It's yet to be seen how Youers and the art team will compress the lengthy text into a 10-issue series without losing something. Nevertheless, this first issue certainly achieves its goal of drawing us into its world and hooking us for the next chapter. Time will tell if it will work as a standalone enterprise, especially when eventually collected, but for now, it's a worthy complement to the novel and a different way of enjoying this timely tale.

As a graphic novel, this is both a throwback story and a promise of the future. "You think our business is in a golden age, Grayson," asks the head of Haly's Circus. "We're getting squeezed by the internet." He could just as readily be talking about the comics industry, which critics have been saying is seconds away from midnight for decades. The Lost Carnival may not please people looking for Dick Grayson's adult exploits, but it's exactly the kind of all-ages storytelling that comic books were made for and a thoroughly enjoyable read.

If it was an issue of Buffy, it'd feel like a backdoor pilot, but for now we're content to wait another month for the full debut to arrive.

Darth Vader versus a kaiju: it's the reason comics exist.

The series hasn't quite found a singular tone as yet, shifting as it has from time travel drama to supernatural horror in the space of a single issue. Yet perhaps this is the defining aspect of the series, one that is signaling its intention to keep us permanently on our toes.

Punctuated by vividly colored splash pages, and one magnificent page of Connor floating in the void, there's still a lot to unpack here - something that hopefully Bendis and company get to sooner rather than later.

Almost three years later, this fitting conclusion isn't just a rousing last hurrah for a character, but a reminder that Ollie Queen will always remain the bleeding heart and the conscience of the DC Universe.

Chuck Palahniuk's writing, especially his comic book work, hasn't always made literal sense. It doesn't have to. Yet even the most diehard fans will still be left head-scratching after this issue.

The finale to "The Price" crossover with Batman is full of surprises, but perhaps the biggest is the levels of introversion Joshua Williamson weaves into the majority of this issue.

This series may leave us with a richer sense of these players, so it's just a shame that King's sense of pacing has kept us in arrested development for so long.

Bellaire, Mora, and Angulo aren't just remixing a classic TV show but breaking it down to its component parts and rebuilding it for a generation who may not have a connection to the original. By the time we get to the powerful final panels of this sophomore issue, Bellaire has shown us that this Buffy the Vampire Slayer redux is not only welcome, but absolutely necessary for modern audiences.

Following Marvel Comics Presents and Journey into Unknown Worlds, Marvel revives another classic anthology series for a one-shot collection of stories from top creators.

With a bright splash of Jorge Corona's energetic artwork, the fourth issue of writer Skottie Young's alternate world fable complete envelops us in a carnival spectacular.

Picking up moments after the first issue, the overarching narrative only progresses by millimeters. Yet the devil's in the details, and the subtle characterizations as Naomi confronts her parents are far more telling than any dramatic exposition.

Mark Millar's ready-for-Netflix bounty hunter with a heart of gold comes roaring out of the gate in a blaze of futuristic bullets, combining the writer's penchant for bold character in high-concept scenarios.

Leaving the reader on a cliffhanger, Sheridan, Bagenda and Fajardo point us in the direction the series will take without spoiling the fun of getting us there. There's still so many mysteries left after this first issue, from the idyllic family scene in the opening pages to the truth behind High Level, that keeping us on the hook should be a breeze.

Like the best high concept series, Gillen and Hans may have drawn us in with their core characters, but hold us here with the world that surrounds them.

In many ways, this is the comic that Michel Fiffe has been working on for his entire career.

Green Arrow is winding down to its final issue, Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing hit the bullseye with their enhanced Count Vertigo, in a surprisingly emotional story has direct ties to Heroes in Crisis and Justice League: No Justice.

The literal crash-landing of an ending brings the series smack-bang into the rest of the "Old Man" universe, and it's more the potential of a second issue than anything here that is likely to bring us back for more.

Contemporary conversations around abuse of power and privilege are far too important to be diminished by throwaway stories, and Female Furies comes dangerously close to undermining the positive progress the Me Too and similar movements have achieved. Falling far short of satire and just too plain weird to be take seriously as retro-flavored drama, if there is an intended audience here, it probably got lost in a Boom Tube along the way.

It’s clear from this first issue that DeMatteis has an idea that he has let fully gestate before bringing it to the page, something he credits his “truly gifted editor” Berger with developing to the completed script stage. It could go deep into revenge thriller at this point, or continue to explore something less tangible than that. The fact that it is hard to tell at this early stage is indicative of the hook that DeMatteis and his art team have already sunk into us.

Since Fight Club 2, Palahniuk has gone deeper down the self-reflective path with his 2018 novel Adjustment Day, his Vonnegut-esque exploration of the fringes that holds up a middle finger to haters and lovers alike. So if the opening to Fight Club 3 isn't as explosively in your face as its predecessor, and we don't learn a whole lot that we didn't know at the end of Part 2, one suspects it's only because Palahniuk is getting warmed up.

It's all two shades away from being a straight-up Scooby Doo episode, but people who find themselves in the common chunk of Venn Diagrams for classic cinema and crypt-keeper comic books will find a fun home here.

Despite the excellent talent and wicked legacy of these stories, the lack of depth and lasting hooks ultimately makes it all feel a bit inconsequential.

This book is genuinely weird, evidenced by the fact that the mismatched crew find themselves on a planet that worships the Azrael while Starfire and Jessica Cruz ride Lantern constructs while battling robots. Yet in the heart of all this insanity, writer Joshua Williamson end his run by cleverly weaving in a story involving Cyborg and Darkseid that promises to have Multiversal implications.

It's early days yet for this limited series, and how these crews interact and to see whether the Tipton's can balance the big personalities on both sides of the conflict.

With four issues to go, there's still plenty of time for nuanced discussion of these topics, but that just makes this outing even more of a missed opportunity.

This one-shot is a chance to slip into a familiar world, spend some time learning some more about well-trod characters, and get a little bit nostalgic about Picard while safe in the knowledge that it's all going to work out just fine.

There’s still a lot to like in this debut issue, even if there’s not really a hook per se to maintain consistent reader interest. Told almost entirely without the appearance of a Xenomorph, save for a few silhouettes in the final pages, Wood and his art team show us a side to the Aliens world that is far more grounded than some of the cinematic entries. It’s almost like a prelude in this sense, an “issue zero” that promises a much bigger story that’s about to get underway in the second entry next month.

While some may feel that Buffy is just fine without a reboot, try thinking of this as a journey through the Buffy Multiverse (or Tuna Verse) where you know all the players but everything else is up for grabs.

It ends with a declarative statement of what the Guardians of the Galaxy 2019 look like, a solid face of villainy, and the promise of a wild ride ahead.

With a final page reveal of a new character that promises to change Shazam lore, this is the best the character has been in decades.

As the debut title in a new imprint, Naomi is much more than just a promising start to a new series. It's also a success as an all-ages comic, offering a low barrier of entry to new readers and relatable lead character. More than anything, it's a bold statement about the direction DC Comics is willing to go in 2019 and trust the audience to go along with them.

At its core, this is Oliver with a twist but Whitta sets us up with an entire world that is waiting to be explored. Rather than simply update the story to a shattered Earth, Whitta has used the character as a way to open the door to something darker and more mysterious. As Dickens, quoted in the final panel, once wrote: “Surprises, like misfortunes, rarely come along.” Dare we say: we want some more?

The new age of Vertigo continues to go from strength to strength as writer Zoe Quinn brings her video game aesthetics to one of the most original comic books of the last few years.

Chip Zdarsky brings back the Invaders in a seamless blend of past and present.

For the 80th anniversary of the company, Marvel has once again revived the anthology series that bears the company's name. It's a mixed bag, with two of the three stories focusing on the Second World War.

Putting the Dark into the Dark Knight, Snyder and Jock leave us at a point that is nothing short of bleak. Snyder holds back some of his deepest cuts until the very end, with another cliffhanger that reintroduces a character who has some importance in Snyder’s earlier works. As both a Dark Knights: Metal spin-off and as a standalone limited series, The Batman Who Laughs continues to impress. You might just need to take a shower when you’re done to feel clean again.

In an all too familiar trend with recent post-event debuts, Black Widow aims to introduce a hard-drinking killing machine to readers, and for the moment doesn't seem to have much of plan of where to go from here.

Captain Marvel #1 leaves us on a cliffhanger that takes Carol in a very different direction to what has come before, and this rapid change of direction signals a creative team willing to take some chances. It also means that there's still some more exposition to come. After this kitchen sink approach to the first book in the series, it's evident that these creators have the core of the character down pat, and it will be great to see this team settle into something more focused.

The premise is a solid one, although this patchy first issue makes us ponder whether the concept has legs to sustain a series.

We still have faith that Morrison has a grand plan in mind, so perhaps the best course of action is to just strap in and hope for the best.

As a debut, it's vaguely reminiscent of DC's Mr. Terrific, but Albuquerque's stunning art is filled with speed-lines and Marcelo Maiolo's otherworldly colors, ensuring that this cracks along at a pace and transfixed for the next issue.

There's probably still a desire for most readers to find out what happens next, but if they are anything like this issue then they certainly have no sense of urgency.

There are so many reasons that this series shouldn't work as well as it does: it's an unlikely combination of heroes, and a Multiversal McGuffin that could be exchanged out for just about anything, and the well-publicized behind the panel shenanigans that led to the scrapping of some issues. Yet writer Joshua Williamson's exploration of the Ghost Sector and the planets coming out of Colu is as exciting and new as the worlds of Dark Knights: Metal.

In a market saturated with the Clown Princess Of Crime, this one stands out from the crowd.

Edward Laroche's debut issue of a new series sets up a hell of a lot of elements, but that doesn't necessarily translate to a lot of story.

As the DC mothership gears up for Aquaman to headline a major film, and a new creative team in the form of Kelly Sue DeConnick and Robson Rocha dive into the pool, Aquaman/Justice League: Drowned Earth is a perfect ship to lead us there. Or as Wonder Woman puts it: "Whatever strange sea he's sailing, it's off the known map" in completely uncharted waters."

Ironheart is off to a solid start with a new series that continues to mark Marvel’s commitment to expanding the diverse hero gallery they’ve put together over the last few years. If anything, it would have been good to see Ewing go deeper some of the social issues she only hints at throughout this book. Of course, as this is the first issue in an ongoing series, there is plenty of time to explore the many plot and character threads that Ewing sets up here. “Ironheart is an engineer who uses many tools,” we are told in one of the most perfect lines in the book. Here’s hoping we get to see Ewing and the art team take a few more of them out of the box in the coming months.

Taking the best bits of old school fables and modern sensibilities, this comic might be the best thing that's happened to the Midwest since the Cubs won the World Series.

It's a series that has the potential to change the way we look at the DCU, and not just because of it's ability to mess with canon. Here's hoping it maintains this level of momentum.

As the latest arc in The Flash comes to an close, the past is very present in the narrative, but a wholly satisfying conclusion is achingly just out of reach.

There's a whole world here waiting to be explored, and this iceberg's tip certainly warrants some further exploration. So whether Farmhand is to your taste or not, it will be impossible to feel ambivalent towards it.

If The Last Siege was a show on a streaming network, you'd want to go straight onto the next episode for a binge. Unfortunately for all of us, we must now wait over a month to continue this saga. Leaving us on a hell of a cliffhanger that changes the power dynamic of everything we've seen up until that point, this feels like it is one worth waiting for.

It's an incredibly tight first outing, if not an entirely unexpected one.

If Miller's series maintains the strength and scope of this first outing, then the horizon is as bright as the one in the final panel of the book.

It’s difficult to box Gideon Falls into a single genre at this early stage, but it begins with a frantic search and ends in blood. It’s a thriller, it’s horror, it’s literary, and it’s also something truly unique. With this new creator-owned series, we see two exemplary artists who share an unspoken symbiosis articulating that bond through sequential storytelling.

Never wavering from either central theme of "monsters" or "love," this anthology could just as readily been released at Halloween and still be effective. Not all of the stories are entirely successful, with some embracing the eight-page limit more than others. Yet this is a collection of some of the best storytellers that DC Comics has to offer at the moment, and it is sure to break down the carefully built walls of even the most ardent of cynics.

In some ways, Twisted Romance does exactly what an anthology should do. It offers up a series of pieces that could not be more different from each other, challenging you to get comfortable. You may not love all the stories, and there may be some matches that you firmly want to swipe left on, but it is impossible to ignore any of the stories in this volume.

In some ways, this story is just a massive tease for Flash War event coming up in a few months time. Yet it's also a story that's been well over a year in the making, concentrating on the pre-Flashpoint Wally West and his return to the world.

Here's hoping that when this limited series is over, there is more room in the DCU for more wonderful character-based stories like this.

Storytellers John Romita, Jr. and Dan Abnett come swinging out of the gate with the tale of the past catching up with ex-Leviathan assassin turned suburban mom. The character comes equipped with an inventive set of powers, in which the Talia Al-Ghul trained fighter encases her foe in a field devoid of sound.

Several months and almost 20 issues into this event, Snyder has certainly kept the wheels of hopelessness spinning for what’s left of our heroes. As the second act of this potentially universe-changing saga comes to a close, there is a battle cry that heralds a sweeping finale. Yet having only moved inches since the end of the fourth issue, we’re left wondering how the light can possibly find its way back into the multiverse after all this darkness has permeated its shiniest of beacons.

The unlikely combination of celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain and novelist Joel Rose brought us Get Jiro a few years back. Their latest collaboration is just as esoteric, and once against draws upon a Japanese tradition of storytelling. The start of an anthology series based around a series of kitchen nightmares, the creators eyes may have been bigger than their stomachs in this less-than-satisfying degustation of tales.

In all of his various forms, Barry Allen has a penchant for turning his feelings inward, so it's with some degree of cheer that Williamson manages to round out this particular tale on a note of hope. That's a pretty nice anniversary gift for the character and readers alike.

