DC New 52 Review: Batman #1-5

Batman #1-5
Written by Scott Snyder
Pencils by Greg Capullo
Inks by Jonathan Glapion
Cover Price: $2.99 Each

In a nutshell:
Scott Snyder tells a new classic Batman story an adds another iconic element to the Batman mythos.

Synopsis:
Batman discovers a secret society called The Court of Owls that claims to have been in place since the beginning of Gotham City centuries ago. The Owls have their own parallels to the history of Bruce Wayne's family and they claim to be running Gotham from the shadows. It is unknown who is a member of the group but it is implied that there are many high up in society. Batman is resistant to the idea. When he was younger he was obsessed with his parents deaths and he refused to believe that it could have been a random act of violence and he started investigating (even as a boy) the existence of a secret society. The conclusion that he came up with as a boy was that the evidence showed that there wasn't a court of owls. And as an adult he seems to be having a hard time accepting that he could have been wrong about that, perhaps because the "unknown assassin" of his parents kept him from finding resolution which feeds his need to be Batman. Perhaps it is because he has obsessive control issues and has a need to be on top of everything, to not be wrong. Regardless, this case affects Batman in a very personal way.

Why did I pick it up?
I didn't pick this book up when it first came out. I didn't know who Scott Snyder was yet and I had a kind of prejudice against Greg Capullo because I associated him with Todd McFarlane's Spawn and some early issues of X-Force, none of which impressed me much. But the word of mouth at the comic shop praising this book got so loud I couldn't ignore it and by the time the third issue was released I was caught up.

The Good:
This is one of those Batman stories like Year One, Long Halloween, The Killing Joke, and Hush, that not only will be remembered as a classic Batman story, but is bound to add something iconic to the mythos that will stick. The Court of Owls' assassin, The Talon, is an intriguing villain (villains?) and very visually cool. The relationship between Bats and Owls offers interesting parallels to the story and the connection to the Wayne family history is also intriguing. I keep coming up with ideas of what the connection is, did the Court kill his parents? My favorite but most far fetched theory is that the court killed the original Bruce Wayne at birth and replaced him with the Bruce Wayne we know who is actually a sleeper "Talon" programmed to be an assassin for them. Regardless, this is a story that gets you wondering what's really going on here which really enjoying the ride. And after reading an issue, and prejudice I had about Greg Capullo's art is gone. Story and art, this story stands right up there with all the other classic iconic Batman stories.

The latest issue, #6, follows a disorientated Batman and the way the art is placed on the pages plays with the experience Batman is going through. It's touches like this that add something special to what is already a great book.

The Bad:
In the coming months DC will be raising the price of the book to $3.99. Now, they are adding a 10 page backup story so you're actually paying less for those ten additional pages than you did for the 20 pages of the main story at $2.99. But in general I'm not a big fan of backup stories. They're generally disposable and I hate the idea of paying extra for them. That said, Snyder is writing the backup stories and they're said to relate to the main story so they might be more relevant to what's going on in the comic, but I'd still rather the full story be contained in the main story and the bigger issue I have with this is that an extra dollar per comic means I can only afford to buy less comics per month with a tighter budget than I had ten years ago.

Is it worth it?
Even with the upcoming price hike, this is one of those Batman stories you should be reading if you have any interest in the character at all. If you don't want to read it as single issues then I highly recommend buying the collected story when it's eventually released as a softcover or hardcover. Personally, this is one I wouldn't want to wait for. Recommended for comic collectors and for people who don't read comics but have an interest in the characters.


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DC New 52 Review: Frankenstein Agent of S.H.A.D.E. #1-4

I'm going to alter my formula for reviews a tad for this one because this book is a team book and it's a team book with unfamiliar characters who I think need some explanation. This is also the first complete story arc I've reviewed so far.

Frankenstein Agent of S.H.A.D.E. #1-4
Written by Jeff Lemire
Art by Alberto Ponticelli
Cover Price: $2.99

In a nutshell:
This is like a hybrid between League of Extraordinary Gentlemen and Hellboy with Universal Monsters mixed in. Don't let this book intimidate you, it's nothing but fun!

