Book Review: Teen Titans vol. 4 - Light and Dark

The Teen Titans face off against one of their quintesential rivals for the first time in The New 52: the extradimensional demon lord Trigon!

The demon Trigon triumphs over the Teen Titans, turning one of their own against the team! As he begins to turn Manhattan into a staging ground for a demonic takeover of the planet, the Titans must mend the cracks formed between them if they stand any chance against the demonic villains and his corrupted children.

This volume was published by DC Comics on July 22, 2014. It collects Teen Titans 18-23.

Book Review: Teen Titans vol 3 - Death of the Family

The team is finally reunited in the wake of Death of the Family, but something is very wrong with Red Robin! What did The Joker do? As Red Robin's condition worsens he and the team must face an even greater threat when the new Dr. Light is coming for Solstice!

This volume was published by DC Comics on December, 24, 2013. It collects Teen Titans #0, 15-17, Batman #17 and Red Hood and the Outlaws #16.

Book Review: Teen Titans vol. 2 - The Culling

When the organization known as N.O.W.H.E.R.E. captures Superboy, the Teen Titans, and Legion Lost and pits the young heroes against each other to weed out the weak, it will take everything the most famous teen heroes of the DC Universe have to save themselves from each other. But the ruthless Harvest won't give up easily leading to one of the young heroes making the ultimate sacrifice for the others.

Collecting: Teen Titans 8-14 and Annual 1, and DC Comics: Presents 12. Published June 25, 2013, from DC Comics.

Book Review: Teen Titans vol. 1 - It's Our Right to Fight

Tim Drake, Batman's former sidekick, is back in action when an international organization called Project N.O.W.H.E.R.E. seeks to capture, kill or co-opt super-powered teenagers. As Red Robin, he's going to have to team up with the mysterious and belligerent powerhouse thief known as Wonder Girl, the hyperactive speedster calling himself Kid Flash and few more all-new teen super-heroes to stand any chance at all against N.O.W.H.E.R.E. But as Superboy meets them for the first time, the Titans have to wonder, is he a friend - or foe?

Published September 11, 2012, this volume collects Teen Titans #1-7 in 2011.

Comic Books of the Week (8/24/11) part 2

This is the second half of books for the week, this my final big week of weekly comic book purchasing. Let's get to these final issues.

Justice Society of America #54 - it seems like this final arc was rushed to fit in the end by the time of the September relaunch. Of course, the JSA are no where in sight for that. So this issue is a swan-song. Getting Jerry Ordway to do the art was the right way to go though. The inks fit perfectly to his style too. I loved seeing everybody in action, though we never did find out how Mr. Terrific got smart again. Oh well. And the shocking death - sad, but it doesn't matter really since reality is getting the cosmic reboot next week. I will miss the JSA. Been a fan since they came back in the 70's in All-Star Comics with the debut of Power Girl and all. You will be missed, old friends.

Legion of Super-Heroes #16 - another arc that seemed to rush to get done in time. Still, it was a good issue. Levitz tied up all the plot threads conveniently, Hdr and Deering did a great job on the art, and everything is set to go forward next month. Like the JSA, I have been a long time LSH fan. Discovered them around the same time - mid-70's - when Mike Grell was setting the 30th Century afire with his amazing renditions of the teen heroes. I was an instant fan. This too is another book I will miss greatly.

Teen Titans #100 - Krul and Scott give us an all-out battle for this anniversary and final issue. The story actually concludes pretty satisfactorily and all the loose-ends are tied up as best could be done. It was a good way to go out. Sadly, I did not snag the variant Phil Jimenz cover - I have seen the image online and it was amazing. The rest of the pin-ups in back were nice as they represent various eras in cast and artists over the long Titans history. You have Liefeld, a fantastic original line up by Garcia-Lopez, the gals by Amy Reeder, boys having fun by Booth and Hunter, and the villaisn by Burnham. Those were a nice bonus.

