From Evernote:

Batman Inc. #8 Review

4 / 5

Here it is - the book everyone has been talking about. Hidden so well that DC still doesn't have the book cover on their site. Spoiled by news sites earlier this week and has stormed the Internet. If for some reason you have not heard what this is about and want to live spoiler-free, you should move on. Otherwise, here we go. 

The fight between Batman Inc and Leviathon has intensified to the point that it seems everyone is stuck. Damian breaks curfew (so to speak) and pulls Nightwing and Red Robin out of some tight spots before catching up to Wayne HQ. It's here that we get the perfect hoora! for Damian as he lets Dick know how much he likes and respects him. It's a touching scene that carries good weight, especially if you've read the old B&R run with Dick as Batman. What follows is the moment that we've all heard about, which I'll not discuss further here. 

Let's face it, it's a big deal. There's no telling how this is going to ripple throughout the rest of the DCU in coming months. Jason dying on Bruce's watch was tough enough for him as it was. Losing Damian is sure to break something we've never seen in Batman before. Who knows how Alfred will feel as the person who encouraged him to go out that night - against Bruce's instructions. Who knows how this is going to affect the relationship between Jason and Bruce. Will they come together or will this drive them further apart? There are a lot of really things to see in the next few months, but for now we have only this - Damian is dead. 

I wish there had been a little more time leading up to this moment - not in the sense of more adventures, but in more development between Bruce and Damian. This was a big deal, and I honestly just didn't see it coming. The last year and a half has been really good in B&R. I'm going to miss the growth we saw for the two of them. 

This is a big deal, and definitely a book worth picking up. The story is solid as always. I'm still not a fan of Chris Burnham, which is my only negative on the book. Pick it up. Enjoy it. Share your thoughts.

------------------------------------------------- ROB'S TAKE -------------------------------------------------------
This smacks of "Grant Morrison is leaving and he's taking his toys with him." It's pretty much accepted that the fans were just starting to fall in love with Damian's character, so it's no surprise that he is snatched away before we really get to see what he can do. He stood a more than decent chance of finally replacing Dick Grayson in the hearts and minds of the readers. And you can't help but see resurrection coming a mile away via his family's Lazarus Pit. The emotional bite of what happened will linger, only to be cheapened when they bring him back...and they WILL bring him back. We've been through this with Jason Todd and it took 20 years to make him interesting again. DC really screwed the pooch in this one.

From Evernote:

Arrow #4 Review

(I'm assuming this is just promotional stuff since the covers are released months in advance, but the silhouette on the cover is Huntress on the real version)

5 / 5

Arrow is another book that I suspect no one is reading, but that I think everyone should. To put it kindly, the New 52 has not been very kind to the legacy of Green Arrow. Thank God in its place we've gotten the TV show, Arrow, which has actually been pretty fantastic. Accompanying the show is a very clever comic book that goes by the same name. The comic isn't an individual storyline, however. Instead, its purpose is to complement and augment the show. It fills in gaps that would be inappropriate to show on TV - not because they're too violent or risqué, but because they'd just drag down the pacing. In this issue for example, we see where and when Huntress got her training - something of an important fact in the context of the show. I remember distinctly it not making sense when she made her appearance. Now it's more sensible. 

So what do you get with this issue? Three stories from three perspectives. We get one from Diggle, who is watching Ollie take some serious risks while he decides when best to stand back and when to stand in. We get one on Huntress's background. We get another in which Ollie faces some personal ghosts while working one of his beats. All three are good short stories. 

I cannot stress enough how much I think people should be reading this stuff. Top notch work. If you put this as an individual book it's worth only a 4 / 5 to me. If you do this like it's supposed to be done, which is complementing the TV show, it's a 5 / 5 book. 

From Evernote:

Talon #5 Review

4 / 5

Talk about the book no one is talking about, but should be. Talon is getting better and better with each issue. What started as a series that I picked up strictly out of curiosity and respect for Snyder has become one of the freshest, and intriguing books in my pile (and I whole-heartedly expect to eat those words when this series turns to crap). 