Why Did I Buy It:
The gorgeous covers by J. G. Jones really caught my attention but it was probably listening to an interview with Jeff Lemire on the WorldBalloon (highly recommended, best podcast about comics barnone!) which made me want to give the book a try.

The Characters:

S.H.A.D.E.
Stands for Super Human Advanced Defense Executive. It's a government organization that monitors and basically goes out and kills dangerous monsters.

Frankenstein: Presumably the Frankenstein monster from the classic novel, having survived for over a century and having been a Super Agent of S.H.A.D.E. for at least a while, killing off monsters and stuff like that. He is the leader of the new field team formed by S.H.A.D.E. He's a badass but he takes things very seriously and has an outspoken cautious morality when it comes to scientific indulgence. He's also very gentlemanly with the ladies. He also likes to recite classical poetry that has significance to him. He's basically the opposite of a pseudo intellectual. He's sophisticated and has a lot of culture but doesn't seem to give a damn about showing it off and usually is very standoffish and gruff.

Father Time: Another character who is very very old and has known and worked with Frankenstein for a long time. He generates himself new bodies every ten years and he is currently inhabiting the body of a Japanese schoolgirl which he seems to have a twisted sense of humor about and which seems to creep out the people who know him. He's basically the head guy of S.H.A.D.E. and he seems to be a little cavalier when it comes to scientific experiments.

Ray Palmer: Best known as the DC superhero The Atom, Ray is a scientist who seems to have perfected shrinking thing down beyond microscopic levels. It's not clear yet in this series if he was once The Atom of if that hasn't happened yet in this new continuity. He is the United Nations science liaison with the team. He observes the field team and helps them out with scientific solutions via holograms and audio feeds. He seems to have reservations about a lot of Father Time's scientific "progresses".

The Creature Commandos (Frankenstein's Field Team):

Lady Frankenstein:: Frankenstein's long time estranged wife. She seems to feel that they are essentially divorced, he seems to have a hard time acknowledging it. There were obviously personality issues that kept them from being a couple, however there seems to be a respect for each other, at least in their work (which is killing monsters). She is plainspoken and a little bitchy and she's a badass with her guns of which she has four because she has four arms. It looks like she might be the femme fatale of the group.

Dr. Nina Mazusky: She's the field science agent. She was married and was going to have a baby but the baby died and her husband left her so she decided to really throw herself into her work which lead to her transforming herself and other people into monster/human hybrids. She herself is an amphibian hybrid. Unlike the rest of the new team, Frankenstein takes to her right away and there seems to be some chemistry between the two. She is almost maternal with the creatures that she's experimented on and she builds an attachment to them which seems like it might create problems for her down the road.

Warren Griffith: One of Mazursky's hybrid, him being a werewolf hybrid. He is a new recruit to S.H.A.D.E. and is very eager to please his superiors. In this storyline it is suggested that Warren might be a potential love interest for Lady Frankenstein which you could see creating some drama with Frankenstein whom Warren looks up to.

Vincent Velcoro: Another of Mazursky's hybrids, him being vampiric mixed in with a modified version of the formula that created the batman villain Man-Bat. He was a pilot of S.H.A.D.E. before becoming a hybrid. He's got some attitude and can be a bit of a smartass.

Khalis: A mummy character which nobody seems to know that much about. He is the medic off the team and isn't as chatty as the other characters. He also has some very powerful mysterious abilities which take a toll on him when he uses them.


The Base of Operations:
S.H.A.D.E.'s base is called the Ant Farm which is a three inch indestructible floating ball which contains contains a microscopic futuristic city which is maintained by thousands organic robots who have a lifespan of 24 hours and then decompose to be used as a "green" energy source for the city. Only agents are permitted to enter the ant farm and to do so they are simultaneously shrank to microscopic size and teleported in.

Synopsis:
A small town in Washington State is invaded by monsters. The Creature Commandos investigate and discover that there is a wormhole inside the lake near the town and that for years monsters have been coming out of this lake and ultra-religious town folk have been sacrificing children from their town for year thinking that it was appeasing the "demons", which the monsters found amusing. What the monsters were really doing there was preparing a planet wide invasion for their masters whose planet is dying off. So the Creature Commandos decide to go through the wormhole and take the fight to the source.

