As previously blogged about in the PiercingMetal Musings; DC Comics recently re-launched a number of titles and started them off from issue #1 under the branding of “The New 52”. The initiative’s prime objective being to up the number of titles available each month and to offer new readers an easier chance to jump on board with their characters. New costumes and beginnings are par for the course with the reboot but a number of the company’s most historic moments shall remain unaffected. The New 52 appears to have segmented the titles into a number of different groups based on the relation of the character – for instance there is a Superman and Batman grouping to enjoy and each title relates directly to the character. From these segments I have opted to share my thoughts on the first issues for your reading pleasure. The Edge titles are a little more unique than the others as they feature three titles most commonly associated with the Wildstorm imprint. Comic fans from a couple of decades ago might recall that Wildstorm (a Jim Lee creation) was once part of Image Comics until DC Comics purchased it in around 1999 (unless I am mistaken). As a comics universe it operated independently from that of the DCU but with The New 52 reboot we are finding those characters integrated into a single setting and working together. Here’s what we get with the eleven titles: Stormwatch, Voodoo, Grifter, Deathstroke, I had most of these titles to examine and any missing parts shall be added to the blog when they are looked at.

Stormwatch 1: I read the original “Stormwatch” when it was under the Image Comics banner but like many titles over the years did not keep up on it. The premise of a team of super beings working together in a global sense with one main person dishing out the agenda of the day (Weatherman) was interesting enough, but I had too many issues of Spider-Man, Superman and Batman to keep up with to find me focused on something new when it came down to it. I think I gave the storylines a year and still have most of those issues somewhere. Today’s Stormwatch finds the same global mind presence but I didn’t see Weatherman anywhere and instead the new team is out and about building up its membership roster. A lot of the issue is spent chasing Apollo (who was in The Authority) and he is a Superman class being that would bring a lot of power to the team. Also present is the Martian Manhunter and I am guessing that this is the reason we didn’t find him involved with the Justice League. Only time will tell if he serves a better purpose in this role as opposed to the other team where he is quite appreciated. During the chasing going on down on the Earth we meet the pending nasty that will need a smiting and he appears to possess The Swordsman in order to get the better of Stormwatch. I felt a little too much time was spent chasing Apollo around before they had the chance to explain themselves but what can you do. Paul Cornell writes and Miguel Sepulveda draws. One has to wonder what made them choose Stormwatch over WildC.A.T.s as I felt the latter was a slightly better title.
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