Another month, another chance for me to say that I really like this book. More of a setup issue, admittedly doesn't have the impact of the prior ones, but I still loved it.

Damian Wayne finds himself in a position where he has to choose between to people he cares about and I thought it really worked. Damian's a hit-or.miss character for me and I feel writers struggle making him a lot more black-and-white than he is: they either write him as an asshole or soften him up to make him more palatable, resulting ina nothing-burger version.

Not this. Dude's surprisingly on-point in this. Rosenberg nails the balance honestly. He's acerbic and assertive, but also caring, thoughtful and vulnerable and the part where he basically curses everything that's happened to him throughout the series was pretty powerful. more

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I repeat myself every month but I really like this series. Is it perfect? No, in fact you can really see the seams often, but it's compelling, well constructed and it really wants to tell a story, instead of just a bunch of cool elements happening for no rhyme or reason.

And what a story. You've getting intriguing set-ups that feel natural, the character banter is fun and the reveals mostly hit. I'm intrigued about Barda, about the vampire from the future, the woman that appears in the throne room... I wasn't even that big a of a fan of Damian in this series before, I'm not even a big Damian fan. And I'd be lying if I told you I didn't find those scenes of him being cornered and alone in the forest compelling. They got me, I teared up.

And if they make RA'S AL GHUL the Batman. Holy sh*t, that's peak!


There's stuff I don't like. I still would love a better role for Wonder Woman, for example. She's fun, but stuff like Alfred lecturing her about a life of service felt a bit disingenuous (specially given that, in this series, Alfred could have told her about the vampries before she got turned and didn't, because Bruce told him not to).

But in general, I'm loving this. more

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Very strong issue. Stronger than the first imo.

I'm pretty intrigued by all the plotlines in all honesty. I wonder what they're doing re-growing the plants, the magic side looks like it will finally get some focus which is great (and not for a second did I ever believe Spectre had been killed in the first series lmao) - Perhaps we will find something about the nature of vampirism?

And I'm pretty interested on who is that baby. At first I thought they were Jack Hawksmoor and Jenny from the All-Out War mini story but he seems to Mister Miracle here (and calls her his daughter). Maybe it's just a title thing though.

And that final part was brutal woah.

On the one hand, I still find it just too convenient that Diana can't resist the vampirism (Damian isn't exactly an angel, but he seems to handle it better) but on the other hand I have to admit she makes for a pretty good and fun villain.The moment she appeared sent shivers down my spine and the moment she turns around and she asks Alfred if he loves Damian was amazing.

Plus, she's funny. Reminded me of Spike from Buffy in his early seasons The little moment where she tanks a stake was lol I hope she never dies lol Have her around doing fun evil stuff or find a way to give her her guilt back so that she can have a redemption arc or something, I'm having too much fun with this character. more

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We come back to this universe with a pretty solid setup issue. The premise itself is pretty intriguing, as we have a three-way fight between factions, as well as people on those factions disagreeing with each other and the graying morality that implies (Damian seems to abstain from human blood like before, but he now realizes his personal vampire army have no such qualms; the humans seem to prefer to continue fighting even though that would cause unwarrented deaths and while Queen Babs is evil, she seems genuinely troubled by her position).

Then little stuff like this New Batman makes the comic-book-y fan inside me feel pretty giddy, I really liked that introduction with that little comment at the end.

My only criticisms are that the vampires dialogue seems a bit too... Flowery? They were always smug but I don't remember them being so pompous - They sounded like Targaryens and Hightowers on a meeting. Also, the ending... I'm of two minds with it honestly, while I get the story prides itself on its "no one is safe" writing style like many dark fantasy series, killing Babs so early (if she's dead) would feel a bit like a waste, specially because Ollie and Dinah's conversation hinted at an interesting conflict due to her...

I admit I wouldn't want to be in writer's position, as I wouldn't know how to balance the story having consequences with the perceived notion that you're wasting potential characters if you kill them, but I think it risks becoming something of a crutch if you mostly kill characters left and right (the scene itself tho, was good).

All in all, pretty good, I'm still a big fan of this universe.
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Good start. Quick pacing but not in a negative way. Like the detail of focusing on the KC counterparts of characters that have appeared through the WF's book, helps it feel anchored.

Mora was a beast in this one.

This run is at its best when it focuses on the relationship between Lex and CLark, and this issue delivered :D

So uh, this kind of completely deflated all of sudden. The characrer work is strong but the resolution to the plot too rushed adn Deus Ex Machina-ish.

I originally read this when the trade came out, in one go, and enjoyed it a lot. Having re-read it in tandem with the second part, it's still awesome.

Tense and surprisingly fun, its best asset is the ability to both keep you guessing and built up a bigger story as it goes on. You can go back to the very beginning to see the seeds of the themes of the story and it's a book that isn't afraid to actually incorporate elements of another genre (in this case, vampire fiction) into its own story.

