That said, DC's biggest release of the week is Wonder Woman #35 -- the finale to the three-year long story by Brian Azzarello and Cliff Chiang. A new creative team will be taking over next month with issue #36, so it's not like the series is cancelled, but we will miss the duo regardless.
At Marvel, there's the series finale of Thunderbolts, the debut of Deathlok, and the Original Sin hardcover graphic novel (which you might want to avoid).
Elsewhere, Sonic Boom launched at Archie, Justin Jordan has a new series called Dark Gods at Avatar Press, and we got an issue of Terry Moore's Rachel Rising just in time for Halloween.
Also, check out what the IGN All-Stars are doing in their reviews of all this week's Comixology Submit releases!
Take a look at our review, then as always, let us know your thoughts on this week's comics in the comments.
Editor's Note: Reviews for Sundowners #3 and Earth 2: World's End #4 will be added soon.
DC COMICS
Batman Eternal #30
"Ray Fawkes presents what definitely feels like what the first chapter after a turning point should feel like. The previous issue set things up in a less-than-perfect way, but this issue completely redeems itself with exciting storytelling, dramatic dialogue, and dynamic artwork. While there are a few hiccups in the visual storytelling and an all-too-brief appearance of a fan-favorite superhero, issue #30 of Batman Eternal easily replenishes some of the steam that has been lost in this series of late." -Mike
Click here to read the entire review!
Final Score:
8.2
Harley Quinn Annual #1
"There's no harm in DC churning out extra Harley Quinn comics as long as they're worth reading, and this issue most certainly is. It offers plenty of entertainment value, but also celebrates the Harley/Ivy relationship in a big way. The issue and its hallucination sequences also makes great use of the rotating artists. The 'Rub n' Smell' technology is pretty gimmicky (as well as pointless for digital readers), but it certainly doesn't harm the book in any way." -Jesse
Click here to read the entire review!
Final Score:
8.6
Justice League Dark Annual #2
Writer J.M DeMatteis has the kernel of a good story in this annual issue. The conflict sees past and present incarnations of the JLD brought together as the House of Mystery and House of Secrets manifest themselves in human form. The problem is that DeMatteis frames the story around the troubled romance between Zatanna and John Constantine. I had really hoped that dynamic would have been put to bed after the end of the Blight crossover, but clearly not. The entire plot winds up reading like a contrivance to put the two characters in a certain place. Coupled with the overload of exposition and narration, and this issue simply doesn't live up to its potential. It's interesting to see Klaus Janson take another stab at pencilling with this issue. His dark, sketchy style suits this supernatural world, but his figures are too poorly defined and his storytelling cramped. -Jesse
Final Score:
5.3
Justice League United Annual #1
"Jeff Lemire has a tough egg to crack with this annual in that he’s not only got to continue with the development of his brand new team of Justice Leaguers, but he’s also got to introduce (re-reintroduce?) the Legion of Superheroes to readers all while continuing to tell his half Canadian, half Space-based superhero tale. Even with the extra length format of an annual, Lemire’s story comes up short in a few key ways that makes this issue less fun to read than it could have been." -Mike
Click here to read the entire review!
Final Score:
6.2
The New 52: Futures End #26
"Brian Azzarello, Jeff Lemire, Dan Jurgens, and Keith Giffen return with another chapter of Futures End. It took a while for this series to come into its own, but as the story has progressed so has the storytelling. The newest issue aims to hit this point squarely on the head, as it covers five different groups of characters all while telling one cohesive story utilizing dialogue that feels (mostly) natural and a much-needed pep talk from the one and only Dark Knight." -Mike
Click here to read the entire review!
Final Score:
7.2
Swamp Thing Annual #3
Give Charles Soule the chance to tell a standalone Swamp Thing adventure, and he’ll never disappoint. This annual issue serves as the end-cap to the saga of Capucine, as the immortal warrior faces the end of her 1000-year existence and the return of Etrigan. Soule’s script is a mix of bittersweet elements. It’s very sad in many ways, but also touching. And Soule finds opportunities to lighten the mood, especially through the use of several brief interludes. The movie theater sequence is worth the price of admission alone. Javier Pina and Carmen Carnero illustrate the bulk of the story. Some pages are a bit lacking in texture and shadow, but on the whole their work is impressively rendered. The guest artists also impress, particularly Yanick Paquette in his brief, tantalizing return to the franchise. -Jesse
Final Score:
9.0
Wonder Woman #35
"Brian Azzarello and his artistic collaborators have succeeded in giving one of DC’s most essential characters a brand new lease on life. His epic story culminates beautifully with a strongly reinforced theme that calls to the core of Wonder Woman herself. The villains are dealt with, longstanding mysteries are resolved, and our titular character is celebrated in a clever and meaningful way. All of this is illustrated wonderfully by Cliff Chiang, who comes back to finish what he started three years ago. The only issues to be found is a missing of a majority of the supporting cast and a need for a more finalizing epilogue. " -Mike
