Batwoman #8: This was Batwoman’s probationary issue and it is now off my pull list. I enjoyed how they crafted a fitting arch-villain for her in the Detective Comics arc but since she has gotten her own title book and the creative team has changed I have been lukewarm. My big problem is they took her father out of the equation and I really liked their relationship, liked how they interacted and how they handled the vigilante with her Army dad as support.
She is the kind of character, not a big IP, not yet a movie or even an animated short that has lots of freedom and the concept of the series with Batwoman as the one who faces down the occult problems in Gotham intrigued the hell out of me. How often does one get a shot with a character on the outskirts of the Bat-pantheon, getting to create a new Gotham Rogues Gallery? I’m not sure if I want to like this comic more than I want to write it.
For the past few issues they are trying to do something with moving back and forth between the past and the present but it just felt confusing and annoying. In a 24 page comic, I want, at the very least, one really neat human moment and one punch-in-the-face cool any comic book moment. I didn’t get that with this comic. I’m done. I’ll keep an eye on a shake-up on the creative team to lure me back some day.
Secret Avengers #25: After reading the Dark Angel Saga, Rick Remender has become a name to watch and his name was on the cover of Secret Avengers I was intrigued. Venom, also written by Remender, was a really interesting idea that just never quite came together on the page for me. I was pleasantly surprised to see that this comic was solid fun.
The comic started was the last issue of an arc, something about old robots in the Marvel U mating with humans, making children, seeing the WWII-era Human Torch as their Grandfather. I had no idea what was going on but I was in. The Secret Avengers team was in the robots’ city but got separated.
The characters worked for me. I like Valkyrie, a bad-ass Asgardian warrior who can sense death coming. Venom had an almost Spider-mannish humor to him that I enjoyed. The Golden Age Human Torch is an under-utilized toy in the Marvel toy-box and it was nice to see him featured.
It was big and fun, stuff exploded, the end was B-Movie twisty and I liked the team.
I’m a fan, Secret Avengers is on the pull list.
Githyanki Diaspora 
In a 24 page comic, I want, at the very least, one really neat human moment and one punch-in-the-face cool any comic book moment.
That’s a good, solid standard and surprisingly difficult to find books that consistently meet it. Although it does make me long for the days when a single issue could be truly significant, redefining the shape of the multiverse.
Agreed, very few writers are writing for that single issue. Everyone is writing for the graphic novel, leaving us with few 24 page issues that are satisfying, multiverse rocking events.