ArkhamJamie's Profile

[ART: 9.5 | STORY: 9 | WRITING: 8.3 | TOTAL: 8.9 (~9)] I absolutely love the concept of this issue and it's done very effectively. Reis' art is gorgeous to look at. Tomasi and Gleason just get this character and every issue is a delight to read. Fantastic issue full of a great story, great writing and great art.

[ART: 9 | STORY: 7.9 | WRITING: 9 | TOTAL: 8.6 (~8.5)] A really good issue. Gerads' art is great and King's script is also fantastic. There is some great humour, but above that, there's some really good character drama happening between the Bat and the Cat. I didn't think I'd particularly care for this issue, but it was really well done.

[ART: 9 | STORY: 8.8 | WRITING: 7.9 | TOTAL: 8.6 (~8.5)] I am loving this story arc, but this wasn't my favourite issue in it. The art was still good, but it's definitely a shame not seeing either Ferreyra or Schmidt. The story was really good, but I think it could've been written better. The reveal was very predictable, but still well done. The last couple of pages were drawn and written oddly with some actions not really making too much sense, but the issue was still solid. The action/chase scene was fun to read. Overall, I'm still excited to see how this story plays out, even if this issue wasn't the greatest.

[ART: 8.9 | STORY: 7.5 | WRITING: 8.2 | TOTAL: 8.2 (~8)] This was good. The art was solid and it blended nicely into what we saw back in the Rebirth one-shot in May. Nothing major really happened, but the characters were well written and I enjoyed reading this. I'm really excited to see the Atom's story explored in JLA.

[ART: 9.3 | STORY: 7.7 | WRITING: 8.8 | TOTAL: 8.6 (~8.5)] My favourite issue of this series by far, and surprisingly, the Justice League are only featured for a page. I'm glad that you can jump into this issue without having read prior issues of this series. Fans of the series may be disappointed, but this was really good. It was well drawn and well written. The plot is fairly minimal, but the writing carries it forward. The issue definitely helps pad out Lord and Waller's characters for the crossover and puts a new perspective on the two and their relationship. Great stuff.

[ART: 9.4 | STORY: 8.1 | WRITING: 8.8 | TOTAL: 8.8 (~9)] This is a fantastic event thus far. The art was great, the plot was solid and it was really well written. Williamson manages the cast of character really well and gives most of the characters something to do which is great. The humour lands well and the characters are given emotions. There are some good twists as well. I can't wait for the second half of this story.

[ART: 9.2 | STORY: 7.5 | WRITING: 7.9 | TOTAL: 8.1 (~8)] This was a really good issue for this series. I was worried this arc might drag, but it doesn't appear to be. Any issue that focuses on Luthor is a highlight as he is a really good character. I like how fleshed out the villains are, their motives are clear and it's nice to see that Superman is understanding of both what he's being told and his past experiences with Lex. Zircher's art is great this issue with one particular page with a certain character being rendered fantastically. Overall, a solid issue for the series that gives 'Men of Steel' some momentum.

[ART: 9.1 | STORY: 7 | WRITING: 7.8 | TOTAL: 7.8 (~8)] I liked it. Art was solid, writing was witty and the story was decent. A lot of characters acted out of character and that irked me, but it's not a big deal as it really is just a bit of fun. Probably the best guest issue in the series.

[ART: 9.2 | STORY: 8 | WRITING: 7.5 | TOTAL: 8.2 (~8)] I'm surprised, I actually didn't mind this issue. It was a bit of fun and the story seemed to finally pick up momentum again after slugging through the last couple of issues. It was paced well and had some good art from Romita Jr. One of the biggest pros for this issue was that it got rid of the backup story which always dampened my enjoyment. Snyder's writing continues to lack in some areas for me, but it looks like this series is improving. Mr. Freeze is always an exciting read, so I'm looking forward to the next issue more so than I was a month ago.

[ART: 9.1 | STORY: 7.1 | WRITING: 7.5 | TOTAL: 7.9 (~8)] Unlike In The Name of the Father and similar to Dinosaur Island, this wasn't a superb two-issue story. The art was fine and I do really enjoy Tomasi and Gleason's writing, but the story was very bland for me. A lot of stuff was thrown at the wall and didn't stick too well. I loved the ending, but I'm also glad that this book is finally moving into another big story.

