Some words about my future and future projects.

 2022 is nearing an end and 2023 is just around the corner. With a change in the calendar comes a change in our lives. I am no exception. 

Over the last few weeks, my social media footprint has dwindled drastically. I don’t find myself spending hours checking Twitter, Instagram or Facebook, so I may have missed some birthdays and holiday greetings. My apologies. I have also limited the amount of news I have been taking in. I’m not watching endless hours of news coverage while writing. In fact, I can’t think of the last time I saw a news program-certainly not since I returned from Pennsylvania about three weeks ago. I have found that liberating and certainly has reduced my stress levels.

But I have also realized that I could put that time into other more positive things in my life, specifically my family and my writing. To an point, it has been cathartic and has freed up my mind from a productive standpoint. Coupled with my new turntable, I have been binging records I have not played in nearly 25 years. Currently digging my way through my  almost complete Poco collection. That too has sparked my creativity in ways I didn’t think possible (more on that shortly).

I don’t see this changing much as we enter the New Year. With the exception of posting some pictures, both family ones and ones from events I attend, sharing Con announcements and updates regarding my forthcoming books, I don’t expect to be spending the time I once did on social media. I also don’t expect many of you will see me “around and about” in 2023 (there are some obvious exceptions), although I intend on reaching out to old friends I have not seen in a while and making more time with them. Although I do still have obligations to attend to, I am becoming much more at ease being in my element: in my home, at the computer with dogs keeping me company, burning lots of incense, doing household chores, doing a lot more cooking, especially from the new cookbooks that were under the tree, and looking at my life in a new way. 

I’m not completely walking away from the platforms, as I still need to promote my works and share the links to my monthly comic blogs. I am just treading a few giant steps back and turning my focus inwards in an effort to make me a better me. With a great annual physical under my belt, I see myself being around for a while, even as I realize my time being as active as I once was is slowly coming to an end. Time may be on our side but it does not wait for anyone and soon my body will catch up with my true age, even if my brain refuses to let it.

So…onto the writing.

With ELECTRIC FAME and WILDEST DREAMS out there, I need to move on. Neither book is selling as well as I hoped but I kind of expected that. A new author, without the support of a major company pushing him, will continue to languish in the realm of being unknown for some time. I would like to move many more copies, but also understand that I am writing in a niche market with limited distribution and promotion available. Just to have been able to do it and, hopefully, encourage others to do the same is good enough for me. At this point in my life, I never expected to get rich from my writing, no matter what I had hoped for when I was in my Twenties. I just wanted to make certain they didn’t end up in a pile of unpublished works that gets thrown out following my death. That was important to me: another item on my resume and another line entry in my eventual obituary.

My game plan had been to release YULETIDE by June of 2023 with the ELECTRIC FAME sequel following in December. That timetable may change. In the past few weeks, I have spent much of my time rewriting and modifying K.G. Palmer’s 1,479. K.G., along with 1,479 are referenced during one particular scene in ELECTRIC FAME and I figured it was time to dig deep into my archives of unpublished works and actually revise, embellish and, in some cases, actually REWRITE a proper fictional autobiography, considering that the groundwork had been laid out in the first book. So, that is what I have done. 

K.G.’s story goes like this. Fresh out of college, this 21-year-old published his detailed, often vivid, accounting of his college years: an unflinching, intense, raw, and sometimes highly provocative look at his college life, from the classes he took, the jobs he maintained, the things that occupied his free time, and the women he dated. Filled with surprisingly candid comments about everyone and almost everything he encountered, he laid out stories that most would not, naming names and pointing fingers at the people in his life. Most critics and many readers said he had gone too far, often crossing the line between good and bad taste. He put his life, the good, the bad and the just plain nasty, on the page for all to read.

To his surprise, the book became a nationwide success that influenced an entire generation that often compared it to CATCHER IN THE RYE and ON THE ROAD. Overnight, he was a media star and somewhat of a literary sensation. After a failed off-Broadway play, with money in his pocket, he faded out of the public eye. But, in 2022, a new generation sought out the long out of print book. So, “over 40 years after it was first published”, it came “back in print in a new, expanded edition”, including his novella length sequel to the original book, along with a new introduction and closing chapter that brings readers up to date to where his life is in 2022.

I have long wanted to publish K.G.’s story, going back to the days when I first began ELECTRIC FAME, as I felt it was a nice tie-in and gave me the chance to create a character-driven story far different than any I had attempted to write about before. It truly is more unique than any of my other works, currently in print or forthcoming. K.G. is a very dogmatic young man who speaks his mind, sometimes challenges authority and, quite frankly, some of his comments and his exploits are truly raw and sometimes decidedly raunchy. He has no problem embracing much of what he learned or felt in high school and letting those emotions loose during his college years. He is a teenager struggling to find his place in the world and sometimes that means going a bit over the line. Well….WAY over the line that usually defines good taste.

