Hex's Profile

Guess I'm in the minority here. Not a big fan of the art overall, worried some might be assets lifted straight from a Star Wars comics or simply traced. The dual laser cannons that the Peacemakers are in are E-15 blaster rifles from Star Wars slightly modified but I know I have seen that exact image somewhere. Just disappointing to see and very lazy that it was used. Other panels are fantastic but not enough to make me think Di Giandomenico fits Superman well. This is the second time I have been completely thrown by a Talia reveal. First The Dark Knight Rises, now this. I honestly don't know how I keep forgetting she's a character until they reveal her. It should have been predictable but the story threw me off the trail and I will give it the credit. Just not a fan of the Ra's plot. It could be a subconscious personal bias of Batman stuff should be with Batman, Superman stuff should be with Superman but that's not even who I am. I thought the CW appropriating the League of Assassins in Arrow was fine. Emperor Joker works well. This just doesn't feel natural.

It was okay. The Omega Men really just bother me. I get that it's to show that no matter which side Kal chooses, Lois who wants to be genuine but is beholden to Lazarus or Jimmy who wants to prove himself to Omega but is very naive about the world he is a part of. Kal is stuck between two factions of oppression or extremism and obviously, Kal is not that person. The message is a great one, the players to portray the allegory are not. One thing that caught me off guard is that he referred to Sol as he. My brain just had Sol speaking in a woman's voice. Like Lara based the consciousness on her or something. It made sense in my brain. That'll take some getting used to.

Not sure why Ra's was picked for the villain. I like mixing things up but it feels so far separated from anything Superman that it's hard for me to suspend even my fictional disbelief. Sandoval makes the book look great though. I do like that despite a once again more edgy Superman, he is still not matter what, a good person. He's angry, he watched his planet die. He wasn't an infant. He saw how the corrupt and elite step on those they deem as lesser, directly impacting his family's life and will not allow that to flourish on this Earth. I love that. His rage feels believable and justified but no matter how rageful he is, he's still Kal. Not some future Super-fascist like most recent alternate universe Supermen.

I will lead with not being the biggest Brainiac fan. This was a little weird for me. A bit more grotesque than I want from a Superman book. Seeing an extremely cold, horrific and disgustingly brutal Brainiac is interesting but not what I would expect or need. That being said, it was extremely engaging and giving him a somewhat tragic origin endears you to him a little, you're immediately pulled back into how sadistic he is. I like it. This was really solid. One point of contention I have however is that I don't feel like Di Giandomenico's art is great for Superman. He was solid on the Flash but it just feels off.

I can't count the amount of times throughout all the iterations of media we've seen the fall of Krypton but this is one of the most heartbreaking.

This might be the most I have ever liked Clay Mann's art. And somehow I missed reading this issue until I hit #15. Don't know if that says anything because I never felt like I missed one or any key information. Still good.

Jock always shines. I guess there is someone who can bring Snyder's script to life other than Dragotta. While not as grotesque and explosive as Dragotta's issues, this really leans into the macabre and horrifying. AS we slowly go through the lives of the Joker's ancestors(?) we're treated to increasingly terrifying depictions of the same individuals. His transformation is shocking to see and while I understand apprehension from readers whenever Snyder approaches the Joker, I'm more than ready to accept whatever insane thing he has kicked up here. We're in a new universe. The Laughing Man didn't work well in the New 52 because it seemingly erased decades of continuity. People don't want that even if it was never true, just what the Joker wanted you to believe. The same exact thing could be true here but since this is an all new world and all new form, I'm in for it. That reveal at the end was something else. Predictable maybe but shocking nonetheless.

This pushed the boundaries of what I would expect and even want from a Batman comic. He went to the edge, did a gainer off it and still managed to come out being a good guy. Dragotta is amazing. Disgusting even. I don't know how another artist could do this script justice. There is nothing like Absolute Batman.

Can't praise this series enough.

Solid writing from Grant and solid art from Zeck. I have a fondness for seeing Batman not in the Batsuit and stuck in prison or Arkham.

Yeah this was also really good. Hit me right in the existentialism.

This was actually fantastic. I don't know, maybe just having taken such a long break and jumping back a little blind made me forget how much I despised what was happening but this worked. There was weight here. Impact. For Peter, Strange, Cyra and Coulson. You could see it. That's what matters. Great job by Joe Kelly and amazing job by Cafu to make this emotional, and wonderful to look at.

I want to give this a higher score but the premise doesn't live up to the execution. The art is phenomenal, the story is interesting but not very gripping. I would have benefitted from either more pages or turn it into a mini series. It wasn't much of a gauntlet but Batman's interactions with Robin are really well done.

Man, Gabe's bad opinions are so strong he is getting two reviews.

Tragic

The story is still engaging but the constant gratuity is getting to be a little much. I appreciate a gorgeous depiction of the female form which Sale does phenomenally but to constantly harp on it as if that's the only redeeming quality that the men in Catwoman's world appreciate is problematic and reductive. And I'm not even the biggest Catwoman fan. I personally feel like there are better characters to pair with Batman but to subject Selina to a constant of passes and innuendos in her own book is a let down. It's also not like we're getting any closer to solving this "mystery", just opening more doors for more questions.

The art is the standout. I like the character dynamics between Catwoman, the Blond and The Riddler but there is something a bit surface level and we still haven't really found the reason for being here.

This issue takes a very somber tone and slows the world down a little bit. Bruce lamenting not trusting Harvey with his identity sooner, Gordon trying to find companionship as his list of allies has shrunk so far, Bruce still seems dissociative when having Thanksgiving with Selina. The people of Gotham are still reeling.

Issue 0 or the Prologue establishing what we'd be seeing allows this issue to really breathe and not have to dump exposition on the reader. We're quickly captured into the story introducing the previously absent Falcone brother, a classic Italian mob threat to Sofia, a disconnected Batman, Jim Gordon reeling from his obligations with his job and family, a somber and stoic beat cop who meets with a tragic end to round out this new mystery. Where is Harvey Dent?

I appreciate having this little preview or setup for the tone of the book. Obviously we're going back. Back to Gotham, back to Harvey Dent, back to the Falcones, back to Batman and Jim Gordan but now it's darker. Falcone is Holiday but he might be released from his crimes, Harvey is Two-Face and no longer the DA, while both Batman and Jim have a degree of separation after the events of the Long Halloween. Gotham as ever stands as the sole constant, waiting for the night.

Gary Frank's art I think is the biggest highlight here. He's kind of hit or miss for me. Superman: Secret Origin for example. The way he drew kids felt very disproportional, faces looked strange but its very clean here. He has some amazing panels like when Batman is standing in front of the Arkham house for the first time. There are other examples but they are subtle, small details that I just found really elevated the experience. Johns' writing is solid. Not really reinventing the wheel here. Things are new but I wouldn't necessarily say they are fresh. Nothing is so drastically different that it feels like a new origin for Batman or even a completely separate universe. I guess tweaked is the best word I could ascribe to it. Not tweaked as much as it really could be to stand out. Everything is pretty much wrapped up with a bow because from what it seems, these Earth One books were a testing ground. Enough of them sold well that a few got sequels and then sales fell off. Kind of sad because I am all for separate universe lines having legs. I don't need mainline DC all the time. The Ultimate/Absolute models can work. I think that Earth One just didn't have the fanfare the previously mentioned initiatives did.

