CBR: The DC Comics New Reader Litmus Test: The New 52 Week 3

**CBR News** · 09-26-2011, 04:31 PM

DC Comics claims its relaunched number one issues are new reader-friendly, so CBR News asked non-comic book readers to weigh in on this week's batch of New 52 comics, from "Batman" to "Catwoman" and more.

Full article here.

**Reginleif** · 09-26-2011, 05:52 PM

Best part:

New reader Heather said she would probably recommend fans of the 1997 "Batman And Robin" movie to give the comic...

Though everything said was funny. I like how it is insightful in how new readers approch comic books and what sort of media there already familiar with.

**WhitOro** · 09-27-2011, 04:23 AM

This was the first time the complaints actually made sense. I still don't share them, but they make sense.
Happy to see Green Lantern Corps was appreciated.

Where did the guy who lamented the presence of Dragons in a fantasy book go?

**shark** · 09-27-2011, 04:58 AM

"New reader Heather said she would probably recommend fans of the 1997 "Batman And Robin" movie to give the comic a try"

Ouch

**Darrell D.** · 09-27-2011, 05:01 AM

Yeah, the complaints are valid. From what I have seen of the reboot books, they aren't very new reader friendly. Which was the whole point, I thought.

This, I thought was telling:

"I was kind of overwhelmed by my annoyance that this issue spent most of its time on a really hot alien who enjoys having meaningless sex. I mean, who wears only purple tape over their nipples when they're fighting an army? It was so absurd and male-oriented that it overwhelmed what could have been a good story,"

**Obregon Kaine** · 09-27-2011, 05:46 AM

They liked Blue Beetle?

Cool.

I thought it was great.

**Raye** · 09-27-2011, 05:49 AM

This crop of readers seemed better than the last two, and they bring up some valid points.

**BrotherUnitNo_4** · 09-27-2011, 05:51 AM

Originally Posted by Obregon Kaine

They liked Blue Beetle?

Cool.

I thought it was great.

Accessibility is the friend of "new" readers.

**Reginleif** · 09-27-2011, 06:45 AM

"They introduce us to Black Canary and then Starling, which made me think they were all going to have 'birds of prey' themed names, but they introduce us to Batgirl -- do they think bats are birds?" asked Justin.

Am I the only one bothered by this? Canary and Starling are not "birds of prey names." Eagles and hawks are birds of prey, not starlings, I think they took the name to litterally.

**GiantRaven** · 09-27-2011, 07:01 AM

Originally Posted by Reginleif

Am I the only one bothered by this? Canary and Starling are not "birds of prey names." Eagles and hawks are birds of prey, not starlings, I think they took the name to litterally.

I think they meant general bird themed names, and I don't think it's taking the name too literally if the first characters you're introduced to are called 'Canary' and 'Starling'.

**new_onslaught** · 09-27-2011, 07:13 AM

Originally Posted by Reginleif

Am I the only one bothered by this? Canary and Starling are not "birds of prey names." Eagles and hawks are birds of prey, not starlings, I think they took the name to litterally.

As a biologist I know that not only eagles and hawks are birds of prey, but any bird who hunts other animals. So since starlings do eat insects, if they hunt actively, they qualify.

**mrhelm** · 09-27-2011, 07:23 AM

Does the writer of this article not know that there was a Legion of Super-Heroes cartoon for two seasons? Complete with toys and tie-in Happy Meal items? Just wondering.

**MegaGearX** · 09-27-2011, 07:40 AM

Originally Posted by Darrell D.

Yeah, the complaints are valid. From what I have seen of the reboot books, they aren't very new reader friendly. Which was the whole point, I thought.

This, I thought was telling:

Indeed, the comic only succeeded at making all three instant Starfire-haters. "I was kind of overwhelmed by my annoyance that this issue spent most of its time on a really hot alien who enjoys having meaningless sex. I mean, who wears only purple tape over their nipples when they're fighting an army? It was so absurd and male-oriented that it overwhelmed what could have been a good story," Heather said.

Spent most of it's time?!! I don't think these guys read the entire book, only the beach scene in the middle.

I thought that was telling that she totally ignored the fact that Starfire is so powerful that she destroyed 3 tanks inbetween panels and then went on to destroy more stuff off panel.

"Who wears only purple tape over their nipples when they're fighting an army?"

Starfire obviously can. The tanks were so inconsequential that they were slagged between panels. She's a powerhouse who took on an army with purple tape over her nipples, but everyone was too busy worrying about her sex life to notice.

Alien girl isn't human girl.

**sethysquare** · 09-27-2011, 07:41 AM

Originally Posted by MegaGearX

Spent most of it's time?!! I don't think these guys read the entire book, only the beach scene in the middle.

I thought that was telling that she totally ignored the fact that Starfire is so powerful that she destroyed 3 tanks inbetween panels and then went on to destroy more stuff off panel.

"Who wears only purple tape over their nipples when they're fighting an army?"

Starfire obviously can. The tanks were so inconsequential that they were slagged between panels. She's a powerhouse who took on an army with purple tape over her nipples, but everyone was too busy worrying about her sex life to notice.

Alien girl isn't human girl.

haters gonna hate