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News

Check Out Under the Radar’s Reviews of DC Comics’ New 52 Series

Read Every New 52 Review Posted to Date, Stay Tuned For More

Sep 23, 2011

This month DC Comics are relaunching all their titles in an ambitious project dubbed the “New 52” series. The whole DC Comics Universe is being relaunched in a new timeline/continuity after the events of the Flashpoint miniseries and every title is being relaunched this month under new numbering, each one starting with issue #1 again. We’ve been reviewing all of the titles. Check out all the reviews we’ve posted thus far. More

Check Out Under the Radar’s Reviews of DC Comics’ New 52 Series

Read Every New 52 Review Posted to Date, Stay Tuned For More

Sep 14, 2011

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



Interviews

James Robinson

Creating a Metaphysical World

May 25, 2012

DC Comics’ much-anticipated Earth 2 landed in stores this month as part of the Second Wave of the New 52. Earth 2 writer James Robinson spoke with Under the Radar about the his big plans for Earth 2’s metaphysical environment, the historical allusions in his latest work, the day-to-day struggles of being a comic book writer, The Shade, and his thoughts on friends Geoff Johns and Sterling Gates. More

Jeff Lemire

The Beauty of Collaboration

Jan 20, 2012

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

Scott Snyder

The Psychology of True Horror

Jan 19, 2012

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

Cliff Chiang

Horror in Paradise

Sep 21, 2011

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


Reviews

The Ravagers #1

Writer: Howard Mackie; Artist: Ian Churchill

May 30, 2012

The Ravagers #1 from DC Comics is one of the more disappointing books I’ve read since the “New 52” relaunch, even coming in with staggeringly low expectations. The Ravagers is marred by generic ideas and confusing visual storytelling, and only slightly counterbalanced by a nice panel here or there. More

Batman, Incorporated #1

Written by Grant Morrison; Pencilled, Inked, & Colored by Christopher Burnham; Cover Color by Nathan Fairbairn; Lettered by DC Lettering

May 29, 2012

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

Justice League #3

Written by Geoff Johns; Pencils by Jim Lee; Inks by Scott Williams; Colors by Alex Sinclair, Hi-Fi, Gabe Eltaeb; Letters by Patrick Brosseau; Cover by Lee Williams, & Sinclair

Nov 22, 2011

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

Justice League #2

Written by Geoff Johns; Art and cover by Jim Lee and Scott Williams; Colors by Alex Sinclair; Letters by Pat Brosseau

Oct 25, 2011

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

The Flash #1

Written by Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato, art by Francis Manapul, colors by Brian Buccellato, letters by Sal Cipriano

Oct 13, 2011

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

Batman: The Dark Knight #1

Written by Paul Jenkins; Art by David Finch

Oct 07, 2011

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

Blackhawks #1

Written by Mike Costa; Pencils by Graham Nolan; Inks by Ken Lashley; Cover by Ken Lashley

Oct 07, 2011

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

Superman #1

Written by George Pérez; art by Jesús Merino (pencils and inks), Brian Buccellato (colors), George Pérez and Brian Buccellato (cover)

Oct 05, 2011

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

I, Vampire #1

Written by Joshua Hale Fialkov; Art by Andrea Sorrentino

Oct 04, 2011

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

Aquaman #1

Written by Geoff Johns; Art by Ivan Reis

Oct 04, 2011

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

All-Star Western #1

Written by Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti; Art by Moritat; Colors by Gabriel Bautista

Oct 03, 2011

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

Voodoo #1

Written by Ron Marz; Art and cover by Sami Basri; Colors by Jessica Kholinne; Cover color by Sunny Gho; Letters by Jared K. Fletcher

Sep 30, 2011

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

The Savage Hawkman #1

Written by Tony S. Daniel; Art by Philip Tan; Colors by Sunny Gho; Letters by Travis Lanham

Sep 30, 2011

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

Teen Titans #1

Written by Scott Lobdell; Pencils by Brett Booth; Inks by Norm Rapmund; Colors by Andrew Dalhouse; Letters by Carlos M. Mangual; Cover by Booth, Rapmund, & Dalhouse

Sep 29, 2011

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

Green Lantern: New Guardians #1

Written by Tony Bedard; Art by Tyler Kirkham; Inks by Batt; Colors by Nei Ruffino; Letters by Dave Sharpe; Cover by Kirkham, Batt, & Rod Reis

Sep 28, 2011

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

Justice League Dark #1

Written by Peter Milligan; Art by Mikel Janin

Sep 28, 2011

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

Supergirl #1

Written by Michael Green and Mike Johnson; art by Mahmud Asrar

Sep 28, 2011

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

Catwoman #1

Written by Judd Winick; art and cover by Guillem March

Sep 27, 2011

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

Birds of Prey #1

Written by Duane Swierczynski; Art by Jesus Saiz

Sep 27, 2011

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

Batman #1

Written by Scott Snyder; Art by Greg Capullo & Jonathan Glapion; Colors by FCO Plascencia; Cover by Greg Capullo; Variant cover by Ethan Van Sciver

Sep 27, 2011

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

Captain Atom #1

Written by J.T. Krul; Art by Freddy Williams II

Sep 26, 2011

As much as I was rather pleased to find that Kyle Higgins’ Nightwing #1 was far better than his Deathstroke relaunch, I was pleasantly surprised with J.T. Krul’s Captain Atom #1 in the face of his rather lackluster Green Arrow #1 from a few weeks ago.

