Holy cow! We’ve got a busy week this week! There are a ton of titles scheduled for release for week two, and interestingly enough, there are a decent amount of heavy hitters (Batman, Detective Comics, Batman/Superman). I enjoyed most of what I read last week, so here’s to continuing that trend!
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…
June 10th
Injustice: Gods Among Us Year 4 #3
Having suffered some heavy losses, Batman sets out to recruit new allies, including and Aquaman and…Lex Luthor? Meanwhile, Harley Quinn returns to Green Arrow’s abandoned hideout with a special prisoner, and an army of Amazon warriors pays a visit to the Hall of Justice. Plus, there’s a possible new ally on the scene: Batgirl!
Art by Juan Albarran, Mike S. Miller, and Bruno Redondo
Cover by Tom Raney
Written by Brian Buccellato
Random Blurb of Excitement: Year 4 is already proving to be better than Year 3 (which wasn’t bad, just a step down from our expectation) and the inclusion of Batgirl is exactly what this title needs! If Batman and team are going to stand up to Superman, they’re going to need some reinforcements though. Their ranks are decreasing in number!
Batman News Critic: Elena
Catwoman #41
She’s still Gotham’s queen of crime – but now, in order to work all the angles, Selina Kyle is back as Catwoman!
Written by Genevieve Valentine
Pencils and Inks by David Messina
Colored by Lee Loughridge
Cover by Kevin Wada
Random Blurb of Excitement: This is the best writer Catwoman has had since the New 52, and we finally get to see Valentine write Selina as Catwoman. So much ground work and “repair” was done for the book in the last arc, that I’m hoping this title begins to pick up momentum and popularity throughout this arc.
Batman News Critic: Josh
Batman/ Superman #21
The epic new storyline “TRUTH” continues! In this chapter, what are the consequences of a bond broken?
Written by Greg Pak
Pencils by Ardian Syaf
Inks by Vicente Cifuentes
Colored by Ulises Arreola Palomera
Cover by Tradd Moore, Ulises Arreola Palomera, and Ardian Syaf
Random Blurb of Excitement: Last week, I forgot to mention how we would be covering the Truth arc since Batman/ Superman is just a small piece of that story. Terry is going to cover Batman/ Superman each month, and in within each article, he’s going to review the previous issues that have been released in other titles (Action Comics, Superman, and Superman/ Wonder Woman). At the end we’ll have him write a short overview of the entire story to ensure we cover the complete story. I’m personally looking forward to this! I just hope the execution matches my expectations!
Batman News Critic: Terry
Gotham Academy #7
Special guest student Damian Wayne drops by the academy, and he is not pleased to meet his new classmates!
Written by Becky Cloonan and Brenden Fletcher
Pencils, Inks, and Colors by Mingjue Helen Chen
Cover by Becky Cloonan
Random Blurb of Excitement: This is one of my favorite titles! It’s fun, light hearted, and incredibly enjoyable! I can’t wait to see what’s in-store for us now – especially with Damian Wayne joining the school.
Batman News Critic: Brandon (We shook things up on you a little! While I’ll miss covering this book, I CAN’T WAIT to read Brandon’s reviews because he will be able to bring so much more knowledge to this title than I ever could!)
Batman #41
The all-new Batman makes his debut! Who is he, and what happens next? Find out here as a new era begins in Gotham City!
Written by Scott Snyder
Pencils by Greg Capullo
Inks by Danny Miki
Colored by Francisco Perez
Cover by Greg Capullo, Danny Miki, and Francisco Perez
Random Blurb of Excitement: If you read the sneak peek (or if you’ve looked anywhere on the net), then you know who the new Batman is… Here’s the deal, I’m a fan of Snyder and Capullo. I’ve really enjoyed their work, and even though I think they can be a little over the top, I still look forward to whatever they release each month… but all good things must come to an end, and I think this will be their first rough patch. I just don’t buy it. The timing is off to be without Batman… again. And I will most likely NEVER believe any explanation for why the new Batman took up the mantle. It’s not a natural progression for the character, and it feels so off-base for this character that it REALLY bothers me. Ultimately, I feel like Snyder was looking for shock value by killing Batman and moving to this, and I’m afraid that it’s ultimately going to back-fire.
Batman News Critic: Brandon
Detective Comics #41
Following the events of “Endgame,” get ready to ride with the GCPD in a whole new city! Harvey Bullock is leading a Bat task force, but what are his duties, and can he be trusted? And what kind of welcome awaits his new partner, Renee Montoya?
Written by Brian Buccellato and Francis Manapul
Pencils and Inks by Fernando Blanco
Colored by Brian Buccellato
Cover by Francis Manapul
Random Blurb of Excitement: The same issues I have with Batman are going to exist here as well… The plus side, is that we finally get to see Renee Montoya! The bad news is that this creative team has failed to deliver a decent ending to either of the arcs so far…
Batman News Critic: Brandon
Harley Quinn #17
They’re here – the Gang of Harleys has arrived! Because the world demanded more Harley Quinn, Harley has answered the call – will a dozen more Harleys do the trick? Meet Carli Quinn, Harley Queen, HanukQuinn, and many, many, MANY more in a story that will have your sides splitting!
Written by Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti
Pencils and Inks by Chad Hardin
Colored by Alex Sinclair
Cover by Amanda Conner and Alex Sinclair
Random Blurb of Excitement: Harley has a group of followers… Think about it… Chaos will follow… And I’m going to love it!
Batman News Critic: Elena
Earth 2 Society #1
The survivors of Earth-2’s war with Apokolips find themselves on a new world, but can Green Lantern, Power Girl, a new Batman and the other heroes of Earth-2 create a new world that’s better than the last, or will their interference and good intentions doom this world, just like the old one?
