Nihilist's Profile

Out of all anniversary mega issues, I think Joker's may either be the most consistent one. Aside from Azzarello's short story, it's at least decent, and few in this collection managed to make really good impression on me. Snyder's "Scars" is a dark, twisted tale bringing back the edge and grit The New-52 became infamous for, and whether you liked this direction or hated it, it works in this comic. "What comes after a joke?" is a long awaited origin story of Punchline, and if you've been excited for the character's introduction to DC's universe, it's a must read, even if her origin itself may not be as memorable and complex as many others. Nonetheless, Punchline is here, finally. Whitta and Miller's "Kill the Batman" may be one of my favourites in this anthology, showing Joker as a self abssorbed nihilist, an envious psycho fan, ending with a comedic twist that genuinely made me laugh my lower backside off. "Introducing thee Dove Corps" may tell a decent story, but I feel it tries (too) hard to be a prologue to Moore's Killing Joke. It' not bad, not in the slightest, but I wouldn't call it as succesful at returning to a cult classic story as Geoff Johns' story from Superman's 80th anniversary anthology, explaining what happened with the car from Action Comics #1 issue. That story was heartwarming and sweet, this feels like its main purpose is to connect to another one rather being its own thing. The War Withing left me... underwhelmed, I guess. Out of all stories so far, I enjoyed this one the least. It's psychodelic, but seemed to me like it doesn't complement the story, but rather mask the lack of any. "The Last Smile" certainly won't be remembered as Dini's finest work, but I can't call it anything short from decent either. It's a pretty entertaining read, which holds up to its name on not one but two planes. Pretty good on paper, if you ask me, but probably could have been executed a bit better. Same could be said about "Birthday bugs", clearly built around an idea of torturing bugs and playing with them, yet being somewhat boring and lacking deeper tension and unpredictability you'd expect from a Joker comic. Not my favourite here, but not a waste of time either, that's for sure. "No Heroes" is yet another dark, psychotic take on the character, commenting on the idea of heroism, putting yourself in front of someone defenseless. That's an important message, especially in this day and age. "Penance", in comparison, lacks deeper meaning. It works as a stand alone short story, but I doubt I'll remember it one week from now. Come to think about it, it's basically a good metaphore of Tony S. Daniel's resume in general. Check out how many books he wrote and how many of them were not forgotten by the history. Finally, there's "Two fell into the hornet's nest", and man, I thought after Zack Snyder's unholy abomination called Sucker Punch, other hacky edgelord writers wouldn't dare to bastardize Kesey's work again. Then Azzarello came with this piece of steaming trash. Leave Kesey alone, please! Leave Ken Kesey alone! Right now! I mean it!

Hands down the best celebratory anthology we've seen from DC so far, beating even Action Comics #1000. There's not one bad story here, not even a mediocre one. Even the one written by Mariko Tamaki of all the people felt at least fine, albeit I won't lie, I'm pretty salty how much Jessica Cruz has been sidelined in this book. The collection consists of 10 different, extremely diverse and unique stories. There's something that honors the golden age and offers modern readers a glimpse of what used to be (James Tynion's story with Gary Frank's fantastic art, similar in a way to Geoff Johns' Superman short about the car from Action Comics #1 cover). There's something funny to laugh to (Johns' surprising Hal story). And there's something heartwarming as well (Tomasi's Kilowog and Guy adventure). With such a diverse roster of characters in the corps, everyone should find a story to suit their tastes, that being said, though, not every lantern receives equal amount of time in the spotlight here. Hal, unsurprisingly, is the lead star here, the rest of the earthling corps members each have their own 5 minutes as well, each leading one story, sometimes maing super small cameos in others. Funnily enough, DC decided no to give Jo and Keli - two newest ring bearers, any attention in this book, which kinda caught me off guard. I mean feel free to say "they're new and haven't earned their place next to Hal, Jess, Kyle and co. yet" but from the marketing perspective, one could assume the editorial would want to promote other comics they publish. Cross-promotion 101, hello.

It's hard to believe, but we're here, with Superman's 1000th issue. What a time to be alive, and celebrate the long and successful life of Clark Kent. A lot has changed throughout last 80 years - there was the second world war, rise and fall of the eastern bloc, computers shrinked down from apartment sized vacuum tube giants to something we can hold in one hand, and humans been to space, just to mention couple of things. You know what didn't change, though? Superman. He always stood for the same core values and principles, standing for those who are in need. He is a symbol of hope, and a true role model to follow, even if we don't have any super powers. This historic issue features couple different stories celebrating the rich legacy of Supes, with nods to his first appearance (elegantly simple story by Johns), and other iconic stories, like The Dark Knight Returns and Kingdom Come (Tomasi's work). There's also a solid dose of pure sweetness, like the opening story written by Dan Jurgens, concluding with a mass cameo of Superman's closest friends (well, for the most part, which makes the scene even better). There may not be something as emotional and heartwarming as Superman's #39, but nonetheless, I believe eneryone should find something they like in this anniversary collection - it sure is diverse. My only problem is related to the very last story - written by Michael Bendis. And don't get me wrong - it reads very well, it looks beautiful (after all, it's drawn by Jim Lee), and definitely made me feel hopeful about Bendis joining DC (since he's partially, among many others, responsible for Marvel's regressive downfall) but his story was a teaser, not a self contained "thank you". I definitely will pick The Man of Steel when it comes out, I just wish this issue was, from the beginning to the end, a celebration of Superman's history, not a ferecast of what's to come, even if that something looks very promising.

Despite what the cover may suggest, the actual issue is far less dramatic and action oriented. What drives it is small mystery we witness unraveling just a tiny, tiny bit, giving us enough information to remain curious, but not enough to overwhelm us. Seeing Bendis' Superman related comics up to this point, I presume it's his signature style - taking his time, trying to focus on dialogues and character interactions, and slowly but surely developing the bigger plot in between the verses.

Rarely I see a comic with no redeeming qualities. Last time it probably was King's Knightmares trainwrck of an arc. Usually you get something of value for the money - most of the time decent art, sometimes decent story, (very) occasssionally both. But this... this is awful. Everything about this comic is awful. Plot, dialogues, art, all with no exception horrendously bad. If it was an indie book, or something niche, I wouldn't be that displeased and frustrated. But this is, supposedly, one of DC's flagship titles. If the house is willing to release something like this, with no effort nor talent put into, nowadays, I have a really bad gut feeling about what's to come in the future. Avoid like the plague, vote with your wallet - if you refuse to support that kind of abominable trash with your money, DC may not feel confident to release more of its kind. Buy a good comic instead, donate those 4$ to charity, get youself some games on GOG, find a discounted novel, or I don't know, do anything with this money, because anything is better than this issue.

It's more Super Sons, what else would you possibly want? The comic sets up a new story, and does what the original run did - which is portraying both main characters in a fun, believable and relatable way. It's great, and it immediately landed on my pull list. Definite recommendation.

Very solid start of the new Aquaman run. New 52 was generally extremely detrimental to many beloved characters, just to mention Lobo, Harley Quinn or Blackhawks, but there was also few series that were promising, to say at least. Aquaman easily being one of them. Issue #1 does what any debut should do - it sets up the first story arc, and explains who exactly main characters are. We can see who exactly Arthur is, what kind of a hero, as well as a person. All of that with plenty of self aware jokes acknowledging his (unfairly!) questionable reputation. It all helps to ground the character, and portray him as someone who really doesn't fit anywhere - he's neither a mainlander nor an Atlantean, at least at this particular moment in his life.

While issue #1 set up the main story, it's #2 which really kicked it off. It starts slow, taking its time to provide us an insight into Arthur and Mera's personal lives, their relationship, but once they arrive at the harbor, the action begins. The fight may be just couple of pages long, but it's a pure joy to follow it. It recaptures what made Mera so great in Blackest Night (conceived by the same creative team, by the way), minus her red lantern ring.

Up to this point, Aquaman's comics were getting only better, and Geoff Johns did something we can rarely see in comics - he mad Aquaman ask question whether or not he is fighting monsters. It's very easy to assume someone's a villain, or in this case, a mindless blood thirsty beast, ignoring their possible background, reasons they are the way they are. Seeing Arthur trying to understand the other side bought me, I swear. That's the kind of hero I like, and admire. He serves as a great counter ballance to more impulsive character of Mera.

As much as I love The Trench story arc, I can't stop thinking it should have been longer. Issue #4 serves as the entire third act - something that normally would be spread across 2-3 chapters. I wish Johns took his time instead of pushing the narrative forward faster than a speeding bullet. We not only see where Trench came from, but also witness the fight between Aquaman and their queen, lasting for barely 3 pages, and finally, the arc concludes with a happy end. It's not I don't like - contrary, I was impressed with it, and the ending feels sweet, especially with Ivan Reis' beautiful art, but it all happened so fast!

I like when story arcs transition one into another, instead of being two separate entities, connected only via the same characters featured in them. So in theory, I should enjoy the new adventure of Aquaman, not being a part of The Trench anymore, but serving as its logical continuation. In practice I have somewhat mixed feelings about it - I can't say this issue was bad, but it surely felt underwhelming compared to first 4 chapters. There's mystery, there's action, as well as more personal parts, diving (pun intended) into Arthur's life and relationships, both present and past.

I have become a fan of Mera while reading Blackest Night - she was, in my humble opinion, one of the biggest highlights of this event. Previous issues also did her justice, very nicely combining her loving, heroic and amotional and impulsive sides. I was truly excited to read an issue reserved only for her, focusing on her development. Sadly, it turned out to be a filler, a pretty shallow and at times frustrating to follow. Can't say I liked Mera's newfound brutality, even if from the story perspective it makes some sense - Johns gave Mera a red lantern ring in the past, and clearly, we can find its echoes in this issue. It falls flat compared to The Trench, and even #5, which already left a lot to be desired. Can't say I liked it.

Birds of Prey hold a lot of potential, due to different personalities or each team member. There's room for serious storytelling, and lighthearted comedy, the latter being used from time to time in the past, and sometimes actually landing. This issue felt like a 10th season of a TV show, where all the fresh ideas are gone, and writers just don't know where to go and what to do, other than keeping the story on its current, fillery track. There's no real tension, nor suspense. Just unimaginative dialogues with generic action in between. Readable, but there's no denying Bird of Prey are one of the weaker runs in otherwise super strong Rebirth line.

It wouldn't be easy to lead normal, everyday life as just a regular human being, as well as being a masked vigilante. That's one of the oldest tropes in comic books, where heroes so often struggle with the idea of revealing their secret identities to people who are close to them. Batgirl has to add one more layer to her life, where it's revealed she doesn't tell everything to her team members. While such betrayal has to result in some tensions between the main trio, this issue focuses on laying down foundation for the near future. It may not be a flawless masterpiece of comic book art, but I've enjoyed it for what it is - something pretty decent.

Decent connective tissue between two, most likely more relevant, chapters of the story, closing up some arcs, and opening new ones. It's nice to see story leading somewhere, to something bigger, utilizing long forgotten characters to set up foundation for what's to come. I've enjoyed this issue for what it was, but naturally, it was not perfect, outstanding and stunninng.

Decent issue, although the entire run usually doesn't surpass levels of readable and somewhat enjoyable mediocrity. I was glad to see some actual depth given to Black Canary, and her relationship with Green Arrow. Little team-up at the very end was also a good idea - I do enjoy seeing Catwoman and Poison Ivy as side characters, bringing Birds of Prey and Gotham City Sirens (well, at least 2/3) together. Sufficed to say, I've enjoyed this issue for what it is.

It's a rushed ending. One that doesn't feel natural nor conclusive, albeit tries, which is a perfect depiction of the entire Batgirl and the Birds of Prey run. It tried, and sometimes that was enough to keep it going and entertain, but other times... We have to say our goodbyes, the series came to an end, and while it shouldn't be surprising, after rather shaky two years, there's a part of me that's going to miss it, I guess. I like the team, and would love our three protagonists to be used in a way this run's writers couldn't use them. They deserve more, and that's what I felt when reading this comic - it tries to tie all the arcs and loose ends, but I don't think it's enough. Maybe, just maybe, when/if Birds return in the future, their new series will learn from this one's mistakes and provide us something to remember, to cheer for.

While the general reception of New 52 was overwhelmingly bad, Batman's solo run (re)started very well, setting up one of the best mysteries the character ever faced and briefly explaining the new status quo and most importantly, being ultra enjoyable. These are the reasons I revisit the Court of Owls storyline every now and often, and every time I read it, I have as much fun as the last time. One and only thing I could criticize about this particular issue is the first little glimpse of what New 52 was about to be infamous for - awful character redesigns and retcons. During the opening sequence you can clearly see the butchered Riddler with a question mark haircut, and a laughing girl with ponytails I presume is Harley Quinn, who I perceive as one of the very biggest victims of the entire New 52 reboot. This issue kicked off a modern classic, an absolute must read for any Batman fan.

The first issue of the run became an instant success, and the second one was able to continue it on a high note. It's a stellar issue, expanding what Snyder laid down previously, and keeping the reader constantly involved, curious, astonished. There's some introductory history of Gotham, which eventually will become essential to the story, there's the investigative work that we don't usually see Batman doing - unfortunately, and of course there's action. All masterfully combined and mixed into one short issue.

Atmosphere in this issue seems to be thicker, compared to previous two. The Court of Owls exists - readers know it already, but Batman finally comes to this conclusion and realizes he was wrong all along. Snyder offers more insight into Gotham's history and criminal underworld, as well as depicted final moments of Alan Wayne, Bruce's ancestor who encountered the Court back in early 1920s. The series doesn't lose its momentum at all, it's as consistent, engaging and artfully crafted as always, and for the most part, all these superlatives could be used in reference to Court of Owls as entirety. What a run!

Issue #4 focuses on the past, directly connected to the present, and to the future as well, leading to Batman's first "official" introduction to the Court of Owls. Bruce reveals he looked for the Court as a child, not long ater his parents' murder, obsessively investigating every single clue, little detail and doing his best to discover a conspiracy, to give their deaths twisted meaning, relevance. All that gives his young self so much depth and emotional baggage, the entire retcon feels right. Sure, surviving a week without any resources like you know, water, may be a subject of critique, but overall I've enjoyed how it connected to the ongoing story arc.

To put it quick and simple - that's without a doubt the best issue of New 52's Batman so far, and it's not hard to notice greatness of previous four releases. Batman, step by step, page by page descends into madness, being defeated both physically and emotionally. The owls accomplished their goal, they've broken the Bat, their natural prey. And citizens of Gotham know it, which is perfectly summed up by Jim Gordon's speech at the very beginning, and then at the end, where for once, Damian loses his control. It's moments like that which allow Batman and his companions to truly shine as characters. Even knowing where the story leads, the aforementioned opening speech and closing panels always feel emotional and meaningful as the first time I've read them.

When you reach the hard rock bottom, the only way you can go is up. Snyder and Capullo show us Batman finding the last desperate spark (quite literally at one point), and finding his way out of Court of Owl's labyrinth. It's a struggle, the last resort for Bruce, to be or not to be, and surely every panel in the issue shows that well. The reader knows perfectly it's not a retreat, it's a manic fight for survival, and if Batman doesn't find his way out, he'll die. Even knowing the outcome, the issue feels tense and thrilling, mostly due to the fact it's not intellect, strategy, strenght, determination or gadgets that help Bats overcome the odds. If anything, it was luck. All that makes the Court of Owls even more terrifying foe, and the last two pages solidify it.

Batman escapes from the Owls' labirynth, but it it wasn't for a new character in the series, Harper Row, he would most likely not survive. Back when the issue was published, it was unclear who she is and what role she'll play in Batman's comics, but now, few years later, when I've re-read the entire story arc, there's no denying it was the first teaser of incoming huge problems with the New 52 continuity. The entire scene feels out of space - Batman is not saved by someone close to him, like Huntress (Loeb's Hush) or Alfred (Johns' Earth One), nor someone who would be able to be in the right place in the right time (like superpowered Gotham and Gotham Girl during the first arc of Rebirth's run of Batman). The scene feels cheap, and the feeling of that is the stronger the more familiar with the run you are. First time you don't really bother, being glad that Bruce is alive, but after 3rd, 5th or 10th read, this little detail will only be more and more annoying. It's a deus ex machina, that's what it is. The rest of the comic, fortunately, is consistent, logical and doesn't try to set up any unnecessary side arc just for the sake of doing it. It's solid to say at least, as usual, and sets up the next chapter of the story - the City of Owls, with its intense cliffhanger.

Nothing solidifies a villain as a real, deadly threat to the hero as attacking him on his own territory, where he's the most vulnerable. Talons arrive at Wayne manor, with one and only order - kill Bruce Wayne. They soon discover his secret identity, complicating the story even more. It's one of the most fast paced issues from the run, very action oriented. It's a quick read, mostly due to the fact once you start, you can't put the book down, you speedrun through its pages holding your breath all the time. Great beginning of Batman's second New 52 story arc.

Issue begins exactly where the previous one ended - right after Batman comes out of his armory and begins to fight a swarm of Talons. Once again, the story is very fast paced and relies on heavy action. One thing's certain - Talons don't pose a threat to Batman like during the previous story arc. Now, even having overwhelming advantage in numbers, Bruce manages to handle them and survive thanks to his skills and perseverance, not just pure luck. Whether or not it was a good change, I leave for you to judge, but even though they seem depowered from the very beginning, it sure doesn't hurt the story and make in any less intense. It's still one hell of a story, and Snyder, step by step, teases the upcoming turn of power, where Batman, for the first time, gets the upper hand.

Origin story retcons are made to add depth, more details and reasons explaining character's known motivations. That happened in september of 1992, when Heart of Ice, one of the best Batman: The Animated Series episodes aired for the first time. It turned Mr. Freeze from just another forgettable, pointless cold based villains into one of the most relatable, tragic antiheroes in the world of DC. Why did Snyder decide to rewrite Victor? I have no clue - the character was already so complex and beloved there was no point to re-invent him. Let's go back, for a moment, to the very first sentence of this review. This retcon does not add any more depth to Mr. Freeze - in fact, it butchers his backstory and removes Ferris Boyle, and the entire GothCorp company. Lastly, Snyder decided to remove the very thing that makes Mr. Freeze so sympathetic and lovable - his true, pure love for Nora, his wife. Instead, it's revealed they were never married, and he developed sick fascination with her at work, where he first saw her frozen body. That ruined Mr. Freeze to me, and turned him back from being one of my favourite character, to yet another generic one dimensional sociopath I couldn't care less about. Snyder ruined Mr. Freeze, and because of that very reason, I've stopped reading his Batman run for quite a while, back in the day. The only good thing about this annual is its art - it's no less than phenomenal. Too bad it was wasted on such a terrible story. One I do not intend to revisit ever again. I want to forget about its existence, I want to erase every thought of it, and I want to live in blissful ignorance that Mr. Freeze is still the same tragic person he was shown in Heart of Ice. Let's hope Rebirth will fix him once again, and put on the right track, retconing this joke of an annual.

Tables have turned - Batman officially begins his crusade against the Court, once he's got an upper hand over them in the previous issue. Things complicate once he discovers that Lincoln is not only alive (or maybe "undead" would be a better choice of words), but he's supposedly his lost younger brother. That, to say at least, is a very controversial, divisive plot twist that could successfully shatter what both Bruce and we, the readers, think of Martha and Thomas Wayne. Different writers tried to give them some depth over the decades, instead of showing them as just usual two supposed saints who get killed, usually focusing on just one of them (Martha in, for example Johns' Earth One, or King's Rebirth run, and Thomas in, let's say, Johns' Flashpoint and Nolan's Batman Begins movie). Adding another Wayne to the mix, though, is a big, big game changer - one that's extremely memorable, but then, equally polarizing. For now, readers don't have to take anything for granted, because the only person who claims that Lincoln is Bruce's brother, is Lincoln himself. We have an entire beautifully illustrated, action packed issue to focus on.

There's surely a lot squeezed into this double issue, starting with ultra intense fight between Bruce and Lincoln, Bruce's warm conversation with Dick Grayson, and then, the story of Jarvis Pennyworth, Alfred's father, describing the fall ouf the house of Wayne. Starting with the fight, I've felt it's too little bit too over the top. Yes, it's engaging, it's intense, it's everything you'd expect it to be, but at the same time it's significantly less grounded (well, literally) that usual Batman encounters. The conversation with Dick following it, to me, was the highlight of this issue - Snyder did great job writing a warm, believable discussion, using the full potential of easy going, funny nature of Nightwing. There were glimpses of how Snyder understands this particular character in the past, but definitely to a lesser degree. This time Dick is in the spotlight, and allows the heavy atmosphere to cool down. Lastly, there's the Jarvis' story, adressed to his son, Alfred. While I perfectly understand its significance to the arc overall, I have felt it to be a bit slow at times. It doesn't drag to the point you stop being interested in it, but at the same time, it lacks tension it probably should have, considering how dramatic depicted events are. Maybe if it was shuffled with present day events, instead of being shown all at once, it would make a better impression on me. It's not bad, but also hardly as good as previous two acts of this issue. That's quite ironic, taking to consideration the amount of backstory and universe building given with this tale. Concluding, it was a pretty good closure to a very strong arc - one that every Batman fan should definitely read. Snyder and Capullo created a modern classic, and what's even more impressive, did it in a serialized run.

In normal circumstances, I would consider rating this issue as 4-4.5/10. The problem is, considering how strong and consistent Batman's run was up to this point, I believe the book should be held to higher standards. Being proceded by The Court of Owls, you'd expect it to be outstanding. Instead, it's painfully mediocre and anticlimactic. The main problem I have with the issue is its protagonist - Snyder decided to focus it on Harper Row, a new character who no one knows and no one cares about. If she was introduced step by step, slowly and cautiously, like, let's say, Harley Quinn was, or Gotham Girl was about to be few years later, we wouldn't have this conversation now. But Harper's origin story has hijacked Batman's comic, and kept it in stagnation, not allowing the main story to progress. It's not like I hate her - no, she didn't give me reason to hate her character so far, but she also didn't give me a single reason to like her either. She's a tabula rasa, and all we know about her, that's she's a lower class do-gooder tomboy. The art is another major flaw of this issue - first half has one, very lighthearted, goofy an cartoonish at times style. I would not mind it in different series, with different tone. That's how I could envision Gotham Academy spinoff or Harley Quinn. Some panels are genuinely cute, like couple taking place at Wayne manor. Harper's poses and mimicks are cartoonish in a positive sense of that word. The second half, while more detailed, also breaks the book and makes it look just plain awful. Harper reminds me of 40 year old crack addict, not a teenage girl. Such a style shift shouldn't have happened in such a prestigeous run. This issue is nothing but a cheap, cheap filler. Skip it.

While I don't generally like one issue fillers in between full sized arcs, this was entertaining, similarly to previous one, involving Swamp Thing. The story may share some resemblance to Hush, and certainly, the death of Waynes as a story telling element is used very (too?) often in different mediums, but it didn't prevent this issue from feeling tense and pretty mysterious (although the payoff can't' be compared to the best detective Batman stories out there). Overall stong issue - definitely not worth skipping.

Marriage of Bruce and Selina was somewhat divisive among fans, but I really like the idea - for once, the characters could progress and grow as a couple, especially since the previous issue shown them in a realistic, mature light. Remember phenomenal Rooftops mini arc, for example? I don't know if this issue will change everything (either by establishing Batman and Wonder Woman as an awkward couple similarly to what DC has done in New 52 between her and Superman, or reversing Batman and Catwoman's relationship, essentially making last two dozen issues pointless), or is it just a one-off obstacle in otherwise nicely progressing series, but I surely hope it's the latter. As much as I've enjoyed two non parallel narrative lines, it's the conclusion, or just cliffhanger, that leaves rather bitter aftertaste and makes the entire issue feel just wrong. Even Selina and Gentle Man's day like any other, written great (well, Catwoman's writing in Rebirth is generally great, so this is not an exception), can't escape its shadow.

I'm very pleased to report the last issue's highly controversial ending did not lead to anything fans would absolutely hate. King, so far, did not make a mistake that'd send the run on very, very wrong track, like Snyder did once Court of Owls story ended (remember Harper Row and Mr. Freeze's butchered retcon?). King was able to continue developing Bruce and Selina's relationship - it's mature, faithful to both characters, and there's literally no bad thing I could say about it. I only wish such fleshed out romantic relationships existed in bigger quantities - Superman and Lois, or Green Arrow an Black Canary both deserve so much depth and believability. One more thing to praise is surely the Jumpa easter egg - it's such an abscure, silly reference, only invisible plane could top it.

Definitely a promising start to the new arc, portraying Ivy in a way we haven't seen yet, and using her powers to a new, unimaginable degree. The narrative may be a bit confusing during the first read, but once it's revealed what really is going on, everything "clicks", leaving no room for second thoughts. Where is the story going to lead, though? That is the question.

There's one thing that makes Tom King so, so different from other comic book writers - he knows how to write about normal, ordinary daily life. He doesn't try to create unnecessary soap opera drama, he doesn't give too much attention and relevance to otherwise irrelevant situations, and finally, he doesn't try to add faux depth where's none. I was often praising his portrayal of Selina, and her relationship with Bruce, feeling just right, natural, realistic. These two have unquestionable chemistry you rarely see in comics. And once again, King served yet another irrelevant day in the life situation, showing his talent and skill as a writer. Of course, the fast-food restaurant scene is not what matters in this issue, it's just an addition, but I can't stop returning to it and remembering how entertaining it is. What matters the most is how the Ivy's story unfolded, and where it's leading. We know despite all the control over people, she doesn't understand how to control their powers. She tries to fix the world, making her somewhat relatable, but her desperation also makes her impulsive, which most definitely will be the cause of her downfall later on. Naively believing she has absolute control over everything and she does the right thing, she may feel secure. Too secure to be prepared for domino bricks to start falling one after another. I've enjoyed this issue - it may have not been outstanding, but it has everything that makes a comic good - solid story, great character development and dialogues, and finally, a truly fun cliffhanger, wanting me to see what's going to happen next. Right now! Definitely recommend this one.

It's good to have a reminder of the war of jokes and riddles, and know its events weren't just closed, separate "bricks" that may lay next to others, but don't really connect with them, merge, influence other story arcs. Echoes of the past are present in this issue, and I welcome them with open arms. If only the present was actually a worthy successor... This arc really felt like a rushed filler, when after just three issues was concluded. I liked the set-up King did in #41 and #42, expanding the lore and adding little intricacies to Batman mythos, but frankly, it led nowhere. Here we are, one issue later, and everything's done. Yeah, it happens to work and be logical, but I can't stop thinking the story should have unraveled slower than it did, and give proper focus on both presented events and characters. Latter especially, since if there's one thing Tom King is great at, it's writing dialogues and developing certain characters. Catwoman being a great example. My main problem with this issue is the use of Harley to help Ivy. I believe changing their sisterly-like relationship from Batman: The Animated Series in favor of a romantic one was a huge mistake, that not only ditched one of the most unique bonds in comics (how many other believable BFF pairs with such chemistry come to your mind?) for just yet another love story, but most importantly, diminished the general background of Harley, a victim of an abusive relationship. With introduction of Ivy as her new romantic substitute partner, we've got to deal with archetypical victim and savior complex, a clear step back from anything Dini and Timm created before. And it's one of the reasons why Conner and Palmiotti's Harley run, from New-52 onwards, was just plain, generic and lacked any character development. Guess what - you're not going to see anything remotely deep in this issue either. It's quite sad. After very emotional issues focusing on Gotham Girl and Kite-Man, this just feels empty, meaningless.

King sure is taking his time to set up the wedding we all wait for. And while this issue doesn't push the action and narrative forward, it wouldn't be a bad filler... If only the series wasn't pretty stagnant already, after three part Everyone Loves Ivy mini arc. I don't mind occasional atmospheric slowdowns instead of non stop action, but it's time something important to happen for a change. Let the wedding begin!

Booster Gold and Skeet steal the show without a doubt. Their chemistry is brilliant, and the Kite-Man joke was absolutely spot on. The rest of the comic, sadly, is a confusing, and quite frankly somewhat unoriginal mess, reminding me strongly of Flashpoint (which also suffers from lack of proper lore building, unless you read all of its spin-offs and supplements) combined with recent future evil Tim Drake event. King should really step up, because Batman's last couple of issues was pretty mediocre for the series' standards. And I do believe Bats should be held to higher standards.

I can't say I'm particularly engaged in the recent events taking place in Batman's comics. Everyone Loves Ivy arc was short and rather disappointing, and recent Booster Gold centric one isn't much better. Last time we've seen Flashpoint, DC decided to reboot the universe by introducing New 52. And we all know how divisive and hated it was. The art sure is beautiful, and Booster's monologues are a breath of fresh air - he's a super fun character, always has been. But still, even with him in the spotlight, I can't get into this arc.

As you may have expected, everything we've een in last few issues got resolved - there was no real stakes or tension compared to Flashpoint, which in a similar matter introduced an alternate, dystopian timeline, but even after Barry returned to his time, things were different. On the other hand, King pulled off some real dramatic moments and perfectly captured Booster's goofy personality, with real emotions hidden underneath. It's not something I would compare to 52 Pick-Up, with phenomenal, tearjerking Batgirl issue, but it's a good conclusion to otherwise rather mediocre arc. I'd love to see more Booster Gold in the future. Not necesarily in Batman's comics, but generally. His character has a lot of potential waiting to be utilized.

Finally, proper action begins, and Joker reaches Batman, the only way he knew how. It's a tense issue, focusing on psychotic and unpredictable nature of him - and I love it. Dialogues, or to be more precise, Joker's monologues, are always in the center of attention, but they don't feel heavy - most panels reads very quickly. Don't miss two little easter eggs - one related to particular cathedral, other to a street! Such a nice touch.

Issue #49 will be remembered as a divisive one, and if you hoped to see a big fight between Catwoman and Joker, you'll be disapppointed. King, instead of giving us a spectacular battle, focused on developing their rather troublesome relationship, which surely is a nice touch, but on the other hand it doesn't really push the story forward. I have to say, I liked this story for what it was. I may have expected more, but at least I must admit I was genuinely surprised to see the story unraveling this particular way. Finally, it's the end of fillers, doesn't matter if they were good or not, we can proceed with the wedding - something we all wait for.

We've all waited for... this. Where to begin? Maybe with Prelude comics, I considered to be pretty bad, Nightwing/Hush issue aside. I was hoping, truly, we can just leave them all behind, forget them, and finally proceed, get the main dish that was hyped for months. Long story short, the issue is a hot mess, mostly because it happens to be a wasted opportunity. Seeing so many pages drawn by legendary artists, including Jim Lee, Tim Sale and Frank Miller, was a nice concept, however in practice I was doing my best to read every single one of them as quickly as possible, since they don't offer anything interestin story-wise. Yeah, eyes, I get it, they're important, let's move on, we've met on a ship, no, we've met on a street - either way, we've heard that before already. Superman's 1000th issue was a collection of stories written and drawn by different artists, all of them different tonally, but also self contained and consistent. This one tries to marry (pun intended) dozen different things together. Not surprisingly, the result is something that resembles a creation of Victor Frankenstein. Watch out, Selina, because you may end up like Elizabeth. The problems go further, however - even after reading the issue the second time, ignoring all interludes/fillers, it was hardly entertaining, and lacked any personality. The only moment I really enjoyed was Bruce asking Alfred to be his best man - that felt emotional and sweet. Other than that, the comic fails to tell an interesting story, or at least provide some good dialogue that would compensate the lack of action and narration. It's a colossal disappointment, lacking any substance and feeling like a waste of talent. And reader's time for that matter. I hate to hate a Batman comic, but man, was that underwhelming after all these weeks of promotion and labeling the event as one of the biggest things in the DC Comics.

Can't say I'm impressed. It's readable, but the last issue made me question my normal bi-monthly excitement for Batman's comics, and quite frankly, #51 didn't offer enough to return it to the previous status quo, capture my attention once again. At this point everything depends on further development of Mr. Freeze - if his backstory is rebooted after Scott Snyder's plain horrible retcon in New 52's Batman Annual #1, it may be a good mystery story of Batman questioning his crusade in the light of recent heartbreak, and Victor's unwilling involvement in it. It could lead to some cathartic scenes of these two facing their losses and painful loneliness devouring them. But that could be just wishful thinking - we'll see what happens in two weeks. For now I'm going to pass my judgement.

I enjoy the concept behind this story, but let's be real for a moment - 12 Angry Men executed it way better, with more complexity and humanity, 60 years ago. Of coure it would be unfair to compare a comic to a movie, but nonetheless, I feel like this issue didn't have the same tension and stakes as its cinematc competitor. Especially when King resorts to his notorious trick - repetition, whether you like it or not. There's couple of pages that add absolutely nothing to the story - one's we've seen in #50 as well, and also, for the nth time, Bruce brings the tale of his parents' deaths again. We know it, from Miller to Snyder, Johns to Loeb, and King himself, it always comes back in, and I have to say, I think King overused it a bit. Not only in this issue, naturally. At least there's one objectively truly glorious thing this comic accomplished - fnally Scott Snyder's butchered origin of Mr. Freeze from New 52's Batman Annual #1 was retconned, and Nora is once again Victor's wife. Let's celebrate that! This is a good day, everybody! Art is serviceable, but inferior to first arcs of Batman's Rebirth comics. There's few very climactic panels, but for the most parts, illustrations are rather simple and unexpressive. The comic's readable, but it's not the way to redeem the series after the nasty backslash of #50 caused by false advertising, and disappointing writing as well. If you want to experience a similar story, but executed twelve times better, go and pick up 12 Angry Men. Great movie, absolute must watch.

The issue feels disjointed, which is a huge problem for the series since few months. King added some heavy biblical elements to his take on Batman, using them to show that Batman is just a man after all, not a god-like figure - and I have to say, it's better than it may seem at first. The moment Bruce says people treat Batman as good, and Mr. Freeze as bad, due to their personal experiences, is a nice twist, so I gotta give credit where credit is due, but overall, this comic doesn't feel complete, doesn't feel like it's enough. In result, the entire short arc feels like a filler of sorts - maybe not necesarily out of place nor unnecessary, but surely not strong enough to stand on its own. You know, like I Am Gotham, I Am Suicide or even The War of Jokes and Riddles. Remember these? I don't know what future brings, but I know it'll take way more than this for King to redeem himself and make Batman comics outstanding once more. Because for now, the run feels just underwhelming.

I'm very sad to report this, but it's a filler issue. Filler-filler, because King made few outstanding non-filler-fillers in the past - just to mention the Rooftops micro arc, and murder mystery involving Swamp Thing. This week, however, there's nothing to keep us engaged and interested, especially after rather underwhelming 12 Angry Men inspired arc. The story goes nowhere, really, although the general idea showing Batman and Nightwing's relationship back then and now, one helping another, seems really nice at first. In the end, however, it fails. The art is pretty bad - last few months weren't too kind for Batman, compared to what we've seen in the past, but this time it really looks like a rushed, low budget comic, not DC's flagship. Unless you're a completionist, skip this issue.

The best issue since #49, but still far from the quality Tom King's first few arcs had. It's overall decent, and surely feels like a huge improvement compared to post wedding comics, but don't hold your breath yet, expecting full recovery. Worth picking up for the cliffhanger and art, though.

Decent issue, and the entire arc so far seems to be simply outstanding compared to previous 6 issues. It still is a Tom King book, coming with all the pros and cons of his narrating style, so don't expect something different. It's just more polished, thought through, and seems to lead somewhere, without relying on huge shockers and controversial revelations King has been criticized for by a large part of our community for some time now. I'd recommend #56, the same way I would #55 - it's a beautifully illustrated comic, and the heavy focus on KG Beast not only makes him a solid, interesting villain, but humanizes him in a weird, messed up way. I like it.

I don't find anything good about this comic, and that's a shame, because last few issue leading to it were an improvement, compared to abominations like Everyone Loves Ivy and The Wedding. It's so painfully mediocre and features hardly any text to read. I mean, not every comic has to - King usually relies on very minimalistic tone, and sometimes it works out great, like with I Am Suicide arc. But this... This seems like a step too far - Batman and KG Beast literally just growl and scream during their confrontation. Don't recommend this comic, days when King's Batman was one of the top DC series are long gone, and I really don't understand why is he even trying to do a 100 issue mega run, when so much of it already is pure low quality filler.

There's no denying Batman is struggling - and I'm not talking about his life as a character, I'm talking about Tom King's writing in the series. His run has become so stretched and unnecessarily long, it feels like a cable TV show these days, which would work as a 10-12 episode one, but was turned into a 23 episode giant. I have nothing against writers taking their time to tell a story, I even said so while reviewing Bendis' Superman comics, but the point of a story, slow or quick, is to lead somewhere. I don't have that feeling with King's Batman anymore, unfortunately, and the saddest part is, this issue for once contained something that connects it to the big masterplan teased in #50. You know, the one everyone hated. Am I happy to see Penguin getting some character development? Yeah, but then again, King gave him the same type of development he gave many other characters, being in a way the mirror opposite of what Bruce went through - Gotham's parents were assaulted in an alley way like Waynes, except they were saved, Bane's connection with his mother mirrors what Bruce feels towards Martha, and KG Beast's relationship with his father mirrors the one of Bruce and Thomas. Heck, he even created a kid who wants to be like Bruce Wayne, and he orchestrates murder of his parents. I get it, all it takes is one bad day, and there's a very narrow line between being good and turning bad. It's a fine trope, but reading the same since the beginning of Rebirth gets not just pretty repetitive (considering King loves using repetition), but plain boring. Let Batman and Penguin talk already, and finally move the story forward, because while it's by no means true, I feel like absolutely nothing happened in the series since The War of Jokes and Riddles, which was a retrospective, so nothing really happened since I Am Bane arc. Minus Catwoman's vanishing in #50 (the wedding issue). No more filler material, please!

I think I've figured out the problem I have with King's Batman since 20-30 or so issues. He's simply unlikable, which normally wouldn't be surprising - after all, he's Batman, and Batman never was a friendly type. It's deeper than that, because while indeed Bats is hardly a social type, good writers (and that includes King in first 3 arcs of his run) manage to show his human side through his flawed actions. This issue reminded me of Hush - remember the scene where Bruce loses control after seeing Joker with a gun in his hand laughing at Tommy Elliot's body, and something breaks inside of him? When he wants to murder his nemesis, end it once and for all, and no one can stand in his way? That was a great scene, and its moral is, Batman is just a human, and as much as he wants to remain in full, cold control, there are situations that can turn someone 180 degrees. One bad day, as Moore's Joker would say. Now, back to #59, perfectly showing Batman as a furious, blood-thirsty lunatic, but one that doesn't break earlier. He is there, in full control of his actions, conscious and calculating. It's not a crime of passion. It's giving up to the dark side, which makes him a Batman I don't want to follow. Because Batman is Batman, not Red Hood. It's not the first time he acted like this - bofore this issue, he most likely crippled KGBeast and left him to die, and terrorized possibly not guilty Mr. Freeze. Even if, in the end, we know he was right about Bane, it's the journey, not its destination that matters for now. After all, Bruce doesn't know if he's right or wrong, contrary to us, meaning, he made a decision to invade Arkham Asylum and beat the crap out of one of its inmates, and that's that. Let me remind you, we're talking about the same guy who voted in favour of Harley Quinn's release from Arkham, once he realized she truly wants to get help and proper treatment there. He may have been bruting and dark, but deep inside he's got heart and compassion. Ironically, even King gave him both - remember how he opened up to Gotham Girl? Still one of my favourite moments from entire Rebirth. The issue's highlight has to be Penguin. He's the only one who acts like a human, and I feel for him. Really, I do. That's one thing I can applaud King for - making him relatable and sympathetic for a moment. But I still have a nasty aftertaste after reading the entire comic. Meh - there's some good in it, there's definitely some bad as well. At least the story, for once, is going somewhere instead of being a parade of filler material.

More expository filler from King, this time even worse than usual, with uneven art - half really beautiful, half looking like a cheap indie work made by an intern. It's really underwhelming, even for King's recent standards. Penguin's story is this issue's highlight, the same way I found it the most relatble and entertaining element of last comic's. That being said, however, while a highlight, it still stretches a bit too much, and could have been told faster. I could definitely see this and the last issue being combined into just one, which would be a far better alternative. Really, it's like Metallica's Load and Reload albums - filler stretched into two discs with few better moments (albeit still pretty mediocre compared to what they made in the 80's), that could have worked as a single LP. You're no Alan Moore, Tom King, and your story is nowhere near as complex as some of Moore's works (most notably Watchmen or V for Vendetta) which genuinely require tons of exposition and explaining to be understood. Cut it, because this incompetent deconstructionism and pseudo intellectualism hurt the series.

It's really refreshing to read a good Batman comic book for a change. Heck, good - it's very solid, featuring both action and heart. Especially the latter, showing Alfred's dedication and love for Bruce, and the toll his work puts on him. Also, what's equally important, for once we can see human side of Batman, which Tom King seems to have forgotten about completely. That's some real heartwarming storytelling. Hihgly recommend. Tom King, watch and learn how to write a good Bat comic.

The last two issues were nothing more than expository filler, which could have been easily squeezed into one comic, and as much as I disliked them for being slow, boring and meaningless reads, I'd take them both over this one. Why, you may ask? It's simple - because at least they had any story. Any story leading anywhere, connecting to other events form the series. Ones that the reader may actually care about. The Bruce Wayne wannabe with "Thomas" and "Martha" carved in his cheeks is most certainly not one of them. Think about it - if #38, where wannabe Bruce appeared for the first time, was a filler issue, this is a filler sequel to this filler. Over and over, Tom King breaks the main story and incompetently tries to make us look the other way. Distract us from the main arc and main characters, in favor of something like this. A meaningless novelty no one will remember in a week. Maybe it's because he doesn't want to rush his mega story... or maybe there's no mega story to begin with, and King lost his way long time ago, now running on fumes? Who knows? But either way, I don't recommend this issue. What's up with cringeworthy darkness and obnoxious edgelord characterization in recent Bat-centric comics? His current solo run fell so far from grace, it's borderline unreadable, relying on public domain fairytales and stretching bad stories into multiple comics as much as Metallica is stretching their post-thrash dad country-rock songs into 90 minute albums. Detective Comics, prior to Tomasi's takeover of the series, were something I was purchasing only because they were so forgettable, I forgot to cancel their monthly orders - true story. And let's not forget Batman Damned, which is an absolute abomination and an insult to fans of not just Bats, but few more characters, where Harley Quinn nearly raped Batman and Etrigan is a rapper with more face piercings than Jared Leto's Joker has tattoos on his. Technically, I could mock Heroes in Crisis as well, despite featuring Bruce only as a side character, which is yet another garbage begging the question how did it even get greenlighted? What's up, DC? Batman should be your flagship brand. One that can be expected to be each month's highlight. These days, each time there's a Bat comic coming out, I feel anxiety instead, expecting it to be utter crap. And most of the time it is. Bottomline, if you want to read about Batman, pick up Tomasi's Detective Comics and avoid everything else like the plague. Don't even come near this festival of trash without a 2 meter long pool.

Filler. More filler from King. At this point the entire 62 issue run has more filler than actual relevant content, and I wish that was a joke. And also, 2 more public domain stories were just used as substitutes for this issue's lack of any story - one about three little pigs, and the other being the myth of Pygmalion and Galatea. Just put the series out of its misery, because there's 38 issues to go, and I simply can't imagine it going on for so long without properly constructed narrative and identity. Sometimes I feel like Tom King should return to his previous job, since quality of his recent comics made me realize that abolishing democratically elected governments, what CIA specializes in since 1950s, clearly has to be easier than writing a good story.

John Constantine and Batman just... fit together nicely, conceptually, at least. One is a cynical, sarcastic dick, and the other is a bruting, cold introvert. There's a lot of potential for such team-up, mixing street vigilantism with magic and demons. Too bad these two, every time they appear in the same place in the same time and interact, don't have anything valuable to say. Justice League Dark movie shoehorned Batman for no reason, Brian Azzarello completely bastardized these two characters in an abomination that is Batman Damned (albeit at least Johnny Boy didn't try to rape Bats like Harley in issue 2 - yeah, that's how bad things went with this comic), and now, Tom King came up with the same idea - to team up John and Bruce, in a mysterious story. And yes, it sucks like the two aforementioned teamp-ups. First of all, the story - it's dull for the most part, and features two of King's most well known gimmicks: repetition and dualism. Remember #50, with all these boring beyond belief interludes featuring commentaries from Batman and Catwoman, regarding the same subjects? Like their eyes? You'll find that in this issue as well, thankfully used just once. You'll also find repeated scenes from the same issue - and look, I get it, it's a long story arc, and it's understandable King wants to put more emphasis on important scenes here and there - remind us what's happening with all key characters, since lat 10 issues barely push the main narrative forward. And while I understand why, I can't say I enjoy reading the same thing over and over again, basically, if I'm stuck in a never-ending loop of repetition and duality, parallels thrown in my face. And this week, once again, we learn nothing important - the comic leads somwehere, I guess, but it's as stagnant and slow paced as its predecessors. It's just boring.

While this Batman/Flash crossover doesn't capture my attention and imagination nearly as much as The Button did, I can't say it's bad. At least so far. It's readable, and that's certainly an improvement over regular Batman comics written by Tom King, but being readable isn't enough for me to recommend it. For the most part, the comic tries to be a sort of duct tape, sticking previous events together, giving us insight into what's happening to our heroes, and how it all may be connected. And while it most definitely was much needed, taking to considertion how shallow Heroes in Crisis and Batman are, is it enough to fuel an entire crossover event? I'll give it a try. After all, it's nice to see Claire back, albeit being just stereotypically crazy. But I don't have big expectations for this crossover - maybe I'm burned out of King's presence in the DC universe and simply can't come to peace with anything he writes or is written with his previous works in mind, continuing them. Either way, I'm definitely underwhelmed with this issue, but can't say it's as bad as anything King writes himself these days.

I recently had a friendly discussion regarding possible spin-off story, book, movie, you name it, set in the Harry Potter universe and focusing on Marauders' lives at Hogwarts. My friend, being a giant potterhead she is, said she'd love such thing to be made, I, on the other hand, having more cynical and nihilistic worldview, asked an important question: "is there even enough source material and purpose to create it?". That's exactly how I feel about this entire crossover - it's not like it's unnecessary per se, it just seems to lack substance and depth such event should have. So far, it consisted of scraps left by Tom King - ones he set up in previous issues, but never picked up himself. That begs the question, what's even the point of his Batman run to begin with, if he doesn't know what to do with things he, himself, introduces? The issue's only redeeming quality is the art - I'm not going to lie, the comic looks great. Too bad other than that, it's just disappointing, start to finish. Yay, Claire is back and this time she even went Super Saiyan, but so what, if she hardly has any personality, believable motivation, and pushes the story forward. She's just a generic crazy villain - replace her with anybody else, and you'd get practically the same result - just empty destruction. Skip it and save some money instead.

You thought the entire Gotham Girl crossover event with Flash was bad? Well, this week Tom King returned, and his empty shadow of awfulness follows him closely, every step of the way. The issue is boring, and once again King serves us literally the same dish - yes, we know damn perfectly that Batman and Catwoman have met on the street, or on a boat - we knew it from the moment King told us that the first time. And yeah, the first time was good, but then he reminded us about it in #50. And now is the third time when he tries to shove it in our throats. Enough with the repetitiveness, which already was a big problem in this Batman run long before this week's issue! I wonder how much substance would there actually be in Tom King's Batman comics if we cut away all the filler and repeated material. 20 issues worth of reading maybe? That's just disappointing. Oh, almost forgot - the art sucks, too, this week.

When the first actual dialogue appears on the 16th page, you know you're not reading a comic. No - you just browse an illustrated flyer, page by page, realizing there's nothing in it. Not substancial, that is. If you thought the last issue of Heroes in Crisis was devoid of any plot, just wait til you see this one. You just wait. An Ikea catalogue has more story to tell than this. And I think I get what King tries to pull off here. Have you seen Once Upon a Time in America, by any chance? If not - it's definitely worth a try, especially if you're into crime movies, like The Bronx Tale, Casino, Goodfellas, and of course The Godfather and Scarface. Its opening, however, is pretty painful to go through, with a phone ringing endlessly for about 5 minutes. Beep beep may as well be its spiritual successor, except contrary to the original, not being an actually artistic element. Terrible comic - definitely skip this trash. I've seen flyers behind my car's wipers having more substance.

