DC's 52: Week 1

OK, here is the first of what I hope to be weekly recaps of DC's weekly series, 52.

It is named 52 because someone really likes card decks, I suppose.

In this first installment things are moving kind of slow. We get our first glimpse at a world without Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman. We are introduced to 6 main characters:

Booster Gold - traveller from the future, showman, capitalist-extraordinaire and now it appears that he is DC's answer to NASCAR. Along with his trusty sidekick, Skeets, Booster is using his knowledge of the future to capitalize on the present.

Renee Montoya - Gotham City police detective. She spends the better part of the issue getting drunk again and again. She seems to be in a total downward spiral after losing two partners: one, Crispus Allen, was killed by a dirty cop and now he's the Spectre; the other is some chick named Daria. Oh yeah - she became a lesbian at some point in the past few years. I guess it was determined that a strong woman in a predominantly male career cannot possibly be straight - good original writing there, chaps!

Steel - John Henry Irons. One of the replacement Supermen from a while back. He bumps around in high-tech armor and spends most of the week helping in cleanup efforts from France to Metropolis. He stops to give his annoying niece a lesson in tough love along the way.

Ralph Dibny - the Elongated Man. Completely depressed since the death of his wife. His home was destroyed by the Monster Society of Evil who ran roughshod through Opal. He appears suicidal for most of the issue...til it is revealed that someone has desecrated his wife's grave.

Black Adam - baddest man on the planet and ruler of Khandaq. He reveals to his people that he intends to turn his attention to the outside world, to show them the Khandaq way. They take over all of the abandoned Themyscira embassies worldwide. Oh, and he disarms a suicide bomber.

The Question - yep, the coolest man with no face is back! He's in Gotham and he's commandeered the Bat-signal. We don't know what he's up to yet, but it seems that he's planning on recruiting Montoya to assist him.

This is a set-up issue, and while it moved a little slow it introduced the foundation for the series. The Trinity is gone. How will the world react? Which heroes will step up to the plate?

Here we see the beginning of the "Kidnapped Scientist" subplot that has been mentioned in a few places OYL. Dr. Sivana is watching Black Adam on the news when he is kidnapped by two men (I'm guessing Killer Croc and Gorilla Grodd - we just saw one arm each). They may have missed an important character in that lab, tho - Mr. Mind was in a jar in the lab. We don't know if he was a prisoner or a partner to Sivana.

There is a memorial in this issue to Superboy and others who died. No one else is mentioned to be deceased that we didn't already know about, namely the Freedom Fighters. The Ray is the only one there - I don't know if that means that Damage finally died from his wounds, as it isn't mentioned. The Ray confirms that Uncle Sam is missing.

Week 2 is upon us! Keep your eyes peeled for Easter Eggs and Clues. This should be a fun Ride!