March 2015 Solicitations

March 2015 Solicitations

Christmas is a week away… and what is DC giving us this Christmas? They’re cancelling fourteen books. Yes. Fourteen! Granted, not all of them affect our little world here at BatmanNews.com, but some of them do. Two of the titles I expected, two are most likely more of a “formality,” and one honestly shocked me considering how new it is… I guess that’s how it goes sometimes… All of those times that I said, “I should just write a spec for ____,” I should have actually done that… With all of these openings, I might have had a job at DC. (Probably not, but one can dream).

But really, DC will have a lot of titles to fill once Convergence wraps up, so I’m curious to see what they do. Are there any books you hope to see in the future? I have some titles that I would love to see, I just pray that whatever DC decides to do, they do it well. I’ve put a list of the titles getting canceled in the spoiler tag. Make sure you sound off in the comments section!

Anyway, if you’re still with me, below you’ll find the solicitations for each issue, as well as the cover art (if DC has released it). The titles aren’t listed in any particular order (accept how DC had them listed on their site – which is mostly alphabetical). I’m not putting the talent credits in this post because there’s already a ton of information here. But you know me… I can’t post anything without adding my two cents, so you’ll see some of my randomness for a few titles. Make sure you give me a piece of your mind in the comments as well! I want to hear what you’re excited about, worried about, your predictions, etc… If you have something to say, I want to know!

 

March 2015

 

Arkham Manor #6
Batman discovers who’s been murdering the inmates of Arkham Manor, but how will he be able to bring him to justice if he’s trapped inside with them?

Release Date: 3/25

 

Arkham Manor: Endgame #1
What do Batman’s villains do on the craziest night in Gotham City? And who will survive when the madness of Arkham Manor spills into the streets?

Release Date: 3/04

I haven’t been completely supportive of this book, but I’m a little shocked that it’s already getting the ax. Hopefully they manage to tell a strong story from start to finish, and can package this as a mini-series. It deserves that much.

 

Batgirl #40
A decision Barbara made during her darkest days in Gotham City returns to haunt her! What was it? And how does it tie into the evil impostor Batgirl? Find out here!

Release Date: 3/11

I’m loving this cover! It really makes me miss the old costume design… And if I’m honest, it makes me miss the old Batgirl. I’m growing more and more anxious with this title, but I really hope the new team can turn me into a fan.

 

Batgirl: Endgame #1
There’s a mob of Jokerized madmen in Gotham City, and they’re determined to spread the virus into the world beyond… but they’re gonna have to get past Batgirl first! There are no words that can describe “The Battle For The Burnside Bridge”– you’ve got to see it to believe it!

Release Date: 3/18

It’s an Endgame crossover! They better not ruin this arc! I’m watching you Burnside Barbara!

 

Batman #40
The finale of “Endgame” is here! Batman risks everything against The Joker! Who will laugh last?

Release Date: 3/25

Give this to me now!

 

Batman and Robin #40
Damian’s powers have been a source of concern to Batman – and it’s only a matter of time before he’s called up to the big leagues!

Release Date: 3/18

Hmm… Just hmmm….

 

Batman: Arkham Knight #1
The Joker is dead. Arkham City is closed. As a new day begins, Bruce Wayne finds himself in devastating pain, recovering from his injuries and questioning whether his role as Batman is still necessary to the city’s survival. But as the sun rises in Gotham City, dangerous new threats emerge from the shadows…and the Arkham Knight is just beginning. Don’t miss this in-continuity prequel comic set prior to the events of the brand-new video game Batman: Arkham Knight!

Release Date: 3/11

I’ve pretty much avoided all books based off video games – the clear exception being Injustice, but I even jumped on that bandwagon a little late in the game… I’m hoping this turns out to be a good, fun read though!

