I know I say this all the time, but this is the most insane month of solicitations in a long, long time. There is so much going on, I didn’t have a chance to mention Naomi showing up in “Action Comics,” the two one-shots we announced a few weeks ago, or any of the interesting reprints going on.
But let’s dig in.
10. Prepping for the line merge?
So it appears that two long-running all-ages titles, “Teen Titans Go!” and “Scooby-Doo Team Up” are coming to a close in September. I wonder if this is part of DC’s culling of their kids’ books to prepare for the new “DC Kids” banner that will fly on all the non-superhero/mature books now. I wouldn’t be surprised if they stopped publishing kid-targeted floppies all together, which I think is a mistake, but that’s a conversation for another day. My kids love the “Teen Titans Go!” comic, so this is a real bummer in the Salvatore house.
TEEN TITANS GO! #36
written by IVAN COHEN and LEA H. SEIDMAN
art by SANDY JARRELL and SARAH LEUVER
cover by ERICH OWEN
The Titans may have bungled Raven’s surprise party, but Pretty, Pretty Pegasus Live is coming to Jump City, and it’s their big chance to get tickets from some “Power Brokers” and make things right! Plus, when Robin decides the team needs more motivation to learn new skills, he designs a bunch of merit badges…but what happens to a team member who feels they are “Without Merit”?
ON SALE 09.18.19
$2.99 US | 32 PAGES
FC | RATED E
FINAL ISSUE
9. 2 Questions? What’s next, 3 Jok…oh, right.
When you think of Greg Rucka and DC, Renee Montoya is one of the obvious names that pops in your head. So, seeing her pop up in “Lois Lane” isn’t really a surprise. What is a surprise, is seeing Vic Sage as the Question here, too. As Zach pointed out on last week’s DC3cast, we never got the identity of the New 52 Question either, so a 3 Questions book seems poised for 2020.
LOIS LANE #3
written by GREG RUCKA
art and cover by MIKE PERKINS
variant cover by NICOLA SCOTT
Jon Kent surprises his mother with a visit to her hideout in Chicago with big news that ties directly into the events of SUPERMAN #15, also on sale this month. While Lois must deal with her now-17-year-old son making life-changing decisions, the two Questions—Renee Montoya and Vic Sage—try to understand their own confusing continuity.
ON SALE 09.04.19
$3.99 US | 3 OF 12 | 32 PAGES
FC | RATED T
This issue will ship with two covers.
Please see the order form for details.
8. Wonder Comics Extensions
I’m what is good news for us all, the Wonder Comics minis, “Wonder Twins” and “Dial H for Hero,” are both now 12, not 6, issue series. I don’t really have too much analysis to add, aside from the fact that Bendis said this is due to reader support. That’s awesome for a few reasons, and I can’t wait to get double the story from these books. Sometimes, comics are good!
DIAL H #7
written by SAM HUMPHRIES
art by JOE QUINONES and others
cover by JOE QUINONES
Now a 12-issue series! What happened when Metropolis became the city of a thousand heroes? Get the inside story through the eyes of the ordinary people transformed by the powerful H-Dial into heroes you’ve never seen before!
ON SALE 09.25.19
$3.99 US | 7 OF 12 | 32 PAGES
FC | RATED T
7. Is Powers ending?
This solicit is a bit all over the map, but it sounds sort of like this is the big conclusion of “Powers,” at least for now. That would be a little surprising, as Bendis rarely does definitive ends for his work (just look at how many series got sequels), but would also indicate that maybe, just maybe, his time at DC is changing some of his habits/methods. We will see…
Continued belowPOWERS: THE BEST EVER HC
written by BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS
art and wraparound cover by MICHAEL AVON OEMING
To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Eisner Award-winning cops-and-capes comic POWERS, original creators Brian Michael Bendis and Michael Avon Oeming have reunited for the most significant POWERS story ever. Really.
Spanning decades and genres while hearkening back to its earliest origins, the story of superhero turned homicide detective Christian Walker comes to a fantastic conclusion.