Issue #5 brings our hero back to Gotham. It also deals with two firsts - 1) Bruce becoming aware of the new Talon situation, and 2) Continuing fallout from the Death of the Family arc from Nightwing. It's a good scene, and I'm looking forward to seeing how Batman plays into more of this story. Calvin has established a new home in Gotham where he's both licking his wounds and tasting a bit of normalcy for the first time in a long time. He likes it, and you can tell that he's reluctant to get back out into the field. It's pleasing when Sebastien helps him realize that that is the reason why he needs to work (and kind of a reason for the book) - so that he can end the Talons and he can lead a peaceful life without them hunting him. 

We also get a nice look at the Butcher, who has come on some interesting times. He lost Cal in New York. He's tracked him to Gotham, but is now stuck until Cal reveals his position. Being the professional that he is, he's able and willing to wait this out, but the Court is badgering him to do more. It's in this moment that we get to see him unleash some of his more primal rage and cause a little chaos. I think have a recurring villain like this is going to make this book phenomenal. I just hope they don't kill him off in the next few issues. This guy is seriously scary, and a great adversary for Cal. 

I really enjoy Talon, and highly recommend anyone who hasn't started to get going. We're only 5 issues plus a #0 issue in at this point. The writing is top-notch. The art is B+/A- work. The story has real potential to blossom into something special. Most of all, this could be the first new addition to the DCU that sticks in quite a while. 

From Evernote:

The Flash #17 Review

3 / 5

The Flash #17 finally concludes the Gorilla Grodd story arc. I'm hoping that the arc fares better in the future when I reread these from beginning to end, but I was just plain relieved to be finished with it today. I like the villain just fine, but the arc just drug on too long for me. Like I said, I'm hoping I'll be able to appreciate this more when I reread it as a set. 

As for the issue itself, #17 is actually pretty satisfying. Art is still solid with its watercolor feel. Writing is sharp. The conclusion is satisfying, if not epic. I love what they're doing with Barry and Iris / Patty - especially since I really like the Patty relationship. Like I said, I think the best part is just being done. It's nice to know I'll have a chance to regain my bearings and hopefully dig into the next arc with the excitement I had for the first arc. 

The epilogue does reveal the next villain, and it's exciting. It's someone we haven't addressed since Flash Point, and it'll be VERY interesting to see how the New 52 handles this character. If for nothing else, seeing the reveal for this villain was worth the price of entry. 

From Evernote:

Batman: The Dark Knight #17 Review

5 / 5

This is the 2nd or 3rd issue in the current DK arc revolving around the Mad Hatter. First of all, it's just fun to have story lines with the Mad Hatter. He's not what I would call an old standard for the Batman villain line-up, which leaves him a lot of room for growth and development - and on that note we're seeing some development. Much like the previous arc's focus on the Scarecrow, we're watching Batman hunt the Mad Hatter as he sets his developing plans into motion. What sets this book apart from the other books on the shelf currently is that more focus is put on the villain than Batman, which makes for a good read. We all know what Bruce goes through as Batman. We know his motivations, his fears, his short-comings. What's more, continuing character development happens in other books. This book gives a lot of time with the villain first and Batman second. This week we look into the Mad Hatter's past when he was a child (much like we did with Scarecrow previously). Though we've not seen a turning point, we know that it's coming. It's wildly entertaining to watch these things develop with time. 

Another thing that we're getting in The Dark Knight books that kind of separates them from the other Bat books is a healthy dose of humor. It's not quite as off-the-wall as the Morrison stuff in Batman Inc., and I like it! 

The only "negative" is that the art's not quite as solid as the other Bat books. I like it, and I think it does a good job of distinguishing this book from the other ones on the shelf, but it's no Batman. Not enough to knock the book in any way though. 

All-in-all, this is a series, arc, and book that I highly recommend. I hope that the trend continues with this writing style, because at the moment, this is one of my favorite Batman books. 

From Evernote:

Supergirl #17 Review

3 / 5

First of all, I want to make a plea. This is twice in one week in which I've picked up an issue of an event in the DCU in which I've had no clue what's going on. I'm genuinely enjoying the H'el on Earth story arc, but just like the Throne of Atlantis arc I finished earlier this week, am having a hell of a time keeping track of what's going on. When I first picked up Supergirl this week I wasn't sure if I'd missed a book or what. I wish DC would include reading orders and recaps in these books to help the reader along. I'm investing a lot of time in the money in these books, but by taking part in so many things I'm actually making my life more difficult!

