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A highly subjective ranking of a selection of last week's comics (28/12/16).
Not really knowing what it wants to be is probably Super Powers' biggest problem. Rated "E", writers Art Baltazar and Franco want the comic to appeal to children as well as to adults, but make the crucial mistake of imagining a children's story meant for grown-ups, instead of creating a proper one that can be enjoyed by older audiences as well. Ads for the comic that run even as recent as this week suggest the comic was supposed to have an entirely different story in some key areas. An assumption backed up by the comic's frequent lack of cohesion. 
The "Escape from Dinosaur Island" story line began with a quite charming, albeit not flawless first chapter. The more surprising (or call it confusing) it is that Tomasi and Gleason have already concluded this story arc for now. 
"Escape from Dinosaur Island" is the title of this new Superman story line. At best, you might think, this could be full of vintage B-movie charm. At worst, it might be an embarrassing oddity. But writers Peter J Tomasi and Patrick Gleason actually manage to do neither, and instead craft a story that (so far) is also intelligent and insightful.
"Doom Patrol" #1: What's going on? What is this about? Meat? Gyros? But it doesn't matter, and trying to make sense of it is probably useless. Read it, it's simply brilliant. 
"Cyborg: Rebirth" #1: It's exactly what you'd want from a "Rebirth" title, with its concise Cyborg origin story and a premise that is able to set this series apart from its predecessors. One to have an eye on in the upcoming weeks.
"Batman Beyond" #16: Read this if you want to start with "Batman: Beyond Rebirth" next month, as it'll give you a much better insight of what's going to happen. Apart from that, it's a pretty solid and entertaining read.
After the rather dull and too conventional "Justice League: Rebirth" #1, it's good to see that Bryan Hitch was able to turn the series around considerably. From what looked to be your next "giant-space-alien-attack-forces-heroes-to-save-the-world-story", the comic has incorporated a few welcome twists and turns to the formula, to make it stand out in comparison to other series. 
"Deadpool" #17: To sell this as a "Civil War II" tie-in is simply ridiculous, as it has simply no connection whatsoever to Marvel's big summer event (a fact even admitted by Duggan in the comic's intro page). Apart from that? Nothing to report, just the same old Deadpool shtick. This series needs some fresh new ideas, and the Mercs for Money should stick to their own series.
"Superman" #5: The action is solid here, as the "Son of Superman" storyline slowly approaches its conclusion. But the real highlight here is the Kent family going crazy with Batman's gadgets in his moon cave. Pure fan service that is.
"Detective Comics" #938: We see more and more classic Batman themes and moves in "Detective Comics" recently, and it is all the better for it. The dynamic between Batman and his team has also notably improved, making this a solid read throughout. 
"Darth Vader" #24: It's a small glimpse of what this series could have been, if only Kieron Gillen had remotely made use of the potential a character like Darth Vader offers. Too little too late, even though this one here convinces.
Aquaman #2: Abnett is playing it relatively safe here, as the moral conflict between Aquaman and Black Manta is presented solidly, but relies too heavily on well-known tropes.
"Deadpool & The Mercs For Money" #1: The reboot nobody really needed (yet) actually delivers the best "Mercs" comic so far, especially benefitting from a clear narrative outline.
We still don't really now why there are about three dozens Supermen in Metropolis here, but at least writer Dan Jurgens has finally started to unravel the mystery a bit. 
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By now, DK III probably considers itself more edgy, important and tough than it actually is, as Miller, Azzarello and Kubert gradually trade in compelling storytelling for big graphic gestures. Don't get me wrong, this is still AAA entertainment, from art to writing, but #5 is the weakest entry so far, losing some of the series' drive and direction.
"Rebirth" Superman already find his form in issue #1, as Clark Kent takes up the cape and shield with a visual blast by artists Gray and Gleason. It sets up many potential conflicts and encounters, including some more trademark DC characters. Only young Jon does not manage to convince entirely, as he becomes gradually more inconsistent in his emotions. 
There's a LOT going on in Action Comics #957. Not just do we see Lex Luthor become the self-proclaimed new Superman, and pre-Flashpoint Superman coming out of retirement before it even began, but the comic keeps throwing other surprise appearances (which are, unfortunately, all spoiled by the cover) at you whenever it can.