The end of the summer is here; kids are heading back to school, and Halloween decorum is already up in the Targets and CVSes of the world. And yet, due to the magic of advanced solicitations, we are also preparing for the Christmas season. Because the current DC solicits also cover the first week of December, this batch was covering a wider than usual swath of comics, with a bunch of series getting two issues solicited at the same time. However, we’re going to make the best of it and dig right in. Let’s do it!
10. I saw Mommy kissing Jack Hawksmoor
This is absolutely a Joan of Arcadia situation where the title was thought up before the actual concept. And while we’ll see that this is a big month for WildStorm at DC, I’m pretty certain that this name would’ve been the title at any point since the New 52 if they had thought of it. It’s not quite as clever as, say, “Saved by the Belle Reve,” but it’s nice to see DC having some fun with these disposable, fun anthologies.
DC’S GRIFTER GOT RUN OVER BY A REINDEER #1
Written by DEREK FRIDOLFS, JOHN LAYMAN, MAX BEMIS, CAVAN SCOTT, MICHAEL CONRAD, SCOTT BRYAN WILSON, and more!
Art by DUSTIN NGUYEN, FICO OSSIO, CHRISTOPHER MITTEN, SKYLAR PATRIDGE, and others
Cover by CARLOS D’ANDA
$9.99 US | 80 pages | Prestige | One-shot
ON SALE 11/29/22
Ho-ho-ho my gosh, it’s time to deck the halls with holly…er, Harley Quinn, Batman, and more of your favorite DC superstars!
Who made it to the Nice List? Hawkman? Black Canary? Is that Animal Man on the naughty list? And how did Grifter find himself in the targeting sights of those pesky reindeer! Get one for you and an extra for a loved one’s stocking (yule be glad you did!) in this holiday song celebration!
9. Don’t call it a comeback
I will never, ever, begrudge DC giving some different creators a spin on an iconic character, especially in an anthology format. This one-shot doesn’t seem particularly ‘valuable’ story-wise, but will fill in a few moments that will help bridge the gap from what has been happening in the ‘Warworld Saga’ and what’s been going on in “Dark Crisis.”
Plus, Mark Waid’s presence hear leads me to believe that he will be taking over “Action Comics’ with #1050, which is something that he’s wanted and deserved for years. Let’s see if that happens.
SUPERMAN: KAL-EL RETURNS SPECIAL #1
Written by MARK WAID, SINA GRACE, ALEX SEGURA, and MARV WOLFMAN
Art by MAX RAYNOR, DEAN HASPIEL, JACK HERBERT, and REILLY BROWN
Cover by DAN MORA
Variant cover by TRAVIS MOORE
1:25 variant cover by MARIO “FOX” FOCCILLO
$5.99 US | 48 pages | Variant $6.99 US (card stock)
ON SALE 11/29/22
Kal-El has returned from his long sojourn to Warworld, but what ramifications does this hold for the broader DC Universe?
In this special issue, we’ll spotlight Kal-El’s reunion with the Dark Knight, Jimmy Olsen, the Justice League, and…Lex Luthor?! Plus: witness the never-before-revealed look at the moments leading to Superman’s abduction by Pariah in the Dark Crisis event! The march toward Action Comics #1050 continues in this essential special volume!
8. The Crisis is always darkest before the dawn
This batch of solicits has a number of ‘Dark Crisis’ tie ins, but this ‘Dark Army’ one seems the most interesting one to discuss. It’s interesting to see Mark Waid becoming a Damian Wayne-guy with “Batman vs Robin” and now taking him center stage in this tie-in. Waid is not the first person I would think of as a potentially good fit for writing Damian, but I’m always interested in seeing how Waid gets inside of a character’s head.
But more than that, I’m interested in the trio of Damian, Red Canary, and Dr. Light. It’s an interesting combination of legacy characters, and with the doubling down on legacy as of late, I’m really curious how that concept will be carried on, post-“Dark Crisis.”
