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I actually enjoyed the recent Challengers of the Unknown opener in DC Comics Presents; once again I'm surprised that something by Dan Didio has impressed me though it's become clear now he can be a great supplemental partner to an artist that also is co-plotter / director.
Most of all, I liked the mysterious tone and eerie sensibility to the story. The 'what the hell is going on?' feeling worked well and kept me interested throughout. The sudden flash to and from Nanda Parbat was abrupt and heightened this.
I also liked the large cast and was glad to see most of them get a lot of moments. The way Ace was so mysteriously and ambiguously handled (Ace being my favorite Chall) made me dying to know where they are going with him since it's unlikely he's real dead. There is potential there for an ongoing mystery and pay-off--if they can follow up right.
Jerry Ordway is not only a great artist, he's a fantastic story-teller. He excels in how the panels flow from one to the next. A variety of inlets assisted and the coloring was great. But the prettiest part of the issue was that fantastic cover.
I'm a huge Challs fan as when I was a kid my uncle would read me the early Kirby Challs issues. When Cooke did them so well in New Frontier (and Waid to a lesser extant in Brave and Bold), it reminded me how badly I'd like a Challs series. While ideally a Cooke series in the thematic style of NF is the best option, I do appreciate DC trying to find a way to make the concept fresh and modern by injecting some Lost-ish sensibility.
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
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Still enjoying the oddness of FRANKENSTEIN AGENT OF SHADE. The crossover with OMAC was fun (I still love OMAC too). I've caught up with both of those now!
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Now that we're six months into the DCNu, it's kind of amazing to look back at my numbers of what books I'm still reading. The attrition is pretty high, though I was expecting that to gradually be the case. After issue #1, I was still reading 46 of the new 52 titles. Now after issue #6, I'm down to 16 titles ...and dropping.
Loving Batwing, Batwoman, and Teen Titans
Keeping Aquaman, Catwoman, Green Lantern, Justice League, Legion Lost, Legion of Super-Heroes, Red Hood and the Outlaws, Voodoo, and Wonder Woman
Borderline Action Comics, Animal Man, Green Lantern: New Guardians, and Supergirl
Of the five titles I was 'loving' after issue #1, I'm only still reading three with one on the fence. Swamp Thing suffered simply from my lack of exposure to the character. I enjoyed the first issue but between months my interest (and recollection of the previous issue) waned. Superman did a steep drop off for me with issue #3. It was as if it had a guest writer, which it didn't. While I love the Legion, the adult Legion story in Action Comics actually lost me a bit on the title.
I'm not surprised only four of the 13 titles I was originally 'on the line' about remain. What surprises me is that one of them I'm now loving - Teen Titans. Another, Wonder Woman, I started loving after issue #2 but then last issue I began to fell off the excitement wagon. It's safely in my 'keep' pile for now.
Some titles held out for a good while, but I found them to simply be 'decent reads' that I'd forget about the day after and felt no thrill when the next issue was released. Several titles I'm surprised I could let go this quick, especially with brand loyalty (GLC, Flash) and favorite creators (Batgirl + Gail). If it's not exciting you consistently though, what's the point? There's always the trades to visit later for a second chance - I think a few of those titles will benefit from that reading format.
Registered: Jul 2003
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posted
I'm also surprisingly enjoying Teen Titans!
You're right Future on the unfortunate ongoing feeling that a few more series will get the axe. Each month I find myself with one or more series that feels like a chore to read--which means it's time to cut it. This month it's Voodoo for me. Possibly Grifter and GLC soon.
With so many exciting things coming in 2012, especially from Image, I'm not giving DC or Marvel a free pass on anything anymore. If it doesnt excite me, I gotta make room for one I do enjoy.
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
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Set
There's not a word yet, for old friends who've just met.
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Still just Legion of Super-Heroes, Legion Lost, Legion Secret Origins and Teen Titans. I'll probably drop Teen Titans after the culling crossover, since it's beginning to wear thin for me.
I recently picked up the Stormwatch run 1-5 just because it had good word of mouth, but it didn't float my boat. I played a superhero game ages ago that had 'high concept' powers like 'prince of lies' or 'controls media,' and I didn't really like that level of pretension then, and certainly don't find it all that innovative now, decades after it was a new thing. Ever since Alan Moore took Swamp Thing 'high concept,' I feel like everyone and their dog has been attempting to do the same to old characters and new, with breath-taking lack of success, grabbing on to catch-phrases like 'Last Son of Krypton' and rewriting the character and their supporting cast to make the catch-phrases *literal* truths, as the marketing phrases and buzz-words become more important than the character themselves.
