Well, it looks like the
New52 is finally gone. And with good reason. I mean, even up to issue #40 of many
DC Comics titles, the covers still said, "The New 52" on them. The New 52 started over three years ago. That's hardly new anymore.
But I digress.
I think DC has finally started listening to a large chunk of their audience - and if you get a chance, check out
Batgirl Of Burnside in TPB to see where I think it all started. Batgirl is hip and chic, and stylistically, it's perfect for today's comic buying crowd. Couple that with the mega-popular
Harley Quinn, and DC has a new target audience. Oh, and Commissioner Gordon as
Batman? How can that not be interesting?
DC's typical summertime event,
Convergence, did away with the idea of one universe and brought back the Multiverse, which means that just about anything is possible again. And that's great for us as fans, because we don't always necessarily need stories to fit into a specific continuity. That was such a 90s thing.
In the wake of Convergence we're left with some truly entertaining comic books.
You should really check out the new
Bizarro mini-series. Do you remember when comics had a sense of humor to them? Maybe not, but I do. This new Bizarro comic sees Bizzaro and Jimmy Olsen on a road trip together. Now that's a premise I couldn't pass up.
Need a few more laughs? DC is also giving us a
Bat-Mite mini-series and a
Harley Quinn and Power Girl team up book. Both are pretty funny. I've gone on plenty of praise filled rants of the Harley Quinn series, so I'm happy to see that Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti are still writing this one too.
Speaking of Conner/Palmiotti, I also bought the new
Starfire #1 by them and
Section 8 All Star. I don't think I've been so randomly interested in new comics in a while. And it's not like it was with The New 52, where we wanted to see what changes they'd be making to Superman and Wonder Woman and our other favorite heroes. These are just good characters with interesting premises that aren't taking themselves overly seriously.
They're calling this new wave the DCYou, because there's something here for everyone, or so they say. And yet, my only real gripes with all of this have to do with my two favorite characters.
Superman and Supergirl.
For starters,
Supergirl is nowhere to be seen in the DCYou, and I'd wager dollars to donuts that's because of the new Supergirl TV show coming out this fall. We'll see a Supergirl comic later to be sure. And I hope it's as good as the show looks, because the initial twenty issues or so of the New 52's Girl of Steel was quite good.
And then there's
Superman. DC Comics just hasn't been able to get the feel of Superman right for a long time. Sure, there are hints of brilliance here and there, but on the whole DC just tries to be too serious and real-world with Superman. Personally, I want a Superman who occasionally breaks the fourth wall and winks at us. I want a Lois Lane who may be the smartest reporter on the face of Planet Earth but can't seem to see past a pair of glasses (because deep down she really does know that Clark is Superman and won't admit it to herself because she loves the adventure that goes along with it). I want to see Superman stop meteors made of Kryptonite, save Metropolis from Luthor's death ray, and still find time to get a cat out of the tree. A few years ago there was a Shazam series called, "
Billy Batson and the Magic of Shazam" which would be a great style to see Superman in. He's Superman, he should really be for kids.
I do think that DC Comics is taking a step in the right direction here. It's nice to see so much attention on characters that aren't the big three. I know I'll be watching where they go with it.
- ryan
