DC’s Zero Month…I’m Still Drunk on Comics

Roughly one year later, DC Comics is agressiviely building upon it’s successful universe re-launch with DC’s Zero Month, by giving us an entire month of origin stories. I started the month with just my share of the 8 titles in my pull-list. Left wanting more, I hit up Comixology and ended up picking up an additional 16 books I don’t normally read and was not disappointed by a single one of them. The best part… because all the zero issues were origin stories, I could pick up any zero issue and not worry about being lost. Each story was self contained and some even led me to buy recent copies of books I don’t normally read. Essentially the entire month of September was a jumping on point for every title in the DC universe.

As for the stories, DC & all of its staff did a fantastic job marrying the old continuity that we know and love with the New 52 continuity that is ever so rapidly growing on us. Some issues retold old tried and true origins, some created new content and several key titles tied it’s new content directly to the old continuity with new tweaks and twists. Even though I read roughly half of the zero month issues, I only have time break down a few of my favorite.

 

Batman and Robin Vol 2 # 0

Creators: Peter J. Tomasi, Pat Gleason, Mick Gray 

 

B&R starts with Damian free-falling from the sky, wielding dual katanas and lopping off the arms of a man-bat as he makes a promise to his mother that he intends on keeping. FLASHBACK: We see Damian’s unnatural birth and his League of Shadows, unrelenting hard-as-nails childhood. We see Damian at five years old dueling with his mother. He asks, “Who is my father?” and his mother gets tough on little Damian and scolds him for letting his guard down.

“Today’s your Birthday my love, and when you best me in a duel on your special day, that is when you will be ready to meet your father.”

Pat Gleason and Peter J. Tomasi use a really cool storytelling technique involving a two-page spread with multiple vertical panels to show a time lapse of Damian’s failed birthday duels with his mother, him slaying tigers, learning tactical strategy and studying the arts. Following the first two-page spread we get Damian’s mother’s perspective on what Damian has promised to be the final birthday duel in which he will best his mother. Proceeding from there we get another two-page spread of vertical panels detailing the final fight between Damian and his mother, in which you could have already guessed, he beats her. She allows him to meet his father… the Batman.

Batman & Robin zero was probably my favorite of the zero issues. It directly led to me adding B&R to my monthly pull-list as well as scooping up #1-12 from my LCS. It’s a quick, fast-paced & entertaining read.

Supergirl Vol 6 # 0

Creators: Michael Green, Mike Johnson, Mahmud Asrar

 

Superman Vol 3 # 0

Creators: Scott Lobdell, Kenneth Rocafort

 

 

I chose to lump Supergirl and Superman together, because they both add to the destruction of Krypton story. In Supergirl #0 we get to see Zor-El’s (Supergirl’s father) perspective of the last days of Krypton and we are introduced to a family rivalry where Zor-El is not communicating with his brother Jor-El (Superman’s father).

“Kara, I won’t stop you from seeing the rest of the family, but I have no desire to listen to anything my brother has to say.”

Zor-El steals Jor-El’s rocket design and re-engineers it to his liking and he sends his daughter off planet to safety. In his final recorded message to his daughter he explains that while he hasn’t been communicating to his brother, he has been listening. Zor-El adds that he has left all the evidence of his and his brother’s research recorded with her, so that upon awakening she will know what happened to her home planet. Enter Superman #0.

Superman #0 starts at least a year prior to Supergirl #0, as Kal-El isn’t born yet. It begins with Jor-El (Superman’s father) doing research in Krypton’s core. On his way back up form the core he has a chance encounter with a foreign biological material that begins to eat away at his armor. After returning from his trip form the core, he and his wife are attacked by a rogue terrorist group that is laying claim to be the cause of Krypton’s soon to be death. They try to rationalize with Jor-El and swing him to their cause, the penalty of non-compliance would be the death of his wife. After a brief struggle, Jor-El zaps them to the phantom zone. For the time being, Jor-El, his wife and unborn son are safe.

I love Superman as a character. My problem with Supes is that I tend to only like the big marquee stories. For all Seasons, Red Son. All-Star & Death of Superman. I have a hard time enjoying a monthly Superman title. Both zero issues give us a glimpse of a player that seems to be Superman himself in the past? Aiding his uncle and father in the last days of Krypton? I’m not quite sure what it is going on, but I am intrigued. What I like most about these two zero issues is that we are unearthing new plotlines that aren’t Lex Luther or unbeatable monster driven. I’m interested in how these story-lines will be played out.

Red Hood and the Outlaws Vol 1 # 0

Creators: Scott Lobdell, Pasqual Ferry, IG Guara, Brett Booth

 

In all honesty, I took a gamble picking this one up , but I have to say that Red Hood and the Outlaws #0 is one of the best 0 issues published. It’s the only one that I read that had a major shocker at the end. The bulk of the issue gives us Jason Todd’s origin story from his perspective. Rough life born to crummy parents, father in jail, mother ODs, life of crime, messed up by thugs, meets batman, becomes Robin, brutally murdered by Joker and then finally revived by Lazarus pit. The real treat comes in the final pages of the issue.

“So now you know the whole story–but it’s a secret. So SHHHHH!”

The final four pages are narrated by the man who originally donned the Red Hood… the Joker. I won’t spoil this one. You’ll have to read it for yourself.

Honorable Mention:   There were plenty of awesome zero issues, but not enough time to run through all my favorites. So quickly I’d like to add one more to the list of must reads. Batgirl Vol 4 #0. Batgirl zero gives us Barbara’s first adventure in a bat-suit, as well as tying current continuity in with the Killing joke. Definitely a good time.

UNTIL NEXT TIME… DC continues to up the ante on good super-hero comics. I’m seriously hoping that Marvel starts to bring something to the table. Good competition is win-win for us readers. Unfortunately I don’t think Marvel NOW will be it. In the meantime let me know what DC Zero Month issues you think I need to check out.