Welcome back to Upcoming Comics! I was recently talking with some of the other Batman News writers, and I think in many ways the Absolute line is what the New 52 should have been. One of the biggest problems back then was that as a reboot, it was filled with half measures. Batman is actually a great example. Like the rest of the Justice League, he was supposed to get a fresh start and be relatively new to crimefighting. However, fans would be very upset if they just erased all his sidekick characters that had become popular in their own right, so we got weird compromises like how each Robin only had the mantle for like a year.
Since the Absolute universe is entirely new with no expectations of what things “should” be, writers have the actual freedom that they were supposed to have in 2011. I’m not sure why DC didn’t do it that way from the beginning; Marvel had already shown the success of efforts like the Ultimate Universe (the first one, not the new one). At least they finally figured it out and are being rewarded with both critical and commercial success.
Upcoming Comics
Two-Face #5
The most important case of Harvey Dent’s career is happening, but it won’t betaking place inside a courtroom. This trial is so big it could only be held in one place: his mind. It’s Bad Harvey versus Good Harvey, and the winner gets control of the Body!
- Written By: Christian Ward
- Art By: Fabio Veras
Thoughts: The best parts of this series are Harvey fighting against himself, so I have high hopes for this issue.
Batman News Critic: Aaron
Batgirl #6
The truth behind the Unburied finally comes to light as Kalden reveals a hidden history of betrayal and vengeance. But as the sins of the past threaten to consume the present, Batgirl and Lady Shiva must first survive a dangerous cave and…each other! With nowhere else to run, it’s the end of the line for Cassandra Cain. Will shejoin Lady Shiva in battle or destroy her mother herself?
- Written By: Tate Brombal
- Art By: Takeshi Miyazawa
Thoughts: It looks like Shiva is going to be the main focus of this book for the foreseeable future. I guess it makes sense since she’s her mom, but it’s hard not to compare it to similar arcs from the 2000 series.
Batman News Critic: Chris
Poison Ivy #32
The gruesome and violent conclusion to Poison Ivy’s confrontation with Marshview’s past and present. Plus: some very, very, very hurtful things are said, and Poison Ivy discovers an unpleasant truth about Janet.
- Written By: G. Willow Wilson
- Art By: Brian Level
Thoughts: Am I too late to make a Dammit Janet joke?
Batman News Critic: Andru
Teen Titans Go! #2
Cyborg has gone missing! Three eyewitnesses saw the hero’s last moments as he battled the Red Lantern Atrocitus atop Titans Tower. But since the witnesses are Raven, Starfire, and Beast Boy, there are three versions of events—including one where it was Dex-Starr instead of Atrocitus, and Cyborg was just trying to help the angry space-kitty down from a tree! Can Robin untangle this knot of wild stories and get to the truth?
- Written By: Matthew Cody
- Art By: Erich Owen
Thoughts: I was actually surprised how much I liked the last issue of this. It was a cute wink and nod at the comic industry with lots of fun references.
Batman News Critic: Chip
Birds of Prey #20
A midnight heist. A staged crime scene. And an all-new (or is it all-old?) villain team emerging with its sights set directly on the Birds of Prey. Old grudges, new fascinations, where will it all lead…and which Bird will be taken first?
- Written By: Kelly Thompson
- Art By: Sami Basri
Thoughts: Giving a lot of “Someone will die this issue” energy.
Batman News Critic: Jeremy
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: Two-Face #5– Last issue was a bit of a step down from the first half of the series, so hopefully this one picks back up again.
Least Excited: Teen Titans Go! #2– Despite the opening issue’s fun meta premise, it’s not something I see holding a lot of interest past the novelty.
Wild Card: Batgirl #6– I thought last issue was my favorite so far, so I’m very curious to see if the finale can keep it up.
Well that’s it for this week! Let us know in the comments what comics you’re looking forward to.
COMMENTS
