I am fine with Adams leaning into the notion that Hal is an impulsive moron some of the time, but maybe we would have been better served by a story that left Hal on the sidelines for a longer time and let Jo and his people actually accomplish something without Hal being Hal. Kind of the big problem with Hal these days. He's the most famous GL but hardly the best any more.

I don't actually understand what the crew of the Theseus did. But this is the best version we could hope for of Sisko, a character sometimes under-served on the TV.

Very entertaining, if a bit disappointing that Mora only does the second story. Waid writes a great Joker, and he and Pugh have a lot of fun with the Rock of Eternity.

Greg sticks the landing and sets up the next miniseries, though I would prefer not starting the numbering over.

A lot of interesting ideas swimming around here, but there might be too many, and the massive delays don't help. Nor does knowing that any ideas Johns sets up will have to finished by someone else when this is finally done. Still, Janin's art is amazing as usual.

Best thing Jurgens has written in ages. Incredible art. Not entirely sure where Batman and the rabbi came from, but in a time of antisemitism, it's very welcome. And this feels adult, not in terms of the language but in its sensibilities.

This series has two issues: things are not happening fast enough; it's not worth five bucks.

The art is stunning and the attempts to question the very premise of the superhero are interesting, but where is this headed?

Strong if somewhat predictable ending. Love me that Rossmo art and have for years, but DC still hasn't really found that one book he can stay on long term. And Vendetti is just an underappreciated talent. But what next? These miniseries are all fun but that seems to be the end for them.

Well done, and I love how Waid handles Darkseid - who seems to be from outside the Multiverse, as has often been suggested - but what was the point of this? There just isn't much of a reason to revisit Kingdom Come anymore.

Maybe having to wrap the plots in 12 issues so we can clear the decks is not the best idea.

Wait, Marvel released both Spectacular Spider-Man with art by Humberto Ramos AND Spectacular Spider-Man with art by Humberto Ramos the same day?

Gross

Generally well done, but sort of low energy. Two qualms: we've really moved away from the biblical origins of Gog and Magog's names, and I don't see how this story leads to the actual Kingdom Come story. Good as this might be, I feel no reason that have revisited Kingdom Come yet again.

Feels like a badly assembled episode of the 2000s Teen Titans cartoon.

Only read the Batwoman and Damian stories. The former is kinda sorta a Hanukkah story but like every other attempt to do anything with Hanukkah, it doesn't amount to much. And if you going to have someone coming crimes connected to Hanukkah, why not have some guts and do a story about antisemitism instead of just "oh it's the Riddler, ha ha." The Damien story was cute but I am disappointed that Sholly Fisch, the only Orthodox Jew writing comics, didn't do a Hanukkah story since I think he might have gotten it right. Or maybe he just gets that there isn't much reason to do another Hanukkah story.

A strong well written comic made stronger by a twist ending!

Stronger than the first two. And there are thought bubbles! And Ewing makes them work in 2023!

So very bland. What happened to Steve Orlando? And why does Wanda look 19?

A dream that actually feels like a dream. So few writers really know how to do that. (Inception, I love you but nothing there is even a tiny bit dream logic.) The only issue I have with this is reverting to calling Mary's alter ego Mary Marvel. DC's been trying to get rid of that for ages.

Clumsy and overstuffed.

Still fun but padded.

Anyone remember Lady in the Lake? A Philip Marlowe story shot from the PoV of Marlowe? What's that? You've never heard of it? Maybe that's because it's a silly gimmick. It certainly was here, great art in service of a rather bland gimmick and yet another dull and pedantic Tom Taylor story. This comic's gone from DC's best to its least exciting in the space of about a year.

A confusing bore. For those of us who haven't been reading what's been up with Kara...Karen...Peggy?...it would have been nice to have something explain her latest status quo. But this isn't the Power Girl I remember from Johns's JSA series. She's anything but assertive, anything but powerful. And this was just dull enough that I stopped in the middle and realized I never finished it. I have no desire to keep going.

Solid first issue by someone who gets the rhythms of comic book writing pretty fast. Though we all know that John Henry will be wearing the armor a lot more than he plans.

With the time hopping put aside, the story is a lot more coherent, but I don't really know how these characters align with the last JSA comics from before Flashpoint. What happened to the third Dr. Midnight? Just who is Power Girl now? I am a bit lost even if I like the story (and love the art).

Love it just for Garak, Tom Paris at the wheel, and Data talking to Spot. Silly at times, but just keeps hitting all the really cool Star Trek notes. (Note to Lanzing and Kelly: you need to find a way to use characters from Prodigy before everyone forgets they exist.)

Great art. But otherwise flavorless mush, with only three characters with any personality (Nightwing, Wally, and Cyborg, and hey, all of them have their own books), far too many instances of the Titans telling us they will do things differently, and oh good Evil Waller is in the wings. Taylor has no feel for making the Titans interesting, though I am starting to think I only liked them on the old cartoon.

Wacky heartfelt fun in the right key of Trek. Plus Data is your new DM.

I read this two hours ago and it's fading from memory already. This version of Conner never pops, and the story is interesting only in fits and starts. The "preview" for an Alan Scott comic that will never be looks great and reads like we got lucky it was aborted.

Waid throws a lot of good ideas against the wall, but we seems to have lost the thread along the way. Wasn't this about Bruce Wayne being accused of murder? Very silver agey, for good and for ill.

As suspenseful as a menu, with flat characterizations for most of the Titans, and of course the nonsensical notion of an eight year old girl being trained to be a warrior. Can we get back to Bludhaven? And if we do, can we get back to giving something challenging for Nightwing to do?

Solid conclusion to a solid comic, though whether we actually see more of most of Young Justice Society is up in the air.

A solid first issue drawing on the best Cyborg stories from the comics and from TV but working to stand on its own. The art leaves a bit to be desired, but this feels like the sort of story Cy should have been part of a long time ago.

All six issues dropped on the DC app. Readable enough, but inconsistent character portrayals, the jarring addition of Victoria Kord, and a generally simplistic story make it nothing special. And it's just really, really hard to imagine a city in the state of Texas happily allowing a ship of aliens to stay around when things are inhospitable to other human being from other nations. Overall, it reads like a smiley happy YA comic.

Solid first issue that goes a long way to acknowledging how outdated Hal is, while also making him the best at what he does. It's a pity that DC still insists on making Hal the one GL with a series, but that doesn't mean it can't be good. Jury is still out on the John Stewart backup.

I want more of this. More Joe, more old school Spidey, and more PAD. Get well soon, dude!

Fun if a bit lightweight, and it feels like Waid would have preferred to write the character as he was in 1995. Plus Waid gets it wrong: Solomon was both wise and smart. But overall, the vibe is strong and it's clear the Waid/Mora team knows what they are doing once again.

At last, a hero I can relate to! He is also still masking! (First overt reference in any DC book to the pandemic?) A promising start by an accomplished talent, and nice that a new book can launch without having a guest appearance by a big name hero.

The stuff with the mob families is a bit obtuse, but the main thread is fascinating and thoughtful and Greg is clearly applying the skills he acquired writing Young Justice to this, since you just couldn't be this complex in a cartoon in 1995.

Never seen Lower Decks, but kind of love that a character from that is here and being played seriously.

Very good first issue that leaves me wanting more, and it's really interesting how little this actually needs to be in the DCU. Though given Ram V's knowledge of the DCU, I expect him to have fun with it.

Adams does a great job of hearkening back to some unfulfilled plotlines from the Johns era while still making this his own book. It remains a pity that DC is cutting this run short.

Reasonably entertaining but I bet I forget it in an hour.

Tepid stuff cover to cover. A rather poorly defined Connor, and a rather bland cast of new characters. The action is okay, but otherwise this is forgettable. Not bad, just forgettable. Ironically, the preview of the never-to-be-published Kid Flash comic does more in eight pages to get my interest than Superboy's done in two full issues.

Nostalgia not just for the event but for how comics were once written. And it doesn't add up to much. The first story - the only one that isn't just a flashback - has far too much of Jurgens's often clumsy dialogue and pacing (though it also has his grasp of Superman and his art). The Ordway and Stern stories are okay but add little to the original story. Only the Simonson/Bogdanove story really resonates, with some of the best art Bogdanove has done in ages and a reminder why Steel is such an important character.

i feel like I missed something between the issues, and it does get murky. But this is the Data I remember from the 80s, and I love that chat between Data and Scotty and "wait, MY B'Elanna?"

What is with these generic covers lately? Then again, the Titans continue to feel pretty generic. But this issue just doesn't hold together. Everything seems too pat. Show of hands here: who thinks Dick is actually tempted by Neron? And is it really wise to: a) teach a little girl combat; or b) think she will learn anything useful that quickly. The back-up's pretty good but is it worth the extra dollar?

With the "getting everyone up to speed" over, things flow much better, and introducing a mob war is the sort of thing that Weisman did so well on the Spectacular Spider-Man cartoon. And the art is sharper, still true to the show but less cartoony.

The DP seems pretty generic. Weird but bland is a not a great way to start.

