Barry Allen’s mother is in her heaven and all is right with the world. And what a strange new world it is.
All month long I’ll be reviewing each and every one of DC Comics’ new #1 issues from Justice League to Voodoo. Out of love. Out of lunacy. Out of fiscal irresponsibility. Every Thursday find my text reviews here on iFanboy. Then you can tune in for roundtable discussions on my podcast Fuzzy Typewriter featuring David Accampo and a new guest panelist each week. Last week included commentary from our own Ali Colluccio. This week we’re joined by Dixon’s Notch artist Doug Hills!
- 52 Pick-Up Week Zero podcast (Featuring Flashpoint #5 and Justice League #1)
- 52 Pick-Up Week One podcast (Featuring Action Comics, Animal Man, Swamp Thing and more)
- 52 Pick-Up Week Two podcast (Featuring Batman & Robin, Batwoman, Deathstroke and more)
- 52 Pick-Up Week Three podcast (Featuring Batman, Wonder Woman, Supergirl and more)
- 52 Pick-Up Week Four podcast (featuring Aquaman, The Flash, Justice League Dark and more)
Let’s make some dreams come true.
All-Star Western #1
All-Star Western #1
Written by Justin Gray & Jimmy Palmiotti
Art by Moritat
Color by Gabriel Bautista
In the opening credit sequence of HBO’s Deadwood, a wayward horse bounds through a murky puddle of filth beyond modern conception. In its reflective surface we find the title card for each episode and the color palette of this spectacular book. That may sound like a slight, but the murky hues employed throughout these pages–the sepias, the rusts, the turtledove grays and diluted, bittersweet lifeblood–are so perfectly suited for this Victorian mystery. We’ve seen some stunning art in the past few weeks, and I’d hold Moritat and colorist Babriel Bautista’s work up with the best of the bunch. This boldly inked, often monotone depiction of 1880’s Gotham harkens to Eddie Campbell’s take on the back-alleys of London in From Hell. A departure from Palmiotti & Gray’s beloved Jonah Hex ongoing, this new series is much more of a caper. Hex’s move east to old Gotham is one of the most inventive alterations of the relaunch, offering the character a new lease on life and a smart dynamic with nebbish Amadeus Arkham. The old Hex formula wasn’t necessarily broken, but this mashup of western and Voctorian skullduggery feels like a welcome change of pace.
Story: 4.5 / Art: 5 / Overall: 5
(Out of 5 Stars)
Picking it up next month? Yep.
Aquaman #1
Aquaman #1
Written by Geoff Johns
Art by Ivan Reis
It all boils down to that face Aquaman pulls when asked, “You need a glass of water or something?” It’s one of several funny beats in an issue designed to address the elephant seal in the room: Aquaman is an unlikely superhero with questionable jurisdiction and a troubling power set. When he handily resolves a minor, landlubbing conflict, he’s met only with backhanded compliments and puzzled stares. He can’t even eat a nostalgic seafood lunch in peace. By carefully chipping away at Aquaman’s stoicism and refraining from using an angst-ridden inner monologue or narration, Johns establishes a pretty sympathetic hero. To be honest, he reads a bit like Superman with a slightly colder, more distant demeanor. The self-deprecation doesn’t sully the book either, and only rarely comes off as a little too jokey. A crucial scene with Mera, coupled with a flashback relating to Aquaman’s lighthouse keeper father, lends the character a welcome romantic quality. As for the invading race of creatures featured in the bookend scenes, they might be the perfect threat–simple, scary–for a back to basics book. Hopeful, earnest books like this made Johns my first favorite super hero writer when I began reading comics anew five years ago. More stuff like this, please.
Story: 4 / Art: 4 / Overall: 4
(Out of 5 Stars)
Picking it up next month? I’m in for at least one lap around the pool, hopefully more.
Batman: The Dark Knight #1
Batman: The Dark Knight #1
Written by Paul Jenkins & David Finch
Art by David Finch
I’m going to shelve this with Detective Comics #1 as the Batman that isn’t for me. Unfortunate plot comparisons to Snyder and Capullo’s top notch Batman #1 don’t help this roid-rager. Neither do the caption boxes waxing poetic on the origins of fear and our hero’s mastery of it. There’s a grating self-help vibe to the proceedings, and like its closest relative in the roster — Detective Comics — it’s rife with cliche and misplaced bombast. Here we find a hulked-out version of Two-Face, a character whose appeal rests on the opposite side of the spectrum from Killer Croc and Bane and probably doesn’t benefit from the course change. It’s an odd choice for the character and being that there’s nothing to be gleaned from the role reversal, its seems Solomon Grundy might be a simple substitute. Finch’s art works well enough for Batman, especially in the Jim Lee mold, but doesn’t fair so well in its depiction or anyone or anything else. Finch humans are not well-suited to cheerfulness, manifest in painful instances of a smiling Bruce Wayne. This iteration of the character needs a PR coach and fast. Unappealing art and an extended Tony Robbins monologue relegate this one to the bottom of the Gotham stack.
Story: 2 / Art: 2 / Overall: 2
(Out of 5 Stars)
Picking it up next month? No.
Blackhawks #1
Blackhawks #1
Written by Mike Costa
Art by Graham Nolan, Ken Lashley
Those men in their flying machines. I’d been keenly anxious for this series, a jet set G.I. Joe for the DCU. It doesn’t quite stick the landing, but there’s a lot of promise throughout and I’m eager to see the ensemble come into their own. Perhaps muddled by an abundance of self-confessed peculiar nicknames and handles, it’s gonna need the same grace period as Stormwatch and Demon Knights. We do know that a special ops team of international adventurers has access to a huge hangar full of vehicles and that a nasty virus is going around, dispensed by terrorists. There’s also some steamy fraternization and romantic strife at play. The art is often frustratingly clumsy, and I’m still trying to parse what’s being implied on that last page aside from the obvious pains. Ultimately though, it’s a fresh new corner of the DCU and a stronger mashup of military action and metahuman SF than was Men of War. Not the strongest endorsement, but a title I’d recommend monitoring nonetheless.
Story: 3.5 / Art: 3.5 / Overall: 3.5
(Out of 5 Stars)
Picking it up next month? I think so. Yes.
The Flash #1
The Flash #1
Written by Francis Manapul & Brian Buccellato
Art by Francis Manapul
Fleet-footed and fancy free, this new chapter in the Barry Allen story is just as it should be. It recalls the earliest issues in Johns’ and Manapuls’ earlier Flash title, before the series grew mired in temporal mishegas. Much as I adore the Rogues, I’m relieved that the likes of Captain Cold, Mirror Master and especially Professor Zoom are benched for this first outing, at least from this angle. It’s also heartening that Barry isn’t shouldering memories of the former DCU, a thread hinted by the final issue of Flashpoint. This is clean start for the character without resorting to a retread of his origin. Nothing is really gained from the editorial choice to reset Barry’s relationship with Iris, but given her prominence in the issue, it doesn’t register as damaging either. Manapul’s visuals are as energetic and whimsical as ever, and it’s thrilling to see him asserting boundless freedom in experimentation. This is another title you could hand to anyone interested in the new 52.
