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52
52, Vol. 1
After the events rendered in Infinite Crisis, the inhabitants of the DC Universe suffered through a year (52 weeks; hence the title) without Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman. How does one survive in a dangerous world without superheroes? This paperback, the first of a four-volume series, begins to answer that perilous question? Nonstop action amid planetary anarchy.
52 (2006-2007) Issues 1 - 13
52 (2006-2007) Issues 1 - 13
304 pages, Paperback
First published May 2, 2007
63 people are currently reading
2444 people want to read
About the author
Geoff Johns
2,716 books2,410 followersGeoff Johns originally hails from Detroit, Michigan. He attended Michigan State University, where he earned a degree in Media Arts and Film. He moved to Los Angeles in the late 1990s in search of work within the film industry. Through perseverance, Geoff ended up as the assistant to Richard Donner, working on Conspiracy Theory and Lethal Weapon 4. During that time, he also began his comics career writing Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E. and JSA (co-written with David S. Goyer) for DC Comics. He worked with Richard Donner for four years, leaving the company to pursue writing full-time.
His first comics assignments led to a critically acclaimed five-year run on the The Flash. Since then, he has quickly become one of the most popular and prolific comics writers today, working on such titles including a highly successful re-imagining of Green Lantern, Action Comics (co-written with Richard Donner), Teen Titans, Justice Society of America, Infinite Crisis and the experimental breakout hit series 52 for DC with Grant Morrison, Greg Rucka and Mark Waid. Geoff received the Wizard Fan Award for Breakout Talent of 2002 and Writer of the Year for 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008 as well as the CBG Writer of the Year 2003 thru 2005, 2007 and CBG Best Comic Book Series for JSA 2001 thru 2005. Geoff also developed BLADE: THE SERIES with David S. Goyer, as well as penned the acclaimed “Legion” episode of SMALLVILLE. He also served as staff writer for the fourth season of ROBOT CHICKEN.
Geoff recently became a New York Times Bestselling author with the graphic novel Superman: Brainiac with art by Gary Frank.
His first comics assignments led to a critically acclaimed five-year run on the The Flash. Since then, he has quickly become one of the most popular and prolific comics writers today, working on such titles including a highly successful re-imagining of Green Lantern, Action Comics (co-written with Richard Donner), Teen Titans, Justice Society of America, Infinite Crisis and the experimental breakout hit series 52 for DC with Grant Morrison, Greg Rucka and Mark Waid. Geoff received the Wizard Fan Award for Breakout Talent of 2002 and Writer of the Year for 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008 as well as the CBG Writer of the Year 2003 thru 2005, 2007 and CBG Best Comic Book Series for JSA 2001 thru 2005. Geoff also developed BLADE: THE SERIES with David S. Goyer, as well as penned the acclaimed “Legion” episode of SMALLVILLE. He also served as staff writer for the fourth season of ROBOT CHICKEN.
Geoff recently became a New York Times Bestselling author with the graphic novel Superman: Brainiac with art by Gary Frank.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 232 reviews
September 18, 2016
52 was a year-long weekly series set in the wake of Infinite Crisis when Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman were taken off the table and the spotlight turned to DC’s B-to-Z list characters for a change. It boasted some of comics’ best writers like Grant Morrison, Mark Waid, Geoff Johns and Greg Rucka, and yet it wasn’t very good. But whyyyy? Well, partly because there are reasons why these characters are unpopular and barely known in the first place and partly because none of the myriad of storylines going on are at all interesting!
A Kryptonian cult believing in the resurrection of Superboy (see Infinite Crisis) want to try raising someone else from the dead as a test first: Sue Dibny, Ralph Dibny the Elongated Man’s wife who was murdered in Identity Crisis - yeah, DC love that word “Crisis”! Detective Renee Montoya of the Gotham City PD is hired by The Question to help him investigate Intergang.
Lex Luthor is developing his Everyman project which aims to give everyone the ability to have superpowers and uses John Henry Irons/Steel’s niece Natasha as his first test subject. Black Adam, ruler of Kahndaq, is forming a coalition against US hegemony while lethally dealing with supervillains. Booster Gold is up to his usual dickish tricks. Animal Man, Starfire, and Adam Strange are stranded on an alien planet somewhere.
Those are roughly all of the storylines in this first volume. My problems with them are that none of them really grab me - there’s no single storyline that stands head and shoulders above the others as exceptional. They’re all very poor meandering subplots at best that don’t gel together to form a cohesive narrative - they stand alone and don’t amount to a hill of beans.
That might be the result of the different writers writing certain storylines (it’s not clear who wrote what storylines or whether they all contributed ideas to each one) and then a group of editors slapping it all together as and when they were ready - weekly schedules are hella demanding! - but I don’t see a strong singular vision for this series which makes it an unfocused and unsatisfying read.
Some storylines I liked less than others. Booster Gold’s was the worst. I hate this guy. He’s the most awful “superhero”: a vainglorious, transparently reprehensible shithead who acts heroically for money and is only in the present because he’s from the future and can take advantage of recorded history via his sycophantic robot lackey Skeets and get rich. Dan Jurgens, take a bow, you created the worst superhero ever!
All this book does is show others realising what we already know: that Booster is a fraud. And yet I don’t get his semi-popularity in our world. What do people see in this cheesy, poorly designed and totally unlikeable character?? And why did DC see fit to make him such a big component of 52?! He’s like Zap Brannigan but without the saving grace of being funny.
All of the storylines are so, so slooooooow moving! Maybe it’s because they’re wafer thin to begin with and there’s so much space to be filled that it’s in DC’s best interests to spin them out as much as they can but they barely inch ahead in this 300 page volume. I don’t know why Question needs Renee Montoya to help him but they stake out a warehouse and fight a monster and that’s about it for them in this entire book. Animal Man, Starfire and Adam Strange’s shipwrecked storyline went nowhere either - they fight a giant and that’s it!
Black Adam does some typically evil shit and then creates a new superhero for no reason. Steel’s storyline was terrible thanks to his having no personality and his niece being a brain-dead idiot. And anything related to Identity Crisis is a major turnoff for me so I was never going to like Ralph Dibny’s storyline but it didn’t help that his story was this plodding police procedural full of noir cliches, right down to his private dick trenchcoat and drinking problem!
The artwork is DC house style through and through which means it looks polished but it’s boring and unremarkable to look at.
I’ll give DC this: I’ve gotta admire the ambition of a project like this where the story develops in real time, week after week. The idea of only using lesser-known characters is laudable too. And they pulled off the grand experiment so kudos to DC! It’s just a shame the quality of the finished product is so lacking (but that’s always the case with weekly titles).
I’d only recommend 52 to hardcore DC fans who likely wouldn’t need any prodding to pick this up in the first place - everyone else, it’s not worth the effort to slog through such an unrewarding, dull and bloated comic.
A Kryptonian cult believing in the resurrection of Superboy (see Infinite Crisis) want to try raising someone else from the dead as a test first: Sue Dibny, Ralph Dibny the Elongated Man’s wife who was murdered in Identity Crisis - yeah, DC love that word “Crisis”! Detective Renee Montoya of the Gotham City PD is hired by The Question to help him investigate Intergang.
Lex Luthor is developing his Everyman project which aims to give everyone the ability to have superpowers and uses John Henry Irons/Steel’s niece Natasha as his first test subject. Black Adam, ruler of Kahndaq, is forming a coalition against US hegemony while lethally dealing with supervillains. Booster Gold is up to his usual dickish tricks. Animal Man, Starfire, and Adam Strange are stranded on an alien planet somewhere.
