Green Lantern #1

Written by Geoff Johns
Art by Doug Mahnke and Christian Alamy
Cover by Ivan Reis and Joe Prado
On sale September 14, 2011 - 32 pages for $2.99
Rated T

My rating: 4/5
Will this be in my pull list? Probably.

Previews Text: The red-hot GREEN LANTERN team of writer Geoff Johns and artist Doug Mahnke introduce an unexpected new Lantern.

Yeah. That's everything that Previews says about the first issue of Green Lantern. Now, I can see why it's everything they said. Back when that issue of Previews came out War of the Green Lanterns was still going. They didn't even have this cover image in the book because it was a spoiler for the end of the series. I don't blame them in the slightest for not saying what happened and who the "new" Lantern was, especially since it isn't a new one at all, it's a returning Lantern. But not one that died in the past. Though, I dunno, he could have done that in the past.

The Skittles Corps aren't an area of the DCU that I've really followed, but I'm open to new characters.

Now, as you can probably tell from the cover of this issue, Hal Jordan isn't the lead Lantern in the series. Surprisingly, Sinestro is. But don't worry, Hal wasn't thrown to the wayside in favor or Sinestro or anything, he still plays a major part in the book. Just... not while wearing a magic green ring.

The book was excellent, which shouldn't surprise me considering it's written by Geoff Johns. I'm going to continue reading it, at least for a little while, to see if I can finally get into the Green Lantern branch of the universe.

Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E. #1

Written by Jeff Lemire
Art by Alberto Ponticelli
Cover by J.G. Jones
On sale September 14, 2011 - 32 pages for $2.99
Rated T

My rating: 3/5
Will this be in my pull list? Yes. For now.

Previews Text: It's Frankenstein as you've never seen him before, in a dark new series from acclaimed writer Jeff Lemire (SWEET TOOTH) and artist Alberto Ponticelli (UNKNOWN SOLDIER)!

Frankenstein is part of a network of strange beings who work for an even stranger government organization: The Super Human Advanced Defense Executive! But can he protect the world from threats even more horrifying than himself? And since he's vilified for who and what he is, will he even want to take on the mission?

Alright, I had high hopes when it came to this one. I really did. I mean, Jeff Lemire. Just scroll down to my Animal Man article for more on that one. But this first issue was a bit of a let down. It wasn't exactly bad, but it wasn't great either.

This was very much an intro issue. Now, that isn't really a bad thing. I needed a bit of an intro as I really don't know the characters, so at least there was that. And I'm going to continue to pick it up, at least through the first arc, because it has a lot of potential to be great.

The team consists of the monster (um... I don't like calling him Frankenstein cause that's a common mistake, he was never named in the original novel, the scientist who made him was named Frankenstein), a very Abe Sapien type woman, a werewolf, a vampire, and the monster's four-armed bride. Problem is, the bride has gone missing. She literally disappeared in the blink of an eye.

Like I said, the series has potential, so I'm going to give it more of a chance here, but this first issue just didn't grab me.

Demon Knights #1

Written by Paul Cornell
Art by Diogenes Neves and Oclair Albert
Cover by Tony S. Daniel
On sale September 14, 2011 - 32 pages for $2.99
Rated T

My rating: 4/5
Will this be in my pull list? Yes.

Previews Text: Set in the Dark Ages of the DC Universe, a barbarian horde is massing to crush civilization. It's fallen to Madame Xanadu and Jason Blood, the man with a monster inside hi, to stand in their way - though the demon Etrigan has no interest in protecting anyone or anything other than himself! It'll take more than their own power to stop an army fueled by bloodlust and dark sorcery, and some very surprising heroes - and villains - will have no choice but to join in the fray!

This is one of those titles that pops up every so often that surprises the hell out of me, and from what I can understand, it surprised everyone else too.

This book was fantastic. Seriously. I mean, it wasn't a 5/5 fantastic, but it was actually pretty close. All of it except for the few page prologue at the start takes place back in the Dark Ages, and the prologue actually takes place four hundred years before that. I would go into what happens with the story and who's who, but it's pretty clear from the Previews text. There's Madame Xanadu, Jason Blood, and the demon he shares his body with named Etrigan. All characters I know very little about.

Yet all characters that I'm looking forward to learning more about as I read the series every month. Yes, this one has a secure spot in my pull list.

Deathstroke #1

Written by Kyle Higgins
Art by Joe Bennett and Art Thibert
Cover by Simon Bisley
On sale September 14, 2011 - 32 pages for $2.99
Rated T+

My rating: 3/5
Will this be in my pull list? It's possible, but probably not.

Previews Text: "Friends die, family disappoints, but a legacy... That lives forever."

Slade Wilson is the best mercenary in the DCU, and he's been doing this a long time. Some might say too long. But they'll learn: Never turn your back on Deathstroke the Terminator. He won't quit, no matter how high the stakes. Kyle Higgins (BATMAN: GATES OF GOTHAM) and Joe Bennett (TEEN TITANS) team up to bring you the finest in mayhem and gore.

I don't know about gore, there was a bit but not all that much of it (which is a good thing, actually, because if it's nothing but gore then it just becomes gorn and loses my interest entirely) but there was a fair amount of mayhem to the book!

Deathstroke is one of those characters that I never knew all that much about outside of his appearances in Smallville and Flashpoint, but considering this is neither one of those dimensions I understood going into this comic that I should just forget everything I already "knew" about him. Except that he's an older merc. That stayed in place. The only other thing that you should understand about the character going into this issue is that he prefers to work alone. Yeah.

He shows up at the start and is instantly teamed up with three teenagers. He doesn't like this. Then he's sent on a simple mission. He doesn't like this either. And then things start going screwy and by the end of the issue he's just generally angry.

While the hook at the end was great, the issue wasn't quite close enough to my personal tastes to insure it's place in my pull list. It's yet another of those titles that I'd be glad to continue if I have space in my list come this time next month, but I'm not making any promises. I'm also not just going RAWR at it and ignoring it all together. So hey, at least that's something, right?

Batwoman #1

Written by J.H. Williams III and W. Haden Blackman
Art and cover by J.H. Williams III
On sale September 14, 2011 - 32 pages for $2.99
Rated T

My rating: 5/5
Will it be in my pull list? Oh HELL yes.

Previews Text: At last! Batwoman's new series begins, from the multiple award-winning creative team of J.H. Williams III and Haden Blackman!

In "Hydrology," part 1 of 5, Batwoman faces deadly new challenges in her war against Gotham City's underworld - and new trials in her life as Kate Kane.

Who or what is stealing children from the barrio, and for what vile purpose? Will Kate train her cousin, Bette Kane (a.k.a. Flamebird), as her new sidekick? How will she handle unsettling revelations about her father, Colonel Jacob Kane? And why is a certain government agency suddenly taking an interest in her?

This. This is the book that I was most excited about for the reboot. But how could I not be excited for it? I've been waiting (im)patiently for it for a year and a half. Originally solicited for April of 2010 it's been through more than it's fair share of delays.

But it has finally arrived.

As much as I was looking forward to it, I didn't read it first. See, I've got this strange habit where I read my comics in alphabetical order. If I don't do it that way then the ones I'm least excited about will get repeatedly skipped over. And this month I'm taking it a step further and reading my DC titles first.

So this was second for the week, but it's the best one I've read so far. And I've read all the new DC so far. J.H. Williams III is known for his amazing art, unconventional panels, and - at least in Batwoman - the ability to shift almost seamlessly from one art style to the next. In Batwoman it's a more painted look when Kate is in costume, yet a more standard but gorgeous style when she's not. But in Batwoman he showed that he can not only do the art for her in an absolutely stunning way, he can also write amazing stories for her with the help of W. Haden Blackman.

The first issue of the series kicks off several new storylines, but none of them seem to get lost or overshadow each other.

Even now - after having read all of the other books DC released this week (and it was a great week for DC) - I have to say Batwoman was my favorite.

