DC You, Part Four

Week Four of the breakout month of DC You is here and, pains me as it does to say this, DC did not save the best for last.  With all four weeks down, let’s look at the statistics for a second:

21 new #1 issues were released in June.  24 books released were a continuation from pre-Convergence.  That’s a total of 45 books this month.  I read all but four of the #1 issues and five of the continued series’ that saw release this month (there are three more #1’s coming, Cyborg in July and two supernatural series in October, and Justice League United will return with issue #11 in July), coming to a grand total of 36 books.

So, having read 80% of DC’s output in June, I can honestly say, that my top five this month would look something like this:

5.) Constantine: The Hellblazer

4.) Action Comics

3.) Batgirl

2.) Justice League of America

1.) Tie: Batman and Justice League (it’s my blog, I make the rules)

On to the reviews for this week:

The Flash #41

Fans of CW’s The Flash would likely not be too lost picking this book up off the shelf.  I’ve not been reading this series since the launch of The New 52 back in September 2011, but the move to having comic series’ more streamlined with  their television counterparts is something DC seems to be doing more and more, and Flash is no different.  Henry Allen being in jail, a speedster in yellow being responsible, it’s all there.  Much like Green Arrow the comic is to Arrow the television series, The Flash is like its small screen adaptation to a point.  It’s still very comic book-y in nature, which is always a good think.  As stated, The Flash is not something I read on a regular basis, and this issue was not enough to hook me to come back for #42 in July.

Gotham by Midnight #6

You like procedural cop shows?  You like supernatural stories?  You’d probably like this series.  In addition to having maybe the coolest (silver medal, anyway) cover this week, Gotham by Midnight also leads the pack in demonic possession stories.  First launching last fall, the series captured my attention with its premise: a group of cops in Gotham City dedicated to supernatural and unexplained crimes in the city.  Sorta like The X-Files.  I struggled through the first five issues, but after reading #6 for the sole reason of reviewing it and thinking I would drop the book after, I’ve found a renewed interest.  The artist has changed, which was the biggest factor in why I thought this was as good as I do.  I love diversity, including diversity in art styles.  For example, I love ice cream.  Vanilla, cookies and crème, even sherbet.  I would not, however, like sardine ice cream.  The change from issue #5 to issue #6 was exactly like going from sardine ice cream to cookies and crème.  Night and friggn’ day.  Looking forward to #7 next month.

Teen Titans #9

Like The Flash, Teen Titans is not a book I read on the regular.  Knowing that this would be the only place to get my Tim Drake fix (that’s the third Robin, currently Red Robin, for those of you keeping track), I thought I’d give it another try.  Teen Titans is a book that I’ve tried to like for a long time.  Their last series, which ended in 2014, had a creative team that I just simply couldn’t get behind.  I was a little confused not having read issues #1-8, but I caught on quick.  Essentially, Superboy is wanted for mass murder of an alien race and the Titans have been split into two teams, one on Superboy’s side, the other looking to hunt him down.  This issue was good enough to make me want to read at least this story arc to its conclusion. 

We Are Robin #1

The only new #1 I’ll be reviewing (I did read Justice League 3001, but it was… Not good) this week.  The idea of this book is so intriguing.  Teens see that Gotham needs help and, rather that attempting to “become Batman”, they become almost a “legion of sidekicks”.  NOTE: While these kiddos are wearing the red, yellow, and green and have ‘R’s on their clothes, they are not actual Robins.  That honor is still held by Damian Wayne.  The first issue focuses on the team recruiting Duke Thomas, a Gotham City resident who has been seen over in Snyder and Capullo’s Batman book for quite some time (first appearing in Batman #21 almost two years ago).  Duke’s parents have been missing since the Joker’s rampage in "Endgame" (Batman #35-40), so true to Robin form, Duke is essentially an orphan.  This book is something I’ve looked forward to since it was announced.  The opening did not disappoint.  Looking forward to #2.

Superman #41

Rather than continuing the “Truth” storyline as the Superman books have for the last three weeks, Superman throws the story back to “Before Truth”.  Detailing the time leading to the Man of Steel’s identity being revealed, this story focuses mainly on Clark Kent at the Daily Planet and dealing with the mystery of someone knowing his secret identity and using it to blackmail him.  This was a good read, but it definitely felt like set up for the rest of the arc.  Which is not a bad thing, it’s just that we already known that it’s Lois Lane that reveals Superman’s secret identity.  It’s been mentioned a number of times, including in this cool piece of promotional material that was released alongside this week’s comics.

