The DC lineup for October is getting shaken up in, perhaps, the most serious way since the start of the New 52. New books, new creative teams, and some serious new storylines all start here.
10. Power Ring Joins the Justice League
It shouldn’t be a surprise that Geoff Johns is picking up on a thread he started himself in “Green Lantern” #20, but that doesn’t damper the excitement of long-term storytelling paying off. Johns is, quietly, doing exactly what James Robinson did on his unfairly-maligned run on “Justice League of America,” which is to create an alternate “big 7” – Johns is just doing it piecemeal. Alongside the actual Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman and Cyborg, he has a Flash rogue taking his spot, a Superman villain taking his, and now Power Ring taking the Lantern spot. This is making for some very compelling “Justice League” stories – sadly, for the first time since the New 52 started, this book feels essential – and it happened just as the book lost its reputation as the flagship book.
The book is also course-correcting, as it has been behind since “Forever Evil,” and double shipping this month, getting it back on course for November.
JUSTICE LEAGUE #34
Written by GEOFF JOHNS
Art by DOUG MAHNKE and KEITH CHAMPAGNE
Cover by ETHAN VAN SCIVER
DC UNIVERSE SELFIE variant cover by DALE EAGLESHAM
1:25 Variant cover by RAGS MORALES
RESOLICIT • On sale OCTOBER 1 • 32 pg, FC, $3.99 US • RATED T • Combo pack edition: $4.99 US
Retailers: This issue will ship with four covers. Please see the order form for details. This issue is resolicited. All previous orders are cancelled.
Paranoid survivalist. Wanted fugitive. Damned soul. Meet the newest member of the Justice League: Jessica Cruz, a.k.a. Power Ring! With the most dangerous weapon in the universe in her possession, Jessica has been transformed into a dark prophet – one who will force the other members of the League to confront their greatest fears in preparation for a horrific new threat. Meanwhile, Batman and Lex Luthor continue their mission to cure the world of super-villains – but will the extremes they’re willing to go to threaten even their closest allies? Lex hopes so.
9. Digital First Face Lift
The digital first line up continues to grow, with both “The Flash: Season Zero” and “Arrow Season 2.5” joining the line up, as well as “Injustice: Gods Among Us” going to a third year. DC and Marvel have strikingly different models for their digital first comics – DC tends to focus their books on TV, videogame, and pop culture properties, whereas Marvel uses them to tell ancillary stories for some of their biggest characters. The two new TV tie-ins actually bridge the gap between the two companies’ philosophies quite well – “Arrow Season 2.5” takes place between seasons 2 and 3 of Arrow, where the Flash book takes place between the pilot episode and episode 2 of the new series.
I would guess that by early 2015 we will see “Gotham” and “Constantine” digital first series as well.
Suspiciously missing from print is the Jiro Kuwata Batman manga that they have been serializing digitally – although DC has announced plans to print three volumes of these stories “later this year” – let’s get on that, DC.
Also of note – this month is when the Gilbert Hernandez written and drawn digital Wonder Woman story is printed in “Sensation Comics” #3 – don’t miss out on that.
Continued belowTHE FLASH: SEASON ZERO #1
Written by ANDREW KREISBERG
Art by PHIL HESTER and ERIC GAPSTUR
Photo cover
1:5 Variant cover by FRANCIS MANAPUL
On sale OCTOBER 1 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T • Digital First
Retailers: This issue will ship with two covers. Please see the order form for more information.
An all-new digital first series From the world of the highly anticipated new TV show The Flash! Follow the adventures of Barry Allen as he struggles to balance his job as a police crime scene investigator, his unrequited crush on Iris West (who also happens to be his boss’ daughter) and his new life as Central City’s guardian angel! Don’t miss out!
8. The Multiversity Continues to Look Amazing
Ben Oliver is one of my favorite, and most underrated, artists working in comics today. His cover to this book is perfect teen tabloid, and by focusing on the kids of that Earth’s superheroes, he and Grant Morrison can tell a story that is would maybe feel cheesy on the main Earth, but fits like a glove here. This is going to be one of the more controversial issues of “The Multiversity” – but I, for one, can’t wait.
