I was curious what Suicide Swuad was like. I might give it a look.

Has anyone here read Birds of Prey? I'm not trying to make this the new 52 part b but I'm curious and I really to take recommendations here to heart (that's what got me to read new Wonder Woman, Aquaman, and Batgirl).

Scott Snider isn't writing Detective Comics. He writes Batman and Swamp Thing.

Not usually a comic book pirate, but frankly, no spare money this week. Sorry Garth Ennis. ^^

I'm reading The Boys; pdf.

Charley's War needs reading too, i've a hardcover from amazon. Will get to it eventually.


Mostly a novel reader but i hit the odd comic, they're fun too.

I picked up Batgirl #4 and Suicide Squad #4.

I'm really happy with the character development of Batgirl and I was pleased with the episode. She wrapped up Mirror and moved on with her life. I'm curious to see where they'll take it. I love Batgirl, though. I root for her harder than any other superhero right now. And yes, I even root for Aquaman now that he's cool, but he's a 96 to Barbara Gordon's 99 on the Rootability Scale.

I normally HATE dark, twisted stories...but for some reason I enjoy Suicide Squad. I'd normally be upset by the violent content, but they properly gave it a higher rating, so that's cool with me. I normally wouldn't like rooting for bad guys...but you don't really ROOT for bad guys. You watch them. You aren't supposed to agree with them or like them, just be interested in what they're up to. El Diablo is actually the hero and I like what they do with him.

And I LOOOOOOVE Harley Quinn. Normally I'd hate seeing a crazy, silly, warped, slutty bimbo...but she's smarter than she looks, she's skilled, and she's entertaining. And when it all comes down, we are not supposed to look up to her. So yeah, she's a maniacal semi-slutty weirdo. But that's what she's MEANT to be. I guess it doesn't bother me the way it would if a noble character like Wonder Woman was given the same treatment. It's not meant to be degrading because Harley Quinn represents someone who actually IS like that.

And for all the mad/crazy stuff in the story, it's not dark, depressing, or nihilistic like all that emo crap that infected comics and made me leave them in the late 80's and 90's. They are who they are, but they aren't 'woe is me, life is meaningless, I'm gonna cry'.

So for some reason I like the series I thought I would hate. It's not for everyone but worth a read if you're weird enough.

*sigh* Hammerfist, I'm glad you're enjoying the current Batgirl run, but personally, I'm still missing the last incumbant to that role. *sigh* I'm considering picking the new series up, but the character switch to Babs has left me pretty depressed about the series.

Me, I went with Demon Knights, the Shade, and Batwoman. I haven't gotten around to reading any Batwoman yet, in spite of pretty much everyone saying 'read this', but I've still been collecting them. Oddly, the art style, which is what most critics seem to be praising, is putting me off a bit. Just doesn't quite gel with me.

The Shade's ok, not good, or bad, more middle of the road. Still, a vastly better take on international superheroic action than the JLI. We're seeing Supers from various countries, as the Shade travels the world, and it's not pure goddamn stereotype.

Hammer, I get the impression you might've written off Demon Knights, given your statements about dark, depressing storylines, and the way the series tends to come across through covers. Still, I've got to throw it out as a recommendation. It's serious, and there're highly dark elements, but it's nowhere near nineties era nihilist garbage.. We still have heroes, heroisim, and a brave group ready to fight against the odds. The Boys; Medieval, this is most certainly not.

That said, this issue left me a little conflicted. There's a lot of exposition. It's not bad exposition, and not handled too badly, but still, it kind of dominates the issue. Still, it surprised me twice in a single issue, which I'm going to call good.

I just read final crisis which is awesome.

All I can tell you is that you need to pick it up. Her character is developed really well. It helps that she's my 'type', as in, I love girls that are smart, quirky, a little insecure, but tough and brave, and I mean it when I say she channels Tali Zorah. But she's cute, she's tough, she's smart, she does the right thing, and she overcomes so much. I can't root for her any more than I do.

Of all the comics series I've read, Batgirl and Aquaman are on my, DON'T MISS IT list. As in, 'I don't even care if you're a fan or not, read this' list.

Re: Batwoman. I'm sort of in your boat. The art is great...and yet it distracts me. The story is...decent...but I don't care for all this 'supernatural demon stuff' that's working its way in. Batwoman is the one comic I've refused to rate because my critical side says it's good while my personal side doesn't care for what I've mentioned above. Essentially, it's good, people will probably like it, and I understand why they do, but it's just not clicking for me. Demons vs the Bat family just never floated my boat.

Honestly yes, I did write that series off for those very reasons. Given how emo and depressing writers tend to be in that genre I avoid it like the plague so I don't make my eyes bleed. I'm not against dark content as long as it doesn't involve existential, whiny, tired heroes or the feeling that I'm supposed to cheer on evil. I can watch it but don't make me feel good about it. You're the second person to recommend it, though, so maybe I'll give it a shot.

I'm thinking about making a tier system of ratings...let me put that on the other thread...

Out of interest, have you read the Stephanie Brown run? It's not long, and the third trade is due out shortly.

I say that because "smart, quirky, a little insecure, but tough and brave" is a goddamn perfect description of her too. The one problem is that the series occasionally references some stuff from the past (Steph has a history) but it stands alone pretty well; the past stuff just helps you understand Steph as a person, and why her relationships are as they are (Honestly, I could walk you through it here in one short para). Plus, Barbara as Oracle's a major character in the first two trades; you might find it interesting to see her in the chair.

And yeah, Demon Knights is nothing like that. The characters crack jokes, they're flawed, but are fighting against probably deadly odds for the sake of one small village, ready to give their all. It's my fav book of the DCnU by quite a way. Issue 3 had a very dark event happen; but we've never been expected to root for the bad guys. The most villainous 'hero', Etrigan, has only done one notable evil act, and that was certainly not something we were supposed to cheer for. In the main, the darkness is reserved for the bad guys; they're vicious, and the sort that need heroes to take them down

I get the impression this is going to end up as a trade You try Demon Knights, I try Batgirl?

Really? I felt it was completely and totally unreadable. Then again, with the exception of the new Action Comics series, I have never like Grant Morrison. He destroyed X-Men for me for YEARS (to the point that Marvel retconned everything he did, with good reason).

He's a good writer, he just has no business doing superhero books. Well, Action Comics is really good, but I'm thinking it's because he's pretty locked in editorially.

Maybe so It's because of this site that I tried reading Aquaman (loved it!), Suicide Squad, and avoided the titles I didn't care for. Arcane Desperado and I agree on a lot save the Teen Titans (I liked it). Since you and AD both seem to like Demon Knights...hmmm....

(looks at iPod...brings up Comixology Ap...nervously looks around...)

(thinks about it)

Hmmm...

(Thumbs through the titles)

Yeah, I'll trade Batgirl for that But I'll hold you to it!

FYI, I read two of the Stephanie Brown series and they were pretty decent, but she was a little bit more cocky and young while Barbara is a bit more mature and funny. Oracle Barbara seemed a bit angry with Stephanie, almost jealous of her taking that Batgirl name.

The new Batgirl and Aquaman books I liked because they were well written, made me root for the characters, and actually had things that appealed to my 30 year old self even though they are fit for 13 year olds, too. I call that the 'Muppet Effect'.