The DC Comics Announcements: Part 7 - The Quick One

DC Comics are slowly announcing their 52 new series which will kick off in September. Everything is going back to Issue 1, and while I am partially offended by that, let's see what the books/creative teams are shaping up like so far, and whether or not this is shaping up to be a good move from DC.


Prior to today's "Superman" announcements, DC released two other teasers of September titles, which rounds the total up to the aforementioned 52.

Blue Beetle #1
Written by Tony Bedard
Art by Ig Guara
Cover by Tyler Kirkham
This series has been a long time coming. DC has made no secret of the fact that Jaime Reyes, the current Blue Beetle, is an important character; he was one of the first characters to be featured in the "Batman Brave & The Bold" cartoon, and he played a prominent part in "Justice League: Generation Lost." Tony Bedard should write the character capably, but that's not really the draw; the draw is Ig Guara on art chores. This is fantastic news. Ig Guara is a talent that DC are lucky to have, and he's certainly reason enough to check this book out.
Potential for Success: 10/10

Suicide Squad #1
Written Adam Glass
Art by Marco Rudy
Cover by ??
I squealed. That's how happy I was to see this title on the list. I was so worried that we wouldn't have a team to fill the void left by the non-revival of "Secret Six." And now we do. And not only that, but it's also a series that inspired the "Secret Six" in the first place, and is a revival of a series I love very dearly. Written by Adam Glass with art by the fantastic Marco Rudy, this new incarnation of the Suicide Squad will feature, at it's core, Harley Quinn, Deadshot and King Shark. Those three names, together in one book, make me happy just to begin with. This is certainly one of the best announcements from DC this week.
Potential for Success: 10/10

The DC Comics Announcements: Part 6

DC Comics are slowly announcing their 52 new series which will kick off in September. Everything is going back to Issue 1, and while I am partially offended by that, let's see what the books/creative teams are shaping up like so far, and whether or not this is shaping up to be a good move from DC.

Stormwatch #1
Written by Paul Cornell
Art & Cover by Miguel Sepulveda
Another example of the Wildstorm universe shifting into the regular DC continuity comes in the form of Stormwatch, which will feature Apollo and Midnighter, from The Authority, joining forces with the Martian Manhunter. Paul Cornell is handling writing duties, which means this could be a lot of fun; but Miguel Sepulveda's artwork leaves much to be desired.
Potential for Success: 7/10










Blackhawks #1
Written by Mike Costa
Art & Cover by Ken Lashley
The Blackhawk characters have always been intriguing to me, but whenever I've read a storyline featuring any variation of them I've always found it bland and unexciting. This series turns them into mercenaries, trying to kill the bad guys before they themselves are killed. It sounds like it could be the moment the characters find their feet in the DC Universe. Mike Costa is writing, which is excellent news; the art, meanwhile, could be better.
Potential for Success: 7/10

Sgt. Rock and the Men of War #1
Written by Ivan Brandon
Art & Cover by Tom Derenick
Sgt. Rock is one of my favourite characters in comic books, and this series makes me both extremely excited and extremely worried. They're updating the character (by having his grandson take centre stage) and bringing it into modern warfare. Ivan Brandon has proven himself to be a capable writer, while Tom Derenick's artwork is easy on the eye; but I'm just not sure whether or not this will work at all.
Potential for Success: 7/10

All-Star Western #1
Written by Jimmy Palmiotti & Justin Gray
Art & Cover by Moritat
Oh, this is exactly the announcement I needed. Jonah Hex has been a floundering book (sales wise) for quite a while, so it's a relief to see he'll be coming back as the star of a new Western book with the reboot. The issues will feature back-up stories starring other Western characters, but it's the main tale, featuring Jonah Hex in Gotham City that pulls the character back into the DC Universe and adds a layer of awesomeness to the proceedings. Palmiotti and Gray remain on writing duties, and the art will be by the sensational Moritat.
Potential for Success: 10/10

Deathstroke #1
Written by Kyle Higgins
Art by Joe Bennett & Art Thibert
Cover by Simon Bisley
So, Deathstroke the Terminator is getting his own series. This, at the very least, means that the godawful "Titans" book he's currently in will not be returning. Kyle Higgins is a name that intrigues me; he's writing a book about Dick Grayson, and a book about his arch-nemesis, so that has a lot of potential in itself. Joe Bennett on art, too, makes me a bit excited for this book. Hopefully this one is a joy to read.
Potential for Success: 8/10

