So this is the new year! DC is bringing out some big new series, ending a few notable ones, and generally continuing the trend of making each month feel a little more important than the last. Let’s dig in.
10. Longest Night Ever
Nine months will have passed between the publication of “Batman: Creature of the Night” #3 and #4. The prestige format book by Kurt Busiek and John Paul Leon had experienced some slight delays earlier – there was a four month gap between #2 and #3 – but it must be noted that many readers may have simply forgot this series existed. And that’s a shame, because Leon’s work, in particular, is really something special here. As this is the finale of the series, let’s hope it isn’t delayed even further.
BATMAN: CREATURE OF THE NIGHT #4
written by KURT BUSIEK
art and cover by JOHN PAUL LEON
Bruce Wainwright is not the man he believed himself to be. He never was. But when you’ve unleashed horror on the world…what can you do about it? Is Bruce human after all? Or has he become more than a man? It’s the unmissable finale of one of the best-reviewed miniseries of the year, sure to go down as a modern Batman classic!
PRESTIGE FORMAT
ON SALE 01.23.19
$6.99 US | 4 of 4 | 56 PAGES
FC | RATED T+
9. 100 pages, I buy that. Spectacular? We’ll see
I’m a fan of when bands release deluxe reissues of their records, full of b-sides, demos, live stuff, etc. It’s always fun to see what got edited out, what wasn’t deemed up to snuff, or what was left unfinished. Despite that interest, there is often a very good reason why certain things don’t see the light of day.
I say all of that to say this: if this was truly a great Superman story by Marv Wolfman, why has it sat on the shelf for a decade?
Sure, it was part of a series that ended, but this exact release shows that there is a possibility for these things to see the light of day. If this was really a hot-shit Super story, don’t you think we’d have seen it at some time before now?
Regardless, it has the potential to be interesting, so let’s see what exactly there is in store for us.
SUPERMAN 100-PAGE SUPER-SPECTACULAR #1
written by MARV WOLFMAN
art and cover by CLAUDIO CASTELLINI
“This is the best Superman story I’ve ever written.” So says living legend Marv Wolfman, and when you’ve written hundreds of Superman stories as he has, it means a great deal. This gem of a tale—written and drawn from 2006-2009 for the SUPERMAN CONFIDENTIAL series—explodes from the DC archives as a triumphant tale of Clark Kent’s fateful first days in Metropolis, which were far from easy. His early failures almost ensured there would never be a hero called Superman. Powerful writing and stunning art combine to conjure an inspiring story that needed to be published, one you will never forget, from a pair of master storytellers.
ONE-SHOT | PRESTIGE FORMAT
ON SALE 01.30.19
$9.99 US | 96 PAGES
FC | RATED T
8. Sadly, Expected
It’s a real bummer that “The Unexpected” is wrapping up as, aside from “The Terrifics,” it is the only truly successful ‘New Age of Heroes’ title. It is fun and weird, and features fascinating new characters mixing with classic DC ones. It feels like the type of book that should feel overstuffed and, at times, it has been that way. But the most recent couple of issues have been really enjoyable, and it is really sad that while some lesser titles are continuing unabated, this has to wrap up. Fare thee well, “The Unexpected.”
Continued belowTHE UNEXPECTED #8
art by RONAN CLIQUET
written by STEVE ORLANDO
cover by YANICK PAQUETTE
In defusing the Nth metal isotope, the Unexpected have accidentally given the Bad Samaritan what he’s always wanted: a doorway to the Dark Multiverse and Mandrakk! But Monitor World isn’t just a doorway, it’s a trapdoor. With the Multiverse on life support, opening it might just be the kill-shot everyone’s feared.
ON SALE 01.09.19
$2.99 US | 32 PAGES
FC | RATED T
FINAL ISSUE
7. KryptoNth
One of the things that popped off the page in “Hawkman” #1’s epic double spread of various Hawk-incarnations was the image of a Kryptonian Hakwman. We are getting that story in “Hawkman” #8, and that is dope. Hawkman is a character with nearly limitless storytelling potential that, for whatever reason, tends to be used in the same way by everyone who takes on the character. Venditti is doing something really new with the character, and it is legitimately exciting. I can’t wait for this issue.
HAWKMAN #8
written by ROBERT VENDITTI
art and cover by BRYAN HITCH
variant cover by BILL SIENKIEWICZ
Next stop: Krypton! As Hawkman’s intergalactic road trip continues, the next location on his itinerary is the ruins of Krypton, the alleged location of the super-weapon that will help him stop the Deathbringers. There, he’s suddenly whisked away to Krypton’s final moments and meets his past-life predecessor, Catar-Ol. Hawkman tries to learn the final fate of the super-weapon, but the planet goes boom before Carter can get the goods. Looks like it might be time for Plan B…
ON SALE 01.16.19
$3.99 US | 32 PAGES
FC | RATED T
This issue will ship with two covers.
