Astonishingly Awful's Profile

Just horrible. What is Marvel trying to achieve with this poorly written and amateurishly drawn crap?

Batman looks ridiculous. The logo looks ridiculous. The art is rough. The writing feels disjointed. Snyder and Dragotta don't seem to care too much whether their creation is perfect. Maybe that's why I like it. This book shouldn't work, but for some reason it does.

This one didn't do it for me. I was starting to get bored by the story after a few pages, and the art lacked the urgency and rawness that I liked about first two issues. In calmer scenes, I can't help but find Dragotta's art kind of average - good enough to tell the story, but not good enough to show that there's an age difference between Bruce and his mother.

The constant flashbacks and inner monologue are getting repetitive. Plus, Gabriel Walta is an interesting artist, but probably not a good choice for a superhero title.

My favorite part is the fat-signal. This is getting ridiculous. I did like the action though.

Well... so this was the final installment of the first story arc, and I can't quite decide if I like this book enough to continue reading. I can understand where the hype is coming from. Absolute Batman has a very cinematic feel and great action. It's gritty and brutal and reminiscent of The Dark Knight. However, it's also ridiculous (the costume gimmicks, the "fat-signal"), the flashbacks are just too much, and the art frankly sucks in most non-action scenes. So is this really good enough to stand on its own or is it just Temu Dark Knight? I guess I'll give it some more issues. After all, it's not that there's a lot of readable stuff out there at the moment.

Although I'm not sure Marcos Martin is right for this title, I found the issue much more consistent regarding the quality of the art.

This was the first issue of Absolute Batman I read and rated a while ago. Suffice to say, I couldn't really make sense of the story without the context of the previous issue and rated it a 4. Now that I've read it in order, I see why I just couldn't get it. I wish Marcos Martin would have stayed as the regular artist. I know his art is not everybody's taste, but I prefer it over Dragotta's.

I can’t say I’m completely hooked yet, but Absolute Green Arrow has some great atmospheric writing and stylish art that I quite enjoyed.

I usually don't like alternate versions of established characters, which is why I haven't read any of the other Absolute titles. The preview of Martian Manhunter looked weird AF though, in the best way possible, so I had to read it. Let's just say, the Javier Rodriguez art and storytelling didn't disappoint. AMM, despite looking very 60s inspired, is a breath of fresh air. Now, the script by Deniz Camp could have been more engaging. I get that the general vibe of the book is fragmented and confused, but at the same time, the author has to give the reader enough coherence and emotion to draw them into the story.

The second issue continues the experimental storytelling with a tighter,, less confusing plot. I love the weird concepts and ideas and the 60s inspired artwork. My only issue is the protagonist himself. Agent Jones is just not a compelling, interesting character (yet), there's nothing about him that makes me care for what's happening to him. If Camp manages to fix this, Absolute Martian Manhunter has the potential to become a favorite on my pull list.

The art is fantastic and unique, but the story is taking a turn into conventional territories.

This issue worked better for me than the last. We finally get some character development and although I still have difficulties relating to John Jones, his marriage problems are a step into the right direction - maybe not for him, but in terms of making the reader care about the character.

For the first time I feel that the art and story of Absolute Martian Manhunter are coming together to create a seamless unity - which is almost ironic, since this story is about people and their shadows dissociating. And although something is still missing, this issue transported me somewhere - a feat very few comics are able to achieve these days.

Action Comics 1100 is a mixed bag, and a very frustrating one, because I enjoyed parts of this book a lot. However, it also has some really gruesome art and writing, which made it hard to even get to the good stuff. The first story, "Mission Failure", unfortunately takes up the most pages. While Waid's writing is good as usual, Skylar Partridge's art is not. Sorry, there's no way to say this in a politer way. It just sucks. Fortunately, Ryan Sook, who also drew the amazing wraparound cover, steps in for the last third, which is a relief, but doesn't save the story. "Superman meets Superboy" is the high point of the book, perfectly written by Joshua Williamson and masterfully illustrated by Daniel Sampere. I wish this team had created the main story, too. "Game Night" by Sophie Campbell and Dan Mora is mostly forgettable, but solid. Probably more fun if you enjoy all the alternate Superman characters The last chapter, "End of Reign" by Dan Slott and Lukas Meyer, is the start of something new apparently - and it's completely confusing to anyone not familiar with these characters, such as myself. Well, at least the art looks good. All in all, it seems most anniversary issues these days are like a big bag of candy. At first you're excited about the sheer quantity you get, but after you ate it all, you realise that you really just wanted the liquorice, not the gummy bears and certainly not all the other shit that now makes your tummy feel weird.

This felt like reading a crappy backup story in an old annual. The clunky dialogue and average 90s art don't help either.

I haven't read a Spider-Man title in years. As with the FF, I really like the idea of reading Spider-Man since I love the characters, but whenever I do, it's just not as exciting as in my childhood and teenage years when both titles were created by top talents. Pepe Larraz is undoubtedly the best artist at Marvel currently, and his art on this book is phenomenal as expected. I can't say the same for the story though. This is definitely not the Peter Parker I remember from back in the day. He looks and talks like an idiotic teenager, and he's fine with his girlfriend sleeping around with other men. Really? What a wuss. His friends also come across as being high on either drugs or ADHD or both. The fight with Rhino was entertaining, but nothing special. Then there's the backup story featuring dull JRJR art. It's a weird idea to have the most elegant and dynamic artist (Larraz) and the most clunky and static one (Romita Jr) share the art job on the book. This is really hard to rate. The Larraz art is a 10, the Romita Jr art a 6 (sorry, not a fan) and the writing a 7. Considering Larraz drew most of the book, it's an 8 for me.

Now, I get that Peter is very confused right now, but the reader shouldn't be. This issue is all over the place and it's probably extra confusing to new and returning readers, that are not familiar with Peter's new girlfriend, why he's working with Norman Orborne etc. However, the storyline seems to go into a darker, psychological direction, which I like, and the Larraz artwork is excellent as usual.

The art is perfect as usual. Storywise, I'm starting to see a direction, which is a huge improvement.

I always loved Larraz's artwork, but WOW... this issue is on a whole new level of greatness. Spidey's body looks so amazing, I could gobble up these pages all day long. I do have some minor qualms with the story (poisoned cola, really? Plus, the whole teen rebellion thing feels somewhat unnatural), but overall it's a great series so far.

The story turned out to be more trivial than I had hoped, but the art, man... Pepe Larraz is just fantastic! Unfortunately, next issue JRJR is taking over, which probably means I'm done with this book.

Although I'm not a fan of Romita Jr.'s style, I admit that he's a good storyteller. Solid issue, but will this title hold my attention without Pepe Larraz's magic? I doubt it.

I don't want to be rude, but I think this issue confirms that John Romita Jr. is degenerating as an artist. This is probably unavoidable for any artist of a certain age. Alan Davis is not what he was and neither is John Byrne. JRJR - in my opinion - never produced the quality of those two, and now it's getting even worse unfortunately. Having said that, the real issue is Joe Kelly's story and dialogue. I seriously had to stop reading the book after two thirds because it was just so painfully stupid. This confirms what I suspected before - without great art (Pepe Larraz) this book is doomed.

Can JRJR's art get any worse? Yes it can. I think I'll skip the rest of this arc and wait for Pepe Larraz to return.

The art is an improvement, but the writing is going nowhere. This phase in Peter Parker's life feels like an alternate reality to me and it's just not enjoyable seeing him like this.

The second story with Pepe Larraz art is pretty good, although I doubt that the average Spider-Man reader is interested in Peter having cosmic adventures. Anyway, it's an 8 for me. The rest of the book is pretty much forgettable.

The concept of five hundred different Spider-People (or Wolverines, or Captain Americas...) in the same universe has never worked for me. All the stupid Spider-Kids, in combination with McGuinness's cartoony oversized art, make this feel less like a regular issue and more like something you'd find on the back of a cereal box.

I was really looking forward to Peter's cosmic adventures. But while Pepe Larraz doesn't disappoint, the story is pretty trivial - which is kind of ironic, since one would expect outer space to provide opportunities galore for great ideas. Anyway, the opposite seems to be the case. All the mind-numbing, "funny" dialogue can't hide the fact that there's no inspiration behind this story arc.

Sorry, not a fan of McGuiness or Nauck. Settle on one %$%$§%$§ artist, Marvel - and make it Larraz.

The absence of Pepe Larraz makes it all too obvious that Kelly's story is just not that interesting. This "succulent" Spider-Man sucks.

Pepe Larraz's art elevates any story, even these cosmic shenanigans. It doesn't hide the fact that we are getting yet another one of Peter Parker's educational psychotherapy sessions. Plus, Peter once again is saved by a girl boss. I'm willing to overlook this bs when I can look at great art, but I'm sure we'll be back to wooden JRJR puppets next month. This series is so frustrating.

I don't care that it doesn't feel like a Spider-Man book. It has Pepe Larraz art.

JRJR may be a reliable artist for Marvel, but deadlines aren't everything. Looking at these pages is just so incredibly painful. Even the colorist can't save them.

Let me get this clear upfront: I returned to this title solely because of the Pepe Larraz art. And it is - as usual - excellent. That being said, I now remember why I wasn't able to fully enjoy this title in the past, even with Larraz on pencils. It's a fucking, never ending therapy session! And ASM #1000 is the epitome of all that. Now, don't get me wrong, I like stories that dive into the hero's deepest fears and traumata from time to time, but THIS. IS. JUST. TOO. MUCH. It's unbearable. And there's never a resolution, like, for instance, Peter triumphing over the self-destructive navel gazing and returning to being a true hero. Can we, for one or two issues, just have Peter Parker beating up some bad guys he's not inextricably linked to via his Uncle Ben trauma, Venom or some other shit from his past? No, no we can't. As a matter of fact, the back stories are doubling down on the endless soul searching stuff, giving us a pathetic "Old Man Spider-Man" story from the retirement home (yes, really) and other psycho crap and team-ups nobody asked for. And most of these stories aren't even drawn well. In the past, the art always mattered to me as much as the writing when it comes to rating a book, but in this case, I'm making an exception. The stories, even the main story, are so terrible, that not even the most perfect art can justify their existence.

I wanted to skip this event, since I'm not interested in anything based on or inspired by the original Age of Apocalypse, which ruined the X-books for me for most of the 90s. However, the premise of "our" Cyclops and Beast entering this future age to prevent it, is mildly intriguing. Leafing through the AoR books out this week, this one is pretty much the only one with decent art, so I thought I'd give it a try. Mahmud Asrar is excellent indeed. I wasn't an initial fan, but he grew on me in Bug Wars. This issue, to my surprise, looks even better. Now that doesn't mean Amazing X-Men is a great comic. Jed McKay's wooden dialogue and clumsy exposition are pretty horrible, even though the story itself isn't that bad. So how can I rate this? I guess I'm just going with the average. Art: 9 Writing: 5

I'm shocked. This is probably the first time Jed McKay's writing actually works. He definitely made his homework regarding Scott and Illyana's histories and it all comes together seamlessly. I also liked the weird little details, such as the workers producing suffering as sustenance for Limbo or Animalia changing into different animal forms. Mahmud Asrar makes it all look great too. So, as much as I wanted to, I can't really hate this book. From all the AoR books, Amazing X-Men is the only one I enjoyed so far.

In this final issue of Amazing X-Men, the great art can't hide the fact that the plot of Age of Revelation has no substance. There is no original idea. The revelation (sic) of Revelation's plan is just some sci fi bullshit that doesn't contribute anything to, say, Doug Ramsey's character development. It feels completely random. This is telling me that there is no underlying theme to this whole event except that, apparently, Marvel felt the need to create an Age of Apocalypse anniversary story. There is one final special coming out to wrap this mess up, but make no mistake: this event has simply been going through the motions without any stakes at all, and it's gonna fizzle out like an old man's fart - just like the recent Doom event or Imperial did. Marvel, what are you doing?

