While all of us at Multiversity are fans of a wide spectrum of comics, there are a few of us that tend to self-identify as “DC guys.” We’ve cried for justice; we’ve been through the blackest nights and the brightest days. And now, we’ve been culled together for a new column to focus on some of the bigger goings on in the world of Detective Comics Comics. If you’re wondering who is going to stand up and discuss what is happening at DC – don’t worry:
Today, we turn our gaze to the New 52 as a whole. With the upcoming “Villains Month,” we are approaching the start of year three of the New 52. We gathered our intrepid trio to discuss what, so far, have been some of the best aspects of the New 52.
Brian: We are sitting on the precipice of the New 52’s third year and, I think it would be totally fair to say, it has been a mixed bag thus far. We have outlined in the past some of the things we’ve been less than pleased with, but look at the slogan of our website – we are people who love comics! So, let’s get down to it – what are some things that, you feel, are in better shape 3 years into the New 52 than they were pre-“Flashpoint?”
Vince: As much legitimate hemming and hawing we do about the fact that they are the omnipresent, sales-dominant titles of the ‘New 52’, I really do think the Batman books have been pretty solid across the board, with Scott Snyder & Greg Capullo’s run approaching ‘greatness’. Even the Bat book lowest on the totem pole (The Dark Knight, in my opinion), is in a better place than when David Finch was running it. Of course, you also have the terrific “Batman Inc” coming in to put a capper on Morrison’s run with the character. Tomasi & Gleason’s “Batman and Robin” is consistently underrated and “Nightwing”, “Detective Comics” (thanks to John Layman and detailed art from Jason Fabok), “Batgirl”, and “Batwoman” are usually fine reads, as well. Do you guys feel equally conflicted in the idea that the Bat books are pretty good across the board, but also that there’s just so damn many of them?
Zach: I’ll agree that the Bat-books are, overall, pretty solid. There’s a great diversity, the mainstream appeal of “Batman,” the more continuity driven “Batman Inc.,” and artsy, niche titles like “Batwoman.” DC has also done a great job bringing in fresh talent like John Layman and James Tynion IV. I also agree that if DC were to prune the vine, so to speak, it would make the line’s quality even more apparent.
With “Batman Incorporated” on the way out and “Batman and Robin” in a state of flux, I wouldn’t mind consolidating those titles, and perhaps “Dark Knight” as well, into a “Batman Family” book. The Batman line could definitely support a single oversized/double shipping title encompassing several aspects of that particular universe.
As an added bonus, this would free up space for books in another line that is overflowing with quality but lacking in titles, the Dark group.
Vince: Those are some good ideas. I guess I’d never thought of them going bi-weekly. I wonder if they’d consider it, what with their (relatively) strict monthly release format? Anyway, that formula worked incredibly well for Spider-Man, if you ask me.
Brian: If there is any character that could carry a bi-weekly shopping schedule, it’s clearly Batman + family. However, what’s the real difference between 2 monthly books or 1 bi-weekly book, except for even more creative changes?
Zach, you mention the Dark line, and I have to concur, but with a caveat. First of all, what is the Dark doing right in your eyes?
Zach: To me, the Dark line is doing something the rest of the New 52 fails to, taking chances. Books like “Dial H,” “Animal Man,” and “Demon Knights” are among the most inventive titles DC has released within the last decade. Even the ones that don’t pan out, like “Sword of Sorcery,” offer something unique to the New 52 landscape.
Continued belowWith that said, I do see that innovation starting to slip as the Dark line grows more connected to the greater DCU, with books like “Constantine,” and the “Trinity of Sin” titles. What do you guys think?
Brian: We’re supposed to be positive here, Zach!
I don’t think that connecting the Dark corner to the main DCU is inherently a bad thing, but I do see the issues you mention, as some of the more experimental and forward thinking titles DC was publishing have gone to the wayside. However, I think that both “Animal Man” and “Swamp Thing” have been handled as well as could have been expected, pre-New 52. Both of these books feature classic characters that have had great runs in the past but, by no means, could be considered perennial winners.
Even if the ‘Rotworld’ crossover felt like a bit too much, the books, overall, are undoubtedly better off than they were in 2011.
I am also a firm believer in the fact that “Justice League Dark,” despite the silly title, has been the most consistent team book DC has published in the past two years. It took (and notice a theme here?) characters that haven’t always worked on their own (Zatanna, Frankenstein, Madame Xanadu, John Constantine) and put them in a book that used their greatest strengths – uniqueness, humor, mystery – and put it together in a style that the average comics fan could digest easier.
Zach: Doh! You’re right, forgive my transgression. Let me reassert my belief that the Dark remains the most fertile ground in the New 52. And you’re right about the growing connectivity not being inherently bad. In fact, I’m excited to see the influence “Justice League Dark” plays in ‘Trinity War’ and beyond. What about you, Vince?
Vince: I have to throw some desention into the rank here in the DC3. I would actually rather JLD stay out of the spotlight. Maybe I’m alone, but I’m less interested in Constantine bumping into Steve Trevor than I would be in them finding conflicts in their own sphere. I can recommend the Dark Titles, by and large, but I like them more when they’re going for weirdness. A personal preference, to be sure.
So the Bat titles and the Dark titles are top tier. I don’t think there are any other “corners” of the DCU that can be recommended outright, so we should probably focus on some individual books now. Brian, I know you love Earth 2. I do too. What makes it one of the best books coming out of The New 52?
