What the actual F was that art? That is some of the most phoned in, poorly done art I have seen in a while. It ruined the story for me (not that this was a strong issue to begin with). It is like they got to this issue and went 'hey lets get my 7 year old to draw this issue. Character faces are all wonky, details are almost non-existent and dialogue boxes are kind of weird.

Even with a perfect story, with how bad this art is, it wasnt going to get more than a 6.5/10.
Art is like a 1/10. You should feel bad for submitting such poor work.

Now onto the story. It was a below average ending for sure. Everything suddenly goes the way for the 'heroes' with little logic, just 'because the plot demanded it'. Insert jokes that are oddly weak compared to previous issues and you get the story. Also why was Williams throwing around the wh*re word so much? That didn't add to the story, felt forced and felt very childish.

Only plus side I would say is I like the fact that the way the XO Punch worked was a use of Ivy's pheromones which plays into Punchline's poison making aspects.

Also that she had a crew of people who were actually terrible people. Nice to see she is able to find the worst (but smart people like the scientist) to work with. This book really was all about Punchline and for that I am happy with Williams work. Even in this wreck of an ending, Punchline still was the best written. For that, thanks! more

... I think I might actually like this issue overall which is a change from the first two. We see the characters with their backs up to the wall (some suspension of disbelief required), and an info dump (that I enjoyed because it felt more like a video game tutorial with the mascot so it flowed a bit better) that filled in any questions readers might have had. That being said, if you were paying attention to the background and to what was being said, 90% of people should have been able to put this all together.

Ivy we see actually use her powers and how easily the tied is turned when she is active (so written in character).

Punchline once again carries this book. Here she is schmoozing with the elite subscribers and much like a twitch influencer, is just playing off peoples additions and worst desires to play them like a fiddle. She also appears to get away with it at the end of this issue which is refreshing. The main crew is stuck dealing with her ploys and not her so the story at least feels like they need to try to win rather than just being given the win which is so common now-a-days.

White Rabbits characterization is interesting for sure. She has been a pretty blank slate from previous writer's so I am not opposed to what Williams is trying to do with her skill set. At least I give her kudos for trying to flesh out the character.

The nasty boys are... well they are there as pawns I guess.

All in all character writing quality I would say is: Punchline>Ivy>Catwoman>Harley.

As for the art, it is better but not great. Lolli's art still seems on the rougher side. It doesn't feel like they are phoning it in at least, just that maybe they are rushed due to the tight deadlines on this book (once a week instead of per month). A shame but its not jarring anymore at least. more

Not much to say except that Milligan & Allred did it better twenty years ago with X-Force/X-Statix. This was entirely derivative and worse than that, it was bland. My fears about this relaunch are in full force in this book. Very disappointing.

If D-listers ran our entertainment industries! Characters are killed off because they can be and will readers actually care? This needs to improve dramatically

Yeah this is not good.

Just read Morrisons X-men run if you want to know what this is about. This is just a copy and paste version but worse.

There is functionally zero reason to buy this book, the story has already been done and the art is very mediocre.

Weirdly uninspiring. The art is also a mess. Does Stegman not know what he is doing or just phoning it in on a major X-men title.

Also MacKay said he likes Morrisons X-men... it shows, he is just taking those ideas and doing a worse job with them (kind of like Zebb and his 'Inferno aka Dark Web' story.

So admittedly the start of the issue is a bit jarring. They dump you in at a weird point and you sort of have to work backwards. Also the opening panty shot is just... crass? Like I know this book has a lot of T and A but it was needless in a book with needless... you know.

Now past the intro things get better. The action ramps up, you get the conspiracy, loose partnerships, a great 'Austin Powers' moment of someone misinterpreting a scene (I laughed at that, it was well done for the comedic value mixed with the intensity of the fight), and a high stakes final fight. The book ends like any Hollywood action movie would, with a hook for another adventure.

Joanna once again this issue is done well. She is strong and smart but not invincible, she gets beat up and only the allies she put in place earlier make it work. It feels right for a story, I never know who is doing to die (besides Joanna), but when it works out it feels great.

TL DR: Intro is kind of a mess, the rest of the story is great with a action movie finish. more

Art is phoned in again. Real 5/10 art. Not terrible, but rough and clearly details were missing in certain panels when they thought they could get away with it (Guys you didnt get away with it, it is obvious you phoned it in).

Onto the story itself.

Jokes are Leah Williams standard ones... so yeah.

Now that being said it works a bit more for the Gotham City Sirens because how what Harley and Ivy have become (goofy wantabees of their previous selves). Catwoman is played straight here and that works. She is fine and a good contrast to the other two. Harley is better than how she is written in her own book but like its still only a 4/10 on that front.

Punchline weirdly works in cowboy chaps. Didnt expect that. Also while I found some parts cringy with her, it still feels like this works for Punchline. Like of course she would be playing into what her 'elite subs' want. So if they want White Rabbit, they get White Rabbit. Williams writes and evil, annoying influencer character pretty decently. I dont mind this take of Punchline.

