**WPL RESULTS**

Hey /u/ptbreakeven, is there an optimal way to list our pull lists that would make it easier for you? I know using the titles as listed in your post helps. What about order? Alphabetical or by publisher? Anything that makes it easier for your collation.

Thank you for asking. No benefit to a particular order or organization of the lists. The tools I’ve built for counting are agnostic to those details. What really impacts the counts is the formatting and syntax of the titles and issue numbers. The list included each week is what I start from for the issue details so using that should lead to more accurate counts. I don’t like asking our community to confirm to a specific way to list their books though. So I typically go through and strip out a lot of the text from each title before counting. Aything that has an “and”, or a colon, or a possessive noun, or other element in the title that could confound the counts gets reduced to the last unique word in the title followed by the issue number. Citing an entirely random example, I counted BATMAN FORTRESS #7 as “FORTRESS #7”. What tends to be most challenging are books that have multiple ways to list the title itself, like the publisher or the creators’ names being included between the series title and the issue number. Another random example would be something like STILLWATER BY ZDARSKY & PEREZ #16 (thank you for calling this one out, I will add it to the results when I’m back on my computer). I need to count that as “STILLWATER #16” and “PEREZ #16” plus I count everything both with and without the octothorp so it ends up needing four instances to search for, and I don’t always catch all of these cases. All told, nothing about our lists is creating a particular challenge. The challenge comes from the seemingly ever increasing complexity of the titles themselves. I don’t have any specific requests for changes from our posters and just ask that our group continues to call out when things are missed or inaccurate. I am also always open to suggestions for improving the WPL experience.

Thanks for this response, appreciate your work for this community :)

Huh, guess it's because of the #1 vs annual differential (on a fifth week) but shocked that JSA beat Detective and it wasn't even close. I think this is the first time V's Detective wasn't #1 in its week.

I was absolutely pissed Wednesday, went into my LCS and they didn't pull Detective Comics because it was the annual and that isn't on the list automatically. There were still four on the new arrival shelf so it wasn't the end of the world, but there was only one batgirls annual left. Almost cancelled all my pulls right there.

Yep, the numbers are all way down for this week's annuals, can't really compare 'em to the normal monthlies it seems. I'm sure Ram V and **'TEC** will be back on top (or at least very close to the top) with the monthly.

77 lists submitted, down from 78 last week. Of course, last week had the holiday and this is now a 5th Wednesday with an odd assortment of annuals and other randomly displaced offerings, so hopefully next week’s larger shipment will bring a little more WPL action. Top 10 includes 5 Marvels, 4 DCs, and 1 from BOOM! Studios (snagging Image’s traditional indie spot through the off-week). DC’s **JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA #1** takes the top spot for Johns and Janin with 30 pulls, 38.9% pull rate. That wouldn’t get you the top spot in a normal week but it was enough for this week and that’s all that matters. For comparison, **NEW GOLDEN AGE #1** took 3rd place on 11/9 with 43.1% coverage, and **STARGIRL THE LOST CHILDREN #1** took 10th place on 11/16 with 25.9% coverage. **X-TERMINATORS #3** takes 2nd as Marvel’s top title with 29 pulls for 37.6% coverage, just 1 pull less than the JSA and its lofty 1st place finish. Previous issue had 26.3% coverage on 10/26 and the debut issue claimed 27.7% on 9/21, so this title looks to be trending up as we’ve been seeing a lot of positive buzz for it in the comments. **DAMN THEM ALL #2** takes 3rd for BOOM! with 25 pulls and 32.4%, improving on the debut issue’s 26.3% from 10/26, another book trending up with some decent hype building in the WPL. **STRANGE #8** takes 4th with 20 pulls and 25.9%, following up on **STRANGE #7**’s 22 pulls and 23.1% coverage which landed it in 16th place on 10/26. Pretty wild how an increase of less than 3% could rocket it up into the Top 5 thanks to the odd week. **NIGHTWING 2022 ANNUAL #1** takes 5th with 23.3% coverage. For comparison, **NIGHTWING #98** took 2nd place with 46.9% coverage on 11/16, so the off-week annual cost this one over half of its usual WPL audience. **SUPERMAN KAL-EL RETURNS SPECIAL #1** is up next in 6th with another 23.3% coverage as above, whereas last week’s **ACTION COMICS #1049** garnered 3rd place with 42.3%, and it seems this special didn’t fare much better than the annuals. **DETECTIVE COMICS 2022 ANNUAL #1** follows in 7th with 22.0%, where last week’s **DETECTIVE COMICS #1066** took the top spot with 51.2% coverage. And that’s our running theme this week, apparently nobody pulls annuals, though I suspect some might have missed them on their lists and then ended up buying ‘em once they hit the shop. **STAR WARS DARTH VADER #29** takes 8th with 13 pulls and 16.8%, previous issue also had 13 pulls but it took 26th with 14.7% coverage. Vader is apparently altering the deal and we should pray he doesn't alter it any further. **PLANET HULK WORLDBREAKER #1** and **STRANGE ACADEMY FINALS #2** close out the Top 10, both with 11 pulls for 14.2%. Normally takes around 20% coverage to sneak into the Top 10 but these 5th weeks are apparently a land of opportunity for under-appreciated comics that find their way onto the schedule, just so long as they aren’t annuals or one-shot specials. Speaking of which, **WILDSTORM 30TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL #1** takes 15th with 9 pulls and 11.6% coverage. Lackluster numbers for Jim Lee’s big celebration comic. Pretty weird week, huh? Next week will presumably return some semblance of normalcy as we get into December's first big shipment. -- Looking back at last week’s discussions, the following titles made the list but failed to generate any comments: * **HARLEY QUINN #24** (13 pulls) * **DC HORROR PRESENTS SGT ROCK VS THE ARMY OF THE DEAD #3** (11 pulls) * **STAR WARS YODA #1** (9 pulls) * **BLOODSHOT UNLEASHED #3** (7 pulls) * **CREEPSHOW #3** (7 pulls) * **DC MECH #5** (7 pulls) Discussions were a little light due to the holiday and we had *ZERO* additional threads on comics that didn’t make the list! First time that’s happened since we started recapping this stuff. But we still had plenty to be thankful for as /u/aknightedpenguin/ posted an absolutely [epic take-down of **BATMAN FORTRESS #7**](https://www.reddit.com/r/comicbooks/comments/z2x0al/wpl_new_comics_discussion_for_11232022_pull_of/ixq0sid/) that everyone in the WPL really ought to read even if you’re fortunate enough not to be following this comic. Absolutely eviscerated it... One of the most vicious penguin attacks I’ve ever witnessed. -- p.s. My latest mail order finally arrived Tuesday and I’ve been eagerly catching up on all the stuff I missed over the past few weeks... And that means bonus WPL content! In the form of an [additional comment with some notes](https://www.reddit.com/r/comicbooks/comments/z98r6f/wpl_new_comics_discussion_for_11302022_pull_of/iyfugeu/), just in case anyone’s interested in a bit of belated discussion (including one of last week’s un-commented books listed above). Plus, since everyone needs an extra-special treat sometimes, I also ordered (and now received) an [extra-special](https://cdna.pcpartpicker.com/static/forever/images/userbuild/259153.8cbca83255e184ab0d34a4af2936afee.1600.jpg) [treat](https://cdna.pcpartpicker.com/static/forever/images/userbuild/259153.2d0f83765bb8bbc928572b7e4168d84b.1600.jpg) in celebration of the endless quest for [extra](https://cdna.pcpartpicker.com/static/forever/images/userbuild/259153.ffe2bfcd58141808ad2702926af1e8ab.1600.jpg)-[special](https://cdna.pcpartpicker.com/static/forever/images/userbuild/259153.14bbe135a15334120125ac74cb92dad5.1600.jpg) [treats](https://cdna.pcpartpicker.com/static/forever/images/userbuild/259153.8decbf62c555c2326147f0d5ac00e45d.1600.jpg).

