I realized I've been writing a lot recently about the DC New 52, but I've been reading a lot of other stuff as well. I thought I might highlight some of the noteworthy independent or non-superhero stuff I've read recently. These are just a few. I'll mention some others periodically.
The first writer I want to highlight is Jonathan Hickman, who is probably my favorite writer right now. Mostly you would know him from his amazing run on Fantastic Four (now FF), and for his work on the SHIELD mini-series. That is a totally mind-blowing series, which pulls in heady concepts and all sorts of historical figures. But, as many comics fans know, Hickman got his start doing his own work at Image Comics, with The Nightly News. This is a totally kooky series about people wronged by the media who take some pretty decisive action against it. Hickman did his own art here, and he's got this gonzo, stylistic art style that totally works for the subject matter. Some thought-provoking and unsettling stuff. Another one of his books I really loved was Pax Romana, which hooked me in immediately because it's a time travel story involving the Roman Empire. Brilliant stuff, really thoughtfully written. I'm also reading his current mini-series The Red Wing about a war being fought across both space and time. I don't totally get the time stuff sometimes, but I don't mind that at all. I like having a writer address heady concepts.
Also want to give a shout out to American Vampire by Scott Snyder. He's just a fantastic writer, and he's pulled off the incredible task of actually getting me to really like a vampire story. Anyone who knows my taste in comics and sci-fi will know that I'm not a horror person at all, I'm specifically not a vampire person. I thought that the movie Interview with the Vampire was tedious, and what little I've seen or read of the "Twilight" stories makes me want to run in the opposite direction. Plus, it always seemed like ridiculous goth people were into vampires. So, creating a story involving vampires that I actually enjoy is no mean feat. How does he do it? First off, by making them actually scary, as opposed to pouty and glum. His main character is a really bad guy who's not afraid to do bad things. At the same time, he creates a number of other more sympathetic characters and manages to do interesting things with them. So, if you're like me and are wary of vampire stories, try these out as they're scary and really well-written.
Something I read last year but still sticks with me is I Kill Giants by Joe Kelly. This was very powerful book, and a fantastic usage of the visual medium to convey emotion. I won't give too much away, but will say that this is an incredibly compelling illustration of how a young person would deal with a life full of challenges. Really worth your time.
Monday, September 26, 2011
Sunday, September 25, 2011
DC's new 52, week 3
Some thoughts on reading some of DC's new 52, week 3, or, as some people might call it, gratuitous sex and boobies/disgusting "Saw" level violence week at DC comics! In all seriousness, I have two young girls at home (6 and 3) who are starting to get into Comics. Thank goodness for Tiny Titans and Archie Comics, because there has not been a single comic DC has put out in this new 52 initiative that I would be at all comfortable giving to my girls. Definitely not any of the stuff that came out this week. I don't understand. Don't they want kids reading comics? If they do, give me more comics that I can comfortably share with my children!
As an aside, I do read comics other than DC Comics, and I look forward to reviewing both some Marvel books and some independent books I've enjoyed recently. Let me know what you're reading and what you liked (or what you hated)!
Batman - Very good comic. Solid introduction to the new universe/status quo, even though it really is a continuation of the previous stories. The story is pretty engaging, and they show a Bruce Wayne who is feeling pretty good about life and not quite as psychotically obsessing about his parents' murder. Art is fine, but I'm not a huge fan. It's a little too cartoony for me. I also share the minor complaint that they made Dick Grayson so much shorter than Bruce Wayne. If he really filled in as Batman for a year, he should appear to be a grown-up, and not a head shorter than Bruce Wayne though. These are relatively small quibbles though, as I really trust Scott Snyder as a writer. He seems to have a good handle on the characters, and I'd like to see where he takes this story.
Captain Atom - This was a nice surprise. I was completely unfamiliar with the Captain Atom character pre-relaunch. All I knew was that it was the character that Dr. Manhattan was based on. Also, I remember him a little from the old Justice League International, where he never seemed particularly interesting to me. However, this was something interesting and different. Seems like, while he is portrayed as a superhero, this will be also something of a sci-fi comic. I like the artwork, it's different from your standard Superhero art (a little more pencil-sketchy). I'm not sure I'll keep reading this, not because I don't like it but because I have to make some hard choices. Also, Captain Atom's powers are pretty similar (as far as I can tell) to those of Firestorm, and I'm really curious about that comic, coming out next week and written by Gail Simone (who I really enjoy). That being said, this is an interesting story and one worth watching.
