First week's reviews here
Batwoman #1
Goddammit, this is one gorgeous comic book. Seriously, if this issue consisted of nothing but J.H. Williams III drawing Batwoman reading the phone book, I suspect I'd have still enjoyed it. Luckily, there's a great plot to go along with it. Not that there's a great sample size so far, but between Williams and Greg Rucka, Batwoman's rogues gallery is really shaping up.
The weird thing about my liking this issue so much is that I'm not sure if I even like Batwoman. For one thing, there are too many Bat-people running around in the first place. For another, Kate Kane isn't always the easiest the character to like. But throw in a great story, Bette Kane as a resentful sidekick, and Chase, Mr. Bones and the DEO, and you have a comic I'm genuinely excited about.
Grade: A-
Deathstroke #1
I've always preferred Deathstroke as a mercenary more than a supervillain, as he's been portrayed in recent years. So apparent return to his pre-Johns portrayal was a nice surprise. I also like the concept of Slade Wilson being seen as over-the-hill, and having to prove to prospective employers that he still has it. (Speaking of, it seemed like there'd be a lot of fun in future issues, contrasting Deathstroke's old-school style to the group of young mercenaries gathered to back him up in the first issue. That's obviously not going to happen now, but "I think there is no 'up-and-coming.' There's only competition," was such a great line, I can live with it.)
I do hate the giant sword. It seems like something out of either an early Image comic or a Final Fantasy game, two of my least favorite things in the world. But other than that, great first issue.
Grade: B+
Grifter #1
This issue was a bit different for me in that Grifter is the only established character getting a new series that I have no familiarity with whatsoever. I mean, I know the name and the costume and everything, and have seen him pop up in the few Wildstorm series I used to read, but that's about it.
I'm not sure how much this version is a departure from the original, but I liked it. Most of the first issues that have come out so far have done a lackluster job at setting up the series in general and the next issue in particular. If nothing else, this isn't a problem Grifter suffers from. I'm genuinely interested in seeing what happens next.
Grade: B+
Suicide Squad #1
Last week I said Batgirl was DC's most controversial new series. Who knew Barbara Gordon walking again would be eclipsed by the online reaction to Amanda Waller going from fat to skinny?
Suicide Squad was one of the great series of the late '80s, a stand-out even among a lot of great series. Most of it can be credited to John Ostrander, who managed to give personalities to a bunch of supervillains who up until then had just been costumes. Other writers have tried to replicate Ostrander's success, but mostly failed. I'm not sure if Adam Glass will succeed, but I like what I've seen so far. This first issue is nothing groundbreaking, and you can see the twist coming a mile away. But it was a nice start.
All my problems with the issue are visual. Harley Quinn's new outfit? Awful. Deadshot's new costume? Terrible. (Seriously, I see why DC wanted to revamp some costumes, but pretty much all of them? Why?) As for Amanda Waller's new look...it's just dumb. In Ostrander's run, Waller was a poor, middle-age black woman who rose up from nothing to run a top secret government agency. That's undeniably cool. Here, she looks like a supermodel. Whether it's a costume or a waistline, change simply for the sake of change is almost always a bad idea.
Grade: B
Resurrection Man #1
I read a few issues of the original series back in the '90s, when DC was apparently greenlighting every single wacky idea for a series that they were pitched (what, there's no room for Major Bummer, Vext or Young Heroes in Love in the New 52?), but it never really did anything for me. This issue has me intrigued, though. I don't remember if the people (demons, entities, whatever) trying to kill Mitch were part of the original mythology, but either way, I like what Andy Lanning Dan Abnett came up with.
I'm less wild about the new and apparently much less fun costumes for the Body Doubles. But it's a minor complaint.
Grade: B
Demon Knights #1
This feels more like one of those old Elseworlds books where a bunch of characters with similar themes get tossed into a story together. Which is fine for a one-shot or mini-series, but are people really going to want to follow the historical adventures of the Demon, Madame Xanadu, Vandal Savage and the Shining Knight on an ongoing basis?
That's not to say I didn't like the first issue. But it feels like the Demon in name only. No rhyming. No mayhem. It's basically a medieval Incredible Hulk. I'll stick with it a bit, but add this to the list of new series that probably don't need to be.
Grade: B-
Superboy #1
I'm really not a Scott Lobdell fan, although more so for stupid things he's said in the past, as opposed to his writing. So I was predisposed to dislike this series. But I have to admit, I kind of dug it.
