.

This September, DC Comics has relaunched their super-hero comic book line and started 52 new series (Link), with 52 easy-to-enter starting points.

On Twitter (Link to my profile, smeschmesch), I collected the buzz about each new series.

So here they are: very short Twiter statements about DC’s 52 new September comic books.

The surprises. The disappointments. And the must-reads!.

.

Recommended:

.

#dcnu #actioncomics: Liked ‚Smallville‘ and/or disliked normal, confident Supes? you’ll enjoy this. Clark = alienated, insecure, kinda jerk.

#dcnu #animalman: @JeffLemire might be DC’s best current writer. Buddy B. & family = great chars. Horror vibe, good art, great cliffhanger.

#dcnu #batgirl: @GailSimone has done it again: Interesting villain, nice psychology, sharp 1st issue. Old / new readers sound VERY pleased.

#dcnu #swampthing: everyone who’s ever cared about the horror concept or writer Scott Snyder sounds CRAZY happy/satisf. But buzz/new folks?

#dcnu #batwing: violent, gorgeous art, some complicated flashbacks… but lots of atmosphere & a good sense of Africa. Pleasant surprise!

#dcnu #staticshock: almost NO buzz about this: good art, nice concept, pleasant teen book. maybe comparable to ‚Blue Beetle‘?

#dcnu #batwoman: gorgeous art, tight narrative, lots of female chars: even with previous author @ruckawriter gone, hopes are VERY high. buy!

#dcnu #demonknights: medieval, good-natured, surprisingly funny. Colorful cast of chars, charming concept. Plus: cool females!

#dcnu #frankenstein: quirky, off-kilter, fun and exciting! more light-hearted than fan-favourite #animalman, but another @JeffLemire win.

#dcnu #greenlantern: BAM! interesting new conflict, good starting point, character development for hero Hal Jordan. everyone’s pleased.

#dcnu #resurrectionman: great writers, but not much buzz. old fans + nerdy readers loved it a LOT. so… very likeable. but not exciting?

#dcnu #greenlanterncorps: good art, smart writing, nice friendships and – Tomasi’s favorite – gore and horror. Not for kids. But excellent!

#dcnu #ivampire: vertigo-like, dark, smart and sexual. HUGE horror, but rooted in the DCU. not a girly or romantic or Twilight-like book.

#dcnu #allstarwestern: seamless transition for old fans of #jonahhex… AND one of the best books for new readers. atmosphere! charme! plot!

#dcnu #furyoffirestorm #firestorm: political! global! nerdy! violent! a cerebral, interesting reboot. plenty suspense (& race relations).

#dcnu #flash: tons of personality! AWESOME, lush retro art. some romance. some psychology. lots of charme. instant classic!

#dcnu #aquaman: ideal starting point, good writing/art. not very complex or original… but a rock-solid revamp. high expectations!

#dcnu #wonderwoman: great art, smart writing, break-out success: it’s a horror book with mythology, gods and gore. stylish & nightmarish!

.

good, but some problems:

#dcnu #justiceleague: simplistic, boys-only, lots of inside jokes… but good art, dynamic banter and a cool first look at Superman.

#dcnu #justiceleagueinternational: old fans are happy / aflutter / enthusiastic; August General Iron has great scene. But new readers: meh.

#dcnu #menofwar: 2nd feature seems subpar. but everyone’s surprisingly engaged / happy with militaristic war comic. Deserves closer look.

#dcnu #hawkanddove: @SterlingGates did wonderful things with ‚Supergirl‘. High hopes! people annoyed over bad art + dorky concept, though.

#dcnu #superboy: new, fresh start/origin. clone drama! surprisingly well-written. and: new supporting chars from #gen13. problems: bad art.

#dcnu #grifter: dude comic about con man / old #wildstorm character running from alien conspiracy: fast-paced, violent, mediocre. no humor.

#dcnu #batmanandrobin: great creators (tomasi/gleason), fun psychology, fast start. but: gore + could be too convoluted for new readers.

#dcnu #legionofsuperheroes: no innovation. standard 30th century ensemble stuff, nice art, serviceable plot. could go either way.

#dcnu #supergirl: pretty art, not much violence / exploitation and no need to know anything about the DCU. But too fast, flat, superficial.

#dcn #bop #birdsofprey: Katana? Ivy? Starling? what’s going on? big continuity riddles, much exposition/mystery. could still get good later.