Catwoman - Oy. Here we go. This is the first of two comics I read this week that make me want to wash my hands afterwards. I don't want to just parrot a lot of the sentiment that has been expressed elsewhere on the Internet; I'll get to the problematic stuff later. First, the stuff that was good in this issue. Judd Winick is pretty good at characterization, and I actually thought that Catwoman was a pretty likable character. However, if she is a master thief, how is it that people are frequently able to figure out where she lives and blow up her apartment? I thought she was really good at what she did. The art is good, clearly the artist wants us to know tat Catwoman/Selina is a "sexy" character. Really hard to miss that point.
Which leads me into the problems in the issue. I have no problem with the idea of a "sexy" comic which gets at the idea that these characters are adults and have, you know, feelings and urges. However, there's a difference between sexy (which some of the best characterizations of Catwoman have been) and this book, which is best summarized as boobies boobies boobies, Catwoman and Batman have sexy time. Seriously, you don't even see her face for a little while, just gratuitous T&A shots. This is really just not what I'm looking for in a comic. If I read a comic book involving Catwoman, I want to see her pull off some really clever heist, not her clothes. If I read a comic involving Batman, I want to read about him solving crimes or defeating bad guys, not making the "oh" face. So, thanks but no thanks.
Deathstroke - Deathstroke is a badass. A major @#$%ing badass. I know because they tell you, repeatedly in this issue. I know there's been some strong dislike for this issue on the web, and I understand where it's coming from. This issue does have kind of a dated, 90's feel to it, and for the world's greatest badass, his costume just looks stupid, like some Image comic from 1994. All that being said, I actually didn't think this was a bad issue. It definitely had appeal like a B-level action movie, and some fun moments. However, I won't be picking this up regularly. The end makes clear that Deathstroke is out to prove to everyone that he is the biggest badass on the planet. If each issue is just him proving that, then that's not really much of a story for me to follow. However, I'll check in on this one periodically.
Green Lantern Corps - So, to cut to the chase, I like Green Lantern and the Green Lantern Corps, but I'm only going to follow one of these books and I prefer the Hal Jordan character to Guy Gardner and John Stewart, even though they're both fun, good characters. This was a pretty good issue, and I thought that Peter Tomasi did a good job of catching new readers up and continuing things from the last story. This was a well-written issue, and if there weren't so many other comics I was excited about I would consider it. However, further to a point I made above, this is a really violent comic. Some of it is just gratuitous - I know there is violence in a world of super heroes, but I don't really want to see entrails and beings getting sliced in half. I also think that with Blackest Night and Brightest Day and the War of the Green Lanterns and all of the color corps, I may just have Green Lantern fatigue. So, thanks but no thanks.
Nightwing - Very solid issue. Good story, really enjoyed the art. Another one of these stories where past knowledge of the current continuity might be helpful, but the writer (Kyle Higgins) does a solid job of letting you know the current status quo (used to be Robin, then Nightwing, then Batman, now back to Nightwing). His Dick Grayson is a very likable character; sympathetically drawn. We spend a lot of time in his head, but he's a well-drawn character. The violence here is present, but not grotesque, and it sets up an interesting situation which seems to tie in to the storyline in Scott Snyder's Batman. Not sure I'll subscribe long-term, but only there are already so many solid Bat-books out there, but this one is worth watching.
Red Hood and the Outlaws - Yikes. Another comic that made me feel a little gross reading it. The characters and story are not strong enough to overcome the fact that Starfire is depicted as an amnesiac sexbot, and the T&A is just ridiculous. I get that she is a hot alien that comes from a clothing-optional planet, but I would be embarrassed to be reading this comic around other adults. If I was a 12 year old boy I would really enjoy this comic though, what with all the T&A, objectification of women, and shooting. However, neither Red Hood nor Arsenal are particularly interesting characters to me. This was disappointing, as last week's Superboy (also by Scott Lobdell) was a pleasant surprise. This, however, is something I can definitely skip.
Supergirl - The surprise of the week. I haven't read much Supergirl and wasn't really expecting much of anything here. Prior to the relaunch, the Superan franchise was in real need of a reboot, and this issue works extremely well. Unlike pretty much everything else I've read (even Action Comics starts 6 months in to Superman's super-career) in the relaunch, this comic begins at the very beginning of Supergirl's arrival on Earth, and the writer (Michael Green) nicely portrays Supergirl's arrival on Earth and her confusion about everything. Yes, it is an entire issue spent in a fight sequence, but I think it really works. I want to know how she interacts with her famous cousin and see how this develops.
