Monthly Archive for September, 2011

The books just keep on moving.  Every week I am more and more amazed by the sales on these DC books, I just think the quality should have matched the quantity.

However, as Dwayne Johnson is fond of saying, “it doesn’t matter what you think.”  It is true, it does not matter what I think.  That is why I have others doing reviews for me.  If you are enjoying them, great, please continue.

If you haven’t been able to get a book you wanted, let me know and I will get you down for a second print, or try and track down a first print if I can.  This is my job, this is what I do.

I would also like to mention that if you have books pulled and know you will not be wanting a second issue of some title, let me know now, rather than the day it comes out.

Also final call for September Preview orders, they are due this Wednesday.

More Ennis from Avatar Coming Soon…

I had a fantastic conversation with my rep from Avatar last week.  It is always nice to get a call from Keith.  What for him should have been a three minute pitch turned into a 25 minute discussion about what new stuff was coming down the pipeline and how messed up some of the books he had coming and our speculation on the degree of messed up-ness of the readers.

So what IS coming?  After Psychopath finishes, an ongoing monthly title will be started with a three issue Garth Ennis penned and Jaceen Burrows drawn story.   It will be a departure from the rather overt sexual nature of the last two David Lapham written stories.  Now, this is not to say it will not have messed up @#$% in it, but it will be much more about survival, physically and mentally in a world worse than anything you can possibly imagine.

In October, there will be a Crossed web comic starting at Avatar’s website.  It will follow a group of survivors and will go for some time (several volumes worth of storytelling) and all will eventually, like Freak Angels, be collected in trade paperback eventually.

The reason for the call though, was to remind me that Ennis’s latest offering is in Previews, Stitched.  Something Keith told me is that Garth feels very strongly about this project.  It is being offered as an on-going comic as well as a DVD, directed by Ennis himself.  You can read more about this project on the Avatar home page and of course we will the comic in the shop, but you might want to let me know if you want the DVD.

New Comic Illuminati, coming very soon…

The Wake for DC’s old continuity, which we held before the midnight sale of Justice League #1 will be up online this week.  I will post on the facebook when it goes live, but you can find it in its whole on I-tunes.  Search for Southsider Studios.

Mike, man behind the SS – er, the magic of the Illuminati – the guy behind the camera, shot a three part series for the “show” tonight and we will be slow releasing those as they get edited over the next month plus.  I talk about the DC changes , some history/what led us to this and some conspiracy theory a few of us have been working on.

Hot Bat on Cat Action, WTF!!?!! DC…

I haven’t been too thrilled with the majority of the DC offerings – why others are doing reviews of them.  Two last week set off my irritation alarm, Catwoman or Red Hood.  Eventually, I hope to have clearer thoughts and a write up on my feelings towards the new DC, but I reserve judgement for the big picture for now.  What I will not hold silent on are books like these two.

Don’t know what I’m talking about?  Head over to Comic Alliance, there is a great write up by Laura Hudson.  She talks about these two horribly bad comic books, women, roles, gender and just general noxious storytelling by Judd Winick and Scott Lobdell.  One quote, “this does not look sexy to me; it looks like a creepy fanfiction drawing.”  It is a very good piece.

My two cents, which is different than the above article – I don’t have a problem with mature themes being in comics, – violence or sex – even in mainstream Superhero comics, but I do if they are in this mainstream which is marketed to kids on Cartoon Network, in books easily accessible to those kids and without a decent alternative given to those kids.

I get asked for young girl’s comics all the time, I have little to give them.  Ultimate Spiderman was revamped with a demographic in mind, (I guess so was Catwoman, but creepy fan-perv writing – I guess I didn’t realize that was a market being courted.)  Thing is, one company got it and the other has NO IDEA what they are doing.

I can continue and get even more old fuddy duddy and talk about ratings and what T and T+ means.  How I had to check a customer and friend’s hold box in a panic to make sure Catwoman hadn’t been pulled for his daughters without he or I knowing it was soft core porn masquerading as a comic book, but I’m not going to.  I am going to say… what do I always say about Judd Winick’s writing?  – Well, I now all I have to state is, “I told you so.”  But don’t just take my word for it, below is a review that loved the book, so, what do I know.

I could, however, continue by going into a long diatribe about the confusing nature of this re-start/boot thing DC has done, but in the end it would come down to editing and control from on high.  Much and many of these books were rushed and poorly edited.  (Hence so many creator changes in the first few months, remind you of Heroes Reborn more and more doesn’t it?)  Why does Dark Horse consistently put out solid stories – editing.  They have the best editor in the industry, Scott Allie, and a great working structure with one man, Mike Richardson – a comic book fan and creator – on top of the pyramid and in control.  Pick up issue four of Dark Horse Presents and see for yourself.  An 80 page anthology comic, now monthly and packed in that one issue with far more than has been published in one month from DC in fifty two full issues.

“But it doesn’t matter what you think!”  Too True.  So, on with some reviews from a few guys other than me…   Take it away Pat, Noah and RJ.

Batman #1

RJ:  I’ll just keep this short and sweet:  If you like Batman, if you’ve read Batman in the past, if you’ve thought “I’d really like to start reading Batman comic books but don’t know where to start” then this is a decent place to start.

If you’re looking for a different take on Batman the way that Wonder Woman #1 has provided something different for her or Action Comics #1 did for Superman?  Move along, nothing to see here.

PAT: I’ll admit that I didn’t read any of Scott Snyder’s Detective run and I understand it’s been called Dick Grayson ‘Batman: Long Halloween.’  Pretty lofty and grandiose moniker to put on it.

Now Snyder gets a shot at big ole Bruce Wayne and a huge new launch of the character. He takes the pitch and hits a home run.

The characterization and narration of Bruce is handled to perfection, like he has been writing the character for a decade. He shows how much Bruce loves his city and the lengths he’ll go to protect it – not only as Batman, but his alter-ego Bruce Wayne as well.  An important and often forgotten part of the character is Batman’s tech, but Snyder comes up with some sweet new gadgets for Batman to use.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a Batman comic without some action and we are treated with an all-out brawl while comparing the city to inmates of Arkham.  Oh, think you’ve seen that already?  Not with the fun twist this brawl has (which was a huge tease that I knew would be too good to be true. Way to go Snyder).

Greg Capullo’s art isn’t what I’m used to on a Batman book, it’s got a bit of a light cartoony feel to it, but strangely, I think it really helps.

This is a strong debut and has a great cliffhanger ending that should prove interesting in progressing the story.  Right now with Batman, in Snyder I trust.

Catwoman #1

RJ:  “So strange how this book seemed to fly under the radar,” He said sarcastically…

Look, Catwoman gets laid… and leaves the house with her bra showing.  If that somehow offends you, don’t buy this book.  I don’t understand how this one comic could have caused so much controversy just by actually showing things that anyone past the age of 12 – and familiar with Batman and Catwoman –  could have figured out on their own.  How the hell do you people think the original Huntress came to be in the first place?!?!?!  (Editor’s Note – RJ is referring to pre-crisis earth two Huntress who was the daughter of Batman and Catwoman.)  This book is 20 pages long, but no one mentions anything that happened before the end splash page of Catwoman and Batman together.

