About the same in quality as #7 I'd say. This issue was definetly more tense and I like that it tackles the emotions of the Champions in. The pressure they are feeling gets (mostly) adressed
I just feel that the overall story isn't compelling enough, that the book is going through the motions. Everybody having a 'baby-face' is also uncanny and weird.
Still enjoyable though and I am looking forward to the next instalment.

Yet another one from the backlog down! more

A good, enjoyable read. It reminds me of those 'the last before X event starts', but better. Those hose issues ussualy are all about getting to the end, getting everything into place, that the rest often rings a bit hollow. This one doesnt. It has enough going on, has enough interesting character work that it feels like a good and thick read.

Also: the art is the mvp. It's everything you could ask for.
The Ghostmaker story is good as well (well written with nice art) but, again, just not my thing.

All right. One down, over a dozen of backlogged comics to go! more

A good issue though not quite a solid ending to a very enjoyable story arc. In terms of the quality (writing, art etc.) the books is solid. More then solid even. It's just that I find it underwhelming due to the pace being too fast for my liking as well as finding the big-bad, the one behind the murder of Bruce's neighbours, not even remotely intersting.
Still a good, enteraining read though, don't get me wrong on that.

The backup story hinges on if you like new villain Vile. If you do then you'll like it. If you don't, then you won't. more

The main Justice League story is a fine, rather filler-like read. I enjoyed my time with it but when we reached the end I was like 'it's over already?'. Nothing particulairly oustanding or terrible about it either.

The Justice League Dark backup is once again excellent. I like that we're getting a closer look at new character the Eternal Knight and Batman is used sparingly so he doesn't overshadow her. Intersted in seeing were this goes, even if I don't have any idea what that cliffhanger means.
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I had fun reading it and enjoyed the action and I liked the humor , but still it felt like too much was put here and it was not all connected, so it did not flow in a good way either. But even the things they tried to execute kinda fall flat for me, with few exceptions. So generally I would say that this was pretty forgettable.

This issue of Daredevil is still the same well written, character heavy superhero drama that I´ve come to know and love. However, it has two little points that irks me and makes it my least favourite Zdarsky Dardevil issue.
For one, the ´Bullseye goes on a killing spree with a clear religious connection´ just rub me the wrong way. Makes me uncomfortable. Secondly, the art is noticeably different this issue and I prefer #30´s art.
Still a very good issue though, no doubts there.

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Well I liked this one. It's a different take on Batman, but truthfully not that radical IMO and I totally support that, it's not like it's going to change the character you love all of a sudden. Plus i really liked that both Ennis and Sharp are trying to focus on the effect batman has on criminals and the are doing really interesting stuff with that. And that was pretty much the main thing, that made an impression, beside the art in general I mean, which deserves all the praise. Still the start of this series is kind of slow and not fully griping at least for me, but maybe that's by design. We will see.

A kinda not important side-note: the cover really reminds me of the Spider-Man Super Special Featuring Scarlet Spider Part 2. It's not like fully identical, but still both feature a reptile creature with the reflection of the hero in their eye. I wonder if it was an intentional influence, because if it was, kudos to Liam Sharp for that reference. more

Not quite as strong as the previous issue for me at least, but still it's a totally solid issue in a generally totally solid run.

The issue pretty much just goes further with what the previous one did and overall everything was pretty much expected. Still the way Thompson writes the characters carries the issue. She gets them and how they act, but also adds her more comedic-oriented flavor, which is a pretty good combo in my mind, making this issue fun to read. more

Slowing down the pace and putting the fighting of the tournament on hold, #3 is a fun and interesting character focused issue. It has good character work for both Damian and Connor Hawke which will make their inevitable showdown at the end of this arc that much more interesting. The issue also has good art, some fun jokes and references and an interesting ending.