Wonder Woman - Fantastic. One I'll definitely keep reading. This is a really strong entry into reading about Wonder Woman. She's actually more like a supporting character in this story, but Brian Azzarello really pulls you right in to a world of gods with amazing powers and mysterious motives. This feels like a supernatural mystery, which is not normally my thing but it is strongly written. You get that the stakes are high here. Wonder Woman is a little bit of a mystery here, you don't really get any of her internal thoughts or motivation, but you do get a sense of her larger than life (both figuratively and literally, someone finally realized that if the is an Amazonian, she should be really tall) presence, and that she is heroic and more than human. This was one that I was most curious about, and I was not disappointed.
As an aside, I do read comics other than DC Comics, and I look forward to reviewing both some Marvel books and some independent books I've enjoyed recently. Let me know what you're reading and what you liked (or what you hated)!
Batman - Very good comic. Solid introduction to the new universe/status quo, even though it really is a continuation of the previous stories. The story is pretty engaging, and they show a Bruce Wayne who is feeling pretty good about life and not quite as psychotically obsessing about his parents' murder. Art is fine, but I'm not a huge fan. It's a little too cartoony for me. I also share the minor complaint that they made Dick Grayson so much shorter than Bruce Wayne. If he really filled in as Batman for a year, he should appear to be a grown-up, and not a head shorter than Bruce Wayne though. These are relatively small quibbles though, as I really trust Scott Snyder as a writer. He seems to have a good handle on the characters, and I'd like to see where he takes this story.
Captain Atom - This was a nice surprise. I was completely unfamiliar with the Captain Atom character pre-relaunch. All I knew was that it was the character that Dr. Manhattan was based on. Also, I remember him a little from the old Justice League International, where he never seemed particularly interesting to me. However, this was something interesting and different. Seems like, while he is portrayed as a superhero, this will be also something of a sci-fi comic. I like the artwork, it's different from your standard Superhero art (a little more pencil-sketchy). I'm not sure I'll keep reading this, not because I don't like it but because I have to make some hard choices. Also, Captain Atom's powers are pretty similar (as far as I can tell) to those of Firestorm, and I'm really curious about that comic, coming out next week and written by Gail Simone (who I really enjoy). That being said, this is an interesting story and one worth watching.
Catwoman - Oy. Here we go. This is the first of two comics I read this week that make me want to wash my hands afterwards. I don't want to just parrot a lot of the sentiment that has been expressed elsewhere on the Internet; I'll get to the problematic stuff later. First, the stuff that was good in this issue. Judd Winick is pretty good at characterization, and I actually thought that Catwoman was a pretty likable character. However, if she is a master thief, how is it that people are frequently able to figure out where she lives and blow up her apartment? I thought she was really good at what she did. The art is good, clearly the artist wants us to know tat Catwoman/Selina is a "sexy" character. Really hard to miss that point.
Which leads me into the problems in the issue. I have no problem with the idea of a "sexy" comic which gets at the idea that these characters are adults and have, you know, feelings and urges. However, there's a difference between sexy (which some of the best characterizations of Catwoman have been) and this book, which is best summarized as boobies boobies boobies, Catwoman and Batman have sexy time. Seriously, you don't even see her face for a little while, just gratuitous T&A shots. This is really just not what I'm looking for in a comic. If I read a comic book involving Catwoman, I want to see her pull off some really clever heist, not her clothes. If I read a comic involving Batman, I want to read about him solving crimes or defeating bad guys, not making the "oh" face. So, thanks but no thanks.
Deathstroke - Deathstroke is a badass. A major @#$%ing badass. I know because they tell you, repeatedly in this issue. I know there's been some strong dislike for this issue on the web, and I understand where it's coming from. This issue does have kind of a dated, 90's feel to it, and for the world's greatest badass, his costume just looks stupid, like some Image comic from 1994. All that being said, I actually didn't think this was a bad issue. It definitely had appeal like a B-level action movie, and some fun moments. However, I won't be picking this up regularly. The end makes clear that Deathstroke is out to prove to everyone that he is the biggest badass on the planet. If each issue is just him proving that, then that's not really much of a story for me to follow. However, I'll check in on this one periodically.
