So bad, it’s unbelievable. I’ve been reading comics for about 30 years. Hands down, this is by far the worst era I’ve ever lived through. When the Big 2’s characters are in the state they’re in… just, Jesus Christ, I don’t have words. To build this up as much as they did and ultimately involve characters nobody gives two fucks about… I can’t. Fuck Marvel and fuck Zeb Wells. Seriously. I enjoyed him, back in the day. He wrote a story where Shocker and Hydro-Man met up at Denny’s. But this is shit. The fact that I’m buying more DC than Marvel at this point, as bad as DC also is… I wish my LCS would just retire. That would be my real-life jumping off point.

LOL Wow. Just unbelievably bad. Quite possibly the worst comic I have ever read. In summary, a major status quo change by a throwaway villain. In all seriousness, it’d be like Paul Kubberberg coming back to Batman in 2023 and doing a story where Colonel Blimp kills Gordon and impregnates Spoiler and Orphan.

Loved the first issue so much. All I can say to this one is LOL.

If this was an ongoing series, I’d drop it. I’m to the point where I am just going to look at the art and not even bother reading any of the dialog. I tried. A few pages in, after Robin firebombed the police, I was already convinced this was the most ridiculous comic I’ve ever read. There needs to be a support group for white men who are this obsessed with race and their very warped views on “social justice.” If Hamm wanted to write a more topical story on a social justice issue, he should’ve made Harvey Dent an unhinged DA who let’s out hundreds of violent criminals who cause the murder rate in Gotham to skyrocket.

Wow. What a miserable piece of shit. I always thought of Bendis as Alan Moore’s “bastard” son. A writer too stupid to see the genius of Moore’s work and only taking away the bad things. Bendis? Sit down. Tom King just beat you. Handily. If you thought the Killing Joke was Moore’s worst work (and it is), sit back and suffer the nightmare-fueled comic that is The Killing Joke 2: Mask of the Sadism. This may be the single worst comic I have ever read. And that’s saying a lot… I can’t believe at one point I was psyched that King was making Phantasm canon. After this, I wish he hadn’t. I feel like Bruce at the end of MOTP seeing the shining glimmer of Andrea’s locket hanging in the Batcave, opening it and sobbing at how much better things used to be.

A comic written for fans of Young Justice… by a person who clearly HATES Young Justice. Peter David never held back from trading words with other creators over the years but I would guess he will sit this one out. Not because it didn’t piss him off, I’m sure it did, but because he’s worried speaking out will get him cancelled.

Lol I love how all of a sudden there were so many copies of this on the shelf. Actions speak louder than words and these actions say DC fans are over Tom Taylor.

There was a lot of hype around the EC relaunch and I was genuinely excited for this. I couldn’t even guess it could be this bad. Trite, predictable and preachy (dull surprise). Complete joke to put in the back that this is a tribute to Bill Gaines. EC were the bad boys of comics in their day. There is nothing bold or rebellious here, it is the same echo-chamber bullshit that pervades most modern comics. I am not giving this a 1 out of spite, it’s really that bad.

The thing I love most about this site is how fair the user reviews are and how the mods, for the most part, do not interfere. Critic review: shoot your load over whatever social issue is being promoted User review: review a comic on the basis of its actual content If the critic review is high and the user review is low, you know all you need to know.

The storyline of the relaunch was not worthy of a relaunch.

Summary: MJ never fucks Paul — they find their kids in Dimension Goofy and adopt them. Then Spidey rescues them but MJ leaves him cuz too much time went by. And the FF and Cap are still pissed at Spidey for stealing the shit he used to rescue MJ. Lol Imagine pitching this to an editor and getting the gig to write Spider-Man.

We’re on a road to nowhere… This storyline has been going on for a year and there’s no end in sight. Does this book have an editor? And poor Ivan Reis. One of the best artists DC has and he keeps getting shit assignments. What a waste.

Only rating this 3 instead of 1 for the art. Dropping this as soon as Fear State is over.

Vision, Omega Men and Mr. Miracle were all great… the first time I read them. King is truly the second coming of Bendis in that he’s out of tricks and every song sounds exactly the same. Next he’ll do a 12-issue maxi about Metamorpho coping with erectile dysfunction. If that sounds ridiculous, it’s cuz it is. When I’m done, I’m done. If you want to effect change, bitching about books after you’ve BOUGHT them is not the answer. I dropped Supergirl and will need a lot of convincing to bother with Human Target.

Dumb ending to what was shaping up to be the best run in Cantwell’s arc. If you haven’t had enough of supporting characters talking to Tony like he’s some kind of an asshole, you will love this issue…

Said it last issue, I’ll say it again and FYI, one of the critics is saying the same exact thing almost verbatim: This is supposed to be the flagship title of the X-books, yet nothing of importance happens in it save for the Ben Urich story, which is moving at a snail’s pace. Jordin White: “Hey, Jonathan. I know you had that big multi-year plan but we’re going to have to scrap it. We want to do a story where a team of X-Men sit around jerking off in a treehouse in New York.”

