December is already shaping up to be a huge month for the comic book industry. DC gave us yet another stellar issue of Batman, the start of a new Batman/TMNT crossover and a jam-packed holiday special. Marvel kicked off an epic new Spider-Man/Venom crossover and delivered some major twists in books like Astonishing X-Men and Doctor Strange. And with the debut of Jupiter Jet, new issues of Paper Girls and The Walking Dead and a new Klaus one-shot, there was plenty of comic-y goodness to go around this week.

DC COMICS

Batman #36

9.5

Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II #1

8.6

Batman: White Knight #3

7.0

DC Universe Holiday Special 2017 #1

6.3

Deathstroke #26

6.5

Green Arrow #35

9.0

Green Lanterns #36

4.0

Harley and Ivy Meet Betty and Veronica #3

7.9

Injustice 2 #15

5.8

The Jetsons #2

3.6

Justice League #34

7.4

Nightwing #34

7.0

Superman #36

4.4

Scroll down to check out our reviews for these and various other new releases, and be sure to let us know your favorite books of the week in the comments below.Written by Tom King | Drawn by Clay Mann"You really never know what to expect with each new Batman story arc. That's a good thing, especially with the 'Rules of Engagement' arc being such an uncharacteristically lackluster outing for the series. Fortunately, the book has no trouble bouncing back in Batman #36, as the strained relationship between Batman and Superman takes precedence." -JesseFinal Score:Written by James Tynion IV | Drawn by Freddie Williams II"It seems a Ninja Turtle is never done hopping between universes. No sooner have the TMNT crew wrapped up their second crossover adventure with the Ghostbusters than they're heading back to Gotham City for another Batman family team-up. This sequel offers a pretty easy hook. If you enjoyed the original Batman/TMNT miniseries and crave more form that creative team, you'll be happy with the follow-up." -JesseFinal Score:Written & Drawn by Sean Gordon MurphyBatman White Knight #3 is a slow burn, but still continues the great character study Sean Murphy has created with his twisted take on Joker and Batman. In this issue, everyone must choose a side as Jack and Batman begin to go to war with each other. What’s interesting to see unfold with this issue is what sides the key players of Gotham end up choosing. Batman is at his breaking point as Jack paints him as the true villain of Gotham, continuing the series blurry moral ambiguity. Sean Murphy does a great job at building a familiar, but very different Gotham both through his script and dark designs. Batman White Knight #3 is mostly a set up issue, but still has enough twisted character moments to make this an entertaining read. -KatFinal Score:Written & Drawn by VariousWould you believe that the Deathstroke short story in this special is better than the one in Deathstroke’s ongoing series this week? It really is, and they were both written by Christopher Priest. This anthology issue is largely a mixed bag, and the quality is uneven throughout. The framing story by Jeff Lemire and Giuseppe Camuncoli has a fun holiday take on Superman and John Constantine, but the real winner in this book is the fantastic Sgt. Rock short by Tom King and Francesco Francavilla, which is enough to warrant more stories by that creative team. Unfortunately, the lows of this special are truly atrocious, like the Atomic Knight story and a thoroughly mediocre Teen Titans tale. The Flash and the Batman/Wonder Woman stories at least feel relevant for their respective characters, but there just wasn’t quite enough here to fully justify the one-shot. This special is very skippable, unless you really want a reprint of that story where Batman sang Christmas carols with the GCPD. Not kidding, that’s the bonus feature. And it's still not worth it. -BlairFinal Score:Written by Christopher Priest | Drawn by Diogenes NevesThis is a rare Christopher Priest script that doesn’t quite come together, mostly because Deathstroke’s Defiance team spend a little too much time navel-gazing in the early part of the issue. The idea of Deathstroke leading his own version of the Teen Titans is very enticing, but it doesn’t seem like the series is committed to making that actually happen. Instead, Deathstroke is stuck in his own story while the Defiance team members are several steps behind. The bulk of the issue is comprised of an extended fight and confrontation between Slade Wilson and a former friend. Awkwardness aside, Dr. Ikon just isn’t a very interesting foil for Deathstroke. Fortunately, Diogenes Neves' art means that the issue is pleasant to look at. But for the first time, it feels like this series is starting to run out of steam, and that’s never a good thing. -BlairFinal Score:Written by Benjamin Percy | Drawn by Juan FerreyraJuan Ferreyra, take a bow. This is one of the best-looking comic books of the year. Ferreyra’s art is simply on another level, and he always elevates Green Arrow whenever he returns to the series. This time, Ferreyra got to go big and epic with submarines, sea monsters, and high adventure. And yet one of the issue’s standout moments is the fusion of art and story, where Oliver Queen realizes what has been done to him by someone he loved. The very next panel makes him look so small, isolated and lost. Benjamin Percy always seems to bring his A-game when paired with Ferreyra, and this is no exception. Oliver’s inner monologue carries the issue’s narrative, and that’s what makes his heartbreaking realization so powerful. Even after he was figuratively stabbed in the back, Oliver can’t quite believe what happened. That’s why it’s going to be really satisfying when he gets a chance to rectify that situation. This is a great setup, and a great issue. -BlairFinal Score:Written by Tim Seeley | Drawn by Ronan CliquetIn this installment of Green Lanterns, Simon Baz and