A new year is dawning, and DC is kicking off 2016 by celebrating some classic characters. Oh, and coloring books. Read on!
10. Adult Coloring Books Join the Fray (also, welcome back Tom Taylor)
Each month DC has been doing a nice job of having a spotlighted variant cover theme – October is monsters, for example. January is ‘adult coloring book’ variant month. The idea of a coloring book cover is not inherently a bad one, but I have one very, very important question: why must it be ‘adult’ coloring books?
Now, I know those are a thing, but I don’t see why DC needs to shout so loudly that these are for adults. Heavens forbid that we get a kid to buy a comic! Just calling them ‘coloring book’ variants would serve the exact same purpose – people who are collectors won’t color them, people who think it is clever will – except in one way – you might get a kid who loves to color to buy a comic based on marketing alone. Granted, I don’t know if there will be something on the cover to deter that kid in the store from picking it up, but the branding is off and weird.
Also, after a brief spell where he was working (seemingly) only at Marvel, Tom Taylor is back with a ‘classic’ Batman/Superman team up which, in New 52 lingo, means 6 years or so ago.
BATMAN/SUPERMAN #28
Written by TOM TAYLOR
Art by ROBSON ROCHA
Cover by YANICK PAQUETTE
Adult Coloring Book Variant cover by FREDDIE E. WILLIAMS II
On sale JANUARY 13 • 32 pg, FC, $3.99 US • RATED T
Retailers: This issue will ship with two covers. Please see the order form for details.
It’s an untold tale from the early days of Bruce and Clark’s crime-fighting careers! A new 3-part epic from another time begins here as Batman and Superman are pitted against a menace that will test their partnership—and their friendship!
9. Speaking of Tom Taylor, Here’s the Guy Who Took Over His “Earth 2” Run!
When Tom Taylor departed “Earth 2,” novelist Daniel H. Wilson took over as the main scribe in that world, being the lead author on “Earth 2: World’s End,” otherwise known as the most decompressed non-Bendis comic of all time. Well, DC has continued the relationship by bringing him on for an original graphic novel, “Quarantine Zone,” joined by Fernando Pasarin and Matt Ryan. Every year, DC publishes an OGN or two that sound just like this one – sci-fi stories, often times about dystopian futures, and every year they pass by without too much fanfare. Maybe Wilson can make this one stick.
QUARANTINE ZONE HC
Written by DANIEL H. WILSON
Art by FERNANDO PASARIN and MATT RYAN
Cover by MASSIMO CARNEVALE
On sale MARCH 16 • 160 pg, FC, $22.99 US
In the future, humanity has discovered the root of all evil: a virus that modifies the neural pathways for empathy. Those infected have been forcibly imprisoned in the Quarantine Zone—regardless of whether they choose to do good or evil.
Meanwhile, the rest of the world is sterile and crime-free, but permeated by an oppressive, paranoid fear of new outbreaks of the malnoro virus.
Written by New York Times best-selling novelist Daniel H. Wilson, QUARANTINE ZONE is an action/sci-fi original graphic novel that examines questions about free will and the nature of good and evil. Co-published with Alloy Entertainment.
8. Speaking of Tom Taylor, Here’s the Final Piece of the “Injustice” Saga He Started!
The way that many of us got acquainted with Tom Taylor was when he began writing “Injustice: Gods Among Us,” the digital first tie-in to the popular gaming series. Well, last year, he departed the series, and Brian Buccellato took over. Buccellato is now wrapping up the five year prequel series with this 12-issue limited series. I’ve never read these comics, but I’ve heard that they are surprisingly good for, essentially, setting up a story for a video game.
Continued belowThis is by far DC’s most successful foray into digital comics, and it has set a nice precedent for what DC tries to do with their digital first line. They attract fans of the characters/properties who aren’t necessarily fans of the comics. That means that many/most of the digital first comics are not my particular cup of tea, but that’s fine.
INJUSTICE: GODS AMONG US: YEAR FIVE #1
Written by BRIAN BUCCELLATO
Art by BRUNDO REDONDO, MIKE S. MILLER and JUAN ALBARRAN
Cover by DAVID YARDIN
1:25 Variant cover by BRETT BOOTH and NORM RAPMUND
On sale JANUARY 6 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T • DIGITAL FIRST
Retailers: This issue will ship with two covers. Please see the order form for details.
