The New 52 From A Newbie’s [Kinda] Perspective: Part 2
Here is part two of my reviews of the DC reboot. Let the high praise and/or carnage continue.
The mega team. The ultimate team of heroes that team up to defend against the universal disasters that no one member can do alone. The first grouping of the main heroes of the era. (That is if you don’t count the Justice Society of America, the ORIGINAL super team and the icons that all of the heroes of today aspire to be. You know, the team that doesn’t even get it’s own book or any mention in the DC Nu. Remember them? Sorry! Lack of respect for an icon gets me pissed.)
In my opinion, this is the biggest disappointment of the DC Nu. I have collected JLA ever since the new team was formed after Crisis. It is one of the only DC books that I regularly collect. It was the one book that I was most looking forward to. Let’s face it. Jim Lee drawing the Justice League is artistic porn. New costumes, new styles, same history. I am happy to say that Mr. Lee did not disappoint. His work is incredible. Darkseid was amazing. The team looked great. If only the story was even half as good. No offense to Geoff Johns, but hasn’t he done enough damage with his horrible writing on Flashpoint? He wasted four issues of pointless set-up before actually getting to the resolution in issue five, and it was still crappy. This first story arc was no different. My main problem with this title is the way the team was introduced and put together. This is the Justice League. Not Brave and the Bold. Batman and Green Lantern are not the heart of the team. The banter and attitudes between them was too over the top and completely reduced the validity of this team. The constant bickering came across as just trying too hard to be funny. I also hated the way the team took four issues to form. This is not how team books work. The team should have been together by issue one and fighting together by issue two. I don’t care if its the first time they ever got together. It was a pathetic joke. If I was a new reader, I would look at the cover of issue one, read the issue and be completely dumbfounded and upset. Don’t show the entire team, hype up the entire team, advertise the entire team, then give me drips and drabs for four issues. The actual action was pretty dull too. Same random encounters for each hero until the main Darkseid battle which was a mess too. Johns was the writer on Green Lantern right? So he knows how to deal with a team, yes? Hopefully, he remembers soon because as the focal title of the reboot, Justice League may be an artistic masterpiece, but a storytelling mess.
Final Grade: C-
A team of heroes from all over the world, get together to battle nationality stereotypes, as well as world threatening enemies.
In my opinion, this title is what Justice League should have been. Amazing storytelling about a TEAM of heroes who interact together as a TEAM to deal with a massive threat. I love the way this team was introduced to us. Every member had a few pages of face time. We get a quick glimpse of their powers and country of origin. They are forced to work together against a common threat. They exhibit the proper growing pains that a team of individuals who are forced to work together should exhibit. There is a proper level of tension built up between some of the members that feels genuine, not forced. Each member has their own story and no one character is dominating the focus of the title. There are references to the rest of the DC Nu. The action is pretty great and there is a nice subplot that keeps the reader curious as to future developments. The art is phenomenal. Each subsequent issue gets deeper and deeper into some of the members and further reveals more of their powers and origin and history. It basically makes the reader care about each character more and more every issue. I love this title and can’t wait to see what’s next.
Final Grade: A
Magic and mayhem aplenty as some of the strangest characters in the DC Universe are forced together to battle a common threat that only they can deal with.
In my opinion, this was a pretty decent read. A little confusing as to the whole magical plot since I’m not a big expert on magic characters in the DCU. Not sure who Constantine is other than from the movie. I’m familiar with Zatanna and Madame Xanadu and Deadman. Everyone else is a blur. I liked how this title also properly formed a team to deal with the mega-threat in one issue and didn’t make us wait forever to see each member. I think the topics and subjects of this title are a bit more mature and are not really for new readers. Still, the art is amazing and really dark. If you’re a fan of monster art and old school EC comics, this art will definitely appeal to you. Also, if you happen to know a lot about Constantine and his abilities, this book is for you since he seems to be the Batman type character of the team. I like how the powers of the characters are described in the first issue, thus making them immediately more relateable. The plot was pretty intense and violent as well. I think a mature audience would get into this series a lot more than new readers. I’m interested to see what’s next myself.
Final Grade: B
The Man of Steel. The icon. The original. The first superhero. A lot to live up to. As a person who was never really a Superman fan, I was hoping this comic would allow me to get into Big Blue, unlike Action Comics, which failed miserably.
In my opinion, I was very disappointed in this book. I read the first six issues looking for a great story with great characters. I looked for the things that Superman was supposed to stand for like truth and justice. I was looking for some sort of personal interaction between Clark and a supporting cast that I have been raised on. Unfortunately, I did not get that. The world has been rebooted. A full on reboot, and I just couldn’t wrap my head around it. It felt off. It wasn’t Superman. On top of that, the villains were completely unfamiliar. For an opening battle, I was hoping for Luthor. Some form of Luther. Even a cameo of him every once in a while watching the action and gloating. This Superman seems cold and distant. He still hasn’t incorporated himself into the real world. I guess not having his adoptive parents around to give him advice is part of the problem. I always thought that that moral compass is what made Superman the great hero he is today. He just feels so alone. No friends. No love interest. Just an alien on a planet that doesn’t fully accept him yet. It really went against everything that was hardwired into my brain from all of the movies, tv shows, and comics that I have read in the past. I was completely blown away by the art, so that was a plus. I just felt the reboot was too much of a change from the original and it lessened the appeal for me. Also, a lack of origin and background tales left me with lots of questions. I honestly would not collect this title.
