New Comics! (HERE BE SPOILERS)

Batman Incorporated:  Leviathan Strikes!:  It's kind of hard to know where to start in reviewing this "issue."  First, it's pretty clear that the two "chapters" of this book were intended to be future issues of "Batman Incorporated," though it's unclear whether Morrison would've intended for them to be the next two sequentially, #9 and #10, or dragged out the mystery of Leviathan a little longer.  At any rate, the DC reboot forced his hand, and we get this issue as an attempt to wrap up loose ends before we get the DCnU version of "Batman Incorporated" at some point in 2012.

The first chapter is actually one of Morrison's better (read:  coherent) stories in the run.  We discover why Batman sent Stephanie Brown to a boarding school in England, learning that the school was churning out brainwashed teenage assassins feverishly loyal to Leviathan.  It strikes a similar theme as the Batwing story in "Batman Incorporated" #5 and the Man of Bats story in "Batman Incorporated" #7, showing how Leviathan isn't all international espionage but reaches into local communities to spread its destabilizing poison.

The second chapter is one of Morrison's traditional (read:  incoherent) stories.  Bruce, Dick, Tim, and Damian are aboard the Leviathan ship, and Bruce is tricked into (allegedly) entering the same room over and over again, confronted by Dr. Netz (aka Dr. Dedalus) each time.  Morrison seems to want us to believe that Netz is somehow altering time to make it happen, with one of the boys warning Bruce not to enter the room given "what happened last time!"  But, it seems more obvious that Bruce's sensation of entering the room repeatedly was due to the mind-eroding gas that Netz used to disorient him.

It's actually this part of the story where Morrison falls into his usual traps, mistaking "confusing" for "interesting."  If you really examine the events in this section, you realize that they're all basically irrelevant to the overall plot.  Netz simply taunts Bruce here, not actually doing anything other than possibly collecting some information from Bruce while he's under the influence of the gas (even though I'm pretty sure Leviathan could've gotten that information on its own).  We do get a variety of Batman Incorporated operatives in danger.  Dark Ranger and Nightrunner are turned into Leviathan drones set against Bruce, Dick, Tim, and Damian and Batwing, Knight, and the Outsiders are seemingly killed by Leviathan agents.  But, does it really matter when we know that, in the DCnU, at the very least Batwing survives?  We also get Bruce having to save the world from Netz's "meta-bombs."  But, did anyone really believe Bruce wasn't going to be able to disable them in time?  At the end of the day, this chapter mostly entails Netz vamping for time, something Bruce himself states, saying, "Netz was misdirection, to waste our resources on the eve of war."  Essentially, I just paid $6.99 for stalling?  Also, why?  Would Netz really willingly give up his life (assuming he did actually die) just for Leviathan to test Batman?  It seems a stretch. 

Speaking of Leviathan, Morrison, as usual, throws us a lot of curve balls along the road to revealing her identity.  For example, he reveals, seemingly, that Kathy Kane is still alive, and throws suspicion on her that she is Leviathan.  (Bruce himself would later mention her as a potential suspect.)  Resurrecting Kathy and making her a bad guy would've been a brilliant Morrison move.  He had cast some intrigue on her in issues #3-#5, implying a more involved back story than we previously understood.  Given that her death is shrouded in a mystery thanks to a variety of reboots (and less definitive than Jason Todd's) it would've been fairly easy to find a reasonable excuse for why she's still alive.  Instead, though, Morrison goes for the more, to me, surprisingly obvious choice of Talia al Ghul.  Is it really all that shocking that Talia al Ghul runs a world-wide terrorist organization given that she, you know, normally runs a world-wide terrorist organization?  I mean, I guess it's a question of Leviathan's intent, something we still don't know, and how it differs from the League of Assassins'.  But, at the end of the day, I just didn't find this reveal to be all that interesting.  It simply sets up yet another "Batman versus [fill in the blank] al Ghul" story.  Will Morrison's take on it be interesting?  Maybe.  Was it worth an entire series?  Probably not.

At this stage, I have to say, Morrison once again gives us a fairly ho-hum reveal when it comes to a super-villian.  I mean, for all the drama of the Black Glove, we discovered it was some crazed former movie star that might have know Bruce's parents.  For all the mystery of Leviathan, our main tension comes from which one of Bruce's ex-girlfriends (two of whom -- Jezebel Jet and Talia al Ghul -- were already involved in large criminal conspiracies) hated him enough to go to war with him.  Morrison is often called a genius, but I just don't see it.  I don't see how, once you strip away the intentional confusion, he's doing anything more interesting than your average Batman author.  If you dig the al Ghuls, I'd say you should definitely subscribe to this title when it re-appears in the DCnU.  But, otherwise, I just don't think it's worth your time.

