I continue to like this book and more with each issue. Simone packs these twenty pages full every month, but she's worked out a delicate balance so that it doesn't feel cramped. The numerous plot threads are vibrant and exciting, and the narration from Barbara Gordon connects the various scenes together organically. This issue delves deeper into Barbara's childhood and the accident that left her crippled. The focus is on big revelations but Simone
handles them with grace and not bombast. Barbara learns why her mother walked out on their family - it's a chilling flashback and the narration really works. But I like how Simone keeps the issue open. Barbara doesn't believe she's heard the whole story, and I like how Simone handles the lingering mystery. The other revelation centers around Barbara confronting one of Grotesque's enforcers, whom she recognized last issue as being with the Joker when she was shot. This sequence could easily have gone way over the top, but was fairly restrained and natural. The dialogue between the two characters dances around the issue in an engaging way, before hitting the reader with some strong emotional moments. Set in the rain, this sequence has real drama to it, while still staying grounded. Simone has mined Barbara's paralysis for a lot of material, and it's always been done with subtlety and intelligence. This is another strong exploration of her injuries. Simone continues to play up Barbara as angry and damaged due to what she went through - the moment where she lashes out at her opponents and realizes she has gone too far is excellent. In addition to these storylines, Simone brings an old foe back into the story, through his encounter with Alysia. It's a great ending scene. I also like the book's sense of humour. Grotesque chews the scenery like no other, and when the scene switches to his hideout, it's labelled as his "Elaborate Penthouse." Tongue is in cheek, and this book is stronger for it. The art is handled by three pencillers, but I can only distinguish Syaf's pages. The styles flow together fairly seamlessly, and are consistent with this book's general look. Syaf really excels on the action scenes. He nails the bottled anger within Barbara as she lets loose on her foes. There's emotion to the faces and a nice, soft look in the quieter scenes. This book thrives on its eclectic nature. I always know I'm going to get a lot out of it, and am rarely disappointed.Batwoman#8 - J.H. Williams III, W. Haden Blackman/Amy Reeder
It pains me to write this, but this book is struggling right now. A lot of it does come down to the art. After a strong debut, Amy Reeder hasn't delivered on her promise. Instead of standing strong, most of the characters look a little sketchy and hesitant on the page. They occasionally seem packed into the panels. On those pages with fewer panels and a stronger design sense, figures do look more powerful, but it's not
always consistent. Reeder does pull off some Williams' stylish splash pages here, which stand out amidst the weaker pages. I also think the colours aren't holding up their end of the bargain. In Williams' issues, the colours were a huge component of the book's visual style. They aren't anymore, and the overuse of oranges and yellows have taken away from the book's unique look. The writing is also a bit shaky. I have lost track of the villainous element of the story. There are too many people running around right now, and they all seem to have entered the story at random, only to become major figures in the Weeping Woman story. There isn't really an effort made to step back and explain the significance of these many players, either. And I have no clue who Sune is and why a final page splash of her arrival is meant to be important. The strongest scenes still center around the characters - Kate struggling with the DEO, Kate and Maggie's growing relationship, the conflict their professional roles come into, and Jacob comforting Bette. These moments have power to them, and it's the wider plot that is struggling for clarity. It's a shame to be writing this, but this book has struggled since the artistic shift, and I'm concerned for where things are going. Frankenstein: Agent of S.H.A.D.E.#8 - Jeff Lemire/Alberto Ponticelli
This is probably the most underrated comic I'm reading. It's definitelythe most fun, but also capable of great pathos and emotion. This is an excellent issue, possibly the best I read this week. Frankenstein and his ex-wife go off in search of their lost offspring, bringing back a wealth of emotions never properly dealt with and delving deeper into the secrets of S.H.A.D.E. With a sparing use of dialogue for the lead character, Lemire is able to convey real depth and pain. The repeated use of 'M'Lady' hints at a respect for his ex-wife that his typically gruff
demeanour hasn't shown so far. The story is also presented in a pretty sparing style, creating maximum impact for the emotion as Frankenstein and Lady Frankenstein delve into their shared history while wandering an Arctic wasteland. Lady Frankenstein is a great character, driven to end her victim status and still dealing with the pain of her past. The actual story of the Franks' offspring is played as tragic, with a yearning in both parents' voices to save their child. Lemire is able to wring out true despair from Frankenstein's very minimal dialogue in the final pages, and it's a testament to the world he's created in this book that it works so well. There are several scenes here hinting at Father Time and Roy Palmer's roles as the corruption within S.H.A.D.E. becomes a larger plot thread. It's woven right into the drama of the lead story, and works as effective build-up. Ponticelli also shines here. His work is less ropey and wild now that Walden Wong is inking it, but no less strong. This bizarre cast of characters come to life under his pencils, emoting and reacting to the events going on around them. The two brief action scenes have the wild energy and inventive layouts he is known for, along with a strong design for the Franks' offspring. The book's visuals are as strong as its unique writing style. This is an excellent series, and always has been. This issue explores characters without being heavy-handed or obvious, and tells a tragic story in doing so. Superboy#8 - Scott Lobdell, Tom DeFalco/Iban Coello, R.B. Silva
