The DC Reboot: Out with the Old, In with the New

The DC Reboot has been a smashing success that has transferred many a reader from being Marvel loyal to a big DC fan (myself included). But, not every series can be the massive hit that Detective Comics, All-Star Western,  Aquaman, and Batwoman have been. The following six issues have been cancelled: Mister Terrific, O.M.A.C. (I called that getting canned),  Blackhawks, Men of War, Hawk and Dove, and Static Shock.

Aside from Static Shock, I don’t remember hearing anyone getting massively excited over any of the series. I am surprised Static Shock is getting axed. My best friend has said absolutely wonderful things about the series and has made it out to be one of the more innovative comics of the relaunch.

The old dogma says, “Out with the old, in with the new!” So what are the new comics that are making up the second wave of the DC Reboot?

1. The Ravagers - This series talks about four super powered teens that are on the lam from people that want to turn them into supervillians. Is it just me or does this sound a lot like Brian K. Vaughan’s The Runaways?
2. G.I. Combat - Written by Green Arrow writer J.T. Krull, this is a war comic that’s a retelling the 1960 comic arc, The War That Time Forgot. It features elements of military, Sci-Fi, and FREAKING dinosaurs. But didn’tMen Of War just get cancelled? Is another war comic really the way to go?
3. Dial H – This series promises to examine the psychological effects of an everyman that suddenly gains superpowers. That is all I can find on it.That and it stems from Dial H For Hero. Regardless, I’ll probably be picking it up.
4. Earth 2 - This series centers around The Justice Society, the JL from an alternate Earth as they deal with issues that could possibly cross dimensions. I usually try to stick away from alternate reality titles. It gives me a migraine (the exact reason I try to ignore the existence of Scott Summer’s 128 bastard children).
5. World’s Finest - Despite not being a fan of alternate universe stories, this one interests. It takes two of my favorite DC chicks and throws them into an alternate reality as they try to fight their way back to their Earth. Both Power Girl and Huntress have been unfairly unrepresented in the reboot and it’s high time for them to shine (Yes, I am aware of the Huntress mini-series. It is very bad ass.) I’m just curious to see how Power Girl and Huntress got stranded and am eagerly awaiting to see how they’ll work together.
6. Batman, Incorporated - Why won’t this series just die!?! It was a dumb idea to start out with! Batman isn’t going to be scary if there are 40 Batmen across the globe doing the same thing. That defeats his entire purpose of seeming like a monster that’s after criminals in the night. It’s not fear, it’s a paramilitary force. Seriously, look at the Native American Batman. It’s just…the less words the better. I hope this gets cancelled quickly and they give us a series based around The Question. With Brian Azzarello writing it. He’d be much better with The Question than Wonder Woman. *shudder*

Seriously; He's on a buffalo. Could we get more stereotypical?

So that’s the new and the old. I’ll probably review one of the new #1s. If you’d like to see my thoughts on the others I pick up, you should be badass and follow me on twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/ChrisX104 . Insane ramblings will ensue.

Afternote: With Hawk and Dove getting cancelled, DC needs a new place to shove Rob Leifeld. He’ll be taking over Deathstroke at issue 9. Drop it like it’s gone bad, people.

The DC Reboot Round Up: Week 5

Welcome to the fifth and final week of my DC reboot reviews. 52 new comics were released and I’ve reviewed a good solid chunk of them. And for the greater part, they’ve been pretty damn good. I won’t lie, DC has done their homework and is definitely more of a player than they once were. So here goes my final review of the new titles; and before I start, here is your SPOILER ALERT. Keep in mind, I try to keep the spoilers to a minimum but some things can’t be avoided.

All Star Western

Gotham's got no idea what's coming.

For an extra dollar, this was a double wide issue that really brought the reader into the world of 1880′s Gotham City. The title is actually a bit of false advertising; while it does take place in the 1800′s, Gotham is a very much industrialized place that lies in the East. Yet, some of the classic themes of Western comics come into play (Evidently, Gotham fought for the North. Figures.)

The story starts with Jonah Hex’s arrival in Gotham. He is a fish out of water as he walks into the city with CSA uniform on, his pistols around his waist, and his horse at his side. Hex was called to the big city by Dr. Amadeus Arkham, a brilliant psychologist that most readers will know for opening and lending his namesake to Arkham Aslyum. Arkham has called Hex to Gotham to get his help in tracking down a very Jack the Ripperesque killer known as The Gotham Butcher, known for slaughtering prostitutes and leaving messages in their blood.

