DC Comics' New 52!

[Stephan]

Have you heard about "The New 52" from DC Comics? They are rebooting 52 of their comics. Each of them gets a new first volume, starting an entirely new timeline. It's a great place to start reading comics, if you're like me and have always wanted to get into comics but had no idea where to begin.

The comics are all released in September. This is the schedule:

Code: Select all

August 31st
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Justice League



September 7th
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Action Comics
Animal Man
Batgirl
Batwing
Detective Comics
Green Arrow
Hawk & Dove
Justice League International
Men of War
O.M.A.C.
Static Shock
Stormwatch
Swamp Thing



September 14th
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Batman & Robin
Batwoman
Deathstroke
Demon Knights
Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E.
Green Lantern
Grifter
Legion Lost
Mister Terrific
Red Lanterns
Resurrection Man
Suicide Squad
Superboy



September 21st
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Batman
Birds of Prey
Blue Beetle
Captain Atom
Catwoman
DC Universe Presents
Green Lantern Corps
Legion of Super-Heroes
Nightwing
Red Hood and the Outlaws
Supergirl
Wonder Woman



September 28th
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All Star Western
Aquaman
Batman: The Dark Knight
Blackhawks
The Flash
The Fury of Firestorm: The Nuclear Men
Green Lantern: New Guardians
I, Vampire
Justice League Dark
The Savage Hawkman
Superman
Teen Titans
Voodoo

Anyone else like me going to dive into these?

[Michael]

I think I might check out the first issue of a few of the more mainstream ones. I'm not familiar enough to pick out what I would like. I'll probably try Justice League, Batman and Green Lantern, maybe Superman for interest's sake.

[Stephan]

Ah, those are some of my favorites, too! Though I look most forward to The Savage Hawkman. Michael Shanks has really made me love Carter Hall. Obviously, I can't wait for The Dark Knight, either.

I've already read Justice League (expect a review later today), btw, and have mixed feelings about it.

[Stephan]

And here's my review of Justice League!

[Andrea]

I think with these coming out I may actually grow interested in them. Its so hard to backtrack so much of the story. So, depending on you boys for good reviews. :3

[James]

Batgirl & Action Comics!

[Stephan]

I think with these coming out I may actually grow interested in them. Its so hard to backtrack so much of the story. So, depending on you boys for good reviews. :3

We shall do our very best. I'm enjoying reading these so far! I've encountered the first comic I didn't like, but it's still cool. I feel like a genuine geek now that I'm reading comics!

[Othniel Edden]

Okay Stephan, I'm sensing a theme here in your reviews. You aren't used to how comics operate, and it will take multiple issues to flesh out characters and storylines. Most of them use substance as a something you find like a trail of bread crumbs through a forest of flash, action and style. Speaking of which, I can't wait to see what they do with the speedster. When is The Flash being reviewed?

[Stephan]

Some of them do have substance, though. I'm mostly judging them by the couple comics I'm already familiar with. If I read a book, I don't want a character to be crap in the first twenty pages. I want a character to be good immediately.

I've tried a new theme for Stormwatch, though, and I'm curious to find out what you think of that review.

[Michelle]

I reviewed a comic last night (Batwoman) and I quite enjoyed it. I'm unused to reading something so short though so I felt like it ended abruptly. I want to know what happened dammit!! I guess I'll just have to wait and buy the next issue.

[Stephan]

A month between issues. So crappy! I think I'd rather wait a year between TPBs than a month for every issue, with each of 'em ending on a cliffhanger.

[Othniel Edden]

What you do is wait for them to release them in a compendium. Its cheaper and easier to read as they often have complete storylines in there.

[Stephan]

What's a compendium, or is it just a different word for a TPB?

[Michelle]

It's when they bundle multiple issues into one larger book.

[Rebecca]

So yeah, same thing as trade paperback, I think.

[Othniel Edden]

BTW Stephan, if you don't think of Sinestro as a bad guy first you know nothing about Green Lateran... (Also notes that Jordan hasn't been the primary green lantern in a while)

[Stephan]

As I pointed out in the review, all I know is the movie. And Sinestro is a good guy there. The whole point of these reviews is to give the viewpoint of someone who is new to comics, remember. After all, people like me are DC's target audience for these reboots.

[Michael]

I have also taken a leap into comics, and of all the ones I read so far Green Lantern fails on the "Even if you've never read before this will make sense" test. To give a stuff you need to know about Sinestro IMO.

Anyhoo, today I read Batman, Wonderwoman, Action Comics, Justice League and Detective Comics. At this stage I will continue with:

Animal Man
Demon Knights (as much about the setting as the quality)
Stormwatch (as much about meeting/liking Paul Cornell as the quality)
Detective Comics
Justice League (I may give up, but I still have the "Wow, heroes unite" factor going)

I may check out another Batman.

[Othniel Edden]

As I pointed out in the review, all I know is the movie. And Sinestro is a good guy there. The whole point of these reviews is to give the viewpoint of someone who is new to comics, remember. After all, people like me are DC's target audience for these reboots.

They also have to not alienate fans of the series from before the reboots. Its very much a style of the stories continueing