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

[theenglish]

OdoWanKenobi wrote:

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Yeah, I'm almost certainly buying way more than I would have without the same day digital. Of course, a lot of these are going to be one and done affairs. I'm giving the books that I might have an interest in a shot. Some I'll keep reading, some I won't. My only gripe with the digital comics is that I really wish we were able to download the comics to keep on a hard drive. That way, I can still read my books even if my internet is down (which reading comic books has always been one of my primary "no internet" activities.)

I could be wrong, but I believe you do not have to be online in order to read the books with the iPad app.

EDIT: I just confirmed that you can read comics offline after you download them to the iPad.

[Admiral Buzzkill]

Myasishchev wrote:

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If they manage to not fall into the trap of writing Supergirl as a human adolescent, I'll be pleasantly surprised. Of course, the fact that it's untrue to the character's circumstance is only half the problem; the other is that adults trying to write kids usually comes off as the phoniest thing in the world.

Well, she'll have to be human in her emotional reactions in order for people to identify. But yeah, it's hard enough for writers to get kids right without trying to fabricate a parallel "teen culture". Now watch them introduce some analogue to texting and Facebook when they flash back to Kara's life on Krypton - I mean, that's what kids do, right?

BTW, look at the inset panel on page 12 - what's with Kara's hands? She didn't hurt herself by punching the mecha guy into the next province...am I wrong in interpreting those red streaks on her hands as the guy's blood?

[Turtletrekker]

Broccoli wrote:

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I'm not planning to pick-up Catwoman nor am I planning to go to a comic shop until next week, so what's the big deal about the last pages?

See for yourself...

[Myasishchev]

Dennis wrote:

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Well, she'll have to be human in her emotional reactions in order for people to identify. But yeah, it's hard enough for writers to get kids right without trying to fabricate a parallel "teen culture". Now watch them introduce some analogue to texting and Facebook when they flash back to Kara's life on Krypton - I mean, that's what kids do, right?

Kara'll have a hard time cutting herself. Maybe she can get a kryptonite razor.

But yeah, I meant speech patterns particularly, especially the use of specific Americanisms, notably the use of the speech disfluency "like" as a semantic vehicle. Socially constructed body language like in this cover isn't really well-thought out either:



You know, on top of it being sort of misogynistic and making her look kind of retarded. (I'll say right now that they seem to be avoiding this very well. But what do they want, a medal?)

Of course, behavior patterns which don't make much sense in context, like trying to go to high school or hanging out in bars with soft breakable apes, should probably be eschewed as well but that's all more arguable.

BTW, look at the inset panel on page 12 - what's with Kara's hands? She didn't hurt herself by punching the mecha guy into the next province...am I wrong in interpreting those red streaks on her hands as the guy's blood?

It's because she has crystals inside her to fight Phantom Zone zombies.

Not really (God I hope). At first I thought it was her own blood--that is, her powers were still ramping up and she wasn't fully invulnerable so she busted her knuckles on metal (which would make sense in the context of Action Comics 1, since we do still have a shared continuity). But I guess it being the other guy's makes some sense.

Now that I look at it again I don't think it's supposed to be blood exactly, at all, but rather her arteries. They don't look like radial arteries and tributaries to me, but, hey, alien! so that's okay. They seem to be mirrored on each hand.

So, I think what the scene's supposed to be conveying is that her x-ray vision is kicking in. I'd like to point out that there are better ways to portray this (i.e, showing an inset panel of her skeletal structure). But I honestly think this is what they're going for, since her super-hearing starts operating a couple of pages later, and it doesn't look like blood spatter from someone else, and Asrar didn't draw any injury on her.

[Gov Kodos]

Supergirl was enjoyable, but it's being an origin story gets some minus points. For someone totally new to the character this may be fine, but I know she's Kryptonian and Superman's cousin, I don't need an arc to tell me that. This may pick up, it was fun enough to get another issue or two at least.

Wonder Woman was a fun, but too short read. No fault to the writer, I just don't want to wait till next month. I like the lack of origin story, being familiar with the character, origin information can come as we go along to give background for new readers. Lots of questions of interest, creepy gods who are getting more character than toga wearing bores, and a kick ass Wonder Woman. I have been missing her ever since Rucka left the book.

[Professor Zoom]

Praetor_Shinzon wrote:

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thats the way i interpreted it as well.

I don't know... it didn't look like Little Bruce made it out of the Batcave.

[JoeZhang]

A mixed bag this week, I really liked Catwoman and a few of the other titles but I thought that Legion was garbage. In particular, both the artist and the writer seemed to miss that if two legionnaires go undercover then it might be easier for them if they aren't wearing their legion outfits covered in giant legion symbols.

[Myasishchev]

JoeZhang wrote:

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A mixed bag this week, I really liked Catwoman and a few of the other titles but I thought that Legion was garbage. In particular, both the artist and the writer seemed to miss that if two legionnaires go undercover then it might be easier for them if they aren't wearing their legion outfits covered in giant legion symbols.

Oh, God, how did I miss that?

[Admiral_Young]

I just re-read the issue again and the two Legionaires JoeZhang are talking about seem to be meant as diversions for the main team which was disguised. In fact the two characters question at the start of the issue what exactly their purpose is which the military captain did not divulge...I think. LOL.

[Myasishchev]

To make chemical reactions quicker, obviously. What other purpose can Chemical King have?

Seriously, why is Chemical King in my comic book?

He's like they realized Element Lad was a little too God mode,* so instead of a guy who can turn you into nitrogen, they made a guy who can just make the nitrogen in the air form covalent bonds with your skin and lungs. You didn't fix the problem! Go die in World War VII, Chemical King!

And why does he use a Legion of Super-Villains naming formula?

So, how much of that was ignorant and how much of it well-reasoned critique? I'm guessing 50/50, but I hope it made you smile.

But, seriously, Tromians make Kryptonians and Daxamites look like punks. Good thing they're all dead, is all I'm saying. Jan's great, but I wouldn't feel comfortable sharing a universe with them. I admit it, I'm racist against matter transmutators.

[JoeZhang]

Admiral_Young wrote:

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I just re-read the issue again and the two Legionaires JoeZhang are talking about seem to be meant as diversions for the main team which was disguised. In fact the two characters question at the start of the issue what exactly their purpose is which the military captain did not divulge...I think. LOL.

Re-reading it, the idea was that because they had only just become legionnaires, nobody knows their faces and they could pretend to be two kids out on a joyride. At no stage, do any of the bad guys wonder why the male character has a huge legion symbol on his chest or the female is wearing a belt with a large legion belt-buckle.

[Admiral_Young]

^ Well they are kind of naive in the future Paul Levitz might be hailed as one of the best Legion writers but his style and writing logic can be frustrating at times, no doubt about it.

[Myasishchev]

Something just occurred to me... You know who I'm really surprised didn't get a title in the relaunch? Adam Strange.

And a random question: have they ever done a story where Jon or Martha Kent needed, say, a kidney? That'd be kind of awkward.

[Icemizer]

I found nothing wrong or upsetting with Catwoman, but of course I also read The Boys and Tarot so I may be a little bit jaded on the matter.

[JoeZhang]

Red Hood has an interesting twist on how to reboot a character without rebooting a character - simply have her forgot all about her history as part of her character.