True story: I started writing this column because EIC Matt found himself running out of nice things to say about/enthusiasm for what DC was putting out. I say that, because this month is full of such boring solicits that I cannot imagine getting through all ten of these without dropping insane amounts of snark/apathy. Let’s see how I do!
10. Fare Thee Well, Green Team
THE GREEN TEAM: TEEN TRILLIONAIRES #8
Written by ART BALTAZAR and FRANCO
Art by IG GUARA
Cover by IG GUARA and J.P. MAYERThrough thick and thin, the Green Team has endured more pain and suffering than any teen trillionaire can withstand. Will this final issue be their breaking point?
This probably surprises no one, but “The Green Team” is ending 8 issues in. DC seems pretty locked into giving a series 4-5 issues worth of sales to make their cancellation decisions, and then usually pull the plug between 7 and 12. That trend continues here, and while it is sort of a shame, I get it. I really do; Art and Franco crafted a tale that sits outside of the main New 52 storylines, and therefore was inessential to DC’s bottom line. It isn’t selling very well, and it doesn’t feature anything DC “needs” in a book, so it’s going away. That said, I am legitimately surprised that this didn’t outlast “Stormwatch.”
9. The Flash by…Buccellato?
THE FLASH #27
Written by BRIAN BUCCELLATO
Art by PATRICK ZIRCHER
Cover by PASQUAL FERRYThe Flash faces a mystical serial killer who might be responsible for his mother’s murder!
There was a big thing made of the Francis Manapul/Brian Buccellato team leaving “The Flash” with #25, and yet here we are, after a weird one-shot, with Buccellato back in the saddle, writing the book again. According to a chat about their upcoming run on “Detective Comics,” the team confirmed that Buccellato would be writing the book through issue #29 to tie up some loose ends before a new, permanent creative team takes over. In one sense, I’m glad that they are able to wrap up their story, and having Patrick Zircher fill in for Manapul isn’t a bad thing either. But still – DC needs to bring osme excitement to these announcements, and “writers dealing with minutia” isn’t really a great path to go down.
8. Gothtopia
BATWING #27
Written by JUSTIN GRAY and JIMMY PALMIOTTI
Art by JASON MASTERS
Cover by DARWYN COOKEA “GOTHTOPIA” tie-in! Luke Fox has never been happier in his life. He’s tearing up Gotham City as its protector, and his father, Lucius, couldn’t be prouder of him. How did THAT happen?
This month starts “Gothtopia,” a “Detective Comics” based storyline that carries over to a lot of the lesser Bat-books, like this one, “Birds of Prey,” and “Catwoman.” This is odd for a few reasons – first of all, it is launching in a book (“Detective”) that’s creative team is leaving soon to make room for Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato. More than likely, they are starting with #30, leaving three issues for “Gothtopia.” But this also feels like the new norm for Bat-books, which need a crossover every few months, for reasons that don’t make total sense. So many of these books feel like filler issues between crossovers, that you’d think DC would cool it on the crossovers and try to establish them as actually desirable books. Sure, they get a one month spike from these sort of crossovers, but wouldn’t 10k more readers every month be better than 15k thrice a year?
7. Forever Evil: Blight
Continued belowJUSTICE LEAGUE DARK #27
Written by J.M. DeMATTEIS
Art and cover by MIKEL JANINA FOREVER EVIL tie-in! There is now only one final obstacle John Constantine’s ragtag team must vanquish…and its name is Blight! Continued from this month’s CONSTANTINE #10!
Speaking of over-stuffed, the 18 issue “Forever Evil: Blight” crossover within a crossover is in full swing this month. DC’s Dark line has been one of the more successful corners of their universe, so the idea of crossing over many of these books is, on the surface, a logical one, especially because there are logical through-lines between many of these titles. However, this is the perfect example of DC’s bloat – there is no reason to tie together books that are already tied together, both by theme and by overarching DC crossover. So, in case you weren’t reading all the Dark line, and in case you weren’t reading all of “Forever Evil,” maybe you’ll be all about “Forever Evil: Blight!”
6. Digital First Expanding
INJUSTICE YEAR TWO #1
Written by TOM TAYLOR
Art by BRUNO REDONDO
Cover by JHEREMY RAAPACKThe best-selling prequel to the hit videogame picks up right where it left off! Year one is over—now, year two begins. The death of one of their own has divided Earth’s protectors as hero turns against hero. As Superman’s iron grip on the world tightens, at the edge of the galaxy, fear approaches…
“Injustice” is back, “Scribblenauts: Unmasked” launches (and has a ton of variants on main DCU books), and “Vampire Diaries” also debuts this month. DC’s Digital First initiative has been pretty damn successful thus far, balancing books that feature niche markets within comics – fans of comics on TV, old-school fans not happy with the New 52 and video game enthusiasts, mainly. I really hope that they eventually add some in continuity digital titles, because that is an untapped vein to explore. You could basically do “52” digitally every single year – have a book that ties into the larger scale DCU without seeing the main characters, by a rotating cast of creators. I’d buy the shit out of that.
5. “Worlds’ Finest” Ramping Up
WORLDS’ FINEST #19
Written by PAUL LEVITZ
Art by R.B. SILVA and JOE WEEMS
Cover by EMANUELA LUPACCHINODesperate times call for desperate measures as Power Girl and Huntress reveal their true origins to this world’s Superman and Batman!
