Welcome back to Upcoming Comics!
Very busy week for DC – and a very busy week for me as well. Don’t Worry Darling isn’t doing so hot at the box office it seems, so Black Adam is WB’s only remaining movie that could potentially make them a profit. Is that because WB Discovery has been shooting themselves in the foot and is now a joke of a company I no longer wish to spend a single second supporting? Who knows!
Meanwhile, I actually have some news that I’m very excited to share. Over on my Twitter, my artist friend Becca and I just announced our upcoming zine! I’ve written a lot of things for it, and I’m very excited to be releasing it in a few months for only a few bucks. Expect over 20 pages of content, and a potential future physical release! Please keep your eyes peeled for more updates.
Now, what else… ah, yes! Comics. Here’s what we have for this week!
Upcoming Comics
Tim Drake: Robin #1
Step aside, Damian-the world’s favorite Robin has got this! That’s right, after years away, Tim Drake is taking center stage in a brand-spanking-new Robin series of his very own! A mystery over a year in the making takes shape, as a new villain who’s been hounding Tim from afar decides to take things up close and personal, putting Bernard and everyone else Tim cares about in peril as things go from bad to worse for the world’s oldest and canonically tallest Robin [no, I will not be fact-checking that]. All that and Tim finally carves out a corner of Gotham City just for himself, and sets up shop in his very own…murder shack boat? Fan-favorite writer Meghan Fitzmartin teams up with beloved Harley Quinn artist Riley Rossmo to define the next chapter in Tim’s life. And if that wasn’t enough, break out your skateboards and motorcycles ’cuz we’ve assembled a murderer’s row of artists to draw the 1990s’ One True Robin™ in his various looks from over the years!
Written by Meghan Fitzmartin
Pencils and Inks by Riley Rossmo
Colours by Lee Loughridge
Cover Art by Ricardo López Ortiz
Thoughts: It’s been over a decade since Tim got a solo, if I’m right! It’s well-deserved, too – I just wish Damian’s could still be going. I also wish Tim was Red Robin again, and that we give him a clear and consistent direction, and that he just dates Connor for fucks sake, and–
Batman News Critic: Jeremy
Detective Comics #1064
It’s a tango to the death as Batman dances with an old flame while trying not to catch on fire. Using the new information about “black noise,” Batman investigates the music box in his possession some more, which leads him to question whether music is actually able to contain physical-altering properties. Later, this theory is tested with Two-Face.
Written by Ram V and Simon Spurrier
Pencils and Inks by Rafael Albuquerque and Dani
Colours by Dave Stewart
Cover Art by Evan Cagle
Thoughts: Love the inclusion of Two-Face in this series. His depiction here is steeped in both history and style, and it’s a nice reminder of why he’s such a deeply personal villain for Batman.
Batman News Critic: Matina
Harley Quinn #22
The Quinn is dead! Long live the Quinn! I get killed in this one…for real! Dead. Deceased. Former. Late. Pushing up daisies. Somebody needs to solve my murder, and since I don’t see Sherlock Holmes or Hercule Poirot around, I guess that’ll have to be me. Though, since I’m dead…there are certain hurdles to overcome. The Harley-est, wildest arc starts right here…get ready for murder, Multiversal mischief, and more guest appearances, with Stephanie Phillips and new Harley Quinn artist Matteo Lolli!
Written by Stephanie Phillips
Pencils and Inks by Matteo Lolli and David Baldeon
Colours by Rain Beredo
Cover Art by Matteo Lolli and Rain Beredo
Thoughts: Now this is a fun reference! Well, “fun” might not be the right word. This is referencing an unused cover of “Heroes in Crisis”, in which Poison Ivy is depicted murdered and in an uncomfortably suggestive pose. It caused huge blowback for what was already a controversial story, and it was swiftly replaced – but the impact it had remained, much like the shelved “Batgirl” alternate cover.
Batman News Critic: Theresa
Task Force Z #12
Jason Todd’s final second chance. Red Hood and what remains of Task Force Z have seen the true horrors that Power Industries has released upon Gotham City and the world. When he shares all of this with Batman it will lead them to their worst confrontation yet and lead Jason Todd to change his direction in the DCU. What’s the point of forgiveness when the world is so broken? Find out in this epic series conclusion!
