It was great, but it lacked any sort of wow factor.

Wow. Leah Williams knocks it out of the park. The stakes have become more real, the set up gets more intriguing, data pages about Otherworld are SUPER interesting, and moments like Lorna's suffering or Xavier shaming Apocalypse were stellar. Also Moira showed up briefly!!! X of Swords is proving that the X writers know what they are doing!

This issue is a ride, as the power and control of the scene swap between Barbara and the Joker at various different times. All while moving toward an exciting new future for the Batman Family. Castellucci does a great job showcasing Barbara's will and tenacity as she proves that she is never helpless, even when she loses, she still manages to win. As a tie-in, it's not the most successful story, but it's certainly a game changing issue that we will be discussing months from now. I've read a couple of different opinions and I disagree with what they have think because this issue does such a great job being meaningful interesting and fun. The art is consistently unsettling, but it adds effectively to the unsettling fight. I can't wait to see where the Batgirl Joker tie-in goes. more

Damn, this comic is amazing. This comic is insanely relevant to today, and as such feels so real. I buy every moment in this book because it all feels so grounded in a crazy world like ours. It's not afraid to draw parallels to today, but it does so in a real way that still makes sense and feels natural. I've used the world real alot here because that's the only way I know to describe it. I am confident this book will be in consideration for eisners next year after reading two issues. This is a must buy series for sure. more

I try to enjoy this series a lot, but it's hard. ALOT was revealed, but most if it had already been hinted at very strongly. The cast is bizarre is so many ways, and the fight felt completely pointless. The solicit is inaccurate, and the big moment where they form the young justice felt bizarre. Honestly, I've given up on this series. If I didn't care about 80% of these characters as much as I do, I would drop this in a heartbeat. more

This issue was mediocre at best because it is full of character inconsistencies, deus ex machina, and convoluted continuity. For a start, the whole Superman as the king of earth storyline with Agent Chase and Lois Lane is confusing and full of wholes. How did Daily Star get the video? Why is Russia and the rest of the security council okay with letting an American Super-powered immigrant being the ambassador of earth retroactively? Why does Agent Chase's message add up to that? On the other side, Superman and Mongols fight is weird. Why does Mongal end up on Venus? How can Superman destroy ALL of War World when no other continuity has ever let him just rip it apart? Why did this issue come out 4 months after Superman: Villains which takes place after this? Finally, HOW DID LOIS LANE A PULITZER PRIZE WINNING JOURNALIST FORGET THE GOVERNMENTS MESSAGE FOR HER? This issue, like many, reveals the problem with Bendis Run. He has lots of big ideas but executes them all poorly. War World threatening Earth is a cool idea, but the entire fight was bland and oddly paced and made Superman WAY too powerful. The Government reacting to the United Planets is cool, but it goes nowhere. I look forward to the day when Superman has real stakes and the ideas are executed better.

P.S. Does anyone understand how Superman and Action Comics even connect anymore? more

Resistance is an amazing first issue on so many levels. It's shocking relevance to coronavirus to it's more intentional political moments. Various things happening feel so real to what we experience everyday. Though some moments don't make complete sense, its clear those moments happen for a reason. There are moments of audible gasps and moments full of mystery that a sense of cluelessness about what comes next. Moments where the future feels uncertain in the comic mirror so well the uncertainty of the present: both Coronavirus-wise, geo-political-wise, and also politically. Overall this is one of the best comics I've ever read and I can not wait to see what's next. more

A stunning comic more than worthy of praise. The ending is incredibly well done and each issue continues to keep you on an edge. At the same time, every character gets moments to shine and is given stuff to do. Also the political angle perfectly combines with the pirating angle for an amazing cliff hanger.

Comics like this help the universe feel together and help create a sense that there is a cohesive direction for the universe. Does it have problems? Yes. Are some stories just glorified previews? Yes. However, each of the stories does enough to help someone who hasn't been following "catch up." There's enough reveals to make the issue worthwhile, and for a bit of time, incoming is actually connects each mini story while teasing new directions. Solicits however have spoiled 95% of it. Only the actually What is Empyre? and X-Men tease weren't really spoilers. more

Writing often feels jumbled and messy. It's not inately bad, it just is more confusing than the book is worth. It can also be hard to tell who's talking on close ups of the eyes and mouth.

Most people probably won't agree with me, but if you ignore the story shift, this story is wonderfully heartfelt. Sometimes, the simple but beautiful story works wonders. As a brand new reader of these characters, I came out knowing who everyone is fairly well which goes to show how good, the author is.