10. Bring on the insanity!
Neal Adams has passed beyond the realm of ‘need to make comics for others’ and has moved squarely into ‘makes comics for an audience of one.’ His recent DC work has been in stand alone miniseries that don’t really fit into continuity and are, above all else, batshit crazy. If you want to read a comic that seems like a fever dream, track down “Batman: Odyssey.”
The main villain of that story was Ra’s al Ghul, so seeing Adams return to that well is something of a welcome sight, and also a cause for concern, because this is going to be a hard to follow, scratchy tale. But I’m here for it, let’s do this.
BATMAN VS. RA’S AL GHUL #1
written by NEAL ADAMS
art and cover by NEAL ADAMS
black-and-white variant cover by NEAL ADAMS
Gotham City is under siege by terrorists, and Batman is determined to find the source. But when Boston Brand tries to intervene, he discovers an even more
disturbing and deadly truth: the terrorists are led by an inhuman monster. Ra’s al Ghul has volunteered his own private security force to aid the GCPD, and now they are the only thing standing between nuclear terror and the townspeople!
But al Ghul’s true goal is hidden from everyone’s eyes. He will destroy the city and kill Batman—this time for good. Watching in horror is…Bruce Wayne?
ON SALE 08.21.19
$3.99 US | 1 OF 6 | 32 PAGES
FC | RATED T+
This issue will ship with two covers.
Please see the order form for details.
9. DC Jinxworld Round 1 wraps up
With its twelfth issues, “Pearl” is finished, which means that the first round of ‘Jinxworld’ titles – “Cover,” “Scarlet,” “United States vs Murder, Inc,” and “Pearl” – have wrapped up. It is hard to judge the success of “Scarlet” and “Murder, Inc,” as those are continuations of past stories, and so always had a more limited appeal to new readers. But both “Pearl” and “Cover” were brand new stories, and both were compelling new stories.
This solicit seems to imply that new Jinxworld books are on the way, and that this issue will give a first look at some of them. We know that more “Cover” is coming eventually, and I could forsee the other Jinxworld titles returning for new seasons, but I hope that Bendis keeps adding new books to the mix as well.
PEARL #12
written by BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS
art and cover by MICHAEL GAYDOS
variant cover by DAVID MACK
It’s the wild end of this romantic yakuza epic from the creators of Jessica Jones! Tying up all the loose ends—for now—Pearl Tanaka confronts her past and her future. Will she choose the path of the artist or the killer? Which is her natural way?
Don’t miss this stunning multimedia experience from artist Michael Gaydos, plus an exclusive look at new Jinxworld projects coming soon!
ON SALE 08.21.19
$3.99 US | 32 PAGES
FC | MATURE READERS
FINAL ISSUE
This issue will ship with two covers.
Please see the order form for details.
8. The end is (probably not really) night
August starts a new storyline called ‘Death of the Speed Force’ over in “The Flash.” And while I’m absolutely loving what Williamson and co. are doing in the book, I can’t help but balk at the idea of the Speed Force actually dying. That’s not a complaint, by the way; this is comics, and the tease that the unthinkable will happen is sort of the deal. But I also like the idea of Barry having to show the other parts of his heroism that aren’t tied to his speed. Plus, Rafa Sandoval has been quietly upping his game the last few years, so I’m excited to see him working on this book.
Continued belowTHE FLASH #76
written by JOSHUA WILLIAMSON
art and cover by RAFA SANDOVAL and JORDI TARRAGONA
card stock variant cover by YASMINE PUTRI
“Death of the Speed Force” begins! With renewed resolve following the events of “The Flash Year One,” the Flash is back with a new mission, a new outlook and a brand-new speedster HQ. But the Fastest Man Alive is slowing down—and there’s only one explanation: the Speed Force is dying. Plus, the Year of the Villain heats up as Captain Cold uses Lex Luthor’s offer to boost Heat Wave to the next level!
ON SALE 08.14.19
$3.99 US | 32 PAGES
CARD STOCK VARIANT COVER $4.99
FC | RATED T
This issue will ship with two covers.
Please see the order form for details.
7. Movie prep
In anticipation of the upcoming Birds of Prey film, DC is re-releasing its “Gotham City Sirens” omnibus and adding Harley Quinn to the title. Now, this obviously isn’t the exact same thing as the Birds of Prey, but the lineup is the closest that DCEU fans can find to Harley on a superhero team in comics. So, two days before the film’s release, binge read nearly 650 pages of “Gotham City Sirens” to prepare for Birds of Prey!
