OYL titles - which ones are keepers?

[shaxper]

For those of you picking up all the OYL titles and deciding which ones to stick with, which titles are appealing to you thus far? Which ones aren't? Which ones aren't you sure about yet?

Here are my early thoughts. This post has been edited to include new titles as they appear, but it has reached the length limit, so my list continues on page four of this thread.

Aquaman #40 - Zero characterization for Arthur and very little premise introduced thus far. However, I love the characterization of King Shark and haven't seen anything that's turned me off yet. I might stick around for a few more issues. maybe

Batman #651 - An average issue with an average story. Nothing too exceptional, though there are definitely some things brewing in the background, especially with Ivy and Jason Bard, I'd imagine. Plot wasn't compelling. Characterization wasn't great. All just very average for the first One Year Later issue in this title. I was really bothered by the art. Batman and Ivy looked good, but Robin and Gordon looked terrible. If this were any other title, I'd stop here, but I have a soft spot for Batman and I really dug the creative team on Detective (which is crossing over with this title), so I'm in for at least three more issues. reluctant yes

Birds of Prey #92 - Very nice characterization for both Oracle and Lady Shiva, a character that I've often felt has gone under-used. I don't know what the deal is with Black Canary yet (or if Shiva will be sticking around), so it's hard to get a feel for this series, but I like what I'm seeing thus far. yes

Blood of the Demon #13- Interesting premise, but it didn't spend much time on either character or immediate conflict. The center of attention seemed to be on what had changed over the course of the past year without much else to aid it. I get the sense that this issue would have only been interesting to someone that had already been reading the title. It's unfortunate that the writer wasted the opportunity to pull in new fans with this issue. Since it's not exactly of the superhero genre and somewhat off to the side of the DCU (and it's continuity), this issue had to be something really special to keep me coming back. Incidentally, I wonder if 52 will explain how pulling Etrigon into the present from the past didn't prevent their from being an Etrigon of the present to die in a fire and leave behind a skeleton. maybe/no

Catwoman #53 - I've never liked Selina Kyle, so I find the new premise for this title to be a welcome change. Selina's sister is obviously very sloppy and careless, and I wonder how that will be handled? Will her continued survival be believable? Will Batman intervene and assist/train her? I'm curious to find out, and also curious who the father of Selina's baby is. Could it be why she and Batman have unsettled business? Naaah. maybe/yes

Detective Comics #817 - A fantastic reintroduction of the dynamic duo and a new role for Harvey Dent in the world of Batman. I'm intrigued and loving the character dynamics. I hope this energy carries over into the Batman title. yes

Firestorm #23 - I think I like the characters (I've never read Firestorm before), I like the new proximity limitation, and I'm semi-intrigued by the mystery of the explosion and the body. I'll probably try the next one. maybe

Green Arrow #60 - I REALLY like this one. The post-destruction Star City is a rivetting place, full of both adventure and drama. It raises great moral and political questions as well (and is, no doubt, partially inspired by recent events in New Orleans). I was sad that we didn't get to see much of Ollie in this issue (and I didn't find the ending at all surprising), but I'm sold on this backdrop. I'll definitely be coming back for more. HELL YES!

Hawkgirl #50 - I had a hard time getting past the art. Some of those faces were just awful. As for the story, there wasn't enough there to hook me. I didn't really get inside the head of the main character, get to know or like the supporting cast, or even care that much about the uninteresting beginings of some vague mystery nor the undefined force threatening Hawkgirl. There just wasn't much to hold onto in this issue. And I really hope they're not going to leave her finding those clippings that relate to the current happenings as a coincidence. maybe

JSA #83 - My first time reading JSA. I really liked the cohesion of team members, as well as the tone as these reunited heroes gather near a blazing fire. It felt classic, which seems appropriate for DC's oldest superhero team. I'll stick around for this. yes

JSA Classified #10 - I've never understood the purpose of this title. Is it just another JSA title or does it have a specific scope and purpose? Anyway, I really liked the Vandal Savage story. I know absolutely nothing about him, but felt that both the writing and art of this issue handled him much like an evil version of Valiant's Eternal Warrior, a character I always enjoyed thoroughly. Well done, though following the exploits of a villain tells us nothing of what to expect from the rest of the series. maybe

Manhunter #20 - Ugh. The characterization and dialogue throughout this issue felt like they were trying too hard to be witty and shocking. Two of my favorite thoroughly unnecessary lines that made me wince: "If you weren't gay, I'd be stalking you" and "I don't want to have to pull over and pee on the way home". Worse yet, someone needs to tell this "writer" that yoga is not an adjective. over my dead body

