The New 52: Week 2

Sorry I'm so behind on getting these out, folks! Here is Week 2 in its entirety. I have now read all 52 books, so if I really crack down, I should have all the reviews up within a few days. Of course, that's assuming life doesn't get in the way. I promise I'm working tirelessly!!

Batman and Robin #1

Creative team: Peter J. Tomasi (writing) and Patrick Gleason (Pencils)

Story so far: Prior to the reboot, this title had featured Dick Grayson as Batman with Damien Wayne as Robin. With Bruce Wayne’s return to Gotham, it was naturally only a matter of time before he donned the cape and cowl again as Batman. Here we see Bruce as Batman and Damien still as Robin, the first time the duo has taken to the streets together. The dynamic between the two is interesting, as Damien is still brat, but Bruce is much less willing to put up with his crap than Dick was. One other interesting story thread here is the fact that Bruce has stopped celebrating the anniversary of his parents’ death, opting instead for their wedding anniversary. Somewhere amidst all this intriguing character development there was some completely forgettable fight scene with some completely forgettable thugs. There are certainly great things for this book on the horizon, but they aren’t quite yet here. Grade: B-

Art: Gleason’s art style seems to work for this book just fine. It is nothing spectacular, but neither elevates the book’s quality nor brings it down. His pencils are a little ill-defined in some places, particularly in characters’ faces. Also, I had a general feeling of this book being a little over-inked. The two-page splash of Batman and Robin leaping into battle feels like it should have been better, but as it was, I see no fatal flaws here. Grade: C+

Overall Grade: B-. I had a difficult time judging this book objectively. The previous series had some major high points, so overall there was a feel of disappointment here. While there is certainly some potential, this is just a middle of the road Batman book.

Batwoman #1

Creative team: J.H. Williams III (story and art)

Story so far: Finally, the long awaited solo series for Gotham’s newest heroine! Kate Kane is the mysterious, military trained, lesbian Batwoman. This issue spends the majority of its time helping to re-establish who Kate is and her backstory, which appears to not have changed in the slightest with the reboot. The book maintains an infatuation with more magical/mystical type villains, and features a cameo by Batman, perhaps setting Kate up to find a place in the greater Bat-Family. The pacing of this story is excellent and this was all around a solid first issue story. Grade: B+

Art: Reading a J.H. Williams drawn book is like taking a class in the full potential of a comic book as a graphic medium. The layouts for this book are amazing, with non-traditional paneling, unique insets, and spectacular visuals. If there is any nitpicky thing I could complain about, it is the fact that Kate’s skin is not pale; it is flat-out white and quite unnatural looking. For a real artistic treat, check out the rooftop exercise scene with Kate and Bette! Grade: A+.

Overall Grade: A. I must admit, I was already excited for this book… six months ago! I really like the character and the work of J.H. Williams. This book feels very accessible and could be picked up by anybody, whether they were familiar with the character or not, and is one of my top four books of this week. Buy without discretion!

Deathstroke #1

Creative team: Kyle Higgins (story) and Joe Bennett (pencils)

Story so far: Slade Wilson, Deathstroke: The Terminator, mercenary for hire is back in his own solo series for the first time in years, and nothing much has changed. It appears in this story, he has been doing some jobs in the arena of body guarding, indicating that he is NOT a wanted fugitive from the law, but beyond that, he’s still a bad-ass with his mind on his money and his money on his mind. Here we see him offered a job in order to help build up his reputation after being accused of “going soft” in the bodyguard business, but the job comes with a catch: he has to work with a team. The resolution to this situation is interesting, shocking, and a brilliant business move, but I won’t go into it here so as not to spoil it. There really isn’t anything special going on here, but nothing terribly off-putting either. Grade: C.

Art: While the art is technically sound, I really dislike something about the look of Deathstroke’s costume. I also expected this book to a bit more gory than it was, which is not to say I’m complaining, but in a book where I expect a lot of people to die horribly, there was a distinctly teen-rated feel to the deaths in a book rated teen-plus. Either let Bennett off the leash a little bit or get a new, bolder artist, because if there aren’t going to be some awesome visuals, this book could lose me quick. Grade: B

Overall Grade: C+. Again, this is a slightly biased grade. If you happen to be one of the many Deathstroke fans out there, buy this book at will. I personally don’t believe he is a character that can carry a solo book for any significant length of time, but I’m certain that many people disagree with me, and isn’t that the beauty of fifty-two new #1s? There’s something for everybody. This was just not something for me.