An entertaining issue, but I felt that the surprise twist could have had more gravitas. There was barely enough time to let it sink in before the next thing happened. The art is technically good but just not a style I'm into.

Aquaman meets Conan meets Lovecraft. It's a stupid story, but I have read worse.

It's not often I come across a perfectly average comic these days. Both the writer and the artist are doing a solid job, I just don't think Aquaman stands out in any significant way. I would have loved this in the 90s.

Timms's art is solid, but can't save this utterly stupid storyline.

I enjoy reading the occasional issue where the talking and socialising take precedence over the action, however, it seems that not much is happening in this title at all since I started reading it a few issues ago. I've never been a big Avengers fan, but they have had several great runs over the years that I enjoyed, with great art and writing and interesting character dynamics. This isn't one of those. The art is very average in my opinion - readable, but rough and not very attractive. And the writing - let's just say X-Men and Avengers are my least favorite books right now, and it can't be coincidence that McKay is writing both of them. Yes, something is happening, but it all feels underwhelming, like a half-assed attempt at reviving a corpse.

I liked Farid Karami's art much better than that of regular artist Valerio Schiti, but that's about the only positive thing I can say about this issue. This title is just not fun. There's no synergy, no magic, even when heavyweights like Storm and the Scarlet Witch are battling it out. This issue also suffers from the same problem I see in many Marvel titles lately: there's no arc of suspense, the issue just ends at some point. I started reading Avengers because of Storm, but honestly it's such a bore - I might as well drop it.

Teaming up Kang, Black Cat and the Technet sounds like one of those weird ideas that would have made a great issue of Excalibur back in the day, but in the hands of Jed MacKay it ends up being just as dry and boring as... well, any issue of this Avengers series I have read so far. I don't know what it is, but this series is just not working.

Bad writing, horrible artwork.

Inconsistent art and filler dialogue. Nobody cares. Is this Marvel Zombies?

This issue is pretty much a non-stop WTF moment for me, since I haven't read this series from the beginning and not a lot of explanation is given. Anyway, I have read worse from Jed McKay. His writing is usually bad to average, but he's doing a decent job here. I do like the art. There are some beautiful close-ups, although Karami's detailed style takes away some of the dynamism and spontaneity needed for a superhero comic. All in all, this is still a bad era for the Avengers, but it's probably one of the better issues, due to the better than average art.

This issue took me by surprise. It's actually... good!?! Despite the fact this Avengers team is quite aloof and unlikable, there was some sort of hopeful heroism that drew me in - in addition to Karami's art, which is getting better with each issue. I could have done without Cyclops's psychotic X-Men team tough.

Why can't this book keep an artist for more than two or three issues? This is frustrating.

I'm probably old fashioned, but when I read an Avengers book, I want the Avengers in it. The story of the Twilight Court is interesting, but John Byrne would have told it in two pages. At least the book has some good art.

This wasn’t bad for a first chapter, although I’m having some ethical problems with the entitlement and self-righteousness displayed by the heroes in this book. Anyway, I’m glad Dave Colton is returning - I really enjoyed him in Captain America - and apparently missed his appearance in Wolverine: Weapons of Armageddon, a series I considered skippable, but looks like I shouldn’t have. The art by Diaz and Alpizar is not quite classic Marvel crossover excellence, but pretty close. This is what superheroes should look like! Give him another year, and Diaz will probably be Marvel‘s brightest star.

Great art, but the story looks quite predictable, especially Colton’s inevitable turn to villainy.

The moral dilemma is intriguing, but the artist change is not an improvement, to put it mildly.

I’m glad to see Diaz and Alpizar back on the art, just in time for the senses-shattering showdown between David Colton and the Red Hulk. I’m also happy to see I was wrong about my prognosis for Colton. Apparently, Marvel wants him on the good side. I’m not so sure though that the direction they have in mind for him is making a lot of sense, although I have to confess I don’t know much about (censored), except that he has the most hideous costume since Wonder Man.

This is mostly setup for what's to come, but I like the look and atmosphere of this hyper-dangerous version of Gotham. Jimenez delivers some stylish and dynamic art, especially when it comes to architecture and the Batmobile. The colors complement the lines perfectly. Personally, I prefer a more old-fashioned Batman with less focus on technological gadgets, but overall, Batman 1 was a strong start.

I don't quite know what to think of this book yet. This issue was entertaining, but it lacked the dark, menacing atmosphere that was the standout element of the first one. It was still quite gritty storywise, but more on a situational level. The flashbacks contributed nothing to the story, feeling like something taken right from a teen soap opera. Jimenez - unlike most modern superhero artists - is capable of not only drawing dynamic poses and great action scenes, but also everyday people and situations, which comes in handy in this issue. I like his art a lot, even though it's different from what I usually enjoy.

The story is flowing nicely, but it's the art that made me care. Despite his preference for Manga faces, that make his art look somewhat shallow at first glance, Jimenez is a capable storyteller. There are small moments, gestures, facial expressions, that elevate this issue from a good to a great comic.

The dialogue between Bruce and Annika Zeller has some chemistry, but I don't like her portrayal as a stupid bimbo. She's a doctor FFS. Also, the villain in this issue is some manga character that looks about as stupid as the X-Men's Mutina. If I wanted to read a manga, I'd read a manga. On the good side, Jorge Jimenez draws great action scenes, the colouring is amazing and the issue has a nice flow.

It's a satisfying conclusion to the first story arc, although it doesn't quite have the emotional impact Fraction seems to think it has (judging from the montage page showing the story's fallout.) The open scene with Bruce and Dr. Zeller talking over multiple panels with the same camera view is incredibly well done and there are a few other calm moments in which this issue really shines - something I didn't expect Jimenez to be able to pull off, since his style is mostly action-orientated.

I remember a time when a comic book featured a complete story, not just one scene. Fraction and Jimenez waste a whole issue on a conversation that could have taken up four or five pages (and that could have been more interesting). Jimenez knows enough about layout to make it look good, but all those black panels with text could have been put to better use.

Another slow issue, although this one was definitely more interesting. I didn’t recognize Ryan Sook’s artwork at first. Usually, it’s excellent, but for some reason it doesn’t look as flawless here as I have come to know it. The bright colors that work well with the regular artist might be the problem. Still, not a bad book when it comes to the art, but I’m getting a little bored with Fraction’s writing.

Batman 10 is a wild ride. What Jimenez is doing here is absolutely stunning and the writing complements the art perfectly.

The Manga girl assassin seems to be a thing now. I really wonder what she’s representing in our collective psyche. Besides that, this was not the most interesting issue, but still better than most of the bullshit that counts as comics these days.

Good issue, but the pacing seems off. I’m also not sure if I like this Verity character. Like all of Jimenez’s women, she has a stupid manga face.

I first thought this was regular artist Jimenez, but it’s Matteo Scalera. I know I have seen his name before somewhere, but I can’t connect it to anything I read. Now this will probably never happen again, as his art in this issue is absolutely phenomenal. The layouts are bold and dynamic and reminiscent of Sean Gordon Murphy sometimes, while not being a copy. The colors by Tomeu Morey complement the lines perfectly. The only issue I have with Batman 13, is that it’s too short. Oh, and don’t worry about this being part of the Bad Seeds crossover. I haven’t read Bad Seeds: Sunset 1 and it only seems to have a minimal impact on this issue.

Waid and Samnee perfectly capture Batman's broodiness and Robin's youthful exuberance. The book feels cinematic, atmospheric and nostalgic, but not dated, which is a huge feat to accomplish. I haven't read a Batman comic in decades, and this was a wonderful re-introduction.

Old-fashioned superhero fun, perfectly executed. With a better cliffhanger, this would be a 10.

Another great issue in this series. The plot is a bit repetitive, but that's probably intentional to showcase Robin's behavioral pattern. I'm expecting a twist in the near future.

I love this book! It reminds me why I fell in love with comics as a kid. However, this fourth issue drags a bit, but maybe I'm just not that much into villain's monologues.

The level of writing and art are high as usual, but the story seems to drag a bit. I want to see this going somewhere.

This last chapter felt kind of anticlimactic, but overall, Waid and Samnee created the perfect Batman comic.

I haven't read the Biker Mice mini series - in fact, I have never heard of the Nacelleverse before - but the cover looked great and the title was hilarious, so I thought "why not read something different than horribly drawn, badly written mainstream books for a change?" Biker Mice really surprised me in a good way. While I think that the pace was a bit fast, making the life-changing catastrophe at the core of this issue appear like an inconvenience, I found a lot of great, fun stuff in this book. The art in particular is just awesome - much better than what most Marvel and DC books are delivering these days. And unlike the mainstream books, Biker Mice from Mars feels like its creators are having actual fun with it!

I only learned that this book is based on an old animated show I have never heard of after reading issue 1, which unfortunately diminished my enthusiasm somewhat, since I cannot credit Flores and the artists for all the originality and creativity I first saw in the book. Having said that, this series still offers a lot of both. Plus, reinvigorating a franchise is an achievement in its own right. The book feels very fresh and modern. The dialogue has a natural flow and the art is just amazingly detailed. There are some calmer scenes that could have been depicted in a more interesting way, but that's just a minor issue. Overall, Biker Mice from Mars 2 is a lot of fun and much better executed than the bulk of Marvel or DC books these days.

The story is bullshit and the art is girlie crap.

Although I'd prefer a more realistic style for Black Cat, I did enjoy the art. However, the writing is goddamn awful. One reviewer said it's like a bad She-Hulk comic, and I can't believe how accurate this is.

I read this because the Siege Perilous played a huge part in the X-Men when I discovered Marvel comics in the 80s. In this book however, it is reduced to a comedy prop. Also, this is just not how the Siege Perilous works. Even if I overlook this disrespectful use of one of Chris Claremont's greatest creations, Black Cat 9 is a horrible comic. It is terribly written and the art is tolerable at best.

I didn't expect to like this so much. I'm usually not a fan of Asrar's art, but what he's doing with the bugs and ants here is pure genius. The scenes with the family look more like his usual stuff. Solid, but I wouldn't read it if the whole book looked like this. The story, although clichéd and seen in different variations a few hundred times in The Narnia Chronicles, Alice in Wonderland or Honey, I shrunk the Kids, is enchanting and well written. I guess I'll be back for issue 2. Let's hope for more bugs than everyday stuff.

Bug Wars #2 did not disappoint. Asrar delivers some great bug action, but what really keeps me coming back for more is Jason Aaron's writing style. The new words he comes up with for all the bug stuff are just phenomenal. In a time when comics are pretty dull in general, Bug Wars just sparkles with creativity.

The last episode of this first series of Bug Wars wasn't exactly the finale that answers all questions, but since there will be a continuation, it doesn't have to. Still, I expected more. My final resume on Bug Wars: This was a fun and well executed series, even if the concept wasn't particularly new or exciting. I enjoyed Jason Aaron's creative and heartfelt writing a lot and even warmed up to Mahmud Asrar, whose previous art for Marvel I tended to dislike. It seemed that he just needed a more personal project like Bug Wars to unleash his full talent. I will definitely be back when Bug Wars continues.

The son of the Jim is back! Bug Wars: The Coming of the Wardoom has all the enchanting and exciting ingredients the first Bug Wars series had: the whimsy, the heart, the absurd insect action. I still think a different artist with greater emotional range would fit the story better (I'd love to see an issue drawn by Tom Reilly or Matt Smith of Folklords). Mahmud Asrar isn't a bad artist, but for me he's the weakest part of this almost perfect package.

