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.

DC You, Part One

Several months ago, I wrote about reboots.  What they are, how they impact the characters we love, and ultimately what they mean to us as the audience.  In the case of DC’s line-wide “reboot”, it’s not so much of a wiping away of the old and ushering in the new, but more of what those in the comic industry call a “jumping on point”.  Typically, a #1 issue is the place to start with a book, and if you don’t, you’ll pretty much be lost in the story.   That’s not a 100% guarantee either, though, as many writers try to make each issue (or at least every other issue) easily accessible to readers.  On the flip side, Marvel is keen on re-launching their titles every 12 or so issues, but the story stays fluid.  So, if you picked up, say Daredevil #1 that came out about a year ago, you’d have found that not much changed and it could have very easily been issue #37.

In prepping for this post (and in reflection of some events in my own life), I’ve seen how easily people come in and out of our lives so seamlessly at times.  I couldn’t tell you how many times I’ve discussed a situation with someone new in my life and felt the need to give copious amounts of back story to give the full effect.  Ultimately, that’s not always necessary, is it?  Oftentimes it’s easier to just jump right into the thick of it and move on with the story rather than detailing, often painstakingly, how we got to where we are today.  I think about myself as a person over the last eight or ten years, or the last three or four specifically, and if I took a snapshot of my life from each of those years, they would be markedly different.  2006 or 2007 would see a brasher, less forward thinking version of me.  2010 would be a stark comparison to that, as I had matured quite a bit at that point – in fact, I was maybe trying to be more mature than I should have at that age.  2012 would paint the picture of a very emotionally and mentally broken person.  2015 is a complete turnaround of that.  I said all of that to say that while the sum of our experiences define us as people, never should you judge a person based on one day or one action or one day of their life.

In that post all those months ago, I previewed several books that would be published by DC Comics beginning in June.  DC has since rebranded the initiative as “DC You”, basing the marketing of these new series’ on the idea that there’s something for everyone.  With the first Wednesday in June down, I’ve read eight of the books and I have to say that I was impressed with (mostly) each one and in very different ways.  I didn’t rate these with letter grades or based on a scale of 1-10, but I did list them in order of how much I enjoyed each one.  Let’s take a look.

Omega Men #1

I honestly couldn’t tell you what happened in this book other than the fact that the Omega Men are super-powered (?) criminals who are imprisoned on a planet that is not Earth.  Essentially, the entire comic is the story of a prison-break whereby a giant tiger (aptly named Tigorr) is released.  A quick search on the Google machine tells me that the team was originally created by famed writer Marv Wolfman and first appeared in Green Lantern #141 in June 1981.  The entire issue felt sort of like the prison scenes in Guardians of the Galaxy, but without Rocket.  And not funny.  Or Good.  I do not believe I will be picking up Omega Men #2 when it drops in July.

Batman Beyond #1

Originally, I wasn’t going to read this book.  Yes, it’s Batman, but it’s also not Batman.  It’s Batman Beyond.  In 1999, the DC Animated Universe (aboutwhich I’ve written at length) launched a new series titled Batman Beyond, the story of a teenager who takes up the mantle of the Bat when Bruce Wayne becomes too old to continue.  I never really dug the show as a kid, but I’ve watched a few episodes recently and it’s not bad, it just hasn’t quite hooked me like the other DCAU shows did.  In any event, because of my apathy toward the character and concept in general, I had not initially planned on reading this, but when I saw an awesome variant cover (not the one above, but you can see the one I’m talking about on Instagram @joshvess1) I couldn’t say no.  It was an intriguing read.  After reading 40-something issues of Future’s End between this year and last, I’m a little burnt out on post-apocalyptic, dystopian futures, but this was decent enough for me to be inclined to give #2 a read next month.

Bizarro #1

True to their marketing, DC is indeed trying to offer something for everyone through DC You.  The premise of the story is Bizarro, the clone of Superman gone wrong, and Jimmy Olsen, Superman’s pal, on a road trip across the United States.  This is very much a comedy series and, in that vein, is perfect for kids.  It’s only a six-issue mini-series, so I’ll probably stay the course and read the whole thing, not only because it was surprisingly good, but because the central villain of the first issue is King Tut, one of the wackier D-list villains from the Sixties Batman television series.

Green Arrow #41

Being the fan of CW’s Arrow that I am, I actually started reading this volume of Green Arrow way back in issue #17.  The comic had a stellar creative team (writer Jeff Lemire and artist Andrea Sorrentino) at the time and it offered something similar to the show, but with grander scope.  After Lemire and Sorrentino left, Andrew Kreisberg and Ben Sokolowski, who are executive producer and staff writer for CW’s Arrow, took over.  It became way too much like the show and not in good ways.  This issue, complete with new writer Ben Percy, who penned two issues of Detective Comics late last year that I loved, is great.  It’s the beginning of a gritty crime story, the art is fantastic, and it has ties to the greater DC Universe.  Definitely picking up issue #42 in July.

