Who owns Gotham...? Based on the cover, I'm going to guess...Will Eisner...?
BATMAN #88
written by JAMES TYNION IV
art by GUILLEM MARCH
cover by TONY S. DANIEL
...
The conspiracy that will rock Batman’s world continues to unfold as the Dark Knight travels to Arkham Asylum to get answers from the Penguin! What dark secret does he share with The Joker, the Riddler, and…Catwoman? Plus, the plague of assassins descending upon Gotham City in its weakest moments continues! Will this be the moment when Deathstroke finally takes down Batman?!
ON SALE 02.05.20
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CARD STOCK VARIANT COVER $4.99 US
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...
This cover was previously scheduled to run on issue #86.
written by JAMES TYNION IV
art by GUILLEM MARCH
cover by TONY S. DANIEL
...
Batman must stop Deathstroke from killing the mayor of Gotham City! But to do so he has to figure out who ordered the hit in the first place. If his four main suspects aren’t ’fessing up to the crime, then is there someone even more sinister lurking in the shadows waiting to deliver the coup de grâce? Whoever it is, one victim will fall under their attack!
ON SALE 02.19.20
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CARD STOCK VARIANT COVER $4.99 US
FC | DC
If that first not-very-good Tony S. Daniel cover looks familiar, it should; it has already appeared in
the last round of solicits ("The cover was previously scheduled to run on issue #86," as the solicitation copy says). Note too that Daniel, who was announced as part of the new, post-Tom King
Batman creative team, is here just drawing the covers, while the art for these two issues is credited to Guillem March. So, two issues into Daniel's run, he's taking a break? This all further suggests something not right behind-the-scenes to me.
When the Tynion/Daniel team was announced, it felt like a particularly strange choice to me, as both have already been working on Batman comics off-and-on for
years. It was almost as if Dan DiDio stuck his head into the group editor's office and said, "Quick! Give me a new
Batman creative team! Right now! Go!" And the poor editor glanced nervously around the room, saying aloud the first two names his eyes fell upon.
At first I thought the fill-in feel of this team might have something to do with King ending his run on
Batman prematurely, apparently moving the final portion of his planned storyline to a new
Batman/Catwoman book, but given the signs of additional sudden changes (a fill-in artist for Daniel after only like 40 pages, that cover moving around), makes me suspect it is something else. As you'll see as we keep reading the ones I mention this month, and/or as you'll have likely already noticed if you've read the complete solicitations somewheres, several higher-profile DCU books will have new, underwhelming creative teams attached, further suggesting that DC has a relaunch/reboot/rebranding effort in the works, and that they are threfore storing up announcements of the "real" new teams on certain titles (
Batman,
Justice League,
Wonder Woman, etc).
Good news? Daniel's fill-in artist/replacement on
Batman is the great Guillem March, whose stints on the character have been too-few and too-far-between for my taste, as I think he's a really great artist who hasn't yet had a good showcase of his skills on the Batman character, despite lots of covers, shorter stories, random issues and runs on adjacent, Gotham-based characters. I kind of wished they would have just skipped Daniel, and announced March as the new (temporary?) artist on
Batman; I probably would have added it to my pull-list if they had.
BATMAN: ALFRED PENNYWORTH TP
stories and art by VARIOUS
cover by ALEX ROSS
Following Alfred’s tragic death in “City of Bane,” this collection gathers the greatest stories in the character’s 75-year history, including his debut appearance in 1943’s Batman #16, the mystery of “The Man Who Killed Mlle. Marie,” and the touching “Father’s Day.” Collects stories from Batman #16 and #31; Detective Comics #83, #356, #501, #502, #806, and #807; Untold Legends of the Batman #2; Batman Annual #13; Batman: Shadow of the Bat #31; Batman: Gotham Adventures #16; Batman Eternal #31; and Batman Annual (2016) #1 and #3.
ON SALE 03.18.20
$19.99 US | 248 PAGES
FC | ISBN: 978-1-4012-9894-4
Well, I don't particularly care for the
reason DC is publishing a collection of Alfred-centric Batman stories, some of which I articulated when discussing last month's solicits, which seemed to spoil Alfred's (temporary) death, but there are certainly worse organizing principles for Batman comics than ones-about-Alfred.
I'm actually pretty interested in this one, given how relatively few of them I've read.
I assume the story taken from 1989's
Batman Annual #13 isn't the James Owsley/Michael Bair/Gray Morrow lead story, but the Kevin Dooley/Malcolm Jones III one, about Alfred's acting career.
Batman: Shadow of The Bat #31 is the 1994
Zero Hour tie-in, featuring a great cover of Brian Stelfreeze rendering the then-current version of Batman and Robin into a Dick Sprang-like style (note the little hooks on the shoulders that Stelfreeze always gave Batman's cape, and Robin's split-toed, tabi-style boots). In this Alan Grant and Bret Blevins story, an older, more comedic version of Alfred temporary intersects with the then-"real" DCU's timeline for the space of an issue (this one was recently-ish reprinted in
Batman: Zero Hour, a pretty good collection of pretty good Batman comics that actually hold up pretty well).
Batman: Gotham Adventures #16 is a 1999 comic by Scott Peterson and Craig Rousseau, set in the
Animated Series milieu; that's heartening to see here, as DC's various DCU-adjacent, kids titles often provide some of the best, evergreen stories featuring the characters, but are all too often overlooked in favor of the "canonical" material.
The stories from
Detective Comics #806 and
#807 are probably the back-ups, "Regnum Defende" by Scott Beatty and Jeff Parker, as those star Alfred (the lead stories in those 2005 issues are chapters of "City of Crime," which is also being published in collected form this year).
And I know I read
Batman Eternal #31 and
Batman (volume 2)
Annual #1, but I don't recall their contents well enough to know what will end up in here.
Batman Annual #3 is the "Father's Day" story mentioned by name in the solicit, though, by Tom Taylor and Otto Schmidt. That's a good story.
Everything else?
Well before my time, which, again, should make this an interesting read.
BATMAN: CITY OF CRIME DELUXE EDITION HC
written by DAVID LAPHAM
art by RAMON BACHS and DAVID LAPHAM
cover by DAVID LAPHAM
Collecting the epic tale from Detective Comics #800-808 and #811-814 written by David Lapham (Stray Bullets)! As the Dark Knight tries to shut down a drug ring turned deadly, Bruce Wayne must contend with a wayward 14-year-old who is dangerously close to Gotham City’s underworld!
ON SALE 03.11.20
$39.99 US | 7.0625” x 10.875” | 304 PAGES
FC | ISBN: 978-1-4012-9948-4
I've only read this story once, as it was published serially, but I recall liking it quite a bit. Whenever I was forced to deal with my long boxes, I'd stop when I got to this run to pore over the covers and art again. If I recall correctly, Lapham both wrote and drew it—back when that didn't happen very often at DC—handling all of the art for the cover and doing layouts for Bachs on the interiors.
It was extremely poorly served by having to be interrupted as it approached its climax by these bullshit comics from probably the worst-written Batman event I've ever endured:
I suspect Lapham and Bachs' "City of Crime" might also be somewhat under-appreciated these days too because it happened to fall between the end of Greg Rucka's run and the beginning of Paul Dini's, with the "War Games"/"War Crimes" and a bunch of fill-in stuff all around it.
I'm looking forward to rereading it in its collected form and hey, look at that, it's scheduled for release on March 11, my birthday...!
written by JAMES TYNION IV and PETER J. TOMASI
art by EDDY BARROWS, EBER FERREIRA and others
cover by LEE WEEKS
Alfred Pennyworth served the Wayne family for decades—even through the tragic loss of Bruce Wayne’s parents. His death at the hands of Bane is the only event that could possibly compare to that fateful night in Crime Alley, and it leaves Bruce at a similar crossroads. If Alfred was the glue that held the Bat-Family together, how will Batman deal with that all falling apart? And if the Caped Crusader is to be truly alone, he might either hang that cape up once and for all…or double down and carry on with this vengeful quest forever. Batman: Pennyworth R.I.P. #1 celebrates the life of one of the most important people in the history of Gotham City, while also addressing questions about what’s next.
ONE-SHOT
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Look out, Batman! There's a giant Alfred right behind you...!
Wait, if Alfred is
dead, why is he up and around? And why is he so big? Oh my God is Alfred the new Spectre?!
I think killing Alfred off, especially if he's supposed to "really" be dead, is bad and stupid and wrong and dumb, but I could probably get on board with the idea if it lead to Alfred replacing Jim Corrigan as the Spectre's host.
Couldn't you just see Alfred in a white tuxedo with green gloves, shoes and a bow tie, seeking to cleanse the world of evil as he had previously cleansed Wayne Manor of dust? Serving the cause of vengeance as he once served the Wayne Family? Using his near-infinite powers to grow gigantic, turn his right hand into a feather duster and sweep evil gangsters off of rooftops to the pavement below? Spouting bad-ass butler lines like those in the Alfred movie from
Teen Titans Go To The Movies...?
I'd be okay with that.
Or ooh, do you know what would be even better?
Alfred Pennyworth, Ghost Butler, in which Alfred's restless spirit is unable to move on to the next plane of existence, and hangs around Wayne Manor and the Batcave for a bit until it sinks in he's dead and Batman can't see or hear him, so he must set out to find a new hero who might be in need of his buttling services. Perhaps Deadman Boston Brand could use a butler? Surely The Phantom Stranger needs help laundering and ironing this suit and cape. The Houses of Mystery and Secrets could use a good dusting. Maybe Justice League Dark could use an event planner for the next time they do a recruitment drive?
Actually, now I want to read
that series so badly that I hope Alfred really is dead, and he stays dead long enough for DC to do a
Ghost Butler miniseries...
BATMAN/SUPERMAN #7
written by JOSHUA WILLIAMSON
art and cover by NICK DERINGTON
...
In the aftermath of "The Infected," Batman and Superman create new measures to prevent hidden and dangerous super-villain plots in the future. Using new technology to track villains throughout the DC Universe, the Dark Knight and the Man of Steel are startled to discover that General Zod has returned to Earth—and that his new target is...Ra’s al Ghul! What is Zod’s plan, and what does it have to do with the destroyed bottle city of Kandor? Find out in the first chapter of a two-part epic featuring the work of artist Nick Derington!
ON SALE 02.26.20
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...
FC | DC
I only made it a few pages into the first issue of the
Batman/Superman comic before I decided it wasn't for me; the panel where Superman walked into a Justice League headquarters littered with the corpses of his brutally, graphically slain team members. You know, the one with the random rib cage just sitting in the middle of the room.
I had written the book off completely at that point, but it seems like once writer Joshua Williamson is done with his sequel/spin-off to Scott Snyder and Jock's
Batman Who Laughs, he's teaming with Nick Derington and, I've gotta confess, I
really love Derington's work, and
really want to see him drawing more Batman (I say "more", of course, because Derington drew the "Batman Universe" story that Brian Michael Bendis wrote for the Walmart exclusive Batman anthology). Adding Superman into the mix? Well, that's just all the more reason to get excited!
How much do I like Derington's art? Enough that even though this features Ra's al Ghul, whom I think is Batman's dullest, most over-exposed villain, a character I could go the rest of my life without ever seeing appear in another comic book story again*, I
still want to read this comic.
This being just two issues, maybe I should buy these serially...
BATMAN: UNIVERSE HC
written by BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS
art and cover by NICK DERINGTON
In this story written by Brian Michael Bendis and illustrated by Nick Derington, Batman is pushed to his limit as he sets off in search of an item with incredible destructive powers—and embarks on a journey across the DC Universe! It’s a race to the finish line as Batman chases the Riddler from Gotham to Gorilla City and beyond, with the fate of humanity in the balance. Guest stars include Vandal Savage, Green Lantern, Green Arrow, Deathstroke, Jonah Hex, and more! Collects Batman: Universe #1-6.
ON SALE 03.18.20
$24.99 US | 168 PAGES
FC | ISBN: 978-1-4012-9484-7
Speaking of Derington...! I can't wait to read this. I've only read the first issue...enough to make sure I was going to want to read the whole thing in its collected form.
I'm hoping that when DC announces the
real next
Batman creative team—assuming, as I have been, that Tynion and Daniel/Whoever are just a fill-in team—Derington is the artist, and whoever the writer is, it's someone really awesome.
DC CRIMES OF PASSION #1
written by James Tynion IV, Steve Orlando, SINA GRACE, Jay Baruchel, Stephanie Phillips, and others
art by Greg Smallwood, Riley Rossmo, AndiE Tong, Mike Norton, Anthony Spay, and others
cover by YASMINE PUTRI
Passion. Betrayal. Murder. When you’re a private investigator, these are things you experience daily. But when you add capes to the mix—like Batman, Catwoman, and Harley Quinn? Things get even messier. The name’s Slam Bradley, and I’m telling you that this year’s Valentine’s Day special has more intrigue than you can shake a stick at. Ten tales of love—the kind of love that can push people over the edge. Don’t miss it...or I’ll make you pay.
ONE-SHOT
PRESTIGE FORMAT
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Looks like it's mostly the usual suspects, in terms of both contributors and characters (with at least one weird exception; what the hell is Jay Baruchel doing in the mix?), but, regardless of execution, I always at least like
the idea of DC's anthology holiday specials, and they've been trying out some pleasantly weird themes in the past few years. This one seems like a winner, particularly because of the involvement of Slam Bradley.
I know I've said it before, but when I was growing up, I wanted nothing more to be a comic book writer for DC Comics when I grew up. Now that I
am grown-up, I think the only job I'd really want at DC is writing a coupla 10-page joke stories for anthologies like this every year. (Although, I mean, I wouldn't turn down an offer to write a miniseries or something; seems like a good, easy way to buy a house...at least here in Ohio, where the cost of living is so much cheaper than in the comic book industry centers of New York City and Las Angeles).
written by TOM TAYLOR
art by KARL MOSTERT and TREVOR SCOTT
cover by HOWARD PORTER
...
The blockbuster DC series returns to answer this question: What did the villains do when the heroes failed and the world ended?
Spinning out of the dramatic events of 2019’s smash hit, writer Tom Taylor returns to this dark world with a street-level tale of death, heroism and redemption. Led by Red Hood and Deathstroke, DC’s hardest villains and antiheroes fight with no mercy to save the only commodity left on a dying planet of the undead—life!
ON SALE 02.19.20
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...
FC | DC
I know people like zombies, but I'm honestly shocked at how popular
DC's Marvel Zombies has turned out to be...especially because, conceptually, it wasn't even as clever as the Marvel series it's so suggestive of. I read the first issue of
DCeased, and found it surprisingly, shockingly uninspired—more so because it was so far below the relatively high standard of writer Tom Taylor's previous work (the fact that it had
two artists, neither of whom were particularly great, drawing the first issue of a miniseries, didn't exactly instill a lot of confidence, either).
Maybe it got better with the second issue? I guess I'll find out soon; I actually have a copy of the just-released collection of
DCeased and its first one-shot spin-off from my local library sitting next to me as I type this sentence, and plan on reading it after working on this post. I'll let you know what I think in, I don't know, another three posts or so...?
This spin-off just seems to offer more of the same, but I think it's notable that
DCeased was such a surprise hit for DC that it not only released that one-shot, but now they're doing a miniseries spin-off.
DOLLAR COMICS: BATMAN #386
written by DOUG MOENCH
art and cover by TOM MANDRAKE
Featuring the debut of Black Mask!
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$1.00 US | 32 PAGES | FC | DC
I've actually never read
Batman #386, so I will gladly pay a dollar for the ability to do so now. The fact that the great Tom Mandrake is drawing it is only further incentive. I assume this one is being reprinted this month because the character is apparently going to be the main villain in the upcoming
Birds of Prey movie, as they're obviously running out of Batman villains who haven't appeared in any films yet (Your time will come, Mad Hatter!). I'm curious if the movie people will use the original look and conception of the character...that is, if his black mask will be carved from his dead father's ebony casket, or if they will go with the more common black skull-like look of the character that has long since replaced it (I want to say
The Batman pioneered that look, in which the character had an irremovable mask that suggested a skull; I do not want to look it up right now though, so I won't).
This month's other
Dollar Comics include
Shadow of The Bat #1, the first issue of Alan Grant, Norm Breyfogle and company's "The Last Arkham" (and the first appearance of Mr. Zsasz, which is probably why it's being reprinted now) and
Batman #536, featuring Cassandra Cain during her "No Man's Land"-era debut (that cover, by the great Damion Scott, who would draw interiors for Cassandra's later
Batgirl, was drawn when he was obviously still figuring the character out, but I always liked that pose; it's the only instance I can think of off the top of my head of gravity affecting a utility belt), the first issue of the original
Amethyst #1 (probably in preparation for the current Young Justice member's upcoming solo book; Hey, did you know I bought the 650-page
Showcase Presents: Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld trade in 2012, and have still only read the first 20 pages of it? That's not a reflection on the quality, but a reflection of my To Read pile/s).
There's also 1987's
Flash #1, which, if I had to guess, is seeing print again because of this month's fake Flash anniversary (see below), as that's the debut of Wally West as The Flash, probably the best instance of a passing-on-of-a-comic book-superhero-legacy-ever, as well as
Flash: Rebirth #1, in which longtime
Flash writer Geoff Johns had the dubious honor of
undoing that passing-on-of-a-comic book-superhero-legacy, bringing The Boring Flash back into the mix. And then there's
Green Lantern: Rebirth #1, in which Johns similarly replaced Hal Jordan's infinitely more interesting replacement with Hal Jordan. I think Johns' strategy addressing the Green Lantern worked really quite well, as the fact that there were thousands of those characters made the elegant "Okay,
everyone who was a Green Lantern can still be a Green Lantern", everyone wins, super-compromise, while The Flash move may have ultimately doomed the post-
Crisis DCU shared-universe (Hell, Wally West as a character is
still suffering, as you know if you read
Heroes In Crisis, which I wouldn't advise; there's only really one great panel in it...maybe two, depending on your experience with The Protector).
 |
| There. Now you don't have to read Heroes In Crisis. |
Republishing those books
now seems sort of dumb though, as nothing in them is at all relevant (the
Flashpoint/New 52boot rendered those comics' post-
Crisis continuity crafting moot) and the artist involved is kind of a huge asshole that spends what seems to be a majority of his time spewing toxic opinions and insults on the Internet. I wouldn't think DC Comics would want to be associated with him in any way, shape or form anymore. (Oh, and speaking of terrible people that it seems like horrible PR to willingly associate with your brand in the year 2020, DC is also soliciting a collection of
DMZ this month).
Finally, Marv Wolfman, George Perez and Romeo Tanghal's
New Teen Titans #2 is also getting the
Dollar Comics treatment. That's the issue introducing Deathstroke, The Terminator.. I guess he's appearing in that
Titans TV show, so maybe that's the why of that particular comic.
THE FLASH #750
“THE FLASH AGE” BEGINS!
written by JOSHUA WILLIAMSON, GEOFF JOHNS, MICHAEL MORECI, MARV WOLFMAN, FRANCIS MANAPUL, and others
art by RAFA SANDOVAL, JORDI TARRAGONA, SCOTT KOLINS, STEPHEN SEGOVIA, DAVID MARQUEZ, BRYAN HITCH, FRANCIS MANAPUL, RILEY ROSSMO, and others
cover by HOWARD PORTER
1940s variant cover by NICOLA SCOTT
1950s variant cover by GARY FRANK
1960s variant cover by NICK DERINGTON
1970s variant cover by JOSÉ LUIS GARCÍA-LÓPEZ
1980s variant cover by GABRIELE DELL’OTTO
1990s variant cover by FRANCESCO MATTINA
2000s variant cover by JIM LEE and SCOTT WILLIAMS
2010s variant cover by FRANCIS MANAPUL
blank variant cover available
Beginning: “The Flash Age”! The story we’ve been building toward since issue #50 comes to a head! While a supercharged Speed Force wreaks havoc on Barry Allen’s life, a new threat appears on the horizon in the form of the deadly Paradox. Destined to destroy the Flash’s legacy, Paradox sends his herald, Godspeed, to trap the Flash family! Plus, in this special anniversary issue: tales from across the generations of super-speedsters by an all-star lineup of writers and artists!
PRESTIGE FORMAT
ON SALE 02.26.20
$7.99 US | 80 PAGES
FC | DC
This issue will ship with ten covers.
Please see the order form for details.
Ugh. I
hate these artificial anniversary issue
so much. This blatant disregard for how numbers works just plain hurts the core of my being. So much of the modern super-comics industry is founded on a particular type of persnicketiness that is part of the collector mentality and the sort of fandom that cares about story continuity, and this Marvel-esque "Let's just pump up the number to a super-high one in order to celebrate an artificial anniversary and then drop back normal numbering because what is even the point of numbers, really?" is just...galling. Also, it's not how numbers work.
I'm interested in seeing what Riley Rossmo's Flash might look like, but, other than that, nothing here grabs me. Of course, I haven't read more than two consecutive issue of
Flash since... Jeez, I don't even remember when. Maybe
Flash: Rebirth...?
THE GREEN LANTERN SEASON TWO #1
written by GRANT MORRISON
art and cover by LIAM SHARP
...
The team of writer Grant Morrison and artist Liam Sharp continue their bold new take on the Emerald Warrior in a wild 30-page second season opener!
In the wake of the Blackstar incursion, Hal Jordan and his fellow Lanterns must pick up the pieces from that cataclysmic conclusion. Among them is Jordan’s next critical mission: search for the next generation of cosmic immortals. Is the universe ready for…the Young Guardians?
ON SALE 02.12.20
$4.99 US | 1 OF 12 | 40 PAGES
FC | DC
Speaking of things I hate, here's a monthly, 12-issue comic book billing itself as "Season Two" of another comic book. They are obviously attaching the word "Season" to borrow its television connotations for, um, some reason I don't understand. But comic books don't come out
seasonally, and even if they did, this will run for a year...through four consecutive "seasons", goddamit! That's not how words work. DC is destroying numbers
and words, like a common Marvel! The Big Two are assaulting reality itself!
(Especially weird? Morrison's run on this character began with an "ongoing" series entitled
The Green Lantern, and then a new series with
Darkstars somewhere in the title. And now its continuing in
The Green Lantern Season Two. This...is confusing. The idea seems to be a series of miniseries, just marketed for maximum confusification. I've yet to read any of it, despite how much I appreciate the writing of Grant Morrison and the art of Liam Sharp, as I was waiting for the trade paperback collection. Now I wonder if I should wait for some kinda "Complete Grant Morrison's The Green Lantern"-style, omnibus-y collection a few years down the road...)
written by STAN LEE and MICHAEL USLAN
art by DAVE GIBBONS, JERRY ORDWAY, JIM LEE, JOE KUBERT, JOHN BUSCEMA, KEVIN MAGUIRE, JOSÉ LUIS GARCÍA-LÓPEZ, KEVIN MAGUIRE, and others
cover by ADAM HUGHES
Stan Lee at DC seemed like something fans could only ever dream about—until it happened in 2001! This new collection brings these stories back in print, including Just Imagine Stan Lee with Dave Gibbons Creating Green Lantern #1, Just Imagine Stan Lee with Jerry Ordway Creating JLA #1, Just Imagine Stan Lee with Jim Lee Creating Wonder Woman #1, Just Imagine Stan Lee with Joe Kubert Creating Batman #1, Just Imagine Stan Lee with John Buscema Creating Superman #1, and Just Imagine Stan Lee with Kevin Maguire Creating Flash #1.
ON SALE 03.11.20
$34.99 US | 352 PAGES
FC | ISBN: 978-1-4012-9583-7
These were originally published as one-shots in DC's old prestige format, and while there was obviously a degree of novelty to them, reflected in the title, they were also an incredible showcase for an incredible line-up of artists (see above) and some of the characters turned out to be all-around compelling recreations.
Of all of the artists listed above, Jim Lee is my least favorite, but given his popularity and level of skill, well, that should give you a good idea about the overall abundance of artistic talent attached.
Of the particular characters and comics, it's Lee and Lee's Wonder Woman and Lee and Kubert's Batman I remember most strongly. They really went all-in on giving Batman a realistic bat-head. Ironically, there
most unusual-looking character turned out to be the one DC superhero who has the
most variant forms.
Some pains were taken to ensure that that Stan Lee and company's
Just Imagine-iverse was its own shared universe, with characters referring to one another and their paths crossing in
Justice League and
Crisis, although it doesn't seem like DC has done too terribly much to exploit it. Certainly, these characters haven't made appearances in the same way or anywhere nearly as often as, say, the characters from the Tangent continuitiverse, or
Kingdom Come or even the those from
Red Son or
Red Reign.
I wouldn't be surprised if that changed in the future though; perhaps getting these stories back in front of creators and readers, including many who likely missed them the first time around, might lead to a more prominent role for this gang in the DC Multiverse moving forward.
JUSTICE LEAGUE #40
written by ROBERT VENDITTI
art by DOUG MAHNKE and JAIME MENDOZA
cover by BRYAN HITCH
...
The next chapter for comics’ premier superteam begins! An unexpected arrival from the stars brings a dire warning to the Justice League: A new breed of conquerors is on the march. Led by Superman’s nemesis Eradicator, a genetically engineered, super-powered strike team has come to subjugate Earth. To aid the Justice League, Batman makes the unprecedented decision of enlisting an ancient, unrivaled power, which calls into question who, exactly, is in charge. With the League on unsure footing, will they be ready to save the world?
ON SALE 02.05.20
$3.99 US | 32 PAGES
...
FC | DC
written by ROBERT VENDITTI
art by AARON LOPRESTI and MATT RYAN
cover by BRYAN HITCH
...
Invasion of the Supermen! Eradicator and his strike team sweep across Earth with devastating consequences. The Justice League finds itself battered and overwhelmed by an enemy more powerful than even Superman. Batman and Green Lantern plan a counter assault, but it can’t work without the Flash, whose connection to the Speed Force has become unpredictable—and possibly fatal. With the team at half-strength, will it be enough to hold their enemies at bay?
ON SALE 02.19.20
$3.99 US | 32 PAGES
FC | DC
With all due respect to Robert Venditti and Doug Mahnke, they certainly feel more like a time-killing, page-filling temporary team than the next creative team on
Justice League, following the Scott Snyder, James Tynion, Jorge Jimenez et al run. Both are long-time DC contributors, and Mahnke has already had a pretty substantial run on DC's Justice League book/s. They lack the razzle dazzle that one might expect, in the same way that Tynion and Daniel on
Batman sound a lot more like the creative team DC found laying around, not the the ideal team for that title. (And Mahnke is only drawing the first of these, with Aaron Lopresti penciling the next one. As with
Batman, there doesn't seem to have been much in the way of lead time to get this story drawn.)
The fairly generic nature of the solicitation copy
—"next chapter" language aside
—also feels like an evergreen one. Also, note that the team on the covers looks to be the same as during the previous run, with no evident changes of the sort that typically follow a change in creative team.
I think we can put this down as one more clue that DC's gotta rebrand/relaunch in the work, and a more permanent next creative team will follow soon.
(Anyone got any particular hopes for who might get to write and draw "comics' premier superteam" next...? I'd kinda like to see Priest get another bite at the apple; he was the official League writer right before Snyder and company came on, but he was, like Venditti appears to be doing here, in more of a caretaker role, and only
written by MICHAEL MORECI
art and cover by SAS MILLEDGE
Before he met Batman, Dick Grayson discovered the power of young love—and its staggering cost—at the magical Lost Carnival.
