Lemire begins to bring this book into different territory in the sixth issue - he starts exploring Frankenstein's past while delving into the intrigue at S.H.A.D.E. It's a wise choice. For as great as the first arc was, it was a big fight book, with a lot of humour. It's nice to add some layers to the story. Here, we meet Frankenstein's team ma
te from the Vietnam War, Colonel Quantum, who defied his superiors and deserted the battlefield on a mission back then. Quantum is an interesting counterpoint to Frank. He feels bad for the deaths he caused and wants his suffering to end. In the face of Frank's stoic resolve to kill him, Quantum is a figure of pity, but one who retains dignity because he accepts his less-than-proud past. Frank's coldness here is an extreme take on his abrasive personality. In fact, of all the freakish lead cast members, Frank comes off the worst here, as even his team mates show some squeamishness at the thought of killing Quantum. Speaking of his team mates, Lemire continues to refine their interaction, with some truly cutting and funny moments as they travel through Vietnam. The action at S.H.A.D.E. hq is strong stuff as well - the Humanid servants we met at the start of the series have developed enough of a consciousness, thanks to Father Time’s mucking with Brother Eye last issue, to rebel. Lady Frankenstein is highly entertaining here, but, even through the comedy, Lemire sells the danger of the situation. The end hints at more secrets from Frank's past coming out. Ponticelli continues to do great work on this book. His depiction of an aging, deformed Quantum is appropriately sad and Quantum's death scene is larger than life. I also really liked his work at S.H.A.D.E. hq, where he fused crazy machinery with some shadows and atmosphere. This issue isn't as overtly wild as previous ones have been. But I appreciate its efforts to show us another side of Frankenstein's past while starting some bigger stories. Another strong issue for this surprisingly compelling title.
Batgirl#6 - Gail Simone/Adrian Syaf
Gail Simone's curse on this title is to jam-pack each issue with too much content. This issue alone gives us Gretel's origin, wraps up her story, has Barbara reflect on her relationship with Batman while teaming up with him, features Barbara's mother trying to make amends, 
forwards Detective McKenna's story, and contains two lengthy battle scenes. This could be a mess, and it does often feel like a lot is going on, but I can't help but really enjoy it. It feels busy, but controlled, like Simone is doling out her plot elements as she sees fit. It is also always held together by Barbara's narration, which is full of life, even when reflecting on the pain and loss she has faced. And just when it feels like the book’s events are chaotic, Simone throws in a moment of true clarity and tenderness. A standout one here is Barbara reflecting on how Batman comforted her after her accident. The Batgirl/Batman relationship is really well-handled here. Simone gives Barbara her own unique connection to Bruce, and their interaction has both a familiarity and a standoffish quality to it. The story of Gretel is also very well done. The cut away to Gretel reflecting on her past doesn't feel out of place at all. Instead, it's a fairly gripping origin that drew me in right away. Simone once again parallels Batgirl with her foe, but it doesn't feel overdone. Both Barbara and Gretel have been left for dead by ruthless criminals, and Gretel’s journey to move on from an incident like that doesn't end up as well as Barbara's did. The use of Barbara's mother is much better here as well. Again, Simone seems to be telling this story at her own pace, and the snippet here is quite humorous (particularly in how Barbara sneaks two of her mother's baked goods after rebuking them). Syaf's art occasionally falls victim to the weight of the content - at times, his figures are a little cramped. But, in general, his faces and action scenes have life and movement to them, and he seems a strong fit for Simone's sensibilities. I would usually rally against a script this busy, but against all odds, this book is working. The key to it all is the strength of Barbara's portrayal. Good stuff.
Batwoman#6 - J.H. Williams III, W. Haden Blackman/Amy Reeder
This is it. The big one. J.H. Williams steps back as artist for this arc, and Amy Reeder joins the book to draw the current story. This character's entire world has been defined by such a unique, strong visual sense. How will it hold up as drawn by another artist? It turns out Reeder isn't here to emulate Williams' style or even his general aesthetic. She boldly brings her own sensibilities to the book. Pages live and breathe in completely different ways than Williams would have depicted them. Characters emote and express themselves in a different way than Williams would have shown them, but no less distinct and visually interesting. Reeder plays with giant splash pages, as Williams does, but in her own way. Images don't dance across the splash page, but boldly or even angrily jump out. I think I was most pleasantly surprised with that harsher aspect of Reeder's style. Williams' world is softer and more graceful, but in Reeder's, the action and the emotion are a bit harder. I'm happy Reeder is experimenting with her style on the book. If another artist has to draw this title, it needed to be one who brought their own unique visual sense to the table.
