The 52 Review Show: Pilot Episode

Eric Holodnak (Electric Nerd) and Bobbinette Carey decided to start doing a show for the 52 Review site. We pick two books each and review them, then pick a topic.

On the pilot episode we go over Hawk and Dove, Action Comics, Green Lantern: New Guardians and Batgirl. And the topic at the end is the new DC universe's attempt to be grittier and more adult, and is it actually being immature or are they handling it correctly?

Give it a watch and let us know what you think. What can we add? What books would you like us to review? Have an idea for a topic? Is my girth slightly unsettling to your children? Or do you just disagree with what one of us has to say? Let us know. Anyways, here's the pilot. We're still waiting on the mics but we wanted to practice the format. Enjoy.

By Electric Nerd with 5 comments

Panels Of The Week - Week Of 9/28/11

This was another week of strong art for the new 52. My favorite moment of the week would have to be the origin splash page in The Flash #1, but there were plenty of great single panel moments too. From John Constantine getting the chance to appreciate London, to Geoff Johns challenging our preconceptions of Aquaman, here are our top 5 panels of the week!

5. Justice League Dark

In a book that was often dark and creepy, this panel was so much fun. I can't think of anything more perfect for Constantine to have been teleported into. Milligan's been writing Constantine for a long time now, and obviously he has a good handle on the character, but it was still great the way I heard the character's voice in my head as I read this.

4. Green Lantern: New Guardians

Most days of the week, Guy Gardner is my favorite Green Lantern, but Kyle "Manga Nut with a Power Ring" Rayner will always win in the constructs department. Even though a good chunk of the issue involved a recap of Kyle's origin and the various other lanterns of the universe, Kyle still got a few chances to show off what makes him great. The smile on his face is terrific.

3. All-Star Western

This panel summed up so much of what I loved about All-Star Western. The expressiveness and energy of Moritat's art, Gabriel Bautista's rich and atmospheric colors, and most of all, the Sherlock Holmes-esque vibe between Arkham and Hex. Clearly Arkham is the Watson in this equation, but I feel a little weird calling Hex Holmes. Still, you can't fault his detective work. If punching guys is good enough for Batman, it's good enough for Jonah Hex.

2. The Flash

Like I said in my Flash #1 review, little moments like this are why I love comics. Well executed onomatopoeia is always appreciated, but Francis Manapul's beautiful, intricate artwork really takes this to the next level. Water is something that's drawn badly a surprising amount of the time, so this splash looking perfect really highlights how great Manapul is.

1. Aquaman

I bet that Geoff Johns was giggling to himself when he scripted this one. The line is the sort of thing that might've appeared in a "stuff Aquaman would never say" thread not that long ago, and the image of him sitting at the booth in his full costume is a terrific one. I always appreciate superheroes wearing their costumes like they're the most normal things in the world. This was my favorite panel of the week, and I'm really looking forward to more moments like this as Aquaman continues.

By Marceline with 1 comment

Review: Green Lantern - New Guardians #1

Here at the 52 Review, all of our writers work together. We're like a family. Albeit one of those creepy families you see on day time talk shows, but still. And one of the things we do is say what book we're going to go over. And before this site even started moving and I was just talking to my friend about it, there was one book I was more excited to review than any other book coming out, this one. I must have reminded the entire group that I called dibs on it once every few days.

See, since I was a kid, I've loved Green Lantern. Especially when Kyle Rayner came around. I was an "artist" so to speak and I loved the idea of another guy who liked to draw getting the ring and throwing around ridiculously detailed and creative constructs. Years later, I swooned when they added the other rings into the mix. Especially the Blue Lanterns. Sure, will power was awesome but I didn't relate to it. If I understood thing one about will power my belly wouldn't look like I was smuggling a sea turtle under my shirt. But hope? Man, I have hope in abundance.

Then this book got announced. A team of all seven rings. And, Rayner, my favorite Lantern, and had Saints Walker, my favorite Blue Lantern. It was like DC had read my non-existent diary. Anyways, let's open this proverbial can of worms up shall we?

Right off the bat, I'm going to admit to this, I have NO IDEA when this book takes place. In Justice League and the Green Lantern books there are other Lanterns running about and we have our normal swarm of little blue Guardians. But at the beginning of THIS book, we join them right as the lot of them have been wiped out. All but Ganthet, which is cool because I would fist bump the hell out of that lovable so-and-so. This is also odd because not only is none of this explained, but later in the book Kyle says there's a ton of Green Lanterns. The only clue that there has been some sort of time progression is there's a scene when they cut to a Yellow Lantern after Kyle's trained a bit and it says "Present Day". And, to be honest, I did NOT notice that on my first read through.

