In August, DC is wrapping up its two-month “Knight Terrors” event. That’s good news for all of us; it means that DC is ready to move on to the next thing in the overall ‘Dawn of DC’ line. But for our purposes in this column, it also means that we’ll have more to talk about in the September edition. However, we’ll make do this month. Let’s get to it.
10. This knightmare needs to end
With “Knight Terrors” taking up most of the publishing line for two months, it felt disingenuous to not have any mention of the event here. So, let’s spotlight the final issue. Penned by Joshua Williamson with art by Howard Porter, this brings the story back into ‘our’ world from the Nightmare Realm, and wraps up the story in a way that, hopefully, makes the event not feel like the two-month intermezzo it looks like from the outside.
KNIGHT TERRORS: NIGHT’S END #1
Written by JOSHUA WILLIAMSON
Art and cover by HOWARD PORTER
Variant covers by SIMONE DI MEO and MICO SUAYAN
1:25 variant cover by DAN MORA
1:50 variant cover by KENDRICK LIM
1:100 variant cover by MICO SUAYAN
1:250 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 8/29/23KNIGHT TERRORS FINALE! SPECIAL OVERSIZE ISSUE!
Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman, along with the DCU’s other heroes, have escaped the Nightmare Realm only to find the Nightmare League has followed them home! The entire world has become engulfed in horror, and the last person standing to take down Insomnia is Deadman. But does he want to? And don’t miss the exciting ending that continues the Dawn of DC mystery and introduces Dr. Hate! Wait…who is Dr. Hate?
Knight Terrors’ thrills and chills are brought to the DC Universe by DC architect and superstar writer Joshua Williamson with horrific art by comics legend Howard Porter!
9. A Last God by any other name…
When I saw “The Fellspyre Chronicles” in the solicits, I presumed this was a new Phillip Kennedy Johnson creator-owned title. But upon further inspection, this appears to be the larger name given to the saga that began with “The Last God,” Johnson’s first major work for DC. I’m not entirely sure why the name change was necessary, but I suppose it does make it sound a little more like a cohesive story, but it also is now advertising a book that people loved under a new name.
THE FELLSPYRE CHRONICLES: BOOK 1
Written by PHILLIP KENNEDY JOHNSON
Art by RICCARDO FEDERICI
Cover by KAI CARPENTER
$39.99 US | 448 pages | 6 5/8″ x 10 3/16″ | Softcover | ISBN: 978-1-77951-715-9
ON SALE 10/17/23Two fellowships of heroes struggle with the same threat…thirty years apart. One group will doom their world. The other must try to save it. Thirty years ago, a band of heroes traveled beyond the borders of creation to kill the last living god and save the realm of Cain Anuun. But when the foul legions of the Last God march again and begin to destroy all of Cain Anuun, it will be revealed that the aging fellowship may not be the great heroes they claimed to be. With the world burning down around them, a new group of unlikely champions will come together to try to bring peace to their world. They’ll have to kill the Last God, once and for all. Collecting the complete Fellspyre Chronicles: Book 1 saga along with Songs of Lost Children and Tales from the Book of Ages.
8. Gotta collect them all
As the owner of about a dozen ominibi, I can dig DC publishing more books in that format. However, it seems a little bit like scraping the bottom of the barrel to collect this book. Look, I liked this book, I think, more than just about anyone else who was reviewing it, but even at the time it seemed like the lesser sibling to the prior year’s “Batman Eternal,” and like the least essential part of the Scott Snyder Batman saga. The series, because of the rotating creative teams, is also one of the least consistent comics of its era. And so yes, there are people who care enough about a complete run that they’ll pick this up to complete the collection on their shelf of Snyder-era Bat omnibi, but I’m not one of them.
Continued belowI do remember this book fondly, though.