It's difficult to tell from this opening issue, but the titular Ice Cream Man would appear to function as a kind of Crypt Keeper for the series. In this vein, it seems that his van will travel from place to place, intersecting with the lives of fateful human, and creating minor winking breaches in the fourth wall. It's a promising start, filled with at least 31 flavors of possibility.

This is a great series, but it's a shame that the character that the target audience would most identify with right now gets the equivalent of a 20-page Little Golden Book.

If Gabriel Rodriguez never did anything beyond the artwork for Locke & Key, he'd still go down in comic book history as one of the greats. His debut effort as both writer and artist in The Sword of Ages has tried to tackle a lot of ideas, giving way to some unintended story confusion.

Harley Quinn: Be Careful What You Wish For will test the Harley tolerance of all but the most dedicate fanbase. More than this, specials like this make us ponder who this character even is. Harley could quite happily be the fourth-wall breaking equivalent of Marvel's Deadpool, but in attempting to grab onto the all the audiences for the character from her 25-year history it ultimate ends up appealing to very few.

Titan Comics have taken the original 72-page albums and cut them in half for the American market. Given that the robust formatting of the European album offers way more bang for your buck than the U.S. floppies, this is a disappointing move. The story also frustratingly cuts off at an arbitrary point around the 36-page mark. Despite this, the story itself remains as strong as it did in its original format, and this release should ultimately earn these puppers a few more fans across the pond.

The best Archie crossovers have tended to be one-shots or incredibly limited series. Harley & Ivy Meet Betty and Veronica is evidence towards the idea that Riverdale visits work best in that format. It's difficult to see how this will stretch out for another two issues, but it's all in good fun after all. It might just be the antidote needed to the doom and gloom of the event crossover season that's right around the corner.

Ollie's trial for murder still hanging around in the background, and with a killer of a cliffhanger, this certainly isn't the end to this narrative, but Percy appears to be having the time of his life getting us there. We are too.

Regardless of where your Black Panther knowledge sits, it will be vastly improved by the end of this series - and just in time for the film.

Ultimately, the weird mix of the cartoon influences and wholesome problem-solving still make this a bit of a poor man's Fantastic Four. It desperately needs a hook in the next issue or so, or else this future is destined to be history.

Russell has already given us two of the best reboots of the last few years with The Flintstones and the sorely underrated Prez, and now he can add a third instant classic to that list. More than just a series of catchphrases and in-jokes, Russell and the art team have taken an easily mockable character and turned out one of the more compelling dramas of recent memory. This might be the first must-read of 2018.

It may be speaking broadly about the Rebellion against the Empire, but as the first issue of a female-driven, all-ages series released in 2018, it's a powerful new hope.

As the first issue in a limited series, this looks like it will be one worth sticking around for.

While a mix like this is typically difficult to sustain, and some of the characters might seem like complete non sequiturs if you're not familiar with their ongoing series, the Christmas theme makes this an excellent collection overall. It's a whirlwind tour through the DC Universe that highlights the core strengths of these heroes, wrapped up in an accessible and entertaining package. Which is what DC should be doing more of, and its unquestionably one of the best stocking stuffers for any self-respecting comic book readers this Christmas.

All's well that ends well in what amounts to a fairly goofy conclusion, where even the bad guy gets a happy ending at Christmas.

One suspects that Craig's crazy world is something of a mirror to our own, like all good genre pieces. With this first issue, he drops just enough hints about Cole's relationship with his daughter to give us a motivation for us to stick around for the long haul. These characters just seem like they'll be a ball to hang out with along the way too.

In the back-matter to the book, Mackiewicz describes his book as an “attempt to process real world horror, centuries of it, magnify it through genre, and learn from it.” In this sense, we have something akin to Scalped but with a more genre-specific edge to it, one that is yet to reveal the full depth of its twists and turns. A terrific new debut that feels all at once highly topical and timeless.

It's a no-frills enterprise with no alarms or surprises, but also incredibly fun in the process. It may not get you rethinking everything you ever knew about Sheena Queen of the Jungle, but it may just get you reading her again.

There's no chance of claiming that you don't get some bang for your extra bucks, with this 56-page story packing a lot in between its $5.99 cover price. There's almost too much going on, pulling on the gaming mythology, that bit of Lovecraft and plenty of Easter eggs to keep the story afloat.

Just as it began, the first issue of Redlands defies expectation and leaves us with a cliffhanger. The traditional siege story would reach its climax with the events depicted in this book. Bellaire and Del Rey choose to start their story here, and where it goes now is anyone’s guess. A gripping start to what looks set to be a bold and topical new series.

War for the Planet of the Apes #1 does exactly what you’d expect from a prequel comic book, by establishing a number of the changes that have taken place in the world without giving away too much of what we can expect from the film hitting cinemas this week. It would be great to see a little more of what is happening beyond North America, as a comic book like this has the power to do. However, even within the confines of the landscape that walker and his art team have laid out here, there is plenty of scope for a story worthy of the excellent films that it accompanies.

Many of shortcomings of Edge of the Venomverse #1 could be overlooked if there was a hook for what comes next. Unfortunately, while the final moments tease Laura's first steps in a larger collection of worlds, there's no real incentive or threat to keep us interested. Where Spider-Verse kicked off with Morlun declaring that all spiders will die, there is no equivalent menace to the Multiverse present here. If the next few issues are to be a random series of symbiote encounters so be it, but the core story that starts in September may be of more lasting interest.

A white-knuckle ride of a first issue, it is difficult to not get completely suckered in. Giving us just enough information to demand some more answers, it ticks all the boxes of a debut by inviting us to stay a little longer and find out how this (anti)hero gets out of peril.

The biggest problem with the issue is that the cliffhanger ending undoes some of the impact of the previous issue. On page and screen, there's been an overreliance on speedster villains for the last few years, and the spectacular end(s) to one of them in "The Button" gets seemingly reversed (get it?) in a single panel. It's why the Joker has recently been kept out of the comic books for a year or so at a time. Even so, this is a solid issue that hits the ground running and rarely lets up.

Smith has commented that the heavy references to The Goonies are not coincidental, and that the frequent references will be essential to book as the series progresses. This kind of intertextual dialogue is not uncommon in retro-inspired works, but this self-awareness also speaks to what the reader brings to the book. No work is ever created in a bubble, but what Smith has done here is take a concept that could have been a simple old-school adventure and instead created something that will hopefully inclusively inspire a new generation, along with hooking us in for the next issue.

The joy of Batman/The Shadow is not just in the engaging story and the top-notch art that would make it a top pick on any given week. What Snyder, Orlando, Rossmo and Plascencia have created is a mystery wrapped in all those elements, one that draws you in with its flagship characters and holds you there with the promise of a rewarding riddle to be solved in future issues.

The title of this arc, "The Rise of Star City," is of course a reference to the traditional home of the Battling Bowman. Like Grell's run, Seattle has served as the home for the "New 52" Green Arrow for much of his run. Yet Percy is playing to his own strengths, incorporating some of his horror/occult leanings into a bigger story that looks like it will change the nature of Ollie's relationship to his city in much the same way that Court of Owls changed Gotham for Batman.

The Flash #20 is very much a fill-in issue in many respects, adhering to the formula of following a secondary character for ad adventure where all's well that (mostly) ends well. Yet with a reveal of new foe on the horizon, even if it disappointingly indicates another speedster villain, Williamson has put some new pieces on the board. However, it is all merely a chance to pause for breath before next issue's Batman tie-in and what is sure to be the most talked-about crossover of the year in "The Button."

The post-credits scene in Ghostbusters (2016) teased a connection between these universes, and while the book doesn't immediately deliver on this, Burnham brings us something that finds the ley-lines between the original films, his comic book universe and the 2016 movie. Indeed, it's the kind of crossover can only be achieved in this medium, with original cast members having left our mortal coil far too soon. This is a fun start to a promising series, and one that will be irresistible to fans.

Perhaps the only major issue with The Belfry is that there simply isn't enough of it, ripping us out of the world as quickly as it thrust us into it. In the short time that we spend with Hardman's creations, we get the sense that we have seen the tip of the iceberg of a much larger story. It's a deep guttural scream from the pit of the stomach, or the place under the bed where the really nasty monsters hide. In other words, it's a terrific example of what happens when the language of comics is used to maximum effect in close quarters.

Much of the issues appears to be a long setup for the return of a familiar character on the final page. It’s heralded by a full-page glory shot of the character spouting their new codename, a wonderfully impactful moment that would have even more power if Percy hadn’t used the exact motif to announce the arrival of the "new" Merlyn last issue. Even so, Percy and his rotating art teams continue to provide a classic version of Green Arrow, even if it’s a little too "greatest hits" at times.

There's the odd bit of cheese in this issue, from the undercover Dinah calling herself "Officer Kiniry" to a group of football players declaring "This here's the gladiator ring. We hurt for a living." These are hiccups that might take you out of the moment temporarily, but Percy restrains himself to keep this runaway train moving constantly. As this wraps up the current arc, it also leave plenty of room to move forward, showing that these last few arcs are exactly what the Emerald Archer needed to get back on target.

Justice League of America: The Atom Rebirth #1 is a classic origin story, but nevertheless feels fresh and accessible for both new and old audiences. It’s also a massive tease as well, directing us to next month’s Justice League of America: Rebirth #1 to “follow the adventures of The Atom.” Yet Orlando, who will also pen that one-shot, ensures that no matter what size the diminutive hero plays int the narrative, he will be noticed.

As the first issue in the “Outbreak” arc, Hitch and his art team have dropped the sequential art equivalent of a surround sound blast to the eardrums. There’s plenty of time for fleshing out the hows and whys, and focusing more on the characters tangential to the main story thrust, but for now we are more than content to see where the tracks of this locomotive lead us.

What we have with Death of Hawkman is a mystery, but not the one that the title leads you to believe. To Andreyko’s credit, it’s an incredibly accessible book, with no prior knowledge really required for either the Hawkman or Adam Strange bits. Whether this results in the comic book death that makes the world stop and shrug in unison is yet to be seen, but it’s off to an interesting if not wholly arresting start.

If the "Rebirth"-ed run of The Hellblazer had to be summed up in just a handful of words, it would be a "pervading sense of threat." Oliver is still playing his cards fairly close to the chest on this one, hinting with quoted passages from William Blake that there is some great calamity to come to knock the cocksure magician off his perch. There's also continual indications that the darker members of the DC Universe are being drawn back together, and it will be great to see this happening within the reframed context of "Rebirth." Yet it's still early days, and Oliver and his art team are off to a cracking start.

The six-issue mini-series has a lot of promise, and even though there is a familiar set of characters already at play, it's a slickly-told version. Frostbite doesn't so much demand your attention as casually invite you in to sit by the fire for a while and warm your weary eyes. As one of the characters in the book notes, an artificial warmth is only noticeable when you step away from it, and this pilot doesn't yet give us much of an indication of whether there is true warmth to be had from the series. We think we know enough of this narrative to say that, for now at least, ice will suffice.

For existing fans, there might be a lot here to love, but as a debut and a potential jump-on point, it’s the kind of issue that would get weeded out during pilot season. There’s undoubtedly some interesting concepts here, some that might even pay out over the course of a full arc. Although as the second issue since “Rebirth" there simply isn’t anything comic book audiences haven’t seen before. Those with only a passing knowledge of Cyborg’s origin will get little more that that in this nominal debut, except for the promise of a big ol’ robot fight in the next issue.

This conclusion to the brief interlude following the restoration of Oliver Queen to “life” is a terrific character-based entry that really gives us a flavor of what Percy has in mind for the Green Arrow “universe” as a whole. More than that, by the end of this issue, we can see how a few extra characters from bygone eras of Arrow can be dragged back into the world, and that is incredibly exciting.

There's a lot of promise in Superwoman, with the previous issue setting up some beautiful character moments and potential pathways going forward. However, the shock twist at the end of the first issue has set this second issue somewhat adrift from those possibilities, created several awkward fits and far too many moving parts for an early issue. Yet much of that promise still remains if the book can harness one or two of those elements and focus in on the things that matter.

While it isn’t quite a classic union yet, the Benson sisters have pulled all the necessary bits together to build something that is. Like many of the other books being released under the "Rebirth" banner, much of the first arc is being spent reestablishing some of the good will lost during the "New 52" years. Batgirl and the Birds of Prey is unquestionably a step in the right direction, and we can’t wait to see what a fully-functioning team will look like.

That final cliffhanger is potentially something that avid readers will have seen coming a mile of, but the beauty of Williamson’s world-building is that it still feels kind of exciting to get to this point anyway. Even if the story pieces seem somewhat familiar, they are being put together with panache, and after three-quarters of a century that’s an impressive enough feat for a character.

Hadrian's Wall is an arresting new series from an established team, one that should hook in readers conclusive from the first panel. While much of the basic narrative structure and style are borrowed from a clear set of influences, they come together in such a meticulously crafted way as to form something new and exciting. This is one book that demands an immediate follow up, and if this first issue is any indication, the month-long wait between issues is going to be a difficult.

While the titular Green Arrow takes a back seat this issue, it also means that Emiko finally gets to step up into the limelight and be something more than just a plot device or sidekick. Indeed, Percy and Byrne make an incredible case for her as a solo character, or at least being part of a thematic crossover with the aforementioned Gotham Academy or Batgirl. More to the point, it underlines the wider push of Percy’s run: bringing in Black Canary and other characters to craft something closer to the Team Arrow we once knew, but leaving his own distinctive mark on the title in the process.

The conclusion to the issue is a cliffhanger that lives up to the promise of the grand beginning, and gives one of the less-defined Leaguers a new threat to contend with. If nothing else, Hitch keeps escalating the stakes of the issue so he has no choice but to bring it down hard when the first arc of the "Rebirth" title concludes next issue.

One can’t begrudge Orlando for bringing Supergirl in line with her small screen counterpart, and he has mentioned in a number of interviews that there is a lot that the CBS/CW series gets right in terms of tone and flavor. Put simply, Supergirl draws on the best that the character has to offer, and serves it up in a package that fans of the broader super family can dip in and out of. This is definitely one to watch going forward, especially with that diabolically self-referential cliffhanger.