I am very conflicted here. the reason is - I liked most of the comic. I did, really. And you know why? Because it was fun, contrary to regular King's Batman comics. As a refreshing filler issue, it would be good, if not great. Heck, this is exactly what we should have gotten instead of terrible Preludes to the Wedding leading to even worse #50. But it's too little too late for a bachelorette party when we know it leads nowhere, and most importantly, it unfortunately connects to the Knightmares arc instead of being its own stand-alone thing. That's why I can't give this issue a negative rating - I liked Selina and Lois' adventures in Fortress of Solitude, but I also can't give it a positive rating either, because I know it's a mere illusion connected to a terrible story arc.

So, we're done with Knightmares. About damn time! What was the point of the entire arc, aside from being practically nothing but filler? I don't know, but comparing this week's issue with those preceeding it, I can confidently say it'd alone be enough. Yay, we got some predictable answers, and we got some, any, story progression. That's more than all previous issues combined. The art is good and consistent, so if you're looking for a comic that looks decent, I could recommend this one. There's a nice, psychodelic element to it, but it didn't feel abused and overused for the most part. Overall "meh" - can't call it a bad comic, like its predecessors, but it's still not enough to make me even remotely interested in what's happening on its pages.

Man, was that... underwhelming. The purpose of a villain in a superhero story is to challenge the hero, make them embrace their best self, grow and learn. None of that can happen when a random sleection of baddies is being taken down one by one by a hero so overpowered he puts Arya Stark to shame. I'm aware it's just a set-up for something bigger, and Batman is going specifically after Bane, but such a waste of good bad guys, one shotting them one after another, doesn't serve this issue whatsoever. There's no tension, there's no actual stakes, there's no feeling of constant danger that should be present in a place like this. You can skip it and you wouldn't miss a thing, since we already knew Bruce woke up after the last arc. A horrible arc, I may add. This, for now, doesn't look much better, with its disjointed schizophrenic art and non existent narrative.

The worse thing than telling one story with no substance is telling two at the same time. King's writing reminds me of drunk or drugged people mumbling incoherently, probably believing what they say (or try to, at least) makes some, any sense, but it doesn't to anyone who's not as wasted as they are. We've got an antire arc worth of hallucinations and delirious nightmares coming true. And it was a terrible arc, I may add. King, seems like it, didn't get over it, though, and continues to serve us the same dish over and over again. It's not just bad at this point. It's also cold already. Half of the art looks great, and that's the only reason this comic got any points from me. Avoid this garbage.

There are two plot twisting gimmicks I'm truly sick and tired of - "it was all just a dream" and "it all is connected". Now, to be fair, the latter, if done correctly, with proper foreshadowing, details hidden in between the lines and actually logical story progression leading to all the reveals, can be great. One issue stating "it was all a part of the plan since the very beginning" is not a valid explanation, however. You know why Game of Thrones failed so badly and its last season is widely despised even by normies who couldn't understand critical flaws of seasons 5, 6 and 7? Because all of a sudden all the theories, all the foreshadowing laid down by George Martin, went nowhere or were streamlined so much, they became exactly these quick "it all is connected" twists with no depth, context and purpose. King can tell us as much as he wants that all these 72 issues were Bane's master plan, but were they really? Even if indeed he intended them to tell one, big story, it came out as pretty nonsensical, convoluted so much it would be a miracle if it worked without failing in few critical points, and most importantly, he reveals us the truth in a way so poor, forced and rushed, it's hard to take it even half seriously. Think about it - he's got over 70 issues to connect everything together, yet he did it all now, at once, desperately because DC's management is (finally) kicking him out of the series due to dropping sales and negative fan reception damaging the brand. But hey, it all is connected, am I right? It was always one, big plan, except I just told you about it now because other than that, there's absolutely no valid connection made before. Even if the core idea itself - Bane having a master plan, sounds cool on paper, it's not enough when its execution is terrible. Don't believe me? Read some Junji Ito - they guy is a horror genius, coming up with ideas so random and unexpected, they are genuinely terrifying. At the same time, he seemingly can't tell a coherent story. His works always end up with some forced connections and unnatural plot conveniences. It's cheap narration, so bad it reminds me of Lost's last few seasons and the awful ending. Or wait, I have even better analogy - imagine Vito Corleone showing up at the very end of Godfather, miraculously alive, telling Michael he wanted him to become the new boss all along, but he wasn't ready, so he orchestrated everything, from his exile to Sicily, through love affair there, to finally his return and rise to power. Boom - "it was the plan all along" just ruined one of the best crime stories ever written. Pretty terrible comic, with the worst and most forced plot reveals I've seen in years. Can't wait to see King off this book. Batman really needs some fresh blood, because this run has been an utter disaster. Or... maybe it was King's plan all along as well?!

Surprise, surprise, I didn't hate it. That's something. Half of the comic is unnecessary, empty filler, hence the lowered score, but once the action picks up, it's readable, and makes you want to quickly pick up the next issue to see where it all leads. The last time I felt like this while reading King's comic, was probably during... I Am Bane story arc? Like it or not, but Thomas' motivation has some sense to it. What would you do if someone you loved became a monster and then died alongside every other being on the planet, while you were offered a chance to travel to a different reality where she's still dead, but at least there's a way to bring her back with some... let's call it "help" from Ra's? I sure would try if I was him. And even if resurrection is a tired and heavily overused trope in comics, it still could surprie us if done right. If La Soupe aux choux managed to successfully pull this off, there's hope. Or is it? After all, we're talking about Tom King, who didn't write a half decent Batman comic since more than 2 years.

Last issue was, I thought aat least, a moment of twist, which will, finally, resuscitate the series and add some, any, story to it, especially since DC editorial decided to pull the plug to his run earlier (and thank goodness for that). This week all I can do is admit my failure. I was wrong, the comic leads absolutely nowhere, it's devoid of any substance, and King, despite having only half of year to conclude his story, still decides to add even more filler to it. The story of this issue could be summarized in barely one sentence. You ready? Bruce buries his mother somewhere on the desert so she can't be resurrected, which pisses of Thomas and they fight. The end. The rest of this issue is dedicated to meaningless conversations regarding the old public domain story about animals in the pit eating each other. It's boring, and once more makes an empty circle referencing something King said a while ago with no actual purpose. He's known for these recycled loops. On top of that, the story doesn't even add up. Think about it - if Martha Wayne is buried somewhere under the sand, Bruce had to take her body after Thomas fell asleep, and return before he woke. So, if we assume he's slept for ~8 hours, which is the healthy standard for adults, Bruce's "trip"couldn't be longer than 4 hours at average in one direction. Average walking speed of a human is 5km/h in perfect conditions, and I'll use it as a reference, since Bruce is in peak form, and I will also ignore harsh ground conditions slowing him down, weigth of his mother's corpse, as well as time required to bury her properly, so animals don't dig her up and eat. So we're left with a circle around their camp, with ~20km radius. In practice I'd expect it to be way smaller. With Thomas sleeping for 6 hours, Bruce walking 3km/h and spending 1 hour to bury Martha, it would have ~7.5km radius at most. Thomas should be able to find the camp's location, more or less, since he knows which direction he and Bruce came from, and how long did it take them. With that knowledge, finding the body would be a matter of using some high caliber radar able to detect anything with density other than sand's. Since duh, it's comics.

You know, I love elseworlds. They aren't restricted by strict continuity rules of the main DC universe. What stops Superman's capsule from landing in CCCP? Or Joker going sane and becoming a politician, backed by one Harley and fought by another? Or Flash going back in time to save his mom, creating a dystopian world where Atlanteans and Amazons went to war with each other, and that war lead the world to the brink of absolute destruction? King flirted with elseworlds before, just to mention the dystopian Gotham Booster Gold saw in this run. This time he introduced us to yet another weird "bad" continuity, simultaneously adding random parts with Bruce and Gotham Girl. What story he's trying to tell us exactly, I don't know. Not only because the comic is super convoluted, but because it probably is constructed this way, so we don't know what's going on til the very end. I'm conflicted on this one, because it's so... random and disorganized. If anything, this should have been a part of the (failed) Knightmares arc, since it really feels like a fever dream. So, what's next? I guess Batman impregnates Selina, and gets killed by Gotham Girl, since these two plot points remain unresolved. Other than that, I have no clue. I just want King to finish his run and step down. Just go away and make some space for a new writer who hopefully understands Batman as a character.

It's impressive how many parallel points of view Tom King manages to squeeze in just one issue, and make them all so bland and pointless at the same time. I'd love to see the story from Kite Man and Scarecrow's angle, I'd love to see more Gotham Girl, and Robins as well, since they were criminally underused in this run. But at the same time, I can't stop thinking, there's something big missing in this comic - call it "heart", call it "plot", doesn't matter, but despite having all these different POVs, none of them feels captivating and tense. Yeah, even chase and fight scenes. The art is beautiful, though.

King continues to overexpose filler, while forgetting to give important scenes enough attention. I can't ditch the impression if feels like an elseworld story, which is not restricted by stiff continuity rules. What other explanation for absence of, let's say, Superman taking over, or Suicide Squad infiltrating the city, is there? And I get it - story doesn't always have to follow and consider everything, but I would at least expect some semi comptent explenations of what, how and why. And speaking of elseworld tales, that's not the first time Alfred died - remember The Dark Knight Returns or Batman White Knight? In the first, he dies with the Wayne manor. In the latter, he sacrifices himself to save Bruce's life, also setting him up for a redemption arc. Here, he is just cannon fodder, really. Maybe I'm just so bored and tired of King's Batman I stopped to give a shit about anything in his comics, but I don't feel this scene had any real weigth. It was all style, no substance. Similarly to how Bane hung all the Robins in one of the first arcs. Yeah, cool looking panel, but is it going to impact the story in real, meaningful way? Seeing King's previous issues, I have doubts. After all, the only massive change the series did, was renaming Nightwing to Ric - something everyone and their mothers hate with passion. You know, there's clearly something wrong when a death of a main character made lesser impression on me than Damian showing Gotham Girl his tiny wand.

It's by far one of the best looking Batman comics in a while, filled with gorgeous art, from start to finish, but that's the tragedy of it - it looks great, but offers nothing of value otherwise. It's garbage, borderline unreadable due to its painful, almost mechanical dialogues, and no real, actual, genuine chemistry between Catwoman and Batman. Their relationship has become Twilight level of forced and unnatural. Even if you don't dislite King's run, I see no reason to recommend this comic. It's worthless filler. Too bad Mann's talents were wasted on it.

This and the previous issue should have been one comic. It's fascinating how King manages to stretch even so boring an shallow arcs, despite his run being cut short 15 issues from planned 100. This issue is like listening to Tomi Lahren or any other propagandist, you name them. You see the mouth moving, but you don't hear anything of value or substance coming out of it. It's just nonsensical gibberish, a never ending waterfall of babble reminescent of toddlers. Long story short, Bat and Cat decide to return to Gotham, that's the only thing that happened last two issues, so feel free to skip this one, I just spoiled you basically everything it contains. You're welcome.

Just few more weeks and it'll be over. Finally. What a journey it was, from a really promising start to a plotless dumpster fire this series turned out to be. So, did anything of value happen in this issue? Nope, I don't think so. Batman arrived at Gotham City and started to take out some of his rogues, but that's about it. As with many previous comics by King, this is practically filler, leading to something rather than telling something. Most of the run is like that, with issues built around setting up questions/plot twists that ultimatly mean nothing. I swear, King's gibberish is not even worth covering in depth. It's a waste of time, just like anything he wrote post I Am Bane tory arc. If you skip this one, you won't miss a thing.

I'll be damned, I don't know what worse in this piece of filth of a comic - writing or art. It's bad on every considerable level, from the storytelling perspective, through dialogues, to sketches and inks. It's trash. Just trash. Back when King started his Batman run, he created I Am Suicide arc - and as I said many times before, I like it, a lot in fact. The final plot twist, showing how Bat outsmarted Bane, was fun, surprising and somewhat fresh. Doing the same thing the second time simply doesn't work, and as much as King would like to build his story on similar themes returning multiple times, every now and then, it's, in the end, just tiresome and predictible. Tom King is not Noam Chomsky, who actually can get away with repeating certain facts like a broken record, to show how significant and interconnected they are. On top of that, I'm sick and tired of everything interesting happening behind the courtains. Look how much filler King insterted in this trainwreck of a run, while he could have explored his investigation of Gotham Girl, and her connections to Bane. It surely sounds way better than having two issues dedicated to Bt banging the Cat in tropical paradise. Now, the cherry on the top - art. Holy shit, this comic looks like an amateur hack job. I'm not a fan of Romita Jr. nor Janson, but both of them seem to had a bad day drawing these illustrations. Not only they're awful, they're also anything but dynamic, and I guess that's the main problem, since the issue is very action oriented. There's a lot of fighting, yet it all looks so still and motionless. Compare that to David Finch's outstanding job from the very beginning of Rebirth Batman. Yeah, this guy knew how to draw an action scene which feels dynamic. My final verdict - avoid this dumpster fire like the Hot Topic face tattooed trailer trash abomination which is DCEU.

This Annual issue did absolutely nothing to make me feel... anything. It exists, and that's all I can say about it. Maybe I grew so tired of Tom King, I simply can't force myself to experience any emotions reading his work. Not satisfaction and joy, not disappointment and anger. No - it's just nothingness, absolute black void. It's not as bad as Snyder's annual from New-52, which to date i the worst Batman annual comic I've got displeasure to read in my life, but I can't find anything redeeming about it, either. Oh, yeah, look, Batman's fighting a dragon, how random and goofy, and look, now he's riding a horse, tee hee, because comic books! Amazing how King's run was cut by 15 issues, yet he still finds so many ways to inject filler into what's left. So, skipper it is.

You know the archetype of an empty blockbuster action movie? It's shallow, so shallow in fact, you have to completely turn your brain off while watching it, to enjoy anything. People like Michael Bay and to a degree Zack Snyder built their careers on this. Oh, here's an explosion, and there's fire, and a car crashing, oh, oh, and some CGI monstrosity, you have fun already, have you forgot there should be some, any, story, dialogues, character development? Apparently many people have forgotten, because trash like Transformers, Justice League or Black Panther have been making decent profits for last 20 years, becoming more and more common each season. King's Batman has become pretty similar to them in it literary shape and form. It's empty, lacking any real plot, so much so, there probably are some porn movies with more... depth... and... character exploration. Damage was heavily criticized for putting mindless action over anything else, but Batman puts him to shame these days. So Batman and Bane finally fight, and not counting the small twist at the very end, nothing more happens in this issue. Once more King wasted good art on non-existent story and pathetically weak dialogues, without adding anything to the character's mythos. What did we, Batman fans, do to deserve this atrocity of a run?

I've seen porn movies with more plot than this disaster of a comic. Once more, King tries (and fails) to mask lack of an actual plot with a second narrative, pretending its poetic themes match whatever's happening on the issue's pages. And also, once more, he ends a meaningless, shallow comic on a cliffhanger teasing what may come... and eventually, I can bet, it won't. I've been burne too many times in the last 2 years, so I bet the next issue will be as bad and pointless as this one. And you know what's the tragedy of this run? I don't care about it. 83 comics, out of planned 85, and I feel nothing. I observe what happens, but I'm not even angry, I have zero interest in what King has planned for the big conclusion. Just finish this long running joke, already, because I'm tired, nd bring in a talented writer intead.

I see no reedeeming qualities here. Not one. Everything in this issue is just bad - writing is awful, dialogues, the very little there is, are even worse, which is nothing new in this series, art is bad, story is pretty much nonexistent. Aside from maybe two pages, every panel is a retrospective of Thomas' life, but it... sucks. It lacks any real depth and emotional weigth for us to truly care about it. 84 issues, that's how many opportunities King had to explore the character, to set up his motivations, slowly, step by step, foreshadow some things, explain others, creating even more questions in the process. But no. This is what we got instead - a piece of meaningless filler, because there's no other term to honestly call it, which neither pushes the story to its end, nor offers satisactory flashbacks to give us some insight into what, how and why. If Miller's horrendous All Star Batman and Robin the Boy Wonder was euthanized, I see no reason why King's run wasn't. I mean, it was cut short by 15 issues, so let's be thankful for that, but 85 issues is still way too much, considering the writer didn't tell us anything of value since 2016. This trash ain't even worth torrenting at this point.

No, Tom King, throwing incoherent shit, glueing it up with no context and pretending it has a message is not writing. 85 issues, and everything you've set up at the beginning, every promising thing, went to complete disrepair, and in some cases was just abandoned. Example? Gotham Girl killing Batman - remember when she, herself, teased that in the first arc of the series? If you do, well, you're one step ahead of King, since he, clearly, forgot about it long time ago. No wonder CIA can't overthrow democratically elected governments anymore, if they hire such incompetent hacks. Writing in this issue is awful, but it's nothing new in the series. Dialogues were atrocious for over two years now, mentioning them feels like beating a dead horse. Script... is there even any to begin with? Scenes are disjointed and don't create a unified conclusion to anything. As I said, it's just ducttaped shit. And you know what's the worst thing about it? It won't go away next month. No, it's going to leave a mark, because James Tynion will have to acknowledge its existence. That's what I loathe about long running comic continuities - atrocities made by one writer can't be instantly retconned when needed. Nobody remembers Batman Damned, and rightfully so, because it was an abomination. It was also an elseworld comic, so its awfullness did not impact anything outside. King's Batman, and Heroes in Crisis before it, though... It's a pathetic, absolutely miserable joke of an ending to one of the most insulting series I've ever had displeasure to read, despite its solid start. It's a laughable display of lack of talent and any story to tell. I'm glad it's finally over, and more readers won't have to suffer from exposure to this toxic trash. What a waste of everyone's time, and slap in the face of Batman's brand.

A good Batman comic? Could it be?! Well, considering it's Tynion who took over the series, I expected nothing less, but still, I was afraid Tom King's awfulness preceeding this new run could affect it more, dragging it down. That didn't happen for the most part, naturally not including Alfred's death, which up to this point, has been just pointless, it was merely shock for the sake of shock. Tynion, in comparison, just laid down everything important, set up the big mystery, and even more. That's what we call a plan, which can't be said about King's nonsensical gibberish with no purpose and endgoal. Whether it's a good plan or not, time will tell, but at least there's something we can follow now. The art is beautiful, once again, not surprising, since DC wants to sell this flagship comic, and attract those who turned their backs on King's run. Good art sure is a good selling point, and this issue truly is something you could analyze for hours, focusing on every little detail. What I enjoy is how Catwoman and Lucius Fox play bigger roles in the adventure, from the get go. Tynion undertands that Batman can be monotonus as a character, and needs company. People who would be more than cannon fodder to get killed off/shot in the head, or to appear only when a deus ex machina magical knife is needed. He did that already with Rebirth's Detective Comics series, establishing a team and giving each member purpose. I hope this continues, and we'll see Bruce developing some fleshed out relationships in this new era of Batman comics. Well, that's a glimmer of hope, at least, in the world where half of Australia and Amazonia are in flames, and the US government oes anything in it power to start world war 3 with Iran, so the current president gets re-elected. At least we won't experience all this horror without decent comics to read.

It's good to read a Batman comic which was written with a plan in mind, for once. Sure, the plot so far rings the familiar bell of Arkham Origins game, but I'm definitely interested in what's going to happen next, and what kind of role will Penguin, Riddler and Bullock all play. Well, wait, I take it back, I'm not really that interested in Riddler, to be honest, poor guy doesn't have luck with writers, who seem to find new ways to make him weird and boring. From King's awful take on the character, through Johns' Earth 2 few years back, to this skin and bones creep reminding me of Jim Carrey's atrocious role in already atrocious Batman Forever. But puting him aside, the comic is overall good. Nothing groundbreaking or astonishing, just a solid blockbuter issue you can turn your mind off while reading.

I feel like I should be more excited about this issue than I actually am. Maybe it's the comic, or maybe I just have a bad day, but either way I couldn't really get into it, get invested in the story and appreciate the groundwork Tynion is laying down for events to come and mysteries to unravel. It's all fine, nothing's missing, nothing's lacking, but while it is an entertaining read, I don't think it leaves a mark on you. It's like your typical action movie - it's fun while it lasts, and then you just move on, get interested in omething, anything else.

While the premise for this comic is definitely good, aside from the fact Alfred's death was one of the most disappointing moments in already utterly disappointing run of Tom King's Batman, the execution seems... cynical, calculated. It didn't feel like celebration of Alfred's life and his relations to the rest of the Bat Family. Instead, I though I'm reading carefully crafted chain of scenes designed to make me feel something, and fill the holes that Tom King should have filled during his run, instead of throwing meaningless filler at us every two weeks. Without proper setup, neither Alfred's death nor farewell mean much. It's like watching one of those Ronnie James Dio holograms - they're fake. They're there not to honor his legacy, but to make money off people who don't care if they see the real deal, or an artifficial creation devoid of any life. And that pretty much sums this comic up to me, albeit it has few decent moments, like Robin breaking down and admitting it's all his fault. Where did he go? Who knows, we may just hope Thomas Wayne didn't take him for an intergalactic decade long trip, so next time we see him, he's an adult.

Okay, I gotta admit, this story arc finally captured my attention. After a tiny, tiny bit underwhelming beginning, finally side arcs begin to connect and create a bigger picture. The issue didn't answer any questions, in fact only introduced more, but i wasn't its point. The point was to connect few dots, without progressing the plot much further. Build the tension, make the mystery feel deeper and more complex, which I for once welcome. It's not the kind of pointless filler Tom King's Batman has become infamous for, nor Bendis' slug-paced heavily overthought bore. It feels like omething that shouldn't be told quickly, and with this particular issue, it works. The art for the most part is beautiful, detailed, vibrant and dynamic. It's joy to just browse the comic, and analyze up close how it was inked and colored. March did really good job bringing Tynion's story and characters to life. With one notable exception, whose mug is on my avatar. Yeah... her. Harley, while surpriingly not annoying character-wise, like she usually is since Dini stopped writing her, looks... weird. And by "weird" I don't mean she's a victim of a mass murdering lunatic clown who abused her for years. Positioning of her eyes, nose and mouth look jut plain odd, unnatural. I have no clue why she's the only one who looks like she's mentally disabled, while the rest of the characters is perfectly fine, but I guess that's the way it is.

I'm not gonna lie, the arc is growing on me so far. From a mediocre beginning, it evolves and grows, unraveling the bigger backstory underneath. While sure, this issue may have not pushed the main plot forward very much, it expands the concept of what it means to be a villain in Gotham City. I genuinely like how Tynion explains the evolution of the characters throughout the decades, how the idyllic Silver Age ended, replaced with something darker, more dangerous and realistic. And as far as you ask me, that's today's comic generation's general theme - connecting the legacy Ages, embracing them all together, creating a unified entirety out of different artistic periods, or movements. This comic, alongside many more out there on the shelves, encapulate that thought, and I appreciate it.

Tynion's run is gaining momentum every month. Contrary to Tom King, he wants to tell an actual story, and does exactly that, one issue at a time. And what did he serve us this time? Plenty of action from two different points of view - Batman's as well as Catwoman's. I like it, as well as how Deathstroke and Harley are used as sort of contrasting figures for each of the two protagonists, allowing them to expose some plot in more natural way. I like it, and I hope high hopes for what's to come, because I'm familiar with Tynion's team building style he used in Detective Comics and Jutice League Dark. He knows how to execute his ideas and make them surprising, out of the box. Definitely recommend this issue - if you dropped Batman comics due to King's awful writing, fear no more - here's something that may capture your attention again.

It's always tough to return to something unfinished after a longer break. Try to start reading a chapter in any book, put it down for a month and then figure out where exactly you've left and proceed like nothing happened. And now, granted, it's my fault I did not revisit previous issues to get up to speed on the series' events, but I honestly don't think remembering thee exact context of everything would change my rating much. I remember the general layout of the plot and thus had no problems understanding who's where and what they're doing... but I can't say what they're doing is super engaging. It's all okay, with few scenes making me invested (Penguin and Bullock conversation especially, but exchanges between Bats and Deathstroke were fun to read as well), yet th comic for the most part left me indifferent. I remember the highlights, like Punchline's introductory sick burn of Selina and Harley, as well as the very last page with a huge cliffhanger, but overall I can't say the comic exceeded my expectations. Out with the Jim Carrey-like abomination of Riddler, he's neither funny, smart nor threatening. Give me more substance and interaction between characters that matter.

After King's disastrous Batman arc, leaving more loose ties and unresolved plot points I can possibly name, DC decided to play safe for once and give fans a more... conventional story, one that wouldn't try to reinvent and deconstruct avery aspect of what it means to be Batman, one that wouldn't feature more filler than actual plot, and one that certainly would not smell its own farts pretending to be deeper and more intelligent than it really is. You know, exactly like a certain controversial game everyone hates and mocks, released few days ago. Tynion crafted a big mystery that instantly captured our imaginations. It was big, it was convoluted, and and it was made with a plan in mind. It wasn't yet another War of Jokes and Riddles, promising a huge event and then turning out to be a shallow, pointless shell. No, the stakes were seemingly real and you never knew where the plot leads really. It lead here. Depending on whether or not you've been a fan of Tynion's arc so far, this issue will either satisfy you with several important revelations and answers to questions you may have had, or it's going to convince you it was all just a marketing apéritif leading to the main event, Joker War. That I'll leave to your personal interpretation. To me the comic was definitely good, finally providing a ton of long awaited explanations and also setting up few new twists to be explored in the foreseeable future. Was it outstanding, though? Nah, I wouldn't say so. Not when it comes to uneven art drawn by several artists, not when it comes to storytelling. It's an example of a good, solid book, but as the grand finale, conclusion of an arc, especially in Batman series, I guess I expected a bit more.

The purpose of this issue is to set up what's to come, and that's the very axis of the plot. There's not much of substance happening here, just loose ends getting resolved, characters put where they need to be when The Joker War starts, and the message of dark designs nicely making a full circle to close this arc and its themes. It's a competent transition, similar in a way to Scott Snyder's Batman #7, simulataneously closing The Court of Owls and starting The City of Owls. And because of that structure and purpose, I guess it eventually will grow on people once the trade paperback edition hits the store shelves, and we can read the entire arc start to finish without having to wait two weeks for the next chapter. For now, though, I can fully understand why people have relatively mixed feelings about the comic. One thing we all can agree on, I think, is Joker's takeover of Gotham is way more engaging than Bane's last year, which truly was a storytelling trainwreck.

The previous issue featured several scenes set after the Joker War ended with a bang. Literally. They served as semi closure of the arc as well as tease of what may come next. And so does this issue. I wish instead of what we've got, everything involving Harley waking up and Clownhunter talking to Bats was squeezed into this comic. You know, just a solid line splitting the event itself from a transisional issue, put right in between two separate issues. Instead the event ends, concludes and lays foundation for future events in oversized #100 and then once more concludes and lays even more founation for what's to come in #101. Yes, there's few important things this comic contains, but ultimately it's a fallout issue, one that alone won't be remembered. In next few years if someone mentions The Joker War, they'll be able to say what was it all about and what happened next, but they won't really mention anything we have here. Mostly because more important themes from it will be explored in the foreseeable future anyways.

What's up with the art in this comic? Listen, I get it, putting out two comics per month isn't an easy task and sometimes compromises have to be made, but Batman is DC's hottest property, its flagship. You could very much get away with uneven quality of art in a Batgirl, Nightwing, Harley Quinn or Spoiler comic, but the moment Bats steps into the frame, you gotta try harder, because you can be sure your mistakes and imperfections will be noticed. Story-wise, the comic tries to incorporate more characters into the plot, and I welcome that for once. It's good to feel like this fictional world is alive and populated. That's something Batman writers often completely forget about and focus solely on the titular hero. Sure, the plot itself is not particularly well written, engaging nor emotional, but it's... something, I guess. It comes from somewhere and leads elsewhere, that's more than what I can say about Tom King's 85 issue long run. Do I wish it was better? Yes, absolutely. Who wants to pay for mediocre comics, ones that won't stay with you longer than 5 minutes after you finish reading them? Oh, yeah... where was I? What was this comic about again? Already forgot.

I've had displeasure to follow King's Batman run since #1, and I admit, I enjoyed first two story arcs of it. That's the reason why for such a long time I've been giving him a second, and third, and fourth, and nth chance, hoping this time he's going to lead the story... somewhere, anywhere, really. But nope. His run was a hollow and meaningless soap opera with plotline after plotline getting cut halfway, to either be picked up in a lazily written half assed crossover like The Button, or be forgotten for good with no resolution. Sufficed to say, I've been there, and seen what King does to pretend he has a story to tell. His use of repetition, public domain poems/songs, disjoint sequences, retrospections and out of character dialogues have all become pretty infamous among those who saw through the 85 issues worth of almost nothing he spawned. And now the circle repeats. The new series begins, and it's as hollow, as disjointed, as soap opera-ish as his main run, which begs the question "why"? It seems like neither he nor anyone at DC's editorial have read a word of constructive criticism regarding his main Batman run, considering this comic inherited its every single flaw I can name. Now, in normal circumstances I'd say I shouldn't judge the book by its cover, but at this point I know King's Batman, and I can bet half of the disorganized mess he presented here won't even find any proper conclusion, heck, causality. I was hoping King will think the entire project through, not being forced to write two issues per month (which I could imagine was beyond tough), and crafts a comelling, engaging and most importantly coherent script. Instead, we get this. And this is by no means an acceptable comic. Shame, because those who don't learn from the history are doomed to repeat its mistakes. Or, in this, case, repeat their own.

At this point King's Batman seems like nothing more than self indulgent gibberish. As I said while reviewing issue #1, his Batman/Catwoman suffers from every single critical flaw known from his long running Batman series, but amplified significantly. In a way King reminds me of other famous writers and creators, artists, who lost themselves in their work. Chrisopher Nolan with Tenet, Quentin Tarantino with The Hateful Eight, Nicolas Winding Refn with Drive, The Wachowskis with Speed Racer. You get what I mean? You can love results of their work, but I feel like every single of them tapped themselves on their shoulders every day of the work, admiring their craft, self congratulating every decision they made along the way and doing their best to crank everything up to 11. Self indulgence is not equal to just having creative freedom and courage to use it. King's vision for his Batman series is one thing. Him basically closing himself in a comfortable creative bubble where he can do nothing but amplify what he thinks defines his vision is something entirely different. Art aside, there's not one good thing I could say about this comic. It wastes every single character involved in the plot, and the biggest victim of it has to be Phantasm, since that's her debut in the medium. Wake me up when the plot goes anywhere, or better, stops being a disjointed mish-mash of random scenes from random timelines having no real connection.

I try to be as open minded as possible, and even, or especially when I encounter something I don't like, I try to give it a fair chance, and understand why I don't like it if I still don't like it after giving it said chance. It was the case with post I Am Bane Batman series by Tom King, which I grew to dislike only more and more with every passing issue. Enter Batman/Catwoman, which made, to say the least, a very unfavourable opinion on me with its first two issues. And here I am - giving it the last chance to capture my attention and imagination, make me see something more in it, because as of now, I'm completely conscious about what I dislike about it. All my good will was gone when Catwoman says "I became a cat. I met a bat". I shaked my head asking myself in disbelief why am I even exposing myself to this trash? But yet, I proceeded. I continued reading this comic, just to find some action in it. Yeah, that's new, isn't it? Action. Too bad it features more inarticulate meowing, growling and hissing, making me shiver in disgust and cringe, and rather comically oversexualized fight sequence, which whilst not bad, reminds me of the infamous panel from Heroes in Crisis featuring half naked Lois Lane being half naked for the sake of being half naked. 90's called, they want their porn influences back. I'm done with this series, it's time I stop wasting any second more on it. I've seen too much already. Screw the bat. And the cat. And my life as well, because I could have read something half decent instead.

The last time I was equally excited about Batman/Superman comic, was when Jeph Loeb was writing the new origin story of Supergirl. This is a great start for new series, full of plot twists, especially the last one - let me tell you, it was one hell of susprise, and chemistry between Supes and Bats. They work so well together because their personalities are so different, and Williamson understands it. I dig the idea of Batman Who Laughs' own Batcave deep underneath Gotham and his crazy plan of turning heroes evil. It's a great moment to remember and re-read Tower of Babel, waiting for #2 to drop. You have my attention, DC.

Issue #2 may feel a bit more disjointed than the debut but it's still a very solid and tense read, one that I definitely recommend giving a chance. It doesn't waste any time to progress the story, but also has time to offer us some action scenes in between important exposition. What is Batman Who Laughs planning, exactly? What does he want to do? I mean, other than what DC revealed to us so far, incluing the roster of his heroes-turned-villains, which I think should have been kep a secret. I dig the series so far, and if it keeps its current quality, it's going to be one more TP I gotta purchase and display on my shelf.

I love the series so far, it's constructed with a plan, and proper cliffhangers making you crave more, ASAP. It uses new pages to surprise the readers, shock and shake us. This month is no different - we get a genuinely good, unpredictable story, and few things to look forward to in the next issue. Then again, DC blew the surprise with leaks and announcements earlier this year, which completely ruined the suspense. I would honestly prefer not to know a thing about who is going to be infected, feeling the uncertainty and fear it may be someone I care about. Nonetheless, with or without revealed solicitations, #3 is a joy to read. It's full of action, surprises and more personal moments showing the chemistry and (dis)trust between Clark and Bruce. They're a perfect match, because they are that much different, complete each other - an that's precisely what I look forward for in series like this one.

When it comes to sheer action, nothing I currently read comes close to the entertainment value of Batman/Superman. This arc, so far, has been an outstanding example of how to create a good, tense series, having time for both personal growth, as well as relentless fight scenes. Oh, and its art is outstanding, duh. If there's one thing I could criticize it for, it's amount of tie-ins, which complicates things a little. Not only you need to watch out for singular issues out there, to understand everything, there's also the problem of other series being affected by this crossover, so if you follow them, but not this arc, you may feel like you're wasting your time. Either way, once you take a look at the big picture Joshua Williamson painted here, it's clear he has a plan, and his story is definitely worth following. Amazing comic, like all three of its predecessors. Definitely recommend it!

You know why Kylo Ren sucks as a villain? Because he poses no real threat to anybody. A villain needs to win a fight, so when they lose the war later on, their defeat feels tense, and the hero's triumph feels earned. Batman Who Laughs had to win this time, he had to outsmart Bruce and Clark. This twist may have not been very surprising, but there was no other possible scenario that would be equally effective. It's a solid issue and not one thing in it caught my attention in a negative way. It's enjoyable, action packed, and as in every comic preceding it, it offers great chemistry between the titular characters. I like it, a lot. As of now, it has to be one of the best DC regular series on the shelves.

While I wish the theme of the Infected was explored deeper, the arc's conclusion feels somewhat organic. Main characters learned something important, that will allow them to progress, so I can't say I feel disappointed of this issue due to it futility (contrary to Detective Comics' winter solstice arc). Hope this story won't be abandoned, or explored in completely different series later on - Infected already are all over the place, with all the tie-ins and affected regular monthly comics, so following this event few years from now may be a rather frustrating read, requiring extra homework to undertand it entirely. That problem aside, it's a really good, beautifully illutrated comic, and I sure enjoyed it. Definitely reccomend it.

The most obvious thing anyone should notice in this book, is how much the art quality dropped, compared to the first story arc. Nick Derington is no David Marquez, let's just say, and his work makes the series look like it took one step back. Fortunately, the plot is as solid as before - Williamson knows how to take concepts abandoned by other, les competent writers, and give them some depth, and proper closure once everything is said and done. Good for him, and those who follow events unraveling in DC Comics in general, but then, it's not as good for those who just want to read about Bats and Supes, without having to do extenive homework first. With Batman Who Laughs arc, we had to know about Year of the Villain, now we must know about Bendis' plotlines from Superman comics. The series, if you ask me, is too reliant on other works holding it back. It's still an entertaining read, for sure, but I hope one day it'll be able to go its own independent way.

That's a promising start for sure. Didn't blow me away, but certainly has its fair share of potential. Every main character deals with their own problems that hopefully will be addressed properly in the series, and from the get-go there is a tension in between this unlikely bunch of vigilantes. One thing I certainly like about this issue is Katana - for once she's more than silent walking weapon. It's great to see her being more humane, having any personality and doing something outside bland and boring Suicide Squad comics (they survived 50 issues somehow, though). The main plot isn't bad, but I have a feeling it's going to be secondary to character development inside the Outsiders team. It feels this way to me, at least - after all, if someone wants assassin drama, they can pick Silencer's comics. She's great. And if someone wants time traveling drama, well, there's Cable and his adventures. I look forward to see what the future brings - I'm not disappointed so far, quite contrary, but as I said earlier, I'm not amazed.

I found Sofia to be more interesting protagonist than anyone from the main team of heroes, Batman including, to be honest. Parts where Ra's messes with her mind, twists her and slowly turns into a weapon under him were intriguing, tense and quite dramatic. She's going through a meat grinder, and while I'd expect her to have more, if any, personality, as I said, I found her panels to be more engaging than adventures of The Outsiders, which in comparison feel shallow. That's decent build-up for her character - time will tell if she becomes a tragic, scarred villain, an antiheroine, a team member under Batman's command, or maybe disappears not to be seen ever again. Who knows?

Main continuity DC comics may have not been enough to awaken me from post Future State slumber, and I sure still feel more than burned out with comics because of it, but more White Knight? Hell yeah I'm gonna read and review it, you betcha. The series starts on a rather lower note compared to previous two stories. Remember the opening scene from the original White Knight, so reminiscent of The Killing Joke? Or a completely detached flashback from Curse we've got to wait to fully understand? Here we meet Terry, who in a true deus ex machina fashion finds the Beyond batsuit prototype, because no one ever found it before him, apparently. This could, and should have been written differently, no joke. Good thing is, the comic gets better from this point on. We meet Bruce and Harley, see how their lives look like now, and their personal character arcs are set up. Jason, whom we've first seen on the last page of Curse, serves to dump some necessary exposition and establish his relationship with Bruce. He's not your typical Red Hood, mind you, and I welcome that. Murphy, so far, knew how to take beloved characters and give them unconventional little spins, keeping them familiar and recognizable, but also fresh and unpredictable. Less angsty Jason Todd may end up being a very fun elseworld reinvention. What are my overall impressions after reading this issue? Good, but I'm not blown away. Hopefully Murphy will accomplish that in the next chapter, but for now I'm willing to give this comic an 8/10 - it's fun, it's promising, it's touching in certain moments, and I absolutely can't wait to read more. Pick it up if you've read its predecessors, and if not, then what are you waiting for? Get yourself a TP of White Knight ASAP!

Now, ladies and gentlemen, that's how you create a good sequel. You though White Knight featured a nice closure? It sure did, but the beauty of Curse is, it manages to continue the story without either feeling forced, nor intentionally set up before. Think about Star Wars - Episode IV established the lore and featured a happy ending, then Episode V came, taking the plot and pushing it forward in an elegant, organic way. And then Episode VI was made - it was already planned, so you can clearly see Episode V didn't have a proper closure, it was made to directly lead to a sequel, and end with a huge cliffhanger. Yeah, you see? The story didn't end yet! Now go and get a ticket for Episode VI! Murphy once again delivered a character driven elseworld tale which doesn't have to take huge risks and change everything to feel actually different, fresh, tense. Not mentioning, as with the original series, here as well the title can be interpreted in several ways - that's great. What are the curses, and which White Knights are affected by them? I can definitely see Bruce and Harley stuggling with some long lasting consequences of their past decisions. Time will tell if they are blesings or curses. For now I highly recommend this comic. That's the elseworld story that everybody should be reading.

I'm just stunned how Sean Murphy managed to effortlessly put Tom King to shame, showing him how to kill a major character, make it dramatic, meaningful and, of course, heartbreaking. The issue is fantastic front to back, and it really made me walk around the house, contemplating what just happened. There's so much to unpack, so much character development, and lovely, lovely nods and easter eggs, like Harley's dress. I adore White Knight, and I was really worried when Curse was first announced, thinking it may have been a one hit wonder. But nope, Murphy continues his mavelous work, and man, I feel like a fanboy right now, not even being able to say anything bad about this comic. It's tense, it's dramatic, it's intelligent, surprising and entertaining as hell. If I had to pick one thing I liked the most about it, I would probably go with dialogues - each character is faithful to their general concept, but also mature, complex. Joker is half terrifying and half fun, Harley is lovable and extravertic, Bullock is a bit of a rough dick, but also a good, principled cop, and Batman himself grew a lot since White Knight, now being more open, trusting his allies and revealing his identity to them. With the ever-disappointing King series, and rather underwhelming Detective Comics as of recently, that's the Batman comic you want to pick up. Murphy just performed a fatality on King, I swear.

I don't know how Sean Murphy does what he does. Pure love for the mythos, combined with some otherwordly storytelling skills and talents? Most likely. The man knows how to tell an intriguing story with several parallel story arcs, where each character has a purpose, instead of just... being there. This issue focuses mostly on Batgirl and her emotional struggle - it was a fantastic idea to include a retrospection of her childhood, and how the scene was mirrored in the present day. Not only it gave her so much depth, it also helped to flesh out Gordon, and actually highlighted something that regular comics never touch - their relationship, motivations. There's not much complexity when it comes to Barbara in the main continuity, she's just a Bat-centric vigilante, and her father is nothing more than a good cop there. Good to see them in a more relatable, human way, for once. I wish DC took its notes and it's not going to be the only time I see these two as father and daughter. Now, I wonder if this issue contains a parallel to The Killing Joke, that's the question. If so... man, did Barbara have a bad day. First her father was murdered, and now this.

Creating an elseworld is one thing. Creating one and then making it vibrant, deep and complex is something completely different. Sean Murphy really made something special with White Knight, hasn't he? The comic's plot may be conidered easy and straight forward - it's an origin story of sorts, showing how Victor became the man he is today. Don't expect another half assed villain tale, like abomination served to us by Scott Snyder back during the New 52 days, nor generic bad for the sake of bad nonsense from Peter J. Tomasi's current Detective Comics run. There's no superheroes to be found here. Just regular people, with conflicted personalities and twisted reality of world war II. The comic's weakest part has to be the art, for two reasons. First - it's actually pretty sloppy at times, some panels look rushed and lazy, and characters are completely out of proportions. And second of all, well, it wasn't drawn by Sean Murphy, and his style certainly defined White Knight's universe, gave it a unique vibe you can't confuse with anything else. Having this one-off addition to the lore it absolutely welcomed, I seemingly can never get tired of Murphy, but it also sticks out a bit. That being said, I enjoyed this comic a lot, and I hope Murphy will continue to expand his universe with more one-offs like this. I'd love to learn more about characters we've met, and how they've impacted main two story arc so far.

Murphy continues his masterpiece. It always blows my mind up to see the series exceeding my wildest imaginations without becoming borderline fan-fiction, which often happens to products really trying to satisfy the fans. What also terrifies me, is how much I care about every character in White Knight. As I write this review, I feel in my hands I'm one step from shaking, that's how intense this comic made me feel. Just think - when Tom King killed Alfred of, I felt literally nothing, that's how disconnected I was with his run. Here, when Harley and Jack... I mean Joker, were in danger, I was invested, scared for both of them, hoping they're fine. How did Sean Murphy manage to make me fall in deep love with all the characters in merely 15 issues o far, I have no idea, but I'll be damned, I'm in love with this elseworld, and I value it much, much more than the main continuity.

For Murphy's usual standards, this issue feels a bit less story rich. It allows the plot to progress in its own tempo, in a slow, calm way - whether or not it's calm before the storm, we shall see soon, but compared to its predecessor, which was absolutely tense from the first to the very last issue, it sure is a change of pacing. We have a chance to see the main characters react to Batman's new plan, virtually show that no matter what, they are on the same side. It's important, epecially when main continuity comics have long forgotten about establishing real relationships between main and side characters. One more important thing is Batman's internal conflict, and plan to resolve the problem called Azrael. Murphy touched the subjects of trust, forgiveness and transparency, twisting the twist of revealing your secret identity. It's a clever move, which turns a tired trope into something meaningful. Then again, we're talking about the guy who managed to paraphrase the "nuts" line from Burton's Batman movie without making it sound idiotic, and that is quite something. Absolutely recommend this issue. Probably it's one of White Knight series' weaker entries, but come on, it's like with Mercyful Fate, Tool, Mastodon or Death albums - some are less perfect than the others, but they are still outstanding.

I have truly conflicting feelings about this comic. It surely is a different kind of a Batman story, and one that looks absolutely phenomenal, but I can't say I fell in love with it from the first sight. The story, while pleasantly mysterious and dark, felt also somewhat disjointed and shattered. Maybe that's the idea, expressing Batman's apparent insanity, or maybe it's... unintentional. For now it's impossible to say, not knowing where everything leads. After all, it's not like Constantine tells us much - his commentary more often than not is progressing in its own tempo, and in its own direction. One thing I can confidently say is the selling point of Damned, is its art. It's fantastic, and beautifully disgusting, or disgustingly beautiful, depending on panel. It surely is a showcase of Lee Bermejo's incredible artistry, but at the same time there's something off-putting about some character designs, especially Constantine, Zatanna and random girl hijacked by Dead Man. On the other hand, panoramas and backgrounds are often breathtaking and very, very detailed, and that's what I've spent the most time looking at and contemplating. This issue serves as a good start for this limited series. Good, but nothing more, at least to me in this particular place and time. Maybe it all will connect in the next two issues and create one, cohesive, yet convoluted story. It remains to be seen.

Ever played a first person shooter game? You know, the one that looks so beautiful with top notch graphics, the most realistic shaders and highest res textures? One designed to trick you into thinking after the first glance it's an overall good product, but in reality being shallow as a pond? Offering no actual engaging story, set in closed, linear and repetitive levels, with no side activities and secrets to discover. Pretending to feature any "intelligent" commentary and shock value that's not just empty shock value for the sake of shock value? These are the worst games out there - Bioshock serving as the prime example, except being even worse, since it contradicts itself every 5 minutes and it's so nonsensical, it makes X-Men movies look logical and consistent. That's exactly what Batman: Damned reminds me of. It's beautiful, and there's no denying Lee Bermejo put a lot of work, time and heart into making this comic. Too bad his art was wasted by terrible story and even worse characterization. Let me put it this way - if Etrigan being a bloody rapper and Harley Quinn having an autopsy chest incision scar are not instant red lights to you, I don't know what would be. It's just insultingly bad, the more, the more you realize how important this entire short series was meant to be. It's literally one step from featuring Batman being raped in prison, which would not only fulfill Zack Snyder's infamous vision from few years ago, but also declass him, and Tom King, as DC's leading deconstructionist pseudointelligent edgelords. It's bad. Really bad. What a caravan of garbage, and DC should be ashamed of it. Black Label supposed to be "the best of" reprints for DC, featuring all time classics like Watchmen, as well as modern classics like Batman White Knight. Azzarello getting a free pass proven you can't craft a masterpiece just because you have a guaranteed place next to other masters and their masterpieces. It's like taking an average driver from the streets and telling him to race with the best formula 1 or group B drivers out there, and giving him keys to a 1000HP Audi Quattro. Well good riddance. The comic is terrible, and outstanding art doesn't save it. It really is a comic equivalent of an pseudointellectual garbage FPS game. I'd call it Bioshock of comics, if only it was equally nonsensical and self contradictory. As I said - it's not. Yet. But it's terrible nonetheless.

Art aside, the biggest compliment I can give to this comics is: at least no one tried to rape anybody like in the previous, awful beyond belief issue. It's still a pretty bad comic, don't get me wrong, but hey, it doesn't insult the reader, so for Azzarello is a rare thing these days. Maybe if he was less busy ruining beloved characters by letting them either be banged by Batman (Batgirl, from The Killing Joke abomination of an animated movie) or trying to bang him (Harley Quinn, last issue of this trainwreck dumpster fire), he could caft some decent stories. That ain't it yet, though. It's just a baby step in between edgelord hack writing and actually decent screenplays. Maybe he'll get to the latter in the future. The art is great, but it's a shame it was wasted in this series. Same happened to Heroes in Crisis - beautifully illustrated, but just irredeemably awful underneath. Avoid it if you can, Damned #3 is bad. It's not terrible like #2 and partially #1, but it's bad nonetheless. Glad this shit is finally over.

