After a few months in “Knight Terrors” purgatory, DC is using September to roll out a bunch of new series. Let’s not waste any more time on this preamble.
10. A+ Pun Game
“Ghouls Just Wanna Have Fun” is more creative than Weird Al’s forced Cyndi Lauper parody, “Girls Just Wanna Have Lunch,” and for that alone, I tip the Soliciting hat. Toss in a cover from Alvaro Martinez Bueno, a story by John Arcudi (!), and art by Tyler Crook, Javier Rodriguez, and Dexter Soy, and this quickly jumps up the anthology power rankings.
DC’S GHOULS JUST WANNA HAVE FUN #1
Written by ELLEN TREMITI, JOHN ARCUDI, GREG BURNHAM, SOMAN CHAINANI, ADAM F. GOLDBERG and HANS
RODIONOFF, CHRISTOPHER SEAN and LANEYA, ALEX GALER, and others
Art by TYLER CROOK, SHAWN McMANUS, JAVIER RODRIGUEZ, PABLO M. COLLAR, DANNY EARLS, DEXTER SOY, and
others
Cover by ALVARO MARTINEZ BUENO
Variant cover by JAE LEE
Glow in the Dark variant cover by HAYDEN SHERMAN
1:25 variant cover by KERON GRANT
$9.99 US | 80 pages | One-shot | Prestige | (all covers are card stock)
ON SALE 10/3/23Skin-crawling stories of the DC ghoul-iverse! Superman imprisoned by an unfriendly ghost! Man-Bat versus a werewolf! Mary Marvel and Dr. Psycho crashing a Halloween frat party! Plus: the Question faces horrific crimes of fashion; Robotman wrestles a ghostly glitch; Crush helps Lobo find the perfect costume; and Nightwing and Red Hood spend a frightful night in Blüdhaven, co-written by Christopher Sean, the voice of Nightwing from the Gotham Knights video game! The chills will last longer than your candy corn!
9. A strange premise, but an intriguing creative team
Exiling two heroes to his hometown doesn’t exactly sound like something Superman would do, but that’s where this new Fire and Ice series begins. If we can look past that strange starting place, there’s a lot to be excited about here. Aside from a story in the “Power Girl” special, this is the first work for either of these creators at DC, and it is great to see some new faces, and specifically new women working at DC. Also, for all the love that the JLI/Bwahahaha era of DC gets, most of those characters are treated as afterthoughts or side characters. It’s great to see a spotlight shone on these two, even if it likely will just be a miniseries.
FIRE & ICE: WELCOME TO SMALLVILLE #1
Written by JOANNE STARER
Art by NATACHA BUSTOS
Variant cover by DAVID NAKAYAMA
Variant cover by JEN BARTEL
1:25 variant by KEVIN MAGUIRE
1:50 variant by AMANDA CONNER
Special Foil variant cover by DAVID NAKAYAMA ($6.99 US)
$3.99 US | 32 pages | 1 of 6 | Variant $4.99 US (card stock)
ON SALE 9/5/23Things could not possibly be worse for Fire and Ice, in Beatriz da Costa’s professional opinion. Superman sent the former Justice Leaguers packing for Smallville following an extremely public and utterly disastrous mission (that was all Guy Gardner’s fault, thank you very much) and in doing so doomed them to a fate worse than death: irrelevance.
Ice finds herself drawn to the quiet life and dreams of planting roots. But Fire…well, Fire will do just about anything to get the heck outta Dodge and back on the hero circuit—including challenging the DCU’s biggest villains to a knock-down, drag-out, live-streamed brawl in the streets of Smallville!
A raucous, timely, unflinching comedy about a decades-long friendship on the brink of disaster and what it means to be a superhero at a crossroads in your life, Fire & Ice: Welcome to Smallville reintroduces the iconic duo to the Dawn of DC, in a series from rising star Joanne Starer (The Gimmick, Sirens of the City) and Moon Girl and Devil
Dinosaur co-creator Natacha Bustos!
8. Giving Jaime another try
In almost the opposite of the Fire/Ice situation, DC never tires of giving new series to the Jaime Reyes version of Blue Beetle. I get why; it’s a great design, a fun character, and a setting (Texas) that isn’t often seen in comics. But the last few Blue Beetle series have all been pretty terrible, and have limped along to a conclusion that didn’t bring the character anywhere new at all. Josh Trujillo’s “Blue Beetle: Graduation Day” attempted to push the character forward a bit, and hopefully this new series will continue in that vein. I love that the team behind the book is latinx, and that the character’s heritage will be represented on and off the page. But if the stories aren’t interesting, this will just fall into that predictable Jaime rut.