Final Grade: C
She’s just like Superman, but with boobies. What can be cooler than that?
In my opinion, I wasn’t overly impressed with the first story arc. I liked that there was an origin. I liked that we got to see her powers develop slowly and watch her experience the change. The fight with Superman was awesome too. However, the plot was thin and completely stretched out. Kara was in denial for the first three issues. The whole caught by humans to be studied and dissected shtick was already done in Action and in Superboy. The whole alone in a strange new world is the same idea as those books as well. DC really needs to get an original idea between all of the Super-books instead of running the same story. I did really like the Worldkiller angle. Those look like some cool characters and I like the mystery they added to the book. It makes you want to read next issue and see what will happen next. The art was phenomenal. A bit too many splash images, which weakened the story even more, but really nice to look at. I also liked that Kara was finally given a sense of direction by the end of issue six. I now understand her purpose and am really looking forward to seeing her grow. Overall, this one had a slow start but is slowly picking up steam. To me, this is the best of the new Super titles in the DC stable.
Final Grade: B-
The fastest man alive (and the man who caused this world to exist) faces a new world of threats.
In my opinion, I have no clue what I am reading. A five issue story of the flash running around town trying to save his friend. This story had lots of clones, lots of technical jargon, and lots of running. What it didn’t have was an origin and a backstory and a purpose. There were also no villains to be seen at all. Issue 6 begins the origins of Flash’s Rouge’s Gallery. A group of characters that have just as much history and individuality as the Flash himself. The purpose of a villain is to define the hero they face. Did Mob Rule define the Flash? I don’t think so. I feel that that was a mistake by DC. I did not find Barry relatable at all. I was always a fan of Wally West. When his series came out, I collected it because of the humor and sarcasm that it was loaded with. This book had none of that. It felt very smart and busy. What I mean by that is the book just had too much data to process. The plot was incredibly simple, but the conversations were too Webstery. Even the art was a bit weird in some places. Still, the title has great potential. I liked how Barry is learning about his powers and the Speed Force. I have always been curious about where he got those powers and how they really work. I read the old versions and have some of those issues but I know that the Speed Force concept has grown immensely and I’m curious to see if they will explore it here. I was also a bit confused as to why the hooded figure was not more predominant in this title. She did arise from Flashpoint (utter drivel that it was) and it would have been good to have her presence be felt more here. Overall, if the new arc focuses on actual super villains, and starts to expand on the Speed Force, I think this title can be pretty interesting.
Final Grade: B-
The lord of Atlantis has returned once again. Fish jokes, fish jokes and more fish jokes.
In my opinion, this series is a complete waste of time. To the people raining high praise on this utter drivel, I have to question your judgement. What the hell is this title supposed to be about? Another reinforcement on how the humans in this reboot world look at heroes as jokes or nuisances. The entire Deep arc was pointless. Fish creatures attacked and Aquaman beat them, being moody the entire time. The man barely spoke to anyone around him. He seemed to whine the entire time he was on panel. This is the King of Atlantis. Show him some damn respect. Stop making fish jokes. Geoff Johns needs to scale back his work and focus on stuff he is familiar with, like Green Lantern. (I hope that reboot is awesome since I haven’t read it yet. We’ll address that in Part 3) He needs to stop thinking that he is funny. He’s not. His attempts at humor and comedy completely fizzle in this title as it does in Justice League. I like Mera, her powers, and her backstory. I find it pretty interesting that the woman trained to kill Aquaman from birth is now his lover. That was a nice plot twist. The art, especially on Mera’s elemental powers, is stunning. I just wish the story had more substance and character growth for the title character. For six issues now, he’s showed maybe two facial expressions. Melancholy and surprised. Which sums up my entire reaction to the series to date. I hope it improves, but I’m doubtful.
Final Grade: C-
The most iconic female superhero gets a new look, a new origin, and a new lease on life. Same hotness though.
In my opinion, this was a good book. I loved the fact that Azarello actually included an origin, and that it was completely different from the one we previously had. I love how he tied that new origin into the story arc and completely sucked the reader into this new reality for Wonder Woman. This is what a reboot should be. Same character, but with a new beginning. I am a huge mythology fan and love the entire Greek God aspect. I don’t like the depiction of Hermes, Poseidon or the whole animal aspect of the gods but it was still a great new interpretation of a classic. While not particularly a superhero story, this book definitely had its fair share of action. We didn’t really get the Wonder Woman battle scenes but the mythological characters were pretty cvool. I just hope that in the future, we start to incorporate her more into the DC Nu and have her face some super villains. I don’t like one note characters and for now, that is all she is. We really haven’t learned anything about her human life or developed a real supporting cast. The story arc has run it’s course. Finish it off and start with the character growth or this will be one really single minded title, which is never good.
