The New 52: Month Three, Week Three
I have to start this post with a confession. After three months of observation, I feel safe in saying that week three of the New 52 comics are the lowpoint of the month. There are certainly some great comics out this week, but this is, overall, the week I am least excited about.Before we get into that, though, let's look at:
The Non-New 52
4. Young Justice #10: YJ is in a tough position. It wants to tell a clever mystery. It wants to be inviting to new readers. It wants to pay homage to the greatness of DC Comics past. Any one of these goals is admirable. All three, however, work at cross purposes. Captain Atom sends the kids on a "cold case" to discover the truth of what happened to a Captain Nathaniel Adams. Do even non-regular DC readers not see where this is going? Along the way they meet General Wade Eiling, who is a pretty bad guy in the DC Universe proper. What results, at least for me, is a perfectly fine story that lacks any of the surprise that a good mystery needs.
3. DC Comics Presents- Superman The Kents #1: I'm not sure it is fair for me to review a story that has been out since 1997, but the story was new to me, so here you go. The Kents is the story of the role that Superman's adoptive family played in the early history of Kansas. Historical fiction is not really my favorite genre, but this story played out very well, covering the events of Bloody Kansas and the involvement of John Brown. Ostrander writes a passionate story that is educational without being too heavy handed.
2. My Greatest Adventure #2: I love the fact that DC comics is willing to put out an anthology of this nature. I wish that it could feature the done-in-one style that these type of books featured when they were popular in the 50's and 60's. The art of writing a complete 8 page story is simply lost, I suppose. Anyway, all three stories (Robotman, Garbage Man, and Tanga) are as fun as they are different from one another, so there is something in here you are bound to enjoy.
1. DC Universe Online Legends #17: I have to admit that this title was not one of my favorites when it first began. Although I love playing the actual DCU Online game, and obviously love reading comic books, this series' preoccupation with bouncing between the present day and the nihilistic future established in the early trailer for the game made it difficult for me to really enjoy the book. Lately, however, the emphasis on the different timelines has dwindled, and the book as a whole has become more cohesive and fun. This issue is a prime example. Issue 17 features a large scale battle between the Sinestro Corps and the forces of the evil Braniac. The Guardians of the Universe send the Green Lantern Corps on a mission that raises moral questions for Hal Jordan who, in a fashion typical for the test pilot, takes matters into his own hands. This was good stuff.
The New 52
13. Catwoman: Once upon a time, grimm and gritty was all the rage in comic books. Having the "hero" shoot a henchman's kneecap or take a baseball bat to the big bad's head was a surefire way to have a critical and commercial hit. But, that time isn't now, and that sort of storytelling is why I stopped collecting comics for awhile in the 90's. It was good to see Batman still being heroic and saving the villian, though, even standing against Catwoman when she was willing to do wrong. I also enjoyed the fact that the sexual aspect of this title was toned down this episode.
12. Captain Atom #3: Is there anything better than a super-hero team up? This series has been missing something the last few months, but the guest appearance of the Flash in this issue filled that void rather nicely. I haven't been particularly high on Captain Atom since issue #1,but the overarching concept of a being with near god-like powers handling the day to day problems of average people is kind of fun and one I am enjoying.
11. Legion of Super-Heroes #3: The great thing about the Legion of Super Heroes is the depth of their roster. Paul Levitz squeezes 16 members into this issue and somehow makes it all work. I'm also glad to see the Dominators returning as big villians. One of the unwritten rules of the new 52 has seemingly been the creation of brand new villians for every title. Seeing the return of some classic villians makes me very happy.
10. Birds of Prey #3: More so than any title this week, I don't know what to say about Birds of Prey. It is a perfectly acceptable book, and the characters are actually quite fun, but there just doesn't seem to be much here. All of that being said, Swierczynski has left us on quite a cliff-hanger, and I am eager to see how Black Canary escapes her fate.
9. Blue Beetle #3: I'm never going to prefer Jaime Reyes to Ted Kord. Years of reading and loving JLI assures that Ted will always be my Blue Beetle of choice. That being said, Jaime is a good character when judged on his own merit. There is a lot going on in this series, from the internal conflict between Reyes and the scarab, to the duplicity of aunt Tia, to the impending alien invasion. All of it works together for a fairly compelling super hero series. Plus, the Brotherhood of Evil is always a good super villian team, and I'm happy to see them getting some love (even with the pointless costume redesigns).
