New 52

Animal Man #1

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animal-man-v2-1-coverFor those who have no experience with the character Animal Man may be a little hard to understand. Part super-hero, part animal activist, part horror protagonist, and part family man, the character of Buddy Baker is as far on the edge of the DCU as you can get, which was why I was pleasantly surprised when he earned a title as part of DC’s “New 52.”

Animal Man has the ability to tap the morphogenetic field (known as “the Red”) and mimic the abilities of various animals for short periods of time. He can even combine the abilities, such as the speed of a cheetah, stink of a skunk, and the strength of a rhino, all together.

As the comic begins former actor, hero, stuntman, and now actor again, Baker finds himself wrapping up a small role in and independent film, spending time with his family, and throwing on the tights to end a stand-off in a hospital’s children’s ward.

The stand-off in the hospital is especially well done and writer Jeff Lemire gives us one creepy ending involving Baker’s daughter Maxine (which I won’t spoil here).

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Stormwatch #1

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stormwatch-1-coverStormwatch is an attempt to bring the Wildstorm super-team (that was the precusor to The Authority) into the DCU. The first issue is a mixed success, but still enough of one that I’m willing to give it a couple of issues to see where it goes.

On the plus side, the inclusion of Martian Manhunter works much better than I anticipated, and I also like that the team created to be a secret black ops squad working jobs the Justice League is too visible to handle. In a universe with the JLA, and several other super-hero teams, this gives a reason for Stormwatch to exist. And J’onn J’onzz (being a shapeshifter, and one who can read minds) would seem to be exactly the type of individual the team would recruit.

The main story involves the team of the Martian Manhunter, Jack Hawksmoor, and the Projectionist attemting to recruit Apollo. Writer Paul Cornell gets into a little trouble by trying to introduce a large number of characters at once (Jenny Quantum‘s tale and the adventure on the moon could both have waited another month or so), but I am glad to know the Engineer is still around.

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Batgirl #1

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batgirl-1-coverOf all the comics slated for the DC Reboot Barbara Gordon‘s return as Batgirl created the most heated debate. DC was cancelling Stephanie Brown‘s popular version of the character in favor of putting Barbara back in the Batsuit for the first time since 1988 when the character was paralyzed by the Joker in Alan Moore‘s Batman: The Killing Joke.

Forgetting for the second that this first issue is far inferior to Bryan Q. Miller’s stellar Batgirl run, and the debate whether or not Barbara Gordon is a more intriguing character as Oracle rather than Batgirl (the answer is Oracle, by the way), this first issue has a great many problems.

I love writer Gail Simone, I’d just rather see her penning Secret Six. The writing her feels rushed, Barbara Gordon’s paralysis is fixed by a “miracle” off-panel, and her time as Oracle isn’t even hinted at (did it even occur in this vesrion of the DCU?). The villain of the piece (who basically appears to be some guy who has seen Final Destination way, way too many times) is also troubling. And don’t even get me started on the costume that looks like someone spray-painted Witchblade.

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Detective Comics #1

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Before the DC Reboot writer Scott Snyder was penning a strong arc in the final issues of Detective Comics about James Gordon Jr. and the relationships of the Gordon family with the Bat-Family. Tony Daniel takes over the writing duties here as part of DC’s “New 52,” and if this issue foreshadows one hellova bumpy ride.

The first problem is the issue never tells us when it takes place. Is it at the beginning of the New 52 with Action Comics and Justice League, is it in the current timeline with most of the other #1’s, or does it take place sometime in-between?

The comic focuses on Batman‘s attempt to capture the Joker, but it’s unclear how many times Batman and the Joker have met. Is this their first meeting, their tenth, one-hundredth? The comic isn’t sure, so how can the reader be?

Even with these issues the first issue may not be good but it is, for the most part passable, – at least until the gruesome final panel. In an attempt to give us a gritty Batman story Daniel gives us the face of one of Batman’s villains nailed to a wall. This one’s best forgotten. Pass.

[DC, $2.99]

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Justice League International #1

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jli-v2-1-coverI was surprised how much I liked DC’s first new title Justice League. The reboot of Justice League International isn’t quite as good, but it’s a solid start for another Justice League title.

The original JLI run by Keith Giffen, J. M. DeMatteis, and Kevin Maguire to this day remains one of the best team comics DC, or any publisher, has put out. Way before its time, JLI focused on character relationships, humor, and petty arguments among heroes at least as much as it did with the League saving the day.

The new JLI lacks the zaniness of Giffen’s run, and isn’t as strong as Judd Winick‘s year-long Justice League: Generation Lost tale. It’s also missing a few key pieces that could really spice up the team dynamic (including Guy Gardner, who quits halfway through this first issue).

The first issue is primarily concerned with setting up the team (which includes Fire, Ice, Rocket Red, Vixen, August General in Iron, and Godiva) under the leadership of Booster Gold, who in the relaunch is still widely regarded as a glory hound.

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