John Byrne's Next Men #9/#39 - it worked out well that this issue came out this month. It actually ends the story of the group, for now, at least. As I stop getting new books, this was one I would regret not picking up but having the story tie-up nicely here I feel like I am leaving it with closure. Yes, issue 40 is teased for 2012 but I am okay with this. It finishes the story for me and makes my collection complete. I have been a Byrne fan since the days of X-Men in the early 80's and consider him one of my favorite artists.

Wow, a positive second half of the week. I guess I might be getting a bit sentimental as my last comic day approaches Wednesday. Who would have thought it?

Comic Books of the Week (8/10/11) part 2

The month of final issues (for me) continues:

Batman: the Brave and the Bold #10 - this is one of the books I would have still picked up come September, but going to the shop for one or two books a month didn't make sense to me. The DC Kids line gets it right. Here we have a single issue tale, a trio of villains, a trio of guest heroes and a good character driven story about a father trying to take care of his family. It was light, colorful, fun - the way comics used to be when I first discovered them back in the 70's. Books could have continuity, the writers knew how to tell the reader everything they needed to know, and stories could have a beginning, middle and end between two covers.

Birds of Prey #15 - this final issue ends the two part tale by the guest creative team. Gail Simone already left the building after issue 13, leaving this story that feels more like a fill-in than a finale. Kid of disappointing really. And, I must ask, does a book that stars female heroes have to include blantant breast shots on nearly every page? Is this what comics have come to? Sigh.

Teen Titans #99 - how do you fit seven heroes, seven villains, and three Superboy clones in twenty pages? With a huge shoe-horn! We barely get enough details behind Superboy Prime's gathering of his team of evil or enough space for the various fights. The gals barely get a page each while most of the guys get two pages. The Golden Gate bridge gets trashed as does downtown San Francisco. And, oh look, a double-page spread to show us all the guest-stars for next issues anniversary/finale. I hope the final issue is double-sized because there is a lot to cover before this book bows out in two weeks. I have a feeling I'll be disappointed there too.

I think I'm getting too old for this.

Comic Books of the Week (7/27/11)

Flashpoint: Hal Jordan #2 (of 3) - reading about Hal as a pilot-turned-hero isn't so bad. I've always been a fan of his outside the ring-identity of Green Lantern. This issue was a bit better than the last and the art style actually suits the story and character.

Flashpoint: Kid Flash Lost #2 (of 3) - this issue held up a little better than the last one. We actually get to see traits in Bart that were always interesting - a smart, capable hero. I wasn't as thrilled with the art on this issue though. I look forward to see how/if Bart can get back to his Uncle Barry in time and help resolve things. My gut feel is Bart, along with Booster Gold, will help Barry "fix time" and result in getting things not quite right (leading to the DCnU timeline come September).

Lois Lane and the Resistance #2 (of 3) poor Lois gets bumped as lead of her own mini, thanks to the appearance of the Grifter as leader of the Resistance. The issue is all about him, which I am sure excites his Wildstorm comic fans. It makes sense to put him front and center as he has his own DCnU book coming in September. For me, the issue really was so-so. The change in art style from last issue helped a bit but not enough.

Justice Society of America #53 - Jerry Ordway provides the art on this second-to-last issue for the series. I love his style as it is perfect for the JSA. I love the use of the Challengers of the Unknown. My only concern is this whole story is forced to a rushed conclusion next time. Sad. I was actually getting into it.

Teen Titans #98 - Krul and company are going out with a bang. So glad the powers-that-be gave them extra issues to get to #100 by the end of August. Superboy-Prime is back and he's brought some allies to take out the Titans. Things could get really chaotic really fast. I'm glad to see this version of the Titans go out with a bang rather than a whimper. So sad they're being totally retooled for September (just one of the many reasons I am dropping comics come Fall). Special kudos to the art team for the shots of Ravager on page 11. They made her look well-proportioned without going over the top. Clearly these guys know their anatomy. Something some comic artists could use a refresher course on.

