A new batch of first issues in review

ANT #1 by Erik Larson. Back in 2004, Mario Gully’s ANT #1 was published by Arcana Studios. It ran for 11 uneven issues before going the way of many independent comics. Now Larson has resurrected it, retooled it and will probably tie it into the Savage Dragon Universe. It’s a typical Larsen tale: filled with action, minimal unneeded dialogue and dynamic art in Larsen’s style. I walked away from most Image superhero titles long ago but have recently jumped back on the train, beginning with SAVAGE DRAGON. I like Larsen’s quirky style, and this fits the bill for me.

ARROWSMITH #1 by Kurt Busiek and Carlos Pacheco. Remember the previous series from DC? Yeah, most folks don’t, although it is a cult favorite. Basically, it’s World War I, but with flying dragons instead of planes and a troll or two. It’s part high drama, part adventure tale and part fantasy. It’s clear Busiek knows the characters and the story and Pacheco hits all the right artistic buttons. The good thing is you can jump in without knowing the previous story.

AVENGER FOREVER #1 by Jason Aaron, Aaron Kuder, Cam Smith, Jason Keith and Triona Farrell. There’s a new Avengers tea, led by a Deathlok and Ghost Rider. They go off to a variety of Earths in an effort to build a team. It’s weird, looks great and I’m not quite sure if I like it or not. To be, it’s just another Avengers book.

BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT #1 by Jock. A villain named Powerline is being transferred and that goes south real fast. So Batman needs to make his way from Point A to Point B while trying to keep this guy alive. So it’s a caper tale in reverse. First issue of the Black Label book is well pace and Jock’s art is Jock’s art, meaning you’ll either love it or hate it.

BATMAN THE IMPOSTER #1 by Mattson Tomlin and Andrea Sorrentino. It’s another Black Label Batman title and, as with many of the Black Label books, is more psychological than action filled. It twists the legend about, with Leslie Thompkins acting as not only friend but therapist. And she’s African American now. While the story is intriguing, you come to this, at least I did, for Sorrentino’s incredible art. Is it good? Well, it’s a deep dive, so be prepared.

BATMAN: THE LONG HALLOWEEN SPECIAL by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale. BATMAN: THE LONG HALLOWEEN is a legendary mini-series that has even spawned an acclaimed animated adaptation. Loeb and Sale revisit the story, this time with Julian Day as the chief villain. It fits nicely in that story and acts as a nice epilogue to the original classic. The story is fun and Sale’s artwork is on point. Highly recommended.

BLACK PANTHER #1 by John Ridley and Juann Cabal. Long delayed, Ridley’s take on T’challa is finally here. The Black Panther is back on planet Earth and finds everything has changed.in Wakanda, leaving him confused. He resigns as head of the Avengers and discovers that the sleeper agents he has put in place are being hunted. So, this becomes a mission to find the enemy. Ridley is good at crafting a story and this is no exception. It’s a great start.

BOLERO #1 by Wyatt Kennedy and Luana Vecchio. This is a tough one to describe, so here goes. Devyn is unhappy with how her life is going. She ends up in another world where she meets Capgras, a talking catlike creature that offers her a key to 53 possible realities. But there are rules. You can’t ask to speak to mother. You can only hop around in the Multiverse 53 times. And never take someone else’s key or you could run into yourself. Yeah…a very unusual first issue which takes a bit to get going, as there is a ton of back story to Devyn’s life. But it’s worth it.

CHILLING ADVENTURES IN SORCERY #1 by Eliot Rahal, Evan Stanley, Amy Chu, Pat Kennedy, Tim Kennedy, Vincenzo Federici, and Derek Charm. Archie Comics reboots their horror line with this anthology set in the Archie Universe. Fans of AFTERLIFE WITH ARCHIE should rejoice. Unfortunately, this is just a glimpse when we all want a full buffet. The stories are cool, the art is fitting and have a neat tongue-in-cheek attitude. Now give us more!

THE CRIMSON CAGE #1 by John Lees and Alex Cormack. What do you get when you mix MACBETH with Professional Wrestling? You get THE CRIMSON CAGE #1. Plain and simple. A wrestling star, an up-and-coming wrestler, his scheming wife and some mystical stuff. Obviously aimed at a specific audience, but this is another great book from AWA.

DARKHOLD ALPHA by Steve Orlando and Cian Tormey. The Book of Cthon has been found and that means trouble for the Marvel Universe. Welcome to a world where everyone and everything changes. Yeah, it’s a starting point for a series of one-shots and an eventual Omega issue. In the end, I’m pretty sure this is another “everything changes for the Marvel Universe; where, in the end, nothing does.

DC HORROR PRESENTS: REFRIGERATOR FULL OF HEADS #1 by Rio Youers and Tom Fowler. This is a direct sequel to BASKET FULL OF HEADS where our heroine appears but is not the star here. A young couple end up crossing paths with some bikers and also a reanimated shark head. And that’s just part of the tale, where a haunted sword and an axe will come into play. If you liked the first series, you’ll love this. If you didn’t read the first series, go find the trade paperback.

DC HORROR PRESENTS: THE SOUL PLUMBER #1 by Marcus Parks, Henry Zebrowski, Ben Kissel, John McCrea and PJ Holden. A young man decides to follow a man who is trying to build an army against demons. The boy doesn’t make the cut because he can’t afford to pay but steals the plans on how to do it and takes it upon himself to follow God’s plan for him. It’s a fun little romp that has its’ tongue firmly planted in its’ cheek.