I dunno why Wells’ run just isn’t clicking but it’s not. JJJ can be legitimately funny. In this comic, he’s written like a character in a children’s cartoon. So are the Sinister Six. The only thing that could make it worse would be an appearance by that crying c*nt, Jimmy Kimmel, but don’t worry — he gets his own story after the main one. Maybe he’ll show up in subsequent issues and gargle Pete’s balls like he does when he sits in on Stern. “Hey Howard, remember that time we made omelets at Justin Theroux’s house in Mexico?” God, I hate that talentless f*ck. If not for Ed McG’s art in the main story, I’d have rated this even lower.

Maybe I made the mistake of viewing the reviews before I read it but it did suck. I’m tired of waiting for this run to “click.” It’s just not good. Every creative team change, we hope for something better and get something worse.

The Elseworlds tale that dares to ask… what if Batman sucked?

If you’ve been reading the main series, no surprises here. If you came expecting this to somehow be good, I’m sorry. RIP John Paul Leon.

Stopped midway and will not be picking up future issues. Beautifully illustrated, horribly written. Comics are a two-way street.

DC Comics. Where great artists (Dan Mora, Ivan Reiss) go to die. Hopefully Mora finds greener pastures on Mark Waid’s World’s Finest run. That is if Waid can get out of his own way and I am confident he can. Poor Ivan Reiss is taking over ‘Tec. Guy has the worst luck ever. Great, event-level artist punted from one shitty comic to the next…

Psycho Pirate is a Crisis-level villain by DC’s own design. In this series, he goes from “worlds will never be the same” to “let me create a diversion for drug dealers.” Stupid. Mad Hatter would’ve fit the plot way better. That’s what an editor would say but DC doesn’t really care anymore. Tamaki, you’re lucky to be working on ‘Tec. A lot of readers are dropping the other DC books in droves but Batman is the surest bet. Everybody loves Batman, right? Nobody will drop Batman.

Some major developments for Pyscho-Pirate… despite his status as a Crisis-level villain. This is as dumb as Darkseid with his legs crossed on a futon. … oh wait, they did that too.

All the criticisms from other users are spot-on… just like the first 500 parts of this storyline. Good riddance. And what the hell happened to Psycho-Pirate? Am I dense? Batman confronted Hayden but their convo was mostly off-panel. Does he even still have the mask or does Tamaki’s wife???

A piece of shit. Want the synergy of a dark Riddler like from The Batman (which was also a piece of shit)? Here you go! Remember when the back-up story in ‘Tec was better than the main story? No longer the case. They both suck. Excited for this run to end.

What did I just read?

Hard to believe issue #1 could be as good as it was and three issues later, we have… this. “Trial of Magneto” is definitely false advertising. Should really be called “Scarlet Witch: Making It Up as We Go Along.”

This series was chugging along until last issue. Last issue and this issue sucked. Jorge Fornes shouldn’t be doing fill-in issues at this point in his career. He deserves better.

You’ve heard of the expression “a series of ups and downs”??? That is the perfect way to describe the Beyond era. Some weeks, I am like “yay, this is awesome” and others I am like “okay, enough, bring Peter back full-time”. This is the latter.

This comic is not good. I like Zeb Wells. I like Spider-Man. I like Zeb Wells’ Spider-Man prior to this run but something just isn’t clicking. With these three issues, I am not at all convinced ASM was deserving of a relaunch. In retrospect, Beyond is looking good and Spencer’s run is looking like a masterpiece. C’mon, Zeb, turn it around!

The art was great. That’s about all this issue has going for it.

The first two issues were great but a total loss of momentum with #3. All for what??? To retread fallout from Devil’s Reign that we already knew about? I don’t get it…

Beautiful painted cover (style reminds me of the late Glen Orbik). Wonderful art from Ivan Reis, as usual. Unfortunately, also as usual, Reis’ pencils are wasted on a lackluster story.

The art is good, the story sucks. No change from any other recent issue.

I used to think nobody could drag out a storyline quite like Bendis. Then there’s this… A shame, too, this storyline started out with a lot of promise.

I knew as far as Devil’s Rein tie-ins go, this would be disposable. I was just hoping it would also be enjoyable.

Waste as a great artist.

DC screwed the pooch after Zdarsky’s first story arc. Multiversal madness is old news. Even in Batman’s case. On the plus side, as I was typing Zdarsky’s name my iPhone tried to auto-correct to Z’Dar, as in the late Robert, star of the Maniac Cop series. “CoRdElLlLlL…”

The first issue was good. Second issue is Tom King being… Tom King. Just like in Batman/Catwoman, it’s hard to accept the Catwoman-Joker relationship. Joker is close enough to how he should be but it’s Catwoman’s reactions that just don’t hold. Also, not a fan of Marquez’s Riddler. Why do so many artists feel the need to give their spin on this character? During the Snyder run, Capullo gave us the Dwight Schrute Riddler. Now we get the Will Poulter Riddler. He’s a guy with a receding hairline in a question mark suit who happens to be a jagoff. Why is this so hard?

This book has quickly gone from “first comic of the week I read” to “meh.” And in all fairness, I gave it a shot. We’re four issues in. It’s not horrible, it’s just kinda boring. If you’re going to switch the focus from Eddie to Dylan, make a compelling case why. So far, that’s not been done.

Just fair. Paco Medina didn’t disappoint but not much happened to move the Beyond plot along. We already knew they stole tech from Ock’s time as Superior Spidey and he’s pissed about that from the tie-in issue. What did Beyond take and why? Guess we’ll find out next issue cuz this issue they were too focused on Ben getting his ass kicked and then getting yelled at for it.

