More first issues in a capsule review

THE AVENGERS #1 by Jed MacKay and C. E. Villa. Following the events of the recent Avengers series, there is a new team in town, made up of Captain Marvel, Captain America(formerly The Falcon), Scarlet Witch, The Vision, Thor, Iron Man, and Black Panther. And this time, it might lead them into direct conflict with kang the Conqueror. I’ll reserve passing judgement until we get further into the series, as this issue is mostly about Carol Danvers building the new team. Unfortunately, I have felt, in recent years, that they Avengers have become like the X-Men: too many teams to keep track of.

BARNSTORMERS #1 by Scott Snyder and Tula Lotay. Here’s an interesting one. In what looks to be a fancy version of THE GREAT WALDO PEPPER, and is in its’ own way, turns out to be a wonderfully illustrated piece of mystery, intrigue, love and murder, with a dash of science fiction thrown in. What is the secret our hero harbors and what is the deal with this robot in the 1920’s?  While I’m not quite sure of Snyder’s endgame here, the first issue was both beautiful and had a story that was captivating. Can’t wait to see what is next!

BATMAN: WHITE KNIGHT PRESENTS GENERATION JOKER #1 by Sean Murphy, Katana Collins, Clay McCormack and Mirka Andolfo. The saga of the alternate universe Batman and company continues, focusing on Jackie and Bryce: the children of The Joker. All of Murphy’s characters are here but the focus is on Jack Napier and his children as they investigate goings on in Gotham. Fun story, although without much of the mystery and drama of the previous mini-series, and the art fits the bill perfectly. A must have companion if you’re a fan of this series..

BIG GAME #1 by Mark Millar and Pepe Larraz. Millar’s next big thing is the joining of all of his characters from the Millarverse. That means a monstrous team-up involving characters from KICK-ASS, KINGSMAN, THE MAGIC ORDER, HUCK, NIGHT CLUB and THE AMBASSADORS. The art is strong and the story, while still developing, looks to be epic. Highly recommended if you a fan of any of these steries.

BLACK PANTHER #1 by Eve L. Ewing and Chris Allen. Wakanda is no long a monarchy but is now a democracy. T’Challa is no longer a king but he is still the Black Panther, only with a new mission to serve Wakanda. The mission is different but his ideals are still the same. By the way: who is responsible for Deathlok.

BONE ORCHARD: TENEMENT #1 by Jeff Lemire and Andrea Sorrentino. Seven people with different backgrounds are brought together solely by where they live. What is their connection to each other and the Bone Orchard. This is a beautiful looking book with a fascinating story that will mean nothing to anyone who hasn’t read the previous Lemire works in this universe including GIDEON FALLS, BONE ORCHARD MYTHOS, THE PASSAGEWAY and TEN THOUSAND BLACK FEATHERS. Lemire has stated that this is the centerpiece of the whole universe and STARSEED is still on the horizon for next year. This is a great place to start, being that centerpiece, but will definitely confuse readers new to this horror series.

CHILLING ADVENTURES PRESENTS JINX #1 by Magdalene Visaggio and Craig Cermak. Jinx, the devil’s daughter, and her friend and fellow bandmate Danni are forced to battle a possessed Jughead. That’s all! It’s a fun ride through this corner of the Archie Universe. No jokes, to speak of, and no romance issues. It is what it is and is again the best thing we have to the great AFTERLIFE WITH ARCHIE series, that I still greatly miss.

FALLEN FRIEND #1 by G. Willow Wilson, Mark Waid, Saladin Ahmed, Takeshi Miyazawa, Humberto Ramos, and Anfdrea Di Vito. SPOILER: Ms. Marvel is dead and this issue is both a memorial and a tribute as she is laid to rest by her friends, family and her teammates. But let’s not all grieve too much because there is a movie coming in which she is featured. Here’s the kicker. The final page is actually a QR code that takes you to MARVEL.COM and we see that Scott Summers reveals that he wasn’t at the funeral for a specific reason that all will soon know. Sounds to me like a resurrection thing going to be happening. Like we didn’t see that coming!

