Four-Color Coverage

I decided to pick up all fifty-two of DC Comics’ new #1’s, so that I could attempt to get a better feel for what they were doing with the DCU DCnU. I was not planning on continuing to read all 52 of the new books, but I figured that I’d give them a shot and see if there were any new/different titles that I might want to add to my subscription at my local comic shop. There were a number of hits, some misses and a fair bit of “that was a decent read, but I don’t think that I’ll be adding that title” along the way. In this post – and the three to follow – I will point out what I feel were some of the highlights of the past four weeks of DC’s releases.

• Action Comics #1 – This was the book that started it all for superheroes and for DC, sorry… “National Comics,” back in 1938. With this reboot/reimagining, Grant Morrison brings us a Superman who’s a little less… well, “super.” Faster than a speeding bullet? More or less. More powerful than a locomotive? Well, he’s at least as strong as a tank. Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound? Depends on the building. This Superman is still new to the game and, from first appearances, operating well outside the auspices of the law. But he still seems to be the Superman that we all grew up with at heart. We are also (re-)introduced to familiar faces such as Lois Lane, Jimmy Olsen, General Sam Lane and, of course, Lex Luthor. All in all, it was a fun read and I’m curious to see what Mr. Morrison does with this version of the Man of Steel.
  
• Animal Man #1 – I started reading this book in its last incarnation, when… surprise, surprise… Grant Morrison was writing it. And it was a very good read. This time, it’s Jeff Lemire (Sweet Tooth, Superboy) at the helm. And his take on Buddy Baker seems to be that of a man who’s at peace with who he is and who he was — as a man, a hero and an activist. He also appears to be a man who’s willing to put the costume back on when there’s someone in need. Again. What’s different about this version is that Lemire seems to be introducing more of a horror bent to the story. While it’s a little too early for me to make a “Keep” or “Trash” call on this series, I’m intrigued enough to stick around for a few more issues to see where it’s going..
  
• Batgirl #1 – It’s not Cassandra Cain under the cowl. Nor is it Stephanie Brown. It’s Barbara Gordon. The original Batgirl is back. We do know that it takes place after The Killing Joke. We don’t know how Babs got the use of her legs again. That, I guess is a mystery for another time.
  
• Detective Comics #1 – Wow. This one hit the ground running. At a full sprint. And it didn’t slow down. It appears to take place early-ish in Batman’s career and among his early encounters with The Joker, an adversary whose motives have long eluded the Dark Knight… and it seems that The Joker has plans in the works. Big ones.
  
• Justice League International #1 – The United Nations looks to assemble a multi-national superhuman team… and have it led by… Booster Gold?! YeahbuhWHAT?! Are they serious!?  (And I’m a Booster Gold fan.) There seems to be much more going on behind the scenes than meets the eye. And Batman. Always Batman.
  
• Static Shock #1 – Static is back… but this ain’t Dakota. The teen hero has moved to the Big Apple. And, he appears to have gotten a few new toys, courtesy of Hardware. And he’s already caught the attention of some people whom it seems have something to hide. I never read Static back when he had his original series, but I am appreciating the way that Scott McDaniel is writing him — as an intelligent young man… who… happens to have superpowers. I’ll be sticking with this for a few issues, at least.
  

Well, now that WordBook seems to be working (and now that I have some time to spare again), let’s see what kind of mayhem we can kick up here…

Wonder Woman
Let’s just get this one out of the way right off the bat…

I like the new costume.  Period.

No, it’s not the old star-spangled costume that people are familiar with.
It’s something different.
Like nothing we’ve seen before.
Ever.

(c) Lil Formers, by Matt Moylan

…or maybe we have seen something like it before, after all.

Either way, it’s a costume change to go along with Diana’s continuity change. She didn’t grow up a princess on Themyscira. She grew up somewhere in America. In hiding. Being taught by the Amazons who secreted her away from her island home before it was destroyed

By the way, for those of you who are going on about “Oh, this is just a riff on Superman’s origin!”  Get over it. The island may have been destroyed but Diana is not “The Last Kryptonian Amazon.” There are others. And they know that “something” happened. And they are going to try and set the timeline back to something approaching what we (as readers) consider “normal.”

It’s not like Diana’s costume hasn’t changed before. It’s gone from a skirt to an almost-biker pants style to bikini shorts to a take-off on Emma Peel’s catsuit… and back… to the “non-Wonder Woman” costume of the 90s (when Diana had been stripped of the title and Artemis was WW)… and back again.

So, just sit back, deal with the change in costume, see where the story goes… and rest assured that the costume will be back in its iconic form (or something close to it) in a few months.

Adventure Comics and Legion of Super-Heroes
I know that I’m seriously biased when it comes to the Legion, but reading these books has been like catching up with old friends after a too-long absence.

