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

Well, I can imagine the freaking out if Grant Morrison bolted because he didn't like Didio's management. Since there are apparently rumors of much dissatisfaction and a "high profile defection" to Marvel in the works.

 

Superman -- while I'm still liking this new "attitude" Supes has, the story on this one seemed a little too busy, and the idea of having that trashy, sensationalistic FOX News vibe injected into every story (or seeing Lois turned into a bossy TV news producer) isn't doing much for me.

Aquaman -- like everyone else, I absolutely LOVED the art, but I do think the Aquaman-as-laughingstock thing got pushed way too hard. It's one thing not to be anyone's "favorite", but he's still a freakin superhero (in what now looks like a VERY cool costume). You'd think people would still be pretty damn amazed by that.

Dark Knight -- maybe it's just because this is the 4th Batman title I've read this month, but I just had a hard time caring about this one. There's only so often you can hear him drone on about the meaning of fear, or the importance of fear, or why criminals have fear, or zzzzzzzz...

 

You know, I'm having a little trouble separating out somewhat, um, expansive expectations of plausibility from the comic book narrative style in Superman.

Just about no organization works the way in real life that comic writers imagine that newspapers, television networks, the Air Force, defense contracting, you-name-it do - and adult styles of social interaction in work environments seem to be beyond the format as well.

And I forget that.

Even most mediocre films make some use of research and technical advisors so that when something ridiculous happens in-story the writers make some effort at plausibility. And reasonably decent actors themselves can sell dialogue that looks preposterous on the printed page.

I think I understand some of the limitations of the form - to quickly establish an area of conflict between Lois and her new boss involves boiling it down to an unlikely, on-the-nose exchange over the course of no more than three panels and four word balloons. It just falls flatter and is less convincing, IMAO, than the same scene would probably play on a TV night-time soap.

 

I doubt it will be Morrison, he was an ill fit a Marvel. And it showed in his work.

 

I had a busy day and by the time I sat down to read it was already 11pm so I read one book.

Aquaman #1 - I really liked it as much as everyone else mostly seems to have. The bank robbers for sure are stand-ins for every person to have mocked Aquaman without really knowing anything about him. I agree with a poster, sorry forget who, a few pages back who said the cop asking "if he wants a glass of water" really came off more as concern or compassion in context. While at the same time eliminating that old restriction from his Golden Age creation roots.

Reinforcing him as mostly bullet proof, I think Morrison showed him that way once in a 90's JLA, to any new reader trying Aquaman out for the first time. Wasn't there also a panel during Peter David's run where someone tries to stab him and the blade breaks? David's way of showing Arthur's durablity.

Someone else upthread mentioned the diner scenes were boring. I can see that viewpoint however, recall this is ground floor, especially for Aquaman. Those scenes allowed for some flashback moments to let anyone not well versed in Aquaman history to have a Cliff Notes version.

So Mera and Arthur are living in the lighthouse it seems and he's willing/ready to let Atlanteans choose a new king. Sounds like a prelude to Ocean Master showing up real soon. Very curious to see what Johns is going to do with these new baddies The Trench. Very pleased with what was done in Aquaman #1.


Since other books I was getting at other publishers are gone I decided to get a few more DC's than originally intended.
I got Aquaman, All Star Western, Justice League Dark, I Vampire and Firestorm.
The art in Voodoo was really well done but that book made the diner scene in Aquaman look like action. 2/3 or more of the book was her talking as she danced. Exposition for the newbie, I get but damn that felt like overkill as I flipped through it. If it's a $1 somewhere later i'll check it out, same for Hawkman, whose art didn't sell me. New Guardians as well is a book if I find it in surplus later I'll check out.

 

My guess: Jim Lee. Yes, I took it out of a hat.

Morrison loves the characters too much to ever give them up. He'd personally run the blackout on the Siegels and Shusters if he had to.

Well I said (if you meant me) that they weren't entertaining (well, as entertaining as comic should be), but I wouldn't call them boring. I felt like it was a textbook Johnsian "I have something to say about a character" moment, and it comes off as a forum or blog post (ironically) rather than a narrative.

 

Based on my limited knowledge of the personalities and dynamics, I can't imagine it would be either Lee or Morrison - I was jest messin' there.

 

Jim Lee. Chris Claremont. X-Men. 2012. You heard it here first!

And now I've made myself sad with my lies.

 

Right, forgot that.

That doesn't kinda jibe with The Flash, where it feels like Barry is at the beginning of his career. He isn't even dating Iris--which of course, might never come to pass. So, it seems to reason Wally isn't even around as a super hero, let alone one that has had a career.

Yeah. That sounds more reasonable. Disappointing. They've kept Kyle but dumped Wally? Into creative oblivion? Ah, well...

 

Interesting side-by-side on art and dialogue changes in the last couple of pages of Superman.

 

Ok, I get that they're trying to downplay Clark's studliness... but that new haircut is just ridiculous.

 

I like it. It and the glasses suit this version of the character; he's really an unmade bed, isn't he?

The editors apparently liked the Morales take on the character.

I hope we never see him in a properly knotted tie or a well-fitting jacket again.

 

I don't mind the haircut. It kind of is an older version of his hair in "Action Comics".

 

Yep. And Action's going back for a second printing. Here's the current list.

 

But he still has a grandson? How does Bart fit into this?

 

Eh, I don't much like the "Hairy Potter look" with the tussled hair and the large circular glasses.

 

I like the coloring better in the newer ones.

TIME Pharoah!

If anyone gets that reference, I'll eat my hat...

 

We don't know that he is Barry's Grandson. We don't really know anything yet.

 

It's a little bit more subtle, isn't it? Someone at Bleeding Cool interpreted the change in his pants at the elevator as moving from blue jeans to some other kind of trousers, but that's impossible to tell - the colorist just generally warmed up the palette in those images, and there was never any way to tell what kind of pants he had on.

I'm curious about the reason for redrawing Perry in the close-up when he's discussing Kent's scoop - somebody just didn't like the likeness?

They dropped a "Hell" out of someone's speech - guess Young Clark's "G-D" in Action was too much.

 

As others have said, we don't know if he still IS his grandson. BUT, he could be. Bart is in the 21st century because of Time Travel. (Well in the old continuity anyway)

The Barry we see right now isn't a grandfather... YET. But at some point he does become one, and Bart is his grandson. Who travels back to before his Grandfather was even a father.