It eventually becomes so forced and desperate that some nimrod attempts to convince us that Garth, Imra and Rokk are embodiments of 'truth, justice and the American way.'
TL;DR I blame Alan Moore. He wrote something high concept and it worked. Now 10,000 writers who have no damn idea what he did or how he did it are trying to use some sort of formula to do that same sort of thing to everything else they can get their hands on.
Registered: Aug 2006
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ANIMAL MAN-- I'm dropping it. The art that interested me so much the first couple of issues now just looks ugly to me. And I am not caring for the family being split as it is, with have-powers and have-not powers.
SWAMP THING-- Still into it! I'm as surprised as anyone!
STORMWATCH-- The end of # 5 took me by surprise!! So much so that I waited to read # 6! # 6 will decide wether or not I keep it-- I rather enjoyed the "high concept" superpowers, and if all of those players have been killed, this will just be another take on the JLA. That said, I really enjoyed 1-5!
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Eh. I'm just not that into it. Gave it a fair enough chance with 5 issues. It's axe-swinging time at Lash's place... time to get the pull bag back down to a reasonable level now that the new has totally worn off the 52 relaunch.
Also cut all Green Lantern books, and All-Star Western (mainly due to price there, as I recall issues 1-2 were pretty good).
JLA may be another cut due to price-- $4 turns me OFF.
ACTION is definitely cut after I buy the Legion issues, which still sit in my pull bag.
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I've read a couple of very troubling articles on Bleeding Cool about the seventh issues of some DCnU books, all of which has me wondering yet again just what audience DC is courting. Warning: both articles have major SPOILERS!!
Glad I am only into the Legion and darker corner of the new DC...at least the books that are supposed to be darker.
With Omac ending, that really leaves Flash as my only mainstream DCnU book. Everything else is on the fringes of Vertigo country.
From: Turn around... | Registered: Jul 2003
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posted
I'm down from 16 titles after #6 of the DCNu to 12 titles, and the #7s aren't even fully out yet! It was all just too much unless I cared about it. Ended up dropping Justice League, New Guardians, Animal Man, and Action Comics.
Registered: Jul 2003
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posted
So as time goes on, I’m feeling less and less enthusiastic about the DCnU. I’m not sure what it is, but I’m just not feeling it. So many of these series are kind of limping along month to month already. Plus the over abundance of shocking gore in the non-dark titles is alarming and takes me right out of the story (I’m looking at you Detective Comics). I haven’t read the spoilers on WW #7 and Batman #7 yet, but I don’t like the trepidation others are expressing because those are actually two of my favorite comics.
At this point, I’m going to change my DCnU list to Future’s above format.
Loving Flash All-Star Western Swamp Thing Wonder Woman Catwoman Nightwing Teen Titans Superboy Batman
Decent Action Comics Batwoman Animal Man Batwing Birds of Prey Green Lantern New Guardians Aquaman Stormwatch Legion Lost
Borderline DC Comics Presents Superman Justice League Justice League International Justice League Dark Legion of Super Heroes Frankenstein: Agent of SHADE Demon Knights Thunder Agents Fury of Firestorm Green Arrow
On some series, the early change in creative teams did the series no favors. Green Arrow has been a mess, but I’m hopeful Nocenti’s early issues will quickly change that. Stormwatch having a two-part filler has been pretty ‘meh’, with Jenkins plot not doing it for me.
Considering I started with all the DC series, I’ve culled the list down pretty good. That won’t stop anytime soon. There are getting to be less and less DC series that excite me.
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
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posted
BTW, as a moderator, I'm considering deheadlining this thread now that several months have passed since the DCnU relaunch, to make it stand on its own (living and dying on interest by the community).
What do you guys think? Let me know. Silence is acquiescence.
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
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Set
There's not a word yet, for old friends who've just met.
posted
quote:Originally posted by Cobalt Kid: BTW, as a moderator, I'm considering deheadlining this thread now that several months have passed since the DCnU relaunch, to make it stand on its own (living and dying on interest by the community).
What do you guys think? Let me know. Silence is acquiescence.
But, if silence is acquiesance, does that mean that replying is dissent?
Anywho, yeah, the DCnU launch is more than six months out, so it's probably time to toss this thread into the cold, Shark Lad-infested waters, and see if it can swim.
Registered: Aug 2006
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