Justin Partridge, III Comic Reviews

Sex Criminals has been a book that I was excited about from its announcement and now that we are three issues in, I couldn't be more entertained by it. Its so much more than just a comedy, or just a love story, or just a weird semi-autobiographic romp. Its something brand new, yet completely recognizable to all of us . Fraction once asked "Where was The Apartment of comics?" and with Sex Criminals, I think he and Chip Zdarsky have given us a worthy heir apparent to the sex comedies of old. They have given us a wildly original, wholly engaging delightful comic that keeps us howling just as much as it keeps us feeling.

It doesn't matter if this is your first time or your eleventh time hanging out with Jon and Suze, Matt Fraction and Chip Zdarsky live to satisfy and that's precisely what Sex Criminals #11 does as it returns to dirty up our comic shop shelves.

Sex Criminals #13 is a great comic for a lot of reasons, like the fantastic artwork and the sharp script, but its importance to asexual representation this month cannot be overstated. Matt Fraction and Chip Zdarsky have never shied away from incendiary or rarely discussed topics, but Sex Criminals #13 scratches a very specific itch that has gone long un-addressed in pop culture. Representation is important, and Sex Criminals #13 finally shines a tasteful light on an often overlooked, and misunderstood, section of humanity.

Clint Barton is a good man; underneath the bluster and the prickly nature of his personality he is a man that desperately wants to do good. Though that desire to set things right, though, Clint Barton has put himself and his building in grave danger. The thought of this never occurred to him and now he must face what he has coming. This kind of character development and an unending committal to the serialized structure of the series is exactly what makes Hawkeye the hit it is today. We care about these characters because the creative team cares about them, to the point that they wouldn't dream of giving them a free pass or an easy go of them. Sometimes they don't deserve it; Clint Barton certainly doesn't right now. This looks bad right now, but its exactly what makes us come back for more.

Clint Barton has known loss and heartache; sometimes he's directly responsible for the fallout, but Hawkeye #21 shows just how good of a man Clint can be and the how dearly that can cost him. Matt Fraction, David Aja, and Matt Hollingsworth tapped into something special with the debut of Hawkeye and as the series barrels toward its conclusion, the title has become less about the lovable loser that pals around with Avengers, despite his normalcy, and more about a man desperate to do the right thing in the face of a cruel world. Hawkeye #21 is one of those rare comics that makes a reader feel a myriad of emotions from start to finish. It will make you laugh, it will thrill you, and leave you feeling breathless as you take in the final pages, but even rarer still, it will show you a character that has become something more than what he began as - a man worthy of his place among earth's mightiest heroes.

The world was never at stake in Hawkeye nor was a city in peril due to some alien menace. Clint, Kate, and Pizza Dog lived on the streets and so each story lived there too, and somehow, that became the most interesting and innovative thing we could read each month (or several months, but that's neither here nor there). Hawkeye #22 is simply the best possible ending for our archers. The building and the people in it are safe, everyone got their version of a happy ending, and it was a futzing honor to have experienced it. Team Hawkeye's aim was true at the beginning and now, it's just as true here at the end.

No one actually utters the words "With great power, comes great responsibility" in the pages of Ms. Marvel #2, yet the message echoes throughout the comic. Kamala Kahn has experienced her first brush with something larger than herself in this issue and all the while her father's words from the Quran repeated in her head: "Whoever kills one person, it is as if he has killed all of mankind and who ever saves one person, it is as if he has saved all of mankind." That always made Kamala feel better, and it should make us feel better, too. Uncle Ben would be very, very proud.

Ms. Marvel #8 is a lot more than the cutesy book that Jamie McKelvie's cover advertises it to be. While filled with adorable moments throughout, Ms. Marvel #8 definitely takes the training wheels off Kamala Kahn's superhero training. G. Willow Wilson, Adrian Alphona and Ian Herring understand that jokes and smiles can only get them so far with this series, and now it is time to start upping the ante for Kamala in a big way. Things will probably get tough for her, and understandably so, but through it all, Kamala will still be the hero that we all know that she can be. That's the very definition of good drama; a worthy character struggling through odds that they might not overcome for the good of all. Ms. Marvel #8 shows us that Kamala Kahn is well on her way to becoming the hero we both need and deserve.

Ms. Marvel #18 doesn't reinvent the wheel or introduce a slew of new ideas into the Marvel universe. It is simply a well told emotional story accompanied by some fantastic artwork. G. Willow Wilson, Adrian Alphona, and Ian Herring have tapped into something special with Ms. Marvel and its only fitting that the original team that introduced us to Kamala Khan team her up with her hero and send her out into the larger Marvel universe with a personal story that hits home for her and her readers. Ms. Marvel #18 may be the tale of Kamala's "Last Days" pre-Secret Wars, but based on the strength of these final issues, Kamala has a very bright future ahead of her.

Archie vs. Predator #1 is a book that no one will see coming. People going into this title expecting some sort of gory deconstruction of the Archie universe will instead be greeted by a fun, tried and true Archie story filled with jokes and vintage artwork. Alex di Campi clearly loves these characters and wants to do right by them, as well as the format, but that doesn't stop her from making Archie vs. Predator #1 fun; she does all of this and more without relying on the promise of bloodshed. The script is sharp, the artwork is the genuine Archie article, and it features one of sci-fi's favorite killing machines; I am hard-pressed to find a better way to sell it. Archie vs. Predator #1 has no place on grocery store shelves, but it has certainly earned a place in your pull list.

Things are looking grim for Archie Andrews and the gang, as Archie vs. Predator #3 continues the Archie Elseworlds hot streak with a violent, funny, and emotional issue that sets up the series for a surely explosive finale. Alex de Campi and her art team deliver an issue that still stays true to the core values and look of Archie, while still standing alone as its own insane tale.

Like all good spy stories, every character has a secret, and Velvet is no exception. Ed Brubaker has always been a writer that takes the genre he is working within very seriously, while never sacrificing what made that genre entertaining and effective in the first place. Velvet may be his best genre work to date. He has surrounded himself with a team of professionals that understand just how to present this story and character in a way that honors every aspect of spy fiction and the character herself. While this may not be the book to wade into the middle of on a whim, it is a certainly a book that is worth your time and attention and, in time, your respect.

Spy fiction, once thought a dying genre, is one that takes a delicate hand to do well. With so many spy stories of recent years relying on sci-fi like technology or dizzying set pieces, Velvet stands apart as a solidly entertaining throwback to the nickel novels of old. Ed Brubaker, Steve Epting, and Elizabeth Breitweiser have given us a character and title unafraid to take the methodical pace of older spy fiction and translate it beautifully into the medium of comics. Velvet #6 takes the already engaging titular character and presents her as a directed force of vengeance shaped by the mistakes and lies of her past, making her a living, breathing, and compelling protagonist. Velvet has been this good from the start and from the looks of Issue #6, it won’t stop being this good for a long while.

Black Science is the latest mark in the win column for Rick Remender and Image as a whole. The book is completely unlike anything on shelves right now, yet strangely familiar in its first plot. This is a book about a man who thought himself above the rules and standards of normality and now, he must pay the consequences. This is a man who just wants to go home and keep his family safe, but he has the whole of the multiverse standing in his way, but like all men of science and reason, he will do whatever it takes to prove his intellect superior even if it kills him and everyone he loves. As Shaw said, science creates problems, but Grant McKay and his Anarchist League of Scientists will stop at nothing to prove him wrong.

Its a book that commands attention with a signature look and tone that is rarely seen within American comics but as firmly supplanted itself within the ranks of Image's new creative boom.

We all want to make our dads proud in one way or another, but regrettably, for the time being, Pia and Nate McKay don’t have that chance anymore - but instead of crumbling and accepting their fates, they buckle down and trudge forward. Fueled by the words of their father, they rage against their surroundings and their own limitations, truly becoming their own people and every inch the people their father hoped they would be. Black Science #8 has quite a lot going for it, wrapped around gorgeously and moodily rendered pages. While previous issues have presented bone crunching action, high ideas, and plenty of intrigue, Black Science #8 shows that this title can still be great even without all of these elements, as long as it replaces them with a genuine human story.

Charles Soule's star is quickly on the rise in the world of comics, but She-Hulk is making a very strong case for the standout book in his current output and a big part of that is Soule's charmingly retro take on Jennifer Walters. For too long have certain comics reveled in the darkness of what people have called "legitimate comics," but there is absolutely no room for that sort of thing in the pages of She-Hulk. This isn't to say that the comic is juvenile, but there is a certain freshness to seeing a creative team commit to just telling fun and engaging stories with characters that they are clearly having a blast working with. Its almost enough to make you want to break out your old Merry Marvel Marching Society badges.

We all have secrets, but for the most part, none of our secrets are aiming to murder us. She-Hulk #5 is a great book in a lot of ways. It's a very well-written and beautifully drawn book, but even more then these reasons, it is a book that seems committed to raising the quality of its storytelling every month. Charles Soule every month delivers an engaging story that raises the scale of She-Hulk's life little by little, expertly blending the mundane activities of a lawyer with superhero derring-do. Marvel has really tapped into something with their solo title line and She-Hulk is a shining example of what a solo title is capable of. It has a compelling lead, a fun, interesting ensemble cast built around the lead, and it isn't happy with just telling small stories. This is Jen Walters' world. We just get to happily live in it.

