Sean Ian Mills Comic Reviews

Strong characters and an entertaining team dynamic make this first issue worth a read.

Considering it's a tie-in spin-off to another, bigger event, the creative team seems to be really having a blast throwing in all sorts of crazy ideas and mixing up some interesting characters.

Outstanding character writing elevated what could have been a bog-standard tie-in comic into something truly enjoyable to read.

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A-Force could have been something really special had it been allowed to really exist on its own terms. The writers do a great job with what they're given, telling an exciting, emotional story with relatively brand new characters. And artist Jorge Molina and his team bring it to life with exciting detail. But A-Force and it's all-female superhero team are just a gimmick in the larger Secret Wars universe. To call this the 'first ever all-female Avengers team' is a disservice to that very idea. Someday there should be an all-female Avengers team, or an Avengers team that's majority female, or an Avengers team with an equal split of members. But if you're going to do it, do it in a way that reallymatters.

Not a grand reinvention so much as just a good, solid, entertaining Batman comic, with some of the major players shuffled around into new roles. Should be a fun read.

Second issue holds up to the first, keeping the story going, while delivering its own crazy action and world-building.

This series continues to build nicely, with a lot of big movements in this issue in particularly.

Another action-packed issue also does a solid job of laying out the important themes that form the foundation for this story.

The crazy, over-the-top action easily sells this first story arc finale.

Absolute Batman settles nicely into its second story and ongoing status with new takes on classic characters and a fill-in artist that is more than up to the job.

The horror and the awesome Batman-ness of it all are pushed to extremes in this issue and it definitely works, along with some truly outstanding character designs.

Absolute Batman ratchets up the gruesomeness and the tension as the horrors of Absolute Bane continue.

This issue does an excellent job of setting up the tension an the potential exciting for the next big issue.

Everyone one could possibly love about comics  writing, artwork, storytelling, characters  is at an absolute peak in this climactic and hugely entertaining issue.

The story of Absolute Joker lives up to the hype, and the issue finds a very fun way to tell that story.

The second Absolute crossover does not disappoint, bringing strong character work, action and emotional depth to an issue bursting at the seams with quality storytelling.

Absolute Poison Ivy arrives with all the flair and madness of all the other Rogues Gallery reveals, in a jam-packed issue that effortlessly balances Batman action, character backstory and Bruce Wayne character building.

Deft storytelling, great artwork and some real plot progression make for another excellent issue of Absolute Batman.

Big new introductions, shocking moments and an all around great set-up for a new story arc; Absolute Batman is still going as strong as ever this deep into its run.

The mystery and creepiness deepen in another excellent issue of this industry-defining series.

A lot happens in this issue and all of it is pretty great, though I think some of the moments could have used more room to breathe and be fleshed out.

Some less than stellar artwork doesn’t detract too much from an otherwise great origin for Absolute Harley Quinn.

This comic was two awesome Absolute Batman stories where he's basically just a force of nature defeating some bad dudes, with some extra story thrown in for good measure.

This first issue is the whole package, with strong character work, great artwork, a compelling story, plenty of seeds for the upcoming story and then a big character reveal cliffhanger ending. Off to a very good start.

Second issue keeps things moving along nicely, with some quality guest characters added to the mix.

In terms of expanding and exploring the Absolute Universe in a one-shot, this issue is a heck of a lot of fun with a lot of big and exciting reveals.

Loved parts of this first issue, didn't love other parts, but it looks gorgeous and does a phenomenal job of introducing it's characters. So I'd say we're off to a good start.

Took some thinkering, but this second issue helped me better understand what Absolute Flash is going for, and it raised the project as a whole. Solid second issue.

The opening story suddenly wraps up a bit too quickly and awkwardly for my tastes, but the writing and artwork remain very strong.

Real sense of youthful superhero energy, which is a good place to put Absolute Flash at this point in its lifecycle.

Unsteady artwork and story choices make for an issue that is more confusing than entertaining.

The final issue of the first year of Absolute Flash ends mostly on a whimper. It’s entirely unfair to judge this series against the gold standards in the rest of the line, but Absolute Flash just doesn’t cut the mustard.

Absolute Green Arrow is off to a great start and is a fine addition to the Absolute lineup, easily establishing its own violent tone — though there is a lot to set up and explain at times.

Horror turns to murder mystery in an engaging, still sometimes gruesome second issue.

Another strong issue building on the central themes and mystery, though it gets a bit scattershot and we’re starting to introduce more characters than the comic needs.

While this is the solid start to a story, I don't think it really nails into any core aspects of the Green Lantern mythos in this first issue, which is what I've come to expect from Absolute so far.

The new Absolute Green Lantern series is not giving us enough information to glom onto to really start getting invested in the series. The spooky mystery is the main focus so far.

The new issue meanders in directions I don't particularly care about and hasn't done nearly enough to fully redefine or capitalize on what Absolute Green Lantern even means.

The creators have a trippy, colorful vision in mind of this comic, and they are allowed to push that envelope to the breaking point. I applaud the artistic creativity at play in this issue, even if trippy, psychedelic storytelling is not my cup of tea.

This second issue provides a stronger foundation and explanation than the first, along with a compelling single-issue story.

A more solidified story and characters help to balance the weirdness, elevating all ships in this excellent comic.

Every page of this comic is a kaleidoscopic delight of nifty artwork, compelling storytelling and an industry-altering use of color.

Absolute Martian Manhunter takes an issue to bathe in its atmosphere, setting up what should be a strong ending to this first arc…if that's indeed what happens. Could be anything with a comic like this!

The first story arc of Absolute Martian Manhunter goes out with all sorts of bangs, exactly as one has come to expect with this title. The storytelling, artwork and, especially, the coloring are next level comics.

Absolute Martian Manhunter is back with another banger of an issue, though this one is more about catching up, setting up and getting back into the vibe.

This second storyline is really ramping up, with story choices that let the creative team truly shine.

This is a cool story that expands the core of Superman, with some truly awesome artwork and colors. DC clearly went all out (pun intended) on making these Absolute comics something special, and it definitely shows for the third issue in a row.

This second issue is chock full of everything that is making this series great. It's full of the core power of Superman, while letting the new deviations flourish in all the best ways.

I was grinning from ear-to-ear as this issue laser focused on a specific aspect of Superman's character, and used it in new and interesting ways, while tying it into the mythology nicely. Loved it.

Four issues in, Absolute Superman takes time to flesh out the characters, their core concepts and everything this series is standing for, and it's amazing.

Absolute Superman showcases the best of the industry with every issue. This particular issue covers a lot of interesting ground on the last days of Krypton, and that exploding planet has never looked better or more intense.

The best issue of the series yet finally lands Superman in Kansas, and the emotional story we get, the highs and the lows, was worth the wait.

We get the full origin of Absolute Brainiac in this issue and it's as weird, wild, creepy and psychotic as one could hope for.

Action and character work balance nicely and inform one another, making for a big, exciting issue with a lot going on.

Absolute Superman gets to really cut loose with its hero and his new, darker, powerful interpretation. Truly an awesome sight to behold.

The good easily outweighs the bad in this issue, and the bad is really only bad due to my personal preferences, and is also actually quite good. So all around very good issue of Absolute Superman.

Very enjoyable issue that sets a foundation for the main characters ahead of the next big battle. The character work remains one of the best parts of his comic.

An epic battle comic features an even more epic understanding of Absolute Superman, and that's what really sold me this issue.

A major storyline comes to an end with big, heroic moments and bittersweet emotional beats; everything one could want in a damn good comic.

The dust has settled, the comic moves on and Aaron and his art team deliver a gorgeous look at Absolute Superman moving forward.

Much like with Wonder Woman fighting Zatanna, we’ve got Superman fighting Hawkman, and the Absolute Universe continues to make great use of classic characters. Especially when it comes to great artwork.

Excellent second part to last issue’s story, with a great use of Absolute Hawkman and some very good Superman heroics.

An excellent start to a new story, with some really great character introductions, to say nothing of some quality character development.

Black Adam arrives in the Absolute Universe with all the pomp, attitude and epic battles you could hope for.

A pretty damn awesome fight issue is greatly bolstered by an Absolute Hawkman character spotlight.

Great fight issue, great character work on the sidelines, and great overall wrap up to this pretty darn epic story.

A phenomenal done-in-one story that shows off the scale and power of Absolute Wonder Woman, while delving deep into her mythological roots.

Another awesome first issue for Absolute DC. This one expertly combines Wonder Woman's warrior side with her compassionate side for an excellent reboot origin that delivers.

Another excellent, well-written issue where the artwork, especially, rises to unforeseen heights in comic book storytelling.

This issue showcases everything that's great about this series so far: the personal, human side of the story, and the larger-than-life, monster-fighting action.

Epic opening story comes to an epic conclusion, maintaining the quality in artwork and writing that we've seen all along. They make this look easy!

Even with a new artist and a new story, Absolute Wonder Woman doesn't miss a beat in telling large scale, deeply personal stories.

Big, exciting and full of character and developing depth, all of which makes for another super fun issue of this stellar comic.

This is an excellent issue setting up the new story and the new character developments. Everything is still firing on all cylinders with Absolute Wonder Woman, with seamless transitions.

An excellent issue of Absolute Wonder Woman that moves the story along nicely, introduces some new Absolute versions of classic characters and contains the perfect amount of adorable child Diana.

The action and character work remain top notch, and then this issue goes and gives us one of the best flashbacks and mission statements yet.

Rockin' issue that adds a whole new layer to the current storyline and a very fun and interesting new character. The artwork really sells this one, too.

This second major storyline wraps up in truly epic and heroic fashion. Much more personal and human than before, while still being equally wonderful.

A guest artist shows up to help with a little in-between story and it's still fun and hugely entertaining.

This quick little two-parter comes to a solid ending, where the real pleasure is in the side elements instead of the superhero fight itself.

The team-up is everything we could have hoped it would be, a great showcase for both characters and the Absolute Universe as a whole.

The arrival of Absolute Zatanna was always going to be big, but then everybody involved in this comic made the whole issue even bigger than just that, on so many glorious and entertaining levels.

The bad guys were introduced last issue, and this issue makes the absolute most out of all of them! Writing, characters, storytelling and especially artwork make this issue the whole package.

There’s a lot going on in the latest issue and the Absolute Wonder Woman creative team juggles all of it perfectly for another fantastic chapter.

While still a very enjoyable and entertaining issue, with continuously phenomenal artwork, this final story chapter cuts and runs with a lot of the major story elements.

Even the shorter, in-between stories with guest artists are great in Absolute Wonder Woman.

Great stories for both Wonder Woman and Cheetah this issue, wrapping up a quick but important two-parter.

