DCnU Week 5 Mini-reviews:

All Star Western #1 – Palmiotti and Grey have such an incredible grasp on Jonah Hex. Issue one of All Star Western makes it pretty clear why they were able to keep a cowboy/western-themed comic going for so long pre-relaunch. All Star is a great first issue. Jonah Hex and Jeremiah Arkham might be my new favorite odd couple in the DCU. Palmiotti and Grey found a perfect way to introduce new readers to Hex by having Arkham psycho-analyze him as they search for Gotham's version of Jack the Ripper. Moritat's art is downright incredible. All Star shows that he is a new talent to be reckoned with in the future. This book definitely is among my favorite books of the DC Relaunch.

Aquaman #1 – What a surprise! After the let down of Justice League and the solid but unspectacular Green Lantern, I was worried that I had bet on the wrong horse. Yet, Geoff Johns once again proves why he is one of the best classical superhero storytellers. He is one of the few writers (Johns, Waid, Morrison, maybe Bendis) that can distill the essence of a character into an exciting and kinetic package. It is obvious that Johns made addressing the conceptions and misconceptions of Aquaman a high priority. There's literally a scene in the middle of the comic where the hero is being peppered with questions by nerd stereotypes (including a cameo by aintitcool.com's Harry Knowles). The thing is...that sounds boring...but it works! Johns, with legitimately great art from Ivan Reis, presents an Aqua-

man that is a serious badass and an interesting character. After one issue,

this is one of the most exciting books of the New 52.

Firestorm, the Nuclear Men #1 – What a mess. Firestorm was the first legitimate debacle I have read of the DCnU. Granted, I have only read about half of the books, but I would argue that Gail Simone and Ethan Van Sciver's first issue was very close to horrible. The characters are transparent, the story is laughable, and the dialogue is just plain bad. They attempt to set up conflict between Ronnie Raymond and Jason Rusch, but it just falls flat. I know that Simone tends to walk a fine line between great and goofy, but in Firestorm the line disappears. I am sure that the entirety of the blame does not rest on her. EVS' plot must not have given her much to work with. The art is passable.

Flash #1 – When I made my pull list of 15 DCnU books, Flash was the book that would have been number 16. I have obviously not stuck to my original plans, so it should be no surprise that Manapul and Bucellato's first issue ended up in my hands at checkout. The only unanswered question was whether the artists had the writing chops to carry the book. So far, they've been solid. The nice thing is that art is so gorgeous that it can carry just about an story. (Side-note: An interesting thought experiment might be to think about how bad a story Manapul's art could make look good.) Thankfully his and Bucellato's first issue's script is plenty solid.

Green Lantern: The New Guardians #1 – There's a reason that Green Lantern is one of the least changed of the New 52. The pre-relaunch status quo was already solid. Maybe my opinion is skewed because he was the only Green Lantern for much of my childhood, but Kyle Rayner is just so likable. This issue suffers from a good deal of repetitiveness, but it kind of makes sense. It might have been slow for established readers, but it was a pretty smooth introduction to what the other corps are all about for new readers. A fine issue with very little to be excited about or frustrated with.

Justice League Dark #1 – A solid first issue. I really enjoy when the formation of a superhero team feels organic. It's also fun to see some of the characters that have been in the Vertigo universe working alongside DC's more traditional heroes. As Timothy Callahan pointed out, Superman, Wonder Woman, andCyborg's appearance was reminiscent of the early Vertigo days beforethe wall of separation was built between the two imprints. Janin's art is perfect for the book. The magical heroes look so natural in the world he creates, while the normal heroes look staid and out of place.

Superman #1 – Superman is the antithesis of what the relaunch should have been. Look, I have little problem with change--especially when it comes to Superman.  He's an important character that should not be allowed to stagnate. My complaint is that giving the book to Perez seems like a backwards move.  The relaunch should be an opportunity to freshen the formula and incorporate new talent.  For all the perceived modernization taking place in with Lois, the Daily Planet and Clark Kent in Superman #1, the issue feels old and tired--especially compared to Wonder Woman #1 and Batman #1.  The art is fine...it's hard to make chicken salad out of chicken poop.