I know that DC is looking to have their titles be a little more divorced from one another, but a little uniformity in the Superman books (since they’ve been billed as a continuous story) would be nice.  Nevertheless, I’ll still be picking up #42 in July.

Grayson #9

Ever since Nightwing was unmasked and declared dead in Forever Evil, Dick Grayson, the original Robin, has been working undercover helping Batman take down the international agency known as Spyral.  This issue, I can say more than the other issues of this series, feels a little like a James Bond movie.  Grayson is a secret agent in every sense of the word.  He is suave, he’s deadly, and he even wears a tuxedo.  Deciding to turn the longest running member of the Batman Family from superhero to superspy last year was a choice I questioned, but the sales numbers don’t lie.  And, to be frank, the book is good.  He’ll put on a costume again in time- that much is nearly a guarantee, but for the time being, I’m going to keep reading the series and hope that at some point the former Boy Wonder introduces himself as, “Grayson.  Dick Grayson.”

Batgirl #41

Now is as good a time as any to come clean about this:  I have had a gigantic crush on Barbara Gordon my entire life.  All of the Batgirls, really, but Barbara especially.  From the Sixties show to Batman: The Animated Series, she’s been my favorite.  The new look and direction that Batgirl has taken since Brenden Fletcher, Cameron Stewart, and Babs Tarr became the creative team on the book has reignited that schoolboy crush tenfold.  I don’t even know what it is, but Fletcher & Co. just get Barbara Gordon. 

The variant cover theme for this month is celebrating the 75^th Anniversary of The Joker.  Almost every book this month has an alternative cover depicting its title character with The Clown Prince of Crime.  When these covers were first announced, there was an instantaneous backlash regarding the cover to Batgirl #41 (pictured below).  Barbara and The Joker have a storied past.  Most notably, however, would be that one time he shot her in the spine causing her to be paralyzed, then proceeding to photograph her naked (with implied sexual assault), all in an attempt to drive Jim Gordon, Barbara’s dad and Commissioner of the Gotham City Police, to a mental breakdown.  It didn’t work, but Barbara was left with scars both physical and emotional.  The variant cover is an “homage” to the cover of The Killing Joke, the graphic (pun intended?) novel in which the assault occurs.  DC and artist of the cover, Rafael Albuquerque immediately cancelled the cover and issued a statement apologizing to any fans that were offended by the cover.

As far as the actual story within this issue goes, I don’t think it would be possible for Jim Gordon to become Batman and not have to interact with Batgirl at some point.  To their credit, the creative team went straight for it.  I think the All-New Batman/Jim Gordon will be present in Batgirl for at least the foreseeable future, which will make for some great moments in upcoming issues.  I am most definitely looking forward to issue #42 next month.

With the first month of DC You under the utility belt, I hope that everyone who read these last four entries was able to find a book (or ten) that they could read and enjoy.

As always, thanks for reading!

-Josh

Sources: excerpts from primary source interviews; Wikipedia

 
Batman, related characters, and images in this blog are owned and trademarked by DC Comics, a division or Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc.

DC You, Part Three

“Absence makes the heart grow fonder.”

There are few phrases that ring more true than the one above.  How many times have you been distanced (for whatever reason) from someone that you want to see or talk to and each day seems progressively worse than the day prior?  Imagine the feeling you have when you know you’ll see that person again soon.  Now imagine the feeling when that odyssey reaches its end and you look up to see that person’s beautiful face.  It’s as if the entire world fades away and the only thing in existence is them.

For about two years, the Justice League book published by DC Comics has been mired in crossover after crossover ("Throne of Atlantis", "Trinity War", "Forever Evil"), has seen line-up changes (Green Lantern leaves, Lex Luthor and Shazam arrive), and has basically been in a state of flux.  While this isn’t a bad thing (as a matter of fact, Justice League has been consistently one of my favorite titles), sometimes you just want an epic scale story with the premier superhero team in comic history.

So, imagine how overjoyed I was at the announcement that superstar writer/artist Bryan Hitch (The Ultimates, Authority, Fantastic Four) would be working on a new series, simply titled Justice League of America.  More on that later, let’s take a look at some other releases this week.

Black Canary #1

Spinning out of the pages of Batgirl, writer Brenden Fletcher (also co-writer of Batgirl) is taking DC Comics’ star siren on tour with her band, also named Black Canary.  While this is still a superhero comic, and there’s quite a bit of fighting, the book is different from its spandex-clad sister-title, not just in the art style, but in the way that the character relationships are being built.  I’m looking forward to seeing Black Canary on their next tour stop in July.

