The Man Of Steel Gets Pouty

Superman 1-4
DC Comics
George Perez, writer and breakdowns
Jesús Merino, pencils and inks (Nicola Scott, artist on issue No. 3)

We're back to being slightly underwhelmed with a title from DC's the New 52. These first four issues are not a complete story arc, and I confess I AM curious how the story will end, so in that regard, they've got me.

Unlike with the Frankenstein title discussed a few weeks ago, the art is not a problem this time out. Perez's covers are gorgeous, as one would expect from this longtime fan favorite artist. The same goes for the art from series regular Jesús Merino and fill-in artist Nicola Scott. This time, the problem is more the story, and to a lesser extent, the pacing.

When Perez reinvented Wonder Woman in 1986, his first turn as a writer and not just an artist, he took a great deal of time revealing the history of the Amazons and the Greek gods along with the tale of his main heroine, Princess Diana. He seems to be following a similar formula here. Perez is not dealing overly much with the history of Krypton, leaving that to his Action Comics counterparts, Grant Morrison and Rags Morales, who are detailing Superman's early career. Instead, Perez is focused on the tapestry of Metropolis, the Daily Planet and familiar faces like Perry White, Lois Lane, Jimmy Olsen, and of course, Clark Kent.

The difference is that the Wonder Woman story being told back in 1986 was engaging on all levels: the story was interesting, and the heroine was challenged by a threat she truly might not be able to overcome. In this tale, Superman is mysteriously confronted by a series of seemingly alien threats. I'm curious about the nature of the aliens and what their true goal is, but almost any hero could be substituted for Superman so far with only minor changes. Having Superman be an easily replacable character in his own book isn't a great way to engage a reader.

The other draw for New 52 books, of course, is how have things changed from the staus quo readers knew before the reboot. Most of the changes to Metropolis, the Daily Planet and familiar faces like Perry White, Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen are pretty minor so far. The only character greatly changed is Clark Kent, and he is no longer as easily likable, which can only hurt the title.

I'm just not feeling it with this book.

One To Beam Aboard

Star Trek Ongoing 1-3
IDW Publishing
Mike Johnson, writer
Stephen Molnar, artist

IDW has produced some great Star Trek comics since obtaining the license several years ago. This comic, set in the rebooted film universe, looks to be another fine addition to their catalog of Trek.

The first two issues of the series revisit events from the classic original series episode "Where No Man Has Gone Before," and the third issue begins a two-part re-examining of the events from the episode "The Galileo Seven." That doesn't mean these tales are simple re-tellings of events already played out. Keeping consistent with the premise of the J.J. Abrams movie from 2009, these tales incorporate some subtle and some not-so-subtle changes to what fans recall. And the art has just the right level of modeling the new actors' features one would expect from a property based on live-action television or film.

Of course, it would be nice to see these creators stretch and produce some completely original tales with these characters traveling a slightly different path than expected, but these initial three issues are a delight for long-time fans who can quote chapter and verse of what has gone before, and seem quite accessible and entertaining for someone new to the franchise.

Hitting The Ground Running

Nightwing 1-4
DC Comics
Kyle Higgins, writer
Eddy Barrows, artist

I'd been actually dreading this title quite a bit. I'd heard bad things about Green Arrow and had really low expectations going in, which likely helped me see the positives of that title. Aquaman, another favorite hero of mine, has gotten nothing but good press so far. So I'm anxious to read it and not nervous at all. Nightwing though, I haven't heard much about. I've always liked Dick Grayson, so I had high hopes for this book. But I don't care for the redesigned costume. I can live with it, but I prefer the previous version. I was afraid the same might be true of the story.

Well, the first story arc isn't quite over yet, but this is still MY Dick Grayson. I can see this character as being a slightly altered version of the one I've been reading for years, which is what I want from the New 52 when I already liked the character to begin with. Please, sir, just give me more of the same.

This has acrobatics, Haly's circus, a cameo by Barbara "Batgirl" Gordon, some sleuthing, some levity.
Kudos to the creative team of this series. Please, keep up the good work.

Two For the Price of One, But Both Disappointing

Catwoman 1-4
DC Comics
Judd Winick, writer
Guillem March, artist

Not much to say about this title. There have been some really good runs on Catwoman in recent years making her a solid headlining character in her own right and not just a Batman rogue. This series seems kind of like a step backward. I've liked Winick's writing on past titles, but he's rather disappointing here. There just doesn't seem to be much new territory here, and if all the title is going to do is rehash existing material, the first time around was often better.



Red Hood and the Outlaws 1-3
DC Comics
Scott Lobdell, writer
Kenneth Rocafort, artist

Another disappointing title. This one didn't even stay on my pull list for the fourth issue. I initially ordered the book for its ties to former Titans characters, but apparently only the names were being used. These two aren't the Arsenal and Starfire I know. I'd rather keep my untarnished memories of the past exploits of characters I enjoyed than try to find some semblance of those characters in these travesties.

All-Ages Honest-To-Goodness FUN!

Super Dinosaur 1-6, Origin Issue
Image Comics
Robert Kirkman, writer
Jason Howard, artist

This creative team was responsible for the 25-issue Astonishing Wolf-Man series which I very much enjoyed. They followed that title up with this one. The book follows the adventures of Derek Dynamo, a pretty brilliant young boy, his super-scientist dad, and his genetically altered tyrannosaurus Rex best friend. The T-Rex wears battle armor to enhance his natural, dino-fighting skills. There are other enhanced dinos, but they're some of the bad guys. So this series is all about fighting dinosaurs in battle armor. This is a truly fun book! Do you really need to know more?

