After delays with multiple titles, I’m eager for this week’s releases! Can’t we just get them a day early since a number of these have been delayed a couple of weeks? Or now, maybe? Right now? Come on! Pronto Tonto! Bring on Wednesday because I’m chomping at the bit for a few of these books! And look out for Elena’s reviews… she’s got quite a few coming your way this week.
This week’s releases are listed in order of what I’m most excited to read, to what I’m least excited to read. For each title, I’ll include the official solicitation, the talent credits, more of my randomness, and the Batman News team member that will be covering each book. After that, you’ll find a poll for this week’s best cover! Should you have trouble picking one cover, no worries! The poll is open so you can select as many covers as you’d like. And of course, I (we) want to hear from you in the comments section! What titles are you picking up? What do you hope to see? And what are your thoughts about the order of my list? So, without further ado…
January 28th
Batman #38
“Endgame” part 4. The Joker is back! This time, no more funny stuff. And in the backup story, five Arkham Asylum escapees share their encounters with The Joker!
Art by: Danny Miki, Greg Capullo
Backup Art by: Sam Kieth
Backup Written by: Scott Snyder, James T Tynion IV
Cover by: Danny Miki, Greg Capullo
Variant cover by: Andy Kubert, Tony S. Daniel
Written by: Scott Snyder
Random Blurb of Excitement: Desperately been waiting to get my hands on this! DC, delay any book that you’d like to going forward, just not this one!
Batman News Critic: Brandon
Catwoman #38
It had to happen! Batman confronts Selina over her ascension to the top of Gotham City’s criminal underworld – and the gloves come off!
Art by: Garry Brown
Cover by: Jae Lee
Variant cover by: Ty Templeton
Written by: Genevieve Valentine
Random Blurb of Excitement: With this books slow burn, I can’t wait to see Batman get involved! This should be amazing, especially considering what happened the last time we saw Selina, and what she was forced to do.
Batman News Critic: Josh
Injustice: Gods Among Us Year Three #8
Wonder Woman is back – and she’s not happy with what’s happened since she left. She’s kicking butt and taking names, and Sinestro is the first on her list! Plus, it’s payback time for Superman’s enemies, and neither Batman’s Gotham City-based resistance nor Constantine and his mystical allies are safe from the coming storm. But Constantine still has a trump card to play.
Art by: Mike S. Miller, Bruno Redondo
Cover by: Neil Googe
Written by: Tom Taylor
Random Blurb of Excitement: The action picks up a little with this issue, and it definitely serves as a nice burst of energy as some characters return to the story.
Batman News Critic: Elena
Batman Eternal #49
Don’t miss this special issue that loops our story all the way back to where it started in BATMAN #28 – but with a twist you won’t see coming!
Art by: David Lafuente
Cover by: Joe Prado, Ivan Reis
Written by: Scott Snyder, Tim Seeley, Kyle Higgins, Ray Fawkes, James T Tynion IV
Random Blurb of Excitement: We’re finally reaching the point that started our entire Eternal experience. Hopefully we’ll progress the story a little further as well.
Batman News Critic: Brandon
Gotham Academy #4
The hunt for the Ghost of Gotham Academy begins!
Art by: Karl Kerschl
Cover by: Karl Kerschl
Written by: Brenden Fletcher, Becky Cloonan
Random Blurb of Excitement: Nearly a month after this issue should have been released, we’re finally getting it! This is a fun book, and I’m looking forward to peeling back even more details and layers of these wonderful characters.
Batman News Critic: Josh
Harley Quinn #14
Everyone knows that Harley’s not quite over her last ex-boyfriend. Can she really open her heart to another man? Well, Mason Macabre’s not like any other guy she’s known before…and not just because he hasn’t tried to kill her yet!
Art by: Chad Hardin
Cover by: Amanda Conner
Variant cover by: Bruce Timm, Amanda Conner
Written by: Jimmy Palmiotti, Amanda Conner
Random Blurb of Excitement: We should be getting back to some standard Harley shenanigans now that Power Girl is out of the picture! I’m looking forward to see what Elena has to say about this issue.
Batman News Critic: Elena
Earth 2: Worlds End #17
Earth 2 becomes infected by the soul of Apokolips! Can former surgeon Thomas Wayne, the Batman of Earth-2, find a cure – or is it already too late?
Art by: Andy Smith
Cover by: Guillem March
Written by: Mike Johnson, Marguerite Bennett, Daniel H. Wilson
Random Blurb of Excitement: It’s just a few months until Darkseid destroys Earth 2… only to lead into Convergence… and then to somehow continue in Earth 2 when that title continues after the Convergence event… That’s right, in case you haven’t realized it yet, Earth 2 hasn’t been canceled.
Batman News Critic: Sean
Batman ’66 #19
Lord Marmaduke Ffogg has come to Gotham City, and he’s brought a bit of old Londinium with him. Specifically, some of that city’s famous fog! But this is no normal fog. His malicious mist may just find the entire populace saying “Gor Blimey!” Can Batman and Robin see their way clear to stop this cloudy culprit in time, or will the city swing like a pendulum, too?
Art by: Leonardo Romero
Cover by: Mike Allred
Written by: Jeff Parker
Random Blurb of Excitement: Mmmm, campy, campy goodness!