Haly’s traveling circus no longer has the allure of its glamorous past, but it still has one main attraction: the Flying Graysons, a family of trapeze artists featuring a teenage Dick Grayson. The only problem is that Dick loathes spending his summers performing tired routines for dwindling crowds.
When the Lost Carnival opens nearby and threatens to pull Haly’s remaining customers, Dick is among those drawn to its nighttime glow. But there are ancient forces at work at the Lost Carnival, and when Dick meets the mysterious Luciana and her nomadic family, he may be too mesmerized to recognize the danger ahead.
Beneath the carnival’s dazzling fireworks, Dick must decide between who he is and who he wants to be—choosing either loyalty to his family history or a glittering future with new friends and romance. Author Michael Moreci and illustrator Sas Milledge will suspend readers from a tightrope in this graphic novel, redefining Dick Grayson for a new generation.
ON SALE 04.29.20
$16.99 US | FC | 6” x 9”
192 PAGES
DC GRAPHIC NOVELS
FOR YOUNG ADULTS
ISBN: 978-1-4012-9102-0
If I remember superhero TV show gossip correctly, from back in the days when every single superhero character wasn't regularly appearing in one-to-three different television shows, there was once a show about a pre-Robin Dick Grayson of the Flying Graysons in some stage of development.
This reminds me of that, although it will almost certainly be better, because comics are a better medium for superheroes than TV shows.
I'm not familiar with the creators, but I do like that cover image.
JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA: A CELEBRATION OF 60 YEARS HC
written by GARDNER FOX, GERRY CONWAY, GRANT MORRISON, GEOFF JOHNS, SCOTT SNYDER, and others
art by MIKE SEKOWSKY, GEORGE PÉREZ, HOWARD PORTER, JIM LEE, JIM CHEUNG, and others
cover by JIM CHEUNG
Celebrate the 60-year history of the Justice League! This volume includes pivotal moments such as “Crisis on Earth-Three,” the formation of Justice League International, the debut of the 1990s JLA series, the team’s New 52 origin, and more! Collects The Brave and the Bold #28; Justice League of America #29-30, #79, #140, #144 and #200 (1964-1982); Justice League of America Annual #2; Justice League #1 (1987); JLA #1 and #43; Justice League of America #1 (2006); Justice League #1 (2011); and Justice League #1 (2018).
ON SALE 03.18.20
$29.99 US | 448 PAGES
FC | ISBN: 978-1-4012-9951-4
So, what have we got here...?
That seems pretty acceptable, particularly if the focus is on the different iterations of the primary Justice League (so, no permutations; no International or Europe, no Task Force or Elite, no Dark or Odyssey, and nothing non-canonical, despite the strength of, say, Paul Dini and Alex Ross' Justice League stuff). They're not all good comics, of course, with the first issues of the Johns and the Meltzer runs being the worst of the lot, and, one thing immediately apparent from
JLA #1 on, those comics all very much offer the first part of a story. So I would guess a good half of this is going to read like a group of trailers, rather than a group of short stories. I mean, most of these will introduce sub-plots that won't be resolved anywhere within the trade, but by the time we get to
JLA, the part-of-a-story phenomenon will be particularly noticeable.
Even still, it's a pretty solid survey of League line-ups over the team's history. I'm a little disappointed by the cover choice, though. Sure, that's the current iteration of the League, but it's not a terribly representative one of the the League's make-up over the years, nor even a particularly strong illustration.
I'm actually kinda surprised they didn't go with an Alex Ross image, or maybe re-used one of Phil Jimenez's drawings of, like, every Leaguer ever, like the one from
JLA Secret Files & Origins #1, or this one from the covers of the three-issue
JLA-Z series published in conjunction with
Avengers/JLA...
...Although I would guess another 10-20 heroes would needed added to the image to reflect all of the characters who have served on the team since it was drawn.
ROBIN: YEAR ONE TP
written by CHUCK DIXON and SCOTT BEATTY
art and cover by JAVIER PULIDO and ROBERT CAMPANELLA
Taking place after the events of Batman: Dark Victory, this epic tale recounts the beginning of Dick Grayson’s career as Robin, the Boy Wonder. The devious Two-Face is very interested in recent reports that Batman now has a teenage sidekick. Indeed, Bruce Wayne has taken young Dick Grayson under his tutelage as Robin, the Boy Wonder! Alfred Pennyworth is unsure if the inclusion of Dick Grayson in Batman’s nightly adventures might not end up in disaster, but the butler cannot deny the positive influence the lighthearted boy has on his master. Collects Robin: Year One #1-4.
ON SALE 03.04.20
$19.99 US | 216 PAGES
FC | ISBN: 978-1-4012-9938-5
If you have never read this, you really should. It's great.
SUPERMAN: VILLAINS #1
written by BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS, MATT FRACTION, GREG RUCKA, and JODY HOUSER
art by BRYAN HITCH, STEVE LIEBER, MIKE PERKINS, and EDUARDO PANSICA
cover by BRYAN HITCH
The Man of Steel’s greatest villains react to the biggest news to ever rock the DC Universe. Lex Luthor, Mongul, Toyman, The Joker, and more of the world’s greatest villains must come to grips with how the world changes now that the truth has been revealed by Superman. Some of comics’ most unique and creative voices unite to tell a story that changes all the rules.
ONE SHOT
ON SALE 02.12.20
$5.99 US | 48 PAGES
FC | DC
Wait a minute...Gorilla Grodd? Ra's al Ghul? Deathstroke, The Terminator? Cheetah? Sinestro? Black Manta? A The Reverse Flash? Professor Pyg? Those aren't Superman villains! Where's Terra-Man and The Prankster, Mr. Mxyzptlk and Bizarro?
Oh, by the way, who on Earth is that between Deathstroke and Sinestro?
YOUNG JUSTICE #13
written by BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS and DAVID F. WALKER
art by JOHN TIMMS and MIKE GRELL
cover by JOHN TIMMS
variant cover by MIKE GRELL
Another Wonder Comics extravaganza kicks off with Young Justice searching for Conner Kent as the teen Superboy find himself trapped in the mysterious world of Skartaris, the home of legendary DC character Warlord! Wonder Comics curator and Young Justice writer Brian Michael Bendis welcomes writer David F. Walker to the team alongside rising-star artist John Timms!
ON SALE 02.05.20
$3.99 US | 32 PAGES
FC | DC
I really enjoyed the first collection of
Young Justice, despite some reservations. I'm actively worried about what happens after issue
#6 though, because from what I've seen, the Tim Drake portions at least appear to be mind-numbling stupid. I'm not sure how to feel about Walker joining the team, either; he co-wrote Naomi with Bendis, and I found that book quite wanting, despite really wanting to like it.
I like the premise of this issue though, especially the fact that they got Grell not just to draw a variant cover, but to apparently provide interior art as well. You know, at this point I'm pretty sure that enough DC superheroes have journeyed to Skartaris that they could probably collect 'em all into a decent-sized trade paperback collection.
*
Actually, I take that back. There's still one
Ra's al Ghul story I want to read. When writer Denny O'Neil first created the character in 1971, the new addition to Batman's rogues gallery wasn't just the charismatic leader of a criminal organization specializing in assassination. He was also an environmentalist. His goal to restore the Earth's balance to its more perfect, pre-industrial revolution status, before humanity began to overpopulate and over-pollute it, plundering its finite resources. As a functional immortal, Ra's was able to take the long view on humanity's impact on the Earth, and, as a comic book supervillain, he had a radical solution: Killing off the majority of humanity to a much more manageable number.
The character reflected concerns and anxieties of the burgeoning environmental movement of the 1970s and, if things seemed bad then
, well, thanks to climate change, we are now teetering on the apocalypse, well into a sixth extinction that, if it doesn't completely wipe out humanity, well, it will definitely lead to the collapse of human society as we've come to know it. Best case scenario at this point? Everyone gets their fucking acts together, we reduce carbon emissions to net zero in 20-40 years, and hope we pull through with only a handful of wars, refugee crises and horrific weather events, I guess.
At any rate, the stuff Ra's al Ghul was worried about decades
ago is now coming to pass. I think there's a couple of different stories that could be told about DC Comics' premier eco-terrorist in 2020, now in the position of seeing his worst fears realized, and circumstances proving him
, not Batman, right. Does he lash out like a wild animal, backed into a corner? Going all-out to conquer the world and force the changes that our governments have spent too long dithering over? I don't know.
Personally, the Ra's al Ghul story I want to read is about a sad, defeated Ra's who has apparently given up on his plans to save the world by killing a bunch of the people on it, because he realizes it's now too late. If every one is the hero of their own stories, well, Ra's has confirmation of his righteousness, and now we're at a point where he doesn't even really need to lift a finger to bring about a grand balancing of nature. The world is doing so itself, threatening to wipe out humanity, or at least reduce its numbers, reshaping society in the way he
wanted to all those decades ago.
So that's the one Ra's al Ghul story I want to read. One focusing on his bittersweet recognition that he was right, and that he can quite trying to save the world from humanity, as the world is going to end up purging humanity all on his own. I want to seem him unhappily gloat to his billionaire American foe, and make Batman feel bad about not doing more, and maybe even make Batman question if there wasn't a middle path between Ra's insane, genocidal plans and Batman's constant defeating of him. I want a comic about Ra's al Ghul that's preachy as fuck.
