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!

New Comics! (HERE BE SPOILERS)

Flashpoint #1:  After a lot of hype, "Flashpoint" finally begins.  Johns, as expected, does a great job of establishing the background of this world without getting lost in the details.  He manages to convey Barry’s confusion over finding himself in a different reality while at the same time outlining the grim contours of this new reality.  At this stage, I would just note two things.  First, one of my problems with this sort of story is that I feel like authors go too far at times in drastically altering the personalities of existing characters.  Although I don’t know what happened to lead them to their “present” path, I don’t know if I buy that Aquaman and Wonder Woman would slaughter tens of millions of people.  It’s a “nature v. nurture” debate, to be sure, but something  about making well-known heroes into homicidal super-villains always rings a little false to me in these sorts of stories.  Second, I’m not as familiar with the DC back bench as I am Marvel’s.  That’s obviously not Johns’ fault, but it means I didn’t catch who all of Cyborg’s potential Justice League members were.  It's another consequence of these reality-warping stories, since the authors generally need to promote some heroes off the back bench to show how different everything is.  But, since these were the only two things that made feel moderately frustrated when reading this issue, I can live with it, since usually these sorts of stories drive me crazy.  (Plus, pretty much anything Johns does here is going to compare favorably to "Fear Itself.")

Flashpoint #2:  First, let’s talk about the ending.  I was all ready to roll my eyes at the Flash becoming the Flash again by re-doing the experiment that made him the Flash in the first place.  Seeing his scarred (and possibly dead) body on the last page was a surprise and made me excited to see what else Johns was going to do with this series.  I hadn’t quite realized from the first issue that Aquaman and Wonder Woman were at war with one another, so I assume we’ll be getting more information at some point on how that happened.  (I’m also guessing Iris is the mole feeding Wonder Woman information, but I could definitely could be wrong about that, because how would she know Cyborg was organizing a Justice League?  Maybe it’s Element Woman and she’s not as crazy as everyone thinks she is?)  Finally, Johns really infuses this series with a sense of urgency with the idea that Flash has to right this new timeline before he forgets the prime timeline.  I’ve always been confused by the Flash’s original origin (and that phrase right there pretty much sums up my problems with DC), since it seems like Thwayne traveling into the past to kill his mother happened somewhat recently (in the real, non-comics timeline) and wasn’t something intrinsically part of his original origin.  Johns at least acknowledges that by having Barry comment on how he doesn’t remember his past before his mother was killed, so he knows it’s possible for him to forget the prime reality.  But, as I was in Johns' "Flash" series, I always wind up a little confused when Barry talks about his past.  Focusing on the series' plot, at this point, I have two problems.  First, why does Reverse Flash let Barry know it’s him behind the change?  It seems very 1960s “Batman” TV show.  Is he also going to put him in some "foolproof" death trap and tell him how to undo what he's done, since it’s impossible for him to escape, "ba-ha-ha!”  [Sigh.]  Second, why does Barry remember the events in the first place?  Why is he the only one that remembers?  Did Thwayne do that on purpose?  If so, why?  Given that this series only has five issues, I'm hoping Johns moves quickly in answering these questions.

Flashpoint #3: Johns really moves us forward in this issue, but I wonder if it's enough.  First, the Flash regains his powers (though, unfortunately, in the eye-rolling manner that I thought Johns avoided in “Flashpoint” #2).  We also find Superman, who (brilliantly, on Johns’ part) has no powers because the government denied him exposure to the sun after he was taken from his rocket, which, in this reality, destroyed several city blocks of Metropolis when it crashed into Earth.  Element Woman is indeed the traitor and Lois Lane finds the Resistance in England.  No information yet on why Aquaman and Wonder Woman are at war, but we know it’s happening “tomorrow.”  All in all, Johns keeps the pace of the book moving.  He also takes some time to add in some grace notes, like Barry’s frustration with Thomas Wayne’s dial-up connection.  Heh.  However, with only two issues left, I have to wonder at what point Reverse Flash is actually going to appear.  I mean, Johns isn't giving himself a lot of room here to resolve the situation without making it feel rushed.  We shall see, I guess.

Red Robin #25:  Nicieza had me thinking “WTF?” at the end of this issue, in mostly a good way, which is an impressive feat.  First, this issue is funny, if you know, you look past the fact that the humor is based on Tim imminently being raped.  Nicieza softens that edge a little:  part of the reason you can see it as funny is that you know it’s not going to happen, because Tim is too good of a planner for it to happen, a sense that gets proved correct when Black Bat arrives to save him.  Moreover, the issue has some real legitimate suspense.  I actually did, for a moment, think Black Bat had killed Tim, or, at least, in some way, turned against him.  Also, the reveal that someone who’s not Ra’s al Ghul also sees Tim as a possible adversary/successor is interesting, particularly because that’s about all Nicieza reveals about “Know-It-All.”  The cliffhanger ending is also fascinating:  did Tim really kill his father’s killer?  I can’t wait to see!  However, despite all the good, the issue has some sloppy moments.  First, Tim apparently knows that the woman planning on raping him is a half-sister of Ra’s al Ghul, but, not only did he honestly not appear to know that last issue, he also refers to her as “Mysterious Hooded Lady” at the end of this issue.  So, did he know or not?  Moreover, it’s unclear how she – and, by extension, Ra’s al Ghul – was connected to Know-It-All.  Did she choose the Catacombs where Know-It-All kept his base by accident?  It seems unlikely, but, then, if she knew Know-It-All's base was there, is Know-It-All working with Ra’s al Ghul?  That also seems unlikely, because I can’t see Ra’s being cool with someone operating to eliminate assassins, not promote them.  I’ve really enjoyed the “Red Robin” series so far, but every arc seems plagued by these questions:  not questions that the author purposefully leaves for the reader, but questions that the author seems not to realize he’s raising or failing to resolve.  At any rate, the best part of this issue was the reveal of Tim’s sweet new pad on Park Row.  How cool is that?  It seems to really establish Tim as his own hero.  However, that raises the issue of what, exactly, is happening to Tim in the reboot, given that “Red Robin” isn’t one of the series being rebooted.  Is he going to return to being Robin?  Unlikely.  Is he going to team with Nightwing?  You’d think his name would be in the title if so.  Is he just going to be part of the Teen Titans?  Disappointing, if true. 

