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Friday
Oct072011

Communication Breakdown

DateFriday, October 7, 2011 at 12:00AM | AuthorTravis

Doesn’t everyone want to be Animal Man?

It’s a week later than we wanted, but we wanted to share our thoughts on all 52 of DC’s new titles. So, without further ado:

Ret-Conned Reviews The New 52

Justice League

  • Aquaman - This was a good, solid start for a book about one of our favorite characters. It was definitely a better introduction book than some of the other titles, like Justice League.

  • Captain Atom - Of his two, this was JT Krul’s better book. It’s a brand new take on the character that is essentially much more like Doctor Manhattan.

  • DC Universe Presents - So far the only thing solicited for this book is the same Deadman story. That story itself is solid so far, but we’re not sure how this book will do in the long run. It’s quality will vary with the storyline & creative team.

  • Flash - It’s a good start, but we’re not sure whether Barry can carry a book long-term. He’s never felt like that interesting of a character.

  • Fury of Firestorm - This book was really disappointing. We haven’t seen Firestorm as that interesting of a character and there was nothing here that grabbed us.

  • Green Arrow - This book is okay, but there’s definitely no hook. Why should we care about Ollie and what he’s up to? JT Krul was definitely a big weakness and maybe it’ll improve once he leaves.

  • Justice League - There wasn’t much to go on in this first issue. It was enjoyable but there wasn’t enough substance to get a good feel for it.

  • Justice League International - This book definitely has potential, despite some flaws. Jurgens never seems that great with team books and it shows in how some characters are extremely flat the little they’re present (most notably Vixen and Godiva). On the other hand, Jurgen’s doing Booster Gold is always a draw.

  • Mister Terrific - This is one of the weakest titles out of the gate since it’s starting from scratch. Without the legacy of the JSA, Mister Terrific is just another genius billionaire who decides to play superhero, which the The New 52 has in abundance.

  • Savage Hawkman - This was a weak start, but Tony Daniels is clearly trying to cut some fat out of the character’s backstory. That the Hawkman suit is now a part of Carter Hall is a cool concept and the idea of Indiana Jones as a superhero is exciting.

  • Wonder Woman - This book is awesome. Seriously. You should be reading it.

Green Lantern

  • Green Lantern - This was just Green Lantern #68, which kind of weakens both it and the idea of The New 52.

  • Green Lantern Corps - The same problems with Green Lantern hold here. It’s good, but you’d be completely lost if you were a new reader.

  • Green Lantern New Guardians - This feels like Green Lantern Corp is shipping twice monthly while running two different stories at the same time, which was the same problem with Emerald Warriors last year. Not sure if it will have legs.

  • Red Lanterns - Atrocitus shouldn’t be angsty.

Batman

  • Batgirl - If this was the first issue of a brand new character, it would have been great. Knowing what we’ve “lost” by losing the other Batgirls, it’s disappointing. Neither of Simone’s books have been interesting writing.

  • Batman - When this was announced, our big question was whether Scott Snyder could write Bruce as well as he wrote Dick. The answer is clearly yes.

  • Batman & Robin - Completely fits in the universe of a revitalized Gotham. Go continuity!

  • Batman: The Dark Knight - We’re glad Finch’s influence on this book is decreasing. It feels like really bad Batman cartoon stories.

  • Batwing - The format of the first issue was a complete mess. This book is trying to capitalize on the success of Batman and we’re not sure it’s working.

  • Batwoman - Picked up directly from the Batwoman run in Detective Comics, which is a good thing. There is definitely an air of mystery and interest in the writing that is lost with Rucka’s departure.

  • Birds of Prey - This was much better than we expected. It’s a decent start to an interesting concept. The running-from-the-law concept is a fun twist.

  • Catwoman - This was just bad, but Winick is not an idiot so we’re thinking there’s something more to it that we haven’t seen yet.

  • Detective Comics - This is Tony Daniels at his best, which means it’s nothing new or innovative, but a solid Batman story. Daniels has transitioned to the title well as there’s definitely more mystery and detective work than in his previous Batman stories.

  • Nightwing - This is back to the basics for Nightwing, which is a good thing.

  • Red Hood & the Outlaws - We like it. The interactions between Roy and Jason are fun and we can’t wait for more of the reveal with Starfire.