I was enjoying the Beyond storyline but it’s starting to run its course. Also, I don’t mind a little humor in Spidey but the humor in this issue was too much.

I am ready for the Beyond era to be over.

At the very least, at the absolute minimum, it’s starting to make sense… I guess.

Tynion comes back to shut the lights off after the rush-job that was Fear State. Overall, I enjoyed his run but this storyline was deserving of most of the criticisms lobbed at it. Side note, if you didn’t think this was a satisfying Scarecrow story and want to see something worse, check out this season of Titans. The dickhead character from Mad Men plays Scarecrow, which sort of works, except that he’s not in the costume once.

I don’t hate this as much as everyone else but I understand why they hate it. King sold this whole thing as a love letter to Mask of the Phantasm. Nine issues later, it’s really just a love letter to Tom King. Oh well… Still much worse on the stands.

Everything King does with Batman is so hit or miss. I guess OBD Riddler actually succeeds in what it aims to do, but is that necessarily a good thing? First, I am huge Alan Moore fan. By far my favorite writer of all time. That said, Killing Joke is one of my least favorites of his works. The whole idea of Killing Joke being the flip-side of Batman's origin sounds poetic but it's really corny and trite. My biggest issue was that it took this maniacal, unreasonable monster and made him sympathetic (like Rob Zombie's Halloween did for Michael Myers). You walk away going, "jeez, no wonder he's so messed up." Plus, there's the sadistic torture porn part with Batgirl. OBD Riddler was just Tom King emulating Alan Moore at his worst. You have a Riddler who is beaten by his father and later finds out that his mother is a prostitute that his own henchmen are banging. He also kills a completely innocent person as a "warning" to Batman that he can do that anytime he wants if Batman pisses him off. It is also complete with a not-as-vague ending where Batman kills him (similar to the Killing Joke). It's really amazing that in 2022, writers can still only barely scratch the surface of what an amazing writer Alan Moore was and all his potential. The most they come away with is dark, brooding neurotic heroes/villains. I guess none of them read his America's Best Comics stuff or even Supreme.

Beautifully illustrated. Entertaining to read.

I like the character, I like the writer, but this comic was just ok. The Worlds Without a JL Superman comic gave us a world Clark might’ve really wanted. I don’t know what to make of John’s fantasy-land. Frankly, I thought the Hawkgirl back-up was better.

Actually, not a bad issue. DC just should’ve never pretended it tied into Fear State. It doesn’t. Reminds me of way back during Avengers Disassembled there were all these loose “tie-ins.” Like Red Skull showing up in Cap’s solo book and going “LOL So I hear you’re having a shitty week, Steve…” Kirkman was ahead of his time, no doubt at the behest of editorial. I actually found the back-up to be entertaining. I’m excited to see where it goes. Only in a comic book would you see criminal justice reform affect the people who (pretend to) care about it.

Sticking around for the train wreck. Really hope Dr. Ocean ends up being Billy Ocean. Y’know? Get out of my comics, get into my car.

Classic Bendis… Interesting plot, horrible execution. Oh wait, he’s not writing this! Backup continues to be good…

I’m too lazy to look back and see who wrote “why is this weekly?!” but they are absolutely right. The pacing of this book does not dictate weekly issues. It’s boring. I thought the fake Harley Quinn jab was funny: “That doesn’t even look like her!” Lol Amen.

I’ve generally liked Slott’s FF run but this was a poor conclusion to Reckoning War. It’s almost like Dan got the call that he could go back to Spider-Man before he wrote this and then just phoned it in. And with all the deus ex machina going on in this issue, why didn’t the Watcher just tell Reed how to fix Johnny??? Lol He “fixed” everything else. Including Galactus!

12 year old me would give this book a solid 10.

Remember back when Brubaker’s Cap run ended and Remender came on and took the book in a radically different direction? I felt like this Hulk run was similar to that, but it really got screwed up when Cates went MIA. Kudos to Ottley. Guy is a trooper. He was put in an impossible situation and did the best he could. Reading his note at the end, I legitimately felt bad for him. He is a great artist and I look forward to his next project.

Very good, Louis. Short but pointless.

Lazarus Planet rose to the top of my read pile after the first issue but it’s all been hit or miss since then. This issue is no different. First two stories were good, second two were shit. Two 8’s and two 6’s average 7. Not nauseating messaging but not so good, either.

This comic is just okay. It’s not nearly as clever as it thinks it is. I used to think Aaron was a good writer but in the last couple of years, it’s like you read one Aaron comic, you’ve read them all. Thinly veiled social commentary? Check. Crazy retcon that doesn’t make sense? Check. Off the cuff characterization? Check.

An anticlimactic ending to a mostly decent series. Despite the title, Rorschach was way more Parallax View than Watchmen. Last issue is where all the pieces came together. This issue, *SPOILERS*, the good guy takes out the bad guy. Really not much more to issue #12 than that.

I’ve enjoyed the majority of the Black Label books and I generally enjoy Lemire. However, I didn’t find anything great about Green Hell. All the praise it’s getting is probably because it is representing climate change. Nothing groundbreaking there — Swampie has always dealt with environmental issues. It’s his thing. I’m bummed. I was really hoping for more from this.