It's very enjoyable. And the art has been great. I could barely tell there were three different artists on this issue. The coloring is bright and cheerful, and really, Pak is just writing some nice Superman comics. Perhaps the promise of Doomsday in this issue will give him something meatier to play with in the future.

This is a Superman I could get behind. He's personable, he's friendly, and he's a hero no matter what. Pak just has a really good handle on his main character, keeping Clark Kent as Clark Kent, even in this new dynamic. And I like the new dynamic.

Rather than being a flying symbol of truth and justice, Superman is now a man of the people, forced to stand on his own two feet down in the grime and the muck. I really liked that aspect of the issue. The cops are almost cartoonishly evil in this issue, but it works to really put the pressure on Superman.

This new, de-powered Superman is making for one exciting and interesting protagonist.

We're back for another excellent installment of Superman-of-the-People, and I'm still excited for this story. Throwing out a somewhat generic super-villain as the antagonist is slightly disappointing, but Pak and Kuder acquit themselves well in the storytelling.

Kolins is a nice fill-in for regular artist Aaron Kuder. Their styles are similar, and Kolins does a solid job with the monstrosity of the black ink, and with the normalness of this current Superman. This is a solid creative team telling a solid Superman story, though this problem with the shadow ink monsters is starting to get a little long in the tooth.

When Bendis focuses on a grounded Superman, among the people, his stories really soar.

Much like all of Bendis' work on Superman so far, this new issue is uninteresting. It's like he can't come up with anything new or worthwhile to do with either Superman or Clark Kent.

The art is phenomenal, but Bendis' Superman comics continue to accomplish very little. Not even a Batman cameo can help.

Action Comics has some really great character development, but it's unfortunately coupled with a really lackluster plot.

The story in Action Comics would make a better comedy than a serious crime story, but it's being played straight, making for an underwhelming read.

Bendis has a lot of potentially neat ideas, but his execution leaves something to be desired.

The new storyline is off to a good, solid start, though the series as a whole could still use a real boost to the drama.

Bendis is finally able to deliver some real tension and excitement in his Superman comics.

The tension keeps mounting and the story keeps getting better as Bendis sinks his teeth into something more enjoyable.

Strong character work and an interesting overall premise keep this story very enjoyable.

Bendis continues to increase the tension and raise the stakes for his upcoming event with fun twists and solid character work.

Superman is relaunching again, and some things are new and some things are old again. This issue serves as a really fun launching pad, with some epic superhero stuff in its own right, and a lot of cool set-ups for future stories.

Good enough look at the new revamp and new status quos, though I would have liked more time explaining all these characters and how this new set-up is going to work.

I like the Super-Family as a concept, and this issue does a solid job of setting up their first major threat with a classic Superman villain.

As with the rest of Williamson's Superman, this comic is the whole package. It's got great character moments, a ton of set-up and then a really big, really awesome battle sequence. And this is only the beginning!

Enjoyable, entertaining middle chapter of this Superman vs. Brainiac story.

I'm all for introducing a new Chinese national superhero at Marvel, but the execution of this first issue feels a little juvenile.

Also, was anyone else distracted by the idea that Spider-Man in this issue is supposed to be Doctor Octopus, from Superior Spider-Man? Bendis has been plotting out this story for years, so I'm pretty sure he expected Peter Parker to be in this role. But promotional material keeps pointing out that it's Doc Ock still living in Peter's body. That really kind of depressed me when it was revealed that Hawkeye's big action sequence was all about rescuing Spider-Man. It robbed the moment of a lot of Bendis' intended impact since it's just Doc Ock and not the real Spider-Man.

Unless you're a huge Moon Knight fan and like seeing him as a badass, there's not a whole lot to get excited about in this issue or this series as a whole so far.

Vision is an odd choice for villain. Bendis destroyed Vision at the very start of his Avengers run and never bothered to bring him back until the very, very end. So Bendis has never really written anything with Vision for the nearly 10 years he worked on various Avengers stories. So what difference does it make that Vision is the villain instead of Ultron? I suppose it might be a big deal for Vision fans, but they've been through so much crap over the past 10 years, can they even feel anything anymore? This was another non-issue for me. The Avengers didn't do much of anything, and it was mostly about Luke Cage just walking towards the big reveal at the end. The scene in Chicago was OK, but only in the fact that Taskmaster is a cool character and I like him being used in such a way. Otherwise it's still just a pointless scene of other superheroes fighting Ultron drones. Ho hum.

For some reason, whenever it comes to Big Events, Bendis always comes up with a cool plot, but then fails in the execution. The idea of a rag tag band of heroes joining forces in a world conquered by Ultron sounds cool, but he has done absolutely nothing with the story or the characters beyond that general premise. This is a huge disappointment.

Fancy that. When something actually happens in Age of Ultron, it makes for a pretty good issue. The series isn't completely saved by this one issue, but it's a change in the right direction.

Overall, though, this is still an entertaining issue. The bold move of actually having Wolverine kill Pym is a strong moment, even if it's somewhat dampened by our knowledge of how the Marvel Multiverse works, and the fact that it's far from permanent. But if we ignore that, it's pretty cool. I just wish Bendis had bothered to spend a little time building up to this issue instead of wasting so much of our time. And it's a shame that Bryan Hitch couldn't stick around for the rest of the story. The two new artists, one for the future and one for the past, are nowhere near Hitch's skill level.

This issue has nothing going for it. This is basically just a romp in a relatively uninteresting alternate reality. Those things are a dime a dozen at Marvel Comics, and there's nothing about this alternate reality that's all that compelling. Sue and Wolverine barely react to having murdered Hank Pym. And none of the other characters we've been following in Age of Ultron so far make an appearance. I complained about this last issue, but it bears repeating: Wolverine and the Invisible Woman did not exist in this series until Bendis randomly picked them to appear in the previous issue. And now the entire story rests on their shoulders, because the characters we did spend time with - Spider-Man, Red Hulk, Moon Knight, Black Widow - are simply gone. It's such a weird storytelling choice. Age of Ultron isn't bad, it's just dull.

I was ready to declare this several issues ago, but Age of Ultron is a total failure. And I have no idea how Bendis is going to take everything we've seen so far and somehow use it to introduce Angela into the Marvel Universe. It boggles the mind.

I actually kind of liked this issue. As much as I've disliked Age of Ultron as a whole, this individual issue was good, or at least it was good enough. Gone are the pointless alternate realities and the unnecessary action sequences. It's just two Wolverines debating the merits of time travel murder, while Hank Pym sits by trying to figure out what the hell is going on.

Age of Ultron was bad. It was a bad comic. It was bad storytelling. It was bad everything. And as for Angela at the very end? Ridiculous. Maybe somewhere there are Angela fans who are really excited to see her appear in the Marvel Universe for some reason, but I'm not one of them. Her sudden appearance doesn't have anything to do with anything. She just shows up. I have no idea why Marvel is so excited to get their hands on her. And her appearance at the end of this comic does nothing to stoke my interest in her. Maybe she should have played a larger role in Age of Ultron. Maybe if she'd been the star of the series she would now matter. Instead, she's just a weird transfer from Spawn comics, completely void of all context since Marvel probably can't have her mention Spawn at all. I have no idea what they hope to accomplish with Angela, or even really what they hoped to accomplish with Age of Ultron. It's all just bogus.

Plot takes focus over characters in the proper debut issue of the new Agents of Atlas, but it's a really fascinating plot.

This was a fine start to Mark Waid's Avengers, though it was a little light on anything noteworthy. Sam Wilson, Tony Stark and Miles Morales just kind of crash into each other fighting a pretty boring bad guy

Waid repeatedly mentions the fact that they're not technically an Avengers team, but we have no idea why there isn't an official Avengers team in the first place thanks to that 8 month jump thing. I dunno. This title just isn't grabbing me. Waid seems to be going through the motions, without anything new or interesting to say about the characters or the Avengers. And Kubert's art already starts to get messy here in the second issue. The only real interesting aspect to this series is the butting heads between Nova and Ms. Marvel, but even that feels a little rushed.

I love Ms. Marvel as much as the next geek, and a semi-awkward teen rivalry with Nova sounds like an amazing idea. But even Waid's Iron Manis kind of just shrugging his shoulders about this team. There's no hook, no clear direction. No apparent reason why this group of superheroes is going to be the Avengers. Their solo books are on fire and are some of my favorites from Marvel, but I guess I don't care much for them as a makeshift team.

The Vision seems like an easy choice for an evil team member, but I've never cared for the character, so that's fine by me. I am far more interested in the relationships between the younger and older Avengers, and this issue finally makes that feel real and pivotal, rather than just a random collection of superheroes.

All-New Captain America #1 is a fine start to the book's new status quo. Remender starts things off simple, with an easy-to-follow, continuity-light storythat puts new lead Sam Wilson right into the thick of the action. He's got a different background than Steve Rogers, and different ideals. He's not just Rogers redux, and that will only benefit the series going forward. Marvel put a lot on the line introducing this new Captain America and spreading the word in the mainstream media, and it looks like the project is in good hands.

The art is definitely unique, and I think I like it. I've really been enjoying the artists Marvel has brought on board for All-New Marvel NOW! They're becoming a stronger part of each comic, and while Moore's art won't be for everybody, it definitely works for me. I especially love his new design for Ghost Rider.

Still, All-New Ghost Rider #1 is a solid start to the series. Like the rest of the new solo hero comics from the All-New Marvel NOW!, the gears seem to be set for creativity and originality. Maybe that'll be enough to finally propel a Ghost Rider comic to success. But if I'm being honest, I definitely think the issue ended far too early. We already know Robbie Reyes becomes Ghost Rider. Smith and Moore should have given us a taste of what their Ghost Rider is going to be like in action. Some people might not be willing to bother waiting for that second issue to roll around.

The character work remains a nice draw, with very little of that weird, overly cartoony stylelike in the first issue. It's clear that the art will be a little cartoon-like, but I think it's growing on me. Moore also draws a beastly Mr. Hyde. I'm just a little disappointed that All-New Ghost Rider is following the comic book cliche of picking some obscure C or D-list villain and beefing them up into someone dangerous just to give Ghost Rider someone to fight. Hopefully Smith has some bigger plans in the future than just having the new Ghost Rider mop up the dregs of the Marvel Universe.

This is a fun, action-packed series with some great characters and great art. Moore's style is kind of insane, but it has definitely grown on me over these three issues. The angular, kinetic style in place when Ghost Rider beats up those thugs towards the end of the issue is Looney Tunes levels of wacky, but it is still pretty badass.

All-New Ghost Rider still has potential. Marvel has tried again and again to make this character stick, to no avail. I personally love the car angle, and I'd love to see that last. But writer Felipe Smith seems too focused on his Mr. Hyde plot, when he should be shifting the Robbie Reyes storyline into high gear. That's who I want to read about. Who cares about Mr. Hyde?

