8, going on 9, years ago, DC did something radical. No, not in the slang 90s way but in the major, seismic shift sort of way. They took their entire line of comics, cancelled every single one of them, and rebooted their entire universe. Not only did they reboot it, they reset it, making a pseudo-Ultimate Universe where heroes were near the start of their careers, without decades of story baggage. The Wildstorm and Vertigo universes were folded back into the main DCU and an overarching threat was teased during the final pages of “Flashpoint,” the event that birthed the New 52. It was a promise of more interconnected titles, a greater coherence within the universe and 52(!) titles to start, with more on the way in subsequent waves.
Gone were the JSA. Gone were all but one of the Robins (not really). Teams that once had hundreds of members and rotating casts were reduced to their core membership. The Teen Titans existed, but didn’t. It was a weird time.
It was a bold move and while, in theory, it could have worked, the practicalities and execution fell flat on its face and gave us nearly a decade of material to shake our collective heads at and ask: what the hell happened?
Well, that’s not what we’re here for! To celebrate the end of the decade, we here at Multiversity thought it’d be a neat idea to go back to the start of the New 52 with fresh eyes to see if things were better, if things were worse, and how well these books have stood the test of time. Over the next two weeks, we’ll be covering every single title of Wave 1 of the New 52, divided up by the “imprints” they spearheaded, an idea I, Elias, genuinely wish they had kept.
These titles were meant to be an entry into a simplified universe — let’s see if these #1s accomplished that goal.
Thus far, we’ve covered the ‘Justice League,’ ‘The Edge,’ ‘Young Justice,’ the ‘Green Lantern’ quartet, ‘The Dark’ and the ‘Superman’ quartet.
Finally, we bring you the last imprint of the New 52. He is vengeance. He is the night. He is ‘Batman.’
Batman #1
Written by Scott Snyder
Penciled by Greg Capullo
Inked by Jonathan Glapion
Colored by FCO Plascencia
Lettered by Richard Starkings & Comicraft’s Jimmy Betancourt
Reviewed by Kevin Gregory
Gotham is…what? That’s the thesis that kicks off this issue and this run as we reexamine the first time that Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo worked together. Those two creators names seem ubiquitous now, but in 2011, their Bat-saga march to “Metal” and beyond was just beginning. That question, “Gotham is…” can almost be applied retroactively to all of Snyder’s work if you replace the noun. The end of this run transitions to “Batman is….” “Justice League” is looking to be “The DC Universe is….” Hell even his new Image book with Charles Soule and Giuseppe Camuncoli seems to be querying “America is…what?” What is the why behind the what?
But enough waxing poetic. What was this first issue like that kicks off one of the most famous stories of The New 52 era? How begins ‘The Court of Owls?’ I have a strong attachment to this issue as Snyder and Capullo’s “Batman” run was one of the very first few trades I read when I started reading comics. I had some other books like “Watchmen” before I dove into more current stuff full on, and this book helped ensure I stayed. This run is extremely special to me, and while you can only slightly make out the pieces of what this will become in this issue, nonetheless, there are enough questions and intrigue to make you want more.
What we see here is a Bruce Wayne trying to fix Gotham as both Batman and as entrepreneur. There’s a split focus on both Bruce and Batman as Bruce fights corruption in Arkham and details his plans for redeveloping (gentrifying) Gotham City. All of the villains are here, as well as most of the Bat-family and the extended GCPD cast. Everyone gets a cameo, and Lincoln March who plays an important role in this extended run is introduced as well. All of this of course plays into the criticism that the Bat-corner of The New 52 is clearly more fleshed out than other parts that were rebooted. It is, but when all the pieces seem enfleshed in this way, does it matter?
Continued belowAll that being said, this issue is almost entirely set-up and cameos, but it sets such a distinct dark tone balancing detective, action hero, philanthropist, and paranoid Bruce all in one. All of this is rendered beautifully by Capullo, Glapion, and Plascencia – though a lighter ink, paler tones, and a handful of awkward faces let you know the art team is still working out some kinks together. Nonetheless, this issue comes together with intrigue, a clear thesis, and a balanced approach to DC’s moneymaker.