Grifter #1
Written by Nathan Edmonson
Art & Cover by CAFU
You take two of the most exciting talents in comics right now; Nathan Edmonson, writer of the extraordinary series "Who is Jake Ellis" and CAFU, the wonderful artist on "T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents" and you put them on a book that is essentially a Wildstorm reject? What is wrong with you, DC Comics? Sure, that team will get me to check this book out, but I honestly don't care about this character in the slightest, and unless I am absolutely blown away by it, I'll be woefully disappointed.
Potential for Success: 7/10

OMAC #1
Written by Dan DiDio & Keith Giffen
Art & Cover by Keith Giffen & Scott Koblish
If you put a Jack Kirby-esque cover on your book, I will want to read it. That's how simple things are. This series continuing the adventures of OMAC, presumably with ties to the Max Lord story that'll be featured in JLI, may very well be awesome. Keith Giffen is a top class creator and Scott Koblish infuses me with joy; the only flaw here is Dan DiDio, who has more recently proven to me that while he understands most of the DC characters from an editorial and business perspective, he is an awful, awful writer when it comes to plot and dialogue. But hopefully Giffen will tame him.
Potential for Success: 8/10

The DC Comics Announcements: Part 5

DC Comics are slowly announcing their 52 new series which will kick off in September. Everything is going back to Issue 1, and while I am partially offended by that, let's see what the books/creative teams are shaping up like so far, and whether or not this is shaping up to be a good move from DC.

Legion Lost #1
Written by Fabian Nicieza
Art & Cover by Pete Woods
The reason Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning's graphic novel is being released in hardcover this month, I'm sure; this series will serve as an homage, propelling members of the Legion back in time for science fiction adventures. Fabian Nicieza is fairly hit and miss, of late, but the artwork by Pete Woods should prove interesting to say the least. It's just a shame I don't care about the Legion of Super-Heroes in the slightest; they're boring characters and apart from "The Great Darkness Saga" (which is a Darkseid story, and therefore awesome) I don't think I've ever read a good story featuring them as the focus.
Potential for Success: 5/10






Legion of Super-Heroes #1
Written by Paul Levitz
Art & Cover by Francis Portella
Paul Levitz continues to control the fate of the Legion of Super-Heroes, but as stated previously, the team does absolutely nothing for me. Apparently this series will feature a reduced team, given that lots of the characters will be appearing in the above book; but even with the potential of new characters to help me build an interest it just lacks any kind of punch whatsoever. I just don't care.
Potential for Success: 4/10

Teen Titans #1
Written by Scott Lobdell
Art by Brett Booth & Norm Rapmund
Cover by Brett Booth
This is a combination of awesomeness and sheer disappointment. It's awesome to see Brett Booth drawing a book, as well as to know that Tim Drake isn't going to die as a result of "Flashpoint." It's also great to see some decent redesigns of the characters. It's disappointing, meanwhile, that Scott Lobdell is writing the title; that, and the feel I get from the cover is that this is going to try and be 'extreme' and 'hard edged' like most of the crap churned out in the 1990s. I'll remain optimistic until I read the first issue, but so far, I'm worried. At least Tim's not dead, though (although, it's frankly insulting that he no longer has a solo book - he's maintained one of the best comics being published for the last twenty years).
Potential for Success: 7/10

Static Shock #1
Written by John Rozum & Scott McDaniel
Art & Cover by Scott McDaniel
This was an exciting announcement; given that Static Shock's creator, Dwayne McDuffie, passed away recently it's nice to see they're bringing back the character to the DC Universe. With that said, this excitement soon turned to anger - John Rozum is all well and good, but Scott McDaniel's art style has deteriorated over the last decade to the point where it is ugly and unappealing. I'm hoping this will be a return to form for him, but I just can't see it.
Potential for Success: 6/10

Hawk & Dove #1
Written by Sterling Gates
Art & Cover by Rob Liefeld
What. The. Fuck. Not only are Hawk and Dove two of the most irritating characters in the DC Universe (characters who don't even warrant their own series, particularly when Deadman is relegated to the pages of the anthology book), but DC have got Rob Liefeld to draw it. Rob Liefeld is the embodiment of everything that is wrong with comic books; his style is single-handedly responsible for damning the entire industry during the Dark Ages of the 1990s. Sterling Gates is a capable writer, but even he can't compete with the horrendous art of the man who hates feet, anatomy and logic. This will be a train wreck.
Potential for Success: 1/10

The DC Comics Announcements: Part 4

DC Comics are slowly announcing their 52 new series which will kick off in September. Everything is going back to Issue 1, and while I am partially offended by that, let's see what the books/creative teams are shaping up like so far, and whether or not this is shaping up to be a good move from DC.

