Talk about variety! This week we have Batman stories of the past, present, and future both inside and outside of continuity.
Here are the review comics coming out this week, October 16th, 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!
Upcoming Comics: October 16th
JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #8
Written by MATT KINDT
Art and cover by DOUG MAHNKE and CHRISTIAN ALAMY
1:25 Variant cover by KENNETH ROCAFORT
1:100 B&W Variant cover by DOUG MAHNKE and CHRISTIAN ALAMY
On sale OCTOBER 16 • 32 pg, FC, $3.99 US • RATED T
Combo pack edition: $4.99 US
Anticipation Level: Interested
While all the other ongoing titles aren’t touching Forever Evil or its aftermath until 2014, all of the Justice League books are in the thick of the event. This Forever Evil tie-in will hopefully explain what exactly became of the JLA after the Crime Syndicate stepped into our world. JLA #8 also marks the first issue of the series written by Mind MGMT’s Matt Kindt who as you may know is slowly taking over every single comic book printed by Marvel, Valiant, Dark Horse, and DC.
BATMAN/SUPERMAN #4
Written by GREG PAK
Art and cover by JAE LEE
1:25 Variant cover by TONY S. DANIEL
1:100 B&W Variant cover by JAE LEE
On sale OCTOBER 16 • 32 pg, FC, $3.99 US • RATED T
Combo pack edition: $4.99 US
Anticipation Level: Interested
Oh, wow. It’s the conclusion of the first arc and I though things were just getting started! In this issue we’ll learn why Superman and Batman have no memory of their first encounter (remember that in Geoff Johns’ Justice League Batman and Superman thought they were meeting for the fist time). Also, will this offer up more information on Forever Evil? Part of me thinks that this whole event is going to circle back to the return of Darkseid in the modern era. This issue also marks the last of Jae Lee’s art so if you were a fan of this book’s look then you’ll have to prepare yourself for quite the transition next month when Brett Booth takes over.
BATMAN AND TWO-FACE #24
Written by PETER J. TOMASI
Art and cover by PATRICK GLEASON and MICK GRAY
On sale OCTOBER 16 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
Anticipation Level: TAKE MY MONEY
“The Big Burn” part one of five is a new Two-Face arc that promises to “unravel mysterious connections between Harvey Dent’s life and the origin of Carrie Kelley.” I don’t know about you but I thought Carrie Kelley was just supposed to be a fun little cameo a few issues ago but it seems like writer Peter J. Tomasi might actually be building her up to be the new Robin. What really has me excited though is Two-Face. Tomasi’s Two-Face #1 Villains Month issue was one of the very best so I have very high hopes for what he brings to the table with this 5-part series.
BATMAN ’66 #4
Written by JEFF PARKER
Art by JONATHAN CASE
Cover by MICHAEL ALLRED
1:25 Variant cover by CHRIS SPROUSE and KARL STORY
On sale OCTOBER 16 • 40 pg, FC, $3.99 US • RATED E • DIGITAL FIRST
Anticipation Level: TAKE MY MONEY
I have thoroughly enjoyed every issue of this series so far and have no reason to doubt what’s to come next. In this issue, Batman and Robin head to 1960s London to take on The Mad Hatter! Expect big laughs and mesmerizing artwork.
BATMAN BEYOND UNIVERSE #3
Written by KYLE HIGGINS and CHRISTOS N. GAGE
Art by THONY SILAS and IBAN COELLO
Cover by RAFAEL ALBUQUERQUE
On sale OCTOBER 16 • 48 pg, FC, $3.99 US • RATED T • DIGITAL FIRST
Anticipation Level: TAKE MY MONEY
Superman is trapped in the futuristic Phantom Zone and all of the Superman robots back on Earth have gone berserk over in Justice League Beyond and that’s all very interesting, but what really has me pumped for Wednesday is a follow-up to last month’s stunning Batman Beyond cliffhanger! In the previous issue, Terry was ambushed by none other than the classic Bat-family so what exactly is going on?!
LEGENDS OF THE DARK KNIGHT #13
Written by PETER MILLIGAN and TIM SEELEY
Art by RICCARDO BURCHIELLI and FREDDIE WILLIAMS II
Cover by DAVID WILLIAMS
On sale OCTOBER 16 • 40 pg, FC, $3.99 US • RATED T • DIGITAL FIRST • FINAL ISSUE
Anticipation Level: Interested
It’s a sad day, folks. One of the very best Batman comics is being retired from the world of print. Legends of the Dark Knight, the out-of-continuity anthology series will continue as a Digital First series but it won’t be found in comic shops again until later TPB volumes are released. This final issue features the conclusion to last month’s “Return of Batman” story that featured Ra’s al Ghul as the main villain and there is another short story included as well that sees Batman hauling in Gotham’s unluckiest criminal. Check out Batman News’ exclusive preview of this issue here.
Graphic Novel Watch!
This week’s graphic novels include:
Ann Nocenti’s Catwoman, Vol. 3: Death of the Family, which I can tell you right now is awful and should be avoided at all costs.
The Joker: Death of the Family, which features all of the Death of the Family tie-ins from each bat-title that participated in the event as well as Batman #17 and pages from Batman #13.
Superman: Dark Knight Over Metropolis, a collection of Batman/Superman team-up adventures from the 80’s.
