Another Week Of The New 52
This week I only got six comics of the new 52, but I think they were all quite strong. Mostly worked better as #1s than last week, which is the biggie.
I also finally noticed the mystery robed woman who, Where's Wally style, is in ever New 52. She makes a particularly out-of-place appearance in Batman & Robin which I clocked, but Ailsa was the one to spot her in a couple of others. (I went hunting after Ailsa and I twigged this and we found her in all the previous comics so far.) This seems to be the same Obligatory Mysterious Stranger whose appearance I was completely non-plussed about in Flashpoint #5 - we shall see what comes of this.
I also finally noticed the mystery robed woman who, Where's Wally style, is in ever New 52. She makes a particularly out-of-place appearance in Batman & Robin which I clocked, but Ailsa was the one to spot her in a couple of others. (I went hunting after Ailsa and I twigged this and we found her in all the previous comics so far.) This seems to be the same Obligatory Mysterious Stranger whose appearance I was completely non-plussed about in Flashpoint #5 - we shall see what comes of this.
- Batman & Robin: Possibly the weakest comic this week, the work in B&R previously in moving Damian from random spoilt brat villain to a more sympathetic Robin is somewhat undone. I also don't think Bruce & Damian work so well as a pairing - something Batman: The Return made a point of. I'm only sticking on for the references to Batman Incorporated, an idea I hope doesn't vanish entirely in the New 52.
- Batwoman: Long delayed and now finally here! The art is gorgeous, as all J.H. Williams III comics are. The delay since we last saw Kate in Detective Comics and Batwoman #0 has removed some of the urgency of the Flamebird cliffhanger and entrusting the artist to help write always gets me nervous, but this looks very promising.
- Demon Knights: One of the odder concepts in The New 52, "Sword & Sorcery Justice League" is a much stronger title than Cornell's Stormwatch was last week. Perhaps suffers a bit from pasting lots of pre-established characters together - Madame Xanadu, Ystin, Vandal Savage and the rest just kinda turn up and a lot for a newbie to follow. Maybe I just like it because, unlike Stormwatch, I know the characters? Regardless, this is one I will continue to follow for some Conan-esque hijinx.
- Frankenstine: Agent Of S.H.A.D.E.: Like Demon Knights this is an over-the-top comic with supernatural elements, mixed in with robotics and a tween girl's body in charge of a government agency. The computer narration boxes to explain the concepts felt good, briefing new concepts but never feeling out of place to me. If I have a complaint, it's the small one that the same writer paired Frankenstein & the Creature Commandos just a few months ago and it now feels like I paid for a beta-test of this one. But who can hold a grudge when a mummy is blowing up monsters?
- Mister Terrific: A character who found his feet in the JSA but hasn't really had a solo title, this was a good intro to a character plenty of readers will only know from crossovers and group shots. For what looks like it could be an easy book to see cancelled it read very well. The art was simply OK rather than anything fancy.
- Resurrection Man: Perhaps a little slow on the Number One job but it gets the general idea across: "I'm a dude who comes back to life with different powers each time". Art is rough but then it's a title which perhaps suits that look. The story is OK - part of me wonders if it would be a stronger plot if used a couple of arcs in rather than right off the bat, but that didn't stop me putting it down and feeling liek I hadn't been done out of my $2.99 or local equivalent.