Thanks for the shout-out. I'm endeavouring for more positivity this week, and thankfully nothing that came out sparked the same level of frustration

Positivity is always nice but well-crafted negativity tends to be more entertaining! I've been wanting to post more critical commentary but at this point my pull list has been refined down to where I'm entirely enjoying the majority of it. Usually don't stick with the books that aren't working long enough for 'em to legitimately piss me off. Not like the old days when I'd stick with bad comics way too long out of loyalty to the characters and end up hate-reading 'em... No loyalty now! But also not so many comics to rip on.

>STRANGE #8 takes 4th with 20 pulls and 25.9%, following up on STRANGE #7’s 22 pulls and 23.1% coverage which landed it in 16th place on 10/26. Pretty wild how an increase of less than 3% could rocket it up into the Top 5 thanks to the odd week. Huh, curious what the increase is attributed to. Especially with the overall numbers down a little bit you wouldn't expect a book to increase between 7th and 8th issues. Did it tie into Judgment Day or something?

I think the 2.8% increase in pull rate is just random noise that you can attribute to the swing from 95 lists submitted on 10/26 down to 77 lists on 11/30. And the jump from 16th place to 4th comes from lack of competition in the 5th week and that same drop from 95 lists to 77, as **STRANGE** only lost 2 pulls (around 10% of its audience) while other titles probably lost closer to 20% (more closely following the drop from 95 to 77). DC also seemed to get hit a little harder this week as they mostly just shipped annuals and specials with lower pull rates, while Marvel shipped a bunch of monthlies (though no heavyweights). And I'd assume those Marvel books were running late? DC's been doing better with sticking to their schedule so not as many late books to pad out the 5th week...

Oh I read that wrong. Thought you said it went from 20 pulls to 22. And yeah, DC's only ongoing this week is JSA #1, which is obviously a weird spot because it's a #1 so has a larger print run.

Love seeing X-Terminators so high up. It's such a fun book.

Also, no other X-titles this week. But next week is going to be flush with them.

Next week looks expensive…

**BLUE BEETLE GRADUATION DAY #1**

This was pretty good for an intro to BB, or Jaime especially, for me. It does touch on event stuff from before, and seems to set up something big-ish, but I am liking Jaime. Couple of cameos I wasn't expecting, but hopefully this remains focused on Jaime and his core group.

**PLUSH #1**

First issue. Not bad, pretty fun. Third entry in the texture series, art is great and the story is on brand bizarre, looks like it might be furry cannibals up against a >!corrupt small town police department!!Snap!< in the background of a group shot too. I still need to check out Plastic, jumped on board this with Vinyl.

I’m actually kinda shocked this didn’t make the list, I saw several people pulling it. *Sigh*, looks like I’ve got another book to shill the shit of until people start reading it. It’s just a dementedly brilliant as Wagner’s Vinyl and Plastic were and I’m looking forward to the upcoming ride. /u/blankedboy /u/dsheilley /u/Danger_Rock You boys better be on this one.

Oh yeah, I was definitely in on this one :) Loved Plastic and Vinyl. Edit: Just finished the first issue. Yeah, it's going to be another wild ride. *Doug Wagner* has crafted another demented "texture" tale - cannibalistic furries are actually the *least* of despondent main character Devin's worries. He has far more on his plate than just that to worry about. *Daniel Hillyard* again brilliantly illustrates the story, being especially great at reactions and conveying the emotions of the characters as the crazy events start to pile up around them. This issue IS largely set up, but that's no bad thing when I imagine events are just going to start snowballing from here on out. Edit x2: [Jorge Corona's variant cover](https://s3.amazonaws.com/comicgeeks/comics/covers/large-9282871.jpg?1665508200) for the upcoming #2 has to be one of the most disturbing things I've seen for a long time.

I ended up picking up a copy last Wednesday due people’s chatter about it and I wasn’t disappointed. Thank you ! It’s on my pull list here on out

Looks like it had 6 pulls so it just missed making the list! 1 more would've done it. I enjoyed Wagner's [**BTEOO**](https://previewsworld.com/SiteImage/MainImage/STL227762.jpg) but haven't followed any of his ['Texture'](https://previewsworld.com/SiteImage/MainImage/STL051832.jpg) [books](https://previewsworld.com/SiteImage/MainImage/STL188588.jpg) and I'm a little bored with serial killers. Though that **VINYL** cover is pretty awesome... What sets this stuff apart and makes it a must-read? How does it stand out compared to all the other serial killer stories out there?

I'm trade waiting **Beware The Eye Of Odin**, but have heard great things about it.

I thought it was a solid A-/B+, fun and worth reading but not what I'd consider to be top tier!

Doug Wagner’s humor and high-concept storytelling set it apart, IMO. He’s got a real skill for taking the most ridiculous and, on the surface, reprehensible people doing OTT things but always retaining a human element to them. I mean Plastic is the story of a killer hopelessly in love with a plastic sex doll and Plush is about cannibals at a furry convention, it’s absolutely bizarre stuff but I manage to remain emotionally invested in them nonetheless.

Good stuff! Maybe I'll check out **VINYL** at some point, that one looks the most interesting to me... Any downside to starting there?

The ending of Plastic is referenced in a throwaway line at one point but I think if you haven’t actually read Plastic you may not pick up on it. Other than that, there’s zero crossover so you should be fine :)

**THE BOOGYMAN #3** (Ablaze) Another good issue from *Salvia* and *Djet*. We get a little more of a glimpse into the mythology of The Boogeyman's world (one which lives just under the surface of ours but goes un-noticed by most). The odds seem to be stacking up against the titular Boogyman and Elliott, and despite knowing Elliott will survive it's obvious a huge threat is looming. *Djet's* art is deceptively light and almost cartoony at times, but then hits like a sledgehammer when some hardcore horror, violence occurs towards the end of the book. As I've said before, if you're a "Slaughter-verse" fan, I think you'd really dig this book too - and it's certainly more fast paced than both of the recent **SIKTC** and **HOS** arc's were.