Now, that said, this is the 2nd to last issue of the H'el on Earth story arc. This being my first Supergirl review, I should note that this is my favorite book in the Super family line. Her character has been well developed since the beginning, and I've cared more for her stakes in the H'el on Earth arc than anyone else's. The preceding issues have really led to this moment - what will Kara do when she realizes that she's been manipulated into doing the wrong thing? It takes Kara and Wonder Woman duking it out to get to that point, and the conclusion to this issue is satisfying. The art for the fight is also incredibly fun to watch. 

Next week's Superman #17 is supposed to be our conclusion to H'el on Earth. I think it's worth your time to read the arc if nothing else to see what Kara goes through. I suspect that the position she took in this arc plus the events preceding this event will only further the disparity in quality between Supergirl and the Super family books. 

From Evernote:

Vibe #1 Review

4 / 5

New series are always tricky affairs. In the case of new series with reimagined characters, it's even more dangerous. I have the benefit of this being my first experience with the character, Vibe. What we get is another product of the Darkseid invasion. Vibe is a character whose powers are derived from his experience with Darkseid's Boom Tubes during the first Justice League arc. It's a good enough plot device for me and the suggested uses for the character from the ARGUS agent convincing him to be a member of the JLA have me interested in seeing where this goes. 

I should note that the art was pretty bland and that the pages were a little dense. Otherwise there was nothing wrong with the style. 

All-in-all it was a good read. I'll definitely give issue 2 a try. If nothing else there are some fun reveals in the last 3 pages that pertain to the DCU as a whole that make me (and quite a few other people I think) want to see more of this. 

Detective Comics #17 Review

3/5

A Death Of The Family aftermath issue deals with the ancillary dangers that a personality like the Joker inspires in Gotham City's loonier population. The enticing allure of greed, murderous misdirection and a predictable ending are all places we've been before, so I wonder how this issue made it past the editors. Detective Comics is too important a title to waste with too many issues like this.

There is a small but satisfying encounter with Harley Quinn!

Batman And Robin #17 Review

3/5

The second Batman And Robin issue this month that is not part of an larger overall story arc, #17 treats us to how the family decompresses from the stresses of their adventures and gives us a look at a nightmare for each of them.

While this issue starts out well, Batman books tend to go a little psycho when dealing with Bruce's nightmares and this story is no different. No new ground is broken, but neither is any damage done.

Batman And Robin Annual #1 Review

4/5

I like how the Batman books keep getting things right. After the heaviness that was Death Of The Family, we are treated to not one but two "fun" stories to clear the air, and both of them in BATMAN AND ROBIN. One is issue 17 which we will review later and here in the titles first annual.

It's hard not to have started liking Damian Wayne by now and this issue keeps revealing his charm. Damian has created an elaborate and heartfelt diversion for his father that clears the way for his own solo adventures. Everyone gets their moment and we do learn more about Bruce's parents. A placeholder issue for sure, but the kind that is appreciated every once in a while.

The New Ghostbusters #1 Review

 
 4/5

One of the rare "humor" comics I read is IDW's excellent GHOSTBUSTERS and now I include the follow-up NEW GHOSTBUSTERS. Sharp, witty writing will have you convinced these stories are cut from the same minds who conceived the movies. The boys have been abducted by the very ghosts they have hunted for years. In their place, Janine Melnitz steps in with two female companions and a hack who once tried to engineer his own proton pack. A fun read that pleases me as much as it's predecessor.

Red Hood and the Outlaws #17 Review

From Evernote:

Red Hood and the Outlaws #17

5 / 5

I'm going to go ahead and dub this the unofficial epilogue to Death of the Family. Much like this week's DC Universe Presents gives us the Roy Harper time we want, this RHatO 17 is all Jason. It's also the best time we've had in the new 52 of Jason reflecting on his time as a member of the bat family. We get some conversations between Todd and Damien and Bruce that are likely to be considered classics in the future. We even have some acknowledgment of Dick's relationship with Starfire in the past. All-in-all, a very good issue. I think I'm going to use this as my jump-on point for the series once again. 

