Before Watchmen: Ozymandias 6 = ★★★★★
Last issue of this mini-series. This has been - for me - the best of the Before Watchmen titles - though has largely been overshadowed by the Darywn Cooke titles. This issue gets to the point right before Watchmen when Ozymandias is preparing his plan to save the world and the Comedian stumbles across the secret island. The tone of this series has been absolutely spot-on: Len Wein captures the sense of ennui that imbues the character and this has been visualised by Jae Lee's stunning artwork (particularly the circular panelling that gives a gun-sight effect in this closing issue). It's tremendously good and well-worth picking up when released as a trade in the next couple of months.

Batgirl 18 = ★★★✩✩
The robin on the covers of the Bat-books this month is way too much. Too much sentimentality. Barbara fights Firebug while her insane brother is arranging to kill her. This is the first issue of the run not written by Gail Simone and I have to admit I don't notice any tonal difference. Batgirl's always a solid read.

Batman 18 = ★★★★★
Synder's character Harper is the focus of this issue (no... not the next Robin?) and it's a great way of viewing Batman's response to the death of Damian. Greg Cupullo doesn't draw this issue - instead, Andy Kubert does a terrific job and is supported by Alex Maleev (always a stunning artist). It's a great issue full of Batman is "All-star" mode and doing his nut on Gotham petty criminals. There's a great scene with genetically mutated dogs.

Saucer Country 13 = ★★★✩✩
I have to admit that I've really lost track of what's happening and who everyone is in this comic. It's probably the sort of thing that's best read in trade rather than ongoing monthly: the plot is far too twisty. The presidential elections are nearly over and it's starting to really look like the whole UFO/alien abductions are in fact a plot to prevent the election of the first hispanic president. I'm not sure. Probably a re-reading once the series is over in a month or so.

Rocketeer: Hollywood Horror 2 = ★★★★✩
I was a bit dismissive of the first issue of this Rocketeer mini-series: I'm not taken by J Bone's cartoony art and, consequently, I ended up skimming the issue. Paying more attention to Roger Langridge's plot in the second issue, I realised that it's actually a great pulp-y romp.What's more, I'd missed the so-obvious-it-punched-me-in-the-face appearances of (who I think are) Nick and Nora Charles, the detectives from The Thin Man and (who I know are meant to be) Ham and and Monk from Doc Savage.

Age of Ultron 2 = ★★★★✩
Not sure if this issue moved the narrative on much. Things are truly screwed for humanity under the reign of Ultron: the place is an utter mess and the superheroes are feeling sorry for themselves. Spider-man recounts what happened (before issue 1) but it doesn't add much and Cap comes up with a plan. Oh - and Moon Knight makes an appearance. Bryan Hitch's depictions of devastated New York are brilliantly apocalyptic. I'm enjoying this a great deal. (Where, though, is the foil cover? Or trading card?)

Thor: God of Thunder 6 = ★★★★✩
Time off for Thor and Esad Ribic as Butch Guice pencils this issue. This is an origin story for Gorr, the god-killer, from his desperate childhood on a desert planet to his commencement of a quest to destroy all the gods of the universe. It's well plotted and drawn. My only reservation is that I don't like this type of villain background reveals - it "humanises" a villain and, often, justifies their actions.

Uncanny X-men 3 = ★★★✩✩
Scott Summer's X-men face off The Avengers and he assumes the role of a modern day Professor X at the end. Bachalo continues to make it look dynamic (much in the Amazing/Superior Spider-man style) - though there's a few too many small panels with open-mouthed heads for my liking. I still don't like the new costumes (especially the one that makes Magneto look like a cylon) and the silly humour doesn't work for me. But, still, it still has potential as a title.

Wolverine 1 = ★★★★✩
I wouldn't ordinarily pick up a Wolverine comic, but with Cornell and Davis producing this, I thought I'd take a look and see what was happening. Both creators are - for me - slightly off-beat (I a great way): Cornell able to show a character like Logan from a slightly different perspective (here we get him in a variety of role: shopper, victim, Avenger) and Davis loves to use odd viewpoints in his panels. It felt like reading an old Claremont X-men issue from the 80s more than anything. Logan surely looked beefed up.

SCORING 
✩✩✩✩✩ = Awful.
★✩✩✩✩ = Poor.
★★✩✩✩ = Average.
★★★✩✩ = Good.
★★★★✩ = Very good.
★★★★★ = Excellent.