Ignoring that, the main story of the book comes after Kyle gets his ring and learns to use it. He gets very comfortable with being a Green Lantern and seems to love it. Meanwhile, we cut to various Lanterns of different shades around the galaxy as, for some unexplained reason, their rings decide to leave them without warning, leaving the previous owners ringless, which, for the majority of them, is really not a good time for that to happen. Especially if you know your Red Lantern science.

(Spoiler: This guy is screwed)

They all seem to make their way across the galaxy to Kyle Rayner who, for some reason, each ring has chosen to be it's host. Just as the rings swarm about him, a representative from each Corp, from the angry Reds, to the loving Sapphires to the confusing-as-all-get-out Indigo Tribe, show up and blame Kyle for stealing one of their rings.

Not a lot gets explained in this issue, but you can tell it WILL be explained. What the issue does instead of explanations, however, is build a fantastic foundation.

First off, the book paints the people's impression of superheroes in this new world fantastically. There's a scene in which a construction worker is just talking on his phone about seeing Green Lantern flying by while his friend prefers Superman. It's not important to the plot but it really helps get the feel for people. And when a little kid makes fun of Kyle's costume for being different than the other Green Lantern's costumes it really makes you understand how much these characters are celebrities in this new world. In the background you can always see someone calling people excitedly or taking pictures on their phones. It makes you feel like a place you've lived within minutes.

Another well painted brick in this story is the main character, Kyle Rayner. In my opinion, I do not remember a time when this character was so well explained and developed so excellently. He's such a regular guy, he's not an alpha male, he's not big on testosterone, he's cheesy when it comes to girls and he likes the occasional drink. He is exceptionally average and I've never seen that done so well in a book. Even when he encounters Ganthet for the first time (see left) he looks at it like you or I would look at something like that. Like it's something silly. Like someone's pulling our leg. And it's not like a Spider-Man average either, he's likable without having to make constant quips.

Another thing they showed off with Kyle is something I've always loved about this character, his constructs. Hal Jordon has always had stream lined constructs; boxing gloves, heavy weights, things like that. Guy Gardener usually just fired away with green beams of light. And Jon Stewart will always have some sort of clever machine he designed himself. Buy Kyle's preferred construct? Absolutely anything he can come up with. If a bunch of people are falling from something, expect flying monkeys, one per person. Giant mech suits, dragons, ninjas, Pokemon-esque creatures, it's all about huge and off the cuff. For example, in this issue a crane breaks down. Where as Hal Jordan would have a large hand pick it up, Kyle throws this out instead...

Just the scale of that is insane. And you REALLY get a feel for the scale when you finally notice Kyle in the panel. This picture is also a great time to mention the art. While I feel Tony Bedard did a great job with the dialogue and story telling, Tyler Kirkham totally nailed the art style a Lantern book should have. The scope of things happening in single panels would make Perez blush. Everything is clean, clear and not a short cut is taken. While you have artists like Liefeld over on Hawk and Dove that fill every panel with solid color backgrounds, Kirkham fills each backdrop with life. Again, look at the above picture. That crane isn't just falling down. It's falling down in front of an arcade while a billboard over looks the action. Look back at the rings swarming around Kyle. Look what each person in the crowd is doing. That's insane and I love it.

All in all, I think that this book was great. It has a great foundation to really pick up and do a lot and I'm super excited to see a book not try to flood the reader with exposition to get the intro out of the way as soon as possible (Superboy I'm looking at you) and actually move at a comfortable place. Not only that but I think this book introduced a fantastic array of characters that could, potentially, create one of the most creative team dynamics the DC will be privy too. So, definitely snag this book, unless they do something horrible with it in the future this team seems to have willed a fantastic book into being.

P.S.: Speaking of fantastic characters. Let me be one of the first to welcome back one of my favorite Lantern supporting characters. In the original universe you had such a strong start and then were swept to the side where you eventually lost a hand and an ear and then was never talked about again. So, on behalf of the readers, may I not only say "welcome back Fatality", but also point out that the new look is gorgeous.