HARLEY QUINN AND THE GOTHAM CITY SIRENS OMNIBUS HC NEW EDITION
written by PAUL DINI, PETER CALLOWAY, TONY BEDARD and others
art by GUILLEM MARCH, ANDRES GUINALDO and others
cover by GUILLEM MARCH
Catwoman, Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn are tired of playing by other peoples’ rules regardless of which side of the law they’re on. These tough ladies have a new agenda that’s all their own, and they’ll use any means necessary to pursue it. But can they get along and work as a team? And who will get hurt along the way? Collects GOTHAM CITY SIRENS #1-26 and CATWOMAN #83.
ON SALE 02.05.20
$75.00 US | 648 PAGES
7.0625” x 10.875”
FC
6. An interesting author
One of the missed opportunities for DC, thus far, in their all-ages and young adult books thus far, has been bringing in more ‘name’ authors, who may bring some readers over from their already established fanbase into DC’s waters. Well, Meg Cabot, best known for the Princess Diaries series, is exactly that type of author. I’m not familiar with Cara McGee’s work, but looking through her social media, she looks like an interesting fit for this story.
So far, these books have been…mixed, to be kind. I’ve not read all of them yet, but the Catwoman book was raunchier than you’d possibly believe, and the Super Sons title was rough. I hope that Cabot is able to inject some life into the line, and Black Canary seems like a good character with which to do so.
BLACK CANARY: IGNITE TP
written by MEG CABOT
art and cover by CARA McGEE
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Princess Diaries comes Black Canary: Ignite, Meg Cabot’s first graphic novel! With expressive and energetic art by Cara McGee to match the trademark attitude and spunk of Meg Cabot’s characters and dialogue, this mother-daughter story embraces the highs and lows of growing up without growing out of what makes us unique.
Thirteen-year-old Dinah Lance knows exactly what she wants, who she is, and where she’s going. First, she’ll win the battle of the bands with her two best friends, then she’ll join the Gotham City Junior Police Academy so she can solve crimes just like her dad. Who knows, her rock star group of friends may even save the world, but first they’ll need to agree on a band name.
When a mysterious figure keeps getting in the way of Dinah’s goals and threatens her friends and family, she’ll learn more about herself, her mother’s secret past, and navigating the various power chords of life.
Black Canary: Ignite is an inspirational song that encourages readers to find their own special voices to sing along with Black Canary!
ON SALE 10.30.19
$9.99 US | 5.5” x 8” | 160 PAGES
FC
5. Of all the events to revisit…
One of the nice things about a month like this where, aside from a few new titles, things look relatively status quo, is that it gives us a chance to dig into the collections coming out, and to see what DC is reprinting and why. This month, they’re reprinting the “Justice League of America” issues involving the wedding of Jean Loring and Ray Palmer. This wedding is a relatively minor one in DC history, as they divorced later, and not much was heard from Loring since.
Oh, except for when she killed Sue Dibny in one of the absolute worst comics of all time.
So, is DC planning on doing something with “Identity Crisis?” Or is this just part of the continued reprint plans? I’m not sure, but I’m actually interested to read these stories for the first time.
Continued belowJUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA: THE WEDDING OF THE ATOM AND JEAN LORING HC
written by STEVE ENGLEHART and GERRY CONWAY
art by DICK DILLIN, GEORGE TUSKA, ARVELL JONES and others
cover by DICK DILLIN
In these 1970s tales, Dr. Light makes his dramatic return—and so does Snapper Carr, who’s now turned traitor to the League! Ultraa, hero of Earth-Prime, joins the League in their battle with the Injustice Gang, while the Phantom Stranger assists the team against a family of ancient gods! Plus, the Atom and Jean Loring get married—but will the power of her mind destroy the Earth? Collects JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #149-158 and SUPER-TEAM FAMILY #13-14.
ON SALE 02.05.19
$69.99 US | 416 PAGES
4. This is the best
Do I really need to say anything other than ‘the Green Lanterns of the Multiverse?’ C’mon, now.
THE GREEN LANTERN #10
written by GRANT MORRISON
art and cover by LIAM SHARP
card stock variant cover by KAARE ANDREWS
Twelve parallel worlds! Twelve Green Lanterns! And one unstoppable menace! Hal Jordan joins the Green Lanterns of the Multiverse—including Bat-Lantern, Tangent Green Lantern and more—to save a dying Multiverse, defeat the relentless Anti-Man and embark upon their “Quest for the Cosmic Grail”! It’s another Morrison/Sharp science fantasy epic!
ON SALE 08.07.19
$3.99 US | 32 PAGES
CARD STOCK VARIANT COVER $4.99
FC | RATED T+
This issue will ship with two covers.