Continued belowBLUE BEETLE #1
Written by JOSH TRUJILLO
Art by ADRIAN GUTIERREZ
Cover by ADRIAN GUTIERREZ
Spanish language cover & interior by ADRIAN GUTIERREZ
Variant cover by DAVID LAFUENTE
Variant cover by KERON GRANT
1:25 variant cover by EMMANUEL VALTIERRA
Hispanic Heritage Month variant cover by PABLO VILLALOBOS
Blank sketch cover
$3.99 US | 32 pages | Variant $4.99 US (card stock)
ON SALE 9/5/23Jaime Reyes’s graduation is over, but his new life in Palmera City and as the Blue Beetle has only just begun! With two new Beetles to train in Dynastes and Nitida, Jaime has his hands full navigating being a leader. Thankfully, he has Paco and Brenda by his side as they settle in at Palmera State University. But what lurks in the shadows of Blue
Beetle’s new home and what does it mean for the Blue Beetle legacy?
7. “It’s not time to make a change / Just relax, take it easy / You’re still young, that’s your fault / There’s so much you have to know”
I understand that pairing Bruce and Damian in a “Batman and Robin” series is the logical move for so many reasons, but the father/son pairing hasn’t produced many great stories yet. The Dick/Damian “Batman and Robin” series set such a high bar that it will take a lot for any series to clear it, but before any does, it needs to find an approach to the father/son pairing that is inspired and different, much like the Grant Morrison + co. series had. The events of the past year, especially “Batman Vs. Robin,” could lay groundwork for a new approach to the characters, and hopefully it does. If it is something new, I’m excited to see what this team does with it.
BATMAN AND ROBIN #1
Written by JOSHUA WILLIAMSON
Art and cover by SIMONE DI MEO
Variant cover by STANLEY “ARTGERM” LAU
Variant cover by KAEL NGU
1:25 variant cover by CLAY MANN
1:50 variant cover by KAEL NGU
1:100 variant cover by SIMONE DI MEO
Blank sketch cover
$4.99 US | 32 pages | Variant $5.99 US (card stock)
ON SALE 9/12/23Father and son. Bruce and Damian. Batman and Robin.
From Batman vs. Robin to Knight Terrors, a lot has happened to the Dynamic Duo, but now they are back together and ready to fight crime in Gotham—just in time for Batman’s most monstrous rogues to team up to turn the city into an urban jungle! A new villain watches from the shadows, intent on revenge, with a plot to turn one of Batman’s greatest assets against him! Can Damian help his father solve the case before it’s too late?
A brand-new fun and exciting father-and-son adventure begins, from DC Comics architect Joshua Williamson and superstar artist Simone Di Meo!
6. A new approach
Over the past two years, Jeremy Adams has done such a fantastic job at re-establishing Wally West as the Flash of the DCU that it is hard to get too excited about anyone taking over that writing gig, especially when the tone of the title is set to change to much. Don’t get me wrong, the preview of this story in “The Flash” #800 worked far better than I thought it would, and in general, I like the boldness of this approach.
That said, Mike Deodato is not an ideal Flash artist, which has become a trend at DC: put guys who do very static work on a speedster book. I don’t get it, but hey, Deodato is a name, and I guess they feel like a name is what is needed on this book right now. I just hope that this run has a finite, limited scope in mind so that the world of Wally West isn’t dark and horror filled for too long. That works for other characters far better than it does for Flashes.
Continued belowTHE FLASH #1
Written by SI SPURRIER
Art by MIKE DEODATO JR.
Cover by MIKE DEODATO JR. and TRISH MULVIHILL
Variant covers by MIKE DEODATO JR. and DAN MORA
1:25 variant cover by RILEY ROSSMO
1:50 variant cover by JAMES HARREN
1:100 variant cover by MATT TAYLOR
Special foil variant cover by RAHZZAH ($7.99 US)
Creator Cover variant by ROSE BESCH
Blank sketch cover
$4.99 US | 40 pages | Variant $5.99 US (card stock)
ON SALE 9/26/23
Wally West has never been quicker, more fulfilled, more heroic. His loving family is around him. And yet something is off. Very off. His evolving understanding of his powers has opened Wally to new avenues of sci-fi adventure and attuned his senses to strange new ideas. Something whispers from the dark vibrations beyond the Speed Force, and as Wally experiments with creative new approaches to his powers he encounters new realms, mysterious allies, and mind-shattering terrors.A new era for the Scarlet Speedster begins now from the team of Si Spurrier (Coda, Damn Them All) and Mike Deodato Jr. (Avengers).
5. A window into our favorite modeler of a boob window
First off, I had totally forgotten that Power Girl was now going by Paige – it’s convoluted and a little weird – but I guess it’s fine?