Highly recommended. more

Faster-paced than the first, but still very good. Clark's relationship with Lex and Mercy is the highlight here, the story is very simple, but the tone reminds me of Superman The Animated Series and it's cool to see him navigate a situation in full-on having to use his powers with creativity.

A pretty good start.

HEAVY SPOILERS AHEAD...

Personally? I found this to be pretty excellent. I've loved this series' combination of off-the-walls humour and ideas, horror and character moments of all kinds. It's DC meets unleashed Sam Raimi and/or Tim Burton at his most Tim Burton-esque (so Batman Returns).

Vampire Nightwing finally clicked for me as an antagonist in this issue. The reveal was pretty cool, but after that we mostly followed the heroes so he was too much out-of-focus. He needed that "sneaky-little-bastard" energy that he gets here and I like that his motivations feel even rational enough from his POV even though they're completely twisted. But if there's a prequel showing more of him, I'll buy :) He had this combination of pure evil and character sincerity he needed finally. I lveod that moment where he tells Babs he loves her.

And, I don't know how controversial it'll be, but I actually liked Babs' character a lot in this. I'm a sucker for a good twist ending and I thought it worked well. She wants revenge on Nightwing at all costs and ultimately, the cost is her humanity. She couldn't have murdered him as a human, but as a vampire she has no such qualms, but then of course the price is that Vampire Babs takes his place. It's was a pretty good reversal and I get why it was "necessary" to make her the new queen from a narrative perspective, even if personally I would have prefered someone else (like Wonder Woman, I want evil Vampire Queen Wonder Woman)

I really liked their scenes on the tower and I loved that the story ended... Quietly. This second half was getting too much event-itis for taste and while I like action, I though it was the way to go. I'm not the biggest Harley fan and originally I didn't like that they seemingly gave her plot armor but man, I really liked her role in this. She's comic relief, the only sane woman (ironically enough) and ultimately an unwitting pawn.

I'm not sure how well the ending works as an ending though. It worked for me, it was a dark, twist ending with a sliver of hope. Though for others it may feel too much like a "to be continued". Which I wouldn't mind, I'm dawn (:P) for Batgirl v Supergirl, but I get some would want more finality instead of a dark version of "the evil and the fight never end".

I read that Tynion plotted the Birds of Prey/Babs story (which makes senses, it's where Punchline appeared) and Rosenberg added the Green Arrow stuff and, given how much it interacts with the Tynion-less spin-off, probably the Supergirl section as well, or at least its ending. This is pure speculation on my part, but I wouldn't be surprised if Tynion's original ending was simply a dark one (given his horror sensibilities) with Babs getting turned and Kara dying on the explosion, and then they added Green Arrow and Supergirl getting saved to soften the blow and perhaps get a sequel down the line.

I'm all for exploring more of this setting though, specially now it's become this Castlevania/Vampire Hunter D-esque world. And to explore other characters as well, the vampire side has admittedly been sidelined this second half.

All in all, an awesome series for me, from the beginning to the end. Well-paced, funny, tense, scary and surprisingly character-based, which is always a plus in my book. 10/10.
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HEAVY SPOILERS AHEAD:

Man this was depressing. As always Mary is the MVP of this story and I wonder if she'll appear int he main series after that ending (?).

I really, really liked that final twist with Deadman. I was really wondering about Deathstroke's characterization in some moments and now I really wonder how many of them could have been Deadman, specially because we know that he's been in the background following the team all along and Constatine makes clear there was manipulation involved. The ambiguity also makes for a better story than just telling outright.

Midnighter is always awesome and I loved that gag with him at the end.

I'm conflicted about the use of Superman in this, though. On the one hand, I actually like his writing, it probably feels the most humane of the antagonists and it's a fun commentary on the character having to be always be the hero and the "Evil Superman" trope in general. That final scene where he reminisces about his childhood hits hard. It's moving and tragic. He also doesn't overstay his welcome.

On the other hand, I feel killing him in a side story, surrounded by characters he doesn't really have a personal relationship with, was not a good choice. Like, Supergirl is one of the main characters of the main series and most other (important) vampires get to be killed by their loved ones. Unlike Billy's demise, which could only be in done in this story, I think you could have gotten a similar tragic ending (minus the commentary) with another character and linked Supes to a story he fit better in. Part of me also wanted him to be a Crazy Awesome fun antagonist like some of the other vampirized heroes instead of being Old Yeller in the mega-bleak spin-off, though I guess those tired with Evil Superman trope may be against it.

I don't even know if he's really dead. He certainly didn't turn to dust (the comic made sure we lingered on him, so it wasn't something off-panel or anything)...

That being said, I think it's a pretty well done story overall, even if I would have prefered some other story choices. Can't wait for the finale of the main series next week.

EDIT: Also, Vampire Poison Ivy is scary as hell, hope we see more of her (and many of the characters in the side stories in general). more