DC continues to somewhat shift its publishing line in March, cancelling a few series, priming for “Dark Crisis,” and bringing back an old favorite.
10. A return to Fabletown
“Fables” was never particularly my thing, but that doesn’t mean that it isn’t cool for fans of the series to see it return for a new 12-issue story. This is an interesting model for DC to introduce: a limited revival, in the original numbering. Would “Sweet Tooth” have had a more celebrated return if it was pitched as more of a continuation instead of a new mini? It’s hard to tell, but I like this model for series of this ilk. It also allows DC to have their own version of “X-Men Legends” or even what they did with “Blackest Night,” and allow creators to tell new stories set in their old continuity.
FABLES #151
Written by BILL WILLINGHAM
Art by MARK BUCKINGHAM and STEVE LEIALOHA
Cover by QISTINA KHALIDAH
Variant cover by MARK BUCKINGHAM
1:25 variant cover by ADAM HUGHES
1:50 variant cover by QISTINA KHALIDAH
$3.99 US | 32 pages | Variant $4.99 US (card stock)
ON SALE 5/17/22
17+Just in time for the 20th anniversary of its launch, the acclaimed blockbuster that defined an era of Vertigo returns with an all-new 12-issue story, “The Black Forest”—a tale that picks up right where Fables #150 left off, providing a new entry point into the world of Fabletown!
The dust has barely settled from the climactic battle between Totenkinder and Cinderella—and everything is far from happily ever after. A legendary new adversary has arrived, and he plans to get even with Geppetto for the mess that has been made of Manhattan. But it’s a new day…and with it, a new Jack in the Green has arrived in the Black Forest. And within the emergency room of a New York hospital…a Fable long thought dead returns!
Don’t miss the 20th-anniversary box set to get caught up on one of comics’ longest-running fantasy hits!
9. I don’t want to make any war-based puns right now
The Bat-books are in a strange place right now, with the James Tynion run being cut short, and Joshua Williamson holding down the fort until Chip Zdarsky’s run starts later this year. But “Shadow War” seems to be the crux of Williamson’s run, and it is promising big changes around the Bat-line but, specifically, around “Deathstroke Inc” and “Robin.” I’ve been enjoying DC’s shorter, weekly events, and so while I’m excited for this event, it is hard to talk about it at all since it hasn’t started yet.
But if DC’s next big summer event, as teased here, is “Dark Crisis,” than this is likely what will send Slade into the team of villains for that title.
SHADOW WAR: OMEGA #1
Written by JOSHUA WILLIAMSON
Art by STEPHEN SEGOVIA
Cover by JONBOY MEYERS
Variant cover by MIKEL JANÍN
1:25 variant cover by JAMES STOKOE
$5.99 US | 48 pages | Variant $6.99 US (card stock)
ON SALE 5/31/22
THE SHADOW WAR’S EPIC CONCLUSION!
The shocking finale of the Shadow War! Lives have been lost. Heroes and villains have fallen in battle. And now the real mastermind behind the Shadow War has been revealed. But they are far from done! Batman and Robin are all that’s left to put a stop to their real plans. Can the father-and-son duo work together to save the day? Events in this issue lead directly into DC’s next big summer event!
8. I bring scientists, you bring the Kryptonian
Will this be dumb? Probably. Will this be super fun, beautifully rendered, balls to the wall dumb? Yes and so sign me up.
Continued belowTHE JURASSIC LEAGUE #1
Written by DANIEL WARREN JOHNSON and JUAN GEDEON
Art by JUAN GEDEON
Cover by DANIEL WARREN JOHNSON
Variant cover by JUAN GEDEON
1:25 Megalustre “Dino Skin” variant cover by WALT SIMONSON
$3.99 US | 32 pages | 1 of 6 | Variant $4.99 US (card stock)
ON SALE 5/10/22
You know the story: an infant escapes the destruction of its home planet and is deposited on Earth to be raised by human parents. A goddess from a lost city defends truth. A Tyrannosaurus rex dons the visage of a bat to strike fear into evildoers’ hearts. This heroic trinity, alongside a league of other super-powered dinosaurs, join forces to save a prehistoric Earth from the sinister machinations of Darkseid.
Wait…what?
Okay, maybe you don’t know the story. So join us and bear witness to a brand-new—yet older than time—adventure and experience the Justice League as you have never seen them before!
7. [Sax solo from “Baker Street,” but with more danger]
I know I have a reputation as being an anti-Tom King guy, but I am thoroughly enjoying (most of) “The Human Target,” and am always rooting for more good comics from all creators. This comic has a really interesting cast, a fun connection to the “1st Issue Special,” and one of the best artists working in comics on it. But…why does it always have to be sinister? The best King comics haven’t been about the seedy underbelly, they’ve been Dick Grayson balling his way across Europe. King should have some fun again, and I fear this will be more of the dour same.
