Despite the slow pace I really appreciated the opportunity to see more of the individuals we'd be seeing going forward and in a subtle fashion. Hickman is doing an exposition dump but not in the typical way you'd normally see it. We get our character motivations for Gwen and Harry and see how not completely on the same page they are as well as Harry and Peter's dynamic. It's all pretty nuanced and that might be why people are so iffy on it. That tends to go over a lot of heads and is definitely a trait that Hickman employs. I loved seeing how driven Gwen is in pushing the Parkers forward while Harry is very casually forceful to Peter specifically. Also an interesting circumvention of the norm to have Harry of all people tell Peter about great power and responsibility. The biggest detractor here is the art. I can't rate the issue any lower as it is as a whole is fantastic but the art is very distressing. Messina seems to heavily rely on reference photos for his faces and while that is very normal to use reference to get poses or even some faces down, none of them have cohesion between panels, most egregiously is Gwen. When she first appears she looks like Margot Robbie, then the next panel, someone entirely different, the next panel looks like some other model and the fourth panel she's in has her eating something. The hand in that picture is very odd. It either has five fingers or a really messed up thumb that is in the completely wrong position OR is turned the entirely wrong way around. It's supposed to be her left hand but it is facing the wrong way for that to work. Take a look at it yourself and it'll be a lot more clear. I don't want to accuse Messina of using AI generated art, I really don't think that's the case. I think he just over relies on reference and may have been a little lazy. I'd really rather it be the latter but considering the hands and poses throughout a lot of the issue it doesn't really make a lot of sense. Hands are hard and that could be it but as a professional artist on a very popular and important book you think you'd take a lot more care to raise the quality up a bit.

Not sure what to think here. Is Ben going to be the new Goblin? Does Peter have gaps in his own memory and will that be the catalyst for the new Goblin problems? I'm glad that Ben seems to be getting back to normal but the idea that he and Janine share that they might just both be "bad" feels like a cop-out. The Spider team just don't want to deal with him anymore so we'll just write him off as a "bad guy" and push him away after doing him so dirty from the end of Beyond until now. At least he seems to not be crazy and has somewhat come back to BEN and away from Chasm. We'll see.

While the plot here is engaging and the conflict between Havoc and Cyclops works well, the dialogue has become very repetitious and somewhat bothersome.

Two issues in a row they can't help but point out that Ororo is black. The Stan and Jack cameos were actually pretty nice. Much more so than we get nowadays. The novelty of a Christmas issue worked because that aspect didn't become the sole plot point. The Sentinels' return was really interesting, seeing how the new and improved X-Men dispatch them or are captured.

Even if this enemy returns it really felt like the most filler issue ever. The biggest point that I can give it is the fallout of John Proudstar which even then felt rather brushed over. The opening page is depicted beautifully though.

Thrilling. While it dabbles in horror elements there isn't much to call this necessarily scary. That might pick up as we get closer to the end of the mystery but as of now things are a little too intangible to be frightening.

Fantastic art, gripping story. Not sure where the story is going to go as it doesn't seem to tackle all of the horrors of firefighting and is going for something a little more supernatural but its very engaging. Real world traumas and fears with a layer of the fantastical. Works very well.

Even more gripping than the first issue. Hard to talk about the content of the story but it feels very real while still being fantastical. They way trauma and fear is depicted here is fantastic. The characters feel like actual people. Not paragons of society. People with flaws, baggage and weight.

This was really, really good. I've always been much more of a science fiction person than just about anything else but somehow I've never really jumped into a lot of sci-fi comics. Seems odd considering the medium lends itself very well to it because a lot of concepts at least in the physical aspect in science fiction is based on detailed descriptions of future tech. Here we get to see that future tech on full display and while Johns isn't delving into manufacturers of ships, the classifications of weapons, buildings and other tech by mega corporations or hegemonic governments, the minutiae of detail like a lot of traditional sci-fi does, he still creates a "lived in" world. Reminded me a lot of Wall-E but with people instead of robots. If Wall-E was the most generic looking main character ever but he's got a really cool helmet, commands crows and his buddy has a pet warthog named Pumba. Put that in most other stories not set in space and I'd call it stupid but it works well here. Fabok is great as he tends to be. You can tell he put a lot of time into this and I hope that Johns and Fabok continue to go that route. These guys aren't great with tight schedules and if this is more of a sporadic release, as long as the quality keeps up I'm down to read this whenever it hits the shelf.

Okay this was actually really good. I might be giving a higher score than it deserves but for what ASM has been, this is a nice return to something I'm used to in Spider-Man. Peter getting set up with someone new, having decent chemistry, having to run out on them, actually saving people, helping his friends and fingers crossed we get some decent characterization for Ben in the next few issues before issue 50 puts everything on the back burner. Also a fan of Todd Nauck here. I really wish he would be a recurring artist rather than a guest. He's miles ahead of JRJR. That cover is GARBAGE.

Anthology books are hard to rate and I didn't read every story in here because I really just do mainline ASM or am just a sucker for 90s nostalgia so I'll just review the stories I read. ASM: Nothing but a tease for something we likely won't see for a long time and was already pretty much established in the last issue of Gang War. To make matters worse they put JRJR on the art so the whole thing feels worthless. 3/10 Gold Goblin: Short and sweet and somewhat heartbreaking as we see Norman fall further and further away from his growth. 7/10 Chasm: I'm really of two minds on this one. I want to read more when it comes to Ben Reilly. I loved his mini series that ran at the same time as Beyond. This isn't that Ben Reilly. I keep holding out hope and now that he's out from Limbo MAYBE we'll see some journey back to what/who he once was and stop being this weird villain and a reminder of Dark Web. 5/10 Kaine: Weirdly enough I was never really a fan of Kaine. When he died in Spider-Verse I had nothing to really latch onto with him so it felt really hollow. I'm honestly more excited for his return and potential series or at least appearances going forward than Ben's. Really great art, cool snippet of some darker stories that Kaine has the potential for. 7/10 2099: Yeah this one bored me more than the rest. I used to really like 2099 but they haven't made him work since the 90s. Everything has to involve the Spider-Society, or the Spider-Verse or something. Just send him back to his time and either use him there or don't use him at all. You don't have to make every comic emulate the movies that are already adapting the comics. 4/10

Very cool, but it goes very fast. Almost a bit too fast. We go from Gotham to Atlantis to the Moon at a breakneck pace which is the obvious intention. Evading Failsafe is impossible but some of the tension is starting to wane because we are told over and over how impervious he is. Excited to hit the conclusion.

A fantastic piece by two of the best to create in the comics medium. The subject matter here is dark, much like the paintings provided by Scott Hampton. It can be very hard to convey such heavy topics in short form content like a comic book and even a graphic novel doesn't typically lend you much more length for in depth exploration but Archie Goodwin fills every page with meaningful storytelling. So many threads about trauma, loss, classism, abuse and loneliness placed in a book less than 100 pages long. Truly fantastic and well worth a read.

A good issue, definitely liked the Ravencroft stuff. There could be some more fun stories to tell there but it looks that all we got were those two. Having Anna in there and helping everyone become better people and want to reform back to society is great. Now it's likely gone. And chance of seeing these villains vanished. Much like my interest in seeing MJ and Peter talk about how they're in a weird place. Again. And again. People can just be friends with their former significant others without there being drama or whatever this boring do-nothing recycled dialogue is. That all may sound harsh but I didn't hate the issue whatsoever. Just stop the will they won't they in Peter's relationships. Either have him be single or have him be with someone. Let him be happy in either circumstance because the morose Peter is a slog at this point.

I'm giving this a "low" score not because it is flawed in some way compared to the other two but this is mostly a setup issue. Very fun, very cool but light on heavy and important dialogue and light on meaningful action. It was still amazing and leaves us and Peter in a really interesting position that I am very much looking forward to in the upcoming issues. Also, big fan of the "call-back" suits. They were fun homages with new flair and appropriate razzing.

I weirdly wasn't super into this one. The Lex/Joker story really didn't do anything for me because it didn't really mean anything. It felt like something that would fit into an annual which oddly enough I had criticized because those stories felt completely separate from the main arcs but Lex and Joker at least are related in mirroring the heroes and would fit in the annual fine. Taking that story out leaves the little we had of the upcoming 5th Dimension tease which we already got a tease for so this issue, while entertaining just felt like ANOTHER annual. Fine overall but feels like a waste for the 25th special.

I've never been a big fan of Kingdom Come so when issue 10 dropped the bomb that we'd be exploring that world I was really put off by it. However, this whole arc has been pretty phenomenal and makes me want to revisit Kingdom Come and apply this new prequel to that concept.

I really didn't care about any of these stories, nothing felt particularly connected least of all to the main story. We get teasers in Annuals now and it's kind of a shame when they could be used to just make a longer engaging story as a one shot or something fun for the main characters to do but we're left with snippets of ideas we won't see for a while that are only tangentially related to this series.

I have no idea why Anna took weird Krakoan medicine but even given that lack of knowledge beforehand that sequence is handled deftly. Wells can write very touching interpersonal dialogue. He doesn't like to tap into it often, relying on really jarring action sequences but when he gets Peter in a room with a small group or just one on one, his dialogue flourishes. Most notably with Norman. It honestly breaks my heart to see how much distance has been crossed for both Peter and Norman together that we know it's coming to an end soon. All the good that Norman has struggled, bled and fought to do will come crashing down and while disheartening will be something to see. Even the short interaction we get between Peter and William Barker (Sandman) is all that deeper personal connection that Peter should always bring to his world. He brings people hope.

It was still fantastic but didn't get as gut wrenching as it has previously. Kind of just flew through the sad stuff. Still powerful just not as devastating.

There is a lot wrong with this issue and a lot of things that work very well. While overly wordy, that tends to be a mainstay in X-Men and the time period. The depictions of the new individual X-Men, their places of origin and ethnicity are all poorly portrayed or simply derogatory. While seemingly entirely intentional and not for the sake of being prejudiced, in fact drawing attention to those prejudices to break down the problems with them and create comradery among a very diverse group wasn't handled with tact. The intent is there for positivity and growth but fumbles pretty hard with the dialogue and choices in depiction.

It says a lot about the failure of an event when the only time the team talks to one another is at the very end to realize who all was even on the team. Great job Lowe. My expectations for anything during the rest of this run are completely shot at this point. Any praise I had to give toward the Tombstone arcs has fallen completely flat because up to this point it has all led to absolutely nothing. Madame Masque effectively did nothing. None of the Maggia were involved in the run up to this point and are unlikely to feature again so why did we even do this? I can't fathom. I just want a new writer and editorial team. Better yet, give me a new issue of USM. It's the only good thing coming out of any Spider-Man camp.

Some of the action is a little busier than usual and hard to follow but it's still fantastic and emotional as DWJ tends to be.

The Dark Web epilogue issues take this from a sure 8.5 to a 6.5. Maybe even lower but those Spider Who Gobs issues prevent me from docking them further.

Hickman and Checcetto are as near a perfect match as Zdarsky was. All three master storytellers in their fields. Checcetto really understands Hickman's pace. Fluid and graceful in dynamic or humorous scenes, rigid and dark when it needs to be in tense or sincere moments. I couldn't be happier with how these first two issues have been. I remember talking to some friends about what projects people would like to see Hickman on and a lot of them said ASM. I was pretty against that. Not because I dislike Hickman, I think he's one of the greatest writers of our generation. I didn't think he would fit because ASM has a much different voice and direction that I am not sure Hickman would slot into or conform to that structure. Which is a good thing. He does what HE wants and makes the stories pop against the other titles. USM has been exactly what was needed to put him on Spider-Man because the few times we've seen him dip into the well of Peter Parker it was always amazing. Now, ultimate.

I definitely liked this a lot more than I thought I would. But don't mistake this isn't a ringing endorsement of this event or even the issue. Somehow I think Wells tapped into what I praised about his abilities and comparisons to JMS in the first Tombstone arc. Peter's voice is commanding, he feels real and thoughtful, action oriented and willing to take care of what he has must to protect those he cares about and the city. Sounds great. Why then is it only happening in the penultimate issue of an event where he was practically sidelined until now? Even Romita's art popped at least when Spider-Man was the focus. Every other character looked so phoned in it was upsetting. Not that the "twist" at the end wasn't easily predictable but I really don't like this bait and switch of villains turning over a new leaf and then because, "We have to return to the status quo or everyone will freak out, the bad guy has to revert to their old ways. What a rascal they are. Shucks." It's so frustrating. Much like this event. There are some really uplifting, energetic moments with SOME dynamic action supplied by an artist way past his prime. If you still care about ongoing ASM and feel obligated to finish this event out you might not hate your time.

Between the covers, interiors and excellent pacing so far presented in these issues this has been the best X-book I've ever read.

This is a near perfect introduction to a stellar team. Not just in the X-Force themselves consisting of a simple collection of X standouts and some fun tagalongs but in Remender and Opena. Fantastic intro filled with depth for each character (aside from Deadpool) and from past events. The dialogue flows effortlessly. Serious moments maintain their intensity and when broken for places of humor or action aren't jarring and land well.

Only for the intro to the new X-Force team, it's fun and engaging.

Murder may be a virus carried by us all, just waiting for one mutating photon to goat it into life.

"When you begin to think like a gun -- the days of your life are already gone." (John Cale, Fear'--1974.)

And if you lick the condensation from the window of a bus, you can taste humanity.

"What's that -- Going soft? Nah, not me, Pop. I just like to sleep at night, now and again."

"Demons..? My arse! It's the bloody dogs innit!!?!"

The future's in decentralization.

Old ghosts are to remind you who you were, and how you've lost your way.

All he wanted was for someone to care about him. Someone to hold him. Someone to warm him. Nobody would. When we hold each other, in the darkness, it doesn't make the darkness go away. The bad things are still out there. The nightmares are still walking. When we hold each other, we feel -- not safe, but better. "It's all right," we whisper. "I'm here. I love you." And we lie, "I'll never leave you." For just a moment or two the darkness doesn't seem do bad. When we hold each other.

There is a lot to take in. Hard to grasp on a first read so you probably should give it at least two. Very cerebral and inwardly cosmic.

"Science, they say, is the new religion and yet we build our cathedrals under the ground. In the past, those Christian architects built towards Heaven. Do we not build towards Hell?"

"'Do you believe a town can commit suicide?' She said. The town was never alive. It died years ago and what we have seen was no more than a haunting. An unquiet spirit tricked out in living colors. A painted sheet drawn over a corpse. A mask. And now that mask is cast away."

"Reaching the extremity of my profession, I have made my abode in hell and must endure here. The descent was deftly managed - the trap laid according to my nature. Damnation will be absolute."

The art was better, the story was more focused but now I just want it to be over. Kind of a shame that. Had the pacing in the second and third issues gotten us here faster I might me more invested. I wanted to see more from Madame Masque and we did. I wanted to see JRJR do better and we kind of did. Peter still has next to nothing to do but that's fine. I think my problem now is that my interest in Gang War and half of Wells' run so far has been Tombstone and now he isn't getting much of the spotlight either. I get switching to Janice but there isn't really much to go on for her in terms of history. Her and Masque trading trauma is only slightly effective at understanding their character motivations but it feels kind of forced. Masque at least has a history we can draw from, I'm personally less familiar with Janice. I could be wrong but her as a whole just feels like an insert when Lonnie could fill that role. I don't know. Two issues left. Hopefully it ends with a bang.

Down into the limbo of the forgotten books -- the shelves are lined with the moldering bones of a million MINOR CHARACTERS. Maybe to return -- or maybe not.

I had nothing else to read and seeing as I never finished this with only two issues to go, I decided to finally wrap it up. I like the smaller character moments and the not-at-all subtle messaging from Taylor that we need to stop discriminating because of our race or skin, alien, monster, human, what have you. It's all a good message but I've found that Taylor really just works on the surface. He never delves too far into his messages. Yay everyone is happy now, Bruce apologized and everyone rejoiced. That's not how that works. Especially when you imprison people for a long time. All that being said, the art has always been the biggest highlight when Putri is on the book. No notes, I hope we get more in some run somewhere down the line. I think Superman could be a good book for them. Lastly, it comes as no shocker that Waller is and always will be relegated to being the ultimate secret big bad and it's tiresome. I already hate the character and this is not the character she was originally written to be. She's not supposed to just be evil which seems like all the writers decided that was her ultimate position now. If that is, I'd really rather she just be booted from DC entirely because she's not compelling, she's not entertaining and like Taylor's writing has become so thinly veiled and surface level.

What the first half set up to be an amazing finale, lighting the heroes on fire as they decimate the White Martians is immediately cheapened by another shock death and zero repercussions for Waller. I absolutely hate her character, any time she is on screen or in a comic. I WISH that wasn't the case because she has so much potential for nuance. This was not nuance. This was done to upset and outrage. It is such an unsatisfying ending. I'm really over creators, writers, directors butchering their stories solely for the shock factor or to "subvert expectations". You can have a devastating conclusion without Waller walking free. We also know it is very unlikely to get a follow up series so just teasing ANOTHER Justice League seems so wasteful at least after the Waller incident. If she were taken by them and made an example by the League that would be something else entirely. The conclusion was purely just a wrap up and frustratingly abrupt.

I would never anticipate that Transformers would be the book I look forward to the most every month. Between DWJ's art style and writing he manages to blend a lot of things I don't care about into a beautiful and heartfelt story. Not the biggest Transformers fan, hate wrestling but put those together with a new, fairly dark take on Transformers that is so genuine it makes me invested into the deeper aspects. Such a great book by such a great creator.