Demon Knights #1

Creative team: Paul Cornell (story) and Diognes Neves (pencils)

Story so far: Here, there be dragons! Set in the aftermath of the fall of Camelot, this book features a bizarre ensemble cast from a time of the DC universe rarely seen. Madame Xanadu, The Demon Etrigan, Vandal Savage, Sir Justin the Shining Knight, Mordru, Merlin and more grace the pages of this swords and sorcery book. I have often wondered how past encounters with some of the immortal characters would have gone, and it appears this is the book for telling those stories. I could probably go on for pages gushing about how much I enjoyed this issue, but instead will opt to just say it was fantastic and should be given a chance by even the most skeptical of readers. Grade: A+.

Art: More of the same praise here. This book was BEAUTIFULLY illustrated. The tavern scene was one of the most detailed sequences I have seen in a comic book in a long time. Watch how it moves seamlessly from panel to panel showing conversations in the tavern while at the same time maintaining a sense of space and time by featuring other happenings in the tavern in the background of panels. Small details like this go a long way towards elevating a book’s art from good to great. Grade: A+.

Overall Grade: A+. Easily my favorite book of the week, this issue had me from the first panel and held me all the way through. If the story plays no bigger part in the DC universe than a look at the world four or five hundred years ago, so be it, but I have a distinct feeling that this group of heroes may be a precursor to Stormwatch and eventually tie into those stories as well, which can only go to helping that book out.

Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E. #1

Creative team: Jeff Lemire (story) and Alberto Ponticelli (art) with cover by J.G. Jones

Story so far: I think it’s important to first preface that if Flashpoint didn’t have a mini-series spotlighting these characters, I would have very little frame of reference for Frankie and his Creature Commandos. That said, if that mini didn’t exist, I would have learned virtually nothing about the characters here. After reading Animal Man last week, I had very high hopes for great writing by Lemire, and was woefully let down by some sloppy and rushed-feeling story telling here. It is notable that this appears to be where Ray Palmer, The Atom, has landed in the new status quo. That was about all that was noticeable about this issue, in my opinion. I’ll stick it out for the first story arc, but unless something drastically changes, this won’t make my monthly pull list. Grade: D+.

Art: After seeing the beautiful Jones cover, the art for this book was a swift kick in the nuts. I absolutely hated the art here and found no redeeming qualities to it. It looks sloppy and unfinished and for me it seriously detracted from the story, which wasn’t all that strong to begin with. If Jones had done the interiors, maybe I wouldn’t have noticed the poor storytelling. Who knows? Grade: F.

Overall Grade: D-. It pains me to give this book such a low grade after I just started to be interested in the characters. I still want to see where this is going, but as previously stated, they have one story arc to hook me.

Green Lantern #1

Creative team: Geoff Johns (story) and Doug Mahnke (art); alternate cover by Greg Capullo

Story so far: This book picks up right where the pre-Flashpoint Green Lantern books left off, with no noticeable effects from the reboot, which isn’t surprising since the GL books were some of DC’s highest selling books already. As a #1 issue, I suppose this book would fall terribly short for a new and uninitiated reader, but as Green Lantern #68, it continues the excellent story telling GL fans have grown to love in the Geoff Johns era. Sinestro is back in green and killing Yellow Lanterns; Hal is unemployed and screwing things up with Carol; nothing has changed while everything has. I can’t wait to see where this story is headed. Grade: A.

Art: Mahnke is another artist that I don’t particularly go ga-ga over, but I also don’t feel he detracts from the story. This was just run-of-the-mill, textbook comic art here, which is just fine by me. Grade: B.

Overall Grade: B+. I was relieved to see that DC took an “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” attitude with the Green Lantern books here, since they were my favorite DC offerings pre-reboot. If you were previously a fan, continue with no worries, but if you weren’t a fan or hadn’t given GL a chance previously (and shame on you if that’s the case!) beware this book, as nothing has changed.

Grifter #1

Creative team: Nathan Edmonson (story) and CAFU (pencils)

Story so far: Most people who know me know that I am a big Wildstorm fan, so one of the most exciting aspects to the reboot was the addition of the Wildstorm characters into regular DC canon. That is why it pains me so much to write this review in much the same manner as last week’s Stormwatch review. I was thoroughly unimpressed by this issue. The non-linear story-telling, while not always a bad thing, does not seem to work effectively here. Most of this story was confusing at best, and stupid at worst. Cole Cash, Grifter, is on a plane. Then he’s attacked and opens the plane door and falls out of the plane. Now he’s wanted. Oh, and somewhere along the way he blacked out for 17 minutes/hours/days (they say all three, so it’s unclear as to which is correct) and he wants to know what happened to him. So inexplicably, he puts on his classic Grifter mask and prepares to find out what’s going on. Please, Cole, take me with you, because I feel like I blacked out for eight minutes while I was reading this book. Grade: D.

