Hello and welcome back to Upcoming Comics! We’re nearing the end of February and even for the year’s shortest month, this one felt like it sped past! And with the last week of the month, there are quite a few Batman comics releasing, so lets get right to looking at those!
Upcoming Comics
Detective Comics #1069
Batman investigates the frozen Azmer that Mr. Freeze gave him, and makes a huge discovery about the ancient demons. Meanwhile, Azmer begin to pour into Gotham’s streets, controlling helpless people and those poor souls the city cares not for…all to do the Orghams’ bidding. Then, in the backup story, what kind of deal have the Orghams struck with Mr. Freeze, and is he also controlled by an Azmer?
- Written By: Ram V, Simon Spurrier
- Art By: Dexter Soy, Stefano Raffaele, Miguel Medonca, Caspar Wijngaard
- Colors By: Caspar Wijngaard, Dave Stewart, Adriano Lucas
- Cover By: Evan Cagle
Thoughts: I’m less interested in Mr. Freeze and more in the immediate aftermath of last issue’s events, nonetheless I am eager to pick up this issue!
Batman News Critic: Matina
Batman vs. Robin #5
WILL FATHER AND SON RECONCILE…OR RUMBLE? The Lazarus Volcano has left its impact on planet Earth, but the fallout from Bruce and Damian Wayne’s war is far from over. It’s been a long road from the initial tensions that drove a wedge between father and son in the pages of Teen Titans, but is the hatchet at last ready to be buried? A bold new chapter in the lives of Batman and Robin begins in this epic final issue!
- Written By: Mark Waid
- Pencils & Inks: Mahmud A. Asrar, Scott Godlewski
- Colors By: Jordie Bellaire
- Cover By: Nathan Fairbairn, Mahmud A. Asrar
Thoughts: With this last issue out at last, I think I’ll finally jump in and read this whole mini. I’ve kind of been holding out because I haven’t been sure where things will really land in the end, and having all the issues out makes it more appealing to jump in.
Batman News Critic: Michael
The Riddler: Year One #3
Edward reaches out to the daughter of a mob victim who might have insight into their operation. Meanwhile, his boss at the accounting firm believes there’s a reason to be suspicious about Wayne Industries’ payments to Bruce Wayne. And in his most daring move yet, Edward goes undercover at a company responsible for locking away highly sensitive documents. What he finds may lead to his most shocking revelation yet! Actor Paul Dano (The Batman) and artist Stevan Subic continue the origin of the Riddler, leading up to his appearance in Matt Reeves’s epic film.
- Written By: Paul Dano
- Art By: Stevan Subic
- Cover By: Bill Sienkiewicz
Thoughts: I’ll be honest, while I liked The Batman, I was never much a fan of The Riddler’s portrayal in it. As a bad guy? Cool. As the Riddler himself? Not my ideal portrayal. That leaves me with little interest in this prequel comic.
Batman News Critic: Nick
Tim Drake: Robin #6
The final showdown! Tim Drake comes face-to-voice with the villain who’s been taunting Tim by using his metahuman powers to create ghostly animals. When this Moriarty’s identity is revealed, all hell breaks loose in the marina. Can Tim keep things afloat, while simultaneously dealing with his relationship with Bernard?
- Written By: Meghan Fitzmartin
- Pencils & Inks By: Riley Rossmo
- Colors By: Lee Loughridge
- Cover By: Ricardo López Ortiz
Batman News Critic: Jeremy
Harley Quinn #27
This is it, folks…we have to drop the Multiversal counterbalance serum at the center of the photon disruption before the imminent collapse of the entire Multiverse…JUST KIDDING. But could you imagine if that was how this story ended? Noooo thanks. We’re gonna save the world the ol-fashioned way—with a large undead zombie, 50-80 Harleys from other universes, Kevin, and POISON IVY!
- Written By: Stephanie Phillips
- Penciled By: Matteo Lolli
- Inks By: Matteo Lolli, David Baldeon
- Cover By: Jonboy Meyers
Batman News Critic: Will be covered as a Trade
Batman: Gotham Knights – Gilded City #5
Infected with the Golden Iris Virus, Red Hood’s innermost desires have bubbled to the surface, and he is overcome by one thing: the desire for revenge against Batman! Elsewhen, in the Gotham of the 1800s, the Runaway and Vandal Savage continue their investigation into the mysterious illness overtaking the city. Join us for this penultimate chapter in the prequel to the action-packed game Gotham Knights.
- Written By: Evan Narcisse
- Pencils & Inks By: ABEL
- Colors By: John Rauch
- Cover By: Yanick Paquette, Nathan Fairbairn, Greg Capullo, Jonathan Glapion, Dave McCaig
Batman News Critic: Cam
Punchline: The Gotham Game #5
THE BATTLE FOR PORT ROYAL! As Bluebird and Nightwing desperately search for brother, Cullen, Punchline’s expansion of the Royal Flush Gang takes a terrifying technological turn. The nanotech experiments she’s been conducting with 1-0 will allow her to create an army of A.C.E. robots, and nothing beats a hand full of A.C.E.s…Nightwing and Bluebird are in for a world of hurt.
- Written By: Tini Howard, Blake M. Howard
- Pencils & Inks By: Gleb Melnikov
- Colors By: Luis Guerrero
- Cover By: Gleb Melnikov
Batman News Critic: Aaron
Beyond the Bat
Welcome to Beyond the Bat, where we discuss titles outside of Batman being released by DC this week. DC/RWBY starts this month, but after my experience with the last DC and RWBY crossover I’m not holding out much hope for this one. There are a number of other books to look out for though, like Stargirl and Action Comics.
Ratings
Most Excited: Detective Comics #1069- Ram V has a way of keeping me hooked by this series no matter the pacing, and after last issue’s cliffhanger I’m definitely interested in seeing where it goes.
Least Excited: Tim Drake: Robin #6- I just haven’t been able to get into this series, which is frustrating because I want to enjoy a Tim book.
Wild Card: Batman vs. Robin #5- To me, the whole mini has felt like a wild card, mixing magic and Batman, Father vs Son, and my inherent hesitation whenever a writer chooses to pit Damian against his family, but that doesn’t mean it can’t stick the landing and turn into something really interesting.
And that’s it for this week’s Upcoming Comics! Let me know in the comments just what you’re interested in this week! It’s quite the line up of Bat and non Bat comics so there’s a bunch to choose from! Until next week!
