This month, DC launches a second weekly, brings back a villain no one was really asking for, and generally disappoints on a few fronts. Check out the full solicitations via Comic Book Resources.
10. All-Star Western Streak is Over
ALL-STAR WESTERN #31
Written by JUSTIN GRAY and JIMMY PALMIOTTI
Illustrated by CLIFF RICHARDSHex is back in the Old West – and he’s joined forces with Tallulah Black to hunt for…the real Jonah Hex? And in the backup story, Madam .44 is lost on a harsh, alien world where she discovers that justice can still be won with a bullet.
I thought last month was just an aberration, but it appears to be true: Moritat is off of “All-Star Western,” at least for two issues. Why is this significant? Because for 29 issues, he was the only artist not to miss a month in the New 52. With this second month, he joins the likes of Greg Capullo and Patrick Gleason as the iron men of the New 52. Hopefully, he is just taking some time to rest, and isn’t off this book entirely.
9. The Movement is Cancelled
THE MOVEMENT #12
Written by GAIL SIMONE
Illustrated by FREDDIE WILLIAMS IIThere’s no length the Movement won’t go to if it means rescuing one of their own from a cult that has deep roots in Burden’s hometown.
I don’t think anyone is all too shocked by this announcement – despite the pedigree of the creators, the book just never really took off for a few reasons. Sadly, this leaves exactly zero New 52 books featuring characters created since 2011 in the starring roles. A lot has been made of DC’s problems over the years, but this is one of the key ones. What does it take for a new character to carry a book at DC? Even with ties to Batman (“Talon”) or beloved creators (Gail Simone on “The Movement,” Art and Franco on “The Green Team”), new ideas are dirty words at DC right now.
8. Doomed
SUPERMAN: DOOMED #1
Written by SCOTT LOBDELL with GREG PAK and CHARLES SOULE
Illustrated by KEN LASHLEYRetailers: This issue will ship with three covers. Please see the order form for more information.
Beginning the super-event you have been waiting for in The New 52: Superman vs. Doomsday in a way you’ve never seen before! And with Doomsday’s deadly new abilities, in this battle there can be no winners. The Man of Steel must unleash insane levels of power in order to do the job, only to terrify the world he’s saving. Beating Doomsday is only the beginning of this never ending battle!
This has been discussed at length already, but it needs to be said again: no one asked for this. I trust Pak and Soule to use their powers to make their issues readable dreck (due to the terrible character that Doomsday is), but the Lobdell installments seem like ready made kindling for a fire. Forgive my negativity, but this is absolutely maddening. Just as DC is starting to get its Superman line back up and running, they go all 1992 on us. Consider this a skip month for a lot of your Superman titles, folks.
7. GL Books Crossing Over…Again
Continued belowGREEN LANTERN #31
Written by ROBERT VENDITTI
Illustrated by BILLY TAN“UPRISING” part 1! Rebellion has spread across the universe as former allies join forces with the Durlans, Khund and Outer Clanns to overthrow the authority of the Corps. It’s an all-out assault on Mogo, but will the greatest threat come from without – or within? The outcome of the battle, the survival of the Corps and the future of the universe itself rests on the shoulders of Hal Jordan – and after a bruising start to his tenure as Corps leader, he is more than ready for a fight! This new epic continues in this month’s GREEN LANTERN CORPS #31!
GREEN LANTERN CORPS #31
Written by VAN JENSEN
Illustrated by BERNARD CHANG“UPRISING” part 2! As the Corps reels from the Battle for Mogo, John Stewart leads a team of Green Lanterns into the heart of enemy territory on a desperate rescue mission to save the Lanterns abducted by the Durlans and the Khund. This prison break is like nothing you’ve ever seen before! And as the Durlans train their sights on the next battlefield in the war, a long-lost member of the Corps returns! Continued from this month’s GREEN LANTERN #31!
When you’ve got one writer handling a few books of the same family, crossover is almost expected, and that is what Robert Venditti is giving us. He and his former co-writer on “Green Lantern Corps,” Van Jenson, are launching ‘Uprising,’ a crossover of thus far unspecified length between the two books. These sort of crossovers don’t really bug me too much, except that this is the second such crossover in less than a year – in fact, it is the third in less than a year. If the books aren’t strong enough to hold a modest audience without a thrice-yearly crossover, maybe it is time to trim the Green Lantern line. I, personally, really enjoy both books, so that isn’t really an issue for me, but it just seems like a surefire way to piss off a large swath of your readers.
6. Justice League United Really Launches
JUSTICE LEAGUE UNITED #1
Written by JEFF LEMIRE
Illustrated by MIKE McKONEIn Canada, the team of Animal Man, Green Arrow, Martian Manhunter and Stargirl is joined by Adam Strange to fight an unstoppable forced called the Unimaginable.
This issue is also offered as a combo pack edition with a redemption code for a digital download of this issue.
Mike McKone’s cover says it all – this team looks kickass. Sure, this issue seems a bit redundant when compared to what was promised a month earlier from the #0 issue, but that seems almost irrelevant. Stargirl, Martian Manhunter, Green Arrow, Animal Man and Adam Strange as the core of a team is something that fans the world over can agree on.