Those are roughly all of the storylines in this first volume. My problems with them are that none of them really grab me - there’s no single storyline that stands head and shoulders above the others as exceptional. They’re all very poor meandering subplots at best that don’t gel together to form a cohesive narrative - they stand alone and don’t amount to a hill of beans.
That might be the result of the different writers writing certain storylines (it’s not clear who wrote what storylines or whether they all contributed ideas to each one) and then a group of editors slapping it all together as and when they were ready - weekly schedules are hella demanding! - but I don’t see a strong singular vision for this series which makes it an unfocused and unsatisfying read.
Some storylines I liked less than others. Booster Gold’s was the worst. I hate this guy. He’s the most awful “superhero”: a vainglorious, transparently reprehensible shithead who acts heroically for money and is only in the present because he’s from the future and can take advantage of recorded history via his sycophantic robot lackey Skeets and get rich. Dan Jurgens, take a bow, you created the worst superhero ever!
All this book does is show others realising what we already know: that Booster is a fraud. And yet I don’t get his semi-popularity in our world. What do people see in this cheesy, poorly designed and totally unlikeable character?? And why did DC see fit to make him such a big component of 52?! He’s like Zap Brannigan but without the saving grace of being funny.
All of the storylines are so, so slooooooow moving! Maybe it’s because they’re wafer thin to begin with and there’s so much space to be filled that it’s in DC’s best interests to spin them out as much as they can but they barely inch ahead in this 300 page volume. I don’t know why Question needs Renee Montoya to help him but they stake out a warehouse and fight a monster and that’s about it for them in this entire book. Animal Man, Starfire and Adam Strange’s shipwrecked storyline went nowhere either - they fight a giant and that’s it!
Black Adam does some typically evil shit and then creates a new superhero for no reason. Steel’s storyline was terrible thanks to his having no personality and his niece being a brain-dead idiot. And anything related to Identity Crisis is a major turnoff for me so I was never going to like Ralph Dibny’s storyline but it didn’t help that his story was this plodding police procedural full of noir cliches, right down to his private dick trenchcoat and drinking problem!
The artwork is DC house style through and through which means it looks polished but it’s boring and unremarkable to look at.
I’ll give DC this: I’ve gotta admire the ambition of a project like this where the story develops in real time, week after week. The idea of only using lesser-known characters is laudable too. And they pulled off the grand experiment so kudos to DC! It’s just a shame the quality of the finished product is so lacking (but that’s always the case with weekly titles).
I’d only recommend 52 to hardcore DC fans who likely wouldn’t need any prodding to pick this up in the first place - everyone else, it’s not worth the effort to slog through such an unrewarding, dull and bloated comic.
January 11, 2014
I first read 52 some years back, but for some reason never rated it on Goodreads.
I’m rereading the series (volumes 1 through 4) as part of my 2014 graphic novel / superhero binge.
In a nutshell: after the events of Infinite Crisis Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and Flash (amongst others) are missing, and Earth and the superhero community are in a shambles.
The 52 series represents a week-by-week review of a year in the (somewhat unbalanced at this stage) DC Universe before things return to “normal” (insofar that word can be applied to superhero stories).
Mind, there are still more superheroes here than you can shake a stick at, albeit mostly the lesser known ones. Instead of each featuring in an individual series, the story of this difficult year is told in crossover format, under the 52 banner.
The likes of Ralph Dibny (Elongated Man), Booster Gold, The Question, John Henry Irons (Steel) and Black Adam have featuring roles. At the same time Animal Man, Adam Strange and Starfire are stranded on an unknown planet, attempting to return to Earth. So, as you can imagine, things get quite “busy”. Ah, remember the good old Justice League International days?
The most remarkable thing about 52 is that it actually hangs together. There are many stories being told here, and most of the time the reader is only presented with a single piece of the puzzle at a time. It’s also rather refreshing that most of the big guns take a back seat.
Some sequences are rather bizarre. Consider, for example, the effects of a refracted teleportation beam on the heroes returning from space (following the events of Infinite Crisis). Also: Lex Luthor handing out super powers to ordinary citizens. Really?
On the other hand, care seems to have been taken to root 52 in some reality, like flying characters being unable to take a fight into coalition country airspace without clearance. Politics have caught up with the comics.
It’s melodramatic, but oh so addictive. The writing team has really managed to create a great hook here, and once you’ve fallen for the bait… There’s a barely suppressed feel of inevitability and this particular volume ends on a rather heart-wrenching note. Considering that this could be regarded as an exercise in excess with the multitudes of different storylines, the writers have to be commended for the way they managed to cut away the fat and stick to the essentials.
If you’re really interested in everything that came before, you can read The OMAC Project and Infinite Crisis. It will give you some perspective (at least you’ll understand why everything is in such a mess), but it isn’t required. 52 stands perfectly well on its own.
Next: 52, Vol. 2
I’m rereading the series (volumes 1 through 4) as part of my 2014 graphic novel / superhero binge.
In a nutshell: after the events of Infinite Crisis Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and Flash (amongst others) are missing, and Earth and the superhero community are in a shambles.
The 52 series represents a week-by-week review of a year in the (somewhat unbalanced at this stage) DC Universe before things return to “normal” (insofar that word can be applied to superhero stories).
Mind, there are still more superheroes here than you can shake a stick at, albeit mostly the lesser known ones. Instead of each featuring in an individual series, the story of this difficult year is told in crossover format, under the 52 banner.
The likes of Ralph Dibny (Elongated Man), Booster Gold, The Question, John Henry Irons (Steel) and Black Adam have featuring roles. At the same time Animal Man, Adam Strange and Starfire are stranded on an unknown planet, attempting to return to Earth. So, as you can imagine, things get quite “busy”. Ah, remember the good old Justice League International days?
The most remarkable thing about 52 is that it actually hangs together. There are many stories being told here, and most of the time the reader is only presented with a single piece of the puzzle at a time. It’s also rather refreshing that most of the big guns take a back seat.
Some sequences are rather bizarre. Consider, for example, the effects of a refracted teleportation beam on the heroes returning from space (following the events of Infinite Crisis). Also: Lex Luthor handing out super powers to ordinary citizens. Really?
On the other hand, care seems to have been taken to root 52 in some reality, like flying characters being unable to take a fight into coalition country airspace without clearance. Politics have caught up with the comics.
It’s melodramatic, but oh so addictive. The writing team has really managed to create a great hook here, and once you’ve fallen for the bait… There’s a barely suppressed feel of inevitability and this particular volume ends on a rather heart-wrenching note. Considering that this could be regarded as an exercise in excess with the multitudes of different storylines, the writers have to be commended for the way they managed to cut away the fat and stick to the essentials.
If you’re really interested in everything that came before, you can read The OMAC Project and Infinite Crisis. It will give you some perspective (at least you’ll understand why everything is in such a mess), but it isn’t required. 52 stands perfectly well on its own.
Next: 52, Vol. 2
November 6, 2014
THE SERIES
This tale follows a “missing year” in the DC Universe after the groundbreaking “Infinite Crisis” story (see my review for that one) which was one of the bestselling graphic novels for the 2006 year. Note that "Final Crisis" follows after this and was published in 2009.
52 asks the questions who takes the role of the most popular superheroes (Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman) when they step down from their roles? There are a list of vying superheroes trying to make a name for themselves but everybody especially feels the lack of Superman in Metropolis. Meanwhile, it should be no surprise that the aftershocks of Final Crisis are far from resolved. Expect old and new villains, as well as some villains who have not been seen in some time.
