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:  Arkham City #4:  Didn't we already know that Hugo Strange was the villain?  I want to say we did.  Or, at least, we saw enough of his face in the last issue to guess?  At any rate, this issue moves along pretty well.  Dini is literally putting all the pieces in place (Poison Ivy in the Cenral Gardens, for example) for the game, and I'm getting increasingly excited for it.  He also throws in some nice touches, like mentioning the awesome exploding foam from the last game.  By the by, Mark Hamill's voicing of the Joker is so iconic that I can't help but hear his voice reading the Joker's lines in this issue.  Similar to the "inFAMOUS" comic, I'm not sure I would recommend this series to anyone who's not going to play the video game.  But, if you are (or you played the first one), it's a fun read.

Batman:  Gates of Gotham #4:  Meh.  I can't say I'm overly intrigued at this point to find out the true identity of the Architect.  I mean, I guess in theory it might not be either one of the Gates brothers, but it seems pretty likely that it's somehow one of them.  I liked this series better when it was basically a vehicle for Dick Grayson to play older brother to Tim, Cassandra, and Damian.  I mean, you still see that in this issue, with Dick comforting Tim after his defeat, something I'm not quite sure you'd see Bruce doing in the same way.  But, unlike the first few issues of this series, the "mystery" has more or less taken over the focus, and I can't say it's all that interesting.  Although it's tangentially related to the Wayne family, it's not enough to deliver on the series' initial promise, that somehow the heirs of the Wayne family -- Dick, Tim, Cassandra, and Damian -- were going to right some historic wrong that involved the family.  I'll reserve judgment until we see how Higgins ends it, but I have the sense that I'm going to wind up disappointed or, at least, bored.

Batman Beyond #8:  Of all the titles I collect, this one is the one most affected by the reboot.  Beechen was doing an excellent job creating the world inhabited by Terry and his supporting cast.  Despite the fact that I'm happy to see news that the title will return in some form at some point, DC definitely disrupted what Beechen was doing here by suspending it for the time being.  This sort of title -- one built on seeing familiar characters in a new light -- needs time to blossom, to build the layers of the story.  DC shut down the title just as Beechen was finding his rhythm.  This issue is particularly an odd one to complete the series, given that Terry hardly appears in it and it centers around a villain I don't recognize.  Although we might see some winners from the reboot, the disappearance of this series is definitely one of the losers.

Dungeons & Dragons #9:  If I had one small complaint about this series over the past few issues, it was that the background of the characters wasn't entirely clear.  What was Juliana doing at Al'Bihel?  Why was Varic guarding her, particularly if he's an Earth-born elf and not eladrin?  Rogers resolves almost all these issues here.  First, I have to say, before I get into the issue, that Rogers does an amazing job pulling together all the stories he's told over the last few issues.  Fell's Five getting lost through the portal because of the extra World Key gave us the Al'Bihel flashback, which sets the stage for the quest that Juliana's father, Toveliss, sends Fell's Five to complete in this arc.  It's really masterful and just gives you a sense that Rogers is in total control over the overarching story he's telling here.  Looking at the story itself, it's clear that Juliana was at Al'Bihel to collect the Guide of Gates, which Toveliss wants to use to crush his enemies.  Rogers doesn't explain how Fell's Five just happened upon Toveliss -- given that previously we learned that they could've landed anywhere at any time -- but, as Toveliss says, "there are no coincidences in the Feywild."  Along those lines, we learn that the giant who was trying to build the portal in the first arc has likely returned on his own quest for the Guide of Gates.  Again, it was a pleasure to watch this intricately woven plot -- for the whole series -- continue to develop.  Technically, the banter was as good as ever.  (More Bree!)  The only drawback to this issue was the art, which was shared by three different artists, often willy-nilly.  It occasionally disrupted the reverie that this book normally inspires.  But, it doesn't mean I'm not waiting impatiently for the next issue! 

