Batman and Robin #1
I was a tad surprised at how much I enjoyed this one. I hadn’t read the previous series where it was Dick Grayson as Batman teamed up with Damian Wayne as Robin, so while I had seen Damian in guest spots in other books I didn’t know the character too well. That said, I did enjoy the interaction of Bruce Wayne and Damian as they began to learn to work each other. They obviously still have a lot to work out, but I think that the character part of this book is what will make it good. There was the normal comic book action as well, but I think that is secondary compared to the potential character growth. I also quite enjoyed the art. This will be one I’ll probably be continuing to get.

Batwoman #1
This is one I’m kind of torn on. I thought the story was interesting, but the art really drew me out of it. The book has at least 2 or 3 different art styles, depending on whether the main character is in their civilian identity or their hero identity. Which in theory is an interesting concept, however there are certain panels where it seems like there are multiple art styles in the same panel and it is rather disconcerting. I may still continue on this one, but I’m going have to decide how I feel about the mish mash of styles first.

Deathstroke #1
I rather enjoyed this one. I thought both the story and the art were good. And while it was rated T+ I didn’t feel like they used that as an excuse to put in gore and/or violence just for the sake of having it in. Yes, there was a bit of it, but nothing too excessive in my opinion. This was also an oddity compared to the other books so far in that it seemed to be more of a one and done story instead of ending on a cliffhanger. Good chance I’ll be continuing with this one.

Demon Knights #1
When I first heard about this title I wasn’t too keen on it. That said, this one surprised me as too how much I liked it. While the art wasn’t my favorite I’d seen it wasn’t bad, and the story, while mostly setting up the main characters, was serviceable. I’m curious to see how the characters will interact in the future and this is another one I’ll probably be continuing.

Frankenstein: Agent of S.H.A.D.E. #1
This is another book that whether or not I decide to continue with it will probably depend on the art. The art isn’t bad, but there’s just something about it that just doesn’t do it for me. I enjoyed the story, and am curious to see where it goes, but just not sure if I want to read entire issues, or just get a basic synopsis off the internet.

Green Lantern #1
My first read through of this issue left me feeling a bit “meh” towards it. I thought the art was good as was the story, but I think I was expecting more from Geoff Johns. I did decide to give this one another read before making a final decision and I did enjoy it more the second time through. Though, like some other books, I’m wondering if this is a big “relaunch” why are they continuing on from the previous storylines? They do explain things for the most part, but it is odd to read a comic numbered “1′ and feel like you’re jumping into an issue numbered at least “3″ or even “4″. I’m still not sure if I’ll continue with this one, but it has moved closer to being added to my pull list than it was the other day.

Grifter #1
I enjoy mysteries. And this book not only had a mystery, but the art was pretty good as well. However, I don’t think I’ll be continuing with this one. By the end of the book, while I was curious about what was going on I didn’t really find myself caring for the main character. And actually, the book had two mysteries. The first one is the one in the actual story. The second is whether one particular part of the book is a typo or a plot hole. Either way that also leads to the mystery of how it got past the editors. There have been certain things I’ve seen and/or heard that says not only was the ending of certain titles rushed, but so were some of the number 1s. This would be another one of those things. Don’t get me wrong, it isn’t a bad read, just not for me.

Legion Lost #1
Like previous books in the relaunch this one also started off seemingly in the middle of the plot, but isn’t actually a continuation of a previous title. I did find out there was a prologue of sorts that was posted to various forums, and what was going on was partially described in the book. But hopefully for those who don;t know about the prologue, or don’t care to hunt it down, they will describe things in more detail later on. I enjoyed the art for the most part and am curious to see what happens to the Legion members in the book.

Mister Terrific #1
This was one of the titles this week that I was really looking forward to, which makes me a bit sad that I’m still not sure how I feel about it. The art was ok, but definitely not my favorite. There is also a character in the book that as far as I knew, until the book came out was one of the characters who were “missing” in the New 52. Or at least their secret identity is in the book. Now it could be that they still have their powers but it is being saved for later, but no indication of that is shown. I’m glad to see some more familiar faces, but I don’t necessarily want to see them in the book just for the sake of having them there. I’d prefer that they have a purpose, so hopefully later on they will indeed have a purpose for being there other than simply “being there”. As for the plot of the issue, it was ok, but I’m still not sure I care enough to continue reading.

Red Lanterns #1
The art was good in this book, and while it was interesting to see a backstory for a character that has been in the Green Lantern related titles and events, in the end I just don’t care enough about the characters to continue reading the series. They’re interesting sprinkled throughout other books, but just don’t see them as being interesting enough to read as the main focus of an entire book.

Resurrection Man #1
This was the surprise title for me this week. From what I’d read about the title before the relaunch I wasn’t really interested in it. However, while the art wasn’t my favorite, I was pulled in by the story. I’m still not 100% sure that I’ll continue reading yet, but of the books this week I’m still on the fence about, it is probably closest to ending p in my pull list.

Suicide Squad #1
This was another title I was interested in at first, but as I heard more about it my interest level went down a bit. For the most part the art was ok, though there were parts I liked more than others. And I’m still not quite a fan of the redesign of certain characters. The story also made for a good introductory issue, giving the reader a brief back story for a couple of the characters, as well as explaining why they are all there. Still not sure on this one either, but I might very well continue reading this title as well.

Superboy #1
I thought the art in this book was ok, not the best I’d seen but better than average. I was also intrigued by the story, and was even thrown for a loop in the middle of the book when I didn’t see something coming. There were also other threads started in issue that I’m curious to see where they go as the series progresses. This will be another title I’ll be continuing.

Action Comics #1
I really liked this one. While it does take place a bit in the past compared to most of the other titles, Superman has already been around, so there is no origin story. But he still is new and not at what will eventually become his full power. I also enjoyed the references made not only to Smallville, but also to Superman’s earliest comic appearances from the original Action Comics #1 and beyond. I do have to thank Golden Age Superman, a podcast done by a friend of mine, for that one, since I wouldn’t have caught those references had I not listened to the show. There are also references to being faster than a speeding bullet, stronger than a locomotive and leaping over tall buildings, without really outright saying it… well other than the tall buildings part. One thing I did notice though on my second time through the book… a lot of people in Metropolis have lazy eyes. But I will definitely be picking up #2 next month.

Animal Man #1
Compared to many other characters in comics, I haven’t read much of Animal Man, but what I have read I’ve liked. So when this was one of the titles announced I was excited about it. However, when I actually went to read it the excitement level dropped somewhat. I can’t quite put my finger on what it is, but I just didn’t care for the art style of the book. And while I did find the story intriguing, didn’t care for the more horror-esque turn it took near the end. Not the very end, since that was also intriguing, but right before the end. The book got a bit more graphic. And while I am curious about where the story will go, due to the art and more graphic nature, I might just wait and read reviews online to see where the story goes. But I haven’t decided for sure yet.

Batgirl #1
This was a title I was both looking forward to as well as a bit wary of. I know it isn’t necessarily fair to compare the new titles to the books they’re replacing, but I’d come to really enjoy the previous Batgirl series with Stephanie Brown as the title character. And while I have seen Barbara Gordon as Batgirl in various television incarnations of the character, she has always been Oracle during my comic reading life. That part of her history wasn’t completely wiped out though, she did spend time in a wheelchair after the events of the killing joke. However, seemingly all of a sudden she was able to use her legs again. The book doesn’t go into detail on how it happened, but I’m hoping it is brought up later instead of it just being a “it happened just because it needed to for the plot” sort of thing. There are also one or two plot and story elements that I didn’t quite care for, but because I like the character of Barbara Gordon I’m going to pick up the second issue at least to see where the story goes.

Batwing #1
DC did something a bit daring with this one, the title character is almost completely new. He did make an appearance or two in Batman, Inc. but other than that I don’t think he has been seen elsewhere. I do applaud them on the effort, since it would be quite easy for them to just take established characters and put a fresh coat of paint on them, but it does also mean this book will probably have to work a little bit harder than others. And I think it did well for the first issue, it not only introduced us to Batwing and his supporting cast, but also to a new villain and set up a mystery. This one also got a bit graphic in parts, but it wasn’t as bad as some of the other titles this week. Though I’m still a bit up in the air on whether or not I’ll be getting issue #2.

Detective Comics #1
I’m honestly still not sure how I feel about this one. The story piqued my interest, but I thought of all the non-T+ rated books out this week this one skirted the line the most. At least in terms of the graphic nature of some of the art and story. This is another one I’m kind of interested in seeing what happens, but not sure if I’m interested enough to buy it, or just check spoilers online when issue #2 comes out.

Green Arrow #1
I enjoyed this book, though it wasn’t perfect. I liked the story and the art for the most part, but there were certain aspects of the story that confused me and at times I thought some of the faces seemed a bit “off”. Also, a lot of times when I read comics the voices I hear in my head come from tv or movies I’ve seen of those characters. In the past for Green Arrow I usually heard the character from the Justice League Unlimited cartoon. However, due to the story and how the character acted, this time the voice I heard Green Arrow from the Smallville tv series. This is another one I’ll be picking up next month.

Hawk & Dove #1
Even though what DC comics is doing is a reboot (even if they won’t admit it), some books still seem to be using the pre-New 52 continuity. Hawk $ Dove is one of those, part of the story clearly ties back into the Brightest Day event that happened not too long ago. I’m not complaining, I’m curious to see where that bit of the story goes, but it is odd that while everything is getting a new #1, some things are still continuing previous storylines. I didn’t think the art was bad, but not necessarily spectacular either, somewhere in the middle. And while there were some points in the story that I didn’t care for, it wasn’t enough for me not to like the book. I’ll be picking up issue #2 next month.

Justice League International #1
This is either my favorite issue out this week, or at the very least tied with Action Comics #1. Unlike Justice League #1 where we only see about half of the eventual league, and really only get to know two of those, the first issue of this book gives us an introduction to every member of the team. Are the introductions fleshed out? No, but the book does give us enough to give us at least a feel for their characters. We also get the first story arc rolling. Not only will I definitely be adding this one to my pull list, it will also be near the top of my reading pile on the weeks it comes out.

Men of War #1
I actually enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. Both the stories (this book had a back-up feature) and the art were well done in my opinion. But basically it comes down to the fact that I just didn’t find myself caring about what happens to the characters next enough to pick up issue #2. It isn’t a bad book by any means, just not for me.

OMAC #1
This was my least favorite title released this week. I didn’t think the art or writing was bad in this book, but unfortunately I didn’t think either one was amazing either. At the end of the story I just didn’t care what happened to the characters to get them to where they were before the comic began or about what would happen to them next.

Static Shock #1
I know the character has been around before in the comics, but the majority of what I know about the character comes from the cartoon series that was on a while back. Thus, my reading of this book was compared to that. While I only recognized some of the characters, the ones I did know acted as I expected. There was one or two things though that I was confused about. I don’t know if it was stuff from previous continuity that they brought over, or something new for the reboot that we’re just not being told about yet. Either way I hope they explain it in the near future. Due to certain events and reactions in the book I also got a strong Spider-Man vibe from the title, but I’m not complaining, in a way it does add some realism. This is another title I’ll be picking up next month.

Stormwatch #1
When this title was first announced I knew nothing about it. Leading up to the reboot I did find out that Stormwatch was a team that was supposed to be similar to the Justice League in nature, but from one of DCs imprint companies. When I heard this I was a bit more excited for the book than I had been at first. I thought the art was well done and the story was interesting, but due to the fact that other than one character in the book I don’t know who these people are I didn’t feel invested in them. Like a few other books out this week I’m not sure yet whether I’m interested enough to pick up the next issue or just find out what happens some other way.

Swamp Thing #1
While I did like the art more in this one, I had a similar reaction to this one as I did to Animal Man. I’m intrigued by the story, but not a fan of the more horror-esque aspects of it. As such, I’m still undecided as to whether I’ll be picking it up or just finding out where the story goes via spoilers online. It’s not a bad book, rather well done actually, I’m just not sure it is for me.

I’m actually kind of lukewarm on the issue. There are parts I like, but then there are things I either don’t like or at least could do without. Sadly, I think the stuff that I either don;t care for or cold take or leave outweighs the stuff I really like. I know one of the big reasons DC did this reboot was to try and draw in new readers, and thus they have to introduce the characters. And at first I was slightly put off by this, but after further thought I’m ok with this for the most part. However, due to the fact that most of the comic is Batman and Green Lantern, the first two leaguers we meet, getting to know each other, the issue feels more like an issue #0 instead of a #1.

There is one scene in the book revolving around the two characters first interactions I did really like. When Green Lantern is trying to figure out what Batman’s powers are. And speaking of Green Lantern, the artist uses a neat little effect on Hal’s constructs that I didn’t notice on my first reading, but after I did notice it I really liked it. However, the same effect was used for a another reason on a different character and I’m just not sure why that was. To me, the effect used there doesn’t make sense and in a way detracts from the uniqueness of it had it only been used for the constructs.

The last part that I’m not a big fan of is Green Lantern’s dialogue, specifically the fact that a number of times he speaks in the third person. I didn’t notice this at first either, but when it was pointed out to me and on my second read through it did stand out. I think I’d be more ok with it had it been more consistent, but sometimes he would speak in third person and other times he’d go back to first person. Due to that, when he does speak in the third person it just comes off as stilted and unnatural.

Overall, while there were elements I didn’t care for, and do think it is a slightly slow start, I am curious to see what happens next and will be picking up issue #2.

I’ll start with the relatively easy titles to comment on. Green Arrow, Superboy, Supergirl and Teen Titans. The final issues for these titles were also the conclusion to multiple issue story arcs. While I thought when I first read them that they lacked a certain something for a finale, thinking back they weren’t ended too badly. They weren’t ended in a way that it said this is the end, more in a way that says while you may not see these characters again, their stories would still go on.

Next I want to comment on Power Girl and Zatanna. Both of their final issues were one and dones, so there wasn’t any loose ends to tie up from previous stories. While I did find the issues enjoyable, they could have really fit anywhere in the run and didn’t really feel like a finale. I did enjoy the bit of fourth wall breaking in Zatanna at the end though. Power Girl however ended in a way that you could interpret as the story continuing, but unlike the previously mentioned books it seemed like there should be more to the current storyline and not just continuing new adventures.

I’ll go for what may be one of my more controversial reviews next, Superman. I know a lot of people didn’t care for the final story arc of the series with Superman walking across America. And I’ll admit that I can see why many people thought that way. I did as well at some points, but my OCD-ness kept me reading the book anyway. And while some of the issues were confusing and not always the best, I did think the final issue did help to answer some of the questions that I had wondered about during the story.

Next I’ll look at Justice League of America and Justice Society of America. JLA wasn’t quite ending a story arc, nor was it really a one and done per se. Part of the issue was flashbacks to adventures that happened after the end of the last story arc and before this issue started. I think what was shown was stuff the creative team had planned to do, but didn’t get the chance due to the title ending. And like Zatanna, this title also had what might very well be breakage of the fourth wall. JSA is another matter though, this one was the last issue of a story arc, but it came earlier than the creators expected. There was one conundrum plaguing a certain character throughout most of the storyline that hadn’t yet been resolved in the previous issue, the way it was solved here was simply the character in question basically saying “I got better”. Overall I thought the endings to these two titles were sadly rushed.

I’ll give my thoughts on Batgirl next. I’ve really enjoyed this book pretty much from issue one, so this was one of the titles I was saddest to see go. I thought the last issue was a good send off, however since I’d read and heard interviews with Bryan Q. Miller, the writer of the title, I knew about some of the things he had planned to do later on if the title had continued and am a bit disappointed I won’t get to read those stories. Another disappointing thing was the fact that a couple issues previous was an issue that would have crossed over with the Batman, Inc. title. Due to the constraint put on the writers with the issues ending what would have been a two parter in the Batgirl title was condensed down to one issue. And what would have been in Batman, Inc. was instead condensed down to one line making mention of it in an unrelated story in that title’s final issue.

The last titles I want to mention are Adventure Comics and Legion of Super-Heroes. The final issues for these books also wrapped up the current storyline. The odd thing however is that both issues ended with a blurb at the end of the characters stories continuing in September. That’s right, I know I said that DC was ending its titles, but what most of you who’ve actually read this far probably know is that the reason they ended the titles is because they’re doing a “reboot”. The confusing thing however is that some characters are being rebooted and some of their history is being erased. But other titles, such as Adventure Comics and Legion of Super-Heroes, are continuing on from where they left off, just restarting their numbering and in some cases being retitled.

Personally, I think the whole “ending” of the entire line could have been handled better, but I’m not going to bad mouth the new titles before I read them. And I’ll actually be giving all 52 #1s a shot since I’ve already pre-ordered (and pre-paid for) them through my local comic shop. I know the new Justice League of America #1 hit stands today, but since I don’t pick up my comics until Friday it will be at least until then before I can read and comment on it.

• Damian Wayne will be showing up in the Teen Titans and there will be some interesting dynamics/scenes between him and Ravager.
• Issue 88 of Teen Titans hits the ground running and will be a good starting point for new readers.
• The Teen Titans will not only be getting a new villain but also a new member, who is also completely new to the DC universe.
• The big seven of the Justice League will be out of the picture for a while.

• The Blue Beetle live action test footage looks cool.
• Wonder Woman is getting some new villains based on Greek mythology.
• Wonder Woman’s adventures in the alternate timeline bubble won’t deal with other Wonder Girls/Women.
• Kathy Kane and Bruce Wayne will be teaming up in an issue of Batman, Inc.
• They couldn’t go into detail but more Flash stuff is coming next year, including a new title. Flash: Speed Force will be a Wally West and Bart Allen centric book.
• There are also plans for most if not all of the existing speedsters, as well as possibly some new ones, in the DC universe.
• Young Justice material being reprinted in October.
• Grant Morrison & Geoff Johns are working together on a big project coming out next year.
• Cassandra Cain will be showing up in something Geoff Johns is working on outside of comics.
• More Batman Beyond stuff being planned due to the success of the current mini-series. Both in and out of comics.
• Some upcoming Brave and the Bold team-ups will be:
• Lois Lane and Adam Strange
• Jor-El and Pa Kent
• Phantom Stranger and Supergirl
• TheChallengers of the Unknown and the Metal Men
• DC is looking to keep the majority of their books at the $2.99 price point.

Click to see the semi-major spoiler.

• Black Manta is Aqualad’s father.

• They’ve done lots of big intergalactic stories in Superman lately so they felt it was time to bring Superman more down to Earth. Literally. They wanted to do more personal character driven stories. Superman will come across a myriad of real life problems including (but not limited to) suicide, poverty, casual cruelty, self-destruction, child abuse and immigration.
• Superman 702 is shift from 701. Even though they share the same main story of Superman walking he won’t be encountering the same things every issue.
• Superman 702 also contains a conversation between Lois and Clark.
• Superman 703 guest stars Batman who shows up to talk with Superman. Batman thinks Superman might be having an emotional breakdown.
• Story line after Grounded is the one J. Michael Straczynski always wanted to do.
• When asked what the difference between writing for Thor vs writing for Superman is J. Michael Straczynski said that Thor is writing from the outside in. Starting with the Norse mythology and going from there. Superman is writing from the inside out. Starting with the character.
• Action comics will be Lex Luthor vs. DC Universe. 10 – 12 villains (one a month).
  Some of which will be Mr. Mind, Deathstroke, Gorilla Grodd, (Neil Gaiman’s) Death and the Secret Six.
• David Finch’s cover art for the issue featuring Death was instrumental in getting Neil Gaiman’s permission to use her.
• Lex will be staying out of jail for the time being.
• Lex will be changed by his journey and won’t be the same man when it is over.
• Paul Cornell will be writing Superman in Action Comics after Lex Luthor story arc is over.
• Smallville and its community are the center of the Superboy book.
• Superboy will be fighting Parasite in issue one and Poison Ivy in issue two.
• Superboy will also be getting some new villains.
• Phantom Stranger will be an important guest and will reveal secrets about Smallville.
• Phantom Stranger’s appearance in Superboy will tie back to 1960′s Phantom Stranger stories.
• Big clue in issue two of Superboy of another supernatural character appearing.
• Issue three is a Superboy/Kid Flash race which will be covered by Lois Lane.
• Supergirl will be having a bizarre time. Bizarro Supergirl. Bizarro Metropolis. Bizarro World.
• Supergirl will also be getting some new villains. As well as an old one that will be dusted off for the annual.
• There wil be a Supergirl/Legion of Super-Heroes story referencing pre-crisis Kara Zor-El
• Superman related titles will reflect each other but there are no plans for crossing over in the near future.
• A prestige hard cover novel will be coming out. It doesn’t take place in the main DC universe.
• It focuses on Clark before he is Superman and will show him revealing his powers to the world for the first time.

