Batman, Incorporated: Leviathan Strikes

Surprisingly, this blog post is my first chance to really delve into Grant Morrison. Now I have a certain fondness for Grant Morrison - Batman and Robin Vol. 1 is what really got me into comics. But sometimes he can get overly convoluted with his writing and create complicated stories for complexity's sake, not for the benefit of the actual story.

That being said, that's what Batman, Inc. was. Overly convoluted story that created confusion just sot eh reader thought harder, not that it benefited the actual comic. While it had some good moments, it was mostly forgettable. Instead of focusing on making fun adventures and being subtle about many minute details and key phrases/ideas Morrison wanted to use, he made it all about his mystery and "clues" and making a mystery no one was truly interested in. Luckily for the readers, despite these frustrations, Batman, Inc.: Leviathan Strikes is still very enjoyable.

Red Hood and the Outlaws #4

Despite early criticism, I stuck with this title because of the same promise I saw when this book was announced last summer. And boy is it paying off now. This issue and the last are some of the most entertaining pages in the last few months of the DCnU. While some are letting anger over revised histories cloud their ability to read the book, what see is a book full of action with new and unique character dynamics and the freshest title I'm reading in the New 52.

This issue picks up in a bar in Colorado, Roy Harper lamenting how Jason dragged his alcoholic self inside. Of course, Jason proceeds to kick someone's ass indiscriminately and blow their cover. Because of course Jason is, if nothing, discrete.  Of course the arresting officer turns out to be the baddie from the "Untitled."

Batman #4

This issue, while not particularly amazing itself, shows exactly why Scott Snyder's Batman is so good. He knows how to add to the Batman mythos without changing it, and also understands the character dynamics as well as any writer ever has.

While this isn't the most exhilarating issue, it does some great introspection on Bruce Wayne, telling the story of how he investigated the Court of Owls as a child shortly after his parents were murdered. Judging by thisstory, Snyder interprets the birth of Batman from the moment that Thomas and Martha Wayne died. And from little is told about the period from that moment until his overseas training, adding this story this greatly shapes what one interprets then to happen over the rest over Bruce's formative years. Bruce has now always been Batman since that young age.

Justice League #4

For as awesome as Justice League is supposed to be, so far the first four issues have been decidedly....not awesome. And this all rests on the shoulders of Geoff Johns, as Jim Lee's held up his end of job epically. The problem with this series stems from its concept -- the origin of the Justice League set in the past. What is intriguing about this concept? Why does this story need to be retold other than to establish differences between the old DCU and the DCnU?

Compiled on top of that, Geoff Johns has very slow moving plots, and considering he is working with seven characters he wants  to give fairly equal screentime to, well that makes things slower. Maybe Geoff Johns is building towards something awesome, like this book desperately needs, but all I find myself thinking when I read this is "ok, enough with the alien invasion, when is something going to happen?" And then I pick up the next month's issue, and nothing ever does.

Nightwing #4

In terms of quality, the first three issues of Nightwing are on par with nearly any title in the "New 52." Much of its quality was based on the often stunning (although sometimes inconsistent) art of Eddy Barrows. But for whatever reason, Eddy Barrows is having trouble meeting deadlines, with issue #3 being finished by Eduardo Pansica, and issue #4 being entirely drawn by Batman: Gates of Gotham artist Trevor McCarthy.

While by no means is Trevor McCarthy a bad artist, he's a terrible fit for this series. While some have championed that he has a fluid, motion-like style, his pencils look to cartoonish and Scott McDanielesque (that's never a good sign if you're a Nightwing fan) for the tone this series has had thusfar. In particular, the faces I find very flawed and off-putting.

Red Hood and The Outlaws #3

The first two issues of "Red Hood" were good, not great, essentially good enough to keep reading. Issue number thee however, was awesome. In an upset, this comic was better than both Batman and Nightwing, exploring the inner-selves of Roy, Jason, and Kori, while also telling a great adventure for the trio to retrieve ...a snowglobe?

In order for them to retrieve this artifact (calling it a snowglobe makes the story sound silly, it's not, it's a cool quest). They have to each give up their most cherished memory as collateral to "Saru the Proctor" in exchange for their journey to find the artifact. Saru takes a peak at Roy's and Kori's cherished memories, knocking Kori for her overly-violent memory being her most-cherished, and Roy for having too much sympathy.

Batman #3

If one could make a true criticism for Grant Morrison's Batman story, it would be that it has become too large. Batman, after-all is mostly Gotham-centric, and to have him globe-trotting and travelling through time is somewhat grand for the mythos of Bruce Wayne. After-all this is Batman, not Booster Gold. It almost felt like Bruce Wayne became some sort of "Bat-God" and was invincible as Superman.