Please see the order form for details.
3. Tie-ins, tie-ins, tie-ins
The Year of the Villain is upon us, and we’ve got two one-shot tie-ins this month that both look promising due to the creative teams. The one I’ve chosen to highlight is the Sinestro special, written by Mark Russell and illustrated by Brandon Peterson. Russell hasn’t done much ‘straight’ superhero stuff in the past, and so I’m interested to see how he does in a story that doesn’t seem to lend itself to either humor or social commentary.
The other book is a Black Mask joint by Tom Taylor and Cully Hamner, not exactly a slouch of a creative lineup, either. While I’m still undecided about this event’s scale – it’s involving close to the entire main-line of books – I think these two books have the potential to be a lot of fun.
SINESTRO: YEAR OF THE VILLAIN #1
written by MARK RUSSELL
art and cover by BRANDON PETERSON
As the universe tilts towards doom, great forces awake in an effort to stop Lex Luthor’s mad plans. Dispatching Sinestro, Luthor sends the former Green Lantern to bring these old gods under control or destroy them before they reach Earth. Now, wielding the power of the ultraviolet spectrum, Sinestro finds his new foes even more dangerous and perplexing than he expected, when realizes any damage he inflicts is immediately repaired.
ON SALE 08.07.19
$4.99 US | 40 PAGES
FC | RATED T+
2. Call it “World’s Finest” you cowards!
Just about everything about this book is right up my alley: Joshua Williamson is one of my favorite writers, David Marquez is a nice addition to the DC stable, and a Clark/Bruce team up – especially not written by Tom King – is cause for celebration. But there’s one part I’m not so thrilled about, and that is the Batman Who Laughs being prominently featured. I get that, in the grand scheme of Bat-stories, this seems like the ‘ultimate’ villain, but that’s just it: this feels over the top.
The best Bat-villains aren’t unstoppable. Even the Joker, his greatest nemesis, is just a man, like Batman. Adding this over the top Batman Who Laughs just doesn’t do it for me, storywise. But, the one thing I will say is that Williamson is particularly adept at taking concepts that feel like they shouldn’t work and making something special out of them. So, I’m going into this with as open a mind as I can.
But really, call it “World’s Finest.”
Continued belowBATMAN/SUPERMAN #1
written by JOSHUA WILLIAMSON
art by DAVID MARQUEZ
Batman cover by DAVID MARQUEZ
Superman cover by DAVID MARQUEZ
variant cover by LEINIL YU
blank variant cover
Up in the sky, in the dark of the night, trust no one—for the Secret Six walk among us. Spinning out of the devastating events of the Batman Who Laughs, Superman and Batman are together once more in an all-new monthly series—and they’re facing a terrifying new threat that could strike from anywhere. The Dark Knight and the Man of Steel must journey into the depths of Gotham City to learn which of their fellow heroes has been transformed into the horrifying horseman of their most dangerous and deranged foe ever. Our heroes will need to fight to survive, but an even more dangerous question lurks in the shadows: Can Superman and Batman even trust each other?
ON SALE 08.14.19
$3.99 US
32 PAGES | FC
RATED T
This issue will ship with four covers.
Please see the order form for details.
1. The Dream Team
Has someone been reading my dream journal? Warren Ellis and Ramon Villalobos working on “Wildcats” is something that I would’ve pitched as a book that would never happen, but would be fantastic. But here we are, somehow just months away from experiencing this book, and I love it.
Ellis has described this as ‘the opposite’ of “The Wild Storm,” and that makes total sense based on the pacing and scope of both titles. While the Wildstorm imprint has been moving slower than I would’ve expected, there hasn’t been a bum issue in the lot yet, and I can’t wait to dig into this miniseries.
WILDCATS #1
written by WARREN ELLIS
art by RAMON VILLALOBOS
cover by JIM CHEUNG
variant cover by CHRIS BURNHAM
They have one job: to save the human race from the human race. And it’s going to kill them.
From the pages of THE WILD STORM, the piratical covert team made up of rogue specialists, extraterrestrial soldiers and a mad astronaut, run by a tech mogul and disguised alien king, all here to stop us from destroying ourselves. Case in point: the secret space program Skywatch has been performing medical experiments on abducted innocents for decades. One of those experiments is about to explode—revealing whole new worlds in the battle for sanity that the wild CAT has been fighting. WILDCATS thought their world was strange, but they’re about to find out how strange…and how high the stakes really are.
ON SALE 08.28.19
$3.99 US | 32 PAGES
FC | RATED T+
This issue will ship with two covers.
Please see the order form for details.
For the full solicitations, check out Newsarama.
