Gizmo's Profile

-- JUDGE DREDD: THE RIGHT THING - A somewhat typical "no good dead goes unpunished" one-off story frombest new JD writer Michael Carroll - - ULYSSES SWEET, MANIAC FOR HIRE: CENTRED - Didn't care for this one. It feels like this is trying to be Deadpool (even though Ulysses was created first). Unfortunately, this is continuing - - THE TEN-SECONDERS: HARRIS'S QUEST FOR THE PERFECT XMAS PINT - Nice epilogue to the series - - ABC WARRIORS: RETURN TO MARS - Nice strip with outstanding artwork, can't wait to see more! - - SINISTER DEXTER: ROOM ONLY - Nice one, this series is recovering from the slump it was in a couple years ago - - ABSALOM: OLD PAL'S ACT - I like where this is going and the art is great as always - - GREY AREA: SOMETHING TO DECLARE - The art isn't as good as in previous Grey Area strips, but this is a very good one-off and the POV angle maintained throughout is compelling - - THARG THE MIGHTY - A rare appearance from the mighty Tharg himself, but it feels like filler and is told in a disjointed way - - STRONTIUM DOG: DOGS OF WAR - Dark and full of action. Can't wait to continue the saga.

-- JUDGE DREDD // TITAN: Nice space action in this Rob Williams/Henry Flint team-up. -- ULYSSES SWEET, MANIAC FOR HIRE // CENTRED: Boring other than when a fight breaks out among mercenaries when one of them misuses the word 'gay.' -- ABC WARRIORS // RETURN TO MARS: Clint Langley switches up styles from the previous issue. I'd like to see more of his the painted art style, but his inks are fantastic as well, so I can't complain. The story was okay, nothing special. -- GREY AREA // DID YOU PACK YOUR OWN LUGGAGE?: Short but sweet. Art looks good. -- STRONTIUM DOG // DOGS OF WAR: The epic battle continues. I fail to see why anti-mutant radicals need to also be Neo-Nazis, does this have any significance to Strontium Dog history? Otherwise it is extremely on-the-nose. -- Overall enjoyable prog but without any one strip standing out.

-- JUDGE DREDD // TITAN: This is getting really good, imagine if Titan manages to become an independent colony! -- ULYSSES SWEET, MANIAC FOR HIRE // CENTRED: What a chore to read. At least this installment does something original. This is probably the best Ulysses installment thus far but it's still not funny and I can't imagine this series possibly improving anymore than it does here. Ulysses is just a crappy character and the supporting cast might as well be a figment of his imagination for all they add to the 'story' -- GREY AREA // ALL GOD'S CHILDREN: Interesting development, love this series. -- FUTURE SHOCKS // FAMILY BUSINESS: Filling in for ABC Warriors this week. Not the most cohesive Future Shock, but interesting nonetheless. -- STRONTIUM DOG // DOGS OF WAR: We finally do away with the Neo-Nazi wannabes. More operatic battle action that has been the norm on this strip for a while now. -- Overall average prog, Judge Dredd and Grey Area are doing the heavy lifting while Ulysses continues to weigh the prog down.

-- JUDGE DREDD // TITAN: The conclusion to this is good. Henry Flint's art gets a little clunky in places, but it has great emotions. I can't help but feel left hanging a bit from the last page, I hope to hear more about the prisoners in future progs. -- ABC WARRIORS // RETURN TO MARS: I don't get Tubal Caine's connection with this kid. The Terraneers are cool, but if they have a history of this ritual sacrifice, why is it a surprise to the kid? What purpose does this subplot serve? -- GREY AREA // ALL GOD'S CHILDREN: Mostly an action sequence here, and it is very well executed. -- ULYSSES SWEET, MANIAC FOR HIRE // CENTRED: What's with the whale? Did I miss a prog? That's not a clever payoff, that's just more random shit. The best part of this strip is when it ended. Let us never speak of Ulysses again! -- STRONTIUM DOG // DOGS OF WAR: This saga has been treading water for a few progs, but this week is a good entry. The Ikans are really cool -- So overall, Ulysses Sweet goes out in a blaze of awful, but Strontium Dog is pitching in to help Judge Dredd and Grey Area carry the load. ABC Warriors needs to find a path and go somewhere.

-- JUDGE DREDD // SQUIRM: Great script from Michael Carroll, love the American Idol commentary -- ABC WARRIORS // RETURN TO MARS: Pretty good, action packed installment -- THARG'S 3RILLERS // AFTER THE VENGEANCE: A cool idea based off of the Occupy Wallstreet movement. The art is fantastic -- TERROR TALES // THE ICARUS INCIDENT: A very condensed one-off. It's creepy and sly, well handled. -- GREY AREA // RATES OF EXCHANGE: Nice issue, lots of action to wrap up this arc. The art looks great and sells the action well -- OVERALL: Without any weak strips, this is the best prog in recent memory.

-- JUDGE DREDD // SQUIRM!: Ends rather abruptly, but in a very entertaining way nonetheless -- ABC WARRIORS // RETURN TO MARS: Shocking events result in the best ABC Warriors strip in a while. It's a relief actually, to finally reach the status quo that it has been leading up to for months! -- THARG'S 3RILLERS // AFTER THE VENGEANCE: Still very interesting -- FUTURE SHOCKS // THE MUDULAR WAR: Very strange and creative. This world is so interesting, it's a shame to be contained in a tiny 4 page strip. -- GREY AREA // VISITATION: Dark and scary. Nice to know that seeds planted earlier are being nurtured. I'd say Grey Area takes this prog for the win! -- OVERALL: Even better than last week's. Maybe the best prog in a year!

-- JUDGE DREDD // FIT: A good one-off Dredd story that functions as an interesting epilogue to the events of the 'Titan' story arc. Continuity has always been a strength with 2000AD -- ABC WARRIORS // RETURN TO MARS: Clint Langley shows off his painterly style again! Unfortunately the plot is only engaging due to the promising outlook of the next story -- THARG'S 3RILLERS // AFTER THE VENGEANCE: I didn't really care for the twist here, *spoilers* why would everyone recognize him as a famous musician if he... isn't one? Did I miss something? -- FUTURE SHOCKS // THE FLOWERS OF VIPER HINGE: Another interesting Future Shocks premise, but I didn't care for this one as much as others. It was predictable and not engaging with the execution. -- GREY AREA // I.D., PLEASE: Another quirky alien idea explored, which has been a reliable trend in Grey Area since it's inception. The end also ties into the previous issue and gives a little more value to the Lyra character introduced in the 'Rate Of Exchange' arc -- OVERALL: Though a couple strips didn't wow me, none of them were bad, so this is an above average prog, with Dredd and Grey Area carrying most of the weight.

-- JUDGE DREDD // MEGA-CITY CONFIDENTIAL: John Wagner is back! Dredd isn't the protagonist here, but that's not a problem. So far it is creepy and intriguing -- SLÁINE // A SIMPLE KILLING: Sláine always has great art but half-assed story. We've got the art covered here, and as for the story, it seems okay so far but we'll just see. -- OUTLIER // PART ONE: The art is good but the story is not so far. In fact, the whole idea just seems like a more modernized and tame Johnny Alpha -- SINISTER DEXTER // GUN SHY: This was a good one (which Sinister Dexter isn't always), it's continuing from another arc, but the recap should put new readers in a comfortable spot. I love the humour and commentary on an old bank promotion from a few years back. -- JAEGIR // STRIGOI: A lot of talking without much being said; it's not even exposition(which this needs badly), just boring chatter. At least the art is good, but if this New Thrill wants to impress anyone it had better clean up the dialog and get to the point. -- OVERALL: This is a jump-on point for new readers, but can't imagine too many new reader getting excited. Hopefully they'll stick around for Dredd and Sinister Dexter because I don't imagine Outlier or Jaegir will impress anyone.

-- JUDGE DREDD // MEGA-CITY CONFIDENTIAL: Still mysterious and intriguing. Dark silhouettes in the art help the mood -- OUTLIER // PART TWO: Oddly enough, the character with any sort of personality so far in this strip just got killed off. We get it, the freak is killing people from his past off, can we move on now? -- SLÁINE // A SIMPLE KILLING: I think Sláine suffers from A.D.D., it would explain how he can't stay on one task for a single story arc -- SINISTER DEXTER // GUN SHY: The dialog gets dry and I'm not sold that the gang leader would actually decide to hire these two strangers. It feels forced. -- JAEGIR // STRIGOI: Starts off cool, but then turns into a bunch of talking heads. They talk about cool things that I want to see, not read a description of. Show, don't tell; it's comics you guys, come on! -- OVERALL: Honestly, it's a pretty boring prog. Dredd is the only strip holding my interest. I think Sinister Dexter is going to pick up, but I have little hope for the others.

-- JUDGE DREDD // MEGA-CITY CONFIDENTIAL: A story of persecution and betrayal, this is still a good one. -- OUTLIER // PART THREE: This finally feels like it is going somewhere, the backstory is interesting even if the protagonist is still bland and unnecessary. -- SLÁINE // A SIMPLE KILLING: We left the last issue assuming that Sláine would save the woman or go after the monsters, but it turns out he's just been partying and doing shrooms while the woman has saved herself. At least the details of her confinement were interesting and the art still rocks -- SINISTER DEXTER // GUN SHY: The boys are getting in deep now. An improvement from last week's issue. -- JAEGIR // STRIGOI: Okay I get that these guys take out war criminals and that is very interesting and cool, but wouldn't it have made more sense to depict this before we were given their mission for the Strigoi? It feels like sidestepping the plot that took unnecessarily long to established last week. -- OVERALL: There is an improvement in each of the strips since last week. Dredd is still carrying the team, but there's hope for this lineup yet.

-- JUDGE DREDD // SHOOTERS NIGHT: Nice! Another Wagner script. This one deals with a touchy subject and turns into another mystery story -- OUTLIER // PART SIX: This is getting better with each issue, this entry in particular was well executed -- SLÁINE // A SIMPLE KILLING: Okay... This would have been cool if there were ANY reason given for what's going on. Why is she turning into a mermaid? Don't you dare just ignore it and move on! -- SINISTER DEXTER // GUN SHY: A fun end, nothing special -- JAEGIR // STRIGOI: The best issue so far. Ending on such a good note doesn't save this story from the previous installments, but it sure helps. Everything missing from this strip previously can be found in this entry. -- OVERALL: With Outlier and Jaegir finally pulling their weight, this rounds out in a good prog. Sláine is still the best art but worst script.

-- JUDGE DREDD // SHOOTERS NIGHT: Excellent installment, we get some answers to the mystery, a chilling intro page and some hilarious dialog from an H2GO employee (at least SOME Citizens show Dredd the respect he deserves) -- INDIGO PRIME // PERFECT DAY: Looks pretty... No idea what I just read -- SLÁINE // A SIMPLE KILLING: The art is still great, and the atmosphere makes up a bit for the lack of plot -- THARG'S 3RILLERS // COLONY: The art is kind of rough but somewhat fitting. The story is really interesting, me likey. -- OUTLIER // PART SEVEN: Now that we know where this is going we can just enjoy the ride. -- OVERALL: Although Dredd and Tharg's Trillers/Colony were the brilliantly shining highlights this week, Indigo Prime really pulls the average score of the prog down, and Sláine isn't carrying enough weight.

-- JUDGE DREDD // SHOOTERS NIGHT: This has shaped up to be a great entry. The art looks like it was done quickly, but it communicates the story and sells the action and emotions very well, so I'm not complaining. Funny, smart, thrilling, what more can you ask for in a Dredd strip? -- OUTLIER // PART EIGHT: Dark, tragic, and violent in a good way -- INDIGO PRIME // PERFECT DAY: So much better than last week's, this one opens in a creative way and proceeds with interesting developments. We barely even needed last week's entry. -- THARG'S 3RILLERS // COLONY: Very suspenseful, in a similar vein to John Carpenter's The Thing. It's too bad this strip couldn't last longer, only one installment to go. -- SLÁINE // A SIMPLE KILLING: Again, very little happens, but it looks great doing it. -- OVERALL: Very solid prog, each entry is enjoyable in its own way with Dredd and 3rillers/Colony still in the lead and Sláine scoring the lowest due to it's lack of plot.

-- JUDGE DREDD // TRAUMATOWN: Woohoo, Michael Carroll's rockin' the script again! And what this? Is Dredd finally going senile? -- SLÁINE // A SIMPLE KILLING: This was really cool and disturbing. It also finally feels relevant to advancing the plot! -- INDIGO PRIME // PERFECT DAY: A little bit slow, but it advances the plot and has some great visuals -- THARG'S 3RILLERS // IN SECONDS FLAT: This is an interesting idea, though it is odd how calm Lily is when she find out Scott's crazy secret -- OUTLIER // PART TEN: A pretty good ending, the last page is the best. -- OVERALL: I enjoyed reading this prog from front to back, which is a rare treat in an anthology. Tighten up Indigo Prime and In Seconds Flat a bit and you've got a perfect lineup.

-- JUDGE DREDD // TRAUMATOWN: Painted interiors often look static, that happens here occasionally but for the most part they look gorgeous. And Dredd faces his worst nightmare, taking time off! -- GREY AREA // NEARER MY GOD TO THEE: Grey Area is back! It's just getting started here so not much has happens, just some plot establishment that sounds interesting. Unfortunately the art is looking gnarlier than ever. We may be facing the first Grey Area arc to disappoint me. -- SLÁINE // A SIMPLE KILLING: Pure action in this prog and it looks gorgeous. -- THARG'S 3RILLERS // IN SECONDS FLAT: It's not going to blow your cap off, but it's a fun, action packed installment -- INDIGO PRIME // PERFECT DAY: Another action packed strip, though I'm not sure where these robo-thugs came from and what their significance is. If the main characters came to this weird alien carnival place on a whim, how'd the bad guys anticipate them? We're dealing with dimensional jumping technology, but that's not an excuse for lazy writing. -- OVERALL: Average prog, nothing is bad but nothing stands out either.

-- JUDGE DREDD // TRAUMATOWN: Friggin' awesome! The art is highly rendered and atmospheric and the story is tense and mysterious -- GREY AREA // NEARER MY GOD TO THEE: Ooo, I see where this is going and I'm on board! Also, thank god we can get the over Birdy's jealousy now. Mark Harrison's art really needs help though, the colour palette looks good but pencils and inks are terrible! -- SLÁINE // A SIMPLE KILLING: This is fantastic, the art has never slipped and the story has become much more palatable. -- THARG'S 3RILLERS // IN SECONDS FLAT: A rushed ending, but clever and enjoyable. -- INDIGO PRIME // PERFECT DAY: Visually pleasant but the story is not terribly exciting, and that includes a chase that leads to the methane lakes of Titan, so what's that tell you? -- OVERALL: Pretty good prog overall, but you need to figure out where you are going Indigo Prime.

-- JUDGE DREDD // TRAUMATOWN: Continues to be great and starts to hint at some answers -- TERROR TALES // DONE DEAL: Nice art from rookie Tom Foster, I hope we'll see more. The story itself is an atmospheric and well told done-in-one tale. -- SLÁINE // A SIMPLE KILLING: An interesting character development for Sláine who is normally very two-dimensional. This strip turned into something great. -- GREY AREA // NEARER MY GOD TO THEE: The art is really bring this down, it's otherwise a very interesting development for Grey Area but it needs help -- INDIGO PRIME // PERFECT DAY: I finally see where this is going and there are some pretty high stakes introduced. I'm finally looking forward to next week's entry -- OVERALL: An enjoyable read from start to end this week, just fix Grey Area's pencils/inks and we're all good.

-- JUDGE DREDD // TRAUMATOWN: Sweet ending. Michael Carroll has been crafting excellent Post-Chaos Day stories; really takes advantage of new territory. I hope to see Nick Percival on the Dredd art again very soon, fantastic work all around. -- TIME TWISTERS // BURPING HITLER: Short and sweet, I don't know if it will ever get tiresome to make "screw you" stories to Hitler -- INDIGO PRIME // PERFECT DAY: Actually, I'm a little disappointed that this is the evil scheme. *Spoilers* Replacing Jesus with Cthulhu doesn't mean that a twisted form of Christianity would arise from it. I think it's also trying to allude to drone aircraft somehow at the end too. I don't know, it gets too convoluted; and what the hell was the point of the elders in the robot suits a few progs back? -- GREY AREA // NEARER MY GOD TO THEE: The art has actually gotten much better, the inks could still use some variety in weight/thickness but it's heading in the right direction. I like the tension building up in the story as well, can't wait for the next prog. -- OVERALL: Only Four strips this week. We get a double length Indigo Prime, but wasn't really worth it so I can't help feeling a little jipped.