FEARLESS DAWN: THE BOMB #1 by Steve Mannion. Looking for a fun, silly comic book that feels like it stepped out of a Wally Wood/Bill Elder infused dream from an issue of MAD circa 1950’s? Then jump into this. Prissy Jones is a kid who is tormented by classmates and, after reading too many comics, decides to become a superhero.  Yeah: that’s the plot and it’s just silly fun with beautiful art. This black and white also includes a few short stories featuring Jungle Chick and Dinosaur. Don’t expect earth-shaking stuff here. Just sit back, enjoy the art and have a ball with it.

GARGOYLES #1 by Greg Weisman and George Kambadais. I understand there was a whole generation that grew up on this cartoon show. But I was not one of them and have only see a handful of episodes. Now Dynamite jumps into this ring, hoping to latch onto those kids now grown up and feeding their childhood desires. The story was okay, the art was about the same and I found myself buzzing through this in short order. If this is your fandom, go for it. Me? I’m out!

GHOSTLORE #1 by Cullen Bunn and Leomacs. This is one weird story involving demons, death and ghosts. What does it all mean? How can a girl named Harmony talk with her dead brother and others? This is the makings of one wild ride as many plot threads are scattered throughout with not a lot of answers provided. Let’s see where issue #2 takes us, but I’m definitely hooked.

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY #1 by Collin Kelly, Jackson Lanzing and Kev Walker. These unlikely heroes are back in a new series and with a distinctly different look and attitude. Unfortunately for them, Groot had become a monster known as Grootfall and that is only a part of their problem. The story is fun as it lays out the groundwork for what is to come and Walker’s art, somewhere between highly detailed and cartoony, fits it perfectly. The last two GUARDIANS runs have been okay but not great. This looks to eclipse that, even though I’m pretty sure it all came about because of the recently released film.

HEY KIDS COMICS! VOLUME III #1 by Howard Chaykin. Well, the crew from the first two volumes are back in this: the final part of the trilogy. This time, a new generation in the Seventies are doing what they need to create comics for a new generation. As is typical with this series, it is an interesting look at the times and the players, all with a bit of humor and sarcasm.

HULK ANNUAL #1 by David Pepose, Phillip Kennedy Johnson, Caio Majado, Travel Foreman. In a throwback to earlier times, and also bringing in a BLAIR WITCH vibe for using found video footage, two documentary filmmakers not only cross paths with The Hulk but also the Mole man and his minions. The story is okay and the art is on the same level. The highlight is the backup that leads directly into THE INCREDIBLE HULK #1.

THE INCREDIBLE HULK #1 by Phillip Kennedy Johnson and Nic Klein. Bruce Banner is on the run from his own demon and that brings him into conflict with a team of monsters hunting him and also an abused girl who may become his travelling companion. This title is supposed to bring back the concept of the monster in all of us and, so far, it sort of delivers, as it’s more about the supporting cast than Banner or his alter ego. Not a great start but is an interesting one that hopefully will gain traction as it goes on. Think back to the run of Al Ewing and realize that took several issues to gain traction. Hope springs eternal.

JIMMY’S BASTARDS #1 by Garth Ennis and Russ Bruan. Following events in the previous series, British Intelligence agent Jimmy is taking a bit of a break while his daughter is taking up the family business by fighting against the regent’s. Throw in Idi Amin and Boris Johnson and things get crazy. We all know what Ennis can do-just look at his work on PREACHER and THE BOYS. Couple that with the amazing art of Braun and you have a winner. A twisted winner, but a winner none the less.

JUNK RABBIT #1 by Jimmie Robinson. I have been a fan of Jimmie Robinson’s work for a long time, through AMANDA AND GUNN, CYBERZONE, CODE BLUE and, more recently, BOMB QUEEN. It’s 2198 and the world as we knew it has ended, But there is a being, thought to be a legend, that is fighting against the powers that be. Who is Junk Rabbit: the hero of the people that live in The Sink. It’s a wild ride filled with Robinson’s great art and some interesting characters, along with clues and moments that point to who is under the mask. It’s a great post-apocalyptic tale.

PEACEMAKER TRIES HARD #1 by Kyle Starks and Steve Pugh. Everyone’s favorite, foul-mouthed hero is here in a black label title that takes full advantage of his foul-mouthed, bloody ways. When he asks Amanda Waller for backup on a mission, they all decline, meaning he has to take on terrorists alone, which results in him adopting a dog and eventually brings him into a mission for Monsieur and The Brain. It’s Peacemaker and Black Label, so don’t let it take itself too seriously. Fun story with great art from Pugh. While everything is now considered in continuity, because of the Multiverse, don’t try to fit this into regular continuity. Just give it a read and enjoy.

