Welcome back to Upcoming Comics everyone! I hope you’ve all had an excellent week! Mine has been…weird to say the least.
But so have comics lately.
If you’ve been on social media at all this past week or so you’ve probably seen something about Joker the baby he had, it’s been pretty much everywhere. (And if you haven’t, check out Theresa’s review of Joker: The Man Who Stopped Laughing #4 for a little more context). But it hasn’t just been Joker getting into the wild and wacky space, don’t forget Batman ended up in space, and somehow make it back to Earth reasonably unscathed without any kind of proper entry suit during the Failsafe arc.
The absurdity of it all has had me thinking a lot about how I interact with media that leans heavily towards the absurd. For me, I like a comic that doesn’t take itself too seriously, in fact I enjoy a lot of media that can laugh at itself, or with the audience. Some of my favorite Batman related titles are those that let themselves be fun and funny, like Lil’ Gotham, or the webcomic Batman: Wayne Family Adventures. But these examples tend to balance the silly and serious pretty well, and generally that’s where I lean as a consumer. I prefer titles that blend the elements, rather than swing wildly one way or the other, or jump the shark halfway through and totally change tones. Balance is as important to me as humor or wild antics.
What about you? How do you feel about the trend of in comics being a little more ridiculous lately? And where do you land in the realm of consuming humorous media? Let me know in the comments! And until then, let’s see what comics are in store for us this week!
Upcoming Comics
Nightwing #100
Come join us with big smiles and even bigger celebrations as Nightwing hits its milestone issue #100! Cheer how far we’ve come by looking through the decades at what has made Nightwing a beloved hero. What better way to celebrate than with familiar friends and artists? Then, with Heartless creating a lair in the heart of Blüdhaven to take Blockbuster’s throne, Nightwing will follow suit, setting up a headquarters of his own…with the help of some friends who helped make him who he is now, of course!
- Written By: Tom Taylor
- Penciled By: Javier Fernandez, Rick Leonardi, Scott McDaniel
- Inks By: Bruno Redondo, Javier Fernandez, Scott McDaniel, Eber Ferreira, Mikel Janin, Caio Filipe, Joe Prado
- Colors By: Adriano Lucas
- Cover By: Bruno Redondo, Adriano Lucas
Thoughts: Milestone issues of comics can be pretty up in the air for me, they often have aspects I really enjoy and some that really let down. With Taylor’s penchant for focusing on lighter elements, I’m hoping this issue will lean more into the enjoyable side of things.
Batman News Critic: Michael
Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #11
The saga of Boy Thunder crashes to a close as Batman, Superman, and the Titans frantically attempt to save their wayward ward! The choices the Dark Knight and the Man of Steel make in this moment will affect the future as we know it, as the secret identity of this über-powerful last son-that of someone DC fans have known for decades-is at last revealed!
- Written By: Mark Waid
- Pencils and Inks by: Dan Mora
- Colors By: Tamra Bonvillain
- Cover By: Dan Mora
Thoughts: I’ve heard nothing but praise for this series, and it’s on my list of things I want to binge read all at once. Though, I’ve got to say, I am curious about this reveal they’re hinting at!
Batman News Critic: Casper
Batman: One Bad Day- Bane #1
A PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE DESTROYED BY VENOM! Bane broke the Bat-he’s one of the only villains to ever truly vanquish the Dark Knight-but is that all he’s ever accomplished? Decades from now, Bane is a washed-up wrestler reliving his glory days in the ring, defeating someone dressed like Batman every day. But when he discovers that there’s a new source of Venom in the world, he’ll do everything he can to shut down the facility it’s coming from for good and make sure that no one takes the poison that ruined his life. An epic saga set throughout Bane’s life, expanding on the hopes, dreams, regrets, and failures of one of DC’s most legendary villains, brought to you by the iconic creative team of Joshua Williamson (Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths, The Flash) and Howard Porter (The Flash, Justice League).
- Written By: Joshua Williamson
- Pencils and Inks By: Howard Porter
- Colors By: Tomeu Morey
- Cover By: Howard Porter, Tomeu Morey
Thoughts: I’ve enjoyed Williamson’s work before, and I’ve also heard good things about the other books in this line of One Bad Day stories, so this book has my interest. Even if Bane isn’t my favorite of Batman’s villains.
Batman News Critic: William
Batgirls #14
This is a special all-silent issue of Batgirls featuring Cassandra Cain as she mourns her bestie, Steph Brown Batgirl, who was kidnapped by her own dad! If Cass doesn’t act fast, she might lose Steph forever…so it’s a good thing she has a single clue about where Cluemaster might’ve taken Steph from when Cass was still body-swapped with her…
- Written By: Becky Cloonan, Michael Conrad
- Pencils, Inks, & Colors By: Jonathan Case
- Cover By: Jorge Corona, Sarah Stern
Thoughts: The most stand out silent issue of any book I’ve read is the one from Tomasi and Gleason’s Batman & Robin, which is a high bar to match. That said, I’m genuinely interested to see how it plays out in Batgirls, a title that leans pretty heavily on being witty and wordy.
Batman News Critic: Matina
Batman: Fortress #8
The final battle for Earth is at hand and the World’s Finest are together again! But what dark connection does Superman hold to the visiting aliens, and how will his secrets forever change Batman and Earth?
- Written By: Gary Whitta
- Pencils & Inks By: Darick Robertson
- Colors By: Diego Rodriguez
- Cover By: Darick Robertson, Diego Rodriguez
Batman News Critic: William
Titans United: Bloodpact #5
Superboy in chains. Donna Troy on the warpath. Beast Boy in the thrall of Brother Blood. Can Nightwing, Starfire, and Robin keep the Titans together long enough to save Raven from the spell that has transformed her into a vengeful god? A sacrifice must be made.
- Written By: Cavan Scott
- Pencils and Inks By: Lucas Meyer
- Colors By: Tony Avina
- Cover By: Eddy Barrows, Marcelo Maiolo
Batman News Critic: Jeremy
Harley Quinn: The Animated Series #4
As Ivy becomes increasingly engrossed in her new job, and increasingly tempted by an old flame who has re-entered her life, Harley finds herself assisting Batgirl on an important mission that goes horribly awry. Meanwhile, Clayface and King Shark have been pursuing Harley, confused about their old friend’s new allegiances.
- Written By: Tee Franklin
- Penciled By: Shae Beagle
- Inks By: Shae Beagle, Roberto Poggi
- Colors By: Lee Loughridge, Andrew Dalhouse
- Cover By: Yoshi Yoshitani
Thoughts: I accidentally put this on a previous Upcoming Comics during it’s digital release, but now it’s physically coming out. The question did arise among the review team: how many people read digitally vs physically? I myself prefer a good old fashion hard copy of any comic.
Batman News Critic: Jackson
GCPD: The Blue Wall #4
Officer Danny Ortega was always at the top of his class at the academy-but nothing could have prepared him for what it actually takes to be a cop in Gotham City. Ortega is ready to make a dramatic choice about his future with the blue wall…until one traumatic incident on the streets of Gotham changes everything.
- Written By: John Ridley
- Pencils and Inks By: Stefano Raffaele
- Colors By: Brad Anderson
- Cover By: Reiko Murakami
Batman News Critic: Casper
Beyond the Bat
We have another varied list of titles this week! With some Lazarus Planet tie-ins like Monkey Prince and Assault on Krypton. How is everyone liking that event so far? I’m really liking the fact that DC’s pulled the Monkey Prince into something bigger, I know quite a few people who have an interest in the character and it’s nice to see they’re not letting him fade into obscurity.
Ratings
Most Excited: Nightwing #100– is it cheating to be excited for a special jumbo sized issue? Maybe, but that doesn’t stop me from hopping on the hype train for my favorite hero in fingerstripes.
Least Excited: Honestly, I don’t know if I can put one on least excited this week. I’m not caught up enough on some of the other titles coming out to slate one of them into this slot.
Wild Card: Batgirls #14– this has the potential to be really interesting. I like silent comics, so I’m hoping it goes over well.
That’s it for This Week in Comics! Don’t forget to let me know how you feel about some of the more wild elements comics have included lately, and what you prefer to see in your media tone wise: more serious, more funny, or a balance.
Have a great week everyone, and see you in the reviews!