Art: This is hard to get a handle on. On one hand, I really like CAFU’s art style. It’s very appealing to my eyes. That being said, he needs to go back to art school and take a few classes on realism and perspective. Two examples jump out at me for you to take a look at. First, the entire sequence on the plane: is there leg room or isn’t there? Have you ever BEEN on a commercial airline? Second: there is a scene later that depicts the narrowest city street in existence. Maybe it’s an alley, you say? Ever seen an alley lined with trees and sidewalks? Art like this can really take a reader out of a story. No matter how good the execution is, if it doesn’t make sense, I’m going to pause and try to make sense of it. Grade: C.

Overall Grade: D+. This damn book better start making sense soon. So far, Wildstorm joining the DCU is 0 for 2. This book isn’t even distinguishable as part of the DCU. No references to anything, be it another superhero, an organization, or even something as simple as some Wayne-Tech or Lexcorp products. I don’t know what they think they’re doing here, but it isn’t working.

Legion Lost #1

Creative team: Fabian Nicieza (story) and Pete Woods (pencils)

Story so far: This story was flat-out, cover to cover fun. I don’t know exactly HOW this batch of Legionnaires got stranded in the 20^th Century, but it was presumably spinning out of a pre-Flashpoint storyline. I didn’t find not reading the previous series to be a hindrance here. There was a good introduction to the characters and their powers within the context of the story, many of whom were familiar to me but not characters I am overly acquainted with. Also of note, there are actual references here to Flashpoint, specifically in how it appears to be hindering time travel, explaining why these characters are lost. I find myself really looking forward to seeing where this story goes. Grade: B+.

Art: I wasn’t terribly fond of the art here, but not to a level that it detracted too much from the story. I prefer art that is slightly less cartoony with solid outlines, which appears to be exactly the opposite of Woods’ style. I can appreciate it as good for what it is, but unfortunately what it is isn’t my cup of tea. Grade: C+.

Overall Grade: B-. This was a very entertaining comic book and has high levels of story-telling potential, but doesn’t really stand out from the crowd as something exceptional. The story was very strong and brought down slightly by the art, but all in all a good read and I expect it to continue to be so.

Mister Terrific #1

Creative team: Eric Wallace (story) and Gianluca Gugliotta (pencils); cover by J.G. Jones

Story so far: Talk about your classic case of “can this character support a solo series?” Michael Holt, Mr. Terrific is really, really smart. And black. Did I mention he’s really smart? I always appreciated what he brought to the Justice Society books pre-reboot, but would never have guessed he could have anything more than a mini-series to himself. I stand corrected. The story-telling and pacing here was crisp and engaging. This is one of the few instances in the reboot where the reader receives a true origin story mixed in with an ongoing story. I will concede that Brainstorm is a pretty lame supervillian name, but I just don’t care. I want to know who he is. I want to know about his powers. I want to know how Michael will get out of this pickle. I want to keep reading this book. Grade: A.

Art: I actually really liked the art in this book. It was simple, clean and helped to move the story along nicely. My only complaint is that when the artist draws faces from a distance or in a crowd, they seem to take on some funny shapes. Just a minor nitpick, however. Grade: B+.

Overall Grade: B+. This was a very pleasant surprise this week, and proof that it is worth gambling on titles sometimes. I don’t expect this series to have much longevity, so get out there and enjoy it while it lasts.

Red Lanterns #1

Creative team: Peter Milligan (story) and Ed Benes (pencils)

Story so far: Spinning out of Blackest Night and Brightest Day comes the first “solo” series in the Green Lantern family to feature a different colored Corps. The Red Lanterns have been highly popular throughout these stories with the fan base, and clearly DC is looking to take advantage here. The Red Lanterns, if you aren’t familiar, are the embodiment of Rage in the emotional color spectrum. Unlike the colored corps, however, once a Red Lantern puts on the ring, it can’t take it off without risking death. The leader of the Red Lanterns is Attrocitus, and his backstory is pretty well laid out here in this issue. Story wise, there isn’t a lot to tell here. It is always entertaining to see Dex-Starr, the Red Lantern, blood spewing kitty cat kill a bunch of people. Bleeze has the most annoying dialog I can remember seeing in a comic. I still find it hard to believe this was a Milligan book, as most of it made perfect sense. That might just speak to how simple these characters are, and probably doesn’t bode well for the longevity of this book. Grade: C+.