Note: All covers taken from IGN

Swamp Thing #1
Written by Scott Snyder
Art & Cover by Yanick Paquette
Scott Snyder is proving to be the defining feature of these recent DC announcements; he's starting to rise to the same status of genius newcomer that Geoff Johns enjoyed a decade ago. And DC are giving him the reigns on their newly resurrected character, Swamp Thing; following on from "Brightest Day" and (we can assume) Alan Moore's classic run on the character is no small feat, it looks to be just as engaging under Snyder's control; that and the artwork is by Yanick Paquette who was excellent on recent issues of "Batman Incorporated." This gives me a good feeling.
Potential for Success: 10/10




Justice League Dark #1
Written by Peter Milligan
Art & Cover by Mikel Janin
This is a strange announcement; a third Justice League book with a team consisting on magic characters from the DC Universe. It looks set to be horror-based with characters such as Deadman, Madame Xanadu, Shade the Changing Man and John Constantine all taking places on the roster. This is my problem, though; Constantine isn't a team player, so how this works I have no idea. Still, Peter Milligan has impressed me recently, and this could continue that; the art, too, looks nice though I'm not familiar with Mikel Janin's art. That Constantine thing really bugs me, though.
Potential for Success: 6/10

Animal Man #1
Written by Jeff Lemire
Art & Cover by Travel Foreman & Dan Green
"Animal Man" by Grant Morrison is one of my favourite runs in comic history, and so to see Jeff Lemire, a creator whose work I adore, take over the reigns of this series and push Buddy Baker in a new, darker direction is an absolute treat. It gives me all the right goosebumps when I read about it, and even though I'd rather have Lemire draw it, too, Travel Foreman & Dan Green will do a damn fine job. The premise seems to deal with Buddy's daughter manifesting powers similar to his and Buddy being forced to deal with that; it's another simple plot, but hopefully, like everything Lemire has written so far, it will be fantastically engaging.
Potential for Success: 10/10

Demon Knights #1
Written by Paul Cornell
Art by Diogenes Neves & Oclair Albert
Cover by Tony Daniel
This is an interesting premise for a book; it follows the adventures of Etrigan the Demon, leading a quest to defend humanity in the Middle Ages. It's set in Camelot, so that explains why DC's resident Brit, Paul Cornell, is writing it and hopefully it'll be more along the lines of his "Knight & Squire" series than his "Action Comics" run, in that it will remain good throughout rather than wavering horribly towards the end. I'm not familiar with the artists, but they've got to be a damn sight better than Tony Daniel who provides the "meh" cover.
Potential for Success: 8/10

Frankenstein, Agent of SHADE #1
Written by Jeff Lemire
Art & Cover by Alberto Ponticelli
This is an oddity; DC seem to be bringing back all of their supernatural characters and Frankenstein is getting his own series. It sounds fairly good, and it has Jeff Lemire on writing chores, so it should have a decent story at least. In this, Frankenstein is an Agent of SHADE (The Super Human Advanced Defense Executive) and goes about dealing with strange international problems. I'm intrigued more than invested as of yet, but the artwork by Alberto Ponticelli is also a happy sign that this might be a surprise hit.
Potential for Success: 8/10






Resurrection Man #1
Written by Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning
Art by Fernando Dagnino
Cover by Ivan Reis
Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning are two creators I know best for their work on the Marvel Cosmic line of comic books (which were all fantastic, save the most recent "Annihilators" mini-series). But this is a character the pair were known for back in the day, and it's nice to see them come back to him and make him relevant again; and they're bringing the excellent art of Fernando Dagnino, to boot. The premise is genius: It's about a hero who gets new powers every time he comes back to life. The story possibilities are endless, and I am irrationally excited about this.
Potential for Success: 10/10

I, Vampire #1
Written by Josh Fialkov
Art & Cover by Andrea Sorrentino
This is the strangest announcement from the supernatural sector of the DC Universe; it's a series about the Queen of the Damned, and it's written by an up-and-comer. I'm not familiar with either creators' work, so this could go either way, but the premise involving a vampire trying to stop his true love (the aforementioned Queen of the Damned) from wiping out humanity seems to be your fairly standard horror book plot. We'll see how it goes, but right now I'm not amazingly excited for this.
Potential for Success: 5/10








