DC Comics on your new Kindle

DC Comics are coming to the new Kindle (but only if you live in the USA).

With the PC, iPhone and iPad (as well as some android phones) already serving up DC Comics back issue and same-day-as-print new releases, it seemed inevitable that DC would branch out to the other eBook readers.

Whilst this initial run will be restricted to North America, I'd imagine that it will be expanded to worldwide if it is successful.

DC ENTERTAINMENT DIGITAL GRAPHIC NOVELS AVAILABLE EXCLUSIVELY ON THE NEWLY-ANNOUNCED KINDLE FIRE, INCLUDING BEST-SELLING GRAPHIC NOVELS ‘WATCHMEN,’ ‘BATMAN: ARKHAM CITY’ AND ‘SUPERMAN: EARTH ONE’, AVAILABLE FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER DIGITALLY

Industry-Leading Graphic Novel and Comic Publisher to offer 100 Digital Books Exclusively to Kindle Customers

BURBANK, Calif., Sept. 29, 2011- DC Entertainment, the first publisher to offer more than fifty comic book titles on the same day in digital and print, is now taking the world of digital books by storm. The comic book giant has worked with Amazon to bring 100 of its original graphic novels exclusively to Amazon’s newly announced Kindle Fire, including best-selling graphic novels WATCHMEN, BATMAN: ARKHAM CITY and SUPERMAN: EARTH ONE, which are available for the first time digitally.

“We’re thrilled to work with the leader in digital books to bring many of the world’s most beloved and best-selling graphic novels to Kindle readers,” stated Jim Lee, co-publisher of DC Entertainment. “We’ve learned from the success of DC Comics – The New 52 that making our graphic novels available whenever and wherever our readers want is critical to the future growth and health of our publishing businesses–both in print and digital format.”

“We’re excited that DC Entertainment has made 100 of their graphic novels available for customers to read exclusively on our just-announced Kindle Fire,” said Russ Grandinetti, Vice President, Kindle Content. “Some of these graphic novels, including ‘Watchmen,’ the bestselling — and considered by many to be the greatest — graphic novel of all time, have never been available before in digital format, and we think customers will love them.”

DC Entertainment graphic novels will be available to Kindle Fire customers. WATCHMEN and SUPERMAN: EARTH ONE are available for pre-order now in the Kindle Store (www.amazon.com/kindlestore) and readers can soon purchase other DC Entertainment graphic novels.

The following 100 DC Entertainment titles will be available in the Kindle Store, with more titles to be added in the near future.

