It’s now or never! If you’re interested in joining the Batman-News comics review team, this is your chance! We’ve received a number of applications and will be closing the application period after July 14th. If you’ve been on the fence as to whether you should apply or not, the answer is yes, and the time is now! For details on how to apply, click here!
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.
JULY 10th
TAKE MY MONEY
Detective Comics #1007
“The Spectre: Dead on Arrival” finale! In all of Gotham City, there’s only one life Batman would be willing to risk to save Jim Corrigan and the Spectre: his own!
Written by Peter J. Tomasi
Pencils and Inks by Kyle Hotz
Colored by David Baron
Cover by Dan Brown and Kyle Hotz
Josh’s Stance: Yes, please! You had me at Spectre! (And Tomasi… and Hotz apparently after I talked myself into how good of an artist he is.)
Batman News critic: Jay
INTRIGUED
Batman: Universe #1
Following the theft of a priceless Fabergé egg, the Riddler leads the Dark Knight on a wild hunt after its true owner: Jinny Hex, descendant of Jonah Hex! Guest-starring Deathstroke, Green Arrow and dozens of Riddler look-alikes in stories by Brian Michael Bendis with art by Nick Derington, originally published in BATMAN GIANT #3 and #4!
Written by Brian Michael Bendis
Pencils and Inks by Nick Derington
Colored by Dave Stewart
Cover by Nick Derington
Josh’s Stance: Pulling from Wal-Mart 100 page giants, this is the first chapter of Brian Michael Bendis and Nick Derington’s Batman story! I feel as though there’s a since of relieve or ease when you can write something that isn’t necessarily the main title or in continuity, so I’m excited to see what this duo delivers!
Batman News critic: Jay
Event Leviathan #2
“The Detectives”! EVENT LEVIATHAN, the new miniseries by the award-winning team of writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist Alex Maleev, continues! As the mystery of Leviathan continues to rock the very foundations of the DC Universe, the world’s greatest detectives gather for the first time anywhere to solve the mystery before it’s too late! Lois Lane leads Batman, Green Arrow, Plastic Man, Manhunter, the Question and a couple of genuine guest sleuths in the search for who Leviathan is and how their plans have already unfolded. This issue also guest-stars Red Hood, Batgirl and more!
Written by Brian Michael Bendis
Art by Alex Maleev
Cover by Alex Maleev
Josh’s Stance: Prior to the first issue, I was really excited for Event Leviathan. But then we got the debut last month, and… well… It was just weird. The dialogue was super awkward, and it didn’t do much to kick things off. Maybe because this “event” has already been rolling in Action Comics, but regardless, the first issue was a mess and that has me cautious for this chapter. That being said, I’m going to pray that the miss with Event Leviathan #1 was just a fluke.
Batman News critic: Brian
MIXED
Batman & the Outsiders #3
In their first encounter with the powerful maniac who’s pursuing runaway meta-human Sofia Barrera, Black Lightning and the Outsiders were absolutely humbled. Does everyone on this team have what it takes? Or did Batman make a catastrophic mistake when he entrusted them with Sofia’s life?
Plus, ousted from power and stripped of wealth, Ra’s al Ghul is a broken man. But Lex Luthor has a plan for how the Outsiders could be Ra’s’ new League of Assassins!
Written by Bryan Edward Hill
Pencils and Inks by Dexter Soy
Colored by Veronica Gandini
Cover by Tyler Kirkham and Arif Prianto
Josh’s Stance: It’s quite clear that “Year of the Villain” is interfering here rather heavily, but we can’t really control that. I’ve said this before, but I really wish Hill would’ve been able to setup an actual foundation with the team and these characters first before diving into this whole nonsense of Luthor making offers to people. This is 50/50 and could go either way. I’m going to hope for the best.
Batman News critic: Josh
“YOU DON’T HAVE TO THANK US”
Batman #74
“The Fall and the Fallen” concludes with a father-and-son showdown. Flashpoint Batman reveals his fiendish reasoning for dragging Batman into the desert, and who is in the coffin they’ve been dragging along with them. But is this a step too far? It’s Bruce Wayne versus Thomas Wayne for the right to wear the cowl, and all of Gotham City hangs in the balance!
Written by Tom King
Pencils and Inks by Mikel Janin
Colored by Jordie Bellaire
Cover by Mikel Janin
Josh’s Stance: I feel like everything question posed in the solicitation was answered in the previous issue, so… Yeah. Anyway, I’m finding it hard to get excited about anything related to Tom King’s Batman these days, so I’m just going to take it in stride knowing that a change is coming soon.
Batman News critic: Josh
NO!
Red Hood: Outlaw #36
There’s no way to plan for every contingency…even for a son of the Bat like Jason Todd. His goal was to take down the Penguin and assume his role as the prince of Gotham, but the best laid plans go awry when Oswald Cobblepot gets the last laugh—and the last bullet! And not even the Red Hood and his posse can stop him. (How could they with the Iceberg Lounge under siege and Bunker, Wingman and the Sisters Su too busy to help Jason deal with a Penguin ascendant?) Don’t miss the startling conclusion to “Prince of Gotham!”
What can Lex Luthor offer former sidekick Jason Todd? Sidekicks…broken, battered and catastrophically dangerous sidekicks. The Teen Titans they’re not!
Written by Scott Lobdell
Pencils and Inks by Pete Woods
Colored by Rex Lokus
Cover by Dan Panosian
Josh’s Stance: The New 52 Jason Todd is back and… I really don’t care. After so much great work, I don’t know why Lobdell opted to turn back to all of this nonsense…
Batman News critic: Brian
NOTES:
- Titles we’ll cover in This Week in Comics: Catwoman #13, Justice League Odyssey #11, and Young Justice #7, as well as the titles listed above.
- Additional release from DC Comics: The Flash #74, Hawkman #14, House of Whispers #11, Naomi #6, Supergirl #32, Superman #13, Wonder Twins #6, and Wonder Woman #74.
GRAPHIC NOVEL WATCH:
No Batman-centric graphic novels are being released this week.
