The NEW 52: Resurrection Man #1

Resurrection Man is written by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning with art by Fernando Dagnino and colors by Santi Arcas.  (With cover art by Ivan Reis and Joe Prado)

Resurrection Man has a very interesting premise and power.  Resurrection Man is technically immortal, however, he can be killed; upon his death he is resurrected (hence the name) and receives a new power related to his death and/or rising.

Issue #1 begins with Mitch Shelly (aka Resurrection Man) describing the metal about his corpse as he lays upon a gurney with an M.E. performing his autopsy.  He describes the cold metal slab beneath him, the taste of metal deep within his gums, and his abnormal sense of other metallic objects in the room (including the coroner’s watch).  Shortly after the M.E. leaves the room Resurrection Man is painfully resurrected.  He then proceeds to gather up an ID and some wearable clothing from the nearby locker room.  Intuition tells him he needs to head to the nearest airport to catch a flight.

Besides his ability to resurrect and subsequent power he also is ‘gifted’ with a notion or a nagging idea of where to proceed once he is revived –akin to a indirect, more cerebral Greek call to action-.  This time around he feels the need to take a particular flight, and thus heads to the airport to satisfy his mind’s urge.

He makes his flight and in a sudden twist the patron who ‘happens’ to sit beside him ends up being something a little more than human, which results in a stellar ending to the issue and sets up for a great story arc to be continued well into the next issue.

Personal Thoughts:  I really enjoyed Resurrection Man almost solely on the principle that it felt ‘new’ to me.  He is an interesting character that I had not really caught onto when he debuted in the late nineties.  His powers are truly unique and he comes off as a more realistic character who just happens to have powers instead of an invincible hero with a cape.  His powers are not the standard super strength, speed, or flight abilities given to most heroes and villains to some degree or another, and because of this he stands out amongst them. 

Due to Resurrection Man’s ability to overcome even death he is technically more powerful than even Batman or Superman.  This coupled with the aforementioned statement makes for an intriguing dichotomy, which will further create some out of the ordinary story arcs that I think will stand out from other comic book runs.

Overall, the art is slick and the writing is superb; definitely a week two gem of DC’s NEW 52.  I give Resurrection Man four-out-of-five stars.  Do not forget to check out Resurrection Man #2 which releases 10.12.2011; it is sure to tingle even the dead’s literary senses. 

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The NEW 52: Batwoman #1

Batwoman #1 is written by J.H. Williams III and W. Haden Blackman with art and cover by J.H. Williams III.  Batwoman #1 was supposed to be released quite a while ago, but due to production timing and DC’s announcement of the NEW 52 Batwoman was postponed quite a few times before finally make DC’s NEW 52 lineup.  Batwoman has been featured in multiple Batman serials including Batman, Inc. and Detective Comics; now she will be headlining her own run simply titled, Batwoman.

Here is teaser for the first of the series courtesy of the DC Comics website:

At last! Batwoman's new series begins, from the multiple award-winning creative team of J.H. Williams III and W. Haden Blackman!

In "Hydrology," part 1 of 5, Batwoman faces deadly new challenges in her war against Gotham City's underworld – and new trials in her life as Kate Kane.

Who or what is stealing children from the barrio, and for what vile purpose? Will Kate train her cousin, Bette Kane (a.k.a. Flamebird), as her new sidekick? How will she handle unsettling revelations about her father, Colonel Jacob Kane? And why is a certain government agency suddenly taking an interest in her?

Personal Thoughts: In January of 2011 a zeroth issue of Batwoman was released explaining a bit of back-story on the character, which included narration by the famous Dark Knight and vigilante, Batman.  The zeroth issue does an excellent job setting up for Batwoman #1 and because the same writer and artist composed the precursor issue the transition between the two comics is nigh seamless.  I would highly recommend reading the zeroth issue before reading Batwoman #1 in order to fully appreciate the new release.

My gut reaction of Batwoman #0 and #1 was fantastic.  I absolutely loved the artwork.  The splashes of color, especially the vibrancy of the red used throughout the issue really stood out making certain scenes highly emotional and poignant.  Personally, I preferred the zeroth issue plot better than the first issue of Batwoman, but regardless the writing was well done and worth the read on both accounts.

