REVIEW: Batwing # 1-8

BATWING
Issues #1-8
Story arc: Massacre/The Kingdom Storyline
Writer: Judd Winick
Artists: Ben Oliver, Chriscross & Dustin Nguyen
DC Comics


BACKGROUND:

   Welcome back folks. Been a while since I did a whole storyline. But, let's get down to business. Batwing first appeared as a part of Batman's new Batman Inc venture about a year before the relaunch. Fast forward to around last summer when DC announced the New 52, Batwing was one of the titles that was to be bolstered. And that came with both positive and negative press. Yet, Batwing was just one of the many characters that were going to give diversity alongside Mr. Terrific, Static, Voodoo, Blue Beetle & Batwoman. I just want to point out that the first 2 titles were canceled a few month ago and Voodoo gets her last issue this month. Yet, the other two are going strong.

  So, what is making Batwing a title that keeps going? Part of it may have to do with the Bat-family. The other part of it might be the fact that it is being sold as "the Batman of Africa." But, let's examine the truth behind this title and see if it really  measures up.


LOW DOWN:

  Batwing # 1 opens to ... narration while our hero is fighting the villain in question, Massacre. It looks brutal. The background definitely feels like a different place. Our hero tells us how brutal Massacre with on very little armor in comparison to him. Yet, for the first time, we hear a phrase that will haunt readers and our hero: We Honor Them  All in Blood.

   Wow. What a colorful ... line.

  We go through a flashback of Batwing, where we are outside of the city of Tinasha as Batwing takes down a drug lord known as Blood Tiger. After scaring the crap out of Blood Tiger with some narration from Batwing being told by Batman to be theatrical in order to instill fear into the hearts of criminals; we go to an investigation being done by Tinasha officer Kia Okuru and our hero's civilian identity, David Zavimbe. Earlier, David left a clue while in his Batwing gear. David subtlety tests Officer Okuru who finds the wallet. Back in Batwing's lair, The Haven, he and his Alfred, known as Matu Ba, connect with the Bat Computer and figure out the identity of Massacre's first victim . . . a hero known as Earth Strike; a hero in African's super hero team known as The Kingdom.

 We find out that the Kingdom has disappeared and David goes back in civvies to his police job ... only to be met with a machete stabbed through his back to his chest after walking in a room full of severed heads and bodies. YAY. I like Tinasha.

  It seems as if Massacre came to leave a message to the Tinasha police. And he did. While David was dealing with his recent impalement, Officer Okuru brought reinforcements ...only for her to get hurt and the rest of the reinforcements to be killed by Massacre. Boy ... the guy is living up to his name.

We find that Massacre left little survivors among the police and has decided to attack  . .. an ELEMENTARY School. Okay. You know, I know we want to show how dark and gritty this new city in Africa is but DAMN! Of course, this is two weeks after Massacre' s glorious first confrontation with the Tinasha PD.

  David figures out that Massacre is gonna attack an elementary school as Massacre attacks one . .. mostly,a teacher in one. But this teacher actually happens to be former member of the Kingdom, Thunder Fall. The electric Thunder Fall takes on Massacre ... only to lose an arm in the process. GEEZ!

 Batwing, against Matu Ba's wishes . . . okay, okay ... Batwing shots Matu with a sedative, knocking him out . . .goes and joins the battle against Massacre. Batwing is able to fend off Massacre but the damage is done. Thunder Fall succumes to blood loss, dying. Yet, before he dies, he is about to tell Batwing that they should not be forgiven for what they did.

  As the mystery gets deeper about The Kingdom and Massacre, we get a look back at David's childhood ... as a child soldier for a warlord named Keita. Both David and his younger brother Issac were the two best child soldiers of General Keita's army. They would kill who he asked to kill ... except women and children. And they would not hesitate to beat up older soldiers. They were the Dragonflies and they were vicious. Yet, their moral stand against Keita lead to their defection ... and Keita seemingly killing Issac after beating him up  and throwing him off a cliff side.

  For his trouble, young David kidnaps Keita, ties him up near an enemy camp and let's them known Keita is there.

Ah ... the joys of youth.

After that ... we find that Massacre kills another member of the Kingdom, off panel and it is now time ... for a fundraiser. It seems that there is a fundraiser at The Kingdom's former headquarters, known as The Citadel. The Kingdom's old pilot and weapons mechanic, Josiah Kone. And wow ...  he's at the Citadel, alongside Bruce Wayne who have transformed The Kingdom's old headquarters into a museum. Yet, Massacre ... with help this time, is able to destroy   The Citadel and kidnap a group of people with him.

  Batwing manages to corner and stop Massacre, saving the people and Josiah from certain death. Yet, as Batwing continues to dive into the mystery behind  The Kingdom ... he learns of their greatest shame and secret.


 SPOILER ALERT

 The Kingdom allowed for a genocidal maniac to team up with a group of warlords to fight the peoples army ... and let them kill each other. The maniac, General Okuro, was exiled from Africa, led by the Kingdom themselves.


