The DC Relaunch Titles In My Life

Now that DC has revealed all of their 52 #1s for the September relaunch — and now that I've had a little time to get over some shock and hurt — it's time to look at all the offerings and see what really interests me. Overall, I think I'm more excited for the books about renewed characters than the core group. I am curious about the iconic characters, and you would think this new beginning would be a good time to check them out, but I like continuity. I like the rich history that I'll have to do research on and find out about. I like to do all the things that most people don't care about doing, basically. I realize I'm atypical in that regard, and I can understand the idea for this re[boot, launch]. I'm just not the focus group for it.

And yet…. I currently pick up three DC ongoing books and get minis and the odd single issue here and there to make one or two more each month. So, I regularly get four or five DC Universe titles. I'm going to have to figure it out (we'll all know by the end of this post), but I have a feeling there's more than four or five of these #1s that interest me. So, maybe DC's playing it right (for them). I've been sorta soured on the main characters — the ones most likely to draw in new readers (if not, what's the point in redoing them?) — but I'll probably end up getting at least as many books as I do now of the “other” titles. Win-win for DC.

So, what books do interest me? Let's take a look, group by group, at the titles that piqued my interest:

The New Justice

Being that these are (largely) about the core characters, I'm not that interested. See, when I'm interested in a character (or characters, or team) that's been around for a while, I'll try out a book that's been getting good praise (advance or otherwise). If I really do like it, I'll get even more interested in the character and how he/she/it got to that point. Which means I'll start looking for trades.

I did this with both Incredible Hercules and X-Factor. X-Factor had a good jumping-on point: a (renumbered) anniversary issue that sold itself as a jumping-on point. There was a big section with histories for all the characters, even. All of which made me even more interested in the characters and the stories that had been told. I'm currently about two trades (of ten or so) shy of having the entire run (of this incarnation of the team). The point here is that the history — specifically, the books that led up to the current story/issue — led me to not only start picking up the single issues but also got me to buy all the trades leading up to that point.

Alternately, if I don't think I can afford another ongoing book — and it doesn't seem so awesome that I can't make an exception — I'll skip the pick-it-up-now part and just start looking for the trades. I'm at that point with Green Lantern. I've heard good things about Geoff Johns's run, and I've been curious, but not enough to be able to fit the book into my monthly haul. But, I happened across a cheap copy of the Secret Origin trade, and not I'm on the lookout for the others, too.

Okay, so I'm not the target audience for these books. Fine. Is there still anything to interest me? Well, yeah, maybe. For the most part, the titles and moreso the creative teams don't do much for me here. But, I do see Brian Azzarello's name attached to the Wonder Woman book, and I start paying attention. Wonder Woman is one of the characters whose history doesn't interest me much. Tell me if there are some super-awesome stories, please, but it's not my favorite character (maybe because I don't know any good stories about her) and I haven't noticed anything. Which actually puts me in the unique (for me) position here of being somewhat interested in a clean-ish slate.

The only other book that interests me (besides maybe The Flash for Francis Manapul's art — but I'd want to know about the writing, first) is DC Universe Presents. I like the idea of it, anyway. It'll be one I'll look at for each new arc to see if it interests me. I'm not so sure about the first one (especially with everything else on my plate for September), but I'll at least be keeping it in mind.

Green Lantern

I'm not really interested in any of these books. As I said above, I'm just starting to get into the recent history of Green Lantern, and whether this mostly continues that (being that the main titles is still written by Johns) or is a completely fresh start, I'm not interested. If it's the former, well, I'd like to read what came before first. If it's the latter, I'm not into the character(s) enough to jump into it. Big strikeout here.

Batman

I love Batman. So, this group is the source of my pain. (Which is oddly fitting.) I think that the past few years of Batman-and-Batman-related stories have been superb. They've been doing new things, taking characters to new levels. Dick has come into his own as Gotham's Batman, and Bruce — who has finally realized he's not alone and has been recruiting help around the globe — has let him have free reign there. Dick's also been a great mentor to Damian — one of the best new characters in a while. Stephanie has finally gained acceptance as a hero and has been a great Batgirl. And Tim has been awesome as Red Robin. He's wise beyond his years, and he fights crime with the best of them, making detailed plans that get to the source of the problems, no matter where that leads him.

