I was initially surprised to hear that Nick Dragotta would be the artist for this book; I just didn’t see the vision. But holy cow, he has brought his A-game. I’m loving this series.

I am flabbergasted by how good this was! I haven’t felt so positively about an event in a long time. Dan Mora is always phenomenal, but his work somehow looks better than ever here. Maybe that has to do with the coloring from Alejandro Sánchez, I’m not familiar with him. And I’m a sucker for everything Mark Waid writes, he might be at his zenith as a creator right now.

Nonstop action that’s drawn and colored beautifully. I’m really liking this event.

I’m really impressed and appreciative of how different the Absolute titles are to their mainline universe counterparts. Everything here feels alien—especially Superman. His costume and “cape” feel like true alien tech, which is really neat. But Superman himself also manages to have more humanity than anyone working for Lazarus, so he isn’t completely alien to the reader. I really like the Orwellian themes that Aaron has put in here, especially with AI both on Krypton and Earth.

This one really blew me away, even more so than Absolute Batman.

Thompson’s interpretation of Diana is brilliant—strong but empathetic, stern but understanding.

I love this series. The main story is hopeful, and Superman is heroic. I wasn’t sure initially how I felt about the twins becoming part of the Super family, but I’m really enjoying their dynamic with Jon. Spectacular art as well, even the little touch of the gradient black to red background during the Metallo fight adds so much. The other two stories keep this book from getting a 10 from me, but neither are bad. I’m getting bored of the Lois and Clark 2 storyline, and while I enjoyed the Steel story, I could have done without it if it meant saving an extra dollar. It’s hard to follow the great story Phillip K Johnson is writing, though.

As usual, the main story is fantastic, and Johnson is writing one of the best Superman runs in a while. And as usual again, the backups drag it down. The Jurgens story is alright, but it’s been dragging on way too long now. And that Steel story, woof. Legitimately some of the worst dialogue I have ever read in a comic, to the point that it felt like parody. Here’s an excerpt: “Bruh, how?” “You know the vibes!” “Nah, this ain’t it, sis.” “Boy, bye!” Once again, though, the PKJ story is so good that it I’m giving it a 9 despite these backup stories.

This was a great finale to an excellent arc! Perfect in tone and with epic action—PKJ really is phenomenal at writing Superman. This month’s Jurgens/Weeks story was really good too! I’ve felt it’s been spinning its wheels the last few issues, but mostly due to the format it’s had to work within. The excitement has returned, though! The Steel story was much better than last month’s, but I still can’t say I really care for it. Yet again, this series features a great story let down by a backup. But only one this time! And the other two outshine the Steel story so much that it hardly factors into my score.

All three stories are very solid this time around! Since moving to this format, the trend has been that the main PKJ story is great, and then there’s one that’s fine and one that is passable to horrible. PKJ continues a run that has been phenomenal, with a beautiful opening nailing the greatest aspects of Superman. The rest of the issue adds some intrigue to Blue Earth, which has been in the background throughout the last story arc. We also get the final installment of the Lois and Clark 2 story that has been going on for 9 MONTHS now. It’s been good, but boy this was way too drawn out. Still, this was the best entry of the story. I don’t care about Superboy at all, and his story made me feel very bad about that. Like Power Girl as of late, Connor’s odd editorial history is being used to add layers to his character, and the pathos of that really worked here.

In an odd twist of fate, I thought the main story was a bit weaker this month than normal, and the backups were better than usual—in fact I thought they were very good. As for the main story, PKJ’s run has made this one of my favorite comics to pick up every month, and this issue was still excellent. The pacing was just less tight than usual, but only because this issue was a bridge to advance the plot and further establish the themes of the arc (which it does exceptionally well). I love this book, and the fact that I’m nitpicking is proof of that; if it weren’t so darn good I wouldn’t be complaining about such trivial matters.

I’ve come to expect quality from PKJ, and he delivers this issue, though it isn’t as strong as what he has given us over the course of his run. A solid twist makes me excited to see how he finishes his Action Comics tenure, though. And, as always, I could have done without the other two stories. I appreciate the Kenan story expanding on Lex’s mind wipe in 1050, and it added some depth to Kenan’s joining the Super-Family. The Jon story just made me groan. The dialogue was stilted and the story was pretty boring. I liked Tom Taylor’s Jon series, but now the character doesn’t have much to do.

PKJ nails it again, the backups are serviceable again.

A really fantastic end. PKJ’s Superman will be missed.

I’ve never cared for the Injustice universe, but inserting Jon Kent into it has really interesting potential that’s begun to develop in this issue. I love Jon Kent’s Superman series and wish it hadn’t been canceled, but even I can admit that his idealism could be a tad naive and heavy handed. This series offers some really interesting character development, though, as Jon sees a world that has achieved many of his goals, but at a horrible cost. I’m very interested to see where this goes, and wish it were more than 6 issues. That being said, this issue is made up of huge panels with art that’s good, but doesn’t do much to drive the narrative forward. It would have been nice to slow the pace down and see Jon interact more with the other characters, but this is still an effective issue. The direction of this series is very clear now, so I don’t understand all of the people saying that there’s no plot.

Full disclosure: I don’t know much about the Injustice universe, so that may impact how I feel about this story. This continues to be a great setting for Jon, allowing him to truly show who he is and define his character. I’m hoping his electricity powers are addressed a little more, because they feel a little bit like an afterthought right now. Overall I enjoyed the art, though Jon did have several different faces throughout the issue. I’m really looking forward to the next issues, and I continue to enjoy everything Tom Taylor has done with Jon Kent.

This issue is almost entirely made up of people standing around and talking in uninteresting looking rooms, but Taylor has built up enough good will for the character drama to still engage me. He sets up the series finale nicely, and we’ve seen some genuine growth from Jon, which, comics being what they are, shouldn’t be taken for granted.

This wasn’t as strong an ending as I had hoped, probably due to restrictions with how much Jon could actually effect in the Injustice universe since, from what I understand, this is set before some events that have already been put into print. Jon’s electric powers are left mostly unexplored—they just exist—and he is able to defeat his enemies through the power of plot necessity. The ending is cheesy but I think it stays true to the character of Jon Kent, so I didn’t mind that aspect of it. I just wish it felt more satisfying. I really wanted this series to be better than it ended up being, but it had its moments.

I enjoyed the writing of the Fantastic Four and Romita’s art in this issue, but the characterization of Peter drags everything else down.

This is a step up from the previous issue, and we get some answers to questions we’ve been asking for a while. Some great art from Andrews and Romita Jr., and Peter’s actions feel more appropriate and I was able to sympathize with him this time. The emotion worked for me, and I don’t hate Paul like a lot of people seem to. Still, Rabin is pretty uninteresting, and the whole symbols thing didn’t really work for me. This also has an extra story to celebrate 25 issues of this run, but a celebration does not feel earned at all.

This was a pretty ugly and unpleasant end to this arc. Not in the art necessarily, which was fine, but in spirit. The big death left a bad taste in my mouth, especially since that character has barely been featured in the rest of the run. I’ve really been rooting for this creative team, but the past months have seriously shaken my faith.

The positives: I actually quite like the dynamic between Peter and Norman, and just Norman’s character in general right now. His trauma is justified, and Wells is handling it pretty well. I also like the design of Otto’s new arms, as well as the personification of his regular ones. And I have decided I prefer McGuinness’s art to John Romita Jr.’s. The negative: I still have a bad taste in my mouth from the Ms. Marvel stuff. I also don’t much care for Black Cat, and I really don’t care for the characterization of Otto. I’m not the first to say it and won’t be the last, but it feels like such a huge step backward for him after Superior Spider-Man. Overall, this issue is fine, but it didn’t get me excited for more, and I just don’t have any interest in this series anymore. I think this will be the last issue I read until we get a new creative team.

The Waid/Samnee reunion has not disappointed.

A perfect comic book!

Zdarsky is the best Batman writer since Scott Snyder, maybe even since Grant Morrison. I’m excited every month, and both of his arcs have blown me away. He really understands the pathos of not just Batman, but Alfred, Selina, and most of all Tim Drake. This issue gives a nice ending to the Bat-Man of Gotham story arc, and is also a perfect anniversary issue. I certainly didn’t expect it to touch on the Three Jokers, but honestly I thought it was neat, if convoluted. Zdarsky also strikes a fantastic balance of brooding darkness with fun. The art is also great, there are so many fun stylistic references, and I’m glad to see Jorge Jimenez back. I want Chip Zdarsky to write Batman forever.