Heroes Reborn end on a fun note that, while it could've been more, is still a conclusion worth reading.
After 7 issues, we finally get the Avengers VS Squadron Supreme Fight and it's pretty good. Some smart choices in terms of matchups and leveling the playing field well shown off through the art. The fights are over a bit too quickly but that doesn't take much away from its entertainment.
The overall conclusion lacks impact, doesn't follow up on intersting ideas the event raised like the possiblity of (most) SSA members bettering themselves, which is dissapointing.
But again, Heroes Return is still a good issue and worth a read.


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Brian Michael Bendis's first Justice League arc ends very unsatisfactory. The run has, up untill now, been more about a fun story with the Justice League then a deep one and that's fine. However, deep or not, you still got to wrap it up in a way people will feel it was worth reading the story and it, in my humble opinion, doesn't.

#62 ended on a cliffhanger, the promise of a big battle between the Justice League and Zumbado, the book even starts out with a flashforward showing fallout, but the fight itself is a mess. It's not clear at all what's going on, much of it is due to the way it's drawn.
After that it's just a lot of dialogue. It's well written dialogue, Bendis 'gets' each character pretty darn well, but it's als overly humorous and drawn out.

The Justice League Dark backup story is this issue strongest part. Good art, intersting narrative and a strong final panel.

Justice League #63 isn't a bad issue, the art is good and the character moments are intersting and well done and the Jutice League Dark Backup is really good, but it's also a mess that underdelivers on its promise with a conclusion that just isn't satisfying. more

Around and about the same as issue #1037. Enjoyable outing that moves the story along
but with some issues in regards to pacing.
The story is better paced then #1037, doesn´t feel like just a set of scenes stringed together, but it´s still over a bit to soon and not entirely satisfying by the end. Did like the added moments of small humour and Worth, while not as complexed as I would´ve hoped, is at least entertaining to read about with his affinity for explosions and comedically large weapons.

The book got one backup this time around, focused the Penguin. It´s fine. It could´ve made its point in a much shorter span but all in all it´s, again, just fine. more

This issue was meh. Very much been there, done that.
Alpha Flight is the third 'Suicide Squad' like team we've gotten int this event. Logan's journey is interesting but the rest of the cast doesn't have the time to distinguish themselves. Aurora has the same backstory as the Silver Witch, for example.
There's still enjoyability here, but I wouldn't go out of your way for it.

A good issue that's weighed down by its own narrative structure. The book is at its best when it's just the Squadron Supreme working together, bouncing of once another, investigating the Avengers. We haven't seen them really interact yet and said interaction is intersting to see and shows these very gray characters' good and bad sides (some characters more then the other, admittedly).
The narrative structure ways it down because it's too interruptive. They show how iconic Marvel moments played out with the Squadron and while certainly interesting on it own, it just breaks up the flow too much. I would not have put it in the 2nd to last issue.

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While it is kind of weird, that the issue is clearly divided in 2 parts(both of which were great), it was still an amazing time for me.

Generally this run continues to be fun, without being a complete parody or satire, and this issue is probably the best example of that. There is just so much love put into every page and I love how Adams is not afraid to do some risky things(the next issue). It's just awesome seeing how the characters interact with each other or with those extremely wacky situations. That's the whole thing, while this issue is very funny it keep the emotional core of the characters and does not distort them. But legit there were a few moments, where I laughed my ass off in the Legion's parts, especially the moments where Lex, Grundy and the Riddler were present.

Clearly I expected the whole issue to be dedicated to the legion and Reverse Flash, but certainly I was not disappointed with what we got.

This was probably the issue that focused the most on Wally and probably the most emotional one so far too. The arc, that Wally is going to through is great and the way it's progressing is not less stellar IMO. I'm not gonna delve too deep into everything(cos spoilers), but again the progression in this specific issue is amazingly good. IMO that should be attributed to the great understanding of what being the flash means, the difficulties that come with being The Flash and of course the characters and what they represent, that the writer displays here.

