My Pull List-The Comics I Buy Part Two: DC Comics

You can read Part One of this article here.

Today, I am going to discuss all the DC comics I currently read. DC is the other member of the "Big Two" besides Marvel. Some of their most famous characters include Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, and Flash. DC books are famous for having a generally more epic scope and more clean cut approach to stories and characters. DC also publishes the astonishingly consistent mature readers line called Vertigo, and another super hero line called Wildstorm.

Here are the DC books I currently buy each month.



Batman and Robin: Batman and Robin is a great superhero book that can be enjoyed simply for the fun action and crazy characters writer Grant Morrison is filling it with, but it is also worth appreciating for the fresh approach it brought the Batman franchise. In this book, Bruce Wayne is nowhere to be found. Instead, Dick Grayson, former Robin is Batman and Damien, Bruce's son, is Robin. This puts an interesting spin on the Batman and Robin relationship because now Batman is a lot more upbeat, and Robin is the serious one. This comic is also part celebration of Batman's wacky past, including the Adam West television series. The art on this series is being done by a different artist for each arc. Frank Quietly's three issues were beautiful. He definitely brings out the best in Morrison's writing. The second arc art, by Phillip Tan, was less impressive, especially following such a strong first showing. Cameron Stewart, another frequent Morrison collaborator, is up next so hopefully the quality will rebound soon. There is a collection of the first arc due out in April, but you can also find all the single issues in many comic stores right now.



Detective Comics: Detective Comics is another book in the Batman franchise that has benefited from changing things up significantly. Batwoman is the the current star of the series written by Greg Rucka with art by J.H. Williams III. This story took years to finally come out, which turned out to be a clever move because it let the "Oh my God, a gay!" attitude wear out a little bit. Batwoman, aka Kate Kane, is indeed a lesbian, but luckily the series has developed her as a well rounded character and not lingered on that one detail. She is probably one of the strongest new characters DC has introduced in quite a few years. Greg Rucka is predictably perfect at writing his female lead, but the real story with this book is the art. Williams has always been an artist to watch; he is one of the only artists who's work makes a book a must buy for me, and he has let loose here. Every issue blows me away and is worth going through at least twice. His layouts are inventive. He is unafraid to change styles multiple times an issue and he knows exactly how to create jaw dropping images that also function to expertly tell the story. You will have to buy this one in single issue form right now, and it would be worth going back and starting with #854 to get the whole story. The inevitable Absolute collection will also be worth a purchase down the road.



Daytripper: This series' first issue is released as a Vertigo title tomorrow so I have not actually read it yet, but based on the team of Gabriel Ba and Fabio Moon, I am already 100% sold. Both of these guys are amazing storytellers, two of the best in comics, and when they work together good things are sure to happen. The story is supposedly a "slice of life tale, with a twist," but I could be wrong as I have a hard time not just staring at the pretty pictures next to the articles I have read. They each did art on an arc of Matt Fraction's Casanova, a series which seems to be shamefully forgotten in the many recent "Best of the Decade" comic book lists and Ba has gotten a lot of much deserved attention for his work on Umbrella Academy. Get in on the ground floor of this ten issue series starting tomorrow with #1. And after that ends, let's get the ball rolling on that next arc of Casanova, eh? Seriously, please?



Fables: Fables, published under the Vertigo banner, is one of my favorite monthly purchases; it is so consistent. Bill Willingham has written over 80 issues, and the story shows no sign of slowing down. This book focuses on all your favorite fairy tale characters including Snow White, The Big Bad Wolf, Red Riding Hood, and many more living in a modern world right under the Mundys' (us) noses. Mark Buckingham is the artist for the bulk of this series, and his story book style is a perfect fit for the world. The gorgeous James Jean covers were also a nice bonus while they lasted. This book has everything you could want in a story: action, adventure, romance, mystery, horror, character development, and more. There is a recently released hardcover collection that includes the first two arcs if you want to start from the beginning. Most major plot lines were recently wrapped up, so issue #86 would also make a fantastic jumping on point.



Scalped: Scalped, another Vertigo release, tells the grimy story of life on a Native-American reservation overrun with corruption, violence, and apathy. The premise of an undercover cop sent back to his old home to prove that corruption exists is mined for some tense drama and real emotion. This was Jason Aaron's breakout series, and it will be tough for him to top. R.M. Guerra fills the book with powerful, gritty images and some terrific layouts that manage to feel chaotic without becoming confusing. His style and skill seems to develop issue after issue, making this series constantly on the rise. This story would best be read from start to finish, so buy the first trade (a bargain at $9.99).



Sweet Tooth: This series is only a few issues deep, but already I am pretty excited about it. Sweet Tooth is set in a post-apocalyptic world where most people died from a mystery illness that our lead character, Gus, is somehow immune to. Oh, and he has antlers. Jeff Lemire has racked up a pretty impressive resume in comics, enough to get me fully on board a book with such a crazy premise from the go. His storytelling ability has been proven in the Essex County Trilogy, and I am excited to see what he can do with a potentially ongoing series so wildly different from his previous output. His artwork is highly expressive, and Jose Villurubia's colors look great on it as well. With only four issues out, you can probably still find issue #1(for $1!) and then catch up from there.



Ex Machina: Once there was a prolific comic book writer known as Brian K. Vaughan. You could find his name on many quality titles including Runaways and Y: The Last Man each month. Lately, his comics output has decreased dramatically, and we are blessed with only one (mostly) monthly series that is quickly coming to a close. Ex Machina, published under the Wildstorm imprint, combines politics and superheroes in a surprisingly compelling way. The story follows Mitchell Hundred, Mayor of New York City, as he faces complex political issues and super villains. Vaughan is not afraid of dealing with controversial political topics, but the story never suffers and the book never feels like his personal soap box. Ex Machina is filled with Vaughan's sharp humor and smart dialogue I am also a big fan of Tony Harris' art, and watching his style develop from Starman in the 90s through this current series has been a lot of fun. Sometimes there is a lack of motion in his work, but usually I am too busy admiring the pretty pictures to care. This series never got as much attention as Vaughan's other books, but it is equally deserving of praise. Ex Machina concludes in a few short issues, so go back and enjoy it from the beginning. It is collected in both paperback and hardcover form.

I was surprised to realize I only collected two main DC books. DC is putting out a lot of quality books, but my attention has been drawn away from standard superhero stories more and more. I could also be buying a few more Vertigo books; they have so many great titles out right now. So far we are at a total of 14 titles. Up next we go local: Dark Horse and Oni Press.