DCnU Week 2 Mini-reviews:

Action Comics:  Classic Morrison beginning to a story. A few interesting revamped details--Jimmy Olsen and Clark Kent are the same age, Lois Lane and Clark work at rival papers. Lex Luthor's appearance was pitch perfect and his strategy for capturing Superman was clever.  Superman has been written so stoic in recent years, it is nice to see a feisty and young take on the character.

Animal Man:  A well pitched first issue.  I especially liked The Believer pastiche on the first page.  It looks like the book will be an interesting mixture of family drama and horror.  It is a compelling story takes advantage of underutilized characters like his Buddy Baker's children, Maxine and Cliff, and his wife, Ellen.  Foreman's art has a rough-hewn quality to it that is perfect for the atmosphere that Lemire is creating.





Batgirl:  Simone crafted the first issue very carefully. She has an obvious love for the character coupled with a reverence for the Oracle years.  Killing Joke plays a much bigger part in the story that I expected.  The (mysterious) Mirror is a very Simone-esque villain--silly but she makes it work.  A solid issue that wont convert all of the most strident doubters, but took significant strides.



Green Arrow:  The new status quo is...interesting is too strong of a word....it's...it's something.  Green Arrow's been de-aged (no real shock there, I guess.) Krul is definitely trying to build a supporting cast, which is nice since DC has systematically drained the characters surrounding Ollie out of continuity over the last couple of years.  It's too bad that the new supporting cast is essentially a Lucius Fox ripoff and an Oracle knock-off. Perhaps this was the point, but the villains were some of the dumbest I've since the '90s were in full swing.  The idea that Oliver Queen's company is going to be DC-equivalent of Apple is already annoying--Qphone just doesn't roll off the tongue.  One nice thing: A modernized take on trick arrows.

Static Shock:  Virgil's moved to New York and interns at S.T.A.R. Labs...as a 16 year old.  Ok, ok..it's comic book logic, just go with it. Nothing real special about this issue, just solid superheroics.  McDaniel's art has a nice finished look to it that it hasn't had in the past.  I've always been a fan, but I would begrudgingly say it's an improvement.  I'm not sure but it seems like Static is being stalked by Power Rangers on motorcycles being bossed around by a fish-man. The issue ends with kind of a fun cliffhanger.



StormWatch:  A solid first issue. Interesting Martian Manhunter retcon that makes you reexamine decades of Justice League history.  Compared to Justice League #1, it was nice to jump into a team book without having to worry with origins.  Being dropped into the middle of a story is one thing, but being dropped into a comic that references an event that wont be published for two weeks is another.  Not great planning there, DC.  Definitely an issue that is building toward something, it will be interesting to see how it all pays off.


Swamp Thing:  Perhaps the best issue of the DC Relaunch so far.  It was interesting to see extended interactions between Alec Holland and Superman--welcome back to the DCU, Swamp Thing!  A couple of intriguing mysteries were were established: What is going on with the animals of earth and how will the Swamp Thing/Alec Holland story pan out?