DC: $2.99

The beginning of DC Rebirth has arrived. Someone has been missing from the DCU. He’s caught between the fabrics of time, watching the changes happen, watching people forget their pasts, frustrated and trapped beyond their reach.

He’s trying to make contact with someone he used to know, but they’ve forgotten him. It’s been ten years since the world was changed and many lives are different. But now, things are starting to change back. Bruce Wayne is dealing with the shocking revelation he learned about the Joker. The news is buzzing with speculation over the possible death of Superman. Relationships that had been torn apart are reconnecting. Everything is changing and there is a grand architect behind it all.

Phew! That was a humdinger! Not spoiling anything in DC Universe Rebirth #1 is like running through an obstacle course. What it breaks down to is this: DC is making some large, sweeping changes, going back to things people loved before the New 52, yet they are retaining elements of the New 52 that people liked. Consider it a best of both worlds, and it starts right here.

The energy in DC Universe Rebirth #1 is so ominous, so intense that it crackles with energy. Geoff Johns did a great job helming this behemoth. He covered so much ground without overwhelming the reader, connected current stories with groundwork for what’s to come, and explored a wide range of emotions within the characters’ lives without becoming a muddled mess.

It’s a pretty hefty comic, broken down into four chapters, so I suggest you read this puppy at least twice before getting into the company-wide Rebirth titles.

Rebirth was written by Geoff Johns. Chapter 1 – Lost art by Gary Frank and Ethan Van Sciver, colors by Brad Anderson and Jason Wright; chapter 2 – Legacy art by Frank, colors by Anderson; chapter 3 – Love pencils by Ivan Reis, inks by Joe Prado and Reis, colors by Hi-Fi; chapter 4 – Life pencils by Phil Jimenez and Frank, inkers Matt Santorelli and Frank, colors by Gabe Eltaeb and Anderson; and epilogue pencils by Gary Frank and Ivan Reis, inkers by Frank and Joe Prado, colors by Brad Anderson and Hi-Fi.

-Amanda Sheriff