GOC Comic Review: DC Nation #0
DC Nation #0
Written by: Tom King (Your Big Day), Brian Michael Bendis (Office Space) & Scott Snyder, James Tynion IV and Joshua Williamson (No Justice: Prelude)
Art by: Clay Mann (Your Big Day), Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez (Office Space) and Jorge Jimenez (No Justice: Prelude)
Published by: DC Comics (May 2, 2018)
This past Wednesday, for just 25 cents, DC Comics gave its readers a chance for a sneak peek at three of their most anticipated books coming out in the next few weeks in DC Nation #0. The comic gives us the beginning of Your Big Day from Batman #48, Office Space from Man of Steel #1, ending with the No Justice: Prelude.
*Please note: there are minor spoilers ahead if you haven’t read DC Nation #0*
Your Big Day
Of course, the day in reference is the wedding of Selina Kyle a.k.a Catwoman and her beau, Bruce Wayne a.k.a Batman. But where there’s happiness afoot, danger is always close by, it’s certain that Joker will not find himself too far out of the loop. But on this occasion, he is not alone. Having broken into a house at random, Joker is up to his old tricks as he keeps the homeowner, Roger Martello, keeping watch over the mail slot – certain that his invitation to BatCat’s wedding will be arriving at any moment.
DC Nation #0 (art by Clay Mann via Previews World)
Roger tells Joker about his daughter, Mary, and that he doesn’t want to die. Joker assures Roger that he only kills when he’s angry, leaving Roger to believe that if he keeps the Clown of Gotham entertained, no harm will come his way. Roger listens to all of Joker’s wisecracks, answers his various questions, and tries his best to remain calm in a dire situation. Finally, after what probably seems like days by Roger’s count, the mail finally arrives. Is the invitation for the Bruce and Selina’s wedding there or is this another one of Joker’s cruel tricks? Well, you’ll just have to read the comic to find that out!
Office Space
Things are different in Metropolis, well they are if one just listens to Perry White. The Editor-in-Chief of the Daily Planet wants his news team to know that any and every story must be based on truth, specifically as it pertains to Superman. Due to the fact that Superman “has done nothing to arouse any suspicion and has done everything to try to make this overall dump of a planet a safer, better place than it was the day before”, the Man of Steel deserves news that will do the same. Clark Kent arrives to the newsroom moments after Perry’s speech is over, hoping that Kent’s story leads payoff – even offering the reporter Lois Lane’s old office.
DC Nation #0 (art by: Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez via Previews World)
Of course, Clark declines the offer – generous as it is. Perry seems confused at first because every single reporter has coveted the office ever since Lois’s departure. But Perry drops the offer and instead launches into introducing their newest reporter, Robinson Goode. During her time at the Star City Sentinel, Robinson impressed with her piece on the S.T.A.R. Labs cover-ups and Perry recommends the exposé for reading for the rest of the newsroom. But, it seems as though Miss Goode is not who she seems and she has some plans for the Daily Planet.
No Justice: Prelude
Thinking, methodology, strategies, and the company one keeps has to change when one is faced with the potential end of the world. On Colu, the homeworld of Brainiac, the newest Justice League teams are all fighting a group of enemies – the Omega Titans. The Omega Titans are four giant beings who absorb the energy from galaxies and have the the power to “crush earth in a fist”. So, four Justice League teams have to come together to try to defeat their latest enemy.
DC Nation #0 (art by Jorge Jimenez via Previews World)
Having to think outside of the box and get out of their comfort zones, the new Justice League teams are entering uncharted territory with some of their greatest foes. The four teams are unlike any DC Comics team-ups we’ve had in the past and are defined by heroes and villains fighting side-by-side. The four teams are as follows: Team Entropy – Batman, Deathstroke, Lobo, Lex Luthor, and Beast Boy; Team Mystery – Superman, Starro, Martian Manhunter, Sinestro, and Starfire; Team Wonder – Wonder Woman, Etrigan, Raven, Doctor Fate, and Zatanna; Team Wisdom – Cyborg, Robin, Atom, Flash, and Harley Quinn. But, the question remains – will these weirdly wonderful teams be able to stop the world’s next greatest catastrophe? Well, you’ll have to wait for No Justice #1 to find that out!
GOC Review
Tom King’s run on Batman has been one of my favourites since the Rebirth relaunch and I find myself always thinking that the book cannot get any better, but King always proves me wrong time and time again. With the early snippet of Your Big Day, I find myself already wondering what Joker is up to this time around. Always unsettling, there is something even more sinister about The Clown in the few pages we see him. He’s most certainly a man on a mission and will do whatever he has to in order to make it to the wedding. King’s portrayal of Joker, paired with the wonderful artwork by Clay Mann makes for quite the page turner. It’s a shame that it had to end so soon, but I am definitely looking forward to continuing the story in Batman #48 when it’s released in June.
When it was announced that Brian Michael Bendis was making the move from Marvel to DC, many wondered just what he would take on in his next endeavour and in DC Nation 0, we get to see Bendis’s first project in Office Space. Bendis is taking on Superman and while I wasn’t sure what to think about it at first, I will say that his take on the character was a good one, reminding me of past iterations of the character. The art by Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez was like a blast from the past, very much like the 90s era Superman (red briefs and all), which I love! I am interested to see where Bendis takes us during his Superman run once Man of Steel #1 hits shelves at the end of May.
Finally, we have the No Justice: Prelude by Scott Snyder, James Tynion IV and Joshua Williamson. With intriguing teams that are very outside the box, I was wondering just what could be expected from No Justice and I wasn’t disappointed. Snyder, Tynion IV and Williamson put their marks on teams Entropy, Mystery, Wonder, and Wisdom coupled with stellar team action shots by Jorge Jimenez, the No Justice: Prelude was a fun read and certainly left me wanting more by the end of it. It was a great segue into No Justice which hits stores next week.
I am still in awe of the fact that I got a sneak peek of three of DC’s most anticipated stories for only 25 cents and, if you have the chance, this is definitely a book any DC reader should pick up. There’s fun and danger all rolled into one; be sure to check out DC Nation #0!