-- JUDGE DREDD // THE HEART IS A LONELY KLEGG HUNTER: Rob Williams on the script and Chris Weston on the art, this is awesome! The story manages to touch my heart in 6 pages, which is seriously impressive. Weston does a great Klegg, he should do some art for Elephantmen -- BRASS SUN // FLOATING WORLDS: Brass Sun is back! The art could be better, but I love this strip and it's part of the look now. Looking forward to exploring Hot Air further. -- THARG'S 3RILLERS // VOODOO PLANET: Not quite sure what to make of this, but it seems cool so far and the art is unique -- GREY AREA // NEARER MY GOD TO THEE: The art has gotten better just in time for the end!? I certainly hope not, or I will be a little disappoint, but I have a feeling we'll see Grey Area again. If we do not then there is no Tharg! -- OVERALL: Strong prog, no weak entries and an especially good Dredd entry. The Dredd strip has been on a roll! With 3 new stroies and one wrapped up, this prog is a good jump on point for new readers, so get in on the action while it's hot!

-- JUDGE DREDD // THE HEART IS A LONELY KLEGG HUNTER: A short story arc, but thoroughly enjoyable. Chris Weston, don't be a stranger. -- BRASS SUN // FLOATING WORLDS: Not much happens this week, and I'm not sure what to make of the mysterious character at the end. I'm sure it will pick up soon though -- THARG'S 3RILLERS // VOODOO PLANET: A face paced and exciting story, I think this could be stronger if a chance was given to expand on this world, but it's still cool. -- FUTURE SHOCKS // THE NAME OF THE LAW: Interesting idea, not super memorable but it certainly makes for a good one-shot story. -- SINISTER DEXTER // CONGO: A fun intro to this arc, tossing Finny into the deep end. The art is not super refined but I do like the slight caricatured aspect to the characters. -- OVERALL: Fairly consistent prog, nothing I found lacking, though nothing standing out too much either, aside from Judge Dredd.

-- JUDGE DREDD // STUDENT BODIES: Whoa, John Wagner and Boo Cook! What more could a guy ask for? Awesome! -- SINISTER DEXTER // CONGO: Some fun action but a little overboard on the usage of the word funt. Sorry but it sounds more ridiculous the more it is said. -- BRASS SUN // FLOATING WORLDS: Going into some interesting new territory now, I expect the excitement will pick up from here. -- AQUILA // CARNIFEX: Reintroducing Aquila's usual bad-ass self. A violent story with tasty art. -- THARG'S 3RILLERS // VOODOO PLANET: A horror ending that stirs up emotions in the reader, which is a good thing. I think the only downside to this is the briefness to introduce all the elements of this world, it feels more like something ripped out half the pages from another comic book. -- OVERALL: No bad strips, it's a pretty great time to be reading 2000 AD.

-- JUDGE DREDD // STUDENT BODIES: Another tear-jerker in Dredd, the past couple months have been astounding for this strip for both story and art. Don't be gone long Boo Cook. -- SINISTER DEXTER // CONGO: Tensest BBQ party I've ever seen. -- AQUILA // CARNIFEX: Nero is subtly disturbing, as well he should be. So far so good on this arc -- BRASS SUN // FLOATING WORLDS: Nice entry this week, very exciting. -- BLACK SHUCK // PART ONE: Chucked right into the deep end from the start, I'm not sure I want two historical fantasies in one prog, but I'll give this a chance. -- OVERALL: Great prog, Dredd comes out on top once again, but the other strips are all entertaining as well.

-- JUDGE DREDD // A NIGHT IN SYLVIA PLATH: Awesome throwback to a Judge Death story from Judge Dredd Megazine vol 1. What a great way to revisit the legacy of Judge Death without actually involving him personally. It just makes me more excited for the time when he finally rears his ugly head once again. John Wagner's story here is told very efficiently without loosing the entertainment value. -- AQUILA // CARNIFEX: This entry is a little short and forgettable in the grand scheme of things. Aquila is playing two sides and it's getting dangerous. -- BRASS SUN // FLOATING WORLDS: This entry is short as well, but it has one big moment with a giant flying angler fish creature that looks spectacular, plus a little romance to keep us grounded. So it may be short, but it's sweet. -- BLACK SHUCK // PART THREE: I'm struggling to follow the story in this week to week, too much timeline jumping and it's not particularly interesting. -- JAEGIR // CIRCE: There's some less than necessary action in an attempt to open with excitement, but the referencing to Rogue Trooper is sure to excite longtime readers. -- OVERALL: Average prog, Dredd and Brass Sun are great but the rest, particularly Black Shuck, are forgettable.

-- JUDGE DREDD // CASCADE: Man, with scripts alternating between John Wagner and Michael Carol, it's been a great year to be a Judge Dredd reader. This idea of an astronaut from 2050 going through culture shock as she returns to America is brilliant. This would be a great jumping-on point for new readers on Judge Dredd because readers can experience culture shock along with Indira Knight as Mega-City One law and culture is explored. Unfortunately, we're still in the middle of the rest of the 2000AD stories, so that's not all that new reader friendly, oh well. The art is decent too. -- AQUILA // CARNIFEX: This is a particularly brutal entry in Aquilla. If you like blood and violence, you get it here in spades with some of the best artwork in the prog. -- BRASS SUN // FLOATING WORLDS: Man, our heroes just can't catch a break, they're trying to save the universe and it just seems that everyone is out to screw them over. Another good entry. -- BLACK SHUCK // PART FOUR: This week is decent, but doesn't explain an attack from werebears very well. Also, how does Black Shuck break his shackles? That's just lazy writing. -- JAEGIR // CIRCE: This issue is pretty cool, and very dark. It could be improved a bit with some trimming of the captions and dialog. -- OVERALL: Average prog, Judge Dredd is in the lead yet again and Black Shuck comes in last, but at least it's more interesting than it was last week.

-- JUDGE DREDD // CASCADE: The tension building is masterful -- AQUILA // CARNIFEX: Another blood soaked issue, but mostly filler. -- BRASS SUN // FLOATING WORLDS: I thought this was a little escape pod that the heroes are in, but I suppose it's for battle? Either way, it seems very easy to take out the airships, but oh well, it's some intense action. -- BLACK SHUCK // PART SIX: There's some excitement to be had, though the cliffhanger is a little silly. -- JAEGIR // CIRCE: Probably the strongest Jaegir strip of this storyline. There's some intense flashbacks that are dark and cool. The cliffhanger is nice as well. -- OVERALL: Average prog, I totally stoked for the next Judge Dredd, Brass Sun holds strong and Jaegir gets better and better.

-- JUDGE DREDD // CASCADE: More great tension and a killer cliffhanger. -- AQUILA // CARNIFEX: More blood and action -- BRASS SUN // FLOATING WORLDS: Random floating castle, but okay. -- BLACK SHUCK // PART SEVEN: Okay, well I see the point of the flashbacks at last, so this is finally enjoyable. -- JAEGIR // CIRCE: The flashbacks are kind of cool. -- OVERALL: Average prog again. What's good is that none of the stories are bad, the better strips don't stand out as much as usual either though. Dredd is still the best.

-- JUDGE DREDD // CASCADE: Oh yeah! Lawlords ain't the law, Dredd is the law! -- AQUILA // CARNIFEX: One of the most intense issues yet, with Aquila that says a lot -- BRASS SUN // FLOATING WORLDS: Super exciting issue -- BLACK SHUCK // PART EIGHT: Better than this has been, Black Shuck is a little boastful though, he hasn't really earned the "I am Black Shuck!" battle cry JAEGIR // CIRCE: I don't really get the last panel, but this was a pretty decent conclusion. -- OVERALL: Pretty good prog, no weak stories here, Dreed, Aquila and Brass Sun are particularly good.

-- JUDGE DREDD // CASCADE: A clever conclusion. great writing, good art, this was a memorable entry in the Dredd mythos -- AQUILA // CARNIFEX: Awesome and satisfying conclusion considering how much of a scumbag Nero has been. Hopefully the next entry is a little easier to follow week to week. -- BRASS SUN // FLOATING WORLDS: A little falling action after the climax of last issue, this is nice to have since most strips end very suddenly due to page counts. --FUTURE SHOCKS // PERSONALITY CRISIS: The art could be better but the writing is solid and very original -- BLACK SHUCK // PART NINE: It's a good ending considering the rest of this strip hasn't been interesting. -- OVERALL: Great Prog, no weak strips, everything ends in a satisfying way, Black Shuck will certainly be the least memorable strip of the bunch, I highly recommend the Dredd and Brass Sun strips.

-- JUDGE DREDD // BLOCK JUDGE: John Wagner and Carlos Ezquerra together on Dredd again! Excellent prog, shows you how impossible the roll of a block judge is. Too bad this is the shorter of the three strips in this prog, it's is clearly the best one. -- STICKLEBACK // THE THRU'PENNY OPERA: Aw crap, not Stickleback again, I hate this character. At least the art style still looks great and the story here is a decent start, so we'll see how this story arc goes. -- THE NOBLE 1900: Just a short article about previous landmark issues. I was nice but doesn't measure up to story. -- KINGDOM // AUX DRIFT: Truly stellar artwork here. I like the concept and execution as well. I hope there will be more to this than people and dog-people vs. bugs, we'll see in the coming progs. -- OVERALL: It's a decent prog, but I'm a little disappointed there were only 3 strips. A couple were 10 pages each, but still, it certainly wasn't the sensational #1900 I was expecting. Prog 2000 in a couple years better be a lot more sensational.

-- JUDGE DREDD // BLOCK JUDGE: Dredd's continuing to crack down on this block. Although the story jumps around a lot, it's a fun way to experience the day-to-day life of a block judge. -- STICKLEBACK // THE THRU'PENNY OPERA: I don't know who this Bob character is, but he seems kind of interesting compared to the rest of this boring story arc. -- GREYSUIT // PRINCE OF DARKNESS: The secret agent junk is like concentrated boredom. At least the flashbacks are slight engaging. -- ICHABOD AZRAEL // ONE LAST BULLET: Ichabod is the only other strip besides Dredd that is holding my interest. I particularly like this talking horse. -- KINGDOM // AUX DRIFT: Oh goodie, we finally got some dialog between the characters only to get interrupted by yet another attack by Them. Kingdom seems like a great concept, the art is certainly the best of the whole prog, but it's got about as much substance as and empty paper bag. -- OVERALL: 2000AD has plummeted since the 1900 issue. Dredd is the only exceptional strip, with Ichabod following as the only other entry worth reading. Unfortunately, all of these strips are just getting started so it's going to be a crummy couple of months moving forward. I hope nobody jumped on at prog 1900 with their hopes up.

-- JUDGE DREDD // BLOCK JUDGE: I like the yucks, and the story feeling like it's starting to find a direction -- STICKLEBACK // THE THRU'PENNY OPERA: Boooring -- GREYSUIT // PRINCE OF DARKNESS: Boooring -- ICHABOD AZRAEL // ONE LAST BULLET: Exciting action -- KINGDOM // AUX DRIFT: Boooring -- OVERALL: Worst prog I can remember. Dredd and Ichabod are still good, but the other strips are not even worth my time to critique.

-- JUDGE DREDD // BLOCK JUDGE: Dredd is still doing his thing, cracking skulls and taking names. -- STICKLEBACK // THE THRU'PENNY OPERA: At least this one has a giant steam punk robot. That doesn't last long though... -- GREYSUIT // PRINCE OF DARKNESS: Better than previous weeks, but still kind of cheesy -- ICHABOD AZRAEL // ONE LAST BULLET: Crazy issue, I like the deux ex machina that plays with the comic medium -- KINGDOM // AUX DRIFT: Elson and Ryder are doing all of the work in this strip. Abnett, on the other hand, is handing in scripts with barely more than "they fight" written down. -- OVERALL: 2000AD can't seem to pull out of this nosedive. Dredd and Ichabod are still the only strips worth reading.

-- JUDGE DREDD // BLOCK JUDGE: More block judge duties, but at least a central focus is starting to emerge. -- STICKLEBACK // THE THRU'PENNY OPERA: There's some nice art pages in this one. The plot isn't memorable. -- GREYSUIT // PRINCE OF DARKNESS: This is the best entry so far, it actually pretty exciting and has a good cliffhanger. So, believe or not, Greysuit is the best strip this week. -- ICHABOD AZRAEL // ONE LAST BULLET: a quieter entry this week, but it's got a couple good developments -- KINGDOM // AUX DRIFT: I feel like this is the first entry to have more than just fighting, so maybe a narrative will actually form from here. -- OVERALL: Not a particularly exciting week by any means, Greysuit actually outshone Dredd, everything is rather mediocre.

-- JUDGE DREDD // END OF THE ROAD: This is a really fun done-in-one. Mega-City One doesn't treat their senior citizens any better than any other citizen, that's for sure. -- GREYSUIT // PRINCE OF DARKNESS: A pretty cool extended story. Lots of action, but it doesn't really conclude anything, I think 2000AD just cut it off here for the Holiday Special. -- STICKLEBACK // THE THRU'PENNY OPERA: As usual, I have no idea what is going on and this one also doesn't really end. -- OVERALL: Stickleback weighs down an otherwise great issue and there are only two other stories this time to bring up the average, so the issue hurts overall. I'm really looking forward to the 2000AD lineup changing up now, hopefully without as many duds as the last lineup had.

-- JUDGE DREDD // DARK JUSTICE: The artwork is stunning! So excited for the Dark Judges, jump in now if you are too! This doesn't start with a bang, but I get the feeling a lot is being set up. A space colony sounds cool. -- THE VISIBLE MAN // THE SCREAMS IN THE WALLS: A good done-in-one arc. I feel bad for the main characters. -- THE ORDER // PART ONE: A new thrill that has me a bit lost already. 2000AD hasn't had the best luck on this medieval stories lately. Werewolves? Awe man... -- ULYSSES SWEET, MANIAC FOR HIRE // PSYCHO THERAPIST: Awe man, not Ulysses Sweet! I hated the last strip with this guy. So far this one isn't great, but it's not as bad as the last one. -- THE CIRCUIT-SNAPPING QUAXXANN CHRISTMAS QUIZ: Someone put a lot of effort into this quiz, but it's totally inaccessible to me since I've only been reading for a couple years. This is a quiz that will challenge those who've been reading for decades. -- JAEGIR // BROTHERS IN ARMS: This is a really good one. It tells a story spanning years in just a few pages and it works very well. It adds to the Jaegir backstory and gives the series direction moving forward. -- LOW LIFE // THE REALLY BIG CHRISTMAS SLEEP: Yes! I love Low Life! This is very funny, the ending sets up an ongoing story but we'll have to wait a bit for the rest of the story, which is a bit of a drag. -- MAX NORMAL // NO COMICS FOR OLD MEN: I like this, the characters play off each other well and the story has a satisfying conclusion. -- SAVAGE // GRINDERS: Nice, I love Savage too. Looks like this one is going to focus a lot on weird cyborg people? -- JUDGE DREDD // THE GHOST OF CHRISTMAS PRESENTS: Sweet. Really cool story starring a crime lord's right-hand man who suddenly gets an attack from his conscience, or so it seems. -- OVERALL: There's a lot of material here, 100 pages. It's a great jump-on point for new readers, there are some great stories to look forward to, it's a shame two of the less interesting ones are continuing from here.

-- JUDGE DREDD // DARK JUSTICE: The antics on the space colony are priceless, it reminds me of the tongue-in-cheek humour from the classic Dredd progs. To contrast that, a possessed man is killing people on the ship one by one. Great stuff, a little overboard on the captions though. -- SAVAGE // GRINDERS: Wow, and just like that the war is over? A little too easy, yet I still enjoyed this entry. -- THE ORDER // PART TWO: Okay, this robo head guy is making things way more interesting, I'm ready for more now. -- ULYSSES SWEET, MANIAC FOR HIRE // PSYCHO THERAPIST: It's just not funny or interesting. -- ORLOK, AGENT OF EAST-MEG ONE // EUROZONED: New Prog based on a previously existing character that I'm not familiar with. It's intriguing, I'm curious as to what's motivating Orlok in his betrayal. -- OVERALL: I think we're in for some good progs coming up, Ulysses Sweet seems to be the only one slowing the team down.

