People like first issues (and surprises):

Yes, that’s true. I have three issues of Spawn #1 to bear this out. First issues allow you to get in on the ground floor of things. Of course, most folks will always want to get in on no-brainers such as Batman #1 but what it really did and should be is help you find new characters and creators. Of all 52 titles initially released, I’d have ranked Animal Man very low on my “BUY” list. WRONG! Oh, how wrong I was. Having read Animal Man 1 & 2, it is a comic you deserve to be reading. It is smart, well-drawn and has a plot that dares the reader to not follow-up. The true success of Animal Man was that not only did it make me add the title to my pull list but it made me seek out other things by AM writer Jeff Lemire such as Sweet Tooth and Essex County and I’m glad DC opened that particular door.

People (me) don’t like it when you Yoga-tize a smart, capable woman of color who was OK with not being rail-thin:

DC, you’d better bring back my capable, fat, black Amanda Waller who scares Batman and reminds me of my own mother.

Do it NOW.

DC, whenever you would massively screw something up, I could always point to Amanda Waller as the one thing you’d gotten right from the get-go and kept it right. From her first appearance on, I always loved that Amanda Waller had no problem with who she was. She was a short, fat black woman who through years of hardship and hard work, earned the right to be whoever she damned well pleased. I appreciated that in at least one instance in the DC Universe, someone had thrown out the cookie cutter and asked of the artist to draw what needed to be seen. Let Amanda Waller eat again, DC.

People, nailing a face to a wall doesn’t say, “Detective:”

In Detective Comics #1, the end comes with a fairly well-known Batman antagonist having his face nailed to a wall. Maybe it’s just me but this plays more as “Saw” Comics than “Detective” comics. For a better use of the “detective” theme, see Batman #1.

People (Men) don’t draw women like ladies:

Having read Catwoman #1, I can see what others have been going on about. Yes, when you see Catwoman for the first time you may think, “Wow, the new Catwoman comes with less head,” due to the artist’s drawing her as a flashing series of ass and boob shots before we even see her face two pages later culminating in a four page sex scene where she gets her fratboy on and pretty much sexually assaults Batman. This scene is gratuitous and does not honor the characters at all. They deserve better and as I read this issue, all I could think was,“ When did Catwoman become “Crazy Nasty Ass Honey Badger?” Get it together, guys. Everyone deserves better.

That said, what did YOU take away from DC’s 52 #1?

Nothing says gritty quite like the opening pages of Detective Comics #1, which features a naked Joker stabbing the hell out of a man who purports himself to be one of his biggest fans, clearly evidenced by the fact that he’s wearing a mask made out of skin, ala Leatherface! It’s all delightfully gruesome, as we’re reintroduced to the Clown Prince of Crime, as well as the Caped Crusader.

What makes this issue work so well is that, unlike titles like Justice League, which will probably spent the next two or three issues introducing all the characters to one another in the most forced and contrived ways possible, all Detective Comics has to do is focus on establishing Batman, which is done rather efficiently. What we have here is a first issue where stuff actually happens. Even with the story arc destined to span multiple issue, it’s balanced with some sense of a beginning, middle, and end to the one issue. Batman is obsessed with catching the Joker, and it’s made quite clear that for one, cops don’t like him, and two, this is a Batman that seems to genuinely regret not having a normal life. Missing out on dating seems to genuinely affect him. There seems to be less focus on him putting on a billionaire playboy front, choosing to portray him as someone frustrated that he doesn’t have enough time to be Bruce Wayne and he really wants to be. It’s impressive how well Tony Daniel illustrates this without over-selling it. It’s played more as something for readers to merely keep in the back of their minds, while the main story is going on.

And part of the story is establishing Batman’s relationship with Commissioner Gordon. De-aged to his ginger state, Gordon is still a man who believes in what Batman is trying to do, but makes it clear that it’s a balancing act for him, having to play to the loyalties of his police force, as well as thinking about the Mayor’s political interests. Both characters are still trying to prove themselves to one another, and it’s an aspect of the book I’m very much looking forward to.

Art-wise, it’s amazing to see just how much Tony Daniel has evolved (and continues to evolve) as an artist. For someone I honestly believed would be little more than a poor man’s J. Scott Campbell (and this was even before coming out with his “poor man’s Danger Girl” title, F5!), he’s managed to truly come into his own in the past few years. It’s a more restrained style that doesn’t skimp on the detail, grit and grime, that perfectly fits Batman. To say nothing of nods to the art of Dave Mazzucchelli and Dark Knight Returns-era Frank Miller that are present, but never overbearing.