Batman’s narration of the zeroth issue as well as his ultimate sleuthing abilities sets the tone for the issue and really brings Batman back to his detective roots.  Issue #1 ends with another encounter from the Caped Crusader leaving a great cliffhanger to start out the following issue.  Overall, the art of the series is most-definitely the lure.  Several panels in Batwoman #1 made me stop and ogle the eye candy because of the coloration and the abstractedness of the piece.  Towards the ends of the issue there is penciling of a skeleton lying in the rain, and as the rainwater swirls together the artwork it fractures off and depicts the crime scene in various stages in a semicircle around the focal point.  A little macabre to say the least, but that followed by another stunning panel of Batwoman and Batman standing beneath the moonlight conversing about the crime sets a masterful tone for the series.

In all honesty I was not expecting to like Batwoman, nor was I expecting to love it; however, this is a must read for any comic book fan, especially one of the Bat Family nature. 

I give Batwoman #1 five-out-of-five stars.  Check back here for more coverage on DC’s NEW 52 as well as local Spokane area events and news.

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The NEW 5: Batgirl #1

Batgirl #1 is written by Gail Simone and penciled by Ardian Syaf and Vincente Cifuentes with cover art by Adam Hughes.  Gail Simone is best known for her work with Birds of Prey, but has penned numerous story arcs spanning from the Secret Six to Deadpool to Wonder Woman. 

The DC Comics website describes Batgirl #1 as follows:

Barbara Gordon is back as Batgirl – and she's going to have to face the city's most horrifying new villains as well as the dark secrets from her past. You won't want to miss this stunning debut issue from fan-favorite BIRDS OF PREY writer Gail Simone!

Personal Thoughts:  I highly recommend reading Alan Moore’s ‘A Killing Joke’ before reading DC’s new Batgirl #1.  If you are not familiar with this famous 1988 graphic novel it was never a serialized run, but rather billed solely as graphic novel intended to cause a stir as well as provide some semblance of an origin story for the infamous comic book villain, the Joker.  The story directly relates to Batgirl #1 and is one of the few story arcs that is not being removed from the DC continuity.  Within the beautifully drawn and colored pages of the ‘Killing Joke’ Barbra Gordon is grievously wounded, which leads her without the use of her legs. 

Prior, in the DC Universe she transforms from Batgirl to Oracle.  This new incarnation of Barbra acts a sort informational hub for the rest of the Bat Family and the Justice League.  Within the new continuity Barbra was till injured by the Joker, but after three years of rehabilitation she has regained the use of her legs and is now trying to return to her old life.  However, because of the incident and resulting struggles her confidence, physical strength, and demeanor have drastically weakened.

The story is well written and Simone is a talented writer, which bleeds wonderfully in her well executed narrative.  Batgirl, however, came of as irresponsible and careless.  After experiencing such trauma and humiliation from the Joker in the Killing Joke it is perfectly understandable that Batgirl, aka Barbra Gordon, would be afraid, unsure of herself, and need to rebuild her confidence, but to quickly dive back into her alter ego seems rash and in all probability cause the death of an innocent. 

If DC were truly focusing on diversity they would continue onward with the character Oracle.  Oracle was a strong handicapped character that represented the power and strength that could be drawn from such a terrible incident.  She was not incapacitated, but rather emboldened by the incident.  Now that they have reverted her back to her old alter ego she comes off as reckless and whiney, which for any ‘superhero’ is terribly unbecoming.

However, if any writer would be able to transition between reckless and whiney to strong and empowered it would be Gail Simone, so more likely than not I will at least be reading through the next couple of issues to see how the Batgirl’s first plot unfolds.

Due to DC’s lack of diversity and the wobbly start to the character’s growth I give Batgirl #1 three-and-a-half stars out of five.  Check back here for more updates on DC’s new universe throughout the month of September.

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The NEW 52: Swamp Thing #1

Swamp Thing is written by Scott Snyder and penciled by Yanick Paquette.  Scott Snyder has recently received accolades for his critically acclaimed miniseries, Batman: Gates of Gotham, and artist Yanick Paquette has also worked on several high profile characters and series including, but not limited to: Batman, JLA, Superman, Wonder Women, and the X-Men.

