M1sf1r3's Profile

Prelude: Man, it has been forever since the previous issue of Batman: Last Knight on Earth. Let's see how Snyder and Capullo go with landing this final issue of their Batman. The Good: Something that this issue highlights so well is Batman's relationships with his family, enemies, allies and himself. I love the post-apocalyptic world that Snyder has crafted in this series. This series pays issue to every arc in Snyder's run and it is great. Omega is an interesting twist. He was interesting enough and stood as a good parallel for the Last Knight Batman. Capullo's art is fantastic in this issue. A great conclusion to Snyder's tenure on Batman and Capullo's time on the title for the New 52. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: A great conclusion, not just to Batman: Last Knight on Earth but to Snyder's Batman as a whole.

Prelude: Lucky for me, Three Jokers #1 hit iBooks in Australia today. Well, this has been in the making since Darkseid War so there's a lot of hype for this. Hope this delivers after the long wait. The Good: Wow.... can I just say everything? I love the introductions for each character with the captions and flashbacks adding more layers. Always love a detective scene. Fabok's art is godlike. Speaking of, Brad Anderson's colouring is so freaking great. That final scene.... goddamn that was great. Seeing all Three Jokers interact was so satisfying and great to see. The Bad: I'm offended that you thought there would be anything. Conclusion: It's been such a long wait but it's so freaking worth it. Johns and Fabok knock it right out of the park.

Prelude: It is here. Death Metal, the finale (hopefully) to Scott Snyder's Cosmic Saga. Let's see how it goes. The Good: This is an extremely enjoyable read. Just lots of fun. I love the new designs of the Trinity. Hell, everyone really. It reminds me a lot of Hickman's Secret Wars with the new DCU. And I love it. Capullo's art is amazingly great. It All Matters. From Doomsday Clock to Flash Forward, everything matters. The death. I am so happy it happened and interested where this story goes. Very intrigued with the ending. Looks like we'll be tying into Last Knight on Earth and Snyder's Batman run. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: An absolutely metal start to Dark Knights: Death Metal. It's crazy, it's fun, everything matters, I am so on board for this.

Prelude: Snyder blew me out of the goddamned water with Death Metal #1. Let's see if the ride continues here. The Good: JSA!!!! That's always a point from me damnit! This is all completely crazy and I love it. I'm not actually that mad at the Darkest Knight. Loving how much DC continuity is shown here. Capullo's art is just amazing. Great job on every panel. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: Another amazing issue. Death Metal has been a blast and it's only Issue 2.

Prelude: It's time. It's freaking time! Stjepan Sejic's Black Label book is here! The Good: I love character driven stories and this fulfils that to a tee. Harleen is very human and well-written. She's believable as a character. I love Sejic's interpretation of the Joker. Oozing charisma but if you cross him, the devil comes out. Speaking of, goddamn this art is brilliant. Sejic really nails it. But the writing is tightly written and plotted tremendously. The Bad: Some slight mistakes in art around the edges. Just something you notice if you look closely at the art. Conclusion: I loved Sejic's work on Sunstone (Yeah, I said it) and he doesn't disappoint here. The only flaws I could find were if I looked ever so closely at the page. It also meets my rating criteria as well.

Prelude: Stjepan Sejic started Harleen with barely a flaw last issue. Let's see how it goes at the halfway 2nd issue. The Good: The Joker is great in this. Perfectly done and oozing charisma. I'm also a fan of this Two-Face. It's similar to his past origins but fits the universe. Hell, the Executioners are interesting too and what they mean for the GCPD and Gotham as a whole. Harleen's time at the GCPD is also a pivotal point of the story, showing the consequences for the GCPD and Batman's take on Gotham's criminals and his code. Harleen is done so well, showing her character and her attempts to avoid her life from spiraling. Sejic's art is also done superbly well. The Bad: Art is slightly off around the edges. Conclusion: Despite some slightly off artwork and that's if you pay close attention, Harleen #2 is utterly amazing. Every aspect works well, the writing is tight, characterisation's are amazing and it asks the right questions. Easily my favourite Harley origin and the series isn't even done.

Prelude: It's the final issue of Harleen so let's see what Sejic has in store for us this time. The Good: I usually don't like starting off reviews talking about the art since it looks like I'm grasping for straws but come on! Sejic's art, his layouts, everything on that side is utterly amazing. The characters are great and believable. Hell, I even believe Harleen's descent into Harley Quinn which was also going to be the hardest sell for this book. Two-Face was amazing. I love what Sejic did with his character. There are some of Sejic's fan made Harleen comic in here and I loved those scenes. Though little, the Batman scenes do reinforce the world this exists in. Joker was great. Charismatic but ditched Harley the moment he could. Perfect and consistent characterisation. I do love what little was saw of Ivy. Reinforces the theme and sets up for possible storylines if DC gives Sejic more (Please do!) I can see how the time jump rubbed people the wrong way but I liked it. It doesn't matter to this story what happened in those years, it's purpose is to show Harleen's descent into madness and becoming Harley Quinn. The Bad: Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Conclusion: It's a set of perfect 10's across all three issues. It's tremendous writing and artwork from Sejic. DC, PLEASE GIVE SEJIC MORE ISSUES OR SERIES' TO CONTINUE THIS!!!

Prelude: After some prologue from Aquaman, it is time for Throne of Atlantis to kick off. Let's see how Johns and Reis go with this first part. The Good: I love the blockbuster vibe that this issue gives. It feels like a movie and I love it. We're continuing the Justice League ideas with Clark and Diana but also Cyborg and his technology/father. But likewise, Aquaman's story and his motifs from his series is being continued here. Reis' art is absolutely phenomenal. He really sells this issue. The Bad: This isn't a single panel done wrong. Great across the board. Conclusion: This issue was outstanding. Not only does this beat Johns already strong Aquaman but stands alone as a masterpiece of modern comics.

Prelude: I've been loving Throne of Atlantis so far so let's see how this issue of Justice League handles the arc. The Good: Orm is ----ing amazing here. I absolutely love the way Johns is portraying him. Sympathetic and reasonable but menacing and powerful. Reis' art just makes this so cinematic. Great work here as always. I love the control the Atlanteans have this issue. It feels thought out and actual strategy. The cliffhanger is so good. I always love these scenes so it being done here earns some points. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: Throne of Atlantis has been utterly amazing and this issue only improves upon that.

Prelude: It's the final issue for Throne of Atlantis. As is fitting both Reis and Pelletier are pencilling this issue so let's see how Johns wraps it up. The Good: First of all, this art from Reis and Pelletier is amazing. They really capture the sense of war that this arc requires. Arthur and Orm's battle was great. It really highlighted their perspectives on Atlantis, The Surface World and each other. "I AM YOUR KING!" Vulko's actions and motives are believable. He does think he's doing the right thing and it's interesting to see a character like that. Ultimately, this story is about people making sacrifices to achieve a greater good. This crossover will have consequences for both series, but most definitely Aquaman and I love it. The Bad: Nothing at all. Conclusion: A great ending to Throne of Atlantis which also helps to set up the future for Justice League and Aquaman. It's just a modern masterpiece really.

Prelude: I've been very excited for this book in the lead up so I hope Gene Luen Yang doesn't let me down. The Good: Right off the bat I'm loving this Golden Age style and Gurihiru's art is superb. Man am I getting fired up reading this, which is good considering it's the KKK. Also tying this into Superman's origin as an alien which is unknown is such a great idea. Gives a human and superhuman look into this world. Speaking of, I love the Lee family. They really are what make this issue. Also that piece at the end of the issue about Gene Luen Yang's own experiences, while not directly part of the issue really opened my eyes especially since I know very little about the KKK in general let alone specifics. The Bad: Nope. Conclusion: Gene Luen Yang and Gurihiru have started Superman Smashes the Klan with a perfect issue. Nothing to fault within it and everything to rave on about. I love every single part of this issue and I hope it continues.

Prelude: Gene Luen Yang knocked the first issue of Superman Smashes the Klan right out of the park with Gurihiru's amazing art. Let's see how they go in the second issue. The Good: I absolutely love the dynamic and dilemma Clark is facing with his own past. Like last issue, the human aspect of this series sells the book. Superman is there and still a major part of it but Roberta and Tommy are the main characters. Gurihiru's art was amazing, even when you might think it wouldn't be with the Kryptonian-Lovecraftian sections. I get really angry anytime the KKK appear and speak. So a great job well done for Gene Luen Yang. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: It's another great issue from Gene Luen Yang and Gurihiru. I didn't expect this series to be so great but it's been a wonderful sleeper hit.

Prelude: Superman Smashes the Klan has been phenomenal so far. Let's see how Gene Luen Yang and Gurihiru wrap it up. The Good: Flying Graysons. Love the start of the issue, dealing with early Clark and him becoming Superman. Also great homage to the original inspiration for Superman's design. The characters are all great and make sense. Some good comedy which isn't what you would expect from a story like this. Really interesting look into the KKK and for those seeking to make money off their hate. Wonderful look into Superman and how he fits into the times. I love how we see the transition from Golden Age styled Superman into the Silver Age one especially regarding the powers he has. Loved Yang's thoughts on the KKK at the end. Girihiru's art is great as always. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: God, just what a wonderful book. I can't wait to get this in trade, it's just something completely different to other mainline comics that we have today and it works wonderfully.

Prelude: Ennis is back on Punisher. Nothing more needs to be said really. The Good: It's on MAX. Thank God for that. Punisher is smart, cold and calculating. Just how I like him. The action is really done well and Jacen Burrows does a great job with those scenes. Hell, Burrows' art is great in general. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: Ennis steps to the plate again and it's like he never left. This is the Punisher we have been craving.

Prelude: Last issue blew me away and reminded me why I love Ennis' Punisher so much. Let's see how he continues with this issue. The Good: I liked Frank and Valery's relationship and talk here. Ennis grounds this story in reality and it works. Burrows' art is great this issue. I love Valery's backstory. It can really contrast and relate with Frank's experiences. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: A much slower issue than the last especially in the second half but it is what's needed for this story. Ennis is the best Punisher writer for a reason and this is why.

Prelude: Ennis has been proving once again why he is the definitive Punisher writer with Punisher: Soviet. Let's see how he goes on this issue. The Good: We get more on Valery's backstory and it is great. Burrow's visuals really support this well. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: A slower issue than before but I still love it. Ennis is building Valery up and soon Punisher will be back on the road.

Prelude: Punisher: Soviet has been an absolute blast so far. Let's see what Ennis and Burrows have in store for us this time. The Good: Love the tactical side of this. The interrogation scene was absolutely great. Burrows' art was great here. The way Valery and Frank work together is so great. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: We're back to form here and the story is blasting on all cylinders.

Prelude: Punisher: Soviet has been one of my favourite series of the past year, let's see how it fares coming into its final issues. The Good: I still love the military precision of all this. Burrow's art still amazes me. I think Val's death was well done. Some unexpected twists and turns. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: Another amazing issue from Ennis. I love his Punisher and his work here is great.

Prelude: I've been having a goddamn blast with Punisher: Soviet. Now that we're here at the final issue, let's see if Ennis can stick the landing. The Good: I love how brutal Punisher is here. Burrows art is amazing. Ennis really highlights the similarities in Frank and Val. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: A great ending for Punisher: Soviet. Simple, but done extremely well. I'd definitely recommend to anyone.

Prelude: The halfway mark for Hickman's House/Powers of X story. How is it all shaping up at this point? Let's find out. The Good: It's all coming together now. Powers of X is impacting on House and man is it good. Emma Freaking Frost. She ruled this issue and the courtroom scene is the highlight in what is already a flawless issue. Maybe it's because I prefer simpler stories but I really liked this issue's simplicity The X-Men work as a fully competent team at last. I love that everyone at Orchis know they're screwed. Conclusion: While I've always loved Hickmen's HoX and PoX, he has kicked it into high gear this issue.

Prelude: Hickman has been killing it on House of X which has been my favourite of the two books. After last issue's cliffhanger, let's see how the X-Men are holding up. The Good: Can I just say everything? No? Damn. Characterisation was on point especially for Cyclops, Nightcrawler and Wolverine. Really love the talk between the last two. Due to the issue being more action focused we only got one new infographic but it was great. Ties extremely well with this issue and helps greatly for new readers to understand the X-Men universe. Art was amazing but that really should go without saying. Larraz is bringing their A-game to this book. Seeing the X-Men work together as a coherent team was great to see. Actually made the issue more impactful The Bad: Nothing. Seriously, I've got nothing. Conclusion: Hickman is revolutionising the X-Men universe and I couldn't be any more happier with what he has done.

Prelude: Back to House of X we go. Nothing against Powers of X but I have always found House the better title. I pray that this continues. The Good: WHAT THE HOLY ----! Goldballs. ----ing Goldballs is important. What the ----! And the process that they introduce. It's freaking amazing! This flips everything on it's head, after everything has already been flipped on it's head. The characters really get to shine here, throughout the issue. Though I cannot knock the cultish vibe that permeates Krakoa right now. Time for some token positives that every issue knocks out of the pack. The art and the infographics are great. Both of this issues infographics were beyond great. I love the worldbuilding that these two brought us this issue. THEY ARE BRINGING LITERALLY EVERY MUTANT TO KRAKOA. EVEN APOCALYPSE! The Bad: You're joking, right? Conclusion: Why does it have to be out of 10? Can I, just this once, go to 11 or something? I wish I could.

Prelude: It's the final House of X issue. One more after this one. It's time for Hickman to stick the landing before Dawn of X. The Good: Xavier's speech to humanity was so good and it had the added bonus of tying this story fully into the current continuity. The First Meeting of the Quiet Council. Man, that was so ----ing great. I loved every single aspect of it, the whole fleshing out aspects of Krakoa. Man, so good. Which brings us to this issue's infographics. I loved the Government one which revealed the entire Quiet Council bar one (which benefit of hindsight helps me with), and the laws one. Laws were simple but really showed where things stand within Krakoa. Oh, and as a modder for Civilization VI creating Superhero Civs/Leaders, the last one will be very useful. The characters all feel so right here. They aren't how they traditionally are but they fit the story insanely well. Seems that the Mutants are having a good time at that party at the end. A very good time and I'm very interested to see where that line goes. The Bad: Look, do you expect me to put something here? Conclusion: House of X wraps up in stylish fashion. Everything I could possible want from it and more. With Powers of X finishing up soon, I'm plenty excited for Dawn of X.

Prelude: It's time for Al Ewing's Guardians of the Galaxy. Let's see what he can do. The Good: I really like the Guardians in this issue. The Olympians are really cool. I love how tactical everyone is. Juan Cabal's art is great. Cliffhanger is interesting. I like the ties to recent events. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: A perfect start for Ewing's Guardians of the Galaxy. Can't wait for more.

Prelude: Ewing started GotG off perfectly last issue. Let's see if he can do it again here. The Good: Love Peter in this issue. Feels like Abnett Star-Lord, less MCU Star-Lord. I love the Olympians in this issue. Really liked Heather and Phyla-Vell's moment. That ending was great. Loved Cabal's art. Works so well. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: Ewing, you've done it again.

Prelude: I've been loving Ewing's Guardians of the Galaxy so far, so let's see how this third issue goes. The Good: I enjoyed the I Am dialogue even if it could've been conveyed better. The Drax and Moondragon scene was nice. I enjoyed seeing how Gamora is reacting to Peter's supposed death. Cabal's art was great yet again. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: A completely different paced issue then last time but it conveys its story well. Another great issue from Ewing.

Prelude: Well Cates has me intrigued from Guardians of the Galaxy. I wonder what this will tie into for the Cates-verse. The Good: I love how this ties into Cates' other stories. Obviously, it only happens due to Guardians but using Knull is a great way to tie things together and build his threat in Venom. Trad Moore's art is godlike. I hadn't seen anything from him before hand but man, his work here is out of this world. Good explanation for what happened in the black hole in Guardians #1. Really interesting look into the Surfer's character. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: A brilliant start for Cates and Moore. It's enjoyable, looks great and sets up a lot of intrigue.

Prelude: Cates has knocked the first issue of Silver Surfer: Black right out of the park. Now that the set up is done, how does he fare with the main story. The Good: Right off the bat, Moore's art impresses me again. It's just too darn great. Still loving the ties to Venom. Ego! Also, side note Moore's art for Ego is absolutely wonderful. This inner turmoil is really interesting. Plus I really like the running theme of light and dark that Cates is playing with. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: Cates somehow improves upon the last issue with this one.

Prelude: The Good: I say it every time, but man, the art is freaking phenomenal. I like the spin on Norrin's origin and how he is going currently. Galactus!!! The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: A much smaller issue in it's events but one that was needed. Yet, Trad Moore doesn't let us down with his pencils and Cates keeps up the fire that is his story telling.

Prelude: Silver Surfer: Black has been great so far but can Cates keep it up? The Good: Don't know why this point is so controversial but I absolutely love Tradd Moore's art. It works perfectly for the story. The focal point for this story is Silver Surfer's conversation with the young Galactus and it is wonderful. Really highlights the similarity between the two. Ok, benefit of having to catch up and write these now, I know that the Black Winter is going to be a focal point in Cates' up-coming Thor in 2020. I really do love this connectivity Cates uses. The Bad: Knull has been more of a background character. He's more of a tie to Cates' work than a focal villain as the story has been more focused on the Surfer. Conclusion: With only an admittedly small aspect that takes away from the story, Silver Surfer: Black is utterly amazing. The moment this comes out in trade, I'm rushing to my LCS.

Prelude: It's the final issue of Silver Surfer: Black and Cates and Moore have a lot to deliver. Part of the journey is the end and it is here. The Good: Right off the bat, Tradd Moore's art is out of this world. Absolutely amazing work. That callback was amazing. Beautiful theme and message in this series and this issue ties that all together. Knull was the perfect villain for the Silver Surfer for this series. Great, I'm tearing up and I don't even know why. The Bad: I will admit, the story can be a bit confusing at points but I don't think it's too major of a problem. Conclusion: A brilliant end to Silver Surfer: Black and one that will impact on Cates' Thor in 2020. I can't wait for the trade to come out so I can read this fully.

Trade Summary: While a bit bulky since it's a Treasury Edition, Silver Surfer: Black is an outstanding book and a wonderful addition in the Cates-verse that I'm sure will have impact. Trad Moore's art is wonderful throughout the entire series and doesn't falter, not even once. Cates writes a brilliant Silver Surfer, and I love the theme in this book. Add the ties to the other books Cates is doing and this is one series you must read.

Prelude: Time for me to review Snyder's Batman. Let's see what he has in store. The Good: I really like how this issue is structured with Bruce's speech about Gotham laid over his villains and what Gotham means to him. Everyone is written perfectly. Greg Capullo's art is fantastic. I love Bruce doing detective work. Even if we know it's not completely true, it is an interesting cliffhanger. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: A great start for Snyder's run on Batman. There's a lot of mystery for our villain but the work done otherwise is great.

Prelude: Snyder started his Batman run with a great start on Issue One. Let's see how that continues in this issue. The Good: Talon is freaking great. Really interesting and powerful. I love how powerful Bruce is shown to be here. Love the technological upgrades here. It was alluded to in Issue One, but I love seeing new Bat-tech. Capullo's art continues to impress me, doing a better job than last issue. Love the detective work here. The history work on Gotham is really cool to me. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: Now that the ball is fully rolling, Snyder meets and exceeds my expectations from last issue. A perfect second issue.

Prelude: I loved the last issue of Batman, so let's see how Snyder fares on this one. The Good: Love the historic part with Alan Wayne and how it ties to the Owls. I like how Snyder is showing the Gotham Underground with the Whisper Gang. I love how Snyder portrays Batman and Bruce and how they differ. The knowledge that his Batman uses is great. Greg Capullo's art is absolutely wonderful. His layouts, his pencils, everything. The tie between Alan and Bruce is an interesting one that Snyder seems to be exploring. Despite being barely in the issue, Talon's threat is felt throughout and it's great. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: Another perfect issue from Snyder and Capullo. The Court of Owls has been amazing so far.

Prelude: Snyder's Batman has been great so far. Now that we are past the proving three, let's see how things go. The Good: Love Bruce's ingenuity at the start of the issue. Snyder has a great voice for each character and they work so well. As always, love Bruce doing detective work. Interesting development for Bruce as a kid. Greg Capullo's art is absolutely great. Love that ending. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: Another great issue from Snyder and Capullo. It works on so many levels and appeals to me so much.

Prelude: The Court of Owls has been utterly amazing so far. Now, let's see how Bruce fairs in the labyrinth. The Good: Love the bat-signal part at the start. I love how insane this issue feels. Capullo's art. Great as always but having it flip put it on another level. Such a great moment at the end. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: This was one trippy issue but man was it great. Having the panels flip around as Bruce goes more and more insane was a great choice.

Prelude: It's the second last issue for Batman: The Court of Owls. Let's see how Snyder and Capullo go it as we near the finish. The Good: Love Bruce's ingenuity here. I love how Capullo's art represents The Court of Owls. Very interesting cliffhanger. The Bad: It's very brief especially with what progress was made. Conclusion: A very good issue but considering how much progress was made, the issue was way too brief.

Prelude: Coming in with a rare seventh issue in the arc, it's time for Batman: The Court of Owls to wrap up. The Good: I've always liked Harper and it's good to see her start here. I liked the opening scene. It's great that Bruce is still healing from his experience with the Court. As always love the detective work. It's a very interesting development for Dick. The Night of Owls has begun. Capullo's art is, like always, phenomenal. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: A perfect conclusion and a really interesting one at that for Bruce and Dick going forward.

Arc Summary: A perfect start for Snyder's run on Batman. I love the Court of Owls and Talon so much. Bruce is intelligent and does detective work but still has his faults. Capullo's art is great as well.

Prelude: Sean Murphy started Batman: Curse of the White Knight with a bang, let's see if he can continue that through in this issue. The Good: First and foremost, damn the action in this was amazing. Especially coming to the end of the issue, it had my heart pumping just from reading it. Similarly Murphy has seriously brought his A game in both writing and art. Loving the world building and historical parts that this book is doing. I love seeing the historical versions of places we know so well. Azrael. How did it take me so long to get to Azrael? First of all, that design is amazing. He's chilling, threatening and has the religious vibe that I love from Jean-Paul. I'm just going to write every part of this issue here aren't I? Screw it. Love the Batgirl reveal and fallout due to it, here's hoping Murphy continues to show this throughout. Also the realistic implications for Bruce revealing himself as Batman. Whilst Harleen only appeared for a page, she still was felt throughout the issue and her surprise whilst expected still has huge ramifications for the story. Conclusion: Murphy has brought a sequel to White Knight that surpasses it in ways I thought were impossible. A masterpiece of writing, art, colours, pretty much the entire team, I have nothing to point out against it.

Prelude: I freaking loved the previous issue of Curse of the White Knight. Can Murphy live up to that hype in this issue though? The Good: I am loving this series. I can't just say everything when I'm talking about the good can I? Any scene with Harley in it is amazing. The standout being the interrogation scene. I love the historic flavour that this series brings with it. Speaking of, Murphy's art was amazing this issue. Top notch stuff. Azrael is freaking wicked right now. I've got a soft spot for him and man, he has been killing it. Ha. The Bad: There is not a single panel that I don't love. Conclusion: I thought Batman: White Knight was good but too much of a tall task for Sean Murphy to overcome when making the sequel. However, Batman: Curse of the White Knight has proven me wrong at every point. Even though I don't buy in hardcover (I prefer paperback), I will have to make an exception when this becomes a trade.

Prelude: The Good: Damn, that flashback scene hit hard. I love how Gordon's death just causes Bruce to break down. Really shows the relationship between the two. As always, the historic events are really well done. Even if this one is set a lot closer to present, it is still poignant. Babs is out for blood. Usually these aren't done well, but here it's done effectively and you can feel sympathetic for her. But it isn't without cost either. The showdown between Batman and Azrael was superbly done. Murphy's art is great for many a thing but it's in action pieces that it comes alive. The Bad: I have to wait until December the 11th for the next issue. Conclusion: Another stunning issue from Sean Murphy. A carefully constructed story that makes perfect sense after White Knight that gives you enough but leaves you begging for more.

Prelude: This will be interesting. A tie-in to Curse of the White Knight and as such it's the first issue not to be drawn by Sean Murphy, instead being done by Klaus Janson. The Good: Klaus Janson's art is great here. It's different from Murphy's but similar enough to not be too much of a contrast and put readers off. I love the personal touch Sean and Klaus gave it from their own experiences. Victor's backstory is tremendously well done here. I love every aspect of it and the history aspects, like the main story, is one of the more interesting parts of the issue. It's also a nice look into Victor, Nora, Thomas and Martha's lives before the story we know. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: A great backstory to Victor and some likewise great world building for the White Knight Universe. Murphy continues to surprise me with this series.

Prelude: Batman: Curse of the White Knight has far exceeded the original and with Murphy starting to write Beyond the White Knight, this now trilogy is shaping up excellently. But, let's see how this issue fares. The Good: Gordon's funeral was well done and I love that this is how Barbra becomes Oracle. As always, I love how rich this story is with the historical past. It's just something I can always get behind. Jack and Harleen. Man that was great this issue. Holy shit it's Bane! We're fully going Knightfall!!! (Look at that other suit. Jean-Paul might be getting an upgrade.) THAT IS A ----ING WONDERFUL INTERROGATION METHOD! Shocking and psychopathic but damn is it great. Sean Murphy's art is still amazing by the way. The Bad: Seriously, I couldn't find anything. Conclusion: Man... what a ride. I freaking loved this issue. Batman: White Knight is already on my basic recommendations list and Curse of the White Knight looks like it is going to be there too.

Prelude: I'm just realising how many Batman issues are coming out this week. Anyway, I've been loving Curse of the White Knight so let's see how Murphy goes with this issue. The Good: Like always I love the historic aspect. Love Azrael but that's a given for this series. Murphy delivers some amazing art. I love the twist and turns in this issue. It's just really entertaining. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: As has been par for the course so far, Murphy knocks it out of the park again. I love every single aspect of this book and can't wait for the next issue as we reach the end of Curse.

Prelude: Curse of the White Knight has been great so far but we're nearing the end. Let's see ho Murphy goes with starting to wrap this up. The Good: Great emotional moment off the bat. Really like Bruce here. Azrael is desperate now. Really nice moment with Barbara. I love the unmasking scene. As always Murphy's art is great. This really is setting up Beyond the White Knight. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: Another wonderful issue from Murphy. He continues knocking it out of the park every issue.

Prelude: I've been consistently loving Curse of the White Knight. Let's see how this final issue goes. The Good: I love the action in this issue. It feels so much like a blockbuster film and I love it. Murphy's art is amazing. Dynamic and action paced. I loved the emotional parts of this issue. Jason!!! Plus an interesting finish that makes me intrigued for Beyond the White Knight. The Bad: I don't like the BrucexHarley relationship. It's written decently enough but it's something that I am personally against. Conclusion: A great finishing issue that is fast paced and resolves its own plots well. It also leaves me intrigued for where the story will go in Beyond the White Knight.

The Good: First of all the art is superb. Fornes showcases how well he can elevate what is already a great story into an excellent one. A style that reminds me of Aja yet has this Batman: Year One feel to it. Really works for Daredevil. I'm also loving this current direction. Matt being Daredevil whilst not being Daredevil, choosing to step in when required but also using his more Catholic version of his costume. Excellent showcase of his powers and hearing as well as the showdown. Everything ties itself together for the final issue of this arc and sets up for the next one in great fashion. The Bad: I'm struggling to find something bad here. Conclusion: Zdarsky is really creating a Daredevil run for the ages. Another phenomenal chapter in what is shaping up as a run I'll recommend in a heartbeat

Prelude: I have been loving what's Chip Zdarsky has been doing on Daredevil. Now though, we have to go through hell. Let's see what that's like. The Good: The art is great as always. Really sells the story well. Love the aspect of copycat Daredevils. It's a concept that I find interesting. Really, every part of the story works well. The copycat, the Libris family, Matt's personal progression, the Detective North story and everything that's in-between. There's so many moving parts in this, yet they feel natural as they intertwine with each other. The Bad: I don't have any complaints. Conclusion: Zdarsky has carefully constructed a series that I enjoy on every level. Nothing to fault in this issue of an already must-read run.

