Image via What Is Techno Again?
I don't know what overall sales have been like but if I am a microcosm of the comic-buying public, The New 52 was definitely a success. I bought 12 comic books this month, by far my lifetime high. All of them were DC titles, too, so score one for brand marketing. It was never my intention to read all 52 books so mine was far from an exhaustive study but I'm delighted to have found a few titles to inspire further exploration.
Of the 12 books I read, 6 passed my curiosity test (Am I genuinely interested in issue #2?) and 6 did not. Of the 6 that passed, I would rank them as follows:
1. Green Lantern
2. Green Lantern Corps
3. Green Lantern: New Guardians
4. Red Lanterns
5. Teen Titans
6. Justice League
Obviously, the Green Lantern storyline was the big winner for me. This is particularly remarkable in light of the fact that I wasn't expecting to like it at all. If I were to start subscribing to DC comic books tomorrow (not my plan), the GL titles would be my top choices. The Green Lantern world is definitely the hot spot of the DC universe right now.
The 6 that didn't pass were still quality books and a couple of them came close to meeting my standard. I would rank them as follows:
1. Static Shock
2. Batman
3. Justice League International
4. Action Comics
5. Stormwatch
6. Justice League Dark
Static Shock is one I might even check in with a few months down the line. I really like the character. The story fell just short of my hopes.
I feel that DC's strength, and the main advantage it holds over Marvel, is its artwork. From that perspective, my favorite book was actually Stormwatch. Miguel Sepulveda is definitely a name I'll watch for in the future.
The New 52 did not succeed in contradicting a suspicion I've held for a while now: given the choice, I'm a Marvel man at heart. While DC generally has stronger artwork, I feel that Marvel is far superior in the more important category of character development. Comic books are a character-driven industry and to my mind, Marvel's best are far more interesting than anything DC has to offer. Someday, I'll devote a post to Wolverine and why I consider him to be by far the most fascinating character I have encountered in comics. Even with my new found interest in the Green Lantern world, none of the individuals I have seen within that storyline comes even close.
That is not to say that DC characters don't have the potential for greater development. Static, Batman and Atrocitus are all fantastic. Even so, I'll take Marvel's best over DC's best anytime. Do you think Marvel will be inspired to do a mass re-launch of their own at some point?
If you've been reading the New 52 and would like to share your thoughts with DC Comics, follow the link here. Thanks to Mock for sharing it with me.
If you had read one more book you would have hit 25%!
ReplyDeleteI am going to sit down and read my copies today and then check out your reviews.
I like that the connected GL mythos appealed to you.
For an interesting DC/Marvel mashup/comparison, I'll have to get you a copy of the JLA/Avengers mini-series. Very fanboy-ish, but speaks volumes about the different companies, the characters, and how they are viewed...