All Star Superman
All Star Batman & Robin, The Boy Wonder, Vol. 1
American Vampire Vol. 1
Batman and Robin, Vol. 1: Batman Reborn
Batman and Robin, Vol. 2: Batman vs. Robin
Batman and Robin, Vol. 3: Batman Must Die!
Batman and Son
Batman: Arkham Asylum
Batman: Arkham City
Batman: Hush
Batman: R.I.P.
Batman: The Black Glove
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns
Batman: The Long Halloween
Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne
Batman: Year One
Blackest Night
Blackest Night: Black Lantern Corps Vol. 1
Blackest Night: Black Lantern Corps Vol. 2
Blackest Night: Rise of the Black Lanterns
Blackest Night: Tales of the Corps
Brightest Day, Vol. 1
Brightest Day, Vol. 2
Brightest Day, Vol. 3
Daytripper
Fables Vol. 1: Legends in Exile
Fables Vol. 2: Animal Farm
Fables Vol. 3: Storybook Love
Fables Vol. 4: March of the Wooden Soldiers
Fables Vol. 5: The Mean Seasons
Fables Vol. 6: Homeland
Fables Vol. 7: Arabian Nights (and Days)
Fables Vol. 8: Wolves
Fables Vol. 10: The Good Prince
Fables Vol. 11: War and Pieces
Fables Vol. 12: The Dark Ages
Fables Vol. 13: The Great Fables Crossover
Fables Vol. 14: Witches
Fables Vol. 15: Rose Red
Green Lantern Vol. 3: Wanted Hal Jordan
Green Lantern: Agent Orange
Green Lantern: Blackest Night
Green Lantern: Rage of the Red Lanterns
Green Lantern: Rebirth
Green Lantern: Secret Origin
Green Lantern: The Sinestro Corps War
How to Understand Israel in 60 Days or Less
Identity Crisis
Kingdom Come
MAD About Oscars
MAD About Superheroes
MAD About Superheroes
MAD About the 50′s
MAD About the 60′s
Marzi
Planetary Vol. 1: All Over the World and Other Stories
Planetary Vol. 2: The Fourth Man
Planetary Vol. 3: Leaving the 20th Century
Planetary Vol. 4: Spacetime Archaeology
Superman for All Seasons
Superman: Earth One
The Dark Knight Strikes Again
The Flash: Rebirth
The Joker
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (Vol. 1)*
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (Vol. 2 )*
The Sandman Vol. 1: Preludes & Nocturnes
The Sandman Vol. 2: The Doll’s House
The Sandman Vol. 3: Dream Country
The Sandman Vol. 4: Season of Mists
The Sandman Vol. 5: A Game of You
The Sandman Vol. 6: Fables and Reflections
The Sandman Vol. 7: Brief Lives
The Sandman Vol. 8: World’s End
The Sandman Vol. 9: The Kindly Ones
The Sandman Vol. 10: The Wake
The Sandman: Dream Hunters
The Sandman: Dream Hunters (P. Craig Russell)
The Sandman: Endless Nights
The Unwritten Vol. 1: Tommy Taylor and the Bogus Identity
The Unwritten Vol. 2: Inside Man
V for Vendetta
Watchmen
We3
Y: The Last Man, Vol. 1: Unmanned
Y: The Last Man, Vol. 10: Whys and Wherefores
Y: The Last Man, Vol. 2: Cycles
Y: The Last Man, Vol. 3: One Small Step
Y: The Last Man, Vol. 4: Safeword
Y: The Last Man, Vol. 5: Ring of Truth
Y: The Last Man, Vol. 6: Girl on Girl
Y: The Last Man, Vol. 7: Paper Dolls
Y: The Last Man, Vol. 8: Kimono Dragons
Y: The Last Man, Vol. 9: Motherland

*Available only in North America

Source: DC Comics Blog

Review - Teen Titans #1

TEEN TITANS #1
Written by SCOTT LOBDELL; Art and cover by BRETT BOOTH and NORM RAPMUND

The reboot of Teen Titans has been one of the most dramatic in the DC Comics relaunch. Those of you who have been reading comics for a while will have seen the close friendship of Tim Drake, Cass Sandsmark, Bart Allen and Superboy develop from their first meetings in Young Justice to loyal ties in Geoff Johns' Teen Titans. Their friendship has survived the deaths of both Superboy and Kid Flash, but it couldn't survive the relaunch. In this version of Teen Titans, with the exception of Tim Drake's Red Robin, everything that you knew about these characters hasn't happened. Even with Drake we need to be selective of which parts of his history we can assume have happened. I'd say that everything within the Batman universe is still solid as a foundation, including when he went off as Red Robin. The only changes are that these other heroes never helped him out, so any crossovers, he now did by himself or with one of his Gotham allies. This is the problem with the 'soft reboot' of a fictional universe. It makes it accessable for new readers, but a logistical nightmare for long-time fans.

That being said, Teen Titans v3 had been pretty dire for the last 50 issues and needed sorting out. What Scott Lobdell has done is to play off both the world's mistrust of teenagers and the New DC Universe's fledgling acceptance of superheroes to create a culture of antagonism against these teen heroes. They are seen as a menace that needs to be locked up and contained before they cause disaster. Kid Flash displays exactly why the media, government and populace think this by unfixing the work of firefighters and causing an explosion. Red Robin is accosted by agents of N.O.W.H.E.R.E. is the penthouse of Lex Towers (what's he doing there?). He shows that he hasn't lost any of his capability or confidence that he had built up in the Red Robin ongoing. After he escapes from them he starts to build his team - first on the list is Wonder Girl.

Generally the book is good and the art is good-great throughout, but there are some really awkward lines of dialogue mixed in here that just seem out-of-place. It's so bad in parts that it interupts the flow of the book, which otherwise would be quite nicely divided into flowing chapters. I really hope that we start to pick up steam with issue 2 as this title has the potential to be really interesting.

