As we get a clearer picture of the ‘Infinite Frontier,’ the solicits may get a little less exciting/surprising, but there is a clear through line this month, and that is celebrating the diversity of DC’s characters. And that’s dope. Let’s dig in.
10. Look at these artists
I keep drawing attention in this column to the amazing artists that DC has working on their anthology books, and I will continue to do so because god damn these are some artists. Michel Fiffe and James Stokoe in the same issue should come with a warning sticker on the outside. Add Christian Ward, Laura Braga, and Duncan Rouleau to the mix and it is almost unfair. A Paul Pope cover? Great googly moogly.
People, please buy this book so that DC can keep bringing in artists of this quality for their comics.
SUPERMAN RED & BLUE #3
written by MICHEL FIFFE, STEVEN T. SEAGLE, NICK SPENCER, JESSE J. HOLLAND, and JAMES STOKOE
art by MICHEL FIFFE, DUNCAN ROULEAU, CHRISTIAN WARD, JAMES STOKOE, and LAURA BRAGA
cover by PAUL POPE
variant cover by JOHN PAUL LEON
variant cover by DERRICK CHEW
PRESTIGE FORMAT | ON SALE 5/18/21
$5.99 US | 40 PAGES | 3 OF 6 | FC | DC
Five more incredible tales of the Man of Steel, told in an art style that pays tribute to his primary colors. In this issue we take visits to both Smallville and the Fortress of Solitude. We look at an object that was important to Superman on his trip to Earth, and we see the lasting impact that has on those around him. Plus, punching! Someone has to take down the electro-mechano-organic intelligence they call Kilg%re, but even he’s nothing compared to the massive monster waiting in the farthest reaches of space.
9. Making the right people mad
Along with A+ artists, every month I seem to be calling attention to a new Young Adult or Middle Grade DC book. DC has been doing a really nice job expanding their line into books for younger readers, and doing so with an eye towards diversity. “I am Not Starfire” by Mariko Tamaki and Yoshi Yoshitani takes a look at Starfire’s daughter Mandy, who is nothing like her mother in looks, personality, sexual preference, or power set. If you’re someone who hangs out on Reddit, or visits some of the less positive areas of the internet, you’ve likely seen how a number of people are very upset about this comic.
To which I say, good!
There is always a group that is going to want things to stay exactly the same, refusing to accept diverse or different characters, and get [fake] righteously offended when these characters get introduced or spotlighted. Whether they know it or not, these people are in the extreme minority of comic fans, though they bray and cry so loudly that people think they are a bigger deal than they are. There is no reason for anyone, and I really mean anyone, to get worked up about an out of continuity OGN aimed at young readers. These people have an insatiable desire to fill their diapers and make us marvel at the amount of shit in them. I refuse.
Continued belowI AM NOT STARFIRE TP
written by MARIKO TAMAKI
art and cover by YOSHI YOSHITANI
ON SALE 7/27/21
$16.99 US | $22.99 CAN | 184 PAGES | 6″ x 9″
FC | Trade paperback
ISBN: 978-1-77950-126-4
From New York Times bestselling author Mariko Tamaki (Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me, Harley Quinn: Breaking Glass) and artist Yoshi Yoshitani (Zatanna and the House of Secrets) comes a story about Mandy, the daughter of super-famous superhero Starfire.
Seventeen-year-old Mandy, daughter of Starfire, is not like her mother. Starfire is gorgeous, tall, sparkly, and a hero. Mandy is not a sparkly superhero. Mandy has no powers. She’s a kid who dyes her hair black and hates everyone but her best friend, Lincoln. To Starfire, who is from another planet, Mandy seems like an alien, like some distant, angry, light-years away moon.
And ever since she walked out on her SATs, which her mom doesn’t know about, Mandy has been even more distant. Everyone thinks Mandy needs to go to college and become whoever you become at college, but Mandy has other plans. Or she did until she gets partnered with Claire, the person she intensely denies liking but definitely likes a lot, for a school project.
When someone from Starfire’s past arrives, Mandy must make a choice: give up before the battle has even begun, or step into the unknown and risk everything to save her mom. I am Not Starfire is a story about teenagers and/as aliens; about knowing where you come from and where you are going; and about mothers.
8. Maybe the highest profile digital first series so far?
DC’s push towards digital first series has been consistent over the past couple of years, but as of late, they have been using the digital firsts in slightly different ways. Last month, we discussed “The Next Batman” continuing digitally, but this is the first time that DC has brought in an A-list creator specifically for a digital project, in this case that creator being writer Chip Zdarsky.
