DC New 52 Review: Wonder Woman #1-3

Wonder Woman #1-3
Written by Brian Azzarello
Art by Cliff Chang Cover Price: $2.99

In a nutshell:
A darker Wonder Woman tale that plays with her origin

Synopsis:
I wouldn't call this a horror story, but the story takes fantastic elements and interprets them in a horror setting. The Greek Gods in this story aren't as bright and shiny, they're very creepy and their presence is our world is quite startling. Paradise Island feels a bit like the island on Lost. Everything is a bit darker and Wonder Woman seems to be the most human of the characters we have met so far. In this story we discover a shocking twist about her origin, or at least it's shocking to Wonder Woman. It's hard to be shocked by twists like this in comics anymore and while Wonder Woman is one of the three big icons at DC, her iconic status is more associated with recognition rather than an intimate knowledge of her backstory. We know that Superman came from Krypton. We know that Batman's parents were murdered. But even as a comic fan I rarely think about the fact that Wonder Woman came from clay and it never seemed that important. Apparently Zues, king of the gods, likes to cheat on his wife and he has a number of illegitimate offspring. This pisses off Zues's wife Hera (I can't really picture Wonder Woman saying "Great Hera" after this story) and Hera is very jealous so she tries to kill these offspring when she can. Apparently Zeus is too busy being a slut to get involved in all of this. Zeus's latest conquest was a human young woman and Hera sends her minions to kill this girl whom Wonder Woman ends up protecting and bringing to her mother on Paradise Island. In the course of this Wonder Woman learns some shocking things about herself.

Why did I pick it up?
Wonder Woman is a character I loved as a kid but have had a very hard time connecting to as a comic book collector. Part of that is that it has taken this popular idea that feminism means being a better man than a man and a lot of the feminine qualities about her character have been swept away. Those characteristics, I felt, were a huge part of her appeal and, in my opinion, undervalued qualities in what is increasingly becoming a coldly competitive society. It's for that reason I feel that Wonder Woman could be the perfect hero to contrast that problem and show a reflection of something that's missing in us that we don't even know is missing. So whenever I know there is a new jumping on point for the character I give it a try.


The Good:
The story is well written in that it understands that we already know who Wonder Woman is, it's not just telling an origin story, but it has the character discover something about herself that allows the writer to say, here's your character, here's where she came from, here's how it's important to what she's dealing with right now. Although I was immediately put off but Cliff Chang's art as it marinaded it really started to grow on me and I think it's perfect for this story and I'll definitely keep my eye out for him from this point on. While this isn't necessarily the Wonder Woman I have been waiting for, I really enjoy it when creative teams of quality take these iconic characters and drop them into a different kind of story than we're used to seeing them in. I like that Paradise Island feels big and mysterious. I like that it's not just glistening in the sun. This gives it more depth and makes it more interesting to tell stories. Brian Azarello knows how to make something feel important even if we didn't go into it feeling that way in the first place, which is no surprise if you look at the work that he made his name on. Not everyone is an Azarello fan but you have to admit, the guy's name is based off his storytelling, not just playing with franchise characters that already get a lot of attention. I also really like that Wonder Woman's mother, Queen Hippolyta looks like her classic appearance again and not an older version of Wonder Woman. That might be that might be purely aesthetic but it's the little touches like this that makes me feel the roots of a character haven't been forgotten.

The Bad:
My daughters both love Wonder Woman and this comic isn't appropriate for them. I understand that it's tough to brand a character like Wonder Woman because girls don't support the comic industry enough to hold up a title like this and kids barely have a presence in mainline comics anymore, which is really the biggest shift in comics (that my generation took them with us). So you have this issue where some of the people buying the book want to see the sex appeal of the character. Some want this ultimate fighter warrior so that she can look badass next to Superman. And I really think that Wonder Woman hasn't established an identity in mainstream comics yet. I like this take on her so far. She seems more human than I've seen in a while. But when the creative team next shifts it's hard not to consider it as a possible jumping off point because at this point Wonder Woman is still just an icon. DC has to really figure out how to brand this character because I don't see that they've figured it out yet.

Is it worth it?
I'm enjoying this comic and I would enjoy it if this creative team stayed on it for a while.

DC New 52 Review: Action Comics #3

Action Comics #3
Written by Grant Morrison
Pencils by Rags Morales & Gene Ha
Inks by Rick Byrant & Gene Ha
Cover Price: $3.99

In a nutshell:
Superman has a bad day, Krypton rocks!

