Lanterns Killing Lanterns: DC's New 52 Review #4: "Green Lantern Corps"

As is the case with "Green Lantern" and Geoff Johns, "Green Lantern Corps keeps its writer, Peter J. Tomasi, after the reboot. While the flagship title focuses on Hal Jordan, Lantern 2814.1, this book focuses on Lanterns 2814.2 and 2814.3, also known as the smug jock Guy Gardner and "the black Green Lantern," architect John Stewart. (Kyle Raynor, Lantern 2814.4, was instrumental in building up the Corps before the reboot but now appears as part of a mutli-colored honor corp in "New Guardians.")

At the start of issue #1, both Guy and John are looking for earthly work; Guy is trying to get a job as a high school football coach, and John is struggling to sell plans for a new building with super-expensive added safety measures. Neither is successful, and the two lament at their next meeting that perhaps they were mistaken in not protecting their identities with masks as Hal and Kyle have. Meanwhile, lanterns in sector 2599 are being executed by a mysterious force unable to be contained by an Oan science cell. Soon, Guy and John are headed to the planet Nerro, where all life has been extinguished, the ocean-surfaced planet drained, and dead lanterns hung out as a warning, the fingers holding their power rings missing.

Additional lanterns are sent in to assist. The lanterns next head to the planet Xabas, where this time the natural resource being stripped is its trees. Isamot Kol, one of the more famous green lanterns who is not Sinestro or from Earth, is severely injured, losing all of his limbs, and a storm of soldiers who appear immune to the power of the green light attack. On Oa, Salaak assembles additional lanterns to assist in combating the ambush, while John discovers that the beings they are fighting match the lanterns in willpower, which is allowing them to withstand the lanterns' counter-attacks. John is among a group of lanterns captured, and Guy returns to Oa to figure out how to rescue them. In a surprising twist, Martian Manhunter arrives and tells Guy that these beings are called The Keepers, and they are headed to Oa to take over the central power battery.

Guy Gardner asks Kilowog to assemble a group of the toughest men in the Corps, who learn from Martian Manhunter that the Guardians nurtured a planet called Urak at the edge of the universe which, due to the planet's unusual core, allowed green lantern power sources stored there to send their powers to lanterns anywhere in the universe. The people of the planet, in exchange for protecting the batteries for the Guardians, had their world rebuilt by them and were provided for. The batteries, because of the planet's makeup, functioned like an energy crop, and when the Guardians suddenly removed the batteries from the Keepers' custody (presumably to set their plan to replace the lantern corps with a third army...see "Green Lantern"), their world began to die.

Knowing that they have to instill fear into the Keepers to get to them, Gardner and his crew attack the base where John is being kept. Inside, Lantern Kirrt is buckling under the pressure of their painful interrogation and John snaps his neck and kills his comrade in an attempt to defend the information the Keepers are looking for. Shortly thereafter, John Stewart and Vandor escape, but are immediately surrounded by Keepers. Fortunately, Guy's crew joins them at that moment, and the lanterns gain control by dropping a "fear bomb" made up of some yellow lanterns from their prison cells.

As John Stewart watches Lantern Morro, the Corps' cryptkeeper, perform burial rites on Kirrt, he is overcome with guilt and volunteers to escort Kirrt's body back to his home planet. Meanwhile, Gardner is reprimanded by the Guardians for using Sinestro Corps members as "weapons of mass destruction." In issue #8, we are introduced to the Alpha Corps, green lanterns who exhibit properties of the first army, the Manhunters, and "render justice without the distortion of emotion." Guy Gardner is once again summoned by the Guardians, but instead of being reprimanded again is complimented by the Guardians for his choice to bury the main yellow lantern power source. He is offerend a command position in the Corps. Later, in the Corps bar, the Alpha Lanterns arrive to arrest John for murder.

Furious, Guy goes to the Guardians demanding that the Alpha Lanterns release John Stewart, even though John has admitted that what happened did happen. The Guardians won't interfere, and after Guy leaves, they reveal that all of this is part of their plans. On trial, John questions why the Alpha Lanterns replay footage of his killing of Kirrt but do not show any of the torture they endured leading up to it, and Guy argues on his behalf. Still, John Stewart is found guilty and sentenced to death.

Kirrt's family is brought in so that John can apologize to them, and not long thereafter, a small group led by Guy breaks John from his cell on the day before he is to be executed, initiating a war with the Alpha Lanterns.

