New Comics! (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Batman and Robin #26:  This is a fairly remarkable issue, given how inventive it is.  Batman and Robin are in Paris to chase a psycho who's freed some of the inmates of the French version of Arkham Asylum; the inmates, in turn, are running wild through the Louvre.  The psycho's motivation is to record the chaos and show it to his insane father to prove that life has no meaning.  (The kicker is that he's dissected his father into his component organs and is keeping him alive through machines.  Yup.  It's a bit of a downer.)  The plot has some holes, like how exactly the guy discovered the existence of the criminals he freed, since, according to Nightrunner (who guest stars in this issue), their existence had been classified.  But, this sort of issue isn't one where you ask for a linear type of story.  Hine keeps us guessing with each page and Tocchini and Bressan do an amazing job on the art, particularly given how seamless it appears.  It's a pretty great and fitting ending to this series as we head into the reboot.  It only recently dawned on me that the reboot means we're not going to see Dick and Damian together anymore, which is a damn shame.  I'm not sure Damian is going to have quite the same chemistry with Bruce, given that they're essentially the same.  Instead, he excelled as a foil for Dick, because they're so different.  Hopefully, the rebooted reality doesn't erase the time they spent together and we see flashes of that relationship in the future.  Fingers crossed.

New Avengers #15:  OK, I had seen comments on-line about how good this issue was, so I was excited to read it.  Um, those comments were not wrong.  Squirrel Girl!  Who knew?  Bendis does an amazing job here not only of fleshing out Squirrel Girl -- showing us her insecurities and hopes and dreams -- but also of using her as a frame of reference for the craziness happening in "Fear Itself."  His use of the interview format has been stellar and continues to be here.  After reading this issue, I am really left to wonder what Bendis would've done with "Fear Itself" in place of Fraction.  I guess we'll just have to be satisfied with his contributions in these tie-in issues.  I can't wait to see what happens next issue!

New Mutants #29:  I kind of enjoyed this issue, though it's a little odd.  The characterizations seemed a little off, almost like it wasn't written by DnA.  Nate seems really aggressive in a way that surprises me and Illyana seems even weirder than usual.  The biggest negative is the art, which is pretty awful.  Sunspot actually looks like the Beast and Nate looks like an organic Colossus.  That said, I did enjoy the plot.  Cypher is one of my favorite characters, so it was fun to see him be his usual weird self but also, for the first time possibly since his resurrection, seem interested in the world around him.  Hopefully it's the beginning of a process of making him more human.  The New Mutants finding themselves in Hell (two Ls) was a fun twist and I'm entertained by the prospect of where that story is going to go.

Red Robin #26:  Of all the reboot-related changes, the loss of "Red Robin" is, to my mind, the one I least understand.  Christopher Yost and Fabian Nicieza have done a great job over the run creating a vibrant set of supporting characters, expanding his adventures beyond the Bat-family and making him his own man.  Although the series had its ups-and-downs, it was consistent in showing Tim as the strategic thinker of the Bat-family while at the same time giving him an actual sense of humor.  He's always been a blend of Bruce and Dick, and Yost and Nicieza nailed that perfectly.  This issue actually throws in a little Jason, with Tim contemplating killing the man who killed his father.  I was a little skeptical at first, but Fabian really sold it, and made Tim's character all the more interesting and compelling for it.  But, of course, enter the reboot.  Given that Tim's appearances seem likely to be limited to "Teen Titans," it's a shame we're likely not going to see characters like Tam, Lynx, Lonnie or even Mikalek again.  At any rate, thanks for the memories, Tim, and good luck in the new gig.

X-Men #15.1:  I'm surprised to say it, but this issue is terrible.  I really like Gischler, but it's like he had five minutes to write a script and did so on the back of a roll of toilet paper while waiting in line for the men's room.  Gambit calling his grandmother "maw-maw?"  Cyclops calling Gambit "Cajun?"  It's just bizarre.  Plus, parts of it make no sense.  Dani originally tells the tribesman to seal up the concrete house where the old woman is dying, but then advocates for not sealing up the house.  I know this issue was essentially a vehicle for introducing the new lady Ghost Rider, but Gischler obviously put no effort into it whatsoever.  Also, paging pet peeve #1:  Colossus doesn't appear in this issue, despite appearing on the cover.  I've been pretty forgiving of these .1 issues, but I really can't believe I spent $2.99 on this one.

X-Men Legacy #253:  This issue is awesome.  I haven't been the hugest fan of this storyline, mostly because I've found it to be pretty slow.  This issue, though, has all sorts of twists and turns, and shows that Carey has had firm control over it as it's developed.  First, I did not see the Legion/Rogue switch coming.  I finished last issue wondering how exactly the other X-Men were going to defeat a Legion-powered Styx, and I was all ready to disbelieve the answer.  However, the answer -- that we never got a Legion-powered Styx, thanks to the Legion/Rogue switch -- was perfect.  At this point, I pretty much thought we were done, so imagine my surprise when Carey unexpectedly connected this story to the next one, sending the team into space to find Rachel.  Excellent.  I was worried that story -- despite it being urgent that Rachel be found lest she die -- was going to be on a really slow burn, so I'm thrilled to see that Carey is launching us right into it.  I have to applaud him for using Legion's personalities so cleverly.  They often approach deus ex machina levels, as they do here, with Chain providing the vehicle for the Legion/Rogue switch and Compass Rose serving as the means for the team to get into space.  But, Carey sells it.  In fact, Legion using the Chain persona as a tool shows his increasing mastery over his powers, making me hope that he's not going to be the boring old psychotic threat to all existence he's often portrayed as being.  Moreover, Rogue going against Styx was perfect, given that their powers are eerily similar.  Also, something about the team finally gelled for me in this issue.  Carey doesn't necessarily do anything specifically here to make it happen, but I think we've now seen the personalities interacting enough for a rhythm to develop.  It looks like we'll continue to get Rogue, Frenzy, Gambit, and Magneto together for the next few issues, and I have to say, I can't wait!