I’m moving back to Texas in three weeks, so everything is a little hectic for me at the moment. I just wanted to apologize and ask you not to throw batarangs at me since I’m a little behind with this post. Anyway, December looks pretty exciting! With Rebirth launching successfully, and the creative teams delivering kickass stories, I think it’s safe to say that we’re all going to have a good Christmahanukwanzikah! In other words, start saving your holiday spending money now so you don’t have to miss out on these great titles!
Alright, let’s get to business! Below you’ll find the solicitations for each issue, the creative team behind the issue, and the cover art (if DC has released it). I’ll have a little commentary on some of the issues throughout post, so make sure you share your thoughts in the comments section as well! I want to hear what you’re excited about, worried about, your predictions, etc… If you have something to say, we want to know!
December 7, 2016
Batman #12
“I AM SUICIDE” part four! As Bane decimates Batman’s team, the Dark Knight must decide how far he’s willing to go—and who he’s willing to sacrifice—for those he left in Gotham City.
Art by Mikel Janin
Cover by Mikel Janin
Variant cover by Tim Sale
Written by Tom King
Look, all I really keep thinking is, “Batman, Catwoman, and Bane! BATMAN, CATWOMAN, and BANE!!!” So I apologize for not coming up with any profound thoughts about this arc due to my uncontrolled excitement!
Batman ’66 Meets Steed & Mrs. Peel #6
Steed and Robin team up to save the day from a double-decker demise when Ffogg’s poison gas pellets are paired with one of Mr. Freeze’s coolest contraptions yet. The Cybernauts’ future is decided as our dynamic duos reveal the true nature of their leader! Two classic television pairs team-up for the final time as our epic comes to an exciting conclusion. Co-published with BOOM! Studios.
Art by Mathew Dow Smith
Cover by Mike Allred
Written by Ian Edginton
Harley Quinn #9
In issue #9, can anyone truly understand the mind of the world’s craziest psychiatrist? Harley’s about to get a shrink of her very own…what are the odds he won’t go insane himself?
Art by Brandon Peterson
Cover by Amanda Conner
Variant cover by Frank Cho
Written by Jimmy Palmiotti and Amanda Conner
After reading this, all I want to see is a feud between Harley and Hugo Strange… Can we make that happen? It would be hilarious! Amanda? Jimmy? If you read this, can we have a Harley vs Hugo round of crazy?
Injustice: Gods Among Us – Ground Zero #1
Don’t miss the start of this new series bridging the gap between the recently concluded INJUSTICE digital first series and the upcoming Injustice 2 game! The story of the first INJUSTICE: GODS AMONG US videogame is told in comic book format for the first time, but from the skewed perspective of Harley Quinn. As heroes from the parallel Earth arrive to tip the balance against Superman’s regime, Harley’s determined to cause her own brand of mayhem with her newly formed Joker Clan!
Art by Tom Derenick and Pop Mhan
Cover by Ben Oliver
Variant cover by Matt Clark
Written by Chris Sebela
I’m not familiar with Chris Sebela, but this cover looks AMAZING!
Justice League #10
“OUTBREAK” part three! The identity of the Justice League’s mysterious new villain is revealed as the League uncovers a shocking connection to the Kindred invasion. This mysterious new foe ups the ante by releasing dozens of the team’s enemies from prisons around the world!
Art by Daniel Henriques and Neil Edwards
Cover by Matt Ryan and Fernando Pasarin
Variant cover by Yanick Paquette
Written by Bryan Hitch
This is what I want to see from a Justice League story! Dozens of the heroes personal villains getting released from prison adds a little bit of a personal touch of drama to the story. Granted, it does feel like a lift from Injustice a little, but still. Also, it’s nice to see that the new threat will tie back to the first arc. This gives me a little hope!
Nightwing #10
“BLUDHAVEN” part one! Following “Night of the Monster Men” and his battle with Raptor, Nightwing heads to Blüdhaven for a fresh start. But that doesn’t last long when he runs into a crew of former Bat-villains!
Art by Marcus To
Cover by Marcus To
Variant cover by Oclair Albert and Ivan Reis
Written by Tim Seeley
Yeah, DC pretty much won my heart by putting “Bludhaven” in all caps as the first word of the solicitation. Plus, that cover is freaking epic!
December 14, 2016
Batgirl & the Birds of Prey #5
“WHO IS ORACLE?” part five! The new Oracle has led the Birds of Prey all around Gotham City, forcing them to deal with the worst of what the city has to offer. Now Batgirl, Black Canary and Huntress will learn the reason when this impostor’s secrets are revealed! But Oracle isn’t the only one with a secret past…where did the mysterious Fenice come from, anyway?
