Upcoming Comics: March 25, 2015

I had to work through the weekend, so I apologize for getting this to you on a Monday night instead of Sunday. If you’re anything like I was when Andrew was doing this, then you probably get excited on Sunday nights, and look forward to posting in the comments section of the Upcoming article… only to get depressed because Andrew was lazy and didn’t post it on time, ruining the end of your weekend, time and time again! Slacker!… I’m kidding! I think that happened like once… Andrew is pretty damn solid… and he likes to remind us of it! (You guys do remember when we voted him as the Court of the Owls right?)

Alright, on to business! We’re going to get quite a bit of closure over the next two weeks, as numerous books end their arc or their run. It should be interesting to see what goes down. I’ll be shocked if DC doesn’t take this opportunity to throw in some, “Did that really just happen?” moments… then I again, I wouldn’t be shocked if they didn’t…. Regardless, soak up what you can from you regular rotation, because Convergence starts next week! It’ll be an interesting two months to say the least.

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. Then, as always, you’ll find graphic novels scheduled for release this week, along  with their cover as well thanks to some requests (note: graphic novel covers will not be included in the poll for best cover). 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…

 

March 25^th

 

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?

Written by Genevieve Valentine
Pencils and Inks by Garry Brown
Colored by Lee Loughridge
Cover by June Chung and Jae Lee

Random Blurb of Excitement: I can’t wait to see how the team ends this arc. For the record, I’m not expecting this to be overly dramatic or shocking. Valentine writes a slow burn, so I feel like she’s viewing this arc as “chapter” of a much larger, connected story.

Batman News Critic: Josh

 

Batman & 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!

Written by Peter J. Tomasi
Pencils by Patrick Gleason
Inks by Mick Gray
Colored by John Kalisz
Cover by Patrick Gleason, Mick Gray, and John Kalisz

Random Blurb of Excitement: I read the preview of this issue, and something felt odd about it… I kind of feel like Bruce is up to something, and that Damian’s team-up with the Justice League isn’t as organic as we think.

Batman News Critic: Terry

 

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

Written by Becky Cloonan and Brenden Fletcher
Pencils by Karl Kerschl
Colored by MSASSYK and Serge Lapointe
Cover by Karl Kerschl

Random Blurb or Excitement: Oh Gotham Academy, you’re the little book that could! Each month, you get better and better! I look forward to reading you this week!

Batman News Critic: Josh

 

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?

Written by Gerry Duggan
Pencils and Inks by Shawn Crystal
Colored by Dave McCaig
Cover by Shawn Crystal and Dave McCaig

Random Blurb of Excitement: I hadn’t been reading this book, but decided to pick it up because I heard it had ties to Endgame (nothing major, but some nice associations). I’m glad I did, because it’s a solid little book. It’s a shame that it’s ending so soon. I would’ve loved to see what else they could’ve done with this book. There’s so much potential, and we’ll sadly never get to see where it could’ve gone.

Batman News Critic: Elena

 

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

Written by Grant Morrison
Pencils by Doug Mahnke
Inks by Christian Alamy
Colored by David Baron and Gabe Eltaeb
Cover by David Baron and Doug Mahnke

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.

 

Random Blurb of Excitement: I don’t know why I’m never super excited to read this title. There’s only been one issue that I wasn’t fond of, and everything else has been good to great! But for some reason, this is never the first book I reach for. Let’s see if Morrison can continue his trend!

Batman News Critic: Josh

 

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?

Written by Ray Fawkes
Pencils, Inks, and Colors by Ben Templesmith
Cover by Ben Templesmith

Random Blurb of excitement: Crap… I meant to catch up on this book and completely forgot to… I feel like people either love this book, or they just openly admit that it’s not their thing. Elena is a fan of it, and I tend to agree with her on most things… so… what I’m trying to say is… Great minds think alike. And by that I mean… Elena and I have great minds… I think…

I promise I’ll pick the run up this week so I’ll actually be knowledgeable in the future!

Batman News Critic: Elena

 

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?

Written by Scott Snyder and James Tynion IV
Pencils by Alvaro Martinez Bueno
Inks by Raul Fernandez
Colored by June Chung
Cover by Cliff Chiang

Random Blurb of Excitement: There better be one last reveal in these last two issues… otherwise I’m going to throw an e-shoe at Scott Snyder and team… and after that, I’m going to jump into the comic to beat up Cluemaster to show Batman how much of a disgrace he’s been during this run.

Batman News Critic: Brandon

 

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!

Art by Sandy Jarrell
Cover by Mike Allred
Written by Jeff Parker

Random Blurb of Excitement: Hmm… Lord Death Man… in the ’66 verse? This could be a treat.

Batman News Critic: Jay

 

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

Written by Marguerite Bennett, Mike Johnson, and Daniel Wilson
Pencils by Eddy Barrows, Eduardo Pansica, and Robson Rocha
Inks by Eber Ferreira, Dan Green, and Guillermo Ortego
Colored by Andrew Dalhouse
Cover by Phil Jimenez, Tomeu Morey, and Juan Jose Ryp

Random Blurb of Excitement: Is it just me, or does it feel like this has been the solicitation for roughly six or seven issue of World’s End? I’m not really expecting anything out of these next two issues. I don’t think we’ll get solid plot progression with these characters until Convergence.

Batman News Critic: Sean

 

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!

Written by Brian Azzarello, Keith Giffen, Dan Jurgens, and Jeff Lemire
Pencils by Allan Goldman, Andy MacDonald, and Alberto Ponticelli
Inks by Dan Green, Andy MacDonald, and Alberto Ponticelli
Colored by Hi-Fi
Cover by Ryan Sook

Random Blurb of Excitement: So this book got pretty damn good for a hot second, but now I feel like it’s losing its momentum. It ties in with Earth 2 though, so that could be interesting… you know… considering Earth 2 survivors are already on this future earth and all…

Batman News Critic: Jesse (We only have him for two more reviews! Sad day. Sad, sad day!)

 

Notes:

• Arkham Manor: Endgame #1 has been pushed back another week to April 1^st.
• Gotham Academy: Endgame #1 isn’t listed to be released until 4/01 on DC’s site, however Comixology lists it for this week… and well… Comixology has a better reputation for reporting correct information.
• As a reminder, Harley Quinn #16 has been pushed back until April 1^st. Batman #40 and Justice League #40 have been pushed back until April 29th.

 

Graphic Novel:

Batman ’66 Meets the Green Hornet was pushed back last week, and will be released this week.

 

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!