I have a problem, but it is a good problem to have: there is so much interesting stuff happening at DC this month, that 20 slots might not have been enough. So, please bear with me as I attempt to make sense of a packed month of solicitations.
10. The End of “Society”
When I talked about the interesting stuff happening, this isn’t what I was talking about. “Earth 2: Society” is a book that exists for reasons that no one is exactly sure of; it spun out of the “Earth 2: Worlds’ End” weekly, and stuck around longer than any other pre-‘Rebirth’ book. It doesn’t sell particularly well, it doesn’t get great reviews (although the last few have been getting quite good ones), and it has almost no connection to the proper DC Universe.
That said, its end signals a shift: while “Gotham Academy: Second Semester” may not bear its heading, nor do the miniseries that are running at the moment, we are fully in ‘Rebirth’ now. There’s nothing really left, as of March, from the New 52, DC You, etc. Fare thee well, “Earth 2: Society” – you represent an era long gone.
EARTH 2: SOCIETY #21
Written by DAN ABNETT
Art by VICENTE CIFUENTES
Cover by BRUNO REDONDOThe Wonders battle the Sandmen army to free the new Earth 2 from a dystopian fate, but the new world Director has unleashed his terrifying secret weapon. Can Batman, Huntress and John, the weakest of the wonders, shut down the Director’s stronghold? It’s a dangerous, last-minute gamble…and the price may be too great to bear.
On sale FEBRUARY 8 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US RATED T • FINAL ISSUE
9. Wonder Woman and the JLA
I’ve recently been wanting to dig back into the post-Crisis “Justice League” books, and so when this solicitation popped up, it got me excited to do just that. Despite the title of the book being “Wonder Woman and the Justice League of America,” this comes from the weird era where the team was called “Justice League America,” minus the of, to pair with “Justice League Europe,” “Justice League International,” and “Justice League Task Force.” This was the peak of the ‘big league’ mentality, where the ‘Big 7’ was an outdated concept. A few years later, Grant Morrison brought back that concept with “JLA,” but I really miss the idea of a league that was sprawling and unwieldy.
A nice, secondary, piece of this reprint is that it shows newer readers that Wonder Woman has always been an important member of the DC Universe, and all this talk of her ‘finally’ getting her due is a horseshit. In part, that’s because she still deserves more (would a second Wonder Woman title really be that hard of a sell? C’mon, DC, “Sensation Comics” is just waiting for you), but also because it fails to recognize things like this very series, where she was leading the Justice League, or that she had her own TV series when that was a very rare thing.
WONDER WOMAN AND THE JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA VOL. 1 TP
Written by DAN VADO and CHUCK DIXON
Art by MIKE COLLINS, KEVIN WEST, RICK BURCHETT, MARC CAMPOS and others
Cover by MIKE COLLINS and JOSE MARZAN JR.In these never-before-collected stories from the 1990s, Wonder Woman takes over as leader of the Justice League of America, whether Green Lantern Guy Gardner, Booster Gold and Blue Beetle like it or not. Acting at the behest of the United Nations, the team must respond to a human rights crisis in a remote African nation, only to find the populace under the thumbs of the super-powered Extremists. The team then must jet to Norway, where the young superhero called Ice struggles to keep the nation out of the hands of her older brother. Collects JUSTICE LEAGUE AMERICA #78-85, JUSTICE LEAGUE AMERICA ANNUAL #7 and GUY GARDNER #15.
On sale MARCH 15 • 264 pg, FC, $24.99 US
8. A Mignolaverse regular guests on “Superman”
This month is an artistic smorgasbord. In other months, I would have dedicated a full item to Riley Rossmo on “Suicide Squad,” or Tula Lotay on “All-Star Batman,” but there are just too many great artists getting DC work right now to do that (although, look ahead to the two ‘Rebirth’ issues later in this piece for some more amazing artists). But the one I want to focus on is Sebastian Fiumara, a veteran of “Abe Sapien,” this is Fiumara’s first full-length DC work since “Superboy” #10 in 2012.
Continued belowOne of the realities of the double shipping schedule that many of these books adopted is that there are going to be more fill-in artists, which means that there are more opportunities to give new talent a chance to shine on something. Seeing guys like Fiumara get a shot on one of DC’s flagship books is awesome and the fact that he is on a one and done story makes it even better.
(Note: no art from this issue has been solicited, hence I used his pinup from the “Wonder Woman 75th Anniversary” issue)
SUPERMAN #17
Written by PETER J. TOMASI and PATRICK GLEASON
Art and cover by SEBASTIAN FIUMARA
Variant cover by ANDREW ROBINSONRetailers: This issue will ship with two covers. Please see the order form for details.
“DARK HARVEST”! Jon and Cathy go deep into the woods of Hamilton to find a horror that hungers for the new Superboy!
On sale FEBRUARY 15 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
7. A Zatanna series is coming soon. Trust me
I often try to read the tea leaves with solicits, and it is especially fun to do that with the reprints/collected editions. Something, like the aforementioned “Wonder Woman and the Justice League of America” reprint, ties into a film or a push a character is getting, that is plain to see. This month, we are also getting Batman collections, highlighting Darwyn Cooke and Brian K. Vaughan. Those happen all the time – Batman books sell, and any way to repackage old stories is encouraged.
