Week two of DC's new 52 relaunch featured some big name titles. I checked out four of the top books released and put together this quick review.
In "Batgirl #1" Gail Simone had the unenviable task of plausibly reintroducing Barbara Gordon as Batgirl. Having written the character as Oracle in "Birds of Prey," Simone is intimately familiar with the inner workings of Barbara's mind. This familiarity has helped her craft an ingenious first issue that not only introduces a new version of an old character but also ties into Barbara's past storyline from "The Killing Joke." The instantly interesting story has made in the best of the relaunch so far.
Grant Morrison is one of the most prolific and popular comic book writers working today. When it was announced that he would be writing "Action Comics," it made it an instant must have. However, the new Superman origin story had a few too many changes to feel comfortable. Superman now wears jeans and combat boots, lives in the poor neighborhood, punishes the rich and is a bit of a douchebag. Even in the midst of a relaunch, Superman should remain the most stable character. The changes do not enhance or update the classic hero, therefore the book felt like it was too much, too soon.
"Justice League International #1" introduces a new team of heroes that works within the system in conjunction with the UN. The original League is still off saving the world, but this League is different in that in features team members from around the globe. The group includes Fire, Ice, Guy Gardner, Rocket Red, August General in Iron, Vixen and Godiva. Its leader is Booster Gold, while Batman shows up uninvited. The initial culture clashes provided a lot of humorous lines, and it will be interesting to see how Booster fares as a leader. This was perhaps the most unexpectedly funny book of the bunch.
"Static Shock #1" didn't stray too far from its already established character traits. Virgil Hawkins is the same wise-cracking teenager with a nice family who uses his electromagnetic powers and scientific intellect to stop criminals. In the first issue, Static is targeted by a mysterious organization when he stops a robbery at S.T.A.R. Labs. The one major change so far is that Virgil and his famil have moved to Metropolis. Other than that, it was great to read that the humor and style of the characters were still in place. This could possibly replace "Action Comics" on the pull list.
In "Batgirl #1" Gail Simone had the unenviable task of plausibly reintroducing Barbara Gordon as Batgirl. Having written the character as Oracle in "Birds of Prey," Simone is intimately familiar with the inner workings of Barbara's mind. This familiarity has helped her craft an ingenious first issue that not only introduces a new version of an old character but also ties into Barbara's past storyline from "The Killing Joke." The instantly interesting story has made in the best of the relaunch so far.
Grant Morrison is one of the most prolific and popular comic book writers working today. When it was announced that he would be writing "Action Comics," it made it an instant must have. However, the new Superman origin story had a few too many changes to feel comfortable. Superman now wears jeans and combat boots, lives in the poor neighborhood, punishes the rich and is a bit of a douchebag. Even in the midst of a relaunch, Superman should remain the most stable character. The changes do not enhance or update the classic hero, therefore the book felt like it was too much, too soon.
"Static Shock #1" didn't stray too far from its already established character traits. Virgil Hawkins is the same wise-cracking teenager with a nice family who uses his electromagnetic powers and scientific intellect to stop criminals. In the first issue, Static is targeted by a mysterious organization when he stops a robbery at S.T.A.R. Labs. The one major change so far is that Virgil and his famil have moved to Metropolis. Other than that, it was great to read that the humor and style of the characters were still in place. This could possibly replace "Action Comics" on the pull list.
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