Aquaman #1 and other DC The New 52 week 5 reviews

Here are brief reviews for the final week of #1 issues from DC’s “The New 52.”  The final week was strong, with several titles that are worth adding to your pull list.

ALL-STAR WESTERN #1
Continuing the high quality of “Jonah Hex,” writers Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray team up Hex with Amadeus Arkham in the tracking of a serial killer in Wild West Gotham.  Art by Moritat.  Podcast review.

AQUAMAN #1
The “Blackest Night” team of Geoff Johns and Ivan Reis launch the King of the Sea into an ongoing series, which attacks the perception of Aquaman head-on.  This team could deliver Aquaman to the top of the charts, and this well-written and well-drawn first issue is a good start.  Podcast review.

BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT #1
David Finch writes and draws his second “Dark Knight” #1 of the recent past.  Paul Jenkins comes on as co-writer, and while he provides some punch, this isn’t the strongest of the Batman books, though it’s perfectly acceptable.

BLACKHAWKS #1
Mike Costa writes and Graham Nolan and Ken Lashley draw the military-style adventure of DC’s Blackhawks.   The Blackhawks here are a UN-sponsored covert action team that’s sure to draw comparisons to “GI Joe.”   Unfortunately, it’s not extremely memorable from issue 1 alone.

THE FLASH #1
Though I’ll miss Wally West, Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato impressed me with a fresh, intriguing, fast-paced issue.   Barry Allen is a forensic detective who is secretly the fastest man alive.  He believes a former friend of his has been killed while committing a crime, but that leads Barry into a far stranger mystery.  Podcast review.

THE FURY OF FIRESTORM: THE NUCLEAR MEN #1
Jason Rusch is a brain; Ronnie Raymond is a jock.  They don’t like each other, but are put together as Firestorm.  Gail Simone and Ethan Van Sciver write the story, Yildiray Cinar provides the dynamic art.  The story starts brutally, which made the tonal shift to teen debate to superhero adventure all a bit much to take.