John Byrne's Next Men #8 (#38) - Byrne provides an interesting way to bring one former cast member into the future with the rest of the group. However, that is pretty much all this issue is - vignettes of the move of Gil/Gillian from body to body over time. We only get a brief feel for each life she shared. I was a bit bored by the fourth jump. And, looking at the end, it appears that the story (and perhaps the series?) might conclude with the next issue? That works for me. Since my dropping regular comics thanks to DC's new approach means I lose this title (my one regular non-DC title), I would be happy if the run were ending at the same time. But if it does not I won't lose too much sleep over it.

Comic Books of the Week (7/13/11)

We continue our countdown until August 31st, my final comic book buying day. Let's get to this week's books:

Batman: the Brave and the Bold #9 - this was an enjoyable, done-in-one adventure from the DC Kids line featuring Batman teaming up with Hawkman. The story mostly takes place in space, but shows good elements of both heroes (Batman being a friend, Hawkman being a devoted husband). The last page of the issue clearly was my favorite, a full page shot of what Hawkgirl was up to while her hubby was away.

Birds of Prey #14 - this was the first part of a two-part tale by a fill-in team. Gail Simone already finished her work on the run last time. This definitely feels like an inventory story to me - one that was there for release and had to be used before September's relaunch of the title with a new direction. While I enjoyed some of the art, the story really didn't excite me (between the WWII flashbacks and the return of some Nazi villains today). Yawn. I'll probably only pick up the final issue next month just for completeness sake. The series, one I once looked forward to greatly, is going out with a whimper.

Green Lantern #67 - the final chapter of the "War of the Green Lanterns" saga - another of a letdown. While I did like the nice touch of Kyle's role, the final battle with Krona seemed so arbitrary to me. Of course, the issue has a "shocker" but not really so much so. I am sure it won't be long into the new run starting in September before some things return to the status quo. As the final issue of this run, it too started out really well when Geoff Johns relaunched the book with Hal back in the Corps. Of late though things have gotten a little off - right after Blackest Night in particular. It just felt like it was spinning its wheels in a rut. Ah well.

Teen Titans #97 - the first of the bi-weekly issues so this book can hit #100 before August ends and the book is reconfigured again. I felt this story with Rankor has dragged on a bit too long, so I was glad to see it finally end. There are hints of subplots for the future in this one, but with only three issues left to go before the relaunch I am not really so excited about them. I can't get excited for a new member who won't be on the team in two months time. Ditto for a relationship between Superboy and Ravager when she'll be off the team too. Raven's mystery - I can't see that tying up in the next three issues either. At least with Superboy-Prime coming back next issue there might be some excitement before the final curtain call.

Booster Gold #46 - this book is dragging with the Flashpoint connection. So far we've seen Booster wasting too much time with Doomsday. Dan Jurgens only did half the art here and his story also seems severely shackled. I had hoped the Booster would play a key role in helping Flash solve the problem with changed history. But with only one issue left, if he does it will all be very rushed. Again, another book that I loved when it first came out, then got lost a bit with the change in creative teams, and is now going to go out with a big yawn.

Flashpoint: Citizen Cold #2 (of 3) - I loved the first issue, but this issue not so much. The issue is mostly a battle between Cold and the Rogues, but it just didn't do it for me. Perhaps it was Scott Kolins murky art or his disjointed story-telling. I know he only has three issues to get this done but any interest I was developing in the character and the setting has gone out the window.

Flashpoint: Deathstroke #2 (of 3)- did the art team change between issue 1 and this one? It certainly seems that way. Emperor Aquaman appears in this issue as Deathstroke's ship is attacked. Like with the above book, any interest I had from the first issue seems to have gone with this one - I was really bored. I'm probably going to skip the third one here.

Flashpoint: Emperor Aquaman #2 (of 3) - the art on this issue was very nice all the way around. The flashback of this Aquaman's origin was very detailed, almost too much so for a continuity that goes blip next month. But, perhaps, some of these elements might show up in the new Aquaman book come September. It is so hard to say. This book definitely has not been an Aquaman we've all known and loved for decades. This is more of an Aquman heavily influenced by Marvel's Prince Namor.