Considering that the writing and art in superhero comics are at an all-time low, this book is probably somewhat entertaining if you're Gen Z and not used to comics being better. Personally, I would recommend reading the Ladronn run from ages ago instead of this.

I realize that having characters not age significantly over decades can lead to problems in a fictional universe, but in my opinion, the best way to deal with this strange phenomenon is to not address it at all. It's just not possible to reconcile every story with actual history, so why try at all? The new Captain America series does try and boldly moves the reemergence of Cap from 1963 (or some vague moment in time in the early days of the Marvel universe) into the 21st century, which leads to many problems, especially for older readers. Am I really to believe now that all of Marvel history has happened after 09/11? My brain hurts from trying to think about what that means for the continuity in X-Men, the FF or Damage Control (who fixed the World Trade Center back in 1989!) Reading CA #1 feels like my childhood is being erased, but I understand why Marvel is doing it - to appeal to younger readers, which is fine and necessary, if they want to matter in this day and age. So with that minor mindf*ck out of the way, is Captain America #1 a good comic? Well... I think it was an okay comic. There are scenes and pages I enjoyed (the flashbacks look really cool - I wish the whole book was drawn in that style) and others that didn't. There were some weird transitions in the action scenes that didn't work well and the artwork was a bit inconsistent in quality. All in all, the issue was fine. However, I can't help but wonder what readers in 1963 or 1989 would think of it.

I'm still having trouble imagining this fitting into Marvel continuity. It probably would have worked better as an alternate reality story. Anyhow, I'm enjoying the character differences of the two Captains (actually, I'm more intrigued by the new Captain, David Colton) and it feels like Zdarsky has something to say about the nature of war. This is definitely not your grandpa's Captain America.

This issue was the weakest and most predictable so far. I'm still interested to see where this is going though.

Pretty dramatic and cinematic issue - I liked it! Cap Colton is an interesting character that I'd love to see more of, but since the series is set in the past, his days are most likely numbered. Great cover as well.

The conclusion to Our Secret Wars is bittersweet for me. Obviously the second Captain, Dave Colton, had to go. But it's disappointing that Zdarsky is seemingly going to turn him into a villain, to return in a future story arc. I enjoyed Colton's ambivalent story and found him much more relatable than the one-dimensional and squeaky-clean Steve Rogers. A part of me wanted to see him as a replacement for Rogers. I will probably pick up next issue, but with Colton gone for the moment (it seems) I doubt that the next arc will keep my interest.

Valerio Schiti was good in the first arc, but Delio Diaz and Frank Alpizar are even better if you ask me. This is fantastic art and the writing is great as well, if you can get into all the political intrigue and a Cap that is just as conflicted and downtrodden as idealism in the US seems to be these days. Personally, I miss the carefree days of Cap just hitting some bad guys without a myriad of political implications and repercussions, but that's probably too much to ask in times like these.

Excellent art and a story that makes the reader ponder some big moral questions rather than give a prefabricated answer. It’s nice to see that Marvel is still able to produce quality.

The writing is good as ever. Unfortunately, Jan Bazaldua‘s art is a disappointment. His visual storytelling is pretty good, but the style itself is very sketchy and unappealing. The colorist did his best to make up for the lack of detail and depth. Unfortunately, I’m not a fan of “painty“ coloring in superhero books either, but at least it works. Maybe Bazaldua just needs a good inker.

The art is better than last issue, however, I don’t like it when there’s a new artist almost every month. This is how you lose readers, even if the story is as strong as this one. Just settle on a fricking regular artist, Marvel. My favorite would be Delio Diaz.

Yet another artist change, back to “regular” artist Valerio Schiti. There are some confusing panel transitions, but overall, it’s passable work. The writing is becoming a problem for me though. The reveal of the villain was so predictable. Plus, the allegories to current political events are so in-your-face, it’s not really fun reading this anymore. When did comics stop being an escape from real life? Captain America in particular should emphasize idealism, not moral relativism.

Great story. The art is fine, nothing special, but really shines in the Red Hulk scenes.

Captain America goes to hell - literally and figuratively. The tone shift from almost too realistic to mythic afterlife nonsense is jarring, to say the least. It’s one of those issues where I find myself saying „whatever“ after each flip of the page. Since I’m also not a fan of Valerio Schiti‘s art, this issue didn’t do it for me.

I'm a huge C&D fan, but this book is missing what has made this series special. There's some interesting melodrama and mystery around Tandy and Ty's daughter, but for the most part, this is just a faceless superhero comic with some sassy standard dialogue that didn't require much creativity on Justina Ireland's part. The art by Lorenzo Tammetta is surprisingly good compared to most Marvel art these days - nothing special, but there are some nice standout panels, especially the ones featuring Cloak. Cloak or Dagger is just going through the motions of a standard superhero book, but at least it doesn't make the same mistakes as some of those other Age of Revelation books.

Some of the dialogue feels a little uninspired, but overall, this issue works better as a Cloak & Dagger story than the first one. Lorenzo Tammetta's art is great. Id love to see him on a regular C&D title, preferably with a better writer than Justina Ireland.

Of all of Marvel's artist clones, Lorenzo Tammetta at least makes that particular style look good. However, he only drew half of the book, since artists can't be bothered to stay on the same book for longer that two issues these days. The other half is drawn by Edoardo Audino and doesn't even come close to the quality of Tammetta's work. As a matter of fact, it looks pretty crappy. I've talked about Justina Ireland's mediocre story and incapability of writing compelling dialogue in my reviews of issues 1 and 2. The worst part however, is that it doesn't really feel like a Cloak & Dagger story. Plus, what was the point of this mini series as a part of the Age of Revelation event? Writing: 5 Art: 7/1

Just beautiful. Masterful art and thoughtful writing that pulls you right into a story that feels trivial and wondrous at the same time. I have only read a few Concrete issues a long time ago, but I’m gonna correct that mistake.

I’ve never been a huge fan of Scott Summers, and a Cyclops series seems like an odd idea, since Scott has never been known for going on solo missions. Anyway, I think there’s some potential, especially if the series functions as a tool for some character growth - hopefully into a better man than the terrorist asshole we’ve seen in the last fifteen or so years. After reading the issue, I’m not so sure this is going to happen. The series probably exists for one reason: Marvel literally throws any X-Men character solo title at the reader to see which one sticks. And they haven’t really tried Cyclops before. I’m not sure this is going to help anyone though. Cyclops #1 is not the worst comic ever, but it’s also not very good. The writing is very simplistic, the art is pretty meh, and there’s nothing really new here to grab the reader’s attention. I guess this is going to be a mini series with no memorable consequences whatsoever.

I have seen worse from Stephanie Phillips, but in the end, neither the writing nor the art are very exciting. What really turned me off was a scene in which a student educates Matt Murdock about the use of technology in learning, which makes me expect the worst of what’s to come in future issues. Make no mistake, this is DEI Daredevil.

Phillips’s story is readable, but just not that exciting. The art is a mixed bag as well - mostly solid, but very sketchy and not something you really want to look at.

If either Phillips or Garbett stepped up their work, this could become an intriguing comic, but so far, it’s just readable.

There are glimpses of something really good, both in Phillips‘s writing and Garbett‘s art - especially in the art. But it never really gets there. For every great page, there’s another one that just feels uninspired… talking heads mostly. As another reviewer mentioned, there’s also a problem with the pacing, particularly from issue to issue. Every issue seems to end prematurely, but maybe that’s just me not enjoying this decompressed storytelling style very much. I’m still interested to see where this goes, especially now that Garbett seems to get more comfortable with this book.

For a series with this amount of decompressed storytelling, the ending of this arc felt rushed and incomplete. It's obvious that Phillips was just setting up a greater arc with this first one, but the way it is done leaves the reader puzzled and unsatisfied. I expected more horror and some kind of revelation. Garbett's art is fine, but I really get the feeling that he's not using his full potential. I certainly don't appreciate all the empty space and overly large panels that make these issues such a quick read.

Reading this issue was hard work. The story is something we’ve seen countless times over the years in street-level superhero books and the guest art is just atrocious. I often don’t mention the coloring, as I prefer it to just complement the pencils and inks without standing out on its own, but the garish and intense colors in this book deserve special mention, since they make the art even harder to look at. I hope for Lee Garbett to return next issue, or at least for another capable artist to fill in while he’s taking a break.

Seems that the ugly art is here to stay.

Searching for more from Evan Cagle, I found this fantastic looking comic. The story at first glimpse seems much more conventional than the art - it's literally any 80s manga - and the heroine, Anita Marr, is not exactly the most fleshed-out protagonist (I also can't help but notice that Cagle's women all look like your typical anime princess, while the male characters are more individual and diverse). Anyway, there's a twist at the end that hints at something deeper going on. Unfortunately, we are not given much and it could all turn out to be not quite as intriguing as what we expect.

I had two theories regarding the mystery behind what's happening. Turns out it's the more conventional one, but it still makes for some great human drama. This one delivers everything I had hoped for after reading the slightly confusing debut issue.

This ending wasn't what I expected at all. Of course it's Ram V's vision, not mine, but I do feel that some important plotlines weren't resolved in the end and it all felt kinda rushed. Of course five issues aren't much, but I'm not sure if sacrificing a satisfying explanation of the Tetzas' presence on earth for an overly saccharine salvation story was the right decision. Having said that, Dawnrunner was still a visual masterpiece, thanks to Evan Cagle and the amazing colors of Francesco Segala.

I enjoyed Dazzler's old book, but this is just identity cult indoctrination with some disco make-up slapped on. A sham, and not even a well executed one.

Joe Palmer has a unique style that most people probably hate, but I can’t get enough of his weird and unusual line work. Destination Kill is a true work of art that you don’t get to see that often in American comics anymore.

Three words: premium arse wigglage.

I haven't read a DC title in many years, but with Marvel going downhill, I decided to give the competition another chance. The art in this book was the best I could find in the current DC titles, so I decided to start with Detective Comics 1090. Let's just say, it blew me away. A perfectly written, perfectly drawn comic.I hope this team stays on the title for a long while.

Perfect art, an intriguing mystery, and it all flows like a great action movie. I can't find any flaws with this book.

The issue felt a bit short and Janin's artwork looked more rushed to me than in previous issues, but not every issue can be perfect. Still one of my favorite books at the moment.

This was probably my favorite chapter in the story so far. The writing is spot-on and the art is just perfect. Someone wrote in their review that the story is too political for their taste, because it supposedly criticizes juvenile prisons. Well... maybe it's just a story. When did we start interpreting any individual situation, person or institution in a story to be an allegory for a whole demographic, system or political situation? Maybe Gotham just has a really bad juvenile prison. We wouldn't have superheroes if we didn't have corruption and evil in their worlds.

I'm still intrigued by this rather long storyline, but in this issue it seems to lose some steam. Even Janin's usually stellar artwork is slacking a bit.

The finale of the current storyline can't quite live up to the high expectations I had after reading the first few chapters, but overall it was still an excellent Batman story.

In terms of the art, this issue is huge step down from Janin. Garbett is solid though. What he lacks in expressive, attractive faces, he makes up for with his atmospheric scenery. It's a good issue, I'm just not sure I'm that interested in the book without Mikel Janin.

Could this story arc be more exciting? Yes. But you just don't give one of the best drawn series currently being published a 6 because the story is not exactly what you want.

I'm not excited about this story, but the art is simply amazing. Art: 12 of 10 Writing: 6 of 10

For some reason Mikel Janin's art isn't as great as usual this month - might be the inker's fault - and the story continues to be okay, but not very exciting - which, of course, is absolutely subjective.

A satisfying finale to a story that wasn’t really my cup of tea.

I skipped part 1 and 2, but had to check out part 3 because Mikel Janin is back on art - and, boy, this is probably the best issue I've read in this run yet! The art is fantastic, the story feels engaged and the action is just breathtaking. I just hope the solution of the mystery isn't what I think it is.

