Yesterday, I picked up three lil' babies: Justice League of America #8, The Mighty Avengers #2, and Civil War: Battle Damage Report. Unfortunately, I didn't get a chance to snatch up the new War Journal or Nightwing Annual, but hey. I find more.

Justice League of America #8 - This issue marks the premiere of the much-anticipated (I suppose) crossover between Justice League and Justice Society of America, which hopefully means that the latter's quality will seep into the pages of Brad Meltzer's ailing run on the former. Based on my limited experience with Brad Meltzer, I can honestly say that he's a fabulous writer; Identity Crisis was a great story that managed widespread critical acclaim and attention even outside of the niche world of comics, and I thought the first arc of Justice League involving the Red Tornado was solid (though why the first six issues brought such focus to him instead of getting a jump start on the League itself is a mystery to me). At this point, though, Justice League feels a bit rocky. For a series that's a reboot, I can tell that it's targeted at those who already know a good deal about Solomon Grundy, Starro, Red Arrow and the like. That's sort of a misstep as far as being accessible is concerned. More disconcerting than that is the narrative itself; it's jumpy and pretty confusing, especially as far as the narration bubbles are concerned (different colors for each character really doesn't work). I am super excited about where things are going, especially with Batman and Sandman storming Arkham Asylum in the next Justice Society, but as it stands, Justice League is just a bit too awkward right now to recommend to the uninitiated. Justice Society of America is really the place to be right now.



Mighty Avengers #2 - This is a fantastic book. Though it lacks the fan-favorite characters of New Avengers, Bendis is doing such a great job with the writing that it doesn't even matter. Hilarious, action-packed, clever, and tight, this is simply the best place for comic fans to be at this point, especially after Civil War. Though one might expect a monthly based around the dickwads of Civil War to be stale and bitter, Bendis seems determined to make Mighty Avengers a sweet, sweet dessert after the bitter dish that was Marvel's most recent crossover. Simply put, it's a rollicking time that fans casual and hardcore will be able to enjoy. Looking for a place to dive into the chaotic world of the post-Super Human Registration Act Marvel? This is it.

Civil War: Battle Damage Report - Not so much a book as a reference guide to the events of the recently-closed crossover event, Civil War: Battle Damage Report isn't the sort of thing that's going to appeal to the uninitiated. It's just as well, as the product itself seems kind of rushed; there is no cohesion whatsoever to the images, and a lot of the writing is somewhat casual and also feels a bit disjointed. That said, what it lacks in substance it more than makes up for in quantity. There's a ton of stuff in this $4 book, and though none of it is close to the level of detail one might find even on Wikipedia, it is nice to have all of this information in one place. This seems more like something that'll be worth picking up for those that have dozens of tie-in issues strewn about.