Well the outdated dialogue is back but in the offensive way this time. It was writing of the time. We hadn't moved past stereotyping even through words on a page and even now we still haven't. It's just very blatant here. It's honestly just harder to read and comprehend more than being a caricature of Asian dialects. Not a great way to introduce your villain and their plot if you can't fully grasp what they are saying. Still an interesting story. A little open as to the real plot.

This is mainly just a Green Arrow issue but O'Neil manages to carry Oliver's voice well. Some of the dialogue is a bit outdated, not like offensive just awkward to read by today's standards. We don't often use, "Let me alone" for example. I was a big fan of the art. Classic 2000s. Thick lines, colorful, cartoony and expressive. It feels like a JLU episode. Was also a huge fan of the portrayal of Bruce Wayne. Really oozing that obnoxious playboy, disconnected CEO persona. I couldn't help by hear Kevin Conroy while reading the dialogue. Great issue.

Solid start. Beautiful art. The story doesn't give us a whole lot in terms of direction as there really isn't a villain present. It'll likely be a commentary on the current militarization of the police and extra-policing forces that have been deployed. Poignant. I'm for it. What really catches with this issue though is the levity. Batman needs that every once in a while. The color palette is used very well. It was amazing seeing Batman be an actual hero to civilians, and how the little girl lit up when she saw him before engaging Croc. Fraction is solid and I expect good things.

Oddly enough I think the anime had a much more impactful and emotional rendition of Acro Silky's story. If that level of expansion was here then this would be a 9 as that really hits you hard. This also splitting two arcs right down the middle feels like an abrupt end and beginning. The overall story is still great but this volume doesn't feel like it's own story.

Chapter 9 is one of my favorite manga chapters ever. I love the bond that Ayase and Okarun developed, how cute the two are just wanting to talk to each other, then Ayase getting her feelings hurt because she thinks Okarun doesn't want to talk to her. It feels real. That's slice of life. That happens every day in high school. Another girl enters Okarun's life even if only briefly and Ayase is quick to be by his side again. It's amazing. The volume overall isn't as tight and contained as volume 1 but still an amazing series so far.

"It is like a Russian nesting doll wrapped in an enigma," has to be one of the worst lines I have ever read in a Batman comic. All while Batman is being totally serious trying to solve a nothing mystery. This might be the most baffelingly stupid Batman I have ever seen. His entire interaction with Barbara reads like he has a concussion. And doing a deconstruction on how Batman is just as responsible for his villains' victims as the villains themselves has already been done a hundred times. Lee's art slips here even more which is even more disappointing because they had to delay the book so he had more time to work on it.

Wally and Grodd. Grodd and Wally.

Christ... that was intense.

For a two issue arc, this was really good. I loved how much Snyder is putting into this Batman's supporting cast. We only met matches for a few panels but we really feel the weight of his actions and legacy both past and present. Fries was terrifying, excited to see him come back.

Really fun. Don't let little incel internet trolls fool you. The art is phenomenal and the story is really fleshing out since the reveal. Rick having memory lapses from getting taken by Sleeper, MJ and Flash teaming up, Dylan and Paul hanging out. It's such a fun read.

Damascus steel isn't rare or only forged in a single region of the world. In fact, it's fairly simple and really only adds a special pattern to the metal and can maintain a sharper edge longer. Come on Loeb... A simple Google search would tell you that. He writes Jason like every awful Red Hood fan, (which is most of them) leaning into the normal equivocating, vaguely authoritarian justifying rhetoric of, "I do what Batman WON'T and that means it's justified," when we've been through this a million times. I don't care if you're now establishing that Jason's brain is more fried than the Lazarus Pit could heal. If Bruce ever thought that for a second in the years since Jason became the Red Hood and reintegrated with the Batfamily, he would have helped him fix it. He HAS helped him fix it. Maybe read a comic that you didn't write Jeph! Lee's work here still isn't his best but so far is the best in this arc so that's a positive. That being said, I'm not a fan of this new Riddler design. Why does he look like a SWAT officer? It does nothing to really distinguish him as the Riddler. Just a new appearance to sell a toy that no one will buy because everything is overpriced and cheaply made these days. Thank McFarlane for the low DC quality figures. Tangent aside, this book feels a lot like those aforementioned figures. Poorly sculpted, cheaply made but thrown to the masses in hopes of a quick nostalgic snatch at your wallet. Nothing of lasting substance. If a Robin dies, it's going to be a symbolic death. Jason will cast off the Red Hood mantle, Damian will transition from his position back to Talia, nothing will happen to Dick. I want to be excited. I want to not dog on a book that means a lot to me as a fan but I want and expect better. Everything is derivative of what came before and original ideas in Big Two superhero comics are few and far between when these characters are pushing 100 years old but don't do this. Don't write a sequel 23 years later.

I want to rate this higher because the stakes jumped way up. Tommy gets stabbed by Drakkon, we get introduced to the Time Force Pink Ranger and the Samurai Red Ranger. We get more development between Tommy and Kim but it's all undercut by really lackluster art compared to what we had before.

This is just... not it. Art is 50/50 between great and sloppy. Writing is clearly by someone who hasn't read anything since he wrote the first Hush. Why is Jason fighting Batman AGAIN over the thing they have hashed out countless times? Why is Batman using a gun? Why is he shooting Jason in the head because it's "unanticipated"? I can't even be intrigued by the cliffhanger with the Riddler because this doesn't feel like Batman. Like I said before, this is a sequel that needed to happen 23 years ago. Getting it now with a script and writer who ignores all of the growth and regression, over and over again that Jason has had is just exhausting.

Oh hey, Mary Jane still hates the symbiote. But she can't separate from it because Paul created a stupid machine that Venom unlocked and killed her with. Now they are bonded or they die. Yeah that makes sense. They are not friends. They are host and symbiote out of necessity. "We are Venom... and we are Mary Jane Watson. Or we're dead." Love it. Venom's own personality in this series has been really great. I love that they keep going back to, "What would Spider-Man do?" What does it take to be heroic. They try. If there is the smallest chance of the slightest shred of the tiniest sliver of hope, they'd try. And if there was no hope at all, they try just the same. Also, Venom bang blocking Paul is pretty funny. Paul's emotionally erratic behavior is starting to slip more and more. Interesting directions could come from it.

Y'know if you actually READ the series, it actually makes sense why MJ would be Venom. If you don't read any of it and just act like a petulant internet goblin you might miss the subtle/not-so-subtle writing. Does MJ hate the symbiote? Yeah, historically she does. Is this an unlikely pairing? Absolutely. Will we find out why? I'm sure we will. Until then, we know that she wants to be a hero, she cares for and is protecting Dylan, and this is likely the closest we are going to get to a Spider-Jane scenario. This is great. More Paul please!

Not hard to figure out who the host is at this point. Especially since they totally ditched the Trio and we know it's not Masque. Very parental tone. I like the misdirection used.

This is just a good time. I'm a little out of the loop because I didn't read the last Venom series but this has done a decent job of onboarding and expositing what needs to be. Dylan is great, I like the detective trio of Robbie, Luke and Rick. The mystery isn't even what I'm digging really, the story is just a fun ride.