Comic Books of the Week (6/15/11)

Legion of Super-Heroes #14 - was it just me or did this issue seem a bit rushed? I liked the first few pages, especially the mystry of Professor Li, but the Immortus stuff seemed to go too fast (especially given it was spotlighted on the cover). I liked the LSV pages, but we kept jumping around - it all felt very disjointed.

Teen Titans #96 - on the flip side, this issue seemed very drawn out. Mostly it focused on Beast Boy and Solstice, while Rankor just seemed to stand around. What villain just stands around? I am bored with this plotline yet we still have another issue to go. This is definitely not keeping me interested for the final issues of this run. Bring on Superboy Prime, please.

Flashpoint: Grodd of War - I liked this one-shot. It painted a nice character study of what Grodd would be like if he actually accomplished his goals without opposition. In short, he longs for something more. Will he get it? We'll find out in another of the minis.

Flashpoint: Legion of Doom #1 (of 3) - when I found out Cyborg would be showing up later in this mini, I grabbed this one. Hmmm...a little different. I enjoy Heat Wave usually but this version is just a little too much for me. Oh, and those last pages with Cluemaster and... just ewwwww. Since it is only three issues, I may keep picking it up just to see where it leads.

Flashpoint: Wonder Woman and the Furies #1 (of 3) - a key issue to why the Atlanteans and the Amazons are at war. This "flashback" explains what caused a union to go terribly wrong, putting the two forces at odds. The question is why? Hopefully we'll learn more.

Comic Books of the Week (5/18/11)

Booster Gold #44 - Booster is the only mainline book that is crossing over with Flashpoint, which makes sense since he is a time traveller. This issue begins that arc. We get a little taste of the Flashpoint world, including the changes to Coast City and the government's secret weapon (no spoiler here!). Good stuff. It also marks the return of Dan Jurgens to the writing and pencilling on the book. I am very pleased for that!

Justice League of America #57 - "the Rise of Eclipso" storyline continues. There are nice references to what's going on in JSA as well as the Brightest Day event, but once again the issue's main focus is with Eclipso. The JLA seems to be guest stars in their own title. Hopefully Robinson can resolve that quickly. More kudos to Booth and Rapmund - their art on this issue is fantastic.

Legion of Super-Heroes #13 - the Legion of Super-Villains arc continues nicely. Paul Levitz is the master at juggling huge casts and allowing each character shown to have their moments. My only complaint is the issues go by so quickly. This is a book that could use extra pages each month. DC needs to dump those previews and fold those pages back into the main book for story.

Teen Titans #95 - continuing to enjoy Krul's arc here. It has a nice epic feel with a slow build and lots of character moments. That last page was surprising. "Behold, Rankor restored!" indeed. Not sure how this one is going to end but it will be a big fight.

Comic Books of the Week (4/20/11) part 2

Round two for the week - this time all super-team titles...

Justice League of America #56 - I liked seeing St. Walker and the reserve Leaguers brought in on the fight with Eclipso. Unfortunately I think the team is seriously out-numbered and out-gunned in this battle. And that ending does not look too promising for them. I'm very curious how Robinson is going to spin this one around. The artwork by Booth and Ramund was very good though. I hope they stick round.

Teen Titans #94 - the teens follow the trail of the kidnapped Wonder Girl, but it doesn't go so smoothly. This issue sort of seemed like it was stuck in a slow gear. I know there was some character development going on but I don't feel the story progressed far enough. I'm hoping for better movement in the next issue.

Legion of Super-Heroes #12 - lots of jumping around in this issue, which I understand is necessary for such a large cast. But, the negative is we only get a page or two in each area before the next jump. This issue felt kind of short too. I like having the letter columns back but I think those six pages of previews need to be cut out and given back to the titles for story. Just saying.

