DC's New 52, Top 5: Week 4

The end of the beginning is finally here. 52 #1 issues have been released and the month ended strong. This week's bunch, as a whole, is the best one yet.

#1: Justice League Dark

(Written by PETER MILLIGAN, Art by MIKEL JANIN, Cover by RYAN SOOK)

Justice League Dark #1 begins with hell on earth. Enchantress's (a powerful witch) mind has become unhinged and she unleashes her darkest powers on innocents, seemingly without reason. The Justice League, the world's greatest super heroes, tries to stop her and fails; they can't stop magic. And that is why Justice League Dark must exist.

The team itself is awesome. Madame Xanadu, DCU's local tarot card expert, calls upon Shade, a man who can bend reality, to fight this new threat. The two characters are flawed in very lifelike ways, and how they use their powers to cope - or need to cope because of their powers - is fascinating. Zatanna, a magician, is given a marvelous introduction in this issue, and while Deadman and John Constantine are not yet heavily spotlighted, they have great promise. And who is this mysterious June Moon that seems to be popping up all over the place... literally.

As I said before, this comic is insane, but the art manages to keep up. Enchantress and her spells are some of the most evil looking things in the whole New 52. The issue introduces all of the characters and there is no backstory, so it's very new reader friendly.

#2: I, Vampire

(Written by JOSHUA HALE FIALKOV, Art by ANDREA SORRENTINO, Cover by JENNY FRISON)

After the recent vampire media saturation, all most people did when I, Vampire #1 was announced was groan. Now all everyone can do is read this with their jaws hanging open, and not just because of the perfect art which enhances the mood of this story in every panel. 

Fear not, the vampires are traditional vampires: they can transform, are incredibly powerful and vicious, are weakened by the sun, and have a thirst for human blood; and that's what drives the central conflict. Two very powerful vampires, Andrew Bennet and Mary, Queen of Blood, were once and possibly still are deeply in love. Mary, however, views humans as nothing more than food; she thinks vampires deserve their time to shine. Andrew disagrees. 

In this brand new series, there's so much for so many people to enjoy. Awesome vampires, intense violence, a war of super powered beings, and an indescribably powerful love story to boot.

#3: Aquaman

(Written by GEOFF JOHNS, Art and cover by IVAN REIS and JOE PRADO) 

Aquaman has one of the lamest reputations as a superhero. No one thinks he's cool, and DC decided change that. This comic is all about the public's opinion of Aquaman. Even when he performs incredible feats, and this comic is full of them (yes, he can do more a lot more than talk to fish), all people can do is snicker. 

Aquaman #1 serves an important purpose. It shows that Aquaman really is awesome. My only complaint is that I couldn't help but think "okay, I get it, people think Aquaman is a loser," because it ends up being beaten to death. Besides that, it's a fantastic issue, accompanied by equally well done art that expresses Aquaman's frustration flawlessly.

Aquaman is also going through a change in his life, and he briefly reflects on how he came to be the king of Atlantis, so it's the perfect time to start reading. Not to mention the horde of vicious, hungry enemies on the rise... 

#4: The Flash

(Written by FRANCIS MANAPUL and BRIAN BUCCELLATO, Art and cover by FRANCIS MANAPUL)

Barry Allen, or The Flash, is one of the most normal superheroes. If you didn't know he was The Flash, you'd think of him as a normal person. Clark Kent often acts like a fumbling dufus, Bruce Wayne is a billionaire, and Hal Jordan is usually gratingly cocky. Barry Allen is just a really nice, cool guy with whom you could easily imagine being friends.

Some real special care was put into the art of this comic, beyond the fact the colors and drawings are outstanding. With The Flash, lots happens very quickly. Because the art is so great, not only does it look like everything happens at lightning speed, but it's also understandable. As different uses and capabilities of The Flash's powers are explored, even more genius work will be on the way.

The Flash #1 is exciting, and is one of the very few New 52 books where nothing horrible happens. It really stands out as a happy, enjoyable, intellectual character introduction that really just makes you want to know more about Barry Allen.

#5: Teen Titans

(Written by SCOTT LOBDELL, Art and cover by BRETT BOOTH and NORM RAPMUND)

Teenagers are generally distrusted. We're supposedly (17 year old here) irrational, impulsive, prone to violence and stupidity, etc. Now imagine how adults would react if we all had super powers. Teen Titans #1 starts off with Red Robin realizing that teenage metahumans (another way of saying someone with super powers) are in trouble. They're being smeared across all news stations and aren't trusted. Not only that, but some powerful, covert organization whose motivations are not yet clear are hunting them. 

Kid Flash is given a brief introduction, and he seems like a fun character, but the spotlight is on Red Robin and Wonder Girl. Both have very distinct and interesting personalities, and while Red Robin's suit is pretty high-tech, Wonder Girl's powers kick some serious butt. I can't wait to see this team come together and develop. They'll need to get it together fast, too, since the enemy being teased is one of the strongest beings in the DCU. And if you like romance, it certainly seems there is going to be some between two possible lovebirds.

This comic's art is wonderful, all of the super teens look great, and as it's a brand new Teen Titans, it's 100% new-reader safe.

Note: These are not the same Titans from the popular cartoon. That team has long since been disbanded. The Robin in this is also not Dick Grayson (the first Robin, currently Nightwing), but Tim Drake (the third Robin).

Honorable Mention: Voodoo #1 (Written by RON MARZ, Art and cover by SAMI BASRI)