While Jonah Hex gets the cover and would seem to be the center of this comic, it’s not all about him. If you simplify it down, this is basically a buddy cop story. You have the utterly badass and gritty as hell Jonah Hex paired with a well-educated and very proper Dr. Amadeus Arkham. This team-up is bizarre but really well done. The story is compelling and might actually give the Dark Knight a run for his money.

My only complaint is the narration. Dr. Arkham narrates. A lot. It’s almost exhausting. But it’s most certainly not anything that will keep me from issue 2.

The Flash

It’s not really fair to The Flash that I just finished reading Flashpoint at the start of the month. No Flash comic was going to compare to that awesomeness; but this new number 1 is pretty good, if not a bit formulaic.

Barry Allen is at a party that’s displaying the newest technologies to hit Central City(Why was Green Arrow the only hero to get moved to a real life city? I liked that!!) The technology gets attacked by armed men and since it’s nothing but tech geeks, they’re all doomed. Thankfully, Barry changes into The Flash, kicks ass, and takes names.

To little surprise, the attack is linked to someone from Barry’s past. Barry begins investigating into it and turns up a surprise. The twist on the last page was good. This comic wasn’t anything extremely special but I’m not saying it wasn’t good! It just wasn’t anything that was too new. Maybe I’m just a snob when it comes to Flash now.

Justice League Dark

I bought this for one, very simple reason: John Constantine is in it. This is sort of a big deal! For the past 10-20 years, John has stuck to DC’s Vertigo line and has become one of my favorite all-time comic characters. So when I heard he was going to be part of The Justice League in the reboot, I was perplexed. It just didn’t seem to fit. So, I bought this comic, planning to see if they messed up one of my all time favorite characters. And…

HE WAS ON ONE FREAKING PAGE

The biggest character in this comic and he’s on one page? I’m not going to try to understand it. Ignoring Mr. Constantine getting the shaft, the rest of the comic wasn’t half-bad. Madame Xanadu is getting visions of a dark future (no one ever sees happy futures, do they?) and only the magic wielders of the DC universe can prevent it. This is actually shown to be pretty true as Superman, Wonder Woman, and Cyborg get their worlds rocked as they attempt to fight Enchantress. This leaves the JLA out of their element and needing a new set of heroes to handle the more supernatural elements.

The story was surprisingly good and, holy shit, I love Zatanna’s new look. Despite going into this comic and expecting it to be bad, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it.

The Savage Hawkman

I went into this comic knowing little to nothing about Hawkman. I can honestly still say that I still know very little about Hawkman. This first issue was very confusing and provided very little information for a new reader.

Carter Hall (Hawkman) is burning the harness and wings that give him his powers. The fire turns into a bird and flies into him and then he wakes up in his apartment. More madness ensues and I really didn’t understand a lot of since little to no backstory was provided.

The action wasn’t bad but the art kind of put me off along with the story problems. This comic is definitely a bit of fan service but new readers probably won’t get a whole lot from it.

Green Lantern: New Guardians

Get this comic.

The initial synopsis of this book sounded like nothing special. A central hero that the reader knows (Kyle Rayner) is assembling a team of heroes that have differing opinions on use of power. Whacky hijinks ensue. I expected the first issue to start out with Kyle Rayner trying to maintain order as the group met for the first time and tried not to kill each other.

I was pleasantly surprised. The comic starts with showing the reader how Kyle originally became a Green Lantern. Then it hops forward to the present, showing Kyle still in action. I was pleasantly surprised by how they executed this comic and I don’t want to ruin the surprise. How they brought together the lanterns from all the different spectrums was absolutely brilliant and left me wide eyed and surprised. I’m calling this the sleeper hit of the reboot and I am very excited for issue 2. If you haven’t read it yet, you need to.

Aquaman

Yeah, this thing is going to eat your soul.

I saved the best for last. You read that right. I currently have so much egg on my face, it’s like I tripped into an omlette. In my original, preliminary review, I talked about how Aquaman can’t be cool and how he is a running joke in the comic world. Geoff Johns knew that going into this comic. He used that to make it absolutely brilliant.

