The New 52 Plus Some: 9 Months In

You know, I said I was done with this New 52 business, but I just keep getting pulled back in. Usually it takes a baby 9 months to be born, so I thought I would check back in on storylines and see where everything is now. Before I do that though, I wanna talka bout a few other things.

First up, Adventure Time. I have always been a fan of the series, but the comic, which has only had 4 issues so far, has just been stellar. There is a real focus on keeping the comic on the same level of the show, and it really shines through. Like this panel:

What makes things even better is the fact that the comic has a running commentary at the bottom of every page- either little cartoons, editor's notes, or even notes from Pen Ward himself.

I strongly suggest checking this series out if you are a fan of the show, though it is probably not the best starting point for those unfamilar with the series. I'd put it right there with Atomic Robo, which is probably the most under rated book out there right now.

Next up, I have to give credit to Mark Millar to give us another fantastic book with Super Crooks. It is definitely not as realistic as Kick Ass, or as uplifting as Superior, or as dark as Nemesis... but I'd put it on the level with Wanted- just an awesome book that flows really well.

I will not be covering AvX for a bit because I'm way behind, but I have every intention of doing a whole blog on the series soon.

The same goes for the Night of the Owls- its a big crossover event and I think it deserves its own blog, so my Batfamily coverage may be a bit lax in some places.

Finally, I have to talk about what DC put out on FCBD, where they teased a number of events. I've talked a bit about Pandora, the Hooded Woman who appeared just after Flashpoint, but since her mass appearance, she really hasn't been mentioned since. She was given a few pages in the free comic, as she was punished by a council, along with two other "crimnals." She was punished for opening the box, as the myth atests, and her punishment isn't really clear, unlike the other two. Number one gets the following punishment for being vain: "You will now walk the earth as a phantom, appearing as a stranger to all that knew you in your former life." Pretty obvious, and it makes sense because Phantom Stranger is a huge part of the DCU, but the other guy who was punished for looking too for answers... very different story.

Oh yeah... they seem to be presenting the Question as being on the same ultra level as some of the other mystical and mysterious characters. I'm worried and excited for this all at the same time.

Ok, now that we got all the introductory stuff out of the way, let's look at the scoreboard from the last time I discussed my adds and drops:

Sticking (21): Batman, Justice League, Action Comics, Animal Man, O.M.A.C., Swamp Thing, Justice League International, Batman and Robin, Batwoman, Deathstroke, Demon Knights, Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E., Green Lantern, Superman, DC Universe Presents, Green Lantern Corps, Nightwing, Wonder Woman, All-Star Western, The Shade, and Aquaman.

Probation (12): Batgirl, Catwoman, Red Lanterns, Red Hood and the Outlaws, Batwing, Detective Comics, Justice League: Dark, Suicide Squad, Blue Beetle, Fury of Firestorms, Green Lantern: The New Guardians, and Teen Titans.

Dropped (23): Batman: The Dark Knight, Men of War, Hawk and Dove, Green Arrow, Resurrection Man, Birds of Prey, Mister Terrific, I, Vampire, Supergirl, Legion Lost, Static Shock, Superboy, Penguin, Huntress, Voodoo, Legion of Super-Heroes, Flash, Stormwatch, Blackhawks, Grifter, My Greatest Adventure, Savage Hawkman, and Captain Atom

I can definitely say that there have been some changes to this list, including some cancellations and endings in italics

ACTION COMICS - Last time I talked about how Morrison was being really deep and complex in his execution of this series, but honestly, the series has been kinda dead in the water plot wise for a few weeks. There hasn't been a consistant story for a couple weeks, and even gave us a Superman story from another universe, where the Superman was black. A lot of flack was given, but I loved the issue, and the issues of a supervillain like Lex Luthor who hated Superman for being different, in this universe, everyone things Lex is a racist, when its everything but his race that bother Luthor. Really interesting spin.

ANIMAL MAN- This book is seriously creepifying and has shown little sign that its going to have a happy ending anytime soon. It is a fantastic book, but its definitely not one for the squeamish.

BATWING- I was happy to see that the whole Invisible Children/African Superheroes storyline has come to an end, and Batwing is currently in Night of the Owls, so we will talk more about it later. I might be dropping this book aft the next issue if it doesn't really blow me away.