I wonder if the digital first is going to replace the miniseries, or at least be the first stop for these stories. Or, was this going to be a ‘5G’ Justice League title that’s been repurposed in this way? Regardless of why this is happening, I’m interested to see if this is going to be a trend in the future.
That said? I wish I was more excited by this story’s description. Zdarsky is a fun writer, but this sounds like a pretty boiler plate Justice League story.
JUSTICE LEAGUE: LAST RIDE #1
written by CHIP ZDARSKY
art by MIGUEL MENDONÇA
cover by DARICK ROBERTSON
card stock variant cover by MIGUEL MENDONÇA
ON SALE 5/11/21
$3.99 US | 32 PAGES | FC | DC
CARD STOCK VARIANT COVER $4.99 US
DIGITAL FIRST
Once the most powerful group in the world, the Justice League was destroyed by tragedy and time, disbanding under a veil of mistrust and anger. Now, on the eve of the universe’s greatest murder trial, the League must come together one last time…but can Superman and Batman bury the past before the cosmos’s greatest villains bury them?
Learn the shocking truth in this new digital-first adventure by writer Chip Zdarsky and artist Miguel Mendonça!
7. This could be very fun! (Or is incredibly problematic)
Geoff Johns is an incredibly polarizing person at DC right now, and not just because of his overseeing/involvement with a lot of bad comics, TV shows, and films over the past decade. Specifically, Ray Fisher’s allegations against Johns in regards to Justice League are damning and, frankly, super disappointing. Johns is a big shot at DC/WB and, thus far, has not seen any real repercussions from Fisher’s claims. That either means that WB investigated the situation and found him innocent enough, or they don’t care. Either of those seem likely, and I’m not going to speculate into things I know nothing about (well, more than this column already demands of me).
All of that is to say, it’s weird to me that DC is fine with publishing Johns comics right now for those reasons. But here we are with a Stargirl comic that isn’t a tie-in to her series, but coincidentally features a story that seems hinted at for future seasons of the series. In the interest of full disclosure, I must admit myself a Stargirl stan, and so this, removed from Johns’s name, sounds like a fun comic. However, at this time, it seems like a pretty tone deaf move, don’t ya think?
STARGIRL SPRING BREAK SPECIAL #1
written by GEOFF JOHNS
art and cover by TODD NAUCK
card stock variant cover by MIKE McKONE
ON SALE 5/4/21
$5.99 US | 48 PAGES | FC | DC
CARD STOCK VARIANT COVER $6.99 US
Legendary comics writer Geoff Johns returns to his breakthrough hero, Stargirl, in this special one-shot illustrated by Todd Nauck!
Courtney Whitmore’s spring break plans aren’t like your average high schooler’s. Instead of hanging out with friends, she’s heading out on an adventure with her stepfather, Pat Dugan, a.k.a. S.T.R.I.P.E., and teaming up with his former team, the Seven Soldiers of Victory! The Soldiers are forced to reunite again to unearth the secret eighth Soldier of Victory, but what other secrets lie buried, and what does it all mean for Courtney’s future as Stargirl?
6. Hope for the Future (State)
One of the things that DC is maybe, kinda, sorta, doing in ‘Infinite Frontier,’ is being more ok with stories that take place in alternate timelines or across the multiverse. DC has been afraid of this for years, for reasons that I can’t necessarily understand, but seeing DC continue the ‘Future State’ storyline in its own series, along with the still-running “Crime Syndicate” series set on Earth-3, it seems that fear is going away.
Continued belowNow, ignore for a second that the Gotham books were, undoubtedly, the most boring books of ‘Future State,’ but this is a good opportunity to allow more stories to be told in this timeline. Practically, these may be leftover scripts/pages from when ‘5G’ was a thing, but regardless, it’s a good thing for the publishing line as a whole. This first arc, in particular, is a good thing for fans because it features interior art by Giannis Milonogiannis, the “TMNT” artist who did some of the best work of ‘Future State’ in the Red Hood stories, written by Joshua Williamson. I’m not entirely sure why they decided to do these stories in black and white, but I’m cool with it.
FUTURE STATE: GOTHAM #1
written by JOSHUA WILLIAMSON and DENNIS CULVER
art by GIANNIS MILONOGIANNIS
cover by YASMINE PUTRI
card stock variant cover by JAMES STOKOE
ON SALE 5/11/21
$3.99 US | 32 PAGES | B&W | DC
CARD STOCK VARIANT COVER $4.99 US
The event that was DC Future State continues in its own ongoing title starring the Bat-Family, beginning with the epic story “Hunt the Batman.” Disaster strikes Gotham City, and all evidence points to the Next Batman! Red Hood must choose justice over his family and allies when the corrupt Magistrate enlists him to bring in the new Batman dead or alive! Featuring the entire cast from the popular Future State Batman titles, this new series kicks off the next chapter in this forbidding world of tomorrow, and does so in brilliant, monochromatic storytelling! This black-and-white series will showcase the brutal world that’s around the corner in Future State Gotham!