THE MULTIVERSITY: THE JUST #1
Written by GRANT MORRISON
Art and cover by BEN OLIVER
1:10 B&W Variant cover by BEN OLIVER
1:25 Variant cover by EDUARDO RISSO
1:50 Variant cover by DALE EAGLESHAM
1:100 Variant cover by GRANT MORRISON
On sale OCTOBER 15 • 48 pg, FC, $4.99 US • RATED T
Retailers: This issue will ship with five covers. Please see the order form for details.
The next chapter of the greatest adventure in DC’s history is here!
When they last collaborated, Grant Morrison joined artist Ben Oliver (LOBO, BATMAN/SUPERMAN) for the acclaimed ACTION COMICS #0. For their next team-up, the two superstars take a spin around the self-obsessed Earth-16 – a.k.a. Earth-Me!
With all of the world’s threats having been handled long ago by their parents, the next generation of supers – including Chris Kent, Damien Wayne, Alexis Luthor, Offspring, Megamorpho, Donna Troy and more – find themselves labeled as superstars more often than super heroes. But with that fame comes complacency, and when a massive threat unlike anything they’ve ever seen surfaces, this pampered crew finds themselves in way over their head. What secret is Damien keeping from Chris that could tear the world’s finest friends apart? Who is the mysterious killer lurking behind the scenes among these spoiled super-children? And what chance do they stand against the monstrous villain that’s murdering its way cross the Multiverse? All that and more in this exciting stand-alone issue which also acts as chapter three of the MULTIVERSITY saga. Join us, if your dare, for THE MULTIVERSITY!
7. New Creative Teams on Key Books
Jeff Lemire and Andrea Sorrentino have wrapped up their run on “Green Arrow,” which is a shame, as that was one of the more consistently great New 52 books. Bringing in some of the Arrow team makes sense, though, and will hopefully give the book a sales jump, as well.
“Earth 2” also gains a co-writer in Marguerite Bennett and a new penciller in Andy Smith, and Jack Herbert replaces Tony Daniel on “Superman/Wonder Woman.” The Bat-books have a ton of changes too, but we’ll get to that later.
Here is what is interesting, though: it appears that DC is really trying to shake up their line, and are trying some new things. Even if some of the moves are reflexive (Daniel is taking “Deathstroke,” for instance), it we aren’t seeing the same four or five names on all books right now.
Of particular note: there is not a Scott Lobdell credit to be found. And for that, we shall rejoice!
GREEN ARROW #35
Written by ANDREW KREISBERG and BEN SOKOLOWSKI
Art by DANIEL SAMPERE
Cover by BRYAN HITCH
On sale OCTOBER 1 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
Welcome new series writers straight from the hit TV show Arrow! Ollie is trying to put his life together after the grueling events of “Broken,” and finds himself back in Seattle on a mission from a mystery woman. Who is she – and what’s next for Green Arrow?
6. New Edgy, Dark Titles – Even if “The Dark” and “The Edge” Don’t Really Exist
Hey kids, remember the New 52? All the books were broken up into lines/families – Superman, Batman, Lantern, Justice League, Dark, Edge, and Young Justice? The first four still have many of their initial books around and, in some ways, have grown. The last three are more or less decimated, and don’t really exist anymore.
Continued belowThis month, DC launches four new books that would fall into either the Dark (“Trinity of Sin” and “Klarion”) or the Edge (“Deathstroke” and “Lobo”) categories, if such things still existed. “Deathstroke” is an expected move, as is “Trinity of Sin,” but “Lobo” and “Klarion” are really strange choices – ones I applaud, but odd, nonetheless.
In fact, taking into account some of the new books that came earlier this year: “Star Spangled War Stories,” “New Suicide Squad,” “Teen Titans,” and consider that the Legion is back for the first time in over a year (we will address that in a bit), and this is the most DC has resembled the “original” New 52 since the first batch of books was cancelled in April 2012.
