Every now and then it's good to have a bit of a breather. Issue #5 is more of a one-shot story that fits nicely between the main story arc currently being told. It focuses on Peter Quills love of Earth music, and his preference of physical analog over digital media. An interesting concept for a comic book, but it works here. Especially with how he can "time-travel" to find and record the exact song he's looking for.

Duggan does a wonderful job capturing the comedic banter amongst the various Guardians crew. We don't get a whole lot of answers within this issue, but it has a good amount of action, and a decent enough cliffhanger that suggest we should start getting those answers soon.

We finally learn the reason for Drax's recent bout of pacifism. It's emotional and heartbreaking, and should deepen his own personal story going forward. This issue was also a good inner look at Darx and Gamora friendship and respect for one another.

All-New Guardians of the Galaxy is becoming one of the more consistant issue-to-issue comics published by Marvel each month. Duggan seems a perfect fit for this group of characters and the groundwork he's built in the initial story arc is beginning to ramp up. While this issue wasn't perfect, issue #6 was a great ride and I look forward to reading what's next. Especially with the tease on the final page.

During Duggan's run, he's hinted at the fact that something is wrong with Groot and his inability to grow. We finally get a few answers to why, and the payoff is pretty interesting. I enjoyed the earlier interlude issue that focused on the reason that Drax had become so passive, and I've enjoyed this interlude issue as well. Looking forward to where the next arc takes us.

Writing here is still solid, however this issue was full of exposition. Through it we learn a lot about how the various plot points in these first 10 issues connect with one another, however it does make for an unnecessarily slow issue. There is some clever writing and the artwork continues to be solid. But this issue could have been better composed.

Gerry Duggan has been creating these singular one-shot stories within his run on All-New Guardians of the Galaxy, and for the most part they've worked well to flesh out the story. Issue #11 is a great example of this, as it sheds some background on the Raptors that attacked the Guardians during issue #8. Plus it's great to see Nova used in a Guardians book again. Hopefully this hints at Duggan involving more of the Nova Corps in his Guardians run. Great art by Roland Boschi and overall an excellent issue.

Decent start to the series, though I felt the art a bit lacking. I'm a big fan of Abnett's though, so I have high hopes for his arc.

It's always great to see an issue with Black Manta and Aquaman facing off. I think the art can still be improved upon, however I enjoyed this issue more than #1.

So far Aquaman seems to be riding the line on real world politics. That's not bad necessarily, but it's also not something normally seen in Aquaman. It'll be interesting to see if this becomes standard practice for Abnett's Aquaman.

While I haven't big a huge fan of The Drowning arc so far, Mera stands out as the best thing going for it.

The Drowning story arc isn't bad, but it's not necessarily that good either. It's fine a decent job of introducing new readers to the various characters within the Aquaman series, but it's time for Abnett to step up his A game.

Maybe I've just tired of The Drowning arc, but I was just ready for this issue to end. It wrapped up okay, though Superman came off as more of a jerk than he's currently being written in his own series. Overall just ready to see what's next for Aquaman.

A lot going on in this issue, and while it didn't advance the ongoing story too much, it did set up multiple plot points than can be used in the future. Such as Manta's takeover of NEMO.

A lot of action and improved artwork in this issue. Still not sold on Abnett's work on Aquaman, but things have improved since the first few issues.

Heavy action and an emotional issue taking a look at just how far Arthur will go to save his home of Amnesty Bay.

Surprisingly the issues in which the focus has been on Mera have been some of the best in the series.

Was really looking forward to The Deluge arc and what it could do for Aquaman Rebirth going forward. However, this whole Antlantis attacking the U.S. because of false information was done back in Geoff John's new52 Aquaman run with Orm. So seems a bit redundant for long time readers.

As always, Abnett does a good job directing various action scenes at once. I'm enjoying the direction he's taken with Black Manta leading NEMO, and it's fun the watch Manta and Aquaman tactical instruct their armies against one another.

The Aquamarines are interesting and could become a reoccurring group in future Aquaman stories. The Deluge arc has been much better than the previous Drowning one that kicked off the series, but I still feel that Abbott has something better in store.

The Deluge arc continues. We get some good action scenes with the Aquamarines and Aquaman facing off, as well as a deeper look at Mera and Arthur's relationship and struggle. But while Aquaman Rebirth under Dan Abnett has been good, it's yet to be great.

Issue #15 story-wise was great. The final battle with Manta felt epic, and the Widowhood's prophecy with Mera at the issues conclusion was a good hook that will no doubt be explored later. Unfortunately, some of the panels had laughable art. Especially the scenes with Andaman and Superman. I would have scored it a "9", but the art on some pages brought it down a point.

