2017 may be winding down, but the comic book industry sure isn't. This week saw the release of another stellar issue of Batman, the latest chapter of Dark Nights: Metal, and the debuts of Marvel Two-In-One, X-Men: Grand Design, Backways and the relaunched Quantum & Woody.

DC COMICS

Aquaman

8.7

Batman

9.4

Batman/Teenage

8.6

Dark

8.1

Green

3.0

Harley

7.2

Injustice

4.5

Justice

6.7

Nightwing

4.5

Superman

7.8

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.Note - we've updated the X-Men Gold review with the correct numerical rating.Written by Dan Abnett | Drawn by Riccardo FedericiStjepan Sejic is pretty much impossible to follow on Aquaman, because he’s completely revitalized the series since he came on board earlier this year. But Riccardo Federici is a surprisingly good substitute artist in this issue, and he sets the tone early with some very impressive pages. Federici may not be able to match the character expressions that Sejic does so well, but he does manage to convey their thoughts and emotions without resorting to text. Federici’s detailed artwork also gives the issue its own flavor that keeps it from looking like any other superhero book. Dan Abnett continues his winning hand in this issue by playing up the intrigue on Aquaman’s side, as he deals with allies that he has very good reasons to distrust. There's even some significant forward momentum for the overall plot, which makes the issue seem important to the run. This is still one of DC’s best monthly books, and well worth your time and money. -BlairFinal Score:Written by Tom King | Drawn by Clay Mann"There are a number of burning questions in the DC Universe at the moment. What will happen when Superman finally confronts Doctor Manhattan? When will the Justice Society and Legion of Super Heroes finally return? What's the deal with those three Jokers? Batman #37 has no answers to any of those questions, but it does definitively answer an even bigger mystery - can Superman throw a pitch so fast even Batman can't hit it?" -JesseFinal Score:Written by James Tynion IV | Drawn by Freddie E. Williams III'm partial to any Batman comic that treats Bane as the imposing, cunning villain he's too rarely written as, so this series would have my money even without the TMNT factor. Issue #2 does a great job of showcasing the threat Bane poses to the TMNT-verse as he carves a swath of destruction through New York and forces iconic villains to bow before him. In a lot of ways, this sequel is already benefiting from the more focused approach to the cast and plot (though James Tynion finds room to work in some memorable scenes with other Bat-villains). Given his penchant for rendering massive, Saturday morning cartoon-worthy figures, Freddie Williams is right at home in a comic spotlighting Bane and the TMNT cast. This issue strikes the right balance between zany bombast and grim danger, suggesting a bright future ahead for this crossover. -JesseFinal Score:Written by Scott Snyder | Drawn by Greg Capullo"Dark Nights: Metal always leaves me wanting more, which is both this series' greatest strength and one glaring flaw. Metal can never be faulted for its ambition, as Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo seek to tie together all corners of the DCU into one vast, cosmic tapestry. But too often it feels as though this series is trying to do too much in the limited space it has. Even six issues and various assorted tie-ins doesn't seem sufficient for a tale this massive." -JesseFinal Score:Written by Tim Seeley | Drawn by Carlo BarberiOne of my favorite aspects of the Green Lanterns title is the book’s character-building and the ability to make a series about space cops feel grounded. Since Tim Seeley joined the series it feels like the title has been losing what made it so great. This issue focuses on Jessica and Simon unraveling the mystery behind the people of Planet Ungara. The relationship between the Green Lanterns and the Ungara people isn’t very interesting, and the dialogue for this issue is dense. Carlo Barberi's artwork is disappointing, as the interiors feel rushed. Everything is blocky and lacks detail. Even the coloring by Ulises Arreola is damp for a Green Lantern book, which should revel in its coloring. Green Lanterns #37 doesn’t have enough interaction between Simon and Jessica, and sadly didn’t get me invested in the mystery building on Planet Ungara. -KatFinal Score:Written by Amanda Conner & Jimmy Palmiotti | Drawn by Brett Blevins, Otto Schmidt & MoritatWhat a strange issue. Conner and Palmiotti seem to want this story to feature half of Harley’s usual hijinks