First, Jorge Corona is doing an amazing job replicating DWJ style. There are small differences here and there but nothing jarring. I love this as often when switching artists things can go downhill quick. Not in this case!

As for the story itself... like did they just kill off Starscream? This is such a more brutal stake on Transformers and I am here for all of it. Such a contrast in hope and despair, in growth and loss. DWJ starts this new arc off with a bang and delivers an amazing story. A must read. more

This series hasn’t missed a beat. I was disappointed to learn that Daniel Warren Johnson was no longer drawing the series anymore, but Jorge Corona’s style is nearly identical to my eyes.

This was great. Loved it all. Loved the betrayal. The character development of the commander, the brutality of it all and how we see how all paths lead to Destro. They are doing a great job hyping up Destro. I love this mini-series, this is a great way to paint a picture of the universe while building it up. Yet it doesnt overwhelm. Very smart move by Skydance. Evergon Universe going strong!

Fun and action filled. unlike Wonder Woman I didn’t get a lecture about the evil patriarchy I got a fun book about cobra commander searching for the lost Energon on earth and getting betrayed in the end.

This book has some serious balls. I think this is by far the best issue of the series.

Yeah Duke was awesome. Enough said.

Oh I should say more for a review? Well the action was great, got lots of that. Got the classic faking the death scene. Got the start of GI Joes. Some more Destro stuff. All the good good stuff you want. Strong recommend. This was a fiery amazing start to the Energon Universe.

I am a bit generous with the rating on this one, but as someone else said (and I agree), this is exactly what a filler issue should be. It even advertises itself as one (2.5 and all that). You get to know some background history so there are no hanging plot points, you get to see some foreshadowing from a couple of years ago pay off and you get a bit of the politicking on earth going on.

The Perry White story is ham fisted yes, but rather realistic. I would expect this type of thing to regularly happen. People trying to evict aliens sounds like it would happen every 5-10 years honestly with all the madness superheroes bring. People would grow tired. Now could the story have been better? Yeah its written by Russell so you are not getting the A game here.

As for the Brainiac stories, I enjoy the lore drop of the first part. Waller is overused by this point but I like the connection and reveal of the council. At least, if the foreshadowing is right, we will be done with her at the end of Absolute Power.

Good art. more

While this is a filler issue, I really think this is a good example of what a filler issue is. It fleshes out why Brainiac is doing this, I like Perry White trying to convince that not all aliens are bad, and I love the reveal of who the Society of Light was that was teased all the way back in Dark Crisis.

Another exciting chapter. A lot is set up well in this issue and I want to see what is going on with Brainiac.

Good mix of action and conversations to break up the pace. Solid art.

This is shaping up to be a promising Superman event. I just hope Williamson can stick the landing (which he often cannot).

Honestly I dont really like the mites ect but I enjoyed this issue. Waid did a really good job making annoying characters work. Chuckled a bit and the fight scenes were great.

The idea of parasite learning new ways to absorb things was quite cool. Writers might want to remember that for any future arc with him.

Powered up robin was cool. Honestly a lot more cool moments than I would have expected in this issue. Good times all around.

Mora is amazing, as always. more

Name me a DC mini-series with a better ending than this one in the past 5 years? I bet you can't honestly tell me one that is better to any meaningful degree. Adams sticks the landing like an Olympic gymnast. This has everything you want. It has Jay pushing himself to the very limit, Adams understands who he is, his ideals, how he would approach things, what his limits are and when he can push those. This issue distills Jay to who he is at his core. He is a hero. He is the Flash and he doesn't go back, he just moves forwards.

This has action, it has big emotional moments, it has villain arcs set up for the future, it has nice art. I love it. I love everything about this. The final couple of pages dont feel like an 'and its over now', it feels like I am closing a story book that has come to a close in this chapter. Jay has shown me who he is and it is who I expected. The book has lessons and leaves that lingering feeling that we should strive to be better.

I might be embellishing a bit but I loved it. I feel great putting this book down and it gives me the feeling that I want in a comic. I wish more comics were like this.

I wish Adams got more work from DC. more

Solid ending to a great series. Respect for the golden age heroes is a wonderful thing to see. Too bad about Alan though.

Honestly I yearn for Sci-fi and the Green Lanterns fill that (might be the only books in DC that do). All that being said, PKJ War Journal is really doing it for me now. John out in a dead space fighting with a rag tag group of lost survivors against untold space terrors? Yes please. The art really adds to it. Love this entire part of the story.

Ellie's story gives me the 'feels' if you will. The terror and pain of John's mother and a desperation of Ellie to protect her. At best I can see this ending in a bittersweet way but its going to be emotional regardless.

