This is a book I really want to like more than I actually do, but I'm struggling to get there. I just don't think there is a single idea as captivating as any of the dozens Hickman brought in the first issue of HoXPoX.

McKay writes a perfectly fine story and does a nice job integrating mutant history in while Stegman does his thing, but it just feels soooooo safe in comparison to the past 5 years of X-Men stories. From the logo, to the opening page, to positioning Magneto as the prickly leader, everything here harkens back to the 90s, which isn't surprising after the success of X-Men '97, but it's also a little boring. The new villain cabal, 3K, was probably my favorite part of the issue and the QR code reveal of the secret page was a fun tease. Hopefully we see more from them soon.

Ultimately, I think people's opinions, including my own, are going to be colored by the way they viewed the Krakoan era. As a big fan of the prior era, I'm just going to have to give McKay time to get settled before truly making any judgment. But one issue in I'm left wanting more. more

I thought this was the strongest issue of PKJ's run to date. The first 3 issues felt very, very Hellboy in nature, almost to the point it was distracting. And while I can't entirely shake that feeling this issue, I thought the Bruce-Betty interaction was great and pulled everything back into focus. The bargain she offered Bruce finally pulled the story in a unique direction and I think it creates some excellent tension going forward.

I could take or leave the backup, it mostly felt out of place here. more

I think this issue revolves around one very large question: was Krakoan worth it?

And while I have plenty of gripes about the way Fall of X was handled from an editorial standpoint, I'm left with the same conclusion that Ewing, Gillen, and Duggan come to: Yes, Krakoa was a resounding success. I can't remember the last time X-Men comics in particular felt this interesting and fresh. There was a level of excitement around the line that I don't believe has existed since the early '00s at best. The vast majority of books that came out in the Krakoan era presented new ideas, fresh concepts, and bold character interactions that challenged me as a reader.

This issue in particular is fascinating because it somehow manages to perform magic in the following ways:

- It wraps up Krakoa in a satisfying way while leaving the door open for it's return. The idea that mutants have evolved to meet the needs of their environment rather than as some sort of survival of the fittest is truly brilliant as it takes evolution to it's logical conclusion. The resurrection of ALL of the Genoshan mutants truly felt like a perfect bookend, undoing the original sin from Morrison's highly influential run.

- "The Quiet Counsel listens. That's why we're quiet" - from Kafka was chef's kiss good.

- It manages to set up a return to a normal status quo (ie mutants as outsiders in a world that distrusts and hates them) without it feeling forced. The mutants who fought for Krakoa just aren't necessary anymore for the nation to thrive in the White Hot Room in times of peace and prosperity. I honestly can't believe how well they threaded the needle here. It makes perfect sense that those who have only known war, bigotry and trauma would be unable to let it go. Apocalypse's role this issue perfectly exemplifies this.

- The conversation between Xavier and Charles was damn near perfect. No notes. I also loved how we're both starting and ending Krakoa with Charles in a helmet. While I'm not sure they nailed all the little details of Xavier's downfall, the broad strokes worked and it sets up McKay and Simone and the rest with a good jumping off point.

Overall I'm going to miss Krakoa dearly. It was easily the biggest, boldest swing either Big 2 publisher has taken in a decade and we're all the better as readers for it. Congrats and thanks to all the creative teams (and Jonathan Hickman especially) for taking us on this wild ride. more

While I don't think there's anything super disagreeable in Sabertooth War, I also didn't really connect with this story. Most of the arc felt a bit forced, from the unnecessary callback to X-Force #25 to the inclusion of the Bad Seed, Graydon Creed. I think the final fight was well drawn and laid out but it ultimately didn't feel like there was anything at stake. Maybe that's due to the way the story was sandwiched in around the more important finale for the Krakoa era.

But I think I feel that way about the entirety of Percy's run. I mostly enjoyed it but ultimately I don't think it had as much to say as most of the other X books and I don't think it pushed passed a surface level exploration of the "outsider uncomfortable in paradise" concept. more

We're over 20 issues into Zdarsky's run now, and it sees like he's finally finding his footing with the finale of Dark Prisons. The Bat-family interactions are great and Chip was able to undo some of the ill-advised missteps from Gotham War.

The first issue of this series felt a little by-the-numbers and I'm happy to report the 2nd issue blew me away. This story has a real shot at becoming the type of book that's the first recommendation for anyone who want to know more about Damian Wayne.

