Welcome back to Upcoming Comics!
A lot of DC news happened this week, and I don’t know if I have the energy to cover it all extensively… so, let’s put it into a series of dot points!
- The Justice League are being killed is a creatively bankrupt idea, but it’s one I’m ABSOLUTELY down for – not only will the issue be a blast to review, but maybe it’ll give DC the chance to restructure the book into something they can actually be proud of.
- The main theme to The Batman is fucking fantastic: a perfect blend of melancholy, suspense, hope and triumph. The clip from the movie looks pretty good, too.
- It’s a shame Wonder Girl is being cancelled, but the new Wonder Woman crossover has me genuinely excited.
- I’m not that interested in a prequel comic to the new Flash movie. I can’t think of many movie tie-in comics that are all that good.
- Love the idea of the CW-verse crossing over with mainline comic continuity!
- The Batman should not be three hours. It should be five.
And I think that’s everything! With that in mind, here’s what we’ve got for this week:
Upcoming Comics
Batman/Catwoman Special #1
Some great romances are destined to be. The Batman/Catwoman series shows readers the romance between Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle as it changed over their lives, but what about their connections from before they became costumed adventurers? This special one-off issue, meticulously illustrated by John Paul Leon (Batman: Creature of the Night), traces the life of Selina Kyle from her earliest days to her entry into the criminal underworld, and reveals that Bruce was actually a presence in her life all along. Whether it was fate or coincidence, this story gives even more reasons why Selina and Bruce’s connection is one of the most enduring love affairs in comics.
Written by Tom King
Art by Lee Bermejo, Mitch Gerads, Klaus Janson, John Paul Leon, ChrisCross, Chris Batista, Jon Bogdanove, Andy Brase, Bernard Chang, Becky Cloonan, Denys Cowan, Shawn Crystal, Mitch Gerads, Dave Gibbons, Dave Johnson, Joelle Jones, Rick Leonardi, Tula Lotay, Clay Mann, Shawn Martinbrough, Ibrahim Moustafa, Khary Randolph, Walt Simonson and Dani Strips
Colored by Lee Bermejo, Tamra Bonvillain, Andy Brase, Becky Cloonan, Mitch Gerads, Dave Johnson, Emilio Lopez, Tula Lotay, Marcelo Maiolo, Sian Mandrake, Seth Mann, Laura Martin Ibrahim Moustafa, Chris Sotomayor and Dave Stewart
Cover by John Paul Leon
Thoughts: You know, I have had a lot of opinions on Tom King’s Batman over the years (many of them negative) – but I have to admit, at this point there’s no denying the work he’s done on Batman and Catwoman’s relationship. It’s genuinely fantastic to see so much content around their love story, and I’m excited to read this issue.
Batman News Critic: Michael
Detective Comics #1050
It’s the landmark, oversize issue Detective Comics #1050, and some of the biggest names in comics are here to celebrate the Dark Knight! First up in “The Tower” part four, the villainous force keeping Arkham Tower’s patients sedated is at last revealed-and this villain’s return is guaranteed to catch you by surprise! It’s the dramatic conclusion to act one of Mariko Tamaki’s Arkham Tower epic, brought to life by the legendary Ivan Reis! Then, in “House of Gotham” part four, Matthew Rosenberg and Fernando Blanco take us into the seedy underbelly of Gotham’s criminal elite through the lens of the original Robin (Dick Grayson), and reveal what it takes for a young man to survive amongst the deadliest killers in the DCU. It’s a tour de force of Gotham’s vilest villains! Last but not least, making his grand return to the DCU, writer Mark Waid teams with Detective Comics uber-artist Dan Mora to bring you the start of a brand-new day for Batman…and Superman? It’s the world’s finest collaboration that you’ll need to read to believe!
Written by Matthew Rosenberg, Mariko Tamaki and Mark Waid
Pencils by Fernando Blanco, Dan Mora and Ivan Reis
Inks by Fernando Blanco, Danny Miki and Dan Mora
Colored by Brad Anderson, Jordie Bellaire and Tamra Bonvillain
Cover by Irvin Rodriguez
Thoughts: It feels like every second issue of Tec is an oversized issue nowadays. Excited for Waid’s story, though!
Batman News Critic: Casper
Robin #10
The Lazarus Tournament has ended, but Mother Soul is not going down without a fight! As Damian Wayne battles for the fate of his family line, a last-ditch effort by an unlikely ally will lead to a major power shift in the DCU! It’s Robin versus his hyper-powerful great-grandmother in a battle so gripping you’ll need an extra butterscotch candy from her little dish to make it through!
Written by Joshua Williamson
Pencils by Roger Cruz
Inks by Norm Rapmund
Colored by Luis Guerrero
Cover by Simone Di Meo
Thoughts: You know, it’s really starting to sink in how much control Williamson has over the DCU right now.
