Comics Anonymous

Hyped for #DCnew52 ? Pumped for the Reboot?

So are my friends and I, although not without reservation. I read a lot of indies and whats got me most excited is the hope of new artists and writers with fresh, searing hot ideas giving us their take on the characters I know and love.

So, it stands to reason that my favourite of the Flashpoint tie-ins is also the reason I am most excited about #DCnew52 (with the exception of the Blue Beetle and Swampy re-launches of course)!

Deadman and the Flying Graysons was a title I picked up on a whim from the previews list. I had read nothing of Deadman at this point but I am now so unbelievably chuffed with myself for getting these books, not least for the phenomenally old school, gaudy, text teasing covers by Cliff Chiang and Jared Fletcher, depicting the 3 major stages throughout the story.

STANDING TALL, THE FIGHT & THE FALL

Issue 1 is written by J T Krull with artist Mikel Janin, Ulises Arreola colours. This is a beautiful book. It has the kind of art that gets you unbelievably excited and helps to immerse you completely in the story telling. You are really there, at the big top watching the Flying Graysons! There is so much movement to Janin’s figures that its hard not to gasp as Dick and Deadman leap off and on that deadly trapeze. It’s so refreshing to see some mind-blowing art that isn’t full of metallic this and glittering that.

As a side note – I think it is Arreola who does the colouring on Marvel’s Journey Into Mystery right now. JIM has the best art of any current book. And with Kieron Gillen, the writing ain’t too bad either.

Sadly, Janin is only artist on issue 1. With Issues 2 and 3 we have Fabrizio Fiorentino who does a great job of expanding upon the tone that Janin has set so well. We are treated to more fluid figurative work as the story finally catches up to the art, alongside Wonder Woman and her gang of Furies (or Furries as I tend to read it) catch up with the ‘Helm of Nabu’, currently being worn by ‘a circus performer’. In their desire to possess it, they make an orphan of Dick Grayson, who’s dying father requests Deadman to stick by his son. We also get an appearance by Britannia at the end.

I know I’m not the only DC reader who wishes DD & Co would get rid of the lengthy Subway ad comics and give us more pages of story. And yes, I know how important advertising revenue is but let a girl dream eh?

Anyway – I know this isn’t the most talked about Flashpoint tie in, but I completely recommend it to everyone. The art is top notch (have I covered that already 🙂 ?), JT Krul is writing and I reckon it brings Flashpoint down to a more human level and helps us realise the true impact of the war of the Amazons and Atlanteans. With Janin drawing Justice League Dark, one of the most anticipated books of #DCnew52 you should really get in about Issue 1 at least, like a tramp in about chips.

Linsay @softlyspokenlas