Two issues in and Judgment Day is firing on all cylinders. The groundwork, laid primarily by Gillen, has really paid off in an organic way here as we have a conflict between groups that actually makes some amount of sense.

Fantastic issue. This has been the best big 2 event since Hickman's Secret Wars.

A nearly perfect ending to the best big 2 event in years. Gillen manages to successfully imbibe big character moments with tons of meaning that really drives home the "we can all strive to be better" message, which is a near-essential element of the best Marvel stories.

This was a lot of fun and Wells has a great voice for Peter. The Beyond Corporation stuff had a really solid hook. The idea of Spider-Man as a corporate property thanks to Otto is mostly brilliant. The fight between the U-Foes and Ben/Peter was fun too and did a lot of good work setting up the next couple months of stories. This is also some of Gleason's best art since his Batman and Robin days with Tomasi. I've got much higher hopes for this than Spencer's run which was lukewarm, even at best, to me and focused too much on the past and not enough on the future.

I'm just so glad we're getting a more forward-looking Spidey book after Spencer spent the majority of his run firmly mucking around in the past. The Beyond Corp idea is really great and it was cool seeing the couple of Nextwave inspired panels. The writing and art by Thompson and Pichelli paired well together and fit in nicely with the two earlier installments in the story, led by Wells and Gleason. This is giving me a lot of Brand New Day vibes and that's a good thing.

Thompson and Pichelli do a solid job keeping the pace moving here. I think I said it in my last review, but the Beyond Corp stuff has been my favorite part of this run, even if any possibility of them not being evil is gone.

This has been a really enjoyable series so far and #81 was another quality installment. The interaction between Miles and Ben was really solid, while providing another opportunity to show the disconnect between our new Spider-Man and the Beyond Corp's leadership. Really looking forward to seeing Fornes on art next issue. His stuff is next level and I'm excited to see him bring Spidey to life!

This is more or less a review for the entire Beyond arc. Pretty darn enjoyable story, some things I wanted to go into detail on: - Nearly everything related to Ben was handled really well. From his early interaction with Miles to the descent into anger and rage over the loss of his memories, it all worked. The way the lost memories were depicted from an artistic standpoint was chilling and gave a nice tinge of horror. I also thought the gadgets and costume enhancements were creative and a lot of fun. Overall, I think what they've done with Ben has the potential to be additive to the character. He's completely stepping out of Peter's shadow, for better or worse. Living in Peter's shadow, with his memories and the messiness that comes with not having your own niche is something this arc spent a lot of time grappling with, and I'm hoping the writers can carve something unique out for Ben. - Maxine Danger and Beyond worked really well as the overarching villain, despite it being telegraphed right from the first issue. The writing team imbued her with the right amount of gravitas, and contrasting her demanding, unforgiving personality with the much more kind and sympathetic Marcus Momplaisir wound up producing a lot of great tension. - The BEY issues were fine although a few felt like padding (looking at you Spider Slingers). The standout was clearly the MJ/Black Cat issue, and that feels like a team-up we definitely need more of. I also needed a shower after the Doc Ock/Aunt May issue. Forever unclean!!!! - I have no idea what Marvel has ahead for Peter, but this arc admittedly didn't push him forward much and (justifiably) left him riding passenger to Ben. I'm not here for the criticisms over Peter's actions at the end either. Beyond is so very clearly not a good corporation and blindly trusting that helmet to restore Ben without ruining Peter was a terrible solution. All Peter could do was offer Ben his help, and Ben made his own choice from there. - It does appear Peter's going back on the outs with Mary Jane in literally the next issue, so the choice to tease a full reunion at the end of #93 is odd and a bit mean. - As is usually the case with such a large creative team, the art ranged from uh, not great to fantastic. Gleason's work was the standout, with my one of my favorite's, Jorge Fornes, and Paco Medina running silver and bronze. I do wish Fornes had been given a little more to do. Feels like we were robbed of seeing him draw Pete in the red and blues.

I'm really not sure why this event exists. Other than to maybe capitalize on some 90's nostalgia? I just want to get through it so we can finally open the mystery box.

This was Morrison's first big work for DC and damn did they come out swinging. Many of the usual Morrison tropes are not only present but are immediately welcome. They restyle Buddy Baker as a animal rights activist, vegetarian, and most importantly, a family man. The book exudes an underdog vibe that really makes it entirely easy to sympathize with Buddy and I think that's why this take on the character has stood up for over 30 years now. The initial four issues of the comic play it relatively straight forward and the story really begins to blossom with #5, The Coyote Gospel. It's a masterpiece of an issue that functions as both a thematic appetizer of what's to come and a metanarrative on the nature of comics, their creators and creations in general. As we watch the tragedy of Crafty the Coyote unfold, it's hard not to think about the nature of creation. Why would a creator would permit such tragedies to occur? Why all this suffering and cruelty? What's the point? The explicit Christian homages, particularly on the last page, really hammer those questions home and provide a narrative guide for the next 21 issues. It really is genius. The final few issues of the collection almost feel like a safer draft of Morrison's Doom Patrol. #7 in particular features that magical Doom Patrol combo of funny, weird, and tragic, featuring a Golden Aged villain at the end of his rope. Morrison has always been one of the best at mining DC history and this entire collection is a perfect example of why.

Morrison magnificent take on Animal Man and exploration of metanarratives continues continues in vol 2 as we really start to examine some the real world issues, much to the dismay of the "comics have never been political" crowd. Morrison uses traditional superhero comic language to expose readers to real world animal rights tragedies, like the hunting of the Faroe Island dolphins. We the reader are slowly seeing Buddy become radicalized by the horrors he witnesses and damn if it isn't an effective way to do the same to the reader. This is a crowded volume though, combining a ton of interesting, disparate ideas ranging from environmentalism to a metafictional narrative surrounding DC's post-Crisis continuity. It's a really interesting, if at times jumbled, mix that I think the creative team is ultimately able to pull off. It's weird in a way that only the best Morrison comics are and it's hard not to appreciate how stuffed full of ideas it truly is, even through the messier bits.

For my money, this is by far and away the best of the three volumes Morrison worked on and it's brimming with some of the best fourth wall breaking that's ever been done in comics. The volume examines the comic book medium itself as well as the nature of fiction in a larger sense. It's a celebration of the odd, idiosyncratic history of DC Comics that doesn't simply wallow in nostalgia, but finds something genuinely new and different to say. Morrison starts us off with a full-blown peyote trip in the desert that is among the best work the underrated Chaz Truog and Doug Hazelwood put in on the series. Between the psychedelic imagery and some really clever-for-it's-era paneling, these are the best looking issues of the run. I think these issues are also the first time anyone at DC acknowledged anything pre-Crisis, and Morrison does it in the most unique possible way that perfectly leads us toward the end. On our way there, Morrison also takes a moment to dispense one their favorite lessons regarding fiction: that these characters and stories will outlive all of us. Comic stories live their lives in the mind of the reader. And while the continuity may change, the old stories are still real and can be read over and over again. They haven’t disappeared after a continuity reboot and as long as someone picks up the book they will always be alive. It's honestly a message I wish more comic readers would take to heart. The finale is also among the finest "creation-meets-creator" stories ever told and a true masterclass of the medium. As Buddy finally meets his tormentor, you begin to realize that Morrison is actually berating himself for thinking that they could make a difference by writing about a super hero with a social conscience. It's completely unexpected and Morrison adds a personal touch here, relating a story about one of their cats that's crushing in it's honesty, which is a true rarity in comics. This is truly a must read book for all DC fans.

Ram V really can do no wrong in my book. He's one of the most exciting writers in comics right now and this book is yet another example as to why. On top of the intriguing premise, I thought Ram V did a great job building tension and setting up a variety of conflicts this issue. By the time we got to the issue's climactic action sequences I was fully immersed in the deep sea horror at hand. Christian Ward's art is also a perfect match for the story. He's a natural at large, dark landscapes accented with pops of the brightest colors you can imagine, and the depths of the ocean are a perfect place to show that off. His sense of scale during some of the book's more action packed scenes really made them feel larger than life too. He uniquely captured the hostile, alien conditions at the bottom of the ocean and it has me feeling like this book could be something special.

Not quite as great as the first issue but still an intriguing, gorgeously rendered book nonetheless. V and Ward's interpretation of Arthur is more myth than man, which lends a wonderful gravitas to the story. The way Ward avoids the use of black and red throughout the issue, with the complete exception of the Black Manta pages, which are then doused in it, was everything that's right about the medium as well.

I was legitimately shocked by Art's choices this issue and knowing the type of writer Prince is from Ice Cream Man, the finale of the arc really didn't shy away from giving us the ending the story deserved. I'd love to see more of this series in the future and the little post-credits bit provides a perfect opening for Prince and Morazzo to come back and deliver more.

Jimenez is really doing some top notch work here. I stopped on multiple pages just to admire his art and Morey's colors just sing. And while the issue was a bit exposition heavy, I think it worked as we continue to see Tynion's pieces move into place. The general sense of paranoia the writing exudes permeates each character and really lends to the overall theme of the event. I'm a bit worried about event bloat, but so far we're off to a pretty great start.

Fear State has been a pretty up and down event, but I think Tynion and Jimenez mostly stick the landing here. The highlight as usual, is Jimenez's outstanding art. Story-wise, reading the tie-ins definitely benefitted the main book, which has felt rushed in an effort for Tynion to stuff all of his ideas in. Some of them worked for me. I've liked a lot of the philosophical questions Miracle Molly and her Unsanity Collective posed (even if it felt a little undercooked at times), and her resolution with Batman hit a lot of good, emotional notes. The Scarecrow monologues were fun, the backstory Tynion added was interesting, and Jimenez can sure draw the hell out of him. And anytime we get the Batfamily actually working together in a fun way is always a plus. But there was other stuff that definitely didn't work as well. Mahoney is basically just a variation on the Arkham Knight and the endless rounds of fighting against him just bogged the story down. The overall pace of the story was also odd, to the point you can feel the rush to get to the next writer. When looking at Tynion's run as whole, I'd say it's fine. Nothing special, nothing terrible, definitely messed with by editorial, and containing a couple good ideas that will probably stick around for the long run. I'd especially like to see Molly working for Batman as his tech guru in some capacity. I can't imagine mustering up the faux-outrage around this. But hey, people did the same to King's run, and Snyder's, and Morrison's, etc, etc.

This was a really great start with some strong writing and incredibly engaging visuals from the team of Williamson and Molina. As a huge fan of Grant Morrison's Batman run, it warms my heart to see Bruce back in the Batman Inc. suit, and with a mystery set up around the old team to boot. From the first page, with Gotham city depicted in a moment of celebration, sucked me in. It was really nice to see as a contrast to the endless destruction and various wars it's gone through in the last 50 issues under King and Tynion. It felt fresh and almost immediately had me on board. The pacing as the mystery around Abyss presents itself was also perfect and the benefactor reveal at the end sets up an intriguing hook going forward, while working well within current continuity, as Bruce has lost his fortune. Overall, I think this is my favorite start to a Batman run since Snyder and Capullo launched the title in the New 52 by bringing the Court of Owls into the fold.

There's a whole lot to like here as Williamson continues his story that is very Grant Morrison influenced, both in plot and tone. The argument between Lex and Bruce was clearly the issues highlight. Positioning Lex as a foil to Bruce directly, rather than Batman was a stroke of genius that I hope (and expect) we'll see explored more going forward. The way Lex knew exactly how to push Bruce's buttons was great, attacking everything from his wardrobe to his surrogate son and you could see Williamson clearly having fun writing the sequence. The proper introduction to Abyss was also enjoyable and well illustrated by Molina. Williamson and co have built a good bit of mystery in around the new villain that's been missing for a bit from the title and I'm 100% here for it.

Some really uneven pacing brought this issue down. I'm not sure if that was intentionally done, to mimic whatever Abyss has done to Batman and 'disorient' the reader but it had the effect on me either way. The actual mystery behind Abyss still has my full attention and the addition of Luthor to the story has brought some much needed levity to the title.

The ending fell pretty flat for me to be honest. Williamson left himself too much to wrap up and probably could have used another issue to do it, as everything here felt rushed and a bit overexplained. The setup pages at the end of the story felt really forced as well. On a more positive note, Molina's art was really sharp and the Maps story had a solid ending.

There really isn't anything groundbreaking here but it's been a fun read with a decent little mystery through the first two issues. Porter put together some fun 'Batman vs. Ninjas' sequences that had just the right amount of stylization to create something neat that otherwise would have felt rote.

Williamson's brief run ends with a whimper as he spends most of his finale setting up the new Batman Inc title and wrapping up a loose end or two. I'm also a huge Jorge Fornes fan, but the juxtaposition between his art and Howard Porter's was just a step too far for me and made for an incredibly jarring read. There's really nothing too terrible here though, just bland, and at least it's cleared the way for Chip to come in and (hopefully) deliver something great. The Poison Ivy backup was honestly really good and has me wanting to check out the #1 next time I'm at the shop.

Intriguing, ambitious start from Zdarsky and co. He throws a ton at the reader here and it mostly sticks. Jimenez work on the title has somehow gotten better with the past 6 months off and he produced some stunning looking action sequences that paired nicely with Chip's bombastic script.

Two concurrent takes on Batman, both influenced by different elements of Morrison's run? Sign me the fuck up. After loving Ram V's take on Barbatos over in 'Tec, I'm very happy to see the final page reveal Zdarsky pulled out here. I'm still not completely sold on Failsafe but the action sequences rendered by Jimenez were kinetic as hell and had a great sense of pace and movement. It made the book fun to read as we got to see the Bat-family try to hold the line. And that final page? Yeah, give me ALL of that.

Bombastic and fun with a great backup. I like that Chip came out swinging with this first arc. It feels like he's leading up to a new status quo that will provide a jumping off point for a new set of stories (hopefully ones that don't involve the complete takeover of Gotham, as that's been a bit beaten into the ground in the last 50 or so issues of the main title).

Zdarsky has achieved Peak Bat-god. The people who are stark raving mad about this clearly hate fun. Another killer backup too, that really frames the entire arc nicely. Can't wait to see where we go from here.

Zdarsky seems to be speed-running through some of the bigger Batman premises with his first two arcs as he brings us his take on the classic "What is Gotham without the Batman?" I really enjoy his internal monologue for Bruce, as it really sells the whole "smartest, most prepared man in the room" schtick that Batman is known for. Hawthorne's art was fun throughout and I particularly liked the placement of skeleton Jim throughout the story. Really added a nice touch of levity.

Zdarsky has remixed a lot of the usual Batman tropes in his first 10 issues and the multiverse stuff is interesting, but it's hard to tell what the stakes are here. I need a little more from Zdarsky and I'm hoping the finale of this arc delivers. Admittedly, the backup continues to be the stronger of the two stories as well.