The Good:
This book is pure escapism. It's mostly monsters fighting monsters, but you don't feel like a simpleton for enjoying it. It's well written and it has a sense of humor about itself. The covers by J. G. Jones are drop dead gorgeous and the interior art is very expressive and captures a lot of the personality of these characters while at the same time throwing a lot of big scale fantastic action at you.

The Bad:
Because the covers are so gorgeous they might create certain expectations and the interior art is such a dramatically different style, it might put off a lot of the people who were drawn to the book because of the covers (which is as good a reason as any). Ponticelli's art is a looser and sketchier style and it doesn't have the immediate appeal of J.G. Jones' covers. It took me actually sitting down to read the first issue to be drawn in but once I was really pulled in by Ponticelli's art which can really represent a lot of different layers in really nice way.

Is it worth it?
Only if you want to read a fun comic!

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DC New 52 Review: Action Comics #4

Action Comics #4
Written by Grant Morrison
Pencils by Rags Morales
Inks by Rick Byrant & Sean Parsons
Cover Price: $3.99

In a nutshell:
Braniac attacks using Metallo but we only get a snippet.

Synopsis:
The world is under attack when the machines of the world take life and start attacking people. The machines are being controlled by a being that calls itself "The Collector of Worlds" but it's pretty clear that this is the new DC Universe's version of Braniac, which, like Geoff John's and Gary Frank's version in the collected story Superman Braniac, has a Borg like quality a la Star Trek, which was a characteristic in the Superman Mythos since the Silver Age but really hasn't been capitalized in a modern way until this last decade. Lex Luthor helped bring this alien here however when he finds that the alien can't be bothered with him further he ends up acting very wormy (not unlike the way Gene Hackman portrayed him in Superman 2 with Zod). It's obvious that unlike past versions of Lex Luthor that has had this reverence for him as the ultimate Superman villain, Grant Morrison has little respect for him and sees him as a pathetic fool. Which isn't to suggest that I don't think that Morrison will make him a credible threat. But it's not this romantically evil character that we've seen before and I can't help but enjoy this take on this very real character in our society. Suddenly this world that just last issue was crapping all over Superman through it's 24 hour news cycle is suddenly asking itself where he is, and will he help us.

Why did I pick it up?
Grant Morrison has won me over. I used to think he was terribly overrated but this man has consistently proven to me that he can tell many kinds of amazing stories.

The Good:
You have to appreciate the irony here, suddenly everyone who was treating Superman as a threat is asking him for help. And again, I normally expect and appreciate Superman's modest and stoic quality that Christopher Reeves made such an example of, but you know, I think that when we see our world being eaten by the parasites who know how to work the system, not just the ones outside of it, it's hard not to see a man, who has so many powers and abilities and who refuses to challenge the system himself and who refuses to take any kind of stand for people in need if it might be considered political, as anything other than impotent which I think is exactly what Superman had become. Here, when the cops show up to arrest Superman at a moment of world crises, he's flippant. "Are you kidding? Slap on the bracelets boys. Otherwise stand back... and let me do my job!" He's not mocking them for being weak, he's mocking them for being so irrelevant to the real crises. And that's our problem in our real world so there is a payoff here!

The Bad:
It hasn't been that long since we got the Superman Braniac story by Geoff Johns and Gary Frank and so far this story hasn't really added anything to the Braniac Attacks motif. Making the Braniac character an insect of sorts is kind of creepy, which is cool, but it doesn't feel as creepy to me as the way Gary Frank portrayed Braniac and I think that when you rebook something you have to compare it to what it's immediately replacing. The back up story featuring John Henry Irons becoming Steel did nothing for me. It's not that it's poorly written or that the art is bad, I'm just not interested in the character of Steel. He's not who I buy the book for and having a story within a story just feels like a cheap way to squeeze something extra in that really wasn't needed. The art isn't a style that really turns me on. It just felt like filler and distracting filler because it takes place right in the middle of the story but it's by another writer and it just feels like a cheap way to introduce another character, and do we really need another introduction this early?

