Written by DAN JURGENS
Art by PATCH ZIRCHER
Cover by RODOLFO MIGLIARI
...
“REVENGE” part two! Both Superman and the Revenge Squad must traverse the deadly Black Vault in a race against time to reach General Zod! Amanda Waller’s secret Kryptonian weapon reveals himself to the world, but Cyborg Superman and Eradicator move in to recruit him. Tying directly into the events of this month’s Suicide Squad issues—and no matter who wins in this epic showdown, it spells certain doom for the Last Son of Krypton!
On sale MAY 24 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
Wait a minute, why is General Zod so small now? The last time we saw him in the pages of Suicide Squad, he was like 9-12-feet tall! Now he's back down to regular human size...?
It's nice to see Cyborg Superman appearing here instead of Supergirl, as it seems like that title has been devoted to Supergirl fighting him for, like, ever now. I dropped it after the first issue, but he or other Kryptonian cyborogs have been on every cover published since, and I think that means it's been at least a six-issue story arc...so far.
Written by JOHN RIDLEY
Art by GEORGES JEANTY, KARL STORY and RAY SNYDER
Cover by GEORGES JEANTY and KARL STORY
Academy Award-winning author John Ridley (12 Years a Slave, Three Kings) presents an alternate U.S. history with the Civil Defense Corps, a team of superheroes, and their handlers, the FDAA (Federal Disaster Assistance Administration). The FDAA stages showdowns between “superheroes” and “super-villains,” but in reality they are little more than superpowered actors that front for the public. What will these manufactured superheroes do when real danger arrives at the door? Collects THE AMERICAN WAY #1-8 in a new anniversary edition that includes bonus material!
On sale JUNE 7 • 208 pg, FC, $19.99 US • MATURE READERS
I haven't re-read this since the first time it was published serially, but I remember liking it quite a bit at the time and, more than that, being regularly surprised by it, as it went in directions I would not have expected from it. I do recall it struck me as somewhat Watchmen-esque, at least in terms of ambition, if it wasn't in the same ballpark in terms of craft or construction, and it seemed more interested in telling its story and wrestling with its particular themes rather than genre commentary.
...Which, now that I think of it, I wonder why the Civil Defense Corps haven't fought the Justice League or appeared in one of the many Multiversal crossovers yet? Perhaps because it wasn't as popular as Watchmen.
Anyway, if you missed it the first few times around, I'd recommend it, particularly if you like these sorts of analogue-hero morality tales. I'm sad to say that it is probably even more relevant in 2017 than it was in 2007, or any of the years between than and now (Maybe 2015 and 2016; those years were pretty rough too, come to think of it, and for some of the same reasons).
Written by CHUCK DIXON
Art and cover by GRAHAM NOLAN
Variant cover by KELLEY JONES
...
The co-creators of Bane make a triumphant return to the character, with a twelve-issue series that will push him to the limit! Bane is seeking to create a global criminal empire with the help of his original gang, Bird, Trogg, and Zombie. The Man Who Broke The Bat moves beyond Gotham to find new cities to conquer and new enemies to crush. He won’t stop until he stands at the top of the world of crime! For Bane, it’s all about CONQUEST.
On sale MAY 3 • 32 pg, FC, 1 of 12, $3.99 US • RATED T+
This is honestly the comic I am most excited about of any DC's solicited this month. I know Dixon's personal politics can seem pretty repugnant, and I know he's said some pretty repugnant things, and he's even lent his comics-writing talent to some pretty repugnant comics in recent years--although, in his defense, I suppose some of that could have been due to professional desperation.
All that said, he was one of the most prolific and talented and enduring of DC comics' writers in their street-level superhero/vigilante books for most of the '90s, and created some great characters who were adopted, embraced and championed by many fans on the Internet, like Spoiler Stephanie Brown (who other writers would turn into first Robin IV and then Batgirl III) and Green Arrow Connor Hawke, the latter a sexually ambiguous, Buddhist vegetarian Native American/Asian/caucasian twentysomething that you have to imagine Dixon himself wouldn't have had a whole lot in common with. And while he didn't create Robin Tim Drake, Nightwing or The Birds of Prey, he defined all of those characters and made them into the iterations that remain best-loved today.
