I’m folding in my comics chatter into my main blog, Gracetopia. The current plan is to post a kind of big comics post every Friday, so please come by and check it out!

And thanks to everyone who’s stopped by Proper Comics over the past few months. It’s been fun! :)

I know that in the grand scheme of the internet I don’t have many readers here at Proper Comics (especially since I haven’t updated in the last few weeks), but for those of you who are reading, I was hoping you’d take a second and answer a quick question. (wtf kind of structure is that sentence, Grace, really now.)

If I were to take the content here over to my personal blog, Gracetopia, would you still read? I started Proper Comics as its own thing because I wanted to appeal to an audience that probably doesn’t care about how my cat is doing, or the photos I’ve taken. The thing is, though, that Gracetopia is ME, you know, and I am geeky, and splitting up the content is kind of weird. Like, it seems dumb to cross-post things like the Captain America movie review I anticipate writing sometime this weekend, but I don’t want to just delete all the geeky comicky stuff from Gracetopia because that’s an aspect of who I am.

I’m probably explaining this too much. So, yeah, that question. Please feel free to elaborate in the comments!

I’ll be honest: the reason this post took so long is I found these covers overall pretty dull.

RED HOOD AND THE OUTLAWS #1, cover by Kenneth Rocafort

First up, RED HOOD AND THE OUTLAWS, in which we have another character that reminds me of Deadpool.

I have no idea who any of these peeps are (I’m assuming one of them is named Red Hood) but they seem to be all actiony and exciting. So that’s good?

While I have some issues with the look of the characters (does the woman have hair that is longer than she is tall? why is the redhead wearing a trucker hat?) my main issue is that there is nothing happening. I mean, yeah there are guns blazing and whatnot, but… where? when? Is a background going to be added at one point? Actually, a background might even make it worse, the cover is already so busy. I just don’t know, but I know I don’t like it.

Also, this is another one of those “hero(es) is/are backed into a corner and inexplicably not affected by the bullets/arrows” covers (see: Green Arrow). Really? All DC superheroes are that dumb/lucky?

Also also: the woman’s boobs have been turned into Mickey Mouse ears. Dub tee eff.

I, VAMPIRE #1, art by Jenny Frison

Is I, VAMPIRE related to I, ZOMBIE?

Anyway, I kind of like the overall look, the moodiness and the bats and whatnot, but does the world really need more brooding vampires?

Don’t answer that.

There isn’t, er, much costume to comment on. I’m not really sure what I think about the ladyvamp. Interesting use of colors, and I kind of like the tribal-ish tattoos but… they’re very handily placed. Is she actually naked? Is there just one thin layer of ink between me and her undead vajayjay? That’s more disturbing than the I-eat-your-babies look in her eye or the fiery claws of her right hand.

As for the dude… well, he has some hardcore wings but other than that he looks like every other teenage heartthrob vampire of the last ten years.

So I guess I like the art, and the mood of the cover, but I am so 100% uninterested in the content. I might flip through it in the store to see if they’re doing anything new but, yeah, I’m over the brooding.

BATWING #1, art by Ben Oliver

BATWING is the character that’s the “Batman of Africa,” right? I’m not entirely sure how I feel about that.

As for the cover:

a) so much glowing oh my eyes

b) pyramids are like the laziest way to indicate Africa EVER

c) how on earth are those Blackhawks (are those Blackhawks?) missing him?

d) is his costume… puce and teal?

I have to admit, I kind of like his chill, “Imma just float along here” face in the midst of all the explosions. And the cover is very striking; Batwing is very striking against the gold behind him.

But I don’t know. It’s just kind of ordinary veering into annoying, like many of the covers in this reboot. I am neither impressed nor unimpressed. I’m just… eh.

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So there we have today’s batch. Feel free to jump into the comments section with your thoughts! And let’s hope the next group is a bit more interesting…

WONDER WOMAN #1, art by Cliff Chiang

So, I think I like Cliff Chiang, but I’m not entirely sold on this cover. I’m glad WONDER WOMAN is one of the books that has ended up with one of the more interesting artists, but this cover is just a bit… awkward? Like things aren’t quite proportionate, her head is too small and her hair is too big and she’s got this awkward pose and I can’t really tell what direction she’s moving. Charging forward? Falling back?

Not particularly a fan of the costume redesign, but at least we can tell that it’s Wonder Woman. My main problems: I miss the bright blue and I don’t like the dog collar. The pants, like, whatever, I’m glad there are stars and what’s the gray part at the knee, but I miss the bright blue that is kind of a staple of her design. And I’m a little WTF on a lot of the details: why did the armlets need to have a design to them? why are there stars on the corset? what is with the random bands around her arm and neck? It’s just an odd mish-mash of ideas.