Stephanie Hans's cover art is okay. Her comic pages though leave a lot to be desired.

It's really hard for me to rate this issue. Although I don't like the art style, I can see some quality in it. I'm sure many readers will enjoy it, especially the ones who prefer the X-Men fast, loud, colourful and without much substance. The writing is decent, but on the other hand, there's nothing new or intriguing here, that makes me want to keep on reading.

Not much has changed from #1, except that the dialogue has gotten worse. This is the most horribly written mid-fight banter I've read in a while. The conversation between Cyclops and White Beast is probably the least sucky part of the issue, as it feels somewhat believable and grounded in the history of the two characters. Then again, who cares about the convoluted history of the umpteenth cloned or not cloned Beast at this point?

A perfect piece of entertainment. Tom Reilly is one of the few current artists that don't overwhelm the reader, but find the perfect balance between drawing enough details while keeping it simple and elegant.

This bears no resemblance to classic Dungeons & Dragons. The art is somewhat enjoyable, especially the coloring, but it's very saccharine and serves a questionable purpose.

It seems like Eat Your Young took its inspiration from The Old Guard and Marvel's Werewolf by Night Special, but Buccellato is more interested in the mechanics of how his immortal succession works. The resulting story, despite not being very original, is intriguing and entertaining. Mattia Monaco's cartoony drawing style is not my favorite, but it worked well enough for me to enjoy the book.

A true gem and probably a future classic.

I enjoyed this issue even more than the first one. Fleshing out the protagonist by dedicating most of this issue to a flashback is a bold but necessary move. The reader should be even more invested in Milton's fate now. I'm 100% convinced that Escape is going to be an exciting and masterfully executed series, with all the heartbreaking and satisfying payoff you can imagine.

I had phantom pains while reading this comic. Which, in this case, is a good thing. Another perfect issue.

The second of the three stories stood out to me as the most engaging and artistically interesting one, while the first one was a nice but predictable homage to Jack Kirby. Unfortunately I didn’t enjoy the third installment that much. Despite pretty art I had a hard time understanding what‘s even happening. First story: 7 Second story: 9 Third story: 5

Woke identity crap disguised as an X-Men comic. At least the art is solid.

I found this issue a bit less annoying than the previous ones. However, it's still all about preaching identity politics and how not to be a bigot. The only thing I really like about this book is Carnero's art. She deserves a better book.

This was probably the first issue in this series that resembled an actual X-Men comic. Plus: Bronze is still a horrible whiny character, but I caught myself rooting for her in this episode of Glee... sorry, issue of Exceptional X-Men.

I applaud Eve Ewing for not shying away from addressing Kitty's recent past, however, it's just not possible to justify the murders she has committed during the Fall of X storyline. Kitty, one of my favorite X-Men ever, is a ruined character, and it isn't Ewing's fault. However, the issue of Kitty's mass murder is brushed aside pretty easily, and this is a problem. The art is great as usual,and the writing feels natural, but I feel this series is written for a younger generation with different sensibilities. Gen X guys like me just don't give a shit about those teenager's issues. So the question is, who is reading this title? The younger people that the series caters to or people like me, who just want a great superhero book, but are getting a lot of slice of life and social justice crap instead?

One of the better issues in the series so far, mostly because the ideological preaching is pretty much absent. The art is great as usual.

Still can't stand these whiny teens, and don't care about Emma, serial killer Kitty or Iceman, but for some reason the story is quite interesting. I'd really love to see more super-heroics, but Carneros's art seems to be better suited for slice-of-life stories.

A promising start with a Sinister scheme that feels like I'm reading an actual x-book, turns into more slice of life bullshit about bad gender binaries, political jackets and lesbian dating. I do enjoy the soap opera aspect of the X-Men, but this is just too much. Plus, these characters are insufferable. I hate them all.

I wanted more action for this team, but I take it back. Eve Ewing can't write action scenes. This issue was boring, stupid and utterly painful to read. Usually I would take the excellent art into account, but action doesn't seem to be Carmen Carnero's forte either. I can't believe I'm saying this, but please go back to telling slice-of-life stories. They weren't the X-Men stories l wanted, but at least they worked.

The action works much better here than in last issue and Carmen Carnero's art really shines. However, the mindscape scenes are not so great. Emma's self-gratuitous monologues are so tiresome at this point and Federica Mancin's art is, well... let's just say, most of these new artists, unlike Carnero, have never learned proper anatomy. The result is an uneven book that I half enjoyed, half hated.

Art is not by Carnero by the way.

The absence of Carmen Carnero's art makes me realize that I rated some issues much higher than Eve Ewing's writing actually deserved. For better or worse, this is the last issue. I won't be back for Expatriate X-Men.

This wasn't as bad as I expected. Yes, I don't care about these characters, since most of them haven't been X-Men longer than five minutes and the rest is being introduced in this very issue - but I also felt myself drawn into the story, the art is actually not bad and in contrast to NYX and Extraordinary X-Men, there is no woke nonsense here (so far). On the other hand: who cares about this event in the first place?

You've gotta be kidding me. This is how the FF deal with Doom taking over the world? By exchanging niceties with She-Hulk and fighting bigotry against vampires - who, by the way, should be their enemies? FF #29 is not only a clumsily written superhero comic with almost no superheroing happening, it's also a misguided and inappropriate allegory that North uses to force-feed the reader his political propaganda. The funny thing is, he is actually doing the minority groups he wants us to root for a disservice by comparing them to undead bloodsucking killers. WTF.

I haven't read the FF regularly since the Claremont/Davis run in the late nineties, and the few issues I read since then have all been utter shite (including last issue). I wanted to know what happens to Ben after Doom turned him back into his human form in One World Under Doom #2 though. What can I say? It's utter shite. At this point, I think Ryan North might be the most incapable writer at Marvel. This story is so stupid, it even beats the misunderstood vampires of last issue and Johnny shagging an alien slug a few issues back. The art is not good either. Stan Lee and Jack Kirby are probably rolling over in their graves.

We've read this story a thousand times. The ending in particular. North's retarded dialogue and clumsy pacing doesn't help, and neither does the mediocre art.

Boring, strangely paced and full of bad ideas. North can't write. The art is not very attractive either.

This wasn't too bad compared to the last few issues. I mean, it still had mediocre, lifeless art, horrible dialogue and terrible writing decisions (telling the story from Herbie's point of view, then learning about his final fate off-screen). But I also felt some sense of wonder about the grandeur and strangeness of the universe. It seems that just as a broken clock is right twice a day, Ryan North is able to convey what the FF are all about in very rare occasions.

Lame story, cringe dialogue, not much happens. As if that wasn't bad enough, there's the art by Humberto Ramos that makes everyone look stupid. Even the cover sucks. Sorry, that's not the great start of a new chapter in the life of the FF that will pull in new readers.

The idea to separate the FF in their first new issue wasn't great to begin with. In this second issue we learn that it was not even meant to be a concept for a whole story arc, but just an interlude with no real obstacles at all. In fact, the solution to their dilemma was a complete disappointment - an ex machina idea that North probably thinks was really clever. That, plus lazy artwork by a big name artist who apparently doesn't think he has to work to deliver anymore, makes FF #2 an utter failure.

Well, this was better than the first two issues, which isn't much of an accomplishment. There were a few fun moments that actually felt like an FF comic. Plus, I found myself enjoying Ramos's artwork in some of the action scenes. It fails miserably whenever faces are involved though. All in all, I still think Ryan North is not good for this - or any - book. But that's the problem with all of Marvel - there are no good writers anymore.

I like the idea behind this story, but the way it is written, it just doesn't work. If the Alicia I know would find out that some unknown creature has invaded the FF`s home by posing as a harmless dog, she wouldn't wait until the existence of the alien is confirmed. She would see it as the immediate threat it is and warn the FF! I mean... if this isn't a reason to be alarmed, what is? It could be one of the FF's many enemies carrying out a nefarious plan. It could even be a planet-conquering alien species that wants to kill all of humanity - which it actually turns out to be, so WTF!!! This issue is exactly the kind of retarded nonsense I've come to expect from Ryan North. Ramos's artwork - ironically - works better with such a ridiculous premise.

Back in the 80s, this issue would have been an eight page backup story in an annual by some unknown creative team. It makes me sad that this is the quality of the main series now - produced by an established writer and a veteran artist to boot.

I have to say, I didn't hate this issue. There's some actual team fun, the pseudo science isnt completely idiotic and there's an intriguing mystery at the end. This issue would probably have worked much better as the first issue of this run, than the actual first issue. But of course there's the usual bad stuff too: the bland Humberto Ramos art, the waste of page space on trivial bullshit and the great creative license Ryan North takes with the FF's powers. All in all, FF #6 is not great, but probably as good as it gets under this creative team.

I almost liked this issue, but despite a few nice moments in the first half that felt like I'm actually reading the Fantastic Four, the train of writing derails completely towards the end of the issue. And then it just ends... somewhere. Of course, I also have to translate every panel into art that's actually good in my mind to make this even work, since it's Humberto Ramos and his fricking Picasso faces.

Everything about this issue is garbage. Garbage writing, garbage art. Worst of all, Ryan North doesn’t understand the characters he is writing - or their powers.

Ramos is not my favorite artist for the FF, but at least he knows how to draw dynamic action - and this issue has a lot of it. The story works surprisingly well too, which isn’t often the case with Ryan North. All in all, this is probably one of their better issues, which doesn’t say much, since it’s still the worst run in the history of the FF.

The guest art is so bad, it almost makes Humberto Ramos look like Leonardo DaVinci. And the story is just a big nothingburger. I won’t even mention the “indie” (actually, horribly drawn) backup story.

The art is unacceptable.

Stupid story as always, and an art style that aims for realism but actually reminds me of xeroxed photos. Usually I'm thankful for every issue not drawn by Humberto Ramos, but not in this case. This is the opposite of Ramos, but where Ramos is at least "fun", Sorrentino's pages look like all life has been sucked out of them.

An incredibly dull and lifeless retelling of the FF's first adventure. It actually feels like Buckingham had no fun at all drawing it and only did it for the money. I might be wrong, but that's how it appears to me. The fake 60s ads and articles are great, but they don't justify buying this otherwise soulless and calculated merchandise product.

A very quick read - pretty much one fight scene with lots of large panels, which is just not much for a whole book. The art looks good in some places, but is often very muddy and confusing when it comes to the storytelling aspect. This is a shame, because the actual first person writing is really great and atmospheric. Writing: 6 (would probably be 8 if there was more story) Art: 4

I read this issue because I loved the last FG series, but this one didn't look like the same quality. Well, I gave it a chance, but didn't find anything compelling or interesting in this first issue. The writing and art are solid, but nothing spectacular. I will probably not read the next one.

This should have been the first issue. Why start with Flash's rather boring imprisonment, when you can reintroduce him in media's res, fighting in an arena?

More action. I'm starting to like this book. I would love to give this a higher rating, but the art, despite being quite solid and detailed, doesn't really excite me.

I'm glad to see that the art improved slightly this issue with Tom Derenick stepping in for Will Conrad. While both are solid artists, I find Derenick's faces more expressive and his overall style more traditional, which is just a better look for a nostalgic book like Flash Gordon.

There are hints of Alan Davis and Neal Adams in Tom Derenick's work, but he doesn't come near the quality of his obvious idols (yet). Anyway, the result is solid enough to make Flash Gordon a fluid and entertaining read.

The art and story are still "just" okay, but the philosophical undertones between Zarkov and his robot copy make this issue stand out a bit more.

