Now that there are eight issues into the DCnU series, I decided to start reading them at one sitting to see if my opinions of them changed.
Birds of Prey explains little about the DCnU Black Canary except that she's wanted for murdering her husband, knows Barbara (Batgirl) Gordon, does not know Green Arrow and, of course, was never part of the Justice League. With her, is Starling, an apparently new character who was a spy, Katana, still with her husband's spirit in her sword and Poison Ivy, now a good/bad girl. The villain, Choke, while unseen is very effective and horrific. He thwarts them at every turn and they are seriously at a disadvantage. It's not the usual "How'll they'll win?" but "If they can?" a solid B.
Legion Lost has seven little Legionnaires stuck in our time (their distant past), trying to blend in which is hard because five of 'em stick out like sore thumbs!! They're all "later" Legionnaires: Wildfire in a new form, Timber Wolf now completely giving up and acting like Wolverine and given a really gross new power, Tyroc (YES, Tyroc!!) who may be the leader of this group, Dawnstar who could be the breakout star after forty years (!!!), Tellus a really alien being but essential to their survival, Gates from the Legion V.2 with his attitude intact and Chameleon Girl added on by Geoff Johns' "Superman and the Legion" arc from Action. Obviously the DCnU Legion is not that different from the last pre-DCnU team. Also being trapped in the past has been done before (several times at different story lengths) but it is a good read with action and suspense but where is it going? B+ with potential, if there is a stronger interaction with the DcnU.
Since they are designed with trade paperpacks in mind, maybe it's better to read them that way!!
Did this happen to any of you?
Replies
I don't have much to say since I haven't read either of those titles but I enjoyed reading your reviews of them.
I recently reread all of Birds of Prey, too, and have a diminished opinion of it as a result. While I think Swierczynski's technique of ending on a cliffhanger, then jumping ahead at the beginning of the next issue and then showing how the cliffhanger got resolved in the middle is technically interesting, I think it also drains a little bit of suspense out of the situation -- and when reading the issues back-to-back, results in a herky-jerky read. And while I think some dangling questions are fine (Dinah's murder charge, the ID of Starling's uncle Earl, and even to a point whatever Ivy's agenda is, as hinted at by the guy who approached her in issue 4 or 5), there are other questions that feel ignored to the point that they've been forgotten about. Choke's apparently not the person Katana killed at the end of issue 7, so why have they stopped looking for him or even thinking about him? How did Starling's broken hand heal between scenes?
Also -- and granted, this is an inconsistency more than it's a question -- but in issue 7, Dinah is adamant that they don't kill on their missions. But in issue 2, she's thinking Katana is everything she'd hoped she'd be... including "lethal." And this is a page after Katana's sword is put through one of Choke's agents, coming out bloody red on the other side.
Legion Lost, on the other hand, I haven't read back-to-back yet, though I read a handful of issues back-to-back months ago. Still, I'm not sure further integration with the DCnU is what it needs. I think, more than anything, it needs to find its own direction, post-Allastor and his virus. There have been hints that several of the Legionnaires have a secret mission in the past -- I think that needs to come to the forefront, and the group can work toward (or against) those goals. This last issue with the Culling just seemed like a waste of time to me -- though it did establish ties with Kid Flash, at least.
Yes, I found it odd that Black Canary is so adamant about not killing then allies herself with women who use poison, guns and a sword. Which none of them are hesitent to use! And if she is wanted for murder, why isn't there a super-hero after her? Since she has super-powers, I mean!
So Starling is a new character, I wasn't sure! Let's see if "Uncle Earl" is someone we know, hopefully not Deathstroke!
The Legionnaires need a new goal. If all it is is getting home while keeping secrets, then it realy is LOST! ;-)
Green Arrow-- Since others have commented on whether to buy this one a lot, I reread #1-9. First off, like Superman and Wonder Woman, this is an entirely new Oliver Queen. ("Alas, poor Ollie. I knew him, Horatio, a man of infinite agita!" *sob*) When a new book has three different writers, in nine months (J.T. Krul, Keith Giffen, Annie Nocenti), it's not a good sign. The first arc featured a lot of new characters both supporting cast and villains. They are mostly cyphers but then again, so is this Oliver! He comes across as a man with a chip on his shoulder, filled with righteous anger, serious yet immature, bawdy yet boring. Giffen's story introduced Midas and the Blood Rose, the best so far, with their unique relationship but that had nothing to do with the Emerald Archer. The artwork is crisp and clean by Dan Jurgens and George Perez, as one would expect, but they depart with #6.
Obviously DC wanted to focus on a Smallville-ish version of GA as this series seems the most like a TV pilot. How the upcoming Arrow will affect the title is anybody's guess. He has a great deal of tech now with arrows capable of doing anything! Some things never change! But my main problem with this Ollie is that he is a user. He uses people to get what he wants, to push his agenda and to make himself happy. Their views, opinions and feelings are very much a secondary priority. It's not a bad book but it's not a must-read either.