But I like the Warrior Woman feel of the cover (including the sword) and I overall like Chiang’s style. I’m excited to see where this goes.

GRIFTER #1, cover art by Cafu and Bit

I know nothing whatsoever about GRIFTER. Is he a relative of Deadpool? Which of those flashing light things are his powers and which are the bad guy’s? Will said powers keep him from splattering on the sidewalk? Why are we looking directly at his crotch? How come we can see such well-defined leg muscles in pants that are so loose? Is his vest made out of corrugated cardboard? What shampoo does he use to get such luscious hair?

This cover just leaves me with so many questions, and not a real need to get any of them answered.

DC UNIVERSE PRESENTS #1, cover art by Ryan Sook

I’m having trouble figuring out who is in power here–whoever has this dude chained up, or the dude himself. He really doesn’t seem too distraught at his situation and I’m not sure what he’s about to do with his hands but it wouldn’t surprise me if he were to zap me with some superspell and/or strangle me with his brain. He doesn’t seem concerned about his plight so I’m not either.

(Really, I have no idea who this is. Anyone?)

It’s an arresting cover. I like it. The dude’s right hand looks like it should have six fingers on it, but other than that I like the art and the multitude of colors even though it’s a generally dark cover. And it’s nice to see a man tied up for once.

But I’m a little alarmed that the popped collar trend has made it to the DCU.

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So, there’s today’s batch! Please share your thoughts (whether you agree with me or not!) in the comments section.

Yesterday I picked up SUPERGIRL #65 because I’d heard somewhere on the internet that it was the first issue in a three-issue arc and I thought that might be a good way to dip into Supergirl rather than trying to just dive headlong.

And. Well.

I’m enjoying the story, it’s cute. There’s a mystery, an evil alien, an over-intelligent jerk, Lois Lane. All the things you need for a good story.

But the art is atrocious.

It’s ChrisCross on pencils and Marc Deering inking and… I’m sorry guys, but Kara looks like she’s about 30. There are a couple of shots where she looks like she might be in her teens, but overall she looks like an older woman, which makes her teenage antics kind of odd. And the other characters are just ugly. The lines on their faces are just odd—frankly, it looks like someone like me was drawing it and was like “ok, uhhh there appear to be a line HERE on the human face… and HERE…” Blegh.

So I don’t know what to do. I kind of want to know what happens, and I tend to be a reader who values story above art, but… I don’t know if I can handle that much ugly in my life.

Today’s post features SWAMP THING #1, GREEN ARROW #1, and VOODOO #1. We’re going to call this the “it’s not easy being green” edition. :)

SWAMP THING #1, art by Yannick Paquette

The cover for the new SWAMP THING is so rich and full even though it’s filled with mostly greens. The symmetry is an odd choice but I think I like it. Coupled with the artistic style it makes the image seem very fantastical. My only real “hmmm” thing is the odd contrast between dark up high and light on the bottom (both color and tone). It makes it both a gloomy cover with scowling and dark light and a bright cheerful cover with pinks and cute little frogs. But I love the sense of movement and life Paquette has created; this isn’t a stagnant swamp, this is a living, moving image. As a piece of art, I love this.

Swamp Thing himself seems slightly more man than thing, but I like the look. I prefer the aspects that are more plant, like his knuckles that look like tree whorls and the stem integrated into his face. The plants growing out of him seem a little more like “tacked on” and not like actually part of him. I’ve never gotten around to reading the Swamp Thing comic I’ve had for over a year, so I don’t know how similar this is to previous incarnations. A big redo? Not?

But overall, both the look and the cover, I like it and I am intrigued.

GREEN ARROW #1, art by Brett Booth

Up next: GREEN ARROW #1, or, Green Arrow’s No Good Very Bad Day. My first question is, if he’s surrounded by that many bullet holes how is he still unscathed? But that’s about where my interest stops.

This cover is extremely dull veering into ugly. The only three objects are GA, a slab of concrete (?), and a few newspaper pages—how boring. I straight-up dislike the costume. I understand wanting to modernize his Robin Hoody look, but this is a bit too fitted and sleek and there are like 500 panels in that top. I feel like GA would wear something simpler. I like the idea of arm armor, for some reason, but this looks kind of like an armadillo.

But really my main problem is that everything’s just ugly. GA’s screaming face, his tree-trunk arm, his awkwardly-muscled thighs, the outfit.

