Jumping in Headfirst

It's a little late to call them "first" impressions, since we're actually about halfway through the season.  I've actually got a good measure of these series for once, so let's talk about them.

I keep waiting for JC to do great on the big stage...

You hate to see a favorite lose. But, it's gotta happen eventually--see Lux vs. Mook.  This is a great battle, but Bigg K took it solid with a strong first and third.  Danny started off decent in the first, had a crazy second, then a third that had a great angle without enough bars to support it.  Either way, this is one of several great battles from BOLA 5--it's great to see at least one league killing it with consistently good to amazing events.  Bigg K's been on a streak of good battles recently, and he's got B Magic in October, while my dude Danny Myers has JC next month at Go-Rilla Warfare's "Blueprint" event.  JC's been on a mediocre/losing streak, so with my luck this will be the battle that he destroys his opponent, because I haven't been right about shit the last few months battle wise.   I'm still going to say Myers 3-0, though--against JC and AyeVerb.  (I'm positive I'll be wrong about at least one of these.)

One of the best battles to come out of Battle of LA 5, I'm glad this was the second one chosen to get put up.  (For obvious reasons, it couldn't be the first.)

Batman Eternal How'd this go at the writer's table?   "Wait?  Harper's not in this issue?  Crap!  Who can we unnecessarily elevate into a Mary Sue?!" Babs doesn't need to be involved in the giant prick-waving contest that is being a sidekick to Batman--what makes her cool is that she's driven by duty, not a need for vengeance like the rest, and that she's a fucking genius.  But for the record: Nothing Babs' does makes her "better" than any Robin except maybe the guy giving this narration.  Dick was a natural acrobat from birth and has the benefit of being with Bruce almost from the beginning, so his experience is second literally only to Bruce.   Tim isn't as smart as Babs but he's a better detective and probably received the most intense training of any of the Robins, being the one who got trained to take over the title after Bruce had only just lost Jason.  Speaking of, Jason's probably the only person this ...

Avengers World The biggest worry I have about "Time Runs Out" is that it somehow makes what Maria Hill's doing to the Avengers trivial.   She's literally got them under mind-control and this story is very much not okay.   Plus...I mean.  It's Maria Hill.  She's incompetent in Marvel proper--how's this NOT screw everyone over at the end of it all?

What's the definition of a body?  Allow me to show you...

All-New Ultimates Y'know, at the "ripe old age" of...16 or 17, you shouldn't be having back problems yet.  I can't imagine what life's going to be like in your 30's.

I honestly didn't know how much I wanted this. Seriously, I had the biggest, goofiest kid grin on my face the whole time the trailer played.