DC's New 52: Reviews and Discussion (Spoilers welcolme and likely)

[OdoWanKenobi]

Green Lantern Corps: I can't remember what happened last issue, and this one isn't all that memorable either. The "cavalry" doesn't include a single recognizable Lantern, and the new characters on the main team haven't had anywhere near close to the amount of character development that supporting characters in this book usually get. Tomasi's previous run on Green Lantern Corps was great, but I really just don't feel the magic in this one.

Nightwing: I'm enjoying this book quite a bit. It's not the best in the new 52, but Dick is an immensely likable guy, and it makes me care about anything he does.

Batman: This is still the best Batman book of the bunch. Batman investigating an Illuminati conspiracy? Hell yeah, sign me up.

Justice League: So, Johns characterization of Wonder Woman is extremely bloodthirsty. He also continues to write Hal Jordan as a total dipshit. "Dibs," seriously? Aquaman comes in too, acting like an arrogant jerkass. That's really a far cry from how Johns is writing him in his solo title. Granted, this is all years earlier, but the characterization seems to inconsistent. Is Johns pulling an elaborate troll on all of us?

 

[Trekker4747]

Okay, All-Star Batman is pretty terrible. Oy!

I'm fine with All-Star Batman. After all, it gave us this review:

http://www.i-mockery.com/comics/longbox7/

Well, not to mention Linkara's video reviews of the first four issues, wish he'd do video reviews of the other issues.

Batman: This is still the best Batman book of the bunch. Batman investigating an Illuminati conspiracy? Hell yeah, sign me up.

So, if I understood things correctly the Wayne family has a tradition of a Trumpian superstition of not having a thirteenth floor in their buildings. But so that there is a "thirteenth floor", so that there'd be logic in there being a fourteenth floor, there's a "dead space" between the 12th and 14th to serve as the numerical floor. In this "dead space" operates the Parliament of Owls using the dead space as somewhere to spy on the business dealings of the occupants of the building.

 

[Allyn Gibson]

Red Hood and the Outlaws #3.

Scott Lobdell takes us inside the psyches of the three leads by showing us their most cherished memories. Kori, the former princess who lost everything except her dignity and her self-worth. Roy, the former sidekick with a death wish. And Jason...

Well, I'm not going to give away what Jason's most cherished memory is. But it's quite possibly the most insightful piece of characterization ever done with the character.

I'm not sure where Lobdell is going, but I'm along for the ride. Though I don't like Rocafort's artwork a whole lot, I am enjoying the book. It's deeper than its first issue made it out to be.

 

[OdoWanKenobi]

Red Hood and the Outlaws #3.

Kori, the former princess who lost everything except her dignity and her self-worth.

Now granted, I didn't read past the first issue of this book, but um.....that runs completely contrary to Starfire in the first issue where her dignity and self-worth were completely non-existent.

As for Jason, I'm gonna go out on a limb and say it's

Spoiler: red hood, maybe?

his death? Just kinda seems like the obvious choice.

 

[Allyn Gibson]

Red Hood and the Outlaws #3.

Kori, the former princess who lost everything except her dignity and her self-worth.

Now granted, I didn't read past the first issue of this book, but um.....that runs completely contrary to Starfire in the first issue where her dignity and self-worth were completely non-existent.

I don't think the portrayal of Kori in the first issue is inconsistent with the flashback here. For plot reasons, the Outlaws have to give up their most cherished memories for safekeeping, and a 4,000 year-old monk reviews them. Kori's cherished memory is of the gladiatorial combat she was forced to endure as a child. Battered, beaten, and forced to beg, she kills a gladiator who is much taller than her, who outweighs her significantly, and then threatens to kill three more just like him. It was a moment when she got to announce to a hostile universe that this is the person that she is, and no amount of degrading and depraved combat is going to take that away from her, a Princess of Tamaran. Lobdell's Kori knows who she is, she knows what she wants, and she's going to take it, and it's pretty clear by this point that she's playing a long game for her own reasons.

As for Jason, I'm gonna go out on a limb and say it's

Spoiler: red hood, maybe?

his death? Just kinda seems like the obvious choice.

Not even close.

Spoiler: Spoiler

A bonding moment between him and Bruce, when he was Robin. He had a cold, he insisted on going on patrol, but Bruce made him stay in while he went out because patrolling would do nothing for his health. He sits on the couch, Alfred suggests that he watch some television, and he sulks. Then Bruce walks in, still in his Batman costume; he too gave up a night of patrolling Gotham's streets because Jason needed him. And the last panel, which really encapsulates the father/son relationship Bruce has with his Robins, is really touching. Jason's most cherished memory, then, was that of an orphan being loved.

 

[Hound of UIster]

Okay, All-Star Batman is pretty terrible. Oy!

I'm fine with All-Star Batman. After all, it gave us this review:

http://www.i-mockery.com/comics/longbox7/

Well, not to mention Linkara's video reviews of the first four issues, wish he'd do video reviews of the other issues.

Batman: This is still the best Batman book of the bunch. Batman investigating an Illuminati conspiracy? Hell yeah, sign me up.

So, if I understood things correctly the Wayne family has a tradition of a Trumpian superstition of not having a thirteenth floor in their buildings. But so that there is a "thirteenth floor", so that there'd be logic in there being a fourteenth floor, there's a "dead space" between the 12th and 14th to serve as the numerical floor. In this "dead space" operates the Parliament of Owls using the dead space as somewhere to spy on the business dealings of the occupants of the building.