DETECTIVE COMICS- As previously stated, this book definitely exists in the shadow of Batman. It isn't bad by any counts, but its just not as good. The book has spent the last couple issues with the Owls storyline, but before that we had a bit of filler that tried to make us care more about the Penguin than we should.

GREEN ARROW-DROPPED. I haven't given this book a second thought until recently when he appeared in Justice League. He was actually kinda cool there, so I think I might catch onto the next storyline. Very low expectations though.

HAWK AND DOVE -DROPPED AND CANCELLED. Liefeld drove this book into the ground, so of course DC gave him three more books to start work on- Deathstroke, Grifter, and Hawkman. Good riddance to the series.

JUSTICE LEAGUE INTERNATIONAL- This book is a lot of fun, no doubt about it, and although there was a major blow to the book when one of my favorite characters died, I am still really enjoying the series. My one big thing is how the book is starting to treat August General in Iron- he's a great character, but he is starting to fall into this role as "philiosophical version of The Thing."

Its not blatant, but its a growing issue. Batman has left the book and has given us Batwing instead, which is nice, but I worry that its a death knell for the book. Lucky for us however, a cancelled book is now merging with this series, so we have a new member.

MEN OF WAR-DROPPED AND CANCELLED because it was the most boring book of the new 52.

O.M.A.C.- CANCELLED - It was one of my favorites and I was sad to see it go, knowing the character would flot for a year or so without a stable home, and I was wrong. OMAC joined the JLI which made me very happy and it certainly makes me happy. Almost as happy as seeing this little easter egg dealing with people who he could find to help him control the OMAC:

In case the pic isn't clear enough, the name Ted Kord is on that list.

RED LANTERNS- This book just barely keeps me reading. It isn't great, but it stays afloat somehow. I keep thinking it will tie into another book, but so far, nothing.

STATIC SHOCK- DROPPED AND CANCELLED- Sucked to see one of Mr. McDuffies finest characters disapear into the void, but I feel like he will re-emerge on a team sometime soon. Either on the Teen Titans, or with the Ravagers.

STORMWATCH- Much like Red Lanterns, I'm constantly wondering what's keeping me tethered to this book. It offers me next to nothing on answers or any form of enjoyment, but yet, I keep coming back to it. Lately, there has been an issue with finding a leader for the team. This panel needs no explanation:

Call it morbid curiosity, but I keep coming back to Stormwatch.

SWAMP THING- Everything I said about Animal Man goes with this series as well. Its very dark, and ominous, and evil. The title character has finally started taking some action which is nice. Where the series goes now will be very interesting. 

BATGIRL- I nearly gave up on Batgirl, and I'm really happy a friend of mine talked me out of it. The series has gotten a lot better, and I think I can chalk up my unhappiness with a really crappy villain, which we luckily haven't dealt with for a few issues. 

BATMAN AND ROBIN- This book had a really intense storyline in it that finally got wrapped up a few weeks ago. Damian kills again, and has apparently been thinking about killing for a while, based on some drawings we find.

In case those aren't clear, basically, its how he would murder each member of Batman's rogue's gallery, including cutting Two-Face's face in half with a chainsaw and cooking the Penguin and serving him like a turkey. The next panel isn't from Batman and Robin, but from the premiere issue of the new Batman Inc series:

And yes, that is my desktop background currently.

BATWOMAN- Remember when I was just reading this book for the phenomenal art? Well, that hasn't really shown up much in the last few issues, and the storyline of trying to hunt down fairy tale creatures is just beyong weird. It's a definite DROPPED.

DEATHSTROKE- We had a really great MacGuffin going for a while with the mysterious briefcase, but once that mystery was gone, the book itself seemed to begin to crash. The last issue was almost too much for my eyes since Liefeld took over the art. I will give it one more issue before dropping it completely.

DEMON KNIGHTS- This book is just strange in so many ways... the first major storyline wrapped in the last issue, and now that the Knights are off on a new mission, we can really see the teamwork building. The book reads like there's another part to every issue that readers should be aware of, but there isn't anything else. There's just a weird feeling about it.

