I've decided that the DC relaunch may be very, very interesting, but I've decided I'm going to start reading Marvel and Image Comics series, also. I will be picking up 9 DCnU series, 5 (or 6?) Marvel U series, and 3 (or 4?) Image Comics series.
Here is a list of the series I will try to be picking up in September:
1. Justice League #1 (already got)
2. Justice League International #1 (already got)
3. Aquaman #1
4. Action Comics #1 (already got)
5. Batman and Robin #1
6. Red Hood and the Outlaws #1
7. Legion Lost #1
8. Green Lantern: New Guardians #1
9. Red Lanterns #1
10. Ultimate Comics: X-Men #1
11. Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man #1
12. Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man #2
13. New Avengers Annual
14. New Avengers #16.1
15. The Infinite #2
16. Invincible #86
17. The Walking Dead #89
18. Batgirl #1 (already got)
There are a few other series I will be adding for October:
Legion: Secret Origin #1
Incredible Hulk #1
The X-Men #1 20th Anniversary Edition
Wolverine and the X-Men #1
That's a total of 22 comics for me in October. I can't wait.
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Justice League #1 Review!
This is the beginning of a whole new era of DC Comics. I'm so excited, you don't even know. Even though there are only about 20 series that I would even think about following, so I can wait for those other 32 series to come, but series like Justice League International, Action Comics, and Justice League itself. But I'd like to say one thing before I start the review: Only four characters from the new line-up actually APPEAR in this first issue. So without further wait...I present Justice League #1-Geoff Johns & Jim Lee
Summary
The issue opens with Batman running on top of rooftops chasing some hooded figure, while being chased by the F.B.I. Batman manage to get them off of his tail for a couple seconds, and tackles the hooded figure who seems to kind of look like Killer Croc (though we know it isn't because some of us know who the real villain is of the story arc). Then a bright green firetruck construct comes out of nowhere and smashes into the monster-thing and nearly knocks Batman off the roof with it.
Then an uncalled for splash page where we see Green Lantern hovering above Batman. Bruce tells him to turn off his lights, but then GL just puts up some constructs in between the F.B.I. and he. Or at least that's who I think it is. Then the monster guy smashed back and apparently has wings or something ridiculous like that and so GL and Bats are out of the way for a moment and the monster guys spits fire and blows up a few of the F.B.I. helicopters. GL makes the save, then the monster becomes a spider-guy? Or as GL said "some kind of dog."
They fly (or Batman swings) off after the beast. The then go down into the sewers (GL floats down, Batman climbs down). GL starts asking what Bruce's "powers" are. Then he realizes he has no powers..hahaha. That's what you get, Bats. The most powerful guy in the Universe is laughing at you.
So in return for getting totally dissed by Hal, Bats decides to take his ring and "study" it. Though Hal didn't even notice him take it. (Yeah, that's the badass Batman we all know! Maybe this relaunch won't be so painful after all!)
The little spider-monster-guy is attaching something to a wall and it, according to Hal, becomes armed. Then the spider-monster yells "FOR DARKSEID!" and blows up. So GL puts a safe (yes, like one from a bank) around them and it keeps them, well...safe. I guess this is the first time Hal's ring was unable to identify the bomb thing that was left behind.
They agree that it "looks alien" and agree, also, that they should go find Superman (who both of them have apparently never met before).
Then we skip to a highshool football star, named Vic Stone. It basically tells the beginnings of Cyborg's introduction into the DCnU. They win the game in a blowout and we see someone who Vic wanted to reserve a seat for, never showed up. All of the scouts are offering full scholarships. Apparently his dad is busy at work and couldn't come to talk to the scouts. Then, of course, we see a Green Fighter Jet fly over the stadium.
They find where Supes is and Batman warns GL about entering. So GL puts Batman in a little protective box and says that he can handle it. So what happens in the next panel? Superman takes him down with one punch. (Handled that REALLY well, eh?) Then the last page in a splash page of Superman standing in front of Superman in his red undies-less DCnU outfit.
