I've been catching up on a lot of comics lately and also revisiting others. Because both of the "big two" comic companies have had there "don't call it a reboot" initiatives going for a little bit now I've been thinking a lot about the pros and cons of both and decided to share my thoughts with you all that might be interested. So this begins a series of fours laying out the top five things from both that I'm really enjoying, and the five things from both that I wish I could undo. Hopefully you like it but, in any case, feel free to let me know in the comments what you think and maybe you might even be inspired to go pick up something new from Ye Olde Comic Shop. So first up, my top five winners of DC Comics' "The New 52!"
5. Talon
When Scott Snyder took over writing the main Batman title for the New 52, he introduced the shadowy organization known as, "The Court of Owls". This group of rich psychopaths has been secretly controlling Gotham for over about two centuries now(they even had a run in with Jonah Hex) and enforce their will with extreme prejudice. Their weapon of choice? The Talon. The Court picks and chooses ripe, talented children from within Haly's Circus(see: Dick Grayson) and train them to become the ultimate killing machine to do their will. But what if one of these killing machines escaped and decided to use his skills to take down The Court on his own? I love this book and this character. Part Nightwing ripoff and part Jason Bourne, Calvin Rose's one man war against his former masters gripped me from beginning to end as he tried to reconcile his past killings with his new found purpose of redemption and peace. While I'm sad to see his own title come to an end, I understand that he'll continue to play a part in the world of Batman and you can be sure I'll be picking up everything I can that he shows up in.
4. The Justice League Dark
This title has consistently been one of my favorites of the New 52 every month. For those of you that don't know, the JLD is made up of a rotating group of supernatural superheroes with a few mainstays (like John Constantine, Deadman, and Madame Xanadu) to take on super evil things that go bump in the night. The first issue began with the regular Justice League getting owned by a powerful sorceress and crazy apocalyptic visions and has only gone up from there. I love that a lot of these characters, besides Constantine, haven't been major players for a while now and all of a sudden have found their place thanks to the great Jeff Lemire, who writes the book. I've loved characters like Swamp Thing and Zatanna for a long time and I'm happy to see them get some more time on the page. It's not just me that thinks so though. As I type this, NBC is working on a pilot for a Constantine TV show and Guillermo Del Toro has been teasing for over a year now a forthcoming script for a JLD based film. I hope both projects go through and turn out great, and that you guys might give the trades and newer issues a look, even if just to show that DC doesn't have to rely on Batman and Superman to make a buck.
3. Aquaman
No really...Aquaman. Despite always having been a bit of a heavy hitter and an all around cooler and less metrosexual version of Namor, there's no shortage of jokes about Aquaman. Thankfully in the very first issue, writer Geoff Johns makes all of those jokes for you and then has his character politely tell you where to shove it and then moves on. Aquaman has continued to be a great character since then as both a husband, a king, and also a hero beside the Justice League. One of my favorite moments was actually the "Throne of Atlantis" story that had him at odds with the Justice League because, like any good king, he puts his people first. Though many casual readers and the general public(both in the comic and out) scoff at the idea of a "cool" Aquaman, Arthur maintains his regal confidence and charm and continues to silence his critics with awesome action and great sales. Give it a look, I don't think you'll be disappointed.
2. Green Arrow
The past year and a half has been a really great time to be a Green Arrow fan whether you have been for a while or you're just discovering him. His TV show is the number one rated program on The CW and his current book is selling great. If you want to read his comic, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE skip to issue 17 when Jeff Lemire starts writing. Everything leading up to it is basically a frat boy with a bow. Thankfully, Ollie has been on a roll since then and the current "Outsider War" story is the most interesting I've seen the character since I started reading comics. It's basically Jeff Lemire saying that the first 16 issues were dumb and made it seem like Ollie didn't change at all during his time on the island and now he's REALLY going to teach him a lesson. The result is a focused GA with a mission and much more heart and soul than I've seen in any of his stories besides maybe "The Longbow Hunters". I'm loving all the different trials and battles he's had to overcome, especially his time with the wonderfully redesigned Count Vertigo. So hey, maybe you like the show, maybe you don't, but at least give the comic a try. And the best part? No Laurel.
1. Animal Man
If you are asking yourself, "Who?", don't worry because many people were in the same boat a few years ago. This book to me is really the best that the new 52 has offered readers to date. I've already mentioned Jeff Lemire as the writer of JLD and Green Arrow and I may be crushing on him a little bit, but his work on Animal Man will be referenced for years to come as an example of incredible writing in comics. The story is too crazy to really explain here (besides, you really should just read it for yourself), and it as well as the art is not for the faint of heart. But this journey of a man and a father, that just happens to have super powers, doing and giving everything he can to protect his family first and the world second is just so powerful that it really deserves attention from anyone who even has a passing interest. Animal Man's solo title just wrapped up but if you like the character he can soon be found in Jeff Lemire's upcoming Justice League United. Please, if you're reading this, do yourself a favor and pick up Animal Man and let me know what you think.
Well anyway, those are my picks for the best of the New 52 thus far. Whether you have been reading or if this little opinion piece inspires you to check it out, let me know what you think in the comments. If you're in Utah, be sure to head to Dragon's Keep either in Provo, Orem, or Logan to find these or any other comics you're interested in(they sell RPGs, card games, board games, and collectibles too). Let them know that Joey Batts says hi. I hope you enjoy and be on the lookout later this week for my not so favorite parts, or as I like to call them, "The Losers of the New 52". See you then!
