52 Channels (and Nothin' On?)

Although still hampered by an antiquated home computer, I am able to visit some websites like Newsarama for instance. I was surprised at the sheer venom poured on DC's New 52 initiative. The consensus is that it represents the worst excesses of 90s comic books, with short-lived creative teams, fussy character designs, editorial fiat and haphazard plotting.

And yet, why should any of those elements be a surprise? It's the nature of fashion to be cyclical. But I'm pretty sure that the current trend for gore and bleakness  might have reached its apogee.Since I am a fair distance from the target audience, I was unsettled by the brutal death of Damian Wayne- Batman's son and a pre-teen child- at the hands of his own age-accelerated clone. I think it's ironic however that while Morrison is decrying the need for a Robin in his ultra-violent series, Jeff Parker is launching a comic based on the 1966 Adam West tv show.

Death for shock value manifests elsewhere. Keith Giffen's long-awaited and absurdly short-lived return to the Legion of Super-Heroes began with the meaningless and accidental death of classic Legionnaire Sun Boy. Giffen indulged his jarring sense of black comedy further by having the super-hero's corpse cooked and eaten by pigmy aliens. Guiltily, however, I have to admit that this excessive scene and the Kirby-esque catastrophe engulfing the Legion's world contributed to one of the most exciting issues in this series' tedious run.

The other DC comics I've enjoyed in recent weeks have been the gritty techno-noir of Justice League of America- a direction I've been anticipating for some time-and the spin-off title for Vibe, the demonised Hispanic body-popping hero of the Eighties. By far the most impressive product from DC for old-timers, of course, is the glorious Joe Kubert Presents miniseries. It featured many of the characters associated with Kubert: Sgt. Rock, Firehair, the Redeemer- and some surprises, including Kamandi and Sargon the Sorceror.

Meanwhile, the Marvel Now! initiative continues apace. While I found Hickman's Avengers epic oblique and a little pretentious, I was amused to notice echoes of DC properties: the superman-analogue Hyperion; the Ultra Boy-inspired Smasher; and Captain Universe, whose comatose host recalls the Black Racer.

There is a lightness of touch at Marvel which seems missing at DC. Wolverine and the X-Men combines horror and tragedy with the comedic banter of the maladjusted students. The new Nova series- the fourth relaunch for this 70s creation- is a fun, all-ages title with cartoony artwork and a cosmic scope. Meanwhile, Hawkeye by Fraction and Aja is a hip urban noir for mature readers with a  flavour of the Seventies cop thriller.

Inevitably, businesses have to respond to their customers. The BBC's In the Flesh took the standard zombie invasion trope and leavened it with Northern grit and humour, Unfortunately, it may take a flop for the upcoming "dark" Superman movie for DC to move away from its current direction of adolescent pessimism.

Next: The Lions of Longleat

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