Justice League #1-#5

Disappointing would be the overall conclusion for me. It’s not bad, per se, but my expectations were high. Characterisation is a little too forced and extreme to underline the differences in the characters (Green Lantern in particular) so that, seemingly, the comic can get on with the action sequences. All illsutrated quite nicely if you’re a fan of Jim Lee (I’m not, particularly, and find his style to have become very dated, very quickly).

The plot is pretty thin, giving just enough reason to move on to meet the next Justice League future member and fight them. And because it is almost entirely fight sequences with Bendis-esque blobs of dialogue to “entertain”, it’s not a very immersive experience. There is no real foreboding or underlying threat to Darkseid amongst all battles and he looks terrible. Worst incarnation I’ve seen thus far.

And one aspect I’m uncomfortable about is the killing. The bad guys might be Darkseid’s minions, but parademons are still alive, right? And yet dozens are torn apart by Aquaman’s sharks, whilst Wonder Woman scythes through them without thought or care; even Superman takes a head off. This is not the Justice League. Even if parademons are constructs, unless I missed it, there doesn’t seem to be an indication of our heroes being aware of that.

I’m probably painting too negative a picture, since I’m not dropping it, but I compare this to the Grant Morrison Justice League stories back when I was starting comics again after a hiatus and the thrill I had with those issues has barely even its shadow captured here. There are good elements: the first meeting of Batman and Superman is played nicely and I do have to keep remembering that this is pre-Justice League. I bring too many of my own bigotries and presumptions with a backlog of decades of reading!

Action Comics #1-#5

The only real problem I have with this is that I don’t really like Rags’ art; he seems to make everyone just a little too rubbery. It’s not bad, and better than many, but I would have loved Simonson or someone on this.

The story, though, is fine. It’s not up there with All Star Superman but it’s a kinetic, vibrant, even dangerous re-envisioning of Superman. He seems young, boyish even. It’s been a long time since he seemed that. His liberal leanings mean that he is back o the idea of being a righter-of-wrongs and a symbol of justice, rather than any tugging of kiss curl to the Government. I like that vigilante aspect; government might mistrust him but the people who vote for them won’t. It’s light on politics but this is where I would prefer Superman to be; ever since Superman-as-lackey in the Dark Knight there’s been too much of a tendency to portray him as someone who speaks to the President instead of someone who speaks to the people.

Where the book has suffered, I think, is either slow Morrison, slow Rags or editorial; it seems fairly clear that planned story has needed to be delayed and that does remove momentum – damaging for a book that is all about momentum.

Nevertheless, great fun and I hope it stays at its temporally-challenged position in the DCnU for a while. There is lots of potential here.

Batman #1-#5

With expectations measured against delivery, this is the stand out book of the DCnU for me. Scott Snyder has seamlessly continued into the DCnU, switching from Detective to Batman. Capullo’s art is lovely, detailed and dark, and fits the tone of the book perfectly. There’s lots of text here, but it’s not superfluous; it’s thoughtful and thought out. There’s detection and action – also a good balance of Bruce Wayne to boot.

Gotham itself plays a large role, unveiling historical secrets and the Wayne family history with Gotham is further revealed. I do feel that the Wayne history is being a little overused, coming on the tail end of so much from Morisson, but it’s a small quibble.

My only real quibble, in fact, is that by issue #8 there will be a large crossover to do with the Court of Owls affecting all the bat titles and Birds of Prey. Not happy about that at all.

Animal Man & Swamp Thing

I’m battling, I fear, with nostalgia here. I keep forlornly waiting for Morisson’s Animal Man and Moore’s Swamp Thing. It’s not that these aren’t perfectly fine comics but the whole Green/Red/Rot thing feels like something I’ve been through before. Swamp Thing is just taking too long to move the story: slow does not automatically equal horror! And considering how much I’m enjoying Snyder on Batman, it’s odd to find myself non-plussed here.