While I’m still on the fence regarding DC’s bold relaunch, I’m more than happy to support the good books that come as a result, and Detective Comics is leading the pack at the moment.

Verdict: A-

We’re back! Sorry for the delay–YouTube was updating yesterday and giving us fits. We did have it posted on our Facebook page, however–become a fan, if you aren’t already! This week, Josh and I tackled Blackest Night #8, X-Men Second Coming, the new Terminator 2029 #1 from Zach Whedon, Detective Comics #863, Hack/Slash #30, Governator #1, Prelude to Deadpool Corps #5, the awesome Faith Maquette, and the Master figurine from the Buffy and Angel Figurine Collection!

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Aloha! We took a break with Wednesday New Releases, but we’re back and goofier than ever, as you can see from our dance routine at the beginning of this video. Today, Josh and I take a look at Girl Comics #1, First Wave #1, Buffy #33, Chew #9, Detective Comics #862, X-Men: Hope #1, Green Hornet #1, and Kick Ass!

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Aloha! We took a break with Wednesday New Releases, but we’re back and goofier than ever, as you can see from our dance routine at the beginning of this video. Today, Josh and I take a look at Girl Comics #1, First Wave #1, Buffy #33, Chew #9, Detective Comics #862, X-Men: Hope #1, Green Hornet #1, and Kick Ass!

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Aloha! We took a break with Wednesday New Releases, but we’re back and goofier than ever, as you can see from our dance routine at the beginning of this video. Today, Josh and I take a look at Girl Comics #1, First Wave #1, Buffy #33, Chew #9, Detective Comics #862, X-Men: Hope #1, Green Hornet #1, and Kick Ass!

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Aloha! We took a break with Wednesday New Releases, but we’re back and goofier than ever, as you can see from our dance routine at the beginning of this video. Today, Josh and I take a look at Girl Comics #1, First Wave #1, Buffy #33, Chew #9, Detective Comics #862, X-Men: Hope #1, Green Hornet #1, and Kick Ass!

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Aloha! We took a break with Wednesday New Releases, but we’re back and goofier than ever, as you can see from our dance routine at the beginning of this video. Today, Josh and I take a look at Girl Comics #1, First Wave #1, Buffy #33, Chew #9, Detective Comics #862, X-Men: Hope #1, Green Hornet #1, and Kick Ass!

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SUPERMAN: SECRET ORIGIN #4 (DC): Like every issue in this series, the real reason for it is to let Gary Frank draw classic moments in Superman’s history. That’s pretty much it… But it’s a really, really good reason, as he nails every single one of them. Geoff Johns is channeling the tone of the Richard Donner movies here, which makes sense since Donner was one of Johns’ mentors. So we get a balance of silly humor and iconic moments. I’d argue the silly works much better here in the comics than it did in the movies, though even I’m a little strained to not wince at Parasite’s Homer Simpson-esque origin. Regardless, Johns knows how to write Lex Luthor, he knows how to write Lois Lane, and he knows how to write Superman. Here’s hoping we get him and Frank back on the title soon.

BATWOMAN IN DETECTIVE COMICS #861 (DC): This issue sees a couple of “new” additions. Jock takes up art chores from J.H. Williams III, which are difficult shoes for anyone to fill. We get a new story arc from writer Greg Rucka, exploring a new Gotham crazy called Cutter. And though its not exactly new, we cross-cut between Batman and Batwoman, both working the same case. Given how good this title has been, it’s hard to match up to the first bunch of issues, but Jock does a great job, bringing some interesting graphical motifs of his own. Rucka’s mystery is a little disappointingly easy to figure out, though well plotted as usual. And while I wish there was a little more “here’s how Batman and Batwoman are different,” which I think was the central idea, I expect those differences in philosophy will be laid out over the next two issues. Still one of the best titles on the stands, though here’s hoping Williams comes back soon (no insult to Jock).

JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #41 (DC): I’ve been thinking a lot about not writing bad reviews of comics… I’m just not sure what it brings to the table, honestly. It’s hurtful for creators in a small industry, and might be funny for readers, but even if it wins you fans, it’s not the right type of fans. Anyway, I guess as long as you make it clear something isn’t good in a creative way, that’s probably enough?

JUSTICE LEAGUE: CRY FOR JUSTICE #6 (DC): Man… Watchmen is a really good comic. I hope I can write my own version of Watchmen someday.