Written by Daniel Wilson
Pencils and Inks by Jorge Jimenez
Colored by Anthony John Rauch, Jr.
Cover by Jorge Jimenez and Anthony John Rauch, Jr.
Random Blurb of Excitement: I’m excited and cautious for this book. When Earth 2 first launched, it was easily one of my favorite titles. As the book started transitioning into World’s End though, its quality really took a hit. I’m hoping for the best, and must admit that I found the sneak peek intriguing. The sky is the limit at this point…
Batman News Critic: Sean
Red Hood/ Arsenal #1
These brothers in arms face off against incredible odds while burning their way through the underbelly of the DC Universe – and it’s only a matter of time until they get gunned down in return!
Written by Scott Lobdell
Pencils and Inks by Denis Medri
Colored by Richard Horie and Tanya Horie
Cover by Hi-Fi and Howard Porter
Random Blurb of Excitement: I really want to like this book… I honestly do… I had convinced myself that I was going to pick it back up, and that maybe I would actually enjoy it… well, I’m still going to pick up this first issue (at least), but I was not impressed with the sneak peek… at all.
Batman News Critic: Sean
New Suicide Squad #9
An unstable, violent group has broken away from the League of Assassins! Only the Suicide Squad stands a chance of stopping them – if they’re willing to get even more unstable and violent!
Written by Sean Ryan
Pencils and Inks by Phil Briones
Colored by Blond
Cover by Juan E. Ferreyra
Random Blurb of Excitement: I’ve made it clear that I have no faith in this book under the direction of Sean Ryan. If DC were smart, they would’ve brought in a much more qualified and high profile writer to take this book over… but they didn’t. So… at least the art will be better?
Batman News Critic: Josh
All Star Section 8 #1
The greatest superheroes of all time, unseen since the end of the hit series HITMAN, have returned for the greatest superhero story ever told! Befuddled hero Sixpack returns to Gotham City, desperate to rebuild the all-star team known as Section Eight, in the face of a deadly threat. He gathers old friends Bueno Excellente, Baytor and the seemingly reborn Dogwelder, along with some new faces—but he still needs that elusive eighth member. And that’s when the Dark Knight Detective gets an offer he can’t refuse in part one of this unforgettable six-issue miniseries.
Written by Garth Ennis
Pencils and Inks by John McCrea
Colored by John Kalisz
Cover by Amanda Conner and Paul Mounts
Random Blurb of Excitement: I don’t know anything about this book, so I have no clue what to expect. Based on its cover, it doesn’t look like it would by my cup of tea, but if Jay gives it a good review, then I’ll check it out.
Batman News Critic: Jay
Graphic Novel Watch:
Batman Cataclysm New Edition (Softcover) – This new edition of BATMAN: CATACLYSM includes material never collected before from BATMAN #553-554, DETECTIVE COMICS #719-721, BATMAN: SHADOW OF THE BAT #73-74, NIGHTWING #19-20, AZRAEL #40, CATWOMAN #56-57, ROBIN #52-53, BATMAN CHRONICLES #12, BLACKGATE: ISLE OF MEN #1, HUNTRESS/SPOILER: BLUNT TRAUMA #1, BATMAN: ARKHAM ASYLUM: TALES OF MADNESS #1.
Nightwing Vol. 2: Rough Justice (Softcover) – In these stories from NIGHTWING #9-18 and NIGHTWING ANNUAL #1, Dick Grayson battles Blockbuster, Man-Bat, and the lethal assassin Deathstroke. But neither distance nor time will allow him to escape his past, as Nightwing finds himself once again battling the fear-inducing Scarecrow and working side-by-side with Batman when his mentor pays him an unwelcome visit to check up on him.
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.
Best Cover of June 3, 2015: Justice League #41 by Brad Anderson and Jason Fabok with 67% of the votes.
- Midnighter #1 by ACO and Romulo Fajardo, Jr. (10%)
3. Batman Beyond #1 by Bernard Chang and Marcelo Maiolo (9%)
4. Bat-Mite #1 by Michael Atiyeh and Corin Howell (9%)
5. Batman: Arkham Knight #5 by Dan Panosian (5%)
Best Bombshell Cover:
Best August Bombshell Cover: Batman No. 43 by Ant Lucia with 25% of the votes.
- Grayson No. 11 by Emanuella Luppachino with Tomeu Morey (15%)
3. Harley Quinn No. 19 by Ant Lucia (15%)
4. Justice League No. 43 by Emanuella Luppachino with Tomeu Morey (13%)
5. Catwoman No. 43 by Des Taylor (7%)
6. Detective Comics No. 43 by Emanuella Luppachino with Tomeu Morey (6%)
7. Teen Titans No. 11 by Ant Lucia (5%)
8. Justice League Of America No. 3 by Terry Dodson with Rachel Dodson (5%)
9. New Suicide Squad No. 11 by Des Taylor (4%)
10. Secret Six No. 5 by Emanuella Luppachino with Tomeu Morey (4%)
11. Batman/Superman No. 23 by Des Taylor (2%)
Best Convergence Cover:
Best Convergence Variant Cover: Convergence #0 by Adam Hughes with 22% of the votes.
- Convergence #5 by Jerome Opena and Dean White (19%)
3. Convergence #8 by Jill Thompson (11%)
4. Convergence #1 by Tony Daniel, Mark Morales, & Tomeu Morey (9%)
5. Convergence #7 by Amanda Conner and Paul Mounts (9%)
6. Convergence #8 by Tony Daniel, Mark Morales, & Tomeu Morey (8%)
7. Convergence #7 by Tony Daniel, Mark Morales, & Tomeu Morey (7%)
8. Convergence #6 by Tony Daniel, Mark Morales, & Tomeu Morey (7%)
9. Convergence #1 by Greg Capullo (7%)
