There are some months where gathering ten stories from DC’s solicitations is a chore, and I’m stretching to find interesting/important things to discuss. This month is just the opposite. I have no room to talk about Keith Champagne co-writing a “Superman” arc about Qwark, the Negative Flash, the new Superhero Girls OGN, the Tomasi/Gleason “Batman and Robin” omnibus, or the collected “Night Force.” This is a big month folks, strap in.
10. Just what you’ve been asking for – more Suicide Squad!
This seems, to me, to be another use of some of the DC Writer’s Workshop talent, as well as a cash in for a property that is still, somehow, drawing folks to it. The one thing about this that has me really jazzed is the Gentleman Ghost joining the team in in the Jai Nitz half of the book.
SUICIDE SQUAD BLACK FILES #1
Written by MIKE W. BARR and JAI NITZ
Art by PHILIPPE BRIONES and SCOT EATON
Cover by FRAZER IRVINGTwo members of Task Force X are back in these all-new adventures! First up: “REVENGE OF KOBRA” by writer Mike W. Barr and artist Philippe Briones. To oppose the terrorist Kobra is to earn his undying hatred, and that’s what the samurai Katana did when she killed his beloved Eve. Now, Kobra stalks Katana beyond the bounds of the Earth itself, to a supernatural world where he will steal from her everything that she has—including her very soul! And in “SUICIDE SQUAD BLACK,” by writer Jai Nitz and artist Scot Eaton, Sebastian Faust, the U.S. government’s top arcane operative, has gone rogue! To track down America’s most dangerous magician, Amanda Waller assembles a special ops team unlike any other: an expendable coven of dark arts experts including El Diablo, Enchantress and Gentleman Ghost. They are Suicide Squad Black, and they will take you to places where even the dead can die!
On sale AUGUST 2 • 48 pg, FC, 1 of 6, $4.99 US • RATED T+
9. Endings, with asterisks
Three series are wrapping up in August, but each of their endings are temporary – or already happened – sort of.
“Gotham Academy: Second Semester” is wrapping up with #12, but the creators have assured folks that a third semester will be coming down the pike at some point. This makes a lot of sense – the book isn’t quite ‘Rebirth,’ but it isn’t not ‘Rebirth’ either. By having each semester as its own 12 issue maxi series gives flexibility to the release schedule, and allows the book to retain its very specific tone, and not fall into the monthly grind which might strip part of that.
“DC Comics Bombshells” has already announced a new, ongoing volume, so the ‘ending’ here is just shifting from (presumably) a digital-first delivery system to something more resembling a monthly comic.
And finally, “Everafter: From the Pages of Fables” was always sort of an afterthought to a series that already wrapped up in 2015. I’m sure DC will dig around in this sandbox again at some point, but this seems like a logical place to wrap up as well.
EVERAFTER: FROM THE PAGES OF FABLES #12
Written by DAVE JUSTUS and LILAH STURGES
Art by TRAVIS MOORE
Cover by TULA LOTAY
This is the end of the fairy tale. Will anyone live happily ever after? Will anyone live, period? While the Shadow Players face down the big guns of the Lone Star State, Feathertop calls in a favor to resolve the crisis at the school. But will Mundy-turned-Fable Bobby Speckland ever be the same after his reeducation? And will the rest of the team survive to see another mission? Find out here, in our fateful—and fatal—final issue!
On sale AUGUST 2 • 32 pg, FC, $3.99 US • MATURE READERS • FINAL ISSUE
8. A big month for the original Bat sidekick
This month, Nightwing guest stars in both “Batgirl” and the “Red Hood and the Outlaws” annual, welcomes Spyral back into his own monthly title, and gets this, a new dystopian miniseries.
On one hand, Higgins and McCarthy were 2/3 of the team behind “Gates of Gotham,” a fun and nearly forgotten Bat-miniseries from just before “Flashpoint.” McCarthy is, perhaps, my favorite Dick Grayson artist, so this should, in theory, be a must buy.
Continued belowBut.
I’m really, really tired of heroes killing each other, and Dick is the last character that should be doing that. But just because someone is the least likely person to do something doesn’t make for a good or surprising story. I hope that Higgins’s story is less of an Injustice riff and he, instead, gives the story a reason to exist beyond just ‘hey, let’s do a Nightwing mini where he kills Superman.’
NIGHTWING: THE NEW ORDER #1
Written by KYLE HIGGINS
Art and cover by TREVOR McCARTHY
Variant cover by PAUL POPERetailers: This issue will ship with two covers. Please see the order form for details.
