Welcome back to Giant Size Graphic Breakdown!
We’ve got a bunch of this week’s Rebirth titles and an advanced look at two of upcoming books.
Plus, It’s the week Suicide Squad comes out, so let’s get right into it!
Suicide Squad: Rebirth #1
Written by Rob Williams and Illustrated by Phillip Tan
Published by DC Comics
I wanted to like this title. I was actually excited by it. This is being released the Wednesday before the Suicide Squad movie. And this is the best DC had to offer? To be fair, it’s not terrible. Just another disappointment in a line that keeps pushing them out.
This issue shows the formation of the Suicide Squad including how Amanda Waller got Rick Flag to lead the team. It is full of exposition and it’s fairly dull. Williams gives us a tale with no ambiguity. Just a black and white story of how it is. And Tan isn’t a bad artist, he just wants to be Jim Lee so bad it comes off as cloying. I know he can do better. This looks rushed and sloppy.
When the new 52 came out, I really liked the initial run of Suicide Squad. And the John Ostrander series, of course, was fantastic. This feels like another directionless title in a sea of an ever growing generic line of comics. Maybe when Jim Lee hops on it’ll be interesting. But hey, it had a nice cover at least. It’s the interiors that lack and I so wish they didn’t. Bring back Adam Glass to write it then let’s see what happens.
But even so, here’s the rating.
RATING: C+
Nightwing #2
Written by Tim Seeley and Illustrated by Javier Fernandez
Published by DC Comics
Part two of the “Better than Batman” storyline is upon us. It’s another bland entry in the DC Comics line. I wish this were better too. They have a great character in Nightwing. Yet, nothing of real interest happens here.
Seeley does what he can on the writing. It’s competent and he’s not a bad writer. This is just boring.
The secondary character of the book, Raptor, is a dull character. There is no emotional story going on here. Nothing of value. It’s an unimportant tale.
And that’s a crime. The biggest crime of the book.
The art is nothing to write home about.
There’s nothing dynamic about the storytelling at all. Save your money on this one. There are so many better comics on the market. Find a better one.
RATING: C-
Batman #4
Written by Tom King and Illustrated by David Finch
Published by DC Comics
Well, this issue is a slight improvement on the previous three issues of Batman. Or maybe I am Tom King crazy. But the story is a tad better. It’s probably I am Tom King crazy.
I just read King’s book The Sherriff of Babylon and it shows what he can do. If he can bring that same magic to Batman, this can be a top book. Right now it is not.
This issue is just okay, nothing too special. But you can see hints of it. You can see the promise.
The art by Finch is not as good as some of his previous work. Again, it feels rushed. I’d rather they take the time and we wait and a good book comes out, rather than just average. This is just average.
But it doesn’t have to be on, Tom King and David Finch. You can do better than this. This isn’t TERRIBLE, But between me and you I know you both have a classic inside both of you. Let’s see that.
RATING: B-
Green Arrow #4
Written by Benjamin Percy and Illustrated by Juan Ferreyra
Published by DC Comics
I have to admit I am kind of digging this book.
The story by Percy is not that special. It’s decent for sure, and I think he will grow into a fine writer. He’s not quite there yet for me, but he’s still doing a fine enough job for me to enjoy it.
The art though?
Holy wow. This is some great work here. The storytelling is top notch. It has passion, heart. I’m shocked Juan Ferreyra isn’t a superstar. It has a combination of comic book storytelling and animation. It’s fantastic.
I’m intrigued to see where it goes. Currently, this and the Flash and Batgirl are the bright spots in otherwise dull line.
RATING: B+
Superman #4
Written by Peter J. Tomasi and Patrick Gleason Illustrated by Patrick Gleason
Published by DC Comics
I wish someone would come along and do something different immediately with the Superman line.
Give Superman to Walt Simonson. Matt Fraction. Or hell, someone from the Archie Comics line presently. Mark Waid. Just please someone get me an interesting story. I’m not the biggest Greg Pak fan but even his run with Aaron Kuder was better.
Bring them back.
Superman seems lost.
Someone needs to find him. I have to admit I got about twelve pages into this book and put it down. I just couldn’t anymore.