As the writer states in his farewell letter, this isn't the last we will see of Jennifer Walters. She will be back on shelves soon in the upcoming A-Force and surely, at least at some point in the future, another solo series. Keeping that in mind, it is still hard to let She-Hulk go. Charles Soule, Javier Pulido, and Muntsa Vicente took a character and introduced her to a new legion of fans that were hungry for a title just like this one. She-Hulk was bold, different and a title that hit shelves at exactly the right time. She-Hulk #12 continues that streak of creative singularity and sends Team Jen off with a smile and a feeling that everything will be okay in their world. Someone once said that the best endings just feel like beginnings, and that's what She-Hulk #12 delivers - an ending that could very well lead to something bigger and better for Jen. And that is exactly what she deserves.

Jason Aaron has written a great many Marvel characters very well, but with Thor, he seems to have finally found his sweet spot. Since his first issue, Aaron has turned in some of the best work of his Marvel career, balancing multiple plots, rising action, and a pitch perfect characterization of The Mighty Avenger. He's seems a guy who was born to write Thor and a writer who completely understands the power of the character, along with the character's ability to star in a myriad of stories beyond the shackles of the basic superhero fare and we, as lowly mortal readers, are the one's who reap the benefits.

Jason Aaron has clearly been having a blast writing the Asgardian Avenger, and from the looks of #20, we are in for nothing but great Thor comics from here on out.

If Thor: God of Thunder had been published during the late 70's, people would have painting panels from it on the sides of their van. THAT is how metal Thor: God of Thunder #23 is. Aaron, Ribic, and Svorcina are firing on all cylinders with this finale issue. This creative team has really yet to hit a low point with their work together on this title. As a fan of the series, I get excited when I see their names on the solicitations. Many metal songs have been written about Thor and Asgard, but if you want a perfect metal experience packaged as a stellar comic book, look toward Thor: God of Thunder #23. So raises your fists high and bang your head as hard as you can, the Thunderer wants to see you thrash.

Hollywood Babylon was a great, easy-to-digest arc that shows just how good Animal Man can be at its best and what is on the horizon when Jeff Lemire raises the stakes for his characters. That has always been the hallmark of Lemire's work; he refuses to let his characters get complacent. He realizes what needs to happen to make his characters and plots interesting and he turns it up to eleven whenever possible, giving them new and interesting challenges to overcome, both in their personal lives and within the larger world around them. He is willing to show them as people first and heroes second, subverting the standard way that writers write comic book heroes. These next few months could be some very, very tough ones for Buddy Baker, but they will be nothing but great reading for us.

Endings are notoriously difficult in comics, yet Lemire and Team Animal Man make it look deceptively simple in their execution. They had a story to tell and they told it in the best possible way that they could and that's all that we could have hoped for in a finale. Thank you, Jeff Lemire and Travel Foreman. Thank you, Steve Pugh. But most of all, thank you, Buddy Baker. We part only to meet again.

Archie #2 may not be groundbreaking, but that doesn't make it any less entertaining. Waid, Staples, and the rest of Team Archie don't seem at all concerned about the minutiae of the rebooted title, and instead seem only concerned with making us care about Riverdale and its teen inhabitants. Archie #2 takes the energy and look of the debut issue and expands it ever so slightly to include new characters and to further the romantic tension between Riverdale's one-time power couple, as well as ever so slightly hinting at the dark-haired new girl that will surely throw a wrench in everything. This new Archie isn't a fluke, and this second issue shows that it still has more laughs and heart to deliver.

Archie #3 was the last comic book I expected to give me a strong case of the feels, but all the same, I am glad it did. While still funny and fresh feeling, Mark Waid and the Archie art team present the classic Archie/Betty/Veronica love triangle in a way that feels relatable and avoiding of cliches. Teenage embarrassment is often an easy source of comedy for comic books, but Archie #3 understands that its never funny for the people involved and used that to inform Veronica's debut and turn her into more of a character and less like a romantic ideal. Though we will miss Fiona Staples in Riverdale, Archie's first installments prove that this new series will continue to be entertaining and resonant moving forward.

Nick Spencer has been a writer that I've been following ever since his stellar work with Morning Glories and upon his first works with Marvel, I had hoped that he would find a book that would launch him into the forefront of Marvel's deep creative bench. It seems that with this, and the sleeper hit that is Superior Foes of Spider-Man, Spencer has finally found his place among the big names at the House of Ideas and it couldn't have come at a better moment. Its about to become Nick Spencer's world and we will just be living in it and that's perfectly fine with me.

Hickman's Avengers roster may be one of the largest and most eclectic in recent memory, but even Hickman can't give all of these characters proper time to shine. Now, it seems, thanks to Nick Spencer, he doesn't have to. Hickman may have his wheels within wheels, but Spencer has the power of character on his side and sometimes that is all you need to give us a stellar comic. On paper this comic may not sound like much, but as soon as you see exactly what is on display here, it makes all the sense in the world. You have a compelling lead, a script that understands just why this character is so compelling, and an art team that brings it all together with powerful images. The Master of Kung-Fu has never hit harder.

While Sam's first title was fun and fast-paced, Sam Wilson: Captain America #1 finally feels like the book that he deserves.

Captain America: Sam Wilson #2 may be drawing ire on cable news, but it continues its streak of being a superhero comic with important things on its mind.

Frankenstein Underground #1 won't be for everyone, and I will be the first to admit that, but even if it isn't, even the most cynical among us couldn't deny a curiosity about exactly how one of our modern monster masters would tackle one of the most famous horror icons. Mike Mignola, of course, doesn't take the easy route toward a straight adaptation of the Frankenstein tale. Instead, he and his outstanding art team deliver something odd, emotional, and more than welcome in the pages of Dark Horse Comics, a company that made its name with the horror genre and the works of Mike Mignola. Frankenstein Underground #1 is a satisfying throwback to the creature features of old and is sure to impress both stodgy purists and modern horrorhounds alike.

Frankenstein Underground #4 may not be the flashiest monster book on shelves right now, but it most certainly is the most satisfying and as the lore gets deeper, so will audience's enjoyment.

If you are looking for an easy access point into the DC universe or just an exciting action romp, look no further than Justice League of America #1.

Still Justice League of America #4 looks tremendous and reads even more so as the plot thickens and quickens heading into the title's endgame.

This may sound like wool-gathering on my part, but I, as a comic book fan, am always looking for a new book that refreshes me on why comics can matter and I believe with every inch of my being that Mighty Avengers is that book. Its a story about misfits coming together, belonging, becoming a family and contributing to the larger good. Isn't that something that we all want? To belong? To never be alone? Mighty Avengers shows us that with comics, you are never alone. You will always have a place amid the ranks of Earth's Mightiest Heroes. We are all Avengers. All we have to do is speak the word and they are by our side, no matter what.

Mighty Avengers may have dipped a bit in quality this month, but even the low points in Mighty Avengers soar beyond expectations.

Like chocolate and peanut butter, fun and superheroes are two tastes that taste great together. Al Ewing, already a Tumblr celebrity with his work on Loki: Agent of Asgard, displays a true affection for superheroes once again with Mighty Avengers #10, balancing their larger than life exploits with genuine human emotion and characterization. Ewing stated in the first issue that these were his favorite comic book characters growing up and now he gets to tell stories starring them. He wants them to be as fun as possible while displaying what made them his favorites as a kid. And they're quickly becoming our favorites, too.

Moore's script crackles with a younger, rawer energy than anything we've ever read from him before while still reminding us of the prosaic and dense prose that enticed us in the first place. Gary Leach's art really takes off in this issue, providing some truly scary visuals as well as some vast, cinematic panels.

Alan Moore has a plethora of titles in his bibliography that one could argue as his masterpiece: Watchmen, From Hell, Top Ten, the list goes on and on. But now, we are finally getting a chance to experience one of his seminal works with fresh eyes. Moore's comic work has become so sporadic that even the smallest bits of new material is a gift to fans across the world, but with Miracleman we not only get something new of Moore's to chew on, but we get a work that feels much more raw and fresh than the rest of his past works. This is Moore before the word "masterpiece" followed him around. This is Moore before the legend overtook the writer. This is Miracleman and it has every right to be called a true masterpiece. .

All of the best film noir protagonists have some deeply inherent flaw in their character that almost pushes them into anti-hero territory. The cast of Satellite Sam is no different. Its these character traits coupled with the compelling setting and storyline that make Satellite Same such a rewarding read month after month. In just the course of seven issues Matt Fraction and Howard Chaykin have given us a full cast of characters that are already different people than they were when we first saw them slaving over a new medium delivering subpar children's programming. This book is most certainly not for everyone, but for the degenerates that make up its audience, Satellite Same will plunge to the lowest depths and highest highs to bring you a well told and compelling story.