The events of the previous two arcs have really left their mark on Bruce, and I really like the introspective Batman we get in this issue. It appears Zur-En-Arrh is being set up for a larger villainous role, but even without Zur in his head we see that Batman can be his own worst enemy by hiding his mental well-being. The idea that Batman cannot show weakness seems like something Bruce would truly believe, and it works really well. This series is in very good hands—I just wish it wasn’t going on a two month break for Knight Terrors!

Undeniably great art from Jimenez, and Batman’s internal conflict about his abilities is still intriguing me. The rest of the bat family, with the exception of Damian, feels quite out of character though. Not necessarily in their allegiances, but in their indecisiveness. To all of the people saying that Catwoman’s plan is stupid and would never work, I agree, and it seems clear that the flaws in her plan are starting to show in-universe. So, while there is still some flimsy logic, the book seems to recognize the impracticality of her scheme.

This goes without saying, but Jimenez’s art is superb. He is perhaps one of the all time great Batman artists. I haven’t been as disappointed in this event as others, but it’s losing me a bit. There are aspects that I really like, others that I really don’t, and some others that have been introduced in this issue that have me concerned. Batman’s behavior is purposefully out of character, so I don’t consider that a valid criticism. Zur and his attack on the concept of the Bat-family has been set up quite well from the beginning of Zdarsky’s run, and it adds some interesting drama. What Batman has done to Jason is diabolical, but it’s supposed to be. Tim and Damian also seem pretty in character, and I especially like the way Zdarsky writes Damian. I never felt like the Bat-family was siding with Selina like many people seem to believe, but that they were merely trying to stop Batman from acting too rashly. However, there is a line that Nightwing has where he explicitly sides with Catwoman, supporting her scheme. I found that rather disappointing, and it’s the one time I really felt like someone was out of character. I’m nervous about the Vandal Savage aspect, too. His introduction was a neat surprise, but I hate that the end of this issue reveals a Mcguffin that feels so tired. I’m giving Zdarsky the benefit of the doubt, and will reserve making a full judgement until after the event has concluded.

We’re back on track. We took an unfortunate detour, but this issue—and hopefully the whole arc—should remind people why Zdarsky is the right choice to take on Batman. His run has been bold and exciting, expanding on old lore and tackling controversial recent additions. I also liked the references to Zdarsky’s The Knight series, which was phenomenal. Jimenez is legendary, as usual. The backup didn’t add much, but it sets up an interesting new status quo for a character.

I just think this is phenomenal. The tone manages to combine the dark and dour with the goofy and camp, which are both elements of Batman that I enjoy but rarely see combined. Zdarsky pays homage to past writers and stories but isn’t afraid to build something new using the toys he’s inherited. And the art, my god!

This run may have faltered briefly with Gotham War, but I’m convinced that Zdarsky’s Batman will one day be remembered as a classic. This issue feels epic, and it helps that the backup is actually consequential. Jimenez continues to amaze me, even though I should know to expect the best from him.

This is a bold storyline for Zdarsky to go down. I have really mixed feelings. I agree with other reviewers that seeing Joker’s origin diminishes one of the most interesting aspects of the character, but I also have to admire Zdarsky for taking such a big swing. I liked the references to Zero Year, and the future stuff reminded me a bit of Grant Morrison, which is always a plus. That being said some of the writing fell a bit flat, and seeing the Joker say “I am chaos” just made me cringe. I also don’t think this is a story that needs to be told—by the end of it I may even feel that it shouldn’t have been told—but I always give Zdarsky the benefit of the doubt.

Because the mystery surrounding the Joker’s origin is such a critical part of what makes the character interesting—and because everyone has their favorite interpretation of the character and can build their own head cannon—it’s hard not to feels let down when an origin is spelled out so literally in black and white. Zdarsky maintains some of the mystery, offering just enough ambiguity for the reader to fill in the blanks with their own interpretations, but my initial reaction was “Wow I don’t want to see this.” Still, I think the future storyline is interesting—but that’s because it features my preferred characterization of the Joker as a demonic force. I admire what Zdarsky is attempting, and I often find his arcs to be more than the sum of its parts, so I’m optimistic. This arc will probably be more digestible after readers have had some time with it.

By the last page I was left with an overwhelming feeling of “why?” This was a huge let down, though I really like the art in the future portions.

Dark Prisons is to Joker Year One what Mind Bomb was to Gotham War. I had a feeling of being back on track, but it’s not good that Zdarsky’s story keeps getting derailed. I didn’t hate Joker Year One, but this issue made that arc feel especially pointless by revealing it wasn’t even true! Zdarsky had left some ambiguity, but at no point were we led to believe that the narrative itself was supposed to be unreliable. Why would we think that, when there were events told from outside the Joker’s perspective? This issue was good but it weakened the previous three.

This is certainly an unpopular opinion, but I think what Zdarsky has done with Zur and Failsafe has been really clever. It draws on the comic’s long history and the character’s paranoia and the conflicting images of Batman as a one-man army and role as patriarch of the Bat-family. This issue is tense, ramping up towards a conflict I’m excited to see how Zdarsky handles.

The elements Zdarsky has set up since he began his run are culminating beautifully—I only worry they’ll get lost in Absolute Power.

I like what Zdarsky was doing with his run from the beginning, though he’s has his ups and downs. I didn’t expect the Failsafe story to wrap up this issue, which definitely seemed abrupt. It’s also odd that Failsafe has been so heavily marketed in Absolute Power, so we know this isn’t the end of him. Still, I have enjoyed this arc a lot. Jimenez kills it as usual.

I thought this was a really touching epilogue. I understand why it’s bothersome that this resets Batman to exactly where he was about four years ago, but that’s the nature of comics. It doesn’t cheapen the events of the past several years for me, as those stories still exist. It was inevitable that we’d return to the status quo of billionaire Bruce with the bat-family together again. And there will likely be stories in the future where Bruce pushes them away again. I am content with this (but please don’t bring Alfred back—that WOULD cheapen his death immeasurably). As others have said, this feels like an end to Zdarsky’s run, even though we know he’ll stay on as writer for a while. It leads me to wonder where he plans on going from here. I love what he’s done so far, with the exception of Gotham War. I think if he’s left alone to tell his story without having to write to an event he’ll produce more great stories.

Both stories here were good, I always like seeing Batman through other people’s eyes.

A fun little adventure, but nothing spectacular.

I’ve never been a huge fan of the Bat/Cat relationship, and that still falls flat for me here. But this is a serviceable tie in issue with some fine art from Hawthorne. The art in the backup is really fantastic, too.

Alright folks, I’m going to give this the benefit of the doubt, mostly because I think Zdarsky is doing some interesting things with Batman. Bruce’s desperate belief that he needs to maintain the persona of “Batman”—that of a relentless crime fighter who cannot show any display of humanity—has been a really good deconstruction of the character, and the fact that crime has gone down in his absence only adds to the doubts about his abilities that have been plaguing him. Unfortunately, Catwoman’s plan is pretty stupid, but I am willing to accept that what she has been doing has worked so far. Many people have complained that her scheme would not actually work, and I feel like there’s a good chance that as this story progresses, we’ll see that the book is fully aware that the plan is not sustainable. This is one of the problems rating storylines based on a single issue—we don’t have the full picture yet, so it’s easy to point to what currently looks like inconsistencies, when they may be acknowledged in the end. The writing for Catwoman is really bad, though. I haven’t read any of Tini Howard’s work, but is this how the Catwoman book is written? Because it’s not good. I don’t have an issue with the premise of this book like many others seem to, but I do have a problem with the way Catwoman interacts with the characters around her. The artwork is pretty dull throughout, as well. I enjoyed Hawthorne’s work on the second arc of Zdarsky’s run, but it seemed rushed and uninspired here. I enjoy Zdarsky’s voice for Batman and his approach to the character so much that it outweighs what I dislike, though, and I’m looking forward to him getting back to writing solo.

