Last week, we debuted the Uncanny, All-New, All-Different… Wait… That’s not right… This isn’t Marvel. Umm… Oh yeah, here we go… Last week we brought back a re-vamped This Week In Comics where each member of the Batman-News team provided a roundtable discussion on all of the Bat-titles released for the week. We will continue to post This Week In Comics every Friday, and have plans to bring back additional posts, as well as a few new ones in the near future. To allow for these returns and new editions though, we will be cutting back our coverage of select titles.
Going forward, the Batman-News team will only review issues of core Batman titles or major events. These titles will include: Batman, Detective Comics, Justice League, Nightwing, Batgirl, Red Hood and then major events/ special Bat-titles such as Heroes in Crisis, Batman: Damned, Harley Quinn and The Batman Who Laughs. Fringe titles such as Titans, The Silencer, Old Lady Harley, etc, will be reviewed as trades. While we won’t have reviews of individual issues for these titles, we will cover them in each week’s This Week In Comics commentary, along with the books we review! So, if you didn’t check out last week’s This Week In Comics post, go check it out now!
Alright, on to business! 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.
DECEMBER 12th
TAKE MY MONEY
Batman Annual #3
“THE OTHER SIDE OF THE PENNY!” Alfred Pennyworth has been Batman’s most trusted ally and confidant since the Dark Knight first hit the streets of Gotham City. Now, witness Batman’s battle for justice from Alfred’s perspective and learn how harrowing that journey has been as Batman experiences one of the worst nights Gotham City has ever seen—a night that will push Alfred to the breaking point! Best-selling writer Tom Taylor presents an epic tale that promises to be one of the most Alfred stories ever told!
Written by Tom Taylor
Art by Otto Schmidt
Cover by Bryan Hitch and Alex Sinclair
Josh’s Stance: Tom Taylor writing an Alfred-centric story? Hell yeah!
Batman-News Critic: Elena
Detective Comics #994
Batman’s strangest case begins as the new creative team of writer Peter J. Tomasi and artist Doug Mahnke take over DETECTIVE COMICS!
Commissioner Gordon calls in the Dark Knight Detective when there’s a murder at the Gotham City Aquarium—staged to look exactly like Thomas and Martha Wayne’s crime scene, right down to the Playbill and pearls. How does this bizarre homicide tie into the shadowy monster that attacks Dr. Leslie Thompkins? This creature looks to wage a war on Batman—and it’s using Joker Gas to do it!
Written by Peter J. Tomasi
Pencils by Doug Mahnke
Inks by Jaime Mendoza
Colored by David Baron
Cover by David Baron, Doug Mahnke, Jaime Mendoza, and Stephen Segovia
Josh’s Stance: I’ve been ready for this ever since it was announced that Tomasi would take over!
Batman-News Critic: Elena
INTRIGUED
Batman: Damned #2
As Batman’s descent into the madness of Gotham City’s decadent underbelly continues, he must try to exorcise some of his demons…and who better to help than the Demon, Etrigan himself. And where there’s demons, there’s also a Deadman, a Spectre, an Enchantress and a host of other supernatural friends and foes—it’s a veritable Grand Guignol!
Written by Brian Azzarello
Art by Lee Bermejo
Cover by Lee Bermejo
Josh’s Stance: Bruce’s Bat-wang overshadowed the debut of Batman: Damned, but with that behind us, I’m curious to see where Azzarello and Bermejo take this story. The premise is definitely an interesting one, and who can say no to Bermejo’s incredible art?
Batman-News Critic: Elena
The Batman Who Laughs #1
Left rattled by the events of DARK NIGHTS: METAL, Bruce Wayne must come face to face with the nightmares spawned from the Dark Multiverse. But even though evil devoured evil in the collapse of Challengers Mountain, the Dark Knight still has his doubts. He discovers that the Batman Who Laughs not only survived the fight with The Joker at the end of METAL, but now he is enacting a sinister plan across the Multiverse—something both terrifying and oddly familiar. But when Bruce Wayne realizes the only way to stop this madman is to kill him, he must consider violating the very rule Batman won’t break…the same rule that created this insatiable villain—the Batman Who Laughs!
Written by Scott Snyder
Pencils and Inks by Jock
Colored by David Baron
Cover by Jock
Josh’s Stance: I’d say I’m more curious than I am excited to read this. I’ve been pretty open about not liking Metal, but I enjoy this character. His recent stint in Justice League definitely increased my excitement though!
Batman-News Critic: Casper
“YOU DON’T HAVE TO THANK US”
Suicide Squad #49
Beneath the ice of the Siberian seas, a final reckoning awaits the Suicide Squad. Amanda Waller has been implanted with her very own brain bomb—with Rick Flag’s finger on the trigger. While Deadshot, Katana, Boomerang, Harley and Croc fight tooth and nail for their very survival, they must also uncover answers to a host of life-and-death questions: What’s the secret hidden within Temho Me4ta prison? Who are the Vets? And who, ultimately, will be the Squad’s final judge, jury and executioner?
Written by Rob Williams
Pencils by Diogenes Neves
Inks by Scott Hanna
Colored by Gabe Eltaeb
Cover by Kelsey Shannon and David Williams
Josh’s Stance: Since Suicide Squad is ending its run in January, Casper decided he would go ahead and continue his coverage for the title until it bows out. The real question here is, will he be happy he did, or regret it?
Batman-News Critic: Casper
NOTES:
- Titles we’ll cover in This Week In Comics: Justice League Dark #6, New Talent Showcase 2018, Titans, and the titles listed above.
- Additional Releases from DC Comics: Electric Warriors #2, The Flash #60, Goddess Mode #1, Hawkman #7, Sasquatch Detective #7, Scooby Apocalypse #32, Sideways #11, Supergirl #32, Superman #6, and Wonder Woman #60.
GRAPHIC NOVEL WATCH:
Batman: The Golden Age Omnibus Vol. 6 – In these tales from the late 1940s, the Dynamic Duo encounters villains including Two-Face, The Joker, the Penguin and more! These stories from DETECTIVE COMICS #132-153, BATMAN #46-55 and WORLD’S FINEST COMICS #33-42 include the debut of the Riddler, a retelling of Batman’s origin and an unusual tale in which Batman and Robin reenact the story of Frankenstein.
Harley Loves Joker by Paul Dini – CRIME’S GREATEST COUPLE, TOGETHER AGAIN!
It’s the earliest days of the romance between antiheroine Harley Quinn and the superbly psychotic super-villain The Joker—but there’s already trouble in paradise. When Harley accidentally reveals the location of Mr. J’s secret headquarters, all H-E-double-hockey-sticks breaks loose…and the only thing worse than having Batman hot on their trail is the wrath of The Joker himself!
Can Harley soothe the savage beast? Can The Joker chill out for once in his miserable life? Can the Dark Knight lighten up? Can one woman with a gigantic hammer change the face of comics forever?
Travel back to the roots of the DC Universe’s wildest love story in Harley Loves Joker, from writers Paul Dini (Batman: The Animated Series) and Jimmy Palmiotti (Harley Quinn) with artist Bret Blevins (Harley Quinn)!