THE DEATH OF DOCTOR STRANGE #1 by Jed MacKay and Lee Garbett. First off: Doctor Strange has been murdered and apparently by someone who the good doctor knew. That means the Marvel Universe has no Sorcerer Supreme, which means magic will be out of control in the Marvel Universe. Suspects arrive and so does Doctor Strange: a much younger Doctor Strange who has stepped out of the time-stream to help. Does this mean that the old doc will get replaced by the new doc, who is actually the old doc? Follow the story through multiple issues and a lot of one-shots to find out.

DEVIL’S REIGN #1 by Chi Zdarsky and Marco Checchetto. Here’s the next Marvel event book/crossover/intertwined one-shots. DAREDEVIL has ended and this book spins out of that title. Kingpin is putting his own super-villain army together, declares that super-heroes are against the law (haven’t we been down this road before several times?) and decides to run for President. Is this going to truly shake-up the Marvel Universe or is it an excuse to come out of it with a bunch of first issues? Personally, I think it could be a little of both.  

ECHOLANDS #1 by J. H. Williams III and W. Haden Blackman. Welcome to an epic fantasy tale told in a horizontal format. It’s a neat take on an old theme but it looks absolutely beautiful. I’ll be honest: the selling point for me was always going to be Williams art. Throw in a huge list of what music he listened to during the creative process, and if it was original or reissued vinyl, and that just adds to figuring out where Williams’ mind was at during this process. Highly recommended.

ET-ER #1 by Jeff McComsey, Dan Panosian, Javier Pulido and Shawn Crystal. Two stories set in a medical center that takes care of extraterrestrials. Cute concept, fun stories-picture GRAY’S ANATOMY with aliens.

EVIL ERNIE #1 by Scott Lobdell and Ariel Medel. A new origin for an old character. Ernie is a kid who has a secret and one that is powered by a button named Smiley. The classic Pulido character is the thing of legend and Dynamite is trying to find a way to embrace him. I’m curious to see where they go with this as Smiley has already made appearances in other Dynamite titles. This first issue is a bit bare on plot, but I have hope for what follows.

FANTASTIC FOUR ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL #1 by a whole host of creators. As has been done in the past, Marvel celebrates the FF with an oversized retelling of FANTASTIC FOUR #1 and the wedding of Reed and Sue from FANTASTIC FOUR ANNUAL #3, with each page being drawn by a different creative team. Despite the $7 price tag, it’s cool to see the various takes on these classic stories.

THE FOURTH MAN #1 by Jeff McComsey and Mike Deodato. Another AWA title featuring Deodato’s amazing art. Two detectives look into the murders of four men, beginning with the first one. A P.I. gets himself in trouble in a number of ways and is killed. So what will the connection be between them all? Fun noir story with great art. I love how Deodato finds references for his characters, with Paul Giamatti playing the P.I. and James Caan as the guy who has hired him.

GUN HONEY #1 by Charles Ardai and Ang Hor Kheng. I have to admit that I am a huge fan of the Hard Case Crime novels, but not so much with the comics, which don’t seem to have the same vibe as the novels. This is the exception. While is doesn’t fit into the novel’s noir feel, this title is filled with enough intrigue and sex to fit the bill. The story is captivating, the art is nice and there is a cool little cliffhanger to keep us coming back for more.

GUNSLINGER SPAWN #1 by Todd McFarlane and Brett Booth. Coming out of events in SPAWN and the SPAWN UNIVERSE one-shot, Image let’s loose a plethora of SPAWN titles, beginning with this one. With his origin first revealed in SPAWN #174 AND #175, this fan favorite has commanded great interest (and great expense as issue #174 will run you at least $400) over the years. Now he is out on his own, in the present day, where he is trying to fit in this world while also dealing with finding a way back into his own time. If you’re a SPAWN fan, you will understand where this is going, along with McFarlane’s style. The true highlight here, especially for first tie readers, is the art of Brett Booth. In the end, it’s a fun read.

HAWKEYE: KATE BISHOP #1 by Marieke Nijkamp and Enid Balam. Just in time for the new Disney+ series, Kate Bishop is back in action. She’s left the West Coast and has headed East to start her life over. And no sooner is she here than she is in the midst of a new mystery that involves her sister. The dialogue is snappy, the story leaves a lot to fill in over the next few issues and the art is totally reminiscent of the recent WEST COAST AVENGERS run. This was a lot of fun.

THE HEROES UNION #1 by Roger Stern, Darin Henry and Ron Frenz. Welcome to an all-new universe with a whole host of new heroes. Legendary creators Stern and Frenz team up for this oversized book (64 pages for $5!) that looks and feels like the Eighties all over again, from the writing to the art and even the page layout. This is the first in a whole series of forthcoming titles including STARTUP, SUPER SUCKERS and THE BLUE BARON. While is doesn’t have the same feel of current books, the fact that this feels like a throwback is sure to entertain and attract older readers. Plus, the price is right for a book this big.

HE WHO FIGHTS WITH MONSTERS #1 by Francesco Artibani and Werther Dell’Edera. It’s World War 2 Germany and the Germans are rounding up Jews. What do the people do? One man is tasked with finding a solution to the Final Solution in the form of…a Golem. Taking a fabled tale and setting it loose in Nazi Germany may not be the most creative concept ever developed but it is something different. The chief selling point by Ablaze is Werther Dell’Edera, who they proudly proclaim is the artist on the hit series SOMETHING IS KILLING THE CHILDREN. Is the book any good? It’s not bad and a fun concept to float about. The real payoff will obviously be when the Golem comes to life.