Is it worth it?
I feel like we haven't gotten enough movement in the main story for two months now and we're going to have to wait until issue 7 to move this story further since the next two issues are going to be an interlude, but it's the subtle presentation by Morrison of the character of Superman that makes this book worth following. I don't think the Steel extra justified the additional dollar that this book costs when compared to the other DC titles so hopefully DC is going to find their groove in justifying the extra dollar instead of just adding in filler.

DC New 52 Review: I, Vampire #3

Please note, I have reviews posted for I, Vampire #1 and I, Vampire #2.

I, Vampire #3
Written by Joshua Hale Fialkov
Art by Andrea Sorrentino
Cover Price: $2.99

In a nutshell:
We finally get some supporting characters as we meet Andrew Bennet's (the pro-human vampire) closest friend as well as a new ally.

Synopsis:
Once again the story is told from the point of view of a character, this time that of Professor John Throughton, a human, who has been a friend and ally of Andrew Bennett since Andrew saved him from becoming a victim of Mary in 1979. We learn that before the current escalating war between vampires and humans there was five years of vampire ceasefire with the only violence against humans being isolated instances. Andrew and John discuss Andrew's connection with the other vampires and John wonders whether Andrew is aware that if he took his own life it would end the threat of his offspring. As they prepare their move against the evil vampire forces, Andrew is attacked by a young girl named Tig who was taught to fight vampires by her mom after her father was killed by one. We get here an idea of what the "good guy" team in the Vampire War will be.

Why did I pick it up?
While I do think that I, Vampire #2 killed some of the momentum of the first issue by basically rehashing a lot of the same information (but from a different point of view), I still felt a strong interest in this book and where it's going.

The Good:
We finally get some more characters. As much as I think the relationship between Andrew and his lover/enemy Mary is the core of this book, by the end of the second book I felt that by focusing two issues on just that, we weren't getting enough of a picture of the world they live in. The character of John gives us a broader perspective on Andrew in particular, as a character he feels a kinship with, but also as a character he has some questions about as well. The character of Tig is not the most original character so far but she has the potential to add another dimension to this book. The art continues to be amazing and I think it serves this story very well. In fact, I have a hard time envisioning this book with a different artist and I'm hoping that it doesn't come to that, at least anytime soon.

The Bad:
I feel like the first person narrative is limiting the pace of this story as well as boxing it into a corner that keeps us focused very close (which is good) but at the cost of really getting a sense of what the bigger world feels like. We've seen the horrific images, but we haven't really seen a lot of pedestrians and normal world interaction. I think that this format can also feel a little inauthentic if it becomes an ongoing formula. I guess my hope is that at some point the story is going to break this format so that the story can flow in a little more organic way and we can get a more diverse view of this world in an issue, because at this point, I feel like we should have a little more perspective. Luckily what this format has given us is strong enough to hold my interest, up until now at least.

Is it worth it?
Everything this book has presented has been good and has left me wanting more. I don't feel like we've gotten enough yet to get a sense that the story as a whole will be satisfying, but what we've gotten so far has held my interest and I would recommend. The third issues picks up the momentum that started to slow down in the second issue and I'm continuing to look forward to what's coming next.

DC New 52 Review: Aquaman #1-3

Aquaman #1-3
Written by Geoff Johns
Pencils by Ivan Reis
Inks by Joe Prado
Cover Price: $2.99

In a nutshell:
The creative team from Blackest Night again takes something familiar and stale and makes it cool and frightening.

Synopsis:
Arthur (Aquaman) is a character born of two worlds, his father being a human from the U.S., and his mother the queen of the underwater city of Atlantis. Unhappy leading Atlantis, Arthur chooses to once again live in the human world however he finds that he is not as respected by men as he is in the underwater world. Our real world jokes about Aquaman are the same in Aquaman's world. Meanwhile frightening creatures show up that originate from out of the trench of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, so deep that even Aquaman has never encountered them before. The creatures are like a cross between Piranas and humans and they have a huge appetite and seem to have the need to feed on humans as well as kidnapping humans in a cocoon of sorts and taking them back to the trenches for others of their species to feed on. Aquaman fights off these creatures and wants to find out what they are, where they came from, and how he can rescue the creatures that has been taken.

