Sep 14, 2011 By Laura Studarus

This month DC Comics are relaunching all their titles in an ambitious project dubbed the “New 52” series. We’ve reviewed a bunch of the issues and here are links to all our New 52 reviews thus far. More

Jan 20, 2012 By Kyle Lemmon

Two of the surprise hits of DC New 52 initiative were Jeff Lemire‘s trippy horror series Animal Man and his action-packed Frankenstein: Agent of S.H.A.D.E. Both made a big splash for the Sweet Tooth scribe. Here we talk for a spell with the inspiring young writer. He dishes back his thoughts on the collaborative environment of DC Comics, reluctant heroes, ceding control to artists, and remaining silent about the Mysterious Red-Hooded Woman. Also, see our discussion with his partner in crime, Scott Snyder (Batman, Swamp Thing). More

Jan 19, 2012 By Kyle Lemmon

Scott Snyder had a very successful year in 2011 with his creator-owned American Vampire comic, Batman: Gates of Gotham, and his excellent Black Mirror run for DC Comics’ Detective Comics series. He now writes for Batman and Swamp Thing in DC’s New 52 universe that rebooted last fall. More

Sep 21, 2011 By Kyle Lemmon

We chatted with the DC artist extraordinaire Cliff Chaing (Green Arrow & Black Canary, Zatanna) about the overall tone of the new Wonder Woman series he is drawing, his thoughts on violence and female sexuality in comics, and the DC Comics - The New 52 Art Tour. More

May 29, 2012 By Kyle Lemmon

Grant Morrison’s Batman, Incorporated returned last week with a bloody and action-packed debut issue. It’s essentially the crown jewel of DC’s “Second Wave” of New 52 titles in terms of writing, but artist Christopher Burnham is no slouch either. More

Nov 22, 2011 By Kyle Lemmon

After an alright debut issue and an action-packed second installment, Justice League takes one step forward and two steps back as a marquee series this month. The cast of characters are almost assembled and Geoff Johns, Jim Lee, and Scott Williams hit their story and art beats with precision most of the time. More

Oct 25, 2011 By Kyle Lemmon

In last month’s pretty solid relaunch of Justice League, the all-star creative team of Geoff Johns (Aquaman, Green Lantern) and Jim Lee (All-Star Batman & Robin) set up all the game pieces with just enough flair. More

Oct 13, 2011 By Mark Redfern

The Flash #1 may just feature the best art of any of DC’s New 52 comics. Francis Manapul’s kinetic art truly captures “the fastest man alive” in movement, tapping into the speed force in a way few artists have. And Brian Buccellato’s gorgeous colors manage to somehow be both vibrant and muted at the same time. Even the lettering by Sal Cipriano is impressive. More

Oct 07, 2011 By Jeremy Nisen

Wish I could say it was burnout from reading all of DC’s New 52 that led me to think that Batman: The Dark Knight #1 was a subpar comic. So I waited a few days, cleared my palate, and tried again. Nope, still bad. More

Oct 07, 2011 By Kyle Lemmon

Blackhawks #1 is a poorly drawn and written action-military tale with a team focus. There are five main characters introduced here, but the most interesting things about them are their cool code names. More

Oct 05, 2011 By Mark Redfern

With DC’s New 52 re-launch the Superman books are shaking things up. In Superman #1 Lois and Clark are no longer together, The Daily Planet has questionable new owners, and Superman faces an alien made of fire. More

Oct 04, 2011 By Jeremy Nisen

I, Vampire is essentially a breakup story. Andrew and Mary—he’s a bloodsucker who wants to coexist peacefully with humans; she’s a bloodsucker who wants to fight for her right to consume them. More

Oct 04, 2011 By Jeremy Nisen

In Aquaman #1, the decision of having characters throughout the book making fun of Aquaman in the same manner he’s been mocked in real life on television and other media over the past few decades is funny at first, but gets old. More

Oct 03, 2011 By Jeremy Nisen

Of all the books in DC’s “New 52,” a line-wide soft reboot, All-Star Western #1 came out of the gate swinging hardest for the fences, and managed to connect on all levels. Home run. More