I thought Ba's examination of Jason's place within the Bat-family was exceptionally well done, as it channeled all the pain and loneliness of the character after resurrection by Ra's. I thought the character interactions with Damian and Jason were top notch too and the ongoing mystery provides a nice backdrop to allow all the personal drama to play out. more

This issue has a lot of things going on. The promise of Krakoa fulfilled. The inevitable collapse. The beginning of something new. I went into this issue not knowing what to expect, and what I got, by my estimation, was a pretty thoughtful, mostly quiet issue, at least in comparison to what came before. Big things happen, sure, but the bombast of the FoHoX/RoPoX finales are much bigger. What I find most interesting about this issue is the use of Apocalypse. I'm pretty sure it's been accepted by most readers that Apocalypse serves as an embodiment of trauma. The generational trauma and violence that consumes the marginalized, that they have to overcome. So I find it so interesting how they use him here. When faced with the other side, when faced with a world as it should be, a world without hate and fear, Apocalypse turns violent. He cannot accept it. He won't accept it. He is trauma, and he won't be shed. It's such an incredibly powerful metaphor, I think, that genuinely gets to the heart of what X-Men is, and especially was during the Krakoan Era. In that way, I feel like this is an incredible way to send off Krakoa.

The rest of the issue is not quite so excellent. The Clairemont story is well-deserved. We finally get to see him chime in on what was initially his idea. And it mostly works. I feel like a better artist would've been welcome, but I don't have a large issue with it. The preview of what's to come has me both excited and nervous. Something that was so great about this era was how interconnected the mutants felt, and to separate them all again is... A choice. I'm not quite sold on all the pitches here, but I'm willing to give them a chance of course. I've read every single issue of the Krakoan Era, I'm not jumping off here. The creative teams look mostly great. I'm sure it'll be fun.

Also, briefly: Duggan's run on the X-Men had its ups and downs. It at times felt disconnected and all over the place, but I felt like it ultimately had more good than bad. Even the more lackluster issues were a fun read, at the very least. more

The point that hit home for me the most was this uplifting of man as gods. Something CAMP (not Hickman, who's messaging really likes to work with in his own writing) seemed to tackle well. Tony's inner monologue, journal entries and the direct allusions to his "success" on the seventh day, who do gods pray to? It's fantastic. The most surprising aspect of the issue is the reveal that despite so many of the origin-boxes being sent out, only a handful actually worked. This is still a very grounded universe because it is choosing not to be overpopulated with larger than life figures and is having to navigate it's own way to correcting itself. Humans being gods. more

I think this is the single best issue of Zdarsky's run as he spends most of the issue getting into Bruce's head by way of the Joker. The takeover of Batman's mind by Zur felt perfectly organic and Jorge Jimenez bears a lot of the responsibility for that. The way he drew Bruce's eyes in the cowl throughout the issue was on the same level as Greg Capullo during the initial Court of Owls arc. Batman comes off as a man barely holding it together, driven only by the mission and as you turn the pages you can feel Zur's influence creeping in. Just a really well put together book. If the rest of the Mindbomb arc is this good, we're in for a potentially classic Batman/Joker story. more

While I can appreciate elements of Zdarsky's run, I gotta say that his take on Batman so far is not my cup of tea. Zdarsky's take is the closest thing we've ever gotten to Frank Miller's Batman in main continuity. He's a loner, a bully and completely driven by the mission. I get that Zur is in control and Bruce has been pushed past his breaking point but so much of this issue comes off as mean-spirited, particularly when it comes to Jason. Besieging him with fear is the kind of plot development that feels just a little too difficult to walk back from once this is all over.

On the positive side, I think Zdarsky handled the rest of the Batfamily really well and the issue accurately portrayed the devastation Bruce is causing his allies. A couple of scenes, one with Tim and Damian and another with Scandal and Jason at the end of the issue really hit me in the gut and pushes a sense of abandonment on the reader in a good way. But the heart of any Batman comic is Bruce and I'm just not sure I care for this interpretation. Hopefully Tini and Chip have something big up their sleeves, because this story could use a rousing finale. more

Jonathan Hickman & Valerio Schiti’s long-teased series finally hit shelves after weeks of promotion from Marvel and complaints from comic book shops frustrated with an expensive number one without the backing of any major Marvel superhero front-and-center on the cover. I’ll leave the marketing strategy debate for other sites and focus my review solely on the issue itself. And boy did this feel like a meaty Hickman story if there ever was one. Putting aside the glaring fact that these G.O.D.S. are meant to have existed four hundreds, if not thousands, of years yet have been missing in action up until now, this issue read with a level of gravitas that is hard to pull off with a cast of brand new characters and factions.

