SUPERMAN #1 by George Pérez and Jesus Merino
Pérez hooks the reader by kicking off with a mild surprise, keeps the reader by reintroducing the mythos with a few important changes, and wows the reader by remembering that Superman is supposed to be awe-inspiring. Citizens are Metropolis are awestruck, and so are we. Pérez was an underappreciated architect of Superman in the post-Byrne, but he gets another chance to show that some writers still get Superman in this post-whatever era.
AQUAMAN #1 by Geoff Johns and Ivan Reis
The name of Aquaman on the cover of any comic has almost always been a guarantee for failure, and the name of Geoff Johns on the cover of any comic has almost always been a guarantee for success. Which one will win out? So far, it appears to be Johns, in this impressive debut that’s nicely drawn by Ivan Reis and serves as a primer on who the new Aquaman is supposed to be. This one just might have a chance of sticking around, if Johns and Reis can do the same.
FLASH #1 by Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato
Geoff Johns did NOT stick around on the last Flash series, a series that made it necessary to put the word “almost” before “been a guarantee for success” in the review above. Manapul slides over to the writer’s chair this time in addition to spending time at the drawing board, but his Flash is really no more exciting that Johns’ was. The Fastest Man Alive continues to plod along.