So, do I think the Bat-books need a fresh start? No. Do they get it? Yes. Do I understand why? Yeah. Do I like it? No. What can you do? They throw out pretty much all of what's been so good the last few years and leave you with the Batman status quo from, what? 30 years ago? More? (Excepting a few details.) [After reading some interviews with the creators on these Bat-books, my response is tempered a bit. If the changes are done well in-story and not just assumed, I think I'll feel better about them.] Well, where does that leave me? Considering that the only books I get on a monthly basis are Bat-books, what of these new offerings will I get?

First and foremost, I will be getting Batwoman. Unless they pull a bait-and-switch, this is the exact same book that I was already going to get months ago, when it was originally solicited. At least I understand now why it got delayed for the second time.

I've been getting Detective Comics since the Batwoman issues, but I'm not interested in a Tony Daniel Batman book. So, that's out. I have really been enjoying Scott Snyder's run on that book, however, so I'm likely to switch over to Batman now that he'll be writing it. I just wish they had kept him on Detective Comics. I really liked the detective aspect of it. So, we'll see.

I'm still not interested in David Finch's Batman: The Dark Knight; and I'm sure Gail Simone will do a great job with Barbara Gordon in Batgirl, but I'm genuinely upset over Stephanie's seeming nonexistence in this new DC world, and I can't seem to get excited for Babs as Batgirl — she's outgrown it. [Again, after reading an interview with Gail Simone, I'm feeling better about the change. So, I'll give Batgirl a look-see.]

I'm on the fence with Nightwing: I'm interested in the Master Grayson, but I'm not excited about the “demotion.” I'm also not sure about Batman and Robin: Dick and Damian had a great dynamic, and while Bruce and Damian will be interesting to see (if done well), it's a real shame to lose that relationship.

The only other book that I'd consider (besides Batman Incorporated when it begins again next year) is Red Hood and the Outlaws. I have enough interest in the characters (and little-to-no history with them) to think about checking it out, but what really makes me consider this book is that cover (assuming it is the actual cover, and especially if the interior art is similar).

DC Dark

This is where I start to really get excited about this initiative. Though, to be fair, if these books came out here and there (like most new books) I'd still be excited. But these might have a better chance of not being canceled five issues in since they are part of this initiative.

Swamp Thing. Scott Snyder. Yannick Paquette. If that somehow doesn't get you excited, look at that cover. (Or go the other way around. Look at the cover, and if that inexplicably doesn't hook you, take a look at the creative team.) Seriously, look at that cover. The bottom half is this beautiful, serene symmetry, suddenly broken by Swamp Thing in the top half. Wonderful.

I've heard about, but never read, the Grant Morrison run on Animal Man, but 52 got me more interested in the character. That cover looks pretty awesome, though pretty gruesome, too. This is one I'll take a look at.

I really like Paul Cornell's recent Knight and Squire mini, and reading that tells me he will do an awesome job putting you into (unambiguously) the Middle Ages on Demon Knights. I love fantasy, and I think this will be a really good fantasy book. Cornell's said it'll be more integrated into the rest of the DCU than you'd think, but I think, at the core, this is a medieval fantasy book. And for that, I rejoice.

I'm also pretty excited about Resurrection Man by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning. I hadn't heard about the orginal incarnation, but this is their character, and with such a great premise anyway, this should be a really fun book.

Frankenstein, Agent of SHADE looks like it should be good, and that art's wonderful. I never could get interested in the premise for Sweet Tooth, so I haven't seen Jeff Lemire's work, but I know of many who praise it.

Justice League Dark is a horrible title. The concept's not bad, but that art does nothing but make me cringe. I also have little interest in Voodoo, partly because that cover does nothing for me. As for I, Vampire, I'll let DC do the talking: Vampires threaten to bring ruin to the DC Universe…. Tell me about it.

The Youngsters

The only book here that I might be interested in is Legion Lost. I like the concept (if I understand it correctly) and I've enjoyed Fabian Nicieza's writing on Red Robin. It's a wait-and-see, though.

The book I should want to get from this bunch (I'm talking to you, DC!) is Teen Titans. I love Tim Drake, and I should be someone who'd want to get this book (especially since it's the only one he'll be in now). But… they could not have done much worse with this book. It seems like they're trying to make it “hip” and “edgy,” but all I see is horrible costume redesigns (I guess we've cycled around to where the 90s are in again) and a general blanding (is that a word?) of the characters, especially Tim. They all seem much more one-dimensional and stereotypical based on the little DC says about them here. Bleh. I guess I'll just have to enjoy these last few issues of Red Robin and hope for a better future for the character down the road.

The Edge

I'm mildly interested in Stormwatch, but only because Paul Cornell is writing it. Which, given all the titles coming out (and the fact that I do not get only DC books) is not enough for me to get it. If I find out it's the best book ever written, I'll take another look, but probably not otherwise.