Art by Claire Roe
Cover by Yanick Paquette
Variant cover by Kamome Shirahama
Written by Shawna Benson, Julie Benson
Why do I feel like we’re going to be begging for a new creative team after this issue? It’s like this knot in my gut is telling me it’s going to happen, but I’m still hoping for the best… *sigh*
Detective Comics #946
“THE VICTIM SYNDICATE” part four! The Victim Syndicate is taking their message to the streets in an attempt to turn the citizens of Gotham City against Batman and his allies! They can fight villains, but what happens when the whole city turns against them?
Art by Eber Ferreira, Eddy Barrows
Cover by Jason Fabok
Variant cover by Rafael Albuquerque
Written by James T Tynion IV
I’ll take this now, please!
Gotham Academy: Second Semester #4
When a member of Detective Club is forced to stand trial for expulsion, the rest of the gang must rally for a rescue. But clues thrust them on a search for the mysterious Book of Gotham, and the gang learns there are more terrifying things at Gotham Academy than getting kicked out!
Art by Sandra Hope, MSASSYK, and Adam Archer
Cover by Karl Kerschl
Written by Karl Kerschl, Brenden Fletcher, and Becky Cloonan
Suicide Squad #8
“THE BLACK VAULT” part eight! Harley Quinn goes sane! The prisoners and staff of Belle Reve Penitentiary have succumbed to the devastating effects of General Zod’s Black Vault, rendering them all insane. But it has the opposite effect on Harley, who must fight her way through a crazed Suicide Squad—with the help of the Enchantress—to stop Zod from waking and conquering the world. No pressure, right? And in a bonus backup story, learn how super-villains are conscripted into the Suicide Squad! The unlucky Killer Frost is about to find out when she arrives for her first day at Belle Reve. Her story continues from this month’s single issue of SUICIDE SQUAD directly into JUSTICE LEAGUE VS. SUICIDE SQUAD #1!
Art by Scott Williams and Jim Lee
Cover by Scott Williams and Jim Lee
Variant cover by Lee Bermejo
Written by Rob Williams
Harley Quinn goes sane right before the Justice League vs Suicide Squad event, and that event is going to lead into JLA… As I said before, I’m pretty sure Harley will join the JLA. Also, it’s worth noting that the cover pictured is the variant cover.
DC Rebirth Holiday Special #1
DC’s biggest and brightest heroes celebrate the holidays in this new special! Don’t miss a Chanukah crisis for Huntress, a Flash family Christmas, Wonder Woman interrupting John Constantine’s hellblazing pagan party and more—including the return of Detective Chimp! Today’s top talents bring you a very special holiday gift that’ll keep on giving through the New Year! And writer Paul Dini crafts a Harley holiday tale featuring DCU guests that bridges all the stories in the weirdest, wildest way.
Art by Gustavo Duarte, Robbi Rodriguez, and Various
Cover by Dustin Nguyen
Written by Various, K. Perkins, Heath Corson, James Asmus, Tim Seeley, Cullen Bunn, Vita Ayala, Steve Orlando, James T Tynion IV, Paul Dini
I’ve become one of “those people.” I saw this and got excited until I read “Don’t miss a Chanukah crisis for Huntress…” and immediately thought, “WTF? Chanukah!?! She’s Catholic! This better be a crisis for Batwoman that she gets involved with.”
Red Hood & the Outlaws #5
“DARK TRINITY” part five! Red Hood and Artemis team up against a rampaging Bizarro—and it’s a race against the clock to save him—and the city—from Black Mask’s mind-controlling techno-organic virus!
Art by Dexter Soy
Cover by Cam Smith and Giuseppe Camuncoli
Variant cover by Matteo Scalera
Written by Scott Lobdell
December 21, 2016
Batman #13
“I AM SUICIDE” conclusion! Batman and the remains of his team come face to face with Bane and the Psycho-Pirate in a final battle at Santa Prisca—and learn whether this was truly a suicide mission!
Art by Mikel Janin
Cover by Mikel Janin
Variant cover by Tim Sale
Written by Tom King
Harley Quinn #10
Come spend the holidays with Harley in issue #10’s collection of wintry short stories—just don’t expect to make it to New Year’s in one piece!
Art by Various, Moritat
Cover by Amanda Conner
Variant cover by Frank Cho
Written by Jimmy Palmiotti
I find it interesting that they decided to tell this story as a standard issue rather than make it a special… I’m going to assume it’s because of the double-ship schedule.