Green Lantern Corps - So, to cut to the chase, I like Green Lantern and the Green Lantern Corps, but I'm only going to follow one of these books and I prefer the Hal Jordan character to Guy Gardner and John Stewart, even though they're both fun, good characters. This was a pretty good issue, and I thought that Peter Tomasi did a good job of catching new readers up and continuing things from the last story. This was a well-written issue, and if there weren't so many other comics I was excited about I would consider it. However, further to a point I made above, this is a really violent comic. Some of it is just gratuitous - I know there is violence in a world of super heroes, but I don't really want to see entrails and beings getting sliced in half. I also think that with Blackest Night and Brightest Day and the War of the Green Lanterns and all of the color corps, I may just have Green Lantern fatigue. So, thanks but no thanks.
Nightwing - Very solid issue. Good story, really enjoyed the art. Another one of these stories where past knowledge of the current continuity might be helpful, but the writer (Kyle Higgins) does a solid job of letting you know the current status quo (used to be Robin, then Nightwing, then Batman, now back to Nightwing). His Dick Grayson is a very likable character; sympathetically drawn. We spend a lot of time in his head, but he's a well-drawn character. The violence here is present, but not grotesque, and it sets up an interesting situation which seems to tie in to the storyline in Scott Snyder's Batman. Not sure I'll subscribe long-term, but only there are already so many solid Bat-books out there, but this one is worth watching.
Red Hood and the Outlaws - Yikes. Another comic that made me feel a little gross reading it. The characters and story are not strong enough to overcome the fact that Starfire is depicted as an amnesiac sexbot, and the T&A is just ridiculous. I get that she is a hot alien that comes from a clothing-optional planet, but I would be embarrassed to be reading this comic around other adults. If I was a 12 year old boy I would really enjoy this comic though, what with all the T&A, objectification of women, and shooting. However, neither Red Hood nor Arsenal are particularly interesting characters to me. This was disappointing, as last week's Superboy (also by Scott Lobdell) was a pleasant surprise. This, however, is something I can definitely skip.
Supergirl - The surprise of the week. I haven't read much Supergirl and wasn't really expecting much of anything here. Prior to the relaunch, the Superan franchise was in real need of a reboot, and this issue works extremely well. Unlike pretty much everything else I've read (even Action Comics starts 6 months in to Superman's super-career) in the relaunch, this comic begins at the very beginning of Supergirl's arrival on Earth, and the writer (Michael Green) nicely portrays Supergirl's arrival on Earth and her confusion about everything. Yes, it is an entire issue spent in a fight sequence, but I think it really works. I want to know how she interacts with her famous cousin and see how this develops.
Wonder Woman - Fantastic. One I'll definitely keep reading. This is a really strong entry into reading about Wonder Woman. She's actually more like a supporting character in this story, but Brian Azzarello really pulls you right in to a world of gods with amazing powers and mysterious motives. This feels like a supernatural mystery, which is not normally my thing but it is strongly written. You get that the stakes are high here. Wonder Woman is a little bit of a mystery here, you don't really get any of her internal thoughts or motivation, but you do get a sense of her larger than life (both figuratively and literally, someone finally realized that if the is an Amazonian, she should be really tall) presence, and that she is heroic and more than human. This was one that I was most curious about, and I was not disappointed.
Monday, September 19, 2011
DC's New 52, Part 2
Another week, another batch of mostly very good comics. Again, I'm not reading all of DC's new 52 because of (i) money and (ii) no desire to read certain comics (looking at you, Rob Liefeld).
Anyway, before I get to the new reviews, I want to say another few words about Stormwatch. I reread the first issue, and I want to like this book. I mean, I really want to like it. So why don't I like it more? I'm not sure - it's got a lot of the characters I love (Apollo, Midnighter, Jack Hawksmoor), it's got big, high-concept stuff (the moon turning into a claw, existential threats), but there's something about it that's just off. The relationships between the parties isn't clear, the art is slightly off, it feels a little jumbled. I think I will read it a little longer, but it's definitely on my bubble list. There's too many excellent comics out there to read something I'm not sure about. With that, here are the reviews of what I read this week:
Batman & Robin - Very good effort. I like how they establish the new status quo, and the fact that Bruce and Damian are clearly going to have to learn how to work together and are going to establish their own dynamic. Damian is a real prick to his father in this issue - another reviewer (maybe at IGN?) pointed out why it made sense that Damian was being so obnoxious to Bruce, because Damian is having a hard time adjusting to his actual father, as opposed to the idealized version of his dead father. The story was fine, but it was the characterization of the relationships that's the real hook here. Very strong issue.
