An all-around fantastic and emotionally-inspiring issue. Books like this remind me of how much I am going to miss Brubaker on this title. Au revoir Brubakoir!

Wow. After putting this issue down, that's the only thought running through my mind. "WOW." I don't think DeConnick could have set a better tone for this series than she did in this issue. Carol Danvers is portrayed here as a deep character, unrelenting in her lust to achieve more, be a greater hero. This comic is filled with so much compassion and drive. Danvers' thoughts throughout the issue are so telling of her inner person; of how mentally strong and determined she is. I am fumbling with how to put it into words, the feeling this comic book left me with. Her complete tale is summarily summed up here: her origin, her recent history as leader of the Avengers, her adoption of her new surname. And it's all bundled up into a nice, perfect setup story. Bravo.

I'm not gonna lie - I got a little emotional reading this issue. Weighing in the events of the series and how inevitably bleak they seemed, Johnny Storm's "4" enscrolled in the sky imbues the FF4 with a newfound hope. This reemphasizes Hickman's theme (from most of the series, also in FF#11) that the Fantastic Four are lost without each other, and that only together can they overcome great adversity. Steve Epting issues out some fantastic art...again! Writing is top-notch....and we are seeing the culmination here of years of work from Hickman's run. The way the plot points tie together is mind-boggling, especially in how the Annihilation Wave ends up being used. Can't recommend enough.

Wow. I'm floored. This was so good....perfect ending to one of the greatest comic book runs EVER. I bet Kurt Busiek is eating his shorts right now.

What a fantastic issue this was; a 9.8 in my book (I overgraded simply b/c a 9.5 would NOT do it justice. This was the best issue of the series to date, which is no small feat considering how wonderful this book has been so far. Issue 0 highlights Andrew Bennett's history with Mary, and how he became to be a vampire. Everything, from Sorrentino's art to Fialkov's writing, was perfect. Haunting imagery, frightening settings, and beautiful writing make this issue the best zero issue DC put out - I've read them all so I can say that :) I'll also add that the final full page panel of the issue featuring Shakespeare's Sonnet #116 is bar none the single best panel of all the New 52. Period. Yes, I just said that. Read this series first, then pick this one up. It's prodigious.

Another fantastic issue. Dammit, I am sure going to miss Andrea Sorrentino' art on this title. He's leaving for Green Arrow after issue #15, I believe.

What a fantastic issue. Morrison delivers action, ingenuity, sci-fi adventure, and heartbreak and rolls it all into one package. Rags Morales does art for the entire issue and it shows. An all-around wonderful addition to Action Comics. This is how Superman is meant to be read. I really am going to miss Morrison's departure from super hero comics.

Wow. This is why I read comics. This issue has it all, romance, drama, fantasy, tragedy. I can't stress enough how fantastic a job Morrison has done with this book; which makes me all the more sad that he's leaving it.

This is a back-review (series is now on #32), but I simply had to express my thoughts on what is easily one of the greatest single comic books of the last decade, hence the 10 I have given it. I do NOT give those out lightly. Warren Ellis begins his historic, yet-only-6-issues long run of Secret Avengers here, and in my opinion, this is the best of the lot (although all are fantastic, and would grade 9.0 and up). In this issue: The team explores a hidden Shadow Council city beneath Cincinatti, and the underground city is massive! The scope of the story is immense and imagination-inspiring...the team is smart and well-put together...Moon Knight is cool again! Words can't summarize this issue's greatness...I HIGHLY recommend a pickup.

I simply cannot get enough of this book, and I'm ever so sad that Remender is leaving it with Marvel Now! Remender is a master at what he does, and what he does is write fantastic comic books! This issue wraps up the current story arc with another mind-numbing Hail Mary Flash Thompson play for the win. Perfect story-telling, wonderful cast, excellent character development, and beautiful art (from Scalera) solidify another stellar chapter in Secret Avengers. Not to mention, we finally explore a romance that's been building for awhile now between Valkyrie and Flash, and oh wow...it is great. Cannot recommend this book enough!

