Welcome back to Upcoming Comics!
Today is a shockingly small week for Batman comic books. It’s not often we get a week that’s more “relaxed” regarding Batman’s schedule… but then again, this still manages to be a significant week, with the conclusion of Shadows of the Bat. I’ve said it before, but I find that name to be insanely tiresome.
This is a good week for some housekeeping, then. First off, let’s give a warm welcome to Jeremy, who made his debut on the site with his fantastic review of Arkham City: Order of the World! Be sure to check it out, and I hope you enjoy seeing him more in the future. Having been speaking to him from behind the scenes for a while, it’s been really cool to see him prep for the gig. I think you’re really gonna like his stuff.
Meanwhile, we’re looking for more editorial ideas: something I’m looking to branch into more now that I’m taking on fewer reviews. Some serious life stuff has been going on that will either free up a lot of my time or make me insanely busy, and I’m not sure which way that pendulum is gonna swing just yet – but either way, I think I’m being presented with an opportunity to have some fun with the content I produce! From topics such as Batman’s wealth to cool little Batman promotional collectibles, there’s a lot of cool stuff to talk about: let me know if you have any suggestions.
Now, here’s what we have for this week:
Upcoming Comics
Detective Comics #1058
The Tower crashes to a close! In the epic finale to this weekly tale of terror, alliances are forged amongst unlikely allies, and the Bat-Family reassess their strategy in their war on crime in Gotham City. Will Psycho-Pirate be Batman’s newest eyes and ears on the streets? Can Koyuki Nakano ever recover from the traumatic events she witnessed? How much fun will the Batgirls have beating the snot out of Penguin’s goons at a seedy motel? The answers await you and much, much more in this cataclysmic culmination! (Except for the Batgirls, I’ll tell you right now that answer is “a lot.”) As if one dramatic conclusion wasn’t enough, the finale of “House of Gotham” will leave you breathless as Batman is faced with an impossible decision: kill a monster of his own creation…or let others be killed in the process. “Save the patient in front of you” was the advice from Thomas Wayne…
Written by Mariko Tamaki and Matthew Rosenberg,
Pencils and Inks by Amancay Nahuelpanand Fernando Blanco
Colours by Jordie Bellaire
Cover Art by Irvin Rodriguez
Thoughts: This is the conclusion of the very, very long story arc for Detective Comics, and I know for a fact Casper couldn’t be happier!
Batman News Critic: Casper
Robin #12
Demon versus detective! The Lazarus Tournament is over, and Damian returns to Gotham a changed hero! But there is one last opponent he might fight to the death…himself. This lead-in issue to the epic Shadow War event is one you dare not miss!
Written by Joshua Williamson
Pencils by Roger Cruz
Inks by Norm Rapmund
Colours by Luis Guerrero
Cover Art by Simone Di Meo and Viktor Bogdanovic
Batman News Critic: Matina
Harley Quinn #13
It’s a whole new year of me, Harley Quinn! I’ve learned the ins and outs of Gotham’s lovely sewage system, and I’ve even made some unexpected friends along the way. I mean, except for one very murderous new vigilante roaming the streets, a new homicide detective convinced I’m the killer, and the acclaimed Spice World (1997) film not being on a single streaming platform. Other than that…totally fine. Year two starts here with a new arc…brand new characters…and some all-too-familiar faces from my past who maybe aren’t so happy to see me.
Written by Stephanie Phillips
Pencils by Riley Rossmo
Inks by Riley Rossmo and Jay Leisten
Colours by Ivan Plascencia
Cover Art by Riley Rossmo and Adam Hughes
Thoughts: Stephanie Phillips recently took to twitter to talk about her thoughts on reviewers who go for personal attacks, among other things, due to a particularly scathing review of a recent Harley Quinn issue. The team here have had discussions about the matter ourselves – personally, I try not to talk about the creators outside of the work itself if I can’t help it. What level of respect should a reviewer grant the creators of the product they’re reviewing? Is that something that’s earned, or is it a matter of basic decency? I’m not sure hate gets a pass just because it’s in the style of a critique, but others have argued harsh criticism is a reality of producing art. I’d be interested in what other people think, though do keep things civil if you do want to discuss it.
Review will be covered in a trade release.
Task Force Z #6
Secret-origin issue, baby! Task Force Z #5 was quite the disaster for Bane and Jason, huh? Let’s give those two a minute to sort out their lives and travel back to the very beginnings of the team: where the black market Lazarus trade has just begun, and Two-Face makes a call that heywaitaminute this is going to inform the current story, isn’t it?
Written by Matthew Rosenberg
Pencils by Eddy Barrows and Jack Herbert
Inks by Eber Ferreira and Jack Herbert
Colours by Adriano Lucas
Cover Art by Eddy Barrows, Ever Ferreira and Adriano Lucas
Thoughts: I can’t get over the fact that Mr. Bloom has one more flower petal than he should.
Teen Titans Academy #13
Caught between the Suicide Squad and the Crime Syndicate, the Teen Titans fight to free the missing academy student from Amanda Waller. With time ticking away towards when the Titans must return home or risk being stuck on Earth-3 forever, the team faces an impossible choice.
Written by Tim Sheridan
Pencils and Inks by Tom Derenick
Colours by Alex Sinclair
Cover Art by Rafa Sandoval and Alex Sinclair
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.
I gotta say, DC Black Label and Milestone have some of the best comic book covers on the market right now. Damn shame that DC’s main titles are slathered with gross text.
Ratings
Most Excited: Robin #12. Not sure why this ended up being some of Williamson’s best work, but here we are!
Least Excited: Teen Titans Academy always seems to win this one. I need to spice things up.
Wild Card: Task Force Z #6. Matthew Rosenberg has felt like something of a sleeper hit for DC, because I don’t see many people talking about his stuff despite it more often than not being of serious quality. I’m curious to see how Bane is being handled, considering the situation in The Joker.
Best wishes, and see you in the reviews!
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Author’s Twitter: @ObnoxiousFinch
