Welcome back to Upcoming Comics!
DC is coming out with a LOT of books this week, and as usual, most of them are Bat-related. The Adventures Continue is returning, adding to the list of comics I really should review – and a surprisingly solid run of Man-Bat is wrapping up, which I strongly encourage everyone check out Cam’s reviews on. On the housekeeping side of things, I think a cool alternative to Josh’s old ratings system might be to get little comments from the reviewers for each comic – Josh making a sentence talking about the upcoming issue of Batman while I talk about the latest Justice League and so on! Would you guys like that?
Meanwhile, I recently watched Zack Snyder’s Army of the Dead, along with a few other classic zombie movies like both Dawn of the Dead films. While Zack Snyder’s 2004 rendition of Dawn was a really solid flick, Army of the Dead felt a little undercooked. Zack Snyder couldn’t keep the camera in focus for more than a second, and the movie had a lot of ideas that went absolutely nowhere. It’s a far cry from how much I enjoyed the Snyder Cut, if I’m honest! Then again, the Snyder Cut didn’t have a zombie tiger.
Here’s what we’ve got for this week:
Upcoming Comics
Batman #109
Main Story: Mayor Nakano green-lights the Magistrate pilot program for Gotham City as Batman goes toe-to-toe with the augmented and bloodthirsty Peacekeeper-01! It’s a brutal battle for the ages, but what secrets does Harley Quinn hold about the man beneath the armor, Sean Mahoney? And how does this all play in to the Scarecrow’s hands?!
Backup: Ghost-Maker is fighting through incredible odds to reach the nefarious Madame Midas…but will his next opponent-BRAINSTORM-be impossible to overcome?!
Written by James Tynion IV
Pencils and Inks by Jorge Jimenez and Ricardo López Ortiz
Colored by Romulo Fajardo Jr. and Tomeu Morey
Cover by Jorge Jimenez and Tomeu Morey
Batman News Critic: Josh
Suicide Squad #4
Task Force X missed its opportunity to extract a new speedster from Teen Titans Academy, but they return with a prize just as valuable-Red X. But the tables quickly turn when it becomes apparent the Squad’s newest target may have planned his own capture. Now hunted by X, the Squad begins to drop one by one, leaving team leader Amanda Waller scrambling for bargaining chips.
Written by Robbie Thompson
Pencils by Eduardo Pansica
Inks by Julio Ferreira and Joe Prado
Colored by Marcelo Maiolo
Cover by Julio Ferreira, Marcelo Maiolo and Eduardo Pansica
Batman News Critic: Cam
Batman/Fortnite: Zero Point #4
Batman has broken free from the Loop and the endless cycle of combat. Now free to explore the Island without limitation, the World’s Greatest Detective will discover secrets about the world of Fortnite never before revealed in the game or anywhere else. Just one thing…he’s not alone. Not only is he met by a rogue faction of Fortnite bandits who have ALSO escaped the Loop-Eternal Voyager! Bandolette! Magnus! Fishstick! And a few others-there’s someone else trapped, someone who is trying to get free from the world of Fortnite…someone deadly. Will Batman recognize this familiar hunter-for-hire, and even more importantly, will he trust him? Just because Batman’s out of the Loop doesn’t mean the fighting is over…
Written by Christos N. Gage
Pencils and Inks by Christian Duce
Colored by John Kalisz
Cover by Mikel Janin
Batman News Critic: Corbin
Man-Bat #5
Man-Bat has been hunted by the Suicide Squad, beaten to a pulp by Batman, shot at by the police and terrorized by Scarecrow. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! In this explosive conclusion to the tragic tale of Man-Bat, Kirk Langstrom will need to fight off the hordes that hound him, rescue his loved ones from the clutches of a madman, and do it all before the Man-Bat serum coursing through his veins eats him alive from the inside out. Do not miss this epic final act!
Written by Dave Wielgosz
Pencils and Inks by Sumit Kumar
Colored by Romulo Fajardo Jr.