Voodoo #1
Written by Ron Marz
Art & Cover by Sami Basri
This is another weird one. This is a book about Voodoo. A Wildstorm character. That's the first example of Wildstorm being integrated into the DC Universe proper. The fact that Ron Marz is writing it doesn't fill me with much confidence, but Sami Basri's recent artwork on "Power Girl" has been nothing short of perfection, so there's a lot of potential there on the art alone. Voodoo, for those of you who don't know (ie: everyone) is a half-alien, half-human hybrid who has fantastic powers and must use them to confront the dark world that surrounds her. It sounds wrought, but hopefully there will be some decent stories to tell; and let's not forget, the artwork will be gorgeous no matter what.
Potential for Success: 7/10

The DC Comics Announcements: Part 3 - Batman

DC Comics are slowly announcing their 52 new series which will kick off in September. Everything is going back to Issue 1, and while I am partially offended by that, let's see what the books/creative teams are shaping up like so far, and whether or not this is shaping up to be a good move from DC.

Note: All covers taken from IGN

Batman #1
Written by Scott Snyder
Art & Cover by Greg Capullo
After months of having Batman be a tainted series thanks, in no small part, to the awful writing and artwork of Tony Daniel, the title will certainly be redeemed in September. The new series will be penned by "Detective Comics" scribe, Scott Snyder, a man who seems to understand Batman perfectly; the art will be handled by Greg Capullo, whose style is perfect for Batman. The first arc appears to feature numerous super villains, and it makes me genuinely happy to see this book finally rising back to its former glory.
Potential for Success: 10/10




Detective Comics #1
Written by Tony Daniel
Art & Cover by Tony Daniel
To look at the reverse, the excellent Detective Comics will be rebooted into atrocity as Tony Daniel takes over writing and art duties. The fact that Daniel gets the style of Batman is understandable, the fact that his storytelling is atrocious is apparently not a factor in the DC offices. The first arc sounds intriguing, however; Batman is hunting a serial killer called the Gotham Ripper, and the first cover heavily implies the Joker's involvement in the arc, which is always a lot of fun. Maybe this is the moment Tony Daniel stops being awful.
Potential for Success: 6/10

Batman & Robin #1
Written by Peter J. Tomasi
Art & Cover by Patrick Gleason
Following a tease in the original series and constant delays over their actual run, Peter J. Tomasi and Patrick Gleason are finally taking over the title of "Batman & Robin." The series, reborn, will focus on the relationship between Bruce Wayne and his son, Damian; a pairing we've yet to see given Damian's close ties to Dick Grayson over the last few years. Suffice to say, I am immensely excited for this one, too - especially if their recent arc on the original series is anything to go by.
Potential for Success: 10/10






Batman: The Dark Knight #1
Written by David Finch
Art by David Finch & Jay Fabok
Cover by David Finch
David Finch's long-delayed Batman series will finally return in September, with a completely new story and a more regular release schedule (placing some doubt over whether the first run will ever see completion). Still leaning towards the supernatural/horror angle of the original premise, the first arc will see Bruce Wayne conducting an investigation within Arkham Asylum. There's a lot of good things that could come from that story, and Finch's art has done nothing but improve, but there's still a nagging feeling that tells me this will be a disaster.
Potential for Success: 6/10






Batwoman #1
Written by J H Williams III & W. Haden Blackman
Art by J H Williams III & Amy Reeder
Cover by J H Williams III
The long-awaited Batwoman series finally kicks off in September continuing on from where Greg Rucka's run on Detective Comics left off over a year ago. The series will continue the same vibe and feel, thanks to the consistent artwork of J H Williams III, who will also co-write the series. The character of Kate Kane is quickly becoming one of the most interesting characters in comics, and it'll be great to see her develop further as the series gets going.
Potential for Success: 8/10

Catwoman #1
Written by Judd Winick
Art & Cover by Guillem March
It's been a long time since Catwoman had her own solo series; but when she did it was one of the best series being published. This new era for the feline fatale comes from Judd Winick, the writer responsible for making Jason Todd bad-ass and the Justice League International cool again, meaning that he's the perfect person to redefine Catwoman for a new generation. The art by Guillem March is a bit disappointing, but given that the two have been working together on "Batman & Robin" recently it's hardly a surprise.
Potential for Success: 8/10

