I almost feel like this week should be considered “DC Week!” While I will openly admit that I’m only semi-excited about the comics being released this week, we are getting some big things from DC! For starters, Friday is the release of Batman v Superman. I do have some reservations about the quality of the film, but that doesn’t mean I’m not excited to see it! I’m pretty sure I’ll be at the movie theater first thing Friday morning… mainly because I’m an old man and find midnight showings exhausting.
But that’s not the only thing we’re getting this week! On Saturday, we will FINALLY get substantial details pertaining to Rebirth! DC will be making the announcement via a press conference from WonderCon. We’ll make sure we have something up on the site following the news!
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…
March 23rd
We Are Robin #10
The Jokers have taken over Middleton High! Duke and Riko are trapped inside as average students—can Dax and Izzy get to them in time? And could Dre really have joined the side of the Jokers? In a final showdown between the Robins and the Jokers, Duke and his team will be put to the ultimate test of loyalty.
Written by Lee Bermejo
Pencils and Inks by Jorge Corona
Colored by Trish Mulvihill
Cover by Lee Bermejo
Random Blurb of Excitement: We Are Robin at the top of my list? You have to be a little surprised! Here’s the thing, Bermejo hasn’t received enough credit! He’s done some really good work (and also provided some amazing covers), and nobody has really talked about it. This story in particular has been really good so far, and I can’t wait to see how it continues!
Batman News Critic: Brandon
Grayson #18
Civil war has broken out at Spyral with Dick Grayson stuck in the middle. When true allegiances are revealed, which agents will be left standing?
Written by Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing
Pencils and Inks by Roge Antonio and Geraldo Borges
Colored by Jeromy Cox
Cover by Mikel Janin
Random Blurb of Excitement: Oh how I wish King and Seeley were writing this issue! In my opinion, Grayson has easily been the best Bat book for months now, and the team was really leading into some interesting stories that will probably never be explored now… I hope that Rebirth continues his history with both the Court of Owls and Spyral because they both add two interesting layers to Dick’s story. As for the story, I’m sure King and Seeley laid out an outline to follow for the plot, so I still expect this to be pretty damn good!
Batman News Critic: Jay
Harley Quinn #26
In the aftermath of her encounter with The Joker, Harley’s head is spinning, and she wants nothing more than to get back to her normal life…but she should know by now there’s no such thing! A new era in Harley’s life is beginning, and she has NO idea what’s coming at her!
Written by Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti
Pencils and Inks by Chad Hardin and John Timms
Colored by Alex Sinclair
Cover by Amanda Conner and Alex Sinclair
Random Blurb of Excitement: I suspect that this is the one title that you won’t see much change from as it transitions from it’s current continuity to Rebirth. Bottom line, Conner and Palmiotti have proven to be a solid foundation for DC, and if it’s not broken, then don’t fix it… then again, considering DC’s decisions over the past few years… who knows. This is a fun, zaney book, and I’m going to enjoy whatever this team has up their sleeve.
Batman News Critic: Elena
Batman #50
Batman has returned to Gotham City! In this extra-sized conclusion to Snyder and Capullo’s epic story “Superheavy,” Bruce Wayne returns to the cape and cowl to battle Mr. Bloom alongside Jim Gordon for the fate of the city they both love.
Written by Scott Snyder
Pencils by Greg Capullo
Inks Danny Miki
Colored by FCO Plascencia
Cover by Greg Capullo, Danny Miki, and FCO Plascencia
Random Blurb of Excitement: As far as the full story is concerned, this arc has been a mess! I know many of you will disagree with me on this, but the plot has been all over the place. The good thing is that Snyder tends to write amazing dialogue, so there’s typically something to enjoy even when the story isn’t cutting it.
Batman News Critic: Brandon
Batman & Robin Eternal #25
Grayson vs. Azrael in front of Mother’s palace. Inside the palace, Mother forces Harper to decide her fate and change her future forever.