Aquaman has one of those “Oh shit” moments that will make you stop and be surprised at just how badass he can be. I found myself saying out loud, to no one in particular, “I didn’t know he could do that!” As Aquaman leaves, cops are in disbelief that they “just got upstaged by Aquaman.” This comic paints Aquaman as a clever, emotional, and kind of a pissy man that has to walk between two worlds.

The real world and the DC universe run close in parallel as someone talks about how he is “nobody’s favorite superhero.” That’s the respect Aquaman is treated too. While this comic both plays on Aquaman’s role in the comic world AND cements him as a badass, it also briefly tells his origin and explains his powers. It’s done tastefully and definitely doesn’t feel like an origin story.

Finally, the villains. Holy crap, The Trench are terrifying. Try to imagine the most evil creature you can and they should be pretty close to your worst nightmares. Not only are they evil looking, they’re hungry. I’m looking forward to seeing how their story unfolds. I’m hoping for a crossover with the rest of the JLA vs The Trench. But even if it’s not, I’ll still be happy. I now know Aquaman can hold his own story and I’d still be happy to read it.

Geoff Johns, Ivan Reis? You guys did it. You made Aquaman cool.

The DC Reboot Round Up: Week 4

Week four of the DC reboot knocked me for a loop. DC released a massive amount of issues that I wanted while, at the same time, Marvel released 3 X-men comics, the new Cap, and the new Daredevil. Due to the monetary restraints of being unemployed, (Aside from Nerdvice. They only pay me in baked goods though) I couldn’t afford everything I was hoping for. If you happened to read Catwoman, Red Hood and the Outlaws, or Birds of Prey, head to the comments and let me know what you think!

But I still managed to get a good deal of them. So without further ado, let’s get to it!

Also: SPOILER ALERT

Green Lantern Corps

If you were wondering where Guy Gardner and John Stewart had disappeared off to, look no further. While Green Lantern focuses mainly on Sinestro and Hal Jordan, GLC focuses mostly on the rest of the Corp. And I’m glad to see John and Guy heading up a comic together.

Seriously, who wouldn't hire these guys?

The comic begins with something rarely seen outside of Spiderman comics, a superhero trying to find a job. Guy Gardner attempts to find a job as a football coach and can’t get hired due to being too much of a liability for the kids. Meanwhile, John Stewart uses his power ring to attempt to scare some politicians as they trying to scorn him for building an overly expensive building (he was just trying to make it safe. But politicians hate happiness!).

I like this comic because it really shows the bromanship between Guy and John. They’re both superheroes with public identities that have trouble in their professional lives because of it. And Peter J. Tomasi does a good job with both characters. John Stewart is serious and undeniably badass while Guy is loud, rude, and uses his ring in the most awesome way possible. I look forward to the rest of the series. The two lead characters are two of my favorites and it’s just good to see them in such perfect form!

Blue Beetle

I’ve never read a Blue Beetle comic before. I’ve always meant to get into it but finding the best place to start and learning the entire back story behind it while keeping up with all the normal complications of life. This, folks, is a pretty good place to start for new readers to the series.

It starts out with a small prologue, demonstrating the absolutely massive power of those that have been overtaken by the Scarab suits. After the prologue, we flashforward to the present and meet our hero, Jamie Reyes. Thankfully, for all the new readers, this is an origin story. It’s the basic origin story, setting up the plot, introducing us to Jamie and his supporting characters, and finally, showing Jamie acquiring the suit.

If nothing else, this comic has me hooked enough to follow through with the first story arc. If nothing else, I want to see Jamie kick some MAJOR ass. My only complaint with the comic is the massive amount of Spanglish. While it wasn’t enough to detract from the story, it kind of left me wondering what they were saying/cursing about sometimes. I guess my Mom was right; I should have taken Spanish in High School.

Supergirl

Here again, we have another origin story. And since I knew Supergirl’s origin, it kind of annoyed me to be seeing it over again. I guess it’s unfair that Blue Beetle did an origin story and it didn’t bother me; but then again, every comic fan knows about what happened to Krypton! It’s been done! Repeatedly!

But this comic did apologize for being an origin story by being pretty badass and action filled. The moment Kara hits Earth, the government is after her. The reader is treated to a nice battle between soldiers in mech suits and Supergirl as she while she tries to deduce where she is and why she suddenly has superpowers! While this comic wasn’t plot heavy and didn’t really seem to be setting up a future plot, I really enjoyed it. The art was fantastic and the action was awesome! I’ll be checking out the next issue for sure!