This is it: the final year of INJUSTICE:GODS AMONG US, leading into the storyline of the hit videogame! Having defeated the Green Lantern Corps, the forces of magic, and now the gods themselves, the Regime seems to have eliminated all threats. Yet uneasy lies the crown on the head of Emperor Superman. Still obsessed with the outlaw Batman and worried about having enough troops to police his world, The Man of Steel begins to recruit some of Earth’s deadliest villains to his side. Does the Dark Knight have any chance of ending the Man of Steel’s rule?
7. Speaking of Tom Taylor Hey, Swampy is Back!
This month sees the release of a number of miniseries that are written (or co-written) by the creators of the characters. Of these, “Swamp Thing” interests me the most, both because the character is a fascinating and malleable one, and because Len Wein is a comics legend. Now, legends don’t always do great work (see Odyssey, Batman), but Wein’s many contributions to comics make him a guy I’ll give a shot to. Plus, his version of Swamp Thing has long been shuttered for the more popular Alan Moore version, and many subsequent writers have fallen more in the Moore camp. I’m interested to see what Wein does, especially because his “Convergence: Swamp Thing” was so strong.
SWAMP THING #1
Written by LEN WEIN
Art and cover by KELLEY JONES
1:25 Variant cover by YANICK PAQUETTE
On sale JANUARY 6 • 32 pg, FC, 1 of 6, $2.99 US • RATED T
Retailers: This issue will ship with two covers. Please see the order form for details.
Swamp Thing returns in an all-new series written by his co-creator, legendary writer Len Wein! Swamp Thing has received an ominous warning, and now he finds himself under attack from the forces of dark magic. These are more than just your average monsters—and there’s something much worse looming on the horizon for Alec Holland!
6. The DC3 Might be on to Something
Back in the first podcast on “Batman and Robin Eternal,” The DC3 thought that we spotted Jean-Paul Valley as one of the names on Mother’s list. If that’s true, then Azrael might be making his way to the New 52, so what better time for DC to reprint some classic Azrael stories?
Now, depending on your age/tastes, you may not agree that there are many ‘classic’ Azrael stories, but these books have a very special place in my heart. Well, at least they do in theory – I cant’ remember the last time I read an Azrael story.
AZRAEL VOL. 1: FALLEN ANGEL TP
Written by DENNIS O’NEIL
Art by JOE QUESADA, KEVIN NOWLAN, BARRY KITSON and JAMES PASCOE
Cover by JOE QUESADA and KEVIN NOWLAN
On sale FEBRUARY 17 • 200 pg, FC, $19.99 US
The first tales of Azrael are collected in stores from BATMAN: SWORD OF AZRAEL #1-4 and issues #1-6 of his solo series. When the Order of St. Dumas targets Batman, Azrael begins to question his life and duty. After working alongside Batman to defeat a demon that threatens the ancient cult, Azrael leaves the Order to train under the Dark Knight.
5. Hey, We’re Back to Talking About Tom Taylor!
Continued below
I think it is an interesting approach for the Green Lantern books to, aside from Hal and Thal’s books, go to a miniseries format. The days of any book with a ring-wielder on the cover selling like crazy is gone, so let’s tell focused, interesting stories.
Tom Taylor (a name you’ve surely gotten tired of reading by now) is writing this, and longtime GL ‘big gun’ artist Ethan Van Sciver is illustrating it. But that isn’t the name that has me most excited about this book – that name is Simon Baz. Yes, the last Geoff Johns creation in the Lantern-verse, and a character that was maligned before he even debuted is actually quite a solid character, in need of something to do. I’m glad that DC hasn’t forgotten about him. This book should be subtitled “All the Lanterns Besides Kyle and Hal That You Care About!,” which is exactly what a Green Lantern Corps book should be.
GREEN LANTERN CORPS: EDGE OF OBLIVION #1
Written by TOM TAYLOR
Art and cover by ETHAN VAN SCIVER
1:25 Variant cover by IVAN REIS and JOE PRADO
On sale JANUARY 13 • 32 pg, FC, 1 of 6, $2.99 US
RATED T
Retailers: This issue will ship with two covers. Please see the order form for details.
Picking up where GREEN LANTERN: LOST ARMY left off! As the universe around them reaches entropy, the Green Lantern Corps must find a way home! Along the way, they’ll face dying gods, worlds torn asunder and a desperate group of survivors whose only hope is these cosmic heroes.
4. “Gotham Academy” Shifts, and I’m Not Really Sure Why
“Gotham Academy” is a book that I have no doubt will be looked back upon fondly, and one that will probably do well in the collected editions. But this is a book that DC is obviously very nervous about, as they are giving it four issues to be an anthology book telling ‘lost’ stories.