PLANET OF THE APES #1 by David F. Walker and Dave Wachter. As we all know, Marvel has acquired the license for many 20^th Century Studios projects including ALIENS, PREDATOR and this. In 2011, there is a virus outbreak known as the Simian Flu. Four years later a team is in charge of securing and saving the apes, as they are the only chance of human survival. From there, things go badly and it may be up to the apes to save themselves and their human protecting. An interesting take on the Ape legacy, preferring to show the apes as our friends instead of our enemies. But, as we all know, that is likely to change. For now, it’s not man versus ape-it’s man and ape versus their fellow man.

THE ROCKETEER IN THE DEN OF THIEVES #1 by Stephen Mooney and David Messina. The legendary creation of Dave Stevens is back in an all new series, filled with excitement, danger and of course, his best girl Betty Paige Toss in some dynamite art, a cool story and a bunch of Nazis and you have a winner. Nothing will veer be as good as Stevens’ original run, but this fills a nice hole with a character I grew up loving.

THE SANDMAN UNIVERSE: NIGHTMARE COUNTRY-THE GLASS HOUSE #1 by James Tynion IV and Lisandro Estherren. Everyone’s crazy serial killer The Corinthian is back, but has found himself both resurrected and neutered by Dream. His mission is different  and he finds himself on a controlled leash. Can he control his urges while trying to solve a mystery? Fans of SANDMAN will love this, although they will be confused if they have not read the previous series. The art is quirky while the story, drifting from various interactions to the supernatural ones, is a bit convoluted. It’s not bad but it’s also not great.

SUNSHINE PATRIOTS #1 by Howard Chaykin. Chaykin is back with a new mini-series. Set in 1913, it involves two former members of Teddy Roosevelt’s Rough Riders who make their way to California and get involved fighting back against a group of potential movie makers who are hell-bent on taking over a small town. Filled with amazing images and Chaykin’s witty dialogue, this is an amazing trip back in time and is highly recommended!

ULTIMATE INVASION #1 by Jonathan Hickman and Bryan Hitch. There was once a separate universe with different versions of Marvel Earth 616 heroes. But that world came to an end following the incursion that was SECRET WARS, leaving only that world’s Reed Richards, now known as The Maker, and Miles Morales: both of whom have made Earth 616 their home. But Richards, now possessing Godlike powers, is determined to recreate his world and has stolen the tech to achieve that. In the end, he is changing the past and also the future. Thanks to Hickman and Hitch, the Ultimate Universe lives again. The question is…for how long? Is this permanent? We shall see.

UNCANNY AVENGERS FCBD EDITION #1 by Gerry Duggan, Jonathan Hickman, Valerio Schitti, Joshua Cassara, Javier Garron. A huge preview of things to come. In the X-Men story, Captain Krakoa kills Cyclops and burns down the tree, before telling the government that the gods are angry. In the Avengers tale, which leads into UNCANNY AVENGERS #1, a new team is formed to fight Captain Krakoa. Lastly, Doctor Strange meets with Wyn in a one page introduction to Hickman’s GODS, coming later this year.

VICTORY #1 by David Walker and Brett Weldele. If you’re a fan of VAMPIRELLA and SACRED SIX, you will want to add this to your monthly pull list. I love the character and the whole VAMPIRELLA mythos, but this was a huge disappointment. I found the story lacking a lot of depth and the artwork lacking even more. The garish colors and angular style just left me dying to get to the end and move on. Hate to say it, but I would sooner read some of the other spin-offs than this. Hoping issue #2 improves dramatically.

VOID RVIALS #1 by Robert Kirkman and Lorenzo De Felici. One of the hottest selling books on the secondary market and it’s all because of the brief inclusion of the Transformer known as Jetpack into the book, signaling the beginning of a shared universe featuring the TRANSFORMER and G.I. JOE properties. The story itself, about two individuals from warring nations who find themselves stranded and trying to figure a way out of their predicament, is just okay.