8. Wonder Woman #3: This issue has received quite a bit of attention already because it features the "new" origin of the Amazing Amazon. I'm torn about this. On one hand, I really loathe retcons. Just on an instinctual level, there is something wrong with moving away from the creator's original intent. On the other hand, this new spin on the origin is both logical and sets up future dramatic moments in the series. On an unrelated note, Cliff Chiang is knocking things out of the ballpark on the art of this series.
7. Red Hood and the Outlaws #3: Since issue #1, I have to admit that I have actively been rooting against this title. Wolfman and Perez's Teen Titans was one of my foundational comic book experiences growing up, so anything associated with those characters is nearly sacrosanct to me. Lobdell's handling of Starfire in issue #1, therefore, upset me as much as it did many others. Fortunately (I suppose), Starfire has kind of moved to the background of this book, and so the book has become more palatable. In this issue, aside from an overly surreal journey, the main thrust of the story is an examination of the most prized memories of our three protagonists. As one can imagine, this gives plenty of opportunity for the reader to get a sense of who these characters are in the new 52. Princess Koriander is a prideful champion who does not suffer fools easily. Roy Harper thrives on being the underdog. Jason Todd suffers from his loss of childhood. All three characters are irreparably dysfunctional, but they are also human characters that we can root for to overcome their weaknesses.
6. Nightwing #3: What is it about a circus? Robin, Deadman, even Ghost Rider find their origins in a traveling attraction. I know that the current arc, featuring Grayson's return to the big top, is meant to be a temporary storyline, but there is so much potential there. Dick Grayson, owner of Haley circus, travels with the crew and fights crime along the way. There is something kind of retro cool about that set up, and I know I would enjoy it.
5. Batman #3: I've been enjoying Scott Snyder's take on the Caped Crusader and, although this was a bit of a down issue, it was still remarkably good. The Court of Owls is an interesting threat, and I'm excited to see where this story goes.
4. DC Universe Presents #3: Before I get into this issue (which was really good), I have to express how excited I am for the next arc in this series. Dan Didio (who has been writing the phenomenal OMAC series) will team up with the legendary Jerry Ordway on Challengers of the Unknown! I could be disappointed with this, but my hopes are very high for what this team can do with that concept. Anyway, the 3rd issue of Deadman's story is as good as the previous issues. Deadman's body jumping antics are just a pretext for a story that is deep and thought provoking. Looking forward to seeing this one through.
3. Supergirl #3: First of all, Mahmud Asrar is really doing a bang up job on the art here. Kara looks like a teenage girl. Beautiful, yes, but age appropriate. Plotwise, the introduction of Simon Tycho provides a good foil for the Maid of Might, and a gelatinous walking brain makes me love this series all the more. This title has been a lot of fun.
2. Green Lantern Corps #3: I think I've said this before, but I'm really loving the way in which Peter Tomasi makes each corpsmen an individual character. The problem with the GLC has always been that they (with a few exceptions) are a wacky bunch of aliens, all with the same uniform and power set. Here, however, Hannu is a very different character than Salaak, who is different from my new favorite (albeit short lived) lantern, Porter. The action, in this issue, is also superb, forcing the Lanterns to face a seemingly insurmountable obstacle. Really liking this series.
1. Justice League #3: Part of me dies inside jumping on the bandwagon here, but this issue was really good, particularly compared to how plodding the series has been thus far. Most of the credit for this goes to Geoff Johns' depiction of Wonder Woman, who is much more fun here than she is in her own comic. Now, don't get me wrong. I still far preferred the Justice League that James Robinson was offering us prior to the reboot, and I long for the day when the tides turn again and the League can be more than just the big players, but Johns writing does a wonderful job of making this an acceptable attempt at the Justice League.