1,479 is truly a sometimes harsh memento of what life for K.G. and many of America’s teens was like in the late Seventies and early Eighties. K.G. and his friends, along with many of the actions and attitudes, are distilled from the personalities of so many people I have encountered over the course of a lifetime. Filled with references to pop culture of the time (who remembers roller disco?), musings on upcoming trends (who wants to PAY for television? NO ONE, our protagonist says), and the constant search for compatible companionship, no matter the cost, it is absolutely NOT a book for everyone, that I can promise. I cannot stress that enough! While it is an interesting companion piece to the novel that brought him to life, even briefly in the pages of ELECTRIC FAME, I can promise you it will make some laugh, bring back memories to others and will certainly offend others. There is a reason I have asked the publisher to list it as being 18+.It often pushes the realms of good taste. But I remind folks that legendary author Anne Rice did the same with her Sleeping Beauty novels and Roald Dahl did with SWITCH BITCH. Even Mark Twain stepped over the line with 1601.

My greatest fear, and currently the only thing holding me back from finalizing publishing, is that my friends, most of whom bought my previous books, will read 1,479 and immediately, because of the contents of the book, end our friendships and I can watch future book sales of my other works disappear immediately. I sincerely hope that is not the case. As I said, K.G. is an amalgam of people I have encountered in my life. 1,479 was my attempt at writing a book that was greatly influenced from some of the classic coming of age films I have seen, from SLUMBER PARTY 57 (Debra Winger’s first film) and COOLEY HIGH to PORKY’S and DAZED AND CONFUSED. It is a fictional autobiography by a fictional author. It has allowed me to step into experimental territory and craft a book that, although not for everyone, has allowed me to move those mental author muscles in a different and distinctive way. It’s not the ‘Great American Novel’ that will be talked about for generations, believe me.

What I am quite proud of is my cover design that I think typifies K.G.’s life in many ways. As a friend of mine told me, it has “retro vibes” and that was what I was shooting for. The fact that Amazon had a royalty free image that I felt fit the theme perfectly helped a heck of a lot. Final design just screamed ‘sleazy Seventies paperback. And that too was what I was looking for.

Once 1,479 is published, I will go back to other works. With YULETIDE completed, along with the ELECTRIC FAME sequel, both of which I will be working on to finalize for eventual publication, it’s back to ELECTRIC FAME’s final chapter, currently at about the half way point. My goal is to have that ready for publication sometime in 2024. Beyond that, there are two other works in the back of my mind. They are not quite ready to be turned into outlines, but I have some ideas and story logistics to work out. Neither is connected to ELECTRIC FAME or any of the other titles connected to it: they are free standing tales-one of which has a sort of Sci-Fi vibe to it. Also on the back burner, although much closer to the outline stage than the other two, is a novelization of K.G.’s failed stage play about the ultimate college road trip. A week ago, it wasn’t even a seed in my brain. But after having finished work with 1,479, the idea began to take shape and I think I can make it a fun, funny tale. And again, it will be a big step outside the comfort zone for me.

One thing I have gone back to, as I had when originally working on ELECTRIC FAME and YULETIDE, is to have a notebook with me at all times, especially on the road trips, either by car, train or plane, which take me out of the comfort of home and put me to work on other projects, which I still plan to be involved with. The things that come to you at night, when trying to decompress from the day or days, can often be enlightening.

My ultimate goal is to have potentially nine books in print by the time I turn 65 or 66. Towering self-imposed goals for sure and, who knows: I may find myself burned out after finishing ‘the final chapter’, as it is a sometimes meandering emotional roller coaster for myself and my characters. Remember: I often find myself sometimes emotionally attached to my fictional characters. When I finished the concluding chapter to 1,479, with an ending that felt right in many ways, I grew a little melancholy while also filled with satisfaction that my protagonist had finally found what he had been looking for for so long.

Long and short of all of this: I will be up to my neck in the creative process for a while to come. Between these novels, I still read other fictional influences, some of whom get referenced in my writings, along with a big bunch of comics, leading me to continue to  write a monthly blog: mostly on time every month for the past eleven years-nearly 150 pieces during that time. Couple that with my movie fixation-thanks to Santa for filling my tree with another obscenely hefty stack, my model work and my other areas of interest, and I will be busy; maybe busier than normal. I may miss a phone call or a text message. I may miss a video call. I may miss a FB message. I’m not blowing you off, but when I get to writing, I sometimes never even notice my phone: it just becomes another thing sitting among my work space.

As a friend, and many authors I personally know or have read about, writing is a daily job, just like any other. Be it a page, a chapter, or even just notes on what is to come, it is something that must be done EVERY SINGLE DAY. At the moment, it is my passion and my obsession, with me often lying in bed at night and thinking about future storylines and dialogue. It is just my thing right now and occupies much of my thoughts. Good or bad, it’s just another thing in my life that provides fuel for the fire within.

Thanks for listening and understanding. Hope to see some of you in person in 2023; maybe even at an open air market or a book signing. Who knows.

Lastly, some folks reached out to me about getting copies of the first two books and having them personalized. I should have those in the next two weeks and will reach out to those who reached out to me.