Continued belowDARK CRISIS: THE DARK ARMY #1
Written by MARK WAID, DELILAH S. DAWSON, and DENNIS CULVER
Art by FREDDIE WILLIAMS II
Cover by GLEB MELNIKOV
Variant cover by WERTHER DELL’EDERA
Variant cover by TAJ TENFOLD
1:25 foil variant cover by TAJ TENFOLD
$5.99 US | 48 pages | one-shot (all covers are card stock)
ON SALE 11/22/22As Pariah’s Dark Army continues its march around the globe, Damian Wayne thinks he’s got an answer as to why Pariah is able to control the most dangerous cosmic villains of the Multiverse—and he’s taking Red Canary and Dr. Light on the road to see if he’s right! Don’t miss this thrilling Dark Crisis tie-in with direct connections to the present and future of the DCU!
7. Cap, gown, tassle, scarab
This is another instance of DC saying one thing and doing another. This was a concept from last year’s ‘DC Round Robin’ tournament, but it lost, and yet here it is as a new six issue miniseries. Hey, I’m not complaining about a new Jaime Reyes series, but it’s just a weird way to get there, isn’t it?
I also can’t figure out why DC can’t seem to get a Blue Beetle series going. After a really strong introduction around “Infinite Crisis” and appearances in multimedia projects, DC has really whiffed on the character since 2011’s ‘New 52.’ While I don’t personally know the ethnic makeup of either Josh Trujillo or Adrian Gutierrez, their last names give the sense that they have, at least in part, some of the Latinx heritage that is so important to Jaime, and that seems like as good a place as any to begin to rebuild the character.
BLUE BEETLE: GRADUATION DAY #1
Written by JOSH TRUJILLO
Art and cover by ADRIAN GUTIERREZ
Variant cover by CULLY HAMNER
1:25 variant cover by RAFAEL ALBUQUERQUE
1:50 variant cover by DAVID MARQUEZ
$3.99 US | 32 pages | 1 of 6 | Variant $4.99 US (card stock)
ON SALE 11/22/22
Jaime Reyes has a lot to juggle. Whether it’s his finals for senior year or a new villain tearing up El Paso, Jaime is always torn between two worlds. But when his worlds come crashing together at his high school graduation, nothing will ever be the same. A message from the Reach bombards Jaime’s scarab, Khaji Da, and it starts throwing off his connection to the device. And as if that wasn’t enough, Jaime’s parents and friends are pressuring him about his next steps in life. But what’s hidden here on Earth that’s drawing the Reach back? And where did this new Fadeaway Man come from? Can Jaime find balance in his life and rise to become a true hero, or is it curtains for Blue Beetle?
6. The dream of the 90s is alive in reprint
While the new Batman/Spawn comic won’t be arriving until next year, DC is reprinting all of the older meetings between the two classic characters in a new edition. While it’s only two issues, look at the list of creators: McFarlane, Miller, Grant, Janson…it’s a murderer’s row of 90s Batman talent and one of the most influential creators of the decade. This may not be something that absolutely lands for folks who didn’t read these characters in the 90s, but for those of us that did, this is a really fun reprint.
Continued belowBATMAN/SPAWN: THE CLASSIC COLLECTION
Written by DOUG MOENCH, CHUCK DIXON, ALAN GRANT, and FRANK MILLER
Art by KLAUS JANSON and TODD McFARLANE
Cover by GREG CAPULLO and TODD McFARLANE
$19.99 US | 112 pages | 6 5/8″ x 10 3/16″
Hardcover | ISBN: 978-1-77952-150-7
ON SALE 11/15/22
An ancient evil has arisen in Gotham City. The last time it appeared, an entire colony was wiped clean from the face of the Earth, leaving only one clue: Croatoan. Whoever or whatever Croatoan is, it’ll take all of the Batman’s investigative skills and the supernatural abilities of an ex-soldier turned Hellspawn to save Gotham’s citizens from the hell that is about to be unleashed on our world. For the first time in three decades, this edition of the classic meeting between comics’ caped avengers of the night reprints Batman/Spawn: War Devil #1 by legendary Batman creators Doug Moench, Chuck Dixon, Alan Grant, and Klaus Janson…plus the Spawn/Batman one-shot by Batman: The Dark Knight Returns writer Frank Miller and Spawn creator Todd McFarlane, which brings Batman to Spawn’s home turf of New York City! Two heroes with different methods in two very different tales. Capes will clash.
5. A belated coda
While I was decidedly mixed on Geoffrey Thorne’s “Green Lantern” run, it seemed like DC was setting him up for a huge status quo shift and big run on the title, and allowed him to entirely shift the way that we think about John Stewart. However, after issue #12 of “Green Lantern,” we saw all of those ideas essentially shelved and “Dark Crisis” take over the Green Lantern story without many of those ideas present. And so, while I think that DC isn’t going to be keeping John Stewart as, essentially, god, I am glad that they are giving Thorn and one of his main “GL” artists, Marco Santucci, the ability to finish up the story a bit.
