BATGIRL #5
Written by HOPE LARSON
Art and cover by RAFAEL ALBUQUERQUE
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“BEYOND BURNSIDE” conclusion! Batgirl faces down Teacher in the streets of Shanghai, but will fists be enough against the intelligence—enhanced foe? Babs will have to conquer the pathways of her own mind in order to defeat this vicious predator once and for all!
On sale NOVEMBER 23 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
As I mentioned the other day, after the first two issues, I've realized I am more of a Babs Tarr fan (and a Cameron Stewart and Brenden Fletcher fan) than a Batgirl Barbara Gordon fan. Larson and Albuquerque are doing an okay job here, but it just doesn't have the same vibe as the previous run.
BATGIRL AND THE BIRDS OF PREY #4
Written by JULIE BENSON and SHAWNA BENSON
Art by CLAIRE ROE
Cover by YANICK PAQUETTE
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“Who Is Oracle” part five! Batgirl, Black Canary, and Huntress come face-to-face at last with the new Oracle…and unlock a mystery they never saw coming!
On sale NOVEMBER 9 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
I'm afraid I couldn't keep this on my pull-list long enough to find out who the new Oracle is. I hope it is either the pre-Flashpoint Barbara Gordon running some kind of big, elaborate scam in which she's only pretending to be helping the bad guys, or that she's the Earth-3 Barbara Gordon.
Written by TOM KING
Art and cover by MIKEL JANIN
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“I am Suicide” part two! Batman now has his team, but are they ready for the most dangerous mission of their lives? As the Dark Knight prepares his squad to infiltrate Santa Prisca, he may find that it’s up to him alone to face Bane.
On sale NOVEMBER 2 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
Other than Catwoman, I don't recognize anyone on Batman's Suicide Squad. I suppose glasses could be Hugo Strange, although I can't imagine he'd be terribly useful to have around, and the masked characters? New 52 Punch and Jewlee? Is that lady perhaps Duela Dent, or The Joker's Daughter wearing a new mask? No idea.
Batman running his own, temporary Suicide Squad for this mission seems like an all-around weird move, too, based simply on the fact that between the Justice League, his sidekicks and allies and Batman Inc., Batman has a veritable army on his friends list. Well, there's that, and the fact that Batman's respect for human life means he can't really consider anyone expendable, which is kind of the point of Suicide Squads.
Anyway, I'm interested in this upcoming story arc to see how King navigates all of that, and to see him paired with Mikel Janin again rather than David Finch (boo!), who drew the first story arc of the new Batman, which has read good and looked like garbage.
Written by TOM KING, SCOTT SNYDER, PAUL DINI, STEVE ORLANDO and SCOTT WILSON
Art by DAVID FINCH, RILEY ROSSMO, NEAL ADAMS and others
Cover by DAVID FINCH
“SILENT NIGHT”! A hush of winter snowfall has fallen over Gotham City…but a quiet night in this place is never truly quiet. Batman and his allies—and his many foes—stalk the streets in this icy showcase of top talent.
On sale NOVEMBER 30 • 48 pg, FC, $4.99 US • RATED T
Oh hey, speaking of Finch, why on earth is he drawing a cover when there are so many good Batman artists available, some of them even contributing to this very annual!
Maybe it's just the presence of Paul Dini, Batman and snow, but this reminded me of the 1995 Batman Adventures Holiday Special, one of the Batman Adventures issues that was so good, every Batman fan should have read it.
Written by MEREDITH FINCH and MARK RUSSELL
Art and cover by SHANE DAVIS and BEN CALDWELL
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It’s mayoral election time in Gotham City, and while the city is up in arms, Catwoman couldn’t care less! But when the candidates get personal, the Feline Fatale decides to get involved—much to the detriment of...well, everyone! This issue contains a special bonus story featuring the return of President Beth Ross from the critically acclaimed PREZ miniseries.
ONE-SHOT • On sale NOVEMBER 2 • 48 pg, FC, $4.99 US • RATED T
Well this is a pretty weird little book, which looks to be shoving two almost completely unrelated books into a special because they both have something to do with American electoral politics, I guess...? That, and I guess it keeps the now book-less Catwoman around, and gives Russell and Caldwell at least a few more pages of their DOA Prez reboot.
