It's so good to see that Peter Milligan is still absolutely nuts. I love the line up. The art was solid. This is going to be a crazy and bumpy ride. I'm in for as long as this one runs.
-------------------- No regrets, Coyote.
From: Missouri | Registered: Oct 2003
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I had absolutely NO interest in this. In fact, after the first 3 or so pages, I merely flipped through and skimmed the rest. This comic along with BLUE BEETLE share the dubious honor of being the NEW 52 titles I was so uniterested in, I could not even finish reading them.
VOODOO # 1
Another title I expected to have no interest in... boy was I wrong. I was *ENTHRALLED* from page 1. Absolutely LOVED it.
The art and colors worked for me. It was no 5-minute read... everybody was infused with personality, even the throwaway stripper characters.
And even though our title character spends most of the issue removing her top, not one scene ever seemed to a cross a weird line like Starfire's scenes in RED HOOD did.
Again: was REALLY into VOODOO. It's got major hoodoo, man. I might even go so far as to say this is one of my favorites of the NEW 52.
I am certainly onboard to see what she/it does next...
quote:Originally posted by Cobalt Kid: Love how quick you get a review, up Dave! I did for the second time this month something I never do, which is go get the comics on the actual day they came out. So reviews of last week and this week will be coming soon! (after I review a few more independents).
Well, my shop opens at 8:00 (it's a multi-purpose book/comic/coffee/newstand place), so I'm able to pick up my books on the way to work. And since I'm in the Atlantic Time zone, I get them before everyone except the UK and Newfoundland. On a good day it's slow enough in the morning that I've read my books before work's even started (and most of you are even awake)!
From: Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada | Registered: Sep 2004
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The final all-#1 week of the DCnU brought both the best and the worst titles of the entire relaunch, at least among the books I sampled:
SUPERMAN #1 (A+) While the usual DC comics reads in less than 10 minutes, I spent 27 on this one! That alone makes it worthy of an A, but the faboo, clear, compelling artwork and the detailed script kept me enthralled. I'm okay with most of the changes. Lois works as the Holly Hunter character from Broadcast News, IMHO. I'm less enthralled with Perry White's new look, however. I work as a reporter. No editor I have ever met is as buff as 'ol Perry, here. But there's more that this curious about his look. Throw a headband on him and he'd be a dead ringer for Jor-El, had he lived. I suspect Morrison asked for the design, and has something up his sleeve.
AQUAMAN #1 (A-) Like most Geoff Johns efforts, a lot thin on plot. However, this book is redeemed by great art and the pure, visceral thrill of seeing Aquaman be a total bad-ass. Of course, Johns deftly makes him such without also making him a dick - he is clearly a hero to be idolized, just the way I like my heroes. I don't get why Aquaman would go to a restaurant in full regalia, but I love the way his shirt shimmies and shines in the sun like actual scales.
THE FLASH #1 (B+) Manapul's art is absolutely charming and, as it turns out, he's no slouch as a writer, either. My only gripe is I'm a tad tired of exploring Barry's childhood. Seems that's all we've done since he returned to life, and, in the DCnU, he never died. I do like the Iris/Barry dynamic, although I would have used the reboot to make her less of a Lois Lane clone. I'd have remade her as a hard-nosed, by-the-book, extremely punctual police detective, which would force her and Barry to work together while give them a bit of a Dave-and-Maddie Moonlighting relationship.
All-Star Western #1 (B) This would have been a decent book at $3. At $4, however, I'm unlikely to stick for very long. Sending Hex to 19th century Gotham was inspired and the book successfully captures the tone of classic Western movies. My only quibble is that Arkham spends the first part of the book tailing how Hex has absolutely no morals, and the second half waxing poetic over his unique moral code. I can't tell if the segue was intentional, or due to a lack of editorial attention.
THE SAVAGE HAWKMAN #1 (C) I had such high hopes for this book, but that was when James Robinson was attached as writer. Tan's art is fun, though a little unclear in the action sequences, and making Hawkman's wings and costume something he internalizes works, but why not start there? We had an opportunity to start completely fresh, but we're already saddled with backstory. Worse, the script does not read as an natural chain of events, but, rather, a set-up followed by a series of dictated plot posts.