  It is from this one event which lead to the break up of the Kingdom and the events that are currently happen with Massacre. Batwing and Batman track down the remaining members of The Kingdom to Gotham City and ...

 I will stop here.


BREAK DOWN:

Art:

   We have 3 very distinct art styles here. Very distinct and very different. Dustin Nguyen's issues were good and really captured the grit of Gotham and the mood for the story during those last two issues of this first storyline. It was a dark tone with a fast pace and the art conveyed the urgency really well.  The emotional parts were a 50 50. The major reveal of Massacre was done extremely  well but his benefactor being revealed seemed to lack the energy that the previous reveal had.

   Chriscross had done the pencils on issue #4 and I loved it. Going into David's past for the first time really needed to be vivid, painful, colorful and gruesome all at once. Chriscross succeeded with that. The tormented, blood-soaked history of David and his brother Issac with General Keita was rendered in a beautifully grizzy fashion. The backgrounds where vivid, the colors were vibrant. Everything fit where it was supposed to fit. It was a strong issue.

  Ben Oliver has some mind-numbingly beautiful art. Oliver penciled most of the issues of this story and they look amazing. His fusion of realistic and comic book art really makes the book a pleasure to the eyes. The characters are distinct in the way they move and look. The one flaw to Mr. Oliver's art ... which may not be his fault ... was the lack of backgrounds. There are times where no backgrounds are fine. Yet, with this being a launch title and introducing us to a brand new original locale, we didn't see much of it.

  There were some backgrounds that were just well done as we saw small areas around Tinasha. Yet, there were others that were just very plain. The citadel looked very majestic but then there were a lot of panels with nothing but Batwing, or Bruce Wayne or just people. I think the lack of backgrounds hurt the book a little bit.


 Writing:

   Judd Winnick gives his A game in this book as we are introduced to a brand new character. Batwing is very multi-faceted and it makes him such a compelling and different character than from  Batman that it makes you want to watch him more. He knows he has blood on his hands. He knows there is a lot of corruption and down right gruesome things that occur in Tinasha every day.

  Officer  Okuru and Matu make solid first impressions. Both characters are likable and give strong connections to our main hero. Matu's past is shrouded in mystery which leaves a lot to open with him. And the interesting dynamic between David and Okuru make their interactions interesting.

  The story is a strong start for Batwing. My only problem is how the story ends in Gotham. While I give the writer points to help set up Night of Owl's crossover issue (issue #9) after this story, it just seemed like the Bat Family  didn't trust Batwing to handle the situation. While it is nice that they helped each other, this is supposed to be David's first  foray and I saw Batman in 4 out of the first 8 issues. That's half. Sales strategy or not, not a great first impression on our hero. Otherwise, Winick wrote a very effective and wonderful character that I hope we see thrive in the years to come.


Final Verdict:

   Batwing's first outing was full of adventure, mystery, philosophical debates and gave us a taste of the world of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and it great city, Tinasha. Though, I feel we didn't see enough of Tinasha and there was too much Batman in these first 8 issues, the story and characters were really great. You read these books and feel invested on David and his crusade. A strong first outing for the Batman of Africa, Batwing.


I give this story a 3.5 out of 5. While the problems are a fair size, the storyline and art will keep you interested. Kudos to the creative team.

NEWS EDITION #24 - DC CREATIVE TEAM SHUFFLE, TOP COW'S PILOT SEASON WINNER CROWN AND THE END OF INCORRUPTIBLE & IRREDEEMABLE

Welcome Ladies & Gentlemen to another edition of CBC NEWS!


MORE OF THE DC CREATIVE SHUFFLE

by Frankie Rodriguez

    The more things change . .. the more change comes about it seems. With all the recent looks at sales from DC and Marvel Comics since the New 52 came out, DC has been determined to make sure that they and their readers are not complacent. 2 weeks ago, Hector Ramirez reported about the 6 titles that will be ending in April and their 6 replacements premiering in May. Yet, DC is still making more changes with certain titles, hoping that the new creative teams will have readers staying and bring in new ones.

   So what else is changing? Prepare for the breakdown.

 Batwing's sales have been doing extremely well. Yet, there will be an artistic change as of issue #9. Ben Oliver's last issue of Batwing will be issue #7; tying Gotham City into his current Massacre storyline while also setting up a crossover for the Bat-books dealing with the Court of Owls, called "Night of Owls", that has been prominent in Batman. And while issue #8 will have a fill in artist, Marcus To, who was regular artist on Red Robin Pre-New 52 & artist on the Huntress miniseries, will be taking over art chores. To nearly everyone's delight (and to some's disdain) Judd  Winnick is still writing the book.

Marcus To commented on his approach to his new job:


Actually, at first, when I was approached to draw the book, it took me a second to think about my approach to this book, because he is a different character from the traditional Batman look. So I had to think, how am I going to do this? Ben Oliver did such a great job on launching the title. So I looked at the art and thought to myself, how can I put my own spin on this?

