The New 52 Pick-Up: Week Three!

Here we are, Week 3 of the DCnU! If the last two weeks have been about bold declarations about the direction of the universe, this week felt about fleshing out some of the corners.  We get some cosmic action with Lantern Corps Green and Red (although Hal Jordan is sadly, and hilariously, earthbound).  We get five brand-spanking new covert organizations and three new multinational techno-conglomerates.  And, most surprisingly, we find out that DC’s most refreshing, flat-out fun team book is in fact a crazy Dark Ages genre mashup featuring Etrigan, Madame Xanadu, Shining Knight, and Vandal Savage getting into a drunken bar brawl with Baron Mordru!  But before we go forward, let’s take a quick look back at…

What’s Old in the DCNU This Week:

Anything written by Geoff Johns or Grant Morrison pre-Flashpoint (Green Lantern, Red Lanterns, Batman and Robin)
Karen Starr- but not Power Girl (Mister Terrific)
Deathstroke’s Daughter, Rose Wilson (Superboy)
Tactile Telekinesis (Superboy)
Jason Blood, Vandal Savage, and awesome Sir Ystin from Grant Morrion’s Seven Soldiers- MORRISON! (Demon Knights)
Amanda Waller…120 lbs. of her, anyway (Suicide Squad)
The Creature Commandos! (Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E.)
Flashpoint, I guess? (Legion Lost)

Batman and Robin

Steve Robles – Geekscape’s Consummate Hater

When something dumb happens early on in a book, it’s hard to get over it right away. Question: Batman exists because Bruce Wayne lost his parents. This violent act shaped the Batman. Scarred Bruce for life. It’s part of Bat-lore that Bruce honors his parents on the anniversary of their deaths in some way at the site of their deaths in some fashion. It’s the most sacred site in the Batman mythos: Crime Alley.

So why does Batman need a GPS to tell him where to go? The World’s Greatest Detective can’t remember basically where his essential birthplace is?

Getting past that, this book is more “meh” than I’d hoped it would be. I am actually a big fan of the Damian Wayne version of Robin. He is, of course, a bit too precocious for a 10 year old, but it’s easily overlooked, especially in some of the later storylines in the pre-boot Bm&R. This particular issue is the start of a new storyline (violent, which I like, but seems to be a thread running through the two existing Bat-books) and forces a lot of the Batman/Robin conflict down our throats.

We get crashed-coursed that Batman thinks Robin is impulsive and reactionary. Got it. Robin is Batman’s son. Got it. Robin is stronger and more powerful than your average 10 year-old. Check. He might even be smarter, since he could probably find Crime Alley before Batman could.

It could go on and on, but this #1 is only so-so. If I wasn’t a fan, I wouldn’t be interested in this Frank Miller-lite version of Batman and Robin. I am going to continue, but only through this first arc. If things don’t improve, we’re done.

Batwoman

Eric Diaz – Geekscape’s DC Expert

Of all the titles coming out this week, I was maybe the most excited about Batwoman. When Batwoman made her big debut in the mini-series 52 a few years ago (not to be confused with the New 52…I know, it is confusing) I was on the fence about the character, who was seemingly just created to bring in some much needed diversity to the DC Universe. See this Batwoman, Kate Kane, was a lesbian. Or more to the point “a lipstick lesbian” as her press release put it back in the day. Not sure why they felt they needed to include that… I guess so fanboys would still read it. The original Batwoman from the 50’s was created to squash rumors that Batman and Robin were gay, so it was a bit of delicious irony that this new one would herself be a lesbian. Sadly, the initial 52 series didn’t do much with her character, and many wondered if DC had dropped the ball with her.
 
But then a year or so back, DC gave Batwoman the lead in Detective Comics, with writer Greg Rucka and artist JH Williams, and everyone changed their tune. Batwoman was given a solid backstory, as a military brat who was the best in her class, till being discharged due to Don’t Ask Don’t Tell. Like all good Bat family characters, she has tragedy in her past (her twin sister was murdered) a solid supporting cast (her father Jake, who serves as her Alfred, and her niece Bette, who is her Robin) and a love interest (Maggie Sawyer, a cop on the GCPD). Rucka’s writing on Detective was great, but the real star of the book was the stunningly beautiful art of JH Williams. The level of detail was astounding, and the idea of having the bright red of Batwoman’s costume stand out against the washed out almost sepia toned world of Gotham City was a stroke of visual genius. Every page was a thing of beauty.
 
But now for the new Batwoman #1, Kate Kane has lost half her creative team, as Greg Rucka is gone. Wisely realizing that JH Williams’ art is key to the success of the character, DC has given Williams the art AND writing duties. Usually an artist turned writer spells disaster, but if someone had told me that Rucka was still writing this book, I would have believed it after reading Batwoman #1. Williams took notes while working with Rucka it seems, and this book feels very much like their run on Detective. Like Batgirl, I’m thankful this first issue gave Batwoman a new villain to fight, in the form of “La Llorona” (Spanish for the weeping woman) who seems to be a wailing spirit who kidnaps and sometimes drowns children. It is based on an actual Mexican urban legend, which adds to the fucked up-ness of it.
 
Sadly, while I really enjoyed this, the problem is that this book fails as a FIRST issue. There is no explanation for who this character is if you didn’t already know, or hadn’t read Detective last year. Later in the issue there is a kind of messy re-cap (once again, with very,very pretty art) but no #1 issue should be this confusing to new readers. A quick trip to Wikipedia should help anyone who doesn’t know, but you shouldn’t have to do that when reading a first issue of any character. Look at Animal Man #1 for example…they did it right. I will be back next month because I like the character and I love the art, but I can’t help but wonder whether or not curious readers will be along for the ride. As a follow up to Batwoman’s run in Detective, this book is an A, but as a first issue, I can only give it a C.

Heidi Hilliker – Could Pull Off the Batwoman Outfit
 
After a long wait since the Detective Comics’ mini series and seven months after its original release date, Batwoman #1 has finally arrived. I have to say that this is the superhero book that I have been the most excited about in a long time. As I finished this inaugural issue my instant reaction was… Wow… Absolutely amazing to say the least.
Not only am I a fan of Kate Kane as an empowering and mysterious heroine, I am a real fan of this title’s powerful new direction for mainstream tights and capes comics. Batwoman stands tall and vibrant in a sea of cliché and stale storytelling somehow managing to unify reality and the supernatural. A huge part of its appeal is that its mind bending prismatic art work, by the insanely talented and Hilliker favorite J. H. Williams III, is the primary bard of the tale.  I could frame and hang almost every page of this book on my walls. Every image in this tale is creative, tantalizing, and unique to its world. I would kill to live in the wonderfully imaginative tree house apartment of the Kane’s. It has hands down got to be the coolest secret hideout ever. Structurally, this first issue does an excellent job of picking up where we last left Kate while still managing to gracefully summarizing and tapping on all of the back-story that one would need to know as a new reader. Part of me hates that DC has made me wait this long for this book but as soon as I turned the last page they were instantly forgiven. Long live the Batwoman!

Green Lantern

Daniel Campozano – AKA Big Yanks

First off, I haven’t read a Green Lantern book since Blackest Night, so I decided to use this book as a jumping back-on point.  Unfortunately, for a #1 book, this isn’t a jumping-on point.  I know enough of the Green Lantern mythos to keep reading through. So Sinestro is now forced to be a Green Lantern and Hal has become a nobody. He’s such a bum now that he has to ask Carol to co sign for a car loan; she’s less than happy with that proposal. Hal’s also hating on Sinestro for being a Green Lantern.  Sinestro’s having his own problems: he’s now forced to fight the Yellow Lanterns, as they’ve decided to enslave his home planet.  Sinestro’s forced to enlist the help of Hal to help him free his people. Sinestro gives him and offer he can’t refuse  or a “come with me if you want to live” or something like that. The art was ok, nothing to brag about. Story wise I’m digging the book so I’m going to have to go diving into the back issue bins to see what lead us to this point.  Quick question, though: aren’t these new 52 suppose to be reboots?