Yet another filler issue. At this point, I’d have rather just had a long gap between issues until Tynion’s next issue could come out and we could get closer to wrapping this series up. I actually felt this was Rosenberg’s strongest issue, yet still too stark a contrast from the main writer.

Venom continues to be a strange book but not a particularly good one. We’ve gone from grandiose Lovecraftian cosmic horror to Venom in the middle of a biker gang fight. I mean, what was the point of the biker gang? Did we really need to take a break from the symbiote arms race story, which itself is not that interesting? I know this book has two alternating writers but it’s starting to feel like three. I’m considering dropping it but if my pull list gets any smaller, my LCS is gonna cry.

I was really excited for this and subsequently let down. Way too much teasing and hinting going on for an oversized issue like this. You want to end it on a cliffhanger? Ok. But every page does not need to leave you with questions. "He let down NORMAN???" He's lying to Aunt May??? He stole from the Fantastic Four??? Everyone hates him??? Mary Jane has kids???" Whatever. I'm sticking around. First issue is a bit of a miss, though.

As with last issue, I’m excited at the prospect of the new Pete/Norman dynamic but this issue is all action but little substance. Looks great but moves the ball up one yard.

I generally like Williamson and I enjoyed the first part of this storyline last week. This was just ok. Plot didn’t move much. Sort of reminded me of the train scene from The Hunted. So many ninjas…

A mixed bag… Tom King’s story is predictably a “let’s see if I can out-Moore Alan Moore.” Killing Joke is by-far Moore’s worst work. He admits it. Alex Ross agrees. The saving grace is Brian Bolland’s art. Brisson’s story is instantly forgettable. The winners are Cantwell’s Superman and Mora’s future Batman.

It didn’t piss me off. Which is a huge accomplishment in the post-Spencer, post-Coates era. Tough to have a good Captain America book if the writers hate America. So far, I’m convinced that’s not the case.

Fair. Better than most recent previous issues, which isn’t saying much. Ready for this storyline to be over. As others have pointed out, does not warrant the weekly format.

I’m going to agree with most of the critics on this one — an underwhelming end to what was otherwise a really good series. Bummer, too, as it was one of the few (and I mean FEW) titles at DC that was even readable. Would be sadder if we didn’t already know Damian will be back in that new Robin vs Batman comic. Waid is killing it with World’s Finest, so I’m optimistic it’ll be good.

I have to admit I feel a little less interested in the X-books as a whole since it was confirmed that Marvel scrapped Hickman’s plans. The line is bloated and you would think a comic called X-Men would be the flagship title, the single X-book that matters most… but it doesn’t feel that way. It actually feels less connected to the overarching X-plotlines than X-Force, Wolverine or even the Trial of Magneto mini. Beyond that, it’s okay. Nothing great. Maybe it will start to take off after Inferno wraps and Hickman is formally gone. At the very least, the Ben Urich sub-plot is interesting.

PKJ is still writing good Superman stories. Though the scene where Metallo’s sister is nude, tied up, hanging upside down was a bit much. The back-ups are by far the weakest part of the book. Not very good and definitely not getting me the slightest bit interested in checking out the spin-off titles.

So, the culmination of Spencer’s run is… Green Goblin revisionist history. I get a lot of people are going to hate this comic and find this run disappointing overall but overall I enjoyed it. Perfect? Not by any stretch. A lot of enjoyable moments throughout? Yes. And that’s asking a lot coming off the last time Spencer did a lengthy run on one book. At least this one ended with him trying to clean up someone else’s mess instead of bitterly defending a mess of his own making.

Not bad. Given the hype, you were probably suspecting this was going to spin straight out of Spencer’s run but it really didn’t. How Pete gets his ass kicked and gives way to Ben taking back over is all in this issue… and it’s not bad.

I thought this was a fun issue. Also, it had some major developments that should be integral to the main book.

Good issue. Stark contrast from the talking sandwiches last issue. Guess this weekly thing is not as easy as it looks.

I’m torn on this one. The Beyond plot is decent. I just don’t like how Ben’s arc is ending up. I guess this is the solution to having a clone of Peter who is different enough from Peter.

Most interesting issue of this run. At least it goes somewhere.

Still good, though a little weaker than the first two issues.

This was a welcome return after the alt-universe storyline. I like the idea of Batman at war with himself. Criticisms that the art didn’t fit are fair. I thought it was decent it just didn’t fit a Batman book. Would’ve looked better on a younger superhero book.

More of the fast-pace, unabashed anime influenced style as the back-up feature running in Batman the last few months. If you enjoyed that, you’ll enjoy this. If you hated the back-up, don’t buy this.

First, this book is tonally out of place with Batman and Detective Comics (and maybe that’s a good thing). This book is basically Batman Forever starring Damian instead of Dick. It’s bright, it’s just light-hearted enough and it’s entertaining.

It was a blast seeing Mahnke back on Batman. Lots of fond memories there. Aaron… Full disclosure, I hated his last several years at Marvel. He ruined Frank Castle. His 500-year Avengers tenure was easily one of the worst runs of all time. I tried to go into this with an open mind and I was pleasantly surprised. While nobody did a better job of justifying the totality of Batman’s publishing history than Grant Morrison, this was still a lot of fun. Think Miller’s Batman being inserted into a 50’s sci-fi storyline. Not “goofy Batman” off-world, more like “Year One Batman” off-world. Highly enjoyable.

