DC New 52 continues

The DC relaunch continues, and I surprised myself with a couple of the books I bought. Initially, I was actually only going to get Batwoman, but I decided to branch out a bit and try a couple others. Granted, I still haven't been able to find a copy of Batman and Robin#1, but hopefully I can pick up the second print.

Batwoman #1 - J.H. Williams III, W. Hayden Blackman/J.H. Williams III

I was a huge fan of Greg Rucka and J.H. Williams' run on this character on Detective Comics and have been waiting for this ongoing title since it was originally announced. Then pushed back. Then pushed back again. And finally just launched with the relaunch. Fine by me, as this is stellar stuff. It picks up where Kate's story left off, but is fairly accessible as well. Her problem with her father and her various relationships are all touched on a fairly simple way, for new readers to latch onto. Moreover, Kate remains a haunted figure, fighting to keep her personal life together, and becoming a hardened vigilante when in costume. There are a lot of great things in the mix, with children being kidnapped by a mysterious woman, Kate going out with Detective Maggie Sawyer, Kate's cousin Bette joining her in the field, and Agent Chase, a pet character of Williams', being assigned to track down Batwoman. Speaking of Williams, his art remains as strong as ever, with sweeping, majestic splash pages placed against serene scenes of normal people interacting. It feels as though Williams and Blackman are building their own tapestry here, with a variety of personal problems growing for Kate, all depicted by a unique style of art. Excellent stuff, and long overdue for this fan.


Frankenstein: Agent of S.H.A.D.E#1 - Jeff Lemire/Alberto Ponticelli

Ok, so I don't know why this wasn't originally on my pick list, because it is right up my street. I think it was because I wasn't buying the Flashpoint mini-series about Frankenstein and thought it would lead into this. It very well may, but I certainly don't know that after reading this issue. It's very welcoming to new readers and, more importantly, tons of fun. Jeff Lemire is definitely the unsung hero of the DC Relaunch right now. Once again, he shows off his talent for blending the gruesome with the ordinary. A boy and his grandfather bonding while fishing leads into an attack by grotesque monsters. Frankenstein's relationship with the wife he is separated from weighs on his mind just as heavily as a town under siege by evil creatures. The book also has a wonderful, quirky sense of humour. Frankenstein's boss has transferred himself into the body of a mouthy young girl, who we meet as Frankenstein grunts his way through the weird goings-on at S.H.A.D.E. He's also drafted into a team composed of every 50s movie monster on the books. Ponticelli shines here as well. He depicts this grim, gruesome world wonderfully, and adds a playful element to the character designs and body language that mirrors Lemire's humour. He does a great job on the action scenes, too. It's a really fun comic that veers toward the weird at all the right moments. Nothing short of a minor triumph.


Superboy#1 - Scott Lobdell/R.B. Silva

I picked this up for two reasons: 1) I read a surprisingly positive advance review and 2) I loved R.B. Silva's art on the Jimmy Olsen back-up strip in Action Comics last year. That's not much of a reason, but I'm happy I tried it. Lobdell and I go way back to my earliest days reading comics, when he wrote Uncanny X-Men. Hardly an illustrious run, but one forever stamped in my mind (if only because I've read those issues dozens of times each). He doesn't really inspire confidence in me as a writer, but this was surprisingly good. I liked how unconventional it was. It's essentially set in a lab, with a fakeout sequence in the middle that turns out to be a VR sequence run in Superboy's head. Now, the end seems to set up bigger things, but, for now, I loved the lab setting and vibe. The book is presided over by a red-headed woman, allegedly Caitlin Fairchild from Gen13, who laments the situation of this captive boy, a product of human and alien DNA. The VR sequence is sublime, with Superboy so disaffected and bored with the life he's imagining. The book feels alienating and unfriendly, but there are pockets of warmer moments that nicely counteract the colder ones (which are equally effective). I don't typically expect Lobdell to be able to create tone or mood, but he does so admirably here. Silva does a great job, with expressive characters and body language and a clean, distinct style. I think the story might be heading into more conventional territory, but this debut issue was enough to get me to at least try out more.


Grifter#1 - Nathan Edmondson/CAFU

And, out of nowhere, comes this gem. I picked this up for no particular reason, besides a desire to be surprised (mixed with loving CAFU's art on the recent T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents). What a surprise it was. This is the story of a con man and his female accomplice, who get caught in a dastardly scheme of some sort, way out of their depth, leading to an unaccounted for 17 minutes (or is it days?) while the man is unconscious and held captive. It is clearly modeled on Lost and its ilk, with jumps in time, shadowy figures, and leads characters who have no clue what they have gotten into. One thing completely on this book's side is mood; it is seeped in an ominous and mysterious tone. The lead character is also somewhat likeable, with his natural astuteness and good instincts preventing him from feeling like a pathetic victim. CAFU brings his unique figures and crisp design and layout sense to this book, and it looks great. It looks like a spy story, drenched in darkness and danger at the right times. I was surprised by how good this was. Edmonson's script and story were taut and hit all the right beats. I'm not sure where it's going, or how long Grifter can realistically support an ongoing title, but I'll be there for the ride.