Red Lanterns

Daniel Campozano – Actually Reads

Are you down with OPP? Them sadistic aliens were and they got all kinds of fucked up by it’s owner. Apart from the beginning, I found this book to be kind of a snoozer. It was more of Atrocitous complaining about the Guardians killing his planet with Manhunters and Hal stealing his vengeance from him. Someone call Atrocitous a waaa-mbulance already!  There is some unrest in the ranks of the Red Lanterns starting with Bleez.  This has Atrocitous wondering if he’s ready to be their leader or not, not that anyone cares. There was a back story of some old army dude getting jumped by a “punk” and his grandkids getting angry about it. Art-wise the book was very pretty to look at except for the gross blood parts, just yucky. Story-wise I have no clue if this book is gonna serve any real purpose or not to the DCnU, I’ll keep following it to see if anything materializes in the book to make it worth picking up.

(Editor’s Note: If the only purpose of this book is to provide me with more pin-ups of Dex-Starr, then SO BE IT!)

Superboy

Stephen Prescott – Dresses as Doctor Who… a lot

You know I just really wish that DC would tell us what books take place in the past and what books take place in the present. It’s so confusing! Anyway…

I’m assuming that this book takes place in the present and we are seeing a retelling of the creation of Kon-El storyline in the new 52 universe. The book opens with Superboy in a holding tank at a secret laboratory and by the end he still isn’t technically freed. The only reason I assume it is in the present and not a flashback is because of the foreshadowing of the new Teen Titans team at the end of the book. Foreshadowing is probably too soft of a word, the entire team is actually shown behind Superboy in his new uniform in a full page panel  on the last page.

But was it any good you ask?

The simple answer is yes. It wasn’t great, but it was definitely good.  As a first issue goes, we get a lot of exposition and set up, but it doesn’t ever feel like the reader is being force fed. It all comes about pretty naturally through Superboy’s inner monologue and there are shades of classic Conner Kent.  Not to mention I think the rest of the dialogue was great and the art was simply fantastic.

I have to admit, though It pains me quite a bit, that Conner some of us have come to love over the past years is gone and is being reborn. So I truly hope that the story planned out for this Superboy and Tim and Cassie (if that even is Cassie) is strong enough that erasing all those years of character development won’t be for naught.

I have to add that I love the cameos that were in the book and it will be interesting to see where those lead. I’ll definitely be keeping up with this one to see how it pans out.

Deathstroke

Frank Angones – Geekscape Managing Editor (Should Be Treated With Respect)

I’m of two minds on this book.  On the one mind, this was a damn fun, balls-to-the-wall super-mercenary book. Big concepts (soldiers modified with Clayface DNA!), impossible missions (mid-air assassinations!), and witty banter (“Harm Armory” will be the name of my new speed metal band).  Plus it’s got some slick, focused action artwork by Joe Bennet. Kyle Higgins presents us with a no-nonsense Slade Wilson, a killer who lives for a challenge and is utterly unphased by whatever crazy-ass obstacle the writer can throw at him.  That’s how you get me excited about yet another superhero wetworks title; you taking notes, Suicide Squad #1?  He even sets up a dynamic and fun premise, pairing the consummate professional with a bunch of cocky newbies who treat the whole thing as a game.  I am 100% on board with this book.  Then Higgins has Wilson getting rid of the supporting cast he just spent the entire issue setting up to prove what a “badass” Deathstroke is.  I get that he’s a badass! He has one eye, a sword, and his name is DEATHSTROKE.  I totally get what he’s going for, but it comes off as cheap.  In order to be really shocking and impactful, a death this early in the run has to involve a character that we fully understand and have come to feel for- think of the first ten minutes of Up.  The Alpha Dawgs/Harm Armory aren’t fully realized characters, but certainly hold the promise of becoming such.  I may like them, but I sure as hell don’t know them, so their deaths feel more like wasted potential than loss.  Why the hell did I just spend 22 pages reading about the beginnings of these characters if I’m not gonna learn a damn thing more about them?   A mystery item set up for Slade to find is pretty much the only thing that leads us into issue 2, with no other sense of what that issue is going to be like.  Higgins took a big risk that this gimmick would get me invested in Deathstroke #1, but ultimately ended up feeling like an introduction that introduced nothing of consequence.