-- JUDGE DREDD // DARK JUSTICE: Awe yeah, Death is here! And that art looks so good! -- ULYSSES SWEET, MANIAC FOR HIRE // PSYCHO THERAPIST: This one is actually kind of funny thanks to a bigoted old lady, and not so much the main characters. Unfortunately, the best characters to appear in this issue are all dead now, so we'll be back to the boring slog with the rest of the cast who refuse to come to life on the page. -- ORLOK, AGENT OF EAST-MEG ONE // EUROZONED: This entry can be summed up as "we can't find him" and it turns out he's going to Euro-City. Ooops, did I give away the "cliffhanger?" This needs to get to the story and quit fidgeting. -- THE ORDER // PART THREE: The cast is expanded here and we get some more shenanigans from the robot head; that head is carrying this team. -- SAVAGE // GRINDERS: Wait, Savage doesn't want Democracy? Uhhkay. Looks like some political sh** is about to go down, looking forward to that. -- OVERALL: Orlok is starting to look like a week link already, I hope Orlok and Ulysses don't stick around for too much longer.

-- JUDGE DREDD // DARK JUSTICE: The Dark Judges are hear, YES!! -- ULYSSES SWEET, MANIAC FOR HIRE // PSYCHO THERAPIST: Even more rediculous than usual, which is saying a lot for this strip -- ORLOK, AGENT OF EAST-MEG ONE // EUROZONED: I read this too long ago now, I don't remember hating or loving this, it's greatest crime seems to be that it's forgettable. -- THE ORDER // PART FOUR: Moves the plot forward. -- SAVAGE // GRINDERS: Action packed, Bill Savage is awesome, love it. -- OVERALL: Judge Dredd and Savage for the win.

-- JUDGE DREDD // DARK JUSTICE: Elicits the experience of watching the film Aliens, which is one of the greatest movies ever, so don't sleep on this one. -- ULYSSES SWEET, MANIAC FOR HIRE // PSYCHO THERAPIST: Dumb -- ORLOK, AGENT OF EAST-MEG ONE // EUROZONED: I read this too long ago now, I can't remember much, but I remember it being decent. Part of the problem may be the artwork, it isn't that great so it isn't memorable. The plot is boring secret agent stuff, so that doesn't help either. -- THE ORDER // PART FIVE: The plot is picking up and it's getting cool -- SAVAGE // GRINDERS: Nice, F these losers up Savage. -- OVERALL: Just need to replace Ulysses and Orlok, come on baby.

-- JUDGE DREDD // DARK JUSTICE: This continues to be claustrophobic and gripping -- ULYSSES SWEET, MANIAC FOR HIRE // PSYCHO THERAPIST: It's getting better, but it's still not my thing. -- ORLOK, AGENT OF EAST-MEG ONE // EUROZONED: I took a break from reading 2000AD, so I can't really remember what is going on, this one was always a bit more difficult to follow. -- THE ORDER // PART SIX: This one is pretty sweet, I love the worm things -- SAVAGE // GRINDERS: Man, that is some shitty dialogue. Not a shining moment for Savage -- OVERALL: Dark Justice and the Order are the main reasons to keep reading 2000AD right now, I hope the other strips get better soon because it is frustrating when Judge Dredd is so good but the other strips drag down the prog's rating.

-- JUDGE DREDD // DARK JUSTICE: It's like scary space-Ghostbusters! -- ULYSSES SWEET, MANIAC FOR HIRE // PSYCHO THERAPIST: Thank God it's over. At Least there was a creative page layout. -- ORLOK, AGENT OF EAST-MEG ONE // EUROZONED: A cool ending, but I'm glad this is over. -- THE ORDER // PART SEVEN: These worm things are crazy, and we're about to get some alchemy going. -- SAVAGE // GRINDERS: A low key issue but it's heading in a promising direction. -- OVERALL: Now that the weakest strips have concluded, I'm hoping the upcoming issues will be a lot better.

-- JUDGE DREDD // DARK JUSTICE: justice is ALWAYS sweet! -- SURVIVAL GEEKS // STEAMPUNK'D: Ooo, I remember these characters from a 3rillers story. There's some good comedy in this strip -- THARG'S 3RILLERS // STATION TO STATION: This is very bizarre, but super interesting. Cool to see a Muslim refugee in the lead role. -- THE ORDER // PART EIGHT: We get a brief window into Anna's childhood. The action is also very cool, great artwork. -- SAVAGE // GRINDERS: Savage clearly should not be trusting his brother. -- OVERALL: I'm very optimistic about the new strips, I think we're in for a streak of great issues.

-- JUDGE DREDD // DARK JUSTICE: The crime is mass murder! The sentence is CORN MASH! -- SURVIVAL GEEKS // STEAMPUNK'D: Hmm, that's an interesting cliffhanger. -- THARG'S 3RILLERS // STATION TO STATION: We got a Body Snatchers thing happening here, very cool. -- THE ORDER // PART NINE: That's right, kill your daddy. -- SAVAGE // GRINDERS: Savage clearly should not be trusting his brother. -- OVERALL: Best issue in a long time! The two "professional" reviewers seriously missed the mark on this one.

-- JUDGE DREDD // DARK JUSTICE: The artwork is so damn good it makes me want to cry. The plot is reaching its suspenseful climax. Only one issue left but I don't want it to end! -- SURVIVAL GEEKS // STEAMPUNK'D: Each character is off doing their own thing. The flashback to the steampunk party is the best part. -- THARG'S 3RILLERS // STATION TO STATION: The ending wasn't as clear and impactful as it could be, I think this needed more than three prog entries to tell the third act effectively. -- THE ORDER // PART TEN: Things are starting to get messy, but the worms are cool. -- SAVAGE // GRINDERS: That gun mouth chick is awesome! Awe... That was short lived... Good issue anyways. She made for a bad-ass cover. -- OVERALL: Dredd and Savage are excellent, Station to Station dropped the ball and the other two are just okay.

-- JUDGE DREDD // DARK JUSTICE: This amazing arc comes to a close. Bravo, this space horror will go down as one of my all-time favourites. Don't be strangers Wagner and Staples. -- SURVIVAL GEEKS // STEAMPUNK'D: I got a few chuckles out of this one, especially with the dork who thinks he's becoming like a jedi rather then a human sacrifice. -- THARG'S 3RILLERS // 1%: A very strange tale, like something out of the twilight zone. I'm intrigued. -- THE ORDER // PART ELEVEN: A little too much smiling and posing in this one. Ew, don't make the robot a human, gross! -- SAVAGE // GRINDERS: As unsurprising as reveals get, but it also provides interesting new context for the series leading up to now. On the other hand, I'd rather remember Savage as a superhuman revolutionary during the war. -- OVERALL: Got a killer cover out of this one. A pretty good prog, nothing that I outright disliked, which is always good.

-- JUDGE DREDD // 300 SECONDS: This one-off is a cool idea and a little reminder that the Judges are kinda fascist. -- SAVAGE // GRINDERS: The talking brain is a bit excessive but... Sure! Why not? -- SURVIVAL GEEKS // STEAMPUNK'D: I didn't realize the one guy was somewhat suicidal. The Old One looks really cool. -- THARG'S 3RILLERS // 1%: Whoa, this is weird, and I like it. -- THE ORDER // PART TWELVE: It's finally over, at least it went off with a literal bang -- OVERALL: No bad stories, so I'm very satisfied.

-- JUDGE DREDD // PERPS, CRIMES & VIDEOTAPE: A fun throwback to the goofier perps that Dredd has put down -- THARG'S 3RILLERS // 1%: A satisfying conclusion. -- SURVIVAL GEEKS // STEAMPUNK'D: Thrilling giant fight with great art and a satisfying end for the douchie guy -- BOB BYRNE'S TWISTED TALES // THE SCAMP VS THE PIGS: Whoaa, this was super cool! So imaginative and out of left field. -- SAVAGE // GRINDERS: Love the campy cyborg design. -- OVERALL: This was a great lineup, 2000 AD will have to work hard to top it.

-- JUDGE DREDD // ENCELADUS: NEW LIFE: Oooo, we're picking up from the last Titan story arc -- SLÁINE // PRIMORDIAL: Excellent artwork, but the dialogue steps on the action. What an odd place to pick up a story arc. -- GREY AREA // ANOTHER DAY ON THE JOB: I already love these alien agents, their names are Resting Bitch Face and Compelling Male Musk Odour! -- ORLOK, AGENT OF EAST-MEG ONE // THE RASPUTIN CAPER: I can already tell that I won't be interested in this one. -- STRONTIUM DOG // THE STIX FIX: OG creators John Wagner and Carlos Ezquerra are back on Strontium Dog, of course I'm happy. -- OVERALL: I'm a big fan for what they are doing with the recaps, it is something that these jump-on issues desperately need to be more friendly to new readers. It is difficult to judge the lineup at this point, but I think Grey Area and Dredd will be the leaders, Sláine and Orlok are likely to be forgettable.

-- JUDGE DREDD // ENCELADUS: NEW LIFE: Intense, dramatic issue. Well done, can't wait to see what happens next. -- ORLOK, AGENT OF EAST-MEG ONE // THE RASPUTIN CAPER: The artwork gets clunky and difficult to follow when the action breaks out -- SLÁINE // PRIMORDIAL: This installment is pretty decent, love the art. -- GREY AREA // ANOTHER DAY ON THE JOB: Highly intriguing setup, I'm hooked. -- STRONTIUM DOG // THE STIX FIX: The way that the Koreans are portrayed is rather cringe worthy: goofy names, cartoon accent for the interpreter, and the general looks like something out of a WWII propaganda poster. Clean it up guys, this is embarrassing. -- OVERALL: Loving Dredd and Grey Area, the rest need help.

-- JUDGE DREDD // ENCELADUS: NEW LIFE: A dire flashback sequence makes the strip memorable -- ORLOK, AGENT OF EAST-MEG ONE // THE RASPUTIN CAPER: The premonition makes the strip interesting at least. -- SLÁINE // PRIMORDIAL: Very slow, very dull -- GREY AREA // ANOTHER DAY ON THE JOB: Our heroes are at each other's throats! Or is it some sort of mating ritual? -- STRONTIUM DOG // THE STIX FIX: Apparently General Bing has got some moves, nice. -- OVERALL: I found out a month late that Carlos Ezquerra (co-creator of Judge Dredd) died, that sucks. It makes me treasure these progs more as I have a backlog of his final works lefts to read.

-- JUDGE DREDD // ENCELADUS: NEW LIFE: A closer look at the fate of the ex-Judges from Titan and it's dope! -- ORLOK, AGENT OF EAST-MEG ONE // THE RASPUTIN CAPER: This one is kind of cool. -- SLÁINE // PRIMORDIAL: Boooring. -- GREY AREA // LOCKED IN: Funny. The Grey Area crew get a taste for what it's like to be in holding while immigration paperwork gets put off. -- STRONTIUM DOG // THE STIX FIX: Uh oh, Johnny Alpha's got himself in a pickle -- OVERALL: Everyone is pulling their weight except Slaine.

-- JUDGE DREDD // ENCELADUS: NEW LIFE: I'm loving this! I don't want to say too much, but a ship representing the Sov Empire has showed up and things... escalate rather quickly. -- ORLOK, AGENT OF EAST-MEG ONE // THE RASPUTIN CAPER: I really don't care about these characters. By all means, kill them off, all of them. -- SLÁINE // PRIMORDIAL: The greatest weakness of this series boils down to how poorly each page transitions to the next. This is a summary, not a narrative, I guess I just need to accept it. -- GREY AREA // LOCKED IN: Funny. There is some clumsiness in rendering the action, but I like the characters. -- STRONTIUM DOG // THE STIX FIX: This week is a good demonstration of Johnny Alpha's skills and why he's the right person for the job. -- OVERALL: What more can I say? Skip Slaine and Orlok, but keep going the distance with Dredd.

-- JUDGE DREDD // BREAKING BUD: So good, this new main character is a total victim of Megacity One's unrestrained capitalism -- ORLOK, AGENT OF EAST-MEG ONE // THE RASPUTIN CAPER: Final installment, thank goodness. -- SLÁINE // PRIMORDIAL: Finally, something cool. -- GREY AREA // LOCKED IN: Dope, this is really good. Who else can related to those in power ignoring obvious signs of catastrophe? -- STRONTIUM DOG // THE STIX FIX: Good prog, looking forward to the next one. -- OVERALL: Orlok is down, now we just need to wrap up Slaine, things are looking up.

-- JUDGE DREDD // BREAKING BUD: I'm loving this, Wagner always writes good Dredd, even when the focus is on a character we've never heard of. -- TERROR TALES // PHASE SHIFT: Weird, but not bad for such a short story -- SLÁINE // PRIMORDIAL: This one is just Slaine hacking up dudes... So it is one of the better installments. -- GREY AREA // LOCKED IN: Another great entry, nice character development. -- STRONTIUM DOG // THE STIX FIX: Strontium Dog is just a walking target, lol. -- OVERALL: Much stronger issue now that Orlok is finished.

-- JUDGE DREDD // BREAKING BUD: The plot thickens. -- GREY AREA // LOCKED IN: This was great, just some detained space refugees doing their part one day at a time. -- SLÁINE // PRIMORDIAL: That's one of the goofiest plans I've seen Slaine cook up. It amuses me. -- THARG'S 3RILLERS // COMMERCIAL BREAK: You got me, what happens next? -- STRONTIUM DOG // THE STIX FIX: And here the plot thickens as well. That John Wagner knows how to secrete plot thickener. He should jar it and sell it. -- OVERALL: Solid issue, I even liked Slaine.

-- JUDGE DREDD // BREAKING BUD: I'm starting to actually like this bad guy, he's an underdog sticking it to the man for his family. -- SLÁINE // PRIMORDIAL: Yeah, fuck obedience! I like this issue. I actually like a Slaine story, how about that? The brief analysis at the end is interesting too. -- FUTURE SHOCK // THE BIG HEIST: We get the mandatory twist that one expects from any good Future Shock. I like that this one was a heist, so it felt unique in contrast to the typically horror themed stories. -- THARG'S 3RILLERS // COMMERCIAL BREAK: Whoa, I don't know what I was expecting, but it wasn't that. Cool! -- STRONTIUM DOG // THE STIX FIX: Damn, you can't trust anyone! -- OVERALL: Great issue, no weaknesses!

-- JUDGE DREDD // BLOOD OF EMERALOS: Slow this week. -- ABSALOM // UNDER A FALSE FLAG: Haven't gotten into this yet, not sure what it is setting up. -- SLÁINE // PRIMORDIAL: Cool visuals, but I'm not privy to who this guy is that Slaine talks to -- OUTLIER // DARK SYMMETRIES: I barely remember anything about the first Outlier strip, so I'm not sure this warrants a sequel. -- HELIUM // PART TWO: Reminds me a lot of Brass Sun, probably because it is the same writer and the artwork is similar. I loved Brass Sun, so let's hope this one is good too. The creepy poison gas people are a good start. -- OVERALL: Pretty lackluster issue actually, Helium is the only one I'm excited to continue with.

-- JUDGE DREDD // BLOOD OF EMERALOS: Things are getting interesting again. -- ABSALOM // UNDER A FALSE FLAG: Human sacrifices are always fun. -- SLÁINE // PRIMORDIAL: Cool issue but an odd place to end Book Two. -- OUTLIER // DARK SYMMETRIES: Um, I don't know what's going on. -- HELIUM // PART THREE: Oooo, I hate that lord mayor! On the bright side, looks like things are going blow up in her face. -- OVERALL: A little better than the previous prog. I hope Slaine is filled in with something good.

-- JUDGE DREDD // BLOOD OF EMERALOS: The judges beat the crap out of this guy, but it's still not terribly interesting. -- ABSALOM // UNDER A FALSE FLAG: Wow, way to let the kid get away, worst agents ever. -- HELIUM // PART FOUR: We get a look at who is driving all these WWI style tanks and also find out why this prisoner is important. This is my favourite strip right now. -- OUTLIER // DARK SYMMETRIES: Very dull so far, I care nothing for any of these characters. Sure, by all means, kill the dude. -- JAEGIR // TARTARUS: I remember liking Jaegir, so I'm optimistic about this strip. It's off to a good start so far as we witness war crimes being committed with little hope for justice. -- OVERALL: Top marks for Helium, but I'd like to see all of the other strips step up their game.

-- JUDGE DREDD // BLOOD OF EMERALOS: Another bar fight, I guess this is what you get when you go to future-Ireland -- ABSALOM // UNDER A FALSE FLAG: Some double dealing with a cyborg-devil is always interesting -- HELIUM // PART FIVE: More explanation for the backstory. This strip is still the best. -- OUTLIER // DARK SYMMETRIES: There's some pretty cool action that plays with the light from gunshots. -- JAEGIR // TARTARUS: Everyone likes a tragic backstory. I like Atalia Jaegir's humanity. -- OVERALL: Better than last week but only Helium and Jaegir seem to reach their full potential.