A really fun finish to an otherwise messy, underbaked story arc. I was on the fence coming into this issue and luckily Zdarsky pushed all the right buttons. I particularly loved the nod to Adam West's Batman and the subtle implication by Chip that he's the best Batman. Jimenez also does yeoman's work here, shifting styles seamlessly from Batman '89 to Dark Knight Returns to the Arkham video games. I was particularly impressed with his ability to nearly perfectly channel Frank Miller's scratchy pencils. I'm curious to see where we go from here. We've gotten a couple of extremely compressed arcs and it feels like Zdarsky is in a rush to get to whatever is coming next. I'm hoping he slows down the pace just a bit so the stories have a little more room to breathe.

While I can appreciate elements of Zdarsky's run, I gotta say that his take on Batman so far is not my cup of tea. Zdarsky's take is the closest thing we've ever gotten to Frank Miller's Batman in main continuity. He's a loner, a bully and completely driven by the mission. I get that Zur is in control and Bruce has been pushed past his breaking point but so much of this issue comes off as mean-spirited, particularly when it comes to Jason. Besieging him with fear is the kind of plot development that feels just a little too difficult to walk back from once this is all over. On the positive side, I think Zdarsky handled the rest of the Batfamily really well and the issue accurately portrayed the devastation Bruce is causing his allies. A couple of scenes, one with Tim and Damian and another with Scandal and Jason at the end of the issue really hit me in the gut and pushes a sense of abandonment on the reader in a good way. But the heart of any Batman comic is Bruce and I'm just not sure I care for this interpretation. Hopefully Tini and Chip have something big up their sleeves, because this story could use a rousing finale.

I think this is the single best issue of Zdarsky's run as he spends most of the issue getting into Bruce's head by way of the Joker. The takeover of Batman's mind by Zur felt perfectly organic and Jorge Jimenez bears a lot of the responsibility for that. The way he drew Bruce's eyes in the cowl throughout the issue was on the same level as Greg Capullo during the initial Court of Owls arc. Batman comes off as a man barely holding it together, driven only by the mission and as you turn the pages you can feel Zur's influence creeping in. Just a really well put together book. If the rest of the Mindbomb arc is this good, we're in for a potentially classic Batman/Joker story.

At long last we finally have an end to the Ghostmaker saga. The storytelling device was a little contrived and while I can appreciate the manga/anime influence on the story and Ghostmaker in general, it's not really something I connect with at all. I'm not sure where the character goes from here honestly.

I thought Tynion did pretty well here to both recap the events of the past 20-25 issues of Batman while setting the stage for Scarecrow to plunge Gotham into the somewhat clumsily named Fear State. Tynion's Scarecrow is more complex than the traditional "scientist-gone-mad" and the idea that he actually wants what's best for Gotham by pushing it past the breaking point is a well-tread idea, but an interesting one.

World's Finest is off to a really fun, exciting start. Mora always brings it in the art department and the bright, bold colors from Bonvillain were sublime. It really added to the Silver Age charm that Mark Waid brought to the table. I'm pumped for the 2nd issue and would like to see more of this type of thing throughout the DC line in both tone and color.

This comic oozes silver age style and a big part of that is thanks to Dan Mora. His work is vibrant, energetic and most importantly, fun to look at. He's able to take a basic expository scene and turn it into something interesting and unique, which makes for a better than average information dump. Waid is having a lot of fun here too. So many of the little interactions, like the ones featuring Niles Caulder and Batman or Supergirl and Robin, are just a delight to read. My one slight criticism is that the plot is a bit thin, favoring style over substance, but that's a minor quibble when the total package is this much fun.

This book is always a standout every month, just because it reads as such a love letter to the Silver Age of comics. Waid's dialogue is peppy and crisp and the interactions between Superman and Batman make the reader feel like they're actually friends on a deep, relatable level. It's so refreshing compared to the constant "let's make them fight each other" or "let's make Batman a dick to Superman" takes, which seem to be most of what we get nowadays. And damn is the Mora art just pretty to look at. He imbues his characters with a great sense of movement so the action never feels stale and the Bonvillian colors make it sing.

There's no shame in being the weakest issue of an incredibly strong run, but that's unfortunately the case here, mostly due in part to how high Waid and Mora set the bar early on. The story is relatively simple and ties off the last loose end remaining regarding the fate of Robin. On art, Moore does some nice fill-in work and the sequences with Batman and Superman performing in the circus are sure to leave a smile on your face, but it doesn't quite have the same spark as Mora's pencils. This is still a great book overall, and I'm looking forward to the upcoming Batman vs Robin mini to see where Waid goes.

Waid has a great knack for fun storytelling and it pairs perfectly with Dan Mora's expressive character work. I particularly love their interpretation of Superman, throughout not only this issue, but the entire series. He's honest, hopeful, and driven by the need to do the right thing. Mora's able to capture the character, in all his boy scout glory, perfectly. You can feel the emotion coming off the page and it really makes a big impact on the reader.

Waid might have had more fun writing this issue than I did reading it. Which is really saying something because I had a blast reading it.

Waid's ability to produce a fun mystery steeped in as much minor character lore as possible is second to none at the Big Two right now. He's able to cohesively tie so many different parts of the DC Universe together in a way that no other DC writer is doing right now. When paired with Mora's expressive characters and Bonvillain's bold colors you've got one hell of a book.

I'm going through a reread currently as this is one of my personal favorite Batman runs and damn do Tomasi and Gleason come out swinging. It also manages to thread the almost impossible needle of being both completely accessible to new readers, while deftly building on some great Morrison comics that came before it. I think the characterization of just about everyone in the book is pitch perfect, particularly Damian. I love the way Tomasi and Gleason show the inner conflict that arises out of his parentage and his need to be the best at all times. It's really compelling and drives the central conflict in the book, while eventually allowing for some real development in the relationship between Bruce and Damian. I think the story's central themes of learning from your mistakes, not dwelling in the darkness of the past, and trying to do better really hit home by the end. Alfred is also written perfectly here, as he plays the middle man trying to connect Bruce and Damian. His ability to cut between the arguments they're having in a sincere and logical way is compelling and a credit to Tomasi's writing skill. Gleason also does some fantastic stuff with the shadows in this book, with the help of colorist Mick Gray. There's so many great looking scenes with Nobody and Batman that makes for a really fun read and the way they fleshed out the background between the two was clear and concise. I highly recommend if you're looking to read some of the best of the New 52 era.

Some really exciting mysteries at play here. Everything relating to Alfred was perfect. Waid has the ability to weave continuity and warm characterization together in such a harmonious manner and these pages are a great example. While I'm a little over the constant reversion of Damian back into more of a villain, I trust that Waid knows what he's doing and will deliver on the why in the rest of the story, especially with Nezha and his corrupting influence involved.

Pretty solid stuff here, particularly from Marquez who's clean, sharp lines make the book a joy to look at. He does a great job structuring each scene clearly which helps the admittedly messy narrative along. King loves to use non-linear storytelling and while it mostly works to create and preserve a sense of mystery, it makes for a choppy read. The precision of the narration is also an interesting choice, one that I think King made intentionally as I'm guessing our last conspirator is going to be Clock King.

King and Gerads together are a magical team and they do a killer job kicking off a new line dedicated to paying homage to Batman's greatest villains through the lens of The Killing Joke. This spin on the Riddler is a bone chilling one; he's angry, meticulous and untethered from the usual rules. King spends a lot of time exploring the nature of the game between Bruce and Eddie, and then delves into potential implications of what would happen if the rules of the game changed. The final scene alone was brilliant and absolutely worth the build up. But Gerads is the real star here, delivering on all of his signature techniques. He's a master of subtle movement and facial expression, which imparts a lot of humanity into each of his characters. The scenes from Edward's youth are a great example. The teacher exudes a warm familiarity which contrasts perfectly from the cold, calculating nature of the younger Eddie. Gerads also hits readers with shades of green and red throughout, with flashbacks bathed in warmer red tones to contrast with colder green tones on every other page to further evoke the feelings mentioned above. The result is something harmonious, that builds to a perfect crescendo when they finally collide near the book's climax.

While I can appreciate that Tamaki and Fernandez strayed much further from the formula than King and Gerads did, I don't think this issue quite captured the same level of magic as One Bad Day: Riddler. King and Gerads really poked and prodded at the relationship between Riddler and Batman, attempting to stretch it in new ways, and to me this felt a bit more like a retread. I did like Steph coming in as the voice of reason and I think the idea that Two-Face just can't be rehabbed mostly works as his version of "one bad day".

Duggan and Scalera put together a nice little twist on Mr. Freeze here that sticks true to the "One Bad Day" theme, resulting in one of the best stories the line has delivered so far. This story felt fresh, unique, and damn were the Matches Malone parts really fun. I wouldn't mind Duggan getting an extended crack at Batman down the line as he's managed to craft solid stories each time he's worked with the character. Scalera's art was also top notch as always and his character designs, particularly for Robin and Matches were really strong.

While One Bad Day: Bane doesn't manage to hit the highs of the Riddler and Freeze issues, Williamson puts together a solid, interesting story that falls right in the middle of the road. There were some fun callbacks to Knightfall and I like the concept of Bane and Batman setting aside their differences to end the distribution of venom. The ending was a little goofy, but the real problem for me is Howard Porter's art. His pencils just look so sloppy to the point it took me out of the story multiple times.

This book was an absolute delight. Jock has always been one of the top Batman artists and he plays to his strengths perfectly with a fun, frenetic story. I'm almost shocked at how well paced the book was. It hit the gas right from the beginning and barely let up the entire time, leading to the blackout foreshadowed by the books title. This is also a frontrunner for the best depiction of Alfred since Morrison, as Jock's take is full of an equal amount of wit and compassion. I'll definitely be grabbing the next two issues

I think Jock's inexperience as a writer shone through a little here. Every page with Croc was a treat to look at and there were lots of cool homages to Miller's work on DKR, but the plot was a bit thin and wrapped up rather conveniently. And while the story was lacking a touch of originality, it's hard to argue with Jock's interpretation of the character. His Batman is smart, driven, compassionate and damn can he take a beating and keep going.

Damn it's good to have Tim Sale back on interiors. Feels like it's been an eternity since Captain America White ended and all we've gotten since is some pretty great Batman covers here and there. He's an absolute master at working with shadows and negative space and he brought his full talents to this one shot. The story was fine and does a solid job reinforcing some of the loose ends from the earlier Sale/Loeb collaborations. The Trick-or-Treat team-up with Babs and Dick was also a nice little bit of added levity. Overall a really enjoyable read.

Pretty solid selection of stories. The Red Hood ending didn't quite work for me but I do think there's a lot of solid new story potential there. The Tim story was great for how short it was. Really solid art and the internal monologue felt totally appropriate for the character. This one was my favorite of the group. The Dinah story was probably my 2nd favorite. I've been a sucker for Hairsine's art since I read Divinity so that was a real highlight. The incels upset over this one are cracking me up and they're all over this board with their imponent rage as well. Ignore them.

Solid start with interesting world building from Thompson, plus it's hard to complain about a triple sized first issue. I'm not sold on the Saga comparisons at all, other than the fact that a lot of the character-types are pulled from the fantasy realm and are placed in a more modern futuristic setting. There's way more of a noir vibe going on here, which came as a bit of pleasant surprise. The lead detective, or Black Cloak, Phaedra is has a variety of complex relationships that we're introduced to and Thompson does a good job of not making it feel too overwhelming. But my biggest problem might be that I didn't completely connect with the art style. Everything looks a bit too soft, a bit too rounded, and slightly too simple. McClaren definitely has talent, but unfortunately her style isn't my cup of tea.

I’ll read anything David Rubin is doing the art on because his books always look spectacular. Really cool seeing him do something more Old West here compared to his normal sci-fi, Kirby-influenced work. The gold colors stood out brilliantly against the otherwise muted tones and Snyder’s Horseless Rider has a lot of potential as an addition to the Black Hammer-verse.

Chiang is a true five tool talent. He can really do it all and the art and colors shined here. The world weary Catwoman idea really hooked me in too. So many good elements. The secret closet with all the old costumes. Oswald going legit more so because the world around him is on his corrupt level. And I absolutely loved the way Chiang drew the full page shot of Selina’s only moment of joy this issue. This book could be something really special.

Pretty solid issue with an ending I really didn't see coming. I'm still not 100% sold on Boultwood's art, through no fault of his own, although it has been growing on me the past couple issues. Guillory's look was so distinctive it's hard not to imagine what this would look like with him on pencils.

Enjoyable read but I still feel like this title is working out the kinks. I think we need a little more development from the supporting cast. That was one of the strongest aspects of Chew and it’s lacking a bit from Layman throughout this 2nd arc as we delve into new territory away from old friends. Some pretty solid humor all around this issue provided a nice lift though.

Probably the single strongest issue of the series for me and a perfect wrap up to the (She) Drunk History arc. Saffron Chu is constantly using her powers and some time traveling wine to stay one step ahead of everyone and her personality shines here, in addition to her smarts. Feels like Layman has finally settled into a core cast of characters, and while I'm still struggling to see the larger narrative at play, the book is so much fun that it doesn't matter.

It's basically a continuation of Spurrier's Hellblazer run and I for one could not be happier about it. Spurrier has a knack for mixing social commentary with magic that just hits right every single issue.

This book fills the Constantine-shaped hole in my heart.

Yeah, this book rules. So happy that it got extended into an ongoing.

Holy fuck I missed this book so much. Spurrier and Adlard spend a lot of time setting up the next arc here in a perfectly enjoyable read that made me want to dig the first six issues out so I can better bridge the half-year gap between issues.

Pretty fun little issue! The standout for me was the Stokoe story, which was delightfully weird and exquisitely drawn. I loved all the little details like Deadpool's fur hat and I thought the Canadian jokes were pretty fun, particularly the one with Puck and Sasquatch. Taylor's story was my next favorite of the trio. I'll read anything he writes with Gabby and the opening joke on the first few pages had me laughing. I thought the Brisson story was just ok and dragged a bit but the art was solid. Overall a fun package of stories with the right tone for the character.

I loved all 3 stories in the issue but the absolute standout was the Daniel Warren Johnson one. A funny meta story with amazing art and a touching ending? Sign me up. I wouldn't expect any less though from DWJ, because he just does not miss ever. The Lapham story was also very, very good with some great humor centered around the Purple Man.

First real miss of the crossover for me. The Deathstoke/Respawn half of the issue was plodding in the worst way and Respawn's characterization feels completely inconsistent with his portrayal in Robin. The art by Pantalena also just did not work for me. Odd line choices while hedging too close to a generic 90's Image house style isn't a great combo.

Man, this was a fun series with some absolutely ridiculous art by Mike Huddleston. The way he weaves different styles, textures, and color schemes through each individual page had my jaw on the floor from issue #1. This is one of the best looking books on the shelf all year. Hickman's story was a little all over the place (and benefited from a reread all at once), but the awkward pacing at times was more than made up for with enthralling world-building that let my imagination run wild. I thought he weaved the multiple narratives together expertly by the end, although my particular favorite was the egg and most of the slow-dripped lore around it. The classic Hickman diagram pages added additional layers to the story and my particular favorite was the flow chart featuring the Celestial Messiah from this issue. It absolutely had me cracking up. I'd 100% recommend picking this up if you're a Hickman fan, lover of art, or are looking for some well-developed world building in your science fiction.

