Revised History of the DC Universe
Ordinarily I wouldn't pick up a book like this. I didn't. I have History of the DC Universe. It was written by Marv Wolfman and pencilled by George Perez.
I actually wanted DCUniverse Legacies #4, to add to my Teen Titans collection. My Local Comic Book Guy pulled this for me and I'm not sorry he did.
DC has found a way to tell it's own version of Marvels. They have an average guy relating events in his life, against the larger picture of milestone events in the DCU. I won't give anything away, but if you are a DC fan you shouldn't be disappointed.
The Good -
I've always been a fan of Len Wein. JLA writer, New Teen Titans editor. Swamp Thing creator. I guess he's done with Law & Order, or maye Law & Order is done with him - anybody see the episode where they were trying to solve the murder of a John Byrne? Here, Wein bridges the gap between the House UnAmerican Activities Hearings of the '50's when the JSA disappeared from the public eye, the rise of westerns on TV - like Johnny Thunder, Pow-Wow Smith, Matt Savage, Tomahawk, Nighthawk, The Trigger Twins and Wyoming Kid. I like how smoothly that fits with reality, especially the line about there being 26 westerns on prime time; and the fad of Tomahawk's coonskin cap, which pretty much mirrors the real fad of Fess Parker's Daniel Boone coonskin cap. If you've seen Back to the Future, you'll probably enjoy this issue, and the mentions of The Blackhawks, Challengers of the Unknown, Sea Devils, and Cave Carson. You'll even get to see John Jones get his start with the police force.
The arrival of Superman is lifted straight out of Superman: The Movie; while the arrival of Batman, is a dark and twisted version of the first Tim Burton movie. The first appearances and origin or the League is told over five pages.
The back-up story is a team-up of the Challengers of the Unknown and Sea Devils.
Scott Kolins, Dave Gibbons and Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez make a pretty decent art team with Mike (Mastermind) Carlin editing.
The Bad -
Inevitably, this is going to compare to Kurt Busiek. He's already done this kind of thing for Marvel, and on-again-off-again in the pages of Astro City. I think right now he's wrapping up his own Silver Age storyline in Astro City. Basically, that's just an amalgam of both Marvel and DC. Shouldn't people like Wein, Busiek and O'Neil be tapped as consultants, or screenwriters for the upcoming bevy of DC films that will arise to compete with the Marvel films. Here is the outline for origin stories for the individual Leaguers.
There is a slight cheese factor here that you don't really find in Astro City or Marvels.
The Batman page is too rushed and hurried and feels wrong. Maybe because it's told second hand. It just seems cruel and sadistic.
The Wonder Woman panel is just that - a panel. The Flash and Green Lantern share a half page.
The Ugly -
If you read and liked History of the DC Universe, Marvels, Astroy City, you will like this. Me? I'm just not a big fan of the $3.99 cover price. I'll do this maybe once or twice, but not much more than that. Not much uglier than the cover price.
The Skinny -
If you read and liked History of the DC Universe, Marvels, Astroy City, you will like this. Me? I'm just not a big fan of the $3.99 cover price. I'll do this maybe once or twice, but not much more than that.
I'm a sucker for a good JLA origin. I can wait to see how Wein handles the Classic Titans. Beyond that, I think I'm good. If money were no object, or this were under $3, I'd be all over this. I might even consider the trade paperback. But this really breaking any new ground. Unless you just started, or started back to reading comics. Then, I say go for it! You won't be sorry.