HOUSE OF SLAUGHTER #1 by James Tynion IV, Tate Brombal and Chris Shehan. This book is a spin-off from SOMETHING IS KILLING THE CHILDREN. For those unfamiliar, the main series follows monster hunter Erica Slaughter. This series, filling in the hiatus of the main series, explores the secret history of the Order that turned Erica into a monster hunter. If you have not read SOMETHING IS KILLING THE CHILDREN, you won’t care about this title. For fans, it’s a must read.

HULK #1 by Donny Cates and Ryan Ottley. Al Ewing and Joe Bennett set a new standard for the Green Goliath and now Cates and Ottley have the difficult task f running with their character. So what do they do? The put him in a suit of armor let Banner control him and shoot him into space. What?! Yeah…that’s where we begin. Cates is known for some pretty strange character turns and this appears to be another one. A nice start and leaves me curious to see what’s next.

INFERNO #1 by Jonathan Hickman and Valerio Schiti. Hickman’s final statement on the X-books is here. This will ultimately result in a shakeup of the status quo…again…and lead t a host of reboots and first issues. Basically, Mystique is looking to finally resurrect Destiny at all costs. Hickman has a long game with everything he does, and this is no different. Multiple storylines flow through this issue, from Moira to Cannonball to the role of the ruling committee. In the end, Mystique looks to be positioning herself to take on a more dynamic role in the X-Universe.

KNIGHTED #1 by Gregg Hurwitz and Mark Texeira. What happens when someone is forced to take up the role of a superhero? You end up with this book. Your average guy accidentally kills The Knight and now he has to take up the hero role, whether he likes it or not. This was a ball to read as it throws elements of the Batman legend (compete with butler) into a blender and out this comes. A tongue in cheek read with killer art from Mark Texeira.

LADY MECHANIKA: THE MONSTER OF THE MINISTRY OF HELL #1 by Joe Benitez. Here’s a book which has a monumental following which will only grow larger now that it’s at Image. Part horror, part science-fiction, and part cyberpunk. This is a wondrous title with the always amazing art and writing of Benitez. You definitely want to add this to your pull list.

LAURA AND OTHER STORIES #1 by Guillem March. Here’s a neat little anthology book that isn’t really an anthology book. It’s a series of connected tale involving our heroine and it’s wonderfully different. We all knew March was a brilliant artist but who knew he could tell such touching stories. If you’re looking for superheroes in tights, this ain’t your book. But if you’re looking for something with a lot of heart and soul, this is your cup of tea.

MAGIC ORDER 2 #1 by Mark Millar and Stuart Immonen. The band is back together. It’s magicians versus magicians in an underworld feel.Things have changed in the world since the first series, meaning their have been power grabs which need to be rectified. If you loved Millar’s first book, you’ll love this. Unfortunately, I’m having issues with the characters, that no feel more cliched than they did before. But…maybe that’s just me.

NYX #1 by Christos Gage and Marc Borstel. Spinning out of SACRED SIX, Nyx starts a relationship with a pickup while trying to find her place in the world. The story is a bit sparse, but the art is great. Definitely for VAMPIRELLA fans, may be a little too weird for non-fans.

OUT #1 by Rob Williams and Will Conrad. Here’s a monstrous tale(literally) set in a concentration camp in World War II Germany. There’s a group of captured G.I’s, some strange experiments and a possible traitor in the midst. Horror, intrigue and a great mystery. And Conrad’s art really shines. This is a little less predictable that the Golem influenced HE WHO FIGHTS WITH MONSTERS #1 and it works with its’ straight ahead narrative.

THE SCORCHED #1 by Sean Lewis, Todd McFarlane, Stephen Segovia and Paulo Siqueira. It’s another SPAWN spinoff in the form of the expected team book, bringing all of the Spawn characters together as…well…a team. A lot of action, a bit of mythology and the usual superhero dialogue. So, if this is your cup of tea and you follow the SPAWN stuff, this is right up your alley.

SHE-HULK #1 by Rainbow Rowell and Roge Antonio. Jennifer Walters is back in another series. Her life is in shambles, and it gets worse when she has to fight Titania in her underwear. She is working for a law office that has given her a closet for her personal office, she has to crash in an apartment Janet Van Dyne is letting her use, and the formerly dead Jack of Hearts shows up and may be dead…again. And that’s just the first issue. The dialogue if fun, the art works and there is just enough tongue in cheek to make it work. In other words, it’s not as dark as the previous series was.

SILVER SURFER: REBIRTH #1 by Ron Marz and Ron Lim. The classic team is back with this one. And it feels so old school it will certainly capture your nostalgia vibe. Throw into that mix Genis-Vell, a resurrected Captain Marvell(yes, the classic guy) and Thanos. Boy…this was a ton of fun and can’t wait to see where it goes from here.

STRAY DOGS: DOG DAYS #1 by Tony Fleece and Trish Forstner. Fleece and Forstner are back with a great anthology in the STRAY DOGS universe. As with STRAY DOGS, these are tales of beauty and heartbreak. If you aren’t moved by a single one of them, something is wrong…especially if you’re an animal lover. Not gory, but totally grim.

