29. I, Vampire
When the New 52 titles were first announced, they were divided into categories. The category that has taken me most by surprise is The Dark. This includes titles like Demon Knights, Swamp Thing, Animal Man and I, Vampire. I, Vampire is written by Joshua Hale Fialkov with art by Andrea Sorrentino and follows Andrew Bennett, a very old vampire who has learned to control his urges. But his lover, Mary Queen of Blood wants to take over the world and enslave mankind. So it is up to Andrew and a couple of human colleagues to stop the largest army of vampires that the world has ever seen. The book has a lot of great twists and turns and the art is simply phenomenal. There are panels and pages in this series that I want as posters so that I can wallpaper my room with them.
28. Batwing
When I first heard that Batwing was going to be one of the New 52 titles, I thought to myself, "they're making a comic about Batman's jet?" Later, someone explained Batman Inc. to me and told me that Batwing is actually the African Batman. The concept intrigued me so I picked up the first trade and quickly became a fan. David Zavimbe is a former child soldier turned police officer. Realizing that the police force is corrupt and not doing its job, David takes to the streets as a vigilante before catching Batman's eye. He is given a bat-suit complete with rocket boots and begins taking down the criminal element within his home country. In a company full of characters that are 50, 60 and 70 years old, it is great to have a new character with a fresh origin. And Batwing is capable of doing this while still being part of the Batman family and the Justice League International. The first arc is one of my favorite of the entire New 52.
27. Batwoman
Another Bat-title that came out of nowhere for me was Batwoman. The only thing I knew about the character prior to reading the series was that she was a lesbian and in a relationship with Maggie Sawyer. From what I understand, she was one of the few characters that did not change at all after Flashpoint. And although the series doesn't start with an origin, it is easy to jump into the book. Kate Kane is a strong independent woman who doesn't take crap from anyone. She is an awesome fighter, a good detective and willing to do anything to save lives. On of the things that caught me off guard when it came to this book was how much it really fits into The Dark category of the New 52. There are some real supernatural elements to the series and I don't think she fights a single common criminal in the entire series. The closest she gets is Killer Croc and even that is supernatural. I am enjoying J.H. Williams III's writing immensely. Issues six through eleven have a really cool narrative that bounces around in time and from character to character. And the art has a very haunting gothic feel that fits perfectly into the Batman universe.
26. Resurrection Man
Resurrection Man is one of the coolest concepts I have ever read in comics. Mitch Shelley is a man searching for his past. He has little to no memory of his life. What he does have is the ability to come back from the dead. And each time he does, he comes back with a different superpower. These powers include magnetism, ultrasonic screaming, super strength and many more. The book is fun, exciting and beautiful with the mystery of Mitch's identity being the main thrust. It is too bad that the title was cancelled after only 13 issues. There was so much stuff set up with angels and demons both fighting for Mitch's soul and I don't think that they will be able to wrap it all up in the #0 issue. Hopefully, Mr. Shelley will pop up in another DC book like Justice League Dark.
25. Batman & Robin
Batman & Robin is one of the most impressive Batman books. It delves into the relationship between Bruce Wayne and his son Damian and always leaves me wanting more. For those who don't know, Damian is the son of Bruce and Talia Al Ghul. He was raised in secret by Talia and trained by the League of Assassins. Now, he uses that training to fight alongside Batman in his mission to save Gotham City. But being trained as an assassin, he often has trouble holding back. And being a kid, he doesn't like listening to his father. It makes for very interesting conversations and interactions. At first, Damian is really annoying, but you end up liking him a bit more with every issue. And although he is not my favorite Robin, I think I like his design more than any previous version of the Boy Wonder.
24. Aquaman
If you would have told me a year ago that Aquaman would be one of my favorite comics, I would have laughed in your face and called you stupid. That would have been mean and I would owe you an apology because Aquaman is AWESOME! I should have known that Geoff Johns, the same man that brought Barry Allen and Hal Jordan back to prominence, would be able to do the same for the King of Atlantis. The only downside to this series is that the first issue was so great that none of the following eleven ever reach the same heights. In fact,the first issue is probably the best #1 of the entire relaunch. Give it to anyone who thinks that Aquaman is lame and it will definitely make them rethink their stance on the character. I just hope that whoever takes over the book after Johns leaves with issue sixteen puts in as much care and thought to the character as DC's Chief Creative Officer.