5. Celebrating a half century of John Stewart
John Stewart is looking like the focus of the new “Green Lantern” title at DC, which is a great thing, and continues his slow, but deserved, integration into the inner circle of DC’s publishing. A far more interesting character than Hal Jordan, Stewart has been through a number of changes to his characterization over the past 50 years, and I’m legitimately excited to see how his story plays out in the form of this collection, which will trace his appearances from the very beginning.
That said, any overview of Stewart that doesn’t include “Cosmic Odyssey” will always fall short for me.
GREEN LANTERN: JOHN STEWART — A CELEBRATION OF 50 YEARS HC
written by DENNIS O’NEIL, LEN WEIN, JUDD WINICK, GEOFF JOHNS, and others
art by NEAL ADAMS, DAVE GIBBONS, DALE EAGLESHAM, ED BENES, and others
cover by JIM LEE and SCOTT WILLIAMS
ON SALE 6/22/21
$39.99 US | $53.99 CAN | 368 PAGES | FC | DC
Hardcover
ISBN: 978-1-77951-125-6
Fifty years after John Stewart’s debut, this collection highlights the character’s greatest moments over the decades—both spacefaring and earthbound—from his first appearance in the legendary O’Neil/Adams Green Lantern run, to taking over from Hal Jordan as Earth’s Green Lantern, to being rechristened as the first mortal Guardian of the Universe.
This volume includes Green Lantern Vol. 2 #87, #182, and #185, Green Lantern Vol. 3 #74 and #156, Green Lantern Vol. 4 #49, Green Lantern: Mosaic #18, and Justice League of America #110.
4. A fun, inclusive idea
It feels like this month is DC really drawing a line in the sand, in terms of doubling down on a more diverse and representative collection of characters being put in focus. This collection of stories by and about folks of Asian descent is such a fun idea, I’m sort of shocked it hasn’t happened in the past. These creators represent some of DC’s best talent at the moment, and these characters are often underused, but always appreciated when they show up.
It would be nice to see DC doing similar ‘celebrations’ for Black History Month, Women’s History Month, Pride Month, and any other appropriate time to celebrate the diverse set of characters and creators under their roofs.
Continued belowDC FESTIVAL OF HEROES: THE ASIAN SUPERHERO CELEBRATION #1
written by GENE LUEN YANG, RAM V, GREG PAK, ALYSSA WONG, AMY CHU, MINH LE, DUSTIN NGUYEN, and others
art by MARCUS TO, BERNARD CHANG, DUSTIN NGUYEN, MARCIO TAKARA, TRUNG LE NGUYEN, FRANCIS MANAPUL, and others
cover by JIM LEE
variant cover by STANLEY “ARTGERM” LAU
ONE-SHOT | PRESTIGE FORMAT
ON SALE 5/5/21
$9.99 US | 96 PAGES | FC | DC
Grab your favorite boba and pull a chair up to the dim sum table as we celebrate Asian Heritage Month with all your favorite Asian DC characters, old and new! Join Cassandra Cain, Katana, Green Lantern Tai Pham, the Atom, Dana Tan (a.k.a. Batman Beyond), Red Arrow, Lady Shiva, Damian Wayne and the al Ghul clan, New Super-Man, and more as we present new tales of these characters from their thrilling history! Plus, Cheshire Cat’s relationship to Cheshire is revealed as Shoes asks Selina Kyle to take her under her wing as Cat Girl. And that’s just the start!
3. The rerun
If you were paying attention during last summer’s FanDome, you get a chance to read “Milestone Returns,” the first comic set in the Milestone Universe in quite some time. This is an expanded version of that comic, along with the first look at the digital first Milestone series that will be launching in its wake.
It is hard to be too optimistic about Milestone, because DC has bungled its return so many times over the past decade and a half, but this time is appears that there are more concrete plans to allow the line to thrive and grow, and so I’m allowing myself to be excited again about this book. Don’t prove me a fool for being too optimistic and hopeful DC!
MILESTONE RETURNS: INFINITE EDITION #0
written by REGINALD HUDLIN
art by DENYS COWAN, BILL SIENKIEWICZ, and others
cover by DENYS COWAN
card stock variant cover by JOHN ROMITA JR. and KLAUS JANSON
card stock blank variant cover
ONE SHOT | ON SALE 5/25/21
$4.99 US | 48 PAGES | FC | DC
CARD STOCK VARIANT COVERS $5.99 US
At last, it’s the return of the legendary Milestone Comics! This one shot features twenty-four all-new pages chronicling the events of the Big Bang: the police-brutality protest gone wrong that changed the face of the city of Dakota forever by unleashing a wave of superpowers across its population! As the world watches, a bullied teenager will become the hero known as Static… a framed scientist will go on the run as the superweapon Hardware… and a stranded alien will meet an ambitious young woman who will transform his life, and remake the pair as the all-powerful Icon and Rocket!