Oh, and he created something like 10,000 new villains, I think, including Bane, with Graham Nolan.
So while I might hate to talk politics with the guy, I'm happy to see hims getting to work on some DC characters of late. I've been reading a lot of his work lately, thanks to DC's republishing of his Robin and Birds of Prey and sundry Bat-related collections (Batman: Elseworlds, DC/Dark Horse), and it appears that Detective Comics writer James Tynion is a huge fan, having resurrected many Dixon creations big and small, just as Tim Seeley has gradually been turning Nightwing into something of an extended Dixon homage, returning the character to Bludhaven and stocking it with Dixon co-created characters. (Meanwhile, in the pages of Batman, Tom King just re-introduced Zombie, Bird and Trogg, characters who haven't been used in forever, and who were also Dixon/Nolan creations; if Osoito/Osito shows up in this series, I will explode with excitement).
Nolan is an excellent artist who is similarly underappreciated today--if you ever find any of his Detective Comics books in a back-issue bin, snap them up. They are fantastic.
So I'm really looking forward to seeing this team working on familiar characters for DC again, and to see how they may have matured, and how they fit into the weird new post-Flashpoint DCU, which erased all their work, even while the current, more popular characters continually raid it for inspiration.
I am also, it should go without saying, super-excited about the Kelley Jones variants. Hopefully they are of the kind where I can just, like, pick one up on the shelf, rather than having to pay a marked-up price or something (In which case, forget it). Some of Jones' first Batman-related work was drawing the covers of "Knightfall" and other comics that tied into or followed it, so he drew a lot of Bane back at the same time Dixon and Nolan were introducing him. Jones' Bane sure is...something, as his ridiculously over-the-top, ludicrous-level exaggeration invents so many new muscle groups for the character.
Written by MARC ANDREYKO and JEFF PARKER • Art by DAVID HAHN and KARL KESEL • Cover by MICHAEL ALLRED
The action heats up in 1970s Gotham City as the Amazon Princess arrives in Man’s World in search of her old ally, Batman! Instead, she finds a new hero: a motorcycle-riding daredevil with a familiar face and a new crime-fighting costume!
On sale MAY 24 • 32 pg, FC, 5 of 6, $3.99 US • RATED E • DIGITAL FIRST
I...was not expecting that. But then, this issue will be set in the 1970s, likely somewhere between four and 11 years after the time we saw Dick Grayson as Robin in the Batman TV show, which means this is set in the future of that show. And Dick's 1980s comic book costume looks remarkably appropriate for that era.
There have only been two issues out so far, but it's been remarkably great, with chunks of each of those issues set in the 1940s and the 1960s.
Written by SCOTT SNYDER and STEVE ORLANDO
Art and cover by RILEY ROSSMO
Variant cover by TIM SALE
...
The second chapter in the historic team-up of history’s greatest vigilantes is here! The Shadow must convince Batman of his innocence so the two can seek out their true common foe, the Stag, before he takes out Batman’s greatest allies. Co-published with Dynamite Entertainment.
On sale MAY 24 • 32 pg, FC, 2 of 6, $3.99 US • RATED T
I'm pretty surprised to see The Stag appearing as a villain here, as he was introduced with some small amount of fanfare in the most recent Batman Annual #1, in a short story by Orlando and Rossmo that ended with a little tag saying that the character would be returning in 2017. I guess this is where he is returning in particular, rather than in a regular book within the Batman line.
Written by LEE ALLRED
Art and cover by MICHAEL ALLRED
...
An all-new Young Animal miniseries begins! Forager is just one of the Hive before he breaks out of his cocoon and finds himself in a mysterious house in an unknown realm. There he meets all kinds of strange creatures: a ghostly girl, a talking teddy bear and otherworldly weirdos that have literally jumped out of his worst nightmares. But these interdimensional oddballs are nothing compared to the evil General Electric, who is on the hunt for a reality-bending metal that could alter the fabric of life itself. To stay one step ahead of him and preserve the multiverse, Forager must travel through alternate dimensions to seek the metal and, hopefully, catch up with that cagey stuffed bear. If he does it, will he finally be able to distinguish himself as a New God?