DANGER STREET #1
Written by TOM KING
Art and cover by JORGE FORNÉS
Variant cover by STEVE RUDE
1:25 variant cover by LEE WEEKS
1:50 variant cover by BEN OLIVER
$4.99 US | 40 pages | 1 of 12
Variant $5.99 US (card stock)
ON SALE 5/3/22
17+
Joining the Justice League is a goal for any superhero, but what happens when a quest for membership takes a sinister turn? Join Starman, Metamorpho, and Warlord as they look to prove themselves worthy by summoning and defeating Darkseid in battle. Soon they’ll learn that calling upon a New God never ends well, and their world is headed for a crisis as a result! The journey to save the day will be a treacherous one filled with princesses, knights, and all kinds of monsters. Each person the heroes encounter plays a crucial role in this sprawling yet gripping narrative that is a little bit silly, a whole lot dark, and completely cool. Expect the unexpected with a supporting cast featuring Manhunter, Lady Cop, the Green Team, and the Creeper! Inspired by the heroes and villains of 1st Issue Special, Tom King and Jorge Fornés (Rorschach) return for an unforgettable maxiseries that reimagines the characters and their stories. A multicharacter, multilayered crime drama starring some of DC’s most obscure creations: no one will see it coming, but everyone will want to see where it goes!
6. There’s a new sheriff in town
Ghost-Maker is a weird addition to the Bat-family, but one that I’ve warmed up to considerably since his introduction. Placing him at the head of Batman Inc. could be a really interesting move, or it could silo Batman Inc. to the sidelines again for another ten years. I hope it is the former, because this remains one of the best 21st century DC concepts. Plus, John Timms hasn’t done a lot of work in the Bat-corner of the DCU, and I’d love to see what he can bring to these characters.
BATMAN 2022 ANNUAL #1
Written by ED BRISSON
Art by JOHN TIMMS
Cover by MIKEL JANÍN
Variant cover by CHRIS BURNHAM
$5.99 US | 48 pages | Variant $6.99 US (ccccard stock)
ON SALE 5/31/22
Following the events of the Abyss story arc, Batman has now tasked Ghost-Maker to finance and lead Batman Inc.! First order of business for the new management? Clean up a huge mess Luthor created in Chechnya…but is this new group ready to face fearsome new threat the Gray Wolf? And prepare yourself for the evolution of Clownhunter!
5. This is just so that he can say “fuck” like on Peacemaker, right?
I am very happy that DC is allowing non-Bat characters to get Black Label titles, and an Aquaman story by Ram V and Christian Ward sounds dope. But, like Michael Doran said at Newsarama, this seems specifically designed so that we can hear Aquaman swear like Jason Mamoa did in the Peacemaker finale.
I’m half joking; this does look really cool.
Continued belowAQUAMAN: ANDROMEDA #1
Written by RAM V
Art and cover by CHRISTIAN WARD
Variant cover by BRYAN HITCH
1:25 variant cover by ANAND RK
1:50 foil variant cover by CHRISTIAN WARD
$6.99 US | 48 pages | 1 of 3 | Prestige Plus
8 1/2″ x 10 7/8″ (All covers are card stock)
ON SALE 6/7/22
17+
Deep in the Pacific Ocean, at the farthest possible distance from any land, sits Point Nemo: the spaceship graveyard. Since the dawn of the space race, the nations of the world have sent their crafts there on splashdown, to sink beneath the silent seas. But there is something…else at Point Nemo. A structure never made by human hands. And that structure seems to be…waking up. The crew of the experimental submarine Andromeda, powered by a mysterious black-hole drive, have been chosen to investigate this mystery. But they aren’t the only ones pursuing it. Anything of value beneath the ocean is of value to the master pirate Black Manta…and anything that attracts Black Manta attracts Arthur Curry, his lifelong foe, the Aquaman! But heaven help them all when the doors of the mystery at Point Nemo swing wide to admit them…
Bringing a bracing cosmic-horror sensibility to the world of Aquaman, rising superstars Ram V (Venom, The Swamp Thing) and Christian Ward (Thor, Invisible Kingdom) team up to put Arthur Curry through an exercise in psychological terror that could break the will of even a king!
4. A Mighty Fortress is Our Bat
If you want me to pay attention to a new Batman miniseries, putting the Rogue One writer on it is a good start. Putting Darick Robertson on it is a second good move. Having it potentially set at the Fortress of Solitude is the selling point, though. Let Bruce loose on some Kryptonian nonsense and watch the sparks fly.