Out of nowhere I found the urge to read this. Can't really place why... Possibly something to do with cringey internet kids sparking interest. I feel like I'm going to like this a lot more than most. Does Paul suck eggs? No, not entirely. But I love Dylan dogging on him. The art is spectacular, the writing is solid and I get to see more Paul. This is my kind of book.

I love this. I get that it may not be everyone's cup of tea but I love putting Wally back into the shoes of a younger man only now he's alone. There is no Flash-Family. There is no support system. He's worried his dad hates him and he's being hunted. He's a Wally West that didn't have Barry to teach him how to BE the Flash. That's his "Darkseid trait". Who is Wally without Barry's mentorship? A hero or a monster. Lemire has me hooked.

Finster explaining Homecoming rituals to Goldar is peak. Putty Matt sowing seeds of discord within the group is a tired trope but works very well when placed in a high school setting. Kids that age take everything at face value and hang onto every word their friends tell them as fact. It's all very believable.

I loved the small bit of backstory for Billy and Skull. Really adding stakes to these giant monsters with Kimmy's boyfriend getting hit makes this feel a lot heavier than the show ever did.

The jumping back and forth prior to, and post Arrival Day is a little jarring. I think because it's all done by Mora, there isn't a distinct break to show much of a difference other than header text you can miss but the dialogue is great and everything really feels like teenagers in high school. It's genuine and that's not easy to nail.

Solid way to start the series. Love the personal quotes. Each really fits the Rangers' individual personalities. Cool to see early Dan Mora artwork.

Great story, classic 90's art style, heavy on the shadows and tone. I enjoyed the exploration of Eastern philosophy in Batman's journey into becoming the Dark Knight. It probably could have been done better with more accuracy but it didn't feel like Grant was completely making it up as he went. It felt real and that works a lot of the time. Probably a heavy influence from the Night of the Ninja episode of BTAS though obviously changing it from Japan to China.

I really want to like this more but it feels like it ended way too quickly. I love DeMatteis but this is the second Batman story of his that I've read and both just felt very surface level. He comes to the logical conclusion of having Dick take up the mantle of Batman. This is and should always be the only choice. No Azreal, no Jim Gordon or Tim Fox. Dick is the only true successor. He's what Bruce can't truly be as Batman. Of course the end has to be left open. "Why don't they so a sequel," someone might ask otherwise? Can't leave money on the table of course. This doesn't need a sequel. It needed more issues to explore trauma, PTSD, guilt, acceptance and growth. Jason's journey to recovery is wrapped up in two panels only to blow it up on the next page. Not surprising but still disappointing.

Definitely falling off. I love the approach to Bruce's relationships with Dick and Jason as well as Alfred putting his foot down when Bruce tries to hide from his emotions and accept that what he wants most is family. A great aspect of the character that I want to see explored more in general. Batman is boring when it's just Batman. We've seen that for years now. Why have such a massive Batfamily if they never interact? The plot itself though still feels thin. If they want to do these little side stories with Jason fighting Scarecrow, Batman fighting Mother Grimm and want to really explore what those interactions mean in a wider psychological context then give us more than 4 issues. Not a big fan of the ending here either. It makes sense but it's cliché.

I'm really engaged in the story but the art is so rough. I still think the psychological aspects are thin but we don't get much of that in regards to Batman and Robin in a meaningful way so anything is something.

Very interesting start. Even managed to have some emotional weight in there even if we don't see Barry all that much. The new interpretation of that old iconic imagery really hits home for the reader as well as Wally. Really excited to see where this goes.

Like most artists past their prime, Jim Lee recycles his older dynamic poses and iconic set pieces to mixed results. I won't say it looks bad but it's definitely derivative of his own earlier work and it stands out. Loeb's writing is much the same. This is definitely post Loeb peak. He's harder, his stories darker in tone, vocabulary and scope. He went through trauma. It makes sense. What doesn't is this story's existence. I'm happy to read more Batman but this story should have been written 20 years ago. This came out of nowhere. One thing stuck out to me very specifically and I think it is very telling about Loeb's approach to storytelling and his perception of Batman. I don't think he has a lot of reverence for him which isn't a horrible thing. You don't have to worship a character and keep every part of their core tenets uniform forever, that's how characters change. But here, in the first two pages Batman kicks the mask off of a Joker henchmen, activating some form of Joker toxin/acid killing him. After yelling at their corpse asking where the Joker is Batman immediately turns around and kick the mask off of the other goon, again killing him. That's not even plausible deniability of murder or manslaughter on the second guy. Come on man. The first I can let slide. In the moment, he wouldn't know but considering that he's the world's greatest detective and this is once again somewhat of a detective story, he would easily be able to deduce that kicking the mask off of the second guy would result in the same reaction as the first one! Overall, I do like this. I takes me back to a Batman that I've been missing for a long time but unlike some people, I would rather just read the old stuff than beg for what is new to be old again to eternally be disappointed or to actually get their wish and have two men who have really no business creating a sequel to a book 23 years later. It's well drawn. For Jim Lee, it's a bit disappointing. It's fairly well written. For Jeph Loeb it's disappointing. In total it's derivative and unnecessary. One final note, I'm calling it now, this isn't about Hush. It's about Jason. They're going to make him a villain again.

Another well crafted Annual. Color me shocked. Great backstory for Kurt, heroic moments for Colossus and humanizing moments for Wolverine all around. Fantastic story borrowing from Dante's Divine Comedy. A wonderful approach.

It just keeps getting better. And look at that, we've got Richard doing stuff! Everyone is getting the chance to shine and I love it so much.

It's fast paced, funny and overall just good.

Extending the great power sequence and Peter falling to pieces in MJ's arms is so powerful.

Hands down the best version of Uncle Ben. I wish we got more of him.

This was so funny. Peter is perfect, I love the interpretation of Uncle Ben, Harry feels like a genuinely good guy. You want to root for these characters. You want to see more from them even when you know you won't. That's good writing.

Everything feels right. The characters are amazing, the worldbuilding is slow but feels lived in. In two issues. Spider-Man can't even do that in the mainline and he's been in it for over 60 years.

This is a weird one. It's a reinvention of the original appearance of the Joker without Robin. I like some of the liberties taken, Cousin Melvin was an interesting addition but most of it largely felt very flat. The art didn't really elevate the book either. You can take or leave this one. It's not really better or worse than what it is adapting.

It's not perfect, but it's damn close.

Like last issue, I liked this more than Kelly's first two. The problem here is that we keep being told how important it is that Spider-Man is the champion but everyone, including Strange aren't telling Peter, much less us, WHY that matters. It doesn't feel like there is weight, purpose or tangible stakes to fighting the Scions other than it being what the story is about. It comes off as incredibly contrived. Couple that with the lack of impact from dying (hey he managed to not die!) and we're left with a story that doesn't feel much like it fits in Amazing Spider-Man and he's just going through the motions. I called him a reactive character last time but we're not really getting anything for him to react to except for the Scions and we know what is going to happen with them. Everything is happening around him, people talk at him. One pops up, Peter fights them in an anticlimactic, truncated fight, he dies, rinse and repeat. The conflicts in these issues don't even last more than a few pages. We have to keep building up to the next Scion deciding, "Okay NOW I'm going to fight him", when having a back to back gauntlet where Peter gets continually beaten only to be pulled back at the end by the reeds, the deaths taking more of a toll on him because he has no time to breath may not solve the issue of the story being contrived but that it would have more impact and add depth to his situation. Like I said, it's better than the first few issues but I still don't really care. So as not to be a complete downer, once again, the women here are written very well, (with the few scenes they are in), and the art is really good. Melnikov got the first issue jitters out of the way.

