Batman & Robin switches release dates with Nightwing, Zero Year Begins, the magical lady Ventriloquist kills some more people, and I spend a day writing about Superman comics!
Here are the review comics coming out this week, June 12th, graded on a scale of my own anticipation.
Hell no! – I’d rather not – Ambivalent – Interested – TAKE MY MONEY
Scroll to the bottom of the page and post in the comments section what books you’re most looking forward to this week!
June 12th
BATMAN #21
Written by SCOTT SNYDER
Backup story written by SCOTT SNYDER and JAMES TYNION IV
Art by GREG CAPULLO and DANNY MIKI
Backup story art by RAFAEL ALBUQUERQUE
Cover by GREG CAPULLO
1:25 Variant cover by MIKEL JANIN
1:100 B&W Variant cover by GREG CAPULLO
On sale JUNE 12 • 40 pg, FC, $3.99 US • RATED T
Combo pack edition: $4.99 US
Anticipation Level: TAKE MY MONEY
I know many of you groaned at the idea of revisiting the Year One era, but I’m tremendously excited for this. For me, Batman’s early days are when Batman was at his most interesting, his most human, his supporting cast had more ambition and purpose and Bruce hadn’t gotten into the habit of collecting children that looked exactly like him. Most importantly though, this will be a great way to set the Batman series apart from the numerous other titles and fewer side-by-side titles means less continuity confusion and less chance of those overblown crossover events. And while we can all agree how great Batman: Year One is– it doesn’t fit in the New 52. It doesn’t work in this timeline at all. It’s time for something new. And it’s not like Batman: Year One will vanish. It’s still on your shelf, ready for you to read it at any time. And if we hate Batman: Zero Year (I already hate the title) then we’ll just wait for another creative team to come along and reboot it all over again…which will happen whether Zero Year is good or bad anyway. Eventually. By revisiting the origin there’s a lot that can go wrong, but also a lot that can go right. One wrong move could reverberate through all of the New 52 Batman timeline and change our feelings about the character. I’m nervous and excited about what could happen in this 11-part saga.
BATGIRL #21
Written by GAIL SIMONE
Art by FERNANDO PASARIN and JONATHAN GLAPION
Cover by ALEX GARNER
On sale JUNE 12 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
Anticipation Level: Hell no!
I really hated last month’s issue of Batgirl with its brand new Ventriloquist all of her magic and gore. I mean… it’s just too much. I want to see less blood and guts and more quality time with Barbara and her father. Give me an adventure or some mystery! All too many of these New 52 Batman tales have just been villains leaving piles of dead bodies everywhere, can’t we get more creative than that? This series has too much darkness and not enough fun.
NIGHTWING #21
Written by KYLE HIGGINS
Art by BRETT BOOTH and NORM RAPMUND
On sale JUNE 12 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
Anticipation Level: TAKE MY MONEY
This series is at high point right now, but I’m afraid the quality may drop next month when Brett Booth and Norm Rapmund abandon ship for the much bigger gig of illustrating Justice League of America. This art team has been a perfect fit for Nightwing and this very personal and more adventurous arc by Kyle Higgins is shaping up to be one of the best stories Dick Grayson has ever had. It’s a damn shame that the look of this book is about to change. Still, this issue’s art is guaranteed to shine and after last month’s cliffhanger with Nightwing in a deathtrap, I’m sure it will be very exciting.
BATMAN: ARKHAM UNHINGED #15
Written by DEREK FRIDOLFS
Art by DAVIDE FABBRI
Cover by ERIC NGUYEN
On sale JUNE 12 • 40 pg, FC, $3.99 US • RATED T • DIGITAL FIRST
Anticipation Level: Ambivalent
Hugo Strange strikes at Batman where he lives, but Bruce is behind the walls of Arkham City as Batman. It’s up to Nightwing, Robin, and Alfred to defend Wayne Manor from incoming Tyger Guards. Sounds like one of the better issues of Arkham Unhinged, honestly, but I’m really pretty bored with this series and the reviews get the least attention of any book I review, I think. So here’s the deal: if ONE of you, just ONE person says in the comments section that you want me to review this book– I’ll do it. Just one request is all I need. If nobody speaks up, then I won’t touch this comic and I’ll devote all my attention to these other titles. Deal? At least one person must say they want a review of Arkham Unhinged by Wednesday at 1:00AM Central Time or I’m not going to write about it.
BATMAN: LI’L GOTHAM #3
Written by DUSTIN NGUYEN and DEREK FRIDOLFS
Art and cover by DUSTIN NGUYEN
On sale JUNE 12 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED E • DIGITAL FIRST
Anticipation Level: I’d rather not
I reviewed these chapters already. It’s Valentine’s day and the Lunar New Year and I hardly remember either of these stories.
Graphic Novel Watch!
The second volume of Ed Brubaker’s Catwoman run is realeased as Catwoman Vol. 2: No Easy Way Down. It will include pre-New 52 Catwoman #10-24 plus Catwoman Secret Files #1. I’m not sure if I’ll have a review for this because I’d like to do Volume 1 first and I can’t seem to find it.
I’ll also have a big Man of Steel special this week. I got a big pile of Superman books that I’m going to read over the weekend. It’ll be a nice guide for Batman fans curious about testing the waters with Supes. I must say though, my reading list isn’t off to a very good start. I kicked things off with Superman, Vol. 2: Secrets and Lies and I couldn’t finish it. I couldn’t even make it to the half-way point. It was awful. It just seems like nobody cared about what they were making with that book. Even DC used a blurb from USA Today on the dust jacket that praised Perez on how well he captured the Superman character– guess what? Perez didn’t write Superman Vol. 2. He left after Volume 1.
And as for the Black Mirror review, which I found joy in putting off over and over again… Well, I honestly don’t even want to post it anymore. It’s been built up so much that I know there’s no way it can meet expectations. That’s why I told Gordon to hide it. Keep it some place safe where nobody can find the review. Ever. Ain’t that right, Gordon? Gordon?….GORDON?
Are you kidding me, Jim? What about the Black Mirror review?! Is it secret? Is it safe? Don’t tell Bane anythi–
In your ****ing pocket, Jim? Why would you keep it in your ****ing pocket?