Scott Snyder does not have this problem, he is much more focused on the dichotomy of Gotham and Batman. Bruce is grounded back to his human abilities and superior technology, a mere mortal once again. And ff you haven't figured out that Gotham is its own character in his stories, you're behind the eight-ball, and need to catch up fast. While the Court of Owls appears to be his villain in this story, they're just a larger function of Gotham's malice.

Nightwing #3

Nightwing #2 was awesome. It had action, romance, and drama -- it kept the reader on the edge of the seat and looked awesome. I was hoping that would lead to a great next issue, but unfortunately, it takes a small step back. While apparently the creative directive for DC has been not to focus on the past events of the characters, this issue deals almost exclusively in filling in the gaps from Dick's past.

A couple things to note. I don't remember the exact age Kyle Higgins said Dick became Robin, but it's not nearly as young. If I remember correct, the old age was 12, but now it's probably more like 15 or 16, as Dick is definitely at least 12 in this flashback to his past at the circus. And I like the contrast between what Haly Circus is now and what it was then. When Dick goes back to the circus to visit it's usually all smiles and happy days, but this shows a Haly Circus that resents him for leaving and isn't always all honky-dory. 

Batgirl #3

One of the important Post-Flashpoint questions is how do all these characters now relate to each other. We've seen a dynamic shift in Bruce and Damian's relationship, as well many couples are split up, including Lois and Clark. Bringing in Nightwing for issue #3 establishes Dick and Bab's relationship, last touched on in Scott Snyder's "Detective Comics" run.

From Barbara's point of view, there's obviously a lot of sexual tension. She can't help but think back to their days as Batgirl and Robin, recalling how her "ballet" and his "acrobatics" were in perfect sync, a way of flirting. They chase each other throughout Gotham, Babs of course becomes pissed because he's checking up on her as Bruce and Dick are obviously trying to play big brother and protect her from herself. Dick gets her to rationalize that it's not because they don't trust her, it's because they care about her.

Batman and Robin #3

 This continues to be one of the top five ongoings as a result of the "New 52." Tomasi seems born to write Batman (his past as a Batman editor obviously helps him here), and while Patrick Gleason's pencils vary in quality (A+ on one page, lackluster on the next), together they create very fine books. It's really a shame they only got one story of Dick and & Damian, surrendering arcs to Winick (although that story was decent, good writing with up and down art) and Paul Cornell (god was that terrible).

Last issue introduced to the reader two new characters, Morgan -- who works for Henri Ducard, and Damian's new dog, who better be named Ace or I'm just going to get so annoyed. These characters both play a big role in this comic, as Damian struggles to understand the value of a dog (I guess not every 11 year old really wants a dog, maybe Damian would prefer cats? His dad certainly has an affinity for them).

Batwing #3

We're three issues in, and one can't really ask anymore of Winick than what's he's already done. Batwing is fantastic, a super enjoyable read that is a breath of fresh air. It's full of misdirection and intrigue, while also adding heart-pounding action to the mix, creating a solid balance.

This issue opens with a flashback to the past of David Zavimbe, where we see him with his brother Isaac, two soldiers as young men, terrible killing machines, but ones who refused to stoop to a level of everyone else in the force, choosing to protect women and children instead of raping and slaying them. This shows a moral high-ground in them, despite that they are working as devastating killers for General Keita's Army of Dawn.

Detective Comics #3

I've been critical of this series, and for good reason. For the series that DC Comics is named after, the quality of the comic, especially after the relaunch, should be top notch. But they assigned Tony Daniel to create this book, and well, not much more needs to be said. The two books he's been assigned? The Savage Hawkman book, which is better kindling than it is an actual book, and the second is this book.

Simply put, Tony Daniel has been handed books and squandered both opportunities. He is a fantastic penciller, yes, but after Hawkman is cancelled and Detective Comics reassigned, I dearly hope he isn't allowed to write again. The third installment of the Dollmaker storyline isn't much better than the second, suffering from lack of "so what?" What are the stakes here, besides the whole save Gotham without trying to die in the process thing.

Red Lanterns #3

Realizing that I'm in the minority in opinion on this series, I'm trying to take a fresh look at this series. I'm taking a step back, trying to separate myself from my enjoyment of the first few issues. I want to figure out why so many despise this series.

After reading issue three, my opinion hasn't changed that much. Honestly, I still think Peter Milligan is doing a great job. One of the hardest things to do in comics is to prove readers wrong, and work uphill against their assumptions. This is why I worried about how long this book would survive. When they announced this series, it was met with much skepticism, and I believe that closed-mindedness is jading some against the coolest color in the spectrum: red!

Green Lantern: New Guardians #2

For the shortcomings of Blue Beetle, I forgive Tony Bedard as Green Lantern: New Guardians was a geat comic to read. Tony Bedard really captures the voice of Kyle Rayner, or as I like to call him, the best Green Lantern ever (suck it Hal Jordan). A tendency for many writers is to make all characters of the same family exactly like each other. And in the Green Lanterns, this is somewhat true. Guy Gardner, John Stewart, and Hal Jordan all have very similar personalities. And while that somewhat makes sense, as the Green Lantern rings look for similar qualities in their soldiers.

