Some DC Comics relevant to this blog to put on the list today!
Batman Brave and the Bold #13
Written by SHOLLY FISCH; Art and cover by RICK BURCHETT and DAN DAVIS
Why buy it? I’ve said before that Sholly Fisch is one of my favorite DC writers and this issue shows why. Given all the mishegas around how many Robins there are in the new 52, it’s a joy this book includes them all.
Batwoman #3
Written by J.H. WILLIAMS III and W. HADEN BLACKMAN; Art and cover by J.H. WILLIAMS III
Why buy it? Batwoman is one of the best new titles in the new 52. The art is, of course, wonderful and Williams and Blackman have shown they are up to the task of continuing the saga of Kate Kane started by Greg Rucka. But the book also features four female characters that are tough and fierce - Batwoman, Maggie Sawyer, Bette Kane and Cameron Chase.
Demon Knights #3
Written by PAUL CORNELL; Art by DIOGENES NEVES and OCLAIR ALBERT; Cover by TONY S. DANIEL and NORM RAPMUND
Why buy it? The last issue was ridiculously fun filled with dry humor and images that made me laugh. It is also filled with female characters including Madame Xanadu.
Huntress #2
Written by PAUL LEVITZ; Art by MARCUS TO and JOHN DELL; Cover by GUILLEM MARCH
Why buy it? The first issue was fun, Levitz gets Helena Bertinelli’s voice and Marcus To is one of the few artists that knows how to combine sexy and strong when penciling female characters. And look at that cover from Guillem March — it may be my most favorite thing from him ever.
And as I mentioned yesterday those of you who are interested in seeing Barbara Gordon and Dick Grayson reunite can pick up Batgirl #3.
Next DC Title for the week of 10/26/11 I’m gonna go with is one of the Lantern titles I’m following (I believe I’m following them all except the Main one, aha.)
Recap:
New Guardians #1 started out with a really strange prologue that just basically skimmed over Kyle’s origin, then stopping and having every other Lantern Core lose a ring and having them all head to Sector 2814 aka the sector of the Earth Lanterns. Really, Kyle in the beginning just stopped half-way and then it’s just rings flying everywhere until we catch up with him again in present day where every one of those missing rings have gone and decided to choose Kyle for some..unexplained reason, along with members of each corp following him wanting to know why their rings have left their previous members and went to Kyle. Then it just…stops. I understand not wanting to have to spend a whole issue on Kyle’s origin but the whole first issue felt kind of confused but didn’t make me wanna stop reading either. Anyway, onto Issue #2.
The cover art for this issue is pretty typical, displaying Kyle and the rest of the Lanterns that followed the rings to Earth in Issue one (For reference, Yellow: Arkillo, Blue: Saint Walker, Orange: Glomulus I think, pinkish: Fatality, Purple: Indigo tribe member i’m not sure of…and red: Bleez) I like Tyler Kirkham’s art but well while the cover gets the job done it’s not really much different from covers we’ve seen before, like Justice League #1. Still, it’s alright.
There will be spoilers, read at your own risk.
Haha, this week is all #2s. I honestly didn’t plan for it to be like that, but every good book I read the week before this had a #2 this week so I ended up covering it. I’m gonna have a little recap of the last issue before each one though before I start.
That said, I’m gonna start with the one out of this list that I’m sort of surprised with how well it’s gone so far in two issues: Aquaman.
Recap
Aquaman #1 had probably one of the better starts for a new #1 book in a sea of relaunches. It had Aquaman doing superheroics, as well as some insight into Aquaman’s character and the way he feels about his life both at sea and on the land. Though probably the best thing Johns has been doing with Aquaman, at least in my book, is acknowledging how most people think Aquaman is pathetic and everything and it seems he’s intent on proving that wrong with what the actual Aquaman does. Johns is a pretty hit or miss writer, but for introducing new people to Aquaman, I think this is a good direction to go in. At some point the jokes will stop I’m sure, but right now it makes sense in getting people reacquainted, at least for me. Anyway, onto Issue 2.
Fear me Aquaman! You’ve been horribly photoshopped into my eyes!
The cover of this issue depicts what seems is going to be the first main ‘villian’ of the book who’s already appeared at the end of #1, staring down Aquaman. While I think it achieves what the idea for this was going for, it doesn’t necessarily jump out at you at first or necessarily look like an Aquaman title until you get closer. The actual art is pretty good, just the idea I’m not sure about. But moving on…
There will be spoilers, read at your own risk.