Another strong issue, though this continues to be more of a Spidey story than a Hulk story. Which is not a bad thing. We all know PAD is one of the three or four best Hulk writers, but do we underestimate him on Spidey? Sadly, we might not be seeing many more PAD comics due to his health. But if this is where we stop for now, it's not a bad coda.

A step up from the last issue, but Taylor continues to write the Titans with a lot less energy than he writes Dick or Babs. Does not bode well for the new Titans book. But soon Dick will have the book back to himself and all should be good. Generally solid art, but way too many panels without any background art, and that cover is really uninspiring. The backup is pretty good, but it's kind of a bait and switch that Taylor isn't the writer. Also not right that CS Pacat is not credited on the cover.

Staying true to the "nothing ever goes right" nature of noir stories, this ends pretty much like you would expect. Meaning it's all a bit predictable and depressing, and basically the lesson is "if someone says invade Gorilla City, don't."

Why is DC ending this and replacing it with cosmic horror?

Read this an hour ago and already forgot it. Somewhat entertaining but also bland.

Charming palette cleanser between arcs, and I am really starting to think Waid gets Dick Grayson better than Tom Taylor.

After the intensity of the past two years, I am fine with a break, but this is just fluff and not very interesting fluff at that. Did we need Blockbuster to have a daughter and did we need to bring back Neron?

Waid sticks the landing when everything up to this point is wobbly. But he gets Damian, he gets Batman, and he has fun. The problem is really that this became seven parts with the Lazarus Planet story and really could have done everything it needed to in four parts and with the Lazarus stuff (which seems likely to be forgotten quickly).

So that happened. The art was good, the backup tale was good, Damian was good, the rest was instantly forgettable. Not Waid's best work by a long distance.

Can't say Josie Campbell is a new talent, merely new to me. But she is really doing a good job splitting the difference between the dark whimsy of Geoff Johns and the better old school Shazam projects. And you cannot go wrong with Doc Shaner. If Waid and Mora need a break, I hope these two get the call (assuming Josie isn't too busy on her TV work).

Not bad for a new writer, but this series is just sputtering to its cancellation, destined to be as forgotten as the Jason Aaron and Mark Waid runs.

Hard to rate this since a good chunk is devoted introducing or re-introducing kid sidekicks. Oh, most of them are promising, but it got crowded. I really if Johns has any plans for this horde of time lost kids and teens, and if DC will let him follow through. Also, makes me fell really old that the post-Crisis Newsboy Legion has been gone so long that they qualify as forgotten kid sidekicks.

The ending was a letdown and kind of added nothing to the story, which is a pity since it was so good till now. Also, Superman lies. He lies every time he tells people he's Clark Kent and not Superman. While what Bendis did with that was a mess, Bendis was right.

Stuff happens. Not enough to justify the price tag. But at least it looks really good, and the backup is entertaining.

Is Nightwing having it too easy? Yes, it's good to see the hero winning. But he has become too good for the stories to stay interesting. He talks down criminals, he has a ton of allies, everyone but Heartless bows before him with ease. It's almost like he's won and the series can just end because there are no challenges. This has been an excellent comic over all, the best Nightwing we've had since Dixon. But there just isn't any tension, any suspense. And it didn't help that Heartless just vanished from the story or that he's not as engaging as Blockbuster. Still, it's always fun to spend time with Dick and Babs and Haley. But will Taylor find things for Dick to do in both this comic and Titans?

A little heavy handed and dour, not what we usually see from Russell or Allred, but a gripping and strange story that using history far more effectively than Russell's FF Life Story and makes the DC heroes fit into the 60s far better than New Frontier. Not sure we needed Coast City to be nuked, though. Loved the use of John Lewis, RIP.

A great first issue, but I think PAD didn't understand the assignment since this is like 60 percent Spidey and only 20 percent Joe. Great art.

Is Taylor doing too good a job? Or rather, is Nightwing succeeding too easily? It's great to see the hero winning, but at some point, the hero is going to run out of things to do, and that seems to be happening here.

As good as this is, I don't entirely love Waid ignoring previous canon for Magog.

Clumsy mess that can't make up its mind if it's in continuity or an Elseworlds, that just isn't very interesting. Also, is the Poison Ivy analog supposed to be Native American? With blonde hair (or is it red)? And the Revolutionary War was hardly over in 1776. Like I said, all of this is clumsy.

Solid first issue, but almost entirely setting the table. If nothing else, Mr. Weisman hasn't lost a step in writing his creations. Interestingly, not one mention of Xanatos. Also interestingly, we still seem to be in the 90s.

Second issue is stronger than the first, with some great interaction between Sisko and Worf, and a great data moment. The only character Kelly and Lanzing don't have down yet is Paris.

Ram V is a great writer much of the time, but this series is just not fun. Too dark, too gothic, too far from what I want from Batman. Never mind that his Batman is all angst and woe and worry, not very interesting. The art is good, though, and at least Jim Gordon is interesting.

Well assembled, but who are these characters?

The biggest flaw here is that Ewing makes it clear there are no other Defenders comics coming from him. A pity.

PAD clearly wants to turn the clock back and also to write something for Marvel set in the present. Only time will tell if Marvel is interested in this (and if his health allows for it.)

Utterly charming, but if you didn't buy this, you aren't missing anything you have to read. I am pretty sure Taylor did this to make sure that issue 99 leads into issue 100 properly.

Still good but a bit stretched out at this point in terms of The Big Secret of Boy Thunder. But the last few pages are great, and only Waid could get away with "changing the course of a mighty river." That cover is in poor taste, but more importantly it's anachronistic since the Joker hasn't killed his first sidekick yet. (Just kidding. It's a grotesque cover but also very funny.)

Waid really gets these characters, more than anyone else currently writing a Batman comic, and as much as Tom Taylor on Nightwing. Those last few pages are amazing.

Solid issue as usual. But police commissioners DO NOT DO THAT! (The whole "Montoya is commissioner" thing annoys me so much. I want back the Question.)

Stellar art and heartfelt, humanistic storytelling make this some of DC's best work in ages.

Solid first issue, but Lanzing and Kelly don't quite manage to mesh characters from four different shows together with instant ease. Sisko is spot on, but the interactions between characters who have never met feel off. And what's with those new uniforms?

Warning: I am not the target demographic. But surely 12 year olds will find the plot as obvious as I did. YA readers deserve better. But the art is great and the characters are fun and Tai and his ba are a wonderful addition to the GL mythos.

I ma not the audience for this. And maybe a 12 year old will get joy from this that I don't. But for all the charms of a teen GL whose grandmother was a bigger legend than Hal Jordan teaming with the current Kid Flash, the story was painfully predictable. And I suspect that most 12 year olds will not be fooled any more than I was. As DC YA books go, this is middle of the pack. Not as stellar as Superman Smashes the Klan - what is? - but also not as tepid as Whisper.

I feel like I am missing something, having not read much with the Phoenix Force of late. Plus this cast is just not as engaging as the last one. Thankfully, the art is great.

Redondo's art carries the day, enlivening a somewhat predictable story with a cop-out ending. And the weird gag with the foul language was distracting instead of funny, and tries to have it both ways in terms of us of such language. (Personally, I can do without it, but either use it, or don't.)

The story is solid (though Tigra doesn't seem to have much to do). It's the art that moves it from good to great.

Read it for free on Hoopla, and I would say that it might be work getting from the library to see the art full sized, but that it's not worth $25. The art is amazing. The story is...well, is there anything here we haven't seen before? To be fair, since Waid's run ended, that is kind of where the FF has been. Oh, lots of character development with the kids being older and Ben and Alicia, but the stories hit the same beats over and over. And Ross just hits those beats too. At least he's improved as a writer and gets three of the Four's voices right. (His Sue leaves a lot to be desired). But overall, it's just a nice little story, fun and entertaining but not special.

Not a must read, but charmingly goofy and yet another reminder of why everyone is so glad that the West family is back.

Very scattered, even if I still love how Gronbekk writes Jane.

Entertaining in a superficial way.

Pure Silver Age fun. Waid writes a great Dick Grayson. But Batman and Robin doing the acrobatics was surprisingly queer. No objection, but that sort of came from nowhere.

As usual, it looks great and seems to be taking forever to get somewhere. And haven't we already done the "Nightwing gets his friends to help" thing?

Fun but I don't know if we need to have God included in the mix.

Got halfway through it and gave up. Too violent, vulgar and cynical to be worth my time. I miss the real Suicide Squad of the Ostrander era.

Really wish I could give this an incomplete. I like what we have so far, but I have no idea where this is going.

The end of the arc sees Waid returning to form more than he has for years.

A bit jagged in terms of the story, but the art is stellar and to Ewing's credit he makes sure I have some idea who these characters are. (I think I have read one comic with Blue Marvel and one with America Chavez.)

Great art and some interesting character bits are hampered by the muddle morality of our hero, who chooses to keep working for the bad guys she wants to stop. And I was really disappointing how little Willow being Jewish actually mattered.

What does this do that the last twenty retellings of Batman's origin didn't? It's not bad. But it's nothing we need at this point.

I am not entirely sure where this goes as part of the whole series. Especially the addition of Trinity. But Perkins's art has never been better, and the narrative here is really gripping. And that final page is just so cool. (Ram V handles old man Hal really well.)