Also included is the 17-page primer story originally released online during the world-famous DC Fandome event, further expanding on our heroes’ origins and where they’re going next… and setting up an entire world of allies, enemies, and surprises!
The original Milestone changed the face of superhero comics forever, introducing the industry to a wave of Black talent who still shape the conversation…and the new Milestone intends to raise the bar! This is the perfect jumping-on point—don’t miss out!
2. Now I’m here
Shilo Norman is the less known/celebrated Mister Miracle, last really explored in Grant Morrison’s “Seven Soldiers” event (though he showed up in a bunch of books between now and then) before showing back up in ‘Future State.’ But with the New Gods seemingly taking a backseat for a little while in the DC plans, it seems like we’ll be getting more Shilo in the near future, and that’s a good thing.
With roots going back to Jack Kirby’s original “Mister Miracle” comics, Norman is a character that straddles the line between the Fourth World and Earth-Prime, and so he is sometimes a more relatable character that can fit in well with the Justice League than a New God can sometimes. Don’t get me wrong, I think Barda always has a spot on the League, but Norman is an underused character who should show up more frequently. This series, hopefully, opens the door for that to happen sooner than later.
Continued belowMISTER MIRACLE: THE SOURCE OF FREEDOM #1
written by BRANDON EASTON
art by FICO OSSIO
cover by YANICK PAQUETTE
card stock variant cover by VALENTINE DE LANDRO
ON SALE 5/4/21
$3.99 US | 32 PAGES | 1 OF 6 | FC | DC
CARD STOCK VARIANT COVERS $4.99 US
Spinning out of DC Future State, the story of how Shilo Norman became the Mister Miracle of tomorrow starts here.
The Mister Miracle show used to be the hottest ticket in town, whether you caught him onstage escaping from perilous traps or spotted him on the streets of Metropolis taking out bad guys. What Shilo Norman forgot is the first rule of both showbiz and super-heroing: always leave them wanting more. Now it’s time to start showing the world what a miracle man can do. Showbiz/superhero rule #2: timing is everything. There’s a new performer in town who wants to knock Mister Miracle off his pedestal and stake a claim to his famous moniker! Can Shilo break free of this trap? (Why yes, that is a clue.)
1. Yara Flor, the Future State MVP
The breakout star of ‘Future State’ must be Yara Flor, who starred in the “Wonder Woman,” “Superman/Wonder Woman,” and “Justice League” series. The character’s Brazilian heritage is used in a similar way to Wonder Woman’s Amazonian/Greek roots, and makes for a really fun read that feels totally unique but also in line with what Wonder Woman stories have been in the past.
There are plenty of characters named Wonder Girl, too many perhaps, but Yara is going to be a nice addition to the DC universe. With the “Next Batman” getting a digital first series, Tim Sheridan continuing his “Teen Titans” story, and a lot of elements from the Superman books carrying over, it looks like DC is able to have its cake and eat it too. They are picking the bits of ‘Future State’ that worked and incorporating them into the main continuity, without having to fully commit to the ‘5G’ timetable.
WONDER GIRL #1
written by JOËLLE JONES
art and cover by JOËLLE JONES
card stock variant cover by BILQUIS EVELY
teams card stock variant cover by RAFAEL GRAMPA (minimum order 250 copies)
1:25 variant cover by J. SCOTT CAMPBELL
blank variant cover
ON SALE 5/18/21
$3.99 US | 32 PAGES | FC | DC
CARD STOCK VARIANT COVERS $4.99 US
The story of Yara Flor starts here!
Raised in the faroff land of Boise, Idaho, Yara Flor has always felt something was missing from her life—and now she is headed to Brazil to find it. Little does she know her arrival will set off a series of events that will change the world of Wonder Woman forever. Her return has been prophesied, and with that prophecy comes the undivided attention of benevolent gods from pantheons beyond. Danger lurks around every corner—but is this young hero ready for her journey? Find out in a debut issue you absolutely cannot miss!
Spinning out of the bestselling Future State: Wonder Woman, acclaimed writer/artist Joëlle Jones makes a triumphant return to the character to officially introduce her into the DC Universe. You think you know Wonder Girl, but you have never seen her like this!
Check out the full solicits over at Newsarama.