Dr. Fate #1

A hallmark character of DC Comics, the original Doctor Fate first appeared in May of 1940.  There have been numerous heroes to bear the name “Fate” in the long publishing history of the character, the newest being Khalid Nassour, a medical student of Egyptian descent.  Much like Black Canary this week and several other books in the past two, this book looks to break the “house style” and go for something truly visually different.  Sonny Liew’s art is definitely different than your traditional superhero fare.  Egyptian mythology is something that has always interested me so, while I picked up #1 to review for the blog, I’ll be picking up July’s #2 out of pure interest spiked by this issue.

Martian Manhunter #1

J’onn J’onzz, the Martian Manhunter was long overdue for his own solo series, in my opinion.  A perennial member of the Justice League, J’onn is getting the chance to break out on his own and writer Rob Williams is not wasting any time in doing just that.  “Everything you know about Martian Manhunter is wrong” is a line I’ve seen used in promotion for this series and, in a way, it fits perfectly.  He changes shape, he has telepathic abilities, he is the sole survivor of the Martian race.  Those are the three things you need to know going into the series and by the end of this issue, one of those things is no longer true.  Based on the strong first outing of this series, I’ll definitely be picking up #2.

Wonder Woman #41

One of the more curious additions to Wonder Woman’s origin in recent years has been the revelation that she is the daughter of Hippolyta (Queen of the Amazons, that’s not new) and Zeus (Greek God of Thunder and King of the Gods, that is new).  Roping in the Greek Pantheon has instantly bulked Wonder Woman’s supporting cast to gargantuan size.  This issue takes time to highlight both sides of Wonder Woman’s world, featuring Greek Gods and her Amazonian sisters.  I will say, though, that the entire issue felt like set up for the reveal of her new costume (as seen on the cover).  There is, however, set up for the next conflict in Wonder Woman’s life.

Robin, Son of Batman #1

A spiritual successor to the Batman and Robin series, writer Peter Tomasi and artist Patrick Gleason continue the story of Damian Wayne.  This time, the Boy Wonder is on his own.  Venturing across the world, Robin looks to atone for the sins of his past committed when still part of the League of Assassins (led by his grandfather, Ra’s al Ghul).  The premise of this entire series looks to depict the maturation of Damian as a human being and the transformation of Damian into the mold of what (he presumes) his father wants him to be.  The first solo title for a Robin since Tim Drake starred in the title in 2009, this book will be remaining on my read-list for sure.

Superman/Wonder Woman #18

Continuing the “Truth” storyline for the Superman titles, SM/WW #18 takes the title heroes to Superman’s hometown of Smallville.  Building from plot lines from last year’s Action Comics, Superman and Wonder Woman investigate attacks on Superman’s family and friends in Smallville.  Staying in lockstep with the other Superman titles, the Man of Steel’s identity is now known to the world at large, which plays a role in this story.  There will be a guest star(s) in July’s #19, and the last page reveal is an exciting look at said crossover.

Prez #1

Originally created in 1973 by Joe Simon (co-creator of Captain America), the first Prez was a teenage boy who was elected President of the United States.  The series looked to appeal to the “baby boomer” demographic, which would have been the largest group of comic book readers in the seventies.  Reimagining the series for modern audiences, this iteration of Prez features a teenage girl, Beth Ross, who is elected President via a Twitter poll in the year 2036.  Can’t make this shit up.  The book is actually a really interesting read.  Lots of social, political, and cultural commentary.  I can’t find any verification, but I believe this is a limited series, so I’ll probably continue through based on intrigue alone.

Secret Six #3

The Secret Six is a concept I love: six seemingly random characters thrown onto a team together.  More anti-hero than villain, the six of them band together to accomplish mutual goals.  A creative success from the late 2000s/early 2010s, the title was revived for The New 52 with issue #1 being released way back in December 2014.  With delays in shipping and the two-month break for Convergence, #3 hits the stands today.  Basically all you need to know going into this issue is that the six were held captive for quite some time by an enemy unknown, but they managed to escape in #2.  The issue picks up with the team attempting to adjust to life together in suburban Gotham City (which exists, despite how weird it sounds).  Secret Six #3 takes the silver medal this week.

