DC's August previews reviewed

The "New 52" will be turning one-year-old when August rolls around, and all of the below—including the twelfth issues of the "New 52" titles that haven't been canceled yet—ship. At that point, I think we have to start calling them "The 52," or just "DC's comics," even if neither of those rhyme, and thus don't quite roll off the tongue as easily.

Click on over to Comic Book Resources and/or ComicsAlliance for the publisher's full plans for August of 2012; keep reading for my impressions of the few things that jumped out at me.

ACTION COMICS #12
Written by GRANT MORRISON
Backup story written by SHOLLY FISCH
Art by RAGS MORALES, BRAD WALKER and RICK BRYANT
Backup story art by CAFU
Cover by RAGS MORALES
Variant cover by CLIFF CHIANG
...
On sale AUGUST 1 • 40 pg, FC, $3.99 US • RATED T
Combo pack edition: $4.99 US
Retailers: This issue will ship with three covers. Please see the order form for more information.
• What is the horrific secret behind “THE FORGOTTEN SUPERMAN”?
• What happens when Superman is too late to save LOIS LANE?
• And what is the staggering new threat The Man of Steel is about to face?
• Plus in the backup, Perry White’s brush with death leads to startling consequences for Superman!

The back-up mentions Perry White, but doesn't mention Steel at all. It was my impression that Action Comics was to feature a Steel back-up by Fisch and Walker...was that a one-time only deal, and the back-ups are devoted to a different member of Superman's supporting cast each issue?

Just curious.

I hate Animal Man's new costume too, but I hate it much less than I hate all of the other New 52 redesigns.

BATGIRL #12
Written by GAIL SIMONE
Art by ARDIAN SYAF and VICENTE CIFUENTES
Cover by STANLEY “ARTGERM” LAU
On sale AUGUST 8 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
• BATGIRL battles BATWOMAN!
• KNIGHTFALL strikes!

Say, is this the first time Batwoman has met Barbara Gordon, in either the New 52-iverse or the old DC Universe? Is this the first time Batwoman has met a Batgirl, any Batgirl...? Just wondering, as I can't think of any previous instances, but then, I don't follow these books as closely as I used to. DC certainly seemed to be keeping Batwoman in her own little corner of the Bat-books for quite a while, though.

Good job, Batman cover artist Greg Capullo! And good job whoever colored this image!

I don't think The Scarecrow looks quite right without his hat on.

BATMAN, INCORPORATED #4
Written by GRANT MORRISON
Art and cover by CHRIS BURNHAM
Variant cover by ANDY CLARKE
1:100 B&W Variant cover by CHRIS BURNHAM
On sale AUGUST 22 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
Combo pack edition: $3.99 US
Retailers: This issue will ship with three covers. Please see the order form for more information.
• BATMAN and TALIA AL GHUL continue their fight for control of their son DAMIAN – better known as ROBIN!
• WINGMAN and REDBIRD descent upon GOTHAM CITY! Who are these heroes, and what is their relationship to THE DARK KNIGHT?

I would have guessed that those characters were a new version of Earth-3's Owlman and Talon based on the image alone, but I guess its Wingman and his sidekick. They sure look like badguys, don't they?


BLUE BEETLE #12
Written by TONY BEDARD
Art by IG GUARA and J.P. MAYER
Cover by PAUL RENAUD
On sale AUGUST 15 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
• It’s BLOOD BEETLE vs. BLUE BEETLE – with Jaime’s life and reputation as a hero on the line!

"Blood Beetle"...? I can't even tell when DC is kidding anymore. I guess I must have suddenly gotten Too Old For Comics like, last week. Is 35-years-and-two-months the exact age at which one's ability to "get" superhero comics is shut off by nature...?

Ryan Sook's drawing of the new Kid Flash costume is the first time I've seen it drawn in a way that my eyes aren't instantly repelled from the image. It looks okay, here. I wonder if the rest of the new Teen Titans' costumes are bearable when not drawn by Brett Booth...?

The cover of The Flash Annual provides a look at a whole bunch of redesigned Rogues (the lady is apparently Glider, mentioned in the solicit for Flash #12; the new version of "Golden Glider," I'd guess.

It's a nice drawing, but I don't care for most of those redesigns. Weather Wizard looks pretty cool, and Mirror Master looks more-or-less unchanged, but I can't stand the new Captain Cold, and is that guy in the lower left corner supposed to be Heatwave? What about the dude in the tornado; is that the new Top? The old Top had a fantastic costume, of the sort that's almost impossible to improve upon.

EARTH 2 #4
Written by JAMES ROBINSON
Art by NICOLA SCOTT and TREVOR SCOTT
Cover by IVAN REIS
1:25 B&W Variant cover by IVAN REIS
On sale AUGUST 1 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
Retailers: This issue will ship with two covers. The variant cover will feature the standard edition cover in a wraparound format.
• THE GREEN LANTERN, THE FLASH and HAWKGIRL in action!
• The debut of the all-new ATOM SMASHER!
• A monstrous evil claws its way out of the poisoned soil of EARTH 2!