Why did I pick it up?
I feel a connection to the iconic "superfriends" that I grew up with, especially when they go "back to basics" or to the more iconic versions of the character. Geoff Johns revived Green Lantern and Flash and he and Ivan Reis also were the creators behind Blackest Night which is the only event book I've ever really enjoyed.

The Good:
This is the first time I can remember really connecting to Aquaman. What is often thought of as lame is played totally straight and feels cool. These new monsters are a different kind of threat but very creepy and frightening. In this story we also meet the brilliant Stephen Shin, one of Aquaman's mentors whom also once tried to kill him because of his obsession with Atlantis. There is a lot of foreshadowing in this encounter, a potential setup for a potential rivalry/threat, as well as the implication that Aquaman's Trident belonged to a threat that will return for it. Ivan Reis is an artist who has become more appealing as he goes on. He draws the characters and events clearly and the way they're supposed to be, and in a dynamic and exciting way. Oh, and Aquaman's wife Mera, she's a hottie!

The Bad:
In past posts I have commented about how it's more effective to imply something horrific than it is to display it out as bloody gore. There is a scene in issue 2 that does this perfectly. My only issue with it is that there used to be this rule in comics, kids don't get killed. If a superhero is representation of our hopes and fears, what is the point of the superhero if the child dies. What good is protecting the world in a child's eyes, if the child itself is dead. And I think this is another example how superhero comics have evolved from something for the inner child in all of us, to comics aren't just for kids anymore, to comics aren't for kids at all. So I think this scene is a powerful and effective scene, and horrifyingly scary. But I do think it is an example of something that is lost in the modern superhero comic.

The majority of the DC comics have gone from 22 pages to 20 pages and while that might not seem significant, it does feel a little lighter. What hasn't helped is that there have been six page previews of upcoming titles which becomes irritating when it's in every title and it just makes it clear how much story is missing that the last chunk of the comic is taken up with these shameless promotions. Imagine what a letdown it must be to actually buy this comics and being totally bored with the first third of the comic being overexposed before you ever picked it up. These kinds of promotions make me not want to buy the comics as opposed to the other way around.

Is it worth it?
Again, $2.99 is too much for a comic and with two pages cut out (the supposed justification for not making it $3.99, disgusting, especially in this economy), it's hard to tell people who's jobs are disappearing to other countries (thanks to a bipartisan collaboration at selling out the American worker for the benefit of Wall Street) that they should spend the better part of a five dollar bill on a comic they'll read through in less than twenty minutes. But this is one of the better creative teams currently working on superhero comics and Aquaman is finally being treated like a character you want to read about.

DC New 52 Review: I, Vampire #2

I, Vampire #2
Written by Joshua Hale Fialkov
Art by Andrea Sorrentino
Cover Price: $2.99

In a nutshell:
Mary, Queen of Blood's point of view

Synopsis:
This issue basically builds upon the introduction from the previous issue showing the action with captions in Mary's voice. Mary is what we would view as the villain of the story, in favor of Vampire world domination and unapologetic about her vampire nature including her bloodlust. Despite this, while the conflict is quite passionate, it would have to be to divide them considering how much Mary and Andrew love each other, the story is presented similar to that of a divorce, presenting both points of view without, at this point at least, the context of an objective morality. Mary is definitely more self indulgent which makes her more selfish and more destructive but she's also the more at peace with herself and seems to be more passionate and happier while Andrew seem to live with self imposed torture.

Why did I pick it up?
I, Vampire #1 intrigued me and I found myself anticipating this issue more as the weeks through the month went by.

The Good:
Besides giving us Mary's point of view, we also get to see her admiration for her enemy, which gives us the opportunity to see just how formidable and powerful Andrew is. We get to see some of their abilities and vampire characteristics. Both characters seem to be able to turn into wolves and it's not clear if this is a common trait for vampires in this world or if only a select few can.

The Bad:
So far we have a very limited view of the story through the relationship of these two characters and we don't have any supporting characters yet. We don't really learn much more than we did last issue. While I enjoyed the issue I did feel like the story I do feel the story has stalled a little before we really got too much information which I think is dangerous for a new series to do when it's trying to build some momentum. There are also pages where I was confused by some of the action and the colorist could have done a better job of creating some distinction between the different bodies.

Is it worth it?
I'm excited about this one!