Based on All-New Hawkeye #1, I'd say they have a very good chance of keeping the torch lit. This new series might not be a game-changer, but based on this first issue, it's at least going to be entertaining.You might even say that All-New Hawkeye is on target to be a good comic. I know I just did.

If this series can maintain fun character development like that, coupled with the action one expects from a Wolverine comic, then this could become a real standout. It's time for X-23 to really make a name for herself. She's the new Wolverine, she's got quite the legacy to uphold, and I think this comic is in the right hands.

The new Wolverine has started off on a very Wolverine-esque adventures. She's got bad guys, some solid supporting players, a good romance angle; I just hope Taylor and his art team can really start pushing this series to greatness. It's a fine read so far, but it could use a bit more spark.

That aside, this was another fun issue. All-New Wolverine seems to combine the colorful, quirky style of modern comics like Hellcat and Unbeatable Squirrel Girl with the action-packed adrenaline rush of a standard Wolverine comic. I like it. There's action galore, from claw fights to rocket-launchers and all manner of explosions. But Taylor also has a lot of quirky adorableness too, especially with the clones. This book isn't afraid to have fun. The story is a little too specific, I think, in that I don't really get an overall sense of the purpose or direction of the comic. This is just Wolverine on a very specific adventure. That can be well and good on its own, but I'm hoping Taylor can widen his scope over time and fill in some of the sidelines.

This is a fun series. Taylor and his art team are great with the action, even when it involves a big, Lovecraftian horror, and they're even better with the normal, friendly stuff. I've kind of forgotten the clones' names, but their personalities shine through, and they help keep this plot going. And Wolverine herself remains the star of the series. There's a lot to enjoy here.

We're back for more fun Wolverine times, with a special guest appearance by the Wasp. She has about as much to do with X-23 as Doctor Strange did, but this is nonetheless another entertaining issue.

This was an exciting conclusion to the first story arc, with a solid twist and a lot of good action.

This was a solid comic moving the new Wolverine forward, even if it's weird that Squirrel Girl randomly got her hands on a real, live wolverine.

All-New Wolverine is a fascinating comic with a lot of potential. I hope Taylor and his team really explore the space they've got, and I don't mind the occasional deviation into Fin Fang Foom.

Another issue of All-New Wolverine, another blast to be had! Wolverine herself is all about the badass action, and Gabby fills in the comedy. They're a solid, hugely entertaining team, and Taylor throws them into some great adventures.

It feels like Tayloris killing time with this issue. The cliffhanger might lead to a nice tie-in, but he apparently isn't in any rush to deal with Ulysses' vision or deal with Old Man Logan's drama. There's some strong character work in this issue, but nobody really has anything meaningful to do or say.

All-New Wolverine is a great comic. Taylor knows how to write his characters in both slower, character-building issues and exciting, action-packed issues like this one.

All-New Wolverine continues to be an enjoyable comic, and this issue has plenty to work with. But I think Taylor needs to spend a little time building a better emotional foundation for the characters and the story.

Shiny new ResurrXion threads are just one part of an entertaining new storyline in All-New Wolverine. Still a great comic with a fun cast.

All-New Wolverine doesn't have a place in ResurrXion, it seems, but she's doing an adequate job on her own with a mildly entertaining solo adventure.

A nice, simple done-in-one issue of Honey Badger and Deadpool having the kind of hilarious fun that makes them breakout characters to begin with.

This done-in-one issue can't hold a candle to the previous one as it gets down to business without Taylor's usual humor or heart. Without the colorful supporting cast and wacky shenanigans, Taylor's Wolverine feels pretty one-note. At least in this issue.

If you like alternate future storylines, this one is perfectly adequate.

It's all fine and dandy comic book storytelling, but the issue and story don't have anything very deep or meaningful to say so far.

Tom Taylor's All-New Wolverine ends on a perfectly adequate victory lap of a final story and issue.

All-New X-Factor #1 was a huge disappointment on every level. As you can see from my rant, I don't think there was one aspect I liked about the comic. It's a subpar outing from one of my favorite comic book writers. PAD had every opportunity to come up with something new and exciting, with a real focus on some interesting characters. But he delivers a generic, boring superhero story, like a million others being churned out of Marvel these days. All-New X-Factor #1 has no heart. And that's going to cost it in the long run.

All-New X-Factor is competently written and drawn, but it has absolutely nothing unique or interesting going for it. It's a comic that doesn't appear to have anything worthwhile to say. It feels like PAD and Marvel are comfortable with just phoning it in. They could have called the book 'X-Treme X-Force' and nobody would know the difference.

All-New X-Factor just isn't doing anything for me yet. PAD isn't saying anything new or interesting about the random characters he's chosen, and he's just not doing a very good job of building up the relationships between them. The plots of each issue have yet to grab me as anything more than generic superhero fare. And PAD simply isn't doing anything with Serval Industries or what it would be like to be a superhero team owned by a corporation. The characters might as well be getting their missions from anybody. It's clear that PAD's probably having fun writing this comic, but All-New X-Factor is lacking in anything that would make it truly special.

I will keep reading and writing these reviews, so I hope you stick with me. But I just don't see anything to like yet with All-New X-Factor. Of course, if PAD brings back Multiple Man, that will probably change.

I've been pretty hard on the series so far, but I really felt that Peter David's writing and characters were finally starting to gel in this issue.

There was a time when PAD's previous volume of X-Factor was the best X-book on the stands. It stood out as new and interesting, with a fun focus on character and team. But the comic book landscape has changed since then. A lot of comics focus on the characters these days, giving them heart and soul. I don't see that in All-New X-Factor. All I see is a generally well-made superhero comic, where the superheroes are just going through the motions.

Without Multiple Man as a guiding light, X-Factor just isn't as good as it once was, and I admit that that might be entirely subjective. Multiple Man is my most favorite comic book character of all time, so sue me. I will admit to liking this comic a bit more since I panned the debut, but All-New X-Factor is still just a mediocre book, at best.

I still don't think PAD has the team dynamic down as strongly in this series as he did in the last one, but they're mildly entertaining so far.

PAD is doing little with the concept of 'corporate heroes', his characters are still just a random assortment of mutants and everything feels like a generic superhero comic book.

At this point, I'm kind of just reading All-New X-Factor out of habit. I still think Peter David is just doing a serviceable job on this series. He's got his characters, he's got a general direction, and he's pretty much just cruising along with a generally jovial superhero comic. I suppose that's fine, but these days, I want more from my comics.

I'm glad Bendis' established that Beast is dying and is very tired, because otherwise how else could he have come up with such a ridiculous plan? Really? That's the big reason for the original X-Men coming to the present? It's even worse than I thought. And it makes for a silly premise. Rather than have the actual characters deal with this problem (not that I see it as a problem), Bendis is relying on a gimmick to sell his comic. I would rather see the modern day X-Men deal with Cyclops than mess around with the young X-Men. Bendis has a good handle on the modern team, even if he has them viewing Cyclops as some kind of radical. I want to read a comic starring the dueling ideologies between Cyclops and the other X-Men. At least Cyclops isn't being written as a villain…though some bits are questionable. And the art by Immonen is as amazing as usual.

Plus, this is some of the best work of Stuart Immonen's career. Brilliantly drawn, eye-poppingly colorful and simply fantastic on a superhero book.

I liked that the issue focused on Cyclops, doing a great job of fleshing out his position in this new status quo. It's not as clear as I'd like, but I still think Cyclops is in a good place. Yes, everybody is mad at him and everybody hates him, but he still knows what he did and did not do when under control of the Phoenix - though I'm fairly certain Bendis is trying to establish that Cyclops is in denial. But c'mon, no part of anything I've read indicates that Cyclops really wanted to kill Professor X. Nor was Cyclops reshaping the world in his own image. He was using the Phoenix to create farmland and water pipelines. But I'm not going to get into that old argument again. Cyclops is not a super-villain, and I'm glad that Bendis is continuing the depth and complexity of Cyclops' new life. Though I think this faulty powers angle is kind of pointless, and I hope in future issues Cyclops can better explain why he thinks he's fighting a revolution.

The true impact of the teen X-Men is finally felt in this issue, with some great reactions by Cyclops, Emma and especially Magneto. I also like how quickly Scott figures out what's really happening. Bendis is writing a pretty good Cyclops. Not as good as AvX: Consequences, but still pretty darn good. His character growth is definitely fun to read. Bendis' Magneto is a bit iffy though. One character that definitely suffers from Bendis' typical banter-speak is Magneto. That is not a character who should banter too much. But otherwise, I think Bendis is doing a great job with the ramifications of the time travel. Not all the characters are on board with it, and I like how it's played off more as a fever-addled fantasy that Beast had, as opposed to being his greatest idea ever. Bendis is getting some great mileage out of all his characters and stories.

I definitely want to see where Bendis goes with all of this. But again, if this is his big play to break up Cyclops and Jean Grey and have her hook up with Wolverine, then to hell with him.

First, let me say that the art of David Marquez is phenomenal. My God. And I thought Stuart Immonen was good. But Marquez is such a good artist that they should name a Ninja Turtle after him. I've been admiring his work on Ultimate Spider-Man, but now I realize he was only really allowed to draw Spider-Man and a few civilians. Now Marquez gets to draw all of the colorful and unique X-Men, and they all look fantastic! If Marquez and Immonen are going to switch on and off on his book, All-New X-Men is going to be the best drawn comic on the stands. And Bendis' story holds up just as well. You really feel for these different characters and what they're going through, especially Angel and Cyclops. It's great to see that Bendis isn't going to just write off the young Warren Worthington as being unimportant. I hope Bendis has a lot of ideas for him.

I really liked the conversation between Cyclops and Mystique, and I hope she wasn't lying through her teeth the entire time. Bendis has a strong grasp on her character, and using Mystique to stir up some trouble with the young X-Men is a great idea. The X-Men don't have a lot of their classic villains left, so Mystique definitely works. And Bendis continues to make Cyclops one of the true stars of this series. I can't wait to see what he does with regular Cyclops in the relaunched Uncanny X-Men. But then I also can't wait to see what he does with young Cyclops in this series. Bendis has definitely got something great going on here, and I'm glad I gave it a chance.

Has Jean Grey ever been so chilling? I definitely did not see that coming! And it just gets me more excited for this series! Bendis has clearly put a lot of thought into all of the young X-Men and what roles they would play. I was worried that Angel would get the short straw and not have much to do, but Bendis is using him to great effect as the lone dissenter of the group. And I never would have seen this coming for Jean Grey! I thought Bendis' idea to give her telepathy was just a story element he wanted to use, but it looks like he has major plans for how the early onset of telepathy is actually reshaping Jean as a character. That is fascinating stuff. The fight scene against HYDRA was fine (and very, very well drawn), and the scene with the Avengers was too short, but Bendis absolutely nailed all of the emotions and personalities of the young X-Men (as well as a few of the older X-Men. The Kitty/Iceman scene was fun).