BLACKHAWKS #1 (D) Horrible book. I had high hopes, if only based on lingering good-will from the Evanier/Spiegel run, but after three pages I had to literally force myself to keep reading. There was a real disconnect between story and art - the chick complains about being bitten, but isn't shown being bitten until two panels later, a guy breaks ribs and an arm, but is only depicted lurching forward in his seat. I did not like the art work at all, and found both large-panel reveals of Blackhawks HQ utterly underwhelming. As with Men of War, we get a wastes page of people explaining their nicknames. As in Legion Lost we get balloon pointers that seem to go to the wrong person. Folks, this was just not a good book.
From: Sumner, ME | Registered: Jul 2003
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OK, so I bought quite a lot of the DCnU titles. Won´t review too much, but here is where I´m at (if it's not in the list, I didn´t buy it):
So, from worst to best....
DROP:
-Justice League International: I don't know why I keep giving this comic a chance, I just hate these sort-of-humorous-but-sort-of-not kinds of comics. Simply not my thing, although I realize that others may like them.
-Suicide Squad: Hated it.
-I, Vampire: I think I may not have understood this one properly. And don't feel the need to re-read it to see what I missed.
-Red Lanterns: I really wanted to like this one, but really didn't. So no sell.
-Supergirl: Too fast a read, nothing happened.
-Resurrection Man: Another one in the not-my-cup-of-tea category.
-Catwoman: I'm afraid that the character just doesn't interest me that much.
-Green Lantern Corps: I'm surprised that I'm dropping this one, because I used to buy it before the relaunch. But I'm tired of it. The stories seem too similar to each other and I don't particularly like Guy Gardner or John.
-Birds of Prey: Not actually a bad comic, but I don't think I'm interested.
-Batman: Again, not that it was bad, it wasn't. It just reminded me of why I don't buy Batman titles.
WILL BUY SECOND ISSUE, BUT THEY BETTER CATCH ME THEN
-Demon Knights: Would have never thought that this would be in this category (I was expecting to hate it). But the premise is faintly intriguing. We'll see.
-Frankenstein: Like above. I'm finding that the art is being a problem for me in this one.
-Voodoo: Gorgeous art. The story....well, they managed to intrigue me enough that I will buy the second issue.
-Wonder Woman: This is my first WW comic ever. And I didn't like it. I really wanted to, so much that I will still buy the second issue, but sheesh, the art... I also liked the re-vamped costume better than the classic one, to me this feels like a step backwards.
-Detective Comics: I really just don't like the Batman that much, I think. But the cliffhanger in this issue did its job, and I will be back for issue two. Having said that, if I wanted to stick with one Batman title, which I don't, I would go with Batman, not Detective, because I am mildly interested in Bruce Wayne's personal life.
-Nightwing: I'm surprised that it is in this category, I wouldn't have expected that I'd be interested in a second issue. But the whole circus setup is interesting and I want to see more.
-Justice League Dark: Never been a fan of magic comic books, but this was quite well done. I hope I get interested in these characters soon, though.
-Superman: I've never been a Superman fan, but this was very well done; I really like my comics to be 'meaty'. Still, I just don't get that excited with Superman. We'll see.
-Batwoman: This one was a huge surprise, the art was utterly amazing. The premise is also faintly intriguing, so I'll be there for the second issue.
LOOKING GOOD, BUT MAY OR MAY NOT GEL:
-Flash: I don't know... I'm intrigued, but not sold 100%...
-Green Arrow: I think I like the premise, and I'm willing to give the comic a chance. For a few issues.
-Hawkman: Hm. Intriguing....
-Teen Titans: That was a slow start, wasn't it? Still, there is potential.
-Batgirl: I've always liked Babs, and so I think that I'm on board for this one. I hope it picks up a bit, though.
-Superboy: Bought it on a whim, and ended up really liking it. So I'm on board for now.
-Aquaman: Oh, yes, that was fun. Have never bought any Aquaman comics, but it looks that that will change with this relaunch.