Speaking of the new characters, I found them to be instantly endearing and I was actively interested in their lives and connections by the end of the issue. Hickman did a tremendous job developing Wyn, Dmitri, and Aiko to set them up as believable main characters. That was helped by the sheer number of pages that featured dialogue exclusively between them, but selling these characters may have been THE job Hickman needed to this issue and I thought he did it in spades for these three. I was less sold on the new villain, Cubisk Core, but he was given much less of a backstory in this issue. Hopefully that will be explored more in future issues as readers need to understand, and even potentially sympathize, with some aspects of a villain’s perspective to give them credibility and complexity.

Schiti’s art matches Hickman’s elevated writing panel-for-panel. The designs for characters and scenery bring the book to life, with a sense of humanity that grounds readers in this unfamiliar world. Facial, especially those from our new main characters, evoke emotion brilliantly and set the tone for how characters are experiencing the events we’re watching unfold. The breadth of the different types of environments and scenery we see is awe-inspiring and Schiti and colorist Marte Gracia create some truly breath-taking panels that are some of the best work you’ll see this year.

Some will say this issue needed to stop readers dead in their tracks with a big WOW moment, but I think the exact opposite. I wanted to convinced why I should care about brand new characters and Hickman and Schiti surpassed any expectations I had. Was it worth the $9.99 cover price? That’s not a question I can answer for everyone. Was it a nearly perfect debut issue for what promises to be a monumental moment in the Marvel universe? Absolutely.

Rating: 9/10 more

Hickman and Schiti are off to a great start here as they bring readers one of the single most rare things in Big 2 comics: a prominent, centerpiece book starring brand new characters that feel fleshed out and well developed. I was really surprised at, and appreciative of, how self-contained this issue was. Hickman's a notoriously elaborate plotter, which is a big reason he's one of the best writers in comics today, and I appreciated him pulling back a bit on building in favor of really introducing us to these characters.

I thought all of the banter around Wyn was fun and I'm really looking forward to his relationship with Aiko being explored further. Wyn comes off a bit like Constantine, mixed with a little Dr Strange, with an extra dash of hard sci-fi thrown in and I am here for it. There seems to be a ton of potential here in just the new characters alone and it's pretty easy to have faith in Hickman to deliver a big time story that helps them stand out in the Marvel Universe.
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I mean this in the best possible way, what an absolute gut punch of an issue. Remender and Fuimara do not hold back whatsoever as we finally see what it means to become one of the Sacrificers. This has been one of the two or three best new books of 2023 for me and I can't recommend it enough.

Tom King in the past, has been hits or misses to me. He's like the Rain Johnson of Comic books. It takes a while for me to understand and get into Tom King's works because he often views comic books not as superhero stuff, but psychological ideas.

I heard a lot of hype for Wonder Woman, and I was skeptical. However, I'm pleased to say that I was not dissapointed with this. This had great art, and while the dialogue from Tom King feels a bit janky, it soon won me over. I hope this series ends on a strong note, and I hope this series doesnt meet the same fate as Batman. Tom King may not be one of my favorite writers, but he's objectively a good, if not great writer. I also really didnt see the parallels between police brutality like the other reviewers says, but thats just me more

People seem to have very strong feelings about Tom King.Guess I'm on the fan side. Best Wonder Woman I've read in some time.

King really knows how to piss off the right wing reactionaries, doesn't he?

I thought this was an incredible first issue on all fronts. I loved that the script pulled no punches whatsoever. Right out of the gate, King shines a bright spotlight on the xenophobia and bigotry that runs through the heart of so many Trump-supporting Americans. Even if the ICE stand-in (AXE) came off heavy-handed, I ultimately think that doesn't matter because there are still so many readers (The Band-Aid Ripper for one) that unequivocally missed the point.

When Diana finally makes an appearance in the book it does not disappoint. Sampere draws fantastic action scenes that make full use of Wonder Woman's skill, grace, and fluidity as she easily dispatches the men from AXE using non-lethal means, which I thought was a smart touch by the creative team. It's a powerful moment and one that I thought was perfectly in character.

