DCnU Capsule Reviews, Week 8

After writing reviews for every single of DC's new #1 issues, I'm slowing down. But here are capsule reviews of last week's books:


All Star Western #2: Lead story drawn by Moritat, the back-up by Jordi Bernet—this is certainly one of the best-drawn books of the week. The Jonah Hex story is better for having fewer pages than in the lead-off issue. Rating: 3.5 (of 5).

Aquaman #2: Missing a lot of the sly humor of the first issue. I'd also like to see the story move quicker and not spend four opening pages on the sea creatures attacking civilians when one page would have done the job just fine. Rating: 3 (of 5).

Batman: The Dark Knight #2: Oh I see, all of Batman's villains are getting amped up, though the Joker sure is getting a lot of face time in the new 52. Better than the first issue. Rating: 2.5 (of 5).

Blackhawks #2: I'd rather have Zinda as Lady Blackhawk than this boring mess. Rating: 1.5 (of 5).

Flash #2: Barry starts to use his Speed Force power in a new way. The art continues to be fantastic, which is good because I'm not entirely sure what the plot actually is. Oh, and Barry should just forget about Iris; Patty Spivot is adorable. Rating: 3.5 (of 5).

The Fury of Firestorm #2: I really hope we get an explanation for how these Firestorms work fairly soon. Rating: 3 (of 5).

Green Lantern: New Guardians #2: Mildly better than the first issue, but still not terribly great. Rating: 2.5 (of 5).

I, Vampire #2: The pacing on this comic is very odd, but I'm willing to put up with it as it adds a uniqueness to what could be a standard issue vampire story. Rating: 3 (of 5).

Justice League Dark #2: I wonder if the 'team' will ever actually get together? Janin's art is nice but sometimes is a bit too stiff. A couple of things confuse me: Can everyone now see Boston Brand in his ghost form? And whose side is Mme. Xanadu supposed to be on? Rating: 3 (of 5).

Legion: Secret Origin #1: Recent history suggests that The Legion has a tough time maintaining one title, let alone two, so I question the wisdom of adding in a third series. Plus do we really need yet another re-telling of the Legion's origin? But we do get to see some nice Chris Batista art. Rating: 2.5 (of 5).

The Savage Hawkman #2: The story is confusing, and the art doesn't help, and the coloring is muddy. Rating: 2 (of 5).

Superman #2: Normal page-length this time, but still a lot of story packed into another done-in-one. So where exactly is Superman's secret hideout? Rating: 3.5 (of 5).

Teen Titans #2: Also a bit better than the first issue. This comic might eventually win me over; it would help if Booth would tone down the use of odd angles for no good reason. Rating: 2.5 (of 5).

Voodoo #2: I was actually trying to give this book a chance, but not if the characters are going to be this stupid (You know you're dealing with a shapeshifter so you give out a codeword, and then don't ask for it?!) Rating: 2 (of 5).


Ratings compared to the first issues: 3 improved; 6 stayed the same; 4 were worse; 1 was new.