DC Firsts - The New 52 part 2

Here is the second installment of my look* at (most of) the first issues of DC's new 52 relaunch.

[* Just for a refresher, I am looking at these comics with three things in mind. First, as an established reader, how do I feel about the direction and any significant changes that have been made to the characters or title in general. Second, is it new reader friendly. Third, and perhaps most importantly, is the comic good.]

Action Comics no. 1
Grant Morrison/Rags Morales/Rick Bryant
I've never really considered myself a fan of Superman. I always thought the character was too much of a boy scout. I did read a couple of Superman titles in the late 80s though, but otherwise my exposure to the character has been via team books.

Coming into this issue as an established reader of the DCU, I find myself not enjoying this particular incarnation of the character for the exact opposite reason that I never really got into the character - he isn't the boy scout I'm familiar with. I know it sounds kind of stupid, my reason for never really taking a strong liking to the character was because he was 'too good' and yet when presented with a version that eliminates a lot of those characteristics, I find I'm not so keen on his attitude or methods. There appear to be significant fundamental changes to the core of this character to the extent that he seems too unlike Superman to me. My overall impression of this issue is that I didn't really care much for it and I can't say that I'm really interested in picking up the next issue (even though I did pre-order it so I will be getting it regardless).

As a fresh jumping on point, I think this issue does a decent enough job. Superman is an iconic character so a majority of readers coming in will have some level of knowledge about him. They may not know much, if anything, about Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen, but the brief encounter with them in this issue is enough to establish them as key supporting players. One thing that could be confusing to readers is the lack of a noted differentiation of time periods between this title and the Superman title. Someone picking up this comic might expect to see the same Superman they find in the other title and would be left without any explanation in either of the comics as to why these characters are so different. DC shouldn't be making the assumption a new reader would be aware this title is covering Clark's early years and the Superman title is set in the present day with most of the rest of the other DC titles.

In general terms, the story in this issue was entertaining enough. There isn't anything in particular I can say that was wrong with it. As stories go, it is one I expect most readers might find enjoyable and likely would interest them enough to come back for the next issue. The art was pretty good, if a bit uneven in some places. This was an extra-sized issue but I believe the additional pages will be replaced with a backup feature at some point in future issues (so the primary art team shouldn't be as rushed).

All Star Western no. 1
Justin Gray/Jimmy Palmiotti/Moritat
This is a book I didn’t initially plan to pick up. However I read some good things about it, and I’ve generally enjoyed Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray’s work on other series, so I decided to give it a look. And wow, I am really glad I did. I’ve read a couple issues of Palmiotti and Gray’s previous Jonah Hex series and I thought they were decent, but those issues didn’t do anything to really sell me on the character or series going forward. Their approach in this relaunch did just that however. Having the story narrated by a secondary character (a doctor interested in behavioral studies) who develops a very keen interest in Hex and his motivations brings a whole new element to the character and structure of the story. Also, the change in environment (this story takes place in Gotham City of the 1880s) brings a completely different feel.

Taking the angle as an existing DCU fan (who has some limited knowledge of Jonah Hex – though certainly the character has never been a favorite of mine), I have to say I’m very pleased with this new approach as it breaths a different life into the character. I’m actually interested in what is happening with the characters in this series and looking forward to reading more.

Weighing this issue as a good jumping on point, I think it accomplishes that in spades. As a reader, you don’t really need to know much, if anything, about Hex. Palmiotti and Gray define him very well within the pages of this issue. A reader can quickly tell through the actions of the character and the doctor’s narration just what sort of individual he is. Yet there is also plenty of mystery about him, which certainly is enticing for a reader. To me, this is the perfect example of how a series relaunch should be executed.

Overall, I think this was an outstanding issue. It may very well be my favorite debut issue of the bunch. The story was exceptionally well crafted and the narration device was the perfect touch. The art was very good and fit the mood and style of the series well. This title has been added to my pull list at my local shop and I can’t wait to see how the rest of this story plays out.

