DC Comics: The New 52 Reviews, Week 1

Technically, it's Week 2, given the release of Justice League #1 officially kicked off the DC Comics reboot/relaunch/whatever. Further complicating matters, I'm posting this in what's technically Week 3. Just go with it.

Anyway, I'm still on the fence about this whole thing, but I figure the only way to give it a fair shake is to read every single first issue DC is releasing this month. Yes, all 52. And because I have a blog, I obviously must share my opinions. No, I really don't have anything better to do. Yes, I'm grateful that I'm able to read some of these for free at Barnes & Noble so I don't go broke.

Animal Man #1

Whoa. Did not see this coming. This was fantastic. Animal Man has never been an especially compelling character, even when Grant Morrison was writing him. So to see Jeff Lemire come in an immediately not only make Buddy Baker interesting, but lay the groundwork for what seems to be a compelling mystery, caught be completely off-guard. Travel Foreman's artwork is exceptional, especially a really freaky last page. Granted, it's only been one issue, but this could easily surpass even Morrison's run. It's that damn good.

Grade: A+


Detective Comics #1

Overall, pretty solid. Tony Daniel has always been a better artist than a writer, and that trend doesn't change here. But he's come up with a better-than-average Joker story, which is impressive given the glut of Joker stories over the past few years. The dynamic of the relaunched DC Universe, where the stories take place earlier in the characters' careers, is used to good effect here, with Batman still trying to figure the Joker out and vice versa. But this still would have just been another run-of-the-mill Batman vs. Joker story, except that Daniel introduces a new villain with some potential, who by the end of the issue, has left the Joker in a fairly uncomfortable position.

I've always been a sucker for Batman stories that are narrated by Batman, which were big in the '80s, but less so recently. The danger with this device, though, is that it's really easy to go from dramatic to laughably melodramatic, as evidenced in this very issue: "I hold my breath, but the toxin penetrates my pores. Dizzy in seconds. But I can take it. I'm Batman." Yuck. I think Daniel will do well on this book, but he needs someone who can tell him to dial it back a notch.

Grade: B+


Men of War #1

I really wasn't expecting to like this. War comics, whether they're set in the cartoonish world of superheroes or something like Garth Ennis's Vertigo stuff, have never been my thing. But this wasn't bad. The idea of making Sgt. Rock's grandson the main character was an inspired choice, and I've always liked comics about people with no super powers coping with those who do.

So surprisingly, I'm on board for this one. My only concern is that the series stays at least somewhat grounded in reality. (You know, relatively speaking.) No sci-fi weapons. No trips to alien planets. Just soldiers with machine guns figuring out how to take out supervillains. No need to be a second-rate Suicide Squad or Checkmate.

Grade: B


Hawk & Dove #1

Hawk and Dove was one of my all-time favorite series, because I loved the characters and it's one of the few comics to be set in D.C. And exactly 20 years after the book was cancelled and its characters unceremoniously dispatched--Dove killed, Hawk turned into a time-traveling psycho--the characters are back in their own series.

Sterling Gates--who I like quite a bit--and Rob Liefeld--who I don't--take an odd approach with this issue. It's almost feeks like a retelling of the miniseries from way back in 1988. Hawk's still getting used to the new Dove (which is odd, given that she's been Dove longer than the first one had been when he died), Hawk's father has once again pulled strings to get him into Georgetown (I wonder if the real thing's admissions office is so easily swayed), and Kestrel pops up at the end. Still, it was a great miniseries, so like they say, if you're going to steal, steal from the best.

If I didn't dig the characters so much, I doubt I'd be quite as enthusiastic about this issue. But I do, so I am. Gates and Liefeld would have to really screw up to get me off this book. Gates, I'm not worried about.

Grade: B-


Swamp Thing #1

The problem with launching 52 new series all at once is that there are bound to be some good ones that get lost in the shuffle. Swamp Thing feels like such a series. I liked it well enough, and under normal circumstances--i.e., pre-relaunch--I probably would have given it a couple more issues. But with so many other titles vying for my money, "well enough" isn't quite good enough to stick with it. Hopefully, enough other people feel differently and support it.

Grade: C


Batgirl #1

Easily the most controversial new series DC's releasing due to Barbara Gordon getting up out of the wheelchair she's been in for years, this issue isn't likely to satisfy anyone. Not the people who didn't want her to leave her Oracle identity behind no matter what, nor the people who were fine with it, but were hoping for a better explanation than her legs simply starting to work again.

