Batman #8

Writer: Scott Snyder

Artist: Greg Capullo

DC needs to get in the business of writing horror stories for its characters, because its most recent couple of attempts have been outstanding; case in point: "Attack on Wayne Manor." In the best style of movies like "When a Stranger Calls," Snyder and Capullo take the Talons inside Bruce Wayne's abode using every single panel to keep the readers at the edge of their seats. Bruce is portrayed as collected and in control of himself -at least in the surface- with just a hint of uneasiness and even dread in him. The Talons are spine-chilling and eerie as they infest the mansion. The true instrument to convey the sense of terror, however, is loyal Alfred Pennyworth; who despite having the living hell scared out of him, finds the courage to carry out his master's instructions, and even protect him. A fantastic opening chapter for Gotham's longest and scariest night.

The Avengers #25

Writer: Brian Michael Bendis

Artist: Walter Simonson

Comics legend Walter Simonson lends a hand to transition storylines in the main Avengers title from the "A.I.M." arc to "AvX." Readers are lured with a crossover banner on the cover, and given some sort of compliance by showing a two-page spread of the battle in Utopia, but other than that, this is not really part of the event. The issue quickly ties loose ends and puts the finishing touches on the pointless plot involving A.I.M., that had nothing coming out of it, except buying some time until the arrival of Marvel's new money maker. There were good things about the story, though; for instance, the focus on Captain America and the overwhelming pressure he is under; Thor's return is somewhat addressed, and a great interaction between he and the Star Spangled Avenger was a nice moment. The twist at the end of the issue came out of nowhere, and was clearly a last minute adjustment to accommodate for the new Captain Marvel series.  Filler issue.

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Justice League #8

Writer: Geoff Johns

Artists: Carlos D'anda, Ivan Reis, Joe Prado

What a fun issue! This story does more for the characterization of guest star Green Arrow than his own title has done in eight months. He is funny, irreverent, with a social conscience, and even more important, controversial. This issue confirms what had already been implied: The League has remained static, unchanged, for the past five years; not a very convincing move, but on the other hand, an exciting one if the prospect of a roster expansion is on the horizon. Strangely enough, this is also an unofficial tie-in of sorts for "Night of the Owls," and as brief as this sequence was, it does a lot to make the events in the Bat books more convincing; after all, how could Batman face such a menace and not be helped by the League? This takes care of that. A dark chapter of the League's past is revealed with beautiful pencils by Ivan Reis. What a fun issue!

Avengers vs X-Men #2

Writers: Aaron, Bendis, Brubaker, Hickman, Fraction

Artist: John Romita Jr.

The clash of super powers for the fate of Hope Summers officially starts with three words: "Magnetic Fastball Special." The narrative in this issue comes from an outside party; a Watcher? the Phoenix? just the writer? This faceless witness walks readers through the initial blows of the scuffle, without taking sides, being just a voice in the middle of the chaos. The Avengers (in Utopia and space) are represented by their biggest and most familiar faces, whereas the X-Men are but a shadow of their past glorious rosters. Who cares about Dr. Nemesis, Madison Jeffries, Loa, or Transonic? (Do people even know who they are?) This would be a different fight if the "Classic X-Men" -as Dazzler would say- were present, or not reduced to the background. Romita Jr's pencils take a turn in the wrong direction with rushed and out of proportion traces. Not his best work.

Avengers: 3  X-Men: 0

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New Avengers #24

The Avengers seem to be getting a bad rap from a segment of readers who think Hope Summers and the Phoenix are the X-Men's business and it was not their place going to Utopia with their guns loaded looking for trouble. This issue by Brian Michael Bendis delves deeper into how the team came to that decision, and in my opinion making it perfectly justifiable. The point this story strongly drives is that this was a difficult choice, and that no one is happy about having to fight their allies and friends. Best part of the issue is that ominous double spread by Mike Deodato with the Avengers getting out of the Helicarrier; it set the tone for the entire issue. Storm's short association with the team is over, and it should never have happened in the first place; it was pointless and poorly planned. The subplot involving Luke Cage and Jessica Jones is tiresome and has already been done; it is time to move on.

Batgirl #8

The retelling of "The Killing Joke" continues in a story written by Gail Simone. Rather than presenting readers with a mere flashback, Simone makes a great effort to offer an interesting plot that naturally leads to the remembering of that atrocious night for Barbara Gordon. This is not a light story, or one with funny remarks here and there; this one is dark, personal, and tragic. Without taking much away from the original tale, great strides are made to actually build on it by slightly shifting the focus away from the main players. Then there is the other big elephant in the room: Babs' mom and her justification for her actions. There is something about it that felt somewhat flat; then again, Barbara's inner thoughts show she feels something is missing; so perhaps it is indeed an intentional move to be elaborated on later. That last page was creepy to no end and can't wait for what's next!

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.