Of note, however, I really wish DC would adopt Marvel's trend of including recaps at the beginning of each issue. It's handy when jumping into the middle of a series like this. It's also just handy when I'm reading as many books as I do every month. Having a little something to jog my memory really goes a long way. Get on it DC :)

From Evernote:

DC Universe Presents: Arsenal (#17) Review

5 / 5

I'm too satisfied. This is the first issue of DC Universe presents that I've actually picked up. As someone who read the initial run of Red Hood and the Outlaws before dropping it and moving on to other series, I was excited to get some more Roy "Speedy" Harper than what I've gotten recently, and I got it in spades. This issue does a lot of things really well. 

First, the story: Like the other DC Universe Presents books, this is a one-shot story revolving around Roy who has been captured by the Triad in Hong Kong. Todd and Starfire are appropriately unconcerned / unaware of his dilemma, leaving him to run the show for the whole story. We get a fun progression from his initial interrogation in which he monologues thoughts about his teammates to the conclusion in which he shows back up on Starfire's ship rather nonchalantly. We get a good point A to D kind of story with some nice touches of his motivations. 

The other really great thing the issue did is addressing the famous history that Roy has in the DCU. So many details are murky currently because of the early timeline established by the editors for the entire universe. Regardless of whether or not we understand how things have come to pass from a timeline perspective, we do know that Roy's bad times and falling apart from Oliver Queen did happen. In the same section that this is established, we also get a flashback to him and Killer Croc, which ties into the conclusion and helps establish the growth the character has had from his low point to today. 

The final really fun part is that because this is a Roy story, we get a lot of good examples of why his name is now Arsenal. I'll not elaborate further, but it's fun as hell. 

These kinds of books are just plain clever. They get me interested to try Red Hood and the Outlaws again, but they also make me really hope for a solo Roy Harper series. Regardless, this is a great book for anyone who likes that little corner of the DCU already. 

From Evernote:

Captain America #4 Review

2 / 5 - I QUIT READING AT THIS POINT

And that's it. The first series in this blog's review set to be cut. Captain America #4 does nothing to change the trend set by the previous three issues. We still have jumbled plots and crummy artwork. I'm struck as I finish this last issue that all four issues spend a large amount of time looking back on Steve's childhood, yet the stories never have any real connection to what is going on in the story. This month's flashback looks at Steve as a desperate child having to commit crime in order to make ends meet. The flashback concludes with Steve's mother begging him not to become a bad person and him beginning his redemption for the crime. Fast-forward back to the present (which is now eleven years in the future from the start of the series) and there's nothing even vaguely that I can grasp at that connects that message to Steve's current situation. It's almost as if there are two different people who are writing Steve Rogers stories - two people who haven't met and aren't talking to one another about what the other is doing. 

I'm disappointed that this series has been such a flop for me. I was really looking forward to reading Captain America monthly. I've come to really like the character, especially since AvX. I'll look into finding another series in the future, but it looks like Uncanny Avengers is where I'll be getting my Captain America fix for the near future. 

From Evernote:

Captain America #3 Review

1 / 5

Whew. Another really rough issue for the captain. As was the case with previous issues, this issue begins with a flashback, this time for Zola in the 20s. We then jump back to the present with Steve and his companion immediately being saved from the conclusion to issue 2. From there it continues to jump from passage to passage every few panels. None of it is difficult to follow, it just doesn't really matter. We establish on one page a relationship that Steve has with some indigenous creatures, and then the creatures are killed off on the next page. You get the sense that it should carry some weight and importance, but there was never really a reason to care. The entire series is kind of working this way right now. 

This book also sets a new standard for crummy artwork with Steve's memory of his childhood being some of the worst I've ever seen. I'm legitimately curious if I missed something and the art was purposely supposed to be caricatured to connect with his art as a child or what. The point is, it's awful. 

I have one more issue to get through. If it doesn't turn around from here, it's highly unlikely I'll continue reading Captain America. 