I’m gay, I do volunteer work for the local HIV Testing and Prevention Center, and even still I usually find Judd Winick’s writing to be beyond cringe worthy.  He’s a little too obsessed with his pet social issues I feel, but with Catwoman he’s at least momentarily been able to put down the placards and let loose.

This is a really, really fun book.  It has gorgeous art and a fun pace to the writing that keeps the story moving along briskly.  The banter between characters is glib, but not distracting like the awkward exchanges between Batman and Green Lantern in Justice League.  It’s like taking the best parts of an episode of Alias and stringing them together without the dull mellow slit-your-wrists boring parts.  The atmosphere throughout this comic is so tangible that I could almost hear the soundtrack music that would be playing if it were cinema and not print.

If you’ve been put off from buying this book because of the drama it’s caused, please don’t be. If you ask me, the women who found this book offensive are probably the same women who think Sarah Palin is an acceptable role model, and the men who have found this offensive either are just completely racked with penis-guilt or want to get in the pants of a woman who thinks Sarah Palin is an acceptable role-model for today’s women.  It’s a manufactured controversy that’s as pointless as the “GD” bubble that caused 36 hours of distraction over Action Comics… if this book is still on the shelves (It isn’t, but I can get you a second print soon), you should probably go out and get yourself a copy of Catowman.  Just… just don’t let your kid read it.

Red Hood and the Outlaws #1

Disclaimer: If you like Starfire; if you’ve ever found yourself thinking “Starfire is one of the best underutilized characters in the DC Universe and she’s full of potential and I can’t wait to see that used someday” OR you’ve ever thought “Starfire is so sweet and innocent, I hope she stays like that forever!” stop now. Do not read this review, do not read Red Hood and The Outlaws, and do not question anyone as to why.  Trust me, just…forget this book even exists and pretend like Starfire is benched alongside The Doom Patrol, Metal Men, Donna Troy and the JSA.  It’s for the best that way.

Every fiber in my being told me this book would be pure and utter crap.  Everything I knew about the book going into it, from the fact that Scott Lobdell was writing it to Starfire’s ‘not-a-costume’ told me “you will HATE this book”.  But I freakin’ love it.

You know that Spice Girls song you like but you don’t want to admit to anyone you like?   This is like that only it’s a comic book.

This is comic book guilty pleasure at its finest, and much like my inability to be ashamed by admitting I purposefully downloaded “MmmBop”, I will flat out tell you that Red Hood and the Outlaws is a comic that is just so bad it’s amazing.

There’s a lot that has happened apparently before this book began…I was more than a little bit confused in more than one spot.  Starfire …well…from what I can gather, I think Starfire literally has screwed herself stupid; Jason Todd has some sort supernatural background ties that are mentioned but not explained; and Roy Harper is now all of a sudden more than just a little bit sexy…none of which make a lick of sense to me.  But I don’t care.

Reading this book was kind of like changing the channel on TV and stumbling across a mindless action or sci-fi movie about the middle of the way through, having no clue what in the world was happening, and continuing to watch it until the end and still liking it. And while I understand that none of this may sound like a huge ringing endorsement, I’m being 100% serious when I say that I love this book like I love my cats (I was totally going to save that line for Catwoman, but it seemed a little too precious to use there…).

Look, comic books seem to take themselves a bit too seriously these days.  There are a LOT of deep things going on in some of these books, and there are a lot more books that try very hard to be deep and just come across as pathetic.  Sometimes you need something that’s just plain, stupid, mindless fun, and as far as I’m concerned, this is a palate cleanser while you’re working your way between schisming mutants and Greek God inflicted blood baths.

Give Red Hood and the Outlaws a try…  you may just end up loving it (even if you hate yourself for it).

Supergirl #1

After reading or hearing a quote somewhere from Supergirl writer Michael Green where he said (and I’m paraphrasing) the target audience for this book is teenage girls who like “The Hunger Games” I figured this book wasn’t going to be for me at all.  After all, I’m male and not a competitive anorexic.

When I found out that “Hunger Games”  was a series of books I got the same sick-in-my-stomach feeling that I had back in 7th grade when I wrote the paper on “Youth In Asia”.     Then I found out they’re books that appeal to the people who think “Twilight” is quality literature, took a pee standing up to remind me that I’m still male…felt confident in my earlier assessment that this book wasn’t for me…and still freakin’ bought it anyway.

This is important I guess because if the ‘target’ audience for Supergirl is young girls who like a series of books that I didn’t even know existed (and that get compared to a series of books I find to be drivel) then clearly this book isn’t being written for me.  However, I read last week’s Batman: The Brave and The Bold and this week’s Tiny Titans, (neither of which include me in their intended demographic) and found  both of them enjoyable nevertheless.  Much like my thoughts on Justice League #1 from a few weeks back, Supergirl reads to me like a 7 page preview/teaser story that got stretched out to 20 pages.

There are a few moments of note: one is Supergirl’s actual landing on Earth that is so ludicrous even a character in the story says “that’s impossible” (and it pretty much is I think…), and then a teaser for some other books that you may not realize are  teasers for other books unless you’ve read them.  The latter is only really interesting as it debunks any misguided notions that these 52 books are taking place across the 52 different Earths from the DC series 52…that maybe didn’t actually ‘happen’ in this New 52…

Last week I heard more than a couple of people complain Atrocicus was being a bit too whiney and emo and introspective in Red Lanterns, and while I disagree, I completely was able to empathize while reading Supergirl.  With a few…VERY Few, exceptions, almost all of the text in this book comes from the title character’s inner monologue. And while I suppose on some level that may appeal to those who find the stoned chick from Twilight’s senses numbing self-reflection riveting, it made me want to claw my eyes out.

This book did nothing for me, save make me regret buying it after deciding that  I wouldn’t.  But as I said in the beginning; I knew that going it.  I can’t honestly say that this is a ‘bad’ comic because according to the creative team, it targets a demographic that I have nothing in common with.  Sadly though, I can find nothing in this book that even hints at crossover appeal.

Nightwing #1

RJ:  I bought this book for the shallowest of reasons: I think Dick Grayson is sexy.  Lots of my gay friends do…lots of gay comic readers do…LOTS of Women Comic readers do too…apparently no one has told DC this though as this has to be one of the least appealing comics I think I’ve ever read.  The story was boring, the art was bland, and Dick kept himself fully covered throughout the entire issue.

PAT:  I don’t have too much to say on this.  I loved Dick as Batman, but now he’s back to being Nightwing.  I think the fact that I did enjoy Dickbats so much makes this such a disappointment for me.  In this new series, he’s Nightwing, living in his own place independent of Bruce once again.  That just doesn’t do it for me.

However, it does seem like this series and Snyder’s Batman may be connected a little bit. Which could make this a must read for some people to see if that fact is indeed true.  I think I’ll just stick with Batman.  Sorry, Dick, DC killed you for me.

