More DC Cancellations & Intriguing New Titles

It’s spring-cleaning at DC once again, with six more titles getting the axe. From the initial New 52 series, we see the end of Deathstroke, Fury of the Firestorm, and The Savage Hawkman – all with their 19th issues.

From the “second wave” of New 52, we see Ravagers cut at issue #11. And, perhaps more depressingly in terms of longevity, Sword of Sorcery and Team 7 – both of which were only launched in September 2012, will end with their seventh issues.

Of these, I’ve only read Deathstroke and Savage Hawkman, both of which I’ve had mixed feelings about, so I’m not exactly sad to see them go. Fury of Firestorm I was actually quite interested in, seeing as it was co-written with Gail Simone. I’ve decided to pick up the collected editions, once they are all released. I also recently bought the five-issue (2004-7) run of the character, written by Dan Jolley with art by ChrisCross, as part of this week’s ComiXology Black History Month Sale. I’m sure I’ll pick up the collected editions of the other New 52 cancelled series in the future.

In related news, DC has also announced two new titles that will be coming soon. Taking cues from contemporary American politics, these two titles – The Greem Team and The Movement – could be quite interesting, if they are done well. The fact that Gail Simone is writing The Movement certainly bodes well, though.

The two books were announced over on Huffington Post (which was interesting in itself), and Bryan Young was able to get Gail Simone on the record about The Movement:

“It’s a book about power – who owns it, who uses it, who suffers from its abuse. As we increasingly move to an age where information is currency, you get these situations where a single viral video can cost a previously unassailable corporation billions, or can upset the power balance of entire governments. And because the sources of that information are so dispersed and nameless, it’s nearly impossible to shut it all down… It’s an adventure story, but it really isn’t about mad scientists and jewel heists, it’s more about the injustices that can affect real people’s lives, just tarted up in costumes and superpowers.”

Sounds very Occupy Wall Street. It will be interesting to see what the team comes up with.

The tag-line for The Green Team – “Teen Trillionaires” – makes me a little worried, though. I’ve never been keen on books that feature kids as heroes or so centrally – there is a tendency, that I’ve experienced, at least – that the characters are invariably terribly written. Perhaps the only exception that I’ve been reading lately is Batman & Robin, in which Damian (Robin) is actually a complex, nuanced and compelling character (I’ve read up to #10).

Deathstroke, Vol.1 – “Legacy” (DC)

An assassin’s brutal quest to regain his reputation as the Baddest of the Bad

Writer: Kyle Higgins | Artist: Joe Bennet | Inks: Art Thibert & Vicente Cifuentes | Colours: Jason Wright

Slade Wilson once ranked as the world’s greatest mercenary. But when his reputation starts to slip, and when a mysterious briefcase enters the equation, the man known as Deathstroke decides to carve a bloody, gory swatch across the DCU in a quest to show the world what exactly makes him the best.

Collects: Deathstroke #1-7

I first read a couple of Deathstroke issues when they were first published in the initial months of DC’s New 52 re-boot, and I found it… not bad. I couldn’t get too excited about the series, despite thinking it had potential. Given the cost of each issue, I had to drop it in favour of other titles. But, when I found a discounted copy of this book, I decided it was a good time to give it another try. I’m glad I did, but this doesn’t rank among my favourite of the New 52.

This Week’s Comics Round-Up (Nov.9th)

The latest DC New 52 & Marvel releases

This is a great week for the DC New 52 comics. Four of my favourite series enter their third issues: Demon Knights, Grifter, Resurrection Man and Suicide Squad. The latter, if you read my previous round-up of these series, was actually on probation after a bit of a weird second issue, while the other three were very eagerly awaited. Another series I decided to catch up on was Deathstroke, which I didn’t pick up last month because… well, I’m not entirely sure why, now.

(An aside: Considering how much I’ve been enjoying an ever-growing number of these titles, it’s becoming difficult to say which are actually my ‘favourites’, as often issues wax and wane depending on their overall story’s progression…).

Finally, as promised in last week’s round-up, I tracked down the two new X-Men titles: Uncanny X-Men and Wolverine & The X-Men, which each track a different half of the now-split X-Men team. I also got hold of the Regenesis one-shot, which is meant to fill in the gaps for newcomers to the series and events therein.

DC New 52: “Deathstroke” #1

An aging Assassin wants his Reputation back

“Friends disappoint, family dies, but a legacy… that’s forever.”

A metahuman mercenary who made a living taking out the toughest targets, Deathstroke was once a name that commanded fear and respect from opponents and clients alike. But as Slade Wilson slowly drifted away from the hunting and assassination missions that made him legendary, the name “Deathstroke” has lost some of its meaning.

Now, something happens that opens Slade Wilson’s one remaining eye, forcing him to reclaim his fearsome legacy – by any means necessary!

This will be just a quick review. This is a great title – fast-paced, brutal, and gritty; with an awesome, truly bad-ass protagonist.

Deathstroke has been diversifying his portfolio, playing the highly-paid bodyguard as well as assassin, but it’s had a negative impact on his reputation. His age doesn’t help, either. It’s time for him to fight back and reclaim his place as the best assassin the world has to offer.

Solid dialogue and a good deal of background, this is a great introduction to our ‘hero’. There’s some mystery thrown in towards the end, and I was stunned by some of Deathstroke’s actions, so it’s absolutely assured that I’ll be buying issue two. The artwork throughout is great, lots of dynamism in the action scenes, and a very clean style throughout.

Definitely a recommended title.