As usual, the writing here is top notch, as we would expect from Remender. Art-wise? *shudder*...it's pretty bad. Enough to knock it down a full point from a 9.0 in my book. I will say that I I LOVE the Valkyrie/Flash Thompson scenes.....ahhhh so good! Their romance is so perfect..especially with Remender coming off the Venom run having closed up the Flash/Betty thing. The plot with the Black Ant is incredible. He's a great villain. Scalera is solicited to finish up art on the series.....let's hope that happens cuz holy crap art was bad in this issue. I am so sad that Remender is leaving this title. Not as sad as his leaving Venom (that was one of the worst comic-related blows in recent memory), but still RRREAALLy sad.

I wouldn't read this issue if you haven't already been reading the series as it will confuse the hell out of you. But if you have been reading this (and I SERIOUSLY hope you have or will), issue zero sheds some light on the Dial H origin, dating back to a mesopotamian-like culture. It's really good.

Had to read it twice because the first go-over went right over my head. Second reading instilled me with a much thicker understanding of where this book was going...and ever is it going! The writing is weird - it's inventive, creative, off the wall and out of left field - but it's amazing in its intensity and magic. Think Grant Morrison meets Rick Remender. That's the only explanation I can give.

To reiterate: this book is Grant Morrison meets Rick Remender. China Mieville is incredibly creative with his writing. This guy was born to make comics, and this book, along with I, Vampire, is my sleeper hit of the New 52. And the character Manteau? Wow. I haven't been so fond of a literary character since I don't even know when. READ THIS SERIES.

Every issue of Dial H has been better than the one before it. The character Manteau (see left on the cover) is fascinating. China Mieville is doing a beautiful job of building up her identity, a fact of which Mieville teased us with in this issue. This series is incredible. It's fresh. It's creatively stimulating in its writing (especially dialogue, which is TOUGH to do) and its art. All around fantastic.

With ASM700 quickly approaching, I've found myself ensconced in thoughts of Spider-Man lately. #696 is a good addition to the current countdown of Spidey issues to 700...and it's a solid all-around issue. I LOVE Camuncoli's art...it's better than it ever has been. I'm anxious to have Slott back as the sole writer as I've noticed a few minor disparities in the writing from Gage here as compared to what I've come to expect from Slott. My only beef with this issue is that I didn't get as much Hobgoblin vs. Hobgoblin action as I wanted. So far they are locked pretty evenly in battle, and let's be honest here: I'm pretty sure that everyone and their Grandma is wanting Kingsley to mop the floor with puny Phil Urich.

Decades from now, fans will be looking back at this issue and say, "This is where $H#*^ hit the fan." Slott's run has been nothing less than phenomenal, and the new direction he is taking this book is unprecedented, despite many-a-comic-fan's outbursts (many comic fans are always going to be whiners). Change is good! Slott's buildup to the final reveal of the last few pages was brilliant, and I've reread it twice to appreciate it. It's so massive that fans are scrambling back to Ends of the Earth to pick up Slott's tablescrap hints of the bombdrop in this issue. The art is a throwback to the late 90's Spider-Man style, and that fit in so well with this story. I can't say enough about Slott's run. If you haven't read it, get ASM#648 and catch up. Now.

Do you remember what happened in ASM#563? Probly not. But how many people are going to remember what happened in ASM#698? Everybody. Spidey is my primo character. And although a lot of people hate what Dan Slott is doing, what with taking Peter out of the webs, I love it. I've been reading Spidey comics for 20 years now, and I've come to realize that the best stories are the ones that take Spider-Man out of his comfort zone; change up the status quo, so to speak. So, suffice to say, I love it. These are the issues that will be remembered as the turning point in whatever plan Slott has in store for the role of Spidey. Not to mention, they are pretty darn good issues. Slott unravels the "how" of Ock and Peter's mind-switch. It's amazing. So's Ramos' art!

There is so much going on in this issue that it's making my head spin in a good way, if such a thing were possible. Morrison has so many tie-ins to different parts of his run on Batman, including Merlyn, Wingman, and more. Reading this issue only makes me want to go back and reread the whole run from the start. I can't wait for the annotations to come out on this issue (or any Morrison Batman issue for that matter). They always point out things that went right over my head, despite careful reading. All around fantastic issue with great art and wonderful storytelling.

