As if the mega-sized Detective Comics #27 wasn’t enough, there are several other quality titles arriving in stores this Wednesday!
Here are the review comics coming out this week, January 8th, graded on a scale of my own anticipation:
The All-New Anticipation Scale
NOcenti – A comic I downright dread reading and if I wasn’t a reviewer, I would never buy it. (I capitalized the word “NO” on purpose, it seemed clever)
“You Don’t Have to Thank Me” – The idea of reviewing it doesn’t make me ill or angry, but it definitely sounds like it’s going to be a chore. Still, I’m reading it for you. I’m putting it at the bottom of the pile, but I’m reading it for you.
Mixed – A middle of the pile comic. It’s probably got the same chance of being dreadful as it does of being stupendous. I’m neither looking forward to it or avoiding it, whatever happens… happens.
Intrigued – I think this comic has potential to be a fantastic read. There’s some slight hesitation there, but it’s definitely going to be at the top of the pile.
TAKE MY MONEY – Everything about this issue has me excited. If I don’t get to read this book on Wednesday, I will be furious. I would pay extra just to have it in my hands right now! That’s how much I’m looking forward to it!
And just in case you’re wondering, the regular review scale is still the same as always. 5 is mediocre/average and the more toward “10” we go the more awesome/worth buying it is and the more toward “1” we go the more awful/not worth buying it is. That’s how I rate things. It’s not like a video game review score where everything under 8 is crap and it’s not like a school report card where everything under a 7 is failing or close-to-failing. Think of it as if it were a 4-star or 5-star scale. But Andrew, why don’t you just switch to a star system yourself? Because we’re pot committed to this 10-point scale, that’s why!
Scroll to the bottom of the page and post in the comments section what books you’re most looking forward to this week!
January 8th
FOREVER EVIL: ARKHAM WAR #4
Written by PETER J. TOMASI
Art by SCOT EATON and JAIME MENDOZA
Cover by JASON FABOK
1:25 B&W Variant cover by JASON FABOK
On sale JANUARY 8 • 32 pg, FC, 4 of 6, $2.99 US • RATED T
Anticipation Level: Mixed
I’ve found this pretty disappointing so far and Bane was handled pretty terribly in the last issue, but there’s still a part of me that gets excited by the idea of all the Batman villains fighting each other. Maybe the talons will finally play a part in this issue? Lord knows they’ve been hyped up for the past 3 issues.
BATMAN/SUPERMAN #7
Written by GREG PAK
Art and cover by BRETT BOOTH and NORM RAPMUND
1:25 SCRIBBLENAUTS UNMASKED variant cover
On sale JANUARY 8 • 32 pg, FC, $3.99 US RATED T • Combo pack edition: $4.99 US
Anticipation Level: “You Don’t Have to Thank Me.”
I’m not liking the sideways format and I’m not liking the Toymaster/Mongol/World Conquered By Video Game Players plot. Heck, Batman was killed and resurrected in the last issue and NOBODY talked about it. The one thing keeping me from giving this a “NOcenti” is that it’s the final chapter and this whole thing will finally wrap up. Here’s hoping that Pak and Booth save this thing with a solid finale.
DETECTIVE COMICS #27
Written by JOHN LAYMAN, SCOTT SNYDER, PAUL DINI, BRAD MELTZER, GREGG HURWITZ and PETER J. TOMASI
Art by JASON FABOK, NEAL ADAMS, DUSTIN NGUYEN, GUILLEM MARCH, FRANK MILLER and others
Cover by GREG CAPULLO
1:100 Variant cover by JASON FABOK
1:50 Variant cover by KELLEY JONES
1:25 Variant cover by CHRIS BURNHAM
On sale JANUARY 8 • 96 pg, FC, $7.99 US • RATED T
Combo pack edition: $8.99 US
Anticipation Level: TAKE MY MONEY
I say “Take my money!” and that’s exactly what this comic will do. It’s $9 bucks and there are a total of 6 covers available– I know I’ll at least snag one of the variants. So why am I so excited for this issue? Well, to commemorate Batman’s first appearance in Detective Comics #27 back in 1939, DC is releasing the New 52 edition of issue #27 as a mega-sized comic featuring a number of different tales by various creative teams. There will be a modern-day retelling of The Dark Knight’s origin by writer Brad Meltzer and artist Bryan Hitch and all-new stories by Scott Snyder and Sean Murphy, Peter J. Tomasi and Guillem March, Paul Dini and Dustin Nguyen, Gregg Hurwitz and Neal Adams, new art by Frank Miller and more. Also, John Layman and Jason Fabok kick off the new storyline “GOTHTOPIA” which will ripple through multiple other Bat-titles this very month.
BATWING #27
Written by JUSTIN GRAY and JIMMY PALMIOTTI
Art by JASON MASTERS
Cover by DARWYN COOKE
On sale JANUARY 8 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
Anticipation Level: Intrigued
This series has been pretty fun lately and I’m curious to see what it has to offer with a “Gothtopia” tie-in. I’m guessing we’ll want to read this one AFTER Detective Comics #27, which officially starts that whole event. This’ll be a great jumping-on point for new readers.
BATMAN BLACK AND WHITE #5
Written by IVAN BRANDON, KEITH GIFFEN,
BLAIR BUTLER, LEN WEIN and JIMMY PALMIOTTI
Art by PAOLO RIVERA, JAVIER PULIDO, CHRIS WESTON, VICTOR IBANEZ and ANDREW ROBINSON
Cover by JOSHUA MIDDLETON
On sale JANUARY 8 • 48 pg, FC, 5 of 6, $4.99 US • RATED T
Anticipation Level: Intrigued
Batman Black and White has been interesting so far and I’ve found something worthy in every issue but if you asked me right now to name my favorite stories I’d still be pointing to issue #1 while struggling to recall tales from the other 3. Let’s hope that the 5th of this 6-part anthology series delivers something unforgettable.
Semi-Batman Related Books/Fringe Bat-Titles That I Won’t Be Reviewing:
Earth 2 #19
Smallville Season 11: Alien #2
Scooby-Doo Team-Up #2
Trinity of Sin: Phantom Stranger #15
Graphic Novel Watch!
Batman ’66: The TV Stories — Not to be confused with the current “Batman ’66” title, this TPB collects Batman stories published between 1948-1966 that were adapted into episodes of William Dozier’s classic TV series starring Adam West.
