I feel like Fisk would never get away with a murder like that realistically, modern forensic science being what it is. His fists would be all messed up from beating Tyrone's face in, Tyrone's blood would get picked up in the bathroom along with Mr. Alvarez's, and the testimony of the other guests pointing to Tyrone provoking Wilson all evening would be too damning. That being said, I still appreciated the effort Zdarsky made, and I like it as a character moment for Wilson, especially with what's going on with the Owl. more

What an ending!

So good to have Marco Checchetto back. He draws the hell out of Spider-Man too, so it's nice to see Peter back in the story.

Really great issue. Tense, gripping, and the art was a big step up from the previous few issues.

This was easily the weakest issue so far. Too wordy, and the art is really not my taste.

Significant step down in art obviously, but thankfully it's still well-written.

*Mild spoilers*

I almost feel bad saying it...but I think this might have been my favourite issue of the series, and it wasn't even part of the main run. This felt like something straight out of The Witcher franchise, with the same dark and gloomy tone, the same uncertainty knowing who to trust...I thought it was amazing. We also got what I assume is the story of Eyvindr's origins, which was a really cool twist I didn't see coming. While the art wasn't as technically stunning as Federici's, it fit the tone of the story nicely and I really liked it. more

Always down for a philosophical debate between DD and Punisher. Checchetto's art seemed like it was a little more rushed this issue for some reason, but Checchetto at 80% is still better than many artists at 100%.

Zdarsky and Checchetto are killing it.

A brief but satisfying end to an entertaining dark fantasy story. It wasn't always as neat and tidy as I wanted it to be, and I did struggle a bit to care much about the characters (something I very much hope is fixed in future Fellspyre installments), but for what it was, I enjoyed it. The art was outstanding from start to finish and definitely stole the show most of the time. I'm looking forward to reading more into this world, so hopefully it's not too long before book 2 begins. more

Peak writing, peak art. Perfection.

Incredible art from Checchetto, and Zdarsky's writing is outstanding. Just about everything you could want in a first Daredevil issue. Does a great job getting you up to speed on recent events while not spending too much time rehashing them. Great action, some good use of flashbacks, and a powerful cliffhanger ending. Also, I have to say, it was super refreshing to read a Daredevil comic where the priest giving Matt counsel actually seems to have a pretty good perspective, biblically speaking. It's not the biggest thing, but as a Christian (Protestant, not Catholic), it always bugs me when the priest doesn't seem to know his Bible at all and gives Matt just the most incorrect advice possible. So well done Zdarsky, well done. more

This wasn't great. Art was good, writing was pretty bad. A fairly soulless retelling of the FF's origins that failed to justify its existence. Unlike the X-Men: Season One story, which felt fresh and modern while also reading like a tribute to those earliest comics, this felt bland and uninspired, failing at both revitalizing AND honoring the FF's origins.

The penultimate issue sets us up for a big showdown. The writing is good, the art is fantastic. The story hasn't gripped me in the way that I'd hoped, mainly because I'm having a hard time connecting with these characters, but it's still a thoroughly enjoyable dark fantasy read.

This was really great. Norrin is such a compellingly tragic character, and Sacks really nailed the tone with this annual. The art by Araujo was incredible, and the story was just about perfect. Only taking .5 marks off cause the writing wasn't quite perfect in some spots, but overall this was an amazing read that does justice to one of my favourite Marvel characters.

"Just Some Guy" - 8.5
"Sinister 60" - 8.5
"Spider-Man vs. Conspiratron" - 6
"The Kid's Got a Good Eye" - 4.5
"In the Flesh" - 6
"Slaves of the Witch-Queen" - 6
"You Get It" - 9.5
"With Great Power" - 8

A lot of really great art on display here, but some real rough writing. Some of these stories just didn't go anywhere or have any meaning behind them. Or maybe they did and I just missed it, which is entirely possible, but I particularly disliked Iannucci's story, Rowell's story, and Anderson's story. Just found them boring and pointless. Favourite was easily Hickman's, and Falcone's and Slott's were enjoyable as well. Perhaps worth a read if you're a big Spidey fan, but in my opinion the character deserved better from this anthology tribute. more

Fantastic issue. I had guessed that piece of the story about Haakon, but it was cool to see it confirmed. Man, the original fellowship had some real bastards in it. Lookin' at you Skol and Tyr.

Ok, here's my ratings and brief thoughts on each of these one-shots.

Human Torch (Waid/Cappuccio): Loved it. Started this collection off with a well-written, gorgeously illustrated, and emotionally powerful issue. Just about everything you'd want in a short one-shot like this. 9.5/10

Spider-Man (Stegman): Boy can Ryan Stegman ever draw the hell out of a Spider-Man comic...but I knew he was a good artist, so what impressed me even more was his writing chops! He wrote Peter perfectly here, and the story was such a neat way to showcase everything there is to love about Spider-Man while also cramming in a number of characters in a way that didn't make it feel too stuffed. A perfectly executed one-shot that deserves nothing less than a 10/10.