The book starts off where we left off on Issue #1, with the fisherman being attacked by creatures like the one on the cover. The things talk in some indecipherable Zalgo-like text.
Whoever’s translating the inkblots on the screen better be right or I’ll feel lied to.
That thing spits on the guy though I’m not quite sure if it has any significance based on what happens on the next page. Either he could be marking him as ‘his’ meal or just…spitting on him out of disgust for killing one of the other monsters in the group. It’s hard to tell.
Yeah I doubt they want your spit either
The thing preceeds to eat him off-panel while the last guy trying to get off the ship gets eaten on-panel when one of the monsters notices something.
It’s millions of fans that are angry about the DC Reboot!
Alright, I kid. They see a lighthouse not too far from the boat they’re on, where a kid with his mother proclaims that “It’s Daddy’s boat!” Ouch. Let’s hope he doesn’t become some sea-hating supervillain or something. Cut to Arthur and Mera looking through his old photo album, with Mera mocking a picture of young Arthur skiing due to the fact that he’s Aquaman, to which she asks when she can try it, due to their decision to want to live on the surface from now on. This fun trip down mystery lane is interrupted when a Sheriff who’s here to fill in our ‘Aquaman jokes’ quota comes up to their home.
To be honest I think the page speaks for itself
Mera gives the Sheriff a quick show of her powers in a panel that I’m not quite sure is supposed to be fanservice or not (I may just have weird kinks) after which he tells them the reason they’re there, because of those things we saw back in the beginning of the book.They go to the scene which is riddled with law enforcement, and it turns out the guy who interrupted them wasn’t really the Sheriff, as the real one gives him trouble for bringing Aquaman and Mera. They ignore him and start to search on their own.
Apparently Aquaman’s “controlling fish-brain” power makes a VUU VUU VUU VUU power in the DCnU
A group of divers bring up something caught in a net that they dub a ‘cocoon’ which might be another reason the monsters attacked the boat, other than just for ‘food’ as right after they plop the cocoon onto the surface, the monsters come out in full force to attack Aquaman and Mera in an epic fight scene. Book ends with one of the monsters deeming Aquaman food that’s worthy of ‘being brought back to the trench’
With these panels and my assumptions from before, I’m gonna go more towards the “spit = marked for food” thing rather than it just being out of disgust. I may still be wrong but I think that makes more sense from what’s happened so far.
To be honest I think this book is one of the few DCnU titles that I’ve read that I feel is doing the “introducing new people to the character” thing right. And doing it well. Regardless of thoughts on Geoff Johns as a writer, I think he’s introducing new people to Aquaman the right way. I look forward to see how this book goes further. If you’re willing to give Aquaman a chance, don’t mind the jokes about him and Johns as a writer, I’d pick this up as it’s pretty good at doing what it’s supposed to.
The art for this issue’s cover is pretty well done, with the Avengers’ colours save for Thor popping out against the sand, with the logos standing out just as well.
Next page has a small paragraph about Hawkeye with art by John Romita Jr, Klaus Johnson and Dean White. It doesn’t give us much insight into him but I’ll include it for the sake of Romita fans.
Something about his nose bothers me. Maybe I’m being dumb though.
There will be spoilers, read at your own risk.
Next I’m gonna go with a last minute addition to this list, Avengers Academy #20 I hear this comic series is pretty good, but I’m covering this mainly because there’s a story at the end of Avengers: Solo #1 that ties into this issue and I said what the heck, I might as well cover it.
The art on the cover is pretty okay, but it suffers by having that obnoxious Fear itself Tie in block on the top of it.
There will be spoilers, read at your own risk.
So, Starting this week off, we’re going to start off with the title that boasts “BRAND-NEW ONGOING” on it’s cover, Wolverine and the X-Men #1 (And no, for those of you who think this has anything to do with the animated series that was canceled about a year ago, I’m sorry to inform you that it’s not.)
I gotta say, I love how clean all the logos are on the cover. Props! I love the art by Chris Bachalo on the cover, though some of the less humanoid mutants on the cover do look a bit odd to me.
There will be spoilers, read at your own risk.