Story: 4 / Art: 4.5 / Overall: 4.5
(Out of 5 Stars)
Picking it up next month? Yes.
The Fury of Firestorm – The Nuclear Men #1
The Fury of Firestorm: The Nuclear Men #1
Written by Ethan Van Sciver & Gail Simone
Art by Yildiray Cinar
While rebooting this franchise and either of its protagonists back to square one is a wise choice, this issue probably bit off more than it could reasonably chew. The book endeavors to install two Firestorm characters with a combative relationship, a mercenary kill-crew threat, and a questionable cliffhanger. Much of the issue is devoted to Ronnie and Jason’s stormy dynamic, positioning them as an arrogant jock and arrogant brain respectively. That both characters are catty and unlikable twerps with outdated put-downs is a genuine problem, especially at this stage in the game. This relationship has room to mature, but knowing the disagreements and mistrust are central to the concept presents a bleak future. The dual transformation into Firestorm entities — a rushed and confusing sequence on its own — doesn’t much help the situation. We hardly get to know the pair as superheroes before they’re forcibly merged into the hulking Fury, adding further complication to the origin. Cinar’s pencils look terrific in the explosive Firestorm section, but the presentation isn’t as clean or polished in other portions. Overall, an ambitious beginning beset by thoroughly grating protagonists.
Story: 2 / Art: 3 / Overall: 2.5
(Out of 5 Stars)
Picking it up next month? No.
Green Lantern: The New Guardians #1
Green Lantern: New Guardians #1
Written by Tony Bedard
Art by Tyler Kirkham
Kyle Rayner simply cannot catch a break. Both a hard reboot for the character and a continuation of the irksome multi-color lantern saga, New Guardians is a bona fide head-scratcher. Ganthet, last surviving Guardian of the Universe, casts a green ring out into the cosmos, desperate the sustain the legacy of the troubled corps. The rings reaches meek young artist Kyle Rayner during a night on the town with set dressing friends. Mercifully, Kyle’s introduction into the corps doesn’t take very long, and he’s an established ring-slinger by book’s end. Unfortunately he’s also become a magnet to the full spectrum of power rings, inadvertently robbing one corpsman in each group of their rings. These understandably miffed warriors descend upon Earth to reclaim what’s theirs. To summarize: no one asked for this mess. If there’s any bright point to this odd rehash, I suppose it’s that no girlfriends have ever been stuffed into a refrigerator in this reality. But I hesitate to deem Kyle’s new place in the DCU as any better than M.I.A. Wally West’s.
Story: 1.5 / Art: 2.5 / Overall: 2
(Out of 5 Stars)
Picking it up next month? No.
I, Vampire #1
I, Vampire #1
Written by Joshua Hale Fialkov
Art by Andrea Sorrentino
Red and Another Red probably aren’t the best choices for distinctive caption box colors for especially vague introductory dialogue in the first issue of a series. And though I was hugely disoriented for extended swaths of this story, it was evocative enough and sinister enough to harbor some real interest. We’re looking not at the Bela Lugosi or Buffy Summers take on vampires, but something akin to Bram Stoker’s more complex vision, with the floating and transfiguration usually jettisoned from modern interpretations. It plays to Stoker’s gothic tone as well, both thematically and visually. Casual references to Superman, Wonder Woman and the Green Lanterns feel a little jarring, if only because Sorrentino’s moody interiors appear so alien from typical superhero art. It’s striking stuff if a little static, existing at the exact median between the covers of Jae Lee and what Alex Maleev is doing on Scarlet and Moon Knight. As for the concept of one valiant vamp against a teeming undead horde run amuck in the DCU? I’m very curious where this is headed.
Story: 3 / Art: 4 / Overall: 3.5
(Out of 5 Stars)
Picking it up next month? Undecided. Given the backstory and learning curve, I may end up waiting for the first collection. It’s compelling material, but it may be difficult to track from month to month.
Justice League Dark #1
Justice League Dark #1
Written by Peter Milligan
Art by Mikel Janin
Baywatch Nights to regular Justice League’s Baywatch, JLDark channels the supernatural, hot and heavy. You’ll want to consult Jimski’s Twitter feed for a play0by-play of the clunkiest snatches of dialogue, but suffice to say it’s not the most eloquent or subtly crafted book in the Dark line. While I’m interested in each of these characters as well as the strange circumstances drawing them together, the execution comes off Ernest P. Worrell clumsy, maybe even tone deaf. The better concepts–envelope gateways into pocket dimensions and duplicated doppelgänger girls caught up in a busy intersection–are buried by abuse of the arcane. There’s simply too much being hurled through the maelstrom, from rotten teeth to the “reek of skinned babies,” artifacts of Xanadu’s manic delusions. I had high hope for this one, but the script is undeniably murky. Magic is wonderful, but so often dissolves into pure unintelligible gibberish. As was the case here. Can it rebound? I truly hope so.
Story: 3 / Art: 3.5 / Overall: 3
(Out of 5 Stars)
Picking it up next month? Undecided.
Hawkman #1
The Savage Hawkman #1
Written by Tony S. Daniel
Art by Phillip Tan
Kyle Rayner and Carter Hall simply cannot catch a break. Good grief. Okay. At least in this first installment, Daniel sidesteps the quagmire that is Hawkman’s almost charmingly convoluted origin(s) and positions Hall as a tired man at the end of his emotional tether. In the opening scene he attempts to free himself of the Hawkman identity, driving it to a woodland cave and I guess shooting it. As with many woodland misadventures, it culminates in a horrific fire and Hall is consumed by the apparently malevolent energies of the nth metal. Meanwhile, a Science Team plucks an alien vessel from the ocean, summoning archaeologist Hall to ogle at the mummified hominids entombed within. In an attempt to sample some DNA from what they believe to be the bodies of abducted humans, the team awakens, let’s not pussyfoot, Venom. The attack triggers Hall’s transformation into a newly, awkwardly armored Hawkman with the patriotic fury of “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan. Rendered in muddy, unappealing pencils from Philip Tan, it’s not the glorious return or inventive reset the character truly needed. No hard choices are made here, and that leaves this #1 decidedly bloodless.
Story: 1 / Art: 2 / Overall: 1.5
(Out of 5 Stars)
Picking it up next month? No.