WALLER VS. WILDSTORM #1 by Spencer Ackerman, Evan Narcisse and Jesus Merino. Set in the 1980’s, the former Battalion Amanda Waller teams up with Adeline Kane. He teams up with Deathblow and, in the midst of an investigation by Lois Lane, the two heroes decide to challenge authority. And then Deathstroke shows up. Another Black Label title that is both oversized and a bit like a true Eighties book. Fun if you’re a fan of both the characters and the stories of that era.

X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST DOOMSDAY #1 by Marc Guggenheim and Manuel Garcia. DAYS OF FUTURE PAST is one of the most revered, most famous storylines in the history of the franchise because it told of a future where the X-Men had virtually been eliminated. This, although telling events from a comic over 40 years old, is the story of how it happened. The story is great and we get to see all these classic heroes and how they struggled to survive with art that is a cross between Paul Smith and John Byrne. If you are a fan, and I know so many who truly are, then this is definitely a must have! 

DC UNIVERSE Month 65, Part 2

THE JOKER: THE MAN WHO STOPPED LAUGHING #9 by Matthew Rosenberg, Carmine Di Giandomenico and Francesco Francavilla. While East Coast Joker continues his tenuous relationship with Killer Croc, West Coast Joker continues his journey back to Gotham. At the same time, someone is dead set on taking out Jason Todd. But it’s really just an escape attempt courtesy of Ravager. East Coast Joker meets with The Ventriloquist, seeking his help. That leads to a small army of villains coming together to take out West Coast Joker. And, believe it or not, Mr. Waffles still lives! In the backup, Jim Gordon descends into his own personal hell, becoming his own twisted version of The Joker.

MULTIVERSITY: HARLEY SCREWS UP THE DCU #4 by Frank Tieri and Logan Faerber. Harley arrives on Themyscira, where she accidentally destroys the clay baby that would be Wonder Woman. The new plan is for the Harleys to go back to that moment and stop this from happening. They change that moment but not before having to fight a group the Starro Suicide Squad, leaving that battle to the Amazons. The next visit is to fix how Harley messed up the origin of Aquaman, which never happened because Harley hooked up with Arthur’s father. They travel back to that moment only to find Arthur Curry’s father has been murdered. Uncertain how to fix it, Harley heads to Gotham to stop the Starro Suicide Squad from killing Batman.

NIGHTWING #105 by Tom Taylor and Bruno Redondo.In an issue where the reader is Nightwing, Dick and Barbara are told about a biological weapon that has been stolen by Double Dare. They find half of the pair on a train and she reveals that her sister has been kidnapped and that the pair had been hired by the nation of Vlatava to obtain a vaccine for a virus spreading in that country. Aliki injected herself with the vaccine but her sister Margot was captured. Barbara masquerades as Aliki and frees Margot while Aliki and Dick go to Shel Pharmaceuticals to confront Lyle Shelton-better known as Heartless. With Margot and Aliki reunited, Dick and Barbara go back to their lives.

POISON IVY #13 by G. Willow Wilson, Kelley Jones, A.L. Kaplan and Marcio Takara.  Harley and Ivy have been reunited. But her reappearance in Gothma forces her to cross paths with both Catwoman and Batman. Determined to find a place to once again be herself, she heads to Slaughter Swamp, where she encounters Killer Croc. Waylon agrees to let her use his place if she can shut down a luxury building project, meaning she once again goes undercover. But someone is targeting workers at the project and it looks like her recent past is following her.

POWER GIRL SPECIAL #1 by Leah Williams, Joanne Starer, Natacha Bustos and Marguerite Sauvage. Power Girl, now going as Paige, and Omen, fight against Johnny Sorrow, who is content in releasing hell on Earth. This leads to a battle inside Power Girl’s head, dredging up visions of her version of Kal-El and others. She ultimately defeats Sorrow and, in the end, Superman explains that she is accepted into his family. Supergirl even has Streaky the cat move in with Paige and Omen. In the backup, Fire and Ice team up, sort of, with Guy Gardner. Eventually, in between verbal fights, the pair hit the road and head for Smallville, leading to new adventures in the forthcoming FIRE & ICE: WELCOME TO SMALLVILLE.