Sep 30, 2011 By Kyle Lemmon

Similar to last week’s controversial titles, Catwoman and Red Hood and the Outlaws, Voodoo #1 doesn’t soft-pedal its exploration of sexuality. More

Sep 30, 2011 By Kyle Lemmon

Carter Hall (aka Hawkman) is a DC character that benefits from his relative anonymity. More

Sep 29, 2011 By Kyle Lemmon

The past few runs of Teen Titans were either boring, gimmicky, or filled with sub-standard writing and art. Writer Scott Lobdell (Superboy, Red Hood and the Outlaws) and artist Brett Booth (Justice League of America) seem to understand this team of teenage super-heroes on a deeper level. More

Sep 28, 2011 By Kyle Lemmon

Apparently, not all the Green Lantern books are steaming ahead with the old continuity. Tony Bedard (Blue Beetle, R.E.B.E.L.S.) and Tyler Kirkham (Green Lantern Corps, Ultimate Fantastic Four) are working up a slightly reconfigured origin story for Space Sector 2814’s Kyle Rayner. More

Sep 28, 2011 By Jeremy Nisen

Justice League Dark #1 is a decent premise with a ridiculous title; a book with a beautiful cover (Ryan Sook!) and interior art that’s quite inconsistent; and a storyline that tries to inject the classic DC Vertigo history and sensibilities into the fertile NuDCU. What we get is a book that pulls you this way and that, and we’re not quite sure to what end. More

Sep 28, 2011 By Mark Redfern

Writer Jeph Loeb and artist Michael Turner already nicely reintroduced Supergirl into the DC Universe back in 2004 in Superman/Batman #8. That really wasn’t that long ago, so it’s curious that with the New 52, Supergirl is one of the characters they’ve decided to start from scratch with again. More

Sep 27, 2011 By Mark Redfern

Catwoman #1 gets the series off to a solid start, mainly due to the dynamic art by Guillem March, rather than the breezy and not overly complex story by Judd Winick. More

Sep 27, 2011 By Jeremy Nisen

While this book may not be as technically proficient as, say, the very good Wonder Woman #1, there is a lot to like in Birds of Prey #1. More

Sep 27, 2011 By Kyle Lemmon

Batman #1 comfortably sits alongside the relaunches Action Comics, Animal Man, Batwoman, Justice League, Swamp Thing, and Wonder Woman. It’s one of the best examples that DC’s New 52 relaunch is an out-and-out success. More

Sep 26, 2011 By Jeremy Nisen

Sep 25, 2011 By Jeremy Nisen

Red Hood and the Outlaws #1 is disappointing. Scott Lobdell employs strong and appropriate first-person narration from two different characters, which is a tricky thing to pull off. Kenneth Rocafort’s art is sort of like ‘90s-style done right; it’s very scratchy in parts, uses exaggerated proportions to its advantage, rather than to an annoying extent, and has lots of personality. And we have three strong, pre-existing DC characters as the main players and some pretty interesting brand new ideas. But there’s one thing that makes this book just go off the rails. More

Sep 24, 2011 By Jeremy Nisen

DCU Presents: Deadman #1 nicely splits the difference between honoring what came before and going off in a new direction. More

Sep 23, 2011 By Kyle Lemmon

There are at least 16 protagonists in the first issue of Legion of Super-Heroes and writer Paul Levitz (Adventure Comics) fails to make us care about most of them. It’s not quite the train wreck of sloppy art and Michael Bay-esque action that was Legion Lost #1, but this story leaves much to be desired. More

Sep 23, 2011 By Kyle Lemmon

Peter J. Tomasi’s work on Blackest Night, Brightest Day, Green Lantern: Emerald Warriors, and the “New 52” relaunch of Batman and Robin, showed readers that he knows drama. More

Sep 22, 2011 By Kyle Lemmon

Writer Tony Bedard (Green Lantern: New Guardians) and artist Ig Guara (Marvel Adventures: Avengers) spin a no-nonsense origin yarn for Blue Beetle #1. More

Sep 21, 2011 By Jeremy Nisen

For those who appreciate a book that’s immediately accessible, yet rewards a close read, Wonder Woman #1 is the best-in-class of DC’s New 52 relaunch initiative to date. More