I really wanted to like this event, and I’d been giving it the benefit of the doubt from the beginning, but it just didn’t work. The initial ethical dilemma was interesting to me, and I didn’t feel that the character voices were off—maybe just exaggerated. But that initial plot thread gave way to an unbelievably boring and tired story of Vandal Savage looking for a thing that will do a thing, so everybody has to stop the thing. Other reviewers have said that this event has changed the characters and dynamics, but I fully disagree. Zdarsky has changed Batman, but that happened before the event. Batman is in the same place now that he was at the end of issue 136. I have loved Zdarsky’s take on Batman, but I am so tired of the detours DC has taken, first with Knight Terrors and now this. Just leave Zdarsky alone and let him write, because the past few months have been a waste of time and money. Like the Battle Lines issue, the art felt rushed here, too. Very disappointing.

Thrilling and beautiful as always. Waid and Mora manage to squeeze a lot into this issue. I hope this series continues forever.

Every issue this series proves itself to be the best comic DC is publishing. Nonstop action with some great new character designs, plus lots of cameos from familiar faces and some deep cuts. Waid nails each character’s personality, even if they’re only in a couple panels.

Maintains the incredibly consistent quality we’ve come to expect from this series.

Always great. Clever writing, beautiful art, epic action. I think this was my least favorite arc in the series so far, and it’s still spectacular. And boy oh boy what an exciting tease for the next couple of issues!

As fun as always, with Travis Moore seamlessly filling in for Dan Mora again.

This issue has been the weakest of the series, and it’s still excellent. It’s a blast to read, though the payoff was a tad bit underwhelming. Still, a fun time with solid art, plus a surprise tease that I was not expecting.

A fine start to what I think is going to be a very exciting arc. It’s really interesting to see Superman and Batman ponder what they could become, but it also gives Mark Waid a chance to hold a mirror to the cheery world of World’s Finest and the grim one of Kingdom Come. This is a great comic book story, but I could also see it becoming a great example of how an author’s work and outlook have changed over time.

I am a little disappointed in the decompressed story telling in the last two issues, as I’ve grown used to Waid fitting an incredible amount of story into a single issue. I would have liked more story instead of the extended fight scene of this issue. I’m also a little torn on the new additions to the Kingdom Come universe. That being said, I don’t think it’s fair for me to judge this on what I want it to be—rather, I have to judge it based on what it is. Mora’s art never fails to impress, and Waid has some great set pieces here. He also has a great voice for the Batman and Superman of both universes, with both sets being clearly distinct, but still recognizable as the same characters. This is really good, and I think my reservations would be less apparent if I didn’t have to wait a whole month for the next issue.

All the pieces are falling into place, but I can’t help but be skeptical of a world-destroying evil bad guy threat.

Epic action and storytelling, but a small gripe I have is everyone looking exactly like they do in Kingdom Come. I assumed Batman’s suit in Kingdom Come looked the way it did because his neck was broken, but it just looks the same way here. Earth-22 feels like it’s full of characters who don’t have any agency of their own. Would they have never thrown off Gog’s influence without Earth-0’s intervention? I feel comfortable voicing this criticism because the book is so good, though. Waid and Mora are so stellar that I’m nitpicking rather than criticizing glaring issues.

Somebody check on Dan Mora to make sure his hands are okay, because he drew one of the most epic issues I’ve ever read here. Bonvillain’s colors deserve a massive shoutout as well, there are four pages in particular that almost look like they’re glowing.

This was an excellent palate cleanser after the heaviness of the previous arc and the goofiness of the fifth dimension that we’re about to get into. The Luthor/Joker story wasn’t one of the best we’ve seen in the story, but I thought it was a lot of fun seeing them interact with one another, and Waid gave them both a couple of excellent monologues. The Impossible Prologue was phenomenal and has me very excited for the next arc.

Every one of Dan Mora’s panels is a little masterpiece.

It’s an assault on the senses, in a good way.

Unhinged silver age-esque goodness.

Bonkers, but with heart.

A lot of fun, and I’d like to see Melnikov fill in again

I’m already missing Dan Mora, but I enjoyed Gutierrez’s art.

The Bumblebee story was a bit weak, but overall this was a fun annual and expansion of World’s Finest. I didn’t expect to see Jorge Fornès’ art so that was exciting.

I love anything and everything Allred does, but I was equally impressed with Russell’s story, just as I was with Superman: Space Age. Batman’s origin has been retold so many times I would have thought that I never needed to read it again, but Russell shakes up the narrative here, making it completely fresh and intriguing.

Russell successfully shows Bruce grow as a character, while also having fun with the time period. I especially like the scene where Bruce and his fellow soldiers listen to reports of Superman on the radio, and are bewildered as to why such a powerful force doesn’t intervene in the war. It’s an interesting perspective on Superman, seeing him from the point of view of young men who know the war could be ended any time, and questioning Superman’s nonintervention.

A tiny slump in a largely engaging story.

I don’t know anything about GI Joe or Cobra Commander, so my enjoyment of this series is a testament to the accessibility of Williamson’s writing.

An excellent fight makes this the best issue of the series yet.

A great epilogue for this series with very exciting ramifications for the entire Energon Universe.

There’s some really awesome action here, drawn wonderfully and backed up by great narration and dialogue. This is a strong start to this series, and a solid introduction to the character and universe.

Everything Zdarsky has done on this title has blown me away, and the stakes have never felt higher. The revelations in this issue were truly shocking, but so clear in hindsight. Of course I miss Checchetto’s art, but Garcia is a great fill in, and his style gives this particular issue an appropriately gloomy and disturbing atmosphere.

It’s good to have Checchetto back drawing this one, and he gives us some of the best action he’s done in the series so far, making this issue feel huge. The Avengers are used well, though Goldy’s ending was a little odd. I’m not sure where that aspect is headed, or if this was the ending of that. I’ll have to wait until this series wraps up before reaching a conclusion on that, though.

Another disturbing issue that continues to shock me. It’s clear that Zdarsky is tying up all his loose ends from the past several years, but I still have no idea where this story is going to end up. The themes of trauma are heavy, and seeing Cole North finally lose his faith in the justice system is really sad, but feels fitting after everything he’s been through. This issue has a backup Iron Fist story for some reason, but it’s not really worth mentioning and I’m not taking it into account in my rating. I’m not sure when it’s supposed to be set, but it’s definitely out of place with current continuity.

Stupendous. Tragic, beautiful, disturbing—Zdarsky and Chechetto are going out with a bang. Also I’m so happy we finally got to see Blindspot again! I thought he’d be forever ignored.

This feels like the culmination not just of Zdarsky’s run, but of every Daredevil story ever told. As always, Checchetto makes the action feel epic—there’s no other word for it—and it’s all backed up by an emotional gut punch. I’m sad that this creative team only has one more issue, but at the same time I’m glad that they were able to end their story so perfectly. I’m still a little perplexed about Goldy’s role in all this. Was the Beast or the Wild using him to mess with Matt? I think that’s what’s happening, maybe it will be explained further next issue. So far that has been the only aspect of the run that hasn’t quite worked for me, but if what I think is happening is correct, then my qualms are moot.

Not the ending I expected, but an ending worthy of this run—which I feel confident calling one of the best Daredevil runs of all time, if not THE best. Zdarsky doesn’t tie up all of his loose ends plot-wise, but he does tie everything up thematically, which ended up being far more satisfying. It makes this run feel whole, with a beginning, middle, and end that doesn’t concern itself with setting up a wider universe. I don’t know how the next creative team is going to follow this up. I’m also very happy that Marco Checchetto drew this entire issue, it was only fitting. I’m so glad we got this run, it was really something special.

Ahmed has big shoes to fill, and he wisely uses this issue to establish a new tone. The writing feels like Daredevil pre-Bendis, as does the art. I don’t mind Ahmed and Kuder leaning away from the grittiness of Daredevil that we get so often, and I’m always a fan of writers leaning into the religious aspect of the character. It seems like Ahmed is setting Matt up to go head to head with a manifestation of the seven deadly sins, and I’m looking forward to the next issue!

