July starts DC’s summertime event “Knight Terrors,” which is responsible for most of the comics being sold by the publisher this summer. However, we are not going to hear about ten different tie-ins. I’ve set a cap at 3 different “Knight Terrors” stories, and we’re going to talk about those three titles for very different reasons and then fill the rest of the month with more interesting books. Let’s get to it.
10. There’s a storm a-brewing
One of the potentially inspired ideas of the New 52 was bringing Stormwatch into the DC Universe. Notice I said “potentially inspired,” because there’s almost nothing that worked out well in that run. However, everything old is new again, and therefore we’re getting another attempt at Stormwatch in the DCU. This time, Ravager, aka Rose Wilson, is one of the members, and that could be very fun. Or, it could be totally lame. I honestly don’t know how to feel about this book, aside from being excited that Dexter Soy (“Captain Marvel,” “Red Hood and the Outlaws”) is on pencils, but at least it is not an expected take.
KNIGHT TERRORS: RAVAGER #1
Written by ED BRISSON
Art by DEXTER SOY
Cover by JEFF SPOKES
Variant cover by FRANCESCO MATTINA
Variant cover by FELIPE MASSAFERA
1:25 variant cover by JAMES STOKOE
1:50 variant cover by JEFF SPOKES
Midnight variant cover by DUSTIN NGUYEN
$3.99 US | 32 pages | 1 of 2 | Variant $4.99 US (card stock)
ON SALE 7/4/23
Defend your life, Rose Wilson! Ravager is separated from Stormwatch and trapped in a nightmare world where she must protect her younger self from being consumed and corrupted by the Murder Man and his blood-crazed Slaughter Squadron. Can Ravager protect a young Rose Wilson without losing her own identity? Why does the Murder Man seem so familiar, and how does he know so much about Rose?
9. Dark music to my ears
Josie Campbell did some incredible work on the four issue “New Champion of Shazam” series, but hasn’t been as present at DC since. Well, this is a great opportunity to give Campbell a bit more work on a new character for her, by putting things in her wheelhouse. After dealing with one magic character (Mary Marvel), she’s now working with the Justice League Dark and Wonder Woman. Plus, there’s a Nubia story! Most of the Nubia stories of the past 5 years have been total snoozes, but a boy can dream, can’t he? Plus, Juan Ferreyra art!
KNIGHT TERRORS: WONDER WOMAN #1
Written by JOSIE CAMPBELL and STEPHANIE WILLIAMS
Art by JUAN FERREYRA and MEGHAN HETRICK
Cover by JAE LEE
Variant cover by FRANCESCO MATTINA
Variant cover by INHYUK LEE
1:25 variant cover by TONY HARRIS
1:50 design variant cover by DAN MORA
Midnight variant cover by DUSTIN NGUYEN
$4.99 US | 40 pages | 1 of 2 | Variant $5.99 US (card stock)
ON SALE 7/18/23
After investigating an alarming intrusion at the now-defunct Hall of Justice, Wonder Woman and her unexpected new ally, Detective Chimp, suddenly find themselves in a world where their worst nightmares come to life. Who could possibly defeat these things that go bump in the night? The Justice League Dark! The Amazon Princess reunites with her old team to save the world from a sweet dream turned into a beautiful nightmare! Plus, Queen Nubia finds herself trapped in the Well of Souls!
8. Putting Lex out to pasture
A semi-sequel to his “Superman: Birthright,” Mark Waid is bringing Bryan Hitch along for this new three-issue, prestige Black Label title. In general, I’m a little sick of Superman/Lex stories where one of them has to put aside their feelings to try to solve the other. But Waid is such an excellent Superman writer, and Hitch is such a great Superman artist, that this looks like a really fun miniseries.
