Everyone's favorite Watchmen loony finally makes his debut in Before Watchmen this week, and we're happy to report that the initial results are promising. Meanwhile, Avengers vs. X-Men loses its steam, Batwoman returns to form, Saga continues to kick ass, and the latest issue of Wonder Woman blows our minds.
DC COMICS
Batwoman #12
Written by J.H. Williams III & Haden Blackman | Art by J.H. Williams III
"A number of changes have occurred since you last read a Batwoman comic: J.H. Williams III is back on art, the format is back to a relatively linear format, and Wonder Woman is featured prominently. I would have expected each of those changes to benefit the book, but, together, they push the book to its best form thus far." -Poet
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Final Score:
9.0
Before Watchmen: Rorschach #1
Written by Brian Azzarello | Art by Lee Bermejo
"Poll a group of Watchmen fans on who their favorite character is, and chances are the majority will answer "Rorschach." There's something endlessly appealing about the dark, twisted vigilante who sets out to solve the world's ills with his fists. No doubt many writers would have jumped at the chance to pen the further adventures of Rorschach, but DC opted for the writer perhaps best suited for his bloody, grimy, nihilistic world -- Brian Azzarello. Unsurprisingly, Azzarello quickly and comfortably settles in with the character in Before Watchmen: Rorschach #1." -Jesse
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Final Score:
8.0
Birds of Prey #12
Written by Duane Swierczynski | Art by Cliff Richards
"Birds of Prey #12 isn’t brimming with forward progression or even notable character work, but it does pack plenty of pleasing action into its 20 brisk pages. Cliff Richards handles art duties here, and though many backgrounds are scarce and rely on the hues of Gabe Eltaeb, his figure work is detailed and his facial emotions are impressive. The action flows gracefully from panel to panel, with Richards ensuring a wide variety of blocking for the numerous action sequences and detailing each punch for maximum impact. Of particular note is a battle with on again-off again teammate Poison Ivy, which when coupled with Eltaeb’s fantastic green tones, gives us an aesthetically pleasing and dynamic action sequence." -Joey
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Final Score:
7.0
Catwoman #12
Written by Judd Winick | Art by Adriana Melo
"If Red Hood and the Outlaws was a critically maligned book that managed to make some crucial improvements over the first year of the New 52, Catwoman has mainly been spinning its wheels. Like Red Hood, the rampant sexuality is no longer the concern it once was. But unlike that series, Catwoman has failed to develop a sense of forward momentum or the crucial character relationships needed to keep readers invested over the long run." -Jesse
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Final Score:
5.0
DC Universe Presents #12
Written by Fabian Nicieza | Art by Jorge Jimenez
"After a fascinating and inspired arc about Vandal Savage, DCU Presents #12 cheapens the very prospect of this series by turning it into an unnecessary tie-in to Teen Titans, a book so overwritten itself that you’ll be stunned to learn that it needed more words elsewhere to paint the whole picture. This issue opens with a straining exposition dump – really just a recap page in disguise – and then launches into a high-octane story about Kid Flash fighting dino-teens. The premise is fine and good; unfortunately the issue itself is a one-way ticket to 'Check out Teen Titans #12'-ville, resolving nothing and leaving you empty." -Joey
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Final Score:
4.5
Green Lantern #12
Written by Geoff Johns | Art by Renato Guedes & Jim Calafiore
"The Blackest Night event is a personal favorite of mine, so I was trepidatious when a Black Lantern ring popped out of Black Hand’s mouth, threatening to spoil the epic story that had already come to a fitting conclusion years ago. Geoff Johns has stymied my fears by choosing to put a new spin on Black Hand’s purpose in a way that severely shakes up Hal Jordan’s status quo. You’ll never guess what he’s going to be the 'greatest' at this time." -Joshua
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Final Score:
8.0
Green Lantern Corps #12
Written by Peter Tomasi | Art by Fernando Pasarin
"The quality of this story by Peter J. Tomasi is debatable. As far as pacing, character development, and fan-pleasing moments go, I would consider it high quality. But when you turn an eye to the story arc being told, it fails miserably because it forgets about why the story was told in the first place: John Stewart murdered one of his fellow Lanterns and he must answer for his actions. This series has been one of the stronger Green Lantern titles, so it’s all the more shame that this story didn’t come to any sort of conclusion on the matter." -Joshua
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Final Score:
5.5
Nightwing #12
Written by Kyle Higgins | Art by Andres Guinaldo
"Between the Dick Grayson-related revelations that came out of Night of the Owls and various other elements Kyle Higgins has seeded over the past year, Nightwing has a lot going for it. Unfortunately, the series too rarely seems to nail the execution. Issue #12 is another frustratingly uneven installment that nonetheless suggests some pretty cool things are coming on the horizon." -Jesse
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Final Score:
6.5
Red Hood and the Outlaws #12
Written by Scott Lobdell | Art by Timothy Green II
"Red Hood and the Outlaws has been chugging along for a year now, and this is one New 52 series where it's particularly interesting to examine its evolution over the past 12 months. If not without its problems, the book has nonetheless addressed a number of troubling characterization problems and proven that there's a place for a ragtag team like the Outlaws in the New 52." -Jesse
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Final Score:
7.0
Supergirl #12
Written by Mike Johnson & Michael Green | Art by Mahmud Asrar
"It’s been nearly a year since Supergirl and Superman first battled in Supergirl #2, but their reunion in this issue is significantly calmer. More importantly, we can feel the immense amount of progression that Kara has made since her arrival on Earth. She might not be able to speaking English yet, but the growth of her powers and acceptance of her loss are truly endearing and the writers play that up to the fullest in this issue’s opening conversation. Her distrust of Superman, while somewhat understandable, is growing a bit thin, but if the discovery at the end of this issue is any indication, that’ll soon be put to rest." -Joey
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Final Score:
8.0
Wonder Woman #12
Written by Brian Azzarello | Art by Cliff Chiang
"Brian Azzarello just made me a Wonder Woman fan for life. By dating this story just enough to let him play around with the origin of her powers, and reveal some new ones, Azzarello has given meaning to aspects of Wonder Woman’s character that have long been taken for granted. Flight is so commonplace in superhero books that it’s easy to forget its symbolic importance, as well as the rush of adrenaline that comes when your new favorite hero does it for the first time." -Joshua
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Final Score:
9.5
Source : ign[dot]com