Batgirl no. 1
Gail Simone/Ardian Syaf/Vicente Cifuentes
As an existing DCU reader, I’m an avid fan of the Black Canary, Huntress, and Oracle (Barbara Gordon) team that was the core of the Birds of Prey series. And I was rather pleased with the recent Stephanie Brown version of Batgirl. So I can’t say I have any excitement whatsoever for the relaunch of Batgirl with Barbara Gordon back under the cowl. I only read this first issue for review purposes, not because I actually had any desire to jump into the new series. So you can say I’m a disaffected fan on this one. They say don’t fix what isn’t broken. Well,

Batgirl wasn’t broken (neither was Birds of Prey exactly), so this ‘fix’ was unnecessary.
Looking at this as a fresh jumping on point, it has its pluses and minuses. There is enough of a hint of back story to paint the picture for a new reader that Barbara Gordon had a brief crime fighting career as Batgirl cut short by a gunshot that damaged her spine and left her confined to a wheelchair. She was paralyzed from the waist down for three years, but a recent ‘miracle’ has given her the use of her legs again. So now she is on the scene as Batgirl once more and the reader gets to see what is presumably her first adventure back in the costume again. It accomplishes what it needs to in order to get the reader up to speed on the character and establishes a bit of a supporting cast. Beyond that, it just isn’t really that good of a comic.

Overall, I didn’t really find the story very appealing. I was disappointed the ‘miracle’ that allowed Barbara to walk again was not revealed (though I imagine Gail Simone is saving that for a future issue, which is certainly understandable) because that is really the one thing I wanted to know coming into this title.

I also found the ending to this issue to be poorly conceived. Batgirl rushes to the scene where a new villain has shot a police officer and is threatening to kill a hospitalized home invader (who Batgirl had actually apprehended earlier in the issue). It is clearly a dire situation, yet she takes the time to run her motorcycle into the hospital and then take an elevator (still on the motorcycle) up to the 14th floor. Wouldn’t it have been faster to fire a cable to the 14th floor and bring herself up that way (she opens the issue with a little device that fires a cable she uses to swing from a gargoyle head she is standing on – so we know she has some of those ‘wonderful toys’). Worse still, once she gets to the room, she freezes up because the villain aims his gun at her, allowing the villain time to push his victim out the window (presumably killing him). A female police officer (who the villain left dazed on the floor when he entered the room) staggers up and points her gun at BATGIRL and calls HER a murderer because she just stood there and let the man die. All the while the villain who pushed the man out of the window (and who, as I mentioned previously, killed another police officer moments before) is still standing right there. It is the height of ridiculousness, and frankly, I expect better of Gail Simone.

One of the other things I didn’t really like is that this Barbara doesn’t have the same sort of strength of character we’ve come to know from Barbara Gordon-Oracle. This Barbara Gordon lives with her father (though she actually moves out in this issue). I understand that after the incident that left her paralyzed, it would likely be natural for her to live with her father for a while. But given that she has had the use of her legs back for long enough to have gotten herself back into crime fighting shape (she already had the upper body strength, but it would definitely take some time to regain the leg strength, overall athleticism, and most importantly, the full confidence in her legs to take the impacts that would be part of her activities), it certainly seems like she had more than enough time to get back out on her own. On top of that, her new place isn’t a space all her own – she has a roommate. That certainly isn’t conducive to the freedom and conveniences necessary for a life as a masked crime fighter. I imagine it will provide material for future stories (trying to keep her secret from her roommate, etc.), but it just seems like a tired cliché (she’s been keeping the secret from her father for years --- now throw in a roommate and add water). I just don’t like the set-up. I’m used to the Barbara Gordon-Oracle who had funds for her own building (outfitted with an extensive security systems designed to keep out or slow super-villains). This setup reminds a little more of the Stephanie Brown Batgirl – someone who still lived at home while attending college and doing the crime fighting thing in her spare time. And if that is the sort of arrangement they intended, why the heck did they need to bring Barbara Gordon back to the costume and give Stephanie Brown the boot? It is a waste of two good characters if you ask me. So, to summarize – I don’t like it. And this is the only issue I will be reading.

DC Firsts - The New 52

This post is long overdue. I've been meaning to give my view of the DC relaunch for several months now. DC's new 52 relaunch began in September of 2011 (though the very first comic actually hit stands the final week of August). Yet here it is March of 2012 and the 7th issues of the relaunch have already started to show up in comic shops. That is an awfully long time since the debut. I had to re-read most of those first issues again in January when I started writing up my thoughts on them.

