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22 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Challenging Work... both to the good and the bad, July 17, 2007
This review is from: 52, Vol. 1 (Paperback)
52 was, if nothing else, a grand experiment. Initially, it purported to show what would happen in the DC Universe during a year without Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman.
Well, the answer there is, as you might expect, pretty much exactly what happens in the DCU books that aren't constantly pandering to the Big Three.
That said, what we do get in these books is an array of talent rarely seen in one place and at one time -- especially as regards third string characters.
While the quality of the artwork varies at times (and with the huge panel count pages no one involved in 52 could be considered a slouch), the writers miraculously provide a consistent and unified tone.
And while 52 does not directly embody the intricacy of an extended Rucka plotline, the unbridled insanity of Morrison, or the straight-up sass of Waid cutting loose; it does show delightful touches of all of three of these authors while remaining generally faithful overall to the work of tried-and-true DC stalwart Geoff Johns.
52 feels more like Geoff Johns on JSA than anything else -- only maybe a bit deeper, a bit nuttier, and a bit funnier -- and for the most part that's a very good thing.
Like Geoff Johns' JSA, you also wouldn't consider 52 an "easy" read. There are lots of panels, lots of tiny text bubbles, lots of storylines running haywire all over the place.
Countdown, the follow-up to 52 headed by Paul Dini, by counterexample, is a much simpler and more straight forward execution. Because of this, in the moment, it feels more engaging -- but does it resonate so thoroughly? Only time will tell.
As befits a book of 52's stature, there are highs and lows, bits that work (Black Adam, Skeets) and bits that don't (Adam Strange, Animal Man, Batwoman). If you plan to read it all, you'll enjoy it. You certainly won't feel gypped. Is it a story that resonates for the ages? No. Is it quote unquote important? No. Does it rival the best work of any of these authors individually? No.
But 52 is a solid story overall and one that in places does manage to captivate the soul.
Casual buyers, bear in mind that none of these trades will contain anything resembling an arc. For a complete story, you must purchase ALL of the 52 trades.
This book: 5 stars. 52, the series: 4 stars.
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15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Daring, Inventive, Addictive, Amazing: Weekly Comics Experiement Collected!, June 2, 2007
This review is from: 52, Vol. 1 (Paperback)
I bought each issue of this weekly comics as it came out and now I've shelled out for the trade paper back. Why? Because 52 is an amazing soap opera read and is like NOTHING you've ever read before from DC. It's landmark, genre-fusing, crazy, and one of a kind.
It really reads well when strung together like this: all the foreshadowing, all that hard work by four of the most talented and creative writers in the business, it's all there from issue one, page one. To complain about the odd pacing issue on a book that came out week-in, week-out for fifty-two weeks is churlish, but as you may or may not now, hard core comics fans can be ridiculously cantankerous. Give em Citizen Kane, they'd moan that it is in back and white, give them The Godfather and they'll bitch that it's not as violent as Scarface.
All the blurbs on the book's back jacket, from almost EVERY major press outlet, is there for a reason. 52 is an amazing accomplishment, a bird's-eye view of the DC Universe that takes us through one year in the life of some of its fascinating second and third tier characters.
The commentary section after each issue is a very nice bonus and offers insights into how the story changed from it's original conception, how it took on a life and momentum all its own, and how the writers and editors came up with many off their brilliant ideas.
In terms of mainstream superhero comics, this is THE series of the last ten years, and it sets a standard of achievement and excellence that will be hard to match! So do believe the hype: this is a rolicking, fun, entertaining read.
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9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
best enjoyed on its own terms, May 29, 2007
This review is from: 52, Vol. 1 (Paperback)
Other reviewers will invariably take 52 to task for a perceived neglect in achieving what they have taken to be the purported goal of this series. And while there is a certain legitimacy to these gripes, they do a disservice to the series which, on its own terms--which is to say, outside of reader expectations--mostly succeeds in weaving together a diverse collection of narrative threads and character arcs, and eventually coming to some rather clever and exciting, if occasionally confusing, conclusions.
It is true that the extent to which it speaks to the One Year Later stories seems almost an afterthought...but oh well. What it does do is introduce new readers (or reintroduce them to comics veterans) to an assortment of lesser-known but otherwise strong characters from DC's B-list and put into motion events that, by the end, allow each of those characters to shine in a way that a universe dominated by the Big 3 seldom allows. DC never entertained the idea that characters of the ilk of Booster Gold and Elongated Man could someday be A-list headliners of flagship titles. That's just silly. Instead, 52 is an ensemble drama that rewards readers for their attention.
If it has a weakness, it is that the real-time gimmick doesn't always bear out very well, as some plot lines seem absurdly protracted in order to coordinate story and thematic climaxes. But thankfully, this only begins to plague the series about two-thirds of the way in. The first collected volume, which only contains the set-ups, still manages to pack a good deal of narrative punch as it puts all of our protagonists into situations within which they are the decided underdogs:
Booster Gold discovers that he may in some way be responsible for breaking time. Animal Man, Adam Strange, and Starfire are stranded in deep space with a bounty on their heads. John Henry Irons stands as the only moral counterbalance to the hollow promises and Machiavellian intent of Lex Luthor's Everyman program. Ralph Dibny (Elongated Man) is living on borrowed time after a near suicide attempt while he attempts to put his final affairs in order. And so on. You may not care for all of these mysteries or all of these characters, but the chances are good that at least one of these plotlines will suck you in.
At its best, 52 is rousing. At its worst, plodding. Though never particularly bad, in my opinion. And the early installments were all fairly well-paced.
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