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

Batman #713:  The first hint that the narrator of this issue wasn't exactly detached was when he described the third Robin -- Tim Drake -- as a "tragic mistake."  At first, I thought I had missed something, some tragedy that befell Tim, since, after all, he has arguably surpassed even Dick Grayson as the quintessential Robin.  (Even Dick says so in "Batman:  Gates of Gotham" #3.)  The second hint was when he twice mentioned what an honor it was for people to be friends with Dick.  The reveal that the narrator was Damian made sense in those two regards, though I'm not sure it did in regards to the rest of the book.  Damian is a little too...sappy in this issue, even if we accept the premise of the issue, that Dick has changed him.  My guess is that Nicieza went with it to underline the impact Dick has had on Damian's life, given that their partnership will at least end with the reboot, if not be entirely erased by it.  But, in the end, it just doesn't sound like Damian, Dick's influence or not, making the reveal at the end fall flat for me.  All that said, I'm not entirely sure anyone could find a way to end "Batman" in a way that didn't feel at least partially artificial, and I think Nicieza does his best.  However, I was disappointed that Stephanie Brown was never mentioned as a Robin.  It makes sense that Damian wouldn't have mentioned her but DC has so criminally mishandled Stephanie's brief tenure as Robin that it was disappointing that it continues to do so even here, what could be her last shot at inclusion.  I guess all we have left now is seeing what the reboot really does.  Fingers crossed it doesn't suck.

Batman:  Arkham City #5:  OK, anything I was going to say about this book's plot or story was completely obliterated when I saw the blonde Robin?  WTF?  Is it Chris O'Donnell?  Are we bringing back suit-nipples?  I just don't know what to say.  Where the "inFAMOUS" series did a pretty great job stoking my interest in the game, I can't say this mini-series has had an effect one way or another.  Unlike the "inFAMOUS" series, we're probably going to see most of what happens here recapped in the game itself, since it's unlikely the game's authors are just going to throw us into the plot.  Dini and D'Anda do some nice character work on the full-page spreads of the main villains in terms of setting up the game, but it squanders the opportunity, in terms of the book, to develop the story, which feels sort of abandoned halfway through this issue.  At the end of the day, I'm excited about "Arkham City" because the first game was awesome, not necessarily because of anything done here.  (A blonde Robin?  Really?)

Batman:  The Dark Knight #5:  What can I say about this book?  These five issues have been so terrible that I can't believe they actually managed to get published.  Harsh but true.  Did DC not ask Finch to provide scripts with enough time to realize they made a mistake?  I don't even know where to start.  The dialogue continues with "Insolent fool!" type of comments, Bruce has apparently become a bleak, bad poet, and the Ragman...yeah, well, the less said about that whole mess the better.  Let's just say, I've canceled this book for the reboot.

Batman:  Gates of Gotham #5:  Wait, who?  Who the hell is Dillon May?  I had to re-read the entire series to discover the answer, that we never actually meet Dillon May.  He was the last owner of the Architect's suit, though it was reported stolen six months before the events of the story take place; Tim and Damian encounter the Architect at May's apartment, in issue #3.  When Dick somewhat nonchalantly mentions that he's the Architect on the first page of issue #5, however, I felt like I had missed an issue.  Although now, reading the whole series again, I see the direction Snyder and Higgins were going, it makes me realize that this series, like a lot of mini-series today, seemed written more for its inevitable trade-paperback form than for a monthly format.  I think it's a lot to expect us to remember the details of a character we never actually met two months after he was (theoretically) introduced.  Moreover, Higgins seemed to be leading us to believe that the trick of this mini-series was some sort of time-displaced villain (maybe a revived Nicholas had stolen the suit), but instead it's actually just that the Gates family produces delusional nutjobs.  I think part of the problem here is that Higgins didn't really connect the dots for us.  Not only did we never meet May (thereby never getting a chance to make our impression of him), but the Bat-family also makes a lot of connections based on information we never see them get.  How did Dick find out those suits caused mental illness?  Tim doesn't mention it when he's briefing him on the suits in issue #3; moreover, Dick couldn't have had time to read all of the Nicholas' journal in issue #4, since he pretty much goes right from discovering it to the Kane bridge.  Had he learned about it before?  Did he simply deduce it from the "Property of Arkham Asylum" stamp on that back of the journal?  Given that the whole plot of the mini-series relied on that piece of information, you think Higgins would've seen fit to show us Dick discovering it (or at least have him exposit how he discovered it).  Also, how did he know the Architect was this May guy?  Did he just guess that it was a descendant of the Gates?  How did he know he lied about the theft?  This mini-series started with a lot of promise, but it really fizzled over the last few issues, and not only in terms of the mystery's reveal.  Snyder and Higgins did some interesting work in the first two issues using the story of the Gates to parallel Dick's own struggles in becoming Batman.  But, they dropped that focus for the next two issues, so when they return to it at the very end of this issue it doesn't really work.  Unfortunately, the story, with its orientation toward being read as one continuous story, ultimately proved hard to follow and, even when reading it all at once, contained too many questions to make it enjoyable.  It's a shame, because seeing Dick, Tim, Cassandra, and Damian working together was fun.  I just wish they had gotten a story befitting that fun. 