By Electric Nerd with No comments

A New Reader's Guide to the DC Relaunch

If, like me, you spend way too much time reading about comics on the internet, you probably see a lot of repeat questions. And, because the DC relaunch is dominating comics news as of late, most of them have something to do with that. The ones I'm most interested in are the ones from new readers. While the reboot is designed to be new reader friendly, there are a few issues that seem to be tripping people up, and I'm going to my best give answers to all of those questions. Whether you want to know why so many books have batsymbols on them or whether you should read Superman or Action Comics, this is your guide to the DC relaunch!

Batman

There are four titles starring the eminent Bruce Wayne, a point that seems to have confused many a perspective new reader. People aren't sure what title they should read, or if they need to read all of them. Luckily, this has a simple solution: pick whatever book looks the best, and stick with that. All of the books have different creative teams and will be telling their own separate stories. If you need help deciding which title to choose, here's a guide:

Written by Scott Snyder with art by Greg Capullo, Batman is the closest thing there is to a "main" Batman book. It's also the book that I'd recommend to anyone trying to choose a Batman title. Scott Snyder just finished up a fantastic run on Detective Comics, and has a lot of great ideas for the stories he'll tell in this one. Snyder looks to be using new villains along with many old ones, and this should be a great primer to the world of Gotham. Readers can expect plenty of mystery, plenty of great fights, and lots of Bruce just being generally badass- all things that make a great Batman comic. Artist Greg Capullo is best known for his work on Spawn, but he's already shown off some stunning preview pages, and I really think readers are in for a treat. I'd especially recommend this title to fans of the Arkham Asylum video game and to those who have read a few of the better known Batman titles, like Hush and The Long Halloween. All in all, I expect this to be a great comic that most new readers can easily enjoy.

The primary difference between Batman and Detective Comics is that it sometimes focuses on characters other than Batman. Robin, Commissioner Gordon, and Batwoman have all been the primary character in Detective Comics at one point or another. However, I suspect that it will be focusing solely on Bruce for the time being, which makes the creative team the primary difference between this and Batman. Detective Comics is written by former Batman writer Tony Daniel, who is sharing art duties on the book with Ryan Winn. Daniel's work isn't to my personal taste, but his Batman run sold well, and he isn't someone I'd tell readers to avoid. Daniel is planning on introducing several new characters, including multiple villains and a love interest for Bruce Wayne. If you're not interested in villains past and want something brand new, I'd suggest checking this out, and this should sate the urges of anyone who can't get enough of Batsy. For those of you who are only looking to pick up one Batman title, I'd suggest going with regular old Batman.

The Dark Knight is largely a showcase for David Finch, a popular Batman artist. In the past, this book was plagued by delays, but Finch now has assistance from artists Richard Friend and Jay Fabok, while Paul Jenkins will have completely taken over the books writing duties by issue three. In the past, The Dark Knight has had a supernatural focus, but early solicits give me the impression that this run of the book will be a little more focused on reality. The biggest reason to buy this book is for the art, and if your top priority in a Batman comic is having really great looking pictures of Batman, this may be the title you want to go with. With Batman going up against villainess The White Rabbit, this may also be a good title for readers who want a little cheesecake alongside their action scenes. For his first tale, Finch will be building off the events of several recent Batman stories, which means this book may be slightly less new reader friendly than the other Batman books. In spite of that, I still expect this book to pretty accessible, and those of you who like Finch's artwork should give it a look.

Batman and Robin focuses on the relationship between Bruce and his son, Damian Wayne. While this may sound intimidating to new readers who had no idea Batman even had a son, Damian serving as the Robin to Bruce's Batman is actually brand new, and this should be an easy jumping on point for anyone who wants an introduction to the character. Currently, this is the only title Damian will be appearing in, and I expect him to get as much screentime as Bruce in most issues, if not more. Because of this, I'd rule this title out for readers who only want to read one title on Batman. However, Damian is a great character, and this is a strong choice for anyone looking for a second Batman title. It'll provide readers with a different perspective of Batman, and will feature some nice looking art from Patrick Gleason. The main villain for the first arc of this story will be a new character called "NoBody", and the tale will delve into the personal life of Bruce Wayne as well as secrets about his past.





But what about all those other comics with Batsymbols on them?
New readers, here is a secret: people really like to buy any comics that have Batman and Wolverine on them. Because of this, publishers try to use the popularity of those characters to sell readers on other, newer ones. The titles with Batsymbols on them are part of what's commonly referred to as the Batfamily. This means that the one or more of the characters in the title has some kind of connection to Batman. For example, Nightwing stars Dick Grayson, a former Robin who was once Batman himself, while Batwing stars an African hero who received funding from Bruce Wayne. While several of these titles look like they're going to be great comics, they're all pretty separate from Batman, and you don't need to bother with them unless they interest you. If you are interested in checking out a few of these comics, I'd suggest Batwoman and Red Hood and the Outlaws.