Animal Man has something of the same pace problem but my main issue here is that it just doesn’t feel like “Animal” Man. There’s no real reason to have used a superhero in this story, the way most of it is panning out – Buddy Baker, yes, but Animal Man, no. And I signed up for Animal Man.

My detectors start to beep whenever I see hyperbole like “will affect the DC Universe forever” so I think I will have to turn off the battery to my nostalgia-pack and drop both of these.

Justice League Dark #1

Peter Milligan and Mikel Janin

A set-up and origin issue of sorts. The Enchantress is causing problems, the nature of which are unclear but bad enough that the Justice League can’t sort them out. And so the first hint of an idea of “Justice League Dark” is born via Batman and Zatanna and Madame Xanadu and Shade.

This is all portents and preamble but it’s rather well done for all that and Miligan is the right guy to understand these characters and make them gel (hopefully better, however, than the Flashpoint mini-series did). If this becomes a Shade comic, I may be out but I like the other characters, the writing and the art enough that this is a keeper for now.

The art, point of fact, was quite a suprise and I preferred it to the Ryan Sook cover, which is something of an oddity with comics these days.

Superman #1

George Pérez and Jesus Merino

I have no problem with the change of status quo for Superman (Lois Lane has a boyfriend, the curiously named “Jonathan Carroll”, and the Daily Planet has been taken over by a Murdoch-like Morgan Edge) but this just left me dry. The narration is in the form of a newspaper article and not great writing. Meanwhile Superman fights a fire creature that might have some Kryptonian roots. Clark Kent gets the scoop but Lois Lane is orchestrating the TV cameras.

This is the least enjoyable of the #1s thus far. There’s just no real heart or intrigue. I simply don’t care what happens next. It’s too by the numbers (making sure to drop key, classic phrases, to boot). The art doesn’t help – a comment about the cameras being able to see the face of the fire creature is a confused reference when no such thing is apparent. First casualty of the launch so far, and I didn’t expect it to be this!

Resurrection Man #1

Dan Abnett, Andy Lanning and Fernando Dagnino

I was late to the original run but loved it and was hoping DnA might bring the same quality back (although was worried after their lacklustre Heroes for Hire, even if theire Marvel cosmic work has been excellent). This appears to be more Vertigo in its leanings with hints of Heaven and Hell trying to capture Mitch Shelley’s soul.

To get up to speed, we have a “birth” complete with requisite new power, heroics, grisly death and rebirth. It establishes the concept neatly for anyone new to this. It’s a bit thin – especially in the characterisation of Mitch Shelle, so fary – but there’s enough here to come back for more.

Mostly because I like the character. The villains, I am so far less convinced about. This one’s on a very short leash…

Mister Terrific #1

Eric Wallace and Alberto Ponticelli

This almost feels as though it’s outside the main DC universe, which is no bad thing. We get an origin to give character backdrop and an indication of just how smart Mr Terrific is (with a little too much emphasis on him being the third smartest person, although I think that will pan out narratively). Beginnings of support characters, too, which is always a better thing for solo comics than most writers seem to remember. There is also a place for Karen Starr which will no doubt infuriate Powergirl fans.

This is trying to be Sci-Fi but it’ll have to be careful as some of the science sounds on the edge of unconvincing – as if the writer doesn’t really understand it. Someone like Warren Ellis would have convinced by being further out there than this.

Still, this is enjoyable enough and I’m sticking around for some more. My only real confusion is: how is it not blindingly obvious that Michael Holt is Mr Terrific?

Birds of Prey #1

Duane Swierczynski and Jesus Saiz

I was a latecomer to Gail Simone’s BOP but loved it, so this has a high watermark to lap up to. So far, it looks as though it might be well safe.

We start in the middle and get some backdrop as we go – Black Canary is wanted for a murder she (obviously!) didn’t commit but in the meantime is still intent on superheroics. Starling is her partner and the BOP roster is clearly about to be expanded.

Art is crisp and enjoyable, the characters similarly. A reporter has been following Dinah, not without her being aware of him, and we open with the reporter in trouble from the mysterious foes that hired him. Luckily, our heroes were aware of this and are themselves there to observe and, as it transpires, save the day…sort of.