Synopsis:
This issue begins with a flashback sequence featuring Superman's birth-parents in his last days of Krypton. Gene Ha supplies the art for this sequence and while I normally don't like it when two artists with conflicting styles share a book, Ha is the perfect artist to present Krypton (which is why I've chosen to display the alternate cover featuring Ha's art) and the Krypton sequences are separated from the present day in a way that frames it well. In the present day Superman has found that the corrupt corporate interests that he's been up against own the media and has been turning public support against him. This hits him pretty hard and he takes it personally. Both the Krypton sequence and the present day sequence seem appear to be setting us up to introduce the new version of Braniac.

Why did I pick it up?
Action is the best book DC is putting out right now!




The Good:
Gene Ha's art is fantastic and is perfect for Krypton. You gotta hope that Morrison and Ha do a World of Krypton mini series after reading the prologue in this issue. Morales is continuing to do the great job he's been doing. Other fans have told me that they think his work has a Mark Bagely vibe going on and that's what I was feeling as well, except I think this is better than Bagely's art. This world feels real to me. Superman may have powers but he's living in our world with all the screwed up politics, corporate interests, and the really hostile media environment. I'm enjoying his relationship with Jimmy Olson, whose update feels perfect for this book, and I hope that that will be a staple in the book from this point forward.

The Bad:
The extras in this book featured the creative decisions behind the other Superman family books, none of which interest me as much as Action, and instead of feeling like cool extras like they did in the last issue when it focused on Action, it felt like all the other marketing crap that comics are filled with.

Is it worth it?
While the present day sequence didn't give us quite as much meat as I would have liked, it does seem to be setting us up for some cool excitement ahead and the Krypton sequence leaves me in anticipation for more! Action continues to be my must read book each month!

Who is this Pin-Up Artist?

I've come across two of these vintage Punchboards which I believe are kind of like the equivalent of old time scratch off lottery tickets, although obviously with a little more production value. They're both in excellent condition and feature gorgeous pin-up art featuring gorgeous girls. We're posting these for sale on Ebay and I want the artist names for the listings to help attract the right attention to them. The one with the blue background has a signature that is clear so I can identify the artist as Gil Elvgren. But this red one, which is my favorite of the two, only has a single initial which looks like an "E" and unfortunately my expertise on vintage pin-up artists isn't as sharp as it should be. I don't know if the E is the first name or the last name but I spent about an hour trying to figure it out and then decided I should

Basically I'm looking for help here. If you recognize the artist and/or the signature, I'd appreciate if you could leave a comment which is helpful not only for myself but for anyone else who might be interested in this art.

Thanks!

-Todd (beanlynch)

DC New 52 Review: Swamp Thing #1-3

Swamp Thing #1-3
Written by Scott Snyder
Finished Art by Yanick Paquette
Cover Price: $2.99 each

In a nutshell:
DC brings Swamp Thing full circle.

Synopsis:
Swamp Thing was first created by Len Wein and Berni Wrightson in 1972 as scientist Alec Holland who mutated into a plant like creature. The Swamp Thing was part of the DC Universe and at times interacted with characters like Batman as he did heroic deeds while trying to regain his humanity. When Alan Moore took over the character in the 1980s, he retconned the origin by having Swamp Thing discover that the real Alex Holland was actually killed in the event that created him and that the Swamp Thing was a completely new entity that had absorbed Holland's memories. This completely changed the focus and motivation of the character and it gave the character new life. It was also a landmark story in deconstructionism which inspired many of the trends that followed including the creation of the Vertigo imprint which Swamp Thing was a part of that were horror or crime stories set in their own context outside of the DC Universe. Swamp Thing, along with Sandman and other Vertigo titles that followed were the hip books to read in the late 80s and early 90s.

But over two decades have passed now and what was once new and and exciting is now overlooked as the more mainstream superhero comics have adopted many of the sensibilities (for better or worse) that were inspired by Vertigo. Not so much as reinventing the character so much as recontructing him, the Swamp Thing story has once again been folded into the DC Universe as the story is retconned once again as we learn that Alex Holland did not die at the Swamp Thing's creation after all and he has now been bonded with "The Green" and now has all of the Swamp Thing's memories. In these first three parts of this new series, Holland is the focus character who is trying to figure out who he is a world that has changed a lot since he went missing, and his internal struggle with these memories he has from the Swamp Thing.

Why did I pick it up?
With all the new titles and a limited budget I was on the fence but decided to pass the week the book came out. Having listened to some feedback from other readers I decided to pick up the second issue along with the reprint of the first issue. The covers by Yanick Paquette which basically displays the iconic Swamp Thing the way he's supposed to look certainly didn't hurt and knowing that the interiors were done by the same artist was the deciding factor for me.

