work on the new series, and Bendis and Immonen conclude this one about as well as could be expected. It's just unfortunate that they had to end it at all.

For a war comic, there's not much fighting in this story. The violence that occurs is swift and lethal. Instead of battle, this comic emphasizes the moments before and the moments after. Those are the moments where the characters really struggle with right and wrong. And those are the moments worth reading about.

This is some of Pelletier's best work, and Abnett and Lanning haven't written anything as sharp as this in years. It may be nothing more than another space battle featuring Marvel characters who can't support their own series, but when it's done well, that's enough.

But "Wednesday Comics" #3 is still one of the best releases of the week, because the quality of its best strips (as few as they are) more than makes up for any weaknesses in the other strips. And even the underwritten, uninspired strips tend to look wonderful. This is an art project, largely, and there sure are plenty of pretty pages to gawk at, even if you skip the word balloons and captions.

Still, like every issue of the series, issue #12 is certainly a good comic. Hawkman climbing inside a T-Rex's mouth? Batman's tragic kiss of death? Barry and Iris Allen reunited? Yeah, you certainly get your money's worth, sometimes with a little bit of style thrown in as well.

Mayor Fury finds himself released from prison in this opening issue, but there are more mysteries inside, as a shadowy figure smashes the sheriff's car and pulls the mayor

Most of these "X-Men Origins" comics I can do without. But this simple, cleanly told little story is a keeper.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

I know I'm excited about where this comic is headed.

The bottom line is that "Uncanny X-Men" hasn't been this good in years, and as an antidote to the Skrull-heavy Marvel mainstream, it's worth your time.

I'm having fun reading this comic every month, and though I don't know much about some of the characters and I don't know what's going to happen next, I'm eager to find out, even if Greg Land's art isn't my thing.

Land's artistic choices are distracting and harmful to the story, and they turn what could be a 3 to 4 star X-Men issue into something significantly less.

Like Millar's other recent Marvel work, "Wolverine" #66 certainly isn't dull, but it's so absurdly campy as to render itself meaningless. It's an insubstantial daydream of a future world where cities of today have been replaced by "Paste Pot Creek" and "Pym Cross." It wears its cinematic and comic book influences too openly, flaunting them at the expense of originality. This may be the most interesting comic of the week, but only because of the absurdity of its failures.

"Wolverine" #67 may have its story flaws and gaps in logic, but it is worth checking out. Even if the story is too much of an artificial contrivance, McNiven and Vines are producing one of the best-looking mainstream comics today. That, alone, would get me to buy it.

I mentioned last month that this comic is worth buying just for McNiven's art, and it is, but it's also developed into a story worth reading. It's a crazed story of a nonsensical future that's becoming more absurdly fun each month.

Revel in this comic's imagery, embrace its absurdities, and enjoy.

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.

"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.

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.

"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.

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?

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.

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.

If you're reading "Blackest Night" and you want a tie-in to bide you over, you could do a lot worse than this one. Unless, of course, you take "Blackest Night" seriously. But why would you want to do that?

The Shade's heart gets ripped out -- I guess that's the bad news. The good news is that he's the Shade. The better news is that James Robinson is back, writing the kind of comics that he's best at. And it's great to see, even for

It's bad enough that Zatanna and Wonder Woman give up so easily and resign themselves to the knowledge that Barbara Gordon will be shot in the spine and they won't be able to stop it (which really doesn't make sense for characters who have been repeatedly shown to defy the whims of fate time and time again), but the obviousness of the storytelling, and the, as I said before, tacky nature of the way the story is told, well, it doesn't give Cliff Chiang and Trish Mulvihill the narrative they deserve.

It's certainly the best version of the Subs outside of Edmund Hamilton, Paul Levitz, or Keith Giffen, and it's, by default, the best version of the Inferior Five since the Silver Age. But sometimes it's enough just to put these kinds of characters together and have fun with the possibilities that arise. And that's what we get in this issue. It's broad. It's dumb. And it's the greatest Inferior Five/Legion of Substitute Heroes team-up in the history of comic books.

The status quo may have changed in the Ultimate universe in this post-"Ultimatum" world, and Peter Parker may now have ridiculously long hair and work in a food court, and Bendis may have lightened the tone a bit, but this is the same good-Bendis Spider-Man series that explores the Stan Lee/Steve Ditko implied notion of a teen hero with social problems. Bendis has taken the continuity in a different direction from the original, but he's accented the emotional trials of Peter Parker, the thrills (and scares) of teen superherodom, and made this a solid read each month.

But the legacy of the Ultimatum Wave looms. And it seems that Peter Parker will have to face the reality of that sooner, rather than later.

I'm not giving up on this series yet. Even if it is nothing more than a sum of its influences, it's still a comic that feels like nothing else in the Vertigo line -- or any other line, to be sure. If Lapham can move the story away from the Tarantino and the Lynch, and into Lapham-esque territory, then the comic might be really worth reading.

It's these questions which drive the series, and at a time when most comics seem to be stuck in the rut of conventionality, "Young Liars" continues to surprise at every turn. I don't know what's really going on, and that's a good feeling.

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.

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 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.

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 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.

"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.

"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.

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.

"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.

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.

"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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!"

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?

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.

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.

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.