Hello everyone and welcome back to Upcoming Comics! I hope you all had a great week, mine was one of the most relaxing weeks I’ve had in a long time thanks to February granting Texas just enough snow and ice to keep us in most of the week. I breezed my way through reading Naomi Novik’s Scholomance series, and played a frankly unreasonable amount of Hades. I also found myself in a number of conversations about James Gunn’s plans for DC Studios, which I’m sure is what has been on most fans’ minds this week.
Out of everything announced I have to say I’m cautiously optimistic about Batman. I enjoyed a lot of what Morrison did with Batman, with that run being one of the first actual runs I read when I got into comics. I think basing Batman: The Brave and the Bold on inspirations from that era could be really good and fun.
I also have to say I’m excited to see Damian finally getting to be on the big screen, though more than that I hope this is an opportunity to bring in the whole Batfamily instead of just Robin. It would be really cool to see a bigger variety of Batman’s allies alongside him in the movies. The thing I’d like most would be for The Brave and the Bold to have Dick Grayson in the cowl, but that’s just wishful thinking. Everything else though, I seriously do want to see.
What do you guys think? What are your thoughts on this slate of shows and movies announced by Gunn, and how do you think Batman will come out of all this? Let me know down in the comments!
Upcoming Comics
Batman #132
The mean streets of Gotham City have gotten meaner as the likes of Harvey Dent and Killer Croc roam free, brutalizing the population. Where is Batman and why hasn’t he responded to the cries of a city in peril?! Can Bruce Wayne find the answers before the mysterious Red Mask captures him? And in the backup story, Tim Drake’s hunt for Batman continues. Will Metropolis’s newest Superman, Jon Kent, be able to help the Boy Wonder with this Multiversal mystery, or will they both run afoul of an overpowered Toyman?!
- Written By: Chip Zdarsky
- Penciled By: Mike Hawthorne, Miguel Mendonca
- Inks By: Miguel Mendonca, Adriano Di Benedetto
- Colors By: Roman Stevens, Tomeu Morey
- Cover By: Jorge Jiménez
Thoughts: That backup sounds pretty fun. Tim and Jon vs Toyman? That I’ll check out.
Batman News Critic: Casper
Gotham City: Year One #5
Beaten, bruised, and betrayed, Slam Bradley should have never gotten involved with the Waynes. With a tragic turn of events and a city on the edge of burning, can this hard-boiled private detective close an impossible case?
- Written By: Tom King
- Penciled By: Phil Hester
- Inks By: Eric Gapstur
- Colors By: Jordie Bellaire
- Cover By: Phil Heter, Eric Gapstur, Jorie Bellaire
Thoughts: All the covers for this issue are incredible in their own ways, if you haven’t gone to look at the variants for this, you really should.
Batman News Critic: Jackson
Batman & Joker: Deadly Duo #4
TRAINing day! Batman and The Joker’s ability to function as a team is put to the biggest test yet as they are dropped out of the sky and into a moving train! Will their alliance hold together, even if the speeding locomotive does not? Meanwhile, the Dark Knight has enlisted the help of Nightwing and Catwoman to help with his investigation, but with more pieces of Gordon being shipped to GCPD headquarters, by the time they find any clues, will there even be enough of the commissioner left to save?
- Written, Penciled, & Inked by: Marc Silvestri
- Colors By: Arif Prianto
- Cover By: Marc Silvestri, Sunny Gho, Arif Prianto
Batman News Critic: William
Poison Ivy #9
IT’S THE ISSUE YOU’VE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR! That’s right! Ya girl Harley Quinn-doctor, fashionista, heroic criminal, criminally insane clown, and Poison Ivy’s girlfriend-has arrived on the West Coast to spend some quality time with her number-one squeeze! What sort of wildly lascivious and lavishly ludicrous madcap mayhem will the DCU’s favorite couple get up to? Featuring the return of series artist Marcio Takara! You won’t want to miss a single bit of it-we guarantee it!
- Written By: G. Willow Wilson
- Pencils & Inks By: Marcio Takara
- Colors By: Arif Prianto
- Cover By: Jessica Fong
Batman News Critic: Theresa
Joker: The Man Who Stopped Laughing #5
Knock, knock! Who’s there? That’s what The Joker is trying to find out. But as he closes in on the man he thinks is pretending to be him, Jason Todd is right on his heels. And Jason has got a great joke about a little kid and a crowbar. Maybe you’ve heard it before. It kills.
- Written By: Matthew Rosenberg
- Pencils & Inks By: Carmine Di Giandomenico
- Colors By: Arif Prianto, Romulo Fajardo
- Cover By: Carmine Di Giandomenico
Thoughts: I’m sure that I’m not the only one tired of seeing writers highlight Joker and how he killed Jason with a crowbar, but gosh am I tired of it. I don’t care if the tables are turned this time.
Batman News Critic: Theresa
Beyond the Bat
Welcome to Beyond the Bat where we go over the rest of DC’s titles outside of Batman! There’s quite a bit going on this week, with the most interesting one for me being Static: Shadows of Dakota. It’s no secret that Static Shock was my favorite superhero tv show growing up, and I think it’s high time I dove back into that world and see just what’s been going on with these characters. What do you guys think? How have you liked Static’s recent comics and what are your thoughts about this new one?
Ratings
Most Excited: Gotham City: Year One #5- I find myself having to admit that Tom King’s shorter series are generally something I enjoy with this being no exception.
Least Excited: Joker: The Man Who Stopped Laughing #5- I cannot get past how tired I am of stories that just keep shoving Jason and Joker together. Let them be free.
Wild Card: Batman #132– I feel like this series is very much up in the air with everything I’ve heard about it, but the backup looks fun.
And that’s it for this week’s lineup of comics! What are you excited for or totally skipping? Drop a comment below and then we’ll see you in the reviews!
