Welcome back to Upcoming Comics! Well it finally looks like we have a better idea of what Absolute Power will be. Aside from the fact that most of the Justice League (sorry, I think we’re still supposed to pretend that lineup isn’t the Justice League) loses their powers and gets some new armor-y costumes, it seems to mainly be about everyone fighting evil robots. Even two of the three main bad guys are evil robots. I suppose it’s a convenient setup for an event where everyone can get a tie-in where they also punch some mechanical bad guys, but at the same time it feels like a bit of an anti-climax after all the hype. Oh well, hopefully Waid and Mora can still make it fun.
Upcoming Comics
Detective Comics #1084
The city glitters on the horizon. His city. His responsibility to defend and protect. But home has changed. Corrupted by the power of the Orghams’ hypnotic suggestions. Mutated into something he does not recognize. This isn’t the city Batman remembers. But the city doesn’t remember Batman, either. Gotham Nocturne: Act III is upon us and the countdown to the finale of Ram V’s epic Gothic Opera has begun. You are not ready.
- Written By: Ram V, Alex Paknadel
- Penciled By: Javier Fernandez, Robbi Rodriguez
- Inks By: Javier Fernandez, Robbi Rodriguez
- Colors By: Dave McCaig
- Cover By: Evan Cagle
Thoughts: Well the final act is here, and if V can stick the landing I think this will go down as one of the best runs on the title.
Batman News Critic: Jackson
Batman: Dark Age #2
Guilty as charged! When a young and aimless Bruce Wayne finds himself incarcerated, he looks for a way to shorten his sentence and return to his charmed lifestyle. Little does he know, signing up for a tour with the army in Vietnam will change him forever. Witness the birth of the Bat under the watchful eye of the one-and-only Sergeant Ra’s al Ghul!
- Written By: Mark Russell
- Penciled By: Mike Allred
- Inks By: Mike Allred
- Colors By: Laura Allred
- Cover By: Mike Allred, Laura Allred
Thoughts: “Bruce goes to fight in Vietnam” is not the direction I expected this title to go, but I’m interested.
Batman News Critic: Akash
Batman: The Brave and the Bold #12
Batman and Maps have unraveled the monstrous mystery that has been terrorizing Gotham, but will they be able to stop it in time? The school bell rings as Batman’s adventure at Gotham Academy reaches its stunning conclusion! As Artemis continues her quest, Lois Lane encounters the mysterious figure behind “The Hunt”, the online challenge that has entered the real world with deadly consequences!Last, but definitely not least—don’t miss the newest installment of Batman: Black & White, drawn by one of comics’ most legendary B&W artists, The Walking Dead’s Charlie Adlard!
- Written By: Karl Kerschl, Rob Levin, Delilah Dawson, Zipporah Smith
- Penciled By: Karl Kerschl, Mike Norton, Serg Acuña, Karl Mostert
- Inks By: Karl Kerschl, Mike Norton, Serg Acuña, Karl Mostert, Mark Brooks, Charlie Adlard
- Colors By: MSASSYK, Matt Herms, Mike Spicer, John Kalisz
- Cover By: Simone Di Meo
Thoughts: I wouldn’t be sad if Maps became a reoccurring character in a bunch of bat books. She adds a levity that still fits perfectly in the dark world of Gotham.
Batman News Critic: Chris
The Penguin #9
The Penguin’s return to Gotham City has been a homecoming in more ways than one! Meeting his ruthless, bloodthirsty twin children—the ones who “inherited” his empire, including the Iceberg Lounge—is a family reunion for the ages! (Oh, and it’s bloody!)
- Written By: Tom King
- Penciled By: Rafael de Latorre
- Inks By: Rafael de Latorre
- Colors By: Marcelo Maiolo
- Cover By: Carmine Di Giandomenico
Thoughts: It was just confirmed that issue #12 will be this series’ finale, which seems a shame because Jack’s review last month was glowing.
Batman News Critic: Jack
Harley Quinn #39
Hey, Puddin’! Meet the new and improved Harley Quinn SUPER-VILLAIN FOR HIRE. THAT’S RIGHT, YOU JABRONIS I’M BACK AND I’M BUSTIN’ HEADS. Okay, just between you and me though, this is all part of a secret plan I got going to study some of Gotham’s worst, up close and personally. Think of it as an anthropologic study and don’t get your brain all flustered. Plus: Zip! Pow! Xoinko! Feast your eyes on my interstellar delights as yer girl takes a trip into outer space to hang with star babes and slay some serious outer space stinkers brought to you by my great-grousemother Erica Henderson!
- Written By: Tini Howard, Erica Henderson
- Penciled By: Erica Henderson, Natacha Bustos
- Inks By: Erica Henderson, Natacha Bustos
- Colors By: Erica Henderson, Nick Filardi
- Cover By: Sweeney Boo
Thoughts: Seeing Harley use a wrestling slang term like “jabroni” just makes me read the rest of the solicit in Mac’s voice from Always Sunny.
Batman News Critic: Jack
Beyond the Bat
Welcome to Beyond the Bat, where we take a quick look at the rest of DC’s comics coming out this week.
Graphic Novel Watch
Sometimes you need more than floppies. Sometimes you want something that can sit nicely on your shelf that proudly displays your favorite stories. That’s when you turn to graphic novels. Let’s see what bat collections are coming out this week:
Ratings
Most Excited: Detective Comics #1084– The Elegy of Sand intermission could not have gotten me more excited for this third and final act of V’s run.
Least Excited: Harley Quinn #39– My biggest hope is that Erica Henderson’s backup is a glimpse into what the title could be like with a different writer.
Wild Card: Batman: Dark Age #2– The first issue was a surprise to be sure, and I’m still trying to get a feel for the title in general.
Well that’s it for this week! Let us know in the comments what comics you’re looking forward to.
COMMENTS