NIGHTWING: THE NEW ORDER is the story of a future world without “weapons”—where superpowers have been eliminated and outlawed. The man responsible? None other than Dick Grayson, a.k.a. Nightwing, now leader of a government task force called the Crusaders who are charged with hunting the remaining Supers. But when events transpire which turn the Crusaders’ aim toward Grayson’s own family, the former Boy Wonder must turn against the very system he helped create, with help from the very people he’s been hunting for years—the last metahumans of the DC Universe. Don’t miss this bold new vision from the team behind the New York Times bestseller BATMAN: GATES OF GOTHAM!
On sale AUGUST 23 • 32 pg, FC, 1 of 6, $3.99 US • RATED T+
7. A showcase for Hanna Barbera
I wanted to love “Future Quest” – I wanted to love it so badly. But the sprawling story made for a tough read if you didn’t have a ton of experience with those characters before. Sure, you can glean some information along the way, but it seemed a little too unfocused. Now, with “Future Quest Showcase,” it will allow longer stories for these characters and, hopefully, allow Jeff Parker to do more with the characters than he was able to do in shorter, more crowded stories.
To throw some cold water on this, though: the “Space Ghost/Green Lantern” special was boring and terrible, due mostly to Ariel Olivetti’s art. So this first arc may be a little tough. Here’s hoping that it gets better from there.
FUTURE QUEST SHOWCASE #1
Written by JEFF PARKER
Art and cover by ARIEL OLIVETTI
Variant cover by STEVE RUDE
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.
After the thrilling events of FUTURE QUEST, a new age of adventure begins! First up, Space Ghost and his young wards Jan and Jace team up with the Herculoids to rebuild the mighty Space Force. Will they rise again to become defenders of the galaxy? Or is there something lurking in the shadows ready to stop them for good?
On sale AUGUST 16 • 32 pg, FC, $3.99 US • RATED T
6. Ray Palmer, finally!
There’s a lot to love about how the events of “DC Universe Rebirth” #1 have spread out over the past year. While the Ray Palmer/Ryan Choi story got retold in January in the Atom-centric one shot, it is nice to see some progress happening here. Choi and Palmer are two great characters, and I would love to see them do more together, so this is a welcome resolution to part of the overarching ‘Rebirth’ narrative.
JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #12
Written by STEVE ORLANDO
Art and cover by IVAN REIS
Variant cover by TBD
Retailers: This issue will ship with two covers. Please see the order form for details.
“CRISIS IN THE MICROVERSE” part one! It’s the story you’ve been waiting for! Ryan Choi leads the JLA on a rescue mission into the microverse to rescue his long-lost mentor, Ray Palmer, the original Atom, and unravel the mystery of his disappearance in DC UNIVERSE: REBIRTH #1!
On sale AUGUST 9 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
5. Flashforward! (Not the shortlived TV series)
One of the best things about “Batwoman: Rebirth” #1 was the brief glimpse into the future that ended that issue – a cowl-less Kate, in a Colony outfit, preparing for war. We are getting an arc set in that timeline, and it features Eddy Barrows art. While I will miss Epting, Barrows is about as good of a sub as possible. I’m interested to see where in the story’s timeline this falls, or whether this is only a ‘possible’ future.
Continued belowBATWOMAN #6
Written by MARGUERITE BENNETT and JAMES TYNION IV
Art and cover by EDDY BARROWS
Variant cover by MICHAEL CHO
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.
“OPEN FIRE” part one! Return to the brief flash of the future seen in BATWOMAN: REBIRTH and meet Commander Kane—a battle-hardened version of Batwoman! Hurting from battles unknown, she’s taken control of the deadly Colony and declared war on Gotham City! What could possibly cause Kate Kane to bring the battlefront to her home? Find out here!
On sale AUGUST 16 • 32 pg, FC, $3.99 US • RATED T+
4. Big changes in the Super books
I am intrigued to see Rob Williams scripting both “Action Comics” and “Trinity” this month, but I have a feeling that they are both just fill-in jobs. Rarely does DC change course like this without releasing some sort of press release alongside it, and they did not do that this time. One can hope, but I would think that Dan Jurgens is back on “Action” shortly after this arc, and that Francis Manapul just needed a fill in, the way that Cullen Bunn did earlier this year.
But, one thing that did get announced was Robson Rocha replacing Brian Ching on “Supergirl.” Rocha is talented, and I like a lot of his work, but I think Ching brought something really special to “Supergirl.” I hope he finds more DC work soon.
SUPERGIRL #12
Written by STEVE ORLANDO
Art and cover by ROBSON ROCHA and DANIEL HENRIQUES
Variant cover by STANLEY “ARTGERM” LAU
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.
“EMERALD ERADICATION” part one! Emerald Empress’ attack on Supergirl begins as her new Fatal Five assembles. Empress’ plan to destroy Supergirl’s present to preserve her future goes into full swing as Supergirl tries to hold her own—but soon even her abilities are out of her control.