Demon Knights

Heidi Hilliker – Probably Never Coming Back to California

Magic and Demons and Exploding Babies… Oh my! I never read any books involving Etrigan, Madame Xanadu or Vandal Savage before but believe me that is all about to change. This book was just so darn fun from cover to cover! I’ve been really pumped for this title ever since I went to a 52 panel at Comic Con San Diego. It makes so much sense to put all of DC’s magic and mythical characters in the Middle Ages to see what happens. This story reads like Conan with a heavy side of humor. A bloodthirsty army is tearing across the land and conveniently collides with a bar that just so happens to be full of mystical heroes due to cosmic timing. Ha! With credits such as Doctor Who, Robin Hood, and Primeval, its no surprise that British sci-fi writer Paul Cornell has done a smashing job introducing us to what I hope will turn out to be an epic journey of ridiculous proportions. The artwork is mythic, the characters are delightfully appalling and the story is exciting. I’m two for two this week and couldn’t be happier about it!

Frankenstein Agent of S.H.A.D.E.

Marc Bovenzi – Once Played Rock Band With Big Yanks

Where to begin with Frankenstein Agent of S.H.A.D.E., When the character first appeared in the pages of Seven Soldiers by Grant Morrison, i had every intention of checking it out, but alas i did not. So i thought it was an interesting move to give the character his own series when DC announced their new 52 launch after the semi-successful Flashpoint tie-in book Lemire did for Frankenstein. To anyone who doesn’t know anything about the character its actually pretty simple. It’s Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein in the DC Universe, simply put. Frankenstein works for a corporation called S.H.A.D.E. (Super Human Advanced Defense Executives), from what i gather is a peace keeping / battle supernatural baddies task force.

The book begins with a grandfather and son fishing when a group of monsters come out of the woods and gruesomely skin the grandfathers dog. Which sets the tone for the book very early which i liked, when you have Jeff Lemire attached, you can expect this kind of tone, especially after his phenomenal first issue of Animal Man. Lemire used the Creature Commando’s as help for Frankenstein to assist with battling the monsters in the small town, which felt like a Universal Monsters movie come to life with a Dracula, Werewolf, Mummy and Creature from the Black Lagoon-esque characters. It felt very reminiscent of a B.P.R.D. book at this point and there is nothing wrong with that. Ponticelli’s art was something left to be desired, excellent storytelling transitions if you ask me with some beautiful splash pages and the art does fit very well for the book, but it just didn’t grab me like it probably should have. Overall, I’m going to stick with it, i think it’s going to be interesting to see where this book goes and what direction Jeff and Alberto are going to take it in, plus with a O.M.A.C. cross-over in the second arc, how can you go wrong?

Legion Lost

Stephen Prescott – Loves Apple Products More Than Most People

Of all the books in the New 52 so far this one feels the most like it isn’t in the new 52 at all.

Seven legionnaires have jumped back in time to present day earth to apprehend a criminal who is infected with a virus that threatens to wipe out the whole planet. They of course arrive too late and the virus is unleashed amongst some mass destruction in a small town. Unless this virus starts getting mentioned in other books soon I don’t see how this book is going to work in the overall big picture of the new 52.