Written by Steve Orlando, Scott Snyder, and James Tynion IV
Pencils and Inks by Javier Pina and Goran Sudzuka
Cover by Alvaro Martinez Bueno, Raul Fernandez, and Tomeu Morey
Random Blurb of Excitement: Well… we only have two issues left – this issue and next week. There’s quite a bit of ground to cover, so I feel that Batman & Robin Eternal will end like its predecessor: rushed without the weight that it should. There is a chance that these final two issues could knock it out of the park, but I think it will ultimately feel rushed.
Also, on a side note pertaining to the cover: Harper would NEVER be able to beat Dick, and would stand even less of a chance against Cassandra… I’ve been having some conversations with the team about how Snyder has a bad habit of making characters way too skilled and advanced that it’s not believable, and in turn, makes the characters somewhat unlikable. Haper is the worst offender, but the same could be said about Duke (although Bermejo does a good job of keeping Duke in the right pocket in We Are Robin) and Steph (who was going toe-to-toe with an Orphan last week… but couldn’t hold her own against Catwoman a few months back… I mean, seriously…). Also, if I had an army of killers on the loose, I WOULDN’T have Midnighter sitting behind a computer…. There’s a lot of weirdness with characters in this title.
Batman News Critic: Brandon
Secret Six #12
Tragedy from the past strikes at Strix, just as she has found a new family of oddballs in the Secret Six. Even worse, the League of Assassins wants to recruit her and refuses to take “no” for an answer! Can even the deadliest Talon face the impossible threat of Shiva?
Written by Gail Simone
Pencils and Inks by Tom Derenick and Dale Eaglesham
Colored by Jason Wright
Cover by Dale Eaglesham and Jason Wright
Random Blurb of Excitement: Last month’s issue was a great lead-in for this conflict, and it better deliver! I only have a limited amount of time left with this title, and I feel like this could be Simone’s strongest story since this volumes debut!
Batman News Critic: Josh
Deathstroke #16
Aww yeah-it’s Deathstroke versus Red Hood! If Slade Wilson wants to find his missing daughter, he’ll need to escape the sights of the deadliest Bat-family member of them all. Who’s behind all the firepower being thrown at Deathstroke? Stay tuned for the answer!
Written by James Bonny
Pencils and Inks by Paolo Pantalena
Colored by Arif Prianto
Cover by Tyler Kirkham and Tomeu Morey
Random Blurb of Excitement: Hey look at that! Who wants to bet that, yet again, another title will handle Red Hood much better than his own title! This is a violent book, and that’s where Red Hood is at his best! Bonny has done a solid job since taking over, and I’m looking forward to what he does with these two characters.
Batman News Critic: Josh
Suicide Squad’s Most Wanted: Deadshot/ Katana #3
After Deadshot discovers a shocking secret about his daughter, he’s forced to go toe to toe against the Suicide Squad-and their newest member!
Meanwhile, the mysterious strangers who stepped between Katana and certain death reveal themselves! And while the Suicide Squad may not have heard of the Soultaker, their handler Amanda Waller wants to make sure that Katana is free only as long as she’s helping them take down Kobra!
Written by Mike W. Barr and Brian Buccellato
Pencils Viktor Bogdanovic and Diogenes Neves
Inks by Richard Friend and Diogenes Neves
Colored by Mike Spicer and Carrie Strachan
Cover by Cary Nord
Random Blurb of Excitement: If this were just Deadshot, I’d be excited… but Katana is horrendous! This poor character can’t catch a break! It’s up to you to decide if you want to pay for half of a good story… Just saying.
Batman News Critic: Josh
Teen Titans #18
“Who Is Wonder Girl?” Cassie finally learns the truth about her father and her powers—but her mission puts her on a collision course with Wonder Woman, and it may change the Teen Titans forever!
Written by Greg Pak
Pencils by Ian Churchill and Tom Derenick
Inks by Norm Rapmund
Colored by Tony Avina
Random Blurb of Excitement: The best way to describe my thoughts towards this book at the moment, is “meh.” I’ll read it, but I can’t say I’m excited about it.