First let me say that Bendis is doing a very interesting juggling act when it comes to old Cyclops. In his own title, Uncanny X-Men, which is also written by Bendis, Cyclops comes off as cool, calm and with a mostly strong head on his shoulders. In this series, everyone makes a very good argument that Cyclops is now a lunatic, and that final page reveal of Cyclops' arrival, drawn by Immomen, makes the guy look downright super-villainish! This speaks volumes about Bendis' skills as a writer, and Immonen's skill as an artist.

The real dynamic here is that Marvel is trying to recreate the old battle of ideologies between Xavier and Magneto, but they're not just rehashing the same fight. Cyclops doesn't want to conquer and lord over humanity, he wants to protect mutants from humanity. What Marvel and Bendis have done instead is create a new battle of ideologies over two separate paths of Charles Xavier's philosophy. On the one side, you've got the Jean Grey School, which focuses on the education part of Xavier's dream. On the other side, you've got Cyclops and the Uncanny X-Men, who focus on the superhero side of Xavier's dream. Have you ever wondered why Professor X created the X-Men? If his dream was to create a school to teach mutants how to control their powers, where did he get the idea to also dress them up in costumes to have them fight bad guys? There are two sides to Xavier's dream, and Marvel has split them down the middle and pushed the X-Men to either side, and I'm loving it!

If it's cloth, how does he use his powers? Does he just blast through the cloth every time? But then if it's a visor, how does he open it in order to shoot his optic blasts? There's a real brain-scratcher for you.

The (only) problem with this book has been pacing. The story is moving at a glacial pace, and that was fine when the issues came out so quickly, but now everything might start dragging. I sure hope not, and at least Bendis' dialogue remains solid " though this issue spends a little too much time worrying about the past.

Bendis has a wonderful hold on all of the characters involved in this series, from Wolverine to Lady Mastermind. They are all delightful. All-New X-Men remains a very good comic, and I am glad for that.

I really liked this issue because it dealt with the real lives of both the Young X-Men and the rest of the X-Men. They were personable, funny and well drawn. I can't remember where I've seen Lafuente's art before, but his character work is fantastic.

Battle of the Atom is off to a great start. Bendis is at the top of his game with the characters, and the collected artists from both issues so far are turning in top notch talent. This Big Event is wonderfully written and gorgeous to look at. Forget Infinity, forget Forever Evil, the X-Men are going to be the big deal this fall.

Battle of the Atom slows down a little bit with the next chapter, and I'm OK with that. The last issue was a fantastic mid-series climax, and now it's time to set up the rest of the story. We get to know a lot more about the Future X-Men, along with a proper introduction of the second team of Future X-Men and why there was a future schism in the first place. So this is really a plot moving issue bolstered by the awesomeness of time-traveling Iceman.

All-New X-Men #18 is the perfect example of why Bendis is great on the X-Men. The issue is fully of character and humor; I laughed out loud in several places. The characters and their drama are compelling. I am far more interested in seeing them work out this relationship drama than I am in seeing them punch super-villains. And the art by Immonen is some of the best of his career. Everyone looks so dynamic, especially in the faces, with vibrant colors and expressive body language.

So there was a slight fumble when it came to any budding relationship between Cyclops and X-23, but at least their talk was the same solid characterization we've come to expect from this series.

One issue in and I'm reminded why I loved this series so much before the crossover. The dialogue and characters just dance across the page. This issue is more of a set-up, with Bendis checking in on all of his various characters in the wake of the crossover, then kicking off the next story at the very end. So the issue as a whole was kind of disjointed, but not in any way that dragged down the comic. This was a series of very well-written, enjoyable vignettes on what various characters are doing.

I really don't care about the Future Brotherhood. I don't like any of the characters, I don't care about their dark and mysterious origins, and their assault on the X-Men isn't all that interesting. But whatever. It's the X-Men themselves that are entertaining. Their banter, their teamwork, their desire to be heroes and do the right thing, itmakes for a good comic. Plus, Cyclops gets a really badass moment in this comic, and anytime Cyclops gets to be a badass these days, I'm definitely on board.

As great a writer as Bendis might be, I'm rarely all that impressed with his original characters. The Future Brotherhood is kind of boring on a lot of different levels. I especially don't like Raze. But overall, none of them are interesting, so they make for pretty lousy antagonists in general. It's a good thing the X-Men are more than capable of being awesome.

This was a fine ending, but more action heavy than I normally care for, especially in a Bendis comic. It's basically just one big fight scene as the good guys overcome the bad guys and we all go home. There's a little moral dilemma, over whether or not they should kill Baby Xavier and Raze, but it's very temporary. No feathers are all that ruffled. Basically the issue is Jean Grey thinking hard enough to triumph over Baby Xavier. And that's that. I still don't particularly care about these villains, but it's nice to know that Future Molly Hayes was being controlled like a puppet. I knew she wouldn't turn evil!

I love romance as much as the next guy. And Brian Michael Bendis is using it oddly in All-New X-Men. It was only a few issues ago that he seemed to be setting up a relationship between Young Cyclops and X-23. That would have actually been interesting, considering the decades of history between Cyclops and Wolverine. But then Greg Rucka launched a comic where Young Cyclops leaves the team to join his father in space. I wonder how that came about. Was this always part of the plan? Or did somebody tell Bendis he couldn't have Young Cyclops anymore? Because he's just slotted Young Angel into his place.

A crossover between the All-New X-Men and Ultimate Spider-Man sounds like a pretty weird premise from the outset. But considering Bendis writes both books, and that they're both two of his very best, I have no doubt he's got a lot of fun in store for us.

Asrardoes a fine job on art, though sometimes he can be a bit muddied, especially with faces. But he's a fine fill-in, trying to match the style of Stuart Immonen as best he can. But this is a low key issue telling a low key story, so it's perfect for a fill-in artist to tackle.

All in all, this was a solid issue of the Young X-Men just hanging out and being friends and teenagers. I love that sort of thing, and it doesn't feel like I needed to slog through Black Vortex to have any idea what's going on. Asrar does a fantastic job on art. Everyone looks young and unique, and some of his Bobby facial expressions were just phenomenal. They really helped keep the scene grounded.

This was a well-written issue of a quality Bendis series, but it's over so quickly and so effortlessly that I think I have a little bit of comic book whiplash.

This issue was pretty good. Hopeless has a nice handle on the characters, and they all seem pretty happy. With Bagley's art, this definitely isn't a grim and gritty comic. It's light, cheerful, and could have a nice team dynamic going for it. Plus the general idea of seeing these kids take to the open road could be fine. It's a nifty idea for this title, as is adding Evan and Idie to the team. All-New X-Men could be a good series going forward, and I might give it another shot, but I am supremely disappointed in what Marvel has done to Cyclops. And that's on me.

It's an interesting story idea, but I think Snyder poked himself in the foot a little by jumping around too much with the flashbacks. I got a little lost and wasn't sure what was going on at first.

The solid writing and art, coupled with a unique and interesting premise, make for a good opening chapter to this offbeat comic.

The issue was entertaining, if less than stellar. I especially liked the Hobgoblin fight, because it was colorful and unique. Usually we just see Spider-Man fighting his bad guys, but anything that shakes up that old dynamic is always fun. Especially since I'm such a big fan of Phil.

Though this definitely sheds some new light on who might be the new Superior Spider-Man. Will it be Doc Ock in Peter's body? Maybe…but I think that's stupid. As a storyline, sure, the two switching bodies would be cool. But as the basis for a whole new series? That's just taking things too far. Peter will be Spider-Man again soon enough, and trying to make this a bigger deal by giving it a new reluanch is just a waste of resources. But as Slott has been saying, we just need to keep reading to see where this goes. And I know I will definitely keep reading…though Superior Spider-Man is looking less and less interesting.

But as far as I'm concerned, the idea of someone else using Peter Parker's body in Superior Spider-Man just does not interest me. I'll probably give the series a look, and maybe check out some issues, but I don't see myself caring long term at all.

Simply put, this is an awesome, exciting comic. If we put aside the big surprise ending, everything that comes before is absolutely riveting. I didn't have the ending spoiled for me, so I didn't know how it was going to end. And I definitely didn't expect Peter to just die and Doc Ock to win. So it was very exciting to see Peter try again and again to come up with a winning plan. Slott definitely had the throttle pushed to full. Couple that with Otto always been three steps ahead of Peter, and that just ratcheted up the tension even more! This story was electric in its energy, and Ramos turned in some of his finest work. I have always been a fan of Ramos, and he was marvelous as he drew this major issue. So all around, a totally exciting issue of Amazing Spider-Man - let's hope it wasn't all for nothing.

I'm happy to report that Slott isn't going to shy away from the changes he brought to Peter's life during Superior. This is one bright, shiny issue of Spider-Man goodness.

This issue and these moments have been a long time coming, and already Slott is making them worth the wait.

All of it is written well, mind you, and Ramos' pencils continue to be nothing short of perfect. But considering this is supposed to be a big welcome back party for Peter Parker, I would have preferred this issue be a little neater. Slott had no choice but to include Electro in the comic (and probably Black Cat too) because of the movie, but he's just got too much stuff going on, and most of it is just clutter.

The only really interesting part of Amazing Spider-Man is seeing Peter Parker struggle to keep Parker Industries going, but that has become a very minor subplot in this overstuffed comic. I want to see more of Peter trying to adjust to his new life in a post-Doc Ock world!

It's forced crossover time! Slott and Marvel are using Original Sin to introduce a new wrinkle to Spider-Man's origin story, and it goes off without a hitch " if you ignore all of the Original Sin stuff.

The superhero action and tension isn't as much fun as the personal life stuff in Amazing Spider-Man these days.

Some of the subplots work, but a lot of them don't, and as a whole, the series is just too full of them. Slott has too many plates spinningwith Amazing Spider-Man to make for a fully compelling series. Couple that with some underwhelming character choices, like making Black Cat a villain, and the relaunch is off to a shaky start.

Slott pushes all of the interesting developments in Peter's life to the side " Cindy Moon, Anna Maria & Parker Industries " so that they can focus on an all-together boring story involving some old Ms. Marvel villain and one of those Inhuman eggs. Considering Spider-Verse is right around the corner, I wish Marvel had given Slott time to wrap up or at least explore some of his own plots instead of this Ms. Marvel team-up.