Grade: C (B- for the Giffen issues #4-6)
Just to say that I'm enjoying the thread. A good time to look back at the actual comics that all that hype referred to. If any pop up in the library I might give them a look and comment here. So how many of the Nu52 are you going to look at Philip? Maybe anyone who's read the comics you haven't should fill the gaps?
But no-one's selling any of the series so far...
This sentence is telling. What I've seen or heard of the Nu52 so far makes them seem quite linear and 'prosaic', rather than really using the possibilities of comics to tell 'out there' stories that can't be told in other media. A lot of the comics seem to be exercises in developing the IP for use elsewhere, principally TV and movies.
The success of The Avengers now in mass media should not be lost on DC, though they have two major movies coming up but, alas, it's Batman and Superman again! With last year's Green Lantern considered the least of the four super-hero movies released, and the other three were Marvel films, and the failure of Wonder Woman to return to TV, DC appears desperate to have some of their other characters deemed "popular" and "profitable".
That said, the two current DC TV shows are excellent. Green Lantern -The Animated Series works better than the movie and finally gives us a heroic, swaggering and intelligent Hal Jordan with a mature relationship with Carol Ferris. Young Justice, while dark and driven, fully utilizes the DCU, though recently the YJ characters have been pushed back a bit for the older heroes.
I didn't buy all 52 of the DCnU and dropped several titles since (Hawk & Dove, Resurrection Man, Demon Knights, Captain Atom, Supergirl, Blue Beetle, Batman: The Dark Knight) and others are teetering right now (Green Arrow, Superboy, Nightwing, Catwoman, Fury of Firestorm, Savage Hawkman, Justice League Dark, I-Vampire) so if any one wants to comment on any title, please do so.
My next entry should interest you, Figs. (Hopefully.)
Batman--as you may or may not know, I've been delving into Grant Morrison's run on the previous Batman series. I consider him to be the major Bat-author of the last 10 years. However Scott Synder is writing Batman and doing a marvelous job, combined (amazingly) with the same art team of Greg Capullo and Jonathan Glapion, so it has a creative stability that, say, Green Arrow, lacks. It features the menace of the Court of Owls, a very hidden organization that has been corrupting Gotham City for decades (centuries?). Batman uses his obsessive behavior to focus his drive yet not come off as unbalanced, something lesser writers thrived on. His supporting cast is basically intact and he seems to be the same Dark Knight as before but unless DC drastically changes any of his status quo, Batman is the most reboot-safe hero they have.
Of course there are the usual fanboy quibbles. There are three Robins shown (four if you count Jason Todd over in Red Hood & the Outlaws) which greatly demolishes the "only-been-around-FIVE-years" timeline that the DCnU has been pushing. I don't know if Snyder subscibes to Morrison's philosophy, but he does follow the pattern somewhat of Batman RIP. Again the Wayne murders are brought into question, Batman is mentally and physically tortured/challenged/weakened, his identity in jeopardy and the Bat-Cave invaded (again...and again...and again! Bruce, ol' chum, maybe it's time for a new hideout!). Also he's missing for eight days! Scary in a Bat-centric world but unlikely in a DCnU one where he is part of an elite Justice League!
But those are minor compared to this very deep, very frightening epic. You believe that Batman can be defeated but you have faith that he will succeed!
I give the DCnU Batman an A and can't wait for the conclusion. If you're not reading it, you're missing out!
RE: Legion Lost. I would posit that Timber Wolf was Wolverine before Wolverine was Wolverine. Wolverine was just more popular. Also, Chameleon Girl was ( if memory serves) the Durlan who impersonated Shrinking Violet way back when.
Timber Wolf was made more feral by Cary Bates and Dave Cockrum in Superboy #197 (S'73), the first issue that had starring the Legion of Super-Heroes on the cover. He instantly became ten-times more dynamic than all his Silver Age appearances combined! Of course, he was first drawn by John Forte who was one of the most "static" artists ever. He was taciturn and brooding, rebellious and protective without Wolverine's bravado and bluster, i.e. "The Best of What I Do.."
Later it was established that his new face was the result of plastic surgery, designed I think, to let him get over being mistaken for an android! Long story!
Chameleon Girl was Yera, a Durlan actress who impersonated Shrinking Violet (tricked by Imskian rebels making her think she was covering for Vi while she was "on a mission"), fell in love with Colossal Boy, married him as Violet and stayed married after the truth was revealed! But she was never a Legionnaire until recently.
Travis Herrick said:
True about Chameleon Girl. I was just trying to add some context to her. Johns definitely fleshed her out, and did a good job of bringing her into the fold.
I may be the only John Forte fan here, but I liked his art quite a bit. I will agree that they brought more personality to him, and the other Legionnaires. Heck, that wasn't hard to do though
Good times, Philip!
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