I think readers are going to see a different aspect of my art. That's the great challenge of this job, figuring out how I want certain angles to look, how I want his armor to look, but how to keep it in the vein of Batman. Just like you said, you can use the silhouettes that Batman has, with the wings and the symbol and the ears and everything, to really pull it together, and associate the Batman look with Batwing. . . we're actually starting my run in Gotham, which is where my attention is concentrated right now. But Batwing will be back in Africa soon, and I've talked to Judd about some ideas we have. He's sending me a movie that has a style that's related to the story he wants to write next. So we're communicating about the direction the book is going and where we want to take it visually.

But once we get back to Africa, and once I know what the location is for the next story, I do intend to use references to do my best to make it accurate and pay respect to what is real.

 Meanwhile, Rob Liefield was slated to take over 3 books after finishing Hawk & Dove with #8. Which 3 books? Rob Liefield will be co-plotting both The Savage Hawkman and Grifter. His co-writer on Hawkman is none other than Mark Poulton, who currently also writes Avengelyne over in Image Comics. And former Deathstroke artist Joe Bennet will move to take over art duties on The Savage Hawkman.

 Co-writing Grifter is writer Frank Tieri , who recently wrote Marvel vs Capcom 3, with Stormwatch's very first artist Scott Clark will stay on as artist. And finally, Liefield will be taking over the Deathstroke book, handling both writing and art chores on the book.

 Over in Batman: Dark Knight, Gregg Hurwitz takes over completely as full writer while David Finch steps down from writing chores to just draw the Batman book.

 Peter Milligan steps down as writer for Justice League Dark yet he ends up taking another popular team book; Stormwatch. The writer decided to jump over after 2 fill in issues by Paul Jenkins and seems to be enjoying the book and making it fit into the DC Universe.

Peter Milligan joins regular artist Miguel Sepulveda as the new creative team as of issue #9 this May. And while he did confirm that he will keep the roster as is for the time being with 1 possible edition, Milligan teased his direction for the book:

I want to dig deeper not only into the characters themselves but also the history and meaning of Stormwatch. The strange strategies they’ve employed to do what they do and remain covert.
Before I start throwing people off of the team I want to get deeper into them. However, we will have an appearance of a character who was around long before this team was formed who throws a different light on the life of a Stormwatch agent.


My first story deals with an intruder on earth from the planet Ysmault — he’s red and he’s got a lot of rage — and also a former Stormwatch member. We’ll also get deeper into the mind of Midnighter.

And finally, fan favorite writer of the one of DC's highest selling titles, Animal Man writer Jeff Lemire, will be taking over for Milligan on Justice League Dark. Calling the title his dream gig, Lemire is more than happy to dive into several of his favorite characters: Deadman, Shade - the Changing Man, Zatanna & John Constantine. He promises to bring a true connection to the Justice League to answer why they have the name with a few other surprises: 

One of the things I’m anxious to explore is just why the name “Justice League” is in the title of this book. I want to explore and create new connections between this team of mystical misfits and Geoff and Jim’s big guns in the Justice League. On that note, Geoff and I have had many discussions on how to link our two books and make the Justice League franchises connect in new and unexpected ways.

With that, Lemire also promises two new members, one guy and one girl to this already seemingly stacked mystical team and plans to have John Constantine emerge as the leader of this group. Mike Janin will stay on as artist for the book.

 With all these changes, DC hopes to keep readers. Will this work? I am sure it will to some extent but there will be a lot of competition. While all this is happening, Marvel will be knee deep into Avengers vs X-Men event, Extreme Studios relaunch will be in full steam with all 5 titles will have debuted and Valiant Entertainment returns with X-O Manowar debuting during the first week of May. The gauntlet has been thrown and we will see if these changes will help or hurt DC's books.


WINNER OF TOP COW'S PILOT SEASON WINNER IS . . .
by Frankie Rodriguez 

  Over the last few years, Top Cow has used the pilot season , a contest with several different one-shots where the fans choose the winner, in order to set up new miniseries with concepts and ideas you may not see anywhere else. This year, there were 8 different one-shots of all kinds but only one emerged as the winner. And the 2011 Top Cow Pilot Season Winner is The Beauty.

   The Beauty was created by writer Jeremy Haun and artist Jason Hurley. The Beauty is about a sexually transmitted disease that has people become nearly irresistibly attractive. So much so, there are scary consequences and implications because of this STD. It is up to two detectives to stop the people who are infected by it.

Jeremy Haun talked about the upcoming series:

Now that we've won we're going to be able to finish the story. I'm really excited to do that. It's exciting to be co-writing and drawing something like this. The process is surprisingly fast and a hell of a lot of fun. The trick of it is going to be balancing work on The Beauty with my regular art duties on The Darkness monthly book. Luckily, they're both books that I absolutely love. It also doesn't hurt that I just love to work. As crazy as it may seem, drawing two books is kind of my idea of fun.

And while artist Jason Hurley added: 

Winning Pilot Season is easily the biggest moment of my career so far, and I couldn't be happier. It was a hard-fought battle, but thanks to all of the fans of The Beauty, we came out on top. I can't wait to get back to work on the book. We've got a lot of exciting stuff planned for the future of The Beauty, and since we've won Pilot Season, we'll be able to share all of that with our fans. More than anything, I just want to send a huge thank you out to all of our family, friends, and fans for their support throughout the entire voting process. It's thanks to them that we're able to continue The Beauty.

