Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Let's Do This: The DCNu September Solicitations and a Final Guess/ Checklist

So DC released its complete September solicitations.  No mention of the JSA, Captain Marvel, etc...   Let's take a final tally of the Nu52. This is after seeing actual creative teams and getting a better feel for what DC was doing.

By the way, I don't actually expect that this is it from DC.  By November, I'd expect we'll see more titles from DC, but 52 new titles is likely plenty for today.

Frankenstein's creation mixes it up.  And, yeah, that's "The Bride" behind him.

The Key:

  • Monthly: I plan to pick this book up either monthly at the shop or via digital.  This either means I want to continue my collection (see:  Superman), if I think a monthly read will behoove me (see:  All-Star Western), I think a book will need the monthly push (see:  Firestorm) or I am unsure if I'll want to keep on this title (Mr. Terrific)
  • TPB: I do want to read the series, but I am happy waiting until its available in a collected format for the bookshelf.  I do this a lot with characters you might follow like a sports team, through good and bad.
  • Wait and See:I'm going to wait to hear from the internet and trusted comics fans before committing to a trade or buying the comic via DC digital.  You know who you are, trusted friends, so speak up.
  • No: Not interested.


01)  JUSTICE LEAGUE #1  Written by GEOFF JOHNS, Art and cover by JIM LEE and SCOTT WILLIAMS
Monthly.  We're picking this one up and hope for a return to a Justice League that lives up to the promise of the premise


02)  JUSTICE LEAGUE INTERNATIONAL #1  Written by DAN JURGENS, Art by AARON LOPRESTI and MATT RYAN
TPB.  The line-up looks great and we like Dan Jurgens well enough.  


03)  AQUAMAN #1  Written by GEOFF JOHNS, Art and cover by IVAN REIS and JOE PRADO
TPB.  After enjoying every other Geoff Johns revival of DC's seemingly buried characters, I am very much looking forward to an Aquaman that takes the best and leaves the rest.


04)  WONDER WOMAN #1  Written by BRIAN AZZARELLO,  Art and cover by CLIFF CHIANG
Wait and see.  Man, I know people love Azzarello, but I am going to have to wait and see. 


05)  THE FLASH #1  Written by FRANCIS MANAPUL and BRIAN BUCCELLATO, Art and cover by FRANCIS MANAPUL
TPB.  I like Manapul's work and I'm a Flash fan.


06)  CAPTAIN ATOM #1 Written by J.T. KRUL, Art by FREDDIE WILLIAMS II
Wait and see.  


07)  THE FURY OF FIRESTORM #1  Written by ETHAN VAN SCIVER and GAIL SIMONE, Art by YILDIRAY CINAR
Monthly.  And who decided to put Simone and Van Sciver on a book together?  Very clever.



08)  GREEN ARROW #1  Written by J.T. KRUL,  Art by DAN JURGENS and NORM RAPMUND
No.  Unless I hear this book is just phenomenal, I'm just not that interested (except to see Jurgens drawing GA)


09) THE SAVAGE HAWKMAN #1  Written by TONY S. DANIEL, Art and cover by PHILIP TAN
Wait and see.  


10)  MISTER TERRIFIC #1  Written by ERIC WALLACE, Art by ROGER ROBINSON
Monthly.  But we'll see.  I've always felt Mr. Terrific was an interesting counter-point to Batman, and I'd like to see someone give it a shot.


11)  DC UNIVERSE PRESENTS #1,  Written by PAUL JENKINS,  Art by BERNARD CHANG
TPB.  You know, I was initially skeptical, but I think this could be good.  Jenkins?  Chang?  Deadman?  Sure.  Why not?


12)  ACTION COMICS #1  Written by GRANT MORRISON, Art by RAGS MORALES and RICK BRYANT
Monthly.  And by far the book I'm most excited about.  Morrison on Superman and Morales on art telling an origin story for Superman that brings the working class crusader Superman of the 1930's into today?  Yes.


13)  SUPERMAN #1
Written by GEORGE PEREZ, Breakdowns and cover by GEORGE PEREZ, Art by JESUS MERINO

Monthly.  


14)  SUPERBOY #1  Written by SCOTT LOBDELL, Art by RB SILVA and ROB LEAN
Monthly, but I confess to some skepticism


15)  SUPERGIRL #1  Written by MICHAEL GREEN and MIKE JOHNSON, Art and cover by MAHMUD ASRAR
Monthly.


16)  BATMAN #1  Written by SCOTT SNYDER, Art by GREG CAPULLO and JONATHAN GLAPION
TPB.  I still haven't read much of Snyder's run on Detective, and I think I can wait.


