I LIke DC Comics Again!

Let me tell you something, I love super-hero comics. Marvel AND DC. But, to be fair, I've always been more of a DC guy. I love, love, love the post-Crisis DCU, particularly because it seemed like anything could happen. Superman wasn't top dog because of his publishing history (a purely meta reason), but for actual in-story reasons. There's lots of other things I liked about this period (and stuff I didn't), but this is my preferred time period. There always seemed to be an overall forward momentum.*

Recently, however, it hasn't been the case with me. I've almost dreaded reading some of my DC books. There's been some titles I genuinely enjoy: Blue Beetle, JSA, Birds Of Prey. And, 52. 52 was a solid read week in, week out. Other titles, though, seem to be returning to a Silver Age status quo with some of their titles, particularly Superman. Add to that lackluster books like Wonder Woman, Flash, and Morrison's Batman.** Change I don't mind, but forward change, please. This stuff seemed to be going backwards. And don't get me started on Countdown.***

But, Geoff Johns just changed that, with this:
Green Lantern: Sinestro Corps Special. He's been building towards this story for the last six months or so in the regular Green Lantern title, as Sinestro, former Green Lantern, himself, who now possesses a similar power ring, has been gathering intergalactic baddies and giving them rings, too, including some of the worst**** villains of the past 20 years.

This is a fantastic book, which has, all on it's own restored my love of the DC Universe. Yeah, there's some stuff I don't like, but it doesn't weigh the story down. Johns, knowing this is a one-shot and many might of picked it up without knowing word one about any of the characters' histories, does a deft job of incorporating the exposition necessary into dialogue, without weighing the story down.***** It left me with a 'What's next?!?' feeling, which I really haven't felt from a DC comic in a long time.****** This comic is the start of a cross-over between the regular Green Lantern title, and the Green Lantern Corps title (and will include one or two more one-shots and one or two issues of other comics, so it is a cross-over, but a relatively contained one). I was originally only going to get the issues that I already collect. I'm now reconsidering this.

I highly recommend this book.

*Plus, it's really the period when I started to read comics, so take that for what you will.
**Surprised? Me, too!
***It sucks!
****In a good way.
*****Take that, Roy Thomas!
******52 was a special case, and doesn't count.