Welcome back to Upcoming Comics! I’ve finally caught up on all the comics that I missed while I was away on vacation, and boy, what a wild range of quality there is. You don’t always notice it until you read them all back to back like that, but there will be series that fill you with joy on every page (like Batman/Superman: World’s Finest) and others that are just a slog (which I will be graceful enough to not call out). I know that’s our whole job here, but if you’re only reviewing one or two titles in a given week, it’s much easier to compartmentalize everything. Anyways, let’s see what quality of comics we’ll all be reading this week.
Upcoming Comics
Detective Comics #1077
Part two of five in “Batman: Outlaw”-the biweekly Detective Comics event! Hang the Bat! The sun sets on the horizon, casting long shadows of justice as the Batman, under the possession of an Azmer, takes his long walk down to the gallows in front of a hypnotized Gotham, and it’s up to the best cat burglar around to save him! But this town may not be big enough for the both of them, especially with Selina on bad terms with Batman. “Batman: Outlaw” part two of five in the biweekly Detective Comics event continues here!
- Written By: Ram V, Dan Watters
- Penciled By: Jason Shawn Alexander, Caspar Wijngaard
- Inks By: Jason Shawn Alexander, Caspar Wijngaard
- Colors By: Caspar Wijngaard, Dave Stewart
- Cover By: Evan Cagle
Thoughts: I guess I misread the original promotions for this arc. Turns out “Western themed” was just meant in a tonal sense rather than cowboy Batman. It’s okay, I’m not upset or anything…
Batman News Critic: Jackson
World’s Finest: Teen Titans #5
It All Goes Haywire! Robin’s reeling after a battle against Haywire’s Anti-Titans doesn’t go as planned, and a confrontation with his biggest stan, Kid Flash, reveals how Batman’s protégé really feels about his role as a leader. Robin sees he must make a big move to earn back his teammates’ trust-and shares a super-secret! Meanwhile, Speedy shoots his shot with Donna, but is rebuffed…Could Wonder Girl have eyes for another superhero in the making?
- Written By: Mark Waid
- Penciled By: Emanuela Lupacchino
- Inks By: Emanuela Lupacchino
- Colors By: Jordie Bellaire
- Cover By: Chris Samnee, Mat Lopes
Thoughts: Dick’s familial conflict with Bruce has been a real highlight of this series, so I’m excited to see it get a focus this issue.
Batman News Critic: Cam
Outsiders #1
“Never the End.” A universe of secrets is about to come to light. Batman protects Gotham City from evil. Batman Inc. protects the rest of the known world. But what of the unknown world? What of the ancient evils in hidden tombs and forgotten tragedies from a magic-and-mad-sciencefueled super-heroic century? Using his fortune, Luke Fox launches a new organization dedicated to shining light into the world’s darkest corners. His first recruit: Kate Kane, the Batwoman-who will re-embrace her military background to protect Luke’s dream and encounter every bit of strangeness the DCU has to offer. And just wait until you meet the Third Man…or learn what universe-shattering secret they’ve discovered buried under Antarctica. Outsiders is the return of comic book archaeology, digging into all the forgotten corners of DC’s history to preserve, record, and better understand the true nature of the DC Multiverse…and the forgotten stories that make up its fabric.
- Written By: Jackson Lanzing, Collin Kelly
- Penciled By: Robert Carey
- Inks By: Robert Carey
- Colors By: Valentina Taddeo
- Cover By: Adriano Lucas, Roger Cruz
Thoughts: It’s always interesting to see what a new series will do with characters that often don’t have a title to call home.
Batman News Critic: Aaron
Batman and Robin #3
White Rabbit is a key witness in uncovering Gotham’s newest criminal mastermind, and Batman and Robin realize the only way to keep her safe is to break her out of Arkham Tower! But Damian still has homework to deal with!
- Written By: Joshua Williamson
- Penciled By: Simone Di Meo
- Inks By: Simone Di Meo
- Colors By: Simone Di Meo
- Cover By: Simone Di Meo
Thoughts: It’s nice to see a title where Bruce and Damian are working together and not constantly fighting, but this series has yet to really hook me with anything
Batman News Critic: William
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: World’s Finest: Teen Titans #5– Interpersonal conflict has always been the heart of Teen Titans comics, and Waid nails it perfectly
Least Excited: Outsiders #1– Hopefully I’m wrong and Kate and Luke will get a fun ongoing, but I’ve been burned by Kelly and Lanzing plenty of times before
Wild Card: Detective Comics #1077– We’re still only one issue into this new “Outlaw” intermission arc, so it’s not clear what sort of story we’re in for.
Well that’s it for this week! Let us know in the comments what comics you’re looking forward to.
