Mini-Digis 9/28 with Aquaman!

I didn't buy much this week, so I'm including a mini from last week's releases.

So here are my mini-digi-reviews this week. This week is full of titles I'm a relative newbie to.  Completely quick thoughts. Warning: Most likely contains spoilers.

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Aquaman #1

Aquaman has always been the "odd man out" to me when it comes to superheroes.  I've never liked fish and sea creatures that much, and he never seemed to do anything too important on the Superfriends.  But I'm one of the few who actually liked the Aquaman pilot with Justin Hartley and since this is a Johns/Rice collab, it's a no brainer.  And oddly, it has the highest rating on Comixology this week, even higher than Batman Dark Night.

Re-cap:  While monstrous Atlanteans creep toward the surface, Aquaman stops an armored car heist and then stops in for a quick bite at a seafood restaurant. After an awkward and embarrassing interaction with a blogger, he returns to his lighthouse in Amnesty Bay, determined to surrender his throne and live a life on the surface with Mera. 

What Soars: Johns faces the Aquaman stigma head on.  They blatantly address the issue that he is a mocked and less impressive superhero with the dialogue AND the bizarrely mundane storyline. What book follows a hero stopping in for a meal in a diner? Maybe now, people can get over it.  Another great element is that John and Reis let the pictures tell the story for many pages.  Reis' talent allows that to happen. 

What Crashes:  I'm not sure I understand Aquaman's powers.  Is he bulletproof?  He manages to get only a scratch from an onslaught of bullets.  Is he a super jumper, able to leap tall buildings in two bounds??  At least he explains how he talks to marine life, and he helps out a financially strapped single mom.

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I, Vampire #1

OK. Comics and Vampires.  Do I need any other reason to pick up a book?

Re-cap:  Flashing back and forth between present day and the Revolutionary War, Andrew and Mary discuss the inner struggle of being who they are.  Mary means to amass an army of Vampires to take over the world that should be run by them, not super-humans.

What Soars: While I'm not a tremendous fan of the artwork, it has that monochromatic, Walking Dead quality that seems to be pretty popular right now.

What Crashes:  Meh...  The alternating storyline is confusing and I'm not sure if these creatures are vampire AND wolf? While some stories have too much blatant explanation in them, this one doesn't have enough.  I may just need to let this one go.

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Red Hood and the Outlaws #1 (from 9/21)

I was totally NOT going to pick this one up, but yesterday I watched Under the Red Hood on Netflix so I had to see what this was like in book form.  Before yesterday, I knew NOTHING about this branch of the BatWorld. Another lure was Starfire. I'm not particularly into redheads, but Princess Kori seems to captivate me for some reason.

Re-cap:  Roy Harper is Broken out of a middle-eastern war camp by Red Hood in efforts to reunite his team.  While Harper was incarcerated, Red Hood met Starfire, who joins them and aids their escape.  Later, relaxing on St Martinique, Harper learns the joy of sex with a Tamaranean while Jason Todd gets some alarming news from Essence.

What Soars: WOW!  This story does.  Great art, Packed with action and good story, a nice mix of violence, action, sex and mystery and I really like the characters so far.  Major Hit!  It was PACKED.  Felt like way more than 18 pages.

What Crashes:  I have to say nothing.  This truly was a great read.  I'll definitely pick this one up again.

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All images copyright DC Comics and used under the guidelines of Fair Use.

Mini Digital Reviews

I've decided that my review of digital comics will be two fold:

1. Mini-reviews of the digi-titles I "picked up" this week.
2. A running record of the pros and cons of digital v. print.

The latter will be a separate post that I will keep adding to and updating.  I'm not sure how it will show up, so I may need to re-date it from time to time.

So here are my mini-digi-reviews this week. Completely quick thoughts.

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Action Comics #1

Action Comics has been around and I have NEVER followed it (other than the iconic first issue image you see everywhere) so this will be a review from a newbie.

Re-cap:  A vengeful Superman uses "everyday" villain Mr. Glenmorgan, shrewd business man who uses cheap labor, violates safety standards and bribes officials to get away with it to show his fight for justice for the poor and the "everyman." Concerned about this new "hero," Lex Luthor, bent on rebuilding Metropolis despite the poor who live there, enlists General Lane in the fight against Superman.

What Soars:  This series brings the villains to a "human" level that many today can still identify with.  The rich keep getting richer even in our poor economy and everyone seems to be looking the other way. If our system work bring about swift justice, someone has to.

What Crashes:  I'm not sure if Superman is "jeans and workboots" in the original Action Comics.  The jeans and workboots really say "I'm a working man, just like you.  Identify with me." But the shortsleeved, tight fitting top over the bulging muscles says, "I'm a roid-raged, sexually confused metrosexual looking for some Tina and a hot night of fist pumping."  It's not working for me. Especially considering how raggedy and old Clark Kent appears.

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Batgirl #1

Batgirl has always fascinated me since Yvonne Craig danced around the screen in Batman reruns when I was a kid. Beautiful and tough, I had to pick this up.

Re-cap:  "The Mirror" is enacting is own brand of justice, determining the fates of people who survived tragedy when others did not. On his list:  Barbara Gordon. Elsewhere, a Barbara Gordon who survived the shooting by the Joker and recovered from paralysis, is back stopping serial killers from attacking a family.  However, in a moment of fear facing "The Mirror," her inaction results in a man's death. Is she good or bad?

What Soars:  There was a ton of story in this issue and it never seemed rushed or convoluted.  It felt like this was twice as long as an average issue, in a good way.  I am ALWAYS a fan of a strong woman who can hold her own in a fight.  I'm also huge when a "super" human is afflicted by and makes normal human mistakes.

What Crashes:  Seriously?  You rode your Batcycle up to the 14th floor of the hospital in an elevator? The fleshtone color of the boots, gloves and emblem have got to go.  You're not Powergirl. And that tiltle page.  Wow!  Do you really fly through the air in "full splits" position? I feel like I'm watching Kathy Griffin's gyno exam in high-rise Gotham.

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Superboy #1

I know very little about Superboy other than pieces I've gathered from 52, Blackest Night and Smallville.  I know Superboy is hotter than Superman.  I know he'd be the product if that cute gay couple Clark and Lex had a genetically created child. I know Superboy is hotter than Superman. Oh, did I say that already? Really. I'm not a pedo.

Re-cap:  A genetic experiment combining the DNA of Superman with Lex Luthor has produced "Superboy." Feeling he is showing no signs of life, the scientists want to destroy him, but one doctor, Red, is sure his consciousness lies on a higher level.  When they try to destroy him, the scientists are all killed.  Despite her failed tests to prove he is ready for the world, Superboy is "released" by the man behind the money.

What Soars:  I really like the "processing"icon that appears in the middle of a panel where Superboy is thinking.  It makes me think of my phone and reminds me that he is more like a self aware computer than anything else.  A hot one. I also like that he is to be the solution to the "problem" Zaniel has with the Teen Titans.  I just hope Superboy's drawn better in TT.

What Crashes:  Can someone please learn to draw some joint articulation, some feet and outlines that have dimension? I was looking at the full page pic of Superboy post-"escape" and he looks like a bad version of my friend Amy's William and Kate paper dolls. Oh. And can you say "deer in headlights"? Everyone.

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Sorry for the late recap.  I now the week's over, but these might still inspire you to check out a new title or two.

And as always, if you agree or totally think I'm full of crap, let me know in comments below.

21st Century Digital Boy?

Tomorrow is "New Comic Book Wednesday," and I'm facing a serious dilemma plaguing most readers these days, regardless of genre. "Print or digital?"

As an English teacher, I've struggled with this for a long time.  I always thought, "I have to hold and feel and smell the book in my hands.  I need to have a collection that I can see and display and share (never to be returned again)."  But when I got an e-reader (brand name withheld), my thoughts on digital books began to change.  Yes, I still have my favorites that I'll always want a bound copy of, but what I really want are the words, and I have them all digitally.  Backed up in at least three places.

But my struggle to go digital with comic books is more intense.  Comics have that VISUAL storytelling element that is so integral to the concept itself.  Like film stock, an original comic has that clarity that you can see, even if it is the tiny dots that make up the printing process. And let's face it, comic books are collectible and could be worth some money in the future.  That's right, I said could.  Seriously? It's like playing lotto.  For all the money I spend on books, bags, boards and storage boxes, I MAY see some ROI if I ever decide to get rid of them.  I only have two TPBs that are autographed, and as for investment longevity, who would I pass them on to?  No kids here.

But digital comics are so much easier to store, take up less space, and truly do have that high definition quality that allows me to see ALL the detail. I can even zoom in to examine in more detail (as my vision heads south, this is pretty crucial for me). For inexperienced comic book readers, the "Guided Reading" feature makes understanding "which way to go next" an easier decision.  Seriously, in some of the more recent, chaotic storylines, I don't know which way is up.  I read the whole page and then figure out the order afterward.  I can also buy issues from the comforts of my home and not have to drive to the comic book store.  But experiencing the Mile High Comics environment is half the fun.

With digital servers, all of my books can be stored, I can access any issue quickly, and I can carry countless issues with me to read on airplanes, vacations or waiting rooms.  Considering how far behind I am, I wish most of my collection was digital right now.  Of course, I'll never be able to get an autograph on a digital copy.   And one last thing. No Ads (and truly this is good AND bad for both me and the industry).

So weighing all the pros and cons, I've made my decision.  

Tomorrow, I will buy my #1 issues of the New 52 in print. Old habits die hard.  BUT, as the series progress, I promise to buy later issues in digital.  I'm running out of room in my house and I can't afford a climate-controlled storage space. But for now, my decision is what makes the most sense for me.

Where do you stand on digital v. print?  Is there something I haven't considered?
 Let me know!