Welcome back to Upcoming Comics! Somehow we are at the end of January, which means this week’s comics will focus on specials and annuals making it a lighter week. This close to the end of the month also netted us some announcements, specifically a new Titans comic coming in May as part of DC’s Dawn of DC initiative.
I for one like the designs we’ve seen so far, and as a fan of a good number of characters in the Titans line up, I’m tentatively excited for this book. Setting them up as the new Justice League might just be all publicity or it might stick the landing and do really well. It all depends on just what Taylor and DC actually do with the Titans. What do you guys think?
While you muse on that question, or prepare your answers in the comments, let’s look at the comics out this week!
Upcoming Comics
Batman: Legends of Gotham #1
With Batman preoccupied, his deepest, darkest, most dangerous secrets are about to be auctioned off to the highest bidder. The guest list is strictly villains only, and the outlaw Red Hood fits the bill –putting him on a collision course with Batman’s deniable black-ops team, the Outsiders! With Lazarus Island spawning wild-card superpowers across the globe, the stakes could not be higher. Jason Todd, Black Lightning, and Katana will have to put aside their differences to save Batman’s legacy –and with it, the world. That’s assuming they don’t kill each other first!
- Written By: Andy Diggle
- Pencils & Inks By: Karl Mostert
- Colors By: Romulo Fajardo
- Cover By: Carmine Di Giandomenico
Thoughts: I’m down for an adventure with Red Hood, Black Lightning, and Katana, that’s a team up I’m interested in seeing happen.
Batman News Critic: Jackson
Lazarus Planet: Legends Reborn #1
NEW FRIENDS…NEW FOES…NEW LEGENDS! Ancient and dangerous power has been awakened following the eruption of the Lazarus Volcano, and this surge of fantastical power will affect the DC Universe forevermore! In Lazarus Planet: Legends Reborn, we’ll explore corners of the planet newly awakened and primed to restore some heroes and villains long forgotten! With the help of Nightwing, can new hero City Boy hope to commune with Gotham in time to save it? Who are the mysterious trio claiming to be resurrected siblings of Raven? How far would the Question go to chase a lead across a transformed Gotham City? And will the flame of Firestorm burn out yet another horrific host? Not if Harley Quinn has anything to say about it!
- Written By: Alex Segura, Alex Paknadel, Greg Pak, Dennis Culver,
- Pencils & Inks By: Clayton Henry, Christopher Mitten, Minkyu Jung, Jesús Merino
- Colors By: Romulo Fajardo, Marcelo Maiolo
- Cover By: Vasco Georgiev
Thoughts: Okay, I have to check this one out just to see who this new Gotham character City Boy really is. They can talk to Gotham? The city? I must know what’s going on.
Batman News Critic: Aaron
DC’s Harley Quinn Romances #1
DC is proud to present a selection of eight stories of rapscallion romance, prodigious passion, and undulating, unbridled affection. Tension builds as Apollo and Midnighter are captured by an unknown alien species who are determined to learn the secrets of their supersoldier success. Harley Quinn gets caught in a scintillating fantasy: What would life have been like if she and Ivy had met in high school? Also featuring Fire and Ice heating things up, fan-favorite heroine Power Girl’s romantic tale, John Constantine’s mysterious tryst, an amorous Aquaman adventure, and many more! These are lovelorn fantasies as only DC can tell them…but it’s not a Harlequin romance…prepare yourself for the Harley Quinn Romances!
- Written By: Amanda Deibert, Ivan Cohen, Frank T. Allen, Raphael Draccon
- Penciled By: Adriana Melo, Fico Ossio, John McCrea, Ig Guara
- Inks By: Adriana Melo. Fico Ossio, John McCrea, Ig Guara, Max Sarin, Giulio Macaione, Will Robson, Priscilla Petraites
- Colors By: Marissa Louise, Mike Spicer, John Kalisz, Fabs Nocera, Andrew Dalhouse, Michael Atiyeh, Sebastian Cheng, Ivan Plascencia
- Cover By: Amanda Conner
Thoughts: I generally enjoy anthologies like this, and there’s a few in that solicit that have my attention. This one should be a fun read, though it feels like something that should have been saved for February proper.
Batman News Critic: Theresa
DC Power: A Celebration #1
First there was DC Pride and DC Festival of Heroes; now it’s time to celebrate Black History Month! Cyborg, John Stewart, Aqualad, Kid Flash, Batwing, Vixen, Amazing-Man, and more take center stage to highlight the power of Black excellence across the DC Universe, in stories from a variety of comics’ finest Black artists and writers!
- Written By: Morgan Hampton, Jordan Clark, Dorado Quick, Evan Narcisse
- Penciled By: Valentine De Landro, Clayton Henry, Darryl Banks, ChrisCross
- Inks By: Valentine De Landro, Clayton Henry, Jay Hero, Manou Azumi, Petterson Oliveira, Natacha Bustos, Robyn Smith, Alitha Martinez, Juan Castro, Mark Morales, Edwin Galmon, Jerry Gaylord, Taurin Clarke, Anthony Fowler,
- Colors By: Jay Hero, Manou Azumi, Natacha Bustos, Robyn Smith, Edwin Galmon, Jerry Gaylord, Taurin Clarke, Marcelo Maiolo, DJ Chavi, Marissa Louise, Wil Quintana, Hi-Fi, Alex Guimarães, Chris Sotomayor
- Cover By: Jahnoy Lindsay
Thoughts: What’s better than one anthology this month? Two. With that line up there’s sure to be something to enjoy.
Batman News Critic: Jeremy
Beyond the Bat
Hello and welcome to Beyond the Bat where we feature titles outside of Batman! There’s just one book this week we’re not covering: The Flash: One-Minute War. The preview pages in this one look interesting, but it’s been a lot longer than a minute since I’ve actually picked up a Flash comic. Let me know in the comments if the current run is something I should check out!
Ratings
Most Excited: DC’s Harley Quinn Romances #1– I love a good quick tale of romance, and this issue promises quite a few of those.
Least Excited: Honestly, with such a short line-up this week and so many books poised to have good elements it’s hard to name a least excited, so this week at least I’m leaving it empty.
Wild Card: Batman: Legends of Gotham #1– Anything with Red Hood feels like a wild card to me, I love Jason Todd, but it’s always a toss up if I’m actually going to like him in a comic he shows up in or not.
And that’s all for both my first month of Upcoming Comics, and January’s comics! I’ve really enjoyed putting these together, and seeing everyone’s thoughts each week! Thanks for sticking with me so far, and don’t forget to let me know your thoughts in the comments!
