Comics Roundup for 7/4/12

Batman:  Earth One - I wasn't sure if I was going to pick up this graphic novel or not, but since it was a slow week, and I'm a fan of both creators, I decided to go for it.  I'm glad that I did, as it was a pretty solid read.  Basically the premise is that this is a retelling of Batman's origin, and it's not set in the present comic book continuity.  So, Geoff Johns and Gary Frank can have a lot more freedom with what they do.  There has already been one for Superman, and I've passed that up because frankly, I don't think I can take another Superman origin.  Batman though?  Did it need a retelling?  Probably not, but this one was different enough to keep things interesting.  It definitely counts both Batman:  Year One and Batman Begins as its influences, but it puts its own spin on things, really playing up the "Batman as amateur" angle that we usually don't see a lot of.  Also, it leaves things off for a sequel, as I'm fairly certain that this is supposed to be the first in a semi-regular series of books.

Honestly, I wonder if this is the future of comics.  At $4 a pop nowadays, I don't know how much longer the publishers can keep going in their present format.  If this is indeed a sign of things to come, then that's good with me.

One thing I do want to point out, after re-reading Gary Frank's run on The Incredible Hulk is that even though I consider him to be one of the best artists working today, I think I might like his older stuff better.  The older stuff was a bit more Alan Davis and less Joe Kubert, but perhaps his old style wouldn't have fit a book like this one as well.

And am I the only one who wishes they were still doing Action Comics?  That was some of the best Superman stuff I've ever read.

Avengers Versus X-Men #7 - The Avengers are down, but they're not out.  This was a pretty good installment, and the stakes are being raised as Namor decides to take matters into his own hands.  I'm still not certain how he ever became part of the X-Men, but it's interesting to see him have his loyalties with them, especially when he's sharing part of the Phoenix force.

The Amazing Spider-Man #689 - Even when an issue is nothing special, this series is always a fun read with Dan Slott on board.  Basically it continues what was set up last issue - Doc Connors is physically back to normal, but his brain is still that of The Lizard's.  Oh, and there's Morbius.

Justice League #10 - I'm starting to think that perhaps Grant Morrison has said all there is to say with the Justice League.  With this series, I liked the introductory story well enough, and there are some good character interactions going on with this one.  However, it just doesn't feel as special as I think it should.  Honestly, I'm kinda digging the Shazam! backup stories more.