The world of comics is like the fruits section of the grocery store. Generally, you stay in your comfort zone and grab the usual fruit snacks—apples, oranges, bananas. But every now and then, you see those pineapples sitting there... but you aren't sure about them. You don't know if you'll like it or how to even check for ripeness. Then one day someone comes over to you and says, "Try these. They're great!" They hand one over and give you a taste of something different—and you end up loving it.
Well, dear readers, those apples, oranges, and bananas are your Batmans, Supermans, and Wonder Womans. And National Comics is your pineapple. (Non-metaphorically speaking, if anyone knows how to check for the ripeness of a pineapple, let us know in the comments, cause we're still totally unsure how that works. There's, like, tapping and leaf pulling or something?)
Anyway, National Comics is a brand new series featuring re-imagined interpretations of some of the more obscure characters in the DC Comics catalogue—from Kid Eternity and the Looker to Madame X and more. The first issue, NATIONAL COMICS: ETERNITY #1 hit shops last month, and the second in the series, NATIONAL COMICS: LOOKER #1 comes out tomorrow. And the great thing is that you don’t have to read Eternity to pick up and get into Looker. They’re entirely separate, but equally cool, stories. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves. Let’s look at the 5.2 Reasons to Pay Attention to National Comics!
1. The Format
Getting into a new series can be a difficult decision to make. Going in relatively blind—much less with a new character—and committing to multiple issues in order to experience a full story might dissuade potential readers, and that's totally understandable. Which is why with National Comics fans get a full, done-in-one story in each and every single issue.
2. The Covers
People often say not to judge a book by its cover but in this case, we say go ahead and do so because the covers are, in a word, breathtaking. And in a few more words, drool-worthily breathtaking. Check out these brilliantly designed covers to NATIONAL COMICS: ROSE AND THORN #1 and NATIONAL COMICS: MADAME X #1:
3. The Writers
National Comics not only gives our lesser-known characters a chance to shine but it also allows the extraordinarily phenomenal creators at DC a chance to dabble in all-new areas free from continuity—and we started it off with a bang! National Comics: Eternity #1 featured Jeff Lemire journeying into some of the infinite possibilities that have always resided in this classic character. And if you read it, you know he left the door wide open with the welcome mat out for more.
4. The Artists
Along with beautiful covers by greats such as Ryan Sook and Fiona Staples, National Comics touts an impressive cast of creators that make sure each issue is as beautiful inside as out. Creators like Cully Hamner—one of the most talented artists in comics today. His unique style is as unmistakable as a fingerprint and his character designs are second to none.
5. Human Heroes
As awesome as characters like Batman and Superman are, it’s sometimes hard to picture them existing in real life. If they did, they’d almost certainly be celebrities. But characters like Eternity, Looker, Rose and Thorn and Madame X feel like people we could know. These aren’t icons to aspire to—they’re everyday people who just happen to have some sort of ability that sets them apart. And unlike those guys hanging out in the Watchtower, these folks don’t want to be set apart. They just want to live normal lives. Sound familiar?
5.1 Characters Who Are Undead…
5.2 …And Ones Who Just Look Like They Are.
