Wednesday Comics #7 (of 12)

Just over halfway through the run of Wednesday Comics and I have to declare it a brave, clever, entertaining and delightful failure.

Which is not to say that I'm not enjoying it.

Each edition is packed with terrific art, at least a few good stories - some clever, some fun, some adventurous - and several storylines that just don't work.

Let's run 'em down:

- Batman has great art, but the story is a mess. I have no idea why he's torturing this guy or what's going on. Some guy got killed in the first issue, it involves his pretty wife and some other guy, but that's all I remember. Some kind of recap would be a big help.

- Kamandi is still the cream of the crop - fantastic art and a compelling story, it makes perfect use of this format.

- Superman is finally back on track after several weeks of whining and moaning. It's tough to feel sorry for the most powerful hero on Earth, but here we get back to some action sequences. Thank goodness! I like the art.

- Deadman is another interesting strip that works well, but his adventure into the afterlife is just now starting to make sense.

- Green Lantern, like Superman, finally hits the action button, although the page isn't much more than a short fight scene. The art is quite good, though.

- After moving along at a glacial pace, the lighthearted Metamorpho strip finally starts making sense here. This nicely captures the spirit of the original comic.

- The story in Teen Titans is also finally making some sense, but it's hard to care about the story, and I have to admit I'm not crazy the art.

- Strange Adventures gives us the strangest Adam Strange ever - but it's a real delight to see the new twists Paul Pope has layered on this concept. Lots of fun.

- The award for the cutest page goes to Supergirl, as she seeks help for her super-dog and super-cat from a grouchy Aquaman. A bit silly, but this strip continues to be a hoot.

- Metal Men features fantastic art and a story that's moving at a snail's pace. The first issue started out with the team in the lobby of a bank and they're still there!

- Wonder Woman might as well be printed in another language - it's just indecipherable. I'm not even sure what order to read the teeny tiny panels. I just skip this page, sorry.

- Sgt. Rock and Easy Co. continues to move along very slowly. After a month-and-a-half of Rock being tortured he finally gets to stand up. Great art.

- The Flash continues to mix the storyline between superhero action and a focus on Barry Allen's wife, Iris West. The story seems to be spinning out of control, as more than a dozen Flashes convene to fight Gorilla Grodd, but what's going on and why there are numerous Flashes is a mystery. A new reader would be lost here.

- The Demon and Cat Woman is another strip that baffles, since I can't really remember what's happening here. Cat Woman stole something from the Demon, escaped and was transformed into a real cat by an old witch, and the Demon went after her and now they're both dealing with Morgaine Le Fay. I think. Good art but confusing story.

- I like Kyle Baker's art on Hawkman, but the printing doesn't seem to be doing the strip any favors. Still, it's entertaining and continues rolling along at a brisk pace.

So to tally up the score, we have lots of great artwork displayed nicely in a big format, but only six or seven out of 12 have compelling stories. None of the strips are outright bad, but I would only rank two of them as outstanding.

Still, I'm enjoying this experiment, I salute DC for having the guts to give it a try, and I'll be around for the rest of the run. I'm hoping the average of great stories to average stories will continue to rise.

Grade: B-