Where has the time gone? How are we already soliciting books that will come out in December? Well, time is a bandit, but I’ve got ten books I want to discuss, so let’s quit our weeping and start solicit…eeping? (I recognize this rhyme doesn’t work).
10. Another holiday anthology
I am on record as being a big fan of DC’s holiday anthologies, but I’m going to amend that position slightly. This book is called “New Year’s Evil,” but the stories seem to be mainly Christmas stories. Now, I love a good Santa Larfleeze joint as much as the next guy, but then call it what it is. This title implies a boat load of Baby New Year, but we likely aren’t getting that.
I’ll take it a step forward: just do a Hanukkah book next year, cowards. There are plenty of Jewish characters at DC, and it would be something different.
Plus, when the chairman of your biggest rival literally works with Nazis, it would be nice to show the world that you do things differently. It would be a PR move worth it’s weight in gelt.
NEW YEAR’S EVIL #1
written by KURT BUSIEK, GABRIEL HARDMAN, CORRINA BECHKO, VITA AYALA, DAN WATTERS, and others
art by DALE EAGLESHAM, GABRIEL HARDMAN, SUMIT KUMAR, ELENA CASAGRANDE, and others
cover by JIM CHEUNG
Why hello there, readers! It’s your Uncle Joker letting you know that this year’s DC winter holiday special is not for the good guys. It’s all about the folks on Santa’s naughty list! Folks like me, Sinestro, Toyman, Harley Quinn, and even an appearance from that timely rascal the Calendar Man. Come sledding with your favorite villains in 10 fantastic tales created by comics’ finest talents. They’re not as funny as me, mind you, but it’s important that we be charitable this time of year.
ONE-SHOT
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ON SALE 12.04.19
$9.99 US | 80 PAGES
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On one hand, I think I’m good never reading another “Dark Knight” book. On the other, I am much more into one-shots and weird side stories than I am overarching narratives. So why not?
THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS: THE GOLDEN CHILD #1
written by FRANK MILLER
art and cover by RAFAEL GRAMPA
1:10 variant cover by PAUL POPE
1:25 variant cover by JOELLE JONES
1:100 variant cover by FRANK MILLER
1:500 variant cover by ANDY KUBERT
Frank Miller returns to the Dark Knight Universe!
It’s been three years since the events of Dark Knight III: The Master Race. Lara has spent the time learning to be more human, and Carrie Kelley has been growing into her new role as Batwoman. But a terrifying evil has returned to Gotham City, and Lara and Carrie must team up to stop this growing threat—and they have a secret weapon. Young Jonathan Kent, “the golden child,” has a power inside of him unlike anything the world has ever seen, and it’s about to be unleashed…
Dark Knight Returns: The Golden Child is Frank Miller’s triumphant return to the world of the Dark Knight and joining him is the superstar artist Rafael Grampá, the mastermind behind the groundbreaking Mesmo Delivery. Following work in advertising and film, this incredible collaboration marks Grampá’s first comics work in six years, bringing his extraordinary detail and storytelling to the Dark Knight saga, resulting in a Dark Knight story like nothing you’ve ever seen before.
ONE-SHOT
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ON SALE 12.11.19
$5.99 US | 48 PAGES
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preliminary art shown
8. Events colliding
Over in the Snyder/Tynion corner of the DCU, there have been two stories that haven’t yet fully dovetailed: The Batman Who Laughs and his Infected, and the Year of the Villain. Well, that’s all changing in “Year of the Villain: Hell Arisen” #1, where we see the two events affecting each other. While I’m all for a universe feeling lived in and connected, I worry that this is a tougher assignment than it seems on the surface. Connecting these two events leads to questions like, ‘wait, these are happening at the same time?’ and other queries that never make comics better.
Continued belowSo, yeah, this may be a big of a jumbled mess, but it will be a jumbled mess from a solid creative team.
YEAR OF THE VILLAIN: HELL ARISEN #1
written by JAMES TYNION IV
art and cover by STEVE EPTING
variant cover by RICCARDO FEDERICI
blank variant cover
DC’s “Year of the Villain” begins its sinister conclusion! Lex Luthor has brought Perpetua back from her cosmic grave and restored her power! Now the Multiverse lives in fear that she might wipe out all existence. The only thing that could stop her are the forces of the Dark Multiverse— which means it’s Luthor’s mission to defeat the Batman Who Laughs! But if Batman and Superman couldn’t stop him, what chance does Luthor stand? Spinning out of the end of the “Justice/ Doom War” in Justice League #38 and the conclusion of the epic “Infected” arc from Batman/Superman #5, DC’s two top villains face off in a battle royal—and the fate of all reality hangs in the balance!
