In honor of the new DC universe, here's three quick reviews of some of the titles available TODAY!
I have a very love/hate relationship with Grant Morrison. I love it when he does straight up superhero action, like Justice League Of America, New X-Men, and his Batman run (until post R.I.P.), but I hate it when he tries to get all psychedelic on us, like Final Crisis and Return of Bruce Wayne. Thankfully his first issue of Action Comics fits perfectly with the former titles mentioned. Teaming with artist Rags Morales, Action shows us the early days of the world's first superhero, and my has he changed. Clark Kent is a young, brash individual who does not think before he acts, which is an interesting angle on the blue boy scout routine that we're used to. The young Superman clearly has issues with the fact that our justice system doesn't treat people equally, an idea apparent from the opening of the this issue. THis is the people's Superman, fighting for the underdogs and the everymans. He's even wearing jeans and working boots.
Don't let his wardrobe throw you off though. This is a great re-interpretation of a classic character. Morrison does an extremely effective job of setting everything up without bogging you down with too much unnecessary information. The man also writes the hell out of Lex Luthor, who is working with the government to try and bring Superman in. His speech comparing Superman to non-native animals being introduced to new environments for example is spectacular. Compare this with the jaw-dropping art by Rags Morales, and we have the start of what could possibly become one of the best Superman tales of all time, rivaling that of John Byrne's Man Of Steel relaunch and Morrison's own All-Star Superman.
Of all of the new 52 titles, Batgirl was one of them I was most excited for. I was also extremely hesitant about it, what with the paralyzed Barbara Gordon suddenly being able to walk again. However, when I learned the great Gail Simone was on the book, a lot of my fears were put to rest. Simone is one of the best writers in the biz in my opinion, and it's because of her obvious love for the character that the book works so well.
Like Action Comics, Simone tells you just enough in Batgirl to fill you in, but also keep you interested. She doesn't tell us how Barbara can suddenly walk, a mystery that will thankfully keep the plot going and be revealed as the title goes forward. A mysterious new villain named The Mirror is murdering people from a list, and Barbara is next on his list. Ardian Syaf handles the art duties here, and it is the icing on the cake of an already fantastic book. Batgirl more than met my expectations, it exceeded them, and I cannot wait for the next issue.
Holy crap, Tony S. Daniels stepped up his game BIG TIME with the relaunch of Detective Comics. As both writer and artist of the pre-relaunch Batman (starring Dick Grayson), Daniels was always in the "good, but not great" category for me. His art grew on me, but he clearly wasn't as strong a writer as he was an artist. But something changed here. What starts as a standard "Batman chasing the Joker" story takes a COMPLETE left turn at the end, with a truly shocking moment that had my jaw almost hit the floor. Daniels deserves all of the credit here for a great story and art, and definitely surprised me. Now the heat is on Scott Snyder to deliver with Batman.
VERDICT:
All three of these DC relaunch titles are great in their own ways. If you're looking to get in the game, be sure to check out your local LCS and see what they've got. There is seriously something for everyone, but these three are easily accessible books that start off this relaunch on the right foot. I cannot recommend these enough!
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