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YUNG MASTERLESS GLENCOUR

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John and I felt a topic about comics would be fun. So here we go. The main reason we wanted to make it is to discuss the "New 52" of the DC Relaunch that happened last night. They decided to start strong with a brand new Justice League #1.

 

Um so some quick factoids about the New 52:

 

-It's pretty much a hard reset of the entire DC Universe, so basically continuity starts here and now for the most part

-It's combining Vertigo, DC, and Wildstorm (although not Vertigo completely, I can explain that more if you actually care to know)

-52 new series are all being released the course of this month, the first of course being Justice League

-They are doing same day releases for digital on all the new series

 

I thoroughly enjoyed Justice League #1. I'm really glad I started getting into comics again around this time because getting back into them is a lot easier when I don't have to fucking research 20+ years of continuity to understand a single line in a comic.

 

If anyone wants to talk about other comics that's fine too. I'm mainly a DC guy but it makes no difference what we talk about!

 

Quickie review of JL #1: I think it was a great start to the new DC Universe. Geoff Johns kept it simple and straightforward with his writing. It was snappy and funny and easy to get. Jim Lee's art was strong as usual, and I like that he tried a few new little things here and there with it. The inking and coloring were great too. I thought it was going to be too dark color-wise from teasers but it turned out awesome. The end was pro.

Edited by Penguin Deus
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See, I'm in the same boat. I've always liked comics but never ever wanted to get into them deeply because there was so much backstory to every little thing. With this reboot, I've got a new shot. The same-day digital release is great for me since I don't live close to a comic shop. Also, it lets me get easy comic captures for sigs!

 

I bought Justice League #1 tonight and Mike and I have been gushing over the art and how strong of a start it's looking to be.

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Marvel guy myself. Can't say I actually go out to buy the comics but I do enjoy reading them. Kinda upset that I couldn't find x-men schism issue 2 at my local comic book store the other day, just two reprints of issue one and then issue three. I think.

I've also read entire wiki pages on Marvel characters, going from one character to another, spending one or more hours learning the stories. On multiple occasions, as well.

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I hear Schism started pretty strong, but I haven't actually read any of it. I've been reading Mighty Thor but after then next issue I'm completely over it. I don't know why but I'm just not liking Matt Fraction's work on it. A little weird since I do like Fraction's writing generally. I also read New Avengers but I only buy the trade paperbacks for that. I suspect the new Daredevil run is good, too. Mark Waid is writing it, and he's brilliant.

 

Here's a guy's takes on the various new series coming out for the new 52. I find myself agreeing with him more often than not and I do think he's pretty well-versed in the stuff so he's at least worth hearing/reading out:

 

http://www.tor.com/features/series/readers...new-dc-universe

 

Dood some of these covers are bonkers!

 

The issues I'm looking forward to next week are Animal Man, Action Comics, Stormwatch, and Swamp Thing. I'm actually starting to consider Men Of War, as well.

 

I'll put up short reviews of the issues I buy after I get them! Maybe I should do one for Justice League #1 as well.

 

http://www.bleedingcool.com/2011/09/02/act...e-1-gets-third/

 

Glad I pre-ordered that Action!

 

http://www.bleedingcool.com/2011/09/02/pre...stice-league-1/

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It's not a fair fight, but Batman is the goddamn Batman so he always has a plan, no matter how absurd it might end up being. Expect him to have kryptonite on hand for the fight next month, or at least a red sunray gun or something. As stupid as it sounds, over the years the are pretty even in the W-L column against each other. Granted, Superman always holds back whereas Batman doesn't so that's usually a huge part of how Batman wins.

 

Afterall, big blue could literally just look at Batman hard and kill him.

 

Anyhow, I'm just hoping Superman doesn't job to Batman too hard in JL #2.

 

For the record, goddamn Batman is from All-Star Batman and Robin. It was a terrible, terrible line in the comic, but it's a genius line in any other context.

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New releases!

 

I picked up Animal Man, Action Comics, and Swamp Thing. Animal Man was incredible. The art, especially towards the end, was fantastic. Definitely my favorite of the three. Swamp Thing's art was superb, too. I loved how he made the panel boundaries part of the art and even the story. Action Comics was good but the story felt kind of rushed. I've only read through them once so far so I'll have to do it again, slower.

 

Also, they're already hinting at something across the comics. I noticed something that appeared in both Swamp Thing and Action Comics. I'll look for it the next time I read Animal Man. Mike, you'll definitely notice it and you're buying more comics than I am so keep an eye out and tell me if you see it in any of the others. Also, get on gchat.

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Action Comics - This is the true beginning of the new DC Universe, as well as the legend of Superman. The book is fast and action-packed, with a frenetic pace to it. We get to see how a young Superman handles the bad guys, protect some people, and cause larges amounts of destruction throughout the city. Things were constantly happening and I don't think a single panel got wasted. It moves so fast that you can get caught up in it and not take the time to let things sink in. Namely, how well-structured the whole comic was. The panelling, facial expressions, dialogue, and action were all meticulously well done. A strong, strong, start to the most important comic DC has this month.

