May marks the (more or less) ‘official’ end of the New 52, a thought experiment that at times was exciting, and at times incredibly disappointing. This month, due to the nature of the release schedule, doesn’t have all that many stand out moments, but luckily DC’s reprint division is in fine form this month.
Note: I’m not focusing on Vertigo this month, due to the strange circumstances around DC proper, but the “Sandman Mystery Theater” trade looks pretty great
10. An end to all most things
With the possible exception of “Justice League” (which is a month behind, and so may publish a #52 in June), all of DC’s monthly books are wrapping up this month. Some, like the above featured “Batman/Superman,” have been part of a self-contained story that is getting wrapped up. Others, like “Batman,” are going out with a whimper, with guest creators telling stories that aren’t really integral to the past (nearly) five years of comics.
There will be plenty of digital/audio ink spilled over the end of the New 52, so I’ll save that for a later time, but let’s pour one out for the DC universe of late 2011-mid 2016.
Also, that Paquette cover is dope.
BATMAN/SUPERMAN #32
Written by PETER J. TOMASI
Art by TYLER KIRKHAM
Cover by YANICK PAQUETTE
On sale MAY 4 • 32 pg, FC, $3.99 US • RATED T
“Super League” continues this month as Kal-El’s bid to strengthen his forces brings him, Batman and Wonder Woman into China and into conflict with the might of that nation’s greatest heroes: the Great 10!
9. Celebrating the original covers
The few books that DC has kept since the start of the New 52 are all getting variant covers that are tributes to/recreations of the original #1s of September 2011. The above “Green Arrow” cover, by Szymon Kudranski, along with the “Superman” by Mikel Janin, and the “Catwoman” by Inaki Miranda, are all substantial improvements over the originals, but some of these totally miss the mark. Take a look at the “Wonder Woman” and “Aquaman” variants for an example of why art, though subjective, can sometimes clearly have superior and inferior qualities.
GREEN ARROW #52
Written by BENJAMIN PERCY
Art by SZYMON KUDRANSKI
Cover by PATRICK ZIRCHER
Variant cover by SZYMON KUDRANSKI
On sale MAY 4 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
Retailers: This issue will ship with two covers. Please see the order form for details.
Green Arrow is dead. Deathstroke has won, and now he’s returning to the states to deliver Dr. Miracle to the man known as Blood Bag. And in Seattle, the war between the Berserkers and the Patriots has led to the Wargs being rounded up and sent to internment camps—which sparks an uprising among the Wargs!
8. Miniseries acting as a bridge
DC has a number of miniseries that are in various stages of completion as their main line wraps up – “Swamp Thing,” “Poison Ivy,” and this, “Superman: The Coming of the Supermen.” This is a smart move by DC for a few reasons: first of all, due to the limited publishing line of June-August, those other books might get picked up by fans who want more DC content. But also, it shows that there isn’t this dogmatic split of “pre-Rebirth” and “post-Rebirth” DC books – there’s some overlap, and that’s ok.
SUPERMAN: THE COMING OF THE SUPERMEN #4
Written by NEAL ADAMS
Art and cover by NEAL ADAMS
On sale MAY 4 • 32 pg, FC, 4 of 6, $3.99 US • RATED T
Fry, Superman, fry! The battle between Kalibak and Superman rages on as the denizens of Apokolips cheer. And Darkseid’s homeworld unleashes a weapon that will permanently transmute the terran solar system!
7. The month of Doo
So, this is the month that we get “Scooby Apocalypse” #1, the latest in an attempt to bring Scooby Doo into ‘modern’ times. Personally, this sort of thing holds almost no appeal to me, especially as it pulls Howard Porter off of a main-DC comic that he might do great things on. That said, I can see why this is a fun idea, and one that is likely to run its course within a year or so (I’d bet 6 months, personally), but I recognize that it isn’t for me.
Continued belowSCOOBY APOCALYPSE #1
Story by JIM LEE and KEITH GIFFEN
Script by KEITH GIFFEN and J.M. DeMATTEIS
Art by HOWARD PORTER
Cover by JIM LEE
Blank variant cover
Coloring book cover by JIM LEE
Scooby-Doo variant cover by HOWARD PORTER
Shaggy variant cover by DAN PANOSIAN
Velma variant cover by BEN CALDWELL
Daphne variant cover by JOELLE JONES
Fred variant cover by NEAL ADAMS
On sale MAY 25 • 32 pg, FC, $3.99 US • RATED T
Retailers: This issue will ship with eight covers. Please see the order form for more information.
