The Action Comics is back with a new story in its latest volume with some new twists and turns. In this issue, DC Comics brings together Secret Six with Action Comics and Paul Cornell opens the story in two-parts. This is, may be the first time, that a all villain-led comics is packed in one issue.

Since, Lex Luthor’s contribution was there in creating the secret six team in the earlier issue so it was not very difficult to get the connection. The first part of the story in this series involves super six team in action with Vandal Savage in a fight, which is quite interesting and engaging. The sequence involves a lot of minute details along with a lot of fun and excitement.

Again, with this issue, the closing of the The Black Ring is also approaching. Now there are mere 3 installments remain for the series to end. Moreover, you can see the coming back of few previous enemies in this issue and a conflict between Luthor’s Lois-bot and an previous rival. Overall, it a very interesting and entertaining to see most of villains from the last seven issues coming together and to know their additional roles.

Pete Woods has done a great job along with his team as far as art is concerned. Colors by Brad Anderson and team is also very interesting and catchy. The cover done by David Finch is also worth appreciation. On the whole, you would definitely miss something if you miss the issue of Action Comics vol. 896.

After last month’s not so great issue, “Wonder Woman” is back with bang with the latest issue. This is one of the best issues of Wonder Woman in a very long time and Nicola Scott makes the perfect comeback after the disappointment of the last issue.  

It starts with Gail Simone seemingly using Hippolyta to express her own feelings and letting go Diana, as we return to the night when Hippolyta urges the Amazon to be prepared to enter the Man’s World. The reaming of the issue primarily focuses on the Silver Serpent and their attack. Also the confrontation of Diana with her long-lost aunt gets great deal of priority. 

With this issue Nicola Scott has been successful in keeping her critics shut by projecting Diana as the strong yet beautiful woman, fighting her enemies in great style. Scott has made a perfect use of all the colors and variety of textures to give a very classy look and feel to the book and yet managed to project the darkness of required in almost clinical fashion. The detailed and imaginative color schemes provide a very arty look and depth. Also the cover is a great piece of work, a classic though the colors are a bit modern. 

All in all a great read as well as a real visual treat. This undoubtedly is one of Scott’s best works and the way she manages to capture your attention with subtle variations in colors and overall background is really a commendable effort.

This issue of the “Dark Wolverine” may appear similar to “Siege” and “Wolverine Origin” to some readers. However, as they carry on with this issue, they would realize that it is far more interesting than what its frequently used title may suggest. Romulus plays the role of a villain in this Marvel adventure and seems very spotty.

Way and Liu, though manage to bring the best out of his character as they put an interesting twist on his relationship with Daken. This move gives a fair justification for Romulus’s inclination towards the Wolverine’s world who otherwise is mostly involved in a conspiracy that has led to his present situation. The issue also sees the return of Daken who had extricated himself after forming an alliance with the Dark Avengers.

The issue also throws a huge surprise by enlightening the readers with the relationship of Daken with Logan, which was least expected by anyone. The story though seems very unrealistic with the plot filled with manipulations. Logan joins hands with Daken suspecting some foul play from his son and eventually double crosses him. It really becomes difficult to understand who is manoeuvring who at some stages.

Daken seems to be at his best when he is away from the duel between Wolverine and Romulus. The final scene of the issue is also quite intriguing. Stephen Segovia has done a good job with the cover of the issue which seems very attractive. Although the story seems to be doing quite well, the real challenge would come when the book would have to strike out on its own.

The latest issue of Nova would prove to be an excellent read for those who love superhero books. The story is all about the war between two superhumans who hail from different points of time in the history. The story sees Sphinx going to war with his own version and the older one coming out victorious. The triumphant Sphinx has the support of Nova and some other heroes. He also has two Ka Stones in his possession which make him even more powerful.

The Stones give him immense power that can even threaten the entire existence. The story also gives the readers an opportunity to view the thrilling encounter between the Sphinx and Nova. Nova showcases his wonderful skills in the process; however the way that Sphinx bites the dust can be a little hard to digest for the readers. Although the story has some wonderful characters to start with, they do not seem to make any contribution in Sphinx’s defeat.

The story seems rather abrupt and the team-up of the two teams led by Sphinx also does not hold water in the context of the overall story. It may be due to the fact that Nova being the hero of the story had to be highlighted. The artwork of Mahmud A. Asrar seems competent enough but leaves a margin for improvement. He fails to display the dynamic movements of the characters in the cosmic action of this issue. Overall, this issue can be termed as a generic superhero book with a dramatic finish.

This issue of the Muppet Show is really very exciting and is certain to hook a lot of people. Published by the Boom! Studios the comic book has a very attractive cover which would lure even the irregular ones from giving it a try. Readers would find the characters that were destroyed in the earlier mini-series of Muppet Show making a comeback. Roger Langridge has managed to create a very exciting story with careful portrayal of the characters like Gonzo, Fozzie, Statler and Waldorf.

The issue has a lot of wit which may not be comprehended easily by the young readers. Langridge has the known dancing couples and other routine old favorites. Readers would also get to see the marathon prowess of Gonzo Marathon in this issue. The art work of the issue has the typical style of Roger who has done an exceptional job with the characters and makes them look instantly recognizable.

It has a great deal of humor attached to it and specially his sketch of the surprised look in the eyes of the characters and the way he has shown the characters making their way to the theatre in the opening two-pages really needs special mention. He has managed to create a fine looking comic book which is highly recommended for all the fans of “The Muppet Show” and a great way to find out why it is loved so much by the readers. The comic book is priced at just $2.99 and happens to be the funniest comic book that is available in the market.

This issue of the Batman series has the feel of the old fashioned superhero stories. It is full of thrills and excitement with clues that threaten to unmask the mysterious villain. The story is filled with right amount of humor and you would certainly enjoy reading it.