Superman #1
Superman #1
Written by George Perez
Art by George Perez & Jesus Merino
Reading the banter between Clark and Lois over the subject of the truly convoluted changes to the Daily Planet status quo, I was reminded of the terrific Look, Up in the Sky documentary released just prior to Superman Returns. In it, writers, editors and KISS frontman Gene Simmons discuss the misguided changed made to the character over the years, including the era when Clark appeared as a television news anchor. There’s also some commentary on the discarded redesigns to Superman’s costume, most especially those that attempted to make the character look cooler and edgier. This is perhaps beside the point, but I remember nodding vigorously at the conversation and then shaking my head here. Briefly tempted by a squarer-than-square Superman (that’s weirdly a plus for me) and some appropriately dated art, I’m ready to let this one go. It’s the dad jeans of the Superman family of titles, a bloated narrative vying for prominence with a desperate bid for modern relevance. And on a more subjective note, I simply miss Clark and Lois together and their separation registers as painful rather than dramatic.
Story: 2.5 / Art: 3 / Overall: 2.5
(Out of 5 Stars)
Picking it up next month? No.
Teen Titans #1
Teen Titans #1
Written by Scott Lobdell
Art by Brett Booth
No major offenses this week, though that doesn’t save Lobdell’s third #1 of the month from a bland plot and middling visuals. Though the decision to embrace the overall youth of the new DCU and largely abandoning the sidekick pretense is a smart one, Teen Titans simply lacks the charm of, say, Young Justice. Metahuman teens out of control and raging against the machine makes more sense logistically than T-shaped towers, but that doesn’t make it the more appealing option. It should be said that Tim Drake remains mostly intact and Cassie isn’t entirely the scary troubled teen many of us dreaded from early reports. The real problem here lies in the art, a visual style that embodies the least flattering allusions to the 90s. It’s not the best look to resurrect, and a few characters like Cassie and the “officer” trying to detain her, come off as stiff and overly dramatic as those found in Liefeld’s Hawk & Dove or Finch’s Batman: The Dark Knight. Brief glimpses of characters like Raven and Miss Martian feel like teases to a much more compelling book.
Story: 3 / Art: 1.5 / Overall: 2.5
(Out of 5 Stars)
Picking it up next month? No.
Voodoo #1
Voodoo #1
Written by Ron Marz
Art by Sami Basri
I grew up just a few blocks from northeast Philadelphia’s notorious Purple Orchid strip club, now a fairly dubious Crown Chicken. I’ve never been inside the building in either configuration, but stemming from a steady diet of Investigation Discovery programming, Friday Night Lights as well as a reading of Diablo Cody’s memoir, I’m going to wager that this book glosses over some of the seedier aspects of America’s exotic dancing circuit. Basri’s art is as gorgeous as ever, but it’s perhaps too clean, too glamorous for an episode set in a peep show. That’s not to say the book should’ve been raunchier or more explicit. How shall I put this? The inclusion of stains and cellulite would likely be appropriate, maybe even responsible. The backstage dynamic between the performers was actually interesting and it’s maybe unfortunate we won’t be returning to that again. As with other #1s like Deathstroke and Supergirl, I’m not entirely sure what to expect from future issues of Voodoo based solely on the introductory issue. One imagines it’s kissing cousins with a title like Grifter, offering a continuous road adventure rife with disguises and pursuing operatives in Ray Bans. I’m intrigued by the surviving detective character, who’s actually more compelling than the shape-shifting alien moonlighting as a stripper.
Story: 3 / Art: 4.5 / Overall: 3.5
(Out of 5 Stars)
Picking it up next month? I really, really dig Basri’s art, but I’ll likely end up waiting for that first collection.
And that’s all she wrote.
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I’m so glad All Star Western was good. I was sad to see Jonah Hex go, but Moritat’s work on the Spirit was fantastic.
wow. tough crowd haha. I know i’ll probably be crucified for this but i thought Marvel had the better books this week. Captain America & Bucky is incredible (if you can get past those covers. YIKES!) And Journey into Mystery was again spectacular despite the absence of braithwaite. Flash was great but not as good as these other two, IMO.
Good cripes, I am tired.
Thank you for doing this for us.
The result is that I now abhor you with great fury.
You’ve done your comics public service for the year. Someone get this guy a medal.
This next FT podcast should be fun. I don’t disagree with your calls by much, but there are a few that I liked more than you, and a few that I liked less… Still, slow clap for Paul… you did a fantastic job with all 52 reviews this month, my friend.
“Abhor” is such a repugnant word.
I really loved Aquaman. Not sure why, but it was one of my favourites of the week. And I actually enjoyed Hawkman quite a bit as well, maybe because I don’t have any real ties to the character whatsoever. I might not stay with it, but I thought it was an enjoyable issue. Same with Justice League Dark, though I might stay with that one, depends on issue 2. However I didn’t really enjoy Voodoo. The art was good but I wasn’t a huge fan of the story. I, Vampire was my surprise of the week though, I enjoyed that much more than I thought I was going to, since I bought it for the art only. Also, Flash was great.
It’s like you have read my mind. I agree with every word.
Aquaman was very funny too.
I really loved Superman. Haven’t read it in years, but I’ll be picking up Superman and Action from now on. Justice League Dar was has drawn me in enough to pick up the next issue too.
I shouldn’t have purchased Superman. My gut told me it would be fairly weak, but I wanted it to be good.
I really enjoyed Aquaman, All-Star Western, The Flash, and JLD. I’m going to continue picking those up.
it was really that bad huh? I held off on it….i really want that title to be good. But geez. that just sucks
That’s just my opinion. Many people seemed to love it. I don’t want to keep anyone from buying something they might enjoy.
I can’t say I loved it but it was a good read and I look forward to reading a second issue. I am mixed because for me it is either the right team doing a story that I just don’t like that much, or the story is good but the team just isn’t doing it for me. It’s good, just not great.
Still have a couple left to read. I may have made more progress if Superman hadn’t slowed my roll. I didn’t even finish it. I read like 5 pages that felt like 50 and had to stop. Maybe i’ll give it another shot. Maybe.
I’m going to say Aquaman was my favorite this week. I hope they can maintain the humor without it being a one note joke.
I, Vampire I picked up because creators were going on about it on Twitter. I felt like I wasted my time, though. Between the choice of color in the boxes and the disjointed story I never found anything to bring me in. It was a longshot for me to like it anyway, but this was really incoherent to me until I read your review.
Voodoo was very interesting. People had and I guess have been lumping it with Red Hood and Catwoman, but I think that’s way off the mark. This is not that at all. Just because a character is a stripper does not make the book sexist.
Blackhawks was kind of all over the map for me. I enjoyed Costa’s work on GI Joe, but this felt too wide. The concept is cool, but I don’t think so.
Flash was saved by the art. I found the story to be just ok and the dialogue was clunky. But the art. Man, that’s good stuff.