Spider-Verse is off to a great start, based almost solely on the strength of the gathering of Spiders. Slott not only nails Peter Parker's down-to-Earth humor and humanity, but even when it's spread across several different characters, it's still so charming. Teamed with the ever fantastic Olivier Coipel, it really looks like Slott has given Spider-Verse his all, and I'm looking forward to seeing just where they take us.

Spider-Verse is moving at a very nice pace. Slott keeps the characters bouncing off one another, and he's got more than a few interesting mysteries building in the background. I definitely want to know why Kaine is so important as 'The Other', likewise what it means to be 'The Bride' or 'The Scion'. He's building some interesting spider mythology here, and I am eating it up. It's also nice to see the Superior Spider-Man back in the saddle, and Miles Morales is a fun addition to the cast. Really, it's just fun to see all these spider characters interact. That's all I want from Spider-Verse.

I'm all in favor of tie-ins to Big Event comics. It helps to flesh out the story and it sells more comics. So why not indulge? But man, Marvel must have really come down hard on Dan Slott to mention all the tie-ins to Spider-Verse. I complained that the last issue had several pages dedicated to splitting characters off into the tie-ins, well this issue does the exact same thing, and even takes the time to check-in with a few of those previous tie-ins!

Spider-Verse is a pretty weird comic. All Big Events have tie-in comics, it's just the nature of the beast. But never have I seen a Big Event so devoted to promoting its various tie-ins. Every single issue of Amazing Spider-Man in this crossover has devoted time to checking in with the tie-ins. It's weird! Fortunately, this doesn't detract from what is still a very entertaining comic.

I'm still definitely enjoying Spider-Verse, no matter how much of it is based on constantly crossing over into it's tie-ins.

I enjoyed it, and I liked a lot of what I saw. I just wish Slott and his art team had been able to keep better control of the fight scene so that we could actually feel some of the emotions involved instead of everything getting lost in the Spider-shuffle. Hopefully the upcoming epilogue will carry all the emotional weight.

I enjoyed Spider-Verse on the whole. It was a lot of fun. But Slott missed a chance with this issue to really underline the whole event and provide some great character development or some solid character interactions.

There's just something delightfully retro about this issue that I found appealing.

Say what you will about Amazing Spider-Man just keeping time until Secret Wars starts, but I'm enjoying this classic-style storyline from Slott and Gage. It's a nice exploration into Peter's current personal life at Parker Industries, and this issue in particular is a great character piece for Anna Maria Marconi!

Secret Wars is going to change everything, one presumes. So this story arc in Amazing Spider-Man has kind of been stalling for time. Or maybe it's Slott wrapping up some loose ends. Either way, it's a slightly disappointing issue.

Look, we all know these changes aren't going to last forever. The status quo will be restored at some point. Otto Octavius didn't stay Spider-Man for long. But I'm going to enjoy this ride for long as it lasts. I trust and enjoy Slott completely with the character. This is going to be an exciting new direction!

I think this was the funniest issue of Amazing Spider-Man I've read in a while! Slott was totally on his game, delving into the newly technological and international world of Spider-Man, and with a confident and excited Peter Parker. It helps that Spidey now has a best pal in the form of Prowler, and the two of them make for a great set of good guys.

This was a solid, entertaining issue to kick off the new storyline. We get a strong introduction to both Mr. Negative and the new Cloak & Dagger, so the stage is set. Mostly, though, we spend time with Peter Parker and get a wider view of his new life. I'm definitely in favor of the Parker Industries scenes, so I liked seeing the man operate. Hopefully Slott will find the time to spend more time with Peter's new girlfriend (at least I think she's his girlfriend). Slott always packs his issues with a lot of plot and story, but sometimes he should slow down and smell the roses.

This Spider-Man story hasn't been the best, but I'm still enjoying Slott's overall work. I really want to see him push this Parker Industries storyline as far as he can.

The Zodiac storyline comes to an end, and I couldn't be happier. This was a dud from Day One. Slott and Camuncoli still make good Spider-Man comics, but even they're capable of producing mediocre work.

The team up between Iron Man and Spider-Man is pretty fun, and the Ghost makes a good enough villain. I didn't read the Spider-Man tie-in to Secret Wars, so I don't particularly care about Regent yet. Hopefully he'll be worth our time. Slott spends a lot of time on character this issue, making it better than the previous issues, which focused on a boring villain story.

Mary Jane's debut as a superhero was fun, and they picked a neat costume of her to wear. I almost think Dan Slott and Brian Michael Bendis made Mary Jane into Tony Stark's assistant just so that she could wear the superhero costume that is a cross between Spider-Man and Iron Man. Funny how that works out. But Mary Jane is badass in the suit, and just as smart as you'd expect when she tells everyone she isn't about to make it permanent. Quality Mary Jane issue.

This issue is mostly just keeping time until the real fun begins with Dead No More.

All the personality and energy that I felt has been lacking in Peter Parker lately is found here in Hobie Brown. He's a dynamic, interesting character, and the Prowler is just fantastic. He's got a cool new costume, his skills are top notch, and his character dynamic is new and cool. This is everything I could have possibly wanted when Slott brought Prowler back. This is a damn cool Prowler issue.

The costume action and Peter's new storyare good, but the personal stuff really makes the main story in this oversized issue worth it. That and the work ofHannah Blumenreich.

With great art, snappy writing a few good twists and just a really fun story, Slott keeps Amazing Spider-Man rolling along just fine.

The emotional connection doesn't sink as deeply as I'd like, but I'm still having fun watching Spider-Man fight the Green Goblin with giant mech-robots in a foreign country. That's just crazy enough to be mostly fun.

The latest Spider-Man story wraps up in enjoyable, bombastic fashion, but reading this issue made me realize I'm ready for a new type of Spider-Man story.

A Secret Empire tie-in kicks off with a nice showdown between Spider-Man and the newest version of Doc Ock, so at least this issue has that going for it. I hope the rest of the tie-in is this good.

Massive status quo changes are taking effect, and Dan Slott lays out them with his usual skill and focus on characters.

The Amazing Spider-Man team ties strong character work with iconic Marvel Universe storytelling to give us the best kind of Spider-Man comic!

Spider-Man and Mockingbird are delightful together as Slott beings exploring his latest new status quo for Spidey and Peter Parker.

The new issue is fine, but it's a really boring way to set up the future stories to come.

Dan Slott ties up some loose ends with a sweet little done-in-one Spider-Man story that ties itself off nicely at the end.

This is bog standard Spider-Man comics. Like a promotional comic someone might churn out to package alongside a toy or advertise some corporate tie-in.

Dan Slott continues to spin his wheels in his efforts to hype up his big finale, but it's still an enjoyable enough comic.

If writer Dan Slott is building to something bigger than this, I hope he gets there soon. Otherwise, this is merely an enjoyable issue instead of something truly wonderful.

Despite a really cool villain, despite this being Dan Slott's grand finale, this Red Goblin short story can't help but feel anti-climatic. Not a lot is happening, and what does happen feels pretty run-of-the-mill.

The final issue of Dan Slott's epic run on Amazing Spider-Man is big, wild and full of punching; a true grand finale. But there are little snags along the way that hold it back.

Dan Slott says goodbye to Amazing Spider-Man with style and class.

The first issue of the new era of Amazing Spider-Man is a big, jumbled comic full of old continuity and choppy status quo-building, but it's still a fun introduction to the new Amazing Spider-Man.

Spencer's Amazing Spider-Man goes through the Spidey motions to tell a pretty standard Spidey story in this issue. Surprise cliffhanger could be a little interesting.

The opening storyline gets weirder, and the writing takes a few unnecessary shortcuts to try and make that weirdness work.

This story is going nowhere fast and seems to defeat the very purpose of relaunching Amazing Spider-Man for potentially new audiences.

The real comedy foundation of Nick Spencer's Amazing Spider-Man starts to really come through with this issue, but it's not my sense of humor.

The creativity and sheer fun of this issue keeps it afloat, whereas it otherwise seems determined not to be about Spider-Man.

Amazing Spider-Man continues to have some interesting ideas, but stumbles when it comes to meaningful characterization.

Some odd story choices and some unfortunate recent history keep the stories in this OK issue at arm's length.

A touching character scene that resolves years of mischaracterization for the Black Cat elevates this issue.

A really enjoyable launch of a new story, with a lot of fun writing, some interesting new directions and absolutely gorgeous artwork.

The writing and art do a great job of setting up the new direction of the series and I think it could all be a lot of fun " it's just that this issue feels a bit like an afterthought of the previous issue.

A new Ben Reilly-era of Amazing Spider-Man is here and this issue does a phenomenal job of helping the reader get to know and like the new main character, while filling his world with interesting tidbits of characters and subplots.

The new direction for The Amazing Spider-Man is fun so far, and this issue is a nice blend of Ben Reilly's unique character, his interesting supporting cast and some classic Morbius.

Pretty solid and enjoyable continuation of everything that's been happening so far.

Another fine issue of Amazing Spider-Man is a bit too much like previous issues of this same storyline. It's like a filler issue, just sending Spidey up against a classic villain while we wait for the actual story-moving issues to come later.

The first meeting between Ben Reilly and Miles Morales is rather wasted. This issue checks the various boxes for being a solid Spider-Man comic, but too little of any merit happens, despite the importance of the moment.

Not much of note happens in this seemingly done-in-one story that doesn't connect to the larger narrative or anything else, really.

Writing and art are solid, with some inspired scenes/artwork from Gleason, but overall the issue didn't do much for me personally.

Really fun, really enjoyable issue of this Beyond Corporation storyline, mixing classic villain goodness with some plain fun Spider-Man action.

This issue makes the absolute most out of a classic Spider-Man vs. Doctor Octopus battle, while adding some much-needed character development for this extended Ben Reilly guest-starring role.

The drama has finally hit the fan with the current Beyond storyline, and I'm beyond excited. This issue kicks off a nice exploration of the Ben Reilly character and what he's going through, and I look forward to seeing this all through to the end.

A character-focused issue with some great guest stars, this was a really fun chapter as the Beyond story arc moves towards its inevitable ending.

My bias is going to really show with this review, but this was a super fun issue focusing on some very underused by awesome characters. Nice balance of character and action.

Some really fun character development elevates another fun Spider-Man comic. I like where this story is going and I'm excited to see how it all ends.

Good, quality Spider-Man issue that keeps the story closely tied to the characters and makes good use of a nifty new villain.

The excellent character drama continues to build as we near the end of this storyline, and it's aided by some really fun character banter.

This issue makes for a satisfying ending to the whole Beyond story arc, ending in a cool fight with some strong character moments. A few bites and pieces didn't sit exactly right with me, but I'm open-minded to see where it all goes from here.