Gorgeous as the art is, the story brings nothing new to the table. Dixon's Robin: Year One was much better. Read that instead.

A reminder that the Bwa-Ha-Ha style of JLI hasn't aged as well as we might have wished. At least the art is great.

Solidly entertaining, with great art (and unlike the Batman '89 comic everyone looks like the actors from the film). But what really makes it sing is how well Vendetti captured Gene Hackman's weird, vaguely cartoony, and surprisingly menacing Lex Luthor.

Really kind of bland, and hits the sort of notes we used to see all the time in Elseworlds, and maybe has 15 pages of story. I really don't get all the raves.

I feel like this should get an incomplete grade. What it does, it does well. But we are kind of in the middle of both the story Kurt was telling in his DC run and the story he introduces here. One of the joys of Astro City used to be that it wasn't driven by continuity the way DC and Marvel are, and I kind of miss that. But like I said, what we do get works very well.

Entertaining enough, but the sequence with Dick and young Jon only serves as a reminder than Jon was a lot more interesting as a kid than he's been as a teen.

The art is great. Mosley has Ben's voice. But I have no idea what is going on. And yet I keep reading.

Lemire's best Marvel work and among his best work of any sort. And remember, Marc Spector is Jewish and this matters to his story!

So very clumsy, way below what I expect from Yang. And why is Batman here already? And just because the custodian is a pig doesn't mean he has to act like one!

Give me more!

I should be annoyed at how little Cates is using from Ewing's seminal run. But Cates is doing too good a job that make me angry.

This is cute. And Crush, at least in Teen Titans, wasn't cute. The character here is okay, but not Crush.

After all that, a letdown. I can't say I actually understood what was going on, or why we needed the secret history of the Banners and Stearnses. At least the art was great (too bad Bennett is a turd) and the character work was good. But in the end, Ewing didn't come close to sticking the landing. Not that it matters since we are reverting to the usual version of the Hulk.

Instantly forgettable

Delightful Kirbyesque romp, though I am not sure why Betty is here. Love how Ewing writes the Surfer.

Solid if not quite what I expected. Not sure why Bruce Wayne looks very unlike Keaton when Dent is totally Billy Dee. The most interesting thing is Hamm's attempts to write Dent with one eye towards questions of race and equity, the sort of thing he did long ago in the pilot for MANTIS. It's a noble endeavor but is a bit, err, ham-fisted.

When can we get an Ewing FF series?

Bringing back Cowan is a great idea, since the energy of the original - my favorite Milestone book - is there. Even if the storytelling feels a bit rote after just the one issue.

Sex and the married hulk. Somehow this works incredibly well.

If we have to have an angsty Jen Walters, let’s at least have Ewing write her instead of Aaron.

The sense of humor that was a cornerstone of the Robert Washington comic and the cartoon is missing from our hero, and that makes this something of a by the numbers read. Virgil is just not that interesting, though his sister and parents are. And the rather serious turn of events to close the issue makes me think that will lack the sense of fun we've seen in the past.

A surprising dud from the usually reliable Mark Russell. He doesn't really get the FF. He makes the huge mistake of not having Ben be Reed's best friend, and the large mistake of explaining just who that guy was in "This Man, This Monster." And it's a lot of tell instead of show. Never mind that Russell's sense of humor is missing. It feels like Russell was given an outline of what to do instead of being allowed to tell his own story.

A rare weak issue of this series. Weak and confusing.

If only I liked the sort of horror in view here because Seanan does it well. But it isn’t my kind of thing.

Thoroughly charming and surprisingly happy. Given that the classic "Hulk Smash!" Hulk was more or less missing when this series started, it's really wonderful how much he's taken over the book and how well Ewing gets that balance between his sheer rage and his childlike innocence. Of course, you still need a way to convey that, and this unique silent comic that is a tie-in to something I am not reading works incredibly well.

The biggest flaw here is that Tomasi clearly had plans for what comes next that we will never get to see.

Well intended but utterly inert, since it tells without really showing. With very few exceptions, comic books that try to be essentially novels with illustrations don't work well. Nothing really engages here. Plus Jeff Pierce comes across as a bit of a jerk. And trying to force together real world events with the comics of the time is clumsy. I don't mind calling out DC's racism of the period (and presumably of the moment). But trying to explain why the JLA didn't rescue the hostages in Iran rings false. (Also, Ridley gets his facts wrong. Iran didn't let the hostages go because it was scared of Reagan.) Not a bad story, but never a great one, and not worth the high price per issue. And where are the creator credits, especially for Tony Isabella?

Where can I buy that cover?

I get the sense Spurrier wants to get rid of the monarchy.

If only Tomasi got to tell his own story by itself and not have to deal with Joker War.

The new creative team takes up very well from where the old left off.

What if Tomasi were doing just another Joker story instead of being subordinated to Joker War? I lke this, but wish it weren't part of an event comic I have no time for.

Well, to my surprise, Rucka brought everything together. But how much better this series would have been if it didn't have to address things from the other Superman comics at the same time. We wasted three issues on that. And I still don't understand how Charlie is alive. But my biggest problem is that as fantastical as "we are remembering our alternate lives" is, the real fantasy here is that good journalism can save us all and that one great journalist can do that by herself. It doesn't work that way, sadly. It never has. I much prefer "press-paganga" to "copanganda" but it's still too much "hooray for our side" for my tastes.

Note to everyone who hated this for being like all the other issues of this series: why are you still reading? Save your money and buy something you will like. Anyway, I appreciate that Bendis took the time to slow down and made Supes slow down as well. Even if he doesn't really have Dr. Fate's voice anything near right. And Maguire is welcome any time.

Entertaining but mildly disappointing, with most of the stories covering familiar ground. The final Denny O'Neil story works best as a coda on his remarkable career. The best stories were the first and last.

A good "what has happened so far" for a character with a convoluted history, but not a great issue.

I have no idea who David Barnett is, but he does good work. A pity that this latest effort to reboot the original teen wizard is about to be cancelled.

Another great issue, though clearly Vendetti had no way of knowing how it would resonate now. But if Shayera is the current reincarnation of Carter's soulmate, who is Sheira Saunders?

So remember when this was a down to earth comic about freedom of the press and immigrants? I don't, and I feel like even the usually reliable Greg Rucka doesn't either. And while I like the multiversal stuff and how it is a back door explanation of how Renee and Vic and Sister Clarice are in the current DCU, it doesn't belong here, even if it turns out that Lois is completely the Lois from the pre-Flashpoint DCU. Also, while I appreciate what Mike Perkins tries to do in illustrating the multiverse - love the cameo by the 1978 movie version of Kal-El's ship - he is not the best artist for such things. He is more suited to the noir and that is not noir. And the ending is really muddled. What is going on?

A very strong ending, but it's hard to imagine that these 20 issues are going to have a place in the larger Sandman universe in years to come. I will miss Dora.

The terrible art and a sense that Bendis lost his way make this one a rare total misfire on the part of artist ans writer.

An incredible tour de force that alters everything while restoring the classic savage Hulk to his place as first among equals.

The first really good issue. And not by chance, the first one where Brainiac 5 gets to shine. Brainy is the best LSHer, and Bendis knows it.

A great celebration of the characters and the talents that loses points mainly because it reminds up over and over how much DC has wasted both.

Rucka and Perkins are having trouble seeing the forest through the trees. The trees are great, but the forest is getting lost.

Much more scattered then the Heroes special. The chain of events with Leone and the Invisible Mafia was good but should have been played out in Action Comics. The reveal that the Kents are indeed alive should have been in a book not about villains. And the scene with Lex, while funny (Fraction?) forgot that Lex isn't a businessman anymore.

Another well written Superman story nearly ruined by the awful art.

Points docked for the confusing stuff set in the present that bookends the origin story. And for maybe overplaying the "teens want to change the world" stuff in Garth's part of the story. But the art is stellar - Janin is the best, period - and that moment when the founders go into action for the first time brought a tear of fanboy joy to my eyes.

So weird I can't really wrap my head around it. Which is a good thing.

The stuff with Mongul is sort of a mess. Everything else is great. And of course Supes is going to catch flak for speaking for Earth. Really fun and thoughtful stuff here.

Worth it just for Maguire's art, Booster Gold's moment, and Rucka writing Batman and Wonder Woman. The rest was pretty good but those bits were amazing.

I like how BMB handles the conversations between Lex, Leviathan, Red Cloud, and Brainiac. Though it feels like the other Legionaries of Doom aren't really adding much. What undermines the story is what a mess the art is. JRjr is terrible these days.

A bit scattered if still entertaining. And the only reason I know who Xemnu is is because of an article I read about what he did to Jen Walters.

It's too clear the Tynion's decision to leave JLDark for two issues a month of Batman led to a premature end to the arc here. Though 19 issues of basically the same story is a bit much. Lots of good moments but the whole leaves me wanting.

8 for the stories. 5 for killing Alfred in the first place.

GWW has it exactly right.

A really good comic is looking to get out to the world here, but the scattered plot and underdeveloped cast are in the way. It's no accident that the moments with Jon and Damian work so much better since we know them so well.