Guy and Shepard are quite funny.

The fact PKJ has 3 stories all tied together, one sci-fi, one emotional drama and one comedy, and I am invested in all of them is quite something. I am loving this.

As a side note, is it just me or does PKJ writing style seem kind of high risk. On several of his runs (like this one and the Hulk currently on going), he almost loses me and then bam releases a new arc or some critical issue that just sucks me right back in, fully excited. I am way more invested in this book than I was before, I am loving this run, please stick the landing on this! more

I wanted to touch on a couple of points that I think a lot of people are over looking. This dinner conversation was more of a social spar and a feeling out of potential allies. Hickman did a great job of how each party reacted. Peter and MJ vs Harry and Stacy. Totally different walks of life whose goals sort of overlap but have rather different approaches. This conversation clearly sets up a lot of potential for future issue and plot points. Loved it.

Also why is no on talking about Harry dropping the famous 'With Great Responsibility?'. Hickman isn't so dumb to drop that without a lot of subtext. This isnt some young Peter learning this from the death of a family member, this is an older Peter with a family hearing this from a potential ally asking them to do something that might put there family in direct danger. The implications of this are way different. How will Peter internalize this? We know that in what ever run or version of spider-man that exists, how that Peter takes those words forms who he is. How will he internalize this one given how different the context was?

If I were to tell you this was just a dinner conversation issue, you would likely scoff as Marvle's dinner talk issues are almost always terrible. This however was intricate and likely sets the stage for how Peter will become. more

It’s bold to have an issue of Spider-Man built entirely around a dinner conversation, and it’s a great example of why Ultimate Spider-Man works. Hickman is taking chances rather than playing it safe, and it’s paying off, big time.

Another great chapter in the ultimate universe. I like where this is going and this series starts with a lot of paranoia. A lot of people who dont really trust each other and who are trying to see how far the trust will go. So far the characters are both similar but different enough that this is a nice break from the disastrous BP in the 616. Ultimate is honestly how BP should be (much like Spider-man and maybe the X-men). more

Plot
Erik Killmonger explains to T'challa that Ra and Konshu are also his enemy, although he no longer feels like Wakanda, he is now Ororo's (Storm) ally.

Killmonger takes T'Challa to a temple that looks like it's in Wakanda, but T'Challa doesn't know that language. In this place there is also vibranium, but suddenly Black Panther cannot control it, so he takes it away and reaches Ororo, who tells him that Moon Knight wants a power that is locked in this place that she does not know, it is an energy sphere. mysterious

Shuri and Queen Okoye do not get along, and T'Challa's disappearance increases this tension.

Magnificent new chapter that continues to creatively expand this alternate Ultimate universe, Ultimate Storm is spectacular.

Art
The art has many textures that offer a gloomy tone and interesting dynamism to this dramatic beginning, each page is hypnotizing with a cold color palette with many plays of shadows.

Summary
Black Panther is brought by Killmonger to Storm, who unveils the weapon Moon Knight really wants and it's not vibranium.
more

The issue is fun but also lacking. Some plot points dont make sense like the family just being able to go in to the bunker and the Waller side of things seems to be a mess. The action is great though. I am neutral on the Merlyn take. Some good and some bad on that. Overall not bad, but I hope the ending can make this work. Williamson always does weak endings so I am nervous about that.

Full disclosure, I was going to drop this book if this issue wasnt great. The last arc was a disaster but I heard that PKJ was asking people to hold on till this arc happened. So I did, and this is a great start. I am glad I waited. Klein's art at this point has become critical to this book. Without it the story doesnt feel right. If they cant keep Klein on for longer stints, I dont think this book will survive.

Otherwise, from a plot perspective, a lot has moved forward and wow did I like the end half of this book. First half was just ok but end half, especially with Banner in the other world is great. This arc promises a bunch of tense moment and Banner and Hulk are going to have to have some long overdue conversations. more

A) Why do we need an issue on a D list side character from one of the most hated Nightwing runs of all time? Why does Tom keep trying to make her relevant?
B) This was just a bad issue. At this point what isnt she? This is just like 'ah yes this character actually has a tragic past, secretly awesome and shoots rainbows, love her!' This is exact opposite of what you should do if you want to make it a character that becomes beloved. With this in place this almost certainly cemetes her as a character in the background for all time. Shame. She could have been something or redeemed with some good character work. This is character work that a small child would write.
C) Art not terrible not good? more

It is a fun crime noir with a twist at the end to make it all fit into the current run. I had run, I liked the reinterpretations. Lovely art for the story. Really got the feel. The FF all look great as noir characters. This run has no real strong overarching story but all these one offs are not bad at all.