The Mora art is doing most of the heavy lifting on this title right now. The parasite/Hugh Vile thing never really worked for me and has always struggled to hold my interest. I'm hoping we get more into the Gotham high society stuff that was teased at the start of this run because it's far more compelling to me. The backup was pretty good and I'm really liking the Deb Donovan character. Not sure that I'll pick up Task Force Z but the little tie ins have me more curious than I previously was.

Weird, moody and impeccably drawn are some of the things that come to mind when thinking about this issue. Ram V is at the top of his game here, bringing a take on Barbatos that more in line with the Dark Knight, Dark City version than the recent Scott Snyder work. It set up just the right amount of internal doubt in Bruce and the brief scenes with the Orghams created a great sense of mystery in regards to their motivation that's going to make the wait for next month difficult. The backup was also great. Spurrier has the talent to make 6 pages feel like an entire issue.

With Ram and Chip hitting their respective strides, the main Batbooks are in a phenomenal place right now. Both runs have their fair share of Morrison influence baked in. Where Chip's feels more direct in taking elements from things like Batman RIP, Ram's feels more spiritually connected. The little crumbs of detail regarding the Orghams and their connection to both Gotham and Barbatos just made me hungry for more. The air of supernatural around the family is building a great sense of mystery, and the use of music (and opera references) throughout the book drenches everything in a perfectly gothic light. The backup, once again, was great too. Moving Gordon out of a more official government position has been a really smart move for the character and allows for more interesting, morally-flexible storytelling.

Another fantastic issue from both sets of creative teams. Albuquerque's art in particular stood out amongst all the good stuff here. From the Toppi homage to the wonderfully balletic fight between Bruce and Talia, this whole book looked incredible. I really can't express enough how much I loved the choreography of the fight in particular because of how much Albuquerque really embraced the musical theme. Every panel presented as a different step in the dangerous dance between the two former romantic partners. Just fantastic stuff that paired perfectly with another great script from Ram V.

The slow burn mystery in 'Tec is working a little more for me than Zdarsky's high speed thriller, but damn is it nice to have the two main Bat titles firing on all cylinders. Love the way Ram V writes Gordon, it's picture perfect and every little glimpse we get of the Orgham family just makes them more interesting to me. Albuquerque once again killed it on art, managing both the action and emotional beats really well. As for the backup, this combined take on Two-Face between V and Spurrier is probably the best we've had since Tomasi's mostly forgotten arc in the Batman & Robin title during the New 52. Spurrier's gift for dialogue is so strong that he can make a completely internalized argument fascinating.

This continues to be the stronger of the two main Batman titles for me. As Ram V peels back the layers on the Orgham family, I find myself more and more enthralled with these new villains. The various masks used by the family members felt like a fantastic idea plucked right out of the Morrison era.

Lots of cool little stuff going on in this issue and it read a little choppy because of it. The scene with Batman and Gordon was fantastically done and it was really exciting to see a hint of the Question in Montoya's desk. Ram and Spurrier are also writing the most interesting take on Two Face in years and years and I wish the book had given some of these scenes a little more time to breathe.

I think I'm in the minority on this, but I prefer Ram's existential horror take on Gotham in Detective vs the multiversal madness that's happening over in Chip's Batman. That being said, I think Ram V struggled a bit this issue with all of the plates he has spinning. We had to touch base with Batman vs Arzen, Jim Gordon, Babs, Nightwing, and more. It made for some awkward transitions between scenes and the book definitely felt overstuffed at times.

An absolute breath of fresh air to read. Tradd Moore is legitimate superstar creator at this point. He's somehow as talented a writer and scripter as he is an artist and he's pushing that talent to the max here. I'd be remiss not to mention the colors from Heather Moore as well. Every choice she's made throughout this series has been perfect. I want an artist sized edition of this ASAP.

Just a phenomenal piece of storytelling from Tradd Moore. The art throughout each of the four issues was mind-bending, jaw-dropping, and just exhilarating to look at. As someone who's read just about everything Moore's ever done, his stylistic evolution is second to none in the modern era. He knows the importance of every line and utilizes every two-page spread to it's fullest. And the most extraordinary thing is that Moore's writing is nearly on the same level as his art here. He's managed to create a wholly unique story that captures the feeling of the old Doctor Strange comics while pushing well past that into something brand new. And despite how far out some of the ideas felt at times throughout the story, I was able to completely grasp what was actually going by the time the conflict between Coin and Strange played out. I hope Moore takes an Eisner home for best limited series for this one.

Just going to leave my thoughts on the whole series here as I sat down and read it last night all at once. LaValle very clearly had a few points to make regarding global warming and humanity's disregard for earth and I think they mostly stuck. The scenes of New York skyscrapers half underwater were beautifully drawn by Mi-Gyeong and really made an impact. I actually loved the reveal that this was the 6th attempt by Eve to reach the west coast base and I thought both the art and writing worked well to create a genuine surprise. The story felt like a fresh remix of classic dystopian ideas and the resolution at the end felt earned. If anything the book felt overstuffed at times and could have used a couple more issues to fully delve into everything it wanted to say.

Farmhand is back! This issue essentially served a double purpose of recapping the events of the first 15 and setting the stage for the remaining couple of arcs. Normally I'm not the biggest fan of recaps, but it worked here thanks in no small part to the two year delay between issues. The new status quo Guillory has set up has a ton of potential as well and deepens the familial drama between three generations of Jenkins. The brief glimpse of Monica we got was also chilling and appears to be primed to drive another wedge between the family. Really looking forward to seeing where we go from here.

Lemire manages to mix two of his favorite topics here, life in a rural town in Canada and surrealist body horror, in what I thought was a very good first issue. I've always been a fan of his scratchy, imperfect watercolor art and I think it's super effective in these type of small town horror stories. Gotta love an oversized first issue at a reasonable price too.

Hickman and Schiti are off to a great start here as they bring readers one of the single most rare things in Big 2 comics: a prominent, centerpiece book starring brand new characters that feel fleshed out and well developed. I was really surprised at, and appreciative of, how self-contained this issue was. Hickman's a notoriously elaborate plotter, which is a big reason he's one of the best writers in comics today, and I appreciated him pulling back a bit on building in favor of really introducing us to these characters. I thought all of the banter around Wyn was fun and I'm really looking forward to his relationship with Aiko being explored further. Wyn comes off a bit like Constantine, mixed with a little Dr Strange, with an extra dash of hard sci-fi thrown in and I am here for it. There seems to be a ton of potential here in just the new characters alone and it's pretty easy to have faith in Hickman to deliver a big time story that helps them stand out in the Marvel Universe.

I could look at Nick Dragotta's art all day. His work along with Hickman on East of West made it one of my all-time favorite comics and he doesn't hold back here, giving us a gorgeous looking black-and-white gem. The story is a bit threadbare and focuses on the evils of capitalism and energy control/consumption in a literal way and under a lesser artist it probably wouldn't hold up. But Dragotta fills every page with energy, movement and a manner of scale that makes the whole book a hell of a lot of fun. I'm excited to see what unfolds and am hoping for a few clever twists and turns to back up what will undoubtedly be one of the best looking books of the year.

Decided to take a shot on this because I liked the creative team + the concept and boy does it deliver. Kelly and Lanzing waste zero time throwing the reader right into the action, delivering on all the promise the space western genre has to offer. Marvel's bread and butter in many of their recent #1's has been the mystery box and I think Guardian's #1 has a really intriguing one (Grootfall) that I can't wait to open.

I thought this was a pretty great first issue. Jenkins' art is moody in all the best ways and his use of black borders that almost disappear, to the point there really aren't any traditional panels on various pages, was incredibly effective in creating a creepy atmosphere for the book. Kindt is a bit heavy-handed with the argumentative parents but it's effective setup nonetheless and the more time we spend with Bestie and Anna the better.

Tyler Jenkins is doing some of the best work of his career on this series. The way so many of the panels are heavily framed in black, particularly the one-sided depictions of a therapy session, adds such a great, claustrophobic feeling. It really makes a strong script from Kindt sing. I'm very, very excited to see where we go from here.

The new Hawkeye show put me in a mood to reread this series and hot damn is it still so much fun. Every issue drawn by Aja is a visual treat. Issue #3 might be the best of the entire series, with a great setup and callback revolving around a boomerang arrow. Issue #11 deserved every bit of its Eisner for its Pizza Dog centered story. Aja uses visual cues and expressive layouts to create an experience that only exists in comics. The guest artists don’t slouch either. Francavilla puts his trademark 70s aesthetic to work for a couple of sharp looking issues. Anne Wu and Javier Pulido bring their unique styles to play here as well in issues that really play to each artists strengths. Wu’s Kate-centric issues are just a really fun, breezy read. Hollingsworth’s muted colors do wonders for the books laid back vibe and his liberal use of purple really pops. And last but not least, Matt Fraction’s writing is also up to the task here, combining humor and heart to create a winning story. Clint’s desire and need to just do the right thing, despite his tendency to screw things up, clearly comes through on the page. And the way he writes Kate is chef’s kiss good. She’s funny, independent, and determined to help everyone around her. The way she functions with Clint inevitably brings out the best in both Hawkeyes and leaves you wanting more of these characters, which is one of the highest compliments I can give.

Hedra is a technical masterpiece, beautiful in it's style and simplicity. It's almost impossible to overstate how creative the layouts are and it allows Lonergan uses the negative space between panels to create a sense of movement is second to none. The book focuses on a nuclear war and an intrepid space travel searching for a cure for the fallout on her planet. She comes across all manner of strange (robots, scavengers, magic hedras) as she explores further and further into space. It's relatively simple but what makes it a stand head and shoulders above most comics is the art, particularly the way it's laid out. Each page is initially broken into a 35 panel grid that provides a base for Lonergan to work with and the gutters between panels aren’t the only white space he employs. He opts to use arching trajectories of bombs, rockets, and space travelling orbs to direct your eye from panel to panel. It creates a brilliant, nontraditional sense of movement as you read through the page. One of my favorite sequences involves the space traveler exploring a cave full of a race of scavengers. The panels are laid out and curved in a maze that somehow manages to evoke the feelings of being lost while still reading perfectly clear. It's really impressive stuff and nearly every single page has that sort of unique-to-comics magic. I can't recommend tracking this one down enough.

A slow, but very intriguing start. Blake does a solid job of introducing his world to us without overloading on the details, which can often be a problem in sci-fi, as he chooses to splinter the narrative with multiple sections that each focus on a different character. It's a fairly smart choice that provides the reader with an easy entry into the world. Unfortunately that entry might come off a little too easy at times, as the issue tends to zoom by as you read it because the details are a little too sparse at points.

I appreciate that Cates is heading in an entirely different direction from Immortal Hulk, as it would just come off as a pale imitation if he tried to out-Ewing Ewing. Banner’s motivation for essentially taking the Hulk hostage is going to be the key element to this entire pitch working for me and I hope Cates has something good up his sleeved for it. Ottley’s art was really sharp this issue with some great colors too and there’s enough here to really like that I’ll be sticking around for at least the first arc.

We get more of the inner workings of Starship Hulk this issue. I think Cates is doing a nice job of making this work through Banner's control of the Hulk portion of his psyche. I'm guessing that Betty is really a portion of Bruce's empathy that Bruce has managed to split off from himself in order to create this monstrosity. It's debatable whether or not that's regressive for the character following Immortal Hulk, but I think that misses the point. Cates is trying to do something entirely new. Bruce has done something terrible to a core part of himself and I hope (and anticipate) that we'll see this the mental affects of this dealt with at some point in the run. The reveal at the end was a legitimate surprise and caught me off guard. Edit: Merlyn was more asleep reading this issue and writing his shitty review than Bruce was when he plowed through the Authority knockoffs.

Just outright bombastic fun here from Cates and Ottley. The entire premise requires you not to think too much but that doesn't mean it's a bad thing. I'm hoping it eventually leads to some genuine moments between the Banner and Hulk personas to ground all the insanity, but until we hit that point there's nothing wrong with some good ole fashion smashing. And boy did this issue have a Hulk-sized amount of it. I also just want to add that I appreciate the complete 180° turn in tone/style when compared to Ewing's run. I think Cates made the smart choice to stick to his personal strengths rather than poorly imitating someone else.

Honestly, this was the first real miss for me on Cates' run and it really undercut the reveal from last issue by showing us very, very little of the Hulk/Spider-Hulk kaiju fight. Instead we got a lot of monologuing back and forth between alt-Banner and alt-Ross before what was ultimately just a ramp up of the prior issue's ending. It all felt very "wheel-spinning."

The found footage portion of the issue didn't really work for me as it's a gimmick that works a little better on film than on paper. The small peak we got of PKJ's upcoming run was really promising though. You can see some of Mignola's Hellboy influence coming through, which was one of the inspirations PKJ has mentioned in his interviews, and that was really exciting.

If you don't like Tom King 12-issue stories, this probably won't be the one to change your mind. As someone who's a fan of King's work and his approach to storytelling, this has all the makings of another winner as we try to unravel a mystery that features the Lex Luthor and the JLI at the center. I'm a big fan of the DeMatteis/Giffen JLI run, which Smallwood and King are clearly harkening back to, so this is right up my alley. Smallwood's art absolutely shines and the vibrant, 60s pop deco colors made this one of the best looking books of the year.

Apparently I've been infected by Tom King and his "dirty soul" (LOL, holy shit, imagine making that claim about a COMIC WRITER you've never met because you don't like his books), because I thought this was another great issue. King's Christopher Chance holds all his cards close to the vest, before letting the reader in on a great reveal as the issue winds to a close. The way Ice is written and exquisitely drawn by Smallwood is almost intoxicating and the entire book just drips in gorgeous, almost neon colors. King's 2021 winning streak continues.

Smallwood should win an Eisner for this, his work has been that good through the first three issues. King's script has met the lofty standard set by the art as well. The double page spread featuring a classic "red stoplight" scene was perfect match of form and function. The way Chance's internal dialogue meshed with Guy's droning on and Smallwood's quick panels was everything that's right about the medium. Every page is expressive and pops with color. And the way he depicted the little aside between Chance, Ice and Booster this issue was golden and it perfectly set up the book's ending, as Chance pulls a fast one on the green-with-envy Guy Gardner. I can't wait for the next issue. Edit: Merlyn not understanding the ending of the book is fucking hilarious. It was pretty obvious what happened if you paid any attention at all.

A delight of a book. The way Smallwood's art is intertwining with King's writing is sublime. Their depiction of Chance and Ice's relationship quietly developing while traversing the country in Blue Beetle's Bug was my favorite part of the issue. The subtle glances and little touches between the two were brimming with a wonderful sexual tension that Smallwood really delivers on by the end of the issue.

