Batwoman #8

Batwoman takes on Falchion's myth creatures as they threaten "To Drown the World" in a story written by Williams III and Haden Blackman. The pieces of this time-spanning adventure continue coalescing while questions are answered, and characters and their relationships are developed. Events from the massacre in issue #2 are elaborated on, Batwoman's dynamics with agent Chase get the spotlight, and Kate keeps digging herself in a hole from which she will not be able to get out of. After almost two years of much fanfare, Amy Reeder's short-lived run in the title comes to its end.  Her style, although very different from Williams III's, had its own charm and fit perfectly fine with the theme and tempo of the arc.  It is sad that creative differences did not allow the story to be delivered in its entirety with the consistency expected of such high-quality book.

Green Lantern #8

The horror story continues in the second chapter of "The Secret of the Indigo Tribe." These folks take the term über-creepy to a whole new level, and just like the Red Lanterns proved that rage doesn't necessarily have its roots on evil, the Tribe shows how something as innocent as compassion may actually come from a dark place. Then there's Black Hand. Ever since taking over the franchise, Geoff Johns has kept him on the forefront of his best hits, and his run on the title has been about telling William Hand's story; this issue is yet another highlight for the character. Once again, kudos go to Doug Mahnke and the art team for a beautiful issue. The ambiance they have created to tell this arc immerses the reader into a dark, cold, and desolate place, that is the galactic equivalent of Camp Crystal Lake. The cliffhanger places Hal Jordan not only in the face of a jarring secret, but also at odds against big, big trouble. Excellent!

Avengers vs X-Men Infinite #1

Marvel introduces a new concept in digital comics that is intended to enhance the reading experience by taking advantage of current multimedia technology. The first Infinite comic ever is a prologue to Avengers vs. X-Men, that more or less runs parallel to issue #0 of the series and leads right into issue #1. The issue focuses on Nova racing to Earth just steps ahead of the Phoenix Force as the cosmic entity comes for Hope Summers -allegedly.

There are some neat elements about this Infinite initiative. For example, it is easier for creators to focus the reader's attention in any part of the workspace; one corner instead of the other, the background instead of the foreground, or just the art instead of the dialog. The transitions also make for an entertaining experience, and they are the closest thing to actual animation. Specifically in this issue, Stuart Immonen and Marte Garcia produce some wonderful artwork that is extremely enjoyable. Not much story to talk about here, though, and that could be one of the minuses with this concept; the attention is so centered in the visuals that the writing seems to accommodate to them rather than the other way around.

Batwing #8

Gotham becomes the stage for the decisive confrontation between Batwing and Massacre. This time the attention returns to the titular character after having it stolen last month by Robin and Nightwing. Interesting thing about Massacre's true identity, is that probably many saw it coming, but the true kicker was the revelation of who was manipulating him. Kudos to Judd Winick for being able to deliver a strong and unexpected twist to the story. This chapter does a great job with character development, adding more layers to David and his alter-ego; however, the book suffers in the art department. Ben Oliver's departure has hurt the overall experience of reading the series. Now fully integrated into the Bat-family, it looks like Batwing will stay a while on this side of the pond, and his next stop is not just exciting, but also consolidates his presence in the DCU: The JLI.

Action Comics #8

Superman's origin and his throwdown with the Collector or Worlds come to its conclusion. While Morrison's writing is known to always look at a bigger picture, an overarching story, the most immediate tale ended without much of a bang. I find the new concept for Brainiac uninteresting, and -absurd as it may sound- void of any character; however, a redesign or a new iteration would not be an issue since it is a robot after all, it can be reinvented as much as necessary; Luthor on the other hand, does not have that luxury. Thus far, Superman's quintessential villain has been less than impressive and even bland. Even though the art duties were shared among four different artists, the pencils in the important part of the story remained consistent and were not disruptive; the aftermath portion was the one that differed the most, visually speaking; but it can even be considered an "optional read," so no loss there.

Hawk and Dove #8

"Endgame" by Rob Liefeld and Marat Mychaels marks the final installment for the "Hawk and Dove" short-lived series. After taking a beating from Hunter last issue, the avatars of war and peace take the fight back to their enemy, and this time they are not playing nice. The dialog is loaded with a sense of finality, as if the characters had reached some kind of milestone, while the closing pages try to elevate their triumphs since the start of this run, allowing some ends to remain loose as potential plot devices for future storylines. Let's hope that Hawk and Dove find a new home soon in the pages of another book -JLI, perhaps? Regardless of how this title turned out, its detractors, or the unfair "guilty by association" campaign it was subject of, its biggest success was giving these characters much deserved exposition, letting it gain new fans along the way.

Detective Comics #8

"Scare Tactics" is a standalone adventure that picks up after the events of the backup in issue #5 and connects them to the arc that just ended in "Dark Knight." This does not mean one needs to read those stories to understand what happens here; but those who do, will be glad to see that Tony Daniel acknowledges the rest of the Bat-verse, and makes a nice effort to maintain cohesiveness. Although brief, Daniel's portrayal of Scarecrow is fantastic. As pathetic as Dr. Crane can be sometimes, he also has his good moments, and this is one of them. Poison Ivy was an interesting choice to project Catwoman's fears; could there be a potential secret story to explain that? Without a doubt, Daniel is an extremely talented artist, and this issue is proof of that; with Florea's inks and Gomez' backgrounds, the artwork is stunning. Comics in general need more single, intimate stories like this one.

Avengers vs X-Men #1

The event kicks off with Nova heralding the arrival of the Phoenix, and Earth's Mightiest coming to aid him. This part of the story is very dramatic, charged with action and heroics, and relying strongly on John Romita Jr.'s pencils; while in Utopia, the same tired plot with Cyclops and Hope Summers continues playing. The Phoenix-Jean Grey history is simplified in such a manner that it seems more like a retcon; after all, the cosmic creature never killed the former Marvel Girl. Even this early, the seeds are planted for this to be an "all about Wolverine" story. The incident that triggers the much anticipated confrontation is very well written, even though no effort is made to make anyone sympathize with Cyclops; he acts like a jerk the whole time. Once again, the Avengers come off as the regal team, while the Cyclops-Emma-Namor-Magneto-and-everyone-else group falls short. 

Avengers:2   X-Men: 0

Daredevil #10

Free advice to all readers: Do judge this book by its cover. Even if you don't care about the content of the issue, the cover alone is worth the purchase. Paolo and Joe Rivera outdid themselves with a beautifully intricate piece that evokes the mystery novels from the early 1900s; a magnificent work of art that mesmerizes at first sight. Once able to get past the cover, readers will find that the interior is indeed just as good. Mark Waid plots a great story that immerses Daredevil in a genre he is rarely seen in. The horror theme of this adventure serves as a backdrop for the many contrasts and similarities between the Man Without Fear and the Mole Man, doing wonders to characterization. Their fighting sequence was also exciting and well orchestrated, and without Javier Rodriguez's colors, it would not have been the same. This back to basics approach for the title is making of it one of the best in the industry.