The past few months have felt like the culmination of a lot of ideas that DC’s been kicking around for a few years now – Tim Seeley’s “Robins” title, for instance – and that continues into this month. There’s a lot of fun stuff coming out in December/early January (I do not know why the solicits are organized this way, but I’m guessing it has to do with Final Order Cutoff dates more than anything else), so let’s dig in.
10. Ace doesn’t do
This series has been a really nice look at how comics could/possibly should be published. The anthology format, mixed with popular and some lesser known characters makes for a diverse and interesting read each month. And while a Batman and Zatanna team up is fun and all, I’m here Mark Russel/Karl Mostert DC Super Pets story.
BATMAN: URBAN LEGENDS #11
Written by VITA AYALA, MARK RUSSELL, RAM V, and MOHALE MASHIGO
Art by NIKOLA ČIŽMEŠIJA, KARL MOSTERT, ANAND RADHAKRISHNAN,
TREVOR SCOTT, ARIST DEYN, and others
Cover by JORGE MOLINA
Variant covers by KARL MOSTERT and ARIST DEYN
$7.99 US | 64 pages | Prestige | Variant (Card Stock)
ON SALE 1/11/22BATMAN & ZATANNA: Vita Ayala and Nikola Čižmešija join forces to tell a story that will change Batman and Zatanna’s relationship forever. Every year the two have to come together to defeat an evil curse. This year they fail, and the world is in peril because of it.
HOUNDED: Ace the Bat-Hound, the goodest boy in the DCU, has his day in an epic story featuring many DC Super Pets, brought to you by Mark Russell and Karl Mostert.
WIGHT WITCH: Catwoman tie-in/“Fear State” aftermath! Aftermath. The mysterious relationship between Ghost-Maker and Wight Witch is revealed in all its horrifying glory here.
9. This seems like an idea someone had while stoned
Innovation in comics is a great thing, but can also feel gimmicky at times, and ‘it’s all one image if you pull apart your comic and put all the pages next to each other!’ is about as gimmicky as you can get. That said, Tom Taylor and Bruno Redondo make really good comics, so I’m sure it’ll land better than expected.
NIGHTWING #87
Written by TOM TAYLOR
Art and cover by BRUNO REDONDO
Variant cover by JAMAL CAMPBELL
1:25 variant cover by BRUNO REDONDO
$3.99 US | 32 pages | $4.99 US Variant (Card Stock)
ON SALE 12/21/21This special Nightwing issue is ONE CONTINUOUS IMAGE! That’s right—if you placed every page next to each other, you’ll have one poster image with this story! Now that billionaire Dick Grayson has publicly dedicated his funds to save Blüdhaven, he’s a wanted man—and that’s why he finds hired killers breaking in to steal his dog, Haley!
8. I really wish all Krypton stories didn’t involve the House of El
With very few exceptions, every story about Krypton is really a story about Jor-El. I understand that for the bulk of comics readers, he is one of maybe three characters they can name that were born and died on Krypton, but I don’t think a casual comics fan is going to buy a Krypton-focused miniseries. While I enjoy the work of both Robert Venditti and Michael Avon Oeming, stories about the destruction of Krypton are approaching ‘pearls in Crime Alley’ level over-saturation.
Continued belowWORLD OF KRYPTON #1
Written by ROBERT VENDITTI
Art by MICHAEL AVON OEMING
Cover by MICO SUAYAN
Variant by A. D’AMICO
1:25 variant cover by FRANCESCO FRANCAVILLA
$3.99 US | 32 pages | 1 of 6
Variant $4.99 US (Card stock)
ON SALE 12/7/21A modern telling of one of the most storied periods in comics! Krypton is a utopia admired across the universe for its achievements in science and culture, but its shining towers and regal people conceal a planet rotting at its core. When a catastrophic event befalls Krypton’s natural world, it points toward a mass extinction in the making. Jor-El, head of Krypton’s revered Science Council, embarks on a mission to save a world that may already have passed the point of no return.
Shining new light on the famous characters of Krypton’s past—including Jor-El, General Dru-Zod, and even a young Kara Zor-El—World of Krypton combines action, cosmic wonder, and political intrigue in a story as much about our world as the one on the page.
It’s been a minute, and by a minute, I mean since Arrow went off the air, that we’ve dealt with the infamous island that made Oliver Queen into Green Arrow. “Green Arrow: Stranded” isn’t exactly telling that story, but it’s pretty close, and makes for a good middle grade story to boot. Green Arrow is such a simple character to understand, and so he’s a perfect character for an OGN like this.