 

Batman Eternal #48
This month in BATMAN ETERNAL: The epic Bat-story over a year in the making comes to a stunning end! Gotham City is in flames! Villains are running wild in the streets! Bat-tech has been corrupted! And the mastermind behind it all has put a knife in Batman’s ribs! How will the Dark Knight put an end to this nightmare…and how will it shape the face of Gotham City to come?

Release Date: 3/04

 

Batman Eternal #49
This month in BATMAN ETERNAL: The epic Bat-story over a year in the making comes to a stunning end! Gotham City is in flames! Villains are running wild in the streets! Bat-tech has been corrupted! And the mastermind behind it all has put a knife in Batman’s ribs! How will the Dark Knight put an end to this nightmare…and how will it shape the face of Gotham City to come?

Release Date: 3/11

 

Batman Eternal #50
This month in BATMAN ETERNAL: The epic Bat-story over a year in the making comes to a stunning end! Gotham City is in flames! Villains are running wild in the streets! Bat-tech has been corrupted! And the mastermind behind it all has put a knife in Batman’s ribs! How will the Dark Knight put an end to this nightmare…and how will it shape the face of Gotham City to come?

Release Date: 3/18

 

Batman Eternal #51
This month in BATMAN ETERNAL: The epic Bat-story over a year in the making comes to a stunning end! Gotham City is in flames! Villains are running wild in the streets! Bat-tech has been corrupted! And the mastermind behind it all has put a knife in Batman’s ribs! How will the Dark Knight put an end to this nightmare…and how will it shape the face of Gotham City to come

Release Date: 3/25

Considering DC’s solicitation for these four issues are all the same, either DC f’d up again, OR they’re trying to hold their cards close to their chest. I still wish they wouldn’t have jumped the titles ahead back in October though… this could be one epic story if there was more suspense concerning the fate of the characters… Missed opportunity DC. Missed opportunity.

 

Batman ’66 #21
There’s a new villain in town and even Batman’s rogues gallery trembles at his name: Lord Death Man! Soon, the Dynamic Duo are jetting off to Japan to track him down. The classic villain from the 1960s Batman comics and manga gets the BATMAN ’66 treatment. Don’t miss this landmark moment in Bat-history!

Release Date: 3/25

 

Batman/Superman #20
The devastating truth behind the terrorists from Kandor has been uncovered! Now, Superman and Batman must piece together who set this plan in motion and stop them before more innocent lives are destroyed!

Release Date: 3/18

 

Batwoman #40
Where will Batwoman’s adventure with her “anti-team,” The Unknowns take them? And what’s next for Kate Kane?

FINAL ISSUE

Release Date: 3/18

I mean this in the nicest way, but thank God! This book was starting to kill me!

 

Catwoman #40
It’s the furious finale to “Family Business”! Will Selina remain the head of Gotham City’s criminal underworld, or return to her life as Catwoman? Will she even survive this battle long enough to make the choice for herself?

Release Date: 3/25

It’s the cat suit! You can only deny your true self for so long! I’m loving this change, but I can’t wait to see Selina put the suit on again.

 

Detective Comics #40
Anarky rules! Can Batman save Gotham City from itself?

Release Date: 3/04

We barely got a glimpse of Anarky in the debut of his debut arc, so I’m really looking forward to the build of this character.

 

Detective Comics: Endgame #1
The city is overrun by Jokerized victims, but a small band of teenagers unites to take a stand. Their secret knowledge of Gotham City’s streets helps them survive, but will Batman take help from this young group of upstarts? And what could it mean for the future of the young heroes in Gotham City?

Release Date: 3/11

I have a feeling we’re going to be familiar with these young teens… but maybe not… who knows these days.

 

Earth 2 #32
Earth-2 crumbles in the grip of Darkseid! Is this really the end of EARTH 2?

Release Date: 3/04

 

Earth 2: World’s End #22
The end is near as Apokolips begins to devour Earth-2!

Release Date: 3/04

 

Earth 2: World’s End #23
Barda, her new Furies and Kalibak attack the world army as Earth-2 falls to Apokolips.