TANGLED RIVER #1 by Michael Cohen. I will admit I’m so happy to see Michael Cohen publishing again. I was a huge STRANGE ATTRACTORS fan and was thrilled to see that back. And now this: a wonderful, light fantasy tale by Cohen. And this one is in color! It is not for everyone and that’s fine. It sets up what appears to be a long-running tale and this is what world building is all about.

TIMELESS #1 by Jed MacKaym Kev Walker, Greg Land, Jay Leisten, Mark Bagley and Andrew Hennessy. Here’s everything you need to know: it’s a Kang adventure through time that ends with a possible future appearance by Miracleman. Yep…that’s about it. It looks great and the story wanders about. But the payoff is Miracleman…we hope.

VAMPIRELLA/DRACULA: UNHOLY #1 by Christopher Priest and Donny Hadiwidjaja. Spinning out of Priest’s amazing, redefining 2019 run, we get a direct continuation of the story. Vampirella has married someone who MAY become the king of the vampires. But is he really? If you take away the concept that our heroine first met and fell in love with this guy when he was a child, it is a straight-ahead story that, knowing Priest, will have one heck of a payoff in the end.

VENOM #1 by Al Ewing, Ram V and Bryan Hitch. Venom has changed and now lives in the lives of Eddie Brock and his son. That means part of this story is in space with Eddie and part on Earth with Dylan. And you can feel who is handling what storyline. To that end, it feels a little disjointed. Looks great as it’s Hitch, but just feels a little disconnected.

X-FORCE KILLSHOT #1 by Rob Liefeld. Rob Liefeld returns, again, to several of his most famous creations and some of his least famous. And it is a mess. Liefeld’s art is what it is and always have been. But the story is a time-travelling mess which makes no sense but leaves the door open for a sequel that we probably don’t need.

X LIVES OF WOLVERINE #1 by Benjamin Percy and Joshua Cassara. Here’s an unusual concept for a mini-series that may or may not work. Wolverine is sent on a mission which takes him through all the places in his life from his origin to, eventually the present. At the same time, the forthcoming X DEATHS OF WOLVERINE will follow a similar timeline, focuses on his deaths. Marvel promises that this will clarify his history and set the stage for the future. Well…that remains to be seen as we have all been told THAT story before.

DC UNIVERSE, Month 47 Part 2

JUSTICE LEAGUE #70 by Brian Michael Bendis, Ram V, Phil Hester and Sumit Kumar. The Royal Flush Gang has stolen the Fortress of Solitude. Back at the beginning of Event Leviathan, Mark Shaw met with them and put the thought into their minds. But this heist is all a distraction, as the key to the original Fortress of Solitude is left as a breadcrumb to find. Superman takes the bait and battles Ace, who has gone rogue from the plan. In the Fortress, Jack makes the mistake of removing one of the crystals, triggering a warning. Batman reveals he has found the Fortress, but it’s too late. In the backup, Zatanna struggles to contain the Upside-Down Man and, when all looks lost, she breaks free…and finds that Wonder Woman has rejoined the team, that is still trying to deal with Merlin.

JUSTICE LEAGUE INCARNATE #2 by Dennis Culver, Joshua Williamson, Kyle Hotz and Andrei Bressan. Kalibak, Grail, and parademons are attacking the House of Heroes. Orion is here and reveals he has the power to help the team win by piloting the House of Heroes through the bleed. Meanwhile, President Superman and his team have followed Darkseid into his boom tube and ended up on Earth-13 in the Tavern of Mystery. What they discover is Darkseid in a battle with Asmodel, who gets an assist fro the Batwoman Who Laughs from Earth-11. Maya uses her powers and somehow that leads to the Batwoman Who Laughs ending up in the House of Heroes. Dino-Cop has Harbinger activate the House of Heroes self-destruct sequence and the team ends u scattered throughout the Multiverse.

LEGENDS OF THE DARK KNIGHT #8 by Che Grayson, Yeddye Travis, Belen Ortega and Nina Vakueva. Batman meets with a child thief named Ghost, who is stealing to feed folks in a tent city. He lets her go, but only takes back most of the jewels, allowing her to take some to be able to use the money to feed the residents. In the backup, Batman battles the effects of Scarcrow toxin and his past as he tries to come to grips with both.

NIGHTWING #87 by Tom Taylor and Bruno Redondo. A price has been put on Dick Grayson's head. To make things worse, the bad guys have taken Dick's dog hostage to collect the bounty. Nightwing and Batgirl make their way through Bludhaven to save the pup. 

NUBIA & THE AMAZONS #3 by Stephani Williams, Vita Ayala, Alitha Martinez and Domo Stanton. While some of the Amazons go fishing, Andromeda sees Medusa’s reflection in a pool and is apparently corrupted by her. Elsewhere, Bia has a vision that foretells future troubles, and it becomes important enough to get Nubia out of Io’s bed. Later, Andromeda demands to see Nubia, when Medusa’s essence takes over, demanding her head. Andromeda briefly gains control, explaining she is here because of their past relationship and how Nubia couldn’t save her. In the end, Nubia tells the Amazons that evil is loose.

ONE-STAR SQUADRON #1 by Mark Russell and Steve Lieber. The HEROZ4U Corporation has been formed to give many powerful heroes, including Red Tornado, Power Girl, Black Condor, G.I. Robot, The Heckler, Minuteman and others, a job to help the community in low-class jobs, including telemarketing and birthday parties. An aged, memory-addled Gangbuster dropped off at the agency and Red Tornado decides to make it his mission to find Gangbuster's family. They go to his last known address but the woman there, who is probably his wife, claims not to know him, so Red takes him back to his house. In the end, the board of the HEROZ4U Corporation looks to take Red out of the game and Power Girl is all too willing to assist.