[ART: 9 | STORY: 7.5 | WRITING: 7.7 | TOTAL: 8 (~8)] A solid issue for this series. Williamson has greatly improved his writing in my opinion, bit I still think he overdoes it on the captions. This issue had some good art from Neil Googe who I wouldn't mind seeing on art duties more regularly as he captures the tone well. I like how this issue really focused on the characters, too. The ending also leaves me very excited for the upcoming arc

[ART: 9.5 | STORY: 8.2 | WRITING: 7.7 | TOTAL: 8.5 (~8.5)] This book continues to impress as the Emerald Outlaw story powers on. I really enjoy Otto Schmidt's art and this issue was no exception. The story is really heating up and I love the direction of it. There are some nice (albeit fairly predictable) reveals that keep this series moving along at a good pace. Some of the dialogue can be a little clunky, and sometimes it gets a little too political and predictable, but this is a fine comic. Great stuff.

TT [ART: 7.5 | STORY: 7.5 | WRITING: 8.8 | TOTAL: 7.9 (~8)] It's a major shame that neither Meyers or Neves could've continued on art. I wasn't a fan of Pham's work this issue. The plot is a bit lacking this issue, but Percy makes it up for it with some really good writing. Each character feels three-dimensional and the cast really helps this book from being mediocre. While this issue is a large step-down from the previous two issues, I have hope that this book can be rebound with the next few issues with a better plot and some better art.

[ART: 9.5 | STORY: 7 | WRITING: 7 | TOTAL: 7.2 (~7)] This issue was a bit of a disappointment. The last issue set things in motion for an interesting follow-up, but instead we got a Thunderbolts tie-in. I'm not really sure what's happening in Thunderbolts and it's never really explained here, so it was all a bit confusing. It was nice seeing Quasar again. Saiz on art is always a highlight. Overall, a bit of an odd issue, but hopefully things get back on track when we switch back to the main conflict. Spencer is a really competent writer, so I still am looking forward to each issue of this series.

[ART: 9.5 | STORY: 7.6 | WRITING: 8.1 | TOTAL: 8.4 (~8.5)] I liked this arc on Batman. I particularly enjoy how King is taking the title in a bold new direction instead of simply rehashing the past. I also like how connected each issue feels and how they are all building to a big conclusion in the upcoming story arc. Sometimes I feel that King's Batman dialogue is a bit contrived, but overall I think he writes well. This was one of my favourite issues of his Batman writing, however. I loved how Batman was just taking the beating and then when he finally got his comeuppance, he was smug and cocky about it. The issue has some nice twists that end the story well and I like how the issue was paced. The art by Janin is as gorgeous as ever. I am looking forward to the big finale to the trilogy in I Am Bane.

[ART: 9.5 | STORY: 9 | WRITING: 9 | TOTAL: 9.2 (~9)] This book, alongside Detective Comics, continues to shine brightly at the top of my favourite Rebirth titles. The conclusion to the Wally story arc is exceptional. Brett Booth's art works better for bright splash pages, but the intimate moments still complement Abnett's script. I really do care for all of these characters and the story wrapped up very neatly. The entire last page left me hollering giddily with excitement and joy for the book's upcoming issues. This book's ties to the larger Rebirth mystery are really intriguing. The villain teased is certainly something to look forward to for Titans fans.

[ART: 9.5 | STORY: 8.8 | WRITING: 9.2 | TOTAL: 9.2 (~9)] A fantastic conclusion. Whilst I wish the Victim Syndicate featured more prominently in this final issue, particularly the First Victim, this was still a phenomenal read. The writing from Tynion is superb. It's so thought provoking and moving. It makes this dialogue-heavy issue fly by very quickly because he just 'gets' these characters. Everyone is written with strong motivation and no one acts out of character. Everything has a payoff. Martinez's art is also great, it looks beautiful and he has some really nice layouts for double-page splashes. The ending was also very intriguing and has me very excited for things to come.