After giving up this book a few months ago due to its lackluster art, something about Manuel Garcia‘s style intrigued me, so I thought I’d give it another chance. There is a promise of something great in his art, but it still feels rough and unfinished in many places. The story didn’t exactly blow my mind, but is interesting enough to read the next issue.

Feels more like a Star Trek episode than a Flash Gordon story, but I kinda like it.

A very talky issue. Plus, I’m still not convinced this is a Flash Gordon story.

Good story and amazing art! I just wish it was a standalone series and not part of another shared universe.

Another great issue. Unlike the other G.I. Joe title, this one makes me care about the characters. In this case, I'm really worried about my favorite, Clutch. I hope he makes it out of the enemy's lair. The only issue I'm having with this series is the coloring. While I generally like a reduced moody color palette, it does look a bit lazy and uninspired in some places. Anyway, the perfect comic book art doesn't exist (well, maybe in Geiger...), and I'm really loving this series so far!

Great showdown and payoff. Plus, Clutch gets his moment to shine. This book is phenomenal!

Perfect dramaturgy. I'm not too excited about the coming crossover with the Transformers, as I'm not interested in that franchise at all, but the way they are introduced here is graphic genius.

Stylistically, Andrea Milana is a fitting fill-in for Tom Reilly, but in regard to quality, the absence of the latter does make a difference. This run of G.I. Joe was brilliant so far - this issue is "just" good.

Andrea Milana is doing a good job mimicking Tom Reilly's style, but his close-ups are often quite rough and sketchy. There's some Manga influence especially with the women's faces, which I'm not particularly fond of. Anyway, all in all, it's a good issue. I enjoyed the Paris scene very much. It's the calmer scenes and character work that distinguishes this G.I. Joe title from Larry Hama's version, which is all action and no character development.

Solid issue. I want Tom Reilly back though.

Good issue. Andrea Milana's art has improved a lot. I still don't like the faces, but overall it's much more consistent and dynamic.

The weakest issue so far, especially when it comes to the art.

Tom Reilly is back, which means I have no complaints with the art. A lot is happening in this issue, and while I appreciate more content in times of decompressed storytelling, it feels that things are moving a little too fast. I think it would have benefitted the story if Williamson had given the reader some more time to digest the surprising twists and turns of this first part of Dreadnok War.

Tom Reilly is in his element. I think he drew some of his best pages for this issue. A jaw-droppingly perfect action comic!

I know I criticised Jordie Bellaire's monochromatic coloring in the past, but in this issue it works perfectly, summoning up a fever dream reminiscent of a 1980s post-apocalyptic action movie. It's gritty and glowing in the most fucked-up way possible. Love it!

For some reason the action didn't flow smoothly in this issue, but I still enjoyed it.

A fun little interlude. Marco Fodera does a good job filling in for Tom Reilly.

Despite not reaching the quality of Tom Reilly’s artwork, Andrea Milana is doing pretty well. There’s some disconnect between facial expressions and the dialogue here and there, but overall, G.I. Joe 19 is a solid issue.

Good fun issue. I even enjoyed the Transformers in this one. Milana is delivering some dynamic action, and his faces are getting better. Still not a fan of how he’s drawing my guy Clutch though, but that’s just some minor criticism (and a very subjective one).

An almost silent issue. I'm not a fan of those, but at least it's drawn by Tom Reilly. His storytelling ability is undeniable and sets this issue apart from most other stories of its kind.

I don’t know if Andrea Milana has officially become a second regular artist on this book, but if his art continues to improve as much as in his last few issues, I’m fine with that. This one has some really great action layouts that he probably wouldn’t have been able to pull off just a few months ago. If you want to see a future great artist in the making, read G.I. Joe!

As much as I enjoyed the art, this issue was kind of boring and confusing to me.

This storyline started promising, but somehow went into filler territory.

This issue wasn't a hit for me, maybe because I couldn't care less about Baroness. However, I also wasn't too thrilled about the art. I usually love Tom Reilly's art, but for some reason, it didn't look as good as usual. On the positive side, the transition between Reilly and Milana is seamless at this point. Ultimately, this is a solid issue, but somewhat underwhelming for a landmark issue.

For some reason, this one had everything I wanted to see in last month‘s anniversary issue, but didn’t.

Better than the previous Silent Mission. At least this one makes the most of the experimental angle. The Miller-esque illustrations work, even if they are not as ground-shaking anymore in this day and age.

This is the first silent mission I thoroughly enjoyed. Excellent artwork.

As a newcomer to the G.I. Joe franchise, I'm not quite sure how this series connects with the other current G.I. Joe title - I think they are just two different versions? I'm not quite sure if this is a good approach - personally, I find it confusing. Anyway, I read this book because I really love the Energon version. This one looks completely different. Mooneyham's artwork reminds me of the late eighties/early nineties, with hints of Jim Lee and Andy Kubert. it's not my favorite style, especially compared to Tom Reilly's, but it's solid and very dynamic, and it made me feel a bit nostalgic, especially paired with Larry Hama's writing. Although the story being hard to follow at times and the characters coming off as less human and more pinup-y than in the Energon title, there was enough good stuff in this action-packed issue to make me want to come back for the next.

After last issue, which was pretty good, this one was quite disappointing. The tonal shifts are weird, and there really isn't much of a story, just the repercussions of last issue. The art, however, is great.

Better than last issue, but I really don't like the way the issues just end at some random point in the story. Maybe it's a stylistic choice, but I prefer single issues to have a dramatic arc, ending in a cliffhanger of some sort.

Pretty enjoyable, but five issues in, I need more characterization, group dynamics, subplots and most of all, a character I can identify with. Maybe this is not that title.

Solid script, solid art. Pelletier's style is more accessible than Mooneyham's, but also less exciting. The story seems to be going nowhere though.

Solid, but the art looks a bit rushed, especially in the action scenes.

I'm starting to realize this is just some nostalgic 90s trash without an outstanding artist.

This series is always better when Hama injects some humanity into all the action.

Thank God, Mooneyham's back.

More of the same, but this issue has some stunning visuals.

A fast-paced stand-alone issue with a predictable twist. The guest art by Andrew Krahnke reminds me of both Carmine Infantino and Jim Cheung, but doesn't reach those artists' quality. Definitely one of the better filler issues I read in the last months.

I often find that this series lacks atmosphere and personality, but this issue has both. Who wants non-stop action all the time? This is probably my favorite issue of the series so far.

Generally, it's Chris Mooneyham's art that keeps me interested in G.I. Joe: ARAH, and I skip the issues when he's absent from the book. This one is an exception, because I heard so much good stuff about it. Well... I don't quite see it. It's not a bad issue, but there's nothing remarkable about it either. The art works, if you don't pay too much attention to anatomy and faces.

This one looked quite interesting, but for some reason it left me completely cold and disengaged. The artist seems to want to emulate Moebius, but it's very difficult to convey emotion in a ligne claire style, because it just looks so static and undynamic, even when the poses aren't. Unfortunately this is the case here. It just looks bland and hollow, which is anathema to the story and personality of the protagonist. I can see the work that went into this comic, but unfortunately it doesn't work for me.

The cover gave me the impression that Simone Di Meo would continue his excellent work from X-Men of Apocalypse into this series. Unfortunately, that’s not the case. The interior art is quite poor and a dealbreaker for me.

Another unnecessary tale from a long gone x-era, once again routinely written by the old master, Chris Claremont, and horribly drawn by, well… someone. What all those series have in common is, that there are basically no stakes - we know where the characters will end up - and that they never reach the high quality of the original books of the era they are set in. Gambit: Wanted is badly executed, boring and completely forgettable, but I hope it helps Mr. Claremont supplement his retirement.

I finally decided to read Geiger and I didn't regret it. A comic needs great art and writing to captivate me, and this one has both. I didn't expect the story to be so emotional though. It's not ever day I come across a comic that makes me immediately care about what happens to the protagonist.

This series was a perfectly spun tale from start to finish.

I cannot recommend Geiger enough. Every issue just works perfectly and adds to the greater story. I haven't been this excited about a comic in years.

I'd give a 12 if I could.

This comic is so well written and drawn, I even care about the dog.

Paul Pelletier is a good artist, but he has the hard job of filling in for the excellent Gary Frank, which unfortunately makes the difference between a good and a great comic.

Geiger continues the downhill trend, and it's not actually the artist's fault, but the fact that Geoff Johns focuses a bit too much on Geiger's affection for books. What started as an interesting character trait that showed Geiger's humanity and idealism is now becoming the main plot, and it comes across as preachy.

Gary Frank is back and the story is back on track as well. I'm still not sure why we have a Zebra sidekick in this book, but I'm confident that Johns is going somewhere with this.

I'm having some minor issues with this issue. Tariq's hostile reaction to Ash Arden feels like coming out of nowhere. Plus, I've had difficulties making sense of the Junkyard Joe scene. It looked like a flashback to me because of the people and the car. At the end, it became clear that the scene took place in Arden's camp in the present, but since there was no visual reference before (except for the dog, which I didn't notice), I mistook it as some street in the past before the war. Gary Frank could have avoided this confusion by showing us the inside of the camp. Then, there's the Zebra still. Anyway, those are minor things, and since the book is generally beyond 10 when Frank draws it, I still give it a 10.

Ashley Arden's change of mind was a bit too sudden, considering she had worked on her batshit crazy plan for such a long time. Anyway, Tariq returning to the children he rescued made up for it. Art is perfect as usual.

There have been guest artists on the book before, and while I'm aware that there are very few people who can do what Gary Frank does, I expect a certain quality and realism with Geiger. Unfortunately, Eamon Winkle's art is not on that level. Plus, his somewhat cartoony facial expressions look completely out of place in a serious and emotional story like Geiger 16. This issue clearly shows that the art is the most important part of a comic. Without a good artist that also fits the tone of the book, even the best story can fall completely flat.

Not a lot is happening this issue, plus, the art by Pansica and Rapmund is just okay. Gary Frank is back for an epilogue, but I'm not quite sure what this ending is supposed to be. The stupid zebra is... smoking? All in all, an average, uneven and kinda weird issue.

As soon as Gary Frank takes over and Geiger lights up at the end of the issue, the art does as well.

This issue proves that the artist makes all the difference between a readable comic book and an outstanding comic book. I understand that Gary Frank needs a break once in a while, but I'd prefer if the book went on a hiatus with him instead of continuing with disappointing guest art. Anyway, welcome back, Mr. Frank!

What Johns and Frank are doing here almost exceeds the possibilities of a comic book. Pure magic!

Great issue, although the message is being hammered home a little too strongly. We get it, it's about family, Mr. Johns, you don't have to say it five times on one page.

I think I haven’t read a comic this bad in years. It’s actually not even a comic, it’s what Jody Houser, who I’ve never heard of but who I suspect is not a comic book writer but some activist blogger, thinks a comic is. The plot, if you can call it that, is utterly confusing. The reader doesn’t get any sense of why things are happening or even where they are happening. The dialogue is clumsy and disjointed, like a first draft. Plus, for a first issue, this comic doesn’t even attempt to give the reader an introduction to the characters, except some very vague hints through the art. Speaking of the art, it’s clearly geared towards a Manga-reading female audience, so if that’s your kind of thing, you might at least enjoy the pretty pictures.

I thoroughly enjoyed this first issue of Ghost Pepper. I'm not usually a fan of Manga-inspired comics, but Lullabi's extremely dynamic and stylized art works for me - maybe with the exception of the female main character, who seems a bit bland and one-dimensional (I'm sure this will change in future issues - I will probably love her in a few months). All the other characters, creatures and machines look amazing and there's some strong worldbuilding going on. The dialogue is surprisingly good, hinting at interesting developments in the future. I also want to mention the subtle but unusual reduced color palette, that gives this world a very unique atmosphere. Of course Ghost Pepper owes a lot to Battle Chasers, which Lullabi illustrated before, but its world already looks more intriguing and unusual than that of Joe Madureira's creation. If you're into science fantasy worlds with lots of quirky action, you should give Ghost Pepper a chance!