17)  DETECTIVE COMICS #1  Written by TONY S. DANIEL, Art by TONY S. DANIEL and RYAN WINN
TPB, but its a wait and see.  I haven't been crazy bout Daniel's other Batman work.


18)  BATWING #1  Written by JUDD WINICK, Art and cover by BEN OLIVER
No.  Sadly, I have a "no Judd Winick" rule.


19)  BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT #1  Written by DAVID FINCH, Art by DAVID FINCH and RICHARD FRIEND
TPB.  I have a hard time believing that this one will make it past the first trade, anyway.


20)  BATMAN AND ROBIN #1  Written by PETER J. TOMASI, Art and cover by PATRICK GLEASON and MICK GRAY
TPB.  I really like Tomasi, but he reads better as TPB.  But I am very curious about the Bruce and Damian Wayne team-up.


21)  BATGIRL #1  Written by GAIL SIMONE, Art by ARDIAN SYAF and VICENTE CIFUENTES
Monthly.  Its called mobid curiosity, but I want to see what they do here.


22)  BATWOMAN #1  Written by J.H. WILLIAMS III and W. HADEN BLACKMAN, Art and cover by J.H. WILLIAMS III
Monthly.  Again, curiosity.  I know Williams can draw and design, but can he write?



23)  NIGHTWING #1  Written by KYLE HIGGINS,  Art and cover by EDDY BARROWS and JP MAYER
Wait and see.  I don't know Kyle Higgins, but I like Eddy Barrows.  Let's see if they keep these stories relevant.


24)  CATWOMAN #1  Written by JUDD WINICK, Art and cover by GUILLEM MARCH 
No.  Judd Winick.

25)  BIRDS OF PREY #1  Written by DUANE SWIERCZYNSKI, Art and cover by JESUS SAIZ
Wait and see.  I will have to hear good things (but I do like Jesus Saiz).

26)  RED HOOD AND THE OUTLAWS #1  Written by SCOTT LOBDELL, Art and cover by KENNETH ROCAFORT
No.

27)  GREEN LANTERN #1  Written by GEOFF JOHNS, Art by DOUG MAHNKE and CHRISTIAN ALAMY
TPB.  I love Johns and Mahnke, but I like to have my GL books all neat on a shelf where I can get them.

28)  GREEN LANTERN CORPS #1
Written by PETER J. TOMASI, Art by FERNANDO PASARIN and SCOTT HANNA
TPB.  I am so excited about a GL book with John and Guy as the leads.  

29)  GREEN LANTERN: NEW GUARDIANS #1  Written by TONY BEDARD, Art and cover by TYLER KIRKHAM and BATT
TPB.  Neat idea!  And it features Saint Walker, who I think is a cool idea for a character.

30) RED LANTERNS #1  Written by PETER MILLIGAN, Art and cover by ED BENES and ROB HUNTER
Wait and see.  I don't know if I can get my head around a book featuring major characters that spit blood into angry energy every single issue.

31)  JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK #1  Written by PETER MILLIGAN, Art by MIKEL JANIN
Wait and see.  

32)  SWAMP THING #1  Written by SCOTT SNYDER, Art and cover by YANICK PAQUETTE
Wait and see.

33)  ANIMAL MAN #1  Written by JEFF LEMIRE, Art by TRAVEL FOREMAN and DAN GREEN
TPB.

34)  FRANKENSTEIN, AGENT OF S.H.A.D.E. #1  Written by JEFF LEMIRE,  Art by ALBERTO PONTICELLI
Monthly.  This book looks like it could be a lot of fun.

35)  I, VAMPIRE #1   Written by JOSHUA HALE FIALKOV, Art by ANDREA SORRENTINO
No.  I'm sorry.

36)  RESURRECTION MAN #1  Written by DAN ABNETT and ANDY LANNING, Art by FERNANDO DAGNINO
No.  And cue the jokes about how they keep bringing this character back.

37)  DEMON KNIGHTS #1  Written by PAUL CORNELL, Art by DIOGENES NEVES and OCLAIR ALBERT
Wait and see.  This is just far enough outside my usual reading that I feel like I should give it a chance.

38)  STORMWATCH #1  Written by PAUL CORNELL, Art and cover by MIGUEL SEPULVEDA
TPB.  Were this anyone but Cornell, I'd likely be a "no".  But I'm curious.

39)  VOODOO #1  Written by RON MARZ, Art and cover by SAMI BASRI
Wait and see.  A character I don't know from a writer whose work I only marginally know.

40)  GRIFTER #1  Written by NATHAN EDMONDSON, Art by CAFU
No.  Just as I said no to Grifter the first 6 or 7 times.

