New 52 Week 3: The Sexy Week

I'm going to be up front about this week. I didn't know what the hell to get. Other weeks there where a about 4 or 5 that I definitely wanted to try and lots that I avoided like the plague. This week there were a lot of hmm maybe I'll get that, kind of books. Of course I can stand in the shop and flick through them till my fingers wear out and I still wouldn't know without just buying, reading and getting very disappointed. So here's my thoughts on this week. I'm going to start though by addressing my worst picks first. Skip the first couple to avoid me ranting.

Captain Atom..

  I picked this up because I enjoyed him in the Generation Lost JLI series. This isn't anything like that. The art is completely unsuited to the book, there is no backstory other than "some big mad scientist guy made him". There are disasters and robots and nuclear plants to be dealt with and saving the day yet no explanation as to why there was any of these dangers or how they happened. They have made the character less than/ more than human so he is un-relatable. I kinda felt sorry for him in Gen Lost because he couldn't feel the touch of his kids when he hugged them and the overload of his powers often led to him time traveling. Oh boy do I love time traveling stories! No. None of that was here. At. All. They have stripped the character of everything that I loved and made him into a cold Dr Manhattan character except he isn't interesting like Dr Manhattan. Just don't even try it. I wont be getting this again.

Speaking of stripping a character: Red Hood and the Outlaws..

  I had high expectations. Ever since it was mentioned in Batman and Robin that Red Hood would be leading a team book I was sporting my "squee" face. This is not what I expected either. It was a great concept but just a shit read. Even the team in it sounded interesting at first. Red Arrow and Starfire. Great I mean that's some pretty odd choices but maybe they'd be like a badass version of the Amazing Super Friends..? The best comparison to this recently is Flash Thompson as Venom. Great idea just poorly executed.

  The story is high octane action but very few developments happen. Red Hood breaks Red Arrow out of prison with Starfire's help and escape to a desert island. Then after sharing sexual partners Red Hood goes off to shoot things again and that's the cliff hanger that's meant to draw me back for more? How? He already got out of one massive gun fight it's not like he cant again!

  Starfire has turned from an openly loving alien, into a nymphomaniac. She may have being depicted as this before depending on the writer, and hell- fan service in comics is nothing new. It's just never been so blatantly in your face. Tit shot one page, ass shot another, contorted leaning for maximum cleavage and pretty much no costume to comment on. Also you can do a slutty character well without such terrible dialogue. This reads like a 12 years olds secret porn doodle stuffed down the back of his sock drawer.
                                          

  I don't think I want to read this again. I feel embarrassed owning a copy. This is what my girlfriend hates about me reading comics. She thinks it's all scantily clad women and beefed up guys. In this case she made me realise how cliché this book is. I would rather read something a bit more intelligent. It's sad that there is even a market for a book like this.

Catwoman.. 

  The other controversial book this week for the portrayal of women in comics. I may be being a bit hypocritical here but I really rather liked this one. The colouring on the cover is so electro pop and I love it. The pale gothic looking Catwoman rushing into costume before the full costume reveal doesn't bother me. It's a tad dark and feels more like actual stills from a movie rather than the full on contorted porn poses of Starfire. Plus there is an actual story here as Selina investigates who attacked her home. She uses her sexuality to get into places and then works her magic. It feels more natural as people do abuse their looks to get places in real life.

  The art is hit and miss. Great action scenes and nailing the Catwoman figure in action, but the occasional I-cant-believe-that's-the-same-artist-that-did-this moments, like Lola, Selina's "larger" friend. Fat women don't have the hourglass figure. It looks like he drew a skinny comic female then drew her a bit chunkier around that. He could do with attending a few life drawing classes me thinks. 

  As for the cliff hanger I've never read a book where Bats and the Cat get it on. I know they exist but as I've only being reading DC the past 3 to 4 years I'll have missed them. It seems odd to see it actually happen. Fairly shocking to see it on the page. The next issue "The morning after" tag line gave me shivers. Where do they go from here? Is this a regular hook up? Are they an item? Bruce has already had a kid with one villain, so what if..? 

  There are options and different routes this could head down. The Starfire situation can only lead to more sexual abuse or the two men getting jealous of each other. This book feels more like a bizarre soap plot. Like even Superheroes must have this happen to them, these animal urges. I'll be getting next weeks for sure.

Wonder Woman..

  I never thought I would pick up a WW comic and actually enjoy it. The dark mystery combined with the myth and legends of the Gods is a great mix as well as a well suited artist that gives the book the right tone. 

