DC's NEW 52-second issue critiques

SPOILERS FOLLOW!!! You have been warned!!!
 
I have neither the time, money nor patience for all of DC's NEW 52. Time and money is a given and patience...well: some of the titles just didn't do anything for me. So, out of what's left, here's what issue #2 had in store. Please note: some of these books are still on the bubble, so these issues are critical to me continuing with a series.
 
ACTION COMICS: Superman has been captured by Lex Luthor and General Lane and he's been tested and tortured. Doctor Irons, he of Steel fame, and Sergeant Corben, he of Metallo fame, are introduced. And he's seriously being tortured-Sarin Gas and everything. He gets free by using microwaves from his eyes to fry their equipment. He finds the rocket that brought him to Earth and hears voices from Krypton. Before it's through, Corben makes his plans for the future and an alien ship arrives. Looks like a Brainiac to me.
 
Much, MUCH better than issue #1. Superman is a bit more humble. The fact he's getting the crap kicked out of him to the torture chair helps. Lots more action, lot of plot development and great art from Rags Morales and Brent Anderson. Keep this up guys and it's a keeper!
 
ALL STAR WESTERN: Masked men are heading for a holed up Arkham and Jonah Hex and Hex is just mowing them down pretty savagely. We find out the masked guys follow the teachings of the Crime Bible(nice!). Gotham's most influential plot and plan at what is now a house on Blackgate Isle.Hex and Arkham arrive with plans to waste everyone and find they have to free Police Chief Cromwell. But Hex finds himself in a monster headlock. This issue also has n El Diablo backup that introduces the character to the NEW DC Universe.
 
Yeah...this one still rocks! The backup is nice, but I really wanted more story. Still on the must read list.
 
ANIMAL MAN: Buddy and Maxine decide to make a trip to the Red Place and save the tree. Monkeys are behaving weird and the hippos are very pregnant and not in a good way. And the zoo keepers are possessed and hungry for visitors...also, not in a good way. In the Red Place, Maxine and Buddy travel through and it's very trippy.
 
More great stuff here that is very reminiscent of the best of Vertigo. This is so old school 
SWAMP THING it's scary. This book brings creepy to a whole new level. Great read!.
 
AQUAMAN: Fishermen are becoming lunch for some long toothed sea creatures. And there are more on shore(food that is!). The local sheriff (well, he's not but says he is) shows up at Aquaman and Mera's place and asks for help. At the docks, confusion ensues and someone opens a cocoon and out comes the sea creatures. There's a little bit of a slaughter and Aquaman gets told he's food and needs to go to "The Trench".
 
Not as much fun as the first issue, but still a really good book. Some nice quiet moments with Mera and Arthur and there is still some highly insulting comments made to our pair. For my money, it's still a winner. But make this storyline work, guys so it doesn't become a remake of HUMANOIDS FROM THE DEEP.
 
BATGIRL: Batgirl is still fighting The Mirror, who killed a cop last issue. Commissioner Gordon gets called in and is stunned to find out that Batgirl is back in town. She tussles with The Mirror in a graveyard and pisses him off when she reveals she has some of his personal papers(guess she figured out who it is, huh?). Barbara borrows some clothes from her roommate so she can go out on a date. Following the date, she puts the pieces together and finds out that The Mirror has a death wish. he was saved from a car crash while his family dies. Now he wants everyone who is a Good Samaritan. His next target: a train full of people.
 
Still fun. Still no major revelations on how Barbara can walk after so long, but I'm okay with that. The payoff will come at some point. And the banter between Babs and her roommate is great, especially how she is known as G.B.G.(you had to read issue #1 for that). Still liking this a lot. I hated the idea of Oracle getting out of her chair but damn: I MISSED BARBARA GORDON in the suit!
 
BATMAN: Book begins with Bruce Wayne taking a long fall from a really high building. Then comes the flashback. In a nutshell, we discover that the John Doe with Dick Grayson's DNA was because grabbed Dick's arm at an event and that's how the DNA got under his fingernails. The guy was pin cushioned by someone from the Court of Owls, who attacks and attempts to kill Bruce. He dies in the process, but apparently...not really.
 
Fun issue! The introduction of this mysterious villain and his issues with Wayne and people who may or may not be connected to him has me guessing. Nice script with a lot of incidental back story dialogue by Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo delivers another artistic performance. This one definitely stays on the list and is probably quickly earning a spot as the top "core Bat" books.
 
BATMAN AND ROBIN
 
The issue was okay. Patrick Gleason's art is dynamic as always and Peter J. Tomasi's story was nice. A few plot points delivered and a lot of time spent on Robin's anger management issues. Need to pick up the story pace in the next few issues to maintain any kind of momentum on this book. It's on the reading bubble right now, but it is the only place to get a major dose of the Boy Wonder.
 
BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT: Batman is getting the you-know-what kicked out of him by a super string, mutated Two face. Eventually, he just collapse to end this battle. I guess some of Arkham's inmates are claiming they were injected with something, which we get told resembles Scarecrow's Fear Toxin,  and saw a woman dressed as a White Rabbit. Robin and Nightwing go up against someone who thinks he's The Ventriloquist and he too has been mutated. In fact most of Batman's allies are up against villains who have turned into something more deadly than before. batman interrogates Harvey Dent and ends up fighting some of the Joker's gang on a moving train. he ends up inside and meets the White Rabbit and...a highly mutated Joker!
 
As always, great looking art from David Finch. And the story from he and Paul Jenkins isn't that bad. It has a ton more action than last issue and that's because most of the allies were involved in one way or another. We REALLY don't need another solo Bat book on the shelves. A team book? Now that WOULD be cool! So here's a suggestion: lose the idea of bringing back BATMAN INC. and let this be the team book. It'll up the action quota and eliminate one more duplicating title.

BATWOMAN: Batwoman and her faithful ward beat up the bad guys while Kate tells how she turned down Batman and his offer to join Batman Inc. Detective Sawyer and Chase have a confrontation. Kate and Maggie go on a date. The ghostly woman kills again. Batwoman breaks into Sawyer's office to look for clues, gets caught and Maggie calls the D.E.O.. And Batwoman, well she's in a tidal wave of trouble.
 
Yeah...I still love this book. The artwork is great, the story is funky and we get a lesbian romance in a mainstream book. Rock on, folks: this book is still having the makings of a major cult classic.
 
BIRDS OF PREY: Starling and Black Canary survive the explosion at the airport and Canary scoops up some DNA before they split in one of those golf cart things they use at the airport. Katana arrives and begins speaking with her dead husband. The dead guy has the effects of a drug called Stroke and drug labs have been getting hit. So the trio go to check it out, bust up the place and take a prisoner. And they bring her to Poison Ivy. Meet the newest member.
 
I know that some people bailed on this book after issue #1, but I'm still a fan. It's not Gail Simone and it's not Oracle in a wheelchair. But this is a wild ride down a bumpy road and it's still on the list for a while.
 
CATWOMAN: we start with the end of some pretty hot sex between Catwoman and the Dark Knight. After  meeting with her friend Lola, she heads out to a dance and hooks up with Bruce Wayne(wait...didn't she...oh yeah...this is Selina and Bruce not Catwoman and Batman).She finds the Russians from issue #1 and does a number on them with Bruce almost pursuing her. When she returns home, she finds Lola tied to a chair, beaten and a bloody bullet hole in her head. Looks like Bone and his men are responsible.
 
Woah! This book hits on all cylinders! It's got rough sex, funny lines, bloody deaths and looks great too! Judd Winick may have hit his finest hour. This is one of my favorites, despite the controversy about the whole Batman/Catwoman sex thing in issue #1. Save your pennies for this one. This is truly a hot book in more ways than one!
 
DC UNIVERSE PRESENTS: Deadman has a conversation with Rama and learns his true place in the universe. He goes back to the distraught veteran and hooks him up with a nice lady in a bar. And then he moves on. He weasels his way into the Moonstone Club-a place where supernatural folks hang. He starts a fight and ends up in the Library where he learns his final fate.
 
Okay...still uncertain here. I like the fact that we're finally giving old Boston Brand some depth and establishing his place in the world. If this whole search for his future continues, the book will be really good. If too much time is spent watching him body hop and help people, well...we have had nearly 40 years of that already. Give me something new. So...I guess another issue will have to come out before I decide to keep or dump.
 
DEATHSTROKE: Slade meets with Mikel, concerning last issue's little debacle and the nuclear secrets. Mikel has his own trick up his sleeve: a bunch of hired guns to take Slade down. And what do you think happens next? Gratuitous blood and death. We have beheadings, people being run through, knives to heads, bodies cut in half...FACES cut in half! Yeah-good stuff! Mikel runs and Slade is in hot pursuit. We get an armed helicopter thing and more guys. More bodies and more bloodshed. Hey wait: here comes a guy in a battlesuit. Yeah-he gets short circuited. The chopper crashes and cuts Mikel in half too. Slade talks with the big guy in charge and he gets told this was all done for show. Send someone better next time.
 
Gratuitous violence and little plot. yeah-a fanboy dream! It's not always about hard hitting stories and deep meaning. Sometimes you just need some blood, guts and mindless entertainment. Yeah-this is the book. Blood, guts and crazy action. It's a roller coaster ride down the silly slope but it's fun. Picture your favorite action movie that, no matter how stupid it may be, you just love. This is that action movie. Yeah-this goes on for the long haul with me.
 
DEMON KNIGHTS: Nothing like a little battle with a dragon in a tavern. Vandal Savage likes the idea of eating one. The Demon goes inside and causes it to explode! Morgana and Mordru plot and plan. The Knights visit the local town and warn them of bad tidings. Etrigan and Xanadu head off on a date and run into barbarians riding flying dinosaurs. The Shining Knight, still androgynous to us all, jumps into battle. Xanadu runs out of energy and makes the ultimate sacrifice.
 