For all the criticism I gave the last issue in regards to the art, it's good to see a change in artist, as this issue was gorgeous. Not a lot going on plotwise, but I always enjoy Arthur's interactions with the locals of Amnesty Bay, and this issue has plenty of that. We get a slight introduction to a new villain, and Abnett does a good job of leaving it on a cliffhanger to lead into the next issue.

With the great lead-in from Warhead in the previous issue, I expected great things. However Warhead turned out to be a bit dull, and as such the story surrounding him didn't do a lot for me.

Abnett's run on Aquaman has been up and down for me, but this Warhead story arc has been it's weakest. Hopefully this is just a quick fill-in arc until things get back on track.

I really like the direction this H2.0 story is going. Definitely had a "Thing" vibe to it with the abandoned research station, and it's good to see the Aquamarines being used again so soon.

Dead Water was one of the highlights during the latter new52 Aquaman series. It's great to see him back, and H2.0 is gearing up to be one of the best arcs in Abnett's Aquaman run so far.

H2.0 continues to be great and is one of the better Aquaman stories since Geoff John's run. Some pretty big surprises here and Abnett seems to be on a roll. Three great issues in a row.

An interesting evolution to the Dead Water character that I did not see coming. A good conclusion to this arc and I can't wait to see what Abbott has for us next.

While we all knew it was too good to last forever, Abnett weaves an emotional overthrow of Arthur as king. Some good scenes here and the art stands on its own.

The final scenes of this issue are both breathtaking and heartbreaking. Dan Abnett started his run on Aquaman a year ago, and while it started out a bit slow, he's done an amazing job over the last 5 issues. Can't wait to see where the concluding events of this issue takes us.

Highly enjoy the underworld slums of Atlantis setting. Aquaman hiding out as a vigilante type is a nice twist as well. Beautiful artwork, one of the best looking issues I read this week.

Beautiful artwork. Mera is one of the most underrated female heroines in comics right now. Love seeing her undying devotion to Arthur, and willingness to do anything to free him, even if it seems useless. This Underworld story arc has been my favorite of Abnett's Rebirth run so far.

With newly appointed Stjepan Sejic on art, Dan Abnett's Aquaman is becoming a masterpiece title. With the Underworld story arc, Abbott is establishing sections of Atlantis and the various factions within, that have never been explored before. Political intrigue, a collapsed hero, and a woman that will go to any lengths to stage a rescue for her love. This is simply great stuff. Dan Abnett is setting up Aquaman to be a quality title for years to come.

This Underworld arc has by far been the best of Dan Abnett's Rebirth run. Stjepan Sejic's art is a masterpiece and flows perfectly with Atlantis' underwater locales. The political intrigue, the underground vigilante, the beloved attempting to save her true love. Dan Abnett has created something really special here, and Aquaman is becoming one of the most consistant titles in the DCU.

An X-Men series hasn't been this fun in quite awhile. Great cast of characters, great art, and amazing writing. The introduction voiceover discussing what it feels like for a psychic to first learn that their a psychic is incredible. I hope this series continues to be at the same level as issue #1.

While not as great as the first issue, issue #2 has a lot of good things going for it, and Soule looks to be well in control of making this a great series. The back and forth banter between the Shadow King and Professor X will remind longtime X-Men fans of their initial meeting in Uncanny X-Men #117. While this issue has a slower pace to it, I still think Astonishing X-Men is currently the best X-Men book on the market.

This issue was okay. Not the fault of Charles Soule, but Old Man Logan has begun to wear on me. Between his ongoing appearances in X-Men Gold, Weapon X, and Old Man Logan, it feels a bit much. If the goal of killing off Wolverine was to remove him from the Marvel Universe for an extended period of time after years of overuse, using the Old Man Logan version in at least 4 ongoing series seems misplaced. But like I said, that's not really on Soule. As the 3rd issue in this 12-part story, it does a decent job, though without another outstanding issue similar to Astonishing X-Men #1, I could see this series start to decline and begin to burn out.

While Carlos Pacheco is capable of much better, the art in issue #4 is still serviceable. The plot has begun to slow down a bit, though there are some interesting plot points involving Professor X. With each issue, it seems that Astonishing X-Men is turning into a Professor X story. Could we be seeing a return from the dead? Will be interesting to see.

Tom King knows how to write a one-shot issue! A near perfect team-up issue amongst Swamp Thing and Batman. The pacing was great, the artwork stellar. After the Bane and the Button story arcs, it was nice to have a one-off issue where we could settle in a bit. But Tom King let's us know that he'll still bring his A-game for these as well.