This new volume of Amazing Spider-Man is off to a solid start. A lot of groundwork was laid in this issue to establish a new tone and some new mysteries, while maintaining the same old Spidey. I think Marvel also takes some cheap shots to try and be controversial.

This is a solid, if unremarkable, second issue of this new relaunch. A couple of the various storylines move along nicely, just not with any panache.

This Amazing Spider-Man comic still looks good, but I don't feel like the story has gone anywhere all that interesting quite yet.

This comic finally lives up to its potential with a fun, exciting and tense issue that really comes together nicely by the end.

This opening storyline ends with a bit of a whimper, storywise. The writing and art are really fun and enjoyable, but they were put into service with a very basic, uninspired plot.

This super-sized anniversary issue is a real Spider-Man treat, as a bunch of creative teams come together for some really great Spidey stories. The main story by Wells and McGuinness is pure, perfect Spider-Man, with tons of callbacks, great guest stars and an overall fun adventure. Quality issue all around.

The next Spider-Man story is off to an OK start, setting some pieces in place for the larger, ongoing story.

This has been a perfectly adequate Spider-Man comic so far. This issue teases some neat developments going forward, but for now, it's just kinda neat to see in practice.

Another very interesting issue kicks things up a notch at exactly the right time for this story to kick off.

Good, solid start to a new storyline, with a couple smaller storyline that piqued my interest in fun ways.

Really fun, really charismatic story with a fill-in creative team. Kelly and the Dodsons are old hats on Spider-Man and his supporting cast, and their ease of creativity and personality really shine.

I had a ton of fun with this issue, and it feels like the creative team did too. If Marvel is going to keep Peter and Mary Jane apart, it'll be easier to accept if a lot of stories have this much freedom and flirty banter.

Solid and entertaining start to a new Amazing Spider-Man relaunch, featuring all the enjoyable elements of a Spider-Man comic.

This second issue is torn between its plot and its characters, and mostly choosing the former, while I want to read more about the latter.

The new Amazing Spider-Man has some interesting ideas sprinkled throughout, but they are overshadowed by an uninteresting and all-encompassing plot.

The new issue focuses far too much on flashbacks/memories without giving the reader any reason why these flashbacks/memories matter to the present day storyline.

The big reveals in this issue don't amount to too much, I don't think, but they keep the story moving along nicely regardless.

Story moves along nicely without really doing any heavy lifting.

Another fun chapter of this Spider-Man space adventure, with some strong heroics and good character moments.

All the groundwork has already been laid for the introduction of this new, classically-inspired super-villain, and the first solid issue of his menace is quite entertaining.

It’s a solid and entertaining Spider-Man comic, and the new villain is definitely working for me, but there’s nothing particularly magical about the series.

Parallel stories are both fairly enjoyable and mostly fine. We’ll have to see where they go from here to really know.

Amazing X-Men #1 is fun, no doubt about it. Jason Aaron is clearly having a blast playing around in the wacky school setting he created. I've been a big fan of Wolverine and the X-Men, and Amazing X-Men is a good example of what Aaron can do when he focuses on the characters and setting rather than let silly plots like a horror circus get in the way. This issue is pure, unadulterated X-Men fun. But it is just so overwhelmingly superfluous!

Personally, I like Aaron on the X-Men, even if the premise behind this comic is kind of weak. It's basically just 'the X-Men go on adventures'.

While I've been enjoying Aaron's Amazing X-Men so far, I still don't think he put much thought into using Azazel. This whole 'pirates in the Afterlife' thing really takes a nosedive in this issue when Aaron has Azazel give a straight-up speech about being pirates in the Afterlife. It's one thing to make it seem like they're pirates, but now it feels like Azazel is living out some kind of pirate fetish, considering how closely he follows all the old pirate cliches. It just makes the whole story a little more awkward now that we know how seriously the bad guys are playing pretend.

It's not bad, by any means. But I think a bit more time and effort could have resulted in a sharper, more reasonable and entertaining team-up between Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends.

Amazing X-Men #15 is packed to the gills with continuity, remaining very specific to the current status quo of the X-Men at this point in time. But if you're on board with that already, then Yost and Fornesdeliver a solid X-Men adventure, pitting them against one of their classic foes. Whether that's enough to sustain a series like Amazing X-Men is anyone's guess.

Angela: Asgard's Assassin #1 is an enjoyable start to this odd character's first Marvel solo series. Gillen knows these waters well, and he uses the epic scope of the Ten Realms to make his title character really stand out as an interesting person. If Marvel really does hope to make Angela work, Gillen and this new comic might be their best bet!

Angela is an interesting enough character, and she's on a pretty insane adventure. The art is also pretty fantastic. It's gritty, but bombastic. I just hope Gillen has gotten this out of his system. Angela's rich backstory should be sprinkled throughout the comic, with each revelation adding to the overall story. It shouldn't just be a big, painful info-dump in only the second issue.

We're three issues deep into Angela's solo comic, and I'm still not entirely sure I know the character. The book is really confident in its main character, and it does a heck of a job talking her up. But despite a new flashback every issue, I don't really think I know Angela as a person. She's kind of just a glittering icon who cuts her way through the action while other characters actually carry the story.

Angela: Asgard's Assassin has the makings of a good book, but certain style and writing choices keep it from truly embracing its main character and the sorts of adventures she could have. The art is getting a little muddy too, in my opinion. The action is fine, and there's more than enough intrigue going on, but I just don't care about it when I can't care about the characters.

The art is fantastic, though, both with the present day stuff and the flashbacks. I definitely think I'll be giving Angela another try with this relaunch. Everybody loves a good Hel conquest love story.

The main problem with Angela: Queen of Hel so far is that it doesn't hold your hand in telling its story. Sometimes that's fine, but when you're dealing with characters as relatively obscure as Angela and Sera, a little help would be nice. Bennett writes about some pretty important but complicated events as if we should have them memorized. She's not taking advantage of the new #1 at all. As a new reader who wants to like this comic, there's a lot to piece together from cryptic dialogue.

The characters are fun and forceful, the dialogue is witty and entertaining, and the lead relationship has a lot of energy and resonance behind it. This is exciting stuff, I'm just a little lost in the execution.

I gotta be honest, I was a little lost in the beginning of this issue. It all comes together in the end, with a very strong finish, but I think Bennett had two many different forces in play. There were angel slaves, and wraiths, and something else, and the snappy dialogue was, I think, purposefully misleading.

If Ant-Man the movie has even a fraction of the care and skill that went into crafting Ant-Man #1, then we're in for one heck of a summer. Marvel knows exactly how to tell entertaining stories with even their smallest characters.

Does Ant-Man's second issue live up to the quality of the first? That's a tall order. Ant-Man #1 was a near perfect introduction of the character and his story, with Spencer and Marvel clearly giving it their all to make Ant-Man a good comic in the lead-up to his feature film. But can they keep that momentum going into a full series? Based on this second issue, you're darn right they can!

Ant-Man is good to look at too. Rosanas'pencils haven't wavered in the slightest so far. Everything is nicely detailed, especially the ants vs. paperclips battle. And Ant-Man's costume looks as cool as issue #1. Though three issues in, I hope Scott takes it off one of these days. Surely he's bought some other clothes by now, right?

Spencer and Rosanashave really instilled quality heroics into Scott Lang in this series. Ant-Man has an extended sequence breaking into the Cross facility, and it's a delight to read.

The comic is definitely still enjoyable, but certain parts of this big conclusion just rubbed me wrong is all.

As always, Scott Lang is the star of this series, and Spencer still does a great job with the character. He uses Mary to talk up Scott's accomplishments as a hero, helping the little guy to appreciate all he's done with his life. We get some great action in Scott's escape from the Slug's yacht, as well as some nicely peppered one-liners. This is just another quality issue of this great series, and Spencer seems more than ready to dive into the relaunch in a few months.

This is high-grade superhero comics, containing everything you need for a fun, light story about a fun character in his own tiny corner of the Marvel U.

The good jokes, dialogue, artwork and storytelling keep this really fun mini-series going, even if this issue slows down just a bit for some necessary exposition. Still great!

A bunch of Marvel guest stars add some real life and energy to the latest issue of Ant-Man, elevating this already enjoyable mini-series.

The plot moves in a lot of good ways as we gear up for what will hopefully be a grand finale.

A really fun wrap-up to a really fun series; it's exactly the perfect amount of the big stuff and the little stuff that make comics so entertaining.

This throwback issue is the perfect idea for an anniversary celebration. The look, feel and tone are all pure Silver Age and it's a fun visit.

Another perfectly recreated historical celebration of the history of Ant-Men, bringing all of us back, flawlessly, to the world of the Irredeemable Eric O'Grady.

Not as magical a trip back through memory lane as the other issues, but it's still a fun Ant-Man-centric story that leads nicely into next month's finale.

For an anniversary mini-series, this whole story was super fun, and this final issue caps everything off nicely with a team-up for the ages!

The conversation between Aquaman and Orm was actually quite well done, with a simmering darkness just below the surface. Orm was not as sinister as I think we're supposed to believe, and that goes a long way towards making him a legitimate character. But what the hell was with keeping him in shadows? It's not like he was purposefully hidden. The guy was out and about, walking and swimming with Aquaman. But whereas Aquaman was bright and in the light, the art just bathed Orm in darkness. It was really annoying, especially since, again, he's right there on the cover! Oh well, at least he's being built into a good antagonist. The rest of the issue was also strong, especially Black Manta's scene. He's turning into just as much of a badass as Aquaman, and I'm excited to see him some more in the future. We also get a little teaser about Aqualad in this issue, which is a hoot.

Another great chapter, for sure. The action slows down (no new attacks), but the slow down means more meaningful conversations. Batman and Aquaman have a great chat in the Batplane, the two heroes butting heads while also revealing the respect they have for one another. Orm is also very entertaining as he tries to threaten some fishermen. It's also cool that Orm isn't a super-villain (at least not yet). He's a king who is responding after he was attacked. Though perhaps we'll later find out that he's part of the conspiracy. We'll see. For now, he's a cool antagonist with a fairly understandable position. Here's hoping the rest of this crossover is as good as these first two chapters. Also, whatever happened to the Flash?

I didn't see the Vulko reveal coming, but I suppose it's obvious in hindsight. There weren't very many other characters in the story. I only wish we knew more about Vulko or had a better emotional investment in him. But the story still works, and his Trench army provides a fun new twist to the battle between the superheroes at Atlantis. I didn't mention it during the recap, but there are a few awesome scenes of the Justice League recruits battling the Atlantean soldiers. Hawkman, especially, comes off as pretty hardcore and awesome. The regular Justice League scenes are good too. I like the friendship between Batman and Aquaman. And I can't wait to see the big finale!