Yeah-totally cool. I'm a huge fan of all these characters, at least those we have seen before. In this settings, they are that much cooler. Love the dialogue too! When was the last time you heard a hero facing a danger mutter the phrase "Oh dung!" Put this high on your reserve list as it is a fun ride down the comic roller coaster. Definitely approved as a good read!
 
DETECTIVE COMICS: Bruce discusses business with Hugh Marder. Bruce gets physical with Wendy Rivers.Gordon discusses the state of affairs with Dr. Arkham. Batman chides Gordon for his nicotine habit. Gordon shows off a photo his the suspect from the murder last issue. Batman goes after the suspect and finds him dead. Batman gets attacked by some crazy family led by a guy named The Dollmaker. Gordon gets stitched up...literally!
 
Not a great issue. Far too much useless dialogue and not a whole lot of plot development. Well, unless you figure that the guy who helped Joker last issue was this villain and possibly the guy with part of his face removed is The Joker. But that's just a guess. After such a great first issue, this one is a dud. But it IS Batman and I don't see me canning this one anytime soon...unless they keep stinking up the joint like this one did!
 
FRANKENSTEIN AGENT OF S.H.A.D.E.: Frank and the gang evacuate the kids from their captor then dive into the lake to take out the monsters that appeared last issue. We get Nina Mazursky's origin story, which is weird and VERY troubling! Also troubling is that they rip the brain out of a creature and learn that the townspeople have been sacrificing kids to the creatures for years. When the team head off to join up with Mrs. F. they learn there's a whole lot of bad news going down!
 
Strange little book. Best thing about it is the J. G. Jones cover. no, seriously: you either like this or hate it. There is no in-between. I like it because it is weird. Again, not a huge fan of the art by Alberto Ponticelli but I guess it fits the book. I can't say I totally recommend this book because it is so weird.
 
GREEN LANTERN: Hal Jordan teams up with Sinestro in an attempt to get his power ring and career back. Unfortunately, Sinestro controls all and makes Jordan look like a fool as he attempts a rescue. Seems that Sinestro is now gathering all the accolades. Korgar shows up and Sinestro slays him. He enlists Jordan to help him free his home world which has been enslaved by the Yellow Lanterns.
 
Well, the plot thickens. Geoff Johns turns in another great story and Doug Mahnke's art is still killer. This book always entertains and, although this issue was a bit light, it's still better than a lot out there.
 
GREEN LANTERN CORPS: The team finds itself still trying to deal with an entire civilization being slaughtered. They go off to defend the planet Xabas. A  major battle ensues, Isamot arrives with his limbs removed and the entire army of the enemy comes bursting through the protective barrier.
 
The first issue of this book was a major surprise for me as the writing, specifically the great dialogue, held this book aloft. This issue is more what I had expected from this series. No substance at all. So disappointed in it. Fernando Pasarin's artwork continues to dazzle, but Tomasi's script falls totally flat this time around. There's a ton of action but not much else. I'm giving this book issue #3 and that may be it. I'm just so bummed by this follow up to such a great beginning.
 
I VAMPYRE: Mary, Queen of Blood rallies her followers in the forthcoming war with her former lover and now enemy Andrew Bennett. They meet, he takes out a bunch of the followers. They debate the moral ramifications of being a vampire. She leaves him to fight off her zealots. She declares herself ruler of the planet.
 
Slow second issue here. We went from a fitting modern era sequel to the classic 1970's series and then we get this. Disappointing is a mild description. I had hoped for more than a lengthy "I used to love you but now I want to kill you" sappy TWILIGHT love story. Sure, there's some blood and guts but not enough to fill this book. Is the third time the charm? Hope so because this book is on life support with me after this issue.
 
NIGHTWING: The book starts where we left off last month with Nightwing getting a beating from this mystery baddie. Upon defeating him, but he flees in the process. Not long after, as Dick is trying to get some sleep, Raya Vestri shows up at his door saying she needs him to take her to Atlantic City. She tells him that he needs to visit Mr. Haly: his first boss and owner of Haly Circus. Turns out the old guy is dying and gives Dick the deed to the circus. On the flight home, Dick and Raya get busy(this is a Bat Book after all and there seems to be a sex scene of some sorts in almost every title). The mysterious baddie calls Dick, threatening to kill Haly. So the usual fight ensues, Haly's house burns down and he dies in Nightwing's arms. But not before he reveals the secret: he knows Dick is Nightwing.
 
Interesting book that I never expected to like. Yeah, it's Nightwing. I used to be Robin and a Teen Titan. I'm a second banana in a main book and now a second banana in my OWN book. but this title rocks! The whole concept of Dick revisiting his roots and then all these little bits dropped in. hell, as far as I'm concerned the mysterious bad guy, who will turn out to be someone connected with the circus, is secondary. The core story of Dick, Raya, Haly, the Circus and all of that gives Dick Grayson a new life and new meaning as a character. If he truly ends up running the circus, it leads to some many different avenues that this could follow. I look forward to future issues.
 
More #2 musings next time.