What I Thought
Let me put this out there: As much as I love Geoff Johns and just about every story he writes, this was about average. And starting out with a 6-issue origin story FIRST probably wasn't the best idea he's ever had (but at least it wasn't as bad as Swamp Thing being the Champion of Earth. Yeah, remember that that was only five months ago). I figure that I would have just opened with a story arc that the entire line-up would be involved in so that you get "all the new readers" in at a point that you can introduce them quickly and proficiently so that they aren't thinking "What the hell? Is the League only going to be Batman and Green Lantern fighting other heroes like Superman? Never buying this again." And since they probably don't care enough to look up websites like "Comic Book Resources" or JT's and my blog to figure out that, yeah...all those characters on the cover WILL BE HERE SOON! I PROMISE! But Geoff Johns' script: Average, but humorous still. Jim Lee's art: As always...beautiful.
I'll give this issue an 8.5/10.
Batman: "Space Sector?"
Green Lantern: "It's my beat. I'm not the only Green Lantern out there. There're thousands of others patrolling the Universe. A whole corps--"
Batman: "Uh, huh."
The issue opens with Batman running on top of rooftops chasing some hooded figure, while being chased by the F.B.I. Batman manage to get them off of his tail for a couple seconds, and tackles the hooded figure who seems to kind of look like Killer Croc (though we know it isn't because some of us know who the real villain is of the story arc). Then a bright green firetruck construct comes out of nowhere and smashes into the monster-thing and nearly knocks Batman off the roof with it.
Then an uncalled for splash page where we see Green Lantern hovering above Batman. Bruce tells him to turn off his lights, but then GL just puts up some constructs in between the F.B.I. and he. Or at least that's who I think it is. Then the monster guy smashed back and apparently has wings or something ridiculous like that and so GL and Bats are out of the way for a moment and the monster guys spits fire and blows up a few of the F.B.I. helicopters. GL makes the save, then the monster becomes a spider-guy? Or as GL said "some kind of dog."
They fly (or Batman swings) off after the beast. The then go down into the sewers (GL floats down, Batman climbs down). GL starts asking what Bruce's "powers" are. Then he realizes he has no powers..hahaha. That's what you get, Bats. The most powerful guy in the Universe is laughing at you.
So in return for getting totally dissed by Hal, Bats decides to take his ring and "study" it. Though Hal didn't even notice him take it. (Yeah, that's the badass Batman we all know! Maybe this relaunch won't be so painful after all!)
The little spider-monster-guy is attaching something to a wall and it, according to Hal, becomes armed. Then the spider-monster yells "FOR DARKSEID!" and blows up. So GL puts a safe (yes, like one from a bank) around them and it keeps them, well...safe. I guess this is the first time Hal's ring was unable to identify the bomb thing that was left behind.
They agree that it "looks alien" and agree, also, that they should go find Superman (who both of them have apparently never met before).
Then we skip to a highshool football star, named Vic Stone. It basically tells the beginnings of Cyborg's introduction into the DCnU. They win the game in a blowout and we see someone who Vic wanted to reserve a seat for, never showed up. All of the scouts are offering full scholarships. Apparently his dad is busy at work and couldn't come to talk to the scouts. Then, of course, we see a Green Fighter Jet fly over the stadium.
They find where Supes is and Batman warns GL about entering. So GL puts Batman in a little protective box and says that he can handle it. So what happens in the next panel? Superman takes him down with one punch. (Handled that REALLY well, eh?) Then the last page in a splash page of Superman standing in front of Superman in his red undies-less DCnU outfit.
What I Thought
Let me put this out there: As much as I love Geoff Johns and just about every story he writes, this was about average. And starting out with a 6-issue origin story FIRST probably wasn't the best idea he's ever had (but at least it wasn't as bad as Swamp Thing being the Champion of Earth. Yeah, remember that that was only five months ago). I figure that I would have just opened with a story arc that the entire line-up would be involved in so that you get "all the new readers" in at a point that you can introduce them quickly and proficiently so that they aren't thinking "What the hell? Is the League only going to be Batman and Green Lantern fighting other heroes like Superman? Never buying this again." And since they probably don't care enough to look up websites like "Comic Book Resources" or JT's and my blog to figure out that, yeah...all those characters on the cover WILL BE HERE SOON! I PROMISE! But Geoff Johns' script: Average, but humorous still. Jim Lee's art: As always...beautiful.