-Action Comics: I'm quite surprised to have liked this one this much. I really like the idea of exploring Superman's early years in Metropolis. Looks like I'm on board for a while.
-Deadman: What a cool comic! Love the premise, and will keep reading it for now.
KEEP:
-Firestorm: I used to be a fan of the original Firestorm, so I'm thrilled with having Ronnie back. And Jason looks like an interesting character as well. I also like this idea of 2 Firestorms that can fuse. Strange, but cool.
-Swamp Thing: That was quite fun. I'm intrigued as to where this comic book is heading...
-Legion Lost: I'm a bit iffy on the concept of this one, but hey, I won't stop buying my Legion comics. Gates and Yera will be back, I have no doubt about that.
-Green Lantern: Very intrigued with this Siniestro business. I'm on board.
-Green Lantern New Gardians: Is Kyle going to end up being able to use ANY color of ring? Interesting...
-Legion of Super-Heroes: Portela's art is really, really amazing. And although I've been a bit underwhelmed with Levitz's writing this time around, I still can see glimmers of greatness. So of course I'm on board.
-Red Hood and the Outlaws: Wow, what a surprise. Love that the new Jason is not fixed on Batman, and actually like the new Starfire a lot. You know, she is an alien, and that certainly shows in the way she behaves here.
-Justice League: Number one on the list? Well, I really like Lee's art, and really enjoyed Batman and Green Lantern's interaction. All in all, the pace was a bit slow, but I'm certain that once this comic hits its pace it will be very good. All right, I concede that saying that this is the best comic of the DCnU is a bit much, but I don't feel like rearranging my list...
And in case anybody is wondering, I missed Animal Man and have to wait for the reprints in order to be able to read it.
Before the relaunch I was buying the following DCs: LSH, Green Lantern, Green Lantern Corps, Batman and Robin and Brightest Day. Looking at the list above I'm going to say that DCs relaunch, at least in relationship to this one customer, was a resounding success. Let's see how long I keep at it...
From: Vancouver, BC, Canada | Registered: Jul 2003
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I have really gotten into the new 52, more than I expected, and now I have serious work to do to come up with a subscription list for my CBS.
Action and Superman. Thinking of these 2 together. I am most thrilled that ther is a lot we don't know about Superman. Kind of like reading him formthe first time. I have total confidence in Morrison and Perez to make the right choices. I've seen complaints about Superman 1, but I thought it as a great book, intentionally showing us Superman through the eyes of others, a great way to introduce the cast, not the least of which is Clark Kent, and the attitude toward Superman. All good stuff. And I really liked how the story reveals only at the end, that Clark and Supes are one and the same.
Flash. The most visually compelling depiction of the Flash since Darwyn Cooke's New Frontier, matched with good story telling and characterization to match. I am so proud and happy for Francis Manapul! His Barry Allen is way more interesting than Johns's ever was. I know it's easy to be angry about the change in Barry's status. But honestly, I'm curious to see if there are other interesting things about Barry besides the Iris and Speed Force stuff. This book alone justifies the new 52.
Wonder Woman. A revelation. Azzarello is a contrary guy, and I think his "horror" description is good marketing, but I don't think it's any more gruesome Gail's run. What it does is make the Gods godly, scary because they are beyond human, and archetypes of emotion and ambition, much the way Gaiman's Endless were. That's all to the good. Diana herself is mostly a mystery still, but compelling enough to keep me reading. Artwork is stunning. It's like sacred woodcuts.
Batman and Detective. I'm definitely on board for Snyder's Batman, and Daniel's Detective was better than I expected. The crowded Bat family of Lost Boys is kinda excessive, but I look forward to the stories, which seem to be embracing all these characters.
Batgirl. I'm onboard for this. Gail is writing her heart out. But I imagine my preference is influenced by the fact that I wasn't fond of the Oracle character.