Each chapter has a page of commentary from the writers and artists as well as a page or half page of script. The back has various art covers.
The writing team has to produce 52 issues in 52 weeks! That must have been intense. That writing team was: Greg Rucka, Mark Waid, Keith Giffen, Grant Morrison and Geoff Johns. Artwork and such by (listing only some of them): Joe Bennett, Chris Batista and Ruy Jose.
Note that this series comes in four volumes.
VOLUME ONE
In this volume we are introduced to a superhero from the future, Booster Gold, who plans to become the new Superman of Metropolis. He is assisted by a golden flying robot named Skeets. When the Big Three don't show up for a funeral for Superboy Booster Gold is unusually angry. Meanwhile, in the make believe nation of Khandaq Black Adam imposes his dictatorship. Ralph Dibny mourns his dead wife and can't let go. Detective Renee Montoya of Gotham meets a faceless man and a mad scientist is at large (can you guess who?). John Henry denies his niece a suit of powerful armor which drives her away.
There's a merging with the Justice Society of America so some of the Old School superheroes show up with their own stories.
Lex Luthor talks of creating his own superheroes. And at the Chinese border the Green Lanterns and other superheroes are going up against hostile Asian superheroes who have long resented the power held by America and have recently come into their own powers. Hey, you mean graphic novels can talk about our own times? Who would have thought it with some of the prejudices I have found towards the genre. Heh.
My least favorite storyline was the one dealing with the three superheroes trying to return from being lost in space and no I'm not talking about the movie or old TV series.
ARTWORK PRESENTATION: B to B plus; STORY/PLOTTING: B plus; CHARACTERS/DIALOGUE: B; DC MYTHOLOGY: B plus to A minus; ACTION SCENES: B to B plus; OVERALL GRADE: B plus; WHEN READ: end of September to early October 2012.
This tale follows a “missing year” in the DC Universe after the groundbreaking “Infinite Crisis” story (see my review for that one) which was one of the bestselling graphic novels for the 2006 year. Note that "Final Crisis" follows after this and was published in 2009.
52 asks the questions who takes the role of the most popular superheroes (Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman) when they step down from their roles? There are a list of vying superheroes trying to make a name for themselves but everybody especially feels the lack of Superman in Metropolis. Meanwhile, it should be no surprise that the aftershocks of Final Crisis are far from resolved. Expect old and new villains, as well as some villains who have not been seen in some time.
Each chapter has a page of commentary from the writers and artists as well as a page or half page of script. The back has various art covers.
The writing team has to produce 52 issues in 52 weeks! That must have been intense. That writing team was: Greg Rucka, Mark Waid, Keith Giffen, Grant Morrison and Geoff Johns. Artwork and such by (listing only some of them): Joe Bennett, Chris Batista and Ruy Jose.
Note that this series comes in four volumes.
VOLUME ONE
In this volume we are introduced to a superhero from the future, Booster Gold, who plans to become the new Superman of Metropolis. He is assisted by a golden flying robot named Skeets. When the Big Three don't show up for a funeral for Superboy Booster Gold is unusually angry. Meanwhile, in the make believe nation of Khandaq Black Adam imposes his dictatorship. Ralph Dibny mourns his dead wife and can't let go. Detective Renee Montoya of Gotham meets a faceless man and a mad scientist is at large (can you guess who?). John Henry denies his niece a suit of powerful armor which drives her away.
There's a merging with the Justice Society of America so some of the Old School superheroes show up with their own stories.
Lex Luthor talks of creating his own superheroes. And at the Chinese border the Green Lanterns and other superheroes are going up against hostile Asian superheroes who have long resented the power held by America and have recently come into their own powers. Hey, you mean graphic novels can talk about our own times? Who would have thought it with some of the prejudices I have found towards the genre. Heh.
My least favorite storyline was the one dealing with the three superheroes trying to return from being lost in space and no I'm not talking about the movie or old TV series.
ARTWORK PRESENTATION: B to B plus; STORY/PLOTTING: B plus; CHARACTERS/DIALOGUE: B; DC MYTHOLOGY: B plus to A minus; ACTION SCENES: B to B plus; OVERALL GRADE: B plus; WHEN READ: end of September to early October 2012.
October 23, 2024
Really enjoy rereading this series, the first real-time comic ever
The ensemble cast is like watching a prestige drama series, and made the entire universe feel real and with stakes.
Especially love the great writers and their takes on Booster Gold, Black Adam, the Question, and more...
The ensemble cast is like watching a prestige drama series, and made the entire universe feel real and with stakes.
Especially love the great writers and their takes on Booster Gold, Black Adam, the Question, and more...
January 5, 2012
Right after Infinite Crisis wrapped up, the regular DC books apparently skipped forward a year. 52, published at the same time, told the story of that missing year in 52 issues, published once a week yearly. I'm not sure what I expected out of it, but I didn't expect it to be very good. That's a pretty grueling schedule to keep up for an entire year. And what do you know, it is pretty good.
Because they were smart when they started. 52 worked on a team approach, with a team of writers and a team of artists working together to get this thing done. Still, it must have been a marathon to write, because it's going to be a bit of a marathon to read. And the quality has mostly held up. I like that the story is focusing on the less iconic characters of the DCU, and I like that the story is more down-to-earth, more human and relatable. Not feeling the Starfire/Adam Strange/Animal Man in space storyline, though. The art is consistent, but generally nothing to get too excited about.
There's a lot of exposition in this volume, naturally, since there are a lot of storylines to cover, and a lot of time to do them in. But it did get me hooked on most of them.
Because they were smart when they started. 52 worked on a team approach, with a team of writers and a team of artists working together to get this thing done. Still, it must have been a marathon to write, because it's going to be a bit of a marathon to read. And the quality has mostly held up. I like that the story is focusing on the less iconic characters of the DCU, and I like that the story is more down-to-earth, more human and relatable. Not feeling the Starfire/Adam Strange/Animal Man in space storyline, though. The art is consistent, but generally nothing to get too excited about.
There's a lot of exposition in this volume, naturally, since there are a lot of storylines to cover, and a lot of time to do them in. But it did get me hooked on most of them.
May 14, 2011
With so many good writers on this book, I almost can't tell where a hack like Waid's writing comes in. This is overall a good concept and a good read, and even where the story seems to jump around a little too much like it was edited by an epileptic, it's also enjoyable to keep seeing the subplots moving forward at a brisk pace.
I can't imagine how gruelling it must've been to try to keep this project on schedule. For that feat of coordination and endurance alone I admire this book, and the writing calibre is icing on the cake. The art is hit or miss tho - some very detailed and realistic, jammed up against some of the most cartooney stuff. Any style could work here, but it's not easy jumping styles every few pages.
I also gotta say: I don't remember the story of Infinite Crisis and I think I lose some of the gravitas that this book is supposed to convey.
I can't imagine how gruelling it must've been to try to keep this project on schedule. For that feat of coordination and endurance alone I admire this book, and the writing calibre is icing on the cake. The art is hit or miss tho - some very detailed and realistic, jammed up against some of the most cartooney stuff. Any style could work here, but it's not easy jumping styles every few pages.
I also gotta say: I don't remember the story of Infinite Crisis and I think I lose some of the gravitas that this book is supposed to convey.
May 24, 2012
I guess I am alone on thinking that this series was near perfect. This review is going to encompass all of the volumes because I only have the back issues.
Look, this is a series primarily for smaller characters. I guess that's too mainstream now or something because people keep hating on it. Yes, it has bigger characters in it, too. This was the little guys time to shine.. and they deliver.