SHAZAM #2 by Mark Waid and Dan Mora. Billy goes back home after the events of the last issue, unable to explain what happened. A dinosaur arrives and explains that after saving the dinosaur family, Billy has a literal mountain of paperwork to fill out. Later, Billy and Freddy encounter Psycho-Pirate as he causes chaos at a museum and Billy realizes he was responsible for his outburst last issue. “The Captain” battles the villain, damaging and destroying priceless exhibits in the process. The Captain pursues the villain and again suffers an attitude change but discovers it is not the villain’s fault, s he lost his mask during the battle. With Psycho-Pirate apprehended, Billy believes he can no longer say the magic word ever again. In the first epilogue, Freddy observes the actual Shazam gods talking about Billy but gets caught. In the second epilogue, Mary falls asleep playing a video game in a moment continued in KNIGHT TERRORS: SHAZAM.

SPIRIT WORLD #2 by Alyssa Wong and Haining. Xanthe Zhou and John Constantine have a meal with her mother, before she realizes this is all wrong and tries to leave but her mother uses powers to stop her. She eventually breaks free, heading to the Chinatown Graveyard, where Stephie shows up and gives her a paper offering before Xanthe and Constantine head back to the Spirit World, where Batgirl, along with Po Po and Bowen, fight demons.

STATIC TEAM-UP-ANANSI #1 by Evan Narcisse and Charles Stewart III. In Ghanna, Joseph Bediako has his life saved by Anansi. Anansi eventually heads to Dakota where they team up to fight Nathan Flack and The Unseen

STEELWORKS #1 by Michael Dorn and Sami Basri. John Henry irons, along with his daughter and Lana Lang, has established Steelworks, in an effort to make life in Metropolis a better place. But someone is not a fan and finds himself working with someone to help take Steelworks down. In the end, the first salvo is launched and it’s up to Nat irons to lead the defense.

SUPERBOY: THE MAN OF TOMORROW #3 by Kenny Porter and Jahnoy Linsay. Superboy continues his adventure in space and the hunt for Dominator X. But is one of the team actually a traitor?  And when a Green lantern gets involved and discovers murdered prisoners, the hunt is on for The Cosmoteers.

SUPERMAN #5 by Joshua Williamson and Jamal Campbell. While Jimmy professes his love for Silver Banshee, she finds herself fighting a possession that is causing her to fight the Man of Steel, forcing her to flee when the Supercorp arrives. Superman and Jimmy go after her and use a Hypersonic Suppressor to free her. Superman meets with the woman pulling the strings of these supers and she tells him about Lex’ secret project. In the end, while friends celebrate the day, Lex is stabbed in prison.

TIM DRAKE: ROBIN #10 by Meghan Fitzmartin and Nikola Cizmesija. Tim wakes up caught in a maze while Bernard, who does know his boyfriend has a double life, searches for him. Tim is tormented by Chaos Monsters and gets saved by the combined Bat Family, thanks to Bernard.

TITANS #2 by Tom Taylor and Nicola Scott. Wally West has been murdered…but he is still alive. It appears the body they find is actually Wally from the future. Then Oracle sends the team to a massive explosion in Borneo, where both the environment and the creatures there are in danger. Raven, Cyborg and Donna Troy put out the fires but not before many of the creatures are killed, devastating Gar. Although they find illegal tree clearers, Cyborg deduces that the explosion came from Starfire’s home world. Later, they see a television talk show where Brother Blood, now known as Brother Eternity, declares that he has rebranded his church and he introduces his newest church member: Garth.

THE VIGIL #2 by Ram V and Lalit Kumar Sharma. Arclight goes on a mission to Camp Weston, where someone is experimenting with weather manipulation technology. Once inside, he encounters a child who has been experimented on and now has the powers of El Nino. Arclight convinces the child to join him and together they manage to electrocute the men guarding Camp Weston. Elsewhere Saya investigates the death of Rathi, finding some strange black goop in the process. In Delhi, Vander, who seems to have the same black goop within him assassinates someone by using that goop as a bullet. The person who directed Vander is then seen entering Lexcorp. In the end, Sankaran travels to Atneon where he finds that Hep has done something that is not good.

WILDC.A.T.S #8 by Matthew Rosenberg, Danny Kim, and Christian Duce. The team of “dead heroes” keep an eye on Voodoo as she tries to reach out to Marlowe when they get a visit from John Lynch. Voodoo makes her way into Marlowe’s computer but is interrupted by Halliday, who explains that Halo is now controlled by the Court of Owls. Meanwhile, on a different Earth, Grifter and the surviving heroes lead an assault to reach The Void, encountering Lord Emp’s robots in the process. Zannah, who changed sides after her Cole died, attacks the team, killing Damian in the process. Cole removes his mask, leading to Zannah almost changing sides again until her sister Savant knocks her out. Max tracks down Cole and finds him ready to execute The Void.