Not impressed.

VOODOO #1, art by Sami Basri

Finally today we have VOODOO #1, featuring a young woman who appears to be normal and pretty except for a scaly green claw-hand. There isn’t a lot going on here so I don’t really have a lot to comment on. I like the style and I think Basri has captured something tragic in her eyes. That interests me almost more than the hand. And frankly, I really like that unlike seemingly 99% of the new DC covers, she isn’t snarling at us.

So… not a lot to say but I am intrigued. How many times can I say “intrigued” in one blog post? I guess that means the covers are doing their job.

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What are your thoughts on today’s crop of covers? Please join in!

And you all know Flash is my boy, so. I am expecting GREAT things, DC. GREAT. THINGS.

BIRDS OF PREY #1, art by Jesus Saiz

As an indication of my “new to this game”-ness, I just googled to try to figure out who all these chicks are on the BIRDS OF PREY cover. (get it, chicks, birds? nvm.) My guesses of Black Canary and Poison Ivy appear to have been accurate, but I failed at Katana and… in my defense, nobody seems to know who the tattooed girl is. Rose and Thorn (?) and/or Huntress and/or Zatanna, depending on the source. If you have an idea, let me know!

Onto the actual art and design… I kind of love Poison Ivy’s look, though I’m not sure if that’s actually her costume or if it’s just shadow. A little, um, skintight (or is she actually green?) but overall I like it. I much prefer Black Canary’s old look. The yellow adds an entirely new color element, which, weird, and I realize she’s part canary but it looks more bumblebee. And I don’t like the armor on her, though it works for Katana’s bad-ass robotic Samurai thing. Finally, from what little I can see of Mystery Girl’s costume, it looks like your basic superheroine-in-a-corset. Boring. Fan of the tattoo, though.

Overall, I’m pretty pleased with this cover. I love the twisty tree and the way even among all these heroes Poison Ivy quietly looks like HBIC. Black Canary’s getting a little Tarzan, but that’s pretty much my only gripe. I love that the art isn’t cookie-cutter; frankly a lot of the art in these 52 looks the same, but this is definitely its own style.

So yeah. I like it. Grace stamp of approval.

MR. TERRIFIC #1, art by J.G. Jones

Onto MR. TERRIFIC. Have to say, I kind of love this cover. Like, straight-up adore it. It’s so eye-catching, I love the circuit background and his oddball “I’m messing with your miiiiind” posture and the fact that we can see things reflected in the Terrific balls. It’s really well done, all the reflections and shadows and things and… yeah. Love it. I’m a leeeetle confused about whether MT is supposed to be floating or standing on something invisible, but I’m willing to forgive that.

The costume, however, is kind of a dud. Dude looks like he’s wearing Crocs, for one thing. Crocs are ugly. And there are just too many lines and panels, it’s like they were trying to make him look computer-y too. And WTF is up with the dots on the underarm panel? Those look three-dimensional, which is just kind of art-projecty. And it’s hard to tell, but is his mask T-shaped? Because that’s kind of funny-looking. I’ll give you the T on the chest, but it’s OK, one is enough, we get it.

So to recap: not that impressed with the costume design but the cover is pretty…. wait for it… terrific. :)

THE FLASH #1, art by Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato

Sigh. Is it just me, or does every. single. FLASH cover look like this?

I mean, it’s good, it’s well-drawn, I don’t NOT enjoy looking at it, but… really? We need another Flash-running-straight-at-the-camera cover? Are you sure?

This one seems to be more of a close-up than some of the others. Maybe we will gradually work our way in so that a few issues down the line we are basically inside his eyeballs. That might be interesting. OR he’ll just run right past us so the cover will be, like, the “wake” of his speed force, with things crashing around and some whoosh noises.

Sorry, I got distracted by things that were more interesting than this cover. Carry on.

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That’s it for today, please add your thoughts in the comment section!

On the other hand, this also makes me feel lucky.  I have never felt out-of place in a comic shop, and I’ve been in quite a few. I think I’m lucky because the shops in Boston are awesome. But this sort of essay serves as a reminder that it’s still a male-centric industry in a lot of ways, and still acts like it in a lot of places no matter how much “the industry” talks about “girl comics.”

For the record, the list of comics shops I remember visiting who were totally cool:

• Dreamhaven, in Minneapolis, MN
• Harrison’s, Salem, MA
• Hub Comics, Somerville, MA
• New England Comics in Harvard Square
• New England Comics in Allston, MA
• Comicopia in Boston, MA
• Million Year Picnic, Harvard Square

So. Away we go. Please comment with your reactions and thoughts! You don’t even have to read mine, I won’t be offended (and I will never know if you don’t tell me).

