Halloween is on Tuesday! I’m a big kid, so I’m super excited to dress up and take my nephew trick-or-treating! I love seeing what other people dress up as, so feel free to share your Halloween pictures in the comments section below!
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: Come for the Movie News But Stay for the Comic Chat! This week’s releases are listed according to our anticipation scale, with titles listed in alphabetical order within each sub-header. 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. Following that, you’ll find notes pertaining to other DC Comics titles, as well as our Graphic Novel Watch. And finally, we want to hear from you! What titles are you picking up? Why are you excited? What do you hope will happen in the book? Etc. So, without further ado, review our Anticipation Scale, and comment away!
The Anticipation Scale
NO! – A comic I downright dread reading and if I wasn’t a reviewer, I would never buy it.
“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!
And as a reminder, our review scale is based on a 10-point system. A rating of “5” means the book is mediocre/average, and the more toward “10″ we go, the more awesome/worth buying it is. The more toward “1″ we go the more awful/not worth buying it is. That’s how we rate things. It’s not like most video game review scores where everything under 8 is crap, and it’s not like a school report card where everything under a 7 is failing or close-to-failing. Please keep this in mind when reading our reviews.
November 1st
TAKE MY MONEY
Batman #34
“DREAM OF ME” part two! Batman is on a quest in the desert, far from his Gotham City home. His friends and allies think he’s gone crazy, and his mission puts him far outside the law. Waiting for him at the center of the chaos is an old enemy…and plenty of old demons.
Written by Tom King
Pencils and Inks by Joelle Jones
Colored by Jordie Bellaire
Cover by Jordie Bellaire and Joelle Jones
Josh’s Stance: I thoroughly enjoyed Part One of “Dream of Me,” and have no clue where King is going to take this story. It also appears as though King is going to lean more into telling a linear story rather than focusing so strongly on themes.
Batman-News Critic: Brandon
Batman: White Knight #2
Public support for Batman dwindles and Gotham City’s 99 percent rally around ex-Joker Jack Napier’s crusade to expose decades of corruption within the GCPD. A proposition inspires new revelations about Harley and The Joker’s past; and as Jack transforms into a hero of the middle class and takes extreme measures to mobilize a revolutionary army of super-villains, Bruce struggles to stay focused on engineering a technological breakthrough to save Alfred.
Written by
Sean Murphy
Pencils and Inks by Sean Murphy
Colored by Matt Hollingsworth
Cover by Matt Hollingsworth and Sean Murphy
Josh’s Stance: I had high hopes for Batman: White Knight, and Sean Murphy definitely delivered in the debut! If he can maintain this level of quality throughout the entire run, we’re in for a real treat!
Batman-News Critic: Brian
Injustice 2 #13
In Kahndaq, Kara Zor-el continues her tutelage under the watchful eye of Black Adam. But Damian Wayne, visiting as an emissary of Ra’s al Ghul, decides that it’s time for Kara to begin her training, leading to the two of them out of the kingdom without Adam’s knowledge or approval. Damian risks exposing another super-powered Kryptonian to a hostile world still recovering from the reign of Superman, and himself to wrath of Black Adam.
Art by Mike S. Miller
Cover by Mike S. Miller
Written by Tom Taylor
Josh’s Stance: One of the reasons Injustice is so successful and satisfying, is because it’s unpredictable and the story is told in a long-form format. This provides an epic feeling to the story that keeps you hungry for more… Which is exactly how I feel: hungry for more!
Batman-News Critic: Elena
The Shadow/ Batman #2
The truth of what the Shadow doesn’t know threatens to destroy his partnership with Batman and Robin just when they need him the most. Three generations of heroes stand at a crossroads as the secret of the Silent Seven threatens to encompass and obliterate them all. To fight the Seven, Batman and the Shadow must force them to reveal themselves. But how do men make moves against a behemoth evil that measures assaults in centuries?
Written by Steve Orlando
Art by Giovanni Timpano
Cover by Tony S. Daniel
Josh’s Stance: Did you read the debut? It teased Moriarty! Freaking Moriarty!