Secret Avengers #15:  Given how amazing Nick Spencer’s “Fear Itself” tie-in issues have been, I can’t wait to see what he actually does with the title when he gets to call the shots.  This issue had moments when I feared we would veer into eye-rolling, but, like Kieron Gillen in “Generation Hope” #9, Spencer really manages to sell his story.  Using a tabloid publishing a story about Captain America not being dead as the vehicle for showing the Black Widow’s grief is really a stroke of genius.  As I said, it could’ve turned out really, really badly, but it doesn’t.  Instead, Spencer gives us one of the best meditations on superhero death that I’ve ever read.  On some level, all the characters here are right in their own way, which makes it such an interesting issue.  The ability of superheroes to return from the dead is both a blessing – as the “Unexpected Truth” staff posits – and a curse – as Natasha argues.  You can see that curse through Natasha’s pain here as she holds out hope that Bucky isn’t really, really dead (or, at least, if he is, could be resurrected).  Given that Bucky’s death got short shrift in “Fear Itself” #4, I thank Spencer for allowing us to see, somewhere, someone grieving his loss.

Superboy #8:  Well, at least we’re getting somewhere.  Lemire, probably inspired by the upcoming reboot, stops the diversions and misdirections and takes on the “Hollow Men” plot he’s been building since the first arc of the title.  The problem is that I still can’t really say I care.  He’s trying to make it seem like some planetary (actually, interplanetary) level threat, but it stills all seems kind of…goofy.  Having the Phantom Stranger manipulate events – from forcing Superboy to sit through a history lesson to using his crows to steal Simon’s weather machine – makes the events of the issue feel particularly forced.  Of all the titles I get, this one is the only one that I’m excited to see being rebooted.

Superboy #9:  Yadda yadda yadda, some guy was pretending to be the Phantom Stranger, yadda yadda yadda, danger.  I don’t know.  I don’t know why this series really, really rubs me the wrong way, but it does.  Despite the potential of the characters in this series, Lemire hasn’t really made me care about them.  Morever, the Hollow Men story just isn’t all that interesting.  Conner will defeat the Faux-tom Stranger, Smallville will be saved, Psion will find a way not to kill Simon, etc.  Is it time for the reboot yet?

New Comics! (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Batman and Robin #24:  This issue is less porn-tastic than last issue (insert sad face), but it still manages to be enjoyable nonetheless.  After the fun of seeing some Bruce and Jason banter last issue (or, at least, Bruce silence and Jason banter), we get Dick and Damian resuming their usual two-man show, with Damian objecting (loudly) to the idea of working with Jason to rescue his former sidekick, Scarlet.  Winick's decision to bring back Scarlet is kind of odd, given that her previous departure had been so beautifully handled by Morrison.  It wasn't like they worked together that long, so it doesn't ring particularly true to me that the nameless villain who kidnapped her would:  a) know of her existence in the first place, b) be able to track her down, and c) be able to convince Jason he cared enough to find her.  My guess is that c) is what eventually leads to his redemption, when his heart grows three sizes that day.  Moreover, it's still weird to me that the plot of this issue is essentially random, something beyond Dick or Jason's control.  Jason is a fascinating anti-hero because he knows the Bats' tricks.  But, instead of seeing some brilliantly executed revenge plan implemented by Jason, we're just chasing down yet another bad guy who randomly kidnapped his former sidekick.  All that said, I still enjoyed the issue, mainly because of the aforementioned banter, and I'm interested to see whether Winick takes it to the next level with three of the four Robins on one side.  Maybe Tim will make a surprise appearance...

Batman Beyond #6:  "Industrial Revolution" continues in this issue, which is a pretty rollicking good time.  Beechen focuses mostly on the plot at hand here -- the return of Blight and what it means for Wayne-Powers Enterprises -- and only hints at some of the other sub-plots, such as Dana's creepy brother.  The only drawback of this issue has nothing to do with it:  "Batman Beyond" isn't on the list of titles being re-launched or rebooted or bootlaunched or whatever it is exactly DC is doing in September.  I really hope it's not the case, but it's hard to stay engaged in this series if it's going to disappear in two months.  Beechen's done some really great work over the last few issues and I'd hate to see it swept under the rug just so Jim Lee can feel all important.