An absolutely fantastic end to wrap up a long saga. Brubaker takes the end of this Winter Soldier story as a lead-in to the title "Winter Soldier." Brubaker's writing is, naturally, top notch, but what I feel needs to be praised most about this last story arc (except the first issue, which was Deodato's), is Butch Guice's art. I've followed this guy for a long time, and he only gets better with time. His art is the pinnacled epitome of what I look for in a Cold War-esque Winter Soldier/Cap story. Absolutely beautiful. Can't say enough! And the rain or snow scenes? Don't even get me started... No one draws noir art better than Guide. NO ONE.

Wow. I'm just floored. This is another outstanding addition to the Baz GL saga. Great art, funny yet excellent writing, solid story-telling. This is an amazing issue and overall series.

Not sure why so many people are hating on this series. Al Ewing succeeds with every single book he writes.

continues to be amazing.

Al Ewing continues to dominate.

I saw the solicited multiple artists and cringed....however the fill-in artists were used in the best way possible: to do art for parts of the story that happen out of the main story. it all worked out superbly in a phenomenal finish by Al Ewing. If you aren't reading Al Ewing, you need to. his entire marvel run thus far has been one amazing ride, from Mighty Avengers to Captain America and the avengers, and now with New Avengers and The Ultimates. Every single title has been outstanding.

This review sums up the first five issues, which I just read back to back. They were all so good that I couldn't put them down!! Bottom line: get this series. It is probably the MOST underrated book on the shelves currently. The art by Colton Worley is phenomenal. David Liss does a brilliant job at crafting a deep, sarcastic, yet caustic main character. The series has action, sexual tension, great characterization and a very interesting plot. GET THIS BOOK.

Fantastic! Great art and wonderful story-telling. Remender writes a perfect Wolverine. This is largely a setup issue, but all the signs are there that indicate that huge things are on the way.

All-around fantastic. We are seeing the beginnings of Remender's 2nd comic book opus. The Red Skull's origin and grand plan is revealed here, and it's truly diabolical. I freaking love Rick Remender! I'm a little confused as to how other people are not uber-excited about this title yet. I think most people just don't fully comprehend it yet. Don't worry, they'll catch on. Mark my words: Uncanny Avengers will be a historical comic book run that will be looked upon with as much respect as Uncanny X-Force.

This is a fantastic issue: much better than the first two story arcs. The Fear Itself Tie-in's for Bendis' Avengers have been phenomenal. I find myself stumped as to how people can find anything negative to say about these last few issues. One review made a negative comment about Chris Bachalo's art..... okay.... talk about a fast way to lose credibility with, well, pretty much every intelligent comic reader on the planet. I don't give out 10's, so this 9 is more like a 9.3

Though this Avengers series has had its ups and downs, this one was definitely an up. We get a Noh-Varr centric story here, and it's a well-written one complemented by brilliant visuals from Walt Simonson. It's a solid standalone tie-in to AVX that doesn't fall by the wayside; this is how event tie-ins need to be handled! There are several heartfelt moments in this issue, and they are ushered in with some solid action. Great.

This was a fantastic issue, and- SPOILERS--- the part where Namor has "sex with a tapeworm" (offpanel, mind you) had me in tears I was laughing so hard. but even better than that was that Gillen DIDN'T have Namor hook up with Hope....despite the obvious sexual tension building up between them in the series thus far. I doubted he would take that route, but the tension had me worried as it would be an easy route for Gillen to take to generate hype/do something wild. The resolution of the Namor/Hope interaction was more than perfect, if such a thing is possible! I find myself confused and perplexed by the perpetual low grades that a lot of Gillen's Uncanny issues have received from review sites. I'm guessing that a lot of the story is just going right over people's heads due to complexity. Gillen writes stories that require thought. These are not issues that you can breeze through like Bendis' Ultimate Spider-Man (which I also like).

This is a fantastic issue and a great behind the scenes look at what Sinister is as an enemy. There are no X-Men in this issue, and it serves to illustrate, with a story about insurrection among Sinister's clones (or whatever), just how great an enemy that he is to the X-Men. Fantastic all-around job by Gillen and Weaver. Gillen is doing a great job with this series!