-- JUDGE DREDD // BLOOD OF EMERALOS: I don't know, I probably need to reread this to totally get it. -- ABSALOM // UNDER A FALSE FLAG: Getting better as things are revealed. -- HELIUM // PART SIX: Another great issue where we get to see the airplanes in this world and the main character makes a difficult decision. -- OUTLIER // DARK SYMMETRIES: The action picks up. -- JAEGIR // TARTARUS: Boobies! -- OVERALL: Helium is still far better than the rest.

-- JUDGE DREDD // ENCELADUS: OLD LIFE: Oooo, yes, a follow up to the developments with Enceladus. I'm on board -- ABSALOM // UNDER A FALSE FLAG: Heavy on the violence against robots. -- HELIUM // PART SEVEN: Fun fantasy dogfights with bizarre airplane designs. My favourite plane design got blown up first though :( -- OUTLIER // DARK SYMMETRIES: They talk about stuff... I dunno, I've checked out on this strip, sorry. Wake when it's over. -- JAEGIR // TARTARUS: Boobies! I said that last issue too. But it's good though, I space Nazis investigating space Nazis. -- OVERALL: Helium is still the champ.

-- JUDGE DREDD // ENCELADUS: OLD LIFE: Wasn't wowed, but the end suggests things are about to pick up. -- ABSALOM // UNDER A FALSE FLAG: The best parts of this installment are bits in the background with the dog and the ducks. -- HELIUM // PART EIGHT: Best of the prog yet again thanks to exciting dog-fights and epic aircraft designs -- OUTLIER // DARK SYMMETRIES: This one was a bit more interesting, thanks mostly to a compelling use of layout in the opening page. -- JAEGIR // TARTARUS: The tables are turning in an ominous direction. This is the second best of the prog -- OVERALL: Helium is still the champ.

-- JUDGE DREDD // ENCELADUS: OLD LIFE: It's not very clear what is going on at the end of the first page and start of the second. The cliffhanger is the revelation that Dirty Frank is getting recruited. I kind of remember that guy... -- ABSALOM // UNDER A FALSE FLAG: The end, yay! This arc had more action than Absolam typically does, but it was still somewhat difficult to follow. Part of that is due to my lack of Absolam knowledge, but a lot also has to do with poor dialogue. -- HELIUM // PART NINE: I was confused at first as to which faction controlled the not-helicarrier, I think I get it now but I'm still not sure what they're talking about as the mention the protagonist being pale. I hope this is clarified in the next prog. -- OUTLIER // DARK SYMMETRIES: Damn, Outlier still isn't over! This installment might have landed better if I could remember who ANY of these people that he unfreezes are supposed to be... or if I cared... at least there's a boob? -- JAEGIR // TARTARUS: I was lost at first because it isn't very clear that there are multiple scene-changes/time-jumps in the panels. At first I thought there was a mistake in the art for Kapiten-Inspector Atalia's uniform. This turned out to be what actually clued me in to the scene changes, but it wasn't exactly made obvious. My advice: don't do time-jumping scene changes in-between panels, wait for a new page and give a text cue or a lingering dialogue box. The red colour cues helped but were only particularly effective in the two panels that were entirely rendered in red as opposed to the other flashback panels that just featured a red backdrop. -- OVERALL: A disappointing prog, Tharg needs replace the clarity filters on his art and story droids, I know they are capable of better.

-- JUDGE DREDD // ENCELADUS: OLD LIFE: The pages featuring Judge Maitland are suspenseful. -- HELIUM // PART TEN: I very interesting and important bit of lore is revealed, followed by quite the shocking final panel. My thrill circuits are overloading. -- OUTLIER // DARK SYMMETRIES: I don't know what's going on, but there's some big space monsters, so that's cool. -- FUTURE SHOCKS // CLOUD NINE: Weird, creepy and cool. I love the airbrush paint style. -- JAEGIR // TARTARUS: Deus ex machina. Lame. -- OVERALL: Helium is still the best, but Dredd is picking up again and the Future Shock was a welcome palette cleanser.

-- JUDGE DREDD // ENCELADUS: OLD LIFE: Things are getting out of control rapidly, I can't believe the judges resort to napalming themselves. -- HELIUM // PART ELEVEN: Another cool, cooky flying machine. -- THE ALIENIST // THE HAUNTING OF HEX HOUSE: A weird and welcome new strip. -- OUTLIER // DARK SYMMETRIES: It's over, yay! -- JAEGIR // TARTARUS: Jaegir wraps here too. This strip started out good but I didn't care for the ending. -- OVERALL: This prog fell short, but hopefully things will pick up as we switch up the featured stories.

-- JUDGE DREDD // ENCELADUS: OLD LIFE: Daayum, Judge Dredd got jacked! Don't let anything stop you Dreddy! -- THE ALIENIST // THE HAUNTING OF HEX HOUSE: Not bad, but the momentum is running out quickly, don't let this turn stale! -- THARG'S 3RILLERS // APOCALYPSE ANONYMOUS: This just started and the characters are already cheesy and annoying. Not a promising start, hopefully they all die. -- GREY AREA // CONTACT: I'd like to see more clarity in the art, it's only the first installment and it's already getting messy. The plot is promising though, I'm excited to be reading Grey Area again. -- HELIUM // PART TWELVE: Another flying action-focused prog, it's exciting and well executed. -- OVERALL: The 3riller is dragging the prog's down, at least it will be over soon. I hope the others continue to shine.

-- JUDGE DREDD // ENCELADUS: OLD LIFE: Things are starting to look pretty hopeless. -- THE ALIENIST // THE HAUNTING OF HEX HOUSE: It's okay. -- THARG'S 3RILLERS // APOCALYPSE ANONYMOUS: This doesn't really work when you don't give a crap about the characters. -- GREY AREA // CONTACT: Okay, cool. Let's get on with it. -- DREAMS OF DEADWORLD // FIRE: Holy crap this is hot, especially the artwork! -- OVERALL: The bread is the best part of this sandwich.

-- JUDGE DREDD // ENCELADUS: OLD LIFE: Cool ending. -- THE ALIENIST // THE HAUNTING OF HEX HOUSE: The artwork is cool and creepy. -- THARG'S 3RILLERS // APOCALYPSE ANONYMOUS: It's over, yay. -- GREY AREA // FEEDING FRENZY: We're getting somewhere, but I don't really get what these things are they're shooting and how this is a path to victory; seems more like an excuse to shoot things. -- DREAMS OF DEADWORLD // MORTIS: So creepy, I love it! -- OVERALL: I hope the 3riller is replaced with something good.

-- JUDGE DREDD // GHOST TOWN: An extra length entry where Dredd is more villain to the people than a hero. I always like these. -- THE ALIENIST // THE HAUNTING OF HEX HOUSE: Starting to get cool. -- GREY AREA // DEADLINE: Lots of explosions. -- DREAMS OF DEADWORLD // FEAR: Another triumph! -- OVERALL: I think this issue demonstrates that 2000 AD would be better with an extra sized Dredd strip in each issue with less stories of other titles.

-- JUDGE DREDD // GHOST TOWN: Not as good as part one, but still good. -- FUTURE SHOCK // RE-INCARN-8: This is a weird -- DREAMS OF DEADWORLD // DEATH: This is probably the weakest of this series, but it's still cool. -- THE ALIENIST // THE HAUNTING OF HEX HOUSE: Despite how cool the art is, I'm glad this is over. -- OVERALL: I'm going to miss the Dreams of Deadworld, these are cool, but I imagine there are only so many you could do before they become repetitive.

-- JUDGE DREDD // SERIAL SERIAL: John Wagner is back for a murder mystery. -- DEFOE // THE LONDON HANGED: I'm not really familiar with this strip, but it's kinda cool so far, I'm just a bit tapped out on zombies. -- BRASS SUN // MOTOR HEAD: Dear god, this is horrifying, in a good way. -- BAD COMPANY // FIRST CASUALTIES: This looks like a cool concept. -- OVERALL: I'm excited for everything here except Defoe.

-- JUDGE DREDD // GHOST TOWN: I think others might like the intrigue here, but I'm actually kind of bored by it. -- DEFOE // THE LONDON HANGED: I actually really like this art. -- BRASS SUN // MOTOR HEAD: This fills in the gap for what happened between the last arc and last week's issue, which jumped ahead in the timeline for dramatic effect. -- BAD COMPANY // FIRST CASUALTIES: I'm already feeling invested in these characters, which is impressive considering that they are brand new to me. -- OVERALL: As usually, Brass Sun blows everyone else out of the water, but I'm liking Bad Company too.

-- JUDGE DREDD // GHOST TOWN: Still not into this. -- DEFOE // THE LONDON HANGED: This might be better if I were more familiar with this title. -- BRASS SUN // MOTOR HEAD: When it rains it pours, goddamn! -- SINISTER DEXTER // THE TAKING OF THE MICHAEL: Awe fuck, not these guys again. -- BAD COMPANY // FIRST CASUALTIES: Get your truth and justice boyz! -- OVERALL: Brass Sun for the win yet again.

-- JUDGE DREDD // GHOST TOWN: I think the misspellings in the letters are on purpose and are indicative of clues, but I'm not invested enough in this to try to decode them. -- DEFOE // THE LONDON HANGED: That's a cool looking vehicle, are we going to get to see it do anything? -- BRASS SUN // MOTOR HEAD: Fight the power, woo! -- SINISTER DEXTER // THE TAKING OF THE MICHAEL: pew pew, everyone shoot everyone. -- BAD COMPANY // FIRST CASUALTIES: Starting to lose some steam. -- OVERALL: Brass Sun all the way.

-- JUDGE DREDD // ISLANDS: Fantastic one-off from Michael Carroll, these little spotlight-type stories make Mega-City One feel real and lived-in. -- DEFOE // THE LONDON HANGED: largely forgettable. -- BRASS SUN // MOTOR HEAD: Weird! -- SINISTER DEXTER // THE TAKING OF THE MICHAEL: Pew pew! -- BAD COMPANY // FIRST CASUALTIES: The plot is getting in danger of dragging on. -- OVERALL: Dredd is finally back on top but Sinister Dexter is dragging the average rating down.

-- JUDGE DREDD // SLEEPING DUTY: This is simply hilarious! -- DEFOE // THE LONDON HANGED: Another instance where I think it would make a difference if I were more familiar with the lore. -- BRASS SUN // MOTOR HEAD: A quieter installment. -- SINISTER DEXTER // THE TAKING OF THE MICHAEL: It's over, YAY! -- BAD COMPANY // FIRST CASUALTIES: Uh oh, I think Bad company is starting to go bad. -- OVERALL: Dredd and Brass Sun are the best.

-- JUDGE DREDD // GHOST TOWN: At least the last installation of this arc was interesting. -- DEFOE // THE LONDON HANGED: So we don't get to see the car thing do anything? -- BRASS SUN // MOTOR HEAD: Things heat up, this is fucking cool! -- SINISTER DEXTER // THE TAKING OF THE MICHAEL: Just hurry up and kill knock-off Kingpin. -- BAD COMPANY // FIRST CASUALTIES: Don't let them talk you down boyz, fuck 'em up! -- OVERALL: Brass. Sun.

-- JUDGE DREDD // LET'S GET TO WORK: Michael Carroll brings back that classic 2000AD humour with the stickup of a movie in the making, culminating in a funny conclusion. -- ROBO-HUNTER // IRON SAM: Most comedies do a shitty job trying to satirize PC culture, but this is successful and funny, so well done. -- FUTURE SHOCKS // DUST: Manages to tell a decent story in only 3 pages with wonderful, painterly artwork. -- ACE TRUCKING CO. // STAR'S TRUCK: Not bad, mostly weird for the sake of weird. -- SURVIVAL GEEKS // MOVIE NIGHT: This promises to lead to future revelations, so this might be required reading for Survival Geeks readers. -- ROGUE TROOPER // DEATH OF A DEMON: Nice reveal, turning the propaganda into reverse propaganda, very clever. -- CONCLUSION: Pretty decent special but still works a bit better if you already have some familiarity with the principal characters.

Interesting world building that clearly has a passion for 20th century history. However, the plot is a little disjointed and hard to follow.

Great introduction, the characters have personality and chemistry, which really elevates the experience. There are plenty of laughs and skilled panel work. The story plot hasn't had a chance to kick in yet, but you get an idea for where it is going. Check this out if you are into Goonie type stuff.

Just fun. I love the layout, and the cut throat antics of the children.

The story is unpredictable and hilarious, I laughed several times reading this, these kids are crazy. Get in on the ground floor of this series while you still can, it's different from anything else on the stands.

Excellent as always. So fun, but the intro to each comic is starting to get repetitive, so I'd like that to change up in future issues despite how good it was in this one.

I've read the first arc of Rai and I was pretty okay reading this since I am familiar with most of the players. If you are completely unfamiliar with Rai, this may be over your head. Even though it is an event, it is pretty much a Rai comic. That being said, I did enjoy the comic. It's very large scale action, so I understand why Valiant thought to turn it into an event book. The art looks great, but there are quite a few panels flush with detail that I just don't know what the heck I'm looking at. Clarity is king in storytelling and even a pro like Crain can struggle with it.

Expands on the history laid out in the main 4001 A.D. comic but doesn't really add much dimension to it. It's interesting and slightly dark, but completely supplementary reading, and maybe that's okay for a tie-in. Unless you are absolutely in love 4001 A.D, your money is probably better spent elsewhere.

Big Robot fighting a giant city. That's pretty much all you gotta know.

I wish we could have expanded some more on Lula's key role, I would have liked to see her convincing the undesirables to help. The final showdown with Rai and father is also cool but maybe a bit rushed, perhaps another issue or oversized issue would have been beneficial. This is a pretty big event squeezed into only four parts, after all.

Good for about as much as you can expect to accomplish in a one-shot like this. The art gets a little gnarly in places, like any time we see Furiosa- I mean, War Mother's family. Her family is hideous and I kind of want them to die. I'm also not understanding how she is transporting the debris she's scavenged, does she have some kind of Pym pocket that she's not telling us about? Without a system to transport these materials, this whole concept of a solo scavenger falls on its face. I like this talking gun thing, it's like something out of Rogue Trooper. I can't say I like the kid that she rescues, but I guess that's the point, War Mother values life so much that she is willing to risk everything, even for the douchiest of children.

This is basically the epilogue to this story, focusing on how much better life is for the survivors now... But it's a rather barbaric story when you look at it from the outside. It's not dwelling on the fact that millions of innocent people perished in order to bring this nation back to earth, and for what? Because Father was a cold dictator? Could the terrible things he did possibly top the massive death count that Rai is now responsible for? I would have liked to address tough questions like this in further depth rather than in just a few captions.

This was a pleasant surprise to find on the shelf. I'm unfamiliar with the film, but I love the mood and cinematography that the artist brings to this issue. It reminds me of some of 90s Dark Horse comics. Looking forward to the next issue.

The plot is as bare bones as you can get, I'm assuming it is meant to lead into the film (which I haven't seen). But the artwork is so gorgeous that is speaks for itself and needs very little plot to keep the reader engaged; this transforms what might otherwise be a liability into a strength.

Secret Wars has granted the ability to create brand new locations and conditions to see our old character favourites react to. In this case, pretty much every female hero you can think of is in one place, leave it to Doom to seed all the powerful women to one island state. It's pretty much guaranteed that this is a temporary world until Secret Wars ends, so I'm not sure what the end game is going to be, but this is certainly a strong start to the series.

Good, but already starting to feel like a monster of the week book.

Unlike the previous two issues, this one has some glaring technical errors: She-Hulk concludes that a traitor is creating the portals based on.... What? The colours as she goes through the portal? She-Hulk is an expert in magic portals now? And what the hell is going on with Medusa? First she face plants She-Hulk and then on the next page she's defending her from the Thors? Is this Medusa having mood swings or something? It is extremely jarring and confusing and there are other action sections that feel like they are missing a panel as well. Also, why are two out of the three Thors using hammers in the first half of this issue, then swords in the second half? It's difficult to enjoy a confusing comic like this, it feels like it was rushed and never reviewed by an editor before publication.

The reveal won't surprise any readers but there is still entertainment value in it because it is still a surprise to Nico. After tripping up the execution of the last issue, this one finds its footing and shakes it off. There's drama and well executed action. The most glaring thing about the issue will only affect readers of the physical copy: there is a foldout advertising spread right in the middle of a double page layout. Unsurprisingly, that ad messed the whole spread out and you have to try to read around it, not sure who screwed that up but it's a problem digital readers won't have to worry about. So with one issue to go, I'm optimistic that this will have a satisfying ending.

