Bat-mite and Braniac AND Final Crisis Revelations

Green Lantern Corps #27: Another good issue setting up for a promising story arc. Guy Gardner opens his bar on Oa. Theres some dude who can talk with deceased Green Lanterns. Theres a new threat targeting the families of the corps. Its all pretty standard fair. Theres two things that have me worried about this arc. First is that I like this book as a big space action book and the art just isn't looking very good so far. Second is that if this book is indeed going to do more dialogue centered issues Tomasi is going to put more energy into it. Its not bad but it just doesn't pop the way someone like Bendis makes it. Overall its fine but I'm going to bump the score down because I didn't enjoy the art and theres no guarentee this is anything special yet.
Rating: 2/5 because its raining eyeballs

Action Comics #868: Third part of the Braniac story now. It opens with a damn hilarious scene in the Daily Planet involving Supergirl and Cat Grant. The book also has another perfect scene between Ma and Pa Kent. Johns writes everything here as an entertaining and important part of Superman's life and his characterization is as spot-on as ever. The bulk of this issue is of course taken up with the Superman aboard Braniacs ship. Everything clicks in these scenes. Braniac is threatening and creepy. We are given more of a look into his motivations and powers. Its all tied into Krypton and Supermans origins in exciting ways. Did I mention the art. Its really damn good. Gary Frank needs to be on this book forever. Bring on the next part.
Rating 4/5: for the beginning of the Cat Grant/Supergirl war

Batman #679: Here it is Batman R.I.P. part four. Not as many questions answered or brought up as one might expect. Batmans gone crazy right? Well apparently hes just always been that way. I mean who the fuck is prepared for a pyschological trigger word. Well the Goddammed Batman of course! And man the way he acts this issue is very much a middle finger raised to the crazed All Star Batman. Batman, now believeing himself the Batman of Zur En Aarh, sets out to find the Black Glove... and does a surprisingly good job of it. Robin continues to allude the Club of Villains, Gordon is captured, and Dr. Hurt makes a claim, that if true, is definately shaking the Batman mythos the the core. And theres still two parts left. Theres alot explained this issue regarding the subconscience trigger word and this new Batman identity but the parts I really enjoyed were the strange ways this Batman got things done. Seeing things: check. The city. My city. She cries out to me.... quite literally here. Conversing with your "old chum" Bat-mite: double check. Oh, and Batman uses a baseball bat. I like it. The art is great too.
Rating: 4/5 for the literal Bat-man

Final Crisis Revelations #1: This is looking good. Really good actually. Theres usually problems with tie in books not syncing up or getting the feel of the main book. There is also the other way to go about it where you basically take a small idea from the event and tell a story that really doesn't have much to do with the event itself. While I like tie ins that are really tie ins in name only like Final Crisis Rogues Revenge this one really justifies the label. Its about the Spectre and the issues he takes with being the spirit of vengeance and why he is allowed to kill some people and not others more deserving. It also deals with the new Question, Montoya, as she leads a cult following the Crime Bible. Well, actually she just fights them but shes supposed to be their leader. Theres some great scenes with the Spectre unleashing Gods vengeance upon a couple choice villains as well as the intriguing failure to do so on Libra. This great scene with Libra, the dark and ominous atmosphere, and all of the plots dealing with Gods and the Crime Bible really make it fit with Final Crisis in a way I never imagined would be possible. Perhaps because the Crime Bible and Question story has been worked on in 52 by both Grant Morrison and Greg Rucka. Greg Rucka, the writer of this book, has the best grasp on Question and the Spectre out of any of the writers at DC today. As for the art, it's wonderful. Gritty yet flowing, colorful yet dark. This book is probably worth a look for the art alone, but then you'd be missing out on not only a great tie in, but a great story.
Rating: 4/5 You gonna get RAPED!