Justice League of America #1

I’ve looked forward to this book for months and it lived up to every bit of hype my mind imposed upon it.  Clocking in at 56 pages, this mammoth issue is well worth the $5.99 price tag.  “#1” on the cover of your book is oftentimes used as an excuse for the story on the pages within to be nothing up set-up for the issues that follow.  Hitch does not employ this logic here.  Every page feels necessary and contributes to the scope of the story.  “Cinematic” is the most appropriate word I can think to use here, as this issue feels the most like a movie of any comic book I have ever read.  The whole gang is here and each member is highlighted in his or her own unique way.  Plot threads are laid for the team to be split up in the coming issues (Flash & Green Lantern should get a heavy portion of #2 or #3 dedicated to just the two of them) and one member of the team is still off on his own.  According to writer/artist Bryan Hitch, the villain of the story is new and old, stating both that "you've heard of him before," and that the villain is "one for the old comic fans…but at the same time something completely new because you've never actually seen this character before."  That’s got me excited for #2 alone.  Speaking of, longtime comic fans are probably skeptical of Hitch not only being on the art of this book, but actually being the writer as well.  Well known for his high standard of quality, Hitch is not necessarily known for his timeliness.  If reports are true, Hitch has been working on this series for about two years in somewhat secrecy.  I, for one, am hoping this is true, because I cannot wait for issue #2 (and #3 and #4 and #5 and #6…).

If my words haven’t sold you on this book, please, allow the first four pages to do so.  See what I mean when I say “cinematic”?

One more week for DC You’s breakout month to go!  Thanks for reading!

-Josh

Sources: excerpts from primary source interviews; Wikipedia; Bleeding Cool

 
Batman, related characters, and images in this blog are owned and trademarked by DC Comics, a division or Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc.

DC You, Part Two

Week Two of the new DC You is upon us.  This week’s offerings are different than last week’s in more ways than one.  I’m pretty sure DC could/should have staggered the releases a bit better, in so much that this week contained three books headlined (or at least co-headlined) by the All-New Batman, Jim Gordon.  In a month with four Wednesday’s, I’d have liked to have seen (at the very least) Batman #41 and Detective Comics #41 on separate weeks.

My only other complaint about this week needs a bit of a preface.  Going into DC You, the publisher made it clear that they were going with a “story over continuity” approach, which is all great in my book… To a degree.  Basically what this means is that each creative team (writer and artists) are able to tell stories that they want to tell without worrying about the goings-on of other books.  Like I said, that is great.  I’m all for more creative freedom.  However…  When that freedom hinders a story, or takes me out of the story entirely, that is when it begins to be a problem.  In Batman/Superman #21, Superman has no idea that Batman is (presumed) dead.  In that same book, Lex Luthor appears and makes mention of Superman’s secret identity having been revealed, yet makes no mention of the fact that they very recently were on a team together (Lex is part of the Justice League, whose current storyline, Darkseid War, takes place before all of the other DC You books).  In cases like this, when you’re dealing with characters and stories which are closely related, I would prefer continuity that is a little bit tighter.

Let’s go ahead and just jump into the previews.

All-Star Section 8 #1

What the f*** did I just read?  A former superhero (Sixpack) and recovering alcoholic is accidentally served a drink at a party which causes him to revert into his secret identity and reform his team of misfit heroes known as Section 8 (a play on the military parlance for “mentally unfit for duty”).  Only having seven members, Sixpack attempts to recruit Batman as their eighth (it is called Section 8, after all).  I just… I don’t even know with this book.  I enjoy diversity in the line (I loved Bat-Mite and Bizarro, remember!?), but I don’t think I’ll be reading issue #2 of this series.

Earth 2: Society #1

My love for the actual Golden Age of Comics, the real Earth-2, and the real Justice Society of America skews my view of anything DC has done with the new Earth 2 since re-launching it in 2012.  The characters reimagined anew are similar to their Golden Age counterparts in name and (sort of) look, but the appeal of Earth-2, to me, is not offering something “similar but different”, it’s evoking a sense of nostalgia for days long gone.  Earth 2: Society is a modern take on the concept, which is directly opposed to what the concept actually is.  I probably will not be reading this series going forward.

Harley Quinn #17 & Catwoman #41

Okay, I’m doing these two together because they both suffered from the same problem.  Going hand-in-hand with what I mentioned earlier about continuity, every book in the DC You “re-launch” was supposed to have been a great entry point into those stories.  Neither of these books lived up to that promise.  They are the beginning of new stories for both characters; however, both would come across as better stories having read the past six or eight issues.  Because I had not read any issues of either of these series’ prior to this, I felt somewhat lost going in to these issues.   After having read both, I was hooked enough to want to continue reading both series, as both began decent (or intriguing, if nothing else) stories.