From Evernote:

Captain America #2 Review

3 / 5

One Year Later. That's where this book with its crummy introduction with issue #1. The only problem I have with this right now is that I'm still fuzzy on what counts as canon in the Marvel Universe and what does not. Is Captain America (ongoing series) part of the rest of the Marvel Universe (i.e., Uncanny Avengers, All New X-Men, etc.) or is this its own entity, kind of like there being differences between different Spider-Man series. I'm confused, but okay for right now. 

This issue is actually a big improvement from the first. The art style is still enjoyable and the plot is more comprehensible. Part of the year that has passed is that the child Steve saved in the previous issue is now older and still with him. I like that there's a heart-felt attachment to tie Steve down from being just a badass comic book hero. There's also a more apparent reason for the flashbacks at the beginning of each issue to young Steve back in New York. I like this as I felt the flashback in issue 1 was kind of a waste. 

All-in-all, much more satisfying than the first issue. I hope the series can keep this kind of momentum. 

From Evernote:

Captain America #1 Review

3 / 5

Steve Roger's debut in Marvel Now is a plain, murky book. It starts off with a look back at the dysfunction in his family as a child, fast-forwards to a present day encounter with the Green Skull, and never really stops from there. It jumps from idea to idea, without ever really establishing anything along the way. The only passage of any real value is midway through the book when he's talking to his fiancee. It's a fleeting moment that I wouldn't mind seeing more of. Before we can settle into that for too long we're whisked away into what is certain to be the focus of this book's first arc. Captain America finds himself trapped Dimension Z. 

Of note, I like the style of art quite a bit, but the art itself is actually pretty rough. In one panel Steve's mother is supposed to have a nose bleed. Between bad coloring and bad inking she looks more like her face is melting off. Between panels the colors of her clothing aren't consistent - it's just a mess. 

I don't think there was really anything terrible about this book. It certainly won't stop me from reading the other 3 I have on my desk. I'm disappointed with my first Captain America book, however.

From Evernote:

Superior Spider-Man #4 Review

3 / 5

This issue is the beginning of a new arc, this time revolving around Massacre. He's escaped from Ravencroft once again, but adding the Doc Ock twist to the situation has changed the standard approach. There's not much more to say about the issue without revealing plot points, but it's fair to say it was a decent issue. At this point I'll be interested to see if this series can keep the little momentum it gained with issue 3. 

At this point I can say that some of the ideas have been fun to see through. Doc Ock's robotic spiders that patrol New York for him have been an interesting addition to Spider-Man's arsenal. It's almost like having a Batman version of Spider-Man. This series is only going to work so long as it continues to explore the differences between what Peter and Octavius would do in certain situations, with some kind of progress on Octavius's part as the series continues. I'm still skeptical about how good this will remain. Hopefully this arc will stay strong. 

From Evernote:

Superior Spider-Man #3 Review

    

4 / 5

Issue #3 is a marked improvement over the 2nd issue. This is the first time the series has actually explored some of the issues of Doc Ock playing the part of Spider-Man. The issue starts off on a low point with the writers trying to take silly jabs at Batman. What follows are two major plot lines for the issue - one involving Peter being able to explore Doc Ock's memories and another in which Doc Ock faces off against the vulture. The cool thing about the encounter with the vulture is that Doc Ock uses his knowledge and personal history with the vulture to consider a new way of ending the Vulture's crime spree. For the first time we see a good reason to have have this split personality storyline, at least as far as exploring the villains is concerned. Shortly into the encounter we also see Doc Ock's past catch up with him, forcing him to be his own version of Spider-Man. It's an entertaining encounter and I hope to see more like this from the series. 

From Evernote:

Superior Spider-Man #2 Review

2 / 5

As we continue into the 2nd issue of the Superior Spider-Man, Doc Oc is spending the issue focusing on perfecting his Peter Parker game by romancing Mary Jane. The issue continues the formula of an obnoxious form of Peter Octopus Parker playing around while ghost Peter Parker screams for Doc Oc to stop. So far nothing particularly exciting has come of this storyline. In reality this is Marvel saying, "Wouldn't it be cool if…" with the Spider-Man line. I still have another 2 issues on my desk so I'm not going to give up on this series yet, but I don't see any reason to invest more time in this unless you're a long-time Spidey fan and just can't get enough of this kind of stuff. 