41)  DEATHSTROKE #1  Written by KYLE HIGGINS, Art by JOE BENNETT and ART THIBERT
No.

42)  SUICIDE SQUAD #1  Written by ADAM GLASS, Art by MARCO RUDY
Wait and see.  I want to say TPB, but I'm not sure it'll work without Ostrander.

43)  O.M.A.C. #1  Written by DAN DIDIO and KEITH GIFFEN, Art and cover by KEITH GIFFEN and SCOTT KOBLISH
No.  

44)  BLACKHAWKS #1  Written by MIKE COSTA, Art and cover by KEN LASHLEY
Wait and see.

45)  MEN OF WAR #1  Written by IVAN BRANDON, Art by TOM DERENICK
No.  

46)  ALL-STAR WESTERN #1  Written by JUSTIN GRAY and JIMMY PALMIOTTI, Art and cover by MORITAT
Monthly.  This looks like fun.

47)  TEEN TITANS #1  Written by SCOTT LOBDELL, Art and cover by BRETT BOOTH and NORM RAPMUND
Wait and see.

48)  STATIC SHOCK #1  Written by SCOTT McDANIEL and JOHN ROZUM, Art and cover by SCOTT McDANIEL and JONATHAN GLAPION
TPB.  

49)  HAWK AND DOVE #1  Written by STERLING GATES, Art and cover by ROB LIEFELD
Wait and see.  I WANT to buy this comic, but just because I like Sterling Gates.  I don't care about Hawk and Dove and I'm not a fan of Liefeld.

50)  BLUE BEETLE #1  Written by TONY BEDARD, Art by IG GUARA and RUY JOSE
Monthly.  

51)  LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES #1  Written by PAUL LEVITZ, Art by FRANCIS PORTELA
Monthly.

52)  LEGION LOST #1  Written by FABIAN NICIEZA, Art and cover by PETE WOODS
TPB.

If I did my math correctly, it breaks down like this:



Monthly – 13

TPB – 15
Wait and see – 13
No - 11

So, for DC that means I'm planning to give them money in one form or another for 28 titles right out of the gate, and I'm pondering a total of 41.  That's not too bad for them, I suppose.  All of this depends on what the creators and editors decide they want to do, of course.  

There were fewer outright answers of "No" than I'd guessed, but maybe I'm just an open-minded kind of guy.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Lord forgive me but I'm actually contemplating going back to the monthly floppies.

I've been buying graphic novels the past year ever since quitting last year and it's worked fine ok so far.

Do I really want to get back on this crazy train?

-NTT

Simon MacDonald said...

I hear you NTT. I've already told my LCS to get me the following books as floppies:

All-Star Western #1
Animal Man #1
Batgirl #1
Batwoman #1
Blue Beetle #1
Demon Knights #1
Frankenstein, Agent of SHADE #1
Justice League Dark #1
Justice League International #1
Swamp Thing #1
The Fury of Firestorm #1

That is 11 more monthly books than I'm getting right now. I'm sure I'll be paring it down quickly after the first month or two.

The League said...

I should have posted a caveat: I am probably buying all 52 #1's (even by Mr. Winick), so I may change this list quite a bit after my initial reading. For example - Demon Knights could turn out to be great and Beetle could be a disappointment. We'll see.

I HAVE TO KNOW, people.

Glad to see Frankenstein made your list, too! And, yeah, NTT, I am considering floppies, but I may go digital on some of these. Time will tell.

Also, DC should send me an iPad so I can make an informed decision.

Simon MacDonald said...

The list you see are the ones I'm getting in floppies for sure. I may pick some others up in digital format but I'll probably wait the month to have the price drop a $1 unless I hear some real great things about the book.

How could I not get Frankenstein as it is by Lemire!?!

I must say, reading comics on the iPad does kick a whole lot of @$$. I use my iPad for so many things now, TV, eBooks, Comics, email, news. My office downstairs is getting lonely.

Anonymous said...

This might convince me to buy an iPad 2. Getting comics on a slate without the storage issues is very very tempting.

-NTT

horus kemwer said...

I picked up Batwoman #0 by Williams III and was actually very impressed. I'm definitely hitting that and the Action Comics.

I hadn't planned on much else, but I have to admit, Moritat on a western? Sounds good to me.

I love the Swamp Thing character, he's profoundly associated with my formative years loving comics, but there are already 2 incarnations that mean so much to me (the Len Wein / Berni Wrightson series I read over and over and over; then, of course, what more need be said than Alan Moore?) - I find it impossible to believe that any other incarnation will be anything other than a profound disappointment to me.