Weirdly enough I think I liked Hitch's art more for the groundwork issues. Otherwise this is a great setup for what's to come. I really don't understand the negative reaction to Ultimate Invasion. We didn't get the old busted Ultimate Universe back. So what? Why try to repair something broken when you can make something new from scratch and have a chance to make it better?

This was a very strong start to a very small mini series set up event. The pacing is fantastic, the dialogue flows and while wordy feels perfectly balanced. I know a lot of people have a common criticism of Hickman that his dialogue is too drawn out. While sure he fills a lot of the space with an abundance of words it's not like Stan Lee's where it's just unnecessary word vomit. Hickman knows exactly what he wants to say and while it may seem daunting, absorbing all of it fleshes out the story infinitely better. Gaiman is much the same, or Moore. These heavy handed writers who inject as much prose as they can into their books and give them weight and it works here just as well as it ever did for Moore or Gaiman. I've never been the biggest Brian Hitch fan but his style fits with this entire cast of characters and compliments Hickman's storytelling immensely. I have really nothing negative to say about this book. Sure it's expensive, but with Hickman and 53 pages AND and "event" comes with a tax. One that I hope doesn't deter people too much as this is a stellar issue.

The story is great and I do think that Hitch blends well with this story but the colors are very flat and I could do without so many Dutch angles. It's tiring in film and it's tiring in comics. I'm excited to see where this is all leading to. It's clear that this is an all new Ultimate universe, not just a repurposed version of the one we've read before and in all honesty I really like that. The old well had run dry and in order to draw water again they've made another well. It's a smart business decision as well as a narrative function though we'll see how upset people get about that. I'd rather have something new that has it's own chance to succeed or fail on the merits of it's storytelling and not piggy backing on something established and essentially put to bed already.

The concept of carefully constructed conflict to mask peace for the sake of those individuals who can't accept true peace is as Stark put it, truly insidious. It's also brilliant in terms of storytelling and showcasing a possibility of our world. Who knows if that's actually what is happening in our countries around the world? Deception that induces conflict to hide the inner turmoil among states or countries is a long practiced tradition among the powerful or governing bodies. You don't even have to look that hard to find any record of it historically. It's dystopian but it's real. What is presented as crazy and fictitious in the pages of a comic book are very real occurrences while not being on such a grand scale involving superheroes and secret cabals (that we know of). Hickman continues with his deep narrative that I feel will definitely get lost in the expectations of people who just want a comic book about superheroes and the message will either be completely invisible or lambasted for being "political" or not "fun" enough for comics. Comics have always been a reflection of the real world and it's problems with those caped heroes to save the day with extraordinary conflicts but that doesn't mean our own ordinary conflicts can't be confronted by those with the power to change them in great numbers as the Maker pointed out. "It's not how it used to be in ages gone by. Back then it wouldn't have mattered--the powerful would just roll right over the powerless if need be. We could build an empire on their bones if we wanted... But now they are a COLLECTIVE--instantaneously aware of just how many of them there are--and how much they uniformly hate people like us."

"I know now that it is a false, fallen world that we paint as "good enough" but under its skin, we all know it is rotten to the core. And on reflection, almost all of the things I have made do nothing but support the systems that reduce men and women to pawns and playthings... to workers and consumers... to servants and slaves." "It's never too late to change the world around you... You just have to fight. And you have to win." If for nothing else but those quotes, this series while possibly too short for the story it was telling is like most of Hickman's works. Fantastic.

This is probably going to be the best single issue all year.

This was much, much better than last issue. I think as of right now, the focus on less intercharacter dialogue and more inner character understanding is helping flesh them out better. I think that's why I liked the set up issue more so than the last. The intro of our protagonists was focusing more on then individually. Their dynamic as a group did give enough room for each of them to feel distinct or palatable. It's also great to see a drip feed into Xesh's past. Learning how he views any interaction or confrontation.

Stellar finale and lead into the next series. We know the looming threat of the Rakata are still present and we've seen Daegen Lok's anticipation for the arrival of Xesh on Bogan despite the trio's protests to let him stay on Tython. Much is going to unfold from here and this arc was a great intro for Dawn of the Jedi.

Visually, I love it. Duursema depicts all of the characters beautifully. I love every bit of it. Some of the dialogue at least from Tasha and Shae Koda are a little grating. I get that it's designed to create tension and differentiate the who characters but the bickering is just frustrating. Not that Sek'nos is much better. He just stands there and talks about how cool and hot he is but he is at least trying to get everyone to work together or just stands in the background to hardly partake in the arguments. Xesh is very compelling and it's nice to see a Jedi council be more proactive despite the encroaching darkside cloud.

This was a bit of a letdown more so than last issue. It's not even fatigue as I think the release schedule actually helps keep me engaged and excited for the next story. The action is so static and boring. You had Kingpin and Tombstone bearhugging for half of it and then there is a whole sequence on page 16 where Kingpin is supposed to be headbutting Tombstone in the face/jaw and it just looks like Tombstone is giving him a really aggressive smooch. While funny, it didn't portray the brutality or intensity of the action. Same with Digger and the Beetle's posse. He just walked up to them and grabbed their gear without them doing ANYTHING. I didn't expect them to put up much of a fight but they literally didn't put up any fight whatsoever. They all just stood there and said, "Huh?!". Madame Masque is back to being relegated to a handful of panels as well as our titular character. I'm all for having other characters take a bigger role in the narrative to flesh out their character/arc much like Norman had previously but Spider-Man is barely in his own book. He's even aware of it because he mentions how he's just relegated to fighting goons. I want so badly to be invested but it keeps getting worse. If the story won't get more engaging get a better artist on the book and inject at least the action and choreography with some life. JRJR is not your guy for that.

While not as strong in the overall storytelling and gripping engagement, it does a good job establishing some of the main characters while slightly expanding the world and lore of Tython.

I went back to check out why this book had such low scores from critics and honestly, it seems like most of them either only skimmed it or have no real knowledge of Star Wars lore. While this may be understandable because the expanded lore of Star Wars is confusing and daunting to most who've only seen the movies and many things seem contradictory as several critics pointed out, many of the concerns levied or "contradictions" are meant to inspire memories of the material most are familiar with as well as lay the ground work for how certain aspects of the time before the Jedi were. Simply a lack of literary comprehension. It's a very well done story though slow through the first issue and the latter half of the issue lays the ground work for a very compelling narrative.

Wasn't nearly as engaged in this one. Nothing really to grab you. Stuff is just happening at a break neck pace all kind of scattered around. Madame Masque is eliminating Maggia leaders, Jen and Pete are teaming up with Tombstone who's meeting Fisk, etc. It's not bad but in a story about a gang war it all feels kind of disconnected where the last issue felt a lot more cohesive and fluid. Still can't get over the art and I'm still trying to figure out if the cover is supposed to be robots or terribly drawn guns. Either way, the cover and half of the issue was atrocious on the art side.

To start, that cover is atrocious. The story however was pretty bombastic. Great story beats with Lonnie and Robbie, Janice taking over her dad's territory, Madame Masque continuing to torture Hammerhead and the dynamic that Peter has be it strained with Miles, absent with Elektra or the surprisingly good rapport he has with Jen and Jess made for a really compelling narrative. I'm actually looking forward to the next few issues.

My biggest issue is with the art. It was like... too clean? Very safe modern art. It's not bad art but I'd rather not see it in ASM again. The story is fine. Not much more. I'm back to being interested, it's a good setup issue but I definitely would have preferred this to the past 3 issues we got. Also not a big fan of the checklist. Gang War is going to be 26 issues spread over at 6 titles, Luke Cage, Spider-Woman, Miles, Daredevil, Deadly Hands and ASM with three of those being solely standalone tie-in series. I'm not an event hater but more than half of these won't matter, maybe all but ASM and we'll be lucky if Miles and Daredevil manage to still be good despite being unnecessary to the plot (not saying they are or aren't, just predicting). Overall, I have nothing really negative to say about the story. I read one complaint about being upset that Miles was talking down to Peter is a little ridiculous. It was entirely justified. Peter still has a lot of work to do in atoning for how he treated those closest to him during the whole Rabin/Wayep thing. Peter basically told everyone to go to hell then disappeared and shut everyone out. Including the guy who he's supposed to be partners with. Regardless of how close Marvel writes them, they are at least in my mind a pair. Not like in a sidekick way but you don't have two Spider-Men and expect them to never interact like we primarily see. It makes the relationship feel incredibly artificial. We need to see them together more and if Peter is the reason we don't Miles should definitely call him on it.

This is a very generic Batman story. Heavy on action, light on pretty much everything else. There are some sections where I really enjoyed the dialogue and some that I can't stand what's being written. That might honestly just be how I feel about Andy Diggle though. He's a real 50/50 guy for me. Also not big on the art. Like at all. At first I was thinking it was a little rough, the faces look awful but when Portacio has Batman in frame it's amazing. Well the further the book went on and the more Batman was used in heavy action scenes it all fell apart. I wanted to like it but by the end of it and knowing the turnaround Lex Luthor has in his career after trying to subjugate the world with an army of robots (granted the "one who did it" was a robot that looked like him) is so unbelievable that the world would ever let him be redeemed.

I didn't absolutely hate it. Which is something to praise when anything involving Dark Web or Rek-Rap are concerned at least for me. He actually made me chuckle. Things happened in the issue. While I doubt the Limbo story is truly wrapped up, I'm content with where it is. I actually had to go back to issue 908 just to remember what even happened to the collections guy to refresh and put the whole Re-Po thing together in my head which is horrible for pacing. Still though, the only thing worth reading is everything AFTER the Rek-Rap adventure leading into Gang War and we get left with the least interesting cliff hanger ever while also being incredibly cliche. I would have liked to see the Maggia heads DO something before being unceremoniously killed(?) off before the arc even starts. It's not a great way to generate hype. I want to be excited. The lead into the next story didn't do that but I could surprisingly actually read this and have SOMEWHAT of a decent time.

I really like Nocenti's take on this. I am assuming at least that she's on the side against guns and while all of the counterpoints to it are the standard rhetoric we're used to seeing it makes Catwoman seem a bit irredeemable. She has a moral compass. She doesn't kill (generally), she cares for people, the average person and here ALL she cares about is her score, damn the consequences despite so many people telling her how awful the fallout would be. It's a good story, hits you over the head a little bit but sometimes that is what is necessary to hammer home such an important and true critique on guns and gun violence. The problem is just as prevalent today as it was when this was written. The only fault here is EVS. I've never been a fan of his art. Others can take it or leave it, I find it genuinely ugly. Overly detailed, wrinkly, sometimes grotesque and nothing is ever appealing to look at.

I'm even less happy now than I was with the previous issue because I didn't think there would be another ridiculous issue after this one. I'm done with this run. I will continue to read it but if Rek-Rap or Dark Web are referenced anymore it's an automatic low score. There is nothing here to grab onto. It's obnoxious, unfunny and destroys the pacing of the overall narrative of the run. Read the pages that actually pertain to Gang War (there are only 2 pages, pgs.13-14 you're welcome) so you don't waste more of your time. If there is anything to credit in this issue, it's Norman calling out how stupid this all is and even he doesn't want to deal with it.

"Get me pictures of -- THE VULTURE!" Very dynamic but very wordy. The Vulture's introduction is definitely a few ticks higher than The Tinkerer in quality and managing to keep me awake.

This is really good. The art isn't be favorite but it's not bad. Ferry really captures the alien-ness of the suit, giving it more tendrils and liquidity to it's form that I really like. Some of it just feels a bit scratchy but that's not necessarily a bad thing. On the writing side while it definitely feels like something I've read before Zdarsky really channels old Stern and DeFalco while adding his twist to it. It reads like an old Spidey book with a much darker ending. Familiar yet warped. Fantastic read.

Same as last time, it feels like I am reading an old book but it's somehow new. I love it. The art is even growing on me. It's somewhat of a power fantasy. All of the things you really thought Peter SHOULD do to all of the people who day in and day out that make his life miserable, degrade him, break him down finally getting what they should instead of Peter taking the route of responsibility. He's all power now. The luxury of this book is that it's a What If? because to see this version of Peter over a long period of time just wouldn't be Spider-Man anymore. Sure it's interesting to see your favorite heroes turned into something much darker, possibly even villains but there should always be hope. We'll see if there is any hope left for Peter...

I have my issues with Kraven existing because it undermines what made Last Hunt so impactful but this really just takes that and throws it in reverse. Amazing pacing, amazing art. I want to credit a lot of this to Gleason because this really feels like something Gleason would do more than Wells but I can't say one way or the other. If it's both then good on them for crafting this.

Another fast paced issue but it has weight to it. Peter is terrifying which is an amazing representation of what I think the Green Goblin has kind of lacked in people's minds. If THIS is what Norman's sins and the Goblin make a person, then you should be very afraid. Almost everything that I care about this run was touched on. The Tombstone plot, Norman's degrading mental state and Peter's burgeoning relationship with him, Peter, Paul and MJ, Queen Goblin. All some of the biggest highlights.

I'm not as down on this as some people seem to be. While I do think that the Spider Who Gobs was maybe a little too short lived, the arc only lasting essentially 4 issues and a few pages from issue 31, I could have and would have been happy to get more. My only real disappointment with it is the inevitable fact that Norman would never get to stay redeemed and work through his pain with a new bond in Peter. That story is coming to a close. Despite it being open ended at least in regards to Norman it really feels like the true end to an arc. Kraven and Queen Goblin are gone, the sins are 'contained'. All we have now is Gang War.

The 90s had the Clone Saga, the 2000s had One More Day, 2010s, Clone Conspiracy I guess? But the 2020s currently have Dark Web. Say what you will about the Clone Saga, OMD and Clone Conspiracy. All divisive and pretty much hated or disregarded by most of the Spider-Man fanbase but they were all trying to do... SOMETHING. Whether or not they succeeded in their goal is up to debate but Dark Web is managing to be a much smaller scale disappointment because it doesn't DO anything. And we keep being reminded. For some reason. Interrupting the story that we were previously being told. An epilogue to a decent story regarding Kraven and Norman's sins returning? Nope, here's Rek-Rap. Want to see more about Peter's relationship with Black Cat or MJ? Nope, here's Madelyne Pryor having some beast round up all of the Limbo problem children. Why though? Who asked for this? I have no problem with telling fun stories and occasionally diverting from the main story but the crumbs we are left to carry the overall narrative with two pages to hype up Gang War are not enough to satisfy the tonal whiplash I get every time an arc is wrapped up because it never feels wrapped up until 10 or more issues down the line. You can have closure at the end. Not everything needs to be open ended. If you had the ending already, use it! Why now do you return back to such a useless and forgettable event? I have nothing to positive to say about this issue because as much as I try to defend this run, when the highs are high, things are going pretty good but the lows don't make me angry. They make me want to stop reading Spider-Man. I am okay with being angry and reading Spider-Man. I can disagree with what is being told but still interested. I am no longer interested. I no longer want to see how things will eventually be tied up later down the road when I've already been given an 'ending'. This is just disappointing. I am not excited for Gang War because I really don't think there has been enough given to us to warrant excitement. Sure we know it's been coming for a while, we know Marvel is hyping it up as a big to do but the scraps we've been given don't fill me with confidence. The confidence that I've always had in the title even when I was worried about the direction it was taking. There really doesn't feel like there is anyone giving this book direction. Right the ship. Give us a consistent tone or at least don't shift it so suddenly when you're trying to tell a lighter story then bog it down IMMEDIATELY with a half-hearted telling-not-showing display to cover your asses because you did something that pissed on the fans. I really don't consider myself a Spider-Man purist. I don't NEED One More Day to be undone. I didn't need Sins Past to be retconned. I didn't need Clone Conspiracy to bring Ben Reilly back to life, yada yada yada. At the end of the day I just want interesting Spider-Man stories that either have a meaning and a message, are compelling because of a villain or relationship, or are just funny down to earth ongoing of Peter or those in his life. This fills none of those. This run as a whole gives me whiplash because right when I want to sing it's praises something like this follows immediately. I will be continuing to read because despite not being a purist I will always be a Spider-Man shill. I love the guy too much. I've got my fingers crossed but my hopes are not up.

Beautifully written and beautifully painted. I love how it adds to the Spider-Man mythos earlier in his life than we've seen without changing who Peter is or retconning too much. Just giving us more reasons for why Peter is such a great person. Showing more about Ben's influence on him and the lessons he learned in those first few days.

