May marks the 2 year anniversary of the start of ‘Rebirth,’ and we’re seeing quite a few books reflect the end of things. When ‘Rebirth’ launched, Geoff Johns called it a ‘2 year plan,’ which has been somewhat messed with due to delays to “Metal,” “Doomsday Clock,” and the ‘New Age of Heroes.’ But make no mistake – this is a big month, with lots of serious changes to the line being reflected. Let’s dig in.
Note: It appears that the fifth week of May’s solicitations did not get included for some reason, so “Man of Steel” #1, the “Super Sons”/Hanna Barbera crossover, and some other books got left out.
10. Vince and Zach would disown me if I left this off
OK, so this entry is basically to give my DC3cast co-hosts happy, but this tenth anniversary “Final Crisis” omnibus looks pretty dope, doesn’t it? This is literally everything that could be described as tying into “Final Crisis,” including books that many folks who probably thought they’d read everything forgot about (I totally forgot about the “Bird of Prey” tie-in issue, for instance). While I don’t know if I want to have to manipulate a 1000 page tome to read about Superman whistling to save reality, I do admire the dedication to getting the entire story out there in one big chunk.
FINAL CRISIS: THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY OMNIBUS HC
Written by GRANT MORRISON, GEOFF JOHNS, GREG RUCKA and others
Art by J.G. JONES, CARLOS PACHECO, DOUG MAHNKE, GEORGE PEREZ, SCOTT KOLINS, PHILIP TAN and others • Cover by J.G. JONES
The event that asked, “What happens when evil wins?” is collected in an omnibus edition that features every tie-in miniseries and chapter, as Superman, Batman and the Justice League must face this reality when Darkseid and his followers win the war between light and dark! Includes BATMAN #676-683 and #701-702, BIRDS OF PREY #118, DC UNIVERSE #0, DC UNIVERSE: THE LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT #1, FINAL CRISIS #1-7, FINAL CRISIS: LEGION OF THREE WORLDS #1-5, FINAL CRISIS: REQUIEM #1, FINAL CRISIS: RESIST #1, FINAL CRISIS: REVELATIONS #1-5, FINAL CRISIS: ROGUES’ REVENGE #1-3, FINAL CRISIS SECRET FILES #1, FINAL CRISIS: SUBMIT #1, FINAL CRISIS: SUPERMAN BEYOND #1-2, THE FLASH #240-241, TEEN TITANS #59-60 and TERROR TITANS #1-6.
On sale SEPTEMBER 26 • 1,504 pg, FC • $150.00 US • ISBN: 978-1-4012-8503-6
9. New Age of Heroes/Same Old Jim Lee
We’ll get to the final originally announced ‘New Age of Heroes’ title in a minute, but I want to draw your attention to something: Jim Lee was a major part of the ‘New Age of Heroes’ announcement, with his return to penciling an ongoing (lol) title for DC, the first since his early stint on “Suicide Squad” with Rob Williams nearly two years ago. But, check out the solicit for the second issue of “The Immortal Men,” his book with James Tynion IV:
THE IMMORTAL MEN #2
Written by JAMES TYNION IV • Art by RYAN BENJAMIN
The series was delayed from October to May, and Lee only managed to finish one issue. I know Lee is immensely popular, but this is a bad look to have happen over and over again. Let’s leave Lee off an ongoing until he’s no longer publisher, mmmkay?
That said? “New Challengers” is here! Aaron Gillespie is the new co-writer on the series. I wasn’t immediately familiar with Gillespie, but upon looking him up, he wrote “The Bionic Man” for Dynamite, and has been part of a few “WWE” specials for BOOM! Anyway, this is also now solicited as a miniseries, which I believe was never the initial plan, but here we are. This ‘New Age of Heroes’ line is really weird, you guys.
Continued belowNEW CHALLENGERS #1
Written by SCOTT SNYDER and AARON GILLESPIE
Art by ANDY KUBERT and KLAUS JANSON • Cover by ANDY KUBERT
From the pages of DARK NIGHTS: METAL! Challengers Mountain has returned to the DC Universe and chosen a new team of explorers! Five misfit strangers are given a second chance at life, but only if they obey the orders of the mysterious Professor and execute deadly missions in the most unexplored corners of the multiverse! And if the new Challengers of the Unknown fail…it will be more than just their own lives that hang in the balance!