Superman

There are very few Superman titles in comparison to Batman ones, which makes his books a little easier for new readers to navigate. However, deciding between Superman and Action Comics can be tricky, so here's an idea of what you can expect from these two books.

Action Comics will begin in the past, and will serve as an introduction to the new, mostly rebooted Superman. The title will be written by Grant Morrison, who also wrote the hugely popular All-Star Superman. Morrison has promised an action packed tale and has even talked about doing an issue without a single cutaway. Morrison is known from pulling from the long forgotten history of characters, and Action Comics looks to be no exception. However, I expect this to be an added treat for observant older readers, rather than a hurdle to new ones. This title will feature art by the very talented Rags Morales, but I think there's a high chance of him being replaced on future issues, and I'd suggest against buying this title for the art alone. Overall, Action Comics is the ideal comic for new readers or readers who are just new to this take on Superman. It seems designed to give readers a strong understanding of the character and his motivations, and will give new readers an introduction to supporting characters like Steel. As an added bonus for Justice League readers, this comic will also show how Supes gets his Kryptionian armor.

Superman will be set in the present, and will feature many of the more well known Superman supporting characters, such as Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen. While I can't give this as glowing a recommendation as I did Action Comics, I still expect it to be a very good book. It's written by George Perez, who had one of the all-time best runs on Wonder Woman. He's got strong characterization skills and is especially good at effectively utilizing supporting casts. For that reason, I'd suggest this title to those of you with a strong interest in the going ons of the Daily Planet, or for anyone who's interested in the Lois/Clark/Superman love triangle. While you won't get the backstory provided by Action Comics, this should still be an easy tale to jump into, and anything essential for readers to know should be mentioned in both comics. The art for the comic will be provided by Jesus Merino, but Perez is an artist himself and is still storyboarding the look of the comic. This should allow Perez to do some really interesting visual storytelling, and hopefully the comic will take full advantage of that.



What about Superboy and Supergirl?
I think that Superboy will be completely separate from Superman from a good long time. While Superboy is a clone made using Superman's DNA, any crossover action he has should be appearing in the Teen Titans title. Superman will be making an appearance in Supergirl's second issue, but I suspect his interactions with her will largely be confined to her comic, and it's nothing you need to read in order to follow Supes himself. Both books look promising, though, and if you like teen characters, you should give them a look.

Green Lantern

The Green Lantern titles are keeping more of their status quo than any other DC titles, which makes them a little trickier for new readers. All of the titles should be fine as a jumping on point, but they'll still be reliant on what came before, and readers may come away with some questions about the universe. Fortunately, the differences between the four books are easily explained, so here's a quick overview of the Green Lantern titles. 

The first issue of Green Lantern will pick where Green Lantern #67 left off, making this the most continuity heavy Green Lantern title. Fortunately, this title will also be written by Geoff Johns, who has succeeded in making comics like this accessible to new readers in the past. The current success of the franchise is largely because of his title Green Lantern: Rebirth, which provided a quick, simple summation of Green Lantern history before moving forward with new stories. Those wary of any continuity should stay away from the title, but those who just want a story they can understand shouldn't have problems. The focal character of the title will be Sinestro, who some of you may recognize from the Green Lantern film. He only recently became a Green Lantern again, and his return to the ring has made him many enemies. This title will be action-packed and will feature high-energy art from Doug Mahnke. This wouldn't be my number one choice for someone looking to get into Green Lantern, but it's a solid pick.

If you're looking to get a feel for the entire Green Lantern universe, Green Lantern Corps is your best bet. Many aspects of the Green Lantern mythos will be utilized here, and the title will introduce many lesser known Green Lantern characters. I will warn readers that the title features a large cast of characters, and new characters may show up on a semi-regular basis. While this series will also use some of what came before, it's getting a fresher start than Green Lantern, and overall, it'll be a good place for many to start. It's being written by Peter Tomasi, who's done a good job with this characters in the past, and is primarily drawn by Scott Hanna. Those of you planning on reading Justice League International may also want to give this book a look, as Guy Gardner will be a primary character in both titles. Fans of John Stewart, the Green Lantern seen in the Justice League cartoon, or any incarnation of Kilowog will also want to give this comic a chance. I expect this title to be the one with the most similarities to the upcoming Green Lantern animated series.

