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Soliciting Multiversity: DC’s Top 10 for July 2022

By | May 5th, 2022
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No preamble. Too many comics. Let’s get to it.

10. Justice League Jet Jaguar

I am all for DC doing weird shit. Even if it isn’t always to my tastes, I’m big into the idea of taking chances, especially with characters that have existed for 8 decade. And so, “DC: Mech,” a sort of Pacific Rim meets DC miniseries? Why not? Again, if this isn’t your cup of tea, move along. But this could be some cool fun, especially based on the cover by Baldemar Rivas (late of “Robins”). I want to see more of his work, and this looks to be a very cool spotlight for him to do his thing.

DC: MECH #1
Written by KENNY PORTER
Art and cover by BALDEMAR RIVAS
Variant cover by DAN MORA
1:25 variant cover by RICARDO LÓPEZ ORTIZ
1:100 variant cover by KARL KERSCHL
Team wraparound variant cover by BALDEMAR RIVAS

$3.99 US | 32 pages | 1 of 6 | Variant $4.99 US (card stock)
ON SALE 7/26/22

At the end of World War II, Earth was invaded by giant mechanized parademons from a planet called Apokolips. Earth’s protectors, the Justice Society of America, were devastated, and with them, the age of superheroes came to an end and the era of the Mech began.
In the ensuing years, the world has stockpiled colossal battle suits piloted by elite warriors, waiting for the day Apokolips returns. But when Kal-El, the last son of a dying world, crash-lands in Metropolis with his own war suit, he’ll face down two of Earth’s finest Mech fighters, the Flash and Batman.
The dawn of a brave new mechanized DCU is here from the rising star creative team of Kenny Porter (The Flash: The Fastest Man Alive, Fearless) and Baldemar Rivas (Robins, Batman: Urban Legends).

9. What’s next, “Young Justice: Walmarts?”

Young Justice is the rare DC television project that has come and gone over the years, but has more or less remained under the same creative direction. Seeing those stories come to comics has been really fun for fans of the series, especially when co-creator Greg Weisman is writing the books. For some reason, the CW series’ tie-ins always feel a little unnecessary or cheesy, but this looks more in line with what the TV series is doing.

YOUNG JUSTICE: TARGETS #1
Written by GREG WEISMAN
Art and cover by CHRISTOPHER JONES
Variant cover by MEGHAN HETRICK
1:25 variant cover by TRAVIS MERCER

$3.99 US | 32 pages | 1 of 6 | Variant $4.99 US (card stock)
ON SALE 7/26/22

Queen Perdita has been kidnapped! Mysterious armored assailants have snatched the Vlatavan royal out from beneath Bowhunter Security, leaving Green Arrow and Black Canary poisoned and comatose in the process! Now a rallying cry echoes around the globe, and across super-teams, to band together and rescue Perdita!
Young Justice co-creator Greg Weisman and Christopher Jones bring you an action-packed follow-up to Young Justice: Phantoms that will rock the team to its core!
Plus, each issue includes a bonus story detailing previously unseen adventures from past seasons of Young Justice!

8. “A ‘Brave and the Bold,’ by any other name, would be just as dope”

So the idea behind this issue is a little muddled, ‘celebrating the Dark Knight’s monumental year on the silver screen.’ I guess that means that by pairing him up with the other DC heroes getting their own films (Well, sort of. With The Flash and the second Shazam film swapping release dates, this has an incorrect third ‘2022 film’ star. But let’s not be (even more) pedantic). Regardless of the concept, Dan Watters and Riley Rossmo on a story is too good to pass up. Gleb Melnikov? Yes, please. Amancay Nahuelpan? Ok, now you’re spoiling us. The art on this book is going to be amazing, and worth your time to pick up.

BATMAN: URBAN LEGENDS #17
Written by RYAN CADY, JOEY ESPOSITO,
ALEX PAKNADEL, and DAN WATTERS
Art by GLEB MELNIKOV, SERG ACUÑA,
AMANCAY NAHUELPAN, and RILEY ROSSMO
Cover by JIM CHEUNG and JAY DAVID RAMOS
Variant covers by GLEB MELNIKOV,
SEBASTIAN FIUMARA, and GARY FRANK

$7.99 US | 64 pages | Prestige
ON SALE 7/12/22

A blockbuster issue! Batman teams up with the Flash, Aquaman, and Black Adam in three spectacular stories in this special issue of Batman: Urban Legends, celebrating the Dark Knight’s monumental year on the silver screen! Also features a Bat-villain-centric bonus story. Brought to you by four stellar creative teams. Perfect for old fans and new readers alike!

Continued below

7. Soon to be known as the Black Adam Cinematic Universe

Speaking of movie tie-ins…

With Black Adam delayed until the autumn, DC has a few months to lead up to the film with one-shots focusing on some of the Justice Society characters that will be appearing in the movie. It’s pretty funny to me that we are getting a movie tie-in JSA book before we’re getting the JSA book that has been teased for at least 5 years now, but hey, I just want more JSA in my life.