I don't have a huge love for Blue Beetle. Mild interest, yes, but not enough to want that series. Deathstroke, however, is a title I might want to look at because I do have a big interest in the character. I have a feeling it'll get lost in the shuffle, though.

There's not much else here that I'm looking forward to. I'm not big on war books (though the premise of Men of War is interesting: soldiers working in the battle-scarred landscape carved by the DC Universe’s super-villains.), straight-up Westerns, bad redesigns of Harley Quinn (not a bad design, per se, just a bad design for that character), or books written by Dan DiDio.

The one book I am taking a hard look at is Grifter. The concept is interesting, but it probably wouldn't grab that much if Nathan Edmondson was not the writer. He has been doing an awesome job on Who is Jake Ellis? and I think this book would be a great fit for his writing.

Superman

I've never gotten into Superman; the guy's a little too perfect for my tastes. Maybe I just need to read a really good Superman story or two. I have a feeling Superman #1 is not it. Likewise, the solicit for Supergirl sounds kinda interesting, and the whole concept of Superboy is interesting (I'm not as sure about the solicit, though) — but neither so much that I'll be checking out those titles.

In fact, the only book here that I have any major interest in is Grant Morrison's Action Comics, solely because it's written by Grant-freaking-Morrison. Does that mean I'm an immediate shoe-in? No. His stuff ranges from “mind-blowingly awesome” to “meh” to “huh???” (sometimes within an issue) so I'm not leaping with my eyes closed, but…. This does look like it could be really good, and as much as Justice League is supposed to be their premiere book, this issue (if not the whole run) is the cornerstone of the new DCU (DCnU, as it's being called, is both cute and detestable, so I'm not using it — peer pressure be damned!). And it looks like a good place to actually get excited about Superman, something I've never really been able to do before (I really enjoyed a powerless Clark Kent in 52, but that just proves the point moreso).

And now…?

So where does that leave me? Let's see: one (Batwoman) or two (and Batman) books that I'm definitely getting; about three (Swamp Thing; Demon Knights; Ressurection Man) to five (Legion Lost; Grifter) that I'm really excited about both the concept and the writer; three more that I'm pretty excited about the writer for that particular character, but I have some reservations (Wonder Woman; Batgirl; Action Comics); and another ten where I like either the main character, the idea, the writer, or the artist, but am indifferent or unsure about the others (The Flash; DC Universe Presents; Nightwing; Batman and Robin; Red Hood and the Outlaws; Animal Man; Frankenstein, Agent of SHADE; Stormwatch; Deathstroke; Supergirl).

Of course, I won't be getting all of those, but that's some interest in 20 books, with a pretty big interest in ten. Being that I currently pick up about four or five DCU books each month, that's either a lot of paring down or a big jump in my intake. So, even with the bad taste this has left in my mouth, it seems to have worked out for DC.

Interesting to note, though, is that my interest has shifted from the main DCU characters to the obscure ones. Before the change, I was slowly gaining a desire to get into more of the DC Universe. I was getting excited about the overarching stories, and considering getting into other books, even if it was only through trades to start. If you look at these new books, I'm seriously looking at half or more of the Dark line, and almost half of the Edge line. The main titles? About a third, and really, it's more like less than a sixth, if you take out stuff that I almost assuredly won't actually get.

It's even worse for the mainline DCU when you look at the direction I was headed with my actual purchases. I've been getting Red Robin, Detective Comics, and Batman Incorporated. Other bat books I've gotten in the past year or two include the Knight and Squire, Return of Bruce Wayne, and Gates of Gotham minis; several of the Road Home one-shots; the Batwoman #0 issue; a few tie-in issues for Red Robin; and the odd Batgirl here and there. And I've constantly been trying to figure out how to squeeze Batgirl and Batman and Robin into my budget. Now, it's looking like I'll be getting a couple of ongoings (plus Batman Inc. when it starts up again) and little else. This could change, of course, if the other books are really impressive, but it's looking like a few steps back right now.

Still, unless the bad blood (or my budget) takes over, I think DC will have won out overall. They don't care what books you get, just that you get them from DC. And I'm cooling off as time goes by (in fact, it's taken me quite a while to put together this post, and if I had written this conclusion when I started, it would've been much more negative), so I might be able to be really excited about the change when it finally comes, but don't hold your breath. I really love Batman, and I've really loved the direction just about that whole line has taken the past few years. It'll take a lot to turn me around from losing that.