JOHN STEWART: THE EMERALD KNIGHT #1
Written by GEOFFREY THORNE
Art by MARCO SANTUCCI
Cover by MATEUS MANHANINI
Variant cover by JAY HERO
1:25 variant cover by CAANAN WHITE
1:50 foil variant cover by MATEUS MANHANINI
$5.99 US | 48 pages | One-shot | Variant $6.99 US (card stock)
ON SALE 11/29/22
John Stewart has been trapped in the dark sectors for months with the rest of his Green Lantern comrades. With the power of the godstorm at his disposal, John’s using everything he can to take down Esak, the mad New God, and bring his fellow Corpsmen home. John will need to become something new to win the war against Esak: he’ll need to become the Emerald Knight!
4. Finally
It was all the way back in 2014 that Bleeding Cool first reported a Marc Silvestri-drawn Batman comic. Reportedly, it had been in the works for some time before then as well, which means that we’re possibly looking at a book that has been in progress for a decade finally seeing the light of day later this year.
Again, Silvestri, one of the original Image Comics founders, is someone whose work is usually lumped in with 90s nostalgia. While that’s not exactly wrong, people often forget just how hot all of those Image creators were when they struck out on their own. And while Silvestri did get his start at DC, he’s done far more Marvel work than DC, so it is nice to see him getting to play in the Batman sandbox for the first time in an extended series (he did one “Batman: Black & White” story awhile back.
BATMAN & THE JOKER: THE DEADLY DUO #1
Written by MARC SILVESTRI
Art and cover by MARC SILVESTRI
Batman variant cover by GREG CAPULLO
Joker variant cover by GREG CAPULLO
1:25 variant cover by KYLE HOTZ
1:50 B&W variant cover by MARC SILVESTRI
1:100 variant cover by JORGE FORNES
1:250 signed variant cover by MARC SILVESTRI
$4.99 US | 32 pages | 1 of 7 (all covers are card stock)
ON SALE 11/1/22
The Joker will go to any lengths to get Harley Quinn back after she is abducted by a strange culprit. But who? Mysterious, Joker-like monsters are stalking the streets of Gotham, collecting severed heads. But why? Jim Gordon is missing, and after receiving a package containing a bloody piece of Gotham’s commissioner, Batman knows he must be willing to do anything to save him. But how? When The Joker proposes an uneasy alliance with Batman, the answers to those questions begin to become clear— and they will shake Gotham City and the Bat-Family to their core. This meticulously crafted tale of the Dark Knight’s deadliest team-up will introduce you to a grim and gritty Gotham that only Marc Silvestri could bring you.
3. Let’s hope the next five decades are more fruitful
DC’s relative failures to develop the wider Wonder Woman supporting cast is a constant bugaboo of mine. Sure, diehard comics fans know about Hippolyta, Steve Trevor, and Artemis, but my mom can probably name 5 Batman and Superman supporting characters and can’t name a single Wonder Woman one. And while, yes, my mom should read more comics, it’s about more than that. DC has had Nubia around for 50 years now, and has done precious little to bring the character out into the spotlight with any real frequency. In the last year or so, they’ve attempted to fix that, and this one-shot is a good start.
Continued belowBut please, please, DC, don’t let this just be an anniversary ploy. Maybe let Nubia take Diana’s place on the Justice League for a few years? Give her an ongoing? Make her do something integral to DC for once? Just do something with her, and rest of Wonder Woman’s supporting cast, please.
NUBIA & THE JUSTICE LEAGUE SPECIAL #1
Written by BECKY CLOONAN, MICHAEL W. CONRAD, and STEPHANIE WILLIAMS
Art by AMANCAY NAHUELPAN and ALITHA MARTINEZ
Cover by TRAVIS MOORE
Variant cover by MATEUS MANHANINI
Nubia 50th anniversary variant cover by JOSHUA “SWAY” SWABY
1:25 foil variant cover by TRAVIS MOORE
$5.99 | 48 pages | One-shot | Variant $6.99 US (card stock)
ON SALE 11/29/22
In honor of her 50th anniversary, Nubia is joining the Justice League! After years separated from Man’s World, the Amazons’ most powerful warrior and now queen has been called in to save the day and work alongside the world’s greatest heroes. What danger awaits our hero and her new teammates? Find out in this special that shows a bright new future for the character!