Prelude: Zdarksy has been killing it on Daredevil so let's see if he can keep it up. The Good: Matt was so good this issue. Really liked his plan and everything feels natural with what's happening. Also we have some more Elektra which promises some good future issues. This arc has been focusing more on Fisk then usual and I loved what was done here. Absolutely amazing. Art was fabulous. Not a single bad panel. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: Zdarsky has really proven himself on Daredevil and this issue is no exception. I'm really running out of praise to give this book since I've been repeating myself so often.

Prelude: Last issue has brought an interesting cliffhanger that I can't wait to see explored. Hopefully Zdarsky brings his A-game like always to this issue. The Good: Loved the Daredevil being trained by Elektra scenes. Really well done. Fisk ruled this issue. Perfectly well done, tactical and smart. The Owl scene was also really great. That cliffhanger is amazing. I can't wait for the next issue. Oh, and the art is utterly amazing but that really doesn't need to be mentioned. Checchetto's artwork is great and consistent between these issues. The Bad: Nothing... at all. Conclusion: Holy ---- this issue was amazing. Every frame was done perfectly and I cannot wait for the next issue.

Prelude: This issue shows a lot of promise after last issue's cliffhanger. Hopefully Zdarsky can land it. The Good: I was hoping the conversation scene was going to be good and Zdarsky delivered. Plus some useful backstory and development for Cole. Interesting development with Fisk, can't wait to see where this goes. Both sides of the Libris Family story was interesting to see, but it's what they will do in the future that creates the anticipation. Matt is stepping up his game now. I like this development and it'll be interesting to see how this pays off. Oh and the art is absolutely great too. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: An amazing issue that furthers the story in interesting ways. It's a set-up issue but one done right.

Prelude: Daredevil has been consistently knocking it out of the park. Let's see how Zdarsky does with this issue. The Good: Wow, a comic actually made me sympathetic for Wilson Fisk. That's a first. I love Matt and Elektra's dynamic in this issue. Matt is back to prowess and in style too. The story is tying together. Checchetto and Mobili's art was great in this issue. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: Another great issue from Zdarsky and the team. Everything is coming together and the characters are done flawlessly.

Prelude: It's the final issue of Daredevil: Through Hell. Let's see how Zdarsky lands it with returning artist Jorge Fornes. The Good: I love what's going on with Matt, especially the stealth scene. The interrogation scene was great, hell pretty much all of the scenes with Matt, Fisk and Elektra are great. The sideplots are still progressing well and heating up. I like where this is heading. Fornes' art is great. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: A great conclusion to Through Hell. Quiet but it doesn't need to be loud. Zdarsky proves every issue that he understands Daredevil and his entire supporting cast.

Prelude: Turns out, Through Hell isn't over. Anyway, Zdarsky has been doing great work on Daredevil so I'm looking forward to this issue. The Good: I love that opening scene dealing with Matt's murder and forgiveness. Izzy's scene was freaking great. Hell, the entire crime subplot is too. It's always great seeing how Matt's faith impacts him. Love the scene with the Stormwyns. That cliffhanger. Bullseye is coming! Jorge Fornes art was absolutely great in this issue. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: Another wonderful issue from Zdarsky. I'm loving his Daredevil to bits.

Prelude: Despite what the cover may proclaim, we're past Through Hell now and in Target: Daredevil. Zdarsky has been doing a great job so far, so let's see how that turns out here. The Good: Thomas' actions make sense and there are actual reprecussions for them. Same for Mindy. I love this unstoppable gang war that's about to unfold. Every side is running at each other right now and I love it. Cole was great in this issue. Everything Matt did this issue, especially the standoff was perfect. That cliffhanger! Even if he was there for a small bit, Kingpin was great. Fornes' art as always is superb. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: This was just too perfect of an issue. Loved it all.

Prelude: Time for this two parter of Inferno. Let's see what Zdarsky has in store for us with Daredevil this time. The Good: Love the all-out street war. The civilians becoming Daredevil was great. DAREDEVIL IS BACK!!!! Checchetto's art is phenomenal. Stilt-Man was almost threatening there. Typhoid Mary. I was not expecting that reveal. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: This was an amazing issue. So much happened and it was great.

Prelude: No longer just an hour, the Witching War is upon us. Despite less set up than Snyder's Justice/Doom War, does Justice League Dark deliver a promising issue? The Good: Maybe it's the fact it's magic. Maybe it's Tynion's writing (Probably). But the stakes like always feel high. The Legion of Doom Dark? Injustice League Dark? Whatever, I'm really like Circe's team. Magic is weird and wacky and we get that from the team. Also the sudden obsession with the moon made sense by the end and boy am I loving this. Art is great as always. Goes a bit underrated but it's always great on this book. Diana's and Zatara's conversation was wonderfully done. Loving what this book is doing with all of it's characters. Conclusion: Whilst having two war stories this week, they both work well including the Witching War. Circe's Legion of Doom are shaping up as a big threat whilst the Upside-Down Man hangs over our heroes.

Prelude: Justice League Dark has been amazing so far and with the Witching War upon us, let's see how this all turns out. The Good: Circe is outmaneuvering the JLD at every turn. She's got her plan and she's executing it flawlessly. Also love what Wonder Woman did with the magical items. She's the retaliation to Circe's plans but she can't keep up. Loving what Nelson and Khalid are doing now. Still proving valuable to the team without Fate. I got some real Immortal Hulk vibes from one panel. You know the one. Damn, that body horror was great. Art was consistently great throughout as well. The Bad: Look above. Do you think there's problems in this? Conclusion: A perfect chapter in the Witching War. I am amazed at Tynion's skill to pull this off but he has done it.

Prelude: Tynion has always been this sleeper writer that I've known as good but not legendary but when I look at his work it's been fantastic. It's time to see how this part of the Witching War goes. The Good: Eclipso is so threatening here. It's something Tynion just pulls off with ease with so many characters. Circe too. She gets sidelined quite often recently but she has power and man, she uses it here. Especially with the trippy Wonder Woman confrontation. Small detail but huge props to Alvaro Martinez and Raul Fernandez. Speaking of, their art and layouts do not disappoint. A staple of JLD that is done so well. So much world building for the world of magic and it just works. Bobo is figuring out what's gone wrong and just when he does, Circe out-tricks them all again. The Bad: I cannot fault this issue for a single thing. I'm loving this ride and I don't want to get off. Conclusion: Another out of this world issue from Tynion and co. Justice League Dark remains one of DC's best books. Every frame of this issue was a masterpiece.

Prelude: Justice League Dark has continuously been one of my favourite titles, so let's see how this issue goes. The Good: Circe's origin here was really well done and her temporary deception was cool too. Bobo as always works out what's gone wrong. Also that scene shows how Circe sees Wonder Woman and it shows the difference between the two. THAT WAS FREAKING DARK ZEE! Goddamn! Upside-Down Man is back!!!!! Fernandez's art was phenomenal this issue. The Bad: I freaking loved this issue. So no, there isn't anything bad. Conclusion: Another interstellar issue from Tynion and Fernandez. Creative, well-written and drawn, this series is easily one of DC's best books.

Prelude: It's the fifth part of the Witching War. Let's see what Tynion has in store for us this month. The Good: I love Constantine's "plan". The Upside-Down Man was great. That cliffhanger!!! That is some great art and layouts from Bueno and Fernandez. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: Another great issue from Tynion. I am loving the Witching War and this issue easily shows why.

Prelude: It's the conclusion to The Witching War and Tynion's run on Justice League Dark before he begins his handover to Ram V next month. Let's see how it goes. The Good: Love Kirk's question and framing at the start of the issue. How everyone sees magic in it's own different way but still something negative and to be feared. Constantine's idea of magic sounds right. Triple Wonder Woman! We have Hecate, Lord of Chaos and Traditional Wonder Woman. Way to tie the series together. Why can't Tynion write Wonder Woman's solo? He understands her so well. It'll be interesting to see where things go from here. Alvaro Martinez Bueno's art is great. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: A wonderful conclusion to the Witching War and Tynion's run on the series. All that's left to do is the passover to Ram V.

Prelude: Time for the handover between Tynion and Ram V. Let's see how this goes. The Good: Animal Man is always good. I enjoyed Hotz's art. The horror vibe is cool I really like how this plays off of Tynion's run. The Bad: Weirdly enough, I feel like something's missing. Conclusion: It's a great issue, don't get me wrong. It just feels like it's missing something.

Prelude: Justice League Dark has started off greatly with the addition of Ram V. Let's see how this issue goes. The Good: Abigal's story is very interesting here. I'm intrigued in where it will go. Bueno's art is great. Especially with the mystical side with Constantine and Zatanna's part of the story. I always love trippy art in this book. The two main stories are handled very well, even with the Animal Man aspect moving slower. Even though it was very weird at first, I loved that Queen reference. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: Another great issue. Ram V has proven to be a great addition to the title and is keeping up to Tynion's pace in the script.

I'm not sure how to feel about this one. Ok, let's try and break this down. The Good: It can all be summed up into two words. Silver Age. Jimmy has always had the wackiest stories back in the Silver Age and boy does Fraction highlight that here. That is the selling point of the series and with such darkness and as a result blandness in DC currently, this is greatly appreciated. The Bad: The Timeline. This is probably done on purpose but I'm not completely on board with the idea. Maybe it's just me being used to the more linear progressions but the whole jumping around business isn't working here. While Issue 1 finished in Gotham we didn't get back to that until the end of the issue. It feels like things are moving along when they aren't at all. Conclusion: What is truly an entertaining read gets slightly muddled in the confusing timeline. Here's hoping future issues straighten things out because I believe in what Fraction can do.

Prelude: Woo! I'm onto writing this review now! I also just finished reviewing Superman #15 so this will probably get a higher score than usual, just due to the last thing I read being so godawful. The Good: Well.... is it embarrassing I only caught onto the whole small sets of interconnected stories thing Fraction is doing now? At Issue 3 of 12...... I'm annoyed at myself. But the story itself. It's Silver Age, it's fun, it's worldbuilding, it's dark at points. What more could you want? Art is also strong but I've come to expect that too. It's starting to come together now. The Bad: I really can't find one. I finally understand what's going on with the structure and that was my complaint last time. Each story is a combination of interesting and funny with the whole Silver Age vibe. What more could I want from this?

Prelude: Well it's time for irresponsible blogger, Timmy Olsen! This series has been absolutely amazing and Fraction is a great writer so this should keep the quality up. The Good: Timmy Olsen. Every single thing "Timmy" did was amazing. While I've come to like Fraction's multi-story structure, I rejoiced with the more linear style shown here. Lieber's art was great but come on. Why wouldn't it be? Still keeping the Silver Age vibe alive. The Bad: Continuity is a bit off but I'm having too much fun here. Conclusion: While the continuity is a bit off considering current events, this book has been too fun to even care about that. Way too much fun to be had here.

Prelude: Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen has been an absolute blast so far, highlighting Fraction's writing and Lieber's wonderful art. Let's see how this issue goes. Judging from that solicit, pretty darn well. The Good: Outside of one scene (see The Bad), Fraction writes Bruce and Batman really well. Mainly Bruce though. The Jimmy vs Batman prank war is pretty cool and funny. Dr Mantel is back which suggests that the plot is a bit more focused on his side of things. I loved the historic aspect of this book and what it appears to be setting up. Man, this issue is funny. Oh, can't believe it took me this long to mention it, but Lieber's art is phenomenal. Janie Olsen and her chemistry with Jimmy was great to see. Is that Dex-Starr or the earlier mentioned smoothie? Either way, I'm impressed. The Bad: I'm not sure if he was over-doing it on purpose, but I'm not happy with how Batman sounds on the rooftop scene with Superman and Jimmy. Conclusion: An absolutely amazing issue full of fun hijinks that is tempered by Batman's characterisation in the rooftop scene.

Prelude: Fraction has been amazing on Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen. Now that we are at the halfway mark, let's see how things are hanging for Jimmy. The Good: Man, every scene in this issue was great. Fleshed out some backstory on the events we know. Nathan Guy was especially fun. Lieber's art is great. I mean, it's great in every issue so far but it was above that here. I never knew I needed Superman to go Ah-La-La-La-La but it was great and funny as hell. The ending scene in Gotham was one of this issue's highlights. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: Man, Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen continues to be utterly amazing every single issue.

Prelude: Fraction's Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen has been utterly amazing so far. This issue looks like it will keep up with that Silver Age vibe and I can't wait. The Good: Lorelei makes a good point about all the different Jimmy's we see. The Lil Olsens scene was amazing. Speaking of Steve Lieber's art is utterly superb this issue. How he changes style but still pulls it off between sections and even panels is amazing. Why is every scene so good? Ok, that last page was amazingly funny. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: Why is this series so great? Fraction and Lieber knock it out of the park again and I'm not even surprised now.

Prelude: Time to read Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen once again. Been loving it so far, so let's see how it goes. The Good: Love the riff on Death and Return of Superman. Jimmy is great as always. Love Lieber's art. Jimchinninny Jimchinninny Jimjim Cheree Jame "Jimmy" Olsen. Love the tie back to Leviathan Rising. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: Fraction, you've done it again.

Prelude: Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen has been an amazing series so far, let's see how Fraction and Lieber go with this issue. The Good: Love the flashbacks. Man this story is funny. Wonderful twist. Love the art from Lieber. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: Another great issue from Fraction. This is fast becoming one of my favourite comics.

Prelude: Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen has been great so far. Let's see how this issue goes as we near the end. The Good: Lieber's art is great like always. Everything is tying together. Enjoying Julian here. Love how wacky this title is. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: Another crazy issue of Jimmy Olsen and I love it. Can't wait to see how this series ends.

Prelude: For the first time in eight years, Thor has a new writer. Cates has shown that he loves Thor in his other books, but can he follow so closely to Aaron's Saga? The Good: I love this King Thor. Feels exactly what Thor would act like when he becomes King. Still liking how Cates ties his stories together, this one being from Silver Surfer: Black. Klein's art is great. Really fits Thor and his world. That cliffhanger. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: An absolute wonderful start for Cates' Thor. The characters are great, it ties extremely well with his other work, has great art and the cliffhanger is amazing. Pretty much everything I could want from a new Thor book.

Prelude: Cates started his Thor with a fantastic first issue. Now can he keep up the momentum? The Good: DC CAMEO!!! Love it. Thor is freaking great in this issue. Klein's art is magnificent. Thori! Beta Ray Bill! The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: A perfect issue. Cates improves from his first issue and I've been absolutely loving this story so far.

Prelude: I've been loving Cates' Thor and he has done a good Beta Ray Bill before so let's see how he goes in this issue. The Good: Beta Ray Bill is great here. Sif to the rescue. Thor... oh man Thor was great. Klein's art was great as well as Wilson's colours. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: Such a great issue. Love the fight, the art, the characters, the colours. Everything.

Prelude: Cates' Thor has been amazing so far, I've been looking forward to this issue and I can't wait to jump in. The Good: Sif is amazing in this issue. Some interesting plot points even if I'm a bit tired of Thor being unworthy again. Klein's art is great. That cliffhanger is enticing. It's rare that I praise something outside of the writer and artist but Matt Wilson's colours are extremely well done. It takes the story to that next level. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: Another wonderful issue from Cates and Klein. I'm enjoying this whole ride so much.

Prelude: I really enjoy Tom Taylor's work which is admittedly assisted by him also being Australian. The premise for the Squad sounds cool so let's see how he and Redondo go in this first issue. The Good: I really like the Revolutionaries. Enough to make me like them and find them interesting but still keeps me from getting too attached which is good because... The old Suicide Squad style from Ostrander's day is back! I love that this cast is mostly disposable and the two that won't be killed are there for a reason. Lok is a dick. I like it. It also is an interesting parallel from Waller as we have grown to know her over the years. Lok goes against that grain and it works brilliantly. The Squad is great even with what little we see of the characters. Redondo's art is great. I really love how he can capture a scene. Australia is actually featured in this. It's a minor point but one I sort of love seeing. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: I really love this new incarnation of the Suicide Squad. It brings back the days of the original book but applies Taylor's wonderful character work to it. I can't wait for more.

Prelude: I loved the first issue of Suicide Squad from Taylor. Let's see how it goes in this issue. The Good: I love how the issue presents it's start and finish. Really creative work. The characters are great and how they play off of each other. Really loving this new squad. Redondo's art is great. Love the action with nothing being held back. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: Taylor keeps up the pace from the last issue and I love it.

Prelude: Suicide Squad has been great with its first two issues so let's see how Taylor goes with this one. The Good: Got some character to Lok here. Love the Revolutionaires as always. Deadshot and Harley were great too. Redondo's art was great. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: Taylor is known for his characters and it shows here. Wonderful work as always.

Prelude: I've been loving Taylor's Suicide Squad so far, let's see how this issue goes. The Good: Australia! Yes, that's worth a point on it's own. Multiple points maybe. The humour is great. Just top notch stuff. I love the backstories in this. Redondo's art is great. I'm actually concerned about Jog knowing Taylor's tendencies to kill off characters. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: My god, I loved this issue. So. So. Much. It's just perfect, the humour, the serious aspects, Australia. Just so great.

Prelude: I absolutely loved the last issue of Suicide Squad. Can't wait to see this issue so enough preamble, let's jump in. The Good: The twist and turns! Love it. Was not expecting Ted. But in Taylor I trust. Art is great. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: A very simple issue but one that proves entertaining and majorly important in the story.

Prelude: I've been looking forward to this mini-series from Zdarsky. Let's see how he goes. The Good: I love how Zdarsky portrays Franklin and his concerns. The Fantastic Four are great. Terry Dodson's art is great The conflict is set up and executed really well. DOOM!!! The Bad: As expected, the violence does come very quickly. Conclusion: While the situation escalated faster than you would normally think it would, it is a comic book and the story must get rolling. Loved the issue though and looking forward to the next one.

Prelude: I loved the first issue of X-Men/Fantastic Four so I can't wait to read this issue. The Good: I love Krakoa being called out. Cyclops treats the Fantastic Four as the threat they are and it's great. Doom is great here. Love the Reed infographic. The Dodson's art is good too. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: Wow, this was amazing. Loved every single stage of it.

Prelude: X-Men/Fantastic Four has been one of my favourite Dawn of X titles even if it technically doesn't count as such. Let's see how Zdarsky goes with this issue. The Good: The action in this is great. Zdarsky's Doom.... man it is so great. Love the infographic. Really like the X-Men and Fantastic Four in this. Dodson's art is great. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: Another perfect issue. This has been quickly proving to be an excellent title and I can't wait for the final issue.

Prelude: I've been loving X-Men/Fantastic Four and now that the trade is out, I'm finally getting around to reading the final issue. Let's see how this finishes. The Good: I love the infographics provided by Reed. Dodson art is great as always. Love the developments in this issue. Fun family moments throughout too as well as character moments. The Bad: Charles and Eric are a bit too antagonistic for my liking even with their current selves. Conclusion: It's a fun romp between the Fantastic Four and X-Men that finishes in a satisfying and enjoyable way. However, I do feel that the ending with Reed is a bit too depressing as a finish point but I am interested to see if it has any lasting ramifications.

Trade Summary: X-Men/Fantastic Four: 4X is a fun story with plenty to enjoy and great art from the Dodsons. It was great seeing the X-Men get called out for their actions in current continuity. My main problem come from the feeling that everyone is an antagonist from the X-Men to Fantastic Four to Doctor Doom (though the last one doesn't come as a shock). This made it highly questionable on who to root for. End of the day, it's a nice short mini-series that serves fun entertainment and interesting roots that can come into play for the X-Men later on. Oh, and also 4X is such a weird volume title.

Prelude: Well, since I'm going through my Cates books, time for the big one. Venom. Let's see how Cates handles this first issue. The Good: Right off the bat, I love the historic aspect shown. I'm intrigued with Eddie's current relationship with his symbiote. Ryan Stegman's art is great. Really love how he draws Venom. The.... I don't know what to call it. Symbiote Infection? The Red Spiral thing, either way, I love the intrigue Cates sets up with it. Rex is interesting so far. Project Rebirth 2.0 too. IS THAT A FREAKING DRAGON??!! The Bad: Hell no. Conclusion: I usually try to avoid giving issues a 10 straight out of the gate but this was just superb on every single level. Perfectly beginner friendly yet intriguing for existent fans backed with wonderful and fitting art.

Prelude: Cates started Venom off to a perfect start in the previous issue. After that, let's see if Cates and Stegman can possibly keep up the momentum. The Good: I'm not usually one to give points for this, but I love that cover. Holy, I thought Stegman couldn't improve anymore off last issue and here he proves me wrong. I loved that recap scene and how Rex can't figure out Eddie and how Eddie is the comeback king. Rex's history wasn't something I expected to see so soon but Cates shows it off tremendously. God is Coming. Man, that is chilling and it fits the mysterious language. The Grendel (because let's face it, that's probably what it is tying from #1), looks absolutely great. Really interested to see what Cates does with Miles. The Bad: Wasn't any last issue, still none here. Conclusion: Cates somehow keeps up the momentum from last issue. Stegman's art is utterly amazing and tied to Cates writing, I don't think Venom can be stopped if it's always like this.

Prelude: Venom is been absolutely amazing under Cates so far. Now with Miles swinging in, let's see how Cates handles this issue. The Good: That's one hell of a way to start an issue. I like how Cates portrays Miles here and I like this make-shift relationship he and Eddie has. Stegman's art. Man, he impresses in every issue. I. FREAKING. LOVE. KNULL. That whole scene with Knull was amazing. The Bad: Nothing yet again. Conclusion: Though it is feels like a very slight dip in quality, Cates is really making a showing of himself with Venom so far. I can't wait for more.

Prelude: It's time for the fourth issue of Cates' run on Venom. After the Knull reveal last issue, let's see how Cates goes with explaining him. The Good: I do like Knull's backstory. The Symbiote weakness makes sense here. I love the ties to Thor and the change that was made. Stegman's art, like always, is great. Love the revelation of Klyntar. That's an interesting cliffhanger that's for sure. The Bad: I'm aware that this series of retcons will rub some readers the wrong way. Conclusion: While I understand that this issue may be polarising for some, I really enjoyed it. While it retcons quite a lot, it works for the story Cates is telling and at least makes sense to me.

Prelude: The Good: VENOM WITH DRAGON WINGS!!! Ryan Stegman's art. The spreads are amazing but the issue looks phenomenal throughout. I love Venom's new abilities. Some people would have figured it out already but I didn't expect the Rex twist. Love it though. Though simple, I like that cliffhanger and where this arc seems to be heading. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: Another great issue from Cates. Gorgeous art and I love how things are tying together.

Prelude: This first arc of Venom has been an absolute blast so far, and for a Marvel rarity is going for 6 issues. Let's see how Cates handles that and the conclusion to Rex. The Good: I absolutely love the geared up Venom. Holy! Stegman's art continues to surprise me. Like the ties to past Venom stories. I loved Eddie in this issue. That cliffhanger. It's simple for a Venom story but Cates has proved himself to use it effectively. The Bad: Nope. Conclusion: Cates finishes Rex off to great success. Absolutely loved this issue and the action blew me away. Stegman's art is just too great.

Prelude: After the first arc of Venom, Cates has a lot to live up to. Now that we're starting The Abyss, let's see how Cates handles it. The Good: I'm intrigued by the Maker being here. Interesting that we're going down the path of the Symbiote manipulating Eddie. Iban Coello, while he isn't on the level of Stegman, does a good job on art. The Bad: It's pretty polarizing from the previous issue and I'm not sure that I like it. Conclusion: Well, it's a very different tone of story from Rex. I just need to see more but it's quite a step down in quality.

Prelude: Last issue really changed things up and I'm still not sure on how I feel about that compared to the rest of the series. I hope Cates can sell me on it here. The Good: I did like Eddie speaking to "Flash". Really shows his insecurities off well. Love Flash's appearance even if it isn't Flash per say. Coello's art was great and got the breathing room it needed. Carnage!!! The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: Back to usual with this issue of Venom. Really loved the impact Flash had on Eddie and his symbiote.

Prelude: The Abyss had a great issue last time and now Ryan Stegman is back for art. In short, this issue is in good hands. Oh, and The Abyss officially starts here too. The Good: Venom Dog. Also I love the opening scene on the bus. Eddie's family is an interesting case. A brother he wasn't aware of and a sister he thought he had. This does go into Eddie's deeper emotional side and it's interesting to explore. Stegman is back and I love the art. I've missed it already (and I've been reading Venom: Rex and Venom: The Abyss in one sitting. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: It's very different to Rex but I find it more interesting due to it's personal level.

Prelude: The Abyss started off greatly in the previous issue. Let's see how things continue with Cates and Stegman at the helm. The Good: Man, that was a twist. Did not see that it was going to be Eddie driving the car, not the one getting hit. Stegman's art like always is great. I really like Dylan. Hey, Maker is back. The symbiote is really messing with Eddie and I like it. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: Another great issue of Venom. It's so unlike Rex, but I still love it.

Prelude: I've been loving The Abyss so far but for the different reasons then I did have for Rex. Let's see how Cates goes with this issue. The Good: I love how trippy what Eddie is going through is. I love Maker in this. The art from Stegman and Cassara is great. It really is interesting how the Venom symbiote is also relying on Eddie and needs him too. Screwed up with how he tries to keep Eddie but it is an interesting development. Holy, that cliffhanger. That was wonderful. The Bad: Nothing at all. Conclusion: This was a wonderfully done, emotionally and character based issue. I can see how this would annoy fans, but I personally loved it.

Prelude: It's the final issue of The Abyss. Let's see if Cates can land this issue with how different it is from Rex. The Good: Interesting origin for Dylan. Quite an interesting talk between the Symbiote and Carl. Good artwork from Cassara here. That's an interesting cliffhanger going forward. Whether Cates can stick to it this time is yet to be seen. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: A much quieter issue but it works effectively. I really like the progress between Dylan, Carl and the Venom Symbiote.

Prelude: Cates' Tie-in to his own main series, hopefully he can land the tone I've been craving from these tie-in books. The Good: About time that one of these tie-ins landed and especially with Cates on writing. Maybe it's the closer to the main story aspect combined with the art and colours but it's finally part of Absolute Carnage I can get behind that isn't the core story. I love the emphasis on family here especially with the Symbiotes. The Bad: Not much happened when you look at it. The Maker has built a Codex removing machine that "might" work, and then they're attacked by the Symbiotes. Conclusion: A good tie-in to the main story of Absolute Carnage and finally one I can like. The more personal story works well here in contrast to the higher stakes of the main series but at the cost of little progression.

Prelude: Venom has been focusing on Dylan and Norman Jr for these tie-ins, so let's see how their story is going during Absolute Carnage. The Good: Sleeper is really cool, I loved a lot about him within the small amount of time we saw of him. The whole family aspect/smaller scale works well here as a nice alternative to the higher stakes and action in the main book. Dylan is also shaping up to be more interesting with some powers of his own. It'll be interesting to see where Cates takes it from here. The Bad: Dylan and Norman Jr's escape plan was a bit... dumb. Yes, they're kids and Maker is... the Maker but I would think that they would do something else rather than create something for everyone to take down next issue. Conclusion: Venom continues to prove itself as a wonderful tie-in to Absolute Carnage as it should as the main supporting book. Really the problems with it are trivial at best.

Prelude: It's Venom's third tie-in issue to Absolute Carnage. Can Cates continue to deliver on what have been great tie-ins so far? The Good: Sleeper and Dylan remain a highlight as Cates starts to explore their new status quo within this event. The teamwork in this issue was great. Also got some set-up for future issues with the Maker and Dylan. The Bad: Continuity is a bit weird around the main series, AC: Avengers and AC: Immortal Hulk. Conclusion: It's a story about Dylan and Sleeper as they adapt to Absolute Carnage. Ultimately a set-up issue for when Absolute Carnage and Venom reach their final issues for the event respectively.