DC UNIVERSE Month 58, Part 2

MONKEY PRINCE #8 by Gene Luen Yang and Bernard Chang. Monkey Prince and Aquaman argue with each other, as do Sifu Piggy and the Atlanteans. But the Trench shows up, leading to a new battle, where the Silver Horn demon has possessed the Trench King. This leads Monkey Prince to meditate so he can communicate with the staff. Using the staff, Monkey Prince beats them back. But King Fire Bull is waiting in the wings to lead the greatest demon army the world has ever known. In the end, Marcus reunites with his parents and they head off to Metropolis.

MULTIVERSITY: TEEN JUSTICE #6 by Danny Lore, Ivan Cohen and Marco Failla. The team battles Sinestra and the Lanterns as they mourn Raven’s sacrifice. During the battle, Sinestra betrays her team and steals all of their rings. Georgia Gardner, now known as Warrior, retains her ring and defeats Sinestra. Carol Jordan arrives with the rest of the world’s heroes, offering Georgia a role with the Star Sapphires.

THE NEW CHAMPION OF SHAZAM! #3 by Josie Campbell and Evan "Doc" Shaner. Mary heads home to Darla, as she is still trying to find out about the kidnappings. There she finds out the Internet is now making memes about her. Back at school, Dr. G. tries to encourage her to work with her, even after she has lost much of her accreditation in the scholastic community. She goes to the train station around Fawcett and meets with Dudley, who insists he be called Uncle Marv. She learns there is a tent city there and many of the people there are the ones who have been disappearing. Babel shows up and uses his powers to convince people they are not worthy, including Mary. Back home, she plugs in the Sim card she pulled from the crocodile monster and discovers a connection: all these people are connected to an alleged medical trial through Fawcett Community College. Unfortunately, Darla knows this information now too and she is off to solve the mystery on her own.

THE NEW GOLDEN AGE #1 by Geoff Johns, Diego Olortegui,  Jerry Ordway, Steve Lieber, Todd Nauck, Scott Kolins, Viktor Bogdanovic, Brandon Peterson, and Gary Frank. In 1848, Corky tries rto convince John Wilkes Booth to not kill Abraham Lincoln when he grows up. Rip Hunter and his team show up, gathering Corky and sending them off to find The Thirteen. They also have to find Dreiberg before his real parents, Cleopatra Pak and Bubastis or someone else finds him. Ten years from now, a young Helena Wayne sees a mysterious, redheaded man. Back in 1940, the Justice Society of America meets and Dr. Fate has a vision of the redheaded man and the lost children. We also learn of the Red Lantern: Russia’s super powered villain. In 1951, the JSA has to testify to a government committee that wants them to remove their masks and reveal themselves to the world, and the redheaded man is there to watch it. In 1976, Dr. Midnite examines Dr. Fate, telling Power Girl and Star Spangled Kid that it’s time for a new generation of heroes. In 2009, Dr. Fate encounters Catwoman, who he warns about the stranger who is coming to kill her daughter, which she does not have yet. In the present, the new Justice Society, Green Lantern, Atom and a female Dr. Fate meet the redheaded stranger, who kills Dr. Fate and Green Lantern. Khalid meets with Detective Chimp, planning to have Deadman exorcise Hauhet from the helmet. But Khalid transforms, saying that Hauhet says to look before it’s too late. Helena hears a visitor in her house and stabs them in the dark, only to find it is Batman, who she recognizes as her father. He shows her the cave, including the costumes of the dead Robins, including Stephanie, Damian and the Joker’s son.], much to Selina’s disgust. Eighteen years from now, Helena learns that her father is dead and she decides to become The Huntress. To be continued in JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA #1.

NIGHTWING #98 by Tom Taylor and Daniele Di Nicuolo. Nightwing meets Ric Grayson, who turns out to be Nite-Mite and Nightwing’s biggest fan. He informs Nightwing that Blockbuster once made a deal with Neron and he sold his daughter Olivia’s soul to the demon. Neron is coming to collect and it takes Dick and Nite-Mite to stop him. But it is Olivia, who has her father’s strength, to stop him. Raven arrives and takes Olivia with her.  Nite-Mite reveals is real name is Dyxl and he thinks Dick should be the new Blockbuster…because “Nightwing is awesome”.

NIGHTWING 2022 ANNUAL #1 by Tom Taylor, Jay Kristoff, C.S. Pacat, Eduardo Pansica and Inaki Miranda Many years ago, Gerald Chamberlain arrives at the Lyle household as their new butler, where he discovers their son Shelton has murderous tendencies. The man is not really Gerald Chamberlain, as he murdered the real Chamberlain as he was travelling to America and assumed his identity. He takes a liking to Shelton and took him on various trips to feed his murderous desires. He also took him to the circus on the night the Grayson’s died, which truly ignited his rage. During his school years, Sheldon became the bully that was handled by Dick Grayson. Later on, Chamberlain’s attempt to kill the Lyle family resulted in Shelton being critically injured, resulting in him receiving his dead father’s heart. Over the years, Shelton becomes Heartless and now, with Chamberlain’s help, he will receive Blockbuster’s heart. In the backup, Dick goes out for the night, leading to Haley dreaming about being a crime fighting dog who saves his master’s life. In the second backup, Dick trains Jon Kent

NUBIA & THE JUSTICE LEAGUE SPECIAL #1 by Michael W. Conrad, Becky Cloonan, Stephanie Williams, Amancay Nahuelpan and Alitha Martinez. Nubia teams up with the Justice League members to take down a number of villains. In the backup, she battles a giant octopus and later reunites with her love.

POISON IVY #6 by G. Willow Wilson and Brian Level and Marcio Takara. Ivy battles Jason Woodrue as she decides to save the planet rather than destroy it. She kills Woodrue and eats his remains. Later, she sends a letter to Harley explaining how the Bat family cannot save the world. In the end, the remains of Woodrue escae the van carrying it and is on the loose again.

PUNCHLINE: THE GOTHAM GAME #2 byTini Howard, Blake Howard, Gleb Melnikov and Will Robson. Bluff and Ante are working with Punchline and her crew and they are all watching for Eiko Hasigawa and her crew. Punchline wants the Ace Cheical Factory and that leads to a battle between the two teams. Batman shows up and Eiko and her team make an attempt to leave while Batman beats on the Royal Flush Gang. Punchine catches up with Eiko and Batman tries to apprehend her. She stabs Eiko and tosses her off the roof, leading Batman to make a decision.. He saves Eiko and calls for medical, telling Punchline she better hope Eiko lives or she will have to deal with catwoman.

STARGIRL: THE LOST CHILDREN #1 by Geoff Johns and Todd Nauck. In 1942, TNT and Dan the Dyna-Mite are fighting crime. Six months ago, Dan is looking through a scrapbook containing the story of TNT dying in action. Today, Courtney Whitmore is telling her mother how she and Red Arrow had gone out to a supernatural cemetery looking for Stripesy’s partner Wing, believed to be dead but who may be still alive. That night, Red Arrow shows up, explaining that she has a new lead on Wing. While they are investigating Dan Dunbar’s home, Emiko reveals that most of the Golden Age sidekicks, including Betsy Ross, Molly Pitcher, Miss America, John Henry Jr., Cherry Bomb and others have mysteriously disappeared over the years. They hear a radio broadcast, telling Dan, who is out on a boat, that they are “all here.” Courtney and Emiko decide they need a boat. Dan, however, has landed at an island, discovering he is young again after putting on the two rings that TNT had given him. But a laughing voice tells him that he is actually cursed.

SUPERMAN: KAL-EL RETURNS SPECIAL #1 by Mark Waid, Sina Grace, Marv Wolfman, Alex Segura, Clayton Henry, Dean Haspiel, Jack Herbert and Fico Ossio. Superman reunites with Batman, teaming up to take on Mr. Nobody. Later, he reunites with Jimmy Olsen, who shows him some photos he has taken, including some of Jon in action, which inspire him. Jon follows a tip that leads him to a Lexcorp warehouse, only to find that Luthor fooled him, leading to a media outlash. But he manages to get the better of Lex in the end. In the last story, Superman reunites with his Justice League partners before being transported away into DARK CRISIS.

SUPERMAN: SON OF KAL-EL #17 by Tom Taylor and Cian Tormey. Kal-El is back on Earth, reuniting with his family. As the pair work to rebuild the Kent farm, Jon finds himself reluctant to come out to his father, although the whole world now knows of his relationship with Jay, as he fears that his father would be appalled and turn away from him. Clark turns to his own father, looking for advice. Jonathan delivers some truths to him, which allows the family to reconnect. An attack by Red Sin, with Jon powerless, leads to his father saving him. In the end, the pair have a heart-to-heart talk, that changes the family dynamics for the better. Elsewhere, Lex is messing around with genetic experiments. Continued in ACTION COMICS #1049.

SWORD OF AZRAEL #4 by Dan Watters and Nikola Cizmesija. In the past, Brother Dumas meets with Brother Garnier and Brother Lavigne who explain that God has provided them with the Angel Maker Box that will unleash seraphs. Dumas kills the men, searing to use the box to create Azrael, the angel of vengeance. In the present, Jean-Paul is forced to fight and eventually kill God Satan. In the end, a dejected Jean-Paul talks to Brother Karl, who turns out to be Father Valley. He instructs him to join him at the monastery, to explain why he sent Sauriel to him, why the monks had to die, and why it is all Jean-Paul’s fault.

TIM DRAKE: ROBIN #3 by Meghan Fitzmartin and Riley Rossmo. Tim battles a gang of Robins, discovering they are actuaslly made of clay. After defeating them, he is rescued by Barnard, who takes Robin, who he does not know is Tim, to Tim’s houseboat. Before he leaves, Bernard gives a note to Robin to give to his boyfriend. As Robin tries to piece together the various clues, one of the clay Robins goes to the boat of Colonel Moran, wanting to meet the boss…who appears to be Clayface.

WILDC.A.T.S #1 by Matthew Rosenberg and Stephen Segovia. Zealot, Grifter, and Deathblow try to acquire a scientist for Director Marlowe. But his experiments bother Grifter, who executes the scientist. Later, they are given a new assignment for another scientist, but with the addition of Fairchild to the team. This mission goes worse than the first, with Deathblow getting killed and blown up by Marlowe. If that was not bad enough, Green Arrow arrives and the surviving team has been captured.

