Upcoming Comics: September 7, 2016

There have been some nice announcements from DC within the past week! In case you missed it, DC will release a Justice League vs Suicide Squad mini-series event throughout December and January. And if that weren’t exciting enough, we also found out that this event will lead into… Justice League of America! You all know I’ve been anxiously awaiting news on JLA ever since it was first announced at the end of May with DC’s Rebirth press release. Steve Orlando (Midnighter, Batman & Robin Eternal, Supergirl) will be helming JLA, and it looks like there will definitely be separate rosters for the Justice League and Justice League of America! Needless to say, I’m SUPER STOKED! What are your thoughts? Who do you hope to see on the team? Let us know below in our comments section!

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. We also have an August Variant Cover Poll, as well as the results for the All Star Batman #1 Variant Cover Poll and the Suicide Squad #1 Variant Cover Poll at the bottom of the page. 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 7^th

Batman #6
“I AM GOTHAM” epilogue. In this stand-alone tale, Batman seeks redemption as he tries to keep Gotham Girl from going down a dangerous path. But can the Dark Knight save someone who doesn’t want to be saved?

Written by Tom King
Pencils by Ivan Reis
Inks by Oclair Albert, Matt Banning, Scott Hanna, and Joe Prado
Colored by Jordie Bellaire and Marcelo Maiolo
Cover by Matt Banning, Jordie Bellaire, David Finch, and Danny Miki

Random Blurbs of Excitement: There were some great discussions in our comments section for the review of Batman #5. Initially, I wasn’t blown away by the issue, but the more I thought about it, and the more I processed everything King had set up over the course of his debut, I started to become more intrigued and impressed with the story as all of the elements settled in. Because of that, I’m extremely excited to see what happens in this issue… especially after the vague ending of issue #5!

Batman News Critic: Brandon

 

 

Nightwing #4
“BETTER THAN BATMAN” part 4! At last, Nightwing and Raptor enact their endgame to shut down the Parliament of Owls permanently! But the Parliament has one last card up its sleeves: The Moloch, a giant owl monster whose mission is simple: eviscerate Nightwing and Raptor.

Written by Tim Seeley
Pencils and Inks by Javier Fernandez
Colored by Chris Sotomayor
Cover by Javier Fernandez and Chris Sotomayor

Random Blurbs of Excitement: You know I love Nightwing, so you know I can’t wait to get my hands on this issue! Everything Seeley has been doing is near perfection!

Batman News Critic: Jay

 

 

Batman Beyond #16
With the threat of Spellbinder behind them, Tim Drake and Terry McGinnis face an uncertain future. It’s time to rebuild New Gotham, but who will wear the mantle of the city’s defender? This is the biggest turning point in the series to date and sets the stage for BATMAN BEYOND: REBIRTH #1, also solicited this month.

Written by Dan Jurgens
Pencils by Bernard Chang and Stephen Thompson
Inks by Bernard Chang and Stephen Thompson
Colored by Lisa Jackson and Marcelo Maiolo
Cover by Bernard Chang and Marcelo Maiolo

Random Blurbs of Excitement: This is it. It’s the final issue of Batman Beyond before its Rebirth. There have been rumors about Tim Drake’s death, and I’ve been pretty confident that it was referring to this title… Until I saw the updated cover for Detective Comics #940. Now I have no clue what’s going to happen with either title. What I do know, is that Jurgens and Chang have been doing some great things with Batman Beyond, and I can’t wait to see how they close out Tim’s story in this timeline.

Batman News Critic: Josh

 

 

Harley Quinn #3
“DIE LAUGHING” part 3! In this concluding chapter, Coney Island threatens to collapse completely under a tidal wave of zombies! Harley’s got a lead on a cure—but what’s it going to take to administer it to a thousand flesh-hungry fiends? Here’s hoping Poison Ivy has an idea…

Written by Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti
Pencils by Bret Blevins
Inks and Chad Hardin
Colored by Alex Sinclair
Cover by Amanda Conner and Alex Sinclair

Random Blurbs of Excitement: “Die Laughing” has been pretty fun so far, and I’ve really enjoyed the added presence of Red Tool, and now Poison Ivy. The whole comedy horror element of this story is also working in Harley’s favor, so I have to honestly say that I’m looking forward to what Conner and Palmiotti have set-up for us in this chapter!

Batman News Critic: Elena

 

 

Justice League #4
“THE EXTINCTION MACHINE” part 4! In the center of the Earth, Superman faces three doomsday machines set to tear the world apart, while Earth’s two Green Lanterns discover just what a purged planet is truly like. The Kindred are awake and hold the truth about the beginnings of humanity.