With you on Dark Knight and JL Dark. I liked Shade’s scene with the made up girl at the beginning. More of that would have been great.
Waiting for the price drop on Jonah Hex (and all 3.99 books) but I am eagerly awaiting it.
Aquaman was fun, felt like a quick read though. I had to go and count pages, maybe that’s because I read it digitally via the panel viewer.
Was hesitant on The Flash but I am sold. Francis Manapul knows how to do some layouts.
I really liked JL: Dark but will perfectly honest in the fact that it is because I really dig these characters and I like Peter Milligan. Both the art and dialogue were clunky at points but I love Zatanna, Constantine and Shade so much that I was able to look past it. I got really invested in this book as I was reading it. Something I can’t say for some of the other 52, again that’s probably because of the bias I brought with it.
Perfectly reasonable to wait, but I will say that All-Star Western offers a lot of bang for the 3.99, which can’t be said for the other books at that price point. There’s no backup yet, but you do get a lengthy story rivaling the best of the month.
I bet it does. I just made a rule for myself not buy 3.99 books digitally.
I am itching to just go over and buy it but then next thing I know I am buying everything, yadda yadda yadda, and I am homeless on the streets in a cardboard box.
I hear you on the $3.99 digital books, Timmy. That’s one of the reasons I went ahead and pre-ordered my copy in print from DCBS for a cheaper price. I hoped it was going to be good and knew that I couldn’t justify the higher price to myself.
Glad to hear the Flash is good but man, I’m really having a hard time with the idea that every single character I loved during Waid’s and Johns’ runs have been completely jettisoned. Perhaps that’s some weird mental block of mine, but it’s where I’m currently at.
We don’t know for sure if they are jettisoned. They might come back just in time though.
I’m with you on JL: Dark, Timmy. I see some of the criticisms pointed out by Paul (and Jimski), but overall it was more than enough of what I was hoping for in bringing together all these odd characters — sort of a cross between Alan Moore’s Swamp Thing and Grant Morrison’s Doom Patrol. Evoked enough of Milligan’s old Shade series to make me want to know more.
I’ll likely stick with JL Dark for a bit, but it’s on notice. It’s irksome that a book so rich with characters I love wasn’t a slam dunk.
I feel the same way Timmy and Dave do about JL Dark. It gave me exactly what I wanted it to.
I’m with you on JL Dark…..i’ll try one more just for potential and the characters. I just didn’t find it very accessible and kinda moved a bit too slow for what i want out of a #1
All fair points.
Re. Emerald Warriors, “no one asked for this mess.” – I disagree, I did. And I think a lot of the many many people enjoying GL prior to the relaunch will like it as well.
I don’t get this strange aversion that people have to the coloured corps. It’s six different coloured police forces representing different emotions, it’s not like it’s nuclear physics.
I, Vampire and Justice League Dark were top stuff as well – really rounded out the DC horror line as the best.
I’d never liken the multi-color corps to physics of any stripe.
The line you quoted is a direct reference to the other Lanterns losing their rings and the ensuing trouble. While it also relates to somewhat common critical assessment that these elements represent the worst of GL’s recent troubles, it’s more about the former than the latter.
I agree with you. new Guardians was a book I was really anticipating since I love the different color corps. This book should have two review scores. One for those that love the other corps, and one for those like Paul that don’t.
I was left wanting to find out what happened. This book gets a definite pull for me.
Action Comics
Batman
Wonder Woman
Animal Man
Swamp Thing
Omac
Frankenstein
JLI
JL:Dark
Flash
Those are the comics I am definitely sticking with after the relaunch, day and date digitally, others i either haven’t read (I, Vampire, Teen Titans) or I am holding off for a bit due to price drops or maybe trades (Resurrection Man, Suicide Squad, Justice League, Batgirl, Batwoman, Demon Knights)
What about the rest of y’all?
Off the top of my head:
Animal Man
Batman
Aquaman
Swamp Thing
Supergirl
Superboy
Action comics
Wonder Woman
OMAC
All-Star Western
Flash
Frankenstein
Batwoman
Demon Knights
Resurrection Man
Buying:
Action Comics
Animal Man
Detective Comics
Batgirl
Batwoman
Justice League
Supergirl
Aquaman
I might buy Wonder Woman. It didn’t really catch me, but the overwhelmingly positive reception might sway me. Batman didn’t at all, despite the positive reviews. I’m only buying Detective because that was one hell of a cliffhanger. Some of those titles may not stick after the initial story arc. Batwoman and Aquaman were my two favourites.
Read but not buying:
Green Lantern
The Flash
Superman
Batman
probably Wonder Woman
For a guy who thinks he likes straight superhero books, my list seems to really disagree with me.
buying:
either batman or detective (waiting to see which has the better first arc/ few issues)
Red hood and the outlaws
Flash
Nightwing
read but not buying:
whichever batman book loses out
blue beetle
deathstroke
All Star Western
Action Comics
Animal Man
Aquaman
Batman
Bat woman
Demon Knights
Grifter
Superboy
Supergirl
Swamp Thing
Wonder Woman
Reluctantly, will probably finish the first arc of Justice League. Plenty to check out during price drop digitally down the line.
Action Comics
Animal Man
Swamp Thing
Batman
Wonder Woman
Aquaman
Grifter
Demon Knights
JLA
Justice League Dark
Batwoman
I put together a list last night. It’s… 20 books. Which is a little more than I wanted. Prior to Flashpoint, I was probably reading about FIVE regular DC monthly books (not counting events, miniseries, Vertigo, etc.) So I’d say that DC has been very successful in the relaunch, at least in terms of getting my interest. Of course, I was a HUGE DC fan who has just kind of tapered off my books in the past 10 years as I felt they strayed away from what I was enjoying.
Here’s my tentative list, which doesn’t include some of my maybes:
1. Justice League
2. Action Comics
3. Animal Man
4. Batgirl
5. Stormwatch
6. Swamp Thing
7. Batwoman
8. Demon Knights
9. Frankenstein
10. Grifter
11. Resurrection Man
12. Batman
13. Birds of Prey
14. DCU Presents
15. Supergirl
16. Wonder Woman
17. All-Star Western
18. Justice League Dark
19. The Flash
20. I, Vampire
Let’s try this again. I left some things out. These are the definites.