The Beauty is set to debut later this year. 

IRREDEEMABLE & INCORRUPTIBLE SAY GOODBYE 
by Frankie Rodriguez 

   As recently stated by writer and creator Mark Waid, he is ending his cult following books: Irredeemable and Incorruptible. The BOOM! Studios comics have been hit with fans since shortly after their release and have won multiple awards and grabbed fans. Waid stated that while he knows he has dealt with all the darkness within him, he felt that it was time to end both series.

Okay, really, truly — I’m just stretched thin right now both personally and professionally, and I live in mortal fear that I’m going to overstay my welcome on these books. Moreover, I feel that Max Damage’s character arc is reaching its end in Incorruptible. And in Irredeemable, I’ve long known what the end of that series is, and lately, it’s as if all the characters are moving into position for it whether I want them to or not. So let’s go out big and grand, I say.
 
The final arcs of Incorruptible will be played out from issues #27 to #30. Meanwhile, Irreedeemable's storyline will reach its climax in issue # 34-#30.  Fans will miss these series but everyone can understand. Between all that Waid has been doing in Marvel along, the man needs a breather.



FAN REVIEW OF SUPERGIRL 

By Brickie Bowman 

it's not much but I have read the first 3 DC 52 Supergirls and so far I am impressed with the story thus far for one she not some sniveling teen but a confidant young adult she hasn't quite got the hang of her power here on earth but she has a good teacher after she beat the crap out of him for a minute.  
 
I did notice that as with Kal El in his book the take a interest in the costume and it is just as indestructable as they are and that goes back to the original story that his cloth that his cape was his baby blanket he was wrapped in when he got to earth.
 

it       It was well drawn. The artist did his homework on the character to give the right look for her. She is s a young adult and the art is also close to the look for Action Comics and Superman which is good so if the stories cross the art won't throw you off. 

 I like the the look she has in this and the writing would hold you if they keep this style going but if they change the formula it will fail add all that.

I like the ideal that she already has some people trying to capture her and had her for a moment but she got away and she is also dealing with the fact that Krypton is no more but if this story keeps going like it has so far the book 4 and 5 should keep me roped in I have always like her but this to me is a better portrail of her in the DCU and should go a long way.This Supergirl is a better version in my point of view. She is more sure of herself than the teenage one and more assertive. She is a serious minded person that is wanting to learn why Krypton is gone.

 
 
 
I give it thus far it's 4 out of 5 Superman Shields. 


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RAJIO NIHON . . . the internet Toku Station where they play songs from tokusatsu, anime and give you in depth looks into the world of Tokusatsu. RAJIO NIHON

DCnU Special 4 - What We thought of WEEK 4

More and more opinions have come for the 4th week of books. And while there were 12 books this week . . . there are some people who were a bit . . . outraged and some pleasantly surprised.


BATMAN

Eric McLeod of FL

Wow, this was an awesome representation of Batman. Practically every major Batman character makes an appearance in this book and not a single one feels wasted, and new readers will definitely understand Batman's character even if they've never picked up a Batman story before in their life. Batman's narration works perfectly, describing everything about Gothamand its people without sounding overly preachy. The speech given by Bruce Wayne captures everything that separates him and Batman. The ending, although most likely a red
herring, leaves us with a great set-up for a mystery. Aside from some
of the character faces looking weird in a few panels and Dick looking
noticeably dwarfed by Bruce, this was a fantastic first issue and a
must for any Batman fan.

CBC's Hector Ramirez of Philadelphia, PA

Batman #1 and Nightwing#1-two awesome #1’s definitely awesome plot twists love the allusion to a crossover DC is really coming in strong and I can’t wait to see what’s in store


Randy Crawford of Cincinnati, Ohio

Batman #1 is a definitive take on the Caped Crusader. It's dark and mature, focusing on Batman's detective prowess and Bruce Wayne's role as a philanthropist. It ties in nicely with pre-relaunch continuity, but prior knowledge of the DC Universe is by no means essential to enjoy what's on offer.
Batman's new identification scanner serves as a convenient means of introducing each character, giving us a bite sized dossier on the key players. It's a feature that writer Scott Snyder has shoehorned in for the newcomers, but it's an unobtrusive way of bringing them up to speed. 


 Less than a few pages in, we're treated to an Arkham Asylum brawl. There's an escape attempt at the infamous madhouse, and the Dark Knight swings by to quell the unrest. Batman faces off against Two-Face, Scarecrow, Killer Croc and more, while waxing lyrical about how each of the rogues are perceived to embody Gotham's lesser qualities. It's a well handled action scene - enhanced by Greg Capullo's brooding artwork - and provides a depiction of these iconic villains that sits somewhere between Christopher Nolan and Frank Miller. There are some great splash pages in there too, including a memorable one showing the Batcave in all its glory. The Dark Knight's role as the DC Universe's greatest detective is embraced here. Snyder displays his skills of investigation and deduction throughout, and has his dynamic with Commissioner Gordon and Harvey Bullock down to a fine art.
Nightwing prominently featured in Batman's efforts to quell the Arkham troubles and is caught up in the comic's thrilling cliffhanger. Batman #1 is one of the best titles to emerge from the 'New 52' initiative to date. Snyder and Capullo clearly have a strong grasp of what makes the character iconic, and promise to take him down dark and intriguing avenues in the future.