Batman Incorporated #8:  This issue is pretty cool, actually.  The plot is occasionally hard to follow, but Morrison does a fun job playing up the interaction of Bruce and Barbara while adding in some great moments ("Internet 3.0 access comes installed with free 'Batman Incorporated' anti-virus software.").  Although some people may disagree with me, I'd say the art was the main drawback of this issue.  Clark is clearly using a graphics program to create the digital effects, but at times it looks like an early computer-generated comic (paging "Iron Man:  Crash") and not something from 2011.  (The problem, of course, is that, by going this route, you've actually got to look like something from 2015, because Bruce Wayne would have something from 2015, even if the artist himself didn't.)  Looking to the rebooted version of this title, Morrison essentially promises more of the same.  Whereas other last issues this month are making an attempt (usually awkward and/or rushed) to tie up loose ends, Morrison clearly has the stature to keep on doing what he's been doing.  He seems to connect Jezebel Jet to Leviathan here, and we're promised to find out the reason why Batgirl was sent to boarding school.  The last few issues of this series have really redeemed it, bringing me past my initial dislike of this series' first arc.  I can't wait to see what happens next.

New Comics! (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Batman Incorporated #7:  OMG, I liked this issue!  No, really!  Crazy, right?  Morrison gives us a Native American Batman and Robin, and it's probably the strongest issue of this series.  He presents the plight of reservation life in a matter-of-fact way, avoiding the sermonizing, patronizing approach that usually accompanies such stories.  He portrays Man-of-Bats as a man who's unaware he's fighting a losing fight against crime (Bruce is going to love this guy) and shows (not lectures) how the lack of government presence made it easy for Leviathan to infiltrate the reservation.  Little Raven is a more reluctant and restless Robin than Dick, Jason, Tim, or Damian ever were, and his relationship with his father is poignant.  ("I'd kill to fight just one giant robot or master-villain...")  Burnham's art is great as always.  I would totally buy a series based on these two.  Thanks, Grant, for finally throwing us a bone!  On the larger Leviathan plot, the mystery deepens here, in the sense that at least one of Leviathan's goals (if not Leviathan's main goal) is taking down Bats.  Morrison's not going to give us an answer to that mystery anytime soon, so I'm glad he's now at least giving us enjoyable stories as he goes.

Detective Comics #878:  Not to put too fine of a point on it, but holy fucking homicidal maniac, Batman.  We'll get to that.  First things first, though.  The first 18 pages of this issue wrap up the storyline involving Tiger Shark and Sonia Branch.  Dick confronts Tiger Shark, a pretty-insane pirate who (allegedly) comes from a long line of pretty-insane pirates who seek to destabilize civilizations.  Tiger Shark manages to outwit Dick not once (capturing him in the first place), but twice (sabotaging the yacht after escaping).  One of my favorite moments of the issue is when Dick narrates his almost-unbelievable escape from Tiger Shark's yacht, observing (as he's swimming from an amazing depth to the surface) that he had been trained to be overcautious and, as such, boosted his oxygen levels before starting this "seafaring" mission.  It's a subtle nod to the past, and Snyder manages to convey in Dick's thoughts a sense of how hard Bruce drove him as a kid but also how much Dick owes him, and how Dick balances those two realities every day.  It's again a testament to Snyder's skill that he can do all that in just a few lines.  

