Mr. Terrific:  I liked it.  The art was good, the story run of the mill superhero.  The reboot was pretty soft.  Not much of a change, except he seems to be the original Mr. Terrific of this new universe.   There doesn't seem to be any JSA so far.   Karen Star is his girlfriend, and yes, it seems forced, and she is not Power Girl. 

    My only complaint is that the T Spheres are the Deux Ex Machina that solves all his problems.

I would give the first three issues a C+

Legion of Super Heroes:  This is not a reboot at all, its a continuation of the last series,  they even reference the Flashpoint and how it blocks off their access to time travel to modern Earth.   I always loved the Legion so I may give this a higher grade than it deserves.   I give it a B.

Green Arrow:  This comic is the opposite of Grifter.  With Grifter they took a Wildstorm comic and turned it into a DC comic.  With this, they took a DC comic and made it an Image comic.   This one, so far, is the one I liked the least.   I love the Dan Jurgeons, George Perez art, but  the story is pretty so so.  Grade C.

Green Lantern Corps:  Nothing new hear.  It takes place right after the last series so its not a reboot at all.   The thing is, its breaking no new ground, so unless you are a Green Lantern fan, there is nothing to offer.  Same old,  aliens are killing Green Lanterns, and  Jon Stewart and Guy Gardner team up to solve the crimes.   C+.

Resurrection Man: Abbet and Laning are back on one of the great short lived series of the 90's.   Not a reboot, just a continuation of the last series.  So far its the best of the new comics.

A.

Red Hood and the Outlaws:  Jason Todd,  Roy Harper and Koriandar are a super team chock full of sex and violance.   You can't get more 90's Image Comics than this.    It could fit into the old DCU with microscopic changes.   I like it despite what I just said.   I would not collect it if not for the bundle deal.

C

John wrote on Jan 1^st, 2012 at 11:55pm:


I strongly think and feel that DC should have actually opted for a reboot in this case; the large cast has never been new reader friendly and compound that with starting a new series, while trying to attract new readers, with both a large cast and a feeling of in media res storytelling was a mistake in my opinion.

The Flash: If its a reboot, they concealed it pretty well.  Its the same team from the last Flash series, so the claim of the new DC is being bold and such is a hard pill to swallow when  the same people that made the old DC boring are the same people that are trying to make it bold and new...
     Anyway, I love the art, but the story is lacking.    Seems like it is  reboot as Barry is not  yet married to Iris.

I give the art a B but the story a C so it comes out to an average of C+.

Over all, I am not too impressed.  More ticked off.  Why are some comics starting over, while others are intact?  That just makes the need for another reboot nessessary.

I am sure I will have a better grasp as I read more of the big comics like Batman, Superman and Justice League.    So far I am reading the C and B teams.

Hawk And Dove:  Awful.  The worst so far.   I never bagged on Rob Leifield's art before, but I just have to say,  he is an amature.  Just terrible.   And the writing, come one.  I realise that all the comic writers lean towards the left politically, but can't one of them write a conservative that isn't a total jack ass?

D.

Edit- Forgot to mention, this is not a reboot at all.  It mentions all the other Dove's and  talks about stuff from Pre Flashpoint and talks about the Crisis on Infinite Earth.   So I am a bit confused.

Frankenstein:  I love the character and I love that he is the super agent of a government agency. However I will say that this comic suffers from what I call the Morrison Syndrome.  In that it tries to be too cool, and name drops too much super technology.    I mean, its hard to buy into a world with problems that require superheroes to solve when there are microscopic flying cities that wisk super agents around, and  guys like Mr. Terrific with super dimensional bases and flying magic problem solving balls.
    If they turned SHADE into a more traditonal, less magical technology, the tension would be more, and the comic would be the better for it.

B-

Catwoman:  I love it.  One of their best.  Its everything I want from Catwoman, sex, violence and stealing. I don't like it when she is the reluctant hero.  She is a villian, she is a cat burglar.  She steals.    The only rebooty thing here is that she doesn't know who Batman is, otherwise its the same Selina.
A.

Captain Atom:  I like that they are trying to give him a unique set of powers, and I like that the weakness actually makes a bit of sense given that set of powers.   But I can't help but think its  Dr. Manhattan.  I know he was the inspiration for the Doctor, but still.    I think he is too powerful, but different than Superman, and I think that is what they are going for.   I have to say, its not great, but I am intrigued.

B

Nightwing:  He is not Batman any longer so the last continuity is still in play.  Or is it?  You know what?  I don't care.  This comic is just filler,  sorry, but I only read it because I paid for it.      I am not really interested in the character,  so I have to admit,  the comic didn't hold my interest much either.

C-

John wrote on Jan 6^th, 2012 at 11:15pm:


Why don't you let us know how you really feel? 