ROBIN & BATMAN #2 by Jeff Lemire and Dustin Nguyen. Young Dick Grayson defends himself from bullying at school, leading to him getting in trouble. Alfred handles this, not revealing the trouble to Batman. Batman has Robin suit up and takes him to the Justice League Watchtower, where he meets with the Teen Titans for the first time. Despite being grounded on the Watchtower, the Titans sneak out and solves a whole bunch of problems throughout the world while the League is off on a mission. Once back in the Batcave, Batman insists on having Robin debrief, treating him as just another soldier in his fight. In the end, Croc meets with the Calculator, revealing he knows where Dick Grayson goes to school.

ROBIN #9 by Joshua Williamson and Roger Cruz. The Lazarus Demon is here and Damian is quickly defeated. In the process, a vision of Alfred inspires him to rise up and rally his former rivals to team up to defeat the Lazarus Demon. Together, they manage to overpower and behead the Demon. In response, Mother Soul lashes out at Damian and he is transported to a desert where he meets a young Ra’s Al Ghul, his wife and his mother.

ROBINS #2 by Tim Seeley and Baldemar Rivas. The team continues to try to figure the connection to their first cases. This ends up with a battle between wanna-be villains patterning themselves after their idols

SUICIDE SQUAD #10 by Robbie Thompson, Eduardo Pansica, Julio Ferreira and Dexter Soy. The team of Major Force, Match, Nocturna, Black Siren, Ambush Bug, Culebra, and Talon battle Thangarians while on their journey to Oa, with Major Force using Black Siren as a human shield. In the process, they encounter Green Lantern Jo, who takes them to space jail. While there, Match and Nocturna share a romantic moment, Major Force has the pills to keep Culebra alive and Culebra seemingly dies again. Her spirit makes its’ way through the prison and finds a new member to add-Black Hand. Ambush Bug arrives in a spaceship and breaks the team out. Waller learns the team has secured her goals and feels nothing can stop her. But she hasn’t counted on Rick Flag and his team, who are almost at Task Force X Island.

SUICIDE SQUAD: KING SHARK #4 by Tim Seeley and Scott Kolins. In the past, Nanaue’s father turns his young son over to Amanda Waller, before killing the child’s dog. In the present, Nanaue and Defacer are trying to survive on the cockroach world, taming up to defeat the cockroach leader. Waller’s team consisting of Etrigan, Gentleman Ghost and Godkiller show up, with Godkiller bent on killing Nanaue. Defacer fights back and Grace Balin, better known as Orca, has had a change of heart thanks to Nanaue’s father, and joins the fight. Chondrakha is mortally wounded by Godkiller but manages to kill her. In the end, Nanaue cradles his father’s body.

SUPERGIRL: WOMAN OF TOMORROW #6 by Tom King  and Bilquis Evely. Supergirl finally encounters Kreem, who sends her on a journey to outrun a Mordru globe. While on this race, she recalls the last days of Krypton, the death of her mother and the fruitless struggle to save the resident of Argo City from dying of radiation poisoning. Despite her best efforts, everyone dies except her, who was eventually rocketed away by her father. She manages to outrun the Mordru globe and is ready for a final confrontation with Kreem.

SUPERMAN: SON OF KAL-EL 2021 ANNUAL#1 by Tom Taylor, Steve Pugh and Clayton Henry. In the past. Superman defeats Luthor and later engages in a game of chess with the villain. In the present, Batman sends Jon to the Fortress of Solitude to listen to a message from his father. Meanwhile, Luthor extorts moneys from heavy hitters of Metropolis business so he can build his Lexcorp tower. Almost completed, Jon is offended that the building’s logo is an eyesore. Soon, there is an explosion and he and Luthor need to team up to save Lex from killer robots. Jon wants the sign removed and Luthor suggests a game of chess. Jon wins and Lex agrees to remove the sign. In the end, he reaches out to…Henry Bendix.

THE SWAMP THING #10 by Ram V and Mike Perkins. At Prescott Industries, Levi and Jacob battle for the right to be the avatar of the Green. But that does not last long as Prescott sets off a bomb that puts them both on ice. In the frozen state, Levi is visited by the past avatars, which encourages to fight back and become the Swamp Thing to save his life. Meanwhile, Prescott meets with Jason Woodrue and their scientific work continues.

TASK FORCE Z #3 by Matthew Rosenberg, and Eddy Barrows. Thanks to Lazarus Resin, Jason Todd gets brought back to life. A confused Deadshot meets with him and discovers he’s only being sustained because of the Lazarus Resin. Later, Jason and Hanna break curfew and go out for pizza. When they return, Jason is forced to speak with Crispin and Jason agrees to another mission, provided Crispin gives them additional Resin. It is also revealed that Hanna, at the insistence of Project Halperin, was responsible for getting Jason to agree to do more missions. The team goes off to fight the Kobra cult, but things go badly as the resurrected begin to die, thanks to a poison initiated by Cheshire. Bane arrives to save Jason and Jason, in return, tosses Bane off the building they are on in revenge for Bane killing Alfred. In the end, word comes to Crispin that Jason has fled. But he hasn’t…he walks in on the mysterious Crispin who, it turns out, is Two-Face.