BIRDS OF PREY

Gerald Williams of Hempstead, NY

Good story. Waiting for the explanation of who is Starling. I am confused about the Barbara’s cameo indicating that she worked with them as Oracle when she was in the wheelchair, something that Gail Simone did not mention in Batgirl #1.

Dante Franklin of Baltimore, MD


The book hit the ground running and follows the Birds of Prey as they do battle with the latest villains seemingly out to get them. Although it's a new team, I liked the chemistry between Canary and Starling, who I am quickly growing fond of. Duane Swierczynski, who impressed me on Black Widow, has given her some great dialogue. There's also a nice appearance by the artist formerly known as Oracle, which leaves some interesting questions about her current relationship with the Birds. It was a very good action book with an ending that surprised me. Oh, and something is definitely not right with Canary.



BLUE BEETLE

Eric McLeod, FL

First, I must confess I have not read much of the Jaime Reyes Blue
Beetle. I did like what I saw of him in Booster Gold's book, which is
why I feel guilty for not picking up his book before it got cancelled.
I don't know what will become of Jaime's relationship with Booster
because in this book Jaime doesn't seem to know him yet (I really wish
he was in the JLI, but that might just be me wanting to see Blue and
Gold together). A lot of time in this first issue is devoted to
showing off the alien scarab that gives Jaime his powers. There's a
prologue showing an alien race called the Reach attacking a distant
planet in the past. We see multiple Reach warriors using the same
abilities as Blue Beetle, though some of them seem more dedicated to
certain powers than Jaime is. I hope we do see these other Blue
Beetles again. The rest of the book is about establishing Jaime's
relationship with his friends and family while still devoting time to
building up the tension around the scarab. There's a plethora of
villains going after this thing, and some big super villain names are
mentioned as part of the power-grab as well. We get some cool action
near the end, but the heart of the book is Jaime's life. I'm a bit
disappointed that we have to wait until the next issue to see Jaime
actually fight, but we got a nice taste of the Blue Beetle powers in
the prologue which will hopefully get new readers interested in
continuing.


CBC's Frankie Rodriguez of Vineland, NJ

Okay. I was a fan of Ted Kord. I am a fan of Jamie Reyes. After Jamie won me over with his time on the Teen Titans and a bunch of other rabid fans of his that I know, I enjoy the fact that he got a solo book again.  So, when this issue came out, I knew I was gonna get it. And I have to say, I love it. Jamie's character is very much intact, along with members of his supporting cast from his last solo book (which I bought most of the issues of that.) They are setting up Jamie as a major player as there looks like mobsters and TWO evil groups want the scarab, not to mention the Green Lantern Corps don't like any of the SCARABS. And while we didn't see Jamie in the armor til the end, it was a great new origin by Tony Bedard. The extra touches of spanish made Jamie feel more authentic and Ig Guara's art was awesome, making the science fiction aspects look alien and majestic while the Earth moments are very real. I definitely  will be following Jamie's adventures.


CAPTAIN ATOM

Russell Winthrope of Winnipeg, Canada

Captain Atom’s powers are nuclear-based, and enable him to absorb and manipulate almost infinite amounts of energy. This ability puts him on a par with such DC heavy-hitters as Superman and Martian Manhunter. One of the problems with the character is that he’s just *too* powerful and means that writers have to keep creating ludicrously powerful villains for him to go up against.The character’s RIDCULOUS  power level is one of the first things that's addressed in this debut issue. Writer JT Krul introduces a flaw into Captain Atom’s powers which means that using them too much could kill him. It’s an inventive and hook but sadly, it’s about the only good thing that the story has going for it. Unfortunately, the issue reads like an average superhero comic with the rest of the cast introduced taking a back seat to the action.


The saving grace of this book is the artwork. Freddie Wiliams II’s linework here is a lot more interesting than the all-ages look that he’s favored on some of his recent DC work. The art doesn’t lack detail, but in many cases instead of drawing every intricate element of an object, he instead draws only the outline and one or two details, letting the reader’s imagination fill in the blanks. Overall, Captain Atom was okay and it has spectacular art. I just hope its story picks up soon.


CATWOMAN

CBC's Frankie Rodriguez of Vineland, NJ

   People are going to hate me. I LOVED THIS FIRST ISSUE. Before you go off about how I am some pervert and over masculine meathead, allow me to break down my points as to why I loved the issue. I wasn't planning on buying the books some it called to me. Reading it, I was very impressed how Selina's character was really fleshed out into addictions. Addictions to actions and danger. Addictions to riches and thrills. Addiction to Batman. These were all laid to bare while giving us great incite into Selina, setting up the book with multiple storylines; and giving a real big budget feel to the book. Selina & Batman were VERY much vulnerable here which made for some stunning moments. Winnick gave us a great start to Selina that is fast paced and multifaceted while leaving more to build on and Guillem March gave us great visuals of Selina.