I think it was a really big missed opportunity to restore all of Matt’s memories so quickly, and I hope we see how people who actually know Matt react to his resurrection soon. The last run was so eventful, I’m worried that all of that development is being thrown away. But those are just concerns about the big picture. If I’m to judge this issue on its own merits, I quite like it. I know Kuder’s art has been divisive, but it really works for me. I also enjoy Matt’s relationship with the St. Nick’s kids, and Ahmed seems to have a good sense of Matt’s voice. The action was really good, too. That being said, there wasn’t much in the way of plot development, but I still enjoyed this issue.

Kuder’s art is great, I wish he had drawn the entire issue. I really enjoy the St. Nick’s stuff, it feels fresh and is an interesting direction. However, it makes the moments when Matt is suited up feel stale by comparison, because we’ve seen it all before. I also don’t love how much Matt talks about wanting to “hurt” people when he’s angry, it feels like a regression. Maybe there’s a narrative reason for it that will be revealed later, though.

This has been a puzzling series so far, raising interesting mysteries that are suffering from the format of monthly releases. Like Charles Soule’s run, people want answers NOW, and it can be frustrating having to wait like this. I for one am quite confused on several fronts, specifically why Ben doesn’t recognize Matt. Is it because of the demon, or funky business with Matt’s new identity? Still, there are a lot of individual elements that I like about this run, but the pacing is starting to drag.

We learn more about how Matt’s resurrection works, and are treated to a fun food-filled story with a good fight at the end.

It’s good to have Kuder back and it’s even better to have a decent cover from JRJR. The revelations in this issue may have been predictable, but Ahmed is executing his story very well. Matt’s “wilderness” was a really neat concept, and I was very surprised to see the return of a certain suit! I still have questions that I’m hoping will be answered, such as why some people recognize Matt and other don’t, but I am patient and have faith in Ahmed.

One of my favorite elements of Daredevil is how Matt rationalizes his apparent love of violence and his Catholic morality, and this issue takes on that theme in the most explicit way possible. I like how personal this story is, and always love seeing more of the kids from St. Nick’s. I wish Aaron Kuder was the artist more regularly, too. Side note, this might be the worst Daredevil cover of all time.

I have come to really love Kuder’s art on this book! And I also quite like where Ahmed is taking his story, though I have very mixed feelings on the ending. Spoilers!!! I’m a bit disappointed to see Kingpin return, and it’s especially odd since he said he was giving up crime during the Gang War event, and since he’s been busy as the White King in X-Men. Maybe he’s possessed by a demon or something, but that wouldn’t really make sense, because in the Daredevil Gang War series we saw that The Heat was in Hell’s Kitchen before Daredevil’s resurrection, so Kingpin couldn’t have formed the Heat after being possessed by a demon. We’ll see what happens, I still really like what Ahmed is doing, I just think there are other villains we could use instead of dragging Fisk out again. The other stories were all quite good too, but I can’t believe that no one is talking about the missing pages in the physical version! There’s a whole story missing, the first page of Nocenti’s story is gone, and a couple pages showing all of the covers are missing! If you read the digital edition the pages are there, but somebody made a huge mistake on the print version!

I loved this issue! It addressed questions I had—it didn’t answer them, but it addressed that my questions were valid—had a great fight, advanced the plot quite a bit, and had a genuinely surprising ending. My one complaint is the way a particular character is drawn. He doesn’t really look the way he typically does, which was distracting, but he was written very well.

I have liked this run, but sometimes it moves at a snail’s pace. This is one of those times, with only a couple developments in a largely decompressed issue.

This series can be frustrating. I really like the story Ahmed is telling, but it is moving at a snail’s pace. This is an improvement on last issue’s pacing, and I quite like Kuder’s art. I also thought the tie to Dark Reign: The List-Daredevil was neat, because it’s such an obscure reference.

The pacing is becoming a serious problem; I don’t think I’ve ever seen a story arc dragged out like this. The thing is, I like the premise of it, but after a year and with no end in sight, it needs a shot in the arm. Judging it as a single issue, I like Kuder’s art, I like the continued emphasis on religion, and I liked the Battlin’ Jack appearance, despite Zdarsky doing a similar thing, and, frankly, doing it better.

The art was a jarring shift, but it’s nice to see the story progress.

This is such a frustrating series. So many great concepts, but it’s brought down by bizarre pacing and terribly inconsistent artwork. Within this one issue, Zagaria has some great panels, but then he draws Matt looking like a child. I’m also finding Ahmed’s voice for Elektra increasingly off, made all the more apparent by how solid Erika Schultz has been for the character.

This turned out to be a very pleasant surprise! Schultz’s voice for Elektra feels like a natural extension of Zdarsky’s run, and I appreciated the references to the previous and current Daredevil runs. This is a perfect tie-in, both to the Gang War event and to the Daredevil ongoing series.

After a really solid first issue, we slow way down by speeding up. This issue flies by, and it feels like very little happens. We learn a bit more about our mystery assassin, but the lack of substance is disappointing.

The highlights are the interactions between Elektra and the Spider-Men; this series has done a good job establishing Elektra’s new place in the Marvel universe and further cementing her new status quo. The plot left something to be desired, though. The villain dragged this issue down considerably. I just read through it a second time and enjoyed it even more and bumped my score up.

I thought Erica Schultz had a great voice for Elektra in Gang War but I didn’t love that story line. This is a great story line. This debut issue makes me wish Schultz was writing an ongoing instead of just a miniseries. My one criticism, which may be cleared up later, is I’m not really sure where this takes place in conjunction with the main series.

I’ve said it every time: Erica Schultz gets Elektra. It’s a treat to see her take down Joe Garrison, and Dowling’s art is reminiscent of Maleev’s work with Bendis.

Schultz continues to nail the characterization and Dowling’s art is still great. Ivan Fiorelli draws a couple of pages, and they don’t mesh very well with the rest of the book.

This series didn’t totally stick the landing, letting the dynamic between Elektra and Joe Garrison fizzle out anticlimactically. Ivan Fiorelli has more pages here than he did in the previous issue, and while I like his artwork, it really clashes with Dowling’s style. As for the story, I like what Schultz has done with Elektra and Alice. This was a fun adventure for Elektra in her DD persona, and I hope Schultz continues to write for the character for some time.

Perfectly paced, wonderfully charming, and instantly touching, Deep Cuts #3 is a brilliant story of childhood, passion, responsibility, and family. Whimsy and gravity are mixed perfectly, both in the dialogue and the beautiful artwork. The lettering is highly effective as well; this is a creative team firing on all cylinders. A great issue in a great series.

This was so cool. I love Destro as a character, and all the other colorful personalities introduced here were wonderful too. This might be my favorite of the G.I. Joe comics in the Energon Universe so far.

A big revelation that ends on an exciting cliffhanger!

Wow what a spectacular issue! In case anyone forgot why Doctor Doom is the best Marvel villain, make sure to pick this one up. Ryan North’s run has been so creative so far, giving us stories that are totally unique from everything else Marvel is currently printing. The FF feel like a family, but not in the schmaltzy way of Dan Slott’s run that made me groan. Plus I’m glad that this wasn’t an anniversary issue that had to keep reminding you that it’s an anniversary issue. I also don’t know how Iban Coello managed to draw all of this. This is a huge issue, and he also had a son born while he was working on it. Just incredible.

I love the Twilight Zone style stories this series has been giving us! North writes each character perfectly, and they interact like a true family. I love the slow, deliberate pace that builds the mystery, and the art and colors are beautiful. Plus this seems like a fun villain! I’m so glad to be able to say this is a must read series from Marvel!

This run feels totally at odds with Dan Slott’s before it, which played it so safe that it lost its appeal. Marvel has let North explore some really cool and unorthodox ideas here, though, and it’s paid off. This issue is basically one extended fight scene, but because it’s narrated by Alicia, North and Fiorelli get to shake up the tradition FF storytelling. Alicia’s blindness offers a fun meta commentary on the form of comic books, as well. Another element that I find important about this series is how much like a family the team continues to feel, and the touching moments North has been able to consistently implement into his narrative.

I. Love. This. Run! North has put so many insanely creative, high concept ideas into the first couple of arcs, and this issue is no exception. A cool one-shot with a Doctor Who feel (a good episode of Doctor Who, though), I just can’t get over how wonderfully weird this series has been. It’s exactly what the Fantastic Four has needed.

