The ‘Dawn of DC’ is slowly starting to emerge in DC’s 2023 solicitations. February is still very much a transitional month, but there’s a lot of interesting stuff in this batch.
10. C’mon, man
DC has been consistently shortchanging Shazam for 50 years now. Every DC event has a place on the cover for the Big Red Cheese, but in terms of important stories or iconic runs, there are very, very few. And now, when DC finally gives the Marvel family their own oversized special issue, most of it is written by the cast of the upcoming Shazam: Fury of the Gods. C’mon, man. At least Mark Waid and Dan Mora are launching a new title later this year.
SHAZAM! FURY OF THE GODS SPECIAL: SHAZAMILY MATTERS #1
Written by ZACHARY LEVI, GRACE CAROLINE CURREY, ROSS BUTLER, D.J. COTRONA, ADAM BRODY, FAITHE HERMAN, HENRY GAYDEN, COLLEEN DORAN, JOSH TRUJILLO, TIM SEELEY, and others
Art by FREDDIE E. WILLIAMS II and ANDREW DRILON,
Cover by JIM LEE and SCOTT WILLIAMS
Variant cover by MAYO “SEN” NAITO
Variant cover by LOGAN FAERBER
Photo variant cover
1:25 variant cover by STEPHEN BYRNE
1:50 foil variant cover by JIM LEE and SCOTT WILLIAMS
$9.99 US | 96 pages | One-Shot | Prestige | (all covers are card stock)
ON SALE 2/28/23
This 96-page giant features stories starring all of your favorite Shazam! characters as written by the actors who play them! Actor Zachary Levi takes the reins on writing Shazam, and Adam Brody, Ross Butler, D.J. Cotrona, Grace Caroline Currey, and Faithe Herman wield the mighty pen for their Shazamily superheroes! Battle zombies, befriend dinosaurs, try to get a phone signal in a world of barbarians, explore glitter land, and more just in time for the release of the brand-new feature film Shazam! Fury of the Gods! Made with all the love and fun of a superhuman family cookout!
9. Going back to the well
I can’t fault DC for knowing what works and for attempting to give some manga readers eyes on some of their biggest properties. The excellent creative team of Marguerite Bennett and Meghan Hetrick adds a little intrigue here, but this is a book that clearly isn’t for me. If it get a few new readers into the fold, however, let’s do it.
DC/RWBY #1
Written by MARGUERITE BENNETT
Art and cover by MEGHAN HETRICK
Variant cover by MIRKA ANDOLFO
$3.99 US | 32 pages | 1 of 7 | Variant $4.99 US (card stock)
ON SALE 2/28/23
The world of Remnant comes crashing into the DCU! Grimm are running amok around Gotham, and Batman’s on the hunt to find whoever brought these mysterious monsters to his city. But as the trail goes cold, the Dark Knight finds himself face-to-face with none other than Team RWBY! What other effects are taking hold around our world with Ruby, Weiss, Blake, and Yang here, and what does it mean for the future of the DCU?! Marguerite Bennett returns to RWBY with Meghan Hetrick and Soo Lee for an epic tale of adventure spanning every corner of the DC Universe!
8. A legend honored
One of the downsides of having so much of DC’s history available in the DC Universe app is that it can be hard, at times, to figure out exactly where to start with certain creators or runs. A collection like this is a fantastic way to get a primer on the indelible work of Carmine Infantino. I love books like this, because it allows for things like the first four issues of the dashing spy series “Danger Trail” to sit alongside a Rex the Wonder Dog story and give readers a chance to see DC’s history through a long-tenured creator.
Continued belowLEGENDS OF THE DC UNIVERSE: CARMINE INFANTINO
Written by GARDNER FOX, JOHN BROOME, ROBERT KANIGHER, and others
Art by CARMINE INFANTINO and others
Cover by CARMINE INFANTINO
$49.99 US | 408 pages | 6 5/8″ x 10 3/16″ | Hardcover | ISBN: 978-1-77952-166-8
ON SALE 3/28/23
DC celebrates the work of artist and former DC publisher Carmine Infantino in this collection of stories pulled from his decades-spanning career. Features selections from All-Star Comics #40; Flash Comics #86 and #90; All-American Comics #95; Comic Cavalcade #28; Sensation Comics #87; Mystery in Space #3; Secret Hearts #8; The Adventures of Rex the Wonder Dog #4; Showcase #4; Western Comics #73; The Flash #112 and #123; The Brave and the Bold #49; Detective Comics #327; Strange Adventures #205; The House of Mystery #296; DC Comics Presents #73; Secret Origins #17; and Danger Trail #1-4.
7. More JSA nostalgia
While not in continuity or directly referencing JSA stories, the overall re-focus on the Golden Age continues with a reprint of “Sandman Mystery Theatre,” a wonderful noir-inspired series that ran for a shockingly long amount of time by today’s standards (70 issues!). This is the type of book that thrived in the 90s that would seem totally out of place today. While noir isn’t everyone’s thing, this is a book that reads especially well in a collection and will give you something that you just don’t get from comics in 2022, especially in long form and at DC.
SANDMAN MYSTERY THEATRE COMPENDIUM ONE
Written by MATT WAGNER and STEVEN T. SEAGLE
Art by GUY DAVIS, JOHN WATKISS, R.G. TAYLOR, and others
Cover by GAVIN WILSON
$59.99 US | 984 pages | 6 5/8″ x 10 3/16″ | Softcover | ISBN: 978-1-77952-153-8
ON SALE 3/21/23
In this noir collection, millionaire Wesley Dodds becomes the Sandman to fight injustice in 1930s New York City, going after kidnappers, blackmailers, and predators who prey on rich socialites. Armed with a tranquilizing gas gun and driven by an unrelenting sense of justice, the Sandman moves through a decadent post-Depression landscape, stalking the predators who hide themselves beneath society’s callous indifference to the weak and vulnerable. This first of two compendiums collects Sandman Mystery Theatre #1-36 and Sandman Mystery Theatre Annual #1 and features an introduction from comedian Patton Oswalt, the voice of Matthew the Raven on Netflix’s The Sandman!
6. Back to hell
After a very long layoff due to some delays with Doug Mahnke, this epilogue to Jeff Lemire’s “Animal Man” run is finally continuing. One of the standouts of the New 52, Lemire’s “Animal Man” and Scott Snyder’s “Swamp Thing” worked together to make the Red and the Green important concepts in DC again. To have Lemire return to that concept is exciting, and after a taste of the story in the (very good) first issue, it’s nice to know that the story will see it conclusion get published.
SWAMP THING: GREEN HELL #2
Written by JEFF LEMIRE
Art and cover by DOUG MAHNKE
Variant cover by CHRISTIAN WARD
1:25 variant cover by YANICK PAQUETTE
$6.99 US | 48 pages | 2 of 3 | Prestige Plus | 8 1/2″ x 10 7/8″
(all covers are card stock)
ON SALE 2/14/23
Alec Holland has been summoned back to the land of the living by the decrepit John Constantine himself, which is quite the surprise to the Parliament of Trees. In exchange for a peaceful eternity within the Green, Alec was to stay out of their affairs. With lives at risk, Alec refuses, but his conviction comes at a cost: if Alec dies in this stolen body, defending the last vestiges of humanity…he’s gone for good!
5. Another imprint turns 30
This week, we see a 30th anniversary special celebrating Wildstorm, Jim Lee’s originally Image but now DC imprint that introduced characters like the WildC.A.T.s, Grifter, and Voodoo. Just a few months later, we are celebrating the 30th anniversary of Milestone, an equally iconic and, in so many ways, more important imprint than Wildstorm. Milestone was created as an intentional space for creators and characters of color, which was an even more revolutionary idea in the 90s. DC has bungled the return of Milestone any number of times, but right now, the line is having its most fully realized line in some time. Let’s hope that the line continues to get the attention it deserves, even after its anniversary has passed.