It's about time Marvel let Seanan just have fun with a parallel earth instead of either sticking with the beats from the LaTour series or shoehorning Gwen into the regular Marvel universe.

Solid but very much setup, and something about Bruce and about Jackie seemed a bit off.

A really fun comic with some good art and great guest stars, but it's starting to suffer from the decompression that Vendetti fell into on GLC. Loved how utterly dismissive Sky Tyrant is of The Batman Who Bores and his Dark Multiverse.

Decompression is taking its toll. I am not sure I remember what's been going on, in fact.

Another excellent issue with a great surprise at the end.

Some interesting things here, like the Red Cloud's origin and the chat between Supes and Chief Moore. But too many different things being tossed against the wall at once, some incredibly bad art by JRjr, and a potentially difficult subplot involving Superman playing politics tossed out like it's just another thing. Given how strong Action has been, this pretty good issue turns out to be a real downer.

Despite some great art and good character work, things sputter a bit. And is that supposed to be Mister Bones at the end? Or someone else?

A pretty good story, though it hits the usual beats that a Tomasi Batstory hits. I like the cops being friendly with Bats (a side effect of six months of Bane running Gotham?) But as someone who doesn't read either Batman or Batman/Superman, I feel like I am walking in in the middle of things. I know Alfred is dead, and I know Jim Gordon has taken leave of his senses. But their absence still seems abrupt. And really, the best Gotham can do is Bullock? Where's Maggie Sawyer?

There are a million million good ideas on the loose here, and the only thing stopping me from loving this series more is that most of the ideas have no room to breathe.

There is a ton of potential here, if only BMB could get out of his own way. He's too eager to do everything at once, and we aren't really getting to know anyone as a result. I sort of wish he had started with the origin of the Legion, even if I get that he didn't want to cover that ground again. And we don't need Damian so soon, even if the Super-Sons are just that cool.

A story about how all those people wearing Guy Fawkes masks at protests are really wearing V for Vendetta masked licensed by Warner Bros.

Better the second time around. And gives me a modicum of hope on a rather hopeless day.

If only this were part of an ongoing series and not the use of 1/12th of the series to address something that happened in another comic. And Perkins cannot draw babies.

Another brilliant issue, with some really subtle bits. (At no point does the tech genius say that 9/11 led him to do his great project, but the timestamp makes it clear that Spurrier wants to mention it without being a bludgeon.) Only way it could have been better is for Evely to have done the art.

Almost missed this because of the stupid logo-free cover. I am really not digging the Year of the Villain stuff at all, and I think BMB would have preferred to skip it as well. The stuff with the Invisible Mafia and Leviathan is a lot more interesting, anyway. But what kills the issue is the usual subpar work from JRJr, who hasn't drawn a comic I like since the 80s. Why did DC poach him from Marvel again? And BOOO for his inability to draw Leoni at her proper weight.

Welcome back, Lorne.

A lot to like here, but I am not sure we need Mrs. Freeze. Though I sort of love that Luthor cheated poor Victor. I assume a lot of his gifts are going to work out that way.

The end of the fight within J'Onn's mind was a bit of a letdown, but I love the art and love the team of Jones and Meade. Can we keep her, and keep this longer than a year?

Why isn't everyone talking about this?

Slightly underwhemling, in part because the fight is a bit of a bore, and in part because the minotaur who runs Roxxon talks we too much and seems a bit cartoony.

Excellent art and a general effort to turn back the clock to the original Denny O'Neil make this a delight to old school fans of Vic Sage, even if at times this threatens to teeter into nostalgia. Lemire's script stays focused, and he gives one of his better efforts for DC in the past few years.

A good but not stellar start, buoyed by some heady if familiar SF ideas and some amazing art. For a first effort, Jemisin does a good job, but I think she needs to step back from the narration a bit more.

Too fast a read and the art is a bit scratchy, but engaging and entertaining as usual.

Stunning and chilling and gripping. War on humanity? Or really just war on capitalism? Is Amdeus right? Is Bruce's crusade doomed? We will see. But what a trip we are on.

Too many characters for a new comic, and not enough to distinguish them yet. But the art is great, there is some seriously weird world-building going on, and I came away happy. Definitely worth trying. Assuming you still like Bendis. Seems I still like Bendis.

The only things wrong with this comic are that we didn't learn how Vic Sage is alive, and that all the political intrigue involving a whistleblower has to compete with reality. Though I really do wish Lois Lane were on the impeachment trail. Otherwise, amazing art and great character stuff. A home run.

Is anyone reading this? Are YOU reading this? Why aren't you reading this? This is an incredible comic, and this issue is the best so far. Spurrier and Evely hit a grand slam.

As much as I like some of Constantine's appearances in the DCU, and loved the short lived series by Tynion and Doyle and Rossmo, we need to have back full on classic Constantine, don't we?

That was so weird. I honestly don't know how it ties to the rest of the series, and the last couple of pages felt even more out of left field. But the art was great and I give Ewing credit for trying to stretch his talents into pure SF.

The best installment yet in what might possibly be the best J'Onn story yet.

Wacky, smart fun, with a zany Mephisto.

Strong art and a lot of intriguing moments, but the ending was abrupt and Ellis's take on Alfred seems a bit off. But Warren definitely gets Batman.

Strongest issue yet, even if some of that strength was just from the conversations between the various The big moment, with Supes and Leviathan talking, should have come a lot sooner. But no matter what else, I am looking forward to seeing how this all ends.

So we get the mission statement: humanity has endured, but just barely. It falls, and comes back over and over. And now this new team of teen heroes has one last chance to make it worth before New Earth goes the way of Old. Not really sold on the teens yet, but there is something about this idea that really feels different.

Stuff with Naomi? Really good, a reminder how well BMB writes teens despite being 50. The stuff with Red Cloud? Surprisingly clumsy.

A strong reintroduction of Gunn, from a writer who can do things with the character that his creators couldn't. Too bad we have to take a side trip to a crossover so soon.

It's another, slightly smaller team of detectives! This is a reasonably good, very well drawn series that could have been so much better if it weren't so decompressed.

A really good story, but I am at a loss to understand how it connects with the regular arc.

My wife and I both read issue 6, and started reading this and felt like we missed an issue. Either the end of issue 6 was badly written or instantly forgettable. I vote the latter.

Progress in drips and drabs. Is there really enough Event Leviathan for both Action and the miniseries? But certainly we do get some interesting tidbits. As well as Leone's moment of awesoe telling off Luthor. (Once more, I wonder how many of DC's writers aren't really buying into DOOM.) Also, I wonder what would happen if Leviathan and Luthor showed up at the same place to make an offer at the same time.

All very well done, but did we need John's origin again? It might be retold as much as Batman's now.

Great storytelling, start to finish. The dynamic between Meade and J'Onn is amazing, so much so that I would rather have an ongoing about them than see J'Onn get wrung out in Justice League.

Such a great first issue. I didn't read a word of the War of the Realms, and I wasn't lost. That alone is noteworthy. But there is just so much going on here, all built around one of Marvel's most intriguing characters, written by its two best writers. I can't wait to see where it all goes.

Nothing we haven't seen before. But after so many subpar Joker stories, one that gets back to basics is so welcome. And I think the Joker speaks for all of us who are finding DOOM to be oppressive and dull.

Reg Fortean is an idiot. Al Ewing is not.

Solid conclusion to the arc and to a lot of things that have been going on for longer. Not loving this year of the villain thing, but I suspect Lobdell doesn't either. Great art, especially for Susie, who is that rarest of rarities, an obese woman not drawn to look like a freak.

A rare instance of not fully loving this comic. The stuff in Gamma Hell was muddled and borderd on incoherent, and the events on Earth were unusually hard to make much sense of. I also don't feel like Red Harpy Betty is being written with much consistency. I wonder what went wrong here after so many great issues.

A lot of interesting stuff here, but it feels like Rucka stenciling over what Bendis has been doing. And while I am in line with Rucka's politics - this seems to be the first DC or Marvel comic to call out the current administration on anything - is Rucka making an accusation that Trump's policy at the border is about making his rich friends richer? That is certainly a big leap for a comic book writer who is not, so far as I know, a reporter.

Amazing art, of course. Great setup. But didn’t we cover most of this before? And what is up with Batman’s dialogue? Still into this but not a sure thing.

After four months of a Buffy comic that can't figure out how much it wants to ape the TV show and how much it doesn't, while lacking in any urgency till the last two pages of the last issue, it's a relief to read this. Bryan Edward Hill, who has never failed to impress me, brings a sense of edgy darkness and urgency to a character who needs such things to thrive, as well as a more adult sensibility that has always set Angel's stories apart from Buffy's. That this is an Angel who hasn't even met Buffy yet also helps. Melkinov's art is not amazing, but it works well enough and shows signs of becoming exactly what we need.

Points off for the cockamamie timeline.

Very solid, surprisingly edgy debut by one of DC's rising stars (moonlighting between seasons of Titans) and the ever-reliable Dexter Soy.

Worth reading alone for the return of the Bruce-Damian partnership. Never mind the art, or the incredibly rapid pace of events. Tomasi is not one for dragging things out, and that is so welcome in the age of decompression.