Nightwing #118 - A well told story. I really like the "other" Nightwing (I'm guessing it's Jason Todd), and I really hope he'll take over the title (though I suspect he won't). On the other hand, I didn't like what they did with Dick. Regardless of whatever relationship misshap he's just been through, he doesn't strike me as the one night stand sort of guy, and especially not the one night stand with someone else's girl kind of guy. I don't like Dick in this issue, which is problematic. I'll keep reading for Jason Todd (if, indeed, that is him) but probably quit once he's out of the picture. Incidentally, how the hell is Dick in NY and halfway across the world with the Outsiders at the same time? There goes DC's continuity again. yes

Outsiders #34 - We barely saw them! We got the new team line-up at the end, but little else. Why are they involved in this conflict? Why do we care? What are the characters like? What's the general premise for this series? None of that came through at all, and that team pose at the end felt absurdly unnatural. This was a total waste for me. maybe/no

Robin #148 - It's obvious that a lot of thought and setup is going into this plotline, so I'm curious. I'm also appreciating this new dynamic between Tim and Bruce, where Bruce is reluctantly respectful and Tim seems to feel almost more isolated as a result. I really like how they're trying to understand Tim as a young teen who got caught up in heroics way too quickly for his own comfort. My one regret is that, while Tim laments about how put-out he's been since he asked to become Robin, he neglects to consider that his father would still be alive if he hadn't done so. Yes, he refers to his father's death earlier in the issue, but this seemed to be a key detail missing in his later reflection. If we're going to get a better understanding of Tim as a character in these issues, it had better be a well-considered understanding. Still, this was a solid issue and I'm looking forward to more. yes

Supergirl and the Legion of Superheroes #16 - Interesting. I liked a lot of the characterization (which is hard to do with the largest superhero team of all time) and the surprise ending actually impressed me (the first time in a OYL title!), but I'm not sure I care for this overly simplistic "adults are square" premise that feels like a throwback to 1968. Considering that the majority of readers for the DCU are not in their teens, I wonder how they're expecting us to react to the ageism. I actually thought it was done in a cute way in this issue, but I can see it getting old very fast. I'll stick around for now. yes

Superman #650 - The Kryptonite guy plot is so cheesy that I wanted to cry. I thought DC was finally moving into the realm of serious superhero drama only to find this sort of generic camp that throws the title back to the 1950s (in a very bad way). The secret Busiek reveals at the end was interesting, though not as interesting as I think Busiek expected it to be. I sort of shrugged my shoulders and said "hmm" in response to the big revelation that the entire issue sets us up for. After all, it's been done before (both in the comic and the movies). What I do like about this issue is Clark's characterization. I always give credit to a writer who can make Superman into an interesting and real person, and I think his reaction to the documentary and the whole thing with the pretzel really did that. Conversely, Lois seemed devoid of any personality at all, simply setting Clark up for more characterization at each turn. I didn't really get much from Lex either, who's usually such a compelling character and is undergoing an exceptionally powerful transition. I'll keep reading because it's Superman and it doesn't suck, but this issue didn't really win me over as much as it should have. reluctant yes

[onenatv]

None of them are bad but Detective Comics,Aquaman, and Blood of the Demon are must read so far.
JSA is Pretty good plus I'm a big fan of the JSA,so It won't leave my pull lists.

as for Firestorm and Outsiders I'll keep them in my pulls list for 2-3 more issues and see what happen. Firestorm look promising and I like the team chemistry of the Outsiders

[Cayman]

Detective: I think the two Batman books will be great while Robinson's arc runs. So for now, a definite yes.

Aquaman: Sword Of Atlantis: Pretty but off to a slow start, and the new Aquaman is so far a very generic character. At this point, I'd rather read a King Shark series. I'll probably give it a few more issues, so maybe.

Outsiders: It's always bounced between decent and poor, but the first OYL issue left me with no desire to ever pick up this title again. A resounding no!

Blood Of The Demon: Haven't read it since issue 3, so I don't know what effect OYL had on it, but who really expects this book to last much longer anyway?

Firestorm: I didn't get this either. I admire Stuart Moore a lot and people seem pleased with his run on the book, but at the end of the day it's Firestorm and thus inessential.

JSA: Felt more like 11 months later, I don't know that we can say much about the new status quo on the book until Johns returns. This used to be among my favorite titles but over the years it's become weaker and weaker, and I do hope it rebounds. First OYL issue fizzled out. Maybe.

