New DCU Week Two

Running a little bit behind due to personal issues right now, but here is Week Two as promised. Week Three will be up next Sunday.


WEEK TWO
BATMAN AND ROBIN #1
Written by PETER J. TOMASI
Art and cover by PATRICK GLEASON and MICK GRAY
On sale SEPTEMBER 14 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
Battling evil with his son, Damian, at his side, Batman now realizes that the hardest part of the job may be trying to work together!
As Batman and Robin try to adjust to their new partnership, a figure emerges from Bruce Wayne’s past: His name is NoBody, and he’s not happy that Batman Incorporated is shining a light on his own shadowy war against evil…

I expect that this title will continue it's level of story telling without missing a beat. I think it's importance will be high given I expect that this is the book that most of the Batman Family of characters will interact in until the relaunch of Batman Incorporated later this year. 

I rate this at 3 DC Bullets. 

BATWOMAN #1
Written by J.H. WILLIAMS III and W. HADEN BLACKMAN
Art and cover by J.H. WILLIAMS III
On sale SEPTEMBER 14 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
At last! Batwoman’s new series begins, from the multiple award-winning creative team of J.H. Williams III and Haden Blackman!
In “Hydrology,” part 1 of 5, Batwoman faces deadly new challenges in her war against Gotham City’s underworld – and new trials in her life as Kate Kane.
Who or what is stealing children from the barrio, and for what vile purpose? Will Kate train her cousin, Bette Kane (a.k.a. Flamebird), as her new sidekick? How will she handle unsettling revelations about her father, Colonel Jacob Kane? 
 
Finally continuing the Batwoman book begun last year, this book will be pretty much the same quality book it was before the relaunch. 

I'm going with 4 DC Bullets. 

Looks like Slade is going to The Batman's tailor.

DEATHSTROKE #1
Written by KYLE HIGGINS
Art by JOE BENNETT and ART THIBERT
Cover by SIMON BISLEY
On sale SEPTEMBER 14 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T+
“Friends die, family disappoints, but a legacy… That lives forever.”
Slade Wilson is the best mercenary in the DCU, and he’s been doing this a long time. Some might say too long. But they’ll learn: Never turn your back on Deathstroke the Terminator. He won’t quit, no matter how high the stakes. Kyle Higgins (BATMAN: GATES OF GOTHAM) and Joe Bennett (TEEN TITANS) team up to bring you the finest in mayhem and gore.

A solid team on this title, but uncertain direction on how it's going to relate to the rest of the DCU means I can't give much of a recommendation on the title. I think that the idea of Deathstroke being the meticulous planner and working towards his legacy is a good one, but often those type of characters are ultimately boring to read as they react to information that they can't logically have to make it seem like they're always one step ahead of their adversaries.  Once again, it seems that this is more of a “if you're interested in this character, it's a must pick-up” rather than an overall important DUC relaunch book. 

I rate this at 2 DC Bullets. 

DEMON KNIGHTS #1
Written by PAUL CORNELL
Art by DIOGENES NEVES and OCLAIR ALBERT
Cover by TONY S. DANIEL
On sale SEPTEMBER 14 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
Set in the Dark Ages of the DC Universe, a barbarian horde is massing to crush civilization. It’s fallen to Madame Xanadu and Jason Blood, the man with a monster inside him, to stand in their way – though the demon Etrigan has no interest in protecting anyone or anything other than himself! It’ll take more than their own power to stop an army fueled by bloodlust and dark sorcery, and some very surprising heroes – and villains – will have no choice but to join the fray!

Paul Cornell is becoming a fav writer of mine, it has no small part due to his New Adventures Doctor Who novels, but his comic work from Marvel's Captain Britain and his work on Action Comic have more than proven his comic writing chops. Demon Knights seems to be the type of title that will appeal to those people fond of books like Shadowpact. I expect good things from all the Cornell written titles at DC. 

I'm rating this at 3 DC Bullets, pretty close to moving to 4.  

FRANKENSTEIN, AGENT OF S.H.A.D.E. #1
Written by JEFF LEMIRE
Art by ALBERTO PONTICELLI
Cover by J.G. JONES
On sale SEPTEMBER 14 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
It’s Frankenstein as you’ve never seen him before, in a dark new series from acclaimed writer Jeff Lemire (SWEET TOOTH) and artist Alberto Ponticelli (UNKNOWN SOLDIER)!
Frankenstein is part of a network of strange beings who work for an even stranger government organization: The Super Human Advanced Defense Executive! But can he protect the world from threats even more horrifying than himself? And since he’s vilified for who and what he is, will he even want to take on this mission?

As much as I loved Seven Soldiers and Jeff Lemire's work on other titles, I can't say if I think a Frankenstein book would be a successful ongoing title. Ponticelli has done wonderful work on Unknown Soldier, but being a Vertigo title it was a specific kind of work that once didn't belong in the standard DCU. This is the kind of title that proves that they want to shake up those expectations. 

3 DC Bullets. 

GREEN LANTERN #1
Written by GEOFF JOHNS
Art by DOUG MAHNKE and CHRISTIAN ALAMY
Cover by IVAN REIS and JOE PRADO
Variant cover by GREG CAPULLO
On sale SEPTEMBER 14 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
Retailers: This issue will ship with two covers. Please see the order form for more information.
The red-hot GREEN LANTERN team of writer Geoff Johns and artist Doug Mahnke introduce an unexpected new Lantern.