Legion of Superheroes #1:

PAT: If you’re new to the Legion this has to be the most confusing introduction they could have given you.  This new volume (number 7 now?) starts right where Paul Levitz’s runs of the previous volume left off.

The Legion is recovering from losses all around, as they believe the Legion Lost crew is dead. So now they are trying to pickup the pieces again and some get sent on what would seem to be a routine mission.  It, of course, goes badly.  As being a Legion fan for quite some time now and owning every issue Levitz has ever written, this is a great read for me.

HOWEVER, like I said, if you’re new, you’ll have no clue who the characters are, what they are talking about – in terms of previous events – and what has happened to them in the past.

The art is standard Legion fare and each character is given their unique look.  Again, if you are a Legion fan you will be fine with it, but if not… I’m sorry.

I am very psyched to see where this story goes.  One big thing to point out is the fact that some Legionaires refer to Flashpoint and the fact that they can’t travel to the past anymore.  Also, if you look at the character Glorith, it looks an awful lot like this strange hooded woman we keep seeing pop up in every new #1 this month.  Does she go back to try and change the past?  If time travel to that time doesn’t work then how would she?  She does make a remark on how she wishes she could go back and change how things went.  While it might be a bit of a throwaway line, with the similarity in appearance with strange hooded lady – Is she the new Time Trapper? – this could be big in terms of the future in the DCNU.

Wonder Woman #1

NOAH:  Wonder Woman has been through a lot since her creation in 1941 (by William Moulton Marston – who also invented the polygraph machine.  Seriously, the guy that created Wonder Woman and the Lasso of Truth also invented the Lie Detector Test, look it up).

From her earliest incarnations featuring bondage themed stories, to her recanting her powers and opening up a mod boutique store (Yep, happened), to one failed attempt after another to get a post-Lynda Carter live action version off the ground and then most recently donning stirrup pants and a jacket complete with shoulder pads (the J. Michael Straczynski  snoozefest known as “The Odyssey”) her journey has been a long one.  And now, thanks to the DCnU and their “New 52” we have “Wonder Woman #1” with story by Brian Azzarello and art by Cliff Chiang.

Now to be fair, in the case of Wonder Woman #1, there have been four other issues with that title in the series and that’s not even counting All Star Comics #8 or Sensations Comics #1 (her first appearance and first cover appearance, respectively).  All this after fanboys such as myself took part in a huge letter writing campaign to DC Comics begging them to renumber her series starting with what would have been issue #600 in an effort to put her book back in its rightful place with the two other big hitters of the DC Universe: Superman & Batman.  Rarely in recent history has Diana been in hands capable of making her the relevant, best selling part of DC’s Trinity she deserves to be (with some exceptions of course – most notably “Justice League: A League of One” for example).

I have been obsessed with Wonder Woman since I can remember remembering things.  And I mean OBSESSED.  My life revolved around “Super Friends” and my Kenner Wonder Woman action figure.  I’m such a fanboy I made my own “Wonder Dude” costume for Wizard World Chicago Comic-Con & even won a “pose like David Finch’s Wonder Woman” contest on BleedingCool.com.  Like all other die-hard fanatics, I have my own ideas as to what I would do if I were in charge of the creative team on the Wonder Woman book or working on a script for the long overdue feature film.  In fact, it’s pretty simple:  Wonder Woman is a warrior.  An Amazon from an ancient time where Greek Gods weren’t just myth, they were reality.  Much like the Spartans from “300”, the Amazons are warrior women who have been raised from birth to give their life in battle and who are willing to force peace & struggle with the dichotomy of doing so.  It’s a formula that has worked well in the past and could work again today … and thanks to Azzarello and Chiang it has.

Wonder Woman #1 was everything it needed to be and more.  The story by Brian Azzarello instantly immerses you in a modern tale set in modern times and in a modern city, however, one where the Greek Gods walk among us as avant garde modern versions of the old, dusty, mythological beings we know today.  Azzarello introduces us to Apollo, Hera, and Hermes straight away and thankfully there isn’t a toga to be found anywhere.  With this being a “spoiler free” review, I’ll just say that from there he drops Wonder Woman into a story taken right out of ancient Greek mythology involving Zeus and some of his more well-known, “extracurricular exploits” involving mortal women.  What works well and sets this apart from some of Diana’s past stories is that this one seems to seamlessly and successfully weave Grecian lore with today’s world.  The story quickly becomes gruesome (check out the way Centaurs are made for example) and chuck full of blood, battles, and one of the best books of the “New 52” so far.

Cliff Chiang’s art is the perfect compliment to Azzarello’s story.  His lines are hard and purposeful yet still give Diana facial expressions and emotion that other artists rarely capture.  She is statuesque, strong, and TALL.  In fact, Wonder Woman towers over her supporting cast as a true Princess of the Amazons would.  She is beautiful without being overtly sexy and she is smart without being obnoxious.  But perhaps best of all she retains her iconic costume fans such as myself have been so worried about.  It is actually revealed that Diana has her own armory stashed within her boudoir – her signature star spangled shield, battle axe, & Spartan-like helmet can all be seen and I only assume other variations of her wardrobe are housed here too, which would make for good fan service if she donned different yet similar armor depending on the situation she is thrust into next.  Perhaps the only gripe I have (and I warn you, this is VERY nit-picky) is that she is drawn wearing heels.  Now personally I am of fan of super ladies in super high heels … but as I said, Wonder Woman is an Amazon and a warrior.  Fighting mythological beasts and mischievous Greek gods in 3 inch heels just doesn’t come off as something Wonder Woman would do.

However, there is plenty in there to compensate for fans like myself who want it all:  she deflects incoming projectiles with her bulletproof bracelets, she uses the magic lasso, and she speaks with the poise, wisdom, and humor Diana Prince is known for.  While her origin is not explicitly mentioned, we are left to believe it has been left in tact.  And as a special added “Easter Egg” of sorts for long-time fans of DC Comics, especially those who read the “Flashpoint” miniseries, Wonder Woman is first seen in what appears to be her flat in London – an obvious nod to her role in Flashpoint’s “Wonder Woman and the Furies”.

Again, Azzarello and Chiang’s Wonder Woman is a bloody, action packed adventure that melts myth with reality, and will not only entice new readers as the New 52 set out to do, but also allows die-hard fans to breathe a sigh of relief knowing our beloved Amazon Princess is finally in good hands with a story we can really get behind.  Although I’d love to see some classic villains from her rogues gallery make an eventual appearance (namely Cheetah, Giganta, & Circe), I’m grateful for the direction her book has taken.  I’d say Wonder Woman is back, but to be honest, she never really left in the first place.  Pick up “Wonder Woman #1″ to experience the “wonder” yourself!

PAT:  Yet another all new Wonder Woman, now complete with another new costume.  Now, unlike the JMS arc that promised so much and delivered so little, this restart delivers on all its promise of awesomeness.

The greek gods are alive and well hanging out in our world. Zeus slummed it with a country girl and has a love-child that’s in need of protecting.  Enter the protector of said child: Wonder Woman.

Writer Brian Azzarello delivers on his promise that this would be more of a horror story than straight-up super hero. We get to see god’s running amok and a scene that fans of the Godfather would enjoy.