I think it's more like the Talon is suppose to be the defender of the status quo so naturally he holes himself up in skyscrapers and office buildings.

edit:

Spoiler: Spoiler

A bonding moment between him and Bruce, when he was Robin. He had a cold, he insisted on going on patrol, but Bruce made him stay in while he went out because patrolling would do nothing for his health. He sits on the couch, Alfred suggests that he watch some television, and he sulks. Then Bruce walks in, still in his Batman costume; he too gave up a night of patrolling Gotham's streets because Jason needed him. And the last panel, which really encapsulates the father/son relationship Bruce has with his Robins, is really touching. Jason's most cherished memory, then, was that of an orphan being loved.

So essentially Jason suffers from being a middle child that wants "dad's" attention by lashing out and being as destructive as he can?

 

[Allyn Gibson]

So essentially Jason suffers from being a middle child that wants "dad's" attention by lashing out and being as destructive as he can?

Yes, but that's nothing new. That's been the characterization of the Bat-family relationships for a few years now, and even Dick has remarked upon that. Dick is the dutiful older brother. Jason is the troubled black sheep middle brother. Tim is the brilliant know-it-all younger brother. And Damian is just an asshole.

 

[Admiral_Young]

^ That sums their relationship to Bruce pretty well and yeah Jason's relationship with Bruce has been this way for a long time now.

 

[Captain Craig]

Aquaman in JLA #3

Who's in charge here?
I nominate me.

Really? That doesn't sound remotely like Aquaman of the new 52 or old DCU.
I say that as an Aquaman fan. For all the positive ground covered from Brightest Day forward through the first 2 issues of his own title in the nu52 this one page bit of dialoge is just off for the character...in any version of the DCU.

 

[Admiral_Young]

^ Remember who is writing the book. Along with the fact that this takes place in the past. Arthur can be quite rash and egotistical. He is royalty after all and he has yet to mature into the character we know in the Aquaman ongoing.

 

[Captain Craig]

^^^^
I know it's about the only reason I don't totally write it off.

 

[Admiral_Young]

I'm dropping Justice League. Geoff Johns is capable of so much better than this drivel we're getting. At least Jim Lee is on his A game. The art is fantastic as usual. The dialogue is atrocious. The characterizations is brutal. I was originally excited for a Geoff Johns written Justice League book but this introductory arc has been brutally disappointing. I will try again when we catch up to the present.

Supergirl #3: This comic is fascinating...the writers are proving to be slightly better than they were during their time on Superman/Batman. The art work is pretty good. My only problem is that the arc and interaction with Clark seems drawn out.

Nightwing #3: I am dropping this. I expected better from Kyle Higgins. There is absolutely no reason that I can think of that Dick can't still be Batman in the New 52. Also this Five Year time line makes absolutely no sense, I don't care what any one says about it. The art is good but the story is boring frankly.

Red Hood and the Outlaws #3: I'll be dropping this as well. I had high hopes for this book considering Winick's work with Jason has been good in the past but I really don't like what has been done with these characters. The story is boring and the art seems erratic. We already know Jason Todd has father/son type issues with Bruce. The one thing interesting about this was the look into Roy's past...but yeah I'm done with this book.

Wonder Woman #3: Oh my, I did not expect this book to be as good as it is. Cliff Chiang's art is perfect for the tone of pacing of this type of story and Azzerrelo seems to be having enormous fun with the character. I think this is my third favourite book out of the New 52 so far along with "Batman" and "Action Comics".

 

[theenglish]

OMFG--I thought this was a joke--some kind of clever photo shopped mock-up until I saw it on Comixology!

 

[Admiral_Young]

^ Uh no it was quite the big deal last year. It was announced by Geoff Johns at SDCC '10 and came out last December. Probably one of my favourite single issue comics from last year.

 

[Stevil2001]

Wonder Woman #2 wasn't quite as good as #1 but I still enjoyed it. A lot of talkiness that will probably read better in the trade. The Amazons-attacking-themselves didn't quite work artistically. But I really like how the comic depicts Diana, both visually and in the writing. Strong without being brutal or cruel, which is a trap comic writers fall into far too often. And despite their attire, you rarely feel that the Amazons are being objectified. (There's just one gratuitous butt shot in the whole thing, which is practically Victorian by the standards of superhero comics.)

 

[Trekker4747]

Wonder Woman #3: Oh my, I did not expect this book to be as good as it is. Cliff Chiang's art is perfect for the tone of pacing of this type of story and Azzerrelo seems to be having enormous fun with the character. I think this is my third favourite book out of the New 52 so far along with "Batman" and "Action Comics".

Really, I've found the art in the Wonder Woman comics mostly bland unless it's Wonder Woman being drawn then it becomes a bit more dynamic.

 

[Stevil2001]

I really like Cliff Chiang's work, personally, ever since Green Arrow and Black Canary.

 

[Hound of UIster]

I liked his Creeper story for Vertigo set in pre-WWI Paris. Great story, never cared for GA/BC.

 

[Admiral_Young]

@Trekker...what can I say? I really like Chiang's art in WW. It fits the story in my opinion, I don't think it would work on another book, but it helps to bring WW together.

 

[Derishton]

I haven't read Justice League 3 yet, but there's seem like a disconnect between "I know the characters are supposed to be younger, rasher versions" and "I don't like how the characters are depicted out of character: there so young and rash!" I can see why people might not like the depictions, but it's not a flaw: it's the thematic point Johns is making, isn't it? I've assumed that I'm supposed to find them grating, so that the maturation process they undergo will mean more. The Aquaman of the solo title deciding he's no longer interested in ruling draws some power as a character from his self-nomination five years ago, the need to be in charge of everything.