DC's November previews reviewed

Is it that time of the month again already? Wow. Time sure flies when you're...well, time sure flies. As always, you can read the complete solicits for DC's titles scheduled to ship in November of 2010 here.

Well, let's dive in, shall we?


BATMAN #704
Written by TONY DANIEL
Art and cover by TONY DANIEL
Welcome back Tony Daniel as regular writer/artist on BATMAN!
When an aging but wealthy technology developer comes to Gotham with his beautiful daughter, it turns out he’s in search of a joint project with WayneTech. DNA tracking is the name of his game, and there are others interested in his proposal. But when the developer goes missing, Batman finds that his tracks stop in the city’s violent Chinatown neighborhood, where a new deadly Triad gang has taken root. Guest-starring I-Ching!
On sale NOVEMBER 17 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

Based on the cover image alone, it looks like Batman will continue to feature the adventures of Dick Grayson-as-Batman, since that’s his version of the Bat-costume instead of the new, Ultimatized, two-Bat-symbols costume (That I hate. So far).

Batman and Robin likewise seems to feature Dick as Batman and Damian as Robin, while Detective’s cover is inconclusive, and the solicit mentions Batman but not a secret identity.


BATMAN/CATWOMAN: FOLLOW THE MONEY #1
Written by HOWARD CHAYKIN
Art and cover by HOWARD CHAYKIN
The Cavalier – that’s the Z-lister with the swords, right? So how’d he manage to frame Catwoman for a run of burglaries? And how on Earth did he manage the more spectacular crime of cleaning out the Wayne Enterprises pension fund and framing Bruce Wayne for the deed? However impressive he may appear to be, The Cavalier will quickly learn that frame-ups like that cut both ways, as both Batman and Catwoman begin tracking the Gotham City villain in this stand-alone one-shot from comics legend Howard Chaykin!
ONE-SHOT • On sale NOVEMBER 3 • 56 pg, FC, $4.99 US

This looks and sounds fun, and it looks like it will offer a traditional, old-school Batman adventure for anyone who doesn’t like the new direction all that much. I'm not really sure why it's not appearing in Batman: Classified though.


BATMAN, INC. #1
Written by GRANT MORRISON
Art and cover by YANICK PAQUETTE
1:25 Variant cover by ANDY KUBERT
1:200 Sketch variant cover by YANICK PAQUETTE
Grant Morrison continues his earth-shattering run on the Batman titles with this exciting, new ongoing series! Featuring art by the remarkable Yanick Paquette (SEVEN SOLDIERS: BULLETEER), BATMAN, INC. marks the next stage of evolution for The Dark Knight. This can’t-miss series will star not just Bruce Wayne as Batman, but also a huge number of guest-stars! Don’t miss out on this all-new start to a stunning direction for Batman!
Retailers please note: This issue ships with three covers. Please see the Previews Order Form for more information.
On sale NOVEMBER 3 • 32 pg, FC, $3.99 US

BATWOMAN #0
Written by J.H. WILLIAMS III & W. HADEN BLACKMAN
Art by J.H. WILLIAMS III and AMY REEDER with RICHARD FRIEND
Cover by J.H. WILLIAMS III
1:10 Variant cover by AMY REEDER

“I suspect that Batwoman is socialite Kate Kane. I intend to prove it beyond a shadow. I need to know if she can be trusted, what her motivations are. I’m going undercover.” – Batman: Mission Log Entry 2756

Featuring a unique story composition that combines the art of Eisner Award-winner J.H. Williams III (DETECTIVE COMICS, PROMETHEA) and Amy Reeder (MADAME XANADU), this special #0 issue acts as a new introduction into the life of Batwoman! Things pick up roughly where the BATWOMAN: ELEGY HC left off, and this issue acts as a primer for the upcoming new series featuring multiple award-winning creators!
Retailers please note: This issue ships with two covers. Please see the Previews Order Form for more information.
On sale NOVEMBER 24 • 32 pg, FC, $3.99 US

Uh-oh. Check out the price tags on these two new Bat-books, both of which I was greatly anticipating. Like the other new ongoing Bat-book, the David Finch written and drawn Batman: The Dark Knight, they’re $4 for 32 pages.

Is DC's plan for moving towards the Marvel-established price point to keep their $3 books at $3, but launch their new series at the $4 price point? It looks like it it.

It also looks like I’ll be reading the two above books in trade as well, which means I’ll be subtracting “Morrison-written Bat-book” from my dwindling pull-list. I’m down to just eight serially-published, stapled comic book-comic books now: King City, Orc Stain, Tiny Titans, Batman: The Brave and the Bold (Which is "back" with a new title, new #1 and new creative team in November), Brightest Day (a limited series), Justice League: Generation Lost (ditto), Green Lantern and Birds of Prey (which is rather likely to get dropped after the first story arc wraps up, on account of it not being any good).


Aaaaaa! Look at Neal Adams’ Aquaman! Aaaaaa!


BATMAN: STREETS OF GOTHAM #17
Written by PAUL DINI
Co-feature written by FABIAN NICIEZA
Art by DUSTIN NGUYEN & DEREK FRIDOLFS
Co-feature art by TBD
Cover by DUSTIN NGUYEN
With Bruce Wayne soon to return to Gotham City, the secret past lives of his parents Thomas and Martha have come back to haunt the family legacy! What bizarre experience in their past is connected to the horrible plan that Tommy Elliot has set in motion? Find out here in part 2 of the 5-part sequel to the best-selling “Heart of Hush”!
Plus, don’t miss the start of a new Ragman co- feature, written by Fabian Nicieza (RED ROBIN)! This 5-part story finds Rory Regan starting a new job at the city morgue as his tenement neighborhood is threatened by the Mayor’s “renewal plan” and Firefly, an arsonist who might be on the city payroll!
On sale NOVEMBER 17 • 40 pg, FC, $3.99 US

I honestly expected this one to be canceled, given all the new Batman books, and its dwindling sales, but I guess it’s going to be around at least until #21, in order to finish up the five-part Ragman story beginning as a back-up in this issue (I guess that explains the existence of that random Ragman one-shot I previously wondered about...?) The artist is “TBD” still...fingers crossed that it’s D-ed to be Kelley Jones or John McCrea…!

Red Robin, Batman: Confidential, Azrael and Gotham City Sirens are all “FINAL ISSUE” notation-free this month as well, so if DC was planning on culling the Bat-line to make room for all the new additions, they’ve yet to cancel the lower-selling books or ones that seem endangered by the return of Bruce Wayne.


I think I like David Finch’s art less the longer I look at it, but I love all the same-but-different costume redesign opportunities Geoff John’s colored rings stories have made possible. So White Lantern Batman? Yeah, that excites me.


DC COMICS PRESENTS: BRIGHTEST DAY #2
Written by JOHN OSTRANDER and DAN JOLLEY
Art by BRYAN HITCH, PAUL NEARY, DALE EAGLESHAM, WADE VON GRAWBADGER, JAMAL IGLE, ROB STULL, LARY STUCKER, DOUG MAHNKE and PATRICK GLEASON
Cover by IVAN REIS and OCLAIR ALBERT
Spotlighting Martian Manhunter and Firestorm – two heroes who returned after BLACKEST NIGHT as the BRIGHTEST DAY dawned in the DC Universe! First, Blue Beetle and Booster Gold guest-star in a story from MARTIAN MANHUNTER #24, while three travelers seek answers on Mars in the distant future in a tale from issue #11. Then, in an epic from FIRESTORM #11-13, Jason Rusch and Ronnie Raymond clash for the first time as they battle some of their greatest foes.
On sale NOVEMBER 10 • 96 pg, FC, $7.99 US

Like the first DC Comics Presents: Brightest Day collection solicited, this appears to be simply a collection of stories featuring a few characters from the Brightest Day cast, retroactively bearing that sub-title. I haven't read the Firestorm issues, but both of the Martian Manhunter issues included here are pretty great. One of them is a surprisingly spot-on homage to the JLI days (shame about the coda featuring Wonder Woman and Kyle Rayner though), and the other ties in to the future for J'onn that Grant Morrison established in DC One Milliona.


DC COMICS PRESENTS: THE FLASH/GREEN LANTERN: FASTER FRIENDS
Written by RON MARZ, MARK WAID and BRIAN AUGUSTYN
Art by BART SEARS, VAL SEMEIKS, RON LIM, ANDY SMITH, TOM GRINDBERG, JEFF JOHNSON and others
Cover by DAVE JOHNSON
Collecting the two-part miniseries from 1997 that brought together two Flashes and two Green Lanterns to battle the menace called Alien X in a story that begins in the 1940s and concludes in the modern era!
On sale NOVEMBER 3 • 96 pg, FC, $7.99 US

I really, really liked this prestige format miniseries. No matter who your favorite Flash and Green Lantern is, I imagine you'll dig this.


DC COMICS PRESENTS: J.H. WILLIAMS III #1
Written by D. CURTIS JOHNSON and J.H. WILLIAMS III
Art and cover by J.H. WILLIAMS III and MICK GRAY
Cameron Chase, agent of the Department of Extranormal Affairs, is introduced in the debut issue of her cult-favorite DCU series! Plus, family secrets are revealed in a tale from issue #6 – and the Dark Knight guest stars in the two-part story “Shadowing the Bat,” from issues #7-8. Featuring the spectacular art of J.H. Williams III!
On sale NOVEMBER 3 • 96 pg, FC, $7.99 US

Now here's a weird one. Despite Williams' namel this is apparently a greatest hits collection of the short-lived Chase series he illustrated. The entire series was only ten issues long, so collecting about half of the run like this seems an odd choice. Why not just collect it as Chase Vols. 1 and 2? If you throw in the issue of Batman that introduced Chase and some of the roughly ten thousand appearances Cameron Chase had in various Secret Files and Origins specials, there's easily enough material for two trades.

Labeling it with Williams' name suggest that there will be more Wiliams material collected in future DC Presents volumes. I wonder what those might be? He drew Justice Riders, I believe, and, um, some annuals...?


DC COMICS PRESENTS: YOUNG JUSTICE #2
Written by TODD DEZAGO, PETER DAVID, JOE ILLIDGE, D. CURTIS JOHNSON and CHUCK DIXON
Art by TODD NAUCK, ALE GARZA,
CRAIG ROUSSEAU, ANDY KUHN and others
Cover by SCOTT MCDANIEL and DANNY MIKI
Collecting some of YOUNG JUSTICE’s greatest hits, as previously seen in the pages of YOUNG JUSTICE SECRET FILES, YOUNG JUSTICE: THE SECRET #1 and YOUNG JUSTICE IN NO MAN’S LAND #1!
On sale NOVEMBER 24 • 96 pg, FC, $7.99 US

Huh. #1 collected the pre-Young Justice Young Justice series JLA: World Without Grown-Ups, while this collects the first pre-Young Justice book with the words "Young Justice" in the title, the Secret one-shot from DC's series of one-shots featuring lady protagonists, along with a "No Man's Land" tie-in from and a Secret Files special, from the first year of the ongoing's existence. I don't remember any of these being particularly great comics, although the Secret Files stories had some fun moments in them.


Is that Black Canary wearing Grifter’s costume on the cover of Green Arrow #6?


HITMAN VOL. 3: LOCAL HEROES TP NEW PRINTING
Written by GARTH ENNIS
Art by JOHN MCCREA, CARLOS EZQUERRA and STEVE PUGH
Cover by JOHN MCCREA
Tommy’s talents are tested as he faces off against Western outlaws and an army of zombie sea animals in these stories from HITMAN #9-14. Also included is a hilarious confrontation with Green Lantern!
On sale DECEMBER 22 • 144 pg, FC, $17.99 US

Please be advised: This is a totally awesome collection, featuring some great stories from my favorite DC comic book. The title story, from which the cover image comes, features a four-part team-up of sorts between Tommy Monaghan and Kyle Rayner, in which Monaghan shames Rayner for his inability to buy anyone a beer in a bar, on account of not having any pockets. That's followed by the two-part "Zombie Night at the Gotham Aquarium," in which Tommy and his hitmen friends must fight their way through the zombified residents of an aquarium (And remember, this was 1997, before everyone was doing zombie stories constantly). The credits are a little wonky here though; McCrea drew all six of the issues mentioned. Pugh drew Hitman #21, and Ezquerra did draw a story in which Tommy fights Western outlaws, but that was in Hitman Annual #1.


JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA #45
Written by MARC GUGGENHEIM
Art by SCOTT KOLINS
Cover by SHANE DAVIS & SANDRA HOPE
After one of the greatest terrorist attacks on American soil, the Justice Society remains behind to help rebuild in any way they can! But in contrast to their glory days during World War II, it appears the U.S. may not want the Society's help. Luckily, that's never stopped the World's First Super Hero Team before!
On sale NOVEMBER 24 * 32 pg, FC, $2.99

Can you imagine how many millions must die to constitute “one of the greatest terrorist attacks on American soil” in the DC Universe? Prometheus recently blew up much of Star City in Justice League: Cry For Justice, and a few years back The Brotherhood of Titan-Fightin’ wiped the entire city Bludhaven off the U.S. map, a death toll that should have been somewhere in the neighborhood of the entire population of New York City (although in Batman and Robin #12, Dick Grayson puts it at "only" 100,068).

What will happen here? Will the terrorists take out a whole state?


Oh man, I swore off this title when Calafiore took over art chores from Nicola Scott, but the cover of the November issue does feature Bane riding on a dinosaur.


Wow, that’s a nice cover image by Rafael Albuquerque for the upcoming Superboy #1. Superboy actually looks like a teenager and everything. Unfortunately, that is the end of Abuquerque's contribution to the book, the interiors of which are being drawn by someone whose name is unfamiliar to me.


Titans #29
Written by ERIC WALLACE
Art and cover by FABRIZIO FIORENTINO
This is it! Deathstroke versus Batman! When a mission traps our deadly team in Arkham Asylum, they’re divided and confronted by some of Gotham City’s most notorious villains.
On sale NOVEMBER 10 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

This is it! Entire months have passed since Batman Dick Grayson fought Deathstroke the Terminator in the pages of Batman and Robin! Now they're going to fight again! The anticipation!! Can you stand the anticipation?!?!?!