This is Entry 228: And yet even more went down!

It's another week & I'm back to talk about the DC Comics I picked up this week. This has proved to be the week I picked up the most so far. Week 1: 1 Book (Justice League) & in Week 2: 2 Books (Batgirl & Justice League International). So by that logic It's week 3 so I should have picked up 3 books, right? That was what I was planning on but I found 2 more books that I thought were worth buying. Before I talk about them, I few other things first off.

Last Saturday, I was watching Doctor Who on BBC America & I saw the commercial that DC has put out for the New 52. Which I think I've touched on before but I'm exactly sure which post it was so I can't link you over there. But I can link you to the commercial: View it on YouTube here. After the ad was over I turned to My Mom, who does not read comic but does watch Doctor Who & I asked her if she wanted to read some comics. I did that partly jokingly but her answer was truthful & that answer was "no". That's what I think is wrong with the ad: If you don't already read comics why should you care?

A better ad would have been someone from the company (Geoff Johns, Jim Lee, Dan Didio, Grant Morrison, Bob Harras, etc.) had come on screen & explained why you should read these comics. Oh... wait. They did that. To see that video: View it here. But video is a bit too long & still might not appeal to the no reader. The ad would have to be shorter, it would be too expensive to do air a multi-minute ad. They need give the no reader the 30 second pitch of why they should read their books. The commercial currently airing do not do that. It's just a series of images with a vaguely rock track playing along with it. It didn't sell me on the comics. Didn't sell my non reader mom on it. Not sure it's sold anyone on it.

As I mentioned last time, every time I've been into my local Comic Book store I've seen new people& they are buying stuff. This past Wednesday I saw the a couple (I'm guessing they were husband & wife) buy the most I've heard so far. When I was there & milling about they bought 2 of the Marvel Select action figures (which aren't cheap, each figure is at least over 20 dollars), a Statue (which was priced over 200 dollars) & a pile of comics. Not sure what they had in there pile but it was at least over 10 books. So.. the store made some money that day.

But.. getting to the comics! I did have the 3 I was looking forward to reading: Batwoman #1, Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E & Suicide Squad #1. But there were other books! 3 books caught my eye but I only bought 2 of them. The one i thought was interesting but not enough to buy was Superboy #1 I thought the idea behind it was interesting but as i said not enough to buy. I would check out future issues to see where it goes. I did also flip through Deathstroke #1, Resurrection Man #1, Legion Lost #1 & Batman & Robin #1 but didn't see anything in those issues that grabbed me.

On to the 3 books I was looking forword:

Batwoman #1: a comic that was been a long time coming. It was originally slated to come out months ago (January or February) something happened & it didn't come out but was going to come out sometime. That time was now! But as I read this book I just couldn't shake the feeling that the books seems to be working off of the past universe. It seems like a Pre-New 52 book. Also, if you had not read the previous stories with Batwoman (like her run in Detective Comics which was awesome) you might be a bit lost since they directly reference it & just assume you know what they are talking about. It's fine 1st issue. The art by co-writer J.H. Williams III is what sold me on the previous Batwoman stories & is still a strong point (if not the strongest point) of the book. I'll continue to read it but it still felt like it was written & drawn before the New 52 happened. It was just dropped in because they had said with going to come out.

Frankenstein Agent of S.H.A.D.E. #1: I hadn't read any of the previous stuff involving this character & decided to pick up purely on what little I had read about the book. After reading this issue I sort of wished like I had read some of the older stuff so I'd have a better handle on what was going on. Much like with Batwoman they refer something from older stories like your just to know who/what they are. They do explain some of the stuff like what does S.H.A.D.E. stand for (Super Human Advanced Defense Executive) which was one thing I was wondering about. In the issue they reveal that Ray Palmer exists in this new universe & is the U.N. Science Liaison to the organization (He created the shrinking technology they use. No mention if he's The Atom or not). They also made mention of a "Langstrom Serum" in reference to a character (one of the member of Creature Commandos, who also exist in this new universe & also work for S.H.A.D.E.). So, Kurt Langstrom exists but Man-Bat might not? I sort of wish the artist (J.G. Jones) who did the cover had done the interior art. The art by Alberto Ponicelli did a fine job on the art & it fits with the book. It's just not my favorite art style. There are some interesting concepts presented in the books (S.H.A.D.E's HQ & the character of Father Time being 2 of them) but I wasn't completely sold on the story. So, a large part of the story takes place in a place called Bone Lake, Washington. I live in Washington & had never heard of it. I asked my parents if they had heard of it, they had now. I looked it up online & there is a Bone Lake, Washington but in the comic there is a lake there. In the photos I saw there is no lake near Bone Lake. There is a lake called Bone Lake but that in Washington County, Minnesota. But in the comic it states that the town's name is Bone Lake & it's near a lake in Washington state.

