Hello everyone! Welcome back to Upcoming Comics! I’ve spent the last week fighting off whatever seasonal bug is currently going around, so I’m going to keep this intro pretty short. I hope you all had a great week, are staying healthy, and keeping out of too much trouble.
Now onto the comics!
Upcoming Comics
Detective Comics #1068
This special Two-Face issue is split in half artistically by maestros Rafael Albuquerque and Ivan Reis to portray the struggles Harvey Dent goes through trying to stay alive with the help of his more evil side… Genius writer Ram V not only devised each page of this story to be a dark reflection of the page facing it, but also of itself from front to back! This is an issue you won’t want to miss!
- Written By: Ram V, Simon Spurrier
- Penciled By: Rafael Albuquerque, Ivan Reis
- Inks By: Rafael Albuquerque, Danny Miki, Dani
- Colors By: Dave Stewart, Lee Loughridge
- Cover By: Evan Cagle
Thoughts: Two-Face has been my favorite part of Ram V’s run so far, and I’m really excited to read this special focused just on him!
Batman News Critic: Matina
Catwoman #51
CAT IN A CRATE. Never cage her. Never chain her. Never try and keep her down. After the explosive events in Alleytown…the Cat wants out. But with Selina Kyle locked up while under investigation for murder, there still has to be a Catwoman on the streets of Gotham to keep the mob families behaving under the Cat’s claws…it’s a good thing Eiko Hasigawa has a Catwoman costume in the back of her closet that’s just waiting to be put on again!
- Written By: Tini Howard
- Penciled By: Sami Basri
- Inks By: Sami Basri, Vicente Cifuentes
- Colors By: Veronica Gandini
- Cover By: David Nakayama
Batman News Critic: Michael
Batman: One Bad Day – Catwoman #1
Selina Kyle, a.k.a. Catwoman, is the greatest thief that Gotham City has ever seen. She’s effortlessly stolen countless items of immense value over the years and successfully evaded the GCPD and Batman. But when Catwoman finds out an item from her past is being sold for way more than it used to be worth, it sends Catwoman into a spiral, and she’ll do everything in her power to steal it back. Batman tries to stop her before she goes too far, and a mysterious figure known as the Forger will change Catwoman’s life forever. The all-star creative team of G. WILLOW WILSON (Poison Ivy, Ms. Marvel) and JAMIE McKELVIE (The Wicked & The Divine, Young Avengers) unite for this epic story!
- Written By: G. Willow Wilson
- Pencils, Colors, Inks, & Cover By: Jamie McKelvie
Thoughts: Out of all the One Bad Day stories, this seems like a good contained Catwoman story too. Though I’m always wary of lines like “a mysterious figure will change her life forever”. Still, I hope it’s worth picking up.
Batman News Critic: Casper
Justice Society of America #2
THE NEW GOLDEN AGE CONTINUES! Huntress has arrived in the present day, but the Justice Society of America are not what she remembers. Can she get to the bottom of what’s happened to the world’s first superhero team? Will the helmet of Fate hold the answers Huntress seeks?
- Written By: Geoff Johns
- Penciled By: Mikel Janin
- Inks By: Mikel Janin, Jerry Ordway, Scott Kolins
- Colors By: Jordie Bellaire
- Cover By: Mikel Janin
Batman News Critic: Cam
Tim Drake: Robin #5
Tim’s mysterious new admirer/nemesis is closing in and they could be anyone. With everyone he trusts potentially compromised or in danger, the World’s Greatest Robin™ has no one and nowhere left to turn for help…except for himself. But can Tim Drake get out of his own way for long enough to catch up to a villain who seemingly knows everything about Tim, down to the very way he thinks?
- Written By: Meghan Fitzmartin
- Penciled By: Ricardo López Ortiz, Riley Rossmo
- Inks By: Ricardo López Ortiz, Riley Rossmo
- Colors By: Lee Loughridge
- Cover By: Ricardo López Ortiz
Thoughts: I haven’t actually had a chance to pick up this series yet, but I’m not super excited by the premise shared here. It feels a little overdone to have the hero facing off against a villain who again is steps ahead of them, and knows absolutely everything about them.
Batman News Critic: Jeremy
Harley Quinn #26
What’s fifty Harley Quinns from all over the Multiverse plus one interdimensional murderer hell-bent on killing all of the aforementioned Harleys, divided by two very hungry hyenas, all to the power of Kevin…? 23. Obviously. But, also, a really weird way to spend your weekend. Nothing like meeting yourself 49 times to give you a real good existential crisis! I’m not one for self-doubt and all that…but it’s hard not to be at least a little jealous of mermaid Harley.
- Written By: Stephanie Phillips
- Pencils & Inks by : Matteo Lolli, Pasquale Qualano, David Baldeon
- Colors By: Rain Beredo
- Cover By: Matteo Lolli, Jonboy Meyers
Thoughts: That summary sounds wild, and while I’ve enjoyed a wild Harley Quinn comic in my time fifty Harley Quinns sounds like just a few too many for me.
Batman News Critic: Review waiting for trade release
Batman: Gotham Knights – Gilded City #4
The Golden Iris Virus maintains its stranglehold on Gotham City, with its manic victims now descending upon a car dealership with explosive results for the Bat-Family. Elsewhen, in the Gotham City of the 1800s, Runaway finds themselves in a shaky alliance with Vandal Savage, who holds clues to the origins, and possibly the antidote, to the strange illness plaguing the city across centuries.
- Written By: Evan Narcisse
- Pencils & Inks By: ABEL
- Colors By: John Rauch
- Cover By: Greg Capullo, Jonathan Glapion, Dave McCaig
Batman News Critic: Cam
Punchline: The Gotham Game #4
BOYS’ CLUB! Punchline and the Royal Flush Gang’s crusade to reshape the Gotham City underworld continues with a vengeance. But Punchline is done dealing with henchmen and hired assassins…she’s going right to the top, forcing a meeting with Black Mask and his criminal hive. Will Punchline have their ear, or will they rip out her heart?! And how will Bluebird recover from the vicious defeat Punchline dealt her as she tries to help her brother?
- Written By: Tini Howard, Blake M. Howard
- Penciled By: Gleb Melnikov, Max Raynor
- Inks By: Gleb Melnikov, Max Raynor
- Colors By: Luis Guerrero
- Cover By: Gleb Melnikov, Vasco Georgiev
Thoughts: We all know how I feel about Punchline, there is nothing here that interests me in the least.
Batman News Critic: Aaron
Beyond the Bat
Welcome back to Beyond the Bat! This is where we feature comics outside of Batman titles also coming out this week!
Ratings
Most Excited: Detective Comics #1068– I said it in my thoughts on the title, but I’ll say it again Harvey’s been my favorite part of Detective Comics lately, and I doubt that’ll change now.
Least Excited: Punchline: The Gotham Game #4– Punchline’s backup in Joker was probably one of the most frustrating comics I’ve ever read, and everything I see about this series makes it look like more of the same
Wild Card: Batman: One Bad Day – Catwoman #1: There are things that interest me, and worry me in the summary for this book. So honestly, it’ll just be up to execution to see how it turns out.
And that’s it for this week’s line up of comics. Don’t forget to share your thoughts on which you’ll be pulling and skipping. And what has your interest piqued! Best wishes, and see you all in the reviews!