Continued belowMILESTONE 30TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL #1
Written by CHUCK BROWN, NIKOLAS DRAPER-IVEY, STEPHANIE WILLIAMS, and others
Art by NIKOLAS DRAPER-IVEY, YASMIN FLORES MONTANEZ, DENYS COWAN, and others
Main cover by DENYS COWAN
Variant covers by NIKOLAS DRAPER-IVEY, CHRISTOPHER JONES, and SCOTT JERALDS
1:25 variant cover by BILL SIENKIEWICZ
1:50 foil variant cover by NIKOLAS DRAPER-IVEY
$9.99 US | 96 pages | One-shot | Prestige | (all covers are card stock)
ON SALE 2/21/23
Celebrate 30 years of Static, Icon, Rocket, Hardware, and the rest of the Dakotaverse in this star-studded anthology. From a Static and Batman Beyond team-up harkening back to their adventures in the Static Shock animated series, a grown-up Raquel Ervin inheriting the mantle of Icon, and a reality-warping story where the present-day Milestone characters meet their 1993 counterparts, there’s something for every Milestone fan to enjoy!
4. Finally
The fact that DC isn’t always having Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy together just shows how out of touch they can be sometimes. Not only are they the most interesting part of each other’s stories most of the time, they are one of the most high profile queer couples in all of comics. Just embrace it already!
POISON IVY #9
Written by G. WILLOW WILSON
Art by MARCIO TAKARA
Cover by JESSICA FONG
Variant covers by TERRY DODSON, SWEENEY BOO, and DAN MORA
1:25 variant cover by RIAN GONZALES
1:50 foil variant cover by MINDY LEE
1:100 foil variant cover by TERRY DODSON
$3.99 US | 32 pages | Variant $4.99 US (card stock)
ON SALE 2/7/23
IT’S THE ISSUE YOU’VE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR!
That’s right! Ya girl Harley Quinn—doctor, fashionista, heroic criminal, criminally insane clown, and Poison Ivy’s girlfriend—has arrived on the West Coast to spend some quality time with her number-one squeeze! What sort of wildly lascivious and lavishly ludicrous madcap mayhem will the DCU’s favorite couple get up to? Featuring the return of series artist Marcio Takara and an assortment of utterly mouthwatering variant covers by some of the most delectable artists around, from iconic Harley Quinn artist Terry Dodson to incoming Harley Quinn artist Sweeney Boo, as well as Dan Mora, Rian Gonzales, and Mindy Lee!You won’t want to miss a single bit of it—we guarantee it!
3. NEW TITANS ALERT
Look, I’m an easy mark for a Titans team that is mainly the Wolfman/Perez crew. Bringing them back – with the oft-ignored Wally West in tow – in the pages of “Nightwing” is a stroke of genius. There’s probably not a market for a book with this cast right now, or at least DC sees limited returns on a Titans title. But “Nightwing” is already a hit for the publisher, and Tom Taylor is doing excellent work building up his supporting cast. Adding the Titans to that cast is perfect.
NIGHTWING #101
Written by TOM TAYLOR
Art by TRAVIS MOORE
Cover by BRUNO REDONDO
Backup written by C.S. PACAT
Backup art by EDUARDO PANSICA
Variant cover by TRAVIS MOORE
Variant cover by JAMAL CAMPBELL
1:25 variant cover by VASCO GEORGIEV
$4.99 US | 40 pages | Variant $5.99 US (card stock)
ON SALE 2/21/23
After the events of Dark Crisis, Superman has a talk with Nightwing, letting him know that now is Dick’s time to lead…so Nightwing gathers a group of friends to be the premier league in the DC Universe and moves their base of operations to Blüdhaven. Meet the new Titans!
Then, following the events of the Nightwing 2022 Annual and the Superman and Nightwing crossover, Nightwing continues to mentor Jon Kent in ways that Dick learned from being trained by Batman…but in his own more encouraging way.