Anyway, it has been a long time since we had a Power Girl solo ongoing – pre-“Flashpoint” – and the last time she co-headlined a series it was way back in the New 52 with “Worlds’ Finest.” She’s a character ripe for reinvention and new adventures, and while I don’t want the character to stray too far from her Kryptonian roots, it is a little frustrating that Superman has to give her the new marching orders. Similar to Fire and Ice, these characters shouldn’ have to rely on Superman fo a story spark.
Leah Williams has been controlling Karen Paige for about a year now, and it is nice to see a creator really sink their teeth into the character. Let’s hope the new art team of Pansica nd Ferreira can help Williams create a status quo worth celebrating.
POWER GIRL #1
Written by LEAH WILLIAMS
Art by EDUARDO PANSICA and JULIO FERREIRA
Cover by GARY FRANK
Variant covers by JONBOY MEYERS and SOZOMAIKA
1:25 variant cover by OTTO SCHMIDT
1:50 variant cover by FRANK CHO
1:100 variant cover by WARREN LOUW
Special foil variant cover by WARREN LOUW ($5.99 US)
Blank sketch cover
$3.99 US | 32 pages | Variant $4.99 US (card stock)
ON SALE 9/19/23Pretty, punchy, and powerful!
After the events of Knight Terrors, a long-dormant Kryptonian threat has returned to take down Superman and his family. Who could possibly stop it? Well, according to the Man of Steel, it’s Power Girl! Witness a road trip race against time as Paige reconnects with her roots to save the world from her deadly past.
Power Girl Special writer Leah Williams returns with artist Eduardo Pansica (Supergirl) for an ongoing series of epic proportions!
4. Enough with the war
I’m a broken record on this point, but we need to stop identifying John Stewart as the ‘military’ Lantern. Sure, it’s a part of his past, but it has eclipsed Xanshi as the defining piece of his personality/history. What is great about John is how he isn’t the typical soldier, but that seems to be what writers want to make him into. Or, at least let’s start his story from that perspective: former soldier who isn’t your cliched jarhead.
Now, to be fair, the Stewart backup in “Green Lantern” by this creative team has been interesting and unexpected thus far, so I have high hopes for this book. But the title is just too on the nose for the cliché of who John is to so many. Make him an architect again! Remind people of his time in a wheelchair! Make him a Darkstar! Do something other than make him guilty over a planet blowing up or define him by his Marine status. Please.
Continued belowGREEN LANTERN: WAR JOURNAL #1
Written by PHILLIP KENNEDY JOHNSON
Art by MONTOS
Cover by TAJ TENFOLD
Variant covers by JOHN GIANG and DAVE WILKINS
1:25 variant cover by MIRKO COLAK
1:50 variant cover by KEN LASHLEY
1:100 variant cover by TAJ TENFOLD
Glow-in-the-dark dog tag variant
Hispanic Heritage Month variant cover by PABLO VILLALOBOS
$3.99 US | 32 pages | Variant $4.99 US (card stock)
ON SALE 9/19/23John Stewart’s time as a Green Lantern has come to an end…or so he thinks. A family tragedy calls him back home, and as John begins to reclaim the career he once left behind, he tries to embrace a peaceful post-superhero life. But when a terrifying and contagious force with a mysterious connection to Oa appears on Earth, the last Green
Lantern of another Universe comes seeking the only warrior to face this threat and win: the immortal “Guardian and Builder,” John Stewart himself! Can this brilliant but brash young Lantern help John discover the qualities that made him one of the greatest Lanterns of the entire Multiverse? Featuring the first appearance of an iconic and
terrifying new villain!
3. We love Grampa
Rafale Grampa is a phenomenal artist. You don’t need me to tell you this. Batman Black Label books are clichéd. You also don’t need me to tell you this. However, the joy of a Grampa book can’t be dampened, even when the character/setting are not super inspiring. The fact that DC got Grampa to do this is great, and should be cause for celebration.
That said, I’d go nuts on a Grampa book for a less expected character. Gimme a Grampa Green Lantern book and watch me jump for joy.
BATMAN: GARGOYLE OF GOTHAM #1
Story, art, and cover by RAFAEL GRAMPA
Variant cover by JIM LEE
Variant cover by FRANK MILLER
Variant cover by DAVID FINCH
1:25 variant cover by JIM LEE
1:50 variant cover by PRISCILLA PETRAITES
1:100 variant cover by PAUL POPE
1:250 variant cover by FRANK MILLER
$6.99 US | 48 pages | 1 of 4 | Prestige | (all covers are card stock)
ON SALE 9/16/23“When you chase your own shadow…it leads you into the abyss.”