Injustice: Gods Among Us – Ground Zero #2
When a violent protest against Superman’s regime breaks out on the streets of Gotham City, Sinestro arrives to put down the participants by any means necessary. But the timely appearance of Wonder Woman and Green Arrow from the parallel Earth prevents a possible slaughter. Meanwhile, on the streets, Harley and her gang plan to use the cover of the riot to strike a blow against Superman…until parallel Earth Batman shows up!
Art by Daniel Sampere
Cover by Ben Oliver
Written by Chris Sebela
Justice League #11
“OUTBREAK” conclusion! Beaten, battered and outnumbered, the Justice League faces utter annihilation when Amazo and a host of the team’s deadliest enemies are released from prisons around the world as part of one man’s revenge against the world’s greatest superheroes.
Art by Daniel Henriques and Neil Edwards
Cover by Matt Ryan and Fernando Pasarin
Variant cover by Yanick Paquette
Written by Bryan Hitch
Justice League vs Suicide Squad #1
The first major event storyline of DC’s Rebirth era begins with a day Amanda Waller always knew would come: the Justice League discovers the existence of the Suicide Squad! This government-sponsored black-ops team of super-villains with bombs implanted in their brains is obviously a deal-breaker for Earth’s paragons of truth and justice! But you can bet that the Wall and her Task Force X won’t go down without the fight to end all fights as this weekly series gets underway!
Art by Jason Fabok
Cover by Jason Fabok
Written by Joshua Williamson
Wait, wait, wait, wait… So the Justice League doesn’t know about the Suicide Squad? Are we really supposed to believe that? The Justice League dealt with Harley in the Suicide Squad Special, plus, Batman has known about Waller and her Squad for a while now… Hell, even the Teen Titans knew about the Suicide Squad… So how does the Justice League NOT KNOW?
Nightwing #11
“BLUDHAVEN” part two! They call themselves the Run-Offs! And now, this group of villains that Batman and Nightwing ran out of Gotham City plan to do the same to the former Boy Wonder! But can he find the serial killer terrorizing the city before the Run-Offs catch up with him?
Art by Marcus To
Cover Marcus To
Variant cover by Oclair Albert and Ivan Reis
Written by Tim Seeley
This should be fun! I’m expecting to see a ton of obscure, rare villains that haven’t appeared for some time now!
Teen Titans Go! #19
The prank war to end all prank wars has erupted in Titans Tower, but for some reason, Beast Boy seems to be out-pranking everyone—he even dodged Cyborg’s barrage of stankballs. It’s like he knows what pranks are coming before they even happen. That’s because, unknown to the other Titans, Beast Boy has a new power: he can smell into the future! But what happens when Beast Boy gets a whiff of…the apocalypse?!
Art by Marcelo Di Chiara
Cover by Daniel Hipp
Written by Ivan Cohen, Paul Morrissey, and Heather Nuhfer
Trinity #4
“BETTER TOGETHER” part four! The trio’s tribulations have turned the Black Mercy’s gift into a world of nightmares that give birth to a horror that can only be called the White Mercy. And what scares Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman could destroy the world!
Art by Clay Mann
Cover by Clay Mann
Variant cover by Bill Sienkiewicz
Written by Francis Manapul
Manapul delivered a solid launch, so I’m pretty excited to see what else he has in the pipeline! Plus, I’d never complain about Clay Mann on art duties!
December 28, 2016
Batgirl #6
“RETURN TO BURNSIDE”! On what should be a relaxing flight back home, Babs finds herself and her fellow passengers in mortal peril from…Poison Ivy? Batgirl must get to the bottom of Ivy’s attack and save the plane if she ever wants to see home again!
Art by Rafael Albuquerque
Cover by Rafael Albuquerque
Variant cover by Francis Manapul
Written by Hope Larson
(Reads “Return To Burnside”)
Batman Beyond #3
Batman wades through the Jokerz gang and finally squares off against Terminal, their would-be ruler. But how much does he have left to take on this deadliest of foes? And finally, the moment his followers have been waiting for—the comatose Joker awakens!
Art by Bernard Chang
Cover by Bernard Chang
Variant cover by Martin Ansin
Written by Dan Jurgens
Dark Knight III: The Master Race #7
Batman and Superman are back together again—but is their reunion too late?
Art by Klaus Janson and Andy Kubert
Cover by Andy Kubert
Variant cover by Walter Simonson, Chris Burnham, Klaus Janson, Frank Miller, Scott Williams, and Jim Lee
Written by Brian Azzarello and Frank Miller
I’m curious to see if this actually ends in December…
Detective Comics #947
“THE VICTIM SYNDICATE” conclusion! Has the First Victim succeeded in dividing and conquering Batman’s team? The final attack will come from someone they’d all put their faith in…
Art by Raúl Fernández and Alvaro Martinez
Cover by Jason Fabok
Variant cover by Rafael Albuquerque
Written by James T Tynion IV
I’m just going to hug James every time I see him in LA and say something like, “We’re not worthy!”