Continued belowSUPERMAN: THE LAST DAYS OF LEX LUTHOR #1
Written by MARK WAID
Art and cover by BRYAN HITCH
Variant cover by KEVIN NOWLAN
Variant cover by CHRIS SAMNEE
1:25 variant cover by YANICK PAQUETTE
1:50 variant cover By EVAN “DOC” SHANER
$6.99 US | 48 pages | 1 of 3 | Prestige Plus | 8 1/2″ x 10 7/8″
(all covers are card stock)
ON SALE 7/25/23
Mark Waid and Bryan Hitch reunite to tell a tale centered on their favorite superhero. Superman learns Lex Luthor is dying, and he wants the Man of Steel to help him find the cure for whatever is causing his rapid decline. While the world wants to say good riddance to Luthor, Superman will go to the ends of the universe, through different dimensions, and across time to save his foe. But just why does he want to save the person who’s spent his life trying to destroy him? And will he even be able to find the solution?
7. The most predictable creative team of all time
There’s a term in baseball known as ‘replacement level,’ which means that a player holds, essentially, the same value as a player called up from the minor leagues. Comics aren’t sports, obviously, and it’s not a one to one comparison, but I think that DC sometimes considers certain creators, essentially, replacement level talent. Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing have been hanging around DC since the mid-teens, and have never been given a project that they can really sink their teeth into. Their stories tend to be editorially driven, safe, and return the character to the exact position they were at when the book started. Similarly, Max Dunbar is the artist of late that has received the similar assignments: low level stories or fill in work, without a chance to really put his stamp on the book.
This is not the fault of the creators, per se, but is a long winded way of saying that “Batman Beyond: Neo Gothic” is likely to be a relatively mundane book that DC doesn’t see as anything really worth pushing. It will be yet another Terry McGinnis story that doesn’t really go anywhere.
BATMAN BEYOND: NEO-GOTHIC #1
Written by COLLIN KELLY and JACKSON LANZING
Art and cover by MAX DUNBAR
Variant cover by CHRISTIAN WARD
Variant cover by EJIKURE
1:25 variant cover by BELÉN ORTEGA
1:50 variant cover by DIKE RUAN
$4.99 US | 32 pages | Variant $5.99 US (card stock)
ON SALE 7/25/23
Terry McGinnis defeated the evil A.I. controlling Neo-Gotham and asserted himself as the one true Batman, but his next battle will bring him to the remains of Old Gotham. Children are going missing and being swallowed by the city’s old bones. Batman Beyond will have to go underground, led by a mysterious splicer named Kyle the Catboi, to find the children and confront the city’s buried sins. What happened to the green of the city? What happened to magic? And what villains never left old Gotham? All these questions will be answered by the red-hot creative team of Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing (Batman – One Bad Day: Clayface, Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty) and Max Dunbar (Batman: Urban Legends).
6. Titanic Origins
I love that DC is really doubling down on the import of the Titans, and this miniseries, giving origin stories for Starfire, Raven, Donna Troy, and Beast Boy is a great way to catch folks up on who these characters are. That’s the good news.
The bad news is that I would much rather see new stories featuring these characters rather than retreads of their origins. Donna Troy’s origin is so muddled that maybe she needs a refresh, but the other three really aren’t necessary. I do like seeing Javier Rodríguez get some work, and the Hales are new talent to DC, so I’m glad to see that as well, but this has ‘forgettable’ written all over it, due to its rehash-y nature.
Continued belowTALES OF THE TITANS #1
Written by SHANNON HALE and DEAN HALE
Art by JAVIER RODRÍGUEZ
Cover by NICOLA SCOTT
Variant cover by STANLEY “ARTGERM” LAU
1:25 variant cover by JAVIER RODRÍGUEZ
1:50 variant cover by FATIMA WAJID
Titans special foil variant cover by CHRIS SAMNEE ($6.99 US)
$4.99 US | 40 pages | Variant $5.99 US (card stock)
ON SALE 7/18/23
The Titans have stepped up to become the DCU’s premier superhero team, and all eyes are on them! Who are Starfire, Raven, Donna Troy, and Beast Boy? Where do they come from, and what do they stand for? All will be revealed in Tales of the Titans, an all-new series of spotlight issues in the spirit of the beloved 1980s classic Tales of the New Teen Titans!