HAWK AND DOVE #1, art by Rob Liefeld

First up! HAWK AND DOVE.

I’m not sure what’s up with Dove’s bug-eyed mask look (wrong species!), but I actually really like the costumes. I don’t know how Hawk is supposed to fight or, well, move with those… things… on him (what ARE they made out of? metal? crepe paper?) but Dove’s wings are pretty and smart. Must admit, I’m a little skeeved out by the arrow pointing at her ladyparts, and what is with Hawk’s devil horns? but overall they’re sleek and distinctive outfits. I knew exactly who I was looking at.

As far as the cover itself… does Hawk really need to be, like, hardcore snarling? Twice? We get that he’s the angry one. And he’s built like a garbage truck, what is up with his chest? (How many times do we get to say that about male characters?) But mostly I think I’d like it better if it were just the two front figures in front of something that is actually happening, not just themselves again. It’s really just not very exciting.

DEATHSTROKE #1, art by Simon Bisley, I think*

Next up, DEATHSTROKE.

WTF is this. I don’t even.

I am going to assume that this is targeted at some male death metal crowd of which I am not a part. I just… don’t like it. I don’t get it, I don’t like it, I’m not interested in reading it. I swear I’m not a prude. I’ve been known to attend death metal concerts, I love some good zombie gore. But this is just… blurgh. And there’s nothing distinctive about it or the character. He looks like he could be any 90s cartoon bad guy or minion.

As far as art and costume and design, I can’t tell if his chest is covered in chain mail or blue scales, but either way it’s at odds the with the robot-ness of the rest of his body. And… aren’t those three fins on his leg and arms a Batman thing? Yes? No? And he has a gun, and the zombie hordes (?) have guns, and he’s fighting them with a sword? That probably weighs more than he does?

Also, the way he’s glaring at the viewer makes me feel like I’m going to be next on his rampage.

Unimpressed Grace is unimpressed.

*I’m going to apologize now if I get any of the artists wrong. I started out by going by what DC lists on their blog as “art by,” but DEATHSTROKE’s cover is obviously signed “Bisley.” PLEASE correct me if I mess up somewhere, I am so serious.

CATWOMAN #1, art by Guillem March

Finally for today, CATWOMAN.

Let’s start with the obvious. The boobs are a definite problem. That’s not really how boobs are shaped; if she were lying like that, they would totally be falling down onto her face. And if they were that big she’d have to be wearing like a harness, which we would be able to see through the skintight catsuit. That, seriously, is the level of boob (especially on that frame) where people talk about getting reduction surgery. It’s out of control and they aren’t resting properly and it’s bugging me.

/boobgrumbles

As to the rest of it, the costume is pretty basic, but I guess that’s okay for a cat burglar. The sleek sexy catsuit combined with the combat boots is kind of confusing (wouldn’t that be noisy for sneaking on rooftops?), and I hope that thing can zip over her boobs, but really, I’m fine with it. I want to see it all on her before I fully judge. Aside: are her goggles really pink? Won’t that look weird? Also when she takes them off they look like a bra.

But the cover itself… hrm. I like it conceptually, including the colors on the left, and I don’t even mind that she’s kind of lounging sexily on the top of a building with a come-hither look in her eye—frankly that seems like the sort of thing Catwoman would do, probably while calling up Batman on her cell. What I don’t like is how… awkward things are. Everything just looks off, like the building and body were drawn separately and not happily joined together. Like the artist didn’t really know how to lay the boots properly. And how are the bra goggles and the headpiece not sliding off into oblivion? Things just seem awkward.

Finally… is she sprinkling diamonds down into the city? Doesn’t that sort of defeat the purpose of burgling?

So there we have it! The first entry in the 52 Covers Project. Please add your $0.02 in the comments!

I don’t want to talk about who’s writing or what bringing back Barbara Gordon as Batgirl means, really—I just want to focus on the art. I tend to be the type who is more concerned with story quality than art quality (unless the art is extremely beautiful or awful) but for the next few months, during the “52 Covers Project” (<—secret code name) I want to take the time to look at the art as pieces of art.

So twice a week until the New 52 launches in August I will be posting covers for discussion (I think 2-3 each time if I’ve done my division properly). I will add my scintillating commentary, of course, but mostly I will want to hear from YOU. Do you like the new costumes? The art? The concept?

First post up this weekend. WHAT WILL IT BE?