Animal Man
Batman
Aquaman
Swamp Thing
Supergirl
Superboy
Action comics
Wonder Woman
Birds of Prey
Grifter
OMAC
All-Star Western
Flash
Frankenstein
Batwoman
Demon Knights
Resurrection Man
On the bubble:
JL
JLI
JL Dark
Stormwatch
Batgirl
Nightwing
Books I’m picking of next month:
1. ACTION COMICS
2. ALL STAR WESTERN
3. ANIMAL MAN
4. AQUAMAN
5. BATGIRL
6. BATMAN
7. BATWOMAN
8. BLUE BEETLE
9. CATWOMAN
10. DEMON KNIGHTS
11. DETECTIVE COMICS
12. FRANKENSTEIN
13. GREEN LANTERN
14. JUSTICE LEAGUE
15. JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK
16. JUSTICE LEAGUE INTERNATIONAL
17. NIGHTWING
18. RESURRECTION MAN
19. SUICIDE SQUAD
20. SUPERBOY
21. SWAMP THING
22. THE FLASH
23. WONDER WOMAN
Obviously, I’m going to win the lottery later this week so I can actually afford to buy all these damn things.
DEFINITE:
Action Comics
Animal Man
Aquaman
Batman
Batwoman
Demon Knights
The Flash
Frankenstein Agent of S.H.A.D.E.
Green Lantern
Stormwatch
Swamp Thing
Wonder Woman
BUBBLE (let’s see how next issue goes):
Batgirl
Captain Atom
Justice League
Justice League International
O.M.A.C.
Resurrection Man
Superboy
Superman
Supergirl
It’s such an odd choice to only reboot one character out of an entire line like they did with Barbara and Kyle. Not that I’m a continuity hound, but it just creates an odd disconnect from the rest of their respective line. Like, Batgirl certainly doesn’t come to mind for me when I think of the Bat books now because it seems to be in its own little world. Maybe that’s an unfair criticism. I do know it’s creating massive headaches for continuity buffs. And maybe because of that, I kind of like the idea. 😛
The Kyle reboot is just strange.
and starts at a strange point. If i was a first time reader i’d have no idea why he was chosen. The only thing that you really get from him is that hey, i can choose the alley to pee in instead of waiting in line.
Honestly, there really wasn’t much of a Kyle reboot at all. Just a more exposition heavy version of his actual origin scene. The book then jumps ahead to present day (which is confusing, since we were never told that the opening was in the past).
I am, admittedly, a big Kyle fan, but I very much enjoyed New Guardians. A nice, clear set-up with a better character at the core than any of the other GL books. Is it new reader friendly? Not sure. It it’s definitely me friendly.
Yep, its definitely not a reboot for Kyle…..they missed a box at the beginning saying, however X many years ago…but they did jump ahead to present day, otherwise those are the Guardians that Hal killed that Ganthet went to Earth to find, and the origin is largely intact, except that this Ganthet appears to have stayed with Kyle a bit longer to explain things.
Comics that I am keeping:
Action Comics
Swamp Thing
Animal Man
Batman
Aquaman
Flash
All-Star Western
Wonder Woman
Nightwing
Demon Knights
JLA
and JL Dark
Comics I’m keeping:
Action Comics
Animal Man
Swamp Thing
Justice League
Batwoman
Demon Knights
Green Lantern
Resurrection Man
Superboy
Batman
Birds of Prey
Catwoman
DCU Presents
GL Corps
Nightwing
Supergirl
Wonder Woman
Aquaman
Flash
Firestorm
GL New Guardians
Justice League Dark
Superman
Teen Titans
and while thats probably more than enough as it is, I find myself still on the bubble about:
Batgirl
Green Arrow
JLI
Stormwatch
Batman & Robin
the Legion Books
Red Lantern
Suicide Squad
Blue Beetle
Red Hood
Savage Hawkman
I’m sort of waiting out the next couple issues for the ones on the bubble, but I expect most if not all will be dropped if they dont pick up by #3
Could not disagree more on the art for Teen Titans, it looks excellent.
Glad you liked it.
Loved, loved, loved Aquaman. All-Star western was just as good as Jonah Hex, kinda disappointed at Blackhawks. I really hope DC doesn’t drop the ball with it’s war books (I’m looking at you Sgt. Rock).
Quick question for those who have read every new 52 book:
Has the Outsider showed up? that guy was awesome in the miniseries
Re: the Outsider. Nope.
From the handful i’ve gotten to read this week, my takeaway matches up with Paul’s almost exactly. All Star Western was my surprise POW with Aquaman in close second and Flash for the Bronze medal.
Really bummed that Superman appears to be so awful. MIght have to skip that.
I really wanted to like Blackhawks more than i did. The GI Joe aspect is fun, but the issue was kinda ok for me.
Once again Mr. Paul..thanks for doing this for us all. You are a machine.
Thanks for doing this Paul.
I look forward to the Week 4 podcast. I’m also enjoying the 2+ hour length of them as I live in LA and it makes the commute seem shorter (or less frustrating).
I’m not through a lot of the books yet, but overall I’d say this reboot wasn’t hard enough. The best thing to come out of it is probably attention drawn to some off kilter books that are some of the best of the bunch, like Animal Man. (And maybe Roy getting his arm back.)
But Swamp Thing, All Things Green Lantern, Hawkman, and more are just as convoluded as they ever were. Maybe more so – how did Alec Holland get resurrected? What were Hawkman’s powers BEFORE the suit jumps out of the ground. What do you mean Ganthet is the last Guardian, what about the other books? Superman was still dead? So, Doomsday exists? What about the cyborg, then? And Batman was dead? And there are STILL four robins running around and a zillion Green Lanterns. How many Flashes will there be? UGH. These are all the things that sucked about DC BEFORE – and now Superman’s outfit looks even dumber!
So, it’s been a really fun month, (I’ve never enjoyed comics so much!) and now I’ll be buying Animal Man and Batman (so good!) every month, but a lot of the DCU is still overpopulated, overpopulated, and squaresville.
My keeps for the new 52 so far
1. Action Comics
2.Animal Man
3.Batman
4.Batman & Robin
5.Demon Knights
6.Frankenstein agent
7.Green Lantern
8.Green Lantern Corps
9.Green Lantern New Guardians
10.Justice League
11.Justice League Dark
12.OMAC
13.Red Lanterns
14.Stormwatch
15.Suicide Squad
16.Superman
17.Swamp Thing
18.Batgirl
19.Grifter
20.Aquaman
21.Redhood Outlaws
22.Wonder Woman
23. Catwoman
24. I, Vampire
Dropped a shit load of marvel books because of price point and Fear Itself really ruined alot of titles for me-Only one’s I’m getting are Ultimate Comics Spider-man and X-Force
I was down to just 5 books a month, mostly due to the economy. I’m going to try to keep my list small.
buy:
Aquaman
Batman
Wonder Woman
Action
Flash
All Star Western
JL Dark
Swamp Thing
Animal Man
Justice Leauge
Green Lantern
Batwoman
Nightwing
Damn, thats 13. There are many that I could wait and buy the trade through Amazon.
I think even a 1.5 is a bit high for the Teen Titans art.