Flashpoint #4:  Honestly, although I enjoyed this issue, I have no idea how Geoff Johns is going to wrap up this story in just one issue.  At this point, it seems clear that the fact that he doesn't have time to wrap up the story is more or less the story.  As Flash says in this issue, it's probably impossible for him to be able to undo everything Thawyne has done, since it requires knowing the exact details of so many different variables.  After all, some things have to stay different given the upcoming reboot.  At this point, then, it's just a matter of what exactly Flash and his alternate-universe Justice League are going to be able to change and how exactly they're going to achieve that.  Even that, though, seems like a tall order in one issue, given that Thwayne just makes his first appearance on the last page of this issue.  Johns is a pretty amazing writer, so I have faith in him, particularly since all the issues so far have been pretty exciting.  So, we shall see.  In terms of the book itself, it appears that the Enchantress, and not Element Woman, was the traitor, though I can't say I really care all that much.  Also, the big emotional moment -- the death of one of the Captain Thunder kids -- was lost on me given that I'm still not really familiar enough with minor DC characters to know who they are.  I'm not sure why Johns has decided to focus on these fairly minor characters, since I feel like that time could've been better spent focusing on why exactly Aquaman and Wonder Woman hate each other.  At any rate, it's time to just get the reboot started.

Superboy #10:  This issue actually isn't terrible.  (Hurrah!)  We get the history of Tannarak, the immortal wizard who's been manipulating all the Hollow Man events over the last few issues (and, apparently, millenia).  Lemire does actually really tie up some loose ends via this tour of Tannarak's history, so at least I'm not as confused as I was.  However, I'm still not entirely sure why he picked Smallville as his next pied-à-terre, unless he predicted the arrival of Superboy.  I mean, if he didn't predict it, what were he and the Tooks doing for the last 125 years?  Were they just lucky that Conner appeared and gave them a decent vessel?  (Boy, that sounds dirty.)  I think one of the reasons I enjoyed this issue so much is that, for the first time, we actually got some decent art.  It made me realize how much I really, really dislike Pier Gallo's pencils.  At any rate, I'll be glad when we move into the reboot.

X-Factor #223:  After we spent some time last issue spinning our wheels, this issue essentially sends us onto the street burning rubber.  Cerberus is the latest supernatural canine entity on Rahne's trail, and Werewolf by Night leaves her to try to stop him.  X-Factor arrives to help, after Siryn (or, Banshee, I'm not sure what we're calling her now) used her powers to "convince" Pip to locate her.  Rahne, meanwhile, goes into labor and is "helped" into a cabin by a mysterious young man.  David does a good job of injecting some excitement back into this story.  He's managed keep track of a lot of different characters, adding new ones into the story without losing focus on the existing ones.  It's always been one of his strongest skills, and he displays it to great effect here.  Morever, we get Madrox and Siryn realizing that Layla probably resurrected Guido, given his uncharacteristically aggressive behavior.  I'm guessing the post-Rahne arc is goign to be the search for Guido's soul and, really, how cool will that be? 

New Comics!: The Bat-Edition

Batman #712:  If you've read this blog a while, you know that I usually wind up sorely disappointed with Tony Daniel's endings.  He generally spends the first few issues setting up an interesting story, but he drops the ball at the end, usually because he's trying to do too much.  In this issue, the Two-Face/Gilda reunion goes pretty much how I expected it would, with Two-Face (and Batman, for that matter) not entirely sure whether it is actually Gilda and, if it is, what to make of her.  However, Daniel leaves a huge question mark (heh) when it comes to the Riddler.  I'm somewhat perplexed by the importance of the documents Riddler found in the Falcone's library.  First, why would a bunch of files detailing who he was/is lead to his "restoration?"  Second, why would Falcone have them or, to put it another way, what did Falcone's files have that the Riddler couldn't find elsewhere (like, you know, Google)?  I'm assuming they're the files that Gilda implied she had at the end of the Sensei arc, but Daniel doesn't exactly make that clear.  But, even if they are, what would they have that the Riddler himself wouldn't know?  I'm also unclear as to why he had to kill (seemingly) Enigma?  Is it because the Riddler of old -- who he seems to be trying to re-become -- didn't have a sidekick/daughter?  As usual, Daniel leaves me annoyed and not intrigued by these questions.  Whenever Daniel sets up these twists they almost always feel like they're being done just for the twist's sake and not because the plot organically went there.  Moreover, Daniel -- as he has in other arcs -- takes up space he could've used to actually sell the twist by adding a random and totally unnecessary Catgirl sub-plot.  Although this arc is an improvement over other arcs, I'm still surprised DC is allowing Daniel to helm the title, given the significant number of authors who could be doing a much better job with it.