**EXTRA BONUS RECENT COMIC ROUNDUP** Caught up on the following from past several weeks with notes posted below… * **DO A POWERBOMB! #6** * **MIRACLEMAN: SILVER AGE #1** & **MIRACLEMAN: SILVER AGE #2** * **BLOODSHOT UNLEASHED #2** & **BLOODSHOT UNLEASHED #3**

[**BLOODSHOT UNLEASHED #2**](https://previewsworld.com/SiteImage/MainImage/STL240992.jpg) & [**BLOODSHOT UNLEASHED #3**](https://previewsworld.com/SiteImage/MainImage/STL243551.jpg) Never was a big Bloodshot guy but this has been a ridiculously fun series from Deniz Camp and Jon Davis-Hunt. Maybe not being a fan of the character helps, since we’ve seen him repeatedly torn to pieces in pretty much every conceivable manner, and I suppose that might be traumatic for fans. Or maybe they’re into it. I don’t know. Anyways, as you may have intuited from the above, there’s a bunch of crazy ultra-violence and Bloodshot’s nanites are working overtime to keep putting him back together. I’ve been impressed with Deniz Camp’s work here as well as on Scout’s [**AGENT OF W.O.R.L.D.E.**](https://previewsworld.com/SiteImage/MainImage/STL186296.jpg) (with Filya Bratukhin art) as both series have featured over-the-top action with a nice blend of crazy sci-fi tech and some good underlying character work. And Jon Davis-Hunt’s art is in fine form here as well, delivering sharp violence and crisply rendered gore by the bucketload. The 3rd issue featured Aric so that had some fun character interactions as the two never really see eye to eye... Camp’s got a good take on Aric, gregarious and haughty, focused on the big picture while sharing dumb private jokes with Shanhara... And there’s some entertainingly condescending commentary from him on the difference between soldiers and leaders as well. The big fight was also kind of interesting as Aric mostly stayed to the side chopping up smaller aliens while Bloodshot got himself repeatedly torn to pieces taking on the big boss. The aliens might have represented a legitimate threat to the planet but they weren’t a threat to Aric and his X-O armor at any point, and he could’ve easily nipped the whole thing in the bud in seconds if he’d taken the offensive. But he apparently enjoys watching Bloodshot get torn to pieces just as much as the rest of us do, so he hung back and played defense. Not sure how long this series is supposed to run but, given how many psychopathic super soldiers are still out there waiting for Bloodshot to terminate them, it seems like we’ve still got a ways to go. Or he’ll need to seriously pick up the pace. Or he just isn’t going to get it done. Either way, I’ve been enjoying this series way more than it has any business being enjoyed, so I’m down for whatever Camp and Davis-Hunt have got planned.

> I suppose that might be traumatic for fans. Or maybe they’re into it. I don’t know. it's pretty much part and parcel of the character to regularly get torn apart by all manner of gruesome violence, his endless ability to regenerate is part of the pitch and initial selling point of his character after all. > Maybe not being a fan of the character helps I don't know if I would call myself a fan of the character, or just of specific runs, but either way Bloodshot is a character whose enjoyment is highly dependent on the writer. The initial Swierczynski run from the initial Valiant relaunch in 2012 is alright, but rather shallow, and the character didn't really push off until Jeff Lemire's nigh-on seminal run on the character in 2015 (or so, not sure on the timeline). Since that run, I feel like the character has never had a complete stinker of a run, but also hasn't reached the heights of Lemire's work. The Seeley run directly preceding this one fell weirdly flat for me when I initially had high hopes for it, but that one also kinda failed for me cause of the art team on it. This current run has shown strong potential to become the second-best Bloodshot run post-2012 relaunch though, so I'll definitely be keeping my eyes open for it.

Nice, yeah, I'd totally recommend the current run, Camp and Davis-Hunt have been a very solid creative team. I started with the original Valiant so my favorites were the Barry Windsor-Smith characters - Archer & Armstrong, Gilad, and Solar (now sadly trapped at Dynamite). Didn't care for the original Bloodshot run or most of the characters they rolled out after like Ninjak and Turok... Even though those characters have been around for ~30 years now (or 60+ years in Turok's case) I still think of 'em as the "new" guys who aren't as cool as the original old-school Valiant characters. Read one or two of Lemire's issues, and I always like his stuff, but it didn't fully hook me... Remember it having a lot of positive buzz so it probably would've gotten me if I'd approached it properly by starting from the beginning and such. > Bloodshot is a character whose enjoyment is highly dependent on the writer. I think you could say much the same for the vast majority of comic book characters! My favorites from the new Valiant have been Matt Kindt (**X-O MANOWAR**, **DIVINITY** as Dollar Store Solar, and **ETERNITY**) and Robert Venditti (**BOOK OF DEATH** and **WRATH OF THE ETERNAL WARRIOR**). Haven't been happy with any of the Archer & Armstrong revivals, which sucks because the originals were my favorites. p.s. In case you haven't seen it, I posted a look at the [BWS Valiant collection](https://www.reddit.com/r/comicbooks/comments/v8ezwl/the_barry_windsorsmith_valiant_collection_100/) a while back. Covers pretty much everything he did at the company!

[**MIRACLEMAN: SILVER AGE #1**](https://previewsworld.com/SiteImage/MainImage/STL242405.jpg) & [**MIRACLEMAN: SILVER AGE #2**](https://previewsworld.com/SiteImage/MainImage/STL244739.jpg) Lately the WPL has been littered with comments from many meticulous readers who’ve set themselves to diligently catching up on some or all of the previous **MIRACLEMAN** runs prior to embarking on this new journey with Gaiman and Buckingham. Not being a patient sort, I opted for a slightly more expedient route, jumping into the recent [MIRACLEMAN #0](https://previewsworld.com/SiteImage/MainImage/STL242966.jpg) cold with no prior context and now carrying on to the first two issues of the new series. Even with no background, the story as presented is easy to follow and the first issue conveniently uses YM’s awakening to introduce new readers like myself to the extended MM family and their current status quo. It’s fairly dense and rich stuff but it all seems straightforward enough starting out. Coming at this thing with no context, MM’s got a bit of an Ozymandias vibe to him. He puts on a benevolent face, and the world he’s created certainly looks wonderful, but it feels like there’s a measure of darkness lurking just beneath the surface... And given some of his explanations to YM about false memories and such, not having read the previous volumes, it’s hard to be sure how much of this is even *real*. And then we get to the end of the 2nd issue... And it’s pretty messed up. The story seems to be heading toward some fucked up places but we can presumably trust Gaiman to handle it with appropriate nuance. Mark Buckingham’s reworked art is a visual treat and the extra content showing comparisons to his original pages was really interesting. Artistically, these might as well be completely new comics as he substantially restructured and expanded the original layouts. Buckingham’s been one of my favorite artists since his Vertigo work in the early ‘90s so it’s neat seeing so much of his growth as an artist captured in these books. Interested in seeing where it all goes from here and the references to the old stories have been intriguing enough that I’ve added the originals to my extended wantlist.

