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

[Allyn Gibson]

Batman #35: End Game Begins! Yet another amazing issue. I can't how every single issue of Snyder/Capullo Batman can be this epic and good. I definitely did not see that last page twist coming! I'm hooked!

The last page twist, sadly, wasn't surprising to me; I'd been spoiled on "Endgame"'s "big bad" last week. :-/

As for the issue itself...

I love that Bruce Wayne built himself his own Iron Man suit. When he emerges in it, my first thought was, "Hey, he's got Hulkbuster armor, too!" And then Superman calls it his "Justice Buster."

I had to reread the battle with Wonder Woman three times before I understood how Bruce defeated her. It didn't make a lot of sense the first time. Or the second. Eventually it dawned on me; he wrapped her in a Lasso of Lies, which put her into a trance.

The takedown of the Flash felt like it was missing something. Okay, the Flash hits a frictionless oil slick, so he careens into a building. Does that disable him? Does his super-fast metabolism kick in if he's knocked unconscious so he'll be up and running in a few minutes? I felt like it needed some "finishing move."

The takedown of Aquaman was just mean.

I can't wait to see how well the Justice Buster armor stands up to Superman in the next issue.

I'm still not sure that the New 52's timescale works. Only four years since Zero Year? What happened to the idea that Batman operated as an urban legend for a few years prior to Justice League #1, which was five years ago?

 

[theenglish]

It doesn't. Jim Lee was 100% wrong when he said they weren't going to &^%$ it up.

I just enjoy it for what it is.

 

[Admiral_Young]

The timeline is extremely frustrating indeed. It simply makes no sense whatsoever. If you're not into that and can enjoy the stories...awesome...but for those of us who do care about this kind of thing...it's been a joke lol.

 

[theenglish]

The timeline is extremely frustrating indeed. It simply makes no sense whatsoever. If you're not into that and can enjoy the stories...awesome...but for those of us who do care about this kind of thing...it's been a joke lol.

, b

Originally I was critical of people's complaints because most of those complaints were because of contradictions with new 52 continuity. Now, in only three years DC has made exactly the same mistakes they made post-crisis in the 80's by trying to keep some story elements and throw others away. Additionally, they have also created a number of internal inconsistencies in the new 52 already! They've just created a mess--one that in many cases could have been easily avoided.

Look at the Robins, for example. In new 52 continuity, there was never a reason for Jason Todd or Tim Drake to have ever been actual Robins. They could have worked with Batman at the same time as Dick Grayson and the family would have remained intact. Damien could have been the second official Robin and the timeline would have worked well. Instead we just have the consequences of lazy and rushed planning on the part of Didio, Lee and whoever else was in charge of this.

So, I am just enjoying Snyder's Batman stories for what they are and avoiding buying comics in September.

 

[Admiral_Young]

The Robins is probably one of the most glaring problems that the timeline has...Barbara being another, although I understand they've made her like 21 or something like that with the new creative team coming on board?

Three years of hindsight...they probably just should have straight up rebooted things, given how awesome Scott Snyder's Zero Year was...I would have accepted that. Grant Morrison's "Action Comics" run would have served as Clark's "Zero Year" and so forth.

I still find it difficult to believe that there was an original plan involved with this entire thing.

 

[Saga]

they should have waited till Morrison finished his Batman and Johns finished GL...then rebooted everything.

 

[theenglish]

they should have waited till Morrison finished his Batman and Johns finished GL...then rebooted everything.

I agree Batman Inc and Johns stories could easily have wrapped in a calendar year and would have made great "endings" for the characters. In fact, all the titles could have had conclusions. What a way to wrap up!

Then in the new 52, the Justice League characters could have had five year earlier "zero years" with the other titles having "zero year" stories in the fictional present or somewhere in between.

DC could have had two years worth of unprecedented sales with all the hype.

 

[Allyn Gibson]

The Robins is probably one of the most glaring problems that the timeline has...Barbara being another, although I understand they've made her like 21 or something like that with the new creative team coming on board?

I think Barbara's supposed to be closer to 23; she's in grad school and getting her Master's.

Damian's origin doesn't make any sense in the New 52's timescale.

 

[Mr Light]

Apparently one of the issues says he's an accelerated growth clone. He's not actually 8 years old he's 4.

 

[Admiral_Young]

Yeah I believe it was Robin Rises Omega #1 or whatever it was called.

 

[theenglish]

So, is Earth 2 World's End set in the present or five years in the future? Anybody know how closely it is tied to the monthly series?

 

[Mike Farley]

Earth 2 World's End takes place in the present (although issue #1 features a series of flashbacks). The first issue was tied very heavily to the regular series.

 

[Hound of UIster]

I agree Batman Inc and Johns stories could easily have wrapped in a calendar year and would have made great "endings" for the characters.

Ridiculous. Most of Batman Inc and the ending had been planned apparently since Batman and Robin. Morrison should definitely not have destroyed several years of planned stories just because you can't deal with some stories by other writers not matching up with his stories. FYI it's all fiction.

 

[theenglish]

I agree Batman Inc and Johns stories could easily have wrapped in a calendar year and would have made great "endings" for the characters.

Ridiculous. Most of Batman Inc and the ending had been planned apparently since Batman and Robin. Morrison should definitely not have destroyed several years of planned stories just because you can't deal with some stories by other writers not matching up with his stories. FYI it's all fiction.

???But it was wrapped up in less than twelve issues...

 

[TheSeeker]

It's been a while since I checked into this thread. I've been pretty busy and I'm starting to catch up on my reading.

I am now up to date on Earth 2, World's Finest, The New 52: Future's End, and have started reading Earth 2: World's End. Is anyone else reading these titles? I'm having a little trouble keeping Mr. Miracle's story straight in my head after only seeing him in Future's End which is set 5 years in the Future but now he's also showing up in World's End which is in the present. Other than that it's kinda cool to see how the storylines in World's End and Future's End are on a collision course. It'll be interesting to see how it all plays out.

 

[Mr Light]

I'm not.... I could care less about a fake Earth or a fake future

 

[theenglish]

I'm not.... I could care less about a fake Earth or a fake future

Because the rest of the New 52 is "real"?

 

[Nerys Myk]

Stories set in "fake" futures and alternate realities are a comic book staple. Oddly Marvel has gotten more mileage out of the concepts than DC in recent decades.

 

[TheSeeker]

I might be getting more enjoyment out of it than you guys since I was was away from comics fro about 15 years.

 

[Mr Light]

For the most part, I want stories that "count". I don't want alternate realities, alternate worlds, or alternate futures. I want something that has repercussions in the larger continuity. So while I much preferred the pre-52 DCU... much as I dislike it, 52 DCU is the new continuity and "counts". I only read Batman, Superman, Justice League, and GL, nothing else out there interests me (and DC is what got me back into comics after a decade long absence with the Sinestro Corps War).