X-Men (Rowell/Sauvage): This started out seeming like a cool concept, focusing on how lonely it must've been for teenage Jean Grey to be the only girl on a team of young X-Men, some of whom viewed her as little more than a pretty face. Unfortunately, this was not very well written, and the art wasn't really my taste. The story also had a kind of nothingburger of an ending and didn't hit anywhere near the same emotional notes as the first two stories. 6.5/10

Captain Marvel (Slott/Allred): Fun to see the creative team behind the delightful Silver Surfer run back together again! Allred's art is always great to look at, although Slott's script wasn't all that compelling. I also don't particularly care too much about the Walter Lawson Capt. Marvel, so it was hard to connect with on any meaningful level. The ending was also a little hokey, with Lawson just listening to the Beatles and Elvis and others and all of a sudden he realizes how beautiful Earth is? A little too corny for me. 7/10

Daredevil (Iannucci/Kubert): Daredevil is my favourite Marvel hero, so I was excited that he got a one-shot in this collection, but I'm sad they didn't get a more accomplished writer to handle it. Kubert's art is fantastic, but the writing is simply not good. Dialogue feels soulless, and the story isn't all that interesting and doesn't really make sense in some parts. I also don't really see how this issue captures the spirit of Marvel comics. 6/10 for me, sadly.

Silver Surfer (McNiven): I really enjoyed this one. I'm a huge fan of the Surfer, and McNiven's art here is absolutely STUNNING. The writing wasn't anything particularly special, but it certainly wasn't bad either by any stretch. A conversation between Mephisto and the Silver Surfer is just a really cool scene, and this one was very enjoyable to read. 8.5/10

Girl-who-hates-heroes/Thor (Aaron/Larraz): First of all, I truly think Pepe Larraz is slowly becoming my favourite artist of all time. Every time I see something new of his, I'm more and more convinced that his art is just the most incredible stuff I could ever see on a page. Truly an otherworldly talent. Jason Aaron is a great writer too, so I was really looking forward to this one, and it did not disappoint. Really, really good little story with a powerful message. 9.5/10

Stan, Jack, and Steve (Straczynski/Andrews): I started reading this and thought it was kind 'meh' initially, but once it was revealed who these three boys were, I started over from the beginning and read it again with that in mind, and boy did it change my outlook. Really cool concept well-executed. A heartfelt love letter to comic creators and the timeless power of the comic medium. Really enjoyed it. 9/10

Overall rating: 8.5

A few duds (as there are in collections like this), but also a few absolute gems that make it well worth the read. more

A 10 for those that cannot get their brains around the fact this is a different Batman. If you want normal Batman and get upset at the notion of a variant, please - spare us your redundant commentary and just don't read it.

This is the perfect comic for 2025. A working class Batman, he fights for the people and stands up to the rich. A mirror pointed at today's society. The rich getting richer, the poor poorer. A gross over simplification but you know the deal. He is defined, not by his wealth and social status, but by his will to help others

"Oh but that's too heavy handed and political! My conservative mind can't handle social commentary because said commentary doesn't align with my beliefs! I can't enjoy anything that deviates from my core values!"

And what next?

"Oh, they changed Matches Mallone!" Like that character is so utterly sacred and can't be different. They did Matches dirty!" Give me strength.

'Edgelord Batman'. Bloody hell, is this a Fox News message board? "Oh everything he says is so extreme and on the nose!" Conservative speak for "I get upset when politics I don't agree with are espoused." Despite the cold hard fact that superheroes are an inherently liberal ideal.

"Ohhh,too much dialogue! Not enough action!" If it was the other way about, they'd say there wasn't enough dialogue - and point out that it's needed as it's a new universe.

This is a new Batman universe and it is still being defined. As such, exposition is required. Is this not obvious? I'd understand the criticism if it was Tom King levels of exposition, this is literally nowhere near that.

Scott Snyders supposed 'shortcomings' have netted him the no 1 comic book in the industry. This series has people excited about comics again. But no - forget that and let's just go back to the same formula we've seen a million times. Let's not try to evolve or innovate.



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I never thought I would have an emotional response to a Taskmaster comic, but here we are. This was heartbreaking and deeply moving. What an absolutely incredible 4-issue mini, holy smokes. I already know this is one of those books I'm going to be thinking about long after I've finished. There was so much to like about this series that I don't even know where to begin, so all I will say is that this was one of the biggest surprise hidden gem comics I have ever read and I will be recommending it to everyone I know. A near perfect book all in all. more

What a revelation! This comic has completely changed how I think about Taskmaster. I've always thought he was a cool character, but this book has made me love him. I can't sing this series' praises enough. Will be so sad when it's over.

"The Don of the Dead" is hilariously brilliant. This book is so much fun, man... What a hidden gem this comic turned out to be! Never thought I'd enjoy a Taskmaster story this much, but here we are. And what a twist at the end! I did not see that coming. Well played, Freddy, well played.