I like it because Johns is doing what Peter David did, he's adding a dynamic to the character. This time around Johns is addressing the actual popularity of the character, reflecting his real life popularity or lack of with fans. I also like that Johns dropped the whole "raised by Dolphins" and gives him a father and son dynamic... that's new.

I find over all what keeps me coming back is the Lovecraftian undertones with the Trench. Also the explanation which he is heading towards with the sinking of Atlantis, which surrounds an as yet untold Atlantean conspiracy which seems to have been kept from the King himself.

It's a real fish out of water aspect, one which has never been as touched in the past. I'm also enjoying Mera's development very much.

So for me it's not so much Aquaman himself but the world and people around him which Johns has immersed him in.

I like it just because I think it's a good take on Aquaman. They addressed the jokes and viewpoints of people and then kinda moved on into a pretty good story with the Trench. I've always felt like Aquaman had more to offer than what he's been given and this book feels like a step in the right direction.

And then there were 4.

I don't like death of characters. I really don't like senseless killing. I really really object to introducing new characters just to have them die 1 page later and never get to know them. As of today, Aquaman is out.

I'm still debating on JL International. The death of Rocket Red in the last issue made me think of Blue Devil a number of years ago. The character was dead. Then reborn. Then dead again. As if a writer had revived the character without check with upper editorial and when editorial found out, they got rid of the character as soon as they could be written off again. That's how I feel about Rocket Red. Someone felt he was outdated and had him killed off. Then a new one appeared. Its still an outdated concept, so it was killed again.

JLA - overpriced, issue 7 was a waste of paper. Issues 1-6 have had several wasted pages at the end of each issue. The book should be 2.99 and actually contain a story.

Teen Titans. 6 months in and we barely have a team. Not sure I like the idea of a story called "the culling". I'll probably buy until the bodies start piling up.

And that leaves: Stormwatch. Consistently THE BEST book DC is putting out today.

I've still got

Action Comics
Aquaman
Batgirl
Batman
Flash
Green Lantern
Justice League
Justice League International
Red Lanterns
Superboy
Supergirl
Superman
Teen Titans
Young Justice

Of those, Action, Superboy and Titans are in trouble for me. Justice League, Aquaman, Red Lanterns and YJ are the only ones I buy on the sale date. All of the others I'm a month behind to get the price drop.

Well to be honest-- I only pick up what I can find at Half Price books and at the comic stores in the 1.00 boxe- but even so I have picked up a few -- and honestly the more I read the less interested I become-- alot of these all feel like elsewords stories- that once they hit a point they could just stop the comic..

I love the Villian Type stories.. so I am liking

Deathstroke and Suicide Squad-- although the recent Harley story line seemed like they decided they made a mistake in how they redesigned here...

Batwoman, I think Im done with (art is nice,story ehh)- Batman and Robin is kind of Meh, Same with Batman and Detective Comics... I read that Huntress miniseries-- and really just said-- so 6 issues to do nothing but lead into the new series.. Im still very back and forth on Batgirl, Catwoman, and I havent been able to find many issues of Teen Titans, Nightwing, or Blue Beetle-- The rest-- I figure why invest my time or money in them --
the new 52 did the opposite for me-- pushed me back towards Marvel again, as I find myself reading more of that stuff- -or at least alot of the 2-3 year old stuff (since thats in the quarter bins-- yet it pushes me to more of the other stuff---Like the whole Ultimate universe which I ignored when it came out, Villans/Heroes for Hire and slowly being drawn back into the X Universe- since Kitty Pryde and the version of Nightcrawler I liked more are back.- And I will be drawn into that new Aof A series-- )

I just finished Animal Man... that rocked. I'm a huge fan of Swamp Thing... I like All-Star Western as long as it has Jonah Hex in it. I'm growing tired of Batman and the Owls, The Dark Knight lost me. I read Justice League because it's like a train wreck and I can't not look. I read Wonder Woman, I wish the art was better.

I like the fact that we have a readership here that has such varied tastes. One of my concerns now is that starting with issue 9, a number of the creators are going to change. Kind of worried that the quality of Stormwatch will be impacted.

Superboy, Supergirl, Nightwing and Teen Titans all got axed for me recently. In fact, most of my comic reading lately has been the JLU comics that I never read, the Morrison JLA run and now the Johns Teen Titans run.

Frankly, I think almost all the titles are pure crap right now, but I'm jaded due to the horrible editing and lack of planned continuity in the DCnU. It's a complete and utter mess IMO.

See, I'm the opposite. I'm MORE interested in the DC now than I am the MU. That's a first for me.

No matter how many books I get during a week, it's the DC books that get read first.

Granted, I'm only collecting 5 DC books right now.

Interesting. In your opinion, are you buying because you feel the books' story and artwork is high quality, or rather is it just something new and different?

Obviously being an old-skool DC guy, my expectations will lean towards maintaining some semblance of DCU history, but I also find that the dialogue and characterization in many of the books is very poor. And at $4 - $6 each, it's just not worth it anymore for me. But I am glad that others are enjoying it.

I'm sort of with you. Anything that gets new blood interested is always good... but...

I hate the New 52. Back when I first read about it... then saw it happen at the end of Flash Point... and even now.... I like some books sure but those books I like have a strong link to what's come before or is elaborating on elements from yesteryear like in Swamp Thing and Animal Man. Justice League Dark returned John Constantine to the fold of the DCU (yes I know it was the end of Brightest Day/ Brightest Day Aftermath with did it first but you know what I mean.)

I read all the books or at least skim them every week because I love comic books and the characters! Also, reading crap Batman is better than not reading Batman at all. I've been reading these books every month for the last 29 years of my 34 years of life.

I also know from experience like everything else... this will indeed pass and like always all roads lead home to the way things are. Very few changes ever remain permanent. Some of these New 52 changes probably will while others will be forgotten, retconned and simply ignored by future creative teams.

The former for Aquaman and Batgirl.

The latter for Justice League, Nightwing, and Catwoman.

I will be getting the Red Lantern TPB when it comes out as well.

Aquaman is my FAVORITE DC hero of all time. His book has never looked better IMO, and while it's too early for PAD comparisons, I think Johns is off to a great start.

Batgirl is my favorite DC heroine. I'm VERY happy to have Babs back in the suit. I've never cared for the Oracle persona.

So those are two large positives to the relaunch.

On the negative side, I miss Secret Six and the classic Teen Titans.

But overall, I like DC more now that I did last year at this time.

Red Lanterns is very interesting and I've been enjoying that one.

The new Batgirl was my favorite DC heroine. I HATE having Babs back in the suit. I like the Oracle persona because it made her stand out.

Stephanie Brown was one of my top 3 favorite characters in the DC Universe-- I think she was one of the few characters that they had actually shown true growth in (since I had been reading) from her humble beginnings-- to making her the complete Hero-- and Poof -- gone.....

That along with secret six-(and the Harley/ Tim Drake Redesign) among others are just some of the reasons- why I despise most of the new books-- I still read them when I pick them up for a buck a piece-- but I think thats force of Habit-- and I dont feel like I missing anything with this new universe..