Comic Books of the Week (3/30/11)

Final week of the month, or as I like to call it "J.T. Krul Week" (since his two DC books come out at this time). Let's get to them.

Green Arrow #10 - Ollie and his allies attempt to turn the tide against the Etrigan-possessed forest. But they need a little help. This issue we also get some revelations into who is Galahad. Is he the champion they need? Can they turn the tied? This opening arc which ties in directly to Brightest Day continues.

Justice Society of America #49 - the "Supertown" arc concludes with the return of Green Lantern, plus many others. It was a good conclusion to the story, but things at Monument Point are far from over. That final page was an interesting turn of events, but one that didn't catch me off-guard. I had a feeling it was leading to this point. Big celebration issue next issue - including some George Perez art. Yeah.

Teen Titans #93 - Red Robin is back on the team, and they answer a call to help Solstice, the young heroine Wonder Girl met in one-shot back in January. I liked this issue a lot. J.T. has the voices of this group down pretty good, and the artwork by Scott & Hazlewood was really amazing. The issue was a good mix of characterization, mystery and action. And Solstice should add a nice dynamic to the group.

Comic Books of the Week (2/23/11)

Green Arrow #9 - the mystery of the forest continues with an all-out battle with the Demon. Why the Phantom Stranger dropped for four panels and left I don't know. The rest of the issue was okay, even though it was all just a battle. Reminds me of when we used to play Champions (a majority of the game session was taken up by combat that in real life would have lasted about a minute or two tops).

Justice League: Generation Lost #20 (of 24) - Winick gives us another bit of past tweaking by shuffling up and filling in some holes on Max Lord's history. Not much else happened after the end of last issue - when Blue Beetle II was shot by Lord, just like his predecessor. Did history repeat itself? We'll have to see. I am looking forward to this mini ending as it has been a little uneven.

Justice Society of America #48 - my dislike of this storyline and Guggenheim's writing grows. I think issue 50 might be my jumping off point. I love the team but I hate what he is doing to them. This title deserves to be great. It is far from it.

Legion of Super-Heroes #10 - while the elected team leader is away, the deputy leader is in charge. And boy does Brainiac 5 get things done. Clearly he knows how to efficiently dispatch the team and get things under control. Will they stay that way? Nice to see Yera again. I had almost forgotten about her. This book is really a gem and I am glad it is back in great style.

Teen Titans #92 - since I didn't pick up the crossover issue with Red Robin I was a little out of sorts. Krul caught me up well enough. Good to see Tim Drake back with the gang but I'm not sure how I feel about the ending. Having Damian on the team was a wildcard, one I didn't know well. With him out and Tim in (? not clear on that.) is this book more of the same old/same old? I hope it doesn't get that way. At least Krul is tying up some loose ends from former runs (dealing with the death of Marvin and the missing Kid Eternity). Points for that.

Showcase Presents: Justice League of America volume 5 - classic b/w reprints of the team from 1970 to 1973. This was the era I discovered the JLA. The first issue reprinted (#84) was the first one I ever remember owning as a kid. The run goes sequentially all the way through issues 105 and 106, when Elongated Man and Red Tornado join the League respectively. Dick Dillin's art evolves nicely over these issues - you can see the progression of his style. He was the League artist for me as a kid. Hopefully they can put out one more volume in this line (taking us to the late 70's).

Comics of the Week (1/26/11)

The racks of the comic shop are starting to look very cool now that we've hit the final week of DC's "white background" cover month. Neat effect. And good covers too.

Green Arrow #8 - tons of guest-stars in this issue. Tons so far since the run started (with previous months having Green Lantern, the Martian Manhunter, etc.). This issue there are three guest heroes, one supporting cast member, and that last page appearance for next issue. Okay, I get it. We want to show how the world is reacting to the mystery forest in Star City, but when will the guests stop? My guess is when Brightest Day ends in a few months and we get an answer to what is going on. It is starting to get old though.