The DC Comics website describes Swamp Thing #1 as:

One of the world's most iconic characters has returned to the heart of the DC Universe, and every step he takes will shake the foundations of the Earth!  Alec Holland has his life back…but the Green has plans for it. A monstrous evil is rising in the desert, and it'll take a monster of another kind to defend life as we know it!

Personal Thoughts:  Swamp Thing is one of those iconic characters that does not get the attention he deserves.  Casual readers and film goers harkens back to 1982’s Swamp Thing film, which unfortunately diminishes the overall appeal of the character.

Scott Snyder does a wonderful job rebooting the characters by essentially writing a Swamp Thing comic without Swamp Thing.  By showcasing the importance of Alec Holland in the DC Universe Snyder creates an amusing and well-written narrative describing the struggles of a man trying find himself and once again cement his lot in life.  I loved the development of Alec Holland and I will definitely be picking up the next issue when it releases October 5th, 2011.

I really appreciated Yanick Paquette’s art style.  Yanick expressed the horror elements nicely by creating a truly complementary art style to the Alec Holland subplot as well as his depiction of Swamp Thing’s cameo at the end of the comic book, which was excellently rendered and was an incredible finale to the issue.  There are quite a few other big hitters that are featured in Swamp Thing #1 including: Superman, Batman, and Aquaman.  Yanick for the most part does a great job penciling the wide range of characters; the only complaint I have is that Superman seems to have a too square of a jaw.  It makes the character look awkward and as if he has a double chin, which for Kal-El makes absolutely no sense.  

Overall, the comic had some great horror elements and the subplot interwoven with Alec’s tale was a nice breakup in an effort to avoid monotony.  Swamp Thing #1 ended famously and I rank this DC NEW 52 as one of my top favorites of the week.

I give Swamp Thing #1 four-and-half stars out of five.  Check back here for here for more reviews and critiques of DC’s NEW 52 throughout the weeks.

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A great splash page depicting the death of Johnny Storm in his heroic endeavor to save humanity.   A truly great Fantastic Four run by Jonathan Hickman, and one of my favorite splash pages.

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The NEW 52: Hawk & Dove #1

Hawk & Dove is written by Sterling Gates and penciled by Rob Liefeld.  Gates has worked on several high profile characters including, but not limited to: The Green Lantern Corps, Superman-Prime, Superman, and Supergirl.  Interestingly enough one of Liefeld’s early works includes the limited 1988 series, Hawk and Dove, by Barbara and Karl Kesen.

The DC Comics website summarizes and plugs the first issue of Hawk & Dove with these remarks:

“Hank Hall is not happy. He's not happy to have Dawn Granger as a new partner in his war on crime. He's not happy that she's dating the ghostly Super Hero, Deadman. He's not happy to learn that someone is trying to plunge the United States into a new civil war! Now it's up to Hawk and Dove to root out the forces behind this conflict and stop them before they turn the U.S. into a wasteland!
 And who is the monster lurking in the shadows, watching Hawk and Dove from afar? Find out in this new series from Sterling Gates (FLASHPOINT: KID FLASH LOST) and artist Rob Liefeld (X-Force, Youngblood)!”

Personal Thoughts:  Truthfully I did not care for this issue so much.  The story was ‘meh’ at best and nothing has been altered to Hawk & Dove since the two heroes graced the pages of DC’s maxiseries, Brightest Day.  Essentially, DC Comics could have rolled out this issue the moment Brightest Day concluded, but in order to keep with the NEW 52 they waited to publish.  Hawk & Dove’s costumes, demeanor, and back-stories have not changed a bit and issue #1 primarily covers the stereotypical mad scientist, the angry anti-hero (Hawk), and nifty flashbacks pertaining to Hawk & Dove’s origin.  It may just be me, but it seems as if every Hawk & Dove comic and/or series that I have read is an origin story rehash.  The writing is not bad, but it is not riveting by any means.  The art is solid, but Liefeld seems to enjoy penciling Hawk with a grimace and with clenched teeth more often than not.  Matt Yackey’s coloration is wonderfully done and I really appreciated the bright colors.  The coloration accents Hawk & Dove’s duality perfectly by complementing each other’s design with the use of a lot of reds and blues.

I give Hawk & Dove three-out-of-five stars.  I most likely will not be picking up the second issue, unless I hear of something spectacular through the grapevine about the series. 