WILDSTORM 30TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL #1 by Brandon Choi, J. Scott Campbell, Warren Ellis, Christos Gage, Brett Booth, Dan Abnett, Matthew Rosenberg, Greg Pak, Ed Brisson, Meghan Fitzmartin, Joshua Williamson, Jim Lee, Bryan Hitch, Dustin Nguyen, Neil Googe, Stefano Landini, Minkyu Jung, Mike Henderson, Jeff Spokes, Will Conrad and Jonboy Meyers. In the first tale, Michael Cray goes on a mission of mercy, executing some prisoners of war to save them further torture. In the second tale, Grunge has a nightmare about the world of 2022 before waking to realize he is still in 1993 with the rest of Gen13.  In the third story, Jenny Sparks goes on a mission with The Authority. In the fourth story, Lord Emp discusses the past and the future. In the fifth tale, Backlash and Taboo battle S’ryn in a simulation, just to prove they still have what it takes. In the sixth tale, Mr. Majestic recalls the final meeting with his teammates before the battle that ended it all, saving the world but leaving annihilation in their wake. In the seventh tale, Grifter gets vital information from his contact, who he saves from ninjas. In the end, he finalizes his deal with Talia Al Ghul. In the eighth tale, Jack Hawksmoor meets someone with magic abilities, in a tale continued in LAZARUS PLANET: LEGENDS REBORN. In the ninth story, Director Bones puts his own tea together consisting of Shado, Flint, Eminence of Blades, Ravager, Core, and Peacekeeper-01. Eminence of Blades dies on the mission, but they get the Darkness Engine in the process. In the tenth story, we see the many lives of Deathblow who, every time he dies, has his consciousness transferred into a new body. In the eleventh story, Midnighter and Apollo, who is still suffering through some of what he went through on Warworld, kills a super-powered pair. Apollo is consoled by Midnighter and the pair go off to assist in DARK CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS #7. In the last story, Zealot battles Angel Breaker, before deciding that her sister needs mentors.

WONDER WOMAN #793 by Michael W. Conrad, Becky Cloonan, Jordie Bellaire, Emanuela Lupacchino and Paulina Ganucheau. Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman are on a deserted Watchtower when they are attacked by The Imperium. They are defeated and imprisoned. Later, they explain they ere part of a invading force that abandoned them here and now understand human values. Young Diana goes to Olympus and gets advice from some goddesses before she heads home, where she is actually recovering from her wounds while her mother and Antiope care for her.

DC UNIVERSE Month 58, Part 1

ACTION COMICS #1049 by Phillip Kennedy Johnson, Mike Perkins and David Lapham. Superman battles Kalibak, Orion and the forces of Apokolips that are trying to kidnap Osul, who possesses the Fire of Olgrun. In the end, the forces of Apokolips retreat, with a warning to Superman. Later, the Man of Steel returns to Warworld, promising to never leave them. Elsewhere, Metallo breaks out after being forced to capitulate to Luthor, who is also looking to force Manchester Black to work with him. In the backup, Tao-La defeats Chaytil, but a surprise visit may lead to his escape and set him against Superman.

BATGIRLS #12 by Becky Cloonan, Michael Conrad, and Neil Googe. Steph and Cass battle The Riddler, with some help from Killer Moth, ho Riddler double-crossed. Cass flies Killer Moth out of the apartment while Steph battles Riddler, who reveals that her father may be alive. Meanwhile, Grace is attacked and partially blinded by Mr. Fun. Officer Brooks shows up and the combined force of Brooks, Cass, and Killer Moth take him out. In the end, it looks like the idea to reunite father and daughter may be Mad Hatter’s idea, as he confesses to his therapist before killing him.

BATGIRLS ANNUAL 2022 #1 by Becky Cloonan, Michael Conrad and Robbi Rodriguez. Barbara reveals that she is moving back to the Clock Tower, leaving Cass and Steph with the Loft. Later they mysteriously swap bodies while investigating a murder involving Kyle's neighbor, leading them to discover that the League of Assassins has arrived. Cass ends up meeting with her mother while Steph gets drugged and kidnapped by Hill’s Angels, leading to a meeting with Cluemaster, who is supposed to be dead. Continued in BATGIRLS #13.

BATMAN #129 by Chip Zdarsky, Leonardo Romero and Jorge Jimenez. Batman is taking refuge in Atlantis because Failsafe is still on the hunt and has taken control of Gotham. But it doesn’t take long before Failsafe tracks him down, capturing Aquaman in the process. Failsafe finds Batman gone, as he has gone to the Watchtower for a final battle. Batman reverses the teleporter on the Watchtower, sending Failsafe to a destroyed Hall of Justice. Unfortunately, Batman’s actions have left a huge hole in the Watchtower and now he’s floating in space, to his possible death. In the backup, Batman continues to investigate The Joker’s crime spree. But it turns out that Zur-En-Arrh has taken the case and he is just a little more violent than Batman is.