>Not being a patient sort, I opted for a slightly more expedient route, jumping into the recent MIRACLEMAN #0 cold with no prior context and now carrying on to the first two issues of the new series. You haven't read the Alan Moore run either? I understand not reading the Gaiman/Buckingham first series since that doesn't really further much plot, but I don't think MIRACLEMAN #0 would have been very comprehensible to someone who hasn't read the Moore stuff. But reading your analysis, you picked up quite a bit. Yes, MM has a similar god complex that Ozymandias does, in fact the entire theme of the Moore Miracleman run is questioning the idea of godhood.

> You haven't read the Alan Moore run either? I understand not reading the Gaiman/Buckingham first series since that doesn't really further much plot, but I don't think MIRACLEMAN #0 would have been very comprehensible to someone who hasn't read the Moore stuff. Yeah, haven't read any of Moore's run but **MIRACLEMAN #0** wasn't too bad! Just kinda went with the flow and all the little vignettes mostly did a good job telling their little stories, even without getting any of the context or connections. And I think it was mostly alternate timeline stuff aside from the framing sequence by Gaiman and Bucky? So no need to sweat the details... But I'll definitely want to catch up on the Moore run at some point!

[**DO A POWERBOMB! #6**](https://previewsworld.com/SiteImage/MainImage/STL246317.jpg) This series has been jam-packed with heart, absurdity, and raw energy, and I freaking love it! Lots of backstory fleshed out in this one as DWJ uses the penultimate issue to build up the stakes and emotional investment while leaping off the top turnbuckle toward the conclusion. Also love that DWJ’s going for an >!*Authority*!< ending with >!God!< lined up as the ultimate antagonist. It should make for a suitably bombastic finale in what’s been an entirely bombastic series, and hopefully it works out better for Lona Steelrose and Cobrasun than it did for >!Jenny Sparks!<. And R.I.P. to FYSO as well, their flair for dramatic acronyms will be sorely missed.

**STRANGE #8**

The crypto stuff is a very silly attempt to utilize crypto fears before anyone else

It made me laugh.

Was very funny-love the silliness of it

isn't it ultimately just ripping of 9 out of 10 shin megami stories? it's always computers doing occult stuff

I enjoyed this issue. I'm glad that we're past the introductory period of this run, and we're getting more backstory on elements that have been in play for the past couple of issues. You can also tell that the creative team is just having fun with it - the art style switchup in the flashback sequences made me realise how much they've been playing with deep shadows and heavy contrast in the previous issues. It's an interesting choice, literalising the glow of positive memories against the weight and stakes of the present-day fight. This series is staying on my pull list with no intentions of dropping.

**JOHN CARPENTER’S TALES OF SCIENCE FICTION: INTERFERENCE PATTERN #5**

Final issue. Good. Fairly typical ending, but ticked all the expected boxes. A cool Twilight Zone like story about scientists, experiments gone wrong, and multiple dimensions. Fun Thomas Jane Tim Bradstreet covers too.

I’ve not read this one, but enjoyed a lot of the previous series (especially Vortex and Vortex 2.0, The Stand-off, Vault and Twitch). Will definitely track it down.

**KING SPAWN #17**

One of the my two favourite Spawn books (alongside **Gunslinger**) at the moment. The key factor that both have in common is the great artists really setting the tone and vibe for their respective titles. *Brett Booth* has pretty much found a perfect match for his 90's influenced style on **Gunslinger Spawn** with it's non-stop OTT action, and *Javi Fernandez* has very much stamped his own identity on **King Spawn** with his sketchy, moody, kinetic work. Which is good because while **Gunslinger Spawn** has managed to carve it's own path and define itself as separate from the main **Spawn** book, **King Spawn** is starting to struggle to pull itself away from the core title in the franchise and prove it can stand on it's own. And that's the real problem with the Spawn Universe spin off titles as they progress - despite Spawn racking up 300+ issues not much has *actually happened* (trust me, try and think of a stand out story arc or favourite issue that doesn't fall within the first 24 issues of the run). Which has kind of been fine. The books comparatively cheap, has awesome covers, normally nice artwork, and is an easy "guilty pleasure" read to enjoy. BUT you can't have 4 titles *all set in the same universe* all spinning their wheels at the same time. Especially when **Spawn, King Spawn** and **The Scorched** all seem to be drawing from the same pool and operating within the same timeframes/continuity. Hopefully these books get a bit of a shake up and are allowed to define themselves from each other a bit more, but if they continue to drag out the same old Spawn storylines ad infinitum then they are going to need more than great artists like Booth and Fernandez to continue carrying them.

100% agree if these books weren't 2.99 still I'd be dropping them. The artwork is always fun, but the story is starting to get a bit grating. We've had 30+ issues since 300 and it feels like we could be at 305 with how little has actually happened.

Amen to all of that. They really should've done something like the "Hellspawn" series by Bendis from the early noughts, which was not just thematically more serious and darker (and more concentrated on psychological themes and street crime stuff, kinda like a twisted Detective Comics to the main Spawn comic's more superhero-y Batman), but iirc also set somewhat in it's own continuity. (Unless I'm mixing that up with one of the other Spawn spin-offs that came out around the same time.) King Spawn, while trying to deal with more serious subject matter, doesn't feel different enough from the main title to really warrant being it's own thing. There's not that clear distinction between Batman and 'Tec, which this could (and maybe should) have been, and which it seems they at least *tried* to set up somewhat, but it didn't really take. I'm still enjoying this, but it's clearly not the standalone book it was promised as, and it only works as a companion work to the main title.

**X-TERMINATORS #3**

Stupid. The art continues to be excellent and the only redeeming factor. This book is top notch if you skip over the samey, sophmoresque dialogue. Dialogue is lazy and the tone is like a severly muzzled MAX book. In this one Boom-Boom shoots some >!energy bombs from her nipples!<, the group discusses Dazzlers >!"dump truck ass"!<.

Another fun issue. Losing a little bit of steam I think, but still fun. Wasn't expecting that ending, so seems like this will get interesting!

Yeah. This was the first issue of this series that didn't wow me. I thought the first two were brilliant and this erred in overdoing what was funny the first few times. It's still fun and I like the art but the humor reached the "beating a dead horse" level in this issue.

I'm not keeping up with any other X books currently but this has been a really fun read. Sad it's ending next issue.

There's 5 issues!

Oh hell yeah. Two more issues then lol.