Hawkman. I really liked the way this story is starting, with Carter trying to leave Hawkman behind. It's a delightfully meta approach to the ridiculous history of the character. The good thing about that history was that it gave Carter Hall a tragic dimension that fits the Hawkman somehow. The downside was that the history/curse/convolutions were stifling. Here, we have a Carter who is enriched by a difficult past, but not overwhelmed. Beautiful art, too.
Frankenstein, Stormwatch, Demon Knights, Animal Man, Swamp Thing, DC Presents Deadman, JL Dark. Boy, I am LOVING all of these! I really wanted to not like them, because it's a lot of books and money, but I don't think I can resist the collective assault of twisted, quirky fun. I think all of these books capture the spirit of the Moore, Morrison and Gaiman era, pre Vertigo, where we had a new perspective on the heroic, iconic DCU.
Aquaman. I so want to write off Johns as a hack sell out, and then he goes and does this. He deftly, perfectly distills a complementary set of Aquaman's overwrought backstory to deliver an Aquaman with just the right amount of pathos to make Arthur compelling, but not so much that he is a whiny, pathetic sad sack. The scene in the Boston clam shack was sheer brilliance. I thought Green Lantern was pretty good, too, and I had sworn off after Sinestro Wars because the book seemed bloated and event driven and had abandoned the characters.
Firestorm. OK. I'm on the fence. The character NEVER thrilled me, and the torture and racially charged melodrama came close to being too much, but I thought the emotions were honest, and the portrayal of racial tension realistic, and the Firestorms themselves were pretty awesome, and Fury even moreso. Haven't read Teen Titans, but I thought Firestorm felt more like real teens than some of the other teen books.
Speaking of which...Blue Beetle. This was hard. I have every issue of the previous book, and I loved Jaime, Paco, Brenda, the scarab, and the Reach, and now, they are all different. And I'm not sure they are better. But the Hispanic voice and culture are authentic. I'll stick with for a bit.
Birds of Prey. Unlike Blue Beetle, I wasnt a frequent Birds reader, probably because I didn't like Babs as Oracle. It doesn't really make sense, though, because I have loved Dinah Lance since I was a wee lad, and have loved her in JSA and JLA. This Birds seems promising. I liked the mystery, sass and tone of Swierczynski's script, and I liked Starling a lot.
Mister Terrific. Huge fan of him in JSA, and his backstory and abilities should be distinctive enough to carry a solo book. I quite enjoyed the first issue, with the mix of super science, politics and a villain whose power seems to be to make people feel bad about themselves.
-------------------- ...but you don't have a moment where you're sitting there staring at a table full of twenty-five characters with little name signs that say, "Hi, my superpower is confusing you!"
From: Chicago, IL | Registered: Jul 2004
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I think this may be my favorite of the new DCU. The art is spectacular and moody, and I find it hard to believe it's not Jae Lee. The story does a great job of building suspense by flashing between a conversation and some more action/impending doom events. I may wait for this to be collected in trade, not because the story is light but, because it's so good I want to immerse myself in it all at once. The issue ends with lots of cliff hangers.
Two big thumbs up, can't wait to read the rest.
JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK #1
I have to say i'm disappointed, I was expecting THIS to be my favorite of the new DCU. Everything was pretty good, but just pretty good to me. Sassy Zatanna is cool, Shade and Madame Xanadu seem the same, Enchantress is a threat. I'd rather the threat be a new story line. And I'd really rather this not be titled anything Justice League and that the Justice League was out of this book. I don't think the concept fits and my favorites in Justice League Dark like Madame Xanadu may be playing second fiddle to Justice League members when they should be manipulating from the sidelines. I'm also curious about where/how John Constantine fits in this book. The other characters seem more powerful.
VOODOO #1
I think my feelings about this book may be the opposite of Justice League Dark, everything was pretty nonexistent story wise (art was pretty good actually) BUT I really liked it and am intrigued for #2. Not much happens, Not much is revealed, it's a really simple story ... and we don't even know if Voodoo is good or bad or intelligent. hmm ? I will get number 2 but, I'm not sure how many times this type of story trick is going to keep me engaged.
