Welcome back to Upcoming Comics! I didn’t have anything to review this week, so I spent my time finishing Baldur’s Gate 3. What a fantastic game. Very few RPGs are able reach this level of reactivity and world depth. Especially early on, it feels as though there are a million small decisions you can make that all organically come together and offer a unique experience. It’s a shame that I couldn’t spend that time reading massive event #24601 where Gotham will never be the same, but it’s at least a bit of a consolation.
Upcoming Comics
Batman: Off-World #1
A routine night in Gotham City for a young Batman proves to be anything but routine when the crime-fighter is confronted with a sort of foe he’s never faced before-one from beyond the stars! A universe of possible alien threats leads Batman to make a daring decision-to venture alone into the far reaches of the cosmos for the very first time, where the Dark Knight will face the fight of his life! Superstar writer Jason Aaron delivers his first Batman story ever, partnered with blockbuster artist Doug Mahnke for a unique, brutal tale!
- Written By: Jason Aaron
- Penciled By: Doug Mahnke
- Inks By: Jaime Mendoza
- Colors By: David Baron
- Cover By: Doug Mahnke, David Baron
Thoughts: I’m almost always someone who prefers a more grounded, street-level Batman story (with a few exceptions such as Morrison), but I’m curious to see what Jason Aaron can do with the character.
Batman News Critic: Cam
Catwoman #59
“Nine Lives” part one. The Catwoman we know has vanished. Selina Kyle is gone. She’s no longer Gotham’s fugitive-she’s its ghost. After the events of “The Gotham War,” Selina leaves the city a forever-changed woman with a plan: nine deadly missions, each one set aside for their certain lethality-only possible for a cat with nine lives.
- Written By: Tini Howard
- Penciled By: Stefano Raffaele, Nico Leon
- Inks By: Stefano Raffaele, Nico Leon
- Colors By: Veronica Gandini
- Cover By: David Nakayama
Thoughts: I know this will be a divisive take, but I’m not sure I’m a fan of bringing back the 90s Jim Balent costume. Darwyn Cooke’s “goggles” costume was a huge upgrade and felt less like cheesecake fanservice.
Batman News Critic: William
Harley Quinn: Black + White + Redder #5
When the women of a medieval village reach their breaking point about their men’s abusive ways, they make a terrifying choice…to enter the woods and conjure the spirit of the Harlequin! Harley Quinn animated series executive producer Justin Halpern and rising star Kath Lobo let Harley loose on a prison transport plane, intent on punishing the villain who let out a stinky fart. And WebTOON creator Speremint shows what happens when Harley comes face-to-face with an internet impostor!
- Written By: Bilquis Evely, Mat Lopes, Mei “Speremint” Rothschild
- Penciled By: Bilquis Evely, Mei “Speremint” Rothschild, Kath Lobo
- Inks By: Bilquis Evely, Mei “Speremint” Rothschild, Kath Lobo
- Colors By: Mat Lopes, Mei “Speremint” Rothschild, Kath Lobo
- Cover By: Sana Takeda
Thoughts: It’s interesting how so many creators for this issue are handling all duties themselves.
Batman News Critic: Theresa
Justice League vs. Godzilla vs. Kong #2
Legendary’s Monsterverse has been unleashed on the DC Universe, and cities are threatened across the globe! From Metropolis to Gotham City to Themyscira, the Justice League scrambles to protect the citizens from these raging titans! What role has the Legion of Doom played in all this monster madness, and how will the tide of battle change…when a hero falls?!
- Written By: Brian Buccellato
- Penciled By: Christian Duce
- Inks By: Christian Duce
- Colors By: Luis Guerrero
- Cover By: Drew Edward Johnson, Romulo Fajardo
Thoughts: This series continues its path of getting even more grandiose and crazy.
Batman News Critic: Jeremy
Nightwing #108
Amid Nightwing’s investigation of the mystery behind the secret society called the Hold and their connection to the origin of Blüdhaven, Dick runs into his old flame Bea Bennett! Is Bea back to confront Nightwing for some closure, or is she somehow related to the secret pirate society?
- Written By: Tom Taylor, Michael Conrad
- Penciled By: Stephen Byrne, Serg Acuña
- Inks By: Stephen Byrne, Serg Acuña
- Colors By: Adriano Lucas
- Cover By: Bruno Redondo
Thoughts: I’ll be honest, I feel a bit cheated. I’m a sucker for nautical adventures, so I was excited for this arc. However, there doesn’t seem to be any of that beyond superficial stuff like Dick’s shirt and covers.
Batman News Critic: Aaron
Titans #5
The Titans are going green! As the team desperately attempts to heal the Borneo rainforest, they reach out to the only avatar that can help…Swamp Thing! Will the peaceful yet powerful giant be enough to stand up to the forces of evil? Or will the new and improved Demolition Crew wreck them all?
- Written By: Tom Taylor
- Penciled By: Nicola Scott
- Inks By: Nicola Scott
- Colors By: Annette Kwok
- Cover By: Nicola Scott, Annette Kwok
Thoughts: Always a fan of bringing on Swamp Thing to a story. Hopefully Taylor can do him justice.
Batman News Critic: Aaron
Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #21
Superman and Batman, having followed Boy Thunder to Kingdom Come, find themselves and that world on a path to an apocalyptic future. Can the World’s Finest team prevent the transformation of Boy Thunder into the villainous Magog, or is his fate sealed?
- Written By: Mark Waid
- Penciled By: Dan Mora
- Inks By: Dan Mora
- Colors By: Tamra Bonvillain
- Cover By: Dan Mora
Thoughts: I’m extremely excited to see more of Waid revisiting his Kingdom Come universe.
Batman News Critic: Casper
Justice Society of America #7
Reunions are cut short when the JSA and the Lost Children face down a new threat! Can this group of heroes and sidekicks find their rhythm or will it be curtains for both? What happens here has massive ramifications for the next stage of THE NEW GOLDEN AGE!
- Written By: Geoff Johns
- Penciled By: Marco Stantucci
- Inks By: Marco Stantucci
- Colors By: Ivan Plascencia
- Cover By: Mikel Janin
Thoughts: This title continues to take its sweet time coming out, but is it worth the wait? Ehhhhh…
Batman News Critic: Cam
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: Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #21– As always, this title is the best thing DC is publishing right now, and incorporating a classic story like Kingdom Come only builds more hype.
Least Excited: Catwoman #59– Gotham War may be over, but I don’t expect Catwoman‘s quality to significantly improve any time soon, regardless of what costume she’s wearing.
Wild Card: Batman: Off-World #1– New title, new bat writer. It’s always a wild card to see what they might be cooking.
Well that’s it for this week! Let us know in the comments what comics you’re looking forward to.
