Wild About Animal Man

The new Animal Man series is one of my favorites (so far) of DC's New 52.  Jeff Lemire's new version harkens back to the days of Grant Morrison writing the title in the late 1980s.  The theme is a bit darker than your typical superhero comic book, and I'm already excited about the potential odd storylines. 

One of the strongest parts about the series is the character development.  At the beginning, we see Buddy Baker in his family setting.  He's in superhero semi-retirement, but being recognized for his new work as an actor.  His wife Ellen is there, and we can already sense some tension between the two.  There's also Buddy's two kids -- Maxine and Cliff -- both rebellious in their own ways.  

Buddy decides to jump back into action when a crazy man who lost his daughter to cancer enters a hospital wing waving a gun around other cancer-stricken children.  After saving the day, Buddy returns home to some mysterious developments...

Animal Man is one comic of DC's New 52 that I can't wait for issue #2 to see what happens next. 

Welcome to the Dollhouse

I read the new Detective Comics #1.  Wisely, DC Comics decided to include Joker as the first villain in this new series.  He's still the twisted clown prince of crime, but he's taken it to a new level in DC's New 52.  His violence is even more senseless and, for lack of a better word, *extreme.*  I won't give away the details, but let's just say that Joker is willing to do almost anything to achieve his goals. 

As a side note, we see Commissioner Gordon as a young redhead instead of the white-haired father-figure we got so used to seeing.

Superman gets Cocky.

In reading the new Action Comics #1, written by Grant Morrison, Superman has a different past history.  Clark Kent works for a rival newspaper and isn't -- yet, anyway -- infatuated with Lois Lane.  Gone, too, is his recognizable costume.  In his spare time, he's flying around in a short-sleeved T-shirt and jeans a la Superboy (before DC's New 52).  

To be honest, I'm not sure I like the "new" Superman.  And, actually, it seems that not many people in Metropolis do.  He's more like an outlaw (like Batman at his beginnings) than a revered superhero.   He seems arrogant, cocky, and not at all Superman-like.  For him, it's more like "Truth, Justice, and My Way."

While I don't mind messing with his origins and stories a bit in this revamped DCU, you can't really mess with the Superman legacy or what he stands for.  There's just something wrong about that.  Superman had and has a good heart, was/is caring, and was/is a do-gooder, and this new version is anything but.  

Green Arrow shoots...and lands a little off-target.

Oliver Queen (AKA Green Arrow) is back on top.  He owns the company QCore (think: Apple in the DC Comics Universe).  Get it -- apple core?  Oliver Queen?  The company came up with the Qphone and Qpad.  Sound familiar?  Unfortunately, it looks like his staff would rather see him retire from his executive position since he's always off "on business" somewhere.  What they don't know is that his business is kickin' ass. 

The first issue of the new Green Arrow series was just kind of average.  It had a lot of random action and violence scenes, as well as generic bad guys, which didn't do anything for me.  As an introduction, it didn't really succeed.  I really want to know more about Oliver Queen, the person.  Is he dating/married to Dinah (Black Canary)?  Was there ever a Speedy sidekick?  Is Connor Hawke, his son, still around? 

The new Green Arrow seems to be younger, a little slimmer, and shows off his body (and abs) in his tighter suit.  In the first issue, he also has yet to grow the beard/goatee for which he's renowned; there's just the appearance of some stubble.  Fortunately, his look isn't too much of an extreme change.  He's still got that Robin Hood look and feel, including the hood, which I love.  

Green Arrow is one of my favorite DC characters, so I hope he's given some better storylines in issues to come. 

Welcome Back, Babs!

I know a lot of people have been skeptical about Barbara Gordon being able to walk and becoming Batgirl again.  This, however, was one change in DC Comics' "New 52" that I was actually looking forward to.  I was never a fan of Cassandra Cain's darker version of Batgirl and, though I read the entire series, I never felt that Stephanie Brown quite captured Batgirl's essence.  

I'll miss Oracle, but having Babs back in action is, I think, a good thing.  She is the one true Batgirl.  The only difficulty I'll have reading the series is picturing Babs as a free-spirited young adult again, instead of as the older,  wiser, cautious, and set-in-her-ways Oracle.  Does this mean that Babs is younger than Kate Kane?  And now we'll have a Batgirl and a Batwoman both as redheads.  What will Gotham City's villains think?  That they're mother and daughter?  

After some significant lagging in her writing abilities with the later issues of the Secret Six (did she stop caring?) and her Wonder Woman run, I see that Gail Simone is back at the top of her game in the new Batgirl.  It was a great opening story to what looks like a "fun" series and gave a brief, but reasonable, explanation for Barbara Gordon being able to walk again.  I also like that Babs has a recurring fear of being shot again.  It gives her a weakness, and it'll make for some great storylines in the future. 

I'm sold.  If no other new series, I look forward to reading Batgirl for years to come.