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

Discussion in 'Science Fiction & Fantasy' started by JD, Aug 30, 2011.

  1. JD

    JD Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    I figured since the other thread was focused on the lead up to the comics, it might be a good idea to do a thread specifically for discussing the actual comics themselves. That way we don't have to worry about spoiling things for people who are waiting for trades or for other reasons.
     
  2. Admiral Buzzkill

    Admiral Buzzkill Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    Wait a minute - you mean there are people who really expect not to find out what happens in a monthly periodical until it's republished all together a year or two later? And they consider that it's a reasonable courtesy for other people to not discuss it in a timely fashion as it's published?

    What a sense of entitlement that must require.

    Oh, and Ozymandias materializes a fucking giant squid on top of New York City.
     
  3. Professor Zoom

    Professor Zoom Admiral Admiral

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    Yeah... I sorta agree...

    Sandman gets killed at the end. And comes back.
     
  4. shivkala

    shivkala Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    I am waiting for this weekend to go to the comic store and get three weeks worth of comics. I have to admit I am both excited and worried about this.
     
  5. Admiral_Young

    Admiral_Young Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    ^ I'm not worried about it. I've gone through a whole wide range of emotions since it was announced back in June lol. I'm not really excited either about tomorrow since the bulk of what I'll be focusing on doesn't come out until the 7th.
     
  6. Turtletrekker

    Turtletrekker Admiral Admiral

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    First review of Justice League #1 is in!

    CBR gives it... 3 out of 5 stars.

    An excerpt...

     
  7. Admiral_Young

    Admiral_Young Fleet Admiral Admiral

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  8. Professor Zoom

    Professor Zoom Admiral Admiral

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    So... an average book launches the rebo...relaunch. Huh.

    And I still don't get the love for Cyborg...
     
  9. theenglish

    theenglish Vice Admiral Admiral

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    I'm not going to take this review to heart. The reviewer has set up a straw man and is criticizing what the reviewer thinks the book should have been about and not what it is about. (Now I didn't actually look at the rest of the review for fear of spoilers, mind you.)

    Is DC drawing from Smallville by making Victor a contemporary of Superman and Aquaman rather than Robin and Wonder Girl?
     
  10. JD

    JD Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    Damn. Turns out Comixology is holding Justice League until 2:00PM Eastern Time tomarrow (or today for those who are past midnight).
     
  11. Broccoli

    Broccoli Vice Admiral Admiral

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    Yes. How dare JD show some curiosity in the internet! :lol:

    Seriously though, I suppose it is the same sense of "entitlement" that people feel when "new episodes" or "movie review" threads are created separately from the countdown/pre-release threads so those who haven't seen the newest stuff won't be spoiled. How is that any different if people are waiting until the DVD release to view it?

    I don't see what the big deal is.

    I wonder, though, how many of JL #1 will be purchased in the stores and how many stores will use that return policy DC has now in place. I doubt it many will, but I wonder if DC/Diamond is jumping the gun a bit by reporting this.

    Then again, by reporting this might get people who were on the fence about buying it to buy it thinking that it's a collectible and few will be remaining to get.

    Edit: Here is an interesting article on comics that sell out. It probably won't relate to JL given the number of copies printed, but interesting nonetheless.
     
    Last edited: Aug 31, 2011
  12. Turtletrekker

    Turtletrekker Admiral Admiral

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    In the lit forum there is usually a moratorium on un-coded spoilers for about a month for new books. That doesn't seem like a bad policy to have in this thread.
     
    Last edited: Aug 31, 2011
  13. Admiral_Young

    Admiral_Young Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    I picked up both Flashpoint #5 and Justice League#1 and as to the latter, would have to agree with CBR's review of the book. It was better written than I thought it would be (I'm saying this as a big Johns fan) and Jim Lee is at his best. Justice League has more of a feeling of a team up book than us being introduced to the world's greatest heroes.

    As for Flashpoint #5...man was this whole thing disappointing. The pay off comes at the end where Bruce and Barry share a nice little moment together. The transitional pages are pretty lame to me, oh and Thawne explains things in this issue. I think I'll be passing on picking up the hardcover when it comes out in Oct.
     
  14. JoeZhang

    JoeZhang Vice Admiral Admiral

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    It is a very average comic, maybe a mythical new reader might get more out of this but for anyone who has been reading comics for a while there is nothing particularly new or interesting in here.