FRANKENSTEIN, AGENT OF S.H.A.D.E.- Speaking of strange books, this book is just an oddity. The art is maybe some of the ugliest I have ever seen, but that is the point. The storylines rival Stormwatch for pure insanity.The series recently lost a couple characters, so we shall see how their exit affects the comic.

GREEN LANTERN- This story has taken a completely different turn than what I expected, and that's not a bad thing I never imagined the Sinestro as a GL storyline sticking, but it seems that this is something that is here to stay. Recently, the Indigo Lanterns have been explored, and I've been very pleased with what's going on there.

GRIFTER -DROPPED because it was maybe the worst overall series of the new 52.

THE HUNTRESS -DROPPED AND ENDED. I am just not interested in the character and I tried to give it another chance but it just didn't keep me interested. Now the book has joined with a character from Mister Terrific for World's Finest which, one issue in, I'm pretty happy with.

LEGION LOST -DROPPED because its a Legion book so it needs a 50 volume encyclopedia to follow effectively. I almost went into a deep depression when I found out it was part of the Culling crossover.

MISTER TERRIFIC- DROPPED AND CANCELLED because it totally messed up Power Girl and it just became really boring and trite. Now that PG is in a new series, I think it will be very interesting

PENGUIN: PAIN AND PREJUDICE- DROPPED AND ENDED I decided to give this title a shot and see it through as a miniseries, and I was right the first time. It sucks and it went nowhere.

RESURRECTION MAN -DROPPED. Much like Huntress, I gave it a chance but the character does nothing for me. Recently, this book had the dumbest crossover with Suicide Squad, which really drug that book down.

SUICIDE SQUAD- This book got off to a rough start, but its been pretty consistent since issue 2, and I have been pleased with the direction of stories, and I hope it maintains this feeling for a while.

SUPERBOY -DROPPED because it has the most boring protagonist of the reboot. If it wasn't for the crossover with Teen Titans, I still would be avoiding this series.

BATMAN - I can't say enough about how great Snyder's Batman is. It is fun, but I can't really say much since it has been neck deep in Owls from the beginning. With zero context, though, I have to share this picture:

BIRDS OF PREY-DROPPED because I hate the characterizations of the entire team. Its just a huge letdown.

BLUE BEETLE- This book is always a struggle to get through. Originally I thought it was because of the Mexican Spider-Man similarities, but honestly, I think it is much more than that. The story makes no logical sense, and it is such a huge difference from the original series that its painful to read. Family was vital to the storylines, and now it is just him on his own with no escape or hope of seeing his family again.

CAPTAIN ATOM -DROPPED because I've read Watchmen and know enough about Dr. Manhattan already. How this avoided cancellation is a mystery to me.

CATWOMAN- The rooftop sex has been kept to a real minimum since the first issue, and I'm not if I'm happy with that. It seemed like an important part of the character, and it just kind of fizzled out for a bit, and then she started doing it with a new guy who I have no doubt will become evil, so we shall see how that turns out.

DC UNIVERSE PRESENTS- Just as I said I would, I dropped the book when it switched to the Challengers, but now there is a new series based on Vandal Savage, which treats the lovable brute from Demon Knights as if he's Hannibal Lecter. Very interesting take on the character and I look forward to more of it.

GREEN LANTERN CORPS- This book should just be called Those Blue Assholes from Green Lantern. Seriously, these guys are awful and they show no sign of stopping the ridiculousness which has made zero sense from the start. I like Guy and John's ok, but this definitely the weakest of the GL titles.

JUSTICE LEAGUE- I was a little annoyed that the fight against Darkseid took up exactly four pages. It just feels really cheap, but I guess they can save the bigger and badder fights for other issues. Character interaction is still the star here, and it works really well, especially with Hal and Batman:

LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES -DROPPED. See Legion Lost, but at least this one's well written.

MY GREATEST ADVENTURE -DROPPED AND ENDED because I didn't care about any of the three stories they are trying to tell.

NIGHTWING- Nightwing has really tied closely to Owls for the last few issues, but I was not crazy about the circus storyline it had going. Glad that's over for sure.

RED HOOD AND THE OUTLAWS- This book got a really bad rep when it started but it has since become one of my favorite titles, especially here lately with Jason Todd getting more of a spotlight as an antihero.