Prelude: It's Cates' post-script to Absolute Carnage in the form of a final tie-in issue of Venom. Let's see how Cates goes in this issue. The Good: This issue continues the two main threads left by Absolute Carnage and I'm liking it. Maker and his recap is quite interesting especially with where he wants to go in the future. I ----ing loved Eddie and Dylan's scene. Makes my eyes water and you know what that means. Council of Reeds! The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: While it ties up the two main threads from Absolute Carnage, this is more of a lead in to the upcoming future of Cates' Venom and even after an event full of Venom, I'm excited for what this future holds.

Prelude: It's time for Venom Island. Let's see how Cates deals with Venom and the fallout from Absolute Carnage. The Good: I do like the tension between Eddie and Dylan. It's understandable and in character for the two of them. I love the inner turmoil for Eddie. It's done so well and is great fallout from Absolute Carnage. Bagley's art is very good in this issue. Not Stegman level but good nevertheless. It's interesting that the Avengers would want him on their team. We know it wouldn't go through and so it's interesting seeing Eddie's deception. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: Cates starts Venom Island off extremely well. It deals with the fallout from Absolute Carnage and surprises me at points. A great issue for the return to smaller scaled Venom stories.

Prelude: I loved the start to Venom Island in the last issue. Let's see what Cates and Bagley have in store. The Good: I don't mention it often, but I absolutely love that cover art. Loving Eddie's attitude on the island. Now, that's an interesting development for Dylan. Good to see we aren't ditching him for this arc as well. Loved Bagley's art, much improved over last issue. Carnage was fun. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: Cates and Bagley continue Venom Island extremely well from last issue. I'm loving what's happening on the island and off.

Prelude: Venom Island has been a blast so far. Let's see if Cates and Bagley can keep up the momentum. The Good: Love watching Eddie suffer and show his resilience. Dylan is really interesting in this issue. Cool cliffhanger. Bagley's art is great. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: It's a simple issue but it works wonders. Really interesting and leaves me wanting more.

Prelude: Venom Island has been great so far, so let's see how Cates is going to tackle this issue. The Good: Referential cover!!! I really enjoyed the dream sequence, really brings Eddie's fears to light. Bagley's art as expected was great. Dylan is proving to be really interesting. Didn't expect Carnage to take over Eddie. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: A great, simple issue that moves the plot forward in an interesting direction while exploring our main characters.

Prelude: I've been loving Venom Island but let's see if it can hold up in this finishing and oversized issue. The Good: Really enjoyed Eddie's monologue. Bagley's art is just so so great. Knull is coming! Can't wait for King in Black. Really love the theme of this issue. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: Such a great issue, there's a reason why I love Cates' work and especially his Venom.

Arc Summary: This was an absolute blast to read. Cates nails Eddie and gives a great villain to go with the story. It reminds me of books from the 90s and 2000s but modernised in a way that Cates does so well. Ryan Stegman's art is on a whole other level and really sells this book. It's beginner friendly, and looks amazing, even if you don't like the writing, buy this book for the art. But the writing is great too.

Trade Summary: Very different from Rex. It takes a deeper look into Eddie and the Symbiote's relationship with each other. I can understand why people are against it but I loved it once I got used to the change in tone compared to Rex. The art team rotates, but it's at it's best with Stegman.

Prelude: Time to read the Robin 80th Anniversary Issue. As such my normal Anthology system will apply. The Good: Really enjoyed "A Little Nudge". It's a classic tale but Woflman makes it work so well here. It's fast but I did enjoy "Aftershocks". "Team Building" was a nice enough story to show off Dick's leadership skills. "The Lesson Plan" was amazing. One of my favourites from this issue. "More Time" was just... it was so great. Winick knows how write Jason beyond the edge we usually get. "Extra Credit" is passable. It fits Tim and it's written well enough but doesn't explore him too much. "Boy Wonders" serves well as a Tim story but also as showing off the other main Robins. "Fitting In" was a nice story and it is so great seeing DC remember that Steph was Robin for a brief bit of time. "My Best Friend" was a great story about Damian and brings back some of that wonderful Super Sons action I've been missing. The Bad: "Bat and Mouse" was the only story I didn't like. It just feels disappointing and wasted potential. Conclusion: Asides from "Bat and Mouse" this was a great Anniversary issue. Loved it throughout.

Prelude: Well, I've just finished reviewing Harleen #2 and here's another Black Label Joker story. I trust Lemire and Sorrentino though, so this should be interesting. The Good: Joker is so creepy in this. Despite a similar setting to other books, Killer Smile sets itself apart. Sorrentino's art is amazing. I did not expect it to be this good. Not knowing what is happening fully is worrying and it works so well. Mr. Smiles. The Bad: It's not too much of an original premise. Conclusion: While it is similar to other on-going series such as Harleen and other past books, Killer Smile manages to set itself apart. A great read that leaves me wanting more.

Prelude: Lemire and Sorrentino started Joker: Killer Smile with great effect in it's first issue. Let's see how this creative team goes in the second issue and the books halfway point. The Good: Man, Lemire nailed the creepy tone of this series on the head. Sorrentino's layouts. The art is great don't get me wrong but his layouts are what makes it great. I loved that twist. We've been led to believe Arnell is at least a decent narrator so we believe his perspective and Lemire flips that but allows the story to question his perspective in the very first place. The Bad: Nothing really. Conclusion: Lemire and Sorrentino pick up the pace for this second act and it works wonderfully. I love what this story is doing.

Prelude: Joker: Killer Smile has been great so far. With news of a one-shot coming out later in the year, how does Lemire go with ending this main part of the miniseries? The Good: Love the narration. Sorrentino's art is great as always. Ben's story is compelling. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: It's actually a very simple story but it is told so well but Lemire and Sorrentino.

The Good: Hickman is bringing his A game with this series. Whilst I haven't been as big a fan of this as HoX, Hickman ties it all back in this issue. Wonderful worldbuilding as should be expected from Hickman's X books. As always the art is perfect. Not a single bad panel. The Bad: Whilst we get some answers we still have a lot of questions especially regarding the future of PoX after the ending of this issue. I get this is by design but I keep feeling like I'm in the dark way too often then I should be halfway in the series. Conclusion: Another excellent issue from Hickman that finally pays off the future storyline. I just hope all our questions get answered but in Hickman I trust.

Prelude: You know the drill. Loving House/Powers of X. Here's this issue. The Good: Minster Sinister. 'Nuff said. The infographics are always great but I would like to note the Sinister Secrets. This is definitely going to be referenced later on and will be a great point of tying these stories from Dawn of X together. Loving the interaction between Professor X and Magneto. Likewise we got some solid progress on Krakoa itself, with an interesting twist too. The future part is being clearer. That said though... The Bad: It still is a bit confusing especially where all these different times fit together with these future stories. Conclusion: Hickman delivers some solid work in this issue, continuing to redefine the X-Men world. This has been an amazing ride so far and I don't want to leave at all.

Prelude: It's all coming to a close now with our third last issue of HoX/PoX and our second last with PoX. The Good: Really interesting to see how far Xavier has gone especially with the creation of the new Cerebro. Emma was the highlight this issue in both her scenes. Really great work on her here. I loved the infographics again but mainly the Cerebro and Government ones. Government especially since it goes into the whole forming of a nation aspect I love. Similarly I love the insight of creating Krakoa that this issue brought. It's been showing up more recently too. Namor is Namor. Art was great but do I really need to keep mentioning that? It's practically a given for both House and Powers. The Bad: Future stuff is a bit confusing but it's likely to be a setup for a later payoff. Conclusion: Another brilliant chapter in Powers of X, almost perfect. Only part I disliked was the future aspect which was too technically smart for me to handle.

Prelude: This is the final issue before Dawn of X. While it isn't House of X which I prefer of the two, I have full faith in Hickman here. The Good: The theme of this series fully flourishes here. We all know Mutants will succeed Man due to evolution, but what happens when Man decides to reject that nature and fuse with technology? Become post-human. It is a question that I find immensely interesting and I would love to see Hickman continue on this. Moira's Journal. So much that we can take from it and shows how manipulative she has been. There's a sense of desperation here. That this may be Moira's final life but it can still reboot the timeline. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: There's less to talk about than usual but this issue is all about revealing Moira's deception. Yet the series still finishes with a sense of finality, it did what it sought to do. Now it is time for the Dawn of X.

Prelude: It's time for Strange Adventures! Hopefully this follows more Mister Miracle and Vision then his controversial Batman and Heroes in Crisis. The Good: Both Mitch Gerads and Doc Shaner's art was out of this world. I loved the Silver Age tone on Rann. Some really great mystery set ups. Love the human focus. Mister Terrific is interesting and I didn't expect to see Batman. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: Great art, mystery and focus with some potential leads, Strange Adventures comes flying right out of the gate.

Prelude: Lemire writing the Question. Check me in! But is it any good, well that's the question, isn't it? Sorry, couldn't resist. The Good: I really loved how Vic and Question differ from each other. This series stands to challenge Vic's black and white views. Art by Cowan is pretty good. Not my cup of tea but it fits the story. This series is going to be an acid trip isn't it? The Bad: Nothing really. Conclusion: An excellent start to The Question: The Deaths of Vic Sage. I'm intrigued on where this is going to go.

Prelude: The Question: The Deaths of Vic Sage had a wonderfully great first issue. Let's see how Lemire goes with this second one. The Good: I love the historic look in this issue. Actually liked the art more this time around. Plays well into who The Question is. I love that cliffhanger. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: Another great issue though very different from issue one. It'll be interesting to see how these all tie together.

Prelude: The conclusion to Aaron's run on Thor before he finishes on King Thor, does this finale stand up to the hype? The Good: Whilst I've been on the fence with Michael Del Mundo's art, he shows his work off well here. Some parts were questionable but only minor offences. Aaron sets up the new status quo here for Thor, Valkyire, Loki, King Thor and more. A stunning highlight of his entire run, similar to the final issue of War of the Realms. Aaron shows off his Thor and his selflessness extremely well here and yet how unsuited Thor is to be All-Father. The Bad: Nothing much happens but that's to be expected from an issue like this. Conclusion: A celebration of Aaron's Thor epic from God of Thunder, to Mighty Thor, to now. Sets up the future and closes this chapter of Thor's story well whilst teasing some more.

Prelude: I'm always up for more Hawkeye stories and with Otto Schmidt on art, I'm looking forward to this. Haven't read anything from Rosenberg but let's see what he can do with Hawkeye: Freefall. The Good: Rosenberg's voice for Clint is spot on. Absolutely love it. I really like the team-up here. Schmidt's art is great. Ronin is really cool. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: A great start for Hawkeye: Freefall. Rosenberg gets Hawkeye and it shows throughout the issue.

Prelude: Rosenberg started Hawkeye: Freefall with a great first issue. Let's see how that holds up for the second issue. The Good: It's cool having so many different characters interacting with Clint. Ronin is cool. That cliffhanger. Otto Schmidt's art is great The Bad: Bit confused on the continuity with Tony showing up. Conclusion: Another great issue with my only problem dealing with continuity. Can't wait to see where it goes.

Prelude: Hawkeye: Freefall has been pretty great so let's see how Rosenberg and Schmidt go on this issue. The Good: Clint is always great at dating. Interesting idea for Clint and how he's trying to protect it. Things are heating up. Loved Schmidt's art. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: Another freaking great issue. I just love this series so much.

Prelude: I've been loving Hawkeye: Freefall so far so let's see how this issue goes. The Good: I like the humour in this issue. It's all setting up for massive failure for Clint. Schmidt's art is great like always. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: Another great issue of Hawkeye: Freefall. This mini has been great so far and I can't wait to read it in trade.

Prelude: Hawkeye: Freefall has been consistently great. As we reach the penultimate issue, let's see how Clint fares. The Good: I really enjoyed the Fisk scene. Schmidt's art is great as expected. Clint's rampage against Parker was fun to read. Always enjoy the whole "everything goes wrong" styled stories. Even Night Nurse gets a great scene. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: A wonderful issue with great scenes. Can't wait to see how this series ends.

Prelude: Dawn of X is upon us with Hickman's main book, X-Men. While I'm not expecting HoX/PoX quality, I'm hoping for a good story here. The Good: It's a character based story and I really enjoy those. The infographics are here! I didn't expect to see those in Dawn of X so I'm hoping these aren't a X-Men book only sort of thing. Also bit of a hint in that floor plan, wouldn't you say? A world where people love Magneto. That's a bit concerning. We're diving straight into the whole posthuman concern and while it's mostly a set-up, it's one I'm very intrigued by. I love how Krakoa has changed everyday life on a minute level. Wait, have Orchis already cracked the rejuvenation protocols? The Bad: I've got nothing. Conclusion: While not as groundbreaking as House of X or Powers of X, X-Men starts off with a blazing start. Character focused with every aspect done extremely well. A great start for Hickman and his team.

Prelude: Hickman's X-Men started with great success last issue, so let's see how this issue goes. The Good: I'm loving the family dynamic of this issue. Also, it's so character based which I love. Leinil Francis Yu improves on his art from #1 to great effect here. Really going the XXX-Men route aren't we? Hickman really uses the infographics well here, better than any other Dawn of X writer. Which to be frank, he should be since it's his idea. Also, I like this short story structure Hickman is using. That cliffhanger. Man, I did not think we would approach this topic so soon. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: Hickman took what I loved from #1 and amplified it here in every way possible. This series is just utterly amazing.

Prelude: Hickman's X-Men has been great and I've somewhat caught up on my reviews to do this one ahead of time. Anyway, let's see how this issue goes. The Good: I actually enjoyed the humour in this, which says a lot about my own. As expected, Hickman's infographics are greatly done. I mainly enjoyed the Krakoa one. I really liked the character work in this issue, especially Emma, Scott and Shaw. Hordeculture is quite interesting to me but I'll need to see more to see how they progress. Leinil Francis Yu's art has been absolutely great and this issue is no exception. The Bad: Yes, I'll admit it, it is stupid that Hordeculture are able to get the jump on Cyclops and take him down. Conclusion: While it does have some flaws and plot holes, I really enjoyed this issue. Hickman's short story structure, world building and plotting has been great and I can't wait for more.

Prelude: Two weeks later than all the other #4's but I have faith in Hickman's work. Judging from the cover and solicit, I'm looking forward to this issue. The Good: Literally everything. Ok, I need to more exact. The characters are all great, especially our three main leaders of Krakoa. I love the political side of things here. Loved it in HoX/PoX, and I love it here. Those infographics.... a mix of fun and serious and it works greatly. Ever wonder what they're eating? Hickman did too and made an infographic for it. Leinil Francis Yu's art did not disappoint. I love how the humans enacted their actions and how easily and competently Cyclops and Gorgon stopped it. Erik and Charles' speeches were absolutely great. The Bad: Wait...... you think there is one? Conclusion: A masterclass of an issue. I came into this with high expectations and Hickman just blew me away once again.

Prelude: Wait, X-Men is still on issue 5? Ok, then let's see what Hickman has in store. The Good: It's nice to see that we're tying back to #1. Love that small interaction between Laura and Logan. Interesting infographics in this issue. That cliffhanger is really good. Silva's art is a freaking masterpiece. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: Another great issue from Hickman. Absolutely love what he's doing on X-Men and Dawn of X as a whole.

Prelude: Well, that is an extremely vague synopsis. Let's see how Hickman goes with this issue. The Good: Mystique was great in this issue. Interesting focus on Orchis. I love revisiting HoX/PoX. Cool development on top of what happened in HoX/PoX. Destiny is really cool. Buffagni's art was great. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: A great issue revisiting HoX/PoX while forging a path forward.

Prelude: X-Men has been great so far and I'm really interested in the Resurrection Protocols so this should be a good issue. The Good: I love how Cyclops is asking these questions. Crucible is such an interesting concept and furthers the questioning for mutant society. Love seeing Scott and Logan hang out. Some potential groundwork from Hickman concerning Cypher. Really ethically challenging stuff with how Krakoa sees Wanda and how it is teaching the children to see her. MUTANT RELIGION!!! Yu's art is great. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: This issue explores so much and sets up so many factors that can be used later. Love it.

Prelude: Moving into the first two-parter story in Hickman's X-Men and a direct followup to his New Mutants, let's see how this issue of X-Men goes with Issue 8, "Swarm". The Good: Always love a bit of the Summer spice of life story. Asrar's art is really good here. I like how tactical everything is. While brief, the infographics were as great as always. The Bad: Not sure on the story yet, but I guess I'll see in the next half. Conclusion: It's a very good issue, however I am still a bit unsure about it.

Prelude: I felt a noticeable drop in quality in last issue so hopefully Hickman can finish this two-parter story in a satisfying way. The Good: Interesting aspect with the Brood and how it reflects the status quo and change. Leinil Francis Yu's art is great. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: While there isn't much inherently bad with the issue, there isn't too much good either. I felt rather neutral about the infographics and a lot of the story. Still a good story but nothing on the levels that Hickman's X-Men was before.

Prelude: It's time for the first non-Hickman Dawn of X series. Add to that, it's mutant pirates and Marauders has a lot to prove. The Good: Right of the bat, really interesting problem for Kate. This will definitely be a point of contention going forward and I'd love to see where it goes. This issue is called "I'm on a Boat". I freaking love Kate in this. Absolutely amazing. Infographics are continuing in non-Hickman Dawn of X books! More Sinister Secrets are what I'm excited for the most but the other, more casual ones are great too. It's great seeing the fallout on a public scale for the foundation of Krakoa. I loved Emma Frost as well in this. The Bad: Nothing matey. Conclusion: It's an absolute great start to Marauders, rivaling the main book, X-Men as well. Every aspect of this issue worked tremendously well and I cannot wait for the next issue.

Prelude: Marauders has been one of my favourite Dawn of X books with the first issue so far. Let's see how this issue goes. The Good: Interesting to see the Cuckoos, but I found the brief conversation interesting. Loving the business side of Krakoa and the Hellfire. The Marauders continues to be fun throughout this issue. Speaking of, I love Lolli's art here. The infographics are also great, especially the Hellfire one. That cliffhanger. Absolutely beautiful. Yes, those tattoos are awful... I love it. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: I absolutely loved this issue. It's entertaining, looks wonderful and intriguing. Easily one of my favourite Dawn of X books, maybe even my number one pick.

Prelude: I absolutely loved the previous issue of Marauders so let's see what Duggan has in store for us this time. The Good: I loved the focus on the Shaw's this issue. It showcases each of them greatly. It's interesting to see how the outside world views Mutants and Krakoa. Art is really good here. I enjoyed the infographics in this issue. The Bad: Less of a focus on the Marauders but that barely takes any points away. Conclusion: Even though it focuses mainly on the Shaw's, I really enjoyed this issue and it expands on Sebastian from what we had seen in #2.

Prelude: I've been loving Marauders so far so let's see what Duggan has in store for us this issue. The Good: Kate and Bishop really do make this issue great. The idea of Mutant "cults" that worship the mutants is a really interesting idea. Homines Verendi is an interesting parallel to the Hellfire Club. It'll be interesting to see them moving forward. The Bad: Nothing really. Conclusion: A slower paced issue than the last three but no less enjoyable. It sets up some interesting concepts for the future and moves the plot forward.

Prelude: So far Marauders has been my favourite Dawn of X book tied with X-Men. Now with it's fifth issue and penultimate for the first volume, Duggan will have to start tying everything together. The Good: I like how Kate and Emma are getting along. The organisation and structure of the Hellfire Trading Company is really cool. The talk between Bobby and Christian is interesting. I love the Red Keep. The Marauders are just so tactically well done. I always love it when our heroes are actually competent. Poor X-Desk Guy. On a serious note, loved both infographics. Lolli's art is amazingly well done. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: Another great issue for the Marauders. Things are heating up as all of the set-up ties together.

Prelude: It's the final part of the first arc of Marauders. It's been great so far so let's see how Duggan lands it. The Good: Really liked the take down from both sides in this issue. Yellowjacket was great. Damnit Shaw! Well, that part was done greatly but it makes me so mad, even knowing it's temporary. Lolli's art like always was great. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: Ties the story together, sets up the next one and uses the themes it has already established. A perfect issue of Marauders.

Prelude: Marauders has been one of my favourite books so let's see how it goes now after that last issue. The Good: I liked Callisto. Verendi is interesting still. Can't wait for Shaw to get his comeuppance. The Bad: It does feel like it's missing some soul to the book. Conclusion: It's a good issue but it feels like it's missing something. Kate really did add a lot to the book.

Prelude: Marauders took quite a considerable drop last issue, I'm hoping it's improved from that. The Good: I love how everyone is reacting to Kate's death in their own way. Really shows these characters off. Caselli's art is great. The infographics were great. Always love getting Sinister Secrets. The Bad: Cliffhanger doesn't do much for me. Conclusion: A return back to form for Marauders. I love how everyone is reacting to Kate's death and can't wait for Shaw to get what he deserves.

Prelude: While people have been disliking Marauders recently, I've been enjoying it a lot especially after last issue. The Good: I really like how the Marauders took down Yellowjacket. Lolli's art was great. Interesting development with Kate. Love Emma here. Infographics as always are great. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: While I want Kate to come back, the book is performing well again in her absence. Loved this issue.

Prelude: Marauders has consistently been one of my favourite X-Titles currently, so let's see how this issue goes. The Good: While I understand the disagreement, that scene is so in character for Emma. Continuing the developments with Kate and I enjoyed the infographics. Caselli's art was good. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: The issue doesn't do much but it doesn't need to. Just some nice plot movement as things head on forward

Prelude: While Tom Taylor has been killing it on the main story for DCeased, this one-shot seeks to explore the other facets of the story and how it's affected heroes outside of the main story. Let's see if he can pull it off. The Good: First of all, it's great to get this perspective on the fallout outside of the main story as it's very localised within that. Seeing how the other heroes have reacted and are attempting to deal with these events is something I find very interesting. As always, Taylor nails the character's voices and their interactions. Scott's veggie plate, Constantine's..... everything. The Bad: Structure is quite predictable, especially once we catch up with Constantine. Still tells a darn good story despite this though. Conclusion: Ultimately a good character based chapter that's on the outskirts of DCeased. While the story itself is predictable what makes this great is the character work from Taylor.

Prelude: As we near the end of DCeased, how is it all holding up for Earth's heroes? The Good: Look, I have a rule. If you can get me to tear up reading an issue, it's an instant 10. Tom Taylor did it here. Onto the more substantial stuff. Taylor is a character writer and it shows here. It really does. The issue starts out optimistic which is good but as you start believing that there's hope, Taylor does a complete 180. There's a reason why this issue is called "Hope Lost". Barry was really treated well power level wise which as a Flash fan, I love to see. Anything to do with Superman was great. Lex, Jon, Lois, Martha, Clark himself. Every single moment. Art was solid too. Rarely a mistake. The Bad: I've got nothing. Conclusion: A tear jerking issue that is driven by its characters. Superman and his family were the highlights of this issue. Can't wait to tear up again when the final issue hits.

Prelude: It's the final issue of DCeased. Tom Taylor has a big job now to land this story after last issue. The Good: Taylor knows how to write characters. Green Arrow and Green Lantern were some of the best but Jon, Damian and Lois also get that award too. Wonder Woman's actions make sense. She is an Amazon and is prepared to fight with any tactic. You would think our heroes would be able to turn it around. Nope, they lose in every meaningful way. Art was great from the team as well. Welp, just like last issue, I'm getting teary-eyed. The Bad: The Green Lantern Corps feels like a bit of a cop out. Also they could have used the Lasso of Truth earlier but I feel that's a bit pedantic. Conclusion: While there are some plot holes, Taylor really lands this issue and series. The art was strong but it's in the characters that this story shines. Amazing work from this whole creative team.

Prelude: The second Dawn of X issue this week and it's the first issue of X-Force too. Let's see how Percy goes on this. The Good: I'm hooked right from the start. Already groups are reacting to Krakoa as they should and it's something that I'm deeply intrigued by. Really interesting speech from Logan and it's true. The infographics here are great. It's something I've been wanting ever since HoX/PoX. The group that attacked Krakoa (the script says CIA but it could be out of date) were great to watch. Coordinated and may I say, lucky? Their skin gives that away but I think there's some Domino in play here. Wow, that cliffhanger. Seeing as Hickman said publicly, he wants death cliffhangers off the table, this is done with purpose. Makes me excited to see where this goes. Oh and the art is great too. Joshua Cassara did a great job here. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: Man, X-Force has started with a bang. A great issue that immediately sets up and succeeds at it's premise. I cannot wait for the next issue.

Prelude: Percy did a great job with the initial issue of X-Force so let's see if he can carry that over into this issue. The Good: I do love the Sword of Damocles parallels. The infographics in this issue were great. They answer the exact questions I have and satisfy them too. I still love how the assassins are shown here and their powess that got them onto Krakoa. I enjoyed Cassara's art in this issue. Really shows this side of the mutant world off well. That cliffhanger. It's gruesome yet cool to see. I can't wait to see where this goes for the series. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: Percy improves on his work from #1 in this issue. I am absolutely loving this series so far and the tone it is going for.

Prelude: I've been loving Percy's X-Force so far and it's been one of the more interesting Dawn of X books. Let's see how he goes with this issue. The Good: Xeno is very interesting. Bit Court of Owls but I love what's being done with them. Xavier is back but that's to be expected. I like the infographics in this issue, though it's a bit less than the past two issues. X-Force looks to be very interesting heading forwards. I also liked Cassara's art in this issue. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: Another great issue in the evolving X-Force story. It's a series I didn't think I would be enjoying so much but I am.

Prelude: X-Force has been amazing so far. Let's see how Percy goes this issue, now that the team has officially formed. The Good: I love how ruthless these enemies are. Cold, calculating and efficient. It works greatly with this new status quo from Dawn of X. Likewise, how tactical this book acts is great. I love these introspectives that Percy did this issue. Anything involving the Quiet Council is usually great and this issue was no exception. Forge was interesting here. In a similar vein, I quite liked the infographics. Simple, but effective. Art was pretty good throughout. Some issues but otherwise good. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion A superb issue from Percy. Exactly what I wanted from X-Force and it doesn't hold back. Just wonderful.

Prelude: After last issue's cliffhanger, I am interested in seeing where this issue goes. Percy has been doing a great jobs so far, so let's see if it continues. The Good: I'm loving how brutal this series is. Similar to last issue, I love how Krakoan tech is being created and intertwined with human tech. Logan.... wow. How the Mercs are portrayed and their link back to the first few issues is great. Loved the infographics here, especially the last one. Cassara's art was utterly amazing here. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: Another absolutely great issue from Percy. It's different from the other Dawn of X books but man, it is so much fun to read.

Prelude: It's time for another issue of X-Force. Let's see what Percy has in store this time. The Good: Really interesting confession here. I love how X-Force operates. Wow, this is dark. Cassara's art is great. The Bad: I will admit Beast is a bit off especially considering his own dealings with X-Force in the past. Conclusion: Another great issue though Beast's characterisation doesn't quite add up.

Prelude: X-Force has been wonderful so far and with what look's like an issue focusing on Domino, one of my favourite mutants, I'm hoping for another great issue. The Good: Love how the abnormally lucky assassinations were shown. Likewise I enjoyed Domino and Colossus' conversation. Interesting cliffhanger. I enjoyed the art here. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: An issue that just works wonders for me. Everything I wanted when I heard about it.

Prelude: Last issue was some fun with Domino's powers so let's see how that fares here. The Good: I like how Domino and Colossus talk about the resurrection protocols here. Domino's missing luck is really interesting. Interesting move with XENO. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: It's a very good issue but it lacks that flair to make it stand apart.

Prelude: X-Force has been one of my favourite Dawn of X titles, let's see how it does in this issue. The Good: Ooh we're getting into some Resurrection Protocols stuff here and the dangers of it. I like it. The infographics were interesting as well. Still enjoying Cassara's art. The violence of this issue continues to set itself apart. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: Another great issue from Percy. I've been loving X-Force and this issue continues that trend.