Cliff Chiang’s art is a good fit for this the new Wonder Woman era.  His pencil work seems more toned down and simple than his previous work with DC.

This new series makes Wonder Woman truly worthy of being part of DC’s trinity with Batman and Superman.  With this title, Snyder’s Batman and Morrison’s Action Comics, the trinity all have powerful creative teams that give a great new look of these characters for new readers.

RJ:  Just so everyone knows: there is neither a scene that shows Wonder Woman snapping Maxwell Lord’s neck nor her decapitating Mera.  I know that will take some getting used to, but if we all take a deep breath, accept this is a new DC Universe, and know that things are going to change, we can all get through this…

Now, with that out of the way, you should probably understand that even though there’s a gold colored DC Comics Logo and “The New 52!” on the cover this is a dark book…maybe even darker than some of the books that have gotten the black branding (Seriously, I had to double check after I typed that to make sure it really was gold).  This is only important insomuch as no one in their right minds should buy this book expecting it to be a shiny happy super-heroic type book.  If this were a movie and not a comic book, it would be a horror movie – and not a ‘take the hot date to the movie so they’ll grab you and snuggle up with you’ horror movie.

This is also #$&@^ing AMAZING.

And believe it or not, that’s all I need to say about it.

Blue Beetle #1

Pat:  Another series in the reluanch I wasn’t planning on getting.  Luckily for me Tony Bedard had some copies to buy and get signed at Icon.  Waiting in line to get some of my GLC comics signed and chatting with him about this new Blue Beetle series sold me on it.

To boil it down to a simple premise, this is a sci-fi version of Spiderman.  We see all the classic trapping of Spiderman reflected in a different light with Jaime Reyes’ life. Unpopular, girl issues, a douchebag popular kid who picks on him, and at the end, given a power he didn’t want to be stuck with.  You don’t get much of a glance of Jaime in costume, this issue is more of establishing the status quo.  This is the best of the New 52 in terms of accessibility to new readers, as this is a complete reboot and retelling of BB’s origin.  We get to see all of Jaime’s relationships that might be put to risk after he acquire the scarab, family, school, even villains that will comeback to make his life hell.

The art in this issue is great and fits th story and is erfect for the new sci-fi Blue Beetle, we even get to see him drawing a GL.  I’m very glad Tony Bedard talked me into this series.  It’s a great read and perfect for drawing in new fans.  And just a side note, Bedard is such a nice and accessible person.  He even showed be the draft version of GL: The New Guardians.  He’s made a fan out of me for life.

DC Comics Presents – Deadman #1

RJ:  This is a good introduction to the Deadman character, but it doesn’t give you any idea at all what the story will be about.  When I put it down I was able to say “Okay, I totally understand where this guy came from”, but I have ZERO interest in this book and it gives no reason whatsoever to make me want to pick up the next issue.  It’s not so much a decompressed 8 page back-up story as it is a fully illustrated 20 page “Who’s Who” entry that isn’t even remotely engaging.

Green Lantern Corps #1

PAT:  Writer Peter Tomasi is back with the Corps and it is glorious.  I enjoyed Emerald Warriors and the focus on Guy Gardner and this book will be focused on Guy as well as John Stewart.

Tomasi delivers more of his character driven stories.  There is a great scene with Guy and John both interviewing to get jobs on earth in the real world.  Because this is such a carry over from the pre-new 52, restarting isn’t as important and we can get right into story, but like I mentioned, character driven story.  It is these interviews that pushes both our heroes to want to be more of a lantern than a regular joe.   Something missing in many of the new DC books.  We’re also treated to the new Universal threat that will need to be taken on by the Corps. And it is definitely a universal threat, not just labeled that way.

I enjoyed Fernando Pasarin’s art in Emerald Warriors, so the transfers to even more Corps works well for my tastes, although it really does take much to please me.

There isn’t much more I feel I need to say on this issue, if you like Green Lantern books, then this is one to get. If not, it’s still a good introduction to see what the Corps is all about.  Though, could have used more Kilowog.  Please get on that, poozers.

And a couple more from RJ, but on books that came out two weeks ago…

Batman and Robin #1

I have absolutely NO idea who the little brat is that’s Robin (okay, I do…he’s obviously Bruce Wayne’s son and his name is Damien…they say that in the book), but I kind of want to wash his mouth out with soap and ground him for a good long time.  He’s annoying and obnoxious, and someone needs to hand the Joker a crowbar and give me a 900 number to call a few dozen times.

Aside from that… my quick-shot review for Batman #1 applies here as well.

Resurrection Man #1 vs. Grifter #1

These are essentially the same book presented for different genres.  On the off chance that you read Grifter #1 and thought “Wow, that would have been better if it was a darker, more supernatural book” you should go buy Resurrection Man.  If you read Resurrection Man and thought “Huh…is that Magneto?” then you think like I do, but if after you finished it you wondered what the book would be like if it was more of an action adventure type book, you should go buy Grifter… when you get down to it, an interesting premise/experiment, but it’s annoying as hell when someone buys both books and reads them back-to-back.

DC Number Ones…

So, I knew these new DC books would probably be pretty big, but didn’t expect anything like this.  There has been a varying degree of response on them, but I would say more positive than negative.  Below you’ll find some reviews and a few comments from a two great customers that are helping me greatly this week.

One note on these DC books, it appears as though nearly none of them are re-orderable (and I have my theories on this.)  So, what we are getting is what we are getting at least to start.

This means a couple things.  If we sell out, I can’t get you an immediate replacement copy like I used to be able to do with a DC book.  (see below for second print notice.)

Please, if you know you want it, let ME know and I’ll get it pulled for you.  If we are out I have a couple options.  Also:

Hate It, Return It Policy…

I also want to remind you of the Hate It, Return It policy.  If you read one of these new DC books and say to yourself, “Self, why the bloody hell did we buy that?”  Bring it back in and we will give you a dollar of in-store credit.  It isn’t a lot, I know, but perhaps you use it to find something you do like.

Second Prints…

DC announced today that several books are headed back to print.  Those titles are: ANIMAL MAN #1, BATWING #1, DETECTIVE COMICS #1, GREEN ARROW #1, HAWK AND DOVE #1, JUSTICE LEAGUE INTERNATIONAL #1, MEN OF WAR #1, O.M.A.C. #1, RED LANTERNS #1, STATIC SHOCK #1, STORMWATCH #1, SWAMP THING #1.  Action Comics, Batgirl and Justice League already have.  If you need a copy of any of these we will collect names and fill when they arrive.

Retailing; the Good, the Bad and the Stupid…

I had a lovely discussion with a creative couple, Andy and Veronica, from Boston (who happened to be in the state to see some family.)  Here is a link to their web page.  (I love Veronica’s art style and will be ordering her Pirates from Mars when Diamond offers it in Previews.)

They loved the shop and Andy had been reading my blog (in Boston!?!) for awhile.  We talked about the industry and comics and retailing and comics and creating… and how this ever changing industry is both the best and worst thing (in all its many facets.)