It's been a while since we've got a chance o see Joker... you know, joking, being funny and somewhat charming, even though he's just a head in a jar. I sure like the artistic direction in this comic - it's a twisted version of DC universe, post-apocalyptic, but not cliche. I have a feeling that I want to explore its wastelands, learn more about what happened to them, and what happened to characters we know and love. Last time I've felt something similar was when I first heard of Old Man Logan, before it was turned into a gimmicky soap opera. There's so much to be discovered, because even if we didn't see much of the world yet, there's so many promises hidden in between the lines - and I sure hope Snyder will fulfill them. One of my main criticisms of another post-apo DC comic, Old Lady Harley, was how shallow its world was, and how indifferent it, and its characters were. That was barely a cosmetic redesign. Same with Gotham City Garage. Here it's more than just new clothes, hairdo and lots of sand. It feels secluded, dark, unwelcoming, dangerous, corrupt and beyond repair. Especially when you read it while listening fitting music, which really helps to elevate its atmosphere even more. If you're into heavier music, I can definitely recommend new Batushka. Believe me when I say it's one hell of a trip following Bats and Joker while hearing its wall of noise and hypnotic chants. The art is good, but I doubt it's one of Capullo's finer works. There's a lot, and I mean A LOT, empty backgrounds, solid black and white panels making the comic look less... exclusive, I guess. Even the famous labyrinth part of Court of Owls was less steril and empty. And contrary to this limited series, Court of Owls was published on monthly basis, with deadlines to meet. I really think such a loudly advertised, huge, representative book should have consistently more detailed coloring. Maybe it's me - I mean, Capullo's style was always more minimalistic than Reis', Frank's or Lee's, but still. Looks like Black Label got one new series right. Batman Damned was an atocious abomination, Last Knight on Earth feels like something worthy of being printed alongside actual classics. At least for now - it can still change. After all, it's just the first issue.

Snyder continues to delve deep into the dystopian, deconstructed world he's created for the series, and as with #1, this issue is trippy as well. It's by far one of the best elseworld tales we've seen in years, but also one that's confusing as hell. So far the series didn't offer us much answers to never ending questions. Quickly progressing action doesn't help either - and if there's a gripe I have with this comic, it would be exactly this. While I perfectly understand not everything can be shown in a single issue without turning it sluggish, slow and simply boring, I wish we've got an opportunity to see a fraction of what Joker mentions to us. Last Knight on Earth is a journey, and as any journey, it should focus on, well, the journey. That being said, it's not a huge criticism I have for the comic - even if we don't see everything described, what is depicted leaves you engaged and interested. Deeply. Pick it up - Snyder and Capullo did it again, created something pretty special.

Hot damn, Snyder, what have you created? A world that one maxi series can't do justice. There's just too much to tell here, so much to explore, to leave it as it is. And I wish DC does exactly that - while the main continuity is pretty divisive these days, and the percentage of underwhelming, stagnant or boring series seems to be on the growing trend, elseworld comics offer much needed refreshment, unpredictability and freedom for both writers and readers. Last Knight on Earth passes in all three categories. From the beginning, it was a quality series, with its own indisputable identity. I wish there was more comics like this - ones not afraid to take risks and be their own things, but at the same time not change things for the sheer shock value only, ignoring a story that should be there. That's what diferentiates good elseworlds, like White Knight and Last Knight on Earth, from DCEASED or Batman Damned. Overall awesome, can't wait for a complete TP release, so I can diplay it on my main shelf.

I have rather mixed feelings about this one. While I love how Catwoman is being written in Rebirth comics, including this issue, her relationship with Damian wasn't especially entertaining nor interesting to follow. Sure, most of the issue focuses solely on Damian, as the title suggests, but that only shows he was outshined in his own comic. I feel like reading about Selina's night out could have been more enjoyable to read than Robin's hallucinations (although, exposing his insecurities and fears added him much needed depth as a person). Yeah, let that sink in, bachelorette party possibly more interesting than Ra's al Ghul, I don't believe in what I'm saying. Last two pages are definitely the best this comic has to offer - elegantly simple and short dialogue between Selina and Damian, straight to the point.

I wasn't impressed with Robin vs. Ra's al Ghul comic - it felt quite shallow and meaningless, ending aside. Nightwing's adventure is on the other hand very well crafted, and gives both Dick and Tommy a lot of depth, room to grow as characters, who share some genuine similarities. It's fun to read, and the tension is always present. I really enjoyed, and wait for the next issue, with Batgirl in the limelight.

While I wasn't too excited about Robin and Ra's al Ghul's issue, it had one redeeming quality - its ending, the moment of genuine bonding between Damian and Selina. This issue doesn't have anything similar - yes, Batgirl and Nightwing possibly go for a date, but it doesn't really connect directly to the wedding of Batman and Catwoman, which is the driving force behind the entire Prelude event. It's just a simple story of Barbara solving riddles, and we don't even have a chance to witness her figuring out the solutions. Compare that to, for example Hush, or Batman: Earth One Vol. 2, where every detail, every clue connects and leads to the great finale. I'm fully aware it's unfair to put a single short issue to a properly planned stand alone stories, but I'm trying to explain why this prelude issue feels pretty plain and not tense whatsoever. I's pretty mediocre. If you skip it, you won't miss a thing, but if you have a chance to read it, why not? Give it a try and see if you find anything good about it.

I'm glad we're nearly done with this crossover event - so far it was mostly underwhelming, and Red Hood's issue isn't much better. I like Anarky, a lot in fact. He's one of the very few villains who actually have serious potential to be featured in a timeless zeitgeist story. Look at The Dark Knight Returns and Watchmen, both serving as a solid commentary of the mid 80s late cold war paranoia, and threat of nuclear annihilation of the human race. A vigilant rebel who stands against corrupt, fascist class of corporate masters is really on time, but sadly, every time he's being used in the comics these days, he's marely a one dimentional puppet with no real reason to do what he does, as much as writers try to give him some philosophical background, which just doesn't work in this shape and form. And that's my problem with his portrayal in this comic - instead of being a force similar to V, from V for Vendetta, he's doing what the plot demands him to. He has no depth and ideology he should be known for, and his actions hardly make any sense. I don't expect a one-off issue to tell a complex and cohesive story, but still, I'd at least expect an interesting set-up for the upcoming wedding. So far, sadly, Tim Seeley failed my expactations. Nightwing's issue proven it's more than possible to tell a good, short story and at the same time add more depth to something else, something bigger. Mediocre.

This issue wouldn't be bad if it belonged to Harley's solo series (but on the other hand what would be, compared to it?), and it surely has redeeming qualities and interesting moments, but it's still not something I'd call good enough as a teaser of the upcoming wedding, which let me remind you, is one of the biggest events in DC comics in recent years. So yeah, I'd expect a little bit more from comics setting it up, and that applies to not only this particular issue, but every prelude preciding it. Maybe Nightwing vs. Hush, which was actually pretty good. It's readable, and the art is really good (Sami Basri would be a good fit for Harley Quinn comics), but when it comes to the story, it's a mixed bag. For starters, naturally Harley has her thick accent gimmick that's so overused since New 52, but I can't ignore the fact she's not portrayed as a complete idiot this time - she actually uses her brain and psychiatric skills, which I truly welcome. Yeah, she's being outsmarted by the Joker at the end, which was to be expected, but nonetheless, even a half successful attempt to give her some depth as a character is a rare sight. Give credit where credit is due. Joker himself was definitely more interesting than the pointless Ra's al Ghul's appearance, and completely out of character Riddler portrayal we've seen so far. He's not as terrifying as he was in Batman #49, but he wasn't a complete wimp either. He has some decent monologues, and does what he should - manipulates people, uses them for his own advantage.

Just few days ago The Batman's trailer was released, to univeersal shock and praise of its dense, violent, dark atmosphere. It's by no means perfect and the final movie may end up being a misstep, but as of now, most sceptics seemingly vanished after seeing Pattinson obliterating a street thug and realizing they may have judget the book by its cover. Similarly, Three Jokers took a crowbar and smashed the head of anyone who was skeptical, if not plain negative about it, before this issue dropped out. And man, what a comic we've just received... First of, let's address the elephant in the room - the overall layout, as well as Fabok's fantastic art, just scream "The Killing Joke". Undoubtedly Johns wanted to give this story familiar feel without turning it into a full blown homeage. From the very first pages you know it's something unique, albeit filled with nods and references to iconic comics we know and love. Kinda like Sean Murphy's White Knight universe, you know? Something with its own tone and style, yet rooted in all the little things that defined Batman properties in the past. The story started out strong - I'm not gonna spoil you a thing, but expect a detective mystery nicely connecting the main characters to the Joker... well, three of them, but you get the idea. Batman, Red Hood and Batgirl were all damaged, broken, hurt and humiliated by Joker, and each of them has a good personal reason to hate him, as well as be involved in the investigation. Everything here is well thought through and leads somewhere. Where exactly, we don't know, but I sure look forward for this comic to unravel its story, because it's quite something special, I feel. Yet another limited series made with particular idea in mind, instead of being a never ending soap opera. Count me in.

Long story short, it's a very solid conclusion to a very solid short series. Sure, you feel free to make an argument some answers should never be revealed fully, but in this particular context, in this particular book, I have to say the revelations we learn are shocking and leave you impressed. If not by the twists they come with, but by at least the fact Johns managed to plan the story this way and execute his concept. So whether you like it or not, you at least have to give him credit for trying to do something unexpected, unconventional and surprise his readers.

Batman: White Knight, if it keeps its current quality of storytelling, will most definitely make history and become one of the most important modern Batman stories. It's mesmerising, and what makes me even happier with this particular issue, is how much depth and development both Harleys get. They're supporting characters, giving Batman and Jack proper background, but their writing hasn't been nearly as good since The Mad Love. They're taken seriously, and Sean Murphy isn't afraid to flesh them out, contrary to Palmiotti and Conner, whom used Harley's accent as a punchline for everything, in between soap opera drama and forgettable action scenes. Their motivations are believable, and naturally same applies to Batman and Jack, the leading stars of this series.

The entire run so far is rock solid, and equally consistent. The latest issue keeps everything that made White Knight an instant classic, pushing the story forward with one of the biggest cliffhangers so far. Characters, as usual, are fleshed out and serve proper roles, and the art is consistent, having its unique style as well as charm. I really enjoyed this issue. White Knight is one of the best Batman elseworld stories, heck, best Batman stories in general, in a while. Simply outstanding.

We're slowly reaching the end of White Knight, which makes me both happy and sad. I do want to see this story's conclusion, and I have insanely high expectations for it, but at the same time, I don't want this run to end. There's still so much it could explore, so much it could tell. Sean Murphy created an elseworld with so much depth and believability, it shines bright not only among current Batman stories, but his 80 years of history. Chemistry between Bruce and Jack is mature, and fun to explore, Harley for the first time since her Dini/Timm days has actual complexity and I can't stretch enough how much I love that interpretation of her character and how entertaining she is, while being completely sane at that, and side characters, including Barbara and Dick, all have their purpose, their parts in the story. Love the run so far, and can't wait for the next month's finale. It'll be super difficult to put closure on White Knight, but darn, do I want to see where it's all leading...

Thank you, Sean Murphy. For the ride, for this clear love letter to Batman fans, acknowledging the character's rich history (from Roxy Rocket from Dini and Timm days, to Tumbler from Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight) and creating one of the best Bat stories I've got pleasure to read. It's am odern classic, start to finish, and I truly can't wait to put its complete TP, preferably hard cover, on my shelf, next to other absolute must reads, like The Dark Knight Returns, The Killing Joke or The Long Halloween. Yes, I think The White Knight is THAT good, and I lack words to praise it enough. Fans of Batman, Joker and Harley will be very, very pleased with portrayal of these characters, their emotional journey since #1 and constant development. They are more than one dimensional stereotypes they sometimes are portrayed as (especially Harley, poor girl) - they are flesh and blood, what I mentioned before, when reviewing previous isues. The finale concludes their arcs and offer couple of nice, little twists making the entire story so much better. The last time I've got so much fun was probably with The Long Halloween's last few pages.

3 words, that's all it takes to get my attention: "White Knight Harley". Boom, I'm sold, just like that. Murphy's take on the character turned out to be exactly what I needed from her, and then some more. For once she's not an idiot like her main continuity and live action versions - she actually uses her intellect and shrink skills, you have no doubts she is educated and smart. She's not a Mary Sue - instead a compelling, deep, person with struggles, doubts and conflicts who manages to win fights and overcome obstacles in a meaningful way, making sacrifices every time. She doesn't try to be funny, ending up being completely unfunny and deadpoolesquely one dimensional - she can be fun when she has to, but not at the cost of her humanity. Long story short, this interpretation made me fall in love with her once again, just like when I wasa kid watching Batman: The Animated Series. And now, due to White Knight universe's success and cult following, she landed her own solo series which, seriously, I've been waiting for more than anything else DC has in their sleeve at the moment. The debut issue sets everything up - the protagonist and her current situation, state of affairs in Gotham post Curse of the White Knight, as well as the main mystery. Nothing feels forced, nothing seems to be added to the book just for the sake of it. The script is well thought through and makes you believe it has clear direction. Does it, really? Well, I can't say anything for now, without knowing where the story will lead us, but it's a very promising start, and the White Knight universe did not disappoint me once to date, so that's that. I have hopes for this series, and hope it will offer us as compelling, as tense, unpredictable and emotinal journey as its predecessors.

Murphyverse got me invested into its lore and character since the original White Knight book. I already said it more than once, but it's exactly what I needed, with characters acting exactly the way I'd envision them acting. It succeeds where the main DC continuity fails, and this spin-off series is the prime example of that.

Harley's White Knight solo series immediately charmed me with its story and characters, continuing what Sean Murphy already accomplished. One of these two is still here in this issue, in its full glory, but the other began to significantly lack the consistent quality I'd expect from it, and I sure hope it's just a single misstep, and everything will return to its usual high note next month. Character-wise Collins already proven herself to be more than capable to write compelling protagonists, and this comic is not an exception. The titular heroine goes through a lot emotionally and we witness, experience that, while also not being overwhelmed by it. It's a good balance, keeping this comic engaging and yet also entertaining. Something Harley books had serious problems with so far, usually trying to be forecully fun at the cost of having any depth, or in few cases do the very exact polar opposite, e.g. Stejpan Sejic's Harleen and Kami Garcia's Joker/Harley Criminal Sanity. To me, Murphy's and Collins' golden middle is just perfect, and usually their comics make equally good impressions on me. This time, however, there's some slight mishandling of side characters here and there, especially during the final scene, but it's not really a huge issue. Not nearly as relevant as the plot problems I observed. The main mystery and villain motivations are definitely a letdown compared to the setup done in previous issues of the series. Collins is very self aware of the cliche nature of them, so much so, even main characters crack jokes to highlight that fact. But ultimately, no matter how self aware the writer may be, her writing still dives down at the very end, leaving us with a super unimaginative cliffhanger and almost equally on the nose revelations proceeding it. I find it difficult to imagine a better alternative, so I guess Collins tied herself up a bit while planning this comic, but still, I'm left pretty dissatisfied with where the story went. Overall it's still a solid read, and I adore the development of the titular character. The story took a noticeable downturn, hence my lower rating, but I keep my fingers crossed that's just a single black sheep in overall super solid spin-off series.

White Knight Harley may have lost some of her initial momentum, but the book still is an entertaining and immersive read worth picking up. The main plot thickens every issue, and focuses only more on the theme of maternity, serving us more than few parallels between the main characters involved in the story. There is this triangle of mothers, each impacting their children in a different way. On top of it, Collins brings in the concept of masks we all wear depending on situation, which makes me think of Ferdydurke, except contary to it, it's written in a way accessible enough not to require a shot of LSD to make something out of it. Overall I enjoy this comic. At this point it's pretty clear what and how it is. If you didn't like the previous issues, or maybe even the entirety of Murphy's worldbuilding to date, this book won't change your mind. But if you're a fan of the Murphyverse, sit down, grab a cup of tea and enjoy the ride, because it is exactly what you expect it to be. No more, no less.

Using this year's "opportunity" to stay at home as much time as I can, I've picked Grant Morrison's Supergods again, and rediscovered something I long forgot about - The Sekhmet Theory. Long story short, for those unfamiliar, it tries to tie subcultural movements and trends to reversing polarity of the sun eyery 11 years or so. I won't comment on that, I'm too much of a rationalist for that. But I can't deny the dualist cycles of grounded and psychodelic youth subcultures and art that pop up every decade or so. Look at Brian Azzarello - once considered to be an amazing, groundbreaking writer who's not afraid to take creative risks and touch very mature subjects. Today he's a silly edgelord hack who made Batman bang Batgirl, Harley attempt to rape him, and oh, he also turned Etrigan into a mumble rapper. What happened? Did he change as a writer and burned out like Frank Miller, or maybe we and our culture changed and we grew tired of adolescent perception of violence and gore as something edgy and "mature"? Who the hell knows, but bottomline, Azzarello feels like a living fossil to me - someone who's stuck in the past and tries so hard to prove he's as hip and rad as ever in a world that contrary to him changed. How do you do, fellow kids? Enter Birds of Prey - the Charlie's Angels of the DC Univeerse, combining fun, upbeat action with loveable street level characters trying to make a change. It's hardly the most famous team of all time, but iconic nonetheless. You say "Birds of Prey" and instantly Batgirl/Oracle, Huntress and Black Canary magically pop in your head. Due to wild shenanigans at Warner Bros, someone though giving them a movie before even introducing Green Arrow, let alone Bat Family, was a good idea, and then it turned out Batgirl wouldn't even be featured in it (lucky gal, this time really dodged a bullet) and Hot Topic Harley would replace her. Sounds like a recipe for success? Unpredictably the movie bombed, which clearly DC blamed on lack of popularity of the characters as well as no real appeal to comic fans who didn't feel like the name suits this trainwreck of a movie. So what do you think they've done? Learned their lesson and pushed the studio to actually make something comic accurate, like maybe cast these characters right and clean off scribbles from Harley's face... or just quickly rush releases of several books with the new team to lay down the groundwork for any potential sequel that could not possibly be criticized for being poor fan fiction using characters that should not even be in it, while some crucial ones, cough Batgirl cough, are absent. Call me a cynical dick (which I sure am and find some cold pride in that), but sounds to me like they're doing exactly the latter. The comic really feels like a desperate corporate product planted to make us (mature audiences) familiarize ourselves with the team and accept it as normal, while the other book (by Palmiotti and Conner) target younger readers. It tries so hard to take itself seriously at times, but ultimately what's so serious about two girls in fishnets and one in a purple Assassin's Creed coplay suit fighting an obnoxious Mexican gang with members using scythes in actual combat? Especially when one of the three is a 100% comedic character to her core? Come on, Azzarello, this boyish vision of a "mature" comic doesn't work here. Same way actual Charlie's Angels modernization and grounding hasn't worked, adult Birds of Prey derailed pretty badly. Bury this failed experiment, it's not early 2000s anymore. Too bad Emanuela Lupacchino's talents were wasted on this abortion, her art is fantastic, but not enough to make me recommend this book alone.

Damage looks, feels and reads like Hulk, since to a degree, he's Hulk. Sure, super soldier motif is very (probably too much for its own good) popular in comics, and classic Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde trope was used on more than one occasion to depict hidden goodness in certain characters, most notably Hulk, but the general feel of the book reminds me of Hulk, and to put it simply, Damage could be a comic adaptation of Hulk movie with Edward Norton as Bruce Banner. Usage of Suicide Squad, strangely featuring Solomon Grundy (who Hulk ripped off, and now Damage ripped off him to close the circle), may be logical, since rogue weapons of mass destruction are something they could be deployed to deal with, but I think it's pretty clear they are used as a selling point. Harley Quinn is beloved by masses and she sells. Sells a lot. New characters, introduced in the comic, so far represent classic archetypes we've seen many times before - hero who doesn't want his destructive, hideous powers, his jelaous companion-turn-enemy and bad, cold general. They're uninspiring - but hey, it's just the first issue, maybe they'll grow and evolve, who knows? But then, there's also a risk Liggett gets the super soldier serum injected as well, and we'll get another Abomination. One really good thing I can say about Damage is its art. Panels look great - they're detailed and nicely drawn, colors are vivid. That makes Damage an equivalent of a typical first person shooter video game - looking great, but being empty inside.

Sufficed to say, I did not like the first issue of Damage - it was unimaginative and was based around the "Hulk gimmick", which doesn't even work in Hulk comics anymore. I'm somewhat relieved to announce, the second issue was far better, and it's surely a step in the right direction. It's still not perfect, and there's no denying Suicide Squad is used as a selling point, but at least there's some story and character development #1 lacked so much. Out of all New Age of Heroes books I've read so far, this issue would be second only to Silencer #1, which featured some strong flaws as well. Overall, I don't say "no" to Damage - there's still hope for him, and his series could become a novelty worth picking up on regular basis, but there's nothing special about him either. So let's hope #3 will improve over issue #2 as much as #2 improved over the debut.

Decent issue - way better than the debut, but I wouldn't say it was as interesting and personal as #2. Series goes forward, but for now, it seems a bit shy and dependant on big names to help it, whether it's Harley Quinn and the rest of Suicide Squad, Wonder Woman, or now, Batman. And they all have been outshining Damage so far. Story is not progressing too quickly, which I find to be the right creative choice, but when you think about it, practically nothing relevant involves the protagonist, and his eponymous alter-ego. He, as a character, does nothing - issue #2 laid down some solid foundation for his development, but we haven't seen any of them this month. Let's hope for the best for the month of april.

Damage suffers from identity crisis - on one hand he wants to be his own hero, on the other he constantly relies on already established characters, outshining him in his own series. It happened with Harley Quinn and Suicide Squad, it happened with Wonder Woman, and now there's Poison Ivy, who by the way, has become pretty popular recently. So much, that maybe Tom King's "Everyone Loves Ivy" story arc from Batman series was a huge mistake, with long lasting consequences. What makes Damage decent, are normal, daily life parts of its story. I honestly had more fun reading about the truck driver, and then Mexican workers (taking comedic shots at current xenophobic paranoia in the US), than Damage himself, and his encountered with Pam. Series is far from perfect, but despite terrible issue #1, it has some spirit, and with proper writing, it could develop its own identity. We'll see what writers have in mind for Damage.

Damage sure is a curious specimen, relying on side characters, some of whom we already know perfectly from other comics, to create an interesting narrative, where the main hero is rarely in the spotlight. And in this issue, it works. Add two little story elements that casual readers may overlook, that being Hour Man plot twist and Poison Ivy's split personality, explaining why every version of her we've seen in Rebirth is so different from others, and you get something that really expands the universe of DC Comics - something that New Age of Heroes, I believe was exactly meant to do.

The series is decent, but as I stated few times already, it relies on already established, known characters to push the story forward, leaving little room for the main character to actually shine, or even be in the center of attention. This time, it's definitely Ivy that steals the show, and I definitely appreciate some backstory she's got (albeit the way it was all done could have been more subtle), revolving around The Green. The unfortunate thing about Damage is, I already wonder who's going to show up next month, instead of what the eponymous hero will do. That aside, it was an entertaining issue, and one containing some great looking art, especially on panels showing Ivy and Swamp Thing.

With every new issue, Damage is growing on me more and more. He may not be as good as Silencer and The Terrifics, but it's a solid read with its own backstory, always expanding. If you've been reading Damage for a while, you expect what you're signing for this month. If you don't, well, why not giving the big guy a try? Despite rocky beginning, he's establishing himself in the DC universe and becoming his own thing.

Damage had a very rocky start - the first issue was bad, to say at least, but ever since, the eponymous hero was slowly establishing himself in the DC universe, creating his own niche and filling it. The main problem of #1 was lack of any proper backstory for the protagonist, who felt one dimensional and bland, and was named a rip off of Hulk, who is a rip off of Solomon Grundy. I wish some elements of this annual issue were a part of this debut - maybe then things would be different? Because as simple as the story we read is, it works. It's effective, and offers some basic insight into the Damage program we've heard of few times. Damage is becoming better and better every month. If you've given up on him after the underwhelming debut, now it's good time to give him a second chance. It's worth it, this annual makes sure of it.

Predictable, but fun to read nonetheless. Confrontation between Jonas and Damage felt a bit cliche, but even though we've seen it countless time in different forms of media, I can't see any other choice the writers could have made. When it comes to characters as powerful as Damage, there wouldn't be any problem for him to kill everyone and call it a day. Jonas would be replaced, and the cat and mouse chase would most likely continue. It's keeping the already established characters what's important, but naturally, that comes with the side effect of cliche scenes where they are saved, once a while. It's a good read overall.

Out of all Damage issues so far, this one easily felt like the shortest one. Or, to be precise, the quickest to read. There's not much dialogue, but plenty of action, which some readers may not find enough, seeing that previous issues put some emphasis on the eponymous protagonist's life, personality and relationship with his alter-ego. It's a decent comic overall, however, and while I can't recommend it wholeheartedly, I can't do the opposite either. Worth picking up if you're fan of the series, and if not, I guess you won't lose much.

While reviewing Damage's previous comics, I mentioned couple of times he tries to piggyback already established characters to get some attention. Sometimes I thought it's a flaw, other times I appreciated a company of well known heroes and rogues in his series, making it a part of the DC world. This time we see Flash, Green Arrow, Vixen and Guy Gardner, all fighting Damage at once. There's not much story, but it doesn't matter, really - the issue is fun, and features some good humor, which usually feels forced and unnecesary in action sequences, *cough* MCU *cough*. Take it or leave it - if you think Damage can't be a real thing as a character, as long as his guests outshine him, that's fine. That's a fair point. But if you're willing to watch him interacting with other characters, with each having their own moment or two, I'd recommend this comic to you. Read the title - "Damage". It is exactly that, no more, no less. To me, it's enough - I like it.

Can't say, Damage definitely grew on me, which back when #1 dropped out, I thought it was very, very unlikely. Glad I didn't abandon the ship, and kept reading new comics with the big guy. They may not be outstanding, but surely offer some tense action scenes involving already established, popular characters. It would be easy to keep criticizing him for piggybacking them to get some spotlight, but I think I don't mind it anymore. It's a decent issue, if you're a series fan. Nothing groundbreaking, nothing bad either. Just decent, and sometimes it's just enough to keep the momentum going.

The healthy approach to a comic book would be to have your expectations for it completely neutral, and your mind open. Obviously we're incapable of that, since we're only humans - driven by our prejudices, preferences and emotions. I was skeptical about this entire event, and I still am, but I'm willing to give it a fair chance instead of preemprively calling it a gimmicky publicy stunt. Even if iit kinda fits the description. Point is, Dark Crisis seems like a competently told and drawn event and while I would not call it life changing and universe shattering, it may end up being a pretty entertaining blockbuster adventure. I'm glad I didn't have any expectations for it, for better or worse, because it managed to surprise me a bit and make a generally positive impression on me. So I say - give it a chance and see where it goes. It may implode halfway through, it may be quickly forgotten and retconned afterwards, it may be a beginning of a new era of DC Comics (again - for better or worse), or it may be just an entertaining popcorn spectacle and nothing more. We'll see. For now it was a pretty enjoyable read.

At some point every writer has to ask themselves, if there's a point in continuing something they've created years ago, epecially when every previous attempt to resurrect it, or cash on the name recognition, either failed, or was mediocre at best. Maybe it's better to leave it as it is, and don't risk burning down its legendary reputation? Miller doesn't seem to realize that his recent works continuously leave audiences dissatisfied, disappointed. Just move on, Miller, do something different, write something new, intead of despeately trying to bring back the good old days, which won't work.

You know what great books have in common? They make you not just surprised and shocked, but also thinking. Thinking about what the hell you've just read, where it came from and where it leads, what does all the symbolism mean and what it foreshadows. Dark Nights Metal surely was a story like that, and hence it's anything but suprising nor shocking it received a sequel. One that's twisted even more than its predecessor. The comic hits you hard in the head from the very beginning. In a way that's exactly what you'd expect from something having "Death Metal" in its name, eh? And similarly to how an inexperienced listener will be overwhelmed with a wall of guitars frantically playing 16th notes, blast beats and growling all combining into a brutal death metal song, I think inexperienced reader will be overwhelmed with amount of content in this book. There's so many little things one should know before picking it up, even detailed explanation one of the characters provides doesn't really mean much, because ultimately to understand why he's even there, looking the way he does, you should be familiar with limited series released last year, being a sequel to two other limited series, with one of them being a total trainwreck I wouldn't recomment even to my worst enemy. Sure, I could imagine a new reader could pick this book up and have fun with it, but knowing the background really helps, even if some of it we'd rather forget and see blatantly retconned. The first issue of Death Metal is something entirely different. An ambitious, exhausting read leaving you with tons of questions you can't wait to see answered. It leaves you stunned, thinking about what caused this event, and where it'll take DC's universe. I'm telling you, it's something special you have to experience on your own. Buy it.

Metal is the most diverse family of musical genres out there. There are acts that take themselves (too) seriously, like Mayhem, and ones that do the exact opposite, like Alestorm. If Dark Knights: Death Metal #2 was a band, it'd be somewhere in between, leaning towards self aware comedy rather than thick skulled (sic!) seriousness. So basically Mastodon. The story feels way funnier than #1, featuring several humorous dialogue exchanges between characters, as well as little twists that would make some purists grab their heads and shout "why?!" to the night sky. Snyder understands that both comics and metal music can be serious, dark and heavy at times, but ultimately there's no point of pretending they can't, under any circumstances, be funny and silly. They very much can, and so can this comic.

Dark Nights: Metal feels like a blockbuster movie unraveling before our eyes. There's no time to breathe, because action never stops, even for a moment, and every chapter so far tried to squeeze as much action into its limited number of pages as possible. The event grows - from regular series it's going to expand into several spin-offs and one-off issues. Hopefully the upcoming Guidebook will explain few things to us, as well as properly ground all the characters and shows us how and why they're in particualar places looking particular way, and having a chance to develop. That's something the series so far has been missing - a chance for each main hero to grow, and all of that because the plot has to progress forward super fast. And it's not like I don't like what I see, but as I said, some breething room and development would be more than welcome.

I really wanted this book to be good. To explain the rich lore of the entire event, show what happened to the main characters before issue #1 happened. To delve deep into the craziness of this new world. You know, be an actual guidebook, like the name suggests. Too bad out of all the stories, only the first one does something substantive. The rest isn't bad, but at the same time doesn't do much to tell you more than short stories set in the very same universe, thus ultimately the book feels way less than an actual guidebook and more than an average anthology. That's a shame, because I've been looking to it for a while now, hoping it'd provide me some unique insight. Instead the most important plot points still happen either off page, or are limited to singular panels ("Aquaman kneeled. So did Wonder Woman. The end").

Snyder sure knows how to make a story feel larger than life, turn it from "just" a comic into a full blown blockbuster. There are two problems with Death Metal I have, though. First - it's confusing, thanks to several differently named spin-offs and tie-ins. And second - while as I said it's big (like, really, gigantic) it seems to intentionally leave its universe and characters somewhat hollow. There's no deeper worldbuilding outside of what's absolutely necessary to continue the main plot. Compare that to the original Dark Nights Metal, where each of the twisted evil Bats had their own backstory and motivation to prevail, or The Last Knight on Earth with its main mystery dating back to the pre-apo days. Death Metal in comparison falls rather flat in the lore department, and that's a shame. Real shame. I expected the Guidebook to solve this, but it didn't, leaving me truly disappointed. There's tons of action to be found here to technically fill the issue to the very last panel, and I guess compensate for lack of depth, so if that's what you're looking for in an event like this, more power to you, you should have a ton of fun reading this comic, especially if you're familiar with Superboy-Prime, and what drives him as a villain. Ultimately, do I look forward to the next issues and tie-ins? Yes. And I sure hope they'll deepen what's already there, offer us a glimpse at what made this world what it is, and why is it the way it is. That's the #1 thing on my priority list, overshadowing even the main plot itself. I have a feeling that's not going to happen, but still, worth mentioning, I suppose.

I have mixed feelings about this comic. While it adds depth and develops Robin King a little, giving him clear motivation and background, it feels, in many ways, like filler of sorts. There's no real challenge, tension, drama and bigger purpose here - just the titular character slaughtering hero after hero, being prepared to effortlessly take down every one of them. And let me tell you - there's no fun in being overpowered. Still, there's some character building here I can't deny. We learn why Robin King decided to take the mantle of Robin, and how he influences other evil Robins out there. That's good stuff, but I wish we've got insight into more of that instead of being exposed to more generic fighting sequences thrown here to maintain the high octane momentum of the main event's events.

I know it may be a bit cliche to start a review with a quote borrowed from another one, but below or above this one, there's one written by Afre, who asked a good question: "do I even care anymore"? I feel exactly the same. Yeah, the story, characters, action and action are technically all there, but at this point I'm becoming completely indifferent towards Death Metal, and that sucks, because for me, a comic fan and a metalhead among many other things, it should be a perfect crossover event. So what happened, and why I think I don't care anymore? I think there are three reasons for that: 1. The event has become too big for its own good, having several ultimately unnecessary spin-offs that added nothing to the main plot, and did not flesh out any of the characters featured. Thus following Death Metal has been both exhausting and unrewarding. 2. The end tries to justify the means. While Dark Nights Metal was a somewhat contained and purposeful story, Death Metal exists, so DC has another crisis level event, and its end reboots the franchise. Or, that was the plan at least, before plans of 5G exploded in the editorial's faces. So now we know Death Metal is leading to Future State, but then again Future State won't mean pretty much anything either. 3. There's no development for anybody in Death Metal. Everyone prepares for the final fight, but that's about it. The event doesn't serve to flesh out anyone, give them any depth and personality. When you think about it, like, really deeply, you'll realize it's a typical one dimensional popcorn blockbuster. And we've got plenty of those lately. Sometimes worse, sometimes better, but nontheless each being its own thing saturating the market more and more. Even character designs aren't clever anymore - remember the few evil Batmen from the Dark Multiverse? I do. I don't remember any new addition from this comic, though. While Death Metal stated out promisingly, it quickly began to derail a little bit more and more, to eventually reach the current state, when I can't force myself to care about it anymore. That's unfortunate, but not very unexpected, I've never been a fan of huge bombastic, but ultimately empty blockbusters, when I can pick up more personal and rich smaller scale comics instead. That's why I simply couldn't care less about Endless Winter, for example.

You've ever played with a bunch of figurines and such at once? Build a group, or an entire army of them and face them against threats as big as you could possibly imagine at the moment? Your imagination was the only limit, since there was no franchise or creative boundaries. Superman could fight along Spider-Man, Harry Potter could face Captain Planet, or Batman could ride your mom's dildo. As I said, your imagination was the only limit. I see the same in this comic - there's pretty much everything that Scott Snyder could possibly come up with, squeezed and crammed together no matter if it makes any sense or not, with anything possible at any given time. And the same way a child can come up with impromptu deus ex machina solutions to equally impromptu deus ex machina problems, Snyder leads a chaotic narrative where nothing and no one ultimately matters, because it all can be changed, fixer or undone by anything or anyone else. Oh, look, Batman lost his hand, of course off-page, and his Black Ring won't work anymore, imagine the shock, he's going to die for good! But wait... of course he didn't put it on his finger, what a twist, he stands up and resurrects everybody who died on the battlefield, and then Sailor Moon and Skeletor joined the fight and... and... Godzilla told an army of Hot Wheels to give her a lift to the nearest Micky Dee's because dad brought some Big Macs for us. Yeah, seriously, this entire event seems like something where end justified the means even more so than in Doomsday Clock (which I actually truly enjoyed, but I get why so many readers have some serious gripes with it). Anything and everything to introduce the idea of the Omniverse. Creationists would be proud. I am not. I feel like Death Metal started out pretty damn good just to quickly derail and lose any illusion of plot it may have had initially, so DC can try to address the pisspoor reception of some things they've introduced in recent years that infuriated practically everybody.

There are generally two types of silly comics - those that are just silly, and those who embrace their silliness and use it to elevate themselves to new heights. Aquaman paired with Jabberjaw is a match made in heaven - you can't help but enjoy it and its goofiness. Most definitely a great, unexpected team-up, I hope Arthur and Neptunes will cross paths sometime in the future!

Super Sons, since the very beginning of their comic run, were able to realistically portray two main characters, giving them necessary depth and personalities - something you rarely see with young protagonists, unfortunately. That's one of the very reasons I've enjoyed reading about them so much. Their crossover with Dynomutt pushes the boundaries of depth and complexity forward. Way forward. It's a dark comic, to say at least. Hell of a dark and emotional comic, start to fnish, especially if you happen to be a dog person like I am. I wasn't prepared to see what I saw, thinking this comic will be yet another silly, fun adventure, like Aquaman and Jabberjaw's one.

Well, it's a Harley comic written by Palmiotti and Conner. What else did you expect? It's cheap fan fiction, and contrary to Harl's almost equally terrible regular solo series, this time there's no Frank Cho who could draw a beautiful variant cover, so I can say at least one positive thing about the issue. Remember cute crossovers of DC and Hanna-Barbera? Super Sons and Dynomutt, Aquaman and Jabberjaw? They were great. This one, on the other hand, is an abomination featuring everything wrong with post Dini/Timm Harley I can think of. And yes, that includes the black-red hair as well I loathe as much as New 52's Mr. Freeze retconned origin story and Rose Wilson poking hero own eye out. And guess what - all of them were fortunately fixed, but every now and often one of them returns like aggressive tumor. Add your casual unfunny humor and annoying accent gimmick to that, sprinkle some Harley-Ivy against-the-character fan-fic shipping, and also pretty bad art, and what you get is this issue. It's bad. Insultingly bad. It's the New-52 Harley quality (or lack of any), not even kidding.

I can't help but enjoy this comic - for some reason, The Joker teaming up with Daffy duck is just surprisingly fun to read. The issue combines silliness of Daffy with Joker's homicidal personality, and does it reall well - at least in the main story. The supplementary short comic at the end felt like filler at times, but there was few moments that made me chuckle a bit, like Daffy kicking out Dr. Quinzel so he can examine Joker alone. I'd recommend this one - it's not the greatest comic out there, but this week at DC was pretty dry, at least to me. But if you have a choice between this crossover and one of the older Hanna-Barbera ones, I'd easily take them. Dynomutt and Jabberjaw were great. This one is pretty good, but not much more.

As any short story collection, this comic is rather uneven - there are great stories, my favourites easily being ones featuring Giganta, Deathstroke, and maybe Cheetah and Grodd, but I can't say I enjoyed all the others. There's something for everyone, but I doubt there'll be many people who enjoy this comic from its first to the last page equally. Worth giving a try, but it's nothing outstanding overall.

While the eponymous story, first in the book, was meant to be the selling point of the TP, I can't stop thinking it falls short compared to Mad Love, ironically written by Dini as well. It's not a bad comic, and sure has couple of great moments - it's just... not Mad Love, I guess, and lacks its somewhat innocent charm so characteristic to anything directly related to Batman: The Animated Series. Call it a soft reboot, call it a supplementary story, it's all right, but not phenomenal, and in many regards it feels like a step back from Mad Love. It's The Bet, from Gotham Knights #14 that sold me - it's short, straight to the point, and captures friendship of Harley and Ivy at its peak, long before it was ruined and replaced with cheap fan service once New-52 launched. It's a genuinely fun story to follow, and made me really laugh more than once. The Most Important Day of the Year felt uneven to me - there's plenty of Deadpool-like violence mixed with slapstick, completely empty and serving no real purpose. I'd say it's pretty mediocre, and shows the slow but sure degeneration of the main character, making her less and less appealing, less and less what made her so likeable in the past. The ending is story's definite highlight - the rest, leading to it, is more often a miss than a hit, sadly. Justice is Served was entertaining and full of classic Harley charm. Definitely worth reading - it's a nice mix of quite surreal story with proper humor and dialogues. Overall a decent collection - could have been better, but I can't complain too much. After all, it's a celebration of Harley's history, before New-52 turned her into a shallow shadow of herself.

As with any thematic anthology, there's something for everyone here, but it's also doubtful each and every short story contained in it will appeal to every reader. I, personally, found Summer Lovin', Summer Bummer and Catfish Crisis (in this order) to be the most enjoyable for the most part, with Summer Camp and very possibly Fandom following soon after. That said, no comic here is perfect or even outstanding - they're just funny little shorts you read, laugh a minute and move on, forgetting everything you've just read. That's usually the nature of anthologies. Summer Lovin' is a decent silver age Superman story touching the subject of Turing's famous test, and is probably the only story here that made me feel something. Even if Legionnaires don't serve any real purpose in it, it was nice to see them in something written by someone else than Brian Michael Bendis. Summer Bummer is a lighthearted tale of friendship, containing the message of accepting each other's differences. It doesn't overpromise, it doesn't overstay its welcome - it is exactly what you think it may be, and it works. It just works. Catfish Crisis and Fandom are bizarre and clearly intended to make you laugh, if you have enough distance to comics to approach them with open mind. And finally, Summer Camp - probably the most conventional story in the book, pretty predictable and straight forward, but it does tell what it wants, which is the importance of putting your family before your job, as well as never judging a book by its cover. The rest was a mixed bag to ME, which doesn't mean YOU won't find value there. As I said earlier - anthologies tend to contain diverse material, and it really comes down to the reader to determine what appeals to them the most. To me, overall, Cybernetic Summer is... okay, I guess. Nothing special, nothing super inventive, nor especially memorable, but nonetheless it can be fun.

Don't be mistaken when you pick up this comic - it's a teaser of what's to come, not a stand-alone story, or three of the mfor that matter. It's promising, especially when you follow DC's bigger events and arcs, but it feels like it lacks proper context, set-up, introduction. Pick it up if you're not sure if you're interested in the upcoming Bendis' takeover of Superman run, marriage of Batman and Catwoman, and finally the No Justice event.

As with any bigger collection of short stories, this holiday special is uneven, containing different stories written by different authors with different styles, yet all having one specific theme. I personally think about these kinds of comics as a comic equivalent of Slash's debut album from 2010, with 14 songs and almost as many guest vocalists. There'll most likely be something you like, a song or two, but due to diversity of the material, it's rather unlikely you'll enjoy everything equally. Or that you'll enjoy everything to begin with. Same here - it's a diverse set of short stories, all pretty pessimistic and quite nihilistic, take them or leave them. I personally think I'll leave them, since aside from Dini's bitterseweet short, there's nothing in here for me. All's so painfully gritty and negative, I wouldn't be surprised if it was a reject from the New-52 days of DC.

The headline says "the end of everything starts here", which would be a perfect catchphrase to summarize the awfulness of Heroes in Crisis, but sarcasm aside, the issue delivers. It's an event that starts with a bang and truly is captivating to read. I'll leave it up to you to decide whether or not social media zombies are an absolutely ludicrous idea, but other than that core idea behind the comic, I think it's a very solid start of something fresh and different. Rarely we have an opportunity to see genuine horror in superhero comics, and as a devoted fan of the genre, both literary and cinematic, I'm definitely going to take this chance.

I feel like I should have enjoyed this issue more than I did, but for some reason I can't. I don't consider it bad, or even underwhelming, but I didn't love it either. Sure, the Batman plot twist, as well as Ollie, Dinah and Hal's camping were super fun to witness, but overall the comic really felt to me like a chapter coming from one place and leading to another, itself not really having enough identity to stand out. Albeit Green Lantern Canary sounds pretty sweet and I look forward to see her in action.

Only time will tell if this event is based on a shallow gimmick, or is it something surprisingly deep and complex. Look at Injustice - a simple concept quickly evolved into a long multiversal conflict. DCeased has all the potential to become a new elseworldwith its own mythos, but it also can end up being a self contained one-off story. The story didn't progress much in this issue, which actually was a good creative choice. We have a chance to delve into few main characters' lives, and see how are they dealing with this global disaster. That's a very important narrative element, which good writers utilize properly (look at Geoff Johns' Doomsday Clock) and bad ones either ignore completely (Scott Snyder's No Justice, for example) or don't create anything but it (Tom King's Heroes in Crisis trainwreck). Similarly to the last issue, which I find a bit weaker than this one but still pretty decent, it's a comic I generally feel okay with, but I'm not mesmerized with it by any means. I could be, if it becomes something more than what it is now. So, worth picking up? Why not? Give it a try if you have nothing better to read.

I'm not sure if a spin-off was necessary for DCEASED, after all, it's not like the core series is very deep and requires much exposition. And while I generally enjoyed this issue, especially parts with Constantine, I can't stop thinking this probably should have been a regular entry, not an additional supplementary comic. It sure has its moments, and shows more desperate side of zombie infestation, but I'm not sold yet, since I'm uncertain whether or not it has enough content to be more than a side arc within the main series. Pick it up if you're a fan of Taylor's previous work with DCEASED and want to see more of it.

DCEASED sure doesn't leave much room to breath, which is a double edge sword. On the one hand, there's not much exposition - just constant action and progresion, which is perfectly captured in the Luthor - Matian Manhunter - Flash - Superman series of events. On the other, I feel the series could benefit from a scene or two dedicated to character development and exploration of their feelings, which in a post-apo universe seems like an important thing, doesn't it? Overall a decent book.

This feels like an ending of a TV series' season, not like a proper conclusion of an event, or a stand alone comic story. It just cuts out, not giving us any real answers - and granted, they could be provided within a sequel, if there's any in the future, but for now, we have what we have, so I'm not willing to give DC a free pass, because there's untapped potential in DCEASED. So yeah, as an ending of something big, this issue is pretty weak. However, as a comic itself, it's actually decent - there's few amazing scenes and ideas thrown in, like Diana forging a sword to defeat Superman (as well as the conceptual connection to Athena - that's some good stuff), or majority of Green Arrow's panels (that's the Ollie we deserve!). Action moves forward relentlessly fast - take it as you wish, to some it may be a merit, to others a flaw. I personally would be leaning towards the latter, but in a series as dynamic as DCEASED, I'm willing to turn my blind eye on lack of slower moments and character development. What do I think about the entire event? It was okay - nothing revolutionary, but surely an entertaining elseworld tale holding no punches. Tomorrow's halloween, so it's certainly a good book to pick up and enjoy.

You know what's always cool about nazi zombies? That contrary to usual walking dead, amount of living braincells in their heads is exactly identical to living nazis. That's something, isn't it? While death turns normal people into rotting beasts fueled only by primal hunger for flesh, facists lose nothing! Good for them, worse for us, since when apocalypse strikes, the only still active media outlets will be likes of PragerU, Cosmic Book News and Daily Wire. Hot damn, that's one grim vision of the future, isn't it? I found DCEASED to be way overhyped and overrated - it wasn't bad, far from it, but it wasn't anything extraordinary either. Just your typical zombie apocalypse nonsense, but with superheroes. If it came out 5-10 years ago, it would have been a classic, but since then, the zombie boom died out, just like vampire mania before it. Sufficed to say, I didn't expect much from its sequel, and in many ways I was right not to. The Unkillables is a mixed bag with severe mood wings often ruining the tension. I get it - zombie apocalypse is a tired trope, a gimmick which doesn't have much to offer anymore, so anything not often tried yet, like bathetic humor, could possibly be the little thing that differentiates yoru story from dozens others. Creeper acting like himself wasn't unwelcomed, but I expected omething different when it comes to Slade's POV. Jason's narrative felt more compelling and personal , in comparison. It actually could become the one arc I care about and want to follow. Maybe it has something to do with Ace, since dogs make everything better, but nonetheless, it made me feel something, anything, is more than I can say about the rest of the book. Pick it up if you're a fan of zombies, Red Hood and/or want to see villains teaming up. Other than that, it's a pretty mediocre comic to me.

There's some value in this comic. I certainly enjoyed following Deathstroke, he's a perfect lead for a post-apo story, and one that doesn't really want to lead anything, he doesn't want to be in the center of attention. And boy, oh, boy, does the center of attention disappoint in this issue. There's several cheap deus ex machinas here, like Wonder Woman, few super predictable scenes, at least to those who know a thing or two about zombie apocalypse tales, and on top of it, there's very little substance here, which is nothing new if you followed the original series. It's just shock value for the most part, and I'm sick and tired of it. The art is sloppy and panels often have plain white backgrounds, rendering the entire book feel cheapeer and more rushed than it actually may be. I am not a fan of thiss stylistical direction, and I find character faces to be borderline hideous. Just look at Rose holding Slade after he got punched in his mug - ugh, who said "okay, it's good enough for print"?!

