Besides what I thought was a really ridiculous first page, Talon #12 is a solid albeit slower read than I expected. Since we're already 2 months deep into Forever Evil and are well aware that Bane invades Gotham issue #12′s showcase of Batman and Talon trying to uncover the mystery of what Bane is up to seems quite dull. If anything, it would have been more exciting to see Talon on the front lines in a Batman-less Gotham as the invasion begins. We're long overdue for a comic that shows how one of the B-list heroes reacted to the rise of the villains. Still, while Talon #12 does feel like a time-out, Tynion and Simeoni do a fine job of catching new readers up on who everyone is and what's going on in the plot. Read Full Review

Solid issue all around, despite some weird gaps one may perceive in the story. The big hook of this issue is the new artist, and I think he's fine. Like Red Hood, I think this is a book struggling to get it's footing back after the departure of the original artist, but Talon has done much better than Red Hood in that department, and I have the feeling people will probably generally like Simeoni's work. With James Tynion's time on the series coming to a conclusion, this issue definitely got me looking forward to his final two, despite not being as exciting as a few previous issues. Read Full Review

Talon #12 is a setup issue.  We get some background to bring new readers up to speed and a little story to push things forward.  However, most of this is ridiculous, cliche and/or infuriating to longtime readers.  The art is a mixed bag that shows the good and the bad that Emanuel Simeoni is capable of.  James Tynion only has a couple issues left on this book and I can only hope that he brings it around before the new creative team jumps on.  Unfortunately, the turn around doesn't begin here. Read Full Review