   As for the last couple of pages . . . as I stated earlier, it gave a vulnerability to both Bruce and Selina no other writer has even really touched before. Second, WHY are people surprised by Selina and Bruce having sex. Really? REALLY?! They have been alluding to it for DECADES. And you know . . you are still talking about it.

Derrick Jones of Brooklyn, NY

I have never read any of the previous Catwoman series. I only kept updated about her character from her appearances in the bat family books so I went into Catwoman #1 with no expectations. Judd Winick really put his best foot forward with this one and while I have always been a fan of his work he really went adult on this one, in a good way. Here is another NU52 first issue that manages to give us all the basic info we need about our main character, and give us a story to follow, and answer a few questions about Selina's place in the new 52. Guillem March brings some impressive artwork. His faces are so full of life and expression and his action shots are great. Of course the best part of the book is the last couple of pages (which i will not spoil for those who have not picked it up) but i will say this is where the more adult themes happen and you learn how much Selena really cares for Batman. Can't wait for next issue!!!!!

DC UNIVERSE PRESENTS

Russell Winthorpe of  Winnipeg, Canada

DC Universe Presents #1 follows Deadman's encounters with various troubled individuals, including a stuntman with a death wish and a soldier who has lost both his legs and all his comrades. Weaved among those stories is a revisiting of the circumstances of Boston Brand's death and his first meeting with Rama Kushna. A lots is packed into DC Universe Presents #1, but not in a way that feels overwhelming. Chang's pages burst with detail. He crams in panel after panel on to each page, but these add to the experience of Deadman's existence, flickering from perspective to perspective as he moves through different bodies, rather than simply feeling crowded. Jenkins's Deadman is immediately well-developed, with his wry observations tempered by moments of thoughtfulness which are interesting rather than dull or preaching. The character is likable and contemptible all at once, leaving us with a more rounded hero than the one we have grown used to. 


The issue balances an origin story with several separate strands moving towards the future, managing a look-back at Brand's life while maintaining forward momentum. Brand's voice sounds strongly throughout, with Jenkins capturing his dry humor and contempt for the man he was and the ghost he is. DC Universe Presents is a clever way of leaving a space for stories about characters that might not warrant an ongoing solo series. Jenkins and Chang are so far very much making the most of the five issues they have been given.




GREEN LANTERN CORPS

Mike Hudson of Woodland, CA

 Since the Green Lantern books didn't get restarted & previous continuity counts, the Green Lantern writers switched books which mean Peter Tomasi has returned to this title.  And with him, comes Guy Gardner whom Tomasi had been writing in Emerald Warriors. Tomasi takes his time to introduce both Guy and John Stewart to new readers.  It’s a little wordy, but Tomasi does a great job of showing the reader exactly who Guy and John are.  It’s a perfectly satisfactory reintroduction (or introduction if you’re the fabled “new reader”) to John, Guy and the concept of the Corps. Plus, I really enjoyed the art for the book.  I would have preferred a faster start.  But this was a perfectly enjoyable read.  Nothing spectacular, but it definitely please GL addicts. .







LEGION OF SUPER HEROES

Gerald Williams of Hempstead, NY

Always have been a fan of LSH and very glad that not only DC did not reboot it, but that they kept the legion that I grew up with. All the other legion reboots left the book in shambles. This is taking the legion and expanding on the great stories that Paul Levitz has been writing since he returned to the title.

Joey Lester of Memphis, TN


I’m not a dumb guy. But Legion of Super-Heroes #1 made me feel like I should be wearing a dunce cap. As a long-time fan, I have read my share of Legion reboots.  This is the SEVENTH volume of this book alone; not counting all the various other series & relaunches that have been done time and time again.  I’m used to picking up the new Legion book, deciding it’s not for me and moving on.  It’s a ritual I go through every few years. Last week, I got a headache trying to read Legion Lost #1.  I could follow the book.  But it hardly seemed worth the effort.  I figured I’d give this week’s Legion of Super-Heroes a try.  I didn’t think it could possibly be less new-reader friendly.  But boy, I was wrong . . .dead wrong.

  I can see why they wouldn’t want to restart the continuity from scratch yet again.  That’s gotten really tiresome.  But to publish a #1 book that picks up immediately after the last issue of the last series on a book as dense as Legion of Super-Heroes just boggles the mind. I read the book Wednesday night and whatever story I was able to digest leaked out my ear while I slept.  I have neither the will nor the desire to go back and try to figure it out again.  If you were a regular reader of Levitz’s Legion, I’m guessing you enjoyed this issue just as much as the previous ones.  And maybe the book was doing well enough that DC is fine with maintaining the exact same readership.  But I can’t imagine any new readers picking up this issue and deciding to stick around for more.I know I won’t be and give me a call when the next Legion reboot happens.