As much as I didn’t enjoy Nightwing, I could follow it enough.
This was just a “Flip through Comic” meaning I flipped through the rest.
I challenge someone to write a Superman story that grabs me. This is not it. I think a lot can be done with Superman. Watch The Superman Adventures cartoon. They had it right. Let’s see something here.
RATING: D
Harley Quinn: Rebirth #1
Written by Amanda Connor and Jimmy Palmiotti and Illustrated by Char Hardin
Published by DC Comics
It has been said many times over “If it isn’t broke don’t fix it.”
DC Comics did something smart and kept this team together. Especially in a week with the Suicide Squad film coming out. They kept together a team that works.
Now to be fair, I wasn’t a reader before Rebirth started. But reading it now, you can feel the writing chemistry between Connor and Palmiotti. They write a fun tale, with some laughs.
They also have a great feel for the character of Harley Quinn. It works as it did before the new book having now looked by at some of their previous work on the character.
Hardin is a fun artist for Harley Quinn.
The art is simple, yet always amazing. it works with the writing wonderfully. If you read this book before Rebirth, you’re going to love it. If you weren’t you probably won’t pick it up. Still, it’s a well done an enjoyable read if you are in the right frame of mind for it.
RATING: B
Justice League #2
Written by Bryan Hitch and Illustrated by Tony S. Daniel
Published by DC Comics
After a first issue that wasn’t too bad, issue 2 of this title gives us more of the same. It’s not bad. It’s just the same thing as the first, the same exact feeling I got after reading #1 with diminished results.
I love Bryan Hitch’s art. His writing leaves me cold. There is no depth, no character, and no story beats. He manages to get by his action set pieces. But it has gotten a little tiresome in this issue. It’s just bombastic after bombastic after bombastic with very little character.
Daniel, does do a nice enough job on the art. I do miss Jason Fabok a bit (Where is he?). I want story and meat though. If Hitch can manage that, well, this book might take off a bit. Right now it’s a B-.
RATING: B-
Suicide Squad: Most Wanted – El Diablo and Boomerang #1
Written by Jai Nitz and Michael Moreci and Illustrated by Cliff Richards and Oscar Bazaldua
Published by DC Comics
Well, DC dropped the ball on bringing new Suicide comics to the shelves the week of a major motion picture comic out. This comic book clocking in at $4.99 is hardly worth it.
It features two separate tales of Boomerang and El Diablo and both are equally slow and boring.
This is a major opportunity squandered I feel. The stories contained here feel like short stories or backup stories expanded to full length.
The writing is again generic and the art is the same. There are so many great comic books on the stands from other publishers. Why should you pick it up? Well, you shouldn’t.
I understand the need for new content and the rush to get it out. A little more time spent would benefit everyone. This is just bad.
RATING: D-
Aquaman #4
Written by Dan Abnett and Illustrated by Philippe Briones
Published by DC Comics
I’ll make this the quickest review I ever have done.
GREAT Brad Walker Cover.
The writing leaves me cold, and now feels a little soggy. I wish there was something, anything, to hold onto. It’s lost in a typhoon of blandness it seems.
The art isn’t bad. Not great, not bad.
I wish Brad Walker was drawing this and that Peter David was writing it.
That’s all.
RATING: D-
Green Lanterns #4
Written by Sam Humphries and Illustrated by Ed Benes, Robson Rocha, and Tom Derenick
Published by DC Comics
The first panel of this book was pretty cool. I enjoyed it and stopped and looked at it. That’s about where it stopped for me.
The rest of the issue is well enough drawn. And Humphries writes the best he can. It’s a grand space opera. And that’s okay. But it made me realize something.
DC Rebirth promised us something new.
A Complexity. Something we have been missing. It promised something exciting.
Instead, we got the biggest crossover event in history.
And they are just throwing product at us. Not story. Not value.
The books are so separated now there is hardly any relationship between them at all. It feels like the history is gone. Instead, we have the most basic, PC version of the heroes.
I understand Dr. Manhattan is the “overall” villain of the big storyline. It seems he sucked away the character’s personalities too in the process. Hopefully they will fight to get it back.
RATING: C+
