Ah, Comic Impact. It feels great to be writing for you once again. It’s been almost a year and a few months since I’ve had an active presence on the site, and shamefully almost the same amount of time since I last read a comic book. My first year at University needed my full attention you see. Shoot me, I’m a bad bitch.

But a fresh start can provide a fresh perspective. Because I’ve not read any weekly comics for just over a year, I’ve had no idea what’s been going on with any character under any publisher since then. So what do I find when I decide to jump back into this business, well, the most striking thing I found was that DC Comics have taken all their titles back to ‘#1’ with this ‘New 52’ idea. You’re all more than familiar with it, believe me I can tell, but I’m willing to offer my opinions on this right now because it seems that DC have done this marketing move, obviously to boost sales and try and save themselves a bit, but also for new readers and people in my position. For me, I’ve stumbled in on a perfect opportunity to get back into comics. For that I say thank you DC.

I’ve been hugely enjoying what I’ve read of the New 52 comics. I think it’s absolutely brilliant that they’ve decided to bring Wildstorm characters across into the DC Universe (no doubt Jim Lee had some part in that I imagine). For example, Grifter. I’ve always been interested in that character with the red tea towel for a mask, and that almost Asgardian head of flowing blonde hair, and now thanks to the New 52, I can enjoy him as part of a bigger Universe alongside characters I’m (and we all are) familiar with. Even though I did not necessarily enjoy Grifter #1 at all, I enjoy the idea of him being part of this much bigger picture DC are building.

The supernatural and fantastical are strong themes throughout some of the New 52 comics I’ve been enjoying the most too. With Swamp Thing #1 and Animal Man #1, I couldn’t have asked for anything more relevant to what I want out of a comic book. Ressurection Man #1 and Demon Knights #1 caught my attention too for similar reasons, with emphasis on the later just mentioned. I see these four comics I’ve just mentioned fall under ‘The Dark’ banner, as opposed to to other titles which fall under ‘The Edge’ amongst other titles. Again, DC have struck gold the way I see it by catagorising their titles under genres as it were. This is something I, as a sort of new reader I suppose, find most helpful and it makes my quest to find a comic which I can say with some certainly that I will enjoy, much, much easier.

There are some titles I’ve read to be the same old garbage however. Detective Comics I’m not pointing at you, and Deathstroke I am certainly not pointing at you. This isn’t something I’m going to cry into my morning cereal over though, as bad comics are just part of our everyday lives.

Now, I’m sure you guys want your goody bags since you’ve sat through and endured my average musings. If you enjoyed last week’s New 52 Podcast, then join us this week as we present to you the second part of our New 52 Podcast, on which I shall be present as well. If you want to hear Simon, Sheldon and I go into much more detail about the previous week’s round of New 52 releases, then listen in!

If you still want more goodies from us here at Comic Impact, then today is your lucky day. I can give you a tiny bit of information that we are in the process of coming up with a whole new Podcast for you to download and enjoy. But more on that soon. Watch this space.

Make sure to check us out all this week here on Comic Impact for New 52 podcasts, a new POW podcast and the usual onslaught of reviews, features and news.

Rob Andrews
Rob@ComicImpact.com