This is a solid issue that gives us a glimpse into Aquaman's new status quo as King of Atlantis. I kind of wish we'd seen a bit more, like perhaps him actually visiting Atlantis, but it seems he's more of a hands-on king. Plus Johns does a nice job of introducing us to new characters who will no doubt play a larger role as the series goes on. It's disappointing to not see Aquaman and Mera together, since her reasons for not joining him haven't exactly been explained (unless it was in previous issues several months ago), but it's clear Johns plans to keep her in the book. Hopefully those two crazy kids get back together soon. Though would someone please tell me if Mera has always had her chest and cleavage exposed like that or if it's just a recent change.

I skipped a scene in the synopsis about a giant, monstrous squid creature called Topo whom Aquaman communicates with at the start of the comic. It's a very cool moment, showing us just how awe-inspiring Aquaman's status can be, but nothing came of the meeting with Topo, so I'm not yet sure what it accomplishes. Hopefully Topo will show up again to kick some ass later. For now, like I said, this is just an entertaining scene-setting comic. Aquaman is cool, Mera has some awesome moments, and Murk continues to set himself up as a strong antagonist. This guy Swatt seems especially interesting. Aquaman continues to be a strong book.

Ocean Master doesn't exactly become a hero in this issue, but his triumphant return to save that boy at the end is very exciting. I was fully prepared to let him walk out to sea and accept that he's a heartless bastard, but with that cliffhanger, Johns and Bedard proved that this former king is far more complicated than one might expect. Ocean Master isn't crazy like the Joker or Lex Luthor. He was the king of a foreign country whose thoughts and mannerisms are simply different from our own. That makes him uniquely interesting.

Black Manta is damn cool. After this issue, he might have just become my favorite super-villain in the DC Universe. Because Geoff Johns' remaking of Aquaman did not start and stop with the hero alone. Johns has improved Aquaman's entire world, and he's turned Black Manta into a badass, hardcore warrior of the deep. He's so cool and collected in this issue, driven by his own personal passions and sense of honor, not by any kind of lunatic villainy. Black Manta is cool enjoy to reject the Crime Syndicate's offer to take over the world, and smart enough to send Amanda Waller packing with her stupid offers. And seeing him angry on that final page, ready to tear the Crime Syndicate a new one, was just fantastic. If Forever Evil is all about Black Manta being a badass, then sign me up!

Geoff Johns continues to do for Aquaman what he did for Green Lantern, and I hope his impact is felt elsewhere. Aquaman is one of the best books at DC right now and everyone should be reading. It's action-packed, it stars several amazing characters and the drama is just through the roof.

I can only hope new writer Jeff Parker can manage the same quality of Aquaman stories as Geoff Johns, because this series is still one of the very best produced by DC month in and month out. Johns worked the same magic on Aquaman that he did on Green Lantern, and it's a shame we'll be losing him in the new year. Johns' Aquaman is bold, heroic, confident and a supreme badass. The rich history he's given to Arthur and his world is second only to maybe Batman in the larger DC landscape these days.

It is with a heavy heart that we say goodbye to Geoff Johns' run on Aquaman. Under his pen, this series has always been my favorite of the New 52. I've always liked Aquaman as a character, in general, and Johns truly took the character to new heights of awesomeness. He filled Aquaman's life with interesting new characters and mythologies. But sadly, Johns is stepping away from the book after only 25 issues. I don't know what the future holds, but at least Johns goes out with a bang!

Parker tells a fine story in his first issue, balancing Aquaman's superheroics with his responsibilities as king.

I'm not yet ready to make any sort of decision about Jeff Parker's take on Aquaman. It's mildly entertaining so far. He seems to just be carrying the ball after Johns. I hope he makes a real mark on the series soon. There's so much more to explore!

This issue was absolutely delightful! This sort of story, where Aquaman reconnects with his roots in a very human, very personable way, is exactly what's missing from the New 52 reboot as a whole. Nobody is simply a person anymore, and as far as I'm concerned, people sell comics. I loved every minute of Arthur chatting with old classmates, worrying about old rivalries and blushing at the silly romance he had when he was a teenager. Fantastic scene all around.

Aquaman. Jeff Parker has been doing a fine job since taking over for Geoff Johns, and that streak mostly continues with this new issue. It's not as awesome as Aquaman's high school reunion, but it's still good"though Parker has some weird ideas about Hell demons.

Aquaman continues to just cruise right along, and I continue to read about it. No fuss, no muss!

I'll admit that my interest in Aquaman has waned since Geoff Johns left the title. Johns has always had a special touch. But Parker has been telling some solid Aquaman stories, which I've been reading all along. They may not be as epic as what Johns was putting out, but this is still a solid comic.

This was another solid issue of Aquaman with a rather neat, albeit slightly confusing, guest appearance. Aquaman remains a pretty solid book overall. I like that Parker has a real good grasp of his character and the world he inhabits, and I definitely like that Parker is focused on Atlantis and its politics. That's a unique and potentially fascinating avenue to explore as far as superhero comics are concerned.

This was a good, solid return to Aquaman, if a little confusing at times.

Aquaman #25 is a perfect jumping on point for a reader like me, who mostly just wants to marvel atStjepan Sejic's work, but also wants to get back into Aquaman. Looks like the start of a fine story.

Another solid installment of the growing Aquaman story keeps all the pieces moving, while introducing some exciting new ones.

Aquaman is good and enjoyable, but it could use a bit more of a spark to really set it apart.

Despite the absolute gorgeous art, the current Aquaman storyline leaves a lot to be desired. It's all fine, but there's a lack of nuance to the characters and their actions, and a real lack of scope.

The new Aquaman relaunch doesn't offer anything too bold or exciting to kick off the new story, but is otherwise fine.

The new Aquaman direction just gets more impenetrable and confusing.

Justice League is a wordy comic, but it's also one that goes all-out when it comes to big, world-ending storylines. This was an action-packed and exciting comic that never let up and earned its emotional ending.

Strong start with great art nonetheless is a bit all over the place on storytelling.

Just because you can start a comic about Aquaman and the Others doesn't mean you should. But once you've got it going, you can definitely make it great. Unless, of course, this is just going to be some crummy tie-in to Future's End.

The Others still feel kind of new, but they don't feel as vibrant as they once did when they were first introduced. And Aquaman being a member is really more of a fluke than a fixture.

Abnett doesn't seem to have anything new or interesting yet to say about Aquaman. Everything in this issue is par for the course. Aquaman struggles to unite the surface world and Atlantis. Aquaman fights off some random, generic sea terrorists. Aquaman and Mera are a team. Black Manta is the villain. He even repeats Johns' original New 52 commentary about Aquaman being a joke to the surface world because he "talks to fish". There's nothing particularly bad with the issue, it's just not very interesting. This would be textbook Aquaman, if anybody ever cared enough to write a text book about Aquaman.

I doubt I'll be picking up another issue of Arkham Manor. The premise is a little too insane for my tastes. I'm all for change, but something about Arkham invading the sanctity of Wayne Manor just rubs me the wrong way. And like I said, based on the first issue, there doesn't seem to be anything unique about this comic. It's sister title, Gotham Academy, introduced a whole new cast and premise to play with. Arkham Manor is just about Batman, and I've got plenty of other great Batman comics to read.

This second issue doesn't win me over anymore than the first, but I can at least say that Duggan and his art team are good at what they do. I don't really believe this could support an ongoing, but more power to them, I suppose.

Everything about Asgardians of the Galaxy is fine for a first issue. The most impressive part is the pun.

Thank you to Tom Green and Titan Books for providing me with review copies of the Assassin's Creed graphic novels. And thank you for allowing me to review your comics. It's nice to know that someone other than my mom sees me as having some potential.

Scott Lang remains a solid protagonist, and while his life is complicated, it's still entertaining. He's got a daughter to worry about, he's got a sad sack lifestyle, and he's got some nifty supporting players. The fight with Whirlwind is cool, and the danger of the Power Broker can definitely drive some stories forward. And Rosanas, of course, is still quite excellent. The look of the book is unique and heroic, and that new costume still rocks.

Astonishing Ant-Man #2 was Spencer and Rosanos getting everything back on track. We're all caught up again, and Ant-Man's adventures are as entertaining as ever. They've got a great sad sack superhero story going here, with just enough positive character development and humor to make a truly well rounded story.

Scott is being put through his paces right now, and that's always fun to do to a protagonist. His daughter hates him, his security job is a bust; he's not even sure why he's still Ant-Man at this point. That's a good place to tell stories from, and I still love what Spencer is doing with the character. I just hope things snap into better shape soon.

Spencer already has a great handle on Scott Lang, and he infuses Raz with that same affable humanity. Giant-Man is a nice addition to the cast.

Astonishing Ant-Man #6 is a standout issue by focusing on one of the supporting characters, and I hope this is a sign that Spencer has a lot of great twists and turns planned. Hopefully that adorable actress from the Ant-Man movie will be old enough to get into some of this drama by the time the sequel comes around.

Spencer and Rosanas keep the story rolling along with this issue and I am definitely still on board. The humor alone is worth the read. Not as laugh-out-loud funny as some books, but Scott Lang delivers the chuckles.

Spencer does a great job building the chemistry between this crew, and I hope it pays off when they get into the thick of the action!

Spencer has been laying the groundwork for this issue since the start of the series, putting the villains and supporting characters into place until he could bring them together for a very explicit movie reference, and I love it!

Nick Spencer has got to love it when a plan comes together. He set up the fact that Scott is back in prison way back at the beginning, and he set up the fact that Darla has these television camera drones flying around, then brought them together splendidly. I have asked myself whether or not Darla's TV show as filming this whole caper, and sure enough, that's exactly what Spencer wanted me to ask! He brings all of his Ant-Man worktogether in a great crescendo, delivering a fun, exciting and shocking comic book. Fun shocking.

Last issue was a blast, and next issue is the Trial of Ant-Man, which also sounds like a lot of fun. But for now, we twiddle our thumbs in prison a little bit.

Astonishing Ant-Man #12 is a hugely disappointing comic. In what seems like it should be the big climax of the series, Marvel and the creative team just limp things along. The series is being cancelled, and everything involved in this issue, from the story to the art to basic logic, seems to be rushing out the door.

The writing is a little sloppy here and there, and I think Spencer probably had to rush through his plans for the villains, but overall, he's clearly having fun.

A whole heck of a lot of explaining needs to take place to set up the characters' new status quo, and that serves as baggage for an otherwise fun first issue.

A solid second issue that has a lot of fun with its main character, but the series as a whole feels too light and breezy to really get behind just yet.

The writing, and especially artwork, are otherwise very strong, but the status quo and overall X-Men storyline is leaving this comic in the lurch. I wish an Iceman comic from Orlando could be more free.