Satellite Sam, with its sleaze-filled serial narrative, has always been an interesting and daring entry into Image Comics' oeuvre, but with #11, Fraction and Chaykin show that Satellite Sam is much more than just lace and ribald visuals. It is a well researched slice of the times starring men and women who are committed to their jobs to the point to ruin. The crew of Satellite Sam may not be the best group of people or the most reliable, but they have each other and, by God, they have their show and sometimes that's enough to keep them from spilling over the edge. For how long they can keep teetering on that edge, who can say - but at least they won't blow their start times.

Ales Kot's Secret Avengers is a complete 180-degree turn from the cloak and dagger slog that was the previous volume and it could not have come at a better time for the title.

While the Secret Avengers spend the majority of their time working silently behind the scenes, Kot and Walsh have delivered yet another issue more than worthy of the spotlight.

As I said before, Team Daredevil doesn't exactly break new ground here, but they didn't really have to. Waid, Samnee and Rodriguez have proven their mettle time and time again, and Daredevil #1 is just the latest example of their creative synchronicity. They don't have to completely blow up their own format or give us something that we haven't seen before. They just have to give us a fun comic, and that they deliver in spades. The only thing we have to do it hold on tight and enjoy the ride.

The team of Waid and Samnee are at the top of their game still in this new volume of Daredevil and from the looks of #2, it will be a long time before there is a lull.

Matt Murdock has hit rock bottom many times before now, but how do you save someone who is determined to not only hit rock bottom, but to die from it? We may not get a definite answer from Daredevil #4, but we still get a fast-paced, compelling issue all the same. Waid, Samnee and Rodriguez have become a team that you can depend on like clockwork to deliver energetic and gorgeous comic books, month after month. Daredevil has been flying high since its reboot and from the looks of this fourth issue, he shows no signs of coming back to the ground any time soon.

While Daredevil #8 flirts a bit with the darker tone that readers have seen in prior runs, Waid, Samnee, and Wilson still seem committed to delivering slick, charming comics filled with compelling character work. Daredevil is now the kind of book where its lead can go out in public wearing a shirt with his own superhero logo on it and no one bats an eye. Before Mark Waid's tenure, it had been a long while since we had seen Matt Murdock smile, and while his life still may not be perfect, he isn't getting tortured every Wednesday anymore. While Daredevil #8 is light on action, it packs a heavy tease as to what Matt is going to be coming up against next, both in his private and professional life. Let's just hope he doesn't lose his smile after everything is said and done.

Believe the hype, Daredevil is and continues to be one of Marvel's can't-miss titles.

Waid and Samnee's Daredevil may be ending soon, but Daredevil #17 shows that this run isn't going down easy for the audience or for Matt Murdock.

While Hawkeye may have inspired a line of charming, character-centric comics in its wake, Moon Knight seems to be taking this formula and running it straight into the realm of the penny dreadful. Warren Ellis, a writer who has made his name giving us famous outcasts, has definitely found another such weirdo to lend his distinctive voice to and an art team that is 100% along for the ride. Moon Knight always seemed like a character that was always just one run away from truly breaking out as Marvel's next big star, and now it seems under this creative team, he's finally poised to take his turn in the spotlight.

Moon Knight #4 reads like something we've never read before but feels like books we have loved for ages. If comics could be considered gateway media, this may be the issue that people choose to hand to the uninitiated as an pure example as to what to expect. Just don't bring food into Spector's car.

The bell is rung, and we gather here not to bury Warren Ellis’ Moon Knight but to praise it, because it was some damn fine superhero comics. Moon Knight #6 doesn’t reinvent the wheel or pretend to be yet another entry into a critical darling of a series. It simply tells a hard-hitting and razor-sharp superhero story that would have felt right at home alongside the Marvel Knights titles of the early 2000s. Warren Ellis, Declan Shalvey, and Jordie Bellarie took a character that no one could really call A-list, and shined a spotlight on him simply by telling thrilling stories with him. Moon Knight as a character may not last long within the comic reading consciousness, but the Ellis, Shalvey, and Bellarie run of Moon Knight will definitely stand the test of time as a solid run of gorgeous, filler-free comics.

Moon Knight fans rejoice, your favorite lunatic is in good hands. After a shaky start as well as the daunting task of filling some enormous shoes, Moon Knight #8 looks to be the start of a confident and entertaining continuation of what was started with the first set of issues. Wood, Smallwood, and Bellaire seem committed to delivering comics that are wholly their own and resisting the urge to ride the coattails of what came before. Moon Knight, as a title, is still tightly plotted, more than a bit violent, and pulpy as all hell, and really, isn't that all we wanted in the first place? If Moon Knight #8 is any indication, we are in for a solid Season Two.

Black Widow #5 continues to do unexpected and ambitious things with the Hawkeye model and makes a monthly case for being Marvel's best-looking title.

Black Widow is a jewel in Marvel's solo title crown for a myriad of reasons. It's always visually interesting and deftly written, making it a welcome addition to any pull list. But it's the willingness to present its lead in an unflattering light, painting her as the complex, flawed, and dangerous woman that we've always heard she was that puts Black Widow just a cut above the other solo titles that Marvel is now presenting monthly. We asked for the best, and Nathan Edmondson and Phil Noto seem fully committed to delivering it.

As a reader, you could always sense that Casanova was something special to the creative team, but Acedia, so far, has shown that they don't feel it is sacred enough to no try new things with it. That's what makes this arc feel so exciting; it is everything you loved about Casanova previously filtered through an entirely different, more grounded lens. Casanova Quinn may not fully know who he is just yet but Acedia #2 makes damn sure that comic book fans know his name.

While other arcs have sustained themselves on action and bombast, Casanova: Acedia is a bit of a tougher sell. Acedia has felt like a murder mystery without a body; the central question being the why and how Cass is stuck, memory-less, in a time stream both recognizable yet wholly different. The story and characters feel familiar and we have tantalizing hints at Team Casanova's endgame, but its hard to engage a story that feels like just a single piece of a larger puzzle. Thankfully Matt Fraction, Michael Chabon, Fabio Moon, Gabriel Ba, and Cris Peter build each issue of Acedia as an entertaining story that can stand on its own.

This is a fantastic introduction not only to the characters of the Inhumans, but to how they will shape the Marvel Universe in months to come.

Matt Fraction started Inhumanity with a bang and in #2, he brings the same amount of reverence and scope the the characters that will be shaking up the Marvel Universe in the months to come.

Darth Vader #4 might not be the most uplifting read this week, but that doesn't make it any less rewarding of one.

Darth Vader #7 gives us both sides of the titular Sith lord, with the man and the machine and both proving very compelling. After years of the image of Vader being used to sell T-shirts and posters, Darth Vader has finally stripped all that away and presented Vader once again as a character and not as a marketing tool. Kieron Gillen has cut to the mechanized heart of Vader and presented him in a way that is equally terrifying and gripping, all while surrounding him with fun side characters with motivations all their own. While the main Star Wars title aims for swashbuckling action, Darth Vader continues to be a twist filled character study that has no problem showing its leads as the viciously pragmatic people that they actually are.

This issue moved me deeply and the Karen Berger credit just solidified the feeling that I was in for something very, very special.

The problems with writing a successful prequel are legion, with many lesser creators simply rushing out a half-baked story that rings false to the story that came before. Thankfully, The Sandman: Overture never felt like that, and even though it felt like ages between issues, Gaiman, Williams, Stewart, and original series letterer Todd Klein brought new and old readers back to the Dreaming with a story that never overreached itself or felt like a cheap cash in on '90s Vertigo nostalgia. The Sandman: Overture #6 isn't quite the classic that the finale issue of Sandman is, but it didn't have to be. The Sandman: Overture from the very start stood as its own story and it ended that way as well. That's what made the finale work. That's what made this prequel work. It was a story worthy of the Prince of Stories himself, and that's more than any fan could have hoped for.

And so, we are off and running with Dynamite Entertainment's newest pulpy gem and The Spirit #1 is a gem in every sense of the word. Matt Wagner, Dan Schkade, and Brennan Wagner turned in an issue that not only celebrates the legacy of the Spirit but translates it through a modern filter for a new set of readers. The Spirit can be much more than just flirting with vixens and punching out hoodlums and this debut displays that effortlessly. The Spirit #1 is every inch a Spirit tale, just starring those closest to him instead of the actual man himself. This shift in focus gives The Spirit a pathos that we haven't seen before and will surely keep readers coming back for more until the time for flirting and punching comes again.

The Spirit #2 brings us no closer to solving the mystery of the missing Denny Colt, but it still finds pathos and narrative momentum with the other characters that used to play second fiddle to the man in the mask. Central City may still be without its avenging angel, but the city, and his solo title, is still well protected by his friends and loved ones.

After a few misfires and false starts, it seems that Action Comics has finally found sure footing again with Pak and Kuder. This team has delivered a fun and surprisingly intimate first volley that gives us more than a few hints toward a larger, surely entertaining upcoming arc. Always forward, dear readers. Let's hope Pak never gives us a chance to slow down from here on out.