After the shock ending of War of the Green Lanterns I expect initially the book to be different than it was before the relaunch, but after a period of time it should return to pretty much the same book that it was in July. If anything I expec it to get more prominence from the recent movie. 

4 DC Bullets.

Grifter is the Ghost Whisperer of DCU... only with guns.

GRIFTER #1
Written by NATHAN EDMONDSON
Art by CAFU
Cover by CAFU and BIT
On sale SEPTEMBER 14 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
The DCU’s most wanted man stars in his own series!
Cole Cash is a charming grifter few can resist. And yet he’s about to be branded a serial killer when he begins hunting and exterminating inhuman creatures hidden in human form – creatures only he can see!
Can the biggest sweet talker of all time talk his way out of this one when even his brother thinks he’s gone over the edge?

Grifter seems to be the Wildstorm character that would fit just about anywhere they put him. I've always had a love for the character so I'm interested in seeing how it's going to play out, but I suspect that this is another book that is going to be up to reader preference rather then importance to the overall DCU. 

2 DC Bullets. 

LEGION LOST #1
Written by FABIAN NICIEZA
Art and cover by PETE WOODS
On sale SEPTEMBER 14 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
Seven heroes from the 31st century have traveled back to the present day. Their mission: Save their future from annihilation. But when the future tech they brought with them fails, they find themselves trapped in a nightmarish world that, for them, is the ultimate struggle to survive!
Don’t miss the start of this all-new LEGION series illustrated by Pete Woods – fresh off his spectacular run on ACTION COMICS – who is joined by writer Fabian Nicieza (RED ROBIN)!

Paul Levitz proved that the Legion still has relevance to the DCU and I expect that trend to continue. Nicieza has proven his self on Red Robin and is a good choice for a team book and I have nothing but good things to say about Pete Woods, he always adds something special to the books that he works on. 

3 DC Bullets.

MISTER TERRIFIC #1
Written by ERIC WALLACE
Art by ROGER ROBINSON
Cover by J.G. JONES
On sale SEPTEMBER 14 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
The world’s third-smartest man – and one of its most eligible bachelors – uses his brains and fists against science gone mad in this new series from Eric Wallace (TITANS) and Roger Robinson!
Michael Holt is the head of a successful high-tech corporation and an institute that recruits and encourages the finest minds of the next generation to excel. As Mister Terrific he inhabits a world of amazement few others know exists, let alone can comprehend.

Without a true JSA book, I expect Mister Terrific to appeal to the readership of that title. I'm unsure of the team on the book, though and I'll reserve judgment until after the first story arc is finished. 
3 DC Bullets. 

RED LANTERNS #1
Written by PETER MILLIGAN
Art and cover by ED BENES and ROB HUNTER
On sale SEPTEMBER 14 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T+
Atrocitus and his Red Lantern Corps return in their own series, battling against injustice in the most bloody ways imaginable!

The promised Red Lantern book was delayed until the relaunch month, it'll be interesting to see just how this type of title fits in with the rest of the new Green Lantern books. 

3 DC Bullets. 

RESURRECTION MAN #1
Written by DAN ABNETT and ANDY LANNING
Art by FERNANDO DAGNINO
Cover by IVAN REIS and JOE PRADO
On sale SEPTEMBER 14 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T+
It’s the return of Mitch Shelly – and he’s still dead.
Resurrection Man can’t stay dead for long, though – and with each rebirth comes new and unexpected powers. But his many returns have not gone unnoticed, and forces are gathering to learn what’s so special about him – and to see which of them will finally stop Resurrection Man dead.

Loved the original Resurrection Man title, love Abnett and Lanning too. The return of this title is a personal favorite from the relaunch news. Given the previous title was canceled, I hope that favorable word of mouth will help propel this title to the likely readership that it would appeal. 
3 DC Bullets. 

Harley has had a Super Villain make over.

SUICIDE SQUAD #1
Written by ADAM GLASS
Art by MARCO RUDY
Cover by RYAN BENJAMIN
On sale SEPTEMBER 14 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T+
They’re a team of death-row super villains recruited by the government to take on missions so dangerous – they’re sheer suicide!
Harley Quinn! Deadshot! King Shark! Defeated and imprisoned, they’re being interrogated about their mission – and about who’s pulling the strings behind this illegal operation. Who will be the first to crack under the pressure?

It looks like Secret Six will be leading directly into this new version of the Suicide Squad. The inclusion of Harley Quinn to the roster should make for an interesting read. 
3 DC Bullets 

SUPERBOY #1
Written by SCOTT LOBDELL
Art by RB SILVA and ROB LEAN
Cover by ERIC CANETE
On sale SEPTEMBER 14 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
They thought he was just an experiment – and a failed one at that! Grown from a combination of Kryptonian and human DNA, the Clone was no more than a set of data to the scientists of Project N.O.W.H.E.R.E. But when the scope of his stunning powers was revealed, he became a deadly weapon! Now the question is: Can a clone develop a conscience?

This relaunch looks like a modernization of the current Superboy mythos. I expect changes to background material for his origin, but basically to be intact with the current take on his character. I have a lot of faith in Scott Lobdell in these relaunch titles his associated with and I expect this to be a back door pilot to a new Gen 13 book.

3 DC Bullets.