Guys… We’re reaching the end of summer! I only went to the lake once. Once! I think I’m sick or something. That or I’m living in some alternate reality, hell world. Until summer officially ends, I’m going to eat as much ice cream as possible, swim whenever I can, and go ride some jet skis! Of course, all of this will come after I read my comics for the week… Cause, you know… Priorities! (Although, now all I want to do is find a Batman bathing suit, and go water skiing while wearing them in addition to a cape and cowl…)
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…
August 23rd
Batman/ The Shadow #5
The Stag and The Joker have kidnapped the Shadow’s greatest allies and are preparing to enter Shamba-La. It’s Batman and the Shadow’s last stand—if they don’t stop the evil duo from entering Shamba-La, it will mean an eternity of darkness in a world ruled by crime!
Written by Steve Orlando and Scott Snyder
Pencils and Inks by Riley Rossmo
Colored by Ivan Plascencia
Cover by Riley Rossmo
Josh’s Stance: I’ve loved this mini, and got a little said when I realized there’s only one more issue after this one! In my opinion, this has been a great story, and an even better interpretation of Batman! I’ll be praising and recommending this book for some time!
Batman-News Critic: Brandon
Nightwing: The New Order #1
NIGHTWING: THE NEW ORDER is the story of a future world without “weapons”—where superpowers have been eliminated and outlawed. The man responsible? None other than Dick Grayson, a.k.a. Nightwing, now leader of a government task force called the Crusaders who are charged with hunting the remaining Supers. But when events transpire which turn the Crusaders’ aim toward Grayson’s own family, the former Boy Wonder must turn against the very system he helped create, with help from the very people he’s been hunting for years—the last metahumans of the DC Universe. Don’t miss this bold new vision from the team behind the New York Times bestseller BATMAN: GATES OF GOTHAM!
Written by Kyle Higgins
Pencils and Inks by Trevor McCarthy
Colored by Dean White
Cover by Trevor McCarthy
Josh’s Stance: Nightwing: The New Order has been described as Nightwing meets Minority Report. Yeah, that’s all it took for me to be sold.
Batman-News Critic: Jay
Harley Quinn #26
“MEAN STREETS!” Harley’s been doing her best to hold her corner of New York City together, but the mayor’s been doing his best to tip the whole town into corruption! Harley’s gonna have to hammer some sense into this guy once and for all…and in “Harley Loves Joker” part ten, The Joker’s vendetta against the thief who’s been scalping all his prime jobs threatens to get everyone killed!
Written by Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti
Pencils and Inks by Chad Hardin and John Timms
Cover by Amanda Conner
Josh’s Stance: If there’s one thing you can count on, it’s for Harley Quinn to be consistently good. Yeah, the needs to be your cup of tea because it’s anything but a straight story, but it’s always good for a handful of laughs. Plus, things have been building with the mayor for a long time now, so I’m glad to see that something is actually coming from it.
Batman-News Critic: Elena
Batman Beyond #11
“RISE OF THE DEMON” finale! As past and present collide, Bruce Wayne witnesses the culmination of his legacy. In a shocking twist, the Demon is not Ra’s al Ghul. Can his successor be persuaded to stop his plans for worldwide destruction? Will Terry be able to overcome the destructive influence of the new Batman costume and hold on to his soul? High up on a Tibetan mountaintop, the answers will be revealed.
Written by Dan Jurgens
Pencils and Inks by Bernard Chang
Colored by Marcelo Maiolo
Cover by Bernard Chang and Marcelo Maiolo
Josh’s Stance: I’ve enjoyed “Rise of the Demon” and hope the title really is a mirror of what we can expect for the future – the beginning of Damian’s reign as Ra’s al Ghul. Jurgens desperately needs to find something more interesting to do with Terry though. For the past ten issues, he’s only been interesting when he’s been pretending to be someone else, or has been influenced by something/someone else… Also, Goliath better be ok… If he isn’t, I’m going to lose it!
Batman-News Critic: Josh
Teen Titans #11
“BLOOD OF THE MANTA” part three! Everything comes crashing down when Black Manta reveals his son’s true origin, and the shock is almost too much for Jackson to bear! Meanwhile, the Teen Titans have tracked Black Manta down—but is it too little, too late? Will the Teen Titans save their new friend…or make a new enemy?