I don't believe in giving out 10's, but this was was pretty high up there. This was a fantastic issue. Easily one of the best titles going on right now.

While Cloonan is only back for one issue, it's enough to make me drool in my seat. Brian Wood is absolutely killing it with this series. So far, the series is made up of 3-issue story arcs, and while both were fantastic, the second one left me completely floored. Issue #7 picks up where that left off with a new story arc and a new villain in Conan's homeland of Cimmeria. Belit and Conan are a fantastic pair of lovers; a sword and steel version of Bonnie and Clyde. However, Wood increasingly makes the reader feel like they are a doomed pair from the start. At every turn, Conan is warned away from Belit, by friends and portents alike. I'll say it here: this is one of the top 5 comic series in production at the moment. It's weird and it's different, but the writing is top-notch and engrossing. Every issue has left me wanting more. THIS IS A MUST BUY.

The past two issues of Conan the Barbarian have been a slight downturn in the series. This is partly due to Lolos art (action scenes were good, but facial expressions were....a bit off), but also due to Wood's writing as well. While this 3 issue arc did explore a bit of Conan's history, it lacked the suave adventuresque wonderfulness of the first 6 issues; that feeling of something new, fresh, and wildly enjoyable. And let's be honest: the lack of action and wild violence left something to be had with this arc, whereas the previous two gave readers their fill of gore and bloodshed. While the arc was in no way bad, Wood was definitely not at his best, a fact that could have easily been glossed over had Cloonan or a better artist performed the artwork. However, with artist Declan Shalvey coming fully slated for the next 3 issues, I fully expect the series to get a 'bump' back to the quality at which it started.

The only thought crossing my mind after I finished this: perfection. This is a perfect comic book. It has all the elements of what make comics great, and it serves to remind me as to why I love this hobby so much. Bravo Fraction and Aja! Only my 2nd 10.0 I've given out (along with Secret Avengers 16).

After the sheer brilliance of issue #3, which I felt to be the best comic book of the past year, there was only one direction to go. Fortunately, the drop isn't that steep. The good news is that Hawkeye is still a very fun read. On art: Pulido's pencils are no substitute for Aja on art, but they are still great. Writing: I'm loving Katie more and more as a character. There is a plot twist at the end of the issue involving her character which was very well done. Fraction is still writing a spot-on story, and Hawkeye continues to be one of the best series on the stands. To make an analogy: this issue feels like the Star Wars prequels. Fantastic in it's right, but no comparison to the previous chapters.

Hawkeye is still a very solid read. Fraction delivers another great story, further evolving our two main Hawkeye heroes. Pulido is great on art too, but I want Aja back. That guy is a freak.

"Bendis is back!" That's what kept going through my mind after reading the first two issues of New X-Men. While his later Avengers work was good, it paled in comparison to his earlier work on the title, and I was beginning to worry that he was slipping. That has all been proven wrong. All-New X-Men is fantastic. It's a must-buy.

Holy crap! are you kidding me?! What was I NOT expecting, going into this issue? I was not expecting Squirrel-Girl to open up a serious can of whip ass. She opened up 8 cans on Sin's army (and Wolverine). Bravo to Bendis for establishing this character this way, I love it. Deodato is fantastic on art as well. This is, and has been, beyond ANY doubt, the better of Bendis' current two Avengers series. It's not deep or metaphysical at all; it's actually been something of a shallow series based solely on excitement, tension building, conversations, and shock moments. But you know what? It's fun, and it's nearly impossible for me to just read one issue without moving on to the next! Hard to fault Bendis for that.

While I've always liked Bendis' 2010 New Avengers better than the concurrent Avengers title, this issue begins the arc that is the highlight of the entire series thus far, and is one of the best, if not THE best, AVX tie-in. New Avengers 25-27 all feature a flashback in time involving the arrival of a Phoenix Force, K'un L'un, and Leonardo da Vinci. Bendis shies away from his usual dialogue style and opts for traditional writing (aka there's no "I have a thing-thing" dialogue, which has grown stale IMO), and it's incredible. It reminds me of his DD writing. I won't ruin too much of the issue, but just know that it's wonderful, and Mike Deodato's pencils are legendary. I don't know how he is able to draw such detail month to month. Read this arc. It's amazing.