On sale AUGUST 9 • 32 pg, FC, $3.99 US • RATED T
3. Seeley!
Speaking of great creative team changes, “The Hellblazer” has been the dullest book DC has published since the start of ‘Rebirth.’ Nothing happens in it, the characters are one dimensional, and the supposed Swamp Thing/Constantine team up book has been nothing of the sort.
Tim Seeley is establishing himself as one of the best writers in DC’s stable, and the fact that he’s also doing covers (or, at least he did this cover) is even better. Jesus Merino will be a nice fit on the book, too, even if I would rather someone with more of a horror background on the title.
THE HELLBLAZER #13
Written by TIM SEELEY
Art by JESUS MERINO
Cover by TIM SEELEY
Variant cover by YASMINE PUTRI
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.
“THE SPIRIT HUNTER” part one! Home from Paris, John gets in a drunken argument, has a terrible dream about a dead teenager, and then finds the corpse. Did someone use his imagination as a weapon, or has his distaste for humanity made him a murderer?
On sale AUGUST 23 • 32 pg, FC, $3.99 US • RATED T+
2. What would you expect from an artist only photographed in Black Label Society gear?
I am trying to be optimistic about this title, and Snyder and Capullo have been saying all the right stuff. It is just tough to get into books with “Dark” in the title and not instantly imagine the worst of the New 52, right in front of our faces. But Snyder claims that this story has been in the works since he started on “Batman,” and that’s a crazy long build. Capullo reinvented his career when he started working with Snyder, and I really love how he draws Batman. This could be legitimately great – let’s hope it is.
Continued belowDARK NIGHTS: METAL #1
Written by SCOTT SNYDER
Art by GREG CAPULLO and DANNY MIKI
Foil-stamped embossed cover by GREG CAPULLO
Variant covers by ANDY KUBERT, JIM LEE and JOHN ROMITA JR.
Retailers: This issue will ship with four covers. Please see the order form for details. Only the main cover by Capullo will feature foil and embossing.
The superstar BATMAN team of writer Scott Snyder and artist Greg Capullo reunite for a massive, universe-spanning event!
DARK NIGHTS: THE FORGE and THE CASTING hinted at dark corners of reality that have never been seen till now! Now, as DARK NIGHTS: METAL begins, the Dark Multiverse is revealed in all its devastating danger—and the threats it contains are coming for the DC Universe!
DARK NIGHTS: METAL is a DC event unlike any other—one that will push Batman, Superman and heroes of the Justice League beyond their limits to take on threats unlike any our world has ever seen! It will take the combined might of the World’s Greatest Heroes as you’ve never seen them before to face what’s coming their way!
On sale AUGUST 16 • 32 pg, FC, 1 of 6, $4.99 US • RATED T+
1. The King’s Centennial
This month – the month the King would have turned 100 – is full of Jack Kirby business – the continuation of “The Kamandi Challenge” and “BUG!,” a new edition of the Fourth World omnibus, his “Mister Miracle” run is getting a new edition, and there are the six Kirby one-shots that look like their quality will vary wildly from issue to issue. But the big one here is “Mister Miracle,” the new Tom King/Mitch Gerads book.
While my King enjoyment has not been to its “Omega Men”/”Grayson” level in quite some time, I think this book could be a great fit for his sensibilities. Gerads is a beast, and the book will look gorgeous no matter what. Let’s hope that DC continues to celebrate the King’s life beyond just his centennial year.
MISTER MIRACLE #1
Written by TOM KING
Art by MITCH GERADS
Cover by NICK DERINGTON
Variant cover by MITCH GERADS
Retailers: This issue will ship with two covers. Please see the order form for details.
From the team behind THE SHERIFF OF BABYLON and the Hugo Award-nominated writer of Vision comes a unique new take on one of Jack Kirby’s most beloved New Gods.
Scott Free is the greatest escape artist that ever lived. So great that he escaped Granny Goodness’ gruesome orphanage and the dangers of Apokolips to travel across galaxies and set up a new life on Earth with his wife, the former female fury known as Big Barda. Using the stage alter ego of Mister Miracle, he has made a career for himself showing off his acrobatic escape techniques. He even caught the attention of the Justice League, which counted him among its ranks.
You might say Scott Free has everything…so why isn’t it enough? Mister Miracle has mastered every illusion, achieved every stunt, pulled off every trick—except one. He has never escaped death. Is it even possible? Our hero is going to have to kill himself if he wants to find out.
Written by Tom King (BATMAN) and illustrated by Mitch Gerads (The Punisher), this is a MISTER MIRACLE unlike any you’ve read before.
On sale AUGUST 9 • 32 pg, 1 of 12, FC, $3.99 US • MATURE READERS
To see the full slate of solicitations, please consult Newsarama.