DC’s Young Animal celebrates Jack Kirby’s centenary with this new six-issue miniseries—and who better to tackle this task than the Eisner Award-winning Allred clan! Featuring scripts by Lee Allred (BATMAN ’66), art by Michael Allred (Silver Surfer) and colors by Laura Allred (Lady Killer), BUG! is truly a family affair.
On sale MAY 10 • 32 pg, FC, 1 of 6, $3.99 US • MATURE READERS
I've been luke warm to DC's Young Animal imprint, which seems like a 21st Century cover version of the original Vertigo imprint...at a point where just about every comic being published is for Mature Readers, and all-ages ones are now the outliers (at least among the Big Two). I like Doom Patrol and Cave Carson (but I'm not crazy about either), and I don't like Mother Panic and Shade, The Changing Girl, but none of it has approached the glory of Tom Scioli's Cave Carson back-up feature, Super Powers.
This looks awfully promising though, and if Team Allred is allowed to completely ignore everything that's happened with the New Gods since at least Countdown To Infinite Crisis, all the better!
CAVE CARSON HAS A CYBERNETIC EYE VOL. 1: GOING UNDERGROUND TP
Written by GERARD WAY, JON RIVERA and TOM SCIOLI
Art by MICHAEL AVON OEMING and TOM SCIOLI
Cover by MATT WAGNER
Cave Carson has done it all: survived countless adventures below the Earth’s surface, met the love of his life, and gotten a cybernetic eye…somehow. Now, newly widowed, Cave tries to piece his life back together when a knock on the door of his secret underground lab pulls him back into a past that he and Eileen thought they had left buried deep within the Earth.
In these tales from issues #1-6, Cave must determine if his recent hallucinations are the work of his mind or his mysterious cybernetic eye. (Spoiler: It’s the eye.)
On sale JUNE 28 • 176 pg, FC, $16.99 US • MATURE READERS
Well speak of the devil! I've grown curious how they were planning on collecting Scioli's back-ups to this series, given that they have absolutely nothing to do with the title stories, and had just sort of assumed that at some point there would be a Super Powers collection. But no, it seems like they will be sticking 18-pages worth of Scioli's berserk DC superhero comic in the back of a Cave Carson trade for some reason.
DARK NIGHT: A TRUE BATMAN STORY TP
Written by PAUL DINI
Art and cover by EDUARDO RISSO
The Caped Crusader has been an icon of justice and authority for generations. But in this surprising original graphic novel, now in trade paperback for the first time, we see Batman in a new light—as the savior who helps a discouraged man recover from a brutal attack that left him unable to face the world.
In the 1990s, Eisner Award-winning writer Paul Dini had a flourishing career writing the hugely popular Batman: The Animated Series and Tiny Toon Adventures. Walking home one evening, he was jumped and viciously beaten to within an inch of his life. His recovery process was arduous, hampered by the imagined antics of the villains he was writing for television, including The Joker, Harley Quinn and the Penguin. But Dini also always imagined the Batman at his side during his darkest moments.
DARK NIGHT: A TRUE BATMAN STORY is the harrowing and eloquent autobiographical tale of Dini’s courageous struggle to overcome a desperate situation. It is a Batman story like none other and one that will truly resonate with fans, with art by Eduardo Risso (100 BULLETS).
On sale JUNE 14 • 128 pg, FC, $16.99 • MATURE READERS
I ended up liking this one an awful lot, so if you missed the hardcover, here's another chance to get it, in a cheaper, trade-paperback format. It was one of those weird comics where I actually appreciated it more as I started to write about it, and thus thinking about it more deeply as reviewing a comic so often entails, than I did when reading through it the first time.