But Kyle is different. He's more cautious, smarter, and is less brash. But he still has incredible will when he needs it, and all of this is shown in issue #2. While it may not be super-evident, if one went through this comic and at every choice Kyle makes, asked "what would Hal/Guy/John do in this situation?" one would realize that in most cases Kyle would make a different choice (and often the better one).

Teen Titans

 This book wins. And it wins because Tim Drake is finally Tim Drake again. After Fabian Nicieza nearly ruined one of the great characters in comic books, controversial writer Scott Lobdell has brought Tim home to his true self, and let me safely say, welcome home Tim!

It's becoming even more clear that while this is a "team" book, it's Tim Drake's team. He's calling the shots, he's the main protagonist, his goals are at the book's core. Cassie and Bugg are just along for the ride so far, but I'm not complaining. Tim Drake carried a solo series for many years, and hes always sold well, so he deserves a book that's essentially a solo series for him, even if it's described as a "team" book.

Blue Beetle #2

Tony Bedard said in an interview panel (NYCC I believe) that the biggest complaint from issue #1 was too much Spanish/Spanglish. Honestly, I thought it the appropriate amount for a character of latino heritage, and was glad that they didn't speak as if they were from the midwest, which many comics seem to do. It gave it a more authentic touch.

Issue #2 pushed it too far though, and I felt that it got in the way of dialogue. Luckily, every other piece of the issue picks up the slack, albeit if the issue feels a bit brief. This issue feels a lot like postlogue to a longer story, tying up a few loose ends without any major plot advancement. Essentially Jaime saves his friend, drops him off at the party his other friend hosted, and now faces a witch-hunt, as everyone perceives him as a villain.

Justice League #2

The first thought of mine when I heard that Geoff Johns and Jim Lee were doing a series together was "LAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATE," this comic will be continuously "LAAAAATE." And true to form, issue #2 was almost a month late. 6 weeks of comics were published in between Justice League #1 and #2, and it's this kind of delay that frustrates readers and discourages people from reading it.

This delay might be semi-justified though. As creative heads for DC, plus Johns is writing two other books (Green Lantern and Aquaman), they have a lot on their plate. This certainly isn't a David Finch situation, where he's incapable of working at the necessary speed to get a comic out on time.

This does worry me in one sense though: these are the creative bosses at DC. They should set the example of being prompt. If DC wants to refocus on getting comics out on time,  they should be in the forefront of this, getting the flagship title out monthly. 

Batman #2

Sadly, this issue doesn't have nearly as much to talk about as issue #1. However, that doesn't mean there aren't things to takeaway from this. For once Lincoln March is definitely sticking around. A foil for Bruce (looks like him, same goals for Gotham, parents were killed when he was a boy), Snyder seems to be creating his very own Hush, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, as Tommy Elliot's been lackluster since his incarnation under Jeph Loeb.

The next takeaway is that once again, Scott Snyder treats Gotham as its own character, tying its history into the present. He did this in "The Black Mirror" and "Gates of Gotham". As he has started to do this in his new Bat-story as well, count on it tying into the story in a big way.

Nightwing #2

While Scott Snyder is the big buzzname in comics right now, Kyle Higgins will be joining him shortly for his work on Nightwing. This is a fantastic comic, as Kyle Higgins nails Dick Grayson, and Eddy Barrows has been putting on a spectacular art-show.

This comic picks up last comic's big showdown between Nightwing and the new villain Saiko. Nightwing shows off some impressive fighting skills, despite the superior weaponry of Saiko. We also see the return of the suit-taser, again proving Kyle Higgins' love of Nightwing. This guy has clearly read Dick extensively, even if I'm not quite sure if his claims of Dick Grayson being his favorite character are lip service, or actually genuine.

Issue #2 also explains why Haly's Circus will be playing a big role in this series, as we find out that Mr. Haly (owner of the circus) is dying, and in his will has left the circus to Dick, as originally the circus was meant to be willed to his parents. This is a great choice by Higgins. Haly's Circus is a big part of Dick Grayson's life, and him owning the circus means never having to justify why he's there, ditching the tired "I haven't seen everyone in forever!" story arc used so often.

Red Hood and the Outlaws #2

Wow. I never thought that Red Hood and the Outlaws #1 would gather so much hate. It wasn't the best comic in the world by any means, but the outrage over this issue, mostly dealing with Starfire's characterization, was quite frankly stupid. It's one freaking issue and people are tearing into Scott Lobdell for ruining the character.

What bothers me more is that it is coming out that the entire history of every Teen Titans team, as well as Young Justice for that matter, is erased. All of it. While that may partially be Lobdell's fault, how can the editor allow this? That history is crucial for everything that has happened to the next generation of heroes after Bruce Wayne/Clark Kent/Barry Allen/Hal Jordan etc.

