DC the New 52: The Second Week

Batwoman..

  Absolutely stunning artwork, both the water colour and really graphic pencil lined pages. The reset button hasn't altered the look of this book or the character, costume, backstory or well anything to be precise. It's just business as usual. I haven't read the entire backstory from the Detective Comics issues she was in before. So I may not be incredibly up to date with her stories. None the less I'm jumping on this bandwagon now. Although speaking of costume, she is a pale stunning red head and yet her costumed counter part shows her as a pale red head with an even longer red wig that highlights the same natural colour she already sports..? That's worse than Clark Kent slapping some glasses on! 

  Seriously though, there are things about the writing of this character that I have respect for. She is gay and Jewish and yet neither of those are rammed down your throat like they are the only defining aspects of the character that matter. She is fully formed. She is looking for a meaningful relationship rather than making out with every female character she sees. This is a good thing. There's nothing worse than being gay for gay's sake.

  The story was intriguing if a little clichéd. Yeah it's detective story with a nice new villain who appears to be drowning people as they stand away from water. At least the Premise isn't the typical gangster or small time crook/ madman/ murderer. Instead she seems to be from an urban legend. It's clearly the art and characters that make this book.

Batman and Robin..

  This book neither drew me in or turned me off it. I like Damian as Robin, but he was far better teamed up with Dick Grayson- Batman than Bruce Wayne- Batman. Some will be over joyed to see Batman and his own son fighting crime together. I guess it's a great premise to a story but it just doesn't come across as exciting enough. 

  There are constants across the Bat books this time around, a lot of gotham is being heavily renovated. Getting rid of the crime filled streets and replacing them with the massive new skyscraping offices and apartments as shown in Batman (next week.. yeah great order of release again DC! Let us not forget the time Bruce Wayne was back in other books before "The Return of Bruce Wayne" mini had concluded!). So Bruce and Damian have gone to see crime alley where Bruce's parents were killed one last time. Glad that it's not there anymore tbh. It will or SHOULD stop the whole emo side of Batman. 

  There are lots of seeds planted in the first issue, as the duo stop a gang from stealing irradiated fuel and a new villain (yes another one woohoo!) called Nobody is killing Batman inc. team members off. Glad to see the Incorporated story will still be going on. 

  I just don't want to have to make Damian earning Bruce's respect take forever. We only just did that with Dick not trusting him.

Suicide Squad..

  Amanda Waller, now a skinny black woman, why? I have no idea why that needed changing. Is she going to wind up in a fight and we needed to make it believable that she could beat someone up? Who knows! She tortures bad guys that are working for the good guys who may in fact be bad guys. It's a confusing agenda but I like half of the characters so meh I'm reading it. 

  The issue consists of the team thinking they are on a mission only after the mission has gone bad and more torture has ensued, they find out that it was in fact the last test and they passed with flying colours. It wasn't exactly a great first issue as in setting up what you will see on a regular basis as I would imagine the team in the field would be a lot more fun to read. 

  When they finally do get dropped into there first mission they are told they are to kill an entire stadiums worth of people. That's the cliff hanger. 

  The characters look different. Some in a bad way. Harley's costume is impractical and looks ridiculous on the character. Yet if I wasn't comparing her to DC old I wouldn't think twice about it. 

  There are three artists on the book. I don't get why, it detracts from the story and the first artist is by far the best. Much cleaner lines, much less childish cartooning. Just sharp, polished and yet nicely gritty.

Green Lantern..

  This Lantern book does a good job of introducing the Lantern lore and universe of characters. A good contrast between Hal on Earth re-adjusting to his old life and Sinestro on Earth also re-adjusting to his old ring and Corps. Not a great deal happens this issue and it feels a tad dragged out but you do learn a lot about Hal and Sinestro. I love the dynamic between Hal and Carol. She thinks he took her out to dinner to propose now that he's no longer a lantern. Then the Cliff hanger is Sinestro offering Hal his ring back if he makes a deal with him. Very nice twist although I would have hoped it hadn't happened so soon. 

  The art is typical and I like how although the Green Lanterns haven't been affected by the reboot it feels like they have, as the last issue of DC old left Sinestro with a ring and this is his first time in the lead role again. Perfect reboot material. 

Superboy..

  So this science group grew the clone Superboy and after trying to kill him because they are reading no brain activity, he becomes fully conscious and awakens. He is then shoved into some Matrix like fake reality machine to be tested. They appear to be getting clues about who he was cloned from. They know the Superman half but who is the other. If it's Lex than nothing has changed at all and that would explain him not saving people in the Matrix machine. However it would be a cop out to old readers to leave a plot thread like that hanging only to have it be the same as before.