THE SHADE- This book just exists on a whole other level where it doesn't fit in with the rest of the DCU, but it sometimes works really well and serves both a supernatural and a noirish role.

SUPERGIRL-DROPPED because I don't care too much about the character. I liked her character before the retcon, but this just isn't working for me. Maybe sometime later, I will pick it up and check it out again if I hear its good.

WONDER WOMAN- This book just exists for me. In the same realm as Red Lanterns, I have no idea why I'm reading it, but every week I try and get through it. Its almost a drop.

ALL-STAR WESTERN- The book had me highly involved for the first few issues, but somewhere around issue 8, the story just went off the rails, and I lost a lot of interest. I'm going to stick with it in hopes it will recapture what I liked at first, but its a few issues from dropping.

AQUAMAN- Let me sum up with this: Aquaman murdered Black Manta's father. Its too soon for me to say if that is the best twist or the worst, but I have really been enjoing this title.

BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT- This book makes absolutely no sense. I can't drop it because I keep thinking the next issue will answer all the Lost-level weirdness that goes down every issue.

BLACKHAWKS -DROPPED AND CANCELLED because I could not care less about any of these characters and the insanity that's going on with them. Its like Team America, if it had no humor.

THE FLASH -DROPPED... I read the Captain Cold issue finally, and while I wasn't crazy about the character rewrite, I didn't hate it, and I want to give it as much of a chance as I can.

THE FURY OF FIRESTORM: THE NUCLEAR MEN- Nine issues in and we are still on an origin story. I'm done with the book. DROPPED.

GREEN LANTERN: NEW GUARDIANS- This book is really great at showing the different sides of each Corps and how they can all interact together. I'm really enjoying it, but I look forward to where the title goes next.

I, VAMPIRE-DROPPED because it just stopped being interesting. It had a lot of promise, but then let me down in the execution of the first three issues.

JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK- This comic is having a really tough time with the "Where do we go from her?" issue, and its only a couple issues from being dropped.

THE SAVAGE HAWKMAN -DROPPED because beautiful artwork is not everything in a comic.

SUPERMAN-  This book had so much potential but it was all wasted. It did not go anywhere, and I lost all care or interest. Everything is vague in it and the Lois/Clark dynamic is the only thing I find appealing. Another casualty for the DROP.

TEEN TITANS- I have no problem admitting that I had my doubts but this is a really solid series, and I'm a huge fan of how the story is progressing. This book is way better than it should be.

VOODOO -DROPPED- because like Hawkman, 22 pages of softcore boobs are not enough to keep my attention. Its just ridiculous.

Out for a while...

Obviously, I've been out of it for a while. Once I stopped forcing myself to write about the New 52, I just lost all interest in trying to blog about stuff, so I think I'm going to try and blog about storylines when I can. Throw in the occasional top # lists when the situation dictates. Promise I'm coming back soon. Its just taking a lot of energy and time to get there.

New 52: Month 4

After this, I feel like I will be done with the whole new 52 deal. I’ve covered, with this post, the first four issues of each book that remains on my keep list. Many of the first storylines will be wrapped up and unless an issue is extremely good or bad, as the case may be, I won’t be discussing it. I feel like that I haven’t written much about comics outside of the new 52 in a long time, and I don’t want to be pigeonholed into just reviewing those. This will give me more time to do Retrospectives, Countdowns, and actual reviews of non DC books. With that out of the way, away we go…

Action Comics
Morrison continues to hit this book out of the park, and our first big bad is finally revealed, and while his identity is not shocking, his appearance certainly is.
Brainiac looks like some sort of centipede like thing which is certainly something new. This book also re-introduced us to one of the more underrated heroes to come from the previous DC universe: Steel. Like Brainiac, his new appearance is a bit off, but since this does take place 5 years before now, it can be said that the costume could change. Its very Cyborg-y so that could be an interesting connection. Very anxious to see where this book goes next.

All Star Western
After an ending that gave us a break up of our two protagonists, Hex and Arkham are right back together on a completely different and strange quest. It plays out much liek the first issue, with the two learning to work together, and while I don't feel the same sense of urgency or danger as the last story arc, this one isn't too bad. The real problem with this issue is the backup story. We had a great story last time that had a dumb ending that seemed rushed. This story just seems boring and the art leaves a lot to be desired.

