With the first round of New 52 trades coming out from DC it’s a good time to take a look at some of the titles and see what’s what.
Aquaman has always had a spot in my heart since I was a kid, but the comics with him have been far from consistent. I’m loving this new approach and AQUAMAN THE TRENCH was a great read. Nice superhero action but also mystery of the deep from the sea. Geoff Johns has taken a character so often seen as a pinch line and really made him into a character I can’t get enough of. In volume 1 there are creatures coming up from the bottom of the sea and taking humans to be used as food. Arthur and Mera follow in order to save them and this leads to some great battle scenes. Along the way Johns is funny, and starts dropping some seeds for future stories and sub plots. There is a part of the story that has Mera going to buy dog food that is humorous and perfectly shows the strength of the book. She is misunderstood and misunderstands causing a big scene at the store. Throughout what I saw is a woman who won’t take crap from anyone. I’d also like to add that Ivan Reis is great on this book. Growing up Mike Grell and Jim Aparo were my Aquaman artists and the best of what they did for the character is here. The style shows a fluidity of motion and strength. I also love some fo the angles he uses. This is a great book and I suggest you get it!
My favorite of all the new titles so far is JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK. The first volume, IN THE DARK is a wonderful tale that brings the team together to take on the Enchantress who has been separated from her human host. I’ve long been a fan of the magic/supernatural characters in the DC universe and it makes perfect sense that they would form up as a group, even if the members are a bit more of loners. Madame Xanadu is kind of the leader, or maybe the organizer would be a better term. She brings the team together to help stop a vision she has seen from coming true. One by one our players gather and some want to help, some are reluctant. Shade the Changing man is a part of this and I am so happy to see him back, and with Peter Milligan writing it makes perfect sense, his run on the Shade series was amazing. The other players in this first volume are Deadman and John Constantine. Constantine is back playing in the DC Universe proper and I welcome it. I’ve been a long time fan but the last couple years his own Vertigo book just doesn’t seem to have that fun spark it once had. What we get here is classic manipulative bastard John. They manage to work together and their lack of cohesion as a group is believable, as is their ability to rally together and get the job done. Mikel Janin is bowling a 300 game on the artwork and I have to say colorist Ulises Arreola is fantastic. Usually the colorist adds to the art, here it almost steals the show. This book has a great story, yes, but it also looks fantastic. Justice League Dark is my hands down favorite title of the new 52 and I love where it’s going.
I have vague recollections of the character Resurrection Man, I remember him popping up from time to time in crossovers or “big” stories. I was intrigued by this trade and I have to say, by the time I got to the end I wanted more more more. Mitch Shelley can’t die. Well, actually he can, over and over and over again. And each time he come back to life he has a different super power. DEAD AGAIN opens up with Mitch being stalked by what appears to be an angel who feels he’s been around long enough. We soon discover that Mitch is being drawn places and he is slowly discovering who he is and why. The Angel meanwhile wants his soul, he’s cheated long enough. He tracks down an old friend of his Dad’s who may be able to help out with some info on his past when we discover there are other people after him too, a popular guy our Mitch. Being essentially immortal puts you on the top of a lot of lists. I love that DC took this character and is giving him a chance to shine. I love the story of discovery and being chased, not knowing who to trust and still fighting to do good. I feel A comic needs to hook you with one issue, they do that here, and with the trade collecting issues 1-7 I’m on board for the whole run. I also love the logo! Unfortunately the title was cancelled but I hold out hope we see the character pop up elsewhere, I mean he is a resurrecting man right? Either way, the trade is worth picking up, it’s great story telling.
Jon Jordan