Better female characters than Red Hood, methinks. This one stays for a few more at least.

Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E #1

Jeff Lemire and Alberto Ponticelli

Coming out of the less-than-stellar Flashpoint mini, I wasn’t overly hopeful about this but Lemire seems to be effortlessly creating the sort of dark but adventurous mood that he did so well in Superboy.

Frankenstein, as well as being a monster, is something of a man-out-of-time; all honour, seriousness and anachronistic language. It works well – considerably better than a wisecracking version might have been, for instance. Hopefully, this series will flesh out SHADE a bit (Father Time, the head, as a young girl is already a winner for me).

It’s bound to get compared to BPRD, the female Creature Commando looking so like Abe Sapien already having been noted (but it’s only because both are meant to look like the creature from the Black Lagoon, really). I think Lemire can handle that – and the whole “agent of” premise gives lots of varying story opportunities without having to build up any mega-arc. I hope it pans out that way. Keeper probably, although I’m sorry to see an upcoming crossover with OMAC, which I’m not interested in. Cross pollination will not draw me in; rather the opposite.

So far, the relaunch is considerably more hit than miss. The next 2-3 issues will likely show how permanent or not that is. I’m yet to read Action, Justice League and Batman because I figure I’m in safe hands there but I seem to be tending mostly towards the “lesser” characters. Fear of events, no doubt.

Swamp Thing #1

Scott Snyder and Yanick Paquette

I’ve come to trust Snyder through his work on Batman, so I was hopeful this would be good. The opening few pages so major DC players noticing strange deaths of animals – establishing Swamp Thing firmly back in the DC Universe, rather than out-of-continuity as he was over at Vertigo. Alec Holland, we find, is separate to the Swamp Thing but retains memories of the elemental’s past (like Abby, ST’s lover, indicating that previous history is intact here, but not necessary to know – a comment from Superman about coming back from the dead gives the same idea of this new DCU; much has “still happened” but it’s very compressed).

Half way through the issue, we’re reminded that this is the Dark part of the DCnU, with pestilent flies climbing in ears, a monster and twist-necked zombies (a nod to the creepy invunche Alan Moore introduced, perhaps?). Swamp Thing only appears on the last page, underlining the separation of the characters. The issue is all set up and establishment but it does that well and sets the mood so you know what you’re looking at (and maybe don’t want to!). Certainly worth a few more issues.

Animal Man #1

Jeff Lemire, Travel Foreman and Dan Green

I wasn’t a reader of Sweet Tooth but heard good things; enough to test out Lemire with Superboy. Considering that’s a character I don’t much like, he did well enough to convince me to try this – and I needed convincing because Animal Man, under Morrison, was one of my favourite comics ever and I’ve always had a soft spot for the character. I needn’t have worried.

The first page is an “interview” with Buddy Baker, which smartly gets the reader up-to-date with the character. A trick of exposition handled well and saving precious panels! We’re introduced to Baker as a family man with wife and kids, thinking about taking up the superheroics again. There is soon an opportunity which leads to eyes oddly bleeding then a dream sequence that’s quite creepy and leads in to the cliff-hanger ending.

This is a beautifully balanced book. Like Swamp Thing, it lets you know it’s in the same world as Superman then reminds you it’s not quite the same world. There is a very real family, superpowers and then inexplicable darkness; the Rot in the Red. There are some great touches – Animal Man asking his wife Ellen if he has any clean costumes (hey, modern man, do your own laundry!) and Ellen warning him to take his boots off before he comes back in from adventuring. And a sweet and subtle touch of powers: feeling wired after the action of the day and using the napping ability of a cat to get to sleep.

There seems no doubt that this and Swamp Thing are on something of a collision course but that prognosis reads like a triumphant destination at the moment.

