I’ve been thinking about going “retro” with Upcoming Comics. I’ve debated on whether or not I should bring back Andrew’s “Anticipation Scale” rather than provide an opinion of each title. Honestly, it will make things a little easier for me to manage, but it will also let the reviews speak for themselves (which I think is important). Before I make that decision, I want to hear from you. Do you want me to continue to provide a brief opinion on the titles each week, or would you prefer the Anticipation Scale? For those of you that joined the site after Andrews ascension into “upper management” – or for those of you that have just forgotten – his Anticipation Scale is below:
The Anticipation Scale
NO! – A comic I downright dread reading and if I wasn’t a reviewer, I would never buy it. (If Nocenti ever returns to a Bat title, we will return this ranking to “NOcenti.”)
“You Don’t Have to Thank Us” – The idea of reviewing it doesn’t make me ill or angry, but it definitely sounds like it’s going to be a chore. Still, I’m reading it for you. I’m putting it at the bottom of the pile, but I’m reading it for you.
Mixed – A middle of the pile comic. It’s probably got the same chance of being dreadful as it does of being stupendous. I’m neither looking forward to it or avoiding it, whatever happens… happens.
Intrigued – I think this comic has potential to be a fantastic read. There’s some slight hesitation there, but it’s definitely going to be at the top of the pile.
TAKE MY MONEY – Everything about this issue has me excited. If I don’t get to read this book on Wednesday, I will be furious. I would pay extra just to have it in my hands right now! That’s how much I’m looking forward to it!
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 Blasts Man-Bat Out of the Sky with a Missile!?! 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…
September 13th
Dark Nights: Metal #2
As Superman and Wonder Woman hunt for a missing ally, Batman investigates a mystery spanning centuries. When the World’s Greatest Detective discovers a foe even greater than the Justice League could possibly imagine, will Earth’s heroes be ready?
Art by Jonathan Glapion and Greg Capullo
Cover by Jonathan Glapion and Greg Capullo
Variant cover by John Romita, Jr., Jim Lee, and Andy Kubert
Written by Scott Snyder
Josh’s Stance: Metal #1 was crazy, over the top, fun, and that has me excited for this chapter. The reveal at the end of the first issue also has me excited. The story is fantastical and meant to be fun, so if you’re cool with that and want to stretch to all limits of the DC universe, then you’ll definitely enjoy the ride.
Batman-News Critic: Brandon
Red Hood & the Outlaws #14
“Bizarro Reborn” part one! Bizarro is back and he’s better than ever! He’s stronger, he’s faster and now he’s a genius! As if that weren’t enough to deal with, things only get more complicated when the Outlaws find themselves in the crosshairs of the one and only Batwoman, who will stop at nothing to take down the infamous Red Hood!
Art by Joe Bennett
Cover by Mike McKone
Variant cover by Guillem March
Written by Scott Lobdell
Josh’s Stance: I can’t say this enough. Red Hood & the Outlaws has been excellent since Rebirth. Seriously, I urge you to give this book a shot if you aren’t. That being said, I do have some concerns with the current direction of Bizarro. Yes, he needs a direction and this one is new, however, I’m going to miss the lovably ignorant brute. I also have questions concerning Batwoman if the solicitation is accurate. Mainly because it seems stupid for Batman to not tell his own allies that Red Hood is actually one of the good guys.
Batman-News Critic: Brian
Teen Titans #12
A DARK NIGHTS: METAL tie-in! “GOTHAM RESISTANCE” part one! The fight for Gotham City’s soul starts here! When Robin receives a distress call from Nightwing urging him to return home, he discovers that Gotham City has been transformed into a mosaic of monsters, magic and doom! Trapped inside the Riddler’s deadly maze with nowhere to turn, Robin soon assembles an unlikely team of hometown heroes including Batgirl, Harley Quinn, Killer Croc, Black Canary and Green Arrow to find the missing Nightwing and save their city!
Art by Mirka Andolfo
Cover by Stjepan Sejic
Variant cover by Chad Hardin
Written by Benjamin Percy
Josh’s Stance: This could be bad… But I’m honestly super excited to get my hands on this tie-in. I feel like it’s going to be a fun, wild ride… Granted, I thought the same thing about Forever Evil: Arkham War before it was released…
Batman-News Critic: Brian
Harley Quinn 25th Anniversary Special #1
Celebrate twenty-five years of Harley Quinn with this collection of stories by some legendary Harley talent and some who’ve never drawn her before! How does Harley manage her insanely jam-packed life on Coney Island? What haven’t we seen from her past with the Joker? And can even Harley’s psychological acumen crack the twisted mind of…Robin, the Boy Wonder?
Written by Amanda Conner, Paul Dini, Daniel Kibblesmith, Jimmy Palmiotti, and Chip Zdarsky
Pencils and Inks by Bengal, Amanda Conner, Chad Hardin, David Lafuente, Dustin Nguyen, and More…
Colored by Bengal, Paul Mounts, Dustin Nguyen, Joe Quinones, John Rauch, and More…
Cover by Amanda Conner
Josh’s Stance: This should be a fun collection of short stories, and I’m willing to bet they’ll encompass a number of iterations of Harley. If my assumptions are correct, then this’ll be a wonderful read!
Batman-News Critic: Elena
Justice League of America #14
“CRISIS IN THE MICROVERSE” part three! The search for Ray Palmer continues as atomic lightning threatens to tear apart the microverse! The JLA’s only hope of survival lies deep within the sentient planet Moz-Ga, where only an Atom can travel. Can young Ryan Choi accomplish what his mentor could not and persuade a cosmic consciousness to save reality?
Art by Joe Prado and Ivan Reis
Cover by Joe Prado and Ivan Reis
Written by Steve Orlando
Josh’s Stance: Orlando has built a solid foundation with “Crisis in the Microverse” so now I want to see what he can do with it. If you dropped JLA – or never tuned in to begin with – this arc is worth your time.
Batman-News Critic: Josh
Titans #15
“Double Agent”! The hunt for the team’s traitor takes an impossible turn when Nightwing is revealed as an agent of H.I.V.E.! As the Titans hunt for answers about their leader and friend, loyalties are tested like never before—and the Titans may never recover!
Art by Norm Rapmund and Brett Booth
Cover by Norm Rapmund and Brett Booth
Variant cover by Dan Mora
Written by Dan Abnett
Josh’s Stance: Titans is quite the conundrum. On the character front, there’s some interesting plot threads. Unfortunately, there’s no singular arc to drive these character threads, so there’s practically no momentum. Hopefully, this issue will begin to change that. Hopefully…
Batman-News Critic: Josh
Detective Comics #964
“Dystopia”! Anarky has shown Spoiler the world he’s built beneath Gotham City, which he plans to bring into the light…but she needs to know who helped him build it! And what’s more, this alliance has put Steph back on Batman’s radar…and now the two are on a collision course!
Art by Carmen Carnero
Cover by Eddy Barrows
Variant cover by Rafael Albuquerque
Written by Chris Sebela, James T Tynion IV
Josh’s Stance: I read roughly two pages of the last issue, then decided not to read it. I can’t bring myself to get into this crap arc with spoiler, but now I feel guilty for not reading that chapter because I’m curious if anything worthwhile or important will come out of Anarky. I might catch up, but I’ll do so begrudgingly.
Batman-News Critic: Brandon
Suicide Squad #25
“KILL YOUR DARLINGS” finale! Inspired by Amanda Waller’s twisted vision of control, international Suicide Squads descend upon metahuman populations around the world. The People’s astonishing endgame is finally laid bare, prompting Harley Quinn to take an unbelievable action to save the world from the Suicide Squad’s own dark imitators. Don’t miss this oversize anniversary issue!
Art by Eleanor Carlini
Cover by Eddy Barrows
Variant cover by Whilce Portacio
Written by Rob Williams
Josh’s Stance: I can’t wait for this arc to end. “Kill Your Darlings” is ironically a tragic title considering it’s the worst story to come from Suicide Squad to date. Now I’m praying that the quality will return with the next arc.
Batman-News Critic: Josh
Batgirl & the Birds of Prey #14
“Field Trip!” Helena Bertinelli, a.k.a. Huntress, thought it would be a good idea to get her class of students out of Gotham City for a day…unfortunately, trouble follows the Birds of Prey wherever they go! Can the Birds complete a mission without this curiously perceptive bunch of kids catching on?
Art by Marcio Takara
Cover by Yanick Paquette
Variant cover by Kamome Shirahama
Written by Shawna Benson and Julie Benson
Josh’s Stance: It appears as though the actual title for this issue is “Gotham City Limits,” so don’t read too heavily in the solicitation above… You know… If you actually planned on picking up BatBoP. I wouldn’t if I didn’t have to.
Batman-News Critic: Josh
Notes:
- We will cover Mister Miracle #2 in Break (from) the Bat.
Mister Miracle #2
What do you do after the most death-defying act of your escape artist career? You go to war, of course! Scott Free has skipped out on his trip to the great beyond and taken a boom tube to New Genesis instead, where he and his wife, Big Barda, take on the invading hordes of Apokolips. Things are a little off, however, and Mister Miracle starts to doubt why he’s fighting when Orion takes over the mantle of Highfather. It’s enough to make a New God miss Granny Goodness’s orphanage! From Eisner Award-nominated writer Tom King and artist Mitch Gerads, the team that brought you THE SHERIFF OF BABYLON and the recent Swamp Thing crossover in BATMAN #23!
Written by Tom King
Art by Mitch Gerads
Cover by Nick Derington
- Additional DC Releases slated for this week: Action Comics #987, Hal Jordan & the Green Lanterns Corps #28, New Superman #15, Supergirl #13, Superwoman #14, The Flash #30, and Wonder Woman #30.
- Justice League vs Power Rangers #6 has been pushed back to September 6, 2017 September 27, 2017.