Thats a good way to put it.

PulpCitizen wrote on Jan 7^th, 2012 at 1:15pm:


I also don't expect the "origin story" to be spread out over 6 or 7 issues. 2 or 3 at the max. Decompressed story lines are killing comics.

Do you know what surprised me a few years ago? When JLA and JSA relaunched, in JLA Meltzer went the 6-issue origin route and it was painful. In the first JSA issue, Geoff Johns, of all people (in other words, I associate him with the modern decompressed era), managed to 'get the gang together' pretty much in 1 oversized issue. And it was a pretty big gang at that. I just wish he had followed that blue-print with the JL relaunch... 

Personally I like how each is being introduced as the focus in an issue to start. I think it shows a commitment (at least Im hoping) to a larger story arch and with luck a longer run by the creators. I like what seems like a similar (if a bit different) device being used in the Teen Titans

Ive already dropped a couple of the 52 because they dropped the artist I liked that started the reboot

I could be wrong ... wouldn't be the first time today either, but I'm thinking the one hero intro per issue is a marketing device to introduce new readers to characters in a group book (where people always feel they are getting more bang for their buck) I believe they're hoping they transfer that interest into the individual titles  ... like Aquaman.

I'm still warming up to the new incarnations of the Titans. I have to admit if it wasn't for Lee and Booth doing the art on these two titles the slower storyline wouldn't be near as bearable.

I'm just guessing that I probably don't read as many new comics as alot of people so I haven't grown "overly" weary of it - yet, but I totally see you being tired of the public leeryness of discovering meta-humans in their midst and all the ramifications that would result. I do think it has it's place in a full reboot though.

I'm betting we won't see it after about six issues. 

Bird of Prey: Its a reboot, or not,  I can't tell.  Batgirt can walk again, so the Killing Joke happened but its a reboot.  How confusing is that?
   Three issues and I think less then 50 words have been spoken.  Can anyone sayd decompression? 

C-

So for somebody who hasn't bought a single title of the new 52: How is DC explaining the reboot, continuity-wise within their stories?

It sounds like some things reference the old continuity, and others don't.  Some characters change immensely, and others don't.  Is there an explanation (like Crisis did)?

Majestic wrote on Jan 10^th, 2012 at 3:26pm:


They haven't explained it, and to make things even more confusing, some books reference events that may, or may not have happened. Teen Titans is the perfect example, one book says there have been groups of TT in the past, while others say they're the first team.

And then there's Batman, who's somehow managed to have had, FOUR separate Robins, in the course of five years.    I really don't think TPTB thought this trough very well. They basically kept books that were selling well, Batman, Green Lantern (although I think GL had more to do with the DC thinking the movie was going to be a huge hit), and left them alone, while gutting pretty much everything else, and then trying to infuse both Wildstorm and Milestone characters, while giving the DcnU more of a Wildstorm/Image feel to it.

Ranger wrote on Jan 10^th, 2012 at 5:46pm:


I had five of the 52 titles on my pull list (Aquaman, Justice League, Green Lantern, Legion of Superheroes, and Teen Titans). Of the five, I've been enjoying Aquaman the mos. But, IMO, they could have wrapped up the first storyline in two issues. JL is taking WAY to long to get the core group together (Six issues is ridiculous, pick up the damned pace already). While I love Brett's artwork, I'm not really liking any of the new Titans he's introduced. And they just kind of seem to be bumbling around. As far as the Legion goes, if I hadn't been reading the old series, I'd be lost, and that's not counting the fact that they've got a separate group of Legionaire's (including two of my favorites) running around in the past. And GL while a solid story, isn't anything great, and you REALLY needed to be flowing the old book to have clue as to who some of these characters are.

Batman: Seems to have picked right up from the last series.  There are a billion Robins,  Bruce Wayne is the known financier of Batman.   So why the reboot?
    After all that,  this is a great comic.  Is creepy, and I like the villian they are setting up.  The Owl.  So far its got some good ideas in it.   One of the better titles from DC.

A

When the bundle deal is over, I am not sure if I would collect any.

Thanks for the explanations, Pulp and D.  Though I have to say it sounds like DC really didn't think this through very well.  The gal who owns/runs my comic shop said that her customers really like a variety of the new titles.  Some love X and hate Y, while the next customer might love Y and hate X.

I read over what Flashpoint is/was on Wikipedia, but I'm still a bit confused as to what's happening in the DCU.

Perhaps I'll check out Aquaman.

DC has some fine characters, but I've never felt invested in the DC Universe the same way I have with the Marvel Universe.

Actually there are a number of Marvel characters I could plug into the DC universe and say yeah that would work. As merely an opinion, except for the Batman, I don't think I could say  the same the other way around. At least not for any of the brand Icons.

