As DC begins to slowly downshift into neutral to prepare for whatever the ‘next big thing’ is, there are some months that just appear to be sort of…meh? This month gets close to that, but some interesting collections and a few fun concepts carry the load into the end zone.
Get it? End zone? Football! The Big Game is Sunday! Get it?
Get it?
10. To the Max!
Maxwell Lord is one of those DC characters that was so essential for a few periods of time, but hasn’t really been touched in quite awhile, at least in meaningful ways. With his appearance in <>Wonder Woman 1984 this June, it makes sense that DC would want to bring Max somewhat into the spotlight again. This collection is being billed as a Wonder Woman/Lord collection, but in reality, it is only at the end of his life that Wonder Woman is really a part of the story.
But hey, there are a bunch of good comics in here, so enjoy!
WONDER WOMAN: THE MANY LIVES OF MAXWELL LORD TP
written by KEITH GIFFEN, J.M. DeMATTEIS, GREG RUCKA, JUDD WINICK, GEOFF JOHNS, TIM SEELEY and others
art by KEVIN MAGUIRE, KEITH GIFFEN, PHIL JIMENEZ, JESUS SAIZ, RAGS MORALES, JOE BENNETT and others
cover by TONY HARRIS
Witness the rise and fall of one of DC’s most manipulative masterminds! Coinciding with his big screen debut in Wonder Woman 1984, this volumes collects key moments in Maxwell Lord’s history as both a hero and a villain, from his debut as the financial backer of the Justice League International to his fateful Infinite Crisis encounter with Wonder Woman, and beyond. This new title includes Justice League #1 (1987), Justice League International #12, Countdown to Infinite Crisis #1, The Omac Project #2, Wonder Woman #219, Justice League: Generation Lost #20, and Justice League #12 (2017).
ON SALE 05.27.20
$16.99 US | 160 PAGES
FC | ISBN: 978-1-77950-609-2
9. Sourcebook?
“The Last God” is a book that was announced and, almost instantly, forgotten about. This is no offense to the title, but I haven’t seen DC pushing it at all; according to the latest Comichron data, its third issue was the 145th best selling single issue of December. And yet, DC is releasing a ‘Sourcebook’ as a companion piece to the series.
I honestly can’t believe that there is enough interest in this book to see this title released, but hey, maybe there are rabid God-heads (my name for the fans who want a Sourcebook) out there. But this sort of thing is usually released for the bigger hits. What’s next, a “Looney Tunes” Director’s Cut?
THE LAST GOD SOURCEBOOK #1
written by PHILLIP KENNEDY JOHNSON and DAN TELFER
art by RICCARDO FEDERICI, KAI CARPENTER, JARED BLANCO and others
card stock cover by KAI CARPENTER
To look upon the Book of Ages is to know the world of Cain Anuun’s past, present, and perhaps even its future. Long believed to be the first text ever recorded, the Book of Ages contains the most complete history of Cain Anuun’s peoples and their gods.Welcome to the official sourcebook to the world of The Last God, detailing the rich history of its peoples, locations, schools of magic, a bestiary of the creatures found throughout Cain Anuun, and much more.
In this amazing one-shot, writer Phillip Kennedy Johnson joins forces with Dan Telfer (dungeon master of the Nerd Poker podcast) to bring you 5E compatible content for playable races, subclasses, magic items, monsters, and more that you can use in your favorite tabletop role-playing game, accompanied by epic illustrations by Riccardo Federici and Kai Carpenter, as well as new maps and illustrations from master cartographer Jared Blando.
In this “Book of Ages, you’ll find everything to provide readers with a deeper understanding of the world of Cain Anuun, while also giving tabletop gamers everything they need to build campaigns and adventures within The Last God.
ONE SHOT
ON SALE 04.29.20
$4.99 US | 40 PAGES
FC | DC BLACK LABEL
AGES 17+
8. God damn it, King, stay away from my Michael Holtc
Continued below
There had been rumblings of a ‘second lead’ in “Strange Adventures,” alongside Adam Strange. Well, it was revealed that Mister Terrific would be that mystery partner. This, in a word, blows.
Terrific is a character that has overcome great personal trauma to be the hero that he is. Tom King is going to drag him back into the bullshit, isn’t he?
Ugh.