For an issue in which I saw the ending coming from a mile away, it still did a great job of keeping me invested from page to page, and the artwork was excellent.

I thought this was an excellent take on the history between Joker and the Riddler. Both villains are demented, but in completely different ways. Issue felt very Zero Year-ish. Really looking forward to where this story arc goes from here.

Pretty intense. Really enjoying Batman's narration throughout. Thought we'd get a bit more story in this one, but the pacing has been no problem so far.

Pretty cool seeing Kite Man get a fulfilling origin story! Could have seem oddly placed, but somehow fits the story arc nicely. I'm glad they called the issue an "interlude" instead of "part 3" of the War of the Jokes and Riddles. I knew from that what I was getting into with this issue and it didn't disappoint.

Excellent writing yet again by Tom King. This issue continues with Bruce's narration about the war between the Riddler and Joker during Batman's early years. There are some great quotes by both the Joker and Riddler that completely incapsulate their characters. And the narration and splash pages of Deadshot and Deathstroke's five-day assault on one another was pretty cool. Looking forward to how this story ends and where it leads the series going forward.

A pretty interesting dinner scene concept. Usually I'm not a fan of issue-wide exposition, however King writes Riddler and Joker dialogue so well that it makes for an excellent read. This issue is mostly build up, and will probably read better in the War of Jokes and Riddles trade, but still a great issue.

Another "interlude" issue and the 2nd part of Kite-Man's story during The War of Jokes and Riddles arc. Kite-Man's story is a heartbreaking one, and Tom King does a great job of building his emotional struggle and characterization. There's been a sense throughout this arc that Batman has done a particular regretful thing that he feels the need to confess to Salena. We get the hint that it may have something to do with Kite-Man. A great issue overall.

A satisfying read, though I didn't feel it was on par with the previous chapters in the War of Jokes and Riddles arc in terms of storytelling. This issue is used more for build-up towards the massive showdown in the concluding issue. But, an okay issue in Tom King's Batman run is still a great comic.

I thought the conclusion to this story arc was relatively satisfying. The "difference between a riddle and a joke" was a well earned line. The amount of guilt and shame that Bruce carries around becomes evident here, but maybe even more so is Selena's ease of looking past it. Issue #32 concludes Tom King's best Batman arc to date, and I can't wait to see what's next.

I'm beginning to like the direction these Metal one-shots are going in regards to giving solid, interesting background stories for the Dark Universe Batmen. Batmen that have finally succumb to the darkness within. All while a Joker-type character jumps amongst the multiverse to recruit them. I'm Murder Machine we get a violent and brutal story about Bruce Wayne grieving the death of Alfred, and attempting to bring him back, using Cyborg's technology. All goes wrong and Bruce chooses to defend his father-figure over his friends and his world. It's surprisingly emotional for a one-shot, and adds a good amount of depth to the core Metal series.

Although advertised as a Dark Nights: Metal tie-in, Red Death does a great job of establishing who these Dark Universe Batmen are, and what their motives may be. Great art by Carmine Di Giandomenico and story by Flash Rebirth regular, Joshua Williamson. I'm not sure how well the remaining tie-ins will be, but Red Death is definitely one that I can recommend as a must read for Metal readers.

Sean Gordon Murphy has possibly created the next Batman masterpiece. One of the best artists in the business, he's now given the chance to pen his own elseworlds Batman tale, and this 1st of 8 issues fully delivers. The Joker has been cured (has he?) and is building a case to hold Batman accountable for the countless, unchecked destruction Batman's done during his time as a vigilante. It's an interesting concept, and delves into some real-world politics, but not too on-the-nose. This is a great start to something special.

A comic like Dark Nights Metal is needed now within our comic book industry from one of the Big Two, more than anything. It encompasses what many found exciting and fun about the 80's and 90's comic scene. And that's really what Scott Snyder has embraced with this first issue of Metal, "fun". Sure, it's a bit over-the-top. Sure, Batman is seen escaping death via raptor. But to embrace heavy metal music, you have to be willing to embrace a bit of wackiness. And to enjoy Dark Nights Metal, it looks like Snyder is asking us to do the same. It's simply pure fun, with a very interesting story to boot. One that looks to make some major changes within the DC Universe (aka the Dark Multiverse) for quite some time. Highly recommended.

Dark Nights: Metal's over-the-top, zany, 90's-esque roller coaster ride continues with issue #2. Snyder and Capullo are really making something special here. Not only have they created a comic series of pure fun (at a time when the comic industry needs it more than ever), but this Metal event looks to be something that will have long-lasting traction going forward for years to come. We learn more about the legacy of the three main tribes, the origination of the 4th (Bat) tribe, how matter, anti-matter, and dark matter relate to one another, a peek into the origin of the Multiverse, but above all....baby Darkseid throwing up the heavy-metal horns. Dark Nights: Metal is one of those unique, outrageously entertaining stories that comes around every 10 years or so in comics. It's not too late to jump in. This ride's going to be a good one.