DC New 52 Review: Catwoman #2

Catwoman #2
Written by Judd Winick
Art by Guillem March
Cover Price: $2.99

In a nutshell:
Too much artistic talent to waste on this kind of misfire!

Synopsis:
I remember reading an interview some years back with an artist whom I had a great deal of admiration for (I'm thinking it was Steve Rude, but don't quote me on that), and he said that he doesn't draw gruesome gore because it was unattractive what you showed off panel, sometime in shadow or by implication in the story telling, usually had more emotional impact than what you showed because it left the reader to ponder what was happening. Because every reader might have a different idea of what was horrifying, it could deliver the same emotional impact by allowing the readers to come to different conclusions. And that doesn't just apply to horrific and frightening scenes, it can also apply to what is sexual and sensual. This Catwoman comic is throwing it all out right in front of you, and with the violence I find myself grossed out, but not shocked. There is very little that I can find shocking anymore when everything is thrown out right in front of you. And it's not that I'm offended by it. I'm unimpressed. It seems childish to me.

The first three pages of this comic basically recap the Batman/Catwoman sex scene from the end of last issue. It doesn't really give us much new to it except to say, hey, don't forget that sensationalist moment from last issue" and to imply that there is some violence in the way they "make love". It stops the story in an unnecessary way. And the main problem with this comic is that it feels like it's overplaying these scenes to yell out, "look at me, I'm provocative and audacious", and that's just too hollow without more meat in the book.

The biggest question I have is a branding question. I like the idea that there are Batman stories and cartoons geared towards my kids and I like the idea that there are movies and comics geared towards adults like myself. And I'm not a prude. I'm cool with unauthorized pornographic parodies floating around. But when DC has a licensed character that is marketed to a younger audience and you mix sex and violence in the context of masochism and fetishism, I'd think that DC would want to be more careful with their brand.

Why did I pick it up?
I believe that Guillem March has the potential to be one of the greats and Catwoman is a perfect vehicle for his career.

The Good:
My fear is that substance Guillem March's talents are going to be glossed over by his over sexualized artwork. Truth be told, I have no problem with the sexuality of his work, Catwoman is supposed to be a sexy and provocative character, but it's overused and often mixed in with graphic violence which make me feel very uneasy when viewing it. The true talent is in his expressions and characterization. There is definitely a European quality to his artwork that has elements of Moebius and Manara.

The Bad:
At the end of the story, Catwoman finds her friend dead. Never mind that we just met this friend last issue who apparently is supposed to be one of her closest friends, the body is displayed in her over tight t-shirt pushing her breasts outward with a bullet hold in her forehead and blood all over the floor. The scene feels like it's enjoying itself too much and the mix of really grotesque gore with with obvious sexuality is much too close to the disgusting trash that Avatar publishes. Catwoman is then beat up in a way that displays her skin tight costume with graphic use of blood and on the last panel the villain asks "is this the irritating woman who has stealing from me?", to which Catwoman whimpers the quip and a bit of a smirk, "That's me...", as if implying "hit me again, I like it!" There is something really masochistic about this scene. When Batman and Catwoman are finished having sex earlier in the book it's described as violent sex which will leave bruises. It's not that I don't believe there are people with these fetishes, but the implication that Catwoman likes it rough and enjoys being beaten, it does make me wonder if there is some misogynistic fetish being worked out here (and I normally hate to throw that word around because I think it's often abused).

The other real problem I have with this book is the way Bruce Wayne approaches Catwoman later in the book, whom doesn't know that he's Batman (despite them getting it on together in masks earlier that day). He tells her to stop texting and it comes off like some girl's jealous and controlling obnoxious college boyfriend. There's nothing charming about this Bruce Wayne, he has no class, and a woman with class wouldn't give him the time of day no matter how rich and handsome he was. His dialog sounds like comic shop fanboy talk. It's just not believable, especially for this character.

Is it worth it?
I seriously believe that Guillem March will be a name to watch if he can manage this own brand, but I can't recommend this comic. The things it has going for it, which are really strong, just get too buried in what feels like exploitive and distasteful hype. At the same time I really want this comic to work so I will continue to follow it for now and I will leave my updated reviews as further issues