TEEN TITANS ACADEMY #9 by Tim Sheridan and Mike Norton. Roy Harper has returned to Titans Tower, confusing most and leading to a long-awaited reunion with his Titans friends. This leads to a Homecoming event with a surprise visit by Tempest. Meanwhile, a group of recruits, including Matt, Tress, Bolt and Dane find themselves under the control of Psimon, who wants to reform the Fearsome Five. Red X arrives and tries to tells the frecruits that they are being brainwashed, leading to him decapitating Psimon. The Titans arrive to see this, just as Red X takes the recruits away, possibly to form his version of the Fearsome Five.

TEEN TITANS ACADEMY #10 by Tim Sheridan and Mike Norton. Beginning with a flashback to Dane’s birth, the action shifts to he and Red X transporting to the place of Dane’s birth: Arizona 1890. They team up to fight demon dogs before the true villain arrives in the form of Neron. Meanwhile, Shazam informs the Titans that Dane is going to be responsible for bringing about the Apocalupse. The team then debates the possibility of having to kill Dane, despite the objections of Stitch, Beast Boy and Starfire. In the end, the demon dogs arrive at the Academy, along with Dane and Red X.

TITANS UNITED #4 by Cavan Scott and Jose Luis. The Titans try to figure out what is going on at Cadmus while Blackfire continues to torture and try to break Conner. Starfire battle Lady Vic while the rest of the team deal with citizens who are dealing with suddenly having powers. That is when the Tamaraneans show up to begin the attack, meaning the newly powered civilians jump in to help the Titans. Unfortunately, Conner is leading the attackers, now that he is under Blackfire’s control.

WONDER GIRL #6 by Joëlle Jones and Leila Del Duca. Yara Flor has been sent to Tartarus as punishment for rejecting Hera's offer. While there, she confronts three witches and a giant before being captured and meeting with Eros, who tries to convince her to be his partner. She eventually breaks free and reunites with Jerry, who takes her to the Gates of Olympus. Eros reports to Hera that Yara has escaped, much to her dismay. Cassie and Donna Troy join the Esquecida tribe and meet up with Yara, who figures out how to open the Gates of Olympus. Unfortunately, the warriors of Olympus are waiting for her.

WONDER WOMAN #782 by Becky Cloonan, Michael Conrad, Vita Ayala, Skylar Patridge and Marcio Takara. Wonder Woman and Deadman are on a plane being attacked by a Wonder Women army. She defeats the constructs and saves the plane, with Deadman able to mask what has happened to the passengers and public. But one of the passengers has released a cellphone video of what happened on the plane. The pair go to Sweden to visit Siggy’s final resting place, leading to Diana returning his sword to his grave. Meanwhile, more Wonder Women shoe up and it is revealed that they are from the Mirror World and has been unleashed by The Image-Maker. In the backup, the Amazons battle a beast from Tartarus, which it is revealed came from Doom’s Doorway.

WONDER WOMAN: EVOLUTION #2 by Stephanie Phillips and Mike Hawthorne. Diana follows a young girl into a deserted Themyscira. While there, a lone sniper tries to kill her. The sniper is Steve Trevor. As he battles her with super strength, she finds the statue of Athena she had defaced so long ago. But the carving she had made is not there, leading her to realize that this isn’t real. She defeats the fake Trevor and breaks free, only to encounter four strange beings who tell her she is on trial for all of humanity.

WORLD OF KRYPTON #1 by Robert Venditti and Michael Avon Oeming. In the days before the end of Krypton, the House of El gathers in celebration of the birth of Kara Zor-El, leading to a family reunion with Zor and Jor’s cousin Kru. During the gathering, Nira-Ur reports what she discovered during her recent journey: that something has caused a mass death occurrence involving the Jewel Mountain herd of creatures. Terrorists arrive intent on killing the El family but are taken out by Jor-El and Zod, but not without casualties. Zod reveals that if Zor and Jor were killed, then Kru-El would become the ruler.

DC UNIVERSE, Month 47 Part 1

ACTION COMICS #1038 by Phillip Kennedy Johnson, Shawn Aldridge, Miguel Mendonca and Adriana Melo. Superman has been defeated by Mongul and his Authority team has been decimated, resulting in Lia’s death. Surviving members have been made into slaves and potential gladiators, except for Midnighter who finds a captive Superman and calls him a fool for deciding he needs to free the other slaves. In the backup, the investigation into Katharsis Aureus while Martian Manhunter has to deal with the Human Flame. In the end, he meets Zook, who claims that it was kids that broke into the museum and possibly stole the idol.

AQUAMAN: THE BECOMING #4 by Brandon Thomas and Scott Koblish. Jackson, his mother and sister head to Xebel, where he learns the truth: the massacre at Hallas Hall was not a terrorist attack. In fact, it was an armed insurrection led by his mother where she actively executed people.

AQUAMAN/GREEN ARROW-DEEP TARGET #3  by Brandon Thomas and Ronan Cliquet. Ollie and Arthur have been captured by the transformed General Anderton, where they are being interrogated. It turns out they both ended up in a facility where time experiments were going on and, with a malfunction in the time platform, the heroes swapped bodies. They break free and try to escape…but it looks like they are not even on Earth anymore.