Batman:  The Dark Knight #3:  Reading these issues, I'm transported to 1990.  The style of plotting, writing, and artwork is almost identical to "Torment," the first arc of Todd MacFarlane's "Spider-Man."  Unfortunately for Finch, I don't really mean that as a compliment.  It's hard to find something positive to say about this arc.  Finch's characterization of Bruce is just...bizarre.  He's playing him like some rank amateur, showing more emotion over Dawn Golden than he has over anyone ever.  Moreover, the plot is just...yeah.  Penguin appears to have made a deal with a demon (who may or may not be Ragman), for reasons that have yet to be clarified but involve Golden.  Golden herself is implied to be more than just a Gotham socialite, and I'm assuming we'll find out more now that Batman found her.  Sub-plots include Etrigan (about whom I'm clearly supposed to care or know more) confronting the aforementioned demon (who's eating homeless people) and a little girl (who looks like Golden) stealing the Batmobile.  In other words, this whole story is a huge mess.  It's of course made worse by the fact that it's the third issue in SEVEN MONTHS.  The real chutzpah, though, is that we'll barely finish this introductory arc only to have the title reboot itself.  It seems kind of unbelievable to have two #1 issues of the same title in the same year, but I guess DC is just that shameless.  I sincerely doubt I'm going to be still getting this title in six months...

Batman:  Gates of Gotham #3:  OK, so, to be honest, I think something should probably happen soon.  I mean, not that blowing up a bunch of buildings isn't "something happening," but, at this point, I'm feeling a little ho-hum about this series.  Basically, the only real mystery is whether the guy in the suit is in fact Nicholas Gates or a descendant equally set on revenge.  I can't say I'm really dying to find out the answer.  But, the more notable aspect of this book is the portrayal of Dick Grayson as a mopey failure.  The first few issues of the Bat-books in which Dick took over the cowl did a good job of showing Dick go through an adjustment phase while, at the same time, giving him credit for the fact he's been a superhero since he was, like, twelve.  However, recently, the Bat-book writers seem to actually be taking a few steps back when it comes to portraying Dick as Batman.  Both Higgins here and Daniel in "Batman" (he gets clocked by Gilda) show Dick as mildly incompetent.  We only have a few more months of Dick as Batman, so this lament is soon to be overcome by events, but I'd like Dick to go out winning not whining.

Batman and Robin #25:  Oh, Jason fucking Todd, you are just sex on a stick.  I mean, first, you're naked, like, A LOT.  But, you're not naked in the usual pin-up way, the casual showering-as-if-no-one-was-watching way that we usually see in comics.  Oh, no.  Not you.  You're naked in the "Yeah, I may be gay, I may be straight, I may be bi, but any way and every way you'll have a good time with me" way.  Yum.  I had my doubts about Winick's Todd, only because Tomasi is so good that I wanted to see what he could do with Jason.  But, by sexing up Jason, as he has in this series, Winick has really let Jason shine.  He's not just a smart-ass anymore.  (Winick also portrays that part of Jason's personality better than anyone; see his taunting of Bruce in issue #23 and his needling of Dick and Damian in this issue.)  By making him into this edgy, sexualized bad-ass, Winick has moved him past just being the angry young man seeking revenge.  He still fills the anti-Dick role (or, more accurately, the "Dick without a moral compass" role), but in a more organic way.  This arc is the first time I've really felt Jason Todd is a character in and of himself and not just a MacGuffin created to move along a plot like he has been in the past.  Of course, God only knows what DC is going to do to screw up his character in the reboot but, at the very least, Jason Todd finally got to be a real boy at long last.  Lest I be accused of gushing, I will mention a negative here.  In fact, it's a pretty big negative:  Winick never actually tells us what the hell is happening.  Why, exactly, did the mysterious woman want Jason in the first place?  Winick never tells us.  That happens sometimes with Batman comics, but it didn't really feel like Winick was doing it on purpose, creating a sense of the futility of Batman's efforts to control the world around him.  Instead, it honestly felt like he was so busy focusing on the characterization he actually just forgot.  I can't say it ruined the issue for me -- since the characterization WAS so good -- but it's that sort of inattention to detail that makes Winick not quite raise to the level of Scott Snyder or Pete Tomasi.