By the end of this "Rebirth" introduction, Kara is given a new civilian identity and a setup that will certainly allow casual viewers of the TV show an easy point of egress into comics. It's all a little rushed towards the end, but the goal appears to be to rapidly get new and old readers up to speed with the status quo. Yet it is not merely "CW's Supergirl: The Comic," as this already exists under a different name. Instead, this is something that captures the spirit of that show and the legacy that preceded it, which is about the best you can ask from a the first issue of a character that has had numerous firsts over the last six decades.

While the first issue in this series may have struggled to find the team's dynamic, Hitch is slowly bringing it together here. There's a genuine sense of threat, and that lack of team cohesion creates a war being fought on two fronts for the fledgling team. It's inevitably leading a climax where the separate parts become a whole, but for the moment leaves the reader with an odd sense of foreboding.

This first issue of Batgirl is a fun and engaging story, and is true to the previous take of the character, but it just feels like it lacks any major consequences. Indeed, the final panel suggests that this was simply the first episode in a series of international jaunts that lay ahead for the Batgirl formerly of Burnside. While there is much to be said for this version of the character, even with its many detractors and fans, it just needs more than a familiar pastiche and a change of locale to maintain ongoing interest from herein.

Percy's Green Arrow works best when it balances a self-awareness of the character's rich history wth wholesale tributes to the past, but within a contemporary framework of course. Yet this third chapter not only departs tonally from the two issues that preceded it, but it threatens to revisit ground that was covered as recently as Jeff Lemire's 2013 outing with the character. This current issue doesn't push far enough into new territory or uncover new aspects of the old, resulting in a solid but heavily familiar tale.

In some ways, "Son of Superman" is still an odd arc to start off the Rebirth version of Superman, effectively reintroducing the old-school through the eyes of a potentially powerful new character in his own right. At the same time, while Tomasi and Gleason don't rely on prior knowledge of the characters, their assumptions of what readers know about these "classic" versions is a potential roadblock given that it's been at least five years since this version of Supes has been "current." Even so, there's an undeniable classicism in the book, and only time will tell if it's drawing deep on the legacy, or simply caught up in the spell of nostalgia.

What starts as something lightweight and self-derogatory rapidly takes on the form of a European thriller, and does so in such a subtle and natural manner that you'll be flipping back a few pages to make sure you didn't miss something. Unlike O'Malley's previous Seconds, we don't have the advantage of reading this all in one hit, but have to wait for the next chapter. The serialized approach adds to the delightful melodrama of it all, and it will be interesting to see where intense character study goes next.

Silk was a major development for the Spider-Verse that was somewhat overshadowed by Spider-Gwen, so this issue goes a long way to tying off Silk's threads and solidifying her place in the Marvel Universe. With the revelation of the identity of the mysterious guardian angel figure following Cindy, the direction of the next arc is set too. Silk is by no means a blockbuster, but provides more of the grounded Spider-Man style stories that the globe-trotting webslinger has since outgrown. In other words, it's perfectly comfortable ground for Spidey fans everywhere.

A comic based on a beer of the same name is an unlikely prospect for success, but this metal-as-anything salvo from Brian Azzarello, Nick Floyd and Steve Bisley is a twisted and irreverent biker epic with a Lobo-esque lead who is anything but a hero.

It was never meant to be incredibly deep, but there is a profundity to the simplicity of the premise.

Only the unflappable team of writer Dennis Hopeless and artist Javier Rodriguez could take a one-shot story about cannibalistic Canadians and turn it into a Civil War II tie-in.

"This journey has come to an end"but nothing has been resolved." Neal Adams could be summing up his own mini-series with that quote, a largely inconsistent retro story that ends on an incredibly nonsensical piece of comic bookery.

Now that he has settled in this revived version of Oliver Queen, Percy is beginning to lean on his wider influence once again. While the main source of antagonism is another shadow group, the not-too-subtle references to Dante Alighieri's Inferno make for some interesting illusions to Ollie's current downward spiral. More encouraging is that this time around, Percy has balanced the difficult task of putting an existing character into a new environment, but managing to balance the tensions between the old and new.

There's a little bit of a swagger about this issue, self-assured that Stephen Strange is every bit the hero without his magic as he is with it. It's designed to make all of these characters as proudly epic as their spandex-clad Avengers friends. With a film due out in only a matter of months, Jason Aaron's take on Strange is becoming close to a definitive one, perfectly accessible to the layman while providing something new and exciting to reward those who have stuck with it.

The Flash may not be the earth-shattering debut that the "Rebirth" kick-off had initiated, and while there are no big reveals in the first issue out of the gate, it's nevertheless a solid and reliable version of the Scarlet Speedster. The hints are all there for bigger things to come, including the cliffhanger ending, but the contrary to the title, it seems we may have to wait through a more measured pace before we get to them.

It's difficult to see what the overall plan is for The Amazing Spider-Man at the moment, pinging from international adventures to more local slugfests.

Written as a parody of the heist genre, complete with a "How to Do An Award-Winning Heist, in Twenty Two East Steps" playing out over as many panels, and artist Ramon Rosanas gets to have a bit of fun with every single one of them.

When Percy first took over the New 52 version of Green Arrow, he had an equally strong start, but eventually got lost in an odd tension between horror and his clear love of Green Arrow's background. Here we see something completely different, a flat out classic depiction of a character that owes just as much to his current history as it does to its long legacy, never compromising either.

Black Canary is about to embrace part of her legacy by co-starring in the relaunched Green Arrow, and Fletcher, Wu and Jarrell leave us in no doubt that they've restored the kick-ass history of one of DC's most powerful female leads. While it might be a shame that Canary no longer has her own series, having never made it past a dozen issues of a solo title, this perfect mashup of music and comics plugs straight into the mainline of everything that has made Black Canary an essential part of the DC Universe for almost 75 years.

The cliffhanger to the issue is not dissimilar to a gimmick that was used at the start of this very issue, one that shows the limitations of their chosen form of transport. Yet it may also show the limits to the format of this book so far as well. While one of the strengths is definitely that it recognizes itself as a high-concept action piece, that dedication to a lack of exposition may ultimately hamper enjoyment down the line.

Midnight of the Soul is a mystery, of course, with the catalyst being the ubiquitous girl in trouble. Yet the mystery of her nocturnal activities and the cause of her trouble is almost second to the mystery of where the parallel threads of Joel's life intersect, from the frequent flashbacks to the War through to his anger over the developments in this issue. It's a puzzle worth pondering, and it will be curious to see how it unfolds as Chaykin continues to level his gaze at a very particular period in American history.

What ultimately redeems this issue is the very thing that hinders it as well. The final page is a cliffhanger so grandiose that it might have been lifted directly out of Adams' work in the 1970s, and the sixth issue is almost mandatory reading if one has made it this far into the series. Then again, perhaps this is written for such a niche audience that going in searching for modern conventions and speech patterns is folly. Maybe the best way to enjoy Superman: The Coming of the Superman is simply to go along for the ride.

Tom Taylor's take on the "All-New" version of Wolverine has been superb to date, this is an excellent example of what he is best at.

This issue is fairly indicative of the lack of direction Dan Slott's Amazing Spider-Man has from month-to-month, drifting from a contrived fight between Spider-Man and Iron Man (with a Miles Morales cameo) and a far more interesting plot concerning Betty Brant investigating the identity of new "hero" Regent.

In what is effectively an issue-long fight sequence, Hopeless gives us a microcosm of all of the things that defines the modern Spider-Woman, balancing as she does being a mother with superheroics and simply keeping her life together.

Writer Dennis Hopeless, along with co-plotters Jason Latour and Robbie Thompson, have saved a huge showdown for last. Action-oriented as it is, the real hero is artist Nico Leon, who works closely with color artist Rachelle Rosenberg to deliver an animated epic

At this early stage, Civil War II suffers some of the problems that have beleaguered similar narratives in recent years, principally in seeing heroes all too quick to take sides against comrades on a possible future. Indeed, Bendis has set big goals for himself in the past with events built around time travel and alternate timelines, and this series is a variation on some of those recent themes. Yet this is also just the beginning of something much larger, and while it may seem at times like this is an extended version of the "zero" issue that preceded it, all the pieces are now in place for the "war" proper to commence.

At the end of his Green Lantern run, Johns showed us a forecast of events that were yet to come, not just challenging the next writer to top him, but throwing down the gauntlet and roadmap to ensure his will be done. With a cliffhanger ending of sorts, Johns does something similar here, although it's the fate of the entire DC Universe and not just Hal Jordan's world that hangs in the balance. Of course, Johns also accompanies this issue with his DC Universe Rebirth this week, and there is a literal death and rebirth in the pages of Justice League. With these two books, Johns has set a solid course for the future of the DCU, and the publisher just needs to find an equally set of safe hands to guide it forward.

On the one hand, Bob Gale and Erik Burnham's slightly compressed version of game logic is a fun read, perfectly at ease in the existing Back to the Future world and true to the voices of the original characters. On the other, it's still an existing story being shifted into a different format, and so far it offers few surprises for those who have already dipped into the game.

Another case of an issue building us up for another chapter, but with plenty of mystical throw-downs to keep us entertained as we head to the finale.

With two issues to go in the arc, we feel no closer to the conclusion than we did at the end of the previous chapter, even if the stakes are higher than even for one of the increasingly forgotten heroes of Spider-Verse.

This is a frustratingly beautiful break in the main narrative: frustrating because we were left on such a crushing moment, but beautiful because it is still one of Marvel's best books on the market.

Tynion and Snyder will, of course, continue their association with the Dark Knight with Detective Comics and All-Star Batman under the Rebirth banner. While Snyder's Batman run has had its incredibly vocal fans and detractors at both ends of the spectrum, his legacy on the character has been ensured with the introduction of some worthy adversaries, and genuinely trying to do something different with an icon that often lends itself to repetition. Tynion, who has been involved in this run almost as long as Snyder, expanding the world with his work on Talon, ends this lengthy run with a stirring embrace of the Batman saga, and just as Bruce Wayne learns by the end of the issue, the best way forward is by honoring that past.

Satellite Falling doesn't give us everything at once, and instead is the start of a mystery adventure with something genuinely fresh in the world of comic book sci-fi. Horton, Thompson and Jackson have taken a familiar bit of plotting and placed something simultaneously otherworldly and believable on top of it, ensuring the audience is hooked and there are plenty more pieces to be unpacked in future issues.

Had this issue dropped earlier in the series, eyelids would barely be batted at the fun breather it provides from the often elongated sagas of decompressed storytelling. Yet with a looming "crisis" hanging over the DCU, and months of hints that Wally West is set to take up his fated mantle, this feels too comparatively lightweight for a series that has been building for something for so long. With an issue to go before "Rebirth," there's still a chance to see some of that promise come to pass, particularly given the monumental turn by the end of the issue.

With a renewed media hype around Spider-Man, this is exactly the companion book the character needs right now.

In the debut issue, Krul really gave us a sense of the world his characters inhabited, and it's disappointing that this issue is incremental in its progression. However, one gets the feeling that everything at the moment is a slow build waiting to explode.

This particular issue goes pretty deep down the canonical hole, at one point directing readers to one of the prose novels to see how a story came to be, but at least that demonstrates how closely the Star Wars story group is watching everything that happens.

There is a glimmer of optimism that edges into this bookend chapter. After all, the issue begins with a literal rebirth, and mostly concerns Ollie's hope that the world can benefit from Doctor Miracle's cure. It's not the first time in the last five years that we've been led to believe the title can change for the better, but even in this super compressed format, it is one of the most hopeful arguments to date. Percy is the solicited writer for the post-Rebirth issues of Green Arrow, so maybe he has simply pushed Oliver Queen into the direction that he would like to see him take in the next part of his story. For now, the New 52 version of Green Arrow ends with some of the same uncertainties that it began with, but for the first time in half a decade, it does so with a target placed firmly in front of it, a less scattered sense of character, and more importantly, a beard on its face.

Alpha King is a difficult one to examine objectively: the story is absolutely bonkers and makes little to no sense, its a thinly-veiled piece of marketing for a beer, and there's at least one gratuitous shot of a cat's hairy testicles. All three of these things make it completely at one with the metal heritage it embodies, cranking the volume up way past eleven with art that is designed to punch you squarely in the face. This may all become a little clearer in the next issue, but for now it is probably best to finish off that six-pack, crank up the tunes and let this one wash over you.

If you don't feel like wandering outside of the main continuity of the ongoing series, it doesn't currently seem necessary to pick up a copy of Doctor Strange: The Last Days of Magic. Instead, it serves as an excellent introduction to the wider magical universe and some Marvel characters that may not be familiar to newer audiences. It also serves as further evidence that Aaron's skills as a writer don't simply lie in the ability to tell a good story, but rather in the ability to build a world around them.

Dan Slott's current saga of a villainous Zodiac-themed cooperative seems to have been going on for a while now, and while this issue is very much a thrilling and jovially cheesy conclusion to that chapter, it's also one that's never had the same cache of the more classic Spider-Man villains to support it.

After what felt like a fitting conclusion to the "New 52"/ "DC You" era of last month, Brenden Fletcher has the slightly more awkward task of slotting in his version of Batgirl into the pre-Rebirth world.

Leaving us on an intriguing cliffhanger, the comic with its own fictional band continues to be one of "DC You"'s most interesting experiments until the very end.

The fourth installment in the "Spider-Women" crossover hits the midway point, but loses a little of the momentum that was gained in the Spider-Gwen and Silk issues.

There's a scene in this issue where Carrie injects a large needle into Bruce's knee, and his mixture of pain and relief could almost capture the sentiments of the reader at this midway point in the series. Dark Knight III: The Master Race is not the messy rollercoaster that its predecessor was often seen as, but it isn't the groundbreaker this version of Batman once was either. At an elongated running time of eight issues, it also feels like a long walk-up to something wholly familiar as well, but with the surprises it has still managed to offer so far, it's hard to count the master out of the race just yet.

