Everybody Loves the DCnU

Even this adorable 7-year-old girl! Her name is Lola! She loves the new Justice League! Everyone does!

Actually, I have no idea if that’s true. What I know is that everyone is buying Justice League and DC’s other new #1 issues, at least so far, and I’m betting DC is far more content with that than whether people like them. The sales numbers as lovingly compiled by the far more professional Comics Alliance:

Diamond Comics Distributors confirmed Monday that DC Comics’ Justice League
#1 by Geoff Johns and Jim Lee & Scott Williams sold out of its
massive initial print run as well as a second and is presently in a
third printing. More than 200,000 copies have been sold (not including digital sales), making Justice League #1 the best-selling comic book of 2011 so far.

There’s more good news for DC, as several other titles from its New 52
initiative have sold out of print runs exceeding 100,000 copies, and all
13 of last week’s new DC comics are going back to press.

According to DC Comics’ The Source blog, the new first issues of Action
Comics, Batgirl, Batman, Batman And Robin, Batman: The Dark Knight,
Detective Comics, The Flash, Green Lantern, Justice League and Superman were all given print runs exceeding 100,000 copies, with Justice League and Action Comics going higher than 200,000 each (including the second printing of Action).

CA goes on to say that some of this week’s #1s have already sold out on the distributor level, too. So bully for DC. They wanted attention and sales, and they got it. They are, at the moment, sounding kicking Marvel’s ass; that’s definitely an accomplishment, and not to be dismissed. But my question is: How many of these new sales are new comics readers? And of those new readers, how many will stick around?

Having read last week’s #1s, I’m honestly not sure, and I’d like to explain why by reviewing them. Now, a couple of caveats: 1) As many people on this site will tell you, I have no business ever discussing comics news, let alone reviews. However, since the new 52 is ostensibly supposed to be attracting new readers, and I’m definitely a casual comics fan and DC neophyte, much like DC has been targeting, maybe there’s something worthwhile in what I have to say. Maybe not, though. 2) I’m including a couple of spoilers, so if you’re planning on reading these comics but haven’t gotten around to it yet, you might want to hold up. Anyways, my thoughts after the jump.

So, what DC sent me: Batwing, Static Shock, Hawk & Dove, Justice League International, Green Arrow, Men of War, Stormwatch, Swamp Thing, Detective Comics, O.M.A.C., Batgirl, Animal Man and Action Comics.

Let me start with what didn’t grab me: Batwing, Static Shock, Justice League International, Green Arrow. These were okay but nothing in them made me either say “wow” or care enough to read the next issue. Of these, Justice League International seemed to have the most potential — it’s a superhero team with Batman on it, after all — but it didn’t help that it was filled with characters I’ve never heard of to make the team actually international, e.g. Rocket Red, Iron General and Godiva (and I only know Fire and Ice from seeing them on the Brave and the Bold cartoon). Booster Gold is the team leader for no apparent reason; I’ve never thought of the character being a leader in any sense, and there’s nothing in this issue that at all indicates he should be. It’s weird. Also, Guy Gardner quits in about 30 seconds, meaning one of the team’s most well-known and interesting characters is effectively AWOL for the entirety of the first issue.

The two issues I liked least were Hawk & Dove and Stormwatch, mostly because they were totally confusing. Hawk & Dove is — I assume — a 100% continuation of Brightest Day, which meant I had no idea what the fuck was going or why I should care. Also, Hawk hates Dove, which made me not like either of them. Interestingly, the Rob Liefeld art is fine, just Rob Liefeld-y. Stormwatch… Stormwatch just confused me. I actually read the first bit of the Authority years ago, so I was familiar with some of the characters — which seemed to be just enough to fuck me up for this comic. So Apollo and the Midnighter meet for the first time in this issue? But Jenny Quantum is already there? And what the hell is the Martian Manhunter doing with these guys? I have no clue, and the issue didn’t bother to tell me.

Okay, for the better ones: Swamp Thing was a pretty good #1 issue in that it’s easy to get into, it catches new readers up quickly, and sets up a reasonably intriguing story despite obviously being set post-Brightest Day. Gail Simone’s Batgirl did much the same thing, but was better still, thanks to Simone’s excellent characterization of Barbara Gordon as she tries to get back into superheroing after recovering use of her legs, but realizes she’s dragging a lot of trauma with her. It’s more about the character than the plot, but it was still a good read.

Now for Detective Comics and Action Comics. Let me start with Detective. It’s about Batman’s first encounter with the Joker — I think — which was reasonably well done if you wanted to read about the Batman’s first encounter with the Joker again, which I didn’t (and don’t tell me this is for new readers, because even little kids know that Batman fights the Joker. It’s just a fact. You don’t need to explain the “why” anymore). My biggest problem with it is that I had no idea Detective Comics was supposed to be about Batman’s early adventures like Action is for Superman. Is it? I assume it is, because otherwise I have no fucking clue how Batman is just now meeting the Joker while Barbara gordon has just returned from a three-year-hiatus after being shot by the Joker, and oh yeah Batman Inc. is also employing Batwing in Africa. If Detective isn’t supposed to be set in Batman’s early years, something is incredibly fucked up.

And if it is supposed to be set in Batman’s early years, IT WOULD BE REALLY NICE IF THERE WAS ANY INDICATION OF THAT IN THE COMIC. LIKE A SUBHED TO THE COMIC. OR A SIGN. OR EVEN A SMALL CAPTION TO LET ME KNOW WHEN THE HELL THIS IS TAKING PLACE IN THE DCnU BECAUSE I HAVE NO IDEA. Incidentally, Action Comics doesn’t have any signifier of this either, but since Superman is dressed like Superboy, it’s a pretty clear indicator this is happening some time earlier in Superman’s career. Since early Batman still looks exactly like regular Batman, I had no clue when the comic was supposed to be taking place until page 20 or so. It’s things like this that makes me wonder how much DC has really prepared the DCnU for new comics readers.

Speaking of Action Comics, the Grant Morrison-penned story was easily my #3 comic of the pile, because basically it’s Jerk Superman: The Comic. This Superman ignores all authority figures, if not actively disdains them, and will do pretty much anything to stop bad guys. You know that trick where Batman will hang a thug off a roof and threaten to drop him unless he confesses? Superman does that to a rich white collar criminal, except he actually jumps off the building with him, so the dude experiences the sensation of plummeting to his death. And Superman does this right in front of the cops. This is no way jibes with my perception of Superman, but it is fun to read. It’s like All-Star Batman, oddly — a terrible interpretation of the character, but still immensely entertaining. Look, Lex Luthor shoots Superman with a train. That’s an entertaining comic. It’s still a tremendously stupid costume, though.

My two favorite issues? O.M.A.C. and Animal Man. Animal Man seems to be the big winner of the week; everyone’s talking about how good it was. Now, I’ve never read a panel of AM in my life, so I had zero expectations — but what I got was a great, compelling introduction to the character and a plot that immediately hooked me. It wasn’t fancy, it wasn’t trying to shock me with violence, it was just a great read. And same with O.M.A.C., written by Dan Didio. Didio’s hardly the deepest comics writer, but I wonder if that works in his favor — because his Metal Men in Wednesday Comics was action-packed and fun, and O.M.A.C. is too. It’s simple, but that makes it extremely accessible, which not a lot of the other DC #1s can say.

Honestly, if I were going to pick up the comics I genuinely wanted to keep reading, it would be Animal Man, O.M.A.C. and Action Comics. If I were flush with cash I’d add Batgirl and maybe Swamp Thing. I have no idea if DC will be sending me more of the new 52, but if they are, I’ll do this again next Monday.