A good ending to a strong if somewhat decompressed story that restores Hawkman to his rightful place in the DCU and promises a great and hopefully successful future. Thanks for everything, Bryan Hitch!

The change of pace is a little quiet at times, but it makes for a good breather in what is usually a very propulsive comic. The way that Roy's death has been handled is remarkably poignant. But what is the deal with Wingman?

Great art and generally entertaining - love that single page from an old issue of Checkmate - but BMB decompression is setting in.

Still chugging along a bit too slowly, but taking a trip to Faerie, and presumably to all the things we remember that Tim doesn't, is most welcome.

After Mahnke, Walker is a letdown. But who wouldn't be? A pretty good story, made stronger by the return to 'Tec of Damian. (Isn't it weird how much Tynion and King avoid using him?) Tomasi continues to write the best Damian Wayne stuff.

Brad Walker isn't Doug Mahnke. I shouldn't hold that against him, but after Mahnke, everyone at DC outside of Hitch and Gleason seems a bit bland. Otherwise, a good start to the new arc, if perhaps a bit too rushed and crowded.

Till now, this series, by having one and two part stories, avoided Vendetti's tendency to pad things out the way he did in Hal and the GLC. That tendency rears its head this month, not ruining the story but making me wish it could be an issue shorter.

Entertaining, but starting to feel a bit lighter and more disposable that it has. The Su sisters are not nearly are interesting as Artemis and Bizarro.

I know this is flawed, and it could have taken two issues instead of four to get us to this place. But I am still liking this book, and what Bendis is doing with the entire Kent family. Despite Jon being seven years older, he still has an air of innocence about him that works well. And the art remains the art, since I don't think Reis can do a bad page.

I ma not ready to say that this supersedes the PAD era as "Greatest Hulk Series." But certainly Ewing is swinging for the fences and connecting every time, and it seems he's got a huge master plan. Aside from telling a great story and making the Devil Hulk a fascinating character, Ewing is expertly taking elements from all over. This issue alone revisits the Hulk's origin, brings back a charactger we probably haven't seen since the PAD run (in the most unusual way), goes back to the Herb Trimpe era for a twist we probably didn't expect (though maybe fans of more recent Hulk runs aren't surprised)and even tosses in some hulk-dogs. And all of it works!

McGuire settles in more and more with each issue, and I loved the set piece at the end. Did we actually see a hero saving people's lives? That doesn't happen nearly enough.

Best stories: Snyder, Bendis, Johns, Smith Weakest stories (none of which were bad): King, Dini, Arkham Knight Biggest takeaways: Dick Grayson needs to be Dick Grayson again. King might actually get Batman and most of the cast but might not get how to write a comic. The best Batman writers are also incredilby humanistic. Ralph and Sue are still part of the DCU. DC has the best artists it's ever had, but NEal Adams isn't one of them anymore.

Maybe 15 pages of story, but really good story nonetheless.

Looks great, but kind of forgettable. Bring back China Mieville!

A bit more diffuse than previous issues, though the stuff on Earth is really start to sizzle.

Mildly confusing, especially that ending. But I love the idea of Superman being forced into dealing with things that he can't solve with super-powers. And of him and Lois being a team.

Wow. Though if gamma people don't die, what about the vast number of Marvel characters with one-off hulouts over the decades? Why are there only two critics reviews?

Good story. Stellar art.

A tad decompressed but still one of DC's best comics.

How did we get here anyway? And who's Wingman. I liked it but I want some answers.

At long last, things are moving as the crossover fades from view. Lots of fun.

So gripping and chilling and smart. Love the acknowledgement of Ross's three funerals. And love how it's clear that the bad guy here is Banner, not unlike how he was used in Jason Aaron's nearly forgotten run on the book.

I didn’t see THAT coming.

Another solid issue with strong art and good character play, but it does spin its wheels a bit.

Points off for what has become something of a hackneyed plot, and therefore a weak twist. Points restored for not killing Leslie after all, for the art, and for the firm restatement of Batman's mission.

Slightly less amazing than the first two issues, since we trade the outright weirdness of Mars woth the familiar ground of J'Onn arriving on Earth. But still amazing.

Taken as a series of vignettes, Mythology has been amazing. Taken as a story, the verdict is still out. But man that is great art.

A bit decompressed, but otherwise great, with stellar art.

DC's best series? If not, it's close.

Somewhat abrupt and disjointed ending to the arc. And who IS Wingman?

Aging up Jon is still not a great idea, but the execution of the idea has been really good.

Very intriguing first part.

A point off for Batman exploding one ear of his cowl and still having two ears. Is there an ear dispenser in there? A great thrill ride otherwise.

Did the critics read the same comic I did? The story was bland and undermined the art and script.

Not entirely sure what's going on. And the narration is starting to get pretentious, with reused art. Are we getting some unnecessary padding? Nice to see the classic Hulk, though.

I love every individual issue, but does it add up to anything but a 24 issue setup for spinoffs DC might not greenlight?

A touch too busy - Gotham, Paris, Korea, New Mexico, boom! - but great to look at and lots of funs, or at least intrigue.

Half a point off for this issue not exactly advancing the plot. But otherwise a tour de force of storytelling in a jugular vein.

Entertaining but oddly paced.

The master of decompression goes the other direction, stuffing too much into a small space and quot quite succeeding. Not a bad comic, but could be so much better.

Did we really need faux Native Americans in Conan? Comes way too close to discredited Noble Savage garbage.

I love this comic. And loved the two page spread of Kryptonian history.

That was weird. But fun. And action packed. And a bit incoherent. I think, in others words, it's pure Priest.

I hate the cancer trope. It's always maudlin and manipulative. Why are we seeing it again?

A good issue of 2000AD. Not a good issue of a Hal Jordan series. Grant just doesn't get Hal.

Such a great reimagining of Mars, by two great talents. Though the stuff on Earth could be better.

Docking half a point for starting a new series with a crossover. But I think we are on our way to something really good. And fans of the marvelous Ms. McGuire wiil no doubt revel in her unique voice.

Rapidly becoming a must read.

Lightweight and a bit scattered but striving to be fun. Think PAD's original Young Justice and not Johns' Teen Titans. A good start.

A notch lower than the run so far, with just a hint of the padding BMB is infamous for.

So on first read, it felt like nothing happened. A lot did. But it was pretty understated, and underwritten, and ultimately dull.

The first part of the issue was of course intended to be a standard 1970s Conan story, and it was reasonably good but it felt just a bit like an imitation of the superb Roy Thomas era, and the causal sexism of that era and of Conan's world doesn't hold up well. But then we shift to old Conan, and the there is a new and welcome focus on a character I haven't seen nearly enough of. Very promisinsg, if still also with the potential to falter on all those outdated tropes.

I am subtracting points from a well assembled comic for killing off Leslie. It certainly seems a waste, if not an outright fridging. But otherwise, Tomasi continues to hit all the notes that King wants to hit and cannot. And the art is stellar.

So much love just for Jackie calling out the entitlement of white men even when they are also green. Not at all sure where this is going. But I am thrilled with the ride.

Yelling the booyah is not enough to make this series come together. I am out for now.

Some murky art, but really intense and heavy and yet funny. How Whedonian. And I love what Shepherd says about war.

Despite that sweet sweet Bennett art, this was a bit of a mess and never came fully together. The Hulk didn't really contribute much - as if Ewing didn't want to overuse the character he's writing 18 times a year - and future Stephen was a cypher. But this was still entertaining and weird.

So did God send Ktar back? Such a weird conceit underlying a really interesting idea for the why in Carter's life. But how does the woman figure into it? Sooner or later, Vendetti has got to bring Kendra into the story. Also, great art by Hitch with a nice layer of Kubert style.

Seems like despite solid sales, a popular character, and an acclaimed award winning author, th fan press is ignoring this. I wonder why. Anyway, a fun story concludes. There is a lot of promise here, but it's impossible to say what tis series will be like when it returns to the regular world of Gwen Stacey. Never a good idea to start a new series with a crossover.

Great art and character play with Supes doesn't quite fix the abrupt ending of the fight, or get us any closer to knowing what's up with Rogor Zaar. The mystery of Rogor Zaar started in June and we still don't know who he is. If Bendis's run has a central flaw, this is it.

Bland from start to finish. Dull art, boring story, nothing here worth reading. I heard great thing about Willow Wilson, but none of them are on display. Have to wonder if the editors are forcing the same old same old "Diana and the Gods" stuff onto every new writer.

That was a gut punch. No, two gut punches. But Tomasi writes Batman better than almost anyone, and Mahnke is never less than great. So glad to have two the best back on the Bat.

Poignant as well as thrilling.

Poorly paste, and whoever that guy in the costume is he is not Jordan. Personality is all wrong. I miss Vendetti..

Strongest issue in a while, mainly by being unpredictable. Also by not being at all preachy about the failings of the mental health care system. A long overdue return to form.

If this were a new series with new characters continuing the legacy of the Green Lanterns, I would like this a lot more. It has a welcome and delightful 2000 AD vibe to it. But it utterly ignores everything that's been done in the GL books since, I don't know, 1984? No other humans GLs, almost no familiar GLs at all, an even more underdeveloped Hal than usual, and all the work that's been done with the Corps by Johns and Vendetti forgotten. I get that Grant does what he wants, but that doesn't have to come at the cost of losing what everyone else did.