The story switches gears when Dick meets James Gordon, Jr., something the Commissioner had previously asked him to do.  James has been volunteering at Leslie's clinic, and the two talk about the last time they saw one another, when a bully named Ben Wolff had stolen James' glasses.  During the conversation, Dick has an epiphany about the Branch case.  He confronts her later, correctly guessing that she had deleted the information on security tapes so that he would go after Roadrunner first then Tiger Shark, eliminating two of her enemies, despite the fact that Roadrunner had nothing to do with her assistant's death.  (By the way, this conversation occurs at Ms. Branch's rooftop pool, where she's clad only in her bikini.  Dick, man; he's a sucker for the troubled, hot girls.)  Snyder is an expert at portraying morally complicated people.  Sonia Branch used Batman to get two criminals off her back; she didn't really engage in serious criminal activity herself (other than a little obstruction of justice), but she shows a certain amorality in achieving her ends.  Moreover, I enjoy how no one really gets his or her comeuppance here.  Branch used Batman to scare off Tiger Shark, who was trying to get her to launder his money.  Tiger Shark escaped.  I'm not sure Bruce would've been manipulated this way, but it's why Snyder has such a great touch when it comes to being perhaps the only Bat-writer to remember Bruce isn't under the cowl.  Conversely, Bruce probably wouldn't have been able to let Branch walk.  Something about this issue just reminds you that Dick is playing a long game here, getting to know Gotham, getting to know how he fits.  He's careful and methodical while being loose and adaptable all at the same time.  I can't put my finger on exactly how we see it in his interaction with Sonia, but we do.  He doesn't feel the need to drag her to prison just to have a win, but he gets his point across nonetheless. 

Again, you'd think we'd be done.  However, Snyder doesn't stop here.  In the last two pages, we watch James go to Ben Wolff's house, pick up his mail, and enter his basement, where, we discover, he's been slowly removing Ben's limbs while keeping him alive.  Yup.  The question of whether or not James Gordon, Jr. is a sociopathic nut job has been answered, and it's a big ol' YES!  Snyder is just so brilliant when it comes to pacing a story, and I found my heart simply racing as James made his way through the silent house.  The reveal on the last page was made all the more amazing by Jock's depiction of James, making him reminiscent of his father, showing us in a way a weird, sick, twisted version of James Gordon, Sr.  I have no idea where Snyder is going with the James story, other than my previously voiced hunch that we're seeing the birth of a new Joker here.  Dick seems to see the evil in James, since the epiphany he had during their encounter was that people don't change, leading him to believe that Branch, the daughter of the man who killed his parents, was at heart a criminal.  As such, he probably doesn't buy James, Jr.'s rehabilitation.  I hope the reboot doesn't sweep James, Jr. under the rug.  Honestly, no one writes a better comic book than Scott Snyder, and someone should use this arc as a case study for how you write a comic-book series.  Simply amazing.  This issue is possibly the best one I've read all year and this arc is right up there with Snyder's "The Black Mirror" arc from a few issues ago.  Awesome.

Uncanny X-Men #539:  Part of the reason I don't like Wolverine stories is that they're all the same:  Logan is the tough guy who has to make the hard decisions, but he's also a soft touch who feels the pain of those decisions deeply.  This story is exactly that.  We learn that Logan is avoiding Hope because, if she goes "the bad way," if you will, Wolverine will be the one likely to have to kill her (see "Jean Grey").  His words also imply that he'd normally be drawn to her, in a way that he was similarly drawn to Kitty and Jubilee (hopefully in a non-gross way).  I don't disagree with Logan's assessment, really, but, at this point?  Yawn.  Gillen still manages to write an entertaining issue despite his two main characters being not exactly the fun sort.  But, let's just say I'm glad it's a single-issue story. 

Venom #4:  With each new issue, Remender tightens the noose around Flash's neck a little more, building an increasingly suffocating sense of doom.  The interesting part of this issue (and series so far) is that the symbiote isn't the only one making life complicated for Flash.  As Crime Master predicted, he neglects to tell the military that Crime Master knows his secret identity and he lies about losing control in the Savage Land.  Flash knows he's digging himself deeper and deeper into a hole, so much so that it's looking increasingly unlikely he's going to find a way to escape it.  However, beyond the intriguing moral decisions Flash has to make, this issue had some down notes.  I'm confused why General Dodge, who, after all, pushed the detonate button to kill Flash last issue, in the end decides to let him live.  He knows that, if Flash has in fact been infected by the symbiote, Flash is not going to be able to tell him that, so why does he take Flash's word that the symbiote was only in control for a short time in New York?  Moreover, how does Spidey totally ignore the duality of Venom, who on one hand wants to kill Betty and on the other hand is begging him to save her?  Peter doesn't realize that the symbiote has bonded with someone who's fighting for control?  Peter's a smart enough guy to realize the symbiote and the host are two different entities, so it's bizarre that he has absolutely no sympathy for the host, particularly since he has no idea who it is.  Remender has to tighten up that side of the story, particularly if the main theme of this series is going to be the moments when Flash loses control and the symbiote takes charge.