My plan is to look at the first issues of the relaunched titles keeping in mind three points of view. The first point of view is as an established reader who read a number of titles from the previous DCU (most of which I liked) and already has some concerns about how the changes and new approach will affect titles and characters I was mostly happy with. The second point of view is as someone looking at the books being a fresh jumping on point, especially for people who may not be familiar with a lot of the characters and concepts. The third point of view is just a generic perspective of whether I think the story (and art) are actually good, regardless of whether they do (or don't) provide a good jumping on point or how they might compare to previous incarnations.

I actually ended up checking out more titles than I initially intended, but there are still a fair number I did not read (DC Universe Presents, Frankenstein Agent of S.H.A.D.E., Swamp Thing, Animal Man, Men of War, O.M.A.C., Static Shock, Stormwatch, Batman and Robin, Green Arrow, Red Lanterns, Resurrection Man, Superboy, Green Lantern Corps, Blue Beetle, Legion of Super-Heroes, Aquaman, Fury of Firestorm, and Nightwing).

So let's jump right to it. Each blog entry is going to cover three titles (except this first one). I'll start off with the first book to actually hit the shops (that being Justice League) as that was the very first exposure to the new DCU, and then I'll mostly keep to alphabetical order after that.

Justice League no. 1
Geoff Johns/Jim Lee/Scott Williams

It has been a few year since last I read Justice League. I quit near the end of Dwayne McDuffie's run because the 'brain trust' left him with a watered down team that was missing a lot of the big gun characters and I wasn't overly interested in the stories being told with the second stringers (I don't blame McDuffie for my lack of interest in those stories - he was doing the best he could with what he had to work with). After McDuffie left the title (whether by choice or perhaps he was forced off -- I don't recall the details), James Robinson eventually came on board and he was given access to all of the good toys. However, I didn't jump back onboard as I wasn't thrilled with some of the work Robinson was doing involving Roy Harper in other projects, so I didn't feel like supporting his Justice League efforts.

Looking at this first issue as an existing fan of the Justice League franchise, I felt like this was a decent enough issue, though I am for the most part indifferent (neither excessively excited nor overly disappointed). I have some concerns regarding how the characters are presented given the new timeline. This title is supposed to be occurring five years prior to what we will be seeing in most of the other relaunched titles and is chronicling the beginning of the Justice League. Batman is supposed to be fairly well established, though his existence is mostly chalked up to an urban legend. Superman is also fairly new on the scene (Action Comics will be chronicling his early days prior to his becoming the Superman of the present day), though his alien heritage seems to be common knowledge. What I find most bothersome is Green Lantern is exhibiting extremely precise control of his power ring. He is able to create very complex constructs without noticeable effort (he generates a full blown fire truck to violently plow into an alien adversary --- and later he generates multiple fire trucks in order to combat several fires). For a character I expected would be fairly new in his role (perhaps less than a year), he is doing things that we typically don't even see the previous incarnation of Hal Jordan doing even though that version had many years of experience under his belt.

Johns established the quirks of the characters fairly quickly in this initial issue. Batman is rather brief and dismissing and we know he thinks it best if the world is afraid of superheroes. Hal is cocky, flashy, and the type who doesn't look before he leaps. We briefly meet a young Vic Stone who is a high school football star with a father who is immersed in his work (to the extent of neglecting his son) that involves studying superheroes in some form. We only meet Superman on the last page after he demonstrates to Hal that he isn't so easily handled.

Looking at this issue with the idea of it being a fresh jumping on point for a new reader, I feel like it is mostly accessible. It isn't likely someone would come in without some level of knowledge of Batman, so it isn't really necessary to spend much time defining his character right away. Hal, on the other hand, isn't quite as iconic in nature, and even though there has been a recent major motion picture for the character, I still think it isn't unreasonable to think that a new reader wouldn't necessarily be familiar with him or understand his abilities. To that end, I think Johns could have done a little better job of introducing him.

As to whether this was an entertaining story in general terms, I would say yes. As I mentioned, Johns does a good job of establishing the primary quirks of the two most prominent characters in this issue. And certainly you are left wanting to read the next installment once you reach the end of the issue (and really, isn't that the goal -- make the reader want/need to come back next month). We know these characters are eventually going to end up as teammates, but clearly there is going to be conflict initially as they take the measure of and determine the motives of each other, and as a reader I obviously want to see how that all plays out. As for the art, you have the classic team of Jim Lee and Scott Williams, so you know exactly what you are getting there.