Sep 21, 2011 By Jeremy Nisen

A few days ago, I proclaimed that Deathstroke #1 was the dog at the bottom of DC’s “New 52” pile. Kyle Higgins, who wrote that questionable use of paper and ink, is also the writer on the new Nightwing #1. I’m very happy to say that Nightwing is much, much better. More

Sep 20, 2011 By Jeremy Nisen

Is Superboy a clone? An experiment? Half-Kryptonian, half-human? A ticking time bomb? A creature totally lacking human empathy? All of the above? Superboy #1 introduces all of these elements in a truly surprising first issue—surprising in that it’s quite good. More

Sep 19, 2011 By Jeremy Nisen

Sep 19, 2011 By Jeremy Nisen

While Grifter #1 certainly doesn’t inspire awe, it’s enough off the beaten path, and the pencils are interesting enough, that it could be worth your time if the premise sounds like it’s in your wheelhouse. More

Sep 18, 2011 By Jeremy Nisen

Deathstroke #1 is easily my least favorite thus far of DC’s New 52. More

Sep 16, 2011 By Jeremy Nisen

With a serviceable plot, cool characters, decent interaction of such, and fun, mad concepts, Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E. #1 sets up a premise that has potential for producing a winner. More

Sep 16, 2011 By Kyle Lemmon

Legion Lost #1 is by far the worst of DC’s “New 52” titles that I’ve read so far. It’s also just a poorly plotted and drawn comic in general. More

Sep 16, 2011 By Kyle Lemmon

One of the most-anticipated New 52 titles this week is the new Batman and Robin, which continues the excellent series launched by Grant Morrison. Lapsed Batman fans hoping to jump into this title with a quick introductory story or narration bubble might be left in the dust. More

Sep 15, 2011 By Kyle Lemmon

Mega-rager Atrocitus and his Red Lantern Corps have their own series now. It’s bloody, horrific, and every other badass adjective you can imagine. More

Sep 15, 2011 By Mark Redfern

Mister Terrific (aka Michael Holt) is the third smartest man in the world, but towards the end of the old DC continuity a villain had reduced his intelligence in the final Justice Society of America issues to the point that he couldn’t even read anymore. More

Sep 15, 2011 By Kyle Lemmon

Demon Knights is set in DC Universe’s Dark Ages, with Jason Blood wrestling with a very angry demon (Etrigan) inside of his body. Vertigo’s Madame Xanadu and the last Knight of the Round Table, Excalibur, make an appearance. More

Sep 14, 2011 By Jeremy Nisen

As I neared the end of Suicide Squad #1 from DC Comics’ New 52 relaunch, the very last page raised the most important question of the issue: What have they done with Amanda Waller?!!? More

Sep 14, 2011 By Kyle Lemmon

Green Lantern #1 picks up right where Geoff Johns left off, in the wake of his War of the Green Lanterns story arc. This bestselling title isn’t being rebooted because of “The New 52.” More

Sep 14, 2011 By Jeremy Nisen

With a bit of the “weird,” a nice set up of the new supporting characters, and a flashback to what’s come before for the character intermingled tastefully with the plot, Batwoman #1 is a promising kick-off. More

Sep 14, 2011 By Jeremy Nisen

It’s a pretty obvious sign that the first issue of Hawk & Dove didn’t especially grab me when the two things that most stuck with (and bothered) me about it were, 1. the new grey and red costume for Hawk (admittedly a dumb criticism, but it looks stupid vs. his classic red & white); and, 2. Rob Liefield draws a crappy Deadman. I mean, Deadman is one of the coolest looking dudes in DC’s menagerie, and in his supporting role here as Dove’s romantic interest, his face looks like a weird blob. More

Sep 13, 2011 By Jeremy Nisen

Men of War #1 seeks to reset the Sgt. Rock war stories in a modern age, complete with DC Superhero trappings. The backup story (concerning Navy SEALs and meriting an extra buck over most DC Comics prices), is a story without those trappings, more of a conventional military specialist tale. One’s okay. The other’s not. More