Cover by Kyle Hotz and Alejandro Sanchez
Batman News Critic: Cam
Batman: The Adventures Continue Season Two #1
Gotham City is changing. After Mayor Hill is killed by a mysterious assailant, Batman finds himself tracking down an ancient order that’s long been buried under the streets of Gotham: the Court of Owls. But what does this group have to gain from the death of Mayor Hill, and how can Deadman help the Dark Knight?
Written by Alan Burnett and Paul Dini
Pencils and Inks by Ty Templeton
Colored by Monica Kubina (probably)
Cover by Riley Rossmo
Justice League #62
The Justice League! The biggest heroes! The biggest threats! With their powers out of control and trapped on a world they do not understand, the League must band together like never before. Queen Hippolyta is forced to confront her new destiny. All this and a last page so shocking that it will have fans of Naomi screaming!
Meanwhile, in our bonus story, the Justice League Dark are trapped in the Library of Babel, where they are learning the hard way that the pen is mightier than their swords. Elsewhere, Merlin sets his sights on a lost city that hides the key to his violent delights. Could this mean a violent end for all?
Written by Brian Michael Bendis and Ram V
Pencils and Inks by Xermanico and David Marquez
Colored by Romulo Fajardo Jr. and Ivan Plascencia
Cover by David Marquez and Alejandro Sanchez
Batman News Critic: Nick
Batman/Catwoman #5
Batman’s two loves collide, and the smash-up could be dangerous not just for the Caped Crusader, but for The Joker as well. In order to prove her mission is righteous, Phantasm takes Catwoman out on a hit against one of the men responsible for the disappearance of her son. Unfortunately for Selina Kyle, this isn’t the first time she’s gone behind Batman’s back to try to do the right thing, so she’s far too aware of how bad a turn this whole affair could take. Also, in the future, it’s Harley Quinn, ready to avenge Mistah J!
Written by Tom King
Pencils and Inks by Clay Mann
Colored by Tomeu Morey
Cover by Clay Mann and Tomeu Morey
Batman News Critic: Michael
Crime Syndicate #4
The world has been saved by the…Crime Syndicate?! With the Starro invaders vanquished, what’s next for Earth-3’s most notorious saviors? Can loose cannons Emerald Knight, Quick, and Atomica keep their cool? Will Ultraman accept Superwoman and Owlman’s tantalizing offer? And what is Alexander Luthor plotting as all these metahuman menaces run amok?
Here’s the REAL question of the month: Which heroes will join the LEGION OF JUSTICE?
In this issue’s backup story, witness the origin of the Emerald Knight, illustrated by superstar artist Bryan Hitch!
Written by Andy Schmidt
Pencils by Bryan Hitch and Kieran McKeown
Inks by Bryan Hitch and Dexter Vines
Colored by Olyoptics Oliff, Steve Oliff and Alex Sinclair
Cover by Jim Cheung, Romulo Fajardo Jr. and Howard Porter
Batman News Critic: Cam
Beyond the Bat
Welcome to Beyond the Bat! Here you can see everything else that DC is releasing this week, beyond the scope of the books we cover on the website.
In particular, today I’d like to make note of The Nice House on the Lake, which is Tynion’s latest foray into horror. His creator-owned books have recieved serious acclaim, and I’ve been hearing some positive buzz about this book in particular – so check it out if you’re into the genre!
Ratings
Most Excited: Batman/Catwoman #5. I know, I’m surprised too – after all, I was never really a fan of King’s Batman run. That being said, Clay Mann is really giving it his all, and I’m honestly a fan of how you as the reader has to piece together the nonlinear narrative!
Least Excited: Batman/Fortnite: Zero Point #4. At this point, the novelty of the concept has worn off for me, though I am a fan of the designs we’ve been seeing coming out of the comic.
Wild Card: Crime Syndicate #4. Typically, I don’t believe the Syndicate have much value outside of being foils for the Justice League – but when you’re creating a world to exist around them, it becomes a whole lot easier to prove me wrong!
Poll
Last week’s poll was our closest yet, with Lord Death Man winning “Best Obscure Batman Villain” by a VERY small margin! This time, we’re gonna shift focus to the scarier side of Gotham.
Best wishes, and see you in the reviews!
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Author’s Twitter: @ObnoxiousFinch