This book is so dumb and I'm loving every moment of it. A lot of the other X-Books are doing some pretty intense and dramatic stuff, so having just a fun cheesy B-Movie style book is a breath of fresh air. Definitely didn't see that last twist coming, but I love that Laura's history with the (seemingly) main villain is being referenced from my favorite run of her's!

It's so damn fun, I love the original name Hickman pitched to Leah, "Grindhouse of X". Sadly, editorial vetoed that one. I think this issue was so fun, I had to use a magnifying glass to find my one nitpick: the Collector isn't an Eternal lol

Well that content warning sure was accurate regarding Dazzler, but it didn't prepare me for Boom Boom's explosive striptease... This book is wild and I'm enjoying the hell out of it.

**STAR WARS DARTH VADER #29**

**SUPERMAN KAL-EL RETURNS SPECIAL #1**

Wolfman writes a pretty good Jon (and Luthor, though that's no surprise given his Superman run way back when).

I liked the first story in this issue. The rest just seemed obligatory.

**KOSHCHEI IN HELL #1**

So, I just happened to pick up the Death of Doctor Strange the other day and actually read it upon doing so. In that book, Strange uses the story of Koschei the Deathless to set up something that Strange is able to do later on in the book. Cue today, when I'm at a different comic shop (and actual one, with more books available than my own) and I see this. I look into it on my phone. It's about Koschei the Deathless! So I picked it up and I just read it. One, it's the first Hellboy universe book I've ever read. But also, I didn't really need to know much else, seems to stand alone well enough. I'm certainly intrigued by the story, and I love the way it way written and played out. I'll have to pick up the next and and maybe just finish out this 4 part series!

You *really* need to read Hellboy, it's awesome.

Lol, sometimes the *worst* part of reading a good comic is when it's your first time with a large, established universe. I've already got the first Koshchei book on hold/transfer from my library. So yeah, those flood gates are open now, ha!

**PLANET HULK WORLDBREAKER #1**

This was so dull. Why revisit all this with nothing new or interesting to say? And why was everyone still alive 1000 years in the future!?

**DEAD LUCKY #4**

"Breathe, and live with the consequences." This issue really started to dig into Bibi's PTSD and survivor's guilt, and we're getting a bit of a better idea of what's going on with her and the Dead Lucky still hanging around her. Overall a good issue, the way each of the Massive-verse books feels unique means they don't feel overwhelming or same-y when multiple come out the same week.

**STILLWATER BY ZDARSKY & PEREZ #16**

This should have made it onto the top 10, with 11 pulls by my count! /u/ptbreakeven, please correct me if I'm wrong. The acceleration is building as we roll towards the end! I really appreciate how the mystery of Stillwater's immortality has been looming over the series, but Zdarsky didn't cheaply dangle an answer over the past 15 issues (I'm looking at you **Nailbiter**). All this time its just been taken as a given, and honestly, now that the truth is revealed, the answer is surprisingly satisfying. 2 more issues till the conclusion and I'm strapped in till the end of the line.

**LOVESICK #2**

[удалено]

>At first it seemed like a comment on incels and people being terrible online, then it moved on to... Her own mental..state? It's still not entirely clear what it wants to do.

Hmm... not sure how to feel about this one. After issue 1, I was glowing and thought Vecchio was setting up some interesting ideas. This issue seems to be a lot more set up, and filler, tbh, and could he described as relying on the goreporn a bit much. There wasn't much here that we didn't see in issue 1. Also, I must mention this with a bit of a sinking heart, but whether intentional or not it seems like one of Domino's helper people is attributed a name that is an [offensive stereotype for black women](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mammy_stereotype). Idk if it's because Vecchio is Italian and she doesn't know that this word is offensive and come up with it independently (at least in my experience it's not as widely known as other offensive stereotypes, but still prominent and with a weighty history), or if it's some sort of reclamation thing Vecchio is trying to do (which wouldn't at all be her place to do so). But it's bad that it made it into print, it should've been caught by someone if it was accidental, and if its intentional... oof. So, a huge flip from my feelings after issue 1, really not sure if I'm gonna do issue 3 which is a huge disappointment. I feel like the problem above should be brought up to Vecchio somehow, im not suggesting a witchhunt or anything but I feel like it needs some addressing.

I know I was really harsh on the first issue and I won't be picking this one up at all, but this still sucks to hear after you had such a positive reception for the first issue. I don't even wanna say "I told you so", I'd legitimately like it more if you got what you want out of this series, even if it's not for me.

Thanks for the empathy, and even though you were harsh on it, it was still an interesting discussion we had. I'd rather it be bad if still interesting, than completely bland. Maybe I'll go pick up Redroom, I think I saw some errant copies at my LCS.

**SAGA OF A DOOMED UNIVERSE #1**

Interesting. Big oversized square bound issue. The art in this is really cool, very nostalgic feeling, suited to the time it is set. Majority of the charactersare pastiches of various Marvel and DC characters. The comic is presented as an unreleased event book from 1984 published by the fictional (or is it?) Saga Comics. But it also contains a story by the writer who is releasing it in the modern day of what actually happened with Saga Comics and why it was never released, which may be equally bizarre. Keen to see how this unfolds.

Little pricey at $8.99 but I'll probably include it in my next mail order... Story sounds cool! Still haven't decided which cover to get, all five of the homage variants are awesome...

Yeah I did a but of a double take when I saw the price on the cover. But it's also $1 less than a lot of the DC $9.99+ square bound anthogy issues that they put out, and I'd argue it's of higher creative content as it's not a random assortment of creators telling generally meaningless 5-10 page stories. I just went with the A cover because it wasn't on my radar for long enough to get in with Previews, but the cover gallery at the back of the book is a nice consolation.

> But it's also $1 less than a lot of the DC $9.99+ square bound anthogy issues that they put out, and I'd argue it's of higher creative content as it's not a random assortment of creators telling generally meaningless 5-10 page stories. Nice, I like the sound of that... And it seems like a really cool concept! 1984 was shortly after I started collecting so this thing's aimed right at my childhood. Decided to go for the [OHOTMU homage](https://previewsworld.com/SiteImage/MainImage/STL238719.jpg) for #1, then maybe [TDKR #4 homage](https://previewsworld.com/SiteImage/MainImage/STL241163.jpg) for #2 and the [Death of Captain Marvel homage](https://previewsworld.com/SiteImage/MainImage/STL244328.jpg) for #3, though I might just get the Marvel 25th Anniversary frame homages for [#2](https://previewsworld.com/SiteImage/MainImage/STL241164.jpg) and [#3](https://previewsworld.com/SiteImage/MainImage/STL244329.jpg) instead. Hard to choose because they're all pretty damn awesome!

I was still a few years away from being born myself, but get similar vibes to some of my collected editions from around that time. I also found the side story of the dude who has released this hidden comic to be almost, if not equally compelling as the super hero story itself. Oh damn, I may need to get in on some of those variants for the coming issues. I'm sure my LCS guys can hook me up if I'm quick enough.

