DCnU - Stormwatch #1 from DC's New 52

Stormwatch, a significant presence in the Wildstorm Universe is brought together with the mainstream DCnU in this book written by Paul Cornell and with art by Miguel Sepulvida.

Cornell has written some Doctor Who stories, so I think it is interesting that his story starts in the bleed, and area between worlds, in much the same way as many of the Doctor's stories start on the TARDIS.

This story has a lot to communicate. Stormwatch is a covert agency trying to protect the world against alien threats. In this issue, they are dealing with the fallout of something that happens in Superman #1, which isn't out yet. That makes me sad. I wish that at least for the first month, DC could have kept time lines straight.

At the same time as that is happening, they are trying to recruit a new member in the form of Apollo, because he may be the most powerful person on earth. This said after he punches the Martian Manhunter and bounces off. I'm guessing that makes him - at best - second. Just before this interaction, we see the Lady in Red, our mysterious passenger on all of these titles, watching Apollo. Page 15, top left panel.

We also get introduced to several other characters, most of whom were around in some form in the days of Stormwatch/The Authority in the old Wildstorm Universe. Some of these characters powers differ significantly from the typical - Jack Hawksmoor who can communicate with cities, adn manipulate them, for instance. Or the Projectionist who can sense and manipulate media. Pretty important skill to a team that wants to remain secret. The full reach of what that means is barely touched on in this issue.

This comic is clearly going to be darker and edgier than a lot of the fare from the DCnU. The characters are less "goody-goody" and their isn't even really a clear-cut villain in the issue.

It's an interesting corner of the DCnU. There were a couple of flaws in the book, including the usual over-badassery of Midnighter when he first appears (he sneaks up on a telepath and a man who communicates with cities IN a city. And then he takes down the Martian Manhunter with a pressure point strike? Interesting assumption that that would work on a shape-shifting alien) that makes me less interested in the character, but overall, I will definitely at least read #2.