Pak and Kuder are quickly becoming one of my new favorite creative teams and, for the first time in a long while, Action Comics has once again become one of my favorite books on shelves.

Superman may be on the road to ruin and doom, but Action Comics is looking to be better than ever.

Every small town has its secrets, even one as idyllic as Smallville, and Greg Pak, Aaron Kruder, and Wil Quintana have given us one hell of a sneak peak under Smallville's seemingly perfect public face. Action Comics #36 may not be the biggest Superman story going right now, nor is it the most action packed, but it is most definitely the most engaging one. Greg Pak and his art team understand that you don't have to shoehorn a set piece into every other page in order to tell a compelling story. All you have to do is present engaging characters with real human motivations and foibles and let them be humans, instead of the infallible ideal of humanity that some comics present. Action Comics may be a title that was built on all action, all the time, but Greg Pak and his team have made it a book about characters above all else.

While Pak's script is razor sharp, as per usual, the real star of this issue is artist Aaron Kruder. Kruder seems to be having the time of his life rendering the insane citizens and cities of Bizarroworld and the ultra-crazy, cute effects of Doomzarro's powers. It is something you have to experience for yourself.

Greg Pak's tenure on Action Comics has been filled with emotional storytelling, but this new status quo for Kal-El allows him to tell more intimate, street level stories while still exploring who Superman is and how he deals with this new found predicament.

While not an altogether horrible installment, Action Comics #46 feels like a bit of a stumbling block amidst a consistently solid crop of issues.

Events are a dime a dozen in comics, but Secret Wars so far has felt less like an event and more like a huge ending of a story started all the way back in the heady days of "Marvel NOW!" After the dust settled on the destruction of the last incursion, something wholly new and wild was presented to us in the form of Secret Wars #2. How often can one say that about a major comic event? Every step of the story up til now has been carefully planned and foreshadowed and I would be very surprised if everything afterward wasn't planned with the same eye for detail. Jonathan Hickman, Esad Ribic, and Ive Svorcina have an epic tale to tale in the pages of Secret Wars, and our only job is to enjoy it. All hope may very well lie in Doom right now, but the trials of Battleworld still await.

Secret Wars before now hasn't exactly blown readers away, but this fourth issue blasts away the exposition and finally puts the "battle" in Battleworld.

Secret Wars #7 may not be perfect, but it is a vast improvement over some of the lackluster previous installments. Though the All-New All-Different universe that Secret Wars spawned is starting to make its debut across the whole line, Secret Wars #7 shows that the story that got us there still has some surprises still up its sleeve. While the jury is still out over whether Jonathan Hickman, Esad Ribic, and Ive Svorcina will stick the landing, Secret Wars #7 shows that at least for now, this event has its feet firmly planted underneath itself.

Of the new crop of annuals that were just released this week, Swamp Thing Annual #2 is definitely a creepily lyrical must read.

Swamp Thing hasn't hit many lulls in its thirty issue run, but this month we see just what a Swamp Thing lull would look like and even still, it's solid comics.

And so we have reached the final page for Swamp Thing and while the actual final panel may raise questions that only Charles Soule has the answer to, the comic that preceeded it is still a satisfying finale on all fronts. Soule filled some very big shoes when it took over the title, but you would never know it from the confidence of his plotting up until and including this final issue. Charles Soule just used the momentum that was already there from the previous writer and turned it into something that was wholly his own. Swamp Thing ended on its own terms and that, as fans, is all we can ask for from a title. Rest well, Alec Holland, you have surely deserved it.

For better or worse, The Multiversity ended up being what we all expect it to be; a grand experiment in narrative that had some truly cool DC Universe moments. For all of The Multiversity #2's faults and frustrating inaccessibility, it delivered some great character moments, but we weren't reading this just for great character moments. Will time be kinder to The Multiversity? and will I ever feel smart enough to full understand the narrative games that Grant Morrison plays? Only the Monitors know. The stories spin on without us as The Multiversity #2 reminds and this one sure spun, hard and fast. Whether it actually landed is another thing entirely.

Some readers were understandably turned off by the universally spanning and hard to pin down story of the debut issue of Multiversity. Thankfully those that may have been less than impressed with that first issue can probably find something to enjoy about Society of Super-Heroes: Conquerors from the Counter-World #1 which plants its feet confidentially in pulp conventions to tell a story both large and small. Anything could happen in Stingray, and anything does happen in a Grant Morrison comic. Morrison and his art team make the most of this second issue in order to prove that Multiversity aims to be more than just navel-gazing about the concept of the 52 worlds. It aims to be an entertaining and creative statement about them. Stand by for action.

Multiversity, so far, has given us a cosmic pondering on the character of Superman, a jaunt into the pulps of old, superheroes through the lens of reality television, and a paranoid mirror image on the works of Alan Moore. But Thunderworld Adventures is the first straight superhero story of the event thus far and it soars with an old school energy that the previous issues, aside from S.O.S, have lacked. While other issues have relied heavily on the meta story unfolding in Multiversity, this month's installment casts off the heaviest chains of the story and is just happy to tell a thrilling superhero tale. A villain plots a nefarious plot and a group of mighty mortals step up to take him down and protect the innocent. I ask again - what more could you possibly want?

Ant-Man Annual #1 is a rollicking and often hilarious proto-introduction to Scott's world and the appeal of a guy who can shrink and quip with the best of them.

Scott Lang may be a bit of a loser, but he is our loser, and Ant-Man #1 brings him back into the fray with wit and style. Though I may not have loved Ant-Man #1 as much as my colleagues and the larger Marvel audience, I still found a lot to enjoy in Nick Spencer's latest indie-flavored superhero yarn. Scott Lang is a character that has a lot of legs, and I'm not just talking about the millions of ants at his command. Scott can be a hero one minute and a total louse the next. Ant-Man #1 shows an understanding of that and shows that Spencer isn't afraid to paint Scott in an unkind light, even though we all know that is heart is in the right place. My FF-related nitpicks aside, Ant-Man #1 is a funny, fast-paced, and emotional re-debut of one of Marvel's future franchise players. Pray to whatever gods will hear you that Scott doesn't screw it all up in the meantime.

Issue five might be the least funny of all the issues thus far, but what it lacks in comedy, it more than makes up for with pathos. Lang may think he's D-list or worse, but Ant-Man continues to cast him as a compelling leading man starring in a solo title that understands his value and narrative weight.

Yu alone would be worth the price of the issue, but the only thing keeping this book from getting a perfect score is the density of Hickman's script, which has been an issue since the beginning. While the opening of his run may have been better suited for new readers, these tie in issues very much feel heavily tied into the major event and may be frustrating for people just trying to dip their feet into the larger world of Avengers comics. Minor complaints aside, Hickman's nuanced script, along with Yu's highly detailed and vivid artwork make this yet another highly re-readable entry into the sprawling Infinity saga. This calm before the storm that takes the time to focus on different characters than the usual cape comic stars is exactly what sets Jonathan Hickman's work apart from other major writers who tackle large scale events. You buy the comic for the grand scope and the rich plotting, but you keepbuying it for the quiet character work in between the battles.

Jonathan Hickman, as per usual, plays his cards close to the chest, seeding the mystery of the arc early in the cold open and then quickly establishing that something is very wrong with this new/old set of Avengers, yet never really giving us any information aside from a quick flashback to their world in a familiar peril.

Jonathan Hickman's Avengers run has been one of the more polarizing runs of Earth's Mightiest Heroes since its debut, but #28 makes a great case for the title's inventive, densely layered, and epic storytelling.

When a monthly comic that you follow regularly has a giant title proclaiming its connection to a larger macro story that is happening elsewhere on its cover, it may as well have a giant red X stamped across it, but I am more than happy to report that Avengers #29 not only uses the Original Sin arc to inform its action, but also uses it to wonderful effect in terms of the trajectory of the Avengers title as a whole. This is something that has always been coming for Hickman, Rogers and Stark. This was a seed that was planted in #1 and now it is growing into a viciously deadly plant that seeks to tear apart these men, and in doing so, the Avengers themselves. Jonathan Hickman isn’t interested in justAvengers #29 is just a taste of that that scale might be.

The Machine may be broken, but Cap will never let go of the dream, nor will he suffer Tony Stark's machinations any longer. Avengers #34 may not be the most team-heavy issue, nor will it ever be considered one of the best Avengers comics of all time, but it will definitely stand as a major highlight of Jonathan Hickman's intricately plotted run. The high-concept sci-fi coupled with a fantastic understanding of what makes Steve Rogers just so heroic melds together into a satisfying superhero comic experience that would soften the heart of even the most critical of Cap readers. The greatest thing about comics is that you can throw characters like Steve Rogers into impossible situations just to see how things shake out, and Hickman has done just that, without losing sight of exactly why Captain America is Captain America.