Sep 13, 2011 By Jeremy Nisen

In setting up the new status quo for Static, the electro-magnetic powered youth from the Milestone line of comics, as well as the star of a well-received cartoon, Static Shock #1 does a fine job. In generating interest beyond that, Static Shock #1 is surprisingly average. More

Sep 12, 2011 By Kyle Lemmon

I guess this is how DC is fitting in the Wildstorm characters into their revamped “New 52” universe. Stormwatch is the first of the titles featuring Wildstorm characters now integrated into the new DC Universe. The original ‘90s series centered on the eponymous, United Nations-sponsored super-team. That run eventually fell apart under the writing guidance of Warren Ellis and morphed into The Authority. This new issue is a sloppy amalgamation of both books and we learn next to nothing about these characters. More

Sep 12, 2011 By Mark Redfern

Jeff Lemire’s Animal Man #1 ties Grant Morrison’s Action Comics #1 as the best issue of the first full week of DC’s New 52 re-launch, which is fitting, since Morrison’s late ‘80s/early ‘90s run on Animal Man was so amazing. More

Sep 12, 2011 By Mark Redfern

Green Arrow #1, written by J.T. Krul, is a by-the-numbers superhero/vigilante comic filled with all too familiar tropes. Globe-trotting billionaire who moonlights as a costumed avenger and doesn’t always see eye to eye with his board of directors—check. More

Sep 11, 2011 By Jeremy Nisen

What a pleasant surprise. DC Comics’ publisher Dan Didio’s turns at writing have been a mixed bag. His run on Superboy when back when was pretty good, but his recent efforts with The Outsiders were, simply put, not good. Didio and Keith Kiffen team up to start exploring how fun a guy with a huge blue mohawk can really be. More

Sep 10, 2011 By Kyle Lemmon

It seems as though Grant Morrison’s Batman Incorprated concept is part of DC’s new continuity. Good idea. For those that didn’t catch it, Batman, Inc. was the excellent series where Bruce Wayne opened Batman franchises around the globe. Batwing is an OK spinoff from that well-done series. More

Sep 10, 2011 By Jeremy Nisen

It sure is a good thing that Batman is already popular. The venerable Detective Comics relaunched with a new #1 this week, and it’s just bad. More

Sep 09, 2011 By Kyle Lemmon

Vertigo’s Swamp Thing is a treasured series for many comic book readers. Alan Moore’s iconic run is untouchable in my opinion, but the yarns spun by Rick Veitch, Mark Millar, Brian K. Vaughan, Andy Diggle, and Joshua Dysart left a strong legacy as well. Scott Snyder (American Vampire, Batman) knows this and isn’t screwing with too much continuity. You can tell, even from this debut issue, that he has plans for an epic story arc all his own. More

Sep 09, 2011 By Mark Redfern

When it was announced that Barbara Gordon would be returning as Batgirl in DC Comics’ New 52 universe, the main question comics fans had was how they would deal with her being paralyzed back in The Killing Joke, if they’d deal with it at all. More

Sep 09, 2011 By Kyle Lemmon

Fans of the original Justice League International from 25 years ago will be pretty familiar with the overall story arc for this new issue #1. The proposed JLI roster and the pre-approval via U.N. sanctions are old hat. New fans just being introduced to a lot of these second and third string characters will most likely be lost. Unlike Justice League #1, Dan Jurgens (Booster Gold) does very little to acquaint you with this team or give you a strong reason to root for them. More

Sep 08, 2011 By Kyle Lemmon

The unstoppable writing machine that is Grant Morrison (All-Star Superman, Animal Man, Batman and Robin) returns to the Man of Steel this week. Alongside him is bold artist Rags Morales (Countdown to Infinite Crisis, Batman Confidential, Identity Crisis). Their postmodern vision of The Man of Steel with Action Comics #1 is obviously one of the most-anticipated New 52 #1 titles this month. More

Aug 31, 2011 By Jeremy Nisen

Justice League #1 is the first salvo in DC’s line-wide relaunch, and how better to relaunch a line than with a book by storied DC muckity-mucks Geoff Johns (Creative VP; writer of a ton of stuff, some of it very good) and Jim Lee (Co-Publisher; penciller of more best-selling books than you can shake a rolled up comic at). It’s a flashback tale of how the world’s greatest super-team formed. More