He is no longer the kid Adam West use to boss around.

Nightwing

I’ve always been a big fan of Dick Grayson. He’s the original Robin and earned his stripes as superhero all in Chuck Dixon’s excellentNightwing series. This series is penned by Kyle Higgins and if you remember last week, I was a bit disappointed by his other new series,Deathstroke. But I went in hoping for the best.

While Deathstroke was formulaic, Nightwing was very much not. It first featured Dick’s monologue about how his time as Batman had changed him and made him into a better hero. I’m actually surprised they didn’t retcon Batman’s death. But then again, they didn’t retcon Batman Inc or Damian Wayne either, so I’m really not that surprised.

The comic features Nightwing on patrol and shows the difference in how Dick and Bruce live their civilian lives. Also, the circus is back in town and Dick is working hard on bringing himself to go visit his old chums under the big tent. While this might sound a little bit silly, I really enjoyed this comic. It was very well written and the fight scenes were some of the best of the entire reboot. Its storyline is also tying into Batman’s, which I’ll get to in a second.

Whether you like it or not, Nightwing is back as his own hero and he is absolutely here to stay.

Batman

Like Detective Comics, Batman was an absolutely excellent read. Detective Comics waited until last page to throw the reader for a loop; Batman was seven pages in when it suddenly had Batman fighting alongside the Joker. It was at this point that I had to go back and reread the first couple of pages to make sure I hadn’t missed anything.

After insuring my own sanity, I kept reading. The comic was very plot heavy and I really don’t want to spoil things. On the Bruce Wayne side, Bruce Wayne is working hard to revitalize Gotham City. On the Batman side? He’s investigating a murder. I’ll just leave it and that and mention that this is where Batman ties in with Nightwing. Go buy this comic if you haven’t.

Wonder Woman

They eighty-sixed her pants by the time the comic actually came out. The industry evidently still knows their target audience

I have the highest of hopes going into Wonder Woman. I mean, come on! It has Brian Azzarello is writing it! With him behind this series, I expect future Eisner awards and a very heavy and intricate plot that’ll make my head explode. As a plus, Cliff Chiang from Green Arrow/Black Canary and Human Target is on the art. It is totally spectacular.

Said head exploding plot begins with three dumb broads we’ve never seen before having champagne with a dude that has pitch black skin and glowing orange eyes. How did these idiots not realizes he was evil based off his appearance? I know you’re not suppose to base a book of it’s cover but COME ON!

Moving forward we meet Zola, a random character that spends the entire comic without finding pants. The plot unfolds, eventually leading Ms. Zola Nobody into encountering Wonder Woman. Diana is in top form as she kicks some centaur ass and takes names. I won’t spoil too much of the plot but it has a very awesome Terminator feel to it. Out of all the new #1’s that came out this week, I’m looking forward to the next issue of Wonder Woman more than anything

Grifter

After missing out on Grifter last week, I was stoked beyond all reason when I finally got my hands on it. I’d built it up so much in my mind, that it was actually kind of a letdown. I’m not saying it’s actually bad! I just had built it up to be so much more in my mind.

Grifter starts off with Cole Cash hurriedly moving through a plane as it takes off. He keeps hearing voices, thinking that the “monsters” are in his head. And then…

You just got pen-stabbed, bitch!

Holy shit. That sure is something. Sadly, the action kind of ends after this scene. The plot jumps back and forth in time like a Lost episode, showing Cole con some big money out of someone, get knocked out, and wake up in a room with some sort of monster. However, the entire comic feels rushed. They could have shown more of the actual con, foreshadowing the oncoming monsters. But instead, the reader is just left with a frantic story that can’t decide if it wants it’s protagonist to be psychotic, charming, badass, or frightened.

I plan on giving this series another few issues because I do really want it to be good. Only time will tell

The DC Reboot Round Up: Week 3

Welcome back to the DC Reboot Round Up, comic fans. We’re three weeks in and DC just keeps cranking out the number #1′s. I could go on and on, but I’ll just go ahead and get to the review. That’s why you’re all here anyway! And as always, consider this your SPOILER ALERT.