Birds of Prey #1
Written by Duane Swiercyznski
Art & Cover by Jesus Saiz
A completely new and original take on the Birds of Prey is perhaps not the worst thing that could have happened to the series, but it is still a bit worrying given the lack of recognizable characters on the cover. Still, Duane Swiercyznski is a decent writer and I've missed Jesus Saiz's artwork so it should be a fairly decent romp. That, and the only person I recognize on the cover is Poison Ivy which should be wonderfully interesting, and also, potentially, signals the end for "Gotham City Sirens."
Potential for Success: 6/10

Batgirl #1
Written by Gail Simone
Art by Ardian Syaf
Cover by Adam Hughes
This is, arguably, the most controversial announcement so far. Gail Simone, a writer who has prided herself on writing Birds of Prey (with Barbara Gordon as the main character) for years, will take over Batgirl and do the impossible - she will make Barbara Gordon into Batgirl once more. This is controversial because Barbara has been in a wheelchair for 20 years now - a long-lasting victim of the Joker. There are rumours this will tie into Batman Incorporated, which implied Bruce was developing some sort of technology to help her walk again, but until the book hits we'll have to wait and see. Regardless of the retconning that may occur, I am extremely excited to read Barbara Gordon as Batgirl again.
Potential for Success: 10/10

Nightwing #1
Written by Kyle Higgins
Art & Cover by Eddy Barrows
And this is where, for me, DC jump the shark and do something that wholly offends me. After more than two years of protecting Gotham City as Batman, Dick Grayson is being demoted and returned to his former Nightwing persona. Sure, I'm glad he's not going to end up a casualty of "Flashpoint," but at the same time, unless the book really impresses me, it'll feel like a step backwards. Kyle Higgins hasn't written anything that's blown me away in the past, but hopefully with the great premise he's got - Haley's Circus return to Gotham with some dark secrets - it'll be a lot of fun. And I love Eddy Barrows' artwork; it's just a shame that Nightwing's costume looks an awful lot like Robin's costume in the awful "Batman & Robin" movie.
Potential for Success: 8/10

Red Hood and the Outlaws #1
Written by Scott Lobdell
Art & Cover by Kenneth Rocafort
And this...this just confuses me. Jason Todd has been a great character since his return, but only when written by Judd Winick - even Grant Morrison, the former master of the Batman books, wrote him poorly. Now they're giving him his own series and rather than let Winnick write it, DC have turned to Scott Lobdell, the man who almost destroyed the X-Men in the 1990s. The series sees Red Hood leading a team of anti-hero misfits, including Arsenal and Starfire, on dangerous missions. The premise is okay, but with Lodbell on board it's worrying how this series will turn out. The initial art by Kenneth Rocafort looks fairly decent, but not enough to redeem the feeling of dread I get from Lodbell's name.
Potential for Success: 4/10

Batwing #1
Written by Judd Winick
Art & Cover by Ben Oliver
This series comes as a big surprise; it's all that remains of Grant Morrison's Batman Incorporated in the wake of "Flashpoint." Focusing on the Batman of Africa, the series is written by Judd Winick with some great looking art from Ben Oliver. It should prove to be fairly entertaining, giving us a new character and letting him build up over time. It's just a shame that, at least in September, this is all that remains of the Batman Incorporated storyline Grant Morrison's been building for years and years. But, not to worry - this should be good enough to fill the void.
Potential for Success: 8/10






And lastly...a look further into the future...


Batman: Leviathan #1
Written by Grant Morrison
Art & Cover by Chris Burnham
The sequel series to Grant Morrison's Batman Incorporated will pop up in early 2012 according to the writer, and will feature the artwork of current artist, Chris Burnham. The series will run twelve issues and feature Batman's global team taking down the threat of Leviathan, an enemy currently being built-up in the book. Morrison also promised a shocking finale to Batman Incorporated in August that will keep readers guessing until this new series starts. This will also be the final chapter in Morrison's six year Batman run, and will be preceded by another major project that is still being kept tightly under wraps.
Potential for Success: 10/10

The DC Comics Announcements: Part 2 - Green Lantern

DC Comics are slowly announcing their 52 new series which will kick off in September. Everything is going back to Issue 1, and while I am partially offended by that, let's see what the books/creative teams are shaping up like so far, and whether or not this is shaping up to be a good move from DC.