Docking a great story a point for relying on the Stupid Scientist trope. Really, he wasn't smart enough to keep the head in another room, or to not taunt the Hulk. Surely everyone knows you don't make the Hulk angry. Loved the snap, though. Almost as iconic as Thanos's, maybe?

A bit too much Tell and Don't Show, but generally good, and stronger as it goes along.

Strong ending that finally ups the ante on the mythic elements of the story, and that clearly changes the status quo for magic in the DCU going forward. Poor Swamp Thing.

I think all the pieces are in place. And there are a lot of them. Maybe too many. But I still like this. Should re-read it all between now and the next issue.

Wow. Wow. Wow. Someone at Paste, IIRC, said that this one would make you cry. And it did. Well done, Brian!!

Solid reboot that sets up some new stuff alongside the old and familiar.

A fair sight better than the last issue, if still a little clunky in spots. Great art.

Totally accessible for this newb to Spider-Gwen, and totally fun. Very much a work by Seanan McGuire.

Good character stuff, but the plot is really quite padded out. Did we need this to be five parts?

Generally good but would be a lot better if there were less narration and more dialogue. And is Tynion really about to destroy the Green?

Fun. Just plain fun. I am so happy DC managed to bring back Ray Palmer.

About what would expect in the current series, where the action is almost beside the point. The point being, the Hulk not only wreaks havoc with things, he does so with people in new ways. And man, what an ending!

For the record, I am not interested in Tom King's PTSD Comics and think that character deaths are gratuitous. So I am impressed that Lodbell managed to make some lemonade from that lemon, addressing both Heroes in Crisis and the lingering threads in here well. I like that Bruce and Jason were able to make peace again, even if I think that Bruce will never trust Jason again. But I hope next time out, we can just focus on what seems to be a really good storyline.

Points off for BMB decompression and what might be a misleading cliffhanger. But I love the art and love how well Bendis gets Superman month in and month out. It's rare to have a Supes who doesn't think with his fists, and who can actually be strategic. I want more.

I have no idea where this is headed, and I sort of think that it won't need five issues to get there. But the art is amazing and the script hides a lot of flaws with the plot.

There is an interesting premise in here somewhere. I will give this a second issue to work. But Williamson doesn't entirely seem to get Starfire or Cyborg.

A good solid ending that is as open ended as the TV show's finale and also a good farewell to a comic series that ran longer than the TV show.

Ia it too much to have wished that this series didn't get reconnected with the broader Marvel Universe so soon? I mean, it's still great and all, but I like it better when I don't have to know what else is going on at Marvel.

Extra points for Hawkworld nostalgia.

Great new artist in Woods, same great writer, and a new direction that feels totally earned.

Bendis and Reis's impressive run continues. Bendis's Superman is as spot-on as ever.

Maybe a bit too much time with Diana Prince, and do we really need two sex scenes? But overall a great lead-in to the finale next month.

What scares the Hulk? Not Banner. We know what scares Banner. But the Hulk? What could possibly scare him? But this is a horror story, and usually a good horror story isn't about our fears alone. It's about the fears of the characters. So Al Ewing looked into the Hulk's past and his present, and found the two things that scare him. And as a result this is both a great issue and a great stepping stone for what's to come.

Pacing issues hold back an otherwise great comic.

Generally good but there is just something not quite there yet.

How did no one ever have Swamp Thing and Amanda Waller collide till now?

Very good penultimate issue of the Dark Horse era and possibly of all things classic Buffy.

Another superb issue, though it might be good if there were a supporting cast. And Hawkworld fans might be in for a treat.

A bit scattershot, but generally entertaining and fun and gripping, with some interesting surprises.

For years I heard complaints about the decompressed storytelling of Brian Michael Bendis. And sure enough, this is a very decompressed story. But I kind of love it. Bendis writes such a great Superman that he makes up for everything about this issue that shouldn't work. Well, maybe not his take on the Flash. There's only half an issue of story here, but all of it grabs me. And who could fail to love the art?

Given that I only got this to see what is going on with Tim Hunter version 4.0, I was generally surprised with how interesting it was, seeing as how I am not much on Sandman, or Si Spurrier. The Dreaming and House of Whispers spinoffs look interesting. The Tim Hunter stuff, though, was the least interesting section here.

Why aren't you reading this series? Why isn't anyone?

Ironically, after a few issues of this arc that felt padded, this one managed to feel rushed despite the extra pages (which are at least included at the usual $4 price). Overall, there were a fair number of good moments in this issue and this arc, but Vendetti is not going out on the highest note possible. Still, it's been a great 51 issues (including the Rebirth special), and I will miss this specific version of the Corps. I wonder where the rest of the Four Corpsmen (and Simon and Jessica) will land when Hal gets the spotlight to himself once more in the Grant Morrison series.

Good but a notch lower than last time because Walter Langkowski is not that interesting.

A few Bendisims aside, this is yet another strong Superman tale from a writer that I thought had nothing to bring to Metropolis. And I think this approach plays to Bendis's strengths (if not necessarily Superman's). And oh that art! Gleason at his absolute best, which is saying something.

12 pages of high octane action squeezed into...20? As has sometimes been the case, the bimonthly schedule has led Vendetti to pad things a bit too much. Never mind that Hector Hammond is just too effective. Still, I do want to see how it all wraps up.

A good but very talky start. But given that Tynion is in the same mode as his run on Detective, odds are this will get flowing soon enough. And I love this cast.

It's all talk, but it's really good talk as Gage (and Joss) finally get on track.

Too much going on without really giving readers time to breathe, and without any room for character play. A big step down from Metal and No Justice, despite the stellar art.

As usual, the bits and pieces are great, and for once I sort of know what's going on. But with the story more than halfway to the end, I wonder if we will ever get all the pieces connected. And where did Angela Spica go?

Rashamon in green, five great artists, two obscure PAD-era characters, and one great story.

At long long last, the fight with the Darkstars begins. If only any of the Darkstars besides Tomar Tu had names or faces. That weakens an otherwise solid issue.

Another strong issue. Vendetti is bringing his A game, and so is the always reliable Hitch. Possibly the surprise of the year, given the history of dull Hawkman comics.

I should like this. And I guess I do. But there is just something missing that makes it all feel less than essential. And not worth the money when down the line I can just find it in a library.

Did THAT really happen? Pretty clear that Lobdell is bringing all the plots of the first 24 issues to a head, and he's doing it as well as ever.

Why aren't you reading this?

Sooo close to giving this a 10. Love the art. Love how BMB writes Supes and finally liked how he wrote Lois and Jon. But his J'Onn...what was up with that? Take over? And "it's garbage?" That is not how J'Onn talks. (Also not sure about his Flash.) Overall, though, it was a joy to read and to look at. Give me more.

An improvement over the rest of this miniseries, with some interesting character play. But just not really clicking that well for me. Something is missing. Like Rose and Jericho and the larger consequences of the rest of the series that DC put on hold for six months.

Another one-issue story, great art, a sense that Ewing gets Bruce Banner, and a feeling this is going somewhere. If only I was sure that this version of the Hulk was going to work long term.

Overstuffed. As if a seven year old is breathlessly retelling his favorite story with a lot of and thens. Entertaining, but no time to breathe. Maybe the opposite of the Man of Steel miniseries, but perhaps we can have a comic that has neither too much padding or too much bone.

The art is great, and Bendis continues to understand Superman. And the new status quo might be very interesting. But we never come near to the truth about the big bad, and I am not quite sure why we need to have Lois and Jon off the board. I will be reading one of the Bendix series, but I don't know for how long.

Given that cover, I thought this would be heartbreaking. It's not. It's still good, but not what I expected.

I am not entirely sure what was going on with Hal. Really liked the stuff with Guy, though. But can we please get on to the battle with the Darkstars?

The continued strong characterization of Supes and Kara and a lot of good art make up for the glacial pacing, mishandling of most of the JLA, and whatever it is that's going on with Lois and Jon. This would have been better at four issues.

Well, here we are at the end, again, with the Fox/Disney merger coming and a sense that Dark Horse will lose the license prior to some sort of reboot. Given the steadily diminishing returns on the Buffy and Angel comics, it's probably time to end these anyway. If only Gage's script didn't keep lurching. If only Jeanty had learned to draw faces any better over the past decade. It's not bad, but it just is another reminder that the best days for the franchise are way behind us.

Very strong first issue that quickly establishes why we need another try at giving the Winged Warrior and past master of cancellations a monthly comic. Great art, and further evidence that Vendetti is a DC all star.

So much is going on here. Maybe too much. For now, Snyder has things in control, but can he maintain the breakneck pace for long?

Simone walks a fine line between Plastic humor and noir, and for the most part it works. But there is something missing, and I am not sure what. Maybe it's just that I want to see Plas do something more street level than work with Spyral. Maybe it's that he's not wacky enough.

Not that I don't miss Bizarro and Artemis, but Jason is the star of this series, and this issue shows us why.