I love all the world building, mystery and weirdness of Ghost Pepper. However, three issues in, I'd expect some more clarity and direction.

I loved the humor in this issue. Ghost Pepper may not be a masterpiece, but it is a damn good comic.

I really like this book, but I think this issue wasn't the most exciting one.

Good issue, but Adriano Lucas's colours looked a little underwhelming this time - so much so, that I first thought they were done by somebody else.

Even after twelve issues, I have no fricking clue what this story is about, but for some reason, I don’t care. The art and world building are just amazing.

Lullabi goes for excessive dynamism and action, but on half the pages I have no idea what is even happening.

Adam Kubert and Sara Pichelli make Giant-Size X-Men 1 look good, but make no mistake: this issue continues the ongoing desecration of the corpse that once was one of the most beloved, inspiring and exciting comic franchises of our times. In part 1 we learn why Kamala Khan - a character nobody asked to be turned into a mutant in the first place - is the best, most intelligent and most important mutant of them all. In part 2 we learn that Prof. Xavier, a white cis male, has always been scum - by adding a new character and origin to the story of the original Giant-Size X-Men. I doubt that any of this is what X-Men fans wanted. The fact that Marvel is going for that crap is interesting though. I can't help but wonder what they are trying to achieve with all these retcons and subversions. Do they want to change X-Men continuity for good by inserting Ms.Marvel into everything? Or is this just a self-contained story and everything will be as it always was after it's wrapped up? In which case I'd ask myself why I should care about these one-shots at all? Whether it's one or the other, Giant-Size X-Men 1 (2025) is disrespectful to the original and tries to further shove a character down our throat that has failed to stand on her own and that for some reason has now become the vehicle for Marvel's political agenda. And this, perhaps, is the answer to the mystery why we get comics like "Giant-Turd X-Men".

The desecration continues. Who at Marvel thought this was a great idea?

Utter crap. The only reason it's not a 1 is Simone Di Meo's art for the 4-page backup story.

This issue looks like JRJR drew it on toilet paper in one afternoon.

This is great, super-detailed old-school comic book art. The story isn't bad either.

This issue could have been fun with Pasarin's art, but unfortunately we are stuck with pretty average guest art that I can only describe as a cross between Manga and bad 90s comics. I'm sure it works for some, but for me it makes the whole story fall flat.

Woke sexualized and fetishized p@do indoctrination nobody asked for.

This was a fun, refreshing read. Definitely something different.

Hyde Street reads like an old spooky comic you're sure you read as a kid but you just can't put your finger on it. Maybe it didn't exist at all. I really like the deep concepts and storytelling the reader is introduced to in this first issue. The art is pretty good, conveying a creepy blend of horror and comedy. The opening scene was a bit too extreme for my taste though - sometimes less is more. Anyway, I'm hooked.

Excellent storytelling. Hyde Street is a true gem among the bland sameness of modern comics.

This issue didn't work as well as the previous two in my opinion. There were panels in which I didn't quite know what's happening, and the ending wasn't a satisfying conclusion to this Christmas-themed story. Having said that, the book was still a joy to read and I'm so intrigued by the concept of Hyde Street. I really have no idea where this series is heading and that's a good thing.

This is my favorite issue of Hyde Street so far. While the protagonists in previous issues were pretty much horrible human beings before meeting their fate on Hyde Street, Oscar Oddman, the Matinee Monster, is relatable from the start, which makes his inevitable demise even more tragic.

The story of Miss Goodbody, while still checking most of the boxes for a creepy little cautionary tale, isn't quite as interesting as the origins told previous issues. The clean art perfectly encapsulates the mid-eighties fitness club setting, but ultimately doesn't convey as much horror and emotion as regular penciler Ivan Reis is capable of. One problem with Johns's writing is that the issues sometimes just end just somewhere, without a satisfying conclusion to the chapter. It feels as if there are pages missing. That's certainly the case here.

Hyde Street 6 is a fascinating piece of satirical horror, intelligently written and well drawn, but yet again, the issue just ends somewhere, without a satisfying conclusion or even some sort of cliffhanger.

Things are coming together in Hyde Street, in terms of the story as well as this amazing creative team. Hyde Street #8 is sheer perfection!

Another masterfully written story. It's hard to criticize Francis Portela's art, as it is absolutely perfect, but I think it might be a little too pretty and clean for Hyde Street. I can't help but wonder what the issue would have looked like illustrated by regular artist Ivan Reis.

Although I miss Ivan Reis’s art, Portela‘s clean and elegant lines are perfect for the tale of the Sisters Hood and 1920s it is set in. As always, the story ends too quickly and I feel there‘s something missing that would make it perfect. But maybe that’s what draws me back to Hyde Street each new issue.

I’m glad Ivan Reis is back. Hyde Street was excellent since its beginning, but I feel that it’s really gaining momentum now.

Intriguing and excellently drawn by Ivan Reis as usual, but once again, the issue just ends... somewhere. If Johns could just fix the pacing issues, Hyde Street would be the perfect comic.

I'm gay but even I hate this.

I'm not a huge fan of Marvel's cosmic books. They usually consist of brightly colored weirdos floating in space, talking. So why am I reading this? I guessI I wanted to know what happens to Professor X, but he's not even in this issue. Hickman, as usual, is doing a good job. The art is technically good too, but not my cup of tea. I would have preferred a more realistic, less funny style for this book. It would have served the darker moments in the story much better. As a result, Imperial 1 is a mixed bag for me - well written, mildly entertaining, but drawn in an art style that I don't really like.

Imperial 2 is not exactly mind-blowing, but I did enjoy this issue more than the first one, mostly because of the space action.

Interesting new developments. It's starting to feel like a Hickman book.

What? This was it? I wonder if it was always planned as a four-issue series, or if they shortened it because Hickman lost interest in a project again. However, this was bullshit.

I read the latest issue and really enjoyed it, so I thought, why not go back and read the whole run? After all, decent Marvel comics are hard to find these days. I wasn't disappointed by this issue. Overall, the story shows some promise and the art fits the horror approach quite nicely, although it's not exactly my cup of tea. It's not the sensational first issue I expected, but enough to keep me reading.

I'm not a huge Hulk fan, but the excellent cover and interior art made me want to give it a try. It's really hard to find great art in Marvel comics these days, but Kev Walker's Hulk looks awesome, especially his facial expressions. Now, when I got to actually reading the issue, I noticed that the artwork does have some aspects I find less ideal. The human figures are very cartoony and abstract, up to a point where I wasn't sure what age the kid the Hulk encounters is supposed to be. His proportions make him look older than his speech pattern does, and this irritation is a problem, because the character is so central to the story. Ultimately, the issue presents an incredibly effective and well executed tale in the tradition of old horror comics. It's also a devastatingly bleak and cynical story, but sometimes life's like that.

Infernal Hulk #1 looked like a great opportunity to jump back on the Hulk bandwagon, but the mindless violence was a no-go for me. Don't get me wrong, as a horror fan I do enjoy blood and guts, but I hate it when the gore is portrayed as comedic, which is the case here. I would usually attribute it to an incapable artist, but Nic Klein knows exactly what he's doing. What makes this issue even more of a disappointment, is that it pretty much continues a story from the last volume without any chance for a new reader to understand what's going on. Also, the issue is pretty light on story. All in all, Infernal Hulk #1 was a lot of things - but good it wasn't.

Nic Klein's art is good, but Kev Walker's pages are indeed a "Debbie Downer". This is the second issue, and there's guest art already? Plus, guest art that looks totally different from the main artist's style? This is such a pet peeve of mine. Then there's the story... or the lack thereof. As good as it looks watching the Hulk tear through the intestines of the sea monster, it also takes up too much page space that could have been used for more story. The result is an issue that feels quite unsatisfying.

Considering I know almost nothing about this team, it was a fun read. Was it as exciting as the debut issue of a brand new team should be? No, but I think the book has potential. My greatest criticism, as usual with current Marvel titles, is the mediocre art.

I really enjoyed the first half of the issue. The story was much more interesting than #1 and Coleman's art has improved a lot. But then there's the second half... something changes and it takes all the suspense out of the story. Plus, the guest art is not very good, which makes this issue a very mixed bag.

How to ruin a superhero book in three issues: Switch to an alternate timeline in issue 2. Make it all about non-costumed people talking. Replace the average artist with a really bad one. It's almost as if Marvel wants this to be as bad as possible.

The art looks surprisingly solid. Not great, but solid, which is something I can't say about many Marvel books these days. However... Hellverine!?! Seriously? Even the name is cringe. The whole team roster looks odd, with just two other male characters besides Cable and Boom Boom as a token woman. WTF. Anyway, I was willing to give X-Force a chance and... I didn't expect it to be that badly written. For half the book, the reader doesn't actually know what Cable's plan is, and then it turns out to be protecting Kamala Khan of all people? There are some nostalgic references to the classic X-Force, but ultimately, this book is just a shadow of all its former incarnations and just another opportunity for Marvel to push the impeccable Kamala Khan.

The mystery around the assassination of the future president would be intriguing, if it weren't for Kamala Khan. Marvel is pushing this character so hard, it's just mind-boggling. The last thing any X-Force fan wanted (or expected) on the team was Ms. Marvel, so why is this even happening? But this isn't the only problem with Inglorious X-Force. The story feels so disjointed - either I'm missing something or there's really no reason for Cable and company to go after W.A.N.D. or do any of the stuff they're doing. I'd expect a well written book to be clearer on why the team is going on these missions. Another thing that is missing is some introduction to the characters, in case the reader is not familiar with them. I haven't read Hellverine (and I'm not planning to), but I'd love to know why Daken is suddenly some sort of Spirit of Vengeance. On the positive side, the art is not bad and even shines in some of the action moments. Despite its shortcomings, Inglorious X-Force - of all the current X-books - is the one that reminds me the most of the classic X-books.

I like absurd comedic superhero stories when handled by the right creative team. Unfortunately, Seeley and Sta. Maria aren't Claremont and Davis. Also: WTF is even happening?

Whether it’s the fact that things are finally coming together or the change of artist, this is the best issue of Inglorious X-Force so far. It reminded me of reading X-Force in the 90s, in the best way possible. While the art by Michael Sta. Maria in previous issues was solid, it was also kind of boring. Philip Tan, in comparison, is a breath of fresh air. While I usually don’t like manga-inspired art in superhero books, his style looks really dynamic and fantastic, sometimes reminiscent of early Greg Capullo. Sure, there’s a wonky face here and there, but overall, it’s engaging and interesting. I’ve had a lot of fun with IXF #4.

There‘s something about Inglorious X-Force that feels like an X-title from the good old days, but in the end, neither the art nor the writing are good enough to make the title stand out.

Cable and his team are after a mutant influencer named Kali for saying bad things on the internet. Yet we never learn what exactly she is saying. I went back to read the first pages again, but seriously… at no point in the book do we learn what is so harmful about Kali‘s message, which begs an important question: when did comic writers become so inept at writing comics? The art and character dynamics are good enough to keep me interested, but the main plot - just as in past issues - is making me scratch my head.

A tedious read with lots of boring dialogue. At least we get to see some creative use of Domino‘s powers. Plus, Cyclops and Quentin Quire are better written than in their own book.

Average in every aspect. I found myself skipping much of the dialogue, because there was nothing holding my attention.

The more I read of this X-Force run, the more I think it’s a great idea to shoot Kamala Khan.