NIGHTWING

CBC's Hector Ramirez of Philadelphia, PA

Batman #1 and Nightwing#1-two awesome #1’s definitely awesome plot twists love the allusion to a crossover. DC is really coming in strong and I can’t wait to see what’s in store

Mike Hudson of Woodland, CA

To be honest, I’m a little torn on what to think of this.  I enjoyed how it opened and the end really reeled me in, but part of the story midway in left me a little unsure of just how I felt.  Eddy Barrows’ art in this issue is absolutely amazing accompanied by Mayer’s inks, Higgins does a pretty good job of painting Dick’s outlook on no longer being Batman but I do wish he would have made a couple points a bit more clear.  A final complaint/question I have too is just where is Nightwing keeping his gear?  We see for a moment a grappling line which I’m just assuming is built into his suit like it was with his old Nightwing outfit during his time in New York. Plus, not sure what to make of him running into Haley's Circus and wondering if they are gonna become part of his new supporting cast. Time will tell, I guess. Although, kudos to Higgins & Barrows for really locking me in at the end.

RED HOOD & THE OUTLAWS

Dante Franklin of Baltimore, MD

Sigh. As a Starfire fan, this was the book that I really really wanted to like. But I just couldn't. Despite the art and promising premise, I was immediately turned off by the portrayal of one of my favorite DC characters. Yes, Starfire, aka Princess Koriand’r of Tamaran, was always open with her sexuality and free. In fact, I wouldn't even have a problem with the sexual dalliances at all if I felt that she were being treated as anything other than an emotionally-detached, alien, with memory issues, being passed around by two men acting like overeager 17 year olds. My problem isn’t that she’s shown as a woman who enjoys sex (She-Hulk and Catwoman are also two of my favorite characters). It’s that she comes off as the exact opposite, joyless, detached, and removed. And it doesn't help that the art totally sexualizes her (skimpy bikini!), while leaving her male partners as same ol' same ol' (boring ol' trunks). I would go into my spiel on male gaze or continued heterosexism in the comic industry but then this would read like a dissertation. And nobody wants to read that. LOL Plus, that poor horse is already on its last leg. So, yeah. Despite the premise and this featuring a favorite, this will probably be my first and last issue of this title.

Gerald Williams of  Hempstead, NY

I don’t know in what universe they thought this idea would work. The artwork is great, the story sucks. This is by far the first book of the new DC that I totally hated and will not bother to pick up the next one. I will admit to being biased against the Jason Todd character. I was one of those who voted to kill him off in Death in the Family and did not like his comeback. But the change they made in Starfire goes way beyond a simple reboot. 

Derrick Jones of Brooklyn, NY

 I will admit this book has caused great debate amongst a group of friends of mine. Some love it, some hate it. I guess that is one of the signs of good writing when people can have such a strong reaction to your work. I feel into the love it camp. Kenneth Rockafort's art is real gritty but for this book,which seems to be in the buddy buddy show vein I think the art works. The panels flow nicely and there are backgrounds (yaaahhhh). Scott Lobdell takes at somewhat 'controversial" approach to the character of Starfire, but this being a new universe and all I think it works. As with most of the new 52 books this one leaves you with more questions than answers, though it is nice to get a few answers on Jason Todd's standing with the rest of the Bat Family. I think the book peaked enough of my interest to make a return trip next month. 

CBC Frankie Rodriguez of Vineland, NJ

Okay. AGAIN. I am gonna be in the minority. I liked Red Hood & the Outlaws. I liked it a lot. And now, here is where I am gonna probably get death threats. Starfire's character . ..  not that far off. Why do I say that? First, Kory has been very open about her feminity and sexuality from the beginning. They obviously didn't erase her relationship with Dick; just how she perceives things. And while nearly everyone has decided that Starfire sleeping with Arsenal and possibly Jason Todd automatically makes her a slut; I disagree. And while previous continuity may or may not count, Starfire sleeping with Captain Comet during her tenture on R.E.B.E.L.S. stating that her heart belonged to someone else and that they were friends with benefits. She even says in the comic that she does what she wants, when she wants. If Starfire has been a guy . . . any guy character, NOT A SINGLE PERSON would have been up in arms. So again, is it the sex that is bothering people? Honestly, again . . . I don't find it out of character. Maybe an evolution of a character but not out of it, in my opinion.

  Arsenal is very much the same as he was before he lost his arm and daughter while Jason evolved from everything that has come before. Lobdell says this is a story about redemption and it is going that way and artist Kenneth Rocafort renders everything beautiful, women, men, action and leisure. The mysteries set up and the characters were interesting and compelling. Essence is mysterious and mystical while being vulnerable at the same time. I am looking forward to more.


SUPERGIRL

Gerald Williams of Hempstead, NY

This throws out the great story that Jeph Loeb and Michael Turner created to bring Kara Zor-El back. It was great and now it is being redone. I hope they get it right.