STRANGE ADVENTURES #2
written by TOM KING
art by MITCH GERADS and
EVAN “DOC” SHANER
cover by MITCH GERADS
variant cover by EVAN “DOC” SHANER
What is the truth about Adam Strange? When an activist who publicly accused him of war crimes ends up dead, the public begins to doubt Strange’s stories about his adventures on the planet Rann—and he’s even starting to doubt himself. It’s going to take a special investigator to get the truth, and he’s going to have to tear apart Adam Strange’s life and reputation to do it.
A special miniseries set on two worlds, it takes two artists to bring Strange Adventures to life. Mitch Gerads tackles the earthbound sequences, while Doc Shaner launches us into space. And it’s all written by Tom King, the Eisner Award-winning writer who brought you Mister Miracle, Omega Men, and Sheriff of Babylon.
ON SALE 04.01.20
CARD STOCK COVERS
$4.99 US | 2 OF 12 | 40 PAGES
FC | DC
This issue will ship with two covers.
Please see the order form for details.
7. At least we’ve got good Mister Terrific over here
The unspoken caveat behind the ‘New Age of Heroes’ was that it was a lot of Marvel pastiches. “The Terrifics” was clearly the Fantastic Four book, and now we are getting a Jonathan Hickman-era “Fantastic Four” pitch: the Terrific Council, not to be confused with the Council of Reeds, of course. But hey, the Atom and Man-Bat as guest stars have been hooked, and that’s before you bring in some of the other ‘geniuses’ of the DCU.
This book has been so much fun, and should be the perfect antidote to King’s muckery over in “Strange Adventures.”
THE TERRIFICS #27
written by GENE LUEN YANG
art by SERGIO DAVILA and VICENTE CIFUENTES
cover by DAN MORA
Scientists of the world unite! When Simon Stagg sabotages Mr. Terrific’s latest world-changing invention, reinforcements are needed. Enter the Terrific Council: Blue Beetle! The Atom! Man-Bat! Shay Veritas! Dhalua Strong! (Just hum a theme song in your head, it’ll be more exciting that way.) Looks like Michael Holt has been building a real path to progress behind the backs of his Terrific comrades—but the real question is, what else is he planning?
ON SALE 04.08.20
$3.99 US | 32 PAGES
FC | DC
6. 80 Years, 3 Jokers
These anthologies are always a lot of fun, but I hope that the tone of the special doesn’t veer too far towards the 21st century Joker. One of the weird things about the characeter is how violently the character’s tone has continued to shift into the overtly, almost comically, grim-dark Joker. Usually characters have a more steady progression, or get treated differently under different writers, but the Joker has been incredibly consistent in his darkness.
Hopefully, with so many different writers, we can get some diversity in this special.
Continued belowTHE JOKER 80TH ANNIVERSARY 100-PAGE SUPER SPECTACULAR #1
written by BRIAN AZZARELLO, PAUL DINI, DENNIS O’NEIL, SCOTT SNYDER, TOM TAYLOR, JAMES TYNION IV, and more
art by RAPHAEL ALBUQUERQUE, LEE BERMEJO, SIMONE BIANCHI, TONY S. DANIEL, MIKEL JANÍN, JOCK, JOSÉ LUIS GARCÍA-LÓPEZ, EDUARDO RISSO, RILEY ROSSMO, and more
cover by GREG CAPULLO
The Clown Prince of Crime celebrates 80 years of chaos! The Joker has been the greatest villain in comics since his debut and to celebrate we have a who’s who of comics’ finest talent giving the Harlequin of Hate the birthday roast he deserves. The stories feature a range of terror and anarchy, showing how the Joker has impacted Gotham City from the police to Arkham Asylum, from the local underworld to the Dark Knight and his allies! Make sure to RSVP to this birthday bash—you wouldn’t want to wake up with a Joker Fish on your doorstep, would you?
PRESTIGE FORMAT | ONE-SHOT | ON SALE 04.29.20
$9.99 US | 96 PAGES
FC | DC
This issue will ship with ten covers. Please see the order form for details.