  I hope this title brings about a relationship between the red headed scientist and Superboy. It kind of hints that she has feelings for him. 

  The art on this book is so up my street it might as well move in next door to me. Seriously loved the look of it. Great line work on the characters and perfect emotional expressions. The only thing that bugged me about this book is what I realised a fortnight later. It has an identical cliff hanger to Teen Titans. I figured TT would carry on immediately after and would switch the character between not be a kind of "identical sister" title. It makes no sense. After reading both I am none the wiser. Just that he will possibly be released prematurely to the world to deal with/ join the Teen Titans. 

  Oh and why is he depicted as a Cyborg on the cover? Confusing much?!

  Another week done. No real gems here in my opinion. Although I am looking forward to the next Batwoman and Superboy, just mostly for the art. Oh and what happened to all that shebang about women needing to cover up? Harley's corset is unrealistic and whore-ish not to mention there is a changing room scene in Batwoman, which felt unnecessary yet fitted the character better that Harley. Whose character used to be all about trying to get with the Joker with their on again off again one way love. The full jester costume may have looked dated but it's how jesters look. Now she looks like a street walker, which depending on how they've changed her backstory, may be even more out of character for someone who was once a timid psychiatrist who looked up to the bonkers enigmatic Joker.

New 52: The First Bunch.

First off, Justice League...
  I found it odd that in the last issue of DC olds' Flashpoint #5 there was very little reference to a changed world and then in the same week we are given an issue set 5 years in the past of the new timeline. This would be incredibly confusing for new readers attempting to join in. One minute we have Flash and Batman chatting away like friends then next minute we have Green Lantern discovering Batman is real and meeting for the first time. There isn't a great deal of setting the scene, or that this is in the past, other than the miniscule caption at the top of page one.

  Characterisation seems a bit off too if you ask me. I get that Green Lantern is cocky but do Batman and Superman also have to come off as arrogant?
  Art isn't to my liking but I can appreciate the detailed work. I was never a fan of Jim Lee but I acknowledge he is good at what he does. The redesigned costumes are tricky to keep consistent. I knew this would be the case from the second I saw them and with there only being the two characters so heavily featured throughout, I reread this and stared panel to panel and sure enough the costume details are inconsistent. Like for example the lined padding on Batman's neck. Small quibble but thats what the redesigns were bound to do. Plus this is with a pretty detailed professional so God knows how a newby to the art duties would handle it.
  As for Darksied's involvement, I was almost disappointed that it was a villain we knew that would be in the first arc. I was really rooting for some new characters so it's a shame the re-jiggering isn't all that different. I suppose it makes sense that a big hitter would be a good villain to recquire assembling the Justice League for the first time but did it have to be someone we knew?
  The fear and hating of powered vigilantes has been done to death in X-men so I am a little hesitant as to what new things DC could bring to the concept.
  I aren't sure about the cliff hanger either. I mean come on! How many time do heroes have to fight then realise they are on the same side, and then team up. Cliché much?
  A fair enough if slow start to the main book of the DCnU (and I mean slowww, the 4th cover for the title was released recently and it has Aquaman on it, so if they only meet him in the 4th issue how long is it going to take to assemble this League). I'm glad that it wasn't just a few members sat around choosing whom makes the team, so it that sense its refreshing.

Action Comics...
  So Superman is a cocky anti-hero. Unconventional methods to get great results. Almost bullying the bad guys into making confessions. I can't help but have this remind me of Batman.
  Again we see the world that fears and hates superheroes unless they are being saved by them. Already been done in X-men.
  A few nice plot threads laid down here, Clark living in a rented apartment with a landlord called Mrs Nyxly, sounds a lot like Mxyzptlk. Or is that just me? Luthor being unconventionally drafted in by the police/ army to catch Superman. But what's his motivation for it? Clark working for a separate paper then Jimmy and Lois. Plenty of old school Superman action, saving trains throwing cars etc. Very iconic to the mythology but with a great twist on things simply by changing his personality.
  Again it's another book where the cliff hanger means very little to me. Oh no he's trapped. He will get out of it for Godsake! He's almost unstoppable, just let him recharge in the sun a bit. Although saying that a cover for a later issue has been released with Supes in an electric chair. Could he be held captive by the government a la Flashpoint? That would be refreshing.
  Art is nothing special but it suits the book to a T.