As an aside, I'm struggling a little bit with my decisions about what books I will subscribe to, as there are a number of strong contenders. I liked last week's Detective Comics, but the truth is I'm probably only going to subscribe to one Batman book (not including Batwoman or Batgirl), so I'm not sure why I wouldn't just get this instead of Detective Comics. I'm also expecting that Scott Snyder's Batman book will be very strong (I just read one of his American Vampire volumes and it was extremely good stuff). So, we'll see.
Batwoman - No surprises here, I thought this was fantastic. My pick of the week. The art is, just to state the obvious, quite stunning. J.H. Williams seems to have picked right up from his and Greg Rucka's run on Detective Comics. There was a lot jam-packed in this issue, plenty of threads to unfold over the next year or so. A very promising series. I also have to ask myself whether I want to subscribe to both this and Batgirl. I agree with those who have said that Batgirl #1, while good, was not Gail Simone's best work. We'll see. Barbara Gordon is an extremely likable character, and I've definitely enjoyed Simone's work in the past. Given the number of titles out there, I'm not sure how many Bat-family titles I can subscribe to.
Demon Knights - This falls into the category (like OMAC) of "really fun read, not sure I'd subscribe". I was entertained by the story, and I like the idea of doing a book with a medieval setting where the events and characters will have repercussions that will be felt today. I'm very unfamiliar with the more fantasy-oriented aspects of the DC universe, but I thought that the idea that this guy Jason Blood has the demon Etrigan trapped inside him was a pretty interesting one. I'm not sure about this one. I'll read another issue at least. I'd hate to see Paul Cornell go 0-for-2 in my reading list.
Frankenstein - Really fun stuff. Another strong issue from Jeff Lemite, with a very different feel than Animal Man, but still dealing with the supernatural. This one had some real humor, and it definitely felt like a Hellboy-ish comic. Some of the stuff was random (like his boss looking like a little Japanese girl) but it was overall very entertaining and I think the character of Frankenstein (shouldn't it be Frankenstein's monster?) is a strong one. A monster with a very old fashioned sensibility and a real moral sense. I like it, definitely enough to pick up the next issue or two, at least.
Green Lantern - I have to admit that over the past year or so, I was pretty close to dropping Green Lantern from my monthly pull list. I really loved the Sinestro Corps war, and I also really enjoyed Blackest Night, but I thought that the endless bickering among the different colored corps and the ongoing stuff with the Guardians was just kinda boring. So, the new status quo (which I know is a plot progression from the prior stories) really does feel like a breath of fresh air to me. I think having Sinestro back as a Green Lantern is a terrific story idea. I love his character and I hope they keep him as part of the GL corps for a while. I also love the stuff in here about Hal dealing with the consequences of flying around the galaxy for months at a time. So, they've got my attention again, and I feel like this issue was a necessary jump start for the series.
Superboy - My biggest surprise this week. I really enjoyed this issue a lot. Even though not that much "happened", plenty actually happened, and we got a lot of interesting setup. This new Superboy, we still don't know a lot about his motivations, but we do know that he knows more than his captors think he does, and that he has a pretty impressive power set. I'm very curious to see where they go with this - partly I assume where it is going is right into Teen Titans. That was not a title I was planning on picking up, but I just might based on my interest in the character.
Anyway, before I get to the new reviews, I want to say another few words about Stormwatch. I reread the first issue, and I want to like this book. I mean, I really want to like it. So why don't I like it more? I'm not sure - it's got a lot of the characters I love (Apollo, Midnighter, Jack Hawksmoor), it's got big, high-concept stuff (the moon turning into a claw, existential threats), but there's something about it that's just off. The relationships between the parties isn't clear, the art is slightly off, it feels a little jumbled. I think I will read it a little longer, but it's definitely on my bubble list. There's too many excellent comics out there to read something I'm not sure about. With that, here are the reviews of what I read this week:
Batman & Robin - Very good effort. I like how they establish the new status quo, and the fact that Bruce and Damian are clearly going to have to learn how to work together and are going to establish their own dynamic. Damian is a real prick to his father in this issue - another reviewer (maybe at IGN?) pointed out why it made sense that Damian was being so obnoxious to Bruce, because Damian is having a hard time adjusting to his actual father, as opposed to the idealized version of his dead father. The story was fine, but it was the characterization of the relationships that's the real hook here. Very strong issue.
As an aside, I'm struggling a little bit with my decisions about what books I will subscribe to, as there are a number of strong contenders. I liked last week's Detective Comics, but the truth is I'm probably only going to subscribe to one Batman book (not including Batwoman or Batgirl), so I'm not sure why I wouldn't just get this instead of Detective Comics. I'm also expecting that Scott Snyder's Batman book will be very strong (I just read one of his American Vampire volumes and it was extremely good stuff). So, we'll see.