1940s variant cover by ARTHUR ADAMS
1950s variant cover by DAVID FINCH
1960s variant cover by FRANCESCO MATTINA
1970s variant cover by JIM LEE and SCOTT WILLIAMS
1980s variant cover by BILL SIENKIEWICZ
1990s variant cover by GABRIELE DELL’OTTO
2000s variant cover by LEE BERMEJO
2010s variant cover by JOCK
blank variant cover
5. A fascinating creative team takes on Aqualad
DC’s commitment to the bookstore market is really showing in their choices of creative teams for their OGNs. Bringing in the illustrator of “Blue is the Warmest Color” to do an Aqualad coming-out story is a pretty ambitious move. Obviously, I do not expect a tonal similarity to the two works, but just the fact that DC was willing to reach out to Julie Maroh is a good sign of how seriously they are taking these books.
Plus, more Jackson Hyde is never a bad thing.
YOU BROUGHT ME THE OCEAN TP
written by ALEX SANCHEZ
art and cover by JULIE MAROH
The New York Times bestselling illustrator of Blue is the Warmest Color, Julie Maroh, and Lambda Award-winning author Alex Sanchez (Rainbow Boys), present a new coming-out romance set against the backdrop of the DC Universe.
Jake Hyde doesn’t swim—not since his father drowned. Luckily, he lives in Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, which is in the middle of the desert, yet he yearns for the ocean and is determined to leave his hometown for a college on the coast. But his best friend, Maria, wants nothing more than to make a home in the desert, and Jake’s mother encourages him to always play it safe.
Yet there’s nothing “safe” about Jake’s future—not when he’s attracted to Kenny Liu, swim team captain and rebel against conformity. And certainly not when he secretly applies to Miami University. Jake’s life begins to outpace his small town’s namesake, which doesn’t make it any easier to come out to his mom, or Maria, or the world.
But Jake is full of secrets, including the strange blue markings on his skin that low when in contact with water. What power will he find when he searches for his identity, and will he turn his back to the current or dive head first into the waves?
ON SALE 06.03.20
$16.99 US | FC | 6” x 9”
208 PAGES
DC GRAPHIC NOVELS
FOR YOUNG ADULTS
ISBN: 978-1-4012-9081-8
4. It’s a war on war
I hate the fact that the Doomsday Clock (the real one, not the Geoff Johns maxiseries) is moving closer to midnight; I hate that the US is trying to start a war with Iran; I hate war and violence in real life. But American comic books wouldn’t be the same without the war comics that helped define multiple generations of sequential art. This new collection, “DC Goes to War,” features war comics from the 40s onward, and there are a lot of really beautifully rendered stories collected here.
So, let’s all agree to contain our war to fiction, ok?
DC GOES TO WAR HC
written by ROBERT KANIGHER, JOE SIMON and JACK KIRBY, GARTH ENNIS, WILL EISNER, and others
art by JOE KUBERT, JOE SIMON and JACK KIRBY, ALEX TOTH, CHUCK CUIDERA, RUSS HEATH, and others
cover by DAN BRERETON
Catch a glimpse of what it was like to live through two World Wars through the eyes of characters including Sgt. Rock, Enemy Ace, the Boy Commandos, Blackhawk, and many others. From tales of rebellion to surviving the battlefield, this title collects some of the greatest war stories of their time. Collects Sgt. Rock Special #2, Enemy Ace: War in Heaven #1-2, Showcase #57, Our Army at War #67, #83, #233, and #235, Boy Commandos #1, Star Spangled War Stories #87 and #183, All-American Comics #48, Weird War Tales #3 (1972), G.I. Combat #87, Our Fighting Forces #49 and #102, The Losers Special #1, and Military Comics #1.
ON SALE 05.06.20
$39.99 US | 352 PAGES
FC | ISBN: 978-1-77950-015-1
3. The Dream[ing] Is Over
It was reported that G. Willow Wilson was taking over “The Dreaming” in March way back in October. Well, psych, the book is cancelled in April. Fooled you!
I would presume that the book is going to be relaunched, perhaps under a new title, under Wilson’s pen, but for now, this is a bit of a bummer. While the ‘Sandman Universe’ titles haven’t set the world on fire, they’ve been a consistent corner of the DCU since launching almost 2 years ago. I wonder if other titles will be following suit.