GREEN ARROW: STRANDED
Written by BRENDAN DENEEN
Art and cover by BELL HOSALLA
$9.99 US | 144 pages | 5 1/2″ x 8″ | Softcover
ISBN: 978-1-77950-121-9
ON SALE 3/1/22After a plane crash on a deserted island, 13-year-old Oliver Queen must learn the skills he needs to survive and to protect his injured father.
Ollie has always hated the idea of hunting, but his dad insisted they go on this trip with his business partner, Sebastian, and Sebastian’s son, Tyler. When Ollie fails to take a perfect shot, the teasing starts, and he wonders if his dad will ever be proud of him again.
But just when he thought their trip couldn’t get any worse, their private jet is struck by lightning and crash-lands on a deserted island. Ollie awakens to find his dad seriously injured and the other passengers nowhere in sight. If father and son are to survive, Ollie’s going to have to learn skills he’s been avoiding developing so far. He has never felt less sure of who he is…or if he will be able to hang on until help arrives.
This fast-paced and suspenseful tale from writer Brendan Deneen and illustrator Bell Hosalla is sure to keep readers on the edge of their seats!
6. Picking up the pieces of “Shazam”
In just a few weeks, the fourth and final issue of “Shazam” will hit stands, and while that looks to tell a complete story, December sees both the titular character and the second banana of the book – Dane – in a place of prominence in “Teen Titans Academy.” This book has been a treat thus far, and the “Shazam” miniseries allowed it to continue to tell a big story without getting bogged down too deep into Billy Batson’s tale, which was able to breathe in its own title.
I’m glad that Tim Sheridan is able to be doing his thing in this corner of the DCU and, while he’s said he won’t be on “Teen Titans Academy” for too much longer, I hope that doesn’t mean he’s leaving the youth aisle of DC.
TEEN TITANS ACADEMY #10
Written by TIM SHERIDAN
Art by MIKE NORTON
Cover by RAFA SANDOVAL
Variant cover by FICO OSSIO
$3.99 US | 32 pages | $4.99 US Variant (Card Stock)
ON SALE 12/28/21Dane, a.k.a. Nevermore, came to the academy to become a hero, but circumstance and fate are leading him down a much darker path. To understand their future, the Titans must look into the complicated past of their most mysterious student—and unearth truths that may leave them with an impossible choice.
5. Participation Trophy League
I should be able to just say “Mark Russell and Steve Lieber” and that would be enough. But in case you need more, I’ll give you a few more short word clusters: Red Tornado and Firehawk. Superman-level service at Bizarro prices. Come on now, this should be more than enough to get you to read this comic.
Continued belowONE-STAR SQUADRON #1
Written by MARK RUSSELL
Art and cover by STEVE LIEBER
Variant by STEVE PUGH
$3.99 US | 32 pages | 1 of 6
Variant $4.99 US (Card stock)
ON SALE 12/7/21Who you gonna call? One-Star Squadron! Meet DC’s superhero team where heroism meets capitalism. This ragtag group of heroes led by Red Tornado is here to provide service with a smile. All you must do is send a request via their on-demand hero app and they’ll answer any call. Whether it’s a children’s birthday party or an alien invasion, no job is too small or too big!
Brought to you by Eisner nominee Mark Russell (The Flintstones, Wonder Twins, Exit Stage Left: The Snagglepuss Chronicles) and Eisner winner Steve Lieber (Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen), you’ll want to invest early in this one-of-a-kind miniseries that promises a story filled with heart, heroism, and humor.
4. New creative team, who dis?
I don’t think anyone expected James Tynion IV to walk away from “Batman” as early as he did, but it sets the stage for Joshua Williamson to continue his ascent to the top of the heap for DC writers who care about the metanarrative. His “Batman” seems likely to connect to “Deathstroke, Inc” and “Robin,” giving him a nice little corner of the DCU. And this may be the best year Williamson has had at DC, so there’s no reason to doubt the potential here.
BATMAN #118
Written by JOSHUA WILLIAMSON
Art and cover by JORGE MOLINA
Variant cover by FRANCESCO MATTINA
1:25 variant by VIKTOR BOGDANOVIC
1:50 variant by JOCK
$4.99 US | 40 pages
Variant $5.99 US (All covers card stock)
ON SALE 12/7/21New creative team! Start of a new story arc as Batman leaves Gotham!
“Abyss” part one! As Gotham celebrates surviving Fear State, Batman retreats alone into the darkness. But when he learns of a mystery involving Batman Inc., it forces the Caped Crusader to leave Gotham for a brand-new adventure! Thrills, chills, and international intrigue await!
The Dark Knight begins a new story with superstar artist Jorge Molina and new writer Joshua Williamson!