5. The Best Variants in a Long Time
WONDER WOMAN #31
Written by BRIAN AZZARELLO
Illustrated by GORAN SUDZUKAAn unlikely ally arrives on the eve of the Battle for Olympus… but standing by Wonder Woman’s side is a deadly place to be!
Note to DC: want to do variants right? Have Mike Allred do them all. All. Of. Them.
4. Batman and Frankenstein
BATMAN AND FRANKENSTEIN #31
Written by PETER J. TOMASI
Illustrated by PATRICK GLEASON“The Hunt for Robin” continues! Batman is on the trail of Ra’s al Ghul in the hope of recovering the stolen bodies of Damian and Talia. But when all leads grow cold, he’ll need to call in help – someone who can go where no Bat has gone before. This looks like a job for…Frankenstein?!
Due to his appearance in “Futures End” (more on that in a second), and his cover-sharing appearance here, May is the month of Frankenstein. The character represents the goofiest, weirdest, and my personal favorite, type of comics story – the one where fun and zaniness are embraced above all else. So, you want me to buy a book where Frankenstein’s Monster and Batman globe trot together? Say no more!
3. Justice League Reaping What Johns Sewed
JUSTICE LEAGUE #31
Written by GEOFF JOHNS
Illustrated by IVAN REISIntroducing the new Power Ring! But who is she? What does she want? And how will her presence affect the team?
Here’s a funny thing about flash-forward scenes in comics: mostly, they’re full of shit. For every vision of the future that has come true, 100 have been totally forgotten. At the end of “Green Lantern” #20, Geoff Johns set forward a few predictions for the future of the Green Lanterns of Earth. And, in “Justice League” #31, one starts to pay off. A new Power Ring, last seen in “Forever Evil,” is crowned here, and it is Jessica Cruz, who was foretold in that final Johns issue of “Green Lantern.” This is a welcome development, even if it is a little cheating, because Johns is fulfilling his own prophesy, and it is way easier for your ideas become fact when you are picking them up in another book. Still though, this gives hope that Hal and Carol die old together, very much in love. And for a sappy romantic like me, that is worth hoping for.
Continued below2. Futures End
THE NEW 52 – FUTURES END #1
Written by KEITH GIFFEN, DAN JURGENS, BRIAN AZZARELLO and JEFF LEMIRE
Illustrated by PATRICK ZIRCHERFive years from now, the DC Universe is reeling from a war with another Earth, leaving the world unprepared for an approaching evil that threatens to destroy the future. Can a time-traveling Batman Beyond help a massive cast of the DCU’s finest avert the impending apocalypse? Find out in this new weekly series that will forever alter the direction of The New 52! In this debut issue of The New 52’s weekly series, Batman Beyond arrives five years later! Grifter turns against humanity! And a Justice League member DIES!
THE NEW 52 – FUTURES END #2
Written by KEITH GIFFEN, DAN JURGENS, BRIAN AZZARELLO and JEFF LEMIRE
Illustrated by JESUS MERINOThe entire DC Universe gathers to mourn a fallen hero! Plus the secrets of the DCU five years later arrive at Lois Lane’s door!
THE NEW 52 – FUTURES END #3
Written by KEITH GIFFEN, DAN JURGENS, BRIAN AZZARELLO and JEFF LEMIRE
Illustrated by DAN JURGENSDid Firestorm kill a member of the Justice League? Who is watching Batman Beyond? And why is Frankenstein living in an igloo?!
THE NEW 52 – FUTURES END #4
Written by KEITH GIFFEN, DAN JURGENS, BRIAN AZZARELLO and JEFF LEMIRE
Illustrated by AARON LOPRESTIWhere is Red Robin? Who wants to steal from the world’s most famous man? And whatever happened to Stormwatch?
The second DC weekly kicks off here and, while the story intrigues me and looks like a fun mashup of characters, the artistic lineup is really interesting in its inconsistency. Patrick Zircher is a welcome sight, but Merino, Lopresti and Jurgens just scream dated house style. The solicitations get me excited to read the series, even if the visual side will more than likely be a disappointment.
1. The Lack of New Books
Let’s talk math for a second: for a line called “The New 52,” it has been some time since DC actually published 52 monthly books. In May, if you count the “Superman: Doomed” one shot, DC is publishing 49 issues – and that’s counting eight issues of weeklies. 40 ongoings, 2 year long weeklies and a one-shot.
But DC is still using “The New 52” as a marketing tool – hell, the second weekly book is called “The New 52: Futures End.” It is IN THE TITLE OF YOUR WEEKLY COMIC.
The frustrating part isn’t that DC is just ignoring logic with its branding, but because so many books have been ending lately, and fans have been brainstorming the fun books that could come out of those cancelations. Doom Patrol! The Metal Men! Shazam! Cyborg! Nope, nothing. Instead, we get a month that looks a lot like last month, but with less comics, and less hope for what is coming next.