I have never read an issue of Invincible, but the preview of Battle Beast looked interesting enough to give it a chance. I expected something like Tellos or Masters of the Universe with more depth. I was obviously misled by the preview pages showing BB walk across an alien landscape to confront a mysterious head inserted into a wall. Unfortunately, the actual comic is not mysterious at all, but pretty straight forward, pubescent splatter comedy. As such, it works quite well. Personally I'm too old to see the fun in flying entrails and alien body fluids when there isn't anything more to it, but I'm sure Battle Beast will find its fans.

Maybe I've judged this series too harshly. This second issue continues BB's existential crisis and makes me hope that there will be a clever twist to all the fun and gore at the end. In the meantime, I'm just enjoying the great art and the fact that this comic is taking me back to a feeling I haven't had since reading Heavy Metal and Epic back in the 80s.

This book is more fun than I'd like to admit. In fact, it's probably genius behind all the stupidity and senseless gore. The art is getting better with each issue too.

Stupid and fun. As usual.

The usual fun schlock, but the story of Prince Salaka and his medieval-ish people is starting to bore me. I want more space action.

Disgusting. Fun. Short.

Let's be honest, Joshua Williamson is probably on board because he is paid relatively well for his name, which is hot right now. His script for this issue, however, isn't on the same level of quality as his G.I. Joe work. The artist, Carmen Carnero is doing solid work, but her stuff on Exceptional X-Men, as bad as that book was, looked better. All in all, Iron Man #1 is a mildly entertaining middle-of-the-road superhero comic, but it's neither revolutionary nor good enough to make me interested in #2.

The new Iron Man series continues to be underwhelming, despite solid art and some interesting story ideas. I don’t know what it is, but it just doesn’t feel exciting or important - and it should, considering the fact that Iron Man is one of Marvel's central heroes.

Maybe this comic is perfectly fine, and the only reason I’m not that excited about it is because I’m an old fart who misses the way comics used to feel and look back in the 80s. Or maybe it’s objectively mediocre. I can’t tell the difference anymore.

Not bad, not great. This title needs something to make it stand out.

The art has its moments, but the story - although based on an interesting idea - doesn’t really work.

Not just an origin story, but a tale about the cruelties of war and the human condition. Gary Frank's art is perfect as usual. Loved it!

Actually it's a 15 out of 10.

I don't mind more diverse heroes, or even derivative ones like Kid Juggernaut, if they are well written and drawn. Not everything has to be innovative if it's entertaining and well executed. However, this book has some of the most clumsy writing and amateurish art I have ever seen. Marvel will not gain any new readers if they continue producing crap like this.

I'd respect this if it were fan art, but it isn't.

Trash. Nuff said.

No.

There’s no doubt that this is the Gen Z version of the Legion of Superheroes. Everything looks very soft and light and kinda weird. The boys are very feminine, and the girl is athletic and bossy. I’m pretty sure that somebody will turn out to be trans or non-binary very soon. While I’m not a fan of Sherman‘s faces - they all look kinda bland - I do like his imaginative layouts. There’s definitely a Moebius influence, although he doesn’t quite capture the realness of the French master. All in all, I can appreciate all the creativity that went into this reinvention of the Legion. Is it for me though? No. I prefer more traditional superhero books with a more masculine art style.

Yarsky's artwork is fresh and quite appealing, but also a bit stiff, which unfortunately keeps the story from really flowing. Jerome is definitely an interesting protagonist, both visually and as a character. I'm not sure if I'll be back for issue 2, but something about this book does intrigue me.

Nobody needed this, and it's not even drawn well.

You had one job, Marvel: put an artist on this book that knows how to draw children.

The original Longshot was fresh and innovative. It had great writing and art by Ann Nocenti and Arthur Adams. This ripoff has none of that.

Fables, but with monsters instead of fairy tale characters. I have read worse. While the art isn't exactly mind-blowing, it's solid enough to not get in the way of enjoying this clichéd but atmospheric story.

I'm really enjoying this story. The art is good enough but not great, which is the only reason this is not a ten for me.

Love the story. The art is nothing special, but doesn't stand in the way either.

Lost Fantasy 1 presents an interesting mystery, impressive worldbuilding that never feels convoluted, and an incredibly effective cliffhanger. The art is loose and sketchy, but works quite well overall. The one issue I have is with the protagonist. He is obviously inspired by Manga characters, but his appearance leans too much to the feminine side - so much so that I initially didn't read the character as an androgynous man but as a woman. For many readers, that won't be an issue at all, but for me it was off-putting. It's just not the type of protagonist I'm interested in.

Horrible art.

A decent Magik story. The family of magic practitioners introduced in this issue was the most interesting part for me. Just for the record: I hate Magik's look, both the costume and the surfboard-sized sword. I hope the different outfits on upcoming covers mean that a costume change is in store for Ilyana.

Nothing's wrong with this book, but I'm not excited about it either.

The showdown with Liminal felt anticlimactic and rushed.

Resurrecting Madelyne Pryor was one of Marvel's worst decisions of the last few decades. It completely eradicated the impact of Inferno and gave us a Goblin Queen without sense or purpose. For this reason alone, the story doesn't work. And then there's the art, which is not the worst I've ever seen, but also not great.

Nick Bradshaw"s art is always fun to look at. However, the frame story is too thin and illogical in the end. By the way, I can't remember the old swimsuit specials even having a story. Weren't they simply collections of pinups? That would probably have worked better. Speaking of the pinups, if you produced a swimsuit issue, wouldn't you want to involve mostly artists that produce sensual, fun, anatomically pleasing art? Some of them like Adam Hughes fit this profile, but there are some real stinkers here too - barely capable of drawing a human body or composing a fun beach scene. It could have been fun, but it turned out to be a nothingburger.

It doesn’t get any better than J. Scott Campbell’s cover – there’s no point in even looking inside, unless you want to torture yourself. There are exactly zero artists on this book that are capable of drawing sensual, sexy bodies, much less correct anatomy. Phil Noto at least provides some solid pages, but his figures, as much as I usually like them, possess the sexiness of Anne of Green Gables. It's like Marvel wanted to put out a swimsuit issue for people who hate swimsuit issues. They even do stupid stories in swimsuit issues instead of the sexist, body shaming filth my generation used to enjoy. Unfortunately the woke crowd Marvel is catering to doesn't buy as many comics as Marvel wants them to. So, please, don't waste your money on this one, kids - unless you are more into "inner qualities" than hot bodies. If you want to (censored) by looking at hot superheroes and superheroines, get a few old Excalibur issues by Alan Davis or John Byrne's She-Hulk run instead.

Straczynski turned this somewhat ridiculous concept into a great little cautionary tale, that works quite well because it makes you think (without being preachy like most Marvel comics these days). On the downside, there's a lot of talk (even for a fan of old comics like me), and Casagrande's art isn't quite as perfect as that Gary Frank cover. It's still good, but probably not the best choice for a testosterone-filled action story.

Being a gay man, this should speak to me. It doesn't, because it looks like crap and reeks of indoctrination. Really, I'm expected to buy this poorly assembled bullshit just because I'm homosexual? It may come as a surprise to you, Marvel, but your actual gay and lesbian readers, like any other reader, just want to read a great comic, but you're not giving us great comics anymore.

Marvel's "hottest artists" have all skipped anatomy class. Every single pin-up looks like crap.

After reading the horrible Midnight Spider-Man, Midnight Fantastic Four was a sight for sore eyes. I remember seeing Kev Walker’s art before and not liking it very much, but I really love what he’s doing on this book. His figures can look stiff sometimes, but he’s making up for it with great, precise inks, lively facial expressions, atmospheric settings and some truly terrifying horror visuals. I also like the redesign of Reed. Both his look and the way he is introduced in the story make him an immediately likable character. On the downside, there could have been more story. All we’re getting is pretty much the introduction of the main characters and a tease of what’s to come. All in all, Midnight Fantastic Four is a positive surprise. I‘ll definitely be back for issue 2.

It was a bold move for Marvel to put a Manga artist on this book, one that is drawing in a very sketchy, loose style to boot. Unfortunately, the result doesn’t work at all. Whenever there’s a hint of horror, the cutesy anime eyes take me out of it. The pale coloring, another bold but bad decision, makes the line art, if one could call it that, look even more unfinished. Marvel probably aimed for a unique, atmospheric look here, but it just flooks flat and lazy. I also wasn’t blown away by what little story there is. As a matter of fact, I felt nothing while reading it, probably because of the art. All in all, Midnight Spider-Man #1 is a huge disappointment. It’s a shame, because the concept is great and probably could have worked quite well with a different artist. I give Marvel credit for trying to create something that’s different, but the result is a misstep that could have been avoided easily.

I expected the worst from Midnight X-Men, but it turned out to be the one of the three Midnight #1s I enjoyed the most. Storywise, we're already knee deep into the intrigue and mystery. Surprisingly, it all feels quite character-driven, which doesn't happen often in a Hickman book. The art is very realistic and fits the vibe of a horror soap opera. My only complaint is the one I have about the Midnight books in general: why another universe? Why not try to make the original X-Men, FF, and Spider-Man great again, since all of them currently suck. Seriously, this book may be perfectly written and drawn, but in the end it's just a "what if" story. So, I will definitely read the next few issues, because the story looks interesting enough, but I will never care about Vampire Queen Storm or Bishop Wagner like I do about the Ororo Munroe and Kurt Wagner of the 616 Marvel universe.

Incredibly dull writing and art. Dani deserves better.

Marvel generally hides badly drawn books behind a great cover, but in this case the opposite is true. I almost didn't want to read this book because of its crap cover, but I saw some of the interior art, which is much better. In the end, the book couldn't quite deliver what I expected from this first impression. The story is a bit too simple, some of the characters are not my cup of tea and even the art couldn't hold its quality over the course of the whole book (I'm not sure what each of the two artists is doing, but I suspect I like one more than the other). I also noticed that this doesn't feel like a first issue. The characters apparently know each other from Spider-Woman, but I haven't heard of any of them and expected a proper origin story, but that's not happening here. Anyway, if you're looking for a fresh fun book, give New Champions a chance. There's a lot of potential.

This book already has too many characters, and although the character interaction is somewhat fun and charming, this is probably not enough to keep me interested. The art has gotten worse from last issue, so I guess the artist I liked in the first issue was Ig Guara, not Ivan Fiorelli.

Stupid story, Manga-inspired art, saccharine characters and dialogue. I think even kids and teenagers don't want to read this book. I'm out.

The art by Alvaro Lopez looks amazing, but it's Jed MacKay on writing, which usually means bad dialogue, illogical plot points and pacing issues. Nova: Centurion probably has all three, but the story is so boring and unengaging, I stopped paying attention to whatever cosmic shenanigans are happening and just enjoyed the art. It's really a shame, since Lopez invokes some classic superhero goodness that I haven't seen in a while. Nova probably never looked better, but looks alone don't make a compelling comic.

Alvaro Lopez saved #1 from being a complete bore. Unfortunately, his art for #2 isn't on the same level. Or maybe it's just Nova losing that awesome beard - a grave mistake, if you ask me. Anyway, it's becoming very apparent that this is a Jed McKay book, who I think is Marvel's second worst writer after Ryan North. If the art can't keep up the level of quality it set with #1, I'm out. Art: 6 Writing: 4

NYX is just as preachy as Exceptional X-Men, but where that book is dull and depressing, this one at least has some fun and excitement.

This whole book is ideological indoctrination. The art is decent, but completely wasted on this woke nonsense. Can we please get back to superheroing?

Unreadable garbage. I tried reading it, but the art doesn't let me.