Animal Man
I actually don’t have words for this issue. I write stuff about this title every month, but nothing I say seems to really grasp what is actually happening on the pages. This book is just amazing. It’s funny, scary, heartwarming, disgusting, brutal, and philosophical. All in the same issue. Many times on the same page or two. For example:
The following page is not for the easily disturbed.
This is the very next page:
Next issue will end this story arc, but I can already say that this is in the top five comic series of the new 52.

Aquaman
This is one of those books that has surprised me in the New 52 as one of my favorites. This issue, like a lot of final issues in a story arc seems rushed in a lot of ways. We get a better understanding of the Trench, which is nice, but we also pretty much end them at the same time, which honestly seems realyl sad. Almost like an Old Yeller scenario. We save almost all the people that were taken, and have a happy ending, where Aquaman gets a little respect, and a dog. I hate when heroes get pets, because I know its just a matter of time before they will lose them... and I'm a wuss when it comes to animals dying. Even rushed, I still think this book is great and I'd certainly put it as one of the best of the relaunch.

Batgirl
Well, they can’t all be perfect. I’ve tried to be as patient and forgiving as I can with this title, but I think the wrap up of the Mirror storyline was just too weak. It also didn’t help that we got stuck with her roommate (who I hate, in case you missed those blogs) 1/3 of the issue. And the reveal at the end was just weak and does nothing for me to keep reading. DROPPED- case closed.

Batman
Another fantastic issue by Snyder. We resolve the cliffhanger from the previous issue in a style reminiscent of the Sherlock Holmes movies fight scenes, step-by-step explanation for events and how to get out of this particular threat. We also get some history and show why these Owls are such a big deal to Bruce. Its both a fascinating look at the character as well as heartbreaking to see and experience what Bruce did. I rank this title with Animal Man as one of the top titles around.

Batman: The Dark Knight
I just don't get the point of this book other than to bank on the names Batman and Dark Knight. Its the worst book featuring Batman it is always either wildly ridiculous and dumb, or incredibly predictable. For four full issues, we've been searching for who could be behind the serum that removes all fear, and I thought, from the beginning, it was Scarecrow. But the book kept saying "It's not Scarecrow... he's not smart enough for this... he wouldn't want to remove fear..." and then SUPRISE! its the Scarecrow. The book does do a few things well enough. It seems set on making Batman completely alone. In this issue, he is ignored by the Justice League, Gordon is pissed off with both Bruce and Batman, and all his Batfamily is busy cleaning up the escaped prisoner mess. Alfred's the only one left and he seems to be written like an old horndog. He tries though.
And I'm sure the questions being raised now... what's with the ice cream? I don't know. But I had to take a break after reading this scene with them...
They talk about ice cream for way too long. I literally thought for a moment that Freeze was behind this, the way Alfred pushes the ice cream. I have to keep reading just to see how much more ridiculous this book can be.

Batman and Robin
While not as good as the previous book, this title does a really good job of examining the relationship between a father and son. Opening with a slideshow of Batman’s “failures”- his rogue’s gallery, the whole concept revolves around convincing Damian that his father made a mistake by not killing these villains, and its hard to say whether the message is going through. The storyline wraps up, but we still face the concept that Bruce won’t ever truly trust Damien. Certainly not the best storyline, but still good regardless.

Batwing
I never really know how to take this book. Some things I love; some things I hate, and it all just comes out to Average. This storyline doesn’t show a sign of ending and I don’t really know how it could, but it spent this issue giving us a back story on our hero, and given his past, I am very surprised that Batman would back him, but who knows. Truth is, this thing is one bad issue from being dropped, and one great issue from being a part of my Keep list. For now, it just floats.

Batwoman
As always I have to comment on the beauty of this book. Williams just nails the art perfectly, and we barely notice a weak story. For example, we open on a character I have no interest in fighting what appears to be a Solomon Grundy-esque villain who calls her a bitch and a whore and guts her in a very gory way. As the fight progresses over the course of 6 pages, we are given random shots of lesbian sex featuring the title character. And the weird thing is… its completely tasteful in this comic. It really blows my mind what this thing can do. Just click and take a look:
I’m also a huge fan of the shadowy government character that’s been in the background of previous issues. Still cannot believe that Director Bones survived the 52 reboot.
Blue Beetle
Another month, another issue of Mexican Spider-man… I have to say that this title is growing on me, if only because I can see that it is something different from other books in the reboot. This book has been limping along on my keep list, but this issue featured a fight with a robot gorilla named Silverback and Plasmus, as well as a final page that shocked me. I’m hooked for another issue, at least.