BATMAN & ROBIN ETERNAL OMNIBUS
Written by JAMES TYNION IV, SCOTT SNYDER, TIM SEELEY, and others
Art by TONY S. DANIEL, PAUL PELLETIER, SCOT EATON, and others
Cover by TONY S. DANIEL
$100.00 US | 624 pages | 7 1/16″ x 10 7/8″ | Hardcover | ISBN: 978-1-77952-303-7
ON SALE 9/19/23Taking place after Batman Eternal, Batman & Robin Eternal follows former Boy Wonder Dick Grayson rallying together Red Hood, Red Robin, Robin, Bluebird, Cassandra Cain, and the rest of the Bat-Family as they strive to maintain order in a Gotham without Batman. With no Dark Knight to guide them, do they stand any chance of defeating a long-forgotten foe named Mother, whose specialty is turning trafficked humans into weapons? Join the all-star creative team of James Tynion IV, Scott Snyder, Tim Seeley, Tony S. Daniel, and more in this complete volume collecting Batman & Robin Eternal #1-26 and Batman: Endgame Special Edition #1. Features a brand-new cover by Tony S. Daniel!
7. The Milestone method
It took DC many years to get the Milestone books up and running again. Now that they’re back, DC has a very particular model for the line, which is to cater, almost exclusively, to the bookstore market. Miniseries and OGNs are the way that Milestone stories are coming out and, in many ways, this is a good plan. Yes, I’m old school and I love the grind of weekly books, interconnected stories, and a vast, labyrinth of continuity and characters. But in terms of relaunching Milestone, which hasn’t had a real, extended run of books in more than 20 years, this method makes sense. The overarching Dakota-verse is still there, but the stories are more self-contained and appealing to new readers. “Static: Up All Night” is an all-ages OGN featuring the most bankable Milestone character, and is likely not the only book of this ilk in the works from DC.
I still hope that, one day, we can get proper ongoings for these characters, but that may be me wishing for something that’ll never happen again.
STATIC: UP ALL NIGHT
Written by LAMAR GILES
Art by PARIS ALLEYNE and YANCEY LABAT
$16.99 US | 208 pages | 6″ x 9″ | Softcover | ISBN: 978-1-77951-051-8
ON SALE 11/7/23What happens when The New York Times bestselling writer Lamar Giles and illustrator Paris Alleyne take their heroes on an epic night that goes from bad…to worst?
When Virgil Hawkins revealed his secret identity as Static to his girlfriend, Daisy, he thought that was going to make their relationship a lot easier. But Daisy is tired of all the super-heroics interrupting their date nights on a regular basis. Now, just as Virgil is about to invite her to the big Dakota music festival for her birthday, she’s calling
it quits and breaking up with him.Determined to distract his best friend, Virgil’s buddy Richie Foley (also known as the superhero Gear) convinces him that they should use the tickets themselves. When they run into Raquel Ervin and Isadora Wellington—who each have secret identities of their own—what follows is a night that nobody was ready for: a blackout, some super-villains, and a rapper in disguise are just the start. And even worse, there’s Daisy with a new guy…Virgil is about to learn not even superpowers can conquer a broken heart.
6. Why not?
There’s not a ton to say about the newest edition of a twenty year old comic, but it seems like a good time to praise the artwork of Marcos Martin and Álvaro López and encourage folks to read this book. Chuck Dixon’s conservative positions are not exactly subtle, and so a lot of Dixon’s work doesn’t get the attention that a less overtly political writer’s would get. There was a decade-ish stretch where Dixon was, essentially, the Bat-family writer of record. This book doesn’t have a ton of continuity importance, and came out at the tail-end of his most relevant period, and so it doesn’t feel like a ‘key’ Dixon work, but this is a damn good comic that looks fantastic.
Continued belowBATGIRL: YEAR ONE (2023 EDITION)
Written by SCOTT BEATTY and CHUCK DIXON
Art and cover by MARCOS MARTIN and ÁLVARO LÓPEZ
$19.99 US | 240 pages | 6 5/8″ x 10 3/16″ | Softcover | ISBN: 978-1-77951-683-1
ON SALE 9/26/23Offered again! Meet Gotham’s newest Batling! Batgirl may be untested, but she doesn’t take orders from anyone and is determined to make a name for herself—one way or another.
From writers Scott Beatty and Chuck Dixon and illustrators Marcos Martin and Álvaro López, Batgirl: Year One chronicles the early days of Batgirl as she slowly shapes her legacy. Collects Batgirl: Year One #1-9 as well as extensive character and cover sketches from Martin and a brand-new introduction from Scott Beatty.
