Welcome back to Upcoming Comics!
Gonna make this intro short, because I’m a little strapped for time. How was everyone’s 4th of July? Seeing as we don’t celebrate it here in Australia (we never freed ourselves from the claws of the British), it’s always fun hearing about the stuff my friends from overseas get up to. Anyone do anything interesting? And do any of you guys have a favourite comic that really screams “America”?
Anyway, this week is a REALLY big one, so let’s get stuck into it and see what we’ve got.
Upcoming Comics
Batman/Fortnite: Zero Point #6
It all comes down to this! Batman and Catwoman have one chance to get back to their own world…but to do so, they’ll have to return to the nonstop battle on the Island and retrieve someone who is the key to their escape…Harley Quinn! But she’s not going to go quietly. And who’s behind the world-shattering events of our story? You’ll find out…and the implications for both Fortnite and the DC Universe will be huge.
Written by Christos N. Gage
Pencils by Reilly Brown
Inks by Nelson Faro DeCastro
Colored by John Kalisz
Cover by Mikel Janin
Corbin’s Thoughts: It’s finally over. The tie-in abomination is ending. We can all move on with our lives and quickly forget it existed.
Suicide Squad #5
After the disastrous mission to Titans Academy and an ill-fated confrontation with Red X, Task Force X looks into the Multiverse for its next recruits under Amanda Waller. Assigned to investigate the status of Earth-3, the team’s field leader, Peacemaker, begins to question what Waller plans to do with her ultimate Suicide Squad, as the deadly Bloodsport takes charge.
Written by Robbie Thompson
Pencils by Eduardo Pansica and Dexter Soy
Inks by Julio Ferreira, Joe Prado and Dexter Soy
Colored by Marcelo Maiolo
Cover by Julio Ferreira, Marcelo Maiolo and Eduardo Pansica
Cam’s Thoughts: After last issue, I’m glad to see the series back on track to Earth-3. I hope it finds its footing soon, or else we’re all in for a bit of a slog. Approach with caution.
Justice League #64
Introducing…the United! This all-new all-star group of alien warriors represents all voices in the newly formed United Planets. A galactic Justice League, if you will. The first Legion of Super-Heroes? Sort of. The United comes to the new Justice League for help because the biggest threat to the universe is on the loose, and all roads lead to…Superman. All this, and Aquaman has some surprising news. This big, bold, universe-spanning story serves as a perfect hopping-on point for fans curious where their favorite DC heroes go next!
Plus: While the Justice League Dark regroups after hitting the books (literally), all eyes turn toward Gotham, where Merlin’s followers gather to protect a mysterious weapon. Now it’ll take not one knight but two to infiltrate the cult and save reality. Batman guest-stars as the Eternal Knight’s new squire in this action-packed tale!
Written by Brian Michael Bendis and Ram V
Pencils and Inks by Sumit Kumar and Steve Pugh
Colored by Romulo Fajardo Jr. and Nick Filardi
Cover by David Marquez and Alejandro Sanchez
My Thoughts: I’m at the very least intrigued for the main story, if it fulfils the solicit’s promise to set up some new directions for the DCU. The backup just sounds awesome, and while shoving Batman into things isn’t always necessary, it’s not unwelcome here.
Justice League Infinity #1
From Justice League Unlimited producer James Tucker and series writer J.M. DeMatteis comes an all-new season starring the World’s Greatest Heroes! There is a being wandering the universe searching for its true purpose, but what it finds out on the farthest edges of the cosmos will change not just our universe, but many! Meanwhile, the war for the throne of Apokolips arrives on Earth, and the true ruler will only be decided one way: Who can destroy the Justice League?
Written by J.M. DeMatteis and James Tucker
Pencils and Inks by Ethen Beavers
Colored by Nick Filardi
Cover by Francis Manapul
Corbin’s Thoughts: I am beyond giddy to leap back into this universe. I’ve been mainlining JL/JLU to prep for it. Here’s hoping it’s a fun ride.
Batman #110
Main: Batman’s bloody, no-holds-barred fight with Magistrate enforcer Peacekeeper-01 rages on in epic fashion! Simon Saint’s master plan comes to fruition as his Magistrate program makes its move on Gotham City, and things are about to heat up! (Not in a good way!)
Backup: The Instigator versus Ghost-Maker in a kung fu showdown! Need we say more?
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
Josh’s Thoughts: This month’s issue promises to deliver the heat! We’re getting Batman vs Peacekeeper-01. If you’re feeling a sense of “been there, done that.” You’re right. This is practically what the entire Future State event was, and we were all ready to move past it. So nice of Tynion and team to double down here. (We call this sarcasm.)