Written by Bryan Hitch
Pencils by Jesus Merino
Inks by Sandu Florea, Jesus Merino, and Andy Owens
Colored by Tomeu Morey
Cover by Tony Salvador Daniel and Tomeu Morey

Random Blurbs of Excitement: While I don’t think “The Extinction Machine” is bad, I’m also not overly enthusiastic about it. There could be some solid improvements with this issue now that the plot is progressing, but I’m in a “let’s wait and see” type of mentality.

Batman News Critic: Brian

 

 

Notes:

• Additional Rebirth releases this week: Aquaman #6, Cyborg: Rebirth #1, Green Arrow #6, Supergirl #1, and Superman #6.
• Injustice: Gods Among Us Year Five #17 has been pushed back to September 14^th.
• Batman ’66 Meets Steed & Mrs. Peel #3 has been pushed back to September 14^th.
• Harley’s Little Black Book #5 has been pushed back to September 14^th.
• The Dark Knight III: The Master Race #6 has been pushed back to August 24^th October 19^th.

Justice League of America Release Dates (per dccomics.com):

• Justice League of America #10 has been scheduled for August 31^st September 14^th.
• Justice League of America #11 has been scheduled for September 14^th.
• Justice League of America #12 has been scheduled for September 28^th.
• Justice League of America Annual #1 has been scheduled for November 30^th.

 

 

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.

 

Graphic Novel Watch:

Batman by Scott Snyder & Greg Capullo Box Set – Just in time for BATMAN DAY 2016, the first three volumes of Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo’s epic run on BATMAN are collected in a new, slipcased set featuring BATMAN VOL. 1: THE COURT OF OWLS TP, BATMAN VOL. 2: CITY OF OWLS TP, and BATMAN VOL. 3: DEATH OF THE FAMILY TP. These are the epic stories that introduced the deadly Court of Owls and took The Joker to new, horrifying levels of insanity!

 

 

Batman Vol. 9: Bloom – Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo conclude their #1 NEW YORK TIMES best-selling, critically acclaimed saga.

BATMAN RETURNS?

Bruce Wayne has a nearly perfect life. He’s in love with an amazing woman and works by her side every day at one of Gotham’s youth centers, helping the children of the city he loves. His memory has been patchy ever since he nearly died in the last Joker attack, but even so, he’s confident that this is the happiest he’s ever been.

And yet…he sometimes feels himself being tugged back to another life. In the negative space of his missing past is a half-remembered history, filled with violence and darkness, but also greatness.

The Batman is calling Bruce back. But if he returns to his past, what will become of the perfect, happy life he has built?

Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo’s character-defining run on the Dark Knight demonstrates why Batman truly is forever. Collects BATMAN #46-50, as well as a short story from DETECTIVE COMICS #27.

 

 

Batman ’66 Meets the Man from U.N.C.L.E. – Two of the best-loved TV series of the 1960s collide in a pop art, action-packed thrill ride from the acclaimed writer of BATMAN ’66!

Napoleon Solo is the man from U.N.C.L.E.—the United Network Command for Law and Enforcement. Together with his partner, the Soviet agent Illya Kuryakin, Solo defends the globe from the sinister agents of T.H.R.U.S.H.

Batman and Robin are the Dynamic Duo, ready to protect Gotham City from their dastardly rogues gallery whenever Commissioner Gordon calls.

But when a mysterious T.H.R.U.S.H. agent engineers a mass breakout from Arkham Asylum, Solo and Kuryakin find themselves in Gotham, hot on the trail of villains like Poison Ivy, Egghead and Mr. Freeze. Their main suspect in the breakout? None other than millionaire playboy Bruce Wayne! Only a globe-trotting adventure to discover the real mastermind can clear Bruce Wayne’s good name. And when Batman and Robin team up with Solo and Kuryakin, evil doesn’t stand a chance!

Writer Jeff Parker (BATMAN ’66, FUTURE QUEST) and artist David Hahn (FABLES) bring these titanic icons of the small screen together for the first Bat-time! Collects BATMAN ’66 MEETS THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E. digital chapters 1-12.

 

 

Batman: Arkham: Poison Ivy – GOTHAM’S DEADLIEST BEAUTY

Poison Ivy was once Dr. Pamela Lillian Isley, a young woman with a unique fascination with botany and toxicology. But then she was seduced and later experimented on by her mentor, Professor Jason Woodrue, also known as the super-villain Floronic Man.

Now a constant thorn in Batman’s side, Poison Ivy uses the toxins in her bloodstream to make her touch fatal to whomever she chooses, giving her the ability to create pheromones that make men her slaves while she stops at nothing to ensure plant life will retake Earth.

BATMAN ARKHAM: POISON IVY collects some of the villain’s greatest stories by some of the industry’s greatest creators, including Robert Kanigher (THE FLASH), Gerry Conway (JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA), Neil Gaiman (THE SANDMAN), Guillem March (CATWOMAN), P. Craig Russell (WONDER WOMAN), Mark Buckingham (FABLES) and many more!