I've also never been a big fan of the character of Superboy. But a few years ago, DC hit upon a cool idea. Rather than just be a teenage clone of Superman, what if he was a clone made from the DNA of both Superman and Lex Luthor? As far as twists go, that's a pretty awesome one, and thankfully, it's one that Lobdell seems interested in exploring. Using Rose Wilson and Caitlin Fairchild in the supporting cast is also a pretty inspired choice. I'm surprised to say this, but I'm on board.
Grade: B-
Red Lantern #1
I've never been enthusiastic about the multiple Lantern Corps. For one storyline, sure. But having Blue Lanterns, Red Lanterns, Orange Lanterns, etc., dilutes what makes the Green Lantern Corps, one of my favorite comic book concepts, so special. But I went into this with an open mind, and there's some interesting stuff here. I'm not sure if Atrocitus is a character I really want to keep up with on a regular basis, but I do like the idea of someone with a Lantern's powers not interested in keeping order or instilling fear, but just getting revenge on bad guys.
In the very least, it's earned a second issue.
Grade: C+
Mister Terrific #1
I like Mister Terrific. He's one of the few characters created fairly recently who feels like he can credibly be considered a big gun of the DC Universe. That said, he works much, much better on a team book like JSA or Checkmate, because at the end of the day, he's basically a sci-fi version of Batman in terms of both secret identity (rich industrialist) and his motivation to fight crime due to personal tragedy (his wife being murdered). So I'm not sure how necessary this series is.
The new version doesn't really do the character any favors, either. His old costume, which has always been one of my favorites, has been replaced with an ugly sleeveless outfit. Since I really dug the issue of The Spectre where Holt was introduced, I'm not wild about the change to his origin, either, even though I can see why it was necessary. On the other hand, the new version appears to be banging Power Girl. So there's that.
Grade: C
Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E. #1
It's a bit difficult to look at some of the great comics that were cancelled due to the relaunch--Zatanna, Secret Six, etc.--and not wonder how DC justifies replacing them with new series that, frankly, no one was clamoring for and have little chance of success. Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E.? Maybe the poster child for this.
Last week, Jeff Lemire's work on Animal Man blew me away. Frankenstein isn't nearly as good, but you have to admire Lemire's ability to take lesser-known characters and do interesting stuff with them. I won't be buying the second issue, but I do like the book's ambition.
Grade: C-
Green Lantern #1
Batman & Robin #1
With these two books, we arrive at the biggest problem with DC's relaunch. Certain books, DC had no problem cancelling or rebooting. Which is fine. That's the whole point of starting over with all new first issues. But other books, because they sold well or because the writer was influential enough not to have their stories yanked out from under them, are being allowed to continue on as if nothing happened. Batman & Robin and Green Lantern are two such books.
It's easy to picture someone picking up these, thinking they were getting actual first issues, only to be surprised to learn that Batman has a son and that Hal Jordan is a deadbeat who's no longer Green Lantern, and that they were being dropped into a storyline halfway through with no idea what was going on. These aren't bad comics, but nor should they be called first issues.
Grade: C-
Legion Lost #1
I have, at best, a cursory knowledge of the Legion of Super-Heroes. Like the New Gods or the Silver Surfer, it's one of those concepts that I love, but have never quite been able to embrace when it comes to reading the actual comics. Every now and then, DC does some sort of big reboot/jumping-on point for new readers, and I give it a shot, only to lose interest before too long.
This issue may be a reboot, but it sure as hell isn't a jumping-on point. I was pretty much confused from start to finish. More to the point, I didn't really have much desire to try and figure it out, either. It also didn't help that my favorite Legionnaire apparently bites it in this issue.
Grade: D-
New 52 Report Card
Animal Man: A+
Batwoman: A-
Deathstroke: B+
Grifter: B+
Detective Comics: B+
Men of War: B
Suicide Squad: B
Resurrection Man: B
Demon Knights: B-
Hawk & Dove: B-
Superboy: B-
Red Lantern: C+
Swamp Thing: C
Batgirl: C
Static Shock: C
Justice League International: C
Mister Terrific: C
Justice League: C
Batwing: C-
Batman & Robin: C-
Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E.: C-
Green Lantern: C-
Action Comics: D+
O.M.A.C.: D
Green Arrow: D
Legion Lost: D-
Stormwatch: F
Next week: Batman, Birds of Prey, Blue Beetle, Captain Atom, Catwoman, DC Universe Presents, Green Lantern Corps, Legion of Super-Heroes, Nightwing, Red Hood and the Outlaws, Supergirl and Wonder Woman.
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