Jessica Cruz go up against… an evil lawyer. Green Lanterns #36 has dry dialogue and an even drier villain. Tim Seeley struggles to find the balance between character-driven narrative and superhero action, something Sam Humphries beautifully portrayed in his run of the series. There is only a small glimmer of this when Jessica struggles with her past as the evil lawyer sucks Jessica into her black hole, but even this feels repetitive with things already covered in previous issues of the series. Ronan Cliquet’s pencils are solid and portray some great Green Lantern action, but sadly, this doesn’t make this issue worth picking up. Green Lanterns #36 doesn’t add anything new as Seeley struggles to find his voice on this series. -KatFinal Score:Written by Marc Andreyko & Paul Dini | Drawn by Laura Braga & Adriana MeloHarley & Ivy Meet Betty & Veronica #3 is a vast improvement from its two previous installments, as the series finally injects these iconic duos’ outstanding personalities into the story. It's fun to watch Betty and Veronica learn to live life as supervillains while Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn wreak havoc on Betty and Veronica’s social statues. Laura Braga and Adriana Melo’s pencils convey some great facial expressions with this issue, but the series still needs to work on its panel transitions and angling. This makes certain beats feel off or not fully fleshed out when it comes to the story’s visuals. Ivy and Harley’s villainous reasoning for staying in Riverdale is still a bit weak, but thankfully this issue gives the right dose of fun to help the series finally find its footing. -KatFinal Score:Written by Tom Taylor | Drawn by Mike S. MillerThe Injustice 2 saga has shifted in a distinctly Wonder Woman-centric direction lately, both in the main series and last week's annual issue. Unfortunately, so far that's not seeming like a good thing. These two chapters lack many of the series familiar, charming qualities. The character work is bland and perfunctory. The focus is less on Diana herself than Supergirl's jailbreak attempts and some vague notions of dissent among the Amazonian ranks. That civil war angle is pretty neat, but it doesn't amount to much in this issue. If anything, the script feels unusually spartan and padded out. Visually, the series also takes a hit here. While Mike S. Miller is great at crafting expressive characters, his style in general feels looser and more rushed than his previous Injustice 2 work. Right now, the series feels very much trapped in a transitional state, struggling to build a new overarching conflict that can live up to the initial Ra's al Ghul storyline. -JesseFinal Score:Written by Jimmy Palmiotti | Drawn by Pier BritoSometimes I wonder if this series would go over any better if it dropped the "Jetsons" name and simply marketed itself as a tale of ecological disaster in mankind's far future. It certainly doesn't feel very Jetsons-esque despite the presence of all the familiar characters and trappings. There's no sense of humor and whimsy. The recent Flintstones comic may have taken a very earnest approach to the characters and the nature of human civilization, but it also knew how to poke fun at itself and prioritize the satirical side of things. The Jetsons lacks that quality. And despite the conflict centering around the imminent arrival of a deadly asteroid, there's surprisingly little urgency to the plot. It merely bounces from one Jetsons family member to the next. The harsh, dreary art style is also a very poor fit for this colorful cartoon universe. This comic is frustratingly unsuccessful in updating an old favorite, but ultimately, it would be a disappointment regardless of the name on the cover. -JesseFinal Score:Written by Christopher Priest | Drawn by Pete Woods"Justice League often feels like far less a priority for DC in the Rebirth era than it did during the New 52. Where once the series was the driving force of the company and featured some of its biggest creators, now it just seems to exist as a mid-tier book of no real consequence. The series gains a new creative team with this issue, and while it doesn't seem likely to reclaim its status as the defining DC book, at least Justice League has a more distinctive voice again." -JesseFinal Score:Written by Tim Seeley | Drawn by Javier FernandezThis is the end of a Nightwing run that peaked early and never quite recaptured the magic of the early DC Rebirth issues. But that beginning was so good that not even “the Blud” could fully keep it down. For the finale of the Raptor storyline, Seeley brings together most of the major players from his time on the book. And once again, it's the emotional beats that overpower everything else. The reveal of Raptor’s name is a perfect moment. And as for who he is to Dick, that makes sense. Likewise, the more intimate scenes between Nightwing and Defacer are also appreciated. That relationship used to be the best part of this series, and the book lost itself once that went away. If nothing else, this era ends on a fairly decent note with the title character in a good place for the next creative team. There are certainly worse ways to go out. -BlairFinal Score:Written by Peter J. Tomasi & Patrick Gleason | Drawn by Doug MahnkeSuperman #36 is a rushed conclusion to the “Imperius Lex”, which hardly shows the story arc’s namesake on panel. The Apokolips backdrop has its fun moments with the Kent family fighting together, but overall it’s just a distraction from Lex’s separation from the Superman name. Doug Mahnke pencils with Jamie Mendoza’s heavy inks are too dark for this title, and don’t fit the overall tone of the series. Superman #36 is a disappointing issue that rushes months of build up with Lex’s character, seemingly for the sake of the series’ upcoming crossover with Super Sons and Teen Titans. -KatFinal Score: