The new 52 so far.
So we’re a few weeks into the new DC universe and to be honest I’m feeling a bit let down. The problem for me is a pretty simple one, instead of looking inwards and taking what works and removing the rest (like the wonderful Young Justice cartoon) DC seem to have spent too much time looking at everyone else and mainly Marvel for inspiration.
Lots of criticism has been lobbied at the books so far and I’m sure there will be more to come, so from my original picks here’s what’s staying and going.
- Action Comics - keep. Morrison is doing a great job so far here.
- Wonder Woman - keep.
- Green Arrow - dropped until Giffen is on the book.
- Mister Terrific - on the edge. I’m wary of art team changes
- Superboy - keep.
- Supergirl - on the edge. Lovely art but nothing happened.
- Batgirl - keep
- Batwoman - keep
- Nightwing - keep
- Red Hood and the Outlaws - on the edge. Nice art, badly written.
- Frankenstein - keep
- Grifter - dropped. It’s just Sawyer from lost.
- Deathstroke - dropped. I’m not surprised.
- Legion Lost - on the edge. Again, nice art, but story is a little light.
- Animal Man - keep.
- Swamp Thing - keep.
See here’s the thing, the books that work have that quirky DC charm, the other feel like Harras has brought a very 90s Marvel and Image feel to the books, which isn’t a direction I like to see the company going in.
DC has always been that little bit darker since Crisis in 85, but the amount of sex and violence in these books is ridiculous considering the recommended age group is 12+ and anyway, the last time I checked implied violence has always been far more effective in giving folks the heebie jeebies.