Batman News Critic: Brian
Justice League 3001 #10
After a brutal defeat by Lady Styx’s legion, the remaining members of the Justice League are forced into hiding-but there are eyes everywhere. How do you hide in plain sight? You create secret identities. But will that be enough to elude Styx’s deadliest bounty hunter, Eclipso?
Written by J.M. DeMatteis and Keith Giffen
Pencils and Inks by Colleen Doran and Scott Kolins
Colored by Hi-Fi
Cover by Hi-Fi, Scott Kolins, and Howard Porter
Random Blurb of Excitement: Yeah, if I weren’t already losing interest in this title, the cover killed it for me… I’ll probably skip this one.
Batman News Critic: Cat
Notes:
- Justice League of America #8 has been pushed back to
March 23rdMarch 30th. - Justice League: Darkseid War Special #1 has been pushed back to
March 23rdMarch 30th. - Justice League #49 has been pushed back to
March 30thApril 13th. - The Dark Knight Returns: The Last Crusade #1 has been pushed back to April 20th.
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 can be found in the spoiler tag.
Best cover of March 16, 2016: Poison Ivy: Cycle of Life and Death #3 by Clay Mann and Ulises Arreola Palomera with 31% of the votes.
- Batman & Robin Eternal #24 by Alvaro Martinez Bueno, Raul Fernandez, and Tomeu Morey (28%)
- Robin, Son of Batman #10 by Patrick Gleason, Mick Gray, and John Kalisz (17%)
- Titans Hunt #6 by Hi-Fi and Paulo Siqueira (13%)
- Black Canary #9 by Guillem March (7%)
- Injustice: Gods Among Us Year Five #6 by David Yardin (6%)
Graphic Novel Watch:
Batman: Arkham Knight Genesis – Blasting out of the smash-hit video game BATMAN: ARKHAM KNIGHT comes an action-packed look at the game’s mysterious antihero, the Arkham Knight!
He is Gotham City’s newest vigilante, and his deadly tactics put him in direct opposition to Batman. But the Knight’s connections to the Caped Crusader run deep-and he has much more planned than just cleaning up Gotham’s crime. The Arkham Knight is here to make Batman-and every one of his allies-pay for what they did to him.
So who is the Knight and why does he hate Batman so much? Writer Peter J. Tomasi (GREEN LANTERN CORPS) along with artists Alisson Borges (LOBO) and Dexter Soy (MORTAL KOMBAT X) delve deep into the psychology and history of the villain (or is it hero?) of the hit game-a must-read for any fans of Rocksteady’s acclaimed Arkham trilogy!
Collects BATMAN: ARKHAM KNIGHT GENESIS #1-6.
Robin: Son of Batman Vol. 1: Year of Blood – Bruce Wayne’s son is Robin in this thrilling new series from Patrick Gleason (BATMAN AND ROBIN) and artists MICK GRAY and JOHN KALISZ.
Back from the dead, Damian Wayne is reassessing his life-and that includes being raised and trained by Talia and Ra’s al Ghul. To complete that training, he spent a year doing seemingly impossible tasks in the service of the Demon’s Head-the Year of Blood. The time has come for Damian to atone for his sins and make right from wrong-the Year of Atonement.
Collects ROBIN: SON OF BATMAN Sneak Peek and issues #1-6.
Superman & the Justice League of America Vol. 1
Dan Jurgens takes over as writer and artist on the classic JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA-leading directly into the legendary DEATH OF SUPERMAN!
The Justice League of America is in disarray. With only a few heroes left on the team, they are now a shadow of their former selves. Superman, seeing that the JLA is in crisis, decides to rejoin and inadvertently becomes their leader. Now the Man of Steel-alongside Blue Beetle, Booster Gold, Fire, Ice and new members Bloodwyn and Maxima-must face some of the deadliest threats that the League has ever seen.
Collects JUSTICE LEAGUE SPECTACULAR #1 and JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #60-68.