On sale MAY 16 • 32 pg, FC, 1 of 6, $2.99 US • FOLDOUT COVER • RATED T
8. Andy Diggle!
After a bit of a messy breakup over “Action Comics” plans a year and a half or so into the New 52, Andy Diggle is back! This is his first work on a Green Lantern title, and it seems to be a relatively contained story that may or may not ever really interact with the other Lantern books. But hey! I’m glad to see Diggle back, and I hope this leads to more work at DC for him in the near future.
GREEN LANTERNS ANNUAL #1
Written by ANDY DIGGLE • Art and cover by JUAN FERREYRA
Retailers: Includes a code for a free digital download of this issue.
Every thousand years, a ceremony is held on a long-forgotten world to celebrate the life of an ancient Green Lantern hero. Simon Baz and Jessica Cruz are chosen to represent Earth at this event, but they quickly learn not all is as it seems. A secret has been buried on this planet, and it’s up to our heroes to find it and put the mystery to rest once and for all!
On sale MAY 30 • 48 pg, FC, $4.99 US • RATED T
7. So, why isn’t this their FCBD book?
OK, so at some point DC decided that they didn’t need to put all their good stuff into their Free Comic Book Day title anymore. The last significant FCBD offering was the ‘Trinity War’ teaser from 2013. Since then, it has been a lot of reprints and kids’ stuff. Now, don’t get me wrong, DC should have an all-ages title every FCBD. But why release an issue three days earlier with the start of the summer’s three biggest stories for a quarter, when you can just save that for a few more days and voila?
I would think that FCBD attracts enough lapsed but curious fans that a book about a) Batman’s wedding, b) four Justice League task force teams, and c) an entirely new Superman status quo by the biggest writer to never work for you in the business, would absolutely set up DC for a big summer. I suppose it’s easy enough to convert a free customer into a $.25 customer, but c’mon now – isn’t the publicity worth it? I just don’t get this move.
Continued belowDC NATION #0
• BATMAN wedding prelude written by TOM KING with art by CLAY MANN
• JUSTICE LEAGUE: NO JUSTICE PRELUDE written by SCOTT SNYDER, JAMES TYNION IV and JOSHUA WILLIAMSON with art by JORGE JIMENEZ
• MAN OF STEEL prelude written by BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS with art by JOSE LUIS GARCIA-LOPEZ
• Cover by JORGE JIMENEZ
1:100 Superman variant cover by JOSE LUIS GARCIA-LOPEZ
1:250 Batman variant cover by CLAY MANN
1:500 Justice League variant cover by JORGE JIMENEZThese stories will appear only in this comic book and will not be reprinted in another comic book before each series’ collected editions. Only the first printing of this issue will have a cover price of $0.25. This issue will ship with four covers. Please see the order form for details.
Just in time for Free Comic Book Day, this special comic priced at just $0.25 US features three brand-new stories from a lineup of superstar talent—and each tale serves as a prelude to some of the biggest DC events of 2018!
First, find out how The Joker reacts when he discovers Catwoman has turned her back on crime and plans to marry his archnemesis. Can the Clown Prince of Crime stand to see Batman happy? Writer Tom King and artist Clay Mann set up the events that lead to BATMAN #50!
Then, DARK NIGHTS: METAL shook the DC Universe to its deepest foundations—now it’s time to rejoin legendary writer Scott Snyder, along with all-star artist Jorge Jimenez and co-writers James Tynion IV and Joshua Williamson, for the prelude to JUSTICE LEAGUE: NO JUSTICE! Discover what universe-shattering mysteries have emerged from the most wondrous and chaotic corners of the cosmos to hunt the Justice League in DC’s summer blockbuster event!
And get your first glimpse at Superman’s new world in this exclusive preview of the upcoming six-issue miniseries MAN OF STEEL, written by Brian Michael Bendis with art by José Luis García-López. With Truth, Justice and the American Way all under attack, both Superman and Clark Kent find there’s never been a more important time to stand up for what they believe in.
On sale MAY 2• 32 pg, FC, $0.25 US • RATED T
6. 2 years of Superman stories, wrapping up
As I mentioned up top, DC is closing the door on a number of stories/creative teams in May, and none are bigger than the ends of “Superman” and “Action Comics.” Dan Jurgens, Peter Tomasi, and Patrick Gleason have been building a lot over the past two years, and DC is giving them oversized issues to wrap up their runs (as well as run some short stories). I’m especially interested in Jurgens wrapping up the Super-Lex story that pre-dated ‘Rebirth,’ although Clark and Jon returning to Dinosaur Island is pretty fun, too.