Stormwatch #1

Paul Cornell and Miguel Sepulveda

This was the comic I was fearful about – liking the characters but aware that much has changed with the amalgamation of the Wild Storm universe into the DCU. We open with part of the team trying to recruit Apollo – because he may be strong enough to take down Superman, if required – who, at this point, is not with the Midnighter (so whether they are going to be a couple or not, remains to be seen). We’re also quickly introduced to 2 new characters, the Projectionist and the Eminence of Blades (more mundanely known as Harry Tanner), as well as finding out that Adam One is the leader, not Hawksmoor.

There is a lot going on here and the threat is large-scale (the Moon!), setting out the concept that this is what Stormwatch do – protect the Earth from extraterrestrial forces, as they have for many centuries, going back at least as far as Demon Knights. As that is also written by Cornell, it suggests he’s got some major ideas already in the works.

There’s a good side note that Martian Manhunter is part of the Justice League as well – but when he needs to be a warrior, he’s part of Stormwatch. That difference defines the essential thing to get here: these aren’t cape-wearing superheroes.  Book of the week.

 Batgirl #1

Gail Simone, Ardian Syaf and Vicente Cifuentes

This was the comic that caused much furore due to the change of Barbara Gordon from wheelchair-bound Oracle back to roof-leaping Batgirl. I’ve read reviews that suggests that the change is handled in a simple reference to a “miracle”. I think that misses the point – there isn’t a full explanation but the change itself is the whole drive of the comic. The villain seems to have Babs in his sights presumably because of surviving the Joker (when her spine was damaged) – the villain is the Mirror, a murderer killing people who somehow survived deadly situations (a sort of dark extrapolation of the ideas in Unbreakable).

She’s also entertainingly impressed to knock out a bad guy because her arms are so pumped (from being wheelchair-bound) but the rest of her needs work. She freezes at a crucial moment because a gun is pointed at her, seemingly aiming at the same spot the Joker hit.

This is fine stuff with a deft touch on humour, peril and narrative balance. Gail Simone is the only person who could have pulled this off. Another keeper.

Men of War #1

Ivan Brandon, Tom Derenick, Jonathan Vankin and Phil Winslade

I’m not a fan of war comics but thought I’d test out at least one different option from the new releases. This concerns the not-yet-Sgt Rock, as a soldier in the modern world and also the world of Superman. I could do without the overly frequent explanations of military jargon or acronyms but hopefully this will not repeat every time a S.A.W.* is mentioned.

But the rest was good. There’s a primary target but the military action is interrupted by unidentified, high-power superhero action. I like the backdrop of this; the notion of the “ordinary soldier” in a superhero world. I’ve not read anything by Brandon before but this is well-written and an alternative to my usual fayre; the ending is expected, as an obvious grounding set up, but not in a bad way. This is a #1, after all. In some ways, the most accessible to new readers of the releases so far.

Back-up story is by Vankin and is more straightforward war comics. And yet I still enjoyed it. Another couple of issues at least.

No fails here. Not great for my wallet but promising for soul. The remaining #1s won’t be with me until October; I can only hope they are of the same overall calibre.

*Squad Automatic Weapon.

So it’s maybe that earned mistrust which has created the online ire surrounding the DC relaunch. By September, all current comics will have wrapped up their stories and DC will relaunch 52 titles, all simultaneously starting at #1. Additionally, digital versions of the comics will be available on the same day as the print versions for the first time ever.

That’s quite major. There’s a lot about it over at Bleeding Cool.

There are things I can understand – if your favourite comic is not in the new line-up, for instance (Secret Six and JSA a reason for many people complaining). Or major changes to characters – Barbara Gordon back, roof-hopping as Batgirl, rather than the wheelchair-bound Oracle is source of much fuming (and I admit that I’ll miss Oracle). On the upside it did lead to a heartbreaking illustration by Phil Noto.

These comics aren’t even out yet. We’re promised that changes in the Bat-titles will all be explained in-story and Batgirl is in great hands with Gail Simone. Some of the JSA are bound to be around, even if it takes a while; probably some of the Secret Six, too – King Shark in Suicide Squad already, for instance. So why not look to new stories and new ideas that might be as good or better than the current crop?