Batman Beyond #7:  This issue moves the series forward nicely.  Terry faces a real challenge as he attempts to stop Blight and Bruce stops playing "creepy guy in a dark cave" by deciding (for the first time) to fully take the reins of Wayne Enterprises.  The problem, of course, is that the DC reboot is wiping out this series, so the fact that this series shows such promise makes it all the more difficult to accept.

Detective Comics #879:  C...r...e...e...p...y.  I've said several times that I felt like Scott Snyder is creating his own Joker in his characterization of James Gordon, Jr. and this issue confirms that, since, for most of it, I thought the guy strapped to the gurney was James, not the Joker.  It's that sort of implied parallel that makes what Snyder does here all the more gripping; the crime James is planning -- turning needy children into psychopathic killers -- is, quite frankly, totally something the Joker would do.  Jim's discover of the box of keys of James' victims advances the plot, with the Commissioner now aware of what we've known since last issue, that James is in fact a homicidal psycho.  By my reckoning, Snyder has two more issue to go before the reboot, so God only knows where this story is going.  He's been building it on a slow burn for so long that I assume it's just going to explode.  I can't freaking wait.  I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that Francavilla's art is an equal partner in these stories, and I applaud the editor who put him together with Snyder for the James Gordon, Jr. stories.  Doing so required knowing that Jock (who's amazing) wouldn't convey the same creepiness as someone like Francavilla would.  Given that I feel editors so often screw up stories, it's nice to applaud their ability to help make one every once in a while.  It bears repeating:  best book on the market.

New Comics! (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Batman #711:  Daniel reveals here that the "teensy little job" that Gilda Dent asked the Riddler to perform was helping her fake Two-Face's death in front of Mario Falcone.  Allegedly, according to the Riddler, Gilda is trapped in a relationship with Falcone and needed Two-Face's help in removing herself from it.  Obviously we've got more happening here than anyone is revealing.  Gilda needed Mario to believe Harvey was dead, for unclear reasons, though it seems like it has something to do with allowing her to have a freer hand in arranging something related to the mysterious Jade Society.  I'm not entirely sure what game Riddler is playing at this point, but he appears to be back to his old tricks so it's anyone's guess.  Daniel sets up a good story here, but Daniel always sets up a good story only usually to disappoint me in the end.  So, I'm reserving judgment until we see where this arc goes.  In the meantime, it's a treat to see two of Batman's iconic villains working together.

Batman:  Gates of Gotham #2:  One of the best parts about the Bat-books (and, paradoxically, one of the reasons why I didn't become a regular reader until recently) is that they have a mythos and a history you have to spend some time getting to know.  Whereas the X-Men are pretty easy to get (to paraphrase Bill Murray, "humans and mutants, living together!"), the Bat-books require an understanding beyond just the basic origin story in order to fully enjoy them.  Snyder and Higgins really get that, on a basic level, and it's why "Gates of Gotham" is as enjoyable as it is.  They've woven together the Waynes, Cobblepots, and Elliots in a really intriguing way, tying their histories together in a way that makes their presents all the more complicated.  I mean, having to save Tommy Elliot or Wayne Tower?  Tough call.  They've also given us a main villain who could be either Gates brother (or both) returned from the dead or a descendant of one of the brothers seeking revenge for a reason we don't quite yet understand.  But, perhaps best of all, our protagonists in this story are four of Bruce Wayne's five children:  Dick, Tim, Cassandra, and Damian.  I'm also assuming Jason will appear at some point, just as I'm wondering under what circumstances will Bruce eventually appear.  Snyder and Higgins have built the suspense, and I'm excited to see how it's all going to go.

