Good start to what looks to be (in my tastes) an even better series than the first.  I want to mention first, that I adore McKelvie’s art, and with the new coloring in this series, it looks all the more fantastic!  Seriously, I would probably buy every issue just to stare at the panels.  Fortunately, Gillen looks to be knocking another one out of the park with the story.  The main story was very good.  Although it has been said that each issue can stand on its own, there are some events that seem as though they will be explained and fleshed out in more detail later on.  This is a good thing, as I’m now even more intrigued for next month.  However, it also made it seem just a little less full than I would expect from a stand-alone story.  Overall, I’m not complaining, just noting something that I didn’t expect going in.

The B-Sides, however, are what really moved the story rating from a 4 to a 5 for me.  “She Who Bleeds for Your Entertainment” was absolutely amazing – an effin gem in the (not-so) rough that DEMANDS those of you waiting on trades to skip that and PICK UP THIS SINGLE!  Overall, my expectations were totally met with this first issue.  You owe it to yourself and the creators to pick this one up.