This is near perfect. I think the only thing holding it back from being that perfect 10 is that I want to see a little more of Jean going too far. We've reached a point now where even some members of the X-Men are seeing her change and it's scaring them.

Fun intro for Dazzler, solid story building on Kitty's first adventure with the X-Men.

I was really close to actually liking this one but I had a hard realization at the end. This is not Peter Parker. No matter how down he gets, what is going on in his life, people dying, him struggling, whatever. He would never yell at May like he did. Add in the fact that there is still no real weight to any of his deaths and this still isn't a story worth it's time in reading yet. I am more engaged than I was previously but the fact that we still have several more issues before this arc wraps does not excite me. We're only on death three of eight. It's also incredibly derivative going back to Peter's "biggest failures" for no impact whatsoever. It didn't mean anything. That's worse than not having done it at all. Take these moments when Peter was at his lowest, have him barely react and poof they're gone. No resolution. No fallout or lasting guilt. I understand that he has long since moved on from these tragedies but to be IN them once more would wreck Peter more than any other hero. He is defined by his failures more than his successes. There are some positives I will add to this. I really enjoyed the conversation between Peter and Felicia. It felt natural, funny when it was appropriate, real and weighty when it needed to be. I want more of that in Spider-Man. He's not just Action-Man. What makes him relatable is that he deals with things like we all do outside of being a superhero. We've been lacking that tether to Peter Parker for a while. Additionally, Gleb Melnikov really hooked me. I liked the art here a lot more than I have McGuinness'. It's like a cleaner, prettier looking though inconsistently off model John Romita Jr.

I hope this is a Superman that kids will get to grow up with like I did with Superman the Animated Series. They aren't similar in tone or character but I got that same level of amazement and wonder out of this book that I remember having as a kid when that theme song came on. This Superman is heroic and we don't have to be told that he is. We are shown from not only our perspective as the reader but by everyone around him. Even his enemies are in awe of what he's doing. That is powerful. I don't need them to tie all of the Absolute books together and give us an Absolute Justice League because each series so far feels so distant from one another but that distinctness, that lack of cohesion is what is making these stories much stronger as a result. It doesn't feel like everything is building towards a big MCU level event. This is to Superman what Matt Reeves' The Batman was to Batman. This reinvention is jaw dropping.

I don't have much to say other than this rocks.

Proof that smaller scale, introspective issues can work well even back in the day. What is essentially a reset for the New X-Men with the reintroduction to Charles Xavier since his departure into space, he takes a hard line with the new members of the team, treating them as green as they used to be. Cyclops, taking responsibility for them as well as his leadership skills in Xavier's absence is showcased well. I appreciate the levity given in the issue between Kitty and Storm. Everyone is okay finally getting to relax and spend the day with one another. It's a fantastic representation of a what we lack in today's comics. Not everything needs to be a slice of life but sometimes the mundane moments tell the most about the characters' personalities. This is a great introduction for Kitty Pryde, hinting at an interest in Colossus and even more expansion on his feelings of isolation within the X-Men.

A fantastic finale to the Muir Island arc. Every character moment felt weighty and earned. Having Colossus deal the final blow after so long feeling like the most useless X-Men was masterfully balanced. Everyone felt like the characters they are meant to be here.

Very engaging, deeper look into Moira's past and the conflict she carries. We see more of Jean turning a bit darker and an interesting fight between Wolverine and Cyclops. Cyclops' intention is to pull Wolverine as well as the rest of the X-Men that fought Proteus out of their mental funk to make sure they didn't retain any sort of psychological block. It's depicted well though at the end when Wolverine is saying that Cyclops was totally in the right to do so, he lands a few backhanded compliments that definitely gave me a chuckle. The pace of the series has been really strong lately.

Interesting new villain tied to Moira MacTaggert. Surprisingly chilling for a comic in the late 70s. I've really been enjoying the evolution of Wolverine's character recently. Feels very much like he's becoming the Wolverine that people associate with.

A direct quote from Gabe's review, "Why on Earth does Jonathan Hickman believe Spider-Man fans are interested in the interpersonal dynamics between MJ, her sister, and her mother?" Because people have been asking for more from the wider Spider-Man family for years and now, that family is a FAMILY. If you don't create characters with depth, interpersonal dynamics or anything to do, you're left with what the main Marvel universe has. Every character going from one event to the next, no time to talk to Aunt May, Tony running the bodega, Jonah, anyone unless they force themselves into the story. Peter wouldn't have time or make time for anyone if the current 616 editorial team had their way with it so I'm sorry Gabe that I and the wider audience of this run seem to really like these character/world building issues you seem to have such a problem with. Maybe go back to reading the Golden Age where every human interaction was two panels of dialogue and 4 pages of action. Maybe that will clean your palette from your distaste for displaying human connection in a medium so devoid of it of late. Look at the overall user scores of USM. Take into account really just the ones where people took the time to actually review the book and you'll get a good gauge on the general consensus. Gabe is the odd man out but hey, being a contrarian gets clicks. It's a tried and true way to get foot traffic. I proved that myself in finding his quote. Getting clicks generates revenue for the site which in turn keeps the cycle going and allows reviewers access to more free issues, invites to events, exclusive interviews, etc. I don't generally believe in pumping up a book just because someone rated it poorly. I'm not even promoting it here but just because something has great reviews also doesn't mean that one has to try and balance things out. If a book is good, it deserves the praise. I believe in rating books fairly because otherwise, what's even the point? A 7 deserves a 7, a 10 is a 10, but the thing about that is everything is subjective. Someone could genuinely not like this issue but what baffles the mind is the complaint here is that you get more out of your characters and somehow that's a problem.

A lot of build up for the reunion of Jean and the X-Men. What really matters here is seeing how Jean is starting to flaunt her powers and that her mental state isn't exactly stable. She's more aggressive with her friends and quick to bite back at any concern levied her way.

Okay I don't hate this. It's not great. I liked the deconstruction of who Batman is and what Bruce Wayne truly believes. But having another story where some guy manages to kidnap and mentally manipulate Bruce Wayne is not really a plot device I can get behind. Sure in the real world that would be more believable if we had a vigilante and Legends is supposed to be Batman in his early years so he'd be less cautious of situations like this but Joe Schmo getting the drop on Batman then keeping him in a coma for six weeks is a little hard to believe in the wider context of the Batman. I like the idea of a Dickensian fever dream. Everything else wasn't my favorite.

Not really sure how to feel about this. The art isn't my favorite. The premise is interesting. A psychological look at Batman through a different lens. It has since been done better but I don't hate it. Not sure where it's going though.

Yep. It was just a really fun series of BTAS episodes. Satisfying ending that is left open for more. Unfortunately, that thread was left dangling and never brought forward for more storytelling but who knows? Someone could read this years down the line and want to use these characters. It has happened with BTAS characters.