SUPERGIRL #49 (DC): Before we even get into a review, how good is that cover? Easily my favorite of the week, and a contender for best of the year. Okay, on to the rest of the issue: I love this book. When Sterling Gates is given free reign to write a story about Supergirl (rather than getting caught up in an endless Superman cross-over), he delivers a damn near perfect comic book, replete with humor, pathos, and creative fights and villains. He wraps up Supergirl’s fight with Silver Banshee in this issue, but the real star is the second half, which shows the final (?) fate of Lana Lang. It’s no exaggeration when I say that I held my breath for the last few pages, it’s that tense and terrifying. Gates is easily following up on the promise he showed on his first issue on the title, and I can’t wait for next month’s #50… It should be a classic.

GOTHAM CITY SIRENS #8 (DC): This is a spectacular issue of an underrated series. Part of the trend of titles that are nowhere near as over-sexed as their initial launches implied, Sirens true hero is artist Guillem March, who smooth style, along with Tomeu Morey’s beautiful shades and colors create a unique comic book reading experience. This issue, it stands out even more than usual, as March provided the plot, clearly as a way of stretching his talents. The packed panel structure provides an almost comic strip feel. Mixed with March’s sly renderings, the whole effect is unique and packed. Marc Andreyko’s script smartly is there to provide settings for March to draw, and stand back… Though, as usual, he writes a great, involving mystery, and good character moments. This is, quite possibly, the best issue of this series so far… And given that I’ve enjoyed Dini’s issues quite a bit, that’s saying a lot.

WONDER WOMAN #40 (DC): I’m glad we’re getting away from the Amazonian stuff that’s engulfed the last few issues, as writer Gail Simone excels at these sorts of more self-contained stories (at least in Wonder Woman). This issue, we get a new villain in The Crows, a group of children stirring up hatred all over Diana’s city. While most of the issue is spent with set-up and deck clearing from previous story lines, it’s heads and tails above what we’ve gotten from this title in a while, and a lot more fun. The last two pages in particular have Simone poking fun at Wonder Woman, superhero fights in general, and creating a fun cliffhanger for the next issue. I’m always rooting in the corner for this title, and this issue reminds me why.

JACK OF FABLES #42 (VERTIGO): I was a little miffed to learn that Jack of Fables (you know, the star of the book?) would be replaced by his “son” Jack Frost for the time being. And while the over the top diabolical humor has left with Jack Senior, in favor of swashbuckling adventure, I quite like this book now, as well. Right now, Willingham and Sturges are in the middle of an old-school adventure comic riff, mixing elements of Flash Gordon with Fables style magic. It’s fun to read, and breezy, though the story isn’t really doing anything new other than the riff… It’s comforting in its familiarity. I love pretty much every issue of this book, but can’t wait for its star to come back.

VICTORIAN UNDEAD #3 (WILDSTORM): Well, this continues to just be a delight. Seeing Sherlock Holmes and Watson sit down to a civilized lunch while London is overcome by outer-space zombies is just as incongruous as you’d hope it would be. And while this issue is big on exposition, with the explanations out of the way, we can get back to Holmes kicking zombie arse. But you know, in a very smart distinguished way. People may scoff, but this sort of purposeful silliness is what comics are all about, and I’m having a blast reading it.

He’s BA-ACK! Yes, our own Josh returns for this week’s edition of Wednesday New Releases, just in time to go over Captain America Reborn #6, Green Lantern #50, Atom and Hawkman #46, Siege: New Avengers #61, Chew #8, Detective Comics #861, Walking Dead #69, and Supergirl #49. Enjoy!

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He’s BA-ACK! Yes, our own Josh returns for this week’s edition of Wednesday New Releases, just in time to go over Captain America Reborn #6, Green Lantern #50, Atom and Hawkman #46, Siege: New Avengers #61, Chew #8, Detective Comics #861, Walking Dead #69, and Supergirl #49. Enjoy!

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He’s BA-ACK! Yes, our own Josh returns for this week’s edition of Wednesday New Releases, just in time to go over Captain America Reborn #6, Green Lantern #50, Atom and Hawkman #46, Siege: New Avengers #61, Chew #8, Detective Comics #861, Walking Dead #69, and Supergirl #49. Enjoy!

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Merry Christmas! It’s Christmas Eve-Eve, but even more importantly, it’s Wednesday! This week, Josh and I cover Detective Comics #860, Chew #7, Criminal: Sinners #3, Angel: Only Human #5, Angel Annual #1, Farscape: Gone and Back HC, and the Marvel Rogue Bishoujo statue. Jingle bells, jingle bells . . .

