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

[Captain Craig]

Yeah, Mulan is an awesome character.
I'm not dropping it for quality, I've just got to cut back.

[Electric Coleslaw]

This is an overall comment on the relaunch.
Disclaimer: I grew up reading comics in the 70's mostly by raiding my uncle's collection which stretched back to the late 50's. My only nitpick with the newer comics is that it seems like every story has to get stretched out over multiple issues, even though the story itself isn't that epic or involved. There's a lot of wasted time with an entire page whereas one panel could have done the job. Recently in Justice League, it was Trevor's sister blaming the JL for Steve's predicament. A lot more ink went into that than necessary.

So I enjoy the comics just as much as I did as a kid but these stories need to be tightened up to one issue. Back in the day, when something went multiple issues it was a big deal. Now, it's like Season 3 of ST:ENT sometimes. Just get to it already!

As for the Supes/WW hookup, I thought it was done well. I've been lucky enough to have experienced the "kiss that came out of nowhere" with a girl. Many times, it happens just like that.

[Professor Zoom]

Electric Coleslaw wrote:

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This is an overall comment on the relaunch.
Disclaimer: I grew up reading comics in the 70's mostly by raiding my uncle's collection which stretched back to the late 50's. My only nitpick with the newer comics is that it seems like every story has to get stretched out over multiple issues, even though the story itself isn't that epic or involved. There's a lot of wasted time with an entire page whereas one panel could have done the job. Recently in Justice League, it was Trevor's sister blaming the JL for Steve's predicament. A lot more ink went into that than necessary.

So I enjoy the comics just as much as I did as a kid but these stories need to be tightened up to one issue. Back in the day, when something went multiple issues it was a big deal. Now, it's like Season 3 of ST:ENT sometimes. Just get to it already!

That's been a development of the past 5, 10 years really. Ever since trade paperbacks have become popular. The writers are shifting to writing for that format, while still in a monthly one. Decompression was interesting for awhile, now it's like... annoying.

[Derishton]

I'm reading Morrison's Supergods, and he makes a pointed comment: the original origin of Spider-man took 11 pages, but Bendis needed six twenty-two page comics. I'd suggest that this isn't all Bendis's fault: readers demand a certain amount of decompression these days. Justice League arguably pushed it too far in their opening arc.

This week: Phantom Stranger, Action, Earth Two and Worlds' Finest. I believe I actually already know where Batman learned his Bat-fu.

[Professor Zoom]

Derishton wrote:

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I'm reading Morrison's Supergods, and he makes a pointed comment: the original origin of Spider-man took 11 pages, but Bendis needed six twenty-two page comics. I'd suggest that this isn't all Bendis's fault: readers demand a certain amount of decompression these days. Justice League arguably pushed it too far in their opening arc.

But DO readers demand the decompression? I do think that readers want more depth to the characters that used to be displayed, BUT, I don't know if they want the decompression. For me, honestly, when I read a trade, it doesn't feel decompressed there.

I think publishers are trying to write for both markets (the monthly and the trade) which works to various degrees of success.

It's probably a little bit of audience desire and a little bit of business practice that got us to where we are with the decompression.

[Trekker4747]

Action
Detective
Earth 2
Worlds' Finest
Dial H
Smallville

[Electric Coleslaw]

Yeah, I'm not saying that every story has to be one issue but it doesn't have to be 5 either.

But then you have Action comics where I feel like I'm missing 2 or 3 issues in between each one.

[Derishton]

I basically agree with Professor Zoom. I think it's the difference between something that looks like a legend or a myth (Spider-man's origin hitting certain notes very quickly and leaving much unsaid) and epic (the new Justice League, where every detail matters and the form must somehow be as big as the stakes demand - splash pages a-plenty.)

[Professor Zoom]

Electric Coleslaw wrote:

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Yeah, I'm not saying that every story has to be one issue but it doesn't have to be 5 either.

Oh, I agree. There's a balance.

Personally, I think they should do away with the monthlies and just basically do trades. But, that's a business model that probably wouldn't work.

[Fist McStrongpunch]

I imagine this week's releases are delayed a day, yes?

[Admiral_Young]

Nope, doesn't appear to be the case. Just Action Comics and Before Watchmen: Silk Spectre #3 for me today. Oh and because I'm curious...Detective Comics #0.

[Captain Craig]

Fist McStrongpunch wrote:

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I imagine this week's releases are delayed a day, yes?

That used to be the case but as of a couple years ago Diamond made the choice, or the Publishers did to still get the books on the rack by Wednesday.

[Admiral_Young]

Detective Comics #0: I have admit that this was better than I expected. Nothing really major to report change wise. Pretty typical Bruce training story, although I will say that it would seem Hurwitz must've watched "Batman Begins" before writing this story, the art was good as well. The Alfred backup story was decent. Not enough to convince me this will be good consistently though to pick it back up.

Action Comics #0: I absolutely loved this issue. The art was beautiful, the story was awesome, and pretty much a perfect prologue to Morrison's story. We get the first public appearance of Superman in the New 52. Get to see Clark hired at the Daily Star, his friendship with Jimmy, as well as back story for Olsen as well. . His first interactions with his landlady...as well as confirmation of her character and relatives Lois also names Superman. This was near perfect IMO. The best issue since the opening arc IMO.

[Derishton]

I figure I can wait a month for Action 0, even though I've been enjoying the run.

Caught up on Worlds' Finest: it's well done, two great artists at the top of their games. But something still feels off. A conflagration of the kind depicted in Japan should really attract the League's attention: the sheer body count has to have been astronomical. The 0 issue was nicely done, too. Earth 2 is still proving interesting, with some faint glimpses of other earths (with what looks like Magog appearing twice).

Phantom Stranger makes a fundamental narrative and character mistake by giving us the Stranger's own internal monologue, of the kind we've been stuck with since Identity Crisis. It works less often than it doesn't, but with a character whose stock characteristic is "mysteriousness", it really, really doesn't work. Interesting things happen, and it's pretty enough, but the potential power of the Stranger just gets drained out of it. The origin of the Spectre is literally squeezed in here.

[Trekker4747]

Action 0 was really pretty good, and I quite liked the artwork in the main story.

Smallville's latest issue dealt with introducing Batman into the Smallville universe and was pretty good, the new art is good as well.