Written by DAVE GIBBONS, DOUG MOENCH and CHUCK DIXON
Art by ANDY KUBERT, ADAM KUBERT, PAUL GULACY, RODOLFO DAMAGGIO and others
Cover by MIKE MIGNOLA
After investigating a series of gruesome murders, Batman realizes that these crimes aren’t perpetrated by anyone from Gotham City…or even this planet. Soon, the Dark Knight finds his real enemy—the intergalactic hunter called the Predator! This collection features BATMAN VS. PREDATOR #1-3, BATMAN VS. PREDATOR II: BLOODMATCH #1-4 and BATMAN VS. PREDATOR III: BLOOD TIES #1-4 and is co-published with Dark Horse Comics.
On sale JUNE 7 • 408 pg, FC, $34.99 US
Oh hey, there's Chuck Dixon again! He writes Blood Ties, which, if I recall correctly, also involved Robin Tim Drake and some other Batman allies. I've read and liked all of these, to varying degrees. I only actually own the original in singles, so there's a pretty good chance I'm going to drop a wad of cash on this thing. Great cover by Mignola; I'm wondering now if that was a cover or variant cover for the original, or if it is art from one of the tie-in trading cards? Because the original came out in the early 90s, there were of course trading cards involved. Hell, maybe there were even some pogs.
DETECTIVE COMICS #957
Written by GENEVIEVE VALENTINE and JAMES TYION IV
Art by CARMEN CARNERO
Cover by ALVARO MARTINEZ
...
“The Wrath Of Spoiler”! Stephanie Brown wants nothing more than to save Gotham City from the epidemic of costumed vigilantes and madmen that regularly tear the city apart. But before she can try to stop them, she must face the challenge of one in particular: the insane idealogue the Wrath is back, and Stephanie knows what he has planned—but she refuses to let Batman risk more lives to stop him. That means it’s all on her…and a very unlikely ally!
On sale MAY 24 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
This synopsis sounds like another one that might have been referring to a rather interesting story had it been occurring in a Flashpoint-less, un-rebooted DC Universe, the newer, New 52 Wrath is hella dumb, with a hella dumb costume that made the purple suit and the W-shaped cowl look cooler by comparison. No easy feat, that.
Written by STEVE ORLANDO
Art by FELIPE WATANABE and SCOTT HANNA
Cover by IVAN REIS and JOE PRADO
...
“FATAL ATTRACTION”! Batman and Xenos work on the Secret Sanctuary while the Ray and Vixen perform community outreach. But it’s not all fun and games for DC’s newest superhero team, as the Atom and Killer Frost face off against the Terrorsmith (and their own budding romance) while Lobo and Black Canary come to blows in a casino caper. And it’s all capped off with a moment fans have been waiting for since DC UNIVERSE: REBIRTH!
On sale MAY 24 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
Terrorsmith? I both kind of appreciate and kind of hate the fact that Steve Orlando apparently read and liked all the same DC Comics I did growing up, and seems intent on bringing as many of the characters he enjoyed in his youth back into circulation (James Tynion and a few other writers seem to be doing the same in their books). The fact that we're on the other side of a cosmic reboot kind of sucks the charm out of such callbacks, as they essentially ask a reader, "Remember that obscure character you might have liked from some comic you read 20 years ago? They're back. Except they have a different back-story. And a different costume. And the story, you liked? That never really happened, or maybe it did happen, but in a different way we won't get into. Anyway, you liked the name and the powers, right? Well here!"
It's like asking for a pony and getting a goat with rabies, except not like that at all, really.
Anyway, Terrorsmith! You remember Terrorsmith, right? He was one of the "New Bloods" introduced in DC's 1993 annuals, a kinda sorta villain who was created by William Messner-Loebs and Greg LaRoque for their Justice League America Annual #7. He had the weird, but visually compelling power to transform other people into monsters, and, like too many of his New Blood brethren, he never took off (I believe his only other appearance was a Messner-Loebs-written short story in an issue of Showcase '94). He looks weirdly old on this cover, but I guess it will be interesting to see what Orlando can do with him. Like a lot of the New Bloods, he was a character with potential that was never quite realized (The idea between the recent, terrible Bloodlines miniseries, reintroducing some of these "lost" characters into the new continuity, was a solid one, but the execution was all but unreadable, and Loose Cannon seemed to be the only semi-recognizable character. In retrospect, I wonder why DC didn't have Orlando take a crack at that?).