In general though this book didn’t really work for me. The artwork was ok, but it felt inconsistent and the every story beat felt just too convenient. They’re conveniently too late to stop the bad guy. Their technology conveniently stops functioning so they get stranded. They conveniently catch the bad guy who they lose containment of at the worst possible moment. I never felt any tension or anticipation while reading and the ending just fell flat for me. I know that they have this task now to stop this virus and that the team might already be infected, but the story didn’t suck me in enough to make me care.

With all the other great books on the cards in this new lineup, I’m not sure that this title is worth my $2.99 every month until I see how it actually plays into the bigger picture.

Mister Terrific

Frank Angones – Still Geekscape’s Managing Editor

One of the nice things about 52 new #1s is that DC pretty much had to dedicate some of those titles to characters who weren’t related to Batman (not that they didn’t try).  Hence we have Michael Holt aka Mr. Terrific starring in his own book.  One of the few- only?- remnants of the Justice Society of America in the DCnU, Mr. Terrific is yet another techno-industrialist who’s a man of pure science.  Aren’t they all?  The self-billed “third smartest man in the world,” Terrific’s always been an interesting character who turned his back on religion when his wife and son were killed in a car crash and embraced pure reason and science.  Even though he’s one of those pinko liberals, he still supports a Republican because said candidate supports science in the schools.  Science science science.  In case you couldn’t tell, Michael Holt is going to be the “scientist superhero” in this new universe, the DCU’s answer to Tony Stark (unless that’s Oliver Queen…or Bruce Wayne…or…)

This book looks like it’s going to trade in super-pseudo-science, as is evidenced by an opening battle through the streets of London.  Writer Eric Wallace even namechecks Doctor Who. Unfortunately, in a week where an actual Doctor Who writer assembles an immortal team of Dark Ages heroes,  Deathstroke fights Clayface soldiers in a flying armory, and Frankenstein’s Monster flies around Manhattan in a miniaturized, Ray Palmer-powered superstation piloted by Father Time reincarnated as a Japanese schoolgirl, your going to have to try a little harder than “magnetize the London Eye” to win the super-pseudo-science crown.  All in all, though, I liked the vibe of this book, and it was certainly more fun than Green Arrow’s generic adventures last week.  I have some major qualms with the Gianluca Gugliotta’s art, though.  He has a weird bottom-heavy style while stretching out the upper body that recalls some of Humberto Ramos’ worst traits.  It’s most prevalent in his depiction of Karen Starr (aka Power Girl), who’s already ample assets cause Gugliotta to draw her like some kind of funhouse Kardashian.  Oh yeah!  And Power Girl’s back!  Only now she’s not the blowzy, rough and tumble Amanda Conner knockaround girl.  Now she’s (yet another!) techno-industrialist who’s hopelessly devoted to Michael, much to the envy of all the other gorgeous women who also want Michael.  That seems to sum up my overall attitude to this book: man, it’s great to see some of these lesser characters getting play, even if I don’t particularly like their new directions.

Resurrection Man

Scott Alminiana – Eric Diaz Vouched For Him

And unto the living he shall be resurrected, he is the man of resurrection… he is the Resurrection Man!!!

See, now that just sounds cool, a little biblical-sounding gibberish that I whipped up. DC, I think you should use that intro for the book… just saying…

Going into this book I knew nothing about the character at all; zip, zilch, nada. But, thanks to a visit to good old Wikipedia, I discovered that Abnett & Lanning created Resurrection Man back in 1997. I’m familiar with Abnett & Lanning from their work on Marvel’s “cosmic” characters over the last few years: Nova and Guardians of the Galaxy were amazing! (*sniff sniff* I miss you guys!) So, I decided to give this book a gander. How was it? It was awesome!