Batman-News Critic: Josh
INTRIGUED
Batman: The Devastator #1
As the events of DARK NIGHTS: METAL rock the DC Universe, the creatures of the Dark Multiverse stand ready to invade our world! How can the World’s Greatest Heroes stop a horde of deadly beings that appear to be powerful nightmare versions of familiar figures?
Written by Frank Tieri
Pencils by Tony Salvador Daniel
Inks by Danny Miki
Colored by Tomeu Morey
Cover by Brad Anderson and Jason Fabok
Josh’s Stance: I know what you’re thinking, “Josh, last week you said you were already feeling fatigue with Metal and its tie-ins! Why do you have this ranked under ‘Intrigued?’” Well, most of this stems from the fact that Frank Tieri delivered an excellent one-shot with Murder Machine! If he can deliver that same level of quality, we will be treated with another great issue!
Batman-News Critic: Josh
Harley & Ivy Meet Betty and Veronica #2
It’s her (father’s) party and she’ll cry if she wants to, because Veronica and Betty’s killer costume idea was stolen by two crashers from Gotham City! Of course, she can’t know that she’s facing off with the real Poison Ivy, or that Betty’s about to get bopped by Harley Quinn herself. Whoops!
Written by Marc Andreyko and Paul Dini
Pencils and Inks by Laura Braga
Colored by Arif Prianto
Cover by Emanuela Lupacchino and Tomeu Morey
Josh’s Stance: More than anything, I thought Harley & Ivy Meet Betty and Veronica was a fun read. But with Dini and Andreyko teaming up, what else would you expect?
Batman-News Critic: Josh
Nightwing #32
“RAPTOR’S REVENGE” part three! Nightwing and Blockbuster are forced into becoming allies as Raptor’s plans grow more sinister–and more brazen! The last thing Dick Grayson was expecting was for Raptor to walk right up to him at his day job at the Marcus Casino…and the villain’s first gamble? The lives of everyone in Blüdhaven!
Written by Tim Seeley
Pencils by Scot Eaton and Miguel Mendonca
Inks by Diana E. Conesa and Wayne Faucher
Colored by Chris Sotomayor
Cover by Javier Fernandez and Chris Sotomayor
Josh’s Stance: This story isn’t as strong as I’d like because it appears Seeley is trying to provide a clean conclusion to his run, but I’m still excited to see more of Raptor, and I enjoy how he writes Dick. Certain elements have felt rushed, but with a number of storylines tied up, we could be in for a strong conclusion!
Batman-News Critic: Jay
MIXED
Deadman by Neal Adams #1
“JOURNEY INTO DEATH” part one! When we last left Deadman, the true story had barely begun! Deadman’s death was unsolved, and his fate was intertwined with that of his parents and siblings. Even the Dark Night Detective couldn’t solve the mysteries of Boston Brand’s fantastic secrets! Now, Batman is back, confronting Deadman about who was really behind his death. Was Boston Brand’s assassination a test for the League of Assassins? Why does Batman think Ra’s al Ghul was involved? And why does Deadman need the help of Zatanna, Phantom Stranger, Dr. Fate and the Spectre to defend Nanda Parbat?
Written by Neal Adams
Art by Neal Adams
Cover by Neal Adams
Josh’s Stance: Deadman is a great character. Neal Adams is a legend. So why is this title not ranked higher? Well, DC has brought quite a few legends back recently, and their turnout has been less than stellar. It’s made me cautious. Oh, and clearly Batman is in this issue. That’s why we’re covering it.
Batman-News Critic: Jay
Justice League #32
“BATS OUT OF HELL” part two! The Justice League have been separated by the dreaded Dark Knights and are forced into twisted Bat-Caves designed to kill them! The Batman Who Laughs and the Murder Machine experiment on Cyborg, seeing how he reacts to the horrors of the Dark Multiverse! Can the Justice League survive their worst nightmares made real?!
Written by Robert Venditti
Pencils and Inks by Liam Sharp
Colored by Adam Brown
Cover by Ethan Van Sciver and Jason Wright
Josh’s Stance: The thing I’m most excited about here, is Liam Sharp’s art. I thought “Bats Out of Hell” started fine, but “Gotham Resistance” lost its way a bit as it progressed, so I’m being cautious more than anything.