The Non-New 52
4. Young Justice #10: YJ is in a tough position. It wants to tell a clever mystery. It wants to be inviting to new readers. It wants to pay homage to the greatness of DC Comics past. Any one of these goals is admirable. All three, however, work at cross purposes. Captain Atom sends the kids on a "cold case" to discover the truth of what happened to a Captain Nathaniel Adams. Do even non-regular DC readers not see where this is going? Along the way they meet General Wade Eiling, who is a pretty bad guy in the DC Universe proper. What results, at least for me, is a perfectly fine story that lacks any of the surprise that a good mystery needs.
3. DC Comics Presents- Superman The Kents #1: I'm not sure it is fair for me to review a story that has been out since 1997, but the story was new to me, so here you go. The Kents is the story of the role that Superman's adoptive family played in the early history of Kansas. Historical fiction is not really my favorite genre, but this story played out very well, covering the events of Bloody Kansas and the involvement of John Brown. Ostrander writes a passionate story that is educational without being too heavy handed.
2. My Greatest Adventure #2: I love the fact that DC comics is willing to put out an anthology of this nature. I wish that it could feature the done-in-one style that these type of books featured when they were popular in the 50's and 60's. The art of writing a complete 8 page story is simply lost, I suppose. Anyway, all three stories (Robotman, Garbage Man, and Tanga) are as fun as they are different from one another, so there is something in here you are bound to enjoy.
1. DC Universe Online Legends #17: I have to admit that this title was not one of my favorites when it first began. Although I love playing the actual DCU Online game, and obviously love reading comic books, this series' preoccupation with bouncing between the present day and the nihilistic future established in the early trailer for the game made it difficult for me to really enjoy the book. Lately, however, the emphasis on the different timelines has dwindled, and the book as a whole has become more cohesive and fun. This issue is a prime example. Issue 17 features a large scale battle between the Sinestro Corps and the forces of the evil Braniac. The Guardians of the Universe send the Green Lantern Corps on a mission that raises moral questions for Hal Jordan who, in a fashion typical for the test pilot, takes matters into his own hands. This was good stuff.
The New 52
13. Catwoman: Once upon a time, grimm and gritty was all the rage in comic books. Having the "hero" shoot a henchman's kneecap or take a baseball bat to the big bad's head was a surefire way to have a critical and commercial hit. But, that time isn't now, and that sort of storytelling is why I stopped collecting comics for awhile in the 90's. It was good to see Batman still being heroic and saving the villian, though, even standing against Catwoman when she was willing to do wrong. I also enjoyed the fact that the sexual aspect of this title was toned down this episode.
12. Captain Atom #3: Is there anything better than a super-hero team up? This series has been missing something the last few months, but the guest appearance of the Flash in this issue filled that void rather nicely. I haven't been particularly high on Captain Atom since issue #1,but the overarching concept of a being with near god-like powers handling the day to day problems of average people is kind of fun and one I am enjoying.
11. Legion of Super-Heroes #3: The great thing about the Legion of Super Heroes is the depth of their roster. Paul Levitz squeezes 16 members into this issue and somehow makes it all work. I'm also glad to see the Dominators returning as big villians. One of the unwritten rules of the new 52 has seemingly been the creation of brand new villians for every title. Seeing the return of some classic villians makes me very happy.
10. Birds of Prey #3: More so than any title this week, I don't know what to say about Birds of Prey. It is a perfectly acceptable book, and the characters are actually quite fun, but there just doesn't seem to be much here. All of that being said, Swierczynski has left us on quite a cliff-hanger, and I am eager to see how Black Canary escapes her fate.
9. Blue Beetle #3: I'm never going to prefer Jaime Reyes to Ted Kord. Years of reading and loving JLI assures that Ted will always be my Blue Beetle of choice. That being said, Jaime is a good character when judged on his own merit. There is a lot going on in this series, from the internal conflict between Reyes and the scarab, to the duplicity of aunt Tia, to the impending alien invasion. All of it works together for a fairly compelling super hero series. Plus, the Brotherhood of Evil is always a good super villian team, and I'm happy to see them getting some love (even with the pointless costume redesigns).
8. Wonder Woman #3: This issue has received quite a bit of attention already because it features the "new" origin of the Amazing Amazon. I'm torn about this. On one hand, I really loathe retcons. Just on an instinctual level, there is something wrong with moving away from the creator's original intent. On the other hand, this new spin on the origin is both logical and sets up future dramatic moments in the series. On an unrelated note, Cliff Chiang is knocking things out of the ballpark on the art of this series.
