With Nightwing returning to a monthly release schedule, we only have two books we’ll be providing full coverage on this week. There will be plenty more to discuss in This Week in Comics on Friday though! In other news, April 2019 solicitations should be hitting this week (today?), but most of them have already been leaked. It looks like the big news coming out of this is that Titans and Damage have been canceled (though I have a suspicion that Titans will be relaunching soon), while Teen Titans appear to be setting up another event with Deathstroke called “Terminus Agenda.” Will this be the end of Teen Titans? With Young Justice out now, I could see the Teen Titans splitting up in the near future.
Other than that, the only noteworthy news to come out of the solicitations is that Dan Jurgens will move to Nightwing as the new writer. Before you get your hopes up though, we’re still going to be dealing with the Ric Grayson mess, so, yeah… It might get better, but I still think the majority will hate the concept. #NotMyNightwing
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.
JANUARY 23rd
INTRIGUED
Justice League #16
It’s a mystery in space: Why would the Guardians of the Universe hide top-secret intel deep in the bowels of a secret vault on Thanagar Prime? That’s what Martian Manhunter, GL and Hawkgirl want to know! That’s not the only puzzler popping off either, as an ancient connection that bonds Kendra and Shayera Hol unlocks the secret of the map on Hawkgirl’s Dark Metal wings. Back on Earth, Starman and the Trinity look to create a wormhole that could transport them to Thanagar Prime. The only catch? It could vaporize them!
Written by Scott Snyder and James Tynion IV
Pencils by Jim Cheung and Stephen Segovia
Inks by Jim Cheung, Mark Morales, and Stephen Segovia
Colored by Tomeu Morey and Wil Quintana
Cover by Jim Cheung and Tomeu Morey
Josh’s Stance: While I haven’t been wowed by the current arc, it does appear to be setting up a number of future arcs and stories. That, on its own, is keeping me interested. This isn’t to say that Justice League is bad at the moment either – far from it actually. It’s just that this story isn’t as gripping as the previous stories Snyder has delivered on the title… I’m literally comparing something good (this story) to something great (the opening arc) though, so this isn’t a complaint, just a comment on where the book stands against itself… I’ll stop talking now. Go pick up Justice League.
Batman News Critic: Brian
MIXED
Batman #63
There are strange goings-on in the dark alleys of Gotham City, mysteries that will require a different skill set than the Caped Crusader’s if he’s going to stop the whole city from succumbing to the darkness. John Constantine, the Hellblazer, is a person with just those skills—but after the events of “The Witching Hour,” is Constantine in any condition to help the Dark Knight Detective?
Written by Tom King
Pencils and Inks by Mikel Janin
Colored by Jordie Bellaire
Cover by Mikel Janin
Josh’s Stance: At this point, I feel like Tom King is doing nothing more than wasting our time… He’s made it a tendency on his Batman run to make a reveal, then force readers to wait while he tells other stories that have nothing to do with the main arc… At this current moment in his run, we should be approaching the climax of his long arc, but instead, we’re being tossed one-shots that complete stop any momentum he’s built. Considering some readers already have a number of issues with King’s Batman, this definitely doesn’t help. But, hey, it has Constantine, so maybe Elena will like it? Or will King flub up another character and receive a low grade because of it? We’ll find out on Wednesday…
Batman News Critic: Elena
NOTES:
- Titles we’ll cover in This Week in Comics: Damage #13, Teen Titans #26, and Teen Titans Go! #32, as well as the titles listed above.
- Naomi #1 by Brian Michael Bendis, David Walker, and Jamal Campbell will debut this week under the Wonder Comics brand!
- Additional releases from DC Comics: American Carnage #3, Aquaman #44, Cover #5, The Curse of Brimstone Annual #1, Freedom Fighters #2, Lucifer #4, Pearl #6, Shazam #2, Sideways #12, and The Wild Storm #19.
GRAPHIC NOVEL WATCH:
Batman in the Brave & the Bold: The Bronze Age Vol. 2 – Batman moves into the 1970s with these team-up tales guest starring Wonder Woman, Green Arrow, Black Canary, Teen Titans, the Flash, Metamorpho and more!
Throughout the 1970s, Batman fought evil side by side with DC Comics’ greatest–and, occasionally, strangest–superheroes, including these tales guest-starring such legendary characters as the Teen Titans, the Flash, the Metal Men, Wonder Woman, Green Arrow, Black Canary and others.
Collects THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD #92-109.
Nightwing: The Rebirth Deluxe Edition Book 3 – Dick Grayson is Nightwing–protector of Blüdhaven, member of the Titans, superhero and all-around good guy. But Dick has been so much more in the past. He was the original Robin. He wore the cowl of Batman. He was even a super-spy for the mysterious organization Spyral. And now, when all he wants to do is establish his new life in Blüdhaven. Join Nightwing on his journey to discovering his new identity and giving Blüdhaven a reason to remember his name.
This deluxe edition includes the storyline “Raptor’s Revenge.” Nightwing rejected Raptor’s offer to be his new protégé. And since he escaped prison months ago, Raptor has been making his plans to show Nightwing that if he didn’t want Raptor as a mentor…he will get him as the worst enemy he’s ever had! Now Raptor is back in Blüdhaven with secrets and a plan that will tear the city apart–and could put Nightwing out of commission forever!
And just when Nightwing finally feels like he’s got his life in Blüdhaven under control–a murderer from his Gotham City days has arrived in his new city! How many people will die before he’s stopped this time? Or worse than that…what if Dick can’t stop him? Find all this and more in Nightwing: The Rebirth Deluxe Edition Book 3.
Writer Tim Seeley (Green Lanterns) and artists Javier Fernandez (Red Hood/Arsenal), Chris Sotomayor (Detective Comics) and others continue Dick’s adventures in Nightwing: The Rebirth Deluxe Edition Book 3! Collects the fifth and sixth softcover trades into hardcover for the first time ever, including issues #29-43!