There are multiple stories running at once. The ones that come to mind immediately are:
Black Adam
The Question, Reneé Montoya, and Batwoman
Animal Man, Lobo, Adam Strange, and I think one more person
Ralph Dibny with the mask of Dr. Fate
Booster Gold and Supernova
JSA and the Everyman Project
There may be more but I haven't read vol.1 in awhile. This had so many twists and turns that it was ridiculous. Every one of those characters has their moment of just pure bad assness. I don't want to go into all of the storylines because that would take a lot of time but this is where Renee Montoya becomes a more stable person, Batwoman becomes established in Gotham, Ralph finds the answer he was looking for, Booster... he's just amazing in this book, Animal Man and Adam Strange fights to get back to earth (I can't remember the other people but they fight to get back, too), Black Adam is taken through a flux of emotion between being a "better" leader and "horrible" leader, and just there is so much to all of these things. I really got attached to Renee Montoya, Batwoman, and The Question (I tend to like the more realistic characters).
However, at the same time, the storyline with Black Adam had me extremely intrigued. The same with Booster Gold who was really awesome in this story.
Look, this is a series primarily for smaller characters. I guess that's too mainstream now or something because people keep hating on it. Yes, it has bigger characters in it, too. This was the little guys time to shine.. and they deliver.
There are multiple stories running at once. The ones that come to mind immediately are:
Black Adam
The Question, Reneé Montoya, and Batwoman
Animal Man, Lobo, Adam Strange, and I think one more person
Ralph Dibny with the mask of Dr. Fate
Booster Gold and Supernova
JSA and the Everyman Project
There may be more but I haven't read vol.1 in awhile. This had so many twists and turns that it was ridiculous. Every one of those characters has their moment of just pure bad assness. I don't want to go into all of the storylines because that would take a lot of time but this is where Renee Montoya becomes a more stable person, Batwoman becomes established in Gotham, Ralph finds the answer he was looking for, Booster... he's just amazing in this book, Animal Man and Adam Strange fights to get back to earth (I can't remember the other people but they fight to get back, too), Black Adam is taken through a flux of emotion between being a "better" leader and "horrible" leader, and just there is so much to all of these things. I really got attached to Renee Montoya, Batwoman, and The Question (I tend to like the more realistic characters).
However, at the same time, the storyline with Black Adam had me extremely intrigued. The same with Booster Gold who was really awesome in this story.
March 10, 2010
Until I saw the (amazing) film WATCHMEN, I had never really been much of a superhero fan. Sure, I watched the movies and cartoon shows, but I never really read any comics. After picking up the original graphic novel, I realized what I was missing out on; the world of the DC Universe is a beautiful, exciting, amazing place, and 52 does a wonderful job of portraying that.
Picking up directly after the events of Infinite Crisis, 52 shows us a world without Earth's three greatest heroes: Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman. It is not, however, a world without heroes. Taking place in real time between 2006 and 2007, 52 shows week by week what the Universe is doing while "Bats" and "WW" go soul searching and Superman is stuck as powerless Clark Kent.
The story is broken up between 7 plot lines that intertwine and effect each other at many points in the story; There is the fame seeking Booster Gold, eager to fill in the shoes of The Man of Steel and make a quick buck doing so, Ralph Dibny, The Elongated Man, who searches for answers about a mysterious cult bent on resurrecting Superboy from the grave but want to do a test run on his late wife, Sue.
Lex Luthor invents a way to turn regular people into superheroes (for a price) and takes under his wing Natasha Irons, niece of a not-to-happy John Henry Irons aka Steel, former Gotham police detective and current drunken mess Renee Montoya is molded into something of a protegee by the ever mysterious "faceless crime fighter", The Question.
Dr. Will Magnus, creater of the Metal Men, on an island full of mad scientist given unlimited resources (and "mind-bending narcotics) for the development of doomsday weapons for the ever shadowy Intergang while Black Adam finds hope and a new way of life when he starts his own "Black Marvel Family". Meanwhile, very, very, very far away from home, Animal Man, Adam Strange, and Starfire, all marooned on a strange alien planet, find themselves the targets of an intergalactic army of parasitic zombie-like beings bent on universal destruction.
With so many things happening to heroes that the general populace has never heard of, and being written by four different authors, it can seem like 52 would be very hard to follow, yet the story telling just falls seemingly into place as the big picture becomes more and more clear.
Characterization feels very real, especially the relationship between The Question and Renee, and the art is done wonderfully (especially since this was originally published as a weekly comic!)
Full of action, drama, comedy and heartbreak (there are a few deaths), 52 makes for a great read (and a must read for any serious fans of the DC Universe)...In a nutshell, B list heroes have never looked so good.
Picking up directly after the events of Infinite Crisis, 52 shows us a world without Earth's three greatest heroes: Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman. It is not, however, a world without heroes. Taking place in real time between 2006 and 2007, 52 shows week by week what the Universe is doing while "Bats" and "WW" go soul searching and Superman is stuck as powerless Clark Kent.
The story is broken up between 7 plot lines that intertwine and effect each other at many points in the story; There is the fame seeking Booster Gold, eager to fill in the shoes of The Man of Steel and make a quick buck doing so, Ralph Dibny, The Elongated Man, who searches for answers about a mysterious cult bent on resurrecting Superboy from the grave but want to do a test run on his late wife, Sue.
Lex Luthor invents a way to turn regular people into superheroes (for a price) and takes under his wing Natasha Irons, niece of a not-to-happy John Henry Irons aka Steel, former Gotham police detective and current drunken mess Renee Montoya is molded into something of a protegee by the ever mysterious "faceless crime fighter", The Question.
Dr. Will Magnus, creater of the Metal Men, on an island full of mad scientist given unlimited resources (and "mind-bending narcotics) for the development of doomsday weapons for the ever shadowy Intergang while Black Adam finds hope and a new way of life when he starts his own "Black Marvel Family". Meanwhile, very, very, very far away from home, Animal Man, Adam Strange, and Starfire, all marooned on a strange alien planet, find themselves the targets of an intergalactic army of parasitic zombie-like beings bent on universal destruction.
With so many things happening to heroes that the general populace has never heard of, and being written by four different authors, it can seem like 52 would be very hard to follow, yet the story telling just falls seemingly into place as the big picture becomes more and more clear.
Characterization feels very real, especially the relationship between The Question and Renee, and the art is done wonderfully (especially since this was originally published as a weekly comic!)
Full of action, drama, comedy and heartbreak (there are a few deaths), 52 makes for a great read (and a must read for any serious fans of the DC Universe)...In a nutshell, B list heroes have never looked so good.
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January 10, 2013
The comic version of Renee Montoya is younger, less-competent, more abrasive, sexier and more scantily-clad than the original. Also she's a lesbian. Obviously. Because strong, independent women have to be lesbians. And have chips on their shoulders. And somehow exist in that mythical world fiction insists upon pretending exists, where every lesbian looks like a Victoria's Secret model.
October 12, 2016
This is one of the best books to come from DC Comics in years.
January 25, 2016
An incredible storyline that involves almost everyone in the DC universe. Fantastic writing and excellent art. Very recommended.
June 24, 2025
Pretty fun re-read so far. I'm not much of a DC guy, but the method the creative team used to brainstorm this bad boy up is fantastic. Every seen is drip feeding critical plot points and there is absolutely zero filler. Also there are some mega talent on this title. Can't go wrong with this team.
