Welcome back to Upcoming Comics! I just got back from the new Superman movie, and I figured I might as well abuse this platform to give my spoiler-free thoughts on it (you can also view our official site review here).
Firstly I just want to say that the cast was phenomenal. Everyone did a great job, had great chemistry, and felt like how any fans of the characters would want them to. I know it’s cliché at this point to say “it feels like a comic book”, especially since most critics who say that don’t actually read comics, but in this instance I think it’s true. Part of what makes them work is James Gunn’s ability to write exciting yet fun adventures. The humor is the same style you’ve seen in his other movies, so if you’ve seen those you know what to expect. Personally I thought most of the jokes fit the moment and added to the overall characterization, though there were a few that were a bit too much. If there’s one thing that bugged me, it’s definitely a change that was made to a character’s backstory. I imagine it will be a point of online arguments for a good while. I understand why the change was made for sake of the story, and the film used it for some interesting character development, but it doesn’t totally sit right with me. Overall I liked the movie a lot, and while not perfect, it acts as an excellent foundation for the new DCU.
But that’s enough of the big blue Boy Scout. Let’s take a look at some bats.
Upcoming Comics
Absolute Batman #10
Bruce Wayne is trapped within the horrors of Ark M as his best friend Waylon Jones endures unimaginable tortures…but what awaits Batman is far more terrifying than anything either has faced…the true form of Bane is revealed. But it’s how Bane plans to break Batman that will have you, our dear readers, bending over backward.
- Written By: Scott Snyder
- Art By: Nick Dragotta
Thoughts: If there’s one thing Snyder knows how to do, it’s hype, and Bane’s introduction had that in spades.
Batman News Critic: Jackson
Robin & Batman: Jason Todd #2
A mysterious and well-armed assassin known only as Wraith has arrived in Gotham and set his sights on Jason Todd. With tensions rising between Batman and his new young ward, will the corruptive force of this masked assassin be enough to push Jason over the edge?
- Written By: Jeff Lemire
- Art By: Dustin Nguyen
Thoughts: What’s always interesting to me is the ways writers go back and forth regarding just how rebellious Jason was before he died. Heck, this was even going on at the time in the 80s where you had two wildly different interpretations of his character being published simultaneously in Starlin’s Batman and Barr’s Detective Comics.
Batman News Critic: Chris
Detective Comics #1099
Stranded far from home, Batman, Harvey Bullock, and the Penguin must form a shaky alliance to bring down the age-old immortality cult known only as Elixir. But as tensions rise among this unlikely trio, it becomes increasingly doubtful that this alliance is possible…or that the Dark Knight will ever make it back to Gotham City.
- Written By: Tom Taylor
- Art By: Lee Garbett
Thoughts: I wonder how long Elixir will be the big bad organization pulling the strings for this run.
Batman News Critic: Aaron
Batman/Superman: World’s Finest #41
Up is down, left is right, and red is green—but danger is still danger as Batman and Superman awaken on Bizarro World with no idea how they got there—or why they’re being hunted by one of the most dangerous beings in the universe! Even if they survive, can they find their way home from a backward planet in time to save their friends from danger?
- Written By: Mark Waid
- Art By: Adrian Gutierrez
Thoughts: Bizarro Batman is giving me worryingly Batman Who Laughs vibes
Batman News Critic: Jackson
Nightwing #128
Nightwing searches for Oracle in a Titans Tower that’s been warped by something from beyond the realm of imagination. But will the unexpected—yet somewhat familiar—face prove to be friend or foe?
- Written By: Dan Watters
- Art By: Dexter Soy
Thoughts: The design of the monster just makes me think of the Gibbering Mouther from D&D (which is in turn is basically just Lovecraft’s Shoggoth).
Batman News Critic: Aaron
Batman & Robin: Year One #9
The gangs of Gotham enact their plan to take back their city from the General! Meanwhile, something’s distracting Robin in the field—but is there anything Batman can do about it?
- Written By: Mark Waid, Chris Samnee
- Art By: Chris Samnee
Thoughts: I’m enjoying each individual issue of this series, but the story as a whole is starting to drag a bit. Hopefully that gets rectified as we move closer to the big finale.
Batman News Critic: Chip
Gotham City Sirens: Unfit For Orbit #3
There’s a hot new outerspace-themed nightclub in Gotham City, and who better to rob it than Catwoman, Ivy, and Harley? But there’s more to this intergalactic discotheque than meets the eye(s), as the Sirens discover when they stumble headfirst into a plot to destroy the entire planet led by the club’s owner—the alien despot Despero! I hope you have good insurance, Gotham City, because you’re about to get wrecked. Special appearances by deadly DJs, hunky alien hotties, dancers dressed as aliens, mutant failures, one wild UFO, and lots and lots of fire!
- Written By: Leah Williams
- Art By: Haining
Thoughts: So apparently this series has started making the rounds of internet discourse drama for very dumb reasons. If you’re going to dislike a book, at least do it based on the overall quality and not screengrabs that go viral.
Batman News Critic: Akash
Titans #25
Crime doesn’t pay? Try telling that to Deathstroke the Terminator, who spent the last few months gathering members for a brand-new Crime Syndicate with the intention of making the Titans pay—with their lives! Terra, Clock King, Killer Frost, and Mammoth are deadly enough, but ol’ Slade Wilson has a few more dirty tricks up his sleeve, all of them lethal. Who wins, who loses, and who will be terminated?
- Written By: John Layman
- Art By: Pete Woods
Thoughts: Having Terra team up with Slade again is certainly a choice that I hope they elaborate on.
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: Absolute Batman #10– This series continues to be exciting and a lot of fun.
Least Excited: Titans #25– So far bringing Terra back has mostly just been a gimmick.
Wild Card: Robin & Batman: Jason Todd #2– I want to see how they end up developing young Jason this time around.
Well that’s it for this week! Let us know in the comments what comics you’re looking forward to.
COMMENTS