A solid collection of two original and two reprinted Fourth World stories, celebrating what would have been Jack Kirby's 100th birthday. The chunk of the issue contains an original Darkseid story, penned by former assistant to Kirby, Mark Evanier. The story is both entertaining and a great introduction to Darkseid for new readers. The remaining OMAC original short story, and the two Jack Kirby reprints from Forver People #6 and Tales of the Unexpected #12 will please Fourth World fans. A great tribute to the King of Comics and well worth the pick up if you have any interest in Kirby's Fourth World.

Excellent artwork. I really like the unique look of Negative Flash, and the black lightening and darkness surrounding him. The story however, was minimal in this issue. It wasn't bad, but more of a summary of events that occurred in the previous story arc. It has a small portion of setup for where the direction this story is going (and collected in trade would read better), but as a single issue, not a lot going on.

Enjoyed the conclusion to the fight with Shrapnel and Barry's struggle with his new powers. However, the last half of the issue drags a bit in storytelling and the art flip flops between artists. A solid issue, but could have been better.

It's nice to see Neil Googe back on Flash. I've enjoyed the artwork layouts on his previous issues in this run, and he nailed it here. I found the new Bloodwork villain interesting enough that he could become a part of the rogue gallery down the road if a writer had the right story for him. Ultimately, I enjoyed this issue because it continued with Barry having to deal with the consequences of his actions. He's a flawed hero right now, and it'll be interesting to see where this takes him in the future.

Williamson's built the groundwork for an interesting rogue in Bloodwork should he, or any future Flash writers choose to use him further. The conclusion to this particular story seemed a bit deflating, but the art itself was great. An intriguing twist at the end with Barry's dismissal from the lab and his future workplace. Could make for some great stories going forward.

As a one-shot story, this issue has no introduction or conclusion. We aren't told how Amadeus Cho finds himself in the past with Bruce Banner. Cho himself doesn't even seemed concerned about where he is or how he got there. Or even how he'll get back. By the end of the story, all we know is Amadeus doesn't treat the Hulk as a gift anymore. Something that could have been covered in a couple of panels in Champions or Totally Awesome Hulk. Instead we're charged $5 For it. What a waste.

An average Jean Grey story with really good art. But with no serviceable fit in continuity, a lackluster ending, and a $5 price tag, it's forgettable and not something I'd recommend.

Was really disappointed in this issue. Had been looking towards the reunion of Laura and Logan, but this was just lazy writing. No explanation of how Laura traveled to the past. She also showed no emotion for being reunited with someone who's recent death highly affected her. Generations seems to be nothing but classic characters propping up replacement characters. Laura and Logan both deserve better.

My favorite of the Generations one-shots thus far, though still mediocre. Artwork was fantastic in this book, but I've come to expect more from Jason Aaron's writing that what is found here. He does a better job with the characters interactions with one another, compared to the previous Generations issues. And Jane seems actually concerned about why she's stuck in the past, which I figured would have been an obvious plot point in the other issues, but wasn't. Having said that, Odinson and Jane are currently co-starring in Jason Aaron's current Mighty Thor series, so this meeting seems a little redundant, especially as a $5 special issue. I'm not sure that Jane learned much more from this meeting that she has from meeting and knowing Thor throughout her history already. It's a fun comic, but most likely completely forgettable a month or two from now. Would have made a cool Free Comic Book Day one-shot, but at $5 I can't recommend.

By this point it's become pretty clear that Marvel's singular goal with Generations is to build up the legacy versions of their classic characters. Hawkeye Generations attempts to do the same, and while it's not a terrible comic, it's not a $5 comic either, by no means. Even after this one-shot, Kate Bishop has yet to establish any type of inner struggle that most heroes find themselves facing, and Clint just comes across a bit goofy and sexist (traits completely uncharacteristic of him). If you're wanting to pick it up however, best to wait for it to hit the $1 box, as no doubt there'll be plenty copies in there in a few months.

This may be one of the poorest written comics I've read all year. The dialogue is embarrassing, the plot is non-existent, and asking any amount of money for this, let alone $5 is borderline theft. This is a Free Comic Book Day issue with a $5 price tag. But the art is pretty good, so I'll give it that.