while the other half stays focused on her grief. And that’s where the issue goes off the rails. After about ten pages of mourning someone close to her, Harley puts on a meat bikini to bring in animals out of a hurricane. And she follows that up by beating up on a metahuman roller derby girl. That part of the issue is fun, but it feels emotionally disconnected to everything else. Mopey Harley just isn’t very enjoyable to watch, and this issue tries to have it both ways. In this issue's favor, the artwork by Bret Blevins is fantastic, while Otto Schmidt and Moritat do a good job as well. Visually, the book is as great as ever. However, the inconsistent tone and jarring story beats make it less enjoyable than it should be. -BlairFinal Score:Written by Tom Taylor | Drawn by Mike S. Miller & Tom DerenickInjustice #2 #16 splits its story into two with the conclusion of “Paradise Lost” and a Flash one-shot titled “Step Forward”. “Paradise Lost” is an action-packed issue that establishes a nice friendship between Diana and Supergirl, but sadly, Mike Miller’s artwork isn’t strong enough for this more visually driven story. The action falls flat, and facial expressions are a bit wonky during these scenes as everyone seems to be gritting their teeth, leading to a lack of variety in facial expressions. Injustice 2’s physical comics are usually good with dividing the digital chapters into one cohesive story, but this issue loses its flow with the addition of the Flash story. It wasn’t a great lead in after the Wonder Woman/Supergirl story and feels unfinished by the end. Injustice 2 #16 is the first time I can say that this probably read better digitally. -KatFinal Score:Written by Christopher Priest | Drawn by Pete WoodsJustice League has benefited from its recent creative team shake-up, even if the plot isn't quite living up to its initial promise. Christopher Priest's unique voice is doing a lot to give Justice League the personality it's been lacking of late, with a healthy dose of self-aware humor and some strong, insightful characterization that seeks to humanize these larger-than-life figures. Pete Woods' revamped art style also continues to be a huge selling point. Unfortunately, this issue suffer from some very perplexing structural choices. The script is bookended by scenes focused on the fallout of the League's disastrous mission from issue #34, but the middle portion shifts focus to a completely unrelated and seemingly irrelevant superhero team-up. In the end, issue #35 accomplishes little more than delaying the next phase in this ongoing conflict. -JesseFinal Score:Written by Sam Humphries | Drawn by Bernard ChangWell, that was disappointing. After the last Nightwing run almost completely ran out of steam, a new creative team seemed like the right way to bring some renewed energy back to the book. Unfortunately, it doesn’t play out that way. Instead, this issue doubles down on the silliness of Blüdhaven with ridiculous foes and an underwhelming villain. If you really have to see a gratuitous shot of Nightwing’s ass, that’s here. But anyone hoping for something more substantial about the title character is going to be in for a letdown. Even Dick Grayson’s new career as a crossfit instructor seems uninspired and pointless. A semi-decent cliffhanger with good page design is at least a baby step in the right direction, but it's not enough to keep this creative team’s debut issue from being a misfire. Suddenly, Nightwing seems very much like a book that is better left on the shelf. -BlairFinal Score:Written by Peter J. Tomasi & Patrick Gleason | Drawn by Jorge JimenezThere are two things that you need to know going into Superman #37: it’s kicking off the “Super Sons of Tomorrow” crossover and it’s essentially two back-to-back action sequences for the length of the issue. There’s not much in the way of plot progression, and the script doesn’t even try to explain the sudden return of the older Tim Drake from an alternate future. But visually, this issue is terrific. Jorge Jimenez’s action scenes are impeccably well-drawn, and he captures the essence of Batman even though Bruce Wayne never puts on the outfit. It's all in Bruce’s face, eyes and body language. Jimenez simply nails his take on both Batman and Superman, and the two fight sequences have great choreography. This issue is over all too quickly, but it’s hard to complain when the action is that satisfying. It’s too soon to tell if the rest of the crossover will live up this opening chapter, but it's a great calling card for Jimenez’s future work. He’s got the makings of a superstar artist. -BlairFinal Score: