Four new -New 52 series, no cancellations, a return of a critical darling, and some nice covers. Oh, and some terrible, terrible decisions.
SUPERMAN UNCHAINED #1
Written by SCOTT SNYDER
Art and cover by JIM LEE and SCOTT WILLIAMS
Backup story art by DUSTIN NGUYENWhen thirteen satellites fall from the sky in one day, the logical suspect is Lex Luthor—even though he’s still locked up in prison! But a stranger question remains: If Superman didn’t stop the last satellite from falling, who did? There’s a mystery hidden where even Superman can’t see it—Can The Man of Steel drag a decades-old secret into the light? Don’t miss the debut of this red-hot new series from two of comics’ brightest superstars: SCOTT SNYDER and JIM LEE!
Look, I get it. There is a classic image of Superman breaking free of chains, yada yada. However – DC should know better than this. This month they will be releasing two comics with the word “Unchained” in the title – this, and issue #5 of the “Django Unchained” adaptation Vertigo is publishing. Titling your new “flagship” series on a visual metaphor, that happens to share its name with an Oscar-nominated film, is just a bad idea.
That said, I look forward to Jim Lee’s 5 issues and whoever follows him!
BATMAN/SUPERMAN #1
Written by GREG PAK
Art and cover by JAE LEEA new epic begins with the debut of this new, ongoing series! Don’t miss the first fateful meeting of Batman and Superman in The New 52!
From the pencil of Jae Lee and the mind of Greg Pak comes this new series, focusing (at least initially) on the early meetings of Batman and Superman. “Wait,” you exclaim, “didn’t we already see their first meeting in “Justice League #1?” I could have sworn we did.” Well, apparently you’re wrong!
That said, Jae Lee pencils = an auto buy from me. More on Mr. Lee later.
BATMAN #21
Written by SCOTT SNYDER
Backup story written by SCOTT SNYDER and JAMES TYNION IV
Art by GREG CAPULLO and DANNY MIKI
Backup story art by RAFAEL ALBUQUERQUE
Cover by GREG CAPULLOWitness The New 52 origin of The Dark Knight in BATMAN: ZERO YEAR! Twists and turns are around every corner as Bruce Wayne takes the final steps toward his destiny! And in the backup story, learn more about how different Gotham City was at this dangerous point in time.
Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo have managed to make “Batman” a must-read title. I doubt that the book falls completely off a cliff when “Zero Year” starts, but I can predict that by month 8, people will be banging their head against their desks, waiting for something new to follow. 11 issues is a long time for any arc, especially one that rips DC’s most consistent book from the present to the past – a past that has been widely covered in film (“Batman Begins”), cartoons (various episodes of “Batman: The Animated Series”), fantastically great comics (“Batman: Year One”) and cartoon films based on fantastically great comics (“Batman: Year One”). While this could be great (and if any team can make it great, it’s these guys), I’m already bored. Wake me up in May 2014, Misters Capullo and Snyder.
TRINITY OF SIN: PANDORA #1
Written by RAY FAWKES
Art by DANIEL SAMPERE and JONATHAN GLAPION
Cover by RYAN SOOKThe mysterious woman connected to the creation of the New 52 gets her own series! Pandora is on an action-packed, blood-soaked mission to hunt down the horrors she inadvertently unleashed upon the world. Can she save the DCU—and redeem herself in the process? A prequel to the upcoming “Trinity War”!
From 0 books titled “Trinity of Sin” to two – you know DC is taking the upcoming “Trinity War” seriously.
Continued belowThis month, “Phantom Stranger” grabs a new title to coincide with the launch of “Trinity of Sin: Pandora,” from Ray Fawkes and Daniel Sampere. People tend to think that Pandora is a terrible character and, while I can’t really disagree with them just yet, I also have a hard time writing off a character who has yet to have more than 10 pages written about her. Fawkes is a solid writer, and if anyone can make her interesting, he seems poised to be the sort of guy to do it.