X-Men:  Prelude to Schism #4:  Anyone who reads this blog knows that Wolverine is pretty much my least favorite character ever, so it should come to no surprise that I liked this issue least of the series.  It's a tour of Wolverine's past, ground we've already seen covered pretty much everywhere else, so it doesn't really do much to contribute to the story.  We also don't learn the source of the threat that will be the focus of "Schism."  It's time to get this show on the road. 

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 DC Edition! (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Batman Incorporated #5:  This issue is an improvement over the previous two issues, in that it actually has a (mostly) linear narrative, so we actually got somewhere.  Batman and El Gaucho follow Scorpiana's trail to the Falklands; Batwoman has also followed the trail of the missing Marines there as well.  Moreover, a new player (the Hood, who I initially thought was Azrael) joins the search.  We learn that the Argentines and the Brits are going to go to war over ouroboros, which is allegedly some fifth form of matter and under the control of Dr. Dedalus.  However, beyond that, Morrison leaves several loose ends.  Batwoman was, if I remember correctly, following the trail of the three murdered Marines; we learn they were killed and replaced before arriving at the Falklands, but it's unclear why they were killed and who replaced them.  My guess is the Leviathan figure who rescued Dr. Dedalus, since one of his henchmen utters "Hail Leviathan" before he dies.  But, it's still unclear what Leviathan's motives are.  (I had to do some Internet research to chase down my vague recollection of the character who -- thank you, Internet -- appeared in "Batman:  The Return.")  It's also unclear how he sprung Dr. Dedalus, who was allegedly so trapped on the island that he had been unable to leave for decades.  However, we were never really told how the British superheroes who were killed trapping him on the island did so, so I guess it makes sense that we're not told how whatever they did was undone.  We also never really get any clarity on the Kathy Kane issue, other than Batman, Batwoman, and El Gaucho referencing her in passing.  I know it's not Morrison's style to spoon feed us information, but I still feel more annoyed by the way this arc unfolded than intrigued.  The art continues to be beautiful, but I just don't know if it's enough to keep me going.  I loved his run in "Batman and Robin," but here I'm just not sure if I'm sufficiently intrigued to do the work a Morrison book requires.  I guess if I find myself in a lull of comics, I could re-read "Batman:  The Return" and the first two issues of this arc.  But, am I going to have to do so with EVERY issue of "Batman Incorporated?"  At this point, I think I'll have re-read issue #3 four times and issue #4 three times!  Given how much I hated issue #3, it's really hard to motivate.  I think I'm just going to consider it done and hope we get somewhere next issue. 

Detective Comics #876:  Scott Snyder gives us a brand new mystery here while at the same time developing a key ongoing sub-plot.  A killer whale's body is found in a bank's headquarters, and its stomach contains the dead body of the personal assistant to the owner, Sonia Branch, who just happens to be the daughter of Tony Zucco, the man who killed Dick Grayson's parents.  Dick and Commissioner Gordon have another of their meetings in the Wayne crime lab, where the Commissioner tells Dick that his son has returned to Gotham and asks him to meet with him and give the Commissioner his honest assessment.  Batman approaches Branch, who rebuffs him, but then eavesdrops on her conversation with a man blackmailing her.  Her blackmailer is a luxury-car dealer cum gun runner, and Bats finds himself in trouble when the dealer's henchmen get the jump on him.  I continue to be impressed by how well Snyder paces a story.  I particularly liked the seven pages Snyder dedicated to Dick and Commissioner Gordon's conversation.  The art in this sequence is evocative of the first time they met in the crime lab a few issues ago, reinforcing the sense that we're seeing Dick and the Commissioner really build their relationship here, case by case.  I can't say I'm overly intrigued by the immediate case at hand -- why the car dealer/gun runner is blackmailing Branch -- but I am intrigued by Dick's eventual meeting of James Gordon, Jr. and how the connection between Branch and Zucco will become relevant to this story.  Even if the primary plot doesn't interest me all that much, it's still a joy watching Snyder unfurl a story.

Teen Titans #94:  I had already decided to drop this title before I read this issue, but reading it didn't convince me I had made a mistake.  This issue is b-o-r-i-n-g.  We're supposed to be all a-twitter because Wonder Girl is missing, but I really can't summon the energy for it.  I've been collecting this title since issue #81, and I have to say that it's just been aggressively morose.  I get that it's about teenagers, but I've never really gotten the sense that anyone is even remotely enjoying themselves.  (Superboy himself alluded to that in his own title.)  I'd normally keep going until at least the current arc ended, but I can't say I care, so it's gone.  Bye, Titans.  Hope you all get sorted soon. 