Batman News Critic: Matina
Superman & Robin Special #1
As the Super Sons, Jon Kent and Damian Wayne put evil to bed…past its bedtime. But a new day has dawned, and Jon Kent is now the Superman of Metropolis-all grown up and fighting for truth, justice, and the kinds of grown-up things that Superboy was only beginning to understand as a child. Now a ghost from Jon’s past has reared its head, and to battle this evil, he’ll need to reunite with Robin for one last mission into the heart of darkness. This time they’ll be battling not as Super Sons, but as Superman and Robin! This thrilling adventure is written by acclaimed Super Sons scribe Peter J. Tomasi!
Written by Peter J. Tomasi
Pencils by Viktor Bogdanovic
Inks by Viktor Bogdanovic and Daniel Henriques
Cover by Viktor Bogdanovic and Alejandro Sanchez
Thoughts: It’s nice to see Tomasi back working on the Super Sons – but the sting of Jonathan’s aging up is not gonna go away any time soon. Make Damian older too, if you’re gonna be like that. I wonder how Tomasi feels about writing these two after an event he couldn’t control. Fortunately, I like his writing either way… and I LOVE Viktor Bogdanovic’s art.
Batman News Critic: Matina
DC vs Vampires #4
Batman has confirmed who in the Justice League has been turned into a vampire…but can he make his move before the Justice League is turned against him? It’s hero versus hero in this blood-drenched chapter…with clues to who the new Vampire King might be!
Written by Matthew Rosenberg and James Tynion IV
Pencils and Inks by Otto Schmidt
Colored by Otto Schmidt
Cover by Otto Schmidt
Thoughts: Honestly, I’ve really loved everything I’ve read from this so far. That was genuinely shocking to me.
Review will be covered in a trade release.
Justice League #71
The Royal Flush Gang hatched one of the most elaborate plans in the history of the DC Universe, and now we know that all of it was a prelude to the crime of this and maybe even the next century. How does it connect to the trial of Black Adam? When all seems lost, hope can still be found! With Wonder Woman now by their side, the Justice League Dark have survived to fight another day. Merlin is only getting started-can the team still prove they have the magic within to defeat the medieval mage?
Written by Brian Michael Bendis and Ram V
Pencils by Phil Hester and Sumit Kumar
Inks by Eric Gapstur and Sumit Kumar
Colored by Romulo Fajardo Jr.
Cover by Nathan Fairbairn and Yanick Paquette
Thoughts: We’re almost over. We’re so close.
Batman News Critic: Myself
Task Force Z #4
There’s no way that Red Hood’s team of zombie villains would ever turn on him. I mean, that’s just math. There’s no chance at all that trying to control a team that literally has zombie Bane on it will work out badly. So just stop it, don’t even think that way…and even if that were the case, there’s no way Mr. Freeze would return to kill everyone either, right?
Written by Matthew Rosenberg
Pencils by Eddy Barrows and Kieran McKeown
Inks by Eber Ferreira and Dexter Vines
Colored by Adriano Lucas
Cover by Eddy Barrows, Eber Ferreira and Adriano Lucas
Thoughts: This cover is genuinely scary, and I don’t know if it is made better or worse with that goofy little text box.
Batman News Critic: Casper
Harley Quinn #11
A train leaves for Gotham at eight p.m. averaging 80 miles per hour, carrying one very dramatic villain named Keepsake, a bomb strapped to the engine, and me…Harley Quinn! One track leads straight to Gotham Central Station, where hundreds of lives are at risk, but the other track…that one leads to my best friend and sidekick, Kevin. Sacrifice the one to save the many? I hate that Philosophy 101 crap, and I’m really starting to hate trains.
Written by Stephanie Phillips
Pencils and Inks by Riley Rossmo
Colored by Ivan Plascencia
Cover by Riley Rossmo
Review will be covered in a trade release.
Teen Titans #11
Dane, a.k.a. Nevermore, came to the academy to become a hero, but circumstance and fate are leading him down a much darker path. To understand their future, the Titans must look into the complicated past of their most mysterious student-and unearth truths that may leave them with an impossible choice.
Written by Tim Sheridan
Pencils by Rafa Sandoval
Colored by Alex Sinclair
Cover by Rafa Sandoval and Alex Sinclair
Thoughts: Oh, we’re still doing the Red X thing?
Review will be covered in a trade release.
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, I’d recommend checking out the new Peacemaker comic. I personally loved Batman: Reptilian, and it shows to me that Garth Ennis has still totally got it. I have a strong feeling it’ll be very different to the show, though.
Ratings
Most Excited: Batman/Catwoman Special #1. The list of artists on this issue alone is worth checking this comic out for – not to mention the hopes that this story will be on the same calibre as Batman Annual #2.
Least Excited: I mean, you know exactly what I’m putting here. I’ll be reviewing it in a couple days, after all. Justice League #75 can’t come soon enough.
Wild Card: Superman & Robin Special #1. Who knows? Maybe I’ll be convinced that this new dynamic between Damian and Jon is better.
Best wishes, and see you in the reviews!
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Author’s Twitter: @ObnoxiousFinch