#dcnu #batman: excellent author (Scott Snyder), but boring art and some crasser violence: it’s merely good – not excellent. still: hopes!

#dcnu #thedarkknight: style, motifs, twists AND atmosphere are SO similar to Scott Snyder’s new ‚Bat’series… feels like 2 parallel univ. ?

#dcnu #dcuniversepresents: Deadman story, mostly in continuity with ‚Brightest Day‘. seems stilted / 2nd rate. solid, but not very engaging.

#dcnu #nightwing: throwback to the Chuck Dixon era: good, straightforward, kinda childish Dick Grayson adventure. a little too bloody.

#dcnu #voodoo: amazing art, slow start, explosive cliffhanger. it’s well-written and deserves a look. but did heroine HAVE to be a stripper?

#dcnu #teentitans: no catastrophe (and solid #wondergirl), but not much happened + Marvel atmosphere + Superboy crossover. angry teens! meh.

#dcnu #superman: soft reboot, many character moments, likeable art, nice retro feel. FANS loved it. Newcomers found it dull and dated.

#dcnu #hawkman: painterly art, whiny hero, blood / gore, no Hawkgirl. Solid atmosphere & good set-up, but indeed very… savage + somber.

#dcnu #jldark #justiceleaguedark: eccentric, trippy, tons of cool characters. it’s a good start, but it’ll be a cult fav, no mainstream hit.

#dcnu #thedarkknight: style, motifs, twists AND atmosphere are SO similar to Scott Snyder’s new ‚Bat’series… feels like 2 parallel univ. ?

.

mostly bad reviews:

#dcnu #tec #detectivecomics: business as usual, and not much love for writer Tony Daniels. Serviceable, but meh.

#dcnu #greenarrow: simplistic plot, Justin-Hartley-like de-aged Ollie, new supp. cast + more ‚Robin Hd‘ and ‚Million. Playboy‘ tropes: meh.

#dcnu #stormwatch: murky art, murky plot? new readers sound pretty insecure… but fans of @Paul_Cornell still have trust / high hopes.

#dcnu #misterterrific: VERY bad art, technobabble, murky. will change artist with 2nd issue, hasn’t found footing yet. #powergirl romance?

#dcnu #redlanterns: violent, silly, nonsensical. even #greenlantern fans not impressed. possible underdog / cult fav. bc of writer Milligan?

#dcnu #newguardians: weaker than GL & Corps. subpar art. not much plot: could get better later on… and #kylerayner still very likeable.

#dcnu #legionlost: murky, cookie-cutter, not very engaging. premise is good, execution isn’t. everyone: „will give it 1 or 2 issues, tops“

#dcnu #captainatom: okay art, okay concept. JTKrul is a simplistic, boyish, simpleminded writer, Atom a bland person. so… no sparks. 😦

#dcnu #bluebeetle: big disappointment. everything that was charming / unique about Jaime & friends now crass, shrewed, loud, flat, joyless.

#dcnu #catwoman: sex! sex! handjobs for Batman! nice art, but no taste, no style, no psychology. Selina deserves class & grace. trainwreck.

#dcnu #redhood: lovely colors, interesting team dynamics. But Starfire acts like hussy & there’s too much titilation / „totally radical“ bs.

#dcnu #blackhawks: #checkmate for stupid people! a covert ops team with a bright logo? eccentric, unprofessional soldiers? no humour. meh.

.

sad and bad:

#dcnu #omac: big Kirby homage, much brawling/action + derivative art: seems like a 70ies comic. People disliked technobabble / Brother Eye.

#dcnu #deathstroke: worst comic so far? Slade is cruel, evil and snappy. art / writing / sensibility like bad 90ies book. crude. lazy. lame.

#dcnu #suicidesquad: inferior to #secretsix. bad writing. idiotic costumes. brain-dead changes. people feel embarassed: sub-par book.

.

So that’s the collected buzz on Twitter and the comic book sites.

Please see my (more personal) recommendations of all new 52 books here (Link, TBA).

.

in the meantime, please read:

• 30 years with ‚Green Lantern‘: my Interview with Sally Pascale (Link)
• Judd Winick’s ‚Catwoman‘: Crazy for Batman? (Link)
• Interview: Reviewing Comics for ‚Collected Editions‘ (Link)