You know, if DC did decide to do another Legends of Tomorrow anthology series, that might be the place for the rest of Prez...and maybe a place for the further adventures of Catwoman, too.
Written by JOHN SEMPER JR.
Art by WILL CONRAD
Cover by PAUL PELLETIER and TONY KORDOS
Variant cover by CARLOS D’ANDA
Retailers: This issue will ship with two covers. Please see the order form for details.
“THE IMITATION OF LIFE” part five! Cyborg loses control of his robotic form when it begins attacking his friends and family at S.T.A.R. Labs. Trapped in a virtual maze of ominous visions and forgotten memories, can Vic Stone hack his way through the cybernetic gauntlet that is his own mind?
On sale NOVEMBER 2 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
I am currently watching Teen Titans Go! Season 3, Part 1: Eat. Dance. Punch!. It is pretty much the best thing ever. For some reason I am perfectly able to compartmentalize the various versions of some DC comic book characters who appear in various media incarnations, but I just can't seem to accept a Cyborg who doesn't have telescoping limbs like Marvel's Machine Man, excitedly shout all of his dialogue, have a meatball gun and The Old Shablammo in his arsenal and is obsessed with "The Night Begins To Shine." The "real" Cyborg just seems hella boring these days.
It likely doesn't help that in the post-Flashpoint DCU he's basically been reduced to the League's switchboard operator and teleportation device, and divorced from his original friends and relationships, there's not much too him, aside from metal parts and the old, dull "Am I man, or am I machine?" conflict that The Vison and The Red Tornado have made so tiresome over the decades.
Written by JAMES TYNION IV
Art by EDDY BARROWS and EBER FERREIRA
Cover by ALVARO MARTINEZ and RAUL FERNANDEZ
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“The Victim Syndicate” part three! Batman is trying his best to hold his team together, but Spoiler might have every reason to walk out the door…and others might follow!
On sale NOVEMBER 23 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
So, what do you think Steph's cussing out Batman for on this cover? Did she just find out that he never built her a display case after she died in the old continuity? Is she yelling at him for not insisting that her boyfriend Red Robin get a non-dumb costume to wear? Is she yelling at him for not letting Cassandra Cain have her bat-ears, cape and one of her old codenames back? If they can't call her Batgirl and don't want to use Black Bat any more, perhaps for legal reasons, can't they just call her "Cassandra" or "Ms. Cain," similar to the way they're just calling Duke Thomas "Mr. Thomas" over in Batman and All-Star Batman now...?
Whatever the issue is, you tell him, Steph!
Written by GERARD WAY
Art and cover by NICK DERINGTON
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Casey Brinke has stepped through to the other side—but where exactly is that? Given all the bizarre, unexplainable things that have come into her life over the last couple of days—robot men and talking ambulances and a guy who literally thrives on negative energy—surely this new and surprising world she has uncovered can’t be any weirder. Right?
On sale NOVEMBER 9 • 32 pg, FC, $3.99 US • MATURE READERS
Am I the only one who thinks it's weird that Marvel's Captain Marvel is apparently on the new Doom Patrol roster...?
FIRESTORM: THE NUCLEAR MAN – UNITED WE FALL TP
Written by GERRY CONWAY
Art by EDUARDO PANSICA and ROB HUNTER
Cover by CARY NORD
Split from his other half, Jason Rusch, Ronnie Raymond will need to retrieve Professor Stein’s stolen research from Danton Black. But if Jason can’t fuse with Ronnie by the Firestorm Protocol…who can? The answer: his old friend, Professor Martin Stein! Collects the Firestorm stories from LEGENDS OF TOMORROW #1-6.
On sale DECEMBER 7 • 144 pg, FC, $14.99 US
So it looks like the other three features from Legends of Tomorrow--Firestorm, The Metal Men and Metamorpho--are all getting their own trade collections as well. I'm not sure why these three are coming the month after the Sugar & Spike trade, but here they are.
I'm a little curious why the Firestorm isn't numbered, as it seems to follow the New 52 Firestorm story in a way that it's more of a straight continuation, whereas the other three Legends features were all standalone stories.