Resurrection Man

I’d never read any comics about this character before now. After reading the synopsis of this character, I knew this comic would be a good one. Basically, Mitch Shelley is immortal. Every time he dies, he comes back to life – but there’s a catch. Each time he returns to life, he has a different super power. This is a great angle and I really think writer Dan Abnett can use this well in the rest of the series. Abnett also does an amazing job with the main character’s inner monologue. The narration feels very real and unique.

In this first issue, Mitch wakes up in a morgue with the powers of Magneto and a gut feeling that tells him to go hop a flight towards Portland (Oregon or Maine? We’ll never know). On the flight, trouble begins to brew. I don’t want to go into full details since this is a comic I’m highly recommending. The series looks like it’s going to cross into Hellblazer territory as the two sides both go for the soul of the immortal man. I’m anxious to see this story play out and even more excited to see what powers Mitch wakes up with next time.

Deathstroke

Ah, Deathstroke. Everybody’s favorite assassin (if you completely ignore the existence of Agent 47 and Deadpool.) I’ve always had a soft spot for Deathstroke- and not just because I feel like he kind of got shafted in the comic world.

Slade Wilson....Wade Wilson...How did Leifeld not get sued into a coma?

He is a complete and utter badass. Again and again, Deathstroke proves himself to be one of the most competent strategists in the DC universe. So, I had really high hopes for his new series. Sadly, Deathstroke #1 proved to be a bit formulaic.

Deathstroke is the best he is at what he does (I assume it isn’t pretty.) He gets a job killing some bad guy, whose name left my mind after I turned the page, and retrieve the suitcase said baddie was carrying. Deathstroke gets back up in the form of three younger assassins. They carry the daring mid-air assassination, the baddie ends up having a link to Deathstroke (Look Mom, plot!), and everybody goes home. And, as predicted, Deathstroke kills off the kids he had to work with.

While this comic had some decent gore and action, it wasn’t all that memorable and didn’t really hook me into the story. I may try getting the next one or two issues of the series but if it doesn’t pick up, I’ll just have to give up on Slade ever getting the same credit as his mentally deficient marvel cousin.

Green Lantern

Hal Jordan has been discharged from the Green Lantern Corp and Sinestro has been reinstated as a Lantern. The only bigger turn around in comics I could imagine would be Batman turning the cowl over to The Joker. After all these years of battling back and forth, this is the end result?

Sinestro isn’t entirely willing to be a Green Lantern, though. The comic begins with Sinestro being forced to say the oath of the Green Lantern corps by the guardians to charge up his newly acquired ring. Afterwards, Sinestro heads off, just wanting to go back to his own Lantern corps. The story then begins to hop back and forth between Sinestro and the newly Earthbound Hal Jordan. Hal isn’t adjusting well to normal life. He has no car, he screws things up with Carol, and get’s evicted by the end of the comic (Superman can make his rent, why can’t you Hal!?!) All in all, the comic was very plot heavy and ends with a surprise that will have you itching for the next issue.

This has me wondering, though. In Justice League #1, five years in the past, Hal was the Lantern of Earth’s sector. So when the Justice League series reaches the present time, who will be playing the role of Green Lantern if Hal is depowered in the present? Guy Gardner? John Stewart? Will Hal get his ring back? Or will Sinestro be part of the JLA? This is an outcome I can’t wait to see.

Batwoman

I’ve been super excited for the first issue of Batwoman since they first released art for it. The art is absolutely stunning, especially on Batwoman herself. The story delves into the two sides of Kate Kane’s life. First, we follow Batwoman as she investigates the disappearances of about 13 children from the Hispanic district of Gotham. The investigation takes a paranormal twist as the reader learns of a tale about an old woman who drowned and returned as a vengeful spirit.

The horror/paranormal angle is something that isn’t seen in the Batfamily comics enough these days and I’m glad with its reemergence. On the other side of the coin, we look into Kate’s personal life. Evidently, she has a thing going with a cop lady that also acts as her sidekick. Hopefully, things work out better for this girl than they did for Jason Todd. This #1 also gives a bit of Kate Kane’s back story for the readers that are new to the character (like myself). With an appearance by the Dark Knight himself at the end of the comic, the next issue of this series looks promising!