Stormwatch...
  I aren't all too familiar with the Wildstorm characters, I just wanted to support one of the Paul Cornell books. There are lots of interesting characters here with very intriguing powers. I am looking forward to seeing how Apollo and Midnighter who were originally parodies of Superman and Batman, fit into the DCU with there immense powers and personalities. Good idea to add Martian Manhunter into the mix to ease a newby like me into this. The book has great art and the heavy black borders around the panels give this a very cinematic quality.
  A strong start and lots of directions can be taken with this book. Can't wait to read more.

Justice League International...
  So this is playing more heavily on it's roots than the other Justice League book. It's UN funded and arranged. With a leader, Booster, that they can easily manipulate. Good job Batman has forced his way onto the team to act as a liaison with the main JL.
  Lots of characters I know as well as ones I don't. General in Iron seems like a great counterpart for Red Rocket and lots of dialogue between the two is hilarious. I want to get to know the characters that I don't already so it feels more compelling. Great juggling of such a massive team. Very fast moving.
  Already within about ten pages they are off on their first mission. Although you know the team will fight off the robot in the cliff hanger, I still want to read more to find out what's been going on underground as well as just seeing more character interactions.
  They have picked the best parts from previous JLI books and combined them for the better. Classic art that just carries on the feel of the Generation lost book.

Batgirl...
  Not as good as I wanted it to be. It seems like the Killing Joke still happened and the only way Barbara got better was from months of therapy and learning to walk again. Not really a quick fix but very brushed over. Essential though to get straight into the action. A sort of lose lose scenario.
  I bought this as I am a big fan of Simone on her previous Secret Six book. She tends to have much better stories when she has more than one character. Her dialogue works wonders on any book. With one character though there was less of that. It had a moodier feel to it.
  Nice to see a flawed hero as she pauses at the worst time possible, frozen in fear, gun pointed at her, as she has flashbacks to being crippled. With the worst outcome.
  The art is really hit and miss. Sometimes capturing great scenes and other times the layout stages seems to have let the finish down. This book is one that I'm going to give more of a chance to. I think it will get better with time.

Animal Man...
  If you are looking for the new gems of this new world order, then here's one of them. The pages are so beautifully drawn. For a week so typically crammed with messy, scribbly and very typically of what I would imagine DC books look like this was a breath of fresh awesome. I actually like his costume redesign. It's in story continuity that he changes his life a lot. The bad guy has genuine motive to be holding a hospital hostage. Then the visions in his dream and the stark reality of his daughter, Maxine's power manifestation. Now that is a cliff hanger that leaves me begging for more. Best of the week by far.
 This went way over my expectations, a perfectly plotted book. Three parts: set up, rescue, dilemma. Deliciously dark. Great story telling and not your average superhero book. I'd even recommend this to spandex haters.

Well that's all I bought this week for the DC relaunch. More of my thoughts soonish.

Flashpoint and the New DC Order

Ok hello it's me back again, and better late then never. Just wanted to share my views on Flashpoint and the post New 52 expectations. Despite how when I'm writing this it is well into the first week of releases. We have already had the new Justice League and the first 13 other number 1's.

On the entire Flashpoint storyline...

  It was poorly paced and despite a cracking first and last issue, nothing was made of the entire story as a whole. Sure there are gaping plot wholes like, how Thomas Waynes letter and Barry's memories survived the change or how about: If Barry stopped himself from creating that universe in the first place then why is there change at all, when it's corrected? I mean apart from the whole "strange woman saying that they have been combining the three universes for some time now" thing.