It was the kind of conversation I need every once and awhile to keep going.  After nine and half years, sometimes you need a boost, be it just a really good compliment like, “We REALLY like your shop,” from someone out of the blue (and out of the state) to help you keep doing what you do.

I know many joke that I am the new “King” of Des Moines comics retailing, the slightly (slightly?) grouchy, know-it-all, who yells at kids that “this is not a library.”  (I would like to point out I have only ever told four children that this is “not a library.”  Granted three of them were all on the same afternoon and all within about five minutes of each other.  OH, now that was a bad day.) However, I really do love doing this.  (Even though it may not seem that way some weeks – or months.)  I think the Cup offers something a little different; no matter what though, it is a labor of love.

I try not to push my opinion of a comics, series, writer or artist without a strong reason.  I also try to do the same thing with my politics.  As many of you may know, I have some –cough- strong political opinions.  However, those don’t get in the way of selling people comics they will hopefully enjoy.  It doesn’t matter if you or I are a fascist or a communist.  It doesn’t matter if you are the strongest most devout Christian or the most hardened unwavering Atheist, I want to sell you comics you will like.  (Please note – comics you will LIKE, not crappy comics.  Everyone deserves to read good well created, well drawn comics.)

So, when I read about a loon who makes statements about banning a creator’s work because he perceives a character took his god’s name in vain, I lose my brain.

What I am talking about is a North Carolina retailer who went… a little crazy in the head (or was already a lot crazy and just announced it to the world) after he saw Superman say “GD,” while being shot by a tank in last week’s Action Comics new #1.  Now, most might see this as a grunt, an exhalation of air, but this retailer saw it as g*d d*mn.

Of course the best course of action is to run your train off its tracks and head promptly to the face book thingy and decry to the world that he would be banning that “Scottish Shmucks” work from his shop.  I might even be able to mildly (probably not, ‘cause Grant Morrison makes good comics) support this move IF you were of an extremely high moral standing; say, didn’t order any comics with Mature content or overly violent or sexual themes, but in his statement of hate he says he carried books like Crossed and The Boys!!  He also said he “accepted gay characters being introduced into a children specific book like Archie Comics” and was “getting very tired of having comic writer’s liberal agendas force fed” to him. He decreed that “Mr. Morrison has stepped over my line.”  Mr. Carolina comic retailer also added that he could, “see Guy Gardner and maybe even Hal Jordan (Green Lanterns) saying it. I could see Oliver Queen (Green Arrow) saying it. I could easily see Damian Wayne (Robin) or MAYBE even Bruce Wayne saying it. But Superman was created to be the “perfect” super-hero. Unblemished. Superman is an American icon.”

He continued, “It grieves me to see a liberal Scottish schmuck like Grant Morrison take these liberties. I’m sorry, Superman would NEVER take God’s name in vain.”

As the WWE’s pro wrestling superstar the Miz would say, Really?  Really?  REALLY?

I still after several days of digesting this am left shaking my head (as a retailer why would you sabotage your business,) laughing out loud (as a thinking, rational person who read the book and saw… a grunt) and sighing in disgust (as a thinking, rational….)

Seriously, why would you do this?  I have opinions.  Most of you know them, but it does NOT get in the way of business!!

I have truly read it all now!  Good night and good luck.

Oh, by the way, Morrison took time out of his day (this will probably delay a future issue of something… thanks a lot stupid North Carolina retailer) to issue a statement saying, “It should go without saying that the offending panel and caption, a mere ‘GD’, is a sound effect grunt – to suggest Superman’s breath being forced through gritted teeth – much like ‘DHH’, ‘GNUHH’ or the many others used throughout this book and in general in the comics business.  It’s not in any way representative of God or a curse.”

Did the Carolinian Comic retailer retract his ban?  Oh, come on… you are dying to know.  Yes, he did… and then thanked those (like four people) who stood with him aaaaand… he then promptly attacked those who attacked him.  Oh, Brother!!!  I’ll get off at the next stop, I really don’t want to continue on the crazy train.

If you want to read some of this hilarity for yourself, or want proof I did not make this sh*t up, here are your links:

Bleedingcool.com

Comicbookresources.com

Review Time…

So, what did I read last week that I loved… Oh, it was Atomic Robo vol. 6 #1, Usagi Yojimbo #140 and the Big Lie.  Here are really short reviews on these three:

Atomic Robo – the best new thing I’ve read in years.  A science based BPRD premise, it is funny and filled with science based adventure.  Instead of the occult themes in Hellboy, Atomic Robo runs a company, founded by Nikoli Tesla and assists in making the world better through science.  The books is done in arcs, like BPRD too.  Smart and fantastic, I will have more of the first trade in when it is back in print and when I do I will be re-reviewing and you will all be buying it!!

Usagi Yojimbo – See previous rave reviews (like every month, gd, it is getting old.)  Seriously, why is everyone not reading this book?  Issue #140 is the second part of a great murder mystery.  My favorite read on the selves, by a LONG SHOT!!!

The Big Lie – This is not a conspiracy theory book, it is a presentation of alternative thought and a raising of unanswered questions surrounding the events of September 11^th, 2001.  Rich Veitch, who both wrote and drew the issue, does a fantastic job presenting disputed “facts” that have been presented by the federal government’s commission on 9/11.  He does it though, at first, a sci-fi premise and then tries to “debunk” them through logic, set in the past, before the events would even happen.  I am not trying to tell you how to think, either one way or the other on this subject, it is a touchy one for sure, but I would say, easily, I have never seen a better way questionable historical facts have ever been presented.  A great read for those who already agree that maybe a new – some might argue an actual – investigation needs to done, and for those who feel the late night radio listeners and tin-foil hat wearers need to get a life… you can not deny that the book was really well put together.

Now for RJ’s New DC Review corner.

RJ accepted my challenge to review some books for the weekly and got the job because of his rather unique status, he is not a DC fan.  A self labeled “Marvel Zombie” he is exactly who this re-boot is targeting.  Enjoy, these are good reviews and hopefully RJ will be back for another round next week too.

Also, my friend Pat and I add in a few comments as well.

Swamp Thing #1

This is what I knew about Swamp Thing going into this book:  1.) He’s a DC character; 2.) He had his own series (that I never read); 3.) He either has, or had, his own Vertigo series (that I do not read/have not read); 4.) He was brought back to the DC Universe proper in the Brightest Day series (That I did not read); 5.) There was a miniseries about a smoking guy searching for him that just ended (That I didn’t read); 6.) Despite looking a lot like Man-Thing, it’s a lot harder to make inappropriate and juvenile Swamp-Thing jokes.

This is what I know about Swamp Thing after reading Swamp Thing #1:  He apparently is NOT the dude named Alec Holland that most of this comic book focuses on.

I picked this up because it was getting good pre-release buzz that I can only assume was from fans of the character or friends and family of the creative team.

The art is barely serviceable.  In scenes where you just have characters standing around, it’s just bland.  In scenes where there’s action, I couldn’t tell what the hell was happening.