Ultimate X-Men #1 was better than 90% of new 52’s week 4 and thats a book I took a chance on not being an ultimate marvel u fan. did love the original Ultimates run by Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch. Anyway, Flash was a nice departure from dragging Flashpoint ties and history, fresh start, fresh book. I didn’t pick up All Star Western but have a feeling I should’ve and will like it. Week 4 I picked up Flash, JLA Dark, Black Panther point one issue, most dangerous man alive and great jumping on point as it had the edge and tone w better art the book needed from his initial takeover on DD Man Without Fear, then I got Annihilators :Earthfall, haven’t read yet but love Marvel Cosmic, especially w DNA at the helm. Now I know I got two DC52’s and 2 Marvel, and just read Flash and Ultimate X-men (and will be keeping both in my pull) but like our generously descriptive columnist, I too feel that the few books I didn’t pick up that I am intrigued by will make better trades collected, many books read better in trade format and aside from a few flagship books like Snyder and Capullo’s Batman,Flash, JLA and JSA when it comes out, most of the new52 are being shelved for me but enjoying the obscure titles like Swamp Thing,Animal Man,Stormwatch, Demon Knights, Frankenstein,Nightwing, Captain Atom(iffy still) and my personal favorite Batwoman. The few big name books I didn’t mention did not live up to they’re needed expectations and the few obscure ones I didn’t mention will fair better as trades. Out of 52, a handful are great and changes are to be expected and look forward to better books replacing some of these convoluted messes.
1st sentence should’ve been a comma and not period after marvel u fan. Typo police!
Only tempted by Aquaman of these. It’s all a wee bit underwhelming, isn’t it?
All. Star. Western.
Paul Montgomery: Reviewer King. A most hearty Krom to you, my friend.
Did the tally last night.
Books I’m keeping:
Aquaman
GL: New Guardians
Teen Titans
The Flash
Batman
Nightwing
Wonder Woman
Demon Knights
Legion Lost
Superboy
Action Comics
Animal Man
Swamp Thing
On the Fence:
Static Shock
JLI
Green Lantern
Hells no:
JLDark
Blackhawks
Blue Beetle
Red Hood
Batwoman
Grifter
Batgirl
Batwing
Stormwatch
DC really ended the month with a bang, I thought. Great week!
the hell no’s were not needed because “DUH” they weren’t in your pull
Oh, I know. I just wanted to emphasize that they were bad. Plus, you don’t know what I read and what I just didn’t buy and you DESPERATELY CARE!
I agree with the disappointment regarding Justice League Dark. I enjoyed the issue overall, but it failed to grab me and make me go “wow” like I thought that I would — except for the art . . . that last splash page was lovely, especially the translucent dress. Teen Titians, Superman and Dark Knight (until the last page) were good, but not stellar. As a last minute gut decision, I glanced at the first few pages of All Star Western in the store, was intrigued and bought it. Loved it, and I’ve never read a Jonah Hex book before. So, that would be my pick of the #1s this week. May go back to the store for Aquaman after hearing these raves about it.
Definate reads going forward:
Action
Swamp Thing
Animal Man
Stormwatch
Batwing
Demon Knights
Frankenstein
Batwoman
Resurection Man
Batman
Supergirl
JLD
Wonder Woman
All Star Western
if the budget holds:
OMAC
Batman & Robin
Detective
Grifter
Birds of Prey
Catwoman
Superman
Teen Titians
probably dropping;
JLI
Batgirl
Blue Beatle
Red Hood
and of course something that i’m surely forgetting . . .
A few comments on this weeks books – The only ones I wholeheartedly disagree with are Teen Titans and Green Lantern: New Guardians. The concept for Teen Titans is very strong, and I am a huge fan of Norm Rapmund’s art, especially from his work on Booster Gold. And while the story of Hawkman was weak, Philip Tan’s art was superb.
New Guardians is the book I have been yearning for. With Green Lantern focused solely on Hal and Sinestro, and Corps dealing with the Green Lanterns almost exclusively, this book allows me to continue reading about my favorite colored corps. I think that book especially should get two reviews – one for fans of the colored corps, and one for people who don’t care for them.
Having thoroughly enjoyed almost all of the New 52, I have come to the following conclusions about which books I am going to continue getting:
DEFINITELY CONTINUING WITH:
Action Comics
Animal Man
Batgirl
Justice League International
Static Shock
Stormwatch
Swamp Thing
–
Batwoman
Deathstroke
Demon Knights
Green Lantern
Red Lanterns
–
Batman
Blue Beetle
DC Universe Presents
Green Lantern Corps
Legion of Super-Heroes
Wonder Woman
–
All-Star Western
Aquaman
Blackhawks
Flash
Fury of Firestorm
Green Lantern: New Guardians
Justice League Dark
Superman
Teen Titans
BOOKS I WILL FOLLOW FOR ONE ARC BEFORE DECIDING
Batwing
Detective Comics
Men of War
–
Batman and Robin
Frankenstein Agent of SHADE
Grifter
Resurrection Man
Suicide Squad
Superboy
–
Birds of Prey
Catwoman
Nightwing
Red Hood and the Outlaws
Supergirl
BOOKS I WILL NOT CONTINUE
Green Arrow
Hawk and Dove
OMAC
–
Legion Lost
Mister Terrific
–
Captain Atom
–
Batman: Dark Knight
I, Vampire
Savage Hawkman
Voodoo
Thank God there’s someone out there who’s picking up more books then I am and on the bubble about more as well. I was starting to sweat! 😉
I could not disagree more.
I really wish I could’ve picked up Aquaman. My LCS ran out really fast.
Superman was very nice. The art was fantastic, and the story compelling, even though the separation is painful.
The Flash was great in every way, except the ending and separation. Definitely a pair of blemishes on an otherwise perfect book.
Teen Titans was amazing. Brett Booth is one of the best artists out there, hands down. Scott Lobdell has not let me down (aside from an extra sultry Starfire).
New Guardians was interesting as heck, and the art was gorgeous.
Dark Knight was fun. Art was stunning, but the story was.. alright. I just hope David Finch keeps to his deadlines this time.
However, i simply couldn’t give less of a damn about the “Dark” or “Edge” books.
(bring on the rampages)
Try your local Barnes and Noble for Aquaman. They still have many of the books that are sold out at LCS’s.
I’m not even sure what officially falls under their Edge titles but most of the ones I’d consider to be Edge are “On the Bubble” at best. I think you’re missing the mark on the Dark books, but everyone’s tastes are different! Flash, Teen Titans and GL New Guardians were a lot of fun though and I’m looking forward to continuing those. I have to get back to the store to get Aquaman and Superman next week though…fortunately they’re already pulled for me.
Great job Paul! I’ve loved reading these. As with every week we agree and disagree.
AGREE: I Loved All-Star Western! My POTW. Glad you gave it some love. Also agree about Aquaman (I liked it even more) and about how bad GL: New Guaedians was.