The first half of this issue features action that is absolutely plagued by the worse one-liners I've ever heard, which every character in the town feels that they have to share. So that was unbearable, but at least the issue pulled out of that nose dive to deliver a heartfelt moment between Nico and the freshly dubbed Singularity, and a satisfying ending makes up for the face-palming of the first half.

I like that the A-Force arc in Secret Wars didn't turn out to be a waste of time and at least some sort of continuity came out of it, it gives the reader an anchor with Singularity so that the reader is not dropped into completely uncharted waters. That being said, there are still some first issue obstacles in this issue, mainly that it is a team book and that team needs to be assembled in the opening issues. This can often feel extremely forced; but here, having Singularity drive the story, that team assembling first arc is starting off feeling a bit more genuine. If the series keeps this momentum going, it should hopefully form a strong foundation to build the team from; and that gives better opportunities to bring emotion and drama into the plot.

An easy issue to jump onto. Nico is my favourite member of the team, so I'm happy to read a story centred around her. On the other hand, it is pretty much the first angle anyone would expect. "Oh no, what happens when Ulysses predicts that one of your friends will commit a crime? Who could see that coming?" So the intro to the issue is heavy on the eye rolls. From there it turns into something akin to a zombie flick, which is weird but kind of fun.

I love the cover but it totally gives away this issue's cliffhanger, it should have been used for #10. Elsa Bloodstone seriously drags the issue down, her grammatically awkward swearing is so XXXXXXX annoying and the fact that every character feels the need to point it out is even more annoying. Have you people never heard a swear word before? Are you a team of seven-year-olds? "Hey. So there's XXXX definitely something in there," reads like it was written by someone with English as a second language or was home schooled and only watched PG movies well into her forties. Needless to say, it really took me out of the story, which was not that great to begin with. It picks up a bit after the obligatory "Okay, let's set our differences aside for the greater good" moment, but it is completely unbelievable that Captain Marvel would take Nico with her to locate the girl whom she's forecast to kill, I'm not buying it. Great layouts though.

This arc basically ends the way I figured it would, not that it's a bad thing, but it's difficult to keep the self-fulfilling prophecy story type unique. Such is the inherent problem with the concept of this event. I'm happy to be rid of Elsa Bloodstone, I guess this is the end of this run, it's a bit of an awkward way to round it out, but I'm assuming that another relaunch is right around the corner.

The magazine format is a good choice, it feels more appropriate when you get to chunks of text, allowing more room to break the text up into sections. Snyder shows promising talent at prose, I'd certainly read a novel by him. Lemire's artwork has always been unusual, but it works well for this subject. By the end of this issue though, I still don't have a strong grasp for what is going on and that should be more clear by the end of a first issue, especially in a three part series.

This issue fills in the gaps that left in the first part, so now everything makes a lot more sense and the steaks have been raised (if you read this, you will understand the pun). This takes far longer to read through than a typical comic, so it is a good deal.

A couple chuckles beef up an interesting story, but not quite enough to hook me in when I have many other titles to read already.

An engaging fantasy in a flooded, post-global warming Montreal. The artwork is very nice but I don't care much for the style of the word balloons.

The action cranks up and you feel like you are knee deep in the revolution.

For being a sci-fi fantasy, it is very well grounded. I'm still waiting for Gana to tie into the story properly, so far she's just this random wild card wrecking up the place.

The story tries to be sentimental and it just ends up being kind of silly. As for art, the layouts are fantastic, but the finishes get muddled, especially in the faces where it looks like someone threw talcum powder in everyone's face. Also, 9 pages in: behold one of the worst silhouettes I've ever seen. The followup story had better art but suffered from some unnecessary caption boxes describing action that was already clear. The extra story also felt completely inconsequential, I'm assuming it holds more significance to ongoing readers.

Very relevant. The protest stuff, not that weird monster thing.

As a character, Belit is actually more interesting than Conan.

I enjoyed Bêlit's youthful exuberance, but can't fathom why this captain won't execute her for undermining him.

It's about F-ing time this captain exerted his authority.

Tini Howard really needs to stop introducing support cast and villains and focus on building a strong character base.

I think this was just a convoluted way to get to a scene with a naked Bêlit fighting in a pool of blood. Sexy.

Not a good backstory, but the team and the main plot are good.

Honest and self-degrading, but in a fun and intriguing fashion, I can't wait to read more.

Airboy makes for a fun fish out of water approach and allows for commentary on life and comics in the 21st century.

There was one page that reads from bottom to top and I only figured it out halfway through the word balloons; it didn't really work. Other than that, this is another enjoyable issue that lets Robinson expose some personal insecurities, even if the lead up to that is rather lazy writing. On top of that, I don't think the world will ever be able to forget Greg Hinkle's monstrous shlong.

Sooo... Beautiful.

Captures the predatory corporate dynamite from the first Alien film and injects some radicals that are at least more believable than previous cultists often featured in Alien comics, but there still isn't a whole lot in the way of original ideas to report yet.

The characters, especially the alien, are drawn very stiff. The colorist is doing some heavy lifting to make up for it, successfully retaining the horror motif.

The story is interesting and the only reason I'm coming back. The art works fine until xenomorph is present; the aliens look like they're drawn using a stiffly posed toy as direct reference.

The drama and suspense come through. I don't have any new criticism to add that hasn't been covered by other reviews.

How is they guy outrunning the alien while carrying an unconscious man? The horned aliens are pretty cool. This issue clarifies that the visions we're being teased with may be some sort of fever dream you get while the facehugger is on you, and this might be connected to some alien hive mind.

The revelations in this issue are bold. I honestly thought the creators would avoid content from Prometheus, but they didn't and I'm surprisingly okay with it. The idea that the xenomorphs exist as a counter to any sentient species that progresses too technologically is pretty cool.

The Aliens series has the chance at a second life here with a very promising setup. It seems to be set on a colony founded by religious minorities who are finally becoming self-sustaining, but leave it to Weyland-Yutani to stab them in the back. The artwork is fine so far since there aren't many xenomorphs present to botch, but I don't think that will last.

Goddammit. I know there are many comic book artists out there that are talented at drawing the aliens; this arc was the chance to bring one of them on board. What a squandered opportunity. There are a couple panels that literally look like the alien was traced from still images of the the guy in the costume hanging on wires in the first film. You know they don't actually fly right? There's a reason for the fast cuts in that film. Also, is there anyone that is NOT a traitorous android in this series??

This issue in unnerving enough to keep me from giving up on this series.

This is the most disturbing issue yet! DAMN! Seriously though, leave this guy behind.

This actually would have been more interesting if it wasn't the company backstabbing our heroes once again, because that is every Alien comic at all times...

The comic is going pretty well until the adult aliens show up looking like posed plastic toys. How is this still the case 12 issues deep? There is actyally an interesting plot revelation in this issue that I should be gushing over, but the things that steal the spotlight are the glaringly stiff, floating xenomorphs.

I suppose this is a prequel to the main series, but it didn't feel like it aligned right by the end.

I nearly passed over this, but bought it because Simon Spurrier is a good writer. In this case he delivers. The characters each reflect their own unique dimension of teenage angst, one in particular ponders a surprising degree of existentialism for a teenager. Then there is some sort of trippy alien phenomenon thrown in to keep things interesting. I'm not sure where the plot is going, but it has me interested.

At the core of this story in the acknowledgment that we all crave recognition, but this can easily manifest into selfish, destructive tendencies.

Another pleasant surprise, this is the series that keeps delivering above my expectations. This one focuses on Samantha who has quickly become the most likeable. Once you dive into each character's psyche, you see where they are coming from and they become real.

This is the heaviest issue yet, which is saying an awful lot.

Hitting the peak of destructive, angsty behavior which hits true to human instinct, especially for a teenager.

A fitting end. I'm stoked that I took a chance on this series, every issue brought the emotions full force and forced the reader self reflect as they encounter ugly truths to human nature.

I can't say I care for the characters but I do like how this builds on the aftermath of the second film.

Not much happens really. Aliens attack, the humans relocate to another moon and aliens attack again. That's it. The dialog is okay but the characters are not interesting, at least not yet, and the art is okay. There are still 4 issues to go, so there is still opportunity to get a story going, there just isn't much offered in this particular issue.

The art looks good, if there is one thing I can't stand it's an Aliens book drawn my someone who can't draw xenomporphs. The setup is familiar but atmosphere is just right so this gives me confidence that this will be worth sticking with. I hope so.

It's got the thrills and chills you were hope for, so I'm enjoying it.

Oh Sh**, oh sh**, the Queen alien's got wings!

I'm actually quite fond of this ancient Nosferatu. I did not realize until issue #6 that she is female though, the artwork did not communicate that well, especially why she was still aged. It would have helped to adjust the dialogue in this issue to hint that she's female. This is an exciting issue, and the nosferatu does some cool shit.

The final climax got too condensed, many panels jumping too far in time for what the action demanded, I wish this issue was oversized of even broken into two issues to allow certain moments, especially within the climax, to breath and to provide some much needed falling action at the end. For what the book managed to achieve in the pages allotted, I was impressed. I was ready to brush this series off when #1 came out, but this actually turned out to be one of the best Aliens crossovers that I've read in some time and it's given me an appreciation for Vampirella's character that I did not have before. Get this creative team on a Vampirella vs. Predator book (titled properly, with a 'vs', not a '/') and I'll be back for more! And if you are a fan of Aliens, Vampirella or space-horror, I'd recommend picking up the trade.

This is stretching my credulity when it suggests these giant spiders have been roaming around for decades yet only the homeless have noticed... But let's see where they're going with this.

This feels just like something printed in the 70s, all the way down to the paper and ink. Even the colors are inconsistent, and I can't tell if that is on purpose or the result of using an antiquated printing process. You're not going to get any substance here, but you'll get a bit of absurd fun and powerful waves of nostalgia.

I think it is safe to say that this is going to be the Avengers title to follow. The first story features exceptional artwork as it gets the gears in motion. I enjoy the awkward pitfalls for Sam and Tony in the public eye, I could have done with Sam swooping in to catch someone less than two times, please tell me he'll be bringing more to the table than that in the upcoming issues. Surprisingly, it is the backup story that really shines, the art isn't as flashy as the first story's, but Waid really captures that teenage angst that looks like it will add new and fresh chemistry to the team. We haven't even gotten to Thor and Vision yet, but I applaud the approach of letting the story breath rather than rushing it like the other two Avengers books seemed to do.

The quirks and pacing that I liked in the first issue are not present in this one. I hate it when teams form simply because the characters happened to run into each other, and that is all that this issue has been. It doesn't help that the villain is boring either. I had high hopes for this series, but after this hiccup, I am having second thoughts.

The story was not bad, something just felt off that I can't put my finger on, it might just be that there is one too many characters vying for attention or that the story is too bare bones. But on that note, I love the team lineup. I've heard some complaints that this is not the Avengers, but that is obviously someone who only started reading after the movie because the Avengers has always been a fluid team with membership changes. Most Marvel characters have been in the Avengers at some point in their history. The great thing about this lineup is that it lends itself to chemistry between the characters. Old minds and new minds butting heads, just maybe one or two too many heads.

CONTEST OF CHAMPIONS: This is the main story tying these previews together and it's the worst of them all. Don't insult my intelligence by suggesting that this is a search for the best contestants in this bullshit video game adaptation. For crying out loud, they look in on SHIELD! I think it's safe to say we didn't need to waste consideration on these nobodies. Marvel fans are shouting dozens of better suggestions than what old-man Hulk and Collector are scraping their brains to come up with. Just call this an anthology and spare us from this charade. -- CARNAGE -- Utterly pointless. -- ROCKET RACCOON & GROOT-- This one was actually funny and enjoyable. -- AGENTS OF SHIELD: This only exists because of the SHIELD TV show, no one wants to read this garbage. It was a struggle just to figure out what was going on for the first half of this installment. -- ALL-NEW INHUMANS: What a terrible airline. This was actually good for the pages that it was allotted. But it's Inhumans, so it's probably just another new character that we'll never care about and will fade into obscurity, never to be heard from again. -- DAREDEVIL: I like that this new character is an undocumented Chinese immigrant, something that has been missing from Marvel. He keeps referring to himself as illegal, which could just be him being hard on himself, but at least call him undocumented in the captions. -- OVERALL: The only reason that I picked this up is for the Daredevil prelude. If you are not a collector, just read whatever prelude you are interested in while in your LCBS and save your money. The LCBS is not a library, but we can't keep encouraging Marvel to make these stupid things, they just want an easy buck. It's like paying extra at the theatre to watch the trailers. $5.99!? That's insulting. I don't care what the page count is, glorified commercials like this should be free or $2.99 at the most to cover original content expenses.

Boy, if I had a nickel for every story that involves busting up a Hydra or AIM operation I'd be rich. The flashback stuff is well executed though, it elevates an otherwise stock story opening.

Not a great read for someone jumping on now. The whole issue is Hawkeye fighting with Hawkeye about something I'm not privy to, but also pretending that it's not about that. And apparently this spat will go on for 20 years... Oh joy.

The art's not bad, but fight scene doesn't flow very well. The main appeal to his book is the team roster. The characters' personalities feel right, but the story, so far, is not engaging.

The only thing that makes this a landmark issue is the fact that I was genuinely furious after reading it, and few comics have had that kind of impact on me. This was an overpriced waste of paper. All-New X-Men readers, you need not worry if this is absent from your collection because you won't even notice. The tie-in plot is boring, utterly ridiculous and doesn't even make sense. The only redeeming qualities of this issue are a couple of funny, short indie strips, but most of those aren't even good either and don't flow in any particularly cohesive manner towards the overall story setup.

Nice characterization, I'm excited again to see where this goes.

This was great! There is a creepy tone that lends well to great action and dialog. The future looks bright, (or dark?) for this series!

The battle continues and I'm enjoying the development of the future Brotherhood too. It totally makes sense for them to go back and try again.

A great end to this arc, lots of action. It gets very chaotic, but it's all part of the fun. Immonen's art is just superb.

Another trademark Bendis character building issue, which I don't mind after the intense recent events, but there are a lot of weird aspects of this comic. *SPOILERS* We start off in one of Angel's family estate getaways, it's odd to think that the family would still use it 50 years after young Angel's time and that he would have access to it. I'm assuming that he broke in so he could bang X-23, which is also weird considering they just started romancing last issue and X-23 was romancing with young Scott a few issues before that. Emma and young Jean indulge in psychic battle and come out as besties with no details as to how. At least now maybe there is hope to stop indulging in this annoying, repetitive rivalry between the two. In another confusing event, one of the Stepford sisters telekinetically drops a bowl of cereal (who eats cereal outside on a picnic blanket?) on young ice man's head: when did the Cuckoos get telekinetic abilities and if they have them, why don't they use them for anything else? To cap it off, we get an ending that continues in ANOTHER freakin' crossover with Uncanny X-Men. With all that in mind, it's still not a bad issue, but it could have been better.

Asrar's art lacks finesse and so does the story. At least we're not chasing after whatever is happening in Uncanny X-Men. The most exciting part of this issue is actually the promise of what's to come.

You'd think the crossovers with the Ultimate Universe would start to get a little tiresome by now, but that's not the case here. With the exception of Miles Morales, we're jumping into sections of the Ultimate Universe that haven't been explored that much lately, yet Miles Morales still promises to be one of the most entertaining because the interaction between him and Jean is excellent. This also gives the All-New X-Men team something interesting to do other than look for new mutants, listen to SHIELD whine, or fight the Future Brotherhood again. I'm sold!

This is an enjoyable issue to read, largely because of the new character dynamics introduced. Where this issue fails under scrutiny is in the details. We're to believe that Angle can literally fly to the other side of the world, in a short amount of time, without being particularly winded; and also that Wolverine Jr. is able to track him that far (when he's FLYING) and arrive at the same place in essentially the same amount of time. There's an explanation tossed out there but you'd be an idiot to buy it. I also don't care for the massive acceleration in Ice Man's abilities; yes, knowing it is possible is a huge plus, but as an example, you wouldn't suddenly be able to lift 150 pounds when you've yet to bench over 80 just because you know you'll be able to do so in the future. It wasn't really necessary to the situation either, nor did it take much effort. It was a spoiled opportunity that could have been more significant in the future. These details don't ruin the comic, but they do take away from the potential. The Jean and Beast plot lines have been excellent so far and the art is mostly pretty good.

A good issue in the context of this story arc, but doesn't hold very strong as a single reading experienced. There's no beginning, middle and end, more like a running update on what is happening with each character. When the full arc is collected together, I'm sure this will read through well, it just falls victim to Bendis's occasional over-indulgence in dialogue.

The formula with each time-jump gets obvious by the start of this issue and I'm extremely bothered by the lack of explanation as to why there is a triceratops existing at the same time as the dawn of man. Either mankind dawns in the Savage Land in the Marvel Universe, or Bendis subscribes to the school of creationism. Anyways, Eva continues to be put through the ringer and it molds her into a whole new person, which is excellent even if this issue doesn't quite reach the same heights as Uncanny X-Men Annual did. This is because the best of this sorry was presented in Uncanny, while this installment mostly follows through with the impact, which is fairly dialog heavy thanks to time concepts. The art is on par with Uncanny X-Men Annual: great colour and layouts with something to be desired from the pencils/inks. I also enjoy the concept behind the covers. Question: what are the blue marks on Eva's face? She still has them years later, are they tattoos, part of her mutation or a terrible fashion choice that she refuses to update? In the previous issue, all of the questions concern how weird her hair and clothes look, so I guess I'm the only one who questions blue football eye-grease.

An enjoyable read for excellent character development and dialog, as Bendis is known for. The art works well too. I'm not particularly fond of the way this is structured though, it starts out in the middle of a fight which builds to a cliffhanger before it cuts back to the story that leads up to the fight. I'd be fine with this, except for the fact that we catch up with the fight again just in time to witness the exact same cliffhanger with no further information, the issue just ends there. Don't start out with a cliffhanger if you don't intend to resolve it within the same issue, it just ends up becoming a middle finger to the reader. If this was always meant to be the cliffhanger ending the issue then just leave the entire comic in chronological order, there was no insight gained from structuring it as it is now.

The throwdown with Ultimate Dr. Doom ends up being very tame and forgettable. Jean is one of the most interesting characters, but it's starting to feel like the comic should reboot in the summer as 'Jean Grey And The X-Men' with how much everyone else feel like a supporting cast. The artwork is decent, it's been better but I'm not complaining. Overall, I was entertained enough while reading this, but it's not memorable.

Great colours, line work could be better. In the end, it's still an even crossover that no one asked for.

Not bad. It's a self-contained, character building issue and it works well on that level. The art is alright aside from some facial expressions that feel too exaggerated.

Some nice character development is welcome. The whole splitting up think is kind of weak.

Overall, this issue is another character development issue, but the developments are interesting, so it's worth it. The gay thing seems out of nowhere at first so the immediate instinct is denial, but if you think about it Bobby has had so many failed relationships and seems to overcompensate with the womanizing, so it kind of makes sense. If the gay thing truly outrages you deeply, I'd suggest coming to terms with your own sexuality next.

Bendis is essentially running out the clock until Uncanny X-Men #600. The issue is just entertaining enough though, Jean pretty much runs the show at this point, and we may have some new additions to the team for whatever that's worth knowing Secret Wars could reset the status quo anyways.

A cheesy introduction to the characters.

I like the characterization but the plot has barely started two issues in.

Ouch, that was... Not good. For three issues we are building to see if this Ghosts of Cyclops team will switch to good or get busted. And will Cyclops and the X-Men get lumped in with them or help to bring them down? What we get is a climax that happens off page; the plot culminates in this poorly conceived speech from young Cyclops in the middle of a hostage situation escalated by vigilante teenagers rushing in to be heroes. I'm thinking any second they're all getting mowed down, instead the situation is resolved OFF PAGE! I can't help but wish that America's police officers were as restrained a the cops in this comic. The kids on both sides are begging to be shot, yet for some reason the officers don't even detain the X-Men after they rushed into a POLICE PRECINCT BEING HELD HOSTAGE (as far as the police knew)! I realize this is just a comic book, but this is the not the same quality writing we got from Dennis Hopeless in Avengers Arena and Undercover. Also, you don't pay property damage to the same people that impound your vehicle. I'm excited to see that Toad will get some attention in the next issue, unfortunately, I won't be sticking around for it.

Batman with a chainsaw is cool, I like the fact that we really can't trust anyone, but this isn't hitting the same tone that I loved in Snyder's previous run. I'm going to stick around in anticipation of some twists and turns either way.

Surprisingly uninteresting. Batman shrugging off classic villains one by one has an effect of cheapening them and I can't find much here to actually grab me. The backup is a little interesting, though I still don't really care about Batboy or whatever he goes by. JRjr's artwork is alright, it's just a little too noisy to be suited to the caped crusader.

It's remarkable how different this approach to Batman is from Snyder's previous run, and how it just isn't clicking. It doesn't feel like a Batman comic. I particularly dislike the pointless captions pointing to things on the Beast's costume that aren't there. The backup story is worse, what was the point?

One of the pages is printed in low resolution, not sure how that happened. There is also inconsistency with which end of Duke's nunchaku thing has the bat-spike coming out, and one panel doesn't even have the spike. Does JR Jr. have that short of a memory span? It's not like multiple artists are penciling this out, what's going on? Batman's costume is also getting goofier by the second, "Pectoral Speakers. GO." What is this, Batman '66? It's also confusing to start a new page off with a view of an island that the characters are not on and will doubtfully go to. What was that? I sincerely hope that Jock can rescue this title, because the rushed, half-assed nature of this comic is becoming intolerable. The backup story was fine, but I'd much rather drop it entirely in favor of a four dollar comic, this $4.99 cover price is ridiculous and it's going to take a minor miracle to entice me into buying the next arc on this title.

Well, what can I say? The ending does at least tie all of the loose ends up with a huge information dump. The problem is, I've read six oversized issues over several months for which the main drive of the story was Batman trying to evade KGBeast. So when all the stuff with the acid rain and Alfred being a dirty, rotten traitor is explained, the effect was me saying "Oh ya... I forgot about that." If you do choose to read this, I'd recommend reading the entire arc in one sitting because that might retain some of the gravity that was intended. For me though, this conclusion was just too convoluted and the rest of the plot was simply uninteresting. I would not recommend it to Batman or Scott Snyder fans and I'm astonished that All-Star Batman has such a respectable average rating from "professional" comic critics. In this case, the user rating average proves the more reliable measure to go by.

There is a nice flow of shock and reveal that keeps the reader engaged. The backup story takes Bruce Wayne out of his element and makes for an interesting introduction to the new villain as well.

I'm digging Alfred's backstory, I'd almost rather read just that. The backup story is getting good too, I'm glad that my extra dollar isn't going to waste.

I don't really know what's going on at times, but the journey is hilarious.

It's still funny, but I'm waiting for some sort of plot to emerge, this issue was essentially the same as the first one.

I've been waiting for the plot to get moving and now I'm realizing that it's not going to happen... It seems each issue just features a JLA member feeling uncomfortable around Section 8. The gags are funny, but that's not a substitute for a narrative, I actually suspect that Garth Ennis is just cashing in a paycheck this time around. It takes a lot to make me uncomfortable, but Ennis and McCrea actually achieved it in this issue with the gleeful raping of a chivalrous sentient tape worm, as it begs for mercy. Not cool guys, intestinal parasite lives matter.

This was just stupid and pointless. The Grapplah is the only thing keeping me engaged.

A significant improvement from the last 3 issues, I especially like the sales pitch for the TPB.

Depressing and stupid ending that uses meta commentary as an excuse for a shitty narrative.

It's a rather average comic, not deserving of the brutal reviews that it seems to be getting, yet not particularly worthy of praise either. I'm not totally understanding what Matter Man's role is, is he a terrorist or a world dictator? It's not clear in this first issue. Besides the main character being transgender, there is also a special needs brother and a casual nod to inappropriately teams named, like the Washington Redskins. So, the writer has his heart in the right place, and it approaching subject matter that is mostly absent from comics, but the spark just isn't there.

Peter is back as Spidey for a day and he's already blowing off his responsibilities to capture F-List criminals, lol. This is an enjoyable read throughout, even the backup stories are good which is rare.

I don't think I trust Peter's business sense, lol, but I'm glad to see that Anna Maria is still in the picture for now. Ramos's anatomy could use a little help at times.

Keeps the ball rolling, but ultimately feels like a filler issue.

One of the more sporadic issues I've read in a while. Parker's return has been decent so far, but he certainly is not reaching the heights of his superior predecessor.

Ah, that's better. ASM is getting back into the groove, if you're having doubts about this series, this issue may keep you around.

From the very first page onwards this comic doesn't seem to know what it is doing. The dialogue is ham-fisted and the plot is all over the place. Diversity in comics is always good, but there is no need to hit the reader over the head with it, just let it come out organically. On the plus side, the artwork is pretty good, it would be better with just one inker because there is some inconsistency there. As another reviewer points out, why would moving be a relationship issue for someone who can teleport? This is the one person who would do just fine in a long distance relationship. Actually, I almost gave the art a pass, but on the second last page, there are panels where America bats away a grenade to the right side of the panel only for it to explode on the left side of the next panel. What the hell? She is also cut off at the waist in these panels for some reason. How did these panels get approved?

Bryan Hill tries his hand at modern political intrigue. It's not bad, but rings a bit hollow and uninspired.

Spurrier does a good job of giving each species a distinctive dialect and I have to read through the dialogue slowly to make sure I'm interpreting it properly. Halfway through the comic, a dark part of the Lore is revealed and the plot continues to get more intriguing from there.

This is a spiritual sequel to Animal Farm with all of the political intrigue and unrest I was hoping for.

This issue dives further into the corrupt leadership if this farm in a dark yet slightly comical way. The story develops further to introduce a traveling rat performer who performs a story clearly depicting Mahatma Gandhi, which sparks new ideas for resistance within the animal proletariat. The art is exquisite and it feels like you get a lot of it for the regular $3.99 price. The only thing that would improve this would be to publish it in the wider magazine format, as that appears to be the original intent based on the panel layout and draftsmanship detail. I hope this gets an oversized release when it's collected in trade format to do it proper justice.

Man, more people need to read this, it's good. Really fucking good!

Oh Oh! The farm used to be ruled by pigs. It's officially the Animal Farm sequel, people!

In a way, Miss B accomplishes her mission, but it is nothing like she envisioned. A bitter-sweet note to end this arc on. The struggle never ends.

A compelling idea that explodes out of the gate. The art communicates very well, I especially love the six-panel pages that repeat to show the transformation all over the world. If there is one downside, it is that the comic feels very short due to the action and minimal dialogue.

I don't get why the city is quarantined if this is global, and I'm a little put off by two forward time jumps, but there is no denying that this is extremely compelling, and I can't wait to read the next issue.

Considering the immense role animals play is this story, I would expect slightly better animal drawing from the artist, it's not on par with the human figure drawing. The art is still pretty good nonetheless. The story is rather charming before it takes a dark turn for the cliffhanger.

The action in this issue is incredibly messy and difficult to follow at times. I thought maybe I had a page missing because the double cross isn't executed well, I had to go back and reread the panels a couple of times to fully comprehend what was presently happening and what led up to this moment off-page. Also, how does that bear trap mechanism work? It's clearly not functioning as a typical bear trap would, so it has been altered, but it is used near the end in a way that I'm not buying. Why would they destroy the kitchens if food is the motive? And boy, do certain characters ditch their home and comrades without much hesitation. That being said, the emotions and drama are well written, so the heart of the story shines through, I just hope that experience will improve the pacing and clarity of this book over time.

No no no. Okay, I'm going to have to give some spoilers to properly critique this: I realize that we are in a universe where animals have gained human level consciousness and speech, but why the hell does a lammergeier spit fire and/or acid? They have a highly acid stomach, however so do most animals, yet none spit fire. And the human-suit worn by the animals? Are they Muppets now? This is just utterly ridiculous.

This issue is quite badass, much better than the last couple issues.

This was the best issue since #1. After all of the trauma that everyone has gone through, we finally have a moment of reflection and we find out why the goat has a stick so far up his ass. This is a much more mature and well thought out issue, hopefully it is a sign that the series will pick up in quality again. Since #2, I've felt like I've been chasing the dragon to get that high that the first issue achieved and now I've finally caught it.

Some nice character development and a chance to check out how bees are making it in this world.

I like the window into the situation with Jesse's mother.

The plot thickens, nothing is black and white.

Git 'em beez, sting everyone! Shooting one in midair though? Come on.

Damn... F you Kyle!

Damn, the series just took a dark and compelling turn. People are starting to treat each other more like animals now, what an ironic turn of events.

The entire issues is dedicated to flushing out Kyle's character, which goes a long way to identify with him and understand his motivations.

Kyle's still not dead? Move it along son. This place that Jessie is in is hella creepy, I sure hope Sandor saves the day before something bad happens...

Damn, this is dark and I love it. Animosity is getting better with each issue.

The end of the previous issue suggested that there was more to the forced breeding, but I fail to see anything new revealed that I didn't already gather...

This was just a chore to get through. The dialogue is boring and there is way too much of it. I guess the point is to develop these new characters, but I just don't care about them. It's a comic, show, don't tell.

We're going in an interesting direction, but it's difficult to follow. The panels don't flow at times and neither does the dialogue for that matter.

The acid trip snakes are losing my interest at an alarming rate.

This tries to be deep but doesn't succeed. I'm afraid that Animosity has run its course.

It's interesting to watch this unorthodox society get off the ground and search for ways to overcome issues like food shortages. Little details are ignored though, like how are the birds lighting the dynamite? The cyborg stuff at the end is hamfisted. There is no insight into where the technology comes from or how Wintermute recovers so fast. It just does not fit with a story that otherwise focuses on concrete issues like food sources.

I love the mice, their personalities are well developed so that you care when things go south. Feels like we're going very 'Animal Farm.'

This is turning into a high intrigue suspense story.

The plot is intriguing but there is a glaring technical error: at one point, Wintermute asks Dr. Pham and Peaches to leave the room after it was clearly established, in multiple panels, that they were not in the same room but a separate building. I enjoy reading how this new society does things such as manual labour that can be done easily by machines, because they live by a unique sort of bootstraps communism.

I like the layouts and the drastic change to the status quo affecting the somewhat ridiculous robot limbs.

Adam and Wintermute are forming a close relationship as Wintermute's leadership grows more and more questionable.

Wintermute and Adam's relationship is getting weird, the dream pages look cool though. I'm pretty sure Adam hasn't actually read the bible verses that he talks about, that or he has shitty reading comprehension.

Can't help but sympathize with Wintermute's reasoning.

Soooo, did Wintermute have a grand plan or not?

Um... It'a weird... But I like it. Would have liked a little bit more closure at the end though.

One day later, really? This didn't add anything new to the series, I don't know why they thought it a necessary story to tell, maybe we run into these characters later in the main story.

Now we're talking, this is much better than the first issue. Much more comprehensible and interesting, I get a sense of the stakes and uncertainty that everyone faces.

The colour palette is excellent and the tension is built up expertly before the spine-tingling revelation at the end. It is a vast improvement from the first issue and has drummed up renewed interest for me in the Animosity franchise.

Its an interesting premise, albeit somewhat similar to the recent Reality Check. The storytelling and the art were just a little to murky for my taste.

Shaping up to be a fun ride.

It's hilarious that Scott makes friends with a former Nazi and doesn't want anyone to know.

Zeb hit his stride with this issue. The dialogue is absolutely hilarious and a love how Lang's daughter is impressed with him for making Spider-Man jealous.

I'm never felt so sad for a colony of ants. Macrothrax is an awesome villain and I could easily see him entering Ant-Man's rogue's gallery.

Hit on funny and sentimental in all the right spots. If there's going to be a follow up series by Zeb Wells, I'm all-in.

Comic fiends looking for their old-school, Stan-Lee-style story fix should look no further.

Nice twists, action and tragedy. The villains seem like a good fit for the Atlantean mythos too.

Jeff Parker's run started strong but this issue just didn't click for me, I hope this isn't a sign of the series sliding downhill.

Pretty well done considering it is the classic 'Heroes fight due to misunderstanding" team-up book approach. Aquaman jumps into action like a dog that wants to play and Swamp Thing continually swats him away like a cat who doesn't want any of it. Nice art, didn't even notice the artist switcharoo, which is very much appreciated.

This may be the best issue since Jeff Parker took over writing duties. I hope this is a good omen for this year's Aquaman, maybe the new art team just needed to get used to the water.

The Chimera is the best villain since Black Manta! It's been a rocky start for the new art team, but each issue shows improvement.

The Giant-Born were a good idea that was just not well realized. The best thing about this issue is that we won't need to read about the Giants any more, hopefully. We get two stories here, but both feel rushed. It would have preferable just to extend the first story, which starts out promising but falls into a pit of condensed, directionless fighting, and the conclusion hinges on a subplot that barely ever existed. The Mera/Wonder Woman team-up is superfluous.

Carlos Rodriguez isn't bad as a guest penciller, but this issue would have benefited immensely from a more dynamic art style since it is basically just a big fight. Some of the dialog fell flat too. Although Chimera is my favourite new villain, I found him more entertaining when he was being scary. Aquaman is quickly becoming one of the more inconsistent titles from DC and part of that might be due to the frequent artist rotations.

I can't help but wonder if I should know more about the war they keep talking about in this. I'm not reading Future's End because I sure as heck don't need to read an event book every week for a year. This is interesting on it's own merits though, if you are reading Aquaman. I can buy a most of what's happening here and support Aquaman's decisions, especially regarding his personal life ;) but this little surprise alliance that Mera has going on seems like a pretty far stretch.

A strong start to this new arc. Pelletier is back on art duties and lets hope it is for the rest of this arc because he's fantastic. The story doesn't have action but it builds character and intrigue enough that it doesn't need it. A sweet cliffhanger helps too.

Martian Manhunter's appearance makes sense as a plot device, but I must have missed the part where he and Aquaman became friends in the New 52. J`onn was on the JLA, not the Justice League. Although they did team up at the end of Forever Evil, I doubt they got close in that time, before that the Justice League had a bad experience with J`onn. That aside, the art looks great and the story is entertaining enough, but something still fails to come to life. Hopefully there will be some heart to the story if/when we find Arthur's mother.

A very fun face off against Gorilla Grodd with some great history created between Gorilla City and Atlantis.

A fun and action packed issue, Jeff Parker seems to have hit his stride with his writing and the artwork looks fantastic!

Fun, action packed, and also tragic. Every element you want in an Aquaman comic is present and this is shaping up to be one of the most memorable Aquaman arcs in the series.

So I guess this is Jeff Parker's final issue, I'm glad to see him leaving on a high note. The issue was a balance of drama, and action via the incredible blockbuster artwork from Pelletier and the rest of the art team.

Kind of like Aquaman crossed with Constantine. I don't know, I'm not sure what to make of it yet, I'm intrigued but not sold, we'll see how he gets to the point where he's at. Green Lantern is doing the rogue thing too, is this the status quo for DC books now or just a coincidence?

This is okay but certainly has it's flaws. The story is moving fairly slow and sill isn't entirely clear with what is going on. On top of that, the art is mediocre and inconsistent. I hope this isn't the beginning of the end for DC's ongoing Aquaman series.

There is very little to praise in this issue; we finally find out why Mera is so out of character on the last page (about friggin' time), so that is the biggest plus. I can only hope that this gets better now that we have a direction established and we, hopefully, won't be hopping timelines like a child playing hop-scotch anymore. I also liked the fancy panel borders in the flashbacks, and I also like Poseidon. Events surrounding Poseidon are flaky though, Aquaman has never come to him before in the New52 continuity, but it seems like he could have done so at any point in time; funny that it hasn't come up before now and that there is literally no build up to it now that it has. There are also a couple times were the dialog suggests an action that I cannot see or make sense of, so that is problematic on a technical level when reading a comic. Don't start reading Aquaman now if you aren't already. If you are already reading it, well... it may be time to consider jumping ship...

Easily the best issue of Cullen Bunn's run so far, mostly because there is sex, but also because this is the most focused issue we've gotten so far; it's not jumping all over the place like the previous issues were. For the first time in this arc it truly feels personal and so the stakes are much higher.

On the plus side, the art has gotten much better; on the down side, NOTHING HAPPENS! The whole issue is Aquaman monologing assumptions about this other world's backstory, which might be a little interesting if there were illustrations to go with it instead of just various angles of Aquaman standing next to a gibberish-speaking alien queen. I feel like this whole issue could have been done in just 4 or 5 pages and then we could get back to the real story at hand.

One of the better issues in Bunn's run, although part of that is due to the artwork.

The art looks great, but the story takes a back seat. It was cool to see the Justice League pitch in, but the plot boils down to just a series of poorly linked brawls. It's just not engaging.

It's was nice to see Aquaman reunited with Mera, but this was a seriously dull way to end this arc. We've suffered this new direction for over half a year and it's amazing how lackluster the climax was, mostly due to the lack of a good villain, the best villain available was shrugged off by Mera. Here's to hoping Dan Abnett can get this title back on track, otherwise it's getting the ol' heave ho.

Dan Abnett starts his run off with a solid foundation. This is a subdued issue, there is no action, it is meant as a breather to get reorganized and set up for the big #50. The dialog works well and the art looks good, aside from one panel where some woman has crooked eyes. Whoever this villain is, I already like it. I hope the next issue brings some life back into the series so it can finish strong before Rebirth kicks off.

Wow, what a testament to what the right writer and artist can bring to a series that was recently floundering under a different team. This issue goes big on the art and I love it, the layouts are dynamic, the draftsmanship is tight, and Mera's hair looks better than ever. The two cop characters go a little overboard on their commenting, but no comic is perfect. I'm back on board for Aquaman, and I'm hoping it keeps this momentum going to round out the series before the next relaunch.

I feel really bad for Jonah Payne. I'm assuming that we're suspending reality a bit with this dehydration chamber? This guy is going to get dehydrated and die without giving him water somehow. I like the ethical questions that this guy's imprisonment raises. So far Dan Abnett's run is promising, if you stopped reading Aquaman recently, I'd say jump on now, except that Rebirth is about to happen, so nevermind I guess? The timing is a little awkward here.

I didn't feel rushed reading this as others have expressed, I actually find this to be one of the strongest final issues of the New 52 thus far (but the only other ones I've read so far are Batman and Green Lantern). I liked that this didn't try to force some cheesy sentimental revisit to an origin or anything like that, it took advantage of the remaining issues in the series to tell the story that Abnett wanted to tell. The revelation of Dead Water's origin and his ultimate fate go hand in hand and it adds up to a tragic story.

This issue is mostly exposition, which is needed for the new readers, so us current readers will just have to suck it up. As a result, the first two thirds of the comic are very boring, but it does get good by the end, so hopefully the second issue will be more exciting overall. I do love me some Black Manta.

I love a good showdown between Aquaman and Black Manta, and this is an emotional one.

Wow, why does every foreign national get away with murder except Aquaman, who hasn't even done anything wrong? Poor Atlantis, it's never going to catch a break.

Aquaman has somewhat awkwardly engaged in politics for a while now and something isn't clicking. So when Mera all but says "F this" and throws caution to the wind, I can't help but swell with joy as it comes off to me as meta commentary on the comic's progression thus far.

I don't know how the army is keeping up with Aquaman and Mera, it's kind of weird. I also find it unnerving that America is trying to assassinate a foreign leader like this. There's some intensity as a result though.

Fighting Superman is kind of cool, I guess. Clark is such a dick, he doesn't deserve friends.

A Low key issue, the pieces are being set up for the next move. There is a lot of dialogue, but it works nicely.

A good old-fashion slug fest. The subplot with Mera is going to be be just as much of a test of her character, if not more so than Aquaman's arc. Each character is being put through the ringer and one can only hope that they come out stronger for it in the end.

High octane action with a smart resolution.

Aquaman actually has a team book! Who could have predicted this 4 years ago? A lot of space is slotted to reintroduce the characters for new readers but it is done in a way that advances the plot. My only concern is this Futures End business. Event tie-ins are fine when done right, but I hope this book is given a chance to develop on its own unlike some other team books...

The art is good, but the dialog is extremely forced and stale. Dialog between team members is important with a book like this, so this needs to be tightened up asap. The basic plot is not bad but it is flushed out in questionable ways. At one point the Others encounter some kind of rock monsters that serve no purpose other than simple to fill an action beat. The team doesn't seem surprised at all, proceeding to engage the rock creatures in combat because "We need to see what we're up against."

Plagued by terrible dialog and forced confrontations, there are no signs here of the series improving. The art is good, but I can't fathom how the Others get past the front door when confronted by villains who almost have Scarlett Witch powers. Do the villains want them to come in? I like these characters and the villain introduction is cool, but I have to throw in the towel. I'm not buying anymore issues.

The artwork looks fantastic, but the dialog is stale and the story is just just weird and childish.

The captions are too many and too self-indulgent, they bog the narrative down with gibberish intended to conduct mood.

Portrays the typical Aquaman status quo to get new readers up to speed, so new readers may find this more interesting than a regular reader such as myself; I found this rather boring. The artwork needs some simplification or something, coupled with the narration and dialogue, the page feels too busy. At least the last page has me excited for the next arc, I love that dude!

Excellent idea! The executions is decent, it's a little heavy on the words yet still just barely explains what is going on. The art is pretty decent, it is similar in style to Sean Murphy. At one point there is a double spread page, but I didn't realize it until I had read the first page entirely. I'm sure Pfeiffer is only going to get better as he moves forward from here though.

The progression of the story is good but the execution is a little muggy.

It's very difficult to keep track of the characters from month to month, I think the story would be more clear and enjoyable if not for that because there are some really interesting things happening here.

I think this would be better if I re-read the previous issues because I can't keep the characters straight so it's difficult to enjoy the interesting story plot.

Awe man, I thought this was going to be a six part series, but there are two more issues. Really flies in the face of the hexagonal design that's prevalent on the cover. I found the story coming out of LA actually more interesting than what's happening in Arcadia right now to be honest. The whole thing still lacks in clarity.

Difficult to understand, no likable characters, and just plain boring. Don't believe the hype. Now, that doesn't mean the series couldn't pick up and get more interesting, but even from the first issue, I can tell this would work better as a TPB. I'd suggest waiting to see how this is received down the line and give it a shot in trade format if you are still interested. I didn't need the extra backmatter driving up the price tag either, this first issue was an overpriced waste of cash.

Waid's modern take breathes new life to an outdated character and Fiona Staples provides excellent visuals portraying natural teen designs and body language. It's relaunch many teens can get behind. In the end though, it's still a book about some kid in high school which, as an adult, I have no interest in. High school was nothing special when I went through it, why would I want to read a comic about a fictional character going through the same thing with no unique approach to make it different from everyday life?

It's utterly stupid but doesn't quite cross into the realm of parody so it's a little clumsy in that regard, but still fun overall. I'm thinking it will get better once the predator is more involved.

Skip it. Art's okay, story is mediocre. The purpose of the issue is basically to explain how certain villains escape Arkham and that's about it.

Good introduction, good art. It directly follows the events in X-O Manowar, so if you are not reading that then I'd recommend picking up the last few issues. As far as events go this seems to be the typical invading alien threat, but we'll see where they go with this.

It's cool, and if you like X-O Manowar this is a must read. critically, I can't say this exceeds any expectations, it's just a simple, 'fight the alien threat' comic.

Best issue yet. Some more personal elements are present here, along with smart, giant-sized action. The art is excellent.

Oh yeah! Aric is back! We can officially stop reading about trivial nonsense like the Armor Hunters in the X-O Manowar comic, and Ninjak and the Eternal Warrior in the Unity comics ;) More to the point, this is a pretty good event, at least when compared with other event books that suck more often than they excel. It concludes rather predictably (but with one juicy development for Aric) and pretty much boils down to an excuse to cause city-wide destruction, but there's nothing wrong with that in a comic book. The action gets a little confusing in the rendering of some panels, the line art looks a little rushed in some places but it's good overall. Would I recommend this? Yes, for people already reading Valiant at least. Is it the best event book out there? No, there have been better ones, but it's a lot better than Marvel's Original Sin and DC's Futures End, so I'd say it is certainly the best one at the moment.

This is a good epilogue to Armor Hunters. Often 'aftermath' books feel like a money-grab, but this addresses some loose threads fan may wonder about and this also sets the stage for the next age of Unity. There's also some cheeky commentary about catering to the general public.

Better than I expected. Just a fun, cool action comic.

The action is enjoyable, though some ridiculous dialog can make moments laughable. It's hard to tell if this is done on purpose. The art is not bad, but a lot of the facial proportions get wonky.

I'm going to recommend this only to readers to want to know absolutely everything that's happening in the Armor Hunters continuity. This tie-in started out feeling relevant but now that it's over I'm wondering what the point was. I don't want to spoil how it ends, but it's unsatisfying, and a little bizarre in the way it gets there.

This seems like the least necessary tie-in to the Armor Hunters event. But that being said, it is well told as it's own story, even if you're not reading Harbinger or Armor Hunters, these characters speak for themselves.

A well constructed and entertaining tie-in

There's a lot a blatant exposition in the dialog, which was informative for someone unfamiliar with these characters like myself, but it was obvious. The story is simple, relevant, and well executed; you pretty much get what you pay for, and the art is good. This one fared well as far as tie-ins go.

The first issue has me intrigued. It's the perfect sci-fi story for a rebellious teen.

The most interesting aspect of the comic is the discrimination that the troll faces at the bar. This is an interesting world, it's very similar to our own but slightly askew.

It's been a long time, I shouldn't have left you without a strong X-book to step to. Think of all the weak products you slept through. Time's up I'm sorry I kept you.

The drawback here is you need to push through New Avengers flashbacks that seem straight ripped out of the pages of the earlier New Avengers issues, and this is for about half of the book (most of it is also covered in the recap at the beginning of this issue too). If you haven't read those issues of New Avengers then, yes, this is important, but it could have been vastly chopped down for those that have read them. Once you get past that though, the drama that ensues is titillating and rewards this reader's patience. Its gratifying to see seeds planted a year ago sprouting in spring.

The way Hercules is brought into the fold is casual and pedestrian, Mark Waid wasn't even trying. The rest of the comic is paced and set up poorly, I expect better from a writer as seasoned as Waid.

The main story is not bad, but the side stories with Ghost Rider, Savage Hulk, Doctor Strange, and Black Panther are boring with no apparent relation to the main plot yet.

I like the issue's shameless 'on the nose' nature.

Gorilla-Man centered issue, which is nice in the middle of a large event.

I like seeing She-Hulk's character developed, but she does seem to be everywhere in the world, all at once, in one issue.

An issue to chill and reflect on recent events.

I don't read this series but noticed this issue is a (mostly) self-contained story about Jane Foster, so I picked it up. I'm happy to report, no regrets.

Decent first issue. The introduction of the Doombot could be the selling point for me on this series.

Nice art, the story is okay and reaches some high points.

It feels like the series is finding it's footing here in the third issue. Araujo's layouts use a smart, well executed grid; my only criticism would be that the faces feel a bit like plastic at times. The Vision centric parts of the story are fascinating, but I personally am not buying that the crowd of onlookers would angrily rush in like that. It seems more appropriate that they'd run the other way at this point.

The team dynamic is coming together and the narrative is gaining momentum.

These characters feel so real and that is how this series will shine.

I wouldn't think a discussion between Captain Britain and Kid Briton could be this fascinating, well done. I'm sure Kev Walker played a part to insure the British colloquialism was authentic.

I wasn't sure what to make of this at first, but it won my interest by the end. It's a great concept and plot. Bagley's art lacks appeal but services the story just fine, there isn't much I'd call out on it in technical execution.

It's just riveting to catch up with these kids and find out how they're dealing with their trauma and how the world sees them. There's a lot of social commentary here. Also, Kev Walker's art is dope!

I had to cut Avengers Arena when slimming by pull list last year, but I'm hoping to keep Avengers Undercover this time because this is great and I can't wait to see where it goes!

Very enjoyable, though the plot comes together maybe just a little too easy for our young heroes. The interiors communicate well but the figure drawings are often wonky.

Somehow Avengers Undercover has become one of Marvel's best titles. Everything in this issue comes together nicely: Hopeless's plot is simple but well paced, the characters feel real, and the art is exceptional. Marvel needs to ease up on the schedule a bit so we can have Kev Walker for every issue, please.

This is quickly becoming my most anticipated title coming out from Marvel on Wednesdays.

Timothy Green II does a good job filling in for Kev Walker. My only criticism is that Death Locket looks a little too old. Otherwise, another amazing issue. These characters feel so real, I think I'm in love! But wait, you're leaving in September? No! You can't do this to me, our relationship barely had a chance to blossom! I thought we had something special!!

Another great issue and a shocking surprise ending.

Another entry without Kev Walker. The art isn't bad but it does not mesh with the previously established style so continuity in the character models feels thrown out the window. If there are only 2 issues to go on this series, why such a hurry to put it out? Does it lead into the next Marvel event? A had a few issues with the plot this time around too. The romance between Hazmat and Anachronism feels like it came out of nowhere. Also, I'm sure Baron Zemo's grand scheme will be reveled shortly, but *spoilers* using the children as bait to lead the Avengers to your secret headquarters seems totally unnecessary.