ON SALE 12.18.19
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This issue will ship with three covers. Please see the order form for details.
not final cover
7. I believe this will be out when I hold it in my grubby hands
A mere twenty five months after being solicited as a 12-part monthly series, “Doomsday Clock” is supposed to wrap up come December. If this thing isn’t delayed into 2020, I’ll be legitimately shocked. If you’re a DC3cast listener, you’ll know that parts of the book have been absolutely better than expected, but that a lot of it is drivel as well. This is an event that a stuck landing is incredibly important for, and I’m just not sure that Geoff Johns has set himself up for that kind of ending. It’s going to be fascinating to see how this all shakes out, whenever it comes out.
DOOMSDAY CLOCK #12
written by GEOFF JOHNS
art and covers by GARY FRANK
This is it! The final showdown between Dr. Manhattan and Superman shakes up the DC Universe to its very core! But can even the Man of Steel walk out from the shadow of Manhattan?
ON SALE 12.18.19
$4.99 US |12 OF 12|32 PAGES
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6. A new creative team? Or a one-shot?
When I initially saw that Jody Houser and Rachael Stott were doing an issue of “Supergirl,” I was really excited, as they do excellent work together on “Doctor Who: The Thirteenth Doctor.” But then I began to wonder if this was a temporary assignment or the new creative team for a spell. There hasn’t been an announcement to the latter, but there also wasn’t a “guest issue by” to suggest the former.
While I’m been enjoying Marc Andreyko and Kevin Maguire on this book, putting a female creative team on the book is long overdue. Let’s hope Jody and Rachael stick around for awhile.
SUPERGIRL #37
written by JODY HOUSER
art by RACHAEL STOTT
cover by BENGAL
card stock variant cover by DERRICK CHEW
Infected Supergirl strikes! After Supergirl protects Superman from getting infected by the Batman Who Laughs virus, she gets infected herself…and accepts this new version of herself with pride! With Batman and Superman claiming to want to “cure” her to cover up that she had to protect Superman, and the Batman Who Laughs wanting to use her in his own plans, which side will Supergirl choose? Or will she forge a whole new alliance?
ON SALE 12.11.19
$3.99 US | 32 PAGES
CARD STOCK VARIANT COVER $4.99 US
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5. Lil’ Gotham 4 Life
“Batman: Lil’ Gotham” was one of the most inspired and fun all-ages Bat titles of recent memory. The creative team responsible for that book, artist Dustin Nguyen and writer Derek Fridolfs, are reuniting for a new Bat-fairytale. These are the types of books that DC should be publishing all the time, and so let’s all buy this so DC makes more creative all-ages titles that don’t feel dumbed down.
Continued belowBATMAN TALES: ONCE UPON A CRIME TP
written by DEREK FRIDOLFS
art and cover by DUSTIN NGUYEN
Gotham City is filled with stories—of heroes and of villains, of police and criminals, of families both lost and found. But the enchanted short stories in Batman Tales are brought to life with a classic fairy-tale twist that will fill you with wonder. Once upon a crime in Gotham…
Damian Wayne dreams of becoming a real boy wonder—as long as he can avoid telling lies and making his nose grow.
Batman’s butler takes an unexpected trip through the looking glass and finds himself in a topsy-turvy world, for Alfred’s in Wonderland!
Gotham City Police Department detectives interrogate Gotham’s most dangerous criminals looking for the princess who stole the pea.
And Batman meets a snow queen who leads him on a dangerous quest.
Derek Fridolfs and Dustin Nguyen, the creative team behind Batman: Li’l Gotham, return to their Bat-roots—this time with a fairy-tale flair!
ON SALE 02.05.20
$9.99 US |FC |5.5” x 8”
192 PAGES
DC GRAPHIC NOVELS FOR KIDS
ISBN: 978-1-4012-8340-7
4. Help us Tom Taylor, you’re our only hope
“Suicide Squad” is a book that started off so strong under the pen of John Ostrander, but has been floundering more or less ever since. There have been pockets of greatness, but it really has strained under its premise; the book almost never kills a main character, and if the characters can’t/won’t die, then how is this any different than another book?
But Tom Taylor seems perfect for this book, and I thought that before he said he’s going to give the book more of an edge by killing characters. This makes me sound like I have a bloodlust for D-level DC villains, but I don’t mean that. I just want books to have stakes, and the stakes of “Suicide Squad” have always been ‘these characters can die at any minute.’ When you take that away, it’s just a boring villain team up book.
So yes, please Mr. Taylor, make this book feel important again.
SUICIDE SQUAD #1
written by TOM TAYLOR
art by BRUNO REDONDO
cover by IVAN REIS and JOE PRADO
variant cover by FRANCESCO MATTINA
blank variant cover
Task Force X—nicknamed the Suicide Squad—unites some of the DCU’s unlikeliest villains for its bloodiest series yet! The Squad’s new mission is to neutralize a new group of international super-terrorists known as the Revolutionaries—and not everyone on either side will make it out alive! But when the U.S. government’s most deniable team of do-badders realizes that the surviving Revolutionaries will be joining the Squad, all hell breaks loose! Who can Harley Quinn and Deadshot trust when their new teammates are the very people their crew was assigned to kill? The Suicide Squad doesn’t just need to worry about surviving their next mission… now they have to survive each other! The acclaimed Injustice creative team of writer Tom Taylor and artist Bruno Redondo reunite for the wildest incarnation of the Squad ever seen!