Batman News Critic: Jay
Deathstroke #4
Slade’s journey into his past takes an unexpected turn, leading him to Gotham City – and Harley Quinn!
Art by: Tony S. Daniel, Sandu Florea
Cover by: Tony S. Daniel
Variant cover by: Matteo Scalera
Written by: Tony S. Daniel
Random Blurb of Excitement: That’s right, we we’re coving Deathstroke for a limited time. If you read our last Break From Batman post, then you’ll know that I praised the first two issues of this book. The third issue wasn’t as strong, but that honestly isn’t what bothered me… on the last page, Harley appeared… and it was honestly the worst interpretation of Harley Quinn that I think I’ve ever seen. I’m praying that Daniel writes her better since she’ll be featured throughout the next few issues.
Batman News Critic: Elena
Gotham by Midnight #3
There’s a dark secret in Gotham General Hospital – a supernatural menace that could infect the whole city! But Detective Lisa Drake of the Midnight Shift has a dark secret of her own…and when this new threat brings it out, the only thing Jim Corrigan can do is get out of the way!
Art by: Ben Templesmith
Cover by: Ben Templesmith
Variant cover by: Chris Burnham
Written by: Ray Fawkes
Random Blurb of Excitement: This book has been getting some solid praise. I tend to urge readers to not judge a book by its cover, and to give quality titles a chance. That being said, I haven’t done that with this book. So, I’m going to take my own advice, and pick up all three issues this week!
Batman News Critic: Elena
The Multiversity Guidebook #1
The guidebook to the greatest adventure in DC’s history is here!
With a detailed concordance featuring each of the 52 worlds in the Multiverse, a complete history of DC Comics’ universe-shattering “Crisis” events, a map of all known existence, AND an action-packed dual adventure starring Kamandi of Earth-51 alongside the post-apocalyptic Atomic Knight Batman of Earth-17 and chibi Batman of Earth-42, this 80-page mountain of MULTIVERSITY madness cannot be missed!
The MULTIVERSITY GUIDEBOOK contains everything you ever wanted to know about DC’s parallel worlds and their super-heroic inhabitants. Meet the Agents of W.O.N.D.E.R. The Light Brigade, the Super-Americans and the Love Syndicate! Meet the Accelerated Man, Aquaflash, BiOmac and more!
Overflowing with today’s top artists and completely written by Grant Morrison himself, readers of the DC Universe can’t afford to pass up this oversized, sixth chapter of MULTIVERSITY!
Art by: Various, Ben Oliver, Chris Sprouse, Dan Jurgens, Cameron Stewart, Klaus Janson, Gary Frank, Nicola Scott
Cover by: Rian Hughes
Variant cover by: Tom Fowler, Phil Jimenez, Rian Hughes, Grant Morrison
Written by: Grant Morrison
Random Blurb of Excitement: Oi… I’m not really excited about this. I didn’t enjoy Multiversity until Morrison focused his attention to a single world, and told a single story. Now that we’re covering multiple worlds again, I’m afraid we’re just going to go back to a mess of a story… And it’s an oversized 80 pages… You don’t have to thank me.
Batman News Critic: Josh
Arkham Manor #4
As if Batman didn’t have enough trouble containing the Spider in Arkham Manor, now he has to contend with the newest inmate to arrive: Mr. Freeze!
Art by: Shawn Crystal
Cover by: Shawn Crystal
Written by: Gerry Duggan
Random Blurb of Excitement: I honestly can’t get very excited for this title since I know it’s coming to a close. It’s been such a fast turnaround that I’m just not sure if there will be a need and reason to read it.
Batman News Critic: Elena
Futures End #39
Dr. Polaris is finally aboard the Justice League satellite, and he’ll be sure the Justice League faces the ghosts of every civilian they might’ve saved during the war, if only they didn’t consider themselves too godly to care. Also – up in the sky! It’s definitely not Superman. And it isn’t good!
Art by: Patrick Zircher
Cover by: Ryan Sook
Written by: Keith Giffen, Dan Jurgens, Jeff Lemire, Brian Azzarello
Random Blurb of Excitement: In case any of you have forgotten, I still have no clue what is going on in this book at the moment…
Batman News Critic: Jesse
Notes:
Secret Six #2 – The first issue of this title came out the first week of December. Fast forward two months, and it still won’t be out. This issue has been pushed back until February 11th. That’s never a good sign when it’s happening with the second issue. Thankfully, they’ve slated issue 3 for a February release as well. Hopefully it manages to stay there. DC has removed the solicitation for issue number four though.
Secret Origins & Constantine – I know we announced both of these titles with the January Solicitations post, but we have decided that we will not review either of these titles at this time.
Graphic Novel Watch:
There are no Batman themed graphic novels this week. Let your wallets rejoice!
Cover of the Week
Now, with all of this week’s releases listed above, it’s time for you to sound off! What’s the best cover that is being released this week? If you’re like me, and can’t decide on just one, then you can select multiple if you would like. Vote using the poll below, and we’ll announce the winner next week. Last week’s winner can be found in the spoiler tag!
Best cover of January 21, 2015: Justice League #38 by Scott Williams & Jim Lee
