As DC’s “Rebirth” books move into their second arcs (and the Bat-family moves into its first post-Rebirth crossover), we give you the speed-dating version of what’s working and what’s not.

Aquaman #7 (Abnett/Eaton/Faucher): Dan Abnett puts Aquaman on a interlude-ish issue while still continuing the overarching plot. N.E.M.O. is still trying to trigger a U.S./Atlantis war, and Arthur has his hands full trying to solve the mystery while dealing with Atlantean politics. What’s great is that Arthur really is portrayed as a king with heart, a guy who knows that he has responsibilities even towards the people who don’t like him. In an era of divided real-world politics, it’s refreshing to see a superhero who’s actively inclusionary, even with his enemies. Rating: Three and a half tridents out of five.

Batman #7 (Orlando/King/Rossmo): “Night of the Monster Men” kicks off, and while mandatory line-wide crossovers are annoying: ok, this actually looks to be kind of fun. A hurricane is hitting Gotham, and Batman’s efforts to keep the city calm are hampered by Hugo Strange’s release of his monsters. Why is Strange doing this? Who knows – that’s probably the weak part of the story. But seeing Batman and his detective crew go up against both nature and freaks of nature could actually be a wild ride. Tom King’s name is on this book, but with the exception of a referential line or two, this doesn’t appear consequential to his “I Am Gotham” arc, so if you need to skip, don’t feel too bad. Rating: Three and a half bats out of five.

Cyborg #1 (Semper/Pelletier): Now, this is a book that’s actually got personality. Oh, DC’s other books do to, but Cyborg has hit that sweet spot that carries a number of themes without being dominated by any of them. Vic Stone is a Justice Leaguer, a black man, a Detroit resident, and a guy struggling with 21^st-century cybernetic identity issues. All of these themes feel authentic and fresh; none of them stereotype. Paul Pelletier’s the right fit for art chores, giving this title the exact superhero feel it needs. Get this one for the kid who’s looking to break into a superhero book. Rating: Four microchips out of five.

Doctor Fate #16 (Levitz/Liew): Doctor Fate is a vestigial “DC You” title, breathing its last as “Rebirth” takes over. Compared to all the other standard superhero fare this week, Fate is definitely a very tonally different book with lots of introspective dialogue, reflection on religion, and art that just doesn’t look like DC’s current output. Except that it’s still very much a DC book, coming down to a young hero trying to save the world from a massive threat. It’s unsurprising that this book is going away next month—“Rebirth” is what you want, so it’s what you’re getting—but it may be awhile before DC experiments like this again. Rating: Two and a half helmets out of five.

Green Arrow #7 (Percy/Byrne): Here’s another “break” issue, leaving the issue of Ollie’s fate unresolved for another month. But it’s a chance to focus on Emiko and delve into what makes her tick. Pun intended: there’s a number of flashbacks that put Ollie and Emiko against a post-Flashpoint upgraded Clock King, and wow, is he a jerk. If you didn’t enjoy the opening Green Arrow arc, this issue is a nice distraction from that with good, clean art. Rating: Three and a half quivers out of five.

Green Lanterns #7 (Humphries/Cliquet/Blond): Humphries has the same idea as Peter Tomasi’s Superman here (see below): take a break for an issue and focus on people instead of punches. This isn’t exactly a one-off issue (it ends on a “to be continued” note), but it’s mostly self-contained as Simon has an annual Halloween reunion with his family and Jessica helps him get through it despite struggling with her own anxiety. Green Lanterns conquer fear, and there’s nothing scarier than trying to live up to your parents’ expectations. Readers who want to step fresh into Green Lanterns have a great opportunity here. Rating: Four rings out of five.

Harley Quinn #4 (Conner/Palmiotti/Linser): Wait, what happened in this issue? It opens with Harley helping a buddy restore his hot dog business in the aftermath of last issue’s zombie attack, and then unexpectedly goes on an action mission to Mumbai to fight a giant Russian robot in a call center. This felt like two half-issues stitched together…because. There’s some pretty art by Joe Linser (and where’s he been lately, anyway?), but this book is playing the “self-aware” thing too hard to notice its own structural flaws. Rating: Two hammers out of five.

Justice League #5 (Hitch/Daniel/Florea): The wrapup to “The Extinction Machine” feels like it could have been amazing if we could tell what the hell was going on. The League works together (mostly) to stop the four giants from doing…something…that’s going to destroy the Earth for some reason. (The exceptions being Superman, who’s trying to keep a giant ball from exploding, and Aquaman, who has to drop magic rocks around the world, and even he admits it seems dumb.) With the overarching “Rebirth” plot ripping through DC right now, this story should have contributed to the big picture—but if it does, we have no idea how. Well, at least Tony Daniel’s art is still easy on the eyes.

Nightwing #5 (Orlando/Seeley/Antonio): “Monster Men” continues over here, and it’s too bad Rossmo isn’t drawing every chapter to keep things consistent. The downside: if you’re expecting this to be a straight Nightwing story, it’s not. There’s some focus on Dick and his continued tensions with Batman (even when you’ve become your own man, are you really independent of the guy who trained you?), but it’s mostly “Monster Men” story progression. Buy this if you’re buying Batman; skip if you’re just waiting for last month’s story to resume. Rating: Two and a half nightsticks out of five.

Superman #7 (Tomasi/Gleason/Jimenez): Now, this is what we needed after a double-shipped six-issue arc. Decompression hurts, and a one-off issue is just what both creators and readers need to catch their breaths. There’s not a lot of supering this issue, as Clark and Lois take Jon to the county fair to just be regular people for a night. This issue is about family, about people, about trying to be ordinary in an extraordinary world…oh, and Clark still has to foil a robbery despite promising to Lois that there’d be no capes for the night. Tomasi and Gleason know what they’re doing this month. Rating: Four and a half capes out of five.