Prelude: Finally picked up All-New Wolverine as to expand my X-Men collection beyond current Hickman era titles and Taylor is one of my favourite writers (Note to self: Get X-Men Red). Let's see how this first issue goes. The Good: In one issue and with very little knowledge of Laura beforehand, Taylor sells me on both Laura and her role as Wolverine. I love Laura's interactions namely between her and Angel as well as the flashback between her and Logan. The art from Lopez and Navarrot is great. The clone angle is an interesting one to see where it goes. The Bad: It's ever so slightly confusing. Conclusion: A strong start for All-New Wolverine. Didn't blow me out of the water but a very compelling first issue that hooked me onto the series.

Prelude: I really enjoyed the first issue of All-New Wolverine, let's see if Taylor can hold that here. The Good: I love seeing Laura at the top of her abilities, showing off her mastery of her skills against both Alchemex and the Sisters. Liking the Sisters so far, especially Gabby. Navarrot and Lopez's art is good. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: This issue ramped up the story for me in all the best ways possible.

Prelude: All-New Wolverine has been a lot of fun so far, let's see how this issue goes. The Good: Okay I really love Gabby. Lopez and Navarrot's art is great as always. Interesting set up for next issue. It's very entertaining. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: A great, fun and entertaining issue. This series is really starting to pick up track now.

Prelude: All-New Wolverine has been amazing so far. With Dr. Strange now in the mix, how will this issue fare? The Good: I really like the exploration of the Sisters and how they're compared to Laura. Gabby is still freaking great. Lopez and Navarrot's art is still great. Liking the cliffhanger too. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: Another great issue from Taylor, really getting into exploring the Sisters while having a fun and enjoyable adventure of an issue.

Prelude: All-New Wolverine has been amazing for me so far. Let's continue our trip to see the next character on the list, Wasp. The Good: I love the Sisters so much. Seeing Belladonna start to cry, it makes me so happy and tear up myself. The art from Lopez and Navarrot is great as always. So, so much emotion. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: I have a rule. Make me cry and I will give the issue a 10. Well played Taylor.

Prelude: It's the final part of the Four Sisters. Let's see how it goes for Laura and her crew. The Good: I love it when Laura is smart and shows that she is at the top of her game. The plan is so wonderful and it works both in story and for the readers too. Gabby was great as always. Really interesting potential with Belladonna. The art keeps up the great standards from past issues. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: An amazing end to the first arc of All-New Wolverine. As always when it comes to Taylor's writing, I love what he is doing with this title.

Prelude: It's Jason Aaron's last Thor story. King Thor. I'll be honest, while I like the character of All-Father Thor, I've never enjoyed his stories and can never remember which granddaughter is which. Hope that improves here. The Good: Art is great but it's Ribic. It wraps around from Thor: God of Thunder brilliantly. While the War of the Realms have taken up most of Aaron's run, the first two arcs of Thor: God of Thunder and King Thor work great as bookends. Hey, I'm finally learning which daughter is which! The Bad: Loki seems to be a bit... off? But it's a bit of a moot point with how far in the future this is. Conclusion: As Aaron's time on Thor ends with Cates fast approaching, King Thor appears to be the perfect end to the run, mirroring it's beginnings at the end.

Prelude: King Thor started majestically in its first issue. But now that the story has started rolling, will Aaron keep this quality up? The Good: Loki is a lot better now than he was before. Bit of a combination between last issue's Loki and the one we all know. Gorr's motive is logical considering what he has seen I liked the Thor and Loki moments. Art was strong throughout the issue. Ribic is going all out here. The Bad: The Girls of Thunder basically did nothing this issue. Conclusion: Another strong chapter for King Thor. I'm loving this series and can't wait to see where it goes next.

Prelude: King Thor has been going wonderfully so far, let's see how Aaron goes on this issue. The Good: The Goddesses of Thunder are back and boy is it great. I loved seeing the Gods of Answered Prayers. Such a great callback and something that makes sense with Aaron's themes in this series. Ribic's art was great in this issue. The Bad: Gorr is becoming a bit too much, "Look what I can do now". He's getting too overpowered for this story for my liking. Conclusion: While it continues the great trend of writing from past issues, Gorr's power levels are getting a bit too nonsensical for me.

Prelude: This is it. The final issue of King Thor and the final issue of Jason Aaron's Thor epic. Let's see how Aaron and Ribic go on this issue. The Good: A wonderful end to Thor the All-Father. Really like what Aaron did with this alt future. I loved the library scenes. One especially made me tear up. The many reborn Thors was great to see and a wonderful payoff that started all the way back in God of Thunder. The art is spectacular here. Props to everyone involved. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: A godlike end to Aaron's entire Thor epic. Man, this issue just makes you tear up. Truly the end of an era in Thor history.

Prelude: I've been looking forward to this Darth Vader relaunch and it's premise so let's hope Pak does well. The Good: Love the premise of the story. The flashbacks and trip into the past for Vader. So good, so wonderfully executed. Some good comedy from Zed Six Seven. I know it's not her but it's a cool cliffhanger. Ienco's art is great, especially on Vader. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: I. LOVED. THIS. ISSUE. It was just everything I wanted from it and more.

Prelude: I greatly enjoyed the first issue of this new Darth Vader series so I can't wait to see how this issue fares. The Good: Sabe is back!!! I really enjoyed the flashbacks. Ienco's art is great. Zed Six Seven does a great job for the comedy. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: While not as great as the first issue, I still loved this issue.

Prelude: I really enjoyed Taylor's DCeased, so let's see how the spinoff, DCeased: The Unkillables goes. The Good: Jason was great in this issue. I know some people have issues with the art, but I like it. Great character work as always from Taylor. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: A good start from Taylor. I need to see just a small bit more to call it great, but so far it's easily very good.

Prelude: DCeased: The Unkillables started off well, so let's see how this issue fares. The Good: I love the character work in this issue. Still enjoying the art. I know it's very polarising but I'm liking it. The montage was real fun. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: A great issue from Taylor and I can't wait for the final issue.

Prelude: DCeased: The Unkillables has had some strong two issues so let's see how the third and final issue goes. The Good: Look I have a rule. If I get teary eyed/cry when reading an issue, it's an instant 10. No ifs, no buts. Love the Mary reveal. All of the pairs are great here. Still enjoyed the art. Really interested in where this leads on in Dead Planet. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: Love this issue and even if I didn't have my rule, I imagine I would've given this a 10 anyway. It's.... it's just so great.

Prelude: Well... it's time to finally review Johns' Aquaman. Let's see how it holds up. The Good: First and foremost, the art is superb. Reis' work is always great but it's out of this world here. Johns is challenging the Aquaman is a joke misconception head on and I love it. Johns' characterisation for Arthur and Mera is great here. The Bad: The Trench.... I'll have to see more honestly but currently there's very little to work off of. Just concerned they'll be generic strong villain group that the hero has to take down. Conclusion: A very strong start to Johns' Aquaman. His characterisation is spot on, the art is superb and this is the exact direction for Aquaman that I've always wanted. My only concern is the choice of villains which is odd considering how much Johns loves his villains. But ultimately I believe in Johns and the future of this run.

Prelude: Johns' Aquaman started off strongly but I did find the choice of villain lacking. But since The Trench are on the cover, they might get some development. The Good: The Trench are a bit more interesting. Still one-dimensional but there's an element of survival that I like from them. Arthur and Mera's interactions were great. I like that Johns is continuing how everyone finds Aquaman a joke and is challenging that. Ivan Reis' art was beautiful especially the double spread page. The Bad: Honestly, I didn't find much to fault. Conclusion: While Johns lets off a bit on challenging the Aquaman is a joke trope, he managed to introduce an element to The Trench to make them more interesting. I doubt they will be stand out opponents for Aquaman but they are at least entertaining to read.

Prelude: Johns is doing a great job on Aquaman and according to the solicit, this will give the backstory to the Trench which are the weakest part of his run so far. The Good: Stephen Shin is a really interesting character. His morally grey area will definitely come into problem sometime later on in this series. Reis' art, as to be expected was great. I loved finding out about the Trench or rather their capabilities. While their motive is simple, they are quite dangerous and Johns supplies the knowledge to make them so. The Bad: I did find the Federal Officers to be a bit too much of a dick to Aquaman. Just grated wrongly with me but it does continue the No one respects Aquaman motif. Conclusion: This was a needed issue to set up the threat of the Trench and provide a bit of backstory and motif. While that in of itself isn't big, it's the way Johns does it that makes this a good issue.

Prelude: It's the final issue of the initial "The Trench" arc in Johns' Aquaman. Let's see how he wraps it up. The Good: The Trench are an interesting choice of villain. They're trying to survive and help their Queen survive which ties into the royalty and current aspects of Aquaman. He's a former King here trying to survive in a world that finds him a joke. I like that Arthur is forced to make the hard decision. It's so heartwarming seeing the kid talking to Aquaman. Also they have a dog! A dog on the heroes side improves their rating. Reis' art especially underwater was great. The Bad: Nothing. You could complain about the Trench but I liked them enough to put them in The Good. Conclusion: While it is a good conclusion to The Trench, it feels a bit like set-up for a later point. Though I still love this issue and series so far.

Prelude: Now that The Trench has been concluded, where does Johns take Aquaman next? Well, it appears to be the desert. Let's find out how this issue is then. The Good: I love the split story of present and past/future and present(?). It gives a sense of mystery throughout the issue. We've got some Atlantean plots from this and I'm intrigued. Reis' art was like always great. The Bad: I'm.... not sure... It just feels like a drop in quality. Conclusion: While I can't pinpoint why I dislike this issue compared to the past four, I do feel like there was a slight drop in quality.

Prelude: Johns' Aquaman took a bit of a quality hit after the first four issues so let's see if Mera's solo issue is better than Arthur's. The Good: I like seeing parts of Mera's origin and her time before Arthur. Something this issue does tremendously well is show how much Mera is a fish out of water with humans. "The absence of water is not my weakness. It's all of yours." This issue is a lot more focused on the human aspect and I love it. The art was great here. Prado and Reis did a great job continuing through the series. The Bad: Bit of drastic escalation at the start of the issue. Conclusion: While the start of the issue did escalate a bit too fast and in an unnatural way, I loved this issue. It shows off Mera's raw strength and prowess but also her inability to understand humankind. It's great character work.

Prelude: It's time for a brand new arc after the Trench and the previous two solo issues that focuses on Aquaman and Mera's character. Let's see what Johns does with it. The Good: Black Manta is ----ing awesome! I really like what I'm seeing from the Others. Reis' art as to be expected is really strong. Aquaman has been his best work to date. The mystery aspect in this is nice especially since we feel what Mera feels in this situation. The Bad: It did go a bit fast but I'm unsure if that's a good or bad thing... Conclusion: Johns has set The Others off to a great start. Intriguing with brilliant characters, I can't wait to read the next issue (He says while reading the trade).

Prelude: Johns started the Others (or is it The Other League? Oh well, it doesn't matter that much) greatly last issue. Let's see how he and Reis tackle this issue. The Good: Seeing parts of Arthur's origins before formally becoming Aquaman was cool to see. I really love The Others here. This ties into the previous point, but they work so well at showing Arthur's past and present characteristics with some kick-ass powers. As expected, Reis' art is phenomenal. The Bad: I've got no problems with this issue. Conclusion: Even without Black Manta directly in the issue, Johns delivers perfectly. This arc is holding up to not only introduce Black Manta effectively again since Death of a Prince but also showcase how the New 52 Arthur has progressed as a character from his origin to now.

Prelude: So far The Other League has been absolutely great with Johns and Reis really delivering. The Good: I loved the development on the Atlantean Relics. Prisoner was really cool to watch. I love his power and what we know of his backstory. Speaking of, Reis really highlights all of this in his art which is done to great effect. This is why I love Black Manta. Threatening as hell and his relationship with Aquaman is so unique. Some good exploration of Shin's character and Arthur's past. The Bad: Look, I still haven't found anything. Conclusion: Another great issue. Johns and Reis keep knocking hit after hit out of the park.

Prelude: While Johns and Reis did a great job on The Trench, The Other League has topped that. Let's see what this issue holds. The Good: Like all the other members of The Others shown so far, I really like the Operative. There's just so many unique characters shown here. I know I mention it every time but Reis' art, man. It just looks great. I just love every panel Manta is in. Johns just writes him so darn well. Some more information about Arthur and Manta's past which I loved. The Bad: The issues do sort of feel like they're similar in structure. I'll need to see the next few issues to find out if this changes up. Conclusion: While the structure feels a tad repetitive, I loved every other aspect in this issue. The art, team, story, Black Manta, it all works so well. Johns is the guy you go for to rebuild a character and he has done it on Aquaman.

Prelude: Now that the solicits have jumped back to calling this arc The Others and we reach part five, let's see how Johns and Reis go. The Good: Some great work with the Relics and The Others' past. Shin's character development here is really good. It's interesting seeing past and present Arthur/Aquaman and seeing how they differ yet coincide. Reis' art is great but here it's got an other worldly mystic vibe which works for the issue. Without doing much of anything, Manta grows even more threatening and I'm talking before the cliffhanger. The Bad: Since the structure has been switched up, we're back to me struggling to find a fault in the story. Conclusion: Everything starts to intersect in this issue and I'm loving what Johns and Reis have been doing for Aquaman and Black Manta in The Others.

Prelude: The conclusion to The Other is here! Wait a second.... <Looks at #13's solicit> It says here that #13 is the finale of the Others. Oh well, let's see how Johns and Reis go on this issue. The Good: Manta was bad ass here. Reis' art really came to life. I really liked Vostok here. Interesting character and a nice sense of depth for his character. The Bad: Ya'Wara is a bit too grating for me. Didn't feel like much progress was made. Conclusion: While I loved Black Manta, Reis' art and Vostok in this issue, it did suffer from Ya'Wara's dialogue and the lack of progress.

Prelude: The origin of Aquaman is here in this #0. It'll be interesting to see where Johns will be taking Arthur since he has been mentioning and showing some of Arthur's backstory in Aquaman: The Others. [Note: I am reading this in the Aquaman: Throne of Atlantis trade] The Good: Man, Reis' art is godlike here. I like how Arthur's telepathy is more of a primal instinct currently. It's more so a reaction to try and survive, especially in such an unknown area. Yes, this issue is an exposition dump. But it's as much for Arthur's benefit as it is ours. He is completely unaware of Atlantis so it makes sense within the story. The Bad: A bit of it has already been shown previously, but this is a very minor point. Conclusion: It's a set-up issue but what #0 isn't? As we focus more onto Atlantis in Throne of Atlantis, this part of Arthur's origin was going to be needed sooner or later. Reis' art also works wonders for this issue.

Prelude: It's time for the actual final issue of The Others arc. Though last issue dipped in quality, let's see how Johns and Reis go for the final issue. The Good: Manta still remains threatening this issue while setting up the next arc. I'm sounding like a broken record, but Reis has not pencilled poorly this entire series, let alone this arc. Mera's talk with Arthur was great. Really showcases the two characters. I'm really intrigued on the next arc of the series. I loved Prisoner's ending. It's simple but it works so well. The Bad: The Others did change a bit fast on current Arthur in my opinion. Conclusion: While The Others did change their opinion a bit fast, it doesn't detract much from the story at hand. Another great issue that concludes this arc in a satisfying way while also preparing for the next one.

Prelude: It's the start of Throne of Atlantis. Let's see how Johns goes with his Aquaman/Justice League crossover in this initial issue. The Good: I really like the past perspective in 1820. It showcases the human hate for Atlanteans and Atlantis' justification. Orm is quite good here. He's portrayed as the good king which is good for readers to be sympathetic. While short, Black Manta was great here. It's a scene that I love and will remember. The art from Pete Woods and Pere Perez is done very well here. It's different from Reis' but I quite like it. Orm and Arthur's conversation was done extremely well. The Trench are back! The Bad: I didn't find anything to fault. Conclusion: A great starting issue for Throne of Atlantis. It sets up our players and make them compelling to read.

Prelude: Throne of Atlantis started tremendously in Justice League. Let's see how Johns goes with Pelletier. The Good: Johns is keeping with the blockbuster feel from the last issue and I am loving it. Pelletier's art is great here. Similar to Reis and commands the same vibe. Arthur, Orm and Mera were great in this issue. Perfect characterisation. The Bad: Batman and Superman was a bit too strong for my liking but it's needed for the plot. Conclusion: Another great issue from Johns. Batman and Superman came across a bit too strong for my liking but overall I greatly enjoyed this issue.

Prelude: Throne of Atlantis has been utterly amazing so far. Now that we're back onto Aquaman, let's see how this issue goes. The Good: I like the through line on Cyborg's relationship with his tech and likewise, Johns is continuing the public questioning Aquaman motif he has been using in his run. This was a good Aquaman/Batman team up. Johns' Batman was quite good here. Seeing the Reserves was some nice fun. Pelletier's art is great in this issue and it rivals Reis' at points. I actually like the twist here. It's left field sure, but sort of expected and I'm sure Johns will explain it. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: Throne of Atlantis continues to be entertaining in every way possible. It's styled as a cinematic event and it pulls that off wonderfully.

Prelude: While it's included in the Aquaman: Death of a King trade, Aquaman #17 works as the epilogue for Throne of Atlantis. Let's see where Johns takes this. The Good: I love how Johns deals with the fallout from Throne of Atlantis. The Surface is on edge, understandably I would say, and Atlantis is struggling with Arthur as King who is a major change from Orm. I liked the art in this issue from Paul Pelletier. It worked well for this issue. I'm intrigued with the cliffhanger. The Bad: It is a much slower paced issue with a lot less happening but that is also what the series needed. Conclusion: While the progression itself is low, this is a strong issue after Throne of Atlantis dealing with the fallout from that volume.

Prelude: It's officially the last arc of Johns' Aquaman, Death of a King. Johns has been killing it so far so let's see how he starts this final arc. The Good: I like the inner turmoil within Atlantis regarding Arthur. It's interesting that Mera's crimes earlier in this series is coming to root now, but it ties together with humanity's worry about Atlantis. The Atlantis cast is really interesting from Murk, Tula and Vulko. Pelletier's art is good but it struggles to stand up to Reis'. The Bad: Bit concerned for the unknown villain currently. Conclusion: This is another strong issue from Johns that shows the scars from Throne of Atlantis. However, I am concerned with this arc's choice of villain but it is early days still for that.

Prelude: Last issue was quite strong but Johns needs to sell me on the Ice King. Luckily though, this issue looks to be about him so let's see how it goes. The Good: This is a really great issue for worldbuilding. Topo, Swatt and Xebel are the main ones here and they work to great effect. The Orm side-plot is interesting especially from both sides. Pelletier's art was good this issue. That cliffhanger looks promising. The Bad: Arthur feels like a side character this issue. It's a small problem but a problem nevertheless. The Ice King still isn't interesting but we've seen very little of him. Conclusion: Johns uses this issue to progress Atlantis' worldbuilding but at the cost of the Ice King and Aquaman's stories.

Prelude: After that skip of #20 that I won't be covering, let's continue with Death of a King. Hopefully Johns fixes the problem of Arthur and the Ice King (apparently Dead King now?) being barely featured in this issue. The Good: I do like the Xebel sub-plot and exploration. It's very overwhelming (See The Bad) but I think it's designed to be that way. Arthur is King now and has to deal with the consequences of his actions or inactions unlike when he was just a superhero. It's good that Vulko knows whats going on and that if Arthur talked to him first, he could have better dealt with the Dead King. Pelletier's art was good like always. He's a consistent artist and it shows. The Bad: We've got too many plots running at the same time. There's the Dead King, Orm's Rescue and Scavenger's Attack. It just feels like too much. Conclusion: While I do really like this story, it feels too crowded. I think the Scavenger is just a bit too much to have at the same time.

Prelude: Things are heating up now for Arthur and Mera in Death of a King, so let's see how Johns goes in this issue. The Good: The Dead King is interesting to see. He's definitely an interesting foil to Aquaman. Also it's very interesting that this arc is focused so much on kings. We have Arthur, Orm, The Dead King and Scavenger (who wants to be King) all in one arc. Atlantis' reaction to the attack is interesting, especially since most of their main figures are elsewhere.' Pelletier's art is good like usual. Some really impressive splash pages. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: It's a return to form for Johns' Aquaman. Things are starting to tie together and the theme is becoming present.

Prelude: It's the fifth chapter of Death of a King so with three more issues left in Johns' run on Aquaman, let's see how Johns goes in this issue. The Good: Wow, I did not expect that cliffhanger but it works so well. Some good progression with Tula's character. She's proving herself to be quite interesting. Amazing art from Pelletier in this issue. I especially love the spreads. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: Death of a King has really shaken things up at the end of this issue. Just when you think you understand where the story is going, it throws you in the opposite direction.

Prelude: And we're back from Villain Month, something that I yet again won't be reviewing unless it gets covered in the relevant trade. Anyway, it's the second last issue of Johns' run on Aquaman so let's look at this issue after that time jump. The Good: I like the reflection between Atlan and Arthur. Atlantis' past is great to see as well as the revelations it brings regarding Arthur and the tribes of Atlantis. Pelletier's art is great here. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: While it is effectively an origin story, Johns fills in the past of Atlantis before it sunk and does it tremendously well.

Prelude: This is it. The last issue of Geoff Johns' Aquaman run. Let's see what he does with this final issue. The Good: Arthur resumes responsibility for Atlantis because he is the only one that is capable for the job. While short-lived, it was nice seeing Atlan's Atlantis. Even if it never happened, I do like the credit scene of Nereus and Orm promising to deal with the Seven Seas. If only Johns was to write that story sometime in the future, that would be great. Pelletier had some great artwork in this final issue. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: A great conclusion to Johns' run on Aquaman. While it definitely didn't reach the heights that Throne of Atlantis did, it was still a great read.

Trade Summary: With wonderful art, character work and challenging misconceptions about the characters, Aquaman Vol 1: The Trench is a wonderful first volume.

Trade Summary: Aquaman: The Others takes the problems from The Trench and improves upon them. While it does lose some factors from the previous volume, namely the misconceptions that the public have with Arthur, Black Manta is a big step up from the Trench as the main villain. But Reis' art and Johns' writing is still just as great, if not better.

Trade Summary: An absolute masterpiece of storytelling from Geoff Johns. It's cinematic and looks it too plus the characters are great, especially King Orm who already has to compete with Black Manta. There's a reason this was the source material for the Aquaman movie.

Arc Summary: While I consider it the weakest of John's four volumes on Aquaman, Death of a King still provides a strong ending to Johns' run dealing with the origin of Atlantis. However, early on in the volume the story is too busy for my taste.

Prelude: It's time for Star Wars to relaunch. Soule has done quite a bit of Star Wars work and the gap between Empire and Return does have a lot of potential to work with. Let's see how Soule goes then. The Good: I love the struggle that Luke is going through. It makes sense and I love seeing his reaction to the events around him. The other main characters are written well too and it makes sense for the spot in the story. Saiz's art works greatly for this galactic wide series. The Tarkin's Will and Zahra are an interesting threat. I like what I see so far. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: An amazing start for Star Wars under Soule. Pretty much everything I want from a Star Wars issue and done extremely well. Can't wait to see what's next.

Prelude: Issue One was a great start for Star Wars in 2020. Now, let's see how Soule goes on the second issue. The Good: I like how Lando is trying to play everyone. Loved the scene with Jabba. Really interested to see where Luke goes. Saiz's art is great. Even the Rebel subplot is interesting. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: Even with three plotlines going at the same time, Soule makes it work and gives each it's fair due. Loving this series so far.

Prelude: Soule's Star Wars has been wonderful so far. Let's check out this issue. The Good: Some really good work on Zahra and the fallout of A New Hope with the Death Star. Really like the three person story on Cloud City. The Imperial view on the Rebels is cool to see. Saiz's art is great here. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: Another great issue from Soule showing how to handle multiple stories at once, can't wait for the next one.

Prelude: I've been loving Soule's Star Wars so far, let's see how this issue goes. The Good: It's a nice conclusion of the main plot threads. I liked the character development. Saiz's art was really well done here. The Bad: I feel like Luke's character development was rather rushed. Conclusion: A very good issue, though a noticeable drop from the previous ones. The character development just seemed too rushed.

Brilliant art and they're really keeping the pace fast on this. Some of the jokes fell flat for me and had me confused, especially the Daredevil one but I'm fully on board now with wherever Aaron and Ewing takes us next.

Prelude: Now I loved Mighty Thor and I've been loving Valkyrie too. Hoping that this issue can keep up with my hype levels for each issue now. Can't believe I originally came in with low expectations and now they're so high. The Good: I loved the journey through the realms. It's not something you would typically see from a superhero comic but it works for Valkyrie so well. Speaking of which, I love the motif that this story is going for with death. It worked with Thori and it works here too with Mister Horse. Talking animals are always fun. Art team was great on this, really worked well with the story. The Bad: Found the cliffhanger... confusing? Had to look up who the guy was but it ties in with the greater plot. Plus I imagine he'll get explained next issue. Conclusion: While I was originally annoyed that Jane was becoming Valkyrie, boy have I been loving this. This has quickly become one of my favourite books from Marvel currently and that's saying something.

Prelude: Jason Aaron and Al Ewing have been knocking it out of the park with Valkyrie. Now that we're back on track with the story, let's see how it all goes. The Good: Mephisto. Man, he was amazing. Didn't expect to see Strange either. Always glad to see him though. Mr Horse continues to be funny. This was quite a funny issue all things considered. The Bad: Grim Reaper isn't too much of a threat really but it'll be interesting to see how this all plays out. Strangely, this issue feels like it focuses less on Jane and more on what's happening around her. Conclusion: Another great chapter for Valkyrie though for this issue, both our hero and villain seem to be a bit lacking. Hopefully this set-up will come to fruit next issue.

Prelude: Aaron and Ewing's Valkyrie has been an absolute blast so far. With the final issue of this initial arc, let's see if they can land this story. The Good: This was a fun issue to read. Jokes were good and the story was entertaining. Mephisto even in his minimal role this issue was great. Mr. Horse likewise was outstanding this issue. Jane's solution was quite unique and I didn't expect it. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: A great, funny issue that surprised me with it's solutions. This was a great arc to start Jane off as Valkyrie.

Prelude: Aaron and Ewing did a great job on the first arc of Valkyrie: Jane Foster. Let's see how this issue goes. The Good: The Death of Death is interesting and keeps the death theme that Valkyrie has. I do like that Rudy has Jane's identity figured out. Pere Perez's art is good. I do like the Mighty Medics. The Bad: Nothing that stands out. Conclusion: While nothing stands out as outwardly bad, this issue does feel like it missed some pizzazz. The concept is good but I feel like the story itself falters a bit.

Prelude: Valkyrie: Jane Foster started it's second volume off to a really good start though with a noticeable drop in quality. Let's see if this issue can improve that. The Good: I like how the infection changes perception based on the Mightiest Medics. Man, I do not feel comfortable right now. That's a chilling last page. I really like Perez's art here. I love the ties to Immortal Hulk and Dawn of X. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: Holy, that was one hell of an issue. I don't know what more to say. A wonderful last issue for Al Ewing.

Prelude: Al Ewing is off the title, but here's hoping Torunn Gronbekk can fulfil that spot. The Good: Mr. Horse and Spider-Man were great. Nice call back too. Jane herself was great. Loved the Thor/Valkyrie team up. Always like more world-building Cafu's art is great. The Bad: Annoyed about the clickbait cover. Conclusion: A great issue, my only problem with it is the cover.

Prelude: Aaron and Gronbekk still did a great job with last issue so let's see how things continue with The End of All Things. The Good: I liked the mythological aspect of this issue. Surprised and liked seeing Loki. Rosanas' art was good. The Bad: Not sold on Tyr. I don't like Thor being taken down a notch for another title's main character. Conclusion: It's a good issue but it's not up to the standard the series has been holding.