It's been so long since I first read this I can't wait to see some of my favourite moments replay out in the next volume
It's been so long since I first read this I can't wait to see some of my favourite moments replay out in the next volume
May 13, 2013
I found this an interesting read, particularly as I'd just read "The Dark Knight Strikes Again" just before it, because both books provide interesting alternative takes on popular DC heroes, including Superman, Batman, Green Arrow, Elongated Man, and so on. In this one, four esteemed comics writers (Grant Morrison, Greg Rucka, Mark Waid and Geoff Johns) collaborated on a year's worth of weekly comics (one reason for the title "52") telling the story of the DC universe's recovery from first "Crisis on Infinite Earths" and then "Infinite Crisis," in which parallel worlds with analogous heroes and villains all appeared in the same space, causing all kinds of havoc. There was a big sacrifice and the parallel worlds were banished back to their own parallel universes, but the aftermath is dire. Many millions of people were killed or just lost, including many superheroes and villains. The rest are left picking up the pieces. That's where "52" begins.
The four authors each pursue separate storylines which intertwine in an interesting and compelling way. There's two mystery storylines, with Ralph Dibny (the Elongated Man) investigating a cult of Krypton (they believe that Superboy will be resurrected) that has been invading his privacy, and the Question looking into the activities of Intergang. Then there's the Marvel family (speaking loosely), in which Black Adam forms the country of Kahndaq and unites with various countries in opposition to the United States hegemony; the 25th century hero Booster Gold's journey from a self-serving hack to someone who actually discovers some clues as to what's happened to the world, and Lex Luthor's using Steel and his niece Natasha as pawns in his plan to release his controlled supergene project called "Everyman." Those are just the main storylines; there's also Green Lanterns trying to keep the peace, Animal Man stranded in a hostile other dimension, and so on.
It's a lovely, Byzantine story that moves along at a quick pace. I quite liked it and will seek out the second volume soon.
The four authors each pursue separate storylines which intertwine in an interesting and compelling way. There's two mystery storylines, with Ralph Dibny (the Elongated Man) investigating a cult of Krypton (they believe that Superboy will be resurrected) that has been invading his privacy, and the Question looking into the activities of Intergang. Then there's the Marvel family (speaking loosely), in which Black Adam forms the country of Kahndaq and unites with various countries in opposition to the United States hegemony; the 25th century hero Booster Gold's journey from a self-serving hack to someone who actually discovers some clues as to what's happened to the world, and Lex Luthor's using Steel and his niece Natasha as pawns in his plan to release his controlled supergene project called "Everyman." Those are just the main storylines; there's also Green Lanterns trying to keep the peace, Animal Man stranded in a hostile other dimension, and so on.
It's a lovely, Byzantine story that moves along at a quick pace. I quite liked it and will seek out the second volume soon.
January 19, 2016
I started really reading American comics after DC had already moved into the New 52. From there I had a starting point. Many people told me that I needed to read the other, “better” stuff. The original52 is something that has been recommended to me more than once.
52 tells the story of what happens in the DC Universe after Infinite Crisis. Um, noob here, right? I don’t know what happens in Infinite Crisis except that all the heroes disappear. I know that because it’s easy enough to figure that out while reading 52 when Booster Gold is the star of the show.
I feel like I’m still going to like 52 once I get further along, because I’ll figure out bits and pieces of what’s going on and plus there are some fantastic elements that this has going for it. Probably the coolest part is that each issue really is one further after Infinite Crisis and even the single issues are broken up into days. It’s so interesting to see the difference in certain characters, like Steel after he’s forcefully introduced to the metagene by Lex, or Booster Gold who struggles for fame but gets his reputation destroyed. I feel like I’m actually going to get to see some characters really develop and evolve. This must be the benefit of using secondary characters almost exclusively.
The best part? Renee Montoya. I love her. She’s definitely the best lesbian in DC. Yes, better than Kate Kane. She’s playing a big role in 52 volume one. I don’t know to what end but I’m excited to find out.
Lot’s of mystery and intrigue going on in this first volume. It’s a little daunting for a noob to read especially when you don’t know half the characters and don’t know the big event that takes place prior to the story and also shapes the story but I’m going to stick it out and read the rest. People who already know the whole story will probably enjoy this. Noobs, it’s going to be rough but try it, we’ll figure it out eventually, right? Especially since about a billion talented people collaborated on this.
52 tells the story of what happens in the DC Universe after Infinite Crisis. Um, noob here, right? I don’t know what happens in Infinite Crisis except that all the heroes disappear. I know that because it’s easy enough to figure that out while reading 52 when Booster Gold is the star of the show.
I feel like I’m still going to like 52 once I get further along, because I’ll figure out bits and pieces of what’s going on and plus there are some fantastic elements that this has going for it. Probably the coolest part is that each issue really is one further after Infinite Crisis and even the single issues are broken up into days. It’s so interesting to see the difference in certain characters, like Steel after he’s forcefully introduced to the metagene by Lex, or Booster Gold who struggles for fame but gets his reputation destroyed. I feel like I’m actually going to get to see some characters really develop and evolve. This must be the benefit of using secondary characters almost exclusively.
The best part? Renee Montoya. I love her. She’s definitely the best lesbian in DC. Yes, better than Kate Kane. She’s playing a big role in 52 volume one. I don’t know to what end but I’m excited to find out.
Lot’s of mystery and intrigue going on in this first volume. It’s a little daunting for a noob to read especially when you don’t know half the characters and don’t know the big event that takes place prior to the story and also shapes the story but I’m going to stick it out and read the rest. People who already know the whole story will probably enjoy this. Noobs, it’s going to be rough but try it, we’ll figure it out eventually, right? Especially since about a billion talented people collaborated on this.
February 23, 2016
Note: I read the individual comic book issues, but seeing as GoodReads does not list all of these issues individually, I rate them using the omnibus and collection editions. This volume collects issues 1 thru 13.
(Light spoilers to follow.)
I would say that this so far is a 4.5 rating. It's interesting to see how the characters are interacting in a world with no Batman, Superman or Wonder Woman.
Booster Gold's arch has been quite feelsy (as with most all the characters, but that's besides the point). He just wanted to be a hero, but ended up being hated and suffered for it.
I'm also really intrigued to see where Black Adam's story arch is headed. He's become quite the vicious and cruel man (more so than before). The shear determination driven by (somewhat) good intentions.
A very interesting series, with a lot going on in it. I'll definitely be trying to collect every issue (there was a lot of series that shot off from the main arch, which I have).
Happy reading everyone.
(Light spoilers to follow.)
I would say that this so far is a 4.5 rating. It's interesting to see how the characters are interacting in a world with no Batman, Superman or Wonder Woman.
Booster Gold's arch has been quite feelsy (as with most all the characters, but that's besides the point). He just wanted to be a hero, but ended up being hated and suffered for it.
I'm also really intrigued to see where Black Adam's story arch is headed. He's become quite the vicious and cruel man (more so than before). The shear determination driven by (somewhat) good intentions.
A very interesting series, with a lot going on in it. I'll definitely be trying to collect every issue (there was a lot of series that shot off from the main arch, which I have).
Happy reading everyone.
January 6, 2013
Brilliant and thrilling all in one. Not being a big dc fan this is fast paced and enthralling , now on to vol 2.
December 2, 2021
This was one of the first comic books I ever remember reading, but they only had the first couple editions at my town’s library. Picking it up gain now, i’ve really enjoyed reading it and am looking forward to the other volumes. So far, all of the different stories are very engaging, although it’s difficult to tell where some of them are going. It’s also fascinating seeing how a lot of these plots like Lex Luthor’s Inifinity Inc and the Death of Superboy have been adapted into some of my favorite DC cartoons like Justice League Unlimited and Young Justice. I’ve found the story with Starfire, Animal Man, and Adam Strange to be the least engaging but I’m waiting to see how it connects to the rest. I like Steel’s story, especially the relationship between him and Natasha.