I really enjoy this series limiting its stories to a single issue, or two at most. This issue continues the formula North has established, focusing on a single member of the team in a Twilight Zone / Doctor Who inspired sci-fi story. This issue is clever, funny, and heartfelt. Coello’s art has been consistently great, as well. I wonder how long this run will maintain this format? I’d be happy if it stays this way, but I’m sure an overarching narrative is in the works, probably explaining why so much has been happening at the farmhouse.

The concept of each issue of this series has hooked me, and this one is no different.

A tad bit of an underwhelming ending to the outrageous concept introduced last issue. Still fun with great art, though.

I understand why people might not care for this issue, as it is basically page after page of people standing around and talking about a science fiction concept. Personally, though, I much prefer this over Dan Slott’s melodramatics in the previous run, and I think it fits the characters really well.

Fabulous, touching, and inventive. It retroactively improves the already solid previous issue as well. North seems to be overflowing with brilliance.

Ryan North has shown he understands how to write the FF as a family, and now he shows he knows how to write the kids as real kids.

Personally not a huge fan of the art in this issue, though it didn’t feel too dissimilar to what we’ve seen from Ivan and Iban. It’s North’s concepts that blow me away every time, though, and this is no exception.

Franklin’s powers once again get some major retcons, which is whatever. I really enjoy North’s approach to this book, and he continues to do a great job giving each member of the family time to shine, as well as showcasing how they work together. Gómez isn’t my favorite artist we’ve had on this run, but Aburtov’s colors keep this issue looking consistent with the rest of the series.

Another clever issue from North.

This shows that North doesn’t need a high-concept science plot to make this run work. He understands the characters, and that’s the heart of the book. This issue was a lot of fun, though inconsequential. Which is a reason why I like it! Sometimes I need a break from universe ending threats and need to be treated to the mundane. Also, Gomez’s art is growing on me.

I was disappointed to see that we’d have two months of tie ins, but this proved to be an excellent issue! North continues the format he’s used throughout this series, having his characters treat the event as a science problem to be solved. This integrated seamlessly with the rest of the run. I did think it was weird that Reed straight up killed two vampires, though. Like, he dissolved them into dust and no one addressed it.

Like the issue before it, this works because, although it’s a tie-in issue, North keeps it totally and thematically in line with the rest of the book.

More science fun from North with a Johnny narrated story this time around.

I agree that there is a lot of technobabble, but I’ve come to find that endearing in this series. Also I made it into the letters page and got a No-Prize so maybe that influences my score

Pure fun, plain and simple!

A good setup for what seems like it’s going to be a fun arc for Adams to end on! The plot with how Hourman shows up is a bit confusing, but I reckon it’ll be more fleshed out later. I don’t really know why Wally doesn’t seem to remember the events of DC One Million with Hourman and the Warlogog, though. Is that stuff even still canon? I can’t keep up!

Adams’ characterization is what makes this issue, it’s a shame this run is coming to its end. This issue—in fact this whole two issue arc—has felt rushed, likely for editorial reasons. But Adams makes the most of the space he’s given, though the constant change in artist brings the rest of the book down somewhat. Granny Goodness was pretty weak here, though, and Flash saves the day by running fast. But hey, there’s real heart here, and that’s what counts, in my opinion.

A great anthology from several Flash creative teams, past, present, and future. The Adams story is great and I kind of would have liked to see this whole issue given to ending his run, but oh well. Mark Waid’s story is easily the best of the five, followed then by a touching story from Joshua Williamson that is more about his time with Barry than it is about Wally. Geoff Johns’s is also not about Wally at all, and I guess is a set up for something in the future, who knows. I still enjoyed it. The final story from the new creative team was certainly darker than the others, which I have mixed feelings about, but it also had some really creative art and lettering. All of these work really well as a whole, even if some are stronger than others. I’d give Adams’s part a 9.5 and Waid’s a 10, and though that makes up less than half of this issue, they make it worth the price.

Si Spurrier’s story in issue 800 was good, but it had me a bit worried that I wouldn’t care for this run. This first issue was a real pleasant surprise, though! New #1s annoy me, and I wasn’t looking forward to all of these characters being reestablished and going through the same concepts we’ve read about a million times. Shockingly, though, this feels like a direct continuation of Jeremy Adams’s run, though completely different in tone. A ton of stuff from the previous run is built upon here, such as Animal Girl and Jai’s “action log,” as well as Wally’s job for Mister Terrific. The issue opens with Max Mercury and Impulse with no explanation for new readers of who they are, too. I was pretty excited by this, as well as surprised by what a poor jumping on point this seems to be for readers unfamiliar with the Flash. It’s great for me, though! As I said, the tone is very different from the previous run, and while I’m a little nervous about what Spurrier seems to be setting up with Linda, everything else really worked. I’m glad how much focus there is on the West family besides Wally, and the fragmented structure of the narrative was reflected wonderfully by the literally fragmented panel layouts. And the lettering is awesome, too! In terms of plot, so far we’re not breaking any new ground. Something is wrong with speed force, yadda yadda, we’ve heard it all before. But that’s the Flash, and it’s the characters and tone that matter to me, both of which this issue has sold me on. It’s creepy and weird, while the characters all have retained their voice. I’d recommend checking it out for sure.

The writing of this one left me pretty cold, though I was very impressed with the layouts and lettering. This felt like a tornado, which I suppose is appropriate enough for the Flash, but I felt disconnected from the story the whole time.

A great start. I’m glad the Energon Universe is moving forward with three ongoings rather than multiple miniseries. Jordie Bellaire’s colors were really neat and add a unique flavor to this book, I hope they stay around.

A giant-size waste of money. I get the impression that PKJ didn’t want to include anything in here that would be important to the main story, so it just feels like a waste of time.

Fisk’s sudden character regression is explained, and it’s exactly what I thought it was. He isn’t quite returning to his old status quo, which is a relief, and his final line sets up an interesting internal conflict. Still, the narration was occasionally tedious, as it seemed like Ahmed needed to fill his page count. I’m glad this advanced the larger plot, though, unlike the recent Giant-Size Hulk issue.

This felt like a classic Silver Surfer story from the Starlin/Marz era—an era that I love. I really appreciate that Groom addressed recent developments in the Surfer’s life (and by recent I mean things from the past 10 years) rather than revert the character back to where he was in his initial appearance 60 years ago, as almost every writer seems to do. Groom actually acknowledges what Dan Slott did with the character. These “Giant-Size” stories are not giant though, just an excuse to charge more money, which is frustrating.

I was almost hoping this wouldn’t be as good as it is so I wouldn’t have to add it to my pull list, but it is, in fact, very good. The comparisons to Top Gun Maverick are inevitable (there’s a scene ripped straight from the movie here), and it seems Adams has captured a similar fun tone. Great art, great story, and great character work, plus a great backup story from Phillip Kennedy Johnson! Dawn of DC continues to really impress me!

Hal’s behavior is more troubling than it is charming, but I’m expecting he will grow over the course of the run. There’s still a lot of fun in this issue, and the art is excellent throughout. As I’ve said with other series’, I wish Knight Terrors wasn’t interrupting this, because the series hasn’t been totally clear on its direction. I mean seriously, why would you start Dawn of DC just to immediately interrupt it with a line-wide event? That makes no sense, especially when Dawn of DC is doing so well! Just like the previous issue, I think the story the backup is trying to tell is just too big for the amount of pages it’s been given. By no means is it bad, it just desperately needs more space.

This book seems to have suffered the most from the Knight Terrors event. The momentum built up by the first two issues has dissipated, so this issue feels like it’s struggling to get the wheels turning again. The art is beautiful and I really like the way Adams is writing these characters, but not much happens here. The backup story may for once actually be better than the main story. Nevertheless, still a good read, just hurt by the hiatus.

Some good fun here with some character development for Hal. Stupendous art as well.