To me, "Green Lantern Corps" is a must for continued reading if for no other reason than to see the bigger picture of how Hal Jordan and Sinestro fit into a larger corps, a fact that I think last year's failed attempt at a film tried hard to account for and perhaps confused some who didn't know about this already. Naturally, I'm curious to know what happens next, especially to John Stewart, who has been convicted of killing one of his fellow Corps members. But I also think this book is significant because it's where a lot of the Corps mythology and history is going to be located, which makes understanding "Green Lantern" easier. The team of Tomasi and excellent artist Fernando Pasarin are drawing a book that looks and reads great, and while it's not my favorite thing I've read so far, it's by no means weak. Guy Gardner, in particular, is one of the great characters in the DCU, and while his inclusion in "Justice League International" is welcome, it's good to read his sarcastic dialogue in its natural environment, which is here.

"Green Lantern Corps" has a lot of potential. It's worth sticking around to see where it will go. 

One Batman comic to rise above them all? DC's New 52 Review #3: "Batman"

The new DC Comics reboot is organized around a handful of groupings or families, or as they call it, "world building." There are, for example, four books in the Green Lantern family (plus a Green Lantern of some kind is connected to a few additional titles), and Superman is another connection point to everything from the Justice League to Superboy.

But the world that reaches the furthest in the DCU is the collection of titles surrounding arguably its most popular character (Super-who?), Batman. Batman himself is the focus of three books, "Batman," "Detective Comics" and "Batman and Robin." And then if you follow the Batman family, you get "Batwoman," "Batgirl," "Nightwing," "Catwoman," "Birds of Prey," "Red Hood and the Outlaws," and, technically, you could extent this to include "Teen Titans." Add to that some new DC ideas: "Batwing" (a Batman for Africa), "Batman Inc.," and "All-Star Western," and you've got over a dozen titles plugged in to the caped crusader, and that's not even mentioning "Justice League" and "Justice League International," which also feature Batman.

Needless to say, I wasn't about to lay all of my money down just to keep up with Batman. I've always been a huge Batman fan - ever since I was a little boy - but Batman became a little cliche to me because everyone started to like him so much. So after the first few Tim Burton films, I sort of ditched him a little in favor of my Green Lantern books until Christopher Nolan made him so important again. And I'm telling you, I used to read Batman NOVELS (like with no pictures) when I was in high school.

My decisions as to which titles to try out with the New 52 in the Batman world have been hit-or-miss, as I'm told that two books I decided not to follow are among the best in the whole 52; everyone in the comic book store says that "Batwoman" is the most beautifully-drawn book of them all, and whenever I ask people for their three favorite titles, "All-Star Western" makes every list. I might have to go back and catch up on those two.

In the meantime, I thought I'd launch my study of the Batman reboots with the flagship title, "Batman" itself. And before I summarize the first ten issues, I will tell you right now that of what I've read so far of the New 52, this is easily the best thing out there. THE BEST. (Sorry, Hal Jordan and Geoff Johns.) In fact, the story they've got going here is so good that I'm drooling to see which director can take over after Nolan to give us a new trilogy. Just when you think there's nowhere else for Batman to go, writer Scott Snyder takes the existing mythology and -without changing it or forgetting it - fills in every crack with stunning new details. That infamous night when Bruce Wayne's parents were killed, launching him on his quest to protect Gotham City? There's more to that story. Alfred? Wait until you hear about his father. And Dick Grayson? He was supposed to be one of the bad guys until Bruce screwed that up. All of this and more have been packed in to just a small handful of issues, making "Batman" a must-read title.

The what-the-hell? stunners start flying at you right away with the first issue, in which Batman appears to be fighting alongside the Joker, and the issue ends with the revelation that the person trying to kill Batman is Dick Grayson. Nothing is, of course, what it seems, and you should read #1 yourself to find out what was really going on. Two things that are established right away that have me captivated are Snyder's interior monologue writing and Greg Capullo's brilliant art, which pays reverent tribute to the classic images of the Batman world but gives them sharp new angles.

"Batman" #1 also clarifies the revolving door of Robins that mucked up the DC universe prior to the reboot, but instead of eliminating any of them, all of them remain. In one frame of the issue, Bruce is seen with the original Robin, Dick Grayson, who we know is now Nightwing, Tim Drake, who then became Robin and is now Red Robin of the Teen Titans, and Bruce's own son, Damian, the current Batman. Each of these guys, of course, has his own, separate book.