Written by Matthew Rosenberg
Pencils by Eddy Barrows
Inks by Eber Ferreira
Colours by Adriano Lucas
Thoughts: We’ve come to the end of Task Force Z! It’s been a surprisingly huge series – what has everyone thought about it?
Batman News Critic: Casper
Batman: The Audio Adventures #1
Don’t touch that dial! Picking up right after the season finale of the award-winning podcast, Batman: The Audio Adventures continues in this new seven-issue miniseries! A string of attacks has plagued Gotham’s seedy underbelly, sending criminals into a panic. But it’s not Batman who is striking at the heart of the city, it’s a group of mysterious assailants on the hunt for an ancient artifact. As Batman hunts down these assassins, he finds clues that keep drawing him to their true goal: the sword of King Scimitar!
Written by Dennis McNicholas
Pencils by Anthony Marques
Inks by J. Bone
Colours by Dave Stewart
Cover Art by Dave Johnson
Thoughts: McNicholas, eh? Sounds like a handsome fella, with a name like that!
Batman News Critic: Aaron
Batman: Fortress #5
With the fate of the world hanging in the balance, Batman and Lex Luthor must assemble a team with the skill set to break into the Fortress of Solitude…with a worldwide blackout and the Justice League neutralized, what motley crew will this dysfunctional dynamic duo assemble?
Written by Gary Whitta
Pencils and Inks by Darick Robertson
Colours by Diego Rodriguez
Batman News Critic: William
Justice League vs. The Legion of Super-Heroes #6
The blockbuster shocking conclusion to the Gold Lantern Saga. Which legendary DC Villain is behind this great darkness that is about to destroy all the ages of heroes all at once? Find out right here all this AND the future of the Legion of Super-Heroes is revealed!
Written by Brian Michael Bendis
Pencils and Inks by Scott Godlewski
Colours by Ryan Cody
Thoughts: It’s still wild to me that the monumental move Brian Michael Bendis made to DC has already fizzled out, for the most part.
Batman News Critic: William
DC vs. Vampires #9
Road trip! Our heroes split up and spread out across the globe to prepare for the final strikes against the vampire kingdom! Will Green Arrow’s mission force him to battle one of his oldest friends? What horrors await the Birds of Prey inside the ruins of Gotham? And does Black Manta’s secret mean a watery grave for Supergirl? However, nothing goes unnoticed by Nightwing, the Vampire King, and unimaginable horrors await the heroes at every turn…no one is safe as the blockbuster series continues!
Written by James Tynion and Matthew Rosenberg
Art by Otto Schmidt
Cover Art by Otto Schmidt and Guillem March
Batman News Critic: Aaron
Batman: Beyond the White Knight #5
Gotham’s most wanted, Jackie Quinzel, has been spotted at Wayne Industries! Now it’s up to the former vigilante Bruce Wayne and his new sidekick, The Joker, to break her out. But Derek Powers is always one step ahead, with tech ready to combat any tricks they may have up their sleeves. Is the dynamic duo doomed? Plus, the showdown you’ve been waiting for…Jason Todd versus Dick Grayson! Who’s the best Robin? Find out this issue!
Written by Sean Gordon Murphy
Pencils and Inks by Sean Gordon Murphy
Colours by Dave Stewart
Batman News Critic: Theresa
DC: Mech #3
A battle for the stars! Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash, and the Green Lanterns have combined their might and mechanized resources to help the world, but they’re not a team quite yet. They’re a group of pilots not flying in a pattern. This will have to change when they go to aid Steve Trevor’s forces in space as they’re attacked by Darkseid’s Apokolpitean Army. And on Earth, Lex Luthor’s experiments with Superman’s DNA grow more frightening. The most epic miniseries of 2022 continues!
Written by Kenny Porter
Pencils and Inks by Baldemar Rivas
Colours by Mike Spicer
Thoughts: It’s been said, but I love when DC gets weird like this. I hope they continue to release their “weird” books on separate weeks, so they’re not fighting each other.
Batman News Critic: Aaron
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.
Ratings
No ratings for now, but I may add these a little later (it’s quite late).
Best wishes, and see you in the reviews!
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Author’s Twitter: @ObnoxiousFinch