More than anything, Johns knows how to stage a thriller, and the final pages of Justice League invariably lead to a cliffhanger. No matter how the dust settles next month, when "Darkseid War" finally reaches its conclusion, this saga will go down as one of the essential Justice League stories in the history of the medium.

In many ways, Aliens: Defiance feels like a greatest hits package from the first two Alien films, which is going to suit some just fine. At a planned 12 issues, it represents the longest planned Alien title from Dark Horse as well, the Predator crossovers notwithstanding. So bearing this in mind, this first issue only represents a small fraction of a larger whole. Even so, it's hard to see the unique spin that the series offers just yet, but the final page at least offers some enticing hints as to why we should follow the next few steps.

What this issue proves, and hopefully the Rebirth event will be aware of, is that the strength of the DC Universe is in its history. This isn't to say that Jurgens and the art team are simply retreading familiar ground, but rather using it as a foundation to tell new stories within a different universe. The reopening of the Multiverse doesn't close off the comic book world to new readers, but rather gives writers new opportunities to dust off the cobwebs and see if there is anything new that can be done with characters that are eight decades old. Superman: Lois and Clark is a prime example of this type of storytelling.

The Astonishing Ant-Man always threatens to topple over into being a poor-man's parody of itself, but like the titular character, still finds ways of surprising us each month.

A home for some of the missing-in-action mini-series originally announced under DC You, there's something for most punters in the four ongoing stories

Silk never quite got the attention that she deserved, with Spider-Gwen casting a long shadow in their similarly-timed debuts. Yet Cindy Moon's search for identity has been a far more solid lead than most debut characters, and this third chapter in the multiversal "Spider-Women" crossover (with Spider-Gwen and Spider-Woman) makes room for some character growth.

In the earliest days of Superman, his muscular feats and strongman costume were designed to represent the peak of what humans could achieve. Despite the ridiculous powers that the subsequent versions have given us, the stories that are most fascinating remain the ones that remember the "man" comes before the "super." Some of this is recognized in the cover to this issue of Superman: American Alien: a sea of average faces that are each opening their shirts to reveal the "S" symbol, indicating that we each have that potential. Superman is a reflection of the best humanity has to offer, with our faults and all. With one issue remaining in the series, Landis' journey through Superman's formative years aren't just a love letter to a hero, but to the people who read him as well.

The narrow list of suspects for this apparent murder makes the piece all the more fascinating, but not as tantalizing as the possibility that none of the people we've met so far is the killer. Dept. H follows all the hallmarks of a classic Agatha Christie-style whodunit, but nevertheless manages to be shockingly original in its executive, characterization and the precise beauty of its artistic presentation.

In D4ve, the narrative told us that the weird thing about robots was that they ultimately adopted the nuances of their human creators. If we follow that line of thinking, then Hot Damn is the thematic sibling to the creative team's previous outing, and we have only just scraped the surface of what it has to offer. Whether this is a redemption story of a bit of fantasy tourism is yet to be seen, but the final hook of this debut has damned us to return for another look when the sophomore issue hits.

It's a filler issue in many respects, but a sharp journey through the darker side of the DCU, setting up a bigger confrontation awaiting the anti-hero.

Despite being a part of a much larger crossover, this month's Spider-Gwen remains a complete adventure for the hero, but sets up some mystery for the next chapter in the pages of Silk.

By virtue of it being an issue of exposition, some of the forward momentum is put on hold and The Dark and the Bloody is forced to spin a couple of its wheels this month. Nevertheless, there are still more questions than answers, with the supernatural undercurrent opening up even more puzzles on the Middle Eastern side of the tale.

Black Canary is a pleasing change of tone for a series that's now almost a year old, giving pre-reboot fans a taste of the old magic. While it's mostly an issue about D.D. finding out who she is outside the context of the band, there's a dynamic between that eclectic group of misfits that is sorely missed in this outing. Perhaps that is the lesson to be taken away here, that Black Canary works best as a character when she has equally strong characters to surround her.

This special's subtitle, "The Phantom Limb," is more than likely a tongue-in-cheek reference to The Phantom Menace, but it also refers to the sense of loss droids feel when their memories are wiped and only fragments remain. While Star Wars: C-3PO is undercut by setting itself up to tell the non-story of Threepio's arm, the underlying themes are the most interesting aspects of the story, and it's just a shame that more time wasn't spent contemplating them outside of this limited format.

One of the most interesting things about the first chapter of Black Road is that it feels like a complete piece, so this leaves us with the dilemma of not having a mystery hook to latch onto for the next chapter. Nevertheless, the character and world that Wood and Brown have constructed here are well studied and feel as whole as this issue, and the chance to peel back a few more layer of Magnus - not to mention explore the fascinating tensions between the Norsemen and the Christians - is hard to resist.

While King has managed to keep his closed world in a discreet pocket of the Marvel Universe for the last six months, the twist ending is a jolt to the system precisely because it drags us screaming back into the mainstream. It will be fascinating to see how this saga plays out now that the Vision and his dysfunctional family unit must deal with reality, or at least the version of it that is replete with capes and powers.

An interesting multiversal premise that makes good use of the strong trio of women Marvel has run with over the last year, but that event doesn't feel as though it has quite started by the end of this issue.

Any pretense of using his female lead as anything other than a male fantasy falls away in this second issue, robbing it of its impact or any chance of subtlety or character development.

While the bottom of the barrel has been scraped clean with this particular revival, Krul compresses something that originally spanned two dozen annuals down to a self-contained and far more focused story. It's a joyful throwback, one that leaves the creative team of plenty of potential opportunities to branch out into different corners of their own universe. Perhaps some of these 'New Bloods' will make their way into the world of DC's Rebirth, ensuring that the dream of the '90s is alive and kicking.

Nevertheless, this penultimate issue of the "New 52" Green Arrow is frustrated by some rushed pacing, now trying to reconcile several of those aforementioned narratives to bring this chapter of Oliver Queen's life to a conclusion, or at least a new beginning. The drama of the cliffhanger is undercut by the fact that there is a man standing in the room that can bring people back from near-death, coupled with a preview title that is virtually telling us how this is going to unfold. Even if it doesn't go that way, and Percy surprises us with the final curtain, it's a case of too little too late in this otherwise solid action issue.

Like the character of Joe Toomey, Bruce Lee: The Dragon Rises is an affable throwback to the 1970s. Bruce Lee fans who also read comic books will actually find more it has more common with the comedic/espionage plotting of a Jackie Chan classic, but the combination mostly works. While this probably would have worked better as an extended one-shot, the mystery around Lee's return and the group behind it provides enough mystery to warrant at least a second look.

There is a great deal happening in the second issue of X'ed, perhaps a little too much for such an early point in the series. Yet the plethora of new characters, concepts and scenarios is ultimately no more confusing than a journey through Lewis Carroll's Wonderland, one where the abstract images of dreams are accepted just because they are present. Patrick has maintained the tension and wonder of the first issue in this sophomore outing, coupled with the sense that we have only scraped the surface of the mystery he's unfolding.

Power Lines might not always be a wholly original debut, but it is nevertheless an important one. Robinson throws out some intriguing plot points that warrant further investigation, and it's clear that there's a deeper mythology that he is itching to explore. It's a tough criticism, but Power Lines does suffer in comparison with Robinson's superb work of the last few years, but perhaps that it is because it doesn't slap you in the face with its uniqueness just yet. Then again, the social relevancy and racial issues that the book raises before you even open the cover will be as faraway a world as The Empty for a number of readers, and if Robinson can put those issues on the readers' agenda in a lovingly illustrated superhero origin, then Power Lines may yet have a few surprises up its sleeve.

As we face the prospect of a long 2016 without any regular new Doctor Who episodes until Christmas, Doctor Who: The Fourth Doctor goes a long way towards helping us forget this fact. Indeed, it helps us forget the fact that we aren't in 1977, and Tom Baker isn't still tripping over his own scarf and lowering his baritone to curse the menace of the week. Like the best Baker episodes, it finds the right balance between Gothic horror and lighthearted adventure, and is the start of a promising set of new stories featuring characters as we remember them.

As an anniversary issue marking 50 issues since the dawn of the "New 52," Green Arrow shows no signs of shaking the narrative confusion that plagued it in the initial issues. Still searching for a sense of identity, the addition of the horror genre and a half-hearted attempt at relevancy barely captures the spirit of modern politics, let alone the long history of political discourse that has been a part of Oliver Queen's adventures over the last three-quarters of a century. At this stage, we can only hope that DC's much-hyped "Rebirth" event manages to find the center of the target again.

In many ways, 3 Devils is an ideal first issue, putting all the pieces in place to bring the two protagonists together and literally send them off down the road for their next adventure. It's also somewhat safe in its characterization for the moment, but nevertheless suggests that both of these characters are more than they initially appear. While Hampton only gives us the barest of hints as to what might be coming next, he does convince us that the focus of the book will be on the characters going forward, taking them from the familiar to something entirely new.

The Dark and Bloody achieves the difficult task of keeping the audience guessing at the end of the second issue, developing the plot further and yet still wholly shrouding the piece in mystery. About the closest thematic cousin would be something like Locke and Key, especially as the relationship between Shiloh and Ayah becomes more intriguing and supernatural. This is definitely a series to watch, with the hopes that it lives up to the best aspects of its promise.

Batgirl #49 is partially an answer to critics who have been unkind to the neo-Batgirl, including this one who was incredibly skeptical at the initial change of direction. However, the DC Universe is vast and complex, and a Multiverse with infinite possibilities allows for the constant reinterpretation of those icons. In a primarily art-driven piece, coupled with the wonderfully wilful version of the character that Stewart and Fletcher have crafted at the center, this issue of Batgirl is a reminder that every single one of those interpretations is equally valid, and that the malleable nature and core principles of Barbara Gordon's personality are the reasons why she has been so enduring for the past 55 years.

There is a lot to be intrigued by in The Discipline, the most tantalizing thred being the physical transformation that Melissa will seemingly undergo, one that is teased in the opening pages. Yet before we can get to this, we must wade through a darkness that is oftentimes more disturbing than erotic, and troubling in its implications. Milligan isn't the first to use sex, magic and monsters as metaphorical playthings in the quest for fantasy, yet it must be recognized that The Discipline treads a very thin line between that and using the female lead as a plaything in the pursuit of story.

Wynonna Earp has a solid, if wholly familiar, concept that is chomping at the bit to be something bigger than it is. Unfortunately for the forthcoming series, this book offers little hope of the setup being anything other than another variation on the "lone gun with a vendetta story," married with a procedural narrative we've seen countless times before.

Bill and Ted Go to Hell #1 is very much an introductory issue, and as such it's hard to fully get a sense of how good this really is. Given the cinematic leaning like watching the first 20 minutes of a film, and all the fun is going to be in watching Bill and Ted interact with the visions and mischief that will find them in the afterworld. Nevertheless, if you enjoyed the previous Bill and Ted's Most Triumphant Return series and can't wait around for Alex Winter and Keanu Reeves to star in a new film, then you could do a lot worse than this.

Make no mistake: Black Canary remains one of the most interesting books DC is putting out at the moment, and Fletcher's saga grows more intriguing by the month. It's not so much of it being a "rare misstep" so much as one weighted down by the necessity of launching into a new arc feet first.

If you've never picked up a Ghostbusters comic, but have always wanted to give them a go, this is a great place to start.

This collection of short vignettes from some of the best in the business read like spooky campfire stories from three different periods.

At the risk of coming off as a bit of a Grinch, The Adventures of Luna the Vampire takes a lot of work to love. The nonsensical stories and the simple conclusions will alienate large chunks of the audience, and the very specific form will mean that it will only appeal to a small section of the rest. Then again, the Grinch came around in the end, and maybe Luna the Vampire just needs to give us more to sink our teeth into.

What this rebooted Judge Dredd represents is a mystery, albeit one not everyone is going to want to solve. Dredd as a fish-out-of-water is always an interesting concept, and there is plenty here to pick apart going forward. Yet those in the market for a more traditional Dredd story may do well looking elsewhere, as this is less about enforcement and more about exploration.

While this isn't the most groundbreaking or revelatory of the one-shots released in this series to date, it is still a solid character-based approach that gets to the heart of what this event is really about. After all, if absolute power is said to corrupt absolutely, the exploration of what that same power does to already corrupt is just as interesting.

The strength of this arc is not only in tying back into previous stories, but in also clearly defining what differing characteristics the two Hawkeyes possess and what what makes them stronger together and apart.

Dan Slott's latest chapters on his epic Spider-Man saga are as frustrating at times as they are fun, and they are certainly a lot of the latter.

George Mann's script is mostly self-contained, which is incredibly pleasing for the casual fan reader, but this story in particular could have used a few extra chapters to elongate the drama.

It's a series that often trades its own subtle flavors for perpetual motion, but it has all the necessary component parts if it would just slow down for a minute.

Green Arrow has been regularly frustrating since its reimagining in 2011, and so far Percy's tenure has only brushed the reader up against the greatness that this character always has the potential of displaying. The future doesn't seem quite as bright as it did at the end of the first arc, with the third arc hinting at a wolfy awakening for Ollie. This is definitely not the facial hair that fans are hoping to see. Where the character, and indeed Percy, work best is when they stick to the core values of the man behind the mask, but at this point is seems the shaft has strayed far from the center of the target.

What some may find difficult to crack in this opening salvo is how relentlessly bleak The Violent can be, while others may find that it is a little too close to home. Yet Brisson's admirable attempt to highlight one of the most pressing social concerns of our era is a holistic one, supported by the supplement texts that are set to appear in the back-matter, beginning with this month's 'Head Down' by writer Sam Wiebe. He's also created two characters that we want to spend some more time getting to know, already hooking us in for a second issue.

