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Soliciting Multiversity: DC’s Top Ten for September 2017

By | June 27th, 2017
Posted in Columns | 4 Comments

One of the nice things about ‘Rebirth’ thus far is that it seems to be pretty consistent with spacing out big events/changes. That gives everything a little room to breathe, and it makes this column a hell of a lot easier to put together. Keep reading for what you’ll be picking up on the way back to school in September.

10. Tie-In Fever!

Last month, “Metal” kicked off, and this month, we are beginning to see tie-ins galore popping up. A mini-event crossover with “Teen Titans,” “Nightwing,” and “Suicide Squad” called ‘Gotham Resistance’ is happening, but of greater note are the seven one-shots featuring alternate, “dark” Batmen. Many of these tie into various members of the Justice League, and some feature some of those characters’ current or past creative teams stepping up. Showcased above is “Batman: The Red Death,” which features “The Flash” creative team and…well, so far, we don’t know much else. But, for the most part, these are solid teams, which gives me some hope for the tie-ins.

BATMAN: THE RED DEATH #1
Written by JOSHUA WILLIAMSON
Art by CARMINE DI GIANDOMENICO
Cover by JASON FABOK

As the events of DARK NIGHTS: METAL rock the DC Universe, the creatures of the Dark Multiverse stand ready to invade our world! How can even the World’s Greatest Heroes stop a horde of deadly beings that appear to be powerful, nightmare versions of familiar figures? Find out in these special tie-in issues!
ONE-SHOT • On sale SEPTEMBER 20 • 32 pg, FC, $3.99 US • FOIL-STAMPED COVER • RATED T+

9. Bombshells are back!

Again, this isn’t huge news, as the print run of the prior volume just wrapped up last month, but I’m glad that DC is giving the Bombshells line some love, and I’m especially happy to see Marguerite Sauvage back on pencils! The Sauvage/Marguerite Bennett pairing is what sold a lot of folks on this book initially, and it is great to see them come back for the launching of the new ongoing. Plus, peep that Dodson cover!

BOMBSHELLS UNITED #1
Written by MARGUERITE BENNETT
Art by MARGUERITE SAUVAGE
Cover by TERRY DODSON and RACHEL DODSON
Variant cover by BABS TARR

Retailers: This issue will ship with two covers. Please see the order form for details.
The Bombshells are back in an all-new series! As our new tale begins, the year is 1943, and Wonder Woman is called to Arizona for help by two young girls named Cassie Sandsmark and Donna Troy! The girls’ friends and families are being displaced from their homes and forced into internment camps! To save them, can Wonder Woman fight against the same people she once fought alongside?
On sale SEPTEMBER 6 • 32 pg, FC, $3.99 US • RATED T • DIGITAL FIRST

8. Don’t forget the Motor City

After most of the cast of the “Justice League of America” Detroit-era has popped up on CW television (Vixen, Vibe, Gypsy, Commander Steel), it was only a matter of time before this book was collected and re-evaluated. I honestly am curious to see how/if this holds up, as the era is one of those much maligned parts of comics history that, at the time, seemed like a good gamble: let’s take a few established heroes (Aquaman, Martian Manhunter, Elongated Man, Zatanna) and add some brand new characters (like the ones mentioned above), and see what happens.

Due to this being followed up by the Justice League International Bwa-ha-ha era, it is easy to overlook these stories. But I’m genuinely curious (though maybe not $100 curious) to see what these stories look like 30 years later.

JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA: THE DETROIT ERA OMNIBUS HC
Written by GERRY CONWAY, J.M. DeMATTEIS and others
Art by CHUCK PATTON, MIKE MACHLAN, LUKE McDONNELL and others
Cover by CHUCK PATTON and DICK GIORDANO

A new era of JLA thrills began with these 1980s tales in which Aquaman assumed leadership of the World’s Greatest Heroes! First, Vixen traces the financing for a terrorist group to the African nation of M’Changa, where she must battle a charismatic leader who wants her powers. Then, the team races to the Soviet Union to rescue Superman, Wonder Woman and the Flash, and Amazo returns to find a completely different team! Plus, Despero escapes his prison on Takron-Galtos to menace the universe again! Collects JUSTICE LEAGUE AMERICA #233-261, JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA ANNUAL #2, INFINITY INC. #19, JLA CLASSIFIED #14-16 and #22-25 and JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA RETROACTIVE #1.
On sale DECEMBER 6 • 952 pg, FC, $99.99 US

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7. Two lesser Morrison works

I have to say, though I’m a big Grant Morrison fan, I’m far from a completionist with his work. Because of that, I was not familiar at all with either “Sebastian O” or “The Mystery Play.” But, after reading both descriptions, this sounds like two minor, but intriguing, stories, and I’m looking forward to picking this up. I presume that many of our readers are probably in similar boats with their prior knowledge of these, so maybe we’ll do a little book club come October. What say you?