The story itself references things that have happened before (presumably in that mini-series I didn’t read), and the overall plot seems like it’s a horror story, but the quick flashes of set-up, mixed with confusing art, makes that more of a guess than a statement.  About the only thing I can really say that I got out of this comic is acknowledgement that the “Death of Superman” story apparently happened in the new DC Universe as Superman makes mention of dying and coming back.

Three months ago, if I had seen the buzz that this book was getting and picked it up, maybe…MAYBE I would have come back for issue #2 just to see if it got better, but with 52 new books vying for my cash this month alone, I have to say that Swamp Thing failed in capturing my interest or my desire to spend another $3 30 days down the road to see where it’s going.

(Editor’s Note – RJ could not be more accurate.  I will try issue number two, because of my love of the character, but issue one is the poorest writing of Scott Snyder I’ve read.  Perhaps, it will improve and prove us both wrong.  I hope so.)

Hawk and Dove #1

Can I tell you a secret?  Will you promise not to judge me?

I…well…this is kind of hard to say…

I Love Rob Liefeld.

Please, stop laughing.  I really honestly and truly mean it.  Not so much his art (though I don’t hate it near as much as most people), but the man himself.  How many people do you know or know of who constantly get kicked and beaten down, drug through the mud, and create ire and hate simply by attaching their name to an endeavor only to keep coming back for more?  Furthermore, how many people do you know who do that and are actually excited when they come back for more?  Hell, even John Byrne seems to have given up, but not Rob.  Sure you may laugh at his crazy anatomy and scratch your head over the inexplicable number of lines on every character’s face, but if you actually gave Rob Liefeld the man a moment of deep consideration, you’d have to admire him at the least.

I wonder how many people would have bought Hawk and Dove #1 if ANY other artist would have been assigned to the project?  I wonder how many people didn’t buy Hawk and Dove #1 because Rob Liefeld drew it?     Well believe it or not, the art isn’t the problem with this book.

The problem with Hawk and Dove #1 is bad timing.  It was released in-between the Earthquake in Virginia that damaged the Washington Monument and the 10th Anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center.  To be fair, the first one was just a rotten coincidence that DC couldn’t have planned for, but the second…well, someone wasn’t thinking too much when they allowed a book featuring a plane hitting a national landmark to be released when it was.  It’s not the centerpiece of the book by any means, but reading it while on the radio and television, Internet, and billboards, you’re surrounded by reminders of what happened a decade ago, it’s awkward…the kind of awkward that sticks with you for the rest of the book.  It was a bad call; not because it was in bad taste per-se, but because even when getting past that part of the book and reading the conversations between Hank and his dad, or Dawn and Deadman, I still found myself thinking “Was that in bad taste?” I read comics to escape from reality, not to be reminded of it.

Aside from that though, Hawk and Dove #1 is…well…it’s dull.  Dawn/Dove is dating Deadman; Hank/Hawk misses his brother and apparently hates having Dawn as the new Dove.  There’s an attempt to create an intriguing subplot by hinting at some hidden secret origin for Dawn that no one, not even Hank, knows…and then some villain shows up on the last page.

The best reason I can give for reading Hawk and Dove #1 is to check out the artwork.  You can laugh about it, you can point out how Liefled has improved since his X-Force days, you can count the number of feet that are obscured in by boxes or fog  and compare them to the number of feet that actually look like feet…but outside of that, I’m fairly certain that you have another use for that $3 and change.  Regardless, I personally won’t be back for Hawk and Dove #2, but that’s because of writer Sterling Gates, not Rob Liefled.

(Editor’s Note – My long time customer Pat had this to say, “I foolishly bought Hawk & Dove thinking it would not suck. Liefeld proves me wrong yet again. I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many characters in one comic who looked like they were taking a painful crap.”)

Detective Comics #1

There’s not too much to say about the new Detective Comics #1.  Generally speaking, this book could have been published at any time over the past two decades or so and would have been completely unremarkable.  Even the art has a certain “Could have been drawn today…or could have been drawn in 1997” feel to it.

This is Batman vs. The Joker, same as it has been a million times before.  Granted, there are a couple of subtleties thrown in to give the impression that this might be the first time that Batman has ever actually *caught* the Joker and that when Joker ends up in Arkham towards the end of the issue that it’s the first time he’s been there – instead of the 450th time… but these are ultra-subtle, so if you’re not looking for them, you won’t see or catch them at all.  This is such a ‘canned’ story that all the players you’d expect to be in a simple done-in-one story like this are present: Batman, Alfred, Commissioner Gordon, Harvey Bullock, and Dr. Arkham.  There’s the routine, tired clichés of Gordon not being able to trust his police force; Gotham being a cesspool; Bruce Wayne being a playboy… this 24 page comic is boring, been-there-done-that, Batman fare…

…for 23 pages.

And then a complete and utter WTF!?!?!? for the last page.

That’s all I’m saying.  If you haven’t picked the issue up, if you haven’t seen scanned spoilers, if you think you honestly could guess how this issue would end…you can’t.  So give Detective Comics a look, be bored, be disappointed, and then be blown away and ready to see what issue #2 has in store.  I know I am.

(Pat’s Notes – Detective was definitely a close second for best of the week for me. It has this great quality I couldn’t put my finger on until I read this review online saying it was a lot like Frank Miller’s Batman, in terms of writing and art. That hit the nail on the head, it’s pretty much Frank Miller Batman by not Frank Miller. The way the cowl was drawn looked a lot like DKR Batman, and the fight sequence was just awesome. Plus, those last couple pages would have been enough to have me coming back for more.)

Justice League International #1

It’s probably not entirely fair to compare this book to the ‘flagship’/’centerpiece’ Justice League book that came out the other week, but c’mon, they both have the words “Justice League” in the title, and they’re both #1’s…and theoretically they both serve the same purpose: to introduce readers (old and new) to not only the characters, but why they’re together as a team and what their place in this new DC Universe.

To be completely honest, there’s not one character in this book that I would really say I’m passionate about.  Not Batman (Sacrilege, I know…), not Booster Gold, nor Vixen, nor Fire or Ice, nor any of them (regardless of who the woman in the lower left hand of the cover is or was).  This book made my pull list based on the merits of the creators involved.  Dan Jurgens is one of the few writers who has been around for almost as long as I’ve been reading comics and one of the only such writers who has actually been able to hold his own alongside the new breed of Johns and Bendis and their ilk, and artist Aaron Lopresti’s work caught my eye with his run on Marvel’s now canceled Ms. Marvel volume 2.  So yeah, based on those two names alone I decided to give this book a chance.

Going back to last week’s Justice League, that book’s roster is made up of heroes that Monks in Tibet are aware of:  Wonder Woman, Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, Aquaman, and Flash…and Cyborg…conversely,   Justice League International has Batman and a Green Lantern, but that Lantern isn’t one that the general populace would be aware of.  The rest of the cast are familiar to long time comic book readers, but to your everyman on the street, they’re complete unknowns.  This gives Jurgens a harder sell than Geoff Johns has on his Justice League book.  Jurgens needs to not only introduce this team, but the characters themselves to any new readers coming on board with this issue.  I’m happy to say that he pulls this off admirably, giving introduction to the members of the team, their supporting cast, the reason for the team’s formation, and managing to work in a satisfying amount of conflict (both internal and external).