But enough about that mess. Red Hood and the Outlaws #2  I found to be an equally entertaining followup to issue #1, as it greatly enhances the backstory of Jason Todd. It's clear that this is purely Todd's book, and Roy and Kori are along for the ride, but that's not necessarily a bad thing.

Superboy #2

Superboy #2 starts off right where #1 ends, with Superboy proving what a danger he is to himself and those around him. And of course, the secret organization “N.O.W.H.E.R.E.” wants to unleash him on “Red Robin and the others.” We have the classic standoff: scientist working directly with the project claims it's not ready, owner/financier of the project wants immediate results, preferably of the destructive, deadly kind.

This dynamic isn't wholly original, but it works well enough here, possibly because Rose Wilson shifts the chemistry just enough. Again, Rose here is a pleasant surprise, but Scott Lobdell hasn't really gotten into her character that much yet. As someone who's personality has shifted more than a few times in the DC Universe, I'm interested as to what role she'll play in this universe. 

Batgirl #2

This is one of the three comics on my "pull list." Mostly it involves my interest in being able to read modern-age stories of Barbara Gordon as Batgirl, and not have to go back in time to read hokey Silver-Age stories that I imagine aren't very good to begin with. Also, Gail Simone is the perfect writer for the job, she practically created the Post-Crisis Barbara Gordon character. While issue #1 didn't set the world on fire, it did leave me hope that this would be an interesting series and was totally worth following.

And issue #2 paid off for keeping my faith. While issue #1 left off with a sort of silly cliffhanger where an officer tells Batgirl she's under arrest for failing to act when the new villain Mirror kills her partner, this issue quickly dismisses her absurd behavior when Jim Gordon basically tells her to put a sock in it when she starts blabbing about how they have to arrest Batgirl.

Batman and Robin #2

Wow. Just wow. There's so much too talk about in this comic I could write four times the normal amount for a review. But I'll spare my reader. To make this easy, I'm going to start at the simpler stuff and move on to the more complex topics. First off, at the end of the book, we find Bruce adopting a dog, who looks exactly like Ace the Bat-hound as seen in the "Batman Beyond" animated series. Not that this is the first incarnation of him (he appeared as early as Batman #92 way back when) but this is still really fun. There's something about Ace that I always made him best fit as Bruce's best friend, moreso than any human. Thanks Tomasi for bringing him back.

Next, the return of Henri Ducard! Peter J. Tomasi brings another character back from obscurity, even if he doesn't make a physical appearance, only his follower "Morgan" does, telling Bruce that Ducard isn't happy with him, especially in regards to Batman Incorporated. Bruce and Morgan's statements imply that Morgan is our new killer, "Nobody," though one can never know for certain. For those who don't know, Henri Ducard taught Bruce much of what he knows about detective work, and was heavily involved in his early training, although he isn't on the side of justice, he's on the side of whomever pays him the most. The return of Henri Ducard should be very exciting in the oncoming issues (last appearance that I know of in the comics was when Tom Drake went on a trip to Paris as part of his training).

Red Lanterns #2

This was another issue I was iffy on whether I would continue reading after issue #1. But in the attitude of trying new things and being open, I decided to keep with it. After all, I had the same attitude about Swamp Thing #2, and that turned out to be excellent. While the payoff wasn't as big as with Swamp Thing #2, Red Lanterns #2 also proved well worth sticking around for.

While this issue lacked the killer early illustration that the first issue possessed to draw me in, the story came on strong after a slow start.  Again, much of this story draws on Atrocitus' inner-thoughts on "rage." While some may find a second-straight issue on this type of inner-monologue redundant, I think it's a great choice. The biggest concern about the Red Lanterns and Atrocitus is that they're a one-note character lineup.

Swamp Thing #2

I was hesitant about the first issue of Swamp Thing, but I gave it a shot because, well, Scott Snyder is a total boss. His debut issue of Batman last month was the best the "New 52" had to offer, and many highly praised his Swamp Thing issue as well. I gave it some praise, but ultimately settled that it wasn't my cup of tea.

I'm pulling a 180-degree turn on that last part. Not because this isn't my cup of tea, because it inst, now my attitude is that I don't care if this is my cup of tea or someone else's, because this issue was really good tea! (Promise that's the last of the tea metaphor). This issue started a little slow, but the second half was one one hell of a show. The conversation between Alec Holland and Swamp Thing is very genuine, and extremely informative for those of us not in the know about who/what Swamp Thing is and how Alec Holland became involved with him.

Snyder is great at spoon-feeding the reader information on the character without coddling them as if they were 4th graders. This is key; to get new readers hooked onto a book like Swamp Thing that normally wouldn't read it (say, me!) he has to break things down intelligently so I don't give up because it's too confusing, but give it enough action so they don't get bored from having an entire issue of exposition.