Please see the order form for details.
6. Seattle Shakeup
While it might have initially been considered a fill-in, we now have confirmation that December’s #47 is the final issue for the Bensons on “Green Arrow.” We dig deep into this on next week’s DC3cast, but this seems like a very New 52 turn of events, when people were getting pulled from books nearly every month. It’s odd that they were just given this assignment a few months ago, and DC is dropping them already.
That said, Kelly and Lanzing usually do solid work, so perhaps it’ll be a smooth transition. Time will tell.
GREEN ARROW #48
written by COLLIN KELLY and JACKSON LANZING
art by JAVIER FERNANDEZ
cover by KEVIN NOWLAN
variant cover by NEAL ADAMS
Count Vertigo stages a jailbreak and turns Seattle into a surrealist maelstrom that threatens to consume the entire city. But when Ollie learns Vertigo’s true motivations, the Emerald Archer’s fragile psyche will be ripped to shreds. Is Ollie throwing himself into the hero game because of a death wish? Not if Black Canary has anything to sing about it.
ON SALE 01.09.19
$3.99 US | 32 PAGES
FC | RATED T+
This issue will ship with two covers.
Please see the order form for details.
5. Three great tastes, that taste great together: mysteries, love, and space
I love these anthology books when they really lean into the genre mashing weirdness, and that is what we’ve got here. Plus, look at the characters in the spotlight: Starro! Crush! The New Gods! This is a fun, weird looking book, just in time for Valentine’s Day. Plus, Saladin Ahmed, Tom Grummett, and Jeff Loveness don’t get enough DC work, so this is another pleasant surprise.
MYSTERIES OF LOVE IN SPACE #1
written by JAMES TYNION IV, SALADIN AHMED, CECIL CASTELLUCCI, KYLE HIGGINS, JEFF LOVENESS and others
art by TOM GRUMMETT, KYLE HOTZ, ELENA CASAGRANDE, MAX DUNBAR and others
cover by JOELLE JONES
Sometimes love can make you feel like you’re from another planet…but what if you actually were? Join Superman, The New Gods, Green Lantern, Starro, Hawkgirl and even the Teen Titans’ new sensation Crush for eight tales of romance that will whisk you to the moon and back!
ONE-SHOT | PRESTIGE FORMAT
ON SALE 01.30.19
$9.99 US | 80 PAGES
FC | RATED T+
4. Not a Flash book
For months, certain rumor mongers have been speculating that David F. Walker would be doing a Flash book with Brian Bendis as part of his ‘Wonder Comics’ imprint. Well, it’s not a Flash book; it is “Naomi.” Now, what this book is exactly we don’t know yet. But the solicit talks about ‘the heart of the DC Universe…a universe of ideas and stories that have never been seen before.’ While books promise that sort of stuff all the time, I think few creators have enough cache to actually deliver on that. Right now, Bendis has that at DC. I’m excited to see what this is all about.
Continued belowNAOMI #1
written by BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS and DAVID F. WALKER
art and cover by JAMAL CAMPBELL
variant cover by TBD
DC’s biggest, newest mystery starts here!
When a fight between Superman and Mongul crashes into a small Northwestern town, Naomi (last name?) begins a quest to uncover the last time a super-powered person visited her home—and how that might tie into her own origins and adoption.
Follow Naomi’s journey on a quest that will take her to the heart of the DC Universe and unfold a universe of ideas and stories that have never been seen before. Join writers Brian Michael Bendis, David Walker and breakout artist Jamal Campbell in Wonder Comics’ massively ambitious new series and star…NAOMI.
ON SALE 01.23.19
$3.99 US | 32 PAGES
FC | RATED T+
This issue will ship with two covers.
Please see the order form for details.
Includes a code for a free digital download of this issue.
3. See ya, Squad
The same rumor monger who talked Walker on a Flash book also said that Brian Azzarello would be taking over “Suicide Squad.” While that still might happen in the future, it looks like, for now, the book is being put to bed for a little while. The cynic in me wonders if either Azzarello’s involvement with the Bat-Schlong scandal has knocked him off the title, or if Warners wants James Gunn’s vision for Suicide Squad 2 to shape the next volume of the book, though that may mean the book is on the shelf for quite some time.
Regardless, this run wasn’t very good, so smell ya later, “Suicide Squad.”