Prelude: Unlike other Bendis books, I have been really enjoying Batman: Universe so far. Now that we're off-world and in the more cosmic side of DC, does Bendis' writing hold up or will his flaws with the cosmic side of DC and Marvel show themselves here too? The Good: Loving the odyssey feel from this series, and this issue took it to a whole new level. Like always but I still need to mention it, Nick Derington is doing amazingly on art. I'm liking how Bendis is writing his Batman, bit different from the norm but I still like it. The Bad: There's some Bendis-speak, but it actually isn't too bad. Continuity continues to be weird for this series. Conclusion: Bendis knows how to write street-level characters and while the story isn't exactly street-level anymore, he still proves himself well in this issue. Some amazing art and the Bendis tropes are less than usual, which I will take happily.

Prelude: Well, now we're in the Wild West. Let's see how Bendis handles this issue. The Good: Still loving this lighter in tone Batman. Had some real fun with the Wild West aspect to it. Nick Derington's art is godlike. One of the best parts of this series. The Bad: Both problems I had with the previous issue were either fixed or I got over it (those being Bendis-Speak which this issue was better on and continuity which I just decided to embrace it within it's own universe). Conclusion: This issue improves on the last and provides an immensely enjoyable read. While I am critical of Bendis' other work, Batman: Universe is easily his best work here at DC.

Prelude: It's time for the only Bendis series I've been enjoying so far. Let's see how this issue of Batman: Universe stands up. The Good: Nick Derington's art, like always, is great. Absolute mastery of his craft. Especially for the fight scene, it's something that he can pull off greatly. Nightwing! Boy, have I missed some good Nightwing and Bendis delivers here. Still loving the tone of the story and everything relating to it. White Lantern Batman. The Bad: Dialogue... it had its good and bad parts this issue. I'll put it here though. Conclusion: Bendis delivers on another issue of Batman: Universe. It's just a fun comic book really and I've been enjoying the ride.

Prelude: I just read Batman #84, please Bendis give me a good Batman issue, please. The Good: Bendis-Speak wasn't bad this issue. The look into the White Lantern Ring was interesting. While confusing (See The Bad), I did like the Batman-less Bruce Wayne scenes. I just wish Bendis communicated these better. I loved Vandal and Batman's fight through time and space. I like that the entire series was tied together in this issue. Nick Derington's art was absolutely great, not only in this issue but throughout the entire series. The Bad: The story can be a tad confusing at parts. Conclusion: A great conclusion to Batman: Universe. An odyssey of adventure going across the universe and time, Bendis and Derington did a phenomenal job here which is much better than I can say about Bendis' other works.

Prelude: Wow, reviews are really split on this one. Time to give good ole Cable a shot. The Good: OG Cable is back!!! Looks like we're prepping for X of Swords. I like Cable in this. The Quarry is an interesting side of Mutant Society. The Bad: Not sure on Noto's art just yet. Conclusion: Great first issue that leaves me wanting more, the only problem so far is the art which I'm not sold on yet.

Prelude: DCeased has been great and here's yet another series for it. Let's see how this one goes. The Good: Jimmy is a great character to get some outsider perspective through. Nguyen's art is great. Really good character moments. The Bad: Small thing but DC, can you stop it with the "[Name] War"'s? Conclusion: It's a very emotional issue showing a more civilian side to DCeased. Great job from Taylor.

Prelude: Time for my first Hickman indie. Let's see how it goes. The Good: I really like the worldbuilding done here. HICKMAN INFOGRAPHICS!!!!! The art is really great. The Bad: Ok, it is quite confusing on the first read-through. Conclusion: Hickman starts off really well and has me hooked. The only problem is that it is rather hard to interpret the first time around and requires a few rereads.

Prelude: Wait, another issue finally came out? About time. The Good: Everything is starting to tie together with all the parties making their moves. "Past" events are tying in with the on-going story. By "past" I mean the current DCU with Bendis' Legion of Superheroes. Gary Frank's art is just... beautiful isn't good enough to describe it and Brad Anderson's colours work tremendously like every issue. The Bad: This is basically a exposition issue to get us ready for the final issue. It feels like there is too much for Johns to tie up in a satisfying way in one issue, even if it's over-sized. Bit annoyed that Ozymandias is the villain again. Conclusion: While the delays really have been killing this book, I'm still heavily invested in this book. However, I'm concerned on how Johns plans to wrap all of this up within one issue.

Prelude: Doomsday Clock started in 2017 and now, two years later the twelfth issue is finally here. Let's see how Johns goes landing this series after so many delays. The Good: Wow, this is a lot to unpack. I really like the resolution with the Watchmen characters. It feels right in a weird way. Gary Frank's art is utterly amazing. The absolute focus and reverence on Superman was fantastic. The characterisation is great in this issue. JSA! There were some really tear-jerking and flat out enjoyable scenes in this issue. It sets up a lot and it's quite interesting. The Bad: I have to say it, the delays really killed this book. I'm not sure how it stacks up as one series. Conclusion: While it is a great issue in of itself, I do wonder how it would read in trade as a whole and the delays really killed this series.

Prelude: I've been looking forward to these Giant-Size X-Men one-shots and I love Dauterman's artstyle so let's see how this goes. The Good: RUSSEL DAUTERMAN'S GODDAMN AMAZING ART!!!!! It's become synonymous with Dauterman's art but Matthew Wilson's colours are freaking amazing and work with Dauterman's art so well. Love the homage to New X-Men #121. I love how Hickman and Dauterman convey a story with most of the issue being silent. Really cool development in the story here and set-up for Giant-Size X-Men: Storm. Dauterman manages to convey character so well through these pages. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: Man, that was amazing. It works on so many levels and with so little dialogue too. Just wonderful.

Prelude: I loved the first Giant-Size X-Men one-shot (that's a lot of hyphens) so let's hope this issue with Nightcrawler is just as good. The Good: I like the Cypher progress with his plot. Davis' art was good. The Bad: I wished it focused more on Nightcrawler then it did. Conclusion: While the progress on the Cypher front was nice, and the art was good, I wish it focused more on Nightcrawler.

Prelude: It's time for Donny Cates' Guardians of the Galaxy. After Thanos Wins and Cosmic Ghost Rider, Cates has made quite a name for himself in Marvel Cosmic. Let's see how that fares here. The Good: This is an interesting follow up to Infinity Wars and the Final Gauntlet is interesting. Geoff Shaw's art is really well done. Cosmic Ghost Rider was great. Hela is an interesting villain for this. The Bad: It's lacking on the Guardians side of things. Conclusion: A great start from Cates, though it does lack in the Guardians department but that should pick up soon.

Prelude: Cates started Guardians of the Galaxy with a great first issue. Now let's see how things go in this one. The Good: I really like Peter's struggle with Gamora and their past. It's basic but I do like how Cates shows the team and how they aren't getting along. Shaw's art is pretty darn good throughout the issue. I like this other Guardians that is forming. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: Keeping in quality with last issue, we get the much needed focus on our new Guardians as well as their adversaries.

Prelude: Cates' Guardians has had a great first two issues, let's see how things go now. The Good: Eros brings up an interesting point about him and Thanos. I do like the small connection to Knull in this issue. The team banter is well done here. The Bad: Shaw's art is a bit off here or at least noticeably so. Conclusion: A good issue though it drops in quality a bit. Dark Guardians and Hela stuff didn't impact me and Geoff Shaw's art was a tad off.

Prelude: We're past the halfway point of the first arc of Guardians. Let's see how Cates and Shaw go with it. The Good: I really like Gamora in this issue and to a similar degree Nebula, due to their capabilities in the fights they choose. Rocket and what he did concerning the Guardians is a plot thread that shows promise so far. Geoff Shaw's art is great here. The Bad: Cliffhanger is pretty basic and I doubt anyone believes it. Conclusion: Still a good issue throughout but I doubt that the cliffhanger was impactful in any way possible.

Prelude: Guardians has been either very good or great so far. Let's see if Cates can bring the great standard the series had in it's first two issues back. The Good: I like the ties to Cates other stories. Beta Ray Bill and Lockjaw were great. I like Hela's show of strength. About time she was back in the story. Shaw's art like most of this arc is great. The twist was good. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: Cates brings the series back to where it was before and exceeds it even. A great issue that I loved the whole way through.

Prelude: It's the final issue of The Final Gauntlet. Let's see how Cates wraps up his first arc of Guardians with Geoff Shaw. The Good: I like the big team set-up and how they're all working together. Shaw brings some of his best work for this issue. Interesting development for Frank. Likewise, it'll be interesting to see where Thanos goes with this recent development. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: As we race towards The Death of Rocket and Faithless, Cates finishes The Final Gauntlet with great effect.

The Good: Rocket's backstory. I confess I don't know much about the Guardians themselves let alone their origins but damn is Rocket's represented here extremely well. Perfectly in character and that double page spread. That was a work of art. Also talk about subverting expectations. We all thought Rocket betrayed the team in some way during a crucial point. Nope, just decided to leave. Brilliant story writing from Cates. Interactions. As always with a team book, the story lives or dies on the interactions. Like he has proven so many times already, Cates gets the Guardians and more so for this issue nails Rocket's and Groot's friendship and what Rocket means to the team. Also Cosmo and Lockjaw were hilarious. The Church of Truth. A classic Guardians villain who have ramped up their goals a ton. Instead of the stories of the past, they feel like threats again just like in Abnetts run. The Bad: There really is none. Only reason I'm not giving it a 10 is that I usually reserve those but boy does it come close. Conclusion: Cate's shows he knows how to write a damn great Guardians book and it's obvious here. This is most definitely a book you should pick up even if you only like one of the characters.

Prelude: While it's wrapping up soon to make way for Ewing, Cates still needs to finish this arc of GotG. Is he up for the task? The Good: Cliffhanger is interesting, that's for sure. I enjoyed the whole "Peter vs. the World" dynamic in the issue. While they are misguided, I do like the Universal Church of Truth's justification here. The Bad: Look, if you have to explicitly state who the cliffhanger is to ensure audiences aren't confused on who it is or why it's important, then you haven't written it well.... What do you mean I usually don't care for this exact scenario when reading Justice League? Really? Oh well, it's here anyway but no points lost then. You happy with that? Solicits are here for the new Guardians of the Galaxy series under Ewing and guess who I spot on the cover? Rocket. Guess this whole "Death of Rocket Raccoon" stuff doesn't take. Also, a lot of what makes Guardians great are the characters and there isn't much here. Conclusion: It's a solid story that is ruined slightly by Ewing's approaching time on the book. Having Peter as the sole survivor does bring in some highlights but ultimately harms the issue moreso than help it.

Prelude: I've been loving Cates' Guardians of the Galaxy, so let's see if Cates can keep up this momentum. The Good: Seeing the Magus was good and his current backstory is definitely an interesting situation. Much more interaction between the team which I loved. I'm interested in this old Drax we've got. Rocket's death does seem to be coming and serious though... The Bad: We all know Rocket isn't going to die. Also there isn't much plot development. Conclusion: Bit of a weaker issue this time around but it's mostly set-up for the final two issues of Cates' run.

Prelude: It's the second last issue of both Faithless and Cates' run on Guardians of the Galaxy. Let's see how it goes. The Good: Loved Moondragon in this. Cates shows her power and her fragility with Drax. While Rocket is obviously safe, it is comics and Ewing's Guardians show he's alive, I am interested to see how he gets out of this mess. Just when you think the rest of the Guardians will be saved for a massive fight next issue, Cates turns the story back around. The Bad: I do wonder how they will resolve this in a satisfying way next issue. Conclusion: Another great issue of Guardians but I am concerned with how Cates will land this ship in #12.

Prelude: It's the final issue of Cates' run on Guardians of the Galaxy but it's also the end of his time on Cosmic Marvel. Let's see how it goes. The Good: Rocket was great in this issue. Pretty much every scene he was in was great. Moondragon's scene with Drax. Man, that was good. I love how Cates tied this story to his other books. It's something he always pulls off well. Those last couple spread pages. Those were great from the creative teams of those books. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: A fitting end to Cates' GotG and Cosmic Marvel as a whole. It's a shame it had to end but we're also getting Ewing on the title next so I'm hyped for that.

Trade Summary: A great first arc from Cates of his two. Shaw's art is mostly great throughout but the best parts of this trade comes from the characters and their interactions with each other.

Prelude: I've only read Zeb Wells' Ant-Man which I've been enjoying so let's see how he does with some mutant based stuff. The Good: Sinister is always fun to read. I like the look into the more evil side of mutantkind. The infographics are great, really show off Empath and Hellions. Segovia's art is good. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: While the cliffhanger leaves me a bit confused, this was a great first issue of putting the team together. It's a matchstick pyramid and I can't wait to see how this team deals with that.

Prelude: Spider-Man: Life Story reaches the '10s. Can Zdarsky land this story? The Good: This issue works so well, wrapping up the story, villains and Peter's arc all within the context of the 10s. As always it has a spin on the troubles of the time but the appearances from this decade really put a smile on my face. Great conclusion to Peter and everyone around him. The Bad: Due to the nature of the story, there isn't much definition on the state of the world, just a snapshot of what's happening. Conclusion: The conclusion to Life Story, Zdarsky doesn't disappoint. All I can hope for is many more of these since this is such an interesting Earth.

Prelude: Time for Wolverine's new series. Percy has been doing a wonderful job on X-Force so let's see if he can keep that up for Wolverine. The Good: Love seeing Wolverine on Krakoa. The C.I.A angle is cool and an interesting choice to reflect Wolverine and X-Force. The infographics in this issue are great. I love seeing how Krakoa affects other countries. Cool seeing Dracula. Kubert's art is great. Bogdanovic's is great for his story too. The Bad: Conclusion: A wonderful start from Percy. I preferred the first story but the second was great too.

Prelude: I massively enjoyed the first issue of Wolverine, so let's see if Percy can keep that up. The Good: I love the cop side of things. Loved the infographics. Kubert's art is great. The Bad: Don't like Wolverine being the one manipulated all the time, especially on back to back issues. Conclusion: It's still a very good issue but I feel like it fails to live up to the expectations from the first issue.

Prelude: While I've read Fraction's Hawkeye, I haven't seen much else from Kate. A friend loaned me his copy of Hawkeye (Though this one says Private Eye for some reason) so I figured I might as well read and review it. The Good: I really like Kate and Thompson writes her extremely well. Perfect understanding of her voice. Romero does some great artwork here. It has this charm to it that works brilliantly. Kate's private investigations continues from Fraction's Hawkeye and is looking to be a main focus here and I'm loving it. The Bad: Nothing here Chief. Conclusion: Thompson has Kate onto a great start with this #1. It's funny, entertaining, looks great and has good promise for the future. The only reason it isn't rated higher is due to my rating system.

Prelude: Thompson's first issue of Hawkeye had a strong start so let's see how this issue goes. The Good: Loving the P.I aspect of this book. Romero's art is great. Really like his "Hawkeye" vision he does for Kate. This is an interesting group Kate is putting together. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: Thompson keeps up the momentum from the previous issue here. Kate Bishop is lovable and entertaining to read.

Prelude: Hawkeye has been really good under Thompson so far. Now that we've reached Issue 3, let's see how it goes. The Good: I'm getting some Madame Mask vibes from this group and sticker. The P.I aspect is still the best part of the series. Romero's art, like the last two issues, is great. Really liked Kate this issue. The Bad: Still nothing. Conclusion: Thompson has really been proving herself on Hawkeye. It's fun and entertaining from all angles.

Prelude: It's the end of Kate's first "arc". Let's see how Thompson goes with finishing it. The Good: Kate is freaking great in this issue. Romero's art backs up this issue extremely well. Some interesting developments. Loved the cliffhanger for the next issue. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: A great showcase of Kate's character. I love what Thompson has been doing with the character and her supporting cast.

Prelude: It's time for the two part Jessica Jones arc. Let's see how Kelly Thompson goes here, with artist Michael Walsh. The Good: The P.I angle is really played up here. It's been my favourite part of Hawkeye so far, so it works brilliantly here. Walsh's art is really well done. Similar to Romero's and keeps the feel of the book. I loved Jessica here. She really plays off of Kate well. The Bad: A dragon is a bit of an escalation for this series. Conclusion: Though the unexpected dragon did throw me off, this issue utilises the Private Investigator theme extremely well. Jessica and Kate's dynamic is great and Walsh's art is too.

Prelude: Thompson has been going extremely well on Hawkeye so far. Let's see how she goes at the end of this first trade. The Good: Kate and Jessica's back and forth was great here. A real highlight of the issue. I do like that so far Kate has taken both main opponents down through peaceful methods. Pizza Dog is here! Walsh's art continues to be strong. The Bad: Don't like the Inhuman tie. Marvel just keeps forcing that one down and I don't agree with it. Conclusion: While I don't like the Inhuman tie as it feels like Marvel is forcing that on a bit too much, this is still a great issue. Kate and Jess' dynamic is wonderful and I really like how Kate has faced her foes so far.

Prelude: It's time for the second main arc of Thompson's run on Hawkeye. Let's see how Bishop and Thompson go with this first issue of Hawkeye: Masks. The Good: I love the personal side of this issue. It really highlights Kate with her past and present. Likewise, the story is structured to both let you think you know the path and question it at the same time. Romero's art is great in this issue. He always draws action greatly but it's done exceptionally well in this issue. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: A great personal issue to start off Masks. This looks like this arc is where the main story will progress and I can't wait for more.

Prelude: Thompson started Masks to great success last issue. Let's see if she and Romero can continue that in this issue. The Good: I really like the double story within this issue. Always interesting seeing events unfold in two different times that correlate with each other. Got the P.I side of the story back. Romero's art is good. The Bad: I feel like the issue is a bit too overstuffed. Conclusion: Strong within parts but there are too many to play with at once here. Overtime this would improve as they intertwine but currently it feels like too much.

Prelude: Last issue was a bit of a drop for me due to the overly packed issue so let's see if Thompson rectifies that in this issue. The Good: The two part side story worked well here. Cliffhanger is interesting as we 99% know who it is. Loving Kate and all the differing friendships she has. Her supporting cast is quite interesting. Romero's art is great again. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: It's a slower issue but it does serve to show Kate's character and prepare herself for the rest of this arc. So far been loving Thompson's Hawkeye so I hope that continues.

Prelude: Hawkeye: Masks has been great so far so let's see if Thompson can keep that up. The Good: I do like a look into Fake Kate as it shows the difference in our protagonist and antagonist. Perception is a powerful tool and it's used well here. Romero's art is great here. It's great seeing Kate think on her feet. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: A very fast issue but a very important one in that. It explores the difference in our hero and villain and how each perceives the other.

Prelude: It's the final issue of the current Hawkeye arc concerning Madame Masque. Let's see how it all fits together. The Good: Some great writing for Kate in this issue. I haven't mentioned it recently but Thompson writes Kate to a T and it definitely shows in this issue. It sets up the next arc well and it feels organic. Romero does some great art in this issue. Thompson continues the theme of Kate trying to defuse the situation peacefully... in the end this time but still. The Bad: Feels slightly unresolved. Conclusion: While it feels a bit unresolved this is still a great issue and story for Kate Bishop. Thompson understands the character and you can tell that.

Prelude: A side story with Laura and Kate. What could go wrong? The Good: I love Kate and Laura's dynamic. It's a simple plot but it works so well with Kate's recent events and Laura and Gabby's own origins. Walsh's art was good, similar to Romero's but it served it's purpose. I loved that cliffhanger. Can't wait to see what happens. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: Let's face it, most of the score comes from the character interactions but it works so well. Seeing these three react was great and that cliffhanger makes me excited for what's to come.

Trade Summary: Two great stories from Thompson's first trade on Hawkeye, though I prefer the second and shorter one of the two. Highlights are easily Kate herself, the art from Romero and Walsh as well as the Private Investigator angle that Thompson is utilising. Really strong first trade.

Trade Summary: The second half of my (loaned) copy of Hawkeye: Private Eye, this story focuses on Kate and her relationships and continues a couple motifs that Kelly Thompson has been using throughout the run so far. Plus the last issue is just a bunch of fun.

Prelude: Been a while since the last issue but Venditti has been hammering home the American identity recently. Let's see if he continues on what is so far an excellent series. The Good: Eddy Barrows just makes his art sing. I always loved his work on Detective Comics but here he's gone to even greater heights. I'm also loving the continued focus on the American people even as a non-American. The Bad: Not too much in plot progression, in fact the issue went by very fast. Conclusion: Whilst this is a smaller chapter in Venditti's story, he's been continuing his theme of the character of the American people and it shows in this issue.

Prelude: Freedom Fighters really has been a sleeper hit but can Venditti keep it up? The Good: Love the human angle that the factory workers provide. Likewise I like how Black Condor is shown to have a flaw. Makes him more human which is needed for this type of story. Eddy Barrows art, like every issue, is amazing. I also liked the interrogation scene. The Bad: Yeah, there isn't anything really unless you want to dive into semantics. Conclusion: Freedom Fighters continues with it's efficiently done story. No real negatives to it, but I do have to keep to my own scoring system.

Prelude: The revolution is here. It's the third last issue of this maxi-series so it's time for Venditti and Barrows to land this series. Let's see how they go. The Good: Uncle Sam is proving his strength here. I love seeing the Spirit of America growing to stop the Nazis. Oh, and I'm not even American. Art is freaking great but of course it is. Our heroes are flawed and they have doubts but so do some of our villains. Well, mostly. Either way I like seeing these as it shows they're human. The Bad: It's a bit predictable of a story at this stage. Conclusion: While the story structure may be becoming too predictable, every other aspect of this story is shining to great effect. Can't wait for the final two issues.

Prelude: As we reach the second last issue of this series, can Venditti land it? Let's find out as we stow our tray tables, return our seats to their up-right position and fasten our seatbelts. The Good: The American spirit is coming alive! Man, those pages at the start were great. Barrows did an amazing job this issue. That Phantom Lady spread sticks out in my mind. Venditti's Uncle Sam is utterly amazing. The Bad: Hitler III unleashes the "Final Option". Just seems like random escalation without it being worthwhile. Conclusion: Freedom Fighters race to the finish line but it works so well. Amazing art and character work from the team have created this sleeper hit.

Prelude: It's the final issue of Freedom Fighters. Let's see how Venditti goes with wrapping this maxi-series up. The Good: Out of everyone, I loved Uncle Sam the most of the Freedom Fighters. I love the National Avatars. Eddy Barrows. His art was amazing throughout the series but especially here. The Bad: Not sure how I feel about that last page. Doesn't seem right to me. Conclusion: Your typical happy ending that was to be expected but I wouldn't have it any other way. Only part I'm questioning is the final page.

Prelude: It's time for the first Dawn of X series I'm concerned about. Tini Howard's writing isn't usually my cup of tea, but I'm optimistic for this issue. The Good: Apocalypse being a sorcerer fits well with his character. Not sure why this wasn't done earlier. I have a soft spot for England and its myths so those get a point from me. There's some nice art in this issue. I like these character progressions with Rogue and more importantly Betsy. The Bad: Apocalypse's new name. How do you pronounce or even interpret --|A|--? The infographics.... they don't work for me here. Maybe they'll grow on me overtime but for now, they're ineffectual. Conclusion: The weakest Dawn of X title so far but it has potential. British mythology and magic are both interesting topics for me, so if Howard plays her cards right, this book can become one of my favourite Dawn of X books.

Prelude: Excalibur started off well enough last issue. Let's see if it improves or not. The Good: I like that the Dawn of X books have these quick cameos with each other. Really helps with it being an interconnected world. I'm loving the British mythology and fantasy aspect to this. I liked the infographics more this issue than the last. I also liked the dive into our character's concerns and fears with those dream sequences. Also the art here is great. Marcus To is doing a great job. The Bad: Surprisingly nothing for me. Conclusion: This issue really boosted Excalibur for me. It boosted what I liked about the series and took away/didn't mention the problems I had with the last issue.

Prelude: Excalibur was able to prove itself last issue, so let's see if it continues that trend. The Good: Rictor's story is interesting but I'm unsure how he will relate to the over-arching story. I really liked the infographics this issue. I loved the Otherworld aspect of this issue. That cliffhanger is interesting and could lead to a good story. Marcus To's art is great here but it has been the entire series. The Bad: Yet again, nothing. Conclusion: Excalibur proves itself once again within Dawn of X. I am loving the mythological side to this story and the art is superb.

Prelude: Excalibur has really been proving itself in these last two issues. Let's see how Howard and To go on this issue. The Good: I like the political side of this issue. Some funny Brexit jokes too but the talks of Britain and Otherworld was really great. The Druids keep the magical vibe of the series. They're interesting especially with Rictor. The cliffhanger is very interesting. Marcus To's art was great this issue. The Bad: The Druid conversion seemed a bit too fast for my liking. Conclusion: Another great chapter from Excalibur. When Dawn of X started, I was worried about this series but it has been quickly proving itself to be a great story.

Prelude: I've been loving Excalibur so far, so let's see what Howard can do with this issue. The Good: I like the Rogue scenes in this issue. Cliffhanger is really interesting. Like always, Marcus To's art is great. The Bad: Apocalypse was a bit much this issue. I get that it's... well Apocalypse but still. Things are wrapped up too fast with the threat. Conclusion: Bit more a lackluster issue than the last few, some interesting progress especially with Rogue but it does have its faults with Apocalypse and pacing.

Prelude: Excalibur has been very good so far so as we hit the final issue of the first arc, let's see how Howard lands this. The Good: Interesting use of the Resurrection Protocols. Interesting infographics in this issue. Love all the fights that happened in this issue. The endings of this. Great set-up for future issues. Rogue brings up an interesting point. Marcus To's art is great like always. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: An almost perfect end to this first arc of Excalibur.

Prelude: Excalibur has been one of my favourite Dawn of X series, especially recently so let's see how this issue fares now that the first arc is over. The Good: Love the hunt. Like the view into Britain here. Jamie was fun although brief. He's no Marcus To but Santos does a good enough job. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: Another great issue from Excalibur. It's different yet the same and I love it.

Prelude: Recently, Excalibur has been great. Let's see how Howard goes with this issue. The Good: It's always great seeing how everyone is reacting to Krakoa. The infographics were good. Good art from Santos. Some nice threads for X-Factor. The Bad: Not the happiest with Cullen's writing. Conclusion: While Cullen was a bit off, it was still a great issue of Excalibur.

Prelude: Excalibur has been consistently great recently, so let's see how this issue goes. The Good: The Starlight Citadel looks interesting. I liked the infographics in this issue. To's art is great as always. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: A very good issue that helps move the plot forward and sets up areas of intrigue.

Prelude: Venditti has been killing it on Hawkman which remains a real underrated title but let's see how it goes with good ole Year of the Villain. The Good: Really like the focus on the relationship between Carter and Shade. Likewise, we can see that Hawkman is becoming a bit more unhinged. Maybe he's come down with a bit of a cough? The Bad: Shadow Thief is quite one-note in his actions and motive. Conclusion: Hawkman uses Year of the Villain well here to move it's story forward and it looks like it'll be joining another event soon as well. Venditti is doing amazing work on this title though so I trust him to use these effectively.

Prelude: As we continue into Hawkman's Year of the Villain story, does it all wrap up properly? The Good: Sky Tyrant has a lot to work with and can be quite interesting. I loved the conflict between Shade and Carter. The Bad: Shadow Thief was ok but really could have been much better. Conclusion: It's a strong enough story overall but as we now transition to the Infected, I wonder if Hawkman can survive all of these tie-ins.

Prelude: It's time for the Sky Tyrant! I'm excited and interested to see how Venditti deals with the Infected so let's jump in. The Good: I really like Sky Tyrant in this. Twisted and seeks the immortality, Venditti ties him so well to the established Deathbringer mythos. Sheyera is here! I loved the spiritual battle. Reminded me of Superior Spider-Man. The Bad: Nothing. Art is a bit rough but nothing major. Conclusion: A great start for Sky Tyrant and Venditti portrays the contrast between him and Hawkman so well.

