Upcoming Comics: September 16, 2015

I’ve got some making up to do for you guys considering how late my reviews were last week. Because of that, I’m keeping this brief so I can knock out the December 2015 Solicitations post as well… And… quite frankly… there’s quite a bit to talk about in that post! So keep an eye out for it!

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 reviewing 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…

 

September 16^th

 

Black Canary #4
Guest artist Pia Guerra (Y: THE LAST MAN) joins the series! Dinah is on the hunt for her kidnapped guitarist, Ditto, and when she finds the person responsible, you better believe she’ll make them pay! Also: Uncover the secret of the band’s former singer, and how she plans to exact revenge on them for kicking her out!

Written by Brenden Fletcher
Pencils and Inks by Pia Guerra
Colored by Lee Loughridge
Cover by Annie Wu

Random Blurb of Excitement: Black Canary is turning out to be everything I hoped it would be. There’s a lot of good here, and I honestly believe that it will only get better. Much like Fletcher has done with Gotham Academy, Black Canary has built upon itself with each issue.

Batman News Critic: Terry

 

 

Batman Arkham Knight: Genesis #2
In a story spawned by the smash-hit game of the summer, Batman: Arkham Knight, the origin of the enigmatic Arkham Knight continues! Don’t miss our stunning second issue, the details of which are too hot for solicits! Need we say more?

Written by Peter J. Tomasi
Pencils and Inks by Alisson Borges
Colored by Dave McCaig
Cover by Stjepan Sejic

Random Blurb of Excitement: There were parts of the debut of this book that I absolutely loved, but there could definitely stand to be some improvement. While the book is far from bad, I don’t understand why Jason didn’t just decide to do this as Red Hood… but at the end of the day, I don’t want to complain because this book is, without question, a much better book than Red Hood & Arsenal.

Batman News Critic: Jay

 

 

Robin: Son of Batman #4
It’s Robin vs. Deathstroke! The troubles in Maya’s past come back to haunt her. Will Damian and Goliath be forced to leave her to fend for herself, or can they find a way to help their new ally?

Written by Patrick Gleason
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: Bring. It. On. Damian and Slade could end up having a very interesting relationship in the long run, so I’m excited to see their initial meeting. As badass as I think Damian is, he’s not at Slade’s level yet… but you know Slade is going to respect him. Now only if he’d just kill Nobody II.

Batman News Critic: Terry

 

 

Harley Quinn #20
Like Los Angeles didn’t have enough problems with DC Comics moving in, now Harley Quinn is determined to take over Tinseltown! She’s an overnight entertainment sensation, but will the industry survive Harley’s fifteen minutes of fame?

Written by Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti
Pencils by John Timms
Inks by Chad Hardin and John Timms
Colored by Alex Sinclair
Cover by Amanda Conner, Paul Mounts, and Alex Sinclair

Random Blurb of Excitement: I live in LA… Therefore I can’t wait to see what Conner and Palmiotti have to say about it! There are aspects that I absolutely love, and then there are aspects that I seriously hope they rag on… hard!

Batman News Critic: Elena

 

 

Injustice: Gods Among Us Year 4 #10
Harley Quinn breaks out of her prison on Olympus, tells Wonder Woman where her mother is being held and reveals the real manipulator behind the scenes! And when Superman unexpectedly departs into space, an alliance of world leaders decides the time is right to strike!

Art by Mike S. Miller
Cover by Neil Googe
Written by Brian Buccellato

Random Blurb of Excitement: Buccellato continues to deliver solid work with this title as it moves closer to its it’s finale before launching (what should be) it’s fifth and final year. Considering the big hitters involved with Year 4, this should push to a big ending.

Batman News Critic: Elena

 

 

Harley Quinn & Powergirl #4
Love is in the air—or maybe that’s just cologne? Vartox’s dreams of making Power Girl his bride may be coming true…but nothing ever goes smoothly with Harley around! Or, for that matter, with the threat of a galaxy-crushing dictator hanging over their heads!

Written by Amanda Conner, Justin Gray, and Jimmy Palmiotti
Pencils and Inks by Stephane Roux
Colored by Paul Mounts
Cover by Amanda Conner and Paul Mounts

Random Blurb of Excitement: While this book isn’t bad, I’m not a huge fan of Harley and Powergirl teaming up. Harley Quinn is already a quirky book, but this mini is a little out there at times… That being said, there are still some really good one-liners and jokes in each issue.

Batman News Critic: Elena

 

Secret Six #6
What is the Secret? Actually, there’s more than one—and the answers are revealed here. The true identity of Mockingbird was only one of the secrets, and it’s not even the most shocking. Plus: A marriage that should not happen is proposed. A person you thought was long gone returns. And at least one of the Six is not the person you think they are. (Okay, it’s the dummy.) From this point on, all bets are off.

Written by Gail Simone
Pencils and Inks Tom Derenick
Colored by Jason Wright
Cover by Dale Eaglesham

Random Blurb of Excitement: Dear God, let’s hope this issue finally turns this book around. I don’t think anything specifically has been bad, it’s just been all over the place. It’s like the book is schizophrenic… The solicitation boasts big things though, and now that Big Shot has been revealed as Ralph Dibny, I hope it actually does!

Batman News Critic: Josh

 

 

Notes:

Justice League #44 has been pushed back to September 30^th.

 

Graphic Novel Watch:

Batman Vol. 7: Endgame (Hardcover) – The Joker is back in these stories from BATMAN #35-40! For years, The Joker has regarded Batman with a sick, twisted love. But now, the Clown Prince of Crime is done playing. He’s going to kill Batman. And he’s going to do it using those whom Batman loves the most: the Justice League. The Joker returns to Gotham City with a deadlier agenda than ever before, using every tool at his disposal to finally kill the Dark Knight. That includes turning Batman’s allies against him in the bloodiest brawl that he’s ever had to survive.

 

Batman Noir: Hush (Hardcover) – The epic thriller is presented in stark black and white! In this story of murder, mystery and romance, Batman sets out to discover the identity of the mysterious villain wreaking havoc in his life. But Batman ends up facing what might be the most intense case of his life as secrets from his past flood into the present, and the most notorious villains to ever haunt Gotham City’s streets attack simultaneously! Guest-starring The Dark Knight’s greatest allies and enemies, this collection features BATMAN #608-619 as well as the 6-page chapter from Wizard #0 and a 2-page origin story that originally appeared at dccomics.com.

 

 

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.