Justice League vs Suicide Squad #2
TBD
Art by Jason Fabok
Cover by Jason Fabok
Written by Joshua Williamson
AKA: Harley’s Road to the Justice League of America!
Mother Panic #2
Mother Panic is on the hunt, which means Violet Paige is out on the town, making a splash among Gotham City’s elite. But what role do missing kids play in her thirst for vengeance? And what does her target have to do with the mysterious death of her father?
Art by Tommy Lee Edwards
Cover by Tommy Lee Edwards
Variant cover by Paul Rentler
Written by Jody Houser
I recently picked up Marc Andreyko’s Manhunter (which I’d never read), and I can’t help but feel that Mother Panic is going to remind me of Manhunter… And I’m completely cool with that! Also, I’m really enjoying Manhunter so far… In case any of you were wondering.
Super Powers #2
Superman has been defeated by Lex Luthor—or so the evil mastermind thinks! Trapped in a Kryptonite fortress under the sea, our hero is fading fast—but he can’t be defeated when his friends have his back! And while he is recovering, a new Kryptonian arrives on the scene! Plus, something weird has come to Central City. The Flash might provide some answers…if you can keep up!
Art by Art Baltazar
Cover by Art Baltazar
Written by Franco, Art Baltazar
Teen Titans #3
“DAMIAN KNOWS BEST” part three! After Ra’s al Ghul and the Demon land a devastating blow against the Teen Titans, the team is forced to regroup. Facing an enemy that knows them better than they know themselves, what chance does this young team have? And how can they trust Damian after everything he’s put them through?
Art by Jonboy Meyers
Cover by Jonboy Meyers
Variant cover by Chris Burnham
Written by Benjamin Percy
Ra’s al Ghul AND the Demon? As in Etrigan? Hmm….
Titans #6
“THE RETURN OF WALLY WEST” part six! After making the ultimate sacrifice for his friends, Wally West finds himself lost in the Speed Force with no hope of return! Has Wally’s run come to a sudden end? Don’t miss the conclusion to this stunning first arc!
Art by Norm Rapmund and Brett Booth
Cover by Norm Rapmund and Brett Booth
Variant cover by Nicholas Bradshaw
Written by Dan Abnett
Ok, seriously… why do a story like this? We all know Wally will be fine, so why do it? It’s pointless. Nobody buys it. AND, if something does happen to Wally, then you’re essentially unraveling Rebirth less than a year before it started… This book is really turning out to be a disappointment…
Noteworthy Releases:
All Star Batman #1 Director’s Cut
Superstar writer Scott Snyder explodes into an all-new Batman series alongside legendary artist John Romita Jr., in this pencils-only DIRECTOR’S CUT of the smash-hit ALL STAR BATMAN #1. Batman must take Two-Face to a destination outside of Gotham City, but the duplicitous villain has a two of spades up his sleeve. Every assassin, bounty hunter and ordinary citizen with something to hide is on their tails with one goal: kill Batman! Handcuffed together on the road to hell, this is Batman and Two-Face as you’ve never seen them before!
Art by John Romita, Jr.
Cover by John Romita, Jr.
Written by Scott Snyder
Scooby-Doo Team-Up #21
It’s hard enough for Scooby and the gang to crack the mystery of a Dickensian Yuletide ghost…but it’s harder with “help” from Mystery, Inc.’s newest member: Harley Quinn! Harley’s decided to try a new career as a ghost-busting detective—and when she swings that giant mallet, nobody’s going to tell her “no.” But the gang doesn’t suspect the real reason for Harley’s relocation: She’s on the run after a “lover’s spat” with The Joker—and Mistah J wants her back!
Art by Dario Brizuela
Cover by Dario Brizuela
Written by Sholly Fisch
Suicide Squad #1 Director’s Cut
Superstar artists Jim Lee and Jason Fabok join writer Rob Williams to bring you a new vision of the Suicide Squad in this new pencils-only DIRECTOR’S CUT special! As “The Black Vault” begins, a mysterious cosmic item falls out of the heavens and into enemy hands, and America has only one option: Task Force X, Amanda Waller’s strike team of incarcerated super-criminals. A one-stop-shop for plausibly deniable espionage and ultra-violence, this “Suicide Squad” only handles missions they’re not expected to survive.
Art by Jason Fabok and Jim Lee
Cover by Jim Lee
Written by Rob Williams