DISAGREE: I enjoyed Savage Hawkman even though Tan’s art doesn’t do much for me. I also liked Superman more than you. Flash didn’t click with me. It was decent but far from what I would call great.
Damn, really ripped em apart this week didn’t you Paul?
The only thing I agree with on this list is Batman: TDK. Everything else I picked up this week was actually better than expected.
Superman really felt like an old nostalgia comic, I loved the out of character narrations those were cool.
Aquaman was awesome, and while it was as you said getting the elephant seal out of the room it was still absolutely amazing.
Flash was kind of a mediocre hit for me, it wasn’t the best this week, it wasn’t the worst. I’ll be on for the ride for sure but it just seems to missing some of that awesome speed force.
Green Lantern: New Guardians did what it was supposed to, introduce you to the new predicament that’s occurring and how Kyle is going to handle it. I thought it was lot of fun and considering all the different corps add a whole new depth to the GLU then by all means let this book keep coming.
Savage Hawkman was a little bit of a letdown, I wanted to see him kicking some ass like he did in Blackest Night and all the years prior to that, but instead he tries to get rid of it? I for one am sick of heroes trying to ditch what makes them awesome.
Teen Titans was exactly what I expected from the book, going out and trying to find the other members. Having never been a fan of Tim Drake I really liked him as he is now, he’s still got that Robin charm but he can certainly handle problems on his own.
JL Dark was really interesting. Having almost been turned away by the mess that was Flashpoint: Secret Seven, I loathed the character of Shade. Having now read this, I love him. He’s extremely warped and just creepy awesome. Loved it.
Firestorm was cool because it actually brings up an interesting topic. The idea of race in super heroes. Yes it has been done before but not the level that Firestorm did. And while the introduction of the hero itself felt forced and rushed, I didn’t mind it and will be picking it up.
So far out of the list that I’ve picked up from the store there’s only one that isn’t making the cut and that’s Frankenstein. Everything else for the most part has my seal of approval. However not Voodoo, or I, Vampire those books just seem so outside the DCU and just not for me. Why incorporate them into the new 52 when there could have been a re numbering of some other awesome heroes? The world will never know.
“However not Voodoo, or I, Vampire those books just seem so outside the DCU and just not for me. Why incorporate them into the new 52 when there could have been a re numbering of some other awesome heroes? The world will never know.”
Because not all the books are made for you.
Giving my list of what I’m keeping and not here it goes “I’m a follower not a leader”
Books I’m keeping:
Justice League
–
Action Comics
Batgirl
Detective Comics
Hawk and Dove
Justice League Int’l
Swamp Thing
–
Batman and Robin
Batwoman
Deathstroke
Demon Knights
Green Lantern
Red Lanterns
Superboy
–
Batman
Blue Beetle
Catwoman
GL: Corps
Nightwing
Red Hood and the Outlaws
Supergirl
Wonderwoman
–
Aquaman
Batman: TDK
The Flash
Fury of Firestorm
GL: New Guardians
Justice League Dark
The Savage Hawkman
Superman
Teen Titans
Books I purchased but will be dropping
Frankenstein: Agent of S.H.A.D.E
Green Arrow
Books that I purposely gave no fucks about
Men of War
O.M.A.C
Static Shock
–
Legion Lost
Mister Terrific
Suicide Squad
–
Captain Atom
DCU Presents
Legion of Super Heroes
–
All Star Western
Blackhawks
I,Vampire
Voodoo
All the ones I listed, I read, I like em but I’m not dropping them and I’m not going to be keeping them forever. Let the rage fill your hearts and let’s discuss!
But Connor level with me here. Voodoo over a renumbering of Shazam or Power Girl, or any other established DC character? Hell they could have started an entire Deadman comic instead of giving him DCU Presents. I’m just simply stating an opinion. I know not everything is going to cater to my will. If it did, every Batman, GL and JL book would be phenomenal, and they aren’t.
@Thayguyyouno: If you know then why did you ask the question? Those books you don’t care for were created for people who do. Voodoo has fans, just as Power Girl does.
@Conor hypothetical posing of a question to instill a bit of humor?
@Thatguyyouno: I see.
After Action Comics was such a triumph and Superboy and Supergirl are off to an interesting start, it’s sad that Superman was such a let down. Not sure why such an important title was given to George Perez who is a great artist but a questionable writer. And, as I suspected the new costume looks good as drawn by some artists but others make it look just awkward.
I’m glad the “A” list heros are mostly off to a good start and I hope the “B” listers like Green Arrow and Hawkman get new writers real soon. I hope DC can make the hard decision and replace the writers or artists on the books that aren’t working quickly and painlessly. If Superman doesn’t improve in the next few issues lets get a new creative team on it ASAP. Please don’t let it mire in mediocrity as it did before the reboot.
This has been bandied about since the DC re-launch began, I know, but I find myself really drawn to the ‘Dark’ books. Magic, vampires, Frankenstein’s monster AND Super-beings? My kind of casserole.
I just realized that the cover for issue #2 of Aquaman is #1’s cover from the perspective of one of the Trench. That’s pretty clever.
http://www.dccomics.com/dccomics/comics/?cm=20435
Great catch. Awesome cover!
I liked the art in Teen Titans way more than the art in Justice League Dark. The art in Dark looked like screenshots from The Sims.
My monthly pull will be:
Justice League
Aquaman
Action Comics
Superman
Batman
Green Lantern
Green Lantern Corps
Red Lanterns (although this is on a very short leash)
New Guardians
Legion of Super-heroes
Legion Lost
The Flash
Wonder Woman
Green Arrow (yeah that’s right… i liked it…)
Animal Man
Swamp Thing
Blackhawks
All Star Western
Justice League International
Supergirl
Demon Knights
So basically I’m going to be poor.
Oh and O.M.A.C.
I’ve been living in the Delaware Valley all my life and I’m just NOW being told about the Purple Orchid? Damn you for not telling me earlier Montgomery!
Seriously though this has been a great feature for the past month. Doing an insane thing by buying all of these comics must’ve been really hard. I know I don’t have the patience to read 52 books in one month.
The two DC books I read this week are definitely staying with me. All Star Western was a great first chapter and Aquaman was my POTW. So the tail end of the month for comics will be pretty good.
As you well know there are several other strip club options in the area.
(holds up singles)
Don’t I know it!
My quips…
ALL STAR WESTERN – Strange to see Jonah in this type of book. But refreshing. Engaged the whole time.
AQUAMAN – Geoff Johns was on point with his titles. Return to fine form for him. And with this character. Brilliant way to start Aquaman.
BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT – Final week of the new 52 and I am Batman’d out. Nothing grabbed my attention. I really don’t even remember a single thing about this issue now. That says something.