My rating:

An interesting start for the new team of teen superheros. Red Robin slowly starts to build his team and this slower pace gives the reader time to get to know the characters. A lot of promise, but some clunky dialogue.

Review - Green Lantern: New Guardians

GREEN LANTERN: NEW GUARDIANS #1
Written by TONY BEDARD; Art and cover by TYLER KIRKHAM and BATT

The creative team from Green Lantern Corps make a small hop to jump ship to follow Kyle Rayner into his new book. The story starts with a slightly more indepth (and slightly tweaked) recap of the last few pages of 1994's Emerald Twilight (GL v3 #50 to be precise). This serves it's purpose by filling in newer readers on part of Kyle's history. This will work particularly well if the first couple of arcs take the time to flesh out Ion and the rebirth of the Corps as Kyle's place in the GL mythos is important, but complicated. The irony is that before the resurrection of Hal Jordan it was very easy to explain Kyle Rayner; he is the last of what used to be a vast cosmic police force and his power ring can do almost anything he can imagine. In the wake of the relaunch however, we must take the time to explain everything - and the book suffers for it. Seven of it's twenty pages are devoted to this retelling, which I think was necessary, but too much of the book is used to tell it.

Once we get to the modern day we have a quick run down of various non-Green Corps members losing their rings in a similar, yet unexplained way. Then halfway through the book we come back to New York to see Kyle Rayner showing off why his ring constructs are unique in the GLC; his imagination. It's good to see these elaborate constructs make a return to Kyle's repartee as they show off his personality to good effect and were a signiture of his run in GLv3.

It's not Kyle Rayner that shines in this issue though, it's Tyler Kirkham. The artist that joined Green Lantern Corps after Blackest Night has come on in leaps and bounds until, with this issue, he cements himself as one of the industry's top dogs. There isn't praise high enough. He has become one of my favourite artists along with Jim Lee, Pete Woods, Michael Turner and Marcus To.

New Guardians #1 sets up the series really well and leaves us with the promise of action and some questions that need answers. This is definitely a book that I'll spend each month looking forward to.

My rating:

A solidly written issue that brings new readers up to date on Kyle Rayner and launches us into the confrontation that will forge a team. The art is absolutely stunning and would be worth the rating alone.

Read my interview with New Guardians writer, Tony Bedard: Starburst Magazine

Uncharted 3 TV Spot #1

Review - Green Lantern Corps #1

GREEN LANTERN CORPS #1
Written by PETER J. TOMASI; Art by FERNANDO PASARIN and SCOTT HANNA; Cover by DOUG MAHNKE and CHRISTIAN ALAMY

After a standard sci-fi prologue in which some alien GLs meet a mysterious and dicey end, Green Lantern Corps eases new and old readers alike into the problems that Guy and John face and their choice to leave Earth. This approach works really well and I think that Peter Tomasi is showing some gusto in starting off the new 'season', if you will, with a slower paced book.

Both Guy Gardener and John Stewart have returned to Earth and are both struggling with their terrestrial employment. After suffering scenes of frustration they meet to lament their mutual desicions to operate without a secret identity and how that choice has made having a life away from the ring difficult. This intimate look at the characters' vunerabilities tricks the reader into empathising with them - so next issue when they are in peril we'll care about it. Well played, Mr Tomasi.

We've been introduced to the characters, so let's explore the Green Lantern Corps. As we build to the cliffhanger we're introduced to Salaak, Oa and a small cast of GLs. We haven't been bombarded with information, but there is just enough to be getting to grips with. The end definitely gives the reader a reason to come back, but doesn't create much excitement; more a sense of "it's about to kick off".

Fernando Pasarin's art seems to be improved from Emerald Warriors. You can tell that he feels particularly comfortable with Guy, but he does justice to all the characters featured. It isn't exactly my cup of tea and could be better, but to be fair it is above-average and reflects the story well.

The villian and the 'message' he leaves the GLs has a certain intrigue and I think that we may see some more space-cop than we have over the last few years, which is after all what a Green Lantern is supposed to be.

My rating:

A slow build, but it does build. A solid character driven issue that has sown the seeds for an interesting villian. It's good, but doesn't do anything really special.

