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Twelve Thoughts About Thirteen DC Comics

Published Wed, 07 Dec 2011 08:15:00 -0600

Last updated Wed, 07 Dec 2011 10:31:09 -0600

This week marks the beginning of the fourth month for the DC New 52. Thirteen of them on the shelf…

Swamp Thing and Animal Man #4. Seriously, as I spoke about earlier, despite having two separate creative teams, it feels right to regard them as one double sized book. Both books mirror the other as the principal characters are lectured by their respective Parliament about their common cause. But rather than some continuity-laden clunky result, both books continue to innovate, with Swamp Thing looking to the glory days of Steve Bissette, John Totleben and Rick Veitch for their portrayal of the lush green, with some Kelly Jones and Bernie Wightson to boot, as well as quirky panel to panel journeys, while Animal Man continues that cross between Francis Bacon and Bill Sienkiewicz, and all the gross meatness that entails. Mind you, Swamp Thing has enough gross meatness of its own…

Action Comics #4 finally gets its back up story – but rather than an extra story set in and around the world of Superman, this is like a DVD extra, a story specifically told to back up a plot point skirted over in the main story. An intriguing device that lets Grant tells the stories he wants to in Action Comics but if he wants to move on and away from something, there's a back up strip to catch the crumbs and reassemble them. And it also gives DC the excuse to use the "Editors Note"

Stormwatch #4 goes back a bit to being like a normal super team again, while talking about how they are not a normal super team, which is unfortunate. However a lot of that structure is covered by the revival of hidden cities bursting from the ground, that sort of thing. The book seems to take a widescreen approach to ever panel, where there are vertical line breaks, it's only as a way to divide a pre-existing panel. The only time it's actually broken properly is by Apollo doing something amazing – both in his world, and on the page.

Detective Comics #4 continues its reworking of the Gotham villains gallery, keeps Joker's face in play, and now brings us into the working of the Penguin gang. All the time while giving Commissioner Gordon new and exciting opportunities like pointing an empty gun at a oung girl while wearing hospital scrubs. Still a surprisingly daring comic given its background.

Static Shock #4 – this book seems to be rapidly becoming the poor orphan of the line, with shops regularly reporting it now as their smallest selling title. A shame, because despite the dark art. this is a bouncy book with some cracking dialogue, gang war mentality amongst the villains as they create their own power grab – literally – and a back story with the effects of Static's life on his family. It reminds me of early Ultimate Spider-Man more than anything – and it would be nice if it had a similar following.

OMAC #4 – It's a mad book that seems to be , slowly, finding its readership. Well it may win a few more friends with this call back to Robot Lila from the original series… here's a comparison… now let loose the Batgirl Of San Diego. Of course not before you see who turns up on the last page… crossover time!

Red Lanterns #4 has lots of angry people, lots of angry blood, the beginning of origin stories for a number of the Lanterns. And more of this story in England set in "Small Ockton" which is ungoogleable (until now) as it is extended. Is this the book's Tales Of The Black Freighter? Until now. Not sure about "the bloody cops" though. Conflation of English and American phraseology there?

In Justice League International #4, it's the return of one punch Guy Gardner. Still not feeling this book, it seems a bit too DeMatteis/Giffen-Lite. There are bits I like, and mostly top do with Booster Gold, but too much seems too mundane. You know. even when the world is about to be destroyed by cosmic threats. It's a good trick.

Hawk & Dove #4 is still a book that a lot of people are going to have difficulty with, in that it it's an exposition heavy metaphysical battle between ideas given superhuman form, and it's drawn by Rob Liefeld. Well, firstly while other artists have dropped off books for an issue here and there, Rob Liefeld is still on the book every issue, so if you've a problem you'd do wise to get over it.

Men Of War #4 remains one of my favourite New 52 books, showing the longterm effects on a country of superpowered incursions.. But rather than highlight this story of a soldier in a world of super from Ivan Brandon and Tom Derenick, here's the first page of B Clay Moore and Paul McCaffrey's back up strip Skull & Bots. That's right folks, Middle East warfare with Japanese style giant robots. Go.

Batwing #4 looks at the origin of the lead character – not so much putting on the suit, as a frame of mind. Bruce Wayne's family were famously murdered. David's young childhood was… a little more traumatic. And here we see the extent of his history as a child soldier. A very good one at that. AGain, not a story I was expecting to read in a mainstream DC comic.

Green Arrow #4 seems to jump into Daredevil territory here. We have a female assassin dressed in red. Street level crime fought on rooftops. And office politics and scerets spilling out into superheroic storylines. I tell you, if someone turns up who's good at hitting targets, they're definitely doing it on purpose.