Those meddling kids—Fred, Daphne, Velma, Shaggy, and their dog, Scooby-Doo—get more ghost-debunking than they bargained for when faced with a fundamental change in their world. The apocalypse has happened. Old rules about logic no longer apply. The creatures of the night are among us, and the crew of the Magical Mystery Machine has to fight to survive—because in the apocalyptic badlands of the near-future, the horrors are real!
This new monthly series takes Scooby and the gang to a whole new level and features character designs by comics superstar Jim Lee!
This, on the other hand, is exactly the sort of Scooby Doo comic I want to read. To get the Marvel family (with Uncle Dudley in tow), in their brightly colored costumes, with Tawky Tawny mentioned in the solicits, man, this is almost too much. It is just too awesome. I’ll take five of these for every “Scooby Apocalypse.”
SCOOBY-DOO TEAM-UP #16
Written by SHOLLY FISCH
Art and cover by DARIO BRIZUELA
On sale MAY 4 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED E
Shazam and his crimefighting companions are missing! It’s up to Tawky Tawny to call in experienced monster-hunters Scooby and the gang…because the kidnappers are the Monster Society of Evil!
6. Panic in the sky keeps on turning
One of the great things about DC’s reprint department, is that sometimes things have a very specific reason for being reprinted (see later in this article for one example), and sometimes, you just have to wonder. Did someone in editorial revisit “Panic in the Sky” and think it was worthy? Is Brainiac going to be the big bad of “Rebirth,” and so they wanted a few more Brainiac stories in print again? I have no idea, but I do remember enjoying this back in the day, and would like to revisit it, so thanks, DC!
SUPERMAN: PANIC IN THE SKY TP NEW EDITION
Written by DAN JURGENS, ROGER STERN, LOUISE SIMONSON and JERRY ORDWAY
Art by DAN JURGENS, BOB McLEOD, JON BOGDANOVE, TOM GRUMMETT and others
Cover by DAN JURGENS and BRETT BREEDING
On sale JUNE 8 • 296 pg, FC, $19.99 US
In this new edition of DC classic, Brainiac invades the earth with his ultimate weapon—Warworld! With the help of Wonder Woman, The Flash, Green Lantern and more, Superman must defend his adopted home. Collects ACTION COMICS #474-476, SUPERMAN: MAN OF STEEL #9-11, ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN #488-490 and SUPERMAN #65-67.
5. “Starman” is back in print!
If you’ve read my writing with any sort of regularity, you’ll note that I’m obsessed with James Robinon’s “Starman.” A few years ago, DC started reprinting the “Starman” ominibi in paperback, but stopped after vol. 2. Well, they’re bringing it back, and I can’t recommend the series highly enough. It is one of the best superhero comics of all time, precisely because it often times doesn’t act like a superhero comic. If you never thought Solomon Grundy could make you cry, you haven’t read “Starman.”
Continued belowSTARMAN OMNIBUS VOL. 3 TP
Written by JAMES ROBINSON
Art by TONY HARRIS, GENE HA, PHIL JIMENEZ, J.H. WILLIAMS III and others
Cover by TONY HARRIS
RESOLICIT • On sale JUNE 1 • 432 pg, FC, $29.99 US
In this third STARMAN volume collecting STARMAN #30-38, STARMAN ANNUAL #2 and STARMAN SECRET FILES #1, Opal City is terrorized by Dr. Pip, an eccentric bomber. Plus, Starman teams up with Batman to save the life of Solomon Grundy.
4. The Silver Age Flash!
DC has been giving lots of love to the Silver Age recently, in terms of reprinting issues into large omnibi, but this is something different. At about half the size and half the cost of an omnibus, DC is giving readers a nice introduction to the Flash in the late 50s/early 60s. The origins/debuts of Barry Allen, Wally West, Ralph Dibney, and some of the most important Rogues, all in one place. This belongs on every serious comic reader’s shelf – I can’t wait for it to appear on mine.