If I had one complaint, it's the Broken Man narrator. He's this weird guy who breaks the Fourth Wall and talks directly to the reader. He gets the narration across, but the Broken Man also goes on and on about some larger conspiracy that just doesn't make sense yet and doesn't really gel at all with the story being told. I realize Busiek is building to something bigger with him, but for this issue, it was just distracting.

This issue on its own was fine. Marella is a fun enough protagonist, but the story was really kind of basic throughout most of the issue. It's just about a woman getting a new job, meeting her co-workers, dealing with her boss and basically just working her job. That she gets to meet superheroes on occasion is fun, but the issue is still kind of uneventful. It may be an awesome job, and it may be a fascinating corner of Astro City, but it's still just about a woman working at her job. The cliffhanger promises a bigger story next issue, and I do legitimately feel bad for Marella on this one. Busiek succeeds at making her believable and likable.

If you're wondering why I didn't grade the comic any higher, it's because I didn't find anything overly special or gripping about the issue. It's just a very well-made comic telling a fascinating and fun story, but I didn't really connect with it any deeper than surface level. Astro City #3 is by no means a bad comic. Far from it. I'm just hoping to see a little more emotional investment is all. I'm picky like that.

This is one of my favorite comic book series of all time, and the newly relaunched version has been just as good as past volumes. This is just such a delightful series.

I like the general idea of Avengers World. Bendis broke the mold when it came to Avengers membership. So it makes sense, I think, to expand upon Bendis' ideas by making Avengers membership available to all superheroes! Make the Avengers a world-wide organization of superheroes, not just a team of specific figures who hang out in their clubhouse. That's a good idea. But Hickman doesn't go far enough with it - at least not yet. I want to see what happens next, even if this issue was a total let down.

The issue is mostly just a whole lot of talking. Ex Nihilo talks a lot, getting his origin out of the way without much fanfare. Hickman seems to introduce some new wrinkle to Marvel's cosmic history, which comes off more as presumptuous than actually interesting. So Ex Nihilo was birthed by the earliest civilization in the universe? Good for him. Ex Nihilo has no depth beyond his polite desire to evolve the human race. The recruitment scenes are entertaining, but short. And most of the characters were already Avengers before Marvel Now! So I don't see why Cap would have to re-recruit the likes of Wolverine, Spider-Man, Captain Marvel or others. When did they stop being Avengers? Seeing new characters like Cannonball, Sunspot and Manifold was more entertaining. Hickman seems to have a lot of big ideas for this series, but the actually implementation of those ideas is utterly generic.

Especially when Captain Universe is used as an almost literal Dues ex Machina. We all know the Captain Universe concept, but Hickman gives us no introduction whatsoever to this new host, or how she's able to just either convince Ex Nihilo to stop what he's doing or blow up the robot. The fight literally lasts long enough for Hickman to write the host trying to understand what's happening. And the moment she does, everything gets quickly settled. Poof. And then Cap's line. "It's an Avenging World"? What a stupid one-liner.

It's nice of Hickman to give us an origin to Hyperion since he made the character such a big part of this issue. If wish he'd done the same with Captain Universe last issue. But even still, who cares about Hyperion? He's a weak Superman clone and he barely does much in this issue anyway. He most certainly does not possess an interesting or captivating personality, or any reason whatsoever for me to care about him. But that's the bigger picture that I guess Hickman is building towards. Like maybe somewhere down the line, Hyperion will prove his worth, or something. I don't know. All I do know at this point is that we've got a fairly uninteresting character, who has very little background or emotional connection with the reader, going on an adventure in the Savage Land. Why should I care? The AIM scientists in this issue are far more interesting and are better fleshed out than the Avengers. And that's saying something.

There's nothing wrong with introducing new Avengers, it's just the way in which Hickman has gone about this series as a whole that bugs me. Maybe if Smasher had actually done something in the series so far then she'd deserve an origin issue. But she's barely appeared. What about the origin for Captain Universe, who Dues ex Machinaed the bad guy in issue #3? Where's her origin? And why suddenly tell Smasher's origin in the middle of his bio-space-jungle story? Anyway, oddness aside, it's a strong origin and I think Izzy could prove to be a fun character. There's very little fanfare behind her becoming a superhero and an Avenger, but perhaps Hickman has some good stories in mind. Yet again, there is no way I would recommend this series to anyone who isn't already steeped in their knowledge of all corners of the Marvel Universe. And that seems counterproductive considering the publicity push behind Marvel NOW!

Overall, however, I just don't think I'm a fan of Hickman's jumbled storytelling. For all his talk about putting together a bigger, better team of Avengers, he has done very little to actually build the team dynamic and character interactions. But maybe that's the point. He's kind of just relying on the idea of the Avengers rather than actually focusing on the team or the characters. I guess that might work. We'll see. I'm just not yet convinced of Hickman's greatness on Avengers.

To his credit, Hickman makes this feel like an epic event, even though the trope of giving ultimate power to a loser has been around forever. Wasn't that the entire point of the Alpha character over in Dan Slott's Amazing Spider-Man? At least here Hickman is going for a dramatic take on the tale. And count me on board. It has been a weird, disjointed journey to reach this point, but I think this comic is finally picking up the right kind of steam. This was a very clever, very cool revamp of the New Universe concept. The story blends classic comic continuity with new, modern ideas to produce what will hopefully be a real Avengers epic. Hickman could have done a better job of getting us to this point, but I suppose all writers are allowed their eccentricities. Although now I have a weird fear that the next issue isn't going to be about this new Starbrand at all, but will instead tell a completely unrelated origin story of Manifold.

The fight scene is pretty cool. Thor and Starbrand exchange some powerful blows, and the Hulk has a great moment where he's first blasted out into space, then Captain Marvel launches him in a Fastball Special back into Starbrand. Weaver's art is fantastic during the fight, as is the sense that the Avengers are trying to contain a scared but proud young man who is tasting real power for the first time in his life. Starbrand's characterization comes across well. Then the issue cuts to an extended info-dump by Nightmask, and it's just not very clear what he's talking about. He tries to explain what caused the White Event and how it's all tied into the Builders, eventually taking Starbrand back to Ex Nihilo for reasons I don't fully understand. I just don't get what Hickman is trying to say with Nightmask and Ex Nihilo, but the rest of the issue is still entertaining.

I am not entirely sure that I have any idea what's happening in this series. Whatever grand ideas Hickman had about repurposing the New Universe have been swallowed up by his larger, mind-boggling idea about Ex Nihilo, shapers, gardeners, life seeds, sentient planets and whatever the heck else he's cooking up. This isn't so much an Avengers comic as it is Jonathan Hickman's crazy ideas notebook!

This is the kind of Avengers comic I was hoping to read! It's a very fun use of the characters, it treats the Avengers (and their enemies), as people first and superheroes second. It's funny, it's charming, and it's very, very well drawn. Plus, it's just plain cool to see the Avengers don civilian wear to infiltrate a super-villain casino. That's just an awesome plot. Sam and Bobby have the best time paling around with some AIM soldiers, even if the two of them are being written like douchey 'bros'. I can forgive the out-of-character Cannonball when his scenes are this much fun. The Shang-Chi stuff was fine, but his vague, first-person narration clouded the point of the scene. I guess there's some new villain corporation named Chimera that we have to be watching out for? Whatever, the much more enjoyable stuff was the legitimate team building, finally.

Hickman's ideas are still as crazy as ever. The giant builder men are weird and come out of nowhere, but they merely represent the dangers of these crash sites, so they definitely work in representing the otherworldly nature of the crash sites. Hickman has successfully built up the scale of this threat, and the idea that there is something huge about to happen - and that the Avengers might not be prepared to stop it - fills every page. It was also cool to see all of the Avengers coming together to battle this threat. I'm still not totally on board with everything Hickman has done in this series, but there's a definite sense of growing dread and of all his plans coming together, and that makes for an exciting read.

I was really hard on this series at the start. The issues didn't seem to have much to do with each other, and I just didn't like the style of Hickman's storytelling. I like him as a writer. There have been issues and moments where greatness has shone through. But on a whole, I still just don't like his style. Maybe all of this is just over my head, and other people are firmly on board, I don't know. But I can appreciate the enormous peril he has placed in this adventure, and his skill in writing the individual Avengers. I am legitimately excited to see where this all goes, and I'm confident Hickman can pull it off. This issue was just another piece of the puzzle, moving us forward and teasing everything that comes next.

This issue was pretty much just Hickman rushing to get all the final pieces in place before Infinity, and in doing so, he pretty much reveals why he created Ex Nihilo, Starbrand and the others in the first place.

For now, I am enjoying Infinity. If nothing else, Hickman has created a true sense of scale. This really does feel like a battle for the fate of the universe. But at the same time, he's failed to explore the smaller scale of what this actually means to the characters involved. Avengers #18 doesn't seem very important to the larger narrative. It's a quick blurb in the overall event.

Unless something changes soon, I have a feeling that all of my reviews are going to be the same way from now on. The Builders prove how unbeatable they are, and the Avengers and their allies run away with their tails between their legs. It's big, but it's dull and flat. None of the Avengers have much of a role in this thing, and clearly the only one interested in the Builders is Hickman himself. He's so damn pleased with all the Ex Nihilos and Starbrands and whatnots that he's made. But I just don't care. These aren't bad comics by any means. They are very well written and well drawn. They just don't rise above the level of generic space thing. There is no humanity in Infinity.

Infinity is no longer as bad as it once was, although I hesitate to call the series 'bad' to any degree. It's competently made and has some amazing art. Hickman writes very well. But he's still overly obsessed with his own creations, and that's troublesome, because he's done a poor job of getting the audience to connect with them. Instead, he spent the first dozen issues or so of Avengers telling disconnected tales seemingly at random.

Hickman is a writer who thinks big, but I'm a reader who likes things smaller.

I'm not made of stone, people. The idea of Gladiator, Super Skrull, Annihilus and Ronan the Accuser stepping up as the ultimate cavalry is just plain fun. Black Dwarf remains as stupid as ever, and seizing the Peak doesn't seem all that important in the grand scheme of things, but that was just a fun scene. The rest of the comic remains the usual mix of entertaining but pointless, much like all of Infinity. The story is only skin deep, but it's solidly told. I find myself enjoying Infinity more here in the end now that most of the excess stuff is gone, and it's just a fight where the good guys mop up the bad guys.

This is the comic Avengers should have been from the beginning of Hickman's run. In the wake of Infinity, his Big Event, Hickman settles down for a simple, almost done-in-one issue that expertly combines humanizing the Avengers and sending them on an epic, out-of-this-world adventure. This was one of the most enjoyable issues of his entire run so far. Unfortunately, at issue #24, it comes way too late.