I have never read a Hulk comic before this, which, after reading some other reviews for this book, may be a reason for my high score. Frankly, I loved this. The body horror was awesome, but so was the distinctly human horror found in the relationship between Charlie and her father. The art was phenomenal, and Matthew Wilson has definitely become my favorite colorist. Truly I was blown away; I had to flip back to the first page and start reading all over again once I finished. Like I said, I haven’t read any Hulk before, and I only picked this up because I like Philip Kennedy Johnson. I’m aware of the acclaim the Immortal Hulk received, and plan to pick up the omnibus that is releasing soon, though. But obviously this means I am not familiar with Hulk tropes, so I can’t say whether or not this issue breaks any new ground or not. Perhaps for longtime readers this is standard fare, but as a new reader, holy cow, I was blown away.

What a phenomenal creative team. This is top tier art; like I’ve said before, Matthew Wilson is the best colorist in the business. The plot of this issue is much less involved than the first, but it’s clear that Johnson is laying the groundwork for great things to come. Not a whole lot happens in this issue, really, but it continues to solidify the tone, and I’m positive this first arc will be fantastic as a trade.

The inks and colors have so much depth here that I was in awe each time I turned the page. Essentially one long action scene, Klein makes every panel thrilling. Hulk has some real weight to him, and the Cthulhu-esque Brother Deep was awesome. Even in the midst of all the action, PKJ manages to further the relationship between Hulk and Charlie, and establish what their dynamic will be. There is also some nice world-building that fleshes out the Mother of Horrors. This is a spectacular series.

This has quickly become my most anticipated release every month. Travel Foreman fills in for Nic Klein on art in this issue, and absolutely nails it. His style is very different from the previous issues, going for a retro, ‘70s/‘80s horror look, and it works phenomenally. It’s pulpy and horrific. PKJ continues to establish the Charlie-Hulk-Banner dynamic, which I’m really enjoying. I also think this is the scariest issue yet! Please read this series if you haven’t been!

This is just a phenomenal series, and I like the short arcs. The backup was unnecessary, I really wish Marvel and DC would just do away with them, but at least this one was directly related to the main issue.

Wicked.

This creative team was made in heaven.

Klein makes every issue feel like an IMAX event.

A sharp turn in art direction from what we have seen before, but Earls’ style suits New Orleans very well, and Wilson’s colors provide a sense of continuity.

This arc could be a bit tighter, but PKJ uses the slower pacing to create a creepy atmosphere, aided by guest artist Danny Earls, who, as I felt with the last issue, draws New Orleans very well. Each monster we’ve been introduced to throughout this series has been really neat, and Frozen Charlotte is no exception, in terms of her design, backstory, and motive.

A solid twist ending aside, this was an underwhelming conclusion to the book’s weakest arc. I’m still quite fond of it, but I’m also glad to be moving on.

This sets up a very promising arc! And we get multiple gruesome transformation scenes which have been the highlight of this book.

Absolutely epic art from Klein, but this was an especially weak story. The Banner/Hulk dynamic is good, but far from original. I was shocked at how little happened in this issue. The setting gives Klein an opportunity to show off his abilities, but it doesn’t redeem the book’s shortcomings.

Nic Klein one-ups himself every issue, and PKJ continues Bruce Banner’s introspective journey. The series is losing momentum every month, though, and the art does a lot of heavy lifting.

This arc is a surprise detour, but seems like it’s going to be a pretty good one. Earls is a great fill-in artist on this book, and PKJ does a great job at world building. This arc may feel frivolous by its end, but right now it has potential.

PKJ is great at world building because he lets the reader’s imagination fill in a lot of blanks. This pre-history story is a great example of that, and Danny Earls shows that Nic Klein isn’t the only one who can give us cool monster designs.

After losing momentum for a few arcs, this comic begins to pick up steam again. Nic Klein continues to amaze.

This goes without saying, but the art from Klein is a 10/10. The story has been dragging for a while now, but this issue brought things back to the high point the series started at. The reason for this is the focus on Charlie and her relationship with the Hulk—specifically her idealized perception of the Hulk. The Greg Pak story is good, not as wild about the She-Hulk story, and I forgot about the Red Hulk story until this very moment. As usual, these anniversary issues typically feel like a waste of money.

Feilong feels like much more of a threat this issue, and I appreciate Duggan filling the reader in on some X-Men events. I haven’t kept up with Duggan’s X-Men, and it seems like he’s interweaving his work there pretty heavily with this series. However, so far the series has been able to work as a stand-alone comic, and I don’t feel the need to read the X books. I also enjoyed the joke about Tony’s adoption, it felt like a pretty direct jab at that whole storyline.

This standalone story does little to advance the overarching plot besides adding to Tony’s history with Emma Frost, but it’s a fun throwback to the ‘80s and we get to see some classic character designs. A pretty standard filler issue, though not without its charm.

Feilong is shaping up to be a really good villain for Tony. Despite only having one serious encounter with Tony so far, his presence is always felt. The stakes have risen considerably by the end of the issue, and I enjoyed the new suit we see. However, I have been less and less engaged with each issue, maybe because I’m just not that interested in the X books, which play a large part in this. Good art and Duggan writes Tony and Rhodey really well, so my complaints come down to personal preference.

This series’ greatest flaw is when DC has chosen to release it. Probably could have held off a few months and released this later in the year after Dawn of DC had some more time to breathe. As for the comic itself though, I’m pleasantly surprised! Insomnia seems like a promising villain, and having Deadman as our protagonist makes the narrative much more interesting than if the series featured Batman or Superman in the lead role. The aesthetic is pretty cool (if inappropriate for summer), and it seems like Williamson is setting up interesting themes of repressed trauma.

I’m still mostly on board. I like the idea that Insomnia is outraged by the idea that super heroes get to die and come back to life all the time, whereas regular people just die. The Sandman flashback art style was fun, as well. I’m a tad confused on some plot points though, as I feel like the rules of the nightmare realm and Insomnia’s powers haven’t been explained very well. The subtext of this series has potential, but the plot itself—bad guy wants a thing so he can do a thing so good guys have to get the thing first—is pretty tired.

This series has had really solid pacing, and has been a real surprise! The Deadman/Damian dynamic is the highlight of this issue, and we get further insight into Insomnia. I hope the series is able to stick the landing, as I feel the next issue will cement how I feel about the series as a whole. As for this issue in particular, I quite enjoyed it.

Insomnia’s backstory is exactly what I had assumed it was, and there are definitely some illogical plot points here. There also wasn’t much room for the character interactions that I enjoyed in the past issue, which was unfortunate. Still, this event hasn’t been abysmal by any means, and the art is very good throughout. I’ve enjoyed this series, even if I was annoyed by it.

A fitting end to this event. It’s good, but why it happened at all is still perplexing. This issue has the best art of the whole event, and while I ended up enjoying the series more than I expected, it never did anything to justify its taking over all of DC’s main titles for two months. Overall, this issue, like the whole series, was fine, with some fun and interesting high points, but middling overall.

Both of the featured stories were good, but neither stood out among the mass of other Knight Terrors tie-ins. I preferred PKJ’s story over Leah Williams’, mostly because I have really enjoyed the chemistry between the Super Family that’s been established in the regular title. In terms of plot, neither blew me away, and though Action Comics is my one of my favorite DC book right now, this has been my least favorite tie-in. Still, the art was quite good in both stories, and if you like these characters it may be worth the read.

Great art, quite boring stories. I liked the ties to the Warworld saga but otherwise this was pretty uninspired stuff.

I like that this tie-in was a part of its character’s ongoing series more than others’ seems to be, and that it has some themes that may turn up again once this event is over. There are some creepy visuals as well, but the stakes feel low considering no one seems to be in any real danger. It’s annoying that this has put the ongoing series on pause for two months after it’s only had two issues, and I would rate this lower for ruining the strong momentum that’s been building. However, as it’s own story this is fine, even good, so I’m not going to factor that problem into my scoring. It is a bit run of the mill, though, not offering much new. I feel pretty much the same way about the Sinestro backup.

I love the story Jeremy Adams tells in this. It’s so unique compared to the other tie-ins, and was actually a whole lot of fun. I just wish it hadn’t been drawn by three different people, as I found it distracting, and didn’t care for one of them. Still, this has been my favorite writing in any of these Knight Terror books. At least the Hal Jordan story was, anyways. I didn’t care for the Sinestro story—I would have given this a 9.5 otherwise. It just ended abruptly and felt completely pointless.

