Welcome back to Upcoming Comics! There have been a lot of big announcements and new/ending titles in recent months (plus whatever’s coming next week at NYCC), and sometimes I think how crazy it is to be able to cover all of it. It’s a hobby where we’ve been able to come together and share our love for comics with each other and readers. Don’t get me wrong, anyone on the team can tell you that there have been some real stinkers we’ve covered, but even those can sometimes be the most fun to talk about. In some ways, it feels like being part of the cultural bat fandom tapestry that at this point has outlasted nations. It’s like Morrison wrote all those years ago: Batman and Robin will never die.
Now let’s look at some comics.
Upcoming Comics
DC K.O. #1
The Heart of Apokolips has transformed Earth into a hellscape in preparation for the return of Darkseid! The end of the DC Universe is here! The Justice League’s only chance to defeat Darkseid is to enter a deadly tournament, an epic and over-the-top battle royale that will surprise you! The World’s Greatest Heroes fight to become the champion to enter the ring against Darkseid, but there’s a catch – the closer you get to the Heart of Apokolips, the more it corrupts you, changes you into something dangerous. Which DC character has what it takes to make it to the end? Who is willing to do what it takes to win it all, even if it means taking down their friends and family? You want to get nuts? Let’s get nuts
- Written By: Scott Snyder
- Art By: Javi Fernandez, Xermanico
Thoughts: Get ready for tons of wild online arguments about power scaling.
Batman News Critic: Chris
Absolute Batman #13
Batman’s final showdown with the monstrous Bane! Will he be able to overcome this unstoppable behemoth, or will he be trapped in Ark-M forever?
- Written By: Scott Snyder
- Art By: Nick Dragotta
Thoughts: Based on Snyder’s comments, it sounds like we’ll be getting a bit of a break from the “make Bruce’s life miserable” show
Batman News Critic: Jackson
Batman: Dark Patterns #11
With the mystery of the terrifying new arsonist’s identity hanging over his head, Batman finds himself at a crossroads with one of his allies. Is it possible they’re the mastermind behind the flames devouring Gotham City?
- Written By: Dan Watters
- Art By: Hayden Sherman
Thoughts: This new villain has such a simple design but it works so well.
Batman News Critic: Jack
Batman The Long Halloween: The Last Halloween #9
Two shocking secrets are revealed that threaten to irrevocably change Batman’s world forever!
- Written By: Jeph Loeb
- Art By: Chris Samnee
Thoughts: I don’t know if you can do the whole “nothing will be the same again” thing when it’s a story that takes place in the past
Batman News Critic: Chris
Batman and Robin #26
The mysterious Quiet Man continues his brutal takedown of the Gotham underworld! Bodies are piling up with the Quiet Man’s signature silver coins in their eyes, until the killer and Batman finally face each other in combat… with shocking consequences! Which of them will walk away? And what dark secret from Gotham’s past is behind the Quiet Man’s sudden killing spree?
- Written By: Phillip Kennedy Johnson
- Art By: Fico Ossio, Javi Fernandez
Thoughts: There’s something bold about making the new villain’s design just be some guy.
Batman News Critic: Chris
Batman: Gotham by Gaslight – A League for Justice #4
The League for Justice has found itself against a foe like none other: General Zod! Will this newly formed team succeed in their struggle for control over the Kryptonite Core power source and its near-infinite power, or will the dreaded general use its power to make the very Earth kneel before him? Meanwhile, Cyborg and Flash – the two newest additions to the League, who are still getting acclimated to life outside Luthor’s laboratory – discover a dark secret that Batman is hiding in his cave.
- Written By: Andy Diggle, Rob Williams
- Art By: Leandro Fernandez
Thoughts: It’s sort of funny seeing how they try to make the sci-fi characters fit into the Victorian theme
Batman News Critic: Chip
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 #11– As this series comes to a close, I hope Watters gets put on something similar that utilizes his talents in dark mystery writing (maybe Detective Comics???)
Least Excited: Batman The Long Halloween: The Last Halloween #9– This series just doesn’t have the juice that its predecessors had, and ends up sort of boring.
Wild Card: DC K.O. #1– If nothing else I’m excited to see how they handle canonically declaring who would win in various fights.
Well that’s it for this week! Let us know in the comments what comics you’re looking forward to.
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