Batwoman - No surprises here, I thought this was fantastic. My pick of the week. The art is, just to state the obvious, quite stunning. J.H. Williams seems to have picked right up from his and Greg Rucka's run on Detective Comics. There was a lot jam-packed in this issue, plenty of threads to unfold over the next year or so. A very promising series. I also have to ask myself whether I want to subscribe to both this and Batgirl. I agree with those who have said that Batgirl #1, while good, was not Gail Simone's best work. We'll see. Barbara Gordon is an extremely likable character, and I've definitely enjoyed Simone's work in the past. Given the number of titles out there, I'm not sure how many Bat-family titles I can subscribe to.
Demon Knights - This falls into the category (like OMAC) of "really fun read, not sure I'd subscribe". I was entertained by the story, and I like the idea of doing a book with a medieval setting where the events and characters will have repercussions that will be felt today. I'm very unfamiliar with the more fantasy-oriented aspects of the DC universe, but I thought that the idea that this guy Jason Blood has the demon Etrigan trapped inside him was a pretty interesting one. I'm not sure about this one. I'll read another issue at least. I'd hate to see Paul Cornell go 0-for-2 in my reading list.
Frankenstein - Really fun stuff. Another strong issue from Jeff Lemite, with a very different feel than Animal Man, but still dealing with the supernatural. This one had some real humor, and it definitely felt like a Hellboy-ish comic. Some of the stuff was random (like his boss looking like a little Japanese girl) but it was overall very entertaining and I think the character of Frankenstein (shouldn't it be Frankenstein's monster?) is a strong one. A monster with a very old fashioned sensibility and a real moral sense. I like it, definitely enough to pick up the next issue or two, at least.
Green Lantern - I have to admit that over the past year or so, I was pretty close to dropping Green Lantern from my monthly pull list. I really loved the Sinestro Corps war, and I also really enjoyed Blackest Night, but I thought that the endless bickering among the different colored corps and the ongoing stuff with the Guardians was just kinda boring. So, the new status quo (which I know is a plot progression from the prior stories) really does feel like a breath of fresh air to me. I think having Sinestro back as a Green Lantern is a terrific story idea. I love his character and I hope they keep him as part of the GL corps for a while. I also love the stuff in here about Hal dealing with the consequences of flying around the galaxy for months at a time. So, they've got my attention again, and I feel like this issue was a necessary jump start for the series.
Superboy - My biggest surprise this week. I really enjoyed this issue a lot. Even though not that much "happened", plenty actually happened, and we got a lot of interesting setup. This new Superboy, we still don't know a lot about his motivations, but we do know that he knows more than his captors think he does, and that he has a pretty impressive power set. I'm very curious to see where they go with this - partly I assume where it is going is right into Teen Titans. That was not a title I was planning on picking up, but I just might based on my interest in the character.
Thursday, September 15, 2011
My thoughts on some of DC's New 52
When I first heard about the DC relaunch I was pretty excited. I was always a Marvel person growing up. Honestly, in 1984 or so when I first started reading comics, Marvel was so much cooler than DC. Marvel had Spider-Man and the X-Men, they had Secret Wars, and most importantly they had comics adaptations of G.I. Joe and the Transformers, which were the most important things in my life at that time. DC had a Superman that worked at a TV station, and was all kinda boring. I knew the DC characters because they were so iconic, but NOBODY I knew was reading DC comics.
I got away from comics for many years, and only around 2007 or so did I start reading comics again. In that time, I've done a ton of catching up on both Marvel and DC (along with a lot of independent books), and while I haven't enjoyed everything I've read, I have approached this relaunch with at least some knowledge of the Dc universe. That being said, even though I have read many DC stories over the past 4 or so years, DC has still felt fairly impenetrable to me. There's just so much continuity, and continuity seems to matter more in DC than it does in Marvel, or maybe they've just handled it better. I'm not sure. So, like I said, when I heard about the relaunch I was pretty excited. They were going to keep stuff that worked (most of Johns' GL run, the current status of the Bat-books) and revamp things that didn't (like in the Superman books).
Just as an aside, I agree it was time to blow up the Superman stories a little. I enjoyed Johns' run on the book when it involved Brainiac and New Krypton, and was pretty excited about the concept of a whole new world of Kryptonians, but that whole concept really didn't end up working like I'd hoped (and I read the whole New Krypton series). Maybe it's just hard to come up with good Superman stories.