I’ll get to the books big flaw in a minute, but I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Lopresti’s pencils.  Sure he’s not a superstar on the level of Jim Lee, but he’s definitely one of the best *comic book artists* out there today.  He has mastered sequential art and the panels and pages flow well, allowing the reader to follow along with the story.  When I found myself pausing to gaze at a particular panel, it was because I wanted to soak them in or give them a second look…not because I couldn’t figure out what was going on, or how in the world the story managed to get between two different panels because they were so disjointed.

Now, onto the bad news:  The failing of Justice League International has nothing to do with this book itself, nor does it fall at the feet of either Jurgens or Lopresti.  The problem with this book is that a lot of what seems to have motivated the formation of this team is dependent on the actions of the main Justice League.  They’re referred to in JLI as “effective but independent” and “Helpful”.  There’s a Hall of Justice, and in fact more members of the Justice League appear (albeit very briefly) in this book than in Justice League #1.  However, if you’ve ‘read’ Justice League #1 (and yeah, I use the word ‘read’ loosely), you know that there is no Justice League to speak of.  You don’t know how they’ve gone from being hunted down like Marvel Mutants to being the ‘major league’ of super-heroes, championed by the people.  And there won’t be any answers to that for about six months, until the drawn out origin story in that book is complete. I suppose it’s possible that I’m the only person out there who sees this as a failing, but by making these two books connected and allowing the dependent book move ahead briskly while the parent book progresses at a glacial pace, DC has made an otherwise excellent book needlessly confusing and further highlights the flaws of a really bad one.

Bottom line: This book should appeal to fans of the original JLI book as well as old school Avengers fans (I’m talking about old school from the days of Henry Peter Gyrich and the Hawkeye/Captain America conflict). I’d even feel okay recommending this book to a true comic book/genre virgin, and I definitely hold this book up as the ‘right’ way to introduce a team book to its audience.  It’s not a done-in-one origin + adventure story, but there’s enough information and adventure packed into this book to make you feel like you actually bought an entire comic and not just a 7-Page preview that got stretched out to 24 pages.

(Pat’s Comments – “JLI was pretty good, but I still would have preferred that Judd Winick write that series, yup I did say that. JL: Generation Lost was fantastic and the best writing of his career, I dont know why they didn’t give him that series.”  Well, all I can say about that is… Pat is… so very… wrong.)

Batgirl #1

So <achem>… before we begin:

Screw you Stephanie Brown!  Bwhahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

(Editor’s Note – Oh, man, that is just mean.)

Okay, now where was I?

When DC announced the coming relaunch in June, the first thing I told my best-comic book-buddy Noah was:  “If this means I get a Barbara Gordon Batgirl book, it will be the greatest thing to happen to comics ever. If it’s written by Gail Simone, it’ll be even better than that. ”  Just about two or three days later they announced Barbara Gordon would once again be Batgirl in the DCnU, and that she’d get her own book for the first time ever…written by Gail Simone. Needless to say, it’s been a LONG wait from June 6 to September 7 (seemed like 3 whole months!).

I’m young enough to have been pee-your-pants excited about this book, but I’m also old enough to know that anytime you anticipate something *this* much, there’s a lot of room for disappointment.  Yes, I had purchased my copy of Batgirl #1 before most of my friends were even awake on Wednesday, but I had steeled myself for a letdown.  On paper, Barbara Gordon as Batgirl, written by Gail Simone should be a no brainer, but people familiar with Gail Simone’s writing…I mean *really* familiar with Gail Simone’s writing know that there’s Two Gail Simones.  There’s the Gail Simone who wrote Secret Six and most of the issues of Birds of Prey that were credited to her, and then there’s the Gail Simone who wrote the other issues of Birds of Prey and Marvel’s Deadpool.  The first is one of the single greatest comic writers of the last 15 years while the second makes the “Late 90’s aborted return to the X-Men” Chris Claremont look like a genius.  You’d think that after writing Barbara as Oracle for nearly seven years this book would guarantee a solid performance, but that’s not entirely the case.

The internal monologue sections of this book as spot-on…the dialogue? Not so much.  Especially evident in the action scenes, Simone’s words seem stilted, almost painful in parts.  The scene with the home invasion should be creepy as hell, but the stiff delivery of lines, especially when Babsgirl arrives on the scene, leaves a lot to be desired.  That’s not to say that it’s a bad book by any means.  There’s a LOT in these 20 pages so rest assured, you get your money’s worth.  There are a few great character moments between Barbara and her father and Barbara and her new roommate, and Simone even manages to work in an honest to God laugh out loud moment in a hospital elevator (Okay, well, *I* laughed out loud.  Your mileage may vary…).  There’s not one, but two fight scenes, and Simone skillfully introduces a new villain to her readers while providing his modus operandi without unnecessary exposition.  But…and I say this cautiously… there’s almost…ALMOST too much here.  I understand why the “Killing Joke” flashbacks were included, but they almost seem shoehorned in as a forced way to make the reader understand that this story is happening “now” and not in the past.  Considering that the justification for the not-a-reboot-reboot of the DC Universe was to attract (and presumably *keep*) new readers, multiple non-reference-references to a 23 year old book might be too much. If such a ‘new reader’ is out there, and you’ve come to know and love Batgirl from her appearances in Batman cartoons, and this was your introduction to the character in comic book form,  I’d actually love to hear your opinion on this part of the book.

Now, the art…I have no idea who Ardian Syaf is.  If I’ve read a book that they have illustrated in the past, I couldn’t tell you, but after reading Batgirl #1, I wish I could.  Whoever they are, they are genius.  The art in this book is breathtaking.  The  anatomy, the backgrounds, the facial features and expressions…by the time I hit the full splash of a smiling Babsgirl swinging over Gotham City on page four I had found myself wishing that Syaf was doing the book’s covers and not cheesecake super-star Adam Hughes.  Yeah, Syaf is *that* good.

The most important thing about Batgirl #1…between the up-and-down writing and the stellar art…is that the book is fun and exciting.  The plot is a mixture of “Final Destination” and “The Strangers” set in Gotham City with a heroine who is both joyous and scared.   Whatever your reason for picking this book up might be, if you read it…even begrudgingly, I honestly feel that Simone and Syaf deliver a solid enough package to give you a reason to come back in 30 for Batgirl #2.

(Pat’s Note – Batgirl was by far the best comic of the week. I picked it up because it was something i usually would not get. I was pleasantly surprised by the great characterization and art that made Babs look like a total badass in costume.)

Stormwatch #1

I bought this book in error.  I legitimately thought I had picked up X-Men #17, and didn’t realize my mistake until I had driven back across town.  I was mildly annoyed but I got over it.  Still, Stormwatch was the last of the eight new #1’s that I read, because I had no intention of buying or reading it when I had gone to the shop Wednesday morning.  This leads to my first recommendation:  If you buy Stormwatch #1, read it LAST.  Especially if you bought Action Comics #1.

