Actual New DC Comics...That I like!

 I know this little blog has focused on older comics and/or non-"Big Two" publications, but there ARE books being put out there right now that actually enjoy!

Now, I don't pay retail for these books (heaven forfend!) but I do read them legally, as I have a membership to "DC Universe Infinite." I even have an "Ultra" membership so I can dive into the Vertigo backlog and so forth.

So, given my "Ultra" status, I also get access to EVERY new monthly book that DC puts out, just one month after it hits the stands.

That being said, this is hardly the reason that I keep my subscription. See, I really DON'T like most of what DC is putting out these days. Too many big events, too many "copy cat" characters (there are like seven or eight members of the "Super Family" in Metropolis these days, and THREE of them are called "Superman."), etc, etc.

However, this post is about some new books from DC that I actually DO like, so, how about we get to uit?

First up:

Yes, I was just talking crap about the Superman books. However, this new Supergirl series takes Kara out of Metropolis (only seven of so to go!) and returns her to Midvale! Yes, her Silver Age home. And that's not all that comes back to visit us from the Silver Age, here. Under the pen of Sophie Campbell, this book just step out and establishes itself as fun, zany, and more importantly, DEEPLY connected to Supergirl's comic book history as opposed to "continuity," all without seeming like a pointlessly slavish "homage" or "pastiche" to the Silver Age books that it lovingly draws material from. 

That, and the art is GREAT. I haven' been this jazzed for a Superman-related book since...

It's not a shock that I enjoyed the first two issues of this mini-series, since I really liked its predecessor ("Welcome to Smallville"), but it was really nice to not be disappointed by a sequel in this day and age, eh?

"When Hell Freezes Over" finds Bea and Tora (Fire and Ice) trying to live their lives in New Kooey (a "landlocked island" on the outskirts of Smallville. 1980s JLI fans will recognize the name), with the added twist that their powers have been swapped.

This is technically a "tie-in" to one of DC's latest (and unending) "events," but you really don't need to know anything about that. Like, at all. This is the best kind of "forced tie-in;" one that simply uses an element of the Big Dumb Event to tell a fun new story all its own.

Hilarity and shenanigans ensue for sure, and this book uses its supporting cast both existing (Martha Kent! Many others from the previous series!) and new (Zatanna's nephew!) to tell yet another character-driven, charming, and visually pleasing tale of two of the best characters from the JLI era and their new friends/frenemies.

Really, folks, I wish DC had many, many more titles with vibes like these.

Next up, I'll be reading the new "Metamorpho" mini-series, which I am generally a mark for, BUT I will say that I've heard the series leans VERY heavily on trying to BE a "modern day Bob Haney" comic book, so I wonder how quickly that will wear thin.

We shall see!  Til next time!