In #1, Bruce Wayne announces plans to revitalize Gotham City by renovating and reconstructing everything from abandoned buildings to public transportation, and is introduced to Lincoln March, a charismatic candidate for Mayor of Gotham.

Right away in issue #2, Bruce is introduced to a new foe so fantastic that none of the other famous Batman villains is mentioned again through issue #10. Again, via fantastic plot structure, we first see Bruce being thrown through a window of Wayne Tower with small knives penetrating his pressure points, and then go back 24 hours to find out how that happened. The attack is courtesy of the Court of Owls, an underground crime syndicate deeply embedded in Gotham's history that has been waiting to come out into the open to take control of the city. And the juicy subplots that continue to unfold demonstrate just how far-reaching the Court of Owls is, and how many people close to Bruce have connections to it. Add to this a level of brilliant symbolism courtesy of the relationship that owls have to bats in the animal kingdom, and I'm hooked!

Bruce begins to zero in on The Talon, a name he knows from an old folk song who turns out to be a primary assassin for the Court of Owls. He traces leads to find an "owl's nest" in one of his own buildings, and then shockingly connects the Court to his great, great-grandfather, Alan Wayne, who died in a sewer. Bruce believes that those behind this murder were also behind his parents', and before long finds himself trapped in one of the Court's locations, where he's told he'll become their next kill. For a brief moment, he believes that he sees his parents among the Court, possibly still alive. Issue #6, at the halfway point of the story so far, centers completely on Batman's near-death experience with The Talon in the Court and his escape.

Bruce transports the body of The Talon to the bat cave for examination but learns that members of the Court of Owls have a special tooth implanted containing a conductive element that bonds with their cells to provide for regeneration. He explains this to Nightwing and then drops one of the biggest bombshells of the title so far, that The Talon is William Cobb, Grayson's great-grandfather. Offended, Grayson engages Bruce in a fistfight, and when Bruce knocks Dick to the floor, an "owl tooth" falls out of Dick's mouth. Bruce tells Dick that William was meant to pull Dick away from the circus and train him to be the Court's next great assassin, but Bruce took him in before Cobb had the chance, thus deepening the history between the two men and their families.

In issue #8, Wayne Manor comes under attack at the hands of the Court of Owls. The Talon has regenerated, and a weakened, still-healing Bruce must fight him off. Alfred is attacked, and once to safety discovers a list of the Court's targets, which includes most of Gotham's public officials, some of whom are already being executed as Alfred makes this discovery. Commissioner Gordon puts out the bat signal to assist the now-under-attack city, and is worried that Batman is not responding, though as we head into issue #9, the entire team of Batman support players is headed in to assist.

Issue #8 also begins to devote a few pages toward a backstory focusing on Alfred's father, Jarvis Pennyworth, and his relationship with Bruce's parents. Told in a letter written to Alfred, Jarvis reveals his knowledge of the Court and how Martha Wayne fought to have a school built for children with special needs because Bruce had a brother who apparently died of such complications. And I don't want to give away the biggest shock of all so far, which links this backstory to not only Bruce but to Gotham mayoral candidate Lincoln March and the Court of Owls itself.

So I've already said too much, but the good news is that I saved some of the juicy details, and there's also some incredible artwork to experience in "Batman," so don't be satisfied with my feeble attempt at summary. The Court of Owls storylines is one of the most exciting things I think has ever happened to Batman, and I can't wait to know what happens next. It is, if you ask me, non-negotiable reading for anyone who seeks to experience the New 52. I should also mention that the "Night of the Owls" story arches over into "Nightwing" and a few other titles, and you should know that there is also a "Batman Annual #1" issue that sets up the history of Mr. Freeze. Will he become the first of the classic Batman villains to get worked into this new Batman reboot? I'm eager to find out. This, as I said before, is from what I've read so far the most exciting, intense, and artistically stunning title in the DC New 52!

Sinestr-oh, no... DC's New 52 Review #2: "Green Lantern"

Certainly the reason I was going to walk into a comic book store at all was to see what Geoff Johns, thought by many to be one of the saviors of comic books (and godlike in my eyes considering what he did with the Blackest Night storyline), would do with a rebooted "Green Lantern." This, after all, was the title least in need of a reboot among the entire DC universe, as Johns essentially scrapped the title and started over in 2005, making its latest incarnations one of the youngest for a franchise character.