Cay

[Maleficentogre]

I expect blood of the demon to last for at least 11 more issues

[We R. Venom]

Yes, detective comics sounds Great. Some real Batman and Robin type stuff. .....no Miller, ugh.

[protege]

So far, I like Aquaman, Sword of Atlantis- Not sure about Firestorm- looking forard to Blue Beetle and Teen Titans.

[protege]

So far, I like Aquaman, Sword of Atlantis- Not sure about Firestorm- looking foward to Blue beetle and Teen Titans.

[20yrslater]

I just read a preview copy of BoP OYL and it looks pretty good.

[mohammedali]

I say "Maybe" for JSA as it's a good read for a comic, but not great for a OYL story. In fact, as a OYL, it's poor as it almost seems to ignore the fact a year has passed.

Mohammed Ali

[frankiedetroit]

I say "Maybe" for JSA as it's a good read for a comic, but not great for a OYL story. In fact, as a OYL, it's poor as it almost seems to ignore the fact a year has passed.

Mohammed Ali

I thought the same thing. Has Gentleman Ghost been holding off for an entire year to launch his plan. Then again, it seems like people were away/not seen for a year, so maybe he could only now catch up with them. Still, it seems awkward.

[shaxper]

updated my titles

[Syphre Zero]

My thoughts thus far, in short:

Aquaman: Sword of Atlantis: I enjoyed this a great deal. Had never read an Aquaman book prior to this, and I don't see any way this won't be a regular pull.

Hawkgirl: This one intrigued me. My opinion of the art changes from panel to panel; at first I'm not impressed, I think it's too grainy or loose, then I turn the page and LOVE it. Between that and the story setup in place, there is enough "what will happen next" to bring me back for further issues.

Supergirl and the Legion of Superheroes: Having never read a Legion book (anyone seeing a pattern here?), I didn't know what to expect. The last page is really the payoff pitch; if any of the whats-next speculation is on point, this could be a really good story.

Superman: Gold. Pure gold. I can't WAIT for the next issue.

Maybe I sound easy to please, but I think DC has set the stage for something really fantastic here.

[shaxper]

Maybe I sound easy to please, but I think DC has set the stage for something really fantastic here.

Nothing wrong with being easy to please. I wish I was.

Then again, I kind of feel like I have to be tough on these books. Otherwise, I'll break bank trying to keep up with all of them each month :(

[Meta 05]

I find the following interesting for OYL

I just recently droped my marvel stuff because it was getting boring,I am also an all or nothing type an I was reading just about everything they were putting out.

((THIS IS MY PULL, NOTHING ELSE AT THE MOMENT))

((ALL THOU I AM NEW TO DC AN JUST JUMPED ON TWO MONTHS BACK))

* not yet released but it still looks good
Batman
Detective COmics
NIghtwing
Robin
Birds of prey
Catwomen
Hawkgirl
Firestorm
Bluebettle*
Green Arrow
OUtsiders
Checkmate*
Teen titans
((MAYBE SHADOW PACT))

Minis
52
Battle for Blud haven
Ion

[Babylon23]

I haven't read all of the OYL books, but here's my thoughts on the books I have read

Aquaman #40 - Loved this issue. I haven't been interested in Aquaman for a long time, but this issue really piqued my interest. I'll be buying it for the forseeable future.

Detective Comics #817/Batman #651 - Great issues. Robinson is writing a far more likable, personable Batman, while still keeping him in the shadows. With Dini and Morrison coming on board, I think I'll be in for hte long haul on this one.

Catwoman #53 - I hadn't planned on picking this one up, but Lopez's art convinced me otherwise. I'm glad I bought it. This is a cool issue, and I'll continue reading for the forseeable future.

Robin #148 - Another title I hadn't planned on buying. I checked it out in the store, and liked what I read. I'll pick up the next few issues.

Hawkgirl #50 - Good setup, excellent artwork. I'm still not sure where the book is going, but I'll stick around as long as Simonson and Chaykin do.

JSA #83 - I love the JSA, and will always buy the title. This was a solid issue with excellent characterisation, but I'm interested in what will happen when Johns returns.

JSA Classified #10 - Not a bad issue, but not great.

Supergirl and the Legion of Superheroes #16 - Interesting issue. Like Hawkgirl, I'm not sure where they're going with this, but I'll continue to buy the book.

Superman #650 - Loved this issue. A nice setup that really uses the OYL format to its advantage. I'll stick with Superman as long as Busiek does.