WONDER WOMAN #800 by Becky Cloonan, Michael W. Conrad, Todd King, Joelle Jones, Alitha Martinez, Mark Morales, Todd Nauck, Skylar Partridge, Cully Hamner, Jen Bartel, and Daniel Sampere. Diana is stuck in a seemingly unending dream, where she encounters many of her allies. She eventually wakes and is prepared for the next phase in her life. In the backup, which ties into the upcoming WONDER WOMAN #1, a new trio of older heroes, Damian, Jon Kent and trinity, meet with Diana, who reveals she is Trinity’s mother. In the end, Trinity meets with a jailed old man who is prepared to tell the story of how Princess Diana defeated him.

 

DC UNIVERSE Month 65, Part 1

ACTION COMICS #1056 by Phillip Kennedy Johnson, Dan Jurgens, Dorado Quick, Rafa Sandoval, Lee Weeks, and Yasmin Flores Montanez. Superman battles Cyborg Superman with the assist from Metallo. The Super Family comes together to stop him and reuniting John Corben with his sister. Meanwhile, devious plans are afoot at Blue Earth. U the second story, Jon  is still captured and his father is faced with a dilemma: align with Glyanna or it will cost Jon his life. Jon tries to get a signal to his father, but Glyanna learns of this and cuts off his oxygen, leading to his passing out or maybe even dying. In the fin al tale, Steel and Mr. terrific team up to take down Amalgam. Now the bigger question: who sent Amalgam to Steelworks?

ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN: JON KENT #4 by Tom Taylor and Darick Robertson. Jon follows this other world’s Luthor, where he discovers Batgirl, Batman, catwoman and Harley, who are investigating where Ultraman got his power.Jon battles the group, only to find they are all super-powered. After a brief fight, Jon convinces them he is here to help and has a long talk with Bruce, knowing how much he hurt after Dick’s death. Jon goes to speak with Damian, but makes no progress getting father and son back together. Jon goes to visit this world’s Jay Nakamura, who tells him that Superman is an authoritarian monster. Jon leaves and Jay is menaced by Damian.

BATGIRLS #19 by Becky Cloonan and Michael Conrad.During the protest to free the civilians, Steph and Cass observe an assassin, but are too late as Grace is shot. Steph pursues and finds the shooter is Gunbunny. As the pair fight, Grace reveals she is wearing body armor and arrives at the fighting pair, intent on killing Gunbunny for shooting Roky. Gunbunny is shot by a second shooter and Cass tracks down that shooter, who is Gunhawk and revealed to be Assisi. In the end, Roky wakes up and the girls go back on patrol, as life seems a bit closer to being back to normal.

BATMAN #136 by Chip Zdarsky, Joege Corona and Belen Ortega. Back on his own world, Batman communes with Zur En Arrh before paying a visit to the Cobblepot twins. Later, he tracks down a disguised Selina, who tells him that The Penguin faked his own death. Returning home, he finds a Bat Family dinner, but that is just a vision while he sleeps, leading to events in KNIGHT TERRORS. In the backup, Zur En Arrh battles Failsafe.

BATMAN INCORPORATED #9 by Ed Brisson and John Timms. Tap Dance Ma continues to hold hostages while , who has hostages of his own Ghost-Maker and El Gaucho deal with The Joker. In a surprise move, Joker kills Tap Dance Man with poison gas, killing all the hostages in the process. He spins his wheel and that leads to other members of Joker Incorporated carrying out their plans around the world. Jiro and Clownhunter go off after Dusty Branco. Knight and Gray Wolf hunt down Dai Laffyn with Nightrunner dealing with Charles DeGhoul and his hostages. Dark Ranger and Wingman pursue and incapacitate Corvus Cawl and then are informed they must kill him, as Joker has a fail safe implanted in Joker Incorporated members that will kill the various hostages that have been taken. Dark Ranger questions this and, in the process Corvus stabs Wingman.