What a difference a year or two makes, with the Guardians now leading lights after sitting in limbo for several years, now starring in multiple titles instead of just the one. There's a distinct possibility of the Guardians over-saturating the Marvel market, with at least half a dozen titles exploring these characters in their collective or solo outings. The multiple stories in this first issue do exhibit a bit of brand confusion, but the main story returns at least some of the Guardians to position of protecting the galaxy from curious time anomalies, rounding this out to be a fun and familiar tale that will be appreciated by new and existing fans of the team.

Inspired by a reasonably obscure 1970s comic book (one cancelled after only four issues), it spoke to the youth culture that came out of the baby boom following World War II. With the so-called Millennial generation seen as an echo baby boom, Prez is an argument for taking seriously a generation driven to distraction by mobile ubiquity, giving them a voice by showcasing their solutions to problems created by previous generations. This issue promises that the story will be continued, with Beth confident to take her ideas on the offensive. With a very chaotic 12 months of U.S. politics ahead, this might just be the comic the world needs right now.

Garth Ennis' revival of the Johnny Red character throws us straight into the dogfights of World War II this time, with a lavishly detailed dogfight from artist Keith Burns gracing the title pages.

Not the radical reboot that Ultimate Spider-Man was in 2000, instead it's a back-to-basics approach from writer Robbie.

Despite what the cool logic of the Vision and his synthezoid family would have you believe, this book is filled with heartbreaking emotions.

As the series comes to a close, Six-Pack at least remains convinced of his own heroism, but Ennis has already made his point about the futility of the never-ending superhero genre. "This is his world. His dream. Whichever," muses the narrative voice (or is it our own?) "As dreams go... well. I suppose you could do worse." It's rare thing that a comic book feels not only fully complete but deflating at the same time, with a character that appears to be wholly contented within and observably tragic end. As every comic book reader knows, the end of one book is merely the beginning of the next chapter of the endless story.

Despite its extended length, Barrier rips along at a pace, but never neglects the core characters who will carry us forward. Apart from being a compelling and beautifully crafted read, the 54-page debut issue comes at the bargain price of whatever you feel like paying for it. Of course, it goes without saying that if you want to keep seeing quality comics like this, a couple of dollars from every reader wouldn't go astray.

There is nothing about this book that couldn't have been told in the pages of the regular monthly title, and while fans will undoubtedly love the extra issues each year, it would have been much more pleasing to see a different creative team tackle their version of the character. At the bloated length of almost forty story pages, it is also difficult to justify the slightly higher price point for the sake of an extended version of the same creative team's stories. Yet with Suicide Squad due out in cinemas next year, the cult of Harley Quinn is only going to get stronger.

A completely unexpected and wholly welcome addition to a revived genre, and like East of West, it opens a doorway to the weird through the the shopfront of the familiar. The real Ketchum's final words were reportedly, "Good-bye. Please dig my grave very deep. All right; hurry up," before being decapitated by his hanging due to the weight he'd gained in prison. Fortunately for this Ketchum, it seems that we've only just scraped the surface of what promises to be an original new series.

Dark Knight III: The Master Race is so far exactly what one would expect from a book carrying this title, and perhaps that is what is holding it back from being great. It's a reminder of the greatest hits of Batman, a character that is necessarily defined by key moments in his existence. It sometimes seems that Batman has been mining the darker nights since the 1980s, although our era certainly lends itself to heroes that exhibit parallels the vigilantism of that earlier decade. It won't be until the subsequent chapters that we truly get to see if this is merely tipping a hat to a moment in time, or if it will break free and deliver a fresh and original playlist.

Even in a Saga issue where "not much happens," there is still a ton of new information and cliffhangers to digest. It's a book that is undoubtedly breathing a rarefied air right now, confident enough to launch straight back into a new arc without showing two of the three main characters at all, but simultaneously running the risk of alienating those who aren't yet inductees into the club. Saga is back and everything is more or less right with the comic book world again, and those questions that need answering will be what keeps us going until the next hiatus.

One of the things that DC rarely exploits these days, and certainly not post-Flashpoint, is the sheer number of stories and versions of characters that is has to draw upon. Hypertime notwithstanding, the canonical status of one timeline negates another until it is time to do an event every five years or so, at least until Convergence. This intersection between the old and the new is written purely to warm the cockles of fan hearts, and if it continues in this vein, we will have some very toasty cockles indeed.

In updating the formula, Archie is no longer just about the hijinks surrounding teen romance, but about the complex landscape that youth have to navigate in learning to become adults. The plots are not so much soap-operatic as reflections of the heighten sense of drama and immediacy that surrounds every moment of emotion as a teenager, and Waid has tapped into the psyche of the youth without having to pander.

ike a Trojan horse arriving in plain sight, the kicker for fans is that this issue ends with a final "Discover the truth about J'onn and Mars in Martian Manhunter." One has to wonder if there would be this overwhelming sense of feature-length advertising if the issue had dropped at the ended release date, following the end of the "Rao" arc. Released out of order as it is, there is no sense of urgency to the issue, and it's just a leisurely romp through the mind of a character that had only recently been fully restored to the DCU. Nevertheless, the next issue of Justice League of America will be highly anticipated as a return not only to the story that as captivated these last few months, but hopefully a return to form as well.

The Peanuts: The Snoopy Special #1 is effectively a sampler of the work that Kaboom! has been doing over the last few years in bringing Snoopy and the crew back to life. It's a bit of a cop-out that this tie-in special contains a chunk of material from a book that was only released two months ago, but peppered as it is with some actual Schulz strips, it's a timely reminder of how sharp and adaptable these characters and scenarios were in the 1950s and today.

There's a lot of promise in Red Thorn, especially if it takes the time to allow some of these individually great concepts to breathe on their own. Isla comes fully formed out of the gate, and the mystery it initially presents is genuinely compelling. The only issue is that Baillie undercuts some of his own drama by over-explaining a climax, albeit one that does neatly set us up for the next chapter.

The showstopper is Jim Lee's art, which has been of a very particular fan-pleasing style for quite some time, and it's wonderful to see him cut loose on a very different BD-inspired approach to pencil and inks, with the latter washes still feeling wet even in the digital format.

Jason Aaron's simple premise, that Vader has crash-landed on a remote planet and every Rebel is scrambling to take the opportunity to end him, is a clever move. Mike Deodato's art is nothing short of epic, especially given that much of the second act is a thrilling dogfight between Vader's TIE fighter and several squadrons of X-Wings.

Unlike many of the post-Secret Wars reboots, Sam Humphries' Star-Lord is quite literally a new beginning. Which is actually part of the problem here, in a tale that updates (or perhaps retcons) the story from 1976's Marvel Preview #4.

This is one of the most frustrating titles out from DC at the moment, because the Multiversal possibilities post-Convergence were literally endless. Yet instead we continue to get the secret origin of a character who didn't demand this much attention in the first place.

If Huck was simply the story of a warm-hearted hero with superpowers in a small town, it would already stand as one of the more original creations of the year. Yet Millar also gives us something of a mystery in the identity of Huck, telling us only that he was abandoned as a baby and pinned with the note "Please love him." It's been a crazy and devastating week around the world, as violent acts showcase the hatred and fear of a small number of people. If Huck's message is that unconditionally passing on love and being kind to one another creates heroes from the most unlikely of places, then he might also be the most necessary hero of the year as well.

Hal Jordan often gets a bum rap from some fans when it comes to comparative Lantern lore, with successor Kyle Rayner unquestionably less of an insufferable jerk than Hal could often be. (There's also the small matter of Hal slaughtering all of his comrades once upon a time, but we'll just quietly put that to one side for the moment). Yet this is one of those rare pieces that gets to the heart of a character by defining who he is by those actions he chooses not to take, a decision that will certainly have ramifications before this event is through.

Time will tell whether this formula works better in small doses or an extended format, but the sheer number of people filling this oversized issue is indicative of the fact that there are many stories left to tell in the vast Marvel Multiverse. The wider story hinted at in both of these tales, involving a silvery plot, is also something that Web Warriors has over a simple vignette format. With the right balance of different writers and artists thrown at this book, it could readily become one of Marvel's leading lights.

It's taken a few issues, but Peter David has finally set Miguel O'Hara apart from the now full dance card that is the Marvel Spider-Verse.

A flatter end for a high-quality series to date, albeit one that is consciously holding the reins tight until it can launch the next arc.

A difficult concept for a first issue, but so brimming with ideas and grace that it is hard not to be enveloped by it.

Aaron has described his latest work as "a Biblical caveman apocalyptic barbarian western noir," and nothing we've seen here would dissuade us from that notion. Guaranteed to offend at least someone, with Cain taking some Preacher-esque views on the nature of God, it's undoubtedly a story that rattles some of the austerity off the austerity off of these ancient stories, turning one of the original sinners into an anti-hero for an age that is full of them.

It is early days yet in this six-issue mini-series, leaving us with a key moment in the origin story of Santa. Like many of Morrison's works, this first issue presents us with a series of puzzle pieces. We know roughly what it is supposed to look like by the end of the run, but the joy of getting will be in seeing how he fits all of these disparate threads together and wraps them up in a bow.

This penultimate issue brings us to an unexpected, yet welcome place in the world of Section 8. It's hardly a case of 'too little, too late,' as Ennis has been delivering quality chuckles from the beginning. Yet what we see here is a book that is itself caught in a kind of limbo, wanting to be one kind of gross-out comedy that is equal parts pathos. The mix is almost there, and given the inevitable guest-star for the final issue (teased on the last page of this book), it might just be up, up and away before we say goodbye to these wholly unique characters.

All the pieces are there for this to be back on track as a winning series, it just needs a stronger focal point.

The story does feel ultimate inconsequential, and not as tied to the main events as the the other books in the current Star Wars series, but that might just be part of its charm.

Putting the "Padawan" back into the title of the book brings with it a stronger focus on the past, with this entire issue a flashback within what is already effectively a flashback series.

This is a bold marriage of art and story in a way that only comics can truly deliver on. If the uniqueness of comic books is that the reader is the third essential element, joining the dots between the otherwise static panels themselves, then Art Ops is partly about being caught in the middle of that experience. There are some promising ideas teased here that will hopefully pay off in the forthcoming issues, but for now it begins as an clever way of engaging the viewer with a discussion around art imitating life.

Justice League: The Darkseid War: Batman #1 is but a small vignette in a larger epic, and is to be continued in the Justice League run, yet it is also one that mostly works outside of the confines of that saga. It would be very easy to see this as another set of tie-ins to an overblown event, but instead this is a rare time where the opportunity is being taken to explore the impact a major twist has on the individual members of the League.

There's more than a little of Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips in the DNA of Black Magick, a connection that Rucka has readily copped to during interviews, and how far that develops is yet to be seen. There's a planned thirty issues to this series, so it sounds like there is an end goal in mind. By the end of the first issue we are left with a mystery, and despite all the clues and hints and something more supernatural at play, there is very little but ephemera to make us want to pursue that any further.

Clean Room is a mystery from the start, one that has multiple paths laid out before us. Chloe's self-affirming "Let's see what f--king havoc a journalism degree can create" isn't just a cool line worthy of Spider Jerusalem himself, but a challenge taken on by Simone to see how far down the rabbit hole these notions go. A first issue that is equal parts thrilling and ominous, this has all the makings of an outstanding series.

Nick Spencer and Ramon Rosanas' briefly interrupted Ant-Man run picks up eight months later with a few surprises, but spiritually carrying on the journey of this (mostly) down-on-his-luck hero.

It will come as no surprise to every kid that wanted to be the baddie that Darth Vader has rapidly taken the top spot as the most consistently compelling book in the current line of Marvel Star Wars comic books.

For this first time in this mini-series, the stories of the sequel characters (or at least their antecedents) start to dovetail with the original trilogy heroes, as the seeds for what is likely to be a major plot point of The Force Awakens are quite literally planted by Greg Rucka.

Abnett has the difficult task with this series of bringing together a team that, for all intents and purposes, doesn't have a history in this universe. DC appears to have signaled that they are willing to dip back into some of the classic stories a few inches at a time, and Abnett has taken the path of incremental reintegration of those characters. This isn't quite the classic Titans (at least not yet), and these are certainly variations on even the more recent depictions of those same heroes, but it is also something different, which in the case of decades-old icons is something to take notice of.

Gale reminds us in the back-matter that the danger of playing with a time travel story is that one can undo all the things that worked in the first place. Back to the Future thankfully avoids that by focusing on the specific moments we never got to see before. This first issue is a mixed bag, and the ongoing appeal is going to depend on the strength of the stories chosen for the next three issues. That said, fans will struggle to not find at least something they like in this, especially given that it is the closest we'll get to Bob Gale writing another series film - at least for now.

The basic premise of Spider-Man 2099, in which the hero must fix the future and return home, is a tried-and-true formula that remains compelling. David's final pages may have been telegraphed earlier in the issue, but nevertheless offer the impact and impetus Miguel needs to go forward into a intriguing arc. However, the technical skill and superficial enjoyment aside, it still leaves the book with the self-identified problem of being yet another spider on a familiar web, and this setting can only last for so long.

Kitty Pride is a wonderful new and dynamic Star-Lord, but with the immediate reintroduction of Peter Quill as the bored Spartax ruler, it seems like it is only a matter of time before those superficial changes fall back in line with a more familiar Guardians lineup.

The shock revelation of another gender-swapped hero will come as not surprise to readers of the Battleworld tie-ins, but at least it promises to launch this second volume of Spider-Gwen in a new direction.

Dan Jurgens recognizes that the joy of this book is in watching the post-Flashpoint world through the eyes of the old guard, and their wry and knowing observations will only endear them to long-time readers.

There's almost too much of a good thing in this first outing, with Gertrude's post-mushroom "puking rally" potentially where readers will be at by the time they hit the last few pages of this debut. Being this unrestrained is a double-edged sword: on the one hand there's never any sense that Young has compromised his vision, but we do get a lot of that vision all at once. Nevertheless, there's a lot to love in I Hate Fairyland, and with the world now set up with a healthy sense of "anything goes," Young has the makings of a cult favourite on his hands.

