Well here we are at the end of Villains Month and I thought it'd be fun to rank all the titles that have been released under "The New 52" moniker for DC Comics. To compile the list I used the average review for each issue and averages out each title. It's to be noted I did not include Villains month titles in the ranking since they, for the most part, weren't a part of the series they were numbered with nor have I included this weeks titles so essentially this ranking is as of the end of August. Anyways without further interuptions let's start the countdown with number 73...
73. Hawk and Dove (4.8/10)
I really like the characters, but Rob Liefeld..... ugh.
72. The Savage Hawkman (5.0/10)
I'm pretty sure the only reason this got so many issues is because DC was hoping unsuspecting parents would buy this instead of the Savage Wolverine issues their kid really wanted.
71. Katana (5.0/10)
DC decides to push a bloody violence filled book for adults in hopes that her appearances on Beware The Batman, a kids show will help with sales... Ummmm wut? With sale numbers like it's having it won't be around much longer.
70. Mister Terrific (5.5/10)
Remember when DC launched the new 52 claiming they wanted to make characters accessible to all races and genders? You do? Remember then when they proceeded to shit on all their African American characters? Good times.... Not really.
69. Static Shock (5.7/10)
See above.
68. Teen Titans (5.7/10)
Wondergirl is annoying. Superboy feels forced. Red Robin was never actually Robin. There's very good reason this is the lowest of the launch titles that are still in circulation. It needs another reboot though. Cancel it and try fresh with Young Justice please.
67. Catwoman (5.9/10)
At least it's not Halle Berry's Catwoman... Oh wait it basically is. FML
66. The Fury of Firestorm: The Nuclear Men (6.0/10)
The Sci-Fi elements weren't bad most of the time, but it got off to an awful start and never recovered.
65. Superboy (6.0/10)
For those of you counting at home Superboy is responsible for 2 out of the 4 lowest ranked titles still in circulation, along with Teen Titans, and that's counting Katana that had a small 7 issues thus far and likely won't make it past 12.
64. Red Lanterns (6.0/10)
Lantern titles always have the potential to be great... Red Lanterns squanders that... Make me rage. See what I did there?
63. Batman: The Dark Knight (6.1/10)
Our first bat family title! (I don't count Catwoman as "Bat Family" I love David Finch... But even I can't bring myself to read this title with the awful reviews. I'll get to it one day... Maybe...
62. The Green Team: Teen Trillionaires (6.1/10)
I hate when DC cancels good titles to make room for ones that they think "might find a better audience" just to see it crash and burn. (Read: Green Team)
61. Justice League International (6.1/10)
Remember when Batman was the boss of Booster Gold? Good reading... Not nearly as good as Justice League of America which replaced it though.
60. Grifter (6.2/10)
It was fun, high octane, not very deep but it was what it was... Then Rob Liefeld took a shit on it.
59. Deathstroke (6.2/10)
I really love Kyle Higgins' writing as you will see later... But Rob Liefeld has to stop leaving poop smears all over the New 52. Luckily he had nothing to do with any other titles after he killed Hawk and Dove, Deathstroke, Grifter and The Savage Hawkman.
58. Superman (6.2/10)
Wait Superman is this low?? Oh yeah Grant Morrison did Action Comics so all other Supes titles are shit in comparison. Makes sense.
57. Trinity of Sin: Pandora (6.3/10)
A relative new title to the list, I quite enjoy it 1 was boring but I felt it had to be to make Trinity War work, the other 2 were a bit better than okay, let's hope this picks up now that Trinity War is done, after all she did have a hand in creating The New 52.
56. Threshold (6.3/10)
I really really REALLY wanted to like this title... But I just couldn't. It's all over the place I don't know what to look for.
55. Constantine (6.4/10)
Is he a hero? Is he a villain? He's neither he's the star of a poorly received title that got a boost in sales due to his part in Trinity War where he tries to steal from a child... Talk about bad taste.
54. Red Hood and The Outlaws (6.4/10)
DC editors must have forgotten they didn't use Starfire in the new 52 so they threw her in this title where she feels incredibly out of place and looks almost as creepy as redneck Arsenal...