BLACKHAWKS – Was looking forward to this one, but it really didn’t do anything for me in the end.
FIRESTORM – Great opening scene. Horrible rest of the book.
THE FLASH – I’ll be the odd man here and say I didn’t care for this. While the art was spectacular, I just think I don’t care about The Flash.
GREEN LANTERN: NEW GUARDIANS – I kinda dug this, but it’s still unnecessary.
I, VAMPIRE – Love the concept, but not sure if it was executed the best. For now I’m interested.
JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK – Not the homerun I wanted, but a solid double into left field. Like the art. My love for these characters will keep me on for a bit.
SAVAGE HAWKMAN – Had no problem with the story. But I’ve never been a fan of Philip Tan. I have no interest in this right now.
SUPERMAN – Loved all the Lois/Clark stuff on the final two pages. Unfortunately there were all those pages that came before it. This was a mess of a story. But I’ll be the odd man again… I like the new costume.
TEEN TITANS – This was cool. I liked it. But not enough to care.
VOODOO – Favorite of the week! One of my favorites of the reboot! That Basri is insane. The art in here is amazing. And you wanna talk about an empowered female. How about a female alien who sees how stupid men are when there is a naked chick in front of them. This girl is bad ass.
My picks… Continuing on will be: ALL STAR WESTERN, ANIMAL MAN, BATMAN, BATWOMAN, DEMON KNIGHTS, FRANKENSTEIN, GRIFTER, JUSTICE LEAGUE, JUSTICE LEAUGE DARK, JUSTICE LEAUGE INTERNATIONAL, RESURRECTION MAN, SWAMP THING, VOODOO, WONDER WOMAN.
One the bubble… AQUAMAN; BATMAN AND ROBIN; I, VAMPIRE; SUPERGIRL. And I’ll trade wait Morrison’s ACTION COMICS, maybe trade wait GREEN LANTERN.
At the beginning I wanted to end up with only 10. I’m a little over…
Books I’m getting next month-
Batman
Batman & Robin
Detective Comics
Dark Knight
Swamp Thing
Animal Man
Demon Knights
Wonder Woman
Teen Titans
OMAC
Nightwing
Blue Beetle
Savage Hawkman
Ultimate Spiderman
Way to go Paul, you made it through all four weeks! You should get a trophy, or at least a gift certificate to your favorite restaurant.
Out of the six books I picked up this week, Aquaman was my favorite, Firestorm was the most “meh” and the others fell in between. After the final tally, it looks like the books I’ll be sticking with to the end of the first arcs (it’s the completist in me) are:
Justice League
Justice League Dark
Action Comics
Superman
Detective Comics
Batman
Batman and Robin
Nightwing
Stormwatch
Green Lantern
Green Lantern Corps
Green Lantern: New Guardians
The Flash
Aquaman
Wonder Woman
Swamp Thing
The Fury of Firestorm: The Nuclear Men
Blue Beetle
Animal Man
Top 5 so far (in no particular order) are Justice League, Wonder Woman, Animal Man, Batman, and Action Comics. Bottom 3 are Firestorm, Stormwatch and Blue Beetle, which is a shame, because those are the comics I was most excited to read, never having read them in their own books before. Once the first arcs are done, I’m sure this list is gonna shrink quite a bit. Oh well, considering I’m only reading like 3 Marvel books right now, my wallet’s not hurting too bad!
who is paul montgomery? i thought theres only connor, josh n ron?
Nice to meet you.
a mystery wrapped in an enigma dressed as a mad men character
I’m surprised paul didn’t like superman #1. I actually loved it
Does anyone know how many issues the first story arcs are supposed to be for the New 52? Are all the books going to have the same number of issues per story arc?
mediocre week. I think I’m going to re read the last few weeks DC offerings instead of buying any of these.
Finished reading Savage Hawkman. On my way to the woods where I will shoot it until it dies the horrible death it deserves.
Yeah, it wasn’t good – not terrible, but not good. I’m taking Balckhawks down to the shed along with it.
I didn’t really care for Justice League Dark at all. The mystical side of the DCU is probably the least known section to me. Mostly because I’ve never seen or read anything that held my interest and I’ve always dug Marvel’s mystical realms more. It was probably in the bottom 10 of the books released right there near Hawk & Dove. However, I love The Flash – especial the way he dons his uniform. Aquaman is starting off REAL good, GJohns can write a real good story. I think to date, The Firestorm book feels the MOST like a reboot, while the others just have the idea of one. I’m fairly apethetic to Dark Knight and thought the Superman one was just – okay. So, all in all I’m about 55-45 of the DC reboot in general. They definitely have some hits (for me) with Batwing, Demon Knight, GL, GL Corps and Animal Man. some ‘meh’ titles and some real flops in my opinion.
All in all, not too shaby.
UPDATE: The fourth and final 52 Pick-Up episode of the Fuzzy Typewriter podcast is now live. Our special guest this week is Josh’s collaborator on DIXON’S NOTCH, Doug Hills!
http://fuzzytypewriter.wordpress.com/2011/09/30/ft-podcast-dc-comics-52-pick-up-week-four/
In this podcast, please find my righteous indignation over Green Lantern: New Guardians’ origin sequence, a beat I did not recognize as a flashback. I get really angry about my confusion.
You were really upset over that. It’s like you were mad at the book for tricking you.
It wasn’t LIKE that. That’s what it was exactly.
Wait, what? That was a flashback?
Apparently. Though there’s no “Year’s Ago” caption, there’s a caption later on that says “Now” or “In the Present.” And it’s pointed out that his mask changes between scenes.
thats a spot on review of Aquaman
By far the weakest week, IMO.
Week 2 score card:
“When does issue 2 come out?!” (I’m In):
All-Star Western
The Flash
Aquaman
“Let’s see where this goes” (wait & see):
Voodoo
Blackhawks
Teen Titans
“Adios amigo!” (Dropped):
Hawkman
The Dark Knight
Firestorm
Green Lantern New Guardians
I, Vampire
Justice League Dark
Superman
It is an expensive proposition to continue onward with a lot of books. DC did something very cool with the new 52 and they got me to buy 52 different titles in the month of September. Wow. I tried a lot of stuff that I wouldn’t have otherwise, and I liked a lot of it. After much deliberation and time spent pouring over these books I have narrowed it down to 29 books that I will continue with to issue number 2. I am in Canada, so that is about $3.5 per title, so my October comic budget is going to be just over $100. I know that is not sustainable so it will likely be dropping more after issue number 2.
Overall, I liked a lot of these books. DC did a great job in my opinion.
Now that the first month is over all I have to say is:
This was a LOT of fun!!!!
Good books, bad books, controversies, criticisms and praises all added up to 4 weeks that made reading comics exciting.
Thanks DC!