This book felt fresh and new, but at the same time it was creepy and bathed in shadows. I loved every second of it. The story so far breaks down as such: Mitch Shelley is Resurrection Man and every time he comes back to life he gains a new power. There are supernatural forces at work that want Mitch’s soul and they will do whatever it takes to find him and his “overdue” soul. Abnett & Lanning’s story works nicely and had me wanting more. For having never read this series, I felt like Mitch Shelley had a clear and distinct character voice. I especially like the characters of Bonnie and Carmen, whom in a brief two-page scene, manage to come off as sexy, crazy and creepy all at once. Talk about some strange femme fatales! Fernando Dagnino’s art was a perfect fit for this book and its supernatural vibe. His page breakdowns made it easy to follow the story’s flow from panel to panel. His character designs are simple, yet effective, and it’s easy to tell characters apart. He uses a lot of shadows in his drawings which work nicely for the tone of the book.

For having never heard of this character and being somewhat of a new comer to the DC universe, I am glad to say that this particular new #1 did a phenomenal job of grabbing and keeping my attention. This is the kind of book that DC’s New 52 needs. It’s not your typical superhero comic book; it’s not even a superhero “book”. Does he have superpowers? Well, sure, but he’s not flying around in a cape and underwear… but then again, no one is wearing underwear anymore in the New DCU. This is pure, supernatural pulp at its finest and I think people should definitely give it a try.

Grifter

Steve Robles – Probably Carries a Gun

I don’t know much about this character pre-boot. In this issue, we actually see him pull off a grift and someone gets to call him a grifter, so there’s that. I can’t tell if the thought bubbles in the red tatters are another entity or Grifter thinking to himself. There are blue thought bubbles that indicate an alien intelligence intruding on his own mind – or minds. I’m not sure.

There’s an incident on a plane that serves as a bookending sequence that’s eerily uncomfortable considering the book was released around the 10th anniversary of 9/11. Then we get some spy/thriller type elements that tell a story about Grifter being kidnapped by a tentacle monster in a tube. He gets away and dons what I assume to be his signature mask (he’s wearing it on the cover). He sort of looks like Jack of Fables.

I have no idea what this is or where it’s going. Grifter must be loved by someone. It isn’t me. Sorry, Grifter.

Martin Scherer – Still Canadian

I wanted to like this book.

The story starts off with Cole “Grifter” Cash on an airplane, and he’s not all there—he’s hearing voices and someone is chasing him. By the end of the issue, Grifter still isn’t sure what exactly has happened to him, and neither is the reader.

The only sure things to both Grifter and the reader is that he has lost a significant amount of time, and the quick decisions he made to escape the threats presented in this issue show that character actions will have consequences in this series, which I find a refreshing change from most action stories.
I think I understand what Edmonson is going for in the writing of this book—a very slow burn, that will lead to a series of satisfying “a-ha!” moments as the layers of mystery and confusion are slowly lifted. In some ways this reminds me of the technique the TV show Lost used. At the end of the Lost pilot, we had a lot of mysteries presented, but also some answers, or at least sure things about the characters and their world.  Unlike the Lost pilot, the first issue of Grifter raises too many questions and the characters are not nearly developed enough to be satisfying.

We don’t fully understand the threats, we don’t know much about the main character or his relations, and in turn there is little to care about here. I have no doubt as a complete story this will probably read great, but as a first issue this, simply, isn’t that great. The hooks presented to keep me interested to buy the second issue are not enough.

I loved the Wildstorm Grifter as presented in Sleeper, Point Blank and Wildcats 3.0, and was really excited to see a return of the character to prominence in the new 52. I know his origin would have to change in order to fit the DCU, but the hopes of seeing this familiar friend again was enough to get my very excited for the book. This different version of Grifter, the above mentioned problems, and in general my high expectations for the book resulted with me not feeling indifferent to what I just read, but something worse– disappointment.  

I really want to like this book.  You only have one chance to make a first impression. I won’t be checking out the rest of the series unless there is a lot of a good buzz about the later issues.