While better than the unbelievably bad Generations Iron-Man issue, the Mar-vell/Captain Marvel issue stumbles through a pretty bland plot. Mar-vell comes across as a fairly uninteresting character, and seems to serve no purpose in the story, save for maybe the last few panels. I never got the sense that the author had any kind of grasp on his character or his history. The art was shockingly poor and felt rushed, as if it was turned in the day it was to be printed. If you've read any of my other Generations reviews, the same main complaint applies here; this is not worth the $5 asking price.

Unlike many of the other Generation issues, I don't have too many negative criticisms here. The art is nice, the story has some charm to it (though, there are obvious plot holes), and the interaction between Carol and Kamala are sincere. One does have to ask though, what is the point of the issue, and is it a must-buy for Marvel fans in general? The short answer is, no. Even if it was priced as a normal $3.99 issue, and not at the odd $4.99 price Marvel is asking fans to pay for it, this issue feels more like a one-off "What If?" fan fiction story. It's not poorly written by any means. It just isn't worth the money asked, and I don't think it achieves the goals that Marvel set forth with this Generations series. The only people I'd really recommend it to are fans that are already collecting both the Ms. Marvel and Captain Marvel series, in order to complete your set.

Great initial issue with a promising story and beautiful artwork.

It's becoming apparent that the Ninth Circle story is going to extend for awhile. This Hard-Traveling Hero arc isn't bad, but it seems very predictable. Green Arrow will coincidently on-the-nose travel to each city inhabited by a member of the Justice League and find a clue to help bring down the Ninth Circle before his trial. This is not a bad issue, but this arc could have probably been handled in an issue or two, rather than four to five.

So far, the best of the Hard-Traveling Hero issues. Having said that, I've tired of the Justice League cameos issue by issue. It'd be nice to get back to just Green Arrow again. Issue #29 had a pretty good story though, and simply stunning art by Juan Ferreyra. The page reveal of Batman was breathtaking.

This run of Green Arrow Rebirth has been at its best when both Ben Percy and Otto Schmidt are on an issue. And while I haven't been a huge fan of The current "Hard-Traveling Hero" (mainly due to the revolving team-up formula), the banter between Green Arrow and Green Lantern is something I've always enjoyed. There's an intriguing opening to the issue that attempts to take a look at fear in America from all angles, and the hidden location of the Ninth's Circle satellite is clever.

I have to admit, I wasn't too impressed with the earlier issues in this Hard-Traveling Hero arc, but the final two were pretty great. I've really enjoyed the Green Arrow/Green Lantern pair and their banter. It's also nice to see Oliver given a bigger role within the Justice League, even if not as a main member. With excellent art by series regular Otto Schmidt, Green Arrow #31 has been one of my favorites in the Rebirth run this far.

The opening of this issue is one of the best scenes in the series. Both creepy and heartbreaking. And the way the last panel paralleled to the opening is just great writing. Tyler Crook's artwork is gorgeous, and his ability to stay consistent with his quality on Harrow County will make a bounded collection of the series a great purchase down the road. Storywise, the plot begins to build with Kammi's return and it's only a matter of time before the floodgates are opened. We get some more answers as to Emmy and Kammi's true origins, and where they both fit in this world. Overall, a promising start to a new arc and a great read.

Up to this point, Infamous Iron Man has been one of the more consistent books at Marvel. There's been a lot of lead up in the previous 10 issues of this series, and we finally get a payoff at the end of this one. However, the final reveal seems both random and out of place. So much so, that without an outstanding final issue save, brings the series toppling down as a whole.

Overall, I was pretty disappointed in how Bendis chose to end this series. We really get no resolution with Dr. Doom's motives behind his turn to hero, and the reveal of Mephisto being the actual villain of the entire run, was just odd. It came out of left field, and Bendis used the first 3 pages of the issue to have Mephisto break the 4th wall, turn towards the audience, and describe through long exposition why he wanted to mess with Doom. I really enjoyed issues 1-10. But with the final 2, I can't say I'd even pick up the full trade for this.