53. The Ravagers (6.5/10)
How could a book about angsty teenagers fail? Oh right Teen Titans... Ignore me.
52. Green Arrow (6.5/10)
Unfairly made boring but now with Jeff Lemire on board Green Arrow has been flying up this list, don't be surprised to see it jump up a couple more slots in a year. Though to be fair it does currently rank in the best of The New 52 if they were to relaunch as that... Again... Please don't though.
51. World's Finest: Huntress and Power Girl (6.5/10)
This was my favourite book at one time... Then the story telling got a little stale and Power Girl started making out with everyone but me... But hey at least her clothes get burned off in each issue... Funny how that happens...
50. Birds Of Prey (6.6/10)
The interesting characters can only take a story so far when they seem to try their hardest to make it complacent.
49. Detective Comics (6.6/10)
Tony Daniel's run was uneven at best but John Layman has kicked it up a notch since issue #13 we'll see if it holds up and brings the company's flagship title back to star quality.
48. Suicide Squad (6.6/10)
I must admit I like the new Amanda Waller, and after a horrendous start a new creative team is bringing this title back to being credible, I just wish people would stop bitching about Harley Quinn's new look though.
47. Legion Lost (6.6/10)
This was a spin off of Legion of Super Heroes that never seemed to click as it seemed the flagship title was having a hard enough time finding readers, let alone to convince other readers to buy this one.
46. Blackhawks (6.7/10)
This title was too frustrating with all the artist changes to get a serious look, not to mention it was part of the first wave of cancellations.
45. Captain Atom (6.8/10)
The first arc was so awful it turned most people off by the time the title started getting some potential the damage was done for this Dr. Manhattan clone.
44. Voodoo (6.8/10)
Never anything more than so-so, this title failed to grab readers from the outset.
43. Stormwatch (6.9/10)
This title always seemed destined for greatness with the premise and characters however DC is yet to find a capable writer of taking it to the next level.
42. Trinity of Sin: The Phantom Stranger (6.9/10)
The Phantom started off badly but with a shift in the creative team and his inclusion in Trinity War, The Stranger is slowly climbing up from the depths of hell where it started... Again... See what I did there?
41. Larfleeze (6.9/10)
This title is hilarious, albeit not for everyone and if you didn't read the Threshold back-up stories starring Larfleeze you may be a little lost but there's a reason he was the breakout star of Darkest Night.
40. Legion Of Super-Heroes (6.9/10)
The teen titles have been sputtering in DC for a while and considering we are yet to hit the halfway point of our countdown and this is the 2nd to last title in the "Young Justice" section, including 3 in the bottom 6.
39. G.I. Combat (7/10)
A goofier Men of War, which itself wasn't that great to begin with.
38. DC Universe Presents (7/10)
DC's way of spotlighting certain characters that weren't going to be able to carry their own titles. More Hits (Kid Flash, Deadman) than misses (0 Issue, Beowulf).
37. Men of War (7/10)
A modern war comic set in the DCU. DC went heavy with the war comics before finally realising there was no market for them, just like their medieval titles (which were actually really good)
36. Team 7 (7/10)
This book was the early years of The New 52 as younger versions of Deathstroke, Amanda Waller, Black Canary and Grifter among others dealing with conflict amongst themselves during the Secret Wars. Justin Jordan's best work in The New 52 yet only made it to 9 issues.
35. Justice League of America (7/10)
Team 7 was created to combat Superman, the Justice League of America was created to defeat the whole Justice League with each member hand picked to take down a leaguer. Writer Geoff Johns lowest ranked of the 4 titles he's worked on for The New 52. You can't underestimate his earning potential.
34. The Movement (7.1/10)
I have to admit I haven't read this book yet, though I really want to. The Green Team is the 1% to The Movement's 99%. It's a shame that for being considered "the same" the sales figures for The Movement is awful for being associated with The Green Team, and likely won't last long.
33. Batwing (7.1/10)
Speaking of almost cancelled titles... This series has gotten complacent it was nice at the beginning to distinguish the tone from Batman but now it all seems to drag along and you always know what to expect from the Batman of Africa.