I went into this event pretty down on it since it killed the Dawn of DC momentum, but by golly this was a great comic! The art was spectacular! I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for Tom Reilly from now on. For once I actually didn’t mind that this took the place of the main Superman title, which is surprising. This was a good Superman story, and I’m looking forward to next month’s! I’ve been avoiding most of the Knight Terror books, but I liked this enough that I’m going to give the core storyline a try. We’ll see how that goes.

Like the first issue, this one has some great art. The script was not at the same level, though, and was far less impactful. The depth that Williamson brought to last week’s annual was absent here, though he does manage to advance the Knight Terrors plot through Aquaman and the Aquagang (I don’t read Aquaman, I don’t know what the Aquaman crew is called, or who most of them are, frankly), but it’s not overly interesting.

I don’t care about the Knight Terrors event—in fact, I wish didn’t exist at all because it has totally ruined the great momentum of Dawn of DC. That being said, I really enjoyed this story! It seems to have very little to do with the event, and could exist on its own with no problem. Paknadel has done a great job incorporating dream logic into the story, and Bayliss’ art compliments it perfectly. It’s weird and surreal, but an emotional look into Barry’s personal fears as well.

Really cool, really emotional, really creepy. These two issues were very solid, even if their themes were not new to Flash books.

In terms of the story, I wasn’t as gripped as I have been by other Energon Universe titles. That being said, Thompson does an excellent job establishing this character’s personality, and I’m excited to see this universe continue to grow.

The fight choreography was very well done, and like I said last issue, I like this character. Unfortunately there wasn’t much of substance in this issue, leaving me pretty unsatisfied.

This was the strongest issue of the series so far. An extended action set piece with beautiful art and colors.

Very oddly paced with a very unsatisfying ending.

Pure joy! Mark Waid and Dan Mora really are the dream team. This has the optimism that I’ve been loving about recent DC titles in droves, and is oozing with fun. It’s a little odd that Waid has had someone say “hella” in two different books in less than a month (Robin said it in World’s Finest) but I’m willing to overlook it! I can’t wait for the next issue!

Perfect from beginning to end. Charming, fun, exciting, it’s all that and a bag of chips!

This series is remarkable. The art in this issue in particular is amazing, and Waid strikes the perfect tone for the character.

This issue is genuinely hilarious, with perfect comedic timing in the art and writing. Sanchez’s colors make this look phenomenal; this might be the best art I’ve seen from him and Mora.

This series continues to be one of DC’s very best books. Waid and Mora are a dream team.

The end to a practically flawless opening arc.

Waid excels as usual, and we get our first fill-in artist who does a spectacular job; I hope we see more of Sudzuka when Mora is away.

The humor and characterization remains top notch, and this issue gave us a nice end to a short but fun story arc.

Waid ends his run on Shazam! rather unceremoniously, but still with the series’s trademark fun and humor.

Mills’s colors are the highlight of this issue, and I’ve enjoyed seeing De Landro’s style used in a cosmic book like this, it’s very different than anything we’ve seen for the Surfer in the past. The story is the weakest element, though there are some touching character moments. Overall, this is a bit of a bridge to get us to the final issue, and is the weakest of the series so far.

A pretty uninteresting story that is somewhat saved by a genuinely touching epilogue.

Gosh I love when Ron Lim draws Silver Surfer. This has some of his best work in these “rebirth” titles. This is also the strongest story we’ve gotten so far from these; Genis-Vell’s struggle to live up to his father’s colossal legacy has real pathos. The twist was pretty obvious, but I’m not expecting M Night Shyamalan revelations so I don’t mind. A pretty solid start!

You know the drill: excellent art, boring story and characters acting like dummies. The first Silver Surfer Rebirth series and the Warlock Rebirth series had solid first issues, and then all the others moved at a snail’s pace and felt devoid of all life. This series is following that trend, unfortunately.

From a story standpoint, this continues the “Rebirth” series tradition of feeling lifeless and empty. But the art is very good in this issue, and the cliffhanger left me interested in reading the next issue, so I guess that’s something.

A huge improvement, with good character moments, beautiful art, and a titillating mystery. I don’t see how it all can be wrapped up in the next issue, though.

Nonsensical and lacking substance. Even Lim’s art seems to be losing its appeal.

This is shaping up to be a great run, with fantastic art and a charming narrative. Williamson’s Lex Luthor has been interesting, and the teases we get have me excited for more!

This continues to be a great run, especially the Superman/Luthor dynamic. Great art from Campbell and a nice flashback segment from Nick Dragotta, too. This has become one of the books I most look forward to every month.

The writing and inks are pitch perfect—this is a great era for Superman. Williamson continues the heart that has permeated this series, and Campbell is brilliant at drawing thrilling action and touching quiet moments. I still find myself wishing Campbell’s colors were a bit brighter, and the pacing of this issue wasn’t as strong as previous ones. But this was still a fantastic issue, with a great cliffhanger!

I’m really liking this new status quo for Superman, and I continue to be engaged by the mystery of Luthor’s past. I felt the pacing of this issue was a little too quick, but I’m excited for this new arc! Oh and I really like Melnikov as a fill in artist, I wouldn’t mind seeing more from him!

My god there is so much going on now it’s almost overwhelming. This book is great, but it’s almost too jam packed for its own good. Still, Williamson is setting up an epic, and I’m very excited to be along for the ride.

I was concerned by the number of artists attached to this issue, but they all blend together almost seamlessly. This was a really strong finish to this arc, continuing to build on the shaky alliance between Superman and Lex and revealing more of Lex’s hidden past.

I am ridiculously excited for the next issue.

It’s Superman in the Wild West. That’s just awesome. Come on.

This was the perfect place to flesh out the Metropolis Williamson is building, and shows that even without Superman, his supporting cast can carry a story. Williamson has done a great job with Lex, who is absent in this issue, but we see that he is just as adept at giving depth to other villains. God I wish Knight Terrors would end so we can get back to more of this.

A great premise built upon the characteristics that make Superman the greatest super hero of all time. Mark Waid has such a strong grasp on the fundamentals of both Superman and Lex Luthor, and presents them here with a rich and complex relationship. I guess Mark Waid is just the ultimate DC writer now. I was less impressed by the art. It’s good, but I don’t think it matches the quality of the script. He draws great environments and set pieces, but sometimes I’m not crazy about the way he draws people. That’s personal preference, though, and shouldn’t stop anyone from picking this up.

The book doesn’t fully live up to its fantastic concept in this issue, but I’m happy to stick around for more.

The art is truly excellent, but the story hasn’t grabbed me in the way I expected. The concept has potential, and I’m happy to give it more time.

The best issue yet with great art, though I find the characters quite unpleasant.

This flashback to Edward’s childhood is the best issue yet, with the sparse dialogue heightening the disturbing atmosphere of hopelessness. The art is brilliantly grotesque and creepy, the coloring beautifully sickening; the reader is fully immersed in Edward’s warped perception of his reality.

This issue has a pretty neat concept, being almost entirely made up of Edward Nashton’s journals. It’s a disturbing stream of consciousness that would be embarrassingly melodramatic if it didn’t seem like a manifesto that an unhinged person would actually write. This issue also is the most explicit example of Nashton’s obsession with Batman we’ve seen in the series so far, and it makes one wonder if the Riddler would have ever existed had it not been for Batman. Not exactly breaking new ground with that concept, but it’s executed very well. All of this series has been unconventional compared with most of what DC publishes, but this issue especially. I found it to be very effective, but I could see how it might turn others off.

Each issue has been strong on its own merits, with Dano’s sad and disturbing look into Edward Nashton’s mind matched perfectly with Subic’s art. This was an excellent examination of fanaticism and loneliness in a sick individual, but Dano presents it from a wholly neutral perspective. For his first foray into comics, he’s done a fantastic job. The tone of each issue is so heavy I wonder how these will read as a collection, though. Reading these every other month, readers have been able to absorb each issue as its own entity, but the overarching story has been extremely decompressed. When all six issues are read together, I imagine it will feel rather meandering and something of a drag. But I’m not reviewing the series as a whole, I’m just reviewing this one issue.

The artwork continues to be exceptional, and Milligan offers more timely satire and new characters bringing twists and turns.

