After half a decade, DC's New 52 initiative has been undone and replaced by Rebirth. I enjoyed the revived Aquaman and Batgirl and especially Grant Morrison's urban hero Superman. I lost interest in the interminably dark and gritty Justice League about two years ago but innovations like Gotham Academy and the rebooted Prez impressed me. I was interested to see how Geoff Johns' "injection of heart and humanity" would "refocus" the DC icons who have failed to set movie critics hearts a-flutter.
The DC CEO offered a personal buy-back guarantee so might I hold him to it? I had to buy my copy of DC Rebirth online and it was more expensive than I would have liked.
The new/old look DC Bullet is elegant but the "dress logo" is unappealing. There were revivals however that pleased me: Johnny Thunder, still suffering from dementia, is rambling about his genie. Saturn Girl is in custody and the Ryan Choi Atom is back. His death and the disintegration of the Legion were two of my least favourite developments in the last decade.
The theme of legacy was explored with two generations of Blue Beetle but I was disappointed to see the original Dr. Fate seems to have replaced both New 52's Khalid Ben-Hassin AND Khalid Nassour, Paul Levitz's new young heir to Nabu ( whose series I was enjoying). There was a glimpse, I think, of Damian Robin and Kid Manta/Aqualad's homophobic mother said her piece.
The ho-hum revelation of multiple Jokers seems unnecessary but unhappily, there was more drivel to come. Baby Darkseid is born to a tattooed, blood-spattered woman- ugh. Wally West identifies the tv Wally from Flash as a namesake cousin. Not confused at all... Finally, seven pages are given over to a lachrymose reunion of Barry Allen and Original Wally West. I have to admit, I didn't care much.
In the epilogue, Batman unearths a smiley face badge and a wristwatch reassembles on Mars. John's acknowledgement that DC has made mistakes comes down to this: all the darkness and bloodletting in the DCU has been the fault of Alan Moore all along. Watchmen - 30 years ago-broke the Super Friends!
This hypocrisy from the man who gave us:
The murder of Mr. America and all of Citizen Steel's family
.Polar Boy crippled by Earth-Man's xenophobic regime
The necrophiliac Black Hand
Kryb, the child abductor Yellow Lantern
The decapitation of Pantha
The disfigurement of Damage
The casual killing of Iranian heroine Kahina the Seer
The casual killing of the 90s Firebrand
The murder of the Golden Age/E-2 Superman by Superboy-Prime
Hector and Lyta Hall freezing to death
Star Boy's metal health issues
Jack of Hearts suicide in The Avengers
Johns' new agenda of "hope" and "brightness" seems a disingenuous one, given all of the above. But more damningly, this comic is barely comprehensible. With its glimpses of Flashpoint and the Flash's Speed Force years, how is this a jumping-on point?
Also, the crowded poster in the endpapers is not drawn very well and the new costumes are all ugly. Wally, Donna Troy, Lois and Lex, Tempest, Starfire, Changeling/Beast Boy and the three new Captains Marvel are all struggling with poor designs.
Is this what 90s nostalgists want, then? A horribly mashed-up continuity car crash intersecting with Watchmen? Why? What for?
Where's my money, Geoff?
Coming soon: Dalek Empire; Sword of Sorcery; Radioactive Spider-Gwen
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