So how does he start it all over again? By shifting the focus back to Sinestro (at least at first) and by not ignoring the Blackest Night storyline, which included the introduction and development of the various color corps. What gets "rebooted" in this "Green Lantern" is the fact that the Guardians of the Universe have reinstated Sinestro as a Green Lantern after his destructive splintering-off to create the yellow "fear" corps, and Hal Jordan, Earth's main lantern, has been stripped of his ring as punishment for his reckless behavior and returned to Earth where we find that he simply cannot function.

Sinestro is not comfortable being a green lantern again, and shows up on Hal's doorstep (where he's seen unable to pay rent, distinguish a staged fight on a movie set from a real one, or handle Carol Ferris, the love of his life) to proposition him. He offers Hal a ring behind the back of the Guardians, but it comes with caveats; the ring was created by Sinestro and cannot be used against him. Also, Sinestro can turn off or control its power as he sees fit. And finally, Hal must travel with Sinestro to Korugar, his home planet, where Sinestro's renegade yellow core have taken over and threaten to destroy the planet.

Despite Hal's reluctance, he has nothing going on Earth and essentially can't turn down a chance to return to service, be it a legitimate green lantern or a bootleg one. So he accepts. The first five issues of the new "Green Lantern" make up the "Sinestro" storyline, in which Hal and Sinestro uncomfortably team up. Sinestro seems genuinely appreciative of Hal's help but by the end of issue #5 sends him right back to Earth when he's through with him. The series begins and ends with glimpses of the Guardians agreeing that the green lantern corps has failed them just as their original manhunter plan did and deciding, after brainwashing Ganthet (a loose cannon for using his emotions), to set into motion the creation of a "third army." This is perhaps the most exciting plot point of the title so far, because it keeps us guessing as to how the green lantern corps will respond to being discarded by the Guardians.

Issue #6 is an oddity, mostly because of the work of guest artist Mike Choi, whose work is so different from the stunning drawings of Doug Mahnke (one of my favorite illustrators) that I found it a little hard to focus. It's not bad art, but Hal doesn't even look like Hal. Fortunately, it's just for the one-off issue before the next storyline gets going in issue #7. The story in #6 involves Hal dealing with life on Earth without a ring and Sinestro engaging Starstorm for assistance but eventually turning to Hal again.

Another color's corp first makes an appearance in issue #7, when the Indigo tribe appears. Hal is unwilling to rejoin Sinestro until he tells Hal that he's seen the Book of the Black and knows that the green lanterns are about to be replaced. The Indigos think the Guardians made a mistake in letting Sinestro have his green ring back and aim to rectify that. In a shocking little twist, Carol appears as Star Sapphire, but we'll have to wait to see where that is headed. And the issue ends with Hal and Sinestro captured and in jail cells.

The series, "The Secret of the Indigo Tribe" continues through issue #10. Hal encounters Black Hand (a key player in the Blackest Night story) and Sinestro is transformed into an Indigo, sort of ironic considering that the creator of the "fear corps" is now a member of the corp of compassion. Perhaps most interestingly, Hal meets an Indigo named Natromo who says he is waiting for the return of Abin Sur. Wait...WHAT??? Natromo tells Hal that Abin taught him that the Guardians of the Universe were evil and would destroy the corps, and Hal is reluctant to tell Natromo that Abin is dead and was the one who gave him his green ring. Natromo is despondent and says that without Abin, there is no chance that the corps can stand up to the Guardians. He destroys the indigo lantern, which returns Sinestro to green and, consequently, removes the indigo power from the other tribe members.

Sinestro orders Natromo to repair the indigo lantern, and he does so, but when an indigo ring hunts down William Hand (Black Hand), he dies trying to escape it. Issue #10 ends on a fantastically suspenseful note, with Hand receiving the black ring, hearkening back to the Blackest Night storyline. So what does this mean? I'm excited to find out.