Picking back up from issue #4 after skipping the pointless Frembia arc.

For part 1 of the House of Brainiac tie-in we get the following from Leah Williams: Slice of life skate-boarding with cheesy boob jokes, Omen invading privacy being used as a comedic effect, and two pages of the guest star of the issue (Crush) with a tease of what’s to come in the future issues.

If you’re pulling just for House of Brainiac, honestly skip. It’s clear that this tie-in is irrelevant. more

Too much time was wasted establishing that PowerGirl is top heavy (but not drawn like it), non-consensual thought invasion which is now established that is something Omen does on the regular (side note, what type of friend violates their 'besties' memories and emotions on a regular basis? If this is what Leah thinks friends are, I actually pity her. Omen is written as a toxic piece of trash) and random flirting texts.

By the time we get to the action, it isnt bad, and at least it is lore consistent why PG remains. She is acting a touch more like PG but still a far cry off.

The tease of Crush was way too short. Essentially this book only has like 6 important pages. The rest is fluff. Though I will say, at least it has 6 pages, that is more than some other stories can say. A far cry from an acceptable book though.

Art is more appropriate for this book than in previous issues. So that is a plus. more

Disclosure, this will read way better in a trade. Issue by issue this story is really slow and painful to wait month to month.

All that being said, this was a great issue. Stuff heats up, we learn a lot more about the situation with everyone, you can start to put together the dots of what is happening and we get even more questions than answers. Great issue.

All in all, wait for the trades to get the best experience for this story. The story itself is really really good. Just slow. But a slow that keeps you in suspense and unnerved. more

Well I know this book was cancelled but wow does it scream 'cancelled'. This was clearly the real end of the first arc with Adana defeated and now Blade has to fix all the world wide effects she has put into motion. My guess is Marvel will ignore that the entire world is filled with evil and just go right into blood hunt (not everyone is vampires). This will be a plot point that is never resolved. I figured Hill would fix this in another 10 issue and get the grand conclusion or something along those lines. Instead... we get this.

Also speaking of Adana... wow was she weak and quickly defeated for a literal element of evil. Like she was a concept. How do you kill the concept of evil so easily? At least her body. This should have been some epic mind melting fight with serious in universe effects. Instead this will likely leave nothing.

This series of what it should have been to what it became due to Marvel is honestly in part why I think I am going to stop reading most main universe marvel books. Maybe keep 2 or 3 at most and just see if the ultimate universe can keep itself together better. The main universe is a disaster. more

What can I say? This was quite enjoyable. Action, tragedy, some backstory revel, cheesy puns. If you are still reading Spider-Boy by this point this should all appeal to you. Also that twist at the end was a nice and sets up the villains reasoning better and adds a little bit of depth.

Con: The time jumps/incoherent timeline was a bit annoying. Stuff just seemed to jump ahead and back between the two characters and that was annoying. Some editing would have fixed that but we all know Marvel and DC dont have any competent editors left. more

Fun issue, but some of the characters feel a bit off in the writing (not a lot but still a touch). This feels like a 'move along issue' we learn a lot of what is going on in the background and get some nice action and some ring info updates.

Back up was ok. I laughed once but I expected to laugh more in a Lobo Guy situation.

Do any of you actually think the Sovereign is a threat to WW? This character has never been established as a real threat. WW has just destroyed every challenge he put against her. This series reads more as a curb stop. WW just as to be reminded she is WW and that this was never a good read, or a real enemy. Tom King is a hack at this point. I have never wondered what challenges WW will experience in this book. She was never in any danger. She has never experienced any real threat in this entire run. Sovereign is a weak, pathetically written character. He is only good at controlling every day people. I find it hard to believe that he actually controls things behind the scenes except for the face that King has to constantly tell us this or show us in ways that dont really pan out.

Art is ok but not Sampere's best work.

Also the entire 'dream sequence/hallucination' that WW was in made me burst out laughing. How many female characters in the past year turn out to have their largest fears be 50s house wives? I was not aware that 50s house wives were the worst experience one could have throughout history (which Diana should know given how long she has been alive). King might fear 50s house wives but I seriously doubt WW does (or at least fears a lot of other stuff a lot more). more

Wasn't super impressed with how quickly and easily everything was resolved at the end, but at least the twist made sense I had a lot of fun with the overall concept as a big fan of noir films.

This book went from cool to monotonous to just plain bad. When the hell was the last time we saw or even heard about the mother of horrors or the eldest? This book is verrrry close to getting taken off my pull list.