Welcome back to Upcoming Comics! You know, with so many disappointing and frustrating comics coming out recently, it can be easy to feel burnt out on superheroes as a whole. When that happens, sometimes all you need is something really good to get you back in the swing of things. For me, I recently binged through all of Invincible season 1 and I have to say – it’s incredible. I know I’m super late to the party, but it’s always good to be reminded that this genre can still be fresh and interesting. I’m super psyched for season 2.
Upcoming Comics
Batman #139
Following the cataclysmic events of “The Gotham War,” Batman finds himself completely isolated from his family, struggling to keep the rage of Zur in check. But he can’t stop, because he’s out there, haunting the city, taunting the Dark Knight: The Joker. And the new Batman is ready to stop him once and for all. “Mindbomb” begins!
- Written By: Chip Zdarsky
- Penciled By: Jorge Jiménez, Jorge Corona
- Inks By: Jorge Jiménez, Jorge Corona
- Colors By: Tomeu Morey, Ivan Plascencia
- Cover By: Jorge Jiménez, Tomeu Morey
Thoughts: Gotham War was so bad that it genuinely got Casper to quit reviewing the title. I wonder what sucker they’ll find to take over for him.
Batman News Critic: Jackson
Birds of Prey #3
The covert first mission of the re-formed Birds of Prey has established their beachhead…in Themyscira! What could be so important to Black Canary that she’d risk the wrath of the greatest warriors on Earth?!
- Written By: Kelly Thompson
- Penciled By: Leonardo Bastos Romero
- Inks By: Leonardo Bastos Romero
- Colors By: Jordie Bellaire
- Cover By: Leonardo Bastos Romero, Jordie Bellaire
Thoughts: The second issue felt a bit narratively messy because of all it had to set up, but I still think this shows a lot of promise
Batman News Critic: Jeremy
The Joker: The Man Who Stopped Laughing #12
The shocking and brutal conclusion has come…Joker versus Joker in a bloody, no-holds-barred battle for supremacy!
- Written By: Matthew Rosenberg
- Penciled By: Carmine Di Giandomenico
- Inks By: Carmine Di Giandomenico
- Colors By: Romulo Fajardo
- Cover By: Carmine Di Giandomenico
Thoughts: I can’t say that a series with bold ideas like “what if there were even more Jokers?” will be missed.
Batman News Critic: Jeremy
Poison Ivy #16
As Ivy recovers from her latest bout, her thoughts are strangely drawn to a person whose life she ruined. It’s time to meet Chuck: an absolutely ordinary, everyday family man who is about to discover he has a higher calling in life.
- Written By: G. Willow Wilson
- Penciled By: Marcio Takara
- Inks By: Marcio Takara
- Colors By: Arif Prianto
- Cover By: Jessica Fong
Thoughts: It’s interesting seeing Ivy seemingly ping pong between antihero and villain in this series.
Batman News Critic: Theresa
Beyond the Bat
Welcome to Beyond the Bat, where we take a quick look at the rest of DC’s comics coming out this week.
Graphic Novel Watch
Sometimes you need more than floppies. Sometimes you want something that can sit nicely on your shelf that proudly displays your favorite stories. That’s when you turn to graphic novels. Let’s see what bat collections are coming out this week:
Ratings
Most Excited: Birds of Prey #3– This is a pretty solid title and Thompson has a solid grasp of the characters.
Least Excited: Batman #139– With Gotham War over, we enter a new era for the title… and it’s more Joker. Great.
Wild Card: Poison Ivy #16– The quality on this title always feels like a crapshoot, so hopefully this month proves to be a winner.
Well that’s it for this week! Let us know in the comments what comics you’re looking forward to.