It is really difficult to make a judgment on a story based on the first issue alone, and Davis certainly has some worthy elements in play here. Yet Axcend fails to make a good first impression, pinging back and forth between ideas that are already well familiar to audiences. There's absolutely nothing wrong with formula if you are doing it exceptionally well, but so far Axcend just doesn't take it to the next level.

From his earliest days in the pages of More Fun Comics, World's Finest and Adventure Comics, Green Arrow has always been something of a pastiche: part Batman, partly Robin Hood, and partly inspired by the Western mythos. So it's interesting to see the Green Arrow of the 21st century still struggling with this identity crisis. Percy has some interesting ideas, and the notion of Green Arrow as a horror title is an intriguing one. Yet the problem lies ultimately in the execution, one where multitude of ideas could benefit from being pared back into a singular focus.

With the exception of the superbly emotional piece by Mark Waid and Mahmud Asrar, featuring a devastating moment between the Vision and Scarlet Witch, unless you have a particular affinity with any of these characters, there's just simply too little told too briefly here to base any financial decisions on.

This is in many ways a culmination and combination of Slott's Superior Spider-Man with a forward-thinking Peter Parker, and a renewed Prowler team-up that holds lots of promise for the future. Better still, a final tease indicates that Slott isn't done with his previous stories just yet.

Part romance and part mystery, the sense of foreboding Aaron drives home gives this ongoing series massive appeal.

The debut issue of Telos feels like an extended prologue to the series it actually kicks off at best, or a muddled collection of half-finished thoughts at worst. Telos has been imbued with the ability to travel through all of space and time, has been initially tasked with what appears to have all the makings of a heist story. There's still a long way to go, but it's hard not to feel disappointed that the promise of the DC You and this intriguing character has so far yielded something less than the sum of its parts.

With Jughead, the new creative team have taken the one thing we probably all know about the character (that he is food's biggest fan) and made that an engaging plot point. Archie can have its love triangle between its title character and the two women who want him, but Jughead burns bright with perhaps an even more mesmerizing triptych: Jughead Jones, his food, and the forces that would keep him from it.

Cavalry: 50 Years of S.H.I.E.L.D. is a familiar albeit engaging foray into the crossover world between television and comics. Several references to "Doombots" mean that this doesn't sit entirely in a Marvel Cinematic Universe that is devoid of Fox-owned Fantastic Four characters, but nevertheless opens up the characters of the television series to a slightly larger world, even if it is in passing conversation. By no means essential reading for either fans of the TV series or readers of the S.H.I.E.L.D. ongoing, it's a rapid one-off story that is designed purely to keep fans of May happy.

One of the most highly-awarded writers of the last few years (Mark Waid) and one of the biggest artists around right now (Fiona Staples) work with 75 year-old character, and the results have been revelatory.

There's an overwhelming sense of nostalgia that surrounds this issue, just as it does with much of Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale's collaborations.

Geoff Johns has barely given us pause for breath on the recent "The Darkseid War" run of Justice League, and this dive into the Multiverse is an exemplar of how to run a blockbuster epic in comicbooks.

While there is some action, particularly in the back half of the issue, this is a mostly character-based psychological drama, and a welcome one at that. Without actually featuring Batman in or out of costume, Tynion gives us some answers around the fine line between heroism and madness. As Bruce explains "what crazy is" to the Riddler, he sums up exactly what separates any version of Bruce Wayne from a villain, and exactly what kind of stuff he is made of at his core.

It is far too early to see exactly how this is going to turn out, and the pieces don't all fit together quite yet. This is possibly a good thing, as there isn't a sense of inevitability just yet either. Brandon has undeniably built an intriguing world from each of the entries so far, and there are enough hooks to enable some further digging, even if none of them are particularly robust by themselves at the moment. Either way, Graham's big picture thinking is something that is refreshingly welcome, and a positive sign of things to come.

While the real crux of the forward momentum doesn't come until the final page, Brettholtz neatly lays out his world in this opening issue. Indeed, that the signal for the coming conflict doesn't arrive until late in the piece is a positive sign that there is much more to tell in this engaging reflection on superheroics. The series is worth a look if you are keen to venture outside the mainstream capes.

It really is the Wild West as familiar faces get shot down, and the good guys and bad guys can be as clearly delineated as they like. Nik Verella's pitch-perfect art is gorgeously dust-covered and ridden off into the sunset by top-shelf colorist Lee Loughridge, a knowing mix of dime store funny book charm and a modern impressionistic view of the genre.

It's hard to complain in a book called Deadpool Vs. Thanos when the bloodletting we crave fills frames in a frenzy of fists.

A ghostly final scene is pure Star Wars, and it seems that this narrative shift is in keeping with the bigger story the expanded comics series is telling at the moment.

The halfway point to Fight Club 2 highlights one of the concerns some have had with the story since the beginning, in that receiving the information piecemeal diminishes the overall impact of the story. To date, the method of delivery has delivered us a gripping series of reasons to believe that Palahniuk has been the master of his own creation's destiny, although this might be the first time that he shows some of the contempt he has for what that creation has become as well.

Lopresti's Power Cubed is a little bit anachronistic, but that's just part of the charm that nevertheless makes it a barrel of fun. Filling out the ranks with a hi-tech Jiminy Cricket in the form of a small anthropomorphic robot named Click, and a mysterious redheaded cop whose loyalties remain ambiguous, the plethora of elements could run the risk of being overloaded. Yet Lopestri has so far balanced them all in a kind of dream logic that only makes sense in this kind of shamelessly confident adventure story.

Some of the more interesting aspects of this issue are only played upon briefly, such as the violent reaction Foster had to his 'change.' It all happens off-panel, and as pragmatic as the opening pages might have been, we see the physical effects of his reaction and that alone opens up a world of character notes that Haun and Hurley have only just started to play with, particularly Foster's relationship with his wife. The issue ends with an action cliffhanger this time, but one of the exciting things about this series is going to be the discovery of who these characters are. The conspiracy might be a grand one, but these leads are a mystery worth pursuing all by themselves.

The series now has the momentum the first couple of excellent issues promised, it's just a shame that this issue had to spin its wheels a little in order to get there.

One of the most joyful events of the last year was Spider-Verse, and this Battleworld bubble version almost equals its excellence.

This isn't just a tie-in: this is Star Wars told in deceptively still frames.

The Paybacks succeeds where similar outings have failed by maintaining its sense of humor for the duration. There's almost too much happening, but rarely does it every feel overly packed or squished. Cates and Rahal throw a lot of information at us at once, but gives the reader plenty of reason to trust in their storytelling, from the wickedly funny moments to, well, more of the same but with dinosaurs and unicorns.

Kieron Gillen's Darth Vader is a parallel to Star Wars in every way, from the narrative structure to the presence of the twisted companion droids. As we delve deeper into the world of bounty hunters, we can see just how much the Star Wars universe and modern comics like Saga have in common.

It's a fun story, but it's hard to top the quality being produced in the flagship Star Wars Marvel title at the moment, especially as it barely escapes the gravitational pull of Endor's moon.

Make no mistake: Snyder's current run with Jim Gordon in the role of the mechanical Batman is a superb shakeup of a familiar continuity. Yet as it touches on salient social issues, including police shootings of unarmed youths and disenfranchised quarters of society, this issue reminds us not just of why Snyder remains such a fan-favorite for the character, but what we have loved about the modern version of the Dark Knight for at least the last 30-plus years.

Tet is a strong opening that aims to obscure from the beginning, creating a world where we can't necessarily trust the person doing the telling. A rich character-based piece against a wartime setting is nothing new, but Allor is skillfully weaving in a mystery wrapped inside a bigger mystery to keep us on our toes for the long haul.

This may have worked better as a one-shot, but the promise of a Thanos/Deadpool team-up in the next issue is worth another read.

Perhaps overlooked for the infinitely more cosplayable Spider-Gwen, Robbie Thompson's Silk has been one of the best new characters to emerge from "Spider-Verse."

Christos Gage plays to the strengths of the Flash Thompson/Agent Venom character, crafting him into a natural born leader that even Parker defers to, but this issue spins its wheels a little given that Steve Rogers already gave Venom that validation last month.

A lack of consequences also comes with a slight sense of disposability as well, and there is a very fine line being walked here. All-ages doesn't always mean for all tastes, and while previous issues in the series have been quite strong, this one doesn't hit the same heights. What Bat-Mite does retain in every outing is a sense of innocent charm from a bygone era of comics, although it's the kind of format that works best in bite-sized chunks.

GREEN ARROW #44 is mostly a prelude issue, albeit one that delivers some powerful scenes in the anticipation of the story to come. The addition of an unexpected ally in the final pages comes as a pleasing twist, and the addition of this character may raise some eyebrows who still haven't quite come to terms with her actions with another hero a decade ago. Once again, Percy leaves us pointed in the right direction, and now we patiently wait a month to see if his aim is true.

Not to labor a point, but some may not get beyond the confronting elements of this issue, while others may just rightfully feel that after three issues we are yet to connect with any of the principal characters. The beefing up of the single-minded antagonist promises to push the momentum forward rapidly, although this issue may just be indicative that We Stand On Guard is struggling to find its own identity.

Relying partly on your remembrance of the original work, as well as on the bits you only half-remember, it's entirely appropriate that the familiar face (or what's left of it) that turns up in this book is the very same one that Sebastian wanted to destroy because it was beautiful. Palahniuk might be talking directly to us with these final pages, indicating that if anybody is going to take the last few punches at the beauty that is Fight Club, it's going to be him.

Spencer's skill is in spinning a yarn that is perfectly in keeping with both the event and the tone of his book to date, while also providing an easy access point for people jumping in from other places (such as the recent film).

The long-running gag of what happens to the friends and family of villainous henchmen gets trotted out again, but Curb Your Enthusiasm and Seinfeld alum David Mandel owns it in this sharp satire

A rare slip for the otherwise exceptional series of Star Wars books to date, and despite being a mini-series, Lando #3 just feels like it is spinning its wheels a little bit.

Picking up on themes explored recently in Geoff Johns' "Men of Tomorrow" arc in Superman (not to mention J. Michael Straczynski's Superman: Earth One and the Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice notes it inspired), Hitch couches his ponderings in some heavy-hitting action as well. Operating three concurrent storylines that all promise to intersect at some point, Hitch has not let us down in thus run so far, and shows no signs of doing it any time soon.

One of the biggest drawbacks of this kind of adaptation is getting something that is already whole in piecemeal chunks, and it is easy to believe that this may have been better served as a singular graphic novel release. All the other elements are here though, with rich visuals, a compelling narrative, and a non-linear story to draw us in for the trip.

Much of this issue is a build-up to something that never pays off, and there is a confrontation still brewing. While Hill and Hawkins do a good job of maintaining that tension for much of this issue, the immediate payoff seems a little bit of a cop-out. Perhaps it is simply because the first half of this series to date has been so superb that deviations feel poor in comparison, but Postal is still at its heart a book with a unique view, and works best when that view is allowed to take center stage.

Brenden Fletcher and Annie Wu's reinvention of Black Canary comes literally screaming out of the first page, and is relentless in its pace and excitement this month.

A comical take on a Raymond Chandler-esque plot - where Toomes is a literal vulture, the feline femme fatale is Black Cat, and Kingpin is a gorilla - it's a bit like reading Blacksad under the influence of heavy hallucinogens.

Stuart Immonen's artwork is divine, adding authentic details to every aspect of the familiar universe, all leading to a corker of a final splash page that will have us counting down the days until the next chapter drops.

There are some seriously awe-striking moments in King, and the basic premise is unquestionably a lot of fun. So while it feels complete weird to say this in relation to a book that has a bruiser of a leather-bound biker duck and pterodactyl in a Lakers jersey, there's still a vague sense that we've been down part of this road before. Fialkov and his terrific art team have defined the parameters of this strange future world, and what they do with it next will be of particular interest.

Welcome Back is an arresting debut, taking a concept that could have been worn out from the start and injected it with a much-needed dose of humanism. The twist in the final page hooks us in conclusively for the next month, although it wasn't a hard sell when the story is as good as this one. With massive scope for endless stories that could legitimately take us far into the future, this is one to watch.

The unique approach to Adam.3 might not work all of the time, and is essentially a spin on a very traditional story, but it will undoubtedly have you thinking about it after you've put the book down. Kolins has created something new out of some clear influences, and it is undoubtedly a labor of love that has gone into producing it. There is enough here to warrant at least a second look, and a solid world to continue building upon.

It goes without saying that this book is nuts, a pun that's not only obvious, but undoubtedly delivered in kind several times throughout this issue.

Despite some minor misgivings, GREEN ARROW is heading in the right direction under Percy. Free from the burden of another globe-trotting adventure, and delightfully free of blonde triplets, this grounded approach is where Ollie should be, and here's hoping Percy stays on this course long enough to give us some status quo. References to the Tacoma light rail and killer whales are no more on the nose than Grell's lingering shots of the Pike Markets, and it is to Grell that Percy appears to look when he approaches this character. This can only be a good thing, and we can't wait to see what he has in store for the next arc.

Thematically, the book deals with the consequences of failing the Emperor, and as such, goes to some welcomingly dark places.

Constantine: The Hellblazer is a harder sell than most, because undoubtedly many fans of the classic Vertigo series will have been turned off by the lighter version that has been playing out over the last few years. This is a shame, because this current series comes close to that same darkness that inhabited earlier books, and while it may not capture the same magic of the original, it at least captures its spirit.

Even in the midst of the Secret Wars event, or perhaps especially during it, Chip Zdarksy and Joe Quinones's ability to mock anything and everything in the Marvel Universe is masterful.

Americatown is an incredibly important story, and a one that is told at a cracking pace, but it doesn't always orient the reader in the process of world-building. For example, one never really gets a sense of the importance of the titular townships, how far the problem has spread or even enough information to fully comprehend the refugee's plight. Even the cliffhanger feels as though there was an intended significance that simply doesn't translate to the reader. So the trade-off between rapid-fire activity and exposition means the latter sometimes comes off second-best, but that's all the more reason to stick around and see how this turns out.