But other times, less obvious reasons exist. Now, Paul Dini is a superstar, but this isn’t a collection of his Batman stories. This is his Zatanna work, collected (minus the original graphic novel “Zatanna and Black Canary: Bloodspell”) for the first time. Why now?
Well, DC tends to pair things together – the announcement of “Justice League Vs Suicide Squad” was quickly followed by new books being released. Well, DC has quietly announced a summer event book, and we can guess that books will be spinning out of this. We will a post talking about that in the next few weeks, but I have a gut feeling it is magic based, and Zatanna is a big player that has been marginalized lately. Don’t be shocked if a Zatanna series spins out of the summer event (along with, hopefully, a fucking Shazam book), and remember: you heard it here first.
ZATANNA BY PAUL DINI TP
Written by PAUL DINI, ADAM BEECHEN and DEREK FRIDOLFS
Art by STEPHANE ROUX, CHAD HARDIN, JESUS SAIZ, CLIFF CHIANG, JAMAL IGLE, RICK MAYS and others
Cover by ADAM HUGHESEmmy award-winning writer Paul Dini’s tales of Zatanna are here in one collection with a new introduction by Dini! The acclaimed writer of Batman: The Animated Series and the New York Times best-selling DARK NIGHT: A TRUE BATMAN STORY has had a history with the premier magician of the DC Universe, penning stories for the past two decades starring Zatanna Zatara, including these tales from ZATANNA #1-16, ZATANNA: EVERYDAY MAGIC #1 and stories from the DC INFINITE HALLOWEEN SPECIAL #1 and the DC UNIVERSE REBIRTH HOLIDAY SPECIAL #1.
On sale MARCH 1 • 432 pg, FC, $39.99 US
6. Raptor? In “Deathstroke?”
Let’s catch up the slackers: “Deathstroke” is the best book DC is publishing, and “Nightwing” isn’t far behind. Raptor, a new character created for “Nightwing,” is showing up in “Deathstroke.” This is amazing; Raptor was a well written, interesting character, and one that Christopher Priest can really sink his teeth into.
Plus, that Sienkiewicz cover? Great googly moogly.
Continued belowDEATHSTROKE #12
Written by CHRISTOPHER PRIEST
Art by JOE BENNETT and MARK MORALES
Cover by BILL SIENKIEWICZ
Variant cover by SHANE DAVISRetailers: This issue will ship with two covers. Please see the order form for details.
“Twilight” part one! What happens when the World’s Deadliest Assassin begins to go blind? A bold new tale begins here! After the Red Lion breaks Deathstroke out of prison, he maneuvers Slade into a deadly encounter with the enigmatic thief known as the Raptor, last seen in the pages of NIGHTWING.
On sale FEBRUARY 8 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T+
5. February 8th is Saint Walker’s Day
Guess who’s back?
Back again?
St. Walker’s back!
Tell a friend!
Of all of the various Lantern corps, no one ever did it for me like Saint Walker. Part of it was that I’m a hopeless optimist, and I love his “all will be well” mantra, but he was also the rare non-Green Lantern that had a personality besides his ring. While Robert Venditti’s Lantern work has bored me for the most part, bringing in Saint Walker – along with Kyle Rayner – is a surefire way to keep me reading the book a little bit longer.
HAL JORDAN AND THE GREEN LANTERN CORPS #14
Written by ROBERT VENDITTI
Art and cover by RAFA SANDOVAL and JORDI TARRAGONA
Variant cover by KEVIN NOWLANRetailers: This issue will ship with two covers. Please see the order form for details.
“QUEST FOR THE BLUE LANTERN” part one! Hal teams with Kyle Rayner, the White Lantern, for a harrowing quest to bring hope back to the cosmos. Tasked with finding the Blue Lantern Corps and restoring it to full power, the two quickly find neither may have the power to accomplish this mission.
On sale FEBRUARY 8 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
4. Batwoman returns to a solo series
Let’s just bask in the fact that Ben Oliver and Steve Epting are both drawing this issue.
[basking]Ok, I’m back.
Currently the second lead in “Detective Comics,” Batwoman has been overdue for a new solo series for some time now. The fact that she is getting one written by Marguerite Bennett and illustrated by Steve Epting is, frankly, exactly what the character deserves. A rare LGBT lead character, Kate Kane is one of DC’s best creations of the past 10ish years, and has everything going for her: an amazingly designed costume, a compelling, and unique, tie to the Bat-family, a rich backstory, and a cast of characters that could use more of a spotlight.
It’s about time, and it is exciting just how behind this book DC is getting.
BATWOMAN: REBIRTH #1
Written by MARGUERITE BENNETT and JAMES TYNION IV
Art by BEN OLIVER and STEVE EPTING
Cover by STEVE EPTING
Variant cover by JAE LEERetailers: This issue will ship with two covers. Please see the order form for details.
