Happy New Year... Whatever.

Astonishing X-Men #19 (Joss Whedon/John Cassaday)
The final arc of Whedon and Cassadays run gets off to an explosive start, and the next five issues can't get here fast enough. The past three arcs have been hit-or-miss in terms of plot, but I can't remember the last time I read an X-book with such perfect characterization. Oh, and Cassadays art continues to be top-notch. Don't miss this. (5/5)

Batman #661 (John Ostrander/Tom Mandrake)
Wow. This is one of the most mediocre Batman stories I've ever read. Not that it's poorly written or poorly drawn, it just doesn't seem to matter, especially since it falls in the middle of Grant Morrison's excellent-so-far run. The mystery of new villain Grotesk is unravelling quickly, and predictably, though there is some decent action in this issue. With only one issue to go, I guess I'll stick around to see how it ends, but I'd recommend holding off until Morrison comes back in two issues. 2/5

Batman and the Mad Monk #5 (Matt Wagner)
The second arc of Wagner's Dark Moon Rising series is nearing it's finish. I'm not really enjoying this story as much as the previous one (Batman and the Monster Men), but it's still a good read. Wagner's art conveys the "Year One" nature of the story well, although his writing is getting to be a little too retro. The final battle against the generic goth vampire cult happens next issue. 3/5

The Boys #6 (Garth Ennis/Darick Robertson)
The most disgusting, repulsive, and offensive book on the shelf finishes up it's first arc, and I can't stop laughing. Ennis' black comedy- essentially a harsh and very, very graphic satire of the superhero genre- has quickly become one of my favorite reads. It's certainly not for everyone, but I recommend you at least give it a shot. (5/5)

Crossing Midnight #2 (Mike Carey/Jim Fern)
I'm not sure what to make of this bizarre Japanese fantasy story just yet, but I'm more than willing to stick around and find out. Carey is weaving an intricate, dreamlike modern-day fairy tale, and Fern's simple, clean lines flesh out the increasingly strange events quite well. His characters seem a little stiff at times, but it's a small complaint. I can't wait to see where this is going. (4/5)

Daredevil #92 (Ed Brubaker/Michael Lark)
The mysterious villain that's been pulling DD's strings since the Bendis run is finally revealed in this issue, which consists of a tense confrontation and some shocking revelations. Lark's linework brings this talking heads chapter to life with finesse. DD continues to be great read. (4/5)

Justice League of America #5 (Brad Meltzer/Ed Benes)
I love Meltzer's take on the JLA. He brings just the right balance of realism and humor to the normal superheroic melodrama, and Benes' artwork knocks it out of the park every time. The League has finally formed up in this issue, and things are about to get ugly with the team caught between a new Amazo and a smart Solomon Grundy. I grew up a Marvelite, but DC has been grabbing my attention lately, with this book at the forefront. (5/5)

X-Men #194 (Mike Carey/Humberto Ramos)
The only good thing about this book is that it doesn't have Wolverine. Just when I thought I'd had all I could take of Chris Bachalo's art, Ramos takes over the pencils and I think I just might vomit. If you dig his manga/graffiti style, good for you. Carey's writing is good and the last story arc was okay, but I'm dropping this book, as of now. I don't care about half the characters that are on Rogue's new team, and here we're introduced to yet another uninteresting new villain. Uncanny, you're next. (1/5)