The Good:
Apparently this Scott Snyder guy has been making a bit of a name for himself on a title called American Vampire which I'm yet to read, but the story drew me in. I find Alec Holland an easy enough character to latch onto and I'm really curious to see how things have developed since I last read Swamp Thing. You don't need to have read Swamp Thing to enjoy this book. It gives you everything you need to know what's going on here. And the Art by Yanick Paquette, unbelievably good! The idea to reconstruct Swamp Thing by bringing back Alec Holland is probably is a story that most writers and fans have imagined at some point, and the execution of it here is totally on the money. I'm looking forward to discovering where these characters have been.

The Bad:
I'm not sure that bringing the character back into the DC Universe is doing anything for it so far. We got an appearance by Superman in the first issue, who looked just dreadful in that awful Jim Lee designed costume (I will never stop bitching about it, it is just so wrong for this decade...) and the appearance really didn't serve the story except to make it clear to readers that he is in the DC Universe again.

There are a few grotesque scenes in the book and that's not unexpected in a horror comic but I'm not a big fan of gore for the sake of gore and I personally could do without that horror involving psychopathic children and then the grotesque murders of children. This kind of shock doesn't impress me as much as it puts me off. I might have enjoyed this more if I was still in my early 20s, but then again back then there wasn't so much of that in my face. These days these passe´ attempts to shock me just turn me off and bore me.

The idea that the Swamp Thing's origin was destiny rather than accident and that Swamp Thing is an agent of the greater good fighting against the ultimate supernatural evil (as opposed to human "evil" which is a culmination of choices) takes some of the humanity out of the story for me. This isn't a new concept to the Swamp Thing story but it is a heavy focus in the third issue. My feeling is that the best stories have to be a reflection of something real to the human condition (which can be pretty broad). It doesn't always have to be obvious, but the story has to mean something that is a reflection of something in us. The idea of supernatural evil is only interesting to me as a story device that might provide opportunity for context so my hope is that the supernatural good versus evil theme isn't the true meat of the story.

Is it worth it?
Yes. If you're put off by horror, then it's not the book for you. But it's smart. It's intriguing. The art is fantastic. And despite my reservations, which you have to bare in mind that I will nitpick things I like more than things I don't care about, it's a really good comic.

DC New 52 Review: Superman #1-2

Superman #1-2
Script & Breakdowns by George Perez
Finished Art by Jose Merino
Cover Price: $2.99 each

In a nutshell:
Perez packs more story and art on every page.

Synopsis:
Superman takes place five years after the events that are currently playing out in Action comics and I'm surprised just how well the books compliment each other. Clark Kent and his supporting cast again appear to be at a crossroads with many changes in flux. There are a series of attacks on Superman which appear to have some sort of relationship with Superman's home planet of Krypton. While it's not said outright, we get the idea that this is one of the first Krypton related threats that this Superman has faced.

Why did I pick it up?
I wasn't going to pick this issue up because I really really hate the costume (I haven't mentioned that or anything already, have I?), and even though I've always admired George Perez's work it's his art that's usually the draw and because he's only doing breakdowns and because I'm not familiar enough Jesus Merino's art and I've seen finishers not do Perez justice before so there just wasn't enough in the credit to draw me in. But when I paged through it in the comic shop I immediately recognized that this comic was the opposite of what is probably my biggest complaint with modern comics, that cinematic art shots leave too few panels per page to tell a satisfying story. George Perez's layouts prove that you don't have to sacrifice story for art.

The Good:
This is a very dense comic with lots of panels per page and while Merino's finishes are different from those of Perez, their styles compliment each other. It's an attractive book and it's also a book where I enjoy the characters. I'm personally glad to see Clark and Lois not married in this new continuity because it gives us the chance to create romantic tension in the book. it's refreshing to see a different take on the Lois Clark set up than what we've gotten in the past. Lois respect Clark and Clark's not just some square dork. He's not just a disguise for Superman, with this Clark Kent we actually see a reason for him to be a reporter. This is a character, whom like Superman, takes responsibility for the world he loves.

The Bad:
It's already been reported that Perez is leaving after the first story arc, and while I like Keith Giffen, the idea of a Dan Jurgens drawn Superman just doesn't feel fresh and exciting. It's hard to really enjoy a book that's just starting when you already know that creative shakeups are ahead. Oh, and the costume is terrible...

Is it worth it?
With more panels of story per page than anyone could ask for, without sacrificing the quality of the art, this might be one of the best buys for the dollar out there.

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