I'm reading NYX mostly to spot the woke indoctrination, since that's the only consistent aspect of this mess of a comic. This time the ideological nonsense is in the background, as two battles take the center stage, both of them not making much sense. Having Prodigy and Sync fight over the leadership of the group (what group?) seemed completely forced and made me realize that both men are pretty much the same throwaway character. Ms. Marvel (who shouldn't even be in a mutant book) vs. her cousin makes even less sense. He doesn't realize it's her because she's wearing a ‚¬%&£ mask? Come on... it's 2025! In the end, both fights are resolved too quickly, and in Prodigy and Sync's case, just as unnaturally as it started. I'm writing too much about this crappy book. It's crap. Don't buy it.

Decent book, but not very accessible to readers like me who haven't followed Laura Kinney and Hellion over the years.

The setup of this issue is puzzling, to say the least. When we last saw Prof. X, all he wanted to do was help his daughter. Now suddenly he is after the last Krakoan seed, which makes the inclusion of NYX in this crossover feel forced and unnatural. I also wondered if I had missed an issue of X-Manhunt. Of course Kelly and Lanzing need to insert their usual moral lecturing into the plot. There's no question that Xavier is the most despicable mutant alive, and they tell you so in each and every scene. Unfortunately the art is quite good, so I can't give this issue the rating the story deserves. Writing: 2 Art: 8

This wasn't a bad conclusion to NYX. I quite liked the art, and even the writing had a few good moments. I won't miss the woke propaganda though. Or Kamala Khan, who still doesn't work for me as a mutant.

One World under Trump... sorry, Doom. But seriously, aside from being an obvious and biased metaphor for the political situation in the US, I have seen worse books. It's not Ryan North's fault that he has to work with the current lifeless and boring Avengers roster, but he makes the most of it. It's funny though to see Storm relegated to a bystander, considering she just had dinner with Doom and also should have a lot more to say about the situation in her role as a former queen and regent of Arrako.

It's pretty obvious what all of this will come down to: convince the world population that Doom was a villain all along despite doing good (that, of course, will turn out to be just a clever scheme.) Sounds familiar? Yes, the Trump allegories couldn't be more obvious, although in some cases Doom is doing the exact opposite of Trump. The problem: the heroes look like presumptuous bigots, who just assume that Doom is the villain, solely based on their past encounters with him, despite the fact that he is doing nothing evil at all so far. Now, there's some discussion about beating him politically, but then they default to wrecking his home anyway, which makes them look like bullies and complete idiots. I appreciate Ryan North's attempt at making One World Under Doom more philosophically complex than most superhero stories, but it looks like he bit off more than he can chew. The R.B. Silva art is great, although his technical perfection makes the book look somewhat cold and anonymous at times.

I just can't anymore with this book. The Avengers are stupid and condescending AF. The art is technically perfect but soulless. Is it okay if I'm rooting for Doom? I want him to unalive them all, even Storm. This event feels meaningless.

This promises to be an interesting little tale. The combination of post-apocalyptic warriors and weird robots works quite well, although I think Stenbeck's drawing style looks better with the weird techno stuff than the human anatomy and faces. I also could have done without the extreme violence and cannibalism.Although I enjoy horror and violence in comic books and movies, this was a bit much.

A Phoenix solo book has the potential to push the envelope and go beyond even the most philosophical and esoteric stories Marvel has ever told. Unfortunately, Stephanie Phillips plays it pretty safe, spinning a tale that could also appear in the pages of Guardians of the Galaxy or a Starjammers limited series. The art by Alessandro Miracolo is just as average. It tells the story and makes for some cool special effects, but it's also anatomically awful and not very flattering to the female form - which makes me appreciate Lucas Werneck on Storm much more. This is not what a Phoenix book should look like.

How did both the writing and the art get even worse?

After almost a year I thought I'd give this book another try. It hasn't improved one bit. Stephanie Phillips is a terrible writer and the art, although less abstract than in earlier issues - looks "cute" in the worst way imaginable. It's almost as if they reimagined the Phoenix Saga as a "magical girl" book. Horrible.

It's interesting that Marvel chose to cross over the FF with the old Planet of the Apes movies, not the new ones, and it's definitely the better choice! I'm a huge fan of the movies and Josh Trujillo just nails the different personalities of the ape characters. Andrea Di Vito provides solid art, although I think the book would have been so much better with a more traditional or even retro 60s art style. The modern, digital style doesn't quite fit the nostalgic character of the book and makes it look forgettable. All in all, POTA VS. FF #1 is a fun book though.

Although I like the way Trujillo connects the series to the classic movie, revisiting scenes and places deeply embedded in my childhood brain, the novelty factor of #1 is gone. What remains is a well written, averagely drawn comic that could have been more exciting with different creative choices.

The apes with the powers of the FF are great fun. I just wish the art was more interesting.

A satisfying conclusion to a mediocre comic. Trujillo certainly doesn’t waste the great potential of connecting these two great pop culture mythologies, but unfortunately it gets a bit lost in the boring, average art.

I'd rather have Jen back on Earth, but Planet She-Hulk is obviously a concept we all needed - or so Marvel thinks. The result is an issue that feels like a 1970s fantasy comic, and that's not a bad thing. Aaron Kuder's art has its moments, although his facial anatomy could use some improvement. The story is not too exciting, but compelling enough to keep me interested. All in all, Planet She-Hulk, although derivative of the Hulk's adventures on Sakaar, is a fun new twist on the character. Having said that, please come home, Jen!

There's nothing wrong with this second installment of Planet She-Hulk. Then again, it's also not exactly essential reading. I like that Jen's lawyer side shines through, but I also strongly dislike that she destroys a magnificent tree just because she's angry. Treating plants as if they were inanimate objects in comics is really a pet peeve of mine.

The old 80s toy line was weird and experimental. This comic is the exact opposite - generic and dull.

I read this issue because this Power Man has a great beard. Not enough superheroes have great beards. Seriously though, I never even noticed the series that this one is based on, and despite a huge info dump on the first few pages, the authors didn't exactly give new readers enough to care. Overall, it's an okay story with okay art. I'm not that much into cosmic heroes and even less so into overpowered heroes, so I probably won't read the next issue.

I was glad to hear they put the real Psylocke, Betsy Braddock, back in the spotlight, but unfortunately this is a poor retelling/continuation of a classic X-Men story, masterfully told by Chris Claremont, Marc Silvestri and Jim Lee back in the late 80s, that nobody needed. Maybe Marvel should focus more on making the present day X-Men cool again, instead of trying to rehash the glory of days gone by.

Despite the fact that this is a continuation of Punisher Red Band, a mini series I really enjoyed, Benjamin Percy gives new readers a good introduction to the Punisher that feels like an actual jump on point. New artist Jose Luis Soares is pretty good, especially at conveying the street level grittiness of Frank Castle’s world. The dilemma of Frank’s old alily Microchip and the mystery of his brain injury infuse the enough intrigue into the story to make me want to come back for issue 2.

Pretty violent issue. How is this different from Punisher: Red Band? Also, I miss the artist from that series.

Punisher is one of Marvel’s few solid titles that I look forward to each month.

There are moments of greatness, that remind me of the best of 80s comics. What is missing is a more distinct voice. The art is excellent at times too, but then there are also some really bland and stiff looking panels that took me out of the overall intensity of the story.

It’s not bad, but mostly setup. I miss the days when we got a full story in one issue. Farid Karami’s art is great, but maybe a little too clean for a book like The Punisher.

A quick, underwhelming read. Good art though.

Pretty good issue that I almost didn’t read because of the mediocre cover. The inside art by Matteo Della Fonte is much better - very naturalistic and reminiscent of a classic comic style than almost nobody is able to pull off anymore. Or maybe people just don’t want this style anymore, I don’t know. The writing is good too, although Spider-Man comes across as a little too clownish in my opinion. Anyway, great issue that reminded me of my best times reading Marvel comics - the late eighties.

This was a pretty awesome, cinematic read. Ohta and Nitro's artwork is phenomenal - I'm flabbergasted Marvel didn't let them draw the cover, which is solid, but not great. Sorry, Marco Checchetto. There's a lot of gore indeed - justifying the Red Band designation - but it's not there for sensationalist purposes, but to emphasize the brutality of Frank Castle's world - and most of all his humanity and vulnerability.

I could do without the graphic brutality, but I love the cinematic feel of the story and artwork. I was never a huge Punisher fan, but this book is turning me into one.

I had to check if this was really the same artist as in issues 1 and 2, since there is a definite decrease in quality. Turns out it's the same one, so maybe he just didn't have as much time for issue 3? Whatever the reason, the faces look less realistic and there's some sketchiness to the book that I didn't notice in the earlier issues. It's still good enough to carry the story though. Speaking of the story, I have no complaints, except that Frank seems to be able to break out of his mind control pretty early. The violence is a bit much for my taste, but I guess that's the concept of the Red Band imprint. All in all, a good comic that reminds me of the times when you could pick up almost any Marvel comic and have a great reading experience (hint: it was the 80s.)

I love this series so far. The action is cinematic, the violence is visceral and Julius Ohta's hairy bull version of Frank Castle is kinda hot.

The finale of Punisher: Red Band doesn't hold back. All in all, this was a pretty good series.

There's no reason why Radioactive Spider-Man exists as part of this crossover. Also, even if there was a halfway decent story (I'm not sure), the sucky art made it hard to follow.

I almost bought this book - the art looks absolutely amazing after all - but after the latest developments concerning its author, I'm glad I didn't. I'm sorry that other people at DC have to suffer now because of him.

I love Geiger, Hyde Street and Junkyard Joe, so I thought I'd probably love Redcoat too. Well... after reading this first issue, I'm a bit disappointed. The way Pure became immortal wasn't the compelling origin story I expected, but seemed kind of trivial and rushed. And I'm not sold on the idea of kid Einstein as a sidekick. However, Redcoat is intriguing enough to continue reading. And Bryan Hitch's art is pretty great.

I'm not hooked yet. And Einstein is an annoying sidekick.

For some reason I enjoyed this issue more than the previous two. Maybe it was that apple tree moment.

This issue is proof that comic books can tell meaningful stories. The ending was a bit rushed though, which is a shame because it could have been a perfect comic.

Good issue, but I wish Geoff Johns would learn to write a better German accent. It's not "de" but "ze". Most Germans substitute "th" with a sharp or soft "s" sound, not with a "d" sound. For the same reason "nothing" should be "nossing". If someone can't pronounce the "th" in "the", they also can't pronounce it in "nothing". Germans know how to say "yes", "and" and "my". Those are the first words one learns when learning English. To consistently have a character say "ja", "und" and "mein" is just the laziest way to show that they are German. Germans just don't do that, because those are the easiest words to remember. You're welcome!

Redcoat has been a good series so far - entertaining, but not quite on the level of Geiger, if you ask me. With this issue however, Johns and Hitch have surpassed themselves and created something very special. To be honest, I'd rather follow Johnny Appleseed's journey than Simon Pure's.

What often kept me from giving this book a perfect score was Bryan Hitch's art, which - don't get me wrong - is always great but also flawed in some details, especially face symmetry and expression, which is particularly aggravating when the overall drawing style is realistic. In this issue though I have seen almost none of those. The faces look amazing and the amount of detail and the precision are simply breathtaking. Story is great as usual. I've grown very fond of Simon Pure and his strange adventures.

Not the most exciting issue of Redcoat, but definitely a twist I didn't expect.

I’m glad there are still comics like this one. Redcoat pulls you in like a great novel or movie.

Immediately undoing last issue’s cliffhanger seemed like a big writing mistake to me, ruining an otherwise perfect issue. It actually looks as if Geoff Johns decided to change the story last minute, making everything resulting from it feel forced and unnatural. Anyway, the ending itself is the one everybody saw coming - that is, everybody except Simon Pure himself.

Although I don't think this was the most exciting or creative issue of Redcoat, it was the necessary follow-up to last issue's tragedy. It'll be interesting to see where Johns and Hitch are taking the character from here.