Posted on: September 16th, 2011 DC’s New 52: Week 2 REVIEWED!

So we’re half-way through the new 52. If you missed last weeks reviews of the first 13 titles, check that out here. enough of my yakkity-yak, let’s just get right into it. Auburn and I slaved and sweated many hours over these books to bring you only the most honest of reviews. Poor us.

* * * * * * * *

BATMAN AND ROBIN #1

Here’s the thing: I haven’t been keeping up with the Bat-verse the last little while. By now we know Bruce Wayne “died”, leaving Dick Grayson and Wayne’s son Damien to take the mantle of Batman and Robin, respectively. Then ol’ Bruce came back and bingo-bango he started a franchise of Batmen throughout the globe (one of which being Batwing, another bat-hero of the new 52). The only confusing thing about the re-launch is the timelines: who is when and where? We kick off the new Batman & Robin series with the immediate knowledge that Bruce is Bats and Damien is Robin and apparently the title’s continuity survived the supposed reboot. If you can get your head around that, and you don’t mind hitting the ground running, you’ve got one of the better re-launch titles so far. Pesky back-story aside, Peter Tomasi continues where Grant Morrisson left off, starting a rich and interesting study of the father/son-hero/sidekick dynamic between Bruce and Damian. Gone is the brooding Batman of Detective Comics, and we’re starting to see a more positive thinking Mr. Wayne. Something refreshing for the character. Damian pretty much steals the show, deflating any remnants of the gee-goly teen side-kick and instead saddling Bruce with a dry, erratic little shit of a kid who doesn’t listen to his dad even if he is the goddamn Batman. But he’s good. He’s damn good at what he does, even if he’s harder to control than a kodiac on red bull. Paul Gleason provides some stellar art here as well, depicting a more solid, expressive caped crusader and his boy wonder. Definitely pick this up, and don’t let the fact that it’s not a total reboot scare you. You can figure it out. [Ryan]

Batwoman #1:

This is one of those books that I was waiting for even before the relaunch was announced. It begins right where the last Batwoman left off and this time we’re dabbling in the supernatural. Ghost woman killing children. J.H. Williams and W. Haden Blackman brought one hell of a creepy beginning. I believe it would be an easy start to a new reader. And, really, it would be a good start if a new reader just wants to see what great art looks like. It shows the high-brow art potential that comic books really have. Good grief, this is a gorgeous book. J.H. Williams is always a treat to see. I will never get tired of seeing his panel layouts. I cannot recommend this book enough to anyone that wants to see something outside the traditional panel grid. [Auburn]

DEATHSTROKE #1

I admit, I was skeptical of a new Deathstroke solo title since I saw the re-design of the character. I wasn’t crazy on the new “Gundam” suit enhancements. But damn did this one surprise me. Deathstroke – the character and the issue – is bad-ass. Writer Kyle Higgins nows exactly who the character is and what the readers want. The issue is more of a single story leading into a greater arc, but it’s tight and sets the stage properly for some merciless killing. The pacing in the issue is fantastic, with twists, turns and the perfect amount of action. Joe Bennett and Art Thibert’s art is really solid here, with just the right amount of grit and texture. I’ll be adding this to my pull list. Great fun. [Ryan]

Demon Knights #1:

I didn’t see this book coming. I truly enjoyed it. Set in the Medieval time, here we take a look at some DC immortals: Jason Blood/Demon Etrigan, Madame Xanadu, Vandal Savage, and The Shining Knight. My complaint? The Demon Etrigan doesn’t speak in rhyme. How hard is it to make things rhyme? That’s his shtick! On the up and up, Paul Cornell does make him funny. Along with quite a few other characters too. In the very beginning of the issue we get a short origin of the Jason Blood/Demon Etrigan coming together. Diogenes Neves does some excellent work here. Between his pencils and Marcelo Maiolo’s colors, the magic elements are wonderfully executed. I didn’t know I’d be excited for the next issue to drop, but I really am. [Auburn]