5. From the web to your shelf
DC’s collaborations with Webtoon have been some of the more successful experiments that the company has taken in the past few years. It isn’t surprising that some of the titles are making their way into print collections, and don’t be surprised if this becomes a more common publishing model for DC, effectively eliminating the weekly floppy market in favor of web and trade focus.
This specific book is notable because Zatanna may be one of DC’s most well known characters that rarely, if ever, carries a series for more than just a few issues. But Sarah Dealy has a really fantastic grasp of the character’s voice and, by further strengthening her connection to Constantine, has created a story that should allow Ms. Z a chance at a longer time in the spotlight.
ZATANNA & THE RIPPER VOLUME ONE
Written by SARAH DEALY
Art by RACHEL KOO and SYRO
Cover by VASCO GEORGIEV
$14.99 US | 208 pages | Softcover | 6″ x 9″ | ISBN: 978-1-77952-338-9
ON SALE 10/3/23On her 21st birthday, Zatanna Zatara is attacked and bested by a mysterious sorceress. Before the final blow is dealt, her father, Giovanni, casts a spell of his own, warping the magic of his attacker and sending Zatanna out of the frying pan and into ye olde garbage bin. Zatanna arrives in Whitechapel, London, in the year 1888. She soon discovers a serial killer plaguing the streets of the city—Jack the Ripper. Unable to return home and certain that the supernatural killer has answers, Zatanna sets out in pursuit of the Ripper alongside the denizens of Whitechapel and one John Constantine. Collecting the first 11 episodes of Webtoon’s smash-hit series, optimized for a brand-new reading experience in print.
4. A real meet cute if I’ve ever seen one
If anyone other than Mark Waid thought they had a fresh take on the first meeting between Superman and Batman, I would run in the other direction. But Waid, through this “World’s Finest” mini-imprint, has been doing exceptional work at filling in some gaps in DC continuity. Add in Travis Moore on art and I’m all of a sudden actually interested in this idea for a story.
BATMAN/SUPERMAN: WORLD’S FINEST #18
Written by MARK WAID
Art by TRAVIS MOORE
Cover by DAN MORA
Variant cover by DARICK ROBERTSON and DIEGO RODRIGUEZ
1:25 variant cover by ARIEL COLÓN
1:50 variant cover by MEGAN HETRICK
Blue Beetle movie variant cover by RAFAEL ALBUQUERQUE
$3.99 US | 32 pages | Variant $4.99 US (card stock)
ON SALE 8/15/23Think you know how Superman and Batman met and became friends? Think again! Read the untold tale of how their worlds first collided—and the stunning, secret loss that nearly destroyed their partnership before it even began!
3. [wack wack wack]
Let’s start with the good: Rafael De Latorre has done some really great work for Marvel over in the “Daredevil” and “Black Widow” titles, and it’s great to see him try his hand at DC’s street level characters.
Let’s move to the bad: the Penguin had a nice story beat in Chip Zdarsky’s “Batman” that allowed him a ‘retirement’ and a chance to give the character a bit of a break, in order to come back somewhere down the line in a revamped, refreshed way. Instead, Oswald Cobblepot is rushed back into prominence under the pen of Tom King, a writer never known for his subtlety.
It is frustrating to read comics that, before you even open the front cover, you’d got an idea for what the book is going to be about or feel like. I will give it a chance to prove me wrong, but I fear that I already know what this book is, months before release. And what it is doesn’t really interest me.
Continued belowTHE PENGUIN #1
Written by TOM KING
Art by RAFAEL DE LATORRE
Cover by SCORPIO STEELE and STEFANO GAUDIANO
Variant cover by BRIAN BOLLAND
Variant cover by NATHAN SZERDY
Variant cover by DAVID MARQUEZ
1:25 variant cover by KAEL NGU
1:50 variant cover by NATHAN SZERDY
$3.99 US | 32 pages | Variant $4.99 US (card stock)
ON SALE 8/22/23REVENGE IS FOR THE BIRDS.
After retiring to Metropolis following his “death,” Oswald Cobblepot finds himself forced back into the unpredictable and violent Gotham City underworld as a pawn of the United States intelligence community! Gotham’s criminal element has been evolving since he was last in the city, with his bastard twin children ruling the Iceberg Lounge. And what of the man he framed for his death—Batman? Is the Penguin walking into a death sentence?