Release Date: 3/11

 

Earth 2: World’s End #24
Power Girl vs. Darkseid!

Release Date: 3/18

 

Earth 2: World’s End #25
Can Alan Scott harness the power of the planet as Green Lantern to stop the invasion of Earth-2?

Release Date: 3/25

I’ve decided to go ahead and ride out the rest of the Earth 2 run. It seems to be tightening up the narrative, and I bet the momentum alone will increase the quality of this title.

 

 

Futures End # 44
The final stages of Brainiac’s plan come to fruition in this issue that leads directly into CONVERGENCE! The ripples of this story will literally be felt across the Multiverse.

Release Date: 3/04

 

Futures End # 45
Discover the final fates of a slew of characters – the doomsayers, the warriors, the dysfunctional family from hell – as the status quo shifts and Mr. Terrific, Batman and The Atom realize they may have traded one tech-god-monster for another.

Release Date: 3/11

 

Futures End #“How would you feel, McG, if the future you came here to prevent doesn’t exist?” A reluctant hero rises as we realize the world still needs saving.

Release Date: 3/18
Futures End #47
As the action draws to a close, the future of the DCU is set! It all leads back to one moment in space and time that will change the fate of two worlds! A tie-in to EARTH 2: WORLD’S END #26!

Release Date: 3/25

 

Gotham Academy #6
Holy cow, it’s Taco Tuesday! Oh…and Olive battles Batman!

Release Date: 3/04

Taco Tuesday!?! I love Taco Tuesday! I’m really growing to enjoy this book more and more each month. I’m excited to see how this book roots itself in Gotham’s mythology, and hope that it creates a place in history. There’s just soooo much potential.

 

Gotham Academy: Endgame #1
Gotham City has been overrun by craziness, and the power is out at Gotham Academy! But don’t worry. The kids are safely locked up, huddled around candles and flashlights and telling the Gotham City version of ghost stories: Joker stories! Meanwhile, a mysterious figure connected to the Academy’s past is patrolling the grounds with a crossbow, but who is it?

Release Date: 3/25

Yep… I’m excited for this. I expect crazy Joker stories, and more insight to the school itself!

 

Gotham by Midnight #5
Jim Corrigan can’t keep The Spectre at bay any longer! Now he’s arrived to judge Gotham City for its many sins. Does anyone, even the Midnight Shift, stand a chance against Heaven’s blade?

Release Date: 3/25

 

Grayson #8
Grayson is about to fly over this issue’s cliffhanger with no safety net! You won’t believe what happens!

Release Date: 3/04

I always get a little nervous when a solicitation claims we “won’t believe what happens!” I feel like it tends to be a let-down. That being said, this Grayson has not let me down yet!

 

Harley Quinn #16
Not a dream! Not a hoax! Not a…whattaya call it? An imaginary story! This is where everything changes for Harley Quinn for more than forever! Introducing…The Gang of Harleys!

Release Date: 3/11

 

Infinite Crisis: Fight for the Multiverse #9
A new adventure begins for Prime Batman and his band of heroes from across the multiverse. Atomic Wonder Woman battles Killer Croc and discovers he’s been guarding a secret – a massive, ominous device buried under the surface that is not from her world.

Release Date: 3/18

 

Injustice: Gods Among Us Year Three #11
It’s magic versus magic and hero versus hero as events race to their tragic conclusion! As powerful deities clash on the mystic plane, the tide turns for the Earthbound adversaries and the fury of Wonder Woman is unleashed. Allies will reunite and lives will be lost.

Release Date: 3/04

 

Injustice: Gods Among Us Year Three #12
The “Year of Magic” comes to its stunning conclusion as John Constantine must make a fateful decision. But where will this leave Batman and his allies? Have they sufficiently crippled Superman, or will they find themselves in a situation that’s worse than ever?