Red Hood and the Outlaws #1

Writer: Scott Lobdell; Artist: Kenneth Rocafort

Sep 25, 2011

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

DC Universe Presents: Deadman #1

Writer: Paul Jenkins; Artist: Bernard Chang

Sep 24, 2011

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

Legion of Super-Heroes #1

Written by Paul Levitz; Art by Francis Portela; Colors by Javier Mena; Letters by Pat Brosseau; Edited by Chris Conroy; Cover by Karl Kerschl

Sep 23, 2011

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

Green Lantern Corps #1

Written by Peter J. Tomasi; Art by Fernando Pasarin; Inks by Scott Hanna; Colors by Gabe Eltaeb; Cover by Doug Mahnke & Christian Alamy

Sep 23, 2011

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

Blue Beetle #1

Written by Tony Bedard; Pencils by Ig Guara; Inks by Ruy Jose; Colors by Pete Pantazis; Letters by Rob Leigh

Sep 22, 2011

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

Wonder Woman #1

Written by Brian Azzarello; Art by Cliff Chiang

Sep 21, 2011

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

Nightwing #1

Written by Kyle Higgins; Artist by Eddy Barrows

Sep 21, 2011

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

Superboy #1

Written by Scott Lobdell; Art by R.B. Silva (pencils), Rob Lean (inks), Eric Canete (cover)

Sep 20, 2011

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 issuesurprising in that it’s quite good. More

Resurrection Man #1

Written by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning; Art by Fernando Dagnino

Sep 19, 2011

One of the more intriguing prospects in the DC New 52 relaunch was the return of Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning to Resurrection Man; they were the original writers on the first series, which was on balance pretty good. In terms of quality of concept and characterization, they picked up right where they left off, though things have taken a turn for the Biblical that may dampen some enthusiasm for what feels like more of a sci-fi concept.

Grifter #1

Written by Nathan Edmonson; Art by Cafu

Sep 19, 2011

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

Deathstroke #1

Written by Kyle Higgins; Art by Joe Bennett (pencils), Art Thibert (inks)

Sep 18, 2011

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

Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E. #1

Written by Jeff Lemire; Art by Alberto Ponticelli

Sep 16, 2011

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

Legion Lost #1

Written by Fabian Nicieza; Art and cover by Pete Woods; Colors by Brad Anderson

Sep 16, 2011

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

Batman and Robin #1

Written by Peter J. Tomasi; Art and cover by Patrick Gleason and Mick Gray

Sep 16, 2011

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

Red Lanterns #1

Written by Peter Milligan; Art and cover by Ed Benes & Rob Hunter

Sep 15, 2011

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

Mister Terrific #1

Written by Eric Wallace; art by Gianluca Gugliotta (penciller), Wayne Faucher (inker), and Mike Atiyeh (colorist); cover by J. G. Jones

Sep 15, 2011

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

Demon Knights #1

Written by Paul Cornell; Art by Diogenes Neves & Oclair Albert; Cover by Tony S. Daniels

Sep 15, 2011

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

Suicide Squad #1

Written by Adam Glass; Art by Federico Dallocchio, Ransom Getty, and Scott Hanna

Sep 14, 2011

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

Green Lantern #1

Written by Geoff Johns; Art by Doug Mahnke, Christian Alamy, and Tom Nguyen; Colors by David Baron; Letters by Sal Cipriano

Sep 14, 2011

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

Batwoman #1

Written by J.H. Williams III and W. Haden Blackman; Art by J.H. Williams III; Colors by Dave Stewart

Sep 14, 2011

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

Hawk & Dove #1

Writer: Sterling Gates; Artist: Rob Liefield

Sep 14, 2011

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

Men of War #1

"Joseph Rock"—Writer: Ivan Brandon; Artist: Tom Derenick; "Navy SEALs: Human Shields"—Writer: Jonathan Vanking; Artist: Phil Winslade

Sep 13, 2011

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

Static Shock #1

Written by Scott McDaniel and John Rozum; Art by Scott McDaniel (pencils), Jonathan Glapion and Le Breau Underwood (inks), Guy Major (colors); cover by Scott McDaniel with Guy Major

Sep 13, 2011

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

Stormwatch #1

Written by Paul Cornell; Art and cover by Miguel Sepulveda

Sep 12, 2011

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

Animal Man #1

Written by Jeff Lemire; art by Travel Foreman (penciller, co-inker, and cover), Dan Green (co-inker), and Lovern Kindzierski (colorist)

Sep 12, 2011

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

Green Arrow #1

(Written by J.T. Krul; art by Dan Jurgens (penciller), George Pérez (inker), and David Baron (colorist); cover by Dave Wilkins)

Sep 12, 2011

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 directorscheck. More

O.M.A.C. #1

Writer: Dan Didio; Pencils: Keith Giffen; Inks: Scott Koblish

Sep 11, 2011

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

Batwing #1

Written by Judd Winick; Art by Ben Oliver; Colors by Brian Reber; Letters by Carlos M. Mangual

Sep 10, 2011

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

Detective Comics #1

Writer and Artist: Tony S. Daniel; Inks: Ryan Winn

Sep 10, 2011

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

Swamp Thing #1

Written by Scott Snyder; Art by Yanick Paquette; Colors by Nathan Fairbairn; Letters by John J. Hill; Cover by Yanick Paquette, Nathan Fairbairn

Sep 09, 2011

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

Batgirl #1

Written by Gail Simone; Art by Ardian Syaf (penciller), Vicente Cifuentes (inker), and Ulises Arreola (colorist); Cover by Adam Hughes

Sep 09, 2011

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

Justice League International #1

Written by Dan Jurgens; Art by Aaron Lopresti & Matt Ryan

Sep 09, 2011

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

Action Comics #1

Written by Grant Morrison; Art by Rages Morales & Rick Bryant; Cover by Rags Morales and Brad Anderson; Variant Cover by Jim Lee, Scott Williams, & Alex Sinclair

Sep 08, 2011

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

Justice League #1

Writer: Geoff Johns; Artists: Jim Lee, Scott Williams

Aug 31, 2011

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