7. Red Hood and the Outlaws #3: Since issue #1, I have to admit that I have actively been rooting against this title. Wolfman and Perez's Teen Titans was one of my foundational comic book experiences growing up, so anything associated with those characters is nearly sacrosanct to me. Lobdell's handling of Starfire in issue #1, therefore, upset me as much as it did many others. Fortunately (I suppose), Starfire has kind of moved to the background of this book, and so the book has become more palatable. In this issue, aside from an overly surreal journey, the main thrust of the story is an examination of the most prized memories of our three protagonists. As one can imagine, this gives plenty of opportunity for the reader to get a sense of who these characters are in the new 52. Princess Koriander is a prideful champion who does not suffer fools easily. Roy Harper thrives on being the underdog. Jason Todd suffers from his loss of childhood. All three characters are irreparably dysfunctional, but they are also human characters that we can root for to overcome their weaknesses.
6. Nightwing #3: What is it about a circus? Robin, Deadman, even Ghost Rider find their origins in a traveling attraction. I know that the current arc, featuring Grayson's return to the big top, is meant to be a temporary storyline, but there is so much potential there. Dick Grayson, owner of Haley circus, travels with the crew and fights crime along the way. There is something kind of retro cool about that set up, and I know I would enjoy it.
5. Batman #3: I've been enjoying Scott Snyder's take on the Caped Crusader and, although this was a bit of a down issue, it was still remarkably good. The Court of Owls is an interesting threat, and I'm excited to see where this story goes.
4. DC Universe Presents #3: Before I get into this issue (which was really good), I have to express how excited I am for the next arc in this series. Dan Didio (who has been writing the phenomenal OMAC series) will team up with the legendary Jerry Ordway on Challengers of the Unknown! I could be disappointed with this, but my hopes are very high for what this team can do with that concept. Anyway, the 3rd issue of Deadman's story is as good as the previous issues. Deadman's body jumping antics are just a pretext for a story that is deep and thought provoking. Looking forward to seeing this one through.
3. Supergirl #3: First of all, Mahmud Asrar is really doing a bang up job on the art here. Kara looks like a teenage girl. Beautiful, yes, but age appropriate. Plotwise, the introduction of Simon Tycho provides a good foil for the Maid of Might, and a gelatinous walking brain makes me love this series all the more. This title has been a lot of fun.
2. Green Lantern Corps #3: I think I've said this before, but I'm really loving the way in which Peter Tomasi makes each corpsmen an individual character. The problem with the GLC has always been that they (with a few exceptions) are a wacky bunch of aliens, all with the same uniform and power set. Here, however, Hannu is a very different character than Salaak, who is different from my new favorite (albeit short lived) lantern, Porter. The action, in this issue, is also superb, forcing the Lanterns to face a seemingly insurmountable obstacle. Really liking this series.
1. Justice League #3: Part of me dies inside jumping on the bandwagon here, but this issue was really good, particularly compared to how plodding the series has been thus far. Most of the credit for this goes to Geoff Johns' depiction of Wonder Woman, who is much more fun here than she is in her own comic. Now, don't get me wrong. I still far preferred the Justice League that James Robinson was offering us prior to the reboot, and I long for the day when the tides turn again and the League can be more than just the big players, but Johns writing does a wonderful job of making this an acceptable attempt at the Justice League.
posted by Phylemon at 2:06 PM
2 Comments:
Once again great work by Phylemon. I really appreciate this as it helps me stay in the loop with the comics.
Maybe the mystery for Young Justice is why they're fighting Silver Samurai.
Regarding the DC Universe Online series - Does it have an advertised endpoint, or is this a way for DC to continue the heroes they had before the New 52?
I'm glad to at least have one person reading and replying, Keeper.
When it was announced, DCU Online was scheduled to be 26 issues long. I'm fairly sure that it is still a limited series. I have to admit that part of what I am liking about it is that it gives me a chance to see a Superman that still wears red briefs. You know, that came out wrong, but I think you get my point.
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