And, even better, we get two looks at the team: We get to see the young Legion – and Superboy (Clark Kent) – in Adventure, while LSH serves up the adult version of the team, dealing with the “current” problems of the not-so-United Planets.

Green Lantern and Green Lantern Corps
I’m liking the stories that these books are giving readers: Green Lantern is serving up aftermath of Blackest Night and paralleling the Brightest Day storyline, while GLC is showing some internal problems within the Corps (not that readers couldn’t foresee “something” coming from this group months ago)… and the apparent return of a villain last seen at the end of The Sinestro Corps War.

Batman and Robin
Dick Grayson has truly come into his own as “The (not-quite-as) Dark Knight” and Damian Wayne makes an interesting Robin. The tension between Damian and other members of the Bat-family has been interesting to read, as he’s trying to prove himself – to himself as well as everyone else – as a worthy successor to Bruce’s legacy.

Red Robin
Tim Drake, prodigal son of the Wayne Family, has returned to Gotham City.  But, the Gotham that he returns to isn’t quite the same as the one he left. How will he fit in with his friends and family after spending months away, forging a new identity for himself?

Fantastic Four
This has been a solid read for a year or more.

Marvel’s “First Family” actually reads like a family. (What a concept!) The stories have been good – and even “fun” to read, from the “Marquis of Death” storyline to Ben Grimm’s courtship and near-marriage to the recent return of other branches of The Inhumans. I’d gladly recommend this book to new readers.

Power Girl
Yes, Power Girl.  The “other ” Supergirl. I know that there were a lot of rumblings about the book possibly going to Hell in a handbasket when Palmiotti and Conner announced that they were leaving and Winick was named as the new writer, but you know what…?  I liked his first issue on the title. I’m willing to give the man a few issues to see how he handles it.

Uncanny X-Men, Astonishing X-Men and related titles
I’ve been enjoying the X-books of late. I’ve skipped most of the “Necrosha” and “Second Coming” stories, though. I’ve picked up what I can/needed to from the Uncanny and Astonishing titles… and New Mutants, for a while.

I was surprised that the decided to kill Nightcrawler – didn’t see that one coming at all. Although, given the “revolving door of Death” that the X-Men seem to have, I’m not sure that this will be a permanent state. (After all, they just brought Cypher back.) My biggest reason to smile from the X-books comes from seeing a Scott Summers who acts like someone who’s spent half his life getting groomed to be “The Guy.” Not taking crap from anyone. Making the tough calls. And basically telling anyone who disagrees with him to get bent.

Justice League of America and Justice Society of America
I’ve been disappointed with these books. Seriously disappointed. I don’t think that it’s because “The Big Three” aren’t around (in JLA); I’ve read the series without them being in the picture and enjoyed them. And JSA?  I’m not sure where the wheels fell off of this one, but I think that it was around the time that the “Who’s the traitor?” storyline kicked in. Maybe a little before. *shrug* I’ve been in a “If the story looks interesting, I might pick it up” mode with both books… which has me buying them now, because of the Alan Scott/Starheart story that’s weaving through both titles. We’ll see if I continue to pick up either or both book(s) after this story plays out.

Justice League: Generation Lost
“Who is Max Lord?” This is the question at the heart of this book. The man who assembled the Justice League International, rose to become the top of the food chain at Checkmate and hijacked Batman’s metahuman-monitoring OMAC program has returned, in the wake of The Blackest Night. And no one remembers him.

No one… except certain members of the JLI. Being a master manipulator, Max has seen to it that his former team is discredited among the metahuman community and backed against the wall in their quest to find and bring him down. All without leaving any tracks that anyone – even Batman – can follow.

I, Zombie
This book is odd. It’s more like a mystery or thriller, with horror elements thrown in. It’s only three issues in, but I’ve been enjoying it quite a bit.

Superman and Action Comics
J. Michael Straczynski’s “Grounded” storyline has just kicked off in Superman. And I like it. JMS is playing up the “man” in “Superman” and I like the way it’s been reading. I also appreciate the way that he portrays the people that Superman meets along his trek and the way that they (occasionally) interact with each other. I’m interested to see where this takes the characters… and the readers.

Over in Action, it seems as though Metropolis’ other “favorite son” is getting the spotlight. Following his encounter as a “Deputy Lantern” of Agent Orange, Lex Luthor is on a quest for power. And, as we know, Lex doesn’t believe in half measures. This should be a good read.

Supergirl
The Girl of Steel has been through a lot in the past… year-and-a-half… if my math is right. Some things were out of her control. Some things come out of the “Hell of Your Own Making” category. But, she’s survived.

The Gates/Igle creative team has promised us a new direction for Kara, as she finds her place in the DCU. (Again.) I’ve liked the team’s work on this title, so I’ll stick around for a while to see where they – and the powers-that-be at DC – feel that Kara belongs.