Geoff Johns talks Aquaman, Justice League and the new DCU

Newsarama have posted an interview with DC Comics writer and Chief Creative Officer, Geoff Johns. In particular he focuses on Aquaman and explains why he thinks he is cool, rather than the butt of the joke he is often seen as.

Newsarama: Geoff, you seem to have tweaked your writing style a bit in the two New 52 comics we've seen from you so far. Is Aquaman going to be similar to what we've seen?
Geoff Johns: If you mean accessible and fun, then yes! One of my goals for the New 52 is to re-approach books and make them much more accessible than normal, because we were hoping we'd have a lot of new people checking out these stories. And it looks like we are, which is great. And also, I wanted to add a little bit of humor to the characters. Really make it character-driven, but have humor come out of character interactions with each other, whether it's with the rest of the Justice League members in Justice League or with the rest of the world, like in Green Lantern.
Nrama: Why is humor such a focus for you right now, both as writer and as one of the people trying to drive the company creatively?
Johns: The humor comes from character, so I actually want it to be more character-driven in the approaches and make it more about our characters, especially when we're re-introducing these books to everybody. And out of that, as I was writing, humor just started to come. I tried to push myself as a writer and really challenge myself to write these books in a character-driven way that was accessible and fun, and the humor was just a by-product of that.
Nrama: You've mentioned that you take advantage of the fact that a lot of people laugh at Aquaman. Some people have reacted to that thinking it might be too much of a joke, yet you wrote him much more seriously in Brightest Day. As you approach his solo series, how do you balance those two ideas of Aquaman?
Johns: I think that he's the ultimate underdog to me. I think that's a good thing. He's underestimated by everybody, except Mera. Balancing the perception of what Aquaman is, and trying to break that perception, is what the book's all about.
We certainly don't get goofy, but we do have fun with it.
The stakes are real. The Trench are nasty. And the things he faces are really tough, and what he deals with is serious stuff. But at the same time, I didn't want to run away from the perception of him.
I've read a lot of comics with Aquaman in them, and they really go for the throat when trying to make him cool, sometimes. And I think Aquaman is cool. I don't think you have to work that hard to make him cool.
But what you do need to do is address why people don't think he's cool. And just accept that -- hey, you're writing an Aquaman comic book.
I think that's what I'm trying to do on Ivan and Joe (Prado].
And Ivan and Joe on art -- you know how great they are. They bring a big, regal, epic, powerful feel to these characters. And I think that also legitimizes the character.
The goal is to find a good balance, and not run away from everything that people think about Aquaman.
Nrama: You know, looking at your books so far in the New 52, it looks like you're using less narration?
Johns: Yeah, there is less narration here and there. I think that depends on the book, though, and the comics I'm writing now depend on characters interacting with one another. And I'd rather have the characters tell the story than the narration. But that all depends on the book.
Nrama: When you were first deciding what books you wanted to tackle in the New 52, I'm assuming you could have tackled just about anything as a new #1. Why did a relaunch of Aquaman attract you the most?
Johns: I've always really been fascinated with the character. I think there's a great world to explore with that character, with the ocean and the mythology that comes with that. And creating new things for that world, and expanding it, was compelling to me as a writer. I thought it was a great challenge.
Ivan Reis and Joe Prado were really fun to work with on Aquaman in Brightest Day, so we kind of wanted to carry that over. And people seemed to really respond to Aquaman.
And everyone's heard of Aquaman. So the people who are looking at the 52 relaunched books, whether they bought comics a month ago, or they're coming back to the store after awhile, or they've never bought before, they at least have a passing knowledge of who Aquaman is. And I thought it was a really great challenge to take on the underdog of the superheroes.
Aquaman's a very different book to write than every other book.
Nrama: Fans are obviously familiar with how you and Ivan work together. But is he bringing anything in particular to the Aquaman title that's a little different?
Johns: The one thing he's told me, and I think it's really cool, is that he sees the water as poetry. So the way he's drawing water is amazing. There's a great scene in issue #2 where Mera uses her powers for the first time, and it's just breathtaking, the way he's drawing. And our colorist Rob Reis is just doing an amazing job on lighting up the book. It just looks spectacular. The art is really the best Aquaman could possibly get.
Nrama: What do you think he means, "water is poetry."