Justice League International #2

Justice League International may not be the star-studded lineup that the Justice League of America is, but at the very least, it can take credit for putting out two issues since the Justice League #1 debuted over a month ago (Jim Lee fails). Furthermore, both issues of J.L.I., created by lessor known talents of Dan Jurgens and Aaron Lopresti, are better than the one issue of Justice League by superstar creators Geoff Johns and Jim Lee.

This issue does a lot of things well. The most difficult task is that this is a large collection of mostly unknown characters. This team is nine members large, and the only ones who the average reader has probably seen before are Guy Gardner, Booster Gold, and of course, Batman. And yet, the reader is given strong clues to the personalities of nearly all the characters. Rocket Red and August General-in-Iron give us a great former communist rivalry of national superiority, Booster is a wannabe-A-list superhero still waiting for his big chance to join the J.L.A., Guy Gardner is an egomaniac, Godiva is a huge flirt not super-concerned with world-saving, and Batman is well, Batman.

What's great about this cast of characters is that it really is an international collection of heroes from different nations, as well as having an even divide in numbers between both genders, consisting of 5 men and 4 women. This is by no means a boy's club, as so many superhero teams tend to be.

Batwing #2

One of the pleasant surprises in the "New 52", Batwing #1 quickly became a fan favorite for those willing to give Judd Winick a shot despite his so-so track record as a comic book writer. But for those still boycotting this book because Winnick's name is on it, shame on you. Batwing #2 is every bit as good as Batwing #1, as David Zamvimbi is quickly becoming a Bruce Wayne type stubborn personality, with the Dick Grayson "devil may care" attitude, making for a very entertaining character.

Last issue left off with a crazy cliffhanger, where Massacre stabs David Zavimbe through the chest, wondering if our protagonist was already dead. Of course he wasn't, because its comics and you can't kill off your main character in the first issue, but it still led to a decent amount of drama, enough to pull most readers back for issue #2 (including yours truly).

Green Arrow #2

I wasn't wild about the first issue. Other than the facial hair confusion though, there weren't any glaring problems with the book. Issue #2 one-ups issue #1 though, significantly at that.  Green Arrow is definitely under the radar right now in the New 52, but this book has the potential to be great.

Side-note, last week I learned that writer J.T. Krul would be leaving this series after #3. He's supposedly going to start work on a new project, and between that and Captain Atom and Green Arrow, well, one of them had to be dropped. I'm sad to see you go, Krul. That said, I've heard good things about Keith Giffen, the new writer, so we shall see.

One negative aspect of J.T. Krul's writing, is his lack of development for any characters other than his protagonist for the story, although at least on Teen Titans, that changed from issue to issue. Here, Oliver Queen will always be the protagonist, which leaves little or no development at all for the rest of the cast. There's nothing distinguishing his behind-the-scenes crew from cardboard cutouts of characters.

Detective Comics #2

Admittedly, I was very hard on Tony Daniel after reading Detective Comics #1. Though in my defense, there was a lot to be harsh about in this issue, both artistically and on the writing side. It was definitely a different book than I expected, but I wasn't too impressed.

Issue #2 is more dialed back from the debut issue's exaggerated behaviors and images, but it suffers from the same faults. It's a classic Tony Daniel written issue. Cool plot, bad dialogue and average at best storytelling. While his ideas aren't bad, his execution of them is weak.

The issue spends the beginning in his Bruce Wayne guise, wheeling and dealing with a mysterious (and mysteriously athletic) businessman named Hugh Marder, and then having an "affair" with journalist Wendy Rivers (wait, I thought he was dating Catwoman?).

Aquaman #1

Aquaman is lame. And I'm not talking about the over-cliched version of Aquaman. Aquaman as he really is, is lame. Geoff Johns and Ivan Reis do their best job to convince us otherwise this issue, putting all of Aquaman's best strengths on display. Many other comic readers bought into this intent, coming away from reading it thinking about how badass Aquaman really is. I did not share their reaction.

Fact is, I'm not interested in a story of a guy who looks like a Abercrombie model dressed in fish scales and holding a trident. He looks like a wimp, but whose just very angry and uptight all the time. Also, I could not care less about Atlantis, or being telepathic with fish. Yes I get it that his muscles are much stronger because he's underwater constantly and yadda yadda yadda, but I still don't care.

I gave this title a chance because I heard rave reviews about it. And when you hear a recommendation from those you trust, you give it a shot. And that's why I picked it up, even though I wasn't originally planning on it. (The other two titles I did this with were Swamp Thing and Animal Man, the former decently good, the latter very strong).

Teen Titans #1

For some reason, Scott Lobdell is writing three of the "New 52" titles for DC. Keep in mind, Scott Lobdell hasn't written anything significant since he was a big-shot X-Men writer in the 1990's. Apparently Dan DiDio is a big fan, and Lobdell is a man who can work fast.