32. Blue Beetle (7.1/10)
I liked how this book juggled multiple plot elements between Jaime's daily life and super-hero life without missing a step, however as unfortunate as it is minority characters have a hard time finding an audience and this series has since been cancelled.
31. Green Lantern: New Guardians (7.1/10)
Not a lot for non Lantern fans to get here as it requires a bit of background info, therefore making it less accessible. Still a great read for any Lantern fans out there.
30. Sword Of Sorcery (7.1/10)
I think DC's main problem was the fact they didn't market this title very well and had an unknown in Christy Marx writing it so people weren't sure what to think before it got canned after 9 issues. This is the first of DC's medieval series on this list.
29. Justice League of America's Vibe (7.2/10)
This title always felt forced to me as I really didn't care about Vibe and felt as if DC was throwing it at us to say "Hey see we're still trying with multi-ethnic" characters, but hey the reviews are good so maybe give it another look?
28. Green Lantern Corps (7.3/10)
The most accessible of the Lantern titles has Guy Gardner front and centre and is the perfect companion to the current Green Lantern title.
27. Resurrection Man (7.4/10)
Full of intriguing hooks, this title was well written but lost an audience when it seemed to lose touch with itself after the first few issues, it ended up picking back up but the damage had been done and Resurrection Man's run was short lived, although a good one.
26. Earth 2 (7.4/10)
This isn't the Earth 2 we grew up with but it's still a really fun title and outside of the Bat-titles likely my favourite series in the DCU right now as every week it ends up near or at the top of my stack.
25. Justice League (7.4/10)
The title that launched the New 52! This title is not without flaws as there is unbalanced character spotlighting as well as some questionable team dynamics but a huge factor is the great Captain Marvel story that went on for issues about Billy's origin and being center stage for Trinity War certainly helped.
24. Supergirl (7.4/10)
The uncomfortable journey for Kara as she tries to find a home away from the only place she ever knew Krypton. The storytelling has been above par and has proved to be one of the stongest titles in the Superman family.
23. Batgirl (7.5/10)
Once you get past the whole "Barbara is Batgirl again!?" you'll find this is actually a really strong series with smartly crafted villains even though there is a tendancy of skipping over fight scenes.
22. Talon (7.5/10)
James Tynion was doing a great job with Talon until around issue #8 where Talon had a crossover with Birds of Prey that was mediocre at best. Hopefully now with that over Talon can return to the heights it reached when it first launched.
21. Action Comics (7.6/10)
It may not be the most compelling series, but it's classic Morrison. He's rebuilt Superman from the same blue print but using modern materials. Though he is no longer involved, Action Comics continue to have his imprint, even if it isn't as good.
20. Nightwing (7.6/10)
I love Higgins work on Nightwing, and although the tone has fluctuated a lot, and I mean A LOT, it is still one of the strongest Bat Family series and promises to get even better with Forever Evil now in full swing.
19. The Flash (7.6/10)
Brian Buccellato and Francis Manapul have been sharing the writing on Flash since it's relaunch and it has been one of the most consistant series in the New 52 with more hits than misses although the beginning did lack a major climax.
18. Justice Laague Dark (7.6/10)
Obscure magic users from the corners of the DCU and Vertigo leftovers rejoice. Jeff Lemire was given the reigns to write you and damn has he done a good job as his run has been pretty well flawless since taking over from Peter Milligan.
17. Green Lantern (7.7/10)
Johns has been building the Lantern mythos for well over half a decade now and he's done amazing things with the characters and this book is no exception, the only problem is a non-lantern fan will have a hard time following this and it's a lot to ask for readers to read 5+ years of Johns' saga to get caught up
16. Batman and Robin (7.7/10)
The start wasn't the greatest but it's rebounded nicely to be the best Batman book in my opinion not written by Scott Snyder. No offense Grant Morrison. I know it's no longer called Batman and Robin what with Robin dying but Batman and... has still been a very nice read albeit will no longer feel like a Robin solo series (unfortunetly)
15. O.M.A.C. (7.7/10)
This is where we begin the countdown of best series that unfortunetly got canned. Checking in at number 5 of that sublist is what many characterized as a Hulk clone but it was a fun book if not incredibly deep.
14. Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E. (7.8/10)
Although he's finally found an audience as a member of the Justice League Dark, this book was great fun before it got canned, number 4 by the way on the aforementioned sub countdown, weird superheroes are awesome, just look at Doom Patrol.
13. All-Star Western (7.8/10)
This series was built on quality and now that Jonax Hex has found his way into modern times it just makes this title that much more interesting. Not that the old western arcs weren't up to snuff as they definitely raised the bar for Hex in modern age.
12. Aquaman (7.8/10)
We've all heard the jokes... But Aquaman is cool, like really cool. The characters are intriguing, the mythos it's building is incredibly interesting and the action sequences are really really nice to look at. Not the thinking man's book, but really a nice read.
11. Demon Knights (7.8/10)
I struggled when deciding if I should put this in the sub-countdown what with it receiving 24 issues but in the end it was a really good book that actually got bad reviews for it's last few issues as Robert Vendetti clearly was prioritizing his Green Lantern titles to his work on his soon to be cancelled Demon Knights series but I can't hold that against him. So this is number 3 on the sub-countdown of awesome books cancelled too early.
10. Dial H (7.9/10)
Ask anyone who has read Dial H what they think of the book and once they finish changing their underpants they will tell you it's FREAKIN' BONKERS in the best way. The "heroes" are barely heroes at all, and although this series got cancelled too early (Number 2 on sub-countdown) there is some hope as "Dial E" Justice League Villains Month title may introduce and excite many newcomers to the series.
9. Batman Incorporated (7.9/10)
Grant Morrison is on the final stretch of his 5+ years Batman epic. Need I say more, honestly? I left this one off the cancelled too soon list as DC wisely cancelled the title once Morrison walked away, but not before killing Damian Wayne's Robin in Issue #8.
8. Superman Unchained (7.9/10)
If you don't know who Scott Snyder is, hit yourself right now. He's working towards writing quite possibly the best Superman story in years and although this is only 3 issues in, it has enormous potential and the early reviews were enough to push it this high up the list.
7. I, Vampire (8/10)
I, Vampire is an intense experience, don't let the covers fool you, this is about as far away from Twilight as you could get and to DC's credit they really tried to keep this book going as long as possible but it was simply not possible anymore making it the best book that got cancelled much too soon.
6. Wonder Woman (8.1/10)
Brian Azzarello has made many very interested in a character that was apathetic to all for years. People used to scoff at Wonder Woman being considered a part of DC's trinity with Batman and Superman. Azzarello has put all those arguments to rest as this has been an amazing title from inception to present day.
5. Animal Man (8.1/10)
Foreman's art is incredibly well done in the beginning. Once Foreman stepped down and Steve Pugh took over, this series lost a little bit of it's soul, but not enough to really do any major harm to the quality, it's just not as good as the insanely great first 2 arcs.
4. Batwoman (8.1/10)
This title has had amazing creative teams. J.H. Williams III was a master artist before taking on the writing duties for everyone's favourite lesbian. Unfortunetly after 24 issues, this title has already seen 2 writers and an artist leave over creative issues with DC. Let's hope the new team can continue making Batwoman many readers favourite New 52 title.
3. Batman/Superman (8.1/10)
I had a problem putting this series so high. For one it is so new, only 3 issues in, but mostly it's that I'm not a huge fan. The art is interesting but other than that I don't feel this title has brought much other than a couple interesting pieces of dialogue. It'll be interesting to see how this holds up over time and if I end up keeping it in my pulls.
2. Swamp Thing (8.2/10)
Whether Alan Moore wants to admit it or not, he's left a legacy at DC and Swamp Thing is one of the many things he's left. Starting with superstar Scott Snyder and taken over by Charles Soule for writing this title hasn't missed a beat as Swamp Thing has built a masterful sense of dark tone and powerful character work.
1. Batman (8.5/10)
Scott Snyder has already brought us The Court Of Owls, Death of the Family and in the midst of Zero Year. We can't get enough Batman as Snyder and artist Capullo is bound to give us possible the greatest Batman run we have ever seen.