Heavily serialized storytelling is always a crapshoot, and that counts triple for monthly comic books. More often than not, readers will lapse on a title and then try to come back to it, a few issues down the line, and the book they find is not the book that they left. Jonathan Hickman's Avengers run has been a lot like that. It has been frustrating, obtuse and often times inaccessible - and I say this as a fan of the title. That said, these strikes against it still doesn't take away from the meticulous plotting of Avengers. I've often said that nobody puts more time and effort into the plotting of major arcs like Jonathan Hickman, and Avengers #38 is one of those fantastic examples of his narrative payoffs. There are still way too many questions and not enough answers still lingering on the surface of Avengers but for now, we know way more than we did last month and, for now, that is more than enough.

There was once a grand idea and two men behind it all, aiming to keep the world safe. Now, all that remains are the ashes of that idea and the ashes of a world in ruins. Avengers #44 is a grand mic drop of a comic that offers little to no respite before the wars to come. Jonathan Hickman along with a solid art team wrap up the remaining loose ends introduced in both Avengers titles before unraveling them all, along with whole realities, in the upcoming event. Everything has its time and everything dies and Avengers #44 shows us exactly what that looks like; it looks like cities crumbling, whole fleets shattered in space, and two men, former friends, fighting in the wreckage of a broken machine.

“Very Special Episodes” are a time honored tradition around the holidays and Batman Eternal #11 may be the most unlikely one that we’ll receive. Batman titles have always carried a deep underlying theme of family underneath all the derring-do. Batman Eternal #11 embraces this and succeeds for it. Everyday people have complicated relationships with their fathers imagine throwing double lives and super-villainy on top of that. When DC Comics gets a book right, it is hard to touch them, and from the looks of Batman Eternal #11 it looks like DC might finally be on the road to becoming untouchable again.

While Batman Eternal #36 may be centered on Bard's one man crusade against the Bat family, it is still the family that remains at the end of the issue, still grasping at the unseen hand behind it all and struggling to parse through the cryptic ramblings of the newly returned Hush. Serialized storytelling lives and dies by its characters, but thankfully, readers are still more than happy to spend week after week following the exploits of our favorite Bat themed warriors, but Batman Eternal #36 casts them almost as utility players in their own story. Focusing instead on Bard and his, frankly, justifiable hatred for the Dark Knight and his ilk. Unforeseen consequences and the fallout of superhero action, albeit an poor imitation of that action, is something we rarely see in comics, because, if I'm honest, most of the time the plots don't land as hard as they should. Batman Eternal #36 lands assuredly, and tells a compelling human story amid the masks and the mayhem.

Not even a year ago, I was worried that we may see the end of Vertigo Comics, an imprint that has given us so much brilliant content over the years. But now with the strength of recent on-goings and now the stellar debut of Dead Boy Detectives, we may yet see Vertigo Comics best years ahead. Toby Litt and Mark Buckingham have taken all the best parts of previous incarnations of the Dead Boy Detectives and filtered them through a quirky, highly entertaining lens and have delivered a slam bang first issue that recaptures the inventive nature of early Vertigo efforts while making is wholly accessible to new converts and die hard Vertigo freaks alike. Plus, its nice to see a book that fully embraces the darker tone of the imprint with a cheeky sense of fun and reverence to what came before it. In short, if you are a Vertigo fan, this is a book expressly for you.

Dead Boy Detectives started out strong and by the looks of the opening of this next arc, it has no plans of slowing down yet.

Despite the problems with the ending, Grayson #6 is still a solid read, filled with exciting visuals and an unexpected care toward its characters. Tim Seeley, Tom King, Mikel Janin, and Jeromy Cox deliver a sleek, fast paced adventure story that lights a bright fuse for the rest of the arc. One thing that has sustained Grayson so far is how absolutely weird it is willing to be. Reading Grayson is like getting the star high school quarterback into The Invisibles. It is so much fun to see good looking people engaged in surreal things or talking about the arcane details of some fringe idea. That is Grayson's niche; it is for people who like seeing hot people taking on weird enemies with even stranger bosses.

Grayson is a title that no one expected to be this good, but yet, 10 issues in, it stands as one of DC's most surprising and consistent hits.

Its funny to think that a book like Grayson, one that was met with wide-spread derision and doubt upon its announcement has now become one of DC's most entertaining and innovative titles on shelves right now. Fingers crossed that Dick Grayson's winning streak continues long into the months to come.

While the headline last month was Dick Grayson's return to Gotham, Grayson #13 shows that it doesn't have to rely on gimmicks and crossovers to stand as a compelling monthly. Tim Seeley, Mikel Janin, Hugo Petrus and Jeromy Cox take the title back to basics while enriching their own narrative direction by marrying superhero hijinks with spy drama mechanics. Grayson #13 is one of those rare issues of comics that work as a reader's first issue and as a loyal audience's latest installment; a feat that shouldn't go unnoticed in this day and age of serialized storytelling. While Grayson may look like all abs and death-defying leaps on the outside, on the inside it is quickly becoming DC's dark horse blockbuster.

Howard the Duck and Tara are on the case and while Heroes for Hire they aren't, they will still charm the socks right off of you and will probably end up stealing them because, you know, people need socks. Howard the Duck #1 might have sounded like a flop in the making a year ago, yet under the smartass pen of Chip Zdarsky and the always fun Joe Quinones and Rico Renzi, this debut issue hits all the right notes and the right time. After the release of Guardians of the Galaxy, all sorts of weirdoes and reprobates waugh'ed for a new Howard movie. While that seems less and less likely, we have the best possible alternative in the form of Howard the Duck #1. Howard may have had his fleeting time in the limelight of the silver screen, but it's only when he's in the funny pages that this long-suffering mallard feels truly at home.

Howard the Duck #3, along with its back-up story with art by Spider-Gwen and Southern Bastards' Jason Latour, is yet another solid and entertaining issue of a series that has yet to hit its peak. Chip Zdarsky, Joe Quinones, and Rico Renzi are firing on all cylinders, yes, but Howard the Duck so far still feels like there are places to go and jokes to tell. Howard is a character whose schtick is often played out after only a few issues, but this series has avoided that trap by simply not forcing it. I can't wait to see what Howard and Tara get up to next because I know it will either be funny or ridiculous or some combination of both. With any luck, Howard the Duck will keep us entertained for as long as our hairless ape attention spans will allow.

After a shaky, but entertaining first year on the title it seems that Kieron Gillen is finally fully committing to the superhero sci-fi aspects of the title and we are it seems, just based on the ideas presented to us in this fast paced and ambitious issue that builds, quite exponentially on the already wildly idea heavy arcs before it, constantly shifting what we thought we knew about the world of Tony Stark, while moving us, as readers, forward on a bullet train of super science and unconventional superhero storytelling. This is Gillen given the keys to a kingdom and running wild, just like he did during Uncanny X-Men. He once described his writing for Marvel as "taking an established character or team and keeping it afloat in the best way possible, while maintaining my voice." Now, with Iron Man, Gillen has completely made imbued the world of Iron Man with his distinct stamp and set the title to flying once again.

Tony Stark has always been a man of science, but now he's facing an foe that transcends mere human technology and is unlike anything he's faced before, finally giving this new volume of Iron Man an interesting, fresh new direction.

Zero issues, like pilot episodes, have to burn brightly and quickly, making some kind of impression on readers and retailers alike. In order to have any sort of future as an ongoing title, opening issues have to establish a readership as well as a tone and direction for the series. The characters can go and do anything, and that raw potential lends Justice League United its energy. Jeff Lemire, Mike McKone, and Marcelo Maiolo deliver a superhero story that isn't aiming to revolutionize, yet succeeds in feeling fresh and completely different than the rest of the Justice League books on shelves right now.

Justice League United Annual #1 is pure example of a book finally finding its own voice. After a lackluster opening arc, Lemire and his team seem to finally feel comfortable with their team as a whole, and with that comfort comes ambition. No one wants to read a comic that plays it safe and tells a middling superhero story that audiences have read time and time again. While the story of this annual isn't going to bust open a new paradigm within comics, it is the kind of breathlessly huge story that audiences gravitate toward. I would much rather read something that shoots for the moon and misses than a story that doesn't even try to aim. Justice League United Annual #1 not only shoots for the moon, it shoots for a moon in a neighboring universe. Time will tell if its aim is true, but for now, long live the Legion and the JLU.

I wasn't expecting much from Futures End: Justice League United. Honestly, I was expecting another tonally off gathering of some of my favorite characters with some of them side lined in favor of other fan favorite stars. Thankfully, Jeff Lemire, Jed Dougherty, and Gabe Eltaeb surprised me in the best possible way; by giving the readers and I a straight forward superhero tale that let the characters shine and the weirdness of comics permeate throughout. It may be too soon to call, but so far the Futures End one-shots have outshined the event itself by a fairly wide margin. After reading issues like Futures End: Justice League United it is easy to see why.

Ambition has always been the hallmark of Scott Snyder's Batman run, and that's what keeps it being a consistently readable comic month after month. Snyder isn't interested in telling small stories within his Batman comics and it makes every arc feel like an event.