On a side note - I want to point out that this is another Marvel Now book that calls on previous books more than I'd like. This fact is also tainting my view of the book. I don't know who MJ's friend is, but she's apparently very important to what led to this event as well as how this event will ultimately be resolved. I know Wikipedia's out there, but I still think an opportunity was missed on Marvel's part to make their lines accessible. 

Justice League #17 Review

From Evernote:

Justice League #17

4 / 5

While I never have quite gotten the point of this arc, it has been both fun and important in what it's ultimately developed into. JL17 is the conclusion to the Throne of Atlantis story arc, which pitted the Justice League against Atlantis. In this conclusion issue we get the big throw down between Arthur and his brother, Orm. When everything is said and done the Justice League is forced once again to deal with the fact that their adventures are making them unpopular in the world. It ties directly both to previous hints dropped in JL issues as well as this week's JLA. We also get a pretty major surprise in the very last panel that I'm very excited to see explored in the next few months. 

All-in-all, Throne of Atlantis was an okay arc. I suppose it's because everything moved so quickly, but I never felt really connected to the seriousness of the events. I hope that what happened here doesn't just blow over so that when I return to this in the next year or two I'll be able to appreciate this event as something truly important. Regardless, the art and writing are as solid as ever. DC has clearly maintained JL as its flagship title, at least from a quality perspective. 

Savage Wolverine #2 Review

From Evernote:

Savage Wolverine #2

3 / 5

Another fun issue. I'm not sure how to feel about this series yet. I suspect there won't be much in the way of plot, but sometimes that's not such a bad thing. It does seem like this will be another Marvel standard book with lots of action and quips between the main characters. I wish there was more to comment on, but that was basically the entire issue. 

Art's solid. Writing gets the job done. Pacing works really well for me. I'll be looking forward to #3, though there's nothing special about this issue to warrant more than a 3 / 5. 

Deadpool #5 Review

From Evernote:

Deadpool #5

4 / 5

I'll never understand what I like about this book. It's truly a guilty pleasure. It's cheesy, over-the-top, nonsensical, and not even that funny, yet I can't get enough Deadpool. This week I got to watch Ronald Reagan's spirit get sucked out of a hole in a space craft while jelly beans from his open stomach floated around. What more can you say about Deadpool?

This week we actually got something close to real character from Wade to top everything off! Who knows where we're going from here! Next month is supposed to be the conclusion so it'll be interesting to see where Wade ends up next. Hopefully we're moving on to an equally ridiculous and fun plot. 

Green Lantern: New Guardians #17 Review

From Evernote:

Green Lantern: New Guardians #17

4 / 5

My favorite GL book of the week, and perhaps not surprisingly so given my thoughts on the GL Corps. Much like GL Corps #17, this book focuses on the First Lantern feeding on Kyle Rayner's emotions and emotional memories. The interesting part is that Kyle continues to prove himself to be one of the most powerful Lanterns in his control of his emotions. His ultimate "failure" (if that's what you call the result) is touching and relatable. Kyle is genuinely becoming one of my favorite GLs. 

The art is still fantastic. Like this week's GL corps, there's no plot advancement so this isn't a key book, but it is a good read, especially if you want to learn more about these characters. 

Thor: God of Thunder #5 Review

From Evernote:

Thor: God of Thunder #5

3 / 5

Thor: God of Thunder has been one of my favorite Marvel Now series. It has exemplified everything that makes Thor fun while not shackling him to the limitations of events on Earth. Unfortunately, issue #5 is something of a let down. What was supposed to be a 5 issue arc has no expanded into who knows how many, meaning the conclusion I was expecting this week is no where in sight. I love continuing this arc - the villain is great and I want to see more of him - but I hate having the rug pulled out from under me like that. It's kind of like what the Green Lantern books have been doing for the last few months just trailing from one arc to the next. 

The events in the story are mostly satisfying. We get a taste of how some things can be set right that were ruined before. We also got more background on our villain. I suppose the next issue is going to give him a lot of attention given the title of the next issue. 

