September is over, and DC’s New 52 comics have all debuted. Halfway through the month I reviewed four of the New 52 launches. Now that the month is over, it’s time to look at the rest of the books I picked up.
Flash #1
Judging by this issue, The Flash may finally be getting back on track. The book was focused, moved quickly, and managed to lay out the ground rules for new and returning readers alike without getting overly bogged down in exposition. Most importantly, Manapul & Buccellato understand that a book about a guy who runs fast should be fun, not serious and full of angst.
See my full review for more.
Resurrection Man #1
I thought this book was technically very good, but for some reason it didn’t really grab me. It did a great job of setting up the main character, establishing his powers, and setting up a hero-on-the-run dynamic, without ever getting too expository. Critically, rather than letting people wonder how badly Mitch Shelley can be injured before he can’t resurrect, in this first issue he’s…well, let’s just say killed very thoroughly, and he still comes back to life. I think it’s also the only New 52 debut issue I read that’s actually a complete, done-in-one story.
Still, I got to the end feeling vaguely unsatisfied for some reason. I’ll certainly check out issue #2, but I’m on the fence.
Justice League Dark #1
I wanted to like this more than I did. Partly I’m more interested in the characters as a dark fantasy team than as a group of broken people. (I’m not a fan of Madame Xanadu as drug addict, for instance.) Partly I was hoping that, despite the title, it would stay as far away as possible from the main Justice League. Partly I didn’t think Milligan balanced exposition and story very well. A lot of characters wound up saying things for the sake of the reader rather than for the sake of what they might have been saying. I think I’m on board for the first arc, but I’m not sure if I’ll stick around past it.
Overall: How Did the New 52 Do?
- On board: Flash, Demon Knights, Frankenstein: Agent of S.H.A.D.E.
- On the fence: Resurrection Man and Justice League Dark.
- Didn’t make the cut: Stormwatch, Justice League.
So… which New 52 comics did you pick up? Which ones did you love? Which ones did you hate?
Great – Action, Batman, Batwoman, Nightwing, Animal Man
Good – JLA, Batman&Robin, Wonder Woman, Flash, Voodoo
So-so – Stormwatch, Resurrection Man, Green Lantern, Catwoman, JL Dark, Detective Comics
Hated – Batgirl, Red Hood, Teen Titans
So I ended up with 10 to keep buying out of the 19 I tried. (But again, before the reboot I was buying 35 or so DC titles a month.)
Read all but Resurrection Man and Grifter. Quit after a few pages of Static Shock.
Great: Animal Man, Action Comics, Batman, Flash, Aquaman, All-Star Western, Teen Titans, Superboy, JL Dark, Green Lantern, Green Lantern Corps, Birds of Prey, Batwoman. Aquaman, Flash, Batman, and All-Star Western were the best of the bunch.
Hated: I vote Catwoman worst comic book ever. Green Arrow, both Legion books (much to my great sadness), Hawkman, Voodoo, Stormwatch, JLI, and Wonder Woman (I still don’t get why people like it).
Everything else fell somewhere in between. I’ll probably cut back to 26/52 for month 2, and see where I stand after that.
I’m onboard for FLASH, AQUAMAN, ACTION COMICS,BATGIRL, I, VAMPIRE, the GL books (except Red Lanterns) and JUSTICE LEAGUE. *Whew!*
That’s 5 new DC titles I’m picking up.
I loved a bunch of them: Flash, Wonder Woman, Action Comics, Omac, All-Star Western, Demon Knights, Batwoman. A bunch of others are off to good starts, including Batman, Swamp Thing, Batgirl, I’Vampire, Resurrection Man and more.
I absolutely loved Hawkman, Deathstroke, Red Lanterns!
I thought The Flash & Aquaman were great!
Green Arrow & New Guardians were O.K.
I was disappointed in Mister Terrific….
My LCS was sold out of everything else I wanted to pick up. Which is great for them, bad for me! lol.
Great: Mystery Men, Daredevil, Incorruptible, Irredeemable, Sixth Gun, The Traveler
Didn’t waste time or money on: Anything DC
Is there a “deadpool” for any of these, New 52, titles that might not make it?
I think there are several. Bleeding Cool started a detailed one back in June, with more questions than just first cancellation:
1. Which book will first skip its solicited week of shipping?
2. Which book will first have a mismatch between digital and print availablity?
3. Which book will first skip the month it is solicited in?
4. Which book will first feature an unsolicited fill-in?
5. Which book will be cancelled first?
I have a feeling the first book cancelled will be one of the solid war books like MEN OF WAR or BLACKHAWKS just because they’re so different from the standard super hero type that rules the genre. I hope not, though, because those are solid books that deserve a chance. Otherwise, one of the previously Wildstorm books like GRIFTER or VOODOO because they’re so different from what they’ve been previously that they’ll lose whatever fanbase followed them for September.
I read all 52 and gave each a letter grade:
A+ = Action Comics, Aquaman, Batman
A = All-Star Western, Justice League, Animal Man, Batgirl, Batwoman, Catwoman, The Flash, Justice League Dark, Swamp Thing, Wonder Woman
A- = Batwing, Demon Knights, Fury of Firestorm, Green Lantern
B+ = DC Universe Presents, Men of War, Nightwing, Stormwatch, Superman
B = Birds of Prey, Blackhawks, Green Lantern Corps, Green Lantern New Guardians, I, Vampire, Resurrection Man
B- = Batman: The Dark Knight, Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E., O.M.A.C., Savage Hawkman, Superboy, Supergirl
C+ = Detective Comics, Justice League International, Red Lanterns, Teen Titans
C = Blue Beetle, Captain Atom, Deathstroke, Grifter, Mister Terrific, Suicide Squad
C- = Voodoo
D+ = Batman & Robin
D = Green Arrow, Red Hood and the Outlaws
D- = Legion of Super Heroes
F = Hawk & Dove, Legion Lost, Static Shock
Best Writers: Geoff Johns writing Aquaman and Justice League was awesome, but Scott Snyder really blew me away with Swamp Thing and Batman.
Best Artist: A toss-up between Francis Manapul and JH Williams, with Ivan Reis close behind.
Biggest Surprise: Judd Winick–I really, really liked both Catwoman and Batwing. Also Men of War and The Flash writing team.
Happiest Surprise: Batman–I’m a Batman fan, so I wanted this book to be great, but I didn’t know it would be that great.
Biggest Disappointment: Savage Hawkman should have been so much better. I really hope Tony Daniel steps up or they replace him because Tan’s art is the only thing that saved this book.
Best Trend: I was really impressed with all of the “dark” books, especially Swamp Thing, Animal Man and JLD.
Worst Trend: The six “Young Justice” averaged a D. Legion Lost just made me violently angry.