Tony Daniel keeps the story rolling along by mixing the past and the present beautifully. This is observed in the opening page of the story which has seagulls squawking on the shore with Batman lying face down and then suddenly the story goes back to narrate the incidents of the past that has led to the present predicament of Batman.

Tony though fails to do justice with Dick Grayson when you actually see Batman is in action. However, he has done a great job in the characterization of Dick and Damian. His artwork also seems to the best out of all the Batman stories that he has drawn over the years. His work has the texture that was lacking in the earlier issues and looks more concrete. This has been assisted wonderfully by Sandu Florea and Norm Rapmund who have made it even more stylish.

The artwork has given depth to the characters and has helped in making the story more effective. The story concludes with a clue to the unmasked villain which lets Dick know the identity of the Black Mask. Overall, it is not merely an attempt at narration as the story is full of some real action and at $2.99 certainly makes great reading.

This issue of the Batman would probably see Judd Winick conclude his run as a writer as he is going to be replaced by Tony Daniel who will replace him as the writer from the next issue. Winick’s brought back Jason Todd and although he had a brief run to the title, he made it very clear how good he is at writing Dick Grayson. Winick depicted Grayson-as-Batman to be a person with a mix of confidence with a bit of wonder.

Grayson has done everything to prove his capability as Nightwing, the superhero in the earlier issues of the story. Winick has portrayed Grayson as someone who has real powers but is still getting used to them and it was certainly a smart move from the writer. This move seemed to be the best part of the stories that followed Batman R.I.P. and it is indeed very unfortunate that the character which looked set for a long stint was ended abruptly.

Overall, the plot seems to be missing something interesting and although from the characterization point of view is wonderful to see the dual between Batman and Clayface. The character of the Penguin was typically very admiring and the writer must be credited for using the various abilities of the DC Universe in such a wonderful way.

The artwork of Mark Bagley seems to be done in haste with the drawings having rough and scratchy edges. Although, it is sad to see Winick calling it a day when the story was shaping up beautifully, the comic lovers can expect some real excitement when Tony Daniel steps into the writer’s shoes.

The Amazing Spider Man has had an interesting and very artistic line up when you talk about the last two months. The succeeding act of “The Gauntlet” uber plot has Spider Man facing the Sandman after he dispatched Electro in the previous issue. Fred Van Lente has used the character of Sandman in a very different way than the character of Electro used by Mark Waid. He has combined different aspects to the story and given it a beautiful turn which seems just about perfect.

The art work by Pulido is exceptional with usage of simple colour schemes that fits the comic world perfectly. Javier Rodriguez colours unlike the over digitalized colours of Marvel comics are flat and subtle. He uses the classical style in a wonderful way without making it look dated and this definitely adds much charm to the comic book. The plot of this issue revolves around Spider Man investigating a series of murder and search for a missing girl. The girl disappears as a snowman begins talking with her and she is led to a secret kingdom.

Van Lente’s choice to use this scene as a recollection of reported events by someone makes it very effective than simply including the scene in the story. It adds a great deal to the mystery and uncertainty in the overall story. It is very easy for readers to conclude that Sandman is the man behind the disappearance of the girl and that he also is the father of the girl. Unlike Electro, Sandman uses his superior powers to create a fantasy world for his child. Keeping it protected from the outside world is what causes the dual between him and Spider Man.

This issue of Green Lantern is a departure from the action of “Blackest Night” that had been running on for months and also sees the return of the characters into main action. Geoff Johns has done a truly remarkable job in this issue and has represented the War of Lights perfectly. The issue gives a great peak inside the world of DC and is paced beautifully for the casts that can be led directly into Blackest Night #5.

The issue primarily looks like a prologue of Blackest Night #5. Johns has also done a commendable job with al the characters who seem to be more established and have their own voices and under their respective lanterns they shine with glow. The wielders of the spectrum decide to create an alliance after they defeat a set of black lanterns. They intend to put out the Black Lantern source. The arrangements and the internal confusion between the characters make this issue a great read. The artwork of Mahnke is also very praiseworthy. It is very vibrant and challenging. Mahnke makes subtle differences in drawing the different characters.

This series has been adding a wonderful subplot to the action that has been going on in Blackest Night. It deals with what has been happening to Hal Jordan away from Earth and bonding the characters who have a shared history. The issue will make readers of “Green Lantern” and “Blackest Night” greatly intertwined. For readers of “Blackest Night”, this issue proves to be a wonderful background to know what has been happening.

Deadpool Team-up Volume 899, published by Marvel comics has Deadpool and Hercules teaming up against Arcade and an unknown villain. Fred Van Lente’s story though feels a little out of sorts. Unlike his work like “Incredible Hercules”, this issue is a bit of a dampener when it comes to humor. Hercules also seems to fit best with characters like Amadeus Cho who are straight and allow him to be the crazy one around. His chemistry with Deadpool in no way matches the magic that he creates with Amadeus Cho in “Incredible Hercules”.

Another negative aspect is that Arcade has always failed to impress readers as an interesting villain and Lente’s effort to reinvent the character falls short of everybody’s expectations. The story does have patches where it feels funny, but overall though the plot does not seem strong enough to sustain the story. The artwork of Dalibor Talajic also lacks a punch, although his work on the background seems much better than anyone around. His work on the interiors of Murderworld is really commendable.

Dalibor Talajic’s portrayal of the characters though seem a little stiff which is unlike what is expected from physically active characters like Deadpool and Hercules. The best thing for Marvel to do to maintain the popularity of Deadpool is to reduce the number of comics that are coming up which are decreasing the intensity of its stories. This present issue seems more like an attempt to increase the sales rather than provide the users with a good read.