    It's also got a real weird tone in that all of the characters are being set-up like it's an after-school special and so it feels like that
    at the end of the arc, Batman will learn the benefits of teamwork, Green Lantern will learn humility etc etc

    I'd say 3/5 would be about right.
     
  15. Admiral_Young

    Admiral_Young Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    ^ Yes. I agree it does have a weird tonal structure to it. I think that is one of the reasons why I didn't like it, I wanted to but didn't. 3/5 is more than a fair rating for this.
     
  16. Turtletrekker

    Turtletrekker Admiral Admiral

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    So.

    My LCS had a midnight release party for Flashpoint 5 and Justice League 1. I actually wouldn't have made the special trip (Especially since Diamond distributing would only let them sell those two books. I'll be back tomorrow for the rest of my books for the week.) but as fate would have it, I was driving by anyway.

    First a quick note about Flashpoint 5. Without having read any of the series, I thumbed through the finale. It was mostly gibberish, frankly as I hadn't much of a clue about the status quo in this altered timeline. However, I found the ending to quite unexpectedly and surprisingly touching. Enough so to make me consider picking up the trade.

    Onward-- Justice League 1. I liked it a little better than the reviewer I linked to earlier did, but I can see where he's coming from. Despite assurances that there would no more "writing for the trade", this issue really feels incomplete as a single issue.

    My favorite bit comes soon after Batman and Green Lantern meet...
    ...and Jordan is trying to figure what exactly Batman can do...
    Green Lantern: "What are your powers anyway? You can't fly?"
    Batman: "No."
    GL: "Super-strength?"
    Batman: "No."
    GL: "Hold on a second... You're not just some guy in a bat costume, are you? ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME?!"
    :guffaw:
    Young Hal Jordan in fun. He is cocky as Hell and supremely confident in his rings ability to handle any threat. Therefore, after the previous exchange, it is extra fun to see...

    ...Jordan's shock when the "powerless" Batman easily slips the ring off Jordan's finger.

    Batman:"I'm guessing it works off concentration. You weren't concentrating."
    Green Lantern: "You won't do that again."
    Batman: "Not unless I want to."
    :lol:

    GL's ring determines that the creature that they are both chasing is extra-terrestrial in origin, the follow it into the sewer where the nature of threat is revealed to the readers, if not immediately to the heroes.

    Green Lantern: "'Dark Side'? What is that? Is that a band?":lol:

    The issue ends with the pair...
    ...going down to Metropolis to question Superman, a known extraterrestrial. After confidently telling Batman that, "I can handle this", GL is immediately knocked into oblivion by a red and blue blur. The blur come to stop in front of Batman and says, "I don't handle easy." Turn the final page for the reveal of Superman as he confronts Batman... "So... What can you do?"

    An interesting thing that I noticed regarding Cyborg.

    A pre-Cyborg Victor Stone appears for a few pages in this issue, and of course, he has already been confirmed as a founder of the League. This has led some to wonder what this means for his history with the Teen Titans. However, in the character sketches section in the back, Vic is refered to as "a Titan to be", which would indicate that perhaps his first stint with the League will be a short one that leads into the creation of the Titans.

    All in all, it was an enjoyable read and I will definitely be sticking with this through the first arc.
     
  17. Admiral_Young

    Admiral_Young Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    Yeah. It had some fun moments in it, pretty much what TurtleTrekker pointed out, but I wasn't as entertained as I should have been and still think it was average. I will stick it through this first origin arc (I was intrigued at the mention of
    Darkseid
     
  18. Myasishchev

    Myasishchev Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    Ok, those exchanges held within Turtle's impregnable spoiler fortress actually sort of makes me want to buy this. That's really kind of hilarious.

    Also, I enjoy hating Batman, so this might be good for me, especially given that Geoff Johns is the only writer on Earth willing to have another character give him the beating he so richly deserves.
     
  19. the G-man

    the G-man Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    I find this neither good nor bad but I do find it kind of amusing how, these days, the "Trinity" seems to be Superman, Batman and GL. Just an observation on the changing tastes of fans.
     
  20. JoeZhang

    JoeZhang Vice Admiral Admiral

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    Instead of Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman?

    Has that trinity ever really existed outside of DC Marketing and the 30,000 or so people who buy Wonder Woman and want their hero to be important?