Marvel Comics in May

Bleeding Cool has a partial advance listing of Marvel's solicitations for May (it doesn't include the trade releases). By my count, Marvel has 86 individual comics in their solicitations. Of those 86, twenty-three titles are being double-shipped (so 46 comics) and one comic is shipping weekly (5 issues in total). So overall, 51 of the 86 are comics they doubling up (or more). So in essence, there are only 62 actual unique titles Marvel is producing in May, and the rest are made of double-dips into their reader's wallets.

My first question --- how long can they maintain the quality on books they are double shipping? Most writers can handle more than one book a month. But they definitely lose consistency with the artistic teams. In order to double ship books like this, they will absolutely have to rotate artistic teams more often. I find that to be kind of a drag, especially if a big part of the draw (no pun intended) on a particular book for a reader happens to be the art (team).

But this also begs the question --- is this really what readers want? I know it usually seems like more of what you like is better, but if you are a reader who happens to be following most of those 23 books they are double-shipping, now you're finding yourself needing to purchase 46 comics instead of just 23. And since a fair number of those 23 titles are the ones Marvel charges $3.99 for, they are really hitting their fans extra hard in the wallet. This doesn't seem anything at all like a fan-friendly practice. I see it as nothing more than a cash grab --- intended to milk as much money out of their core books as humanly possible. They know they are not getting the same returns on the non-core titles, so they are expecting their hardcore fans to make up for the deteriorating bottom line by getting them to buy more of their higher priced books. Of course, this does nothing to actually grow out their audience, but that doesn't appear to be something that concerns the people who are only looking out for the bottom line.

Last minute questions on the new 52

We are basically only a few days away from the start of DC's new 52 and there are still a few unanswered questions bouncing around in my brain. So I figured I would bounced them off of the internet as well.

1) There are four Lantern-related books in the relaunch. However, none of them appear to feature Hal Jordan (either at all or in any major role). So for those among us who don't mind the existence and appearance of the other Lanterns but are for the most part strictly Hal fans and don't want to fork over three bucks (and the time involved in reading) to read tales of other Lanterns (even more specifically Sinestro) ---- what Lantern title is there for us? Which one are we supposed to read?

2) Oracle is no more and we have a young Barbara Gordon as Batgirl in her place. It stands to reason that a Lazarus Pit is responsible for this change. Not only can it heal her lower body paralysis, but it could also potentially make her younger. If that is the direction you want to go, so be it. But we've been told that Oracle did exist in the new DCU and that the Bat-titles are mostly being left alone. If that is indeed true, the Birds of Prey happened with Oracle, Dinah, and Helena (along with Zinda and several other heroes who helped on occasion). So if Barbara is back to her old Batgirl-self ... why isn't she working with Dinah? Why isn't she a member of BoP? Why isn't Helena? It doesn't make sense.

3) Where is Power Girl? (and don't say Earth-2 with the JSA because I might have to throw a heavy object at someone) And what about Terra (Atlee, not Tara Markov). Are we going to see her again?

4) Tony Daniel has mentioned that he is removing the Egyptian origins and reincarnation aspects from Hawkman's history. I'm mostly indifferent to this. But if those things are gone, does that mean there is no Hawkgirl/Hawkwoman? I think I'm ok with no Shayera. But what about Kendra Saunders? Do we have to lose her too?

5) Where is Wally West? And why doesn't the DC brass acknowledge the fact that the target demographic (essentially everyone under 35) doesn't recognize Barry Allen (outside of the recent Rebirth series) as their Flash? Essentially anyone who has been reading comics since the mid-80s has known Wally West as the Flash. He was the Flash in the comic books and he was the Flash in the Justice League cartoon (the initial version and JL Unlimited). The only people who give a rip about Barry Allen are 40 or older. And these are not the people who are going to be driving digital sales (and chances are, they are not driving a significant percentage of the physical paper comic sales either -- and if they are, then DC has even bigger problems than a line relaunch is going to solve).

6) If you're going to have an Earth-2 (it was announced at FanExpo Canada there would be a JSA book and it is set on Earth-2), then what is the point of folding the Wildstorm characters into the regular DCU? Why do they have to occupy the same world/dimension? Why couldn't they be on an Earth-3 or Earth-W or whatever? Do we really need StormWatch interacting with the Justice League? Grifter, Voodoo, and the rest of the Wildcats crossing paths with Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman?