Those who have been waiting four years to see how the cliffhanger at the end of this issue plays out might be sorely disappointed that this issue ends on the same note, although this time we have the assurance in the back-matter that the next few issues are already completed. As compelling a setup as it was during its initial victory, The Beauty gives us a myriad of possibilities of where it will go next.

John Flood is undoubtedly an intriguing pilot, with loads of potential, and there is definitely a sense of the familiar in the loose framework. Yet we also conclude the issue with far more questions than answers, having been sucked into the premise wholeheartedly. Not all of the elements presented here pay off immediately, including Flood's own high-concept eccentricity, but they all have the promise of leading somewhere, and you really can't ask more of a first issue than that.

With a dose of Scooby Doo (literally in the case of the Shaggy-esque character Weed), this is a positively fun salute to all things DC across the Multiverse.

Disappointing given the pedigree of all involved, and further proof that a winning team of heroes is a delicate balance to try and recapture after the genie has been let out of the bottle.

It's an odd thing, but of the many Secret Wars tie-ins to date, Spider-Island has perhaps best captured the spirit of paying tribute to the Marvel Universe as a whole

The initial mockumentary conceit of This Damned Band doesn't always work, and in fact holds the reader at arm's length. Yet it's also a fun way to introduce a large ensemble in rapid order. The bigger issue might be that it conveniently forgets its own mock form, so that when it returns to a "to camera" interview it is jarring and once again takes us out of the story. It could also be said that much of the future of the series relies on buy-in of the final panel, which will presumably set the course of the next issue. However, as a jet-fueled piece of art rock, it captures an era well, and that alone gives this grounds for further exploration.

There are some stories that don't flow into each other as readily as others, such as the far too convenient inclusion of the Gotham Academy kids for a bit of much-anticipated fan-service. Yet Batgirl Annual #3 is an innovative and original piece that showcases the best that the new DC talent have to offer. If you're looking for a way to inexpensively dip your toes into both Batgirl and Fletcher's other series, this is an excellent starter kit.

With the comics of Star Wars, Darth Vader, and the other related mini-series currently being exemplars of how to do a licensed tie-in, Kanan the Last Padawan struggles to meets this quality, being left as it is to beat its own drum. Leaving us on a cliffhanger for the final chapter, there's more than enough here to keep fans of Rebels hooked for more, even if it feels like a lengthy one-shot stretched out a bit too thin.

The concept of a book that sits somewhere between The Movement and Oliver Twist's street urchins is an exciting one, and those who may have dismissed the slower pace of the first issue should be encouraged to return and give this series a second chance. Without falling into the trap of a labored exposition, Bermejo has put all of the pieces on the board, and now we simply get to sit back and watch it unfold.

This is one of DC's most inventive books out at the moment, and this issue opens the narrative up to a literal world of possibilities.

At times it comes close to the spirit Jim Starlin or DnA's great runs, evoking some of the cosmic mysticism they both so frequently played with. Yet Guardians of Knowhere #1 this still feels like an imitation caught between two great depictions of these characters in other cosmic Marvel titles.

It's a wonderful culmination of the community vibe of this entire run. It's just a shame that its timing has robbed it of some of its impact.

It is unsurprising, given his heavy involvement in so many of the titles to date, but Johns' encyclopedic knowledge of the entire DC universe has never been more evident than in this issue. Threads from previous New 52 events, Earth 2 and beyond are all present in this outing, with reverberations of Convergence still being felt behind the panels. The absolute bombshell of a twist in the final pages not only flips the script on the concerned character, but leaves us hungrily wanting more.

Westerns and the Marvel universe were made for each other, having at least a sense of vigilante justice in common, and Gerry Duggan's recasting of familiar heroes in Western tropes is a joyous celebration of both.

The double-threat of writer/artist Bryan Hitch delivers a rarity with a genuinely contemplative action blockbuster.

The original event may still be somewhat divisive amongst fans, but this Spider-Island is a satisfying spin on the Spider Virus that was borne in Dan Slott's 2011 event.

As the issue itself suggests, there is little point in pondering whether this is Batman for too long. "You worry about Batman meaning something to people," argues Julia Perry/Pennyworth, "you'll go down fast. If you do it your way, the things you belive in, the things you stad for? Batman will stand for those too." The message from his crew is loud and clear: if Gordon is true to himself, Batman will stand for all of those things as well. Yet Snyder might be reassuring himself here, having rarely shied away from telling the kinds of Batman stories he has always wanted to tell. Even with the bombshell of a closing panel, which leaves us with perhaps the biggest mystery of them all, this issue of Batman is a statement on the Dark Knight, no matter who wears the cowl.

Star Trek/Green Lantern: The Spectrum War makes a genuine attempt to reconcile these two universes on a surface level, even if it is on a superficial level for the moment. One of the intrigue plot developments in this first issue is the person who doesn't receive a lantern ring, and the fallout of that will undoubtedly play into the character dynamics in the future issues. It's a pleasing union to kick off this event, and one that fans of either camp will be hard pressed to find fault with.

If there is one thing that has made the current crop of Star Wars comics stand out from the crowd, it's the top shelf creators that Marvel has attached to the series. Although Princess Leia was far too short-lived, the slot is ready to be taken alongside the two main titles by stablemate Lando, for the heavy-hitter team of Charles Soule and Alex Maleev. Yet what Princess Leia has proved to Marvel and Disney is that this character, and other strong female characters in the Star Wars universe, are not only compelling and interesting outside of the characters they are normally associated with, but there is infinite scope for expanding the range of stories to be told in a galaxy far, far away.

A-Force is a title that would be on the top of the heap were it not for its Secret Wars origins. Just as Spider-Woman began to soar when it was divorced of the Spider-Verse tie-in, Marguerite Bennett and G. Willow Wilson's showcase for Marvel's strong top-tier female leads is precisely the team that the world needs right now - it's just hampered a bit by the fact we know their status quo on Battleworld is to be short-lived.

For the moment, this is indicative of the rest of the issue: moments of outstanding brilliance surrounding by something that is still finding its feet.

Percy is still (re)building the elements, and not all of them gel together seamlessly. On the one hand, bringing Jeff Lemire's Emiko back to being a core member and conscience of Team Arrow (after the interim writers Andrew Kreisberg and Ben Sokolowski pretended she didn't exist) gives the book a whole new tone, one we haven't seen since the relationship between Mia Dearden and Ollie in Judd Winick's pre-Flashpoint run. We've even got a dog on that team ow too. Setting up a dichotomy between Ollie's brand of street justice and the less judiciously applied automated kind, Oliver Queen fighting giant robots doesn't seem like a natural fit. Yet GREEN ARROW has constantly adapted to what was required of it, and time will tell if this new direction is one where all those pieces come together.

Bizarro is not going to appeal to all tastes, as there will be those looking for the tragic figure of Geoff Johns' B-0 last seen as the failed experiment of Luthor in the pages of Justice League. Yet if the Teen Titans can have their Teen Titans Go!, then Bizarro can happily coexist alongside the rest of the DC multiverse. Perhaps the only problem is that this series has a limited run, at least for now.

Barb Wire is undoubtedly targeted directly at a specific demographic, and perhaps will work best for those who have been patiently waiting for the last two decades for more adventures with the lead. Otherwise it remains something of a bubble in time, a glimpse of what would happen if the dream of the '90s never died, but had to grudgingly accept the passing of time.

Howard the Duck has undergone many changes over the last few decades, from failed movie star, to a mature readers line and a recent cinematic cameo. This issue hits the stride of the best aspects of all of those incarnations, proving that any character - regardless of how "fowl" they might be - has an amazing comic book inside of them.

As Mark Waid and Chris Samnee's Daredevil approaches its finale, they prove there is still room to shock, bringing Matt Murdock and the Kingpin face-to-face for a surprising deal.

A promising new direction for Green Lantern. For a primary series that often gets caught up in the epic grandness of longer story arcs, it's nice to have a discreet Lantern-based story that doesn't require a tome of set-up to slip into.

"The Korvac Saga" is a classic story that has been adapted in various animated series, but in the context of Secret Wars it's mostly an excuse to throw the original Guardians of the Galaxy against a version of The Avengers.

What may have begun as a cynical marketing attempt to attract a new demographic has evolved into something much more than that, and is perhaps even parodying the very audience that it will most appeal to. Which is why Batgirl has been such a success, balancing that fine line between talking to a younger audience in their own language while never making the mistake of condescending to them.

For what is partly a continuation of an existing story, JUSTICE LEAGUE 3001 can almost stand alone as its own book. There are enough new elements to pull existing readers in, while giving new audiences enough information to hit the ground running. For that is the real joy of this book, in always trying to catch up with the action. If you aren't reading this already, and you like a decent chuckle, it may be one of the funniest books on the market at the moment.

Undoubtedly one of the most promising additions to the New DC Universe, it's also a little slow to get going as well. The real crux of the issue doesn't get going until the third act, by which stage you've either invested in the character or you haven't. We suspect this is going to be a slow burner, and definitely one to keep checking back on as the months go by.

Reading Palahniuk's Fight Club 2 in a serialized format is a curious approach, with those king hits of his that we've grown used to reeling from now given a comfortable distance from their consequences. While the temptation might be to trade wait and see how this all turns out in the end, the series provides a rare opportunity to see how Palahniuk's mind unpacks something as complex as the dual narratives running here.

It's rare that a book that so summarily dispatches some of its leading characters keeps you compelled month after month, let alone maintain something as close to comic book perfection as this.

Easily one of the highlights of the whole Secret Wars event.

A punk-rock spin on Dazzler, but with edge. Put aside any prejudices or cynicism you may have about this reinvention. It's a punk (re)vision that is completely in the spirit of the character, with the right balance of ass-kickery and hooks to lure in new audiences. Put this one on your reading list immediately.

A perfect jumping-on point for anybody not familiar with previous versions of Doctor Fate, or simply keen to find out what this cat in the golden helmet is on about. A storybook journey with some dark turns, it's mostly a lighthearted adventure from the days of matinee serials, and promises to be a ripping yarn.

DOOMED gets off to a promising start, taking a familiar set-up and infusing it with enough humour and enthusiasm to give us good reason to care about this new character. It's an outright fun book, and like many of the other debuts out this week, is willing to do something new with an existing idea.

It's Power Girl and Harley Quinn running around the cosmos getting into fights and adventures. This really is a no-brainer: if you like either character (or better yet, both!), there will be very few reasons to turn away from this mini-series. Even if it doesn't have a scratch-'n'-sniff element to it.

The great thing about the post-Convergence world is not just a willingness to tell different types of stories, but a variety of stories utilising the same characters. JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA proves there is room for more than one Justice League book on the block.

With a cliffhanger that reintroduces a massive figure in the Kryptonian's mythology, Hitch has us snagged from the beginning. If it seemed unlikely that another Justice League book was needed at the moment, then this allays those fears by filling the void with pure DC comic bookery. What begins ostensibly as a Superman story about putting himself first for a change, turns into a piece that plants the seeds for a tale about what makes the Justice League special.

MARTIAN MANHUNTER fans will undoubtedly be overjoyed to see their favourite green shape-shifter (possibly after Beast Boy) get his own series again at last. However, it is not the most accessible beast just yet, but with any luck it will morph into something more user friendly in the coming months. Still one to watch.

Unlike previous attempts at obscure retro revivals (such as The Green Team), PREZ works right out of the gate, taking its time to build up its world a panel at a time. It's almost a shame that this is a finite series, as we could foresee this expanding indefinitely.

This book is unquestionable gorgeous to look at, but it also definitely has the scope of a mini-series. Damian Wayne was always more interesting when defined in relation to his father, a relationship that made up most of Morrison's run. Cut off from that, it becomes just another story about yet another resurrected Robin.

Kanan: The Last Padawan shows that even within the more limited scope of the new expanded universe, there are still a myriad of stories to be told. With the mini-series now half over, hopefully this sets the tone for more stories set in and around this untold era of Star Wars history.

If this is an exemplar of the New DC Universe, then we are in for a hell of a trip. Ennis and McCrea effortlessly pick up fifteen years after the fact and running with the glorious insanity that is SECTION 8. This might be the only book we need.

It's always a risky thing when you change a formula that's been in place for eight decades, and Batman has seen this kind of change before. It's not the first "death" of Bruce Wayne, and it certainly won't be the last. Yet somehow Snyder, Capullo and the team have found a balance between radical change for change's sake and experimenting with something new, leaving the escape hatch open for what we can assume will be a return to something more familiar in the future.

This terrific creative team brings a fresh new spin to CONSTANTINE: THE HELLBLAZER. While it is not quite the old school Vertigo title, it is also an evolution from the New 52 version, creating something almost entirely different and immediately arresting.

Just as James Robinson, Tom Taylor and Marguerite Bennett excited by crafting something distinctly new in the sandbox, so too does Daniel H. Wilson. Elevating the notion of legacy superheroes to a global scale, this feels like a wild west frontier where anything could happen " and just might.

As a one-shot, this could have been a killer action piece. Yet as the introduction to an ongoing, it offers new readers few reasons to invest time in these one-dimensional action-hero pastiches of an era in comics some of us are still trying to forget.

There is nothing necessarily wrong with STARFIRE in and of itself, but for readers already well versed in Conner and Palmiotti's Power Girl and Harley Quinn (or even Terra for that matter) there will undoubtedly be a sense of the familiar about it. Here's hoping it will grow into its own entity in the coming months.

Starve is a fascinating premise, mostly due to the compelling nature of the characters Wood has introduced here. Wood takes what would otherwise be a tried and true concept and elevates it into not just a critique of modern media, but a potential character study of operatic proportions.

It's terrific to see Tim Drake's Futures End story continued, and while it may be disappointing to some that McGinnis is out of the picture (at least for now) it is difficult to argue with a fast-paced action comic that dares to throw new and existing readers straight into a future world and ask us to come along for the ride and revelations, including a bombshell that is dropped on the final page.

