I still don't know why I bought this issue, but I'm glad I did. The first story feels like Swamp Thing crossed with Annihilation (the movie) crossed with Wolverine. I also enjoyed the Brute Force back up story, which also caught me by surprise. The only way I can describe this book is as weird and fun.

I'm enjoying Tynion's run so far, but I'm not loving it just yet. The thing that I appreciate the most from this issue is the dialogue. Tynion manages to give the characters their own voices which in my opinion is essential for Batman, his allies (in this case Lucius) and his enemies. The story has me intrigued, but I'm not quite hooked. I've enjoyed all of the action, but I also feel like not much has really happened in the first 3 issues of Tynion's run. However I do want to keep reading more because I am a fan of Tynion's recent writing in other books and believe that once the series gets going he will manage to deliver on the promise of this series. On the art side of things I have absolutely zero complaints about Guillem March. The art is gritty and action packed, just as Batman art should be. It's going to be interesting to see where this series goes next. more

This comic really caught me off guard. Based off of the previews I had decided I was not going to buy this series. The art didn't look like it was going to appeal to me, and I personally find Greg Pak's writing to be very hit or miss. When I visited my local comic shop I was surprised to see this issue almost sold out early in the morning, so I decided to buy it and give the first issue a chance. And boy am I glad I did. Pak had big shoes to fill following on from the great runs from Gillen and Soule, however he succeeds in making his Vader true to the films and previous comics, while putting his own take on the character. Reading this story I sensed a genuine sense of rage coming from the character that I have never experienced before. It is almost as if you are inside Vader's head, seeing things from his perspective in a way that the previous Vader series did not attempt. The art also shocked me. In the previews I thought the art looked really generic and bland. However while reading the issue I really enjoyed Ienco's art. He managed to convey pain, sadness and anger through really well drawn facial expressions. The art also flowed very well and made for a seamless and consistent reading experience. While I haven't subscribed to this series yet, I am looking forward to what comes next in issue 2. more

This issue was a hell of a lot of fun, but at the same time it almost felt messy to me. Chip Zdarsky has quickly become one of my favourite writers over at Marvel over the last year. I had a lot of fun seeing the FF interact with the Krakoan X-Men. For the most part Zdarsky managed to give the characters unique individual voices too. Seeing Franklin Richards getting the spotlight from a different writer was great to see as I personally haven't been enjoying Slott's take on the character. The issue also felt rich with continuity in the way that only a true Marvel fan could write. The art was good too. Dodson isn't one of my favourite artists but they managed to draw loads of characters on the same pages without the book becoming too messy. My issue with the book was that all of the characters and sudden changes in plot in the second half of the issue, made for the plotting to feel over the top and messy. However this almost added to the crazy fun of the issue, similar to how I enjoy the messy and speedy plot of Star Wars: A New Hope. Overall it was a fun issue and I am definitely going to be picking up the rest of the series. more

This may only be the second issue, but this has already become one of my favourite series I am collecting. Taylor manages to make all of the characters likable, and give them distinct personalities. The story in the issue is a great one-and-done which manages to add to the overall arch of the characters while being a complete story on its own. Bruno Redondo's art looks incredible on paper. I'm used to seeing his art on a screen from the Injustice series, but on paper his work looks so crisp and amazing. All of the characters are drawn in their own styles, and their designs are really cool for new characters. The rest of the art team does a great job helping his pencils come to life. The book has a very classic and fun feel to it, yet it feels modern and relevant at the same time. If you're a fan of The Suicide Squad, Deadshot, Harley Quinn or just DC in general you are doing yourself a disservice not picking up this book. more

Straight up my favourite mini-series out right now.