  There are lots of great looking well designed villains in this first issue as well as a new(?) female character called Zola who has come into possession of a key. She's teleported to Diana's bedroom where she is sleeping and then the adventure begins when she notices the intruder. There is a bit of an unnecessary sleeping nude and walk across to the wardrobe scene that seems to sexualise the character and was almost as though it was stuck in purely because she was female. Wonder Woman is a powerful female, I don't think you can sexualise her like that. Or is that just my personal taste?

  Great start with lots of directions this could run with. I feel Zola will be a good addition as she will be there to guide the reader through a world she isn't familiar with either. It's writing 101, it means that Wonder Woman has to explain whats going on to let the reader in on it too (that's the real reason the Doctor has companions by the way).

Batman..

  Not as fun as previous Detective comics run also by the same writer. Although it was the two distinct artists styles that made that book so amazing too in my opinion. This artist seems to have a very young look for all of the Robins when they are with Bruce and they all seem a tad too young if you ask me.

  Lots of new ideas already implemented, Bruce is transforming Gotham and getting rid of high crime areas. In a few years will Gotham be like a new Metropolis? Nice touch with the eye computers in the contacts even though The Dark Knight and Torchwood got there first. 

  The cliff hanger is not really that big a cliff hanger as after one big twist in the same issue it seems very unlikely that it is Dick that is the killer. It's clearly just a set up. But it'd be nice to see Bruce investigate and loose trust wit a Robin.

Nightwing..

  The main reason why Dick wouldn't be a villain is that he has his own title and isn't a bad guy in it.. DUH! Fairly intelligent read this one with lots of returning characters from Dick's past as the circus he grew up in and his parents died in is back in Gotham. 

  The artwork handles all of the bizarre perspectives brought about by the gymnastics, rather well. Nothing spectacular but pretty standard throughout. 

  Even though you know that Dick will get out of the melé alive at the end there is still a fairly decent mystery as to who the masked villain is. Perhaps he is the new acrobat from the circus? Just sayin'!

Supergirl..

  Great art that really defines the entire book. A dodgy looking costume but I suppose she is fresh from an alien world. Which is what makes this book both different and annoying. We get to see her origin in this new world and how she meets Supes and how she discovers all her powers including some new ones she never had before teased the writers in interviews about the series. The bad part is that every Supergirl story before never happened and we literally have to do all of it again. Depends if seeing it all again is worth it.

  The book looks to be good if a little slow moving as all we see is Kara crash land on Earth and then get attacked by a bunch of robots before her cousin Kal shows up. Which isn't enough for a 22 page comic, not when other new 52's get so much more packed into them. How will Kal take seeing another Kryptonian, this time? I want to read more. 

Blue Beetle..

  There have been a lot of characters that haven't even felt the change and a lot that probably didn't need it. This book has a classic character being completely re-imagined with a new twist. We see the origin of the Scarab as an alien weapon of destruction and how it ends up on Earth being tracked down by aliens who want it destroyed or to be their own. It's an interesting twist that leads to a decent end for a first issue. 

  Art suffices and the characters are shining through even if they are a bit one dimensional as typical stereotypes of high schoolers. I would say that all the spanish language detracts a little. I can see why it's in there as a lot of Americans can understand basic spanish/mexican being on a border with Mexico. For the rest of the world though it just stunts the flow of the reading. Just a minor issue.

  I don't know what this re-telling means for what happened in the Infinite Crisis though as Blue Beetle- and his predecessor were both major parts in it. 

  A good book that isn't heavily reliant on a greater knowledge of the DC universe. Just a good one for new readers.

Green Lantern Corps..

  What I thought would be an odd team up turned out to be a decent pairing. They clash in all the right ways and yet the pairing also makes sense as these are the two lanterns that went public with their identities.
  A great way to start a space story is to have two characters realise they aren't welcome on Earth. A good cliff hanger. Fairly typical art that is above average out of all the new 52's I've picked up so far.
  Not exactly the Lantern A listers but I always have room on my comic shelves for a bit more Guy Gardner love. Nice ending too as well as would could be a very formidable new villain. Nice touch, but not for newbies just starting out into the GL books.

That's it for another week. My thoughts in general so far: Why aren't there more really good artists on these books? If the stories are great but the book looks crap then it's going to lose my interest eventually. DC really went back on their word regarding the "women being dressed up more" initiative.  Yeah not a lot of great stuff this week. I wish I hadn't read about a third of what I got but it's my own fault for not deciding what to pick up sooner.
I've just read the last lot of the new 52 so I'll right about them when I get a chance and then onwards and upwards to some different reviews. Marvel books maybe? DVD's? Could be branching out a bit but I did just get Thor and Super to watch and they will be fun to review!