ARKHAM CITY: THE ORDER OF THE WORLD #3 by Dan Watters and Dani. Dr. Joy speaks with the injured detective, who wants to know how she knew where to find Double X. He also tells her someone with a red hood was there at the scene. Upon leaving, she encounters the Ten Eyed Man who convinces her to go back to a portion of the destroyed Arkham Asylum. There they find Solomon Grundy. The Ten Eyed Man translates his sing-song ramblings, which reveals the origins of Gotham in the guise of a Dutch holy man who was eventually killed by the townspeople. Arkham was built on the grounds of where the holy man died. The Ten Eyed Man convinces Dr. Joy to dig up the skull of the holy man, to be used in a ritual to purge the ghost of Amadeus Arkham. Azrael arrives and so does the “ghost of Amadeus Arkham”, who may actually be Dr. Phosphorous.

BATGIRLS #1 by Becky Cloonan, Michael Conrad and Jorge Corona. Seer is still on the loose and Barbara, Steph, and Cassie move into a loft apartment to set up an unhackable network for Barbara to create a new base. While loading into their new home, Steph and Cassie get mugged, allowing the crooks to take their stuff to not raise suspicion. Later, Cassie goes back and gets her robe back. The pair go out on patrol, which leads them to the rest of the muggers and also construction workers who have seemingly been mind-controlled. In the end, they meet up with The Saints: a group still believing in the ideals of The Magistrate.

BATMAN #118 by Joshua Williamson, Jorge Molina and Mikel Janin. Gotham has survived Fear State and is looking to celebrate in style. At the same time, there is a Villains of Gotham costume party at the Billionaires Club, which Batman sees as a source for a possible heist. Batman shows up and, with the help of Killer Croc, takes don the bad guys, even though the appearance of a little girl dressed as Punchline freaks him out a bit. Later he gets word that Batman Inc. has been arrested and that takes him to Badhnisia where he meets with Detective Cayha. He investigates the crime scene and deduces that Batman Inc. as indeed responsible for killing the villain known as Abyss. The former Club of Heroes was rebranded as Batman Inc. by the most recent benefactor: Lex Luthor.

BATMAN/CATWOMAN #9 by Tom King and Liam Sharp. In the past, The Joker sings Christmas songs and talks about a dream he had where he killed Batman.  Meanwhile, Bruce tells Alfred he thinks he is falling in love with Selina. In the present, The Joker is trying to kill Phantasm while he reveals that her dead son was just a child that she kidnapped fourteen years ago. In the process, he sets off a bomb which may be killing everyone. In the future, Catwoman has escaped police custody for the murder of the Joker and meets with Penguin, finally convincing him to get her safe passage out of Gotham. Unfortunately, her daughter arrives, and that plan may be going south very quickly.

BATMAN: URBAN LEGENDS #10 by Meghan Fitzmartin, Sam Johns, Dan Watters, Tini Howard, Alberto Alburquerque Jimenez, Karl Mostert, Nikola Cizmesija and Christian Duce. In the first story, Tim teams up with Nightwing against Tusk and airs his concerns abut Bruce’ mental well-being. Later, he teams with Batman, explains how he has deep feelings for Bernard and seeks acceptance. In the second tale, Tweedledum tries to get medical care for Tweedledee at a hospital by using a bag of stolen money. Unfortunately, that goes badly and March Hare steals the bag. Batman arrives and takes the pair to the Batcave where he reveals they are both suffering from cerebral degradation due to Mad Hatter’s mind-altering technology. He gives Tweedledum two options, and the pair end up in Belle Reve. In the third story, Azrael and the Poor Fellow talk about the Knights Templar and their crusade against the Lazarus Pits, ending with Azrael returning to visit Stefanos. In the final story, Nightwing fights followers of the Scarecrow, which results in him being taken over by Fear Gas. This leads to him seeing visions by Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future before he gets saved by Cassandra.

BLACK MANTA #4 by Chuck Brown and Matthew Dow Smith. Manta and Gallous meet with the mysterious woman who Gallous calls Torrid. Manta reveals how the Orichalcum is killing them, so they should team up. Meanwhile, Aquaman deals with the aftermath of Devil Ray’s attack. Devil Ray is trying his best to make a weapon that will rival the trident of Atlan, but the Orichalcum kills his assistants. Manta, Gallous and Torrid head to Ethiopia where they confront Doctor Mist, who looks to eventually reveal all…but on his terms.

CATWOMAN #38 by Ram V and Caspar Wijngaard. Selina has turned herself into the police and ends up being interrogated by two officers. During the interrogation, her lawyer steps out of the room. She reveals that it was Ghostmaker fighting Wight Witch, who he recognizes and calls her Rhea. Soon, an officer arrives and gets Officer Kollak out of the room. She reveals that she has turned over her fortress to the Strays, with Shoes possibly being influenced by Chershire. Kollak reenters, knocks out his partner and kidnaps Selina. But this is all a ruse, as the lawyer, the officer who gets ollak out of the room and the Kollak who kidnaps Selina were all Clayface, meaning she is free to go about her exploits in Gotham.

CRUSH & LOBO #7 by Mariko Tamaki and Amancay Nahuelpan. Lobo is living it up in Space Vegas before Crush finally catches up with him. They briefly team-up before they end up battling each other again. Crush finally captures her father and takes him back to prison in the nick of time. But it all goes bad when Crush learns she has become a test subject.

DEATHSTROKE INC. #4 by Joshua Williamson and Howard Porter. Dinah gets attacked by Slade, even as she explains that Juliette is Libra, which he knows because Cheetah told him. Dinah explains she is not part of T.R.U.S.T. but was sent here by Oracle to infiltrate the organization. They agree to work together and meet with Juliette when the Legion of Doom arrive. But that is just an illusion created by Dr. Destiny who, along with Prometheus, have joined T.R.U.S.T. Dr. Destiny sends our heroes to the Crooked House in the Ghost Zone where we discover Slade is dead.

