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

[Agent Richard07]

Nothing I read from DC comes out today. I have a lot to catch up on anyway. The only issue that comes out is Star Trek #9, but that can wait I suppose. I just hope they aren't sold out next week. They usually aren't. I'll also have to make sure I can nab a copy of the new Watchmen series. They'll either be sold out fast or they'll have a ton of issues in anticipation of a high demand.

[Admiral Buzzkill]

So anyway, the Alan Scott thing seems a reasonable approach to retconning sexual orientation given that he and Garrick appear to be mainly new characters using the same names and powers.

[The Lensman]

My Name Is Legion wrote:

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So anyway, the Alan Scott thing seems a reasonable approach to retconning sexual orientation given that he and Garrick appear to be mainly new characters using the same names and powers.

Pretty much. Oddly enough, it's only different from the Silver Age re-invention in that the alter ego's kept their names as well.

E-2 Flash has a different origin and source of speed, and it looks to be the same for GL.

And while having the character not in the "main" universe is pretty safe....the vibe I'm getting is that on Earth-2, GL will fulfill the "Superman" role since E-2 Supes is dead. So at least in this world, their most prominent hero is gay.

It'll take a few issues to get used to, but I'm loving this fresh approach to the Golden Age characters and can't wait to see where they take it.

[OdoWanKenobi]

Trekker4747 wrote:

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The relaunch got me into comics again since I didn't have to worry about the years of continuity I had missed.

On the launch I started reading over the course of a month or two in picking up #1s:

Action Comics
Superman
Supergirl

Detective Comics
Batman
The Dark Knight
Batman & Robin
Catwoman
Batgirl

Aquaman
The Flash
Wonder Woman

I've only completely dropped B&R and I'm fenced with WW with it possibly being dropped. All of the other titles I still quite enjoy and don't see myself dropping any time soon.

Really? Of the four Batman titles, Batman & Robin is the one you drop? That seems to run counter to how most people are reacting. For me, the main Batman title, and Batman & Robin have been uniformly strong, while Detective Comics and The Dark Knight have not been worth my time or money.

[Trekker4747]

Batman is the best one and right now I'd say DC is closing in at second. TDK I can go either way on. Yeah, I dropped B&R mostly because I wasn't feeling the stuff with Damien.

[OdoWanKenobi]

Ok, to each his own. Personally Damian is one of my favorite new characters in recent years.

[Admiral Buzzkill]

The Lensman wrote:

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Pretty much. Oddly enough, it's only different from the Silver Age re-invention in that the alter ego's kept their names as well.

E-2 Flash has a different origin and source of speed, and it looks to be the same for GL.

And while having the character not in the "main" universe is pretty safe....the vibe I'm getting is that on Earth-2, GL will fulfill the "Superman" role since E-2 Supes is dead. So at least in this world, their most prominent hero is gay.

It'll take a few issues to get used to, but I'm loving this fresh approach to the Golden Age characters and can't wait to see where they take it.

Agreed across the board.

[PsychoPere]

When I recently decided to give the New 52 a chance, I bought a whole bunch of issues #1 after Comixology dropped the ones from the "First Wave" to 99 cents.

I dropped Batman: The Dark Knight after that issue, and dropped Detective Comics after issue #4. I've also dropped Aquaman (after 4 issues); Batwing (after #4); Green Lantern: New Guardians (after #4); Justice League International (after #6); and Red Lanterns, Superman, and Teen Titans, all after their respective #1. I dropped Justice League after its first issue, then decided to give it another try with issues 7 and 8 but have since returned to the original decision.

I'm definitely keeping Action Comics, Batgirl, Batman, Batman and Robin, and Nightwing. I'm on the fence with Batwoman, The Flash, Justice League Dark, Supergirl, and Wonder Woman. I've still only read the first issue for both Green Lantern and GL Corps, so can't categorize either of those titles yet. I'm thinking about giving I, Vampire and Earth 2 a chance, and am definitely going to try out Batman Incorporated.

