Let’s get this started by saying I’m not a big comic fan. But I HAVE read comics before and watch AT4W, so I’m sure that’s enough knowledge for me to cover this. Plus, I do have the internet, the most accurate source of information 100% of the time, to turn to. Then there’s my knowledge of comic cartoons, like the Justice League one.
Only have seen the first episode of that one.
Yeah, that’s the one.
Anyway… as I was saying… moving forward… I do know enough to do as close a fair review I can do for this comic.
This seems to come with at least two covers, but the only difference I see in them is one has a blue background and is more expensive, it’s a combo back with a digital copy inside. Any, on the art of the cover, it’s pretty good. Though I’m confused to why so many heroes appear on the cover, as only Batman, Green Lantern, and Superman appear in this issue. And Soups is only at the end of it. But anyway, no real complaints on it.
We open with the Gotham City Police Department with their guns trained on Batman. A very intriguing way to start a comic, I must say, even knowing Batman and Commissioner Gordon’s relationship. Then we cut to 5 years before that, since the very next panel says “5 Years Ago.” I guess all this happened 5 years in the past of something, but the panels kind of seem weird.
Anyway, we then see Batman dodging a hail of bullets, being shot from some helicopters’ machine guns. At the same time, Batman is chasing some large, alien robot of unknown origin. Said robot can shoot fire from its mouth, and detach and fire its fist.
A green light envelopes The Dark Knight and a glowing green firetruck has appeared. Of course, the source of this firetruck is none other than the Green Lantern. GL for some reason surprised to find out that Batman exist. DK tells GL to turn down his light or they (the police) will see him. Greenie asks who Bruceman means, and the GCPD immediately tell him to put his hands in the air. Smooth. Guess Lantern didn’t see the helicopters because he could only see that one robot despite all the choppers in the air.
Green Linguine seems shocked to find the bears in the air just want him to put his hands in the air, like it’s something new for cops to be hostile towards superheroes. Which is kind of surprising, seeing how Batman points out the Lantern’s own run-ins with the Air Force. Bats says that the world is scared of them and that it’s necessary for them to be.
The robot shifts forms and Green Lanman jokingly ask if it’s a Transformer.
Must be a Beast Wars one if so.
The two start arguing about whether Lantern should be there or not, and then Lanny starts inquiring about Bat’s powers, and is shocked to find he is just some guy in a bat suit. After this, Bruce takes off the GL’s ring and ask what it does. He easily figures out the ring works through concentration as it has no buttons on it. Batman answers the question of how the hell Bats got it off with “You– weren’t concentrating.”
They see the robot plant something on the wall, at which point it self-destructs in an attempt to take The Dark Knight and Luigi out with it. Of course, this is a fruitless attempt as Greenbean simply conjures up a willpower field. Unsure it the object left behind is a bomb, they decide to question Superman about it. Because he’s not from this planet. Pretty poor judgement, as space is huge, and not everybody knows everybody up there. “World’s Greatest Detective” Batman couldn’t think of that?
Anyway, we cut to a game of–
FOOTBALL!!!!!
High school football to be precise. And there’s this amazing receiver named Vic Stone, who is so good, all the agents want him. They all clamor to the coach’s office, while Vic is on the phone with his father, seen only in silhouette. The coach won’t let the agents talk to the boy with his father there, but the dad is busy with work. Obviously wanting his dad to be proud and supporting of him, Vic is hurt when he doesn’t show up, and finishes off his speech to his dad by saying they won, though he doubted his dad cared. Vic tells his coach that his dad will show up “next game, for sure.”
The panel following we get someone saying “Oh, my God!” That emphasis seems a little weird to me, and I much prefer the way Arnold from Troll 2 said it. Anyway, that reaction was cause by the Grandpa Lou-nter’s GIANT FREAKING GREEN JET RIGHT IN PLAIN VIEW!
“It’s okay, Bats. I’ve got it on ‘stealth’ mode.”
Somebody else on the football team ask if Vic’s dad studies the superhuman’s, to which Vic says yes, but his father never talks about it to him.
Green Lemon goes in half-cocked, sure that he can defeat The Man of Steel. For a Lantern, this guy isn’t very bright. The Dark Knight dives to the side as GL gets sent flying back out of Superman’s place, Soups ask the Bat what he can do, and we get promised an epic showdown between Superman and Batman.
And there we have the first issue of The New 52’s first comic of the DC relaunch, and honestly it’s a fun read. Good art, good writing, and pretty light, even with the fire-spewing extra-terrestrial robot. The parts with Vic Stone are touching, and the interaction between Batman, Green Lantern, and Superman is great.
I want to read more of this comic, as well as reading the other comics of the reboot. Fans of the original can criticize, complain about, or avoid the pot-reboot DC comics all they want to, assuming they do. But to those who read it who were fans of the original and it enjoyed this comic, or to new fans like myself, these are certainly worth a shot checking out.
“I’m being inconspicuous :3”
Mercurypony 