In a Gotham City where every day feels darker and more irredeemable than the last, Batman makes a definitive choice—to kill off the Bruce Wayne identity for good and embrace the cowl full-time. But though he knows the streets of Gotham, Batman will soon come to find that he hardly knows himself. A serial killer is on the loose, and while the murder victims seem random at first, every clue draws Batman closer to the terrifying truth—that they are all connected, not just to each other…but to him…
When an all-new rogues gallery of utterly depraved villains begins to emerge from the depths of the city, Batman will have to contend with the very nature of evil—including that which lurks inside in the darkest corners of his own heart—to face what’s coming for his city. Batman: Gargoyle of Gotham brings Rafael Grampá’s twisted vision of both the Dark Knight and the city of Gotham to life in a DC writing debut that will reach its icy black tendrils into the deepest and darkest corners of human nature and leave you gasping for breath—and for more!
2. Birds of a feather
Kelly Thompson and Leonardo Romeo are an inspired team for a new BoP book. Barda, Cassandra Cain, and Zealot are inspired teammates for Black Canary. All of this is very cool. The Harley Quinn of it all is somewhat of a damper on the excitement, but this is DC after all, and HQ is basically the fourth member of the Trinity at this point.
What I like about this announcement is that it is putting another team book out front at DC. After so many years of downplaying multi-character books, it’s refreshing to see this, “Batman Inc.” and “Titans” prominently featured. Now, do Teen Titans, JSA (not in the current Geoff Johns delayed way), and a few more family books.
But back to “Birds of Prey:” bringing in the full “Hawkeye” team seems to indicate that DC wants this book to feel more modern and stylized than the past few “Birds” books have been, and that’s a good thing. Even if you’re not a huge fan of these creators, it’s hard to fault DC for how they’re putting together this title. I’d love to see them do this sort of book – established creative team revitalizing old favorites – more often.
Continued belowBIRDS OF PREY #1
Written by KELLY THOMPSON
Art and cover by LEONARDO ROMERO
Variant cover by STANLEY “ARTGERM” LAU
Variant cover by CHRIS BACHALO
1:25 variant cover by NICK BRADSHAW
1:50 variant cover by CHRIS BACHALO
1:100 variant cover by LEONARDO ROMERO
Blank sketch cover
Triptych gatefold variant cover by FRANK CHO ($5.99 US)
$4.99 US | 32 pages | Variant $5.99 US (card stock)
ON SALE 9/5/23Every mission matters. Every life saved is a miracle. But this time, it’s personal.
Dinah Lance is one of the DCU’s most elite fighters, and combined with her sonic scream, she’s a fearsome foe in any scenario…but sometimes even the Black Canary needs help. Faced with a personal mission brought to her by a mysterious new ally, and up against near-impossible odds, she re-forms the Birds of Prey with an unrivaled group of badasses—Cassandra Cain, Big Barda, Zealot, and Harley Quinn—and only one goal: extraction without bloodshed. What could possibly go wrong?
Kelly Thompson (Captain Marvel, Black Widow) makes her long-awaited DC Universe writing debut, and is joined by her Hawkeye partners-in-crime Leonardo Romero (Batman) and Jordie Bellaire (Wonder Woman) to debut an all-new, all-deadly Birds of Prey series…still breaking hearts and faces after all these years!
1. The Wonder of it all
Yes, I am putting a Tom King book at #1. Hell has frozen over.
The reason it gets the top spot is because the preview for this in “Wonder Woman” #800 did a fantastic job of setting up a fun, future status quo that, likely, we won’t be spending much, or any, time with. But, the machinations that King laid out in that preview make me want to check this book out, and give me hope that, maybe, this won’t be more of the same Eisner-bait that he’s cranked out for the past five years.
Plus, Daniel Sampere has become one of the most important and celebrated DC artists, and I’m excited to see what he can do with Diana over a sustained run.
[Insert caveat about how WW should be serviced primarily by female creators here]WONDER WOMAN #1
Written by TOM KING
Art and cover by DANIEL SAMPERE
Variant covers by STANLEY “ARTGERM” LAU and JULIAN TOTINO TEDESCO
1:25 variant cover by MATTEO SCALERA
1:50 variant cover by MIKEL JANIN
1:100 variant cover by DANIEL SAMPERE
Special foil variant cover by CHRIS BACHALO ($7.99 US)
Creator Cover variant by ROSE BESCH
Blank sketch cover
$4.99 US | 40 pages | Variant $5.99 US (card stock)
ON SALE 9/19/23
After a mysterious Amazonian is accused of mass murder, Congress passes the Amazon Safety Act, barring all Amazons from U.S. soil. To carry out their plans, the government starts a task force, the Amazon Extradition Entity (A.X.E.), to remove those who don’t comply, by any means necessary. Now, in her search for the truth behind the killing, Wonder Woman finds herself an outlaw in the world she once swore to protect!Writer Tom King (Batman, Mister Miracle, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow) and superstar artist in the making Daniel Sampere (Dark Crisis, Action Comics) join forces for this action-packed relaunch and the beginning of what will undoubtedly become a groundbreaking run on the character.
For the full solicitations, check out Newsarama.