This graphic novel, incorporating remastered pages from POWERS (2015) #7 and #8, is a celebration of the series’ entire run, and includes a look back at the cult-classic TV show, including an exclusive look at the third season that never was, and an all-new series-spanning retrospective interview with Brian Michael Bendis!
ON SALE 10.30.19
$24.99 US | 208 PAGES
FC | ISBN: 978-1-4012-9888-3
MATURE READERS
6. Harleen? Harleen
Look, I think Stjepan Sejic is dope, and he can do whatever comics make him happy. But this is a bit of a bummer, only because it already appears that we know exactly what this book will be. Sure, we can be proven wrong, but it’s going to be a sexy Harley prequel, and it’s going to have more Joker than we need.
But, it will also sell like hotcakes and, hopefully, allow Sejic to do more interesting stuff in the future.
HARLEEN #1
written by STJEPAN ŠEJIC
art and cover by STJEPAN ŠEJIC
variant cover by STJEPAN ŠEJIC
“The road to hell is paved with good intentions. On that road I saw a pale man, and he smiled at me…”
Dr. Harleen Quinzel has discovered a revolutionary cure for the madness of Gotham City—she just needs to prove it actually works. But with the criminal justice and mental health establishments united against her, the brilliant young psychologist must take drastic measures to save Gotham from itself. Witness Harleen’s first steps on a doomed quest that will give birth to the legendary super-villain Harley Quinn in this stunning reimagining of Harley and The Joker’s twisted and tragic love affair by visionary storyteller Stjepan Šejic (AQUAMAN: UNDERWORLD, SUICIDE SQUAD, Sunstone).
ON SALE 09.25.18
$7.99 US | 1 of 3 | 64 PAGES | BIMONTHLY
FC | APPROX. 8.5” x 10.875”
MATURE READERS
This issue will ship with two covers.
Please see the order form for details.
5. Get prepared to do the Mash
The “Gotham City Monsters” Mash. If you’re not aware, it was a graveyard smash.
But seriously folks (rimshot), this book sounds great. Picking up on threads from both “Event Leviathan” and his early “Batman” work, Steve Orlando is making a super cool monster team, featuring Andrew Bennett. Is someone reading my dream journal?
GOTHAM CITY MONSTERS #1
written by STEVE ORLANDO
art by AMANCAY NAHUELPAN
cover by PHILIP TAN
variant cover by FRANK CHO
Leviathan has dismantled S.H.A.D.E.—and that means Frankenstein is once again a free agent! Now he can set his sights on his former mentor, Melmoth, the one evil that got away. With bad things happening all across the Multiverse, this may be Frankenstein’s last shot at setting things right. Of course, Melmoth has his own agenda, and it’s going to take more than a lone monster to take him down. So Frankenstein heads to Gotham City in search of allies and recruits Killer Croc, Lady Clayface, Orca and vampire Andrew Bennett. But will even these dread creatures be enough to save humanity before the entire cosmos collapses in on itself?
ON SALE 09.11.19
$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.
4. Finally!
This book was announced at the end of 2017, and it is finally here! I have very little to say about it due to the relative secrecy around it, but it sort of sounds like Stranger Things and it features Peacemaker and Giffen and Lemire Art. What’s not to like?
Continued belowINFERIOR FIVE #1
written by KEITH GIFFEN and JEFF LEMIRE
art and cover by KEITH GIFFEN and MICHELLE DELECKI
backup story written by JEFF LEMIRE
backup story art by JEFF LEMIRE
variant cover by JEFF LEMIRE
The citizens of Dangerfield, Arizona, are beset by strange goings-on after the “Invasion” that rocked the DC Universe, but only five misfit kids seem to notice them. Can they uncover what’s happening before some sinister force collects them all? Find out in this new miniseries!
And in the backup feature with story and art by Jeff Lemire, the Peacemaker is on a top-secret mission from Checkmate and Amanda Waller to find a mysterious weapon before the Russians can.
ON SALE 09.18.19 | $3.99 US
1 OF 12 | 32 PAGES | FC | RATED T
This issue will ship with two covers.
Please see the order form for details.