Anyway, I've been curious if they were going to collect these features and, if so, how, so now I need wonder no longer. If DC did lose money on that bargain format, perhaps they can make up enough of it to at least break even with the trades. (Again, I definitely recommend Sugar & Spike: Metahuman Investigatipons, and maybe the Metal Men collection, if you're a fan of those characters at all. The other two features did nothing for me, and I can't imagine they will make for compelling reads once collected, which will divorce them from both their bargain-pricing and the promise of more and more interesting stories around them.
Written by JOSHUA WILLIAMSON
Art by FELIPE WATANABE and OCLAIR ALBERT
Cover by CARMINE DI GIANDOMENICO
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“THE SPEED OF DARKNESS” part one! A villain from The Flash’s history returns for the first time in years when The Shade visits Central City. But what does Opal City’s master of shadow want with Barry Allen and the newly christened Kid Flash?
On sale NOVEMBER 9 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
Okay, so James Robinson didn't create The Shade, although he did re-create him. James Robinson doesn't own The Shade, and DC Comics and their employees have every right in the world to use that character. Still, it does seem a little funny to see The Shade popping up in a comic book that James Robinson has nothing at all to do with, doesn't it...?
But then, if the publisher is so gung-ho about making Watchmen prequels and building up a Watchmen vs. The Justice League event, it's hardly surprising to see a character so closely associated with one particular writer being used in very retrograde way by an entirely different creator.
GREEN ARROW #10
Written by BENJAMIN PERCY
Art and cover by JUAN FERREYRA
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“MURDER ON THE EMPIRE EXPRESS” part one! Queen Industries’ new Trans-Pacific Railway is an undersea vehicle that symbolizes world peace—which makes its maiden voyage the perfect place for the Ninth Circle to stage a high-profile assassination. Luckily, Green Arrow, Black Canary and John Diggle are on board as outlaw stowaways!
On sale NOVEMBER 2 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T+
"Trans-Pacific Railway"...? That's never going to work, Ollie. If there's one thing I've learned from this election cycle, it's that American's hate things that start with the word "Trans-Pacific"...
Written by SAM HUMPHRIES
Art by EDUARDO PANSICA and JULIO FERREIRA
Cover by ED BENES
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“THE PHANTOM RING” part two! The Phantom Ring was never supposed to return from the place where the Guardians of the Universe hid it. Can Jessica and Baz control and contain its ancient power before it falls into the waiting hands of an unexpected new foe?
On sale NOVEMBER 2 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
I don't know about the rest of you, but I like all the rainbow ring business Geoff Johns brought into the Green Lantern franchise, much of which I feel has achieved the perfect balance between "awesome" and "stupid" that is Geoff Johns' exact wheelhouse, when he's doing his best work.
JUSTICE LEAGUE #8
Written by BRYAN HITCH
Art by NEIL EDWARDS and DANIEL HENRIQUES
Cover by FERNANDO PASARIN and MATT RYAN
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“OUTBREAK” part one! Someone is hacking into the Justice League’s computers, causing the Batcave’s weapons and security systems to turn against the Dark Knight and the Watchtower satellite to plummet to Earth—with Cyborg trapped on board.
On sale NOVEMBER 2 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
This is why I liked Grant Morrison's lunar Watchtower base so much. The problem with a satellite HQ is that is constantly falling out of orbit, or at least in danger of falling out of orbit. If someone wants to attack the League's base, then they should have to commit to going all the way to the moon.
I wonder who the mysterious villain could be..?
JUSTICE LEAGUE #9
Written by BRYAN HITCH
Art by NEIL EDWARDS and DANIEL HENRIQUES
Cover by FERNANDO PASARIN and MATT RYAN
Variant cover by YANICK PAQUETTE
Retailers: This issue will ship with two covers. Please see the order form for details.
“OUTBREAK” part two! The Justice League is under attack from an unseen foe with a vendetta against Earth’s greatest heroes—someone with the power to reprogram Jessica Cruz and Simon Baz’s Green Lantern rings to kill any member of the Justice League.
On sale NOVEMBER 16 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
Oh, nevermind. It must be Weapons Master.
