DC Zero Issues Part 2: 9/8/12

Swamp Thing #0
Writer: Scott Snyder
Artist: Kano
Company: DC Comics

The art. Dear god...The art! It's so beautiful. Kano has the "touch". And yes, I mean that in the 80's, Transformers kind of way. Guitar riffs and all. All kidding aside, he's a perfect fit for this horror title. He brings the creep factor so well. There are several scenes in here, displays of normalcy but skewed to such a degree that you feel the hairs on the back of your neck stand out. It's vivid and wonderful. Snyder's story, which sees the same version of Swamp Thing that we saw in the Animal Man Annual, go head to head with the Big Enchilada of the Rot. Arcane is a nasty fellow and takes much

DC Zero Issues Part 1: 9/5/12

Action Comics #0
Writer: Grant Morrison
Artist: Ben Oliver
Company: DC Comics

The greatest story about someone stealing Superman's cape there ever was and Superman's first foray into the camera lens of the world, that's the nature and innate Zero-Ness of this issue. Really though, these are the simple stories that Grant Morrison excels at. He injects great character moments, specifically during a fun conversation about dating and video games between Clark and Jimmy, right along the traditional superhero moments that you expect. There's heart in this story, which seems so very right for Superman. Oliver, who uses a loose and slightly painted style, turns in some nice looking work. It

Batman Inc. #2

Writer: Grant Morrison
Artist: Chris Burnham
Company: DC Comics

An important issue not only for the story that Grant Morrison has been telling from the moment he took over the Batman franchise, this issue also proves that the single issue story is alive and well. I'm seeing that somewhat forgotten style more and more often these days and I'm quite pleased by it. That's not to say that this doesn't continue the story of Leviathan versus Batman and his team of dead soldiers, because it does so in a big way. What it means is that this has a blast coming from both barrels. From cover to cover there is a story, and interesting one at that, being told.

The story in question is the all important roller coaster ride of Talia Al Ghul's life.

Earth 2 #2

Writer: James Robinson
Artist: Nicola Scott
Company: DC Comics

To get it out of the way, as this cover, when it was first solicited, bugged me. The design for the new Jay Garrick felt overdone and not as sleek as a speedster should. I will now travel back in time to 3 months ago and smack myself with a Iron Gauntlet, as in practice, the design works. The helmet still throws me a bit, as the Mercury Helmet has been the one defining attribute for the character for so many years, but Scott's look gets put through its paces and doesn't flinch.

Now that that is out of the way, let's talk story. Robinson amps up the fun and cool factors with this second issue, which in many ways one-ups the first. Serious and clever, the story here focuses mainly on

Night of the Owls 5/23/12

Crossovers in the New 52 have been few and far between. Sure there have been a few where Omac fought Frankenstein and the like, but big crossovers? Nope, we haven't seen those yet. Until now. Night of the Owls is spinning out of Scott Snyder's story in the main Batman book and its gripper paws are large and long, popping up in most every book that is tied in with Batman. While that can be both good and bad, what I hope to do with this article is take a look at each of the titles and give you a quick blow by blow accounting: Is it good? Does it suck? Is it going to be important? Without further talk...Onto the reviews!

Justice League Dark #9

Writer: Jeff Lemire
Artist: Mikel Janin
Company: DC Comics

There's a lot to like about this comic. In fact, let's make a list of the reasons why its oozing with cool:

1. Right there on the cover you get two titillating, eye grabbing ideas. New Members and New Threats! They're so cool that both of them require EXCLAMATION POINTS.

2. Jeff Lemire.

3. Mikel Janin.

4. A Done in one tale that really does set the stage for a new direction for our team.

DC Universe Presents #9

Writer: James Robinson
Artist: Bernard Chang
Company: DC Comics

While I know there was a lot of love for the Paul Jenkins penned Deadman story that launched the DC Universe Presents title, for me, the book never really revved up to be anything but bland. Deadman just isn't the guy that can carry a whole story. I love him, don't get me wrong, but a full six issues is a bit much. The same can be said for Vandal Savage. The difference, however, is really in the writing.