SEBASTIAN O/THE MYSTERY PLAY DELUXE EDITION HC
Written by GRANT MORRISON
Art and cover by STEVE YEOWELL and JON J MUTH

Two of Grant Morrison’s most intriguing works are collected in a single hardcover volume! First, in the three- issue miniseries SEBASTIAN 0, Edwardian dandy Sebastian O is out for revenge on the members of a shadowy, sordid gentlemen’s club that had him committed to a mental institution. Hunted by assassins, Sebastian believes he will triumph by means of his exquisite fashion sense! Then, in the graphic novel THE MYSTERY PLAY, an actor portraying Satan is accused of murdering the actor playing God in a Renaissance festival, bringing a rural English village to the edge of self-destruction.
On sale OCTOBER 18 • 168 pg, FC, 7.0625” x 10.875” • $29.99 US MATURE READERS

6. But what of their flying machines?

The Hanna-Barbera line continues to mutate and, again, DC gets some absolutely top talent to contribute to books that seem, at first glance, like titles that would go more or less ignored. Yet here we are, and Garth Ennis is writing “Dastardly and Muttley.” I remember watching them in reruns as a kid, and I remember the Reverend Horton Heat’s version of the theme song on a compilation I had in the 90s, but the characters are not exactly the most well known of the Hanna-Barbera bunch. We’ll see how this book shakes out – hopefully it is more like “The Flintstones” and less like “Wacky Raceland.”

DASTARDLY & MUTTLEY #1
Written by GARTH ENNIS
Art and cover by MAURICET
Variant cover by LIAM SHARP

Retailers: This issue will ship with two covers. Please see the order form for details.
It’s a red-letter day for the good folk of Unliklistan as they start to power up their first atomic reactor. But after pushing the wrong button, the ultra-rare radioactive element, unstabilium, has been released into the atmosphere! Now it’s up to pilot Lt. Col. Richard “Dick” Atcherly and his navigator Captain Dudley “Mutt” Muller to save the day. Will they safely complete their mission? Or are things about to get a little…wacky?
On sale SEPTEMBER 6 • 32 pg, FC, 1 of 6, $3.99 US • RATED T+

5. A crossover of epic proportions

It is sort of insane that this book hasn’t happened yet, isn’t it? Gail Simone writing it is perfect, too, as she’s a creator with lots of Diana experience, but who also has done a Conan crossover before (“Conan/Red Sonja” from Dynamite). Of course, there are those (like me, if we’re being honest) that dislikes when writers lean too heavily on the ‘Diana as a warrior’ trope, but I trust Simone to balance the book nicely.

WONDER WOMAN/CONAN #1
Written by GAIL SIMONE
Art by AARON LOPRESTI and MATT RYAN
Cover by DARICK ROBERTSON
Variant cover by LIAM SHARP

Retailers: This issue will ship with two covers. Please see the order form for details.
What makes one a legend? How do legends carve their names into history, when countless others are forgotten? Wonder Woman and Conan the Barbarian are destined by the fates to be legendary, but when their stories collide, will both emerge victorious, or will the fickle Gods cut their lives short? Co-published with Dark Horse Comics.
On sale SEPTEMBER 20 • 32 pg, FC, 1 of 6, $3.99 US • RATED T+

4. Has someone been reading my dream journal?

Kyle Rayner is the best Green Lantern of all time, and the run collected here is very, very responsible for me being the comics fan I am today. I could write a thousand words about these comics (and I probably will come October), but suffice to say, you should be buying this.

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GREEN LANTERN: KYLE RAYNER VOL. 1 TP
Written by RON MARZ, BEAU SMITH and others
Art by DARRYL BANKS, JAMAL IGLE, DEREC AUCOIN, CULLY HAMNER and others
Cover by DARRYL BANKS and ROMEO TANGHAL

A new Green Lantern is born when artist Kyle Rayner is awarded the last power ring—but how can he fill Hal Jordan’s shoes? A classic chapter in Green Lantern history is collected beginning here with tales from GREEN LANTERN #48-57, REBELS ’94 #1 and NEW TITANS #116.
On sale OCTOBER 4 • 368 pg, FC, $29.99 US

3. Everything old is new again

I love that Tim Drake is going to get a big push in the pages of “Detective Comics,” and I love the homage to the arc that first brought Tim into the DCU, “A Lonely Place of Dying.” But beyond this one book, this month we see DC really doubling down on that late 80s/early 90s aesthetic by returning a host of characters to the pages of their books. Maxima pops up in “Superwoman,” Lightray guests in “Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps,” and “Metal” seeks to return characters like Hawkman and Plastic Man to prominence.

DC has been very wise with how it has rolled out ‘Rebirth,’ but specifically how it has slowly, but surely, reconnected old characters, homaged the past, and allowed for new innovation, too. DC is really keeping its promise about bringing everything to the forefront. ‘Everything counts’ feels more like a reality this month than it has ever before.

That said, where’s my Shazam goodness?

DETECTIVE COMICS #965
Written by JAMES TYNION IV
Art by EDDY BARROWS
Cover by EDDY BARROWS
Variant cover by RAFAEL ALBUQUERQUE

Retailers: This issue will ship with two covers. Please see the order form for details.
“A Lonely Place Of Living” part one! It’s the story you’ve demanded: Where in the world (or otherwise) is Tim Drake? Red Robin faces a crossroads…escape the most devious prison ever devised, or find himself abandoned beyond time and space for all eternity! Not much of a choice, right? But when he finds out just who is locked in there with him, Tim’s world will change in ways he never imagined! This is one of the biggest stories of the REBIRTH era, setting the stage for an explosive DETECTIVE COMICS epic!
On sale SEPTEMBER 27 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T

2. The man behind the curtain

We will finally find out who Mr. Oz is! A mystery two years in the making is finally getting resolved! Yay!

That said, it is Jugens, so it’s probably Cyborg Superman.

Actually, you know what – I’m putting it out there now. It’s Kon-El. He’s the only member of the ‘Reign of the Supermen’ that Jurgens hasn’t brought back yet. I know it makes no sense, but I trust in Jurgens to reference himself as much as humanly possible. Just watch – we’ll all be Jurgens’d come September 13th.

ACTION COMICS #987
Written by DAN JURGENS
Art by VIKTOR BOGDANOVIC
Lenticular cover by NICK BRADSHAW
Variant cover by MIKEL JANIN

Retailers: This issue will ship with two covers. Please see the order form for details.
“THE OZ EFFECT” part one! The agents of the mysterious Mr. Oz begin to move as the Man of Steel works to stop the chaos they unleash in Metropolis and across the globe. But when Mr. Oz steps from the shadows his identity rocks the Last Son of Krypton to his core. The story that began in DC Universe: Rebirth #1 begins to end here!
On sale SEPTEMBER 13 • Lenticular version $3.99 • Nonlenticular version $2.99 US • RATED T

1. Robinson returns

On tomorrow’s DC3cast, I talk about how bringing James Robinson back to DC to work on “Wonder Woman” is an example of two great pieces of PR – a returning writer and a big name “Wonder Woman” creator – that sort of cancel each other out. Listen in to hear me, Greg, and Vince debate the merits of Robinson’s assignment on the book, but I’m cautiously optimistic for a few reasons: one, the dude gets the tone of ‘Rebirth.” Two, he’s not going to Frank Cho Diana. Three, if anyone can make a continuity mess like Diana’s brother work, it is the king of restructuring continuity.

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Also, let’s hope this is a backdoor “JSA” pilot somehow.

WONDER WOMAN #31
Written by JAMES ROBINSON
Art by CARLO PAGULAYAN
Cover by BRYAN HITCH
Variant cover by JENNY FRISON

Retailers: This issue will ship with two covers. Please see the order form for details
“Children of the Gods” part one! Spinning out of the pages of DC UNIVERSE REBIRTH and JUSTICE LEAGUE: DARKSEID WAR, legendary writer James Robinson (JSA: THE GOLDEN AGE, STARMAN) comes on board to answer one of the biggest questions of the year: Who is Wonder Woman’s brother? Taken away from Themyscira in the dead of night, the mysterious Jason has been hidden somewhere far from the sight of gods and men…but his life and Wonder Woman’s are about to intersect in a terrifying way, bringing them face to face with a cosmic threat they never imagined! Don’t miss the start of the next great Wonder Woman epic!
On sale SEPTEMBER 27 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T

To see the full solicitations, head over to Newsarama.


//TAGS | Soliciting Multiversity

Brian Salvatore

Brian Salvatore is an editor, podcaster, reviewer, writer at large, and general task master at Multiversity. When not writing, he can be found playing music, hanging out with his kids, or playing music with his kids. He also has a dog named Lola, a rowboat, and once met Jimmy Carter. Feel free to email him about good beer, the New York Mets, or the best way to make Chicken Parmagiana (add a thin slice of prosciutto under the cheese).

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