BATMAN: FORTRESS #7 by Gary Whitta and Darick Robertson. Emiko saves Batman and the team continue through the Fortress of Solitude, doing their best to avoid Superman’s traps, eventually following Krypto into the main chamber, where they are greeted by a holographic version of Jor-El. It is revealed that the House of El was responsible for corrupting a peaceful planet, leading to its’ destruction. President Luthor wants to find Superman and prosecute him as a war criminal. He’s alone in his declaration, but that argument ends when they discover Superman inside of a glass coffin.

BATMAN INCORPORATED #2 by Ed Brisson and John Timms. Ghost-Maker tangles with Skyspider before agreeing to work together. Ghost-Maker confesses that he did kill Ouahbi, but did so in self-defense.  Clownhunter arrives and there is an explosion, seriously injuring Skyspider. Ghost-Maker goes to take Skyspider to a hospital when Clownhunter gets kidnapped…by Phantom-One, who was Ghost-Maker’s sidekick until he killed him. Meanwhile, in Canada, El Gaucho discovers that the person murdered there was working at making chemical weapons.

BATMAN/SUPERMAN: WORLD’S FINEST #9 by Mark Waid and Dan Mora. Batman and Boy Thunder take down Ratcatcher, but not without issues caused by the young hero. He continues his training with Superman and the Teen Titans; again, with less than perfect results. He later tells Superman that he was responsible for his parent’s deaths because he messed around with their rocket and broke it in the process. Meanwhile, The Joker teams up with the Key to create a doorway that floods Gotham with millions of gallons of water from the Gotham River, thanks to the Key delivering  Ange Man’s Angler…complete with Angle Man’s severed hand. Superman creates an updraft that sucks the water towards the sky. As cleanup begins, a careless Boy Thunder gets captured by The Joker and falls under the influence of Joker Gas.

BATMAN VS. ROBIN #3 by Mark Waid and Mahmud Asrar. Batman and Alfred have gone to Lazarus Island where the Dark Knight is forced to do battle against an army of Robins, armed with magical weapons, that have been corrupted by Devil Nezha. While they battle, each one airs their grievances about how Batman has treated them. Elsewhere, Damian meets with his captive mother, while the powers of the various magic users are being drained and placed into Dr. Fate’s helmet. Nezha has captured Pigsy, from the MONKEY PRINCE series, and Pigsy reveals that Nezha’s son has arrived. Later, Damian meets with Pigsy, who explains that Nezha used to be a hero, but his continued consumption of Lazarus juice turned him. In the end, Batman battles Nightwing and forces Dick to slay Alfred, who is revealed to have been replicated by Nezha using his own soul. Alfred dies a second time, this time in Bruce’ arms.

BATMAN: URBAN LEGENDS #21 by Anthony Falcone, Michael Cho, Julio Anta, Dennis Culver, Joey Esposito, Miguel Mondonca, Hayden Sherman and Vasco Georgiev. Batman and Robin team up with Wallace West to try and stop a crime committing race car driver. In the second tale, Renee Montoya relates a tale of her younger days, when she needed to cross the “Thin Blue Line”. In the third tale, new inmates at Arkham Academy look to be getting training from…Killer Croc. In the final story, Batman continues to investigate the murders of several wealthy Gothamites, while dealing with his parents being alive again. They also have to deal with being alive and learning that their son has become something “different”.

BLACK ADAM #6 by Christopher Priest and Eddy Barrows. Set before JUSTICE LEAGUE #75, Batman and Black Adam fight each other n a virtual world,. In the end, Adam is victorious, later calling Bruce Wayne, who is confused about it. Seems that Martian Manhunter was responsible for it and has disqualified him for membership in the Justice League.

BLOOD SYNDICATE: SEASON ONE #6 by Geoffrey Thorne and Chriscross. The individual powered individuals team up to take down Holocaust, with Tech-9 assassinating him in the end to keep him from coming back to bother them again. Icon and Rocket arrive and warn the newly christened ‘Blood Syndicate’ that Paris Island is now their responsibility.

BLUE BEETLE: GRADUATION DAY #1 by Josh Trujillo and Adrian Gutierrez. It’s graduation day for Jaime Reyes, but he gets pulled away during the ceremony to be warned of a future problem. Upon returning home, he gets a visit from Superman, who relates to Batman that Jaime apparently knows nothing of what they are seeking. Later, his folks boot him out of the house, as he has no job or potential future. In the end, he gets attacked by another scarab wearing person..

CATWOMAN #49 by Tini Howard and Nico Leon. Catwoman saves Dario and then battles with members of the Royal Flush Gang, here she discovers that Billy, one of her strays, is working for Punchline. He explains his situation and then gives her intel on the operation at Ace Chemical. She meets with Eiko, who is also now working as Catwoman, and explains what is going on. After spending an intimate night with Valmont, she meets with Batman and asks him to keep clear of Alleytown and let her do what she needs to do.

DARK CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS #6 by Joshua Williamson and Daniel Sampere. The combined heroes face off against Deathstroke, and his team. Pariah uses his power to destroy Firestorm, Blue Beetle, Booster Gold and other heroes. Jon Kent attacks Doomsday and Darkseid while Yara Yar and Jace Fox use Pariah’s machine to destroy him. Elsewhere, Green Arrow inspires the missing heroes and Flash and Hal work together to channel the energy needed to bring the Justice League back to Earth-0. On Earth, Jon Kent battles Doomsday and is saved by his father, as the Justice League has returned. Together, they take down Deathstroke’s team, but he is still fueled by the Darkness and won’t fall easily.