The internal monologue by Supes and the action sequences by Maguire make up for an abrupt ending and a somewhat underwhelming appearance by Hal "too busy to be in the League" Jordan.

Worth reading just for the scene with Lynch and Fairchild and for the fight at the beginning. As usual, there are too many things going on in each issue and I have trouble keeping track of all the things that Ellis is wrapping around the center of the comic. There are just too many characters.

A few great moments, some good action, and some interesting developments, but still a lot of wheel spinning.

Promising first issue, though Ewing will need to follow through on the promise soon.

Better than last month, but still not good. Bring back Seeley!

Given how underwhelming Robinson's run on WW has been, this is surprisingly good. Having Frazer Irving art doesn't hurt.

Definitely a notch lower as BMB starts to juggle several balls at once story-wise, including the hackneyed "The Daily Planet is doomed because no one reads newspapers" concept. But his Supes is still spot on, and there is a lot to like here. I just don't think we need this many plotlines. Or three artists, all of them good but not of them matching.

Loses points for a plot that doesn't entirely make sense and is rushed, and for how annoying Waller is. But otherwise, lots of amazing character moments, and great art, and a strong setup for the future of the JL franchise.

Spot on perfect Superman, intriguing story, good mystery and great art. Still not sure about the new characters but otherwise I am in. Ben did might actually do it.

The usual solid if slow storytelling. Didn't see what was coming with Guy, but should have.

A lot of interesting pieces but nothing really comes together.

Two steps backwards: less interesting character play than last week, and the usually amazing Riley Rossmo doing a lot of the art in a style that is great for Hellblazer but not good for this kind of comic. Also, too much Waller being whiney.

Great art is aided by a strong script and a ton of amazing character moments. Things are perking along very nicely indeed.

Every individual issue is so well written and so gorgeous that it pains me to say how little actually seems to be happening and how little I remember from the previous 12 issues. Ellis is in total command of the characters, but not the narrative.

Great art, and some great moments with the neglected Manhunter from Mars. But kind of padded. Lots of set-up, not much else.

Rushed ending, but otherwise good.

Surprisingly poignant. Expect when Jason is pestering the Penguin and when Luthor is around.

Best issue yet. Love this alternate John Constantine.

Really strong "gathering of the forces" issue that more firmly addresses Hal's doubts. Only the last couple of pages felt a bit off. The rest was just great, in script and in art. And the secondary Kirkham cover is incredible.

The lead story is both great and accessible, and is a fitting end to the surprising return to glory that has been Jurgens' run on this series. The second story is entertaining, and oddly prescient of events at the real world White House Correspondents Dinner, but I don't think it matters much. The third story is just a rerun of all the stories in Action 1000. I wish the lead story had been longer.

This is okay. I see what Priest is trying to do. And he still writes Deathstroke like no one else. But the pacing is off, and his Batman is off about as much it was in Justice League.

Instantly forgettable, with an art style that doesn't really go with Nightwing and a story that os ust there. And Nightwing is a luddite? Really? Bring back Seeley!

Tempted to give a higher grade just for being a really good free comic, but have to temper my praise with concerns over just where things are headed. Joker: Given my overall dislike for King's Batman run - and the sheer stupidity that it's Batman and Catwoman getting married and not Bruce and Selina, and that it's something the Joker could even know - it's a good Joker story. Not Dini-level good, but better than what we've seen from Snyder (a better writer than King but someone who really doesn't get the Joker). Great art, as well. (Great art is the constant here.) The Man of Steel preview is a bit confusing since we are once again dropped into the middle of the story, but it feels a lot more like a Superman comic than the preview in Action. Bendis gets Perry's voice and is close to getting Clark's voice. This is promising. Though the Mysterious Woman Seeking to Take Over the Planet does nothing for me. But if Bendis can write a convincing newsroom the way he did in Ult-Spidey, we are off to a good start. The No Justice preview is about what we'd expect from these writers. Over the top, oddly on the money, and entertaining. This miniseries and the latest refresh of the JL brand might work well. And did I mention how thrilled I am that Garcia-Lopez is still around and kicking?

Like too many Vendetti books, we cover the same ground we did before more than is good. But overall, this is quite entertaining, and even addresses the "what make the Darkstars different than the Sinestro and Red Lantern Corps" question. Great art, too.

Seems a bit padded, and Huntress doesn't really fit. But Seeley really gets John.

The Tepids is more like it. A dull slog of a series so far, no matter how good the art. Is this really written by Lemire?

Does what it says on the tin. It celebrates Superman. If you are looking for something new and different and profound, nope. If you are looking for a long epic story, nope. But if you are looking for the right mix of current and classic writers and artists, you've come to the right place. My highlights include Johns, Donner and Copiel; Tomasi and Gleason; and Dini and Garcia-Lopez. The only dud here was Snyder's effort. As for Bendis...the jury is still out, but his usual tics are on view, take them or leave them.

Stunning, haunting, dark, a bit depressing, very sad, and very well done. And also a bit of a reminder why someone like Batman would not be so effective in a real world where the bad guys aren't clowns, aliens, or secret societies but instead are just corruptible human beings.

A rare dud from Priest, clearly rushed to finish off everything in time for No Justice. The efforts to address what a Justice League could possibly hope to do in the real world comes up short. And I am not entirely sure what happened at the end. Overall, it was nice to see Priest on the big boys, but we all knew it couldn't last. A pity, but DC needs JL to be its second biggest seller, and that won't happen when the writer is writing about geopolitics.

Like the last issue, non-essential filler with a good story and great art that is a lot more fun than anything Humphries did. But if you are strapped after getting Action 1000, you can skip this.

Really not sold on Hal's sudden doubts about due process. But liking the rest of it, especially the art.

Solid use of geopolitics and the tragedy/disaster that is present day North Korea, undermined slightly by hackneyed team dynamics.

I feel like we missed something regarding Jason and the Penguin. But the rest is really good.

Bizarrely was able to buy it for 99 cents on Comixology. It's worth more than that, but I feel like, aside from doing some interesting stuff with the rather reprehensible Eros, it covers a lot of ground we've seen before and also suffers from a few of Starlin's writing ticks. Still, no one writes Thanos better. And the art by Davis is what you might expect.

After the mess that was Humphries's failed run, this one is welcome. Even if the orientalism is not.

Kind of an underwhelming ending, and a rather padded arc. Not up to the standards of this series,m but not bad, either.

Coming into focus but not quite there yet. Interesting stuff with the bad guys and with Huntress.

I really appreciate what Priest is trying to do here, but this time it doesn't really come together, His "Justice League in the real world, only with an evil Black Panther" just feels too messy. Mayb that's on purpose, but the League doesn't entirely feel like they get to do much in their own book. It's, dare I say, a Marvel approach to a DC book, and maybe is the problem.

An improvement over the first issue, but really getting there slowly.

Swamp Thing has a bow tie made of red plants. Your argument is irrelevant.

Just that amazing.

How can something be so good and so intense and yet be muddled? Not sure what Kenan Kong is doing here. Not sure at all what's going on Chinatown. But as ever, this book is compelling and fast paced and fun.

So the overall arc seems to be not coming together. But the individual issues are getting ever better. This one works as a Flash story and as a JL story, and I wish DC were keeping Priest on JL longer.

Yeah, we can guess where this is going. So what? It's great. Bring a hankie.

Wow. Stellar throwback art by Cowan and Sienkewicz - who worked together a few times on the classic Question series in the 80s - and an incredible story by Priest (aided by Hama). Does Priest cheat a little with Power Girl? Maybe. But the overall effect is pure high octane and pure Priest.

Reasonably entertaining merger of the original and second Clayface's origins. Great Barrows art.

Belongs entirely to Wonder Woman, and is slightly less desolate, but I think this series needed to be shorter.

I liked this, but things sort of just happen.

Another strong issue. Love the Kyle-Hal team. Love the art.

Back on track after a couple of meandering issues. Not sure yet what to make of the Fan, though.

Better than the last issue, but still not good. The Judge does nothing for me.

Dick's change of heart comes from nowhere. That undermines an otherwise strong finale to a good of non-essential miniseries.

Robinson cannot find Diana's voice. Which is a real pity because everything else clicks, especially his Darkseid.

Guessing this was an inventory script - did DC make Tamaki try out here? I hope not. But it's a really good script.

Not sure what the Creeper is doing here, and the pace of the issue was a bit clunky. But fun as usual, and also going to some really disturbing places.

Much better second part of the Barry Allen story.

The art is great. The pacing is better, the script is better. But something is still missing. I think Robinson just doesn't know what to do with Diana.

This arc could have been three issues. But the art is great, Vendetti fixes the book's Guardian (or lack of Guardians) problem at last, and the characters are the characters. No need, though, to repeat the mission statement for all four GLs twice.

A rare misfire by Priest. The Chinatown stuff is still confusing. And the Terra stuff is not as good as it should be.

Everything is a bit off. The pacing, the characters, the plotting. It's like Priest didn't ahve time to bake everything. Good art, though.

This is the same Humprhies who was so good in GLs? This is a dour, bleak, un-fun mess saved only by the art and maybe by Alfred.

Good all around, but mainly for Damian.