The art here is a really nice change of pace to what I had been dealing with in Journey Into Knight. It just feels like comic book art. It's solid, won't blow you away or anything but everything is very well conveyed. The story is interesting. It could honestly fit anywhere in Batman's chronology post first encounter with the Riddler. Like the art, the story is solid. Nothing crazy cool but nothing boring in the slightest. Feels like a regular episode of Batman the Animated Series which I honestly think most Batman titles should aspire to. Not everything has to have a massive arc. Villains of the week can still be engaging if you make them as such. Writing compelling stories can happen in one issue or twelve. With this being a three issue arc I'm just expecting a short and sweet three-parter than can be enjoyed at anytime.

A beautiful depiction of Batman. Dini understands him completely. While short, Ross makes every page grand and spectacular. Very worth reading.

This series fell off so hard and was such a disappointment at the end. What started as an interesting though seemingly impossible story arc for Batman's early years, the writing and characters/characterizations were fun. Once it hit the second arc, that mostly all disappeared. Add into it the Joker kidnapping, drugging and manipulating Bruce for 3 months out of nowhere just jumped the shark way too far.

This is one of the most beautiful, well depicted Batman books. Miller is all over the place with his message and a lot of things are dated but this is still a quintessential Batman story.

This is how you get readers into strong female characters. You treat them as such. Don't infantilize them. They can still show weakness and vulnerability. Softness like she is exhibits with Steve and easing him into his realization he's in Hell. This Diana is about as strong as I've ever seen her. She is sure of herself and her desire to protect those she can. To be graceful, confident and immensely powerful. A total badass. It's everything Wonder Woman should be.

Small reservations that I had early in this series in regards to MJ's casual acceptance of Peter's new lifestyle is given more depth. She was never going to be on board 100%. She has reservations. She knows this is dangerous. As well as Ben. The revelation tha Ben knows, makes so much sense and it just makes it more frustrating that we've never had that in the main universe. People aren't that oblivious. I love how involved every character is in Peter's life. Hickman has written this perfectly. Messina's art has also elevated and evolved very quickly and incredibly well. Couldn't ask for a better story.

I disliked the writing and art in this more than last time. This whole plot is incredibly contrived just to serve as a vessel to bridge the gap to the next big writer where this feels like a place holder. It doesn't feel like a good Spider-Man story. He just doesn't fit in this. It could have been a more seamless transition into this arc but there was no lead up, nothing building to his team-up with Strange and Doom until all of a sudden, BOOM! Spider-Man is throwing magic around. It's like the story of an annual extended over a series of issues. Peter isn't terrible with women. He's usually pretty great with women DESPITE his idiosyncrasies and overall dorkiness. He can be oblivious but he's not that dumb to just have Felicia blatantly telling him she's single go right over his head. It makes it worse that there is near zero consistency to McGuiness' portrayal of Felicia. She changes in every panel she's in. It's very jarring. While Norman saying he doesn't believe in magic completely stone faced is genuinely funny, it makes absolutely no sense. He's lived in a world where magic has existed for years. There is no denying it and those who were skeptics have been shown to have no way to quantify it. If Tony Stark believes in magic, Norman Osborn even in all his pride would have no reason to deny it's existence. I do enjoy this change for Norman though. I hold absolutely zero hope that it will be followed up on well at least not in this... run? Series? Not sure what to call this Kelly section of ASM. I think what would be a great way to get Spider-Man and Peter back to what people want is to focus back on his supporting cast. Have him do more with Norman, with Felicia and May. They're there but like the audience, they're just waiting for Peter to remember who they are and what they mean to him. The ending is a masterclass in rushed pacing. The climax has no real resolution. Largely no buildup or anticipation during the new Scion conflict and as fast as you can blink, it's over. No reverence or weight to add to another death for Peter Parker. Hell there's barely an explanation as to HOW he died. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong. There needs to be more impact shown to the reader for it to feel meaningful. I know death means nothing in comics but this is set up to convey how it can impact a character for those readers who might not have read anything off the most popular lines that have had to deal with death. It makes it feel so shallow. I'm genuinely not trying to be a downer or a hater. I just want more than this book and this editor are giving me. There are good/interesting ideas here but they are not given enough time to shine or be meaningfully fleshed out. Like Kevin. Or Peter's thousand yard state after his "rebirth". He's just casually back to it like he was at the beginning of this issue completely eradicating all of the impact of the end of the last. I'm rating this higher simply because it manages to continue the story that was established. A story I might not like but at least as opposed to the previous issue, flows into this newly established direction. Whiplash inducing as it may be.

I have said many times I am not a fan of annuals especially not ones written so long ago. They never have anything to do with the main ongoing plot and vary wildly in quality. Thankfully with this issue it is in the minority. The art is superb and while the story is such a massive departure from the main ongoing saga of the X-Men, it was well written and gripping. I don't know Arkon nor do I really care for a tangential story to rip me away from the X-Men finally reuniting with Jean and Xavier but at least it was an enjoyable read.

This was great. I've never been a huge Wonder Woman fan but I love this spin on her. I loved the relationship between her and Circe. That strong bond carries through in just the first issue speaks volumes about the strength of the writing. The art on the other hand felt a little all over the place. It might have just been that the coloring had some flatness to the action scenes. But those scenes weren't the most important of the book. It was absolutely the connection and realization of who Diana is. Very powerful.

It made my jaw drop and throw out explatives multiple times in 24 pages, it's awesome.

Most of the dialogue here is just bad. Unfunny jokes, Peter feels like a teenager still, people talking at Peter and everything sailing over his head. Marveling at the fact that he stood up to Doctor Doom despite the fact that he's done it countless times. Whether or not he was the Sorcerer Supreme. Everyone here just felt a bit lifeless. Aside from Kevin. And what was even the point of introducing Burnout? Could he come up later? Sure but as of right now he's nothing and it had zero impact on the story. Just a device to remind readers of Doom's power which isn't necessary because he's DOOM! Kelly seems to be trying a bit too hard to be meta-relevant. We know all of the annoying problems in the world. AI on our phones, corporate ads invading our daily lives aren't really commentary I need from Spider-Man unless it actually matters to the plot. Which in this case feels incredibly contrived. Doom not wanting to do the work of fighting the Scions of Cyttorak is very in line with how Doom operates. But To have Spider-Man do it? I'm sorry but even Doom's monologuing didn't agree with that one. Now all of a sudden, because of a suit change, he just knows the "cool secret names of things"... Show. Don't tell. First rule. Already breaking it. I really want the ramifications of Peter dying and being reborn to have meaning in the future but I'm hard pressed to believe that the significance of that will carry over. Something this important to a character's perception of the world should carry weight and while it does here, it's only in service to a McGuffin plot. This may be the least I have ever cared for McGuinness' work. That might have something to do with the colorist changing from his previous arcs on ASM but this felt way flatter in terms of vibrancy and pop that was apparent in his older issues. Things here felt a lot more cartoony at the wrong times and traditional when it could have used more expressive features from Spider-Man. It also had this issue when there were multiple characters on a page that everyone looked way less detailed and on model. I'm just going to assume this entire arc was rushed to get the Wells transition kicked off as quickly as possible. This whole storyline didn't feel like the natural progression it would have taken in preparation for a new writer. Even May is sick and tired of Peter spinning in circles. I really wanted to read every issue of ASM but if this is all I have to expect from this arc, I might jump off next issue.