BLACK ADAM – THE JUSTICE SOCIETY FILES: HAWKMAN #1
Written by CAVAN SCOTT and BRYAN Q. MILLER
Art by SCOT EATON, MARCO SANTUCCI, and
NORM RAPMUND
Cover by KAARE ANDREWS

Photo variant cover
$5.99 US | 48 pages | Variant $6.99 US (card stock)
ON SALE 7/5/22

Long ago, Hawkman was the leader of the Justice Society, but what is he now? Still a hero or another relic in a museum? Everything changes when he finds himself haunted by not only the past, but also the vengeful spirit of a wayward thief. Will this Gentleman Ghost be the death of Hawkman or will he deliver a warning from beyond the grave? The road to Black Adam begins here. Also in this issue: As a pivotal moment in the life of Teth-Adam and his son Hurut begins to unfold in ancient Kahndaq, modern-day Kahndaq meets a new hero—antiquities professor by day, “cultural recovery specialist” by night, Adrianna Tomaz. And unfortunately for Adrianna, she’s about to “liberate” a sacred totem from the wrong interested party—Intergang!

6. “What, it’s not Magaggie’s promotion day?”

“Nightwing” has been a lot of fun since relaunching under Tom Taylor and Bruno Redondo, but there’s a little bit of disconnect between this book and the rest of the DCU. Because it isn’t set in Gotham, it doesn’t quite feel like a Batman title. But there isn’t quite enough connection to non-Bat titles to feel like it really belongs anywhere. With the recent interactions with Jon Kent, the book has started to feel a little more like a Metropolis adjacent title, and now with Maggie Sawyer as the new Blüdhaven police commissioner, that is more true than ever. And, since the name Nightwing is actually Kryptonian, and since there are more than enough Bat books, I’m fine with Dick Grayson being an honorary member of the Superman family.

NIGHTWING #94
Written by TOM TAYLOR
Art and cover by BRUNO REDONDO
Variant cover by JAMAL CAMPBELL
1:25 variant cover by DAVID TALASKI

$3.99 US | 32 pages | Variant $4.99 US (card stock)
ON SALE 7/19/22

There’s a new commissioner in town, and it’s none other than Maggie Sawyer! But one clean commissioner does not make a whole bad basket of Blüdhaven police officers good, and now Blockbuster is forced to lean more on Nightwing’s sister, Mayor Zucco, to oversee the old commissioner’s illegal dealings…Then, an attack on Haven reveals some shocking truths to Nightwing and Oracle that make it difficult to recover from.

5. Wally and Wallace Wooking for Bawwy Awwen

The Flash stuff has been some of the most engaging bits of ‘Infinite Frontier’ in general, and with Barry ‘lost,’ it’s been an opportunity to let Wally finally return to prominence. But with the new influx of Teen Titans characters, Wallace has been somewhat left in the dust. Seeing the two of them together, leading the charge in Barry’s rescue, will hopefully lead to these two characters not only getting closer in story, but giving the readers a chance to reconnect with Wallace after some time away.

THE FLASH #784
Written by JEREMY ADAMS
Art by AMANCAY NAHUELPAN
Cover by TAURIN CLARKE
Variant cover by BENGAL

$3.99 US | 32 pages
Variant $4.99 US (card stock)
ON SALE 7/19/22

The search for Barry Allen! Wally and Wallace have arrived on the planet Pariah has trapped Barry on—but it’s not quite a happy reunion among the Flashes. The Dark Crisis tie-in storyline continues!

4. So, Planet Black Mercy?

All credit to my DC3cast co-host Vince who, essentially, guessed what was going to be happening during “Dark Crisis” with the Justice League being ‘dead.’ Each of them seems to be on their own planet, much like Barry Allen, where they get to see their greatest dreams lived out. So, like a Black Mercy, without the pesky intrusive plant in the heart. Some of Tom King’s best DC work has been in one-shot event tie ins (his Hal Jordan story from ‘Darkseid War,’ the ‘Future’s End’ “Grayson” issue), and pairing him with Chris Burnham is an inspired choice. Let’s hope that this lives up to those prior one-shots.

Continued below

DARK CRISIS: WORLDS WITHOUT A JUSTICE LEAGUE – SUPERMAN #1
Written by TOM KING
Art and cover by CHRIS BURNHAM
Backup written by BRANDON THOMAS and CHUCK BROWN
Backup art by FICO OSSIO
1:25 variant cover by STEVE BEACH
1:50 foil variant cover by CHRIS BURNHAM

$4.99 | 40 pages | (All covers card stock)
ON SALE 7/12/22

When Pariah and his forces of the Great Darkness laid waste to the most powerful superheroes of all time, all hope was lost…with the Man of Steel suffering the same fate as that of his comrades, join us for a look at a world of dreams he would never have thought possible while alive. Where there’s life there’s hope, and with that hope comes a deeper unraveling of the tapestry of DCU’s biggest event of 2022!