Batman-News Critic: Brian
Notes:
- Additional DC Releases slated for this week: Bane: Conquest #7, Black Lightning: Cold Dead Hands #1, Bombshells United #5, Cyborg #18, Dastardly and Muttley #3, Deathstroke #25, Green Arrow #34, Green Lanterns #34, The Jetsons #1, and Superman #34.
Graphic Novel Watch:
Batman – Detective Comics: The Rebirth Deluxe Edition – Book 1 – Someone is targeting Batman’s allies in Gotham—young and untested heroes who model themselves after the Dark Knight but don’t yet have his training or resources. With the help of Batwoman, the Caped Crusader recruits these young vigilantes, training them to be a team worthy of Gotham’s biggest threats.
Red Robin, Spoiler, Orphan and Clayface are the first heroes to get recruited. But can a team inspired by Batman and trained by Batwoman take on an entire anti-vigilante army? Or will Batman’s vision of a team of Bat-Heroes go down in flames?
Called “The single strongest book of DC’s Rebirth era” by Newsarama, DETECTIVE COMICS features acclaimed writer James Tynion IV (DARK DAYS: THE FORGE) and artists Eddy Barrows (JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA), Alvaro Martinez (BATMAN AND ROBIN ETERNAL) and more. Collects the first two volumes of the critically acclaimed series, issues #934-949.
Batman: The Dark Prince Charming Book 1 – Acclaimed European comics master Enrico Marini (Eagles of Rome, Le Scorpion) makes his American comics debut with an original, two-part graphic novel starring the Dark Knight! What secret connection do both Batman and The Joker share with a strange and mysterious young girl? After she’s kidnapped by The Joker, Batman must plunge deep into the underworld of Gotham City and race against time to find out where she’s being held. The stakes are high, and for Batman, it’s personal!
DC’s Greatest Hits Box Set – Four of DC’s recent “greatest” trade paperbacks are collected in a slipcase set featuring BATMAN VS. SUPERMAN: THE GREATEST BATTLES, HARLEY QUINN’S GREATEST HITS, WONDER WOMAN: HER GREATEST BATTLES and JUSTICE LEAGUE: THEIR GREATEST TRIUMPHS (solicited in this catalogue for October on sale), featuring some of comics’ greatest heroes and villains!
Justice League Vol. 4: Endless – The Justice League are dead. Manhattan is destroyed. And, somehow, it’s all Flash’s fault. A mysterious attacker with a mega-powerful weapon keeps targeting the Flash and those around him, blaming Flash for his family’s death.
Every time Flash comes into contact with the weapon’s energy, he finds himself flung further back in time. The Flash is joined by Justice League member Batman—now can they solve the mystery and save the city before time catches up to their destruction once more?
Writer/artist Bryan Hitch (THE AUTHORITY) is joined by guest creators including Shea Fontana (DC SUPER HERO GIRLS), Dan Abnett (AQUAMAN), Ian Churchill (TEEN TITANS), Tom DeFalco (SUPERMAN), Philip Briones (NEW SUICIDE SQAUD) and Tom Derenick (INJUSTICE: GODS AMONG US) as the world’s greatest detectives face challenges they can’t overcome with might alone! Collects issues #20-25.
Two Face: A Celebration of 75 Years – Part man and part monster, Two-Face has been one of Batman’s greatest and most fearsome villains for more than 75 years! He’s an essential part of the Dark Knight’s rogues gallery, but unlike the Joker, Scarecrow or Bane, Two-Face alone has some good left inside his soul fighting his evil persona—half the time, anyway. Chaos or order. Life or death. Tragic fallen attorney or scar-faced fiend. It all depends on how the coin falls…
Featuring stories from industry legends Bob Kane, Bill Finger, Neal Adams, Dennis O’Neil, Greg Rucka, Bruce Timm and more, TWO-FACE: A CELEBRATION OF 75 YEARS brings you more than a dozen stories of one of Batman’s most enduring foes!
Collects DETECTIVE COMICS #66, #68, #80, #739; BATMAN #50, #81, #234, #410-411, #572; BATMAN ANNUAL #14; THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD #106; JOKER #1; SECRET ORIGINS #1; BATMAN: BLACK AND WHITE #1; GOTHAM CENTRAL #10; JOKER’S ASYLUM: TWO-FACE #1; and BATMAN AND ROB