Marvel Legacy's a bit of a mixed bag. There are some really good moments in the book, but overall it feels like a blend of short teaser trailers for the upcoming Legacy series, more than a the definitive, connected story to bring Marvel back to its roots that we were told it would be. And at an asking price of $5.99, that's a hard sell for a series of "sneak peeks". I did enjoy the 1,000,000 B.C. Avengers, and Esad Ribic's artwork is a masterpiece. But I was disappointed that for all the hype Marvel gave these characters, they were really only in about 10% of the issue. Maybe they'll be explored more later on, but in this one-shot they aren't used as much as Marvel's PR advertised them to be. The remaining plots had some highs and lows. The scene and dialogue between Johnny Storm and Ben Grimm was a great nod to fans that Marvel acknowledges they haven't forgotten them, and has actually made me more likely to pick up Marvel's Two-In-One series, featuring Jim Cheung's artwork. The section including the trio of Sam Wilson, Lady Thor, and Ironheart contained some pretty shoddy dialogue and reminded me how poorly Marvel has written these characters over the last couple of years. Then there were other sections that were plain filler, and felt out of place for the story this Legacy one-shot was trying to tell (Deadpool, Steve Rogers, and Doctor Strange & Iron Fist in particular). We did however get a nice reveal of Logan's return to Marvel Comics. And the final page reveal of Valeria being the narrator of this Legacy one-shot almost made all of it's shortcomings worth it. Marvel could be on the verge of something special here, but I don't know how much I really trust that they'll follow through. Marvel Legacy has potential. In fact, a lot of potential. But this issue doesn't have the same effect that DC: Rebirth had for DC. Essentially it's a collection of previews for $5.99. And for me, that's a bit disappointing.

Wow, so much to say about this one. First off, a great tribute to Jack Kirby's 100th anniversary. It's great to see his New Gods receive a wonderful new story. Tom King's composing his finest work here, blurring the lines of superhero comics and elements of dealing with PTSD, depression, and losing one's touch with reality. Gerdas' gritty art style works well, and these two seem to do their best work when working together. All around excellent work that could one day become a masterpiece.

Tom King and Mitch Gerads are creating something quite special here. Issue #2 pits Scott Free leading an army against Apokolips at the orders of the new Highfather, Orion. As a devoted soldier, Mister Miracle obeys the commands given to him, no questions asked. But something seems a bit off here. Scott can't figure out how to work the shower, or even notice when it's on. He second guesses the feelings he has for his abusive caregiver, Granny Goodness. And this time, we only get one panel stating "Darkseid is", which was ever-present throughout issue #1. With the artwork, Gerads may be touching on something not often seen in comic books. That of using the art itself to establish Scott Free's emotions and state of mind. Mister Miracle #2 keeps up with the powerful debut of the initial issue, and this is a series that could be talked about for years to come.

Really enjoying the artwork. Glad to see Ronan and Crystal's relationship explored deeper. But the story itself just hasn't grabbed me. Maybe there will be more payoff towards the end of this story arc. But for now, it's a forgettable read for me compared to other series on my pull list.

Things are starting to fall into place for this series, although it'll require some understanding of previous Inhumans storylines to fully grasp. Ewing is laying out some great groundwork here, though it's still to be seen how good the payoff will be. Beautiful artwork by Kevin Libranda.

Altogether, not a bad issue. We get further information on the skyspears and an interesting twist involving the Kree. The plot, while at a slow pace seems to be leading to a bigger payoff. Still, some of the art is a bit inconsistent, and there's a couple panels of cringe-worthy dialogue. Decent to good, but not great.

One of the strongest issues in the series this far, as things begin to start paying off. Enjoyed how Ewing writes Gorgon in this issue, and the scenes with Maximus and Noh-varr in the future were great. I'd begin to lose a bit of hope on the direction Ewing was taking Royals, but if issues continue like this one, I'm all in.

A solid start to the new "Fire From Heaven" story arc. Al Ewing has been creating something really special with his Royals run, and it seems we're getting clise to a big payoff with the Progenitors.

Sometimes, a comic book can become more than a comic book. So far this run of Superman has been more about the father/son relationship between Clark and Jon, than it's been about saving the world. It was great to see Clark take his son to D.C. and Gettysburg, and refreshing to see a superhero in comics that still takes pride in being an American, and the cost of our modern freedom. The last scene was another example of Clark humanity and inner goodness towards others. A remarkable issue.

Compared to the previous story arcs in Superman Rebirth, this one underperformed. At least out of the gate. There's promise here, but the plot seems random. Hopefully part two will give us a more clearer picture on the story direction.

Story and art were both mediocre in this, the 2nd (and final) part of a Superman/Sinestro story. Series regulars, Patrick Gleason and Peter Tomasi step to the side for this 2-part story arc, and it really shows. This is not a bad issue by any means. There's good action with battling Parallax, and I enjoyed the story's conclusion. But it's nowhere near the excellent quality we've come to expect from Gleason & Tomasi. It'll be great having them both back with issue #31.

Deathstroke writer James Bonny takes over for this "Breaking Point" arc. While at times the story felt a bit rushed (especially during the setup), the core aspects of the plot were solid and fun. The interior art by Tyler Kirkham however, steals the show. Some of his Deathstroke panels alone, I would buy as single prints. Beautiful stuff. I look forward to the continuation of this story.