The Avengers, Avengers Academy, Secret Avengers
I find myself enjoying the post-Civil/Secret/Sieve Avengers titles.

Seriously. The stories have been, by and large, good. Readable. They don’t make me want to stab my eyes out. I just hope that this is not a fluke and is indicative of a return-to-readability for more Marvel titles than X-Men and Fantastic Four.  (But, I’m still not a fan of John Romita, Jr.’s artwork…)

And with that… I’ll call it “good,” for now.

What with all the house-prep, I’ve fallen behind again with reviews.  But, it’s been worth it — the house is coming together nicely. But, I digress. We’re gathered here to talk comics and whatnot. So, let’s get to it!

Batgirl #9

Batgirl stops a subway hijacking, has a one-on-one chat with Commissioner Gordon and (re-)meets Barbara Gordon’s new assistant. Not bad for a day’s work. But, when people start speaking in binary and showing signs of infections with [SPOILER DELETED] tech and then dying, it’s time for Oracle and Batgirl to step up their game, because [SPOILER DELETED] has returned to Gotham City… and has plans. Big plans.

Batman #698

Edward Nigma and Batman follow the clues left behind at crime scenes that indicate that some of Gotham’s worst villains are on a spree. And who’s the mysterious gentleman in the top hat? And why is The Riddler laughing?

Batman and Robin #11

Dick Grayson continues to follow the clues in and around Wayne Manor… clues that might lead to the whereabouts and/or “when-abouts” of Bruce Wayne. Robin (Damian Wayne) and Oberon Sexton take on the 99 Fiends. Unfortunately, Talia Al-Ghul has chosen the middle of the fight as the perfect time to play with Damian’s “fly-by-wire” system again.

Black Widow #1

Someone from Natasha Romanova’s past wants something from her and comes calling for it. When Tony Stark, Bucky Barnes and Logan find out about it… well, let’s just say that I don’t think that it would be healthy to be the person they’re looking for. As a back-up feature, readers are treated to a condensed timeline of the Black Widow’s history, complete with bibliographic references.

Brightest Day #0

What happens when a Deadman comes back to life? What connection does he have to the eleven other figures who returned to live in the wake of the Blackest Night? How are the others dealing with their second leases on life? This issue poses many questions, but looks like it’s setting up for a good run, full of a few surprises.

Buck Rogers #10

This issue continues a great ride through the 25th Century. Buck makes a couple of anachronistic references that are lost on his companions, but will make readers chuckle, if not outright laugh. And something smells fishy in… oh, wait, it’s just Buck.

The Flash: Secret Files and Origins 2010 #1

This issue gives readers a look at the people and places that are… *ahem*… central to The Flash. The story “Running to the Past” gives a one-minute look at what drives Barry Allen. As far as “real time” storytelling goes, this ranked up there with a good episode with 24.

The New Avengers: Luke Cage #1 (of 3)

Luke Cage goes to Philadelphia to check in on a young man from the old neighborhood… and runs into a little more trouble than he expected. But, do you think he backed down from it? Sweet Christmas, no. He’s Luke Cage. Power Man. And running from a fight has never been his style.

To be honest, I didn’t expect much from this book. Even more to the point, I never planned to pick it up, especially after seeing the artwork — I wasn’t impressed. Despite that, I found that this was a decent story. I might even stick around for the remaining issues.

Red Robin #11

Following a fight with The Seven Men of Death, assassins at Ra’s Al Ghul’s comm

and, the Brothers Wayne – Dick, Tim and Damian – have a confab… until Robin recognizes someone else as being an assassin in his grandfather’s employ.  And, just to keep things balanced, Vicki Vale, Tam Fox and Batgirl (Stephanie Brown) have a litte chat amongst themselves.

Superman: Last Stand of New Krypton

• • Action Comics #888
    
    Flamebird and… where’s Nightwing?… anyway, Flamebird’s taking on Jax-Ur’s demi-Rao. Fortunately, she’s not alone — The JSA and Wonder Wo man show up to lend a hand.
  • Adventure Comics #10
    
    The battle against Brainiac continues. At stake, the re-bottled city of Kandor. Mon-El dreams of space once more. And General Zod – and his “Brainiac Revenge Squad” – prepares to “…ruin Brainiac’s day.” The back-up feature sees the conclusion of Car-Vex/Officer Romundi’s infiltration of Project: 7734.

• • Superman: Last Stand of New Krypton #2 (of 3)
    
    Supergirl, Superboy, and the Legion attempt an assault on Brainiac’s ship… with a little help from another visitor from the 31st Century. A visitor who has something of a “vested interest” in the fight. Superman and Mon-El face off against Brainiac and his drones. And, Kandor… bottled, once more.