7) What happened to Rose Wilson (Ravager)?

8) We've already seen a few titles announced with different artists by the second and third issues (in fact, there is one title that has a different art team on the first, second, and third issue). And we are hearing some of the reasons are due to scripts getting to the artists late because of story changes or shifts in creative teams. One thing that turns me off from a new title faster than just about anything else is the publisher not having their act together enough to have stock piled enough enough issues to have a consistent creative team through (at the very least) the first arc. Given some of the relaunch seems hap-hazard at best (late changes to creative teams and the lack of cohesive creative teams following), why should we trust that DC editorial (from the top down) actually has their $h1t together on this whole thing?

DCU Reading List (before and after the relaunch)

Now that the details of the DC 'non-reboot' (as they want to phrase it) have had a little time to sink in, I want to have a look at how the relaunch will be affecting my reading list.
To start, I will list the DC titles I have been reading regularly within the past year. A few of these titles were actually cancelled in recent months (even before the news of the relaunch was released), but they are titles I followed with much enjoyment, and given the characters involved are also part of the relaunch in some form, I feel they merit recognition in my list^[1]. In addition, there are two titles that were actually mini-series. They only ran for a year, but they were bi-weekly titles so each one had twenty four issues published (which is the equivalent of two years worth of a monthly series) and thus I feel like these also merit inclusion^[2].


Current DC Reading List
Batgirl - This is a title I only started picking up recently (with issue 14) and have really been enjoying. When the current series finishes up August, it will be with the 24th issue (meaning I will have read a total of 11 issues of this incarnation of the title).
Batman The Dark Knight - This series has been beset with so many delays that I'm frankly sick of it. I've only read the first TWO issues to this point even though the first issue came out in December 2010. Beyond ridiculous.
Batwoman - I read the intial story arc in Detective Comics by Greg Rucka and J.H. Williams III and would be reading the regular Batwoman series if it had not been delayed. I am counting it as part of my current reading list because it would be on it if DC had not decided to push it back (in other words, I don't want it to count just as a new book in the relaunched DCU because it was announced prior to that and was supposed to have debutted before it as well).
Birds of Prey - I've been reading this title since back when Chuck Dixon was writing it. Black Canary is one of my favorite characters (definitely in my top 10 and quite possibly in my top 5). I stopped reading the title briefly after Gail Simone left it the first time, but I jumped back on board when they relaunched it recently with Gail back at the helm.
Brightest Day^[2] - This is one of the series that followed up Blackest Night. It was a mini-series that ran bi-weekly for a year (thus 24 issues were published) and followed a number of characters, among them Dove and the resurrected Hawk.
Gotham City Sirens - I used to regularly read the Catwoman series (in trade form) prior to its cancellation. This was somewhat of a replacement for that title and I have been reading it since it started two years ago.
Green Lantern - A staple in my reading list and probably one of DC's most consistently good over the past several years.
Justice League Generation Lost^[2] - This is another series that followed up Blackest Night. It also ran bi-weekly for a year (24 issues) and featured Justice League members who were part of the Giffen/DeMatteis run (along with Captain Atom who was part of Justice League Europe during the aforementioned run).
Madame Xanadu^[1] - This is a series that fell under the Vertigo banner at the time, but given a number of characters from the Vertigo books are being pulled back into the DCU and the fact that Madame Xanadu is appearing in not one but two of the new series in the DC relaunch, this one now counts for comparative purposes.
Supergirl - This is another title I only started picking up recently (with issue 60) and have also been enjoying. When the current series finishes up in August, it will be with the 67th issue (meaning I will have read a total of 7 issues of this incarnaton of the title).
Teen Titans - This is a series I started picking up with issue 88 (when JT Krul and Nicola Scott and Doug Hazelwood came aboard as the new creative team). This series will be finishing its run with its 100th issue in August (so I will have read 13 issues of that incarnation of the series).
Wildcats - I have been reading the various incarnations of Wildcats for years and years. I think my favorite of them all was Joe Casey's Wildcats Version 3.0, which I believe was the last series before Grant Morrison and Jim Lee were supposed to relaunch it. That never quite got off the ground (I think the first issue was published and then it was delayed to such a point that Wildstorm decided to launch it again with a new creative team). The series has been really awful the last couple of years (with the whole World's End direction), but I'm such a big fan of Grifter and Zealot and the rest that I continued to partake of it even though I really disliked it (yes, I know how stupid that is).
Wonder Woman - DC has made so many mis-steps with this series that it is really frustrating. The most recent new-direction that started under Straczynski (though he jumped ship rather quickly) has been forgettable. This is one title I am glad DC is relaunching because it is just a mess right now.
Zatanna - Zatanna is a character I haven't really thought all that much about one way or the other over the years, but given the creative team that launched the series (Paul Dini and Stephane Roux), I had to check it out. It has been a very entertaining series and I've enjoyed it quite a bit (and that is even with the recent departure of Dini and Roux).