Sometimes the disconnected storytelling is difficult to follow — I’m told this is a hallmark of Morrison’s writing — but there are points where I appreciate it =, especially those moments where you see how all the stories are connected.
Sometimes the disconnected storytelling is difficult to follow — I’m told this is a hallmark of Morrison’s writing — but there are points where I appreciate it =, especially those moments where you see how all the stories are connected.
February 16, 2025
Uno de mis propósitos lectores de 2025 es retomar el cómic de superhéroes, y meterme con 52 es una cuenta que tenía pendiente desde hace años.
52 es una serie semanal que durante un año entero narró los sucesos inmediatamente posteriores a “Crisis Infinita”, a consecuencia de los cuales (sin entrar en spoilers) la santísima trinidad de DC (Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman) desaparecieron durante un año.
Esto supone una ocasión espectacular para centrar la atención en personajes “fondo de armario” que no tenían tanto protagonismo (Renee Montoya, Elastic man, Booster Gold, etc.) así como traer otros nuevos (Batwoman) que han acabado por convertirse en instituciones.
Este primer volumen cubre las primeras 13 semanas, donde se desarrollan las consecuencias inmediatas de la crisis y se plantean los misterios de la serie. Un comienzo muy prometedor.
Lo recomiendo a quienes, ya teniendo un cierto conocimiento de DC, sus crisis y sus personajes secundarios, quiera ahondar más en este universo.
52 es una serie semanal que durante un año entero narró los sucesos inmediatamente posteriores a “Crisis Infinita”, a consecuencia de los cuales (sin entrar en spoilers) la santísima trinidad de DC (Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman) desaparecieron durante un año.
Esto supone una ocasión espectacular para centrar la atención en personajes “fondo de armario” que no tenían tanto protagonismo (Renee Montoya, Elastic man, Booster Gold, etc.) así como traer otros nuevos (Batwoman) que han acabado por convertirse en instituciones.
Este primer volumen cubre las primeras 13 semanas, donde se desarrollan las consecuencias inmediatas de la crisis y se plantean los misterios de la serie. Un comienzo muy prometedor.
Lo recomiendo a quienes, ya teniendo un cierto conocimiento de DC, sus crisis y sus personajes secundarios, quiera ahondar más en este universo.
January 20, 2021
Hodnocení budiž pro celou sérii.
52 začala jako zajímavý projekt. Týdenní série s focusem na méně známé DC postavy, dohromady na ní pracovali tehdejší TOP scénáristé. Je tu hromada dějových linek a... to je asi největší problém.
52 sešitů je strašně moc a série tím brutálně trpí. Zvlášť uprostřed je vidět, jak je to celé uměle natahované a postavy mají takové questy, že putují z místa na místo (Dibney obchází magiče, jiná skvadra lítá vesmírem atp.). To hezky dokresluje i časté líné rozdělení 2x2 panelů na stránku. Aspoň nebudete trpět dlouho.
Obsah přitom není vůbec blbej. Postavy mají dobře napsané charaktery, nějak se vyvíjí, místy se řeší zajímavá témata (Luthor vytvoří způsob, jak dát náhodným lidem schopnosti), ale... tohle jsou zápletky na 1 book. Utáhne to akorát Black Adam, kterej se chytře větví do vedlejších postav, ale to je tak všechno.
Přečetl jsem 1200 stran a not worth it.
52 začala jako zajímavý projekt. Týdenní série s focusem na méně známé DC postavy, dohromady na ní pracovali tehdejší TOP scénáristé. Je tu hromada dějových linek a... to je asi největší problém.
52 sešitů je strašně moc a série tím brutálně trpí. Zvlášť uprostřed je vidět, jak je to celé uměle natahované a postavy mají takové questy, že putují z místa na místo (Dibney obchází magiče, jiná skvadra lítá vesmírem atp.). To hezky dokresluje i časté líné rozdělení 2x2 panelů na stránku. Aspoň nebudete trpět dlouho.
Obsah přitom není vůbec blbej. Postavy mají dobře napsané charaktery, nějak se vyvíjí, místy se řeší zajímavá témata (Luthor vytvoří způsob, jak dát náhodným lidem schopnosti), ale... tohle jsou zápletky na 1 book. Utáhne to akorát Black Adam, kterej se chytře větví do vedlejších postav, ale to je tak všechno.
Přečetl jsem 1200 stran a not worth it.
July 25, 2024
I really am enjoying this so far and the focus on many smaller dc characters, and god damn, also what a feat to plan out a whole story to unravel in real time over a whole year? I cannot imagine the pressure on all the writers and artists to be pumping this thing out week after week and how exciting that is as the reader.
On the other hand of things, I can already see the slippery slope this leads as there's a LOT going on. I can at least appreciate that they're not all related to one another, they're just several different stories all happening at the same time in the universe, but it can make it difficult to focus or strongly care on any given story with all the different stuff going on.
I do love Montoya's stuff though, you messy lesbian, you, as well as the hint to who Batwoman might be.
On the other hand of things, I can already see the slippery slope this leads as there's a LOT going on. I can at least appreciate that they're not all related to one another, they're just several different stories all happening at the same time in the universe, but it can make it difficult to focus or strongly care on any given story with all the different stuff going on.
I do love Montoya's stuff though, you messy lesbian, you, as well as the hint to who Batwoman might be.
October 4, 2018
Booster Gold sucks. Like I can't stand him. I started wanting to skip through any section with him after a certain point in the story.
I Liked following Rene Montoya's plotline in this. That was really it. The other plotlines didn't grab me much at all.
First time encountering Ralph Dibny in a comic was cool to see, though.
I Liked following Rene Montoya's plotline in this. That was really it. The other plotlines didn't grab me much at all.
First time encountering Ralph Dibny in a comic was cool to see, though.
August 18, 2019
2.5*
I really don't know how to properly rate this volume. There were really great parts like Renee Montoya's storyline (and this has to mean something cause I'm usually annoyed by her) and the few funny scenes written by Mark Waid. Nevertheless, for the most part of this, I was bored. Didn't care for Elongated Man, cared even less for Booster Gold and there's probably another storyline I've already forgotten about. Will continue reading, though, because the villain appearing at the end has potential to cause a more intriguing plot.
I really don't know how to properly rate this volume. There were really great parts like Renee Montoya's storyline (and this has to mean something cause I'm usually annoyed by her) and the few funny scenes written by Mark Waid. Nevertheless, for the most part of this, I was bored. Didn't care for Elongated Man, cared even less for Booster Gold and there's probably another storyline I've already forgotten about. Will continue reading, though, because the villain appearing at the end has potential to cause a more intriguing plot.
August 8, 2024
Luego de Crisis Infinita, la Trinidad de DC cómics se retira momentáneamente, dejando a héroes no tan reconocidos a cargo de la estabilidad de un mundo asolado por el crimen organizado en distintos frentes. Durante 52 semanas nos acercaremos a un mundo nuevo y diferente, dónde no sabemos que héroe podrá enfrentar males que solo Superman podría enfrentar.
February 6, 2021
Everything I said about Infinite Crisis times infinity. So many storylines, so many characters I have never even heard of or only briefly. Lord, what a tangled long storyline.