BIZARRO is one of the most charming books released by DC in a long time. (Or should that be "BIZARRO am worstest most unfriendly book from DC in short time?") Not just perfect for kids, who will love the visual madness of it, but for adults with a pulse as well.

Percy's GREEN ARROW appears to be a slow burn, and we get the sense that not all of the pieces are in place just yet. For now, it's difficult to be anything more than cautiously optimistic about this new beginning, with only a handful of hints as to where the comic is headed. What we need now is some status quo, rather than a new direction every few months. The character of Green Arrow has always been in constant flux, as well he should be, but the post-Convergence DCU provides the perfect opportunity to take some time to rebuild this character from the ground up.

Other creators take note: this is how JUSTICE LEAGUE is done. It might be a case of peaking early, but this opening salvo in "The Darkseid War" really has it all. Putting the Multiverse front and centre as a plot device, and pitting a classic Justice League line-up against one of the heaviest hitting villains, this has all the hallmarks of being a classic in the making.

Some will focus on violence being a part of the DCU, while others will point to Midnighter's open homosexuality, but either way MIDNIGHTER is one of the most promisingly progressive books DC has released in the last five years

A difficult jumping on point, THE OMEGA MEN aims high, but also asks a lot from the audience for a debut issue. A little homework is required in advance of reading this issue, not least of which is the 8-page preview Marvel released last month. One to watch, although we're just not sure why yet.

It's terrific to see DC taking aim at younger readers with their new line-up, and there is a definite charm to Bat-Mite. Some of the references ("Trickle down economics at work!") will undoubtedly go sailing right over the heads of the younger readers, but there's enough one-liners to keep at least the smiles coming. It's a fine start for a limited series, although as yet shows no reason to be an ongoing. The real test will be to see how this performs with the younger audiences.

Happy endings are a rare thing in events, especially when the last book the bear the name "crisis" was about evil triumphing. For a universe-ripping series, it's also a delight that this comes to a positive conclusion, and doesn't lead us straight into another event. Convergence ultimately feels more like it is brushing aside some bad blood. With this issue, a four-year experiment of the New 52 also comes to an end, and something else emerges in its place: DC You. DC has almost cast itself as the misguided villain in this case, drawing parallels with the errors of Brainiac. "Maybe the end is what it takes," remarks Telos knowingly, "to see your mistakes." There are, of course, several plot threads left dangling, including the true name of Telos that become a very minor sub-plot in the back part of the series. This is a new era for DC, and while it may not be the sweeping change that devotees were hoping for, it is a step in the right direction.

Like the best of these Convergence books, Convergence: The Flash is a love-letter to the DC Universe and a nod to the important role that The Flash has played in almost every Crisis across the Multiverse. It's not over yet, and perhaps the current Scarlet Speedster has a critical role to play in this Convergence.

At a time when there is even more to be angry about in the world, from global politics to the division between rich and poor, Tyler Durden is needed more than ever. It is almost as if the character has been lurking deep within Palahniuk's unconscious mind for the last two decades, to return fully formed and ready to take over the world. A stunning major comics debut from the writer, and an amazing example of how comics can create an entirely new form of expression. Tyler Lives. Rize or Die.

While not quite tying in with main event, short of a throwaway line from Norman Osborn about Doctor Doom being his god, Spider-Verse remains a mostly entertaining chapter in an otherwise inconsistent (so far) multiversal event. However, with several chapters still remaining in this mini-series tie-in, there's still a wealth of threads to explore on this always fascinating web.

One of the chief issues Star Wars is going to keep running into throughout this run is the lack of any true mortal peril to its characters. After all, we know where they end up. The cliffhanger of this issue is forced to blind a character to stop them from encountering Boba Fett before their actual first meeting in a later film, which is not the first time the tension between canon and storytelling has happened in Aaron's run. Yet if you are willing to just accept these as adventure stories with your favorite characters, told with an authentic voice, then you and Star Wars are going to get along just fine.

LIke many of the second issues in these Convergence runs, CONVERGENCE GREEN ARROW lacks any real sense of resolution. The father-son angst that was set up in the first issue never really pays off, nor is it given any more attention other than a throwaway line in the final panel. This is disappointing, as Marx's set-up really makes us want to spend a bit more time with this group of unlikely characters, or at the very least explore the "what if" relationship between Ollie and Connor. As we've already had a taste of the future of Green Arrow with the post-Convergence Green Arrow #41, this may still be the last time we see the bearded Ollie outside of the back-issues.

It seems unlikely that Convergence will be remembered for much beyond bringing a few classic characters back, but perhaps that is all that it need to achieve.

A must read for any comic book fan with the requisite amount of funny bones.

Justice League #40 is an extended prelude, and as such it's designed to tease the next big arc, something that it does incredibly well. Yet it is necessarily coupled with the Divergence giveaway chapter, which is arguably a more compelling prologue than this. That interrelationship weakens both introductions, cheapening the start of DC's next big crossover and taking some of the wind out of the sails. That said, if this first issue is anything to go by, then "Darkseid War" is gearing up to be one of the biggest showdowns on the the far side of Covergence and The Multiversity.

While the story is still leading to a confrontation with the Atomic Knights of Durvale, themselves an alternative future of a post-apocalyptic Earth, it packs in more heart and insight into the characters of this era than many of its contemporaries have done to date. Convergence: Legion of Super-Heroes #1 may follow a similar structure to all of the other event titles in this series, in that it is ultimately leading up to a confrontation, but how many of those have knights in armor riding around on the backs of giant dalmatians?

Perhaps it's due to a familiarity with this era, butCONVERGENCE: GREEN ARROW #1captures the mid-1990s Green Arrow in a literal bubble. While it would have been interesting to pull in a different periodof the character's history, this largely overlooked era serves as a perfect point for a much angrier Ollie and a more nave Connor. If you've not looked ahead at next month's solicitations, the reveal of Ollie and Connor's sparring partners is an interesting one as well, bringing together two competing '90s realities in the same book. Perhaps when the dust settles, the version of Green Arrow that returns will be something a little closer to this one.

Convergence will take over the entire DCU for the next few months, and like previous events, its tie-ins will form the basis of all releases. However, unlikely the recent Forever Evil, where the core title remained strong even if the tie-ins were sometimes lackluster, Convergence is off to an inauspicious start. The cynical view has been that Convergence is merely a placeholder for editorial convenience, and this water-treading issue really does little to dissuade folks of that notion. Ultimately, Convergence is a concept that literally has infinite worlds of potential, and one hopes that they live up to the promise of the #0 in the coming months.

In some ways, these mini-series are aiming for classicism, but falling short in execution that is hampered by the "rules" of the event. While the scope of Convergence: Speed Force is much bigger than some of its contemporaries, it is still difficult to get too invested in sets of characters that by necessity may be wiped out by the end of this run. However, what Beddard has achieved is balancing these small inevitable stories up against something much bigger than any individual character. It will remain to be seen whether this particular Flash will prove to be more significant in the wider Convergence, but if history is a guide, there will be at least one Flash disappearing in a Crisis.

While ultimately heading towards the same type of confrontation that every other book in this event is mirroring, Jurgens at least uses the opportunity to pay tribute to the mythos of DC's most iconic character. It's as much a celebration of Superman and his relationships as it is an event tie-in, and marks itself as one of the stand-out entries in the line-up. In this sense, Convergence: Superman succeeds where some of the other books in this line have failed.

Anybody who missed the old Harley Quinn will love the final pages, and the promise of next month's "Rabbit Season", but this first issue struggles to maintain interest and incorporate Convergence into the plot as well.

Given that the story has no real drive to get to the next stage, it's difficult to say whether this is worth coming back for a second outing. Fans will enjoy the stroll down memory lane, and it's fun enough that a monthly outing in this world wouldn't be without merit. Yet it may also benefit from being a one-shot, as there just simply isn't enough substance here to warrant a series.

Kreisberg and Sokolowski's run has to date felt like the TV show they would have written if they had access to all of the characters in the DC universe. With next month's Convergence event set to change the status quo, this issue of Green Arrow brings about its own kind of "convergence", updating the comic to a point where it could comfortably run concurrently with the TV series, complete with its own versions of Felicity, Diggle and a surrogate Thea. As such, if this does end the New 52 version as we know it, it's a logical conclusion, albeit one that treads familiar ground.

From the vantage point of the end of this first issue, we have every reason to be excited about the subsequent chapter in this series. That there's already a cinematic quality to this book is probably indicative of why it has been optioned for a film, but it well and truly stands on its own legs. Taking familiar elements from genre stories and beyond, the combination of Lemire's character-driven narrative and Nguyen's coolly optimistic art makes this something truly unique.

As controversial as Dan Slott's choices have been over the last few years, The Amazing Spider-Man has been given a new lease on life following Superior Spider-Man and the "Spider-Verse" arc. Which is why this issue, effectively an epilogue to the "Spider-Verse" event with everybody saying goodbye and setting up their new jobs, is something of an anti-climax.

An early contender for Marvel's strongest new debut of the year.

Salvador Larocca's art is pitch-perfect, not just capturing the authentic nature of the Star Wars universe of ships and landscapes, but in the more subtle way of replicating original actor David Prowse's stance and movements.

"Endgame" is about to rapidly expand and spill out into the other Bat-titles before it concludes, and this is a shame in many ways. Snyder's arc has been tense and tight so far, stringing us along just as the Joker has pulled Batman's chain. This is where Snyder's storytelling excels, in these focused pitched battles between the Dark Knight and enemies that can truly challenge his supremacy as Gotham's defender. Yet with only one issue of the main arc left, we're left on the precipice of a story that has not simply returned the Joker to comic book pages, but one of the best versions of Batman, as well.

Literally killing off original Black Hood "Kip" Burland in the process, The Black Hood might look backwards in its aesthetic, but is determined to reinvent a pulp era character. Unlike DC's comparable revival of the Charlton characters, it's a series that both thoroughly modern and rich with its own history. Coupled with outstanding artwork, it marks the start of a new era for Archie Comics, one that promises to change perceptions even further.

EI8HT is a stunning and evocative new series from one of the best artists working in the business. The compelling premise takes familiar tropes and turns them on their head, asking readers to trust in it. Given the cliffhanger ending and plethora of questions left unanswered, we're in for the long haul. Highly recommended.

The debut of SECRET IDENTITIES plays with the conventions we are all familiar with, but sets up enough mysteries for us to expect the unexpected in months to come.

After the multiversal madness of Spider-Verse, SILK is a return to a simpler style of Spider-story, one that involves great power, great responsibility and a whole lot of fun.

Ultimately, it's difficult to become invested in the Nazi "heroes", a fulfilment of Frank Miller's fascist visions of Superman and Batman but without the filter of 1980s pop culture. Morrison has woven a complex web of worlds in his grand plan, although one can't help but feel that the Multiverse would have done just fine without too much attention paid to Earth-X.

Secret Identities #1 does what all good debut issues should do, and gives us just enough set-up for each of the main characters to warrant a further bit of ferreting down the rabbit hole. The final twist revelation indicates where the series might go from here, but even this feels like a tease for something larger over the horizon. Regardless, Faerber and Joines have used a clearly extensive love of the genre, and just as Joines did with the culturally rich Krampus, begun to play on our assumptions and familiarity with the conventions.

It's hard to tell at this early stage if the familiar set-up, with two factions splitting off over the potential use/misuse of the powerful Black Vortex artifact, is a retread of similar Avengers/Guardians/X-Men encounters over the last few years. Yet the book hits the ground running with some gorgeous art by Valerio Schiti, especially during the sequences in which a character is "touched" by the power, and some lovely moments between Kitty and Peter Quill.

Harley fans will truly dig it, and already be in line for the inevitable National Peanut Day Special just in time for September 13.

Filled with familiar nods, it even achieves the impossible by bringing some of the prequel film's stories full-circle by the end of this first issue.

As familiar as some of Empty's elements might be, it's a strong debut to this new series. All of the pieces have been set up in this opening chapter, and while the path seems relatively clear for Tanoor and her strange companion, it doesn't mean that it won't be this fun along the way.

Bears, robots, and would-be assassins aside, at its core Ant-Man is a human drama, the kind that Marvel does so well. It's terrific to see that despite several major characters now existing outside the confines of New York, the essence of that dichotomy remains. In fact, in the case of the Scott Lang version of Ant-Man, the "fish out of water" only serves to heighten this notion of the loveable loser, one that we will enjoy checking in with each month.

The intriguing premise is filled with shadow groups, significant symbols, dream logic, and space travel to save a dying planet, but there is a lot going on for a first issue. It's difficult to follow at times, but for now they must be considered puzzle pieces for a greater whole.

Possibly surprising nobody, Saga remains supremely amazing as it enters its fifth arc.

Of course, the majority of the issue is an almighty smackdown, with Romita's often divisive style shining as the Man of Steel discovers a new level to his powers. It results in Romita getting to show off the solar aspects to the Kryptonian's power source in spectacular fashion.

It's hard not to get caught up in the charm, especially with Erica Henderson's art capturing a Saturday morning cartoon vibe, enhanced by Rico Renzi's clevery retro color palette. A bafflingly enjoyable book.

Harley Quinn #14 is a perfect jumping-on point for anyone curious to see what all the fuss about this title is. It perfectly encapsulates why the character has taken on such a massive fan base, and showcases all the major tenants that this series is built around. For ongoing readers, who knows that this book works best as a series of loosely connected one-shots, it was a nice break from the longer story arcs before she embarks on a quest to "harmonificate" her life.

As the series progresses, one wonders if Morrison sees himself as burdened with this glorious purpose. After all, he spends much of this issue almost obsessively cataloguing the gateways to other realms and stories. Opening the door to an infinite number of stories, while warning us of the dangers of the "forces" that threaten to make them homogenous, what Morrison has accomplished with this mammoth 70-plus page The Multiversity Guidebook, and with the series more broadly, is nothing short of breathtaking.