LOBO #1
Written by CULLEN BUNN
Art by REILLY BROWN
Cover by AARON KUDER
1:25 Variant cover by BEN OLIVER
On sale OCTOBER 1 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T+
Retailers: This issue will ship with two covers. Please see the order form for details.
The all-new Lobo brings the ultraviolence to his new ongoing series! If the first few blood-soaked pages of this issue don’t shock you – nothing will!
5. Vertigo Goes Coverless (But Not Really)
Ok, so this is really, really weird. For October, seven Vertigo books are starting on the cover – that is to say, the story begins right on the front of the book, with word balloons, panels, and everything. That, alone, is odd. What is weirder still is that the books have the regular cover artists drawing the “cover” – so all but three of the seven have a different person, essentially, pencilling the first page of the story than the other 19 pages of story.
I guess this is what passes for fun at Vertigo now? What is fun, however is Nate Fox taking over as the artist on “FBP: Federal Bureau of Physics” after Robbi Rodriguez left the book – at least for this month.
FBP: FEDERAL BUREAU OF PHYSICS #14
Written by SIMON OLIVER
Art by NATHAN FOX and ALBERTO PONTICELLI
Cover by NATHAN FOX
On sale OCTOBER 8 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US
MATURE READERS
A Vertigo “Defy Covers” issue! Every journey starts with a single step. Cicero’s started when he crashed into a TV repair shop and eventually landed in the FBP Academy. This special two-part story features art by cover artist Nathan Fox and Alberto Ponticelli
4. Earth 2: Worlds’ End Launches
The infamous third weekly is starting! This time, Earth 2 is in focus, and we have a new trio of writers handling the book. This is my concern about the weekly: none of these creators have written in this world yet – they are taking over a huge group of characters that they aren’t familiar with, and doing so every week for six months or so. This could all be worry for no reason, but the lineup of talent is an unusual one: Daniel Wilson is a novelist, Mike Johnson got his start in TV, and Marguerite Bennett is a relative newcomer to the industry. That could lead to a fresh new take, or a dumpster fire. Time will tell.
Continued belowEARTH 2: WORLD’S END #1
Written by DANIEL H. WILSON, MARGUERITE BENNETT and MIKE JOHNSON
Art by ARDIAN SYAF, JORGE JIMENEZ, EDDY BARROWS and PAULO SIQUIERA
Cover by ARDIAN SYAF and JAIME MENDOZA
1:50 Variant cover by YANICK PAQUETTE
On sale OCTOBER 8 • 48 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
Retailers: This issue will arrive in stores with two covers. Please see the order form for details.
Daniel H. Wilson, New York Times best-selling author of Robopocalypse and Robogenesis, delves into the world of EARTH 2 for the start of a new weekly series that will see the origins of a world much like the New 52 Earth, but yet so different. A world that saw its greatest heroes die – and new ones take their places. A world where Superman became it’ greatest villain, and a man named Zod seeks to save it, along with Batman, Green Lantern, The Flash and other heroes. A world they can only save from the forces of Apokolips through great personal sacrifice! Death and destruction will follow each week, and you’ll never know who will live and who will die! It all begins with this extra-sized debut issue!
3. Cosmic DC is in Full Force: Legion of Super-Heroes and New Gods Both Get Highlighted
This month, two big cosmic, classic DC properties return: the New Gods and the Legion of Super-Heroes.
The New Gods are at the center of a new Green Lantern crossover that touches all the Lantern books, called “Godhead.” The books are all united by similar covers, and seem to be telling a rather large story. This is the perfect place for the New Gods to come into the New 52, whole hog – and yes, I know Orion has been around, and that “Infinity Man and the Forever People” is working in some Fourth World territory.
The Legion, meanwhile, pop back up in “Justice League United” Annual #1, handled by Jeff Lemire. I know Lemire is no longer DC exclusive, and has announced at least one new creator-owned project outside of DC (with another promised in interviews), but perhaps taking Lemire off of “Green Arrow” is to let him relaunch the Legion? Stranger things have happened, but Lemire’s sensibility and the Legion’s sometimes impenetrable history might make for an interesting fit.