From award-winning and bestselling writer Tom King (Batman, The Human Target) and artist Rafael de Latorre
(Daredevil) comes a bloody, hard-boiled tale of redemption and revenge!
2. G’nort by G’nortwest
Is this a dumb idea? Absolutely. Is it awesome? You bet.
G’Nort, aside from that very weird Geoffrey Thorne attempt at making him not a joke from a few years ago, is a punchline, but he’s a nostalgic punchline. And this idea screams ‘early 90s’ in a way that younger readers may not realize. I owned an X-Men swimsuit comic that featured a Rogue pin up that nearly scandalized my mother, so I know what I’m talking about here.
But regardless of the concept or the stories contained herein, look at the artists listed below wand tell me that this isn’t worth seven bucks? C’mon: Mike Allred and Paul Pelletier and Babs Tarr and Joe Quinones and Sweeney Boo and Jenny Frison and Otto Schmidt? C’mon now.
G’NORT’S ILLUSTRATED SWIMSUIT EDITION #1
Written by STEVE ORLANDO and others
Art by PAUL PELLETIER, NICOLA SCOTT, MIKEL JANíN, JEFF DÉKAL, DANIEL SAMPERE, GLEB MELNIKOV, DERRICK CHEW, STANLEY “ARTGERM” LAU, EMANUELA LUPACCHINO, JOËLLE JONES, MEGAN HUANG, TERRY DODSON, BABS TARR, PETE WOODS, JOE QUINONES, HÉLÈNE LENOBLE, OTTO SCHMIDT, MICHAEL ALLRED, SWEENEY BOO, DAVID TALASKI, JENNY FRISON, and others!
Cover by VASCO GEORGIEV
Variant cover by J. SCOTT CAMPBELL
Variant cover by ADAM HUGHES
1:25 variant cover by PABLO VILLALOBOS
$5.99 US | 48 pages | One-shot | Variant $6.99 US (card stock)
ON SALE 8/29/23You may know G’nort as the bumbling Green Lantern who protects Space Sector 68. Then again, you may not know G’nort at all. Whatever the case, get ready to see him in his newest role as host and proprietor of this very special swimsuit edition comic! Join our favorite fuzzball as he showcases some of our best swimsuit covers and our most swim-tacular stories! From the Flash in a Speed Force Speedo to Batman in a bat(hing) suit, this very special one-shot is summer fun from (bikini) top to (bikini) bottom.
Also collecting some of the steamiest swimsuit covers from DC’s best talent, all in one place for the very first time!
1. The dream of the 90s is alive in “Action”
Speaking of the early 90s, DC is bringing back Doomsday – and Bloodwynd! – in this one-shot from Dan Watters and Eddy Barrows. Now, for kids unaware of Bloodwynd, he was a minor JLA character created by Dan Jurgens who could raise the dead and, for a period of time, was actually Martian Manhunter (comics!). But it’s a cool character that hasn’t been seen in a minute, and by pairing him with Doomsday, Supergirl, and Martian Manhunter, this is giving off all sorts of ‘Death of Superman’ vibes which, as you may be able to tell, are right in my nostalgic sweetspot. Bring in Louise Simonson and Roger Stern and we’ve got a 1994 stew going!
ACTION COMICS PRESENTS: DOOMSDAY SPECIAL #1
Written by DAN WATTERS
Art by EDDY BARROWS
Cover by BJÖRN BARENDS
Variant covers by LUCIO PARRILLO and PUPPETEER LEE
1:25 variant cover by CLAYTON CRAIN
1:50 variant cover by JON BOGDANOVE
$5.99 US | 48 pages | one-shot | Variant $6.99 US (card stock)
ON SALE 8/29/23It is a creature beyond reason—and the only force in the universe strong enough to kill Superman. It’s Doomsday, the living embodiment of death, destruction, and evolution! In the wake of Dark Crisis and Lazarus Planet, King Doomsday now sits on a throne of skulls across a river of blood, holding court over the demons that swarm in the depths of Hell…and he may have just found a way back to the land of the living. It’s now up to Supergirl and Martian Manhunter to drive the beast back and see that he never again returns to our earthly plane—even if they must die to do it! Plus: the return of Bloodwynd, the debut of the Doomhounds, and a clue to the next big Superman event!
See the full solicitations over at Newsarama.