It should be no surprise that I'm totally on board not only with "Green Lantern," but with its companion Corps book and the two new DC titles, "New Guardians" and "Red Lanterns," all of which I'll review here separately. I love what Johns has done with these iconic characters! He's put Sinestro in a precarious position as a not-quite-reformed green lantern and has stripped Hal of his ability to control his situations; as of issue #10, Hal remains at the will of Sinestro. But they set up some great cliffhangers here. What does the Indigo Tribe or Black Hand have to do with the third army? How, when or will Hal be restored to full, independent power? "Green Lantern" continues to be, as it has always been, my favorite series in the DC universe, and that's even in spite of the disappointing film released last year. No one should let the bad taste from that movie stop them from missing out on the greatest intergallactic adventure this side of Star Wars.

It's Alive! DC's New 52 Review #1: "Frankenstein: Agent of S.H.A.D.E."

For reasons I can't quite explain, the story of Frankenstein has always been one of my true literary and artistic obsessions. I first fell in love with Mary Shelley's original novel in college, so much so that I made it the focus of my undergrad honors thesis, when I adapted the book into an original musical called "Mortal Flaw." I made it as far as a read-through workshop at a local bookstore, but never fully finished writing the music for it and, since then, there has been another Frankenstein musical that's made it to NYC. Nevertheless, my Frankenstein script is one of my prized possessions and one of the things I'd grab in a fire.

I have collected a number of adaptations of Frankenstein both in print and on film, so it was a no-brainer for me to pick up DC Comics' "Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E" when I saw it as part of the new comic line's reboot. For those of you that are true comic book followers, I ask for your forgiveness in terms of my ignorance about the histories of these characters and their stories in the DC universe prior to the relaunches. Please know that I am vaguely aware of some of these characters and titles from the past but am too ignorant to the details to speak intelligently about them. So consider my reviews to be as if from the perspective of a brand new comic book reader, even though I've been reading comics for most of my life. I'm just not that obsessive about the details of who wrote what and who appeared as a guest in which crossover story, etc. I'll save those details for someone who truly knows what they are talking about. I respect them too much to try to imitate them.

With that out of the way, and knowing that this Frankenstein character did appear prior to the New 52, I can also tell you that the writer of this series has been a guy named Jeff Lemire, who also writes the series "Animal Man," one of my favorite unexpected surprises in my recent reading experiences and one you'll read about in an upcoming post. For issue #10, Lemire handed the writing duties over to Matt Kindt, though Lemire's name still appears on the cover and I hardly noticed the changing in staffing until I took a close look. The chief artist on the book is Alberto Ponticelli.

Probably the first thing the casual reader would want to know is: what the hell is "S.H.A.D.E."? Shade stands for Super Human Advanced Defense Executive. Frankenstein is an agent for this organization, and I think the back story goes that he was reanimated to serve in World War II (there's a sub-plot in one of these issues where he's been in Vietnam to help fight). Frankenstein has been implanted with computer chip that allows him to mentally access S.H.A.D.E.net, the computer system for the organization. One of the most distinct features of the advanced technology S.H.A.D.E. possesses is that members must teleport into S.H.A.D.E.'s headquarters by shrinking down in order to fit into the base, called the Ant Farm, a 3-inch, indestructible globe that can travel around the world. The shrink and teleportation technology was created by a S.H.A.D.E. scientist named Ray Palmer. It's important to note that Palmer was previously known in the DC Universe as the superhero The Atom, though this book has not alluded to that yet in 10 issues, so it's hard to know if they're starting that story over, too, or if it just hasn't come up yet.

One of the funniest parts of #1 is learning that Frankenstein's "father," the one who gives him his orders and repairs him, generates a new host body every decade or so and had decided this time to appear as a young girl in pigtails. This adds humor to the book not only due to the disconnect between what Father says and how he looks, but also because of how uncomfortable Frankenstein is with it.

We also learn in issue #1 that Frankenstein's bride, Lady Frankenstein, is a S.H.A.D.E. agent and that the two are estranged. This Bride has an extra set of arms but is in many ways based on James Whale's film creation for his famous sequel. In the first issue, Frankenstein navigates his strained relationship with his wife and is begrudgingly introduced to the Creature Commandos, a field team put together by S.H.A.D.E. to back him. A few of these creatures are loosely based on the Wolfman, Mummy and a vampire, though look more freakish than the versions of these characters we're all familiar with.