All-in-all, the weakest of the 5 T:GoT books released so far, but still a remarkable series. I wish the rest of the Marvel Now books were this good. 

Star Trek: Countdown to Darkness #2 Review

From Evernote:

Star Trek: Countdown to Darkness #2

4 / 5

So far so good. The first issue didn't bring much to the table regarding the next film, but it did end with a nice surprise. This one goes all the way. We're learning that Kirk's Enterprise is actually the second Enterprise. We're learning about what is most likely going to be Carol Marcus's father having served under Robert April on the Enterprise. Prime Directive issues. It's great. It's impossible to judge this as a tie-in to the film without knowing first what the plot of the film is going to be. As such I can comment only on the book as a stand-alone title, and on this front it's succeeding. I'm interested to see where it goes. I just wish is it had a little more time to get from point-to-point. I feel like some things are being rushed a little in light of a very definite time limit. Can't wait for next month's issue. 

Star Trek #18 Review

From Evernote:

Star Trek #18

3 / 5

It's funny. I've really liked these issues of Star Trek that look back on characters' lives and ambitions. I loved last month's McCoy issue. I loved the security issue. In general, I've just loved this. This month's Uhura issue didn't do anything for me, unfortunately. There's nothing wrong with the story. It just comes and goes and begs the question of, "why?" 

There's nothing wrong with this book, but there's nothing to rush to either. Just a look back on Uhura's past. 

Saga #10 Review

From Evernote:

Saga #10

5 / 5

If there's one series that I recommend to anyone who will listen, it's Saga. I love the art. I love the writing. I love the universe. This issue also touched on some of the complaints I've had this week reviewing other books, exemplifying just how to write an issue of a book covering a variety of writing styles. We get some flashbacks, we get two groups of people currently in one place, and we get action. It seems like everything else that's coming out has real trouble balancing these different elements. Saga, however, consistently finds ways to remain interesting week-to-week. 

This week continues the adventure of our heroes escaping into space. By the end of the book everyone is in one place - including our favorite bounty hunter. It's good stuff. With issues consistently like this I'm sincere when I say that I wish Saga were a twice a month book. 

Happy #5 Review

From Evernote:

Happy #5

5 / 5

There's nothing like a satisfying conclusion. Nor is there nothing like an artist finding his right medium. With the entire series of Happy I think we got the exact Grant Morrison we should always get. He's not held down by anyone's expectations about the universe he's working in, and as a result it's A-OK to be as wacky as he is. With Happy! we get an interesting series about a man's redemption. Simple stuff that's been done before, but with the Morrison twist. I'm not going to elaborate further, except to comment that this conclusion issue is great. It's everything I wanted out of the series and it makes me eagerly await the next Morrison series that's not attached to the DCU or Marvel Universe. 

Wonder Woman #17 Review

From Evernote:

Wonder Woman #17

4 / 5

Sometimes I don't really know why I enjoy this book so much. There's a lot of nonsensical stuff going on in this series. It's not senselessly nonsensical like a Grant Morrison book. As a matter of fact, it's very appropriately nonsensical considering we're talking about hyper-violent Gods at one another's throats. Still, there's enough heart in the characters, there's enough of something fresh and different from other books out there, and there's enough good writing to keep it interesting. That said, this is another book in which little happens. We have the expected encounter between Diana and War that was prefaced in the previous issue… and that's about it. It's a good encounter. Some interesting questions are posed, but nothing really happens. Every time I read this book I wish it were either contained in more series or there were more pages per book. Azzarello is trying to put so many things into one story that it's both confusing and underwhelming sometimes. The newest major villain has been building up in a very pleasant way over the last few issues. The problem is that his bits are thrown in rather randomly amongst other situations, and I never feel like we're seeing everything there is to his character. I hope there's more payoff when the inevitable encounter between him and Diana eventually happens. The never-ending bickering between God family members and Diana - especially when it comes to Hera - is still plenty entertaining. 

All-in-all, a good book, especially if you're following the rest of the series. I'm beginning to wish we didn't have some book so on the stands like Red Lanterns, and instead had a book just about the Gods in this family. 