Art: Benes’ art is gorgeous as usual. I look forward to seeing what kinds of crazy looking new Red Lanterns he plans on adding to the mix as this series goes on. Just check out the posterizing two-page splash of Dex-Starr! Grade: A.

Overall Grade: B. This book didn’t really hook me, but I also didn’t expect it to, I suppose. My chief complaint is that it felt more like a precursor backup story, or a #0 than it did the start of a new series. Nothing really happened, but I suppose as long as there’s some mindless killing and pretty art, I personally don’t need much from this book to continue buying it.

Resurrection Man #1

Creative team: Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning (co-writers) and Fernando Dagnino (pencils)

Story so far: Believe it or not, Resurrection Man is NOT a new character! He had a short lived series in the 90s which was also fantastic. The basic concept here is that Mitch Shelly dies and comes back to life with a new set of powers, over and over again. It’s basically Dial H for Hero but instead of a dial, there’s dying. In this issue, we start with Mitch waking up from his most recent death and are treated with his first awakening thoughts as he figures out his new power set. There is also an overarching story presented here, where both Heaven and Hell are tired of him coming back to life and not giving up his soul, which will certainly complicate his life/death/life cycle. Grade: A+.

Art: This art style is dark, gritty and has a bit of a Vertigo feel to it, which is perfectly suited to this book. I found absolutely nothing to complain about. Grade: A

Overall Grade: A+. Go buy this book. You won’t regret it. If you do regret it, I have a gut feeling the value of this issue is going to skyrocket, so at least it was an investment. This book is a very close second to Demon Knights for the best offering in a fairly strong week.

Suicide Squad #1

Creative team: Adam Glass (writing) and Federico Dallocchio (pencils)

Story so far: Adam Glass, one of the writers for TV’s Supernatural brings us a nice re-introduction to a time proven concept. The Suicide Squad is a pet project of government agent Amanda Waller, offering villains a chance to work for the government to reduce their sentence in highly dangerous missions where casualties are to be expected. This incarnation of the Squad features longtime Squad standard Deadshot as well as newcomer Harley Quinn. Then there are a handful of other baddies one can expect to die and rotate out in short order. I won’t spoil the ending, but suffice it to say the Squad’s first mission doesn’t go as expected, which is exactly what you should expect from this series. Grade: B+.

Art: This is another case of a solid art style that completely unimpressed me. While the art was technically sound, I disliked most of the character designs. I hate whatever they have done to Deadshot’s mask and didn’t see any reason to put Harley into such a slutty costume when the old costume was so suited to the character’s personality. Don’t even get me started on King Shark as a hammerhead, which just looks stupid. I didn’t have any personal gripe about changing Waller from a hefty woman to essentially Angela Basset from the Green Lantern movie, but I’m sure plenty of fans are annoyed by this. I sincerely hope this artist choice doesn’t end up ruining a solid book in the long run. Grade: C.

Overall Grade: B-. This book has a lot of potential if it can overcome the art work. Perhaps future character designs won’t be as bad. If you’re a fan of the Squad, you can rest assured that this book is probably going to be to your liking.

Superboy #1

Creative team: Scott Lobdell (story) and R.B. Silva (pencils)

Story so far: Now THIS is a reboot. We are getting the Superboy story from scratch with a complete origin story here. I have to confess that because I got behind in writing these reviews, I have already read the other Superman family books in the coming weeks, and of the four this is my far and away favorite. Superboy is still in the cloning tank while scientists run a virtual reality program for him to “live” in. Rose Wilson, Ravager, is here as security for the scientists, which is an odd place for her to show up in the new continuity, but it works really well somehow I can’t quite put my finger on. The scene where she and Superboy are discussing empathy is an instant classic sequence. On the final panel we see clearly how this will tie into the Teen Titans book eventually, perhaps sooner rather than later. One final note here: the redheaded, young female scientist taking care of Superboy is putting in her passcode for a door and the computer begins to name her as Dr. Cait—before it is cut off. Could this be Gen13’s Caitlin Fairchild? If it is, this book could be on its way to becoming even more compelling than it already is. Grade: A+.

Art: The art here is both beautiful and completely fitting for the book. Nothing really to note other than I love it and it works. Grade A.

Overall Grade: A. Yet another strong book from a relatively strong week and clearly one of my favorite new titles. This book may not be for everybody, but I can’t imagine the majority of readers not at least liking it, and a more likely scenario is most will love it.