Gotham Academy #7

One of my favorite books prior to the DC You re-launch, Gotham Academy not only stars a young group of characters, but the creative team are all young.  Youth is something missing from comics, in my opinion, so this book is a much needed injection into the publishing line.  The introduction of Damian Wayne, Robin and the son of Bruce Wayne, in this issue was great.  This book has mined the Batman mythos with small name characters and Easter eggs appearing in each issue, which I love.  Billed as “Hogwarts in Gotham City”, this book will definitely keep my readership.

Starfire #1

Starfire is a character who has been written out of character for the past several years, according to some.  Not having been an avid Teen Titans reader, I couldn’t tell you whether there’s any weight to this claim, but what I can tell you is that the debut issue of Starfire’s solo series was a fantastic read.  As an alien, the story works well as a “fish out of water” story with Starfire not understanding sarcasm, learning the concept of needing money, etc.  Introduction of a supporting cast and set up for a larger story going into the next issues were the two best parts of this book.  And the art.  Holy crap, the art.  Looking forward to continuing this series next month.

Constantine: The Hellblazer #1

The surprise of the week.  John Constantine is a character I really want to like.  I tried reading Justice League Dark (in which he starred), I tried his last solo series, I tried watching the television series.  Nothing kept me coming back.  This book knocked it out of the park.  It has supernatural elements, it has horror, it’s true to the core of the character.  The art was great, the layout of the book was interesting.  I don’t think I can sing the praises of this issue enough.  Can’t wait for issue #2.

Batman/Superman #21

I mentioned my complaints of this book earlier, so I’ll focus on the positives here.  Like I said last week, I love the “four-issue a month, weekly story progress” concept that the Superman books are taking.  It harkens back to the era of the comics industry in which I grew up and became a reader.  The dynamic between Superman and the new Batman will be the selling point of the story moving forward.  I’m interested to see how the two will work together (or perhaps they won’t) in the absence of Bruce Wayne.

Detective Comics #41

Although it typically stars Batman, Detective Comics works extremely well as an anthology book or a book that can have a larger or a rotating cast.  With the new status quo of the Batman books, Detective Comics will serve as an alternate look at how the cultural climate in Gotham City is changing.  Now starring the Gotham City Police Department (Harvey Bullock and the “Batman Task Force” in particular, Detective looks to keep its tone as a gritty crime book and will leave the superheroing to the main Batman book.  With the creative team staying the same as it was prior to the DC You re-launch, one could assume that it will retain the high quality it has seen for the past year or so.  Looking forward to issue #42 in July.

Batman #41

The gem of the week.  After the presumed death of Bruce Wayne in April’s Batman #40, the Gotham City Police Department has initiated “Project Batman”, a program that looks to have Gotham’s protector on the city payroll (and under their command).  It was leaked several months ago that former GCPD Commissioner Gordon would assume the mantle of the Bat and would sport a brand new suit of armor rather than the traditional Batsuit.

Yes, I took this in my car after leaving the comic shop last night.

As with literally every story Scott Snyder has written going all the way back to Batman #1 in September 2011, I’ve said, “man, I don’t know…” and like every time before, after reading I said, “damn it, that was cool.”  Greg Capullo’s art was impeccable as always.  The splash page reveal of the armor in all its glory is probably going to end up as the wallpaper of one of my devices in the very near future.  Snyder has said in multiple interviews that Gotham City is as much of a character in his run on Batman as the title hero.  This issue begins to introduce and flesh out neighborhoods (“Little Cuba”) and districts (“The Narrows”) of Gotham City that will serve as the backdrop of the story going forward.  Additionally, new villains will be introduced in the coming issues as a response to the new status quo of Gordon as Batman.  A story that just takes a character and puts him in the cape and cowl without changing anything else and expects it to be as good as the real Batman will never be as good as one that takes a new Batman and adjusts the world around him accordingly.  This is the difference between Azrael-Batman and Dick Grayson-Batman.  With his own supporting cast and his own villains, I’m hoping the All-New Batman will be as great as the latter.  July’s #42 cannot ship soon enough.

Thanks for reading!

-Josh

Sources: excerpts from primary source interviews; Wikipedia

 
Batman, related characters, and images in this blog are owned and trademarked by DC Comics, a division or Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc.