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Welcome back to Upcoming Comics! Boy, there sure are a ton of bat books this week. I would chalk it up to the big event going on, but that’s really only one book we’re covering, and there are hardly any other DC titles. Two of the titles are final issues and another two are penultimate, so the board should be cleared a bit soon (just in time for a bunch of new titles in October). While we’ve still got these, let’s check out what’s coming.
Upcoming Comics
Absolute Power #3
Our heroes are on the run following the Trinity of Evil’s devastating attack on the fortress of Solitude! With Superman’s headquarters in ruin and the super-powers on Planet Earth in the clutches of Amanda Waller, Failsafe, and the Brainiac Queen…is this the end of the line? No way—the resistance lives on! Using fortress technology cobbled together by Mr. Terrific and Air Wave, Earth’s last hope have retreated to Themyscira, home to Wonder Woman and famously suspicious of outsiders. Can Superman, Batman, and the rest of the depowered heroes strike an alliance with these elite Amazonian fighters? All this, and a mad mayday from Barry Allen as DC’s war for Absolute Power rages on!
Written By: Mark Waid
Penciled By: Dan Mora
Inks By: Dan Mora
Colors By: Alejandro Sanchez
Cover By: Dan Mora
Thoughts: I suppose it was inevitable that we’d visit all three of the “Trinity of Heroes” homes before this event was out. I’m not complaining though, I’m sure Mora’s Paradise Island will be gorgeous.
Batman News Critic: Will
Batman #152
ABSOLUTE POWER TIE-IN! In a thrilling Absolute Power tie-in, Batman and Catwoman must find the key to Amanda Waller’s plans in an extremely remote—and shockingly dangerous—location! Living (dying?) up to their name, some of the Suicide Squad won’t be coming back from their mission, but will Batman and Catwoman stay free to fight another day?! Plus, a Birds of Prey backup finds the Birds facing Waller’s minions in an unexpected adventure!
Written By: Chip Zdarsky, Kelly Thompson
Penciled By: Mike Hawthorne, Mattia de Iulis
Inks By: Mike Hawthorne, Mattia de Iulis, Adriano Di Benedetto
Colors By: Mattia de Iulis, Romulo Fajardo
Cover By: Salvador Larroca, Matt Herms
Thoughts: The first part of this tie-in avoided a lot of Zdarsky’s usual pitfalls, but in their absence it’s just sort of fine. I guess that’s a win for most event tie-ins.
Batman News Critic: Jackson
Poison Ivy #25
Join G. Willow Wilson, Marcio Takara, and a verdant grove of creators as they tell stories of Ivy’s past, present, and future! Discover the sad and true story of two cousins who loved mushrooms a little too much, a man who played with fire, a very hungry crocodile, and an orphan who dresses up like a bat! Plus, a sneak peek at what’s to come in year three of Poison Ivy! All this and more in this special oversized extravaganza.
Written By: G. Willow Wilson, Joanne Starer, Grace Ellis, Gretchen Felker-Martin
Penciled By: Marcio Takara, Haining, Brian Level, Atagun Ilhan
Inks By: Marcio Takara, Haining, Brian Level, Atagun Ilhan, Dani
Colors By: Déborah I. Villahoz, Brad Simpson, Ivan Plascencia, Arif Prianto
Cover By: Jessica Fong
Thoughts: Anthologies are always fun for some fresh perspectives.
Batman News Critic: Andru
The Boy Wonder #5
The Robins have united to battle their way out of the stronghold of the Demon’s Head, but Damian cutting his family ties to Ra’s al Ghul isn’t just a matter of punching his way through ninjas. Could this fairy tale possibly have a happy ending? Or is the story of Damian Wayne an inescapable tragedy?
Written By: Juni Ba
Penciled By: Juni Ba
Inks By: Juni Ba
Colors By: Chris O’Halloran
Cover By: Juni Ba
Thoughts: I loved the way that the last issue recontextualized Talia’s story in such a way that gave her more independence and sympathy.
Batman News Critic: Andru
The Penguin #12
Oswald Cobblepot’s master plans for Gotham had him feeling like he had the whole city in the palm of his flipper. But it’s all gone so very wrong. Now, trapped in the Batmobile alongside his most hated enemy, sinking into a watery grave, the Penguin has found himself wondering if it was all for naught. But Batman’s avian adversary may have one more scheme up his feathered sleeve—if it isn’t too late. The Penguin’s epic saga ends here!
Written By: Tom King
Penciled By: Rafael de Latorre
Inks By: Rafael de Latorre
Colors By: Marcelo Maiolo
Cover By: Carmine Di Giandomenico
Thoughts: This series accomplished something that you almost never see from Tom King – people didn’t really seem to care about it one way or the other
Batman News Critic: Jack
Birds of Prey #13
With the search for Barbara finally over, Cass leads the Birds of Prey through the portal one final time, and where they end up is a world far too familiar to Cass but strange to everyone else. What here will turn everything on its head…or should we say who?!
Written By: Kelly Thompson
Penciled By: Gavin Guidry
Inks By: Gavin Guidry
Colors By: Jordie Bellaire
Cover By: Leonardo Bastos Romero, Jordie Bellaire
Thoughts: On the one hand, this is a fun little arc. On the other hand, how long are superheroes going to keep doing the multiverse thing?
Batman News Critic: Jeremy
The Batman & Scooby-Doo Mysteries #9
Shaggy and Scooby-Doo are scared of pretty much everything, especially ghosts and flying. So when Kite Man rebrands as the Flying Phantom of Wayne Tower, his most inept plot yet is terrifying to our scaredy-cats when they all literally get blown away from Gotham’s tallest building. Will they land safely, or have they had their final Scooby Snacks?
Written By: Matthew Cody
Penciled By: Dario Brizuela
Inks By: Dario Brizuela
Colors By: Franco Riesco
Cover By: Dario Brizuela, Franco Riesco
Thoughts: Am I being a killjoy if I say I’m sick of Kiteman?
Batman News Critic: Chip
Batman and Robin and Howard #3: Summer Breakdown
Convinced Talia al Ghul is helping LuthorCorp establish RecomplexTech, Damian Wayne knows his mom is up to no good in Gotham. And he is certain the Hero Club are ninjas in her employ! Howard’s not so sure…but one thing is certain: Lex Luthor is determined to recycle enough Kryptonite to take down Superman. Can the kids learn to work together before Luthor’s plan is complete? Maybe Metropolis’s favorite reporter will bring just the help they need!
Written By: Jeffrey Brown
Penciled By: Jeffrey Brown
Inks By: Jeffrey Brown
Colors By: Silvana Brys
Cover By: Jeffrey Brown, Silvana Brys
Thoughts: Definitely a different vibe from the other young reader series focused on Damian coming out this week
Batman News Critic: None
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: The Boy Wonder #5– This is becoming one of my favorite series of the year
Least Excited: The Penguin #12– I guess we’ll need to keep waiting for that definitive Penguin origin
Wild Card: Poison Ivy #25– It will be interesting to see other writer’s take on the series
Well that’s it for this week! Let us know in the comments what comics you’re looking forward to.
“}]] Welcome back to Upcoming Comics! Boy, there sure are a ton of bat books this week. I would chalk it up to the big… Read More