BATMAN/SUPERMAN: WORLD’S FINEST #16 by Mark Waid and Dan Mora. Flash saves Robin, who explains that Batman and Superman are being held hostage by Newmazo, along with a host of experts in Artificial Intelligence. Newmazo has managed to compromise many A.I. creatures, something Hawkman discovers when he is forced to fight many of them including Kelex and G.I. Robot. Metamorpho and the Metal men join forces to destroy the robot factory but at what cost to the Metal men? Batman, Superman and Green Arrow concoct a plan and break free of their restraints, just in time to be joined by the Justice League. Wonder Woman goes after T. M. Morrow, who tells her that it’s too late to stop things. That seems to be obvious as it looks like Batman is in grave danger.

BATMAN: THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD #2 by Tom King, Ed Brisson, Christopher Cantwell, Dan Mora, Mitch Gerads, Jeff Spokes, Joelle Jones, and Javier Rodriguez. The Joker continues his first reign of terror, eventually battling Batman and appearing to toss the hero off a bridge. In the second tale, the new Stormwatch battles undersea pirates, resulting in a critical injury to Peacekeeper-01. Next, Superman continues to investigate the mysterious temple, finding the remains of Tank Tinker and the very much alive and still youthful Hope Harrigan. In the final tale, Batman recalls many of his battles while waiting for Alfred to patch his injuries.

BLACK ADAM  #12 by Christopher Priest and Eddy Barrows Sargon of the Arkad is on the loose and it is up to Malik to try and stop him. The pair battle and Sargon’s mask gets removed and Malik transports it into space. Elsewhere, Ishtar, now merged with Jasmin,  find and meets with a disguised Teth Adam who wants to merge again with Theo. Theo turns him down, leaving Teth Adam with his daughter. In the end, for better or worse, the human Adam goes about his life.

CATWOMAN #56 by Tini Howard, Marcus To and Marco Santucci. Selina meets with Onyx, who informs her that Eiko is planning to take things back tonight, starting with Dragos Ibanescu. Elsewhere, Dario meets with Noah in what is supposed to be a fight to the death. Dario stabs his former lover but does not kill him. Selina battles with Black Mask and his crew after an attack and, with some help from Marquise, he is captured. She makes a deal with him: rnake his business “bloodless” and she will return his mask. In the end, Dario and Selina discuss future plans, even though she knows it will bring her into conflict with Batman.

CITY BOY #2 by Greg Pak and Minkyu Jung. Cameron faces off with Boss Chung but is troubled by visions of everyone who died in this building. In the process Bruno Manheim and some of his Intergang followers arrive and captures Cameron, who is put back in the machine responsible for his powers and learns that the person pulling all the strings is Darkseid. Cameron uses his powers to create a mechanical dragon, forcing the bad guys to flee. That is when Superman arrives, hoping to help Cameron save the city.

CYBORG #2 by Morgan Hampton and Tom Raney. Victor tries to come to terms with the robot now bearing his father’s brain patterns. Later the pair team up to take down Fastball and Shrapnel. In the end, Mr. Stone’s consciousness reveals that things are going to get worse.

DC PRIDE 2023 by Grant Morrison, Leah Williams, Nadia Shammas, A.L. Kaplan, Josh Trujillo, Jeremy Holt, Mildred Louis, Rex Ogle, Christopher Cantwell, Hayden Sherman, Paulina Ganucheau, Bruka Jones, Aditya Bidikar, Don Aguillo, Andrew Drilon, Ariana Maher, Stephen Sadowski and Skylar Patridge.. On Earth-36 Flashlight searches for the love of his life, Red Racer, although he is presumed dead. In the second tale, Harley, Ivy and Lobo’s daughter make their way through an adventure on a deserted island populated by dinosaurs. In the third tale, Connor Hawke meets with Tim Drake, coming out to him before going to eat a meal. In the fourth tale, Jess Chambers teams up with Jules Jordain before ending up at a Rave. Next up, Midnighter and Apollo spend their day confronting anti-Gay protestors and get an assist from the original Green Lantern.  In tale #6, Batwoman teams up with Xanthe Zhouto battle grave robbers. In the seventh tale, Nat Irons teams up with Queen Nubia to battle virtual enemies. In the 8^th tale, Ghost-Maker and Catman team up to fight Saber and Cannon before ending up spending the night together. In the final tale, Jon Kent battles a monster as part of a bet between Felix Faust and John Constantine.