Johns: We talked about it, and he means the way it moves. It has a rhythm. And it's very organic and very beautiful. And even when it's harsh and hard and there's violence in the water, it still has a very interesting way of moving. So it's alive in its own way to Ivan, which I love.
Nrama: If you were trying to get someone to read this comic, concentrating more on the character than its accessibility, what would you say about what makes Aquaman unique?
Johns: Aquaman's a guy who has a lot on his shoulders. It's a lot about responsibility. We all have obligations that we deal with, and Aquaman's the same way. How responsible do you have to be for yourself, people around you, and the world? It can be a little daunting. So that's one of the themes of the series.
Aquaman is this guy who, on land, he's kind of laughed at. But in the ocean, he's supposed to be the king of this huge underwater society, so there's a weird juxtaposition between those two roles. And he prefers to be on land, and his job is to protect the land from sea and the sea from land. So he's literally caught in the middle of all these things.
I think everyone will be able to relate to Aquaman. I think he's very, very human, because of all that. But he's also admirable because he does step up and take care of business, and he doesn't let what anyone says stop him. He lets it roll right off his back like water.
So I think the character himself, of Arthur Curry, is a very compelling character. It's a very grounded, relatable take on Aquaman. But it will all take place within a struggle against The Trench and other epic backdrop stories as we go forward.
Nrama: After The Trench storyline, what can readers expect during the next Aquaman story?
Johns: After this first arc, Mera and Aquaman head on a quest to find out who sunk Atlantis and find out why they did it.
Nrama: You mention Mera quite a bit. Is she the main supporting cast? Will we see any other characters surrounding her and Arthur, and even some familiar villains?
Johns: You'll see Aquaman in issue #1, and then Mera really comes on board in issue #2. Mera will have a focus issue with issue #6. So the book's really focused on those two characters more than anybody else. There is a new supporting cast member introduced in issue #3 that I think is very different than anyone Aquaman's ever interacted with before. And they'll play a role in the book. And then we eventually will see other characters, like Aqualad and Aquagirl.
You'll also be introduced to a kind of strange member of the supporting cast in issue #4.
And then as far as villains, there are a lot of new characters, like The Trench. But you'll also see some familiar faces like Black Manta, Ocean Master and another obscure Aquaman villain, but his character will echo how we made Black Hand into a central figure in the Green Lantern mythos.
Nrama: Does Aquaman interact with the larger DC Universe? Or is this more about his realm separate from the rest of the DCU?
Johns: You'll see him interacting with the DCU in Justice League. But right now, there are no plans for guest start within Aquaman. This is an Aquaman book.
Nrama: I've talked to creators in the past about what makes Aquaman so unique, and many people have talked about how it sometimes minimizes Aquaman's unique abilities when he's put up next to characters like Superman and Batman. Is it tough to highlight Aquaman's abilities when he's next to the other Justice League characters?
Johns: No, it's easy, because Aquaman is so powerful and competent and smart. He's tough. Other people might look at the Justice League and say, "look at Superman and Batman go," or "What the hell's Aquaman doing there? We're in downtown Philadelphia." But he's going to be able to hold his own alongside them.
Nrama: We talked earlier about how you've tweaked your writing style a bit, with this new character-driven approach and the injection of humor. Was it tough to re-approach these characters and your writing style?
Johns: I think it's a challenge for everybody. It's a challenge to try and write in a different style or a different way. But I really enjoy it.
And Aquaman specifically is a massive challenge, just because it's Aquaman.
Nrama: I'm not sure I follow.
Johns: Well, all my career, I've had people say, "You can't do that." Like when I relaunching Teen Titans with Mike McKone, people told Mike and me, "Why are you doing Teen Titans? It's never going to work." But it worked really well.
Or when we brought Hal Jordan back, they said, "You can't do that. It's never going to work."
And Aquaman is like that. Or like when I did Booster Gold, after 52, people said, "Why are you going to waste your time on Booster Gold?" And I said, "because I think he's a really fantastic character." And I think Booster Gold has solidified himself as one of DC's key characters. He's a B-lister, that's for sure, but a great B-lister, and that's what his role is.
Nrama: And you certainly had a lot of humor in that book.
Johns: Yeah, and that was a lot of fun. And I had a lot of humor in that Superboy book I did with Francis. Even Flash had some.