The newest chapter of Batwoman’s life begins here! Monster Venom is the hottest new bioweapon on the market…and to break up the syndicate spreading it around the world, Batwoman’s going to have to return to the place where she spent some of her darkest hours! Learn where Batwoman comes from, and where she’s going, in this one-shot prologue to the first big Batwoman epic, “The Many Arms Of Death”!
One-shot • On sale FEBRUARY 15 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T+
3. Orlando’s league
It is only a variant cover, but getting Ryan Ottley to do something for DC is pretty great. Once “Invincible” ends, let’s get Ottley on a DC book, k? K.
Anyway, here we have the debut of Steve Orlando and Ivan Reis’s “Justice League of America.” The team is diverse and interesting (and, you know, has Batman), and Orlando is one of the writers that I trust the most in all of comics. This is going to be a nice counterpoint to Bryan Hitch’s “Justice League,” which is about as by the numbers as a JL book can get. Let’s really, really hope that Orlando’s book takes off, leaving Hitch’s book to be what is was always meant to be: a fine, if inconsequential, title.
Continued belowJUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA: REBIRTH #1
Written by STEVE ORLANDO
Art and cover by IVAN REIS and JOE PRADO
Variant cover by RYAN OTTLEYRetailers: This issue will ship with two covers. Please see the order form for details.
Batman, Black Canary, Killer Frost, the Ray, Vixen, the Atom, and…Lobo?! Spinning directly out of the events of JUSTICE LEAGUE VS. SUICIDE SQUAD, join the sensational team of writer Steve Orlando and artists Ivan Reis and Joe Prado and discover how Batman assembled the roughest, toughest Justice League of all time!
One-shot • On sale FEBRUARY 8 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
2. World’s smallest
I’ve gushed about this title for so long, it is sort of insane that it isn’t out until the new year. Between Jimenez’s issue of “Superman” earlier this year to the two-part “World’s Smallest” arc that just wrapped in the same title, we are primed and ready for a book with this creative team and these characters. I expect this book to be fun, funny, and amazing. Yes, I am getting my hopes up, but no, I don’t care. Peter Tomasi on these characters is as close to a slam dunk as you get.
Believe the hype.
SUPER SONS #1
Written by PETER J. TOMASI
Art and cover by JORGE JIMENEZ
Variant cover by DUSTIN NGUYENRetailers: This issue will ship with two covers. Please see the order form for details.
“When I grow up” part one! The sons of Batman and Superman have graduated to their own monthly comic—but if they want to survive, they’re going to have to share it! Writer Peter J. Tomasi (BATMAN & ROBIN, SUPERMAN) teams with rising-star artist Jorge Jimenez (EARTH 2) to bring you the adventures of the World’s Smallest. This debut issue looks at the lives of Robin and Superboy and their destiny to follow in their fathers’ footsteps, while we meet a new villain whose ascension parallels the boys’ own understanding of their powers—except that he believes it’s his right to rule over every being on the planet!
On sale FEBRUARY 15 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
1. A (Wild)storm’s a-brewin’
Well, here it is: the beginning of DC’s second “pop up imprint,” under the editorial eye of Warren Ellis. This is one of those moments that make me truly believe that DC is turning around its ship, after years in the wilderness. Ellis and DC were on bad terms for years, so getting Ellis to do anything there was a longshot, at best. But to have him write a book and curate a line for them? That seems almost too good to be true.
And yet, here we are. “The Wild Storm” will establish the universe these books play in, and will introduce a number of Wildstorm characters in its pages. We don’t know what other books will be joining this one just yet, but this is an exciting moment, and one that hopefully is the seed that grows the new Wildstorm into something as impressive as the pedigree of creators behind it.
WILD STORM #1
Written by WARREN ELLIS
Art and cover by JON DAVIS-HUNT
Variant cover by TULA LOTAY
1:50 variant by JIM LEE and SCOTT WILLIAMS
1:100 pencils-only variant by JIM LEERetailers: This issue will ship with four covers. Please see the order form for details.
A troubled woman, barred by her employer from continuing her research, walks miserably through New York City. It takes her a moment to notice that everybody else is looking up. A man has been thrown from the upper floor of the Halo skyscraper.
And that woman—Angela Spica, sick from the transhuman implants she’s buried in her own body—is the only person who can save him.
What she doesn’t know is that the act of saving that one man will tip over a vast and secret house of cards that encloses the entire world, if not the inner solar system. This is how the Wild Storm begins, and it may destroy covert power structures, secret space programs and even all of human history.
New York Times best-selling writer Warren Ellis (TRANSMETROPOLITAN, RED, THE AUTHORITY) returns to DC to curate Jim Lee’s WildStorm world, with this debut issue resetting the WildStorm universe with new iterations of Grifter, Voodoo, the Engineer, Jenny Sparks and others.
“I couldn’t be more excited to see these characters that are so near and dear to me reintroduced under the guiding hand of Warren Ellis. WildStorm represents an incredibly fun and exciting period in my career, and I can’t wait to see what Warren and Jon have in store for fans in February.” — Jim Lee, DC Comics Co-Publisher
On sale FEBRUARY 15 • 32 pg, FC, $3.99 US • RATED T+
Check out the full solicitations over at CBR.com.