FRANKENSTEIN, AGENT OF S.H.A.D.E. #1

You know this shitty money-grab mash-up books like Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, where someone just throws a horror character into the mix to make it exciting? Yeah, Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E. is nothing like that. Jeff Lemire – who is quickly rising to the top of the crop of “new” writers – know’s what makes these characters interesting, and just how serious they need to take themselves to make an engaging (and wickedly fun) story. You’ve got Frankenstein (the monster, not the man) working for the government to handle the crazy stuff. This time he’s not alone: he’s joined by the Creature Commandos, among their ranks are a werewolf, vampire, fish lady, a mummy… this is just wild fun. But it’s also excellently written and paced, setting up a big arc. Alberto Ponticelli’s art is gorgeous, full of detail and depth and grime and slime and expression. Methinks this really is the start of a fun series. Get on it. [Ryan]

Green Lantern #1:

Post-War of The Green Lanterns, here’s the situation: Sinestro was chosen to wear a green ring again and The Guardians have stripped Hal Jordan of his ring. Everybody’s just trying to find their place in this wide, wide Universe. It is important to note that although they’re both written by Geoff Johns, this story line DOES NOT correlate with the new Justice League #1. They’re taking place at different points in time. Keep that in mind if you are thinking of following both books. Similar to Justice League, I felt this book lacks heart. It just seems a means to an end. What end? I don’t know. I’m beginning not to care. It might be the inks but Doug Mahnke’s art seems slightly inconsistent. Especially in close-up panels. Perhaps they’re too close-up; there are a few panels that come across very grotesque. Not my favorite style. You may very well feel differently. I’ll continue to pull this title, but I’m in no real hurry to read on. [Auburn]

GRIFTER #1

We here at GKS really dug Nathan Edmonson’s Who Is Jake Ellis? (Auburn was even quoted in issue #3!) so it’s no surprise I was interested in Nathan Edmonson’s take on Grifter (another Wildstorm character brought up to the ranks). Grifter, much like Jake Ellis, follows a non-linear narrative and takes it’s time in setting the stage for what’s to come, and more importantly, who the Grifter is. I’m not too familiar with the stories past, honestly, so it’s all new to me. I am interested enough to continue reading the series, as Edmonson really is a strong writer and there’s some great action in the issue. Jason Gorder’s art is pretty solid if not a little bit too “90’s”. But it suits the story well. If you’re looking for a big debut with some oomf, Grifter is a little slower out the gate, but sometimes that’s a good thing. We don’t need to have everything spoon-fed to us right away, and with that I’ll add Grifter to my pull list for now. [Ryan]

Legion Lost #1:

Alien people with alien names saying alien words doing alien things. I’m walking into this book with no prior knowledge to the characters and I can tell you, I have no idea what’s going on. I appreciate the fact that Fabian Nicieza is trying to show me what the characters’ names are and what they do but he put them in a situation where their powers don’t work correctly. So I now know who they are and what normally doesn’t happen. I don’t actually know what we’re fighting either. Are we fighting an actual guy or are we fighting a spreading pathogen? Both? Neither? I neither like nor dislike Pete Wood’s art. It’s a neutral feel. He played it safe. My feelings are certainly swayed by some of the other titles I read this week. It’s hard to critique someone’s art after you’ve seen J.H. Williams’ work. It just looks like they aren’t even trying. I plan on reading the next issue of this title only so that I can figure out what the hell is going on. [Auburn]

MISTER TERRIFIC #1

Another surprising title for me this week is Mister Terrific. Also known as the third smartest man in the world. This is how you re-launch a character to new readers. Eric Wallace brings us up to speed without too much pesky exposition and back-story and then gets right to it. By the time we get the character and his abilities, we’re on our way. We also get a nice little cliff-hanger leading us into issue #2, which can’t hurt when I’ll be dropping more titles than keeping in October. Let it be known there are some pretty groan-worthy lines of dialogue peppered throughout the story, and Gianluca Gugliotta’s artwork, while quite nice in some parts, is also quite inconsistent. Proceed with caution, but not bad for the character’s starting-off point. [Ryan]

Red Lanterns #1:

The Story That Didn’t Need To Be Told. I’ve read all the Green Lantern titles ever since Rebirth and not once did I ever say, “Boy, I sure wish I could delve deeper into the life of Atrocitus.” Do outsiders see a Lantern fueled by hate and rage and become excited to learn more? Peter Milligan did give me more Dex-Starr. So there’s that. At least I got to see that angry cat in space. Ed Benes churned out some nice pencils. When you consider that he has to draw a bunch of lizard-like creatures fighting a blood-spewing kitty, that has to be pretty fun to draw. Anyway, it looks like he had fun with it. Outside of that, I truly don’t know why this book exists. I’m sure there’s a reason, but it feels like DC had a Green Lantern title tie-in quota and they felt they had a better chance with the Red Lanterns than any other part of the Spectrum. They’re not wrong. An Indigo book would have been a little hard to deliver. [Auburn]

