The New 52 really gets underway this week, but my own pull-list only garnered two titles. While books like Batgirl and Detective Comics also debut, they still weren't interesting enough for me to drop my hard earned cash on. The books that DID earn my cash were:
The "not worth $2.99" Second Place finisher:
Green Arrow #1
This book sucked. Plain and simple. I had heard praise for J.T. Krul's work. I didn't like his Brightest Day Green Arrow issues but I thought that was because Brightest Day may have been handcuffing him. As it turns out, I just don't think he's a very good writer.
This story was boring. Absolute amateur hour at DC for this title. Even Dan Jurgens' art was unimpressive. I never bought a 90s Connor Hawke issue of Green Arrow (I'm not even sure they existed) but I imagine they're a lot like this.
The story was standard. But that's not what made it bad. James Patrick's issues of Green Arrow were standard, but they were entertaining. This was just generic. What was most offensive was Oliver Queen's assistants Naomi and Jax. Naomi is Oliver's "Oracle" (for lack of a better term) who's your classic urban pierced Art Institute-drop-out. I feel like I've seen this character a hundred times. And I don't even know what Jax does, but he has a stupid name.
Normally I'd be the supporter of hanging around for six issues and seeing what happens. If J.T. Krul has some good stuff in store for later issues, he should have put them in this one. I won't be coming back for issue #2.
And what's up with that facial hair on the cover? It looks like someone decided the way to sell a Green Arrow comic was to make him look like Wolverine. Dumb.
A very worthy First Place finish:
Action Comics #1
I loved this book. $oss was unimpressed. Once I heard his reaction I thought maybe Superman has just been bad for so long my opinion is skewed. But I'll stand by my opinion that this was a good book.
While Green Arrow didn't feel like anything different for the DCnU, Superman felt like a fresh start from the ground up. Grant Morrison effectively makes Superman a proactive badass without making him dark and gritty. He's still the light and positive role model as exhibited in his interaction with some folks he saved from a building. Morrison writes Supes as a very real person.
Rags Morales didn't blow me away with any art in particular but his storytelling was very strong. His use of what happens in certain panels really creates a sense of motion. I like Morales' work and I'm glad to see him back in a regular role.
What Morrison also did (intentionally or not) was to add nods to some previous incarnations of the character. Like when Mr. Glenmorgan yells, "Somebody! Save me," and when Supes says, "I'm always around." Classy, unobtrusive tips of the hat to Smallville and Superman Returns.
I wanted a sense of excitement about reading Superman. I wanted a book I couldn't wait another month to buy. With those expectations this book could have flopped, but Morrison and Morales delivered. There's plenty of time for this book to get screwed up, but so far so good. Bring on issue #2.
Panel of the Week:
Morales didn't knock me off my seat with any amazing panels, but Donald Sutherland here as Mr. Glenmorgan is amazing in his own right.
-Gint
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