About halfway through, I was wondering if anything of actual merit was going to happen in this issue. A lot of splash pages (although with gorgeous art by Dauterman)in the first half of the issue, but we get a great interaction between Odinson and Jane Foster towards the end. Jason Aaron has left no doubt how his run of Thor will end, now it's just a matter of sitting back and enjoying the final stage.

A great showdown with the Queen of Cinders and the War Thor here. Jason Aaron seems to be wrapping up some final plot points before we get to Legacy and the death of Lady Thor story arc. Not sure why there was a change in artist w/ this issue, as Dauterman has consistantly worked on Aaron's Thor run. Valerio Schiti is a great artist, but Dauterman has such a unique look in his Thor work, that it's obvious this issue doesn't match the previous ones. Otherwise a solid issue.

Solid artwork and layouts by Valerio Schiti, however the War Thor storyline couldn't have ended sooner. It's not that it was necessarily bad, it just hasn't served any purpose in progressing the storyline. Of course, part of this may just be Jason Aaron trying to fill some time until Legacy begins with the Death of Thor story arc in issue #700. I don't have a problem with that, but it doesn't make this particular issue any better.

I'd really like to go back and read this series over a weekend. Reading it month to month, it's fairly hard to keep up with and remember exactly what all is going on. Having said that, the story seems impressive, and I give Al Ewing credit for writing something that is completely unlike anything else Marvel is putting out at the moment. I can see Ewing's run on the Ultimates being praised years from now when we look back at it in trade format. For now though, from issue to issue, it can be hard to wrap your head around and follow. Especially for newer comics readers.

In the end, Ewing's Ultimates had a solid payoff, and makes room for itself amongst the Marvel cosmic storylines. I felt some plot points in the last couple of issues seemed rushed, but this could have been Marvel's push for Ewing's story to end with issue #100. Overall a good ending to this story.

Nice start. I've actually enjoyed this first issue more than X-Men Gold #1. A Magneto-led X-team consisting of Beast's time displaced X-Men is a pretty good hook, and I can see a lot of direction Cullen Bunn can go with this series.

Haven't always been a fan of the time-displaced young X-Men, but Cullen Bunn is doing some great work here, and the artwork in X-Men Blue has been stellar thus far.

An interesting twist on the Sentinels here. Not sure how far it will be explored story-wise, but X-Men Blue is still the better series of the RessureXion line.

I'll be honest. While I didn't think they were going to bring back Logan in a random issue of X-Men Blue, I was still a bit disappointed to find out who it was. Not that the character himself is bad, but it just feels like his presence is going to come and go with no real relation to the story overall. Otherwise, good writing and great art.

Cullen Bunn is doing a good job of introducing new characters and teams to the fold, but none of them seem to advance much of the overall story. We'll see where it goes from here, but much like X-Men Gold, Blue seems a bit stuck on nostalgia with no real direction.

The writing is good, the artwork is excellent. But Cullen Bunn has yet to dive into a strong narrative unique to his book.

Definitely some improvements over previous issues.

Probably my favorite issue of X-Men Blue yet. The scenes with Emma Frost and young Cyclops are downright sinister and uncomfortable, but in an interesting way. I hope Cullen Bunn continues with this. Cory Smith nailed this issue on art. I hope he stays on for future issues.

An okay issue overall. Decent artwork by Cory Smith, but not his best work. A ton of action in the first half of the book, so the plot didn't really pick up much until the later pages. Glad this series will finally be getting away from the Secret Empire event.

Bunn does a good job of managing the multiple story plots in this issue, which are mostly comprised of minor transitions that will lead to the next story arc. However, none of the various stories seem that interesting, and while X-Men Blue has been the better of the two main X-books, it could really use a strong story arc to give it the identity and shelf life Marvel desperately needs from it.

Art was a bit inconsistent in this issue. Some nice looking panels, but some very poor ones as well that just looked rushed. The plot continues as it did in issue #10 with multiple storylines going on at once. The problem is that while some of these are quite interesting (Beasts & Bloodstorm), others are a chore to get through (Jimmy & Angel, Scott & Jean). I haven't given up on the series yet, but there's a sense that Cullen Bunn's writing so many series right now, that X-Men Blue has lost some focus, and currently has no true direction. It needs a great ongoing narrative from Bunn, and Marvel needs to find an every issue artist. No more of this rotating 5-6 different artist on a book that should be one of Marvel's staples.

Over the last few issues, X-Men Blue has taken a hard left turn, with quality dipping in both art and story. The Toil and Trouble arc has definitely been the weakest thus far, and really did nothing to progess any of the numerous plot points set up by Cullen Bunn in the initial 9 issues. Hopefully the upcoming Legacy crossover with X-Men Gold over the next two months helps to boost both titles, as in their current states, seem to be derailing.