And frankly, his first two titles did not knock it out of the park. Both frankly were average books, not anything to write home about, and Red Hood and the Outlaws created such an unnecessary hubbubbub about feminism and sexism and what-not that it distracted from the enjoyable parts of the story.

But Teen Titans is where he gets it all right. One can tell this book is the one he's had the greatest vision on and has thought out the most. This book seemingly wipes the slate clean of all Teen Titans stories post the Marv Wolfmann and George Perez era. Tim Drake is our protagonist (glad he's not calling himself Tim Wayne anymore personally), worried about a secret organization called N.O.W.H.E.R.E. trying to round up all metahumans and use them for their own purposes.

Superboy #1

Confession: I technically already wrote and published Superboy #1. However, what I realized the day after I posted the blog entry was that it was Superboy #1 published in January 2011 and written by Jeff Lemeire, not September 2011 by Scott Lobdell. So I deleted it, frustrated because there went a lot of now-wasted time right out the window.

That's why this review is coming a few weeks late. And sadly, this review isn't as positive as the one about Jeff Lemeire's #1. Not to say this issue by Scott Lobdell and drawn by R.B. Silva is subpar, because it's not, but it does win the unique award of being the second-best Superboy #1 this year.

Superboy #1 is an origin story. Which honestly, is rather annoying. Superboy is one of those characters whose origins is rather convoluted and has been retconned over and over. To add yet another origin just makes it more confusing. The problem with characters who have lackluster, nonsensical, or overall poor origins, is that every new writer tries to improve upon it, and make it the definitive origin for that character, and most just make it worse.

Green Lantern: New Guardians #1

Confession: I don't like Hal Jordan. He's a cocky, pretentious, ass. Impossible to look up to. Harder to get along with than Guy Gardner for cripe sake. For how powerful those green rings are, I would never trust Hal Jordan with one. I'm happy with how "War of the Green Lanterns" ended. While I don't have much interest in Sinestro as a Green Lantern, I like seeing Hal Jordan knocked down a peg.

Kyle Rayner is a different story. Kyle is awesome. He has the strong will that is up to par with Hal Jordan, but the creativity of John Stewart, but also possesses the humility to which none of them can measure up. While Connor Hawke, Wally West, and Donna Troy have been sent to comic book purgatory, I'm glad this 90's star has been been included while so many of that generation have been left out.

This is why when I heard that Kyle would be getting his own title, not one to share with other Green Lanterns, I instantly knew this would be the Green Lantern ongoing that I'd be following (assuming it didn't suck). And this issue didn't let me down.

Blue Beetle #1

The Blue Beetle certainly has a strong cult following in the DC Universe, whether it's the deceased Ted Kord or newcomer Jaime Reyes. Honestly, I don't have much exposure to the Blue Beetle, my only real experience with the character was when I read "Infinite Crisis," which featured the origins of the Jaime Reyes version of the character. Obviously one can tell that I wasn't struck much by the character as it didn't lead up to me reading the solo series that Jaime Reyes eventually landed (it went only 36 issues though).

Therefore, reading this issue would become an exercise in possibly joining the cult. Blue Beetle seems like an interesting character after all, and it's definitely a nice change of pace reading about a Latino teenager as a superhero than a middle-aged Caucasian. Sadly though, this comic left me underwhelmed as to the Blue Beetle/Jaime Reyes storyline, and rather uninterested in joining its cult following.

The story opens with a prologue (which confuses me, because it seems to indicate that Jaime Reyes is the first Blue Beetle, so Ted Kord never existed?). The only purpose it does seem to serve is to tell the reader that Jaime Reyes isn't the only Blue Beetle out there, and that the Blue Beetles and the Green Lanterns might not get along so well. But even that isn't perfectly clear as this Green Lantern appears to be somewhat of a renegade.

Wonder Woman #1

Let me say this: I have zero interest in Wonder Woman. Partially because I think the character's ridiculous, and partially because no one's ever said "this Wonder Woman story is awesome, go read it." Which then begs the question "Well Ed, if you don't care about the character, and have no history reading the comic, why did you read it in the first place?"

Well that's because this reboot is about two things, giving a fresh updated take on the characters, and trying out new titles without having to worry about continuity too much. That, along with initially strong reviews on the issue, I gave it a shot, because this blog is about trying many new titles out, not being closed minded.

And this issue was, not stellar. I know some people love Brian Azzarello, and get excited whenever he writes for a big-name, especially Batman (recent work includes "Flashpoint: Batman Knight of Vengeance" and "Joker") but to me Azzarello is a good, not great writer.

Red Hood and the Outlaws #1

Most of the "New 52" #1's so far have served as solid openers for their new series. While some succeed and give hope that the upcoming storylines are going to be awesome, some haven't been as inspiring, but even those who don't make me very interested in the series at least do a good job of introducing the characters and their major plot points.