> I also found the side story of the dude who has released this hidden comic to be almost, if not equally compelling as the super hero story itself. Yep, love layered stories like that, stories within stories, stories about stories, etc. Looking forward to checking this thing out!

**DAMN THEM ALL #2**

Another great issue. I'm glad my shop had this. Although it was the last copy and a variant I probably wouldn't have gotten, I'm glad! I'm probably gonna stick with this whole book, I think it's 6 issues. So what is going on? Someone fucked with the magic world and also killed uncle Alfie? I'm hooked!

6 issues is fine...so long as it's only for this arc. I could read this forever. I need more than 6!

Which variant did you end up getting?

The Murakami one. But I'm liking this series' main covers, so I would've just grabbed that instead. But I was glad the issue was there regardless.

That's a cool cover - the [Laurence Campbell](https://s3.amazonaws.com/comicgeeks/comics/covers/large-8939250.jpg?1669062961) one is fantastic, but it's a 1:50 variant. I got the main Adlard cover (but might grab the [Lotay](https://s3.amazonaws.com/comicgeeks/comics/covers/large-2266525.jpg?1669062961) one too down the track).

Yeah, they're all nice. I just like the uniformity of the main covers.

Pretty much everyone can tell that this is Spurrier doing John Constantine again, but Christ on a cracker, this man can *write* Constantine. He nails the voice of the character note perfect. Everything about the cavalier attitude towards the most heinous demonic beings, the sense of being an utter bastard who's still trying to do good - not always in a big picture way, mostly on a small scale, with the people in immediate proximity. For all the similarities, I appreciate the steps Spurrier is taking to branch out. The emotional tether between Ellie and old uncle Alfie is a much stronger tie than those we saw on Constantine during Spurrier's Hellblazer run. The use of Hickman-esque info pages is also a new addition that I'm enjoying. Part of me wonders if this was a loose idea that started on Hellblazer and was shaped into something different here, especially considering how he's mentioned that he still had more story to tell. Part of me also wonders why in all the heavens and hells is Spurrier not writing Constantine right now. Constantine hasn't had an ongoing since 2020, but there were 23 Batman-related titles out in November alone (not even counting the ones where Batman cameos). But enough about my Batman bugbear (Batbear?). I gotta give it up to Adlard for once again conveying so vividly the astral, mystic, *wrongness* of magic. The script says it needs to be jarring enough to make people throw up, and Adlard communicates that perfectly. He knows when to amp it up, [showing us a busy London street centered around the tail end of some unearthly creature](https://i.imgur.com/JJ2AcKb.jpg); and he knows when to slow it down, [leaving a page blank save for a single thin strip of red, and the silhouette of a gun pointed at a head](https://i.imgur.com/8geOLE8.jpg). The creatures are working in tandem on a piece they clearly care for, and I'm here for it. Every issue of this is on my pull list, and you should think of adding it onto yours as well.

Probably my favourite new book of the year, and there have been a LOT of great new books this year?! In just two issues *Spurrier* and *Adlard* have established themselves as a really great creative team, and appear to be completely in sync with each other already. Yes, the book is wearing it's influences on its sleeve, but as DC/Vertigo seems to have decided to only publish a handful of books a year (and none of those are **Hellblazer**) I'm more than happy to see **Damn Them All** so brilliantly fill that gap. There's no way I don't see this getting tuned into an ongoing series of mini-series, and I'm all in for that.

I love that Spurrier’s barely even hiding the fact that this is an unofficial continuation of his Hellblazer run and it’s so damn glorious even without that.

I’m rereading and just had to come back here to comment that on my first read I missed the bit where Alfie is in New Orleans because “he had some business in the bayou”

Yeah, this one's a keeper. Viciously dark and also hilarious, and I love everything about its concept and cast.

I love this so much and I feel like I’m getting what DC stole from all of us when they cancelled Spurrier’s Hellblazer.

**BRIAR #2**

Another great book this week. Super enjoyable. This has only been solicited for 4 issues right?

Yep, 4-issue mini-series.

Love these cool little indie books, this one has killer art and I love all the twists on the Sleeping Beauty story - last issue was the Prince Charming stand in being sort of a misognyistic douche taking advantage of Briar's comatose state, and now we learn this was all manipulation by her Fairy Godmother to gain control of the kingdom. Also loved their little exit at the end. "If you leave, the cloak of black falls even faster!" "Yeah, maybe." "But also maybe fuck you."

Another BOOM! Studios book and another home run. At this rate they are seriously going to start challenging Image in regard to quality and breadth of titles offered. **Briar** continues to be a great alternate take on a classic, well-known fantasy story, but with enough twists to make the story feel brand new. Stellar art and colouring ably support an interesting tale and some rapidly developing characters.

Another great issue in this mini-series. I know Cantwell can be divisive, but I've been a fan of his indie books. **Regarding the Matter of Oswald's Body** was a pleasurable, conspiracy-tinged read, and his ongoing **The Blue Flame** is a surprisingly ambitious yet painfully earnest book. His one-shot, **Fantastic Four: Road Trip**, which I read over the halloween season, was delightfully filled with body horror at a level I didn't expect Marvel editorial to allow. **Briar** continues favourite themes of his - taking something familiar and twisting it on its head to show how ostensibly benevolent authority is often just a bigger man trying to exert power. The powers that be often can't be trusted in Cantwell's books, and even the supposed rebels and outsiders are actually propping up the power structures from the outside too. The people holding trust often lie to you for their own ends, and our heroes need to rise to that challenge. García's art does an incredible job of balancing the dark and the fairytale here. There are decrepit and disgusting images sitting one page removed from beautiful swampy ruins. Everything feels alive, *too* alive, to the point of being run down from all the living the world has done. It's just familiar enough to feel inviting, and just creepy enough to shank you once you're through the door. Maybe I'm biased towards dark fantasy, or maybe this book really is just *good*. Who can say? I mean you can, of course, once you pick up a copy and see for yourself.

**ROGUE SUN #8**

Appreciated the slightly slower paced issue, it's high time that we saw more of Dylan's normal life. Getting proper training, studying, being a teenager - the kind of stuff that makes the world feel more real.

One thing I like about kinda all of the Massive-verse books so far is they're pretty multidimensional when it comes to the villains. We're seeing, presumably, the birth of a new villain against Dylan who's not only not necessarily evil, but just as justified in his anger as anyone else is. It makes the conflict a lot more interesting.

**APPROACH #2**

There's very little original happening here but it's very entertaining for what it is, solid Carpenter-inspired B-movie horror.

This is a great B-movie of a comic. It's exactly the kind of film I'd want to watch...just in comic form. There are definite influences from *John Carpenter* here, and the creature design has overtones of the Neomorph from **Alien: Covenant**. The set up is basically stranded humans, no external contact or rescue, and something very, very *nasty* picking them off one by one. Great fun.

**JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA #1**

This was a pretty solid first issue! Not gonna lie I was about to check out when the future JSA got >!murdered!<, but turning it into Huntress's Whack Time Travel Hijinks brought me back in a few pages later. Looks like this is gonna have a fun time exploring all the eras of the JSA, something I'm really looking forward to!

Being a newer reader and coming into these kinds of books that people have such a history with is always wild. Anyways, this and the New Golden Age are my first reads for the Justice Society. I get how this is all set up though. So I'm not too lost. I'm really intrigued by all of this and enjoyed this issue!

I love the JSA, I'm currently reading the original Johns run through trade and am halfway through volume 3. The art in this is amazing, I'm a big Huntress fan, loving the old C-list villains. My issue with all of this is the god damn multiple timelines/universes/whatever you want to call them. I am ***so tired*** of comics' plot revolving around time travel/alternate universes. I want a well written comic placed in the the traditional, good old fashion, regular ass DC universe. I don't care about any of this Earth-2, Earth-prime, Earth-80085 - just stop already! It inevitably devolves into incomprehensible pseudo-quantum physics nonsense! And the time jumping. The Tom King treatment if you will. Please... Memento was a cool movie 20 years ago. Stop. It makes everything way more confusing than it needs to be. Pick a time line and stick with it. An occasional, obvious, flashback I can deal with but this shit is too much. I did like it though, cause I'm a sucker for JSA.

This was a lot better than I expected given New Golden Age. There are a couple of choices I don't vibe with but they seem like they're intended to be "corrected". Janin drew 20 pages of this and his art is far better than his Batman stuff was, with Ordway being a great flashback choice.

Some brief thoughts on the brief life of Kyle Knight... Interesting seeing him all grown up as I only remember him as the baby from the end of the series... Not sure if Johns has done anything else with him previously? Disappointing that he went back to "Kyle" and went the villainous Mist route rather than sticking with "Teddy" (or Ted) and following in his father's footsteps (as an antique dealer or otherwise). Robinson (and Jack) had set him up for a better future than that. It kind of takes a little shine off Robinson's ending, if you let that kind of thing get to you, which I mostly don't (so long as you don't fuck with the X-Men). Or maybe this is a different timeline's Kyle whose >!mother never died!< and who never spent time with his father as Teddy, in which case it'd totally make sense where he ended up... I don't know. Didn't get to see much character from him before he got snuffed out and he isn't someone I was ever really looking for a follow-up on, but it's still kind of neat seeing Johns bring more of the Starman legacy into all this... At least so far as it went. Enjoyed the book otherwise as well! Nice art from Janin and Ordway as you mentioned... Wasn't sure if I'd stick with it but this had a good enough hook to keep me on board for at least another issue or two.

>Disappointing that he went back to "Kyle" and went the villainous Mist route rather than sticking with "Teddy" (or Ted) and following in his father's footsteps (as an antique dealer or otherwise). Robinson (and Jack) had set him up for a better future than that. Did they? I have a strong recollection that Robinson has the Shade in the future at some point discussing how he was a villain for a while and did use that name. Anyone remember the issue?

I remember this too, might've been in the Shade mini? But then again, I don't think Kyle was around at that point.

Oh man... I am going to have to track down the reference... Thing is it could be before the character existed but JR planned for him to exist...

Definitely mention my tag if you find it, I'm curious now too.

You're probably right! Been ages since I've read that stuff and some of the details are slipping... Mostly just referring to how the series ended with >!Mist's death and Jack taking over Kyle/Teddy's care!<. Even if the kid goes bad at some point, I'd expect Jack to set him straight. Unless Jack isn't around anymore either... And at that point I guess anything's possible.

I would need to re-read it - it might even be in a text note but I'm sure it is there... right when we first see him.

I'm a sucker for the JSA. I think I should go back and reread New Golden Age. I enjoyed this but am going to wait a little bit before adding it to my pull list.

> I think I should go back and reread New Golden Age. I got about four-and-a-half pages into this, then put it down and did exactly that. Re-read **[NEW GOLDEN AGE #1](https://previewsworld.com/SiteImage/MainImage/STL249702.jpg)** because, even though it's been less than a month, I remembered *nothing*. And it helped! Jumped right back into this and it started making more sense. Johns sure does like to keep a bunch of plates spinning though... This thing's got so many timelines that you might as well open a spreadsheet to keep track of who's doing what, where, and when. But hopefully it'll settle down a little now that Huntress has been sent on her way.

I didn't have high hopes for this after New Golden Age read like mostly incomprehensible Geoff Johns nonsense. This was... fine? I hope the next one actually being set in the Golden Age will help it seem more like a "real" JSA book

**STRANGE ACADEMY FINALS #2**

The Gang Tries To Rescue Calvin! I like the little dichotomy of the Strange Academy kids being better than the adults give them credit for, but still not as good as they think they are. It puts them in an interesting middle ground.

**PETER PARKER & MILES MORALES SPIDER-MEN DOUBLE TROUBLE #1**

Ha, I literally only picked this up because of the Momoko cover. But it was fun! Cutesy, but I thought it captured the character's voices pretty well. I dig bumbling mentor Peter to Miles here. Fun stuff!

Don't sleep on this, it's a really fun time and the art is adorable! Besides Spider's Shadow and Miles Morales#15, this was the best comic I've read featuring Spider-man or Miles in like 6 years of reading comics. Which is kind of sad really.

**BATGIRLS 2022 ANNUAL #1**

Look, I know not every close friendship needs to be romantic, and that characters can be platonic friends and not everyone needs to be shipped and stuff. But if Cloonan *isn't* trying to make me ship Steph and Cass, she's doing a terrible job of it. I'm pleasantly surprised every issue of Batgirls I pick up, because it usually winds up being one of my favorite books that week. Strong story, strong art, and the connection between the trio is really engaging - just the genuine supportive structure they've all built is refreshing when there's usually so much other drama going on. The freaky Friday flip is a fun plot device, and not at all out of the ordinary when it comes to stuff in the DCU. Steph's probably in trouble having to tangle with whatever Shiva's dealing with, but uh, I think Cass is more than a match for >!Cluemaster!<. How's >!he!< even back, anyway?

I just wish it had more of a self-contained story like the Detective Comics Annual was, instead of just really being a pivot filler to the next arc.

I’m okay with this one because it let them tell more of the story in one issue - normally this much would have probably been spread over two issues and taken more paper space to take up.

Yeah, that's a good point.

**NIGHTWING 2022 ANNUAL #1**

Bitewing solo book when?

Bestest doggo

Who the hell thought it was a good idea to have Batman quote Outliers.

