Welcome back with another edition of reviews of the DC's "New 52". As a reminder, I am a lapsed comic-book reader who stopped reading superhero books as a teenager but decided to give them another crack after attending Comic Con. Also, I must admit, it was nice to think of being able to pick up a DC book and (potentially) understand what's going on without having to spend a few hours on Wikipedia to figure out the context of the story.
Here's a quick recap of the four numero unos I reviewed last time,
Wonder Woman: A great read, and
I'M IN on following it in the future.
Justice League: An interesting intro, and
I'M IN... FOR NOW on seeing where the JL story leads.
Detective Comics: Nothing we haven't seen before from Batman, until the shocking final page. I'll give it
ONE MORE MONTH to see where that cliff-hanger leads.
Green Arrow: Decent action, but did a poor job introducing this re-booted Green Arrow. I might give it
ONE MORE MONTH depending on how many of the other books leapfrog it in quality.
And, with that, here's the latest batch of reviews.
BATMAN
The best book I’ve read yet, hands down. Scott Snyder basically writes a 20-page love letter to the Batman mythos, centering the issue thematically around Gotham and what it represents. Works for me. There’s action, as the Caped Crusader foils a mass breakout at Arkham with the help of an unlikely ally. The results are a gorgeous depiction of Batman’s rogues gallery. I particularly enjoyed Batman using his “educated feet” against Clayface. I’d feel comfortable handing this to a Batman novice—or someone whose knowledge of the character was restricted to the Tim Burton and Christopher Nolan movies. One of the (many) neat gadgets wielded by Batman also did a fabulous job inserting exposition into the book without making the narrative unwieldy or cluttering up the frames. Bonus points for a nice ending that provides a compelling cliff-hanger into the next issue without being an unnecessary twist or placing the lead character in some attempt at mortal peril. Which leads me to…
Verdict: I’m In
NIGHTWING
OK, I understand these are comic books, but putting our hero in an apparent life-threatening situation at this point is hardly a viable threat at this point, right? They’re not going to kill Nightwing in issue number 2 of his new book, after all. The circus setting is a nice touch hearkening back to the origin of the character and I’m digging the new, confident, adult Dick Grayson. It’s also a well-drawn book, and the fight sequences are clear to follow (take a lesson, Detective Comics…)
The only real gripe is the villain who… suffice to say, strongly resembles an iconic character from the Marvel Universe. Still, lots to like for a comic fan and especially a Bat-fan like myself.
Verdict: Worth Following
BATWOMAN
I wanted to like this. Reviews have been great and the art, as advertised, was fantastic. I just can’t bring myself to care about the character yet. As I said, I’m a lapsed comic reader so I don’t know this incarnation of Batwoman from a ham sandwich. I do know she had a run on Detective Comics following the death of Bruce Wayne that was rather well-received. There was a lot going on, narratively speaking. The issue began as a supernatural yarn, took a right turn into hinting at some sort of spy conspiracy, then had some basic superhero tropes with Batwoman breaking in a new sidekick. That’s a lot to work into one issue… and yet any attempt to actually introduce this character and what she’s about -- aside from the fact that she's a lesbian -- falls flat.
What attention that is paid to Batwoman’s back story was, again, beautifully drawn but only served to further confuse this newcomer to the character. What role does her father play in her crime-fighting ways? How did she decide to become a costume-clad character? Questions like that are not answered and, given what was presented in the first issue, there's no real compelling reason to find out for new readers. Again, what’s the point of doing such a reboot and giving characters their own books if you’re not going to adequately introduce said characters?
Verdict: Wait For The Trades
MISTER TERRIFIC
The structure of this book was interesting. We start in the middle of a fight between Mister Terrific and a power suit-clad baddie from across the pond. After our hero makes quick work of his foe, writer Eric Wallace delves right into the exposition of the character, and handles it nicely.
It’s there where things seem to hit a bit of a wall. The remaining two-thirds of the issue is far too talky for an introductory issue—especially one dealing with a minor or lesser-known character like this one. Plus, despite explaining why Mister Terrific is the way he is, the issue never really explains how he’s able to pull off some of his gravity-defying exploits other than referring to all of his heroic skills by saying he’s dedicated to science. That’s all well and good, but the Bruce Wayne in Snyder’s Batman easily out-gadgets the dude touted in the DC Universe as the third smartest guy in the world. The art by Gianluca Gugliotta didn’t blow me away, either. While this issue does a better job introducing its central character and his motivations than … really, any book I’ve read thus far except for Batman, there’s not enough to bring me back.
Verdict: Pass