As a whole this was way too much. I liked the wedding. When Romita was on art I actually felt like it was back to his JMS days so to say, I think it looked pretty alright. The bachelorette/bachelor parties were fine. The only one worth seeing was between Pete and Randy. I really don't like how Felicia has one party with 'friends' and decides that's it. And that Peter didn't fight it at all. They were just talking about how they loved each other and despite how he's been really cold to her lately I would have hoped we would get a decent issue of them talking out their issues. Maybe then a break would have been fine but it was such a crummy way to end it like this. The Kamala epilogue is okay. I like what Peter did but I still think that her dying in a Spider-Man book when she was hardly a supporting character was bad form, hardly dealing with it mostly in passing between Peter and Norman at odd times in stories that had no bearing. Her being an X-Man means nothing to the story and makes her sacrifice mean a little less because we knew what was going to happen and it happened quick. The Otto deciding to return to Superior feels REALLY forced. And we know it is because it's the 10th anniversary of the book. But wow. He's in a bathroom in a crappy dive bar and we've not really seen much to necessitate that change. I'm not saying I don't want it but the build up has been really lacking. I enjoyed the MJ and Paul dealing with their trauma and loss, hate the costume. Spider-Woman's story was interesting but was just thrown in here because she's Spider-adjacent and that kind of makes it feel less important in light of the subject matter, Jess getting her baby back. Powerful backup story but should have been in something else. Spider-Boy and Madame Monstrosity.. I got nothing. Know nothing about either character. Perry Thomas and Stanley the Goose were funny but are a horrible way to lead into... The best part about the issue. Kraven and Queen Goblin getting it on! Jokes aside this story was the highlight and it was three pages. Getting to see what is upcoming instead of giving us more story to the Tombstone stuff that started in issue one and hasn't really been added to since then is way more interesting. I mean and hey, go Kraven. Oh yeah I forgot about the Reign sequel preview. If it weren't so far at the back that I completely forgot about it until later it would have dropped the score another half point but I really don't think that is fair. We don't need a sequel to that story. I don't think there is a human alive with more than one braincell that asked for that.

I liked it. Stuff happened. Still pissed about Felicia but unlike most Peter/MJ stans I will get over it. I just think it could have been handled better and not addressed so quickly and casually like they were just buddies or something. The art is phenomenal but I think Gleason is always good and finds a way to change his style just enough with each new character to bring out something new and it's a master talent. I REALLY like the bond that Norman is trying so hard to create and it makes me even happier that Peter is actually trying to accept it. I don't want to see it end but I realize it has to.

Better than last issue in both story, pacing and art. But only barely. I am having a hard time caring because I have no reason to. Since this is all a flashback we're getting story progress but its been a year. That's way too long to deal with this and it just involves two Z-level villains that hardly anyone remembers because the writer wants to give his creations more time in the sun. One of them dies. And it's not the regular guy. It's a god. Very unceremoniously. Why do I care? Why should any of these characters have such a huge impact on Peter's life? I really don't know.

This was paced very well. You feel the urgency and desperation that Peter is going through. His interactions with all of his friends and family are tense and the one person he turns to is Norman. That's pretty heavy. I'm not a fan of how JRJR depicts someone with bruises though. Sure he went through the ringer but his head was already a weird blob.

I actually like the drama that is created by Peter being reckless in the pursuit of Mary Jane that he would (lightly) attack and steal from the people he would trust more than anyone. It really goes to show what he would do for her and why he definitely doesn't "see her as a sister". Dude would move heaven and Earth and his reaction at the end is devastatingly understandable. He feels betrayed. He did everything he could as fast as possible. Hurt those he care about all for her. The only reason I'm rating it this low is because outside of Peter and his actions eventually coming around to have consequences, the journey I could care less about. The villains I could care less about. Rabin and Wayep are mostly useless. I don't even hate Paul. But this entire arc should have been explained sooner. To start with this would have been a bad idea but why did it take so long to give us the most underwhelming explanation to something that could have been really cool. Peter burning bridges and the readers not knowing why is actually a great hook. Now that I know what was on the hook? I'd rather toss it in and cast again.

This was really, really good. I don't know what people are smoking. The art is top notch. Some of the best this entire run has seen. To start off, Mary Jane didn't betray or cuck Peter. We don't even know by the end of this whether or not MJ and Paul are "together". They bonded. Over 4 years. Fighting and surviving and raising children. It's all justified. I'm not saying that MJ should just bang whatever guy falls into her lap after Peter but despite Peter's persistence in trying to get back to her, he can't slow time. She understandably thought she was stuck. But that doesn't mean even at the end that she doesn't still love Peter. The best part about this issue isn't even the explanation (for the most part) about MJ and Paul's relationship. As far as I'm concerned it's just a bond. It happens and while not meaningless, it doesn't mean it's romantic. Even if it was, I wouldn't be pissed. The best part is seeing MJ be a badass, seeing Paul actually do something and contribute to the story instead of being just some dude that everyone hates because he's encroaching on their Spider-Man fantasy of plowing Mary Jane. They actually made Rabin seem like a threat. He was daunting and intimidating. The scene with Owen was pretty chilling. And hey we get an explanation for MJ's "powers". I think it's kind of goofy but it's better than random chance powers so cool I guess. All I have learned after reading this and looking at reviews is that people aren't media literate. They take a headline, a blurb, a single panel and don't look past that or their own idea of what they want the character to do. This is the best issue in a while and thought it may still be dealing with an arc and villains I don't have one iota of interest in, it made me actually care about the future. What will happen with Paul, MJ, and Peter? That is what is driving my interest now. How does Peter reconcile with the people who are effectively leaving him to deal with his anger and pain on his own? The story at the end was also hilarious. I love how much Peter hates being outside of New York and the two panels he's swinging between buildings until he can't is amazing. Actually had me laughing. More Peter and Felicia please!

Art bad, story lame, Kamala obvious but can people please stop complaining about the Paul and kids thing? It's been clear there was no procreation. Romantic relationship or no, MJ and Paul are bonded and lets be clear, Peter has been a whacko. Also justified. Outside of that I really think this was a crappy way to dispose of a character. Outside of her own stories, in a series where she has been a fringe character at best all for shock value because we know what is going to happen. I knew it as as soon as I saw her on the first page. That's not to say that her death wasn't impactful. It definitely got my stomach tied up a little bit. JRJR's art is pretty abysmal here. I think the colorists are doing a lot of the heavy lifting and have been for a while. I don't credit them enough. I'm done with the whole Rabin/Wayep/Xibalba arc. I don't care anymore. I'm glad they're gone but they didn't justify or mean anything to this run outside of establishing Paul who is at least an interesting addition to Peter's world.

While I don't like how aggressive Peter is being toward Felicia I get it. What really bothers me is how he came at her but then approaches Norman in a much healthier way. I would kind of expect the opposite. But then, I'm a Felicia fan. It's nice to see how he and Norman are dealing with Kamala's passing and how they both feel responsible but it feels little out of place here. As well with the continuation of the Gold Goblin arc. I'm happy to have it but there is a weird tonal difference in two halves of this book. I really like the old Ock arms subplot. Honestly made me sad to see how Ock treats them and their desperation to go to Jonah all beat up. How I was made to care about a fake animate object is beyond me but I like it. I liked a lot about this issue and I'm not sure why. Maybe just because it's different and despite the fact that it's a huge leap from what we were dealing with that something fresh is immediately better.

I'm struggling finding something to say. I like the lightheartedness with Jonah, Peter and Norman. Octavius is obviously building to something but I really don't know what. This is fine. If it was all fun there wouldn't be conflict to drive the story with Ock but the conflict has no real context. We'll see where this goes I guess.

The art is the highlight. Could have done without the Rek-Rap tease. I really don't need to be reminded on Dark Web. I also guess we get a tease of Ock remembering and being bitter about his time as Superior Spider-Man and missing it? Would be nice if that was fleshed out more.

While I enjoyed Peter acting Otto-like it's not as compelling as Otto acting Peter-like. Also bothered me that Peter started calling the arms boy when he previously called them girl before painting them. More of a continuity/consistency thing. The conversation Norman and Peter had on the roof with Norman reminiscing about an exchange and inside joke they both had was nice but it feels like too little too late. Show us that BEFORE she died, then remind us as a fond memory. Don't retroactively try to scrounge up a meaningful interaction we never got to see. I don't get why the tone shift has to be so drastic. If you want to do a story about Kamala and the fallout IN Spider-Man then give it an issue or two. Do it justice. Don't throw off the pace of the story you are telling that is full of jokes to then pivot and try to add weight where it doesn't belong. I don't hate it by any means. I think both stories are fine and being told decently well but they don't mesh well and throw off the book.

Gleason on art? Check. Spider-Man being actually funny? Check. Wells doing something interesting with good villains? Check. I liked all of this. Only downside it was half an issue long and will unlikely give us a lot more Gleason like we deserve.

I liked just about everything about this aside from some lackluster art by both Dodsons. I've never been the biggest fan of their interiors and while most of the time it was great, there were more than a few panels, background characters or off model pieces. I really enjoyed the story here. A breath of fresh air after what has been going on with ASM the last few issues. You still get the ever looming Peter/MJ drama while creating a fun getaway for Peter and Felicia to miraculously find themselves in a fun winter themed team-up. Give me more of this. PLEASE. Also, somehow this cover is both good and terrible. It's good for JRJR now but it's far from his best work and has no bearing on the story and while I know not all comic covers necessarily showcase what is happening in the story for whatever reason this one just makes no sense. Regardless, fun issue. I like fun. Sue me.

Everyone complaining about the, "but she's more like a sister--" are either genuinely illiterate, completely attention deficit and can't read three more word bubbles or are simply idiots operating because some ASM Redditor/Twitter incel told you it was bad. Peter is clearly not over MJ and clearly doesn't see her as a sister. Felicia knows that and IMMEDIATELY called him out for it. But he's realized he's changing. Love changes and that line about love with a capital L changing to a lower case one hit a lot harder for me than I thought. This issue has flaws, mostly in the art department. In the last issue there was enough good to overlook the bad but most of this was bad. Not sure what happened. A lot of the dialogue involving anyone but Peter, Felicia and Kareem was pretty mediocre. You could tell they didn't really care and White Rabbit is always obnoxious so I won't say she was written poorly, that's just how she's written. I still liked it despite those faults. Y'all are just dumb or something getting mad over one line that was cut off, addressed immediately and explained. I'm glad Peter is moving away from that but I will always be a Black Cat/Spider-Man guy over Peter and MJ. One of those two relationships is way more toxic and its not the one with the sometimes criminal.

So we get some answers. Not all of the answers but hey, that's how you tell a story now. Drip feed. I will say two pretty positive things about this book. JRJR's art is pretty good. Especially for what I expect from him. Next that I was really interested in the story... until I looked at the editor's note about issue 555. I didn't know about Rabin or Wayep until now. I assumed they were created for this story so I was intrigued. Maybe there is more nuance to these characters that people have been giving such a hard time to. While that may be true as I am still far behind, I was incredibly disappointed to find out that Wells is the one who created these characters. In 2008. So as far as I can tell these roughly 20 issues have all been a ploy for Wells' creations to see more pages. That was a hell of a let down when I saw that. If they were just old villains that hadn't been seen for a while I would be less disappointed but its just a self congratulatory HJ by Wells. I really hope he makes it worth it...

I'm really digging the art which is rare with Spider-Man spinoffs. As much as I love to story I'm getting more and more afraid of Norman's return to his sins. Which is good. The fact that I am actually concerned for this character to reverse course on this well written redemption arc is powerful storytelling. I also like this mystery that is forming from Norman's breaks with reality. What is Kafka responsible for and what is Norman doing that he's unaware of?

Okay overall, this story is great. I liked every issue and they were some of the only parts of the Dark Web event that were even worth reading. As Afre mentioned, I do wish that there was some sort of epilogue as it really just ENDS. Very abruptly. It's not bad, it just felt like the issue was over quite quickly and we won't get to know what happens for a while in Norman's life since this mini series is now over. Cantwell did a fantastic job giving us a serious psychological dive into what Norman is dealing with. While being somewhat generic with therapy and trauma it's an important message to spread and how while Norman's sins are his own, they have impacted countless people. This issue just stumbled on the finish a little bit. The fight with Queen Goblin was somewhat hard to discern from the art. I feel like there were some missing panels. Almost felt like a rush job from the creative team but that's not to say it's bad. I thought everyone was written very well and if it is ever a possibility, I'd like to see Cantwell take on Spider-Man. I really liked how he was written here.

I don't know if it's the time away from the series or what but I'm really not invested in the story being told here. I don't blame MacKay. MJ and Felicia are written well and their characters feel uniquely them but the overarching story of getting out of Limbo and the awkward drama of their relationship to Peter is just a little grating. It might just be the Limbo aspect and the fact that it's tied to Dark Web that leaves a sour impression. The art also slips here and there but I don't hate any of it.

This was much better. Now that it's getting to the conclusion and I don't have to harp on being in Limbo, MJ and Black Cat are doing cool team-up stuff, it's great. It's a shame that it doesn't really mean anything because outside of a potential call back in a later issue of ASM this doesn't move the needle much for either of their character development.

Great conclusion. Third best title spinning out of Dark Web that shouldn't have had to be tied to it and could have done something a little more interesting on its own. Jed MacKay really gets this relationship and how to pair up their individual identities to problem solve in fun ways. The story throughout is goofy but I'd rather have it than not. I have two hopes after this. One, that somehow this leads to something more tangible in the wider scope of MJ, Felicia and Peter's worlds and two, we get to see more from MacKay in Spider-Man.

As with Do A Powerbomb I couldn't care less about the subject matter. I don't dislike Transformers but they have never been my go to for content be it tv, movies, comics or toys. But DWJ is on it. All of the dumb wrestling moves make it better not worse for my experience which if it were anyone else I would write off about how idiotic it all is. This is great. It's heavy, the human subplot seems to have weight unlike so many properties that have to have 'normal people' in it to sell tickets in theaters. I care about what is happening which isn't something I would ever normally say about Transformers. DWJ makes me invested in dumb shit and I love it.

As the art was a highlight of the last issue and took a hit here, the story simply carried over. I'm not really invested or interested. Batman already figured out who the guy was and Frank's life came crashing down before Batman even had to confront him. Doesn't leave much to get into. It's a fine story but just that.

I get the message overall. Absolute power corrupts absolutely but a helping hand can change everything. Seems a bit lost until the end. That good art really comes back here. Maybe it's just scenes with Batman that are so striking. I really liked the last few pages and it had a touching end. I would be interested to see Frank again but I'm fairly certain he's a one and done guy. Serves this story and that's enough.

I wish I could say I liked this more but I really can't. The art isn't great, the story is fine but remains flat. The message at least in this first issue could have been something with Batman rescuing a person going down a dark road and them taking his example to better their lives and try and preach that to others but John just creates another gang. Sure a few Gothamites are thankful they interceded into altercations but they created just as much damage as there would have been. Batman not putting a stop to vigilantes outside of his control doesn't feel right in any situation or time period of his tenure.

This is an absolute mess of a story. Batman acts completely out of character here. He's at odds with Gordon over vigilantes he gave no training to that he in passing okays, is at odds with Dr. Thompkins this early in his career when she's always been one of his closest confidants. Nothing here feels like Batman. The only aspects that really save this are renewing his relationship with Leslie and the small tease at the end but none of this story needed to happen. The rift with Gordon is left unresolved and it all just feels hollow.

The writing is very dated as well as the art. The story ties itself to Year One by making the villain the chopper pilot that crashed as a result of the bats Batman used to cover his escape during the police raid. But here they turn him into a flying Darth Vader ripoff made by his Nazi mother. I have no idea why this was even made.

I wish I had never read this.

Nazi lady tries to SA Batman to produce an Aryan heir. Her son that was a retconned character from Year One murders her and 'dies' himself. I can't believe this was written, approved and printed by DC. All of her dialogue is grossly sexual and not even in an appealing way. The art has flashes where it looks like it could be good but just ends up flat and lifeless much like the dialogue. The panel layout is also a mess. It bounces around too much and dialogue is broken up so poorly between them you get lost trying to read it so much that it hardly makes sense. This is a problem throughout this three issue series. Do yourself a favor and never read this.

I think the art here is the highlight. It's fantastic. I love the Year One style suit, the heavy line work brings a lot of depth to each character and panel and everything feels a bit grimy on the color palette. I don't hate the story in anyway but it feels like an old school villain of the week scenario. Frank has the power of suggestion with a single handshake and he uses and abuses this power to get whatever he wants until two goons stumble into somewhat figuring out he conned the Penguin until Batman comes to intervene. Not the most complicated story but still fun.

The first story is set seemingly right after the events of Year One and Pulido's art while being very much his own style is very evocative of that older 80s, even 60s style and it works very well for the story. Overall though the story itself is very one note. We know what Bruce is going to choose in his early start to his war and it's not going to be distractions. Well done and beautiful to look at but a forgettable story that could be placed anywhere.

I'm left wanting more at the end. Rough Justice wasn't much of a statement on society as it was a foil for Batman which we've seen a thousand times and will continue to see because it's easy. The story itself was engaging enough to get through but definitely not up there among the best early Batman stories.

Out of the three Halloween Specials, this is the "worst". It has the least engaging story, it's hard to place in continuity and is probably Sale's most lackluster art of any of his Bat-books. All that being said it is still worth reading, still has some amazing and striking panels and pages and introducing us to Leslie Thompkins is a treat. I think had they made the whole thing a couple pages longer to give the confrontation with Tetch a bit more length and more weight to Jim and Babs reconciling this would be an easy 9.

"It's all Gotham." Ostrander does a great job here.

This is getting such a high score because not only is it a good book with an engaging story about Gordon's past and weaving in Barbara for the first time in (my reading order's) continuity, it showcases an African-American character with two moms, cops using racist dog whistles to hide their true words and feelings about the black community in Chicago all while being written in 2002. Ostrander has always flown under the radar in popularity and it's a shame because this is a really good story whose relevance is just as important back in the day as it is now. All the Alt-Right idiots and MAGA-ts that complain that inclusivity is being shoved down their throats or that cops don't uphold the systemic racism baked into our police and judicial systems are completely blind. Batman and the titles that he's carried have always been like this and championed the values of exposing corruption while uplifting and showcasing those that are down trodden or marginalized.

