Welcome back to Upcoming Comics!
I just got out of lockdown, and I gotta say, I am annoyed. I wanted to go on something of a shopping spree to celebrate getting out: I bought a Loki figure from the new show (GREAT first episode), a Flametrooper figure from the Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order game… and three comic books. I would have liked to buy more, but I found myself a little impeded by the price. How much do you think I spent on three currently printing comics?
Did you guess fourty dollars?
Let me break down how that works. Living in Australia, comics are naturally more expensive to buy, especially physically. The average US comic is gonna be about 3-5 bucks, and it’s getting closer and closer to 5 every year. Translate that to Australian dollars, you’re gonna get 5-8 dollars. Then, factor in import prices that the comic book stores have to pay to even ship these comics here: that doesn’t just disappear. Suddenly, your average Aussie comic is sitting at a price point of 7-10 bucks. I bought two five-dollar comics and DC Pride, so I could support it – an especially hefty ten-dollar comic.
All of this makes sense when you lay it out like this, but practically, it means I can only spend so much on comic books. It’s definitely a big reason why I lean more into trades nowadays, as well as gravitating to the indie scene. What do you guys spend your money on comics-wise?
This bitch-fest is mainly prompted by the fact that we don’t have a lot to talk about this week, but let’s get into it and see what we have!
Upcoming Comics
Catwoman #32
Who is Selina Kyle? That’s the question that Father Valley has taken to the streets to find out. From her humble beginnings as an Alleytown kid to her greatest heists as Catwoman, all will be revealed. Because when Father Valley asks a question, it’s best to answer…but when he’s already quoting verses, pray that it’s not already too late for you. Proverbs, 25:2.
Written by Ram V
Pencils and Inks by Evan Cagle
Colored by Jordie Bellaire
Cover by Daniel Henriques, Robson Rocha and Alejandro Sanchez
Michael’s Thoughts: I think Ram V is the best writer at DC currently so it’s no surprise Catwoman is my favorite series on the stands. Evan Cagle is on art duties this week, but he looks to be a more than worthy replacement for series regular Fernando Blanco. While some of the initial narrative momentum has slowed a little, Catwoman is always one of the best books of the week.
Batman/Fortnite: Zero Point #5
Batman, Catwoman, and the unlikely band of renegade Fortnite fighters make their way deep into the underground complex of the Island in a desperate hunt to escape the Loop-areas never before seen in the game, with secrets discovered only by the World’s Greatest Detective. Along the way they’ll fight for their lives…uncover revelations about the history and inner workings of the world of Fortnite…and face a betrayal from one of their own as our story hurtles toward its explosive conclusion!
Written by Christos N. Gage
Pencils and Inks by Christian Duce
Colored by John Kalisz
Cover by Mikel Janin
Corbin’s Thoughts: Ya’ll are probably well aware at this point that I find this series little more than thinly veiled advert. I don’t see that changing this late in the run, but who knows. At the very least maybe we’ll have a few more laughs making fun of it together.
Nightwing #81
Dick Grayson trades out his escrima sticks for a magnifying glass and a sleuth hat to investigate Blüdhaven’s new mayor, Melinda Zucco, and find out how the daughter of the man who murdered Dick’s parents came to power in Nightwing’s city. But his investigative adventure is cut short when he comes face to face with the most horrendous villain in the history of Blüdhaven-HEARTLESS.
Written by Tom Taylor
Pencils and Inks by Bruno Redondo
Colored by Adriano Lucas
Cover by Bruno Redondo
Michael’s Thoughts: My initial impression of Tom Taylor’s Nightwing was a little less enthusiastic than most. Its attempts at social commentary were toothless and the series seemed too focused on apologizing for the “Ric” era. Now that Taylor and Bruno Redondo have established their own take and atmosphere for the series, I hope to see higher stakes in the plot for Dick, Barbara, and his other allies.
Legends of the Dark Knight #2
DARICK ROBERTSON’S EPIC “BAD NIGHT, GOOD KNIGHT” CONTINUES! The Joker has been poisoned. Batman has a choice to make: Does he let his ultimate enemy live or die? The perfect riddle for The Riddler to sink his teeth into! Batman receives a sinister clue that leads him into a new death trap, but…it looks like a new quizzical force might be at work in Gotham City looking to undermine Batman and get their hands on the toxins every villain in the city is fighting over!
Written and Illustrated by Darick Robertson
Inks by Richard P. Clark
Colored by Diego Rodriguez
Matina’s Thoughts: I love the idea of DC bringing back this series again, and last month’s opening chapter by Robertson has me looking forward to seeing where else Batman’s long night takes him!
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.
This week, my personal recommendation is Static Shock: Season One. Vita Ayala is a talented writer, Static Shock is a great character who a lot of us grew up with, and it’s fantastic to see Dwayne McDuffie’s Milestone line come back to DC. I really hope it’s a good time!
Ratings
Most Excited: Nightwing #81. Heartless has a really cool design, and I’m always keen on Dick’s rogues gallery expanding beyond the realm of Batman!
Least Excited: Batman/Fortnite: Zero Point #5. Not really my thing, though I hear good things about the Batman/Catwoman relationship so maybe I’ll sit down soon and give it a real shot.
Wild Card: Legends of the Dark Knight #2. This book is still starting out, so there’s a lot of time to see where this goes and how good it can get!
Poll
Last week was a two-part poll to figure out which characters you were most excited to see in DC Pride – I’m happy to say that Midnighter and Appolo won with 45% of the vote! Shame Appolo didn’t show up in any of the shorts, though…
This week, we’re gonna take a look at all of Nightwing’s outfits, and see which ones clicked with readers the most.
(Also, please follow me on Twitter, I’m this close to losing my 100 follower count and going back down to 99, and I’m not sure my ego can take it)
Best wishes, and see you in the reviews!
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Author’s Twitter: @ObnoxiousFinch
