My Thoughts on the New 52
I would characterize myself as a casual comics fan. I love comics, but I simply don't have the dough to maintain a pull list at my local comics store that would run to 50 or 60 bucks a month. (Sounds like a lot, but that's 20 comic books a month. Only 5 a week.)
So I've always been put off by the annual crossover events that both DC and Marvel seem to host: Infinite Secret Civil Crisis War on Multiple Flashy Earths, and stuff like that. I guess those are pretty good, but they demand a whole lot of buying, and they always occasion big changes, so that when you pick up a comic book later, you're like,"Whoa! Everybody's dead or different!"
I've always thought the big crossovers were shortsighted: they milk more cash out of the hardcore buyers, but they intimidate and put off people who aren't hardcore buyers.
So I was psyched to hear that DC comics was rebooting everything. Everything is #1 this month, so presumably if you haven't been following for years, now's the perfect time to catch up.
I took the bait and bought a bunch of these titles. Here are my thoughts:
Red Lanterns--I haven't been able to follow the whole Guardians of the Galaxy thing, so this seemed like a good place to jump in. And it was! It was weird and violent and featured a guy--well, alien-type-thingy-- with a tragic past. I liked it. But I didn't love it, and I'm afraid that's the bar for "am I gonna buy issue #2". (Note I did not say "am I gonna buy #2," because I already bought #2 this month, but more on that later.)
Mister Terrific-- I liked this one. He's a scientist who's haunted by, um, the ghost of the kid he never got to have. Or something. But it was cool--definitely not the same old thing I've seen a million times. It felt new and fresh. But I didn't love it. I may pick up issue 2, but I'm on the fence about it.
Justice League-- This was decidedly meh. It might get good as it goes along, but it did not wow me. Not compelling enough for me to get the second issue.
Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E.-- So, as near as I can tell, this is a reboot of the Creature Commandos series that used to run in Weird War. Frankenstein and other paranormal buddies team up to fight paranormal menaces. I'm in! 
Batman-- I love me some Batman. And it's nice to not be totally lost in everything that's been going on. Good mystery, too, which I like. And the mystery crosses over to...
Nightwing-- Never been hugely interested in Dick Grayson, but the boy wanted this one, and I was glad--I find it kind of compelling how he wrestles with his relationship with his father figure and his circusy roots. Also, we're getting another facet of the mystery happening in the Batman comic here, which is a really cool thing you can't do in most kinds of fiction. It's as if two different characters in a mystery novel each got their own book. I'm on board, at least through this initial story arc.
Wonder Woman--I have always liked Wonder Woman too. And not just because of Lynda Carter. I mean, maybe she was what got me interested in Wonder Woman. And girls. But anyway, DC has long seemed like they didn't really know what to do with her, so this comic is a really nice change. I'm getting the idea that they're setting up Wonder Woman as the kind of DC Comics Thor--she who protects us mortals from immortals and their shenanigans. Cool art, cool story. I'll be back for the next issue. 
Batwoman--You know how when people have great voices, people say "I'd listen to him read the phone book?" I would actually buy the phone book if it were illustrated by J.H. Williams III. Fortunately, there's a much better story here than an alphabetical list of names. If you missed the Batwoman arc in Detective Comics a while back, you should pick that up. And then pick this up. Though you could start here without reading that one. But there is some fallout from that story in this one. This is my favorite of all the ones I've read. I will totally be back for the next issue. 
Red Hood & The Outlaws--There is a common misconception among the non comic-reading public that comic books are just semi-pornographic wish fulfillment fantasies full of idealized drawings of scantily-clad busty women made for pathetic, sweaty teens who've never gotten any closer to an actual breast than the girl they stare at across the cafeteria. That's actually not a misconception for this comic. I was embarrassed to be reading this as an adult man. It's like Maxim, only less honest. Avoid.
Catwoman--I think there's probably an interesting story to be told about the unhealthy sexual attraction between Batman and Catwoman. This, however, is not it. If you want superhero slash porn, I'm pretty sure such things are available on the internet for free. So there's no sense buying this.
Suicide Squad--I wasn't going to buy this until I saw it described somewhere as "vile and depressing." Sold! And I actually liked it. It is grim as hell and hyper-violent, but when the shark-headed guy bit someone's arm off, chanting "Meat! Meat! Meat!" well, it was love. 