Written by Benjamin Percy
Pencils by Khoi Pham
Inks by John Trevor Scott
Colored by Jim Charalampidis
Cover by Jim Charalampidis, Andrew Hennessy, and Brad Walker
Josh’s Stance: “Blood of the Manta” has been a solid story so far, but I still don’t feel as though Teen Titans has completely hit its stride. Between the formation of the team, “The Lazarus Contract,” the dismissal of Kid Flash, and the introduction of Jackson, the book feels as though it’s been in constant transition. I’m excited for the story to take roots and really build from there.
Batman-News Critic: Brian
Suicide Squad #24
“KILL YOUR DARLINGS” part four! This is it! The moment SUICIDE SQUAD has been building to since the start of Rebirth! International Suicide Squads descend upon metahuman populations around the world at Amanda Waller’s command! As the People’s astonishing endgame is laid bare, only the original Task Force X’s most dysfunctional members are left to save the world from their own dark imitators.
Written by Rob Williams
Pencils and Inks by Agustin Padilla
Cover by Eddy Barrows, Eber Ferreira, and Adriano Lucas
Josh’s Stance: This arc has been quite anti-climactic so far… I’m just going to endure it, and hope for a return to form with the next arc.
Batman-News Critic: Josh
Detective Comics #963
“LONGER CHAINS” part one! Having exiled herself from Batman’s world, Spoiler has nearly destroyed herself trying to expose the corruption of Gotham City’s vigilantes. Fortunately for her, help has arrived…but unfortunately for the city, it’s in the form of the mysterious Anarky! Is he truly on the side of the people, or is he a dangerous lunatic?
Written by Christopher Sebela and James Tynion IV
Pencils and Inks by Carmen Carnero
Cover by Brad Anderson
Josh’s Stance: Stephanie’s attitude was already irritating following Tim’s death…. But this whole, “I’m against vigilantes, and I’m going to expose each and every one of you!” entitlement is incredibly stupid when you acknowledge the fact that she’s still acting as a vigilante! Clearly this approach/ arc for her wasn’t thought out very well.
Batman-News Critic: Brandon
Batgirl #14
“SUMMER OF LIES” part one! Batgirl and Nightwing’s feelings for each other have always run deep…but is their bond built on more than Bat Family loyalty and a long-ago childhood crush? When an old villain comes back into Babs’ life, she and Dick will have to reopen painful wounds and remember a time they’d hoped would remain forgotten. This is an event no Batgirl or Nightwing fan will want to miss!
Written by Hope Larson
Pencils and Inks by Chris Wildgoose
Cover by Dan Mora and Chris Wildgoose
Josh’s Stance: Look, I like the idea of seeing Dick and Babs together… but I just don’t know. This creative team has yet to wow me, and each story appears to slip in quality. Larson has yet to match the quality of her first arc (which I’d just describe as “solid”), but I have hope for “Summer of Lies.” …I think.
Batman-News Critic: Elena
Notes:
- Additional DC Releases slated for this week: Action Comics #986, Blue Beetle #12, Hal Jordan & the Green Lantern Corps #27, Mother Panic #10, The Flash #29, The Hellblazer #13, and The Kamandi Challenge #8.
- Blue Beetle #12 will feature Batman. An overview of this issue will be provided in our monthly Break From the Bat article.
- Justice League of America #13 has been pushed back to August 30, 2017
- Justice League vs Power Rangers #6 has been pushed back to September 6, 2017.
Graphic Novel Watch:
New Teen Titans Vol. 7 – Now, for the first time, all of Marv Wolfman and George Pérez’s NEW TEEN TITANS tales are available in a comprehensive series of trade paperback editions, featuring the legendary story arc “The Judas Contract”!
The original Teen Titans always stood in the shadows of their larger-than-life mentors—young heroes like Robin, Wonder Girl and Kid Flash saw plenty of action, but it was Batman, Wonder Woman and the Flash who ultimately called the shots.
All that changed, however, with the arrival of THE NEW TEEN TITANS in 1980—and the lives of DC’s adolescent adventurers would never be the same!
Crafted by comics legends Marv Wolfman and George Pérez, this all-new super-title featured greater dangers, fiercer emotions and more tangled relationships than any that had come before. The Titans’ celebrated stories have ensured that the names of Starfire, Cyborg, Raven and Changeling will be passed down through history alongside those famous aliases employed by Dick Grayson, Donna Troy and Wally West.
THE NEW TEEN TITANS VOLUME SEVEN collects issues #42-48 of the classic title as well as the ANNUAL #3, and features the “The Judas Contract”!