ON SALE 12.18.19
$4.99 US | 40 PAGES
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3. How Black Label should be used
One of the best bits of DC-related news of recent memory was Daniel Warren Johnson (“Extremity”) doing a Wonder Woman book for DC’s Black Label. While it appears that Black Label is becoming the catch-all for all DC books that aren’t either all-ages or mainline superhero stuff, this is, I think, what we all hoped the line would become. (Note: this month’s solicitations put everything from Hill House to Sandman Universe to Young Animal all under the Black Label banner)
Johnson is the type of creator that DC should be courting all the time, but his schedule likely wouldn’t allow doing a monthly book for DC. So, this four part series is likely the best DC can expect, at least now, out of Johnson. He’s such a natural fit to draw a Wonder Woman book, too, so the fact that we are getting four issues of this should be cause for celebration all on its own.
Continued belowThat’s not even to talk about the actual plot, which sounds perfectly in line with Johnson’s sensibilities. This is the sort of exciting stuff that Black Label is built for; it remains to be seen if DC is confident enough to let it be what it should be.
WONDER WOMAN: DEAD EARTH #1
written by DANIEL WARREN JOHNSON
art and cover by DANIEL WARREN JOHNSON
variant cover by DANIEL WARREN JOHNSON
The celebrated creator of Murder Falcon and Extremity and artist of The Ghost Fleet, Daniel Warren Johnson brings bold sci-fi chops to his DC debut with a harrowing vision of Wonder Woman unlike anything you’ve ever seen. Princess Diana of Themyscira left paradise to save Man’s World from itself. When Wonder Woman awakens from a centuries-long sleep to discover the Earth reduced to a nuclear wasteland, she knows she failed. Trapped alone in a grim future, Diana must protect the last human city from titanic monsters while uncovering its secret of this dead Earth—and how she may be responsible for it.
PRESTIGE FORMAT | ON SALE 12.18.19
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2. Smell ya later, TK
It is no secret that Tom King’s “Batman” is one of the most divisive books DC has put out since ‘Rebirth’ began. Personally, I’ve had no use for it since it began, but people still seem invested in it, for whatever reason. However, January sees James Tynion IV taking over the book, and so this is King’s last hurrah on the title. When all is said and done, King killed Alfred, made a Batman/Catwoman romance more obnoxious than you could ever imagine, and little else.
It’s time for a change, and thank goodness we are getting one.
BATMAN #85
written by TOM KING
art by MIKEL JANIN
cover by TONY S. DANIEL
card stock variant cover by FRANCESCO MATTINA
The stunning conclusion to “City of Bane” is here! How will Flashpoint Batman be vanquished from our dimension? What will become of Gotham Girl now that she’s betrayed all she knows? How will the Bat team cope without Alfred? Will Catwoman stick around? Who will rebuild Gotham City? Is Batman ever going to be Batman again? The event of the summer now closes out the year, setting the stage for a whole new path for the Dark Knight Detective. You don’t dare miss the extra-sized concluding chapter to Tom King’s epic run on Batman—and it all leads to the new Batman and Catwoman series!
ON SALE 12.18.19
$4.99 US | 48 PAGES
CARD STOCK VARIANT COVER $5.99 US
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1. Rest in Power, Deathstroke
The single most consistent and best book since ‘Rebirth’ began is “Deathstroke,” and this month sees the book wrap up with its 50th issue. While I am heartbroken I won’t get to read Priest’s take on the character – a true revelation and era-defining approach – it seems like Priest is getting to end the story on his terms. It has been a long time since a book this left-of-center has lasted 50 issues at DC or Marvel, and this thing will make a lovely omnibus in the not-too-distant future.
If, for some reason, you’ve never read “Deathstroke,” let me tell you a little secret: Priest is a master. Slade Wilson is not a writer that inspires brainy tales typically (see his New 52 series for proof of that), but Priest has given the character more pathos, weirdness, twists, turns, and surprises than anyone could have foreseen. The title is funny, heart-rending, and really interesting above all else.
I just hope he gets a chance to save Tanya before he departs.
DEATHSTROKE #50
written by CHRISTOPHER PRIEST
art and cover by CARLO PAGULAYAN and JASON PAZ
variant cover by SKAN
It all comes down to this. With the fate of his family hanging in the balance, the real Slade Wilson must take on his most dangerous foe yet—himself!
ON SALE 12.04.19
$4.99 US | 48 PAGES
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FINAL ISSUE
This issue will ship with two covers. Please see the order form for details.
Check out the full solicitations over at Newsarama.
