Week 2 of the DC reboot upped the ante by releasing thirteen issues instead of one; and while the quantity definitely increased, quality wasn’t exactly what was promised for all the new comics. I read five of the thirteen new #1’s for this week’s review including two of the company’s flagship titles.
Action Comics
This is where it all began. Superman was the very first superhero, debuting in the original Action Comics #1. It was an origin story that told how the Man of Steel came to be. So how does this compare to the original? It’s not an origin story but starts the reader out early in Superman’s career. With All-Star Superman scribe Grant Morrison writing this, it has to be gold. Right?
Behold the defender of truth, justice, and the American way, ladies and gents.
What? That’s the first page of their flagship title? Do they know which character they’re writing for? This seems less like Superman and more like Frank Miller era Batman. This put me off of it instantly.
Superman has been in Metropolis for six months and makes criminals confess by being a dick and scaring the shit out of them until they squeal to the proper authorities. This just doesn’t seem like the Superman that comic fans across the world have loved. If they’re trying to make him all gritty and badass, it’s not going to work. Leave the grittiness to Batman.
Meanwhile, Clark Kent is working for a newspaper (I’m not sure which. He’s working for Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen’s paper’s rival but they didn’t say which she worked for) and is late on making his rent. I really hope his rent doesn’t become a recurring storyline. Also, General Lane has enlisted the help of Lex Luthor to capture Superman.
The writing just doesn’t feel like Grant Morrison’s best. Some of the dialogue just doesn’t flow like it should. My personal favorite example is when Jimmy Olsen’s phone begins ringing:”I hate this phone. It’s my own personal stalker.” What?!?! That doesn’t make sense. I’m going to give Action Comics two more issues; if it doesn’t better, no worries. I can always get my grittiness quota from its sister comic.
Detective Comics
The cover had me really excited for this one: a bloodied Joker laid out in a mass of doll heads with Batman standing over him. The Bat is back and he is better than ever. What I really like about Detective Comics #1is that it ACTUALLY has Batman using his detective skills. In the years past, it feels like he’s really moved away from his detective roots.
In this first issue, the Caped Crusader is tracking Joker. He internally monologues about how Joker has managed to kill “One-hundred and fourteen men, women, and children over the past years.” Holy shit. The Reboot universe’s Joker has been hard at work!
Other Batman mainstays are present. We see Alfred being as Alfredy awesome as ever as he buys spa weekends for Bruce’s ditched love interest. There’s also a small bit where the narration goes over to Jim Gordon in a very Batman: Year One fashion. Unlike Action Comics, they’re pulling Frank Miller when he was still vaguely sane.
I don’t want to say much more about this comic because I really want you to go read it. There’s a new villain in the Bat’s Rogues Gallery and he is to be feared. The last page of this comic? I don’t even have the words to describe it and I don’t want to. All of you need to see it for yourselves.
Green Arrow
He does have sideburns now . Does he get his skills from facial hair?
Ever since I read Green Arrow: Year One by Andy Diggle and Jock, Oliver Queen has been one of my favorite heroes in the DC universe. In a world filled with a Man of Steel, the god-like fighting abilities of Batman, and all-powerful megabeings, there’s Green Arrow. Just a simple marksman with a couple of tricks that wants to make the world a better place.
Three things are missing from this comic and I think they make it better. First off, that stupid Van Dyke beard is gone. Such a distinct beard would definitely (and it did on one occasion) give away his secret identity. Second off, Green Arrow has always been famous for being a very liberal superhero. As recently as Kevin Smith’s Quiver, I can remember Arrow calling cops “Fascist pigs.” While his standing in the political spectrum has yet to be seen, he did call cops police instead of pigs. So that’s something.
Finally, it seems that Star City doesn’t really exist anymore. Queen Industries is centered in Seattle. I like this move. While Gotham, Metropolis, and even Coast City are a bit iconic, putting the rest of the heroes in actual cities adds a sense of realism.
I really liked this comic. It was action packed and gave birth to a new kind of Green Arrow that I look forward to following.
Stormwatch
I feel like I shouldn’t say this but before this comic, I’d never read any Stormwatch before. I’d read all about it though! I know about Apollo, The Midnighter, and Jack Hawksmoor. I just never got around to reading the comics themselves. So when I saw that it was part of the Reboot, I was excited to have the opportunity to start reading.
While Stormwatch #1 was an origin comic, I don’t think it did the best job explaining everything. You’re introduced to the characters but are given very little back story on them. Jack Hawksmoor, the Projectionist, and Martian Manhunter (did the JLA kick him out?) are in Russia while Jenny Quantum and some Will.I.Am. looking dude are in the Himalayas. Elsewhere, there are folks in a control center in space and finally…there’s a swordsman that’s fighting the moon. What?
As a new Stormwatch reader, I was greatly confused by most of this. There’s something bad coming but I don’t know what. I really hope the story picks up because I was looking forward to reading the series. I do have to make a mention of something amazing that’s already being hinted at: A battle between Apollo and Superman. This could be a fight so massive it could rip the Earth in half. Fingers crossed for it coming soon.
Swamp Thing
I originally hadn’t intended to get this comic but a couple different people recommended it before I even got to the check out. So I grabbed it and decided to give it a shot. And I’m glad I did. Scott Synder perfectly captures the character of Dr. Alec Holland as the character gives the book’s narration. The reader is quickly presented with a mystery.
Simultaneously, a large group of birds die in Metropolis, cows die across Coast City, all the bats in the batcave (except Bruce) fall dead, and a ton of fish die around Aqua Man. There’s no reason for this, but it leads Superman (being much less of a dickhead here than in Action Comics) to track down Alec Holland. Alec is human and has memories of being Swamp Thing; but can’t give a reason for why he’s human again.
He tells Supes that the deaths were just a fluke of nature and that nothing should be thought of it. The reader is treated to a few rather morbid scenes that quickly ensure us that there is much more happening in nature than Dr. Holland thinks.
The entire comic is very well paced with fantastic writing and art. I’m glad I picked it up and I’m really looking forward to the next issue of this series.
Batgirl
Barbara’s spine gets fixed, she goes back to heroing, and has an intense fear of guns? Yeah, fuck this comic.
—-
That wraps up my review/nerdrage for this week. Go out and enjoy the new #1’s, comic fans.
No comments:
Post a Comment