[ART: 9 | STORY: 8.4 | WRITING: 8.1 | TOTAL: 8.5 (~8.5)] This issue still keeps the ball rolling in a fairly positive direction. It's a real shame Fabok couldn't have at least drawn another issue, but Tony S. Daniel is a solid replacement. The art is fairly standard, nothing too remarkable, but it works with Williamson's script well. On that note, Williamson seems to be bringing in some of his writing quirks from the Flash series, including overly-exposition-heavy dialogue. I think it was handled a lot better here and actually worked far better than it ever has over there. The dialogue was rather on-the-nose, but it did help remind the audience of who's who well for someone (like me) who isn't overly familiar with characters such as Emerald Empress and Doctor Polaris. I like the juxtaposition of the slow-burn villains lurking in the background and the fast-paced action between the heroes. I wish the fights could've been drawn out a little longer as they were fairly brief, but there were some great character moments in them. The ending was good, albeit a tad rushed, but leaves me excited for the following four issues.

[ART: 9.7 | STORY: 8.4 | WRITING: 8.5 | TOTAL: 8.9 (~9)] My thoughts were neutral going into this event, but I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this first issue. Jason Fabok is far and away my favourite artist in the game, and this issue proved that. His art was breathtaking and some of the best I've seen all year. The story was built around an enjoyable premise and Williamson's writing was far superior to his Flash work. My only real gripe was the Suicide Squad's initial mission, it just seemed uninteresting to me. I love Lord's involvement and am very excited to see how this series pans out after a fantastic opener.

[ART: 9.3 | STORY: 4 | WRITING: 4 | TOTAL: 5.7 (~5.5)] My score isn't my exact thoughts, but I just needed a way to give the book a 5.5 without dragging down the art. Mediocre at best. David Marquez's art is beautiful which makes it even more of a shame that it's in a terrible book. A finale that doesn't resolve anything, shamelessly plugs everything else and has some absolutely terrible character writing. Captain Marvel is written so poorly and that final scene makes absolutely no sense given the context of the issue. The pacing is abysmal and I'm astounded as to why Marvel gave the series this extra issue. It's finally over so I'm going to stop my rant. I'm going to probably pass on most Marvel events from now on and everything written by Bendis. Nick Spencer's The Oath sounds interesting, hopefully it can redeem the series.

[ART: 9.4 | STORY: 8 | WRITING: 8.7 | TOTAL: 8.7 (~8.5)] This was a lot of fun. I've never read any Swamp Thing, but judging from this annual, he is a really cool and dynamic character who was one of the highlights of this issue. I am loving what Tomasi's been doing with the Superman character and this annual is no exception. Jimenez's art in some frames is downright gorgeous, is beautiful throughout, but the odd panel-or-two can sometimes look out of place for me. It's a very minor criticism to an otherwise very fun annual.

[ART: 9 | STORY: 7 | WRITING: 7.7 | TOTAL: 7.7 (~7.5)] L'Call's origin is well done, albeit slightly boring. For some reason, I'm just unable too fully get behind him and Zade even though I think they are strong villains. The art is good and the script has enough poignant moments to be memorable. This arc feels like it might drag to a finish (which would be a shame), but hopefully things spice up a bit.

[ART: 9.4 | STORY: 8.3 | WRITING: 8.8 | TOTAL: 8.8 (~9)] One of, if not, my favourite chapter in the series thus far. I've finally warmed up to Ron Garney's art and I think that it is perfect for this issue. Muse is a great villain in my eyes and really bolstered my enjoyment of this arc. Soule's script is full of great moments that play out well. This chapter has me excited for Daredevil's direction in the upcoming issues.

[ART: 8.8 | STORY: 7.4 | WRITING: 8.4 | TOTAL: 8.2 (~8)] This is surprisingly one of the more enjoyable issues of this story. While the characters do feel a little flat, at least Williamson has considerably reduced the redundant and forced inner monologues. They were non-existent this issue and that really aided to my enjoyment. I liked the art and I wouldn't mind if Gianfelice stayed on as a series regular as his style seems more suited and cleaner than Giandomenico in my opinion. This issue also seemed to finally nail the tone of the book: lighthearted, silly but still a bit of fun. I want a lot more out of this series, but I think this was a decent conclusion of this arc, even if the story was lacking. Rogues Reloaded looks very promising, though.