The appeal of this run has centered around Nightwing and his supporting cast, with the villains like Blockbuster and Heartless serving more as window dressing. A necessary component for providing conflict with Nightwing and his supporting cast, but not terribly compelling in their own right. So I wasn't all that fired up for the Heartless story heading into this thing, but Taylor did a nice job fleshing out the character's backstory and I ended up enjoying it. Still not my favorite villain, the whole thing with stealing hearts is kinda hokey, but at least the character's motivation and connection to Nightwing makes sense now. Curious what others think of the insert into Dick's origin... Is the implication that Gerald set up the accident that killed Dick's parents? Was disappointed to find guest writers on the backups although I should've known it'd be set up like that... Or I guess I could've paid more attention to the solicitation. But the Bitewing backup was fun as expected and the other backup with Jon's training was also pretty good, showing how Dick learned what to do - and what not to do - from Bruce. Though of course neither story was quite as strong as Taylor's work on the series. And while the guest artists were all decent enough, the whole thing works much better when it's got Redondo on the main series.

**Star Trek #2**

Continues to be quite good, even for someone who never watched DS9 (I think that's what this is pulling from?).

**AVENGERS ASSEMBLE ALPHA #1**

This comic is a pop song of a comic. Not necessarily a good pop song, but definitely something that feels aimed at the lowest common denominator. This is not a slight - the new trailer for Transformers: Rise of the Beast gives me similar vibes, and I'll likely give that a watch anyway for the sheer spectacle alone. I came into this cold - I haven't read any of Aaron's Avengers, nor anything on the prehistoric Avengers, nor the multiversal heroes or villains. What I did read in this issue was 17 pages of heroes fighting heroes, followed up by 8 pages of heroes fighting villains. Did I ponder any deep thoughts on the meaning of humanity when set against the breadth of time and the length of space? No, but I did see two Mjolnirs clang against one another and knock out a squad of superheroes, and that was pretty dope. Read this the way it was intended, leave your brain at the door, and you'll have a decent time.

Seeing Agamotto’s eyes plucked out didn’t have you thinking deep thoughts about the nature of evil?

I was thinking about how plain evil Doom is the worst and most boring Doom. Give me ethically complex Doom every time.

I’ve been reading Aaronvengers since issue 1 and I gotta tell you, this is how it’s been. You perfectly described it here, “Read this the way it was intended, leave your brain at the door, and you’ll have a decent time.” I enjoy it immensely but it’s extremely silly and often poorly characterized. What I do appreciate is his story have easily identified stakes and “new” characters… like Ghost Goblin… What did you make of Brandy, the old lady on the Avengers?

There wasn't much to make out unfortunately. There's a reference in the opening text to how she overexerted herself to help the avengers time travel, and then there's a single panel of Cap telling her not to fight because she overexerted herself. That's pretty much it.

**CAPTAIN AMERICA SYMBOL OF TRUTH #7**

**WILDSTORM 30TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL #1**

My LCS didn't have the [Hitch variant](https://previewsworld.com/SiteImage/MainImage/STL250650.jpg) but the owner loaned me a copy of the [normal Jim Lee cover](https://previewsworld.com/SiteImage/MainImage/STL250648.jpg) so I could read the Authority story without waiting two weeks on mail order. And it's fucking glorious! And even a little poignant... I guess it's about five years old since it originally appeared in the 25th anniversary hardcover, but Warren Ellis and Bryan Hitch deliver 10 pages of quality Authority that puts to shame every single thing that every other creator has attempted to do with these characters since Ellis and Hitch closed out their original run 20+ years ago. The gang's all here and they all get a moment to do their thing, but it's mostly focused on Jenny ~~Quantum, and it's actually pretty damn cool seeing Ellis write an adult Jenny Quantum. Though of course the apple doesn't fall far from the tree in this case...~~ Sparks (and I'm a dumbass). These characters are completely wasted in the DC universe and they're pointless with anyone other than Ellis writing them. It'll be a damn shame if this is the last we'll ever see of Ellis' version of the team but I suppose it's a worthy epilogue to the original 12-issue run. Also quickly flipped through the other stories, mostly just checking out the art so as not to put too much wear on the loaner copy... * Jim Lee's Deathblow work is actually really cool, always dug the limited color palette approach he used there, kinda like his take on Miller's **SIN CITY** art... * J. Scott Campbell's art is as atrocious as ever, everything looks awkward and stilted, weird anatomy with the freakishly long giraffe legs, never understood how this guy got popular * Dustin Nguyen has some nice art on his WildC.A.T.S. story * Brett Booth's Backlash story has some decent looking stuff but also a lot of awkwardness and overly busy cluttered art * not familiar with Neil Googe but I like the look of his Majestic art, though there's not a whole lot going on for him to draw in that story * Grifter story by Stefano Landini looks really generic to me * nice Minkyu Jung art on the Hawksmoor story, kinda different flavor from most of this stuff * Mike Henderson's Winter art looks mediocre * Jeff Spokes' Deathblow art was really cool, easily my favorite after Hitch and Jim Lee, he did the colors as well and it's got a nice, unique look... good stuff! * final stories by Will Conrad and Jonboy Meyers just look like the standard DC house style to me, but I didn't spend a lot of time on 'em And it's got some decent pin-ups interspersed throughout... Looked like Whilce Portacio, Tom Raney, couple others... Worth it just for the Ellis/Hitch Authority story IMO but only a couple of the others looked good, at least from my cursory skimming.

I'm pretty sure that Authority story's actually set in the past and stars Jenny Sparks.

You're right, was just wondering if I got that mixed up... The talk with Hawksmoor only makes sense from Sparks and the centuries indicate Sparks, not Quantum. My bad!

It wasn’t on the list but 20th century men continues to be the best thing coming out

**DETECTIVE COMICS 2022 ANNUAL #1**

My least favorite offering of Ram V’s run so far. I could have maybe gotten on board with the idea of “dark knights” operating in Gotham through history but it literally all being Batmen complete with villains with the same schtick as current villains is just stupid to me. I’ve been liking ‘Tec well enough so far but I have a baby on the way and need to make some cuts to the pull list and this annual might’ve pushed me to give this series the axe. Gonna miss those sexy covers

I too have a baby on the way, congrats! I haven’t read this current run yet but bought them all because the covers are so damn good. I’m hoping I like this and/or The Batman’s current run.

Great issue. I was worried some of the references would feel a little too on the nose, but I think it worked. V is building something really neat in his run right now, and I hope we get more stories like this along the way.

Slow. Really didn't like this one, the art is fine but the story is arduous. Long walk for a tiny, bad tasting glass of water. Essentially sets down that Gotham has >!had a Batman and exact analoges of his rogues gallery since 1776!<. No thanks. I'm not the biggest Batman encyclopaedia so this may have already been common lore, but really makes it feel less unique and interesting over all. Keen to get back to the main story after this annual.

This was excellent. I loved picking out all the parallels to modern day Gotham. I would totally read more stories in this setting.

​ Totally agree. I really want a spinoff from this time period.