Note: All covers taken from IGN


Only one Green Lantern teaser image has been released:

Green Lantern #1
Written by Geoff Johns
Art by Doug Mahnke & Cristian Alamy
Cover by Ivan Reis & Joe Prado
This series will continue the mythology of the current series; Hal Jordan will be the focus, and presumably the new run will fall into a more Earth-based set of adventures to ground Hal back with his supporting cast. The fact that Geoff Johns is still writing the series is an encouraging sign, while the art of Doug Mahnke and Cristian Alamy will be welcome and exciting.
Potential for Success: 9/10




Green Lantern Corps #1
Written by Peter J. Tomasi
Art by Fernando Pasarin & Scott Hanna
Cover by Doug Mahnke & Cristian Alamy
The secondary Green Lantern series will all receive a revitalization at the hands of the creator who made it such a success; Peter J. Tomasi returns to the Corps with an arc about a Green Lantern Strike Force headed by John Stewart and Guy Gardener. It's the kind of Green Lantern story we've been missing since the conclusion of "Blackest Night" and should be a welcome return.
Potential for Success: 9/10




Green Lantern: The New Guardians #1
Written by Tony Bedard
Art & Cover by Tyler Kirkham
This is one of the more intriguing parts of the Green Lantern announcement - a new series with Kyle Rayner at the heart that will delve into the New Guardians established recently in the regular Green Lantern title. With a New Guardian for each of the different colour Corps this could be the book most similar to the current incarnation of Green Lantern.
Potential for Success: 7/10




Red Lanterns #1
Written by Peter Milligan
Art & Cover by Ed Benes
This series had already been announced, but now it falls in line with the other Green Lantern books. A series focusing on the most brutal Corps; the Red Lanterns will be similar to the regular Green Lantern title, only with more brutal and shocking moments and some nastier characters. Peter Milligan has proven himself a capable writer in recent years, and the art of Ed Benes is best suited to over the top imagery.
Potential for Success: 7/10

The DC Comics Announcements: Part 1

DC Comics are slowly announcing their 52 new series which will kick off in September. Everything is going back to Issue 1, and while I am partially offended by that, let's see what the books/creative teams are shaping up like so far, and whether or not this is shaping up to be a good move from DC.

Note: All covers taken from IGN

Justice League #1
Written by Geoff Johns
Art & Cover by Jim Lee
This is the big announcement coming from DC; the Justice League of America will be getting a radical redesign, costume-wise, and will be 14-members strong by the end of the first arc. The initial team members, going by the cover, are: Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Green Lantern, The Flash and Cyborg. This series should be fantastic, considering how well Geoff Johns writes the majority of these characters and how good Jim Lee's artwork is, but that's just the problem - Jim Lee has proved time and time again that he is incapable of keeping to a monthly schedule. Hopefully, this time, things will be different.
Potential for Success: 8/10

Wonder Woman #1
Written by Brian Azzarello
Art & Cover by Cliff Chiang
I am unbelievably excited for this book; considering how poorly Wonder Woman has been treated over the last year, this looks set to be the start of something good and pure. Brian Azzarello has proven to be hit or miss in the past, but with the promise of some gorgeous Cliff Chiang artwork and the promise of a return to form for the series, how could I be anything other than excited?
Potential for Success: 10/10

Aquaman #1
Written by Geoff Johns
Art & Cover by Ivan Reis
Considering the way "Brightest Day" concluding, this series was inevitable. Geoff Johns and Ivan Reis reunite once more for what can only be described as "Aquaman: Rebirth," as they redeem the character and build him back up as a force to be reckoned with. As Aquaman's sections of "Brightest Day" were certainly some of the best this can only be a good thing, and the potential of a gritty, action-packed Aquaman series without tongue-in-cheek humour is something that appeals greatly.
Potential for Success: 10/10

The Flash #1
Written by Francis Manapul & Brian Buccellato
Art by Francis Manapul & Brian Buccellato
Cover by Francis Manapul
The Flash has been a consistently great book over the last year, thanks in no small part to the fantastic artwork by Francis Manapul. With the departure of Geoff Johns at the end of "Flashpoint," Francis Manapul will take over writing and art duties alongside Brian Buccellato. The story sounds intriguing, involving a villain who can be everywhere at once, and hopefully Manapul and Buccellato's writing skills are up to scratch, but as long as the artwork remains consistently awesome this will definitely be a book to check out.
Potential for Success: 7/10