Great story about loyalty. I wish it had been four issues, maybe a little more to deal with the separation of Jim and his wife and Babs losing her mother but all in all this was a good read.

I like the art more than the story. It's definitely one worth telling but I think it's just too up front about it's intentions. Little subtlety in the narrative. I'm not against framing the white extremist religious zealots in a bad light but they're very generic. I want this story to mean more and say something more than it is right now.

Better than last issue. Looks like Wagner is moving toward a goal with something interesting to say. Loving the art style. Fits very well with Gotham.

It's one of the best Batman stories out there. It's on all of lists for a reason. There is always something new to see each time you come back to it. Damn near perfect.

A nice way to cap of the second year of Batman's career. I like this through-line for both Clark and Bruce that what ties them together is this shared tragedy that they both want to right over time. It feels very in character for the two of them and each deal with it how you'd expect in their own way from vastly different perspectives.

There's nothing in here that isn't perfect. The tone, the dialogue, the paneling, the stunning art. Sale really stepped up his game for this project even though it was so long ago. The way he plays with shadows throughout the whole issue. Batman is an imposing figure in every panel he's in creating a depth and scale you don't see very often. He's a presence as well as a person. Aside from how well this story plays and how well it was adapted into The Dark Knight I think the best part is the very subtle framing on Harvey Dent's face from scene to scene. He's not always cast in shadow but when you examine the dialogue and his tone the shadows fill in to with the dichotomy we're so used to from him. He's running for DA but he takes exceptionally hard stances from time to time that make Gordon and even Batman have to reel him back. It's a wonderful book that actually carries a narrative and develops a case that Batman has to solve. There's nothing I like more than the World's Greatest Detective actually doing some detective work.

This is stacked with so many amazing depictions of Gotham and its people that a lot of the more subtle imagery flies beneath the surface and I'm so glad to be reading it again with a different lens.

It is starting to feel like too little is being said and set up without much goal to reach. It's a great read but rather nebulous.

I remember when this was coming out and the store owner at the lcs I went to put it in my box. I thought what the hell is this and why should I care? I still bought it and all of the rest of the issues but never until now did I sit down to read it. When I was younger I didn't care about a young loser Peter Parker, I just wanted cool ass kicking Spider-Man. Turns out the run immediately following Superior wasn't a whole lot of dynamic ass kicking fun and more of a filler arc to lead into Spider-Verse. THIS however was really refreshing and a well fleshed out expansion to the origin we all know. We've all seen it about a hundred times over at this point. But how Peter deals with it has always been slightly different in the many depictions. I think this is definitely one of the better ones and really highlights Peter's own disdain for himself. He still doesn't feel ready or worthy to move forward. He continues to make mistakes and from the original stories he really just goes on about his business. That's not how grief and trauma tend to work. I know that writers retroactively adding in characters to an existing hero's circle is generally looked down on because there is really no ground for that character to stand on. Effectively pretending that they've just been there the whole time seems kind of lazy but I do really like how Slott introduces Clayton Cole. He's not a part of any inner circle of Peter's friends, he's just a seemingly high society or at least well to do kid that is a big fan of Spider-Man and would do anything to be like him. We'll see how it plays out.

I like that is continues on from the last -1 issue in regards to Peter's comic interest but there isn't really a whole lot of substance to the story. It's not bad, it just doesn't do anything for Peter, his family or those he would end up meeting in the future which is the whole basis behind these issues. To get glimpses into the people before they became who we know them to be. The only really interesting part of the story revolves around Kingpin and a journalist at the Bugle I don't recognize. It may be a call back and I'm looking forward to see it pay off but none of that really had anything to do with Peter.

A flat end to an otherwise engaging story.

This is the second best issue of the bunch. Great art but the writing unfortunately takes a hit to overly expositional dialogue that managed to not be as big of a crutch to the other issues. While this really doesn't deal with Peter much at all, his cameo is well done in establishing a tongue-in-cheek encounter with Norman with heavy foreshadowing but I still enjoyed it. The dynamic between George and Arthur Stacy was really well done. Showing us George is really just the same man we know he ends up as, same to be said about Osborn. All in all, a good addition to the wider Spider-Man mythos that most people probably missed out on.

This issue is all over the place. The art makes a lot of it a chore to read because things jump around a lot. I love the Rogues and Wally's relationship with chunk but nothing is given enough time to really understand what is happening in a given moment and this was 55 pages long. How do you even do that?

This is one of, if not the best issue of the Flash.

This is probably a high score for this issue. The story is just a dumb dream sequence, it does nothing to further our understanding of Peter or his relationship to Ben and May. Not even the best work I've seen out of Wieringo and that's where most of my points are going to.

A great story. Tragic and well depicted from both storytelling and art. Sure it's cliché but clichés come from a real place. There's nothing funny or casual about abuse despite it being a common storytelling device and DeMatteis tells it very well here.

This was fun. Not a whole lot really to expand the world of the Parkers. Honestly it kind of comes out of left field just to make them seem cooler especially with the inclusion of Logan. I like it but it wasn't wholly necessary.

I'm not even going to try to pretend this isn't good despite its age. Yeah the stories are kind of hokey but they are all things we would see carried into the future. Simple mistakes here and there and some dated writing are really the only thing making this 'low'. I even enjoyed Ditko's art here which I'm not normally a fan of. I still stick by my wishing we had Kirby. Between Amazing Fantasy 15 and ASM 1 covers, I think he really captures Spider-Man. Better than Ditko captures the FF.

This really fell off right near the end. All of the momentum ended last issue then they try to ramp it up in the last few panels, remove an incredibly underutilized but insignificant character to create even more weird tension that's going to have to be wrapped up in two issues. Seems like the ending was tacked on or was diverted away from another Batman vs Superman battle.

This is one of my favorite issues of Daredevil I've read. It's paced so well and Sale really brings everything to the table here. His sense of motion pulls you through pages and when he sets of something you understand the weight Matt is carrying and presenting to his opposition. While still being a simple retelling of the Lee/Everett issues, this is punctuated with the recurring letter the Karen and culminates with his meeting her. You know how important it is because despite what we know Sale draws the visual reveal out for so long that we feel the impact that Matt does when he first 'sees' Karen. It's a great read and a wonderful way to return to those older stories.

I can't help but be reminded by the cover how we were robbed of a world where Jack Kirby drew Spider-Man. I'm going to take a more personal route with this than really judging it on it's composition. This intro has always really resonated with me despite its advanced age and dated scripting. Not to harp on that aspect too much as while I'm not the biggest fan of Lee's work and find him a master of throwing out word garbage and hoping it works, he makes clear choices here to showcase how Peter is viewed by his peers and elders. Peter's relationship with his aunt and uncle have always directly reminded me of my grandparents. With a fairly absent father in my youth and no mother, I was raised almost entirely by my grandparents and the way Lee described their relationship and sense of humor is almost an exact parallel. I wrestled with my grandfather almost every day after school and my grandmother was the best cook and while I never had wheatcakes, I was a fiend for pancakes. Not that any of this is exclusive to my situation but it's in these scenes that Lee and Ditko really cement Peter in believability and relatability. Traits that have carried with him and shaped the way that people look at 'costume heroes'. As a way to bolster how real Peter felt in his relationships with those around him, he's also depicted with very real feeling. Retribution, regret, anger, rage, loneliness, and resolve. Attributes and emotions that weren't as effectively conveyed at the time. These especially have stood the test of time as they are what have made Peter Parker and Spider-Man an icon. Someone who feels what we all do but knows that he was given gifts that he could use for himself yet has the lessons and tragedies instilled in him to use those gifts to change the world for the better.

There's nothing not to love here. The art and story flow and blend so beautifully. It's not the best rendition of the Daredevil origin but it's still fantastic. Sale's use of shadow puts you into the gritty world that Matt inhabits in Hell's Kitchen. The knockout of Creek by Battlin' Jack is also one of Sale's best spreads.

The art here is awesome. I really like the stylized look that Cully Hammer has and think it works great for Batman. Now as a first year Batman story this is a little weird. Bruce is extremely cold. He's slashing positions at Wayne affiliated businesses and downsizing as much as possible. It's clearly concerning not only to the employees but the business world as well. It seems out of character for Bruce and in this issue we get nothing that would really hint that Bruce has an ulterior motive or strategy to it. The "villain" here is a down on his luck guy that gets fired from a jewelry store that is a Wayne subsidiary and his life goes from bad to worse. But he's not necessarily a bad person. He has premonitions and as a result comes off as psychotic or schizophrenic. Honestly it's sad to see how people treat him and that's the point. You don't look hard enough at the people in real need. Batman also seems pretty brutal during fights but in the context of the first year, it makes sense. My biggest issue was the lack of sound effects and lettering punctuating most of the action scenes. It's not necessary and it can be a design choice but it's a personal preference for me. There is also a lot of yellow shades through out the book. Warmer tones overall but yellow is a predominant color which is an interesting choice.

I was really, REALLY hoping that this was going to be better than it was but I was really disappointed. The art is still great but still has that yellow hue to everything that it's hard to ignore. The conversation between Ted and Bruce would be more interesting if it made a little more sense. I get that he's supposed to be "seeing higher" than everyone else because of his visions but he's clearly broken his sanity and it's less a deep dive into higher thought and more just crazy rambling that I think Casey thought sounded good or intellectual. The biggest cliff dive for this was Bruce's personality. He's just a cold bastard to everyone. To Ted, to the reporter/anchor guy (it's honestly hard to nail down, the dude seems like an investigative reporter but he's an anchor on the news and those two jobs don't usually cross like that) whose fingers he almost breaks even though he seems to actually be trying to help heal Bruce, and the mass layoffs he's imposing in the Wayne company and the businesses tied to it. There is no master plan or reason other than he knew there was a recession coming. It's really cold and not what you want to see Bruce Wayne do. It's heartless and he's supposed to be almost a bleeding heart for the citizens of Gotham even with his overly broody demeanor during Year One. Ted's journey is also heartbreaking because he tells Batman he can either go after him and Ted will continue as he is, killing or let Ted go and he will just lie down and die. Batman just leaves and Ted dies sitting against a tree with no one to help or mourn him. It's just a very jaded Bruce/Batman story.

The art here surpasses the story but I was enthralled the whole time on both levels. A fairly basic story but there was enough intrigue with Scarecrow and Jillian that I flew through it to a satisfying conclusion.

The art is strong but a little busy. Sometimes seems messy and not in the sense that's not his style, it clearly is but a few strokes seem to be left on the page that could get cleaned up. It's a sweet story, with an impactful opening. Simple hero's journey beginning. I'm just not big on wrestling at all so it's not really my cup of tea in terms of the action department.

Yeah this was it. I liked the action a lot better here. There was even more emotion than last issue. I had a feeling that the reveal here would be what it was when I read issue one and even with that, it still breaks your heart and hits you like a truck. It's a whacky story but it's already loaded with heart.

I still don't like wrestling but this is really good.

The pacing was a bit off. The montages were awesome but the emotional moments were too often intercut by sporadic and quick matches that didn't have a lot of weight to them. The ending though. It's going to get intense.

This was predictable. Not in a bad way, it's still really cool but not as surprising anymore. I don't really have any problems with the art anymore, it all does a pretty great job at conveying every over the top detail. Some of the lettering and sounds effects get left to die though. Super fun.

That cover goes hard and I hate snakes. There is so much to like about this book. Even though it kind of blows through the other fighters and their backstories which makes it a little harder to resonate with all the parties but in the end the only one that really matters is Lona and Cobrasun. All they have to do is y'know. Beat God.

It's bittersweet and it's almost too bitter. By god was that stupid and fun.

Art good, story bad. Ben's place in this entire event feels so lost. He's never felt like an antagonist or even any sort of pivotal character when this is about him and Madelyne just trying to get their memories back. All this shows is that the X-Men part of the story was the only one worth telling. The worst thing this issue did was take the phenomenal ending to the Dark Web: X-Men series and undercut it by having that very heartfelt reconciliation between Maddie and the X-Men and make her somewhat antagonistic again. Not that she became a villain but it feels like a little bit of that growth was gone instantly. Wells was clearly not talking to Duggan. Disappointing overall.

I love Dick chilling in the Batmobile listening to his Batmusic with his Batphones on his Batpad while undercutting obscenely rich billionaires. The irony is hilarious and you know Waid and Mora are clever enough to have planned it. I really appreciate the SatAm exposition for Metamorpho. As long as the character has been around, I've know what he does but never how he got his powers or what he had to go through to get them and become the person he is. Concise, beautifully rendered. It's like watching Justice League all over again. Plus we get Jimmy being Jimmy, and actual detective work. Who would have thought that would run well in a buddy-cop/Batman book?

"Try HAVING A JOB sometime." One of the best lines I have ever read only reinforced by Superman saying it to Batman only for him to come back with, "...I swear, that man would believe a HAM SANDWICH..." Even if you take out the rest of this story the first 6 pages are perfect. How Waid is able to pull from all of this backlog of characters and seamlessly integrate it all into one story is amazing. He really understands each of these characters that he pulls from and the sandbox he has to work with. I'm glad he's back.

Strong but kind of all over the place at times. I get the cut ins with all the other groups but some of it just felt like filler. Also having two brand new super villains to contend with in one book is a lot. It's just a dense issue that could afford to be stretched a little more.

I want to rate this higher because these two event books have more or less been fine but it's completely marred by the lack of communication between Wells/Lowe and all of the other writers. Nothing felt cohesive or planned out. Another sad aspect to this issue in particular is that the art didn't feel as on as the first event issue. Still good but there are some off model faces. There is really no growth for Ben whom I had expected this series to actually deal with considering he and Madelyne were practically bringing hell to Earth but once the X-story was properly and satisfyingly wrapped up, the Spider-story died. There are a few instances is the dialogue that I recalled where even some character development that occurred in previous tie-ins is completely ignored as well as both Mary Jane and Black Cat. You'd really think Peter would be more worried about them. I get that he doesn't know but it really doesn't seem like it would have been hard for him to find out, bust out of the Hell Bugle and help them. More points deducted for a lack of communication. I saw a friend of mine mention in a comment here that Ben's arc could have been completed if Jean and Maddie had just done to Peter and Ben what they did themselves. Peter would have willingly gifted anything to Ben, just not his life. All Ben really wanted were the memories that they shared, not even necessarily the ones he lost as Ben Reilly. As Jean showed compassion for Maddie in sharing the memories and emotions, you know Peter would have done the same. But Duggan knew how to wrap up his story. Wells clearly didn't. Wells plucked two characters with similar enough backgrounds and trauma to think up and event but couldn't deliver on his half of the story. Props to Duggan, Cantwell and MacKay for elevating this flop of a Spider-Man/X-Men crossover.

Finishing this just highlights that Dark Web should never have been a Spider-Man event. The only story worth telling was the one between Madelyne, Jean and the Summers brothers. The conclusion to their story is even in this book. It's all so satisfying and beautifully told. Best tie-in I've read in years and in three issues told a great story that Wells couldn't in five.

Between his guilt, trying at heroics and scolding a parent to be better than he was this is one of the best turns for Norman I could have hoped for. Villains turning into heroes is cliché but only so far as they tend to be surface level and don't have them deal with their actual sins. This particular case manages to have those in a physical form but it's all very grounded despite that. Norman really wants to try even through the animosity he is met with from most he helps. I doubt this will even be a long term status quo for Norman Osborn and I was even skeptical when it began but it's one of the best things to happen to the character and the best thing happening in Spider-Man right now.

This was fine. Hardly ties into Dark Web which is to it's benefit but like Afre pointed out not much can be said here because MacKay is just waiting for Wells to do what he's going to do. MacKay still manages to make it entertaining and this pair that he's brought together is written phenomenally.

I liked this more than last issue but just barely. The art is about all I have to praise this for even though McGuinness isn't my favorite Spidey artist, he's still good. Male characters at least just look really chunky. Thicc bois, which isn't the worst thing, it just stands out. There are only a few moments in this I thought the dialogue was even decent. Hell Bugle is funny but all of it is unnecessary. Robbie just exists there. Jonah has something to do for a few panels and it's only okay. Not even very funny except maybe to a 10 year old. I really don't know. This issue also didn't seem to move the needle forward in terms of the event and if you aren't reading the tie-ins, knowing there is only one more ASM issue and then the finale, this really doesn't do much. Even trying to endear us to Parker-Man isn't really something I care about because none of this matters.

Yeah I really don't care anymore. Ben isn't Ben and if he's not Ben then I'm out. The art is cool. That's about where all of my points are coming from. I like a single line in here and it was when Peter punched Ben saying, "If we're exchanging gifts, Merry Christmas! I got you a new concussion!" I'm only here now because I am a Spider-Man fan and I like so many other people am used to the pain.

A Christmas Carol is one of my all-time favorite stories and this was done so well on all fronts. The art is perfect, the story and dialogue feel so representative of each character as I know them from heart. I hear the various voices from the years of animation and games in their words. It's fantastic.

This event doesn't deserve how good the writing and art are here.

From the origin of the Batman to the very dynamic scenes this is a real winner from back in the day. The writing is a bit stiff and there could definitely be some panels added to avoid off panel action that was instead stated but a great issue considering it's age.

I am generally very critical of overly expositional dialogue but it works here to really draw in potential readers for only 50 cents to give them a decent leg up on the story so far in Invincible as well as tie it directly to the story and explaining Mark's world to Amber. It's great. Invincible can get it.