With only one issue published, and only about a quarter of the new #1’s released I can only speculate as to the overall importance of this book, but from what I’ve read and what I suspect, Stormwatch may very well be one of those books that you’ll want to refrain from reading once and filing away in your long box.  In fact, if I’m correct, you may not even want to bag and board Stormwatch, you may just want to keep it on your coffee table as a reference guide while pouring though other New 52.

Case in Point: There’s an obvious cross-reference to the forthcoming Superman #1 (it’s on the first page, you can’t miss it if you tried), and if you’re paying attention, you find out exactly what was happening behind the scenes to cause a throwaway line from Action Comics #1 that seemed out of place and went unexplained in that book.  Last but not least, there’s a little montage of mental images about halfway through this book that may make you want to pick up Demon Knights #1 if you weren’t already planning on it.

Oh…and Stormwatch #1 also introduces another member of the Justice League that wasn’t even pictured in that SDCC picture that had the expanded roster.

And that’s not even mentioning the speculation that this comic may actually be the only book so far to mention/deal with/address the forthcoming threat that the Time-Trapper/Harbinger/Post-Op Waldo-Watcher from Flashpoint #5 was cryptically teasing us with.

Now maybe I’m wrong about it being a book I’ll want to reference all month long.  Maybe those items right there are the only bits of explanation or hints of things to come that are present in Stormwatch #1, but let’s face it; all of that combined was exponentially more story than we got in Justice League #1, and Stormwatch cost $1 less.

Of course, none of that means anything if you’re not interested in the bigger picture of the DCnU and you’re reading this wondering if Stormwatch is worth reading on its own merits.

On its own, the plot to Stormwatch #1 stands alone nicely.  Aside from the explicit cross reference to Superman #1 on the first page, none of what I’ve talked about thus far is noticeable unless you’re paying really close attention, have read some of the other books, or care enough to about them to notice what’s happening beneath the surface.  If you did read Action Comics then Stormwatch makes that book a little bit more interesting.  If you didn’t read Action, you can still read Stormwatch and enjoy it just fine.

The plot (or plots) are full of big grotesque monsters…or maybe the genitals of big grotesque monsters…I’m a little unclear on the specifics of that page, floating eyes, and big rock creatures appearing out of terraforming celestial bodies.  All sorts of huge galaxy threatening badness that’s unbelievably goofy and at the same time serious.

As far as I know, all the members of the team are introduced in this issue, and unlike some of the other books (Swamp Thing, Batgirl, Batwing), Stormwatch is not dependent in any way, shape, or form, on events that happened prior to the end of Flashpoint.  In fact, this is such a new beginning for the team that Stormwatch #1 features Midnighter and Apollo meeting each other again, for the first time.  The dialogue is amusing as #$&@ in certain spots, as it’s fairly evident that while the characters take their mission and the mission of their team seriously, they don’t necessarily treat themselves or their teammates with the same relevance.  The only other Paul Cornell comic I’ve read is the first issue of Captain Britain and MI13, and I can guarantee you that he wasn’t this fun on that book, otherwise I would have stuck around for CB’s second issue.

Anyway, without sounding too much like an infomercial non-paid spokesperson: I bought Stormwatch #1 by mistake, but the real mistake would have been NOT picking this up.  It’s definitely a keeper.

Action Comics #1

I’ve been spoiling myself lately, both figuratively and literally, with buying of a lot of Silver Age comics (almost entirely Marvel, mainly X-men). Those comics are a completely different breed from what we get nowadays; full of stories that are part goofy, part just weird.  One of the reasons that we’re given for why comics today are so different from the comics of yesteryear is that the audience has ‘matured’, and that we want our comics to be like our big-blockbuster summer movies.  I guess that means full of stuff that’s fun to look at and lacking in substance.  It’s the excuse that’s given as to why ‘writers’ like Mark Miller and Geoff Johns are so popular.

What does this have to do with Action Comics?  Well for those of you who aren’t overly familiar with Silver Age comics, maybe nothing.  But if you familiarize yourself with a lot of those quirky stories from the 1960’s, you may discover, as I have, that writer Grant Morrison’s stories are more reminiscent of those classic tales than anything that his contemporaries are putting out.  Honestly, I HATED Morrison’s X-Men run until I read the Arnold Drake/Steranko and Roy Thomas/Neil Adams issues.  Those old books made ‘NEW X-MEN’ far more appealing to me, and I would challenge anyone to be able to chase down the classic “City of Mutants” story or the second Sentinels story with any of Morrison’s X-stories and say that they aren’t completely complimentary.  To maybe make a more relevant comparison: All-Star Superman is pure Silver Age fun in a modern day package.

Action Comics #1 is no different.  Okay, there aren’t any wacky ray-guns or secret laboratories (yet…), but by the time you get to the two page splash there’s an amazingly wacky wink-wink-nudge-nudge moment that tells the reader that they aren’t in Smallville anymore.

Moreover, this comic owes more to Marvel’s Silver Age stories than it does to…well…any Superman story I’ve ever read.  The fear and distrust by the general population (X-Men), pursued by the military (Hulk), dealing with money troubles (Spider-Man)…none of which sounds like a good idea, but as it turns out…it’s one of the best that DC’s had.  Of all these New 52 books I’ve read so far, Morrison has made the most of his ability to start fresh in this new DC Universe.  Forget any preconception you’ve had concerning Superman or Clark Kent because none of them apply anymore.  If the image of Superman wearing a t-shirt and jeans with a little red blankie as his cape isn’t enough to convince you of that, just wait a few pages until he gets roughed up by the military and his opponents leave noticeable bruises.  This is the Man of Tomorrow for an entirely new generation of readers, and despite whatever you may be thinking, it works.

The art by Rags Morales is decent. He’s not as flashy as Jim Lee or as detailed as Ardian Syaf, but he tells a good story with his pictures and illustrates Morrison’s story rather than letting Morrison narrate his artwork.  I wasn’t blown away by what he drew, but I also have zero complaints about it.

Set in the past, setting the stage for the adventures of the Superman who will appear in Justice League and, well…Superman, this book is everything that Justice League should have been and that any and all of these new titles should be.  If you’re on the fence about whether or not to try this book (or truly *any* of the New 52), I’ll tell you this as not only a Proud Marvel Zombie, but also someone who hasn’t liked a Superman story since “The Death Of Superman” in the 90’s: This is THE BEST (new) comic book I’ve read in years.

(Editor’s Note – RJ nailed this review so exact, there are lines in it that I have uttered over the last week to help sell it and then read in his review.  This is spot on prefect.  Only one thing I would add.  Morrison has great reverence for Jerry Seigel and Joe Shuster (the original creators of Superman) and also understands what types of social and political issues they were trying to say in those old golden age books.  So, he may be writing with silver age storytelling techniques, but the stories he is telling are Superman’s original origin stories in the modern age and they it is great.)

RJ, where’s the Animal Man?  Now, it’s okay, these were great.  Pat and I both loved Animal Man though, but I’m tired and need a drink, so, just take our word for it, it is good.