Want to know more about those colored rings you see people with? Give New Guardians a go. In the Green Lantern universe, there are also Red Lanterns, Blue Lanterns, and more, and this is the book that will showcase them. Several of the major players in this book are either brand new or recently introduced characters, and readers should have plenty of time to get to know them. In later issues, readers will also be introduced to Larfleeze, a wildly entertaining character I think most people will enjoy. This title will be written by Tony Bedard, a great writer who I think is hugely underrated. While you can expect plenty of action, you should also expect some humor and strong characterization. While this won't provide as solid an introduction to the Green Lantern universe as Corps, it'll be a great way to learn about the other rings, and I'd suggest taking a look at both titles to anyone who doesn't mind reading multiple books.

Are you filled with rage? Do you want a comic full of blood and anger and revenge? Then the comic for you, my friend, is Red Lanterns. Red Lantern rings are powered entirely by rage, and  every issue should show the characters taking that anger out on the enemies in their way. Like New Guardians, many of the characters in this comic are new, and readers should get a strong introduction to them. Peter Milligan, a talented writer known mostly for his work on Vertigo titles, will be creating the comic's story, while Ed Benes and Rob Hunter will be providing the art. Red Lanterns is a brand new title, and I've gotten the impression that it'll be fairly separate from the rest of the Green Lantern universe. This makes it a great pick for new readers just looking for something cool to read, but not the best choice for anyone hoping to use the relaunch to get into Green Lantern.







But what about the guy in the Justice League?
The first arc of Justice League is set in the past, and Hal Jordan is no longer a Green Lantern in the present. This will be dealt with in the first issue of Green Lantern, and should also be explained once Justice League's first arc concludes.

Justice League

The three Justice League titles share a name only, and the primary thing that they have in common is that they're all team books. Here's an idea of what you can expect from each one. 

Justice League is the flagship title of the DCnU, and was already released on August 31st. If you haven't had a chance to read the book yet, you can check out my review of the title here. While this is the place to read about DC's most well known characters, later arcs will also introduce readers to new or lesser known heroes like Element Woman and Firestorm. Having read the first issue, I can confirm that this should be very easy for new readers to follow, and it's a great choice for anyone who wants to get into the main characters of the DCU.  Readers can expect solid art, an easy to follow story, and a strong introduction to the entire team of characters. If you haven't started the series yet and don't mind waiting, I'd suggest jumping into the series after the first arc has concluded. You should be able to get a trade paperback of the arc for a good price, or buy all the previous issues at a discounted price via Comixology, and I think the story will read better when you take it in all at once.

While Justice League International should mostly be pretty separate from the main Justice League title, a quick glance at the cover should show you the one thing they have in common. So why is Batman in both titles? Aside from the "Batman sells" rule I mentioned before, the Justice League International is a team put together by the United Nations, and Batman will serve as the Justice League's representative. If your knowledge of DC comes primarily from cartoons and video games, and you'd like to get to know lesser known characters, this title is ideal. From Booster Gold to Plastic Man to August General in Iron, this title is the best way to familiarize yourself with DC's B and C list roster, many of whom are terrific characters. In the past Justice League International has been a humor filled title, and while I expect this to be a little more serious than JLI past, it should have plenty of laughs and should be a good, fun read overall.

Justice League Dark is title that focuses on the supernatural side of the DC universe, and is the showcase book for magic using characters. Magic has always been something that DC has done well, and like Justice League International, this is a great way to get to know some lesser known characters. A few of the book's characters, such as Zatanna and Constantine, may be somewhat familiar to new comic readers, but unrecognizable in their current incarnations. This is a brand new title and new readers should have no issues jumping right in. The title is written by Peter Milligan, who has done great work with several of these characters in the past, and features beautiful art by Mikel Janin, who is fairly new to the comics world. While you may see a few Justice League characters in that preview page, I don't expect the two titles to cross over at all, and you shouldn't worry about following both comics unless you're interested in them. All in all, this should be a cool read with something different to offer than the other two Justice League titles.





What about all the other comics? What if I want to read Wonder Woman or Demon Knights?
You're in luck! New readers should be able to jump into any of the new titles with very little difficulty. For a look at what titles I recommend, check out my 10 most anticipated DCnU Comics.

TL;DR! TL;DR!
Read Batman, Action Comics, Green Lantern Corps, or whatever other comics strike your fancy. Most titles will be very accessible to new readers, even ones who don't like reading gigantic blog posts. ;)

By Marceline with 1 comment