It's fantastic. The main character can take a backseat every once in a while and allow the world to fill in around him. making more than just him feel alive. The slow moving methodical pacing and in depth characterization of every player in this story makes this one of the most enjoyable books on the market because Hickman is playing it with finesse while giving us the occasional bombastic centerpieces we come to expect from modern comics. Also, that hook at the end? Brilliant.

Harry is very quickly becoming a very scary dude.

It's not as good as Absolute Batman but that doesn't mean it's not great. Rafa Sandoval rocked this issue. The art here is phenomenal. Everything pops, colors are vibrant, Krypton feels alive despite it's decent into death. The story here is nothing wholly new. But it shakes things up enough that we see a Kal-El fighting for the people of Earth, at least those that are downtrodden, lower caste, workers of the population because that's what his family on Krypton were. It delivers a strong message that isn't new either but with time could be fleshed out to be something impactful.

Womp womp. There is something fitting with this being my 1000th review. The wet fart of an ending to Wells' run leads into giving me more reason to review another thousand. Hopefully some stronger Spider-Man runs.

Nothing much to say that hasn't been said but there is something comforting about reading a good Snyder Bat-book after so long. It's damn near perfect. A wonderful introduction into a new version of Batman that already feels fleshed out. I can't wait to see more from all of the characters in this interpretation.

Phenomenal. Fantastic even.

I originally had this whole thing written about how frustrated I was after just the first 3 pages after the Kingpin/Tombstone flashback. I was disappointed in the art and hanging plot threads but honestly, those aren't enough to make this a bad issue at all. What I felt in the first arc is back here. Everything I praised Wells for, his ability to channel that JMS era of Peter relying on others to help him, expanding his supporting cast and making him feel a little more down to earth is very present. That's what I, and I feel most people want from Peter Parker. I think that's why people want him to be married or at least in a committed long term relationship. It makes him feel more relatable, realistic. Someone having real world problems. Not fantastic superhero problems that make his personal life harder. He's supposed to be an insert for the reader. Escapism through his heroics but similar in his personal problems. It's what makes him so endearing and Wells channels that here. He makes Spider-Man feel like Spider-Man, messing with his enemies, being a nuisance and it comes back to bite him but Peter being Peter, he has a good support system, this time in the form of Luke Cage and She-Hulk. I wish we had been able to see more of them outside of a Dark Web epilogue and Gang War but it's still nice to see heroes coming to Peter/Spider-Man's aid. Shows the readers why he's so well loved. I've not been the biggest fan of this run but I would always give issues their due when they deserved it and there were a lot of hits. A lot of misses too but as long as this final arc actually finishes off well, I wouldn't rate this overall as bad as a lot of people around the internet have said it is. It's just not. I will however say that most of the missteps here were likely the fault of editorial and their awful event mandates. I don't fault Wells entirely for Dark Web or Gang War. We have to have them because Marvel wants to sell more books. Take those out and this run becomes much better and more cohesive. It will flow a bit better and maybe some of those hanging plot threads aren't left as hanging. Keep up the work Spider-Team. End on a bang. Oh yeah and I even enjoyed the Paul backup. I think that they really chickened out catering to that part of the "fanbase" that was complaining about him. Abandoning him entirely when all of the Paul haters had already dropped off the book. It still sold well even when he was in it. Should have just kept him in. It was a chance to flesh out his character more and make him less hated or just kill/send him off if you were actually done with him. It feels like a waste in hindsight and I never hated him. It was a really interesting position for Peter to be in. We've seen MJ in relationships away from Peter before but this was different. It's still different. They have a bond, they've never really been lovers. And there is security for both of them in that bond. Paul has a home and someone to trust in a dimension he doesn't know and MJ has someone who isn't constantly in danger. It honestly has always made sense. Either commit to Paul or don't.

I'm not even trying to dunk on Penders but the stories he has written these past two issues are really not exciting, "cool" or funny in the way Sonic has been in the first 10 issues. Thankfully there are some other writers doing smaller stories in these books and those help keep that typical Sonic flair to it. Just hardly the main arc.

The writing quality took a nose dive. Sally all of a sudden is just madly in love with Sonic when it was a lot more of a playful back and forth between the two, hiding feelings for one another. The jokes are worse and constant.

Every character is pretty much perfect. I was always wary of Hickman touching Spider-Man because I wasn't sure what he'd do with it. Not in a bad way but he moves things along in ways people don't generally appreciate until this story has reached it's end but here, he's got it down. How he packs so much heart and soul into a single page of dialogue between Jonah and Richard, two characters we've really not gone too in depth on in this series so far and tells you so much about them as individuals speaks volumes about his talent and care for this book.

I really want to like this as I'm still engaged with the story and teh art is phenomenal but it is so dated in other aspects.

What felt like was winding down is picking back up here. I was worried that this series was losing steam as much as I have enjoyed every issue but after taking a small break it's just as engaging. Stakes are high, I think what has been missing is the emotional factor coming from the humans as they've been mostly background characters that added weight. This focus on Cybertron with the flashbacks and somber tones from every Autobot left them feeling a little flat. What carries this second arc are entirely the Decepticons and their unrelenting pursuit of Cyberton's salvation.

This is just so good.

This is very good, very cute but very frustrating. Peter can grow beyond learning the same lesson he has a thousand times over about taking time for himself. He's not the only hero out there and there are more than ever. He wants to go on a date he can call Miles, or Tony, or anyone else if he has plans. That's being responsible while taking care of yourself.

It is very high concept especially for the time. It doesn't hold your hand and you just have to accept all of the new characters, places and concepts thrown at you but what is here is still stellar. What Kirby even starts out with is timeless.

While the art and dialogue were fantastic, it's just kind of boring. A flashback issue solely for Charles that doesn't really do much but show that he knew of Ororo before he approached her for the New X-Men and that he fought another telepath. It doesn't really deal with his grief in any substantial way. Sure they address it but why the flashback when it doesn't relate to said grief? After looking into it more, I came to find out this is the introduction of the Shadow King. It still feels out of place and I don't know his importance to the X-landscape later on so it still feels like fluff. Well depicted in story and artwork but jarring in issue pacing.

God damn.

All good stories though only two look like they'll tie into anything.

Fulfilling end and set up for the next arc.

Knuckles absolutely stole the show here. If it can get a genuine smile out of me, it's a good book. This whole arc has been solid.

This almost jumped the shark. We went from an 8 to and 11 real fast in terms of crazy stuff happening. Giant Dragon Metal Sonic is not what I had anticipated and while cool very nearly hits that mark of unbelievability. Especially this early into the run. But the saving grace for the issue is despite the immense threat everyone is still cracking jokes that feel natural and team-up issues like this are what make it for me with such a large cast. Everyone is getting their own time to shine and that's how you do a team book.

It's funny, it's epic, it's impactful. The whole cast coming together for a big team-up to take down Neo Metal Sonic is everything you could want in a Sonic story. And now they have to contend with Super Neo Metal Sonic... Say that fives times fast.