Catwoman
Bad issue. Not much to say about it, except that it seems to be a filler issue and I’m not a huge fan of those. I’m going to have to read the next issue to be sure, but this might be getting dropped very soon.

DCU Presents
I have really enjoyed this comic, after the first issue, so far and this issue does not disappoint. But a comic about riding a roller coaster with the devil while pondering existence is hard to make suck. This storyline will be ending soon, and I will certainly miss this Deadman story.

Deathstroke
The biggest badass in comics continues his violent rampage through the mercenary world, but this issue had some key moments. Namely, we finally found out what was inside that mysterious case that’s been all the talk. And a character dies that I did not expect to die. This thing is balls to the wall action, and I don’t think its going to slow down anytime soon. Good stuff.

Demon Knights
Team books are tricky, especially when most of the team is virtually unknown, but somehow this book makes everything work. We get the back story on the most… unique member of the team, the Shining Knight. An explanation of his/her character really answered some questions, plus we finally got the name for this team, though we the readers have had it for some time now. For those who are not comic fans but love fantasy, I could not suggest a book more highly than this one.

Detective Comics
I have to say, this has been a really interesting story arc. The Dollmaker is certainly an odd villain and while I don’t expect him to live very long, he is certainly a great villain for this particular time and place. And of course the storyline wraps up with the image that everyone was discussing from week one- the Joker’s face, now framed in the evidence room

Firestorm
You ever read Iron Man in the late 80's... around the time of the Demon in a Bottle stories? All these different countries came out with their own Iron Man type suits and at the end of it all, only a couple, including Tony Stark's, were still around. That's a lot like this issue. Last issue, we met the All American Firestorm, and this issue we are introduced to the Russian one and the Arab terrorist (of course there's a Middle Eastern one...) version. This book has remained on probation for a while now. I feel liek I should drop it but I just can't yet.

Frankenstein
Another wrapped up storyline that is 1000x more insane than I ever thought it would be. What started as a lake that had monsters attacking has ended with giant war wheels and blowing up an entire planet full of monsters with the team escaping in a giant metal egg flown by a dry-witted mummy. Like I have said before about this book- shit happens, insanity ensues, world is saved. Another of my top picks of the new 52, but the art keeps it from being truly fantastic.

Green Lantern
Johns really does his level best to make this look like a story of Sinestro’s redemption, but for some reason, the characters in this issue seem really cardboard. Maybe this is another filler issue, but this is really disappointing. I do, however, have to admit that the awesomeness of Sinestro with a green ring does little to prove why Hal Jordan is the “best” Green Lantern.

Green Lantern Corps
I think this book is really getting in step finally. We know who/what these villains are and why they hate the Green Lanterns, but it’s the same kind of story we have heard before with the Guardians using a race as their slaves. I think Tomasi is getting the feel that John works well with a team and Guy Gardner should just be cut loose to do his own thing. Also, the surprise cameo from the DCU version of the Men in Black, Stormwatch, was great and answered the vital question about what everyone knows about a former Justice League staple. This book was definitely better than I expected and I look forward to more of this story.

Green Lantern: The New Guardians
Remember when Larleeze was a legitimate threat to everything because he was crazy, and while humorous, he was very dangerous and cruel? Well, this writer certainly does and he paints Agent Orange as the big bad we all saw before Blackest Night.

Kyle Rayner finally grows a pair and steps up in this comic which is something he's been needing to do for a while. First act as a real man:
Bitch-slapping the most revered Guardian. A few more Corps specific powers pop up and I thoroughly enjoy seeing the variation. Indigos can teleport, and Blues can tap into your mind and heal you, as well as boost any ring and not just Green ones as we previously saw. This book was hands down the best GL title of the month.