3. You literally heard this here first
While we did not break the news of this series, Jeff Lemire did drop the tidbit in our ‘520 Weeks’ interview that this series is, in a way, a coda to his “Animal Man” run. If that’s not enough of a reason to pick this up, then I simply don’t know what to tell you.
SWAMP THING: GREEN HELL #1
Written by JEFF LEMIRE
Art and cover by DOUG MAHNKE
Variant by CHRISTIAN WARD
1:25 variant by FRANCESCO FRANCAVILLA
$6.99 US | 48 pages | 1 of 3
PRESTIGE PLUS | 8 ½” × 10 7/8″
ON SALE 12/28/21
17+The Earth is all but done. The last remnants of humanity cling to a mountaintop island lost in endless floodwater. The Parliaments of the Green, the Red, and the Rot all agree: it’s time to wipe the slate clean and start the cycle of life over again. And to do so, they’ve united their powers to summon an avatar—one of the most horrific monsters to ever stalk the surface of this forsaken planet. Against a creature like that, there can be no fighting back…unless you have a soldier who understands the enemy. Someone who has used its tactics before. Someone like Alec Holland.
Of course, it would help if Alec Holland hadn’t been dead for decades…
Jeff Lemire—the author of the smash hits Joker: Killer Smile and The Question: The Deaths of Vic Sage, along with the graphic novel that inspired the television sensation Sweet Tooth—returns to Black Label with one of the greatest artists in modern DC history, Doug Mahnke, in tow! Together they’ll unleash a gory, gruesome monster mash, where the fate of humanity rests in the hands of someone who isn’t human at all!
2. Who versus who now?
First of all, Sanford Greene on a “Justice League” issue is room for celebration on its own. But Bendis has been shockingly quiet at DC lately, all the while promising something ‘big’ for the future. Justice League vs the Legion of Super-Heroes is certainly a big idea, and while I think we’re all sick of heroes battling each other, this has the potential to be an interesting twist on that idea.
PLus, OMAC!
Continued belowJUSTICE LEAGUE 2021 ANNUAL #1
Written by BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS
Art and cover by SANFORD GREENE
Variant by FELIPE MASSAFERA
$5.99 US | 48 pages | Variant $6.99 US (Card stock)
ON SALE 12/14/21The return of Wonder Woman! Wait, what’s that? Also, the return of…OMAC! Jack Kirby’s greatest creation, the One-Man Army Corps, returns to the DC universe just in time to team up with the reunited Justice League to stop secret forces of evil from gathering! Join Eisner Award winner Sanford Greene as he brings the legacy of the League to life leading into Justice League vs. the Legion of Super-Heroes!
1. Where my girls at?
There have been multiple Robins for a long time, and while every generation has ‘their’ Robin, there’s never been the sort of territorial pissings that have arisen from the various corners of Batgirl fandom. But now, for the first time, all three of the Batgirls are together in a book that doesn’t pit them against each other, or play cute their names. These are Batgirls, and they’re going to be awesome.
My only concern for this title is that, thus far, Becky Cloonan and Michael W. Conrad’s writing has not impressed me too much on “Wonder Woman.” But I am trying to go into this with a positive attitude because this book is such a wonderful idea.
BATGIRLS #1
Written by BECKY CLOONAN and MICHAEL W. CONRAD
Art and cover by JORGE CORONA
Batgirls (masked) variant cover by INHYUK LEE
Batgirls (unmasked) variant cover by INHYUK LEE
(These two variant covers connect into one image!)
1:25 variant cover by RIAN GONZALES
1:50 variant cover by DAN HIPP
Teams variant cover by AMANO YOSHITAKA
$3.99 US | 32 pages | Variant $4.99 US (Card stock)
ON SALE 12/14/21Um, hello—you didn’t actually think we’d keep you waiting this entire year without giving you the Batgirls series we’ve all been wanting for forever, right? No way, we love you too much—just like Batgirls Cassandra Cain and Stephanie Brown, who are only able to navigate the dark, gritty, and oftentimes scary city of Gotham by leaning on the bright light that is their best-friendship. Mentored by Oracle, the Batgirls move to the other side of town where Barbara Gordon can keep a better eye on them while the hacker Seer is still invading their lives. Steph may be too rash sometimes, and Cass doesn’t speak much—but what they lack in similarities they make up for with their mutual respect and love for each other…and what makes them stronger together as Batgirls! And they may be good at kicking ass, but they are just trying their best to be normal teenagers—who’ll borrow the keys to a muscle car that belonged to a bad guy and perhaps give it a joyride around town without a driver’s license, then race to get back home to Oracle by curfew…! Splashing the pages with bright colors against a dark backdrop of Gotham, Batgirls is the pizza slumber party of the year you don’t want to miss!
For the full solicits, check out our friends at Newsarama.