I always felt like DCEASED was released a decade too late. If it came out during The Walking Dead craze, it may have been a zeitgeist classic, encapsulating everything about the zombie fad. In 2020, though, I feel fatigued, bored of this theme, since ultimately it always boils down to characters looking for a safe place that soon turns out to be unsafe, rinse and repeat, accompanied with random major deaths not really adding much to the story or developing other, surviving, characters. I certainly hope DC will put DCEASED to rest for a while. Let it rest for a while and return when, or if, zombie apocalypse becomes fresher and more creative than it is now. Global pandemic causing downfall of volatile corporatist capitalism may be a hot subject, so I've heard.

Deathstroke's solo (and Defiance) run so far was one of the very most consistent series in DC's Rebirth. This issue is not an exception, and continues to explore the lives of Slade and people close to him in a mature, complex and realistic way, which I adore since the first issue. Terra is definitely one of characters that deserve more depth, since her only big appearance in comics that left a mark was The Judas Contract, where she was portrayed as a cold one dimensional sociopath with no redeeming qualities (that particular story wasn't too kind for Deathstroke either, and definitely didn't age well overall). Having an issue where she has her 5 minutes being just a normal human being (well, a superpowered one, that is) was a very nice choice I truly welcome. However, due to amount of overlaping side stories and retrospections on top of them, the issue may be a bit difficult to follow - granted, Deathstroke was never a straight forward series and demanded more attention from readers than simplistic hero vs villain stories. That, normally, would encourage me to read it again to fully understand and comprehend everything, but I don't think the story and the way it was delievred were outstanding enough to do so. I'm definitely going to grap the next issue when it comes out, though. That's for sure.

Rebirth was very kind to Deathstroke, giving him so much depth and development he nearly instantly has become one of my very favourites to read every month. This year's annual focuses on struggles team Defiance faces internally. Wally decided to quit, Tanya feels like she doesn't belong in the group, Rose is missing, Joseph realized he has no reason to belong in it anymore either, and finally, Slade's lies and manipulations seem to catch up to him one by one. Every relevant character has their own problems, and that's exactly what makes the Defiance run so interesting - there's simply no filler arcs, they all connect and lead somewhere, very organically. Priest sure planned everything out and prepared for long term storytelling, instead of writing short stories one after another, all barely connected and not leading anywhere. Deathstroke's annual may not leave you as touched as after reading this week's annuals of The Flash and Detective Comics, both having serious emotional punch, but it's a solid read, worth recommending.

What's so amazing about Priest's Deathstroke run is how much he's able to tease, or foreshadow, long before the main arc reaches the point these hidden details come to fruition. Rose's story may be the best example in this issue, coming back to Joseph's wedding, and its dramatic conclusion. There's no denying Priest plans everything ahead, instead of writing closed, separate few-issue story arcs, one after another. Nope, everything connects in Deathstroke comics, everything leads somewhere, even, or especially, if it's just a small glimpse. Other things to praise are surely Rose, Tara and Joseph's development - each having their personalities, struggles and fears. I'm very glad Terra matured and grown as a character since The Judas Contract - which, while an absolute classic, did not give her any real depth or complexity, other than showing her as a psychotic sociopath. Priest took a chance and reintroduced her to the Rebirth continuity, and sufficed to say, does wonders with her.

Phenomenal conclusion to multiple story arcs unraveled in the last couple of months. It's hard to even briefly explain what exactly happens in this issue, due to so many characters involved, so many plotlines crossing their lines and tying... Sufficed to say, if all roads lead to Rome, all arcs in Deathstroke's series led to this issue, this conclusion, or a milestone marking an end of an era and setting up what's to come. My hopes for the future? I sure would love to see only more from side characters. Deathstroke is after all not the only reason I pick up his books and read them with such interest. Wintergreen, Adeline, Rose, Terra, just to mention few, add so much depth to the series with their personalities, personal struggles and connections to Slade. That B cast, despite not being widely known to casual comic book fans is a true force to be reckoned with. May Batman versus Deathstroke event begin, ladies and gentlemen. it may be a show you don't want to miss, and same applies to this particular issue as well.

Issue sets up the story very well, explaining different motivations and personalities of Bruce and Slade, as well as laying down foundations for a bigger conflict, or mystery. It's all I love about these two characters, especially after Priest took over Deathstroke's solo run and made it a true shining diamond. I definitely look forward for the next issue - so far so good, and if it keeps its current quality (or maybe even exceeds it), I'm going to have a good substitute for Batman: White Knight, which is going to end next month.

Deathstroke vs. Batman may as well be the best crossover event I've seen for a while. Issue #1 was phenomenal, and this one isn't any worse. I love how Wintergreen and Alfred communicate with each other and want to save their best friends from either killing themselves, or each other. Priest does great job finding similarities between Bruce and Slade, as well as their families. Pick it up, it'd be a shame to skip it.

Out of three Deathstroke vs. Batman issues so far, this one would probably be my least favourite, but even then I can't say I don't like it - quite contrary, there's a solid dose of character development, the art is beautiful, and story feels tense. This is, most possibly, the best ongoing in-series crossover event right now DC has to offer.

Excellent issue, not only pushing the event's stpry forward, but also being able to nicely mirror some elements of Deathstroke's first arc in Rebirth, where he goes for a road trip with his daughter, Rose. Overall it's a really strong comic, especially its second half, offering multiple smaller plot twists, plenty of action and great dialogues. Oh, and the art is fantastic.

Out of all issues from the crossover event, this one seems to be the most straight-forward one, and I like it. There's a solid explanation of how Deathstroke found the Bat Cave, and of course, a solid part of the comic id dedicated solely to brutal, raw fight between Slade and Bruce. Overall great issue, can't wait for the conclusion.

For last few months, Deathstroke's comics were a substitute for Batman's, due to significant drop of quality of the latter. Thus, it's a shame to see the arc concluding, since Priest did actually a great job portraying Bats and his family. Especially Alfred, who alongside Wintergreen, stole the show on more than one occasion. The story was difficult to understand to the very end - that's the thing with Priest, he always finds new ways to confuse the reader more and more, convolute even the simplest things. That's the beauty of his Deathstroke's run overall, but that's also the reason why it doesn't get enough attention and admiration, compared to more straight forward, easy to follow series. I highly recommend the entire crossover - if you still didn't read it, what are you waiting for?! Next month the new chapter begins, and I cannot wait to see it. Arkham awaits.

I've stated it multiple times, but Priest's Deathstroke run requires attention, focus from the reader, if they want to fully understand the story. And here am I, not knowing what the hell just happened. It's a pretty surprising issue, leaving you wondering what's real and what's not. Is Slade insane, and if, how much of what we see is just a delusion? That's why I love stories involving crazy people - look at Shutter Island, for example, probably one of the poster children for this kind of narrative in modern cinema. It's nice to be confused with a comic for once, but not knowing where Christopher Priest is taking us, and how exactly, makes this issue a rather weird experience. I don't know if I like it or not, since I know nothing for granted right now. Maybe it all will eventually connect and lead to a surprisingly elaborate conclusion (wouldn't be the first time for his works), maybe not. We'll see. I'm confused.

Okay, Priest, you have my full attention once more, after rather underwhelming (for the series' standards, that is) Robin's paternity arc. The issue is convoluted, but in a good way, the one we've got pleasure reading in the past. Priest managed to cleverly utilize Two-Face, at which James Robinson failed pretty badly in his Detective Comics take just recently, Rose returned and has to do few things on her own, and possibly most importantly, the comic features very little solid information, making the reader feel lost and confused. And that's the beauty of insanity - you can't tell whether something's true or false, which in tories set in an asylum, is crucial. Really enjoyed the read, highly recommend it to those who are already familiar with the series. If you want to start with Deathstroke, you hould definitely pick up #1, otherwise amount of content, reminders and references will eat you alive.

I have to say, I don't feel this issue. It leads somewhere, that's for sure, but I didn't enjoy it nearly as much as I did most of the run so far. And it's not even because of how convoluted it is (since you can find method in this madness), but because a solid part of it doesn't feel like a Deathstroke comic. Some may find it a good, refreshing thing, but to me, a Deapool clone is a step too far. Self awareness and distance to yourself can be a great thing, but I don't really read Slade's comics to, you know, laugh or anything.

Seems like Deathstroke is going through midlife crisis. There's no other explanation for what's happening with his comics. he first half is a 4th wall breaking full blown Deadpool-esque comedy, and the second is a drug infested trip where no one knows what's happening and what's real. It hits you harder than listening to The Piper at the Gates of Dawn while being stoned so much you can barely move a finger. And to be honest, I can't say I like it. I mean, I love Pink Floyd, I love good comedy, and I love Deathstroke, but I don't love something that tries to be all at the same time, the same way I don't love Burton's Batman movies (come at me), despite Burton himself being one of my favourite directors of all time, and Batman being my #1 favourite comic character ever. It's a strange mix (pun intended), and its tone is goin up and down in matter of panels, which is only amplified by Priest's signature jumping from one point of view to another. I do not know if there's method in this madness, but as of now, I really don't enjoy it. Maybe I need to see where the story leads first, or read the entire arc several times to get it, similarly to how I had to mature as a listener to comprehend the genius of Pink Floyd, but yeah... For now I see only madness, with no method behind. Manganiello joke was cool, though.

Yikes, Deathstroke's run, one of the most consistent and tightest Rebirth series, seems to really lose its grip. I didn't enjoy the entire Arkham arc, which not only was super convoluted, but also changed the series' established tone, introducing odd Deadpool inspired comedy and surreal silliness. I sure hope Priest has a solid plan in his sleeve, because as of now, I don't understand a thing that's happening with Slade.

While reviewing the first issue of the arc, I stated it's crafted not to require any extra homework done before picking it up. It was true for the time, I thought, but this issue proved me wrong, unfortunately. The entire plot involves Blackrock as the central villain, but if you don't follow Teen Titans comics, you won't know who he is and what's his context in this crossover. Maybe if Priest explained his presence better - maybe provide the reader some necessary basic background info on the character, I would give this comic a bit higher rating. Overall not bad, but I feel it's a slight step down compared to the previous issue opening this event.

Deathstroke's comics were never easy reads - ever since Priest began writing the series, its plot required attention from the reader to be understood. This issue pushes this requirement forward - not only you need to understand and remember the entire Rebirth run of Slade's adventures, you also need to know a thing or two about his relationship with Teen Titans, know what's the inner conflict the team is strugling with, be familiar with the Legion of Doom and Justice League comics, oh, and know the background of Year of the Villain. That's a surprising amount of knowledge you should possess if you want to fully understand what's happening here, even if on the outside, at first glance, things happening look pretty simple. I mean, how complex could a funeral be? I have mixed feelings about this one. I think Priest may have been a bit too ambitious, squeezing too many things and references in this small comic. That's definitely something for dedicated fans of Slade - those who've been following him since #1 and also are familiar with recent big events within the DC Universe.

I have a bad feeling about the entire Year of the Villain event. It may force its way into regular solo series, and in result, they won't progress in their own directions, but rather be what the big event demands them to be. Who knows. For now I'm pretty underwhelmed with what I've read in this issue. It's good Rose is dealing with grief, Priest certainly didn't give her much attention in the series, and didn't develop her a lot, but once again, she doesn't really develop, she does what the plot demands her to. And, by the way, she looks beyond silly with an adult muscular man's body. Just look at these panels, where her arm is as wide as her waist normally be. For a while now I was worried that Priest may be losing his touch with the series, and that his storytelling is becoming worse. I hope I'm wrong, because Deathstroke was one of Rebirth's biggest surprises, and a bright star for a long time. Now, it seems to be fading away. There's still time to save it and make it as tense and solid as it was during the first few story arcs. Imagine the series as a sliding car - it may be a spectacular drift, or it can hit a wall in a blink of an eye. I don't know which one is it yet.

Slade's comics evolved through the recent years - from an ambitious, multilayered spy-like series at the beginning of Rebirth, they turned to more surreal, and I think that's one of the main reasons why I eventually began enjoying Silencer more. Direction of her story remained... relatively grounded, not incporporating constant use of superpowers, ancient spirits living in someone's head, or Hulk-like heroes hiding in Canada. Now, with Slade, or two, alive and well, the comic is even harder to grasp than usual. What's happening, really? Where is it going? I can see what's up with Rose, Joey and Hosun, where are they now, but I can't see whre are they heading exactly, and how influenced will that be by this entire Year of the Villain event. The comic is better than most recent Deathstroke issues, that's for granted, but it's still a far cry from what the series was in its infancy.

I'm not even going to try to explain how Slade's resurrection worked. I guess leprosy is as good of a plot device as anything else in similar circumstances. At one point you just have to stop thinking about nonsense in comics, because otherwords you'll be solely disappointed. With the upcoming finale of the run, Slade will fight Slade, similarly to Batman facing Batman. I hope Priest will pull it off better than King, which really shouldn't be difficult, but being better isn't equal to being good. Deathstroke's run was rather uneven in the latter part, which makes me somehow worried of how is it exactly going to tie up. All that being said, Priest's work on the character sure is impresive, and we need to remember him as one of the best Rebirth runs, possibly also one of the biggest surprises of the entire reboot.

In next 10-20-50 years, when somebody picks up Priest's Deathstroke run, and reads it to the very end, they'll have some major questions regarding Luthor's plan, and Joey's new powers. That's what I strongly dislike about comic events affecting regular series - they inject some of their plot lines into them, rendering parts of the msomewhat unreadable to someone who didn't do their homework. That is bad already, on its own, but connecting an event to a series' finale? That's pretty crazy, and inevitably will complicate everything. Aside from The Year of the Villain's influences, the comic is pretty good. I love Joey remembering his past, and seeing mistakes he's been making along the way - I don't know how much Priest planned in advance, but it's a very subtle fall from grace for the character, putting him in a position of a genuine villain, one could say, even if Deathstroke's series have been operating in shades of grey instead of plain black and white. He's the star of this issue, hands down, with the rest of the main cast serving as not much more than background. It's quite sad for Rose, who Priest clearly wanted to highlight this month, and show us a retrospective of her character journey, but it's nowhere near as psychologically deep as Joey's. I always liked her, at lest when she has both of her eyes intact, and it saddens me she wasn't a bigger, or should I say, more important, part of the story. Overall it's a decent comic - it may feel convoluted, and of course The Year of the Villain event makes thing only worse, but it surely sets up the mood for the big finale I definitely am waiting for. Deathstroke was one of Rebirth's finest titles, let's see where and how Priest is going to end it.

And the journey ends here. 50 issues, that's what it took Priest to tell his story, and conclude it in this book. We've seen Slade developing his relationship with Rose, we've seen him face Titans once more, be a superhero for a while, lose his sight and get a brand new deus ex eye, trying to get rid of Damian Wayne who though he's his father we've seen Joseph going through one of the most complex and mature romantic triangles I've seen in years, and Rose becoming possessed by some weird ancient spirit, or whatever Willow's supposed to be. It was quite a trip - uneven at times, convoluted, sometimes missing the mark completely, but overall Priest's Deathtroke was one of the biggest highlights of DC's Rebirth, no doubt about it. He brought life to the titular character, gave him human personality and motivations. Slade is not a one dimensional pedophile Wolfman and Perez created him as - he evolved, a lot. And a lot of that was done by Priest. Is this finale a good conclusion? Well... it's not bad, that's what I can guarantee. A lot of loose ends has been resolved, the mystery of evil crazy old Deathstroke was explained... kinda, and everyone who survived, got a moment to unite peacefully, and have a brief moment of normalcy. I'm a bit disappointed we didn't have a chance to see each of the main characters being impacted by the main events more. Time skips can be annoying, and one is used at the end of the book, making Rose, Joseph and Adeline's process of grieving their losses that less impactful. Reminds me of rushed TV series eason finales. The good part would most definitely have to be the ideological conflict between two Slades. Priest nailed their dialogues, perfectly, and put emphasis on showing our Slade's aforementioned humanity. Yeah, he can be a bad guy at times, but he has his code of honor, which can be easily overlooked by the reader. That's what make him such a compelling character in the first place. Comic definitely worth picking up, if you've been following the series, even occassionally. It'ss an end of a chapter, and let's hope the next writer will serve us something at least as decent as Priest's series.

Usually I try to start a review with a proper foreword, explaining what the book is about, or where it came from. This time I'll start from the end - the conclusion: it's unreadable garbage with literally no redeeming qualities. It sums up what New-52 did to Harley, how it turned her into one dimensional Deadpool clone with stripper clothes, depraved her of her original identity and looks - two things that made her lovable in the first place. It's trash, I'm sorry.

After Detective Comics' issue #973, most notably its cliffhanger, it feels logical and natural to see Clayface in the limelight. His new origin story portrays him as a more human, complex character, while rthe general tone of his backstory and not retconning it for the sake of retconning it (like Mr. Freeze in New 52, but about him later). To a degree, this change reminded me of Harvey Bullock from Geoff Johns' Batman: Earth One, who was fleshed out for once, and served as a tragic hero we emphatize with during the span of the comic. Same here - Basil has his own personality, and by no means feels like just a bad guy. His story unfolds, and while we all know the outcome of it, it still feels emotional and engaging. Similarly to aforementioned Mr. Freeze, Clayface is portrayed as a tragic antihero, who can't be called evil, but his decisions (mistakes) shaped him into something monstrous, at least at first glance. We're offered an insight into his childhood, life as an actor, warm relationship with Glory Griffin, and finally, a gruesome (both literally and figuratively) transition into a monster. At the end of the book, you can't stop feeling sad for him, as well as for Glory, who long time readers may remember as Mudface. It's a tragic tale, connecting to possibly tragic outcome of the last issue of Detective Comics. We'll see about that. One thing is certain for now - it's as good as it is sad.

Emotion driven issue, showing how every major character in the series reacts to Basil's death. It's bittersweet - on the one hand we mourn Clayface, who was so close to officially redeeming himself, on the other we see that even after his death, he can be a force of good. It was really heartwarming to see Glory being cured from her condition, right after we've seen how she became Mudface in the recent Detective Comics annual. The most important thing for the series as entirety, was how one decision divided the entire team. I've never been the biggest fan of Cass, but I absolutely loved how she torn apart Batwoman's chest symbol and said what it stands for. Only the reader can answer whether or not was Kate's choice a necessary evil. I look forward to see what's going to happen in the near future - is Batman going to establish a new team, or look for a way to reunite the current one, if that's even possible?

Clayface's death served not only as a dramatic conclusion of Detective Comics' first Rebirth year, but also as a spark, triggering a chain reaction I absolutely love to see developing before my eyes with every new issue coming out. We've seen initial reactions of the team, most importantly Cassandra, but it was just a beginning for something bigger, deeper and ambitious. This issue shows us more than we probably would expect it to, starting with opinions of Bat Family members regarding Basil's death, and then switching to Barbara's questions and theories about the nature of the meeting, which to many readers, may instantly turn the entire story 180 degrees. There's more though - we can see Kate's point of view and incomprehensible feeling of guilt, or acknowledgement of breaking someone's heart beyond repair. That's necessary - for once we can understand her motivations and sympathize with her - and that's pretty uncommon for her character, since her solo series are not known to be groundbraking in any way. This time even Batwoman's got humanized, without sacrificing the weight of her fatal decision.

Things started to move forward after Clayface's death and initial collapse of the team resulted by it. New arcs are set up and some characters take new, lonesome paths, but overall the issue did not feel like either an end of the old, or a beginning of something new. It's a connective tissue between what was, and what will be, meaning as an element of series, it's necessary and welcomed, but as a standalone issue, however, it lacks its own identity.

This issue doesn't accomplish much, even though it tries. If you, let's say it gently, don't like Batwoman, it'll give you one more reason to like her even less. Aside from that, it sets up new chain of events related to future Tim Drake's appearance from few weeks ago. I personally found this issue to be a bit underwhelming - serving as neither a moment of reflection for Tim Drake used to develop his character, nor proper set-up of new direction(s) for the main cast.

Last two or three issues didn't impress me that much, and I've felt the Action Comics' action significantly slowed down after Clayface's death, to the point series has become a drag. I'm pleased to say this week's issue brought back proper tension, drama and mystery I've missed so much. It won't make history, but sure was fun to read, and I the cliffhanger leaves you wanting more, here and now.

Series seem to pick up after last couple of underwhelming issues following Clayface's death, where the team got split up. Even if Tim's arc isn't spectacularly emotional or interesting, he serves as a good pivot for what may happen in the future, most importantly a possible reunion of main characters. I'm super happy to see Stephanie back, even if her appearance was limited to just one page - that's a teaser, after all, and I can't wait to see where it's going to lead. Overall a decent issue.

What makes this particular issue better than what preceded it, was the character development of Stephanie. All these nods to pre New-52 timeline of DC Comics really do wonders to her character, as well as shhow the relevance, weight of the Bat Symbol. It may not be a perfect issue in a perfect story arc, but I can't say I didn't enjoy reading it. Looking forward to see where it leads.

Tynion's Detective Comics run has got its ups and downs, but contrary to many other series, it had a beginning and a proper end - everything led to this point, to finally conclude and go forward. I don't feel sad, nor I already miss Tynion's writing - the way this issue is designed makes me more interested in what's to come, looking in the future with a smile. It's an end of a chapter, and honestly, I can't wait to see what's ahead of us.

Decent, self contained short story, which doesn't serve as a beginning to a new Detective Comics era, but nonetheless, seems to stand on its own very well. There's a lot going on in the issue, and for the most part, it's uncertain to say at least what's true and what's just a delusion - I welcome that, since that form of mystery results in unpredictability of the comic. Compared to previous arcs in the series, all "here and now", it's a refreshing change. Art could have been better overall, but some panels look simply great - stylish and dark, making you feel like you were reading something directly influenced by H.P. Lovecraft's works. Some, on the other hand, seem to be a bit simplistic, but if you're willing to turn a blind eye on them and focus on what's good, it's a comic worth recommending.

Promising beginning of a new arc, and also a strong introduction of a new Batman villain with unique motivation and background. I like it so far, and look forward to see where the story leads, who's going to be the next victim, how much does the villain know exactly about Bruce and his sidekicks? There's many questions I have, and hopefully Bryan Hill will keep the momentum this issue has.

At first I wasn't too sure if bringing Black Lightning into Detective Comics was a good idea - it wouldn' be the first time comics were used to promote certain characters that appear in other mediums, to give them more recognition. But after reading this issue I can gladly admit I was wrong - Jefferson is not only a great addition to the roster, but he steals the show with his viewpoint on Batman working with children and teenagers to fight crime. I really like his teacher approach to the problem, and potential for the future storytelling, his possible relations with other characters from the Bat Family. Can't wait for it.

There's not a bad word I can say about this issue, and the arc so far - it's entertaining, tense, and Karma already established himself as one of the most ruthless villains of the Dark Knight. It's a pretty dark comic, like Detective Comic should be. Definitely recommend it.

So far, I enjoyed the entire ac with Karma - with every issue, he's becoming more and more interesting character, one that is literally scarred by Batman, and his crusade is very, very personal. There's more drama revolving around Black Lightning and his "pupils", take it or leave it. And while it's up for dispute whether it works against character development of Batgirl and maybe Orphan as well, little tensions among the main cast of characters always add some flavour to a comic, spice things up, make them a bit more realistic, I suppose.

My only problem with this issue, concluding Karma's arc, is the fact everything in it feels somewhat rushed. It's not a complaint from me, not in the exact sense of the word at least, but I wouldn't mind if important parts of the book were a bit longer - especially the final battle between Batman and Karma. Scenes come and go, squeezed together as much as possible, making the comic a rather intense read, but on the other hand, not everything, or should I say "everyone", has proper purpose and impact on the story. Cass and Duke could as well not appear at all, and it wouldn't make a difference. Same applies to Katana, who was teased big time last month, and today didn't have much to do. I sure am very excited for the upcoming Markovia arc, and simply can't wait for it. Karma was a great villain, definitely one of the best ones we've seen in a while, so if the writing quality remains the same, then Detective Comics has very, very bright future. I just hope Bryan Hill will take his time telling his stories.

The first thing I've noticed while reading this issue is its different tone, compared to Bryan Hill's take on the series. This Batman seems more talkative and personal, which even Jim Gordon sees. And while it's not a bad change by any means, I wonder if it'll affect other representations of the Bat appearing in other series, whether it's Scott Snyder's Justice League or Tom King's Batman. Especially the latter, known to feature small amount actual text at least usually. Also, what must be mentioned, it'd be nice to know whether this issue is a soft new start, or a direct continuation of the Karma arc, tied to it and trying to continue what it established. It ma be too early to judge, after all none of the Bat Family side characters appeared, but as of now, that's my main question that's most likely won't go away til the next issue. Overall, I recommend this one. It's a good beginning for a new arc, and while it feels and reads differently to other Bat comics on the market right now, it's still enjoyable, and most definitely has potential.

Everything in this comic leads to the cliffhanger, clue by clue. I wouldn't call it a surprise ending, by no means, but perhaps it never meant to be surprising, not even slightly. It's a chapter, after all - leading forwards, to the unknown territories, and from now on, we can enjoy the ride not knowing what's ahead. It was nice to get some insight into Fireflies' lives, and their reasoning, even if tere's not much actual substance in it. Nonetheless, I enjoyed this pacing change. What' going to happen next? How will the story unravel? Is it going to aim to be a huge spectacle featuring multiple different villains, like Loeb's crown jewels - Hush and The Long Halloween? I'm looking forward to see.

Not a strong issue, but not a bad one either. It just lacks proper narrative leading somewhere, which makes it look and feel like a filler, for the very most part. I have to say, I'm not impressed, and feel the entire story may have been so much better. Previous chapters were, after all.

Amount of text and dialogues oesn't make a comic good or bad - it's marely a storytelling choice. The Dark Knight Returns has plenty of text, and so does Watchmen or Batman White Knight, and you can't call either of them bad or just boring. This issue, however, is text heavy AND boring, at the same time. There's no action, no tension, no real emotions - just long conversation reminding me a bit of Christopher Nolan's interpretation of Two-Face. It reads so slowly, and lacks anything that would make it remotely engaging, I simply can not recommend it. It's a very mediocre issue belonging to already very mediocre arc (albeit new Firefly was a cool addition to the mythos, I think).

The worst story arc in comics is one that the reader doesn't care about. It doesn't have to be bad, it doesn't have to be relatively decent, but its story makes readers just indifferent, uninterested, apathetic. Robinson "accomplished" that in his issues of Detective Comics. I don't care about anything that happens in these books, and I'd rather see the story ending already, and new one starting. Kobra is overstaying its welcome, and it's time for a breath of fresh air in the series. It really is. There's no noticeable tension and stakes even if technically they exist, Kobra is generally a rather silly group of super generic baddies, and the story seems to painfully drag issue to issue. Can't recommend this one - it's so forgettable, I've already forgotten it. Good for me, I guess.

The arc was on its downward spiral, with basically each issue getting worse than the previous one. This finale is not an exception from the rule - it's pretty bad, and I really couldn't force myself to even read it at once, I had to take breaks and occupy my time with other things, because I felt not only pretty disappointed, but most importantly bored. The entire arc seems like a typical filler skipper. Don't waste your time on it, there's nothing to recommend.

Tomasi came and did what we've all wanted him to - saved Detective Comics. And exceeded my expectations at that - the issue is stellar, and super tense. The setup is interesting, and very personal to Bruce, action is relentlessly fast paced, and the art looks definitely okay. There's not a bad word I can say about Tomasi's introduction to Detective Comics. Welcome aboard, you have my attention!

Tomasi's takeover of the series was much needed, after James Robinson's bland and uninspired short adventure with it. The issue, despite not featuring much hard action, is pretty fast paced, especially its first half - I cought myself reading it at dangerous speed, being so invested in what was happening. Definitely worth picking up - we're near #1000, and the last straight leading to it looks just wonderful. Keep it up, Tomasi, we need you more than ever now, since Detective Comics under your guidance is the only good Batman comic out there.

Batman is called the world's greatest detective for a reason, we know that, but we rarely have an opportunity to see his detective, forensic and investigative skills being put to proper use. Usually his comics are following the basic patternn: hero gets defeated by a villain who uses their weaknesses against them, then hero learns from their mistakes and overcomes their weaknesses to finally defeat the villain in the last, final fight. That's a classic trope, and I don't have anything against it, but as I said, we rarely see Batman using his unique skill set in step 2: overcoming his weaknesses. Most of the time that comes naturally - he makes a plan we don't know about, executes it and gets the upper hand against the villain. That's it. Tomasi has put emphasis on Bruce investigating what's happening, and how his current nemesis targets his...or its victims. We kinda know its methodology, but we don't know what's its ultimate goal, who will it target next, where does the story go. And that's something I truly appreciate about this issue. It builds the mystery and allows Batman to think, forces him to look for ways to outrun the enemy for once, be a step ahead of it. But he can't. That's one good build up, and while some may perceive it as a bit lacking in terms of sheer action, I would say we need only more comics like this one. Tension feels real, stakes are high, no one's safe, and the mystery is still a mystery.

I always try to base my final ratings on writer and series' standards, their potential and of course, my subjective perception of them. That being said, a 7.5/10, for someone like Peter J. Tomasi is definitely not a high score, even if normally it would be considered just good. The problem lays in the fact not much really happens in this issue - yes, there's plenty of action, and multiple characters show up to have their own 5 minutes. Story-wise, however, it feels a bit fillery at times, and similarly to Detective Comics from before Tomasi's takeover, I feel like I'm more interested in the end goal rather than what's happening here and now, meaning it's the exact opposite of what you can witness in, let's say, The Lod of the Rings, where the journey overshadows its destination, or even classic mythologies, just to mention the nordic one, with Ragnarok being the inevitable end to what we actually care about, which are adventures of the gods. That's the first minor letdown from Tomasi's Detective Comics. Hopefully the series will soon pick itself up and the next issue will be as good as #996 or #997.

This issue will be polarizing. On the one hand it's a decent and somewhat heartwarming ending to Tomasi's first Detective Comics arc, on the other, however, it suffers from the same problem long lasting TV series (or nowawayd cinematic universes as well) do - lack of stakes, tension and actual lasting consequences. Leslie's death few issues earlier was shocking, but at the same time somewhat cathartic - for once a long running comic did something risky and shown that no one's completely safe. Something Heroes in Crisis fundamentally failed to accomplish. Seeing all of that shock turning out to be just smoke, with no fire, disappointed me. Not that I want to see characters getting killed off one by one to barely establish a villain and show how dangerous he is, but at the same time playing safe all the time can hurt the series. Especially when Clayface turned out to be alive some time ago, rendering his death, and the entire conflict between Batman and Batwoman pointless. It really feel like a cheap cop-out, like the typical "it was just a dream" twist. Comic like this one are the reason why I prefer self-contained stand-alone trade paperbacks, having a proper beginning and an end, and not having to follow something, or lead somewhere else.

Here we are - #1000. Batman just turned 80 years old. So many artists - writers and illustrators, so many distinct comic eras, so many different styles... It's good time to be a comic fan, and be able to see these historic events with our own eyes. First Supes, now Bats - that being said, however, I can't say I enjoyed this celebratory mega issue nearly as much as Action Comics #1000 - the reason is, it doesn't really celebrate Batman to the extent Superman was celebrated. Most of these stories are decent, and focus on certain things that make Batman Batman, but maybe 3 or 4 in total actually are worthy of being in this collection, actually celebrating him and his mythos. Kevin Smith's short story is, in my opinion, the book's highlight - hands down, nothing comes even close. It's touching, sweet, and accomplishes what Geoff Johns' story about the car from Action Comics #1's cover did. It's fantastic. James Tynion IV did good job showing how Bruce decided to train Dick, Scott Snyder told a rather interesting loosely detective tale, and Paul Dini combined his signature cartoonish comedy with a pretty nice plot twist. If Smith's story deserves a 9/10 and a standing ovation, I'd rate these as 7/10 shorts. The rest is pretty weak - and hat's a bummer, because some of these stories were written by writers whom I truly enjoy - most notably Geoff Johns, Christopher Priest and Peter J. Tomasi. Brian Michael Bendis tried to do something different, but the electric ending twist disappointed me, can't lie. You know what I would enjoy as #1000? A bunch of heartwarming short stories not even focusing on Bats himself, but his relationships with others - both heroes and villains. I can hear people saying "but hey, Batman is not Superman!", and I feel you, but I don't think Bruce relentlessly brutalizing some punks while Leslie watches all of that and says she's sorry for him, is a good way of celebrating the character's 80th birthday. I swear, some episodes of Batman: The Animated Series alone were paying him more respect. Heart of Ice and Mad Love both instantly coming to my mind. I'd kill to see some of Batman's iconic villains and allies showing some love for the old Bat for once. Like Bruce tailing one of them, and finding out it was all a plan to lure him to his own secret birthdayparty. Would it be cliche and unlike usual Batman comics? Yeah, you bet, but aren't celebrations cliche in general? They should be over the top and upbeat, they should be colorful, silly and fun. That's what I miss here, and that's what Nuclear Winter Special lacked as well, by the way. Bruce helping Mr. Freeze and see some progress with Nora, Harley rocking the dress she got from him in TAS, Ivy turning an old, ugly ruin into a beautiful park, Solomon Grundy returning the favor from The Long Hallowen and sharing his meal with Bats, these are exactly kind of stories I'd expect to be featured here.

Tomasi knows how to capture our attention and imagination, how to set a good mystery up, and establish a foe Batman will have to face in next issues. And even if secret cults aren't anything new to Batman (just to name The Sacred Order of Saint Dumas and The Court of Owls), it always is very interesting to see where do they come from, what motivates them, and what's their ultimate end goal. That's what I hope to see in this arc - not just a gimmick-fueled sect of baddies, but a more fleshed out organization with proper backstory and (brainwashed) methodology. Good beginning - I hope the arc continues on this note.

There always is a risk when a character created outside the main continuity comics finds their way to said continuity. The reason is, elseworld stories have their own style and set of rules that regular comics don't have to follow, or the other way, they don't need to follow regular comics' hard, often limiting "dos" and "donts". Is Arkham Knight's debut a good idea? Is it going to redeem his name after the awful game he was featured in? I sure hope so, but for now, the name he wields is tainted. Let's hope Tomasi finds a way to make him a compelling, fleshed out villain who manages to establish himself as a character.

Now that's what I call a hell of a good origin story. For the most part, because there's few elements of it I don't necesarily enjoy. It was a great idea to humanize Arkham prisoners. I'm really tired of the "good versus evil" war, with one side not having and flaws and the other not having any redeeming qualities. Let the DCU be more grey where it can be, because the constant pursuit of darkness by writers such as Tom King or even Scott Snyder, makes it less appealing, less diverse, and less realistic. It's little things like what we see in this issue that make us emphatize with these characters, otherwise serving as antagonists. Even Joker, albeit whether or not Tomasi made him too sane and compassionate, I'll leave to you to decide. What I didn't like, however, is Astrid's motivation. It's rather shallow and despite being personal, it falls flat compared even to one of Batman's newest enemies, Karma, who also has a grudge against Bats himself. I certainly hope she'll develop as a character, because so far her connection to other baddies has plenty of potential which could be utilized. We'll see.

I like when Annual issues try to achieve more than telling a longer, self contained story. Nothing wrong with the latter, but I think yet another years passing is a great opportunity to celebrate the character's legacy and exploring his world, so full of iconic characters. The issue is anything but bad, mind you, in fact it was a very enjoyable read and I'd strongly recommend it. It's fun, it has heart, humor, action, everything in right place and doses. Been a while, a really long one, since I've seen Bruce Wayne having exotic adventures reminescent of James Bond, and it's such a refreshing change of pacing compared to usual Batman comics. Too bad it's just an Annual issue, because I'd welcome a full arc with this tone and mystery.

While it's doubtful DC could top the heaviness, darkness and sheer weigth of The Boys' plane scene, there's nothing wrong with this comic and its scenario of something going south mid-air. Sure, the lightning was very much a deus ex machina, but other than that I've got good time reading it. The plot is alright, and offers some promise for the future, possibly with Deadshot and Bruce working together once again. Back when Suicide Squad comics were still being published, there was a story arc where Deadshot was trying to save his daughter, and Batman was helping him - it wasn't perfect, far from it, but it was possibly one of the highlights of the otherwise pretty bad run. Seeing these two together once more surely may be entertaining.

Previous issue felt really promising, and made me hopeful for what's to come in this arc. Reality very rarely matches our expectations, and that's precisely what I think about this week's part 2. It's built on cliches and tropes frequently used in stories involving wilderness. Its story is convenient for the sake of being convenient, and while of couse I don't expect Detective Comics to be a deep, philosophical study of characters it features, instead of telling straight forward good vs. evil modern fairy tales, I can't lie, I feel a bit disappointed. I mean, WWII soldiers stranded on an island together, befriending animals and such? Villain trying to scare his baits by shooting next to their heads? Sigh... It's a readable comic, so don't think I'm saying otherwise, but it's so, so obvious at times. Worth picking up? If you look for a simple comic, grab it, you should enjoy it. If by any chance you expect more depth, get yourself The Curse of White Knight instead.

You know something's off when Mr. Freeze acts more like Professor Pyg than himself. That's been generally his problem since Snyder butchered his origin story with New-52's Batman Annual #1. Long gone is an emotional, romantic and genuinely likeable Freeze, now replaced with a one dimensional cold (sic!) lunatic. I have a bad feeling this arc may feel gimmicky and quite forced - anything to connect to Year of the Villain event.

Aside from the fact I generally love to write, and take pleasure from doing it, I regularly review comics because it's a great way to interact with other fans of the medium, exchange opinions, and learn from them. We recently had a great discussion with myconius and Darkseid24 regarding bi-weekly comic releases, and how this tight schedule hurts DC's flagship series. We all know (or should) how divisive and loathed Tom King's Batman is, but Detective Comics seems to suffer from the consequences of keeping such tempo as well. Naturally, not to this extreme degree, but still, Tomasi's writing in the series is a far cry from what he's proven he can do, and what established his name as one of DC's best writers. Surely, this issue is NOT on a par with Super Sons, Batman and Robin or his take on Green Lantern Corps. It's not bad, not really, but feels... cold, heartless. Maybe not as much as Snyder's disastrous Batman Annual #1 from New-52, which completely butchered the character of Mr. Freeze, as well as his back story, but it's hardly a tale capturing what makes him such a fascinating character. Nora was resurrected, again, and this time turned into a copy of Victor. Okay, so be it, it's not the most original plot device, but I'd be all for it, if it was used in an interesting way. Sorry, but I don't think Nora having a ballet performance in the middle of frozen theater, with icy corpses all around, is interesting in any way. It just doubles down on New 52/Dark Nights Metal idea of Victor being a murderous maniac, inctead of a tragic anti-hero he once was. And suddenly, Nora is as well. It may feel like a nitpick, but to me, it isn't. What made Mr. Freeze one of my favourites is the fact he's not evil to begin with. His actions may cross legal lines, yes, but that's the beauty of it - it puts Batman in the awkward position of enforcing the law, or doing the right thing, preferably ensuring it doesn't endanger anyone in the process. Now, have you seen any real conflict like that in this comic? I haven't - all I've read was a tale of a generic bad guy who is crazy and evil, and so is his wife. There's no heart, no spirit, no tragedy to be found here. Yet more proof there's not one story with the character that could top Dini's Heart of Ice.

Sigh... well, it could have been worse, I guess, *cough* Snyder's Batman Annual #1 *cough*. The comic, while surely better than New 52's butchered origin story of Mr. Freeze, faile to impress me in the slightest. It feels cheesy, silly and quite frankly nonsensical. Gotta love how all of a sudden Nora found herself enjoying the life of a villain, with absolutely no signs foreshadowing it. She was good, and then click, she's bad, she was happily married and then she wasn't. No character development nor story needed, when you can simply introduce or change something, hoping people won't notice, let alone give a damn. I do, though. I do. I'm sad to say, but for the first time in my comic reader's career, I'm tired of Peter J. Tomasi. This entire arc feels like one giant mistake, and one that scarred Mr. Freeze for several years to come, until the next time Nora is inevitably ressurected.

Is this a conclusion to anything, really? If yes, then it's one hell of an uderwhelming mess looking like it was heavily rushed, not bothering to explain a single thing to us. Where's mystery, tension, plot? This issue feels like Tomasi had second thoughts about this arc and just wanted to finish it ASAP, and write something else. Strongly disappointed with this one, it feels so empty and shallow, despite having so much potential. Scandinavian folklore is deep, vibrant and memorable, so it stuns me that this arc was the exact oppossite, not fitting any of these adjectives. Legends of Tomorrow used the same background to great, genuinely funny result on TV, Anthrax made a video to Blood Eagle Wings depicting the same method of torture shown here, with disgusting and ever so disturbing result (and the song is bloody awesome, let's face it), and I'm not even going to cover Skyrim, since duh, that's a pretty obvious example of how to build something out of Scandinavian lore. This issue, as well as the entire arc, is a failure, in comparison.

DC's Rebirth specials have a mixed reputation. Some are decent, others fail to deliver. This one, for the most part, was an enjoyable, heart warming and pretty self aware read. Citizen Croc was simple and straight forward, yet very copmlex emotionally, Rio Celeste made great use of phenomenal artwork to show us both the beauty and ugliness with great results, and Barbecue Season was surprisingly humane, proving Wonder Woman can have fun and still not lose any of her prestige or might as a character. These are exactly the kind of special stories I'm dying to read every time there is a bigger thematic compilation issue. Not every story here is for everybody - they vary in style, some are darker, some are lighter, some fun, some heavy, but overall I think it's a comic worth picking just to see if there's something for you in it. Because the diversity is there, contrary to, let's say, Nuclear Winter Special, which I personally found to be pretty underwhelming, if not bad.

It's not easy to write a sequel to a cult classic story, one of the most iconic, important and timeless comics ever made. It's not easy to stay faithful to its spirit, and recapture what made it so great the first time. Watchmen prequels didn't spark nearly as much controversy as Doomsday Clock, due to the fact they didn't have place for storytelling freedom - they've got to lead to Watchmen after all. The first issue of Doomsday Clock starts in Watchmen universe and slowly builds up the idea of Ozymandias, Rorschach and two new additions - Mime and Marionette (being Watchmen versions of Punch and Jewelee) traveling to the main DC universe, where all the other comics take place. I can't stretch it enough how much I love the idea of finally marrying these two parallel worlds, all with so much attention to detail and so much respect to the source material, it feels natural, just right. If the series continue as strong as this issue, we're looking at a modern classic, alongside Batman: The White Knight and Mister Miracle. This is masterful beginning to something that may as well become a part of comic history. And let's hope the series will only get better.

It's happening - Watchmen characters have arrived in DC's main continuity, with mystery and suspense surrounding both them, and current tensions in Gotham City related to Batman. Johns keeps teasing readers with more and more little details leading to countless speculations and theories. What's going on? I have no idea, but can't wait for next pieces of Doomsday Clock puzzle to be revealed. Stellar issue.

Two first issues of Doomsday Clock were phenomenal, and it's only natural after such a strong beginning of the series, my expectations were high. After reading it, I can say one thing - 3rd chapter of the story was good. The catch is, "good" in this case means it's significantly inferior to what came before it, without being bad in any way. It still was an enjoyable read, but it didn't feature as much magic and charm as we've seen in last two months. The highlight of the issue has to be a short adventure of Marionette and Mime. These two, sufficed to say, are hell of a lot of fun to see in action. And not only in action - it was genuinely exciting to see subtle references to The Killing Joke, with carnival posters and most notably, Laughing Clown. I do look forward to see more of them - especially after what was teased near the end of the book... Sadly, the story splits into probably too many sub-arcs - there's Batman and Rorschach, Mime and Marionette, Ozymandias and Comedian, the nursing home, detective movie, Rorschach and Comedian's retrospections, and finally, the ongoing metahuman related conspiracies. That's a lot, and while we're dealing with expansive limited series, and I'm fully prepared for that, this particular issue felt more like a connector between two major chapters, not offering too much on its own. Overall, I liked this issue. It's at times super fun to read, other times drags a bit and makes you miss the other arc, but overall, it's entertaining, beautifully illustrated, and as always, very respectfully crafted. All that classifies it as good, but remember, Doomsday Clock is by no means an ordinary series, and general definition of "good" and "bad" doesn't apply to it. It should be outstanding, like previous issues.

It's great to see proper development for the new Rorschach, his origin and delightful connection to Mothman, but I think it's time to move the story forward, instead of staying in the past. It's a great issue, don't get me wrong - beautifully illustrated, and adding new depth to Byron Lewis, but it mostly serves as world and character building tool, ignoring the rest of arcs we've been following since the beginning of the run. On he other hand, as a proper succesor to Watchmen, Doomsday Clock can not follow a simple serialized template other comics utilize. These issues are chapters of something bigger, unraveling very slowly and giving us all these little details and intricacies, the same way Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons were leading Watchmen's plot, taking their time.

Month long delay of #5 felt like eternity, but at last, it's here, and slowly begins to cross, combine separate (up to this point) arcs - something fans have been asking for a while now, since so far, every Doomsday Clock character seemed to have their own separate path to follow. Similarly to previous issues, I've got the most fun following Mime and Marionette, there's something about these two, and my hopes for them are even higher now, when they've finally met the Joker himself. That will be a blast. It has to. Overall great issue - Johns and Frank delivered as always, and the wait was worth it.

I've said, while reviewing one, or maybe more of the previous issues, that Marionette and Mime deserve a spin-off comic, and I guess for now, that's the closest thing we'll get. And it's absolutely amazing, from the very first to the very last page. I absolutely love Erika's development throughout this comic, and can understand her, and her motivations better. Aside from her arc, we can see more smaller plot lines interconnecting - we get to know more about the shady actions of Department of Metahuman Affairs, we have an insight into Gotham's criminal underground wondering whether or not they should accept Black Adam's offer to come to his contry, of course there's more Joker as well. Wonderful issue - there's plenty of action, drama, and great dialogues (including a small easter egg from Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight). It's a step up compared to last few issues (which were very good, don't get me wrong), for sure.

Last two or so issues were slower, and didn't really push the story forward, instead focusing on developing characters and their backgrounds. This time, we do witness a huge progression, and more characters meeting each other. That's exactly what I've been wanting to see ever since Doomsday Clock was announced - a crossover of the main DC continuity, with Watchmen's. It's great, but if there's one problem I have with this issue, it would be somewhat disjointed narration at times - it's especially noticeable at the very beginning, with multiple TV news channels covering multiple different stories, and then, there's Dr. Manhattan's monologue happening simultaneously. It can be pretty confusing, especially if you pick the issue after a longer break from the previous ones. Reading the story at once will be a better experience, I could assume. That's how I experienced Watchmen, and that's how I fell in love with it. Definitely recommend this issue - if you thought the story does not unravel quickly enough, now it's the best time to jump back in.

This is by far the most political issue of the series, combining real life global tensions (with Vladimir Putin appearing on the pages, and Bashar al-Assad being mentioned by Black Adam) with fictional metahuman conflict. It has power as a story, a fire inside that shows the reader how fragile politics can be, and how mistakes or simple good intentions can turn into an absolute disaster. Now, one thing has to be said - it's a fictional story, and it should be treated as such. Meaning, it's neither a reflection of what's happening in real life, nor a naive result of establishment propaganda and fearmongering. I can already see people taking sides and arguing whether Doomsday Clock is a groundbreaking commentary of the neo cold war, or is in every way inferior to Moore's original cold war criticism, which by the was, was pretty spot on. It's irrelevant. What matters is how characters react to what's happening, and how they try to fix all this mess. And on that field, there's no denying, Johns is doing great. Both Superman and Firestorm, whom are the main protagonists of this story, are portrayed as just flawed humans, which I truly welcome. Because for once, a superhero comic is not just a tale of a hero overcoming their weaknesses and finally defeating evil. It's more real than ever, when outside forces (like governments) are involved, and any wrong move can end up disastrously. There's no blacks and whites - just greys. And I hope the series will keep it as it is, because that's what makes this story unique in the medium.