 

Animal Man - This was a really trippy book. It's about a man who was a part time superhero whose just trying to figure his life out and take care of his family. It opens with an article about the titular character, Buddy Baker aka Animal Man, and him discussing it with his wife in the kitchen. From there it takes off into showing us his family, his thoughts, and what kind of person he is. The guy is practically a hippy, and it shows in his approach to everything. Of course, this is especially jarring once the comic starts to get underway because it quickly turns into a horror story that ties into who he is and what he is a part of, in more ways than one. The art takes some getting used to because it's very minimalist, but otherwise it is a fantastic start.

 

Stormwatch - The main idea is that this is a superhero team before superheroes existed, and that these guys don't like being called superheroes, as they are not, in fact, superheroes. They are warriors, and professionals. They get the job done, meaning they take out anything threatening the world. A neat high concept and one I think is particularly good for the cast they are establishing in this story. These guys aren't big on playing nice, and their power-sets are unusual and almost abstract. Unfortunately, for dialogue felt a little strange to me at times, and I started to take issue with the art and lettering. It was just tricky for me to understand the voices being used at various points, and the art in general wasn't consistent enough for me.

 

Men of War - This is a really neat high concept, and one I'm really glad that DC is trying to do. Essentially, it's a story about the best of the best in the military trying to do their job in a world where superheroes exist. These men are among the most well-trained people in the most powerful military in the world, and yet they are now in a setting where all that is nearly meaningless. This book is trying to show us a more human perspective on conflict in a world with superheroes in it. It's a slower paced book but I thoroughly enjoyed it. It has very muted colors which felt appropriate for the style of prose here, and the appearance of the "superhero" was appropriately menacing and strange. The main story was good and I'm eager to see the rest. However, the back-up story was pretty bland. I think without the back-up story I'd recommend this to anyone, but paying an extra dollar for that isn't really fair.

 

My personal favorite was Action Comics. It's the only one I felt compelled to read again immediately after finishing all of them. It barely beats out Animal Man. I know the hype on the internet right now has Animal Man and Swamp Thing as the best of the week. Stormwatch was the weakest of the bunch, but still a pretty good comic.

 

If I had to recommend something to someone, it'd be Action Comics and/or Animal Man, for sure.

 

Next week I'll be picking up Batwoman, Demon Knights, and Green Lantern.

Edited by Penguin Deus
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I definitely agree that AC and Animal Man were top 2. However, AM is my #1 this week. That art style just made me swoon and the story progression went so smoothly. AC will need a couple more readings since, like you said, it moved me so fast that I probably blew right by what was happening.
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Yeah the concensus top 3 in some order has been Action, Animal Man, and Swamp Thing. Batgirl has been the outlier to that.

 

Detective Comics has been hands down the most surprisingly and crazy ending of the week, though.

 

Oh, and I'm fairly certain you'd like Men of War, John.

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Ok, I grabbed Batwing and Men of War.

 

Men of War is good, yes. I'm interested to see if they reveal who the superhero is. It's really not a big deal if they don't do it though. The focus is on the soldiers, not the "heroes." I think it's good that we don't know who it is right now.

 

Batwing was very good. The art style is way different from most of what I've seen so far. It's more like paintings, with fewer hard outlines and a lot of big panels. It's a good entry into the Batman Inc. stuff since it shows you why Bats took an interest in this guy and how he came about wearing the costume. He's definitely his own character and not just a black Batman.

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I was browsing a bunch of comic sites and twitter just now, and it's really funny to see just how drastic people's opinions are about the top 3 of the week. It's probably a good thing for comics when people are arguing about how dramatically different the top 3 are and liking them for totally different reasons.
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Hey John did Batman show up in Batwing? Or any other superhero?

 

I thought you might also enjoy this read: http://goodcomics.comicbookresources.com/2...mber-ones-9711/

 

Interesting takes by the guy, and I'm really surprised by how dramatically opinions have been on all the issues now that people have had time to read the mall. Stuff like Static Shock going from best of the week to worst of the week depending on the reviewer, and what not.

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http://i53.tinypic.com/in7lar.jpg

 

 

New releases tomorrow! Definitely picking up Batwoman and Green Lantern. Might pick up Batman and Robin. Demon Knights is another possibility. I've been seeing some hype about Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E. so I'll see what it looks like in the previews and maybe get it too. I really want Suicide Squad to be worth getting. That Harley Quinn design is sick. Again, I'll dig through the preview pages and see if it strikes my fancy. Nothing else really draws my eye.

 

Here's the full list of releases for Wednesday:

 

Batman And Robin

Batwoman

Deathstroke

Demon Knights

Frankenstein Agent Of Shade

Green Lantern

Grifter

Legion Lost

Mister Terrific

Red Lanterns

Resurrection Man

Suicide Squad

Superboy

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The preg pic is great, the batgirl is hot, and I really REALLY want to read the new comics. The couple of reviews I got to read today all said Suicide Squad was actually good, and (predictably) that Batwoman and Demon Knights were great.

 

oh and Green Lantern was great too from reviews.

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I got Suicide Squad. It was definitely better than I expected, yeah. The thing about it is that it's being drawn by three people, I think? It makes the style pretty inconsistent. Not bad, but inconsistent.

 

Batwoman was nuts. Just a hugely beautiful book. Great characterizations. Perfect amount of backstory laid out. The plot is wicked cool. Best of the week, for sure.

 

I ended up buying way more than I expected to, hahaha. My full list was Batwoman, Suicide Squad, Green Lantern, The Grifter, Resurrection Man, Batman and Robin, and Superboy. I also picked up Detective Comics that I skipped last week.

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