Fear Itself:  Spider-Man #2:  OK, this issue is fine.  It's a serviceable "Fear Itself" sort of book, people are scared, blah blah blah.  It has some ridiculous moments, like when Spidey tells some guy he seemingly just met that he didn't kill the guy he thought he did because Spidey was there watching and the guy was fine.  (Follow that?)  Sure, OK, whatever.  The real missed opportunity here is an artistic one.  In the first few pages, we see a tour of Peter's worst fears, including Aunt May dead in a hallway.  (By the way, Slott did a much better version of this same plot in "Amazing Spider-Man" #655.)  Wouldn't it have been mind-blowingly awesome if they would've shown the scene from "One More Day" where she's dying on the bed?  Like, given us some hint that, on some level, Peter knows what happened?  I know they're trying to play down all that, post-"Brand New Day," but I feel like Slott might've been ballsy enough to give it us.  Ultimately, it's the problem with these sort of tie-in mini-series.  You get a distilled version of the character that pleases the masses but doesn't really do much for fans.  At any rate, it's a fine issue of an OK mini-series connected to a meh cross-over.

New Avengers #13:  The two most annoying questions of the last four issues of "New Avengers" have been:  will they kill off Mockingbird and how does the current-day plot connect with the 1950s-era plot?  We get the answer to both questions in this issue and it may just redeem the story.  The connection between Fury's mission to track down the Red Skull with the present-day story is that the Skull had developed a Super-Soldier Serum/Infinity Formula hybrid, which Fury and his team recovered in the 1950s-era story but Superia and H.A.M.M.E.R. stole in the present-day story.  Once the New Avengers recover the formula from Superia, Fury appears, tells us what it is, and applies it to Mockingbird at Hawkeye's urging.  We knew Mockingbird didn't die thanks to "Avengers" #13, but making her into a long-living, super-soldier bad-ass might just make me forgive Bendis for going all Women in Refrigerators on her.  Bendis really keeps us guessing until the end of this arc and, although I like where we wind up finding ourselves in the end, I think the split nature of the book over these five issues might have been a bit much.  When the connection was finally revealed, I have to admit thinking, "Really?  All that just to make Mockingbird a Super-Fury?"  The most intriguing question to emerge from this arc may actually be what Victoria Hand's true allegiance is.  Of course, someone like Hand actually probably doesn't have a "true" allegiance, so it's going to be interesting to see how Bendis teases out that sub-plot.  Otherwise, I think it's definitely time for us to move to the next plot.

Red Robin #24:  Well, I definitely didn't see that end coming!  (What a way to go, indeed!)  The Bat-boys really just have women throwing themselves at them, don't they?  Isn't Ra's al Ghul trying to get a hand on Tim's DNA?  I guess we'll see.  I only vaguely remember Promise from the Mikalek arc.  Nicieza pretty deftly weaves her into the plot, though, with the Assassination Tournament serving as cover for Promise to take out Mikalek, which winds up becoming the main plot (pretty clever, Fabian).  I'm going to have to re-read "Red Robin" #18-#19 to remember what Promise's deal was.  At any rate, I'm intrigued how Tim saves himself from this situation (if he indeed wants to do so)!

X-Men Legacy #250:  The primary story is pretty fun.  Legion has six personalities who managed to escape during "Age of X," and Professor X leads a team to find them so Legion can re-absorb them.  (I thoroughly enjoyed his frustration that Cyclops had added Frenzy and Magneto to the roster and Magneto having to remind him that they follow Cyke's orders now.)  I hadn't realized (because I don't think Carey made clear) that each of Legion's personalities had its own body during "Age of X," but it would make sense, given the number of people who were floating around Fortress X.  I'm assuming the creepy guy at the end is one of Legion's missing personalities, and it's intriguing that he himself appears also to have the ability to hold multiple personalities (who then appear to "see" events occurring elsewhere, though this part was a little, um, unclear).  The secondary story is possibly more exciting if only because it presages (hopefully) the return of Havok, Polaris, and Rachel.  I'm in the mood for a good old-fashioned space epic, which I'm hoping we get.  I'm a little concerned, though, that it's going to still be a while (despite Rogue's warning that time is of the essence) given that we're also staring down "Schism" this summer.  All in the all, it's a pretty good issue for "X-Men Legacy."  I'm still not a huge Carey fan, since I find everyone he writes to be so...joyless.  But, I'm intrigued by where we're going with the Legion story, so I consider it a win.

New Comics - The Everything But Marvel Edition! HERE BE SPOILERS!

Batman and Robin #23:  Despite usually being focused on plots, I'm going to talk about the art for most of this review.  The most amazing part about the art isn't how spectacularly good Jason Todd looks (we'll get to that).  The most amazing part is that I had no idea Guillem March didn't draw the entire issue.  Andrei Bresson must be an anagram in a different language for Guillem March, because the transition here is so seamless it had to have been Guillem who drew the whole issue.  With that discussed, let's return to talking about Jason Todd.  Um, wow.  I'm glad we've returned him to red hair, because having to keep track of all those dark-haired brooding men was getting confusing.  The drawback, of course, is that it's a little hard at times to remember we're dealing with Jason, at least visually.  Here, Jason actually appears older than Dick, despite being significantly younger than him.  But, whatever.  I will happily gaze upon the new, improved Jason Todd for as often as DC will let me.  Concerning the plot, I'm disappointed that we're getting Judd Winick here and not Peter Tomasi, who did such a bang-up job in the "Dark Knight, White Knight" arc.  I don't hate Winick, but I'm not pleased that he's been given control over Jason, since I think someone like Tomasi (or, dare we dream, Snyder) could do really amazing things with him.  Here, we wind up getting a somewhat anti-climatic conclusion, with Jason just happening to be sprung from the armored transport taking him back to Arkham Asylum.  I had figured that Jason had arranged the entire transfer to set up his escape, something that, frankly, Jason would've totally been shrewd and calculating enough to set into motion.  (Bruce himself even implies it earlier in the issue.)  It's that sort of missed opportunity that makes me disappointed that Winick never seems to understand Jason, to allow him to become the dark genius anti-hero that he has the potential to become.  Hopefully, we'll see flashes of him in the coming issues.  At the very least, I hope March will continue giving us other flashes of him to keep me entertained.  That said, the interaction between Bruce and Jason is well done, with Jason egging on Bruce in his usual smart-ass way and Bruce seemingly incapable of finding a way to relate to him.  If Winick doesn't get the finesse of Jason's dark genius, he does get the subtleties of Bruce and Jason's relationship.  Jason's at his best when we see him barely able to control his anger and hurt, because we see him struggle with trying to be a good guy, even if it's in his own unique way; when he gives into the anger and hurt, he just appears to be another homicidal maniac.  Winick gets that, and I hope we see that Jason throughout this arc.

Batman Incorporated #6:  Yay, finally an issue I like!  Morrison ditches the nonsensical approach and given us an issue with an honest-to-goodness plot!  This issue actually reads more like a first issue of a series, with Bruce detailing his plans for Batman Incorporated to its participants.  Morrison, however, doesn't reveal those plans to us, the reader, successfully conveying a sense of intrigue (instead of a sense of confusion, as he has been doing).  We don't know what it was the Bruce told Tim just before assigning him to the Outsiders, or what he told the assembled heroes about his trip through time (and its connection with Leviathan).  We also don't know the identity of the mystery Batman, who I'm hoping against hope is Jason Todd.  It actually makes me, possibly for the first time, want to continue getting this series.  The concept behind Batman Incorporated has always been solid, but the execution so far has been terrible.  I'm glad to see Morrison might actually be listening to the criticism that the book defies comprehension and gave us something more concrete as a result.  The "Joe Average and the Average Joes" framing concept worked well to give the story direction.  Also, I just have to add here, Bruce Wayne is the sexiest I've possibly ever seen him in a comic.  Burnham draws him well (and actually has him smile) and Morrison writes him with more personality than we usually see Bruce have.  All in all, it was a solid issue.  Hurrah!

Dungeons & Dragons #6:  Seriously, I love this series.  When last we left Adric and company, they were falling through some sort of wormhole created when Adric accidentally introduced an extra World Key into...I don't know, it was something involving a portal.  At any rate, the result is that we get a flashback to the past and the origins of Fell's Four, who come together mostly how you expect they would:  some friendly misunderstandings, some quick thinking, and a little luck.  I'm intrigued by how Adric goes from holding a sword to Juliana's throat to becoming her lover and how Varis goes from aiming an arrow at Adric's head to becoming his colleague.  Rogers is even more on fire than usual here.  In the first arc of this series, he occasionally skimped on some explanations.  It never really detracted from the fun, but you had to put aside your questions and just keep reading.  Here, he's tightened up his storytelling a bit.  Everything is explained, though not in an overly exposition-y way.  The characters continue to be awesome:  funny, quirky, irreverent, smart.  Buy this book, people.  Buy this book.

Red Robin #23:  Nicieza goes back to basics in this issue, giving us an investigation-heavy plot and bringing back a few characters we haven't seen since the first few issues of the series, such as Lynx and Scarab.  Tim is tracking down an assassin who appears to be targeting CEOs, using Lucius Fox as bait in an attempt to catch said assassin.  I'm not entirely sure what happens to Lucius; he appears to be dead and Tim even says that Lucius, who is unaware he's being used as bait, will be fine with the plan "after he's dead."  But, clearly Lucius Fox isn't dead.  I guess we'll have to wait to see what actually happened to him.  The best part of this book, as usual, are the Tim/Dick interactions, but, overall, it's a pretty solid issue, particularly after the disappointing Teen Titans and "Judgment on Gotham" cross-over events.  I'm intrigued to see who's hired the Order of the Scarab (or whatever they're called) to kill the CEOs and what his/her goal is.  I'm just hoping it's not Ra's al Ghul, because, seriously, he can't be responsible for everything.

Superboy #6:  [Sigh.]  I want to like this book.  I do.  But, Lemire  makes it difficult.  He begins the issue with a Conner/Tim heart-to-heart, where Conner spends most of the time whining and Tim does nothing more than making a tired joke about Conner's bad Hawaii-era fade cut.  (If Lemire wants to write these heart-to-heart talks, he should check out Geoff Johns' similar scene in "Adventure Comics" #3 and pick up some pointers.)   Then, Conner is attacked by Doomsday and, to be honest, I'm a little unclear on what happens next.  The art makes it almost impossible to follow.  Conner crashes into the "USA-Canada Tunnel" (which appears to be in San Francisco), flooding it.  He manages to knock Doomsday into the ocean and then appears to take a ship and smash it into the tunnel's gaping hole (seriously).  Conner then, somehow, procures a large fist statue (no joke) and tries to attack Doomsday with it.  It doesn't work, and Doomsday takes him down and brings him to his ship.  Some of the confusion, of course, comes from not having the back story, since this issue is part #5 of "Reign of Doomsday."  But, most of it is Rudy's really sloppy pencils and Lemire's bad dialogue and even worse monologues.  It's getting really hard to justify the $2.99 I spend on this book each month, shirtless Conner be damned...

Superboy #7:  I really, really, really wanted this issue to be AMAZING, so I could justify not canceling this title as planned.  Unfortunately, it wasn't.  We get another weird plant-based villain here, who injects Conner into a nightmare state where he's partnered with Simon to slaughter most of the world's superheroes.  Psionic Lad eventually helps him escape, and we learn that Superman had battled a similar plant a few years earlier.  The main problem with this series so far is that Conner has been super-whiny, which we again see here as he's constantly yelling, "Just stop so we can figure this out!"  The other problem here is the art, which is just awful.  The dream sequence art is a little better, because it actually suits the indistinct lines and sketchy effect that  Rudy and Hor use here.  But, overall, it's just a mess, just like the last few issues.  Conner looks different in almost every panel.  Geoff Johns' and Frances Manapul's run on "Adventure Comics" was amazing, giving us an introspective yet still fun Superboy who battled super-villains.  Lemire's and his various artists' "Superboy" unfortunately is terrible, giving us a whiny and boring Conner, who fights a bunch of plant villains.  This title, I hate to say, is canceled.

New Comics!: The Bat Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Batman and Robin #22:  This issue wraps up the "Dark Knight vs. White Knight" storyline.  It's a more or less satisfying conclusion, but Tomasi leaves a lot of loose ends.  First, we're never really given insight -- throughout the storyline -- into how Batman and Robin know where and when to go to find the victims.  They save the Langstroms in issue #21 and an entire group of people in this issue, but we're never told how they deduce where they are and when they're going to jump.  I guess we're just supposed to take that on faith.  Second, it remains unclear what the liquid the White Knight was using does.  He uses it to illuminate Arkham Asylum in this issue, but it's unclear how the liquid does so.  In issue #21 he uses a bomb of sorts to do the illuminating, but here Commission Gordon said they just saw a bunch of "bright sticks."  Is this liquid the same liquid he uses to try to drown the inmates?  Finally, Tomasi never returns to the creepy tree we see the White Knight tending in issue #21.  It's clearly important -- we see him tending a smaller version of it in his cell in this issue -- but Tomasi just sort of leaves it hanging there.  I mostly liked what Tomasi did here -- the first issue of the storyline was particularly strong -- but the loose ends leave me feeling a little disappointed.  I'm hoping he tightens up his story telling as his run continues.  All that said, I'm looking forward to his handling of the Red Hood, because his depictions of the relationships between the Batmen and the Robins were top-notch. 

Red Robin #22 ("Judgment on Gotham:"  Part 2):  This issue isn't bad, giving us probably the most coherent explanation of what Azrael and the Crusader want Batman, Catwoman, and Red Robin to do.  Nicieza provides a meditation on faith that frames the action and also gives us some insight into Tim.  He does it in a way that never gets excessively preachy or cynical, which is a tough dance for any discussion of religion.  I raised an eyebrow at two comments, though.  First, Nicieza seems to be saying that the current Azrael -- Michael Lane -- was the former "insane Batman."  But, he wasn't; Jean-Paul Valley was.  I'm surprised the editors would let that sort of mistake slip, so maybe I missed something?  Tim also notes that the Mayor was "torching a part of the city so the construction companies he owns rebuild it."  He seems to be referring directly to the Ragman secondary feature in "Batman:  Streets of Gotham," which unfortunately didn't get finished before the title was canceled.  I don't think we actually knew why the Mayor was setting the fires, so we seem to have DC giving us that here.  Both eyebrow-raising moments, though, sent me to Wikipedia and my back issues, distracting me from the main story.  It's a shame, because, again, it was a pretty solid issue.  I'm also still unclear on Ra's role in the story, but I'm sure we'll get more clarity on that next time. 

Gotham City Sirens #22 ("Judgment on Gotham:"  Part 3):  OK, at first I was kind of annoyed with the fact that Selina Kyle gets to defend the orphanage, because, really, it seemed to have that twinge of sexism.  Why can't Selina fight for the Mayor and leave Red Robin to save the orphans?  He is one, after all.  But, eventually, it made sense, given that it ties into the central plot point, Selina being asked to kill the sister who went to live in the orphanage.  I'm not a long-time Catwoman fan, so I'm not really sure what her relationship with her sister is.  But, this plot point seemed a little forced to me, like they just dug up her sister so that she could be all Women in Refrigerators and ask Selina to kill her for God.  Selina actually gives as good as she gets on the religious banter side of the house, but I'm still not really sure what Azrael and the Crusader's motivations are.  Why now, suddenly, have they decided to hold Gotham responsible for its sins? 