Grifter

I’d been planning on reviewing this comic about a “charmer Grifter that few can resist that is about to be branded a serial killer.” This sounded like a great comic and I was looking forward to getting to know the character. Fun fact: My comic book store opens at 10. I got there at 1. In that three hour period, EVERY SINGLE issue of Grifterwas purchased. Both Green Lantern and Batwoman were there in large quantities. This leaves me to believe thatGrifter is the single greatest comic in existence. I’m guessing that it must contain all of the following: Explosions, lesbians, chainsaw wielding dolphins, triple breasted space hookers, and everything else that embodies the word awesome.

Also, it's the lovechild of Bruce Campbell and Neil Patrick Harris underneath that mask.

Red Lanterns

Since I didn’t get to grab Grifter this week, I decided to grab another one of the new #1s to fill out my review. The lucky candidate was Red Lanterns. I got two pages in and-

HOLYSHIT! Space cat!?!?!?!

What in the sweet name of shit is that!?!?! It turns out that space cat here belongs to to Atrocitus, head of the Red Lantern corps. And Atrocitus, in all his infinite wisdom, decided to give his cat a power ring. Because, you know, our animals need to have unlimited power.

The rest of the comic is Atrocitus’ monologue. Seriously, that’s all he does. He talks about his past life, the Red Lanterns, and how they’re starting to resist, and about how Hal Jordan “forever denied his vengeance.” And that’s it! Sure, there’s some violence in the flashbacks but nothing that makes me want become a Red Lantern fanboy. The comic just didn’t catch my interest and I literally had to force myself to finish.

There’s also some sub-plot about an old man dying on Earth and his two grandsons arguing. I sense that one of them is going to become the first human Red Lantern. Regardless, I won’t be reading to find out.

________________

That’s it for this week comic fans. I’m going to try to get my hands on the first issue of Grifter to give it a proper review but I can’t make any promises. I’ll see you all next week!

The DC Reboot Round Up: Week 2

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.

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That wraps up my review/nerdrage for this week. Go out and enjoy the new #1’s, comic fans.

The DC Reboot Round-up: Week 1

Welcome to the DC Reboot round-up! Each week this month, I’ll be giving highlights and possibly criticisms of the comics that are hitting the shelves. Keep in mind that, I will not be reading all 52 comics; I do not have the time or money to read all 52 new comics. But I’ll be doing my best to hit a wide variety with the 30-something I am buying. And, without further ado, let me get on to this week’s review!

CONSIDER THIS YOUR SPOILER ALERT

Justice League

This week’s article is going to run a bit short since there was only one comic; BUT WHAT a freaking comic it was! Everything about Justice League just oozed epicness!

I first saw Jim Lee’s art talents on the absolutely perfect Batman: Hush; and since then he has evolved into quite possibly the best artist in the comic book world today. My favorite thing about his art in this first issue is how he depicts Green Lantern. Never before has Hal Jordan’s light felt and looked so unbelievably bright; and the brightness of his creations never seems to fade and I hope they never do.

With a perfect artist to work with, how does Geoff John’s story hold up? Absolute amazingly. While the comic and the cover portray this as a Justice League comic, the actual story would have you believe otherwise. The story starts off five years in the past, in a time when the world had no idea what superheroes were (Who knew we were so ignorant in ’06?). The cops are chasing Batman as he moves across the Gotham City rooftops.

In an explosion of green light, Hal Jordan appears in front of Batman; and here, the reader is treated to the first meeting of two of DC’s biggest heroes. Green Lantern is extremely cocky while Batman keeps his vague condescending persona up. The back and forth insults between the two heroes was definitely my favorite part of this comic. After a promise of a future baddie, the two head off to Metropolis.

While this story works mostly as a Green Lantern/Batman tale, a pre-Cyborg Victor Stone appears in Metropolis. At the very end of the issue, Superman finally shows up in a very Superman-like fashion for his first meeting with Green Lantern and the Caped Crusader. And it is absolutely glorious.

The series has promise on the horizon. With a Superman/Batman fight waiting in the next issue, Darkseid as a villain sometime soon, and the introduction of the rest of the League; this series can’t come out fast enough. Geoff Johns and Jim Lee did their homework and made sure that this comic would set off the DC Reboot with an absolute freaking BANG.

This comic is selling out all across the country. If you haven’t gotten it yet, get up from your seat and go buy it now because this is the start of something that I promise you will want to be a part of.