This issue is as perfect as one could possible be, I guess. The climax has begun, and I think I understand why it works so wondefully - because it has proper setup. That's what I missed in No Justice, Heroes in Crisis or even Dark Nights Metal - they started with a bang, and we, the readers, immediately were put in the center of the action. Here, Johns took his sweet time to set the story up - slowly, cautiously, laying down layer after layer of character development, unraveling mystery, or, to be precise, multiple mysteries, as well as building up the enormous tension and actual stakes. It's not a shallow and boring publicity stunt like Heroes in Crisis, and it's not a clearly rushed and underwritten event like No Justice. It does what Moore and Gibbons did in the 1980s - it tells an actually ambitious story leagus above everything else on the shelves right now. It truly is a joy to see all thesee characters - A, B or even Z listers, joining forces to face Doctor Manhattan - it feels like a giant fight at the end of a blockbuster movie. It's a rare accurance when I sit on the couch with a comic in my hands, completely speechless and amazed by it, with silent "fuck" (as Brendan Fraser's Robotman would say) on my mouth. Never mind the bollocks, here's the Doomsday Clock.

There's a lot to comprehend here, and as much as I loved this comic, I feel like I should start with an honest warning - it's dense and in order to fully understand it, you should know a thing or two about DC Comics. Not that a comic newbie wouldn't be able to read and enjoy it, but it really helps if you've read Watchmen (if not, what are you doing with your life?!), heard of JSA before, or are familiar with some of Superman's origin stories. It's a slowr read, requiring focus and attention, but I think there's no other way Johns could have explained how exactly DC universe works, and how/why it changed throughout the years. We, fans, have taken for granted all these continuity shifts and retcons, and accepted them without really asking whether or not they may be somewhat connected. Johns knows how to gracefully juggle references from old comics, and find intricate ways to connect them together with the current Rebirth series. It truly is a work of talent and pedantic research. And I admire that. The comic may not feature tons of action, but it shows you who Doctor Manhattan is, what is he doing here, what are his motivations and why he's perceived as a villain in the story. All this development needed to be said out loud to ground the character in this particular universe. Same happened to Mime and Marionette few issues ago, remember? Forget the awful abomination called Heroes in Crisis, here's the real deal of DC events we should talk about!

For 10 issues straight, we've been asking many questions about the series, its plot, potential endgoal and impact on DC Comics. How is it all connected, what motivate the main cast? There's still left to wonder, but let me tell you - #11 answers a lot. More than expected, in fact, showing us how intricate, detailed and interconnected its story is, really. It's not just a prelude to the finale, it's a facinating sequence of revelations, as exciting, as difficult to follow. And unless you read Doomsday Clock only because of its outstanding art, it's something you definitely should read more than once, because there's simply too much info smashing you right in the face, to be comprehended at once. In a way, it reminds me of Johns' previous big works, especially trade paperbacks, like collected Sinestro Corps War and The Blackest Night, both being filled with highly condensed narrative, not having time to slow down and allow you to contemplate what you've just read. In this case, we sure can think about what just happened, and certainly #12 will put everything in even more different perspective. There's a lot to unpack here, and even more to analyze after finishing reading it for the first time. It stays with you, keeps confusing you, and that's probably the greatest compliment I can pay to Johns.

Doomsday Clock may be Johns' opus magnum, and I don't think it'd be an exagerration to call the comic a masterwork. It doesn't try to cash out on the name alone, like Before Watchmen comics, or to a degree the movie, and now the TV series. It takes the mythos, and faithfully expands it, merging it with the main continuity of DC Comics, in an organic, consistent and clever way. This is where Johns' writing shines - he has experience with big tales, giant events, all impacting the world in a meaningful way. And while some of you could call certain creative decisions in this final issue "fan service", admit it, you've been cheering when JSA shown up, and when Mime and Marionette's purpose in the story was revealed. Even if there's some wish fulfillment in the comic, I can't call it out as something negative, because we all hoped this series will transform DC forever, leave a mark and retcons past publishing mistakes. If there's on problem I have with the comic (other than huge delays), it would be Comedian's role in it. Yeah, he gets a closure, but he hardly plays a role in the plot. He just exists, and that's it. Other heroes, in comparison, actively impact the story, take it from point A to point B, inevitably leading here, to this finale. Or is it a finale? It certainly closes up many arcs, both major and minor, but leaves plenty of door open, which DC hopefully utilizes in the future. And boy, oh boy, do we get some material for further speculation here... so many teasers of what's to come in next couple of years, so many things to look for in between the lines... this is an end of an era for DC, you know. Doomsday Clock single handedly shut New 52 down, and thank goodness for that. Time will tell if other writers take that opportunity and use it as foundation to fix issues plaguing their books, though. Final verdict? It's a bloody masterpiece, and a musst read for any DC fan out there. Johns finished this series on a high note, with both nicely concluded arcs, and plenty of new potential ones to explore in the future.

Death Metal was already somewhat overwhelming to me, since it's not the first big comic event this year. Then there's Future State, which will begin next month. And now there's another headline making event, which... I guess I couldn't care less about. I don't know if it's just me being tired of events, or maybe it's just so uninspiring and bland, but there's nothing about this debut issue that would make me want to write something about it. It exists, and really that's all that I can say about it.

The second issue of the event brings more personality to the story, focusing on few of the main characters. We see a bit of Jason Todd, Plastic Man and The Question, all of whom truly deserve to be in the spotlight for once. That one thing I can applaud - Bendis made a good choice not to make this event all about the 4 Pillars of DC, that being Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman and Harley Quinn. Give me more Green Arrow, give me Red Hood, and Lois Lane, and Plastic Man, even if his writing here is nowhere near his portrayal by Jeff Lemire in The Terrific series. There's potential to this event, and I sure hope Bendis will do something interesting with it and its characters. For now it's not enough for me to blindly recommend it, but keep an eye on it, because maybe it'll shake few things a bit and end up being a very needed refreshment among DC's titles.

The sole reason why comic book events take place, is to expose wider audiences to characters they wouldn't normally read about. A normie picks up a book like The Dark Nights Metal and thinks "oh, yeah, I like The Drowned, I gotta but some Aquaman comics". Or gets Heroes in Crisis, throws it to trash after finishing it, and never looks at a comic book again. But I digress. Point is, events unite several characters, and offer a big budget spectacle. Regular series have time to slow down, they have time to explain the backstory, and focus on exposition when necessary. That's not the case with fast paced events, which often feature very little story, actually. All we get is non stop action, to generate attention. I'm saying all of this to illustrate how Bendis did the exact opposite here. Since the beginning, very little happened in Event Leviathan (which the computer screen spread summing up all that happened so far proves), and while it has some moments, like the last panel in this issue, which I won't spoil to you, overall it drags like hell, and consists of expository talking, over and over again, with no end. Fine, it technically focuses on investigation characters participate in, but at least half of it could be significantly shortened or cut altogether. What a slug of an event!

As often ith Bendis, it's all talk, but no substance. There is some story underneath this never ending waterfall of meaningless dialogues, but it's pretty darn difficult to find anything that matters among them. Previous issues, time and time again, have proven that a lot of talking doesn't equate to having good/complex plot. Think about this - Orwell's Animal Farm has 112 pages, while the last Twilight book has 756. Similar examplex are countless, but I guess I don't have to beat a dead horse much more, since the point is already pretty clear, and it is: quantity =/= quality. Wish Bendis grasped that thought, because so far, Event Leviathan is one big disappointment. And a boring one at that.

If you thought only WB does not understand DC characters, as proven with multiple choices done in the DCEU (Riddler-Luthor, Harley and Joker both having tattooed faces, murdering Batman, TMNT Doomsday, etc.), read this comic and think again. Sigh, what a mess, where characters are merely one dimensional shells, and their stories are second to the pseudo-empowerment theme so unsubtle and ironically regressive, it could as well be a Marvel comic. Look, I don't mind political comics - I'm a political junkie who follows the news and tries to learn something new every day. And also, I don't mind what many would label as feminist comics - I'm an egalitarian, so how could I? But I do mind bad comics, and especially ones that are not just poorly written, but hurt the very causes they try to address and comment on. How can anyone read this and seriously contemplate on the problem of sexism and discrimination of women in today's society, while all the bad guys (yeah, guys, literally) we see here look and act like parodies? Even Ali G is less sexist and cartoonish than them! In the end, instead of spreading the message of empowerment and serving as an inspirational tale, Female Furies is a boring, one dimensional cliche, regressive joke, where complex problems are portrayed as easy black and white ones, and nuance necessary to understand real life struggles is non existent. Want to write a rape story? Fine, do it, but make sure it's neither a parody like here, nor an empty shocker like in the atrocious Batman Damned #2. Alan Moore accomplished that in Watchmen, and granted, he hardly used it to empower Silk Spectre, but at least it had its place in the big story, and has shown gigantic complexity of the issue, or at least a part of it. Female Furies doesn't - it's as subtle as Man-Eaters, as boring and soap-opearish as Supergirl: Being Super, and does nothing to be a genuine, informed and relevant commentary on something. Anything. Go figure. Definitely don't recommend this comic - it does nothing to properly address the problem of sexism and rape, and if anything, it makes only disservice to it. Don't waste your money. Especially if you actually care about aforementioned issues - they deserve to be commented on, but not in such one dimensional, shallow way.

Return of Wally West kickstarted the entire Rebirth soft reboot, and arguably, could have also triggered a chain reaction turning DC Comics on the right track, after so many missteps done during New 52 days. However, while Wally's return was a very emotional and very acclaimed moment, it didn't really lead his character anywhere. This issue focuses solely on that problem, and finally gave him a purpose, a new direction he could go on with his life, and characters to share his time with. I welcome that, a lot in fact - being hero is one side of a coin, and the other is his alter-ego. Sure, in some cases one is not needed - Joker could serve as the biggest and clearest example, but additional depth or potential for future development is always a good thing, and Wally, in a span of just one issue, got that. He's portrayed as flawed human, who wants to be a hero, but at the same time is lonesome, disconnected from the new, altered reality he ended up in. All that, naturally, makes him more fleshed out and relatable. Another very pleasant surprise was the return of Frankie Kane. She wasn't just a deus ex machina, existing just for the sole purpose of pushing Wally in intended direction. Nope - she's had personality, past and quite frankly, future (let's hope for that, at least). That's the beauty of Rebirth - it keeps bringing back what was great in pre New 52 DC Comics, and makes them feel like we've never lost them.

Flash's forensic skills are often sidelined in favour of his speed. He's fast, we know it, but he's more than that, and this crossover focuses on it a tiny bit. It's still not enough to portray him as a genuinely passionate, knowledgeable and experienced investigator, but at least it's a step in the right direction. Because despite Barry being all about speed, as I said a sentence ago, he's one of the best possible picks to a crossover with Batman. So why does this event fail, if it has all the potential in the world? Well, for starters it continues to be rather boring and definitely requires doing extensive homework before picking it up. Necessity to know I Am Gotham would be naturally understandable, since The Price is its direc continuation. But then everything connects to Heroes in Crisis as well, and we also get some insight into Iris' life depicted in The Flash comics, I presume. That's a lot of material required to fully understand this small 4 issue crossover. Williamson tried to add some expository dialogues wherever it's possible, to make this comic readable to those who may have picked it up without knowing what came before it (now when I think of it, lucky them, they weren't exposed to the pure garbage Heroes in Crisis turned out to be), but whether he did enough or not, I leave to you. Finally, the story - it's weak, let's be honest here. There's plenty of small deus ex machinas thrown left and right, but fortunately they aren't major and obnoxious enough to be noticed at first glance. The plot progresses in a way characteristic to bulletpoint lists. If you've ever written a story, or an essay, basing it on a bulletpoint you've prepared earlier, you may know what I'm trying to say. Here, I can imagine, it would look more or less like: - Bats and Flash investigate the crime scene - They go to Claire's secret lair (how? Give 'em a clue that leads them there). - They see what's there. Yeah... Clones. And maybe Venom, since duh, Bane. - She shows up when they're done talking It may be nitpicky of me, since I've enjoyed many comics written similarly, but I can't stop thinking there may have been better ways to write this crossover. Write it fluidly transition scene to scene instead of feeling like an episode of a cable TV show. I'm pretty disappointed with this one. I loved I Am Gotham, and really, really liked Gotham Girl when she was first introduced. It's sad to see what she's become as a character. Overall "meh" - pick it up if you want, but I can't recommend it either.

Finally, this event ended and we can leave it behind, forget about it. Because in the end of the day, there's hardly anything significant that happened on its pages. I wish it was different - that it have added some depth to the character of Gotham Girl, fleshed her out. But nope, the entire event is practically a filler arc constructed from Tom King's scraps and leftovers, desperately trying to promote bigger and significantly worse Heroes in Crisis. For a filler, though, it's not as bad as many could think - in fact, it's tolerable. The art is beautiful, especially on spreads - just take a look at angry Flash's fist close to Batman's face, with fabric bending and shadows popping up from the page - it's beautiful. Too bad it was wasted in such an uninspired story.

Captain Boomerang often gets a cold shoulder from those who know his name. I mean come on, he's a poster child of the silly and heavily censored by conservatives Silver Age, who simply can never outgrow his silliness. And that's precisely why, if used right, he can be a fantastic character capable of stealing the entire show. Not every rogue needs to be serious, threatening and deadly. Not when they have personality and charisma - and that, certainly, Digger has. Turning him into the protagonist of this comic was a clever and fun idea - we know he's making up a solid chunk of the story, but how much of it is really fiction? At the end of the book we're presented with answers, but we still don't know where's the line dividing deceptive lies from real emotions and motivations? That's a great comic, and I absolutely can recommend it to any fan of Tom Taylor's current Suicide Squad run. It's fun where it has to be, it's surprising where it can, and on top of it does good job of utilizing diverse and vast cast of its characters, even if ultimately it's Digger's one man show. It better not be overlooked in the future due to being a part of Flash's run.

I once cut my ankle - nasty, deep wound, I was unfortunate enough to fall exactly on a broken bottle. As you can imagine, it left a scar, but I suffered nothing more. No damaged nerves, no serious bleeding, no shattered bones. I just have a 1 cm long soft, pink oval-shaped tissue reminding me of what happened, now. Not a big deal, if you look at it from a wide enough angle, but from a perspective of the past-me, who just got hurt, it seemed pretty serious, and I needed some time to get better, to let it heal. Time is humanity's greatest healer, but it won't work its magic if you keep inteferring it constantly. As an example, I did my best not to damage the scab while the wounnd itself was closing up. I never scratched it, either. And that's the point I want to make - if you're hurt, you don't want to keep irritating the wound. Let Mother Nature work uninterrupted. Same applies to comics, since otherwise I wouldn't mention this story at all, right? Heroes in Crisis was an utter disaster from the very beginning to the very end. One that costed DC the little credibility they've got left after Rebirth reboot. It was very much a nasty, deep wound, as much as the one on my ankle. It left people not just disappointed, but infuriated, seriously pissed off. And you know what would help DC after this fiasco? Forgetting about it and moving on, just letting it be forgotten, and eventually either ignoring or plain retconning it. But hey, that'd be impossible, since DC wants their continuity to matter! And that's precisely why I prefer elseworld stories, not restricted by nonsense and trash other writers created earlier on. Flash Forward would definitely be better off if it was an elseworld comic. An evil Wally, who murdered others at their lowest? Seems like a decent premise, conceptually, if you not include any of King's terrible dialogues and the sheer awfulness of Heroes in Crisis' plot execution. And this issue does pretty decent job explaining what happen, while also avoiding to show how poorly written it was. Still, though, this series seems like an equivalent of scratching a still fresh scab, risking opening it. I have no idea if it was a good idea from DC to launch this title. As I said, it's not bad, but it's arguable whether or not they should have ignored HiC altogether instead, or preferably, tell this story as an elseworld tale. This way it wouldn't have to carry on the awful legacy of Tom King's awful writing and awful event Heroes in Crisis was.

I still think Heroes in Crisis should have been retconned and forgotten instead of continued, but I gotta say, Lobdell may have found a way to redeem Wally and hopefully fix what Tom King ruined with his abomination of an event. That's the series which could successfully explore different DC realities and show their intricacies, and for the most part, it does. Bendis' Young Justice tried to do something similar, with characters jumping in between universes, but failed. Hopefully Wally's adventure won't end up the same, because as of now, I think it has serious potential. Potential you'll see at the very end on this issue. Still, though, I' prefer if DC pretended Heroes in Crisis never happened, but that's just me.

It's a shame DC didn't use their chance with Doomsday Clock to retcon events of Heroes in Crisis, and instead continue to release comics like this one, which don't add much to the mythos nor helps the character to, well, move orward. Yes, he's a hero, yes, he misses his family, and yes, he apparently went against all the character development he received throughout the years and has become a murderer, which now, other than being mentioned, serves no purpose, since Wally is just fully reformed and a heroic as always. Which makes you wonder who the hell thought butchering and dehumanizing him in Heroes in Crisis was a half decent idea. Okham's razor - if it sucks, cut it out, retcon it, forget about it forever. In a way, Flash Forward reminds me of this entire Dark Multiverse one offs, all telling alternate versions of famous DC comics, but not contributing to anything in any meaningful way. They are jusst that - diposable one offs. And I have a feeling this series isn't much better, with all the different worlds being there for no real reason, than to show Wally in a positive, heroic light, and help him get his family back. You're not missing much if you don't follow this run. It's decent, some of it scenes can be enjoyable, but overall, I don't think it's something extraordinary and meaningful. Albeit seeing Linda and Wally together is always nice.

If anybody asks you what are some of the most iconic, important and simply best Flash stories, Flashpoint is often brought to the discussion. Rightfully so - it is a great story, and one that's not afraid to take extreme risks that normally wouldn't be acceptable in anything taking place in the main continuity. Johns created an immersive dystopia and it's a shame we don't really have an opportunity to dive into it, to fully understand it and experience what it has to offer. Yes, I'm fully aware there are tie-ins to the main 5 chapter arc, but when you purchase a trade paperback, you expect it to be complete, to tell a cohesive, self contained story. And that's the reason why this particular release disappointed my expectations, and forced me to give it only 7/10 rating. I could forgive lack of Thomas Wayne's backstory (even though it's heartbreakingly memorable and shocking), I could forgive very brief and irrelevant appearance of Deathstroke, who sadly shown up just to die 5 pages later, but why, in the name of Dr. Manhattan, there's no proper explanation of the conflict between Atlantians and Amazons? This central conflict should have been on the foreground, being slowly unraveled, step by step. Lack of crucial backstory resulted in me, with all honesty, being more interested in quirky monologues of Emily Sung (who is indeed a lot of fun in this comic, bringing so much positive energy and life to otherwise gloomy, doomed world), instead of what's happening between Wonder Woman and Aquaman. Some events should have been shown in this very run, like Mera's death. You're better off purchasing Flashpoint with all its tie-ins digitally rather that buying just this collected edition hoping it'll be enough to make you understand the story and enjoy it. Unless you really want to have it displayed on your shelf, that is, like yours truly.

Truth is, hardly anything matters in comics. Every now and then publishers reset continuities either because they became convoluted, messy and often self contradictory, or sales dropped alongside readers' interest. DC'a last big official reboot was Flashpoint, which sadly opened a new universe of grimness, boredom, poor writing, edginess and straight up butchery of beloved characters (Lobo, Harley, Wonder Woman and Mr. Freeze all send their regards!). Flashpoint itself, though, was pretty fun and I still like it all these years later. Sure, it may not be the best event of all time, and its collected edition consisting only of the main 5 issues, ignoring all the tie-ins may be a straight up insult, but I can't deny that its dark and hopeless universe and characters had potential. Seems DC's editorial had the same thought, because they brought back Thomas Wayne's Flashpoint Batman in Tom King's oh-so-awful Batman series and now he landed his own series. Good for him, I guess, but is the comic any good? First two thing that striked me after opening it, was how much baggage its story carries, forcing you to read Flashpoint (preferably with at least Batman's tie-ins), King's Rebirth Batman series (including The Button event, which sucks no less), Doomsday Clock and Justice League Incarnate to actually understand everything. I get it, Geoff Johns likes to use references, easter eggs and throwbacks, but hot damn does it make it hard for you to get into this particular plot itself. Plot that isn't even particularly compelling, if I have to be brutally honest. Granted, mystery is there, as well as some weird omniversal shenanigans (because multiverse is not enough for DC these days), but I can't say I'm hooked. Maybe next issue, the actual #1 will be better, but for now I... yeah, I'm not excited about this project. Art-wise the comic is below mediocre. Eduardo Risso illustrated Flashpoint: Batman Knight of Vengeance miniseries back in the day, so on paper he was a good pick to do this one as well, but his panels lack details, dynamism and often look just empty. It could be passable if only it had some unique quality to it, artistic identity, but nope, it's pretty generic and uninspired. Best panels here look okay, worst like they were drawn by a 16 year old in their bedroom. Maybe it's a matter of taste, like with Tim Sale whose art I'm not very fond of personally. Or maybe it's a relatively low effort book made this way to avoid delays that plagued Doomsday Clock's run, and ultimately the end result didn't feel worth it to a solid portion of the fanbase? Don't look at me - I liked it a lot, actually, but can't deny that it was a pretty irrelevant event in the large scale of things.

I was really, really afraid this comic will end up being just a reskin of what was before it already, and what was, to put it simply, pure unadulterated trash. And while it suffers from a lot of problems and some questionable design choices, it is not a waste of time. No. For once Harley uses her psychiatric skills instead of being just a dumb Mary Sue with annoying accent. She looks different from her main continuity counterpart, of course, but differences also are noticeable in her personality, intelligence and skills. Something that I wish more writers would actually take to account. Now, obviously there's the elephant in the room, which is the comic's fixation with The Silence of the Lambs. It's not the first time in DC's history when a comic takes inspiration from this absolute masterpiece. Remember The Long Halloween? One hell of a story worth reading. Difference is, Calendar Man was a genuinely good idea for an in-continuity equivalent of Hannibal Lecter and he had time to shine. Here, with Harley, we see two baddies being defeated pretty much off page, and that's a bummer. I get it, Stephanie Phillips didn't want to take too much time setting the story up and letting Harley rot in a cell before she inevitably walks out of it. But still, I would much rather read longer series telling the same story, dedicating at least one issue to Pyg and Firefly respectively, to build the atmosphere and actually tell us a deeper, darker tale, maybe touch the subject of loneliness and isolation, comment on police brutality and toxicity of private prison systems, explain what happened in Gotham in the last few years and why characters are where they are and why they looke like they look. Dunno, anything to avoid skipping the action several times in the span of just one issue, to quickly move to the big fish Harley's gonna hunt. There's so much background material that could be stuffed here, and now I'm scratching my head because I realized I actively want to see more filler detailing this story. Something that wouldn't make it feel like I'm reading a brief summary instead of an actual tale. Of course since Future State is going to las merely 2 months, it'd be impossible to dedicate more time to what ultimately is a set-up, an aperitif before the main dish, but what I'm trying to say is, if this comic was longer, like 7-9 issues, I'd read it. I'd totally read it. It may not be on the same level as White Knight Harley solo series written by Katana Collins, but nonetheless, it's way better than any other Harley comic I've seen in years. And any movie as well, that's one more footnote to add, because there's never bad time to mock the awfulness of the face tattooed Hot Topic trailer trash live action Harley.

Now this comic is just dreadful, by far one of the worst titles Future State has to offer so far, and let me remind you the bar isn't very high to begin with. What a boring, nonsensical and pitiful attempt to pass the Superman mantle to Jon. It would be funny if it wasn't s sad, because after what Brian Michael Bendis did to Supes, I thought it'd be hard for DC to keep things comparably bad. And yet here we are. Neither of the three stories featured in this book felt passable to me. They're the epitomes of futility. They exist, but why exactly, that I don't know. They tell stories, but I don't know what they want to tell exactly, if at all. Bottomline, they seem to exist to waste resources, since other than that they accomplish nothing.

It's great when authors take their opportunities to create actual elseworld tales, unrestrained by any canons or established tropes, crafting unique, creatively free tales. That's how I feel about Ram V's Swamp Thing, which is its own thing and doesn't try to be anything else. While it may not be the most action packed comic out there, nor one which would drown you in a sea of worldbuilding information, it's something that slowly, but carefully unravels itself to you. It leaves many questions unanswered for now, or in some cases maybe forever. And that's the beauty of it - it's something unique that shouldn't be compared to anything else out there, not at the moment. Go and read it, and see whether or not it's your cup of tea - to me it most certainly is, and I look forward to see where this story goes.

One of the main reasons DCEU is so loathed and ridiculed is not that it just goes against the source material and tries to change it completely, mold it into something that its directors would personally like, but because it never improves. Its directors don't learn their lessons and are allowed to repeat the same mistakes over and over again with no consequences other than box office failures and poor reception. And now, clearly, DC Comics does the same too, doubling down on things that were univerally rejected. Enter evil Wally West. Again. I can already imagine Dan Didio sitting in an armchar, drinking a beer and giggling, knowing DC's editorial is stupid enough to continue what he, himself, became infamous for. And look - I don't have anything aganst creators taking characters wherever they want, especially if it's merely a short lived elseworld comic like this one. I do, however, have a lot against telling an awful, hollow story, especially when its writer has hardcore experience with DC animation. What the hell happened here? This is embarrassing! How is it possible someone with such rich resume came up with this cheap nonsense? How did he manage to write something so empty, emotionless, despite featuring at least two scenes that normally would be considered to be very, very heavy and impactful on the main cast, especially Barry himself? What a sad excuse for a comic...

So, here it is, the Next Batman, one of the few actually hyped books from Future State. And along it, 2 other stories, one featuring what's left of the Outsiders, and the other featuring Gotham Knights. All of the stories shine some light on the fascist Gotham City controlled by totalitarian corporate interest and its army of mercenaries willing to do anything to preserve the status quo. The Next Batman itself, as a stand-alone comic, is definitely worth picking up. When I was reviewing The Other History of the DC Universe #1, I said I hope John Ridley improves in the future as a comic writer. Not that he was bad, on the contrary in fact, but there's always room for improvement no matter how promising your abilities may be at the moment. I'm glad to report his chops seem to have improved in this comic. It's good. Damn good, I'd say. It's been a long, long while since I picked a Batman book feeling tension, stakes and drama, actually feeling something while reading it. I found out that I care about this Batman and his mission, I care about what motivates the side characters and how each of them faces different struggles, relieving some pressure from the titular character. If there was one gripe I have with the comic, it'd be amount of side arcs squeezed in here. Not sure if two cops were actually necessary, but then again, they most likely will play a larger role in the series and they had to be introduced one way or another. Now, what lowers the book's overall score to me are two other stories featured in it, none of them being above painful average. I've read them, but I don't feel anything afterwards - they're just there to offer some more exposition on the Magistrate and its fascist dictatorship, oh, and of course show where some established heroes or villains are now. They're both pretty forgettable and unsurprisingly, I'd say they serve supplementary filler role to Ridley's work, since otherwise they wouldn't sell.

Now that's one good start to the series! I loved every page of it, won't lie. Sure, Yara may be an irresponsible hotheaded asshole at times, but the atmosphere, originality and most importantly humor in this book all make the read so entertaining, it's unbelievable. It has to be the funniest and freshest comic since Tom Taylor's Suicide Squad, and I'm so, so glad Future State has at least one gem (two if you count The Next Batman, albeit two extra stories crammed into his debut book lowered my overall impression of it) in its catalogue so far. This is a really good comic, with memorable cast of characters (especially Caipora), tons of lighthearted comedy reminding me of manga and anime, and also heart. It genuinely does try to deepen the mythology of the DC universe, offering some brief look at Brazilian folklore, mixing it up with the Greek legends we know from Wonder Woman comics so far. Definitely worth recommending. Awesome new title!

I guess I expected more from one of the biggest comics in the entirety of Future State. It's Bruce Wayne, guys, of course it must be a big book, right? Right? Well, it's not. Not really. It contains some action, but when you think about it clearly, with no excitement, anger or any emotion for that matter, you're going to realize it's... empty. It has no beginning, it has no middle, it has no end. It's like a figment, or even better, a bubble, existing on its own and not really impacting anything. We know that Bruce Wayne is a wanted man from the get go, and we see him dealing with this situation til the end. And that's pretty much it - there's no background information we get, no reasons, no explanations, no causality. Just Bruce being broken, poor and on the run, like we've never seen that before, and a bunch of faceless fascist militiants popping out of nowhere to shoot at him whenever the plot demands them to. In comparison, Grifter's additional story is pretty fun to read and does right what Dark Detective gets wrong. For starters, Cole interacts with the world - we can see that Gotham is bigger than him. There's always more challenges waiting for him around every corner, there are people living there. And while overall it may not be anything close to an outstanding comic, it is, as I said, a fun, entertaining read. It captures your attention and doesn't let go until the last page and its cliffhanger. For once a supplementary comic outshines the main one, I think. Last Week's The Next Batman suffered from the exactly opposite syndrome - the main comic was darn good, but the addons, freebies you could say, were pretty weak to say the least.

This is just... just bad. While Geoff Johns surely has become a figure perceived as toxic if not straight up megalomaniacal, but you can't deny he can write damn well, especially when he writes about characters he deeply cares about. His Green Lantern run is legendary at this point, thanks to its tense storytelling, character development, universe-wide stakes and creativity. Yeah, creativity - an important thing when you're a writer, and precisely the ingredient this comic lacks. Lanterns have one weakness. It's not color yellow. It's not wood. It's not even fear itself. It's their ring batteries. No surprise depowering them is a very common trope in the history of their comics. After all, if the scale can't get any higher, bring it down to almost nothing, to human level. And DC writers surely have done exactly that time and time again. Even in Green Lantern's 80th anniversary celebratory book, there was a short story featuring this trope in a rather comedic way. What bothers me is that lack of imagination and creativity is only more noticeable when your story is an elseworld one, meaning it doesn't have to be restricted by anything, it can literally be anything you want it to be. And yet it's more of the same. Jessica Cruz and Guy Gardner's short comics definitely are better, but are they enough to actually make me recommend this comic? Hell no. They're passable, but nothing more, and above all, they could really take place in any place, any time and any continuity, you begin to ask yourself what's the point of Future State it it doesn't even care to build any future in some of its stories?

Last week I brought up the rotting corpse of the DCEU to show some similarities between its failure and the awfulness of Future State's Flash. Allow me to beat the dead horse a bit more here, by mentioning how Warner Bros tried to replicate Avengers' groundbreaking success while also skipping everything that led to Avengers. They wanted the end result, and the end result only. Now let's talk about this comic, which suffers from the very same problem. It wants us to see the new Justice League, and it wants us to be invested in their struggles, but it all falls flat when we don't know half of these characters and even they themselves try to avoid getting closer to each other. And then, let's not forget, it's a team-up story, meaning no one really has enough time to shine. Similarly to Dark Detective #1, I was more entertained by the additional story, in this case the one following Justice League Dark. I wouldn't call it anythiing special, but it's not half bad. There's few surprises awaiting you, the art is solid, so is writing and team chemistry. Overall meh, you can skip it, you can read it, I'm completely indifferent towards it. It exists, aand that's that.

Poor Kara... a fantastic character with so much potential, but no one knows what the hell to do with her. Not in the main continuity, not in stand alone tween elseworld books, and now not even in the future 2 issue long micro series. It's so sad, it's unbelievable. How is it that DC is unable to craft a complelling story around one of their most famous female heroes? How is that they don't even try to promote her and market her comic to casual audiences watching her own show? Hot damn. This comic feels like it has no idea what to do with itself. Someone said "hey, let's make Kara be an overseer of a Danny the Moon of sorts", and that's where the plot pretty much ends. How is that Marguerite Bennett, who's most famous for her Bombshells series didn't really know what to tell here? She managed to find a way to build series out of literal line of toys and use them as creative form of ads to sell more of them. I dare to say if she was able to succeed at that, writing a 2 issue elseworld tale unrestrained and detached from anything and everything, should be a walk in the park for her. It wasn't, turns out. I'm sorry, but this comic feels like a bad soap opera, featuring some scenes that connect, but hardly form a cohesive narrative. First Jon's comic, now Kara's... if Clark's isn't at least semi decent, Future State will be remembered by house of El fans for years to come. And for all the wrong reasons.

What differentiates Tim from other Robins is his intelligence. Don't take it as others are stupid or anything, but Tim uses his brain way more than any other red, yellow and green sidekick of Batman. He's a detective like Bruce, while his surrogate siblings are way more physical in their crime fighting. Dick's an acrobat, Jason is a hothead, Damian is an arrogant asshole who also happens to be a trained assassin. So of course Future State made him rely on his combat skills almost exclusively. If that sarcastic remark already scared you, don't be afraid - I don't hate this comic. I don't like it either, for what it's worth, but I don't feel like it's absolutely hopeless. Well, aside from one eyed Steph, that's a basket case can't wait to see forgotten once and for all. But aside from this one, the book tries to tell us something, craft a narrative and offer us some stakes. I do welcome the sheer concept of heroes being in a disadvantage and fighting upwards for a change. I welcome Tim and his friends trying to execute a heist... even if said heist has as much planning and depth as a typical heist from GTA Online. You see, it's all about the execution. Even if you have a pretty awesome idea for a comic, you still have to plan it properly, and make sure your idea isn't wasted in some areas.

Wonder Woman, without a doubt, is Future's State biggest success so far. I haven't seen a single person hating on her, and there's plenty of reasons why she immediately impressed us, the readers. She's genuinely funny, different from Diana in so many ways, and her hot head leads her to some silly, awkward situations we love to see her try to resolve. She can do what Diana can't, and thus her debut comic was so refreshing to read. Jon didn't have the same luck, first being destroyed as a character by Brian Michael Bendis, and then Brandon Easton wasted his potential in his Superman of Metropolis. With that in mind, I think teaming these two together was a good idea, at least on paper. People want more Yara, and she could be used to introduce them to other characters, or at least encourage them to give them a second chance. So conceptually this comic has everything it takes to succeed. Yara is being Yara, not being afraid of challenging the corrupt system and forcing those in charge to be Bart Simpsons for once, Superman is Superman, doing exactly what you'd expect Superman to do (except stealing the show), and there's a big threat forcing them to team up. Good? Good. What doesn't click in the comic, however, is its focus on Yara's mythological friends. It's not like I don't like them, or don't welcome them, but neither of them is properly introduced. They just appear like series regulars and we're expected to know who they are and what powers they have, actually. Oh, and of course what's their place in South American myths, that's also a pretty important thing to cover. Overall the comic is not bad, but hardly anything I'd consider purchasing in the future to add to my physical collection of books. It's a one-off story in the most direct way - one that you read once and then never revisit.

Out of all of this week's Future State comics, this one is probably the most boring one. And if not, it's ex aequo with Superwoman. What an absolute drag full of exposition, but no actual action and present day plot. In a way it reminds me of The Last 52: War of the Multiverses - a comic so boring I couldn't even finish it, let alone write a review for it afterwards, no matter how laconic it could possibly be. Here's your glorious first comic appearance of the Red X, ladies and gents. That's what was supposed to be one of Future State's biggest shake-ups. What an absolute letdown.

Ram V's been on fire lately, and this book is not an exception. It's well thought through, beautifully illustrated (oh, the art deco bike, so good), dynamic and surprising. Pretty much everything you'd ever want from a stand alone elseworld comic where regular continuity rules don't apply. The story may not be the most complex one, but what makes it work are effective plot twists as well as atmosphere built around it. You may think you know where everything's going, but then you're hit in the face and realize there's one more extra variable impacting everything. Kinda like Mad Max: Fury Road, in a way, which had a pretty straight forward script at first glance, BUT the amount of little turns, twists and surprises awaiting both the characters and the audiences made it click perfectly start to finish. That's how I feel about this comic as well. It's a heist done well, which can't be said about Robin Eternal's debut issue from last week, which... yeah, let's forget about it, okay? Certainly Catwoman's #1 is one of the best books Future State offered us so far. Highly recommend it.

I've been a fan of Becky Cloonan's work since the moment I picked up Gotham Academy #1. It was like nothing else on the shelves. One that successfully broke the mold of the typical American superhero comic (aka capeshit) and appealed to brand new audiences, despite being set in the very same universe where Batman, Wonder Woman and Superman all live. What got me there was the memorable and colorful cast of characters, atmosphere and unique tone unlike anything DC had (and still has) in its arsenal. Immortal Wonder Woman, sadly, doesn't feature any of those. It's a bland, forgettable and quite frankly emotionless filler. And funnily enough its most memorable feature is a Gotham Academy easter egg involving a character called Maps. It made me smile, I'm not gonna lie. The rest, though, it's simply the most generic and plain superhero comic you could imagine. Equally empty is the additional story featuring Nubia. Cool, it's good to see her back in action, but what's the point for that other than Diana's absence? Reading this comic made me wonder (sic!) is it merely a cash in, trying to bring back obscure characters and introduce new ones just to dump them once march comes, or maybe there's some, any future here. I'd like to see more Nubia, and same goes to all the other Amazons always on the sidelines to give Diana the limelight. And that was one of the biggest concerns about Future State circulating around - change for the same of change, with no real purpose and meaning behind it. Overall I'd say avoid this comic - it's not nearly as bad as Future State Superman, Flash, Teen Titans or Superwoman, but I'll be damned if I see any value here other than the Maps easter egg and pretty good art.

Andrew Constant makes good use of Magistrate controlled Gotham City, and portrays the city as a hopeless, totalitarian hellhole where every move you make is being monitored and recorded by fascist overlords. It's a haunting dystopia, certainly explored better than what we've seen in Dark Detective, Harley Quinn and even this week's Catwoman (which is an awesome comic, don't get me wrong, it's just it doesn't delve too deep into this world's mythos and structures of oppressive power). You actually feel like Nightwing is in constant danger and there are consequences to his actions - I like that, a lot in fact. If there's something I dislike, that'd be completely bad, hateful and irredeemable fascist villains, who are so generic and forgettable, they put some 90's cartoon baddies to shame. Now, granted, it's not just this comic's problem, same thing appeals to every title set in Gotham City, but in this case it's more noticeable because we actually get a scene or two seen through their eyes. That's a waste, but it doesn't make me feel this comic suffers because of it a lot. After all, what matters in a Nightwing comic is Nightwing, and Nightwing's arc is really solid.

You know why Judas Contract worked back when it was released? Because it was set up properly, and took its time to develop the big plot, month by month. Same with so, so many other comics that slowly, cautiously have built their mysteries and gave us crumbs leading to surprising twists. We care about all these long, but engaging stories. We care about characters featured in them. With Future State's Shazam, there's the obvious problem of its length. With only 2 issues to set up and conclude the micro series, how much can be done in it? There's a gigantic world destruction theme, there's side heroes with their struggles and team dynamics, there's a bigger conspiracy... I mean, there's a lot to explain and cover, and if only this was a 6 or 8 issue elseworld series, I could care. I could expect a big bang at the end, I could expect tension and cliffhangers, I could expect development. Look, I don't think it's a bad comic. Not in the slightest. It's above average, but what holds it back is its totally wasted potential. It's rushed, because Future State is rushed, and we know it has no, well, future, excuse the pun. All that makes me feel like I read something which ain't bad and I could possibly enjoy it, but my mind drifts away from it because I know it's just a temporary short lived novelty.

Quality should always outweight quantity. The main comic in this book, the titular Superman: Worlds of War tale, would be a pretty solid addition to the overall lackluster Future State catalogue so far. It wouldn't be a book I'd remember closely in a year or two from now, nor one I'd want to buy as a trade paperback and put on my shelf, but it would stand on its own. Too bad DC decided to add few more sub-par tales to it. Tales I couldn't care less about, since ultimately they are filler. Sure, they wanted to boost sales and be able to price the book higher, but as I said at the beginning of this review, quality > quantity, and I feel like they did the exact opposite here.

I kept this week's The Next Batman as the last Future State comic to review. Truth be told, I was somewhat nervous about reading it, thinking it may ruin my mood for the day by tearing apart everything I liked about #1. And... I was wrong to doubt, well, go figure. The story is a faster read than the debut, but more action packed. There's some small time investigative work on Batman's part, there's some family and police drama in the background, there's of course some fighting involved, as well as a mystery. Pretty much everything you'd look for in a Bat comic. Now, of course to some this issue may feel like a more conventional Bat comic - one that ultimately doesn't take risks, just follows what's proven to work, with the exception of the titular character not being prepared for everything and making little mistakes Bruce would never do. I honestly don't mind Ridley playing a bit safe, and I certainly welcome a Batman who would not be a Mary Sue. Overall worth picking up if you've enjoyed #1. It's still a solid read. What's not solid is the additional Batgirls story, which I can summarize in one word: exposition. It offers us some background story, but with no real engaging foreground, it falls flat very quickly. Yes, I've been complaining about Future State's lack of depth since week 1, stating we don't know much about the state of Gotham City, Magistrate's fascistic rule and effects on characters we know. But all of that could, and should have been explained organically, with each comic adding something more, showing us extra puzzle pieces we could connect. Instead Batgirls is pretty hollow despite also being overtalked. Kinda like your typical Brian Michael Bendis comic. And finally, there's the Gotham City Sirens short, which... I'm genuinely surprised got printed here. It's not bad, just so tonally different compared to the previous two dystopian tales, it doesn't really fit in. It's like you bought a heavy metal album and one of the songs on it was techno. I for once welcome a more light hearted story coming from Future State, which so far has been pretty hopeless, both literally and figuratively, but who thought it's a good idea to squeeze it into The Next Batman? It should have been released in Harley's book, since both are colorful and designed to appeal to more mainstream audiences. That said, I somewhat enjoyed this comic for what it was. It's okay, just out of place, I feel. Other than that, it's good to see someone having fun in this fascist failed state. More of that, please. Give me tonal diversity, DC, just figure out where to put it in order to make it work.

I've never followed Aquaman comics up close, not conting the beginning of Geoff Johns' New-52 run, but I have to say, I'm hooked. This is an intense fast ride start to finish, and one that unlike many Future State books feels like has actual stakes. Sure, the main two characters discovering The Confluence is a bit wonky, but I can't blame Brandon Thomas for rushing the plot, since the event is going to conclude the next month, so obviously everything has to be done quickly. What makes this comic stand out even more is the art. Daniel Sampere did fantastic job here. Every character is expressive, detailed and unique. You can actually see his talent and passion flowing through each and every panel. It's just mesmerizing, simply beautiful. Highly recommend this one - definitely one of this week's Future State highlights. Pure joy to read and stare at.

Gene Luen Yang managed to make me fall in love with Superman all over again in his Superman Smashes the Klan book. It was fantastic for pletora of reasons, but the one that matters in this case is his understanding of Supes as a character. He just gets him, the same way Sean Murphy gets Harley, Geoff Johns gets Hal Jordan and Christopher Priest gets Deathstroke. His take not only feels right, but manages to be surprising, fresh, fun and complex. That said, I'm very, very happy he gets a chance to write more stories with him, and I won't lie, my expectations for this comic were pretty damn high. And Gene sure delivered. The plot may not be the most original, but what makes it really work are the characters - that goes to both the two titular superheroes, but also animal headed citizens they encounter. Each of them has some backstory, no matter how little and irrelevant, giving them proper purpose and anchoring them in the universe. It's little touches like these that make a big difference in the end. Overall I highly recommend this comic. Sure, you may argue it's one of the closest things to the usual DC status quo setting wise, so much so it could as well be set in the main present day continuity, but it's still an incredibly fun ride, and features everything a Batman/Superman comic should feature. And then some more.

If big stand alone elseworld events like Future State exist to experiment and take established characters in new unpredictable directions, what's the reason for keeping the very same writer who's responsible for their main continuity entries? Wouldn't it be a good opportunity to bring in fresh blood who could do something new and fresh with them, even if only for 1 or 2 issues? Brian Michael Bendis is a very polarizing figure in comics, to say very gently. And no matter if you love or hate his works at DC, you wouldn't him nor his comic characters to be kept stagnant, with one particular style of writing no matter which continuity or time period the setting is. And that's ultimately my problem with this comic - it is precisely the Legion you'd expect from Bendis, with the same critical flaws like overall boredom and excessive amount of expository dialogue. There's no real new direction here, just same old, same old, but this time with Riley Rossmo's distinct art that also, just like Bendis' writing, is going to make you either love it or hate it. I doubt many people will be left in the actual middle, feeling indifferent towards either of them. To me it's a lost cause. Skip it.

Sometimes comics don't even try to mask their obvious intent to cross promote something else without offering anything of value themselves. That's how I feel about this comic - it's an obvious cheap and hollow attempt to introduce audiences to chaarcters that are going to play a role in DC movies to come. There's Mongal and Peacemaker, representing James Gunn's The Suicide Squad (which I actually look forward to, since I'd like the brand to redeem itself after the abominable face tattooed atrocity directed by David Ayer 4 years ago), and there's Black Adam looking like The Rock. You know what's not here, though? Engaging story, well written dialogues and memorable characters. Yeah, sure, the new Flash is pretty cool, but she kinda falls into the archetype of someone who wants to be good being forced to do something less than good. Neither Robbie Thompson nor Jeremy Adams care enough to create compelling narratives. Both stories here are so painfully unimaginative and boring, I'm truly stunned, shocked beyond belief. It's actually pretty funny how Tom Taylor's short Suicide Squad run was actually more creatively free, out of the box and surprising than this elseworld which in theory is unrestrained by anything. That's a skipper, sadly.

I like me some good political drama. The idea of United Planets has tons of potential and if used right, it could expose some real life problems not many people actually pays attention to, blinded by authority of United Nations, like the organization's selective ignorance of imperialistic wars and human rights violations, not even mentioning the infamous right to veto practically anything that few dominant countries (including the US, Russia and China) don't like. Mark Russell tries to show us the moral ambiguity and internal conflicts of such institution, and in a way he accomplishes that, but truth be told, I have no clue if that's intentional or just purely incidental. All the members of the United Planets are simply repulsive due to their reactionary nature and hypocrisy. They don't uphold laws and standards they claim to love so much. They're more than willing to put their emotions aside and approach the case of Lex Luthor calmly and reasonably. They act like children, arguing emotionally, which makes them, as well as United Planets overall, feel like a circus. Maybe not openly villanous, but certainly not one you'd ever want to sympathize with. As I said - I have no clue whether it was intentional, but I honestly felt like they're hardly much better than Lex Luthor himself here. One thing I can confidently say Russell handles well is the sheer concept of populus being brainwashed by propaganda spewed by corrupt governments or corporations. The butt of the joke is of course Fox News, an American far right propaganda network, but it is equally true for other media outlets in other countries as well, whether national or private. There always are puppet masters who crave control over misinformed, divided sheeple. Manufacturing Consent explains it very well, so go and pick it up, that's a book everyone should read, I'm dead serious. I dare to say Superman vs. Imperious Lex is one of the comics you're going to get the more from, the more you know about the world. To kids Superman will still be a do gooding boy scout who can do no wrong even when he commits an objective war crime. To teens his fight against Luthor will be perceived as limited by stupid and unnecessary laws. To adults, at least those mature enough to possess enough intelligence and mental maturity, both sides will be bad, but for different reasons. It's hardly an Alan Mooreesque deep dive into philosophy and politics, but certainly I welcome its existence. It's more challenging and ambitious than your generic good vs. evil capeshit story, but there's still a lot it would have to do to be perceived as a serious, intellectual work. Overall not bad. Gotta appreciate its mature undertones, but their execution could have been way better.

Most people liked the first issue of this comic. I didn't. I called it empty and devoid of any real plot, and it looks like in an ironic way I was correct, since even this issue doesn't bother addressing its existence. Everything you need to know about the Dark Detective is here, including a retrospective "origin story", which begs the question - was #1 an afterthought of sorts, written when the rest of the series was already done? Or was it created with the core thought of being a #0 while this book is the actual #1? I have no clue, but what I know is, you can confidently skip #1 and you won't lose absolutely anything. For once there's some story and mystery here - something #1 was completely lacking. It may not be the most engaging and complex story, but it works. There are three corporations behind fascist militia in Gotham, and Bruce has to find out what's really going on. For once the title lives up to its name and features some, any, detective work (take notes, Detective Comics!), which I welcome. Some minor plotlines get set up, some slight world bulding is done, and overall the comic is something I could absolutely recommend. What lowers my score from a possible 6.5/10 down to just 5/10 is the additional tale featuring Red Hood and Rose Wilson. Long story short, it sucks. I don't know what was Joshua Williamson thinking, but half of his comic is completely hollow and features little to no text whatsoever, and then the remaining half tries to drown you in exposition and dialogues. Seriously, it all could have been executed way, way better, more even and engaging, because as it is now, you turn the half empty pages one after another, giving each less than 5 seconds of attention, just to find a wall of text you get bored with halfway, since, well, it is boring, what can I say? Shocking, considering how experienced Williamson is as a writer.