First up is alien princess and warrior Starfire, whose huge heart, huger hair, and fiery fists have made her a fan-favorite member of the team! When a spaceship bearing Tamaranean markings crash-lands on Earth, Starfire goes on a solo mission to uncover its origins. But what awaits her on that journey will bring her back to the earliest days of her youth, to memories of two sisters eternally at war…and perhaps the chance to keep history from repeating itself.
5. Wait…more Titans?
Anyone who knows me knows I love the Titans, and I love that DC is making them a cornerstone of the DCU for the next little bit. Giving Mark Waid and Emanuela Lupacchino six issues to tell ‘classic’ Teen Titans stories is a fun idea but, as I will keep coming back to as long as I live, I would rather see new stories, set in the present day, than have this flashback-style book. That said? It’s still going to be very good, because it is Waid and Lupacchino, and because this is spinning out of the absolutely fantastic “Batman/Superman: World’s Finest.”
WORLD’S FINEST: TEEN TITANS #1
Written by MARK WAID
Art by EMANUELA LUPACCHINO
Cover by CHRIS SAMNEE
Variant covers by EVAN “DOC” SHANER and JIM CHEUNG
1:25 variant cover by W. SCOTT FORBES
1:50 variant cover by EMANUELA LUPACCHINO
1:100 variant cover by CHRIS SAMNEE
Blank sketch variant cover
Special foil variant cover by JIM CHEUNG ($5.99 US)
$3.99 US | 32 pages | 1 of 6 | Variant $4.99 US (card stock)
ON SALE 7/11/23
Spinning out of the pages of the runaway hit Batman/Superman: World’s Finest comes a modern retelling of the early adventures of the original Teen Titans!
Led by Robin, the Boy Wonder, a new super-team has burst onto the scene—meet the Teen Titans, DC’s grooviest group filled with super-teens with super-problems. When they’re not fighting alongside their Justice League mentors, they’re managing their image and cultivating the rabid fan base that helps them save the world…as, all the while, a danger from the shadows intends to tear these friends apart before they ever reach the big time.
Before they were the Titans of the DCU, they were the Teen Titans, and you won’t want to miss this fresh take on their origins from the legendary talents of Mark Waid and Emanuela Lupacchino!
4. Something something reap what you sow
Sina Grace has been in comics for some time, but has always sort of been on the periphery of the superhero world. Yes, he did that “Iceman” series at Marvel, and has done a few one-shots and minis, but it is nice to see him take on a big story like this, a 200 page OGN about teenage Clark Kent. Grace is a really unique voice in comics, imbuing his work with humor and pathos that feels totally different than what his contemporaries use. This seems like an absolutely fantastic fit for him.
SUPERMAN: THE HARVESTS OF YOUTH
Written and drawn by SINA GRACE
$16.99 US | 208 pages | 6″ x 9″ | Softcover | ISBN: 978-1-77951-105-8
ON SALE 10/3/23
Clark Kent’s idyllic teen life is wrenched away when the death of a classmate rocks Smallville. As he and his friends grieve, the challenges they face become darker, more complex, and deeply insidious. For the first time in his life, Clark must grapple with life’s biggest questions, and confront his own mortality (or lack thereof) in order to become the hero his beloved town needs. Acclaimed GLAAD Media Award-nominated writer and artist Sina Grace (Iceman) tells the deeply moving and quintessential story of teenage Clark Kent and the town that must overcome grief and hate to restore hope.
3. Lunch date with a Kryptonian
I love that DC is translating and printing some of the superhero manga featuring their characters. Of the three highlighted in these solicits, “Superman vs Meshi” sounds like the best one: it’s a Superman meets food manga. Hot damn, I can’t wait to see Kal-El slurp down comical levels of curry. This is like all the stories you hear about Andre the Giant’s food/drink consumption but, you know, with Superman. Sign me up.