James Robinson, the man behind things such as JSA: Golden Age and Starman and Superman. He's a talented writer. Sure, he's had his flops and moments where he's made some questionable calls, but that's something that can be done with most writers. With

Night of the Owls 5/17/12

Crossovers in the New 52 have been few and far between. Sure there have been a few where Omac fought Frankenstein and the like, but big crossovers? Nope, we haven't seen those yet. Until now. Night of the Owls is spinning out of Scott Snyder's story in the main Batman book and its gripper paws are large and long, popping up in most every book that is tied in with Batman. While that can be both good and bad, what I hope to do with this article is take a look at each of the titles and give you a quick blow by blow accounting: Is it good? Does it suck? Is it going to be important? Without further talk...Onto the reviews!

Night of the Owls - 5/10/12

Crossovers in the New 52 have been few and far between. Sure there have been a few where Omac fought Frankenstein and the like, but big crossovers? Nope, we haven't seen those yet. Until now. Night of the Owls is spinning out of Scott Snyder's story in the main Batman book and its gripper paws are large and long, popping up in most every book that is tied in with Batman. While that can be both good and bad, what I hope to do with this article is take a look at each of the titles and give you a quick blow by blow accounting: Is it good? Does it suck? Is it going to be important? Without further talk...Onto the reviews!

Batman #1-6

Writer: Scott Snyder
Artist: Greg Capullo
Company: DC Comics

With the buzz around the upcoming Batman crossover "Night of the Owls" and the general notion that Scott Snyder doesn't know how to write a comic that even remotely falls into the category of bad, I decided to reassess my initial, slightly negative reaction to the book. The biggest hurdle that it had, and still has really, is simply Greg Capullo's artwork. There's no getting around the McFarlane influences that are ingrained in the line work. Yes, he has improved over the years, no question about it, but that particular comparison is inescapable and off-putting in many ways.

Aquaman #5

Writer: Geoff Johns
Artist: Ivan Reis
Company: DC Comics

What happens when you drop Arthur Curry in the middle of the desert? That's the question that Geoff Johns asks and answers in this issue of Aquaman. In all seriousness, Johns is on a hot-streak these days. All three of his titles, Green Lantern/Aquaman/Justice League, border on the good to great. For me, Aquaman has been the breakout. The way that's he humanized Arthur while at the same time showing what makes him a hero when most people think he's just a joke, has gone a long way to make fans flock to the title. It also doesn't hurt that Johns is doing unexpected things, zigs and zags when you're expecting straightforward tales.

Animal Man #4

Writer: Jeff Lemire
Artist: Travel Foreman
Company: DC Comics

Mainstream superhero comics hardly seem the right place for horror in most instances. It's a great genre, and has been used well at times, but it has a way of upsetting the balance and quickly slaps the cuffs on any of the spandex adventuring that typically takes center stage. With Animal Man however, Jeff Lemire has found an odd balance that drives an 18 wheeler packed with mutated nitroglycerin through said formula and never looks back. The subsequent explosion of genre bending material has an enjoyment factor that is set so high with every issue that a part of me thinks that there has to be an issue that takes a step back or pauses for a breather. The thing is, such an instance hasn't happened yet, and really, that is a great thing.

All Star Western #3

Writers: Justin Gray & Jimmy Palmiotti
Artists: Moritat & Jordi Bernet
Company: DC Comics

Violent. Bloody violent. That's what All Star Western is and what it should be. Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti have been at the wheel of the character named Jonah Hex for a long time now. They've always put together a solid book, one that embodied who Jonah Hex is and the stories that he usually found himself in. With All Star however, things are a bit different. For the better. Including him in the DCU proper has been one of the best moves yet and essentially teaming him up with a burgeoning Amadeus Arkham allows a whole new take on the character to be seen.

Catwoman #3

Writer: Judd Winick
Artist: Guillem March
Company: DC Comics

After the "controversy" of the first issue, not much has really been said about our favorite feline anti-hero. Whether that's because it was written off as a tawdry book who's only reason for existence was to show some skin and have page after page of sexual innuendo or for some other reason, I don't know. For me, Catwoman has fast become the sleeper hit of the DC relaunch. Yes, it's tawdry and unrelentingly dark, but Winick is pulling the threads of a calculated and interesting story together, panel by panel, inch by inch.