Continued belowTHE DREAMING #20
written by SIMON SPURRIER
art by BILQUIS EVELY
cover by YANICK PAQUETTE
The unbelievable finale of Simon Spurrier and Bilquis Evely’s Sandman Universe epic is here! The citizens of the Dreaming make their final play against the artificial intelligence that seeks to replace them with cold rationality…and the fate of Dream is revealed!
ON SALE 04.01.20
$3.99 US | 32 PAGES
FC | DC BLACK LABEL
AGES 17+
FINAL ISSUE
2. Never mind that shit, here comes Brubaker on Catwoman!
Unlike the Joker, Catwoman is a character who is very, very different in the hands of different writers, and is also one of the most popular characters for artists to draw. Well, both will be on full display in this 100-page comic, with folks like Adam Hughes, Emanuela Lupacchino, and Steve “The Dude” Rude illustrating stories, and Paul Dini, Ann Nocenti, and more writing them.
But the real deal is Ed Brubaker and Cameron Stewart returning to their “Catwoman” run to tell an epilogue of sorts. This, alone, is worth the $9.99 price tag. What are you waiting for?
CATWOMAN 80TH ANNIVERSARY 100-PAGE SUPER SPECTACULAR #1
Our gal Catwoman is turning 80 next year (and looking very good, if we meow say), and DC is celebrating with nothing less than with a huge soiree, invite only, packed with creators who mean the most to her and to whom she means the most! Stories featured in this 100-page spectacular include a tail—sorry, tale—that takes place at the end of the Brubaker/Stewart Catwoman run, in honor of artist Darwyn Cooke. Plus, Catwoman is caught by an exotic cat collector, runs into a wannabe thief trying to prove himself as her apprentice, encounters a mystery involving memorabilia from alternate continuities, and of course some Bat/Cat fun.
PRESTIGE FORMAT | ONE-SHOT | ON SALE 04.15.20
$9.99 US | 96 PAGES
FC | DC
This issue will ship with ten covers. Please see the order form for details.
written by ED BRUBAKER, PAUL DINI, TOM KING, ANN NOCENTI, MINDY NEWELL, WILL PFEIFER, and more
art by CAMERON STEWART, MIKEL JANÍN, ADAM HUGHES, EMANUELA LUPACCHINO, STEVE RUDE, JIM BALENT, TULA LOTAY, and more
cover by JÖELLE JONES
1940s variant cover by ADAM HUGHES
1950s variant cover by TRAVIS CHAREST
1960s variant cover by STANLEY “ARTGERM” LAU
1970s variant cover by FRANK CHO
1980s variant cover by J. SCOTT CAMPBELL
1990s variant cover by GABRIELE DELL’OTTO
2000s variant cover by JIM LEE and SCOTT WILLIAMS
2010s variant cover by JEEHYUNG LEE
blank variant cover
1. The event that never ends
While I think that, overall, “Event Leviathan” had some interesting stuff happen in it, it was a weirdly paced event that included a few issues of total filler and then a race to the finish line. In addition to all the “Action Comics” tie-ins, we are now getting a new six issue series, “Event Leviathan: Checkmate” from the same creative team of Brian Bendis and Alex Maleev. So, this is, at best, an 18 issue event, which is fine I guess, but I wish it wasn’t presented in this fragmented way.
That said, Checkmate is a fun DC organization, and the two teams of detectives from the first mini were a ton of fun. Hopefully, this series ties up loose ends and allows the event to come to a conclusion.
EVENT LEVIATHAN: CHECKMATE #1
written by BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS
art and cover by ALEX MALEEV
variant cover by BRYAN HITCH
From the award-winning creative team behind last year’s Event Leviathan comes the next surprising chapter in DC Comics’ deadliest saga.
Leviathan has agents and acolytes all over the world—but what is the secret behind its power? The planet’s last, best hope to infiltrate Leviathan may be this motley collection of spymasters, now teamed up to try to take back the world that was stolen from under us all! Green Arrow, the Question, Talia al Ghul and other unlikely allies converge to tackle Leviathan as members of the new Checkmate—but who is the surprise hero behind this team? Big clues to the future of the DC Universe start here!
ON SALE 04.22.20
$3.99 US | 1 OF 6 | 32 PAGES
FC | DC
This issue will ship with two covers.
Please see the order form for details.
Check out the full solicitations over at Newsarama, and see ya next month!