Bat-Mite #1

This series is a kindred spirit of Bizarro.  Both are comedy books, both are linked to one of DC’s “Big Two” (Batman and Superman), and both are mini-series.  Bat-Mite, for those of you (everyone, possibly) that don’t know, is a magical Imp from the Fifth Dimension.  One of the things I love about comics is that the answer to a question is “magical Imp from the Fifth Dimension” and I have to say that with a straight face.  Bat-Mite idolizes Batman, but his child-like nature causes the two to come in conflict.  Based on an interview with series writer Dan Jurgens, Bat-Mite will feature a little bit of a team-up dynamic, with Hawkman and Robin (and more than likely others) to be featured throughout the series.  I had the lowest expectations for this book than all of the others and came out if the read glad that I was wrong.  Like Bizarro, I’ll likely pick up the entire mini-series.

Green Lantern #41

I stopped reading Green Lantern a long time ago.  With the main title (as well as Green Lantern Corps, Sinestro, and New Guardians) moving from one giant crossover to the next, I just got tired.  Combine with that the fact that the whole “space cop” thing can get old pretty quick, and the Green Lantern title got the axe from my pull list.  So, when I read that the new direction of the book going forward was going to feature Hal Jordan as a renegade without his Green Lantern ring (he’s got this cool gauntlet that uses energy from the GL Central Power Battery or some such nonsense), I was sold.  This was a great read.  Focusing on Hal and not bogging the story down with ancillary GLs or all the other Rainbow Lanterns is a fresh take on the character and the right move, in my opinion.

Action Comics #41

Speaking of “fresh takes”…  The world knows Clark Kent is Superman.  His powers have diminished.  He’s riding a motorcycle.  The “Truth” storyline, which is set to run the entire summer, I believe, will detail the how’s and why’s of the Man of Steel’s change in status quo.  One of the big things I miss from the 90s is the Superman books and how they crossed over into one another.  Each book featured the ‘S’ logo (“on my world, it means ‘hope’.”) with a number denoting the reading order of the books.  Having an internal continuity with the Superman line of titles, I think, allows for better storytelling and having that level of organization helps keep the narrative on a path.  In the era comics are in today, there are entirely too many crossover stories and very little is done to keep the reader on the right path.  This summer, the “Truth” storyline will continue, not just in Action Comics #42, but into next week’s Batman/Superman #21, the week after in Superman/Wonder Woman #18, and the end of the month in Superman #41.  Having those four titles contain their own story brings us a step closer to the mid-to-late-90s, which was the height of Superman storytelling.  Of course, I am biased, as that was (along with Batman, Detective Comics, etc.), the bulk of my reading list in my formative years.  This particular issue got the story off to a strong start.  If you’re a Superman fan, pick this book up.

Justice League #41

After more than a year of build, "The Darkseid War" has started.  First teased in Forever Evil #7, Darkseid and the Anti-Monitor (of Crisis on Infinite Earths fame) are on a collision course.  With wildcards such as Mister Miracle, the mysterious Myrina Black, and the newly introduced Grail (who is Darkseid’s daughter) in the mix, it’s hard to predict where this story will lead.  DC’s Free Comic Book Day issue, titled Divergence, and last month’s Justice League #40 offered sneak peeks at both where the story is headed and from whence the beginnings of this story came, but picking up Justice League #41 offers the reader a sufficient entry point into the story.  Three things essential for you to know going into this story:

• The Anti-Monitor is a bad dude.  He goes from universe to universe destroying them and ours is next on his list.
• Darkseid is also a bad dude.  The Justice League defeated him roughly six or seven (in storytelling time) years ago and he hasn’t been back on Earth since, but he is amassing an army for is eventual return.
• Lex Luthor is a member of the Justice League.  He and Superman still aren’t best buddies, but Luthor is part of the gang.

Justice League writer Geoff Johns has said that the story is really Darkseid vs. Anti-Monitor and the Justice League is caught in the middle.  Going into the story, I got the impression that Wonder Woman and Batman would be the main focus of the story, but after reading Justice League #41, I’m convinced that each and every member of the team will get their moment in the spotlight.  I am eagerly waiting Justice League #42 in July.

I’m going to follow the same format for the next three posts to cover the rest of the DC You books coming out the rest of this month.  I hope each of you go out and pick something up!

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.