Batman #709 ("Judgment on Gotham:" Part 4):  The ending of this story is disappointing for a few reasons, unfortunately.  First, throughout the series, we seem to have unreferenced references to the "Azrael" series:  Dick commenting that Azrael was supposed to have taken care of Fireball, Azrael stabbing Dick with his sword (heh) as we saw in flashback in "Batman" #708.  I really hate those sorts of moments.  I get eight (nine, maybe?) Bat-titles.  They already forced me to buy "Gotham City Sirens" #22.  Implying I've got read yet another side-title (about a character I have never, ever liked) just to understand what's happening in the flagship title is showing a hell of a lot of chutzpah.  Second, Ra's al Ghul's role in this whole affair is still unclear.  Is he the source of the "visions" that sent the Crusader, Selina Kyle's sister, and the Prodigy to Gotham?  If he wasn't directing Azrael, then why did Azrael suddenly decide to put everyone through these tests in "Batman" #708?  Finally, how did Azrael get his hands on Fireball, since Ra's al Ghul was last seen amping up his powers?  Azrael had to have known that, since he knew Fireball could destroy the city.  Yet, he seems totally bewildered to have been under Ra's thumb.  Third, Dick is totally an amateur here.  I mean, yes, I get that he's disturbed by visions of beating up the Prodigy, but I don't really believe that he'd fall apart so utterly and completely as he does here.  As Tim says, if it weren't for him, all of Gotham would've been destroyed.  This sort of story would've worked better in the first few months after Dick became Batman, showing his learning curve.  But, here, it's a pretty significant step backwards for Dick and, as Bruce himself implies, makes you wonder whether he's able to handle being Batman.  Finally (yup, I've got more), the Prodigy's comments to Dick at the end -- where he tells him that he knew his friend Dick was watching and left him -- are just absurdly pat.  This arc had some potential, but, in the end, I'm just left felling meh about it, which is, unfortunately, pretty par for the course for this title lately.

New Comics!: The Bat Edition (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Ok, we've got a lot of comics this week, so I split them into three different editions! 

Batman #708 ("Judgment on Gotham:"  Part 1):  This issue throws a lot at the reader at once, resulting in a dizzying story that has a lot of potential.  When Dick suffers from some sort of spell after getting hit in the chest by a mugger, I assumed it was the result of the poisonous gas to which he was exposed in "Detective Comics" #872.  However, instead, it's the result of a "wound" inflicted by Azrael.  (I subscribe to eight Batman comics and I don't remember him getting wounded by Azrael.  I'm assuming it happened in "Azrael," which annoys me not only because we don't get an editor's note telling us when/where it happened but also because apparently reading eight Batman books isn't enough.)  I'm intrigued by Dick's "Prodigy" dream, since the Prodigy looks like it could be Jason Todd (assuming Hine keeps his reversion to red hair), who's been quiet for a while.  The rest of the issue sets up the cross-over issues in "Red Robin" and "Gotham City Sirens" (another book I'm going to have to get just to stay with the cross-over).  I've never been a fan of Azrael stories, so I can't say I'm particularly enthused.  But, the appearance of Ra's al Ghul at the end gives me hope that the storyline will pick up a little.  At the very least, Guillem March's art is really spectacular in this issue and I can't wait to see what he does next. 

Batman and Robin #20-#21:  These issues are great.  (I seem to have neglected to review the first one.  Oops.)  This arc is really a return to form for the book, a welcome relief after we all had to suffer through the previous arc.  Tomasi builds the story well, revealing some clues in the second issue but also raising new questions at the same time.  The best part, though, was the opening sequence, seeing the family all together.  Tomasi really "gets" everyone here:  Dick and Tim's engaging in affectionate brotherly banter, Damian pretending to want to be somewhere else but still being there, Alfred getting to fuss over all them, Bruce actually relaxing.  The best part of "Batman and Robin" had been the Dick/Damian relationship, and Cornell (and a lot of the writers of the other Bat-books) ignored that in the last arc.  So, I take off my hat to Tomasi for returning to what makes this book special and taking the time to develop the characters a bit before diving into the mystery.  Speaking of the mystery, I really didn't see coming the connection between the victims of the White Knight and the inmates of Arkham Asylum.  Tomasi shows real skill in making that revelation not only feel organic (and not a stunt, which it could have easily felt like) but also making it call into question who the White Knight is and what his motivations are.  I can't wait to see where this story goes.  The art is also great.  The scenes of mostly white near the end of the second issue really leapt off the pages and underscored both the creepiness of the White Knight and also the mystery behind his identity. 

Batman Beyond #1-#3:  I just got a chance to read these issues and they're a great start to the series.  Beechen gives a lot of hints of where future storylines could go while giving us an engaging and fun read.  Batman v. the Justice League?  It's a pretty cool way to start a series.  As a guy who can get obsessed with continuity, I found myself wondering how closely the series will tie to the animated series and the various comic series.  I haven't seen all the animated series or read any of the other comics, so I was wondering if I should be buying up back issues or making my way through the TV show.  So, I was glad to see Chris Conroy himself address the issue in the letters column, suggesting that the book is going to combine the best of both the TV and comic series.  As such, I'm going to try not to be OCD about it and just enjoy how the series develops.  I know there are a lot of Bat-books out there now, but, if you've got an extra $3, I'd say this one is actually one of the ones worth your money. 