The story comes together in good form and Timothy Green's art is decent. I'm excited for this conclusion, but I'm not ready to say goodbye.

I was really hoping Kev Walker would be back for the last issue, but Tigh Walker is ok and portrays the comedy in this issue well. Hopeless's writing is spot on, I was worried the series would end too soon, but I couldn't ask for a better ending. This will be a great trade to recommend. I hope Hopeless comes back to these characters again.

The first story has mediocre artwork but had a fun and quirky script, even if the character motivations are stretched a bit. The second story has excellent artwork but a mediocre story. The second story will continue, so it is just a short introduction and will hopefully get more interesting. Overall, this is only for BTTF fans to read because the stories are basically backstories to the movies. Skip this if you are not obsessed with the movies because even fans of the movies may not even stick this one out.

The first story was okay, it had good artwork and had a decent but compressed little script. The second story is utterly pointless, Marty accidently comes up with a school science project? Give me a break. There is also an origin of the DeLorean thrown on the last page with such little regard that it hurts the car's reputation.

This series has the feel of a goofy 90s Saturday morning cartoon spun out of a blockbuster hit. Best read while laying on your stomach on the living room floor, feet kicking in the air as you eat sugary breakfast cereal. All the stories fit into the canon and yet, at the same time, it would make no difference if they were ever told at all. At least the artwork in this issue is pretty decent across both stories, so there's that.

I'm sure that I'd get more out of it if I knew a lick of Spanish, but the images tell most of the story.

I'm instantly hooked by this concept and Bunn is withholding just enough information to make me crave more.

Ah, so each of the Chimera subvert a different sense, that's pretty cool! I'm hooked and adding this to my pull file.

Yet another mass execution makes this feel like a lot of filler, but at least a more backstory was established.

The showdown is hear and it's pretty awesome! The only drawback is that the Chimera pull back rather abruptly and it feels awkward. It has something to do with what Manny told them, but since the reader doesn't know what he said yet, I'm just going to have to hope that it all comes together later.

There is a very interesting development in this issue, one that sets a new status quo. Did the head disciple guy need to kill that other guy? That seemed uncalled for, lol.

Every issues feels short, including this one, but I think that has more to do with allowing the images to speak for themselves and not bogging things down with unnecessary text. This issue is mostly action. I don't know how much longer our heroes can keep up these hit-and-run tactics. Maybe just partner up with someone who is a better shot? Lol.

An intense issue filled with gore and backstabbing.

I'm not sure I get the ending, is this to be continued?

The flashback fight in the rain has me confused. Does anyone else know what that was? I like everything else happening here, turns out there is a lot more to this whole chimera thing, I guess that means we have an ongoing series on our hands. Awesome!

The plot is taking some wild turns.

I think we're starting to stretch out the plot now, the chimera thing is cool but I'm ready to wrap things up.

That's a hell of an ending to a superb story.

Not really necessary, but a well executed silent issue nonetheless.

The first issue isn't super exciting because it is setting up the plot, however the dialog is so hilarious, you certainly won't feel bored.

Anyone that enjoyed these 60's shows will love this comic. It's true to the format and got me chuckling a few times. We are even blessed with the return of the original crossover's villain and he's been revamped to batmazing camp levels i could only dream of.

I've been buying the physical comics and now see that ComicBookRoundup is posting the digital issues so I'll adjust my reviews according. It's fairly clear where issues end due to the scintillating narration that makes me giggle with joy. This series has been consistently awesome, so pretty much every issue gets a good rating. This one resolves the last in a fun and diversified way and shows how interesting this crossover can be because. Unlike the typical hero mash up, Batman and Robin do actually have reason to take Green Hornet and Kato on because they're criminals, sort of.

The fist fight at the end is a little brief, but this series is just hitting all it's notes perfectly and I have nothing but love for it.

This series can't lose! Anything that seems like lazy writing, like just letting the villains walk away with your sidekick, just adds the campy charm and it probably done on purpose.

Every issue puts a big smile on my face, it's just amazing. The only thing that would make this better is if Kato actually beat the crap out of Robin. I mean come on guys, it's Bruce Lee we're talking about here.

Starts off a little slow, but the confrontation between these crime fighting teams is hilarious when you get there. You can't get enough of Batman's self righteous morals. For the physical comics, I'd like to see DC/Dynamite put all their ads in the space between the first story and the second because that would be a great way to simulate a commercial break in the TV show and still give ad space to advertisers, rather than just regurgitate the ad pages in random slots, no one likes that.

It's been a while since a read this but it blew my mind at the time. The disorienting nature of the artwork just goes the extra mile in communicating Batman's mental state and anguish. This is an superb example of what the comic book medium can bring to the table as an artistic outlet.

AMAZING! Bat-blimp?

I'm getting de ja vu from the Wake. This is pretty cool though.

So good!

It's been a wild ride and I'm ready to see how it ends.

Amazing story arc and a near perfect issue to round it out. Snyder and Capullo have done it again!

A simple done-in-one entry but masterfully handled. Duggan fares well as a fill-in artist and Snyder is such a talented writer as usual, it makes you want to cry.

A tense and engaging story full of action, albeit feeling a little out of character for Batman. Anyone think Alfred looks weird?

If you like Batman, if you like Justice League, if you like comic books at all or you're even just curious about them, buy this now, it is a great jump on point and yet another amazing entry from Snyder and Capullo. I can't get over how great this book is and has been, the bar keeps going higher but the creators are still sailing over it. The backup story is creeping and interesting too.

I'm not sure if the Joker reveal is something that has been planned since the Annual, or if this is a misdirect, but it's freakin' brilliant. Even the quiet moments with Alfred are mesmerizing. It's a shame that the conflict between Batman and the rest of the Justice League couldn't have lasted a little longer, but it's probably just a small part of the overall story Scott has planned.

It's weird that the Justice League and Batman comics both have simultaneous yet unrelated virus outbreak story arcs, especially when both titles are released the same week. Of course, that doesn't stop this comic from being good. I got a little confused in the hospital, so I'd say this one isn't as strong as the previous two issues, but this still holds above most of the other comics on the shelf this week.

This is a great format for an annual. It works great as a self contained story, but still alludes to current events in the main title, while also recapping batman/joker history is a sleek fashion.The art is a little clunky at times, but it's good overall and carries plenty of mood. The story is chilling and very clever. Batman fans won't want to pass this up and anyone that enjoys horror fill be rewarded if they give this a read.

Plays with Joker's mythology, there's no telling what's true or false at this point but Batman must being worn out from Snyder putting him through the ringer so much, he turns to some drastic measures in this kick ass cliffhanger. Also Batman fights a tank. The backup story is not bad, I particularly like the artwork.

At this point it is a given how awesome this book is, but this issue doesn't quite measure up to the others. It jumps around too much for my taste. The conclusion to the backup story is pretty satisfying though, so that brings the rating up a touch.

A very intense ending. The only things that disrupt the quality of this issue are the super villain team up and the sound waves cracking the respirators, that's just cartoony. As you get to the final pages though, you feel like you are reading something for the ages.

A done-in-one story to introduce the new Batman works well even if the bad-guy's plan is somewhat looney and more akin to something from Spider-Man. The character is a good choice and will give some room for experimentation but I didn't find I like this story as much as any of the previous issues in Snyder/Capullo's epic run on Batman.

As much as it pains me to admit it, I'm not enjoying this new direction much at all. I'm open to it, but so far it is the weakest arc in the Snyder/Capullo run; they've had an extremely tight run up to now, so the bar is already high. This issue is the second in a row to feature a done-in-one baddie with powers to be put down and this time the solution felt more like deus ex machina than something earned. Hopefully, now that we're seeing there is a pattern, these villain-of-the month issues will evolve from here into something bigger. I'm also not sure what to make of the revelations in the final pages, we'll see how things play out but it's leaving a sour taste in my mouth.

Oh no, everyone is dead! Probably not. Mr. Bloom is a quaint new villain, I'm liking him so far. Snyder finally sheds light on what happened to Bruce Wayne, it's a good idea that I'm sure will be temporary. The new Bruce finally brings some peace to Alfred, who I'm happy for, and it's interesting to see him explain this to Superman

We break into a one-shot here in the middle of the ongoing story arc, but it ties loosely in with events in the current arc so it's not a big. It's also much better than issues in the current arc have been, so that's a welcome plus too. This is one of those batman issues that brings real world problems into the spotlight, so it's worth reading.

Very interesting way to explore the Batman/Bruce Wayne psyche indirectly. The ending falls a little flat, it's a bit convenient; and what the heck happened to the gun that the Riddler was holding? Did he just forget that he had it? Alfred's hand also appears in two or three panels, I have a feeling that this was drawn with his hand in tact and the hand had to be removed later, as evidenced by the way Alfred handles the gun, it doesn't feel right. It probably would have worked better if he had some sort of prosthetic instead of a stump.

It's getting hampered a bit by continuity from other titles (We Are Robin) that don't seem very necessary to include. There is also some dues ex machina that wasn't necessary and one of the panels takes me out of the story with a little censor bar, whose idea was that? Even with these problems, it is still an enjoyable read.

Mr. Bloom is a cool villain and I'm glad to see him in action finally. The electromagnetic nonsense is very comicbooky though, I'll admit that.

I don't get what the side plot with Robin has to do with anything but I love the moment in the subway, that was the best part of the comic. The stuff with Mr. Bloom is cool, especially the twist at the end, the one downside being the typical Batman move Gordon pulled with some molecular BS in his fingertips. The very last page may change everything from here.

The conversation with joker was excellent but the realization of Bruce's true identity didn't really translate onto the page, something was lost there. I also didn't get what the bright lights in the beginning and end of the comic had to do with anything.

No Capullo this issue, they must be saving him up for an oversize #50. The story is pretty good, but the alternate reality flashback are confusing, I'm going to assume it makes more sense if you' be read Futures's End. Bruce's girlfriend finding her way into the cave is other rather contrived.

It gets over indulgent and confusing even if you are a regular reader; so this is not a jump-on point, by any stretch of the imagination. Still some good Batman nonetheless, I sure am going to miss this creative powerhouse team.

It's a quiet swan song to Capullo and Snyder's epic run, a rare moment of the peace Batman has fought his whole life for. It's nice in one sense, but in another it's actually kind of boring. I mean, literally nothing happens and it is almost comedic as a result. So I'm not going to give it a stellar rating. As a single issue it's nothing special, but it reads well as an epilogue to an amazing and long run and that's how it should be interpreted.

I grant that this is a difficult spot to put Tynion in: the Snyder/Capullo run just wrapped, which are some bog shoes to fill, this needs to be a one-shot and readers expect closure and some fuzzy emotional feels to close out on. That being said, doesn't it bother anyone else that Bruce Wayne is lugging around this stupid giant text-book-sized notebook throughout his worldly training? The first time I saw he had brought a book bag to his ninja training in Japan, I literally laughed out loud... Then it kept showing up again... He dives out of a freakin' plane with no parachute, holding the book in his hand. I mean, come on! I know this shouldn't bother me this much, but I can't help it, it's so ridiculous. The art is okay, there are a couple panels where Batman is wide-eyes for no reason, the worst panel has his eyes wide open and his jaws gaping as if he's going to eat the world's most amazing sandwich, seems like an odd expression to deliver the line, "This is personal." That was another lol moment. So, the story concept sounds good, but it wasn't executed well. If you've been reading Batman since the New 52 relaunch, you might as well complete the set, otherwise don't worry about picking this one up.

*Spoiler alert* A polarizing issue to read. One the one hand, I love seeing Batman be Batman, taking action immediately, without regard to consequences, and pushing himself to the limit. On the other hand, physics are stretch to the breaking point. It's ridiculous how the rockets on Batman's ejector seat are customizable so that they can come apart, stick to the underside of a speeding plane through some sort of vacuum seal, and be operated with strings. How do they stay on? Why are they designed that way? How could they possible have enough propulsion power to maneuver the plane? Where are the fuel tanks? How are they in-taking air if they are vacuum sealed to the plane like that? Let's face it, this would just never work! I shrugged off the thing in the last issue where batman held his breath for way too long, but now I'm worried that this is going to be a regular thing. I know, this is comics, doing fantastic stuff is what they do; but one of the great things about Batman is that he's just a regular guy, so when you keep making him do things outside the realm of possibility, you're turning him into just another superhuman. That being said, I did find the issue exciting and paced well. The reveal at the end will introduce a new dynamic to the city. Finch's art looks great, I'm not sure what some people have against it, his style is well suited to Batman.

The art by Finch, Banning, Miki, and Bellaire is excellent, particularly with how the backgrounds have been simplified and stylized, it helps to read the characters that much better. The plot is alright, I'm glad that we're finally starting to plant our feet on some sort of foundation but we need to move it along here, we're 3 issues in if you count the Rebirth one-shot, and the plot is only now starting.

Okay, maybe now the plot takes off... This starts out with the light beer Batman origin of Gotham and Gotham Girl, which I didn't really need yet, but okay. It just takes up most of the issue and I want to get into an actual story arc. Come on, lets get the show on the road here.

Considering the turnaround time between issues, the artwork is still good but isn't popping like the previous issues, I'm starting to see signs of the schedule burden. The plot is serviceable, I would have liked to see the brutal slaughter between issues, there seems to be a lot of time passing between each issue so far and it distances the reader from getting immersed. The nod to the Suicide Squad felt shoehorned in, undoubtedly to coincide with the film release. If it doesn't play any meaningful part in the story, I see no reason to waste pages on a Suicide Squad cameo. Despite reading Gotham's origin, it's really difficult to identify with his character, he still feels like a shallow plot device, which contributes to my difficulty getting into this story. I'm looking for something to grab me and I'm just not finding it.

We finally get an exceptional issue out of Tom King, this is easily the best issue in his run thus far, the Alfred moment alone is worth the price of admission. The climax went by a little too fast though, blink once and it's over.

I hope we're done with Gotham Girl now.

The art looks great, the plot isn't doing much for me thus far.

One of the better issues in this crummy arc, largely thanks to the layouts. The Clayface suit is cool. The flying motorcycles are stupid. All those assholes that bashed Scott Snyder's run can eat their hats anytime now.

I'm relieved to be done with Night of the Monster Men, but is it too much to ask for an issue of Batman where he isn't training new recruits? I want to read Batman the detective, or Batman the vigilante, but I keep getting Batman the delegator. And in this case, it is only the final page that suggests this could be an interesting team, otherwise, I just find myself asking why, why does Batman need these people, why would he take the risk and why are they losers I've never heard of?

I fell off of this Batman run after the first arc, but now seems to be the perfect opportunity to jump on board, at least for this crossover. Fabok's artwork is superb and the 9 panel grid set to the countdown is incredibly effective at alluding to Watchmen and frames well against the hockey game. I can't wait to see where this leads.

Surprisingly heart wrenching and with excellent artwork to boot.

Nice pacing and a crazy, cool ending. Batman and Swamp Thing are an unlikely pair and it's not surprising why. Now I'm wondering if I need to jump back into this series, I've only read the first nine issues but then came back for the Flash crossover. It seems to be far better than it was when I left.

Batman is having a long conversation with Gotham Girl that thematically relates to the subplot with Catwoman, which is actually the bigger story here yet consists mostly of flashy poses.

This is the tone and style of Batman that I've been waiting for. I'm back on board.

The first page is excellent, it preps me for an awesome issue but, unfortunately, I think that was the high point. I'm digging this take of Joker much more than this take of Riddler. Riddler plays off of that classic Joker-asking-for-the-mirror scene, but what is he upset about, having a scar on his abdomen? Who cares? Cutting himself like that kind of stinks of King trying too hard to write all bad-ass. Honestly, it didn't feel like much actually happens in this issue, I hope the plot picks up more in the next one.

It's a good comic on it's own merits, I feel for this guy. On the other hand, we are only three issues into this arc and already deviating from the main plot, can we get narrative underway already?

Where is the plot? So far it feels like a series of tie-ins to an event book, but I want to read the main event!

A unique and appropriate use of the comic book medium, this issue could almost be read as a one-shot.

This arc has been a series of hits and misses, but this is one of the hits. Tom King has a knack for writing Kite Man and has made him more interesting to read than Batman in this arc. This issue does end rather abruptly though, I thought I had missed a page or something.

Kite Man! Nah nah nah nah nah nah nah nah, Kite Man! It's a good issue, although I feel like King has lost the point of the Riddler, he's not a strong-arm thug who occasionally rattles off riddles, he's a schemer that incorporates his schemes into riddles, and that character defining aspect of him has been lost in this arc.