DARK CRISIS: THE DARK ARMY #1 by Mark Waid, Delilah S. Dawson, Dennis Culver and Jack Herbert. Damian and his squad, Power Girl, Sideways, Dr. Light and Red Canary end up on Earth-53, where they find a destroyed Hall of Justice and the heroes were apes. There they battle and defeat Shadow Demons. Then Sideways transport them to the House of Heroes, where they encounter Harbinger and a corrupted Justice League Incarnate. Dr. Light combines herself with all the other being of light from the Multiverse and defeats the Great Darkness perverting the heroes. Doctor Multiverse observes all of Damian’s team, saying that Damian has a “uniquely consistent path” ahead of him and then they all head off into the fight. To be continued in DARK CRISIS: WAR ZONE #1 and DARK CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS #7.

DARK CRISIS: WORLDS WITHOUT A JUSTICE LEAGUE-BATMAN #1 by Simon Spurrier, Meghan Fitzmartin, Dan Jurgens and Ryan Sook. In Pariah’s created world, Mr. Wax runs the last city on Earth when the vigilante Night kidnaps him, revealing Wax and he are the same, with each claiming to be the original. Together, they travel to the Madlands, where they encounter the Sneertouched. Entering a dilapidated mansion, they discover Alfred, who reveals that Bruce used technology from Maxie Zeus, Jervis Tetch and Victor Fries to split himself into two individuals: a light and a dark. Wax is brought back to his office and Night continues his battle against evil. In the backup, Zatanna is found by the rest of the Justice League and they prepare to bring her from her dream world back to the fight..

DARK CRISIS: YOUNG JUSTICE #6 by Meghan Fitzmartin and Laura Braga. The team finds themselves back on Earth, facing off with Mickey Mxyptlk. He takes away Robin’s ability to speak, turns Red Tornado human, Cissie to steel, and defeats Impulse’ attempt to defeat him. It takes all of the team to band together to defeat him, tying him up with string theory. In the end, Robin apologizes for his relationship with Cassie, inferring that he may have had more than a desire for a friendship with Connor.

THE DEATH OF SUPERMAN 30^th ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL #1 by Dan Jurgens, Jerry Ordway, Roger Stern, Louise Simonson, Tom Grummett, Butch Guice and Jon Bogdanove. In the first story, Jon Kent learns at school about his father’s death at the hands of Doomsday, leading to Lois telling him the story. AT the same time, a construction worker who helped clean up after Doomsday has kept one of the creature’s spikes as a souvenir and it has turned him into Doombreaker. In the second tale, Clark’s parents watch on television as he battles Doomsday, with Ma Kent showing off her collection of news articles about his feats over the years. In the third story, the Guardian relates the story of how Superman died and the government tried to claim his body. In the final story, John Henry saves those affected by the battle between Superman and Doomsday, only to learn that the Man of Steel has died, causing John to rededicate himself.

DEATHSTROKE INC. #15 by Ed Brisson and Dexter Soy. Muzzle has captured Wintergreen and now he is forcing Wintergreen and Slade to get on a plane and go to Walsh. While enroute, Muzzle threatens to throw Wintergreen out of the plane, leading to a battle with Slade, which ends when Wintergreen shoots Muzzle and Slade tosses him out of the plane. Slade meets with Walsh and gets his payment while Walsh tries to convince him to join him, which Slade turns down. Slade goes back home and reconnects with his family before heading out to prove he is the world’s greatest assassin.

DETECTIVE COMICS #1066 by Ram V and Ivan Reis. Batman has been saved from his fight with Ubu and is recovering in Jim Gordon’s apartment. Gordon explains how the Orgham family has arrived in Gotham to thank the folks that stopped the assassination attempt on Prince Azen, with Batman explaining that the attempt as engineered by Talia’s League of Assassins. Their plan is to rebuild parts of Gotham, starting with Arkham Asylum. Meanwhile, Two-Face, infected with Azmer and controlled by Gael, is busy trying to regain  control over the Gotham Underworld. Batman goes to the Sunset Central Power Station, where he comes into contact with Mr. Freeze and also the Wolf of Bezadjehanne. Freeze sets off an ice bomb and flees, freezing Batman in the process. In the backup, Harvey is forced to relive his childhood while he struggles to maintain control.

DETECTIVE COMICS 2022 ANNUAL #1 by Ram V, Christopher Mitten, Rafael Albuquerque and Hayden Sherman. Back in Gothame, in the 18^th Century, Ichabod Kraine sees the devil in a woman he believes is a witch, leading Joe Proctor and others to confront her. But Aldridge Pearce is there to stop them. At the same time, it is revealed that Darcey Hunt, a man with a heavily scarred side to his face, has declared himself the last proper thief and is heading to Gothame. At the same time, the Orgham family, including immortal Gael Orgham, has decided to put money into the town, specifically to upgrade the church. He has also managed to place a piece of the Reality Engine where Arkham Asylum will eventually be built. Later, the Proctor and his men return to the “witch’s” cabin and threaten to burn her home and kill her, but Pearce, in the guise of a “Batman”. In the present, Gael’s plan is about to come to pass.