Bendis' final issue is a decent wrapup to a long career on Avengers. I wasn't that stoked about the villain, but at least we are given a sense of finality to the major characters he brought together during his very long run. There were some cool moment interspersed throughout.

SO good. I sensed some worries over the first issue from several review sites over the structuring of the three timelines in the storytelling, but I was confident that Aaron had the moxy and wherewithal to pull it off. And the second issue proved that. If this issue is any indication, Aaron's run on Thor is going to be a title for the ages. And Ribic's artwork couldn't be more perfect and fitting for the tone and demeanor of this book. It's a must-buy.

The last few issues haven't been at "Remender Status" for me. Which means that they are really good issues, but not dynamite. I think that, when read in graphic novel format, it would go unnoticed....but I just keep expecting the hammer to drop in this closing arc, bombing us with some massive revelation to close up the series, leaving comic fans reeling across the world. It hasn't happened yet. It's going to; we all know this. But having to wait weeks on end for for each segment is slowing the series down a little for me. I also miss Fantomex.

This is definitely my favorite issue of Final Execution thus far, and by the looks of things at the end of the issue, "it is about to go down." Remender delivers beautiful writing, and I have to point out what I feel to be one of the most important conversations of the entirety of Remender's run that takes place in this issue. It involves Wolverine and Daken. It's tragic and wonderful. I really like Noto on art. He's perfect for the close-up drama conversations and emotion-conveyance. There were one or two weak panels involving action but that's being nit-picky on my part. The last two issues were a bit lower in excitement than I've been used to with UNX, so I was glad to see #33 reverse the tables.

Wonderful all-around. If you haven't been reading this series, READ IT. Brubaker's final farewell is rapidly approaching.

This is one of the best books on the shelf currently, and though this issue is more of a calm after the storm of the last few, it's entertaining and great nonetheless. The last few scenes featuring WW looking for Siracca were fantastic and touching.

This was a really good issue. The confrontation in the jail cell between Wolverine and Cyclops. "$#^*^%# You Scott....#*$^# You....." ***throws the beer can at him**** man that was so spot on. Gillen's the first writer in a long time that's gotten me to like Cyclops again, so I'm glad to see that he's the one who finds a way to have someone finally "tell off" Cyclops (I'm not going to get into the whole 'Cyclops was right' thing - that's an endless debate). Loving Gillen.

This was a great issue. Definitely the best of the mini - and while a lot of ppl didn't like the art, I thought it was good for what this story. There are some pretty awesome moments in this one, including the prison warden's 'punishment'. I won't spoil too much here. Just check it out. DEAR MARVEL, Can Kieron Gillen write more Marvel event stories?

I'm intrigued. Stunning art by Zircher, great writing by Jordan. This book doesn't miss a beat. A lot happens in this issue. Jordan does a great job of setting up a character with a backstory involving his mysterious, (supposedly) dead parents, which gives an emotional element to the story and a motivation that I can get onboard with. We are also introduced to a pretty badass villain and shown some pretty gory violence along the way. All around awesome issue. If Jordan and Zircher can continually keep the book at this quality then we are in for a real treat. On an off-note, I'll repeat this again: Valiant is not making ANY bad books right now. They are all fantastic. I highly suggest trying some out.

I really like what Justin Jordan is doing with this series so far, and Zircher's art is fantastic, as usual. It's not a deep or epic comic, but it is very fun and entertaining. I found a lot of memorable dialogue as well. Valiant has a great lineup so far in their relaunch; I'd definitely recommend a pickup.

With Reis gone to Justice League, Pete Woods and Pere Perez fill in pencils this issue, and I was pleased with their artwork. But there is a definite change in the feel of the book with Reis and Prado out of the picture; different, but still good. Of course, Geoff Johns continues to do wonderful work here, and the whole book is based on a conversation that Aquaman has with his brother, whose face is mysteriously hidden in shadow throughout the issue. We are presented with a big mystery in this issue that will be sure to carry into the next story arc. To sum up: Johns is writing what is probably the greatest Aquaman story ever written. Never has it been this good and intriguing. I would recommend that even non-Aquaman fans check it out.

