I haven't been this excited about comics since I made my comic con pilgrimage out to New York in 2007. The DC relaunch has been all over every comic website and blog worth its salt since the original announcement. It has been interesting to get different people's take on it. Who thinks it is a good idea? Who doesn't? Who is going to stop buying DC comics because of it. Who is going to buy more DC comics? Which new comics will do the best? Will there be any surprises?
Well I am currently making my way through them, with the intention of reading all 52. So far, my thoughts are as set out below.
Firstly some high level thoughts:
There has been much talk of the hooded woman. Who is she and why is she in every single issue so far? Is she the same woman that appears at the end of Flashpoint #5?
Are these different titles all set within different universes? It is difficult to believe that Bruce Wayne operates with 3 different Robins (as suggested in Batman & Robin) and yet never met Green Lantern or Superman (as in Justice League)? In Green Lantern Hal has lost his ring just as it finished off in Old DCU. That is not the case in JL. So maybe they are the same universes but different points in each or they are one of 52 universes.
Clearly in some titles it picks up right where we left off in old DCU. Others have complete new timelines or backgrounds. Ollie in Green Arrow is nothing like the one we know.
Liked and will buy #2
Action Comics (undecided on this)
Justice League
Animal man
Batgirl
Batwing
Detective comics
Swamp thing
Batman & Robin
Bat woman
Justice League of course was the big gun straight out of the starting block. There was much excitement on this title for so many reasons. It was the first of the new ones. It picked up after the finale of Flashpoint (in theory). It has Lee and Johns (dream teams don't come much bigger than this) on art and story duties. It was starting at a point that pre-empted much that we already knew. It was to be the driving force of the new 52. It was to be the flagship title, bringing all the big names together.
Well, I think it was a cool first issue. I loved the art and the fact that Batman was prominent in it. The script was sharp and there were a few funnies. The last page was interesting (even from someone who is not a Superman fan).
They did say they were starting at the beginning and sure enough, these guys who we have seen together a hundred times are not close allies (as of yet). Hal appears to be a bit of a maverick, maybe even a bit of a tool. Needless to say, they have set it up for a lot of JL shenanigans. I must admit however that I can't help but contrast this initial JL to that of the All Star Batman JL that Lee and Miller constructed. Albeit very different but for example, Wonder Woman in All Star is the kind of hardcore superpower you want.
Batman family
I've always enjoyed Tony Daniels work, whether just drawing or writing too. There is no doubt that he gets Batman and I think likes the darker side to him. His art on RIP is some of the best you can get your hands on. He's up there with Lee in my opinion. The first double page splash of Detective Comics has Batman running across a Gotham skyline. An image we have probably seen a million times, but yet here you can't help but drool.
There are slight nods to Dark Knight Returns I think. I don't know if they are deliberate or just happen but either way I love the darkness. So Bruce is back in the cowl. This is evidently a different Batman to the one we see in Justice League or certainly much further on in his career. He is up against the Joker and is suggestive that this isn't the first time. The Joker doesn't seem to have changed. Still white faced and mental. Spoilers ahead - he seems to deliberately get himself into Arkham and meets with the Dollmaker. I think this is a new Batman villain and from the final page (below) you have to say, looks like we are in for a treat. This is Batman comics at it's best.
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