THE FLASH #788 by Jeremy Adams and Fernando Pasarin. Mayor Wolfe has hired himself a new team to deliver justice-The Rogues. After finding out that he is going to be a father again, he stops what he thinks is Captain Cold robbing a bank, only to find out that Cold is STOPPING a robbery. The rest of the Rogues arrive and try to arrest Wally, forcing him to flee. Later, he goes to visit Heat Wave to find out what is going on and that leads him to being attacked by the Rogues, who take him down and attempt to arrest him. That’s when The Pied Piper arrives to lend a hand.

GCPD: THE BLUE WALL #2 by John Ridley and Stefano Raffaele. Samantha Park has to deal with the shooting, revealing that she wasn’t the hero the police department made her out to be. Danny Ortega is dealing with racism among his fellow officer. Eric Wells continues to work with Devante to keep him on the straight and narrow. But with a pregnant girlfriend, Devante gets involved with a heist. But, before it happens, he rats out the gang, leading to their arrest. That gets him murdered by one of the gang members. It turns out this was part of his plan, as he had taken out a $750,000 insurance policy on himself to care for his girlfriend and unborn child. Elsewhere, Renee’s friends get her a “Therapy Fish” and she learns that the crew that took out Foxtech is connected to Two-Face, leading her to make a decision about the future.

GOTHAM CITY: YEAR ONE #2 by Tom King and Phil Hester. Slam Bradley is being interrogated by the police over the death of his associate. They eventually let him go and he returns home, where the woman who originally delivered the letter shows up, warning him not to interfere in all of this. She delivers another letter, which he takes to the Waynes. Mr. Wayne insists that he goes on the meet with Bradley, where he is set to deliver the ransom. The woman, whose name is Sue, takes the bag and leaps off the roof like a cat. Wayne and Bradley head to the cemetery and Wayne pulls a gun on Bradley, insisting he is part of all this. Bradley knocks Wayne out and considers his next move.

HARLEY QUINN #24 by Stephanie Phillips and Matteo Lolli. Harley is determined to find out her killed her, so she captures and tortures Victor Zsasz with the help of Parry the alien. This leads her to investigate a warehouse, where she is attacked by….The Harley Quinn who Laughs?

THE HUMAN TARGET #9 by Tom King and Greg Smallwood. Ice thinks Chance may be dead, so she tries to get medical attention to slow the poison in his system. Then he takes her for a drive in the desert as he becomes convinced that Batman has figured out that he and Ice covered-up of Guy's death. In the end, in a house made out of Ice, he figures out that Batman has realized that Guy Gardner is still alive.

I AM BATMAN #15 by John Ridley and Karl Mostert. Chubbs accuses Batman of beating Whitaker to death and she tries to convince him to kill himself. Then he snaps out of it and realizes that never happened and he never beat Whitaker. He leaves and runs into Enrique, who also tries to convince Batman to kill himself. It turns out that Enrique is only Sinestro, who promises to show him his fears until he begs to die. After talking with Vol, who informs him of the Dark Crisis event, he again goes after Sinestro, defeating him before going off to join the surviving heroes.

THE JOKER: THE MAN WHO STOPPED LAUGHING #2 by Matthew Rosenberg, Francisco Francavilla, and Carmine Di Giandomenico. Jason Todd investigates the event in the bathroom from last issue, where it seemed The Joker killed a man. Elsewhere, a bunch of thugs menace a man, who kills them, revealing he is The Joker. Later, Mr. Cardiff returns to his apartment to find The Joker there, looking to put his old gang back together, but is told that Penguin, Black Mask and others have taken over Gotham.  While Jason interrogates a bunch of thugs to find out the story, The Joker visits Harley, with less than great results, insisting he is not her Joker. That’s when Red Hood arrives. In Taos, the other Joker is laying low, after making his big, televised announcement. In the backup, The Joker fakes his own death so he can see how the other villains actually think of him.

JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA #1 by Geoff Johns and Mikel Janín. 31 years ago, Thomas and Martha Wayne are killed. 13 years ago, Selina Kyle is out on the prowl. One year from now, Selina is told not to tell anyone, especially not the Arkhams, about the child.18 years from now, Batman was killed by a common criminal and Helena Wayne hunted down Frederick Vaux: a sorcerer who gave the criminal the power. 26 years from now, Helena, now The Huntress, is searching for Dr. Fate, along with her Justice Society of America teammate Solomon Grundy. The current team is made up of Huntress, Grundy, Power Girl, Gentleman Ghost, the Harlequin’s Son, the new Icicle, The Mist, and the daughter of the Russian Red Lantern. The team finds Khalid’s mummified body and are then attacked by a mysterious red haired man who proceeds to kill the entire team and begins to age Huntress. Selina arrives and throws her the snow globe last seen in FLASHPOINT BEYOND. Helena slides backwards through time, ending up in 1940 where she is discovered by Johnny Thunder and his Thunderbolt.