Welcome to Graphic Policy’s DC Rebirth: Recap And Review where we take a look at the comics released under DC‘s Rebirth banner and try to work out just how accessible they are for new readers – we’ll also be providing  recap of sorts for the relevant story beats up until the issue in question in order to help you figure out if the series is something you’re interested in.

Each comic will receive a rating of Friendly or Unfriendly based on how easy it was for new readers to pick them up; the ratings are based solely on the issues released in the post-Rebirth ongoing series. More consideration regarding the comic’s accessibility will be given for the specific issue being read rather than the series overall, but if reading a back issue will help, then that will be mentioned. You’ll also notice that each comic will get a rating that falls on Graphic Policy’s typical ten point scale, which is there to help you pick between issues if you only want to check out one or two.

Not every comic is covered week to week, and that’s because I  sometimes forget to read them  (although that doesn’t happen often), or I really can’t bring myself to pic up the issue. If I have missed an issue, typically I won’t go looking for back issues to catch up on events – this feature is all about accessibility for new readers, after all.

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It’s a short week this week as there were only five comics released under the Rebirth banner, two of which are annuals.

All-Star Batman #13 In a look at Alfred’s past, we see Batman face off against the man that Alfred was training to become. This is a really interesting story, and while I won’t be able to give you all the details in this blurb, you should know that the comic is worth reading. Bordering on Unfriendly, this is another win from Scott Snyder. 7.25/10

Justice League Of America #13 Ray Palmer, the original Atom is lost in the Microverse, and most of the JLA have gone in to find him. This is a pretty Friendly issue when all is said and done. 7/10

Red Hood And The Outlaws Annual #1 The beauty of this annual is that it’s a solid standalone (and Friendly) story featuring the Outlaws and Nightwing. This was genuinely a fun read, and a good introduction to the team. 8/10

Supergirl Annual #1 Unlike the above annual, this comes directly from the previous issues of Supergirl, which I didn’t read, and is far from a standalone story. Despite this, the annual is (just) Friendly. 6.75/10

Wonder Woman #29 There’s a contract out on Wonder Woman’s head, and a whole bunch of assassins looking to collect. The problem? Diana is currently looking after her injured friend, so the assassins have more to deal with than they bargained for…. this is a Friendly issue, and one of the more enjoyable from the new creative team. 7.5/10