I'll give this issue an 8.5/10.
Batman: "Space Sector?"
Green Lantern: "It's my beat. I'm not the only Green Lantern out there. There're thousands of others patrolling the Universe. A whole corps--"
Batman: "Uh, huh."
"It All Changes Here" Review of "Flashpoint" #5
Summary
To catch you up to speed on the situation: Atlantis is fighting Themyscria. Captain Marvel has been split up between 6 kids and in #4 Billy was killed, so now they can no longer turn into "Captain Thunder" the Flashpoint-version of Captain Marvel. Cyborg, Batman (Thomas Wayne), Flash (Barry Allen), Element Woman, and Captain Thunder all went to stop the war between Wonder Woman and Aquaman. Reverse-Flash also randomly appeared at the end of #4.
The issue opens with Reverse-Flash, a.k.a. Eobard Thawne, standing over Barry. He's talking about how hellish of a world the Flashpoint-world is, while Cyborg and Element Woman keep the rest of the kids who form "Captain Thunder" safe. Thawne keeps speaking as though he is completely innocent of changing anything and then accuses Barry of being the one who changed everything.
Thawne then goes into a huge story with a lot of dialogue about how basically Barry went back in time, stopped Thawne from killing Barry's mom, and therefore changed the lives of people around him including Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, and Aquaman.
So. Apparently Barry Allen really DIDN'T need to come back, after all. See what you do, Geoff Johns? You bring Barry Allen back and he changes reality. Wtf.
Anyway, Thawne randomly starts beating up Thomas Wayne. Then Barry stops him so Thawne beats up Barry. Then Batman walks up and shoves a sword through Thawne's heart. So. Flash's only cool villain gets killed by an old man. Good job, DC.
Then the Resistance shows up. The Resistance includes Grifter (from WildStorm), the Demon, and the Canterbury Cricket (a Flashpoint character) along with a few other characters that were seen around Flashpoint.
They come in, kick ass, and then Superman appears out of nowhere. He beats up Aquaman and Wonder Woman.
Thomas Wayne is almost dead. He pulls out a note and hands it to Barry. Then he says he's sorry about his mother. But he tells Barry to run. So that's what Barry does. He runs...to his mom.
He and his mom have a talk and Barry realizes that he needs to catch himself before he stops Thawne.
Then we get this awesome-as-fuck double page spread showing Barry running through the center of three timelines. There is also some weird lady with a hood over her head talking to him. This two page span shows many, many characters including John Constantine, Animal Man, Swamp Thing, Batgirl (Barbara Gordon), the Justice League fighting Luthor, Joker, Deathstroke, Sinestro, and Atrocitus, and then in the bottom righthand corner we see Batman, Cyborg, Grifter, Wonder Woman, and Superman in their new outfits (also one note about how at the very end of the page, Barry is wearing his new outfit, too).
Then Barry wakes up in his office at work. You then see Barry and Bruce (both in their new outfits) talking in the cave. Barry apparently has all of his memories still in place and tells them all to Batman. He also gives the note from Thomas Wayne to Bruce.
Then end shows Barry and Bruce sitting in the Batcave.
What I Thought
I think that the whole Flashpoint-side of the story sucked. Just about everything up until Thomas Wayne told Barry to run was just filler to me. I really liked that Barry this was really a story about Barry and Batman. It's definitely a shake up to the usual "Superman & Batman" thing. I am pleased with the fact that Bruce got to have some contact with his dad. And I'm glad Barry got a chance to talk with his mom.
I'll give this issue a 6/10.
Thomas Wayne's Note: "Love Always, your father--Thomas."
Bruce Wayne: "You're one hell of a messenger. Thank you, Barry."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)