New Comics! (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Batman:  The Dark Knight #2:  OK, here's the thing.  I've got to be honest:  I'm kind of tired of the "girls Bruce Wayne loved" schtick.  We saw it with the Absence in "Batman and Robin," we see it in "Batman, Incorporated" #4 (see below), and we see it here with the second installment of "In Golden Dawn."  Based on information we got last issue, Dawn Golden was a childhood friend who broke Bruce's heart after college graduation.  OK, sure.  That sucks.  Do I believe that his love for her and his need to find her are so strong that he would savagely break the Penguin's arm and leg?  Um, no.  I mean, we're talking about a guy who manages not to do that to the Joker, who beat Jason Todd to death with a crowbar and paralyzed Barbara Gordon.  But, Dawn Golden is the one to really push him over the edge?  I just don't buy it.  Also -- and I think I might raise it to status as pet peeve #3 soon -- the Penguin and Killer Croc really didn't take the chance to peak under Bats' mask to see who he is when they had him unconscious?  Or, you know, just kill him, like Penguin tried to do at the start of the issue?  Really?  Speaking of pet peeves, per pet peeve #2, we see Bats holding Dawn Golden on the cover of this issue, but he doesn't actually find her in the book.  Also, why is a mutated Ragman killing homeless people?  (Maybe something was supposed to happen in the Ragman secondary feature in "Batman:  Streets of Gotham," but the series got canceled before we could see it?)  I'm not sure Finch is a talented enough writer to keep all the balls in the air that he's got going here.  After waiting three months, I needed something more than essentially a poorly-written "Detective Comics" issue to justify keeping this title.  I'm not sure if I got that here. 

Batman:  Streets of Gotham #21:  I read this issue first before re-reading the entire arc.  I can say now that "House of Hush" will make a really great trade paperback.  The plot is compelling, we get new insights into old characters, and the insight into old-school Gotham is fun.  However, as a storyline with installments of varying length spread over eight issues, it was hard to stay engaged with the story to the level necessary to fully appreciate it.  For example, it wasn't until I re-read the entire arc that I remember Judson Pierce's connection to Roger Elliot (Hush's father) and I had totally forgotten about the Bedbug sub-plot.  (Although Bedbug is actually a cool idea for a character, I think it would've been better to save that story for a different arc or a secondary feature, rather than wasting the pages on a story that only served to draw out the primary storyline.)  My guess is that the blame here lies with the editors who recommended the page lengths and chapter divisions than Dini, who really delivers a great story.  I'm pretty sure they could've had Hush encounter Jane Doe to the same effect (Hush losing Bruce Wayne's face, an important moment in the post-"Return of Bruce Wayne" world) in a three-issue arc that didn't bring us on the convoluted ride we've experienced here.  Moreover, if this issue is indeed the last issue of the series, then I'm pretty sure we're denied a conclusion to the Ragman secondary feature, which sucks because it was, for the most part, more compelling than "The House of Hush."  In the end, it's a sad ending to a series that showed a lot of promise.  (P.S.:  After I read the first issue and wrote the original version of this review, I read some other reviews online and someone noted that this arc gives us the origin -- or at least a glimpse into the past -- of the Joker.  When I re-read the overall arc, I'll admit my mind was BLOWN.  I give Dini a lot of credit for the way he subtly and deftly wove that in that plot.  The boy who would become the Joker suffers terribly and it really gives us insight into why he becomes who he becomes.  However, it's not enough to make me wish that the overall storyline hadn't been partially ruined by editorial interference.) 

Batman Incorporated #4:  OK, I've read issue #3 three times and #4 twice, and I've been able to piece together the following:  Kathy Kane, the former Batwoman, is the biological daughter of Agent-Zero, the head of the spy ring for whom Agent-33 (now known as the Gaucho) worked.  Agent-33 recruited Kathy into the ring for an as-yet-unnamed mission for Agent-Zero, who also happens to be an "unrepentant Nazi master criminal" known as Dr. Dedalus, who was locked into some cave (or something) in the Falkland Islands by a group of British superheroes during the Falkland War.  Meanwhile, Batman is trying to bring the Gaucho into "Batman, Incorporated," only to learn that he's the one that got Kathy Kane involved in the spy ring that allegedly killer her, and the new Batwoman is on the trail of an Argentine gang who killed three Marines.  Um, yeah.  I get that, to understand (and appreciate) Morrison, you've got to put in work.  I get that.  I also appreciate what Morrison does here with the original Batwoman, bringing her back into continuity.  In fact, the flashback sequences are amazingly well done, both in terms of the scripting (where I can almost hear Adam West's voice every time Bruce or Batman speaks) and in the art (aping the 1950s and 1960s style, right down to the original Batmobile design).  But, I still feel like Morrison is suffering from being too clever and sacrificing some coherence in the plot to do it.  I mean, we're juggling A LOT in these two issues (I didn't even mention "oroboro" in the above recap, and it's pretty much central to the plot), and I think Morrison forgets sometimes that he's competing with ten other Bat-books.  That said, this issue is a vast improvement over the last one and I'm now at least interested to see where it leads. 