Don't even get me started on how awesome the ending here is. The whole second part of the issue and even the run so far lead up to it, so it feels really earned and deserved, when you see it. It's literally the perfect closer to Wally's arc, the final nail in the damage control coffin and also the biggest obstacle, that he has to go though to become the Flash, we all know and love.

The Flash needed something like this for some time now and IMO Adams outdoes himself with every next issue. more

I find this issue to be neither here nor there.
I don´t have anything to complain about but don´t have anything to really praise either. Art & Writing are good but not outstanding. I would even go as far and say that the mission the Savage Squadron isn't that exciting. That excitement comes through how the team works which is genuinely interesting.
All in all, an enjoyable one-time read but not much else. more

This issue gave me a taste for more. The art, pacing and writing are all nice and good. The way the narrative leads you through the story was organic though with a few to many flasbacks/expositions and the 'twist' to the vilain was too easy to catch in my opinion.

What really gave me that taste for more is Nightbird herself. Compared to the other DC pastiches, Nightbird is much more capable of standing on her own. She mixes elements of 616-Gwen, Spider-Gwen, Nightwing, Batgirl & Batwoman alongside some new additions like the psychiatrist during the day to create a cocktail that tastes pretty darn good.

I really wouldn't mind seeing more of this version of Gwen even with the other versions of Gwen Stacey we've seen recently starting to saturate the market. more

Just like (most of) its predeccessors, Heroes Reborn is a blast to read though it did leave me slightly dissapointed.
It's well written with the character at its core, in this case Power Princess, being a smart twist/pastiche of Wonder Woman that can (pretty much) stand on it own. The artwork is very nice for both stories even if it has some annoying colouring mistakes here and there.

Where the dissapointment comes in is the pacing and Power Princess characterization. The pacing is too fast. The book feels much shorter then it actually is and thus left me unsatisfied.
When it comes to Power Princess's, Zarda's, character she's too close to being a villain to my liking. I enjoy what is here, the old warrior who revels in violence and booze to distract her from her own loneliness, but she's missing a redeeming character trait.

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A step down from #1036, but still enjoyable. The main gripe that I have with it is that the main story felt rather short, just going from scene to scene, and left me unsatisfied even if it raises some interesting developments such as Bruce's arrest.
The art is still good, but I do prefere Mora's work over the team here.

This issue has two backups, with mixed results.
Exclusive is the better of the two. It features Bruce's new reporter neighbour. It presented in a neat fashion with a fitting atmosphere and to the point. A fun little backup story.
3 minutes I'm not very fond of, solely because of Lucius Fox. It feels disgenuine, simply there to retcon his character to justify the character transplant he has gotten recently. Beyond that, I find the art less then stellar though it was nice seeing Alfred again.

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So far, I really like this run. This chapter was kind of uneventful, but not totally. We got to see insane Mr. Worth in action, completely blinded by rage and that was fun. He is simple, but quite intriguing as a character for me and clearly the highlight of the main story. Also I liked the idea of Bruce being captured by the police as a suspect. It was logical and it was cool to see how Bruce tries to handle this situation, but I would have liked if he stayed in prison for longer, because I felt that this had potential for more exploration. Also the whole issue felt really short.

I quite liked the side stories too, but although there were some questionable things, that I am sure would rub some people the wrong way.

In "3 minutes" we get a look into Batman and Robin in their early days and more precisely a look into the people behind the curtain, that help them: Alfred and Lucius and how they perceive it. Lucius's portrayal is one of those questionable things, I talked about, but overall I really enjoyed this little story and the commentaries it provides on Batman and Robin. The dialogue was good, Alfred was awesome(it's great seeing him for a first time in so long in such a good light) and beside all, I liked the contrast between him and Lucius. One serving as the insiders voice of why Dick needs to be Robin and the other as outsider's voice on how weird all that is for a normal person with a different experience . The story is definitely worth it and shows some great understanding of Batman, although I was kind of bummed out by the way the conversation ended.