The Geoff Johns era is officially over, and a new crew of Lantern scribes and scribblers takes over this month. A new “Larfleeze” ongoing from Keith Giffen and Scott Kollins is the only “new” book, but each book promises to be quite different under the new teams. In case you missed them:
“Green Lantern” – Robert Venditti and Billy Tan
“Green Lantern Corps” – Joshua Hale Fialkov and Bernard Chang
“Green Lantern: New Guardians” – Justin Jordan and Brad Walker (cover by Raphael Albuquerque above)
“Red Lanterns” – Joshua Hale Fialkov and Alessandro Vitti
JUSTICE LEAGUE #21
Written by GEOFF JOHNS
Art and cover by GARY FRANKTHE MARCH TO TRINITY WAR CONTINUES! This is it! Shazam’s origin story concludes in an extra sized extravaganza! As Black Adam threatens to gain control of all magic, Billy Batson learns that in order to stop him, he’ll need help from the unlikeliest of people. But what greater role awaits Shazam in the larger DC universe? And what does the Justice League have to do with it?
For the second time (after September’s #0 issue), “Justice League” is presenting a full Shazam story – the final of its backup. With two unclaimed spots in the “New 52,” safe money is on this issue announcing “Shazam” starting next month. Total guess here: Tony Bedard and Jesus Saiz will be the creative team.
EARTH 2 #13
Written by JAMES ROBINSON
Art by YILDIRAY CINAR and ROB HUNTER
Cover by BRETT BOOTH and NORM RAPMUNDCaptain Steel debuts as the World Army sends the hero into the Fire Pits left over from the war with Apocalypse, but even Earth 2’s newest hero isn’t ready for what is hidden within the burning reminders of the conflict that killed Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman.
Despite not writing about it this month (family stuff/Abe Sapien brain saturation), “Earth 2” continues to be my favorite DC book by far, and really needs no introduction. Even an overwrought Brett Booth cover can’t dissuade me from praising this book up and down!
Yesterday, Comic Book Resources put up an interview with Grant Morrison, all but confirming that his Batman story, a pretty huge deal, is wrapping up with #12. However, the solicit reveals nothing of that:
BATMAN, INCORPORATED #12
Written by GRANT MORRISON
Art and cover by CHRIS BURNHAM
1:25 Variant cover by GRANT MORRISON
1:100 B&W Variant cover by CHRIS BURNHAMLeviathan and the Heretic are on the ropes…could Batman be on the verge of avenging all he’s lost?
The only clue is that there is a 1:25 variant by Morrison himself, which seems like both a pretty big deal, and something cool.
What isn’t cool is that it appears that this series is continuing after Morrison steps down, which is super dumb. Like, the dumbest.
Continued belowASTRO CITY #1
Written by KURT BUSIEK
Art by BRENT ANDERSON
Cover A by ALEX ROSS (featuring heroes)
Cover B by ALEX ROSS (featuring villains)ASTRO CITY is back in a new, ongoing monthly series that showcases old heroes and new, as The Ambassador comes to Earth, and an ordinary man is caught up in a cosmic conflict! Featuring the return of favorites like Samaritan and Honor Guard, and the debut of some new sensations! Plus, the seeds of a new mystery: Who is the Broken Man? The entire award-winning creative team is back to kick off a new epoch of the human and the super human. Get in on the ground floor of Astro City’s next epic!
This one is a real surprise. Since the New 52 has been launched, outside of digital firsts/all ages comics, there have not been any ongoings that aren’t Vertigo and aren’t New 52. Here is the first in what, hopefully, can be a group of creator-owned ongoings outside of regular continuity.
Plus, the Alex Ross covers are going to be incredible. But you knew that already.
It appears that, until some new ongoings pop up, Vertigo is content to be the provider of sequels, spin offs and new projects from previous Vertigo talent. Here are two examples of that:
100 BULLETS: BROTHER LONO #1
Written by BRIAN AZZARELLO
Art by EDUARDO RISSO
Cover by DAVE JOHNSONBROTHER LONO is a brand-new 8-issue miniseries set in the world of 100 BULLETS!