In an odd twist, this comic does the absolute opposite of that. Scott Lobdell (known for his 90's Marvel work on X-Men titles) very, very briefly introduces us to the three characters. If I didn't have some background on them, honestly I would be a little confused about these characters.

Honestly, after reading this, I'm not sure what this comic is about, why Jason has teamed up with Starfire, or why he busted Roy Harper (Arsenal) out of jail. And then in the latter plot, I can't figure out what the hell the "All Caste" is, and whether it's completely new or if I'm going to have Wikipedia it to find out.

Batman #1

Scott Snyder is now the man at the head of Batman. This is great news for everybody. While Morrison made fantastic stories, his unique style and choice to put Dick under the cowl for almost two years did alienate many a Bat-fan. But now that Dick is Nightwing again, and a writer who is not so controversial is at the helm, Batman is poised to take over as the biggest thing in comics again.

Quick history on Scott Snyder in the Batman universe. He recently wrote Detective Comics #871-881, Batman: The Black Mirror (which Hungry City is a part of). And it was phenomenal, easily one of my favorite Batman stories ever (didn't hurt that Dick was the starring character). Also, he was the initial brains behind "Batman: Gates of Gotham." So in essence, he wins.

And he doesn't let up his hot streak here. Batman #1 is easily my favorite out of the New 52 I have read so far. And here's the kicker, the art isn't even that good. Often times the art for books enhance the overall experience, but Greg Capullo's art doesn't do much good or bad for this book. His display of movement is strong, but overly strong that I took notice.

Nightwing #1

In the past I've mentioned how Dick Grayson is my favorite character. I don't care what costume he's in, or how old he is, he's my favorite. Needless to say, I've enjoyed the last two years of comics tremendously. Finally, DC put elite teams on Dick Grayson titles, and the results were tremendous, with Scott Snyder's "The Black Mirror," and Grant Morrison's "Batman and Robin" chalking up to some of the favorite stuff I've ever read.

The problem was that while they did well, it could only keep Dick under the cowl for so long. And then they devised this relaunch/reboot/re-whatever they want to call it in the middle of last year, this meant an end of an era for Dick. Part of the editorial mandate was that with the exception of Green Lantern (because Geoff Johns is one of the heads of DC creative, so of course his storylines aren't interrupted) all the characters should be returned to their traditional roles if at all possible. This meant there would be only one Batman (Bruce), Dick would be Nightwing, and Barbara Gordon would be Batgirl and so on and so forth. In all likeliness Dick would have only been Batman only until the end of Grant Morrison's "Batman Inc." story (which probably would have ended next spring) but still, that's half a years worth of more Dick Grayson stories by the best creative teams. 

Swamp Thing #1

Although I've loved Scott Snyder's run on Detective Comics, I didn't think I'd be picking up his new run on Swamp Thing. Because honestly, I could care less about the title character. I don't care about Alan Moore's groundbreaking run on the comic, and I don't care about Brightest Day.

But I do care about what Scott Snyder's writing. And the first review I read of Swamp Thing #1 was glowing. And that peaked my interest, at least enough to try the first issue. And I liked this issue, not that I ever thought that I wouldn't, but I digress.

But overall my opinion hasn't changed. While I enjoyed this comic, I still don't care about Dr. Holland or Swamp Thing.

Red Lanterns #1

Most reactions I read about this book were fairly negative, mostly complaining about the pointlessness of the Red Lanterns getting their own book. Complaints about them being one-dimensional, boring and superficial filled reviews. I counter that all characters are like that until one dives in head-first and starts creating those new dimensions.

I don't have a ton of experience with the Red Lanterns. I've read Blackest Night, and they showed up in there, but otherwise my exposure to them has been limited. But I think the addition of different kind of Lanterns is one of the best things Geoff Johns has done in his Green Lantern epic, so I'm all for exploring some unknown territory.

Detective Comics #1

Full disclosure: Frank Miller sucks. He doesn't always suck, but most of the time...he sucks. Why does that matter in a comic that he doesn't write? Because one Mr. Tony S. Daniel has apparently channeled his inner-Frank Miller to write and draw the debut to Detective Comics. (Side note, I found out here that the 'S' in Tony S. Daniel stands for Salvadore, that's freakin' sweet!)

Feedback from readers on this issue is mixed. Some think it's amazing, others think it's merely good. But the most common thought is "this is the best Tony Daniel written piece I have ever read." Any of these thoughts are understandable, if one understands where different types of Batman fans are coming from.

Green Arrow #1

I'm going to make this clear: I have not read much Green Arrow. Maybe two issues in total. That being said, I really like what I have read, Ollie Queen seems like an awesome dude and I should read some Green Arrow. Somehow I just never got around to it. Also, on a sidenote, the idea for the Green Arrow movie, "Supermax" sounds really cool, where Ollie is stuck inside a Supermax prison with all the criminals he's put away, and he's trying to escape. They need to make that movie.