August 25, 2022
Pretty uninspiring, but as a Grant Morrison completionist, I felt compelled to give it a try.
May 27, 2021
Too many cooks spoil the broth, is a saying these four talented writers, Johns, Morrison, Rucka, Waid (and a layout assist by Giffen) should have paid attention to. This is the first half of the 52 event where one issue was written every week for 52 weeks and they weren't allowed to use the big three Batman, Wonder Woman or Superman...or even some of the other popular characters (Flash, Green Lantern...etc.) so we are left with the C listers. That, by itself, isn't a bad thing, what makes this one of the hardest graphic novels for me to get through is there are so many stories going on all at once and none of them are interesting. And if they start to get interesting then the writers start another story. We end this volume with about 10 stories unresolved. Let's see if I can remember them all:
- Booster Gold gets exposed as a hero out for money and gets killed and gets replaced by Super Nova (we still don't know who Super Nova is)
- Skeets - Booster's robot - has turned evil (we don't know why)
- Starfire, Animal Man and a blind Adam Strange are trying to find their way home from space (They meet Lobo along the way)
- Black Adam meets his Isis and they seem to be helping people now, Isis also has a brother who was granted powers
- A lot of mad scientists have been kidnapped and are on an island with Dr Magus (creator of the Metal Men)
- Lex Luthor is - yet again - doing evil things, this time by giving anyone who wants it super powers - Steel is upset his niece accepts these powers
- A new JLA is formed and fails instantly
- Martian Manhunter is trying to stop Checkmate (a bad shadowy organization) and he succeeds and then it just starts up again for no good reason
- The Question and Rene Montoya (the only story I actually liked) are doing things to stop Intergang (I think they are aliens trying to infiltrate the Earth - but that wasn't explained well) they also run into the new Batwoman
- The Elongated man is on a loooong journey to resurrect is dead wife and might be the new Dr. Fate?
Too. Many. Stories. And none of them compelling. And since this all happened 15 years ago I know that none of these stories had any lasting effect other than (maybe) Renee and the Question. I don't even know what the Mandate for this series was. In other words - what were they trying to accomplish? They had this once in a lifetime format to do some really interesting storytelling and it feels like none of the writers could come up with an interesting enough idea to justify it. So instead they threw 10 uninteresting ideas and hoped the pace would distract readers from how bad each story was. I admit - at first it was kind of working for me but after 26 issues you need more than fast pace to sustain you as a reader.
If I could offer my suggestion in retrospect - instead of making 10 conspiracy stories (I hate conspiracy stories) they could have had one through line of heroes rebuilding themselves with the loss of the main heroes in the world (Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman), stepping up, taking their place, a story of hope and how there will always be heroes. Instead we get "Luthor is bad" and "Booster Gold is vain" and "mad scientists are gathering to do bad things". I think that is why I liked The Question story the best - he seems to be the one hero trying to do heroic things.
I still have volume 2 to read..26 more issues!! God...can I do it? There is no way this gets better, right?
- Booster Gold gets exposed as a hero out for money and gets killed and gets replaced by Super Nova (we still don't know who Super Nova is)
- Skeets - Booster's robot - has turned evil (we don't know why)
- Starfire, Animal Man and a blind Adam Strange are trying to find their way home from space (They meet Lobo along the way)
- Black Adam meets his Isis and they seem to be helping people now, Isis also has a brother who was granted powers
- A lot of mad scientists have been kidnapped and are on an island with Dr Magus (creator of the Metal Men)
- Lex Luthor is - yet again - doing evil things, this time by giving anyone who wants it super powers - Steel is upset his niece accepts these powers
- A new JLA is formed and fails instantly
- Martian Manhunter is trying to stop Checkmate (a bad shadowy organization) and he succeeds and then it just starts up again for no good reason
- The Question and Rene Montoya (the only story I actually liked) are doing things to stop Intergang (I think they are aliens trying to infiltrate the Earth - but that wasn't explained well) they also run into the new Batwoman
- The Elongated man is on a loooong journey to resurrect is dead wife and might be the new Dr. Fate?
Too. Many. Stories. And none of them compelling. And since this all happened 15 years ago I know that none of these stories had any lasting effect other than (maybe) Renee and the Question. I don't even know what the Mandate for this series was. In other words - what were they trying to accomplish? They had this once in a lifetime format to do some really interesting storytelling and it feels like none of the writers could come up with an interesting enough idea to justify it. So instead they threw 10 uninteresting ideas and hoped the pace would distract readers from how bad each story was. I admit - at first it was kind of working for me but after 26 issues you need more than fast pace to sustain you as a reader.
If I could offer my suggestion in retrospect - instead of making 10 conspiracy stories (I hate conspiracy stories) they could have had one through line of heroes rebuilding themselves with the loss of the main heroes in the world (Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman), stepping up, taking their place, a story of hope and how there will always be heroes. Instead we get "Luthor is bad" and "Booster Gold is vain" and "mad scientists are gathering to do bad things". I think that is why I liked The Question story the best - he seems to be the one hero trying to do heroic things.
I still have volume 2 to read..26 more issues!! God...can I do it? There is no way this gets better, right?
May 10, 2012
So my review of this book is colored by the fact that my comic-collecting heyday was in the decade between 1992-2002. One crossover too many was what ultimately killed off my interest in collecting multiple titles, and these days it is extremely rare for me to buy a single issue of anything. It's cheaper and more convenient to buy trades, especially with the lack of specialty comic stores in my immediate area, and with comic book companies no longer offering subscriptions by post to individual titles (as my best friend discovered, to his chagrin, when he thought to get me a subscription to Fables for my birthday,) I have no reason whatsoever to maintain more than a passing interest in current titles. The fact that the DC Public Library also has a decent collection of trades (at least of publications up till 2010) means that I can also satisfy my comicbook cravings at my leisure and without breaking the bank.
It was actually the DCPL that drew my attention to this title. I'd checked out their only Animal Man collection, thinking to catch up on Grant Morrison's back catalog, when the librarian checking me out said, "Oh, I thought he was Booster Gold. Their costumes are so similar."
I had no idea who Booster Gold was, and said something apologetic to that effect. The librarian looked at me, then rose, saying, "Wait just a moment." Then he sprinted upstairs to grab this trade and put it into my hands.
I couldn't possibly refuse a recommendation like that! Brought the book home, gave it a read, and realized that I was way, way more of a Marvel fan than I'd realized. Outside of Gotham City and Wonder Woman's mythology, I knew very little of the DC Universe. This is partly, I think, because so far as I know, DC never published an equivalent of Marvel's excellent Official Handbook, which I read voraciously as a kid in the 80s. Also, my few forays into DC comics were either via their Vertigo imprint, or through Catwoman and Wonder Woman, both strong titles when I was a collector (and prior to, especially the latter book.)
However, as a comics fan, I wasn't insensible to the controversy surrounding the recent 52 reboot. I mentioned as much to the librarian, who assured me that this title covered what happened in the year preceding it. Alrighty, then. With no prejudices, though with the slight handicap of not knowing who in the hell most of these characters were, I read.
The good news is that I'm definitely going to borrow the other 4 books in the series (but I'm a completist, so the title would've had to be really, really bad for me to forego the rest of it.) The bad news is that I still don't have much of an emotional connection to the characters. I'm aware of the fact that I would really, really have loved this had I already known who these people were, as well as their histories: the book is clearly a loving tribute to the lesser-known members of the DC universe. Were I someone entirely new to DC, I probably would've quit reading partway through. The material is accessible, but it's not as engaging if you don't already know and, at least a little bit, care.
