DC New 52: Every Line Ranked From Worst To Best

11. Justice League

Justice League should be higher on this list. It has the company's best writer and art team, every top tier hero and plenty of potential. And although it is very good (it is #11 on this list), I feel that it could be better. Personally, I love the first arc showing the origin of the team. I love the Green Arrow issue. And I have enjoyed the Shazam backups. But something is missing and I don't know what. Maybe it is the roster change of adding Cyborg instead of Martian Manhunter. But that aside, Justice League is one of the most gorgeous books of the New 52. Jim Lee is responsible for all of the character redesigns and no one draws them quite as good as him. I remember being blown away by the art in issue one. And Geoff Johns is Geoff Johns. He just has a way with characters. Let's face it, he is a fanboy who gets paid to write fan fiction that becomes canon. I think his interactions between the characters is some of the bet stuff in the book. The back and forth between Batman and Green Lantern in issue one is some of the best I have ever read. And I am glad that The Flash and Green Lantern have a past prior to the Justice League. It adds more backstory to this New 52 universe. With the Trinity War coming next year, I feel like there is only good things to come from DC's premier book.

10. Batgirl

In 1988, Alan Moore's Batman: The Killing Joke was released. In that book, The Joker shot Barbara Gordon and that left her in a wheelchair for the next 23 years. In that time, she continued to fight crime, albeit in a different capacity, as Oracle and two other women took up the mantle of Batgirl. But in the New 52, Barbara Gordon has been reestablished as Batgirl. The Killing Joke still occurred and Barbara was in a wheelchair for a few year, but there is no mention of Cassandra Cain or Stephanie Brown and no explanation as to how Barbara was healed. The last may be answered in the #0 issue. Either way, this change has been one of the most controversial changes in the entire relaunch. That said, Batgirl has been amazing. Gail Simone has done a fantastic job with putting Barbara back in the cape and cowl. Babs may be walking, running and kicking ass, but she isn't completely over her injury. She still has to recover mentally. There are moments when she freezes. Guns cause her more fear than before. But she fights through these problems to become one of the best female characters in the entire DCU. And Simone seems to be setting up a big story revolving around the return of Barbara's brother James Gordon, Jr. I cannot wait to see what is to come.

9. Swamp Thing

If I were to rank the DC New 52 in order of how excited I was for the titles before the relaunch, Swamp Thing would've been near the bottom of the list. I have heard great things about the Alan Moore run from the 80s is great, but I have never read any Swamp Thing. My only memories of the character come from the horrible short lived TV show. The main thing that attracted me to this title was the writer, Scott Snyder. His run on Detective Comics pre-Flashpoint was a highlight of the Batman titles and his current run on Batman is unbelievable good. Swamp Thing is a great book with some amazing and often gruesome art. It really sticks to the horror origins of the series. And it explains the mythology of the Swamp Thing perfectly for anyone picking up this title for the first time.

8. Voodoo

Voodoo was the last New 52 title I read. I knew nothing about it going it. After reading it, I found out that it was cancelled as of issue #0 and I was totally bummed. I loved Voodoo. It was something new. Something different. Voodoo is the name of the main character. She is a shape shifting Human-Daemonite hybrid sent to Earth to gather intel on the world's superheroes. Along the way, tons of twist and turns and surprises are revealed including a major one at the end of issue five that changes the series. I don't want to go into too much detail, but I will say that this is an incredible series. And Sami Basri delivers what is hands down the best art in the entire DC New 52. And even though it may seem like a smaller, less important title, it plays majorly into the Daemonite story that has been running through all of the DCU. Pick it up!

7. Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E.

The first of two Jeff Lemire titles in the top ten, Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E. is a fantastically fun book. The premise is that Frankenstein (yes, that Frankenstein) and a team of monsters, that includes a werewolf, a vampire and a mummy, work for a secret government organization that helps protect the world from more supernatural threats like zombies and interdimensional rifts that lead to Hell. The book is full of interesting and fun concepts like Frankenstein's boss Father Time. He regenerates into a new body every decade. Currently, he is in the body of a twelve-year-old Japanese school girl. Funny, right? There are two issues that crossover with other New 52 titles. In issue five, Frankenstein fights O.M.A.C. This fight also happens in O.M.A.C. #5. It is the same fight from two different perspectives. It is amazing! The second crossover is with Animal Man and has Frankenstein coming across the aftermath of the events of Animal Man #4 and 5. I am so glad that Frankenstein will be a part of the Rot World crossover. This is a title that more people need to read.
Contributor
Contributor

Samuel Moon is a geek. His passion for movies, TV, comic books, video games and Doctor Who knows no bounds. He is also an aspiring fiction author who is currently working on his first book of short stories. If he can overcome his chronic procrastination. Follow him on Twitter @Type40Blog or check out his site at Type40Blog.com!