Suicide Squad #1: I'm starting to think I might be in the minority of people who liked this issue. I wasn't sure what to make of this comic before it came out. I thought it was a fine first issue (most of the New 52 comics I've thought have been fine). It sets up who the members of the team are, what the team's purpose is & some has some nice action in it. Now I hadn't read any of the old Suicide Squad comic but I had a general idea of who that team was & this was in line with what I thought. (That might be good or bad). At times it did feel like Marvel's Thunderbolts which I guess is their version of the SS & a book I was more familiar with. I didn't mind Harley's new costume all that much (but wouldn't mind an explanation of why it changed). I like Deadshot's old mask over the one he wears in this issue. 1 thing I did notice was that on the cover it lists 1 artist (Federico Dallocchio) on the book but inside there are listed 3 artists (Dalocchio, Random Getty & Scott Hanna. I'm not sure who's art is whos' but I liked the art from the middle part of the book more then the art from the first part of the book (I suspect that that art is either Gettys' or Hannas'). I will be coming back to see where this book goes.

On to the 2 books other books I bought: Demon Knights & Mister Terrific.

Demon Knights #1: I have read some of writer Paul Cornel's previous stuff (His Lex Luthor story in Action Comics was awesome). I don't think i've seen any of artist Diogenes Neves' art before. As for the characters in the book (Etrigan the Demon, Madame Xanadu, Vandal Savage, The Shining Knight) none would say I had an opinion on any of them either way. I just hadn't read enough to form an opinion. I did know who they were (at least I knew of the older version of the Shining Knight, the new version was new to me). The story read nicely, I liked the art, it established the characters nicely & set up things for the next issues (there be dragons to fight!). I do wonder how this book will tie into Madame Xanadu's appearances in other books (like Justice League Dark).

Mister Terrific #1: I was already half sold on the book for 1 kind of stupid reason: I heard rumors that Karen Starr (the alter ego of Power Girl) was going to be a character in the book. Is she? Yes. But was that really worth the buy? no. I bought it because it was a pretty good issue & set up a storyline that I want to see where it goes. And it doesn't hurt that Karen Starr is there. :) They don't say that she's Power Girl & she doesn't show having any super powers but just that she exist in someway is fine for now.

Not sure I had read anything by Eric Wallace (the writer) or by Gianluca Gugliotta (the artist) before but they I didn't read or see anything truly bad in the book (some of the facial expressions were a bit odd but I could get past that). I hadn't read much or knew much regarding the character Mister Terrific other then he's smart (3rd smartest in the world according to the book) & a member of the JSA (who don't exist, at least on his earth). I do sort of miss his jacket.

Well... that's it for this week.

As you may notice that the number & which comics are listed has changed. It's gone for "New 11" to the  "New 12" to the "New 14". What number will it be at next week? I don't know. We'll just have to see.

The books I'm looking forward to new week is: Catwoman #1, DC Universe Presents #1 (which will be featuring Deadman) & Nightwing #1. Other books coming out next week is Batman, Bird of Prey, Blue Beetle, Legion of Super-Heroes, Red Hood and The Outlaws, Supergirl & Wonder Woman.

The next post here will mostly be about a character who has been popping up in New 52 comics. Who are they? I don't know. DC hasn't told us.

Until then: Stay Jazzy everyone!

- Brian