So I wanted to get my thoughts down with respect to each of the new DC #1 issues that I am reading. I am not going to be reading all of them, and I don't think I really have the time to do detailed reviews, but wanted to share my thoughts on what I've been reading. So, here we go!
Action Comics - Loved it. Thought this was a genuinely new take on Superman (even though I realize that it harkens to his earliest days). It makes sense, too - a character created by two Jewish kids in the 1930's would of course have some socialist/fight the oppressors and on behalf of the common man type ideas.
Animal Man - Wow. Very impressed with this first issue. I'm not really familiar with Jeff Lemire's other work, though I knew he was a respected indie creator. I certainly want to check it out now. I loved the intro with his interview in "The Believer" (which I actually subscribed to for a time) and thought the story and art here were both terrific. It's definitely not traditional super hero art, but that seems right to me, as it is more of a supernatural/horror comic than it is "man in tights". Really enjoyed this, and look forward to seeing where it's going.
Batgirl - This was a lot of fun. Gail Simone is good at both dialogue and characterization, so I immediately felt like I was in Barbara Gordon's head. The very last panels didn't exactly make sense to me (no spoilers here), but I found her characterization of Barbara who is not yet comfortable being a "super hero" again to be very believable.
Detective Comics - Good story, very intense/dramatic ending. Tony Daniel is a great artist but is not yet a great writer (and suffers a little in comparison to Grant Morrison, Paul Dini or Scott Snyder) but he is improving. This felt like a pretty regular Batman story, not necessarily like a whole new world. I liked it though, and would be interested in seeing where it's going.
Justice League - I liked this, but wouldn't say I loved it. I enjoyed the banter between Batman and Green Lantern, I like who their setting up as the big first villain, and enjoyed the end. I also loved the Jim Lee art. What's my issue then? Mostly, it felt like not very much happened in this issue; I think they could have compressed it a little more and provided nods to a few of the other JLA members. Still, I definitely enjoyed it and will check out further issues.
Men of War - Thought it was fine, but don't think I'll be subscribing. The idea of telling a story about soldiers (or other "regular" people) in a world where superheroes exist is a good one, and one that has been well explored by Kurt Busiek in Marvels and Astro City. Additionally, "Gotham Central" is a great telling of law enforcement trying to do their jobs in a crazy world. Like Gotham Central, I get that the soldiers here seem to view the superheroes as a distraction to their jobs, and I wouldn't be surprised to learn that the author here is a fan of Garth Ennis' "The Boys". All that being said, I thought the story and art were fine, but felt a bit generic. Maybe I'm just not a fan of war comics.
OMAC - My biggest surprise so far. I loved this! I don't necessarily think I'll subscribe to it, but this was probably the most fun read I've had in a while. If Kirby-esque can be used as an adjective, then that's what I'd say this was. Clearly written in a style meant to evoke Kirby's fourth world and other concepts, this issue read like an old-school adventure comic out of the 1970's. It didn't much seem to relate to the larger DC universe, but was a real joy to read, as I thought it was full of good, ridiculous fun.
Stormwatch - This is the one that disappointed me the most. That is not to say that I disliked it, because I thought it set up a lot of interesting stuff, and I absolutely LOVED Ellis' and Millar's runs on the Authority, so I am predisposed to like any book that has Apollo, Midnighter, Jack Hawksmoor, etc. However, I wasn't crazy about the art (I thought the engineer just looked sort of odd), and the story just didn't grip me like I thought it would (which surprised me, given that Paul Cornell is writing), but I will give this another shot next month because I like generally where they're going (making this group into an analogue of Hickman's SHIELD).
Swamp Thing - Another awesome comic. As with Animal Man, I have only read the most classic runs of these comics and am not overly familiar with them, but this issue made me want to know more about the Swamp Thing character, and to try to understand the complex relationship between Alec Holland and Swamp Thing. There's some pretty compelling story, a general air of dread and unease, and some pretty horrifically compelling images near the end. Scott Snyder FTW!
I got away from comics for many years, and only around 2007 or so did I start reading comics again. In that time, I've done a ton of catching up on both Marvel and DC (along with a lot of independent books), and while I haven't enjoyed everything I've read, I have approached this relaunch with at least some knowledge of the Dc universe. That being said, even though I have read many DC stories over the past 4 or so years, DC has still felt fairly impenetrable to me. There's just so much continuity, and continuity seems to matter more in DC than it does in Marvel, or maybe they've just handled it better. I'm not sure. So, like I said, when I heard about the relaunch I was pretty excited. They were going to keep stuff that worked (most of Johns' GL run, the current status of the Bat-books) and revamp things that didn't (like in the Superman books).
