Continuing further with our look at the April solicits (see also: Image and Dark Horse), today brings our look at DC’s offerings for the month of April. I could make a joke here relating the DCnU endeavor to an elongated April Fool’s prank… but I’ll abstain.
Hit the jump to see what looks good in April.
Everything’s Coming Up Wonder Woman
In our new podcast The Hour Cosmic, Chad Bowers and I lamented the fact that Wonder Woman — despite her inclusion as DC’s Trinity — gets very little respect from the company. She’s given one book against Superman’s four and Batman’s too many, and is met with constant chagrin by fans who just can’t seem to find anything interesting about her.
However, if the DCnU did at least one thing right, it was to take Wonder Woman and make her a viable property for a new generation of fans. Between Brian Azzarello and Cliff Chiang, Wonder Woman has had one of the most entertaining of the reboots, with a unique take on her story and fantastic art. Now, in April, Wonder Woman marches into Hell with a story apparently co-written by Chiang, and with a cover like this I couldn’t be more excited.
The End Of The Beginning
As we reach the eighth issue for most of DC’s books, among other things we reach the finale of Morrison and Morales’ Superman reboot story. Retelling the Man of Steel’s origin from his crash land on our planet and through his socialist adolescent years, this issue puts Clark in the costume and finally admits that yes, that character you saw in issue #4 was Braniac, even if they refused to call him Braniac (but, come on, it was pretty obvious, right?).
What’s nice about this issue is that it actually seems to promise you that extra bang for your buck. DC’s plan to charge $3.99 for $2.99’s worth of comic and $0.00’s worth of extras hit a rough patch two issues in, and it was rather disappointing to not get the extra story pages DC spouted off in press releases ad nauseum. Now, with a reported 30-page finale, this issue should hopefully launch Superman into the stratosphere as we all know Morrison is quite capable of doing. I’m in.
Batman Gets Even Better (And Hell Freezes Over As I Write These Words)
I’m not a Batman fan, and yet here I am, exceptionally excited for April to come with the changes it will bring to the caped crusader’s title. Prelude to “the Night of Owls” crossover? Check. 20 awesome pages of Greg Capullo art? Check. 8-page back-up story co-written by Snyder and illustrated by Rafael Albuquerque? Check. An actually new writer getting a go at an element of one of DC’s major properties? Check. Well. Turns out that Batman is one of the few books to not lose momentum since #1.
Look — there are far too many Batman titles, and I’m pretty sure DC knows it. You could almost assume that DC has no idea what they’re doing. However, when stuff like this happens, you can kind of pretend that maybe they do.
…And A Whole Lot More!
The Flash with a brand new villain. Green Arrow and the continued return of Ann Nocenti. The return of Helspont in Superman. George Perez illustrating Supergirl. The finale of the story with NoBody in Batman and Robin. Kyle Higgins telling the origin of William Cobb aka the Talon in Nightwing, further penning him as Snyder’s protege. An event so chaotic in Swamp Thing, DC won’t show the cover in the solicits. A crossover between Justice League Dark and I, Vampire. Jeff Lemire still rocking it in Frankenstein and Animal Man. The new origin of the Demon with art by Bernard Chang in Demon Knights. The finale of OMAC and THUNDER Agents.
Continued belowI’ll take eight! (Ha ha! References.)
Oh, and The Shade still isn’t cancelled! It’s a Christmas miracle!!
Good Gracious, I Can’t Wait For Amy Reeder’s Batwoman
There isn’t too much more to say about this subject, but just look at that cover by Reeder. My goodness. I want to read it now.
More Kirby Reprints? Shut Up And Take My Money!
I don’t mean to put anyone down here, but lets look at some possibilities for you — You could a) spend $2.99 on DC Universe Presents and buy a story written by Dan Didio and Jerry Ordway attempting to fit these set of classic characters into a controversial and rebooted universe, or b) spend $39.99 for twelve issues of 1950s awesomeness by Jack Kirby, Wally and Dave Wood, Marvin Stein and more?
Come on. Its not a hard choice here. If you’re going to read the Challengers of the Unknown, read the actual Challengers of the Unknown.
Get Jiro? Well, If You Insist
Everyone these days likes to call themselves as “foodies,” when really they just like to eat tasty things. There are really only a few foodies you could actually trust, and somewhere at the top of the pile stands Anthony Bourdain. If you’ve ever watched any number of Anthony Bourdain’s shows, you assuredly know at least one fact about him: the man is fearless, and he loves food. So what better venue to extend his appreciation for food than comic books?
Here is the solicit for the book:
In a not-too-distant future of food obsessed L.A., where master chefs rule the town like crime lords and people literally kill for a seat at the best restaurant, Jiro, a renegade and ruthless sushi chef arrives in town with strong ideas of his own. It’s a bloody culinary war of epic proportions, and in the end, no chef may be left alive!
Count me in!
Did I mention I love sushi? Oh, what does that matter.
Vertigo, My Heart Belongs To Thee
Saucer Country #2. Fairest #2. Fables #116. The New Deadwardians #2. Dominique Laveau, Voodoo Child #2. The complete trade collection of Brubaker’s Deadenders, with art by Warren Pleece, Richard Case, Jay Stephens, Cameron Stewart and Philip Bond, American Vampire #26, iZombie #24, Northlanders #50 (the final issue, at that), Spaceman #6, the Unwritten #36 (the yearly appearance of Mr. Bun!), Scalped #58 (the penultimate penultimate issue), Sweet Tooth #32, and a free advance look at Vertigo’s adaptation of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo.