The Eisner award-winning team behind 100 BULLETS—writer Brian Azzarello, artist Eduardo Risso, colorist Trish Mulvihill, letterer Clem Robbins and cover artist Dave Johnson—reunites to tell the story of the baddest Minuteman of all. When last we saw Lono in 100 BULLETS, Dizzy Cordova had shot him through the chest…but Lono always was too tough to die. Now, after the final events of 100 BULLETS, Lono finds himself in Mexico working on the side of the angels. But there’s always more to a 100 BULLETS story, so pick up this EXTRA-SIZE first issue to see what’s really going on with BROTHER LONO, the cold-blooded killer you hate to love!
AMERICAN VAMPIRE: THE LONG ROAD TO HELL #1
Written by SCOTT SNYDER and RAFAEL ALBUQUERQUE
Art and cover by RAFAEL ALBUQUERQUEFan-favorite character Travis Kidd—the vampire hunter who likes to “bite them back”—makes his return in this new AMERICAN VAMPIRE one-shot!
It’s a story burned deep into the American psyche: two young lovers, a stolen car and the open road. But these young lovers are newly turned vampires trying to fight the bloodsucking urge inside them. To make matters worse, they’ve got a pack of angry vampires on their tails—plus bad-ass vamp-killer Travis Kidd. He’s tracking the “Heartbreak Killers” across the heartland, but can he stop them before it all ends in tragedy? This one-shot special sets the stage for the AMERICAN VAMPIRE relaunch later this year!
The only downside to Lee’s new status as the penciller for “Batman/Superman” is that he may not do too many covers for DC anymore. That is a shame – check out these two great covers:
ANIMAL MAN #21
Written by JEFF LEMIRE
Art by STEVE PUGH and FRANCIS PORTELA
Cover by JAE LEE“SPLINTER SPECIES” begins here as Buddy’s grief and increasing celebrity threaten to tear him apart. Plus, a major new antagonist is revealed!
TRINITY OF SIN: THE PHANTOM STRANGER #9
Written by J.M. DEMATTEIS
Art by FERNANDO BLANCO
Cover by JAE LEEThe Phantom Stranger travels to Hell to save his family! But to do so, he must defeat a foe he never expected to see again!
A year or so ago, I used to lament how Marvel seemed to have a much better grasp on what made a great cover than DC did. The past few months, however, DC has really been stepping up its game. Aside from the two amazing Lee covers above, check out these beauties:
GREEN ARROW #21
Written by JEFF LEMIRE
Art and cover by ANDREA SORRENTINORetailers: This issue will ship with two covers. Please see the order form for more information.
Ollie returns to the island where he first became Green Arrow and learns some hard truths about his father and the mysterious Outsiders!
Continued belowJUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #5
Written by GEOFF JOHNS
Backup story written by MATT KINDT
Art and cover by DAVID FINCH
Backup story art by MANUEL GARCIA and DAVE BEATYRetailers: This issue will ship with four covers. Please see the order form for more information.
Reeling from the traumatic death following issue #4’s cliffhanger, the “world’s most dangerous team” discovers what the Secret Society is ultimately after—and who they are. But can Steve Trevor get this uncontrollable team under control before it’s too late? Plus, a revelation about Stargirl leaves one of her team members out for blood.
SWAMP THING #21
Written by CHARLES SOULE
Art by KANO
Cover by JOCKWho is Capucine, and what is the Sanctuary of the Green Leaves? Mysteries plague Swamp Thing as he rushes to find the answers to these questions and finds much more than he expected, and see a Swamp Thing from the past unlike any you’ve ever imagined!
DIAL H #13
Written by CHINA MIEVILLE
Art by ALBERTO PONTICELLI and DAN GREEN
Cover by BRIAN BOLLANDThis issue must be read to be believed! Open-Window Man tells the tale of a world of living graffiti that’s on the verge of erasure. Send up the Open-Window signal—we need a hero!
