Comic Book Herald

A Comic Book Reading Order Guide For Beginners & Fans

DC Reviews

DC’s New 52 Year One Reviews: Animal Man by Jeff Lemire

by 1 Comment

It’d be pretty cool to have a superhero for a Dad. I know a lot of people get all mushy and say “My Dad is my hero,” but let’s be honest, if the dude can’t fly/lift a truck/inherit the powers of a jackrabbit, he’s not much of a hero.

I think the most heroic thing I ever saw my Dad do was stoically fix his dislocated toe on a water park net bridge. I’m still a little impressed, but I’m not exactly bragging to Superman about that one. “What’s that, Supes? Oh you saved a WHOLE civilization from being colonized by Braniac? That’s pretty cool. One time my Dad dislocated his toe on a playground built for children, and he didn’t even cry.” [Read more…] about DC’s New 52 Year One Reviews: Animal Man by Jeff Lemire

DC’s New 52 Year One Reviews: Dial H By China Mieville and Mateus Santolouco

by Leave a Comment

If you read comics and you’re mildly pretentious, or kind of feel like someone’s calling your name when they say “intellectual,” there’s a pretty good chance you have what I’d call the “Sandman Complex.”

In addition to a troubling tendency to throw powder around strange bedrooms, this complex is the desire to defend the literary artistry of your funny books (*shudder*) with the verbose and complex line of argument that Sandman made so damn easy. The non-comics ridiculer wants to laugh at the lack of Joyce in your hands? Fine: that won’t stop you from your fierce rebuttal of “But but but Shakespeare… and and and refried reality!”

It was in this general mindset that I originally felt compelled to pick up Dial H. How does it rank in terms of fulfilling my Sandman Complex? [Read more…] about DC’s New 52 Year One Reviews: Dial H By China Mieville and Mateus Santolouco

DC’s New 52 Year One Reviews: Batman Incorporated by Grant Morrison and Chris Burnham

by Leave a Comment

When the new 52 began, a lot of comic fans wondered what this meant for the future of Grant Morrison’s Batman Incorporated. One of the best ongoing DC titles when the new 52 was announced, Batman Inc. didn’t make it into the new 52 lineup until the second wave of titles – the wait was, without a doubt, worth it. [Read more…] about DC’s New 52 Year One Reviews: Batman Incorporated by Grant Morrison and Chris Burnham

DC’s New 52 Year One Reviews: Batman by Scott Snyder

by Leave a Comment

Batman’s not an easy character to own.

He’s so popular, and so many creators have taken charge of him over the years, that it’s pretty tough to point a finger at the Batman writer. Frank Miller, of course, but then also his Lordship Alan Moore, and maybe Jeph Loeb gets in there, and none of it really exists without Neal Adams, and well honestly it’s kind of just offensive to not include Bob Kane (and Bill Finger!)…

The point being, Scott Snyder didn’t have much of a chance.

And yet. [Read more…] about DC’s New 52 Year One Reviews: Batman by Scott Snyder

All-Star Superman Review – OR – The Point of Ongoing Superhero Comics

by Leave a Comment

I’ve never been much of a comic book collector. This is, perhaps, odd for an individual so desperately in love with the medium, but I prefer my stories whole (just like my women! wait… well, never mind). Comic books – in there purest form – are serial testaments to a realm of unfinished story. Each issue is merely a component of a greater design and it’s generally not until they’re taken together that they form an arc (40 cubits by 40 cubits). This is why I’m so into collecting trade paperback issues/graphic novels/whatever you want to call them. AT LEAST THEY’RE WHOLE! MOSTLY! A LOT OF THE TIME!

It was with some hesitation, then, that I recently branched out into the the world of comic shops and single issue arcs. The DC New 52 has roped me into buying issues 1-8 of both Animal Man and Action Comics. More on all these particular comics at a later date – for now, I mention this to explain why I felt so suddenly compelled to consume Grant Morrison‘s All-Star Superman, a giant omnibus edition I’ve admired on my shelves for half a year now. Seemed like a fun idea to read All-Star Superman before Morrison’s new take on Supes in Action Comics. Little did I know, All-Star Superman would help me explain the very existence of Action Comics as a comic book trove.  [Read more…] about All-Star Superman Review – OR – The Point of Ongoing Superhero Comics