3. JUST GIVE US A SECOND WONDER WOMAN ONGOING

So this month, we are getting both the second chapter of the second Nubia miniseries (not counting the one-shot in between the two), and now an Artemis-focused one-shot. While I am generally pretty down on the execution of these Wonder Woman adjacent stories, I want more Wonder Woman in my life, and I think a lot of readers do, too. By having all of these scattered one-shots and miniseries, it is taking away the opportunity to build a true companion book to “Wonder Woman.” She starred in “Sensation Comics” for years, just give us that. It’s the “Action” to “Superman,” the “Detective” to “Batman.” Then, you can tell all of these stories under one roof. “Wonder Woman” can be her solo adventures, “Sensation” focuses on her and the Amazons. C’mon DC, you can do this.

ARTEMIS: WANTED #1
Written by VITA AYALA
Art by SKYLAR PATRIDGE
Cover by MATTEO SCALERA
Variant cover by KAMOME SHIRAHAMA
1:25 variant cover by BECKY CLOONAN

$5.99 US | 48 pages | One-shot | Variant $6.99 US (card stock)
ON SALE 7/19/22

After the events of Trial of the Amazons, Artemis is on the run from her sisters for her sins. She may say it was all in the name of peace, but not even Wonder Woman believes a word she says. Now the former member of the Bana-Mighdall is wanted by not only her people, but all Amazon tribes!
Is there a future for a warrior who has destroyed her past? Find out as Artemis travels the world searching for answers and a new path forward. She’ll need all the help she can get, and it may come from the unlikeliest of sources…the Gods!

2. There’s a new Chip in town

“Batman” is getting its third writer in about a year, after James Tynion IV left the title prematurely and Joshua Williamson jumped on for a few months. Hopefully, Chip Zdarsky has a long tenure in mind, as the book could use some stability. Zdarsky has been slowly working his way up DC’s ranks after his Image and Marvel success, and this is easily the highest profile book he’s done at DC, or anywhere, up to this point. Zdarsky is a bit hit or miss for me, but I liked his Red Hood story in “Batman: Urban Legends,” and I think he can do a good job here.

BATMAN #125
Written by CHIP ZDARSKY
Art and cover by JORGE JIMENEZ
Backup art by BELÉN ORTEGA
Variant covers by JIM LEE, SCOTT WILLIAMS,
GABRIELE DELL’OTTO, INHYUK LEE, and FRANCESCO MATTINA
Acetate variant cover by SIMONE DI MEO A
1:25 wraparound variant cover by JORGE JIMENEZ
1:50 variant cover by JOCK
1:125 variant cover by ALEX GARNER
1:250 variant cover by CHIP ZDARSKY
1:500 variant cover by JIM LEE and SCOTT WILLIAMS

$5.99 US | 48 pages | Variant $6.99 US (card stock)
ON SALE 7/5/22

Superstar writer Chip Zdarsky joins legendary artist Jorge Jimenez to define a new era in Batman!
Bruce Wayne is at a turning point, haunted by dreams of a dark future, while Gotham City billionaires are being gruesomely murdered. With the discovery of an archenemy’s involvement and a tragedy unfolding, the Dark Knight’s nightmares are just beginning.
“Failsafe” starts here.

And in the backup, there’s chaos in Gotham as the underworld fights over one of its crown jewels…and Selina Kyle is caught in the middle. Can she stop the bloodshed and maybe even make a little money in the process?

Continued below

1. YES! YES! YES!

I should just be able to type “Mike Allred drawing Superman,” and y’all should run to the store to preorder this.

You know what? That’s exactly what I’m going to do. “Mike Allred drawing Superman.” Done.

SUPERMAN: SPACE AGE #1
Written by MARK RUSSELL
Art and cover by MIKE ALLRED
Variant cover by STEVE RUDE
1:25 variant cover by NICK DERINGTON
1:50 variant cover by MIKE ALLRED

$9.99 US | 80 pages | 1 of 3 | Prestige
ON SALE 7/26/22

Meet Clark Kent, a young reporter who just learned that the world will soon come to an end (Crisis on Infinite Earths) and there is nothing he can do to save it. Sounds like a job for his alter ego…Superman!
After years of standing idle, the young man from Krypton defies the wishes of his fathers to come out to the world as the first superhero of the Space Age. As each decade passes and each new danger emerges, he wonders if this is the one that will kill him and everyone he loves. Superman realizes that even good intentions are not without their backlash as the world around him transforms into a place as determined to destroy itself as he is to save it.
Uniting the critically acclaimed writer Mark Russell (One-Star Squadron and The Flintstones) and Eisner-winner Mike Allred (Silver Surfer and Bowie: Stardust, Rayguns & Moonage Daydreams) for the first time, this series promises fans an unforgettable journey through U.S. history and culture starring our beloved characters.

For the full solicits, check out Newsarama.


//TAGS | Soliciting Multiversity

Brian Salvatore

Brian Salvatore is an editor, podcaster, reviewer, writer at large, and general task master at Multiversity. When not writing, he can be found playing music, hanging out with his kids, or playing music with his kids. He also has a dog named Lola, a rowboat, and once met Jimmy Carter. Feel free to email him about good beer, the New York Mets, or the best way to make Chicken Parmagiana (add a thin slice of prosciutto under the cheese).

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