This comic has ups and downs. I'm going to start with the positives, the art is pretty darn good, Dan Jurgens has always been a solid artist so this is no surprise. Only issue is Ollie's facial scruff is inconsistent. I'm not sure where he was long sideburns, has short ones and is clean shaven, has a permanent five o'clock shadow, basically it looks different in every panel. If you can get past that, you're golden.

Justice League #1

Wow oh wow....where to begin. I made this point with Batgirl, and I'll make it here too. This is the start of a whole new universe. A chance to retell the origins of the J.L.A., a chance to start everything off with a bang, a chance to grab hundreds of new readers who will pick up this book as the flagship book for the new universe. DC has a unique chance to hook-in new readers as a larger rate than ever before.

Damn you, Geoff Johns. Damn you.

Batman and Robin #1

This was a very pleasant surprise. Count me in as a skeptic about whether this would work or not. I thought the chemistry between Bruce and Damian wouldn't mesh well. And it doesn't, but in a way that totally works for this comic.

Batman and Robin when it set out was based on the chemistry that Damian respected Dick, honored that he would choose Damian to be his partner over Tim, and eager to prove that he belonged as part of the Wayne legacy. He respected Dick partially out of respect to his father and because Dick didn't treat Damian like a child, so Damian didn't act like one in return.

Justice League International #1

This comes second because, well, I just read this one and figured I'd do a fresh review.

This comic is......surprisingly good, and better than Justice League #1. It stars a wide range of heroes from different nations and ethnicities and it really has a great diversity. The head of the United Nations Intelligence division, Andre Briggs, has formed a team to work for the United Nations, instead of acting as an autonomous body, as the Justice League does.

And Dan Jurgens comes up with a solid way to introduce the team to the readers, in a way that doesn't seem super cheesy but still introduces us to all the characters and a little bit of their backgrounds. It also shows a number of heroes the U.N. rejects, which also makes me wonder whether they were randomly chosen for this issue, or if Dan Jurgens actually considered putting them on the team. Either way, it's good that Blue Beetle and Green Arrow have their own books so we won't miss them too much here, and Plastic Man I could care less about so no big loss there either.

Batgirl #1

I'm starting with this title because this is the first one I bought in the new relaunch. That part is simple.

But the reasons I bought this first are more complicated. While August had a lot of comic downtime in preparation for the relaunch, one of the titles I went back and read was Batgirl starring Stephanie Brown. And I was loving it. Bryan Q. Miller was kicking ass with Steph (Fabian Nicieza should take notes for the next time he gets a Batman sidekick title, that this is how you write one). Also, as a Dick Grayson fan, I firmly fell on the side that he and Babs were the best twosome, not Dick and Kory. Also, Babs is the Batgirl I remember from my BTAS days, so I had familiarity with that, though it was clear that this was a much more grown up character.

No, I have never read Birds of Prey outside of a crossover issue or two. But what I did know, Gail Simone is to Barbara Gordon how Geoff Johns is to Hal Jordon. If anyone should be handling Babs' return to Batgirl, it's Simone. Between picking the perfect writer, and putting a quality artist on the title (most of the preview art looked gorgeous) this series was setup for success.

My Background

What should help inform people of where I'm coming from is going to explain my background in the world of comics.

I, like many of my generation, had my first exposure to comics through superhero cartoons from the 1990's. Mostly I watched Batman and Spider-Man, but I caught X-Men here and there, and I watched some of Superman and Batman Beyond.

But I was growing older, and thought I was "outgrowing" superheros, but then shortly thereafter, superhero movies started coming out. And I loved X-Men, X2, as well as Batman Begins and the Dark Knight. And then I started reading MTV's "Splashpage," which reports on comic book movie and TV adaptations. Then one week they published an article previewing Grant Morrison's "Batman & Robin."

First Post!

To clarify some things: I'm going to react and review the titles I want to, not adhering to any specific section of the New 52. At my discretion I may stop or start reviewing any title I wish. This blog is a chronicling of my readership experience, and it's meant to have my own touch on it, not be some unbiased, unsigned editorial.

That being said, blog-readers' reactions will definitely be taken into account, and hopefully I'll gain enough readers to create a healthy give-and-take.

As of right now, I have read Justice League #1, Batgirl #1, Animal Man #1, Green Arrow #1, Detective Comics #1, and Batwing #1. I have plans to read Swamp Thing #1, J.L.I. #1, Batman and Robin #1, Superboy #1, Batman #1, Blue Beetle #1, Nightwing #1, Red Hood and the Outlaws #1, Green Lantern: The New Guardians #1, and Teen Titans #1.

That's 16 total titles I plan on starting with, but of course titles will be added/subtracted from as I deem fit.