MIDNIGHTER/APOLLO #2
Written by STEVE ORLANDO • Art by FERNANDO BLANCO • Cover by ACO
Midnighter’s got Henry Bendix in his hands at last-but will he have to let him go in order to join Apollo’s battle against the deadly Mawzir?
On sale NOVEMBER 2 • 32 pg, FC, 2 of 6, $3.99 US • RATED T+
"The deadly Mawzir"...? Like, this guy?
Written by JODY HOUSER
Art and cover by TOMMY LEE EDWARDS
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Meet Violet Paige, a celebutante with a bad attitude and a temper to match, who no one suspects of having anything lying beneath the surface of her outrageous exploits. But Violet isn’t just another bored heiress in the upper echelons of Gotham City’s elite. Motivated by her traumatic youth, Violet seeks to exact vengeance on her privileged peers as the terrifying new vigilante known only as Mother Panic.
On sale NOVEMBER 9 • 40 pg, FC, $3.99 US • MATURE READERS
Oh good, a Gotham City vigilante motivated by a traumatic past. DC certainly doesn't publish enough comics about such characters. This is part of the new Veritgo-esque Young Animal imprint though, and it's rated "Mature Readers," so maybe Mother Panic will be different from Batwoman, Batman, Batgirl, The Huntress, Black Canary and the other dozen or so male and female vigilantes because her adventures will feature on-panel nudity and f-words.
Written by VITA AYALA, EMMA BEEBY, JOELLE JONES, HENA KHAN, MICHAL MCMILLIAN, MICHAEL MORECI, ERICA SCHULTZ, CHRIS SEBELA and ADAM SMITH
Art by BARNABY BAGENDA, JUAN FERREYRA, SONNY LIEW, DAVID MESSINA, KHARY RANDOLPH and more
Cover by KLAUS JANSON
In this new one-shot, Wonder Woman unleashes her true god of war against a parade of monsters! Superman discovers a new threat that might be bigger and badder than the joker himself! Hawkgirl solves crimes in the weird weapons unit for the GCPD! Carol Ferris and Kyle Rayner fight about ice cream in space! You’ll find all of this and so much more in NEW TALENT SHOWCASE #1, where recent graduate writers from the inaugural DC Talent Development workshop showcase some of their strongest work yet! See what they’ve learned from masters of the craft Scott Snyder, Jim Lee and Klaus Janson.
ONE-SHOT • On sale NOVEMBER 30 • 80 pg, FC, $7.99 US • RATED T
Oh snap, is this the result of that outreach DC did to try and find new writers? I...thought about looking into it, and never did, figuring the best way to get a gig at this point in my life is to publish my prose book/s and try to transition to comics from there (That said, now that the DCU is unmoored from history, I lost a lot of interest in so many of its characters; like, the books I used to dream about writing as a teenager and 20-something can't even exist at this juncture.
Sigh.
Anyway, I'm a little surprised to see the name "Joelle Jones" among the writers, if only because it is a name I recognize. As for the artists, I recognize all of them except for Bagenda, so I'm assuming these stories are by new writers paired with experienced artists...?
Well, at $8 this looks like a big-ass purchase, but then, it is 80 pages, so I guess this is about the price-point of Legends of Tomorrow, which felt like a steal to me.
Personally, I might have just called this book Showcase, since that's a DC word the publisher probably needs to entitle comics on a semi-regular basis, but no one asked me. No one ever asks me anything!
Written by SHOLLY FISCH
Art and cover by DARIO BRIZUELA
“Gulp! Space WHAAAAT??” A threatening specter from outer space? That’s the call that gets Scooby and the gang on the case. But they don’t suspect that the “specter” is really Space Ghost, or that setting Mystery Inc. against him is a trick to keep the spacefaring hero busy while some of his most formidable villains invade the Earth!
On sale NOVEMBER 23 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED E
Well it's nice to see Scooby-Doo Team-Up venturing beyond the DC stable of superheroes to explore some of the Hanna-Barbera heroes, all of whom have recently gotten a new lease on life, thanks to DC's Future Quest, the least weird book in their new Hanna-Barbereboot line. I'm still waiting on Blue Falcon and Dyno-Mutt, but Space Ghost will certainly tide me over.