Final Verdict: 9.0 -There is so much set-up, but also so much potential in this issue, exciting you for what is to come. And there is SO much more to come.
Batman and Robin #1
Written by Peter Tomasi
Penciled by Patrick Gleason
Inked by Mick Gray
Colored by John Kalisz
Lettered by Patrick Brosseau
Reviewed by Brian Salvatore
Despite the Bat-books not changing all that much in the post-“Flashpoint” transition, “Batman and Robin” feels like the most regressive of the Bat-titles in a few ways. While it mentions, in somewhat vague terms, that a status quo has changed in the Batman and Robin relationship, there isn’t too much given (or, frankly, needed) in that regard. The bigger change is that almost of all the character development given to Damian Wayne by Grant Morrison and co. is, more or less, tossed away, and Damian is back to being the petulant brat that he was a couple of years earlier.
Not that Damian is ever the warmest character out there, but Peter Tomasi writes him here as an unbearably cold, cruel person. A big part of Morrison’s earlier volume of this title was how his facade had broken a bit, and he was starting to see himself as part of the Bat-lineage and, more importantly, Bat-family. But Damian here is nothing if not downright unpleasant to his father, about just about everything.
Despite that element, the issue works because Patrick Gleason and Mick Gray’s artwork is so enthralling. No one draws Damian like Tomasi, and he executes Damian’s movements and precision strikes with grace and brutality. I love how Gleason’s Batman seems to move the bare minimum for any action, letting people make mistakes and only exerting the energy he absolutely must. The two techniques, together, visually define this iteration of Batman and Robin.
This issue falls on a lot of Bat-tropes, and despite the coldness from the titular characters, it more or less works. It introduces a new villain, incorporates just enough of the overall Bat-verse to feel in line, and gives the title an instant purpose: bring Bruce and Damian together.
Final Verdict: 6.6 – Visually strong, but at times a little stock, story-wise.
Batman: The Dark Knight #1
Plotted by Paul Jenkins and David Finch
Scripted by Paul Jenkins
Penciled by David Finch
Inked by Richard Friend
Colored by Alex Sinclair
Lettered by Sal Cipriano
Reviewed by Brian Salvatore
There was a trend at this time of DC wanting to lock up its artists to exclusive contracts, and they did so by enticing them with the ability to write or co-write their own work. This was especially true on the Bat-books, with Tony Daniel on “Detective Comics” and David Finch on “Batman: The Dark Knight.” On “Detective,” as Elias will tell you shortly, Daniel had an idea for a story that was ultra dark, but was attempting something new. “The Dark Knight” isn’t so much telling a story as giving Finch a checklist of things he wants to draw.
Sexy ladies, sometimes inexplicably wearing a thong? Check.
Multiple villains breaking out of Arkham? Check.
Bruce Wayne using a grappling hook out of costume and in a tuxedo? Sure.
Two-Face on Bane toxin? Why not?
This book is one of the worst written of the New 52’s initial batch, and not even the talented Paul Jenkins can save it from itself. No matter how good the dialogue could be (and trust me, it isn’t), the plot is so cliched and dumb that nothing could save it. Finch is a top notch Bat artist, but his work here is stiff and safe. There is nothing about the book that would get anyone to pick it up aside from Finch’s pedigree. And, once it is in hand, that promise slips away, like so many Arkham inmates seemingly every other week in Gotham.
Continued belowFinal Verdict: 2.7 – Schlocky and shitty.
Batgirl #1
Written by Gail Simone
Penciled by Ardian Syaf
Inked by Vicente Cifuentes
Colored by Ulises Arreola
Lettered by Dave Sharpe
Reviewed by Nicholas Palmieri
Eight years ago, I was in the thick of “Batgirls” fandom. I wanted my Cassandra Cain, my Stephanie Brown, and that sweet, sweet Oracle goodness. Why would DC want to erase all that just so they could return to an old and outdated status quo?