Check back here news and reviews about DC’s NEW 52 throughout the weeks of September!

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Authority #1 1:50 Variant

Just picked up Authority #1 1:50 sketch variant...woo hoo!

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The NEW 52: Stormwatch #1

Stormwatch #1 is written by Paul Cornell and penciled by Miguel Sepulveda.  Paul Cornell is most famous for his writings concerning the British hero, Timelord, and time traveler, Dr. Who.

Stormwatch is a Wildstorm property that DC is trying to blend into the regular DC ‘continuity’ by creating a regular serial by using DC’s new 52 as a proverbial launch pad.  Stormwatch is an organization that disbands the use of the term ‘hero’ and lives in secrecy in order to protect Earth from its greatest threats.  No one knows that they exist even though they have watched and protected Earth since the Middle Ages.

Stormwatch calls Jack Hawksmoor, Apollo, Midnighter, the Martian Manhunter, Jenny Quantum, the Engineer, Adam One, the Projectionist, and the Eminence of Blades as its members and seeks to combine Wildstorm, DC, and new characters into a super group that exists to protect and serve in secrecy.

Issue #1 opens with Stormwatch headquarters, dubbed the Eye of the Storm, floating through hyperspace and introduces readers to DC’s new characters Adam One and the Engineer conversing about the other members of Stormwatch and a new menace that seems to resemble a giant horn. 

The issue then flips to Earth as the Engineer peers into their teammates endeavors to recruit the antihero Apollo into their ranks.  Jack provides a detailed argument as to why Apollo should join Stormwatch, but Apollo resists and bolts from Jack and his companions, the Martian Manhunter and the Projectionist.  The three give chase as the issue segues back to Stormwatch headquarters.

The Eminence of Blades is geared up and heading out in an astronaut suit to gather intelligence on the claws that have recently begun to form upon the surface of the moon.  Once reaching the celestial body, the Eminence of Blades is sucked below the surface of the moon where he is confronted and possessed by an alien entity named the Scourge of Worlds.  Before possessing Harry Tanner, aka the Eminence of Blades, the creature claims to be the only being able to survive and combat the peril that theEngineer viewed earlier upon the Eye of the Storm.

Back on Earth Apollo is still running from the rest of Stormwatch by ducking and dodging down back alleys in an effort to lose his followers.  Jack, with his ability to alter and speak to the city around him, flips gravity thus sending Apollo crashing to the ceiling.  In his anger Apollo throws a punch at the Martian Manhunter.  The Martian Manhunter merely replies, “Impressive…,” and then proceeds to shape shift into a monster to battle Apollo more effectively.  Suddenly, Midnighter flashes into view striking down the three members of Stormwatch and the issue the ends with Midnight shaking Apollo’s hand and asking, “With your help, I can kill every evil bastard on the planet.  Interested…?”

Personal Thoughts:  I really enjoyed this comic book because it introduced and updated some great Wildstorm characters as well as adding DC’s Martian Manhunter.  Time will tell if the new characters added to the Stormwatch roster will gain popularity and really shine through the established DC and Wildstorm characters.  Paul Cornell’s style bleeds through excellently and catches the reader’s attention almost immediately.  He sets up the group’s dynamic nicely by splitting the issue into two interwoven plots and jockeying back and forth as one epiphany leads to another.  It was an excellent plot device that allowed Paul to introduce multiple characters efficiently and cohesively.  He blends science fiction masterfully with some truly rich characters.  The art was interesting as well.  The characters facial expressions were not as detailed as in some of the other new 52, but some abstract and really colorful pieces were sprinkled throughout the issue that made the art standout in just the right moments.  However, that being said the more grandioso moments such as the illustrations of the giant worm in the Himalayas, the images in space, and the Manhunter from Mars’ shift were done excellently.  The depiction of the Stormwatch headquarters in the very first panel is excellently colored.  The muted hues blended together to represent hyperspace really caught my eye.  Also, when the Martian Manhunter transforms, into a fearsome monster, to corral Apollo the art that showcased the Manhunter’s transformation was exceptional; the piece was excellently rendered.  I look forward to reading more and I will definitely be reading this serial continuously.

I give Stormwatch #1 four-and-a half stars out of five.  Check back here for more coverage on DC’s NEW 52 as the new issues release throughout the weeks!

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