It's the one year mark for the New 52, and I'd say it was a massive success. I mean, how else can you explain the fact that Aquaman outsold EVERY Marvel title for six months? So, I'm compiling a list of my 10 favorite New 52 titles, and my 5 least favorite. Let's get started!
TOP TEN
10. Aquaman
Aquaman was a surprise hit for me. Johns was able to make Aquaman awesome. I mean, he kicks butt in this series, stabbing one of Black Manta's men with his trident was a thing of beauty, and Ivan Reis' art is just gorgeous.
ISSUE OF NOTE: #12
9. Swamp Thing
by Scott Snyder and Yannick Paquette
I dropped Swamp Thing after issue 2 because of budgetary issues, but picked it up again at issue 12 because of the Animal Man crossover, and it was amazing. It took what I just liked about the first 2 issues, and multiplied it by 100. I just wish Paquette kept drawing it, with his distinct style. However, Marco Rudy is a capable artist in his own right.
8. All-Star Western
by Justin Gray, Jimmy Palmiotti and Moritat
All-Star Western is still a series I dropped early on, but it was a really good series. Gray and Palmiotti made it a buddy movie with Jonah Hex and Amedaus Arkham. Their interactions ranged from interesting to downright hilarious. They hate each other, yet they work together so well. Plus, Moritat's art style looked pretty cool.
7. Batman and Robin
by Peter Tomasi and Patrick Gleason
Out of the 3 (I never read David Hine's #26) writers that replaced Grant Morrison, Paul Cornell and Peter Tomasi were the ones that stood out. Both were able to bring out the detective within Batman, and provided a good mystery that didn't involve just running prints through the Batcomputer. Tomasi strayed away from mysteries in the opening arc of Batman and Robin, but still provided a fun action story that fueled itself with Bruce and Damian's interactions. The real star of the show, is Patrick Gleason. Gleason is usually known for drawing Green Lantern books, but Batman and Robin makes it look like he's been drawing street level crimefighting forever.
6. Wonder Woman
by Brian Azzarello, Cliff Chiang, and Tony Akins
Wonder Woman is a character that writers don't make the most out of. That all changed when Brian Azzarello stepped into this book. He made Wonder Woman into the DCU's very own Percy Jackson. Best of all, he did it right. Cliff Chang's art was also a massive selling point for the book, with a style that recalled old Greek mosaic art. The only reason this book isn't higher on the list, is because of Tony Akins. He handled the last two issues of the first arc, which led me to dropping it. It's just not my cup of tea.
5. Stormwatch
by Paul Cornell, Paul Jenkins, Peter Milligan, Miguel Sepulveda, Ignacio Calero, and Will Conrad (whew)
If you read Stormwatch without reading the credits, you would think Grant Morrison and Brian Hitch were behind it. Well, for the first arc. It's the one of the DCU's most over the top and weird book, recalling Silver Age ideas and fun. Despite being mega violent (which is funny, considering how light hearted much of the plot is), the story is also very touching. When you get to issue 12, it's heartbreaking to see the Martian Manhunter mind wiping Jenny Quantum's memories in one of the most effective scenes in the entire New 52. This scene is so powerful, because all 3 writers has spent the last 11 issues building up their friendship, making it all the more tragic.
4. Action Comics
by Grant Morrison, Scholly Fisch and Rags Morales
Speaking of quirky and strange... Grant Morrison has made Action Comics one of the New 52's most interesting series. Despite the fact that Morales' art doesn't float too well with me, I liked Morrison's story enough to place this pretty high on the list. Plus, Andy Kubert, Gene Ha, and Brad Walker (one of the most skilled unknown artists I've ever seen) provide some pretty decent guest art.
Back to Morrison's story, his reimagining of Braniac is fearsome, and I think he may have come up with a twisted new version of Mytzplx.