2. Supercorp
A new Superman ongoing is always going to get some attention, but Joshua Williamson is putting an interesting status quo out there from the start: Lex Luthor has given Superman something called ‘Supercorp,’ and that will be the driving force behind this first arc. Finding a new way to make Lex/Clark interesting is always a challenge, especially as over the past 20 or so years, Lex has become a much more nuanced character. Let’s hope that Williamson unlocks something fun here.
Continued belowSUPERMAN #1
Written by JOSHUA WILLIAMSON
Art and cover by JAMAL CAMPBELL
Variant covers by ANDY KUBERT, ARIEL COLÓN, IBRAHIM MOUSTAFA, RICCARDO FEDERICI, GABRIEL RODRIGUEZ, ED BENES and WAYNE FAUCHER, ALEXANDER LOZANO, FRANCESCO MATTINA, NICK DRAGOTTA, and JORGE JIMENEZ
1:25 B&W variant cover by ANDY KUBERT
1:50 variant cover by TOM DERENICK
1:75 variant cover by SIMONE DI MEO
1:100 foil variant cover by JAMAL CAMPBELL
1:200 spot foil variant cover by FRANCESCO MATTINA
Phantom Zone foil variant cover by SEBASTIAN FIUMARA ($7.99 US)
$4.99 US | 32 pages | Variant $5.99 US (card stock)
ON SALE 2/21/23
IT’S THE DAWN OF DC!
Superman has returned to Metropolis and his greatest enemy Lex Luthor is finally behind bars. The future of the Superman family has never been brighter! As Clark Kent settles back into his life, iconic and new enemies erupt from the shadows to strike down the Man of Steel! But waiting in the wings to back up Big Blue is…Supercorp?! What secret project has Lex given to Superman?! “A hero is only as good as their villains” will be put to the test in this brand-new oversize #1 featuring comics’ greatest superhero by DC Comics architect Joshua Williamson and award-winning superstar artist Jamal Campbell!
1. A new beginning
We’ve talked about “Lazarus Planet” before, but with the ‘Dawn of DC’ spinning out of it, this issue seems like it is going to be way more important and fun than previously thought. I love that Gene Yang is cowriting this final issue; we haven’t seen Yang do too much outside of “Monkey Prince” for DC lately and, while that’s been fun, it hasn’t been outside the fringe of the DCU. Let’s hope that this help bring Yang, one of the unquestionably most reliable and interesting writers in DC’s stable, back to the big table.
LAZARUS PLANET: OMEGA #1
Written by MARK WAID and GENE LUEN YANG
Art by RICCARDO FEDERICI, BILLY TAN, and more
Cover by DAVID MARQUEZ and ALEJANDRO SANCHEZ
Variant covers by LEE GARBETT, BEN OLIVER, ARIEL COLÓN, FELIPE MASSAFERA, and JEN BARTEL
1:25 variant cover by PETE WOODS
1:50 variant cover by HÉLÈNE LENOBLE
1:100 foil variant cover by DAVID MARQUEZ and ALEJANDRO SANCHEZ
Team variant cover by TIAGO DA SILVA ($8.99 US)
Lucky Red Envelope variant cover by BERNARD CHANG
Black History Month variant cover by EDWIN GALMON
$5.99 US | 48 pages | Variant $6.99 US (card stock)
ON SALE 2/21/23
FATE AND FURY.
The Devil Nezha and his son are at war—with all of humanity caught in the middle! The Lazarus storms are intensifying worldwide, Earth’s superheroes are on the ropes, and Batman is living on borrowed time. It’s up to Zatanna, the Spectre, the Demon, Klarion, and the rest of the DCU’s magic users to join Damian Wayne and set things right—but to do that, they’ll have to uncover Nezha’s final, explosive secret! Plus: Dreamer has rescued Doctor Fate’s helmet from destruction…but why does it keep glowing like that? The Dawn of the DCU begins as the Lazarus Planet saga crashes to a close!
For full solicits, check out Newsarama.