That's... it? That's the end of this short story? Seriously? What's the moral here, what's the bigger plot, where are any twists, action, drama, character development and worldbuilding? The first issue was a very pleasant surprise to me, since I consider almost all comics with post Dini Harley as empty, unfunny, adolescent and obnoxious. It was pretty fresh and seemed like it has a plan. Well, turns out all my expectations were pointless, since this week's conclusion doesn't deliver anything except the obvious defeat of Black Mask. Yay, the main villain (apparently) lost, and... as I asked at the very beginning, that's it? Maybe it was foolish to expect something more from 2 issues long micro story, but I'll be damned, it's not like there's not enough to be found here, there's simply NOTHING. Any sense of direction from #1 is gone, which begs the question, is it an absolute failure of Stephanie Phillips, or maybe we should look at DC's editorial to find some guilt as well? Maybe if Generation 5 wasn't silently scrapped and its remains cannibalized to form short lived Future State event, this series would have a chance to accomplish something. Instead, it feels extremely rushed and unfinished, exactly like it was cut short and forced to conclude ASAP. What a disappointment, I was genuinely hoping this comic would at least tell one complete decent story...

The only thing I feel after reading this comic is emptiness. I tried, scout's word, to care about anyone or anything involved in these three short stories, but I can't. I couldn't care less about adult Jon, since I don't care about his main continuity rapid aged counterpart either, I couldn't care about the second Mister Miracle, and I sure couldn't care less about Guardian. On second thought, I doubt that more than a fraction of a percent of comic readers even knows his name, let alone cares about him, but I digress. Point is, no matter how much this comic tried to make me feel somewhat excited and engaged in Metropolis affairs, it did not do it. It feels directionless, like a soap opera, and you know you f-ed up when something as short as a 2 issue long story is already as entertaining as a coat of paint drying on a wall. Through and through the comic is one gigantic missed opportunity.

Beautiful conclusion to a very, very solid story. When I was reviewing issue #1, one of my main observations was how Ram V wants to tell his unique stand alone story without connecting it to anything else. Little did I know, it would end with an absolute bang, leaving me amazed where that creative freedom has led. It is satisfying on so both storytelling and phylosophical levels, offering us a one of a kind self contained modern myth. Fantastic comic, and it's one of the very few Future State titles that can confidently be called instant classics. Pick it up, I couldn't recommend it enough.

If Brandon Vietti hoped for an emotional resolution to this comic, I think he missed the mark, not mentioning learned nothing from the hate wave related to the abominable Heroes in Crisis. Instead, this short story leaves you completely indifferent not only to itself, but also to what awaits us in Future State Teen Titans. It's just bad... sigh, time to retire the evil Wally West concept for few years, at least. It's also time to forget this comic ever existed... wait, what was I talking about? I feel like I forgot about something. Maybe it's for the better.

This comic should serve as a study model to many other Future State writers. Ladies and gentlemen, Joelle Jones did it - she created a perfect short story with a perfect clear idea behind, not merely using the very limited constraints of the event, but genuinely turning them to her own advantage. Without spoiling much, there's commentary on stories told by humans, and how Yara's journey wasn't even written yet, which serves both literal and metaphorical purpose. Jones winks to us, readers, without breaking the 4th wall directly. Do I have any complaints? Well, the action progresses rapidly, which doesn't give us time to breathe in between jokes. Obvious reason is the sheer fact it's just a 2 issue micro series, so of course the story had to be told quickly. And truth be told, I don't mind it here, but I also wouldn't like to see such comedic intensity in regular long running series (which I certainly hope we get, and it's going to be as close to this short as possible). Overall Wonder Woman is without a doubt one of the leading stars of Future State, its brightest highlights. Pick it up, it's great.

What got me into John Ridley's short series was the emphasis on the characters and their struggles. Of course Batman was still in the very center of attention, but I found Fox family problems to be quite engaging and relatable, human. It was a nice change compared to man continuity's life of Bruce Wayne, who ultimately doesn't have much real, deep family ties that would influence his stories. Outside his mommy and daddy issues that have been explored dozens of times already, that is. There still is some family drama going on in this issue, which I welcome, but the main part dedicated to Batman himself, feels so painfully diluted, it just doesn't feel like anything new, creative or surprising. I got the same vibes reading Dark Detective #1 - just Batman doing Batman things, with little to no twists and turns, and almost no real reason the reader would care about. Yes, the final cliffhanger technically works, unless you're completely disillusioned with the trope used there and you can't bring yourself to care at all, but overall the comic doesn't push the story forward much, and meanwhile it also features more than few half empty action pages, which could have been put to better use by proving us some exposition or whatnot. Seeing how much content the first two issues featured, I'm surprised the third feels so empty at times. So yeah, overall this is a significant quality drop compared to what Ridley served us in january. I sure hope it's just a singular misstep and the run concludes on a high note. I keep my fingers crossed for that. As far as additional Outsiders and Gotham Knights short stories go, I don't even feel like I should waste too much of my time on them. They're weak, bland and boring, rendering me unable to empathize with its characters, and care about what they go through and fight against. Both feel like they're there just to make this comic thicker and overinflate its price.

Future State Lanterns remain one of the weakest, most boring and least interesting tales I've had displeasure to read about in years. I do not care about its events no matter how hard I try, that's how poorly conceived it is. Why is that? Well, considering that Green Lanterns are generally detached from Earth's internal affairs and operate in space, it truly doesn't matter if there are any big status quo changes there, nor future elseworld events occuring as we speak. They make their own mythology and rules, so take that, Future State. Anything can already happen in their comics, no matter the branding. Take Keli's short story, for example, which is easily this book's only highlight. It's a fun little tale exploring not only her loose and uncertain connections to the corps, but also her humanity, fears. It's great, and I wish she got a chance to develop as a person in the main continuity's comics, since so far she's been completely sidelined even by her own creator. If DC did what Josie Campbell did here, but on much larger scale, giving it more time to unravel through several issues, I'd be all for it. And truth be told, it wouldn't matter in the slightest what continuity said comic belongs to, since as I said, Lanterns can do their own thing no matter when and where. The last short, featuring Hal Jordan, falls flat and for some odd reason the protagonist reminded me of the infamous Batman from All-Star Batman and Robing the Boy Wonder by Frank Miller. I just smell a delicate scent of psychopathy coming from him, paired with disdain for anyone he encounters along his way. Yeah... count me out for now, I don't care. Overall this comic is plain bad, and the only saving grace of it is Teen Lantern's short one-off. It's hardly enough to make me recommend this book, though. Not when it's only 1/3rd of it, and the rest is quite unbearable to read.

No matter how great you may be as a writer, you will have some undeniable strengths as well as some notable weaknesses. The best thing you can do about them is try to understand them and avoid exposing them. And I feel like Ram V just found his weaker side in form of Future State's Justice League. Hardly the first writer who found difficulties writing such a huge and important ensemble book (remember Priest's JL run?), but it always stings when someone you like and admire releases something bad, because it always feels worse than when someone bad releases something bad, am I right? Ram V came up with the fantastic Swamp Thing story for this event, as well as with a really thrilling first issue of Catwoman which I hope will end on an equally high note. But his vision of Justice League is something that should be scrapped and forgotten. It would be easy to blame this failure on the sheer fact the comic is only two issues long, yet has to tell a story featuring several characters. And okay, that would be a somewhat good point and a valid line of defense. The question remains, why wasn't this comic longer, then? One or two more issues could have change this mess completely, give the main characters enough time to grow, and we would get enough panels with them to actually care about them. Which I really can't bring myself to now. Overall Justice League is one of Future State's biggest disappointments. A very, very mediocre (at best) comic which leaves you indifferent, unimpressed and unchanged. Oh, sorry, I take that back - I actually laughed once while reading it, seeing the last panel with candidates to join the League. Certainly better joke than an average one liner in a Marvel movie, eh?

The comic was meant to end on a very bittersweet note, but I feel only sadness after reading it. Not even because I particularly cared in what I'm reading - no, in fact I was pretty much detached from it and not invested at all. It's because I feel like I just wasted my time completely. Two issues worth of practically nothing. Kara is one of the more upbeat, lively characters DC has in its roster, and yet she's a hollow, flat and bland protagonist here, both personality and design-wise, which is quite an accomplishment, believe me. When you fail to write a compelling character arc, you can at least make them visually interesting, or the other way around. Here... there's nothing. Gotta feel sorry for Kara, because as I said while reviewing the #1 issue of this trainwreck, she's in deep trouble when no one at DC knows what to do with her even in a stand alone elseworld short. Skip it.

There was this show on TV back in the day, called "My Name is Earl". It ran for a while, and then its creators decided to end a season with a really big cliffhanger, promising the story to continue. It didn't. The show was cancelled and the plot was never resolved. Why am I mentioning it? Well, because Robin Eternal reminds me of it. It's also an unfinished product which tries to convince us that its ending is not the end, but I simply can't imagine this series being picked up again. I simply can't. It turned out to be so hopeless, I simply don't see a point. Take your Jason Todded Tim Drake, DC, as well as your one eyed Spoiler, and shove them up your... vault. Some things aren't meant to be eternal. This comic is better off being forgotten.

Pretty decent ending, and definitely a step up compared to issue #1. It's a decent, fun little comic, and sadly the only Future State title this week I could recommend. The story is entertaining, there is a satisfying conclusion to it, and the main characters actually have a chance to shine as well as bond with each other. If there's one gripe I have here, if would be Jon, who isn't any different from Clark. When you compare Yara and Diana, yeah, differences between them are striking to say at least. Jon, meanwhile, is just a carbon copy of his dad, and while I get that he needs to fill the shoes of Superman, which means something, I can't stop thinking that Dan Watters could have given him a bit more personality. Something unique and memorable. Other than that, I'm pretty satisfied with this book and can definitely recommend it. We need more comics like this one.

So to summarize the story, it's a dark post apocalyptic short tale which connects to the upcoming Titans Academy arc, serving as its grand finale or something, I guess expecting us to feel anything while reading it despite us not really having any formed connections to Tim Sheridan's take on this team, because it's going to begin next month. Sounds confusing enough? Well, let's complicate it even further by saying the obvious - this Future State short is nothing more than an ad for what's to come, offering no real story nor action. Yay, there are dead characters going back to fight the big bad... just like in Death Metal, which sucked anyways. And then, oh, look, Red Arrow dies! What a shocker, another one! Ladies and gents, Ollie scored one point and gains advantage over Barry in the competition called "whose sidekicks make the best cannon fodder". All seriousness, though, this comic made a terrible first impression on me. I'm not excited for Tim Sheridan's Titans at all, because if they're any similar to this story, or directly precede it, it's going to be a... wild ride. In every single negative way I can imagine.

I'm getting really tired with this comic, I swear. Three issues in, and the plot is being unraveled so sluggishly and uneventfully, I begin to think it may not lead anywhere... oh, wait, I take it back, because of course it doesn't. Future State is just a short event, so the least I could expect from it is a bunch of self contained straight-to-the-point mini stories. This one isn't one of them. It's a drag that feels like it intentionally wants to avoid making a point. Unlike the supplementary story with Grifter, which ends on a strong note and easily overshadows the titular Dark Detective tale. It's good. So much so, I actually care what happens to Cole now. I want to know what happens to him in this timeline, seriously. Where Mariko Tamaki continuously's been failing, Matthew Rosenberg managed to craft a compelling, dynamic narrative which certainly has to be one of Future State's stronger entries. Makes me even sadder to see it being merely an addon to something simply inferior. Grifter gets my strong recommendation, Dark Detective not at all. It's a waste of time.

The first issue did fantastic job setting up the tone, main plot and a final twist. This one offers more emotion, and while of course there's a lot of action sequences here, they're not what I found the most, or even more entertaining about it. It's the main characters' personal struggles, hopes and fears, that drive this comic and make it something truly special. Ram V did it again, scoring 2/3 successes among his Future State stories, which at first glance may not seem like a big deal, until you see how strong both Catwoman and Swamp Thing are. These are both some of the true gems that came out of this event.

While it may not be the best ending to the best comic, it serves its general purpose and offers us a beautiful, simple conclusion to this short, self contained tale. Certainly the last few pages let us see beyond otherwise pretty mediocre and somewhat stagnant story. There's not much drama and action here, despite the constant threat in form of the Undoing. Could have it been executed better? Knowing some of Becky Cloonan's brilliant work I'm sure that yes. But what's here isn't half bad. Hardly an essential book, even for Future State's very uneven, rough standards, but it's one I could recomment if you don't have anything else to read. All because of its ending.

Nightwing was probably my personal biggest surprise coming from Future State. I didn't expect much from it, but now I can confidently say that it's one of the event's biggest highlights. It's full of action, and while you can say it's a bit predictable at times, it doesn't stop it from being an entertaining, intense read. I like it, a lot. From the beginning it felt like it's a part of something bigger, something interconnected, which can't be told about most other books coming from this line. Nightwing's short story is more than just a tale. It's a connective tissue gluing together several other series, no matter good or bad. And because of it, it feels like its world is alive. Definitely recomment this one.

I can't say I cared a lot about this comic after reading the #1... and If I got to be honest, I still don't. I probably care less about this story than before, since the main mystery ended up being pretty hollow, and cameos from established characters uninspiring and pointless. After all, what did Spectre accomplish by showing up here, other than providing some much needed exposition for us? I could probably compare this short to Endless Winter event - something that may not necesarily be horrible, but I have absolutely no interest in exploring it.

Superheroes took the place of mythological gods. They're the ones we tell stories about, not Thor, not Zeus, not Chernobog, not Ra. They're the ones that teach us the timeless lessons of doing what's right, of never giving up and always trying to improve and overcome what life throws at us, beating demons both external and internal. Yeah, these are simple lessons we all are familiar with, but their power doesn't lay in their originality. It's in their universality. Anyone can pick up a comic like this one and find some deeper meaning in it. FInd inspiration to stand up and be selfless. We see that in Superman's actions, but we also have a chance to read one of his articles running paralelly to the actual main arc. One that shows how he, himself, was inspired by someone else just like many of us were by his tales. It's simple, but beautiful, and works really well as a self contained mini comic. It is effective. You know what isn't, though? Mister Miracle's short thrown in here... because. Similarly to many other Future State titles it doesn't really end. It just cuts, leaving things unresolved, and worse of, leaving the audiences completely indifferent to their fate. Whether or not this story ever gets picked up again by someone at DC, I can confidently say that I don't care. Same applies to Midnighter's tale, which actually will continue. Can't say that I care, nor that I'll be there to witness its future chapters, but I guess if you do, more power to you. Finally, Black Racer - the last of the three supplementary shorts' protagonists. Similarly to what I mentioned in the first paragraph, talking about modern gods, her comic tries to establish her as one. Does it work? Not particularly, I would say, mostly because it's a simple "blockbuster" type of a comic - spectacular looking, but ultimately hollow. Just like all these superhero movies and main continuity DC series. It falls flat, but at least it has an ending of sorts. One that wouldn't leave you pissed if that's the last thing with Black Racer we've ever got from DC. Overall I would definitely recommend the titular comic here. Worlds of War is solid, really. What lowers the score is the supplementary unnecessary filler material added to it.

Here it is - a line ending the issue, but not really. It's there, we can't deny it, and it's there to make you believe it's an end for this series, but I can't say it does its job. Not when it's pretty much clear why it's there to begin with - and it's there because DC ditched the idea of Generation 5, turning it into a 2 month long event. Everything they've planned, all the long running new series, had to be cut short, and the result is this - an overall mediocre issue intended to be merely a chapter of something bigger, ending up being the finale. And honestly, the more I think about it, the more furious I am. Look - The Next Batman started out strong. It offered us a lot of background story arcs and complex relationships between characters which could have been explored in the future. This comic had genuine potential, but since Future State has one week of life left, we will not see it (ever?) being tapped. Fox family problems? Cut short. New Batman's lack of experience and confidence? Cut short. Fascist militia controlling Gotham City? Cut short. Two good detectives? Cut short. Heck, even the main story arc itself, involving two murderers, is not resolved nor properly concluded. Nothing is. It pains me to give this comic such a low score when I can see what it could have been, but there's no other choice for me. I can't applaud this unfinished mess, as much as I'd like to see it continuing. I'd say this issue is worth picking up... if Ridley finishes his tale one day. Until then it's a skipper. Keep your money. Contrary to the titular story, Batgirls short actually concludes. I won't cheer for that, because I reasonably expect my stories to feature endings at their ends. I can cheer for the new beginnings, however, just like Cass said. New beginnings where none of this utter trash is even remotely acknowledged. Let's never return to this failed experiment, okay?

When you think about it, the concept of Superman's descendants going through superpowered family struggles is pretty dope. There are good apples, there are bad apples, family drama in mainstream media generally has tons of potential. The Borgias, Sopranos, Corleones and Lannisters among many others have proven that time and time again. So it's somewhat surprising comics didn't necesarily pick up this idea and run with it, spicing everything up with superpowers and capes. So, in theory it's all good. In practice the concept derails significantly, because one comic is hardly enough to introduce several new characters and establish them. Yes, we learn their names and some of them seem to have little problems with others... but I can't say I feel invested and immersed in all of this. Maybe it's the result of so many characters appearing for the first time all at once, and each requiring few minutes in the spotlight? Or maybe it's the result of a bigger conflict and a villain I don't know yet? What danger does he pose? What can he do? Is he completely bad, or just misguided/misunderstood/has some redeeming qualities? So many questions, and so little pages to address even 1/10th of them. Heck, it's not even enough to properly introduce the main cast. For now I'm skeptical and personally will approach the next issue with some caution. It may end up being a pretty solid and refreshing read, but it also can collapse under its own weight, because yeah, that's how much this book actually contains.

Aquaman ends on a high note. Maybe not as high as #1, due to one legged plot twist we've never seen coming which made everyone talk about the comic, but it still is a very, very entertaining issue I would recommend to anybody AND would like to see being continued, actually. Out of all new faces introduced or established in Future State, Andy is definitely one of the S tier ones I'd love to see again in the foreseeable future. Jackson too, but it's Andy who runs the show and gave this short story personality and emotional drama. Another thing worth commenting and praising is most definitely Daniel Sampere's art - it's consistently stellar and fits the tone perfectly. It's an amazing book through and through - worth reading, worth looking at. Solid recommendation from me.

And so Future State officially ends. Well, there's still going to be few related releases next month, but the hectic two month long event finally reaches the finish line, and I couldn't be happier because after 8 weeks of reading (and reviewing) every single comic from it, I feel drained and exhausted. It's been a very rough and uneven ride, with some good comics, some terrible ones as well, with their quality shifting faster than time signature in a Dream Theater song. This comic is my last to review. Why this one? Dunno, honestly. If I was to make a punchline regarding this event, I could have chosen a better fitting title, but by sheer accident this one's the last, and there's no real big analogy concluding Future State. Because it is a consistently decent comic. There's no big shake-ups, there's no revolutions, it's just a fun little escapist read. Gene Luen Yang plays very safe, giving us a pretty good mystery, albeit predictable (which I really can't criticize him for - after all it'd be near impossible to write something truly surprising AND 2 issues long), and setting up the reason why fascist controlled Future State Gotham City is on its own. And probably that reason is what left me with somewhat bitter taste in my mouth. It's just... a rather forced, won't you agree? Yeah, I get it, it was necessary and all, but the explanation and Bruce's reasoning are pretty off. I can't say I enjoyed this sudden and radical turn of events. I believe this could have been handled better. Overall not a bad comic - probably one of the safer and most digestible entries from this horrendously uneven event.

I keep asking myself was there any point in shoehorning Legion into Future State to begin with. After all, the series tells stories with pretty much countless protagonists - some returning, others being merely one-offs. It is kinda baffling to me that such a giant ensemble comic ended up with 2 issue long micro story. And one that I think fails on every possible level, at that. The script is boring and since it's written by Brian Michael Bendis, it's way overtalked. It also lacks depth, direction, tension and purpose, due to its length. Meanwhile its art is, to put it simple, repulsive, although feel free to disagree with me here - our perception of beauty in art is purely subjective. Me, personally, truly dislike Rossmo's style, and think it does not fit the tone of this comic. On second thought, I can't think of a comic where it would fit in, but that's just a little digression.

Creating a good mystery is one thing. Leading the narrative slowly unraveling it is something entirely different. Suicide Squad's bigger purpose revealed at the very end is a pretty solid twist, problem is path leading to it. It's a bumpy one, constantly switching POVs and trying to surprise us with typical "ha! I knew what you'd do so I did this!" twists. Such precise chess-like game can work if done right, but it is very easy to under or overdo it. Look at Death Note if you don't believe me - incredibly solid start followed by constant drops in quality due to the aforementioned chess-like twists, and ultimately it turned into a parody of itself. Waller's convoluted reasoning covered in this book works similarly, and is equally dysfunctional. As far as the additional Black Adam story goes, it's a non-entity to me. One that feels like an afterthought, something that is here just to add a little bit of volume to the book. And honestly it could use some more content. In form of better developed and longer titular story. Not the worst book from Future State, but one you could confidently skip, since even if you read it, I guarantee you you'll forget it in a week.

Politics are a very tough subject to write about. Not only because they're so complex, dirty and interconnected, but also because most people are completey ignorant about them and prefer easy answers to questions that can't be answered easily. Think of any big political crisis, and ask yourself is there a simple explanation to it. What caused Brexit? And the 2008 Great Recession? Or 9/11? Or both world wars? It is impossible to simplify these subjects enough to explain them in one, or even few sentences. They require extensive explaining which may explain one thing, but will spark a dozen of new questions and uncertainties. And sufficed to say, average people don't like that. They prefer easy answers. Hey, it's the Russians, or Chinese, that's all there is to a problem, no convoluted professorial explanations needed. Now, obviously, it's not hard to write such simple fictional narrative. Isn't that what western comics have been all about for decades? Good vs. evil, all day all night. Superman is good, Lex Luthor is bad, no extra layers of depth and complexity needed, because they'd confuse readers who are used to not thinking at all. That was the Silver Age mentality. And then came the Bronze Age with writers like Alan Moore, the man behind Watchmen and V for Vendetta - tho incredibly deep political comics, ones that actually provide us compelling narratives with super complex backgrounds. Take Adam Susan, for example - the fascist ruler and the main antagonist of V for Vendetta. He is a monster commiting monstrous acts... but he's also a human with believable psyche and decisionmaking we can understand. Compare that to Luthor here, who turns 180 degrees in the span of one panel. We've got a chance to understand the typical totalitarian way of brainwashing the masses and controlling them through fear, poverty and desperation, but instead Mark Russell abandons the deep and mature storytelling this comic could have featured for a simple good vs. evil fight, ending with a cartoonishly silly twist which fits the tone of the rest of the book as much as Tom King's Looney Tunes references fit Batman comics. And look - there is some decent lessons and point made here - take the concept of ruling, according to Lex, saying it's not about giving people what they need but rather what they want. As a cynic, I'd say in reality it's convincing them they want something you claim to be for, and then convincing them you're the only one who can give it to them, just to get elected and not do anything. But hey, politics is a complex bitch, as I already said, and anything related to it can be continuously explained further and further. Russel, contrary to Moore, doesn't delve deep enough, BUT the little depths he reaches still contain something worth remembering and understanding, even if ultimately it's kind of a two dimensional wasted potential.

You know what annoys me? The fact that Tamaki wasted the entirety of issue #1 of this series, leaving us with only 3 to tell a story that clearly needed more time to unravel and offer us a satisfying conclusion. Funnily enough every Dark Detective comic dragged at times and featured overwhelming amount of stagnant filler. Even this one, which makes its ending even worse than it actually is, because if it wasn't for the nauseating amount of exposition and filler, maybe it could have dealt with actual consequences of Bruce's actions throughout the series. Where did it all lead? To one big bang, and that's it? Imagine A New Hope ending with Death Star blowing up. That's it. One gigantic explosion and nothing more. No conclusions to main character arcs, no (temporary) happy end, no feeling of relief, because the galaxy is (temporarily) safe once more. That's how I feel about this short run. Complete and utter waste of time which had potential, but ultimately was wasted due to writer choosing exposition over much needed content. As for Red Hood's additional story, I can't say I cared about its first half, and I certainly couldn't care less about this half either. While it's not the worst comic I've ever read, it just feels... cheap, like w low budget indie title made to promote a TV sitcom or something. Both art and script wise.

It's funny how seldom DC reaches the weird, monstrous territories of its magical part of the world. Sure, The Upside Down Man in Justice League Dark was super refreshing and freaky when he appeared for the first time, but other than that, Rebirth didn't dive deep down into the sphere of surreal. Gotham City Monsters does, or at least touches its surface, promising more to come in the future. And I like it. The comic feels genuinely different from other DC title available right now. I hope there's a solid niche for it, because I see potential in it. Definitely recommend.

Oh my... it took me about a week to get through this book, because every page was so painful to read, it's unbelievable. Yeah, it's an elseworld tale, so ultimately it's irrelevant and harmless, but what matters to me in this case is not creative liberties the author took, but rather the awful plot and pitifully shallow characters, naturally, like in most teenage novels, intertwined in a pitiful love triangle. I get it, comic industry is having hard time making money, modern mainsteam audiences hardly read anything longer than a damn Tweet, let alone a graphic novel, so DC is trying to diversify its line with books made for completely different audiences and demographics, with completely different results. I can't blame them for experimenting and trying to reach new readers, but this comic... I don't think will appeal to many people. And definitely even less people who later on will pick another, and another DC title from the shelves. Reasons for that is plenty, but the most important one is, it doesn't inspire the reader. None of the characters is even remotely interesting or appealing to the reader. They are your typical Twilight-like archetypes of an (this time non-vampiric) introvert rich boy and a poor but (supposedly) charming impulsive extravert. And then, there's Selina. Oh, boy. She was clearly meant to be a complex protagonist operating in the shades of grey, but ultimately she feels paper thin, like a heartless manipulator, the typical pretty yet egotistical girl from junior high, you know, the one who's a self absorbed arrogant that laughed in your face when you told her you like her, and few years later once you got over it, you asked yourself what did you see in her to begin with. That's pretty much who Selina Kyle is in this book. And that's a shame - after all, think about it, it's a comic for young audiences who normally don't read comics, so maybe it should make them interested in the character of Catwoman, instead of feeling disgusted and repulsed with how she treats Bruce and Jack? But hey, whatever, I'm not going to complain that every character must be a likeable role model, that'd be crazy. And boring as hell. So, concluding this brief review - what do I think of Gotham High? Avoid it like plague unless you're atually high. If you want to read a genuinely good book about teen characters growing up within the DC universe, pick up Becky Cloonan's Gotham Academy. It's vibrant, fun, full of lovable and diverse characters with their own struggles, personalities and motivations. It's one hell of a series, especially the first two trade paperbacks (Welcome to Gotham Academy and Calamity). If you look for something good featuring Catwoman, why not pick up Jeph Loeb's Catwoman: When in Rome or Paul Dini's Heart of Hush? And then, if you look for a good story with Batman and Joker, Alan Moore's The Killing Joke is an obvious pick, as is Sean Murphy's Batman White Knight. All of the above are best selling classics I'd recommend to any new comic reader (otherwords the target audience for Gotham High), contrary to this mess of a book.

Ninth Circle seems like the perfect type of an organization to stand against Green Arrow, representing everything he opposes - totalitarian, corrupt power hungry machine. Sadly, by fighting an apparent multinational giant, and a cartoony one I should add, Green Arrow loses what normally makes him so relatable - being more or less grounded, street level vigilante. So far the Ninth Circle centric arcs took him to Bond-like mountain bases, tunnels below seas, outer space, and now, the bottom of the ocean. All of it feels like a sort of Court of Owls ripoff, cranked up to 11 and not planned properly first. The recent issue, unfortunately continues this saga, and even the cliffhanger doesn't seem to save it from being rather forgettable, feeling more like a spy soap opera than an ambitious, emotional run of Green Arrow comics it was planned as. On the other hand, if you've enjoyed previous issues, you most likely are going to like this one as well. You already know what to expect from the run, and this issue gives only more of that.

Issue fills gaps from No Justice event, explaining what happened to heroes who were not chosen by Brainiac to be members of his four teams, and adding much needed Gren Arrow's backstory. I enjoyed reading it a lot. The art was amazing, the story, as I said, explained what wasn't explained in the main event. Call it No Justice #5 or No Justice supplement, it doesn't really matter - what matters is, this issue was fun and beautifully drawn. Couldn't ask for more. Or, wait, I could - hopefully when No Justice TP is released, it'll contain this issue and place its certain scenes in between main events we've seen in the miniseries, instead of it being a separate entity.

I like these kinds of tie-ins. Ones that are not required to understand the main story, don't really impact it, but rather fill its gaps, explain motivations and emotions of important characters. It's a bittersweet issue, exposing Green Arrow's fragile, human side, and showing his grief, him blaming himself for what has happened. It's moments like that which flesh a character out, let us remember that underneath all these capes and masks, they are just humans, like you and me. If executed properly, it can be powerful and beautiful in its own morbid way. So far that's the single genuinely good thing that came out of Heroes in Crisis, which really left an underwhelming and maybe even disappointed first impression on me. Time will tell if Tom King created something historic, or the entire event is a stinker with shock for the sake of shock.

New-52's Harley origin was atrociously bad, in part because of her horrendous visual redesign, in part because it was just... miserable. It lacked any real emotions, humor, charm and heart, all of which were present in Paul Dini's legendary Mad Love. I'm sad to say, Harleen is as ininspired and bland as whatever New-52 spawned. It tries to be serious and mature, but it really feels like a cheap teen romance, except instead of a sparly vampire, there's a psychopathic clown. Feel free to call me out and say "hey, but that's Harley's distorted point of view", and I'd actually agree with you. Yes, it is. But it doesn't make the story any better - in fact, I'd say it makes it feel only more boring, since this version of Harley hardly has any real personality. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think Sejic at least partially based this comic on Arkham games, or Arkham Origins, to be specific. Dr. Quinzel as she appears there, is indeed a shy, introverted do-gooder, even if her involvement in the tale lasts for 5 minutes. And contrary to what you may have assumed reading this and the previous paragraph, I don't dislike it. In fact, I love the idea Harleen and Harley are different, contrast with each other, unlike her current main continuity version which always has been a sugar addict with mentality of a 12 year old. As bad as it's going to sound, Harleen must be weak, lonesome and pathetic, so Joker can use her. That' how this origin story works. Without these prrequisites met, there's no transformation, no change from Harleen to Harley, which defeats the initial purpose. So, what o I have a problem with, exactly, if I actually like the miserable dr. Quinzel? The fact despite being in the right place emotionally, he lacks actual personality. She's just a boring protagonist here. And no, that's not the character's inherit flaw - if used correct, she could be a great narrator. It's just... Sejic's script and dialogues are pretty weak. For a book that states on one of the first pages it's somewhat self aware of how cliche romantic stories are, it still manages to replicate some of their core mistakes. I'm not ruthless enough to compare it to trash like Twilight, but come on, you'd have to be blind like DareDevil not to see how melodramatic this issue was, and how its forced romanticism serves as filler holding everything together, filling holes where personality should be. The art, on the other hand, is simply fantastic, so there's one parallel to Harley Quinn: Breaking Glass, which also looks beautifully, but its plot is awful. So if good looks are all you're looking for in a certain blondie with a mallet, be my guest, buy this book. If you care about the script, though... this may not be the best pick. Go and read some Dini or Murphy, these two are the only writers o far I'd give a sign of absolute approval when it comes to writing about Harl.

Is this how Twilight with clowns instead of vampires, and the R rating would look like? I honestly felt like I'm reading a young adult romance masquerading as something deep, complex and mature. The art is gorgeous, but it's not enough to make me interested, captivated and most importntly, fel any sympathy for the main character.

Harley's Rebirth series wasn't bad, it's just the stagnation which doomed it to me, and I'm happy to see Palmiotti and Conner stepping down and allowing other artists to take over, and hopefully refresh the run. Even the best things get old after certain amount of time, and same way I wouldn't be able t eat the same flavoured ice cream all day every day for weeks straight and still enjoy the taste, I couldn't get invested in Harley's comics once I've got bored, or just really familiar with them and their fan-fic like quality at times, despite Harley Quinn being my 2nd favourite comic book character, below Bats, and Bats only. The final issue was rather underwhelming, partially because the writing did not offer anything out of ordinary, nor really concluded the enormous 100 issue long run. It's more of a TV series finale, where you know there's more to come, than a proper end of an era making you miss it immediately. It's pretty forgettable, and other than being an accomplishment of a long run, I didn't find it as anjoyable to read as I'd like to. After all, it's still more of the same - overusing her accent in a "comedic" way, ignoring her intelligence and psychiatric skills, forcing romantic relationships just for the sake of having any (most notably fan-fic one with Ivy, ruining their platonic, sisterly relations established back in Batman The Animated Series). As I said earlier, it's not bad - it's just stagnant, and that's the very reason why I'm glad this era ended. I wish the creative team which is going to pick Harley's solo run now all the best - do her justice and push her in directions Palmiotti and Conner didn't. Utilize her intelligence for once (she has a PHd after all!), and give her more depth, and give her memorable side characters she could interact with. She sure deserves it!

I want to like Harley's comics, I truly do. Palmiotti and Conner have set the character on a path so different from her Batman: The Animated Series (and inspired by it her solo comic run, where she was properly introduced to the DC comic unieverse) adventures, I couldn't understand nor enjoy most of it. That's why I was holding high hopes for the first issue not written by them - believing there'll be someone who can take the character back to her roots, to what worked and made her so funny and lovable. Sufficed to say, I was disappointed. The issue felt pretty similar to what Harley comics were since the New 52 (aside from Harley's awful New 52 design), so if you were hoping for a course correction like me, you're not going to be satisfied. The issue wasn't completely underwhelming, though - there were moments where it felt okay, but ironically, every single one of them did not feature Harley. I've enjoyed seeing Tony and Red Tool and would like to read only more of them. Similarly how Deathstroke's Defiance added more viewpoints and focuses on wider group of characters, Harley comics could give these two some spotlight for once. Sadly, Harley's parts felt just boring and bland. Add inconsistent - sometimes decent, sometimes bad art to it (sometimes character faces look completely odd, other times Harley seems to have breasts that'd make even Power Girl jelaous), and you get a really mediocre comic book which doesn't feel like a new start, or beginning of a new era at all. I guess I'll pick up her next issue, and another one after it, the same way I read her run since the very beginning of Rebirth, hoping she finally gets fixed as a character, but aside from turning blonde again (as she should be!), it still is the same old, same old, lacking excitement and witty, clever jokes from Batman: The Animated Series we all loved.

A mediocre end to a mediocre beginning of the new era of Harley's solo comics. It utilizes side characters better than during Palmiotti and Conner days, but also inherited al the flaws they've been making for years (and which made their run so plain and disappointing). I still hope that new creative team will change the soap opera-ish direction we've been seeing since the beginning of New 52, and does something Harley Quinn, the darn 4th pillar of DC Comics, next to Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman, deserves. Because so far the only full-sized comic with her in the limelight that truly stands out is The Mad Love.

Definitely better than last two issues, introducing the new creative team, but there's nothing about it I'd say stands out. The story is faithful to Palmiotti and Conner's style, and that's honestly something I consider a flaw. Big flaw. Seeing what was done with Harley in recent Batman: The White Knight issue, this one falls short, offering nothing but the usual Brooklyn accent gimmick and soap opera-ish plot. The art, for once, is consistent and I would consider it cute. Harley looks adorable and contrary to the previous issue, doesn't have any problems with her breast size. Otherwords, she doesn't look like Power Girl... Although her legs on variant cover, drawn by Frank Cho, surely look like thick, like something Solomon Grundy would be proud of. Character movements and expressions are nicely captured on the panels, and look as dynamic as the general style allows them to. It's overall issue's highlight - too bad positives end with the art.

I truly don't want to hate Harley, but ever since The New 52 launched and introduced her new design, there was no story, no issue, nor even moment she would actually put a smile on my face just like in the good days, when Bruce Timm and Paul Dini were in charge of her. The latest issue takes the absolute worst of Palmiotti/Conner (thankfully aside from the black-red hair I lack words to explain how much I loathe) take on the character, and tries to push it into funnier and more "random" direction. Look - it's fun to see silly Batman villains like Condiment King or Zebra Man, but without proper context, they can't possibly achieve anything. Let me remind you that Tom King turned Kite-Man, one of the absolute worst rogues, into someone not only relatable, but memorable and complex. Using joke characters as just jokes with no real punchlines or unexpected revisions like in Kite-Man's case is like window shopping - nothing comes out of it. The worst thing about the issue is, it basically lacks any logical story. I've felt like I'm reading a mish-mash of completely different comics duct-taped together without even checking them first. I know they're thereotically connected, but practically they don't feel like it. The art is decent and pretty consistent - that's the only good thing I can say about #38, and that was also the only real advantage of #37. I've heard that Harley looks like a Bratz doll with her new ponytail and art style, and honestly, there's something to that. I think I'm generally indifferent to that change - after all, it's at least not the irredeemable, awful New 52 redesign. So yeah, could have been worse. Way worse.

Another month, another issue of Harley Quinn, and another reminder she, as a character, shines when paired with someone else to share a story, but being solo just doesn't do her justice. Not that I wouldn't like to read her solo comics - contrary. But the way New 52 changed her, and created the path Frank Tieri continues to follow now, is completely bland, forgettable and unfunny, if I got to be honest. This run lacks creativity, witty jokes, heart and actual depth I've seen for the last time in... I guess Timm and Dini's works. Maybe despite all my efforts to like Harley's solo run and pick it up every month, I ignore the simple truth I'm not its target audience, but on the other hand, being naturally really open minded I don't reject anything without giving it a chance. I genuinely would like to like this series, but every month I end up disappointed seeing that nothing in it changes, and everything remains on the same empty, shallow track.

I swear, I need to stop hurting myself with this run. Everytime there's a new issue, I pick it up hoping for anything good, but it never happens. Am I a masochist? May as well be - despite being a Green Arrow fan, when Arrow TV series began to stink, I was able to quit it and erase it from my life. I wish I could do the same with Harley's solo comics, instead of torturing myself with it every 2 weeks. This issue was bad. Very bad. Not only when it comes to the story - something both Palmiotti/Conner and now Tieri/Miranda/Andolfo made us get used to, but also when it comes to the art. There are two artists with two completely different styles, trying to tell one story. Not only that, but the art, especially in the latter part of the comic look rushed so much, it's hard to believe someone gave it a green light. DC needs to do something with this run, because so far, it's embarrasingly bad. Harley, who really is company's 4th pillar, and one of the most beloved, and profitable names in comic books we have, deserves more than that. Way, way more. And because of my genuine sympathy for her, my will to move on and forget about this run most likely will evaporate in next 14 days. So see you when #41 drops out. I have a bad feeling about it already...

I guess it's this time of month, when I self inflict some pain by reading new issue of Harley's solo series. As usual, it doesn't disappoint to disappoint, and features all the flaws that made the previous chapters so mediocre, if not plain bad: two distinctly different art styles by Inaki Miranda (with all these odd body poses, proportions and facial expressions) and Moritat (looking like an indie book style, but not necesarily in a negative sense. This approach could work, actually - abeit maybe not in Harley's comics), terrible storytelling, bland humor for the most part based on Harley's overrepresented Brooklyn accent gimmick, and generally wasted potential of her character. If you want to read something outstanding with Harl, do yourself a favour and grab Batman: White Knight.

This particular issue reminds me of all these parody movies, like Vampires Suck, Disaster Movie or Meet the Spartans. You know what they all have in common? They all are terrible. The thing is, good parody is always welcomed in my book - it has to be clever, creative and funny to mock something else without becoming a joke itself. And that's what Harley's solo series lack, which makes this parody issue pretty bad, although ironically, significantly better than last couple of issues I've got unpleasantness to read. Obvious nods to Fury Road and Old Man Logan are not enough to make this issue work, and underneath it's still the same what we've been seeing for years now - bland, uninspiring soap opera with Brooklyn accent serving as both a joke and a punchline for everything. I'm going to say what I always say - Harley deserves more, as the 4th pillar of DC Comics. Way more.

You know what's the point of changing the creative team behind a dying comic? Fixing it, and making it appealing once again. When Brian Michael Bendis took over Superman last month, the change in tone and storytelling was immediate - and that's great, I appreciate a new direction for the character, and for now Bendis did nothing to make me not like his work at DC. But then, there's Harley - ruined by the New 52 reboot, and never properly fixed. Rebirth changed her atrocious looks, but personality and story wise, she remained exactly the same mess she was turned into in 2011, missing the best possible chance to course-correct her solo series. Palmiotti and Conner proudly continued it instead, and no surprise, derailed it completely at the end of 2017. DC replaced them with Frank Tieri, who once again missed a chance to do something with the character and bring her back to her glory days (when Dini and Timm were in charge of her) - that didn't happen, he continued his predecessors' work and look, 6 months later we've got another new creative team. I wonder why? Before I picked up this issue, I've read the short interview with Christopher Sebela in DC Nation #1 - I was somewhat optimistic, since he didn't mention the New 52 version in his top 5 Harley Quinns list. He picked a real life dog instead, which I agree with wholeheartedly. I was hoping for a change - up until I saw the first panel in this week's issue. Yes, the ultra annoying Brooklyn accent gimmick is still there, Harley still acts like a dummy, there's still barely any story to follow, and the series clearly continues what we've seen for years, and what I'm truly sick of. The art is decent enough, with some panels looking genuinely nice, capturing emotions and expressions. Sadly, the story is completely unappealing, as as I stated earlier, it is a spiritual successor to Palmiotti/Conner/Tieri work, which instantly makes it bad. Cannot recommend this issue. Except its variant cover by Frank Cho - he usually delivers, and this time is not an exception.

If for some reason you wanted to see love blossoming between an Ed Sheeran wannabe and a reject from Death's Scream Bloody Gore album cover, now you have a chance. If not, you won't find a good reason to pick up this issue other than its variant cover. Because yes, as usual, the only interesting thing about Harley's comics, is the album cover - you can count on Frank Cho. Other than that, the issue suffers from the very same flaws as any of its post Dini/Timm predecessors: overuse of Brooklyn accent, boring and uninspired plot, unfunny jokes, bland and forgettable characters and shallow, Deadpool-like violence. I already pointed them out one by one while covering previous issues, so there's really no point to do the same thing over and over again, now, is it? That's Einstein's definition of insanity, after all - doing the same thing over and over again, expecting different results. And that's literally what happened to Harley's comics - every new creative team does exactly the same as the previous ones. And it all sucks.

Even though I long ago learned Harley's comics offer nothing but cute variant covers by Frank Cho, for some unknown reason I keep wasting my time and money on them. And speaking of covers, this one sure doesn't lie - it is not the 1st issue. It's more of the same, to the point there's barely any difference between creative teams that worked on the series since New 52. Palmiotti, Conner, Tieri, Sebala and now Humphries commit the same mistakes and rely on exactly the same awful gimmicks depraving Harley of any depth and creativity she's got during her Dini/Timm days, and what Sean Murphy understood perfectly in Batman: The White Knight. Annoying, oversued accent? Check. Very little jokes that land? Check. General lack of any development for the protagonist, who is as dumb and one dimensional as always, at least since ~2010? Check. What's the point of changing writers if they do exactly the same as their predecessors?

There's a golden rule with Harley's comics - if the first panel she opens her mouth contains forced Brooklyn accent, so obnoxious and overused since New 52 started, the entire issue will most likely suck. You can call it the Nihilist's law, which this issue proves, just like its predecessors. It's bad, and honestly I hate to hate it, because despite me loathing Harley Quinn comics, I love the character. I mean, aside from her New 52 redesign, but that's a different story. Humphries tries to sneak some sad moments here and there to give Harley some personality she clearly lacks these days, but it feels flat and bland compared to, for example, Paul Dini's Kind of Like Family, specifically its last few, bittersweet, pages. I appreciate the effort, but it's not enough. If DC wants to make Harley's comic readable, they need to change, fix, improve them, instead of doing the same over and over again preserving their core, which is rotten. And has been for years now.

Why am I even doing this to myself? That is reading these abominations of comics? I love what Harley used to be before she was ruined by the New-52 reboot, and absolutely loathe what she was ever since. Rebirth fixed plenty of issues, and with Harl, they were purely cosmetic - she's got blonde locks back, so at least she looks right, but underneath she's still the same unfunny, annoying, and painfully stupid Deadpool clone. The entire New Gods arc could have been decent - there's some genuine potential in it, but with no good comedy and jokes that would actually land, and most importantly with no heart, it's all in vein. Get Sean Murphy, Bruce Timm and Paul Dini to write Harley's comics, or anyone who actually understands the character and doesn't limit her to be a valley girl with a mallet.

Do you want to read a funny, cleverly written comic that doesn't take itself too seriously, embracing its goofiness, yet not being a parody of itself? Do you want to read a comic with a relatable, genuinely entertaining and lovable multilayered protagonist? Do you want to read a comic with good art, utilizing different styles to highlight certain jokes and make then even better? Then go and read Plastic Man.

If I wanted to read Deadpool, I'd read Deadpool. Plain and simple. That's the reason I hated James Patrick's The Most Important Day of the Year, which to my knowledge, is one of the first Harley comics (if not the Patient 0 itself) which started her downfall as a character, in favor of mindless Deadpool-like violence with nothing more to offer. And that's why I hate this issue. It's dumbed down unfunny slapstick which makes me want to re-read Sean Murphy's Batman: The White Knight once again, as a reminder of how great Harl can be if used right, by a competent writer.

Once I started reading this mess of a comic, I really wanted to be Harley's mom for a moment, so I can just disappear. It's just a bad comic, albeit it has some small, redeeming qualities underneath all this inconsistent art, unfunny humor and idiotic plot. Yeah, that's something new for the series, isn't it? Few panels look genuinely good, few scenes were nicely written, minus dialogues (which is a trademark of sorts in the run), and I sure enjoy, for once, Harley having real connection with someone else, which gives her so much needed humanity she lacked for a decade now. It's still far from perfect, and the teenage Harley scene, while relatively cute, begs the question what's the point of Harleen becoming Harley if Harleen was Harley before Harleen has become Harley? Anyways, it's an inconsistent skipper. If you look for a good story where the protagonist ends up in a comic, watch A-Ha's Take On Me music video. It's fun. This fan-fiction is not.

Every author and artist that was, is and will be, has their own style or gimmick you can instantly recognize. I think I just understood what's Sam Humphries' gimmick in Harley comics - it's obscure, long forgotten characters that simply don't fit modern day DC, but can be used in a comedic way to kinda break the 4th wall, or at least be a disposable cast of side characters, since when you think about it, Harley has practically no memorable companions in her comics. The idea is not bad - Captain Triumph allowed Harley to suit up in her Bombshells costume, Janni was caught in the middle of figuring out what to do with multiple versions of Donna Troy, but in the end, there's one bad thing that remains constant, and that's the protagonist herself. Granted, she's less annoying than usually these days, thanks to more delicate (over)use of her accent gimmick, but still, when it comes to her personality, she is not very well fleshed out, still. In the end, Humphries tries to build his take on the character on the rotten fan-fic foundations of Conner and Palmiotti. It's a step in the right direction to save, or redeem, should I say, Harl as a character, but for now, it's still not enough to make me like it. You can't build a house on weak foundations.

I can't imagine what could be more painful than dialogues in Harley's comics. Just stop, please, pushing this accent gimmick so much on every panel, it's more painful than being smacked in the head with a mallet. These dialogues would be bad enough without it! From my observations, I think I can establish a principle: if Harley has this annoying accent gimmick, the entire comic will be trash. Let's call it Nihilist's law. I wonder if any writer proves me wrong, because as of now, I don't recall a good Harley comic that would feature this overused gimmick. Nothing worth recommending - the comic is unbearably poor.

Harley has become a YouTuber. Can this run fall any lower? What's next? She's going to make videos trying to stop the damn train in GTA V, taze dead rats with a stun gun, or spew paranoid propaganda wearing a donkey mask and calling anyone she disagrees a communist? Let's face it - at this point she's written as stupid enough to actually do every single each and one of these things, and it wouldn't surprise me a bit. Her PhD must have evaporated, the same way my brain cells do each month when I torture myself reading this garbage, not even being able to fully comprehend how my 2nd favourite comic character of all time got so regressed, ridiculed and simply butchered, not by just one writer, but by generations (well, not really, we're talking about maybe 8 years worth of material, ever since Dini stopped writing her) of them, one after another, commiting the same atrocities against the poor girl. A YouTuber. A freaking YouTuber. Sigh... If Conner and Palmiotti's run was so bad I could call it the Twilight of comic books, this abomination is an equivalent of 50 Shades of Grey, a fan fiction based on that steaming pile of trash, and somehow even worse that it. The only decent thing about this comic is the art - I actually like expressiveness of Harley, and that's why I'm not giving it score worse than I gave "Harley Lives", which may as well be the worst comic I've ever read in my entire life. A YouTuber. I'll be damned.

Why would anyone have any hopes for this issue? Its cover features Harley with a selfie stick in her hand, which perfectly sums up how bad this comic will be. It's like the LJN rainbow logo on old NES games, or Activision/2K/EA logos on modern ones. You instantly know what you're dealing with. A turd. And while the comic itself fulfilled my expectations, or the exact opposite of any to be precise, I gotta say, it was slightly better than the previous one. At least it gave both Harley and her antagonist, Minor Disaster, a sad scene to show their human emotions. It's just few panels among otherwise unreadable garbage, though, making abominations like Gwenpool look half decent.

Christmas specials have one thing in common - they are sweet. Kitsch and gimmicky, maybe, but sweet nonetheless. That's why holidays were invented by pagans in the first place - to lighten the frosty, dark winter mood, and offer people some comfort, something positive to wait for and cherish. This issue, to nobody's surprise, is hardly sweet, albeit it tries to add some drama and heart to its otherwise insanely tedious and caricatural story, being a typical "everything goes wrong this christmas, but we'll handle it at the very end". Dialogues, once again unsurprisingly, are atrocious ("black metal forever!", sigh), and characters are barely overdrawn one dimensional shells, stereotypes. And yes, similarly to previous issues, you know what you're dealing with since the first page. The moment you see Harley's accent and abbreviations popping up, you instantly know it's going to be shit. And it is, except this time it tries to hide its real nature with christmas decorations.

Rolling Stones once wrote "you can't always get what you want". Phenomenal song, although if I had to pick the personal favourite of mine, it would be Gimme Shelter. Anyways, why do I mention it? To recommend something good, which this comic definitely isn't? Yeah... I guess that too. But what matters is, you indeed can't always get what you want, and when I started reading this issue, I was very, very pleased to find a quote by Harley: "not half bad... as a matter of fact, it's all bad", which I was hoping could perfectly summarize this comic, it could be just perfect. But then again, you can't always get what you want. The first half of the comic is relatively readable, thus as much as I'd like to say, it's not "all bad". It's not good either, mind you, but compared to utter trash Palmiotti, Conner, Sebala, Tieri and Humphries served us in the not so distant past, it has SOME redeeming qualities. For example, I think Harley uses her awfully obnoxious, overused accent less than usual, which definitely is a good thing. Very good thing, and a step in the right direction, which could ave the character from being a parody of her (good) old self. There's some humor I don't find absolutely cringeworthy, like Harl being a YouTuber or anything. It's still hardly fun, but at least I won't have to make an appointment with a shrink after reading it, to deal with my PTSD. More or less halfway, shit hits the fan, however, and the comic turns into something that reminds me of garbage written by James Patrick, whom to my knowledge is responsible for starting Harley's transition into a wannabe Deadpool. And that's exactly what we see here - a massacre, maybe more subtle than usual, but still a massacre nonetheless, and unsurprisingly, I hate it, mostly because it feels unnecessary and meaningless. Still can't say the comic's all bad, as much as I'd like to. The art is the only good thing about this book. It's cute, Harley is incredibly expressive, and Mirka Andolfo is the best pick for the series' artist I could imagine. Keep her full-time, ditch fan-fic writers and you can get a fun, beautiful looking series I could give huge thumbs up, and possibly buy a trade paperback of it, to put it on my shelf. But then, finding a good Harley writer is like looking for a needle in a haystack. For every Sean Murphy, there's ten Jimmy Palmiottis, Amanda Conners, James Patricks, Sam Humphrieses, Brian Azzarellos, Frank Tieris and Christopher Sebalas, fighting who can write a worse pile of shit.

Look. I like the concept of Harley being framed, and then figuring her way out of this mess, first trying to fight, or run away from Batman, and then, inevitably, teaming up with him and proving her innocence. You know why? Because I've seen it already. Paul Dini's Some King of a Family was based on this general plot, and it was full of action, full of heart and full of character development. This is none of that. The comic is an incoherent mess, and to make things worse, it's filled with filler material, like the entire dream sequence. It's unnecessary and serves no real purpose other than saying out loud few things that coulld have been said in one or two sentences. And frankly, I can even tell you when exactly - in hospital, when Harley was talking to her mom, and/or her trying to prove Batman she is redeemable. The only two good things I can say about this issue are, as follows: the art is pretty good (with some panels being very good), and it doesn't feature deadpoolesque pointless violence and shock for the sake of shock. They aren't enough to save it, though.

Long story short - it's not nearly as bad as the previous issue, but it's still borderline unreadable due to the awful accent gimmick Humphries, similarly to vast majority of Harley writers, can't stop overusing. And this time, I feel like there's no sentence spoken by Harl that's simply normal. Yeah, pretty bad issue, which should come to no one's surprise, but at least it's not insultingly bad like Bird of Prey's reveal teaser. Ugh, maybe seeing it made me more tolerant towards these awful comics...

Underwhelming, empty comic equivalent of a Michael Bay movie - flashy and desperately trying to be as spectacular as possible, while also being quite illiterate and devoid of much, if any, substance. I do appreciate building Harley's relationship with her mom, but it's quickly overshadowed by empty action - and I mean EMPTY. It's as hollow as the last issue of Batman, or Heroes in Crisis, with one page dedicated exclusively to Harl shooting enemies, each panel from different angle. Then, demons from her past begin to haunt her. We see Joker, for some odd reason not having any damn eyebrows like the parody from Suicide Squad movie (which also bastardized Harley herself, having some idiotic scribbles on her face there, looking like a typical mumble rap waste of semen), and Batman. Here comes my favourite scene from this issue, the only good one I'd say - not only Harley tries to save Bats, but also begs him to to leave her alone. That's pretty powerful, I have to say, and fits her character perfectly - yeah, when you think about it, she, in her core, doesn't want to be alone. That's what Mad Love was about, among few other themes. Good to see something more than pointless slaughter featuring Harley for once. I didn't expect that. The bad thing, though, even a good scene had to be ruined by overuse of the force accent, present in 1 out of 3 words, pretty much. As much as I hate what Telltale Games did to Harley, they've got one good idea - she would speak this way only when out of control, usually scared or angry. That's brilliant in its simplicity and doesn't feel forced like this mess of dialogues. Art is pretty and fits the series. It's something that most likely will appeal to the target audience of it. If I can enjoy it, think about someone who actually reads this shit with pleasure!

I don't dislike modern cartoons because I'm nostalgic towards ones popular when I was a kid - there was plenty of garbage on TV back in the day, and there has to be a fair dose of new generation's classics aired now that I don't know of. But the popular shows, and the dominant style here and now are not my cup of tea whatsoever. You know what I'm talking about - all these "LOL so random xD" pseudocomedies insulting your intelligence by confusing popcultural references with actual jokes (granted, Marvel movies do it as well), and all that being drawn in this hideous, faux-animeish style. Just watch the new Thundercats trailer that everyone and their mother were ripping apart in sheer hatred a year or two ago. Yeah, that kind of humor and design style. And that's exactly what this comic reminds me of. All these lazily drawn, forced expression panels trying so hard to be like manga (Google "fullmetal alchemist faces", you'll see), yet lacking manga's natural coolness and ability to balance out silliness with heavier scenes, drama and development... And you know what? If done right, this comic could have been pretty fun and fresh. Teen Titans cartoon from 2003 serves as a wonderful example of eastern influences done right. This... Not so much.

Humphries tries to pull off a Morrison here, with heavy drug-like randomness popping out every second, but the only thing he accomplishes is making me want to be on drugs, because there's no way in hell I could enjoy such comic while sober. Humor is bad, practically the MCU level of unbearable, and the dramatic tension is non existent. New-52 onwards Harley lacks any intelligence and wit, and it's a shame to see her being stuck in this never ending loop of obnoxious stupidity being caused by bad writing and then said obnoxious stupidity inspiring more bad writing.

At first I thought I'll give this issue just an empty rating, because it's not even worth writing anything about it. But then I decided to write it's not worth writing about, just to show how tired I am with the New-52 onwards Harley comics.

One could assume DC will try to bury Heroes in Crisis in the past, just ignore it, move along, never mention this piece of filth again... but nope, for some reason the editorial thought we need this comic, probably because they try to push this entire Year of the Villain shtick. And because it exists to be connective tissue between two major events, the comic sure lack substance, to no one's surprise. It's like an n-th season of a soap opera which should have ended few years ago. I have to admit, though, that the art is fantastic here - detailed, sharp, vibrant, colorful, and absolutely beautiful. Harley received a small makeover to look less slutty, so for that another thumbs up.

Feels like somebody made a comic out of a Frank Cho's idea for a variant cover of Harley's solo series, because other than that, I can't explain why it was made, and what story does it try to tell. It's a bland, boring, unfunny soap opera, albeit with really pretty art, I have to acknowledge that. While it tries to address, and to a degree, fix the Ivy mess Tom King caused with Heroes in Crisis, the series so far seemed to me like all style, no substance, completely hollow and soulless. Yet another skipper with little to no story value.

Karl Marx once said "history repeats itself, first as tragedy, second as farce", and it'd take special kind of "genius" to dissagree with that. You see, DC and WB failed with Suicide Squad in 2016 - a movie so bad, it has become a running joke despised by everyone and their moms, panned for its Hot Topic trailer trash aethetic, Joker and Harley having scribbles tattooed on their damn faces, and lack of any real script connecting (awful) scenes together. It was very much a tragedy for the DCEU, already hit hard by BvS' fiasco. One that basically solidified DCEU's status of a terrible, terrible franchise with no hope for the future. Fast forward to 2020, WB released Birds of Prey, which bombed so hard in the box office, Middle Eastern civilians could confuse it for an American drone. This time it wasn't a tragedy - it was very much a farce, since WB made the very same mistakes as before, expecting different results, which as the saying says, defines insanity. Damage control in form of quick name change won't help, when the main character's face looks like a detention desk, and the movie is as comic accurate as Halle Berry's Catwoman. It clearly doesn't appeal to fans, so the only way to get to them is through what they love - which is comics. DC decided to promote this trainwreck of a movie with a series loosely based on it. In theory it wouldn't be a bad idea, in practice, however, it all derails and crashes hard. Life's good sometimes, isn't it? The fundamental problem of the comic is, it's written by Palmiotti and Conner, who sure, may have brought Harley to new heights of popularity, simultaneously depraved her as complexity, turned her into a shallow gimmicky shadow of her past pre New 52 self. Now imagine them doing the ssame to several other characters in this book, and yeah, you get the idea what we're dealing with here. They got an order from corporate suits: "we make a flick with these characters, give 'em a comic as well", and that's what happened. It exists exclusively because someone ordered it, not because it has any purpose or interesting story to tell. Funnily enough, Conner and Palmiotti's writing targets, I presume, age group of 12-15, judging by the quality of dialogues and story, while the movie got R rating for reasons beyond my comprehension. This is some 4th dimensional chess WB's been playing. So good luck finding common audience for both of these! Artwork iss this comic's only saving grace. It's good. Not extraordinary, but definitely good. Characters are expresive and look sympathetic, welcoming to the reader. Or viewer, really, because a reader would notice how poor the story is. Either way, Harley Quinn and the Bird of Prey is a corporate product existing because corporate execs at WB and DC didn't see the movie failing from a mile away, and wanted to cross-promote it. That's a skipper, unless you need a reminder that DCEU is dead, and DCEU killed it.

For someone who has Harley set as the avatar, I have very low tolerance for her post Paul Dini self. Aside from her reinvented regressed personality and sheer bloody stupidity, the overused accent is an important factor in making me want to punch a wall every time I read her dialogues. After reading the first page of the comic I was mildly annoyed. After reading the second I was growing progressively more tired and hopeless. But boy, oh boy, was there a surprise for me waiting on the third page... specifically one line: "I wanna go pontoon boatin' with Powwa Girl an' Wonda Woman". Kill me. Just kill me. No doubt DC's greenlit this book, alongside Azzarello's monstrosity filled with racial and sexual insensitivities, only because WB wanted to promote the awful movie they've spawned and that got nowhere because it didn't appeal to anybody, especially people who know and care about comics, meaning the core audience they should have pandered to. Hence now they double down on desperately trying to convince us that Harley and Birds of prey belong together, but not because they share good stories and entire story arcs. No, that'd take time and effort to craft. Let's instead team them up for no damn good reason, to merely tick a box and pretend the the main cast is now canonizez in the comics so no one can state the movie has nothing to do with the source material and took its cript from its ass. Now, all the terrible things I can say about its cynical reasons to exist, script and dialogues, do not discredit the art here. I may dislike (strongly) Conner as a writer, but she's a fantastic artist and I adore her expressive cartoonish style. It's upbeat, it's detailed, each character looks unique, and panels featuring action/movement feel dynamic. She'd be a perfect fit for series targetting your typical normies, preferably younger girls. Which begs the question why does this comic have Black Label emblem on it? Why does it pretend it's R rated while clearly its narrative and dialogues are meant for tweens (at most)? Throwing few F bombs and sprinkling it with blood doesn't make something mature. Skip this trainwreck unless art is literally all you care about. But in this case you can probably look for a poster designed by Conner or something not having "Wonda Woman" written on it.

Never been a fan of Sejic's exploration of the titular character, I found her to lack... personality, depth and internal conflict despite the series doing its best to tell me otherwise, convince me it's more than it may be. And maybe that's the problem. Maybe I don't like it telling me something, while it could have shown it instead? And that's precisely the complaint I have regarding this comic. It tells me something two too many times, ruining the final twist, making it so painfully predictable and obvious you can't think that the comic is not just not as smart as it actually is, but also doesn't think you are as smart as you may be, which in all fairness doesn't say much because the ending is really THAT obviously foreshadowed. Still not a fan of this series. Art is good, though, so here's few extra points for it.

Harley doesn't lack talented artists to illustrate her comics. Whether we're talking Bruce Timm, Inaki Miranda, Sean Murphy, Stjepan Sejic, Amanda Conner, Sami Basri or Steve Pugh, each has their own unique style that's instantly recognizable and one of a kind. Mirka Andolfo is another artist worth praising, bringing manga sensibilities to western comics. That is the comic's strength. As far as writing goes, though... yikes. Andolfo certainly did not show she can craft a compelling story here, nor even one that would be "just" entertaining. It tries to be funny, like Paul Dini's short stories featuring Harley from back in the day, but it really feels like it was made by an Instagram obsessed teen for other Instagram obsessed teens. Even more so than Sam Humphries' social media story arc in Harley's regular ongoing series... which let me tell you, was capital BAD.

It's not a secret I adore White Knight series, ever since I've read the first issue for the very first time. And aside from reinventing the Batman mythos in a unique (albeit not so fresh on the first glance) way, as well as looking like nothing else on the shelves, these comics managed to make me fall in love with Harley all over again, just like in the good old Batman: The Animated Series times. Murphy made her interesting again, after years of being a shallow and annoying Mary Sue, and he made her compelling, fleshed out, human, so much so she became the heart and soul of White Knight. Heck, you could say she is THE White Knight of the story. At this point when I see Murphy's name or art on the cover of anything Batman, you bet I'm gonna pick it up. Especially when there's Harl to be found in it. In comparison, Black + White + Red series made a strong negative impression on me when it comes to writing in general. Granted, it's anthology series with different writers, each having different style and interpretation of the character, so I'd be surprised if there was someone who genuinely enjoyed every single issue. And while I certainly didn't like any of these comics, here's one I must recommend, and I must get it when it's released as a physical copy (and hopefully it'll be added to the upcoming Harley series by Murphy). It's brilliant - a real treat for every fan of Sean Murphy's take on Batman and his friends (and foes). Yes, I'm fanboying right now, but what else can I do?

You know the thing about all those beauty contests and typical Fox News segments? They're packed with beautiful women, who may look breathtaking at first glance, but the moment they open their mouths, it's clear as day their IQs are smaller than their waist sizes, otherwise they wouldn't be where they are. Seems like a weird way to start a review, but stay with me, because that's exactly how I feel about Tamaki's take on Harley. It sure looks beautiful, Steve Pugh outdid himself in this book, but when you look closer, and actually read it... well, let's say it's as compelling as average beauty contestant's wish to "make, like, the world, totally a better place, y'know". It's bad, and I mean it. Capital "B.A.D", but not without some merits here and there. The comic follows a young, elseworld Harleen who moved to Gotham for a year, because her mom got a job at a cruising ship. Cool, her age is a good explanation of her childishness, silliness and stupidity, which annoys me beyond belief in her regulr comics since the new-52 failure of a reboot, where she was stripped from any depth, personality and emotional baggage she had when Paul Dini was writng her. She also speaks normally - there's no forced accent gimmick deforming every second word she uses, and I welcome that with open arms. So these two things I definitely liked in this book, teen Harley feels more appropriate than her current canon version. What I absolutely hate, however, is how obsessed Tamaki is with identity politics. The entire character of (non poisonous) Ivy exists only to talk about sexism, patriarchy and racism, and I shit you not, in one of the scenes she accuses the school's principal of being racist towards her, because reasons. Have mercy, it's one thing to include socio-political commentary in a comic (something I defend), and other to push it so hard, it turns a supporting character into an absolute one dimensional parody, because the author wants to virtue signal and moralize on every page. That's exactly what people mean when they whine about "žagendas" and "žSJWs" in the industry. Compare it to my main man Alan Moore, a genuine anarchist, who created Rorschach, a conspiratorial right wing nutjob, and a compelling one at that. Moore, contrary to Tamaki, didn't use the character to smell his own farts, but to utilize him in a larger context, and portray him in a believable, complex, realistic way. Flawed, human way. Now, look back at this Ivy, who has nothing to offer but politically driven platitudes. You see a difference? The plot is very weak and insanely predictable for the most part, mostly because Tamaki's cartoonish, ignorant perception of social issues in our society overshadows themes of class war, corporatism and local communities which needed more exposition and could have been explored in depth. If she focused more on setting up the main plot and giving every character more time to develop, this could have been a completely different book. Just look at how randomly Harley gets her nickname, and her bat, for instance. There's no foreshadowing to either of them. It happens, because the story demands it to happen. Or the character of Mama, who apparently is very close to Harley, except we hardly see them bonding whatsoever. There's so much wasted potential, reminding me of the awful Supergirl: being Super (alo written by Tamaki), which felt pretty similar to this comic, except even worse, since it was so painfully boring. The only really outstanding thing about this book is the art. As I stated earlier, Steve Pugh did phenomenal job, and I adore his style here. Harley is so expressive, and actualy looks like a teenager. He put so much attention into little details, and making this comic look bautiful, he deserves a standing ovation. Really - that's one of the best looking DC titles I've read this year. Thus, it hurts me even more to see it all being wasted in this poorly written mess of a story. Just release an artbook with Harley drawings, Steve, I'd recommend it, as long as Mariko Tamaki stays the fuck away from it, with her regressive commentary in place of any decent plot.

While this comic is lightyears behind anything Dini (with Bruce Timm) did in the 90s with Batman: The Animated Series and what later continued its legacy (most notably Mad Love), it's readable. And being "readable" is definitely not something I could say about anything Harley centric Conner, Palmiotti and Tieri have done... So I guess that's a somewhat positive adjective to describe it. With competition like that, not much wouldn't be. I just wish Dini didn't try to combine the modern take on the character, with the classic one, using the Brooklyn accent gimmick to the limits, like Palmiotti and Conner were pushing it for years. Retrospections of Harleen's past in S.T.A.R. Labs were the most enjoyable parts to me, because for once, she was talking normally, and on top of that, Dini has portrayed her as a good, caring person she is, but what's often overlooked by other writers who try to make her a female Deadpool clone.

It really doesn't take much to make something better than Harley's usual solo series. This issue proves it - it's defintiely superior to what Harl's been since the beginning of the New 52, but it's also inferior to what she used to be back when Paul Dini and Bruce Timm were working on her together. There's an interesting subplot going on, with sane Harleen still living in mad Harley's mind, and parts with dr Quinzel were the most enjoyable to me. It'sgreat to see these two completely different, yet the same women, interacting with each other and somewhat bonding. Sure, Sean Murphy executed similar concept way better in Batman White Knight, but it's nice to see Harley developing as a character for once, after years of being painfully one dimensional.

Honestly? I'm not impressed. Maybe I've expected much more, after all the hyping and advertising as the next best thing since Doomsday Clock or Batman: The White Knight, but I can't confidently say this issue was anything outstanding. It's a start of something, that's for sure, but it didn't give me enough substance to make my mind about it. Because when you think about it, there's not much of story there so far - a conflict, a discovery and few patient monologues giving us some insight into why they looked for help, and why they ultimately were killed off. And speaking of killing off - Tom King's reputation has been under fire last few months, mostly because of his Batman series. There is a vocal part of our community who is very displeased with his comics, and I can guarantee you, Heroes in Crisis won't change their minds. I won't spoil anything, but certain... two reds are the reason. It's important to keep any story engaging and shocking - the worst thing you can achieve as a writer, is forgettable predictability. Because that's what nobody likes, nor remembers. So I can understand why King decided to include few shockers in this issue, and provoke discussion. But then again, he already tried shocking fans with Batman #50, and how did it end? My last problem I'd like to talk about is behaviour of characters. Good thing, Harley for the first time since forever, actually shows iterest in psychiatry, by quoting Sigmund Freud. That's a nice little detail, since the character lacks any intelligence in her solo comics, where her only gimmick is an annoying, obnoxious accent. Bad thing, other than that, she reminds me more of Joker for the most part. And that's bad. Really bad. Booster Gold, as of now, practically lacks any personality. Maybe because he doesn't have Skeets to interact with, maybe because he didn't have much to say or do in the issue. There's no point to encourage or discourage anyone from picking up the book. It's a gigantic event at DC, so if you're reading these words, you probably will, or already did, read it anyways.

The issue is less dreadful and boring than the series' debut, but it's still hardly a decent, enjoyable comic to read. The worst part about it is the fact it's just... boring and tenseless for the very most part, and Tom King's signature minimalistic, repetitious style of writing doesn't help. It worked in his first few Batman story arcs, but I wouldn't expect to witness it in a huge event involving so many characters and having such a huge impact on the entire DC universe. There's few genuine improvements compared to #1, and I'm glad to see them. Harley's classic costume is back, she doesn't have her usual ultra annoying and overused gimmicky accent Palmiotti, Conner, Tieri, Sebala and Humphries all love so much in her solo comics, and her romantic fan service fan fiction relationship with Ivy is finally dead and gone. Yeah, if Ivy is indeed dead, it's a huge loss, since she's one of Batman's most interesting and developed villains and I love her very much, but in the bigger scale, the more garbage created by Palmiotti/Conner is removed, the better. If you remove a tumor, you gotta remove some healthy tissue around it as well to ensure no damage cells remain. Bad thing, Harl is able to effortlessly beat the trinity, which to say at least, will spark some controversy. I can understand Deathstroke being able to outsmart Supes and being an equal to Batman, and I can fully understand Harley beating them all in real life when it comes to merch sales, but in an actual fight, with 3 versus 1... come on, King, don't be silly. Overall, Tom King is still underdelivering - the comic is a slow, boring read, and I can't recommend it. It's still just a boring tale of events following more interesting massacre and deaths of fan favourite characters. Meh.

At this point I guess it's safe to say the entire event derailed pretty badly for DC, and after reading this issue, I can confidently say that Lagoon Boy perfectly captures who Tom King is as a writer. He loves repetition, he uses repetition time and time again whenever he has a chance, and while it's perfectly acceptable for a traumatized hero who can't let his pain go and relieves his most painful memory over and over again, it becomes pretty tedious for a reader after a while. Especially a reader who's familiar with King's other works. Whether it's "Darkseid is", Batman's enemies always making a full circle connecting to Bruce's personal life and tragedies, or now, repeating the same scene over and over again, it's all pretty tiresome nowadays. I wouldn't call this issue terrible, or even bad, but it's just a typical "meh" not deserving my recommendation or attention. Skip it if you don't care, and if you do, just because it's a huge event, don't expect anything groundbreaking. It's a weak, bland, boring, forgettable comic - which is the worst kind of a comic when you think about it. It's not outstanding, thus won't be remembered as a masterpiece and ultimately praised, nor it's bad enough to be ridiculed, mocked and avoided after some time.

There's a sweet Stan Lee in memoriam page at the very end of this comic, naturally with his signature "Excelsior!". I have a better quote, though. One that could summarize what I think of Heroes in Crisis, and what Tom King should ask DC to do with it. Or him - doesn't make a difference to me. "Finish - spare the shame!", as Sienkiewicz wrote in The Deluge. If you've been following previous issues, wasting your time and brain cells on them, you already know it's a boring, out of character slug of an event, as thought-provoking as Fox News propaganda (sorry, Comicsverse, but shots fired). I would normally just ignore it after 1-2 issues, seeing what it is, and realizing it's not for me, but we're talking about a universe-shaking crossover event with long lasting consequences on DC. Thus, I can't just ignore it and its awfulness. Is there anything good about it? Art is decent, and Harley-Batgirl team-up made me recall good old Dini days and great chemistry these two had. I wouldn't mind a crossover series with them, kind of a buddy cop adventure, as long as King doesn't write it, that is. I'd say avoid this dumpster fire, but I know you won't listen. It's too big to ignore, I feel the pain, and Tom King will definitely not beg DC to spare him shame by finishing it quickly and painlessly.

"Why did the chicken cross the road?" To get to a terrible comic writer's house. Heroes in Crisis is just plain bad. It may feature some very solid artwork, but the story is so painfully boring, disjointed, pseudo-intellectually "deep" and in many cases out of character, it basically could be summarized with all the jokes, mockery and criticisms of New-52 era of DC Comics. It takes itself so seriously and desperately tries to be perceived as mature, gritty, philosophical and groundbreaking, it ultimately not only fails to be either one, but also fails to tell a story. Any story. And that's what comics are about, aren't they? Doesn't matter good or bad, the story is the driving force behind comics, and Heroes in Crisis lacks anything I'd like to follow. Yeah, there are apparently some connected arcs, too bad I don't care about a single one of them. I just can't find any redeeming qualities to this mess, the same way I can't say anything positive about the recent reveal of Birds of Prey movie characters. In both cases, iconic characters were bastardized and sacrificed for a failed (pseudo)artistic vision, to the point they don't resemble, even remotely, their comic counterparts. It's terrible. It's boring. Uninspired. Bland. What a waste of time.

If you've heard of Heroes in Crisis, you should already know pefectly it's bad. There's nothing controversial about stating this fact - it may have been when issue #1 came out, but since then, everyone came to realization that, yeah, it's just a piss-poor excuse for a giant comic event as captivating and entertaining as Captain Marvel's movie trailers. This issue is maybe even worse than ts predecessors - and excuse me, but I won't read them again to find out whether this thesis is correct or not. Why may it be worse, you ask? Because nothing, and I mean literally NOTHING happens in this book. It's one thing to write a nihilistic, hopeless story, and completely different to write something that is so nihilistic, it's just two dozen pages of nothingness, of absolute abyss. Calling it filler would be a compliment - this is an insulting cash grab with nothing, not one thing, to tell or do. I said it once some time ago (don't remember if I was reviewing Heroes in Crisis or Batman) - Tom King should probably go back to his previous jobs, that being abolishing democratically elected governments, rather than writing comics, because it must be hell of a lot easier. I swear, Heroes in Crisis is just obnoxiously empty and meaningless. Not one thing happened in this issue - there's absolutely no reason to read it, because even if you don't, guess what, you didn't miss anything. Way to go, Tom King, setting new lows every month.

Look at the cover - even Superman, one of the most patient, calm, down to earth, understanding and compassionate people in the multiverse, is sick of this shit. So are we, Clark, o are we. The comic, to nobody's surprise at this point, is terrible. Issues #1 and #2 may have been very negative surprises, or slaps in our faces if you prefer, but the longer this event goes, the more obvious it should be to everybody, it's an utter, irredeemable disaster. I don't even know where to begin - the story is terrible, dialogues are probably even worse, everyone acts like anyone but themselves (oh, I'm sorry, Harley has shown she has good heart - something we knew since her Paul Dini's days, but what was later bastardized with New 52)... I'm sorry, but I can't see one good quality here. Even art looks cheap at times - some panels are detailed and complex, others resemble indie series. Truth be told, Heroes in Crisis is not even worth dissecting anymore. I don't feel like I want to waste my time, braincells and breath for it. Skip this piece of filth. Shame on you, DC.

Heroes in Crisis continues to be long and painful read, bastardizing everything its characters stand for, all in the name of barely coherent, incompetent deconstructionism. King tries, and fails time and time again, to do what giants like Alan Moore (Watchmen, Miracle Man) did before him, taking the concept of a good superhero fighting bad super villains, and twisting it around, giving it brutally realistic depth and switching black and white for an entire spectrum of greys. Here, in this series, however, this deconstruction was done so poorly and obnoxiously, it's hard to take it seriously even for a moment. Which is a problem, considering this piece of filth is set in the main continuity, thus can't be simply disposed, forgotten and ignored like other edgelord trainwrecks, just to mention the recent Batman Damned. That's the biggest tragedy of Heroes in Crisis - it's awful, yes, but sadly it's in canon making things ten times worse, since you can't just turn your sight from it and forget about it. It's like DCEU in many respects, where Joker and Harley have some idiotic scribbles tattooed on their faces, for example, and seemingly nothing can be done about it, due to Warner Bros' incompetence and, I guess, franchise-suicidal tendencies. That describest Tom King's entire event as well, doesn't it?

Finally this piece of crap is over and we can move on with our lives. Forget about it, and its awfulness. Apparently not much changed with this event - Ivy's back and her fan-fic relationship with Harley still exists (sigh...), Wally is alive, well and not insane... Hell, I have a feeling that other than few deaths, nothing happened in Heroes in Crisis. I guess that's a good thing, considering how bad it was. If I tried to find a fitting analogy, Heroes in Crisis would be a hooker. Pretty on the outside, because if there's one outstanding thing about this trainwreck, it'd be beautiful art. Yet rotten inside, infected with syphilis and so shallow minded, it makes you wonder how can she walk and talk at the same time. The sad thing is, similarly to treating syphilis, getting rid of Heroes in Crisis' influences on the DC universe may be tough. We've seen it with New-52, and how Rebirth had to openly retcon its idiocies and atrocies, like Amazons being rapists and murderers, Harley's awful black-red haired redesign, Mr. Freeze's apparently delusionalal, fictional relationship with Nora, or complete erasure of Wally West. Now, I guess, it's time for these silly conservative hacks on YouTube to milk the subject by making 100 or so videos about Heroes in Crisis, stating every each time they don't care about it, lol. The rest of our population, I'd say should forget about this event completely. It's dead. Finally.

There's few moments in recent history that shattered DC's positive reputation they've gained with Rebirth. Batman #50 was an absolute disaster, and in general, King's Batman series has been very polarizing, just like Bendis' takeover of Superman comics. And then there's Heroes in Crisis - a study of failure, an analysis of writing incompetence, so despised by fans, it has become a joke comparable to DCEU's Martha scene, or Joker and Harley having scribbles tattooed on their faces. The entire event, from its beginning, to its end, was a trainwreck - not just poorly written. but also boring and tenseless. It took few things that made Rebirth such a success, and crashed them one by one. If you look for intelligent, character driven short series, look elsewhere. Doomsday Clock or Batman White Knight coming to my mind instantly. If you look for something more action oriented, look no further than to Dark Nights Metal. Heroes in Crisis is just plain garbage with no redeeming qualities other than art, and maybe the initial concept, which to be fair, sounds pretty cool on paper. Too bad its execution made the entire event a complete failure, one of the biggest abominations I've got displeasure to witness in years.

Great start, setting up a big mystery, as well as two opposing teams - of heroes and villains. For now there's much I can say - I have more questions than answers, and quite frankly, that's what I expected from a debut issue. Definitely worth recommending, especially if you're a fan of Justice League and Justice League Unlimited cartoons - this comic in many respects feels like their extension, a matured recreation.

So far, Snyder has all my attention - I definitely enjoy what was shown to us in the first two issues, and look, heck, crave for more. This is a really strong start, and hopefully the series will keep its momentum. There's everything you could ask for, and more, including new lantern corps which I can't wait to understand, to explore their mythos. We're in for a ride...

Series definitely continue its initial momentum, while focusing on few different, yet directly connected, story arcs. We have a chance to see what's happening to Superman and Martian Manhunter, Batman and Hawkgirl (with a little surprise passenger), Diana, Arthur and Barry (even the invisible jet makes an appearance), and finally, there was a nice explanation of the new lantern corps I personally really waited for. If you've enjoyed first two issues of the series, you're going to love this one as well.

So far, Justice League established itself as a multilayered, high quality run with plenty of interconnected mysteries leading to something bigger, important, universe changing. This issue is not an exception - front to end, it's exciting, unpredictable and offers multiple viewpoints. There's something for everybody.

Issue offers much needed backstory to what happened before the series started, but after events of No Justice. It explains Luthor's plans... for the most part, without pushing the main story forward. We know he controls Superman's body, but other than that, we see no sense in that, nor the end goal. And don't get me wrong - it's fun to follow villains instead of heroes, for once - see their desires, motivations and drives. However at the moment, issue #5 feels a bit like a filler, and after reading it, we're still in the same place we've been after #4.

Very solid issue, both storywise and visually. Heroes finally found a way to overcome the monstrous odds of their villains united, and it surely feels earned. The action is far from over, and the cliffhanger definitely leaves you wanting more, thus it's safe to say, the run so far is absolutely worth picking.

nd here we are at the end of the first arc. It was a good run so far - one that started something big, and we're going to need a lot of time to process it all. Complexity is both a strength and weakness of Justice League comics now, since while you can't deny the ambition and size of its story, all 7 issues felt a bit disjointed at times, due to action constantly jumping from one character to another. From what I've heard during Comicstorian's interview with Scott Snyder, next arcs are going to be focused around just few heroes, instead of the full team, which I look forward to. #7 is a solid read, and one that most definitely will be mandatory to understand what's to come. Fans of Snyder's JL won' be disappointed.

Even though the action focuses only on a part of the overall extensive cast of heroes and villains, the issue is as multilayered and complex as its predecessors. One thing that has changed, is the general scale of events - and I welcome that, because as much as I liked the first arc of this run, there's no denying it was rather overwhelming. To some at first, to others completely. Having a bit more breathing room, and focusing on separate characters interacting with each other most definitely is a good thing.

I'm glad to see characters interacting with each other in between fighting crime and saving the world, but I don't think it's for the best of the series to focus an entire issue on them. Reason being, this comic feels like a filler, and maybe because it is. And don't get me wrong - I don't dislike it for not progressing the story at all, nor putting emphasis on aforementioned interactions and building relationships. It's a fun comic, but one that ends in the same place it starts.

Amazing beginning for a huge story arc. Not only we get insight into Earth's history and legends known among Atlanteans and Amazons, but everything organically leads to current events. I'm sold.

Remember Greta Van Fleet? Talented kids, for sure, but it's not the band itself I'd like to compare this comic to, but rather remind us all of one quote regarding their debut album, which was labeled "boomer fetishism". Whether it was an accurate criticism, or just a journalist hackery, I'll leave for personal interpretation, but either way it got stuck in my mind, and came back when I was reading this book. You know why? Because I felt like it actually commits similar "crime", but instead of fetishizing boomerisms, it fetishizes Crisis on Infinite Earths. Now, there's nothing wrong with referencing classic comics nor trying to take what's there and tell your own continuation. But if you decide to do so, you should focus on YOUR story first and foremost, and there's very little of it to be found here. Granted, it's just the prologue to a bigger event, so I can't be too critical of it, but when I think about it, there's nothing outside the Dark Army itself that seems like something new. And even then, it's not something that would feel... inspiring and complelling, you know? Oldest trick in the book - when enemies get strong enough you can't think of anyone stronger, just make them unite and strike the heroes together. Dark Nights Metal worked, because it gave us good antagonists, even though most of them ended up being wasted. Crisis on Infinite Earths got a big memorable baddie too. Sinestro Corps War and Blackest Night? You bet there was something more than just armies of endless cannon fodder. But that's not really the worst part. What hurts me the most here is that I felt little to nothing while reading this book. Characters die, and that's it. It's not as terrible executed as, let's say, Superman's laughable death in Batman v Superman dumpsterfi... movie, I mean, but still, I cynically smirk thinking that they're going to come back to us very soon. It's comics, after all. We've seen Death of Superman, so no publicity stunt like this will work again, I guess. And even if they're dead for good in the main continuity, there's countless elseworlds that sales-wise perform better than main-line DC series. Finally, considering the scale and "stakes" of this event, I dare to say its art left me pretty disappointed. Sandoval is a good artist, but he clearly needed more time to properly detail all the panels here, because overall, they look pretty rushed. Surely, glory days of DC's big events with Perez or Reis really doing some insanely intricate work are over. Overall a meh/10. Nothing that would blow my mind either story or art-wise. It works as a semi decent prologue and its value will be measured once the story unravels properly. For now, there's not much of it other than obsessive fascination with Crisis on Infinite Earths.

Very promising beginning for the new series, teasing the big mystery and setting relationships between the main characters. I'm excited for the plot - lovecraftian monsters jumping out of Zatanna's hat, or deformed zombies are definitely my kind of thing, and I can't wait to see where Justice League Dark will take us, the readers. I can't say I'm particularly interested in Zatanna's portrayal, though - out of all the characters, she semed like the least sympathetic to me, even though she should steal the show easily. I mean, her competition are a bat, a chimpanzee and a walking cannabis plant, not mentioning Wonder Woman. There's something about her personality that didn't click to me, but for now, I can't identify what exactly it is. Her braid doesn't help either, though - it's not exactly flattering for a showwoman. Overall really solid issue, I hope it will be followed by equally worthwile ones.

Magic is unpredictable - once you break the shackles of logic, order and generally accepted laws or principles, you're in for a ride, with nothing to hold on to. Justice League Dark comics so far feel this way - they can surprise you, and turn everything on its head, in this issue quite literally, just ask Detective Chimp. On top of that, James Tynion IV seems to be inspired by works of H.P. Lovecraft and/or Junji Ito, with his inhumane creations our heroes face. It's a delight for fans of horror.

This is, most likely, the best issue from the series you've seen so far. It's tense, the villain is interesting, terrifying and unpredictable, and each character has their purpose - bigger or smaller. I truly enjoy the mystery our heroes face. Magic can truly be horrifying, the more, the less of its rules we comprehend. That's what H.P. Lovecraft captured once, by saying "the oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown". We don't understand this kind of magic, nor the nature of the Upside Down Man, making them so much more entertaining. Still not a fan of Zatanna's braid, though. It has to go.

Justice League Dark is on its way to become a modern classic. Judging what I've seen so far, I can confidently say it's one of the best runs out there, and could definitely recommend it to any comic reader, doesn't matter if they care about the magic aspect or not. There's way more to it that sheer magic - character interactions, and character choice to begin with, is absolutely brilliant. Each hero posesses unique personality and traits making them one of a kind, valuable parts of the cast. Justice League of America may have been a spectacular fiasco, but Justice League Dark, as long as it keeps its current momentum, is going to be a must read, remembered for years to come.

When JLA started, I was curious what is it going to be - the team had potential, especially with inclusion of Killer Frost, considering how popular she has become all thanks to The Flash TV series. Sadly, the run went downhill almost immediately, and I lost any interest in it after couple of first issues, most likely less than 5. I wouldn't pick up this issue if I didn't know the series just got cancelled, and I guess I'm not surprised it was; quite contrary. I will mourn cancellation of Super Sons for months to come, but JLA was wasting its potential since the very beginning, and I sure am ready to forget about it. Let's hope new team-ups will end up better than it, and stand up to our expectations fueled by otherwise very strong line of Rebirth titles.

Maybe the issue was not as good as I expected, but it sure does not disappoint - the entire concept, premise for No Justice is intriguing and fresh. Not only our beloved heroes have to fight unknown, powerful beyond belief enemies, but they also are sorted into four unorthodox teams, which I personally find to be this event's core. I never mind seing classic team-ups, but original shake-ups and unlikely alliances can be unpredictable, and most importantly very fun. I'm all for it. The art is a bit inconsistent. Some panels are beautifully drawn, and capture character emotions perfectly, others seem to be rushed, and lack details, or dynamics. For such an important event, I've expected a litle more. Overall it's a promising start - hopefully the entire story can be told in just 4 issues. I'm hopeful for the future, and look forward to see more of characters we rarely see these days, like Zatanna or Martian Manhunter.

Events progress very quickly in No Justice, which means not everyone from the main cast has a chance to shine. While it was super fun to follow team Entropy and Mystery, as well as Green Arrow and Amanda Waller, teams Wonder and Wisdom didn't really capture my attention nearly as much. I crave for more - more heavy story background, more unusual team-ups and dialogues between characters you normally wouldn't imagine interacting with each other. For example Lobo and Beast Boy, or Martian Manhunter and Starro. Not everyone gets enough attention, sadly - Atom, Harley Quinn, Deathstroke, Starfire, Flash, Wonder Woman and Raven are just there, basically, not doing much. I sure hope they'll get some attention in the upcoming two issues.

I have to address the elephant in the room - first half of this issue looks simply atrocious, which should not be excusable in a gigantic crossover event of this magnitude. It's horrendously bad. The story, on the other hand, was enjoyable - while naturally not all characters had a moment to shine, which was to be expected, action is engaging and made ma crave for more. It's hard to believe there's only one more issue left.

Most definitely a satisfying end to this short event. I'm pleased to report the horrible art problem previous issue suffered, is gone - every panel looks good. The story concluded, and opened doors for the future big events in DC Comics - among them, restart of Justice League series, with new team, which happens to be one of the most iconic ones, which those who remember the JL cartoon will instantly recognize. Sadly, not everyone will benefit from being a part of No Justice - like Sinestro, Atom, Harley Quinn or Deathstroke, to name few, but that was to be expected in an event as big as No Justice was. Looking forward to the future - seems like this 4 issue event may have changed a lot.

If I had to sum up this issue with just two words, they'd be "mixed bag". And it sure is exactly that - not even because it features some strong and weaker elements, but because it's incredibly inconsistent and constantly mixes these elements. On one page, you can admire the art and criticize poor dialogues, on another you may enjoy character interactions, but be underwhelmed with how they're drawned. Heck, pages - some panels themselves are internally conflicted and can't decide if they want to look good, tell a good story, both, or neither. It's unpredictable, and leaves me with no ground to stand on - I can't confidently say I like the story and dialogues when every character and plot element has to be introduced out loud even if it costs the respective scene to sound awkward, but at the same time I really enjoy Jessica Cruz's character, and I can't say I enjoy the art either, because some panels (usually with Cyborg) look amazing, and others look like they never reached post solid colors stages. I will pick up the next issue, because despite all these ever-changing pros and cons in the comic, I see potential in it. It can turn out to be a surprisingly good series, if done right. We're past the introduction, so I hope there won't be any more clunky dialogues explaining the reader who is who and what is what.

Overall a pretty solid and intriguing issue, giving more fuel to slowly unraveling "old" gods mythology. It's fast paced, which some readers may find a bit overwhelming, since the action never stops to catch a break. Main characters have few moments to slowly bond, but for now, I still wouldn't call them a team. They share some goals, they know each other, but it's going to take some time for them to actually unite. I liked this issue - it's nothing I would call outstanding, but it's most definitely good, enjoyable, tense and few times also surprising. Worth checking out.

Odyssey established itself as a fun series with colorful cast of characters with different personalities and approaches to given problems. It may not be outstanding, but it most definitely fits under the umbrella of "enjoyable comic". I'm still interested in the story, and wonder how and why some of our heroes are being perceived as gods among civilizations they see in every issue. That's a good premise for a huge mystery driving the entire run, and each month I wonder where it's going to lead. Overall, good comic.

Well, this comic certainly won't warm up Bendis' reputation among DC fans and be the first step to redeem him after wave of bad-to-mediocre-at-best comics he's been writing for a while now. The plot is a disjointed tale of an immortal woman, who lives long enough to se multiple periods of time, and encounter iconic characters in each. Too bad it all feels pretty pointless, since probably only the encounter with Supergirl matters... anything to the story. There was an episode of Justice League cartoon back in the day, where Superman got sent to the far future, and he met Vandal Savage, who was the only human left in existence. We felt his pain, his misery of being lonesome, and understood how he spent all these centuries, without actually having to see it first hand. There was no point to overexpose his background, to try to build a tale around it, since in the end, that tale would hardly matter. And that's exactly the problem here - we see what ultimately doesn't matter, so the comic feels like unnecessary filler instead of introduction to something major. There's no Legion to be found here.

Is this what Saturn Girl died for in Doomsday Clock? I mean was erased from reality, but you get the general idea? For n introduction to the Legion series, both issues of Millennium were not only hardly related to the Legion itself, they were also boring, disjointed and quite frankly pointless. The story could have been summarized via retrospections in the main series, once it launches. Because you can believe me, there's barely any plot to it. Skipper, unless you're a Legion mega fan who has a pillow with Saturn Girl's face on, and wants to read absolutely anything with the Legion name put on, doesn't matter the quality.

You know what pisses me off? The sheer fact we've got two meaningless comics intended to set up this series, but Bendis did nothing to really lay down any foundation that would prepare us, readers, for what's to come. It's a messy issue, and I expected it to be messy, considering how many characters is going to be featured in the series. I remember feeling the same back when I was first watching Justice League Unlimited, not being familiar with anybody but the main cast from the first season. And granted, the only two heroes that mattered so far, are Superboy and Saturn Girl, so I only focus on them. This i a pretty weak start of the series. It has some strengths, like art, the Earth twist, which may be used for climate change commentary and how the corrupt prevent any action today, but it's not enough for me to recommend this comic. It's yet another Bendis' "take it and reinvent it" type of book. You just wait for a crossover with Naomi or Wonder Twins, now.

Bendis grows like a bloody tumor, eating healthy cells of DC. First he took Superman and turned his series into something he would like, instead of embracing the character's personality and legacy. Then he took Young Justice, and to this day, did nothing interesting with them. Then he took Superboy, rapid aged him just because Legion comics were planned. And now, he took Robin as well, continuing his reinventionist stay at DC. I fear what he may do to Damian now. Super Sons won't work, when one of the titular characters is a young adult, and the other still a kid. Legion doesn't work either, being boring and unappealing, despite genuinely good art featured in this book. It's just yet another typical Bendis soap opera with a big name, that fails to deliver what is expected from a title with such a big name. Skip it, there's not much value to be found here, unless you buy these comics to stare at Saturn Girl.

While I like the final cliffhanger and idea behind it, I can't stop thinking that Bendis just wasted everyone's time coming up with some of the least inspired, generic origin stories out there. With Imra, it's literally "oh, I'm going to college, cool". I wish I was kidding, but it really feels that bland. I wouldn't be urprised if we were dealing with a dozen new characters, and some of them lacked good story behind, but with merely 3 protagonists, it is simply unforgivable. Maybe the next issue will feature something worth following, hopefully this month's twist won't go to total waste, since I see potential in it... but I wouldn't hold my breath.