Final Grade: B-
No clue who this is or anything about the title. Time to cross my fingers and pray.
In my opinion, this was a strange one for me. Having zero knowledge made this read more interesting. I got to watch the character and story grow with no expectations. I liked the whole cop and crime angle. I liked the mystery behind the character and the surprise reveals throughout the first arc. I enjoyed the little subplot with the whole alien invasion and how it ties in to the other Wildstorm based character titles. The action and violence was pretty cool and the subject matter was more of an adult nature which was all right by me as well. The art was amazing and the main character was definitely a nice sight to enjoy. I did have a small issue with the book. It reminded me too much of the movie Species. The whole shape change/running across the country/never know who’s who mystery with the alien sub-story. Also,I’m pretty sure any Wildsorm fans with knowledge of the universe might enjoy this series even more. To me, it wasn’t too bad. Not really a deep thinking title, but pretty nice eye candy.
Final Grade: B+
Speaking of eye candy, this one is definitely full of that. Mitch Shelly, one of the weirdest powered heroes around is back for another round of comic glory. Can this run be any longer than his last? Only time will tell.
In my opinion, this book is too focused on T&A and “mystery” than telling a good coherent story. Don’t get me wrong, I love T&A and the Body Doubles are excellent examples of visual comic porn. They are the epitome of a cliche. Huge boobs barely being concealed by skimpy schoolgirl outfits. Big guns and lots of dirty talk. But the sex doesn’t stop there. Next we add Suriel, the hot as hell angel from heaven. Another lovely female whose outfits are very boob friendly. To this mix we add the Transhuman, a completely ridiculous character who is hilarious to read, but a cheap Iron Man imitation. Te result is a really strange group of characters in a really strange book. Too bad they completely overshadow the main character. The reason being that the main character is never really established. He has no memories and that makes him a “mystery”. That’s great and all but to get the new readers to care, you have to have him involved more. It’s been one battle scene after another with zero character growth. I still have no clue about Mitch. Why he’s here, what his purpose is, and where he’s going. The plot is so thin, you can use it to floss. Unless there is some growth and revelations soon, I do not foresee this title continuing. And its a shame too, because this character has infinite potential since he is virtually immortal. Not to mention the great art splashes and the potential for awesome future splashes of Mitch every time he develops a new power. I personally hope it improves.
Final Grade: C+
One of the most convoluted continuity characters in all of comic books gets another shot at his own series. (History tells me this will not last long. We’ll see.)
In my opinion, this book was a complete freaking mess. The lack of origin immediately had me guessing which version of Hawkman this was supposed to be. Also, the lack of a Hawkgirl had me missing what I feel was a vital piece of the Hawk universe. The enemy was all right but I feel like I’ve seen this story somewhere before. I mean the absorption plague guy, not the Gentleman Ghost. Him, I remember. I really found the art to be lackluster as well which made the dragging overbearing story even more annoying to read. There was no real character development. It was basically shove him in a battle for his life, then do it again. Maybe long time Hawk fans liked this story, but as a newbie, no part of it appealed to me. There was no sense of nostalgia that made me want to read it. There was no mystery that got me interested in the story. No underlying subplot that would hook me into future issues. A complete bust on this one, folks.
Final Grade: F
Vampires enter the DC Universe. Let the blood sucking begin.
In my opinion, when I first started reading this series, I was actually enjoying it. Then I stopped after issue 2 due to time constraints. When I picked up issues 3-6, and read them back to back, I really lost a lot of the love I had in the first two books. For the simple reason that every new issue is the same as the last one. The art, which I thought at first was stunning and unique, became ridiculously repetitive and annoying to follow. The one color tone of brownish-gray running through the entire series makes nothing seem unique. Nothing stands out visually. Sure the splash images with the veins and fangs look awesome, but I want the rest of the panels to stand out too. The first story arc was too long and completely one note. It dragged the whole one against the world theme into the ground, so to speak. There was very little action. I wasn’t happy with the guest appearances by Constantine or Batman. If a book cannot stand on it’s own two legs, supporting them with known characters this early in the title only reinforces how weak the title concept is. I did like that we were given a partial origin to the vampires. I like that this is a new concept (I think) for DC. (No, American Vampire doesn’t count. It’s a Vertigo book) I’m praying that the actual action picks up now too since the big reveal at the end of issue 6. This comic has potential for greatness. With a better, more complex story, that greatness can be achieved.
Final Grade: C
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1 Comment
You should try Grifter: it is objectively one of the best New 52 series.