Review of the New DC Comics 52 Universe
I know we’re onto Week #2 of the brand new DC 52 universe, but I thought I’d take time to give some quick thoughts on what all I saw in some of the #1 issues that came out. I’ve read a good number of the books, mostly sticking to the big titles and a few others that caught my eye. Growing up as a comic book fan, I mostly dedicated my time and money to Marvel. They spoke to me more, and I found the Marvel characters more relatable and easier to get into than DC.
But with the new DC 52 universe I felt there was no better time than now to give these characters a chance. Afterall, new readers is what DC is hoping to attract with this reboot. Only question is can they keep us interested enough to keep coming back for more? Let’s find out…..
Justice League #1
A lot of people had a problem with only four members of the Justice League being in the debut issue. But it wasn’t much of a surprise to me. I’d rather a slow build to bringing the entire team together than throwing everyone out there with no back story given. I bet once the reason for the team being assembled is revealed there will be less complaints. Today’s society doesn’t know the value of proper patience.
Since I have not been a steady comic book collector the last decade, it was nice seeing Jim Lee’s pencils at work. The man draws a fabulous book. I originally started collecting comics when Jim Lee’s X-Men #1 was released. So you can say he helped raise me into this comic book world.
As I was drafting this post Justice League #2 came out and it made me even more pumped for this series. Seeing Superman take on Batman and Green Lantern was exciting, and incorporating The Flash was a no brainer. The dialogue was even witty and fast paced. This is DC’s flagship title for the new DC 52 and it does not disappoint.
Aquaman #1
Geoff Johns’ pet project. He has taken it upon himself to educate the fans on why Aquaman is misunderstood. The public perception of Aquaman is he is one of the lamest superheroes ever created. The basic plot of the issue is Johns taking the time out to address this point. Sure we get to see Aquaman display some strength and exude confidence, but does that alone, along with Johns’ endorsement, automatically make Aquaman a compelling character?
Here’s a thought….the way to make fans care about Aquaman is to write interesting stories for him. I need more than the writer constantly telling me that Aquaman is cool in interviews. I need to see it in his books. So I’ll give Aquaman a chance to catch on with me. I genuinely hope it does.
The Flash #1
The Flash is another DC character I never really liked. More for his powers than the men who have donned The Flash costume over the years. Heroes with speed powers never piqued my curiosity. The only villains that can give them a run for their money are other speedsters.
However I did learn something new from issue #1. I had no idea that Barry Allen was a police scientist. TV shows that involve police and criminal behavior always fascinate me, and I felt the same way after reading this issue. I wanted to see how Barry’s brain works when solving cases and fighting bad guys.
Finally, Francis Manapul’s artwork was tremendous. I’m not familiar with Manapul’s previous work, but the animated vibe lends itself to a colorful Flash title. Looking forward to what else is in store.
Green Lantern #1
The Green Lantern family of books, along with Batman (below) are the two franchises that kept the majority of their history intact. Green Lantern has been on a roll over the last five years, most notably with “Blackest Night” and “Brightest Day”, that it would not make sense to just erase all that from existence. The only problem is all of DC’s talking heads have been pumping up the “new DC 52” as a launching point for new readers. Except these new readers will not truly understand what is going on in Green Lantern because they didn’t hit GL’s reset button like they did with all the other books (minus Batman).
I say this to point out how DC didn’t truly think this “reboot/relaunch” out clearly enough. It even showed in some of the press releases and interviews leading up to the relaunch. They couldn’t decide if it was truly a reboot or a relaunch. But anyway, this was a decent enough Green Lantern story with the roles of Hal Jordan and Sinestro reversed.
Detective Comics #1
Detective Comics is the Batman title with the task of introducing The Joker in the new DC universe. The story and art by Tony Daniel was superb, capped off by the shocking surprise on the final pages. It’s definitely a new twist on The Joker persona. Where Daniel decides to take this story is enough of a hook to lure in new and previous readers.
So that about raps it up for my take on the new DC 52 universe. It’s already been said on a million other sites, but the amount of violence and sex in these new books is a little overwhelming at times. I feel the writers are using these items as a crutch to spark up controversy for their books. Catwoman, Red Hood and the Outlaws, and Batwing are just a few of the titles I read that made me produce a side-eye facial expression after I was done with them. We’ll see if this trend continues or are the writers using these things in the initial months for shock value and “ratings”.
What were your thoughts on the new batch of DC 52 titles? Did any stand out for you? Were you impressed or let down in any way? Share with us in the comments section below.
Timdogg
#ComicBookChronicles @CBChron founder. Editor-in-Chief of @thekliqnation. Comic book reviewer, podcaster #RABBLERABBLE