Tom King goes all-in on the noir here and damn is it good as the femme fatale really lives up to her name. The use of a classic JLI trope was smartly done and it really gives the series a feeling of forward propulsion that our main characters can't return from. I love that King is using the Black Label to take such a big swing. And what's left to be said about Smallwood's sublime art that hasn't been said already? He's able convey more emotion and meaning in just a glance or a touch than most artists can fit in an entire book. A perfect example is the quiet moment at the start of the issue between a coughing-for-sympathy Chance and Ice. In just a few almost wordless panels, Smallwood let the entire argument between the two playout, resolve, then linger in a way that felt perfectly real. The wait until September for #7 is gonna be painful but worth it.

King's formalism worked against him a little bit here, as it felt a bit like checking a box to make sure we got our Rocket Red focused issue. The idea behind it, that a man who has little time remaining is loathe to waste it, felt a bit like filler in the end. Gorgeously drawn filler, but filler none the less.

This one goes right near the top of the "Batman" issues King has ever written. Such a smart use of the character's reputation with epic work by Smallwood, as usual. I particularly loved the panel of Ice when she finally realized (with good reason) why Chance was so paranoid.

I wonder if the group that was frothing at the mouth over the ending of issue #6 is going to justifiably eat their crow. That would require actually reading the book, rather than ranting over a few panels and I'm not quite sure the reactionaries can handle that. Anyways, another fantastic issue from Smallwood, King and co. This interpretation of G'Nort gives me big John Candy vibes and I love it.

I think King sticks the landing and the last couple pages are just about perfect. This title really embraced the fact that it's Black Label and we're all better for it. I really just want to gush about Smallwood one more time. His art on this book has been nothing short of impeccable and I cannot wait to read what he does next. He's a superstar. Also, if you haven't checked out his threads on his artistic process get on it: https://twitter.com/SavageSmallwood/status/1572281108301250567

I'm gonna miss this book so much when it's gone. The contrast between the Hulk's family and the Fantastic Four was my favorite part of the issue by far. "Someone had to build the rocket. Someone had to build the bomb" as if their fates were inevitable. The extra twist of the knife as Bruce saw the mirror version of his family reflected in the Forever Gate hit me right in the heart too. Can't wait to see what #50 has in store.

I've been trying to collect my thoughts on this issue since Wednesday because this run was so dark and exciting and full of allegory and Hulk history, that it was admittedly dense. I've loved it since the very beginning and after reading #50, its safe to say Ewing absolutely stuck the ending. Ewing has outright referenced the Book of Job numerous times throughout the run and the parallels to that story are clearly apparent here, but handled in such a thoughtful way that it really, really works. I love that the answers the One Above All gives are too big in scale for Joe to comprehend and that all he can end up concluding is that the choice about Sterns is Savage Hulk's to make, which really demonstrates Joe's growth during the run. The way Savage Hulk closed the loop of violence by forgiving Sterns, thus erasing the Cain and Abel-esque sin that created the green door was absolutely brilliant too. It really made the opening flashback work perfectly for me and the little touches, like the Left-handed fist on the cane, to the skull in the lab, just showed how much care was put into even this small part of the story. Even the ending was perfect and cyclical, going back to the very 1st issue as Bruce looks horrified into the mirror and asks "Am I a good person?". Instead, in #50, we get a more confident, more in touch with himself Banner. The Hulk personalities have forgiven one another, are working in tandem and I'd love to see that character growth stick around for a while as we move into Cates' run. I'm not sure that we'll see anything quite like this at the Big 2 for quite some time and I'm gonna miss it.

I had really high hopes for this book and damn did the first issue deliver. Mister Sinister has been one of the brightest spots in the Krakoan era and that hot streak continues here with some absolutely wild revelations that meet the scope of the book's title. Seriously, I won't spoil the end of the issue but damn does it really allow for a whole new direction of stories. I also loved the way Gillen let Sinister walk the reader around, giving us his perspective on both his fellow council members and an inside look into his machinations. Sinister's voice was pitch perfect and his descriptions of the various council members were hilarious. Gillen really took a big swing here, one that matches the ambition of Hickman's earlier stories and gives me high hopes for the Destiny of X era.

Doesn't quite hit the same heights as the #1, but it's still a really good comic nonetheless. Gillen centers the focus on Hope this time and does a great job finding her voice throughout the issue. Her plan to defeat Selene was absolutely brilliant and made for a unique solution to a unique problem, and it was really entertaining to read to boot. We also got some more great bits with Mr. Sinister, who's clearly shaping up to be the star of this title after stealing damn near every scene in Hellions. If you've only got room for one X book on your pull, this might be the one to pick.

I love when writers both embrace and enhance the ideas of those that came before. So I'm very happy to say that Kieron Gillen really has just taken the baton from Hickman and sprinted off like he's channeling Usain Bolt at the Olympics. This issue was just fantastic. The ongoing mental chess match between Destiny and Sinister is fascinating to me as they're both perfect foils for one another. Destiny can't let him know that she knows what he knows: any time he likes, Sinister can kill a Moira clone to reset the timeline. It's brilliant stuff that feels appropriately weighty for a title called Immortal X-Men.

Probably my single favorite tie-in from the entire event. Kurt's growth as a character throughout the Krakoan era has been one of the strong points and this issue is a near perfect example of it.

Mystique and Destiny >>>>>> every other queer relationship in comics right now

This book continues to be great as Gillen presents Sinister's very own HoxPox. He really played on our expectations perfectly this month. Each issue of Immortal X-Men has focused primarily on one character and in having Sinister interrupt Kitty Pryde's turn to take the lead, it added a nice little layer of meta to the story at hand. Lots of really cool things to notice in this issue too. - Sinister never kills Storm in any of his attempts, instead opting to choose a time when she's not present. - The Dark Beast appearance and the little comment that Sinister knows what 616 Beast is up to. - The various timelines from issue #3 also appear to be converging on one singular point too, as Judgment Day appears to be a fixed point since Sinister commented that he refuses to reset back before it. - And especially the little conversation between Sinister and Destiny, where it basically confirms she's ok with what he's doing. Is Destiny being driven by self-interest? The book has spent a lot of time on her relationship with Raven. So it feels logical that she would try to steer the timeline toward any possible outcome that would keep her alive, even in the face of the revelation at the end of issue #3. I'm just gonna say it: the X line is in a great spot right now and any complaints about it missing Hickman, while we're getting fantastic books like this that are steeped in his initial ideas, are entirely misplaced.

Phenomenal issue all around with an incredible ending. Saying any more would spoil the fun.

I'm super impressed with Gillen's writing here as he manages to make spinning a dozen plates at a time look easy.

I honestly love this arc and I think Pak does an amazing job of crafting a story that really puts the Hulk, not Banner, at the forefront. The entire concept is really smart; from the Illuminati trying to solve a problem to the Roman style gladiatorial combat it all comes together in a John Carter inspired package that perfectly suits the Hulk. The way Pak crafted a place for Hulk's anger to heal the world itself worked really well and allowed the story to act as a treatise on the topic of anger and its potential use. I think what really makes the book shine is the new Warbound friends the Hulk makes and the fact that they're all perfectly interesting in their own right. The relationships forged over the 15 or so issues really gives the impression to the reader that they really are forever bonded to one another. The sheer amount of tragedy that befalls Miek makes his bouts of rage entirely sympathetic and the metamorphosis he undergoes, both literal and as a leader was one of the highlights of the story. And while I like the sillier version of Korg we get in the Thor movies, I think this more religious version of the character, weighed down by pathos, is much more interesting. He often acts as a counterbalance to Hulk in a way the story desperately needed. The romantic subplot between Hulk and Caiera was also really captivating and unexpected. Pak gives the relationship between the two characters a lot of room to grow and by the time it finally blossoms the connection between the characters feels real. Overall this is just a great read, one that only Al Ewing and his work on Immortal Hulk has topped.

I think the thing I'm enjoying the most from these first two issues of the Incredible Hulk is the way PKJ is building his foundation upon both Cates's brief scattershot run and Ewing's seminal take on the character. And I appreciate that he's pushing in a bit of a different, almost Mignola Hellboy influenced, direction. That being said, the pacing is a very deliberate, with a lot of buildup going on for what appears to be a minor inconvenience to the Hulk, so I'm hoping things pick up a bit in #3 next month.

I thought this was the strongest issue of PKJ's run to date. The first 3 issues felt very, very Hellboy in nature, almost to the point it was distracting. And while I can't entirely shake that feeling this issue, I thought the Bruce-Betty interaction was great and pulled everything back into focus. The bargain she offered Bruce finally pulled the story in a unique direction and I think it creates some excellent tension going forward. I could take or leave the backup, it mostly felt out of place here.

These type of huge swings are exactly why Hickman is one of my favorite writers. The stakes he's playing with feel massive and he's never one to shy away from big ideas. The diagram pages were used particularly well this issue to more fully flesh out the Orchis/Krakoa conflict. The numerous plot points from the changing of the Captain's guard to all the fantastic Moira bits made this issue feel absolutely stuffed as well. I've been particularly fond of the Krakoan sandbox that Hickman has stewarded and this has the makings of a proper sendoff.

There isn't a comic book writer on earth that does political intrigue better than Jonathan Hickman and this book has it in spades. Mystique's machinations were great and the way Hickman was able to pack so much emotion into the couple pages after she brought Destiny back really resonated. The chess match between Mystique/Destiny and the trio of Moira/Charles/Erik was my favorite part of the issue and introducing Emma as a rogue, and rightfully upset, element as well as Colossus as the loyal pawn has me hyped for the next issue. Everything here really clicks.

Can't believe that the end of this series is almost here. Hickman's time on the X-Men has been nothing short of revolutionary and this issue is a perfect exhibit of why. He masterfully juggles multiple converging plots as Moira's best laid plans begin to quickly unravel. Her need for every mutant to stick to her well-lived script has ultimately been her undoing. With so many mutants pulling in opposite directions, Moira has been unable to stay one step ahead. Mystique, Emma Frost, Magneto, Charles, and even Cypher are all doing what they believe is best to protect their new nation. The Karima plot this issue was enlightening and provided a great twist not only on Hickman's HoXPoX, but on Days of Future Past as well. I'm incredibly excited to see how Hickman wraps this all up. The fuse has now been lit and all that's left is to watch the fireworks.

Hickman sticks a near perfect landing here, providing both major revelations and some great building blocks for the next phase of books, Destiny of X. He's a true master of intricate plotting. The Magneto/Charles vs Orchis fight was full of rich moments between the two old friends and the callback dropped on Erik by the Omega Sentinel at the end was absolutely terrifying. Every moment between Mystique, Destiny, and Moira had me on the edge of my seat, before Doug Ramsey swooped in to save the day through the power of negotiation and cooperation. It really highlighted his character's evolution the last three years, while positioning him as a power player on Krakoa going forward. Just really inventive stuff all around, that's about all I have to say. Oh, and I'm also convinced that this isn't the last we'll see of Hickman on Krakoa, as it felt to me like he intentionally left some meat on the bone to come back to.

Just pure dumb fun. So many dino puns, so much cool Juan Gedeon art and pitch perfect colors from Mike Spicer. Just enjoy it for what it is.

There was a lot of setup and character introduction here, leaving the book a little thin on plot, but damn it was fun and Nguyen's art was phenomenal. This may be some of the best work of his career. He pairs subtle, wispy linework with tons of phenomenal shadows, creating a stunning setting and backdrop. Most of the book is in black, white, and various shades of grey so the pops of red we occasionally get (mostly in the form of an eerie blood red moon) really stand out. I'll be sticking around for sure.

I'm getting some real "Lost Boys mixed with Sweet Tooth" vibes here and that's a good thing. The pacing is a bit glacial. And while I'd like a little more story in each issue, it does serve a purpose of creating an eerie mood perfect for the setting. Based on the revelations on the final page, I think we're going to see things pick up a bit in #3.

My favorite issue of the series so far, with a great resolution to the end of issue #2. Nguyen's art is absolutely elevating this book as it creates a wonderfully bleak atmosphere for everything to take place in. Lemire's also doing a great job building some really interesting characters, with Romie chief among them. He's always excelled at writing children and child-like characters and this book is no exception.

This is just a consistently great book. I think the monochromatic coloring choices Nguyen is making are really elevating his linework. The stark contrast it creates when he does put just a hint of red on the page adds a bit of danger to everything as well.

My only complaint about this series is how short every issue feels. Otherwise, I'm hooked on the story and Nguyen's art. His art and color choices always set a fantastic tone.

The end felt a little too abrupt for me as it felt like we were just scratching the surface on the world Lemire and Nguyen built.

There's been a lot of good, creative power combinations during the Krakoan era of X books, but I think the teamwork on display in Marauders #25 takes the cake. Only complaint would be the flat colors by Noto, which just don't accentuate his line work the same way as the watercolor effect.

One of the stronger issues of Dark Web, which really isn't saying much. McKay makes chicken salad out of a chicken shit idea.

Very, very happy to have more Mind MGMT back in my life. The original 36 issue run has a permanent place in my heart and Bootleg does a great job getting right to the core of the reasons why. Kindt continues to make use of every single page in the issue, including the inner cover in ways that are both meta and really make the reader think. This time around we follow Kito, a young man in Zanzibar as he's recruited into the Mind MGMT organization. As Kito delves further into his recruitment, Kindt subverts many of the usual spy tropes and has a lot of fun doing it. I also really enjoyed the art from Farel Dalrymple as well. The use of subliminal messages throughout the book is some classic Mind MGMT shit and there was so many small details snuck in on each page that it made for some carefully curated reading.

I kind of struggled with this one a bit. Kaplan's dialogue was all over the place and I'm really not sure what I learned this issue that the basic premise hadn't already told me. I did enjoy Pearson's art though. Felt like a good mix of Martin Simmonds from Dept of Truth and Alvaro Martinez Bueno from another Tynion title: Nice House on the Lake.

As a big fan of Mister Miracle and Kirby's Fourth World, I knew I had to check this book out at some point. And even though I'm a little older than the target audience, I'm very happy to report that Johnson and Isles delivered a smart, fun, updated interpretation on the Fourth World. The relationship between Scott and Barda is captured perfectly, and I also really enjoyed how the story left plenty of space for Scott to learn and grow as the plot unfolded. The story does a great job giving Barda some real pathos as well, to the point her relationship with Scott feels natural, and not forced. The art was also a weirdly perfect blend of Moebius and Jesse Lonergan, which captured my heart almost immediately. Tons of style, expression and movement were apparent on each page. Kudos to the creative team for putting together such a great entry point into the Fourth World for young adult readers.

This was an absolutely frenetic, bonkers book that really goes for the jugular in the most darkly comedic way. Ba takes us into the heart of the monkey meat company while absolutely savaging the dark heart of capitalism. The book starts by giving the reader a tour of Monkey Meat Island as we follow Lug, the island's "caretaker" around. It quickly unravels from there, as we learn the Monkey Meat Company is harvesting souls from the natives to make an energy drink. Ba hammers home the unending encroach of capitalism, framing corporations as a "cat" and discussing how "the chase is not a game to the mouse." Positioning corporations as colonialists who own the bodies and souls of their colonized workforce was an especially horrifying touch. The only value of anyone in this book is as a product to be marketed and sold and goddamn if the world doesn't actually feel like that most of the time. The art is colorful and playful and vaguely reminiscent of Mignola on acid mixed with a hint Rob Guillory. The only issue was a few pages where it veered into incomprehensible territory for me, but otherwise its avant-garde approach really fit the story.