The Dark

  • Animal Man - One of the best books out. It’s a perfect blend of superheroes, horror, and humor.

  • Demon Knights - A simple concept that is all about the characters. With a writer like Cornell, that means huge potential.

  • Frankenstein, Agent of Shade - Decent but not as impressive as the Flashpoint Frankenstein book. It’s lacking the emotional energy that the Flashpoint book had.

  • I, Vampire - Biggest surprise of all. We thought this book would be horrible and it’s awesome.

  • Justice League Dark - It was a good start. Kris wasn’t drawn in by the characters and felt they were wedged in. Individually, I’m a fan of these characters and hope Milligan can make them all work.

  • Resurrection Man - This seems to pick up directly from the old series that nobody read.

  • Swamp Thing - Has potential, especially with a chance to tie it in with Animal Man. We’re not completely convinced yet.

  • Voodoo - We’re not sure this has legs and predict it will be cancelled. It’s just a matter of when.

Young Justice

  • Hawk & Dove - It’s Sterling Gates and he definitely knows how to write. Liefield’s art doesn’t distract from that too much.

  • Legion of Super-Heroes - If you like Legion, you’ll love it as it’s a continuation of the same book. Flashpoint is even a topic of conversation.

  • Legion Lost - More of the same Legion concept.

  • Static Shock - Good book staring a teenage superhero. It has a Spider-man feel to it in that regard.

  • Teen Titans - Very similar to Justice League in that you’re given a very tiny snippet of story from which to make an impression.

The Edge

  • All-Star Western - Kris loves this book and thinks it can be a fun serial crime drama. I liked the first issue but I’m not convinced it has legs.

  • Blackhawks - So far this is just GI Joe. Without more depth and meaning in the next book, we think this will fizz out.

  • Blue Beetle - This was a solid first book, but we’re not sure that they can replicate the success of the first series. It feels like they’re trying very hard to be a clone of that old series without bringing something new to the table. If that’s the case, it won’t work.

  • Deathstroke - The first issue was too concerned about making sure you realize that Deathstroke is a badass. Now that they’ve done that, we’ll see if it will be good.

  • Grifter - This is a first issue of what’s essentially a brand new character. I really enjoyed it but Kris isn’t sure it needed the name of a WildSTORMs character and is afraid that will hurt it in the long run.

  • Men of War - Kris wasn’t sure about it after the first issue but the second majorly redeemed itself.

  • OMAC - When creators are having fun, it definitely shows in the book. Didio and Giffen are definitely having fun.

  • Stormwatch - I skipped the first issue and found the second filled with new people in a very dense and slow-moving storyline. Kris said having read the first issue didn’t help that much.

  • Suicide Squad - This could have been worse. If you remove yourself from all knowledge of the Suicide Squad or these characters previously, it could work. Of all the brand new characters introduced, this had some of the most intriguing.

Superman

  • Action Comics - Grant Morrison writing high quality Superman.

  • Superboy - This is good but treading old ground covered better by others.

  • Supergirl - This book feels detached from everything else in the universe.

  • Superman - It’s an excellent 80’s era comic. We’re not sure that’s what today’s readers want.

Travis, what are your top five books?

  1. Animal Man
  2. Wonder Woman
  3. I, Vampire
  4. Batman
  5. Demon Knights

Kris, what are your top five books?

  1. I, Vampire
  2. Wonder Woman
  3. All-Star Western
  4. Batman
  5. Animal Man

Any changes to your pull lists?

Kris wants to give everything another issue before he starts dropping stuff. I’m definitely adding I, Vampire, probably digitally. I’m definitely dropping Resurrection Man and most likely Red Lanterns, but the others get at least one more issue.

Travis, what’s on your pull list?

  • Animal Man #2 - This book is just awesome. I love Maxine.
  • Huntress #1 - This was a great book. Why is this only a mini series?
  • Justice League International #2 - Picked up from its first issue. I love the August General in Irons/Rocket Red dynamic.
  • Red Lanterns #2 - More angsty weak sauce. I think I’m going to drop it.
  • Swamp Thing #2 - This issue clears up the last issue’s confusion and leaves Alec Holland with a choice. How he’ll answer is going to be the focus of the rest of the series.

Kris, what’s on your pull list?

in