But I just want the books to be a different experience. If it's just another relaunch of Justice League or just another Aquaman where he's beating up Black Manta... it's not interesting to me. I want to be challenged and I want to do something different.
And Aquaman is very different from anything else I'm doing right now, and I think anything else DC is doing.
Nrama: Clearly, you've often done the unexpected, and most people had expected you would stay on The Flash.
Johns: Yeah, but I've written over 75 issues of The Flash. And Francis [Manapul] is going to do a great job on the book. So I just felt like Aquaman was an interesting choice. For me creatively, it's really fun to do. I like that it's not Batman or Superman or one of the other major characters.
Nrama: You've pointed toward a history where you were creating unexpected comics, but even within that, Geoff, you've become one of the most successful writers at DC. There was no hesitation as you started to change your style for these books?
Johns: It just happened naturally. It's not like there was some big decision to change this or to change that. I just challenged myself to grow as a writer, and DC challenged everyone to make the books more accessible and more fun, and this just happened naturally. And I think it's working.
I'm certainly having a lot of fun writing the books. I hope people are enjoying it.
Nrama: Will we see the hooded woman from Flashpoint #5 show up in Aquaman?
Johns: In #1, you will.
Nrama: Were you the one that came up with her?
Johns: Jim [Lee] and I are working on that together.
Nrama: Then I assume that's something you're creatively overseeing in the other books? Or is that mainly going to be something we'll see in Justice League?
Johns: I cannot talk about anything concerning that, except that you'll learn more about her in Justice League in a few months.
Nrama: When the idea was first considered to relaunch all the titles, how involved were you in the decision? And what did you think of it? And what was your role?
Johns: We were in the writers meeting.... wow, that's been awhile ago now... but I was all for the relaunch. I think the relaunch is a terrific idea for a starting point for everything, and for same-day digital, and all that.
I remember when we were in the office, and people were saying, "Well, you can't renumber Action." And then we just started asking, "Well, why not? It's just a number on a cover!"
Everyone was debating about it. There was a lot of talking about it.
The thing I was probably the most vocal about was changing continuity to such an extent. It was such a creative challenge, so I just knew it would be really important that everyone takes it really seriously. I just thought that if they're going to change something, they have to make sure they're not just changing it for change's sake, but they're changing it because they think it's going to be a better emotional story, or something's a little out of date. But that was my biggest concern.
And that's certainly the way I'm approaching everything on Justice League, Aquaman and Green Lantern.
Nrama: It didn't upset you that the JSA was going away?
Johns: But it's not going away. I worked on the JSA a long time, and just because the new things we're publishing doesn't include those characters right now doesn't mean those stories can't be read and enjoyed in a trade.
Nrama: It didn't give you pause?
Johns: Well, sure. But so many other people were involved in it, that I think it gave everybody pause.
Nrama: I assume you know what James is doing in the upcoming JSA title?
Johns: I do. He's back on the Justice Society, which is terrific. He's the one who got me to love those characters in the first place, with Golden Age, so I'm excited to read the book again.
Nrama: The relaunch has worked well for September. You've seen the sales, and I assume you feel pretty good about it?
Johns: It's exciting! It means people are trying the books.
Nrama: Let's talk about the changes with digital. You guys have to stay further ahead because of same-day digital now, right?
Johns: Yeah, I'm the furthest ahead I've been in awhile.
Nrama: And I know you like to do long-form storytelling. On Aquaman, do you have a long run planned out, and can we expect the type of long-form storytelling we've seen from you before? Or are you pulling away from that since you're dealing with new readers?
Johns: No, I am doing long-form storytelling, because that's what I like doing. I may have tried to approach things a little differently than I have before. But there are other things I do approach the same. And that's long-form plotting.
So I still have the major arcs worked out for Aquaman, and ultimately what his arc is for my entire run.
Nrama: Do you have any idea how long that will be?
Johns: It's going to be awhile. I don't have any end point set right now.
But I tend to stay on books. Most of the time, I'm on books for awhile. I think as long as Ivan, Joe and I are having fun, and the book's working, and people are liking it, we're going to be there. I'm committed to Aquaman 100 percent.
Nrama: Then to finish up, Geoff, is there anything else you want to tell fans about Aquaman?
Johns: Just give it a chance. If you have an extra few bucks, grab that first issue. Whether you love Aquaman or hate Aquaman or don't know anything about Aquaman, this book's for you.

