Sorry for the late post, but this week has been a bit hectic! Part of the problem was ranking these. I loved every title I bought this week, so actually ranking them was next to impossible. I seriously considered ranking them all at #1, but after long deliberation, here’s how it goes.
From my least favorite to most:
WARNING: SPOILERS FOLLOW
#4 – Birds of Prey
A few things made me nervous about this one. I was a fan of Gail Simone’s run on the pre-relaunch BOP, so I was a little concerned that she wasn’t behind this title. In addition, I had heard an internet rumor a while back that the new Birds were going to be a more “Charlie’s Angels” team, with some dood running the show. To top it all off, I was terrified that there was going to be some crippled person as the new Oracle. Look, disabled folks are good for more than just being tech support (I’m looking at you, Proxy).
Fortunately, none of this (except no Gail) came to pass. We do get a Babs cameo, offering suggestions for Black Canary’s covert ops team. There is no dood in charge. It’s Dinah’s (Black Canary) show. She’s on the run for a murder she didn’t commit (a holdover from pre-relaunch BOP, if I’m not mistaken), but she still wants to help people. So far, she’s teamed up with Starling, but is considering Katana at Babs’ suggestion.
Starling shines. She’s a hell-raiser, she’s clearly got some back story that I’m not aware of. During the fight sequence at the church, she alludes to a lot of that. I have no idea what (if any) powers she has, but she doesn’t seem to need them. She relies mostly on sheer go-to spirit and a total lack of a self-preservation instinct. I like her.
The plot revolves around a reporter who’s been tipped off that there’s a team of villain ladies out there doing stuff. He investigates, but doesn’t really buy it. Meeting his informer at a church, all hell breaks loose (not literally). The Birds show up to find out who’s behind their newfound tail, some baddies show up to kill the reporter and the Birds, and there’s a fight in a church! It’s like watching a John Woo film, except with more kung fu.
The best part of the comic is that the Birds are rarely in costume. I don’t much care for the new Black Canary look, so it works that most of the issue is in street clothes. The other best part is that DC has kept BOP full of strong female leads. At this point, I would buy either a Black Canary or a Starling standalone book. Both characters are tough, but both still manage to be sexy without being hypersexual.
I was a bit disappointed that my partner’s theory didn’t seem to pan out. Back in Batwoman #1, we saw a picture of Renée Montoya on what appeared as a wall of officers who were killed or disabled in the line of duty. The theory went like this: If Renée was disabled, she could easily still be the Question. How awesome would it be if the Question was the new Oracle? Renée is smart, and a detective, and her disability could be something other than being in a wheelchair. OMG, I want that! Sadly, the Question hasn’t appeared yet.
Pick it up, if you haven’t.
Overall Rating: A
Next Month: Oh, yeah. I’ll be picking this up.
#3 – Supergirl
Supergirl is never a character I’ve cared about all that much. She’s neat and all, but Kryptonians don’t really do it for me. Power Girl has been an exception in the past, but she’s not in the DCnÜ yet. I picked this up on a whim.
It turns out my whims don’t always lead to waking up spooning a traffic cone. Supergirl was good. We get an outright origin story here, but mixed with action and confusion and plots and people being afraid of aliens. And guys in power armor! How can you not love that?
Kara crashes on Earth, and ends up somewhere in Russia. A team of guys in power armor show up to collect her. She isn’t quite sure what’s going on, and spends at least part of the book thinking this is some sort of terrible dream. Kara remembers Krypton, but Earth is new to her. Unlike Superman, she has no idea that she’s powerful here. She doesn’t know that her punches could easily kill someone. She doesn’t know that she’s invulnerable. It is awesome!
And then Superman shows up. I love what Grant Morrison is doing in Action Comics, but this is a later version of the Man of Steel. He shows up and starts telling Kara what to do. We end on that, but I hope she punches him.
Overall Rating: A
Next Month: I can haz moar, plz? K thnx bai.
#2 – Red Hood and the Outlaws
The internet hates this book. I enjoyed the hell out of it. I like Jason Todd, I like Starfire and shockingly, I like Roy Harper. I want to see these flawed people grow and become less flawed. I like stories where change happens, and this book promises change.
You’re entitled to your opinion, of course. Many people hate it. That’s fine. I’ll be reading it for a while. I do sincerely hope that Starfire poses less and does things more in future issues. If that doesn’t happen, I’ll be abandoning this one. If she becomes chaste, I’ll do the same thing. I’m afraid that all of the bad buzz around this book is going to kill whatever Lobdell had planned. But for right now, I’m loving it.
Overall Rating: A
Next Month: At least another issue, probably more.
#1 – Wonder Woman
This book was perfect. I loved the writing, I loved the story, I loved the art, I loved the fact that this is the only DCnÜ book I’ve read that doesn’t bother with exposition or backstory. There is no need.
I’d give you a plot synopsis, but then you might not read the book. And you should read this book. Wonder Woman has never been on my must have list before. Now she is. She’s strong, she’s interesting, she’s great.
If you haven’t read this yet, go get a copy. If you don’t want to buy it, I might lend it to you. We bought an extra copy for that reason.
Overall Rating: A+
Next Month: So long as Azzarello is writing this, I’m on board.