And of course, the mentioned cynicism has many wailing that it’s all just a gimmick and it’ll all be changed back in a month/3 months/year. Maybe. But I doubt it.

But some of the hatred – genuine hatred – I just don’t get. There is a sense of ownership about some of the characters and comics that is quite baffling. To paraphrase Neil Gaiman, “DC is not your bitch”. Some of the anger is just the witless barking of Marvel fans that despise DC (I’ve never understood this – and there are just as many people who feel the opposite way, equally ridiculously. It’s like saying “I only watch Paramount pictures”. Or  “I hate soup”). Some of it seems to be by people who really just hate comics, but seem hell-bent on turning up on forums to tell you so.

And there’s the specific reasons. OK, if you don’t like the costumes, that’s your opinion but why does it make you so mad? Most of what has been seen isn’t really that terrible; some of it’s rather good (Batwing), some of it odd (Zatanna with fishnets on her arms??), some of it bad (Midnighter) and some of it just a bit dated. But then, these are superhero costumes: what would a modern one look like anyway? Mostly, there’s actually little change.

Except for Superman, of course: no pants! Well, no pants on the outside.

Is this such a terrible thing? It’s been a joke for decades. Why not change it, exactly? Cape and S-shield intact will do me. I’m yet to see whether the concern about armour is really a misunderstanding of a revamped costume. You know: the costume that’s been unchanged for the best part of 70 years (and yet the same people angry about the change are saying that other costumes are too 90s?).

But that’s nothing compared to the renumbering. Action and Detective Comics starting from #1. Are they mad? Constant renumbering and restarts, as some titles – Marvel and DC – seem to have had, is, at worst, annoying. But the response to Action, especially, being renumbered is crazy. Why does it matter? I’ve heard comments as broad as “it’s disrespectful”, “a slap in the face to fans and creators”, “these hallowed books should not be changed”, “how can I sort this in my collection?”.

Step back and think about such comments. They’re comics. And it’s JUST A NUMBER. Yes, there’s a definite “badge of honour” sense when Action got to #900 recently but it wasn’t a sacred moment or anything (and was a disappointing issue, truth be told, which was a bit more relevant for me, at least).

So are comic fans just afraid of change? Their clutched and hoarded toys will no longer be the toys they remember? Your 500 issues of Action won’t seem as wondrous because any old Joe can get a copy of Action #1 in September?

Here’s the thing: less and less people read comics and the demographic is ageing all the time. The entire industry needs new readers. Younger readers.

Superman remains iconic and it’s a good idea to restore him as the first superhero – because he is. Now that means the JSA can’t really exist because, unlike most superheroes, they are tied to a specific era – World War II. So if you’re modernising the DC Universe, can you really have lots of 80yr old superheroes? Does WWII even mean anything to the current youth? And even if it does, would they want to read stories about their grandfather, let alone their dad being a superhero?

I doubt it.

So DC is going to relaunch its entire line. Wildstorm and Vertigo characters incorporated, some changes, some continuance. And digital, too – to try to entice new readers that might prefer the new delivery medium. More comics in the major shops so that the (sad) misconception of what a comic shop is doesn’t put people off from walking in. TV advertising for comics in August.

Mediaeval demons, westerns, war and plenty of superheroes. And Resurrection Man. Hot damn!

And Grant Morrison on Action, set a little before all else. Maybe giving us a weakened Superman, gaining in power over 5 years as he absorbs sunlight, tieing up with All Star, developing new powers, deciding on his look.

That’s speculation, of course, but what fun, if so! Comics haven’t got long to live if they don’t build a market soon. And of course it’s about money, bottom line, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be about great stories and art.

So you can keep all your ire and complaints. I choose to be excited by the change. Bring it  on.

If it all sucks I’ll walk away. If it’s all great I still might eventually. But not yet. And not before seeing for myself. I’m 44. If comics are still being written for me, that’s a bad thing. If I’m out of here because I don’t like them anymore but meanwhile, Action is selling 150,000 a month, that’s good. Like a friend I no longer see often, I’ll still be happy for their success.