Top Picks: Volume 1 Issue 6

5. Teen Titans #15

Written By: Scott Lobdell

Art By: Brett Booth 

NOTE: THERE ARE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW

This issue was filled with highs and lows for me.

I understand wanting to get all the right characters involved with the "Death of the Family" event, but this tie-in was my least favorite of the bunch.

Am I really supposed to believe that Batgirl, given everything she has going with the Joker, would take off and help the Teen Titans? Seems unlikely, but I guess she found time to pencil them in.

Another thing, was it really necessary to put an editor's note about something that is happening in the Birds of Prey during an important action sequence? I don't even read Birds of Prey (sorry to all you fans out there.) Those panels really brought any excitement I had going to a screeching halt.

I don't want you to think that I'm just going to sit here and badmouth this issue to death because there were some good parts in it. For instance, seeing Tim Drake in his original Red Robin outift was really cool. Equally cool was hearing more about what writer Scott Lobdell touched upon back in Teen Titan #0: that Tim Drake's name might not be his "real" one.

Despite its shortcomings, Teen Titans #15  is a part of the "Death of the Family" crossover event and should be owned by anyone who wants to have every issue associated with the epic story.



4. Batman: The Dark Knight #15

Written By: Gregg Hurwitz
Art By: David Finch


NOTE: THERE ARE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW

This is the conclusion to the dark and twisted Scarecrow arc that Gregg Hurwitz has brought us.

When Hurwtiz took over writing duties on Batman: The Dark Knight from David Finch, we were taken for a ride on the crazy train.

With Hurwitz as the conductor, we have seen Batman drugged, beaten, bloodied, and almost killed in his efforts to stop Scarecrow. The latter of those happens during the climax of this issue.

As a whole, I really enjoyed this story arc. Hurwitz and Finch both did a great job capturing the essence of what a Batman: The Dark Knight book should look and feel like.

Starting next issue, we will get a new villain and a new writer. They are the Mad Hatter and Ethan Van Sciver, respectively.

If you are a fan of David Finch, don't worry, he isn't going very far. He will be joining forces with Geoff Johns on Justice League of America, which is set to hit stores in February.



3. Batman Incorporated #6

Written By: Grant Morrison

Art By: Chris Burnham
              Andres Guinaldo & Bit (pages 13-16)



 NOTE: THERE ARE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW

If anything, Grant Morrison continues to keep bat-fans talking... and that's a good thing.

The conflict between Batman and Talia reaches a new level in this issue as Talia forces Batman to make a choice: Save his city or save his son. Which will he choose? Well... we'll have to keep reading to find out.

Meanwhile back at the ranch... I mean Batcave, Damien, Dick, Tim, and Jason are all gathered together. It is in this moment that we get perhaps the cutest moment in Batman history: the debut of Alfred the cat (ok... I may be exaggerating a little on that one.)

But Morrison takes us from cute to ugly real quick, as a member of Batman Incorporated is the victim of a brutal attack that doesn't look good at all.

I really enjoyed reading this, but if there was one downfall, it would be the switch of artists midway through. Chris Burnham's art has been amazing from get get-go. It's one of the main reason I keep picking up Batman Incorporated, but I can't understand what the reasoning behind the change on pages 13-16 was about. It didn't flow with the feel of the book, and made me just want to get through those pages as quickly as possible so I could get back to Burnham.



2. Talon #3

Written By: James T Tynion IV

Art By: Guillem March

 NOTE: THERE ARE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW

Talon keeps getting better and better every month.

This issue opens up with a flashback to six years ago. We see Calvin Rose and Casey Washington-- a woman Calvin saved from being killed by the Court of Owls-- talking on the Brooklyn Bridge. Here, we learn a little more of what began Calvin's life of being on the lam.

Back in present time, Calvin and Casey cross paths again, but this time it under different circumstances. After she has Calvin ambushed on the same bridge we saw in the flashback scene, she reveals to him that she wants to be a part of a bank heist that will drain the Court of Owls funding.

Did they pull it off? Well you'll just have to pick up this issue to find out. Trust me... you will not be disappointed.

The character of the Talon may have been created by Scott Snyder, but Tynion is doing the book justice as the writer. He has been impressing me not only on Talon, but on the backups of Batman as well.



1. All-New X-Men #5

Written By: Brian Michael Bendis

Art By: Stuart Immonen





NOTE: THERE ARE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW

All-New X-Men is a book that will make your head spin, but in a good way.

Between all the back and forth between past and present, lies an emotional story that has grown to be a must-read.

This issue's main focus is on two people: Jean Grey and Beast. I'm not going to get too much into detail about the plot because it might come off as confusing to someone who hasn't read anything so far.

In a nutshell, Jean learns more about her life, through telepathy and Beast deals with his health scare.

Brian Michael Benis and Stuart Immonen have been all-stars on All-New X-Men.

There have been a lot of titles to come out of the Marvel NOW! launch, but in my opinion, All-New X-Men by far is the cream of the crop.



--Eric Follow Me on Twitter