Batman: The Adventures Continue: Season Two #2
Thanks to some magical help from Zatanna, Batman can now see Deadman. Joining forces, the Dark Knight and the death-defying specter hatch a plan to apprehend the treacherous Talon. But the mysterious assassin gets the upper hand and captures Hamilton Hill Jr.! Can Batman and Deadman track the regeneration formula components and find the sinister Court of Owls’ secret passageways, or will Gotham finally fall under the Court’s full control?!
Written by Alan Burnett and Paul Dini
Pencils and Inks by Ty Templeton
Colored by Monica Kubina
Cover by Kris Anka
My Thoughts: I promise I’ll be doing comprehensive reviews of these comics soon, but they really aren’t doing much for me at all. They’re episodes of The Animated Series without half the appeal of the show, that being the fact that the stories were animated. It’s hard for me to say much else, honestly.
Batman Secret Files: The Signal #1
The Signal comes back as Gotham City’s daytime protector after his time with the Outsiders. But during his sabbatical from his hometown, everything about the city and the people closest to him changed. And the mystery of the White Market, a deadly source of weapons being trafficked into Gotham City that even Batman can’t track down, will only push the Signal further away from everything he knows and into a brand-new world of danger. Writer Tony Patrick returns to pen a new chapter in the life of Duke Thomas alongside fan-favorite artist Christian Duce!
Written by Tony Patrick
Pencils and Inks by Christian Duce
Colored by Luis Guerrero
Cover by Juan Fernandez and Ken Lashley
Josh’s Thoughts: I loved what Bryan Hill did with Duke in Outsiders. My hope is that some of that progression will carry forward here. I can’t say I’m excited to see Tony Patrick return (Hill is simply a better writer… much better…), but I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt.
Crime Syndicate #5
The Crime Syndicate crosses the line for the last time…and Alexander Luthor demands justice! Earth-3’s Luthor, Savanna, Venus, Power Tower, Red Hood, Lonar, and Thaal Sinestro band together to form the Legion of Justice and defend their world at all costs. Will the looming threat of the Legion stand in the way of Owlman, Superwoman, and Ultraman’s quest for global takeover? It all builds to a cliffhanger that will leave you on the edge of your seat!
Question of the month: Who is Luthor’s secret weapon?
Also, in this issue’s backup, witness the origin story of Johnny Quick, illustrated by 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
Cam’s Thoughts: I’m excited to see the Legion of Justice in action! I’m glad this series has gone beyond your standard origin story, and I can’t wait to see what Earth-3 has in store for us.
The Next Batman: Second Son #4
While gathering evidence against the criminal Arkadine, Jace Fox has a brutal showdown with assassin Eabha O’Roark. The shocking arrival of Katana could turn the tables…but for whom? Plus, tensions in the GCPD run high as Mayor Nakano’s anti-mask policies divide the force, and Lucius Fox must decide if he wants to be a part of the Magistrate program. And prepare for a blockbuster ending!
Written by John Ridley
Illustrated by Travel Foreman, Norm Rapund and Lebeau Underwood
Cover by Jorge Molina
My Thoughts: I’ll be doing a review on the series as a whole this week, but overall I’m enjoying it quite a bit. I like how it ties everything back to the mainline Batman comic, and I like how the Fox family is written.
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.
As usual, I’m going to be suggesting you read The Nice House on the Lake – but I’d also like to draw attention to The Swamp Thing, which has been a fresh start for the avatar of the green. Let me know if you guys want me to shout anything out here!
Ratings
Most Excited: The Next Batman: Second Son #4. Honestly, nothing from this week really jumps out to me, but I’m a little bit more invested in this book for a few reasons – and I’m hoping it leads well into the upcoming I am Batman comic.
Least Excited: Suicide Squad #5. I need to give this book a proper chance, but I feel like the appeal of a Suicide Squad book should really be the knowledge some characters won’t make it out – so I’m not into seeing characters like Peacemaker and Harley Quinn on the covers of these books, knowing full well they’ll be right as rain. For James Gunn’s upcoming movie, I really have no clue who’s gonna make it.
Wild Card: Justice League Infinity #1. I think this is a followup to the old DCAU show, which could be great! That said, I said the same about The Adventures Continue, which I haven’t been liking much.
Poll
The “Best Catwoman Actress” polls were some of my most interesting yet, with a lot of varying responses that made it fun to track! Michelle Pfeiffer and Julie Newmar took the lead, though Anne Hathaway and Eartha Kitt both made for relatively strong contenders. Personally, I’d also like to remind everyone how good Camren Bicondova was on Gotham, though that show isn’t as iconic as Burton’s classic or the Batman of the 60’s.
The Fourth of July stuff got me thinking about Superman, which got me thinking about the relationship he has with Batman. So, with that in mind: who’s Batman’s best friend?
Best wishes, and see you in the reivews!
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Author’s Twitter: @ObnoxiousFinch