Just as an aside, I agree it was time to blow up the Superman stories a little. I enjoyed Johns' run on the book when it involved Brainiac and New Krypton, and was pretty excited about the concept of a whole new world of Kryptonians, but that whole concept really didn't end up working like I'd hoped (and I read the whole New Krypton series). Maybe it's just hard to come up with good Superman stories.
So I wanted to get my thoughts down with respect to each of the new DC #1 issues that I am reading. I am not going to be reading all of them, and I don't think I really have the time to do detailed reviews, but wanted to share my thoughts on what I've been reading. So, here we go!
Action Comics - Loved it. Thought this was a genuinely new take on Superman (even though I realize that it harkens to his earliest days). It makes sense, too - a character created by two Jewish kids in the 1930's would of course have some socialist/fight the oppressors and on behalf of the common man type ideas.
Animal Man - Wow. Very impressed with this first issue. I'm not really familiar with Jeff Lemire's other work, though I knew he was a respected indie creator. I certainly want to check it out now. I loved the intro with his interview in "The Believer" (which I actually subscribed to for a time) and thought the story and art here were both terrific. It's definitely not traditional super hero art, but that seems right to me, as it is more of a supernatural/horror comic than it is "man in tights". Really enjoyed this, and look forward to seeing where it's going.
Batgirl - This was a lot of fun. Gail Simone is good at both dialogue and characterization, so I immediately felt like I was in Barbara Gordon's head. The very last panels didn't exactly make sense to me (no spoilers here), but I found her characterization of Barbara who is not yet comfortable being a "super hero" again to be very believable.
Detective Comics - Good story, very intense/dramatic ending. Tony Daniel is a great artist but is not yet a great writer (and suffers a little in comparison to Grant Morrison, Paul Dini or Scott Snyder) but he is improving. This felt like a pretty regular Batman story, not necessarily like a whole new world. I liked it though, and would be interested in seeing where it's going.
Justice League - I liked this, but wouldn't say I loved it. I enjoyed the banter between Batman and Green Lantern, I like who their setting up as the big first villain, and enjoyed the end. I also loved the Jim Lee art. What's my issue then? Mostly, it felt like not very much happened in this issue; I think they could have compressed it a little more and provided nods to a few of the other JLA members. Still, I definitely enjoyed it and will check out further issues.
Men of War - Thought it was fine, but don't think I'll be subscribing. The idea of telling a story about soldiers (or other "regular" people) in a world where superheroes exist is a good one, and one that has been well explored by Kurt Busiek in Marvels and Astro City. Additionally, "Gotham Central" is a great telling of law enforcement trying to do their jobs in a crazy world. Like Gotham Central, I get that the soldiers here seem to view the superheroes as a distraction to their jobs, and I wouldn't be surprised to learn that the author here is a fan of Garth Ennis' "The Boys". All that being said, I thought the story and art were fine, but felt a bit generic. Maybe I'm just not a fan of war comics.
OMAC - My biggest surprise so far. I loved this! I don't necessarily think I'll subscribe to it, but this was probably the most fun read I've had in a while. If Kirby-esque can be used as an adjective, then that's what I'd say this was. Clearly written in a style meant to evoke Kirby's fourth world and other concepts, this issue read like an old-school adventure comic out of the 1970's. It didn't much seem to relate to the larger DC universe, but was a real joy to read, as I thought it was full of good, ridiculous fun.
Stormwatch - This is the one that disappointed me the most. That is not to say that I disliked it, because I thought it set up a lot of interesting stuff, and I absolutely LOVED Ellis' and Millar's runs on the Authority, so I am predisposed to like any book that has Apollo, Midnighter, Jack Hawksmoor, etc. However, I wasn't crazy about the art (I thought the engineer just looked sort of odd), and the story just didn't grip me like I thought it would (which surprised me, given that Paul Cornell is writing), but I will give this another shot next month because I like generally where they're going (making this group into an analogue of Hickman's SHIELD).
Swamp Thing - Another awesome comic. As with Animal Man, I have only read the most classic runs of these comics and am not overly familiar with them, but this issue made me want to know more about the Swamp Thing character, and to try to understand the complex relationship between Alec Holland and Swamp Thing. There's some pretty compelling story, a general air of dread and unease, and some pretty horrifically compelling images near the end. Scott Snyder FTW!
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