Also: Xenos...?
JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA: ROAD TO REBIRTH TP
Written by STEVE ORLANDO and JODY HOUSER
Art by IVAN REIS, JOE PRADO, MIRKA ANDOLFO, STEPHEN BYRNE, JAMAL CAMPBELL and ANDY MACDONALD • Cover by IVAN REIS and JOE PRADO
Spinning out of JUSTICE LEAGUE VS. SUICIDE SQUAD, as a part of DC Universe Rebirth, the most diverse Justice League of America ever returns! Explore the roots of four very different metahumans in stories from Justice League Of America: Rebirth #1, Justice League Of America: Killer Frost #1, Justice League Of America: The Ray #1, Justice League Of America: The Atom #1 and Justice League Of America: Vixen #1
On sale JUNE 7 • 128 pg, FC, $14.99 US
I read all of these comics. With the exception of JLoA: Rebirth #1, none of them are very good, and this will likely be a pretty dull trade, as it's just four unconnected origin stories, followed by what is essential the #0 issue of the latest volume of JLoA;
NIGHTWING #21
Written by TIM SEELEY
Art and cover by MARCUS TO
...
“BLOCKBUSTER” part one! After years of living in the shadows of others and traveling the globe, Nightwing has found a purpose and a city to call his own in Blüdhaven. Now, Blüdhaven’s prodigal son, Blockbuster, returns to reclaim his city and dispose of Nightwing by any means necessary.
On sale MAY 17 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
See what I mean about Chuck Dixon nostalgia? Not only is Dick in a black-and-blue costume closely resembling that he wore during that era, not only is he back in Bludhaven, but now Blockbuster is coming back! And apparently in his post-Underworld Unleashed, Wilson Fisk-with-a-weird-head iteration.
SANDMAN MYSTERY THEATRE BOOK THREE TP
Written by MATT WAGNER, STEVEN T. SEAGLE and NEIL GAIMAN
Art by GUY DAVIS, WARREN PLEECE and TEDDY KRISTIANSEN
Cover by GAVIN WILSON and RICHARD BRUNING
In these tales from SANDMAN MYSTERY THEATRE #25-36, Wesley Dodds meets the Hourman, battles the Python and faces the Night of the Butcher. Plus, the mortal Sandman meets the godlike Morpheus in the SANDMAN MIDNIGHT THEATRE #1.
On sale JUNE 21 • 368 pg, FC, $29.99 US • MATURE READERS
I read this sporadically when it was being released in singles, but every issue I read was awesome. I really need to invest in these collections at some point.
Written by SHOLLY FISCH
Art and cover by SCOTT JERALDS
Scooby and the gang can handle phony ghosts and goblins, but a gang of high-kicking martial arts dragons? Only one superhero can help them: that Number One Super-Guy, Hong Kong Phooey! By the time the dust clears, will Scooby solve the mystery and earn a black belt around his waist, or just a yellow streak down his back?
On sale MAY 24 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED E
This is one of those months where I wonder if DC is publishing this comic just for me specifically.
Written by DAN ABNETT, BENJAMIN PERCY and CHRISTOPHER PRIEST
Art by BRETT BOOTH and NORM RAPMUND
Cover by MIKE McKONE
...
“THE LAZARUS CONTRACT” part one! When Deathstroke discovers that Wally West’s return holds the key to bringing his son back from the dead, he’ll stop at nothing to do just that! Don’t miss the debut chapter of the epic crossover event that you’ve been waiting for!
On sale MAY 10 • 32 pg, FC, $3.99 US • RATED T
TEEN TITANS #8
Written by DAN ABNETT, BENJAMIN PERCY and CHRISTOPHER PRIEST
Art by KHOI PHAM and WADE VON GRAWBADGER
Cover by MIKE McKONE
...
“THE LAZARUS CONTRACT” part two! The Teen Titans collide with the Titans after both groups are targeted by the World’s Deadliest Assassin—Deathstroke! But when Robin interrogates Nightwing about his history with Deathstroke, dark secrets are revealed and alliances are broken!
On sale MAY 17 • 32 pg, FC, $3.99 US • RATED T
DEATHSTROKE #19
Written by DAN ABNETT, BENJAMIN PERCY and CHRISTOPHER PRIEST
Art by CARLO PAGULAYAN and JASON PAZ
Cover by MIKE McKONE
...
“THE LAZARUS CONTRACT” part three! Will Slade succeed in reuniting with his son even at the risk of cataclysmic disaster? Or will the Titans and the Teen Titans be fast enough to stop him from changing the world as we know it? Find out what happens when the World’s Deadliest Assassin becomes the Fastest Man Alive!
On sale MAY 24 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T+
TEEN TITANS ANNUAL: THE LAZARUS CONTRACT #1
Written by DAN ABNETT, BENJAMIN PERCY and CHRISTOPHER PRIEST
Art by PAUL PELLETIER
Cover by MIKE McKONE
Includes a code for a free digital download of this issue.
“THE LAZARUS CONTRACT” finale! The conclusion to our epic crossover is here, the consequences of which will be felt for years to come! What does the future hold for the Titans teams after this game-changing run-in with their greatest enemy? Find out here as we set the stage for the next era of Titans, Teen Titans and Deathstroke!
On sale MAY 31 • 48 pg, FC, $4.99 US • RATED T
Well, this sucks. I've tried all three of these books. I can't stand I like and am currently reading Deathstroke and Teen Titans, but am planning to drop the latter when its price increases. I tried two issues of Titans, but just can't stand it. So hopefully this makes sense if you only read random parts of it!
With the characters' histories all scrambled up, and still being scrambled, as the other shoe doesn't seem to have dropped yet regarding the older, paler Wally West and the grown-up Titans, I'm not sure how much oomph a Titans vs. Deathstroke story will have at this juncture, but I guess we'll find out. Here's hoping it reads more like Deathstroke than Titans...
Written by ROB WILLIAMS
Art and cover by GUILLEM MARCH
Includes a code for a free digital download of this issue.
You don’t betray Ra’s al Ghul and legendary sorceress Circe and just walk away. That’s what Lex Luthor is about to learn the hard way. Now, he has to unite with his former Justice League teammates if he wants to stay alive. Meanwhile, the Trinity fear this ordeal will push Lex back to the dark side.
On sale MAY 31 • 48 pg, FC, $4.99 US • RATED T
Hey, it's Guillem March! I haven't seen much him lately, but he's a hell of an artist, and I've long been hoping he would get a regular gig on a Batman book. While the first Trinity story arc, yet another dip into the "For The Man Who Has Everything Well," was pretty derivative and uninspired, but this at least sounds interesting, and that is an interesting creative team. Like like the idea of this Villainous Trinity, too.
Written by GREG RUCKA and others
Art by NICOLA SCOTT, LIAM SHARP and others
Cover by NICOLA SCOTT
Includes a code for a free digital download of this issue.
The world of the Amazing Amazon expands in a collection of short stories that take Wonder Woman around the globe! In the days after “Year One,” Diana comes face-to-face with Superman and Batman for the first time, as illustrated by “Year One” artist Nicola Scott…and years later, Liam Sharp brings you the story of how their friendship has evolved!
On sale MAY 31 • 48 pg, FC, $4.99 US • RATED T
There was a Superman annual once that did something similar, detailing Superman's first meetings with the various members of the then-"Year One" version of the Justice League, and I really rather liked that. This will be interesting because we've already seen Wonder Woman's first meeting with Batman and Superman; it was 2006's Justice League #1. Greg Rucka has some long-form, continuity-fixing game plan going on in Wonder Woman though, and perhaps it will have borne fruit by the time this gets released in May.
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