Prelude: Venditti has done a great job with the last issue and the start of Hawkman's "The Infected" arc. Let's see how this issue unfolds. The Good: I really liked the Shayera vs Sky Tyrant fight. Sky Tyrant is interesting here especially how he relates to the greater Hawkman mythos. The Bad: The Black Journal just seems to be another cheap item. Conclusion: Another good issue, bit of a drop from the last one though.

Prelude: It's been an interesting time with Sky Tyrant. Let's see what Venditti does in this issue. The Good: Sky Tyrant is still cool and I like his motivation. Finally an explanation on how Hawkman was infected. I like this team that Hawkwoman is forming. Ties the run together quite well and pays homage to Hawkman's past. The Bad: I'm starting to learn that I shouldn't think about continuity anymore since so many stories don't make sense with each other. Conclusion: Another good issue of Hawkman, only real problem with it is continuity but we get some needed explanations and some good plot movements.

Prelude: Hawkman has been doing well recently so as Sky Tyrant continues his reign, let's see how it all goes. The Good: Love the teamwork between Strange, Hawkwoman and Atom and the lengths they will go to to save Carter. Art was good. Carter and Sky Tyrant's chats were funny. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: Yet another great issue for Hawkman. I'm loving how Venditti is tying this editorial event to his own story.

Prelude: Hawkman has been great so far with it's Infected storyline. Let's see how it continues. The Good: Love Carter fighting back. Shayera is great in this issue too. Can't wait to see where things go. Really good art here. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: A wonderful issue that is just put together so well. Can't wait for when Hawkman comes back.

Prelude: Hawkman has been consistently great as of late. Let's see how Miasma of Fear goes. Also, man poor timing Venditti. Wrote this back in October, but still, poor timing. The Good: I love the idea of one of Carter's lives be a plague doctor. Really good insight into the times and how Hawkman and Hawkwoman work within it. Love the art in this issue. The Hawks are back together. Really intrigued in the cliffhanger. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: A wonderful issue that really highlights the strength of the title. The Hawks are back, the history is strong as ever and I'm really interested to see where the next issues take us.

Prelude: Grant Morrison's Green Lantern has split the fanbase on it's quality but I've been enjoying it. The Good: I love alternate universe stories and this one is done well. Still love Morrison grabbing all aspects of Green Lantern lore. Controller Mu and the Blackstars are really interesting here. The Bad: Bit confusing at points with the only way Morrison can do. Conclusion: A strong start to Green Lantern: Blackstars however if you haven't been liking Morrison's The Green Lantern, you won't like this either.

Prelude: In what turned out to be a divisive issue, I enjoyed Issue 1 of Green Lantern: Blackstars. Let's see how Morrison and Xermanico fare with this issue. The Good: I love how Morrison riffs on his own work but also the current problems with the DCU, with Snyder, King and Bendis' works. That is where this issue shines. I liked Belzebeth's backstory for this universe. It's interesting and fits her character. Xermanico's art was done greatly this issue. The Bad: It dragged on a bit. Conclusion: The highlight of this issue was easily the mockery of the current DCU. But outside of that too was interesting especially for Season Two. However, it did drag a bit mainly in the backstory section.

Prelude: It's the last part of this between season story of Green Lantern: Blackstars. Let's see how Morrison and Xermanico go with it. The Good: It's interesting what Jon says in this issue. I love how ruthless and smart Belzebeth is. Hal is freaking great in this issue. The confrontations between Belzebeth and Hal was great. Xermanico's art was great throughout the issue. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: That was great. Loved the issue throughout. Season Two here we come.

SPOILER WARNING!!! (Glad they announced that new book, Robin: Son of Deathstroke now) Writer: Christopher Priest Artist: Carlo Pagulayan and Jason Paz Christopher Priest continues his Deathstroke vs. Batman arc, finally bringing Robin into the mix. Will Priest continue his good streak or will his famous characterisation bring him down to the ground? Between this issue and the last its obvious that Slade and Damian have met each other again since they are both in disguise driving somewhere, talking about if the tests were faked. This back and forth really works, and to great effect. Despite Priest's misuse of Damian and his character in the past, this time it works well, which may be due to it better suiting the story rather then The Lazarus Contract. Actually, this dynamic was one of the best parts of the issue. Throughout this issue we get Slade's hatred for Damian and how he is just waiting for Batman to play his hand, thinking that this is part of said plan. Amongst this Priest flasbacks to issue 4, stating that Damian has known this whole time and never mentioned it to Bruce or Tim. After seeing that Damian had a troubled childhood, through the form of him constantly being alert. We head to Bob's Bikes, where we meet a formal Spyral agent, just ignore the fact that you can't leave Spyral, who is hiding a weapon and employed Slade to keep it safe. Nightshade shows up and wants to take this weapon, and takes Damian into her realm in which Damian shows that his greatest fear is that Deathstroke could be his father. After Slade takes Damian out of this realm he puts two and two together and head off for the next issue. Pros: Art The Deathstroke and Damian relationship Cons: Continuity Issue Summary: Daddy Issues Score:8/10

Prelude: With Priest's run nearing it's finale at #50, let's see how these final issues tie up Slade's story. The Good: Priest continues to be interesting in a Post-Slade (although temporarily Post-Slade at that) world. All of the pieces are coming together now in a crash course that can only end up badly. Loved the interaction between Emiko and Rose, highlight of the issue. I'm also intrigued by this other Slade that has appeared. It'll be interesting to see where Priest goes with this The Bad: Time to be a broken record and rant about Year of the Villain again. While it works here, I feel that the story could have been served better if it wasn't there. Jericho is being a bit too holier-than-thou for my liking. Conclusion: An interesting chapter that sets up for the upcoming issues in the story rather than compelling in it's own right. For me, some of the choices made aren't what I'd have wanted but Priest still has my attention.

Prelude: We're near the end of Priest's Deathstroke. Now it is time to stick the landing. The Good: Loving what we're seeing from both Slades here. Shows the difference and similarities between these two characters. Jericho is also a highlight and his descent against his will. I especially loved his interaction with Lex. Despite barely being in the issue, Rose was a strong impact for me. Art was great as well. The Bad: This is the first issue for this week I'm reviewing but it looks like the Doom insignia is happening on every book... Still undecided on how I feel about that. Conclusion: Priest is finish Deathstroke with a bang. An amazing series with a spectacular issue.

Prelude: It's the second last issue of Priest's Deathstroke. His run has been amazing throughout so how does this issue shake up? The Good: I love Jericho in this issue. His whole approach, realising his faults and philosophical thoughts. It's great. Art is good here too but that's nothing new. Other Slade and Billy's reunion was really nice to see. It's Deathstroke vs Deathstroke in the next and final issue. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: An utterly amazing issue from Priest and the team. As Deathstroke reaches #50, I cannot wait for it.

Prelude: It's the final issue of Priest's Deathstroke. Will Priest be able to land this series or will he falter so close to the finish line? The Good: Interesting that Priest incorporates the Dark Multiverse into this story but I quite liked the origin of Dark Slade. Dark Slade and Slade are such great parallels for each other, showing what might have been their life if their choices were different. I love this exploration of Slade. That's what this series has been about and it is great seeing that all come to light fully here. This ties up Jericho's arc up pretty well too. We get a look into how good Slade's life could but in the end, he has to be Deathstroke and that goes before the family. Art was great in this issue. Pagulayan and Pasarin brought their absolute A-game for this issue. The Bad: Priest's run is over. Conclusion: Easily one of Priest's best issues in the entire run. Hits all the thematic notes and motifs and ties the whole series up with a nice bow.

Prelude: Whilst I haven't been reviewing Spencer's Amazing Spider-Man run (Yet. Compare dates for when I do), this is a tie-in for Absolute Carnage. So, while Miles is failing in his tie-in series, it's time to see how Peter goes for his two tie-in issues. The Good: This issue really puts into perspective how much damage Norman has done for Peter's life. Still moves the core story forward while doing a tie-in. It's still new reader friendly though. Strong art from Ottley. The Bad: There isn't too much Absolute Carnage in here. Story structure can be a bit confusing. Conclusion: A strong first part to Amazing Spider-Man's Absolute Carnage tie-in. It's not too much of a tie-in but instead uses that to further it's own story.

Prelude: Last issue was a strong start for the Absolute Carnage tie-in so let's see how this second and final part goes. The Good: It's an exploration of Norman Osborn and man is it great. That's where the rating comes from. Art was also great. Love Ottley's work. Peter was amazing as well in this issue. The Bad: Doesn't move much of Absolute Carnage forward but I'm fine with that. Conclusion: There isn't much to say since it can be summed up pretty easily but this tie-in, while moving very little was great to explore Norman Osborn and set up for future Amazing Spider-Man stories.

Prelude: A new Batman and Superman team up series continuing from The Batman Who Laughs Mini-Series. I'm intrigued by this so let's see how the opening issue shapes up. The Good: Good art here from Marquez. Rarely a bad panel. Loved the interactions between Bruce and Clark. Gordon's interactions also were good. The flashback to the Batman Who Laughs Earth concerning Superman was really good but it did retcon what was established to have happened in Tynion's one shot origin. The Bad: A lot of this was shown in the previews which did worsen the experience for me. Conclusion: A good issue that was spoilt by the previews. Has the bones for a strong series.

Prelude: The first issue did a great job setting up this new series. Now, I can only hope Williamson continues this going forward. The Good: Loved King Shazam throughout the issue. The threat of the Batman who Laughs is present and really strong. Even when you know who the Infected are, this threat still feels challenging and overwhelming for our heroes. That cliffhanger as well... damn that was great. Also liked the character work in this issue. It's the World's Finest and they work exactly as they should with each other. The Bad: Yeah, there really isn't any is there? Conclusion: A great issue with really no negatives. Has to get a 9/10 though due to what I've decided gets a 9.5 or 10.

Prelude: I have been loving Williamson's Batman/Superman so far. After last issue's cliffhanger, let's see if Williamson can keep up the quality. The Good: The interrogation scene was so well done. We're left unsure how much each player is controlling the situation and it is a blast to read. I know people are getting tired of him by now, but I am still loving the Batman Who Laughs. A lot of this is also about Batman's insecurities with his teammates. It's a side that we don't usually see with his planning and contingencies. Everything within the Jim Gordon scene was spectacular. Of note were the conversation between Bruce and Jim and the reappearance of Rookie. Just when you think that Batman and Superman are winning or turning things around, the whole situation flips on it's head. The Batman Who Laughs and Lex are preparing for their confrontation in Hell Arisen and part of that is alluded to here. The Bad: Seriously? Conclusion: I've been loving this series so far with every single aspect for it. I'm still on the fence though on whether to give it a 9.5 or a 10 based on my scoring system.

Prelude: Williamson's Batman/Superman has been great and as this arc heats up, let's see how it all goes down. The Good: It's a smart choice to reveal the remaining members in this issue then slowly revealing them. Even though we already knew the Infected, it was cool seeing them in action and the events unfold to create the 6th. Williamson is tying this to Dark Nights: Metal in an interesting way. I love the characterisation for everyone in this issue. Williamson gets the characters and it shows. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: Another fantastic issue from Williamson. I've been loving this series and this issue represents those aspects extremely well.

Prelude: It's the final part for this initial first arc of Batman/Superman. Let's see how Williamson goes with this issue and prepping Tynion for Hell Arisen. The Good: I liked the interactions between the Secret Six and the World's Finest. Even the ones between Batman and Superman were great. I do love it when Clark cuts loose and it ties to the core theme of this arc so well. The Bad: It's a bit basic of an issue. Your typical final issue of an arc issue if you will. Conclusion: It's a good fun issue. Bit basic but the interactions are what makes this series great.

Prelude: It's time for the aftermath of The Infected. Really, it's the final part but oh well. Let's see how Williamson goes with this. The Good: I love how Wonder Woman is reacting to all of this. Similarly, I like how the rest of the heroes are reacting to these events. I can't wait to see where that cliffhanger goes. Marquez's art is great and I love his layouts. I love the ties to Bendis' Superman and Tynion's Batman. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: Another great issue. It serves well as the aftermath showing the fallout of the arc as well as providing a way forward. Top notch stuff.

Prelude: Time for a new arc and Nick Derington is doing the art for it. Can't wait. The Good: I love how this picks up from Man of Steel. Every party's motives are justifiable. Derington's art is great. The Bad: I'm not sure Ra's would go into the field so personally. I don't like Zod quickly becoming a villain again. Conclusion: My main problem with this lies in Ra's and Zod and how they are portrayed. Otherwise it's a pretty good issue.

Prelude: After a good start to Kandor Compromise, let's see how Williamson finishes off this two part arc. The Good: I enjoyed Zod's motivations here. I like Bruce's speech in this issue. Nick Derington's art was great here. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: A great issue that deals with the emotional fallout of Kandor. While it doesn't set up anything particularly new, it was a very enjoyable read.

Prelude: Charles Soule has heavily invested himself in the Star Wars Universe currently, having done Darth Vader and the current Star Wars series plus Lando, Obi-Wan & Anakin and Poe Dameron mini-series'. But this will be his first go in the Sequel series so let's see how Soule goes with The Rise of Kylo Ren. The Good: Knights of Ren is interesting so far. I like this expansion from the Last Jedi. It's really cool seeing this expansion on Kylo and Snoke. The Bad: The art is off, especially for the faces. Admittedly, there's time restraints and faces based on actors are much harder but still. Conclusion: A very strong start for the Rise of Kylo Ren. It answers some questions while creating some others and sets up the intrigue quite well.

Prelude: Soule started The Rise of Kylo Ren off well last issue, let's see how he goes in this one. The Good: The Snoke scene was really interesting. Bad ass Luke!!! High Republic Era sounds interesting. Knights of Ren were cool. The Bad: Nothing Conclusion: Art improved to a decent enough level and everything else was amazing. Cliffhanger is a bit typical but what can you do?

Prelude: The Rise of Kylo Ren has been great so far. Let's see what's in store this time from Soule. The Good: I like the look at Ben's former friends. The fight was cool showcasing Ben. Liked the art from Silney. Ren was cool. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: Another great issue that focuses on Ben's past. Happy to get the expansion on his fellow students.

Prelude: It's the final issue of The Rise of Kylo Ren. Let's see how it fares. The Good: I enjoyed the journey this story lead me on. Nice to see Kylo make his lightsaber. Sliney's art was good here. The Bad: Ben's motivations aren't that clear even at the end. Conclusion: Still a very good ender but I feel like there was some untapped potential in the story.

Prelude: DC is really doubling down with this Apex Lex vs Batman Who Laughs fight they've been setting up. Let's see how Tynion goes with it though. The Good: The conversations between the two main characters is interesting. It's cool seeing how people are reacting to these events that are outside of their scope. Hypertime being broken does explain the screwed up timeline DC has created in YotV. The Bad: Crime Syndicate's voices are a bit off from what I am used to from Forever Evil. Though it is nice that we finally get a reason why Earth 3 is back. Conclusion: It's an interesting start. DC has been riding quite a bit on the hope for this book's success which Tynion better fulfil in the next issue.

Prelude: Hell Arisen had a good start but it needs to prove more if it's going to sell the importance of this story. The Good: I love Lex in this issue. Cold and calculating. Kara brings up a great point about Lex and where he is now. Interesting that the Phantom Stranger is involved. Mercy is back! I like Epting's art. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: A great issue that really propels this story forward. Loved it throughout and I can't wait for more.

Prelude: The Good: I really enjoyed both sides here. Joker has some excellent points. Really echoing my thoughts on Apex Lex. I enjoyed Epting's art. Year of the Villain is coming together! The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: I really loved this issue. Both sides are great and while I can understand the fatigue of this overarching story, I just loved this issue.

Prelude: It's the final issue of Hell Arisen. Let's see how it goes. The Good: Apex Lex is finally over!!! That's cause for celebration in of itself. Actually acts as the lead-in to Death Metal that Justice League wasn't. I really liked the BWL vs Apex Lex fight. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: A great end to Hell Arisen. It sets the stage for Death Metal perfectly which is something that Justice League definitely didn't do.

Prelude: It's time for Morrison's The Green Lantern. Let's see how this goes. The Good: I like how confident Hal is. He's saved the universe so many times, it makes sense he's on top of it all by now. Some cool Silver Age elements here from the GL's to the ending with Controller Mu. Didn't expect that Doctor Manhattan reference. Liam Sharp's art perfectly fits the story. The coming soon page looks promising. The Bad: I don't like how Morrison ditched the ending of Hals n Pals immediately. Conclusion: Look, it's a great start in of itself but regarding the recent events of Hals n Pals, it does weaken the issue a bit.

Prelude: The Green Lantern started off greatly in it's first issue. Let's see how Morrison goes in "Darkness Visible". The Good: The Green Lanterns Morrison uses are absolutely great, especially Volk. The interrogation was great. Evil Star was great. Liam Sharp's art. Man, it was great. That cliffhanger. Love it. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: Morrison ramps up the story and I'm fully on board.

Prelude: Well, last issue definitely finished on a cliffhanger. Let's see how Morrison goes in "Slave Lords of the Stars". The Good: I love the auction. Love how Hal commands the lanterns in the field. The Shepard is really cool. Interesting cliffhanger. Sharp's art was amazing. The Bad: I do dislike how large of a scale this is. I don't know, it just feels to be too big for a solo series as far as Earth is concerned. Conclusion: A great issue but I do have problems with how large scale it is.

Prelude: Well that was quite a cliffhanger in "Slave Lords of the Stars". Let's see how Hal goes in this issue with "The Cosmic Vampire's Beautiful Daughter". The Good: Loved Hal in this issue. Countess Belezebeth was interesting to. Liam Sharp's art was amazing as always. The Bad: The stories being told by Hal and Belezebeth was just.... ok I guess. Conclusion: It's an interesting issue since I like it quite a bit, the best parts are the framing outside of the main stories being told.

Prelude: Now it's time for "Blackstar at Zenith". As the story starts to intertwine, let's see how Morrison and Sharp go with this issue. The Good: "I've fought armies of the dead, I've beaten down Gods and cosmic tyrants. I was possessed by a monster called Parallax. I've lived. I've died. I've been reborn. I've relived my Dad's death and every betrayal a thousand times. I'm a founding member of the Justice League of Earth, so let's get serious. I don't do do inner demons and I don't do regrets." Blackstar Parallax! I know I say it every time but I love Liam Sharp's artwork. Adam Strange! The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: Man, this was a great issue. I loved every single bit of it.

Prelude: It's the final part of The Green Lantern: Intergalactic Lawman. Let's see how Morrison wraps up the first half of this season in the mid-season finale, "Under Strange Skies". The Good: I love Controller Mu in this. The duel was fun. Loved the ending confrontation. Myrwhydden! That cliffhanger in general is amazing. Can't wait for "Emerald Sands". Liam Sharp's art was beautiful here. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: The perfect mid-season finale for The Green Lantern. I loved the whole thing.

Prelude: We are back in "Emerald Sands". After Morrison's mid-season finale "Under Strange Skies", let's see how Hal is holding up with Myrwhydden. The Good: Wow, this is very unique. I love this narration. That is a wonderful cover. Liam Sharp's art is great like always and how his layouts work with Morrison's narration is great. It's a concept we've seen time and time again but Morrison elevates it to a whole new level. The relationship between Hal and his ring is the highlight of this issue. Love it. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: An absolutely wonderful tale about Hal and his ring. It's stylistic, reads great and it just works. Great work from Morrison and Sharp.

Prelude: I've been waiting for "Space Junkies" since #1 when Morrison teased it at the end. Let's see if it lives up to that. The Good: I love Morrison's Green Arrow. Xeen Arrow. Love Liam Sharp's art. Sinestro?! The Bad: This feels a bit too much even for me. Conclusion: It's a bit too wacky but still a good issue.

Prelude: The last couple issues have been of varying quality, but this should put us back onto track. The Good: Interesting start. I like the medieval planet Hal is on. Love that his ring talks to him now. The Abin Sur twist was good. The Mutliverse of Green Lantern's looks really cool. As to be expected, Liam Sharp's art is crazily great throughout. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: Another great issue from Morrison and it feels like we're back on track for the main story. It sets up this second half well and it's up to the future issues to tie it back into the first half of the season.

Prelude: The ball has started rolling so let's see how Morrison goes with ending Season One in this issue, "Guardians of the Multiverse". The Good: First up, I really like all the differing Green Lanterns. I like how everything is tying itself together. Liam Sharp's art is amazing. The Bad: Nothing that stands out. Conclusion: As we near the end of this series, everything is starting to come together and I love what Morrison is doing.

Prelude: I've been enjoying Morrison's run so far, albeit with some confusion with the concepts. Let's see how this issue goes with that. The Good: Still loving all of the past Silver Age stuff in this. Green Lanterns of the Multiverse are still really cool and those oaths... man, those are good. Character interactions were on point. Morrison really has everyone's voices down. Liam Sharp's art is still amazing. The Bad: Plot felt like it jumped around a bit without the connections needed. Zundernell was a bit weak and confusing as a character. Conclusion: A strong issue with some great character work. However, Morrison is getting a bit too caught up in his references to the Silver Age, damaging the book's readability.

Prelude: It's the end of the first season of The Green Lantern. Let's see how it lands. The Good: It ties the first season up quite well. Also provides some intrigue for what's coming up. Art is great as well. Oh, and Anti-Matter Sinestro is a really interesting character. The Bad: There isn't anything really. Conclusion: Return of the Qwa-Man ties up the series nicely and prepares us for Season Two and the upcoming Blackstars miniseries.

Prelude: We're back for Season Two of The Green Lantern. "Young Guardians" is our season premiere so let's see how Morrison starts the season off. The Good: Liam Sharp's art is great. Love Hal's ceremonial clothing. Rykaktoro is fun. The Bad: Hang on, aren't these Guardians still pretty new? Or am I remembering Hals n Pals wrong? Conclusion: A good start though a bit confusing.

Prelude: Season Two started off well enough, let's see how things unfold here. The Good: Sharp's art is really good. The Bad: I'm sorry, I just can't understand anything in this issue at all. Conclusion: The art is of the usual standard but the writing and everything else, it just falls apart for me.

Prelude: Last issue was...... certainly an issue. I hope at the very least this issue makes sense. The Good: Very different art here from Sharp. I weirdly like it. The Bad: Plot's a bit confusing. The series feels rather disconnected, especially when compared to Season One. Conclusion: It's an alright issue. I'm feeling like Morrison is just being experimental for the sake of being experimental now without any concerns for the story.

Trade Summary: A very different Green Lantern book then we've ever had before but it works. Morrison applies his usual tricks and creates a compelling story in episodic format before tying it up for his mid-season finale. Liam Sharp's art is also amazing.

Arc Summary: An interesting set of stories with two one-shots of varying quality before getting back onto the main story. While the tie to the first half of the season only comes in near the end, I really enjoyed the ride. Great characters and Liam Sharp's art is great.

Completion: The Terrifics do not arrive in their Year of the Villain arc. Let you not smell at Gene Luen Yang's terrible storytelling. The Bad: This issue was barely terrible! Gene Luen Yang has an atrocious idea of Bizzaro Speak and it doesn't show there. Boring issue. Had me snoring. You hate time travel especially blessed pasts. The Good: Too much Terrifics! Beginning: Boring issue with rubbish Bizzaro Speech for small times. Am not looking backwards to past issues.

Prelude: Boy, I am not going to write another review in Bizarro speak. That was too much hassle last time. The Good: Man, this story is a load of fun. Also loved the time travel in this story. Phantom Girl got some unexpected character progression which I loved. The Bad: The time travel was a bit confusing on how it worked. Especially with the cliffhanger. Conclusion: Quite a fun story that focused on our characters but the time travel involved hinders the story somewhat.

Prelude: I've been loving this arc from Gene Luen Yang. Now that we're fully time travelling, how's this issue going to pan out? The Good: You can tell Gene Luen Yang had fun writing this issue. Full of 80s references and nostalgia. It's just a good fun read. Mr. Terrible's plan sort of makes sense. Loved having some (manipulative) bonding time between Bizarro and Boyzarro. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: This issue was a blast to read. Just some comic booky fun. Can't wait for the 70s.

Prelude: This arc has been a bundle of fun, so let's see how Gene Luen Yang goes with this issue. The Good: That "All your base are belong to use" reference! It's funny enough for me to mention. It's just a really fun story. We're going to have some Groundhog day next issue. Segovia's art was great throughout too. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: Another fun issue for the Terrifics. It's just that sort of fun comic-booky story that DC has been missing.

Prelude: This recent story from Gene Luen Yang has been a bunch of fun. Let's see how this issue goes. The Good: It's a really fun issue. Some good art from Davila. I loved the looping scene. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: It's just a lot of fun. Seeing the Terrifics like this was funny and the art was good, especially with the time loop scene.

Prelude: So far this arc of The Terrifics has been a bundle of joy and with this being the last part of the arc, let's see how Gene Luen Yang handles it. The Good: Interesting that Gene Luen Yang is tying his stories from before into this one. It'll be interesting to see where things go from here especially for Paula. I liked the meta nature that was in part of this. Art is good. The Bad: Bizzaro Speak was a bit more of a pain this issue. Conclusion: It's a very good issue but it does feel like a slight step down compared to the last few issues.

Prelude: I've been looking forward to this issue of The Terrifics. Let's see how it goes. The Good: I love these alternate branch stories. Some really interesting paths. JLC!!!!!!! Really fun issue. Mora's art was great. Quite an interesting set-up for future stories. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: An amazing issue that uses the expanded space well. I always love these stories and #25 of The Terrifics knocked it out of the park.

Prelude: The Terrifics is nearing it's end. As I jump into my backlog, let's see how this issue of The Terrifics goes. The Good: The Council shows promise. The art is good here. The Bad: Maybe it's because I've been away from this book for so long but the dialogue isn't feeling natural to me. Conclusion: It's a good first issue of a new arc. The dialogue really holds this back, it just feels off to me.

Prelude: The first issue of this arc was good so let's see if that continues. The Good: I enjoyed the T-Council. Some nice character development. The Bad: Silas is rather grating for me. Conclusion: It's a nice issue of the Terrifics. Nothing too much to rave on about though.

Prelude: This will be interesting since I haven't been reading Thompson's Captain Marvel (I've been meaning to get around to it) but I have head about the character so let's see what this issue can do. The Good: I love that we have a villain story again. Not a hero one, nor anti-hero. Just villain and it's great. I really like Ripley as a character. Plus the whole Reality Stone situation makes things a whole lot more interesting. I really like the Reality Stone and what it can do so it's great seeing it here. Very interesting cliffhanger. The Bad: Art is a bit off. I'm questioning Loki's involvement here. It's a bit of a Marvel world tour. Conclusion: A good first issue, and I'm definitely on board for it. Just some odd stylistic choices and I'm not the biggest fan of the art.

Prelude: I really enjoyed the first issue of Star so let's see how it goes with Scarlet Witch thrown into the mix. The Good: Scarlet Witch had some good advice. Black Order is cool. Art was good. The Bad: I wish Ripley had more to do or showoff. Conclusion: It's a good issue but the main character of Star needs to do more, especially for her own mini.

Prelude: Last issue of Star was good though Ripley needs to do more in her own mini. Let's see how she goes in this issue. The Good: I still love reality warping. Ridley really gets a hang of herself in this issue and I love her agency here. Plus her anxiety and PTSD with Captain Marvel is really well done. Some interesting plot lines as well with Black Swan. Pina's art is still working for me. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: A massive increase in quality compared to the last two issues. Things are heating up and I'm loving it.

Prelude: Star was absolutely great last issue, let's see how it goes with this one. The Good: I'm really enjoying Star as a character. Art was good as usual. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: It's still a very good issue with no immediate faults, but it's not to the same degree of quality as the last issue.