Barry Windsor-Smith brings us his magnum opus, a visceral, disturbing, gut-check of a book about the monsters created through war and the military industrial complex. I won't mince words, this was an extremely difficult book to read, dealing with heavy topics in the most uncompromising way. Windsor-Smith doesn't flinch in showing the horrors of war and the effects it's trauma can have on the lives around the soldiers drafted to participate in it. His pencils, particularly at the reveal of the book's titular monster, are haunting. That specific page, in all it's morbid, almost Catch-22-esque absurdity, will be burned into my brain forever. This is a difficult, uncompromising read and I highly recommend it.

As someone who's really only read Moon Knight from Huston onward, this is THE definitive modern take on the character. I don't think any of the runs I've read have handled Marc's dissociative identity disorder with such a deft touch. Lemire tells a story of accepting oneself, flaws and all, that feels particularly fitting for Moon Knight. The reconciliation between each of Marc's personalities in the final two issues was a real highlight, as the various versions of Moon Knight coalesce to rescue Marc at his lowest point. This kind of organic, natural character growth is so rare in cape comics and should be celebrated. The way Lemire was able to organically integrate so many great artists and their wildly different styles took the book to another level too. Greg Smallwood took the lead for most of the issues and damn is he just a superstar level talent. His layouts throughout the book are eye-catching. The way he worked panels into a variety of shapes, from sound effects to exclamation points really added a lot to the reading experience. And when paired with a murderer's row of guest artists, like James Stokoe who handled the "Knight of the Moon," and Francavilla, who's Jake Lockley dripped with 70's influence, every page shined.

I was pretty excited for this one and unfortunately it was a bit of a let down. The Hickman story was fun, involving Moon Knight protecting a girl in space from the god Ra and his scarab-controlled disciples. I'd be very interested in seeing the concept fleshed out more but damn did Bachalo's art drag it down. The story was incomprehensible at times because of his need to stuff so much, for lack of a better word, nonsense on the page and the black, white, and red coloring did little to help. Bachalo has always leaned heavily into his unique style and has put together some great stories in the past (Spider-Man: Shed among them), but most of the pages were a chore to look at here. The 2nd story by Murewa Ayodele and Dotun Akande was really light fun and I liked the way the gimmick came back around in the end. And on the topic of gimmicks, the reverse narrative from Guggenheim in the final story didn't really work at all for me. It just ended up distracting from the fantastic, wonderful Fornes art, which was the single best part of the book. Fornes' noir-tinged panels are a perfect match for the black/white/red formula and the final page in particular was masterfully done.

Daniel Warren Johnson's love of music and metal shines through on every page of this surprisingly heartfelt tale. The way Jake was able to rediscover himself through his music, with the help of his trusted pal Murder Falcon and the rest of his bandmates, was actually really touching. By the time you get to the final issue, as the world sings into back into the void with Jake, the book damn near had me in tears. And I haven't even touched on all the bad ass kaiju fights, incredible monsters, and insane sound effects that cover almost every page and really make you know that this is a DWJ book to it's core. Highly recommended, particularly if you like metal.

This is basically the Bat-family book I always wanted. Pretty much every interaction was perfect with the standout part of the issue being the conversation between Dick and Clark. Taylor absolutely nails the dialogue between the two, showing a great grasp of the DC Universe at large and the role Dick should play as the heart of it. The big foundation reveal was heartwarming too and Redondo's art sold all the little emotional moments that were packed in.

Another solid issue with great character moments. The conversation between Bruce and Dick continues to show Taylor’s mastery of Nightwing’s place within the DC universe. And while I missed Redondo’s art this issue, Rodriguez does a solid job filling in and does some great work with Batman in the shadows. Only downside is we’re tying into Fear State and losing some of the momentum from Taylor’s main narrative.

Tie-in issues can always be tricky and I think Taylor navigated this one well. I like the progression of the Babs/Dick relationship personally and I think it pays off within the context of Taylor's main narrative. Excited to wrap this up though so we can get back to Blüdhaven.

Another fun issue full of strong character moments from the Taylor/Redondo team. I particularly love all the little details Redondo adds in. Babs in the Titans shirt, the stripes running down to the fingers on Dick’s costume, the sense of movement between a number of panels, it’s all really well done and adds an additional layer of fun to the book. I thought Taylor did a really good job with the mentor-mentee relationship between Dick and Jon as well. I’m hoping we get more of that in the next issue as it’s probably my favorite role for Dick as a character. Edit: Damn, Taylor really brings the angry bigots and incels out.

Another fun, if light, issue from Taylor. I think Borges did a solid job filling in for Redondo, but the book was lacking a bit of it's usual touch of humor and kinetic movement that it's normal artist usually supplies. Taylor's done a great job building back the relationships between Dick and the rest of the DC universe and this issue is no exception either.

Jordie Bellaire is the best colorist in comics and this book is another perfect example of why. She has such a deft touch and really nails the important transition that occurs about halfway through. Her colors really pair well with Walta's art and Lemire's script mostly steps back (to it's detriment at times) to let them do their thing.

Phantom Road has continuously picked up pace over the course of the first arc and this particular issue was the best one yet. Lemire does such a great job of keeping the reader really off-balance because I have no idea where we're going from here.

Jesse Lonergan is an immensely talented cartoonist. He's a master at directing your eye around the page. He doesn't pull out quite as many of his own unique tools here as he does in Hedra, but when he does go to them they work with wonderful effect. One of my favorite tricks he employs is the use of a small, black panel to break up the action, usually with stark, curving line interrupting that both moves the reader through the page and conveys a great sense of movement between panels. I also love his spaceship designs. Everything from the exterior to the cockpit has purpose and the way he rotates perspective on the ship is brilliant because it imparts a tiny hint of zero gravity. A little part of me wishes he would have left the story wordless, much like Hedra, as I think his art perfectly conveys what's going on. But that's really the only criticism, as this was another great little comic to look at. Can't wait to see what Lonergan does next.

Wow, was this really good. Kelly Sue DeConnick and Emma Rios have created a beautiful, innovative western mythology that somehow manages to feel as warm and familiar as an old pair of boots. The narrative is dense and requires careful reading as it heavily relies on metaphors and some basic understanding of western folklore, but damn is it worth it. Everything throughout the entire 5 issues just looked gorgeous. Rios has a way of choreographing fight scenes that makes everything just look like you've seeing it for the first time. Smoke swirls around combatants, swords slash through the air with meaning, characters dance around the pages, and no small detail is ever overlooked. When you add the colors in from Jordie Bellaire, it creates pure magic. This is definitely a book that seems like it rewards multiple reading as well. I can't wait to sit down with it again in the near future to see what else I can pick up.

Really intriguing story, fantastic hook at the end. All of the Sorrentino art was stimulating as usual, but I was particularly fond of the Pink Floyd homage. Excited to see what the dream team of Lemire, Sorrentino and Stewart has in store for us the rest of the way.

This story is giving me some real WE3 vibes and I don't really mean that as a criticism, more an observation. Lemire is just getting out of the way and letting Sorrentino shine. The way Stewart is able to layer different textures of color on top of Sorrentino's pencils really makes for a unique reading experience. As Laika moves through outer space to the empty, white place we see past and present collide and the colors kept everything orderly from a reader's perspective. It really enhanced the otherworldly effect of Sorrentino's art and showed off what makes comics so unique as a medium.

I could look at this Sorrentino art all day. His paneling is so innovative and he really shines on some of the splash pages here. Everything invoking Laika and Able was great and left me wanting more of the book dedicated to that part of the story.

This is just outstanding stuff by Sorrentino, who's really carrying a pretty light script from Lemire. Every page this issue seemed to outdo the previous one to the point I flipped back through this twice, just to gaze at the scenes in outer space. The WE3 influence shines through and I really have no idea how this is going to end. Highly recommend.

This is just damn good comic booking by all parties. Lemire has packed so much emotion into this short story and Sorrentino's art has lifted it to another stratosphere. The way Sorrentino and Stewart used a change in artistic style to hammer home the bond between our space-faring trio, before hitting us with a whale of a gut punch at the end of the book (in the same style) left me devastated and was highly effective. In all honesty, this might be the high point of what's already been an incredibly fruitful partnership between writer, artist, and colorist. Every issue has been great.

Primordial was a fascinating, if slightly imperfect book due to the vague nature of the ending. I really liked it but it won’t be for everyone. It’s definitely a book that heavily leans into emotion over plot. That being said, I don’t think anyone alive is better at innovative layouts than Sorrentino. He and Stewart CRUSHED this book and I’m pretty sure that most of the story's meaning is supposed to be conveyed with their changes in art style and color. It was refreshing to see so much color on the page after Gideon Falls limited use of red among the mostly muted palettes. In the end, the animals were ultimately delivering change but we never actually get to see what form that change takes. It's implied that its clearly the opposite of the reckless, oppressive Russian military regime that controls this version of Europe. It seems akin to something caring for all life, especially the trio of animals jettisoned into space (and their probable deaths). I think those final few pages, with so many noticeable style changes, including flashbacks to the 60s, pushed that message across the line for me. I'd love an oversized collection of this someday just to look at the art.

This is a really solid first issue. You can literally feel the anger Chip has toward the current comic-to-movie pipeline on the page.

Chip has a way of cutting through the industry's bullshit, and he's really delving into some BIG IMPORTANT IDEAS regarding creator rights in this title. But what makes it so enjoyable is that he doesn't forget to make the core characters funny, interesting, and most importantly, real. There's an anger and sadness to most of the cast that's unmissable. And before you go thinking the book is bleak, the humor (mostly provided by David) lifts everything up. Can't wait for next month's issue.

Phenomenal start. Filipe Andrade might be the most underrated artist currently working in comics. He does a masterful job working a variety of colors into nearly every page, which creates something that looks unique while immediately placing the reader into the loud, bright streets of India. The narrative from Ram V also has the potential to be something really special. I loved the Anthony Bourdain influence on the entire book and the way he deftly works Hindu mythology into the mix was inspired. If you liked Laila Starr as much as I did, this is a must read.

A really enjoyable read that takes full use of the comic medium to produce something unique and thought provoking. Matt Kindt tells a story about a previously mundane man named Sam, who wakes up each morning in one of two distinct, parallel universes. In one, he lives his normal life. He goes to work, hates his shitty job, hates his boss, and spends his salary shopping with his girlfriend for things he doesn't really need. In the other, a terrorist attack is occurring on top of numerous other disasters. Disease is rampantly spreading, the government is falling apart and there are rumors that Seattle has been nuked off the map. And the one real constant in both worlds is an odd man named PK Verve. The book quickly turns into a tale on detachment and the trappings of materialism. Sam becomes disconnected from the people and things he used to care for, as most of his attention is now focused on the more dangerous half of his life, as he seems to have finally found a calling as both a protector and news reporter. The snap backs to his old life hold little allure and it creates some great tension between characters in both worlds as Sam bounces back and forth. Kindt uses a really clever duo-chromatic water-coloring trick to quickly differentiate the two universes, as well as a news ticker style page numbering device that adds a lot of additional color to the background of each world. Not only is it unique, but it makes for a fun reading experience as well. His art has a very straight forward, simplistic style that really works for this type of story as it mostly stays out of the way of the message. Revolver stands out as one of the underrated gems in the Vertigo line.

Really enjoyed the way Lemire wrote the interplay between the young Bat-family here. The tension between Bruce and Alfred over letting Dick even participate in this dual fantasy/nightmare was absolutely top notch. I loved Alfred's sass. Dick's diary and the little twist of Bruce reading created some great tension while also showing how much Bruce cares, even if he's not the best at showing it. Nguyen's art really works here, especially for a story that features Killer Croc. This is some of the best Batman stuff currently on the shelf.

Your mileage on this one will vary depending on how flexible you are toward a more Miller-esque take, as Lemire's Bruce is pretty much an asshole. The crazier edges have been sanded down from ASB just a bit to make something much more palatable and interesting. The issues setup is just perfectly executed. For much of the issues the reader is led to believe that Bruce heard Alfred's words from issue #1. He takes Robin up to the JLA's tower, where Dick meets Superman, the Justice League, and a lot of potential new friends in the Teen Titans. The fledgling Titans team up for some fun adventures around the globe, impeccable drawn by Nguyen, before sneaking back to the Tower under Hawkman's nose. This entire section of the book just oozed personality and left me wanting more from the Titans under this creative team. And then Lemire hits us with the turn of all turns: Robin was really there on a mission from Bruce to learn how to take down his new friends, Tower of Babel style! The revelation hit me like a ton of bricks and put me in Alfred's shoes for a second, as he chewed out Bruce for his heartlessness.

My biggest complaint about this series is that it wasn't long enough to fully flesh out all of the ideas stuffed into it. Lemire had a really good grasp on Dick Grayson's voice, and I think this was a really strong portrayal of the character. The first person narration was fitting for the story and it allowed Lemire to display the qualities that really make this Robin shine. Dick's ability to be fearless, to make friends, and to lead were all on display in these 3 issues. The strong water colors from Nguyen are always a welcome sight too, and provide a nice variety in artistic style on my pull list.

Williamson has absolutely nailed the character moments in the first 4 issues of this run and #5 is no exception. The Robin rooftop race was a ton of fun and the resolution with Dick was picture perfect. One of my favorite Batman runs of all time is Morrison's Batman and Robin and to see the callback done in such a touching way really made this issue sing. Melnikov's art strikes exactly the right tone for what Williamson is laying down too. The cartoony-ness really helps sell the coming of age tale.

This continues to be consistently well drawn, well written, and most importantly, a lot of fun. Williamson and Melnikov have a hit the nail on the head perfectly with Damian's characterization and the bits with Flatline were some of my favorite parts of the issue.

Williamson is knocking it out of the park with his character work here and Melnikov's art is a perfect match for the story that's being told. My only criticism of the book would have to be the pace. It's so decompressed at times and I'd like to see it move along a little more.

This is, for my money, the most consistent book on the shelves month-to-month. Williamson's characterizations are breezy and fun and the art, with a fill-in by Roger Cruz this time, always matches in tone to create something unique. The bits with Damian seeing Alfred's ghost have been great and have delved into the loss of Alfred in a way that no other book really has.

This book feels like it's from an entirely different era of DC, when characters were allowed to have fun and occasionally show some growth. Williamson's characterization of Damian is strong. Yes he's arrogant and petty and confused about his legacy at times, but that's not all he is. Williamson shows his positive qualities too, the ones that remind you Damian is Bruce's son. The series has done a great job of developing Damian as a confident leader and a good friend and this issue puts those qualities on display. The cliffhanger at the end also has me pumped for next month.

The Alfred swerve after the last issue was quick and I'm not sure the hallucination part of the issue was really necessary, but everything else was great. Some real development between Damian and Talia is welcome and Williamson has done enough of the legwork in this series to build some real hype for Shadow War. The little aside with Flatline and Lord Death Man was also perfectly campy and I'm glad to see they'll be sticking around for a little longer.

