Guys!!!! We leave for Comic-Con tomorrow! Andrew, Brandon, Jay, and I will all be attending this year, so make sure you follow us on Twitter for full coverage! We’ll also be posting major announcements on the site, but for everything else (you know, all those cool little tidbits), you’re going to have to follow us! You can find our Twitter handles below!
Andrew – @AndrewBatReview
Brandon – @BrandonMul77
Jay – @JaYaws
Josh – @JoshuaLMcDonald
Alright, on to business! For a collection of our opinions pertaining to last week’s releases, make sure you check out This Week In Comics: Batman Stabs a Griffin With a Golf Tee. 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, a random comment (or rant), and the Batman News team member that will be reviewing each book. After I’ve overshared my opinions, you’ll find notes pertaining to other DC Comics titles/ delayed releases, as well as our Graphic Novel Watch. And finally, we want to hear from you! What titles are you picking up? What do you hope to see? Etc. So, without further ado…
Batman #27
“THE WAR OF JOKES AND RIDDLES” part three! The war has spread to every corner of Gotham City, and while Batman battles back the forces of Joker and Riddler, an unlikely criminal becomes the pivotal key to its potential resolution…but it could cost him everything.
Art by Mikel Janin
Cover by Mikel Janin
Variant cover by Tim Sale
Written by Tom King
Josh’s Stance: Point blank, I’m a huge fan of “The War of Jokes and Riddles” so far, so this will definitely be the first thing I read tomorrow while I’m flying to San Diego!
Batman-News Critic: Brandon
Super Sons #6
“TEEN TITANS TANGO” part one! Robin has a new member in mind for the Teen Titans, and—spoiler alert—it’s Superboy! But something sinister is at work, and Damian’s real motives for introducing Jon to the team are revealed to devastating consequences!
Art by Jorge Jimenez
Cover by Jorge Jimenez
Variant cover by Dustin Nguyen
Written by Peter J. Tomasi
Josh’s Stance: I don’t think any other book from DC brings me more joy than Super Sons. I absolutely love the dynamic between these two little wonders.
Batman-News Critic: Jay
Nightwing #25
“BLOCKBUSTER” part four! In this special oversize issue, the boardwalk is the heart and soul of Blüdhaven, and Tiger Shark and Blockbuster are willing to kill each other and whoever else stands in their way to rule it. Nightwing has to find a way to stop them both or suffer a Blüdhaven ruled by crime!
Art by Minkyu Jung and Miguel Mendonça
Cover by Paul Renaud
Variant cover by Yasmine Putri
Written by Tim Seeley
Josh’s Stance:
Batman-News Critic: “Blockbuster” has been fun so far, and as always, I love all of the light nods Seeley is giving to Nightwing’s history. If you’re a fan of Nightwing, then you should definitely be reading this!
Batman ‘66/ Legion of Super Heroes #1
In pursuit of the time-traveling criminal known as Universo, the super-powered kids from the 30th century travel back to the 1960s to enlist the aid of the “greatest teen superhero ever”—Robin, the Boy Wonder! But Batman’s hard-boiled nemesis Egghead has stolen one of their unattended time bubbles and taken off to the Legion’s own time period. Looks like Batman has to head to the far-flung future with one group of heroes while Robin stays in the swinging sixties with another. Holy time-travel paradox!
Art by Mike Allred
Cover by Mike Allred
Written by Lee Allred
Josh’s Stance: Batman ’66 Meets Wonder Woman ’77 never met the expectation I’d set for it, but I have high hopes for this crossover. Granted, I’m still wondering why DC never responded to my tweet about a Batman ’66 Meets Austin Powers crossover… But seriously, this crossover feels as though it will mesh a little better, so I’m hoping for a return to the quality I’ve come to expect and love from Batman ’66.
Batman-News Critic: Jay
Harley Quinn #24
“THE PARENT TRAP”! Harley has faced every challenge even she could possibly imagine, but can she survive…a visit from her parents?! And in “Harley Loves Joker” part eight, the duo’s new headquarters comes with some unforeseen complications!
Art by John Timms
Backup Art by J. Bone, Bret Blevins, and Jimmy Palmiotti
Backup Written by Paul Dini
Cover by Amanda Conner
Variant cover by Frank Cho
Written by Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti
Josh’s Stance: I have to wonder how Conner and Palmiotti are going to write Harley’s folks… Do you think they’ll be crazy, or super square? I’m kind of hoping for total squares!
Batman-News Critic: Elena
Batwoman #5
“THE MANY ARMS OF DEATH” epilogue! In this special one-off issue with art by Stephanie Hans (Angela), learn the truth of what went down between Kate and Safiyah, which led to the future Batwoman having to leave Coryana for what she was sure would be forever!
Art by Stephanie Hans
Cover by Stephanie Hans
Variant cover by J.G. Jones
Written by James T Tynion IV and Marguerite Bennett
Josh’s Stance: Batwoman is a bit of a slow burn, but I feel this issue will help give clarity to “The Many Arms of Death.” I don’t want to say that I didn’t enjoy the first arc, I just never felt like I had all of the pieces.
Batman-News Critic: Elena
Injustice 2 #6
Get ready for the Origin of Supergirl! Jump back in time to see the early life of Kara Zor-el and the destruction of Krypton. Sent to Earth to be her infant cousin Kal-el’s protector, an accident delays her by decades. She’s met upon her eventual arrival by a most unexpected benefactor and learns a very different version of the story of Superman’s regime.