Prelude: I've been loving Hickman's X-Men and HoX/PoX and likewise for Brisson's Ghost Rider. Let's see if they can sell me on New Mutants though since I have literally no knowledge about them. The Good: This is a very character focused story and I like that. The Starjammers are ---holes..... I like it. While many other Dawn of X books show how great Krakoa and the new status quo is, New Mutants also show the negatives to mutant society and those impacts on other, non-willing people.\ The infographics work well here. Nothing too outstanding but not poorly done either. I can't wait for Murd Blurdock. The Bad: This art really doesn't help here. It just isn't clean in my opinion and that makes reading the issue much harder. Conclusion: It's actually a rather fun initial issue that focuses on the characters but also on Krakoa and it's impact on everyone else. The only loss here is the art so far. Overall, Hickman and Brisson have me on board.

Prelude: New Mutants started out greatly in it's first issue. Now with Hickman solely writing this issue, let's see how it goes. The Good: Sunspot was really funny this issue. The whole court case and it's surrounding scenes were great. The two infographics were done immensely well. I especially loved what happened to Murd in the first infographic. The characters are great here. They are the strength of this issue. I don't know much about the Shi'ar Empire but I loved what I saw here. I liked Rod Reis' art a lot more here. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: Another great issue from Hickman. It's very character focused which I love and is extremely entertaining to read.

Prelude: New Mutants has been one of Dawn of X's stronger titles but without Hickman writing this issue, let's see how Brisson goes. The Good: I do like seeing some more on what's happening at Krakoa and this issue does that a bit. It's nice to see some of the flower drugs are being used here. I liked the infographics as well. Flaviano does some nice art in this issue. The Bad: It does break the story up a bit too much and that's not a good thing. Cliche villains are cliche. Conclusion: This is a much more grounded issue that uses the devices HoX/PoX setted up. However, it is quite a big departure from the current story at hand so I'll need to see how these two areas play out first.

Prelude: This story has been a change from the original first two issues. Let's see how Brisson goes here. The Good: The black market of Krakoan drugs is interesting. Maxine and Manon were really good in this issue. The Bad: Bit too different from the original story that I was more interested in. Boom Boom is Boom Boring. Conclusion: It's a passable issue but it's a far cry from the first two issues that got me invested in the series.

Prelude: Hickman is back on New Mutants. Now that we're back in space, let's see how things are going for the team. The Good: I did like the catch up and boy was it needed. I liked the infographic for the Death Commandos. Rod Reis' art is great in this issue. Magik... Man, she was great here. Love the character moments that were in this issue. The Bad: I'm not liking how these two individual stories are being done right now. Um, actually the next issue is still in January, not February as the cliffhanger claims. (I don't care, wanted to make that joke) Conclusion: Great issue from Hickman, I am absolutely loving this side of New Mutants and therein lies the problem. I think the two stories that the series is doing is poorly constructed relating to each other.

Prelude: New Mutants has been fluctuating in quality so far so let's see how it goes in this issue. The Good: Like the last time we touched this plotline, Maxine and Manon were really cool and interesting but in a different way this time. Bohem Cartel is interesting. Flaviano's art is good. The Bad: Still don't like this story as opposed to the original space one. Conclusion: A nice issue but I wish the series focused on the space plot instead of this one.

Prelude: Hickman's side of New Mutants has been great so let's see how it goes this time. The Good: The meta jokes are back baby! Okay, that FIGHT! infographic? THAT WAS AMAZING!!!!! Hey, everyone is back here. Krakoan plants sure are handy. Reis' art was mostly good. The Bad: Bit of a douche move Bobby. Conclusion: Great issue, slightly diminished by Bobby's move at the end.

Prelude: Well, Hickman's time with the New Mutants is over. Let's see how it goes without him and with Brisson in full control. The Good: Shaw was cool. The Bad: The enemy... it doesn't work for me. Conclusion: It's a stock standard issue. Not much good, not much bad.

Prelude: New Mutants has been doing rather well so far but with without Hickman, Brisson needs to do a lot to keep this title afloat. The Good: MLF! I enjoyed the trippiness of this issue. Nice to see the fallout of events and the inner workings of Krakoa. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: A great issue from Brisson which is what I needed to see.

Prelude: Wow, it's been a while since I've read Martian Manhunter (Ok, I know it's monthly, memory can be a bit hazy with those books). Let's see if this issue brings me on board with this series because I'm still struggling. The Good: Hey, the art ain't too bad this time! I think I just generally dislike Rossmo's art but it wasn't too bad this time. Either that or I'm just getting more used to it. Finally we get Meade's backstory. It's what you would typical expect for the most part but I love the twist that was thrown in there regarding J'onn. The Bad: Plot is moving at a snails pace. I get it's 12 issues but progression feels really slow. Lessened this time but we're still in the circle of Meade shouting at J'onn. But at least it looks like this should be the last of it. Conclusion: Whilst it finally feels like we're moving somewhere after 7 issues of repetition, the plot is still not moving at a worthwhile pace. I hope this improves though as the book has been doing so for me overtime.

Prelude: I seem to be one of the people who haven't been enjoying this story. Nevertheless, I hope that this issue improves upon that. The Good: I've been getting better at adapting to Rossmo's art but the thoughtopsy section was really great. Likewise Orlando's writing was great for the thoughtopsy. I'm looking forward to the next issue with that cliffhanger. Diane is starting to grow on me. The Bad: Nothing. I'm surprised with myself. Conclusion: Well, this issue did it. Maybe it's because it has been too long since I read Martian Manhunter, maybe it's because I was more open-minded. But this issue ruled and I'm back on board for this series. Hell, I'll probably have to redo my old reviews for this anyway.

Prelude: Orlando recently turned me around on this series, so let's see how he goes on this issue. The Good: I loved the look into J'onn's fractured mindscape. I enjoyed Rossmo's art here. It works for the story but it isn't something I would usually like. It's nice to see Orlando have some fun with the mindscape idea. The Bad: We're not getting much progress on the Ashley/Charnn main story but I'm fine with it this issue. Conclusion: While little progress was made in the grand scheme of things, I enjoyed this issue and the look into J'onn's mind which Rossmo compliments with his pencils.

Prelude: Orlando has been a great job recently with Martian Manhunter, so as we reach the penultimate issue, let's see how it goes. The Good: I like J'onn's inner struggle here. Charnn is quite cool especially near the end of the issue. It took it's time but I like Rossmo's art. The Bad: It's a bit of a typical styled issue for a non-typical series. Conclusion: While it can be a bit of a typical styled issue considering where it is at in the story, this is a really well done issue. I enjoyed Rossmo's artwork and our protagonist and antagonist are really interesting as we near the finish line.

Prelude: It is the final issue of Martian Manhunter. Let's see if Orlando and Rossmo can land this story after all that they've done. The Good: Loved J'onn moving forward from his past. Ashley is great and finally being used beyond plot. Loved Rossmo's art. I liked the conclusion. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: A great finish to Orlando's Martian Manhunter. I really need to get the trade to properly review the starting issues again.

Prelude: It's time to read Fraction and Brubaker's Immortal Iron Fist. Two writers I have loved reading and a strong art team. Hopefully that will balance my extremely low knowledge of Iron Fist. The Good: I love the historical aspect to this issue. It let's me get a sense of history with the character and it intrigues me. Without knowing anything about Danny, I'm intrigued in his character here. David Aja's art is good here. The Bad: Story feels a bit off and confusing here. Conclusion: While I'm definitely intrigued by the story and it's possibilities, I'm left a bit too confused from this issue and it feels a bit off. That's my impression at least. But otherwise some good art from Aja and the historical aspect makes me excited for the future of this series.

Prelude: Brubaker and Fraction have definitely gotten me intrigued about this series with their first issue, but have yet to fully sell it on me, which I think is due to my lack of Iron Fist knowledge. The Good: Another great look into the past Iron Fists. It's small but I like how Civil War is influencing the comic. Ooh, I love that cliffhanger. Aja's art is great here and I see parts of his future Hawkeye work slipping in, but the style works wonders for Iron Fist. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: Fraction and Brubaker improve from their first issue greatly. I'm fully on board with this historic view of Iron Fist as well as how this creative team is juggling multiple stories at once.

Prelude: Last issue sold me on this new series, so let's see what Fraction, Brubaker and Aja have in store this time. The Good: Still loving the historical aspect. The story is starting to tie together now and it works well. Aja's art works for Iron Fist so well. The Bad: It's pretty much just set-up. Conclusion: It's a slower issue but one that is needed. All the pieces are starting to come together and the halfway mark of this first story.

Prelude: After a bit of a rocky start, Immortal Iron Fist has been an entertaining read. Now that we're past halfway for the first arc, let's see how Brubaker and Fraction go. The Good: Orson and Danny are interesting in this issue. As a contrast, I'm interested with Davos and his relation to our two main characters. Aja's art is great. The Bad: I'm a bit unsure with where the story is heading. Conclusion: While I am slightly unsure with the story, I am still having a blast. Aja has amazing art and the three main characters are really interesting.

Prelude: The Good: Loving what I saw from Orson this issue. Really like the mystical side of this issue and expansion with the Immortal Weapons. Aja's art is great as always. I do like the Defenders getting involved in this. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: A great issue as we near the end of this arc. I especially liked the worldbuilding done in this issue.

Prelude: It's the last issue of "The Last Iron Fist Story" (I doubt it), so let's see how Fraction and Brubaker go with finish this arc. The Good: Orson's death is done well and sets up Danny for future stories. Hell, Orson was generally great this issue. I do like this cliffhanger we have here. David Aja has some utterly amazing art here. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: An amazing conclusion to this first arc. A great story in of itself but I can't wait to see what Fraction and Brubaker have prepared next.

Prelude: For this standalone issue, we're off to Pinghai Bay to see Wu Ao-Shi. After seeing her briefly in The Last Iron Fist Story, I'm intrigued for this issue. The Good: Wu Ao-Shi is an interesting character. I do like how it ties into the sense of duty and if being Iron Fist is a curse. The Bad: Art is off a couple times. Conclusion: A good simple story. Nothing too big or challenging just a nice story to read.

Prelude: It's time for the Seven Capital Cities of Heaven. Brubaker and Fraction did some great set-up in #6 for this, so let's see how it goes. The Good: Wendell's story is interesting. Good to see that nothing has stopped from the last arc just because a new one started. The Immortal Weapons and the whole tournament is really interesting. David Aja's art was great. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: A great issue of Immortal Iron Fist to start off a new arc. It's straight forward enough but juggles it's many stories well.

Prelude: It's time for the first and only annual of Immortal Iron Fist. Let's see how things go without Aja. The Good: I do like a further look into Orson's life. The Bad: The art really isn't working for me. It's quite boring and that's especially a problem for an annual. Conclusion: While a further look into Orson's life is a great idea, I found the annual boring to read and the art didn't help with that either.

Prelude: The Seven Capital Cities of Heaven started out strong last issue. Let's see how it fares here. The Good: I really like the mystery in this story. Loved the fight between Iron Fist and Fat Cobra. Orson's daughter is really interesting so far. Aja's art is great like always. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: Another great issue from Fraction and Brubaker. This series keeps getting better and better.

Prelude: The Seven Capital Cities have been great so far. Let's see if Brubaker, Fraction and Aja can keep that up in this third part. The Good: Love the Wendell part of the story. The tournament aspect is still fun to read. I like how people are reacting to Danny's absence. Likewise, it's great seeing the inner workings in K'un-Lun society. The Hydra and Heroes for Hire subplots retain their interest. Aja and Kano bring some great art to the table. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: Brubaker and Fraction take Immortal Iron Fist to new heights in this issue. One thing that the series needs to be commended on, is it's ability to juggle multiple stories effectively.

Prelude: The Seven Capital Cities of Heaven has been a pretty great arc so far so let's see if Fraction and Brubaker bring the fire to the fourth part of this arc. The Good: I like how things are tying in together with the subplots into our main plot. Likewise, the focus on Davos was really well done. David Aja's art was great in this issue. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: A simple issue but an effective one. Events are tying together and our villains are getting the backstory they deserve.

Prelude: Time for the fifth part of the Seven Capital Cities of Heaven. Brubaker and Fraction have ensured this has been a blast so far, let's see how it continues. The Good: The Prince of Orphans was bad ass. Wendell is an interesting twist and it shows the difference between him, Davos and Danny. Aja, Kano and Pulido's art is good but it is a drop from the last couple of issues. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: Thought the revolution aspect needs time to grow on me to have an impact on either side, I enjoyed this issue. Can't wait to read the next one.

Prelude: A brief break from The Seven Capital Cities of Heaven (man, I'm not liking how this complete collection is structuring the issues but ok), with Orson Randall and the Green Mist of Death. With Fraction by himself, let's see how this issue goes. The Good: I like the continued expansion on Orson's time as Iron Fist. The character work is really good. Art team is good, some better than others. I like the tie to the main series. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: A very good story about Orson and the Prince of Orphans. Helps explain why he's helping Danny in the main series.

Prelude: Immortal Iron Fist has been great so far. As we near the end of The Seven Capital Cities of Heaven, let's see how Fraction and Brubaker go. The Good: I'm liking the revolution here and Iron Fist standing up to Nu-An. It's funny how everyone reacts to Danny having a plan. I loved the fight between Lei-Kung and Davos. Wendell's part of the story was great. Aja and Kano's art was great in this issue like always. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: Just when I think that Immortal Iron Fist couldn't get any better it proves me wrong, yet again.

Prelude: It's the Seventh Issue of The Seven Capital Cities of Heaven.... oh, I see what they did there. Well let's see if Fraction and Brubaker can land this story. The Good: I like Wendell and Orson's reunion. Some interesting plot lines and developments revealed in this. The art from the team is good but a step down from Aja's. Danny was really good in this issue. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: A great finish to The Seven Capital Cities of Heaven. Brubaker and Fraction tie the many plot threads together and weave new ones for upcoming issues.

Prelude: So close to the end of Fraction and Brubaker's run on Immortal Iron Fist and with that, Fraction brings another issue of a past Iron Fist. Let's see how this one fares. The Good: I like the historical aspect of it. Bei Bang-Wen was an interesting character. The Bad: I don't see the necessity of this issue. It can be a bit boring. Conclusion: An interesting issue but it's a bit boring and I don't see the need for it.

Prelude: The final issue of Brubaker and Fraction's Immortal Iron Fist presented by Matt Fraction for this last issue. The Good: Love the progression with Danny, contrasting him from the start of the series. He's learnt from these two sets of stories. It really is a great wrap up issue. Still deals with it's core history of Iron Fist's. Love the Heroes for Hire ties. Aja has some truly wonderful art here. The Bad: Nothing Conclusion: A celebration of Fraction and Brubaker's run on Immortal Iron Fist, a perfect way to end the series.

Well, that was short. I'm not giving it full review but it's interesting enough as a catch up.

Trade Summary: A great opener for Immortal Iron Fist from Brubaker and Fraction. While it can be slightly confusing at points, it is a great story that celebrates Iron Fist's past. David Aja's art is also truly amazing.

Trade Summary: A great story that is seriously let down by a lackluster annual. Great art otherwise and the story telling is amazing. Brubaker and Fraction create and maintain many different stories happening alongside one another and keep them entertaining before tying them all together.

Trade Summary: The backburner of Immortal Iron Fist. It mainly serves to tell you the stories of three other Iron Fist's and then tie up Danny's own adventure from The Seven Capital Cities of Heaven. A good read but nothing too great.

Trade Summary: Immortal Iron Fist. This was my first time reading Iron Fist and it didn't disappoint. While I loved the first two trades of "The Last Iron Fist Story" and "The Seven Capital Cities of Heaven" as well as it's finale in #16, it falls in it's supporting issues of an annual and one-shots talking about Iron Fists of the past. David Aja brings great art that grows into his style for Hawkeye, and Fraction and Brubaker do some great work to the table with Danny.

Prelude: Ok.... Heroes in Crisis was a thing, can't forget that apparently. Well, let's see how Wally is doing after getting some Tom King treatment. The Good: Art is better than I expected from Booth. I... I usually don't see that good of art from him, personally, I think it's dependent on the inker really. The Flash works in this cosmic setting and Wally is the one it's for. I'm also happy that it does still remember HiC (even though I hated that story) and hasn't thrown it away. We can get some good progression out of this. The Bad: I feel like the story could still have been down even without HiC. Who put Wally in normal prison? Especially Blackgate of all places. Conclusion: It's a good start for Lobdell and Booth to Flash Forward. However, some decisions, though some aren't at fault for the creative team, do leave me scratching my head.

Prelude: Lobdell had a good start on Flash Forward last issue. Here's hoping that continues into this one. The Good: Booth set a pretty high bar last issue with his art and he surpasses it here. This was a very fun issue. That cliffhanger. Oh Lobdell is going to pull on our hearts isn't he? The Bad: Wally's mood swings were a bit much. Seems Lobdell wants to return him back to our Wally but still has to remember King's HiC. Conclusion: A very fun issue to read and this series is shaping up well to bring back Wally West.

Prelude: Flash Forward has been quite good so far, let's see if Lobdell keeps up the pace. The Good: It's great seeing Wally so fast again but also wondering where his newfound speed is coming from. Roy was great this issue and his mini-arc with Wally was really well done. Art is quite good. It's nice to see that Lobdell is continuing Wally's arc for redemption after being King-ed. The Bad: Story doesn't move much in this issue. Conclusion: While we get very little progression in the larger story, this was a great issue for Wally's personal arc and exploration of his powers.

Prelude: Flash Forward has been really enjoyable so far so let's see how Lobdell goes with this issue as we near the sixth and final issue. The Good: Wally has his kids back! For now anyway, I have very little hope of DC keeping that. Booth's art is good. It was nice having him interact with a Linda. The Bad: The issue doesn't feel like it's moving much which is concerning with how little issues the series has. Conclusion: A good issue but I'm concerned for the overall story as we only have two issues left. Add the Mobius chair and the other parts of the story, and I fear for Lobdell to finish this well.

Prelude: Flash Forward has been a steadily good book so far but as we near the finish line, Lobdell will need to tie the series together. The Good: Lobdell is pulling my heart strings too much here. Booth's art is great as is consistent with the series. I like the explanation the Mobius Chair offered. The Bad: Why can't Wally just be happy? Conclusion: A great issue from Lobdell and Booth. I'm just concerned for the final issue due to Wally's recent history.

Prelude: Well, thanks to the leaks, I know what's going to happen in this issue by the end. Let's see how Lobdell goes with taking us there though. The Good: I'm actually intrigued by Wally's new future. THE KIDS ARE BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And Linda remembers too. I enjoyed Brett Booth's art. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: I. Loved. This. Issue. Emotional, intriguing and I've come to terms with Wally's transformation and are interested to where it goes.

Prelude: This will be interesting. I have basically no Ghost Rider knowledge nor have I been reading what's on the checklist for the road to this series. Let's see how it goes then. The Good: I really like the whole idea of a Hell Civil War. The character work was also intriguing to see. Good art too, bit house style but I liked it enough to put it here. The Bad: Characters are all being an arse to each other. Doesn't sit right with me. Plot feels a bit.... well, convenient isn't the best word but it works well enough. Conclusion: A strong start to this series, I feel like the groundwork is there, it just needs some tightening up in future issues.

Prelude: Last issue surprised me with its quality so let's see how Brisson goes on this issue. The Good: I really like the dynamic between Johnny and Danny. It's an interesting look into what being King of Hell means. Art was better this issue and more unique. The Bad: The Hell Civil War was sidelined quite a bit in this. Conclusion: Brisson improves on what was already a strong start. I didn't expect Ghost Rider to be so good but it is.

Prelude: Ghost Rider has really taken me by surprise so let's see how Brisson goes on this issue. The Good: I like the Native American Ghost Rider for what little we saw. It's an interesting development for Danny so it'll be nice to see where he goes from here. That's an interesting cliffhanger. I'm looking forward to see where it goes. The Bad: The Hell Civil War is still being sidelined. Conclusion: Brisson keeps up the pace this issue. While it mainly serves as set-up, the progression is interesting even if the Hell Civil War isn't being covered as much as I would like.

Prelude: Ghost Rider has been pretty great so far so let's see how Brisson goes with the last issue of The King of Hell. The Good: Limbo and everything there is cool. Johnny was great this issue. The Bad: Continuity with Mephisto was a bit off. I'm unsure about the new persona for Danny. Conclusion: A good issue but the continuity and future for Danny did throw me a bit. I'll have to see more though to make proper judgement.

Prelude: Well, last issue shook things up. Let's see how it goes now. The Good: It's cool having Wolverine and Punisher even though they are in this for only a small bit. Love the showing of Danny as the Spirit of Corruption. Johnny and Mephisto's part is cool too. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: It's a very good issue but nothing really stands out to make it great.

Prelude: I've really been enjoying Ghost Rider so far so let's see how this issue goes. The Good: Liking the Danny side of the story, I'm liking what I see from the Spirit of Corruption. Johnny's story is heating up too, getting some Spawn vibes currently. Frigeri's art is nice. The Bad: I think Strange could've deescalated the situation a bit better but Johnny and Mephisto as well... so maybe not completely feasible. Conclusion: A very good issue with no real faults. Can't wait to see where this series goes.

Prelude: Empyre is coming and as such, it's time for me to prepare myself. Especially as I have zero knowledge about any of the areas the event will be tackling. The Good: Even though I haven't read it, I like that they used the characters from Meet the Skrulls here. Really good way of catching up on past events for Empyre. I love the chaotic story, how we're never quite sure what is happening which leaves for the perfect cliffhanger to kick Empyre off with. The Bad: The art whiplash was a bit much for me. I understand why they did it, but it just messed with me too much. Conclusion: A very good introduction to Empyre. It lays the foundations well and drives the plot forward to prepare readers for the event.

SPOILER WARNING!!! (The Darkstars are coming!) Writer: Robert Venditti Artist: Rafa Sandoval and Jordi Tarragona Whilst we are technically in a new arc, it is basically a continuation of the last one, which served to set up the conflict. Will the GLC hold off the Darkstars or will they die out? Now that the set-up is finally over and the threat has been established, the Darkstars finally start their war on the Green Lantern Corp, with a frontal attack on Mogo. Meanwhile we get reintroduced to our group and lay out a plan and catch up on what each was busy doing. The best part of this was Hammond changing the scenery and appearances of each of our heroes, going from a birthday party to a baseball game to the beach, all complete with appropriate clothing. John also establishes that the Green Lantern Corps have been issued a no-kill order. On Mogo, Tomar-Tu and Kilowog fight it out, stating their perspectives on the issue which is done really well, before the Darkstars teleport to the Sciencells which have been moved to avoid the criminals being killed by the Darkstars. This leads to more fighting between the two factions which looks amazing with the art in this issue, like usual. Meanwhile Kyle, Guy, Orion, Arkillo and Zod creating an elaborate distraction for the other quarter of the team. Like always the constructs from Kyle and Guy are amazing and fits into their characters so well. Whilst this happens, Kilowog and Tomar-Tu continue brawling before the Guardians decide to step into the fray. After all of this fighting on both fronts, it is revealed that Hal and Hector are at the Darkstars base and seek to unplug the Controllers now that all of the Darkstars are either at Mogo or attacking the other part of the team. We finally get the fight between the GLC and Darkstars which while it takes up most of the issue, looks beautiful and portrays the perspectives of each side extremely well. Pros: Art - Hal n' Pals is known for its excellent art and this issue is no exception Perspectives - The perspectives laid out during the fights are done really well Cons: Pacing - Vendetti is known for his slow pacing but I don't mind too much Issue Summary: All-out war Score: 8.5/10

Prelude: I haven't been fully keeping up with Immortal Hulk but the issue says it's before #14 which I've read past so I should be fine. The Good: I really liked the dynamic between Peter and Bruce. Loved that scene at the end. Comedy was good. Molina's art was good as well. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: A really good one-shot. Taylor is always great with his characters and it shows here like always.

Prelude: Jessica Jones: Blind Spot is finally in print and that means I can review it now... Also, I started reviewing books way after this was released digitally.... anyway, let's see what Thompson has in store for Jessica Jones. The Good: I like Luke and Jessica's relationship and how it is shown here. I love the interrogation scene. Everything about it was great. Mattia de Lulis art was great in this issue. The Bad: Cliffhanger is basic and we know it won't pay off. Conclusion: A really good start to Jessica Jones: Blind Spot. Hits the notes that it needs to.

Prelude: Jessica Jones: Blind Spot had a good start so let's see if that continues into this issue. The Good: I like all the cameos in this issue. The art is pretty good. That's an interesting cliffhanger. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: It's a very good issue but that's it. It is interesting though that a lot of new mini's have this idea of going throughout the Marvel Universe.

Prelude: So far, Jessica Jones: Blind Spot has been very good. Let's see if Thompson can keep this trend going. The Good: Liked Elsa here. I like the mystery and investigation aspect. Art is good. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: Another good issue from Thompson.

Prelude: Jessica Jones: Blind Spot has been consistently good. Let's see how this issue fares for that. The Good: Everything is tying togther. I find the powers Dia has very interesting. Quite Monkey Paw based. Still liking the trip around the MU. Art is still good as well. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: This issue starts tying everything together and I'm really enjoying it.

Prelude: Jessica Jones: Blind Spot had a great issue last time, let's see how it goes here. The Good: Reality warping always makes for a fun story in my book. Mattia de Lulis' art is good. The Bad: Wait, it's over but there's another issue? Feels a bit weird. Not sure how I feel about Evil Jared. Conclusion: After some good and great issues, this series sort of ends the main arc with an okay issue. It's passable but it doesn't quite standout. Also there's still one issue left.

Prelude: While Blind Spot fell down a bit last issue, it didn't feel like a sixth issue was needed. Anyway, let's see what this one-shot holds. The Good: A nice look into Jessica's trauma. I loved the slice of life this offered. Really interesting lead-in to Purple Daughter. Good art from Takara. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: A great issue after the lackluster issue prior. I'm really interested in how Purple Daughter is going to go.

Prelude: Time to read through the Mortal Kombat X tie-in comics with this first issue. Let's see how this comic goes. The Good: It really does capture the feel of Mortal Kombat with the tone, gore and violence. I love Soy's art usually and it's the same here. Interesting set-up for the future. The Bad: There are some continuity errors that take me out of the comic. Conclusion: A strong start for Mortal Kombat X that I hope continues throughout the series.

Prelude: I'm not one to usually read Indie titles though I'm trying to change that, I usually stick with superhero stuff. But this is from my boy, Tom Taylor so I must check it out. The Good: I like the characters in this but it's Taylor so what did you expect. Simple enough premise but it's a fun one. Nicuolo's art is good. The Bad: Felt like it was a bit too much set-up without focusing entirely on Caspar in the modern day. But obviously that's needed for a story like this. Conclusion: It's a good set up, here's the basic understanding of the universe and story issue but I wish there was a bit more from Caspar

Prelude: Well, the four month wait is over. Let's get back into this, shall we? The Good: Loved the Vasquez's reactions this issue, especially Victor. Happy and accepting but concerned over where the kids are. Captain Marvel! Art is solid as well. Tawny was also great, glad to see him getting more involved in the plot. The Bad: The four month delay has hurt the book quite a bit. Also the art changed halfway so that was weird. Conclusion: A good solid issue that is Shazam. However, the delays and art change did hurt this issue.

Prelude: The last issue of Shazam was quite strong so let's see how Johns goes on this issue. The Good: Everyone is coming back together and I'm liking how they did it. Sivana is interesting with Mr. Mind. Billy's dad being the 7th Champion has potential. I'll wait for it to play out though. The Bad: Feels like a bit of a retread from the New 52 Shazam story. Kolin's art feels rushed here. Conclusion: The issue is interesting but it's a noticeable drop in quality. Hopefully Johns improves in the next issue.

Prelude: Two Geoff Johns books in one week. I must be dreaming. The Good: I really like the struggle within Billy this issue on what he should do. Wozenderlands is cool looking with a mixture of childhood fantasy. Art is pretty good too even if it changes quite a bit. The Bad: The fighting scene early in the issue wasn't well done in my opinion and Mind's plan seems very basic. Conclusion: Another strong chapter that is tainted by the fight scene near the start of the issue and Mister Mind's apparent plan.

