Blackest Night #5 (of 8) - I thought that things were looking a little too easy as to how the whole Black Lantern situation could be solved. They finally got together representatives of all the various Lantern groups, but the stakes have been raised yet again. Also, I like how this whole storyline directly addresses the fact that so many DC heroes have died and come back and there's even a bit of an explanation provided to all this. Still - what's the deal with Batman? He was a Black Lantern, but only for a few moments. And isn't he actually somewhere in the distant past? Is that really his body? If not, whose is it? They'd better answer this stuff.
Green Lantern #48 - Actually, you ought to read this one before reading Blackest Night #5, as it explains how all the different Lantern members finally agreed to work together. Obviously, the avarice (orange) and hate (red) representatives are the most difficult to get along with, but the story had it all make sense. After all, if the Black Lanterns win, then all of these guys lose. I'm also really digging Doug Mahnke's art. I hope they get him to stick around for a while.
The New Avengers #59 - The only thing slightly disappointing about this issue is that they were advertising it as having some sort of a Spider-Man/Spider-Woman focus, and I was interesting in seeing what that was all about it. Well, both characters are in it, but not anymore than they usually are. That said, this was a fun issue and Stuart Immonen is still doing a great job. Obviously, this one takes place before the Dark Reign: The List issue came out, and I'm curious as to when the series will catch up to all that.
The Amazing Spider-Man #613 - I think that artist Paul Acazeta might be growing on me. In a way, his work reminds me a little of Mike Allred. Anyway, that said, I like what's going on with Electro in this story arc, even though I do miss his lightning bolt mask. Supposedly this all fits into a much bigger storyline that deals with Spidey's classic rogues gallery, but I'm just not seeing how this is part of a larger tapestry.
Superman: Secret Origin #3 (of 6) - Unlike the last two issues, which covered a lot of new territory, this one went over a lot of familiar ground. I guess it's going to be standard that every time Superman first meets Lois, it will involve her falling from a skyscraper and a falling helicopter as well. There was nothing wrong with this issue, but if it was the only one I had read, I'd wonder what the point is. Hopefully the next three issues can continue to keep things as interesting as the first two did.
Giant Size Thor - Honestly, I don't know why this couldn't have just been told as part of the regular series, as the only thing that justifies the extra pages are reprints of the first Thor story and a preview of the next issue where a new creative team takes over. Will I get the next issue? I think that I will, as I like what's been set-up by the outgoing creative team. If the new writer can run with the ball in an interesting way, then I'll stick around. Otherwise, this just might be a series for me to drop.
Spider-Man: Clone Saga #3 (of 6) - There's nothing special going on here, but I'll see this series on through to the end. I'm really liking Todd Nauck's artwork, and I think that he's come a long way since I first saw his work about a decade ago. Hopefully they can get him a gig on the regular Spider-Man series.
Criminal: The Sinners Part Two - I really need to start waiting for this series in the trade paperbacks. I didn't remember much about the first issue aside from really enjoying it; therefore, I didn't bother to read this one. I'll do what I did the last couple of times this series came out and wait for the entire story to come out and read it all in one sitting. Considering that's what I always do, I might as well save some cash and buy the trade. (Although with the trade I wouldn't have gotten that interesting text piece on Australian Film Noir...hmmm...not to mention all those reviews of classic film noir...hmmm...)
Web of Spider-Man #2 - I'm a bit torn about this series. On one hand, it's mostly just filler. On the other, it continues the Spider-Girl series. I think that I'll just take this series an issue at a time and give it a good flip-through before purchasing an issue. This one was enjoyable enough, but I don't think that I would have really missed anything if I didn't get it.
Justice League of America #39 - I was really interested in the fact that James Robinson and Mark Bagley were going to be taking over this series. The first issue had me feeling somewhat indifferent, and this one had me rushing through just to get it finished. The main problem is that it's a "Blackest Night" crossover, so it really can't take the time to establish a new status quo. Another problem is that I don't really care enough about any of the current team members to keep reading. I guess I like Zatanna and Plastic Man, but they're better as supporting members than the ones who should be drawing me in. Also, since I was always more of a Marvel guy, I really don't give a crap about Vibe - he looks pretty lame. I'll be skipping the next issue, but I'll keep monitoring it to see if it gets interesting.
Hulk #17 - I've enjoyed this series, but the whole mystery of the Red Hulk is officially old now, and this is the last issue before it goes into some sort of a major crossover with a few other books. I'll pass for now, and if it looks interesting enough, I'll pick up the inevitable trade. Call me crazy, but I just don't think that The Hulk is interesting enough to carry more than one monthly book, and they need to start getting back down to the basics.
Star Wars: Legacy #42 - This series has had its ups and downs with me, but lately it feels like more downs, so I think that's going to be it for me. I found myself not even finishing this particular issue, as once again it didn't feature the one character that I find the most interesting - Cade Skywalker. As I've stated at the start, I need to cut back on some books, and this one's just not doing enough for me to keep buying it.
Gotham City Sirens #6 - I figure six issues is enough to determine whether I want to keep reading this series or not, and I think that I'll end it all here. I've found this series to be amusing, and while I really like Paul Dini's writing, I guess I like him best when he's writing about Gotham's premiere citizen instead of focusing so heavily on the supporting cast. And again, if I miss anything good, I'm sure there will be an inevitable trade paperback.
So, from this week alone that's at least four books that I'll be dropping. I'll have to review my last few comics roundups to see if there's anything else that can get the axe. I guess that the most frustrating thing is that so much of my favorite stuff all comes out at the end of the month. I like to get new comics every week, and when only a few books are out there, I wind up picking up stuff that I might not normally get. Oh well, perhaps that's fodder for another blog post...
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