Maxx War Machine was OK. Not great or anything, just Ok.
I'd say that the best idea storytelling wise is the move twords realism that the superhero titles have experienced as of late. Instead of super-tech and alin worlds we're getting politics, street crime, and difficulty in keeping ones private life from thier secrets. It brings a maturity and depth to the storytelling that we've been lacking. In addition it returns the sense of wonder when the classic superhero tellings. Time travel and alien worlds shouldn't be run of the mill, even in a medium like this.
For the industry as a whole I'd have to say it's a cross between two thing. The Vertigo line, with it's outlet for mature, adult, yet not nessicarily gratuitiously violent or sexual, storytelling, and as a way for potentialy less popular runs that are still worth reading. Thats tied with the industries move twords tradepaperbacks, wich while it may hamper the monthly sales slightly, increases the people willing to give things a try, as you get a better feel for a title from a 5 or 6 issue chunk. The Digest push from Marvel is another great idea in this series.