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Abandon Strip! Part 29

DC's much-anticipated New 52 titles get the Rock Sound treatment...

Welcome back again to Abandon Strip! for my thoughts on three of DC's New 52 titles.

First up is probably a lot of people's most anticipated new series - Action Comics (DC). Written by Grant Morrison and drawn by Rags Morales, there's no denying that DC have thrown together one of the best creative teams at attempting to reinvigorate Superman for a new generation. For a start, Superman now wears blue jeans! How more down with the kids can he get?! Joking aside, Issue 1 of Action starts off at an explosive pace and never loses its momentum, even as Morrison introduces the regular supporting cast. We learn that Lex Luthor is just as devious as ever, while Lois Lane is more of a streetwise and brash young reporter. Jimmy Olsen and Clark Kent are both young and upcoming reporters working for rival papers.

The young Superman portrayed in Action is not afraid to get cocky and let everyone know how powerful he is. Unfortunately, even his brute strength is not enough to stop him from being taken down by a runaway train and captured by the end of issue 1 that is brilliantly drawn by Morales and doesn't let the reader catch their breath.

The second issue picks up with Superman being interrogated and tortured by a US government team including Luthor while we get our first glimpse of the future Steel in Doctor Irons who is disgusted with Superman's treatment. Issue 2 isn't as frantic as the first issue but still has enough action and character development to keep things zipping along at a fine pace. The scene where the bad guys find that Superman's cape is indestructible is a lot of fun and it feels like a defining moment in Morrison trying to merge the new Superman with the classic Superman of old.

Action Comics is everything you would expect it to be. It's big, bold and full of wholehearted action that is backed up with some very impressive artwork. I preferred this to Geoff John's new Justice League title, which was a little slow out of the blocks. Make sure you pick up issue two for tons of bonus material including character sketches plot notes from Morrison.

Second in my round up is J.T. Krul and Dan Jurgen's Green Arrow (DC). Featuring a reluctant poster boy billionaire who dons a mask and battles criminals by night, Green Arrow shares a few similarities to Gotham City's Dark Knight himself. But Oliver Queen's shtick is that he takes out the bad guys with a variety of deadly arrows in his arsenal that he can fire with pinpoint precision. It doesn't sound cool, and it really shouldn't be, but I've always had a soft spot for the character.

So, it pains me to say the first couple of issues of this new series were a little disappointing. To begin with, Green Arrow's villains so far suck pretty hard. A two-headed woman named Doppleganger and two scantily clad girls with a penchant for crashing showbiz parties are not A-list scares. The fact they're called Lime and Light is also a little embarrassing too. Imagine Paris Hilton teaming up with Lindsay Lohan with some lame super powers and you're about there.

Other than the mediocre villains, there's nothing really terrible about Krul's Green Arrow. Sadly, there's nothing to make it stand-out in the crowd either, which is a shame as the potential is there. It feels like this take on Oliver Queen is quite serious and it would have been nice to have some more humour thrown in that doesn't feel forced. Dan Jurgen’s art is solid and complimentary towards a story that feels a little bit stuck between a rock and a hard place. I can see Krul trying to combine old and new elements to the character, but I would like to see something more dynamic and fresh when issue 3 hits the shelves. The cliff-hanger at the end of issue two is lifted straight from Mark Millar's Kick-Ass, so only time will tell where Krul takes Emerald City's finest.

Last but not least is my pick of the bunch for the week, Tony Daniel's Detective Comics (DC). Taking on both the writing and artwork duty, Daniel has well and truly upped his game on both fronts to create a new and interesting story for Batman. Starting off the first issue with a naked and deranged Joker was always going to be a good sign of things to come, and Daniel doesn't let up in taking the reader down a dark, macabre road. Both of the first two issues end with a seriously gruesome cliffhanger that really leave you wondering what the hell just happened. The revealing of a new villain named the Dollmaker will definitely send chills down the spine of even hardened Bat-fans.

What surprised me the most about Detective Comics is how fresh it seems despite elements of Batman and Bruce Wayne's history being repeated again.
We have Bruce's love interest in Charlotte Rivers that we know can probably only be doomed from the start judging by his history with women. Batman's relationship with Commissioner Gordon is still a key factor in his fight to protect Gotham but Daniel's knowledge of the characters and grasp of dialogue set this Batman apart from a lot his contemporaries. The Joker in issue one is more savage than usual, and his fight with Batman in issue one shows The Dark Knight still vulnerable and not at the peak of his skills. Taking the characters back to this early period of their career gives the comic a raw vibe that is reminiscent of Frank Miller's classic Year One storyline at times.

Of course, a story that gets its hooks in you from the start would still not be very good if the art wasn't up to scratch. Luckily, Daniel's pencils are extremely good and the whole thing looks fantastic. There are a couple of double page spreads in each issue that are just jaw dropping and every character looks spot on with each of their traits really popping out. I can't recommend this enough and I'm intrigued to see how Scott Snyder's new regular Batman series will compare against it. Praise is due to DC for taking one of their showcase titles in to darker, edgier territory and massive credit should be heaped on Tony Daniel for producing such quality under pressure of expectation. This is one to stick with for sure!