Dante Franklin of Baltimore, MD

Supergirl crash lands on Earth and discovers her powers while being attacked due to a big ol' misunderstanding. It's a straight forward fight issue but Michael Green and Mike Johnson use it as an opportunity to gain insight into Kara's confused thoughts as well as showcase her powers. I especially liked when she first encounters her super hearing with choice bits from other DC books. The art was great too and I am digging the new costume. This Supergirl is definitely worth giving a chance.

Derrick Jones of Brooklyn, NY

What can I say? I gave it a chance, i have never been a huge fan of Kara Zor-El. The last version of SuperGirl i enjoyed was the Earth Angel version from the early 00's. So I thought with the new 52 this would be a good place to try again. The book was one long fight sequence. I enjoyed Muhmad Asrar's pencils. His work is very kinetic and I dont mind the redesign of the characters costume. You know by now my big thing is backgrounds, well the fight was in a snowfield at dawn so there is a lot of snow and sky. This book gave no answers and I may check back later to see what has occurred but I will not be chomping at the bit to see what the last daughter of Krypton is up to.

WONDER WOMAN

Eric McLeod of FL

Based on some of the preview images, I was expecting some gore, and I got more than I was expecting, but it didn't hamper my opinion of the
book at all. There's no given backstory for Wonder Woman herself and she's dragged into the story literally, but her character is
definitely intact. We mostly see her warrior side, fighting centaurs
off with finesse and brutality equally, but when she meets up with
Hermes, we see a glimpse of the compassionate warrior that defines
Wonder Woman for me. Despite not getting much to say, her actions
speak volumes. There's a conspiracy between the gods that is being set
up well, and though we don't know much about Zola at this point, we
know she'll be important later on. and I really like the usage of
references to Greek mythology. There is a point during the book where
it's unclear who's narrating that doesn't make sense until the very
end and it could have used more clarification, but otherwise the
writing is solid. It's already an improvement over J. Michael
Straczynski's WW run (where I stopped reading WW), and there is
promise of a cool, dark take on the the Greek gods that has not been
done yet in Wonder Woman's history. Fans of action and Greek mythology
will definitely want to pick this up, and because this doesn't rely
heavily on the old DC continuity, it's new reader friendly to boot.


Dante Franklin of Baltimore, MD

Probably the book I was most looking forward to. I've been a Wonder Woman fan, since I was a kid, and have seen her through tons of remakes and re-imaginings. There was a lot of buzz around this issue and I found it to be pretty decent. Not wowed. But still pretty good. There's an interesting take on the gods here and Diana is presented as tough, strong, and fierce. There are definitely a few gory spots but Wonder Woman is a warrior. So, such moments are to be expected. Brian Azzarello has crafted an interesting set-up, based firmly in Greek mythology, and I'm curious to see what's next. 


Derrick Jones of Brooklyn, NY

It occurs to me as I write this weeks reviews that not only was this ladies week with three books coming out with female leads but that the books with the most controversy surrounding them also feature lady leads. So Wonder Woman came out this week. Now I am a Wonder Woman fan, and even in writing that statement it does not give the full weight to the scope of fandom I enjoy for this character. So when word came out about the universal reboot the one bright spot for me was that maybe someone would not be lost writing this character (I can't discuss her last storyline prior to the reboot cause it SUCKED). Well my hat goes off to Brian Azzarello for his take on the Amazon princess. Finally we get a writer who recognizes that Wonder Woman is steeped in mythology and magic and that the Gods of old really didn't care to much about us lowly humans. A very solid story for a first issue with some blood and violence, which some think is excessive, but hey she was raised in a warrior culture. They are amazons, that is kind of what they do.  Cliff Chiang brings some solid art work, his characters are not as smooth as I would like but i know that is my own personal taste. He brings life and movement to his pencil work and there are backgrounds. I am still on the fence about the new costume but that does not effect the quality of the book. At last a Wonder woman book i can get excited about again.





Those are all the opinions for this week. We've got one last week to go. Let's see what happens next.


NEXT WEEK: THE FINAL WEEK OF THE NEW 52 #1s.

PLUS: If you missed out on giving your opinion on any of the books within the last month, you get One last chance as we will be doing a final impression special as well.

Till next week, keep clashing!

_____

**************** PLEASE READ ALL THE INFO FIRST!! *****************

J1 Studios (www.j1studios.com) invites you to our mini convention! 

AN-EX 3


Friday, October 7th, 2011


5:00pm - 8:30pm


At: Hawthorne Recreation Center


1200 Carpenter Street


Philadelphia, PA.

- Bleach Movie 4: Hell Chapter will be in the Video Room
(movie starts @ 6PM).

- Yugi-Oh and J1 Studios' VTF fighting card game testing in the Card Gaming Room.

- $5 Mortal Kombat (2011) Tournament!
(It will be Tag teams matches w/ single elimination (tournament starts @ 6PM).
0
- There will be a FEW other games will be there TOO (Don't cry).

- Cosplay contest for prizes!

- $1 Raffle for secret prize!

- Artist Tables

- Dealer Tables

If you want to order a VENDOR TABLE, email me at j.richardson@j1studios.com. There are ONLY 6 available!

ADMISSION IS $2.00

SPREAD THE WORD!!!!