THE FLASH: THE SILVER AGE VOL. 1 TP
Written by JOHN BROOME and ROBERT KANIGHER
Art by CARMINE INFANTINO, JOE GIELLA and others
Cover by MICHAEL CHO
On sale JUNE 15 • 424 pg, FC, $24.99 US
Collecting the earliest adventures of The Flash from SHOWCASE #4, 8 and 14, and THE FLASH #105-113! Witness the origin of The Flash, the debuts of his Rogues Gallery, including Captain Cold, Gorilla Grodd and Weather Wizard, and the introductions of fellow heroes Kid Flash and the Elongated Man.
3. The forgotten event is now 30 years old
“Legends” is remembered, if for anything, for being a catalyst for a number of DC’s best late 80s revivals – “Justice League” by Giffen/DeMatteis/Maguire, George Perez’s “Wonder Woman,” and John Ostrander’s “Suicide Squad.” But the miniseries itself, as well as its spin-offs/tie-ins, is rarely discussed nowadays. Well, that should (partially) be rectified later this year, when the miniseries gets a reprint. What is odd is that none of the tie-ins are included. I mean, I get that this is an easier sell to many, but a “Legends” omnibus would be a really cool thing to be able to put out, with the entire event, plus maybe the #1s of the books that spun out of it, all collected in one place. Maybe some day…
LEGENDS 30TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION TP
Written by JOHN OSTRANDER and LEN WEIN
Art by JOHN BYRNE and KARL KESEL
Cover by JOHN BYRNE
On sale JUNE 1• 168 pg, FC, $16.99 US
In the wake of CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS, the heroes of the DC Universe must find a new purpose and direction in the battle for justice! When G. Gordon Godfrey arrives on behalf of Darkseid to create a hate campaign that outlaws super-heroic activities, the world’s greatest find themselves fighting the very people they swore to protect! Don’t miss this new edition collecting the 6-issue miniseries, including the first appearance of the modern Suicide Squad!
2. Back to the future (quest)!
I am a bit of a hypocrite, as I was just shitting on “Scooby Apocalypse” for pulling quality creators off of main-DCU books, and yet I’m going to praise the team of Jeff Parker and Doc Shaner on “Future Quest.” Part of that is due to the absolutely perfect pairing of talent and subject matter, and part of that is that I’m just happy these guys are working together again. I have to plead ignorance when it comes to a lot of these characters, beyond surface knowledge/Space Ghost: Coast to Coast fandom, but I am excited to see what this team can put together.
My hope, beyond hope, is that this will take them through the fall, and then they’ll depart for a Shazam book. Let’s start bribing DiDio now.
Continued belowFUTURE QUEST #1
Written by JEFF PARKER
Art and cover by EVAN “DOC” SHANER
Blank variant cover
Coloring book cover by EVAN “DOC” SHANER
Jonny Quest variant cover by STEVE RUDE
Space Ghost variant cover by BILL SIENKIEWICZ
Action Heroes variant cover by JOE QUINONES
Herculoids cover variant by AARON LOPRESTI
On sale MAY 18 • 40 pg, FC, $3.99 US • RATED T
Retailers: This issue will ship with seven covers. Please see the order form for details.
When the adventurous and inquisitive Jonny Quest and his adoptive brother Hadji make a startling discovery in the swamplands of Florida, they are pulled into an epic struggle between the Space Rangers and a dangerous villain who threatens the galaxy. Now it’s up to the combined forces of Team Quest, Inter-Nation Security, Space Ghost, and a host of Hanna-Barbera’s greatest action heroes to stop him and save their universe!
Don’t miss the start of this new, monthly series that features character designs by comics superstar Darwyn Cooke and kicks off with an extra-sized story and a wraparound cover!
1. The Omega
The fact that this issue is getting its full 12 issue run is nothing short of miraculous. And, despite one issue having a rushed plot point, due to being written when it was thought that it was wrapping up in six, this has been a near flawless series. It has been a real coming out party for both Tom King and Barnaby Bagenda, and it has re-established Kyle Rayner as one of the most compelling characters in DC’s stable. I can’t wait for the oversized edition of this that will probably never happen, but will occupy a special place in my heart forever.
THE OMEGA MEN #12
Written by TOM KING
Art by BARNABY BAGENDA
Cover by TREVOR HUTCHISON
On sale MAY 25 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T+
Beset on all sides by his former slaves and imperial rivals from across the galaxy, the Viceroy of the Citadel makes a last, desperate stand against Kyle Rayner and the Omega Men!
For the full solicitations, check out Comic Book Resources.