Honestly, the only thing that was really intriguing to me was the Robot subplot and the end with reveal of sorts. I like the concept of the dark place that the new Darkwing and Mark went into but I'm not sure it'll be explored further. If it is, that could be really cool. Otherwise, this was a just okay issue.

This is a much better issue than last. A great many of the various storylines revolving around the friends and family in Mark's circle are each touched on here and it's all solid. Definitely room to expand and fill out their respective stories but nothing feels shortened or cast off with the pace of the book. Center stage is Mark's relationship with Amber here and her trying to deal with it by talking to people. It's very down to Earth and incredibly relatable on both sides. I'm also looking forward to this new villain shown at the end of the issue.

I really wanted to like this one more than I did. I just couldn't get past the narration. I really hate repetitive dialogue or narrative exposition. I get that it was supposed to be a fun device Kirkman wanted to use to make it fun and light but I couldn't gel with it. The story itself was awesome and a bit heartbreaking in regards to Allen and the resolution between Mark and Amber is nice and feels earned. Go Mark.

We got a new villain and figured out which one the original was. Maybe. At least we'll be able to tell in the future. Cool fight, good character developement between Mark, his mom and Art. Going to include small reviews for the Origins collection in here since I have no idea what issue it's actually from. Monster Girl 8/10, Rex Splode 7/10, The Immortal 6/10, Dupli-Kate 6/10, Atom Eve 8/10.

This was almost perfect. A great representation of high school life and making it relatable to a character with super powers. It doesn't matter if you are larger than life and invincible, you still have to graduate and learn how to grow up.

A few funny moments but not my favorite issue. The best part is at the beginning with Amber talking to William and Eve thinking that Mark is a drug dealer. After that it's just a decent little space exploration story and set up for something to potentially pay off later.

Just rating this for the Jimmy Olsen story. I haven't read Fraction in a while and this was just a ton of fun in a few pages which is more than I can imagine Bendis did with this entire run. It's also nice that this has nothing to do with Bendis' Superman so even more points. Leiber on art is also perfect. Great read.

The Invincible segment in this is rather short, it is an FCBD issue after all and it was very emotional, tackling more of what Mark and his mom are dealing with in the fallout of Nolan's departure and what he said about his family. The weirdest part of this is that in every collection, they place this after some resolution comes up. It mars the pacing of the series because you feel like it's two steps back. Granted, it was a free story meant to introduce the status quo of the book to potential new readers but it's still odd. Placed one to two issues prior in the collections and it hits a lot harder. Also, that cover is a MESS.

I like the deeper dialogue in the issue and the fish person portion is fun but nothing important to the plot. It kind of takes down the entire issue with the stark differences in tone. While it's definitely important to inject a bit of levity every once in a while I'm not sure that was used very well here. Still a fun issue though.

You can tell Mark is going through a lot and it's kind of rushed through but I think that's the point. He's kind of cruising through trying to push what he's dealing with down until that ending. Damn.

This issue is far better than this event deserves. It tackles so much history with all of the characters involved but doesn't feel overly expositional. The main Amazing Spider-Man title is taking itself way too seriously whereas this is just having fun with the goofy premise and it works.

Nothing much to say other than, it was awesome. It reminded me a lot of Brubaker's Cap where even the art kind of evoked Epting's style and the ending is both hilarious and stupid.

This series has evolved very quickly in it's short run with Wally. All puns intended. Where the humor in the first two issues felt very childlike and out of place was remedied in the latter two issues and really prop up every character. It's not just Wally and Ollie being the known funny guys. Everyone has their time to shine while also being great representations of their respective characters. Mr. Terrific feels like Mr. Terrific. The animated Legion of Doom squad all felt like them from back in the day. I don't want to speak too early but I think Jeremy Adams has really found the voices for the story he wants to tell and everyone should jump on board. Even the end which takes us back to the place we all want to forget is entered with some hope. Just put one foot in front of the other.

This story speaks for itself. DC did the right thing and pushed Wally over the hump and placed him right back where he needed to be. The Flash.

These tie-in books are better than anything Dark Web has done so far because these writers actually understand the characters. Not sure what happened with Wells but MacKay is getting it done.

This hurt to read. Not because it was bad but because of how real and relatable it is. It's unbelievably frustrating to see Dick be so distracted with himself and not notice Kara or anything she is saying. But we've been there. On both sides of the table. It's great, heartbreaking and cringey.

Weirdly enough I think I like this issue more than the last but it was over a little too quickly. The humor was better placed but I had a hard time really caring about Wally in the future. None of the danger felt immediate whereas with the Speed-Raptor there was weirdly tension. His interactions with Gold Beetle were amazing though.

This was just great. Eddy Barrows is a pretty good artist that has some janky faces every once in a while but I was happy to see him on this book. I've never really seen him do any of the speedsters so it was pretty cool. As much as I don't like, "let's go faster then ever before!" from the speedsters it did have somewhat of a purpose and weight to it here in outrunning the Darkest Knight and the zombie Dark Multiverse speedsters. Seeing Barry accept Wally as his own person again was great but it should have been done years ago or never undone. Barry is milquetoast. Wally is all of the personality and growth that people know the Flash for. His entire Flash Family and Rogues stemmed from Wally's time with the Flash, not Barry. I'm glad Wally is far outpacing Barry. Finally.

This could have ended a lot better without Wally in the Mobius Chair. It really wasn't necessary. Just put him back with Linda and the kids and be done with it. That was the entire point anyway. Tempus' presence ruins what could be great about the book as well with needless exposition. Some of it is bordering on poetic at least in regards to Wally's family but it's overwhelmed by all the rest of it. It was also a bit jarring because Linda just remembers the kids, is wearing a Flash shirt and it's on her phone like nothing has happened. I'm glad but there was nothing previous to establish that she was waiting for them to my recollection. I also get that was the point of Wally getting in the Mobius Chair. He's setting the timeline right but it's communicated in a very vague way. It's not a terrible ending but underwhelming to be sure.

The epilogue printed in the trade didn't do much other than frustrate me more at the ending. I'm annoyed that it ties into Death Metal, annoyed that Wally has Manhattan powers even though I do honestly think it's decently explained and works for the plot unlike other ultimate powers bestowed for seemingly no reason. I like the message that everything is important and the past needs to be preserved or fixed it's just disappointing it's coming from Death Metal.

The series is getting better as it gets closer to the end which is actually a nice change of pace. Most mini series start out strong then fumble the bag at the midway point. I do have to agree with ICC in that having Wally or any speedster, "run faster than they've ever run," is tired and it didn't even have weight to it here. At least when Waid and Johns evoked that story telling "device" they did it with intent and made it important. He would almost die most of the time and you were actually worried because Wally was worried. He didn't want to have what happened to Barry happen to him. Now they just do it because the Speed Force really means nothing. Other than that the story is getting better. I am definitely tired of seeing Tempus Fuginaut. I was really hoping he'd be a more passive character than he is and adding more McGuffins into the story like the Mobius Chair isn't very interesting but it works simply enough to get to the point Lobdell wants Wally to reach even if it has to be told directly to him with no subtlety whatsoever. Lobdell really likes to do that. I guess he assumes the only people who read his books are the smooth brain Red Hood stans which kind of makes sense. They need to be spoon fed information otherwise they wouldn't know what's happening.

I just don't really care for the story that's happening here. It's fine but I don't think that an event was needed just for this and reading it after it has come out and seeing all of the tie-ins, there is no way the amount of story that it would take to wrap this all up justifies it's length. McGuinness' art is pretty good but not his best. He's got this weird thing going on making all of the characters have really thick, short necks. I never noticed it before because I mostly saw his work on the Hulk and Superman/Batman and it wasn't nearly as distracting there. There were some bright spots in here tough. I thought the humor was great and Wells really does seem to understand the character's voices but not necessarily the story he is telling with them. It feels a little lost in the weeds but at least everyone still feels like who they are supposed to be. It could definitely be worse. I'd rather have the cast remain consistent on a meaningless story than be completely unrecognizable on a story that is trying harder.

I liked it. Sue me. I didn't like the rhyming from Superdemon and the kiss was weird but I was happy to see Wally and Linda run together. I also just really like the art. Booth sells books for me. The story is all over the place and suffers from the same issues I had in the second issue with creating weird characters that do nothing but at least the last issue had a Roy moment and this has a Linda one. I'm invested.

This is the best I think I've ever seen Adam Kubert's art. It doesn't look like his same style he generally uses at DC and I really appreciate that. The colors look amazing as well, just a few panels Kubert could have worked on a little bit better for character consistency. The story didn't really wow me. I really don't care much for the antagonists or their drive even if I am a huge Ben Reilly fan. I don't think an event like this is needed for his arc. Most of the other characters though, feel right at home. Osborn, the X-folks, Peter and even classic Venom. It's just trying a little too hard to be cool without being able to justify and live up to it.

This was just cool. I wish it would stick but it's clear it won't. At least we will have it while it lasts.

As might be apparent, I am reviewing this a while after the issue released. I had been keeping up with ASM with each issue but the last arc kind of burned me out and then this released, I saw that is was a tie-in to Hellfire Gala and seeing as I hadn't read any X-book practically at all I skipped this and Spider-Man for a while. Coming back to it after so long I am incredibly surprised how little it really dealt with the Hellfire Gala event seeing as it had already been completed well before this issue released, that badge just created a bit of confusion for really no reason. I didn't need to be on there at all. Everything was explained in the issue with exposition but not to such an egregious degree that it was grating, simply informative and I really liked it. Gleason's art on Spider-Man has been the greatest part of ASM for the last few years and he has hardly done any meaningful stretches and that is a crime. Another crime is the fact that we don't get more of Peter and Logan together. This really hit everything I want in a Spider-Man comic. Good humor, great cast of supporting characters, bonds being shown and fun action. Funny and sad that it was in a book that was a one off between arcs so nothing here really matters as we still have no idea why MJ is distant but we're getting there.

This actually stunned me. Twice. I started to tear up. I don't want to say anything about the story of this issue because I couldn't do it justice. Everything just clicked. All of the characters, all of the dialogue. That's rare. It's special. The art less so but I can look past it because the journey whether or not the art was top notch was still worth it. Holy cow.

Wow actual character growth. From Peter, Felicia, Norman. I'm liking this a lot. Just need JR to be more consistently "on" or replace him. Glad to see Hobgoblin again, I'm just upset that they're continuing with Roderick Kingsley was always the Hobgoblin and not Ned like Stern intended but that's not Wells' fault. Great issue.

The art was worse here but that's to be expected. I really like this journey Norman is taking at redemption and Peter's understandable apprehension while working to trust him on top feeling responsible for his own mistakes and Norman's is a great balance. I think this arc would have benefitted from an additional issue or two and not having the reveal take place so early and keep the mystery going a little bit longer. That's really all that holds it back story wise.

I stand by what I said last issue that this arc needed a little more substance and length to it. It's not bad, probably the most consistent arc so far in terms of tone, characterization, dialogue and setup. I do like where things are heading towards for Norman and Peter as well as the option for more Hobgoblin stories down the line.

The story much like the art is all over the place. Janine went from zero to one hundred really fast. Recognizing she was in a toxic relationship or at least one that was forming and just runs back after interacting with one person. I get that the person had a point but it was very coincidental and that's frustrating to see being forced in to get the character to do what you want. It didn't feel natural. The Ben meeting Madelyn Pryor bit looked awful and read about as bad. Nothing else to say. The Dodson's did a pretty great job on the art but it really couldn't save how quick Janine's turn still is but the pace of the whole book is jumping wildly so I guess it's expected here. I get that it's going through seasons at a time but all of a sudden war is talked about being waged but we don't know with what army, against who aside from Peter and I'm assuming at least Jean Grey and maybe Scott and the rest of the X-Crew. Same as with the Spring section, this really feels like forcing Janine into a position that doesn't feel natural to her and Wells is just trying to create a character for his event and maybe residuals. Finally, Winter brings the worst art I have seen from Ryan Stegman but at least it was the most coherent storyline. It's like Wells started with those last few pages and had to figure out how to get there. This whole book is kind of a mess and I'm not excited for Dark Web as a result. This should have been an annual.

I didn't hate this nearly as much as other people did. It's definitely moving too fast but I appreciate what they were trying to do in having Wally really feel something about Roy dying even if it's used a bit cheaply. He got more time to acknowledge it in the moment instead of how he did in HoC which is thankfully being run from further and further in this series. Booth's art is always a plus too and we don't get to see him do a lot of the greater JL members let alone even Batman.

The hiatuses this series has really hurt it. Not only interest and sales but the pacing is awful. Some of that is definitely due to the breaks but there is just too much happening in this book and I only care about a handful of the dangling threads of certain storylines. This definitely wasn't one of them. I always like the inclusion of the greater DC cast, seeing Dinah and Ollie are great but seeing as there are only 4 issues left there is no way they are going to get decent panel space or characterization in that amount of time. Seeing the Green Man or whatever they are calling him just upsets me. He does nothing for the story and was just an excuse amalgamate three characters into one mediocre one. Same with Constantine. I was really excited to see him in the beginning but he has been bastardized and coopted into a character I don't recognize. Go Lara though.

My criticisms from last issue still stand. There are too many story lines, too many characters that won't get the proper amount of attention and are just used for a scene or two so people will be happy and do the Leo point. The book remains beautiful but seeing as this was "the big battle" even though I'm pretty sure we're getting at least one more likely in issue 11, there was not a lot of substance here. Bruce rides in on a dragon, cool we only see it in one panel, Kal is confronted by Bruce 5 panels, the Green Man 4 panels, introduction of the Martians 5 panels. These are all crucial points in the story but they aren't being given enough time in each story surrounded by some pretty lame action set pieces. One army charges, the other army charges, someone with superpowers lands and says, "STOP!". They do, then they fight again. It happened like 3 times in one issue outside of those panels I mentioned. The plot is gone and needs to be reined in.

I'm not really one for obvious attempts at retcons but at least here they are trying to remove the stain that is HoC. This isn't perfect by any means but I appreciate what they want to do with Wally. Have him move past a mistake that should never have been made. As someone who never read Sideways, I don't really care one way or another about Tempus Fuginaut. He's just a plot device and I've seen dumber in good Flash stories.

Big step back. Art is great, dialogue is atrocious and they should have just stuck to using the Earth 23 characters and not the awful X-Men/Avengers stand-ins. They also added a mcguffin rod to get rid of the black goo saying that Tempus gave it to Wally last issue and that definitely didn't happen. Lobdell either completely forgot about it, hadn't created it yet or Booth neglected to draw it, likely because Lobdell forgot.

Kingdom Come is lame and Waid is just being self congratulating.

Story was much better, more engaging, art was significantly worse than last issue.

There are some great panels juxtaposed silhouetting Batman by some truly awful scripting and artwork from Barr and McFarlane.

This is a complete mess from top to bottom. The art is grotesque and indecipherable. The script should have been thrown out just based on the concept and Barr's complete inability to write women with respect along with some racist undertones in the Chinese restaurant bit. No wonder people hate this story and DC struck it from continuity.

I am very whelmed by this book and overall, this series. I don't know if too much was promised or expected but it definitely wasn't what I was hoping it would be. Neo Gotham hardly played a part in the story, Terry hardly played a part in the story, hell Derek Powers had little to do and was Blight for all of like 15 panels. I was really hoping this would be a satisfying conclusion to the White Knight-verse but even that isn't happening and we're getting another sequel that I don't really feel is justified. I liked the character arcs but they needed to be longer with the pace that Murphy was going and just put out more issues. 3 more for more depth on Jason, Terry and Powers would have been fine or I don't know, throw out the Bat/Harley romance because even it's not treated well. Bruce doesn't seem to care and brushes it off. So many things in the last issue just happen without really being explained. Jason and Dick crash a Batmobile out of control in the building and someone just says, "They're too stubborn to die like that" and we don't see anything else. Jack just disappears off panel with no explanation and we have to accept it though you would assume that Bruce and Jack would have more of a final heart to heart after all of the growth. I don't know. I don't hate it, I'm just disappointed. It's getting as high a score as it is because Murphy doesn't disappoint when it comes to the art. I can always count on that. And he used Terry and Jason. Poorly, but he used them.

I don't think reading a book I was so excited for have left me with the feeling that this did after getting through all of Going Sane. I love DeMatteis but I really don't think this was good. You know how it's worse when a parent isn't mad, they're disappointed? That was how I felt about this book. It had everything going for it, great writer, decent artist, interesting premise and it's set early enough into Batman's career that he isn't hampered down with a million ways to escape any situation so his "demise" is believable. I don't think much was handled that well in the story. It's hard to pin down but if it was bad, it would have been easier to read because I wouldn't have been invested and could burnt through. This was simply mediocre from something and someone I had high hopes for.

After taking a very long hiatus on this series to let it finish, I'm back to reading and this issue was awesome. It made me laugh with the ever evolving relationship between Jack and Bruce even if it's in his own head, accepting that despite his disdain for the Batman mantle, he still enjoys doing Batman stuff. The art is always good. Murphy is an artist first, writer second and I appreciate the levels of detail he puts into everything from the shadows, the inclusion of generations of Batmobiles, the small touches on the backgrounds and movements or actions that characters make no matter how seemingly insignificant. Everything feels like it has a purpose. That's where some of the issue drops a little bit. More than halfway through the series it still feels like it's having a hard time getting to the point. Baby steps aren't working anymore when you have a big bombastic finale that Murphy always has to get to and wrap up in a satisfying way. I like this. A great deal in fact but it's a slow burn that doesn't have the length to justify it going so slow and not enough intrigue to make it matter.