The other story "Exclusive" also was nice. It was cool to see such a different perspective of a critical reporter, although at times it got over the top. I get her point, but I feel like it could have been expressed better.
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I like that this run remembers that they're teens and let's them do teen things. It's refreshing and is fun to read. It's also handling the characterizations & interactions very well.
The story isn't working for me though. Too heavy-handed in what it represents & not interesting enough with how blatantly evil they are.

In the Elektra side of the story, something happenend that we all saw coming. Yet, there's more to the situation then I thought there would be. More nuances. That's what makes that part of the story interesting. Showing Elektra's thoughts and that she had the same thoughts/reservations as the reader will no doubt have (had).

On the Matt front, this issue dives deeper into the 'selfhisness/selfless debtate and provides Matt with a way out of prison that wouldn't (completly) undo the significance of his sentence. Let's see where that goes.

Writing & art are excellent as always. What more can I say, this series is just really good! more

Enjoyable, but not very memorable.
I like the narrative, Luke's character & what it had to say about the church (of Mephisto). The rest was underwhelming though. The writing is good, but not great. The art is fine but with some very uncanny faces and imagery.
All in all, an issue that while enjoyable and easy to get through, won't stay with you. Very much a one-and-done read.

Pretty impressive start to this saga. By character strengths and how it applies to how they all interact, it shows the layers to characters. This genuinely feels like the Iron Man from the Kurt Busiek days. Miles speaking to Iron Man for an experience that left a lot of trauma shows his willingness to ask for help. Because if those villains who tortured him came back, it would just play into those stereotypes on how you can solve mental issues with violence. Iron Man meanwhile feels like a superhero, he knows a kid like Miles didn't deserve remotely similar to his origin. Better yet, he's following up on his promise to ensure no one ends up like him. Also there's something interesting to the circuit of the Infinity Stones and how to separate them from the Cosmic Cube. It makes the Infinity Gauntlet setup feel more stable, easier to control. Just imagining what all the stone hosts in the same place brings up a lot of thoughts when it comes to dynamics. more

An excellent issue! While I didn't get the sense of nostalgia this issue is clearly going for as I'm not that old and never read the original story, the tragedy and suspense sure did. Even without my prior knowledge I thouroghly enjoyed it as it's just very well written. It can be a bit cheesy at times and the amount of D-tours (small moments that don't go anywhere) are annoying but that's not enough to keep the issue back. I just chuck that up to the style of the era its harkening back to for the most part. Makes the mix of Spider-Man stuff also work better as it causes less of a tonal shift. A critique of mine in regards to Heroes Reborn #5.
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A very good book that does have some elements here that keeps the issue from fully coming together. The art is good, if very much an acquired taste, and the overall narrative is well-done.

What makes this book really good is The characterization of Nighthawk. This issue is basically a character study about him and a really good one. His self-awareness alongside his genuine desire to do good makes him a very intersting and likeable character. Still clearly a pastiche of Batman, but one I could see having a future with this incarnation.

What keeps this issue from fully coming together, in my mind at least, is the merger of the Batman elements with those of Spider-Man and Captain America. I can see the logic behind some of them but overall, I don't think it works. Everytime it happens I'm taken out of the story as I feel it creates a tonal shift.

Still, the book is good and worth a read if you enjoy this event.
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That's more like it! With (most) of the setup out of the way, #2 can start to dive deeper into the characters. Damian Wayne is a very hit or miss character for me. This book keeps his flaws (his ego, for one) intact while keeping him likeable.
Also a fan of Rose Wilson/Ravager portrayal here and her dynamic with Damien. She's put forward as the story's deuteragonist and I'm not complaining. Not feeling the 'big-bad' though. The book doesn't do enough to establish her as a credible nor interesting threat. We shall see if this changes but I got the feeling she really is just there as an excuse for the whole 'anime/manga tournament arc' thing to happen. more