Suicide Squad

Molly Mahan – Doesn’t Get “Deadlines”

For those of you unfamiliar with the DCU, Suicide Squad is essentially the Dirty Dozen. However many villain and anti-hero characters are imprisoned at Belle Reve Penitentiary, a super surveillance prison, with 23 hour a day lock down. The only way to get out, is to become an agent of Task Force X aka The Suicide Squad.

True to form, this #1 issue of Suicide Squad starts out in the same way. You meet the players, learn why they’re part of the team and why they were imprisoned, and then we set out on their first major adventure. It’s mostly a throw away issue that could have been done as a special “origins” issue, except you get to see the new El Diablo in action. This rendition of the Squad consists of Harley Quinn, Deadshot, King Shark, El Diablo, Black Spider and Voltaic, lead by a superhot Amanda Waller.

The issue ends, with the teaser “Next issue: Suicide Squad’s First Casualty!” And if I had to wager a guess as to who that might be, I’d bet money that it’s Black Spider since he gives a whole of one line of dialogue and it’s not even valuable to the story. As to the other characters, I’m going to state for the record that El Diablo is in the lead as my character to watch out for in the future. He’s everything I enjoy in a fictional anti-hero: Catholic. He reminds me of the pre-Simone Huntress, only more volatile, aggressive and repentant. He’s the character who turned himself in when he realized what he had done. Seeing him interact with the more ruthless Deadshot, instinctual/animalistic King Shark and the insanity of Harley Quinn will be fun.

As for the other characters: Deadshot seems about the same, the soldier of fortune with a secret soft spot. Nothing is learned about Voltaic or Black Spider. All we get about King Shark is that he will eat you and he can’t stand heat (which, if your missions are likely going to be on dry land, probably not a good idea to have an anthropomorphic shark on the payroll). Lastly, as predicted when the book’s cover was released, I am not at all impressed with this rendition of Harley Quinn.

Her new costume, while not as bad in the book as it is on the cover, is still pretty horrendous. All the other characters (sans-King Shark) have full coverage and storage space for items that may prove useful on a mission. Harley looks like she just came back from an Insane Clown Posse concert and lost her cellphone because she didn’t have any pockets to place it in. She does not look practical by any stretch of the word, and practicality is key when you’re on a covert black ops mission. Her characterization has changed a bit, as well. She’s still in love with the Joker, only now she’s willing to kill for his love. Previously, Harley had never been a killer. While she had killed in the past, but it was always temporal insanity (in fact, the art was always “cartoon” styled, so she didn’t even think she was really killing them, just putting them in a temporal time out). It was part of her charm. This time, she kills and without remorse or her sweet insanity to make you forgive her. She’s also using knives and a sledgehammer, rather than a toy gun and a comical mallet. We basically have all the worse attributes of Harley (i.e., obsessive lover to an abusive boyfriend), without the endearing attributes. As a former Harley fangirl, I am not pleased.

Story-wise, the book leads me to believe the writer (Adam Glass) might be one of those people who believes 9/11 was an inside government job and that’s always a little nerve racking. I say this because the first mission of the Squad is to kill 60,000 citizens at a sports arena and so far we have no idea why. I guess we’ll have to wait until the next issue to find out.

The book has three separate artists working on it, which is always annoying. Although the styles aren’t so drastically different that it hurt my head to read and the art on the individual pages is lovely independently, it is still frustrating on the whole. I don’t like it when an artist changes mid-arc, let alone mid-book and I don’t imagine many of you enjoy that, either. Hopefully they’ll settle on one artist or team of artists for the rest of the storyline.

Final thoughts: although I am desperately disappointed with our first look at the “new” Harley Quinn, I am, at the very least, the slightest bit intrigued to see where the next issue is headed. So, for that, I will give it a passing grade. It gives me no indicator that this is a “must read” title of the new 52, but if you have some spare change, it looks like it’ll be fun.