Dungeons & Dragons #8:  This issue may be the best yet.  It is just non-stop.  I really honestly marvel at how Rogers makes each of these characters unique.  It's hard to write good banter, but it's even harder to write good banter that isn't just banter for banter's sake, but actually reflects the personality of the speaker and allows you some insight into the character.  Rogers manages to accomplish this task and sustain it throughout this issue, and it's a marvel to behold.  Moreover, the action is gripping.  Fell's Five are stuck in the Feywild and fall victim to a traitorous (with good reason, but still traitorous) gnome.  But, in typical Fell's Five fashion, things go from bad to worse when Juliana's evil father makes an appearance.  I think it's probably time for Rogers to start connecting these dots, since I wound up being more, rather than less, confused about Juliana's origins than I was after the last arc.  (We could also use a little bit more on Varic.  He has implied a few times that he's Earth-born, but we saw him in the last arc already in the Feywild -- and attached to Juliana -- when Adric arrived.)  But, I trust Rogers to get us what we need, so I'm not rushing him.  In the meantime, I'm just enjoying the good, clean fun.

New Mutants #26:  OK, so, first, I have to say, I love the new approach to the New Mutants, giving them the responsibility of being the team cleaning up the X-Men's loose ends.  The X-Men definitely have some fascinating loose ends, so it should keep the book running for quite a while.  Second, Abnett and Lanning really chose to begin with a great loose end.  Sugar Man using Nate Grey to power his Omega Machine to find a way home?  Awesome.  It totally makes sense in the context of the characters, so it doesn't feel like they're forcing anything to create a loose end.  Plus, the pared-down team helps a lot.  The book was getting a little crowded, so removing Cannonball, Karma, and Magik (who've been the focus of the last 25 issues) really gives some of the other characters room to grow.  The only note of caution I'd give them is not to go to the "X-kids" well too often.  It worked a few years ago, but the New Mutants have really graduated from that role, so making them feel like they have something to prove really makes it feel like we're going backwards rather than forwards.  Focusing on Dani learning how to handle a leadership role is fine and interesting, but having the New Mutants feel like they have to prove they're competent is a little 1980s.  All in all, though, it's a great start to a new era. 

X-Men Legacy #251:  OK, to be honest, I can't say I'm overly intrigued by this arc.  I'm a little Legion-ed out lately, and Carey seems to have forgotten rule #1 of team-book writing, which is to include some comic relief.  Given that no one's used Iceman in, like, forever, I really feel like substituting Bobby for Frenzy would've made this book a little less maudlin.  The story itself is fine, but, as I've felt about this series since I started reading it, I can't say it's enjoyable.

New Comics! (HERE BE SPOILERS!)

Avengers #13:  I've been very unhappy with Bendis for a very long time at this point.  Between the split-personality disorder "New Avengers" has been suffering and the overly-cosmic adventures of "Avengers," I just haven't really felt like either of these book has been worth reading (let alone $3.99).  "Avengers" has always emphasized the team and its members' relationships with each other, and Bendis hasn't really focused on that, giving us instead time travel and Kang and Ultron and Parker Robbins and Infinity Gauntlets and...well, you get the picture.  This issue?  I love this issue.  Maybe it's because I've been so starved for good characterization, but I feel like Bendis gives us 13 issues' worth of it in just one.  I love the conversation between Ms. Marvel and Spider-Woman because, OMG, finally they both get to be real people.  ("It's a bad idea."  "Go away."  "Bad."  "Disassemble."  I mean, hilarious.)  I love the flirtation between Hawkeye and Spider-Woman because, honestly, I actually think they'd be a lot better together than Hawkeye and Mockingbird, which I never before realized (and feels like heresy to say).  I love that the best pick-up line Clint has is "You've got amazing hair" and I love that Bendis finally stopped ignoring Hawkeye and Spider-Woman.  I love that Bendis incorporates the oral history he's been delivering into the actual narrative and that he manages -- better than anyone ever on this title -- to give each and every member his or her own distinct personality.  I love that, on top of all the other things about this issue that I love, Bachalo, my favorite artist, drew this issue, icing on the cake.  I love even the things I didn't love about this issue, like Spidey (yet again) puking in his mask again.  So, thanks, Bendis, for finally giving us back the Avengers.  Huzzah!  (One quick note:  is someone ever going to mention that Bucky is gone?  We dropped him from the title page a few issues ago -- in the middle of an event, for Pete's sake, -- and no one, not even Spidey, noticed?  No, "Hey, I wonder how Bucky-Cap is doing in that gulag in Siberia?  Anyway, pass the eggs."  It seems weird, particularly given that this issue is essentially about how much the Avengers are a family.)

