Green Lantern #1 - So one thing that I don't really like about this DCnU is the 'relaunch' not 'reboot' nature of it. That means the Green Lantern and Batman books continue without a ripple while Supergirl and Superboy fans have to wring their hands yet again. What it does mean is that the 'get new readers' chant doesn't count for those books.
Because does DC really think that someone who has never picked up a Green Lantern book is going to want to read about Sinestro being GL while Hal is buried under bills? And do those new readers even understand what all that means?
I know I am being meta-textually critical. I also hope this might be the first step in having Hal stick around on Earth for a bit (hopefully as GL).
One thing I didn't like was the characterization of Carol Ferris. I mean, she is so upset that slacker Hal didn't propose to her that she throws her drink in his face and leaves him stranded. That felt a bit like a step backwards for a woman who has been flying around the universe.
Initial rank: 'short term'
Verdict: 'short term' still
Batwoman #1 - What can I say. The art by JH Williams III is absolutely beautiful. He really does a great job of altering his style in the book based on the scene - the Batwoman scenes looking painted and ethereal, the Kate scenes more thickly inked and concrete.
The story about 'The Weeping Woman' stealing children from Gotham has a more eerie supernatural feel to it than the usual Batman book which I think suits the character and the art nicely. Add to that a Mr. Bones sighting and I was happy.
Initial rank: 'long haul'
Verdict: 'long haul' as long as Williams III and Reeder are on board, I am too
Demon Knights #1 - Based solely on his Action Comics work and his comments on the book prior to its release, I decided to give this book a shot. This feels like a team book akin to Shadowpact but set back in medieval time.
It is a very nice mix of characters. I have always been an Etrigan and Madame Xanadu fan. But also Sir Ystin, the Shining Knight from Grant Morrison's Seven Soldiers books is also on the team. That is fantastic! There seems to be an Amazon on the team named Exoristos. And the villains are Mordru and Morgan LeFay. All nice. The one character in the book I don't like is Vandal Savage. At least he seems to be on the good guys' side.
I also liked the sort of classic 'Avengers' feel to the team's origin. They all just happen to be in the same pub when Mordru's forces attack. Now that the chess pieces are on the board, it seems like next issue will be the team 'forming'.
Diogenes Neves are is fine for the material. I look forward to seeing where this book is going.
Initial rank: 'Better grab me'
Verdict: Promoted to 'short term'; consider me grabbed!
Re: GL
ReplyDeleteI concur. I read it off the rack and even though I love Mahnke, my Flashpoint derived skepticism of Johns and probably most of all the clunkiness of Hal's "plight" and the characterization of Carol. Just lame.
I found this sort of thing quaint in the Chronicles reprints, but in 2011 it's just stupid.
I partially disagree about Green Lantern as I both enjoyed it thoroughly and found it perfectly accessable, even if the movie passed you by everything you need to know about what the book is about and what's going on is there in the book.
ReplyDeleteWhat I do agree on (and I know it might seem contradictory to the above) is that GL differs from nearly every other book in that it is following on from storylines set up before the september launch and cannot be called a clean break. The same goes for Legion and Batman though, it's somewhat unfair for DC to erase the history of 95% of its line but exclude two or three out of favoritism or whatever...
Was that their first major DCnU contiunuity error? Because I'm pretty sure the Teen Titans are starting fresh with a whole new cast.
ReplyDelete(And can anyone tell me wether Flamebird was gay before joining up with Batwoman? It just seems entirely too co-incidental.)
The reason GL and Batman were left alone is because those are two of DC's best selling lines. It's not simple favoritism. Legion takes place in the 31st century so there isn't really much continuity to have to worry about in relation to the main DCU.
ReplyDeleteAs for Carol's characterization. Think about what Hal had just said. Would you be happy if someone took you out to dinner and just asks you to co-sign their car out of nowhere? :p
As for the line about the Teen Titans. It doesn't have to be the Johns Teen Titans team. In the Red Hood book they mention a prior TT team and there could have been another with Flamebird on it before this one. I doubt it's supposed to really be something of interest. And Batwoman has military training, Bette doesn't. That simple. :)