Red Robin #21:  This issue, in theory, continues from "Teen Titans" #92, but I was left feeling like I had missed an issue somewhere between the two.  At the end of "Teen Titans" #92, Red Robin had re-joined the team and it appeared they were going to go after the Calculator for ultimate control over the Unternet.  However, in "Red Robin" #21, we only see Tim, and he's fighting a group of four super-villains called "the Madmen," who are the living embodiment of the Unternet.  Um, OK.  Once you get over the sudden shifting of gears, though, the issue is fine.  It's just weird that Nicieza totally abandoned the Teen Titans and the Calculator.  At any rate, I'm glad we've put the Unternet to rest, because it was definitely getting old.  We've spent a lot of time on it, and I'm not really sure it was worth it.  Part of the answer to that question will be the extent to which anything that's happened in the last few issues will have repercussions in future issues.  The next issue is yet another cross-over -- this time with "Batman" and "Gotham City Sirens" -- so it'll probably be a while before we have an answer.  I'm looking forward to us getting back to basics and focusing more on Tim, particularly as he handles his transition to being a superhero in his own right and not just someone's sidekick.

New Comics! (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

People, I'm reading comics like it's my job.  This double shipment is killing me!  OK, onto the show... 

Avengers #10:  I'm digging the Infinity Gems storyline.  It occasionally gets a little confusing keeping track of the three different teams of Avengers involved in the pursuit of the gems, but Bendis does a reasonable job keeping everyone well defined.  It's fun to see characters who don't normally interact get to do so (Ant-Man and Iron Fist, etc.).  Although I normally enjoy JR JR, the art in this issue looks a little rushed, particularly the fight in the Danger Room.  Again, it's probably hard to draw that many characters in one book, but the sloppiness of the art did kind of detract from the plot, since it was occasionally hard determining who was doing what to whom.  At any rate, I'm looking forward to the Thor/Parker throw-down coming next issue! 

Captain America #614:  OK, it's kind of a ridiculous complaint, but I think Ed Brubaker is actually doing too good of a job here making me care about the characters and the story.  I'm fully invested in the Bucky Barnes story and, honestly, it's starting to get stressful to read.  I mean, we really haven't had a win in a while.  After the "Trial of Captain America" arc ends, I'm kind of hoping Bucky gets to go to Tahiti with Natasha to investigate, I don't know, a cult of evil bunny worshippers or something.  You know, face something a little less stressful than having to decide to let a super-villain spring him from jail, where he's cooling his jets while he's on trail for murdering thousands of people while under mind control, so that he can save his girlfriend and best friend from dying when the daughter of his arch-nemesis blows up the Statue of Liberty with them in it.  I mean, hell, having to fight Dr. Doom naked would probably be a vacation at this point.  But, stressfulness aside, this arc continues Brubaker's amazing work on this title.  Also, the Nomad back-up feature continues to be a great surprise.  I didn't think much of Nomad when her back-up feature started, but I'm definitely reading as much for her as I am for Bucky.  This book is one of the few that merits the $3.99 price tag. 

Detective Comics #873:  Scott Snyder continues to write Dick Grayson better than anyone out there, making "Detective Comics" far and away my favorite Bat-book (which, after all, is saying a lot, considering how many of them there are).  When Daniel and Morrison focus on characterization in "Batman" and "Batman and Robin," it's generally just on the Dick/Damian relationship.  "Detective Comics," however, is much more about Dick Grayson as Batman, and I really find that storyline the most compelling.  In terms of the plot, this arc wraps up really nicely.  It's the kind of straight-forward detective story done really well that you expect from the title.  We see the totality of Dick's world here (his interactions with Commissioner Gordon and Babs are both poignant and funny), and it's a difficult one, with glimmers of hope but still a lot of shadows as he struggles with becoming the Bat.  I loved the art (and not just because Dick was so often in his underwear).  Jock really conveys a gritty, unseemly Gotham City that is all its own and matches Snyder's vision of the city perfectly.  It's not just a dirtier New York City that I feel like most artists give us; it's its own monster.  Honestly, this arc is going to be considered a classic in a few years; it's the best Batman story I've read in a long, long time.  Well done all around, gentlemen! 

Red Robin #20/Teen Titans #92:  Yay, Teen Titans cross-over!  Nicieza has done a great job of keeping "Red Robin" moving forward an ongoing storyline, issue by issue.  Everything builds off the previous stories, and the first issue of this cross-over is no different, bringing us the repercussions of Tim's shenanigans in Moscow from the previous arc.  This issue sets up the plot of the cross-over, with Tim needing to track down the Calculator, who's trying to maintain his control over the Unternet.  I'm a little confused why the Calculator doesn't take the same approach to Mikalek, who appears to be controlling the Unternet now (which you'd figure would piss him off more than Tim's cyber-squatting).  But, at least it makes sense that he wouldn't be happy with said cyber-squatting regardless.  The second issue of the cross-over, "Teen Titans" #92, reminds us just how bad the Tim/Damian relationship has gotten.  I've got a soft spot for Damian, so it's tough to see him get rejected by the Titans and, implicitly, Tim.  But, the title is "Teen Titans," after all, and it's totally believable that a group of teenagers would have less patience for a kid like Damian than Dick would.  I'm glad to see Tim re-join the group, because I could only handle the Cassie/Conner drama for so long.  It'll be nice to have a new element to shake up the title a bit. 