RESURRECTION MAN #1

I really dug this book. Hook, line and sinker, this issue grabbed me. Mitch Shelly is a guy that can’t die. And if he does die, he just keeps coming back. And each time he comes back he’s got a new power. And there’s apparently demons after his un-dying soul, which is a high-prize to someone. Need I say more? Writers Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning, you know how to cut to the core of me, and Fernando Dagnino, your art is crisp, sharp and full of dynami– dynamo– it’s really expressive! Resurrection Man – will buy again. [Ryan]

Suicide Squad #1:

I was seriously nervous about this title. If ever there was a character that was near and dear to my heart, it’s Harley Quinn. I don’t care about her costume redesign. She’s been in that silly onesie long enough. I am, however, very particular about her portrayals in books. For the most part, if she isn’t written by Paul Dini, I’m not pleased. I would like to tell you, I’m happy with the direction Adam Glass has taken her. In fact, I’m fairly pleased with his Deadshot, King Shark, El Diablo, Black Spider and Voltaic too. You get an excellent setup as to what the Suicide Squad is all about. The art is done by Federico Dallocchio, Ransom Getty and Scott Hanna. Is the art seamless throughout? No. Distractingly so? No. Fortunately, the style changes are most noticeable during different periods in the story-telling. So it’s not obnoxious. Plus, you do get to see the character redesign of Amanda Waller, who has dropped a significant amount of weight and is looking much more like her actress personification of Angela Bassett. Why? The same reason Nick Fury started to look very Samuel L. Jackson-esque in the books. You’ve got to help out the movie-goers. I look forward to the next part of this story. There wasn’t much “team” interaction in this issue and I’d like to see what becomes of it in issue #2. [Auburn]

SUPERBOY #1

I like the new Superboy on one merit alone: it’s original. It’s not like any Superboy we’ve seen before really. It’s actually pretty damn far from the Superman mythos, the only thing tying this character to the others is that he has Kryptonian blood. Well… kinda. He’s a clone. A test-tube super, grown in a lab from human and Kryptonian DNA. Scott Lobdell has taken the same-old Superboy and found a way to make him interesting and at the same time unusual. We’re only starting to see Superboy live as a normal “person”, or at least what he thinks is normal, all the while these curious things are going on in the background with the lab that created him and someone that wants him as a weapon. R.B. Silvia’s art is nice and bright, leaning more towards the sold, almost animated style, but it suits the story perfectly. It looks like this series is going to bleed into the new Teen Titans, which is fitting since Lobdell’s writing that one too. I’m really interested to see where this Superboy goes. Pull-listed. [Ryan]

* * * * * * * *

There you have it folks. On the whole, things seem to be picking up. Head back next week, ’cause we’ll be at it again, with reviews for Batman, Birds of Prey, Blue Beetle, Captain Atom, DC Universe Presents, Green Lantern Corps, Legion of Superheroes, Nightwing, Red Hood and the Outlaws, Supergirl and Wonder Woman.

4 Responses to “DC’s New 52: Week 2 REVIEWED!”

1. Ben Rankel Says:
   September 17th, 2011 at 11:01 pm

   A point of contention, Miss Auburn, regarding your Angela Bassett/Amanda Waller to Sam. L . Jackson/Ultimate Nick Furry comparison: Marvel started drawing ultimate Nick Furry as Sam L . Jackson loooooooong before there was any plan to have him in the flicks. So the “why’d they do that” explanation doesn’t quite gel.

2. Auburn Says:
   September 18th, 2011 at 10:41 pm

   You look at him pre-Ultimates and then post, it’s night and day. It wasn’t nearly as close of likeness as the Fury we see now. And you’re certainly right about the timeline but I’d argue that his redesign was created with SLJ in mind as the the future of the movie franchises.

3. Ben Rankel Says:
   September 24th, 2011 at 10:48 am

   You may be right; i may be crazy.

4. Auburn Says:
   September 27th, 2011 at 12:13 am

   You’re in luck! It just might be a lunatic I’m looking for.

Leave a Reply

Name (required)

Mail (will not be published) (required)

Website

Notify me of followup comments via e-mail