DC Comics: The New 52 [Englisch] [Gebundene Ausgabe]

You have to be very very extra careful in opening this book. Am glad that i checked this out first in a local bookstore before deciding to buy. 800 pages with glued binding like that of Teen Titans Vol 1 - i can accept that. But for 1200 plus pages, you still stick to glued binding ? Really ?? I have given up hope on DC making an omnibus that has a sewn binding. Best of luck to those who bought this book.

An omnibus like this has to be reviewed by two criteria: content and format.

First, the content. I highly recommend DC's New 52. It's definitely the most interesting thing to be done in comics in years. While not every issue is a hit (Hawk & Dove, Captain Atom), these are certainly in the minority. Most are solid, fun, stories that begin a new DC universe with a bang. A few standouts (such as Jim Lee's Justice League and Perez/Merino's Superman) seem to jump off the page in color and detail. Despite the fact that not every issue is fantastic, this omnibus would receive 5 stars from me based on content alone.

However, the second criteria, format, tends to bring that perfect score down slightly. As a previous reviewer noted, this book is huge, over 1200 pages. Consequently, it's a bit unwieldy. Now, I understand that's a natural consequence of this type of omnibus, but I do feel it's worth mentioning: reading this book comfortably is just plain difficult. Also, due to the number of pages, the binding gets a bit...tight as you get nearer the center of the book. On some pages, dialogue boxes are VERY close to the inner edge and I found myself having to push down on the center of the book to read them. It's not a deal-breaker, but it doesn't make for the most pleasant reading experience. However, for most people, this book will be an archival copy, something to keep on the shelf rather than read repeatedly, so it probably won't matter.

Overall, I recommend this book. It's a great way to introduce yourself to the New 52.

I have no problem with reboots. I lost a few characters I liked, notably Stephanie Brown as Batgirl, but for the most part I welcomed this. DC did way too many events in a very short period starting with Identity Crisis and ending with Flashpoint. I lost interest in a lot of DC comics because of this. I wasn't a fan of Grant Morrison's vision for Batman either. From time to time a reboot is nice to simplify convoluted history, especially when the creative talent changes so frequently in comics today.

With that said, there are some really good relaunches here, and conversely some horrible ones. Savage Hawkman, Static Shock, Deathstroke, and Catwoman are just a few of the clunkers. I'd say I abandoned about 20 books after the first issue, so that's 40% of this collection I wouldn't recommend. After four months I'm hovering around 20-22, still on the fence about a handful in the long run. Overall, that's pretty good. I'm in the minority on some books I like as well as some I think are rubbish. In the end, with a collection this varied, it's going to come down to personal taste.

As for me, here are my top recommendations:

1) Birds of Prey - Tons of fun, great cast, plenty of action, great team chemistry.

2) Suicide Squad - Weak first issue, but picked up in issue #2 where it has remained strong with a fun cast and wild situations that remind me a bit of Garth Ennis & John McCrea's Hitman series.

3) Batman & Robin - Another weak first issue. Tomasi can't nail the voice of a ten-year-old, but the villain is fantastic, the pacing and visual storytelling are some of the best I've ever seen, and the character interactions are fresh and interesting.

4) Blackhawks - Sometimes I think I'm alone on this one, as it seems fated for cancellation. Blackhawks is incredibly fast-paced and packs to the rafters. Every issue is loaded with a great cohesive narrative, high stakes, plenty of action, and solid team dynamics.

5) Nightwing - Focuses around Dick Grayson's past and how it affects his present. Presents complicated conflicting decisions ahead. Great romance story with a bit of a love triangle that I don't see being a major part of the story, but it's there. Just solid storytelling in a nutshell.

Other books I'm really enjoying are Swamp Thing, Batgirl, Justice League, Captain Atom, Justice League Dark, Flash, Batman, Batman Dark Knight, Red Hood and the Outlaws, Teen Titans, Aquaman, I Vampire, Wonder Woman, Animal Man, Batwoman, Action Comics and All-Star Western.

Batman Dark Knight leaves a mixed impression in the first issue - and well, most of its issues. The investigation by Internal Affairs is interesting, but the monster-making toxin and Playboy bunny villain are just ridiculous.

Justice League will probably let most readers down in this collection, since there's really no league in issue #1.

A few other titles are decent or have promise but I stopped reading them, but like I said, it's ultimately personal taste. I think Deathstroke is one of the worst books of the bunch and I know people who like it.

Overall, for the price tag, you might just want to stick with titles you know you'll have an interest in. DC will be releasing 52 different collections featuring the opening story for each series if you prefer collections to individual comics.