Okay, so we have 14 titles in all from what we are considering the regular DCU (since many Vertigo characters and the Wildstorm characters are being folded in now) that I have been reading on a regular basis.


Now let's have a look at my proposed reading list for the new DCU. I am actually going to break it out into two separate lists. The first list is titles that I have high expectations for and believe I will be sticking with for the long haul (assuming they all sell well enough to survive). The second list is titles that I will be checking out, but don't really have good expectations for and figure that I likely will not be reading them some six or twelve months after the relaunch. Obviously I could be surprised by one or two of them and they might actually be enjoyable enough to keep reading, but I have serious doubts that will happen.
So let's have a go at it.


Expected DC Reading List
Batman - I have been hearing a lot of good things about Scott Snyder's current work on Detective Comics. I have very much enjoyed his work on the Vertigo title American Vampire. As he is moving over to the main Batman title with the relaunch, this seems like a good time to check it out.
Batwoman - I already mentioned above that I've been planning to get this series since it was first announced. Hopefully with the delay they put on the title, JH Williams III and Amy Reader have had ample time to get well ahead on this series.
Green Lantern - Already noted that this has consistently been one of DC's better books that I have been enjoyed for many years.
Grifter - I mentioned above that I am a big fan of Grifter so I am definitely onboard with this new series (though I have to admit that I have some minor reservations about what has been solicited on it --- I'm not sure how close to the Grifter character I really like this incarnation is going to be).
Justice League - I read Justice League for a good while previously, but when DC pulled all the A-List characters off the team several years back and didn't let Dwayne McDuffie tell the stories that he wanted, I decided I wasn't happy with the direction of the title so I stopped reading it. I'm looking forward to this relaunch, though I do have concerns about Jim Lee's ability to maintain the monthly schedule with the art.
Justice League International - The band is back together and I'm along for the ride. Booster Gold, Fire, Ice, and Batman (I do find it a little odd Batman is participating in both the main JL team and this one), are joined by Vixen, Rocket Red, Guy Gardner and August General in Iron. Also helped by the fact Aaron Lopresti and Matt Ryan are handling the art chores.
Justice League Dark - I have to admit that I initially was on the fence about this title. But after reading comments by the series writer Peter Milligan, I decided it sounded like it would be a quality book. And since it features Madame Xanadu and Zatanna as part of the cast (and those two were carrying titles in my current DC reading list), it only made sense that I should be reading it.
Legion Lost - I like the Legion of Super-Heroes. But you will notice it is not on my current DC reading list. It used to be. I've ready various incarnations of the title over the years and I was reading the Waid and Kitson relaunch. After they left the title, I was about to quit it myself, but then DC hired Jim Shooter to write it so I stuck around. I actually wasn't all that excited by his first couple of issue because he had a different take on some of the characters, but the stories he was telling were intriguing enough to keep me around. But then Dan Didio decied to fire him and left us with an abomination of a series ending (you still owe me $3.00 for that final issue Didio - it wasn't what was solicited and was an absolute piece of garbage). I checked out the first five issues of Paul Levitz's relaunch of the book that immediately followed and did not like it, so that was the end of my Legion reading at the time. Levitz is still writing the Legion of Super-Heroes title that is part of DC's September relaunch, but it is pretty much the same thing he has already been doing, so I'm not coming back for that.
Legion Lost is a different beast altogether. It features seven Legion members who come back to the present day DCU on a mission and are then unable to return to their own time. One of the seven members is Timber Wolf, who happens to be my favorite Legion member. And this title isn't written by Paul Levitz. Add that all together, and this is a Legion series I am interested in.
Supergirl - Already mentioned that I recently started picking up Supergirl so I will be in for this relaunch. It sounds like the character is going to have a different attitude that the current incarnation, so there does exist a chance I might not like this version and end up dropping the book. I'm keeping a positive outlook though, which is why this title is on this list and not the second one.
Voodoo - Another title featuring a character from the Wildcats. There has been no mention of the Wildcats as part of the relaunch (though I have to imagine DC has plans to do something with them at some point in the future), so this title and Grifter are the only opportunity I have to read about the Wildcat characters that I like. I have no idea if this character has any current ties to Grifter or whether there are plans for them to join up in near future. Guess I will just have to read to find out what happens.
Wonder Woman - This one is on my current reading list and I'm very excited to see what Brian Azzarello and Cliff Chiang have in store for the character.