3. Batwoman
by JH Williams and W. Haden Blackman
I dropped Batwoman at the start of the "Drown the World" arc, but I returned to see it at the start of "World's Finest", and I'm happy I did. Batwoman has a pretty disturbing mystery to solve, and atmospheric art on JH Williams' part. What more could you want? Plus, Williams has made Director Bones one of my favorite new characters.
2. Batman
by Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo
Scott Snyder is going to be the next Frank Miller, no questions asked. He's made one, no THREE of the best Batman stories ever told in the course of 2 years, and one is only an issue long. The Black Mirror was a creepy new introduction to James Gordon Jr, and the Court of Owls was an engaging mystery that successfully introduced an interesting new villain. However, I'm going out on a limb, and saying that issue 12 tops it all. Issue 12 tells a somber standalone story about Harper Row, that shows the effect that Batman actually has on the cititzens of Gotham. Despite being a back issue, BUY IT if you don't already have it. Plus, Greg Capullo's art has a kinetic and energetic feel to it that you can't find in many comics nowadays.
1. Animal Man
by Jeff Lemire, Travel Foreman and Steve Pugh
Animal Man is not just the best book to come out of the New 52, but one of the best book on the stands PERIOD. Every one should be picking this up, even if they can't stomach it. This book actually belongs in the Dark family of titles, and I'm surprised with what DC is letting the creative team get away with. It's pretty sickening stuff. Despite being fearsome enough to fuel nightmares, Animal Man is a character driven book. What makes Buddy's family stand out from other supporting cast, each member is capable of defending themselves in their own right. For example, Ellen isn't just a damsel in distress and is pretty handy with a shotgun, Cliff isn't too bad with a gun either, and of course, Maxine has animal powers that eclipse that of her dad's. Steve Pugh is a suitable replacement for Travel Foreman, but no one can capture horror better than Foreman. Seriously, I think the devil is in control of Foreman's pen.
BOTTOM FIVE
5. Batgirl
by Gail Simone and Adrian Syaf
Like Swamp Thing, I dropped Batgirl at issue two, but here, I felt less guilty. Batgirl is a stale attempt at character study, none of the characters are one bit likeable, and Adrian Syaf's art takes an Andy Kubert look... if Kubert were in a hurry, and decided to make his characters stiff and lifeless.
4. Blue Beetle
by Tony Bedard and Ig Guara
Blue Beetle and Batgirl are pretty much the same in quality, it's just that Blue Beetle is slightly worse. Beetle has characters that are just as bland as those in Batgirl, a really bad plot, and mediocre art.
3. Detective Comics
by Tony Daniel
"It looks like someone was taking a bath. A bloodbath." If that's the best dialogue you can come up with in a Batbook, you're in over your head. Detective Comics's artwork is actually pretty good, but the story is absolutely terrible. I mean, its as if Uwe Boll (the director of a lot of bad 'direct-to-DVD' movies) decided to get into comics. Daniel's cliffhanger for issue 1 feels forced (Snyder is picking up the pieces from the cliffhanger in Batman #13), and... there's an "Occupy Arkham" rally.
2. Suicide Squad
by Adam Glass and Fedderico Dallochio
Suicide Squad lives up to its name but not in the good way. After reading the first issue, you kind of hope the book will commit suicide. This is one of the most cliched books to ever hit shelves, and the art is actually pretty ugly too. (It takes Deadshot three pages to tell his life story. It could have been summed up in one sentence: "Batman got me arrested.") Harley Quinn has been made into nothing but eye candy, Black Spider and El Diablo have no character at all, King Shark is a lousy excuse for a comic relief, and Deadshot is the stereotypical action hero.
1. Hawk and Dove
by Sterling Gates and You-Know-Who
I haven't actually read a single issue of this series, only the previews. And the three pages of the first issue that I read are one of the biggest steaming piles of bird **** that I've ever read. If the story wasn't bad enough, it was drawn by Doctor No-I-Never-Want-To-Look-At-Your-Art-Again. Seriously, I think I want to start a petition to burn every single copy of ANYTHING that has to do with this travesty. (Still, only the first three pages of #1.)