Somewhat of a miss here as Williamson treads over some very well-worn territory in regards to Damian's parentage. The issue really doesn't feel like it's adding anything new to the relationship between Talia, Bruce, and Damian. I hate using the word "filler" but this is basically the definition of it.

Williamson and Leomacs put together a really good start to a really solid premise that boils down to "what if Ocean's Eleven but with the Rogues?" The book spends a lot of time setting up the players and it really starts to sing once Williamson finds Snart's voice, showing him as a man that Central City not only has passed by, but actively laughs at. Snart's harassed by his probation officer, mocked by his bosses and bitter at the world. When he finally unleashes all that rage at the end of the issue, it somehow manages to come of as cathartic more than anything else. Leomacs art almost perfectly matches this tone too. Every Rogue has a layer of sadness hidden underneath that perfectly added to the tragicomedy on display. This was the first I've personally seen of his art and I've got to say, I'm a fan. It definitely gets a spot on my pull list.

Fornes is one of my favorite artists currently working. So many great pages and panels. Stewart's colors perfectly add to the art as well. Muted yellows and greens dominate the issue with bright reds thrown in as punctuation on key moments. I love the way King weaves a conversation between the Detective, Laura, and Wil. The "conspiracy" uncovered in the book and the way it's all been carefully laid out for the detective to put together has been wonderfully done as well. This is some of King's better work and I'm excited for the ending.

This series has been such a tightly wound treat. Fornes art and Stewart’s muted color choices have done yeoman’s work in making this one of the best looking books this year. Fornes is reaching that must-buy level of status for me and King’s scripting choices really help him shine. The subtlety and confidence King had telling this story was apparent. The way the detective works through the case to come to his conclusion and ultimately the “solution” in this issue was particularly well done.

While I'm a fan of the premise, Orlando's weird pacing and stilted dialogue made for a bit of an awkward read. But the premise IS good and has a lot of potential. Leaning into Wanda's past and acknowledging the fact that she has a lot to reconcile for is a good foundation. Hopefully with most of the setup out of the way, Orlando can make the most of it.

Probably the single best issue of the series so far. The final few pages are an absolute master class in comic book story telling. The entire confrontation with the White Witch was visceral, kinetic, and extremely well drawn and led to probably the best scene of the series up to this point, one that's masterfully framed by Opena for maximum juxtaposition. Remender has really done a great job so far creating a compelling cast of characters in a world that continues to push toward the morally gray. The Mud King in particular is one of the most intriguing villain-types I've ever read. There's a layer of nuance, cleverness, and humor to him that makes it easy to see how he conquered Zhal primarily through whispers. There's also a level of trust between Adam and Garils that feels organic within the story, despite the potential for conflict between the two. It's particularly effective because Remender has done a great job taking time in previous issues to flesh out the Osidis family history. I'm excited to see what the 2nd half of the story has in store.

Remender and Opena bring the HEAT down the stretch here. Holy shit

This was a fantastic, creative, and wonderfully dark series about the choices and compromises a man must make in his life. Remender really doesn't pull any punches here and doesn't flinch at giving Adam Osidis the ending he deserves. The narration trick Remender's employed throughout the story is doubly effective in hindsight. For most of the story we're meant to read Adam as the flawed hero and when all is revealed following the events at the Springs of Zhal, we see nothing more than a man trying to justify his own actions, while blaming everyone else for his failures. A man who resembles the Garils the Mud King, more than his own father Zeb. There's just not much more to say about Opena's work here either. It's phenomenal, outstanding and the Hollingsworth colors, particularly on the Excellent Librarian this issue, were stunning. There's one panel in particular, featuring a despondent Adam, stewing in his choices, being embraced by Jevalia that cut right to the core of the book and will stick with me for a while. I would have enjoyed spending another dozen issues in this world, just to see more of the characters and setting fleshed out, but what we got was great nonetheless. Highly recommended.

Remender and Opena spin a gorgeous looking tale of mistrust, paranoia and the legacy of family in a story that has aged like fine wine. The book's central conflict arises entirely out of rumor, lies and mistrust, egged on by an nearly omniscient Mud King. The Mud King, a powerful mosak, makes simple offers: whatever your heart desires, and in exchange you let the Mud King into your head, giving him a permanent look at what you see and what you hear. The book really does a great job fleshing out the Mud King and his poisonous effect on the world of Zhal, making nearly perfect parallels to real life that are hard to ignore. I love how hard Remender leans into it too. I mean there's really no mincing words as to which orange tyrant he's alluding to here: "Then the whispers began to spread, the lies, the hate. Regular men, who'd become suddenly wealthy, began holding public assemblies, selling themselves as the common voice. They gave validation to the people's darkest subconscious fears and secret prejudices by blaming all misfortunes on minorities." Remender does get dangerously close to well-trodden territory with his main protagonist Adam Osidis, who shares similarities with some of Remender's other lead characters. Thankfully, the deft world building and strong family history laid out in the story does a lot to help Adam stand out, as more than just a man who just wants to protect his family. He comes off as super relatable and the between-a-rock-and-hard-place spot he finds himself in was compelling to read. Finally, I can't say enough about the strong character design and impressive fight choreography laid out by Jerome Opena. His pencils really bring these characters to life and make the fantasy world of Zhal feel like nothing else out there. Just really great stuff all around.

Pretty good start here. Bogdanovic does his "Capullo light" thing pretty well and Williamson hits some good emotional beats, particularly when it comes to the Damian-Bruce relationship. DC has opted to return the pair to a more antagonistic state, and while that's not my personal favorite, Williamson handles it with aplomb here.

After a relatively strong start, Williamson and the art team just couldn't make the back half of this event work, which led to a lackluster finale. The Geo-Force reveal felt completely tacked on, to the point his entire motivation in this story was ACTUALLY tacked on during a 2-3 page flashback. The pacing in the story was all over the place and events seemed to occur only because the script needed them to. Black Canary showing up at the end of the issue in a Bat-plane for some reason, was among the biggest deus ex machinas I've ever read. And the earlier Respawn stuff just reeks of fridging. The art for most of the issue was fine and Segovia's action sequences were clear and kinetic. Unfortunately the Porter art ranged from weird to outright goofy and took me out of the book completely, which was pretty much a problem I had the whole series. The Robin title looked good and everything else was a bit of a struggle. It's really hard to say what purpose this story served in general. Ra's is now dead and Batman and Robin are working together again, at least until Waid splits them up this fall, but it's hard to escape the feeling that DC is just moving the pieces around out of a duty to do so, rather than to tell a fun or exciting story.

Lemire was clearly having fun with this take on Frank Miller's Dark Knight Returns, as we finally get the Black Hammer-verse's version of the caped crusader, sans the fortune. The story heavily focuses on Skeleton Boy, and plays some nice tricks in its remixing of Batman tropes, going to some dark places that wouldn't normally be allowed over at the Distinguished Competition. There's nothing revolutionary at play here but everything is well done and Lemire's writing left me wanting to read more. Zonjic's character designs, based on Lemire's nearly finished sketch pages, are incredibly clean and well done. The masks on both of the title characters create some stark imagery and the outlines really pop against the dark colors. Zonjic does a solid job creating some really striking color contrasts at points but, in what's probably the book's biggest flaw, I kept finding myself struggling to see what was happening. The colors were too dark at points and there wasn't enough contrast created to get a full picture. Even with a few minor flaws, this was an entertaining read and a worthy addition to the Black Hammer universe.

I've read this book a few times now in the past decade or so, and while I think it does a lot of things well, the holes in the story get harder to look past. First things first, the Tim Sale art is impeccable and among the best work he's done in his illustrious career. You can actually see the little influences from Ditko and Romita in his poses and design choices and I think it makes Sale's work all the better for it. The Vulture fight in particular is fun, kinetic and the snowy background really brings the skirmish to life. And when Sale gets to draw either of Peter's love interests, he knocks it out of the park. His interpretations of Mary Jane and Gwen, usually in contrast to one another, are the highlight of the story and effectively portray the conflict at the heart of the book. Unfortunately, I don't think Loeb's writing is really up to the standard Sale sets. Loeb does an effective job portraying the early days of Spider-Man in a canonically accurate way but I actually see this as a bit of a missed opportunity. For a story about the initial days of Peter and Gwen's relationship, we see surprisingly little actual development on that front. The story really never tells us why Gwen and Peter are perfect for one another, nor does it ever really make time for quieter moments between the two. Loeb has always been a writer that leans heavily on feeling over details, and I think he steers a little too far in that direction on this one. The book is worth the price of admission for the Sale art alone, but otherwise I don't think it compares favorably to some of this creative team's other, better works.

I'm always up for more Zdarsky Spider-Man and this was a pretty solid Jameson story. Makes me want to go back and see how this overlaps with each issue of Peter's life.

Overall a pretty solid story by Zdarsky. The Kingpin tease at the end got me excited for more to come.

Had to wait a week to get the issue, and damn was it worth the wait. It's hard to do anything else but echo some of the other reviews in that this is basically a perfect 1st issue. Matias Bergara packs so much emotion into every page and each panel flows perfectly into the next. Spurrier is on a pretty ridiculous roll right now too. Everything he's putting out is high quality.

Another incredibly impressive issue here from Bergara. The range of emotion, scene, and location that he's packed into this book perfectly conveys the wordless narrative from Spurrier. The contrast between a young girl just trying to enjoy her life as she's shuffled around on this quest, and the brutal war surrounding her really clicks. It makes moments like the double page spread, the one featuring a fiery aerial assault, hit the reader doubly hard.

What an absolutely phenomenal comic. If Bergara isn't nominated for an Eisner for this I'm gonna riot. Evrey single page feels like something special. They each contain so much vibrancy and emotion that Spurrier's sparse script is fully presented in all it's glory and completely understandable, despite the lack of actual words on the page. And damn did the final page take my breath away in utter devastation. I can't wait for the next issue.

This was just a superb read all around. Spurrier and Bergara's ability to deliver a clear, concise story without words is remarkable and it really makes this comic unique. I think this last issue might have been the weakest by a hair, but it didn't sully the journey at all for me. Ironically that seems to be one of the points Spurrier was trying to make: to appreciate the journey for what it is and, most importantly, to appreciate those around you. I really can't recommend this one enough, just a beautiful book.

This is a brutal, but absolutely brilliant book. Almost no one, other than Mr Terrific, comes out looking good and that’s entirely the point. Alanna truly is the “woman of two worlds” as she put it. Both in a literal way, taking over Adam’s job, and in a figurative one. She lives in the space between a cold reality and the little fictions she tells herself to pretend otherwise, and the way the last page hammered the point home was genius. The juxtaposition on art between Gerads and Shaner was truly the highlight of this series. Both artists absolutely brought it and the way King was able to organically work the difference between the two into the narrative was impressive.

While its not quite on the level of their earlier Hellblazer pairing, Spurrier and Campbell's Suicide Squad: Blaze #1 was still a lot of fun. Spurrier spends a lot of time inside the head of a new character Michael Van Zandt, who mostly seems along for the ride at this point due to the acquisition of a power that's less than useless. Spurrier's knack for dialogue really shines through as Van Zandt narrates his understandable terror at the situation he finds himself in. The traditional members of the Squad, especially Harley, come of almost gleefully insane through through this average joe's lens, which brings a madcap energy to the whole affair. Campbell's art and Bellaire's colors are appropriately suited for the story at hand and add a nice grittiness. I particularly liked nearly every sequence involving Waller, as Campbell did a nice job laying the action out. I'm looking forward to the rest of the story.

I think this book has a fantastic, unhinged energy to it that lends itself perfectly to both Black Label and the Suicide Squad. Spurrier manages to create some absolutely hilarious sequences, usually centered around Waller, as he writes a pitch perfect version of the character. From her 'rousing' war speeches to her demeaning tone in the debrief with an overly excited scientist, she had me laughing. Campbell also manages to create some brutal scenes as well, particularly around Superman, adding to the "no one is safe" feeling that the best Squad books always have. I truly have no idea how this is going to wrap up, and that alone has me excited.

After liking the first couple of issues, it felt like this one got away from Spurrier. The finale came off a bit too nihilist for my liking, though I can appreciate what the creative team was going for as it questions the trauma we expect our heroes to be put through. I'm just not sure they fully stuck the landing.

Just going to leave my review for the entire series as I finally got around to reading it this week. The choice by King to tell the story "True Grit" style, with narration provided by an older Ruthye, took a bit to click with me. Once we hit the 3rd or 4th issue though, I fell right into Ruthye's cadence and it really became a joy to read. It made the book read very deliberately, which made me really focus on each page, which meant more time to enjoy the fantastic art from Bilquis Evely. Evely absolutely killed every page of this book, with issues #5 and #6 being particular highlights. I loved the way she depicted the race between Comet and Krem's magic orb, using the De Luca effect masterfully on multiple pages. The way those fun scenes contrasted with the scenes of destruction from the last remaining survivors of Krypton was something special. Her George Perez homage in issue #8 was also just wonderfully done. King's script was also perfectly tailored to her style. He gave Evely the space to work, which is a credit to him. So many little moments were well done, from the gravedigging scene to the entire issue under the green sun. I also think the big choice he made at the end of #8 was perfectly executed and really displayed the differences why Kara is different from Clark in an organic way. It's actually surprising to me how many people are misreading the ending. Ruthye's narration throughout the book is her published story to the public, one that contains a false ending where Supergirl kills Krem. In lying about Krem's death at Kara's hands, Supergirl takes the heat from the Brigands off of her new friend and points their ire directly at herself. Instead of killing Krem, they send him to the Phantom Zone. He remerges at the end of the story old and begging for forgiveness, which Ruthye refuses to grant him. Instead she smacks him with her cane as Kara looks on, and leave the old man to his guilt. Ruthye doesn't kill him, she just doesn't forgive him either. It's decidedly not a decision Clark would make, but one that felt very in character for this take on Kara, and it felt very true to the story King told. If I had any issues, they were rather minor. King resolved the Krypto plot off page, almost as a throwaway, despite that being one of the driving forces pushing Supergirl and Ruthye together. But otherwise there's just too much good here to overlook.

Well buddy, Fraction and Lieber sure have..... created......some content. In all honesty, I absolutely love this book. It's both a love letter to, and a hilarious satire of, the Silver Age and DC Comics all wrapped in one. Fraction manages to jam so many fun, hilarious little bits into the pages that it's almost overwhelming at times. But he never loses the pulse of the main narrative and the way he's able to weave so many subplots together by the end is masterful. The sheer amount of wordplay alone in the Silver Age intros was mind-boggling and worth the price of admission. This version of both Lex Luthor and Batman are also among my favorites of all time. Luthor is a careful, conniving son of a bitch, more interested in seeing his enemies defeated rather than obliterated. And this Batman is wonderful, getting into prank wars with Jimmy/Timmy Olsen, while scolding his butler for paying obscene amounts to Wayne employees to laugh at Bruce's jokes. Among all the hilarious bits, the book never forgets it's beating heart either. That comics should be fun and that there's no better representation of that than Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen. Fraction and Lieber's Jimmy is smart, funny, and always willing to help his Pals and these themes permeate every page of the book. And I'd be remiss not to mention Lieber's peerless, perfectly comedic art. Little jokes are snuck into panels all over the place, and every fight Dex-Starr was involved in had me rolling on the floor with laughter due to the sheer absurdity of it all. I can't recommend this book highly enough.