So we have 11 titles I'm expecting to like and continue reading in the DC relaunch. That is a net loss of 3 series (there were 14 titles in my current reading list). Not a good sign. And of these 11 series, there is only 1 title that is completely outside of the family of books I was already reading. That title is Legion Lost. I did not have any Legion of Super-Hero titles on my current reading list. Everything else was represented in some manner. I had a Batman title. Had Batwoman. Had Green Lantern. Had a Justice League title (even though it was a mini-series of sorts). Had Supergirl. Had Wildcats. Had Wonder Woman. So in effect, DC is selling me fewer titles and hasn't really put me into any new areas.


But we'll have a look at the second list. This is where DC may be able to make some in-roads and either get back up to the same count (14 titles) or perhaps even higher. Remember, this is a list of titles I am going to try out but do not expect will have long term appeal to me for various reasons.


Potential DC Reading List
Batman The Dark Knight - Yes I'm already reading it (well, at least the two issues that have seen publication so far), but given all the delays the series has already experienced, I have serious doubts David Finch is going to be able to maintain anything resembling a respectable publishing schedule. If it falls off schedule the same way again, then I'm kicking it to the curb.
Captain Atom - I read and very much enjoyed the Captain Atom series back in the late 80s/early 90s. I also enjoyed the Justice League Europe series, of which he was a big part. The reason this title is on this particular list is just that I'm not sure DC can catch lightning in a bottle twice. Or at least not catch the lightning in a bottle that is going to have a strong enough appeal for me personally. I just don't think this series is going to give me that same sort of feeling I had back when I was reading that previous Captain Atom series.
Catwoman - You would think, given I read the previous Catwoman series and have Gotham City Sirens on my current reading list that I would very much be looking foreward to this series. Unfortunately, given comments I have read from series writer Judd Winick, I don't think this particular incarnation of the character is going to have the same appeal. Here are some of Winick's comments regarding the character in an interview he did with CBR: She's someone who is very aware of her sexuality, and we're letting her stay aware of it! [Laughs] On top of that is the fact that's she's not actually a superhero, nor is she a bad guy. She's a thief. She steals things. As we said in some of the copy floating around, she's addicted to danger. She's addicted to spontaneity. When she steals, she steals for the thrill of it. She doesn't steal so she can sock the money away and one day wind up on some tropical island retired. She blows through the money pretty quickly; she can't help herself, that's who she is.
That just doesn't sound like the Selina I've grown to like over the years. In fact, though there have been a lot of mentions that the Batman books are mostly staying the same through the relaunch, I'm curious if Selina still knows who Batman is under the cowl. Given these changes to her character as described by Winick, I'm not entirely certain that part of their history is being maintained. I'm just not getting a good feeling about this title, so my expectation is I'm not going to be sticking with it long.
Deathstroke - Deathstroke is another one of those titles I read back in the 90s and enjoyed quite a bit. That was the Wolfman scripted and Irwin illustrated Deathstroke series. I'm not really sure what to expect from this new incarnation, but I rather doubt it is going to strike the same sort of chord the original series did.
Demon Knights - I actually have little interest at all in the character of the Demon. In fact, the only reason I am checking this title out is because it also features Madame Xanadu. Since this series actually occurs in the Dark Ages (as opposed to the current day DCU), that adds a little more enticement. But if there is too much Demon and not enough Madame Xanadu in this series, I won't be hanging around.
Hawk and Dove - I really want to read a Hawk and Dove series and it has been way too long since DC has had a monthly series for this twosome. This series would be on the other list if it were not for one not-so-small detail. Rob Liefeld is drawing it. He drew the original limited series, and I admit that back in the late 80s/early 90s I was one of those comics fans who really liked his work. That isn't the case anymore though. I find his work mostly laughable now (what can I say, my tastes have changed -- for the better I think). Add to that, Liefeld has a poor track record in recent years in regards to his ability to meet any sort of regular schedule. If another artist was attached to this series, it would absolutely be in the other list. I'm checking it out just because there is the outside chance that Liefeld will fall back to his 'unable-to-meet-deadlines' ways and will quickly be replaced as artist on the series. Kind of sad that I'm hoping for that (I have nothing personal against Liefeld, I just don't want him drawing the comics that I want to read).
Savage Hawkman - I am a longtime Hawkman fan and have been reading Hawkman in various incarnations over a couple of decades. My favorite version was the Tim Truman Hawkworld incarnation. I somewhat liked the most recent series and really grew to like the new Hawkgirl - Kendra Saunders. Unfortunately DC killed her off during the Blackest Night/Brightest Day story and it doesn't appear she will be a part of this new Hawkman series. DC has botched so many different Hawkman series in the past that it is tough to expect them to do any different with this one. As I don't expect it will be anywhere near as good as the Hawkworld incarnation and without Kendra Saunders, I just don't think I'm going to like it.
I, Vampire - There are a couple of things working against this title. First, I am already reading a vampire series (American Vampire) and thoroughly enjoying it. So I don't really need another vampire title. And if this one doesn't at least match the quality of American Vampire, there is no reason to stick with it. The second reason is that I'm not sure how the art on this series is going to look. If the artist who did the cover for the first issue (Jenny Frison) was doing the interior art, then I would have a lot of reasons to stick with this series. Unfortunately, she is not the series artist.