Also for those who have been reading a lot of Punchline stuff, Punchline is shaping up to be an interesting villain for Catwoman. They have duked it out a couple of times and Catwoman doesnt exactly win these exchanges so it makes it more personal.

In all honesty Punchline saves this book. Harley is just in a sad state of affairs for DC, Catwoman is written service-ably here and Ivy is meh. One of Williams better books. You need to be willing to accept this is a goofy book though. more

This is terrible. Boring plot and generic characterization.

So MacKay & Stegman's X-Men seems to be picking up the "episodic book where things explode a lot" remit from Duggan's X-Men, which seems like a waste of their talents and doesn't suit MacKay at all. Utterly forgettable and generic.

This issue was a bit better than the first but still the art really holds it back. With a better artist I feel like we would really get the mystery of the casters, the aura of the Zatara, the pure oddity of the rabbit people, but I dont feel any of that. The art falls flat on all front. It really is not a proper fit for this book. It isnt a proper fit for any DC book frankly.

I am a massive Zatanna fan, I have all her major stories going back to her inception, but she needs good art. Her magic, her atmosphere, her backstory all demands it. This is not that.

As for the story itself, it does ramp up a bit and I do enjoy parts of it but it feels like it is missing the 'show part' due to the poor art. The one issue I have with the story is that Zatara feels colder, more evil then he normally is. This relationship feels less healthy than normal and that is a shame. Zatanna and her father normally care for each other but I dont get that vibe in this book. We will see though. There is more to her childhood story to reveal. more

Honestly shocked to see so many people like this book. The art is a disaster. While that is a bit more of a subjective take, when you have people like Montos, or Mora on other DC books, this looks like something I might be able to draw with enough time and I am a terrible artist.

This art is so poor even if the best of stories I couldnt give it more than a 7.5/10.

The story itself is ok. It kind of just shuffles along and has some interesting concepts (the childhood part is interesting), but the art ruins every good moment. Everything Tamaki tries to build up or where there should be 'oomph' the art makes it look foolish or unimpactful.

Normally I say the writer is bringing down the art, but this is one of the rare cases where the artist is tanking the story hard. more

Ok so I am coming into this one with some really hot-takes.

First I dont think this is a bad book. Is it a good book? Not really but it isnt as bad as people are making it out to be. Lets honestly go over the pros and cons to get to my point.

Pros
Harvey and Ivy act like villains. For those who think they are heroes, you are wrong, sorry to say. Harvey at best should be highly conflicted villain rare times a hero and Ivy should be a sympathetic villain which she was for decades. Either way I enjoyed them just offing people cause they are terrible people. That was at least written in character which it doesnt feel like happens much anymore.

Human meat puppets concept is sort of interesting. It at least feels like something we havent seen too much recently so that is something (look I know the bar is low but DC cant even clear that half the time).

Punchline actually makes sense here. She usually social media for horrible purposes. Seeing her adapt and use the Gotham equivalent of Twitch, Youtube, Tic Toc ect is actually quite in character for her. She has been treated terrible the past couple of years for the most part but Williams actually seems to get her point. Is the bathwater stuff going to become dated? Yeah, but Punchline because she is based around Social Media will always be changing much like how social media is always changing. This checks out.

Subpoint to the punchline point but some of the plot is shown not told, like all the XO Punch ads ect. Punchline is adapting her drug trade. Her flexibility is quite interesting to see.

This is a personal one but I like the fact that social media is portrayed so toxic. Punchline functionally has an army of people worshipping her ('Simps' as one might say in 2024), and based on how social media is as of this review... it is honestly quite an accurate portrayal. Social media influences encourage people to do horrible trends (like the 'punch a stranger tic toc trend that happened last year), so the idea that eventually it would just be murder for fun, and do drugs for a chance to hang out with your 'favourite influencer' feels on point.

Neutral:
Lolli is a good artist but they kind of phoned this one in. Could have been better but could have been worse.

Cons:
Plot has some interesting points but is all over the place. This plotlines need to be tied together.

Too goofy. Like its ok to be a bit but Williams always takes it too far and that is annoying.

No consistency with other books. While I prefer Harley and Ivy being villains that is clearly not what DC wants to do so there characterization here is a bit off from the main books (but I personally think that is a plus).

....why the cowboys. I just cant help but chuckle at how silly it is. And like why is outside of Gotham limits its like a desert. I dont remember that being a thing.

All in all not a terrible book. I think for the most fair review, I would check out Casually Comics on Youtube. She does a great job giving it a far review.

Williams does a lot of poor work, and while I dont think this is the best book, its an ok one for sure. Plus if you like Punchline like myself, it is nice to see her logically evolve her trade as she finds her place. The social media space is wildly misused in DC books so having her be that villain would be great. more

Hmm. Lots of charm, but it doesn't really have any clear identity beyond "a comic with Harley, Ivy & Selina in it". Reminds me a bit of the digital-first comics that DC used to do: content for content's sake rather than a comic that exists because creators have a strong story that they're eager to tell.