Not a bad start. It's nice to see the X-Men enjoying a game of baseball again, rather than being involved in some world-ending event with the Avengers/InHumans. The make-up of the team is okay. I feel like Old Man Logan has worn his welcome though. How many different comic series is he a part of now? Either way, interested to see where this series can go.

For a book advertised as a back to basics story, it's a bit odd to through in an all-new Brotherhood of Evil Mutants with no background on where they came from, or their motivations. The artwork is sold, but I hope Guggenheim has a better plan for this book other than just lightly rehashing the early days of the Uncanny X-Men stories.

I'm starting to lose interest in Gold. I would have never guessed that of the two, I'd be enjoying X-Men Blue more after 3 issues. It's not that Gold is bad. It's just very run-of-the-mill generic. I feel like Guggenheim has a good grasp on the various personalities of the team, but the story just isn't there yet.

It's great to see Gambit back. Would have liked to see a deeper story, but issue #4 was an improvement on the more generic storytelling from the first 3 issues. Hoping that this leads to an interesting story arc going forward.

While Guggenheim still relies on rehashing stories from X-Men's past, I did find this new take on the Sentinels to be interesting. Overall though, X-Men Gold just feels bland. The artwork itself has been well done, but none of the issues in the series have stood out much at all. This series has all the potential in the world. Just needs a good hook of a story.

Issue #6 has been my favorite of the series so far, though that's not saying a whole lot. The Sentinel arc closed much better than it started, and there seems to be some seeds planted throughout that could spring up later in Guggenheim's run. This is a promising issue. Hopefully the series can continue to get better.

Very little tie-in to Secret Empire, which is a good thing. I liked the direction they were going with the X-Cutioner character, but it seems Guggenheim really dropped the ball in sharing more of his back story. I felt sympathy for the guy, but he wasn't presented with much substance. Therefore he still comes off as another generic revenge character in comics. X-Men Gold #7 is good, but it feels like it should be great.

Decent issue. I like Kitty Pryde as a leader, but her sudden ability of super-human strength seemed to come out of nowhere. As with the previous issue, I think a better job could have been done with humanizing the X-Cutioner and his background as a character. Again, while X-Men Gold has been a good series, it doesn't seem to be going anywhere plot-wise at this time. And with Charles Soule's great Astonishing X-Men series arriving on the scene, Gold doesn't seem to be the go-to X-Men series anymore. That's a shame.

The most interesting parts of this comic were the first and last pages. Everything in between was more like watching CNN than reading an X-Men comic book. Let's hope that Guggenheim can move on from the courtroom and focus on telling more X-Men vs villain stories.

Artistically, by far the weakest issue of X-Men Gold thus far. It amazes me that Marvel doesn't place it's top-tier talent on one of their flagship titles. From a storytelling point, the ongoing plot continues to be mediocre. Omega Red wasn't a great villain in the 90s and it looks like he'll be another throwaway villain here. X-Men Gold has really made no progress in telling an in-depth story after 10 issues. At some point things have to improve, but that may just be wishful thinking.

X-Men Gold continues to delve to new lows. What started out as a promising, refreshing start to the X-Men line, is now limping along. Medina's artwork is passable in issue 11, but nowhere near where a top-line X-Men title should be. The plot however is pretty abysmal. This Omega Red arc has been both bland and uninspiring. X-Men Gold needs saving, and quickly.

I've constantly complained that X-Men Gold has been a series without direction. However, issue #12 tells the origin story of Kologoth, a villain introduced in issues #1-3, and also ties into Kologoth's whereabouts during issues #7-9. As a single issue on it's own, this can been seen as filler before the upcoming X-Men Gold/Blue Mojo crossover. But it's used with good effect to connect all of the issues in this series so far. With this much buildup, it seems that Kologoth will play an integral part in X-Men Gold down the road, so this could be a must-have read for fans. I've been quite critical of Guggenheim's run up to this point, but using this issue to connect those stories, and giving a well-written back story for Kologoth peaks my interest to stick with it for a bit longer.

The cover art is beautiful. And that's about the only positive thing I can say about this issue. What an utter disappointment. The inner artwork was abysmal. The artist chose to trace 3D models as opposed to creating the art on his own, and it really shows. The characters are stiff and locales dull and uninteresting. I may have given this a pass if the writing was great, but alas it was just as mediocre. This was supposed to be Marvel's great jumpstart to the X-Men with Legacy. This is a complete joke. As a lifelong X-Men fan, I can no longer support Marvel phoning it in with this series. X-Men should be so much more. It should have a top-tier artist and writing team, but is given neither. Just makes me sad.