It's not my intention to go into every little plot nuance of the first 10 issues of this book (or any of the other books I'll review), because my postings are not meant to replace the actual reading experience. So I'll summarize here. The first four issues make up the opening storyline, called "War of the Monsters," in which Frankenstein and the Creature Commandos take on...you guessed it...some other monsters (and a lot of them...and how's that for a vague and unprofessional summary?). In issue #5, Frankenstein faces O.M.A.C., the star of his own DC series and a kindred spirit to Frank in that he also is a being in a terrifying body, sharing a sense of entrapment and a lack of humanity. Amidst their battle, O.M.A.C. actually cries out for help, but then teleports out of the battle with one of Frankenstein's arms.

In issue #6, there are two important developments. One is that the "humanids" who are manufactured daily by S.H.A.D.E. to run the ant farm begin to think independently and threaten revolt. These drones only last for 24 hours but threaten the base. The other finds Frank and his gang in Vietnam, where he's to meet back up with Colonel Quantum, a fellow mutant fighting partner during the war in 1969 who has remained there in hiding and poses a threat. I personally found this to be the start of a new emotional depth to the series. This storyline, "The Siege of S.H.A.D.E. City," continues into the next issue, which focuses on the containing of the revolting humanids.

I was on the fence about whether or not I was truly "into" this title until I got to issue #8, which was the turning point for me. Up to that point, I maintained a connection to this title thanks to Lemire's occasional references to the Frankenstein mythos, with lines of dialogue referring to everything from "Paradise Lost" to Whale's films. But with issue #8, the artwork got crisper and the story took on unusual emotional depth and complexity as Frankenstein and Lady Frankenstein were made aware of the fact that a child they produced was still living. In this issue, Frank addresses many of the big themes of Shelley's original novel, and the couple head to Castle Frankenstein and Victor's original laboratory where they are reunited with their son. But it is a complicated and painful reunion with terrible results, and I wouldn't want to spoil it for you. One thing I will mention is that it causes Lady Frankenstein to leave her post as a S.H.A.D.E. agent.

Issue #9 features another character crossover with Lemire's Animal Man and the mysterious Rot faced in that series, and issue #10 begins to set up another adventure under the direction of the book's new writer, called "Son of Satan's Ring."

Though I'm not sure where this series is going and whether or not I'll stay interested, I have to admit that the stories featuring Frankenstein's return to Vietnam and his confrontation with his son are reason enough for me to continue on past issue #10 with "Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E." The book is often visually chaotic when compared to more classically drawn comic books, but it's also frequently funny. And my understanding of the Frankenstein mythology makes me enjoy those fleeting moments more when the writers tap into that.

I'm not going to do a star rating for these...just a status update:

The fate of "Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E."? WILL KEEP READING

The New 52, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying About What People Will Say and Love My Comic Books

At the end of last October, DC Comics launched, with "Justice League #1," a complete reboot of its comic book lines. All of them. What a nut job idea, right? How do you call a mulligan on Superman and Batman, given their rich histories and character mythologies, which are deeply embedded in American popular culture, not to mention my brain.

And yet there was something about the DC reboot that appealed to me as a 38-year-old man. I loved comic books as a kid...the DC line in particular. It was always far more cool to be a Marvel fan, and though I enjoy many of those characters, too, DC was always my thing. I was a Green Lantern guy from an early age. Everyone loves Batman. He was cliche. And Superman? Too many superpowers. Green Lantern appealed to me not just because green is my favorite color but because I was attracted to a hero whose power was generated from what he could dream up in his head. That's the superpower I'd want.

In my office, for years, has sat one longbox of neatly-kept comic books, most of them issues of Green Lantern. Though I'd followed the hero's line for years, my most complete collection was of the Kyle Rainer line of GL titles, which ran during my college years and just after college when I was still spending money on frivolous things. Kyle was an artist. I related to that. And I thought he was cool.

But I grew up, and the comic book collection, outside of periodic flights of whimsy which ended in annual eBay binges, did not grow much outside of that one box. I got married. Had two kids. Tried to demonstrate my maturity by leaving comic books behind. Never stopped reading, but shifted into journalistic writing as per my degree, and serious literature.

The new 52 was an invitation to come back, to let the little kid in me come out again. And maybe, hopefully, to give me something I can share with my own son.

