It's that time again!!! I had a hell of a lot of catching up to do here, but I did it nonetheless, and you can now finally get my thoughts on many of the books for weeks 3 and 4 of DC's re-launch. I'll be making one more post later this week as sort of an "awards" ceremony, including the best of, worst of, and many other unique categories I can't wait to share. Let's begin...
WEEK 3:
Batman #1 – Once again Snyder seems to hit another one out of the park. This issue provided enough info for newcomers to hop aboard without feeling shafted and also a cliffhanger that begs a lot of questions that will have readers dying to find out the answers to. While I don’t believe the theory behind the final page is necessarily the result, I’m already curious to see how things got to the way they did. I think one of the high points of Snyder’s writing has been to throw the reader into a cloud of mystery and slowly unfold the events with each chapter. I see the same formula here, but I’d be lying if I said it didn’t work like a charm each and every time. Pick this one up. 9/10
Blue Beetle #1 – I think this was an overall enjoyable way to start things off. It’s also got me curious enough to at least check out the second issue in order to find out what happens after the quick, but effective cliffhanger ending. I’m hoping this one picks up into something even greater, as I always felt that the Blue Beetle deserved more recognition as a whole. 7/10.
Green Lantern Corps #1 - Definitely enjoyed this one. The idea of Guy Gardner and John Stewart attempting to "blend" into society was entertaining, albeit a little sad at the same time. This book also did not hesitate to show its more violent side. Between Blackest Night, and this new story, there has been quite a bit of Lantern blood spilled. While the issue might not necessarily grab you, it will keep you entertained enough to want to know what will happen next. 8/10
Wonder Woman #1 - This was easily one of the biggest surprises for me. I admit I have not read much of Wonder Woman previously (I've tried multiple times, but never found myself as into her stories up until now), but that is very quickly about to change. This first issue was an excellent set up for what is turning out to be intense and quite creepy. There are a few things that may be a bit off-putting to new readers, especially those without knowledge of previous stories or mythology. That said, I still think just about everyone should check this out. It's as if this was a Vertigo title and not just a straight-up DC comic. Definitely read. This is not what you would expect from a book like this, and I'm finding that only the more intriguing. 9.5/10
WEEK 4:
Aquaman #1 – Not only was this an all around awesome start for this series, but Geoff Johns managed to take a character who’s been the punch line of every horrible superhero joke you can think of, and put him in a fresh and respectable light. I never thought the words “Aquaman” and “badass” could fit into the same sentence, but look at them now! An overall pleasant surprise (though maybe not to some considering Geoff Johns’ other triumphs like Green Lantern and previous Flash issues). 9/10
Batman: The Dark Knight #1 – I admit I wasn’t as impressed with this one. It’s not so much that I felt it was bad, rather I didn’t really feel any shred of emotion like I got from Detective Comics #1 and Batman #1 this month. It’s a generally good read, especially if you didn’t get enough of a bat-fix with the other #1’s that came out this month, but don’t expect any of it to “wow” you necessarily. 7/10
The Flash #1 – A very nice start to what I’m sure will become another worthwhile chapter in the Flash mythos. It was a bit unsettling however, to see Barry no longer married, especially since I had no idea it was coming, unlike Spider-Man and Superman’s situations. Despite that little feeling of emptiness, the first issue shows a lot of promise, and I look forward to its continuation. 8/10
Green Lantern: The New Guardians #1 – I ended up having a lot more fun with this issue than I was expecting. The reveal at the end was very surprising to me, as I couldn’t decide whether to laugh out loud at the craziness of the situation, or to simply label it as “awesome” for the buildup that is certainly about to follow. I highly recommend it. 8.5/10
I, Vampire #1 – Don’t let the “sparkly” cover fool you. This is one to check out. This title has a very interesting romance dynamic as well as a very dark and moody setting. It also brings out an interesting take on the vampire/werewolf relationship in this world. Twilight fans will want to stay far away from this one, as they’ll likely not be able to handle the dark subject matter the same way. This title was impressive in a surprising and great way. 9/10
Superman #1 - I've been having a very hard time rating this issue. I also have to laugh at some of the reviews I've seen for this issue that criticized it for being "too wordy." For one thing, I was actually quite happy with the fact that I had a comic that took me more than 10-15 minutes to read like most. It was also nice to see a book that wasn't afraid to show its descriptive side, and even make a point about how different our experiences of an event can be when written in print, as opposed to watching visually. With all of that said, we did not get to see much actual personality or character coming from Clark himself just yet. This was mainly due to a good portion of the issue being used to establish the current status quo. I have to say that while I'm definitely interested in the next issue, I can't help but feel a bit depressed from this one. Just like Spider-Man's marriage break up, we now witness not one, but two break ups from DC in the form of Flash and Superman. Just like Peter and Mary Jane, this one hit me hard. It seems the divorce rate in this country isn't just rubbing off the people in the US anymore. Despite the mixed reviews all around, I actually ended up liking this issue a lot more than I thought I was going to, and am definitely on board for now. 7.5/10
And there you have it folks! Thanks for reading and tune in again soon!
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