Upcoming Comics: April 5, 2022

Welcome back to Upcoming Comics!

Alright, I gotta ask: who else here has been obsessed with Elden Ring?????

I mean, holy crap! This might be one of the greatest (and worst) games I’ve ever played – I finished the game a couple of days ago, and keep finding reasons to pick it back up despite swearing I was done with the thing. The platforming is terrible and the bosses are totally unfair… but no matter how hard I try, I can’t get enough of this stupid, amazing game. God help me, I even gave my character a personality and backstory. Please sound off in the comments if I’m not alone here.

Since the release of The Batman, I’ve been rewatching every Batman movie that had a theatrical release – not only to consider what the films get right and wrong regarding comic book accuracy, but also because it’s been way too long since I saw Batman 89′. Right now I’m at Mask of the Phantasm, and I’m reminded why people consider the movie so beloved. Do you guys have a favourite Batman movie? And is that favourite of yours necessarily the most comic-book accurate? With The Batman‘s “realism” and talk around the powers of Ms Marvel, there’s a lot of discussion on when comic book accuracy is and isn’t necessary.

Anyway, here’s what we’ve got for this week!

Upcoming Comics

Batman Beyond: Neo-Year #1

Neo-Gotham is alive and has killed Bruce Wayne. It’s rejected Terry McGinnis as Batman and offered him the chance to escape. Terry turned it down-he is the city’s protector, and he will uphold the legacy of Batman. Now Neo-Gotham will do everything in its power to destroy Terry, including creating brand-new villains to fight him. Terry’s first year without Bruce Wayne begins…does he have a fighting chance? From the rising-star creative team of Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing (Kang the Conqueror) and Max Dunbar (Batman: Urban Legends, Robin), a new future for Batman Beyond has begun!

Written by Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzin
Pencils and Inks by Max Dunbar
Colours by Sebastian Cheng
Cover Art by Max Dunbar and Sebastian Cheng

Thoughts: Honestly, I’ve always found the concept of Batman Beyond a little confusing – but maybe that’s just because the future is always changing for Terry, so I struggle to find consistency in his character’s journey. That could just be a me thing, though.

Batman News Critic: TBA

Batman #122

Ra’s al Ghul is dead, and Talia is out for revenge! Batman is on the case to find Deathstroke before Talia’s elite killers do! But Batman starts to piece together that not everything is what it seems in Ra’s’s death…and knows whom he must interrogate to get answers…Talia herself! Can the two former lovers ever work together again? Plus, a backup tale showing the secret first fight between Batman and Deathstroke!

Written by Joshua Williamson
Pencils and Inks by Howard Porter and Trevor Hairsine
Colours by Tomeu Morey and Rain Beredo
Cover Art by Howard Porter and Tomeu Morey

Thoughts: I’d cry out “spoilers”, but how many times has Ra’s died now?

Batman News Critic: Casper

Batman: Killing Time #2

The epic continues, and blood will spill. Catwoman and the Riddler have pulled off the perfect crime and are now in possession of the most valuable object in the DCU. But how long can they hold on to it with not only Batman on their tail, but also a terrifying new villain known simply as the Help?

Written by Tom King
Pencils and Inks by David Marquez
Colours by Alejandro Sanchez
Cover Art by David Marquez and Alejandro Sanchez

Thoughts: When I heard Tom King was taking over Batman in 2016, I never imagined him to still be writing for the guy in 2022. To be honest, I’d be a little more frustrated by that if he were the main Batman writer today – but seeing as he’s doing his own thing, I don’t really have any issues!

Batman News Critic: Matina

Earth-Prime: Batwoman #1

Spinning out of the hit CW shows, Earth-Prime continues the adventures of your favorite heroes from the small screen. While each issue focuses on a different Arrowverse series, a threat lurks in the background, out to finally bring these heroes to their knees! Ever since the tech that created many of Batman’s rogues hit the streets, Ryan Wilder has been running herself ragged trying to contain the new villains popping up around Gotham City. But when Clayface’s mud binds itself to a local high schooler, Batwoman will need help from an unexpected source in order to contain this muddy foe! Also, follow how Luke Fox balances his life as a superhero and a boyfriend!

Written by Kelly Larson, Natalie Abrams and Camrus Johnson
Pencils and Inks by Clayton Henry and Michael Calero
Colours by Marcelo Maiolo
Cover Art by Kim Jacinto

Thoughts: I’ve always had very low opinions of the CW’s DC television shows… even the ones such as Smallville, which I watched rather extensively! But on the other hand, I quite liked Dreamer’s comic book debut last year, so maybe these characters aren’t so bad on paper. Literally!

Batman News Critic: TBA

Flashpoint: Batman: Knight of Vengeance #1

Catch-up in time to read FLASHPOINT BEYOND #0 by picking up this handy oversized comic collecting World of Flashpoint: Batman: Knight of Vengeance #1-3! Wayne Casinos towers over Gotham City, but even the bright lights can’t keep the dark shadows from enveloping the city. When the Joker kidnaps the children of the city’s District Attorney, the Batman takes the case. But the man under the mask may not be the Dark Knight we know!

Written by Brian Azzarello
Pencils and Inks by Eduardo Risso
Colours by Trish Mulvihill
Cover Art by Dave Johnson

Thoughts: This is just old content, so there’s no real need for us to cover it – but I did quite like the original series at the time. Certainly not jazzed about Flashpoint Beyond, though.

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.

Suicide Squad has been veering away from the real of the Bat lately – but when you can choose between that comic or Monkey Prince, One-Star Squadron or Wonder Woman Historia, I’d be more inclined towards any of those.