It's tough to review these DC Comics Presents projects, because whether they're any good or not is kind of beside the point. These are loving tributes to Julius Schwartz, and as such, I'm right behind the project, whether I have any personal interest in them or not. That said, this first issue is kind of fun, an interesting mix of new writers and classic artists and vice versa, and the notion of "challenge" type stories, where you've got to come up with a story to fit a gimmick cover, is something that seems kind of fun to me. It strikes me as the sort of project more fun to create than to actually read, but thanks to the talent onboard, the two stories in this issue are fun, lightweight tales that pay homage to the spirit of creativity and fun that Julius Schwartz brought to comics.
It's funny, because while the stories in this issue are both new, I'm reminded of other things in reading both of them. The Geoff Johns/Carmine Infantino tale is reminiscent of some of the better Batman Animated series episodes, and Len Wein's tale, while based on a modern pop-cultural conceit, really does evoke the spirit of those classic short stories from '70s comics. The pervasive sense of fun and love of these characters is something the industry could use more of, and while the stories themselves may not be as innovative or new as some of the top sellers in the industry, the notion of telling a story with superheroes without making fun of them seems to be somewhat novel in today's market.
Of the two tales, I confess that my favorite is the one by Len Wein and Andy Kuhn. Wein's style is unapologetically old school, which means that the dialogue is kind of clunky, but he takes the notion of reality TV and maps it onto Batman in an interesting fashion. The way Batman investigates and the way he deals with it are both very much the kind of thing you'd see in a classic Silver Age comic, complete with a sort of goofy, comedic finale, but the premise is so much fun that I don't mind the old school touches. In fact, I think a modern approach on this type of story probably would have been too realistic, and wouldn't have worked with the same sense of fun. In addition, Andy Kuhn's work on the story is exceptional, reminding me somewhat of Michael Lark's Gotham Central work but with a more cartoony edge that is perfect for the tone of the story.
The lead story is also interesting, but the main point of interest for me in that one was the art and not the writing. Which is not to say that Geoff Johns's story is uninteresting, but I was fascinated to see classic comic book artist Carmine Infantino paired with the splashy modern colors of Sno Cone. It sort of highlights the difference between artists like Infantino and modern artists, as there's not as much background detail, but there's a really strong sense of energy at work, and the storytelling is just note-perfect. Johns's story is one that is reminiscent of a couple Batman Animated tales told with this foe, but it's a good solid story with a nice reveal and a perfect ending, so I enjoyed it as well.
The DC Comics Presents one-shots are sort of an odd project, being basically a comic-book eulogy delivered not at the funeral but to the fans. They're a love letter to one of those guys who made the medium what is is today, and if this first issue is any indication, they'll probably be a good indication that the spirit of Julius Schwartz is still alive and well at DC Comics. If nothing else, it'll be fun to see a bunch of writers and artists from a variety of eras put together a series of "jam" comics.
