Hawkman gets an Adjective.

Fred Savage

When I hear the word "savage," I think of the song "Savages" from Disney's Pocahontas movie...and that little tyke from The Wonder Years, Fred Savage.  Now I can add DC Comics' new Savage Hawkman comic series to the mix.  

Curiously, Hawkman's series is the only one in the "New 52" in which DC has decided to include an adjective preceding the character's name.  How strange is that?  Marvel does it with a multitude of their comics:  Uncanny X-Men, Astonishing X-Men, Mighty Thor, Incredible Hulk, Invincible Iron Man, Amazing Spider-Man, Savage She-Hulk, Sensational She-Hulk (okay, that one is just dating myself now), etc.  But DC just has...one.  Only one superhero earned an adjective in the "New 52." 

I must admit that I'm kind of fond of the use of adjectives.  It gives the title a little flair and could also potentially distinguish it from other previous volumes (see aforementioned She-Hulk titles). 

Hawkman by Alex Ross

I've never been a particular big fan of reading Hawkman's adventures.  I really like him as a character (probably for his revealing costume -- hello, bulky hairy chest!), but I never read his adventures and thought, "Wow!  Hawkman's awesome!"  or "I wanna be Hawkman for Halloween!"  But the latter is probably because of the revealing costume, too.  And the lack -- on my part -- of a massive chest.

I read the first issue of The Savage Hawkman and thought it was just okay.  I'll continue reading it to see if it leads somewhere good, but it has yet to really sink its claws into me. (Get it -- claws?  A hawk has claws?  Never mind.)

Savage Hawkman #1

Since Carter Hall (Hawkman's alternate identity) is an archaeologist (even in the new DCU), let's hope we get some sort of Indiana Jones-type adventure in the series.  I'd love to see his personal, professional, and costumed lives expand to make him a more well-rounded character.  And so DC doesn't cancel the series due to low sales.  Let's face it: Hawkman doesn't have a very good track record for longevity in his own series, even when paired up with The Atom.  And how random was that?

iVampire

Even though I think the entertainment world is oversaturated with vampires right now, I decided to pick up DC Comics' new I, Vampire series, despite its grammatically awkward title.  Or maybe because of it.  I never read the original in the 1980s, but I remember hearing about it/seeing it in comic book stores. 

Due to vampires' popularity right now, I'm sure that was why DC decided to revisit this old title.  I was intrigued by how DC would incorporate vampires into the DCU, and I hoped it would be more successful than Marvel's attempt last year with their "Curse of the Mutants" storyline.  

After reading the first issue of I, Vampire, I can clearly say that I have no fucking clue what happened.  Maybe it sounds "racist," but I have no idea who is who in the vampire world; they all look alike to me.  I won't give up on the title just yet, though.  I'll read the series for a couple more issues to see if I get into more. 

Aquaman: Sink or Swim

Let me preface my review by saying that, yes, I think Geoff Johns is a great writer, but I don't necessarily think that everything he touches turns to gold.  Case in point:  I loved his work on Teen Titans (and wished he would have continued), but I couldn't get into his Green Lantern no matter how hard I tried. 

So, after relaunching many beloved (and neglected) superheroes and series over the years, Johns finally took a crack at Aquaman.  After reading it, I have to say that this new Aquaman series is one of my favorites of DC Comics' New 52.  The first issue beautifully set the tone for the series and the new reimagining of the character.  Aquaman also looks pretty damn good in his original orange and green costume. 

Aquaman has been constantly ridiculed over the past few recent years, mocked for his abilities or lack thereof.  Johns is well aware of the mockery that has been going on and decided to include this in the series to prove everyone wrong.  He wants to show readers that the character of Aquaman isn't who they thought he was.  He's not the weakest team member of the 1970s Super Friends cartoon...and he doesn't talk to fish. 

Throughout the first issue, as the everyday citizens in the DC Universe laugh at Aquaman, he sets out to prove them wrong and succeeds wonderfully.  He's tougher than they think.  And not amused by their derision.  On the other hand, Aquaman shows his soft side when Mera appears.  Johns focuses on character development, something missing in most comics.  

As long as the series continues in this direction, I'm definitely onboard.  

Angry Teens

This ain't your dad's Teen Titans.  Heck, it isn't even mine.  

The latest reincarnation of DC Comics' Teen Titans was nowhere as good as Geoff John's 2003 version or Marv Wolfman/George Perez' 1980 version.  It wasn't totally awful, though, either.  

These new teens are full of anger.  I guess that's closer to how real teens are/stereotyped to be?   In this first issue, we meet Red Robin, off his stint as Robin.  He's got some issues with the whole former Batman team-up thing.  He's also monitoring the recent sudden appearance of teens with superpowers around the world.  

And then there's Cassie Sandsmark (Whatever you do, don't call her Wonder Girl!).  She's definitely got some anger issues, and a bit of mystery surrounding her existence as well.  Gone is the sweet Cassie from series' past.  She's also wearing a costume that's a combination of her former costume and Donna Troy's black starry one.  

As for the rest of the team, we did see some confusing segment about Kid Flash, but the rest (pictured on the cover) are still yet to come.   And, also, where is the new Aqualad? 

After reading the first month of #1 issues of the New 52, I've discovered a recurring theme throughout the new DCU:  the heroes aren't really "heroes," per se.  They're operating covertly, outside the law, as vigilantes and don't really have the support of the public.  All of 'em.  I'm not sure this is a wise decision on DC's part.  Having some vigilantes and covert operations is good.  But all of them?  It doesn't make any of the teams/individuals unique.  Now they're all Suicide Squad, Secret Six, or X-Men-ish.  And how are they all funded?   How do they survive without jobs?  I'd really like to see more of their personal lives, their "secret identities."  That's how we really get to know them as characters, not just by watching them battle one foe after another. 

Teen Titans was better than I expected (I had low expectations), so I hope it develops into another TT series that I really love.  But let's lose the anger...

Lastly, I'm not crazy about the logo.  However, I wasn't crazy about the former logo either.  Can we take this back to the marketing department?