Batgirl #3

I really wish that DC had thought about releasing this title as a graphic novel.
Not enough is happening in each issue to keep me glued. So let reviewers like those of us here at PK finish reading this title.
If in the end the book hits it's mark - then simply buy the Trade.
Certainly not worth the weekly buy.

SKIP IT

Dreamwar #6

Well the story finally ends, thank god. Honestly, this stretched on a little longer than it really needed to. All six issues ended up being basically 'What If' fan service. There were a few cool fights, but nothing really groundbreaking happened either way, and the whole storyline meshed weirdly with the mainstream Wildstorm Universe since it clearly took place BEFORE the world fell apart. Overall, it tries to be the best of the JLA and Authority and falls short of both.

Skip it

Guardians of the Galaxy #5

The Secret Invasion tie-in continues and intrigue abounds. It's looking like Guardians, in addition to their time-warping plotline, is going to be another book that focuses on the major events from a different angle. Whereas X-factor and Frontline will show the human and mutant ramifications, Guardians seems poised to show how these events affect the rest of the Marvel Universe. so far, they've done so deftly.

Read it

The Age of the Sentry #1

This is a split book (two stories) about the early days of the Sentry. It's a great idea, but I'm not thrilled with the execution. The entire book is done in the style of the old Golden Age books from the 60s. Bright and vibrant colors splash the pages and the writing is spot on for the era, full of declarations and exclamation points. As I mentioned, this is a great idea but I think I've lost my tolerance for Golden Age (and GA-style) books in general. The plotting is never all that interesting and you know what's going to happen pages before it does. That said, Nick Dragotta's art is pitch perfect as usual and the little touches really do help sell the old feel of the book (the "continued after next page" footers, the Marvel Bullpen Bulletin, etc.). If you're a fan of the classic style and want something new, I would definitely recommend this book. If you're like me however and have moved on to other styles, let this one go and just read the Sentry in Mighty Avengers.

Skip It.

Captain Britain and MI-13 #5

I've raved about this book for the first four issues and this is the first one to give me (monetary) pause. This issue is both a catch-up and a set-up between other story arcs. We settle down after the drag-out fight with the Skrulls last issue and we get a look at how Wisdom will be running the show as a backbone to the series. It's information we need, but it comes across a tad dry. Arid setting aside, we get some interesting twists with the Black Knight, a new recruit (didn't see that coming!) and a possible death already. This may be a colling off issue that's specifically billed as a prologue, but it's still better than the normal bridge issue. This month may not be a "Must Have," but it's still a solid part o the story and acts as an introduction to another winner, I'm sure.

Read It.

Amazing Spider-Man #572

You'd think I'd be tired of claiming the greatness of "New Ways to Die," but nope. The story continues to rock as Anti-Venom brings a new level of interest in Eddie Brock I haven't had since he moved to California in the mid-1990s. Norman Osborn could sit and read the paper all issue and I'd love him, so to say that his storyline with Harry is great would be an understatement. Bullseye, always fun. Spider-Man finally outsmarts a villain again. While I wasn't a fan of Freak as a villain, I'm glad to see continuity being used here in a sideline in neat story tic (once again featuring Norman). Gargan gets a new status quo for a while. I'm basically preaching to the converted on this one. If you've liked the first four issues of "New Ways to Die" you'll continue to love this penultimate entry to the story.

Must Have.

Jonostarsmore's Text

Mighty Avengers #18

In this issue, the big reveal is that Nick Fury's Secret Warriors (is that really what they're called? Why not just go with Howling Commandos?) were secretly trained in secret. Oh yeah, we already knew that. There are a few moments that show just how far Fury will go to get a job done, but all-in-all, there's not much here that really adds anything to the Secret Invasion storyline. Maybe when Bendis starts to flesh out the characters more, I can start to care about them, but until then...

Skip it.

Secret Invasion: Thor #2

The first thing you will probably notice about this book is the art. It's beautifully done. Seeing the Asgardians fighting the skrulls looks like something that might have been torn from a historic painting. Thankfully, the story is more then icing on the cake. I absolutely love how Donald Blake is as much of a main character as Thor is. Finally, it has Beta Ray Bill in it, so how could you NOT be reading this right now?

MUST HAVE

Uncanny X-Men #502

One minor gripe I need to get out of the way. What is it with the X-titles and abrupt endings? I've noticed this a lot in Astonishing, and I caught it here as well. Aside from that, this issue was phenomenal. The more I read of the new Uncanny, the more I fall in love with the X-Men all over again. The family dynamic continues to improve as we see more of the extended X-Men come into play. It's worth it alone just to see Storm getting into a street brawl.

MUST HAVE

Flash #244

Now that things have settled down for Flash and his family, he's starting to notice something different about his speed. That and a guy who can control bees attacks. Flash lately has been pretty hit and miss, and this issue really doesn't have much interesting going for it other than the side story about Wally's powers being a little off.

Skip it

Robin #178

It's after RIP (Even though it hasn't actually wrapped up yet) and Robin is still struggling to keep Gotham from falling further into madness. At the same time he's trying to take down two dirty cops and figure out who the new Red Robin is. Maybe it would help if we actually knew the full details of how RIP ends, but the book still feels lacking. It definitely has some interesting threads going on, but overall just seems to drag all of them for the longest time before resolving them.

Skip it.

Echo #6

Julie and Dillion continue to run from the government all while piecing together what exactly happend at Moon Lake and to the suit's original wearer, Dillion's girlfriend Annie. I'm still loving this book just as much as when it started, with the main storyline of Julie and Dillion trying to figure out what the hell is going on, to Ivy searching for Julie and being stonewalled by the people who sent her to find the suit. This is definitely one of my favorite regular books.

Must Read.

Jaffa's Text

Lexicon's Text