Good stuff here. Great art from Conner. It's too soon to tell, but I suspect this will be a great mini.

A surprisingly good read for a one-shot. The story shows an in-depth look at a Batroc/Cap encounter, but this time from Batroc's point of view. It initiates some interesting thoughts about so many superhero vs. supervillain battles. How many times have we read a comic where a hero fights against a villain and his squad of goons? Who are these goons? Where did they come from? Why are they teamed with this villain? This story answers those questions by presenting backstory on how Batroc comes to be hired to intercept Captain America as a distraction for a robbery, and it's really interesting to see how supervillains get teamed up with or hired by henchmen. I would definitely read it again.

I anticipated the hell out of this book. Having read it, I'm less than thrilled, although it is still a fairly solid issue. The art by Tony Moore is wonderful, and the plot of DP fighting dead presidents is an intriguing one. However, I found the dialogue to be trying. I think the biggest problem with it is the shear number of times that DP tries to make jokes. It just came off as though the writers were trying too hard to make it funny. I could see this series going either way. I really hope it picks up, and it could be one series that reads better as a graphic novel.

I take back everything I said about this series. I wasn't convinced by the first issue, but after three fantastic issues of all-consuming hilarity and hijinks, I'm sold! Deadpool is incredible. It's been a good while since I've laughed so hard in a comic book. There are so many jokes and comedic references that some of them will pass right over your head. From the Kool-Aid man reference from DP or the random fact-giving of Gerald Ford, this issue does not let up. It's not deep or intense, so don't go in expecting epic story-telling. It's just amazingly funny and off-the-wall. I can't believe I'm saying this, but based on the three previous issues, Deadpool is one of the best titles on the shelves. I hope they can keep it at this level. READ THIS BOOK.

While I haven't been a big Cullen Bunn fan lately (Captain America, Venom), I did really enjoy this issue very much. Solid writing, violence, and good storytelling with excellent art by Pelletier sold me. I'll definitely be getting the next issue.

Brian Wood is off this title, and that is a sad thing. However, Seth Peck does a great job of beginning a new arc and taking it in a different direction with artist Paul Azeceta. It's witty, gritty, and full of action, and that's a nice change of pace. Domino teams up with Daredevil in this issue, and her sarcastic inner monologue drives the issue along through humorous situations and group fights. The plot is pretty straight-forward and the comic reads well. It's a solid beginning, and my only gripe is that I'm left wondering where Peck is taking this book. But if all issues are this entertaining, Seth Peck's got my vote.

Beautiful art and solid dialogue lend this series a solid start.

If I had to use one word to describe this series? "Charming." It's very well written, the art is so beautiful, although I would recommend reading this digitally considering that the pages used in original print are very...grainy/bumpy. It muddles the clarity of the pages. Hopefully the GN format will use better paper.

A pretty solid issue from Chris Bachalo. Story was witty at times, bland at others. The art is a definite booster.

Writing was outstanding. Art? I can't in good conscience give any comic with unsolicited split art chores a very high grade. I love the art of Becky Cloonan and Andy Clarke. But the transition between their switch was so caustic that it marred the story for me. Shame on you, DC. It annoys me that so many fans complained about DC's shipping schedule before the New 52. The result? We have a ton of comics with split art chores, and the result is terrible. DC should know better than to listen to whiny comic fans. And to make matters even worse, DC tried to hide this fact by conveniently omitting Clarke's name on the cover credits. Bad form, DC. Bad form. This comic had 9.5 potential.

Wonderful art by Greg Land: the guy is a prodigy. I've been a fan ever since Uncanny #500. Gillen does a nice job of setting up the story he will be delving into in this issue. No real complaints. I think the series definitely has room to pick up speed, and I'm sure it will, if past Gillen comic books are any indicator.