If that's how DC's future looks like, well the future looks bleak, to paraphrase Ministry's newest song, Alert Level, condemning the direction we, humanity, took, and the dire consequences we're going to face unless we course correct it right now. We head towards future we all reject. Same can be said about Bendis' Legion comics. It's not a vision of the future we'd like to see on the store shelves every month. The series lacks soul, tension and fun which you can experience in other ensemble comics, you know, the good ones like The Terrifics or Justice League Dark. Modern day Legion feels so... corporate, like it was designed not to tell stories but rather serve as nice looking advertisement models. And for the most part they fail and feel unrelatable with their wide smiles and no personalities, like they were cut out of toothpaste commercials. Probably only Imra resembles a character at this point, but my guess is, Bendis is going to want her to become Superboy's crush, at least judging by teases and glimpses I've seen so far. I honestly wouldn't mind that, though, maybe sexual tension would bring some life into the series, but anyways I fear that even if, it's going to be a pretty artifficial relationship. On that's meant to be, but doesn't really work.

Bendis' Legion reminds me of Star Wars prequels - overtalked, with barely any memorable, complex characters and relationships, focused on uninteresting and at times rather cliche political intrigues. For series so vast and diverse, it should have been better, bigger, more bombastic and... well, vast and diverse, really. Give us some depth, develop these heroes properly, by making them experience something, not just talk about what they did off-page. Ensemble books clearly don't work for Bendis. Both Young Justice and Legion, as well as Event Leviathan, suffer from the same fatal flaws. Skipper.

Reading Bendis' Event Leviathan was like watching paint dry. It was beyond dreadful, and lookie lookie, nothing changed here, what a surprise. It's a boring read, albeit nicely illustrated, that I'm going to give it. It's more of the same - boring, long, meaningless dialogues leading somewhere... but nowhere I'd personally care about. Bendis continue what he did in Event Leviathan, in the very same fashion, which alone is a reason for me not to recommend this book. On the other hand, though, despite me disliking his artistic direction, I can't say he's not perseverent, and doesn't do whatever he wants to. In a way, it's good he doesn't let anything influence the path he's taken.

I'm not a newbie when it comes to completely ridiculous story concepts, it's relatively common in horror to think outside the box, and scare readers with things that normally don't seem scary at all. Look at Junji Ito's works, with literal spiral shapes or head-shaped balloons being absolutely terrifying, or Edgar Allan Poe being able to craft a story around a woman's teeth. Yeah, that shows you how creative and talented writers and/or illustrators can be. Now compare that to an idea of girls turning into blood thirsty cats during their periods, and Tampon Woman fighting Mr. Misoginy. Sounds like garbage? Guess what - it is. I really have no clue how anyone could have came up with this story. And it's not even because of its... uniqueness, it's because it's so idiotic and ridiculous. It feels like an intentional parody mocking regressives often getting involved into the world of comics. Except it's not. After all, we live in a world where Squirrel Girl won an Eisner award! I wouldn't pick this book if it wasn't for people constantly making fun of it on the internet, and after some time not wanting to believe them, I decided to try it out myself. And man, were they all right. Pick it up only if you want to see and experience the dumbest comic since raping dinosaurs in The Wanderers, or Miss Marvel being raped and impregnated by her son who came back from the future.

Definitely a strong start to a run that I wasn't really expecting too much from. I was positively surprised to see the quality of its art and story, both portraying Mera as a properly fleshed out, complex character. There's some action, there's definitely solid foudation for the future, and finally, there's additional point of view, which I won't spoil anything about - but expect to smile at the end of the issue.

Promising expansion after very promising beginning. Surely not as good as the first issue, but it was still solid, offering more depth to the character of Ocean Master, as well as explaining relations between main heroes, which will help new readers, unaware of Aquaman's lore, to jump in and enjoy the trip.

Mera takes her time and doesn't rush the story. It unravels in its own tempo, and I could understand if someone had a problem with that, because that's the reason why the action is overshadowed by dialogue-heavy pages. I personally don't mind that - good backstory and detailed explanations are always welcomed, and I don't feel like this issue was a slog. It may not have been as dynamic as other series out there, but at least it doesn't try to be something it's not. And for that, I gotta say, I like it.

Enjoyable as always, mixing some action with world-building and character development for both Mera and other characters. I was very pleased to see Xebel getting some actual depth, and following its political nuances. Who's going to outsmart who? We shall see, for now I can surely say, I'm waiting for the next issue.

Once you accept Mera's comic as a story heavy series, with not much simple action, you're going to love it. I do enjoy how much depth and thought is put into the Atlantean succession war, and how everyone tries to outsmart everyone else. It truly is an underwater tale George R.R. Martin could approve.

It's not an opening issue which would make you want to read it again, like your typical fast-paced comics, nor think about it much, like slow, yet deep, burns. It's more of a "meh, okay" type of a book, setting up important plot points (with Nth Metal Man being something I actually look forward to unravel), introducing the main cast... and that's it. Nothing depicted stays with you, provokes you to think or impresses you. Well, maybe aside from the art - the art is the comic's strongest quality. If Responsomter simulates life, then this issue surely simulates a good comic. It's not there, yet.

First impression is what matters the most, especially when you're a new, important character who happens to be just a regular human being with no powers and no big purpose. That's Naomi to you - she's an average young adult living in a small town, one of those where people are born and then die in. Their own private Idaho, to paraphrase The B-52's. There's barely any action, tense drama or big stakes in this issue, and that's not a bad thing. It's a story set in the same universe as typical superhero world saving series, but it's observed through the eyes of someone normal, like you and me, with some mystery slowly being set up. It's fresh and different from your average western comics, in a way Gotham Academy was as well, to a degree. From the get go it has its own, unique identity, and you can either love it, or hate it because it's just different. And while I, personally, am not sold (yet) on the story itself, I look forward to see where this series goes, especially since Bendis really tries to appeal to completely different demographic with Naomi - those, who may want to pick up DC comics, but at the same time don't feel that regular heroes and villains are close enough to their reality to be relatable. Marvel flirted with that idea in the past (too bad very incompetently), mostly by turning usual super costumes into something cosplay-friendly, but that's merely a cosmetic choice. Here, everything is crafted not to be like Gotham City or Meropolis, and that indeed may encourage new readers to pick up Naomi. The issue's highlight has to be the art - it's absolutely beautiful and there's not one bad thing I could say about it. It's a feist for those who love to look at all the panels, analyze them and maybe try to dissect and reverse-engineer them to learn a thing or two about drawing. Either way, art alone deserves a praise, and I'd recommend this comic for its sheer looks alone, even if there was nothing backing it up. And there is, meaning there's more reason to give Naomi a try, and see what Bendis is up to.

The moment I saw the cover of this issue, I knew I want to read it, because it may as well be "so bad it's actually good". You know, like Hong Kong 97, or The Room. Just the catchphrase, "introducing the new Aqua-Man of North Korea" was enough for me to buy it, and expect a trip I wouldn't get from any weed or shrooms. Too bad it wasn't really a trip, and didn't make laugh as i expected. Instead, it was a painfully obvious one dimentional political commentary made by someone who knows very little about global politics to begin with. Look, I like good political commentary - Alan Moore and Frank Miller nailed the mid 1980s cold war paranoia devouring the US in Watchmen and The Dark Knight Returns respectively, for example, and that's one of the reasons these stories are fantastic. On the other hand, there's modern day Marvel Comics, placing their regressive, tokenist commentary over the stories and characters. I have a feeling DC just did what Marvel is infamous for these days. The issue reads more like propaganda than a regular comic, but to be fair, it makes few solid points here and there, like general hopelessness of someone who grew up in a totalitarian country and was brainwashed, conditioned, programmed, since day 1, to think one, particular way. It all lacks any subtlety and finesse, though, and that's the problem. It' just too obvious and too naive to be taken seriously as a whole, using scarewords like "socialism" or "imperialism" to sounds smart, while in reality it's not. Reality is more complex - too complex for such silly little comic to be captured.

I like holiday specials - there's something... well, special, about them. Something that wants you to sit down with a cup of hot chocolate, wrapped in warm blankets, and just enjoy the read. And then, when you open the comic up, you realize it pretty much sucks, and you'd be better off reading something else. That basically summarizes my experiences reading DC's specials each year. A portion of this book is genuinely good and heartwarming. I very much enjoyed Black Adam and Harley's stories. Yeah, you've heard me saying it, I enjoyed a story with Harley Quinn not written by Paul Dini or Sean Murphy. A bloody christmas miracle, ladies and gents! But seriously, her short is funny, sweet, and actually uses the main character's psychiatrist skills, which I haven't seen since... since... I have absolutely no clue, that' how long ago. Sinestro's tale was also pretty decent, diving a bit into cult mentality and how religions form. And what' even more important, it shows that Sinestro, as awful as he may be, does care about his sector, although is a twisted, villanous way. And then there's the rest... which I can't say I enjoyed. Ares' story is not bad, albeit dialogues could have been better, but its message makes you really depressed, which would be more than fine in a regular comic, but hey, it's holidays, and you know why ancient people came up with several celebrations during that time of the year? To have something positive, when everything outside is cold and dead. Today most of the populus don't know about christmas' pagan roots, but that's precisely its original purpose - to make you happier for a moment, unite with people close to you and enjoy your time. Ivy's short felt very preachy and smug, looking down on people who have problems they can't solve on their own, as trivial as they could be to others. I hate this kind of moralizing crap. Then again, everything's subjective, and special holiday issues feature different works from different writers, appealing to different audiences. My opinion doesn't have to match yours, which kinda is the point here. There's something for everyone.

Frank Tieri has proven already, long time ago, that he's not interested in anything but mimicking what Palmiotti and Conner (incompetently) did with the character in their run. This issue, kickstarting new series, is not an exception - if you, like yours truly, despise New 52 onwards Harley, you're in for a huge disappointment. And quite frankly, you shouldn't even be surprised. Did you expect anything good, after all? You poor, naive soul. The main problem with the comic is, there's no real difference between regular Harley and her post MILF version other than the haircut, which actually is pretty unique and stands out, I gotta say. It's what a goatee is to Green Arrow, or pigtails to original Harl. Besides, it's blonde, so I won't complain. But then, when it comes to differences between the two Harleys, think - they dress practically the same, except one is more rugged and a bit post-apo. They speak the same, with the same annoying unfunny accent. They are equally dumb, since who would care they have a PhD, am I right? When you see Bruce Wayne from Batman Beyond or The Dark Knight Returns, or Old Man Logan, you instantly see that aside from their looks, they've changed internally. Time wasn't too kind to them. Harl remains as active as always, on the other hand, which begs the question, what really changed in her life? She's the same character, except physically older. The sad thing is, the comic actually has potential. It could very nicely tie in to Batman Beyond's dystopian future, but in practice it's just more of regular Harley comics, and the protagonist is as shallow and degenerated (compared to her glory days under Dini and Timm, and amazing treatment from Murphy) as always. Skip it, unless obnoxious references to other properties (mostly Mad Max) are your thing, or you have a thing for short haired older Harley. I don't judge. I'll judge this comic, though - it's bad, and that's that.

I said it while reviewing the debut issue - Old Lady harley has potential, and could be a really original take on the character. If only done right. And knowing Tieri's work with Harley, it's clear as day he can't do her right. First of all, it's a modern Harley comic, with all its typical flaws. The humor is unfunny and often forced, like the "ex" joke being repeated. Cut it. Heath Ledger's Joker was repeating the "would you like to know how I got these scars?" line few times in The Dark Knight, but each time the story behind them was different, unique - meaning, it was unpredictable. The same punchline, delivered time and time again is, however, boring, tedious - and these were emotions I felt while reading this comic. Secondly, its second crucial flaw, the most important, I suppose, is protagonist's personality - she's literally the Palmiotti/Conner Harley, no more, no less, and that's unforgivable. Not only because of how terrible job these two did throughout the entire New-52 and the first year of Rebirth, but mostly because it makes the entire run pointless. What's the point of making an old version of a character if their personality is still exactly the same? Give her some experience, depth, relative maturity, whatever. Anything. No killing rule established in flashbacks is a good start, but it's just that - a start. Distance this Harley from the modern day one. Different hairdo and wrinkles are not enough, I'm afraid. I do not recommend this comic - it's the same thing as regular Harley's series, except dressed up in different clothes. Not literally, though - her clothes are also practically the same, except dirtier. It could have been a pretty refreshing run. I like the idea. Its execution ends up terrible, however.

I'm getting tired of this series, really. Three issues in, and Tieri still did absolutely nothing to make it any different from regular, and regularly awful, Harley comics. It's like Apple - selling the same bad, uninnovative product multiple times, not even once properly priced. Oh, hey, here's this year's innovation, animated emojis, or in this case, new hairdo and few wrinkles, while everything else remains exactly the same. I don't hate the concept, and the character design - I said that twice already, while reviewing previous issues, and despite rather cold welcome Old Lady Harley received, I believe she has potential and could be used by a competent writer to tell a self-aware story serving as satirical commentary on the entire post-apo gimmick, so painfully overused everywhere these days. But that's clearly beyond Tieri's competention, seeing he's still 1:1 copying Palmiotti/Conner horrible fan fic, just in new clothes... Or not even that, just look, Harley's clothes are practically the same as in her normal comics. Dammit, Tieri, I can't even be sarcastic about your pitiful work!

This short series slowly comes to an end, and very similarly to Gail Simone's Plastic Man from last year, it doesn't seem to lead anywhere. Yeah, I get it, it has and idea, which is Harley being old in a dystopian future, but that's about it. There's no substance to it I can see, no end goal worth waiting for. Each issue feels like a meaningless filler episode of a soap opera - and the same can be said about Harley's regular solo series. And the sad thing is, I like the overall concept. I do, I pointed this out while reviewing each and every one of previous issues. I think it has potential, and if only it was competently written, it could have been a great piece of satire. Maybe someone will pick up the idea once this run is over. Looking at you, mister Sean Murphy.

If I have to be perfectly honest, I expected worse. The ending is not terrible - certainly underwhelming and filled with cliche and obvious, obnoxious at times inspirations from other properties, but overall it was better than its preceding issues. I still wouldn't recommend it, mostly due to atrociously bad dialogue and very poor, borderline non-existent, narrative value. The entire series sounded good on paper - I said it, I think, in every review of the series so far - I like the concept, but hate its execution. I hope if Old Lady Harley ever resurfaces, she'll get a complete writing makeover. Keep the hair, keep the post-apo setting, but most definitely redesign everything else from scratch, because I can't imagine how something as mediocre (at best) could get a sequel.

If you read The Terrifics, I don't have to tell you how fun Plastic Man can be. His limited series give us an insight, a look at his life, or three lives to be precise: a criminal, an ex-con, and a superhero. All of that sprinkled with surreal humor the character is known for. What's there not to love?! Instant addition to my pull list, couldn't recomment it more. Waiting for more, and if the entire run keeps quality and humor of this issue, I most definitely will get myself a collected edition of it, to proudly display it on my shelf.

The issue didn't live up to its predecessor, but it's by no means an insult - in fact, it's a very solid, fun and vibrant comic I would highly recommend to anyone. There's place for humor, for heart and character development. Plastic Man serves as great protagonist, simply due to the fact while he wants to be a hero, he's just a human being - flawed, conflicted, broken. This is something you rarely see in more comedic comics, which makes it twice as good. I hope #3 will be better - closer, in terms of pure narrative quality to #1, but even if the series keeps its current momentum, it's going to be a blast you'd definitely shouldn't miss out.

I love the run so far - it's goofy, and proud of it. Aside from The Terrifics, coincidentally also featuring Plastic Man, you're not going to find better comedic series from DC right now.

I'm sad to say this, but it's the weakest issue from the series so far, and the only one I wouldn't be satisfied with. The story feels disjointed and filled with filler material - something that is a norm in long running series, but in a limited run like this, should, simply, not exist. There are ways to tell a good story from different perspectives - Christopher Priest mastered that form of art in his Deathstroke series. Gail Simone, however, encountered an obstacle she can't overcome, and the results are noticeable. The issue is really mediocre - it doesn't have a pivot point to circle around, and scenes don't really connect together nicely, like in previous issues. Comedic element of the comic is also way weaker than in the past - there are some jokes, some of them land, but overall, I never caught myself laughing out loud at them. Overall, I'm disappointed, because up to this point, I considered Plastic Man one of the most consistent, solid and funny limited runs out there. Let' hope this month's issue is a singularity, just one misstep in otherwise great story.

First three issues of the run were phenomenal - lighthearted and funny where they had to, as well as touching and heartwarming in other scenes. Simone managed to introduce few characters who instantly have become my favourites, and everything was seemingly heading in the right direction. Plastic Man was on its way to become an instant modern classic. And then #4 came out, and left me pretty disappointed. Not because it was bad, it's because it was lacking, it was underwhelming, compared to first three chapters of the series. Not only it did not really progress the story, it made it just unnecessarily covoluted to the point I'm asking myself what's the endgoal, what are the stakes, what's Plastic Man's mission, and where do side characters fit into it? Issue 5, sadly, continues this downhill trend, and the worst thing is, there's only the finale left for us to see. How many of the unresolved arcs can it close? How many questions answer? I dunno, but I'm really concerned. What's happening, Gail?

I'm as confused after reading this issue as I were after reading Watchmen or V for Vendetta for the first time. Not that Simone has anything on Alan Moore, but the point is, I have absolutely no clue what this 6 issue comic is about exactly. And contrary to Moore's work, I have no expectations to find any deeper meaning in between the verses. It's a mess, and it hurts me to say it, since it started out amazingly, with so much heart, humor and potential for the future, it instantly became one of my monthly favourites. Too bad the run derailed halfway, and never recovered. I don't know what happened - maybe Simone never had any end goal for the story, maybe she had to rush the comic to meet her deadlines, or she tried to squeeze too much into these comics without really telling any cohesive story? Whatever the reason, or combination of few, was, we got what we got, and I'm disappointed with it. And then people are surprised why comic sales are so low, and why customers prefer to purchase trade paperbacks instead of serialized issues. Here's your answer - runs that start out great and then waste all the potential, ending as shadows of their past selves.

For all this hype regarding the titular character and her own solo book, her origin story is basically a simple tale of an edgy girl who started to watch PragerU and Breitbart, to inevitably lose her sanity. It's straight forward and simple, and alone wouldn't be a problem, but what makes this book fail to accomplish what tries to, is its lack of any actual story. I mean, yeah, okay, Punchline's genuine origin is revealed, but does it mean anthing in the larger scale, does it push the arc in any particular direction? I don't think so. Everything we've learned about her is just background - overall not bad, but ultimately pretty meaningless, since it doesn't flesh out anything established so far. It's just an extra layer worth of content you can skip and it won't make a difference. The rest of the book is dedicated to Harper Row and her brother Cullen, two of the most obnoxious and annoying additions to the Batman mythos from the infamous New-52 era, second only to the reinvented deadpoolesque non-blonde Harley Quinn. Honestly, they should have remained in the comic history's dumpster, never to be mentioned again. Like Lady Cop, New-52's Lobo or Shamrock. You know when's the time to bring Harper Row back from the depths of oblivion where she belongs? Never. Unless you want to kill her off for a cheap shock scene to pretend your comic has any stakes. Overall a really disappointing book with little to no actual plot going on, and characters you don't care about in the slightest. Clearly DC wanted to monetize on Punchline's newfound popularity and hype she generated in the community before the Joker War started. It feels more like an ad rather than a comic.

Raven often is portrayed as a distant being not really interested in normal, human affairs, which contrasts with her abilities, being directly linked to empathy, emotions felt by others. This book, I'm glad to say, portrayed her in more complex, flesh and blood way, showing her human side, will to adapt to everyday life after being raised in another realm. She's a teenage girl, and it's so refreshing to see her actually being one, having an alter ego, and cast of supporting characters who help to develop her backstory. First issue of her new series was enjoyable to read - I personally didn't find it outstanding or exceptional, but it's a promising start for her, and I definitely will be getting issue #2. The art is consistent and has its own style, story doesn't drag, and mysteries teased make you want to read more, and learn where the story is leading.

There was no reason for Johns to write everything he once wrote for the second time, thus this issue is really fast paced, and no time is wasted on unnecessary exposition. Here's Shazam, here are his powers, here's the new mystery awaiting him. If you've never read anything with the character, you may find this comic a bit confusing, or too fast to proceed everything form it. This is why I would recommend a brand new reader to pick up his New-52 series first - at least the vol. 1 trade paperback to get somewhat familiar with the protagonist, his mythology and cast of side characters. Sure, the second story at the end, focusing on Mary, aims to clarify few things and show what kind of a person she is, but it'll take more than one issue to properly introduce her, as well as her and Billy's other foster siblings. So be aware if that's literally your first contact with Shazam.

I'm not going to lie, I'm not familiar with Adam as a character. And that's a problem, because I can't say how much of Adam Strange as shown in this comic is the original Adam Strange, and how much of him was deconstructed, reinvented by King, already infamous for decontructing, reinventing and plain butchering well known, already established characters. For a while I was thinking should I even write this review considering my lack of knowledge about the protagonist and his history. And then it striked me - I am the average person, a regular, ordinary reader with no expertise in the field, which makes it impossible to tell how much did King make up this time. Remember when Heroes in Crisis and his Batman run utterly failed? The avalanche of criticism and hatred wasn't coming from normies, it has been coming from knowledgeable fans who know for granted what a character would, and what would not do in given circumstances. So, this time I'm here representing the completely neutral audience who has absolutely no clue who, what, where, when and how. Completely uninformed. Kinda like Joe Biden's voters (shots fired! Too soon?). All that being said, the comic didn't really get to me. I remain open minded, and I get the idea of what's happening to the titular character, what he deals with, but... I'm not really sold. The story felt like it's constructed out of snippets intended to tell a larger story, but there's so many holes and missing links between them, it really made me put the book down, do something else, return after 10 minutes, read few pages more, rinse and repeat. It didn't feel captivating, and the only thing about it I really enjoyed was the art. The story and dialogues, especially one panel, where Adam says out loud everything the reader needs to know about him and character close to him, are not great, to say at least. They're not bad, either, however. King's dialogues in Batman and Heroes in Crisis were beyond awful, here they are passable, I guess, at least coming from the perspective of a total Adam Strange ignorant. Long time fans may have different opinion, and I'd like to hear what they have to say about it all. What's my final verdict? It's a rather underwhelming start. On the other hand, it's limited series, not a long running soap opera, so maybe the story will turn out to be well thought through and all the loose dots will connect in the end... then again, it's King, so I wouldn't hold my breath for that. Not after the disastrous ending of his Batman run. I don't remember who said it... may have been Grant Morrison, that radical tonal changes and reiventions may work well with more obscure characters who don't sell well. Judging by King's success with Mister Miracle AND trainwrecks involving bigger DC names like Bats and Harl, it may as well be a spot on observation, and Strange Adventures will repeat this success. Time will tell.

Yes, this issue most definitely is filler. And now think - it's merely #2, and it already is exactly that. What a Tom King thing to do, isn't it? I gave the series a blank credit of trust when the debut issue came out - it did not make me interested, but nonetheless I refused to criticize it due to my lack of knowledge regarding the titular character and his lore. With this comic, in comparison, I ask myself is there even any lore to expect in the series? Feel free to bash me for being so harsh, but try not to be when half of the book shows Mr. Terrific answering random trivia questions to show how smart he supposedly is and then he concludes Adam Strange's lying about somthing. I'm sorry, but I can't give this issue a poitive score. It felt like an utter waste of time and even great art can't save it. It neither progresses the story any further nor offers insight in the main characters' psyche, show what motivates them, really. And even if you liked the series so far, and/o a fan of King's work, I think you'll agree with me on how empty this issue is.

The story doesn't dig deep into any character's life and personality, hanging somewhere in between having stable and "safe" cast, and havng somewhat disposable shells who aside from being cannon fodder, offer practically nothing. I truly had great time reading short retrospectives about each character couple of months ago, like Katana's tragic origin, or Captain Boomerang's dreams of being a spy, while in reality he was just a lonely kid. When it comes to simplistic, straight forward action stories, described and depicted in most issues of this run, they were a hit or miss to me. This particular issue doesn't have any outstanding moment that would me either laught out loud, or really emphatize with one of the characters. It wasn't bad, but I wouldn't call it good either. I surely would like to see a step forward in the series, something more ambitious and/or fun, utilizing properly such a diverse cast of anti-heroes, all having different talents, personalities and motivations. I cannot ignore the art either - lineworks look rushed, which is especially noticeable on faces and general small scale, or, to be precise, places where small scale should be. Coloring is a mix of good and bad - sometimes it helps to mask out poor outlines (like on the last page, looking pretty solid), sometimes only elevates them. Still, compared to Whilce Portacio's beyond awful variant covers, the art looks phenomenal. One consistently good thing are character poses - in vast majority of cases natural and dynamic looking. If only they were inked and then colored properly,

Basically everything I've said in the previous issue's review applies to this one as well. The story is not really engaging, main cast has no development as characters, and they all just seem to be playing their roles without stepping out of their tight stereotypical boxes. None of them is relatable or remotely sympathetic, there's no chemistry in between the Suicide Squad members, and none of them has anything resembling an arc. The art is still extremely inconsistent, while having couple of great looking panels and very dynamic looking character poses.

Bit better than previous issues, and surely more consistent graphically, but it's still far from being an enjoyable read. Suicide Squad just can't capture my imagination and attention, and suffers from the same problems that the run made us all get used to, like no character development or no memorable stories.

Finally, a pretty solid Suicide Squad issue! For once I was genuinely interested in how the story is going to unravel, instead of just browsing the comic page after page without no real emotions. I still wouldn't call it perfect or outstanding, but it was an enjoyable huge step forward compared to what we've seen in previous months. Hack's motivations and reasoning were both compelling, showing her in shades of grey, not just pure black or white. One thing that hasn't changed is definitely art - it's still a bit inconsistent, same as its predecessors. Some panels, like Deadshot strangling Katana, look great and dynamic, but it's not something I would say about the issue overall. Same as previous issues, having some strong, nicely drawn panels, unfortunately surrounded with mediocre ones.

Been a while since I've read a Suicide Squad comic and enjoyed it. Issue's highlight - Hack's interrogation leading to Captain Boomerang's confession was nicely written and quite rewarding, after not really engaging story arc that led to this scene. Sure, dialogues could, and most likely should have been better, and same goes to general development of main characters (something the series really struggles with), but overall, I can't say I was disappointed. Coming with very little expectation allowed me to enjoy it, honestly. I just wish the entire run had so much personality as this scene, and used its cast properly.

Readable, for once breaking the usual "send the team to do something" routine, which I consider a good move, seeing how the main cast of characters were (un)used in the past issues. That being said, not having them in the center of attention is a somewhat welcomed change, even if the run itself belongs to them.

Suicide Squad plays safe - there's the main cast of characters who we know won't get hurt. Sure, some of them may lose a limb or be desintegrated into dust, apart from their feet, but you can count they'll be fine and reappear in the near future. That approach, however, doesn't really serve the series well, considering the eponymous Suicide Squad is by design a disposible brigade. Imagine my pleasant surprise when Enchantress was, all of a sudden, sent to hell. It was not only unexpected, but most importantly had some emotional weight. Her relationship with Killer Croc may have not been the deepest one, but quite frankly, it was the only one in the series - and it's good to know it wasn't just a joke of sorts. I'm generally positive about this issue. It has drama, it has some humor (some of Harley's jokes landed, which was rather uncommon in recent months), and it overall felt okay as a comic. I'd say it was good enough to give it a pass, abeit don't expect anything groundbreaking.

Suicide Squad's issue with very little of Suicide Squad itself was a surprisingly enjoyable read for run's mediocre standards. It broke the stagnation I've felt for a long, long time, and even if that's just a brief filler, I would say it was better than most of previous issues we've got so far. Do I recommend it? Maybe... It sure isn't anything outstanding, but if Suicide Squad is your guilty pleasure, or you don't have anything better to read at the moment (like yours truly), #40 may be what you're looking for.

There are some strenghts in this issue - few nice ideas, you know, having genuine potential if used correctly. Sadly, it also suffers from the same problems Suicide Squad usually has, which are forgettable stories, bland dialogues, inconsistent art, and generally underwhelming quality. It's readable, and who knows, this new arc may be better than last few, but I wasn't blown away with its opening by any means.

Suicide Squad can truly shine once writer focuses on just few characters, and develops them. That's the true advantage small casts have over huge team-ups, and it shouldn't be surprising Deadshot's quest to find his daughter is way, way more entertaining and personal than your regular Suicide Squad issues.

Readable, but not much more. I can't say I disliked the issue, but it felt quite flat compared to its predecessors. While Deadshot and Batman's journey was fun to follow, appearance of Harley, Boomerang and Captain Cold felt like a step back, like a let down in many regards. Harl acted stupid instead of crazy, Boomerang used Australian idioms in, I believe, every sentence, and Captain Cold didn't really have anything to do and say. Personally, I feel like their only purpose was to act like all these annoying, always recurring cartoon villains, like Team R - every time being defeated, and coming back for more in the next episode, or issue in this case. Time and time again we see that Suicide Squad characters can be interesting, if they have a chance to get some genuine development, which is practically impossible in stories utilizing all members of the squad. But even then, once one of them has five minutes in limelight, others have to follow and ruin the atmosphere with their usual gimmicks.

Who would've thought Suicide Squad can have a solid arc these days? While the issue sure is far from perfect, it's a decent read, and a good conclusion to the Kobra arc. Albeit I wouldn't mind Deadshot's hand growing back permanently instead of just disappearing like it did in the end of the comic - never been a fan of his Skywalker prosthetic, it was pretty pointless from the very beginning. Other than that, I'd recommend the issue, of course within margin of reason. It's still Suicide Squad, so it's better not to expect much from it.

I'm quite stunned - it's a good comic. A genuinely good issue, and aside from the last Suicide Squad arc revolving around Deadshot's daughter, which was decent overall, I can't recall much quality stories in the series. For once, action is not told through eyes of the main cast exclusively, which I truly welcome - it was amazing to see Mera having time of her life, as well as Aquaman talking to his friends. I'm not saying conversations between squad members are bad - in fact, I enjoyed Harley comforting Satanis, and depressed, nihilistic Croc. It's just the fact that more characters offer more variety of viewpoints and personalities. Definitely recommend this comic, especially if you were following events from Aquaman and/or Mera: Queen of Atlantis mini series.

I don't know what's happening, but Suicide Squad comics not only have become readable, but good in recent months. Genuinely good. And this annual issue is precisely what Suicide Squad comics should be about - disposable bunch of unlikely soldiers facing impossible odds. You won't see it with the main cast - Deadshot, Harley, or even Captain Boomerang - they're untouchable and irreplaceable, which with all honesty is a bummer defeating the point of the entire Task Force X. Seeing some Z-listers instead of them is a welcome change in my book. It's refreshing, and gives the new, temporary, team more room to tell an unpredictable story. Especially when the "villain" (or the victim?) is a completely new character we know nothing about, and little details revealed in the story are more messed up than what Professor Pyg is doing. And let me remind you, he's one hell of a messed up villain. Great comic, couldn't recommend it more - even if you've lost any faith in Suicide Squad long time ago, you won't regret picking up this annual issue. It's self contained, and nothing like the main series.

It's amazing to see how Suicide Squad went 180 degrees recently, turning from one of the weakest runs of Rebirth, to one I wait for every month. Maybe it's Arthur and Mera's good influence, or maybe for once, the Squad is used properly in an engaging, interesting story. Or maybe both. Either way, the entire Atlantis arc is a pleasure to read - there are real risks, and characters are more than just pawns, they have their motivations and develop throughout these comics. Can't lie, I'm impressed with this arc so far, and expect it to continue on that note.

Meh, can't say anything in this issue made an impression on me. It's mediocre. Painfully mediocre, leaving me with pretty much nothing to say other than "meh", because it lacks any real pros and cons to point out. Skipper.

That's a nice way to refresh completely stagnant series Suicide Squad was in Rebirth. Not only we see that members of the team are, clearly, diposable, which should be the very point of the book, but also we see them being manipulated by the US military industrial complex to do its dirty bidding. For once it's not the Task Force X we root for, and I love that. Think about it - Waller is the devil we know, and despite being an awful person, she's a somewhat reliable leader who isn't evil per se. Lok, on the other hand, felt just repulsive to me, I loathe him, and I want him permanently gone. When a comic awekens such negative emotions in me, that's a good sign. On top of that, both Revolutionaries and him add a layer of political complexity to the series - something that wasn't present in the previous runs. All of a sudden, we got a really solid pilot issue, where we want the team to win, because we like some of its members, but at the same time we want the team to lose, because their supervisor is the embodiment of US exceptionalism and its corrupt imperialistic dominance detabilizing foreign soil. The new characters we've met, so far didn't have much to show. Hopefully that'll change, and their backstories and personalities will be explored. The one character that made an impresssion on me, was Wink, for two reasons. First, he has an inverted Ministry logo on her hirt, and Ministry is fucking awesome (their latest album was pretty bad, though). Second, the scene with medals, heck, the entire page, was probably my favourite in the entire book. It was fun, which i way more than I can say about the actual comic relief in this issue, that being Harley, naturally. She was pretty annoying. Overall a pretty promising first issue. Not outstanding, but an entertaining and somewhat captivating for sure. Recommend it.

It's quite hard to comprehend how much story was condensed into just two issues of this series so far, even if on the surface it doesn't look that complex. There's so many new characters already developing relations with other team members, o much non-forced exposition, I'm impressed how quickly I grew to like this new cast. It may have something to do with the sheer fact many of them will most likely be killed off, thus "Suicide Squad" as the title of this comic finally has some sense, unlike Rob Williams's run, which in many ways felt like a stagnant soap opera with no real tension and stakes. I definitely look foward to the next chapters. So good.

This is the Suicide Squad we deserve. Not the half-assed soap opera Rebirth started with, not the live action face tattooed Hot Topic abomination. Oh, man, is it good. For once every team member has purpose, some more obvious than others, but all equally important, there's a bigger story unraveling, and a real conflict that deconstructs the tired trope of US government using supervillains for risky, secret missions. We're past that, we know the US government is way worse than that in real life, so introducing a new, mor complex dynamic, ideological conflict and power struggle, it refreshes this franchise so, so much. This new Suicide Squad is not precisely what I wanted the series to be - it exceds my expectations, is way more than I originally have thought Suicide Squad could realistically be. What a blast, absolutely recommend this run. Tom Taylor is doing wonders with this run.

I don't have a habit giving comics 10/10 scores, simply because I reserve it for something so perfect I can't even comprehend the though of it. But this issue... this issue was as perfect to me as you can get in Suicide Squad comics, no joke. It was significantly more lighthearted than past issues, giving Chaos Kitten, Wink, Harley and Deadshot more than expected opportunities to really shine comedically. And I love every single of their scenes. This is how you bring light and humor into the grim Gotham City in a natural way, without turning complex characters into caricatures nor relying on one liner quips no one genuinely laughs at. It's just perfect and I won't lie, I love this series so far. The new faces in the cast, the tone, the story, the relations and development, it all combines so nicely, resulting in a project that reads good, looks good and exceeds your expectations with every issue clearly crafted with passion. If you're not reading the series yet, trust me, you're missing out on possibly the best thing DC's releasing these days. Not counting Death Metal since it's a crossover event.

In these difficult, unstable times, when comic stores go bankrupt one after another, do them, and yourself a favour, and pick this book up. The issue may have not been as outstandingly perfect as the previous one, but it's still an unbelievably good read which I can't recommend enough. This is the Suicide Squad we've been all waiting for - full of action, heart and little twists making the plot feel so much more exciting, not overusing any particular character that I may or may not have in my avatar, focusing on the team dynamic and development. It's a stellar comic.

So, that's why we didn't get to know The Aerie closer up until now. Their story connects to Ted Kord's masterplan as well as Task Force X's history itself. And while I still think the character is far less interesting than Wink, who has to be one of my favourite additions to DC's universe, they've proven themselves to be good and kind. Still, I think this entire secret facility and human experiments served as somewhat generic background to explain the main mystery that Suicide Squad characters will have to face now. Overall it's a good issue, another very solid entry in the series. Makes me wanna cry knowing it's been canceled already, and there's only 3 more issues. Darn you, DC, to get rid of such a hidden gem that quickly...

Really solid end to a really solid, but sadly short-lived series. Taylor's Suicide Squad was a breath of fresh air that combined action, comedy and character development to create something truly unique. It's serious where it has to be, but comedically self aware where it can, especially in the latter part of the run. Is this the best ending to a comic run I've seen in my life? No. Hell no. But it's a satisfying conclusion of what was, and a tease of what can be. And I hope we will see Revolutionaries comic soon. Definitely recommend this one. Too bad the run's already over, it deserved to last longer, but nonetheless the journey is worth experiencing yourself, start to finish.

After Tom Taylor's fantastic series last year, this one feels like a return to the tired old thematic status quo, and I think it is a huge step backwards. It's not a bad comic - in fact it looks and feels like a high quality product, but if you've been following the pre Future State Suicide Squad affairs, yeah, you're most likely going to be let down by this. If you haven't... well, I'd say try out Taylor's #1 first, and return to this one once you finish with his story.

I can't say I cared about the entire event, with future Tim Drake trying to kill Jon. I still don't, but the final issue concluding the crossover got a solid third act, which I enjoyed for the very same reason I generally like reading Super Sons - interactions between Damian and Jon, as well as their growth both as characters and friends. You see it here - when they're talking with Superman, and later have a touching moment in the JL headquarters. They're not adults, and Peter J. Tomasi doesn't try to make them such. But at the same time, while the protagonists are kids, the series itself doesn't feel childish. Contrary, and you can feel it in moments like aforementioned genuinely bonding scenes. That's the real strength of Super Sons.

After adventures on a different, living planet and future Tim Drake centric crossover event, Supersons return to exactly what makes them "super" to me. It's a fun issue, focusing on both normal, daily life of Jon and Damian, and their superheroing. There's some real bonding scenes between the two, some mystery involving Talia al Ghul (who may be a wonderful side character), as well as solid build up for what's to come in this arc. I look forward to see what's going to happen - especially after seeing series returning to its peak form. It's definitely one of this week's highlights.

Adventures of Superboy and Robin are always fun to folllow - they're heartwarming and utilize the chemistry between two main characters to the absolute maximum. This issue is no different - it feels great, combining action and traditional "superheroing" with daily life of two adolescent outcasts of sort. I've got great time reading it - just like most of previous issues from the run.

Supersons deliver once again - issue is full of action, and as usual, offers a nice, believable insight into Jon and Damian's friendship. I love it - Supersons belong to the very small group of series that seem to always be at least good, and you can expect great time reading them. This month is not an exception.

I'm going to really miss the series - it truly is a shame it got cancelled, because Super Sons were able to perfectly combine youthhful energy with proper heroic action and plenty of heartwarming humor. This finale concludes the run, and does it brilliantly, I may add. Farewell, Super Sons, hopefully you'll return one day!

And here we go - new beginning for Supergirl. New story arc, new creative direction stepping out from Kara's usual comfort zone, and new overall feel of her comics. While her original 20 Rebirth issues seemed not to have a bigger plan to develope the eponymous heroine, and Brian Michael Bendis' 6 issue Man of Steel mini series portrayed her as pretty mindless tank, so similar to Marvel superheroines, Marc Andreyko decided to portray her in a way more humane and believable way. From the very first page we know she's not your typical teenager she's often shown us - no, she's got plenty of emotional baggage, and a pretty heavy backstory. That helps the story to unravel in a natural, not forced way - she has motivation to find out how and why Krypton was destroyed, and it's her, and hers only journey to take. I mean, aside from Krypto, who most likely will be used to show Kara's heart and caring side in the future. Something I definitely look forward to. Overall great restart of the series - highly recommend it.

Marc Andreyko gave Kara what she desperately needed for so long - proper personality, which not only makes her an ineresting protagonist, but also one that... feels like herself, if you know what I mean. This Supergirl has some slight temper issues she's known for, but at the same time it doesn't take the best of her, contrary to how Brian Michael Bendis portrayed her in his limited Man of Steel run (where, let me remind you, she was a one dimensional powerhouse with no feelings other than anger, very close to many modern day Marvel heroines, like Captain Marvel or America. You know, the type who punches first, and then doesn't even bother to ask). I like this Kara, a lot, in fact. She's believable and sympathetic, determined and funny. Andreyko knows how to balance out the story and show different sides of our heroine. If Rebirth comics with Supergirl weren't your thing, and neither was her brief appearance in Man of Steel, you may be delighted to see who Supergirl is in this arc. She's super. Quite literally.

If Andreyko manages to keep his current momentum with the series, everything shows it's going to be the best Supergirl run in years. It's fun, full of action, the humor is not forced and works very well with the protagonist, who I may add, is just... super. Kara is entertaining, and her quest engages the reader. My previous criticism related to art is still relevant - panels more often than not leave a lot to be desired. They are by no means terrible, but I'd welcome a bit more attention to details and backgrounds, as well as Kara's facial expressions. I keep my fingers crossed for this series. So far I'm not dissapointed, even in the slightest. You go, Kara! Up, up, and away!

The issue contains three stories - the first one continuing the main arc of the series, the second serving as a spin-off to help us better understand who doc Col is, and the third is a short and sweet christmas story. Call it cliche, but I'm sucker for these kind of short stories, especially this time of year, and I welcome it ten times more than weird experiments like Nuclear Winter Special, which while more creative and original conceptually, lacked what makes christmas specials christmas specials. Very happy with this issue - Andreyko continues to deliver the best Supergirl content since... Loeb, maybe?

I loved Andreyko's take on the character so far, but this issue is the weakest we've seen so far. I appreciate the anti war message, and commentary on human rights violation (which is a rising problem in real world), but they should never overshadow the story itself - and I have a feeling that's exactly what happened here. It may not be as bad as Marvel's constant flirtations with regressive identity politics, but yeah, it's definitely not subtle enough to remain on the second plan, as I'd expect it to. Speaking of the story, it's a bit dull and I've found myself not really enjoying reading it as much as I did previous issues, albeit I have to say, I definitely look forward to see what's going to happen to Kara's clone. I mean, it's for sure more interesting than the villain, who's a typical cliche dictator with no actual motivations, personality and depth. So yeah, give me this clone and let's see what it becomes. Hopefully not yet another 1:1 copy of Kara at the same age, except evil (we've seen tham haven't we?), but I wouldn't mind to see a brand new, recurring character. Kind of a... sister, or a sidekick, maybe? Or generally, just a new Kryptonian, since Bendis just ruined Jon and we're one Super-person short, clearly.

Long story short, you lose your individualism when you're forced to conform. The series seems to be a victim of Bendis' takeover of other series connected to Supergirl, and aggressive promotion of the Legion of Superheroes' upcoming comics. Yeah, we know, it's a huge event, or so DC wants us to think, but so far it's been holding other titles back. Hopefully Kara will move on and does whatever SHE wants, instead of what Bendis' huge Rogol Zaar plotline demands.

One thing I hate about big crossover events, is how they affect ongoing stories, how they temporarily derail plotlines that now how to be either paused and delayed til the event's resolution, or sshoehorned to fit whatever's happening now in the event. I stopped following Supergirl's comics a while ago, due to limited spare time and not as much interest as I once had for it, when Andreyko took over the series. Thus, as you can figure out, I didn't have a clue what's up with the first half of this issue. Yeah, cool, it explains The Secret ix concept to Supergirl's readers who may be unfamiliar with it, but it does not do the same job for those who follow Batman/Superman, and may be unfamiliar with Supergirl's current state of affairs. Granted, that's not too big of a problem, since you can figure out who, what and why on your own, or Google whatever you don't know, but a little, rief explanation would have been welcome. Either that, or I don't know, maybe the issue should have been completely dedicated to the crossover? And speaking of the crossover, I have bad news if you care about it, because there's not much plot here. We witness some events from Batman/Superman #4 unfolding from Kara's perspective, and the her being all villanous. Turns out Batman Who Laughs' infected batarang has power to give its victim a kinky haircut and corpse paint. Oh, and some weird pointy elf-like ears. And that's pretty much it. What we got isn't bad, but I expected more substance, after all that's what tie-ins are for, to insert more themes, plotlines and development that may not be essential for the main story, but surely helps to flesh it out. Instead, I've spent more time thinking what musicians does her corpse paint resemble the most (I'd say it's a mix of King Diamond and Dani Filth, but that's just me), than what actually happened in this comic, because practically nothing event-centric happened in it. And that's a huge problem. History is littered with comics that are really cool conceptually and character design wise, but with no story, actual content, to drive them, they end up being disposable trash everyone forgets after a week. Remember Old Lady Harley? Couldn't blame you if you didn't.

There's a bigger story this comic tries to tell. It's not filler, despite what amount of Dragon Ball-esque action scenes may suggest. It' not the biggest, most complex plot, mind you, but I think it's still a step forward compared to last couple of issues, which really felt like they have nothing coherent to say. Long story short, the new, kinky, Kara, believes to be stronger than she ever was, so much so, she could become a new, real heroine who needs no help. Meanwhile, Wonder Woman doen't try to beat the living shit out of her, but genuinely help her, be there for her, like friends should do. Simple, but effective, and for this story arc, it works, albeit there's room for improvement, plenty of it, in fact. Story kinda derails when government robots randomly show up, and mayhem begins. There's tons of fighting here, but sadly not one panel actually stands out and is truly memorable. It's pretty generic exhchange of punches and kicks, not really accomplishing anything. Where does this story go? I have no clue, but I think Supergirl's path has been too dependant on other ongoing arcs, not allowing her to craft her own path. First Rogol Zaar came, and Andreyko took her for a cosmic trip, which started really great, just to become pretty boring later on. And now there's Batman Who Laughs' plan that turned her series 180 degrees once more. I hope the run improves as it goes, because this issue, despite having some good, character developing/bonding moments, is pretty mediocre, if you ask me. Same goes to other Infected heroes, by the way, which is a pretty huge problem.

I see what Jody tried to accomplish in this issue, bringing back Kara's old fears and foes, but it feels more chaotic and disorganized that it probably should have been for its own good. It's a decent story, albeit not one I'd call well executed, which was a long running problem with Supergirl's series to begin with. Writer after writer, they didn't know what to do with her, how to deveop her further, where to send her. Let's hope Supergirl will find a place in a good story where she can shine. Her team-up with Batwoman could be exactly that. As for her solo series, maybe it's for the best to take a break and return with a bang in the future, when someone knows what to do with the character.

I love Supergirl. I fell in love with the character back when Jeph Loeb was writing her, and nothing since his days really captured my attention. Steve Orlando's Rebirth run was just so uninspiring and boring to me, I quit reading it only just few first issues, and returned to reading the series when Marc Andreyko took over. And then there's Mariko Tamaki with her Being Super limited series. I've ignored it for a while, mostly because lack of spare time to give it a try, but I recently just picked it up, and I am stunned with its quality combined to general reception it received from critics and readers. Spoiler alert - despite the name, there's nothing super about it. The story is awfully boring and slow paced. I don't mind exposition and building up backstory, as well as protagonist's personality, but the entire comic reads like a soap opera. It feels like a filler, and the worst part is, it's not filler - things we see, and characters we meet are essential to the plot, and serve a purpose. Too bad this purpose is just not interesting, and none of the side characters really matter to me. With so much time spent on dialogues, I'd expect to feel any sympathy to Kara's friends, but I don't. They feel like stereotypical props (especially Dolly), not real human beings. Everything ends up with an unexpected earthquake, which reminds me of silly silver age stories with very, very little sense and logic. Of course there's an earthquake in this particular place and time, why not? There's no Bane with bombs, destroying the stadium, there's no commentary on fracking and its disasterous consequences... Nope. Just a random earthquake, just because. The only good thing about this issue I can see is the art. It's nice, but at times uneven, which is especially noticeabl when you compare splash pages with some irrelevant small panels. There is significant quality drop on the latter, with shadows, coloring and backgrounds. Remaining illustrations, though, are pretty good, and seem to be a nice stylistic fit for a comic focused around a teenage girl, with teenage girl's problems. Overall I'm very disappointed - for a comic with so positive reception, I've expected something that... wouldn't feel like a young adult soap opera masquerading as something super. The issue lacks any proper balance between action, heart and story, it's boring beyond belief, and definitely doesn't Kara any justice. She deserves some good stories, and Being Super drops the ball. If you look for good Supergirl origin story, grab Loeb's Superman/Batman #8 to #13.