In this issue: Bruce cuts off Waylon’s umbilical cord. I know that sounds like a synopsis for an episode of Tim & Eric but that actually happens in this comic. It is weird but I am enjoying it.

Entertaining. Although it’s hard to do a story with a serial killer using butterflies and not draw comparisons to Buffalo Bill: “Oh… oh, wait… was she a great big fat person?” Glad Hydro-Man is still alive. Obviously.

Light on story, heavy on action, which is Skroce’s strong point. That said, the opening scene in this comic is legit hilarious.

Wasn’t really what I expected… and maybe that’s not a bad thing. The angel thing is giving me Guardian Devil vibes.

First, Tom Taylor… Just like there are people who will automatically praise everything he writes, there’s now a group forming who automatically hate everything he writes. That’s probably due to what he is doing recently over at DC. He is not “exploring” social issues as much as just jamming his viewpoints down everyone’s throat. Anyone who says otherwise is full of shit. He and DC can continue doing this at their own peril. Next retailer summit should be lots of fun. That said, Dark Ages makes me glad that Taylor can still tell an entertaining story when he gets out of his own way. Did he manage to sneak in a few digs on climate snd borders? Yeah, but it wasn’t the focal point of the story like in Soy of Kal-El. What was actually cringeworthy was how casually and positive mind-control was presented. Lol But I guess we shouldn’t be surprised. Lastly, Coello’s art looked great. Guy is constantly getting better. He went from a fill-in on Venom to a main event artist and it’s totally deserved.

Another fun issue. Appreciated the plot and its actual ties to past continuity. I don’t know how Joshua Williamson writes so many books but I’m glad he does. He’s becoming the last writer that DC has that I still give a shit about.

If Snyder’s Batman is metal, Ewing’s Defenders are prog rock.

Strange but at least a step up from Tamaki. I don’t remember Albuquerque’s art looking so similar to Sean Phillips but I’m digging it. Definitely fits the tone of the comic.

I enjoyed this issue if for nothing else than the critique of the Met Gala.

Not as good as the first issue but still the best GL has been in about five years.

Damn, Brett Booth looking like he’s at the top of his game here! Fun issue. Very classic Spawn feel to it, like those early issues of the original series. Overall this whole Clown story was an improvement over the first arc. Hope this title maintains this quality and that Clown isn’t gone for too long…

This issue was as advertised. Nothing more, nothing less. If you weren't reading Williamson's previous lead-in titles to this, Justice League #75 summarizes all of that, shoehorns the Justice League into the plot (because they weren't involved much in Infinite Frontier and Justice League Incarnate)... and then "kills" them. Again, it didn't knock my socks off, but I will take Williamson over Taylor or Snyder anytime. I feel like he has a better grasp of DC overall right now, he's consistent and he's not overly preachy.

I’m typically very critical but I will gladly admit I enjoyed all the stories in this comic. Delilah Dawson is like the AAA version of Jeremy Adams… and I say that respectfully. She’s a talented writer and I wish DC would raise her profile. I would take her any day of the week over Tamaki or even Taylor.

Gotta give this an 8 just cuzza Bagley. We lost a legend in Perez. However, you still need a guy to load a page with characters? Mark Bagley’s your guy. As far as the story, you read one Spider-Verse story, you’ve read them all. Could’ve been worse.

I really wanted to give this a shot because I liked the premise but was very apprehensive because of the writer. Glad I did because it was a good book.

I’m still really enjoying this. It loses points for being so late that I’ve admittedly forgotten a lot of the early stuff that happened in this series.

Worth reading. I know Rich Johnston is jizzing at all the prospects of this comic — “yeah mate, it is duh best comic ever!!!!!!!! da first act is called… da promish… lemme write 10 articles on it!!!” He really is a piece of shit. But this comic isn’t. The end.

Not great but good. Let’s see if Hickman can stick to the landing of an Ultimate Universe as if it were created in 2023. I would happily pay $10 for a Jonathan Hickman comic before I pay $4 for a Vita Ayala comic.

Hey, look. Al Ewing is back. Can you tell? I could. This alternating writer experiment reminds me of when Hickman was taking turns with someone else on New Mutants. I would read the Hickman issues and skip the others. Maybe I should do that here.

It was entertaining. Wish it wasn’t spoiled.

A surprisingly decent ending to a really stupid arc.

Ok. If you were wondering where this was going, we finally get some answers. Glad I didn’t bail early on.

Good first issue. A lot to work with in upcoming issues. I hope Caselli sticks around for a while.

By no means a Cloonrad fan, I like XO Manowar and love Liam Sharp. This was a good comic. Better than I expected.

Very different from the last run but still all good. I’m enjoying it. No cringeworthy moments. Lol What a low bar to set but that’s modern-day comics for you.

Usually when I see an artist pulling double duty as a writer, I cringe. Some of the best artists in the biz have tried that and they were horrible. HORRIBLE. Thank God writers don’t also try drawing. Thankfully, Patrick Gleason bucks that trend and gives us an issue that is well-written and obviously beautifully illustrated. Not since early during Jenkins’ run did I appreciate an Uncle Ben appearance that much. This continues to be a fun run. Rather than be bummed that we know there’s a clear conclusion coming, I’m glad. The story will be better for it. There’s a clear end in sight. (LOL something writers like Bendis know nothing about)

This was decent. I’m ready to get beyond Beyond but it’s looking like it might have a satisfying ending.

