Anj's DCnU Pull List

The DCnU starts in earnest today. This is the first major release of the 'new 52'. As such, I have had to do some adjusting of my pull list. As has been said in countless places, this is both a jumping on point and a jumping off point.

While I am sort of sick of universal reboots, and particularly vexed by some of the decisions with this one (Barbara Gordon not Oracle, no Lois/Clark marriage, alienated and angry Supergirl), there are a lot of interesting creative teams and books coming out worth at least a peek.

As such, my pull list is split into three categories:
1) the long haul  -those books I anticipate collecting long term unless something dramatic drives me away

2) the short term - books I will give the first 6 issues or so to interest me, books I think I will like

3)the 'better grab me'  - books that have 1 or 2 issues to really grab me or I am moving on - sometimes it is part of the creative team or a character which will make me look

Here is my pull list with some commentary:

1) The Long Haul:

Supergirl - no big surprise here.  Supergirl is my favorite character and as such I feel I need to support her if she is in a solo book. I also feel like I need to bear witness and let my thoughts be known about the way the character is being handled, whether it be good or bad. I have heard enough about her lack of affection for humanity and whether that translates into isolation and cynicism. The time has come to read the book. It can't be any worse than the Joe Kelly run.

Action Comics - another no-brainer. I am a Superman fan and a Grant Morrison fan. I loved All-Star Superman. The feeling I get is of going back to the earliest Siegel/Shuster stories and showing how this young man became a hero. I have high hopes for this book even though we have heard similar things about Superman as have been leaked about Supergirl. He feels alien and alone. He has no tether to humanity. He even is touted as being 'modern and cynical' as if that's a good thing for Superman. We'll see. Morrison rarely lets me down.


Superman - I thought Perez did a fine job with his Wonder Woman revamp. But I don't have the same faith with him as a writer as I do Morrison. And I wonder just how he will manage a potentially disinterested Superman. Much like with Supergirl, I feel I need to watch this closely and let my feeling be known.

Legion of Superheroes and Legion Lost - I have always been a huge Legion fan and so I will continue to support the team. I wonder if the comic world can support 2 Legion books even if they are in completely separate time periods. Paul Levitz is on the main book with Francis Portela (whose art I like a lot). But I don't know if I like the new recruits enough to care about them. Legion Lost is set in present time, a plot I usually don't like for the Legion. But Pete Woods is on art and it stars three of my favorite Legionnaires - Wildfire, Dawnstar, and Timber Wolf. I do wonder if I will end up choosing one or the other.

Hawk and Dove - I have always been a Hawk and Dove fan having collected the mini-series and series in the 1980's. Add Sterling Gates on as writer and I am pretty sure I am in for the long haul. I hope Rob Liefeld captures some of the juice he had when he first did the mini-series.

Wonder Woman - I think I have been won over by the publicity and pictures I have seen of the book. It helps that I like Brian Azzarello's writing and love Cliff Chiang's art. Chiang's art alone would probably be enough to make me look at the book. But add to that Azarello doing a 'horror' feel on Wonder Woman and I am feeling enthusiastic.

Batwoman - Of all the 'long haul' books, this is the only one I am putting on the list solely for the art. It almost doesn't matter what the story is like. JH Williams art needs to be looked at. Add another favorite, Amy Reeder, into the mix and I am on board. Let's hope the stories are good.

2) The 'Short Term' books -

Superboy - I have never been a big fan of Conner. I loved Jeff Lemire's vision. I don't particularly like the look of the redesign here. I do like RB Silva's art. I feel I owe it to the Superman Family to at least give this book a change to grab me.

Justice League - Will it come out on time? Will the stories be fast paced or built for the trade? Will we see all the heroes get a chance to shine in the spotlight? Will it live up to its hype? This book was on the 'Long Haul' list until I read the first issue. I wasn't wowed. I am hoping I will be.

Green Lantern and Green Lantern Corps - I think I need a little break from the spectrum and the entities. Much like the apathy I was feeling near the end of New Krypton when I desperately wanted to just read Superman stories, I want to read GL stories, just them and not them as part of this tremendously galactic ring war. I have enjoyed these books for a while. But I think I need them to step it up a bit.

Justice League Dark - The idea sounds just crazy enough to work. As a fan of John Constantine, Zatanna, Shade the Changing Man, and the Enchantress, I am looking forward to this book more than many others. But I think I need to see the story before committing beyond the first arc/half year. Of all the books on the 'Short term' list, this one could easily move to the long haul.

DC Comics Presents - hard to put this title anywhere else. If the stars and creative teams align I will pick up the arc much like I did with the 'Classified' books. First arc stars Deadman, a character I don't really like. But I love Paul Jenkins' work. And old friend Bernard Chang is on art. So I will be there.

3) The 'Better Grab Me' books -

Captain Atom - DC should give Freddie Williams a raise because I am only trying this book because I love his art. I don't know much about or care much for prior iterations of Captain Atom. Stanley Lau is doing covers. I have liked what little I have read by writer JT Krul in the past. Will I be interested enough in the Captain to keep reading?

Justice League International - I am about to speak heresy but I never 'loved' the Bwa-ha-ha Justice League. And I don't like Booster Gold. So why am I sampling this book? Two words: Aaron Lopresti. I loved ... LOVED ... his time on Wonder Woman. We'll see if the story equals the art.

Animal Man - I loved the Morrison Animal Man. I liked Pete Milligan and Jamie Delano's Animal Man. I liked Jeff Lemire's Superboy. Will it be too dark?

Demon Knights - I liked Paul Cornell's time on Action a lot. I figure I would look to see what he does with a different set of characters.

To put some context into decisions, as much as I love Kenneth Rocafort's art (and I think he is amazing), the idea of Red Hood, Speedy, and Starfire in space is such a goofy idea to me that Rocafort alone won't lure me to Red Hood and the Outsiders.

I will try to let people know what I books I continue to buy and will review the usual books here (maybe adding bullet reviews of Hawk and Dove).

So what is everybody else interested in? Which books are you all buying?