DETECTIVE COMICS #1046 by Mariko Tamaki, Stephanie Phillips, David Lapham and Dan Mora. Ana Vulsion, a once convicted murderer, is taking out mobsters and blows up a condo in the process. She crosses paths with Batman and Spoiler and is gravely injured in the process, meaning she is getting shipped to the new Arkham Tower. Meanwhile, Nakano meets with Dr, Meridan, who explains he is putting her in charge…apparently because of Batman’s insistence. Elsewhere, Deb Donovan meets with Batwoman and gives out two names of doctors to watch out for. Batman meets with Meridan and tells her he needs her eyes and ears on the inside. In the backup, Batman and Harley team up to prevent the escaped Arkham prisoner from destroying the new Arkham Tower.

THE FLASH #777 by Jeremy Adams and Fernando Pasarin. The Flash teams up with the Justice League Dark and Amethyst in an attempt to take down Eclipso. They end up finding Dark Opal and team up with him. But things may have taken a turn early as it looks like everyone but Wally have been corrupted by Eclipso. Meanwhile, Irey has become friends with Maxine Baker, Animal Man's daughter and this friendship may get them both in a world of trouble.

FUTURE STATE: GOTHAM #8 by Dennis Culver and Nikola Cizmesija. Grifter and The Operator, whose identity has been revealed to the world, are on the run. Meanwhile, Hush holds a virtual meeting with the Terrible Trio: Tobias Whale, The Owl and Wild Dog where Hush decides everyone needs to die, including his followers if needed. Grifter and The Operator go into hiding when Talon shows up with a group of Hush; goons. But the new, monstrous Joker shows up, slaughtering Talon and the goons and giving chase to Grifter and The Operator.

GREEN LANTERN #9 by Geoffrey Thorne, Tom Raney, Marco Santucci and Maria Lavra Sanapo. John come face to face with Esak: the New God behind the Lightbringer God. John and Lonar team up but John’s use of his power creates a Godstorm which could destroy the universe. Meanwhile, Jo discovers that Yridian, Koyos and possibly Nemosyni all schemed together to destroy the Central Power Battery, She also learns Koyos is alive and he has come back, telling the surviving Lanterns that their time is done.

HARLEY QUINN #10 by Stephanie Phillips and Laura Braga. Harley and Ivy try to rekindle their relationship following the events of FEAR STATE by going on a double date with Kevin and Sam. They end up at a museum exhibit, where Ivy tries to convince Harley into stealing a rare diamond. Ivy attacks the guards, Harley gets injured by one of Ivy's vines and this leads to the girls splitting up.

HUMAN TARGET #3 by Tom King and Greg Smallwood. Christopher Chance and Ice team up to start interviewing potential suspects who tried to kill Luthor. But a jealous Guy Gardner gets involved, hampering things. In the end, Guy confronts Chance, but an arrival by Hal Jordan calms Guy down. Chance knocks Guy out and it’s revealed Hal is really Luigi is disguise.

I AM BATMAN #4 by John Ridley and Stephen Segovia. Jace meets with a virtual Seer, who explains that The Magistrate was just the beginning. A Revenge Squad of Peacekeepers arrive forcing this Batman to take them down. He heads off to confront the corrections officer who killed Tyler Arkadine, but the CO kills himself before Jace can get much out of him. At GCPD, Detective Chubb is given the option of a disciplinary hearing or a transferal to New York and she takes the transfer. Simon Saint gets out of jail after his bail gets paid and he meets with his benefactor, Victor Noonan. Noonan wants him to bring him the new Batman, which occurs. Jace finds Saint has been killed but gets attacked by a new type of Peacekeeper called Talos, much to the satisfaction of Noonan and Lucius Fox. In the end, Tam wakes up from her coma.

THE JOKER #10 by Matthew Rosenberg, James Tynion IV, Sam Johns, Francesco Francavilla and Belen Ortega. In a story set shortly after the Joker shot Barbara Gordon and tried to make Commissioner Gordon go insane in THE KILLING JOKE, the family struggles with those events. Gordon is still on a mandated leave and things only get worse when his ex-wife shows up and dumps a troubled James Gordon Jr. on him. Young James goes digging through case files and his father insists he needs to stop. Later, James is apparently abducted and Jim’s gun disappears, leading to Gordon joining up with a young Montoya to try and save him. He confronts the kidnapper, but Batman steps in to save the day from the Joker wannabe. James is wearing face paint like The Joker and Batman explains the makeup is probably Barbara’s, furthering the idea that James is very troubled. In the backup, Kelly explains to the District Attorney why she is afraid of Punchline. And Cullen learns that his boyfriend, who has connections with the Royal Flush Gang may not be as bad as he once thought as it appears the Royal Flush Gang may actually be helping people.

THE JOKER PRESENTS: A PUZZLEBOX #5 by Matthew Rosenberg, Jesus Merino, Chris Mooneyham and Freddie E. Williams II. The mystery continues with three different perspectives on what happened on the night The Riddler died. The villains all met up and assembled the Master Engine. But, depending on who you believe, either the Master Engine disappeared, ended up with The Penguin or ended up with Batman. Meanwhile, Catwoman makes her way to the morgue where she clicks something in the nose of the dead Riddler. In the end, officer Bachman injects something into a box of donuts, most of which are eaten by Killer Croc.