So here we have 8 titles that could potentially crack my regular reading list, but are likely not to hit the right note with me. If three of them can somehow make a good enough case for themselves, then the net effect is that I will be reading the same number of DCU titles as I was prior to the relaunch. Somehow I don't think that is what DC really had in mind. I think DC wanted readers to be picking up more of their titles, not fewer.


Let's look, at what we've lost here.
Batgirl is gone (a title I just recently started reading). I happen to like Barbara Gordon (she is one of the reasons I read Birds of Prey), but I'm just not really excited about the prospect of her being back in the uniform again. I know I've only recently come to the title, but I happen to like the current Batgirl (Stephanie Brown) and I'd like to keep reading her adventures.
Birds of Prey is gone (yes - you read that right, Birds of Prey did not make either list). Black Canary is one of my favorite characters. But from what I'm seeing in this relaunch, this isn't a title I want to read. Yes, I do want to read Black Canary stories. Not this way though. Huntress is gone. Zinda (Lady Blackhawk) is gone. Barbara Gordon (Oracle) is gone. That is the Birds of Prey team I want to read about. Not Poison Ivy (why would Dinah be working with her?? --- or is this one of those changes that affects the Batman books wherein Poison Ivy's history isn't quite the same and maybe she wasn't the level of villain we've seen previously) and Katana and some other unnamed character. And here is something I really don't understand --- if Barbara Gordon's history is still mostly the same (she was Oracle, DC has already made that clear), then if she is now able to walk again and return to being Batgirl, why in the hell wouldn't she be working with her best friend (Dinah) and the rest of the Birds of Prey squad?? Those guys are like her family. So why wouldn't she be sharing adventures with them????? And then there is this comment from Duane Swierczynski, the new series writer: This time, everyone is after the Birds of Prey — the bad guys, the cops, the mob, the CIA, the Yakuza... and even some good guys, as well. Really? This is where you're going with the title, DC? No thanks. I'm out.
Teen Titans is gone. Again, this is another series (like Batgirl) that I had only recently begun reading (I did read Teen Titans many years ago, but it has been a while since I was a regular reader). The main impetus for my having started reading the series again was Nicola Scott taking over the pencilling chores and also because I wanted to read more of Ravager's story. I learned more about her through some of the Blackest Night tie-ins and wanted to follow her story. I don't really care about Superboy at all and don't have much interest in Wonder Girl or any of the Robins (I do like Nightwing and he is part of the reason I read Teen Titans many years ago). So with this new incarnation of the Teen Titans not featuring Ravager and the prominent players being Superboy, Red Robin, and a new incarnation of Wonder Girl, there is nothing here for me.