Another great Taylor book, another week of incels like Merlyn inserting their shitty personal politics into a review in order to poorly regurgitate some right wing talking point he heard on Fox News. Taylor’s take on Jon is wonderful I thought his conversation with Clark was basically perfect. As a writer Taylor really just gets these legacy heroes. His stuff at DC right now is the single best part of the main line.

This crossover has been a blast. The way Redondo shows Nightwing moving through the panels is nothing short of brilliant and makes for a fun reading experience. Taylor's characterization of Dick is spot on too and positioning the character as the 'big brother' the new generation looks up to makes perfect sense. I'm hoping these two titles and characters crossover more going forward.

This issue was probably the weakest in what's been a super strong series so far and even then it still had some really enjoyable stuff. They all can't be as good as #5 was though. The Suicide Squad is really just there to move the plot along and to weaken Levi enough to give us a glimpse into his backstory. Ram's really good at getting into the minds of his characters and the background with Levi's family seems to set him up on a crash course with his former employer. Looking forward to next month.

I'm really enjoying this series and I'm hoping we get more than just the 10 that were initially solicited. The highlight of the issue was watching Levi finally find his motivation to be Swamp Thing, thanks to a memory sequence led by the critically underused Nightmare Nurse. Ram V has a fantastic ability to weave personal stories into whatever genre he's working in, whether it's horror, fantasy or tradition cape comics and Swamp Thing #7 is perfect example of it.

Not sure how this all wraps up by #10, but it feels like Ram V's going to get more time on the book than what was originally solicited, and he deserves it. The way he's peeled back Levi's history and family in each of the past few issues has been great.

DC making the right move and giving this series 6 more issues is so awesome. If Ram V and Perkins want to keep this going for another 20-30 you could sign me up right now. Levi’s growth as the avatar of the green the last 10 issues has been some of the strongest character work in cape comics this year.

I'm going to echo the majority of discourse online about this title: it fucking rules. It feels like a long lost Vertigo book, in that it's willing to get weird, serious, and personal, with art that doesn't hold back. The newly created Parliament of Gears is a brilliant idea and feels perfectly suited for the destructive era of late stage capitalism we're all living through. The central message of chewing up people in the name of progress has never looked as disturbing as it does under Mike Perkins pencils too. Neither creator is holding back here and they're delivering something special. I'd love to see another season (or two) of this creative team, if they're up for it, provided DC realizes what they have on their hands.

I'm a very, very big fan of Ram V right now and this book is a huge reason why. It captures so many elements of what made the Moore, Totleben, and Bissette run magic, without directly stealing anything from those great comics or requiring you to read them (which you should anyways). The debate between Swampy and the alien flora was near perfect and allowed Perkins to really stretch his legs in an interesting way, plus the use of Green Lantern felt extremely fitting for the story being told. This is one of DC's best books right now.

It's hard not to just copy/paste my review of last month's issue. Just a great book, that captures everything that's unique about this contemplative, philosophically-driven character.

Ram V and Mike Perkins manage to walk a perfect tightrope between brilliant homage and subtle inversion of Alan Moore's iconic run on the character. The concepts at play here feel very fleshed out and the core relationships, particularly between The Pale Man (as a representative for the concept of greed) and the new Parliament of Gears is both smart and compelling. The final message the book imparts is powerful, and one that we can all take to heart as we strive to do better.

Really strong start for Lemire and Mahnke as they take full advantage of the Black Label tag to bring us a really horrifying take on the Parliament of the Green. The story itself is a timely one, as the Parliament seeks to wipe out the remains of humanity in an effort to preserve the delicate balance between the rot, the red, and the green. The gruesome two-page spreads from Mahnke featuring Lemire's new avatar of the green were a real highlight. All the set up really had me hyped by the time we got to the lighthouse and met up with some old friends. The conflicts being setup in this book by Lemire are really intriguing and pair nicely with the horrifying art, proving once again that DC's best stuff is currently on Black Label.

I just can't get enough of Lemire and Sorrentino collaborations. Don't want to spoil too much, but if you were a fan of Gideon Falls, this one will be right up your alley.

Another home run of an issue. Tynion’s really getting at something fundamentally true and heartbreaking here among all the conspiracy. The way believing in stuff like this or Qanon or "crisis actors" can destroy relationships and families is just crushing. Hardcore conspiracy theorists don’t have the greatest ability to take in information and decide what’s true and what’s obviously a lie and they want to believe so badly. That leads to the rest of their friends/family getting tired of trying to reason a them out of a position that they didn’t use reason to get into in the first place. At a certain point everyone just gives up, quits and goes their separate ways it’s incredibly sad.

I absolutely adore this book. Simmonds art is so versatile and sets such a perfect atmosphere for the story Tynion is telling. Feels like we’re getting into some of the larger narrative at play too, which is exciting after some shorter vignettes.

This book gives me the chills nearly every issue. It’s so good and Simmonds art pairs so well with it. The potential reveal about Lee was genuinely shocking to me and the fact that it came from an untrustworthy narrator in Hawk added another layer of conspiracy. Between this and Nice House, Tynion is absolutely killing it

Finally got back up to speed on this title and I have to say, what Tynion is doing is really working for me. He's positioned Jim Gordon (the real lead of the book), as a proverbial frog in a pot of water and the heat is slowly being turned up around him. I love the way he's working some of the Joker's biggest stories into the background of the book. It feels really organic and it's enhancing the story telling without coming off as a history lesson.

Francavilla on art is always a good thing.

While all three stories in the Luther Strode saga are strong, the final volume really stood out to me. Tradd Moore fully embraces all his powers here and the results are just stunning to look at. There's an exaggerated, almost liquid look to the characters that's striking and gives the reader the feeling that they're laying eyes on something that's never been seen before. The fights are as dynamic as ever, and within every sequence Moore creates a standout moment that had me flipping my pages back and forth just to look at it again and again. I particularly loved issue #3. It's just a textbook display of creating movement on and between panels and features some of the moodiest coloring in the entire series. The story itself, while mostly functioning as a way for Moore to draw absurd shit, also manages to come together to provide a worthwhile ending to the saga. Despite being a relatively simple story, it's a credit to Jordan for writing to Moore's strengths so he could do his thing, which resulted in a book that's both fun and memorable. I know I'll be reading through the series again at some point in the future and that Moore has a fan for life.

Not quite as good as the first volume, but still a really fun read that leans heavily on action and it's incredible artwork. I greatly enjoyed seeing Tradd Moore's style further develop in volume 2. He leans more into his exaggerated, muscular style and you just get an inkling of where he's going to end up. The story itself continues to really lean into the uber-violence and the finale of The Legend of Luther Strode that it I felt like I needed to ring the book out. But at the same time, Jordan makes progress toward a more overarching goal for the story, and he's having a hell of a lot of letting Moore run wild so by the time the credits rolled it had me amped up for volume 3.

Wow. That’s really all I can say. The most important comic series that I’ve read all year, and this was a spectacular finale delving into some of the biggest, most difficult, questions in life. Ram V and Filipe Andrade have made an absolute masterpiece.

Another fantastic issue. The way Tynion consistently interwove comedy and tragedy through the lens of David was brilliant and the final turn at the end of the issue was super well done. The characters individual personalities are starting to be fleshed out more and the general sense of paranoia that Martinez's art lends is wonderful.

This is shaping up to be a special, special book. While the reveal of Reg at the end of the book wasn't a surprise at all, the revelation he brought with him was. Bueno's art was top notch, as per usual, and the way Tynion makes each character feel distinct and real allows the reader to immediately feel comfortable with the cast.

We got some pretty sizable answers as to Walter's purpose, as well as a whole new batch of questions. How many times has Walter erased everyone's memories? (More times what we've been shown is my guess.) Why was Reg hidden away and trapped? Why was he receiving a transcript of the rest of the group? Why does Reg's release coincide with the first time it's rained? This has been one of my favorite books of 2021 and the upcoming hiatus is going to be rough.

Tynion and Martinez Bueno hit the ground running after a brief break, bringing us another issue fantastic issue full of subtle psychological horror. The issue almost delights in making the reader feel uneasy, as it splices Norah's inner turmoil between glimpses of Walter hanging out in the Nice House as if all is well. It's all still so VERY OMINOUS and the parts with Norah are among the bleakest we've seen so far. They really cut to the core of the horror element in the book for me and made me so happy that this title is back, as it was one of my favorite books of 2021.

This is a really fun read with some wonderful Marcos Martin art that's impeccably colored by Muntsa Vicente. Seriously, I cannot say enough about the coloring job Vicente did. The colors pop off the page in every sense of the word, backing panels that were full of nice little details about the art and culture that influenced the creative team. BKV does his thing here, building out an America sans internet, set sometime 40-50 years in the future. The concept of the nyms, the alternate identities worn by the citizens of future LA, used to move throughout the world anonymously, was particularly interesting to me, and touched on some good ideas about the importance of privacy. By showing us a world without internet, it allowed the story to work as a partial commentary on internet addiction, which is quite the interesting trick from Vaughan as well. And that leads me to my biggest criticism: I don't think Vaughan goes far enough delving into these interesting ideas he presented, almost choosing to nod and wink at them instead, rather than offer any solutions. I'm not sure the book really had the space to do a deeper dive into these ideas, but it did leave me wanting Vaughan to go a little further into the topics presented. Still, this is a mostly minor quibble, one that's easily overlooked by the sheer creativity of the world on display and the clever inversion of the classic noir tropes.

The Riddler: Year One continues to be one of the big surprises in comics as it's actually raising the bar for what can be expected from a movie tie-in title. Dano and Subic have been perfectly paired to bring the backstory of Edward Nashton to life. Every page is dripping in paranoia, fear, and uncertainty that makes for an engrossing read as we get inside the mind of this character, even if the plot itself is a bit light.

I'm always game to try out a new Western comic, especially one by Si Spurrier, and this is definitely one I'll keep on the pull list. This first issue spends a lot of time world building and I really liked the harsh, realistic way the gold rush was depicted. It was a rough, brutal life that saw very few people acquire lasting wealth while most trudged back east with their tails between their legs. The little bits of horror sprinkled around had me hooked from the first page, and set up a couple great mysteries: how does gold gets underneath ones skin and who is the man with the bowler hat?

The mystery in and around the disappearance of Nettie's son deepens in another great issue of The Rush. Spurrier has a way of tailoring his dialogue to the story that's among the very best in comics and he puts his full talents on display. The conversation between Nettie and the Inspector was packed with wonderful world building, and felt very realistic, despite the otherworldly horror lurking. It both built up the character of Nettie, showcasing her resilience and stubbornness while providing a real look at how rough life was for those on the frontier seeking gold. I can't wait to see what nightmares further unfold.

Spurrier continues to have a wonderful ear for dialogue here, as he's writing one of the most realistic sounding westerns I've read in the medium. The plot is a bit of a slow drip, as the creative team aims more at building up the tension slowly. It's been really effective at lending the book an eerie tone that makes the big reveals, like this issue's moose dripping liquid gold from it's mouth and eyes, really shine.

Spurrier and Gooden deliver on the promise of the first 5 issues. Crisp dialogue, clean lines and satisfying resolutions abound. Spurrier delivered some heart wrenching moments between Nettie and the rest of the cast. The scene with M.P. in particular was crushingly effective in it's depiction as we go from one panel with a gun to another featuring startled deer, moved by the sound of gunfire. Highly recommended for anyone who's a fan of westerns.

I've always appreciated the way Remender goes about building the worlds in his stories. They always feel fully fleshed out, wildly unique, and populated with characters that make you want to care about what you're reading. The Sacrificers, while very deliberately paced, does not let down in that regard in the slightest, particularly when it comes to the character designs. I loved the way Fiumara drew the people who were made out of fire and Rokos was the standout. The art immediately let you know that this is an imposing, godlike and dutiful character and the conversation between him and his mistress hinted at so much more to come. I'm really looking forward to it.

I mean this in the best possible way, what an absolute gut punch of an issue. Remender and Fuimara do not hold back whatsoever as we finally see what it means to become one of the Sacrificers. This has been one of the two or three best new books of 2023 for me and I can't recommend it enough.

I usually don't go for uber-violence on this level, but the action was so incredibly dynamic in Luther Strode that it made for an incredibly fun (if a bit trope-y) power fantasy. Even in his first published work, you can already see the signs of stardom on display from Tradd Moore. The character designs pop and the fight scenes are bursting (sometimes literally) with energy.

A bit of a mixed bag, but most of the stories are light, breezy fun. One Snowy Night by Grant and Dini was the best of the group IMO.

Hickman has mastered the art of the intricately plotted slow burn and he gives it to us in spades here. I love the concepts Hickman's playing with and I don't think anyone else in comics has as strong or as creative of a voice for The Maker.

I always want to love this book more than I find myself actually loving this book. The core idea, basically mining a God for resources until you find one of your own who escaped has become a God, is so damn good. The characters outside of Malik and Marlyn Chen have been a little flat and Di Meo's art, while spectacular at times, makes it difficult to gain a sense of perspective from panel to panel with all the (for lack of a better word) lens flares. The ending has me pretty excited though.

I keep wanting to like this book more than I actually do. I mean the concept is amazing! You're telling me there's giant gods hovering in space that are slowly harvested for their materials, which are then used by an entire society? And a religion pops up around that? And there's all sorts of political subterfuge too? Awesome! But for some reason the story never completely clicks with me and the art always leaves me a little cold. I'm going to need to do a full reread, all at once at some point before the next arc begins, to see if that helps.

The atmosphere Rosenberg and Boss have created here was absolutely my favorite part of the book and had me reminiscing about the music I was into at the same age. Definitely something I'm going to keep pulling.

Really enjoying the way Percy is using Arakko. Feels like he’s making the most of this brutal society and I’m enjoying the new characters he’s added to the cast. Kubert’s art is also a winner to me and I always love his paneling.

Pretty solid stuff. The Bannister half of the issue was really good and worked more for me than it's action-packed counterpart. The karaoke stuff was good, silly fun and I'm a little disappointed we didn't see Logan perform lol.

As a long time Deadpool reader, this issue was like finding an oasis after wandering the desert for the better part of the last couple of years. I think Marvel's struggled to hit the right mix of humor and pathos with the character since Duggan's run ended, but I think Percy has something here. The over-the-top intro narration was *chef's kiss* good and the entire running commentary surrounding DP feeling left out was both relevant to the story and perfectly meta.

Not quite as strong as last month's team-up. Percy has a very good handle on Deadpool and I can always appreciate some Kubert art but this particular issue felt like it was spinning the wheels a little bit and I'm not sure the uneven pacing helped.