Even though both books have been spotty, I’m so glad that Superman is back in a place of prominence at DC. Let’s hope that Brian Michael Bendis can continue that.
ACTION COMICS SPECIAL #1
Written by DAN JURGENS, MAX LANDIS and MARK RUSSELL
Art by WILL CONRAD, FRANCIS MANAPUL and JILL THOMPSON • Cover by WILL CONRAD
Retailers: Includes a code for a free digital download of this issue.
“The Last Will and Testament of Lex Luthor”! When Superman’s world was reborn, his greatest enemy became his most unexpected ally. But does that truly reflect Lex Luthor—or was it all a sham? Now, as Lex Luthor’s path toward righteousness reaches its apex, he finds himself involved in an adventure in which Superman stands to be destroyed. What choice will Luthor make? Will he save Superman or watch him die at the hands of a foe he could not possibly imagine? This oversized special also features stories from the acclaimed teams of Max Landis and Francis Manapul (in a story previously slated to appear in the DC UNIVERSE HOLIDAY SPECIAL 2017 #1) and Mark Russell and Jill Thompson!
One-shot • On sale MAY 2 • 48 pg, FC, $4.99 US • RATED T
5. New Nightwing Team
Tim Seeley launched “Nightwing” to great acclaim at the start of ‘Rebirth.’ Sam Humphries has…well, not done too much since coming on the book other than bore me. But, Ben Percy has emerged as one of DC’s brightest new talents, and combined with the great Chris Mooneyham of “5 Ghosts” fame, this looks to bring the book back to its place of prominence. It also appears to be no longer shipping twice monthly, yet another consolidation of the line that we’ve been seeing since the six month or so mark of ‘Rebirth.’ If memory serves, this leaves just “Action Comics,” “Detective Comics,” “Batman,” “Superman,” “Suicide Squad,” “The Flash,” “Green Lanterns,” and “Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps,” and “Wonder Woman” as double shipping (with apologies to a few books that are in limbo, like the Justice League titles and “Harley Quinn” – more on those later).
NIGHTWING #44
Written by BENJAMIN PERCY
Art by CHRISTOPHER MOONEYHAM
Cover by DECLAN SHALVEY
Variant cover by YASMINE PUTRI
Retailers: This issue will ship with two covers. Please see the order form for details.
“THE BLEEDING EDGE” part one! Change is on the horizon when a new technologist sets his sights on Blüdhaven, creating a holographic, interconnected city where everyone is an individual and also part of a larger network. It’s the Internet made physical! Gentrification on gigabyte-laced steroids. But when this new utopia encroaches on his turf, Nightwing starts to uncover a sinister plot based not on revenge…but on a reckoning. “The Bleeding Edge” begins here, setting Dick Grayson on a path to clarify the ideals at his very core: his sense of home and identity.
On sale MAY 2 • 32 pg, FC, $3.99 US • RATED T
4. No Justice
So, we won’t know until June what the Justice League landscape will look like in the long term, but for this month, we’ve got this big ‘No Justice’ event, a four week trek through the universe with new teams, including some weird lineups. We covered this in depth a few weeks ago, and it still looks super fun. Obviously, a lot of this has to do with the fall out from “Metal,” so we should have a better idea of some of this stuff at the end of March. But damn, Starro on a Justice League team will never not be intriguing.
Continued belowJUSTICE LEAGUE: NO JUSTICE #1
Written by SCOTT SNYDER, JAMES TYNION IV and JOSHUA WILLIAMSON
Art and cover by FRANCIS MANAPUL
Retailers: Includes a code for a free digital download of this issue.
DARK NIGHTS: METAL left the DCU transformed in ways both terrifying and wondrous—and only the Justice League is strong enough to face the threats to come…or are they? Four giant beings comprised of the universe’s major energies—Mystery, Wonder, Wisdom and Entropy—who sustain their life force by devouring planets are on their way to destroy the planet of Colu. The only way to take down this unimaginable threat is for the superhero teams of Earth to forget everything they thought they knew and form new alliances.