DETECTIVE COMICS #1072 by Ram V,  Dan Watters, Stefano Raffaele and Ivan Reis. The Bat Family face off against the Orghams as they also search for the captured citizens. Meanwhile, Jim Gordon meets with Montoya, who does not want to listen to his theories, although he may be correct about things happening in the tunnels. Batman finds out that there are explosives planted on Orgham Place that will bring the building down upon him. Before the bomb squad can get to diffuse the bomb, it explodes. In the backup, set long ago, assassins try to kill Arzen and Asim sacrifices himself to save him.

DETECTIVE COMICS #1073 by Ram V,  Dan Watters, Stefano Raffaele, Goran Sudzuka and Ivan Reis. The Bat Family help to save people affected by the explosion at Orgham Place while the Eye of the Serpent uses her powers to hypnotize the citizens of Gotham. Below the city, Batman battles a powered-up Arzen and finds himself poisoned by the Azmer. In the backup, Arzen seeks to avenge Asim and build his legacy.

THE FLASH #800 by Jeremy Adams, Mark Waid, Joshua Wilkliamson, Geoff Johns, Si Spurrier, Fernando Pasarin, Todd Nauck, Carmine Di Giandomenico, Scott Kollins and Mike Deodato Jr. In Central City, a group of Rogues tell tales of their experiences with The Flash, ending with The Flash arriving to “chat” with them. In the second story, Impulse fights Mirror Master to save Wally and Max Mercury. In the third tale, Wally tells Linda about the importance of being in the Flash Family. In the fourth tale, Hunter Zolomon travels through time to a place where Ashley Zolomon is a detective, claiming he is here to help people. In the final tale, a nice quiet date between Wally and Linda turns upside down as he faces off against Mirror Master in a prelude to the upcoming THE FLASH #1.

GREEN ARROW #3 by Joshua Williamson and Sean Izaakse. Ollie and Lian find themselves in the 31^st Century, where they meet the Legion of Superheroes and his son Connor.  Lian tells how she was kidnapped by Waller and transported away, being bounced around for what seemed like years. Brainiac 5 confirms that the three of them have had energy displacement devices implanted and they know that Amanda Waller is responsible. Ollie shows a message from a future self that explains that the heroes are responsible for The Great Disaster and this is the reason they can never go home again. Despite that, Lian protests and Ollie agrees that they need to go home. That’s when they get attacked by…Parallex? Meanwhile, back on Earth, Roy and Dinah face off with Peacemaker and Peacewrecker for the right to deal with Count Vertigo. He reveals that Waller has been “collecting” people for a big plan she has.

GREEN LANTERN #2 by Jeremy Adams, Phillip Kennedy Johnson, Montos and Xermanico. Hal is back on Earth and uses his power to defeat the Demolition Team. But that was a month ago and now he finds himself out of a job, leading him to visit Killowog and discuss things, where they drink the “dew of the mountain”. The following day, he introduces himself as Ferris Air’s newest First Officer, where he pilots a plane containing Carol and her boyfriend Nathan. During the flight, the plane encounters a host of spectral creatures. In the backup, Guy is in trouble in space and John Stewart needs to come out of retirement and come to his friend’s rescue…as The Watchfire.

HARLEY QUINN # 31 by Tini Howard, Heather Anne Campbell, Sweeney Boo, and Filya Bratukhin Harley is still trying to get back home and, with the help of Captain Carrot, does so, reuniting with Ivy. She goes back to teaching, fights Two-Face and eventually has to deal with Lady Quark. In the backup, Harley finds herself in a dream in a post-apocalyptic future, all in an effort to get back to Ivy.

ICON VS. HARDWARE #3 by Reginald Hudlin, Leon Chills, Denys Cowan, Darryl Banks and Yasmin Flores Montanez. In the distant past, Hardware battles Vandal Savage. On the far side of the universe, the man who would become Icon travels from his home world to Earth. He meets with Curtis Metcalf, who has made changes to the timeline and also informs Icon of the future. In the present timeline, Rocket battles Vandal Savage and calls for help from Icon. Hardware reaches out, explaining that time is collapsing because of his interference, resulting in dinosaurs invading Dakota City. In deep space, Brainiac prepares to invade Earth-93.