The only DC book I bought this week. If you enjoy B:TAS, this is for you. The characters look and act like they’re straight out of cartoon. With Hugo Strange, Joker even references “The Strange Secret of Bruce Wayne” as an Easter Egg. If you did not grow up with B:TAS, I probably wouldn’t recommend it.

My favorite book of the week. Derivative of Batman Begins? Obviously. Enjoyable? Absolutely. Bruce Wayne participates in Battle of the Tough Guys.

If the rest McKay’s Black Cat run was this entertaining, I’m sorry I missed it.

I liked V’s first issue and his second one is solid, too. It’s strange and almost seems like an out-of-continuity tale but I’m intrigued.

This comic is so steeped in continuity, I’m surprised Marvel even allowed it. That said, as someone whose been reading comics the past 30 years, it was a lot of fun. I predict after Reckoning War concludes, we’ll have a change in the FF lineup and I always enjoy that.

A good read. Critiques that it should’ve been called Green Arrow Family are fair, as there is a LOT of time focused on the supporting cast. Still, I enjoyed it a lot. Possibly the most fun GA has been in 20 years.

I’m starting to enjoy this for what it is. And because of what it is, it suffers the unenviable task following Ewing’s run and drawing comparisons. Cates’ run is like someone leaving Marvel to create their own Hulk at Image… only in 2022 instead of 1992. The concept’s off the wall but the art keeps up with it.

Hey! A DC comic that doesn’t suck! Who’d have thought… Seriously, this is a great comic. Story’s been fun (no cringeworthy garbage). Art has been good. Most important, it’s been CONSISTENTLY great.

This was a really fun comic. A much more faithful future-storyline of some classic villains than some other garbage Black Label has put out. The first page with the pics on the wall at the bar was gold. Williamson is one of the few DC writers left that I can still read and enjoy. I liked the art but one honest critique is that the male characters looked appropriately older. The female characters, not so much. Golden Glider looked older in the flashback scene than in the future.

More entertaining than the core book.

It didn’t knock my symbiote off but it’s a promising new direction.

Okay. I’m even happier than last issue. I’m also convinced this literally has nothing to do with the last arc. This current team planned to do what they planned to do and that’s that. “Yeah, y’know, just throw in a line that he’s sad over Harry or some shit.” Great issue. Lots of fun. Zeb Wells is awesome. Which is my only concern…. If he’s “cream of the crop” (oh yeahhhh, can ya dig it?!), will the other writers be able to maintain this level of awesomeness? Lose a point for Aunt May. When and why did she shift from GILFy Aunt May back to Old Biddy Aunt May??? You guys want synergy with the movies, remember Marissa Tomei is still playing her. … though I am old enough to say Sally Field is a GILF in my book, too.

Fear State is the most on-target topical comic on the stands today: the media pushing bs so the gov can control the masses through fear. It’s clear as day in the flashback where Scarecrow reveals his plan to Ghostmaker. He even goes so far as to say Silicon Valley was salivating at the idea.

Great pallet cleanser after Fear State. Really like the Batman Inc costume and was glad to see it back. Also enjoyed the twist of who is backing the Club of Heroes now. There were couple cool Easter Eggs, too: -Joker cosplayer assassin mentioning Batman’s toys, a callback to Batman 89 -Batman disguising himself as Croc, a callback to the B:TAS ep “Almost Got ‘Im” Probably some others I missed.

Another great issue!!! Thank you, Williamson, for saving Lex from the Superman titles. Such a great foil for Bruce (like Osborn was for Stark during the Fraction run). Absolutely loved when Lex spilled the wine just to be a dick. Total Lex. Also enjoyed the little Batman TAS “Blind as a Bat” easter egg at the end. One minor critique is the art was a little inconsistent. At times, it looked like Jim Cheung. Other times… it didn’t. I dunno, it was just a little jarring.

I enjoyed this arc a lot. If you read the solicitations, you know where things are going… Williamson is gonna take Batman into Shadow War and then he’s gone. Making way for Chip Zdarsky… who I also like. Part of me feels like Williamson was the right writer at the wrong time. Yet I am still optimistic about Zdarsky.

Enjoyed this way more than expected. A lot of fan service. When it was getting to the end, I was prepared to dock this a full point if Bats DIDN’T use the Bat Shark Repellent… but he did. Minus one for the Alfred scenes. Pathetic and whiney. Nothing says “I’ve never wanted for anything in my life” like writing “money is stupid.”

One word describes this run as a whole: inconsistent. This week, that’s a compliment. Failsafe arc was great. Alternate Earth story was lame. Gotham War was awful (although I think I hated it less than others). This first issue of the new arc? Pretty damn good. Happy that The Knight mattered and hoping Zdarsky gives closure to the three Jokers.

Fun issue. Sad to see this book go. They used Mxy to brilliantly close out the Batman: The Brave and the Bold cartoon but I really liked how Yang played to the strength of the actual format here. Is there an Eisner award for Most Eisner-esque Single Issue?

Awesome comic! So glad I didn’t drop this book. Williamson is the only writer at DC that keeps me going. … ok, that panel where Black Canary breaks in on the Justice League. LOL The waist to thighs ratio looks like a missing panel from Avengylene/Glory.