As much as I have love Scott Snyder's epic take on Batman, I really look forward to issues like #34. Of course readers respond to huge, sprawling stories and I love it just as much as the next guy, but there is something about seeing a writer take a step back and let someone else take a crack at an issue that couldn't be further from what came before it. Gerry Duggan, Matteo Scalera and Lee Loughridge present us a tightly plotted, done-in-one story that feels right at home sat next to the blockbusters and weekly tales. Batman #34 doesn't blow any doors off of anything nor does it offer some new game changing bit of characterization. It simply is, and what it is is a pretty good Batman story.

They say that absence makes the heart grow fonder, and in regards to the Joker, they are 100% correct. After a lengthy absence, Scott Snyder and Team Batman have brought the Joker back once again and broken loose all manner of hell in Gotham City. Scary movies get less scary every time you watch them because you come to expect every jump and every gag. With Batman #36, Snyder and his team have given us the truly unexpected. We don’t know what jumps are coming next. We can’t even begin to know all the punchlines. The Joker is once again a character that we can expect anything and everything from. Scott Snyder has thrown him back into the darkness and maybe even he doesn’t know what exactly came out. That is most frightening thing of all. The Joker may have been a cuddly punchline before Endgame, but now, he’s back where he belongs - in our nightmares.

While Bruce Wayne grew a foxy beard and took himself out of the equation, Batman #42 shows that Gotham City is in more than capable hands.

While it may not be another blockbuster, Batman #45 is still worth more than a passing glance.

Though this isn't a really game-changing issue, its a nice bit of talky dramatics going into the next chapter for the Original Five.

History has always been written by the victors and for much of All-New X-Men #28, it looks as if the X-Men aren't going to be around to finish their own chapter. From the very start All-New X-Men has been about the X-Men struggling to prevent the extinction of their race as well as fighting for a better tomorrow for all of mutantkind. Now, another group of mutants, aims to take them out of the equation in order to finally do what they couldn't; secure a place in the future for mutants around the world and uphold the name that the X-Men has drug through the mud. All-New X-Men #28 is a compelling de-construction of the core concept of the book and a much-needed shot into the arm of a series that has felt a bit tired for the last few months.

Though the Fantastic Four has taken the moniker of “Marvel’s First Family,” the X-Men is and will always been synonymous with family when I think of Marvel. After many shaky first encounters and initial friction between members it seems that the New Xavier’s School has finally become the family that we all knew they could be. All-New X-Men #29 finally presents us as an audience a firm ground for the characters to grow from leading into future issues. The All-New X-Men have been proven in battle, time and time again, but now they have proven themselves to be something much more powerful than a super-team going forward - they are finally a singular family unit.

They say that you can never go home again, and for the most part, the All New X-Men are experiencing exactly that. While the covers and solicitation for this arc seemed to detail a team-up heavy jaunt into a whole other line of comics, Brian Michael Bendis and his team seem much more concerned about how that would effect the characters beyond how they would fight alongside each other. All New X-Men #33 is an economically written and entertaining tale that manages to inject a few great ideas into the superhero drama. The X-Men comics have often been about more than just tights and fights, opting instead to rely on character and plotting. All New X-Men #33 has both in spades which comes at the perfect place in the run to feel organic.

If the current story arc of Uncanny Avengers has been proving to be too much of a grind in terms of enjoyment, Uncanny Avengers Annual #1 is sure to re-light that spark of fun for The Avengers Unity Squad.

Amid the onslaught of events and tie-ins, you need not look any further for high stakes, event worthy storytelling than Uncanny Avengers. Rick Remender clearly has huge, ground shaking plans for his team and they may not come out of the other side alive, if they come out at all. With this latest arc, Remender is proving just how capable of a writer he is with over the top plots and genuine hard hitting drama that never feels forced or just there for pure shock value. These stories have weight and consequence, and its wonderful seeing them taken so seriously, while never sacrificing the inherent weirdness that make comics what they are.

Its painfully dull when heroes are constantly and quickly coming out on top in comics. I will be the first to admit that. No one wants cookie cutter, three-issue story arcs that never even hint that the good guys might not come out of the other side of this scathed in any way. Considering this, its becoming harder and harder for me to describe Uncanny Avengers to people as the fun, out-there comic that we were given during the first arcs. Rick Remender is an intensely talented writer and is churning out quality work throughout the comics industry right now, but it seems that his work on Uncanny Avengers has taken a downward turn as of late. Perhaps after Kang and Havok get the band back together, we will see a return to the heady and exciting days before Planet X.

I wanted to be blown away by Star Wars #3 and that may have been my downfall. Aaron, Cassaday, and Martin have already done the impossible and breathed new life into one of fandom's most sacred of properties and even managed to make it pretty fun to read for the most part. Star Wars #3 isn't tough to get through or clumsy in its execution; it just feels like too much too soon. Aaron has always been a writer willing to throw characters and audience into the fire early on and forcing us to find our bearing amid the chaos, but why ruin the good thing that he had established character-wise with an issue chock full of explosions? I suspect that Star Wars #3 will be some people's favorite issue of the series so far, and depending on your tastes, you wouldn't be wrong, but for this reviewer, it would have made more of an impact on me if the characters had taken center stage like the previous issues.

Artist Simone Bianchi is a welcome sight no matter what the title is, but his Star Wars #7 pages are a particular delight.

Thors #1 is every bit a Thor book simply wrapped around the tried-and-true conventions of a police procedural. While that may not sound like much on paper, Jason Aaron and Chris Sprouse make the absolute most of it by merely playing it as straight as possible, casting Ultimate Thor as a put-upon workaholic faced with a seemingly impossible investigation. After their enigmatic introduction in Secret Wars #2, Aaron and Sprouse cut to the bone of who exactly the Thor Corps are and how they operate through Battleworld with really interesting results. The last thing I expected when I cracked open Thors #1 was a tightly constructed police story, but after reading it, it makes all the sense in the Nine Realms.

Walking a beat is tough and its twice that when your friend and partner has just been killed and you don't have a single lead to go on. Thors #2, at its very heart, is still a loving homage to detective fiction and that in turn, proved to be its downfall this month. While Ultimate Thor may be the Thor Corps' top cop, he's still vulnerable and hot-headed like we know Thor to be. Thors #2 gives Jason Aaron and his art team an outlet to allow Ultimate Thor to vent his anger and engage in some good old fashion wanton destruction before putting his head on straight and getting back to the case. Thors #2 may be the grief period, but in Battleworld, you don't have long to grieve and if you do, you may just end up the next subject of an Irish wake.

Superman has been used in a myriad of ways narratively in the last few years. He's been a tool used to deconstruct the very medium. He's been the fresh face of whole new DC universe. He's been the head of a whole new Justice League for a whole new generation. However, its as the star of solid comic book plotting that he truly soars. We don't call him the Big Blue Boy Scout for nothing and Superman is finally that book again. Geoff Johns, John Romita, Jr., Klaus Janson, and Laura Martin deliver a no-frills, easy-to-pick-up story with Superman #35 that makes no illusions about its place in the Superman canon nor does it try to overreach and be something important. It is simply a story about a hero trying to be the best that he can, and that is more than enough.

Superman losing his powers isn't anything new, but Superman #39 shows us a Kal-El that has rarely looked more human.

Superman #45 may take a pretty hard right turn but it's a fun ride all the same and one that adds a new level of energy into the story of the new Man of Tomorrow.

I cannot imagine that Strange is an easy character to write. The rules of magic in the Marvel Universe seem to be in a state of constant flux and Strange was always at the very eye of that narrative nightmare hurricane. With New Avengers, Jonathan Hickman leaned into the skid of Strange being all-powerful and sat him at a table with other titans, as well as a hefty power upgrade, at the cost of his soul. With New Avengers Annual #1, Frank J. Barbiere and Marco Rudy reintroduce us to the man behind the Eye of Agamatto, warts and all, with a gorgeous single issue that makes a very strong case for a solo Strange ongoing. Stephen Strange sold his soul to have the power to save every reality, but he still makes house calls. But don't worry, you can trust him - he's a doctor.

Though the conflict has been won for now, it seems that our favorite team of hard traveled heroes still have much to contend with. Hickman, not being on to rest on his laurels, has not only delivered one hell of an event, but kept New Avengers essential to the larger event while never sacrificing its established ongoing story. Now, in the ashes of Infinity, he's used the springboard of the macro story to establish a new and interesting status quo for his characters on top of the existing mythos of the series. This is really great stuff and refreshing as an event weary comic fan to see a writer so committed to making an event not only matter, but have very real consequences for all the characters involved. Everything has a solution and I, for one, am glad to see Jonathan Hickman committed to that.

New Avengers #13, coupled with Avengers #24, serve as a pallet cleanser for the recent glut of Infinity centric tie-ins and to present the new direction for each series going forward. In Avengers #24, Captain America tells Tony Stark that he only sees black clouds and death on the horizon and Tony replies that he sees what's coming. With New Avengers #13, we now see precisely what Tony sees; we see death in the form of the Black Priests and the black clouds of universal entropy looming overhead. Will our heroes be enough to stop the spread of universal decay? Will the Illuminati be forgiven for their clandestine crimes and machinations? Only Jonathan Hickman knows and all we can do is read and hope.