Justice League: Generation Lost #18 - so Power Girl shows up end of last issue looking for a fight. That's what we get this time - an issue long fight. Lopresti's art sure made it enjoyable though. Now that we're 2/3rds of the way done with the story, I am so ready for Act 3. Let's get the battle to Max Lord, please.

Justice Society of America #47 - the "Supertown" arc continues. As I said last time, the story is interesting enough - it just does not feel like a JSA tale to me. Guggenhein does not seem to have the right "voice" for the characters for me, sadly. And what is with guest-stars Manhunter and Blue Devil? They're not traditional JSA material. Ah well.

Teen Titans #91 - I don't feel Krul has gotten his rhythm down yet on this title. The interplay between Robin and Ravager is nice, but the others just aren't there yet. Which is a shame since Krul did so well with the Blackest Night: Titans mini. Maybe it is this cast he has to work with. Not sure. I hope it picks up soon. Still, light-years better than the previous writer was doing on the book.

Comics of the Week (12/29/10)

The last comic book commentary for 2010 - let's get to them!

Batman: the Brave and the Bold #2 - The Caped Crusader is added by Captain Marvel as Psycho-Pirate causes Christmas chaos in Gotham City. The story was fairly straightforward but fun.

Flash #8 - the spotlight issues on villains continues with the "origin" of Professor Zoom, the Reverse Flash. I like these occasionally as Geoff Johns fleshes out the villains nicely. Interesting that despite his best efforts, Thawne could not change his fate to become a true villain.

Green Arrow #7 - the art on this issue was very nice, but the story seems to be dragging its heels. It seems as if this book has to run on a slow speed just so it can stay in tune with Brightest Day. I hope the pace picks up soon.

Green Lantern #61 - yawn. This Green Lantern issue was mostly a focus on the Red Lantern and the Spectre. Not a Green Lantern in sight. Not one I enjoyed at all.

Justice Society of America #46 - the "Supertown" story arc continues. I'm sort of on the fence on this one. It almost seems like the writer had a story in mind for a long time and the JSA just happens to be the super-heroes shoe-horned into it. This book may be a candidate for being dropped in 2011.

Teen Titans #90 - J.T. Krul has really turned this book around in a few short issues. I'm enjoying the new line-up with the addition of Robin (Damien). Now, if this storyline could pick it up a notch I would be happy.

Comics of the Week (5/26/10)

the Brave and the Bold #34 - I liked the idea of this issue (the original LSH members teaming with the original Doom Patrol) and I loved the cover. What fell flat though was J. Michael Straczynski's dialogue and story pacing. It just felt "off" to me. I guess I am in a minority as I don't always get this writer. I am considering dropping the book from my pull list.

Green Lantern #54 - not a great issue but I expected some down time after Blackest Night. Some of the other colored Corps are still on Earth, and this one deals with Red Lantern.

Justice League: Generation Lost #2 - this biweekly continues to lay down an interesting premise: Max Lord is back but no but the four (Booster, Fire, Ice, Captain Atom) remember him. Not sure where this one will end up, but I was a fan of the JLI era team so I am digging this mini.

Justice League: Rise of Arsenal #3 (of 4) - Ugh. I hate what DC is doing to Roy Harper with this mini. I get the loss, I get the anguish. I don't get the character becoming truly unlikeable. I am hoping for a major redemption arc in the future but I don't expect it will be very soon. Sigh.

Teen Titans #83 - Double ugh. Felicia Henderson's dialogue, pacing and overall storytelling might work for TV and "Gossip Girl" but it does not work here. These characters are so unrecognizable it is not funny. And I had anticipated the Coven Of Three back-up, but that didn't thrill me either. This book is officially dropped until a new lead writer comes on board. Enough is enough.

Comics of the Week (4/28/10)

Batman: the Brave and the Bold #16 - a fun team-up with Batman and Wonder Woman, trying to figure out the diabolical scheme of Egg Head. Yes, you read that right. The classic 60's TV villain played so well by Vincent Price makes his animated comic debut - and it is a lot of fun. Great cover. If you enjoy the cartoon series, you should like this book. I know I do.