Great issue! Too often publishers use anniversaries to sell you a bloated comic that isn’t rooted in continuity and has a bunch of creative teams that suck. Not the case here at all… The lead story was extra-sized and a great celebration of FF history. Did find it funny how it reminded me of the Venture Bros episode, “Twenty Years to Midnight.” The back-up by former FF writer, Mark Waid, was also great. Only thing holding me back from a 10 was the two-page filler story in between.

Really good issue. The dynamic between Wally and Wallace is great and so is the art.

Great issue. Great Dark Crisis tie-in. Wish more people were reading this book.

In DC's darkest hour, they turn to the one man who can still save them... Geoff Johns. I enjoyed this a lot. However, it's tough to know what kind of bearing it is going to have on the larger DCU. Clearly some, because Thomas Wayne acknowledges what happened to him in Justice League Incarnate. I know the previews spoiled it but I was still surprised to see the return of the Doomsday Clock Universe. I am excited to see how it's all connected. Could we be building to Earth-Johns or Johns Multiverse? I think I'd be more interested in that than nearly all the shit DC is currently putting out.

This was great, just like the main series. Excited to read the minis that spin out of it. I know Geoff is coming back to DC do a Flashpoint sequel but I wish he’d just focus on his creator-owned stuff.

Another great debut issue for Dawn of DC. Glad to see Hal back on Earth for the first time in a longtime. Adams nails his characterization and Xermanico’s art is gorgeous. Excited to see where this goes. I don’t know how they’re doing commercially, but Superman, Shazam, GA and GL have all been very enjoyable. I am not so excited by Dawn of DC that I will check out every new title like I did with Rebirth, but so far what I’ve read has been good. Compare to Marvel, where I’ve dropped almost everything but the Spidey and X-Titles, which I’m only reading out of habit. They suck.

Everything about this book is exceptional. Even the damn colors. Hard to believe this same writer, this same week also put out the Batman/Catwoman Special…

Great issue. First couple issues, I enjoyed the ride even though I thought the plot didn’t make a whole lot of sense. This issue manages to tie it all together.

Another quality Waid/Mora book. Forgive the pun but they are lightning. And is the Atlas that appears Kirby’s Atlas??? Awesome!

Miles Morales is Miles Morales. Peter Parker is Spider-Man. Bailey Briggs is Impulse.

One of the few good titles from DC heads to the finish line. After the next issue, I hope we don’t have to wait too long to see Todd Nauck again.

9 is a high rating to give to a final issue of a mini that doesn’t fully resolve the plot but I enjoyed it. Johns has his own corner of the DCU to play in and I am vested. I’ll probably check out all the spinoffs that were announced. Nauck was fantastic, as always. One of the best artists for fitting multiple characters on a page.

This comic continues to be written perfectly in tune with the films and gorgeously illustrated. There’s something really special about Wilfredo Torres’ art in this series. I caught myself dreaming how great it would be if he would accompany Alan Moore on a third year of Supreme. Can’t believe we only have one issue left! :(

I’m starting to think this is the best book DC has going. Topping even World’s Finest. The story is fun. The art is great. The characters act like they should. Even the humor/charm is jussssssssst right. Not the winking and nodding ad nauseam like a Marvel movie. Was the resolution a bit simplistic? Yes. But with that, we got a cool alt suit for Superman and he gave Lex a signal watch. Marvel, when you wake up and realize you need to course-correct your line, this book should be a great lesson of how to do it right.

Millar is firing on all-cylinders. Another good, new title! Yeah, some of it retreads old tropes like governments using superheroes as a screen for bio experiments but like most of Millar’s work, there’s a twist.

Gordon #9 was really good. Still contend this is Gordon’s series, not Joker’s. Tynion pulled an Alan Moore by tying this goofy villain comic to big gov’s misdeeds. Not specifically the US, big gov in general. Love it. Ignore Fear State cuz is this quietly Tynion’s real swansong.

Not gonna win any converts. If you like it, you like it. If you hate it, you hate it. Almost close to the end.

I’ve been very critical of the current direction of DC as a whole but enjoyed this issue a whole hell of a lot. Really loving that at this point in time, most creators are about the same age as me and the influence of B:TAS and Batman’89 come bleeding through. Also appreciated that it wasn’t a tour de force of social justice. They acknowledged the recent developments with Tim without making them a driving force of the story.

Aww, hell. Gives me hope that comics can still be good. Love the most negative critic review that actually makes the case why this comic is so good: “Well, kids, sometimes a good superhero story can be a good superhero story despite the comic not force-feeding you woke ideology.” Let’s not kid ourselves about Waid. He is who he is, he thinks what he thinks, but when he can get out of his own damn way, he is a great writer. Kingdom Come, Flash, his first Cap run and Birthright were all great. So was Irredeemable. So was this. And how about Dan Mora? Finally they gave him an assignment that isn’t shit. Hope one day they can do the same for Ivan Reis. I regret reading this first this week. The rest of this week’s books have a lot to live up to…

Mike W. Barr’s Detective run was “dated” in its time hut ended up becoming a cult classic. Even Morrison cited it as a huge inspiration. This is that… now. Waid is an amazing writer. He is as woke as woke can get but he doesn’t let that get in the way of telling a timeless Batman/Superman epic. Keep it up. Don’t give Dan Mora any fill-ins. Delay it if you need to! Mora is also awesome.

