A Year with the New 52
November 22, 2012
For those of you that used to follow along, you knew that I was a pretty big fan of Marvel comics and that was about it. Well in the last 2 years, I became a bit of a convert and have grown to enjoy the DC universe more than Marvel. I still enjoy parts of Marvel, but it just felt like the story telling with DC was a little higher quality. Of course, after I started getting into DC, they up and changed everything on me with the New 52. What it did let me do though was get in on the ground floor with “everything being brand new again” though that seems to have applied differently with different parts of the DC universe.
So now it is just over a year old, and I have had a chance to check out a number of the series in the new 52 so I thought I would share my favorites here, many were a surprise to even me.
Aquaman
Is there an easier character to make fun of than Aquaman? I mean, other than Squirrel Girl in the Marvel universe, I think not. So it was a huge surprise to me that Aquaman turned out to be a really good book. Basically ignoring the whole “talking to fish” thing, the main story line is about his history withAtlantis and then a group of heroes from years gone past. It intertwines humor and action so well, you forget that it is Aquaman who is involved.
Batman
Last I checked, there were about 63 Batman related books in the new 52, which caught me by surprise with the relaunch only having 52 books. On the plus side, you can very easily read only one Batman book and be quite content. The core book Batman has had the strongest stories from the start with the Joker going into hiding, then the Night of the Owls and now the return of the Joker again. The rest of the Batman stuff, you can take it or leave it.
Flash
Another character that I never really got before the Flashpoint event, which was a bit unfortunate since Flashpoint was so hit or miss. This series has tweaked the character just a little bit, but in a way that gives Barry more power than before which somehow humanizes him even more. Lately the Rogues have been back, which was some of the best work on the series so far. It is almost to the point of why have a Flash story that doesn’t involve the Rogues, just like there doesn’t need to be a Fantastic Four story that doesn’t have Doom. Also, the art is just beautiful in the book.
Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E
This book is being canceled soon, which is really a bummer because it and Swamp Thing were my two favorite series. This has Frankenstein (yes, that Frankenstein) working for a covert organization to help save the world from supernatural enemies. I can’t say much more than that, you should really pick up the first few issues, even though it will be done soon.
Stormwatch
Another odd book that I only decided to check out because the Manhunter was part of it. A quirky team from the Wildstorm universe (that got pulled into the DC universe at the end of Flashpoint), this is another clandestine group that has been active for thousands of years, protecting the world in secret. The team dynamics highlight this series, with the almost obsessive need to keep the team secret from the world and a guy whose power is to talk to cities, this is another great book.
Swamp Thing
Finally, my favorite book of the new 52. The noir feel to the art in the series, combined with the back history of Swamp Thing, and evolving it into a new universe, this is a really creative series. The story telling is top notch. Seriously, I had no interest in Swamp Thing at all before checking it out, but I was hooked within one issue.
So there it is, some books you should check out from the new 52. One thing that disappoints me, I really got into DC through the Green Lantern books. You will notice, none of the 4 books in the GL area of the universe are listed here. I am just going to leave it at that.