Welcome back to Upcoming Comics! According to sales data, the Absolute line is absolutely crushing it for DC pretty much across the board. I’m sure they’re really happy about that. However, there’s potentially a downside to that story in that a number of the “normal” DC titles have been falling at the same time. Now that could just be a coincidence, and perhaps next month they’ll be back to where they were, but it’s possible that the popularity of the Absolute comics is somewhat sucking the air out of the room for everyone else. Like I said, it’s definitely too soon to say anything definitively, but it’s something to maybe keep an eye on.
Upcoming Comics
Robin & Batman: Jason Todd #1
Batman has a new Robin: a rash, impulsive, reckless kid with a troubled past, who Batman was certain he could mold into Gotham’s next crime-fighter. But can the Dark Knight save Jason Todd from the darkness within himself? And when a mysterious new villain sets his sights on Jason, Batman finds himself doubtful that even he has what it takes to train the anger and torment out of his new young ward.
- Written By: Jeff Lemire
- Art By: Dustin Nguyen
Thoughts: I suppose it’s about time Jason got one of these since Dick has about 500 of them.
Batman News Critic: Chris
Absolute Batman #9
The latest development in saving the derelict and despondent of our society is a facility known as Ark M—a fully operational institution that has played a rather sizeable part, on purpose or not, in the creation of evil. And it’s active. So when Bruce tries infiltrate it and distill its secrets, a new villain from Gotham City arrives to deal with the problem…an old adversary of Alfred’s…a man known only as Bane.
- Written By: Scott Snyder
- Art By: Nick Dragotta
Thoughts: You thought Absolute Batman was huge? He merely adopted the gains. Absolute Bane was born in it; molded by it. He didn’t stop pumping iron until he was already a man.
Batman News Critic: Jackson
Batman: Dark Patterns #7
Case 03: The Old Gangs of Gotham When a dead body is found burned to a crisp in the heart of one of Gotham’s oldest neighborhoods, the Rookery, the Dark Knight Detective finds himself enmeshed in a twisting murder mystery dating back to the early days of the Red Hood Gang.
- Written By: Dan Watters
- Art By: Hayden Sherman
Thoughts: Classic Gotham criminal murder mystery. Let’s go.
Batman News Critic: Jack
Batman and Robin #22
Horrors, both natural and supernatural, await Batman on the journey to save his son! Gotham City has many dark secrets, and no one knows them better than Bruce—but with Damian trapped somewhere in its labyrinth of shadows, the demons, forgotten skeletons, and memories of despair that line the city are more of a threat than ever before. The clock is ticking, and Batman must interrogate the demon Etrigan if he has any hope of rescuing Damian. Will Batman be able to save his son before time runs out?
- Written By: Phillip Kennedy Johnson
- Art By: Javi Fernandez, Carmine Di Giandomenico
Thoughts: I hope Etrigan keeps up the rhyming gimmick for the whole issue. It’s silly but also something I really like.
Batman News Critic: Chris
DC vs Vampires: World War V #10
The heroes and their vampire allies get ready to launch a massive counter offensive, but someone is noticeably absent from the attack…what could Damian possibly be up to? Meanwhile—John Constantine, Doctor Fate, and the other magic wielders convene to craft a shaky plan that might be the only thing standing between the heroes and Darkseid himself.
- Written By: Matthew Rosenberg, Cecil Castellucci
- Art By: Otto Schmidt, Marley Zarcone
Thoughts: “I don’t trust that I don’t know where Damian is” is a perfectly reasonable concern to have.
Batman News Critic: Akash
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: Batman: Dark Patterns #7– This title feels like the early days of Legends of the Dark Knight, which is some of the best praise I can give a Batman series
Least Excited: DC vs Vampires: World War V #10– If they end up making yet another one of these, where do you go from “World War”? Maybe interstellar Vampires?
Wild Card: Robin & Batman: Jason Todd #1– The Robin and Batman series that Lemire and Nguyen did for Dick was pretty decent, so I’m curious what they’ll do for Jason.
Well that’s it for this week! Let us know in the comments what comics you’re looking forward to.
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