King really knows how to piss off the right wing reactionaries, doesn't he? I thought this was an incredible first issue on all fronts. I loved that the script pulled no punches whatsoever. Right out of the gate, King shines a bright spotlight on the xenophobia and bigotry that runs through the heart of so many Trump-supporting Americans. Even if the ICE stand-in (AXE) came off heavy-handed, I ultimately think that doesn't matter because there are still so many readers (The Band-Aid Ripper for one) that unequivocally missed the point. When Diana finally makes an appearance in the book it does not disappoint. Sampere draws fantastic action scenes that make full use of Wonder Woman's skill, grace, and fluidity as she easily dispatches the men from AXE using non-lethal means, which I thought was a smart touch by the creative team. It's a powerful moment and one that I thought was perfectly in character. There's so many other little details I loved about this issue but for the sake of brevity, my favorite had to be the two pages framing the conversation between Steve and Diana. Both pages centered around an image of National Mall, with particular importance placed on the Washington Monument. King's using that brilliant idea from Alan Moore's From Hell regarding phallic architecture and how it's meant to invoke a feeling of dominance, which fits like a glove when paired with the new villain, the Sovereign, that we're introduced to. If this creative team can maintain this high level of quality in both story and art throughout the run, we're looking at an all-timer.

Phil Jimenez puts in a literal superstar performance on every single page of this book and I couldn't stop staring and flipping back through just to catch yet another small detail. His work on the pantheon of gods is truly inspiring stuff. The chilling metal suit and otherworldly movement of Hecate, the incredible detail and depth of space in Aphrodite's hair, and every single glorious peacock surrounding Hera were just some of the little things that gave me goosebumps. This immediately goes to the top of the list for me next to Mike Huddleston on Decorum for best looking book of the year. The colors by the trio of Hi-Fi, Arif Prianto, and Romulo Fajardo Jr. just took everything to the next level too, particularly on the clay jar pages, using bright reds to create a brilliant, violent contrast. Finally, DeConnick's story walked a perfect tightrope of letting the art shine while providing wonderful depth of story on what it means to be a woman in a man's world. The feeling of rebellion permeates through the pages as we watch the creation of Themyscira and that's a credit to DeConnick for making the moment really resonate with the reader. This entire book is a perfect display of creativity, imagination and why these myths are timeless. I can't wait to read the next installment.

Was not expecting X Deaths to basically function as a stealth Moira book, and while the plotting is a bit haphazard at times, I'm still along for the ride. I'm very curious about the technarch-looking Wolverine. Is this potential a Wolverine from one of Moira's past lives? Potentially life 6? I'm hoping we get a few more answers on the Logan end of things next issue.

I'm really enjoying the Moira-heavy focus in the 'Deaths" issues and this was probably the strongest issue in the series so far.

Moira's hard heel turn here felt almost too quick, especially relating to the moment with Banshee. I understand her motivations for being pissed at the mutants, and even wanting to ruin them, but the degree of irrationality she's acting with is contradicting a lot of the prior character work in the Hickman era. She's been portrayed as very meticulous and slow to act due to the course of all her lives and here she's ranting like a 90s X-Men villain. It's a bit jarring to see THIS MUCH of a change of heart in just 4 issues. The Wolverine related scenes are really solid and I'm still appreciative of the book's forward momentum, but this issue felt like it got away from Percy a bit.

After preferring the X Deaths half of the story for most of the past 10 weeks, I think X Lives managed to do a much better job with it's wrap up. A lot of the Moira developments here came off as completely rushed and needed much, much more space than they were provided. We basically speed ran through anger at the loss of her powers, cancer, impromptu limb removal, a confrontation with Mystique, skinning Banshee alive, attacking Krakoa single-handedly, and apparently creating an entire backup AI persona, to get a big villain turn that I don't think works all that well. The Wolverines/Phalanx plot was much more fun even if it ultimately didn't add up to much either. Overall I don't know what to make of this crossover event. I'm excited for the Mikhail/X-Force plotline that Percy has been brewing in the background for a year or two, but just about everything else here ended up falling flat. I have hope that Gillen can work some magic to get the larger story back on track in Immortal X-Men, as I'm guessing that's where we'll be seeing Mystique, Destiny, and Moira next.

We're off to a solid start here with an action-packed issue that's light on actual plot, but really well illustrated by Josh Cassara. His artwork always has a great visceral quality to it that's perfect for a Wolverine book. Percy story is a little all over the place (I think intentionally), but he's got a strong voice for Logan and when he locks in on the character moments it really works.

Percy really sticks the landing here to give us a strong ending to the time travel hunt. The 'Lives' half of the story meandered at times, but really centered back around to give us the ultimate fight between Wolverine and Omega Red, and damn did Cassara deliver. The last few pages in particular were bone-crunchingly good and the ending with Mikhail felt like the perfect cap on the first arc of Percy's X-Force run, as we transition to Act II.

Logan surfing on an adamantium surfboard made by Forge? YES! This kind of goofiness is why I love comics. The Logan part of the story worked more for me than the Quentin/Phoebe parts, which felt really rushed considering the relationship feels like it just got started. I was really starting to enjoy Quentin's character growth and I hope they don't reverse too much of it too soon.

The interactions between Wolverine and Kid Omega have always been some of my favorite X-Men bits. The begrudging respect between the two has really been earned over the last 10-15 years and the way Percy is able to highlight the further development of that respect is great. The baby plot always felt a bit tacked on to me last month, although it looks like it's got more legs considering the final page reveal.

Big fan of the Quentin stuff this issue but the main plot relating to Cerebrax didn't really work for me. I really do like the idea that Quentin's test driving different mutant husks made by The Five and the little info page showing how much this bothers them was used well.

Was the ending to the Xeno arc really disappointing to anyone else? The Genegineer reveal kind of took all the air out of the story for me. That was only compounded by the fact that his ultimate plan was to create a Frankenstein'd mutant. It's all just falls flat considering how powerful this organization has been shown to be, especially early on in this series. The Deadpool stuff was solid though, and I'd like to see Percy get a shot on the solo title at some point in the future.

I’m really enjoying what Duggan is doing here. Establishing the X-Men as Earth’s protectors throughout this arc has been a lot of fun and the team moments are really landing for me. Multiple threats are being built up and it’s nice to see Marvel letting the X line slow down for a bit to tell some classic super hero stories. Really good stuff here.

I’m really enjoying what Duggan has been putting down here during this initial arc. It feels very much like a classic X-Men book told through the lens of the Krakoan era, and that’s something the line has been missing a little bit. The focus on Polaris was fun and Piña’s art made the little play on Magneto shine. The Urich stuff was probably the most intriguing part of this issue and I loved the position he put Scott in.

Duggan and Larraz dropped some pretty huge revelations this issue with a couple of dueling narratives, one of which has really pinned Scott into a corner. He's always had a pretty strong moral compass as the leader of the X-Men and I love that the promise of Krakoa is really pushing that to it's limit. The argument he held with the Quiet Council was particularly fascinating, positioning Scott as the one individual who wants to reveal the truth about the resurrection protocols to the world. The rest of the book, featuring a fight/argument between Sunfire and Feilong, pulled it's weight as well. It's particularly interesting when viewed through the lens of this week's Inferno issue. Hickman has positioned the machines as the ultimate enemy to human and mutant alike, and (reading between the lines) seems to be suggesting that mutual cooperation between the two groups is the only true way to survive what's coming. With Feilong driving a moon-sized wedge between the two factions we've got a fascinating setup going forward.

Synch's big, potential omega mutant moment was awesome. I love that Duggan is continuing on with some of the Children of the Vault developments from Hickman's run. The idea that Jean's powers are imprinting on him due to close quarters living is brilliant and a really nice, organic addition to the character. As for the big reveal this issue, I think Duggan has given us a lot of the puzzle pieces and now it's up to us to start assembling them. Stasis is clearly looking for something within the mutants in order to perfect his chimera and while his crude "experiment" on Scott gets most of the attention, I think it's the information page to watch out for. Forge's new invention allows mutant telepaths to communicate basically anywhere which means Stasis' plans could be short-lived. Larraz's art is also a treat, as per usual. He's just fantastic at those bad ass action moments.

I know that the "villain of the month" gimmick isn't everyone's cup of tea but damn if it isn't really working for me, mostly due to the way that Duggan is able to weave in great character development and intriguing slow burn mysteries. Synch takes center stage this week and has some great moments with both Laura and Scott. The moments with Laura in particular feel really earned and honest, building upon the great developments from Hickman's X-Men. You could really feel Synch's internal struggle and it's heartbreaking, especially when Duggan twists the knife a little to finally show us his thought process during the Hellfire Gala. Pina's art also does a great job on both the action scenes and the smaller moments. His M.O.D.O.K. in particular looked great and the colors by Gracia really popped.

Duggan was trying to really thread the needle with multiple plot points this issue and I'm not sure he quite managed, but I still had a lot of fun with it nonetheless. The Destiny/Gambit bits were really funny and showcased some of Duggan's trademark humor and I will always welcome any more insight into the various Councils. I'm wondering if we'll see some of these plots settled in other X books going forward because just this issue we had: Rogue and Gambit looking for Gameworld, Shiro and Storm on Mars dealing with Redroot, Orchis' machinations and MODOK's involvement in them, as well as the various Councils edging toward war. It's a lot for one title to resolve, especially when considering the multiple plot threads currently running around Scott, Synch, and Wolverine that weren't featured in this issue.

I continue to enjoy Duggan's work on this series. It's classic superheroics meets Krakoa and it just works for me. I like how he's explored each member's motivation for joining the team, and the slow-building plots really feels like we're heading toward something grand down the line. I'm also always up for a classic Wolverine issue and Duggan and Pina provided that in spades.

The branching plotlines Duggan's been seeding since #1 have finally taken root and started to collide in the best of ways. I really don't think the characterizations of the main cast could be handled any better, as we get great moments for nearly every one on the team. Synch's moment in particular was amazing and perfectly drawn by Larraz, who's style was sorely missed the past couple issues. The reveal at the end shocked me in both it's simplicity and elegance. The way Duggan is pushing these two old rivals together felt unexpected and completely fresh. I don't know how I didn't see it coming, so kudos to the creative team.

Unfortunately this is probably the weakest issue of Judgment Day so far to me. The new X-Men team hasn't even had a full issue together, so swapping a majority of the group out seems ill-timed. It left Duggan with A LOT of work to do as he has to introduce a new team dynamic, work in some new power combinations, and deal with the fallout from the events of Judgment Day. It would have been nice to deal with the Gala fallout and to settle in with some of the new team members, especially since we hardly got a glimpse of Firestar.

Really fun, if slightly chaotic issue. Duggan was able to deftly keep all the plates spinning while doing yeoman's work in setting up some intriguing plot lines going forward. The star of the issue was Emma Frost, and nearly every one of her interactions was perfect. The mental conversation between Scott and Emma was probably the highlight of the issue. I thought Duggan was really smart in the way he juxtaposed Scott's truth-telling regarding mutant resurrections with "foundation of sand" built on lies from the Quiet Council. It's been one of the most interesting subtle plotlines during the Hickman era and I'm glad they're finally brining the cost of all the lies and omissions of truth to the forefront. I also particularly liked the scene between Tony Stark, Emma Frost, and Feilong. I've been a big fan of Duggan's work in setting up Feilong as a real threat to mutant-kind and he has the potential to make a great foil for Stark as well. The banter back and forth between the two was tense and foreboding. The little bits of humor all over the comic were great too. The Moira/MJ/Spidey stuff worked less well for me. It feels like Marvel has skipped a few steps in dealing with Moira's heel turn. Having Moira go from working to create a mutant utopia to body snatching an innocent women (MJ) while monologuing about later killing them stretches the boundaries of consistency within the story a little too much. But other than that particular problem I've been having with that particular plot, the whole package was fun and I'm excited to see the new X-Men team in action next month.

An absolute banger of an issue. I love the way Ewing is integrating Arakko and it's culture into the larger Marvel universe in a way that no other writer has managed yet. The chess match between Brand and Storm is extremely well written, as were the conflicts at the Circle Perilous. From Roberto's play in the stands to the way in which Magneto deals with Tarn, it was all just perfectly clever. I know people were worried about the line without Hickman in charge, but I think between Duggan's X-Men, Ewing's Red and Gillen's Immortal things are really looking up. We're getting high-level storytelling in each series. Most importantly, all the ideas feel completely fresh and each book is interconnecting nicely while also carving out a space of their own. It really is a great time to be an X fan.

There was a lot to like here between Williams' story and Werneck's art. Some really nice additional layers were added to the central mystery. Most everything we've seen from Magneto through 2 issues feels like a red herring while the inclusion of Mystique at the end of the issue felt the opposite. The pace of the entire X line appears to be picking up as we head toward Inferno and I'm here for it.

I'm not sure what to make of this issue and I think that's kind of the point. Everything is enshrouded in chaos magic and the disjointed pacing of the issue left me with a weird feeling as a reader. It felt like it had a little too much to do and not enough pages to do it in. We now know that the hooded figure who murdered Wanda and stole the Cerebro backup was an older Wanda, but everything else is still a bit of a mess. Magneto isn't really on trial here and a lot of the X-Factor stuff that was great in #1 has been dropped.

Honestly, the single biggest problem with this book is its title. It's not really a trial in any conventional sense of the word, Magneto is almost assuredly innocent and was never believably a suspect to begin with. It's really more of an exploration of Wanda's psyche, her role among the mutants and whether or not they can forgive her for M-Day. And those elements of the book have been pretty good! The Krakoan era has positioned her as an unforgivable monster, a literal ghost story, among the mutants and it would be nice to see Wanda move forward as something more than a punching bag. This series feels like it's trying to reconcile her entire past all at once, and while I think the execution has been clunky in parts, the idea is admirable and something I'm on board with. There's a lot hinging on this last issue and I hope Williams can mostly stick the landing.

This whole series was a bit of a jumble of disparate ideas and it mostly comes together by the end. I think pretty much everything related to Wanda and the resurrection protocols really worked while the actual "trial" or whodunnit portion of the story, fell flat on its face. Toad comes out of nowhere as the guilty party, and while you can kind of see why it works due to their Brotherhood connection, the reveal mostly lands with a thud. Especially with the further reveal that Wanda wanted all of this to happen so she could enhance the resurrection protocols. I wasn't particularly satisfied with the ending for Toad either, as he's really more of a hired gun in an assisted suicide rather than the cold, calculating murderer he was treated as by the Council. As for the good: I particularly liked the callback to the campfire story as told by Exodus. It was a nice inversion of what we saw in one of Hickman's earliest X-Men issues. The art from Werneck was also solid throughout the series. I also think it's a great idea to actually give Wanda some agency as a character (rather than her just behaving like a plot device) among the mutants as well. Overall, this probably would have worked a little better if it didn't have so much work to do to setting up portions of the X-line following Hickman's Inferno while ALSO setting a potential new Scarlet Witch title while ALSO acting as the de facto conclusion to X-Factor.