Upcoming Comics: August 5, 2015

Am I the only one that can’t believe it’s already August? It’s August! Where has the year gone? I feel like I’m in a time warp. Next thing I know, Bruce will be retired, Dick will be running Spyral, Babs will be starring in a Kardashian-like reality show that nobody cares about, and Damian will have gotten married and had kids… with Maps! Oh, and in case you think I forgot them, Tim will be in the future, and Jason will be dead again. But worst of all, Stephanie Brown will be President… I’m kidding! Except for the part about Babs being a shallow reality star… that wouldn’t surprise me at this rate.

Anyway, aside from cussing every time I look at a calendar, I’ve heard or seen enough snippets of the news to catch the growing media frenzy on the Presidential election. I’m not going to lie, as annoying as these elections can be, I love reaching this point every four years. As a rule, I tend to not discuss my personal political views (and for the sake of keeping our boards drama free, I ask that you do the same here), but I will openly confess that I love nearly every aspect leading up to the election.  I love the over promising ads, the smear campaigns, and most of all, the debates! So I have to ask… If Batman were finishing his second term as President of the United States, which two members of “Gotham” (good or bad) would you love to see going against each other for President? And more importantly, what would their campaign slogan be?

Alright, on to business! 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 (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…

 

August 5^th

 

Midnighter #3
Midnighter’s up against Multiplex, the man with the power of infinite self-replication—in other words, all his dreams are coming true! Infinite clones mean infinite bones to break…

Written by Steve Orlando
Pencils ACO
Inks ACO and Hugo Petrus
Colored by Romulo Fajardo, Jr.
Cover by Artyom Trakhanov

Random Blurb of Excitement: First off, I’m glad to see ACO is back on art duties after the blobby, mess that we received last month. I’ve grown to really enjoy Midnighter as a character, and that is driving my excitement for this book! Steve Orlando has done a decent job as well, so I can’t wait to see what he has in store for Midnighter on a “big picture” level.

Batman News Critic: Josh

 

 

Injustice: Gods Among Us Year 4 #7
It’s a family feud years in the making, and raised to a devastating level, as a superpowered Batman and Robin engage in an earth-shaking battle. Meanwhile, Wonder Woman takes on Hercules, Shazam battles everyone, and even Zeus enters the fray!

Art by Juan Albarran and Bruno Redondo
Cover by Jae Lee
Written by Brian Buccellato

Random Blurb of Excitement: Wait! When does Xena join the action? I’m kidding (however a Wonder Woman/ Xena team-up would be kick ass.)! I’m really enjoying this book again, and although it’s not perfect, it’s still a hell of a lot of fun! I strongly recommend that you read this title if you’re not currently doing so.

Batman News Critic: Elena

 

 

Batman Beyond #3
The world starts to give up on its new Batman as the secret of the cyborg Justice League is revealed. Plus, Brother Eye takes both a giant leap and one small step toward bringing down the final stronghold of humanity: Neo-Gotham.

Written by Dan Jurgens
Pencils and Inks Bernard Chang
Colored by Marcelo Maiolo
Cover by Bernard Chang and Marcelo Maiolo

Random Blurb of Excitement: I’m still trying to get comfortable in this new world, but I am enjoying this book. I’m glad Tim is finally getting a bit of a spotlight, and I think that Dan Jurgens has the ability to really succeed with this title.

Batman News Critic: Sean

 

 

Detective Comics #43
Batman and his new team are after a band of thieves in Gotham City—but they’re about to develop a new weapon that will make them much harder to stop!

Written by Brian Buccellato
Pencils Fernando Blanco
Inks Fernando Blanco
Colored by Brian Buccellato
Cover by Francis Manapul

Random Blurb of Excitement: I’m not very interested in this arc considering a new creative team is waiting in the wings. I ultimately just feel like this particular arc is nothing but filler. A filler story to abide the new Batman, and pass time until the new team starts with their new direction… Thankfully, Montoya has returned! I have that to look forward to at least.

Batman News Critic: Brandon

 

 

Bat-Mite #3
Bat-Mite and Robin! It had to happen…even if Damian fights it every step of the way! Does Bat-Mite really believe that Batman’s son will welcome his efforts to coach him? Sadly, yes. Say hello to crime fighting’s new Dysfunctional Duo.

Written by Dan Jurgens
Pencils and Inks by Corin Howell
Colored by Michael Atiyeh
Cover by Michael Atiyeh and Corin Howell

Random Blurb of Excitement: There’s a part of me that wants to pick this issue up because of Damian… but no. I haven’t heard a positive thing about this book, so I’m ok with letting this be the one that got away.

Batman News Critic: Brandon

 

 

Notes:

• Justice League: Gods & Monsters: Wonder Woman #1 will also be released this week.
• Justice League of America #3 has been delayed until the end of August. It will be released on August 26^th.

 

Graphic Novel Watch:

Infinite Crisis: Fight for the Multiverse (Softcover) – Based on the hit videogame INFINITE CRISIS, the cosmos-spanning series is now available in print! In an alternate Earth, Atomic Two-Face has stolen the Eternal Key, an artifact that could give him the power to level a universe! The heroes of every Earth in the universe must band together to stop him. Arcane Green Lantern, Gaslight Catwoman, Atomic Wonder Woman and Nightmare Robin are only a few of the millions of alternate versions of our heroes and villains who will play a part in this universe spanning adventure. Collects issues #1-6 of the new series!

 

Teen Titans: Blinded by the Light (Hardcover) – Red Robin, Wonder Girl, Raven, Bunker and Beast Boy step out of the shadows to offer bold, sometime dangerous ideas on how to protect a world full of superpowered teenagers – any one of whom could be a hero or villain! But can they control their own presence on social media? And what is S.T.A.R. Labs’ interest in the new team? Find out in these stories from issues #1-7!

 

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 results are in the spoiler tag, as well as the results for the best monster variant cover.