Eight years later, Barbara Gordon is now the sole and definitive Batgirl. As a result, the first issue of the New 52 “Batgirl” initially comes across as a standard, yet well done, superhero book. Page by page, we get the typical superhero beats. Murderous villain? Check. Monologuing hero? Check. Lovable supporting cast? Check. New section of town to explore? Check.
But underneath all that is a strong thematic core: Barbara is dealing with PTSD, there’s a level of uncertainty about taking back up the Batgirl role, and the villain is a personification of survivor’s guilt, killing people who “should have died.” The art by Syaf, Cifuentes, and Arreola follows suit, diverging from DC’s then-current house style just enough to push the wide-eyed psychological horror.
These elements elevate the story beyond your typical superhero book, and they are a direct response to the concerns of Batgirl fans back in 2011. If Barbara was going to step out of her wheelchair, Gail Simone felt the need to tell a story about the fears and concerns surrounding that experience. In that sense, the book comes off as more subversive than it had any right to be, and I think it holds up even better today than it did on first release.
Final Verdict: 7.8 – Ordinary yet subtly subversive, this is the best possible scenario for an unfortunate return to a status quo.
Batwing #1
Written by Judd Winnick
Illustrated by Ben Oliver
Colored by Brian Reber
Lettered by Carlos M. Mangual
Reviewed by Brian Salvatore
“Batwing” #1 is a perfect storm of the various forces at play. In the thick of “Batman, Inc,” when Judd Winick was still firmly ensconced in the Bat-books, when Ben Oliver was just beginning to make his name in the States. If any of those elements had not been in play, “Batwing” might never have gotten off the ground or, at the very least, had succeeded as unequivocally, at least in the short-term of this issue, than it did.
Oliver’s artwork here is delicate and striking. There were a number of people to draw the character over the years, and none of them ever managed to make the Batwing armor look both functional and cool except for Oliver. His David Zavimbe moves naturally in it, without losing an of its imposing look. His layouts were among the least-traditional of the New 52, and the book has a feel all its own, even when featuring a cameo from Batman.
Winick also does some impressive world building in a short period of time. He manages to introduce an entire (disbanded) superhero team, give a real sense of the world of the book, and allow the characters to feel more lived in than many of the New 52 titles, even of more established characters. The book wouldn’t last too long with this creative team, and it never quite lived up to the standard set here, but this issue is a nice reminder of how you can begin a series in a way that doesn’t feel rushed or slight.
Final Verdict: 8.8 – While the idea of one Batman for all of Africa is misguided, the creative team does its absolute best with what it was given here.
Batwoman #1
Written by J.H. Williams III and W. Hayden Blackman
Illustrated by J.H. Williams III
Colored by Dave Stewart
Lettered by Todd Klein
Reviewed by Elias Rosner
The New 52 “Batwoman” by J H Williams III and W Hayden Blackman remains, even now, nearly 9 years later, the strongest take on Kate Kane. No knock to what came after, or even the fantastic runs before, but from the outset you know this is going to be a different book, one with a distinct and special voice. I may also be biased because this is my favorite run of the character and 95% of the things I like have yet to make a reappearance in any iteration of her.
Continued belowSitting firmly in the supernatural, with mysteries and shadowy figures galore, over three quarters of issue #1 are double-page spreads. These spreads provide a sense of distance and flow, creating a faux widescreen effect where events don’t cut from moment to moment but instead occur simultaneously, like a time lapse rather than distinct frames. It takes a lot of skill to make pages like these readable and Williams III & Stewart prove they’re up to the task.
There’s that one spread, when Batwoman is fighting La Llorona, that simply takes your breath away. The page is segmented into thirds, weaving from the top left to the top right, following the trajectory of Batwoman’s grappling hook, then down through the dialog and captions, past the family where are eyes are dragged back through the center by the watery movement of the spirit and her hiss back to Batwoman, before she dissipates and the more traditional paneling re-asserts itself along the bottom third.
The way the borders are created by the art and the lettering being placed in the connective spaces but out of sight until it is time to move to them, is what sets pages such as these apart from the myriad of spreads currently adorning the DCU. There is a control and an understanding of how to craft full images without creating the distractions that break the flow and is just one of the many reasons to love this first issue. It’s also surprise the colors & letters are amazing, considering they’re done by industry legends Dave Stewart and Todd Klein.
Unfortunately, there is a negative to this first issue; namely, it feels more like the second or third because, well, it technically is. ‘Elegy,’ a backup in “Detective Comics” before the line wide reboot, remains canon while changes to the DCU, such as the death(?) of Renee Montoya also remained. If you haven’t read them, or haven’t read them in a while, there is a bit of catching up and reorienting that makes this debut issue sag a bit under the weight of its reintroduction. That said, for an issue that has to catch everyone up to speed, it does a remarkable job of doing it in a way that is visually stunning and succinct.
The start of a new era began here and damn if it still isn’t as intriguing and gorgeous now as it was then.
Final Verdict: 8.9. Let the DEO be evil again CW you cowards.
Birds of Prey #1
Written by Duane Swierczynski
Illustrated by Jesus Saiz
Colored by Nei Ruffino
Lettered by Carlos M. Mangual
Reviewed by Brian Salvatore
Some of these New 52 debuts are so baffling, it is legitimately hard to make sense of them. This first issue of “Birds of Prey” introduces just two of the four team members, while mentioning a third, and spends most of its time with a character that is killed off by the end of the issue. On top of that, the main plot of the issue – journalist tries to prove the existence of the Birds of Prey – is a tough thing to care about, since the world of the comic is all so new. If the first ever issue of “Superman” was someone trying to find out his identity, that would fall flat; it is only after you know and care about the characters that stories like this work.
It doesn’t help that the costume design for Black Canary is one of the most drab of the entire New 52, looking like a wet suit instead of…well, anything else. It’s a wet suit. The only other character we get to meet of the ‘main’ Birds is Starling, a new character that we know exactly two things about: her name is Ev and she has tattoos. That’s all, folks.
Jesus Saiz does his best here, but as to drawn the BoP fighting ‘invisible’ soldiers and a reporter hiding under stuff. It isn’t exactly a thrilling issue, visually, nor is the script exactly a page turner. The most interesting part of the issue is Canary trying to get Barbara Gordon to join the team, but even that, due to Babs being in a wheelchair a month earlier and no one really being aware of what the new timeline means/meant, is muddled.
Continued belowOverall, this issue is too interested in building to something new in the future that it forgot to give folks a reason to read/enjoy this issue in the first place. Unless ‘fights in a church’ are a major draw for you, I can’t imagine why this issue would be recommended.
Final Verdict: 3.9 – A bore and a dud.
“Catwoman” #1
Written by Judd Winick
Illustrated by Guillem March
Colored by Tomeu Morey
Lettered by Cal Cipriano
Reviewed by Mike Mazzacane
There is a section of “Catwoman” in the New52 I adore, this is not that section. I remember a quote from Ed Brubaker looking back on his run on “Catwoman” with Darwyn Cooke and how proud they were about their costume redesign and shift for the character as well as the fear that once they left the zipper would start to come down and Selina would be back in the Jim Balent days. The zipper came down, in this issue it seems all the way down. Readers don’t get an unobstructed full body look at Selina Kyle until the third page. The previous pages see the cat themed burglar vivisected by panels that emphasize her breasts and butt. When we do get to that unobstructed view on the third page Catwoman is shown in an absurd backbreaking position with half her cat suit off and bright red bra exposed, the brightest element on the page, drawing the readers eye right to that.