STORMWATCH 1
A bit better than pretty good all around. I especially like the intro of Midnighter and Apollo, there's some good story bones there I think. We'll see how it plays out. I usually like Miguel Sepulveda's art better than this, the breakdowns and story telling is good but the polished final images are a bit wonky, like faces are a bit ... unattractive. I like the big villain set ups, but at this point these mega villain 'wide screen' storylines aren't anything new. I picked up Ultimates#1 recently because I thought it would be a pale imitation of Stormwatch and the Authority (an imitation is still fun) but Ultimates #1 and Stormwatch #1 aren't so far apart in quality after all. I hope Storwatch gets a bit fresher in ideas, maybe it will become more interesting as they interact/conflict with the super hero world. (Which I think would be a big point of interest for me with Justice League Dark but they seem to be in the employ of the Justice League.)
Ultimates eeks ahead in action and suspense and Stormwatch eeks ahead in character and art. But just barely.
I wanted Stormwatch to be knock your socks off good! It turned out to be good but uninspired.
BATGIRL #1
Oh man, So many of these I thought would be awesome ... just turned out to be 'pretty good'. Interior art does not compare to the cover. In fact the interior art on a lot of these DC titles have a similar 'style'. And I think it's not ground breaking. I think Bab's former life as Oracle was totally glossed over, 'I've got upper arm strength like a mother at this point'. And she's got a roommate? She didn't make tons of money on the side with her Oracle intellect yet ? With her red hair and costume, Batgirl looks a lot like Batwoman. and I'm surprisingly trending toward Batwoman! Overall, another 'pretty good'. This might get number 2 outta me but at this point number 3 would be a shock because there's so much other great Vertigo stuff to spend my money on.
From: Ninja Land | Registered: Nov 2004
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Inspired by Doctor One, here's what I'm thinking going into DCnU, Month Two, also from worst to first.
DEAD ON ARRIVAL (DID NOT BUY #1)(With why I skipped it) ANIMAL MAN - Never clicked with Vertigo version. BATMAN AND ROBIN - I HATE Damian. And how does he even fit into the new Bats timeline, anyway? Had to have been conceived before Bruce donned the cowl, non? BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT - Too many Bat-books. BATWING - Not a fan of The Judd. BIRDS OF PREY - Can't afford everything. CAPTAIN ATOM - If I wanted Dr. Manhattan, I'd buy Dr. Manhattan. CATWOMAN - Not a fan of The Judd. DEATHSTROKE - Not a fan of the character as a lead. DEMON KNIGHTS - Just assumed the worst. FURY OF FIRESTORM: THE NUCLEAR MEN - Character has never worked for me outside the original five-issue series, I'm afraid. GREEN LANTERN CORPS - Too many Lanterns. GREEN LANTERN: NEW GUARDIANS - Too many Lanterns. Also, the last book with "New Guardians" in the title sucked ass! GRIFTER - Not a fan of grim 'n' gritty. HAWK AND DOVE - Not a fan of Liefeld. I, VAMPIRE - Can't afford everything. JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK - Can't afford everything. JUSTICE LEAGUE INTERNATIONAL - Can't afford everything, and assume the worst of any JLI title not created by Mssrs. Giffin & Maguire. NIGHTWING - I've never loved Dick out of shortpants (wish I had a nickel for every time I've said that BWA-HA-HA!) RED HOOD AND THE OUTLAWS - The premise just sounded awful. Also, I've hated Jason Todd since the Crisis reboot. RED LANTERNS - Too many good Lanterns, I've no use at all for the bad ones. RESURRECTION MAN - Total meh. STATIC SHOCK - I can't get past the feeling that the whole purpose of this character is to be black. You ain't gotta prove anything to me pal. STORMWATCH - I never grooved on the Authority, outside of the first few issues. SUICIDE SQUAD - Hated the Harley overhaul. SWAMP THING - Can't afford everything. TEEN TITANS - Hated the concept. We're rebooting the first S.A. generation of heroes to younger selves, largely losing the second, but keeping the third. Apart from trademark protection, that works how? VOODOO - Can't afford everything.
