It’s the final batch of my short but sweet reviews of the DCnU reboot. Check out my mini-reviews of Week 1, Week 2 and Week 3 here on Nerdist if you missed it.

On to DCnU Week 4:

All Star Western 01

Wow, the art in the titles is detailed, beautiful and its slight “roughness” is perfect for this genre. We’re given a murder mystery in the early days of Gotham coupled with a psychological profile of Jonah Hex as rendered by Dr. Amadeus Arkham. My only nitpick is that the book is called All Star Western but only features one star (Jonah) and takes place on the East Coast. I’m not saying, I’m just saying.

Rating: 9.5

Aquaman 01

Now, this is what the DCnU reboot is all about. A classic character who isn’t generally taken too seriously is given just enough action to show us an upgraded power-set, we’re given a nod to his history without it being an origin story, and the script and art work seamlessly together to tell a great story. They make you care care about Aquaman (if you didn’t already…. I did).

Rating: 9.5

Batman, the Dark Knight 01

This title gives us Bruce Wayne, the socialite, at his finest. Smash-cut to Batman versus Arkham Asylum on steroids. Works for me.

Rating: 8

Black Hawks 01

High action with an all-new cast. Think G.I. Joe without the nostalgia. Kind of forgettable.

Rating: 6

The Flash 01

I love the subtle redesign of the costume and he’s beautifully drawn. It’s a good intro but a little light on plot.

Rating: 7.5

Fury of the Firestorms 01

The origin is a bit rushed and filled with violence and destruction. I’m not a fan of the dialogue between the characters; it feels forced and unrealistic.

Rating: 6

Green Lantern, the New Guardians 01

A solid first issue that provides a nice flashback of Kyle’s origin coupled with a glimpse into the lives of some of the other Color Corps members. The art is nice, and the story has me curious for more.

Rating: 7.5

I, Vampire 01

First the art reminds me of Jae Lee’s work on the Gunslinger/Dark Tower comics, which means it’s moody and striking and gorgeous. We meet the main good and bad guy/girl, who are both classic style vampires (they can turn into mist/wolves/the works) and are on the verge of a potential Vampire Apocalypse.

Rating: 8

Justice League Dark 01

The art is nice and we’re given a brief guest appearance by the regular Justice League (who are more “established” here than in their own title). Other than that, a lot of unexplained weirdness.

Rating; 7

The Savage Hawkman 01

The painted art is nice and works well for Hawkman’s new look and power set. I’m just confused by the self-hating Carter Hall. I need some kind of explanation for his behavior.

Rating: 6.5

Superman 01

This is basically a soft editorial on tabloid journalism and the death of print. The action is narrated news-article style and the art is great but for some reason I’m just not clamoring for the next issue.

Rating: 7

Teen Titans 01

Red Robin is racing an unknown organization to “collect” the latest generation of teen heroes. We see the new Kid Flash and Wonder Girl, there’s plenty of action, and it’s a nice tie-in to the Superboy title.

Rating: 8

Voodoo 01

So… we get roughly 12 pages of naked writhing and then a double-twist ending… I’m not sure how I feel. I’m reserving judgement on this one until I see the next issue. I suppose the fact that I want to see the next issue means they accomplished their mission.

Rating: 7?

Another solid week of titles. Also, please note, these books are NOT all ages; they are seriously dark, and violent and in some cases, very sexy. By the time you read this, all of the first issues have gone into second printings and should be easily available at your local comic shop.

In a nutshell:

Do NOT Miss: All Star Western, Aquaman, and I, Vampire.

AVOID: I think all the books are worth checking out this week.

Thanks for reading.

Your Pal,

Arnie

Follow me at twitter.com/yourpalarnie