Justice League: the Rise of Arsenal #2 (of 4) - writer J.T. Krul continues to work out the emotions as Roy deals with the loss of his arm and his daughter. He is angry at his mentor, angry at his friends, angry at himself. My hope is the character really comes out of this crisis to start a more solid chapter. We'll see. I'm enjoying the ride.

Justice Society of America #38 - ugh. I am very tired of Willingham's plot here with the Nazis and a future-tale. I just don't get his entire run on this book. My hope is that he's going to be moving off of it soon. I know the upcoming JLA/JSA crossover is going to be written by Robinson. Maybe that'll be a sign of Willingham leaving the book. One can hope as I am seriously considering dropping the title from my pull-list if he stays.

Teen Titans #82 - and speaking of writers I don't get, Felicia Henderson does not get these characters at all. I know she's a big Hollywood writer with many teen shows under her belt, but that doesn't mean she knows how to write comics. Her dialogue is way off (often cringeworthy), the pacing is poor, and the characters often out of character. The Ravager feature hasn't been exciting me much either. I expect more from this book. I'm giving it another couple issues to shape up or I am going to definitely be dropping this one. With some other new books starting (like Birds of Prey with Gail Simone writing and Legion of Super-Heroes being written by Paul Levitz), I won't be missing this monthly mediocre mess.

catching up on Comic Books

Hey, blog-readers! It has been awhile. My apologies. I thought I'd take a few minutes and give some summaries of titles I've been getting these past few months.

Blackest Night - issue 8 just came out this week, concluding this epic event. And, believe me, this has ended up pretty well. I loved how this whole mini pitted friends against friends, living against the dead (and in some cases newly dead), and made some uneasy allies among the various Corps. This series has brought some characters (like Mera) back into the forefront of the DCU, and those that have been brought back to life in this final issue will set a nice foundation for the coming year as well as the Brightest Day bi-weekly mini starting later this month. As for the tie-in minis, those focusing on Superman, the Titans, the Flash and the JSA were my favorites. I could have skipped the Batman and Wonder Woman ones and most of the one-shots and been fine. Also, tie in with that the regular Green Lantern title which ran a nice parallel to the main mini series quite nicely.

Flash: Rebirth - this one finally ended, with a little delay due to production, but the end result was well worth it. Barry Allen is back where he belongs, full throttle. This sets up very nicely for the first issue of his new series coming also this month.

Justice League: Cry For Justice - this mini ended with two big changes to the archers of the DCU - Red Arrow and Green Arrow. This changes are the primary focus of the Rise And Fall arcs that are running across the main Justice League title, an Arsenal mini series (yup, Roy is changing back to his old name) and on the Green Arrow title. This is some heavy stuff but a very cool new direction to take the characters.

Over on Justice League of America, James Robinson and Mark Bagley are taking the roster into a new direction. In the first few issues it started out being a Titans graduation party but the roster is settling it out a little bit. All of this is following on well from the "Cry For Justice" mini too.

I have not been so thrilled though with the direction the Justice Society of America main title has gone along with it's spin off JSA All-Stars. The creative teams are taking things off in weird directions that just doesn't do it for me.

Similary too, Teen Titans has lost a lot of its focus since the creative team changed a few months ago. Over on REBELS, I think the Starro story line dragged out a bit too long. I am hoping these books can pull it back in or they're close to the chopping block for me.

Meanwhile, both Booster Gold and Secret Six continue to shine in their own ways. These creative teams are perfect and that should help keep the books entertaining month after month. Gail Simone is also going back to a relaunch of Birds of Prey in May, so that's another I'll be adding to my pull list.

I'll give Adventure Comics some slack for being up and down. Loved the focus on Superboy Prime during Blackest Night and the Legion back up. Not so thrilled with the issues tying in to the Superman books but oh well. On the plus side, the Legion is getting its own title again in a few months with Paul Levitz as the writer. Very psyched for this!