He's the MONSTER; Frankenstein is the DOCTOR!

Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E. 1-4
DC Comics
Jeff Lemire, writer
Alberto P, artist

I don't like to ever call someone else's art bad. Even if I don't care for it, someone else may see merit and appreciate it, and even if no one does, odds are, the artist in question has done a much better job than I could've done. That said, this art is not for me. Especially when it is placed behind those gorgeous J.G. Jones covers this series features; that's what I would like the interiors of this book to look like.

I'm curious if this is a completely original take on the Frankenstein's monster character or if this version is based on the re-imagining of the character from Grant Morrison's Seven Soldiers series. If the latter is true, I'm even more curious about finally checking out that series. So how about it, anyone out there who can give me an answer on this question?

Anyway, back to this title, I've always liked the concept of the Creature Commandos, and I liked the ideas used in the Flashpoint title which preceded this relaunch, Frankenstein and the Creatures of the Unknown. I like some of the basic concepts presented here by writer Jeff Lemire and really want to follow this title. But that art is just ruining this book for me. I've been trying to make some cuts of late, and this title didn't survive the cut despite my wanting to enjoy it. Chalk it up to the art, at least in the case of this cut.

Great Setup; Uneven Follow-Through

Supreme Power (2011) 1-4
Marvel Max
Kyle Higgins, writer
Manuel Garcia, artist

The biggest problem with this limited series is its ending.

I first came to the concept of the Squadron Supreme with the 1985 12-part series from Marvel. The characters pre-date that limited series as occasional secondary characters in The Avengers and several other Marvel titles. Each of the various heroes on the team is a direct analogue of a member of the Justice League. A few years ago, the concept was rebooted as Supreme Power. The series ran for 18 issues, and then has had several follow-up limited series.

That initial reimagining by Gary Frank was very good, but some of the later series seemed to wander away from the core concepts a little too far. This series, focusing on Joe Ledger and Hyperion, returns the series to that core concept and is a very good read because of that fact and a marvelous story from Higgins. In fact, the only shortcoming of the series, as mentioned above, is the ending, or rather, the lack thereof. Obviously, this series is intended to lead right into another one, one which hasn't yet materialized almost two years later. That is a little disappointing.

Return of the Bat ... girl

Batgirl 1-4
DC Comics
Gail Simone, writer
Ardian Syaf and Vicente Cifuentes, artists

I've always liked the Barbara Gordon Batgirl, and I sincerely hope her book succeeds. Simone is a terrific writer who handled the character superbly as the brains behind the Birds of Prey team, and now that Barbara has been restored to her unassisted mobility, Simone is going gangbusters. Little detail has so far been given for how Barbara was healed and left her wheelchair behind, but the wheelchair history is not ignored, either.

Batgirl is again on the rooftops of Gotham City, enjoying the night, when she thwarts the plans of some thrill-seeking serial killers. While terrorizing a family, the killers freely admit they are breaking into homes, torturing and killing people, all for kicks. Batgirl interrupts the quartet's "fun," sending one of the thugs to the hospital. It is here that Batgirl first confronts the main villain of her debut DCnU adventure, a mysterious masked figure calling himself Mirror. His m.o. is to kill those who have cheated death somehow after first showing them their "true" face. Both the face of his mask and the inside of his dark cape seem to be constructed by shattered mirror fragments, reflecting back at his intended victims cracked visions of reality.

Between confrontations with Mirror and trying to track down his identity and motivations, Barbara sets herself up in a new apartment with a new roommate and a new post-Birds life that promises to be an interesting journey. And the art in this book is top notch. No complaints on that score this time out.

Batgirl is a keeper!

Fresh Face, But Same Attitude

Green Arrow 1-4
DC Comics
J.T. Krul, writer
Dan Jurgens and George Perez, artists

Now this is a book I can sink my teeth into.

I've read some complaints online that Green Arrow is leaving readers cold, but as a longtime fan of the character, I like this book, and I think it lives up to what I believe the DCnU is trying to do. The hero of this title is not the same archer I was reading about before the rebooted universe came into existence, so it is a new start for new readers looking for something fresh to latch onto. Having said that, though, there are quite a few similar traits in this Oliver Queen to not alienate a longtime fan such as myself with a character I can no longer feel a connection to.

This first arc introduces us to a young, confident Oliver Queen who has inherited Queen Industries from his father. But instead of having a young heir run what is likely a multi-billion dollar conglomerate of companies, Oliver heads the trendy gadget division Q-Core, which produces Q-phones and Q-pads and other high-tech toys for those who can afford them. Q-Core also secretly produces the special arrows and other devices Oliver uses in his covert work as a superhero, and a small team of creative types at Q-Core help the young adventurer create his arsenal of weapons and coordinate his costumed activities.

It makes sense that if GA really existed, he wouldn't be as effective operating completely alone, without the help of a team of support folks. And it is also more realistic that he would have a board of directors and numerous division heads over the various aspects of a real company such as Queen Industries.

Continuing that reality-based theme, this first arc pits GA against a gang of young, super powered villains who don't commit crimes so much for the monetary gain as for the celebrity they receive filming themselves committing crimes and terrorizing people, then posting those videos online. These individuals thrive on the ego-boost they receive from hits and views online.

I hear this is one of the books slated for some creative personnel changes in the near future. I hope I continue to like this book, because so far, for this fan, this one has not disappointed.