What secrets of the cosmos will Superman, Martian Manhunter and Team Mystery discover? Will Zatanna, Wonder Woman and Team Wonder awaken alien magic they cannot put back to sleep? What can Harley Quinn possibly have to teach the rest of Team Wisdom? And most importantly…why the heck is Beast Boy on Team Entropy with Lobo and Batman? Find out all this and much more in the most exciting, bombastic event of summer 2018!
In this kickoff issue to the four-issue miniseries, after Brainiac systematically takes down all of Earth’s super-teams, the last thing the League expects is for him to ask for their help! Without their aid, his home planet and the universe are both doomed!
WRAPAROUND COVER • On sale MAY 9 • 32 pg, FC, 1 of 4 •$3.99 US • RATED T
3. MIA
So, three books were not officially cancelled by DC (see the next item for books that were), but did not appear in the May solicits: “Teen Titans,” “Titans,” and “Harley Quinn.” Now, I think that all three of these are due to ‘No Justice,’ and that we will see some relaunched titles come June. Here’s why:
– Of all the heroes/villains on the four Justice League teams, there are no members of Abnett’s “Titans” team, although they are shown beat up in one of the preview pages.
– Many of the Teen Titans are present on these teams, and with “Super Sons” ending but Peter Tomasi saying he was doing more with the characters, I predict a Tomasi-penned “Teen Titans” starting in June.
– Harley Quinn is one of the few characters singled out (along with a Teen Titan, Beast Boy) in the solicits, and her longtime creative team just departed her book.
So yeah, expect new #1s or, at the very least, big jumping on points, for all three books come June.
Note: I reached out to DC for comment on these missing books, and my email was not returned.
2. Endings
Three books are wrapping up officially this month, and each ending feels significant for a few reasons. “Batgirl and the Birds of Prey” has been the very definition of a meh book, with nothing really important happening, but being pleasant enough. This, along with “Batman Beyond,” represents the end of DC’s mid-tier chances with ‘Rebirth.’ Almost all that is left are books that seem like DC ‘has’ to publish them every month – well, and “Batman Beyond.” Hopefully we get some new books announced soon that will bring some more risks to the line.
“DC Comics Bombshells,” aka “Bombshells United,” is ending its run as well. This book is way better than any book based off a series of statues should be, and has been one of the most high-profile female-led books at DC, both in terms of creators and characters. This book will be missed, but it hopefully allows Marguerite Bennett to do something with a little more company push behind it.
Finally, our sweet, sweet “Super Sons” is ending. To me, this is the only book not ending for financial/sales reasons. I think we’re going to see these two in a new title (like “Teen Titans,” but maybe throw Wonder Girl in for a “Junior Trinity” book?), and as one of the cornerstones of the new all-ages imprints. Still, this will be very, very sorely missed.
Continued belowSUPER SONS #16
Written by PETER J. TOMASI
Art by CARLO BARBERI and ART THIBERT
Cover by JORGE JIMENEZ
Variant cover by DUSTIN NGUYEN
Retailers: This issue will ship with two covers. Please see the order form for details. Includes a code for a free digital download of this issue.
“END OF INNOCENCE” part two! The epic battle between the Super Sons and Kid Amazo crashes to a close, and Superboy and Robin must decide how to pick up the pieces of the disastrous Amazo Project. The Super Sons face tomorrow in this latest chapter of their journey together!
On sale MAY 30 • 32 pg, FC, $3.99 US • RATED T
1. Tynion off ‘Tec
Perhaps the biggest change of the month, but also the one that stings the most, is James Tynion IV leaving “Detective Comics.” His two years on the title have represented the best Bat-team book of recent memory and, perhaps, of all time. The Clayface saga is truly heartbreaking, and the Gotham Knights represented something new and exciting for the book. I’m sure DC has big plans for him, but I’m really bummed to see this wrap up. Godspeed, James. Thanks for a dope book.
Also, put me down for an omnibus.
DETECTIVE COMICS #981
Written by JAMES TYNION IV
Art by ALVARO MARTINEZ and RAUL FERNANDEZ • Cover by EDDY BARROWS • Variant cover by RAFAEL ALBUQUERQUE
Retailers: This issue will ship with two covers. Please see the order form for details.
“Batmen Eternal” finale! This is it—the unbelievable conclusion of James Tynion IV’s Batman epic! It’s the last stand of the Gotham Knights, fighting a monster they helped inspire…and a destiny they won’t accept! What will become of the greatest crime-fighting team Gotham City ever saw?
On sale MAY 23 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
For the full solicitations, visit our friends at Newsarama.