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Hey guys! We’re back for this week’s Wednesday New Releases Video, and we’re talking about a bunch of awesome titles this week. Get the inside scoop on Arkham Reborn #1, Die Hard Year One #2, Detective Comics #858, Superman Secret Origin #2, the Abe Sapien one-shot from Dark Horse’s One-Shot Wonders, and the Batman Black & White statue by Ed McGuinness. Watch the video below for more:

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Hey everyone! Sorry this is a bit late, but we have some awesome stuff to show you today: the long-awaited conclusion to Old Man Logan, The Umbrella Academy: Dallas Limited-Edition Hardcover, Detective Comics #857, and the Twilight New Moon figures. Check them out:

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Intro: SDCC Recap
Blackest Night: Tales of the Corps #3 (SPLIT VERDICT)
Detective Comics #855 (BUY IT)
Last Days of Animal Man #3 (DIANA’S BOOK OF THE WEEK)
Dark Reign: The Hood #3 (BUY IT)
New Avengers #55 (BUY IT)
Ultimatum: Spider-Man – Requiem (BUY IT)
Thunderbolts #134 (BUY IT)

Agree? Disagree? Think we don’t know what the heck we’re talking about? Please leave your feedback!

Special thanks as always to Comic Smash for providing Diana’s books for review and Midtown Comics for Jon’s.

Diverting Attention: Comics

Existence 2.0 #1
Image Comics
Writer: Nick Spencer
Art: Ron Salas
Price: $3.50
Grade: B

Want to know why science isn’t sexy? Because it’s never been put to use in things we really value. Forget about cloning sheep, chickens or any other farm animals. What if scientists cloned celebrities, or could reach into your genetic code and alter who you are, or brought back the dead? It can all be had, for the right price and Nick Spencer and Ron Salas are trying to help you imagine that world in Existence 2.0, a new series about a cutting edge physicist who is murdered but before dying is able to transfer his mind to his murderer’s body.

Sylvester Baladine was a man who had it all thanks to his underground work as a contract scientist: a family, a mistress, and the mind to put dangerous thoughts into reality. But that was his prior life, and now he looks through the jade eyes of contract killer named Marko. At first, living in new skin is a world of change that includes a long line of hot women and the fast life. But when he discovers that his daughter from his previous life was kidnapped, our protagonist uses Marko’s assets and skills to get to the bottom of his own murder. Who sent this man to kill him, and why?

The lead character brings readers into his world of amoral activity and questionable character by way of strong narration, raw and dynamic art, accompanied by the soundtrack of a subdued color palette. It’s a package similar to what Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips have been doing at Marvel’s Icon imprint, with enough twisted layman science to keep the pages turning quickly.

Spencer balances out the man of science with the man of action evenly in a nonlinear story. While I would like to hear a better separation of distinct dialogue between the peripheral characters (they all sound like the same person), the story moves at a wonderful pace and Spencer gives us two lead characters we want to know more about in the late Sylvester, and the taken-over Marko. Salas’ work excels in striking shadowed artwork. He still has some work to do on consistent body proportion and perspective, but I appreciate the varying camera angles and love the brushed ink work. I hope to see more background art in subsequent issues too because the panels that have them show promising talent. Together, Spencer and Salas are synchronized well especially on pages 14-15 when Marko rediscovers his life of luxury and all of the action scenes, which isn’t always the easiest thing to do in comics. If you like both crime and science fiction genres this, fresh mesh of the two comes recommended.

Detective Comics #854
DC Comics
Writer: Greg Rucka
Artists/Colorists: J.H. Williams III and Dave Stewart (Batwoman), Cully Hamner and Laura Martin (The Question)
Price: $3.99
Grade: A+

Since Final Crisis I have walked away from much of the DCU not because I really want to but because of increasing costs, I am just becoming more picky as to where my dollar goes. I was a longtime reader of Batman and Detective, but chose to jump ship on the whole Batman: R.I.P. And Battle for the Cowl because you can’t fool this reader again. Bruce Wayne’s just taking a vacation, I know. And then Detective Comics #854 came out which has me rethinking my pull list.

First off, let me get this out of the way. WOW! This is possibly the most gorgeous superhero book that came out all year. It’s been a long time that the art alone nearly sold me to pick up a random comic but penciler J.H. Williams III and colorist Dave Stewart outdid themselves in a robust, full-bodied issue inspiring frequent quips of “bad-ass,” featuring intricate and playful layouts, eye-popping visuals, and two of the most impressive splash pages in years. The art pair may single-handedly elevate the albino fetish to a new high. I’ll toast to that.