As far as conclusions go for Zeb Wells, this is one of his better ones. The bouncing back and forth of the Goblin between Norman and Peter, Peter and Norman got really annoying and we could have seen an inner struggle for Peter longer than a single splash page but what we got was decent. Exploring more of those pivotal moments in Peter and Spider-Man's life being slowly poisoned or stripped away by the Goblin would have been more interesting and now it's just... gone. Poof. We're going to get more of a resolution soon I'm sure. Wells loves his epilogues instead of just giving us a fulfilling conclusion but with what we got here I don't hate any of it.

While the art takes a step my for my personal tastes, being a little more bubbly, cute and rounded off it is by no means poor. It fits the vibe of the issue being a more lighthearted introduction to Silver and the new character of Whisper. His fanboyish excitement over meeting her and her very introverted personality bounced off of one another well. Flynn is great with his characters and the overarching plot is forming together well.

The pacing of the action is great, the reveal is awesome and keeps the trend of giving us yet one more classic Sonic character. Up to this point a lot of the action has been a little hard to follow. I think it has mostly been from a lack of sound effects and other onomatopoeia but the scenes here really feel impactful and flow together extremely well. Adam Bryce Thomas might be my favorite artist on this rotation.

A fantastic introduction into this iteration of Sonic. We get a very large cast of characters, motivations, worldbuilding and everyone feels fleshed out in just the first issue. Antoine is a stuffed shirt who is jealous of Sonic but still wants to do the right thing, Rotor is a lovable tech wiz, Sally is assertive and while Sonic grates on her, she secretly harbors feelings for him. The list goes on. With the backstory to the main plot in the latter half of the issue we see Sonic's Uncle Chuck and the chain of events leading to Sonic's joining up of the Knothole Freedom Fighters. Despite only taking 11 pages to do so, we get a very heart wrenching story of Sonic's loss of his uncle and dog to Robotnik becoming the catalyst for his eventual Freedom Fighter status. Everything done in 26 pages. While definitely designed for kids the humor, heart and the pace of the book is stellar.

I really loved the dynamic between Sonic and Shadow and this amnesiac Eggman. Though Sonic was slow to believe that Eggman had changed he very quickly defended him against Shadow. Such great representation for how much of a positive and uplifting guy Sonic is.

Another solid issue, more intros to classic characters, great characterization though the story doesn't seem to move as far forward considering how fast paced this series seems to be moving.

A big step up for the story, great intro for more characters and that beautiful Evan Stanley art. I'm liking the direction the narrative is going but it would be nice if they gave a rundown on the backstory as this takes place after Sonic Forces.

Was going to rate this lower simply because the art wasn't as much to my liking (not that it's bad, just a little more rounded off and kid-ish) but the story is starting to ramp up and that keeps it in line with the consistency of the last two issues.

Pretty much the same issues and praises as the last. They are establishing more and seems like they are going to do a new character intro per issue so that's not a terrible pace to get everyone up to speed. It's just a lot of empty exposition about "the war" which leaves a lot unseen.

Fun and cute but light on establishing characters and the world for a first issue seeing as this is not a continuation of the Archie line. The art is great and the characters feel like themselves as has always been Flynn's strong suit but I could do with a little more dialogue and less flat action.

While not as "important" as the last issue, this one was more entertaining. I didn't feel like I was falling asleep getting through the paragraphs per text box as the last one and seeing the X-Men deal with Weapon Alpha when he had no idea what he was getting into was fun. Letting the X-Men get even a few moments of relaxation really helps the pace of the run and I'm glad we've already had a few even if they are almost immediately interrupted. The biggest jump within these last two issues is how much more development we get in the X-Men themselves. We see Scott in doubt about himself, his relationship and struggling with a feeling he has about Corsair while Jean is coming to terms with her powers and holding a secret from Scott. Seeing Kurt try to break through Scott's barriers to help him understand that it's okay to be vulnerable and just take time to relax is paramount in the lives they lead is a fantastic moment for the both of them.

This was dense. A whole lot happening, things going very quickly and an ending that we're told not shown. But what we are shown is fantastic and beautiful. Byrne's jumping on point coincides with Claremont's highest concepts in one issue. It's just so much to absorb and so much of it feels way outside of what you'd expect from a comic, especially in the late 70s. It's amazing but just a little too hard to follow.

The story is pretty solid. Some choices that felt a little dated but I also get that this is supposed to be a sequel to a single panel written in the late 80s. It's not even the Joker in Iraq aspect. It's just a certain way DeMatteis' flow works. Sometimes it's stronger. Overall though, the story was fantastic and a pretty good though surface level depiction of PTSD and trauma. It's also great how much importance is put on psychology and therapy though again, it's all pretty surface level. You can only get so much from a comic. The art is a little rough. At times it looks solid and others I have hard time deciphering what is on the page. Glad this is a mini series, hopefully it can expand more on the deeper tones and ideas it presents.

Kamala got straight to the point with her emphatic *SIGH*. That's all I feel about this issue. It wasn't funny when it was trying to be, it never felt serious when it was trying to be. I really wish this wasn't how every arc felt with Wells. Solid start, terrible to boring middle, tacked on ending. Goblin originally felt like he could be an actual threat. That went right out the window. As soon as he's taken slightly off guard by Peter not being possessed, Peter is able to absolutely run through him when Goblin was previously obliterating Peter 2 issues ago. He's suddenly weak because he has to be. It's so anti-climactic. And now we are right back where we were like 20 something issues ago. Wells wrote a good story. Now he's trying to go back to it in a really dissatisfying way. I really don't know what else to say. At least we know the run is almost over. I wanted more from this arc.

Cap has always been a true representation of what America and the American Dream really are. It's not political. But his endeavor to be a beacon to the world is what all Americans should strive to uphold. Fighting true tyranny and saving everyone he can. Be it 616 or this 6160 universe, those ideals stay consistent. All while taking down a cartoonishly evil Capitalist. The flashbacks peppered into the narrative we get to see more about how the world has changed since the Maker interfered. Starting from WWII he was the first man on the moon, involved in the Kennedy administration, met Galactus, there was an equal rights movement for mutants, allowed Roxxon to destroy the Savage Land, the Punisher is an actual mass murderer that inspires a gang of trigger happy idiots appropriating his symbol (not unlike the real world). This world is a mess. But they also have the Ultimates. And Captain America.

This issue stood out a bit more than the last even though it was a pivotal moment in the X-Men lore. Things were just more focused on one narrative here. The ambush from Black Tom Cassidy and Juggernaut we get so see how the New X-Men deal without a leader like Scott or Xavier. The end result is not very good. While they try to remain a group they are unfocused, none more so than Storm as we get a pretty tragic backstory into her childhood with some shockingly relevant issues regarding wars overseas involving Israel. We also get to see how tense the relationships can get with Wolverine constantly so aggressive as well as Scott and Xavier practically cursing at one another from stress. A low point for the team but a highpoint for the writing.

There are some pretty serious subjects being talked about and portrayed here. Hard topics that I enjoy seeing in comics, especially Batman. Ellis is a great writer regardless of how people feel about him personally, all of which in terms of criticism is valid but he tackled the issues well. Or at least well enough in a two part story in an off the beaten path Batman title. You would have really had to dig for this someone told you about it even back in the day. The big downfall of the story is that it isn't a fully fleshed out story and takedown of how terrible the government is, or at least the weaponization of the masses through various means. It's poignant and something to really dig into for the medium but it was relegated to 40 pages.