That is pretty much how women are portrayed for the next twenty pages, they are some combination of victims, eye candy, or set decoration. One slight exception could be Selina’s friend/fence Lola, who seems to be living a comfortably mundane life in Gotham. But is still subjected to a weirdly pointless misogynistic aside about her former employment as a showgirl with the implication being Lola was not good looking enough to pull it off. So maybe not an exception at all. The linework by Guillem March’s art lacks flair as it just gives into the male gaze. It’s not like he can’t draw cheesecake that isn’t super skeevy well or life drawings in general, but in the context of everything it feels so forced and lacking.
Even when they try to pull a La Femme Nikita/Point of No Return bathroom sequence, they screw it up into something less than empowering and destabilizing. Yes Selina is using her femininity and sexuality against Renald, but she is still shown in a half pinup chest bared for the reader (and I guess Renald) to see. The implications of placing the reader in Renald’s POV is never expanded upon. It serves as just another excuse to gawk at Selina Kyle’s body.
Maybe the thing that has aged the “best” for lack of a better phrase is the infamous hook up between the Cat and Bat. Two consenting adults having sex is fine and healthy. In execution it still can’t help but give into an objectifying pornographic gaze where the art breaks spines, and somehow costumes impractically stay (mostly) on. Everything about the art in this issue is trying to be arousing and titillating and it’s just trying so hard and not achieving any of it.
Final Verdict: 4.0 – While nothing is technically wrong, the context of that technical competency detracts from everything around it.
Detective Comics #1
Written and Illustrated by Tony Salvador Daniel
Inked by Ryan Wiinn
Colored by Tomeu Morey
Lettered by Jared K. Fletcher
Reviewed by Elias Rosner
Man, this comic was DARK. I’ve said that, Brian has said that. Honestly, I think all the reviewers for these columns have said this about at least one of the comics they’ve looked at but “Detective Comics” really exemplifies the era’s commitment to dark, gritty, and gore-tastic. The Joker cuts his own fucking face off y’all! But swearing without #$#$*%#!@ is a big no-no. Gotta keep it kid friendly.
All joking aside, I think this is one of the better uber-dark issues of the New 52. It knows what it wants to be and sets itself apart from the other Bat titles by diving headfirst into the darkness without letting it distract too much from the story being told. Is it a good story? Mmmmmmm, maybe. It’s a simple premise: a hunt for the Joker in gotham, Joker kills some people, he gets captured but that was ALSO part of his plan, and then gets his face cut off.
Continued belowIt’s a solid action title and it’s always nice to see Daniel drawing Batman and, more importantly, Gotham. He brings Gotham to life with his backgrounds and his Joker is the perfect mix of gangster and super villain, complete with trench coat and fedora to hide in the crowds of Gotham. It’s hard to knock Daniel on a Batman title because he puts so much work into every panel and it, almost always, comes out looking amazing. There are a few times when the panel to panel transitions feel like they’re missing a step. This happens on page 2, actually, with the Joker being strangled and then suddenly being on top of the strangler, having bitten his neck. Gruesome? Yes. Overly so? Surprisingly not.
While future issues of “Detective Comics” make this story really go off the rails, taken as a first intro, this is a fine way to supplement the Batman. Detective Comic it is not, though.
Final Verdict: 6.9 – I’m surprised I liked it as much as I did, even though it is very dark and edgy. There’s a reason Daniel has remained in the Batman rotation throughout the decades.
Nightwing #1
Written by Kyle Higgins
Penciled by Eddy Barrows
Inked by JP Mayer
Colored by Rod Reis
Lettered by Carlos M. Mangual
Reviewed by Elias Rosner
“Nightwing” is a great example of how the New 52’s 5 year timescale was both a boon and a hindrance to the reintroduction of many of its heroes. Here is a character who has gone through many identities over the decades, from Robin to Nightwing to Batman and now back to Nightwing. That history has now been condensed to less than five years, since Batman had to be around for at least a few months to a year before Robin joined up, presumably.
I bring this up because the intro’s narration recounts these transitions of identity but fails to really impart the sense of relief Dick feels at being Nightwing again. He barely spent any time in these previous identities thanks to the New 52 and so the underlying inference of it being a long time since he was on his own, out of the shadow of the Bat though still trapped by his past, rings false, even if the Batman part was only about a year.