The first part of the issue was really unnecessary and has been pointed out, straight out of a fanfic. I generally like Murphy's twists on the known status quos but Harley and Bruce is just weird and after a nice resolution to the last issue Bruce enters here like a huge dick. Speaking of, holy character development Batman! Dick gets a truncated backstory apology and fight scene. I liked all of it. Best dialogue in the story so far. Still moving too slow. For being a Beyond book, there is not enough of Terry. He's being used as an occasional plot device and not as a character.

Mantlo puts me to sleep. JRJR is pretty decent here.

I don't think the story was as strong as the Scarecrow issue from Batman Annual 19 it's much more readable. This is pretty much a direct rip from the Kirk Langstrom origin that I grew up on with BTAS with a little more adult context. It also has a pleasant ending as opposed to the others. Not the best, not the worst. Easy read.

This first part of the Other Realms series is fun and a decent read but doesn't feel connected to anything Batman. Not that is has to, this is an anthology series but it feels very alone in regards to everything we know about Batman.

Not Ivan Reis's best work, I much preferred Carlos Barberi's style fitting with the Titans that were depicted. It's okay. A little ambiguous for someone who doesn't know about the previous series and from what I know, there was a decent gap between them so it's a little jarring having a lot of references that have nothing to connect to but it is Geoff Johns after all, it's his MO.

This is one of the best looking Batman books from this era. It's a great story and honestly one of Morrison's best works on Batman. The only thing about this entire series that really took me out of it was that Bruce's schooling. It was just very UK prep and that feels like Morrison's own experiences feeding that narrative. It's fine but it doesn't really feel like something the Waynes would do but we also really don't know much about Bruce in his early adolescence. This could very well be the best example and it's something I have to get used to. There are some times Morrison goes a bit above the call of a comic book, switching to some very across the pond references so it might be a bit jarring though it does round out the history of the villain and Bruce himself. It managed to be suspenseful even when we knew who the villain was mostly the entire time. Klaus Janson really is an amazing artist and I think I prefer his work to JRJR's since they are so similar, I'd take this any day.

This lacks a lot of the charm of the first Batman issue. The former managed to have pretty great backgrounds and sense of motion to the art but a lot of that is gone here and it was really all that was giving these early issues any value. It's certainly not the writing.

This is a step up from the last issue in both the art and writing departments but there is nothing here to latch onto. There is no real mystery as to who Dr. Death was until it's revealed on the last page and he's just captured. Batman does little detecting and more neck snapping here which while funny and of the time literally does nothing for the story. At least the stellar backgrounds, dynamic poses and sense of motion are back.

I did actually like this despite the rating but half the book was nearly unreadable with the tiny cursive which permeates the book every time Batman talks. It's also not the best of the four issues in this "series" but as a direct lead in to Batman: Terror it holds up better.

It's Brubaker. He doesn't write anything bad. This is one of the better Joker stories and is up there with Mahnke's best work. This book looks fantastic. The story isn't overly complicated as it's just a first appearance story of sorts. Definitely better than Batman Confidential's Lovers and Madmen but what Lovers and Madmen had over this was length. Time to breath a bit. There was actually a bit of mystery to that story where here it's pretty much point A to point B. What does come through a lot better is subtlety in the story telling and art. Small things placed here and there that you might not notice and first but become more highlighted later. Lovers had some pacing issues whereas this knows how to give you a satisfying narrative through to the end. Funnily enough, though they contradict a bit I think this is a good follow up read to that story as well. The Jokers in both books are very similar in their extremely calculated and highly detailed executions so it's almost like reading a sequel when this came first.

This is pretty good especially considering it's age. Fuck Bob Kane though.

The premise isn't highly original but it's still pretty cool and the execution is what really matters. It's fun. It's beautiful to look at. The characters are written well. Zdarsky has always had a handle on characters so to say anything else is complaining for the sake it. There are a lot of real stinkers in Batman's catalogue. This isn't one of them. Shut up and have fun reading. Comics are inherently for turning your brain off, sitting down, ignoring the world around you for 10 minutes or so and just enjoying the ride. Any piece of media that isn't trying to really elevate itself does this. Not to say that comics haven't been thought provoking or make commentary about the world but their initial intention is to just have fun. To poke and prod just to find some reason to complain outside of poor dialogue or bad art when you just have to sit back and enjoy your time reading a dope Batman story, you really have to be a stick in the mud.

Decided to start on some Bronze Age Batman because I knew of great stories, writers and artists that I would completely miss out on from bypassing them altogether just reading Post-Crisis continuity. This just feels like a Batman TAS episode with Gordon acting a little campier than that iteration. Less cool and collected. He seems a bit high strung here but it's more of a funny foil to what I am used to so it doesn't ruin the book for me. The premise is so ludicrous it's almost hilarious. The "Schemer" sets up these supposedly blind henchmen to post about the city surveilling for a truck loaded with gold bullion. Gordon is preoccupied with one of the blind men as he was shot and wrote on the wall before his last breath that HE was Batman. Batman's dialogue though isn't at that same level that BTAS managed. He's still a bit quippy, definitely a hold over from the '66 influence which is my only real problem with the book. It's not complicated and a bit silly but it's not a bad story in the slightest. Without the near constant expositional narration, this would be a great book even today. With it, it's a product of it's time that can still be enjoyed.

Not as great as last issue. The dialogue might have gotten to me. Art is great though especially for pre-Neal Adams. His influence hadn't taken hold yet and scenes all have depth and there is a very great sense of shadow and deliberate color here I don't think we've seen in a long time.

Interesting story, a lot less exposition than was the norm at the time. The only real fault is the dated dialogue and horrifically wrapped ending. Just a Scooby-Doo level confession by the crook.

Definitely written in a different time. Bruce is written by Robbins in a very, "60s masculine" way that just makes you reel. I've skipped over several issues because of Robbins' complete inability to write women in any way that isn't completely stereotypical or misogynistic and it's still done here. The only real saving graces of this issue are the art and that Bruce and Batman are moving toward real change. Trying to do better within the city and help more people. The idea and message far better than the execution.

You know a writer is doing a great job when all of the old fogies are complaining about Batman doing unrealistic things just because it's cool when back in the day he did way dumber shit and it wasn't even interesting. This is just fucking awesome. Dumb and HIGHLY improbable to impossible? Absolutely. But it still rocks. On top of that, Zdarsky knows how to write these characters and even through these giant set pieces he manages to write gripping, heartfelt dialogue that just speaks to each and every one of the characters that have appeared in this arc, none more so than Tim. His and Bruce's relationship in the past 10+ years has been... spotty? Questionable? I'm not sure how to describe it but they are a very Dynamic Duo here and in this arc. I'm not the biggest Tim fan in the world but that's definitely changed because of this series.

I don't know why I liked this but I did. It's not the best writing and I don't think this is Miller at his best on art but it was interesting. Characters I didn't know dealing with fairly heavy subject matter. People actually died. That says a lot considering the time this came out and even before Miller was writing for the book.

This is probably the only issue of any Suicide Squad that I will ever rate unless like this, it's crossing over with a series that I am currently reading. I'm definitely not a fan of the Suicide Squad in almost any iteration or team comp. All that being said, the writing here is fine but it's noticeably duller and less entertaining than Giffen and DeMatteis' dialogue and narration in JLI. The best parts were Waller and Lord's back and forth but those are two characters I find completely insufferable to read at any time and the Batman/Flag slugfest. At least it was entertaining and impressive to see Flag get beaten like that and still manage to hold his own. Unfortunately the omnibus I am reading this from recolored the issue and well as attempted the clean up some of the lines and completely butchered it. There is some great art and coloring in the original that I would absolutely recommend reading that version if at all possible. If I happen to come across another issue of this by the same team and it's any better, they might convince me to try it out. This team though, wasn't too impressed with and it just seemed like a one off story.

Even without reading all of the leadup to this and placing the reader in an unknown location with half of the JLI members you would expect and a load of Green Lanterns, this is a fun and solid story.

With the book opening on Maxwell Lord having a tantrum about how the current member of the JLI are "second-stringers", I can see Captain Atom being less offended and a bit of a boot licker to authority but I really don't think J'onn as the leader even before Lord "took over" would take that as lightly as he did. Just felt a bit off. The rest of the issue has great banter and teamwork, introducing a new Rocket Red that is actually a Russian national. His dialogue is definitely of the time and very stereotypical but it's played off by the rest of the League in a fairly charming way. The big dumb robot fight at the end is just that, a means to the end and the reveal of a seemingly important character.

This gives a great bit of backstory for Lord, a bit tragic but very human which is honestly ironic. From the JLI dealing with Metron to the realizations about Lord and his sentient computer this is a very deep issue in a fairly lighthearted easy read. One of the best of the run so far.

I don't know what this issue was going for in terms of the writing aside from reexplaining to readers what Daredevil's powers/talents are, who he is and what his mission is. Fingeroth references Born Again at the beginning as this turning point for DD (duh) but doesn't write him in anyway that is elevated or changed from that experience. Rather boring for a reader who even has a passing knowledge of Daredevil. It's honestly the worst issue of DD I have read. Constant exposition, thought bubbles, over crowding art with repetitive text boxes that don't lead the plot anywhere. It's all the worst tropes of older comics that I would have hoped had died out by the mid-to-late 80s. The art here is even worse than last issue. Ditko did the breakdowns and Danny Bulandi took those already very static panels and couldn't do anything positive with them. I place most of that blame on Ditko but overall the models look ugly.

Gruenwald's writing was serviceable but Ditko's art was flat, lifeless and there was hardly anything in the background. There really isn't much depth to anything and lacks anything dynamic.

Just rating this for the She-Hulk part for now. It's a really fun one off to promote Sensational #1 and I wouldn't ask for anything else. Her calling Ben Grimm to shake off the boredom before Christmas day is an easy and great way to exposition dump. Beautiful art by Byrne as always.

Decent. There was a great dichotomy between Batman and Superman here. It's a really simple story and I don't think it really nailed either of the characters but it wasn't awful. The art was pretty hit or miss. I think I enjoyed the interactions between Clark and Bruce more than that of Superman and Batman.

I don't really know what I read but it is way better than I originally thought it had any right to. Beautifully tragic and a great somber tone.

How can you explain that it all fits together, even though you don't know how? How can you convey something huge, when your facts are so tiny and you instincts so vague? You need a fine nose to detect the subtle taints of this oppressive perfume which drapes up with the weight of lethargy. We're from completely different worlds -- but we've all been brushed by the circling shade of something fierce and felt the threat tug at our spines.

To look on it is certain destruction but I don't think there is a CHOICE. I've GOT to know. All my life I've lived in a shade of grey, sham world -- a world with something MISSING. THAT world was the ILLUSION, the pale fraud perpetrated by LOGIC. Now is my chance to penetrate the veil -- to cross the threshold into the FORGOTTENESS.

It is a thing of wonder -- a towering longing that dilates me with cosmic loneliness. The vast swelling emptiness of birth and death. And, as the bloody tide of change breaks over me all I can think of is the cripples kid in the Pied Piper who can't make it to the door in the magic mountain quickly enough. Funny old world, ennit?

"BWAH-HAHAHAHA!" This series continues to be a lot of fun to read. It manages to juxtaposition real lessons for the Leaguers and well balanced humor that will actually make you laugh makes this a joy and a great palette cleanser.

This whole series does what it should and encapsulates who Superman is and why he's so important. From the citizens of Metropolis, those closest to him from his parents, Lois, and Jimmy and even his enemies like Luthor and Metallo, everyone here is shown how we know them to be. This could be viewed as a bit boring but the feeling I got when reading this was as if I were watching the '78 Superman movie with more interesting antagonists and a better pace. Frank even went so far as to make Clark look like Christopher Reeve which was a nice touch even if I'm not the biggest fan of the film. This is the best issue of the bunch and this run is the definitive version of Superman's origin. Do yourself a favor and read through it. It's just an uplifting good time.

It's the quintessential Superman origin. Everything you know about him elegantly told and displayed by two artists at the top of their game. Not much better than this for Superman. The only critique I have is that Gary Frank draws his younger characters like he's never seen a child before. They all look like they have tiny bodies with the heads of someone middle aged. Aside from that, it's great.

Just as good as the last issue. Same problem persists with the younger teenage faces looking a bit old but less egregious here. Really liked the short adventure with the Legion and Lex's machinations with his father.

"Waaah! Sputnik scared me when I was a kid so sci-fi robots are bad!" -Some boomer named Bats probably. This is a fantastic issue. Seeing Bruce's friends show up for him is just as fulfilling as the Family. I really wish we got to see this more. It says so much that despite the strengths of the Bat-Family and the League that they're still no match so Batman takes it upon himself to save them despite this being his fault. Most stories are and while it can feel derivative, and homage to a classic storyline can still feel fresh if Batman still feels resilient and thoughtful which comes through here. If stories from the 50s are more you cup of tea and this isn't, just stick to those. This definitely isn't for everyone at least if you were born before 1980. If you weren't, you're probably cool and think that this issue like the rest of the run so far has been stellar.

These days we all need a hand to hold -- in the dead of night, when the rain dashes itself in the blind waves against the windows. When fear seeps, pooling in every vague depression -- diluting and dissolving us, diminishing us -- suspending us, drifting in a submarine world. When you're DROWNING, any hand will do.

I didn't read Shadow War but am a little disappointed in the direction Damian has taken again. And again and again. But I have faith that Waid actually has a plan here. I don't really need to see more Talia or "evil" Damian just to get Alfred back. It was a mistake to kill him in the first place and now we have an awkward conflict that we've seen before at least in the hands of a skilled writer. The continuation from World's Finest issue 6 makes this feel stronger. I like that it actually has some ground laid for it before hand. We'll see where this goes. I'm looking forward to it. "OG" Batman/DC readers need to get back in their hole and read their funnies. Time has marched forward without you. "Waaah I'm OLD! I know more than you do about how Dr. Fate USED to be. He's WAY cooler than you whippersnappers." Don't forget to quote devils and demons or your "God" will be pissed.

Best issue of the run so far. It explores the trauma that the many players in Batman's life are suffering through. Julie with her father and interaction with the Monk, Gordon and his friendship creating a rift within the GCPD. The opening is also haunting even though it showcases the Monk with his mask all mystery him is gone, it has a terrifying act committed in the first few pages that really sets the tone back up for the book. Seeing Batman use his tools and knowledge here is a fun trip.

Much better than the last Year One annual. A simple but compelling origin for the Riddler that I quite enjoyed.

I liked the start of this as I liked the last but this felt more like a trade run than an issue by issue run and it certainly reads like it. The end of the issues don't really seem to be written at a pace you would expect there to be a real end and each is fairly abrupt. It is nice to see a return of the characters from the last series and I do know that this is a direct sequel but everyone seems intact and in character here. That's about all I can ask for.

The Monk is an actually foreboding and eerie image here and I like that we don't see anything of him other than his robes and the blood spilling from his mask. The foreshadowing to the future of those within Batman's circle is a little heavy handed but it's nice to see Harvey Dent. I wish he had more time here but there wouldn't have been much for him to do.

I get that Julie is in a horrible place at this point, her father is suffering from delusions and is terrified of the outside and light and Bruce has seemingly all but abandoned her but she is just making easy mistakes. A shoulder to cry on or support in such a situation is important but she was touted as a much stronger person than how she's being portrayed and it's frustrating to see a character shoved into the damsel in distress role. Another sticking point is that all mystique the Monk had is immediately gone once you give him a name and show his face. He's just a guy and he's not really an imposing figure anymore.

The stakes are raised here and some of it feels rushed or artificial. I like that Batman narrowly escapes from the spike wall trap then immediately goes to meet up with Gordon. As well, Gordon's reaction is appropriately level. This guy is kind of nuts and I should be smarter about how and when I associate with him. We see more of the trauma of the characters, here with Norman and Bruce's parents echoing his fears for Julie. The artificial stakes are just thrown in when Norman does exactly what the Monk wants not that he was in anyway coerced to go off to confront Sal Maroni. It's obviously not going to end well and just feels unnecessary. Have him confront Batman somehow and it creates a rift between Bruce and Julie. Going to Maroni doesn't do anything because Sal considers them square.

I had to reread it to remember everything that happened because I didn't write a review at the time but I think the reread bumped the score up a bit. Another rushed ending where the antagonists simply end themselves very unceremoniously. Batman did next to nothing in actual altercations with the Monk and his lady follower. Norman's fate was heavily foreshadowed but it was still very abrupt. It didn't have enough leadup in the issue and any resolution was simply handled off panel from Bruce and Julie's perspectives. Kind of a shame. I just think that the problem with these two series from Wagner, this and The Monster Men, suffer from the same issue of having to resolve the same way as the originals did which leaves you rather unfulfilled because these stories are intended to be much more fleshed out and they are but that seemingly self imposed mandate to end the same way really hurts both books. Overall, great. Definitely a trade read as that is clearly how it was intended to be written.

This story have reminded me of something that I couldn't quite put my finger on but this newest issue really cemented it for me. It's very reminiscent of Mask of the Phantasm. The entire story had a very B:TAS feel to it and the interactions with Julie and her father as well as her father and Sal Maroni capped it off. It's superb. I really enjoy all of the characters in this book. Even the heavy foreshadowing builds a great amount of tension from a simple and predictable plot.