3. “Heroes in Crisis” Fallout
So, there are two books spinning out of “Heroes in Crisis” for September. One is “Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy” by the very cool duo of Jody Houser and Adriana Melo. Then, there is “Flash Forward” by…sigh…Scott Lobdell and Brett Booth.
Let’s touch on “Harley and Ivy” first: this is a good move. Those characters were put on an interesting journey for the final few issues of “Heroes in Crisis,” so explore their story. Ideally, this would get bumped to an ongoing, bring Sam Humphries over to co-write it, and ditch the “Harley” ongoing, to give a break to those stories and let a new tone emerge. But that won’t happen, so I’ll enjoy these six issues and keep my mouth shut.
“Flash Forward” is something else all together. While I’ve warmed on Lobdell due to his ‘Rebirth’ work with “Red Hood and the Outlaws,” pairing him with Brett Booth is a bad look, as those two did some terrible, terrible work on “Teen Titans” in the New 52. Let’s hope that the better Lobdell shows up, but I’m not too hopeful.
My only real goal for this series is that it leaves Wally in the same place as where he starts or, somehow, manages to elevate him a little bit. My pal Walter Richardson said that this sounds like the “Rise of Arsenal” miniseries, and now I want to cry.
FLASH FORWARD #1
written by SCOTT LOBDELL
art by BRETT BOOTH and NORM RAPMUND
cover by EVAN “DOC” SHANER
variant cover by INHYUK LEE
blank variant cover
His name is Wally West—and he was the Fastest Man Alive. That is, until the Multiverse was rewritten without him or his family in it. Wally returned and tried to make it work, but the damage was done. Spinning out of the events of HEROES IN CRISIS, follow the man who called himself Flash on an adventure to find redemption in a cosmos that has fought so hard to destroy him.
ON SALE 09.18.19
$3.99 US | 1 OF 6 | 32 PAGES
FC | RATED T+
This issue will ship with three covers.
Please see the order form for details.
2. JSA bay bay
FINALLY.
(Let’s let Scott Snyder talk about this instead of me)
JUSTICE LEAGUE #31
written by SCOTT SNYDER and JAMES TYNION IV
art by JORGE JIMENEZ
cover by FRANCIS MANAPUL
variant cover by JULIAN TOTINO TEDESCO
“The Justice Doom War” part two! The culmination of Lex Luthor’s plan hinges on his beating the Justice League to the prize, ratcheting up the peril as the Year of the Villain continues! The Totality has shattered and its pieces have been tossed across space and time. Thus, the Justice League must also split apart, forming three search teams to comb the past, present, and future to re-combine the Totality before the Legion of Doom can get its villainous hands on the cosmic weapon. What allies will our heroes find in these other timelines? In the future, it’s the Last Boy on Earth, Kamandi! But in the past, there are the familiar faces of the Justice Society of America!
ON SALE 09.04.19
$3.99 US | 32 PAGES
FC | RATED T+
This issue will ship with two covers.
Please see the order form for details.
1. WillMillennium
We talked a lot about this on the DC3cast last week, and we wrote it up when the news broke, but let me just say again: this sounds so, so great. It has almost everything I’d want in a lead up to a Legion re-launch, and it has some absolutely stellar artists on board. What’s not to like?
LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES: MILLENNIUM #1
written by BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS
art by JIM LEE, DUSTIN NGUYEN, ANDREA SORRENTINO, ANDRE ARAUJO and others
cover by RYAN SOOK
variant cover by TBA
Brought to you by some of comics’ greatest talents, this epic story spans the course of 1,000 years and, for the very first time, connects all of DC’s future timelines! Starring the unlikeliest of DC heroes as she learns to cope with newfound immortality and roams through the disparate societies of Batman Beyond, Kamandi and Tommy Tomorrow, wrestling with her own inner demons and desperately trying to find her purpose in an ever-changing world. Do not miss this truly unique take on tomorrow’s DC Universe, all leading up to a special launch on the millennium!
ON SALE 09.04.19
$4.99 US | 1 OF 2 | 40 PAGES
FC | RATED T
This issue will ship with two covers.
Please see the order form for details.
Check out the whole kit and kaboodle at Newsarama.