If you want action, explosions, a conspiracy unravelling and a decent amount of murder... well then this is what you came for. Moves the plot forward a considerable amount and sets it up for an explosive finale. I look forward to it.

Can I just start off saying that I love the cover art? The mech-warriors are great looking. Lucas does a great job drawing them (and later in the issue).

If you are seeking action, this issue will give you some. Mostly at the start. However, if you are seeking a strategic, tit-for-tat, precision strike business battle, then this is for you. Destro vs Xamot and Tomax is great. It is enjoyable to see their characters unfold.

Also can I say the Destro is just a megalomaniac and I am all here for it. Love the way he is drawn (almost goofy comical evil villain but it feels like it fits).

I would say this issue is better than the first and that is a nice thing to see. more

Ok some odd moments, did she really just pull an unwrapped razor blade out of her insides? Like that thing would have shredded up her intestines and abdominal cavity. Not sure if that was Kelly or Marco's oversight but it was funny how dumb that was.

Admittedly, the fight scene right after it was well done. Very movie-ques. Also nice to see a unit leader call out the mistakes of his followers. As it was a really dumb move to shoot at her in that room.

Interesting start to Scarlett. Still not sure how I feel. It is the weakest book out of the Energon universe so far but not terrible by any means.

Also that relationship with Jinx is suspect. Like Kelly has gone on record saying Scarlett views Jinx like a sister, but that dialogue and the way they are drawn together in the flash back. It is riding a real line between caring sisters and "Sweet home Alabama" if you get what I mean... Please dont go full Alabama. more

Barring the event aside, I think this was a nice issue. The opening start was cute and heartfelt, Zatanna by Campbell is great, curious about the dark roads, and Waller is just annoying.

If Waller gets obliterated and removed from DC's toolbelt for a decade it wont be long enough. DC editors must be in love with this C class villain which is annoying.

But back to the art, CAMPBELL IS BACK! Oh how I missed his art. This was a great issue. When I think of this run of Superman, I think of Campbell and his art. Great work as always.

Overall, beautiful art, great story. Looking forward to the next issue.

Only grip about the art, fishnet stockings do not rip like that. Like the way the binding was drawn on the stocks was weird. It was uninterrupted even though the stockings were torn up. I know that is one of the most petty things I could complain about but it still stuck out to me and bothered me. Bah! more

I have mixed feelings on this book.

On one hand, some of the stuff I dont like about it is honestly just bronze age stuff that, for its inspiration is well done. Clark is rather feckless in his early days hiding who he was. That was in character, but it is hard for my to enjoy compared to how great the Superman parts were.

The actual fights and the characterization of superman was great. I really enjoyed it and nice to see the Bronze Age Superman fighting for what is right. Simone is clearly pulling from the era and I can respect that.

As for the art... something is off. The art isnt bad but it just feels wrong. Barrows isnt a bad artist and this doesnt seem phone in but at the same time, I dont like parts of it, it just feels off, warped, incorrect perspectives. Something I cannot put my finger on.

As for the backup. It was a logical move on Lois's part but still not the best read for me.

Possible hot-take on the back-up. Rowell was born in the wrong era. Golden age and early Silver Age comics had a lot of great romance and slice of life stories. Modern comics dont and have mostly ruined them. If we could do that right that would be nice, but Rowell's story just feels like it is in a medium that it no longer belongs.

The back-up itself was ok but uninspiring. more

Solid book for what it was, but what it was wasn't something I enjoy. I had been picking up Superman books for the Braniac story, mostly because of the inclusion of Lobo and the Czarnians, but it looks like I'll be dropping them back off my pull list now.

The main story is a charming little love letter to the Bronze Age Superman comics Simone grew up reading, let down a bit by Barrows's art which doesn't sell big moments like Superman eating the raygun and gives everybody a psychotic grin. The backup is Rowell doing the intimate character work she does best, approaching the interesting collision between Lois's commitment to journalistic ethics and the fact that she knows her husband is a walking conflict of interest.

This isn't anything essential, but it's a nicely balanced package offering something for everyone — if you want action, the main story has it for you; if like me you're more interested character drama, the backup delivers. more

Ok lets get the worse out of the way first. The Sorrow Lanterns concept was rushed and the Absolute Power stuff was ok but clearly something editorial forced on Jeremy. I really enjoyed all the Hal parts. Art was a slight step down though. All in all for a tie-in this was really good. Usually they are terrible but this one continues the mainline story and also does its job as a tie in. Pushes the event forward.

The back-up was another good back-up. It was nice seeing some of the mindset and background of the Thaaros. Patient and Cunning. So many evil characters are just cunning or strong ect, but it is good to see the classic 'revenge is a dish best served cold' type of villain again. It feels like it has been a while since I have seen one. Also frankly based on the story, this guy is actually pulling it off. Like as far as villains go, he has won against the 'good guys' quite a lot. He is clearly a threat and I wouldn't mind seeing more of him in the future if this arc ends well. more