[ART: 9.6 | STORY: 8.7 | WRITING: 8.8 | TOTAL: 9 (~9)] This was a fantastic issue, probably my favourite for this arc. The art was truly fantastic yet again, but it felt like there was just a little something extra this issue. Barrows set a new high on this front. The story has been really intriguing so far--I like how Batman is being questioned on a real psychological level which created some nice moments between him and the First Victim. This series is written beautifully by Tynion who has a great handle on every character at play. Needless to say, I am anxiously awaiting the conclusion to this arc.

[ART: 9.5 | STORY: 8.4 | WRITING: 8.2 | TOTAL: 8.7 (~8.5)] I've been really enjoying this series and this arc looks to continue that trend. A solid premise, great art (better than the cover) and some decent political undertones all aid this issue. My only gripe with the book is how it sometimes get a little heavy-handed about all the politics, but that's a minor quibble for an otherwise great issue.

[ART: 9.4 | STORY: 7.9 | WRITING: 8.6 | TOTAL: 8.6 (~8.5)] Another fun issue from this fantastic creative team.

[ART: 9.5 | STORY: 7.7 | WRITING: 9.2 | TOTAL: 8.8 (~9)] This was a great issue of Batman, but not necessarily a great penultimate issue for the 'I Am Suicide' story arc. However, it appears that this is actually the moment the story has been building to even though it's not a final confrontation between Bane and Batman's Suicide Squad. While not much happens in this issue on a story front, the writing from King is fantastically thought-provoking. This was an insightful look into what makes Batman Batman and it turned out to be a great addition to the Batman mythos. The art and King's script were breathtaking. Great stuff.

[ART: 8.8 | STORY: 8.9 | WRITING: 8 | TOTAL: 8.5 (~8.5)] The concept behind this arc is really compelling for me. I absolutely love Luthor and I'm really glad he's being explored here. The villains appear to have strong motivations, too. The art, whilst generally quite good, didn't always hit the right note and I think Superman's narration can come across a little redundant and too heavy-handed at times, but besides those two things, the book appears to be going in an interesting direction.

[ART: 8.9 | STORY: 7.8 | WRITING: 8 | TOTAL: 8.2 (~8)] My thoughts on this arc thus far mixed. On one hand, the art seems to be getting better with each issue (at least for me), but on the other, the story is fairly bland. On one hand, the writing seems to be improving with characters starting to feel three-dimensional, but on the other, the narration and monologues still feel forced and unnatural. I really liked the Shade in this issue, but besides his strong performance and the good art, this book still appears to be struggling. An extra mention for the art as it appears that whoever wrote the artist's name on the cover didn't get the memo that Gianfelice was filling in for Watanabe.

[ART: 9.5 | STORY: 9 | WRITING: 8.8 | TOTAL: 9.1 (~9)] Titans is definitely in my top three Rebirth books so far alongside Detective Comics and Superman. This issue took things up a notch with a fantastic premise that was elevated with his stakes and strong emotional chords being strung. The issue's cliffhanger is definitely going to be interesting to see played out, but this was a fantastic issue for Wally fans.

[ART: 9.4 | STORY: 8.5 | WRITING: 8.1 | TOTAL: 8.7 (~8.5)] This was a really great two-part story for me. Ferreyra is probably my favourite artist on the book and he didn't disappoint this issue. I love the premise and I think it was really well executed. Definitely looking forward to the next arc!

[ART: 9 | STORY: 7.5 | WRITING: 9 | TOTAL: 8.5 (~8.5)] I'm a big fan of Tynion's writing and I love how each character gets their moment to shine. Everyone is well developed with big emotional moments. The art wasn't up to its usual standards, and the story didn't seem to move anywhere, but the book is still one of the best Rebirth has to offer.

[ART: 9.3 | STORY: 8.5 | WRITING: 8.5 | TOTAL: 8.7 (~8.5)] While I love the concept, so far the story hasn't really delivered, but this issue was quite a large step up on that front. Mikel Janin's art was fantastic as usual (due in part to some incredible panel layouts) and Tom King's script was very solid. Something about the dialogue doesn't always click with me, but the Batman/Catwoman material throughout was really good. An exciting ending spiced things up further as it appears that the book will kick things up a notch heading into the penultimate chapter of this arc.