That doesn’t mean it isn’t handled well though. Higgins gets Dick’s voice and approaches the conundrum handed to him about as well as can be expected. He brings Nightwing back to his roots at the circus, introducing a possible supporting cast naturally and an OK villain. Barrows, Mayer and Reis are the perfect team for this book, capturing the acrobatics of Dick without sacrificing clarity or a fully realized Gotham in the background. It’s seedy and dark, with heavy shadows, punctuated by bursts of color, mostly red.
Where the art falls short are in the faces of incidental characters, who don’t retain a consistent look, and on a couple pages there is a disconnect between the dialog and the art. This happens during the introduction of the villain, when Thug 1 and Thug 2 are supposed to be talking to sunglasses dude but instead are shown chatting to each other, and during the first page of Nightwing vs generic Talon stand-in.
Our eyes are supposed to go to along the right side of the page and then follow the flipping upwards but the letterer doesn’t draw our eye down in that direction and instead the art has the most focused version of the Talon stand-in huge and pushing into the top two panels at the end of his arc rather than the start. It’s little problems like this that plague “Nightwing” #1 and make it hard to fully recommend. It’s a well paced issue, with weighty action pages and a solid understanding of the character but a lackluster villain and artistic friction hold it back. Still, if this were my first Nightwing comic, I would not come away disappointed.
Final Verdict: 7.2 – Nightwing is back and stuck in Gotham but thankfully, we’re not stuck with a bad story.
Continued below
Red Hood and the Outlaws #1
Written by Scott Lobdell
Illustrated by Kenneth Rocafort
Colored by Blond
Lettered by Carlos M. Mangual
Reviewed by Nicholas Palmieri
The first few pages of “Red Hood and the Outlaws” genuinely surprised me. They had a quality that not many of these New 52 debut issues have: fun. Yes, the depiction of this fictional middle-eastern nation was problematic at best, but we got some wild, dumb action, energetic art, and some bonkers moments of high camp. Jason’s priest disguise literally exploding off him, revealing Jason IN HIS RED HOOD underneath? So great.
And then I got to the rest of the book, and I realized why this title was so reviled. While Lobdell’s action scenes have a dumb-fun quality, his writing is stiff and lifeless and downright corny during serious scenes. I didn’t care about a single plot development, and the characters… Well, we’ll get to them in a second.
Rocafort’s art remains energetic the entire way through, though that isn’t always a good thing. His work looks like the kind of stuff a talented high school kid would draw on the back of a notebook, all flourishes and personality without meaning. The layouts are the same: you get the feeling that he got bored with standard panel layouts, so he went wild giving things intricate borders or strange designs that dissolve into each other, even when the story doesn’t warrant it.
As for the characters, this did go a long way towards rehabilitating Jason Todd, who had become a rather generic anti-hero before the reboot. Roy Harper had a lot taken away from him, though that was more editorial’s doing than Lobdell’s. Starfire, though… Her depiction is as bad as people said.
I think, at its core, the Starfire situation was Lobdell trying to be progressive but lacking any understanding of how to do that. She has sex with whoever she wants, whenever she wants, and only she makes those decisions. That’s a feminist idea at its core, and it would be fine if applied to a fully realized character. But she’s not a fully realized character. Her depiction is heavily filtered through the male gaze of the comic: she exists to be ogled at by a teenager, to show off her giant boobs and butt to the reader and to her horny friends. She has amnesia and sees herself as separate from humanity, and that’s used to explain her matter-of-factness about sex. That, my friends, isn’t a character; that’s a sex robot.
Really, the Starfire problem is emblematic of the book as a whole. There’s a lot of energy here, but little of it has a purpose.
Final Verdict: 3.8 – This book is like a toddler energetically lashing out. It’s cute for a second, but most of the time it’s just mindlessly damaging things.