  My purchases of the tie-ins feel pretty stupid now. The only one I really enjoyed was the Batman one. There was no need for any of them truthfully. They could have been prequels for each of the characters featured in Flashpoint, but most of the characters roles in the main book were glorified cameos anyway.
  A better solution would have been to have two fortnightly titles (like with JLI/ Brightest Day), one called the History of Flashpoint- with short prequels to each character and also a lot of build up about the Amazon/ Atlantis war. The other could have been an up to date World of Flashpoint with all of the relevant tie in stuff to the build up of the resistance and leading into the battle at the end.
  Another issue I had with the story as a whole: Booster Gold. As one of the only two characters who remembered the previous world, he was grossly miss-used, all he did was fight someone in a Doomsday body. He's in the JLI for godsake he isn't an unknown character. Geoff Johns spent so long trying to build up Cyborg as an important character he forgot he could bring in Booster into the main stage once more (I loved him in 52).
   I hated how When Barry woke up in the alternate world that the artwork didn't make clear that his powers had gone, and it only occurred to me when he was driving to the mansion that anything was different for him. Equally in the last issue I don't think it was made very clear that he had come back to a changed world thus making the new 52 seem sort of forced into this stories finale.
  Perhaps Johns had too much free reign? Maybe he did try to recreate the magic of the stories he remembers when he was younger. Some people probably enjoyed it. To me though this wasn't an "event" book. Infinite Crisis was an event book, so was Final Crisis and hell even War of the Green Lanterns felt more epic and disaster-movie, end of the world scenario then this did.
  There were moments in this that I liked a lot. A sunless captive Superman was intriguing as was Thomas Wayne Batman, but all of those are the basis of a "huh that's sorta neat" reaction and do not create a compelling story as is. It was mildly enjoyable but not very entertaining. It would have been fine as just a plain old Flash comics story arc but with all the hype and buildup it didn't fair well as an event.

  All said and done I seem to have gotten the same feelings as I had with Spiderman One More Day- I don't like they way they went about it, but I really enjoy the change now that it's arrived. 

The New 52...

  For anyone who somehow hasn't heard, DC comics has ended ALL of it's current titles and in the story continuity they have hit the re-set switch to combine all of the DC, Vertigo and Wildstorm publishing into one shared universe continuity. Some characters who were brought in from alternate worlds like the Justice Society and Power Girl don't exist anymore and others like Batgirl are not the same person in the costume either. It's all change and wether you are a comics fan or not, up until the first wave of releases last week we were all on the same page about the details of the new Universe. So I would suggest hopping in now and joining us. There is something for everyone here War, Western, Vampire, Supernatural and Superhero Male, Females and Mixed Races. They are really trying to cover all their bases here.
  As for what DC hopes to accomplish with re-jiggering (thats the technical term) their shared universe I don't think it will bring more readers in there droves like they think. Sure drumming up media interest is always going to add a bit of a curve on to the sales figures but this move seems to be targeting people who read just a few of their titles and want to read more. Or readers of other companies books who just want a foot in the door. Or perhaps readers who stopped and wanted to start again and have being waiting for a long time for an appropriate chance.

  Equally I don't think that the digital same day release is going to be the end of comic book shops. Sure they might have closed near where you live, but come on people there is also a recession going on. If anything the digital same day release will let people who are perhaps too embarrassed to be seen in a comic shop or to lazy to leave the house or even just plain old gadget junkies, have there own access point into the stories.  It's a shame in my eyes that the digital version costs the same as the printed version. It should be very subsidised or at the very least have a free digital download that comes with each issue, then there would be no worrying about people picking. It would be like the DVDs that have the free digital version to. Maybe I want to take it out to read/ play on the road digitally, but I shouldn't have to pay twice if I actually want to own the physical product. I'm proud of my comics and like them in order on my shelves, but to be honest if I had an iphone or ipad yeah I wouldn't mind some reading material on it too.

  I don't think paper comics will ever die out. In the same sense that the movie version of a character doesn't render the comics version obsolete. It's just irrational to think that way.
  The main problem of the 52 re-jiggering in my eyes is which ones to buy? I sure wont be trying all of them. I've flicked through the free promo catalogue countless times and can't decide wether to follow my favorite writers, artists or characters onto new books. Or wether to use my chance and jump onto the main heroes books. I've narrowed my buying down to about 20 of the 52 and done it so that I can get 5 a week. It's the hunt for the new gems! I will try to give each book a full story arc to prove itself before I deem it droppable and give up. Not just the first issue as I would imagine a lot of angry fanboy types may do.
  If you've ever been mildly interested in comics and want to know where to start reading. Just start now. Sure there is tons of great work in trade but if you want to be up to date with the new world order nows your chance. After all I'd never imagined that mainstream comics would be given TV and billboard adverts in my life time. Comics are cool again! (ahem.. they always have been).

  

Next Up: Justice League #1 Review (it's another rant) and my thoughts on the other New DC issues I'm reading (it's a lot more upbeat). Plus let's not forget the other comic company still churning out it's big summer event (along with what seems like endless magic hammer tie-ins) as well as Spider Island and more!

(Note- Yeah I realised it is quite unrealistic to review every issue I buy. Instead expect random updates about single titles, whole series so far, summer crossovers and other recommendations.)