Art by Mike S. Miller
Cover by Mike S. Miller
Written by Tom Taylor
Josh’s Stance: I feel like we’ve seen/ read Supergirl’s origin a number of times, and I can’t imagine it’s going to be too different for Injustice. That doesn’t mean I think the issue will be bad… It’s probably just going to feel a bit like déjà vu.
Batman-News Critic: Elena
Trinity #11
“DEAD SPACE” part three! Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman are in for the fight of their lives against the combined might of the Justice League and the mysterious alien force inhabiting their bodies and controlling the Watchtower! The trinity may have found a way to save their friends—but the cost is high, and time is running out!
Art by Francis Manapul
Cover by Francis Manapul
Variant cover by Bill Sienkiewicz
Written by Francis Manapul
Josh’s Stance: Look, the art for Trinity has been terrific, but the story leaves something to be desired.
Batman-News Critic: Brian
Justice League #25
“REBORN” There is currently no solicitation for this issue.
Art by Tom Derenick and Bryan Hitch
Cover by Bryan Hitch
Variant cover by Nicholas Bradshaw
Written by Bryan Hitch
Josh’s Stance: It appears that Hitch returns to writing with this issue… Can’t you tell how excited I am? I’m super (hold on, let me take a sip of my coffee…. Mmmm, that’s good. Really, really good coffee. If I could marry coffee, I would….) I’m sorry, what was I saying?
Batman-News Critic: Brian
Notes:
- Additional DC Releases slated for this week: Aquaman #26, Cave Carson Has a Cybernetic Eye #10, Bombshells #31, Green Arrow #27, Green Lanterns #27, Superman #27, and The Wild Storm #6.
- All Star Batman #12 has been pushed back to July 26, 2017.
- Justice League vs Power Rangers #5 has been pushed back to May 31, 2017 August 9, 2017.
- Justice League vs Power Rangers #6 has been pushed back to September 6, 2017.
Graphic Novel Watch:
DC Elseworlds: Justice League Vol. 2 – Presented by some of comics’ best is the newest edition of the ELSEWORLDS: JUSTICE LEAGUE series in ELSEWORDS: JUSTICE LEAGUE VOL. 2.
In Elseworlds, heroes are taken from their usual settings and put into strange times and places-some that have existed, or might have existed, and others that can’t, couldn’t or shouldn’t exist. The result: stories that make characters who are as familiar as yesterday seem as fresh as tomorrow.
This collection includes a dystopian tale of Metropolis in the throes of a revolution at the hands of the Super-Man, Nosferatu and Diana of Heaven, a world where the powers of all superhumans are taken away, a story about the super-sons of Batman and Superman and other bizarre tales! Now, for the first time, the Justice League’s prestige format Elseworlds tales are featured in a new graphic novel collection.
Collects BATMAN: NOSFERATU, ELSEWORLDS 80-PAGE GIANT #1, JLA: ACT OF GOD #1-3, SUPERMAN: METROPOLIS and WONDER WOMAN: THE BLUE AMAZON!
Gotham Academy: Second Semester Vol. 1: Welcome Back – The acclaimed creative team of Brenden Fletcher (BATGIRL), Becky Cloonan (Southern Cross) and Karl Kerschl (WEDNESDAY COMICS) are joined by artist Adam Archer (AME-COMI GIRLS) as classes begin and new mysteries unfold for the kids of Gotham Academy in GOTHAM ACADEMY: SECOND SEMESTER VOL. 1—WELCOME BACK!
It’s the second semester at Gotham Academy, and everything is back to normal. Of course, “normal” for Gotham’s top prep school would be considered uncontrollable weirdness anywhere else!
First, a bunch of students start walking out of their extracurricular activities with no explanation and signing up for a strange new society—Witch Club! Then, a stolen map of the Academy puts the students on the trail of ancient symbols and hidden chambers.
There’s plenty for the Detective Club to investigate—but Olive Silverlock is distracted by her new rebel roommate, Amy. Is Maps Mizoguchi right to be suspicious of a bad influence, or just jealous that she’s losing her best friend?
Plus, Detective Club is joined by the World’s Greatest Detective—Batman! Collects GOTHAM ACADEMY: SECOND SEMESTER 1-3, 5-8.
Robin Vol. 4: Turning Point – From mega-star comics writer Chuck Dixon comes the next installment of ROBIN in ROBIN VOL. 4: TURNING POINT.
Tim Drake has been operating as Robin on his own, with occasional help from fellow vigilante Huntress, for what seems like forever. But that was because Jean-Paul Valley, the new, armored Batman, said he didn’t need or want a partner. Now Bruce Wayne has returned to defeat his psychotic replacement and Robin is caught in the middle.
Will even the added help of Nightwing be enough to restore order to Gotham City?
Plus, Tim must deal with bullies, the return of his father, a worried girlfriend and a time-displaced Dick Grayson as the original Robin. And if he gets through all of that, he still has to battle the mad criminals Steeljacket and Two-Face!
ROBIN VOL. 4: TURNING POINT collects in chronological order for the first time ever
ROBIN #6-13, and SHOWCASE ’94 #5-6 presenting Tim Drake’s adventures from his first solo series by fan-favorite comics writer Chuck Dixon (NIGHTWING) and superstar artists Tom Grummett (TITANS) and Phil Jimenez (WONDER WOMAN)!