Release Date: 3/18

Ah! There we go! It looks like DC fixed their cover and solicitation issues… that or they messed up again, and that isn’t the actual cover for issue 11…

 

Justice League #40
The prologue to this summer’s upcoming JUSTICE LEAGUE event – “THE DARKSEID WAR”! It’s been building since JUSTICE LEAGUE #1. Now, Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, The Flash, Aquaman, Cyborg and the rest of the DC Universe will come face to face with the two most powerful and dangerous entities in existence when both come for Earth. But why? To what lengths with the League have to go to survive? And what secrets about the League will be revealed?

Release Date: 3/18

WHAT!?!?! I. Can’t. Wait.

 

Justice League 3000 #15
Beetle and Booster! Fire and Ice! The Injustice League (no, not that one – this is a different one)! Plus, the stuff that’s on the cover! C’mon, people! We’re bending over backward here! Pick up this comic before it’s too late!

Release Date: 3/04

 

The Multiversity: Ultra Comics #1
The penultimate chapter of the greatest adventure in DC’s history is here!

The acclaimed FINAL CRISIS team of Grant Morrison and Doug Mahnke reunite for a story so big it could only take place in the real world – that’s right, Earth-33 is back!

With the Multiverse under attack, a team of scientists create one final savior to take on the otherworldly threat…and its name is Ultra Comics! Literally held in your hands, one being will attempt to halt the annihilation of creation – and you, the reader, will have a front-row seat as you become an integral part of the resistance!

It’s another exciting, experimental story told by two of today’s top creators! You won’t want to miss this exciting issue which acts as chapter eight of THE MULTIVERSITY storyline.

Release Date: 3/18

Yep… Multiversity fatigue is definitely setting in… It’s just hard to stay excited when you know this book isn’t really going to go anywhere…

 

New Suicide Squad #8
It’s a bloody superhuman revolt – and Deadshot and Harley are at ground zero! Is the Suicide Squad done for?

Release Date: 3/11

This is the next book that needs to meet the chopping block… that, or it needs a desperate retooling.

 

Red Hood & the Outlaws #40
After months of turmoil, Red Hood, Starfire, and Arsenal are facing their inner demons! But what they find could lead to the end of their partnership – especially if Blackfire kills them first!

Release Date: 3/18

 

Secret Origins #11
The secret history of The New 52 comes to a close with a bang! Don’t miss the origins of Black Canary, by Christy Marx and Dave Bullock; Red Lantern Guy Gardner, by Landry Q. Walker and Scott Hepburn; and John Constantine, by Ray Fawkes and Richard Isanove!

Release Date: 3/25

Black Canary is featured here, but I’m a little scared considering how badly Marx wrote Dinah in Birds of Prey…

 

Secret Six #4
The secret behind the Secret Six is revealed at last!

Release Date: 3/04

I thought the debut was solid, and I’m greatly looking forward to this book hitting its stride. (DC didn’t have a high res version of this cover, so I’ll try to add it later.)

 

Teen Titans #8
The Titans’ world is rocked by the unexpected return of Superboy!

Release Date: 3/18

Ok… I’m just throwing this out there… but I feel like with the sudden return of Superboy, and all of the layoffs, I’m willing to bet Tim leaves the team and gets his own book. One can hope, right? Right?

 

World’s Finest #32
The end of the Secret History! The death of Lois Lane! Oh yeah, and the invasion begins!

FINAL ISSUE

Release Date: 3/11

This is another “Thank God!” moment for me! This book has been below average since it’s debut…
Special Features:
There are some titles that we don’t usually cover that are crossing over, or featuring, characters/books we do cover, so we wanted to put that on your radar.

Deathstroke #6
Pulling himself together after his brutal showdown with Batman and Harley Quinn, Deathstroke must face an opponent he prayed would never reappear in his life! If you think Slade Wilson is bad, wait till you see his father!

Green Arrow #40
A villain triumphant! A city out for blood! Can things get any worse for Green Arrow? You bet they can! Guest-starring Batman!