There's so many other little details I loved about this issue but for the sake of brevity, my favorite had to be the two pages framing the conversation between Steve and Diana. Both pages centered around an image of National Mall, with particular importance placed on the Washington Monument. King's using that brilliant idea from Alan Moore's From Hell regarding phallic architecture and how it's meant to invoke a feeling of dominance, which fits like a glove when paired with the new villain, the Sovereign, that we're introduced to.

If this creative team can maintain this high level of quality in both story and art throughout the run, we're looking at an all-timer.
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A slow, but very intriguing start. Blake does a solid job of introducing his world to us without overloading on the details, which can often be a problem in sci-fi, as he chooses to splinter the narrative with multiple sections that each focus on a different character. It's a fairly smart choice that provides the reader with an easy entry into the world. Unfortunately that entry might come off a little too easy at times, as the issue tends to zoom by as you read it because the details are a little too sparse at points. more

Phenomenal start. Filipe Andrade might be the most underrated artist currently working in comics. He does a masterful job working a variety of colors into nearly every page, which creates something that looks unique while immediately placing the reader into the loud, bright streets of India. The narrative from Ram V also has the potential to be something really special. I loved the Anthony Bourdain influence on the entire book and the way he deftly works Hindu mythology into the mix was inspired. If you liked Laila Starr as much as I did, this is a must read. more

Here we are again with a bunch of people over-hating on Tini Howard for whatever reason. That's all I'll say about that. As for the issue itself, I must say that I felt as though it was the weakest issue of the Gotham War crossover so far. I might have given this a 6.5 initially, but I really enjoyed how Howard wrote Nightwing and I also liked the twist at the end of the issue. Hopefully this is just a minor bump in the road for Gotham War, as I've enjoyed it as a whole thus far. more

Holy fuck I missed this book so much. Spurrier and Adlard spend a lot of time setting up the next arc here in a perfectly enjoyable read that made me want to dig the first six issues out so I can better bridge the half-year gap between issues.

I'm super impressed with Gillen's writing here as he manages to make spinning a dozen plates at a time look easy.

I don't mind the writing here. I think the story could be better executed but whatever. The art is atrocious. Derek Landy had an unsinkable titanic, and Greg Land is the iceberg, holy shit.

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I've always appreciated the way Remender goes about building the worlds in his stories. They always feel fully fleshed out, wildly unique, and populated with characters that make you want to care about what you're reading. The Sacrificers, while very deliberately paced, does not let down in that regard in the slightest, particularly when it comes to the character designs. I loved the way Fiumara drew the people who were made out of fire and Rokos was the standout. The art immediately let you know that this is an imposing, godlike and dutiful character and the conversation between him and his mistress hinted at so much more to come. I'm really looking forward to it. more

I think the thing I'm enjoying the most from these first two issues of the Incredible Hulk is the way PKJ is building his foundation upon both Cates's brief scattershot run and Ewing's seminal take on the character. And I appreciate that he's pushing in a bit of a different, almost Mignola Hellboy influenced, direction. That being said, the pacing is a very deliberate, with a lot of buildup going on for what appears to be a minor inconvenience to the Hulk, so I'm hoping things pick up a bit in #3 next month. more

Hickman has mastered the art of the intricately plotted slow burn and he gives it to us in spades here. I love the concepts Hickman's playing with and I don't think anyone else in comics has as strong or as creative of a voice for The Maker.

I think I'm in the minority on this, but I prefer Ram's existential horror take on Gotham in Detective vs the multiversal madness that's happening over in Chip's Batman. That being said, I think Ram V struggled a bit this issue with all of the plates he has spinning. We had to touch base with Batman vs Arzen, Jim Gordon, Babs, Nightwing, and more. It made for some awkward transitions between scenes and the book definitely felt overstuffed at times. more

Lemire manages to mix two of his favorite topics here, life in a rural town in Canada and surrealist body horror, in what I thought was a very good first issue. I've always been a fan of his scratchy, imperfect watercolor art and I think it's super effective in these type of small town horror stories. Gotta love an oversized first issue at a reasonable price too.

Phantom Road has continuously picked up pace over the course of the first arc and this particular issue was the best one yet. Lemire does such a great job of keeping the reader really off-balance because I have no idea where we're going from here.

The end felt a little too abrupt for me as it felt like we were just scratching the surface on the world Lemire and Nguyen built.