I probably have a young man named Curtis Stelter to thank for a lot of this. We were paired up in a local theatre production of "The Producers" a few years ago. As the two leads, we were thrust into situations where we were spending loads of time together and were getting to know each other. How strange to find out that Curtis was not only a college-aged comic bookie (just as I had been), but that his favorite hero was Green Lantern! We bonded immediately. I saw myself in Curtis. He was my new little brother. I found myself heading home after rehearsals to dig the old issues out of Green Lantern to remind myself of the whole back story so that I could survive conversations with him. I started going on Amazon and buying trade paperback collections of Green Lantern books two at a time, making my way through everything I'd missed since I stopped reading GL in a summer. I was in love with all of it again.

To maintain my adult-ness, I relegated my comic book purchases to trade paperbacks. I didn't want to step foot back into the comic book store where I'd been years before. I knew it to be a financial vortex that could slowly rob you of $20 a week. And since I wasn't a serious collector collecting for the value of the books, there was no value in me making those weekly trips.

But then the reboot came. And I decided that I was going to go to the comic book store each week for that first month and just pick up issue #1 of anything in the new DC line that looked appealing to me. All of the Green Lantern-related titles, of course, but also anything else that grabbed my attention.

In those first four trips to Graham Cracker Comics in Naperville, I picked up 24 #1 issues. I went back the next month and picked up 24 #2s. The guys working at the store offered to make a pull list for me so that the books would be waiting for me. I declined, thinking I wasn't going to keep doing this. Issues #3, then #4. I made the decision to follow all 24 books for their first five issues and then I would decide to whittle them down to only the titles that I liked the most. What I would do after that, I had no idea. Would I keep going to the comic book store every week, as I had in my teens and early 20s, to collect the select group of titles I was enjoying? Would I keep an eye out for the trades of the books I'd been enjoying? I didn't know then.

But life got in the way, and I was unable to keep up with weekly comic reading. And before long, I had to extend my commitment to 10 issues of each title. After 10 issues, I figured, I could really tell if I liked a title or not.

It's June of 2012 now, and DC is halfway finished unrolling their 10th issues for each title. Around issue #7, they overhauled a number of titles with new creative teams, which confused me. I had been collecting some of these titles...did this mean they were bad and the company was trying to save them? I guess I had to read to find out. Around that time, DC cancelled a few of the underperforming titles. As it turned out, my selective tastes had kept me from even starting with any of those titles, so I had nothing to be disappointed about, short of the fact that there are three or four titles I chose not to start reading that everyone in the comic shop was raving about (such as All-Star Western, Batwoman and Swamp Thing). To make things more interesting, DC then released a half dozen new titles, and I've added a few of those to my pile. All told, I believe I've added four new titles to the 24 I'd started with.

The release of the tenth issues coincides with summer vacation, so this is the perfect time for me to carefully read each title I've been collecting in a brand new longbox (which, by the way, I've completely filled). And since I couldn't think of another place to keep track of my thoughts, I'll be posting them here, on my blog. I'll review each title I've been collecting as I finish reading issue #10; they won't be in any specific sort of order.

Though I still haven't decided what I'm planning to do with this renewed interest in reading comics, I understand that I'm spending a good $80 a month on this, which is money I can't really afford to spend. So I'm hoping this activity will at least weed some of the titles out. After that, I need to think about the cost and my schedule and decide what I want to do next. But if nothing else, this has been a true joy to go back to these characters who are starting all over again, just as I've been.

Getting back on the high wire

No one is reading this.

Why would they? Who wants to spend over two years checking some random blog for an update? Yup, it turns out my last post here was in 2009. I started "Suburban Acrobat" for myself, anyway. It was a place where I could go to record my thoughts and feelings. It was a place where I could live up to what I call myself, a writer.

I didn't give up the writing completely. Instead, I funneled most of my publishing into "...On the Movie," my companion blog dedicated to film reviews, a format I've been writing and getting published in since my college days. And I've enjoyed doing that and am thankful for the ten people who signed up to follow that blog, along with any others who jump in when I post links to Facebook or Twitter.

But I kept thinking about this blog. Was it supposed to be a place where a dad published his musings of raising two children? A creative writing place? The diary of a man in his late 30s?

I've figured out that since this blog is for myself, I have to let it be all of those things at the same time. So now that I've made that self-discovery, the suburban acrobat is getting back on the high wire, ready to juggle all of his interests and ideas. And I'll figure out a system for keeping them organized here so that in the event that you're a visitor actually reading this, you can read the things that you are interested in.

No more confusion, disappointment or shame. This is my blog, and I'm back. For myself.