It was only a matter of time before the denizens of Earth 2 and New Earth would be more actively engaged in contacting each other, and it seems to be starting here. Before his departure, James Robinson announced that he was planning on bringing the Justice League to Earth 2 (or the un-named Justice Society to New Earth) in year two or three of “Earth 2.” Perhaps that plan is still in place, and Levtiz (and the truly underrated R.B. Silva) are starting to plant those seeds in this issue.
4. The Cancellation/Creative Team Swap Guessing Game
ANIMAL MAN #27
Written by JEFF LEMIRE
Art and cover by RAFAEL ALBUQUERQUETHIS IS IT: The final battle for The Red begins here! Brother Blood must kill the avatar before he can rule. But will Buddy’s new powers be enough to protect Maxine?
So, by piecing together various clues – #30 being re-launch points for “Detective Comics” and “The Flash,” other books, like the above “Animal Man,” teasing end games – I have a feeling that April is going to be a near re-set of a good chunk of the DCnU. New creative teams, new books, and a rather large series of cancellations. Part of this is a logical feeling, and part of this is just because so many of their books are just so boring right now, and the ones that aren’t feel like they can’t continue for too much longer.
Take “Animal Man” – the book has been a joy from the beginning, and is selling reasonably well, but isn’t exactly lighting up the sales charts. DC clearly has big plans for Lemire – perhaps they are content to let him wrap up with #30, to do a truly limited series, and then move him over to a book that will be selling more – like, say “Justice League Canada” in April.
Continued below3. The Unwritten Begins to End
THE UNWRITTEN VOL. 2: APOCALYPSE #1
Written by MIKE CAREY
Art by PETER GROSS
Cover by YUKO SHIMIZUIt’s the perfect jumping on point, as Tom Taylor is stranded at the beginning of all creation! Lost in the unwritten scenes of all the world’s stories, Tom Taylor is headed back to reality — and all the gods and beasts and monsters ever imagined can’t stop him. But there’s a toll on the road that may be too high for him or anyone to pay…
I know very few Vertigo books go the path of “Hellblazer” or “Fables,” but entering the final 12 issues of “The Unwritten” feels like another sign of the end of Vertigo. I truly hope that Carey and Gross are ending things on their terms and are telling exactly the stories they want to as the series comes to a conclusion.
2. JLA Road Trip!
JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #11
Written by MATT KINDT
Art and cover by EDDIE BARROWS and EBER FERREIRAA FOREVER EVIL tie-in! Survivors Martian Manhunter and Stargirl make a perilous trek across a Super-Villain occupied United States. Their first stop may be the last as they enter Gotham City and Clayface-occupied territory!
There are few things I love more than a road trip, and few characters I feel have been chronically under-tapped in the DCnU than Martian Manhunters. Plus, I love me some Stargirl. This seems like a really interesting way to wrap up this iteration of the title before moving it to the Great White North, and with Kindt on the case, it seems like it’ll be at least a well scripted journey across ‘Merica.
1. Detective #27
DETECTIVE COMICS #27
Written by JOHN LAYMAN, SCOTT SNYDER, PAUL DINI, BRAD MELTZER, GREGG HURWITZ and PETER J. TOMASI
Art by JASON FABOK, NEAL ADAMS, DUSTIN NGUYEN, GUILLEM MARCH, FRANK MILLER and others
Cover by GREG CAPULLO
1:100 Variant cover by JASON FABOK
1:50 Variant cover by KELLEY JONES
1:25 Variant cover by CHRIS BURNHAMDC Entertainment presents this mega-sized issue featuring an all-star roster of Batman creators past and present!
Don’t miss a modern-day retelling of The Dark Knight’s origin by the incredible team of writer Brad Meltzer and artist Bryan Hitch! Plus, all-new stories by Scott Snyder and Sean Murphy, Peter J. Tomasi and Guillem March, Paul Dini and Dustin Nguyen, Gregg Hurwitz and Neal Adams, new art by legendary Batman writer/artist Frank Miller and more!
Also in this issue, John Layman and Jason Fabok kick off the new storyline “GOTHTOPIA”! It’s a bright, shiny, happy place where dreams come true…as long as you don’t look at things too closely.
This is a big one, folks. To commemorate the anniversary of Batman’s first appearance in the first volume of “Detective Comics,” DC is pulling out the big guns. Frank Miller is back, which is the big news here. Miller drawing Batman again is going to bring a lot of folks in, even if it is just a two-pager. But what this issue really reveals is that DC is trying to move away from the Grant Morrison-Bat vision, as well as the David Finch/Tony Daniel early New 52 stuff. Just about everyone else who has touched Batman in the last 3 years is represented here, on both the writing and art side, so it is a real referendum on what DC brass thinks about those guys that they aren’t a part of this. Perhaps this is a confirmation that Dan DiDio isn’t a huge Grant Morrison fan after all.
Regardless – if you are a Bat-fan, this has to have you pretty excited. Even if it does feature Brad Meltzer retelling the Bat-origin. Ick.
See the full solicitations via our pals at Comic Book Resources.