STAY OF EXECUTION (MAY BUY #1, IN PLACE OF ANY #2s I SKIP)(In order they'll be added to the buy list) VOODOO - Best reviewed of the books I skipped. CATWOMAN - Just to see what all the hubbub was about. RED HOOD AND THE OUTLAWS - Just to see what all the hubbub was about, plus some people seem to have liked it. DEMON KNIGHTS - Seemed to get some decent reviews. I, VAMPIRE - Just to try something different. JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK - Seemed to get decent reviews, and I like Zatanna. STORMWATCH - Seems to connect to larger underpinnings of the DCnU, I'm told. JUSTICE LEAGUE INTERNATIONAL - Seems a place to catch current status quo of many characters. SWAMP THING - Seemed to get good reviews, tho I've never loved this book in previous incarnations. TEEN TITANS - Just because I need something over which I know I can write a snarky review.
THROWING THE SWITCH (WILL NOT BUY #2) BATGIRL - Sorry, Babs' time has passed. I'm all about Batwoman now. BLACKHAWKS - Bad concept for reboot, badly executed. SUPERGIRL - Waste of money. NOTHING happened.
DEAD BOOK WALKING (BUYING #2, BUT THAT'S PROBABLY IT) GREEN ARROW - Was kinda meh, reminded me of a lot of the mid-'80s/early '90s books. No voice, no style, not worth my while. GREEN LANTERN - Didn't love the art, or John's glacial plot. MEN OF WAR - Too much money for too little plot. MISTER TERRIFIC - I want to like the character, so much potential there. But it'll take someone at least two standard deviations out on the I.Q. scale to successfully write the third-smartest man on the planet. O.M.A.C. - I actually liked this book, just need the pace to pick up a bit. SAVAGE HAWKMAN - Was really underwhelmed. Hawkman needed a complete rethink and a version completely unlike any previous iteration. Also, anyone notice both GL & Hawkman were facing eviction this month? SUPERBOY - I've seen The Truman Show. WONDER WOMAN - I actually like the "horror" concept. It works for these mythological characters. It just wasn't executed terribly well is all.
ON PAROLE (BUYING #2, WE'LL SEE HOW IT GOES FROM THERE) ALL-STAR WESTERN - Decent book, just not decent enough for $4 a pop. May drop after first arc. AQUAMAN - I liked #1 quite a bit. I just fear I'll soon get frustrated if Johns can't get his plots out of 2nd gear. BLUE BEETLE - Another one I liked quite a bit. I can see how this could go south in a hurry though, so I'm not quite ready to commit. DC UNIVERSE PRESENTS - I'm in for the complete Deadman arc. We'll see what happens after that. JLA - I'm on for the first arc. Depending on how Johns drags it out will dictate what happens after that. I do like Lee's art, but he'd not known for long tenures on titles, so he may bail after that as well. SUPERMAN - If you'd asked me two hours ago, I'd have proclaimed everlasting love for this book. But word that Perez is off with issue #7 means I might be as well.
FREE AT LAST!! (ON BOARD ALL THE WAY) ACTION COMICS - Great book. More please. BATMAN - Was only expecting to sample #1. Pleasantly surprised. BATWOMAN - So faboo. DETECTIVE COMICS - See: Batman. THE FLASH - Utterly charming. FRANKENSTEIN: AGENT OF S.H.A.D.E. - Reminds me of books from my '70s heyday. Hooray! LEGION LOST - This'd be in the dropping after #2 of it wasn't Legion. LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES - I still think Levitz should have rebooted, but it is what it is and what it is, is Legion.
That's my opinion. Your mileage may vary.
[ September 30, 2011, 06:24 PM: Message edited by: Portfolio Boy ]
From: Sumner, ME | Registered: Jul 2003
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I've bought and read 28 of the New Number Ones. My grades, from worst to best:
C- JUSTICE LEAGUE INTERNATIONAL It just seemed so very ordinary and lackluster, and as a Number One it should have been at least above average. For that, I added the minus.