Come for Allred’s art, stay for the satire. This series continues to live up to its predecessors, lampooning celebrity and comics culture, and remains reliably unpredictable. I don’t know why Milligan makes every character stutter constantly, though. It makes sense for Guy, but everyone is constantly doing it and it drives me nuts! But when my complaints are that small, it means the series is doing most everything right.

As I have said with each issue, the art is brilliant. That is a given with this series. I’ve really been enjoying this arc and characters, but there’s been a lingering feeling that the plot has been plodding along. That becomes apparent in this issue, where most characters have nothing to do, and the narration from Hurt John adds little to his personality. As a stand-alone issue, this was disappointing, but I’m looking forward to the finale next issue!

In spite of what Comicbook.com says, I did walk away from this book disappointed. I’m a big of Milligan’s X-Force and X-Statix, and this series had a strong start. But it spun its wheels for the past several issues, only to be wrapped up in the blink of an eye. I love the X-Statix cast, and there were some great new characters introduced too, but they all felt wasted in this finale. This would have made more sense as the second or third issue in this second season, giving individual characters more to do in subsequent issues. I know part of the series’ charm is how dispensable the cast is, but in X-Statix it never felt narratively underwhelming like it does here. This conclusion made the previous issues feel irrelevant when I think they were meant to feel irreverent. Don’t get me wrong, this wasn’t a disaster or anything. Just a let down. Allred’s art is a knockout every time, though. I especially liked seeing Zeitgeist’s travels through different dimensions, it reminded me of Allred’s work on Art Ops. Mike and Laura Allred are the best artists in the industry.

This is perfection.

This series hasn’t missed a beat. I was disappointed to learn that Daniel Warren Johnson was no longer drawing the series anymore, but Jorge Corona’s style is nearly identical to my eyes.

This is a masterclass in pacing. I understand why Johnson said he struggled writing this issue; there’s a lot of plot to advance and a lot of emotional beats to cover, all of which could have been painfully tedious if handled by a less talented writer. 8 issues in and I’m still in awe of this series.

DWJ is a god.

This series maintains has maintained a level of quality longer than I thought was possible. Even this issue, which has less plot development than previous issues, gives us fantastic glimpse into a few characters.

I’m a broken record on this series.

Another slam dunk

The streak of perfection continues.

I looooove Starscream. And I forget how violent this book can get, it shocks me every time in the best way possible.

Even better than I expected. It’s exactly what Spider-Man needs.

It’s genuinely excellent, I’m hungry for more.

It’s a fresh take with just enough of that familiar Spider-Man spirit.

It’s bold to have an issue of Spider-Man built entirely around a dinner conversation, and it’s a great example of why Ultimate Spider-Man works. Hickman is taking chances rather than playing it safe, and it’s paying off, big time.

This is a better display of Messina’s talents than last issue, and we see Hickman further flesh out this new universe.

I agree with everything daspidaboy and Hex said, please refer to their reviews. I love this series so much.

This sure is a good book, isn’t it.

This is comic perfection! The plot threads that Hickman is setting up, the little moments he gives to every character, Checchetto’s masterful art—just spectacular.

I’m impressed by and in admiration of Marvel for letting Hickman tell this story in this manner. We’ve had multiple issues without Spider-Man, and those issues have mostly consisted of people sitting around and talking. And they’ve been great.

Phenomenal.

This is a really neat series, and I appreciate just how different this universe is.

Jesus, how terribly grim. Doom is the most interesting character in this series, and there’s a lot of interesting characters in here. I really enjoyed the four timelines on each page, it was a unique storytelling device.

Camp dials back the action of the previous issue to show us small character moments between members of the team. There are a ton of characters to juggle and it could feel disjointed, but Camp proves deft enough at writing this ensemble cast that it provides depth rather than muddying the story.

B plots and C plots and D plots thrown into the middle of this issue may be necessary, but feel a bit awkward for pacing. Still, I like those stories and characters.

A perfect end to this arc, touching on some characters in surprising ways, but which feel like classic Kirkman.

This issue mostly consists of moving characters into place for the start of this new arc, but it’s an exciting set up.

I’m really impressed with how Kirkman is managing so many plots at once and also successfully developing each of them.

The title character has barely any presence, and the plot is thin, but as an introductory issue it was fun and grabs your attention. Ron Lim’s art is the highlight and what most are here for, though, and it’s a nostalgic return to an earlier era.

Ron Lim’s art is undeniably great, but so far this series, like Adam Warlock’s cacoon, has felt like an empty shell.

It’s the third issue and it still feels like this mini series has yet to actually begin. I’m shocked at how barren the writing is, and how lifeless the characters are. This issue has Adam Warlock in a crisis that has no weight to it, and Doctor Strange gets him out of his funk with a couple of sentences. It feels totally unearned and makes Adam seem a little stupid. These characters are all pale imitations of themselves. Ron Lim has some nice stuff in this, with one two page spread in particular looking excellent. I also really liked the unnamed world at the end, it was a neat design. The art isn’t enough to save this book, though. It’s ironic that the plot has Adam losing his soul gem, because this series feels soulless as well.

Like the last couple of issues, this books feels devoid of soul. The story is painfully simplistic, and the characterization is baffling. For the second issue in a row, Adam Warlock gives up, and then gets a lazy pep talk that restores his faith in himself within a couple panels. It just makes him look like an idiot. Everyone else is one-dimensional, and the logic of the story doesn’t even make sense. Lim’s pencils are good, but I’m less and less impressed by them every time, because his talents are so wasted.

I have never read a series with less substance. I liked the final page because it has a certain character that I’m a huge fan of and I like the way Lim draws him, but that’s it. The story has nothing to say, the action is uninteresting, Adam Warlock has no agency, Eve is nothing, the supporting cast is wasted, and the conclusion is lazy.

Greg Capullo’s art is iconic, and Hickman’s story ain’t too shabby either.

Solid art and an interesting status quo change for Wonder Woman, but a story that feels oddly light and unmemorable.

The use of dreams is an interesting way to see how the book’s characters think of Diana and what she means to them, but I had a hard time staying engaged with the story. There are a lot of great artists on this issue, and story-wise it makes sense, but it also makes it feel oddly disconnected. Seems like this series is spinning its wheels a bit to get to issue 800.

My feelings on this conclusion are similar to the last issue. It’s touching to see what Diana means to other characters, and all the guests artists together make for interesting viewing, but as a story it’s a bit lackluster. The set up for Tom King’s run had me interested, but I don’t think I could take more banter from Jon Kent, Damien, and Trinity—and I like those first two characters a lot! It felt like King was really forcing the idea that they had a long and colorful history with Trinity, but with absolutely no subtlety or depth. The final page was a good hook, but I’ll be waiting an arc or two before I get into the new run, if I pick it up at all.

If you like Waid’s other World’s Finest book, you’ll want to check this out. This biggest difference is the ensemble cast, which Waid does an excellent job of handling. Each member feels distinct, and the banter and tension within the team is really great. I like the conflict of Robin not feeling able to share the camaraderie that we see with the other Titans, as well as the interactions between the team and their mentors. There’s great art and action as well, and I look forward to reading more!

I’m not sure if this standalone issue represents the format this series is going to take, but if so I don’t mind at all! I like the idea of giving each or a couple of the Teen Titans time to shine in stories that can be enjoyed in a single sitting. Waid manages to give each character depth, and it seems that he can do no wrong as of late. Bellaire’s colors really pop in this issue as well.

The lightheartedness and banter between characters makes this worth the read. Even with low stakes, this book is more engaging than most. So much fun.

As others have noted, there is very little action in this issue, but the action has never been the appeal of this series for me. The characters and their interactions are the heart this book, and this issue is full of wonderful character moments.

Well written, well drawn—its World’s Finest, people, you know what to expect.

A lovely end to a lovely series, and another feather in Waid’s cap.

Maybe Marvel should have waited a little longer before relaunching this title. After the end of the Krakoa era, this side of the Marvel universe could have taken some time to breathe. This back-to-basics approach just feels tiring rather than refreshing, and after the horrible acts committed by some of these characters during the Krakoa era, it’s odd trying to wipe the slate clean. I recognize that MacKay is trying to address all that has come before while also starting fresh, but it just isn’t working for me in this issue.