Here's your new Earth-2 version of Hawkgirl. The costume's not dynamite, but it's not as bad as it could be either (see Rob Liefeld's cover for The Savage Hawkman for a good example of a Hawk costume gone bad). As with the previous covers featuring The Flash (shrieking while being attacked by rats) and Green Lantern (burning alive), it's worth noting that this cover shows the superhero in mid-freakout, seemingly fleeing from mortal danger.

Being a superhero doesn't look like something to aspire to so much as something to be glad you don't have to deal with; looking at these covers don't suggest wish fulfillment fantasies so much as reflections of bullet-dodging relief, like looking at some unfortunate with a horrible disease in a science text book and thinking "Whew, I'm glad I don't have that..."

Oh God I hope the cover to Green Lantern Annual #1 glows in the dark...!

Props to Fernando Pasarin, Peter Tomasi and anyone else involved in robot horse-headed centaur Green Lantern. That guy's a keeper.

That is not a very good picture of He-Man, Philip Tan.


JUSTICE LEAGUE #12
Written by GEOFF JOHNS
Art and cover by JIM LEE and SCOTT WILLIAMS
Variant cover by JIM LEE and SCOTT WILLIAMS
1:100 B&W Variant cover by JIM LEE
On sale AUGUST 15 • 40 pg, FC, $3.99 US • RATED T
Combo pack edition: $4.99 US
Retailers: This issue will ship with three covers. Please see the order form for more information.
• ”THE VILLAIN’S JOURNEY” part four!
• The team struggles to stay together as they try to combat their newest foe.
• A shocking last page that will have the world talking about this issue!
This issue is also offered as a combo pack edition with a redemption code for a digital download of this issue.

Oh come now. The world? The whole world? I would bet a million, no a billion, no all of the dollars that that does not turn out to be the case.

Best guess: The new villain is J'onn J'onnz, The Martian Manhunter, who is apparently leaving the StormWatch team "forever," according to the solicit for that book (Say, did you know J'onn wears a loin cloth in that book? Dude went from shorts, to panties, to long pants to a loin cloth).

So who's the dude who is not Deadman on the cover of Justice League Dark #1...? Is that New 52 Dr. Mist or Bloodwynd or a new character or...?

NATIONAL COMICS: LOOKER #1
Written by IAN EDGINTON
Art by MIKE S. MILLER
Cover by GUILLEM MARCH
On sale AUGUST 29 • 40 pg, FC, $3.99 US • RATED T
• New digital-first adventures!
• Emily Briggs was a top supermodel until she was turned into a vampire!
• Briggs uses her supernatural powers to protect the innocent as they navigate the corrupt world of high fashion and modeling!
• A fresh, sexy take on a classic DC character!

March provides a pretty clever cover here; I still find it amusing that they're using the later, vampire version of The Looker in the rebooted continuity, as this looks so very far away from the character as originally conceived. But I guess vampires are in...?

This is probably a good time to link to my piece on ComicsAlliance about DC's history of trying to see the Quality/Freedom Fighters characters to their readers. Also of possible interest is the comment thread beneath this post on Phantom Lady at The Beat, where you can read co-writer Jimmy Palmiotti talk a lot about the series, and witness the designer of those terrible costumes fight with commenters.

PRINCE OF CATS TP
Written by RONALD WIMBERLY
Art and cover by RONALD WIMBERLY
On sale SEPTEMBER 5 • 144 pg, FC, $16.99 US • MATURE READERS
This hip-hop retelling of William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet focuses on Tybalt (derisively referred to as “the Prince of Cats”) and his Capulet crew as they do battle nightly with the hated Montagues. Set in a Blade Runner-esque version of Brooklyn, PRINCE OF CATS is a mix of urban drama, samurai action and classic Shakespearean theater...all written in iambic pentameter!
Don’t miss this original graphic novel written and illustrated by Ronald Wimberly (SENTENCES: THE LIFE OF M.F. GRIMM)!

I get a little nervous any time I hear the term "Blade Runner-eque" used to describe anything, but even still this looks like the most interesting thing DC's publishing in Auguest of 2012 (unless you count reprints like Showcase Presents: Amethyst, Princess of Gem World).

...

...

...

...I...

I don't even know how to respond to that.

V FOR VENDETTA BOOK & MASK SET
Written by ALAN MOORE
Art and cover by DAVID LLOYD
On sale OCTOBER 3 • 296 pg, FC, $24.99 US, 11.78” h x 8.25” w x 5.218” d • MATURE READERS
The best-selling graphic novel that defined sophisticated storytelling is offered in a unique new way in the V FOR VENDETTA BOX AND MASK SET!
The set includes a trade paperback edition of Alan Moore’s terrifying portrait of totalitarianism and resistance, superbly illustrated by artist David Lloyd, along with the famed V mask in PVC with white elastic band, offered in a window box.

Okay, all of a sudden that Teen Titans cover is no longer the most insane thing in DC's August solicits.

Cliff Chiang is a good artist.