An intense, thrilling and suspenseful detective story taking Batman out of Gotham. A simple, somewhat goofy premise that manages to pull all of what people tend to want to see from a solo Batman story. While not the strongest story, or art this is still a solid start.

The only thing I'm left wanting on in this book is a bit more engaging action. Seeing as it's Peter still getting his feet under him as well as Harry, I can understand. It's their first big fight. Against an opponent they were both completely unprepared for. I just want my jaw to drop at some point from how amazing that will be. I know we'll get there. Before then, we've got some of the best characterization in Spider-Man that I could ask for. It's not 616 Peter and this still feels like the most genuine version of him we've seen in almost 20 years. Peter who cares about his family, Peter who doesn't WANT to hurt people or commit crimes if he doesn't have to. A real boy scout in the best way. Just a good guy doing everything he can to do the right thing. All the while being led by a man with a much more cynical and potentially sinister agenda. The inevitable confrontation between Peter and Harry will happen but the build up of their mutual trust being established and reinforced over time is a fantastic stepping stone into creating a satisfying and devastating falling out. I am also left wondering about Richard's attitude toward Peter's reveal. MJ's I can understand. She has clearly wanted Peter to really come out of his shell and be the person she knows he wants to be. And while dangerous she knows that this is his choice and will stand by him as this is a broken world without many heroes. It hasn't gotten to the point where it's TOO dangerous. We'll see if we ever get there and if that creates tensions between them. Richard however is a curious case. I'm interested in seeing what his real thoughts are. I'm sure we'll diver deeper into it. Hickman is the man.

A bit slow after last issue but that tends to happen after such a big reveal as well as having been the norm in Wells' arcs. I don't mind a slow pace but considering this arc isn't that long it worries me that this stems from a cool idea where he has a solid first issue and little to bring it all to a satisfying conclusion. Not that he hasn't before but his consistency is lacking in that department. As well as that of Ed McGuinness. I don't think his art style is bad, in fact I really like it but I tune out when his art is present in Spider-Man. I don't like how his characters look in costume. Nauck however is fantastic. I'd much rather just have one artist per book, not one per storyline. Eventually the paths meet and you leave one artist out to dry. It also looses a bit of that cohesion. In terms of the story as I said before, it was a little slow. Between a lackluster confrontation between Chasm and Peter that leads to a pretty unceremonious "removal" of the Spider-Goblin, (at least in appearance), an even slower moving plot in The Living Brain's plan to save Peter and the most intriguing bit of Norman futureproofing the downfall of Peter Parker by transferring holdings of Oscorp to Peter's name. That last thread is the most impactful but a lot of it gets lost because nothing really had time to stick together. Not a bad issue but unfocused.

Half of this issue is a thrilling and heart wrenching (though truncated) ride and the other is just a bit goofy. Fun and enjoyable though neither feel fleshed out enough to make the issue cohesive. Two issues spread out for each of the storylines would have served it much better but the art really elevates the book.

The point that hit home for me the most was this uplifting of man as gods. Something CAMP (not Hickman, who's messaging really likes to work with in his own writing) seemed to tackle well. Tony's inner monologue, journal entries and the direct allusions to his "success" on the seventh day, who do gods pray to? It's fantastic. The most surprising aspect of the issue is the reveal that despite so many of the origin-boxes being sent out, only a handful actually worked. This is still a very grounded universe because it is choosing not to be overpopulated with larger than life figures and is having to navigate it's own way to correcting itself. Humans being gods.

FWIP "Fwip?" I really appreciate how much is being tackled in just 20 pages. The continuation of the current threat that is the Green Goblin's return, Kraven's pursuit of redeeming Spider-Man from the other Spider-Goblin arc, Ben's journey back to becoming himself, the dangling Sinister Six plot which had honestly felt like such an afterthought since the anniversary issue. It all blends seamlessly together in a fast paced yet still story rich book. My only complaint is that I think Todd Nauck should get the lead pencil duties. I'm not a big fan of McGuinness on Spider-Man. Everyone is a little too chunky.

It's just fun and dumb and that's honestly all it needs to be.

Stellar performance by Hickman and Messina. Where I was concerned with Messina's abilities last issue I really think this was a truer example of his talents. Sure he isn't Checchetto but he's still a brilliant artist all the same. I appreciate these slower issues building the world around the characters since we know that we're taking such big time jumps between issues. While almost completely absent of Peter Parker I'm just as interested in Harry and his role to play in this story. His ambition to take down Kingpin and the rest of the cabal that framed Tony. It's thrilling. Not something we get a lot from Spider-Man books. We're not sure yet how that is going to affect his relationship to Peter. Is this Peter going to be less inclined to pull his punches as a father who fears for his family? Is he going to completely agree with Harry? These are the questions that should be popping into people's heads as we see Harry employing some pretty barbaric tactics even if what we see on the page can only be speculated on future ramifications.

Despite 49 previous issues leading up to a return of the Green Goblin the final transformation and reveal felt a little rushed. Not that I'm into drip feeding pivotal moments like ASM has trended towards in the past ten years but it just felt so sudden as well as the apparent and immediate de-powering of the Goblin. Those gripes aside the story was stellar. Moving incredibly fast but with decisive urgency. Getting to Spider-Goblin 2.0. I'm not sure what this is going to mean for Peter OR Norman now as the last time we got a Goblinized Peter Parker it was the best thing this run had to date and all of the progress that Norman has made still seems to exist inside the Norman half of the personalities. Wells has shown he can do this and make it good. I really hope he stick the landing.

ASM: Really intriguing and engaging for a FCBD story. It's nice to get a good hook though for those just picking this up because it was free, no one will have any idea what is happening. I wouldn't blame current readers for being a little lost. It could take place any time pre or post Blood Hunt really. The biggest takeaway here is the final panels hinting that Norman may be up to something or has been for some time. Ultimates: Really cool intro to WWII Human Torch. Seeing all of the lost heroes is kind of heartbreaking but Hickman loves his Easter eggs. I really enjoyed the dynamic between Cap, Doom and Iron Lad. Will definitely be picking up The Ultimates when it releases. Venom: Not really the biggest Venom fan in the world already and post Cates I haven't read anything. I've heard good things about Ewing's run but in general I am just not a big fan of Dylan at all much less Cable-Dylan. It could end up being cool but I'm not going to be venturing into that storyline in the near future.

The art looks so phoned in if Spider-Man or anything without any action isn't on panel. It's so disappointing. The only thing saving the art is the amazing coloring that really doesn't seem to hit until page 6. As for the story, for someone who isn't diving into Blood Hunt yet this was an engaging and pretty harmless tie-in. Its nice to see Peter getting upset about the world around him constantly turning to crap instead of being so conditioned by it that he's lost his empathy for the city.

Near perfect. I think the only docks I can make to it is some dated writing and frustrating paneling on spread pages that make it a little hard to read but it's so bombastic and climactic throughout. It flows pretty well and the devastating conclusion really leaves a mark.

Very thrilling but also very dated. Just the general vernacular used is extremely 70s and condescending towards women though it didn't use it SO much as they have in previous issues. The final pages are rather suspenseful and a great lead into an anniversary issue.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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 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'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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

The future's in decentralization.

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

"'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."

"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?"

"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."

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.

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.

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 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.

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?

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.

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

"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.

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."

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.