The Fury of Firestorm #1
Written by Ethan Van Sciver & Gail Simone
Art by Yildray Cinar
Cover by Ethan Van Sciver
This is an unexpected series. Sure, the end of "Brightest Day" did leave threads dangling regarding the fates of the Firestorm supporting cast, but now they're getting a whole series dedicated to their exploits. Expect science fiction action and other such nonsense, hopefully with Van Sciver and Simone turning in a decent script. I'm not too keen on Cinar's art, meanwhile, meaning that this could be unappealing on the eye. Definitely one of the weaker announcements thus far, which is a shame, because it has potential.
Potential for Success: 5/10

The Savage Hawkman #1
Written by Tony Daniel
Art & Cover by Philip Tan
This book is the worst announcement of the bunch. I doubt there will be one worse than this. Tony Daniel, the man who has been slowly but surely driving the primary Batman title into the ground is going to tackle the character of Hawkman and tying him into a story involving an alien virus in New York City. And, to make the announcement even worse, they announce Philip Tan as the artist; one of the worst artists working in comics right now. This series will be a failure.
Potential for Success: 1/10

Green Arrow #1
Written by JT Krul
Art by Dan Jurgens
Cover by Brett Booth
This book is two sides of a coin; on the one hand, I absolutely love Dan Jurgens artwork and will read the book solely on the strength of that. On the other hand, JT Krul is still writing it, and his interpretation of Oliver Queen has been awful, at best. It seems to be trying to maintain some of the feel of the current (horrendous) series, while also going for the classic Robin Hood vibe of the book's past. We'll see if it works, but on the topic of Krul, it's doubtful he'll have improved.
Potential for Success: 5/10


Justice League International #1
Written by Dan Jurgens
Art & Cover by Aaron Lopresti
The existence of this book almost makes the new Geoff Johns/Jim Lee series redundant. The Justice League International was the best incarnation of the team, and it's great to see DC revisiting that after it worked so well in "Justice League: Generation Lost." The potential for this is enormous, and even though Dan Jurgens (who I like) is writing it rather than Judd Winick (who made the team awesome again), Aaron Lopresti remains as the artist which should be fantastic. From the cover, we can see the team will consist of: Booster Gold, Batman, Guy Gardener (Green Lantern), Rocket Red, Fire, Ice, Vixen and two characters I don't recognize. But that doesn't change the fact this will be awesome, and hopefully will continue the Max Lord story from Generation Lost.
Potential for Success: 10/10

Mister Terrific #1
Written by Eric Wallace
Art by Roger Robinson
Cover by J. G. Jones
Mister Terrific is one of the best characters in comics, but usually he works best as a team-player. The fact that he's getting his own book should fill me with some sense of joy, but strangely it doesn't. The premise seems decent enough - Mister Terrific will face scientific threats that threaten to reshape the globe, but the lack of knowledge I have of the creative team, save Eric Wallace's involvement in the 'just okay' mini-series "Final Crisis: Aftermath: Ink" doesn't fill me with much hope.
Potential for Success: 5/10


Captain Atom #1
Written by JT Krul
Art by Freddie Williams II
Cover by Stanley "Artgem" Lau
Captain Atom was an incredibly engaging character throughout the run of "Justice League: Generation Lost," but before that he was nothing more than an irritating non-character. While this series has the potential to fix that, the inclusion of JT Krul as the writer doesn't fill me with much hope at all. The premise is simple, though - Captain Atom battles evil while also trying to come to grips with whether or not he's losing his humanity - and that might save it from Krul's awful writing. Freddie Williams II is a decent artist, too, so that's not too much of a problem. I have slight hope here, just as I have a little with Krul's "Green Arrow."
Potential for Success: 5/10

DC Universe Presents #1
Written by Paul Jenkins
Art by Bernard Chang
Cover by Ryan Sook
Now this is a series I can get behind! An Anthology title where each arc will boast a different creative team and minor character within the DC Universe. The first arc is all about Deadman, one of my personal favourite characters, and has the team of Paul Jenkins and Bernard Chang making it better than could be expected. Sure, Jenkins wrote one of the worst comic books I've ever read (The Sentry: Fallen Sun) but he seems to be trying his best to redeem himself. I pray this is good, but I'm unbelievably excited for it right now.
Potential for Success: 10/10




And that wraps up the First Part of my look at the DC52. The next part will be coming very, very soon.