A good overall issue, but certainly not the best of the series so far. Unfortunately, coming into this issue, I've got this bad association with Tony Daniel's art due to the overall awfulness that was Detective Comics. I'm already starting to get over that, however. I do like that this story takes a focus on Wonder Woman, a character who hasn't been explored much outside of Azzarello's book. Cheetah isn't the best adversary I could dream up for the Amazon, and I find myself a little awed that she would have the capability to get the jump on the JL the way she did in this issue. But it's only been one issue, and so far, it was a good installment. I'm missing Jim Lee.

All around, a pretty solid issue. This happens to be the first issue of the series that I've read, and so far I'm liking it enough to read from #1 and through the rest. This was a good origin story for Supergirl, and a might touching to the heart. I felt like Zor-El really did care about his daughter enough to send her away while Krypton died. While we were given a small subplot involving Kara's mom, this issue was mostly action-lacking, which was okay with me. It seemed a necessary issue to establish where Kara comes from and what her story is. I enjoyed the art by Asrar, although I did find myself wishing that there was a bit more detail. He does a good job with facial expressions. To summarize: it's a good issue.

I feel that this series has always just been consistently "good," with a few great moments interspersed, and this issue continues that trend.

GOOD - Firstly, Jason Fabok & Scott Clarke's (backup) art was fantastic. Fabok's facial expressions were a little stiff at times but that's me being nit-picky. Poison Ivy looks hot. The cover is fantastic. GOOD - The plot has potential, storytelling was pretty solid. BAD - I thought the dialogue was a off at times, and it threw Batman a little out of character. I thought Bruce was slightly demeaning to Damien twice - treating him like a 9 year old, which is essentially the opposite of how he's been portrayed...pretty much ever. BAD - Did anyone notice the lettering? The italicized words were at times superfluous, and it threw off the dialogue at several points. Also, the choice of words that were italicized seemed inconsistent as to how Layman intended for them to be read. do you know WHAT I mean?

I have to say I'm less than pleased with this one, and it could be my fault. Coming into this, I had the impression that this was going to be a whacky, off-the-walls, obnoxiously funny book. It wasn't. The art is solid, but I've found several of the characters to be written a little out of character coming over from Hickman's run, which is also expected, seeing as how we have a new writer. I'm gonna stick around with this one, but I definitely liked Fraction's Fantastic Four #1 better than this issue.

It's still hard to tell if this is going to be a good series or not. The book has solid dialogue and a few funny moments, and character interaction is definitely the strong suit. The weakness of Team 7 is that we really don't know where the hell this book is going. First of all, character introductions should have happened last issue (#0), not in this issue. After reading this issue, I can say that A) I'm not done with this series yet, and B) it definitely has the potential to be awesome. I wouldn't give up on this one yet ppl. Luthor Strode was too amazing for me to think that this isn't going somewhere.

Daniel Way is one of the most divisive writers in the industry. Most either hate him or love him. I'm a victim of Daniel Way, and by that I mean that despite the fact that I know what I'm reading is completely ridiculous and off the wall, I actually enjoy it. I'll be the first to say that this is a bad comic. But there's just something so addicting about it that makes me want to read more. His Deadpool series was the exact same way. In this issue, we see every member of the team having a "calm" recruiting conversation with Ross while casually killing people with extreme prejudice and violence. That would never happen. Ever. It's ludicrous. Why do I like this then? I don't know. But I want to know what happens next. I'm a victim.

I'm leaning towards IGN's take on this one moreso than ....well...pretty much every other review. While it doesn't fall anywhere near the realm of "bad," I still have yet to find myself captivated or even excited about this series. And honestly, while I do very much like Guillem March's art, it seems a weird fit for the setting and tone of this book. I thought it fit VERY well with Catwoman (that being the only good thing about that series), seeing as how it had a much darker tone to it. We've only had two issues so it's early to tell, but I'll definitely keep reading to see where it's going.