C CAPTAIN ATOM DEMON KNIGHTS MISTER TERRIFIC STORMWATCH I had pre-ordered three of these, and was disappointed they weren't better. DEMON KNIGHTS and STORMWATCH are interesting as concepts, but for a reader who doesn't know many of these characters, neither their introduction nor the stories themselves were interesting enough to draw me back. CAPTAIN ATOM and MISTER TERRIFIC don't seem to be going anywhere I care to know about.
B- STATIC SHOCK TEEN TITANS The Static character is new to me. I enjoyed the story, but I think this book is one I can live without. As a long-time TEEN TITANS fan I was hoping for much better than we got here. I liked the intro of Red Robin, but didn't care for Kid Flash or Cassie "Don't-call-me-Wonder-Girl." The art is not my favorite style.
B AQUAMAN FLASH FRANKENSTEIN, AGENT OF S.H.A.D.E. GREEN LANTERN CORPS GREEN LANTERN: NEW GUARDIANS JUSTICE LEAGUE LEGION LOST LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES SUPERBOY SWAMP THING WONDER WOMAN I liked all of these well enough. I can't see the LEGION as a new reader would, of course, but I liked these stories better than what we've had for the past several years. The GREEN LANTERN books were fun and pretty, and while I've never been a GL reader, I'll probably give these a try for a while. Same for AQUAMAN and FLASH. JUSTICE LEAGUE was good enough to follow for a while out of curiosity. WONDER WOMAN was an enigma; I don't know what the heck was going on, but I'll buy #2 to find out. I'm more likely to keep checking on SWAMP THING than on FRANKENSTEIN.
B+ ANIMAL MAN BATWOMAN NIGHTWING RESURRECTION MAN SUPERBOY For all my years reading comics, I've only cared to know Nightwing and Superboy through their stories in Legion or Teen Titans. These new books have my attention, though. I'm not very familiar with the other three books' main characters, although the concept/art/characters/stories are very good. BATWOMAN especially was beautifully rendered and well-told. I'll have to see if a second issue of these three still holds my interest.
A- BATMAN BATWING RED HOOD AND THE OUTLAWS BATMAN did well in showing both the depravity and the glory of Batman/Bruce Wayne's world. I think BATWING has the perfect pairing of writer and artist. I really want to see where this story goes. My enjoyment of RED HOOD was a great surprise. I'll have to do some more thinking about what makes me like this book (so far) so much.
A ACTION SUPERMAN In 40+ years of reading comics I can't remember any Superman story I'd rate this high (partly because I never cared to read many of them). I don't know if forthcoming issues will maintain the depth and quality of these two, but they're off to a superb start.
Some books get off to a slower start than others, and I'm hoping my B and B+ books will develop into stronger works in the next few months.
posted
Love the mass of reviews everyone and lists of what you'll continue!
My last straggler from week 2 is now read as I checked out Mr. Terrific. I've always loved the character since Ostrander created him in the Spectre years back; he definitely has everything needed to be the lead in a solo series.
I thought the introductory issue was pretty good but not without some bumps in the road. Eric Wallace provides a solid set-up plot-wise and pacing wise. However, his dialogue feels very bumpy and cliche at times. Meanwhile, the art was a little scratchy for me in places, and made me wish it had cleaner lines.
Mr. Terrific himself is a fantastic character and that still comes across here. There does feel like some danger of him crossing into arrogant though. What I really like is the tech-savy businessman / philanthropist aspect--almost like they're making him like DC's Tony Stark.
I didn't like Power Girl here at all though. And the 'white girl / black woman' comments felt forced and very 1990's.
So a mixed bag. Did I like as much as JL #1? no.
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
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Since I absolutely hate the idea of Jason Todd still alive in the DCU, I had planned to skip Red Hood & the Outlaws. But all that juicy controversy had me just too curious to pass it up. Imagine my surprise when Jason Todd was the least annoying thing in this comic. And btw, he still sucks.
Getting right to it: yes, the depiction of Starfire is pretty damn offensive and gratuitous! Sure, they can say she's an alien and this underscores that all they want but let's get real. She's a glorified sex doll in this thing. And with added bonus: no memory of who she has sex with, so dude, you'd totally be in the clear. Honestly it was pretty over the top! Well beyond farce. And the art only enhanced the whole thing with shot after shot of breast or ass.