NEW GODS: GODHEAD #1
Written by ROBERT VENDITTI, CHARLES SOULE, CULLEN BUNN, VAN JENSEN and JUSTIN JORDAN
Art by PETE WOODS, BILLY TAN, RAGS MORALES and others
Cover by FRANCIS PORTELA
1:25 Variant cover by LEE WEEKS
One-shot • On sale OCTOBER 1 • 44 pg, FC, $4.99 US • RATED T
Retailers: This issue will arrive in stores with two covers. Please see the order form for details. This issue will not be offered on Final Order Cutoff. All orders are due on August 21.
“GODHEAD” Act 1, Part 1: Highfather, leader of the New Gods, has long studied the infinite and infinitely mysterious Source Wall which surrounds the universe. Now, he has learned that during “Green Lantern: Lights Out,” the ring-wielders broke through the Wall and stole secrets of cosmic importance. Determined to breach the Source Wall himself, Highfather must gain one of each colored ring in the emotional spectrum. But even mighty Highfather doesn’t know all, and the forces he’s about to unleash will have transformative effects on the whole DC Universe! Cosmic mystery, overwhelming odds, familiar and brand-new New Gods – This one’s got it all! This issue also includes a special fold-out that will take you to the Source Wall like never before!
2. The definitive Wonder Woman Story Wraps
Yeah, I said it: this is the definitive Diana story thus far. Sure, we’ve had epic runs in the past, but none have set her aside as an unique and dangerous character the way Azzarello and Chiang have. This run will go down in history as one of the best WW runs of all time, if it isn’t already considered so, and will be treasured by readers forever.
Just in time for the Finchs to retcon it back to the Stone Age next month. Le sigh.
WONDER WOMAN #35
Written by BRIAN AZZARELLO
Art and cover by CLIFF CHIANG
MONSTERS Variant cover by AARON LOPRESTI
On sale OCTOBER 15 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
Retailers: This issue will ship with two covers. Please see the order form for more information.
It’s the grand finale of the historic WONDER WOMAN epic by writer Brian Azzarello and artist Cliff Chiang! Saying more would spoil all the surprises – and there will be plenty!
1. Gotham is in Focus
Gotham launches on Fox this month, and the Bat-side of the DCU gets shaken up in exciting and unexpected ways. You’ve read about the new series from excellent creators, you’ve heard about the newest Snyder/Capullo epic, you’ve seen the amazing response to the new Batgirl creative team. You may also have seen the announcement of a new Catwoman creative team.
One thing you may have missed is the fill-in “Detective Comics” team of Ben Percy and John Paul Leon for a two issue arc starting here. You also may have missed Georges Jeanty joining “Batwoman” on interior art, with Rafael Albuquerque on covers. Or Deacon Blackfire finally getting mentioned in a solicit mention in “Batman: Eternal.”
Continued belowThe point is this: DC always focuses on the Bat-books – always. But this month shows a real dedication to trying some new things in that line, and may elevate it to an even higher position within the company, if that is even possible.
BATMAN #35
Written by SCOTT SNYDER
Backup story written by SCOTT SNYDER and JAMES TYNION IV
Art by GREG CAPULLO and DANNY MIKI
Cover by GREG CAPULLO
MONSTERS Variant cover by BRIAN STELFREEZE
1:25 Variant cover by ANDY KUBERT
On sale OCTOBER 8 • 40 pg, FC, $3.99 US • RATED T
Combo pack edition: $4.99 US
Retailers: This issue will ship with four covers. Please see the order form for more information.
From the superstar creative team that brought you a new start to the Caped Crusader comes the story that could end him. Be there in October for the biggest, deadliest and most epic story yet from writer Scott Snyder and artist Greg Capullo – “Batman: Endgame” begins here!
This issue is also offered as a combo pack edition with a redemption code for a digital download of this issue.
There was a whole lot to cover, and if I missed anything, let me know in the comments. Also, check out the full solicitations over at Comic Book Resources.