[OdoWanKenobi]

Ok, so Batman Annual #1 does some major revising to Mr. Freeze's origin. I'm not quite sure I like it.

Basically, Nora was never his wife. She's someone who was frozen decades before, and that Fries had a creepy crush on from working in the cryo-lab where she was stored. Also, he murdered his mother as a child after she had an accident that left her unable to walk, and no longer right in the head.

Essentially, this changes Freeze from a tragic, and sympathetic villain into just another evil nutjob in Batman's rogues gallery. I know the previous origin was only first introduced in the Animated Series, but it was a good origin. That's why it bled over to every other format. It gave the character some depth, and made him stand out. We actually felt some sympathy for the villain, even if he was doing terrible deeds. That's gone, now.

[Captain Craig]

^^^
That is a craptacular origin 3.0 for Freeze. Booooo!!!

[Snaploud]

OdoWanKenobi wrote:

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Ok, so Batman Annual #1 does some major revising to Mr. Freeze's origin. I'm not quite sure I like it.

Basically, Nora was never his wife. She's someone who was frozen decades before, and that Fries had a creepy crush on from working in the cryo-lab where she was stored. Also, he murdered his mother as a child after she had an accident that left her unable to walk, and no longer right in the head.

Essentially, this changes Freeze from a tragic, and sympathetic villain into just another evil nutjob in Batman's rogues gallery. I know the previous origin was only first introduced in the Animated Series, but it was a good origin. That's why it bled over to every other format. It gave the character some depth, and made him stand out. We actually felt some sympathy for the villain, even if he was doing terrible deeds. That's gone, now.

*gags*

[Admiral_Young]

That'd be an example of stuff I've disliked...the pointless retconning or restructuring of origins. The Dark Knight had to be one of the WORST Batman titles I've ever read in years. I dropped it after the second issue of volume one, prior to the relaunch. Detective Comics was boring considering Tony Daniels was writing it. I'm down to the following books:

-Action Comics
-Aquaman
-Batman
-Batman and Robin
-Batman, Inc.
-Wonder Woman

[Turtletrekker]

Leroy wrote:

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The main things that keep me from embracing Marvel again is the 3.99 price point on their books.

IMHO, the best books Marvel publishes right now are...

Fantastic Four
Daredevil
Journey into Mystery
Winter Soldier
Avengers Academy

... and they are all $2.99.

[JD]

OdoWanKenobi wrote:

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Ok, so Batman Annual #1 does some major revising to Mr. Freeze's origin. I'm not quite sure I like it.

Basically, Nora was never his wife. She's someone who was frozen decades before, and that Fries had a creepy crush on from working in the cryo-lab where she was stored. Also, he murdered his mother as a child after she had an accident that left her unable to walk, and no longer right in the head.

Essentially, this changes Freeze from a tragic, and sympathetic villain into just another evil nutjob in Batman's rogues gallery. I know the previous origin was only first introduced in the Animated Series, but it was a good origin. That's why it bled over to every other format. It gave the character some depth, and made him stand out. We actually felt some sympathy for the villain, even if he was doing terrible deeds. That's gone, now.

Ugh, don't like that at all. Definitely prefer the old one. I always like it when the villains can be sympathetic characters.

[Praetor_Shinzon]

OdoWanKenobi wrote:

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Ok, so Batman Annual #1 does some major revising to Mr. Freeze's origin. I'm not quite sure I like it.

Basically, Nora was never his wife. She's someone who was frozen decades before, and that Fries had a creepy crush on from working in the cryo-lab where she was stored. Also, he murdered his mother as a child after she had an accident that left her unable to walk, and no longer right in the head.

Essentially, this changes Freeze from a tragic, and sympathetic villain into just another evil nutjob in Batman's rogues gallery. I know the previous origin was only first introduced in the Animated Series, but it was a good origin. That's why it bled over to every other format. It gave the character some depth, and made him stand out. We actually felt some sympathy for the villain, even if he was doing terrible deeds. That's gone, now.

yeah, that was bad. like you said, Freeze goes from being sympathetic to just another murdering psycho that Batman beats up every other month.