I think this is my off-ramp point with Superboy. I knew this day would come. I loved the initial laboratory setting, but I knew this title would continue to get more and more intertwined with Teen Titans. It's gotten to the point where major events are occurring in that title and picked up on here every month. The upcoming crossover, and the wider 
"young heroes" world DC is building is of less interest to me than the story of this strange young man finding his place in the world. This issue exemplifies why I'm not sticking around - the issue opens with an in-progress fight with Grunge. Grunge is never properly introduced, and constantly references events and characters to be dealt with in the upcoming "The Culling" crossover. All of this picks up from events in Teen Titans#7, with a number of those characters running around, and continues in that series. There are just too many extra characters here, and the interesting story of Superboy, Rose Wilson, and Caitlin Fairchild has gotten lost in the shuffle. DeFalco's scripting doesn't help either. I was drawn to the unfriendly, cold tone of the book, exemplified in Superboy's isolation and disaffected dialogue and narration. DeFalco has striped all personality from the script. It's perfunctory now, and lost the unique tone Lobdell's script brought to it. I'm really sorry to leave now, though, as the art is just stellar this month. Coello draws the battle with Grunge, and is leagues better than last issue. Yes, he's clearly mimicing Silva's style and energy, but it works. The fight moves and glides along the page with a great choreography and the characters look crisp. Silva handles all of the subplot scenes, and is up to his usual excellent quality. I'm sad to be leaving, but I knew it wouldn't last forever. Perhaps when the book gets back to a more solo focus on its lead character, I'll try it out again.
Saga#2 - Brian K. Vaughan/Fiona Staples
The most striking sequence in this second issue is the debut of The Stalk and her attack on Marko and Alanna. Staples' visual for the 
character is haunting, and she appears out of nowhere, in a beautiful splash page, shocking the reader and the characters. The character's design expands, to include multiple limbs. Her attack on the lead characters is shocking in its swiftness and brutality. It's a powerful closing scene to end this second issue on. The rest of the comic continues to flesh out the wonderful lead characters while also providing some depth to their pursuers. The world Vaughan is creating here feels exciting, and I appreciate the effort put in to building up their pursuers as viable characters in their own right. Marko and Alanna continue to show us new sides as the struggle to protect their daughter intensifies. Staples' art is wonderful once again. Her lines are sharp and strong, but the emotion and the alien settings have a softness and inviting quality to them. Hazel's narration, written directly onto the page by Staples, remains a strong addition to the book. I feel like others could speak far more eloquently about what Vaughan is doing here, so I'll just say that I'm completely drawn into this story and loving it.
Saucer County#2 - Paul Cornell/Ryan Kelly
This book proceeds from #1's excellent cliffhanger, and it's clear there will be a lot more to the story than what pre-interviews revealed. Arcadia Alvarado is still the heart of the story, but a well-rounded supporting cast, each embroiled in their own struggles, is growing around her. Cornell has creating a commanding, engaging lead 
character in Arcadia. She communicates her goals with exacting precision, but still feels fear and uncertainty about what has happened to her and her course of action. The character's interests lie on multiple fronts - representing fellow immigrants, representing women, and understanding the new alien problem she has encountered. Her resolve gives this series a very strong voice. Her reaction to an alien invasion feels realistic, expressing the same fears any normal person would have, but still believe what happened to her is true. The political discourse in this book remains a highlight. Cornell is very precise in the dialogue in these scenes, as well. The tone is strong, the dialogue is intelligent, and the interplay between characters adds dimension to the issues being discussed. The story does a lot with the supporting characters, namely Arcadia's ex-husband Michael and the unhinged Professor Kidd. This is where my only hesitation with the book comes in. It still feels like the tone is being worked out, as the kookier aspects of Kidd's story and the loopier aspects of Michael's journey sit side by side with the political intrigue. All of this is highly entertaining, particularly Kidd's interaction with two transparent miniature people. I appreciate the variety in this book, even if the tones don't always mesh fully. The alien material is also being teased at an appropriate rate - Michael's vision on the final page and what Kidd sees on the plane trickle out to add an element of fright to the story that is really exciting. Ryan Kelly is a great match for the book. Much of the story centers around faces and conversation scenes, and Kelly creates a vivid world of expressive, interesting people. He also trickles in the alien aspects perfectly, as the brief glimpses of them we get add the right amount of excitement and intrigue to the story. This remains a smart, engaging title as Cornell and Kelly further develop their story. I'm excited for more.