Not a bad issue by any means, we get to see Batman use his skills in a fun way while he is on the back foot out of his element. Other than that, his dialogue with Julie comes across as pretty unbelievable. I don't think that Julie would be that gullible and even Bruce states how smart she is.

This issue showed some cracks and feels like by the end that there is too much to wrap up in a single issue next time to feel satisfying. Jim felt a little off in his characterization, Alfred really bothered me here and he only had a few lines. I love a good jab at Batman's eccentricities and all but this one just didn't feel funny in regards to the "BAT-mobile". Definitely a weak second half so far.

This left me unsatisfied. It was a decent ending. Things wrapped up easier than I had expected from last issue but not enough was really explored. Batman just yells at Sal Maroni to let Norman walk away with a 3 million dollar loan from the mob and he's just cool with it, Strange just runs away and announces himself as a Batman expert on television after only analyzing him really once, the Monster Men are handled with more ease than I would have hoped after they showed their immense strength and prowess as hunters before now. There is also one glaring flaw to me at least that I have a hard time getting past. It was revealed to us in the last issue that Sanjay's younger brother was turned into the most "pure" Monster Man. Batman bursts through the gate of Carmine Falcone's fortress and captures one of the Monster Men in a net. Maroni's men then open fire and kill it and Sanjay mourns his loss talking about his brother. He is then himself dispatched and we later see Sanjay's actual brother trying to kill Maroni on the roof. It would be fine if they all looked relatively the same but there were clear visual distinctions between the original three and Sanjay's brother. He was less hairy, stood up straighter, had long hair and wasn't covered in nodes and growths. He mourned the wrong character claiming it was his brother and it's not like he wouldn't have known. It was just odd and took me out of the experience. Through all of the faults of the ending, I did like the last few pages with Strange on tv and feeding into Norman Madison's increasing paranoia to set up for Wagner's next series.

This was awesome. I have always loved Matt Wagner's covers and hadn't ever seen his interiors before. Just as cool with a different flavor. This really felt like a real step forward for Batman after Year One. The dialogue is written thoughtfully and matches pretty well with Bruce's cadence. Stellar issue.

Even better than the previous issue. Jim's voice feels much the same as Miller gave him before and it gets the Batman vibe so well. Criminals are really and truly afraid of him and we get to see him attempt at some for of deduction. I love this series so far and am honestly sad it took me so long to get to it.

Sometimes I despair of the Human Race. Where did we ever get the idea we were an INTELLIGENT species?

You really can't get attached to characters in this series but it still hurts regardless. Good writers will do that to you. Even though you may not know a character for a long time if developed well enough or given enough attention even as a background character you'll be heartbroken if anything happens to them. Not every writer is that capable.

This was amazing and heart breaking but I am SO angry.

There isn't much more to be said about this issue that hasn't already been said by others who loved the book. It has everything. Morrison callbacks, Waid callbacks. When ZEA calls Robin, "Chum" I just started hearing a more gruff Adam West in my head. The action is there for the people who don't like to actually read and it's beautiful. Batman and Robin with lightsabers! Never have I known I needed something so much until I witnessed it. Even if people criticize this for being unoriginal or simply playing off of the ideas of older writers it's just so much fun and is exactly what those people have been clamoring for. Older Batman. Batman with flaws. Batman with a family. Sons and daughters that actually have meaning. And how could you not get a little choked up at the end? Bruce's thoughts of his family and the entrance of the strongest friend he has. Perfect. Sure this is all brute force right now but we know Zdarsky is a great storyteller. I hope we get more from Batman in a detective roll but we also have Ram V's Tec for that. All in all, it's a great time to be a Batman fan.

Sad as I am about the departure of Dr. Fate and Captain Marvel this was such a great issue. "Once upon a time -- there was the Justic League of America. But that was another era, when the world could afford borders and boundaries. When heroes could claim national loyalties and feel justified in their claims. But in today's world there's no longer room for borders and boundaries. The walls between nations have to fall if our planet is to survive. So, for the new era -- a new league." The fact this was written in '87 and the world is still having arguments about this makes this specific quote all the more impactful and important. It's something everyone should read and a lesson everyone should learn.

Dialogue didn't seem as on here in the first half but the latter was what I like to see from Spider-Man. Introspective and communicating with his villains. It's what makes him so likeable. The biggest detractor is Romita's artwork. It's just bad. Extremely flat, backgrounds almost non-existent leaving the colorist to just slap a tone in the back to attempt to give it life and depth. I like the idea of Spidey on a glider using Goblin-tech. It's a really cool idea that I am surprised I haven't seen before. But it shouldn't be Romita doing it. Patrick Gleason had a way better design and is a much better artist. He didn't get to do enough issues of Beyond and that is a shame. Like this book. Just kind of a shame.

BONK!

Powerful but a little too wordy. Heavy on exposition and nothing that really affects the team in any meaningful way. A true 80s annual.

I've never read a Brubaker book I didn't like.

I'm personally not a huge fan of the Saiyan arc but this is classic Dragon Ball Z. There really isn't much better manga than this. Much earlier in Toriyama's art style, his characters are much more rounded off, and smoother than they would later develop into. They don't have that iconic look that most are familiar with here but it's still the top of the list here. One hang-up I have is Piccolo's dialogue. It's very Olde English. Very proper and I wasn't expecting that. Might just be a translation choice but it threw me off.

Berserk is amazing, this is nothing shocking. This however isn't really the best intro to such a revered series. It's definitely the most rough part of Miura's work. It's still breathtaking. His sense of scale and weight in his art is spectacular. It just hasn't aged the best and thrusts you into a world with a lot of unexplained questions. He builds the world around these questions but it's a slow start. This simply serves to establish who Guts is, the dreary and dark world he lives in and what kind of person we will see him as for the time being. One fitting the horrific world he inhabits.

A stronger entry and a great continuation from the last volume. It's a grotesque world depicted in these pages. There is almost no light or joy save for the occasional levity Puck tries to bring. Unfortunately for him, he's the outlier in his surroundings and Guts doesn't let him forget it. It's still rough early Miura artwork but even from the first few chapters you can see how he has evolved. His sense of scale just grows further here and the monsters he permeates the pages with are horrendously, wonderfully illustrated.

It's here that we really get character motivation for Guts. It's still not spelled out and surprisingly there is little exposition given. For every question Miura answers, he leaves you with more. WHO is Griffith, what is the God Hand, why does he bleed in their presence and those of demons or the dead? Nothing is given to you and you have to invest your time in this bleak book. It's not a happy journey but it's one that speaks of struggle. This book will twist your mind a little, with disgusting imagery and soul shattering dialogue and storytelling. I don't have much to say about the story of the Black Swordsman arc itself. It's fairly self contained but a decent and certainly rocky introduction to one of the greatest manga ever. This is also the volume the kicks off the renowned Golden Age arc. We get to see Guts' origin. A very fitting one for the man who grapples against demons. Nothing in his life has ever been simple or elegant. He has always struggles. It is the worst ending to a volume ever.

Batman saying he hates to lie is the most comedic part so far. I love the message and mission of the Champions of Angor. Sadly even since June of 1987 that mission is still far from complete.

The message is still great but the context hasn't aged well for me. I understand it's human history, it was during a different time but opinions change and there was definitely stereotyping going on here. Dialogue throughout was fantastic though. Blue Beetle steals the spotlight whenever he gets the chance to have a word or two and Batman remains the funniest character.

Nothing better than Booster Gold. Plus the Royal Flush gang? The BTAS and Batman Beyond fan in me is over the moon on this issue. "It's one thing to try to KILL me. But when you don't laugh at my jokes -- THEN I get MAD!"

Great first issue and a great ragtag group to start off a Post-Crisis Justice League. This is everything I want when I think of late 80s comics. Fantastic blend of humor, serious tones and messages and character writing.

You just have to read it. It speaks for itself. It's Saturday morning cartoons on a beautifully illustrated page. Almost nothing better out right now.

As great as the duo this Batman and Superman has been, I really want to see more of Supergirl and Robin. Their dynamic and past history has been really entertaining.

No one can tell me that this this isn't the coolest shit they've ever seen.

Is the Phantom Zone a McGuffin? Yeah. Does anyone care? No. Because it's awesome. And it's used so sparingly that it's implementation has weight to it. Superman doesn't throw it around like a toy and that means something. Here it becomes something more than I ever thought it would be. Waid managed to do that in his writing during his Flash run time and again. I'm glad he is channeling that wonderful air of creativity in his storytelling. Just a fantastic book.

Another amazing issue in this series. Moore's art is fantastic and obviously a different style. If it still fits the tone of the story then comparing it to Mora's really doesn't seem fair. They are both amazingly talented artists and I think Moore's art fits here well. I am a sucker for Robin stories especially Dick-centric Robin stories. Dick using his detective skills, surrounded by a circus like he grew up in, simple fun. What else could you ask for?

Here is a slower issue. I personally tend to enjoy those more as they flesh out the characters and the world the writer is trying to present. Murphy does a good job here is giving more depth to each of his characters, from Bruce and his relationship with Jack/Joker, Derek Powers, Duke and Barbara, and finally, Terry and his parents. Hopefully we'll see more of the latter but seeing as this story is at it's midway point, I wouldn't be shocked if there wasn't much more developments. It is a truncated and reimagined version of the Batman Beyond origin after all. I see several complaints about the lack of action and they aren't wrong but I really think if that's all that is drawing you to a comic you have a short attention span or less of a desire to read the overarching story. And that's fine, everyone reads for different reasons. Overall, while slow this issue is better than people seem to be giving it credit for by being a more introspective look as some of the characters.

I feel like we all know enough about Batman by this point so if there is a complaint about Ram V or another writer trying to establish a new character it stands to reason they would try to give those newer characters depth so readers don't complain about them down the line for being underdeveloped and one-off. I for one am intrigued at this blooming antagonist. A rich, foreign entity trying to secure Gotham for themselves. It's not wholly original but most stories aren't. The deeper story is going to be how they fill that power vacuum within the criminal element and this disease that is mutating people. Its dark, gothic tones are exactly what I want from a Detective Comics run. The dialogue coming from Batman as he enters Blackgate and even Bruce's is his discussion with Harvey is poetic, almost melodic. Accompanying the fantastic flow of the words is beautiful dark art by Albuquerque. I think it had been some time since I last saw his art and I was more critical of it last issue. Its rough, lines aren't always smooth but in going back and looking at some of his work that I have loved it's all the same. The colorist is different but they bring a different light or lack thereof in this version of Gotham that evokes a mysterious and sinister tone. It may be a personal thing but I've felt that Tec was a bigger showcase of characters within Gotham city and Batman's interactions therein. Granted it's a much more recent occurrence of these types of stories but it gives Tec a way to differentiate itself from the mainline Batman title and this is solid in that approach.

I think that the Punisher isn't much more than a mass murderer with a seriously selective set of morals but some of Aaron's dialogue is pushing it even for me. Everyone knows who the Punisher is and what he does, he really doesn't need to jam it down people's throats. It's still an intriguing story but it's getting a little heavy handed in the characterization presented AT Frank. Even he seems taken aback by some of the high priestess' definition of his mission. But she's a zealot. But like all zealots, she doesn't appear to have lasted for long. It seems like Frank is back.

Not much to say here other than I'm intrigued. I'm lot letting the hanging mystery bog me down, I'm just enjoying the ride. Nice to see Peter and MJ talk for once, get a little more into whatever happened, see more of his connection to Norman. Groundwork stuff. Not the most compelling, action packed issue but necessary to get us where Wells is taking us.

This was fun. It just felt like an annual. Low stakes to no stakes for the overall plot but who really cares. It definitely felt like a milestone issue. Not in the aspect of it having sweeping repercussions going forward but that it was a fun look back at all of Spidey's earliest villains in a tight story that gets to the heart of who Spider-Man is. I hope we get to see more of the Ultra Living Brain. And Felicia is better. Always has been.

Before anything, I need those reading this to know I'm not King's biggest fan. And yes it's because of Batman and Heroes in Crisis. I haven't read anything else of his aside from Rorschach and the first 3 issues of Human Target. I know he's an EXTREMELY talented writer. I still have a hard time touching his work. I even love his first two arcs on Batman. This though... This is simply amazing. Its opening is unbelievable. It's such natural, flowing human dialogue that you'd just have this kind of conversation with anyone. So much comic book dialogue is filled with too much gravitas, emphasis or exposition that nothing ever feels grounded and real. Pair that with artwork and paneling that puts you right in the shoes of the perspective character to literally see as they do, you get lost in the first few pages engulfed in the story. Transitioning to the camera feed and interrogation by Gordon, everything here just feels real. No Batman yet. Just a criminal and an officer doing his job. I don't think for a second, nor should anyone that Edward Nygma is telling the truth about Jack's 'One Bad Day'. He's the Ridder. He's supposed to confuse you, get you thinking, get off balance. Taking him seriously or at his direct words will likely not yield you the right answer. The only trope that King falls into here of his that I have one of the biggest problems with is his stammering, unsure, uncomfortable dialogue. I only mean that in characters that are in a sad or uncomfortable position as was Mrs. Oates when speaking to Bruce Wayne. He tries to create a real conversation that is stuttery, broken and intentionally sad. Someone in pain trying to cope. Reaching out with words they can't find. Sometimes it translates to the page better than others and this is the only time I noticed it. This Batman is the Batman I have wanted to see from King. This Batman is terrifying. A force. An immovable object that is undeterred from his mission to find the truth. I've not in recent memory seen such an imposing and cold Dark Knight than here and is amazing. It wasn't until I saw Edward's teacher and the interaction with him that I realized why his father looked so much like Kurtwood Smith. King gave Edward a new origin that is a beautiful amalgamation of the studious but unsure Todd Anderson and the tragic rebellious Neil Perry from Dead Poet's Society. It's not subtle. He wasn't trying to hide it and Gerads and King even included his name in the files Edward rifles through to find his teachers'. If you haven't seen that movie, a lot of this is likely not to resonate with you as well. King is known for his love of film and it would be a disservice not to recommend everyone who reads this to watch that movie. This book like that film is a masterpiece. To say otherwise is just a flat out biased, bitter lie. Something a child would scoff at because they don't understand writing. Good writing. Great writing. I need to sing Mitch Gerads' praises in here as well. This is honestly one of the most beautiful books I have ever had the pleasure and privilege to see. I can't really describe how perfect it is. The colors are perfect, the lines are perfect, the perspective, depth and scale of every panel giving everything weight. Simply the best. Oh and The New Batman Adventures Batmobile. That is all. If 'ruining' the Killing Joke with one line or that it's doing an homage to that story is enough to get you to call this bad, you like Edward, are an idiot. If Batman, breaking his 'one rule' is enough to get you to call this bad, you really didn't understand the book or the point. Edward knows more than you think. He knows more than everyone thinks. If Batman thinks that his family was in real danger. He wouldn't hesitate. And he doesn't. That's what Batman does. The city is his family. Batman believes in mercy. He was giving mercy to his city.

Always been a fan of Peter Pan and this is a very interesting and surprising take on his story. Fantastic art, great script. Everything feels very natural.

It's obviously more than an adaptation. Wiebe clearly has a deeper story to tell than just retreading both Peter Pan and WWII. It's the execution and plotting to get there with the little homages to the original story along the way that that elevates this book in such a gripping way. It's so easy to fly through an issue waiting for the next.

Y'know that feeling when your excitement starts to build up beyond the ability to contain it and you just explode? Like then Cap picked up Thor's hammer in Infinity War or when we saw both Peter's in No Way Home? This is that on the page. Seeing all of the Batfamily coming together to save Bruce. Holy crap. It's spectacular, beautiful and the best art in DC. Then the teardown from Failsafe. The build up to the fall, seeing the family annihilated so quickly and efficiently. I'd never expected to see ZEA really ever again but I am beyond excited for the rest of this. Zdarsky is a god.

This was actually fantastic. Decided to reread Spencer's run while waiting for more on Well's current run and this was such a great start and setup for a new status quo. That being said it's not really new but perfectly encapsulates the first arc, "Back to Basics". This is where we expect Peter to be. It's not where I would like him but this at least feels comfortable and not out of character. I don't remember Spencer being funny in his dialogue but this is great.

This book is just great. Gives me the same excitement and joy from reading Waid's Flash. This, like his Flash is a must read. Robin's voice is perfect and really elevated the vibe for me. Dan Mora is one of the best artists in the industry right now and I'm so happy to have him on this book.

Actually decent but that was a horrendously rushed ending and final confrontation with the Thunderbolts. The writing was the best in this issue pacing aside and I actually liked the art here for the first time.

The art did the heavy lifting here. The story was interesting but man the dialogue did not age well. Actual slurs thrown in there, I was not expecting.

One of the best issues in this era of Moon Knight. If only there had been more like this. It was haunting, melancholy, hopeful and depressive. Basically everything Christmas is. Artwork was great.

Fantastic. The dark tones in this is kind of what I think of when it comes to Detective Comics. This mostly comes from pre-N52 with Black Mirror but I love the feeling this book sets. I've not yet read anything by Ram V but I've heard fairly positive things and if this book is any indication, we're in for a good time. I will be honest in saying I wasn't the biggest fan of the artwork early in the book. Something about the colors seemed off from Albuquerque's usual art and he does have a new colorist here. It's not bad, it actually evokes that darker tone I mentioned it just felt flat early but picked up significantly once Nightwing was on the page. Slight nitpick, that's not his current outfit and I only bring it up because his current costumes slaps really hard. Definitely pick this up. Between the beginning of Zdarsky's run and this, we could be in for the best Batman/Tec combo is years.