Continued belowSUPERMAN VS. MESHI VOL. 1
Written by SATOSHI MIYAGAWA
Art and cover by KAI KITAGO
$9.99 US | 160 pages | Softcover | 5″ x 7.5″ | ISBN: 978-1-77952-312-9
ON SALE 9/5/23
It’s hungry work being a Superman! That’s why every day for lunch, Superman takes a quick stop over in Japan to try a new chain restaurant. Whether it’s a hearty bowl of curry or conveyor belt sushi, the Man of Steel loves to indulge in the delectable delicacies the country has to offer. So pull up a seat, and dig in as Superman does battle with lunch!
2. Kendra’s turn
It has been a minute since we last got a Hawkgirl title (since “Hawkman” transitioned into “Hawkgirl” back in 2006 as part of “One Year Later”), and since then, she has been omnipresent on the margins of DC: showing up on teams, in event books, in animation, etc. And while it is easy to dismiss a 6 issue miniseries by a new to DC creator as less than a vote of confidence in the character’s staying power, the fact that DC is trying to set her up as an important piece of their universe goin forward is a good thing. Kendra is one of the few women of color in DC’s arsenal, and she’s a great example of legacy, one of DC’s big concepts right now. Plus, Jadzia Axelrod’s “Galaxy: The Prettiest Star” was a breath of fresh air and something truly new at DC. Let’s embrace both a new(ish) talent and a legacy character and make this book something special.
HAWKGIRL #1
Written by JADZIA AXELROD
Art and cover by AMANCAY NAHUELPAN
Variant cover by DERRICK CHEW
Variant cover by OTTO SCHMIDT
1:25 variant cover by BRAD WALKER
1:50 variant cover by MATEUS MANHANINI
$3.99 US | 32 pages | 1 of 6 | Variant $4.99 US (card stock)
ON SALE 7/18/23
Kendra Saunders, the winged warrior better known as Hawkgirl, has been one of the DCU’s greatest heroes for a long time, serving as a member of both the Justice League and the Justice Society. But with the Justice League disbanded, Kendra decides she needs a fresh start and heads to Metropolis to begin a new life. That life is quickly interrupted by a mysterious villain with a powerful connection to the Nth metal that makes up Hawkgirl’s wings and weapons. A brand-new adventure with sky-high action, adventure, and intrigue begins here by Jadzia Axelrod (Galaxy: The Prettiest Star) and Amancay Nahuelpan (Wonder Woman, Detective Comics, The Flash).
1. I know, I know…
Look, I don’t love that “Knight Terrors” is taking over my reading for two months this summer. It’s a bummer, but it is a bummer that we need to deal with. The reason that this issue is the #1 pick this month is that this is the bellwether for the entire event. If this issue, by Josh Williamson and Howard Porter, can intrigue, then the event might have some legs. If this falls short, well, I guess I’ll have a lot more time to watch baseball and go swimming this summer.
KNIGHT TERRORS: FIRST BLOOD #1
Written by JOSHUA WILLIAMSON
Art and cover by HOWARD PORTER
Variant cover by JAE LEE
Variant cover by FRANCESCO MATTINA
Blank variant cover
1:25 variant cover by RICCARDO FEDERICI
1:50 variant cover by EJIKURE
1:100 variant cover by JAE LEE
1:666 signed variant cover by HOWARD PORTER
Darkest Hour variant cover by HOWARD PORTER ($7.99 US)
$5.99 US | 48 pages | One-shot | Variant $6.99 US (card stock)
ON SALE 7/4/23
When Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman find the body of one of their earliest enemies inside the Hall of Justice, their investigation takes them past the land of the living, beyond the land of the dead, and directly to a new villain called Insomnia…who uses his powers to engulf every single hero and villain in their own dark and twisted nightmares. The only way to save the world is to call for the help of an unlikely hero—Deadman!
The thrills and chills of Knight Terrors are brought to the DC Universe by DC architect and superstar writer Joshua Williamson with horrific art by comics legend Howard Porter!
For the full solicitations, check out Newsarama.