But I seem to be partial to Gotham characters anyway.

Batman and Robin #1

Written by Peter J. Tomasi
Art and cover by Patrick Gleason and Mick Gray
On sale September 14, 2011 - 32 pages for $2.99
Rated T

My rating: 3.5/5
Will it be in my pull list? Yep.

Previews Text: Battling evil with his son, Damian, at his side, Batman now realizes that the hardest part of the job may be trying to work together!

As Batman and Robin try to adjust to their new partnership, a figure emerges from Bruce Wayne's past: His name is NoBody, and he's not happy that Batman Incorporated is shining a light on his own shadowy war against evil...VV

Don't ask me why those Vs are there at the end of the Previews text, because I'm really not sure. They were there in the book so I left them there.

Anyway, I know. I'm breaking my own rating system here. It should be pretty easy to decide if this book is 3 or 4 out of a possible 5, but it really isn't. This issue... I can't tell if it was average or a bit better than average. I think the "better than average" idea is based in the previous series of Batman and Robin and how I hoped it would be as good as that. But hey, at least it wasn't bad. So since I'm split on which way I lean, I just decided to give it a 3.5.

Don't worry, this book is still going in my pull list, but I'm currently unsure about it. I have hopes that it will grow on me more.

I think part of the reason I'm not enjoying it as much as the previous series is that the roles have changed. Yes, Damian is still Robin, but the Batman in this series is Bruce, thus changing the feel of the partnership. Instead of a brotherly relationship it's a parental one, with the son being quite resistant to the change. Now, this isn't a bad thing or anything, I just need to get used to it. And hey, even Damian has noticed that it's more parental now, so at least it's not just me!

It was still an interesting read though. But looking back on it after the fact, there wasn't really much about it that really stood out to me. Other books had standout moments. The final page of Detective Comics. Superman holding a man over a balcony in Action Comics. There were two in Animal Man, one being the final page and another being a particular moment when his eyes were called attention to. I won't say any more than that in case someone comes across this review that hasn't read it yet. And those were all books that I read last week.

But with Batman and Robin there weren't really any big stand out moments like that. There were a couple of small things but I'm not sure they're going to stick with me.

I'm still going to continue to pick up the book though. With as much as I liked the previous incarnation of the series I want to give it more of a shot to grab me.

Swamp Thing #1

Written by Scott Snyder
Art and cover by Yanick Paquette
On sale September 7, 2011 - 32 pages for $2.99
Rated T+

My rating: 5/5
Will it be in my pull list? Top of the stack.

Previews Text: One of the world's most iconic characters has returned to the heart of the DC Universe, and every step he takes will shake the foundations of the Earth!

Alec Holland has his life back... but the Green has plans for it. A monstrous evil is rising in the desert, and it'll take a monster of another kind to defend life as we know it!

This was probably my favorite book of the week. Like. Seriously. I loved everything about it. Well, okay, not everything, I thought the lines in the art were a little thick at times, but really, isn't that a minor complaint? Everything else was amazing and stunning and all sorts of other fitting adjectives that would describe how much I liked it and how wonderful it was.

For those of you that are wondering, yes. The events of Brightest Day Aftermath: The Search for Swamp Thing did take place. You don't have to read the three issue mini-series to get what's going on in this one, but I would recommend it big time. (Especially since that series also served as John Constantine's reintroduction into the DC Universe, and he's going to be around in Justice League Dark.)

Without giving things away that aren't said explicitly very early in the issue, and things you should know if you read The Search for Swamp Thing anyway, Alec Holland and the Green are now two separate entities. But how well are they going to exist as separate beings? The Green doesn't have the humanity that Alec Holland had, therefor he's not as much of a "good guy" as he used to be, and Alec has all these memories of being a monster. So how is this going to be worked out?

And what is that insanity going on over there in the desert? Does it have anything to do with the things that went down in Animal Man?

I, for one, can't wait to see it unfold. It's going in my pull list alright, and I'm not taking it out of my pull list any time soon. If ever.