That pretty much killed it for me since I'm a fan of Kori and feel this is a major disservice. Some reviewers spoke about enjoying the camaraderie of Roy and Jason but in light of Kori's depiction, it felt like two frat boys looking forward to their next date rape. I just couldn't get past it.
Catwoman still managed to seem fun and with attitude; Voodoo was moody and suspenseful. This felt juvenile and cruel. And it sold out like crazy in my area.
Of all the 52 I've bought and read (which will soon be almost all) this was the worst of the worst.
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
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Tossing in my own State of the DCNu Titles, now that the month is over:
Keeping & Loving - ACTION COMICS - BATWING - BATWOMAN - SUPERMAN - SWAMP THING What I love about this collection of titles is that almost all of them are books I never would have read if not for this DCNu initiative. I consider it a success in that regard, even if my overall DC buying numbers will likely level to what they used to be in three months. Hopefully all of these titles will continue to impress.
Keeping - ANIMAL MAN - AQUAMAN - BATMAN - BATGIRL - CATWOMAN - GREEN LANTERN - GREEN LANTERN: NEW GUARDIANS - GRIFTER - JUSTICE LEAGUE - JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK - LEGION LOST - LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES - MISTER TERRIFIC - RESURRECTION MAN - SUPERMAN - VOODOO These are books I like and will stay with, though they may not be at the top of my read list at the moment. Some of these are pleasant surprises for me and I'm hopeful my interest will still be there once the novelty of the first issue wears off.
On the Line - BLUE BEETLE - DC UNIVERSE PRESENTS - DEMON KNIGHTS - DETECTIVE COMICS - FURY OF FIRESTORM - FLASH - GREEN LANTERN CORPS - HAWK AND DOVE - JUSTICE LEAGUE INTERNATIONAL - NIGHTWING - RED HOOD AND THE OUTLAWS - RED LANTERNS - SAVAGE HAWKMAN - STATIC SHOCK - STORMWATCH - SUICIDE SQUAD - SUPERBOY - SUPERGIRL - TEEN TITANS - WONDER WOMAN A good portion of these are books that had concepts I loved, but was bummed with the end product. Others are titles that I liked or had good cliffhangers, but I have little history with them and they didn't stand out over a lot of others. If the books don't pick up, I can see myself dropping all of these in another two months.
Not Continuing With - BATMAN AND ROBIN - BIRDS OF PREY - CAPTAIN ATOM - DEATHSTROKE - FRANKENSTEIN: AGENT OF SHADE - GREEN ARROW Gave these books a fair shot, but they didn't pull me in - let alone convert me as a fan. A lot of these titles feature characters or concepts I wasn't big on to begin with, so it's a lot easier to not return to them. The one exception is Birds of Prey, which was too much of a departure from the cast I loved while the new cast didn't keep my attention.
Skimmed or Never Finished - ALL-STAR WESTERN - BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT - BLACKHAWKS - I, VAMPIRE - MEN OF WAR - OMAC Despite my promise to myself to give all the new titles a fair shot, there were some I just couldn't finish or read entirely. Most of these are simply due to a lack of interest in the character(s) or subject matter - a few probably would have gotten a better shot if I hadn't read them last of 10-some titles. I was most surprised OMAC lost me so quickly, what with reviews from people with similar tastes, but it did for whatever reason. DARK KNIGHT blended in with all the other Batman books I sampled this month and I was skimming by page two. MEN OF WAR looked great and I'm glad there's a title like that out there, but for me the subject matter made me uncomfortable. The others likewise represented specific genres I had no interest in.
Registered: Jul 2003
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Pofo--great insight in Perry White's visual resembling Jor-El. Morrison & co. must be trying to reestablish Perry as a father figure for Clark, which is the role he always played in the 50's. I like it!
From: If you don't want my peaches, honey... | Registered: Sep 2003
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Pofo, I gave up after page 3 of BLACKHAWKS! I admire you for slogging through that crap quagmire!