So Guillem March is missing from art after TWO - repeat TWO - issues. WHAT?! In all honesty, I like Ryp's work better than March's (and it's great in this issue), but the mere fact that we have an artist switch after two issues is absurd. That fact dropped my score by a whole point. In terms of writing/story: I just seem to be having trouble getting onboard with the overarching story with Talon. The whole plot of "getting back" at the Court of Owls just feels played. Batman took care of them, and the few left just need to go away. Talon would be much better facing new enemies and experiences instead of having a series completely based on fighting remnants of the last central Batman story arc. The characters are bleh. I'm on the verge of dropping this title.

Everyone is praising this book left and right, but I can't seem to get onboard with it. It's very graphic, which is all fine and good if done well, but the violence of this book feels less cerebral and more forced as though to exude shock-value. A lot of people like Rossmo's art, and I can respect that, but it's just not really my cup of tea. This will probably be my last issue.

What started out as a very interesting and surprisingly wonderful issue by Lobdell and Ferry quickly dissipates into an amalgam of art due to the old "mid-artist-switcheroo" and a disappointing Jason Todd origin retcon. This brings the issue down so far for me, which is a shame because Lobdell did some wonderful writing in the first part of the story by retelling us a heartfelt but edgy reiteration of Jason Todd's past. The artist-switch is a caustic one (there are 3 total artists in this one issue). Also, I wasn't so fond of the second story arc in which it is revealed that the Joker somehow set up Jason Todd becoming Robin..... even the detailed recaps of how this happened just didn't really seem to fit well with me. It felt rushed and not thought out.

I don't know what it is about this series, but I just can't seem to get excited about it. I love Brian Wood, and his short X-Men run was outstanding. But this title is just consistently okay. It's never been bad, it's never been great. The actual dialogue is solid and realistic, but the story/plot/central characters just fall very flat in my book. This title has been plagued since the get-go. So far, two normally great writers have done very little to make the title great. And this is coming from a pretty big fan of the Ultimate universe. I do think that Medina's art is a drawback to this title. The more cartoony style fits very well with comedic titles, like Deadpool and possibly Spider-Man, but it doesn't vibe well with the serious tone of Brian Wood's story here.

I'm having a really hard time caring about these characters. This is probably my last issue that I'll pick up of this series.

pretty bad. Of course, Amy Reeder's art was beautiful.

Ugh.... talk about a massive dichotomy between art and writing....While Kenneth Rocafort, of who I am a long time fan, is absolutely KILLING IT on art, Lobdell fails yet again. Honestly, his plotting is pretty good. The situations CK/Supes finds himself in are interesting (like quitting his job, fighting giant Godzilla-esque snake creatures), but the dialogue and actual scripting is just. so. bad. It's so bad that I can't even bring myself to finish entire segments of writing. To make writing matters worse, there's a LOT of writing. It's verbose. It's wordy. I am a huge GenX Scott Lobdell fan, so it pains me to say this, but the guy could use some serious help in the scripting department. Art is the only saving grace here.

Coming from a HUGE Rick Remender Venom (and Spidey fan), Cullen Bunn's take on this title has been less than stellar. Far less. Hats off to you, sir, for attempting a new take on this character. However, demons, hell, magic, etc, have no place in a Flash Thompson world (Remender barely pulled it off with his similar arc). The past three issues have been all about hell, demons, etc, and it's a let-down. Bunn should have used this opportunity to create a Flash Thompson-centric world centered around him, Betty, and perhaps new "real world" characters; and Venom should be fighting twisted but very HUMAN villains. It's all a bit too unbelievable for me. Missing Remender.

All I could think about as I put this book down was, "Uh...what just happened?" There are good things and bad things about this book, but the bad weigh in pretty heavily. First of all....Howard Mackie's writing isn't that great. There are a few funny moments of witty banter, but I find that Mackie shares that undesirable quality with a few other writers (Scott Lobdell/Tom DeFalco) wherein much of the characters' dialogue feels very forced. And by that I mean the characters' dialogue feels so unreal compared to what they would actually be saying. I found two misspelt words and one incorrect sentence. That's bad on the writer AND the editor. The only saving grace of this book is the art, which is, at times, fantastic. However, there are several instances where Churchill (artist) does a very poor job of depicting what is happening. Two of the characters' deaths are insinuated but never really shown. It's like...the kill is built up but is shown offscreen....what?!?!