2. Hey there Wildcats and Wildkittens
This month sees a “WILDC.A.T.s” 30th anniversary special, a “Waller vs WildStorm” one shot, and this, the launch of the first “WildC.A.T.s” ongoing in a very long time. While Matthew Rosenberg has been seeding this throughout the Bat books for a year or so now, it is a little too early to see exactly how this is going to fit into the larger DC situation. I’m glad that they’re bringing Amanda Waller into this corner of the DCU, as it makes a ton of sense and allows her to get out of the Justice League sector for awhile.
It’s wild, pardon the pun, to think that WildStorm has been a part of DC Comics since 1999, and there’s never been a true integration into the DC Universe. Yes, I know that the New 52 tried it, but it never really took. With Midnighter and Apollo fully worked in at this point, does this bode well for a slow integration of the other WS properties? I suppose this is the first real test of that.
WILDC.A.T.s #1
Written by MATTHEW ROSENBERG
Art and cover by STEPHEN SEGOVIA
Variant covers by JIM LEE, STANLEY “ARTGERM” LAU, and BEN OLIVER
1:25 connecting variant cover by JEFF SPOKES
1:50 variant cover by ALAN QUAH
1:100 variant cover by DAN HIPP
1:150 pencil variant cover by JIM LEE
’90s Cover Month variant cover by BRETT BOOTH and SANDRA HOPE
$3.99 US | 32 pages | Variant $4.99 US (card stock)
ON SALE 11/8/22
Spinning off from the pages of Batman comes a senses-shattering new series! The HALO Corporation has gathered a motley crew of operatives, led by Cole “Grifter” Cash, who are going to make the world a better place…no matter who they have to kill! Working in the shadows of the DC Universe, this new covert team has been tasked with gathering an elite group of scientists for the first phase of their plan…but the Cats’ mysterious leader, Void, might have other plans!
1. Fist pumping turns to perplexed stare
November is a huge month for JSA fans: we get a new ongoing series by Geoff Johns and Mikel Janin, a new Stargirl mini by Johns and Todd Nauck, and this, a one-shot that kicks everything off. As a longtime JSA stan, this is a huge deal. However, it is marred by two inclusions: “Flashpoint Beyond” and Mime and Marionette from “Doomsday Clock.” Now, perhaps there’s a way that Geoff Johns makes this work, but both of those properties seem totally out of place with the rest of the DCU at this point, even with both pointing towards multiversal stuff and “Flashpoint Beyond” somewhat playing nice with “Dark Crisis.”
The JSA has been sidelined for over a decade now, and to bring them back as a vehicle to tell more Mime and Marionette stories continues to cheapen them in a way that makes absolutely no sense to me. Let’s hope that Johns is smart enough to blow them up in a burst like he did with Pandora, another Johns creation that never really lived up to its hype.
Continued belowTHE NEW GOLDEN AGE #1
Written by GEOFF JOHNS
Art by STEVE LIEBER, JERRY ORDWAY, and DIEGO OLORTEGUI
Cover by MIKEL JANÍN
Variant covers by GARY FRANK, TODD NAUCK, MICHAEL ALLRED, and DAVID TALASKI
1:25 variant cover by DAN HIPP
1:50 foil variant cover by MICHAEL ALLRED
1:100 foil variant cover by DAVID TALASKI
$4.99 US | 48 pages | One-shot | Variant $5.99 US (card stock)
ON SALE 11/8/22
From the Justice Society of America to the Legion of Super-Heroes, The New Golden Age will unlock DC’s epic and secret-ridden history of heroism, launching a new group of titles set firmly in the DC Universe. From the 1940s to the 3040s, heroes take on the great evils of their time. But in the aftermath of Flashpoint Beyond, those heroes and villains will have their lives turned upside down. DC’s future…and its past…will never be the same again. But how are Mime and Marionette connected to this? Why are Rip Hunter and the Time Masters the most unlikable heroes in the DC Universe? And who or what is…Nostalgia? Don’t miss the start of the strangest mystery to have ever plagued the DC Universe.
You can find the full solicits over at Newsarama.