Collects BATMAN #181, #339, BATMAN: LEGENDS OF THE DARK KNIGHT #42-43, BATMAN: POISON IVY #1, BATMAN: SHADOW OF THE BAT ANNUAL #3, BATMAN VILLAIN SECRET FILES #1, DETECTIVE COMICS #23.1, GOTHAM CITY SIRENS #8, JOKER’S ASYLUM: POISON IVY #1, SECRET ORIGINS #36, THE BATMAN CHRONICLES #10, WHO’S WHO: THE DEFINITIVE DIRECTORY OF THE DC UNIVERSE #18, WHO’S WHO IN THE DC UNIVERSE #5 and WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #251-252.

 

 

Poison Ivy: Cycle of Life & Death – POISON IVY BLOSSOMS INTO HER FIRST SOLO ADVENTURE!

There’s animal. There’s vegetable. And there’s somewhere in between.

That’s where Dr. Pamela Isley, a.k.a. Poison Ivy, finds herself. Instead of battling the Dark Knight, she is now a researcher at the Gotham Botanical Gardens, studying the possibility of creating plant-human hybrids.

But when her fellow scientists start turning up dead, she’s both the natural leading suspect…and the only person (or plant) who can crack the case.

To solve the mystery, Poison Ivy must team up-or throw down-with her oldest friends and closest frenemies, from Harley Quinn to Catwoman to the Swamp Thing. Can she keep things under control, or will she be responsible for a deadly new harvest?

Find out in POISON IVY: CYCLE OF LIFE AND DEATH. Sprouting from the brains of the up-and-coming creative team of writer Amy Chu and artist Clay Mann, it’s a mean, green murder mystery starring one of Batman’s greatest rogues! Collects POISON IVY: CYCLE OF LIFE AND DEATH #1-6.

 

 

Robin: Son of Batman Vol. 2: Dawn of the Demons – He’s come back from the dead. He’s atoned for his sins. But the hardest challenge for Damian Wayne is yet to come…

He has to go home.

With his man-bat companion Goliath in tow, the son of Batman has returned to Gotham City, reuniting with friends, foes and family alike. But it’s not the Dark Knight whose help he’ll need in the next battle he must fight. Evil is coming in the form of yet another deadly child: Den Darga, head of the Lu’un Darga family and Damian’s most fanatical rival yet.

To stop this demonic cabal, Robin will need the help of the Daughter of the Demon herself: Talia al Ghul, his mother, mentor and tormentor all rolled into one. Can Robin and his unlikely allies stop the Dargas’ onslaught, or will his Gotham City reunion be over before it begins?

Find out in ROBIN: SON OF BATMAN VOL. 2: DAWN OF THE DEMONS, the latest chapter in writer/artist Patrick Gleason’s (BATMAN & ROBIN) hit saga of a very different Boy Wonder—featuring killer contributions from writer Ray Fawkes (BATMAN ETERNAL), artist Ramón Bachs (DETECTIVE COMICS), and more! Collects ROBIN: SON OF BATMAN #7-13.

 

 

All Star Batman #1 Variant Cover Poll Results
*Since the Jock cover was mistakenly left off, it will be included in the August Variant Cover Poll at the bottom of the page.

 

Suicide Squad #1 Variant Cover Poll Results

 

August Variant Cover Poll

Below you’ll find variant covers for the month of August, followed by an August 2016 Variant Cover Poll. Vote on your favorite covers, and the winning cover will be announced with next week’s Upcoming Comics post.

 

Suicide Squad: Rebirth #1 by Amanda Conner & Paul Mounts

 

Batman #4 by Tim Sale

 

Justice League #2 by Yanick Paquette & Nathan Fairbairn

 

Harley Quinn & Her Gang of Harleys #4 by Frank Cho & Nei Ruffino

 

Nightwing #2 by Ivan Reis, Joe Prado & Brad Anderson

 

Detective Comics #938 by Rafael Albuqurque

 

All Star Batman #1 by Jock

 

Batgirl & the Birds of Prey #1 by Kamome Shirahama

 

Batman #5 by Tim Sale

 

Justice League #3 by Yanick Paquette & Nathan Fairbairn

 

Harley Quinn #2 by Bill Sienkiewicz

 

Titans #2 by Mike Choi

 

Detective Comics #939 by Rafael Albuquerque

 

Batgirl #2 by Francis Manapul

 

Harley’s Little Black Book #4 by Billy Tucci & Paul Mounts

 

Harley Quinn & Her Gang of Harleys #5 by Frank Cho & Nei Ruffino

 

Nightwing #3 by Ivan Reis, Joe Prado & Brad Anderson