Graphic Novel Watch:
Batman: The Art of The Dark Knight: The Master Race – Frank Miller’s return to the world of the Dark Knight inspired covers by dozens of comics’ top artists. Now, DC collects these covers together in an unparalleled gallery of images that pay tribute to Miller’s iconic take on the world of the Dark Knight. This book is a true who’s who of comics greats, with art by Frank Miller, Jim Lee, Bill Sienkiewicz, Greg Capullo, Gabriel Dell’Otto, Darwyn Cooke, Tim Sale, Neal Adams, Rafael Albuquerque, Dave Johnson, Adam Hughes, Tony Harris, Brian Bolland, Gary Frank, Sean Murphy, Ivan Reis, Paul Pope, Francis Manapul, Brian Stelfreeze, Eduardo Risso, David Finch, Matt Wagner and more!
DC Universe: Rebirth Omnibus Expanded Edition – DC’s Rebirth event began with a bang in June 2016, relaunching every DC hero from Aquaman to Wonder Woman! Now, the entire collection of REBIRTH specials are gathered in a massive new hardcover, expanded to add newer issues including BATWOMAN: REBIRTH #1, JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA: REBIRTH #1, DC REBIRTH HOLIDAY SPECIAL #1 and the one-shots starring the Atom, the Ray, Killer Frost and Vixen!
Harley Quinn: A Celebration of 25 Years – From her animated adventures to her bloody stint in the Suicide Squad, HARLEY QUINN: A CELEBRATION OF 25 YEARS captures the greatest comic book moments of the Joker’s main moll, brought to life by industry legends Paul Dini, Bruce Timm, Jim Lee, Jeph Loeb, Amanda Conner, Jimmy Palmiotti, Karl Kesel, Terry Dodson and more!
The true embodiment of the phrase “madly in love,” Harley Quinn may be stark, raving, cuckoo-pants crazy, but she is a woman who stands by her man. Filled with an inexplicable devotion to Batman’s nemesis, the Joker, she’s the Clown Prince of Crime’s most loyal companion.
But while her monstrous “Mistah J” may have led her to a life of crime, he also brought her comic book superstardom! It’s been 25 years since she made her debut, but Harley Quinn’s popularity continues to grow, spreading from animation to comic books to video games to live-action feature films, with no sign of slowing down.
Collects BATMAN ADVENTURES ANNUAL #1; BATMAN ADVENTURES HOLIDAY SPECIAL #1; BATGIRL ADVENTURES #1; BATMAN ADVENTURES #3; BATMAN ADVENTURES #16; BATMAN/HARLEY QUINN #1; HARLEY QUINN #1, #25; HARLEY AND IVY: LOVE ON THE LAM; BATMAN #613; JOKER’S ASYLUM II: HARLEY QUINN #1; SUICIDE SQUAD (vol. 3) #6-7; HARLEY QUINN (vol. 2) #2; HARLEY’S LITTLE BACK BOOK #1; and SUICIDE SQUAD (vol. 4) #4.
Harley Quinn The Rebirth Deluxe Edition – Book One – From the creative team of Amanda Conner, Jimmy Palmiotti and John Timms, this storyline explodes out of the blockbuster DC Universe Rebirth event. Comics’ craziest couple face off in HARLEY QUINN: REBIRTH DELUXE EDITION BOOK 1, a hardcover collection of the first two best-selling paperback volumes.
Since relocating from Gotham City to Brooklyn’s Coney Island, Harley Quinn has transformed her apartment building into a haven for freaks, strays and other unstable vigilante antihero-types. With her freak-show friends, bestie Poison Ivy, other bestie Red Tool and the Gang of Harleys by her side, Harley’s ready to face all of Brooklyn’s deadliest threats—from zombie armies and giant robots to punk-rock gangs and department store Santas.
But the one thing she’s not ready for? The return of a certain Mistah J. He’s promising to make amends, but not even Harley would be willing to give that whack job a second chance. Right?
Collects #1-13.
Harley Quinn Vol. 3: Red Meat – The latest chapter in the smash-hit action-comedy saga from Amanda Conner, Jimmy Palmiotti, John Timms and more is here in HARLEY QUINN VOL. 3: RED MEAT!
With her life finally clear of psychotic clowns, Harley Quinn is eager for things in Coney Island to get back to (ab)normal. If only! Comics’ most adorable antihero is about to face the fight of her life!
First, she’s taking on the corrupt mayor of New York City, whose evil plan for the homeless population will take a bite out of the Big Apple in more ways than one. They say you can’t fight city hall, but they haven’t met Harley Quinn!
Next, it’s the return of Harley’s former adversary, Harley Sinn! This twisted sister is out of prison with plans for revenge. When Sinn targets someone Harley loves—and thought she’d lost—can anything stop the wrath of the mighty Quinn?
Find out in HARLEY QUINN VOL. 3: RED MEAT, which collects the lead stories from HARLEY QUINN #14-21.