Superman: Secret Origin #5 (of 6)

Geoff Johns puts an interesting spin on this retelling/reintroduction of Superman’s early years. In it, readers are (re-)introduced to John Corben – the man who would become Metallo – and his link to Lois Lane. Readers also learn of the common XXX that Lex Luthor and General Sam Lane have in seeing as a threat and menace… and the lengths they would go to in order to prove it.

Uncanny X-Men #523

Cable and Hope come home. Too bad that everyone’s packed up and moved to San Francisco. (And no one even left a forwarding address!) And, on the other side of the country, Cyclops’ dirty little secret – X-Force – has finally been brought out into the light. And not everyone is happy about it. But, to his credit, Scott not only cops to forming X-Force AND says that he would do it again, if deemed necessary, but defies Nightcrawler to challenge his leadership while the team is in the field. (Well done, Mr. Fraction. Thank you for bringing us a Scott Summers who not only acts like the leader of a minority – a dying one, at that – but one who is willing to make the tough calls when necessary.) And, once again, Wolverine gets all the good lines.

Action Comics #887

Nightwing and Flamebird take on Jax-Ur and his proto-Rao. Yeah. Let’s just say that they seem a little outgunned. “A little.” But, that doesn’t stop them from trying.  Lois Lane calls in a lot of markers to follow the action and to file a story about the truth behind “the “Kryptonian menace.”  It was nice to see that someone remembers that Lois is actually a journalist… and one with interests other than just airing Lex Luthor’s dirty laundry.

Batgirl #8 / Red Robin #10

Stephanie and Tim: Together again. Kind of. Tim’s still a bit pig-headed about seeing Steph in a costume… esp. a Bat-costume. He’s also apparently unwilling to accept that she’s up to the job… until seeing her take down one of Ra’s al Ghul’s top assassins. Quickly and efficiently.  All this and Vicki Vale.  And, who are “The Twelve?”  (Hint: It’s not the same “Twelve” that Apocalypse was trying to round up.)

Batman and Robin #10

Dick, Damian and Alfred attempt to unravel clues as to the whereabouts (when-abouts?) of Bruce Wayne. And, remember that little trick that Lex Luthor used on Connor Kent a few years back? Talia does/did the same thing to Damian, it seems. That bodes ill.

R.E.B.E.L.S. #14

Vril Dox (Brainiac 2), R.E.B.E.L.S. and the Omega Men go toe-to-toe with Starro. Of course, Dox has a plan.  He built a gun, specifically designed to eliminate Starro’s link to his slaves, and gave it to guest star Adam Strange:

For an archeologist from New Jersey, I find myself fighting cosmic monsters, mad gods and alien tyrants an awful lot.

But this one takes the cake. Starro the Conqueror, a cosmic Genghis Khan who already rules nine galaxies and aims to enslave every sentient mind in the universe.

On my side are Despero of Kalanor and Vril Dox of Colu. It tells you how scary Starro is that i’ve thrown in with such creeps.

And my name?  It’s…

Despero: ADAM STRANGE!  What in the Seven Hells are you waiting for?!

I’m not waiting, Despero.
I’m aiming.

Dox is a super-genius. He forged this weapon to cut off Starro from the zillions of his mind-slaves that are the source of his power.

Strange: *fires gun… with no apparent affect to Starro*

But even the smartest man in space gets it wrong once in a while.

Starro: And what exactly was that supposed to accomplish?
Strange: You got a Plan B?
Dox: We call in the others… and hope we get lucky.

Of course, since we’re dealing with Brainiac 2, it’s a fairly safe bet that “luck” has little to do with it. And, as a casual aside: If you happen to be a Psion and have a lab full of Starrophyte slaves that you’ve pretty much turned into lab rats, whatever you do: Don’t let Starro find out. He gets “a little” touchy about that.

Superman: Last Stand of New Krypton #1

Brainiac’s ship appears over the skies of New Krypton. As Shirley Bassey and the Propellorheads would say, “It’s just a little bit of history repeating…”  However, this time it would appear that General Zod has a plan.  Added bonus: The Legion Espionage Squad and Superboy arrive to help.  But, a bit question is left at the end of the story: Who is Brainiac’s new playmate?

S.W.O.R.D. #5

The Drenx invasion kicks into high gear.  Agent Brand and Beast, fighting off dozens of Drenx, race to the Control Room to help Lockheed against Drenx invaders… only to find a wrecked room, many defeated Drenx and Lockheed splinting his forepaw.

Beast: You have changed, my friend. You know that?
Lockheed: [Unintelligible]
Beast: What did he say?
Brand: It’s untranslatable. And physically impossible for humans. Let’s go.

One of the best two-page spreads involve Beta Ray Bill… and a mop, but not in the way you think. (Yes, yes, it’s all “Rated: PG” and “politically correct, don’t worry.) And, Agent Brand makes a deal with Henry Peter Gyrich.