As for the actual issue, it's your nice, standard Gail Simone-written fare. Good action scenes, nice character bits, and so on. But at the end of the day, it's just another instance of DC hitting the reset button for no good reason. This is actually worse than bringing back Barry Allen or whatever, just because the DC Universe was a richer place with Barbara as Oracle instead of Batgirl.

Grade: C


Static Shock #1

Another fall-through-the-cracks book. I liked it, and I'm a big, big fan of Scott McDaniel's art. I also appreciated that the other Milestone characters will apparently be worked into the title, especially Hardware, who was always my favorite of the line.

Still, you can only read so many teen superhero books before they all start to blend together. At this point, I'm just not looking to add another one.

Grade: C


Justice League International #1

Remember how you felt when you found out there was no Santa Claus? That's about how I felt when I saw the cover for this issue and realized Dan Jurgens, not Keith Giffen and J. M. DeMatteis, wrote it. For some reason, I was under the impression the latter were. I don't have anything against Jurgens (although I'd be lying if I said he was one of my favorite writers), and it's not like he does an awful job here or anything, but it just seems like a no-brainer to have the guys who made this title a classic, handle the relaunch.

Grade: C


Batwing #1

Why? There aren't enough Bat-books already without adding another one? Morrison's Batman Incorporated is a great book, but I'm not sure the DC Universe needs multiple Batmen running around the world. They certainly don't need their own series.

That said, I thought the plot was pretty good. And I'm always impressed when Judd Winick can make it through a whole issue without getting political, even if I agree with those politics. But this one isn't for me.

Grade: C-


Action Comics #1

I actually agree with the comic book dealer in North Carolina who's boycotting all Grant Morrison comics because Superman says "GD" in this issue. Not the boycott part. Just that Superman wouldn't say "GD." Or most of the other stuff he says here. Is it fun seeing Superman as a lefty crusader against corporate greed? Sure. Does it really fit in with who Superman is? No, not really.

I don't give John Byrne a lot of credit, but Man of Steel, the '80s series that rebooted Superman for the first time, was damn near perfect. Other writers have fiddled with Superman's origin since then, but not to this degree. Morrison's All-Star Superman is one of the greatest comics I've ever read. At no point while reading it did I think that it could be improved by Superman being a punk kid whose costume consisted of a t-shirt and blue jeans.

Grade: D+


O.M.A.C. #1

I guess one could criticize DC head honcho Dan DiDio for assigning himself a series to write when there are so many actual writers who would have liked the gig. But at least he gave himself the one series that has virtually no chance of succeeding. It could be the best-written comic on the market, but no one is going to buy O.M.A.C. They're just not. Even if I'd loved this issue, I wouldn't buy the second one. I mean...it's fucking O.M.A.C.

My resolve won't be tested here, though, because O.M.A.C. is not anywhere close to the best-written comic on the market. Granted, it's not as terrible as I thought it was going to be. And I did really dig Keith Giffen's Kirby-esque artwork, and would love to see it applied to something else. But there's no getting around the fact that a character no one cares about in a lackluster first issue, is going to be a quick cancellation.

Grade: D


Green Arrow #1

At one point early in the issue, Green Arrow is on a ship fighting supervillains. He shoots an arrow into the ship's control panel, and the special arrowhead allows his hacker sidekick hundreds of miles away to take control and pilot the boat. A moment later, after one of the villains falls into the water, Green Arrow shoots another arrow into the water and freezes him.

And that sort of inanity feels like it'll be the norm here.

Grade: D


Stormwatch #1

This whole issue felt wrong. Shoehorning characters from the Wildstorm Universe into the new DC Universe will likely go down as the biggest blunder in this whole endeavour. What's the point of characters based on Superman and Batman in a universe that actually contains Superman and Batman? Why combine characters from stories aimed at mature readers with characters whose primary purpose is to sell lunch boxes and pajamas?

The Authority was one of the best superhero comics of the past decade, and even though its best days were probably behind it regardless, you hate to see great characters reduced to this.

Grade: F

New 52 Report Card

Animal Man: A+
Detective Comics: B+
Men of War: B
Hawk & Dove: B-
Swamp Thing: C
Batgirl: C
Static Shock: C
Justice League International: C
Justice League: C
Batwing: C-
Action Comics: D+
O.M.A.C.: D
Green Arrow: D
Stormwatch: F

Next week: Batman & Robin, Batwoman, Deathstroke, Demon Knights, Frankenstein, Agent of Shield, Green Lantern, Grifter, Legion Lost, Mister Terrific, Red Lanterns, Resurection Man, Suicide Squad and Superboy.