New Avengers has been one of my favorite Marvel NOW titles, but after this and more than a few wheel spinning issues previously, it may be time to find a new team of super-jerks to follow.

If you dropped this book long ago, no one could really blame you, but with issue #18, Hickman and Schiti may be finally on the road to regaining a lapsed readership.

In four months, time runs out but New Avengers #29 seems more concerned with theorizing about what that means instead of showing our heroes dealing with it. Like I had said before, this could all be untrue by the time the next issue of the series rolls around, but for a series with this great of a hook and a wealth of interesting characters, I don't understand how it could be so boring. Jonathan Hickman has been a writer that has delivered thrilling and thought provoking comics time and time again, and you would think that a series like New Avengers would be his superhero swan song, but #29 finds him still hobbling along aided by jargon instead of throwing our heroes into action. The table is set and it has been for a while now; how long until the guests grow tired of waiting for the goods, and get up to find a more satisfying meal?

And so it went, that gods who traveled to spaces unseen by human eyes were trampled in the unbending march of time. And what's even more tragic is that the story continued on without them. New Avengers #32 isn't the best issue of the series so far, but it is still a required one. Jonathan Hickman, Mike Deodato Jr. and Frank Martin have delivered an issue that coldly went about the dark deeds that were needed in order to get us in the headspace required for the upcoming finale. If New Avengers #32 is any indication, than things are going to get a whole lot worse before they get better and all we can do is read the stories, hoping for some version of a happy ending. Whether we get one or not, that still remains to be seen.

We all get homesick from time to time, especially around the holidays. However, we aren't usually thousand of light years away from our homes when we do get those kind of blues. Even though this a comic featuring a fantastically staged fight scene in space and more than a few great Rocket zingers, Guardians of the Galaxy Annual #1 succeeds because of its attention to the human details. Brian Michael Bendis, Frank Cho, and Jason Keith make the action soar simply by framing it with a woman's desire to see home again. It's funny the things you can accomplish just with a few eight-panel grids. Guardians of the Galaxy Annual #1 is big, crazy, and filled with laser fire, but is the human element that sustains it beyond pulpy enjoyment.

All in all, if you haven't given Guardians of the Galaxy a chance before now, these tie-in issues are the perfect places to start. #8 is an easy entry point into the world of the future movie stars, along with a fun side story to the larger Infinity epic, topped off with some gorgeous art from one of the most talented pencilers working today.

They say its better to burn out than to fade away, but sometimes neither is the best option. Both Guardians of the Galaxy and All New X-Men have been consistently entertaining feathers in the cap of Brian Michael Bendis and crossing both titles over will be looked at in the future as largely successful. Yet pushing aside the cast of one book to make room for developments that will only effect the events of the other book in the mix caused this crossover to end on a needlessly sour note. You don't always have to stick the landing, but it helps when you at least give us some sort of high note as we head toward the next thing.

We should be used to thing going wrong for Peter Quill by now. He most certainly is. Guardians of the Galaxy #19 is a pure example of Peter's best intentions crumbling around him, but, oddly enough, I don't care as much as I should. Bendis and his rotating art teams have been turning in fantastic stories starring the Guardians since the very start, so it is a shame that a story as big as this one, in terms of canon, falls so flat. I've been anxiously awaiting the reveal of what happened to Richard Rider and how Drax and Quill escaped from their certain deaths, but, you and I will have to wait yet another month to actually find everything out. Comics, kid, they will break your heart - or at the very least, disappoint you on a structural level.

Guardians of the Galaxy #23 isn't a terrible comic. In fact, their are flashes of greatness throughout the issue; for example, the work of Valerio Schiti and Jason Keith and the firm grasp that Bendis has on the personalities of everyone's favorite a-holes. Those aside, a finale should feel like a finale, and Guardians of the #23 doesn't feel like one at all. It feels more like a stop gap issue, leading into another crossover with the X-Men. While some may argue that that is just the way comic narrative's are structured or that comic finales will never truly feel like a definite ending because they are constantly ongoing, the fact remains that the effort should at least be made. Guardians of the Galaxy #23 makes a real effort, both in its scripting and its artwork, but not toward its own act break, where it should really count.

A new creative team is always a jarring experience. More often than not, the first issue from them is always the weakest as it takes time for the team to not only find a creative flow but also establish just what kind of story they want to tell. Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato are talented creative voices and while Detective Comics #30 stumbles more than it flies, I wouldn't be surprised if the next two or three issues right the ship and become some of their best work at DC. Manapul and Buccellato are certainly capable of delivering focused and singular work. It just isn't Detective Comics #30.

Detective Comics has been one of DC's sure-fire Batman titles for a while now, and now that Jim Gordon is in the suit, the streak is still alive and well.

After a rocky inception period, Inhuman #1 finally hit shelves this week and its a real mixed bag. Charles Soule does a good enough job presenting new Inhumans and a zealous tribal leader who offers an alternative to the House of Boltagon, yet the stilted dialogue keeps the comic from being the regular stellar work that we are used to getting from Soule

When Inhuman and Inhumanity were announced, readers relished the idea of another facet of the Marvel universe, long treated as peripheral, was finally getting a place among the main continuity. After a less-than-earth-shattering opening salvo, it seemed that Inhuman looked to be another misfire of an event. Inhuman #2 puts most of those fears to rest, promising a glorious reign for the Inhumans as Marvel A-listers. Charles Soule, Joe Madureira and Marte Garcia have stepped out from the cloud of a weak first issue and found their work transformed and improved into a properly thrilling comic book yarn. The face of the Marvel universe is changing, and the future looks Nuhuman.

Charles Soule is a writer who has made his name in comics with his surprising takes on established properties. He killed Wolverine with grace, kept Swamp Thing true to his horror roots, and is now bringing the regality back to the Inhumans. With Inhumans: Attilan Rising #1, he aims to keep that same level of regality in the larger narrative of Secret Wars, but falls prey to the perilous first issue trap of telling instead of showing. Thankfully, this front-loaded debut issue is rendered by a capable art team and plays its trump card of a newly charming Black Bolt at the precisely right time, sending readers out on a high note to hopefully pick up a fully charged second issue. Attilan may be on the rise, but this month, it takes a bit longer than anticipated for it to get fully up to speed.

Inhumans: Attilan Rising #5 may be a bummer of a finale, but that doesn't make it any less entertaining. As the Inhumans are poised to finally take their place among the A-list of the Marvel Universe, Charles Soule, John Timms, Robert Poggi, and Frank D'Armata give us the Black Mirror version of an Inhumans story and largely, it works. While other Secret Wars stories are having fun with their respective characters and storylines, Inhumans: Attilan Rising showed us kings and queens can and will fall in the face of an malevolent god.

The Royals: Masters of War is exactly the kind of big, slightly goofy, idea that you have come to expect from Vertigo. But like other Vertigo offerings, its treated with just enough narrative momentum and fun so that you never really get a chance to be anything other than entertained and charmed by it. Sure, the idea of a royal family with superpowers is something that has been done before and can only work in comics, but its an idea that can work well under the stamp of Vertigo Comics, and while this issue stumbles a bit, its still right at home alongside the other big idea titles that came before it.

While the rest of the series has yet to really live up to the promise of the debut issue, Royals: Masters of War #3 is still an epic, yet dour, jaunt into a superpowered WWII.

Uncanny Avengers could be a really great comic. It has all the makings of one, for sure, and it also has a writer and artist behind it that is willing to push it into places that are unexpected and weird. That is why Uncanny Avengers #2 is disappointing. Instead of using the momentum from a solidly odd debut issue, Remender went with what was comfortable with diminishing returns. Instead of feeling like the new, fresh series that was promised, it feels like more of the same, wrapped in a great-looking package. A team book should function like a team book, instead of a book with seven leads that barely want anything to do with one another. We have seen these characters fractured, despondent and broken, but now it is time to make good on the idea that started all of this. Hopefully, in time, we can get there.

Uncanny Avengers is still treading some very dark waters, but this third issue may be hinting that the series as a whole is lost at sea.

It took five months, but Uncanny Avengers is finally cooking with gas.

It took an appearance of some of my favorite characters to reignite my interest in the Justice League, but it took Geoff Johns a mere four pages to stomp out those embers. I sincerely hope that after Forever Evil wraps up that the Justice League titles will rediscover the whimsy and sense of wonder that made the League a blast to read in the first place, but if Johns' take on the Justice League is the new status quo, we may be in for a very long wait. Justice League used to be the go-to book when you wanted fun, breezy yarns about larger-than-life heroes and impossible exploits, but in a bid to gain narrative legitimacy, it feels like DC has become increasingly embarrassed in the very things that made us fans in the first place.

Justice League #40 may not be the most active of prologues, but the touchstones to the original Crisis cycle, the inclusion of the New Gods, along with the anthology feel of the artist's pages is a must for readers looking for truly big DC fun.