Just a thought but I think Image and Wildstorm would be more successful had thye found a home with Marvel.

However at the time of the acquisition, wasn't Marvel still struggling financially? They emerged from bankruptcy about a year or so before the sale to DC of Wildstorm, so probably were in no shape at that time to try anything like that I guess.

*Psst* maybe avoid Avengers Assemble then...

Batman: Detective Comics:  I can't say its Batman finally done right, as so many have done Batman done right.  I will say its Batman done very well.  Spot on, going after creepy serial killers.  It could use more Detectiviness to distinguish it from the other Batbooks.   

A if you like Batman   B if you just like good comics.

I, Vampire:  The good and the bad.  The good,  the art is great.  Nice and creepy like a vampire comic should.  Second, I like the grand idea, that the vampires are tired of hiding and sneaking about, but Andrew Bennet, I guess he is DC's Dracula? feels this move is suicidal.   So the two sides are going to war.
    The bad... Three issues that could very easily sqeezed into one Vertigo comic.  This is decompression at its worst.    And the worst thing a comic can do?  I challenge anyone to pick up issue three and then tell me what is going on.  You can't.    This comic is very unfriendly to the causal reader.   If you missed issue one, forget it.  You will never know what is going on.   Kind of like Fringe in that the steps have to be taken in order.    Not a good idea at 3 dollars for a comic with 35 words in it.

The concept A if you like vampires, but C- in execution. Otherwise C overall.

Aquaman:  Geoff Johns is the Comic Doctor.  If you comic is sick, call him and he will fix it.   In three issues he has made the three single best Aquaman comics I ever read.   I know that is damning with faint praise, but I mean it in the best way.   The story is slow but the bad guys are scary and very Lovecraftian, something that I think fits well with undersea superheroes.
     He is setting Arthur up well,  and even goofing on his shitty reputation as the *ahem* fish out of water among the super community.   
     Great art and again,  I love the look of the bad guys.   On of the 52's best.

A+   If you like Aquaman.  If you don't like Aquaman, then  you shouldn't be reading comics.

I agree.  And I will say its happening to all comics ( Marvel and DC) latley.


To illustrate the point, I read the newest Secret Avengers when Black Widow goes back in time to save them from death.   It took me a while to read and I said, "Wow"   One issue and a whole story, with characters and resolutions and everything.  It made me stop and think about how rare this was.    And it was a great story.   How sad is that that that a full one issue comic is the exception these days?

Oh but that would kill the trade paperback compilations and we cant have that - practically a generation of comic book "fans" think that's the best way to go. 

hmmm maybe my sarcasm didnt come through

That's exactly what I meant Dom. Theses guys are killing the industry with these things. You use to be able to buy collected version, but not to this extent (at least in Indiana). They definitely need to cut back on the decompression writing that is just for the sake of this TPB stuff. Save it for the things like Avenger's Sanction or Fear. Let the regular titles stand on their own merit.

I like the one year wait but some bean counter is running the show Im sure

Batgirl: Ok so its not a reboot?   She was crippled by the Joker, but some miracle has cured her.   But she is broke, and I guess, was never Oracle?  I am confused.
   I liked that she had to go back to get her Motorcycle from police impound.  That was a nice touch.    I enjoyed it all around, untill the last page of issue three.

She tells Nightwing that she needs to solve this crime on her own.   WHat arrogance. 

She froze and a cop was shot, and a murderer was killed.  She failed to stop a train from blowing up.  But screw that, her ego needs a boost so damn the innocents who die cause she is not ready to be Batgirl again.    Nightwing should have said, when  you show me you can do it, I will leave you alone.
   Between this and Black Panther refusing help over at Marvel  while his villain is killing left and right makes me wonder who they are out in costume for,  the people or themselves?

Oh, and  loved the bad guy.  I will steal him for a future V&V game.

B-

Batman and Robin:  Ok so there were Robins before,  and  Batman was "dead"  so how is this a reboot?

I like the character of Damion, and if they stay focused on his relationship with his father, this should be a good read.   I like how   Bruce is trying to humanise his sociopathic son.    Pretty interesting.

The  Superheros stuff is secondary, as is, I think its supposed to be. 

B

Swamp Thing:  Ok not a reboot.  It refers to practically everything in the past comics, except Tefe.
    So I am getting more and more increasingly confused with the new 52. 
    Anyway, back to Swamp Thing.   I am glad they shed all the four elemental powers, as that made him a god.   This is off to a good start.  Keep in mind, Swamp Thing has been one of my favorite comics.  I have gotten every comic that I know about that he apears in.  So I am very picky about this comic.  So far so good.  Not great, but good.

B