Justice League
Speaking of team books that know exactly what to do with their characters, this book definitely nails it. Our cast finally comes together and Aquaman gets a spotlight for being awesome, since Johns loves him.
Definitely puts a middle on all those “What can you do?” questions he gets. We also get our first look at the big villain for the story arc, and while its no surprise, it is nice to see a decent costume change.
And yes, I threw the reaction bit in there for a laugh. Overall, this is a fantastic series and is definitely in my top books with Animal Man and Batman.

Justice League Dark
This all brings me back to the horrors of reading Flashpoint's Secret Seven. All the same characters and I could not care less about any of them... except John Constantine and Deadman. I'm reading this still, only because I think this book will be the key to the previous DC Universe which may or may not be making an appearance now that the Hooded Lady, named Pandora, has been fleshed out a bit more.

Justice League International
This issue serves as a villain spotlight that shows the reader the intentions and power of Peraxxis. Honestly, it seems kinda dumb. Plus, this story has done NOTHING to make readers believe in the competency of the team. They keep losing. Issue one, they lost to giant robots. Issue two, they lost to four giant robots. Issue three, they lost to mud creatures. And now they are 0-4. Maybe the final issue of the arc will ease this concern when they win, but it’s been a hard road so far. The only highlight is getting really great characterizations of the team. A fun book, but it really doesn’t do much for me right now.

Nightwing
There’s a shapeshifter fight. There really isn’t much more I can say about it than that. Batgirl shows up and basically apologizes for being a bitch back in the last issue of Batgirl, and then cockblocks Dick with his current girlfriend. And all this happens around Miami. I’m trying so hard to like this book, but it is really losing my patience.

OMAC
This book seems like its entire existence is to remind us that Jack Kirby is not only dead, but also irreplaceable. It’s not a terrible book by any means, but I do feel like it’s trying too hard, but maybe that’s just Didio’s style. But this book is fun and I think that’s what matters. Also this book has Technogators. I will repeat that… Techno-gators.
This book also surprised me as one of the first to crossover into another series, as the next issue of each book will be a battle between OMAC and Frankenstein. So, fun book that links to another favorite book of mine- good enough for me. Before I forget, does anyone have any idea where I can get this shirt?
Red Hood and the Outlaws
Given the bashing this book got in week one, I have been very impressed with what they have done with it thus far. Starfire finally is getting humanized, and Jason Todd is getting to showcase his abilities outside of the Bat’s shadow. And Roy? Well, here’s the thing:
That “Waylon,” I’m pretty sure is Killer Croc, who, as we learned from the last issue, told Roy to get his shit together (feel free to check last month’s issue review). Still hate that kid though. Anyway, Starfire fights a huge reptile creature and the boys fight a ladycop who is immortal. So, you can safely assume all those stops have indeed pulled out.

Once again, we have a pretty fun book, with weak art, that is highly entertaining.

Red Lantern
This book was kinda boring honestly. We get some backstory on a couple of the Red Lanterns, but neither story is really interesting and I’m certainly not captivated by the story of the angry humans on Earth which have no bearing on the story so far. This is another probable drop for me.

Stormwatch
I have no idea what happens in this comic. Seriously. There’s a fight. Then the big bad monster gets destroyed. Nothing is explained. Martian Manhunter’s cameo in GLC made more sense than the entirety of this comic. And surprisingly, I’m a big fan still. I’m complicated.

Suicide Squad
Another knockout issue but it kinda sucked to see Capt. Boomerang leave after only half an issue, but besides that, its pretty nice. I think I have said time after time after time about Harley’s look and Deadshot’s missing ‘stache, so there isn’t much left to complain about. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and it is easily one of the biggest surprises of the new 52.

Superman
This issue was so bad, I may drop it. The art looks really rushed, the characters are incredibly cardboard, and the plot is so convoluted that its almost unreadable. One more issue like this, and this book sinks to the DROP list.

Swamp Thing
The partner book to Animal Man just didn’t match up this issue. Maybe it’s the fact that we get another back story/filler issue after getting another issue with a lot of the same information back in the second issue. Just not a winner this time.

Teen Titans
This book never ceases to surprise me with how good it is with such horrible art. I hate Superboy in his series, but even as a quasi-villain, he is really likeable in this book. The only character who isn't fleshed out yet is Solstice, but I feel like it will come soon. The team really works here and I am a big fan. The art holds it back from being in the top five, but its close.