graphic thoughts

I liked the pants version better, and I think the artist agrees -- look at all the scratches on her legs.

The first month of DC’s New 52 has come to an end, and I have thoughts!

My thoughts not only concern the slightly-more-than-a-handful of comics I chose to read out of this new batch, but also the way comics are bought and sold.

I went to my nearest comic shop shortly after Week 1 to pick up Batgirl #1 along with the balance of my pre-reboot comics still left over. Based on a conversation with the store owner, I also picked up Action #1 which I very much enjoyed. I enjoyed it more than Batgirl #1, and that is essentially my experience with this reboot.

The two books I loved most of the seven I chose to read are Action, which stars Superman, a character I have never followed, and Wonder Woman, whose new #1 should be used to teach classes on how to reintroduce a comic book character to her oft-disappointed reading public.

In short, two books I did not intend to pick up in the first place but which I decided to get based on positive word-of-mouth turned out to be not just good but the most exciting comics I’ve read in a good long while. Wonder Woman — if it keeps up as it has started — may become my favorite comic ever.

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BIRDS OF PREY #1
Written by DUANE SWIERCZYNSKI
Art and cover by JESUS SAIZ
On sale SEPTEMBER 21 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T

One is wanted for a murder she didn’t commit. The other is on the run because she knows too much. They are Dinah Laurel Lance and Ev Crawford – a.k.a. Black Canary and Starling – and together, as Gotham City’s covert ops team, they’re taking down the villains other heroes can’t touch. But now they’ve attracted the attention of a grizzled newspaper reporter who wants to expose them, as well as a creepy, chameleon-like strike team that’s out to kill them.

Don’t miss the start of this hard-hitting new series from mystery novelist/comics writer Duane Swierczynski (Expiration Date, Cable).

On Sale August 10, 2011 • 32pg. Color $2.99 US
Written by MARC ANDREYKO
Art and cover by BILLY TUCCI

In the concluding chapter of “War and Remembrance,” Lady Blackhawk and the original Phantom Lady are in the clutches of an enemy whose evil has lain dormant for decades! Can the Birds of Prey find and rescue their captured compatriots before it’s too late for them…and the world? This is the thrilling conclusion to a story fifty years in the making! Written by fan-favorite MANHUNTER scribe Marc Andreyko and featuring breathtaking artwork by the amazing Billy Tucci!