By Charly SHELTON

DC has officially launched its new line of number one issues, the New 52. And being such a comics fiend, I was there on the release day to pick up the first issues.     Every week DC will release a few more of the 52, and we are introduced to some new characters and some old favorites seen in a new light. Each week, the Crescenta Valley Weekly will be there for every new issue and to help explain and recommend which comics are worth picking up. As of press time, only one week’s worth of comics had been released, but I have read them all. Thirteen comics were released last Wednesday, and 13 more are scheduled each week throughout September.

The first comic to be released was Justice League No. 1. It was the big release that transitioned from the previous Flashpoint saga to the New 52. Want to know about Flashpoint? Check out the Aug. 18 issue of CV Weekly.

Justice League No. 1 was our introduction to this new version of the DC universe, represented as a whole, and completely rebooted for the first time since March 1937 when Detective Comics was published for the first time.

Detective Comics, the company that published the comic of the same name, also gave rise to Action Comics, the series that introduced Superman to the world in June 1938. Detective Comics was the longest running American comic book series when it was ended last month to make way for the new reboot in the New 52.  Detective Comics went through many name changes before becoming the abbreviated DC comics.

Despite its long heritage, the reboot of Detective Comics leaves the reader wanting. It is short, pointless and not what we have come to expect from the series. It is not really the best issue of the New 52, but it is still worth buying because some day you will have a collectible Detective Comics No. 1. Some of the titles in the DC franchise are so popular that they will no doubt become collectors items that will be passed to future generations.

The best issues last week were Animal Man, Action Comics, Green Arrow and O.M.A.C. Animal Man is a dark comic about a stuntman turned super hero turned actor turned animal activist. It is creative and takes a new approach to how a super hero handles his home life.

Action Comics is the comic that originally introduced Superman, and the first issue opens with the man of steel himself, but in a way we have never seen him. I have made it no secret that Superman is not my favorite super hero. His flaws are everything that is wrong with this country and he reflected the world change that we have seen since 1938. It was an interesting social study, but a terrible comic. Now he is back and he reflects us as a society once again, becoming almost an anti-hero as he seeks justice whether we agree with him or not. Definitely a more readable Supes than before.

Green Arrow is the Tony Stark of the DC universe and his title is the best issue No. 1 released so far. Lots of action, amazing techno-gadgets, and a weapon maker turned righteous super hero always has good speeches somewhere in the story about why it’s so important to fight against violence.

And finally O.M.A.C. I have no idea what this is about. Honestly, it’s just some huge Aztec looking super soldier robot thing that breaks into a secret underground facility. Nothing is really explained, but it’s OK because the ride is so much fun. The future issues will explain it all away, but for issue one, it’s just pure comics fighting and super powers. Definitely one to take a look at.

For a title-by-title breakdown of each released issue, updated as they are released, scan the QR code or visit the CV Weekly website.

Don’t forget to check us out next week for the next installment from the New 52. Next week we see Green Lantern, Batman and Robin, and Demon Knights. Check the website throughout the week, starting today, to see the issue by issue reviews as come in.

  Charly Shelton