Brian: To me, “Earth 2” is the book that handles the idea of the New 52 best, which is to take familiar characters and put them in unfamiliar situations. The whole idea behind this initiative in the first place was to add some freshness to some of the older characters. And you don’t get many characters older than the Golden Age ones that Robinson, Scott and co. have been handling in this book. Everyone feels true to who they were, but are presented as close to new as possible. Plus, you know, incredible writing and art never hurt!
What about you guys? What are your pet books,especially now that Vince’s, “Dial H,” has gone the way of “Blackhawks?”
Zach: I’m with you all the way on “Earth 2.” While Robinson is occasionally a little too verbose for my taste, his ingenuity and expert handle on these characters and their world makes the book a fantastic read.
Right now, I’d say my must read New 52 title is “Suicide Squad.” Ales Kot has done exceptional things with the book in just two issues, and Patrick Zircher’s art is nothing short of fantastic. It almost seems too good to last. “Wonder Woman” is a close second, especially as Azzarello continues to weave the New Gods into his growing mythology.
I’m also still enjoying Geoff Johns’ work quite a bit, especially “Aquaman” and the Shazam backups in “Justice League,” which I wish would make the upgrade to a full ongoing. As far as his other works, “Justice League of America” has a great cast but has yet to reach its potential, and my enjoyment of “Justice League” is directly proportional to how much Ivan Reis is featured.
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Vince: I totally concur with you on “Suicide Squad”, what Ales Kot is doing with those characters is fascinating and fun for how dark it is. “Wonder Woman” is my darling book of the ‘New 52’. I may champion “Dial H” to no end, but “Wonder Woman” is actually my favorite DC Comics title. It’s content to take its time, play its characters off of one another, and create something truly longform. Cliff Chiang’s unparalleled ability to create sleek and attractive art doesn’t hurt.
I’ll agree to disagree on “Aquaman”, but I’m totally with you on the Shazam backups. It’s funny – on the surface, I think Johns was forced to make Shazam and Billy Batson seem darker, but when you actually read the title, it’s pretty fun stuff that doesn’t skimp on the original mysticism involved with the character.
One other (and really, last) title that I personally want to mention is “Green Arrow”, which has seen a rebirth under Jeff Lemire and Andrea Sorrentino. It’s not a perfect title, but it really stretches the mythology of the character. If DC and Warner Brothers want Green Arrow to go in a certain way (just based on what they’re doing with the CW show), then Jeff Lemire looks like he was the right choice. Somehow he made the idea of a younger, brasher, beardless Oliver Queen more appealing than it should be. I do hope he gets that beard sooner or later though.
Brian: If he doesn’t get that beard, I will be highly surprised/disappointed. Knowing Lemire, he’ll get a scar on his chin and grow it to cover the scar, and the beard will make perfect sense in story.
And, of course, the Shazam backups have been great. I think, come October, we’ll see a monthly Shazam book. Or at least I really hope so.
So, we’ve identified some bright spots in the line that both bring back great characters from exile (“Earth 2,” Shazam backups) and do interesting things with characters that needed a tune up (“Suicide Squad,” “Wonder Woman”), which leads me to this: what do you want to see now? Building on what DC is doing with the New 52, where do you guys see the next great title or line coming from?
Zach: Looking at what’s already on the docket, I enjoyed “Superman Unchained” #1 quite a bit. That book, along with Greg Pak’s “Batman/Superman” and his upcoming run on “Action Comics,” make the Superman group one to watch in the coming months.
Looking forward, as mentioned before, I think the time is ripe for a “Shazam,” book. Aside from that, I think we’re about to see some growth in the “Earth 2” line, with at least one or two new books taking place in that alternate continuity.
Also, several books we’ve expressed interest in have been sowing the seeds for spinoff titles like “New Gods,” “The Outsiders,” and “The Others.” Any one of these books could be the next big thing, it just all comes down to the caliber of talent that DC decides to assign.
Vince: I’d love to see a New Gods title, but it damn well better be written by a Brian Azzarello type.
I’ve been itching to see a “Kamandi” title ever since Lemire posted a teasing pic of Kamandi on Twitter.
My dream – if I could have ANYTHING I wanted – would be to burn “Teen Titans” to the ground and start it over with a fresh, young writer.
I guess the last thing I would mention is that I want a Batman title that highlights his goofy James Bond side the way that “Batman Inc” did. I don’t want a new Batman title, but I’d love for one of them to take that shape.
Brian: Just about all of the things you guys mentioned would be sweet, and for a few of them at least, I think very doable. But for me, the answer comes back to what Zach said, and what I (hopefully) think is coming: Superman being super again.
Look, I’m a huge Shazam/Captain Marvel fan, and I consider classic Teen Titans stories to be some of the best ever told by any publisher, ever. However, what makes DC DC is Superman and, for much of the New 52, he’s been a minor footnote in the company.
With the two new team up books (“Batman/Superman” and “Superman/Wonder Woman”), “Superman Unchained,” the new creative team on “Action Comics,” and the success of Man of Steel, I really hope that DC continues to put the spotlight on Superman, and that it does so correctly.
Look, we all know that darker books sell better – or at least that is the general consensus – but Superman needs to be above all of that. Say what you will about Man of Steel, but except for the ending, the dark movie had a pretty spot-on Superman in the center of it. He should be the light that shines through the darkness, and DC is starting to realize that. Sure, we still have to sit through more Scott Lobdell “Superman” and “Action Comics” than anyone without the last name Lobdell would like, but there is hope on the horizon. When Superman is at the center, DC thrives.
