I thought I’d give this new arc a try, given that the title’s first story was a pleasant surprise and I’ve never read anything by the infamous Dan Didio. OMAC has been getting great buzz, so maybe his re-imagining the Challengers of the Unknown held similar promise? No such luck. This was fairly lifeless from start to finish. The Challengers are re-imagined as the crew and celebrity cast of a Survivor-style reality show, whose plane 
crashes in the Himalayas. They awaken in Nanda Parbat, and the quest for a mysterious artefact behind their troubles begins. There’s some effort here to play around with timeframes, reminding me of what Duane Swierczynski did a couple issues back in Birds of Prey, when the cast awoke to find themselves displaced from where they had been, with hazy memories of it. Needless to say, the trick is pulled off with less style here. The issue just feels clunky – outside of a couple of personalities, the cast members are ciphers, the introduction of Nanda Parbat and the threat aren’t very engaging, and there is a lot of talking heads. For a concept that I assumed would be about high-adventure and espionage, we get a lot of sitting around and talking, by some fairly dull characters. The lead female character is at least slightly interesting, and her reaction to the loss of her boyfriend in the plane crash provides some emotional hook for the story. But that’s about as deep as this one gets. The art by Jerry Ordway is old-fashioned, but fun, with some strong visuals in the few action scenes. There are a lot of talking heads scenes here, though, so I wish he got more interesting things to draw. The opening Deadman story was a treat, so this issue is a disappointment. I may be back for James Robinson’s Vandal Savage story in #9, but I’m going to skip the rest of the Challengers arc.
Batman#6 - Scott Snyder/Greg Capullo
This is the issue after the infamous hold-the-book-upside down issue. It's not as audacious, but it's equally excellent. Batman is still stuck in the Court of Owls' maze-like tomb, but instead of focusing on his disorientation, this issue deals with his efforts to regain self-control and overcome his opponents. It's the story of a man struggling to find that one piece inside himself that will give him the strength to persevere. This issue goes for some big moments and bizarre visuals that obviously are occurring somewhere in Bruce's rattled head as much as they are in reality, and it works. Snyder sucks us right into Batman's mindset, so that 
when he does lash out and have his moment of lunacy, we are right there, buying in to the wild visuals. Snyder and Capullo work together to create an unhinged Batman, determined to beat his oppressors. Their deranged, fanged Batman works perfectly, and it's just "out there" enough to sell the intense action scene that follows. The splash page of a snarling Batman, swatting away the Court members pawing at him, is truly a highlight for this run so far. I loved the culmination of Batman's battle with Talon, where he so desperately wants to reassert himself as a master tactician. He pulls that off, but his need to explain why his plan was so successful to Talon really shows the fear and insecurity he's feeling (especially given the haunting fate he later faces). Snyder also gives us a lot more insight into the Court in this issue, with a chilling portrayal of their society, their rules, and their means of operating. Capullo is in lock step for this, portraying a deranged, maniacal society of mask-wearing evil creatures. From the old woman in the wheelchair to the bloodthirsty young girl, we're now seeing more of the Court beyond just Talon, and it is a vivid and frightening world. This title is the story of two creators working in tandem to create something special. The two have created a world that is visually stunning, dark, violent, and unsettling, while telling the story of one hero trying to navigate it. Excellent stuff, once again.
Birds of Prey#6 - Duane Swierczynski/Javier Pina
Swierczynski plows along with the Choke story. Everything that makes this book enjoyable is in full force – fast-paced action and intrigue, exacting portrayals of the lead characters, and a dark, exciting vibe to the proceedings. My one reservation is the length of this story. 
After this issue, we will be entering the seventh chapter of a story where the antagonist has been kept deliberately vague, and his goals equally unknown. Some of that is coming into focus now, but I do think this may be stretching on a little longer than it should. Thankfully, Swierczynski always keeps it interesting and exciting, maintaining the quick pace, fun action, and attitude of the Birds in action. That is the draw of the book, along with the increasingly deep portrayals of Black Canary and Starling. The action also jumps ahead here, with the Birds back on top of their opponent after last issue’s mind games. There’s a jump in time – the team has made some big strides and regained their momentum against Choke. Some may find it jumpy, but it feels like Swierczynski planned this as the next beat in the story and it works dramatically. The jump in the action fits right in to the tone and pace of the book. Javier Pina does full pencils this time, and his style is remarkably close to Jesus Saiz’s. A bit less rounded and soft in spots, but he maintains a consistent look for the characters and action and the book looks good. So while I have reservations on the length of this particular story, this issue maintains the tone, pace, fun, and great characters the book is known for.
Wonder Woman#6 - Brian Azzarello/Tony Akins
This issue continues the machinations of the gods in the wake of Zeus' disappearance. I think it is this title's least gripping issue so far, but it makes great strides in the plot while telling an engaging action story. This issue is the first time Diana has taken an active role in the familial drama unfolding around her, rather than waiting to act, and it's great fun. Watch her navigate promises to Poseidon, while 
fighting him, watching out for Zola, and keeping tabs on Lennox's activities, makes for a great read. Akins handles the action well, particularly the wordless scenes as Diana volleys around to keep Zola safe. It's fun to get some greater focus on the desires and goals of the other gods. Each of them have such strongly defined personalities and visual looks. Hades proves himself to be nothing but trouble, Poseidon is still over-the-top, and Hera's confrontation with Diana is appropriately epic. Lennox is also a fun character, a clear John Constantine take-off, but a welcome voice in the parade of godly characters. If there's one failing to the story, it's that the mechanics of Diana's trickery get a little lost at the end - too much happens too quickly, and I wasn't sure exactly how it was all accomplished. Still, the issue is enjoyable, with a fun, fast pace and strong character portrayals. Akins does a great job here, but I wish we got some of the bigger panels we did last time. Part of the reason the action at the end is a little confused is because of his smaller panels. Still the character acting is strong and the look he brings to the title is unique. This is another strong issue; perhaps not quite the gut punch earlier chapters have been, but a strong piece in the larger story Azzarello is telling.
Uncanny X-Men#7 - Kieron Gillen/Greg Land
Erghh. This is not doing it for me. The characters have essentially been stripped out of the story, and I’m left with the in-depth conflict of two advanced creatures at war with each other. I’m just not engaged with the concept of this Tabula Rasa story at all, 
and it feels like the X-Men are so removed from it. It started out as a problem Psylocke needed to resolve, and that was the character hook of the story. But she appears for two pages here before being knocked out. Colossus and Magik are absent, and Magneto is wallpaper, so all the interesting characters are off the table. What we’re left with is a fairly detailed exploration of the conflict between two characters from Tabula Rasa, with the X-Men following around trying to keep up. It’s just not engaging to me at all, which is disappointing, as the first two issues tried to bring the X-Men in to spice up the story. They’re absent in any significant way here. Also, there’s another issue of this story left! Talk about dragged out. I think this title could use some subplots – Wolverine and the X-Men is brimming with little side stories and character moments. You could argue that’s what comprises every issue. And it feels lively and full of character. This book has nine lead cast members and they all mainly sit there as blank ciphers. And the book is badly suffering because of it, because these stories don’t have enough to keep my interesting.
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