Not sure what to make of it. Points to DC for its efforts to diversify its talents and its heroes, but the story is a bit flat.

Such a wonderful, stunning, gorgeous, thoughtful comic. Busiek at his best, Leon at his best, worth every penny.

I am liking what is probably the last hurrah for this character after DC has repeatedly tried and failed to find him an audience. Too bad, since this arc is pretty good.

Great art and a good story but in one ear and out the other. Lemire is more or less just getting back back in a DC groove. At least it's not entirely hopeless.

The story has started to meander a bit, though the spin given to The Big Red S and his worst enemy, like the twist to Lois, is effective. The best part is Dick's utterly, overly consistent behavior throughout the series.

OK, Darkseid is back. Can we now move to an actual Wonder Woman story?

Kind of more of the same as last issue, which is entertaining and full of GLC goodness, but also padded.

More of the same, which is both frustrating - how many times can our heroes be forced to confront how hopeless things are? - and fun - Capullo's art is great and Snyder is having a great time throwing everything at the wall. But can all the pieces come together in the next two months?

Priest finds the heroes' voices this time, keeps things interesting and busy, and then pulls the rug from under them. This is not the sort of thing that people tend to do with the JL, and it's a bit risky. But it's also very welcome.

Great Chang art, but really a mess. What is going on here?

Why isn't anyone talking about this? Why is the dour and depressing Mister Miracle getting all the praise when THIS is the one, true Kirby tribute series?

A bit padded and a bit on the nose, but fun as usual.

Dr. Ikon vs Slade? Not quite. As ever, Priest goes in the strangest directions.

A good low-key start, but this doesn't entirely feel like a Justice League comic. More like a good Elseworlds than the continuation of previous stories.

Moving along rather nicely, with a good twist at the end.

A lot to like, but this is generally muddled, not the best end to what has been a good run on Nightwing by Seeley. I just hope that Humphries keeps the supporting cast around.

Intriguing premise that is worth staying with, featuring some great art and a good narrative. Not quite at the levels of greatness we see from Busiek in Astro City, but I think it will grab pep[le anyway.

Good start to the next arc, great art, and a fun new teen Lantern.

I might be a bit kind if this were less expensive. It's got good art and likeable characters but it's too familiar. Some people will compare it with Harry Potter. I'm going to compare it to the X-Men series by Jason Aaron at Jean Grey Academy. CRoss out Broo and write in Plop, replace the famous X-Men with the famous wizards and witches, and so on. It might be worth tracking down in collected form. But it's not quite good enough to be worth the cost.

Good solid story with emotional beats that feel believable and a main character who remains true to his beliefs even when caught between extremes.

Wacky fun and a salute once again to the King.

The strength of this issue, like the last, is the conversation. The fight stuff is pretty good, though it kind of feels like the army of 'roided up id monsters is sketchy in both art and use. It's the chat between Dick and a version of Blockbuster who is surprisingly more interesting than the one we knew and loved to hate in the classic Dixon era. This Roland Desmond is fascinating and a great mix of outright thug and thoughtful adversary. Plus I think that Seeley has finally got a handle once more on the rest of the cast. The finale is shaping up to be a great capstone to the short but eventful Seeley era.

90 percent of this is great. Hal vs Dawnbreaker, with EVS art. And then suddenly Hal lost after all. Like most of Metal so far, the deck is stacked against the good guys. Badly. It's getting to be a bit of a drag. But at least Vendetti really gets Hal and EVS cannot draw a single bad page.

So so guest art. A bit all over the place. But still fun if forgettable.

Sort of all over the place, though the interactions between the Outlaws and the Squad are very well done.

Good cast, great art, but I am not sure a series of warped DCU heroes being killed by the title character is what we need.

The ending makes the rest of the book work, but Robinson still has no idea how to write Diana.

Jim Werner is exactly right.

Some of DC's biggest big bads debate if Slade is still "evil." This works much better than it has any right to work.

Builds on the last issue and the first miniseries very deftly, and introduces some new if familiar elements.

The conversation between Dick and Raptor is great stuff. But then things happen too suddenly with Shawn and her team, even as everything goes to crap for Dick. So a 9 till that moment of disconnect, and then a big dropoff.

Boy, this is the comic no one cares about. But this was a really good issue, surprisingly.

Sebela succeeds in streamlining the previously all-over-the-place series, though it's also just a little too calm after all the chaos. So a good start, even though I think this series is near to be cancelled.

Well, it's over. And even though it got somewhat better, it never got good. Are we at the point after 20 years that maybe the story should be allowed to stop?

Short, straightforward, fun one and done story. Not the sort we see that much in 2017, but a welcome change. Patch Zircher is always welcome, too.

Solid and smart if not exactly surprising story. I wish Seeley were sticking around longer as he has a good grasp on John.

Still incredibly engrossing and a lot better than I expected. Higgins really gets Dick no matter what the story.

Apparently the best way to have Robinson write a good Wonder Woman comic is to leave Wonder Woman out. This feels so much more like a classic Robinson comic that the first two parts. He really gets the hard to get Grail and even Baby Darkseid. And great art, too.

I don't really care much for dogs. But even dog-haters have souls, and this story is full of soul. And charm. And love. And if you don't cry just a little, you are have no soul. Or are a cat. Why isn't Astro City the biggest hit around? It should be.

Stronger than the last issue, but Dick really still seems off his game. At least Blockbuster and Raptor are not.

A rare weak issue for this series as Lobdell doesn't really do well with Team Batman.

Seriously weird stuff, with the first of what seem to be many alt-reality DC characters. Cray is the center here, and he's a good center, but we are a notch below the brilliance of The Wild Storm.

Good art, and some good character work, but Robinson has no feel at all for Diana.

Strong issue with all the heroes acting like heroes, with only the slight flaw that (as usual) a hereo has to do something really stupid and ends up helping the bad guys.

Solid if padded.

Mildly hard to read a comic with a sniper at the moment. And mildly hard to really get Kid Flash, a rare character that Priest doesn't really have a feel for. But good otherwise. Well, except for the stuff with Terra. I have no idea what's up with that.

Strong Nightwing, Raptor and Blockbuster. Really weak gang o' ex-villains. Good story but should have been much better.

In the quickest turnaround ever between original and sequel, we had to wait a whole week for this! DC and Dynamite have struck gold again though, with the addition of Damian.

Another entertaining if somewhat redundant Metal tie-in.

More of the same. but Bechko at least has a great feel for Angel.

The big bad revealed...and I doubt I am the only one trying to remember who this character is. Good fight scenes but kind of lackluster.

Good ending to the miniseries, though overall the plot meandered. But look! Another miniseries starts next month!

Giffen and DeMatteis try to wrap up both their run here and the dangling threads of the late, lamented, and much better JL3001 comic, but it doesn't quite come together. Though I do wonder if, when Giffen introduced La Dama, he had this twist in mind.

Does what it says on the tin. Straightforward, fast, exciting. Maybe a bit too pat. But this the sort of action comic we expect when you have so many Green Lanterns involved. Great art, too.

The story isn't anything new for John, but Seeley and Merino really get the character and his world.

Points off for a shock value death and for still seeming like it will be rather predictable. But otherwise great art and a strong script. I will stick with this.

Suddenly, it's Hercule Poirot for no reason! Or rather, a lawyer drawn to look like Poirot on the long running TV series (one of my all time favorite shows). That really takes me out of a story that wasn't quite grabbing me. It was a Robinson script, but not a very substantial one, and we barely have any Diana. Tossing in that character - is he a hint that the seemingly dead Hercules is still alive, given the name? - just makes me struggle to say engaged.

Pretty good, but I hope all the one shots aren't exactly like this.

Why aren't you reading this comic?

Lots and lots of fun from a really good artist and a writer who is always great but never seems to be enough work anymore.

The stuff with Nightwing and his narration is great. The rest is sort of a mess. Glad we aren't getting a lot more Metal crossover stuff.

Portentous, pretentious, depressing, dull, padded, poorly paced. Why is everyone raving about this? There was about six seconds of interesting plot development, but this is otherwise another overrated dud from King, whose work has gone from incredible to miserable in three short years.

What is the Suicide Squad doing here? Some good stuff, and good art, but it's a bit scattershot.

Two thirds a great chase for Batman, one third falling back on Snyder's biggest flaw when writing Batman: making Batman an arrogant, obsessive idiot who is easily fooled. It makes sense occasionally, but it happens ALL THE TIME with Snyder.

Wow. Just wow. The best Hal story since Vendetti took over, with amazing art and a ton of heart.

Part one of "Powers for Algernon" is very good, though we know it's going end on a downer. First issue that Dexter Soy has missed in like two years, but Joe Bennett is always welcome.

I am still concerned about where Shawn's arc is going. But the rest of the book is back on track, an this arc was a welcome look back at the Grayson comic.

Utterly stunning minus a somewhat muddled ending. But a tour de force by the team that brought you Rotworld.

Points off for so so art, but as usual this is at once entertaining and disposable. Are we at the point where maybe we can do without Buffy comics?

Docked a point for the too-short OMAC story, but the Evanier/Kolins Darkseid story is a gem. Why doesn't Evanier write more comics??