Captain America #615.1:  I read the other day that Marvel has announced that Steve Rogers is going to take over the role of Captain America again, something I figured was going to have to happen given the upcoming movie.  This issue sets that stage, with Cap encountering a faux Captain America who steps into the vacuum left by Bucky's ongoing legal troubles.  I can't say I'll be disappointed to see Steve return, since, to be honest, I've missed reading about him, having to settle only for his appearances in "Secret Avengers."  But, I hope Bucky gets his own kick-ass series, because, if he doesn't, THEN I'll be disappointed.  Maybe he, Black Widow, Hawkeye, and Mockingbird can get a combined series called "Love Rectangle" or something. 

inFAMOUS #2:  The plot continues to build here.  Moya, who last issue was working with the First Sons, appears to resume her government role here, ordering the capture of Sasha and the invasion of Empire City.  Cole is still trying to put himself back together, and works with the Warden and Zeke to fend off the invasion.  The Beast is loose in the city, but Moya appears to have another version of him ready to go.  This issue really builds on the energy of last issue, clarifying some mysteries and deepening others.  For example, Moya mentions that Sasha got her powers at the same time as Cole, which I don't think we knew before.  (I'm not really sure how that happened, unless she was holding some secondary Ray Sphere that also absorbed the abilities of all the people who died.)  Also, one of the soldiers refers to Moya as "Mother," which makes me wonder whether that's her First Sons codename and where the line between the First Sons and the military is drawn.  You get the sense that things aren't going to go well for our guys... 

New Mutants #23 (Age of X:  Chapter 4):  As expected, Legacy and Gambit survive Magneto dumping debris on them.  In fact, Magneto dumped debris on them on purpose, so he could hide them in an underground tunnel and reveal that he's the one who sent Kitty Pryde outside the walls.  (He realized it's pretty bizarre that they all keep repeating the same day, over and over again, like "Groundhog's Day.")  It's revealed here that the reason Kitty's camera was full of blank pictures is because nothing exists outside the wall; when she said she saw "nothing," she meant it literally.  (I'm not sure, logistically, how they're going to make that work, since the humans have to be attacking from somewhere.)  Magneto goes into full revolt to distract attention from Legacy and Gambit going to a newly-discovered room in the center of Fortress X.  Magneto liberates Professor X, who speaks to him cryptically, but he's interrupted by Dani's squad, who's been sent by "X" to capture him.  Just as he convinces Dani to listen to Professor X (when he regains consciousness), Magneto is defeated, and removed from command, by the Force Warriors.  Meanwhile, Legacy discovers that someone (a "she") has stolen the universe and put it in a box.  This cross-over event continues to be interesting, with Carey doing a great job of making it a good read not just because we can see what's different in this world but because it's a fascinating story.  I'm wondering now if "X" isn't Cassandra Nova or even Jean Grey.  Guessing is half the fun! 

Uncanny X-Men #534:  The "Quarantine" storyline wraps up here in a more or less satisfying way, with the humans who took Sublime's drug learning the hardships of mutanthood in a way that borders on "After-School Special" territory but doesn't cross into it.  The Sebastian Shaw sub-plot is resolved oddly, though.  If wiping his mind of his memories was such an easy solution, I'm confused why Emma just didn't do it in the first place, since it's pretty clear it was the only option other than killing him.  Then again, Professor X wiping Magneto's mind didn't turn out so well, so maybe that gave her pause (though I think I'm giving the writers too much credit for thinking about her motivations).  The main problem with this series for me, at this point, is the same I have with the other two main X-books.  We see little in the way of character development (Dazzler learning Welsh slang from Pixie doesn't count) because every character appears in practically each issue of each series.  We need to return to the days where each book had a set roster.  I mean, you can still handle 18-21 characters over three books if you put six or seven people on each team!  Also, I'm kind of ready for Kitty to be able to talk again.  To the extent character development occurred in this arc, I think it's due to Gillen's addition to the writing team, so I'm looking forward to his reign beginning soon on the book.

