AVENGERS #10 = ★★★★★

The Avengers are called by the Canadians to find out what happened to Omega Flight inside one of the biosphere's created from an attack from Ex Nihilo. Hickman is definitely adding the weird factor to this title - and what happens to Omega Flight (and to the Avengers, really) is more than odd. Undoubtedly, this whole storyline - which includes a great deal of New Universe elements - is building to something mythic. There's a very "modern" feel to the title. It's Mike Deodato's first Avengers issue as artist and he does a pretty good job.

BATMAN, INCORPORATED #10 = ★★★★✩

Loved it! Effectively a bridge to another showdown with Talia, issue 10 has Batman preparing the moves for his endgame. The chess metaphor is heavy here as the knight prepares to take the queen. Structurally, it's like a fast-paced tv show with an ensemble of characters rushing about to create an impression of pace and tension. There's a freaky sequence about half-way in where (the new) Knight and Ranger go to the aid of a captured Jason Todd and end up fighting a beauty pageant of skull-headed women. Jason Todd warns that he's worked out what's happening...but the scene cuts before the reveal. My money is on the Lazurus Pit resurrection of Damian who will then take down his mother, Talia. There's a whole lot of apocalyptic stuff that Morrison needs to resolve, though. I'm glad I stayed with Batman Inc as I was close to dropping it about 5 issues ago.

BEFORE WATCHMEN: COMEDIAN #6 = ★★★✩✩

I thought Before Watchmen had finished and I'd filed away all the issues into a longbox - only to find there's one more issue left. Back from Vietnam after massacring a village, Eddie Blake returns to America and is informed of the impending assassination of Bobby Kennedy. Meanwhile Bobby confronts Eddie and explains he is going to reveal the truth about the Comedian's activities in Vietnam. This mini-series has been fine in terms of giving back story to the Comedian - but it's not extended the character in any way. I'd also argue that the Comedian's appearance in the Ozymandias title was much more engaging - particularly seeing how he discovered the island and gets murdered that leads to the original Watchmen narrative, J.G, Jones does a good job rendering the story in a style similar to the original Dave Gibbons art. I particularly like the way the monochrome pages are used to depict the assassination scene.

FF #6 = ★★★★✩

Always enjoyable. Highlights this issue: the cutaway map of the Baxter Building,  D.O.O.M.H.E.R.B.I.E.S., The Yancy Street Gang donning Ben Grimm masks and wrecking Darla's performance, Tong deciding he's a girl, the Negative Zone, the Inhumans... and... and... It's a fabulously enjoyable comic that really doesn't take itself seriously and looks pop art-wonderful. 

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY #2 = ★★★✩✩

 "Blam! Murdered you!" It's an Avengers movie-type fight in London between the Guardians and the Badoon (reptilian aliens). McNiven and Pichelli's pencilling is great but the story itself is pretty basic: we get a flashback to a meeting between the leaders of different alien races about the menace of humanity. The rest of the issue is pretty much one long fight.

JUPITER'S LEGACY #1 = ★★★★✩

Frank Quitely. That's really all you need to know about Jupiter's Legacy. Oh, and of course, Mark Millar. Think of this as a less epic, less-iconic hero-filled Kingdom Come or The Authority and you'll begin to get the idea of what the first issue of Jupiter's Legacy is about. Before settling in modern day America, the comic starts in the twenties with a group of friends who travel to a hidden, mysterious island and - apparently - acquire super powers. By 2013 they've grown old and have children and this issue flits between the elderly superheroes and their bored celebrity offspring. There's a great fight sequence - but most of the issue consists of characters standing around talking: the youths about themselves and the parents about politics. The tone is pretty sombre and Millar clearly wants to situate this narrative as a polemic about power: why is the world so screwed up when there are people who could do something about it. Quitely draws so stylishly: it's a real treat when he produces new material.

JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK #19 = ★★★★✩

This is exactly what I want from JLD: action, creepiness, weird magic plus appearances from heroes from other parts of the DCU. It's fast-paced, too. As a jumping on point it's perfect for new readers. It reminded me of a mix between a silver age comic and something like Shadowpact before the New 52. After a dull story arc, this is set to revive my interest in the title. The art is great. My only gripe is that I dislike how it's panelled: the lightning-electricity that's used looks too much like the pages have been composed on a computer. Highly recommended.

NEW AVENGERS #5 = ★★★★★

The Illuminati (New Avengers, I suppose) are still stuck with the puzzle about how to save the 616 Earth from incursions from other universes. The only option they seem to have is to destroy other worlds. This issue has the captive world-jumper, Black Swan, explain her origin and give more back-story about the incursions. I like how the Black Panther is presented here: all stealth and threatening. It's a great title.

THE FLASH #19 = ★★★✩✩

Barry Allen loses the speed force (something to do with the Dial-H-for-Hero device) and uses Rogues' weapons to defeat a breakout of criminals from jail. I have to say I much prefer Takara's art to Manapul's: the closing pages revealing the new Reverse Flash by Manapul look clunky and primitive compared with Takara's sharper artwork (it also might be something to do with the colouring: I liked the lighter tone of the Takara pages).

UNCANNY AVENGERS #7 = ★★★★✩

I've read Remender's run on Uncanny X-Force so I've got a bit of an understanding about what's going on here. It all gets Celestial and Evolutionary (with capital letters) while back on Earth it's close-up relationships between UA team members. It's very Retro (again with a capital) Avengers - very much like the late 70s or early 80s and has really big things happening that must affect the larger Marvel Universe.

UNCANNY X-MEN #5 = ★★★★★

Fraser Iriving's artwork is stunning. This issue deals with Illyana's problems in controlling her demonic powers and her visit to Limbo to fight with the Dreaded Dormammu. The pages where Irving draws the Darkchilde are fabulous.

SCORING

✩✩✩✩✩ = Awful.

★✩✩✩✩ = Poor.

★★✩✩✩ = Average.

★★★✩✩ = Good.

★★★★✩ = Very good.

★★★★★ = Excellent.

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