Prelude: Shazam has been good recently but let's see if it can remain on that consistency. The Good: Some really interesting world building here. I like C.C. so far. IT'S PRIME TIME!!! I liked Kolins and Eaglesham's art in this issue. The Bad: Not sure how I feel about the cliffhanger. Conclusion: Mostly a great issue though the cliffhanger is a bit weird for me. It'll probably make more sense with the whole story.

Prelude: Johns' Shazam has been great so far. Let's see how it goes near the end of Shazam and the Seven Magic Lands. The Good: Love the twist PRIME TIME!!! I enjoyed Kolins' art. The Bad: The wizard Shazam was a bit much this issue. Conclusion: A very good issue of Shazam. Only some minor character choices were wrong for me.

Prelude: I guess it's time for an interlude for Shazam. The Good: I enjoyed the art weirdly enough. Really well written Batman here. The Bad: I wish that we had this after Seven Magiclands or that it didn't interrupt it. Also continuity is ever so slightly screwed since this is before Shazam #1 but Billy mentions Mr. Mind who he doesn't know currently. Conclusion: It's a good story but I'm annoyed that this happened so close to the end of Shazam.

Prelude: I haven't read Mark Waid's previous Doctor Strange run yet, but with a new relaunch let's see if he can sell me on the book. The Good: I like the Surgeon aspect that Waid is going for here. I'm liking Kev Walker's art in this issue. The Bad: The Wrecker is a bit simple villain wise. Conclusion: A good start from Waid. It has a neat angle that it goes for with Strange being a Surgeon. However, the actual Sorcerer Supreme aspect is a bit lacking in my opinion.

Prelude: Dr. Strange started off well in it's first issue. Let's see how Waid goes with this one. The Good: I still like the human side of things for Strange. Dr. Druid was interesting. Walker's art was good enough. The Bad: Wrecker and Thunderball are pretty basic. It can be a bit boring for me in this issue. Conclusion: A passable issue from Dr. Strange. The human aspect is the best part of the story and it was overlooked here.

Prelude: Dr. Strange fell a slight bit last issue but maybe this one can make it more consistent. The Good: I love the surgeon side to this issue. Also liked the magical aspect. Walker's art was good. Cool cliffhanger. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: A great issue this time around. I only wish that the book was more consistent.

Prelude: Dr. Strange has had very little in the way of consistency so far. Let's see how it goes here. The Good: I really love the surgeon side to this. Walker's art was good. Dr. Druid and his backstory was cool. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: Another great issue of Dr. Strange. If only it could be like this all the time.

Prelude: It is time for Doom. Let's see how it goes. The Good: Man, Doom is great in this. Absolutely great. Menacing, smart, wise yet flawed. Also I love the glimpses we get of Latveria Art is also on point throughout the issue. That cliffhanger. It leaves so much open for this series and I love this direction. The Bad: None. Conclusion: An amazing start for Doctor Doom. I can only wish that it continues this momentum.

Prelude: Cantwell started with a great first issue but can he keep this up? The Good: Doom is written extremely well here. Really love what is being done. Cantwell is bringing in many different characters but they all work. That cliffhanger! Man, seeing what next issue is, I'm excited. Art is really strong yet again. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: Another great issue from Cantwell. I'll admit when I heard the premise I was skeptical but I'm fully on board now.

Prelude: While the previous two Doctor Doom issues were good, this one will be interesting to see since it goes in a completely different direction. The Good: The future timeline aspect is interesting especially for Doom. While little, I did like what they did with Doom in Hell. The events in Latveria are interesting too. The Bad: Mephisto is in Vegas right now, not Hell. I feel like Cantwell could have told a better story by leaving Doom in Hell for a few issues. It just seems squandered here. Conclusion: A noticeable drop in quality due to wasted potential and continuity errors. However, Cantwell can improve upon this next issue.

Prelude: I've been enjoying Doctor Doom a lot, however last issue took a dive in quality. Let's see what Cantwell does this time. The Good: I like the talk between Doom and Kang. The Latveria aspect is still interesting. Larroca's art is good. The Bad: It feels a bit too full. Conclusion: While the pieces are good, in the assembly the issue feels bloated and that there are too many things happening at once.

Prelude: The final issue of.... Pottersville..... anyway, Cantwell has done a very good job so far with Doctor Doom so let's see how it wraps up. The Good: Interesting work on Doom's character. I like the political aspect. Kang is cool. The Bad: I do think things are rather convenient for the plot to happen. Conclusion: A very good issue though the plotting could use less convenience to move forward.

Prelude: Doom has been fluctuating a bit in quality. Let's see how it goes now that Pottersville is over. The Good: I like the premise behind the issue. The Bad: The dialogue doesn't work for me here. Conclusion: It's okay but nothing like how it was originally.

The Good: The interactions. Taylor is a character writer and it shows. His dialogue is always impeccable and I like his Black Mask. But the absolute highlight is Kate and Renee. Their banter, their teamwork, there's nothing to fault. This is what raises the score, what earns the score it receives. The Bad: The first quarter is wasted on reminding us how Black Mask is with the next telling us what he's doing now. Nothing intrinsically bad, just... disappointing seeing as one's already been told but better and the other is generic. I generally don't like having dates or other forms of time in comics. Whilst nice they ruin the sense of flow (weirdly enough) like they do here. A month later? How does this impact other books with their timelines? I don't know. Conclusion: Well, people know my stance on Year of the Villain but this isn't all too bad. Mediocre? Well it just passes that in my system. Needed? Probably not either. My takeaway from this is it happened. So what? I hope this goes somewhere but with how Year of the Villain is being run, I'm not so sure.

Prelude: Cards on the table, The Riddler is one of my favourite characters from DC so let's see how it goes. The Good: Lex has a point here, Riddler has just ended up repeating himself similar to Tut This is quite a funny issue as well especially with Tut. I'm intrigued by where Nygma goes from here. The Bad: Riddler did feel a bit more campy here, cracking more jokes than he would usually. Art was a bit off at points. Conclusion: Providing a bit of an outside perspective, Russell sets up a new change for Riddler that I'm interested in and he does it well throughout the issue. However, the art was off at points and the characterisation of Riddler didn't match up completely with what has been established.

Prelude: We've been seeing a lot of Lex recently but with his new upgrade, how is he faring in the Year of the Villain he created? The Good: This was quite interesting for me. Really the enjoyment came from seeing how our Lex and the Multiverse's Lex's would react to each other with the last one being especially poignant. The Bad: Hitch's art did fluctuate throughout so I'll just put that here. Conclusion: There's not too much to say really. It was quite interesting to read but the points for and against are pretty limited.

Prelude: We've got big name John Carpenter on this issue, (hopefully it's better than J.J. writing Spider-Man) so let's see how he tackles the Joker. The Good: I liked Six. It's always nice to get these perspectives we don't usually get. I also loved Carpenter's Joker and his voice. "He's sane." The Bad: Not even a Year of the Villain story is it? Joker also explored this and in my opinion a lot better. Seems to be a bit of movie synergy. Conclusion: It's a good story but it doesn't tie into Year of the Villain and the timing is poor.

Prelude: A Year of the Villain story that relates to the Secret Six, not the Justice Doom War. This could be interesting. The Good: Black Adam makes this issue worth it. It doesn't tie into Year of the Villain too much and I'm fine with that. It's more of Secret Six and the general DCU as a whole currently. The Bad: King Shazam was a bit much this issue. Black Adam's voice was a bit off too so these are both some mischaracterisation. Conclusion: An interesting story about Kahndaq, Black Adam and the state of the current DCU. Not too much of a Year of the Villain tie-in but I enjoyed it for what it is.

Prelude: Mark Russel joins us all again for what looks to be a stupidly fun issue for YotV. Let's hear it for the Awards. The Good: I do love that everyone is dressing up and being very serious about this. I love how Russel pokes fun at the DC Universe here. Lex stole forty cakes!!!!!!!! The Bad: Look, I'm treating this as out of continuity fun. Conclusion: I had a ball reading this. Does it make sense? No, definitely not. But it is fun and I loved reading it.

Prelude: This is actually a good time to be reviewing YotV: Ocean Master as I had just reviewed Aquaman: Throne of Atlantis. Time to see how Orm is going. The Good: I like that nothing has been forgiven from Orm's actions in Drowned Earth and Mera: Queen of Atlantis. It's interesting to explore this side of Orm's character. I like the whole mythological side to this issue. The Bad: It feels like there is just one part too many in this issue. Conclusion: An interesting story about Orm and his former family with some mythology and Atlantis' underground (Looks like the Ninth). However I do feel like it was slightly overstuffed.

Prelude: The Justice/Doom War is here! Wait did I just start writing the solicit? Anyway, this is the climax of Snyder's run so Snyder and his team must land this arc. Do they live up to the hype? The Good: THE FREAKING JSA ARE BACK! Ok, got that out of my system. Also Kamandi is here too! I love Time Travel so I'm loving this and the alt timelines. Everyone is ready for war on both sides. Although Lex has made a few assumptions on some players who may not be completely on his side. Speaking of teams, Jimenez is drawing a life changing story. His pencil work has never looked better. The stakes have never been higher and it's felt throughout the issue. The Bad: More of a note on the whole Year of the Villain thing. I think it would have worked out so much better if it started a couple months early. So we had the YotV arcs now rather than in a couple months time. That way they would line up with these issues. Conclusion: Utterly spectacular from Snyder, Tynion, Jimenez and quite frankly the entire team for this issue. The perfect capstone to Snyder's run on Justice League.

Prelude: JSA! JSA! JSA! Sorry, still very happy to see their return. But does Snyder live up to last issue's hype? The Good: JSA! Ok, I'll stop. Seriously, every single thing about the JSA in this issue was amazing, the interactions, callbacks, everything. Meanwhile Snyder and Tynion are having fun with Hypertime with all the potential futures DC has. We've seen Kamandi and Justice Legion A, who knows what else we could get? Batman Beyond? Kingdom Come? There's so much potential. Likewise what they're doing with Pearl Harbour and WW2 feels so right..... that doesn't sound good. But it's peak comic books what they're doing here. Goes without saying at this point but Jimenez's art is on point here. Also that cliffhanger. Did not see that coming. The Bad: I do have questions however, on how the cliffhanger fits into continuity which is something that Justice League has had with this same character. Conclusion: Snyder, Tynion and Jimenez are creating a masterpiece of a story here, a comic akin to Avengers: Endgame. High praise but it's the exact feel I'm getting from it.

Prelude: Scott Snyder and James Tynion IV have been killing it in the Justice Doom War. But now that the art has changed, can they keep up? The Good: You know I would say it. JSA! Still love everything that is happening in the past and future. Love the issue's ending. Art is still good. Less so than last time but it still keeps my attention. The Bad: Similar to last time, I do question Aquaman's involvement due to the timeline and continuity. Oh well. I'm not completely sold on Perpetua yet. Conclusion: While this issue stalls a bit compared to the past two, it is by no means a bad issue. I just wish that some things were cleared up and Perpetua started feeling more important. Which is weird considering how over-hyped she has been.

Prelude: The Justice Doom War has been utterly amazing so far. As we reach part four, are Snyder and Tynion able to keep up? The Good: JSA! (Look, I'm going to mention it every time we see them in this series. It's been too long.) That cliffhanger. Oh, I am so excited. Really like the character development in this issue. Also they explained why Aquaman is here. Sort of. I'll take it. The Bad: Perpetua and the Ultra-Monitor. Yeah, it doesn't work for me. Conclusion: Snyder and Tynion continue on their Justice Doom War and it is still amazing for me. Unfortunately the main threat is still underwhelming which is a concern.

Prelude: Justice League has been immensely strong throughout the Justice Doom War so as we reach part five, let's see how Tynion and Snyder go. The Good: Loved seeing all the heroes come together in this issue. Art was strong even with a change halfway. Original Anti-Monitor is back! The Bad: Kendra was really stupid this issue. Also how the teams got the totality pieces wasn't clear. Conclusion: While it isn't as great as the other issues, this issue was still very strong. However, I hope Snyder and Tynion can stick the landing because this issue makes me feel a bit uneasy on that front.

Prelude: Justice League has been amazing in the Doom War so far. But as the scales tip towards Doom (and screw up every other book's continuity), how does this issue fare? The Good: I do love the multiversal scale this has and how the wider DC Universe realises how screwed they are. It's all doom and gloom and it's appropriate for this issue. We're going to reach Hell Arisen and the DCU isn't going to be in a good shape. Francis Manapul's art was superb. The Bad: Man, I hate to say it since Snyder is usually good with this but continuity. Not only is Aquaman's continuity confusing again (plus every other leaguer due to their own solo series) but the Justice League Dark shot is messed up due to events with Swamp Thing (and Tynion is co-writing this!) and EARTH 3 IS NOT AN EARTH ANYMORE GUYS!!! IT WAS ERASED BY THE ANTI-MONITOR IN FOREVER EVIL AND THE REST OF THE CRIME SYNDICATE WERE KILLED EITHER IN FOREVER EVIL OR AT THE END OF DARKSEID WAR!!!!!!!! PLUS THAT ISN'T SUPERWOMAN OR JOHNNY QUICK! Perpetua isn't threatening. The Anti-Monitor has destroyed Earths, threatened and collapsed the multiverse. Yet one Earth takes considerable effort. Conclusion: The multiversal aspect and the designed gloomy and desperate vibe of this issue was done really well in my opinion. However, the continuity really lowered my score. Also Perpetua isn't threatening or interesting to me which is concerning.

Prelude: While the Justice/Doom War started off tremendously, it has faltered recently. Let's see how Snyder, Tynion and Manapul go with this issue. The Good: I like Lex's conflict within himself and Martian Manhunter coming into assist. The Trinity have always been great with their speeches and this one is no exception. Manapul and Porter's art is great. I actually didn't notice when the art changed. This battle just got turned up to 11 at the end. The Bad: Perpetua, for all her power still isn't compelling or interesting to read. Conclusion: A return to form for the Justice/Doom War. I'm loving the character work here and it's pure comic book vibe. However, Perpetua is completely ineffective in every possible way as the villain here.

Prelude: Snyder and Tynion's Justice/Doom War has been great but it was at it's height with Jimenez on art. But, now he's back! So let's see how this issue pans out. The Good: First up, Jimenez's art is amazing. I do love the wackiness that this issue has to it. Hawkgirl and the World Forger's scenes were great. The Bad: Perpetua still isn't interesting. There are quite some continuity errors within this issue, especially with the Justice League Dark but I'm willing to overlook these. Conclusion: A return to form for Justice League. It's just some wacky comic book fun with some incredible art. Basically a blockbuster film.

Prelude: It's the supposed finale of Snyder's Justice League so let's see how it pans out. The Good: I liked Shayne's sacrifice. It's a nice look into Snyder's run on the title. Jimenez's art stole the show here. The Bad: Apex Lex just isn't good this issue. Still don't like Perpetua. Conclusion: My main concern with the title is that I really don't like the choice of villain here. The overall concept and messages is great but it's in Perpetua and Apex Lex that this story falters.

Prelude: It's the final issue of Scott Snyder's run. But after everything that has happened, can it conclude itself in a satisfying way? The Good: Loved J'onn's speech. The tying together of everything was great. It's going to be interesting to see where things go from here. Jimenez's art is great. The Bad: It doesn't really end. Also it ends on a loss. Not sure how I feel about that. Conclusion: Hmm... this was a hard one. It was good but it's not really concluded is it?

Prelude: Snyder's Justice League is over, now it's time for Venditti's a name a didn't expect to see on Justice League. Let's see how he goes. The Good: Sodam Yat is cool to see again. Interesting choice to put him in. I like Mahnke's art here. The Bad: Can be confusing at points. Conclusion: It's pretty basic Justice League but after Snyder's run, I feel like that's what we need right now.

Prelude: I found the first issue of Venditti's Justice League good enough, so let's see how he goes for his second. The Good: Mahnke's art is good. The Bad: Quite a bit boring. Conclusion: The problem with this issue isn't the bad, it's moreso the lack of good. It exists and that's it.

Prelude: Venditti's Justice League hasn't been working for me so far, but I'm happy to see if that changes here. The Good: I liked how smart Barry was. Mahnke's art was good. The Bad: Story isn't working for me. It can be boring. Conclusion: It's an improvement but not by much.

Prelude: While Venditti's Justice League improved last issue, it really needs to prove itself here. The Good: Mahnke's art was good. I liked Clark's speech. The Bad: Continuity is confusing. Even though I know it won't last it's annoying that Eradicator was killed off. It's boring. Predictable story as well. Conclusion: There were some good aspects to it but ultimately it was a boring and predictable story.

Prelude: Just finished an excellent issue of Venditti's Hawkman, now for the other, weaker title he's doing currently. I found the first arc of Venditti's Justice League rather boring so hopefully this arc goes better. The Good: The action and team dynamic is good. Xermanico's art is good. The Bad: I'm not a fan of the characters arguing against each other to create a rift trope. Spectre seems out of character here? The timeline doesn't make sense with Justice/Doom War and Death Metal. Conclusion: It's an alright issue, it just feels weird and off to me.

Prelude: Last issue was rather subpar so let's see how this issue goes. The Good: The action was really well done. Liking the plot. I really enjoyed Barrows' art. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: For maybe the first time, I actually enjoyed an issue of Venditti's Justice League.

Prelude: Absolute Carnage is here! Let's see what Cates and Stegman have in store for us. The Good: Carnage looks absolutely amazing. Love him in this issue. Love the Venom parts. The whole Spider-Man scene was great. Interesting pick up from Red Goblin. Stegman's art is great. The issue is so long and I love it. Each chapter feels unique. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: Cates and Stegman instantly knock it out of the park with this first issue. Sets up the event and gets the ball rolling in such a perfect fashion. The perfect first issue for an event.

Prelude: Cates absolutely blew me away with the first issue of Absolute Carnage. Question is, can he follow it up? The Good: Can I just say everything? It feels like it's everything. The art, Cates' storytelling, this feels like an event despite the relatively low amount of players. A nice switch from recent events such as the War of the Realms though I expect it to pick up in September with the tie-ins ramping up. The Bad: Bit jumpy but I think I just got so engrossed with what was happening everything started speeding up. Oh and I got confused at points with Norman and Cletus, sometimes a bit hard to tell them apart. Conclusion: Cates is going all out on Absolute Carnage and I couldn't be happier. Though the art confused me a bit with Cletus and Norman and the issue seemed to jump a bit, Absolute Carnage is looking to be down right amazing.

Prelude: Many of the tie-ins for Absolute Carnage have been failing for me so I'm hoping that changes for this issue. The Good: The main hook in this is the exploration of what happened to Leonard Elkhart due to the Venom symbiote. It's really interesting to see how one event can completely change your life. It's much more of a personal story as well and I love character focused stories. The Bad: Doesn't feel like it's much of a tie-in for Absolute Carnage. Some character decisions feel too extreme and instead serve to move the story forward but feel clunky as a result. Conclusion: An interesting story in of itself but I question it as a tie-in for Absolute Carnage. Though it's still one of the better tie-ins for the event.

Prelude: Another Absolute Carnage tie-in, but is it like most of them or is it on par with Cates'? The Good: Quite an interesting issue and it serves two purposes. The first was to feature the symbiote stuff from Absolute Carnage, the other to get ready for Ghost Rider. I like the Ghost Rider stuff in this issue as well. The Bad: Not really instrumental to the story but it is a tie-in. It's more of a set up to Ghost Rider #1. Conclusion: It's arguably more setup for the upcoming (as of writing) Ghost Rider series and it has me intrigued on that front. As a Absolute Carnage tie-in, it's passable but nothing to rave on about.

Prelude: Back to the main title! Woo! Been loving Cates' writing on.... pretty much anything I've reviewed and I've been loving Absolute Carnage too. This ought to be good...... (I'm still not over Superman #15 am I?) The Good: IMMORTAL VENOM HULK! Bit of a quieter issue this time around but it's more character focused. Really like the focus on Venom and Eddie and how they differ. Venom is getting real desperate right now. Art is great but come on, why wouldn't it? The Bad: Yeah, I'm blanking here. Conclusion: While it was a quieter chapter as you would expect at #3 of 5, Absolute Carnage still delivers. IMMORTAL VENOM HULK!

Prelude: While I haven't been reviewing it here, Immortal Hulk has been utterly amazing. Add Absolute Carnage to that and let's see how this story shakes out. The Good: Loving the exploration of the Hulk and all his alternate forms. It's character based and I always love that. Love the Hulk team. The Bad: I'm not a fan of the art especially coming to the end of the issue. Didn't add much to Absolute Carnage at all. Conclusion: While it does have it's downsides regarding Absolute Carnage itself, it is a strong Immortal Hulk story. Shame though that it is meant to be a tie-in.

Prelude: Wow, reviewers didn't like this one. Well, let's see how I find it. The Good: Yeah, there's nothing that stands out as good, just mediocre. The Bad: Continuity is off, especially with Cap and his own story currently. Art is pretty poor. The symbioted people don't line up with what's established in the other books, especially the main story. It's a chore to read. Conclusion: Yeah, reviewers were right but due to my scale it's a 5. Nothing outright offensive to the characters but it's just a mediocre story.

Prelude: Absolute Carnage has been an absolute blast so far. But we're near the end now so Cates will have to stick the landing here. The Good: It's great seeing Eddie be his own hero rather than rely on Venom. I also love Eddie's connections to all of the cast but especially with Peter. That scene was great. This issue really ties together many of the tie-in series'. Miles' is a bit confusing, see below, but I'm happy that it's being done. Surprise, surprise, Stegman's art is great. The Bad: Vulk does get taken down pretty easy. As predicted, there are some continuity issues with Miles and his own tie-in series and like I said on that review, that blame is going to that book. But I'm letting it be known here too. Bit of a predictable story structure here. Conclusion: A slight dip compared to past issues but Absolute Carnage remains strong. Bit more of a final set-up for the last issue though so let's see what that brings in a month's time.

Prelude: Well... I wasn't expecting this tie-in one-shot. Makes sense though with Cates' Venom. Let's see how this issue goes. The Good: The military aspect of this is the main pull and it works well. There are some twists and turns that work well. The characters were interesting to watch as the events unravelled before them. The Bad: It is a simple premise with a predictable overall story. Doesn't add much to Absolute Carnage. Conclusion: While it is a basic and predictable story that doesn't add much to the core event, Weapon Plus provides a unique perspective that isn't seen in Absolute Carnage.

Prelude: Another tie-in to Absolute Carnage on the week it ends. Great. The Good: Let's cut to the chase and say nothing. The Bad: There is no point to this story. It's boring. Conclusion: As you would expect, it's a boring issue that contributes nothing to the event whatsoever.

Prelude: It's the conclusion to Absolute Carnage. Can Cates and Stegman stick the landing on this impressive event? Let's see. The Good: I like the brief look into Eddie before he was more heroic. All the tie-in characters are here. Yes, they don't do much but it is nice to see them. Interesting choice from Eddie here and creates the ending I did not expect to happen. Absolutely wonderful art from Stegman by the way. Those Knull scenes were especially great. We're going to have some fallout in Venom due to this event especially with Dylan. The Bad: Doesn't tie up fully but we've got Venom for that I guess. Still, a bit annoying. Conclusion: A masterful finish to Absolute Carnage. Wonderfully done in every way. The only problem I have with it, is that it feels like the event isn't fully tied up.

Trade Summary: A wonderful event that keep you on the edge of your seat. Donny Cates and Ryan Stegman bring their A-game for this story and it shows. Gripping from page one to the end.

Prelude: Well, time for another Ant-Man mini-series. Let's see how this one goes. The Good: It's a pretty wacky adventure. I like how Scott and Cass interact. Expanding to other insects is fun. The Bad: Art is a bit off. Conclusion: A good start but one that I need to see more of. It has potential.

Prelude: The first issue was good enough but this one needs to sell the series to me. The Good: The recap page was funny. It was a fun issue. I liked the differing bug aspects. The Bad: Cassie was a bit too much against Scott for my liking. Conclusion: This was a really fun issue. Looking forward to where this goes now.

Prelude: Ant-Man has been an entertaining read so far so let's see how this issue goes. The Good: This was a fun issue. It's interesting seeing Scott's place in the MU. I enjoyed the continuity on this one The Bad: I'm not sold on the art. Conclusion: This was a fun issue to read that tied into past events. It'll be interesting to see where this mini goes as it picks up steam.

Prelude: Ant-Man has been really good recently. Let's see how this issue of World Hive goes. The Good: It's a fun enjoyable read. Burnett's art is good here. The Bad: Nothing. Conclusion: While nothing much to really rave on about, it is a good solid and enjoyable issue from Wells.

The Good: Aqualad is finally back again. Boy have I missed him The interactions especially between Jackson and Arthur are great as always. Loving the Lovecraftian influences on this All the mythology stuff with the sea gods is still fun The Bad: Art was slightly shaky but nothing major The Atlantis subplot isn't drawing me in Lex was... off. Lex's gift was just a bigger Manta suit? Albeit with Manta's father's conscience but still. Conclusion: Main story is really strong and that's where most of the score comes from. Really the major detractors are in the end with Lex and Manta otherwise the score would be higher. I understand why these books have to tie into the Year of the Villain but boy does it take away from the stories sometimes.

Prelude: Kelly DeConnick has been writing up a storm in Aquaman recently. Let's see if that continues. The Good: So this issue continues on the Lovecraftian influences from last issue and I still love it. I also like how Kaldur is still learning to be a hero and I reckon Arthur will need to help him. Art was good, better than last issue. The Bad: Lovecraftian beast was just there to take out. Though it does look like it'll be more interesting in the next couple of issues. Manta is getting more interesting but he's still a ways to go. Conclusion: While it improves from the last issue, there are still some slight problems that need to be fixed. Overall though, it's still a pretty great issue and series so far.

Prelude: Amnesty has been great so far with DeConnick at the helm. Let's hope that this issue keeps above water. The Good: Maurer's backstory is quite interesting and I like the direction it's heading in. Mera and Arthur have reunited! Both were written immensely well here. Rocha's art has been great recently and this issue is no exception. Black Manta is here and he feels threatening. Now that I know he's going to appear now rather than later makes me much happier with his involvement so far. The Bad: Murer's characterisation doesn't sit right with me right now but I'm sure that can change overtime. Continuity with Justice League is a bit confusing since Mera and Arthur are meant to be helping with the whole Justice Doom War right now. Conclusion: Another solid issue but the continuity is a harsh point against it. I'm not sure where this is being placed within the larger DC Universe.

Prelude: Aquaman has been surfing the waves well with DeConnick as it's captain (I wonder when I'll run out of sea jokes), but Year of the Villain hasn't been all too crash hot with me, especially with the Doom Signal. This will be an interesting issue in that regard. The Good: The Doom Signal is really creating the world it seeks. In most other stories, it generally feels like a normal story but this ones is actually impacted by Year of the Villain. This issue also shows really well why it's so hard for Gods and Humans to live together. Some good art here as well. The Bad: Continues the past issues' problems with continuity. Mera is missing as well as this story taking place after Amnesty. It's a questionable choice to do so. Conclusion: A Year of the Villain tie-in that also works within the wider Aquaman story that DeConnick is creating. Main problems within this is the interruption with the current story with this one taking place afterwards.

Prelude: It's heating up now in Amnesty Bay as Mecha Manta attacks. Let's see how DeConnick goes with this part of the story. The Good: I liked the backstory on Black Manta. Manta is a tricky one to give backstory to, due to his past and that it is usually better to leave it shrouded in mystery, but it works here. Manta is really menacing here and that is great. I love the focus on farther figures. Manta and his father but also Aqualad, his son. The Bad: Cliffhanger is very basic. Continuity is all over the place. Conclusion: A strong issue that continues well with DeConnick's run. While I love the focus on Black Manta, the cliffhanger is very basic and continuity continues to be a problem as such with every other Year of the Villain title.