Uncanny X-Men#10 - Kieron Gillen/Carlos Pacheco, Paco Diaz
So, this was all much ado about nothing. Like WXM and Legacy, this title is obviously in filler mode to kill time before the AvX crossover. Unlike those books, this does actually try to build to
the crossover, albeit with a horribly contrived guest appearance from the Avengers. Otherwise, this is similar to the Tabula Rasa wrap up in #8 - suddenly, the fight with Unit just ends. The X-Men flail about fighting Unit, until Hope arrives on scene to stop the battle. It turns out Unit isn't a bad guy, he just wanted to talk to and meet more mutants. Um, okay? This is a conclusion? Yes, the final pages hint at more going on, but nothing of any interest. Gillen does do strong work with Cyclops and Agent Brand's negotiations. a decision made by Colossus, and some spotlight time for Danger, but this is yet another meh issue of the relaunched Uncanny. The battle scenes are poor, with the X-Men coming off as incompetent for page after page. The Avengers scenes are worse - the tension created between Cyclops and Captain America is the definition of fake and contrived. Pacheco's art, normally disappointing, is actually better here. The characters and settings are still lacking his familiar style, but the visuals are crisp and the fight scenes in the snow do look quite good. Diaz illustrates the closing pages, and does a good job mimicing Pacheco's style. Gillen is a good writer, but he seems content to just sit on his laurels with this book. Strong character moments are usually present, but if you're looking for a story with any energy, intrigue, or life to it, stay away.
Secret#1 - Jonathan Hickman/Ryan Bodenheim
I picked this up mainly because I was looking for the first issues of other recent Image launches (Manhattan Projects or Peter Panzerfaust), and they were long-sold out. This was just released, so, with no idea what the premise was, I gave it a shot, and I'm more than happy I did. With Hickman's big Fantastic Four story just having ended, I think, as a reader, I'm ready to see him tackle his own material. The story is certainly Hickman's in form. The pacing is so deliberate and controlled. A event happens to one character in the opening. That character interacts with a second person in the next scene. An event happens to the second person in the following scene. The second person
encounters a third character in the next scene. And so on. A series of linked events and characters slowly builds, and a wider plot connecting it all becomes evident in the final pages. I have to say, I was pretty much captivated the whole time. And that's not easy with so many conversations scenes. Outside of a brutal home invasion in the first scene, the rest of these interconnected events are very slow, deliberate conversation scenes. But there is such an air of mystique to these events that I was engaged the whole time. The characters are interesting in these early glimpses. There are those who are cool, calm, and collected in all situations, and those who have had that confidence shaken. Roger is effectively unsettled and scared as he gets further into this world of private security and espionage. Gerry struggles to keep confidence as his company is exposed and his facade shaken. Grant Miller retains his cool, and becomes the issue's key figure, ultimately holding power over the others with the final page revelation. If this presentation sounds controlled, it is. The dialogue is heavy, but never reveals more about the plot than necessary. It delves into the characters, but leaves some story details obscured. I love this approach, and I love the feeling that Hickman has a long-term plan, and we are merely seeing the opening stages of it. Bodenheim's art is clean and crisp, with an extreme focus on faces, given the dialogue-heavy nature of the issue. He brings these faces through a range of emotions as power in the story shifts - from confident to concerned, from scared to slightly hopeful. The designs are strong and effective. The colours are used sparingly, with shades applied to scenes almost at random. I found it really worked to set mood without overdoing it. Colour me happy with this debut issue. It may not have been the first issue I was looking to buy, but I really liked it. I'm in for #2.
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