Now add a great entry point for new or returning readers. I could honestly give two shits about Batwoman in the whole scheme of things, but when she’s written by Greg Rucka, my dog ears raise up. Again we feel the impact of Batman without his actual presence as Batwoman is asked to cover a particular sector of Gotham is not above her ability but we are introduced to someone who walked out of Grant Morrison’s wet dreams. Rucka is the one male writer who I can give complete confidence in when writing female leads. By the end of this appetizing issue, I was ready for the next issue for dessert, then the one after that for a midnight snack. I ate this issue up and have put Detective Comics back on my pull list! Just keep this team together for the long haul, DC. The increase in cost is offset by an eight page backup story of the Question, written by Rucka and art by a longtime favorite of mine, Cully Hamner and Laura Martin. Highly recommended!

Strongman
SLG Publishing
Writer: Charles Soule
Art: Allan Gladfelter
$9.95
Grade: A-

This review has been long overdue because I really enjoyed every page of this sleeper of a hit which came out a few months ago about devoted Mexican lucha wrestler, El Tigre who doubled as a vigilante in the 1960′s but stopped when tragedy struck one day. Too many bottles of cerveza to count, El Tigre is sought out by a damsel in distress to redeem himself by saving a city where the citizens are being mined of their internal organs only to be served as appetizers to the elite.

Charles Soule orchestrates a full-length story around the fun-loving El Tigre at the center of it, a down and out former, street-wise wrestler who refuses to take off his lucha mask for anyone. Each character has a particular voice unique to the rest of the cast, especially the mastermind behind the sinister plot. It would be easy for Soule to take the easy way out and make it non-stop action, or be over-the-top silly, but he’s really challenged himself by combining a niche culture, duality and dark humor, into a fully realized world where humanity rules the day. He achieved it successfully as I found myself unable to put it down until I cried like a little girl at the end. Strongman is not insultingly simple, nor is it weighed down by exposition or unneeded garbage that clutters up the solid black and white art of Allen Gladfelter. Each character has a unique and great design and the extras in the back of the book show just how much work was put into making everything look right. Creative use of zip-tone will always earn praise from me and Gladfelter has excellent control of it, not only using it for shading but also for design. Each panel is full of detail and depth that’s clear to examine, even in its digest format. If I had to nitpick one thing, I would say that the lettering could have been greatly improved. Too many words are hyphenated and spaced awkwardly that make the reading experience suffer a bit; but not so much that it takes away from the overall enjoyment of Strongman. It’s not every day that a lucha story makes its way to readers, it’s also not every day you get to read something this fun. Pick it up or order it today and enjoy it for a long time!

The following review is excerpted from Comic Book Revolution (click here to read CBR’s full review)

Art : 5/10
Story : 8/10
Overall : 6.5/10

Hush has always had potential, but Dini finally took that potential and made Hush a more compelling character in this story arc.

Throughout this story arc, I have enjoyed all of the flashback scenes involving Elliot. The flashback in this issue was masterfully crafted as Elliot appeared both sympathetic and horribly reprehensible at the same moment. Dini has done an impressive job breathing life into Bruce’s high society past throughout this story arc.

My favorite scene was the one between Bruce and Selina at the hospital. This scene was incredibly emotional as Dini displayed a nice feel for the complex and volatile relationship the two have had over the years. It was a refreshing change of pace to see Bruce open up so candidly and expose an actual warm and caring heart that normally is as cold and hard as ice.

Of course, this is still the goddamn Batman that we are talking about and I appreciate that Dini made a point that Bruce and Selina’s “happy ending” only lasted for one night. This reminds the reader of the fact that Bruce is still an emotionally damaged person who is probably not capable of sustaining a serious and stable relationship with any woman.

Dustin Nguyen and Derek Fridolfs combine to deliver some decidedly average artwork. I have seen some of Nguyen’s pencils and they look nice. They certainly look much better than when they are inked by Fridolfs. Having said that, the Batcave was fantastic. Nguyen crams plenty of Easter Eggs into these panels set in the Batcave. I believe that we saw just about every single version of the Batmobile ranging from the original one to the 1960’s TV show Batmobile to the ones seen in the various Tim Burton Batman movies all the way up to the most recent Batman movie.

Overall: Detective Comics #850 was a pleasant ending to a well-crafted story arc. This finale delivered enough action and drama that it should have broad appeal to a large cross section of comic book readers. If you missed out on the Hush story arc then I would certainly recommend checking this story arc out when it is released in trade paperback format.

For more reviews, scans, story recaps and news visit Comic Book Revolution!