All told Justice League #42 is a good, but not great issue from a creative team that has touched greatness before. Geoff Johns, Jason Fabok and Brad Anderson are a solid creative team and have the potential to make "The Darkseid War" a proper blockbuster once they blast away the exposition and playing for time. Thankfully though, we are just two issues into this arc. They have plenty of time to right the ship, and get to the good stuff hiding just underneath Johns' verbosity. What remains to be seen is if the Justice League is left standing after the smoke clears.

Justice League #43 is a good comic book, but it could be a great one. Surely at some point the hunt for Mister Miracle will yield something great in the home stretch of the "Darkseid War," but as of now, its just distracting from the real meat of the plot. Geoff Johns, Jason Fabok and Brad Anderson have great issues in them and have delivered them before, but they can't all be rock solid. Justice League #43 is solid enough but it could be more if it was just a bit more focused on the plots that are continually interesting. At least now we have a explosive start to the "Darkseid War" and the only thing left to do now is see who makes it out the other side once the dust settles.

A brand new day is dawning for the Fantastic Four and though James Robinson and his team stumble a bit during this first issue, they clearly have something to say and big plans for The Fall of the Fantastic Four. Fantastic Four #1 is the latest in a long line of "pilots" designed to not only introduce new readers into established characters quickly, but a way to establish a new way of telling serialized stories within comics. Though, the practice may not be widely accepted just yet within the ranks of die hard comic fans, this new way of presenting story arcs has connected with a new crop of readers and brought countless new fans into the fold. Marvel is looking to be ahead of the curve, and who better than the First Family to be on the bleeding edge?

There are hints of greatness in James Robinson's Fantastic Four, but as of now it still just feels like a collection of scenes instead of the family that we know and love.

Bendis seems to be hearkening back to the heady days of the Blue Team/Gold Team X-Men but he hasn't quite found his feet again in the pages of Uncanny after Battle of The Atom. The first two arcs showed the very vast story potential of this X-Men team, but after adding the All New squad into the fray, he has stumbled balancing the large cast of mutants he's given himself. The new mutants are very welcome fresh blood in the mutant community, but until Bendis gets them to stop bickering, they might just continue to be background noise.

Uncanny X-Men has been called a superhero soap opera for as long as the days of Bryne and Claremont. If anyone was the heir to the throne of this era of emotional and engaging superhero stories, it would be Brian Michael Bendis and Uncanny X-Men #23 is proof enough. Since their Marvel NOW! debuts, Bendis’ X-Men books have always occupied their ends of the X-Men yarn spectrum. All-New being the high adventure, Blue Team-like book, while Uncanny took on the more brooding, high drama Gold Team spot. The Last Will and Testament of Charles Xavier seems to be the Uncanny X-Men’s most explosive drama yet, but let's hope that we aren’t chasing the carrot of story resolution for too long yet again.

Uncanny X-Men #35 might not be the blockbuster people will expect going into a huge finale, but it is an effective and emotional entry into the Uncanny X-Men canon. This team, though eager and skilled, still has no idea just what it means to be a mutant in the Marvel Universe. Yet, they are reminded exactly what that means thanks to a single thrown bottle from a scared woman. Brian Micheal Bendis and Valerio Schiti aim right for the throat with this issue and hit their mark in bold fashion that never feels like a "Very Special Issue." Uncanny X-Men #35 puts the audience in the perfect thematic space going into the finale. One can only hope that they stick the landing.

Uncanny X-Men #600 was not worth the wait. Though the two series that proceeded it where filled with great characterizations and a throwback style to the soap opera days of the X-Men, their finale leaves much to be desired. While it is fun to see artists return to the series and knock it out of the park, you can't help but wonder what kind of book this would have been if the script had lived up to their talents. Surely to be a must for completists and collectors, Uncanny X-Men #600 doesn't offer much aside from some great pages and the feeling of a writer running out of steam.

My problems with issue structuring aside, Remender's Captain America continues to be a pulpy blast of grit that, with ever issue, distances itself away from Brubaker's sleek, spy-drama epic that only strengthens it with every passing issue. Marvel NOW! has had home run after home run when it comes to its creative team shuffling, and one doesn't have to look any further than Rick Remender's Cap to find a pitch-perfect example of taking an established character into new territories of storytelling while still staying true to everything that has came before it.

If you have been following Remender's Cap from the start, you'll be pleased enough with this issues, but I would be remiss to recommend this as a jumping on point for new readers.

While Remender started out his run by reaching for the stars, it seems now that he's slowly inching his way back down to Earth, the weight of his portentous and heavy-handed dialogue dragging him and his run down.

With Pak's bullet train scripts coupled with Brett Booth's expressive pencils, DC should have a sure-fire hit on its hands, but it doesn't - not yet at least. Aiming to be more than an obvious team-up book, DC has taken a chance on a different kind of point of view with this arc of Batman/Superman and, with two issues in, its proven to be more of a hindrance than selling point. Its a shame because this issue was fun, but it was just too hard to look past the too tight and simplistic panel layout and cramped nature of the pencils. With only one more issue to get through until we get the normal format back, let's hope that the spark that was lit with #1-4 gets reignited.

After the missteps made last arc, I was ready to drop this title altogether, but this opening volley is propulsive and gorgeous enough to keep my interest at least until the end of this crossover.

Call it event fatigue or maybe just an early issue of an event that hasn't found its feet yet; call it whatever you want, but Axis #2 isn't as great as it should be. We all want events to be these larger-than-life stories starring giant personalities and tied together with rousing set pieces, but Axis doesn't have any of these yet. Axis #2 is the worst possible thing that an event comic could be this early; its boring and completely lacking in the energy that makes certain events must reads issue after issue. I have faith that Rick Remender and his rotating stable of artists could turn Axis into a rollicking yarn that closes out Marvel's year with a bang, but as it stands right now, with Issue #2, Axis is a bit of a dud.

I didn't expect to respond to Avengers & X-Men: AXIS #8. I know how, looking at my score and reading my review, you might find that laughable, but I'm being genuine. I came in expecting the mess that I had seen previous, and for the most part, got it, save for a consistent art team and a few choice character moments. Rick Remender is an interesting and engaging writer and I have faith that he can bring this year-end slugfest to a satisfying landing, but these middle issues have been just that; middling. This doesn't bode well for Secret Wars.

This is a title that I very much wanted to love. One of my favorite writers was tackling a character that I had always wanted to experience again in a monthly format with an artist known for his bombast and bullet train momentum. I forgave a weak start, but month after month, I was never hooked enough to justify my spending $3.99. It's never been that Snyder is a bad writer, or Lee a terrible artist, quite the contrary actually. Its just that they don't ever seem to be interested in delivering anything new or noteworthy with the series. Its a generic story from two immensely powerful creative. This could have been so much more, but instead its just more of the same and that's what makes this series' failings all the more painful.

On concept, Superman Unchained should be the perfect Superman series. But, sometimes even the stars get the wrong, and Superman Unchained #7 is one of those rare examples. Superman is a character with near limitless narrative potential but more often than not, he is regulated to a mere force of destruction with an eloquent mind. Snyder writes the narration as if it comes from a poet, but can’t stop showing the man behind that narration punching things, and Jim Lee is more than happy to oblige him. History may one day look kindly upon this weird misfire in comicdom, but as a reader in the present, you really aren’t missing anything.

Some of the most emotional and uplifting storytelling I have ever encountered has been from what people would consider “dark” stories. We, as fans and consumers of culture, have praised and awarded stories about some of the most horrific and bloody periods in our history. Storytellers have time and time again told these stories in thoughtful, economic ways in order to be able to reach us in the most effective way possible while also never compromising the content or appealing to our baser natures. The New 52: Futures End #1 doesn’t even attempt to be anything but exploitative. It goes out of its way to appeal to every baser nature we have a comic fans. It is everything we say we don’t want in comics, yet buy and consume in record numbers. The New Frontier is long behind us. All is now Eye. Eye is Order. Eye is All. But it doesn’t have to be.

The New 52: Futures End has all the makings of a great DC event comic. It has an all-star creative team, a group of interesting characters, and a big, crazy hook that could be too good to resist. But, regrettably, the weekly format of the book coupled with the truncated script weighs the title down time and time again, refusing to let it spread its insane wings and truly fly. If you have been enjoying The New 52: Futures End thus far, or aim towards completion then #17 will be right up your street, but new readers or those curious about where the title is after 16 weeks need not bother. From its eking character reveals to its thudding transitions, The New 52: Futures End #17's outlook appears to be increasingly bleak.

Combine all these together, and what you get is another forgettable issue of The New 52: Future's End. Which is a shame, because I really want to like this book: it's my kind of crazy, and it stars a bunch of characters that I really love and who have been missing from the main roster of DC heroes. However, the weekly distribution of the book and the writers' frustrating habit of never making the scenes and characters gel in any way at all keep this book from succeeding.

And, so this is how the world ends, not with a bang, but with a thud.