Written by GARTH ENNIS
Art by RUSS BRAUN
Cover by Steve Dillon
Sixpack and the team are under attack by mummies! Only the flame of Dogwelder can save them, but will he light his torch in time? And what great mystery will his torch reveal beneath the mighty pyramids of the Egyptian desert? Could Dogwelder be the greatest hero the world has ever known, his welding of dogs the noblest of pursuits?
On sale NOVEMBER 23 • 32 pg, FC, 4 of 6, $3.99 US • RATED T+
Ennis already made Dogwelder into a legacy character in All-Star Section Eight, but I must admit to some fascination with this cover's intimation that not unlike Ghost Rider, there has always been a Dogwelder, going back through the generations to a time when welding equipment had not yet been invented, and if you wanted to weld a dog's corpse to someone's face, you had to sear it there using a torch...? I guess...?
As for comic book Harley vs. movie Harley, I see Jim Lee has been giving her tight T shirts not unlike the one Margot Robbie rocked in the movie, but he's also been letting her wear pants. I'm still not 100% sure why movie Harley Quinn wasn't given any pants.
Written by PETER J. TOMASI and PATRICK GLEASON
Art and cover by PATRICK GLEASON and MICK GRAY
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“IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER” part one! For the first time, the Man of Tomorrow and the Boy of Steel team up with the Caped Crusader and the Boy Wonder in a father-son adventure you won’t want to miss! Damian Wayne has been hearing a lot about this mysterious new Superboy, and now’s his chance to find out who he is...
On sale NOVEMBER 2 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
Okay, I kind of love this cover. Batman and Damian look like they're totally ready to fight, Superboy looks confident and incredulous that Damian could fight him and Superman looks...like he's about to softly kiss Batman...? I feel like that may not be the right emotion and pose for this cover.
Written by ART BALTAZAR and FRANCO
Art and cover by ART BALTAZAR
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Aw yeah, the World’s Greatest Heroes are back in a new, all-ages miniseries—except for Batman! Superman helps out by cleaning up in Gotham City, where he discovers a clue that sends Wonder Woman into space to find the Caped Crusader. Her journey brings her a step closer to Batman, but can she uncover the truth behind his disappearance? From the award-winning creative team that brought you TINY TITANS and SUPERMAN FAMILY ADVENTURES!
On sale NOVEMBER 23 • 32 pg, FC, 1 of 6, $2.99 US • RATED E
Weird. I assumed that a Justice League comic would be Art Baltazar and Franco's next series from DC, as the Justice League featured rather prominently in their last efforts towards the end, and it felt as if they might be transitioning from the Superman Family to the League.
I guess I was right, but I'm not sure why there was such a long delay. I also wonder if maybe this wasn't completely way back then and just never published, as that cover looks already dated. Note Wonder Woman's pants, which were teased and then abandoned back in the summer of 2011 as part of her New 52 redesign.
TRINITY #3
Written by FRANCIS MANAPUL
Art and cover by CLAY MANN
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“BETTER TOGETHER” part three! The deadly White Mercy has Superman, Wonder Woman and Batman in its terrifying grasp! But who would dare to orchestrate this attack—and why? All will be revealed as the three most powerful heroes in the DC Universe fight for their very souls!
On sale NOVEMBER 16 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
The White Mercy...? Let me guess, that's a flower that does stuff to people's minds. Post-DC Universe: Rebirth, it becomes all the more hilarious every time DC uses one of Alan Moore's decades old concepts. Here Manapul seems to be riffing on the Black Mercy from "For The Man Who Has Everything," which has been done so often in the comics (let alone in multi-media adaptations) that I've actually lost count.
Anyway, the irony of DC's steadfast refusal to just quit fucking around with Watchmen because to hell with Alan Moore while simultaneously continuing to sequeeze every drop of story potential from minor detritus from the comics he wrote for them forever ago is at this point as hilarious as it is incredibly depressing.
Well, if the Shade is going to be showing up, then I am going to be reading it!
ReplyDeleteAnd the Superman/Batman and sons cover is great. I am betting on Damian.