Great issue hampered by some cheap looking panels. Ottley hadn't perfected his style yet so there isn't a lot of definition in some of the bigger shots or the crumbling cities. Some colors feel flat lacking depth. Great story execution.

Best issue again. Kudos to Kirkman for upping his game even after two issues. Sure there isn't much action but it's all character driven story. Dialogue heavy. The art here is the only thing holding it back from being higher and it's not a dig at Ottley, you can just tell this is early in his work. Every character aside from Nolan in Mark's life gets something here and it's really important to see that. Cecil breaking down in simple exposition how we're going to see Mark transitioning into his role is fantastic. Can't ever get enough of Allen. Let's see how the rest of high school goes for Mark.

Probably the weakest issue so far. Just moved too fast establishing characters that we won't ever see again.

I'm feeling some pacing issues popping up. This was a solid issue but from the moment Mark lands in his room to Eve telling him about Rex, his mom coming in to reprimand them and his dad suddenly stops all of that momentum to talk about the funeral. It happened in one page. It was a bit jarring. This happens with several threads in this book. Plot points that get brought up and aren't ended but seem like they could do with a little more attention. I'd just like if some of these more personal scenes were drawn out more to give further depth to these characters because it's clearly the whole point of the book.

Much better pacing and lingering longer on the smaller interpersonal moments.

Hands down the best issue so far. Perfectly paced. Kirkman really evokes the emotions from Mark and Nolan in their words.

I've been anticipating this issue for a while. I didn't read any of Tynion's run and I bailed early on into King's run. I'm sure there is a bit of catching up to do but I'm also generally aware of where the Dark Knight stands right now. Zdarsky started it off strong and of course, Jimenez is one of best artists in the industry. He and Dan Mora elevate books and it's a blessing they are both doing Bat books right now. I wasn't expecting Cobblepot and I love the Batman Returns depiction of him here. It fits perfectly with the dark tone of this story. It's wonderful to see Tim around in the classic red and green. A classic pairing that I am really happy to see return to the mainline book. This is straight out of an episode of B:TAS. It has that entire feeling of it which is perfect for short form storytelling. You can tell where Zdarsky really drew influence from as well as Jimenez. Batman is a murderer is nothing new. It also sets up a story that allows him to use more of his mental skills than we tend to see. Sure he messed up here in not anticipating Cobblepot but if he anticipated every move, there would be no tension, no payoff. Rspecially down the road. The issue would have been one and done and I'm very much looking forward to the next chapter in Zdarsky's run. I don't care who I piss of here. Stop simping for rich people. They are terrible people. If they wanted to do something good with their money they would and they aren't. That's the entire point Zdarsky is trying to make. If Batman really, REALLY wanted to fix Gotham, he would have by now. I get that this is a comic series but the man is/was a billionaire. He cares more for his toys and arsenal than he SEEMS to care for the people. At least that we get to see tangibly. I'm not hating on Batman or Bruce Wayne but when writers show us new gadgets all of the time and much less in terms of community aid, it really only leaves us one side to go off of and form an opinion on. A line stuck out to me. "No, it's the hardest part of this job -- this city WANTS to die." It's true. The people of Gotham are just as much to blame for it's conditions as it's villains or Batman. Especially since we know that Bruce was not the only mega rich around. Zdarsky isn't attempting at stublety here either. People who don't want politics in their books are just billionaire bootlickers or those too entrenched in their own biases. They've always been like this. They've always been about inclusivity and overcoming adversity. Not much bigger adversity in the world now than corporations and the mega rich that no one will ever get to reach. That American Dream is dead.

Fantastic issue. Tombstone played everything pretty much perfectly and Peter looked like a fool. Not to demean Peter as he was clearly out of his element and didn't know how far Tombstone had planned ahead. I had a feeling there was going to be more to this interaction than a lot of people were willing to give a chance. Aside from more than a few artistic hiccups from JRJR, this is a really solid chapter in Wells' tenure.

This was a good arc. Nice and simple all things considered. Dealing with characters and villains we really don't see and it once again takes me back to JMS's run. Stories about a few characters at a time and their back and forth. Diving into who they are, not so much the simple conflicts that the antagonist is presenting to Peter. Tombstone was for me an odd choice but a welcome one that I am very happy with his inclusion. Wells does some great dialogue for Peter here that had me chuckling. Cracking jokes will always be Peter's specialty but not all writers are gifted with being able to give that voice to Peter. Wells seems to have really captured it and it elevates this issue and parts of the whole arc. Levity is important. There were also some flashes of brilliant, beautiful work by Romita Jr. contrasted with some absolutely abysmal stuff. I don't really know at this point. He's so 50/50. The issue's highlights are absolutely his interactions with Felicia and May. Two very strong women in his life that he has some making up to do with. I'll be here to see it when it comes. Unsurprisingly, the user reviews for this series got better with each issue. And those who had mostly negative things to say are either quiet or ignoring their fairly baseless criticisms that they levied far too soon. This has been a good run. Not great or ground breaking. There are still big questions we all have that have almost been completely ignored since the first issue but I mean come on, it's a story telling device and a means to get you to buy issues down the line. Don't act like this isn't new. They've been doing it since the 60s. Hell even before that.

I really didn't care for much here but the the art most of all. Don't know if it's because I haven't read the series in a while or that this specific issue nothing stood out as good and the bad just looked worse. It was nice that Bruce FINALLY started acting like a decent human being especially considering this is tied to the Animated series. It's too little too late though. It comes from nowhere. Bruce doesn't say much about his current behavior outside of, "I felt threatened, and manufactured faults in the kid." Paraphrasing, but that's not much in terms or remorse or an apology for someone who did most everything you asked for years and all of a sudden you feel bad. Not buying it. All in all, I didn't care for much here. Terry and Catwoman's small interaction was nice. Dick coming out of nowhere and Barbara not even remotely paying attention to a victim trying to explain to her what the big bad is doing made no sense.

That ended unceremoniously and with such a flop. I have nothing to say. Don't read this arc. It's not fun. It's not even entertaining and it's definitely not for fans of the show.

Definitely not as strong as the previous two issue. The wordiness I don't have much of a problem with, it's just the pacing. Readers can fly through heavy dialogue books but it requires a different approach. Can't put my finger on the main issue there it just doesn't work here. I really liked seeing Leo, Mikey and Donnie having it out with one another. Definitely feel like teenage turtles to me.

More fleshing out of the new origin which feels like a simplified version of the original, not that it's a bad thing. Bringing April into the Turtles' origin is a nice addition and having her give them their names even with a funny one-off reason. This is dominated in the back half with Raph and Casey bonding and it's a really nice, organic conversation and it touches on some serious subject matter.

I really wouldn't call this the breakout story from Urban Legends. The main story with Chip Zdarsky was the breakout. This just made headlines. Is inclusion good? Absolutely. Was this a bit ham-fisted? Yeah. It was. Any character exploring their sexuality is great in my opinion. Whether or not it sticks is really up to the readers honestly. And I think more up to those who absolutely abhor LGBTQIA+ characters that only scream into an echo chamber about how they are never going to get the book (but still review it... hmmm). DC know they're pissed and will continue to put out inclusive content for those who feel underrepresented in spite of you. Because the discourse sells. Not necessarily the stories. Which is kind of the overall problem with this issue and DC's Rainbow Capitalism. The quality of the stories need to be better as well as the intention behind them. This story conceptually is fine. Tim being unsure of himself in his life is perfect. He's always been the odd Robin out. I think his journey is worth exploring but it also undercuts it's importance that it is merely a backup in an anthology book. Tim Drake is hard to sell, I get that but it feels a little disrespectful that the only time members of the LGBTQIA+ community get real representation is books once a year to capitalize on Pride Month and not based on their own merits because DC doesn't really seem to care outside of June; BATWOMAN.

Expanding further on Mark's world and showing how his life transitions the same as any other teenager is a simple and easily relatable form of writing. William is a fun addition and fleshes out Mark as you learn more about a person by who they surround themselves with. William is likable and I certainly understand his wanting to be called by his given name.

So I didn't really grow up with the Turtles. My dad did in the 80s and tried to pass some of it on to me but they never really stuck. I liked the movie and some of the games and even the early 2000s animated show but they were still a fringe interest for me. Recently, I've been much more interested and decided to pick this up. While I don't know the full history of the Turtles, I know that this is a new origin and status quo for them as well as Splinter. It's fresh, interesting and actually grips me more because I know that it's not the norm. Eastman and Waltz did a fantastic job this issue with setting up a slew of characters, their motivations going forward and a brilliant pace throughout. Establishing Mikey, Donny, Leo, Raph, Splinter, April, Krang, Stockman, this Old Hob character I am not familiar with and of course, Casey. Usually in a first issue I would say that throwing that much in so quickly would be a disaster or at least that the book wouldn't be paced well enough to give each appearance a good hook but Eastman knows his characters well and it's displayed beautifully in the writing as well as artistically on the page by Dan Duncan.

I genuinely don't know how many stories have been written as brilliantly or depicted as artistically as this since it's release. There really was nothing better than Aaron and Ribic's Thor during these first two arcs. Gorr is an amazing and simple villain. We need more of those. Villains without remorse, or plans but for the single purpose of nihilistic destruction. Along with that we need more heroes like these Thors who will never stop fighting.

"If he'd been a lesser god, Thor might have accepted that Gorr had won. And more so, that Gorr DESERVED to win. That gods were cruel and jealous creatures. That it was time for their age to pass. But this was no lesser god. This was the god of roaring thunder and raging storms, and even if he had been the LAST god left alive in all the universe... He still would have been god enough." -Jason Aaron 2013

Godbomb is the greatest Thor story of all time and this might be the best issue in the arc.

The is one of the best runs of the modern era. Not just of Thor but of any hero and because it's Thor I still feel like after all these years it still flies under the radar. Similar to Fraction's Hawkeye. People know about it but it feels like few have actually read the arc leading up to Jane Foster's Thor. This came out of nowhere and delivered one of the greatest stories I've ever read. Gorr is terrifying. He's ruthless and Aaron and Ribic really evoke that on the page. You won't read a better Thor book, save for Godbomb, the arc after this. These are near perfection.

A lot of nice establishment. Didn't feel rushed anywhere. Backstory with Omniman, introduction of the Teen Team and the Mauler twins. All paced very well and even the lacking art was better here.

Great pace, easy to get through. The ending gave me a little bit of whiplash but overall solid issue. The bonding between Mark and his dad is really great to see. Hope more gets established between them.

Good story. Solid one and done villain. Even liked his monologue.

This is probably the best issue so far. Not a lot happens in terms of progressing the story or even Mark as a character but adds to the universe in an easy way even if it's through exposition. Allen and Mark's fight had me actually laughing which always gets extra points from me. The art here did feel quite flat and even though I know they were I space the fight didn't have much weight to their attacks. I just can't wait for Ottley's art.

Better art, decent story. Don't care that Spidey is locked in cuffs. It serviced the story. If every hero got out of every situation immediately it would completely defeat the purpose of the tension the writer is trying to create. I'm chocking it up to he just got beaten, after being in the hospital and he's not at 100%. Makes enough sense to me. Didn't much care when we were kids because we knew the villain was going to give some monologue. This was decent, served the story. That's all that matters at the end of the day. What is being said, not "Why didn't Spider-Man just break the cuffs and beat up all of the bad guys?!"

I was underwhelmed by this issue. It's also a little confusing why they would use Putri on this issue where nothing of great importance happens or matters and issue 4 they didn't. I understand that artists have crazy deadlines and get backed up or even if this was the plan the whole time. I would have swapped artists on these respective issues personally but Putri's art remains impeccable. I just don't have much to say about the story in this. Not bad but not gripping, simply a segue though my fears with Constantine's characterization and utilization in the story are worsening.

This issue was a ton of fun and I really hope they do more with the Titans but it's likely they will all be shuffled off until the final battle. All of them felt like their respective characters but we can only get so much from a handful of pieces of dialogue. At the very least, Beast Boy actually made me laugh and that was nice. The art here was actually really stellar even without Putri but reinforces the point I made in the last issue review. Why are they putting Putri on the slower books when their art could have been better showcased here. Additionally, I felt like this issue could have benefitted from 3-5 more pages. A little more dialogue with the Titans, more establishing a bond between Bruce and the Kents, a longer battle that wasn't two pages long or at least a two page spread instead of one splash page showcasing the Titans alone. This series is fun but I feel like the trade when all is said and done won't read well due to these oddly structured issues. It's a maxi series and it feels like more mini's get better development and longer page counts.

This issue didn't speak to me as much. Almost all set up. I can get behind that but nothing really happens. The best thing here is Murphy playing with the shadows. We have seen Jack's reflection of the Joker, Bruce's Batman and Harley's well Harley. This time and I only noticed it once, was Powers' Blight shadow which was a nice addition. The art here was the standout but you can expect that from Murphy.

"You aren't going to believe what is happening in this volume of AMAZING SPIDER-MAN". Yeah I really couldn't believe that nothing happened. I'm definitely going to be continuing with the series, I gave the first issue and the new status quo the benefit of the doubt. I'm rating it as low as I am because aside from Peter's conversation with Norman, nothing happened here that I remotely cared about. That and the goon not shooting Peter because he saved him was cool. I am very critical of JRJR's art and some of it felt like his good old style and some of his new jank was there. The colors also didn't seem to pop as well as last issue. Hopefully more happens next issue.

Romita's art here is exactly what I was worried about for the main series. I hope this is the worst it'll look in the main run. The dialogue here is also very bland. Peter's quips aren't funny, it's largely expositional and the tease at the end wasn't impactful.

I thought that the dialogue was the strongest part of this issue. It had me actually smiling and laughing whenever Ben and Peter were bantering back and forth. Even between Colleen and Misty. Great buddy cop dialogue in tense situations pays off here. What doesn't is the disjointed pacing. I'm not sure if it's to reflect how shattered Ben's mind is but things fly at you fast and I'm not the biggest fan. On that note, the change in artists abruptly within the last 6 pages was jarring. I though Pichelli's art here was better than I have seen it for a while at to have it chopped off right at the end was a disappointment.

The overall structure of this issue is better then the last but I honestly enjoyed the last more. Really just for the fun quippy dialogue. Separating Ben and Peter has only been a detriment to this arc as a whole and while it served the story for a purpose I kind of tuned out when they weren't together. Ben's story isn't strong enough to stand on it's own which is a shame because I love Ben. The Misty and Colleen subplot is also something I don't really think it necessary but it is serviceable. I at least like the relationship they have with Peter. MacKay is just a stellar writer. I wish he was sticking with ASM. I have the same problem as I did last issue with the artist swapping and there was even less Pichelli.

Yeah, I really didn't care about any of these stories but the Doug one. He's the man. Stories did get wrapped up that were left open throughout the run but they weren't stories that I particularly cared for and considering this is technically the penultimate issue of the Beyond run, I am left disappointed and wanting. I will give this one more compliment however. The epilogues are fun and I definitely want to see more Goblin Queen.

This hurt. But only in such a way that can when a character you care about has gone through a change, a loss, a trauma. I'm thankful to Zeb Wells, Jed MacKay, Patrick Gleason and the rest of the Beyond Brain Trust for crafting this story. As much as I have issues with it's execution that did tell a compelling story. It's biggest flaw is that it took too long to tell that story. But that may be more an issue with the current industry and writing for the trade, building out that catalogue to fill more volumes to sell instead of telling that same story in a more truncated and focused experience. All of that is essentially irrelevant as this final issue is the true ending to Ben Reilly and his Beyond story as we know it and that has me devastated. Ben Reilly has always been one of my favorite Marvel characters. His design, his attitude and his perpetual sense of not belonging and longing for memories, family and friends that aren't his is a very human experience that I feel Peter hasn't seen much of in decades. I wish more than anything that this arc dealt more with Ben and gave him more heroic heights to hit before his tremendous fall into the a Chasm. Pat Gleason does no wrong with his art. It's also such a difference than his DC outings that at first I was skeptical but it was immediately washed away as his expressions, his body language and emotion is pulled to the front of every character. He's a master artist and woefully underused in this series. It was a blessing having him on this issue. Overall, Beyond was fairly middling, I'd give it 7/10 but this issue in itself brings out all of the runs best qualities.

This was the first issue I had ever read of Thor quite a few years back. The entire reason was because of a YouTube video doing an analysis of the God Butcher arc. It sounded really cool and since then, I loved Jason Aaron's Thor. Rereading this issue was such a treat and I was beyond excited for the omnibus to get printed to I could read it over again. Esad Ribić's artwork is originally what drew me to the book. I love the water color look, how soft all of the images are with a character known for his strength and stature. Not to say that Ribić can only capture a soft tone, he's a master artist and one of, if not my favorite artist from the 2010s on. I try (unsuccessfully) to jump on any book he does interiors for. He blesses the page with his line work, his use of space is astounding and creates images to great scale that make an imposing figure like Thor seem diminutive. Aaron's writing here gives you such a great hook. A mystery. A mystery with... Thor? Who is the God Butcher? Why is he butchering gods? How has be lasted for millenia spanning Thor's entire life? Questions that I never thought I would care about in a book about the walking L'Oréal commercial. I never thought I would have cared for Thor before picking up this book. Maybe you didn't either but this story is so beautifully written and drawn I'd be astonished if you didn't walk away as I did, jaw on the floor and rooting for the big dumb champion of Asgard.