[ART: 9.2 | STORY: 5.6 | WRITING: 5.5 | TOTAL: 6.7 (~6.5)] Another disappointing chapter which has me longing for the ending. I was actually a little excited for this issue to continue the Cap/Spidey conflict as that has been one of the few interesting aspects for me, but the usual Bendis dialogue dampened my enjoyment. A rushed ending dropped this a couple of points, but the art is still great from Marquez (as well as some great stuff from Andrea Sorentino).

[ART: 9.3 | STORY: 8 | WRITING: 7.8 | TOTAL: 8.4 (~8.5)] Overall, this was a fun arc for me. It served as a great standalone interlude, as well as nicely setting up Super Sons which I am looking forward to. It was entertaining and fun, just what I wanted it to be.

[ART: 7.5 | STORY: 4 | WRITING: 2.5 | TOTAL: 4.6 (~4.5)] I was really wanting this to end halfway through. Just as the main story started to intrigue me again, another guest issue plagued my interest. I found the humour to be severely lacking and it didn't help that it was submerged within a weak concept. At least the art was alright.

[ART: 7.5 | STORY: 7.2 | WRITING: 7 | TOTAL: 7.2 (~7)] It's nice seeing Blindspot get some development. I really like the concept behind Muse, but he would benefit from being fleshed out a little more. I am warming to Garney's art style, too, so hopefully the final issue in this story can stick the landing.

[ART: 6.8 | STORY: 6.8 | WRITING: 6.5 | TOTAL: 6.7 (~6.5)] Not a great start to the series in my opinion. A couple interesting story beats were squandered with bad pacing and references to Civil War II which spoil the ending. I'm personally not a fan of Maleev's art thus far. I'll grab issue 2 as the solicit looks interesting, but this book isn't holding my attention.

[ART: 7.5 | STORY: 7.5 | WRITING: 7.5 | TOTAL: 7.5 (~7.5)] This book has lost a lot of steam heading into the penultimate chapter of this first arc. The backup continues to disappoint for me due to how little time it has to shine and this week, the main story also dipped in quality. Hopefully Snyder can liven things up after he's done with Two-Face.

[ART: 9.4 | STORY: 8 | WRITING: 7.8 | TOTAL: 8.4 (~8.5)] Action Comics started off strong, but petered out pretty quickly. The Lois Lane story showed an incline of quality was to come, and it appears that this issue continues that trend. Lex Luthor is a very interesting character for me, and every development involving him in this issue was a definite highlight. Unfortunately, a bland villain brought down the issue for me, but it definitely had great art, a solid premise and great characters.

[ART: 9.5 | STORY: 9 | WRITING: 9.1 | TOTAL: 9.2 (~9)] This book goes from high to high for me. It's great having Jesús Saiz back on board: he brings this book up an extra notch. Some really great stuff here from a writing point of view. Nick Spencer is crafting a fantastic tale. It's also great seeing the flashbacks subtly start to link up to the main story just a bit more. My only complaint would be that there's a lot of characters with very specific plans to keep track of it. After rereading, it was a lot clearer, but it's something to keep in mind for an otherwise terrific issue. Needless to say, this arc should be very interesting.

[ART: 9.5 | STORY: 9 | WRITING: 9.1 | TOTAL: 9.2 (~9)] Another solid issue for my personal favourite Rebirth title thus far. The Victim Syndicate have been introduced as strong villains with good motivation. It's a fairly dense issue (took me a while to read, but I'm not complaining) with lots of characters to keep up with. I throughly enjoyed Batwing's inclusion, dually because of the way he's drawn and written. This is looking like another fantastic arc.

[ART: 8.4 | STORY: 7.9 | WRITING: 7.5 | TOTAL: 7.9 (~8)] Overall, I feel like that once again, this book has so much more potential. It's an overly wordy book for what it is with a lot of the inner monologues feeling repetitive and unnecessary. However, the art is probably at a series high for me and the story seems like it could be going somewhere fun besides the weak writing.

Fantastic send-off to a really enjoyable run. Story: 8, Writing: 8.7, Art: 8.7, Total: 8.5

Story: 7.5, Writing: 8.5, Art: 9.5, Total: 8.5 (the boxing glove arrow!)

Story: 8.9, Writing: 8.9, Art: 9.5, Total: 9.1 (~9)

Story: 7 Writing: 7 Art: 9.5 Total: 7.8 (~8)