New Comics! (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Batman Incorporated #3:  I can't believe we've waited, what, three months, for this issue and it is, without a doubt, one of the worst comics I've ever read.  I have absolutely no idea what's happening in about 90 percent of the issue.  (Also, I speak Spanish, so it wasn't just that some dialogue was in Spanish.)  I had to basically force myself through the first few pages and couldn't finish the book on my first try.  Morrison is clearly WAY too in love with himself here, thinking himself too clever by half.  Instead of the interesting narrative structure he thinks he's delivering, we instead get incoherent complicated nonsense.  The only remotely interesting part of this issue is the implication that the purpose of the entire Batman, Inc. scheme is to build an army to fight a specific fight.  Whatever.  It's ironic so far, to me, that the best new Batman, Inc. character to be developed is Nightrunner, and he's not Morrison's.  I'm subscribing to eight (!) different Batman books at this point.  Morrison had better remember he actually needs to be coherent, or I'm dropping this one. 

Dark Sun #3:  This series continues moving along nicely.  We're heading into the dungeons next issue, on the hunt for not only the treasures that might be in the Under-Tyr, but also for the turncoat, Mudrada.  In other words, it's a classic D&D tale.  I have two questions that I'm hoping to see answered soon.  First, why would Haskyr and Rubi be working (seemingly) against House Ianto when they are, in fact, part of it?  Second, how did Rubi come in possession of her half of the key and why didn't Haskyr make a move to get her half before she gave it to Grudvik?  I can't wait to see how all this gets resolved. 

Hawkeye:  Blindspot #2:  McCann keeps getting better and better.  The short-lived "Hawkeye & Mockingbird" series had some intriguing concepts and cool characters, though the plots were a little unfocused.  The "Widowmaker" series was better, but still a little loose in the plot department. You can really see McCann's evolution in this series, though.  "Hawkeye:  Blindspot" is full of action, but we also get insight into Clint, who's always been one of my favorite Avengers.  His tragic back story gives writers a great starting point, but most ignore that, using him instead only as comic relief.  McCann lets him be the witty, charming Clint we all know and love, but we also get a sense of the insecurities that drive him.  I didn't even mind his brother returning from the dead, because, wow, what a confrontation that promises to be.  I hope McCann's impressing the Marvel editors, because I'd be happy to see him get a chance to apply his continually-evolving skills to the W.C.A. and a renewed "Hawkeye & Mockingbird" series. 

inFAMOUS #1:  OK, if you loved the game upon which this series is based as much as I did, BUY THIS BOOK!  This six-issue mini-series is meant to serve as a bridge between the first and second games, and it does a pretty good job wrapping up some loose ends from the first game.  (If you didn't play the game and want to play it, don't read further.  BUY THE GAME!)  We see Moya here working with the First Sons as they experiment on the "person" who will become "the Beast," whose coming was foretold by Kessler.  If I'm not mistaken, Moya's motivations were left undefined after the game.  We only discovered that she lied about being married to John and him being a FBI agent; we never really discovered her true motivations.  We see her working with the First Sons (and still possibly for the government), which makes her efforts to track down the Ray Sphere through Cole in the game make a lot more sense.  Beyond wrapping up loose ends, the comic is alive with the energy of the game.  Cole is still reeling from the death of Trish (at his future-self's hands) and trying to reconcile his conflicting feelings about Zeke, who is trying to seek redemption after activating the Ray Sphere (to no effect) during the game.  All in all, it's a great book. 

New Avengers #10:  OK, Bendis won me back a bit (actually, a lot) here.  I was worried after the last issue that Nick Fury was going to be putting together an Avengers squad that somehow tied into the original team, ret-conning Avengers history to fit with the upcoming movie.  But, I'm happy to say it's a hell of a lot more intriguing than that.  Fury's team of awesomeness (Ulysses Bloodstone, Dum Dum Dugan, Dominic Fortune, Kraven the Hunter, Namora, Sabretooth, and the original Silver Sable) has such potential that I can honestly see it becoming a franchise or, at the very least, a limited series.  I can't wait to see them take on the Red Skull.  The art on the Fury part of the book is a little...loose, but the plot is interesting enough that I really don't care.  The modern part is an entirely different kettle of fish.  The Mockingbird-has-been-shot sub-plot is still as annoying in this issue as it was in the last one.  I don't for a minute believe they'll kill her so soon after resurrecting her.  Its primary purpose seems to be setting up a realization on the part of Luke Cage of the burdens of leadership, yet another example of "Women in Refrigerators" syndrome.  Also, Superia whining about the Avengers discovering her plan was just bizarre.  But, the Nick Fury's Avengers part makes me not care so much about the modern part (despite, you know, the latter being the whole point of the book), so I consider this issue a return to form.