The Week in Comics: DC

POSTED BY , 29 June 2007

Recommendation: Buy it NOW

How it Compares to Last Month: N/A

Why You Should Pick it Up: We've already talked about how great this book is... If you like great characters, kick-ass action, and a collection of villains that makes Infinite Crisis' Secret Society look like chumps, this is the book for you. The book is a great introduction, and if Johns and Van Sciver can keep it going, this'll be a classic storyline.

Recommendation: Borrow it

How it Compares to Last Month: Even

Why You Should Pick it Up: Mark Waid's first 12 issues on this Legion reboot were classic. The next 18 issues were... Okay. Now, Tony Bedard takes over the title, which in theory should be great. His run on Exiles was giddy fun, and playing with the characters in the Legion should be a no-brainer. This first arc, though, is a typical "let's send three mis-matched teams on three quests!" storyline you've read a million times before. And if that wasn't bleh enough, Waid's best character, Brainiac 5, feels like an entirely different person. Bedard is a good enough writer for us to stick with it, but he's got to kick it up a notch from this ho-hum prologue.

Recommendation: Buy It

How it Compares to Last Month: Up

Why You Should Pick it Up: Ignoring the "How the frak did Eclipso get out of the sun?" question, this issue kicks arse. John Rogers has perfectly balanced teen angst, humor, and great, fast-paced action. This series has gotten better and better as its gone along, and this issue is no exception. Traci 13 is a great addition to the cast, both as a foil and romantic interest for Jaime. And, she gets the most emotionally charged line in the book. And, kudos to John Rogers for getting that emotional charge out of a relationship no-one knew existed before.

Recommendation: Read It In The Store

How it Compares to Last Month: Down

Why You Should Pick it Up: Not to sound like a broken record, but the biggest problem with Countdown is that it's not the Sinestro Corps Special. How are we supposed to care about Monarch or the Monitors, when the same week the Green Lantern Corps is facing thousands of yellow ringed baddies, as well as three of the biggest threats the DC Universe has ever faced. And that's not including the BIGGEST threat the DC Universe has ever faced. If heroes are only as strong as their villains, Countdown's heroes are just kind of weak. Not to mention, this is supposed to be DC's big event, but the whole thing is all over the place, and not in the globe-spanning all-over-the-place type way its supposed to feel like. With 52, the big argument was which storyline was the strongest, with supporters for each and every one. With Countdown, the emotional connection is gone, as is the feeling of investment in any of the individual/grand scheme storylines. For all its faults, Countdown will continue to suffer under the comparison to 52. We hear that after these first few issues, things start to get really crazy. Let's just skip to that, shall we?

- Alex