Green Lantern: New Guardians #17 Review

From Evernote:

Green Lantern: New Guardians #17

4 / 5

My favorite GL book of the week, and perhaps not surprisingly so given my thoughts on the GL Corps. Much like GL Corps #17, this book focuses on the First Lantern feeding on Kyle Rayner's emotions and emotional memories. The interesting part is that Kyle continues to prove himself to be one of the most powerful Lanterns in his control of his emotions. His ultimate "failure" (if that's what you call the result) is touching and relatable. Kyle is genuinely becoming one of my favorite GLs. 

The art is still fantastic. Like this week's GL corps, there's no plot advancement so this isn't a key book, but it is a good read, especially if you want to learn more about these characters. 

Green Lantern Corps #17 Review

From Evernote:

Green Lantern Corps #17

3 / 5

This was a really fun book, especially if you know Guy Gardner, I'm sure. The plot revolves entirely around the First Lantern's ability to feed off emotions as well as explore emotional memories. What results is an interesting retrospective on Guy's life and motivations. For someone like me who (at this point) doesn't know as much as I'd like about Guy, this is a good way to get more of a feel for who he is. 

On the flip side, nothing actually happens in the book. It's all exploration. There's nothing wrong with that so long as we get enough forward progress with time, which is a bit of a concern with the current GL stories. As always, I look forward to next month's GL to see what comes of this situation. Lord knows I love some GL Corps. 

As an aside, I'm starting to feel like GL should consider making a solo book for either Gardner or Stewart. Neither is getting his fair share right now splitting this book. As a matter of fact, the only GL getting a solo book is Kyle, which is kind of silly when you think about it. 

*** DC did not have the cover for this book available at the time of this review. Fill in later. 

Green Lantern #17 Review

From Evernote:

Green Lantern #17

3 / 5

GL #17 is the start of the newest arc - Wrath of the First Lantern. In this we get even more Simon Baz time as well as jumping around all of the other major players in the GL universe (at least those not covered by the other books). Frankly, it's a confusing, muddled mess that serves only to set up this particular arc. As such, there's nothing really special about it. I think GL is starting to suffer from a lot of big ideas that Johns and crew are trying to work towards, but uncertainty on how exactly to get where they're going. The Simon Baz GL story is interesting, and really deserves to be fleshed out. Unfortunately he's been thrown into a huge mess and so we've had no chance to really get to know him. We're getting to the point where Guardian sub-plots are taking up half of every GL issue, and for the love of God, let's get an indication of some kind or another of what's going to happen with Hal and Sinestro. 

This isn't a bad book. There's absolutely nothing remarkable here (other than some remarkably bad art at the very beginning of the book). The only thing of note about this issue is that it's the start of a new GL story arc. 

Justice League of America #1 Review

4 / 5

Looking good. The issue is an introductory story explaining why the different members of the JLA have been chosen. As a result, nothing really happens. We're getting a taste of some of the dynamics in this government-run team, and some interesting questions are risen as to why some of these people will participate, but it's good none-the-less. There are two really cool parts. 1) The reveal as to what the team's goal is is pretty interesting, and 2) The obligatory cliffhanger ending. 

I've been looking forward to JLA for months. As such I recognize that I'm probably not very objective about the quality of book. That said, even with inflated expectations I was not let down. I'm really looking forward to this series.  

Before Watchmen: Ozymandias #5 Review

From Evernote:

Before Watchmen: Ozymandias #5

(Generous) 3/5

Continues the trend set at the start of the Ozymandias series to continue to add absolutely nothing of value to the Watchman universe. 5 issues of recapping things we basically knew about Ozymandias. This has been a waste of the IP. I'd rate lower, except there's nothing technically wrong with the book. Art is still very solid. Dialogue flows well. If Watchmen had never existed this would be a pretty interesting story (maybe). As it is, just a waste. 

I'm looking forward to a year from now when all of these series are done and I can go back and try them again from beginning to end. Perhaps Ozymandias will fare better with time and the right circumstances. 

Before Watchmen: Dollar Bill Review

From Evernote:

Before Watchmen: Dollar Bill

4/5

Good development for a character that had no story. Just what I want out of my Before Watchmen books.