As for the story, it jumps around, both in time and character point of view, to catch us up on all the players in Kate Kane's world, after the brutal twist of events in the previous issue. All of the individual scenes here are strong. And while I applaud the writers once again trying something different, I 
don't know if the narrative trick really worked to produce a complete issue. I felt like this was a 'catching up with each character' issue, not part one of a new arc, which it is. Now, every scene here is great, I just prefer the less obvious way they have jumped between characters and stories in the past. The highlight here is how the writers continue to develop the world around Kate. Maggie is an interesting love interest because she challenges and questions Kate in ways this closed-off woman usually tries to avoid. I also like the hint of a troubled past they introduce for her here. Kate's father takes a larger role, in a touching scene where he visits Bette in the hospital. The Weeping Woman story is also being fleshed out into a lengthy story, with hints of a back story provided and intrigue in the present explored. I loved the fight scene Batwoman and Chase embark on. Where, last issue, it seemed like Chase trapped Kate, here, Kate is so brazen in her crime-fighting tactics, that Chase is frightened and off-guard the whole time. Kate seems to be subverting her captor by being so outlandish on the battlefield, and it's a great reversion. It's also a stunning-looking fight scene, with Reeder's most dynamic pages. Barring a storytelling experiment that didn't fully come together, the individual pieces here are as strong as ever, and the art brings a bold new voice to the book.
Superboy#6 - Scott Lobdell, Tom DeFalco/R.B. Silva
The first thing I noticed here is that Bob Harras has brought another 90s Marvel staffer, Tom DeFalco, in to script this issue over Scott Lobdell's plot. And, to be honest, it's the kind of script I would have expected from Lobdell before this book started. Instead, he has been understated, intelligent, 
atmospheric, and somewhat insightful. The quieter, introspective scenes Lobdell has brought to the lead character are all laid on the table here - instead of having pondering his free will and the nature of human suffering, DeFalco has Superboy literally asks these questions. Lobdell has crafted some great inner monologues that touched on deeper issues, but DeFalco loses all sense of subtlety or elegance in his dialogue. The script in general is weaker here. Superboy's meeting with Supergirl should have been disquieting and interesting. Instead, every thought and problem is laid bare and the interaction between them is wooden as a result. This isn't even a bad issue, I was just surprised how much it stumbled without Lobdell's script. The events of the issue are all good - the fight with the Teen Titans was enjoyable, given that I don't read their title. And the meeting with Supergirl yields some interesting revelations about Superboy, causing him to attack N.O.W.H.E.R.E. And Superboy remains likable in his earnest desire to understand his life and the choices he faces. R.B. Silva's art is as good as ever. His lines are crisp and clean, and his characters fluid and energetic. The page designs are always sharp, drawing us in to the attractive figures. I just wish Lobdell had scripted this issue. He has brought a cold, antiseptic sense of atmosphere to this book that really worked, as well as surprisingly strong scripting. DeFalco's script doesn't have any life to it, and loses the book's typical nuance by being too literal. A bit of a misstep, but hopefully a one-off mistake.
Wolverine and the X-Men#5 - Jason Aaron/Nick Bradshaw
Jason Aaron ostensibly starts a new arc here, with the invasion of Brood aliens via Kitty's pregnancy. But, really, that is just one of many plotlines running though this issue, which once again has a large number of things happening, most of them highly amusing and
entertaining. The high point of the issue is probably Beast leading the students through a tour of Toad's stomach. It's funny and inventive, and the dynamic amongst the student body is refined more and more with each issue. Aaron takes this group dynamic and brings it into many other scenes. In fact, the student interaction is really the highlight of the issue, particularly Quentin's insults towards Broo. But there's a lot going on here - Kitty is pregnant with invading Brood aliens, Angel is stripped of his finances, Wolverine goes off in search of funding, and a wider alien threat emerges. Aaron has a talent from cramming each issue with tons of jokes, little character moments, and details around the school. This approach is really working for the book. It feels different from other Marvel titles. I know I can count on it to deliver a quality read that goes above and beyond to entertain. Nick Bradhsaw continues to grow in his role as artist. The whole package is a bit less visually exciting than it was under Chris Bachalo's pencils, but Bradshaw has his own unique, quirky style that suits the tone of the book. His depiction of Toad's insides captures the wonder and humour of the scene perfectly. This is another strong issue. It's a set up issue for a new story, but it is full of so many small moments of character and humour that it feels like a substantial read.
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