• Grant Morrison is working on a new Batman team book called Batman, Inc.
• The book will consist mainly of 1 or 2 issue story arcs, with occasionally 3 at most.
• Catwoman will be appearing in the first issue.
• Detective Comics will be getting a Commissioner Gordon back-up feature that will tie into the main story.
• Paul Dini is working on House of Hush which is a continuation of Heart of Hush. This story arc will go back further in time than previous stories.
• The identity of the White Canary will be revealed in Birds of Prey.
• Batgirl will be getting her own original rogue’s gallery.
• Stephanie Brown’s first year as Batgirl was her telling others “I’m Batgirl, deal with it.” Her sophomore year will be her saying to herself “I’m Batgirl… now what?” and proving herself to not only the greater DC universe but to herself.
• A Knight and Squire mini-series is coming, with Wildcat appearing in the first issue.
• In response to a question on if Black Canary and Zatanna would be teaming up anytime soon Gail Simone and Paul Dini said they were in discussion on something but wouldn’t go into details.
• Cassandra Cain could possibly show up somewhere in November.
• Batman will be getting a costume redesign.

I think the best way to sum it all up is with a quote from the panel.

One of the best Bat years ever.”
-Gail Simone

Present at the panel were

• James Tucker
• Diedrich Bader
• Sam Register
• Michael Jelenic
• Andrea Romano
• John DiMaggio

The episode that was screened was “Emperor Joker!” and some of the highlights of the episode include

• Musical number sung by the Joker
• Bat-Mite returns!
• “Joker mite”!
• Harley Quinn appears!

Some of the other information given during the panel were

• Due to the popularity of the “Mayhem of the Music Meister!” episode they’ve added more songs to episodes
• There are only 13 more episodes of the episode left.
• There was a hint that “a masculine and a feminine character people have been waiting for” would be appearing.

Before the panel was over Greg Weisman came in and they gave some info on the upcoming Young Justice show that will be premiering on the Cartoon Network. I’ll admit I’d seen character design sketches and I wasn’t impressed but they also showed a trailer for the show and I have to say they look great animated.

Warning: The rest of this post contains spoilers. Proceed at your own risk.

There is however one scene in the book that just totally ruins the entire experience for me. I can live with Barbara “Batgirl” Gordon being shot and crippled by the Joker. And I’m fine with Joker putting Commissioner Gordon through the psychological wringer. What I can’t live with though is the ending. After being apprehended and realizing he’s lost the Joker tells a joke and Batman laughs. Not just a smirk or a simple ‘heh’, which would have been bad enough but more forgivable. No, the normally stoic Batman laughs for almost an entire page, and is at one point just about doubled over with laughter, his hand on Joker’s shoulder as they support each other in their guffaw fest.

In short, what happened to the Gordon’s while bad for the characters, was necessary for the story. Batman laughing however is just sick and wrong.

It’s not my favorite Batman story, but if you’re interested in picking up The Killing Joke consider purchasing it from your local comic shop. But if you don’t have one nearby than consider Amazon.