Another installment of a great series. Silver age plot with Modern age sensibilities.

This book is the Top Gun: Maverick of comics. Proof that if you just focus on the strengths of the medium instead beating your audience over the head with your own beliefs, you can produce something that satisfies PAID fandom (emphasis on PAID, as in the people who actually care enough about comics to still buy them instead of cheering for them on Twitter but never showing up at the comic shop). This book is at times so stupid yet so great, I can’t stop praising it. I don’t understand the hate for the upcoming Lazarus Island. Do I love Waid as a person? Not especially. Do I agree with his personal beliefs? Hardly ever. None of that matters because he writes an entertaining comic and I enjoy it. Here’s my money. The end.

Wonderfully written and illustrated. Hope the return of Alfred is not a bait and switch. I loved everything about this comic! Dripping in nostalgia but moving things forward. Only DC book I bought this week and only one I needed. Dear DC, put Waid and Johns in charge of the linewide direction but give them a few books to write. Keep Joshua Williamson, Jeremy Adams, Chip Z’Darsky and Ram V. Also keep PKJ and Toms King and Taylor but keep them on a short, short leash. Take the rest of the trash to the curb.

Awesome comic! Felt so much like an episode and of the show, I was hearing BTAS background music in my head as I was reading it. And how about Jordan Gibson?? I was bummed when I read about Ty Templeton’s health and that he couldn’t finish the book. Best wishes to him. But kudos to Jordan Gibson! Bruce Timm once said Mike Parobeck drew a better BTAS Batman than he did. Jordan Gibson is pretty damn close. Guy perfectly emulates the style of the New Adventures era.

LOLLLLLL A referendum on everything Bendis and Taylor have done to Jon Kent. Also proof how great a Modern Age story with Silver Age sensibilities can be. Also, also proof that Tom King can still tell an entertaining story. Guy really is all sugar or all shit.

This issue was perfect. It tied into Dark Crisis (lots of great guest appearances) and still moved the main Flash storyline forward (Linda’s powers). Writing and art were both excellent.

Phenomenal. It’s gold irony that this comes out the same week as ASM. Marvel: Let’s take one of our most hated stories of all time, OMD, and try to make it even worse/more polarizing. DC: Let’s take one of our most hated stories of all time, Heroes in Crisis, and apologize for it and try to make good. I hope Tom King punched himself in his nuts and micro-penis as he read this issue. If I have one complaint, it’s this: best Roger Cruz looks like Joe MAD. Rushed Roger Cruz looks like Scott McDaniel. No offense, Scott McDaniel.

About as great an anniversary issue as you could ask for. Instead of having stories by random, untalented creators with no association to the character, they pulled out the big guns for this one. A great sendoff for Jeremy Adams. Also, I enjoyed Spurrier’s story more than I expected. I’m cautiously optimistic it will be decent. He can be a decent writer. I haven’t liked much of his recent stuff because the X-Office in general is shit right now.

This book is fantastic. Zany subplot of a Cobra civil war with Serpentor and zombies gearing up to take on Cobra Commander in Springfield. All while the Joes bury one of their own in a moody, almost wordless sequence. There’s a lot of attention on the Energon Universe books and deservedly so. I’m excited to see how the Joes fit into that new world. That said, don’t sleep on this classic Joes book. Hama is as good as ever and Chris Mooneyham is about the freshest coat of paint this series could ask for. The art is phenomenal!!!

Great ending to a great series. Farewell, Superman ‘78. Farewell, Superman in general…

This book was at the top of my weekly read pile, and upon reading it… completely justified. I generally like Williamson but admit he got in over his head with Dark Crisis. His first Superman issue was fantastic and so is this one! Interesting storyline? Check. Jamal Campbell doing great art? Check. Silver Age throwbacks like Lois and Jimmy undergoing bizarre transformations? Check. I take this book and Josh’s “DC mea culpa” in the CBR interview as a sign that maybe… just maybe… there’s a chance things can get better.

I love this book. In some ways, it reminds me of All-Star Superman and the modern age segments of Supreme (particularly the Chris Sprouse illustrated stories). It takes the most fantastical elements of Silver Age Superman and somehow makes them not-goofy. Also, the retcon of Luthor as a Pre-Supes Science Hero was great. I used to think Johns was the master of the retcon but Williamson is not only taking what’s old and making it feel new again… he’s making it feel batshit. And I dig it. Superman is the flagship Dawn of DC book, hands-down.

Fantastic! Too often, you hear “X is the next Alan Moore.” Big shoes to fill and it’s always a creator that is honing in on one part of Moore’s career: neurotic superheroes, 3x3 panel grids, etc. What they all fail to see is a creator who tried to fully utilize the medium. Am I saying DWJ is “the next Alan Moore”? No. But his comics jive. The frenetic action, the colors, the lettering… it’s all perfect. This is a comic that could only exist as a comic. I don’t care how woke it is or isn’t, this a book that understands its format and plays to all its strengths. … And fuck you for introducing Reflector and blowing him up a few pages later. Deep cut followed by a cut that’s deep! If they ever introduce the Trainbots, I hope they live a little longer.