The cover, drawn by March, is telling and gives us a quick glimpse of what is to be found inside. The use of

Justice League #3

Writer: Geoff Johns
Artist: Jim Lee
Company: DC Comics

While a few DC books have been floundering, Geoff Johns' foray into the land of the Justice League continues to be one of the most entertaining titles of the relaunch. Why? Because every single issue that's come out is packed to the gills with so much stuff that it has a re-readability quality that many other books don't. It's also that cool combination of stage magic where it has both flash and substance that keeps you on the edge of your seat. This third issue is no different. Right off the bat it is our introduction to Wonder Woman's character and then once that has been established, goes right into the chaos as Parademons begin their attack for Darkseid on various cities all around the world.

Dc Comics The New 52 - Quick Shots 10/29/11

Well, everyone take a quick sigh of relief. Catch your breath while you can, as the first month of DC's relaunch is finally over. 52 new books with new creative teams and new things to love or hate. Okay, break's over and the books keep on coming. Overall, I have to say that I'm pretty happy with the quality that we've seen. Sure, there have been a few books that have disappointed, but we expected that to some degree. There was no way that all 52 of them would hit the bulls-eye. What this article will try to do is provide a quick three or four sentence review of how each of the subsequent issues of the title fare. I wish that I could provide a more in depth look at each of them, but time is a harsh mistress and it seems to always run out. Anyways, to the books!

DC Comics The New 52 - Quick Shots 10/12/11

Well, everyone take a quick sigh of relief. Catch your breath while you can, as the first month of DC's relaunch is finally over. 52 new books with new creative teams and new things to love or hate. Okay, break's over and the books keep on coming. Overall, I have to say that I'm pretty happy with the quality that we've seen. Sure, there have been a few books that have disappointed, but we expected that to some degree. There was no way that all 52 of them would hit the bulls-eye. What this article will try to do is provide a quick three or four sentence review of how each of the subsequent issues of the title fare. I wish that I could provide a more in depth look at each of them, but time is a harsh mistress and it seems to always run out. Anyways, to the books!

DC Comics The New 52 - Quick Shots 10/8/11

Well, everyone take a quick sigh of relief. Catch your breath while you can, as the first month of DC's relaunch is finally over. 52 new books with new creative teams and new things to love or hate. Okay, break's over and the books keep on coming. Overall, I have to say that I'm pretty happy with the quality that we've seen. Sure, there have been a few books that have disappointed, but we expected that to some degree. There was no way that all 52 of them would hit the bulls-eye. What this article will try to do is provide a quick three or four sentence review of how each of the subsequent issues of the title fare. I wish that I could provide a more in depth look at each of them, but time is a harsh mistress and it seems to always run out. Anyways, to the books!

DC Comics The New 52 Week 4: Part 2

Well, the wait is finally over!  The New DCU is upon us, and whether you're ready or not, this week sees the release of 13 all new series.  It's strange, exciting, and truly a great time to be a fan of the medium of comics.  Now, on the review side, I'm trying to be as spoiler free as possible with these reviews, mainly due to the fact that experiencing them yourself is paramount.  I'm also going to try to do full reviews for a lot of these new series, though time constraints and my current sanity level will prevent me from doing all of them.  That said, in these The New 52 Articles, I'll give you a quick rundown of what was good, what was not so good, and what are the books to seek out.  So without further ado, TO THE BOOKS!

DC Comics The New 52 Week 4: Part 1

Well, the wait is finally over!  The New DCU is upon us, and whether you're ready or not, this week sees the release of 13 all new series.  It's strange, exciting, and truly a great time to be a fan of the medium of comics.  Now, on the review side, I'm trying to be as spoiler free as possible with these reviews, mainly due to the fact that experiencing them yourself is paramount.  I'm also going to try to do full reviews for a lot of these new series, though time constraints and my current sanity level will prevent me from doing all of them.  That said, in these The New 52 Articles, I'll give you a quick rundown of what was good, what was not so good, and what are the books to seek out.  So without further ado, TO THE BOOKS!