Secret Avengers #9:  I keep forgetting Ed Brubaker is writing this title until I get to the end of an issue, realize how much I enjoyed it, and look to see who wrote it.  The first few issues had me whelmed, but I've enjoyed this arc.  As he does on "Captain America," Brubaker keeps adding layers of complexity to the plot without getting lost in the details.  (Most of the Bat-book writers could really learn a lesson from him.  I'm looking at you, Tony Daniel.)  Mike Deodato keeps giving us shirtless Steve Rogers, so I'd be remiss if I didn't thank him.  I'm excited to see what happens next issue, particularly if we get some more insight into the Shadow Council.

New Comics! (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

OK, so, my shipment came, and I'm making my way through the backlog.  More to come soon!

Batman and Robin #19:  I don't know how I feel about this arc.  This issue is the best of the lot, but it substantially alters the motivation of the Absence.  The first two issues led us to believe that the Absence's principal motivation was a revenge scheme, trying to get to Bruce Wayne through Batman (since it's now been publicly revealed that he's funding the Bat).  But, in this issue, we learn that her actions have all been an elaborate ruse to distract Batman while her men finished off the gang that killed her.  In the hands of another writer, I might have been able to buy the twin motives, but Cornell doesn't really sell the dramatic twist well.  In the end, it seems a lot to ask us to believe that the Absence was interacting with Batman and Robin just to ensure they wouldn't discover her men killing off the guys who shot her.  I mean, would Dick and Damian really have noticed that three seemingly random thugs were killed in prison, then taken enough of an interest into their killings to make the connection between them and Bruce Wayne's former girlfriend, AND THEN tried to find her?  I'm pretty sure she could've just had three guys whacked in jail without this much effort.  So, if her real motivation was getting to Batman and Robin, why not kill them or maim them or expose them, instead of just playing with them?  It just doesn't make sense, and not in a "she's a crazy psycho" way but in a "he's a bad writer" way.  Based on this issue, I think the Absence really does have potential, since she does move beyond the homicidal-maniac archetype that categorizes most of Batman's rogues' gallery to become something interesting.  But, someone else needs to write her.

New Avengers #8:  This issue was really a Bendis showcase, giving us everything he does well (excellent characterization, character development) without everything he does poorly (complicated plots).  It could've been really clichéd, but I thought Bendis did a great job presenting us with Jessica's struggle over trying to figure out how she fits in the world as a mom, a superhero, and a person.  I also loved Luke Cage and Ms. Marvel's mid-fight conversation about Jessica.  Overall, it was a great issue.  One little nitpick?  Spidey asks Luke Cage how he knows he's white, given that he's in a full body suit.  But, Spidey often rolls up his mask to reveal his mouth so he can eat...as he's doing in the scene that we see on the first page.  So, Luke Cage has seen Spider-Man's skin and knows he's white.  I mean, I know it's supposed to be  joke, because Spidey's all mad-white, so he couldn't possibly be anything other than white, but it annoyed me.  (I annoy easily.)

New Avengers #9:  Really?  First, am I really supposed to believe that they're going to kill Mockingbird again, only two years or so (in real time) after returning her to life?  If so, I don't.  As such, it makes Surprise Ending #1 kind of anti-climatic.  Oh, no.  Mockingbird was shot.  Help.  Help. All that good female characterization from last issue goes out the window when we suddenly go all "Women in Refrigerators" here.  Second, the Nick Fury sub-plot, for the most part, was totally random, something I would've preferred it stay rather than morphing into Surprise Ending #2, the revelation that Marvel is going to ret-con the Avengers' and Nick Fury's history to match the plot of the upcoming movie.  In other words, this issue was nothing more than seemingly-forced plot devices.  Boo, Bendis, boo.

Red Robin #19:  I've been impressed, throughout this series' run so far, with the extent to which the writers have managed to really make Tim his own man.  Even in the first few issues, which were part of the storyline involving the eventual return of Bruce Wayne, the writers gave Tim his own group of villains, one that we see grows in this arc.  The cyberspace angle in this issue was done really well; like time travel (see the "Flash" entry above), I find that these sorts of stories can often be more confusing than interesting.  But, it's interesting here, particularly since it opens up some really cool doors for Lonnie.  If you haven't been reading "Red Robin," this arc is a pretty good one with which to start.

The Flash #9:  I don't have much to say about this one, since it's the first issue of the series' second arc and not much happens.  In the previous arc, we were told that Barry would be haunted by what he saw in Mirror Master's mirror, and we see it here with Barry distancing himself from his family as a result of his guilt over the (indirect) role he played in his mother's death.  As I might've mentioned before, I never really read "Flash" before, but I'm a little surprised that we're entering another time-travel storyline.  I'm not sure if it's de rigueur for "Flash" or if it's just a coincidence.  But, I'm not a huge fan of such storylines, since they're often more confusing than interesting.  I'll reserve judgment until we see how it develops.  In the meantime, Geoff Johns does characterization better than almost anyone out there and Manapul's art alone continues to justify picking up the book.

X-Factor #215: This solo issue was pretty solid.  Despite the ickiness I feel when I think too much about it, I enjoy the Madrox/Layla relationship.  I also thought the dupes were used to advance the plot more cleverly than they often are.  Serious, Peter David just leaves so little to discuss because he's just so good.