Source: Newsarama

Review - Wonder Woman #1

WONDER WOMAN #1
Written by BRIAN AZZARELLO; Art and cover by CLIFF CHIANG

Wonder Woman is one of those characters that I've always liked, but I've never been able to get into for one reason or another. I've really enjoyed what I have read of her in various Justice League and crossover books and I loved the animated feature, but I just haven't been able to stick with her monthly title.

I can really see that changing.

We are presented with Gods both good and bad, unwitting and disposable oracles and centaurs growing from the hole where a horse's head used to be. We have a woman being chased for no apparent reason being magically transported to Wonder Woman for no apparent reason. We have questions springing up everywhere.

Thankfully, by the end of the issue, Azzarello has posed as many new questions as he's answered. I certainly get the feeling that Wonder Woman is going to be a book filled with as much horror and mystery as it will superheroics.

The art has the odd panel that I wasn't thrilled about, but generally I would say that the style suits the book. The action flows really well and is brutal enough to convince us that Diana is from a warrior race.

My rating:

Wonder Woman has been hit and miss for a long time, but Azzarello and Chiang really nail what is great about the character. A good, solid, promising start. One to watch.

Review - Batman #1

BATMAN #1
Written by SCOTT SNYDER; Art by GREG CAPULLO and JONATHAN GLAPION; Cover by GREG CAPULLO; Variant cover by ETHAN VAN SCIVER

Hot off a chilling run on Detective Comics, Scott Snyder takes the reins of Gotham's flagship title. I'm going to cut straight to it and say this guy is the real deal. A huge Batman fan and a good writer!

Snyder launches us straight into the action with Batman apparently subduing a mass breakout at Arkham Asylum. This serves as an introduction to many of Gotham's rogues, but also allows us to explore the attitudes of Gotham's populace through Bruce's narration. Batman kicks arse in the actions scenes, spots things that others overlook in the detective moments and the Bruce Wayne moments show that he's on a mission rather than obsessed. All of Bruce's interactions with his supporting cast are exactly right and everything seems to be back to how it should be. The pace of the book allows us to enjoy scenes and gets out without over-staying our welcome.

My only quibble with Batman #1 is the art. For the majority of the book Greg Capullo does a bang up job, but there are issues. The page that features Bruce, Dick, Tim and Damian reveals each of the characters and their dynamics perfectly, but it is let down by a huge difference in the heights of the characters. There is at least a head-height's difference between them all. The panel above it however shows Tim and Damian's heights at a more expected difference. I suspect that the exaggerated height difference is to make up for the fact that there isn't much facial divergence between Bruce, Dick and Tim and to allow readers to tell them apart. This isn't the only problem, but I think that it is the best example.

My rating:

An excellent start to Batman v2! A couple of art issues prevent the book from being perfect, but this is the closest that the New52 have come so far.
BUY THIS BOOK!

X-Men Destiny launch trailer

Derek's Don't Run Films

I have also begun posting over at Derek's Don't Run Films. DDRF is a low-budget film company who  deliver quality products despite very low-budgets.

My first post can be seen below:

Welcome to Derek's Don't Run!

From here you will be able to follow the meandering thoughts of filmmaker Danny Naylor as he develops his next film and/or music video projects and see what goes into the process of creating and procrastinating on low-budget short films.

Why am I posting on Danny's site? The simple reason is that I have been a foil for Danny's ideas for many years now and that will continue for the foreseeable future.
We studied Film and Media Production together at university and have worked on a number of projects together, most recently the music video for Danto Aiyya's Imidiwen.

What's to come for Derek's Don't Run? I can promise that you'll find out soon, as Danny and I have a meeting scheduled next week to discuss just that.

Thanks for reading and stay tuned!