Otherwise, the story-telling is exemplary, and the extras a very illuminating insight to the creative process behind the series. I'd recommend this for DC fans, but not really for anyone else.
It was actually the DCPL that drew my attention to this title. I'd checked out their only Animal Man collection, thinking to catch up on Grant Morrison's back catalog, when the librarian checking me out said, "Oh, I thought he was Booster Gold. Their costumes are so similar."
I had no idea who Booster Gold was, and said something apologetic to that effect. The librarian looked at me, then rose, saying, "Wait just a moment." Then he sprinted upstairs to grab this trade and put it into my hands.
I couldn't possibly refuse a recommendation like that! Brought the book home, gave it a read, and realized that I was way, way more of a Marvel fan than I'd realized. Outside of Gotham City and Wonder Woman's mythology, I knew very little of the DC Universe. This is partly, I think, because so far as I know, DC never published an equivalent of Marvel's excellent Official Handbook, which I read voraciously as a kid in the 80s. Also, my few forays into DC comics were either via their Vertigo imprint, or through Catwoman and Wonder Woman, both strong titles when I was a collector (and prior to, especially the latter book.)
However, as a comics fan, I wasn't insensible to the controversy surrounding the recent 52 reboot. I mentioned as much to the librarian, who assured me that this title covered what happened in the year preceding it. Alrighty, then. With no prejudices, though with the slight handicap of not knowing who in the hell most of these characters were, I read.
The good news is that I'm definitely going to borrow the other 4 books in the series (but I'm a completist, so the title would've had to be really, really bad for me to forego the rest of it.) The bad news is that I still don't have much of an emotional connection to the characters. I'm aware of the fact that I would really, really have loved this had I already known who these people were, as well as their histories: the book is clearly a loving tribute to the lesser-known members of the DC universe. Were I someone entirely new to DC, I probably would've quit reading partway through. The material is accessible, but it's not as engaging if you don't already know and, at least a little bit, care.
Otherwise, the story-telling is exemplary, and the extras a very illuminating insight to the creative process behind the series. I'd recommend this for DC fans, but not really for anyone else.
August 21, 2014
I'm still in shock about how truly amazing this is. This book right here is hands down some of the most addictive shit I have ever laid eyes on.
Carrying straight off from the Infinite Crisis event we see a world rebuilding. Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman are taking a break from being heroes and left the worlds safety in everyone else's hands. This is why this series is so good, we get to see smaller characters shine. The story moves like a TV series, going from plot line to plot line. The character roster is off the hook with my favourites being Black Adam, who is a complete and utter bad-ass, Question and Renee Montoya, Batwoman, Elongated Man getting his mystery on, Animal Man, Booster Gold, and Steel among others. I loved that they introduced you to some of the most interesting characters come to life. I now feel for my boy Black Adam, and Elongated Man is a smooth detective with mad skills. I've always found The Question to be an awesome character, I use to love him in the Justice League cartoon series. It was brilliant to read him in a good story, with interesting characters.
The creative team for this series is off the chain so it's no wonder it's so great. Geoff Johns and Grant Morrison bringing his cooky goodness in amongst other talented pricks. They are popping off all the stops, which makes the fact that this was a weekly series even more impressive.
And to go along with the captivating writing we get some epic art. There are a few artists on this series, but they all look banging so it's all good. I enjoyed reading the editors blurbs between each issue as well. Collecting all the covers in the back it was a nicely wrapped up package.
So stoked I can go straight on to volume 2. Looking forward to more bullshit good writing.
Carrying straight off from the Infinite Crisis event we see a world rebuilding. Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman are taking a break from being heroes and left the worlds safety in everyone else's hands. This is why this series is so good, we get to see smaller characters shine. The story moves like a TV series, going from plot line to plot line. The character roster is off the hook with my favourites being Black Adam, who is a complete and utter bad-ass, Question and Renee Montoya, Batwoman, Elongated Man getting his mystery on, Animal Man, Booster Gold, and Steel among others. I loved that they introduced you to some of the most interesting characters come to life. I now feel for my boy Black Adam, and Elongated Man is a smooth detective with mad skills. I've always found The Question to be an awesome character, I use to love him in the Justice League cartoon series. It was brilliant to read him in a good story, with interesting characters.
The creative team for this series is off the chain so it's no wonder it's so great. Geoff Johns and Grant Morrison bringing his cooky goodness in amongst other talented pricks. They are popping off all the stops, which makes the fact that this was a weekly series even more impressive.
And to go along with the captivating writing we get some epic art. There are a few artists on this series, but they all look banging so it's all good. I enjoyed reading the editors blurbs between each issue as well. Collecting all the covers in the back it was a nicely wrapped up package.
So stoked I can go straight on to volume 2. Looking forward to more bullshit good writing.
Read
October 26, 2023This starts really strong, and gets more uneven as it goes, but the basic concept of a week to week look at the DC universe below the A list is wildly fun. The DC Universe has never felt more cohesive, taking the various disparate properties that make it up as a benefit to bring to life a varied and diverse world. The world never feels small and is always interesting. Along with other comics from this era, particularly Rucka’s work on Detective, the DC Universe feels aged, deep, and expansive while still exciting and accessible. For a moment there’s no telling where these characters are headed and where the new status quo will land. It’s also making me see Geoff Johns as not entirely the worst, as the Booster and Black Adam plot lines are amongst my favorite in the book.
As I neared the end of this volume the cracks have begun to show; Ralph Dibny has taken some particularly dark turns that I didn’t quite like despite liking his overarching journey, Osiris has got to be the most annoying addition to the book, and Natasha Irons has never felt quite like a real human being, her conflict with Steel depending on a very minor lack of communication.
Greg Rucka and Grant Morrison’s contributions continue to be my favorite parts. Rucka follows up on his work with Batman, the Question, and Renee Montoya, taking the latter in an exciting new direction, and Morrison is going crazy out in space with Animal Man, Adam Strange, and Kory. No complaints there.
As I neared the end of this volume the cracks have begun to show; Ralph Dibny has taken some particularly dark turns that I didn’t quite like despite liking his overarching journey, Osiris has got to be the most annoying addition to the book, and Natasha Irons has never felt quite like a real human being, her conflict with Steel depending on a very minor lack of communication.
Greg Rucka and Grant Morrison’s contributions continue to be my favorite parts. Rucka follows up on his work with Batman, the Question, and Renee Montoya, taking the latter in an exciting new direction, and Morrison is going crazy out in space with Animal Man, Adam Strange, and Kory. No complaints there.
October 4, 2014
Remember when DC comics were still good? They're right here in this collection.
It's a complex interweaving of stories from four top writers with characters that cover a span of decades — including ones from the Charlton, Fawcett, and DC universes. My favorite storyline is Montoya and the Question, because Rucka is the man, and he does a great job of creating a storyline about real characters going through tough times. Waid's Elastic Man story is a clear second best. But, everything in here is interesting, from fun space wackiness to the grey morals of Black Adam.
This is back when DC was about more than fighting, when it had complex characters, and when it had a history, and so this volume is still worth rereading years later.
It's a complex interweaving of stories from four top writers with characters that cover a span of decades — including ones from the Charlton, Fawcett, and DC universes. My favorite storyline is Montoya and the Question, because Rucka is the man, and he does a great job of creating a storyline about real characters going through tough times. Waid's Elastic Man story is a clear second best. But, everything in here is interesting, from fun space wackiness to the grey morals of Black Adam.
This is back when DC was about more than fighting, when it had complex characters, and when it had a history, and so this volume is still worth rereading years later.
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