Batman #710:  "Long Halloween" is, to this day, one of my favorite Batman stories ever told, second, possibly, only to its sequel, "Dark Victory."  Throughout this issue, I got a "Long Halloween" vibe, a vibe that totally reached its crescendo when Gilda Dent stepped from the shadows and shot Harvey.  Harvey is at his most deranged here, and Steve Scott captures that beautifully, giving us two fairly grim shots of Harvey shooting people in the face.  Daniel not only builds on the foundation laid by "Long Halloween," but he draws together stories told in at least two different series over the last few months.  Harvey is searching for his coin in this issue, which, if I'm not mistaken, he last possessed in "Batman:  Streets of Gotham" #15, when one of his henchmen gave it to a homeless guy after he and another henchmen supposedly killed Harvey and ditched his body.  We, however, last saw it in "Batman" #707, when a woman (who I thought was going to be a female Two-Face) was casually flipping it.  It's pretty clear that "female Two-Face" is Gilda, and it's interesting Daniel hasn't fully shown us her face yet.  Gilda, in that issue, asked Riddler to help her with one "teensy little job," which I'm guessing has something to do with Harvey's predicament at the end of this book.  Daniel generally does a great job in the beginning of a story arc drawing me into the story; this arc is no different.  Hopefully, he won't do what he also generally does, which is leave me disappointed at the end.  Fingers crossed.  At any rate, this issue is a great start to the return of one of Batman's classic villains and sets up Dick's first time really dealing with Harvey as Batman.  We'll see how it goes.

Batman:  Gates of Gotham #1:  OK, in a pique of annoyance over getting EIGHT different Bat-books, I canceled this series a while ago.  But, then I realized it was being written by Scott Snyder, so I put it back on my pull list.  I'm glad I did.  Snyder is a genius when it comes to pacing a story, and this issue is a great example of that.  He builds the plot on two levels, giving us the central event-- a shadowy figure, a few explosions, and a questionable motive -- as well as some overarching questions -- how said event ties to Gotham's dodgy past, particularly its prominent families.  I wasn't aware that Penguin came from a storied Gotham family and I didn't see the possibility of Hush getting pulled into the mix, even though it makes sense, given the Elliots' historic prominence in Gotham society.  I'm intrigued to see where the series is going, particularly after all the revelations about the Waynes during Morrison's "Return of Bruce Wayne" as well as the exploration of the Elliot family tree in "House of Hush."  More importantly, I always enjoy seeing Dick and Tim work together, so I'm excited we're going to get a whole five issues dedicated to it.  (Damian is awesomely arrogant here as well, as usual, so I hope he's also part of the mix.)  Snyder also manages to work in some character development vis-à-vis Dick here.  His principal theme in "Detective Comics" is how taking on the mantle of the Bat is affecting Dick, and he continues that here.  Higgins pens a great scene where Commissioner Gordon encourages Dick not to blame himself for the explosions and Dick is more or less not able to do so.  This title is a natural extension of the stories Snyder is telling in "Detective" and if you like that series you'll be quite happy with this one.

Hawkeye:  Blindspot #4:  We get a pretty satisfying conclusion to this mini-series, with Clint using his wits (and a little emotional blackmail) to defeat his brother Barney and chase off Baron Zemo.  Zemo is his usual weird self, deciding to honor his "agreement" with Hawkeye and depositing all of Barney's ill-gotten gains into Hawkeye's bank account since he won the battle.  The only discordant note for me in this issue is that Barney agrees to allow Donald Blake and Tony Stark to use his bone marrow to repair Clint's sight, but then repeatedly threatens to kill him when Clint thanks him.  It doesn't really make sense, unless McCann wants us to think that, deep down, Barney doesn't really mean it and might still be looking for redemption.  It's also unclear, in the end, if Clint is using the money Zemo gave him to set up his own version of the WCA, which would be awesome.  We shall see.  Or, unfortunately, we won't.  I searched for some news on what happens next for Hawkeye and didn't find anything.  So, it looks like the end of the road for Hawk and his own series.  Hopefully Bendis will start using him more in "Avengers" while we wait for McCann to convince Marvel to give him another go.