BATMAN: FORTRESS #1
Written by GARY WHITTA
Art and cover by DARICK ROBERTSON
Variant cover by DOALY
1:25 variant cover by DARICK ROBERTSON
$3.99 US | 32 pages | 1 of 8 | Variant $4.99 US (card stock)
ON SALE 5/24/22
When an unknown alien ship enters Earth’s atmosphere, disrupting global power and communications and plunging the planet into chaos, the world is left wondering…where is Superman when he is needed most? In the mysterious absence of the Last Son of Krypton, Batman must rally the rest of the Justice League to counter the alien threat…but first, he must quell a crime wave on the blacked-out streets of Gotham!
Gary Whitta (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story) and Darick Robertson (The Boys) have joined forces to tell a brutal and shocking adventure that will turn everything you think you know about Superman upside down!
3. NEW MILESTONE ALERT
In addition to “Blood Syndicate” starting up this month, we get the first ‘new’ Milestone character in quite some time, Duo, with a title of their own. Greg Pal and Khoi Pham introduced Duo in the digital reboot issue from 2021, but this is the first story to really star the character. I’m not sure how I feel about all the Milestone books being six issue minis instead of ongoings, but I’m glad to see DC committing to putting out these titles with some regularity, and hopefully letting characters rest for a bit will build anticipation for when they return.
But maybe an ongoing Earth-M title they can all tie into makes sense. Trust me on this, DC.
DUO #1
Written by GREG PAK
Art by KHOI PHAM and SCOTT HANNA
Cover by DIKE RUAN
Variant cover by DENYS COWAN
1:25 variant cover by NIMIT MALAVIA
$3.99 US | 32 Pages | 1 of 6
Variant $4.99 US (card stock)
ON SALE 5/17/22
When Milestone returned, Reginald Hudlin and Denys Cowan weren’t planning to stop there! Now they welcome you to a whole new realm of original characters, extending far beyond Dakota…welcome to Earth-M!
Nanotech engineers Dr. Kelly Vu and Dr. David Kim are committed to only one thing more than each other: using their regenerative nanobots to save the world. And following a violent attack, those very same nanobots end up saving David and Kelly’s lives…sort of. Their salvation comes with an unexpected consequence: husband and wife awaken to realize that they now share one super-powered body!
Writer Greg Pak (Action Comics, Batman/Superman) and artist Khoi Pham (Teen Titans) team up to introduce two thrilling new superheroes in the body of one, with the power of billions of nanobots. But how close is too close, with the love of your life literally in your head? And what happens when a couple so closely bound discovers they have very different ideas about how their newfound powers should be used?
2. Prepping for the 454547458458475th relaunch
There were three “Suicide Squad” series pre-New 52, running 88 total issues. Since 2011, there have been five ongoings, totaling 130 issues when this issue, #15, closes up shop. This is a shame, not because I think that this run has been particularly great, but because the concept is clearly one that DC feels good about, but just can’t find a way to make work. The runs are either critical darlings without overwhelming sales (Tom Taylor and Bruno Redondo’s recent run comes to mind) or just the dumbest shit in the world that sells a lot of copies (I still think Rob Williams was inhabited by a ghost or something for his ‘Rebirth’ run).
I’m not sure why this is being shut down, either. This is fronted by Peacemaker, a character who has literally never been more popular. Maybe it’ll get rebooted as “Peacemaker and the Suicide Squad,” but they don’t need to renumber it to do that. Just add a dumbass version of Vigilante and you’re all set.
Continued belowMy sincere hope is that DC lets this concept rest for a spell, but we know that isn’t going to happen.
SUICIDE SQUAD #15
Written by DENNIS HOPELESS
Art by EDUARDO PANSICA, JULIO FERREIRA, and DEXTER SOY
Cover by EDUARDO PANSICA
Variant cover by DEXTER SOY
$3.99 US | 32 pages | Variant $4.99 US (card stock)
ON SALE 5/3/22
FINAL ISSUE! Through space and alternate Earths, this version of the Squad has tried to free themselves from Waller’s clutches. In the series finale, they risk everything for freedom one last time..
1. Nothing gold can stay
“Teen Titans Academy” is the type of book that can be reinvented, pivoted, and shoehorned into being almost anything. The initial run has been full of really fun new characters, nice moments with old ones, and set up a system for the team to continue to grow and adapt over time. But instead of finding a new vision for the book, it is going away. It’s a shame, although I know that Tim Sheridan is busy working on “Flashpoint Beyond,” but he and Rafa Sandoval really build something special here.
Also, it sucks that Sandoval isn’t on this final issue. Sorry, Tom Derenick.
TEEN TITANS ACADEMY #15
Written by TIM SHERIDAN
Art by TOM DERENICK
Cover by TOM DERENICK and MATT HERMS
Variant cover by TODD NAUCK
$3.99 US | 32 pages | Variant $4.99 US (card stock)
ON SALE 5/24/22
FINAL ISSUE! In the shadow of the new Titans Tower, the students and faculty decide whether the school is the right place for them.
See the full solicitations over at Newsarama.