Look, I get DC not wanting to take too many chances – they’re a conservative company, and that’s why they’re worth billions. But this is, to me, almost worse than cancelling it. This is letting it fester and sit idle instead of tell interesting new stories. I really hope that the (immense) talent gathered will help this rise above the description and do something remarkable.
GOTHAM ACADEMY #14
Written by BECKY CLOONAN, BRENDEN FLETCHER, HOPE LARSON, KATIE COOK, KEN NIIMURA, DEREK FRIDOLFS and ZAC GORMAN
Art by DUSTIN NGUYEN, KATIE COOK, KEN NIIMURA, ZAC GORMAN and ADAM ARCHER
Cover by MINGJUE HELEN CHEN
On sale JANUARY 13 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
An all-new era of GOTHAM ACADEMY begins here with the four-issue “Gotham Academy Yearbook” story! It’s yearbook time at Gotham Academy, and Olive, Maps and the gang share some lost adventures from the past year. Some of the best writers and artists from comics and beyond join forces with the creative team behind Gotham City’s top boarding school for this very special new chapter.
3. DC You – Collected
This month the first batch of paperbacks for the ‘DC You’ books are solicited (although, really they come out in February), and this might be where the tide could shift – if DC decides to let these books live past issue 12 or so. I already know who I’m buying “Midnighter” Vol. 1 for, ditto “Martian Manhunter.” For a lot of readers, trade waiting is the name of the game, and for new readers, it is almost always the way they find out about a new series. With Amazon discounts/sales at your local shop, these will probably be had for about $12-13 when all is said and done. That’s a great bargain for six and a third (the ‘Divergence’ preview) comics, and a great way to put a good book in the hands of a new reader. Do your fanboy/girl duty and buy one of these for a pal.
Continued belowMARTIAN MANHUNTER VOL. 1: THE EPIPHANY TP
Written by ROB WILLIAMS
Art by EDDY BARROWS and EBER FERREIRA
Cover by DAN PANOSIAN
On sale FEBRUARY 24 • 144 pg, FC, $14.99 US
THE FIRST COLLECTION OF THE NEW DC SERIES IS HERE!
Trust no one as the Martian Manhunter tries to stop ruthless alien terrorists from destroying our world! But to stop the Martian invasion of Earth, J’onn J’onzz must make the ultimate sacrifice. And when the Martian moon Phobos falls into Earth’s orbit, the invasion kicks into high gear! Guest-starring Superman—who demands to know what J’onn J’onnz knew about the Martians’ terrible plans for Earth. Collects the first six issues of the new series, plus the Sneak Peek story from CONVERGENCE: ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN #2.
2. A New Wonder Woman Digital First Series? Yes, Please!
While this isn’t as good as getting more “Sensation Comics,” it is nice to see DC committing to having a Wonder Woman digital series. I’m not super familiar with the work of Renae de Liz, but I think giving a female cartoonist a Wonder Woman platform is a great, great idea. I am excited to check this out.
THE LEGEND OF WONDER WOMAN #1
Written by RENAE DE LIZ
Art by RENAE DE LIZ and RAY DILLON
Cover by RENAE DE LIZ
1:25 Variant cover by DUSTIN NGUYEN
On sale JANUARY 13 • 40 pg, FC, 1 of 9 $3.99 US • RATED T DIGITAL FIRST
Retailers: This issue will ship with two covers. Please see the order form for details.
A new WONDER WOMAN 9-issue miniseries begins here with a story written and pencilled by Renae De Liz (The Last Unicorn)! In the beginning there was only chaos. But Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons, saw a better future—and eventually, her daughter would be destined to bring that new world to life! Before her ultimate fate unfolds, though, Diana of Themyscira must learn the important lessons of an Amazonian childhood!
1. “We Are Robin,” Proving Me Wrong Since June
Up until this point, I have never liked anything Lee Bermejo has written. However, this book is simply phenomenal and deserves your dollars. Read it, please.
WE ARE ROBIN #8
Written by LEE BERMEJO
Art by JORGE CORONA
Cover by LEE BERMEJO
Adult Coloring Book Variant cover by FREDDIE E. WILLIAMS II
On sale JANUARY 27 • 48 pg, FC, $3.99 US • RATED T
Retailers: This issue will ship with two covers. Please see the order form for details.
The Robin War is over. From the rubble a new force rises, one that is attacking Duke and his Robins one by one. This new movement laughs at hope and justice. They believe in anger. They believe in fear. They believe in chaos. They are…JOKERS.
To view the full set of solicitations, visit Comic Book Resources.