SUICIDE SQUAD #50
written by ROB WILLIAMS
art by DIOGENES NEVES and SCOTT HANNA
cover by JIM LEE and SCOTT WILLIAMS
variant cover by FRANCESCO MATTINA
The infection in Temho Me4ta prison spreads, and cannot be allowed to reach the surface. The Suicide Squad is all that stands in the way of a global pandemic. It’s line-in-the-sand time: Will the Squad be forced to live up to its name? Don’t miss this extra-sized anniversary issue!
ON SALE 01.16.19
$4.99 US | 48 PAGES
FC | RATED T+
FINAL ISSUE
This issue will ship with two covers.
Please see the order form for details.
2. Necessary History
This series seems so unique in the mainstream comics landscape that it is almost hard to comment on it. What other prose books with illustrations that focus on minority characters exist? The five issue, oversized series, is as important and intriguing as it is atypical. DC hasn’t always been on the cutting edge of inclusion in their comics, so taking a step back and trying to reframe certain characters is likely a necessary move in 2018. John Ridley seems like the perfect person to attempt this, as well. I’m really, really excited to check this out.
Continued belowTHE OTHER HISTORY OF THE DC UNIVERSE #1
written by JOHN RIDLEY
art and cover by ALEX DOS DIAZ
variant cover by TB
Academy Award-winning screenwriter John Ridley (12 Years a Slave, Let It Fall) examines the mythology of the DC Universe in this compelling new miniseries that reframes iconic moments of DC history and charts a previously unexplored sociopolitical thread as seen through the prism of DC Super Heroes who come from traditionally disenfranchised groups.
This unique new series presents its story as prose by Ridley married with beautifully realized color illustrations from a selection of exciting illustrators and comics artists. Alex Dos Diaz provides art for #1, which follows the story of Jefferson Pierce, the man who will one day become Black Lightning, as he makes his way from being a young track star to a teacher and, ultimately, to his role as a hero.
Future issues focus on characters such as Karen and Mal Duncan, Tatsu Yamashiro and Renee Montoya.
Extensively researched and masterfully executed, THE OTHER HISTORY OF THE DC UNIVERSE promises to be an experience unlike any other. You may think you know the history of the DC Universe…but the truth is far more complex. THE OTHER HISTORY OF THE DC UNIVERSE isn’t about saving the world—it’s about having the strength to simply be who you are.
PRESTIGE FORMAT
ON SALE 01.30.19
$7.99 US | 1 of 5 | 64 PAGES
APPROX. 8.5” x 10.875”
FC | MATURE READERS
This issue will ship with two covers.
Please see the order form for details.
1. At last
As excited as I am about this, I know folks, like my friend Ken Godberson III, have been clamoring for a book like this since the New 52. But it appears that the gang is back together: Kon-El, Tim Drake, Bart Allen, and Cassie Sandsmark. But, to me, the most exciting part is the crew they are bringing with them, including Amethyst and two new legacy characters: Teen Lantern and Jinny Hex.
This team, tonally, appears to be the converse of the current “Teen Titans” run, and it is great that both can co-exist, but I’ll throw my lot in with this crew. Bendis is proving to be a really nice injection of fresh ideas and a force for re-integration of characters long missing. I never thought I would say this: thank goodness Bendis is at DC.
YOUNG JUSTICE #1
written by BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS
art and cover by PATRICK GLEASON
variant cover by PATRICK GLEASON
AMETHYST variant cover by TBD
IMPULSE variant cover by TBC
ROBIN variant cover by TBD
SUPERBOY variant cover by TBD
WONDER GIRL variant cover by TBD
blank variant cover available
Superboy! Wonder Girl! Robin! Impulse! Amethyst! They’re all united in YOUNG JUSTICE #1, the debut issue of a brand-new series that also introduces new heroes Teen Lantern and Jinny Hex!
When the nightmare dimension known as Gemworld invades Metropolis, these teen heroes reunite to deal with the situation—but they’re shocked to discover the battle may be the key to the return of Conner Kent, a.k.a. Superboy! This mix of fan favorites and new legacy heroes will be the center point for some of the biggest goings-on at DC! As if that weren’t enough, Bendis reunites with all-star artist Patrick Gleason (SUPERMAN, ACTION COMICS, GREEN LANTERN CORPS) to bring the new heroes of DC’s Wonder Comics to life!
ON SALE 01.09.19
$4.99 US | 40 PAGES
FC | RATED T+
This issue will ship with seven covers.
Please see the order form for details.
Includes a code for a free digital download of this issue.
Check out the full solicitations over at Newsarama.
